The camera opens on the same church as seen in the Salvation opening video.  There is no one there.  The crucifix is toppled over, the pews are rotted, and the pulpit is scorched.  The dark and ominous opening drums of “Sniper at the Gates of Heaven” by The Black Angels begins to play.  We see the outside of the church for a second, the sun setting behind it.  All the windows have been blasted out.  Suddenly, we snap back into the dead church and we see Jonas Coleman at the front of the sanctuary, kneeling down.  His head is bowed, and he is praying.  Where do you go when Heaven calls you?  We see Dave Dymond glaring down at him from the pulpit, his eyes evil and judging.  Behind him is Akuma Satsui, slowly dragging his fingers down his face.  We see Charles Brandon Magnus and Buck Dresden in the first pew, both holding their World Tag Team Championship.  They stare across the aisle at Frontline II TURBO, who glare back.  What do you do, who do you turn to?  Behind Akuma, we see Cade Sydal hugging the SHOOT Project World Heavyweight Championship to his chest.  Standing in the aisle, glaring him down is Ben Jackman.  Behind Jackman is a line of SHOOT Project Soldiers: The Hierarchy, Donovan King, Stellar Insanity, The TRUTH, Project:SCAR, and so on all the way out of the door.  How old will you be when they finally catch you?  Cronos Diamante casually pushes the crucifix out of the way and watches it tumble to the floor.  He does nothing as Alex Brooks scoops it up before it crashes to the ground, the two men staring at one another as he does this.  Dave Dymond steps down now as X-Calibur, Azrael Goeren, and Mirage step up to the pulpit, scoffing at Jonas Coleman as he steps back, only to be replaced by Donovan King, Rocky Stellar, and Loco Martinez.  Don’t stop moving, they’re right behind you  Real Deal steps through the church’s doors and slams them shut, bringing all attention to him as we see the church is now filled with every SHOOT Project Soldier.  Stellar and Loco slowly turn their attention back to X-Calibur and Azrael Goeren.  King slowly looks back to Mirage.  When there’s no one left on this Earth you know that can save you, kid  Real Deal’s eyes widen as all of a sudden Kenji Yamada’s fist tightens up and he charges at Ichiro Seppuku.  So just wake up, wake up, WAKE UP!  And with that, the brawl erupts in the church.  Azraith DeMitri spears Corazon down as King leaps up onto the pulpit to get his hands on Mirage.  We see Jacob Fisher fishhook Jay Skylar while Ray Valjean elbows Stan Erichson in the face.  We see Real Deal watching this all unfold from the doorway when he spots Jester Smiles at the pulpit amongst the fighting, holding a zippo lighter.  He drops it to the ground…and the pulpit erupts into flames.  What is it like when Hell surrounds you?  Thomas Manchester Black sneak attacks Lennox Ferguson as the entire pulpit burns.  Tanya Black gets shoved against the wall by Laura Seton, who gets clubbed from behind by Akuma Satsui, who is fighting hard with Jonas Coleman.  How hot does it get I think I’ve already felt it  Trey Willett appears, pulling the doors open behind Real Deal and letting himself into the burning building.  The two old friends look at one another as they watch the brawl before them.  Suddenly, Diamond Del Carver steps into the church on the other side of Real Deal, causing the brawl to slow down and cease for a moment.  Is there any way out I think you better find one  Isaac Entragian stands up, his stringy white hair covering his face.  He glares at Carver for a long moment, pointing to his prey.  The flames crawl up the walls, swallowing the scaffolding above everyone.  Adrian Corazon has his screwdriver in hand.  Someone’s blood is on it, but just whose is anyone’s guess.  When there’s no one here in this world of truth  Everyone looks up to the scaffolding as they see the flames engulfing everything above them.  Who knows firsthand so just wake up, wake up, WAKE UP!  The members of Project:SCAR grin as the ceiling begins to crumble.  Diamond Del Carver and Real Deal look up to the ceiling and close their eyes…or in Carver’s case, eye.  The church crumbles down, the building completely swallowed by the flames.  The scene shifts to the outside of the church as it burns down.  The scene shifts to the charred remains of the church, the sun rising now.  The building has burned all night.  Where do you go when Heaven calls you?  We see, standing amongst the smoldering remains of the church, are the SHOOT Project Soldiers.  The entire roster stands there, their clothes singed, their faces bloody, their bodies filthy.  What is it like when Hell surrounds you?  Cade Sydal is standing at the remains of the pulpit, glaring down at the Soldiers as their stares turn up to see him.  He smirks at the lot of them and slowly holds up the pristine and gorgeous SHOOT Project World Heavyweight Championship.  When there’s no one left on this Earth you know that can save you, kid  The SHOOT Project Soldiers charge at Cade like starving children, eager for a taste of the golden title in his hands.  So just wake up, wake up, WAKE UP!  The first hand, no one knows who it might be, reaches the SHOOT Project World Heavyweight Championship.  The fingertip scrapes the face plate as the scene fades to the SHOOT Project Helmet and to the official SHOOT Project Redemption screen.

 

The fans of Mexico are cheering their ASSES off as the Redemption logo appears on the SHOOT-Tron, pyro EXPLODING at the entrance.  Standing in the center of the ring for the first evening’s events are Eryk Masters and The Other Guy as The Black Angels fades out. 

Eryk Masters:  ¡Recepción al RESCATE! 

The fans cheer LOUDLY as Other Guy shakes his head. 

Other Guy:  Ohhhhh no no no no no!  NO HABLO STUPIDO SPANISH…O! 

The fans boo. 

Eryk Masters:  Es espanol, OG. 

Other Guy:  Oh no, Eryk.  NO.  This stupid ass world tour has gone long ENOUGH.  I have learned German, Japanese, Hungarian, Afrikaans… 

Eryk Masters:  We never even WENT to Hungary, OG. 

Other Guy:  …and WHERE…is Mark Kendrick? 

Eryk looks at the time keeper’s table. 

Eryk Masters:  He said he wasn’t allowed in Mexico. 

A moment of dumbfounded silence between Eryk and OG. 

Eryk Masters:  He said at least Corazon would know why. 

The fans boo at the sound of Corazon’s name. 

Other Guy:  …WE got a great show for everybody! 

Eryk Masters:  Let’s kick it off right, ladies and gentlemen! 

ALL OF THE LIGHTS!

 

The fans pop BIG as the lights go out in the arena.  The trumpet sounds as the fans begin to cheer more and more as Rihanna begins to sing.  

Turn up the lights in here, baby 

Extra bright I want y’all to see this 

Turn up the lights in here, baby  

A low white light shines from the entrance, the silhouette of a man standing among the fog appears.  

You know what I need 

Want you to see everything 

Want you to see ALL OF THE LIGHTS.

The arena is awash is BRIGHT white as “All of the Lights” kicks in fully, the fans popping as DONOVAN KING steps out, wearing green tights with KING written on the back in black.  Both his green kneepads have black crowns on them.  He points out to the fans who cheer back at him.  He nods his head and smiles at a few of the fans who are cheering for him. 

Samantha Coil:  THE FOLLOWING IS SCHEDULED FOR ONE FALL AND IS OUR OPENING CONTEST FOR REDEMPTION DAY ONE!  INTRODUCING FIRST…FROM CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA… 

King slides into the ring, turning back to glare at the entrance. 

Samantha Coil:  …HE IS…DONOVAN…KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!! 

King nods his head and holds one arm high in the air as “All of the Lights” dies off.  He glares at the entrance as the screen fizzles out from his video and reveals a single image. 

 

Forsaken by destiny…

Forsaken by my own mind…

I must remove my skin…

To see belief in your EYES! 

The fans boo LOUDLY as “Resurrection”  by Fear Factory kicks in.  Stepping out from the back comes none other than the masked…MIRAGE. 

Samantha Coil:  And his opponent…HE REPRESENTS THE HIERARCHY… 

Mirage walks up the ring ropes, his head cocked to the side as he stares King down. 

Samantha Coil:  HE IS…MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE! 

Mirage enters the ring as Dennis Heflin pushes the two of them apart from one another.  King enters his corner as Mirage enters his.  Heflin points to Samantha Coil to ring the bell and the match starts and is on! 

Eryk Masters:  I’m interested to see how Mirage handles OH!!! 

King IMMEDIATELY rushes at Mirage and NAILS him with a splash!  Mirage is SMASHED into the corner as King peppers him with elbows and chops to the chest!  Mirage is staggered as King NAILS him with an Alienator!  The fans pop BIG as King gets right back up, beating his chest, glaring out at the fans.  Mirage clutches his head as King shakes his head, picking the villain up and shoving him into the ropes.  He bounces Mirage off, but catches him and SLAMS him down with a spinebuster!  Mirage holds his back in agony! 

Other Guy:  WOW!  King is absolutely DOMINATING Mirage in the early going here! 

King paces around the body of Mirage and he nods his head, pointing to the fans who are cheeringly madly at this Hierarchy member getting his comeuppance.  King bends down and picks him up…and Mirage rakes the eyes!  The fans begin to boo as Mirage picks himself up, holding his head and back.  He quickly rakes King’s back with his fingernails!  King calls out in pain as Mirage schoolboys King over! 

ONE! 

KICK OUT! 

King POPS Mirage in the face for daring to believe he could end it that quickly!  The fans cheer as King rubs his eyes, stalking his weakened prey.  Mirage slowly picks himself up and charges King and King CONNECTS with the Kingfall II!  Mirage clutches his back as King gets up immediately and nails him with a leg drop!  Mirage rolls to his side and King quickly snatches Mirage’s legs up in a Texas Cloverleaf…but he DEADLIFTS Mirage up…AND SLAMS HIM BACK DOWN WITH THE KINGFALL III. 

Eryk Masters:  King wasting NO time being psychological against the wily veteran Mirage…but…my God, OG, I’ve never seen Mirage be this…dominated…this…overlooked. 

King shakes his head, laughing at Mirage on the ground.  He picks Mirage up and hooks him with a German suplex…and CONNECTS!  He rolls through…DRAGON SUPLEX!  He rolls through…TIGER SUPLEX!  He rolls through…ANOTHER DRAGON SUPLEX! 

Other Guy:  He calls those the Superiority Complex!  King is putting on a clinic of his big moves here, Eryk.  Every move he’s used honored his most famous foes from his past…Jaime Alejandro with the Superiority Complex that Alejandro calls the Hydraplex.  The Alienator, of course, from OutKast, his mentor.  And, of course, you know when he connects with that Dealbreaker it’s a shout out in name to Real Deal AND a taunt to X-Calibur with his X-Terminator! 

Eryk Masters:  It definitely seems like only a matter of time now…which I can’t say I’m sad to see Mirage destroyed in such a way…but still…my God. 

King picks Mirage up, who seems out on his feet.  Suddenly, there is a murmur from the crowd as…MIRAGE runs down from the back! 

Eryk Masters:  WHAT?! 

King shoves Mirage down to the mat and he turns to look at the NEW masked Mirage as he runs to the ring.  This new Mirage begins to yell at the referee.  King and Dennis Heflin get in this new Mirage’s face.  The fans begin to shout to King to pay attention as the first Mirage slowly picks himself up to his feet.  He sees King and bumrushes him…BUT KING SNAPS AROUND INTO A DEALBREAKER!  Mirage One is DOWN.  King turns around, floats over, and LOCKS IN THE CAROLINA CROSSFACE!  Mirage Two is up on the ring apron SCREAMING into Dennis Heflin’s face! 

Other Guy:  Okay…there are TWO Mirages…WHY do we allow people to wear masks and full body suits?  Who the hell does Mirage think he is, Chivalric? 

Eryk Masters:  No, he’s not THAT terrible. 

King sinks the hold in deeper and Mirage One TAPS FURIOUSLY!  The fans are cheering, but the cheers turn to boos as they see Mirage Two is STILL distracting Dennis Heflin.  Suddenly…ANOTHER MIRAGE APPEARS FROM UNDER THE RING. 

Other Guy:  WHAT…THE…HELL. 

Mirage Three slides into the ring and SLAMS his STEEL TOED BOOT into King’s head to break the hold!  Mirage Three quickly shoves the body of Mirage One from the ring and Mirage Two drops OFF the ring apron!  The fans are booing as Mirage Three QUICKLY punches King in the groin before Dennis Heflin turns all the way around! 

Eryk Masters:  There are THREE Mirages out here! 

Mirage Three stalks over King’s body and picks him up from the mat.  He looks at King for a moment, cocks his head to the side and RIPS off his mask to reveal…HE IS THE REAL MIRAGE.  King’s eyes open to see Mirage’s smirking face RIGHT AS MIRAGE SNAPS OFF A KINGBREAKER.  Mirage lays there, laughing triumphantly as he turns King over and lays apathetically over King’s body, Dennis Heflin counting! 

ONE! 

TWO! 

TH—KICK OUT!!!! 

Eryk Masters:  YES!!! 

Mirage shakes his head and kicks his mask out of the ring as the two previous Mirages both stand at the entrance to the ringside area.  Mirage One picks the mask up and holds it for his master as Mirage picks King up off the mat…ANOTHER KINGBREAKER!  He gets back up, looking at the sea of booing fans.  He bends down and picks King BACK up…A THIRD KINGBREAKER.  He walks over to Samantha Coil and demands her microphone. 

Mirage:  That’s…three Kingbreakers… 

He counts Mirage One, Two, and then himself. 

Mirage:  One for each of me. 

He grins as he taps King’s prone body. 

Mirage:  I thought you…could take more punishment than that, Donovan.  Ah well. 

He grinds his steel toed boot into King’s face. 

Mirage:  Mister Heflin, if you please? 

Dennis Heflin slides into position and counts! 

ONE! 

TWO! 

TH—KICK OUT!!! 

Other Guy:  HE KICKED OUT! 

Mirage:  JESUS…God DAMN, Donovan.  Your finisher SUCKS. 

Mirage drops the microphone, shaking his head.  He hooks King’s head in a reverse DDT and DRIVES King’s head to the mat.  He picks King up IMMEDIATELY…KINGBREAKER NUMBER FOUR.  He picks the microphone up and hooks King’s leg. 

Mirage:  Do yourself a favor, Donovan.  Do NOT kick out. 

UNO. 

DOS. 

TRES. 

Mirage counts along with Dennis Heflin and Heflin calls for the bell, the fans booing MERCILESSLY. 

Samantha Coil:  HERE IS YOUR WINNER…MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE! 

“Resurrection” by Fear Factory kicks back in as Mirage leaves King on the mat.  Mirage One hands him his mask and he slides it back over his head, the fans seeing an evil grin as he does so. 

Eryk Masters:  Mirage has destroyed Donovan King here tonight.  King, who has gone hours in matches.  King, who has been in some of the most brutal and hardcore matches in this company.  If Mirage can outwit him and decimate him to this degree…my God…what kind of monster did Hierarchy bring BACK to SHOOT? 

Other Guy:  I don’t know, E.  All I know is King manhandled the first Mirage…I thought it was case closed, business as usual for Mirage.  Now…Mirage shows he’s screwed with everybody’s head…and he’s defeated Donovan King here tonight in not just relatively dominating fashion…but also really, really quickly. 

Eryk Masters:  His only major victory in SHOOT since we reopened a year ago was against Jaime Alejandro.  He only managed to defeat Azraith DeMitri when Sovereign was by his side.  He’s all alone now…and he hasn’t been able to defeat…ANYBODY.  I know Donovan King hopes his chances turn for him on Night Two…when it matters the most. 

King rolls to his side in the ring as he looks at the three Mirages laughing and pointing at him from the entrance.  They leave him there, alone. 

Other Guy:  I don’t know, E.  If there’s anybody who can bounce back from this it’s probably him but…why do I get the feeling that this is the calm before the storm? 

King rolls from the ring, his head down…dejected. 

Other Guy:  Why do I get the feeling Mirage is after something much more…sinister from Donovan King?

We cut backstage as Azrael Goeren is shown in the Hierarchy’s private dressing room, taping up his fists with alternating red and black colored tape. Standing behind him is The Hierarchy’s imposing Russian bodyguard Gavrilovich Mikael Yurinov who looks completely uninterested in Goeren’s pre-match ritual.  A knock comes from the dressing room door but Azrael doesn’t appear to be too rushed to answer it. 

Goeren: Yuri, be a dear and see who that is will you? 

Yurinov:   I am not a butler. Besides, it’s probably another Mexican prostitute for you. 

Goeren:   Nein, the last of them came and went an hour ago. Get it? Came and went? 

Yurinov:   You are a horrible, unfunny man. 

Goeren:   Thank you. 

Azrael continues to wrap his fists before slowly raising his head and turning around to meet his bodyguard’s stare. Azrael motions towards the door with his eyes before Yuri finally relents and walks towards the locker room door with an annoyed sigh. After a brief conversation, Yuri returns with a large manila envelope in his huge hands. 

Yurinov:   This is addressed to you, the man who delivered it said it was the information you requested several weeks ago about… 

Azrael’s eyes immediately brighten as he vaults up from his chair and pulls the envelope out of Yuri’s hand, tearing through the outer envelope and pulling out a series of stapled pages. 

Yurinov:   You’re welcome. 

Goeren:   Quiet! 

Yurinov:   Is this about…? 

Goeren:   Shhhhhhhhh…come on…come on…get to the point…where the fuck do I know him from?! 

Azrael continues to mumble incoherently to himself as he flips through the pages, apparently scanning for a particular piece of information. He suddenly stops at the last page, his hands gripping the papers a bit tighter as he reads the conclusion. 

Goeren:   I knew it. I knew it! I KNEW IT! 

The demented German gives the chair he was sitting on a hard kick as Yuri braces for yet another one of his employer’s temper tantrums.  Surprisingly, the tantrum never arrives as Azrael simply erupts with a voracious laugh. 

Goeren:   Well, isn’t this a fine turn of events? He of all people should have known I have my ways of finding these things out! Just what game is he playing? 

Azrael looks up and pats his bodyguard on the shoulder. 

Goeren:   I hope you’re feeling particularly violent today. We’ve got ourselves a little message to deliver. 

Yurinov:   Should I find Mirage and X-Calibur to help as well? 

Goeren:   Nein, this is personal…sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands and remind certain…individuals…why they feared you in the first place. Besides, there is no need to bring a shotgun to a butter knife fight… 

Azrael lets out another disturbed chuckle before bolting out of the locker room entirely, leaving a bewildered Yuri in his wake before we fade back out.

Entragian is seen prowling through a backstage corridor, his titanic frame dwarfing almost every person he passes. Road agents do their best to silently avoid him, their eyes plastered on the floor. He curves around the make-up station, and two chatty make-up artists literally seem to lose their train of thought as he passes within their range. He pauses for a moment, and then favors the taller blonde with a sinister wink. 

 

She inadvertently swallows her chewing gum, star-struck eyes becoming wide saucers full to the brim with terror. Isaac just smirks, continuing his stroll. 

 

SCAR’s Pale Rider wears leather pants, a plain black tee, and a light black leather jacket with a crimson dragon embroidered into the sleeves. His white hair is tied back into a ponytail, and the prize of his attire is the Iron Fist Championship proudly draped over one Goliath-like shoulder. 

 

He nears the catering area, making a beeline for a row of jumbo cocktail shrimp. The albino snatches up one of the shrimp by the tail, casually tosses it into the air, and then catches it on his forked tongue. He closes his eyes for a moment, savoring the taste, and then out of the corner of his eye he notices a couple sitting down to a meal. 

 

He turns towards the duo, making the satisfying realization that it’s The Devil himself and his soon to be bride. One of the only individuals outside of his SCAR brethren that Isaac doesn’t have the instant urge to beat the fuck out of, in fact he actually enjoys Diamante’s company. 

 

Entragian saunters up, a cheshire-cat grin on his face. 

 

Entragian: “Look at the happy couple! Let me be the first to congratulate you both on the upcoming wedding!” 

 

Isaac pulls up a chair, sitting down for a moment while smirking. 

 

Entragian: “Make sure you have him file those horns down a bit before the wedding, Contessa….they’re really starting to show. Especially after all the shit you’ve put Little Engine Alex through.” 

 

Isaac chuckles, making a little tsk tsk gesture towards Diamante. 

 

Entragian: “You manipulative motherfucker….I love it!”  

 

Cronos turns his attention from Contessa and gives Issac a pat on the shoulder. He grins and glances at the title draped over his shoulder. 

 

Diamante: “I’m glad I can entertain you, brother. Though it’s a good thing SCAR softened him up for me. I do appreciate that. Hehe.” 

 

Contessa reaches in her purse for a nail filer and makes a joking gesture at filing invisible horns on his head that causes Cronos and Issac to laugh. 

 

Diamante: “I think they’re too sharp. They ain’t getting’ filed. My apologies.” 

 

Cronos takes a drink of his water and looks back to Issac. 

 

Diamante: “Congrats on your little feud with those… is it Truth? Fucked if I remember. Azraith can I take another loss and Ichiro can I get any more emo these days should be their tag team name but I guess that’s too long, right?” 

 

Entragian leans back, actually taking a moment to massage his temple while scoffing. 

 

Entragian: “I’ll be so glad when we’re done with those imbeciles. In all my years in this business I’ve heard DeMitri spoken of as a “legend”; and quite frankly all that blue-haired pussy has showed me is that he suffers from the sin of sloth. He’s a lazy relic who’s settled into mediocrity, and I can barely find the motivation to toss his superfluous ass around that ring anymore.” 

 

Issac casually reaches back and pops another jumbo shrimp between his razor teeth, chewing contently before continuing. 

 

Entragian: “I’m much more worried about what The Ox can do, at least Lennox has shown me he can bring the fight and he still has a bit of fire in his soul. He’s the only salvageable one out of that group if you want my humble opinion. But alas, I’m ranting.” 

 

Entragian smirks at Cronos, and gives Contessa small “forgive me” look. 

 

Entragian: “So you got anything extra special in my mind for Alex that you wouldn’t mind sharing with your friendly neighborhood albino? I can practically see those twisted cogs turning in your head…”  

 

Cronos smirks at “friendly neighborhood albino” and glances at Contessa then to her ring. 

 

Diamante: “Let’s just say it’s going to be a family affair, Issac.” 

 

Cronos grins. 

 

Diamante: “You won’t want to miss it for the world.” 

 

Entragian smirks, his eyebrows rising slightly. 

 

Entragian: “I’m sure.” 

 

Suddenly Isaac’s expression darkens just a shade, the madness that corrupts his soul starting push up to the surface. 

 

Entragian: “And how about the Redemption Rumble? Excited for that? I certainly hope we don’t clash during such a chaotic affair. In fact I think it would be beneficial for us both if that didn’t happen…” 

 

Entragian cocks his head, his eyes sparkling with a mixture of dementia and ambition. Cronos chuckles at the mention of the Rumble and looks to Contessa who simply sighs and rolls her eyes. 

 

Diamante: “I wouldn’t get too ahead of yourself, Issac. You have nothing to fear from me. I tried to get out of being in the rumble to focus on Alex. But my contract is iron clad and leaves me no wiggle room.” 

 

Cronos pauses and takes a drink. 

 

Diamante: “What that means for you is you’ve got one more guy in your corner working to help you win it if it comes down to it. I’m sure that makes you a happy man.” 

 

Isaac’s reaction is priceless, a slow razor-blade grin dawns on his face as he rises up from his chair and plants one pale claw on Cronos’s shoulder. 

 

Entragian: “That’s why I’ve always admired you, Diamante. You’re a cerebral bastard who always knows how to make the right decisions.” 

 

Entragian turns his attention to Contessa for a moment. 

 

Entragian: “I can tell you’re the type of woman who’s attracted to….for lack of a better word, Evil. And based on that, I’d say you’ve chosen the perfect beau. Take it from me, evil recognizes evil…” 

 

The albino tips his hand in a salute to the couple and then starts off towards the SCAR locker room. 

 

Diamante: “Hey Isaac.” 

 

Entragian stops, turning his attention back to Cronos with a cocked eyebrow. 

 

Diamante: “I don’t exactly have that many friends in this world as you may know. Be my best man at my wedding?” 

 

Entragian’s eyes widen, his face literally stunned…for a brief moment the monster is humanized, a little smile curving up from the corners of his mouth. 

 

He simply nods his head once, respectfully. 

 

Entragian: “I’d be honored to stand at The Devil’s side for such a momentous occasion.” 

 

Entragian offers the nod once more, and then stalks off down the hallway, leaving both Cronos & Contessa to digest his answer. 

 

Contessa: “Out of all the men in the world you choose Issac?” 

 

Cronos nods. 

 

Diamante: “I trust him. That’s more than I can say for most. And he’s the closest thing I have resembling a friend. That’s why I plan to help him in the Rumble. Out of all the World Champions in LEGACY, he was the best. I’d like to see him reign terror down upon SHOOT now.” 

This bold statement hangs in the air as Contessa nods in understanding, the camera cutting away.

 

Samantha Coil: The following contest is scheduled for one fall with no time limit, and is a SIX-MAN NO DISQUALIFICATIONS GRUDGE MATCH!!!

Oh, there ain’t no rest for the wicked…

The Mexico City fans emit a sizeable POP as Cage the Elephant’s "Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked" cues up, bringing Thomas Manchester Black out from behind the curtain.

Money don’t grow on trees…

TMB is sporting his usual ring attire of MMA trunks and his hands taped up, but a pair of combat boots cover his feet and the all-too-familiar white and black striped shirt covers his upper body. He smirks, shaking his head, and casually walks down the ramp.

I got bills to pay, I got mouths to feed

There ain’t nothing in this world for free

Eryk Masters: At Revolution 77, folks, it was announced that Thomas Manchester Black would be the special guest referee for this contest, likely due to his involvement with both factions in recent times.

Other Guy: Really? You think these people need a rundown of why TMB’s involved in this?

I know I can’t slow down, I can’t hold back

Though you know I wish I could

Samantha Coil: Introducing first, he is tonight’s special guest referee, hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina…

Oh no, there ain’t no rest for the wicked…

Samantha Coil: …THOMAS MANCHESTER BLACK!!!

Until we close our eyes for good

TMB slides into the ring, killing the music, and stretches out quick on the ropes.

LISTEN ALL YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!!

A tide of boos practically match the volume of the Crystal Method’s "The Name of the Game", save for an extremely vocal group sitting, as luck would have it, right behind Eryk and OG.

Truth Fans: ¡¡QUEREMOS LA VERDAD!! ¡¡QUEREMOS LA VERDAD!! ¡¡QUEREMOS LA VERDAD!!

Other Guy: Jeeze, Eryk, it seems like the Truth’s following is a bit larger here tonight.

Eryk Masters: Well, you know what they say. "Everything’s bigger in Mexico."

Other Guy: That’s Texas!

Eryk Masters: Eh, same thing.

Other Guy: Well…that’s sorta racist, too…

Blue fireworks rocket out from the stage and into the open air of the arena, bringing forth a long-haired man in a trenchcoat, his face illuminated by the glow of the celebratory explosives.

LISTEN ALL YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!!

Purple fireworks shoot up on the opposite side of the stage now as another longhaired man in a trench coat steps forward.

LISTEN ALL YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!!

Blue and purple strobes fill the arena, matching the beat of the pulsing techno and the chants of the vocal pro-Truth contingent behind Eryk and OG, when suddenly a burst of gold fireworks shoots up as well, bringing a man in a hooded robe out and, of course, a set of golden strobes to join the blue and purple. Azraith DeMitri, Ichiro Seppuku, and Lennox Ferguson all begin walking down the rampway as the song jumps ahead.

Everybody in front

Let me see ya pumpin’ ya fists.

If you up in the back room

When you rockin’ with this.

Come on.

Keepin’ ya speaker knockin’

Jumpin’ bangin’ bumpin’ blazin’

Hot.

Callin’ all freaks.

Samantha Coil: Making their way to the ring at this time, they are the collective team of Lennox "The Ox" Ferguson, Ichiro "The Black Phoenix" Seppuku, and Azraith "The Broken Avatar" DeMitri…THE TRUTH!!!

Truth Fans: ¡¡QUEREMOS LA VERDAD!! ¡¡QUEREMOS LA VERDAD!! ¡¡QUEREMOS LA VERDAD!!

Eryk Masters: I can already tell that this may be a long weekend.

Ferguson slides into the ring first, disrobing quickly as DeMitri and Seppuku roll in afterward, all three men tossing their entrance gear over the top rope to the waiting ringside attendants. "The Name of the Game" dies along with the tri-colored strobes, plunging the arena into darkness save for the low glow of the SHOOT Project Video Wall. An Indian burial ground consumes the feed, bodies torn asunder and arranged strategically with black shards of clothing covering their private areas, the camera pulling back as each man, woman, and child lets out a blood-curdling scream, revealing what they were placed out to create.

PROJECT: SCAR

Dir En Grey’s "Obscure" blasts over the PA system as spotlights focus on the trio of Isaac Entragian, Kenji Yamada, and Adrian Corazon marching out from behind the entrance curtain. Their soulless eyes focus on the three men in the ring, the three fresh offerings before them, as they begin to steadily make their way towards them.

Other Guy: These three men make me wish that immigration didn’t have an issue with me bringing adult diapers into the country.

Eryk Masters: …huh?

No boos. No hisses. No jeers. No trash thrown from even the balcony in the direction of the three sadists that occupy the entrance ramp at this point. Nobody’s brave enough to even dare attempt to earn their wrath.

Samantha Coil: Introducing next, the team of Kenji Yamada, Adrian Corazon, and the SHOOT Project Iron Fist champion Isaac Entragian…PROJECT: SCAR!!!

No sooner does Samantha Coil finish her required spiel than all three members of the Truth – DeMitri, Seppuku, and Ferguson – bound out of the ring, meeting their opponents at the bottom of the ramp with a flurry of fists. "Obscure" dies as the houselights return, and TMB quickly signals for the bell.

DING DING DING!!

The Ox slams fist after fist after fist into the skull of Entragian, Seppuku and Yamada trade shots as they force themselves up against the ring apron, and DeMitri whips Corazon towards the guardrail. Adrian, though, has other plans, and sends Azraith head-first into the ringside steps, toppling them over. Isaac blocks a big right hand from Ferguson and sends an uppercut chop into his throat, sending the former Iron Fist champion down to a knee and grabbing for his larynx. Yamada drills a pair of elbows into Seppuku’s forehead and goes to slide him into the ring, but Ichiro fires off with a pair of back elbows to Kenji’s forehead, sending him reeling back.

Eryk Masters: After a quick start by the Truth, it looks like it’s all evened up right now.

Other Guy: Why wouldn’t it be? Have you ever SEEN Project: SCAR in action?

Eryk Masters: True, true…

Corazon brings DeMitri up to his feet, drills him with a European uppercut, and then hooks him with a double underhook.

Eryk Masters: Butterfly Suplex…!

Adrian finishes the throw, sending DeMitri back-first into the guardrail and causing it to collapse a little. SHOOT Project security swarms the area, holding fans as they try to fix the broken piece of equipment. Isaac places his large, claw-like hand over Ferguson’s face, squeezing tight on his temples and crown.

Other Guy: An Iron Claw by Entragian…

Ox, however, has some ideas of his own, using Isaac’s extended arm to pull him in before sending him down with a big right hook to the jaw. Kenji and Ichiro trade forearms and elbows as they scale the ring apron, neither man willing to back down even an inch. Seppuku looks to start garnering an advantage, dropping Yamada to a knee, and then enters the ring, hitting the opposite ropes for extra velocity as he charges towards Kenji, looking for an elbow.

Eryk Masters: AND HERE’S CORAZON!!

Out of nowhere, Adrian Corazon rushes through the ropes to the side of Ichiro, catching him in a rear waistlock before dumping him on the back of his head with a release German Suplex. Lennox brings Isaac to his feet and winds up, looking for another solid right hook, but Kenji leaps off of the apron with a double axehandle, dropping Ferguson to a knee. Yamada brings the Ox to his feet, holding him steady, and whips him into the charging boot of Entragian.

Other Guy: Did you see how brutal that Yakuza Kick was?!

In the ring, Adrian measures the rising Ichiro Seppuku, charging in with an elbow to the face before clutching his head with both hands, driving knee after knee into his face and chest and, of course, arms as "The Black Phoenix" desperately tries to cover up. Outside, Azraith stirs, crawling over to the ring apron and reaching underneath it.

Other Guy: This could get pretty interesting in a minute.

Eryk Masters: In a minute? It’s only been a minute or two and it’s already interesting!

Corazon relents with his assault of clinch knees and nails another European uppercut, sending Ichiro sprawling into the ropes. On the outside, Kenji continues his assault on Lennox as Isaac makes his way over towards DeMitri. Yamada’s hands wrap around Ferguson’s throat as he stares daggers through him with his cold, pale eyes, a hint of a smile on his face in doing so. Entragian grabs Azraith by the waistband to pull him out from under the ring…

Eryk Masters: THAT’S WHAT HE WAS DOING!!!

…only to eat a pair of fluorescent lighttubes to the face. Small shards of glass and mercurial vapors hover over the image of the collapsing albino giant, his hands frantically scouring his face as TMB looks on from the comfort a corner in the ring, slightly amused at all that has transpired thus far.

Other Guy: Of course Black would be enjoying all of us.

Eryk Masters: Well, he has no love loss for either of these factions.

Other Guy: Exactly my point.

Corazon turns to see what Azraith has done, only to be met with the remainder of both lighttubes. Ichiro looks out to find Ferguson whipped against the apron by Yamada and charges, sliding under the bottom rope to quickly take Kenji down with a simple tackle, hammering down fists and elbows towards his face as Kenji covers up, his arms absorbing the majority of the blows.

Eryk Masters: Yamada tries to fend off the onslaught from Seppuku, and here comes Azraith DeMitri!!!

Azraith slides into the ring and wraps his left hand around the throat of Adrian Corazon, looking wide-eyed as the crowd pops in anticipation.

Other Guy: DIE HAND DES GOTTES!!

DeMitri lifts Corazon up for a chokeslam and drops to a knee, but Adrian has other plans: he lands with a foot on Azraith’s knee and the other on the canvas before sending a dropkick square between the eyes. Outside, Lennox rushes over to Isaac and slams his head into the ring apron not once, not twice, but thrice. The red pouring from gashes all over Entragian’s forehead and the bridge of his nose stain his white hair, matching his eyes, and leaves their mark on the canvas. Ferguson sends a pair of fists into Isaac’s skull before climbing up onto the apron and stepping into the ring. He starts to make his way to Corazon but gets a pair of huge hands wrapped around his ankle, turning around to find Isaac barely aware of whatever damage he’s sustained and holding Ferguson at bay. The Ox looks to send a boot through the ropes, but Adrian comes up behind him with a pair of elbows to the back of the head, dazing him.

Other Guy: Isaac doesn’t even look like he felt a damn thing!!

Eryk Masters: He probably didn’t!

Kenji jabs a thumb into the good eye of Ichiro, fending him off, and then sits up, catching his breath. Corazon hooks Lennox for a German Suplex, sending him over, but Ferguson somehow manages to flip over and lands on all-four’s, immediately popping up to his feet.

Eryk Masters: Amazing agility!!

The Ox, himself, looks a bit surprised that he was able to do this, but not nearly as much as Adrian, who scrambles up to his feet and charges in. All he finds, however, is a stiff lariat that sends him dropping hard to the canvas.

Other Guy: There goes a few hundred dollars worth of dental work.

Isaac reaches under the ring as Kenji drives Ichiro face-first into the ringside floor a few times, pulling out a table.

Fans: SSSSSSSSSIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eryk Masters:…really?

Other Guy: Mexico speaks Spanish, Eryk.

Eryk Masters: I KNOW THAT!!

Lennox drops some boots onto Corazon’s skull as Entragian slides the table into the ring, and DeMitri rushes in to nail a dropkick through the bottom and middle ropes into Entragian’s chest, the force sending him reeling back into the guardrail. Kenji brings Ichiro to his feet and throws him over the guardrail into the front row, stepping into the crowd himself to follow.

Other Guy: Any possible display of true in-ring ability is just going to be thrown out the window between these six men tonight.

Eryk Masters: You don’t win streetfights by getting somebody into a wristlock, OG.

Other Guy: No, but you can win them by dropping somebody on their head enough times to knock them out.

Eryk Masters: With what has been transpiring between these two factions in recent months? That’s probably not on the agenda. They both want blood!

DeMitri slides out of the ring to meet Isaac with punches, but Entragian quickly answers back with a pair of huge right hands of his own before throwing – not whipping or shoving, THROWING – Azraith back up onto the ring apron. Temporarily stunned, DeMitri doesn’t even notice the huge boot of the Iron Fist champion as it soars towards its destination: his face.

Eryk Masters: Did you see that?!

The impact forces Azraith through the bottom and middle ropes in the corner, his head and shoulder resting on one set of ropes while the rest of his body dangles out the other set. Isaac wipes blood away from his eyes and climbs onto the apron, stepping over the top rope with his eyes locked on Ferguson. Kenji delivers right hand after right hand into Ichiro’s face, forcing him further and further away from the ring and into the crowd. They stop at a t-shirt vendor when Seppuku finally regains the wherewithal to fight back, grabbing a Styrofoam cup from atop the table with a vast display of SHOOT Project merchandise and throwing its contents into Kenji’s face. Yamada steps back, temporarily blinded by the cola contained therein, which allows Ichiro to charge in with devastating elbows, sending Kenji down to the concrete floor.

Other Guy: Look at Ox!! He’s taking the fight right to Isaac!!

Ferguson sends fist after fist into Entragian’s face, rocking the Ivory Terror back up against the ropes. He goes to whip him across the ring but Entragian reverses it, sending Lennox into the opposite ropes. He rebounds and Isaac ducks down for a back body drop, but Ferguson quickly looks for a boot to the face. Entragian, however, planned it this way: he catches his leg, stands up straight, and wraps a hand tightly around his throat. Instinctually, Ferguson tries to pry Isaac’s hands away, but it matters not as Entragian laughs, blood trickling over his teeth, and then lifts the Ox up high before charging and hurling him into a corner. Ferguson lands on his feet, stunned, and eats a nasty series of rights and lefts from Isaac.

Eryk Masters: He’s just PUMMELING Ferguson right now!

Ichiro grabs the back of Kenji’s head, laying in a few shots to stun him, and tries to make his way back towards the ring, but Yamada elbows him low and whips him into the staircase next to the merchandise table. The fans in the front row of the balcony just above the merchandise stand cheer on the violence as Kenji hammers a pair of fists into the back of Seppuku’s head before guiding him up the staircase. Adrian Corazon rises to his feet in the ring, holding his head, and lifts the table that Isaac slid in as Entragian continues his assault in the corner on Ferguson, ceasing the barrage of punches in favor of the ever-favored chokehold. Corazon angles the table into the corner across from Isaac and Lennox as DeMitri begins stirring, rolling all the way into the ring and using the ropes for leverage to rise up to his feet.

Other Guy: It looks like Adrian has something pretty devious in store for DeMitri…

Corazon walks over to Azraith and puts a pair of boots into the side of his head before bringing him up to his feet and lifting him up into a fireman’s carry. In the corner, Isaac backs away from Ferguson, glaring with a sadistic grin on his face directly into the Ox’s eyes. A pair of shots to the head later and Ox is lying on the mat.

Eryk Masters: Adrian’s going for the Fury of the Dark Heart!!

Other Guy: Through the table!!!

Corazon swings Azraith forward as he looks to drop him head-first through the condensed plywood and cheap metal, but DeMitri lands on his feet directly next to the table. Adrian quickly looks to drive his knuckles into DeMitri’s head but Azraith is ready: he catches Corazon’s arm at the wrist, boots him low, and tucks it between his legs before side-stepping him, lifting him up onto his shoulder, and then quickly turns away from the table and drops down, planting Corazon to the canvas on his upper back…

Eryk Masters: Wrist-clutch…Blue Thunder…Bomb?!

Other Guy: How often are you going to see that out of ANYBODY?!

…and holds on for a pin as TMB drops down.

1!

2!!

Isaac quickly charges over and drives a boot into Azraith’s face, sending him reeling back and breaking up the pinfall. Back in the crowd, Kenji wails away on Ichiro, forcing him almost over the small guardrail at the top of the balcony, but Seppuku fires back with a surprise downward elbow the bridge of his nose, sending him back a few steps and into a fan. Popcorn goes everywhere. Yamada charges towards Ichiro as he regains his composure, but Seppuku ducks down…

Other Guy: BACK BODY DROP OVER THE BALCONY!!!

Eryk Masters: NO!!! KENJI HANGS ON!!!

Yamada’s hands grasp the balcony’s edge, preventing him from making a fifteen-foot plunge through the merchandise stand below. SHOOT Project security quickly hurries the vendors out of the way, keeping any errant fans at bay as well, and Ichiro drops to a knee, gasping for breath as Kenji tries desperately to maintain a decent grip. Back in the ring, Isaac finishes a quick round of "fist in the face" on Azraith DeMitri before scooping him up over his shoulder as Adrian Corazon rolls to the floor. Entragian allows DeMitri to lower down in front of him, holding on tightly to his waist.

Other Guy: He’s looking for a Tombstone…

Azraith, however, has other plans: he kicks his legs violently, causing Isaac to loosen his grip, and then manages to swing his body around and scoop Isaac up, reversing the move into a Tombstone attempt of his own.

Eryk Masters: WHAT?!

Entragian proves to be a little too much, however, and quickly forces DeMitri to bend backwards, allowing Entragian to reverse the position back in his favor. As he stands up to get ready to drop him, though, Azraith breaks free and rolls forward in a pseudo-Victory Roll. TMB drops down for the count…

1!

2!!

Eryk Masters: And Isaac kicks out!!

Back at the balcony, Kenji manages to climb back onto the balcony railing, his foot slightly stuck between the guardrail and the ledge itself. He frees it and stands, looking to pounce on Seppuku, but Ichiro surprises him by throwing the chair of a fan directly into his head. The impact sends Yamada off of the balcony ledge, turning around and flying directly into a pair of merchandise tables, destroying the both of them.

Fans: HOLY SHIT!! HOLY SHIT!! HOLY SHIT!!

Eryk Masters: Shouldn’t they be saying "holy guacamole," or something?

Other Guy: …

Back to the ring the cameras cut, finding Azraith driving fist after fist into Entragian’s already bloodied head. DeMitri hits the ropes behind him and rebounds, looking for a lariat as Isaac gets to a knee, but the Ivory Terror quickly launches forward with a Yakuza Kick. The impact stunts DeMitri, sending him back into the ropes, but he tries another: incoming lariat attempt number two, and the Yakuza Kick receipt again!

Other Guy: Well, if at first you don’t succeed…

DeMitri drops down after the second one, but quickly scrambles to his feet, powering through the pain as he surprises Entragian with a HUGE lariat. The impact, however, does little more than send Isaac up against the ropes nearest the entrance ramp. Azraith looks to hit the ropes again, trying for another, but…

Eryk Masters: ADRIAN CORAZON HAS SOME LIGHTTUBES!!!

…SMASH!!! DeMitri drops down, little bits of glass stuck in his hair, and Corazon slides into the ring. Adrian drives a pair of boots into Azraith’s face before grabbing the back of his head and sending him tumbling over the top rope to the floor. Corazon and Entragian look at one another, nod, and then turn to Lennox Ferguson as he slowly pulls himself to his feet in the corner.

Other Guy: Oh no…this doesn’t look good for Ox…

Ferguson rises up, clearing his head, and turns to see Isaac and Adrian slowly stalking towards him, spreading out so that he has virtually no escape.

Eryk Masters: This isn’t going to be good…

Lennox looks to move right, but Corazon cuts him off and forces him back into the corner. Another step in for the standing Project: SCAR duo has Ferguson go to dash left, but Entragian steps in and misses with a wild right hand. Isaac laughs, shaking his head, and Corazon nods. They both step in again, forcing Lennox to count his options quickly.

Eryk Masters: Ichiro’s all the way back over there in the crowd, Azraith is struggling to even stand up on the floor, and Lennox has nowhere to go and nobody to turn to!

Truth Fans: ¡¡QUEREMOS LA VERDAD!! ¡¡QUEREMOS LA VERDAD!! ¡¡QUEREMOS LA VERDAD!!

Ferguson looks over his shoulder at the vocal Truth fans sitting just behind Eryk and OG, his face going from a hint of panic to one of acceptance.

Other Guy: …what’s he going to do?

Ox turns back to Isaac and Corazon, nods, and then fires out of the corner guns blazing, popping knuckles against the faces and heads of both men. A left jab to Entragian.

Truth Fans: ¡¡OX!!

A right cross to Corazon.

Truth Fans: ¡¡OX!!

A back elbow with his left arm to Isaac’s cheek.

Truth Fans: ¡¡OX!!

An uppercut to the jaw sends Adrian reeling back into a neutral corner.

Truth Fans: ¡¡OX!!

Eryk Masters: Never doubt the intestinal fortitude of Lennox Ferguson!

Lennox plows a huge pair of right hands into Isaac’s face and then whips him into the ropes. Unfortunately for him, though, Entragian reverses it, pivoting on his foot in the center of the ring, and short-arm whips Ox right into a tilt-a-whirl predicament, holding him on his shoulder before quickly charging towards the table in the corner and hitting a powerslam right through it.

Other Guy: OH MAN!!!

Eryk Masters: Oh…my…

Isaac drags Ferguson out from the table wreckage towards the center of the ring, barely even covering him by placing a hand on his chest as TMB drops down for the count.

1!

2!!

3…

Eryk Masters: NO!! OX KICKED OUT!! OX KICKED OUT!!

Isaac looks down at Ferguson, slightly surprised, and just smiles, wiping hints of blood from his forehead and flicking them onto Ox. Ferguson spits out whatever got into his mouth and rolls away, but Entragian isn’t done: he slides out of the ring, reaches underneath, and then pulls out a pane of glass.

Other Guy: You have GOT to be shitting me!!

The Ivory Terror slides the pane of glass into the ring and laughs, shaking his head. Corazon picks it up, holding his jaw, and then places it at an angle between the ring mat and the middle turnbuckle in the corner he has just walked out of. Isaac grabs a hold of the middle rope for leverage to pull himself onto the apron, but, from out of nowhere, a chair – not the steel folding variety typically found at pro wrestling events, but the hard plastic kind usually seen in classrooms and cheap arenas – comes flying out of the crowd, its steel leg connecting with his eyebrow.

Eryk Masters: Wha…? Where the hell did that come from!?

Its source reveals itself as Ichiro Seppuku bounds over the guardrail and dives into the ring, rising to meet Adrian Corazon with a flurry of chops and elbows before demolishing his legs with a plethora of kicks to his thighs and knees. Corazon drops down and eats a swift Buzzsaw Kick to the face, sending him arching back as Seppuku makes the cover.

1!

2!!

3…

Other Guy: CORAZON KICKS OUT!!

Ichiro pays little attention to this and, instead, goes back to Corazon’s legs, locking him into a standing kneebar. On the floor, Isaac comes to, blood gushing from a fresh wound that stretches from his eyebrow to across his temple, and he storms into the ring, looking for murder…but stops.

Eryk Masters: Why…why’d he stop?

Seppuku beckons Isaac to try him as he continues stretching Adrian’s knee the opposite way it was meant to bend, but Entragian refuses to advance, merely smirking at him.

Eryk Masters: Look at Ichiro! He’s BEGGING Isaac to try him!

Other Guy: I think I know why Entragian wasn’t moving…!

From behind Seppuku comes a bloodied Kenji Yamada, limping up to his feet after sliding into the ring. Seppuku releases Corazon, sizing Entragian up, but Isaac shakes his head, wags his finger, and then points behind Ichiro. Seppuku turns and…

Other Guy: BLACK MIST!! YAMADA JUST SPIT BLACK MIST RIGHT INTO ICHIRO’S EYES!!!

Seppuku drops down, scrambling on the mat as he tries to rub the burning mist out of his eyes, and Kenji nods to his giant brother in arms. Ichiro forces himself to his feet, squinting in an attempt to be able to see, and Yamada charges towards Isaac, who lifts him up high above his head for a Gorilla Press.

Eryk Masters: Isaac has Kenji up…HE LAUNCHES HIM AT ICHIRO!!!

Yamada flies like a cruise missile into Ichiro, his hands wrapping around Seppuku’s throat in mid-air before the two land on the canvas together, Kenji focused on nothing else besides crushing his larynx. Isaac begins to make his way back over to Ox but, instead, is met with a throwing of a handful of thumbtacks into his face. Entragian scrambles back, and Azraith pours out the rest of a burlap sack full of thumbtacks onto the canvas before stepping between the ropes.

Other Guy: Azraith’s not done with this one by a long shot!!

DeMitri crouches a little bit, grabbing his elbow, and stares directly at Isaac. Entragian regains his composure, meets the eyes of Azraith, and takes a step forward…

Azraith DeMitri: YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!

…only to eat a STIFF Rolling Elbow to the jaw. The force sends Entragian turning around, his back to DeMitri, and Azraith capitalizes on this with a kick to the small of his back, hooking him in an inverted facelock, and then lifting him up for a reverse suplex before cradling his leg and dropping him head-first into the pile of thumbtacks.

Eryk Masters: NATURAL SELECTION!!

Azraith grabs both of Isaac’s legs, leaning in for both leverage purposes and to grind a few more thumbtacks into his head, neck, and back as TMB drops down for the count.

1!

2!!

Eryk Masters: ISAAC KICKS OUT AT 2!!!

Kenji breaks free from Seppuku and makes sure that the pane of glass is still there, looking at the near-blinded Ichiro with hideous glee creeping across his face.

Other Guy: I don’t like the look of this…

Yamada drags Seppuku over to the pane of glass and places his head behind it, looking behind him at DeMitri driving elbow after elbow into Entragian’s blood-coated head. Kenji quickly charges towards Azraith, leaping over his downed comrade, and connects with a brutal Shining Wizard to DeMitri that sends him scrambling out of the ring. Within a moment Kenji rises back to his feet, staring at Ichiro across the ring, and charges, unleashing a brutal Yakuza-style kick to the pane of glass that shatters it, the sides of his boot scraping across Seppuku’s forehead.

Fans: HOLY SHIT!! HOLY SHIT!! HOLY SHIT!!

Other Guy: I…I agree with them…

Yamada pulls Seppuku out from the glass wreckage, looking at him with disgust and contempt in his eyes, as Corazon rises to his feet and makes his way to Ox. He picks him up, stares into his eyes, and then scoops him up into a fireman’s carry, quickly swinging him around and planting him head-first into the mat with a DDT.

Eryk Masters: HE HIT IT!! THE FURY OF THE DARK HEART!!

It’s elementary, of course, that he makes the cover.

1!

2!!

3!!!

DING DING DING!!!

Dir En Grey’s "Obscure" cues back up at Kenji merely leans back, resting on his knees amidst broken glass and thumbtacks and blood, staring deep into Ichiro’s blackened eyes.

Samantha Coil: The winners of the match…PROJECT: SCAR!!!

The collective wave of jeers grow steadily from the crowd as Corazon and Isaac both slide out of the ring, trying to regain their senses.

The music dies just as soon as it started, finding Yamada’s eyes locked on the downed Ichiro. SHOOT Project ringside attendants rush to try to clean up the mess made by these six men, but not a single one of them dares to interrupt.

Other Guy: What’s…what’s going on?

Kenji pulls something out from his boot, holding it in front of Ichiro’s blackened face.

Eryk Masters: Is…that a picture?

A photograph. A wallet-sized print. On it is a child, his features remarkably like Yamada’s himself.

Other Guy: Oh no…

Kenji produces something else from his other boot: long black metal with a big red plastic handle, a trigger glaring out.

Eryk Masters: A grill lighter?!

Calmly, precisely, Yamada lights the top two corners of the photograph, the chemicals in the paper itself and the ink on it quickly going up in flames before he drops it onto Ichiro’s face. The result is horrific: Seppuku’s face, also, catching fire, flames dancing on his flesh as if it were merely a candle wick.

Eryk Masters: WHAT THE HELL?!??! WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!?!?

Other Guy: I THINK THAT BLACK MIST WAS FLAMMABLE!!!! GET THE PARAMEDICS OUT HERE RIGHT FUCKING NOW!!!

Ferguson and DeMitri look up to see Kenji slowly sliding out of the ring as a few SHOOT Project ringside attendants pour entire bottles of water on Seppuku’s face, hints of smoke floating up from his skin. Five EMTs rush down the ramp, even pushing Ox and Azraith aside to get into the ring. Lennox and DeMitri, however, follow suit, sliding into the ring with great quickness as Kenji calmly walks over to his Project: SCAR brethren, meeting them at the bottom of the ramp.

Eryk Masters: Wha…I…I can’t even…I don’t know what to say…

Thomas Manchester Black holds Az and Ox at bay, desperately trying to tell them to let the EMTs do what they need to do. Az looks out to the ramp, finding Entragian, Yamada, and Corazon watching the mess unfold. DeMitri dives out of the ring, looking to go after Project: SCAR by himself, but various security guards, both SHOOT Project affiliated and those of Arena Mexico, hold him back. In the ring, Ox continues trying to force himself by TMB, but Black will have none of it, shoving him into a corner as the EMTs continue applying cold water and ice packs to Ichiro’s face.

Other Guy: This…this is…damn…

Ox finally has enough, though, and sends a blind right jab into TMB’s face, temporarily stumbling him back. Before Ferguson can get to Seppuku, however, Black fires off a right of his own. Just as soon as it all began, TMB and Ox trade shots in the corner, with TMB gaining the advantage. Az looks back into the ring, noticing the fight that has erupted, and turns back to see Kenji, Isaac, and Adrian solemnly march back up the ramp, disappearing into the back without so much as a cackle. DeMitri fumes…

Azraith DeMitri: …fuck it…

…and then darts back into the ring, looking to drill a fist into the back of TMB’s head.

Eryk Masters: ONE OF THE EMTs JUST ATTACKED AZRAITH!?!?!?

The orange back stabilizer, typically used on gurneys as a stretcher and combined with a hard-plastic neckbrace to prevent further injury to a patient, bounces off of DeMitri’s back, dropping him to his knees. The EMT who attacked him stands over him, shaking his head, and a second EMT walks over. He grabs a handful of Azraith’s hair, hooks both of his arms, and then plants him face-first into the canvas.

Eryk Masters: The Fall…From…Grace…?!

The two attacking EMTs stand tall, ripping off their white collared tees to reveal SHOOT Project ones, and both begin to rip "skin" from their faces, dropping them onto the floor.

Other Guy: What…what the HELL…?!

Thomas drops Ferguson with a big right hook, placing his boot across his throat and pulling on the ropes for leverage. The two EMT attackers finish removing the latex appliances that made up their "skin," revealing themselves to be…

Eryk Masters: TREY Willett AND JAIME ALEJANDRO?!?!?!

A surprising POP comes from the crowd and then quickly dies as TMB drags Ox to his feet, popping another pair of right hands into his face before sending him to Trey. Willett doubles him over with a boot to the midsection, underhooks both arms, lifts him up, and then drops him down face-first to the mat.

Eryk Masters: Oh no…the Dawn of a New Era!! After all these three men have been through…THIS happens?!

Thomas Manchester Black, Trey Willett, and Jaime Alejandro all stand together in the center of the ring, raising their arms up into the air in victory as the three genuine EMTs quietly, and with haste, strap Ichiro onto the orange back stabilizer initially used as a weapon, sliding him out of the ring and then carrying him up the ramp.

Other Guy: This…that was just disgusting…

Eryk Masters: Thomas Manchester Black!! Trey Willett!! Jaime Alejandro!! They’re all in cahoots, and they all just took out the Truth!!

One final shot of TMB, Willett, and Alejandro floods the airwaves before the cameras cut to…

Backstage both members of VAS are seen walking backstage towards the locker room. Both Ray and Jay have a steel folding chair in their hand. Suddenly Ray stops and motions for JAy to stop. There is blood on the floor coming from an open locker room. Ray raises his chair in an attack ready position as Jay looks in. 

Jay Skylar: Looks like someone beat us to it. 

Ray lowers his chair and looks in. He then shrugs and drops the chair and both members of VAS walk off.  

Down the hall Road Agent Patt Erson notices what he thinks is a spill on the floor. 

Patt Erson: Some one call the janitor. 

As Patt Erson gets closer he realizes it’s not a spilled soda, but blood.  He doesn’t need a janitor he needs a medic.  He yells out to a backstage worker. 

Patt Erson: GO GET Dr. MORA!  

Erson looks into the room and Jacob Fisher is a bloody mess sprawled out on the floor. There is so much blood it almost looks like someones been murdered. Erson kneels down to chek on the unconscious Jacob Fisher, he’s breathing but isn’t in good shape. Laying next to Jacob is a bloody claw hammer.  

Dr. Mora enters the room with a bunch of medics and Erson moves out of the way so they can attend to Jacob. A few moments later the EMTS have Jacob on a stretcher and are wheeling him out to an awaiting ambulance.

 “Learn to Fly” by Foo Fighters blasts the Pubilc Address system, signalling the arrival of The SHOOT Project’s Rule of Surrender Champion Alex Brooks. Alex walks out to the stage wearing his Rule of Surrender Champiponship around his waist like a proper champion should. He wears a Redemption t-shirt to compliment his otherwise unchanged standard wrestling gear. 

Other Guy: He looks really confident coming out here. 

Eryk Masters: As well he should be. He’s the reigning champion. It’s the challengers job to beat the champion. 

Samantha Coil: Introducing first… hailing from Denver, Colorado… he stands at five feet, nine inches tall and weighs in at one hundred sixty-five pounds… the reigning and undisputed Rule of Surrender Champion… ALEX BROOKS! 

The Mexican crowd erupts in cheers, the type that prevent you from thinking. Brooks takes in the cheers before making his way to the ring, slapping hands with as many fans as he possibly can. He circles the ring slapping more hands at ringside. He stops just short of the announcers table and signs an Alex Brooks shirt for a young man maybe twelve years old and ruffles his hair. He passes the announcers booth and sets eyes on a young girl sitting on her father’s shoulders. He smiles at them and takes his shirt off and gives it to her, much to her, and her father’s delight. 

Eryk Masters: Now that’s a people’s champion right there. He’s one of the best champions we have right now. Without a doubt. 

Other Guy: Seems like a waste of a good t-shirt to me. 

Brooks finds the ringsteps and climbs into the ring. He removes the Rule of Surrender title belt and hands it to Austin Linam. He then pulls his dental plate from his mouth and hands if over to Linam. Brooks waves to the crowd one last time before leaning against the ropes on the far side of the ring, his eyes firmly focussed on the rampway awaiting the arrival of his opponent and challenger toinght, Cronos Diamante. 

Other Guy: He’s focussed. I’ll give him that. He’s not diverting those eyes from the ramp now that he’s in the ring. I’m betting the visit from his sister earlier on in the week has something to do with that. 

Eryk Masters: Like I said OG, he’s confident about coming away with a win tonight. Cronos Diamante watch out. 

“Devil’s Dime” by Black Label Society booms over the Public Address system and the arena lights suddenly turn off. After a few moments of pitch black, the entire stage erupts in flames almost reaching the jumbotron. 

Other Guy: Whoa! Do you see that? The entire stage is on fire! 

Eryk Masters: Yes OG, I have eyes. I see the fire. I also see that all the little kids nearest the ring are absolutely petrified. 

Other Guy: Oh my God… here he comes, walking on fire! 

Cronos appears at the top of the ramp in his usual get up of combat boots and SWAT style fatigues. He simply saunters through the flames and stops at the edge. He lifts his hands into the air and brings them down quickly, queing a burst of red pyro. 

Samantha Coil: And making his way to the ring now… hailing from The Bronx, New York… he stands six feet three inches tall and weighs in at two-hundred and ninety pounds… the challenger, he is Cronos “The Devil” Diamante! 

Cronos grins as the crowd reigns down a chorus of boos upon him. He stops just at the bottom of the ramp and looks out at the crowd, taking a deep breath and soaking up all the negative energy from the Mexican crowd. He shifts his attention back to Alex Brooks and pulls out a microphone from his back pocket. 

Cronos Diamante: Alex… 

Cronos looks at a dumbfounded crowd that can’t figure out why Cronos’ voice is booming over the almost deafening boos. He grins. 

Cronos Diamante: I turned the sound up before I came out you idiots. I won’t be drowned out by a bunch of… 

Alex quickly leans into the microphone Samantha Coil is holding and speaks. 

Alex Brooks: Cronos! Your quarrel is here, not with the crowd. What did you want to say? 

Cronos Diamante: Oh I was just wondering something. Seeing as you hate me beyond what the meaning of hate is, I was curious if you’d say… want to make this a submissions count anywhere match? No count-outs. No Disqualification. Do you accept? 

Alex looks out at the crowd and listens to the “Do it! Do it! Do it!” chant. He smiles. 

Alex Brooks: It looks like the crowd has spoken for me. You got it! 

Eryk Masters: He’s playing right into Cronos’ hands. Again. This isn’t going to be good. 

Other Guy: He’s a people’s champion alright. He’s listening to their encouragement. But it might not be a bad thing. Just because Cronos wants to take this to the outside doesn’t mean Alex isn’t capable of doing it. 

Cronos stands on the outside motioning for Alex to come get him. Alex eyes Cronos carefully, noticing he’s practically crowding the apron. Cronos seeing Alex’s concern backs up to the ramp and let’s Alex drop down to the outside. Cronos takes a bow as if to say “the floor is yours, my liege.” Alex makes a “very cute” face and charges in at Cronos with a right hand but Cronos steps forward and blocks it with his left arm then sends a solid powerful punch to Alex’s throat. Alex crumples to the mat and grips at his throat, gasping frantically for air. 

Eryk Masters: That’s completely and utterly despicable on Cronos’ part. And he’s not stopping. 

Other Guy: Holy crap! Did you see the impact Alex took from that slam into the steel steps? That was absolutely brutal. 

After slamming Alex’s face into the steel steps, Cronos is pressing his face against the stairs as hard as he can. Alex still gasping from the punch to his throat attempts to elbow Cronos but he easily moves out of the way and grabs his arm. Cronos then places his boot against the side of Brooks’ face and wrenches back on his arm, wrapping it around Cronos’ knee. Alex refuses to give in and tries not once, not twice, but three times to flip forward over the steel steps to force Cronos to break the hold but he’s prevented from doing so by Cronos’ heel being dug into his back on every attempt. 

Other Guy: That looks painful. He’s got absolutely nowhere to go either. Every time he’s tried to escape, Cronos drives his heel into Alex’s back. 

Eryk Masters: Looks like you spoke to soon, OG. 

Alex fakes flipping forward a fourth time and instead of Cronos preventing him from flipping, he’s given Alex enough wiggle space to dive at Cronos’ ankle. As he does, Brooks keeps hold of Cronos’ arm and forces him into the steel post shoulder first. 

Other Guy: Wow. That was a brilliant move on the champion’s part. But he’s still on the ground holding that arm. 

Eryk Masters: The important thing is Cronos is still on the ground too. He didn’t hit the pole square but he glanced it just enough to cause some serious damage. 

Cronos is the first to his feet followed closely by Brooks. Cronos kicks the steel steps at Alex but he counters instead by jumping over them and nailing Cronos with a dropkick. Alex lands just to the left of the steel steps and picks them both up and throws them up the ramp. 

Other Guy: Cronos just about went into the crowd from the force of that dropkick by our champion. I have no idea how he held onto the guard rail and kept himself ringside. 

Alex charges in at Cronos and hits him square in the jaw with a back elbow. Alex then grabs Cronos’ arm and throws him into the ring. 

Eryk Masters: Finally Alex brings him into the ring. Wasn’t a good idea to play those games with Cronos. 

Alex rolls under the bottom rope and quickly climbs to the second rope and drops down on Cronos with  the Kansas City Shuffle. Cronos rolls around in pain but Alex is quick to stay on the offense and applies a sleeper hold. Cronos struggles, moving from left to right, trying to get some leverage but Alex has the move locked in tight. Cronos in a desperate move flings his body forward and it’s just enough for Alex to relinquish the hold. Cronos rolls backward and lifts himself up by the ropes, looking for Alex Brooks but he’s gone. 

Other Guy: Where did he go? I don’t see… hey wait, how did he get all the way over there so quickly? Shades of the Flash. 

Eryk Masters: Don’t be ridiculous. He teleported over there or something. 

Alex, on the mat outside, reaches in and pulls Cronos’ legs out from under him and he hit the mat hard landing on his right temple. Alex grabs his feet and begins pulling him out of the ring but Cronos rolls over, still having his wits about him, and clocks him upside the head with a kick to the temple. As Alex hits the guard rail, Cronos begins to ascend the turnbuckle. 

Other Guy: This is ridiculous. He’s like what? Sixty? He’s going to break something. 

As Alex is getting back up, he sees Cronos climbing and quickly darts away. Cronos hops down from the turnbuckle with a grin on his face. Alex circles around to the other side of the ring and hops up grabbing the top rope but Cronos rushes in after him and Alex is forced to hop back down. Alex tries again and the result is the same. Cronos finally steps back with his hands up in the air. 

Eryk  Masters: More mind games from Cronos. The true question is if he’s going to let him in the ring. 

Other Guy: Looks like you got your answer. He decided to let him in. 

Alex and Cronos begin circling the ring, staring one another down. It’s Cronos that breaks the cycle and rushes in to grab Alex but he won’t have any of it as he slides under Cronos, hits the ropes and dropkicks Cronos as he’s turning around. Alex follows Cronos into the ropes but much to his surprise, Cronos is exploding forward with a front kick to his midsection that doubles him over. Cronos grabs Alex by the hair, yanks him down and elbows him right in the neck. 

Cronos uses the forward momentum Alex has provided and drops him throat first across the second rope. He is quick to pounce on Alex, driving a knee to the back of his head effectively choking the life out of the champion. The referee tries to break it up but Cronos reminds him it’s a no disqulification match now and everything is fair play. The one second Cronos took his attention off Alex; however, cost Cronos his leverage and Alex has tripped up the veteran stumbling him into the turnbuckle. 

Eryk Masters: This is one amazing back and forth between the young champion and the grizzled veteran. They are very evenly matched it would seem. 

Other Guy: That and like Cronos said earlier on in the week… Alex is the only one who can truly beat him. I think it’s showing right now. 

Cronos explodes out of the turnbuckle and wraps his arms around Alex then picks him up and drives him hard into the mat in a typical MMA take down. Cronos goes to work quickly and sends precise elbows into Alex’s face. Alex covers up the best he can but the one’s that are getting through are doing serious damage. One more elbow gets through and Alex’s guard drops completely. Cronos then seizes the opportunity and rolls Alex on his stomach, wrapping one arm up. 

Other Guy: There it is. The Ne-Han. It could be time for a new champion, Eryk. 

Eryk Masters: I wouldn’t count on it. Cronos can’t wrap the other arm up. Alex has got way too much fight in him. 

Alex wiggles around trying desperately not to get locked up in the dangerous submission move made famous by Cronos. Cronos waits with amazing patience, looking for the opening to pull his other arm up and lock it in. Alex; however, has different plans as he twists his body to his side, hurting his arm in the process but effectively knocking Cronos off balance. As Alex gets to his feet he uses the ropes for momentum, springing off them like a cat closing in for the kill and jumps on Cronos, wrapping his arm around his head, spins down and drives him into the mat with a reverese ddt. 

Other Guy: Wow! I could hear the thud from that over here. I wonder if Cronos is out because he’s not moving. 

Alex wastes no time in rolling him over and applying a basic ankle lock. Cronos screams out in agony reaching for the ropes so that he may get the leverage to pull himself out of the hold. Alex instead yanks on the leg and slams his knee into the ground then drives forward and locks in a face lock as well. Cronos tries to get to the ropes again but the move is locked in too well. 

Eryk Masters: I don’t know if Cronos can get out of this one. Alex may be smaller than Cronos but he’s definitely got that hold locked in tight. 

Cronos rocks to his right and then to his left and rolls backward to where Alex is underneath him. Alex amazingly holds on for a good thirty seconds before the sheer weight from his opponent forces him to relinquish the hold. Cronos stands up holding his neck and Alex stands up looking at him with a smile. Cronos holds his right hand up and shakes it, motioning that he wants Alex to take it. Alex looks at Cronos wearily knowing that if he takes his hand, with the weight advantage, he may not come out of it the victor. He goes for it regardless but instead of grabbing his hand, Cronos brings his down and SLAPS Alex across the face. 

Other Guy: Ooooohhhh! Alex doesn’t like that one bit and neither does this crowd. I can barely hear myself talk or think with this noise. 

Eryk Masters: Alex already didn’t like Cronos but I bet right now he absolutely hates him. Look at the way he’s looking at Cronos. He wants to kill him. 

Alex fires a right hand at Cronos who blocks it and returns one to his jaw. Alex tries again and Cronos blocks it. Cronos now goes on the offensive and sends three vicious right hands into the jaw of Alex Brooks and rocks him back into the turnbuckle. Cronos climbs the turnbuckle and begins to reign down punches one after another. In an amazings how of strength, Alex stands up and lifts Cronos up and drives him into the mat with a spinebreaker. Both men are laid out in the ring and neither are moving. 

Other Guy: I don’t know where Alex got the power to do that but that was amazing. 

Eryk Masters: That’s what champions are made of. 

Cronos and Alex both roll to opposite sides of the ring at the same time and both get to their feet at the same time. Alex manages to use his speed to drive a shoulder into Cronos’ gut. As Cronos is leaned over, Alex executes a perfect European uppercut and Cronos is sent flying to the turnbuckle. Alex runs across the ring and runs right back and nails Cronos with a splash ala Sting. 

Eryk Masters: Cronos is down in the ring and Alex going to the top rope. This could be it. 

Other Guy: You mean he might finally hit… nevermind. 

Cronos rolls out of the way of the shooting star press Alex has been trying to execute for a month now. Cronos gets to his feet and picks Alex up. He wraps his arm around Alex’s head and starts to lift him in the air but Alex counters by pushing him back into the turnbuckle and executes a picture perfect dropkick. Cronos comes stumbling forward out of the turnbuckle and Alex performs a drop toe hold and locks in an armbar. 

Eryk Masters: Cronos is having none of that. He practically flicked him away like a fly. 

After forcing Alex away from him, Cronos gets to his feet and greets his opponent warmly with a kick to the knee and then the kidney followed by one to the shoulder and he finally jumps up to nail him in the side of the head. Somehow Alex ducked out of the way and the momentum sent Cronos down to the ground and on one knee. 

Eryk Masters: The pain is evident on Cronos’ face there, OG. You don’t miss a kick like that and expect not to be hurt a bit. 

Other Guy: The force behind Cronos’ kicks? Heck no. That had to hurt. Oh no. Alex has that front face lock applied. It could be time for the Starburst. 

Alex runs with Cronos to the ropes and up to the corner turnbuckle. As he’s falling forward he is completely manhandled and thrown across the ring by Cronos. Alex crumples down on the oppisite turnbuckle and Cronos follows that up with a kick to the side of his face. Cronos stands in front of him with a nasty grin on his face. 

Eryk Masters: Oh come on. You don’t have to spit on the guy! What is wrong with you? 

Other Guy: I’d be more worried about what he’s doing right now than him spitting on Alex. 

With Alex down inside the ring, Cronos slides under the bottom rope and reaches under the apron searching for something. He pulls out a steel chair and folds it up. But as he does, young Bobby Brooks runs down to Cronos and begins yelling at Cronos. 

Eryk Masters: I don’t think Bobby approves of Cronos grabbing that chair. But he shouldn’t be interfering in this match. 

Other Guy: If he expects Cronos to fight a fair battle, he’s out of his mind. I can’t help but think Cronos expected him to run down to the ring though. 

Cronos holds the chair in front of him and listens to Bobby closely. He hands the chair over to Bobby then suddenly darts to his right. Seconds later, Alex is bursting through the middle ropes feet first and instead of hitting his intended mark in Cronos, he blasts his brother knocking the steel chair into his forehead. 

Eryk Masters: Oh no. Alex just took out his brother! And look at that grin on Cronos’ face. 

Other Guy: Bobby’s head is cut open pretty bad and Alex is completely beside himself. 

Alex stares down at his unconscious brother with mouth wide open. He turns to Cronos and watches him slide back into the ring. Alex kneels next to his brother to check if he’s alright. Alex lays him out flat on his back rather than keep him crumpled half sitting up. 

Eryk Masters: I’m inclined to agree that Cronos was expecting this. Obviously his manipulation and deviousness knows no bounds. 

Alex stands up with fury boiling in his blood and turns around, glaring at Cronos standing in the ring with a grin. 

Other Guy: Alex can’t do anything for Bobby except keep him laid out like that. Look at Alex. That’s not the normal Brooks we’re accustomed to seeing. Cronos is in real trouble now. 

Alex slides under the bottom rope and Cronos rushes in kicking at Alex’s head but he misses and instead hits the bottom rope as Alex rolls to his left. Alex quickly gets to one knee and tackles Cronos then mounts him and begins hammering away at Cronos’ face with powerful right hands. Cronos tries to cover up from Alex’s relentless assault but Alex uppercuts Cronos’ bicepts and his guard crumbles. 

Eryk Masters: I don’t believe I’ve ever seen somebody submit from being beaten to death but if Cronos doesn’t get control of this situation soon, we might just see that happen tonight. 

Other Guy: I’ve never seen that either, Eryk. And I’ve never seen somebody be able to bipass Cronos’ guard either. That was an incredibly smart move by Alex to attack Cronos’ muscles like that. That was just amazing. 

Alex rears back as far as he can and punches straight down at Cronos. Cronos tries to move his head out of the way but it only serves to hurt him even more as Alex connects with the side of Cronos’ mouth and blood flies across the ring and onto the ropes. 

Eryk Masters: Oh my God, did you see the power behind that punch? He almost knocked Cronos out with that. As long as I’ve followed Cronos’ career, the one thing he’s never been a victim of is a knockout. That might change here tonight. 

Alex rears back again and punches down with even more power but amazingly Cronos X-blocks the punch. The momentum from Alex’s punch carries through and lands just above Cronos’ head. Alex is quickly thrown up and over Cronos but instead of landing on his back, he rolls through and uses the ropes to pull himself up. 

Cronos slowly stands up, blood pouring from his mouth, and looks up to a charging Alex Brooks. Cronos being almost out on his feet tries to bring his hands up to his head to prevent the incoming dropkick but he’s too slow and instead he is caught under the chin and Cronos is sent flying over the top rope. Cronos’ legs hit the top rope strangely and alter his trajectory enough to drop him face first on the steel steps. 

Other Guy: Cronos is out! Cronos is out! 

Eryk Masters: He’s more than out, OG. The side of his mouth is cut pretty bad and he’s bleeding all over the place. I’ve never seen Cronos take a beating like this. 

Other Guy: He did say Alex was the only man capable of truly beating him. It would appear as if his fear was not unfounded. He’s a heart beat away from losing this match. 

Alex exits the ring through the middle rope and glances toward Bobby who has begun to stir. Alex pauses for a moment to stare at his brother then turns his attention back to Cronos. Alex wraps his leg around Cronos’ and leans forward, wrapping his arm around Cronos’ head.  

The referee exits the ring and lifts Cronos’ arm once and it falls. Before he can do it a second time, Alex slips forward not able to  hold onto Cronos’ head with all the blood pouring from him. Alex attempts to reapply the submission but before he can, Bobby is ripping his brother off Cronos and yelling at him. He points to his head and pushes Alex backward. 

Eryk Masters: You have got to be kidding me. Alex has this match won and his brother is going to prevent him from taking his rightful victory. 

Other Guy: I think he’s a tad pissed off Alex dropkicked that chair into him. He’s pointing at his head. 

Alex holds his hands up, signaling he doesn’t want to fight his brother but Bobby pushes him again toward the other steel steps. Alex starts yelling at Bobby and pushes him back now but before the two can really get into, Anna Brooks is running down to the ring to get in between them. 

Other Guy: What is this? The Brooks family reunion? Momma Brooks come on down why don’t you. Get her out of here. 

Eryk Masters:  Earlier on in the week it was rumored she came to Mexico to fix her family. I don’t think she ever intended on this being part of the problem. 

Cronos begins to stir behind them and Alex pushes past both his sister and Bobby and picks Cronos up with a hand around his neck, not only out of rage but because that’s the only place he can viably not lose his grip from the blood. Cronos quickly fires a stiff right hand to Alex’s gut and doubles him over. Cronos attemps an uppercut but Alex moves out of the way and grabs onto Cronos’ arm and Irish Whips him toward the guard rail. 

Eryk Masters: OH MY GOD! Alex just unintentionally whipped Cronos into his sister. 

Other Guy: Cronos clotheslined her to the ground and only Alex noticed it. Bobby had his back to what happened. 

The jumbotron shows a replay of Cronos hitting Anna with a clothesline. The impact being so forceful, she flips in the air and lands nastily on the corner of the ramp. 

Eryk Masters: She’s bleeding very bad. 

Other Guy: And Bobby Brooks is pissed. He looks like he’s going to rip his brother to pieces. 

With Bobby and Alex argueing, Cronos uses this opportunity to slip back into the ring and grab a breather. He collapses on the mat as Bobby finally pushes his brother backward so hard he’s sent into the ring apron. 

Eryk Masters: Cronos saw this coming. That’s why he had Alex agree to the match being No Disqualification and Submissions Count Anywhere. He probably planned it all week long. 

Other Guy: He’s a clever bastard, I’ll give him that. 

Cronos calls for the mic as Alex is still outside tending to a now half-conscious Anna Brooks. He calls for the title belt as well. He drapes the title belt over the top rope nearest Alex and brings the microphone to his lips, barely able to stand. 

Cronos Diamante: You did this to yourself, Alex. You’ve not only mentally torn your family down but now, after tonight, you’ve physically hurt both your brother and your sister. 

Alex turns his attention away from his sister and yells at Cronos pointing his finger at him. 

Eryk Masters: It’s hard to make out from here what Alex is saying but it looks like he’s trying to place all the blame on Cronos and take no responsibility for what’s happened tonight. 

Cronos points to the title draped over the top rope and then to his sister. 

Cronos Diamante: Tonight you get to make your choice, Alex. One that is going to mean everything to you. Title or family, Alex. 

The crowd goes insane, booing at Cronos heavily and a few cups fly past Cronos’ head. He grins and looks at Alex who is beside himself again. He looks to his sister and looks to Cronos, staring him down. 

Cronos Diamante: You can either step back into this ring and try to win this match or you can be the family man you say you are and tap three times on the ground and take your sister to the hospital. She doesn’t look so good, dear boy. 

Alex steps forward to attempt to enter the ring but he retreats backwards toward his sister and looks down at her, having seen her eyes just now open. 

Eryk Masters: Cronos is the most manipulative, conniving, piece of trash I’ve ever seen in my life. This isn’t the way someone should win a title. This is… 

Masters is cut off as the bell rings. Alex has tapped the ramp three times and has forfeit the match. He doesn’t look back as he scoops his sister up and begins walking to the locker room to get her checked out. 

Samantha Coil: As a result of a tap out… your winner and NEW Rule of Surrender Champion… Cronos Diamante! 

The boos reign down on Cronos heavily as “Devil’s Dime” by Black Label Society blares over the Public Address system. Cronos stands in the ring soaking it up, watching Alex leave the arena on the jumbotron. 

Eryk Masters: This is just wrong. How can he get away with that? 

Other Guy: It doesn’t matter how. It just matters that he did. Either way, we have a new Rule of Surrender Champion irregardless of how he won it.

While everyone else in the arena enjoy the non-stop action of the first day of Redemption, Tanya Black sits in catering chewing on a plate of fruit as Abigail Chase tries desperately to talk her into an interview.

Abigail: Please. Just a few questions. Something exclusive that would really get folks excited about your match tomorrow night.

Tanya: Everyone with any sense of history already knows I am the go-to girl for exciting matches. Try the honeydew it’s very fresh.

Abigail: I don’t eat honeydew.

Tanya: Well then how about some grapes. Everyone likes grapes.

Abigail: Please just do me a favor. You are always willing to talk to me normally.

Tanya: Yeah but I’m kind of in trouble with the front office so I’m trying to cut down on my sexual harassment.

Tanya laughs and chews on a handful of grapes stopping when Cassi walks up prompting Abigail’s attention and train of thought to shift, wondering what is going on.

Cassi: Okay you. Get up right now! Who do you think you are?

Tanya: Um… Tanya Black. You are don’t tell me. Cassi.

Cassi: That’s right I am! Now get up and explain to me what you think you are doing?

Tanya looks at Abigail and hands the interviewer the plate of fruit. Tanya makes a show of fixing her hair before looking Cassi right in the eyes as the tension builds.

Tanya: I am eating fruit. Would you like some?

Cassi fumes and stomps her foot in frustration before taking a deep breath. Looking directly at Tanya, she waits a moment and speaks in carefully measured tones.

Cassi: You tried to ruin the World Champion’s credit. He had to get new cards and everything. Why would you hassle him so much when he has an important match against that jerk Ben Jackman later on? Where is your respect?

Tanya looks at Cassi for a moment then laughs. Looking over at Abigail Tanya grabs a cherry off the plate and pops it in her mouth. After a moment filled with awkward facial gestures Tanya removes a knotted cherry stem and gives it to Abigail who looks impressed.

Tanya: I helped his public image. I mean after all those photos leaked to the internet I figured he needed something to help balance those misdeeds.

Cassi: What photos?

Tanya: You know. The ones of you, him, and the aardvark. Makes Jester’s penguin lust seem tame.

Cassi: THOSE WERE FAKES! I would never do such a thing with a filthy disgusting animal.

Abigail: Was she talking about Mr. Sydal or the aardvark?

Cassi: You can be replaced!

Abigail shuts up as Cassi jabs her finger threateningly. Tanya just laughs and pushes Cassi’s fingers aside causing Cassi to fume even more.

Tanya: Look I get that Kooky Cade wants to ninjaguri me and he’ll have his chance in the Redemption Rumble tomorrow night. Assuming one of us isn’t eliminated too quickly. If that happens then he can play with me at a future Revolution. Now why don’t you calm down before we have a re-enactment of my "confrontation" with Madison and Laura on the last Revolution. You are starting to sound like that over-sized sycophant.

Cassi recalls the sight of Madison’s unconscious body and takes a step back from Tanya who quietly grabs a banana and pops it in Abigail’s mouth before she can react to the surprise move.

Tanya: That takes care of our intrepid gossip hound. Now Cassi do you have anything important for me to hear? I don’t want to miss tonight’s main event after all.

Casssi: Just note that tomorrow night Cade Sydal will be watching your little match very closely after that stunt you pulled. VERY. CLOSELY. You have been so warned you…. trollop!

Tanya watches Cassi leave before looking over at Abigail who has removed the banana from her mouth and is looking at the scene in confusion.

Tanya: Who says trollop anymore? Nice deep-throat by the way.

Abigail: Oh shut up. This job was so much easier when it was just chair swinging freaks.

Tanya laughs and leaves taking what’s left of her snacks with her.

We are taken to the broadcast position, where we see Eryk Masters and The Other Guy.

Eryk Masters: Fans, in January 2011 part of SHOOT Project’s past came back to haunt us.  One of the men who once held the job I hold right now, the Play-by-Play announcer for SHOOT Project made his return to the organization.  That man was Dave Dymond, but he didn’t come back as an announcer.

The Other Guy: Dave Dymond was never just an announcer though. While he worked in front of the camera as an announcer, he also worked backstage as part of Jason Johnson’s staff.  Dymond and Jason Johnson had a pretty contentious relationship and to make a long story short Dave Dymond ended up being fired.

Eryk Masters: When he made his return to SHOOT in January, Dave Dymond started to verbally bash this organization, the office, the fans, and everything else to do with SHOOT Project.  One man decided to come out and shut Dave Dymond up.  That man was Jonas Coleman. The Butcher.

The Other Guy: Jonas Coleman was hardly considered one of the biggest names in SHOOT at that time. He was a former Tag Team champion as part of PERDITION, and he was a member of the Bad-Ass Brotherhood – but he was the last person anybody expected to arrive on the scene and challenge Dave Dymond for running his mouth.

Eryk Masters: What Jonas Coleman didn’t know when he came out to punch Dave Dymond in the mouth, was what was waiting for him around the corner.  It was a trap, and the man known as “The Butcher” stepped right into it.

The Other Guy: Waiting in the wings was Japanese Superstar Akuma Satsui. The 350 pound monster known as The Narita Nightmare was Dave Dymond’s secret weapon.  He attacked Jonas Coleman. That was the first shot in a war that has now been raging for almost 8 months.

Eryk Masters: Over the past 8 months, we’ve seen brawls, assaults, attacks, weapons, innocent people getting hurt, and permanent injuries.  All of that ends tonight. Jason Johnson has laid down the law and declared that this war is over. After tonight.

The Other Guy: Yeah the question is, will either one of these guys survive tonight? Check this video package out, for a reminder of what has been a career defining conflict for every man involved.  Take a look.

On the video screens all over the arena, and on television screens at home, we are treated to a montage featuring highlights of the Akuma Satsui/Jonas Coleman Feud.   The montage starts with the first night back in January when Dave Dymond made his return, and was punched in the mouth by Jonas Coleman, who was in turn assaulted by Akuma Satsui.  We are then treated to a video recap of all the highlights of the feud, the previous singles matches between the two men, the wild brawls, the attacks, the chain match, the debut of Damage Control, attempts by Dave Dymond to woo Charles Brandon Magnus, the return of Diego Reyes and the final attack by Akuma Satsui on Reyes which ended with Jonas Coleman’s emotional challenge for the match tonight at REDEMPTION…

The camera shot now goes live to the arena.  We see that while the Broadcast Team has been reviewing this feud and showing the video package, the crew has been busy. The shot covers the SHOOT Project ring, but it has been transformed.  The standard ring ropes remain in place – except now they have been wrapped in barbed wire.  There is a folded up wooden chair propped up in each of the four corners. Next to the timekeepers table, there is a large steel trash can, and there are several items inside the can…we can see a wooden axe-handle, a kendo stick, and assorted other implements of destruction.  To complete the setting, the ringside area has been liberally scattered with thumbtacks.

Samantha stands at ringside, microphone in hand.

Samantha: Ladies and Gentlemen, this contest is your CO-MAIN EVENT of the evening, and is a JAPANESE DEATH MATCH!

A roar of excitement goes up from the capacity crowd.

Samantha: The rules and stipulations for this match are as follows:  ANYTHING GOES during the match – there are no disqualifications, and no count-outs.  In order for this match to end, the winner must not only PIN his opponent, but ensure that he stays DOWN for a subsequent 10 COUNT!

Furthermore, SHOOT Project President and Chief Executive Officer Jason Johnson has officially declared that this will be the FINAL match between these two competitors, regardless of the outcome!

In the event that Akuma Satsui wins the match, his manager Dave Dymond will win possession of the SHOOT Project contract of CHARLES BRANDON MAGNUS.  Mr. Dymond will be declared the manager of Mr. Magnus, with no appeal.

If Jonas Coleman wins this contest, the steel cage in the rafters above will be lowered for a period of 5 MINUTES, and Jonas Coleman will be enclosed in the cage alone with Dave Dymond for that time, with no outside interference allowed!

The cheers intensify, but they are drowned out by the sound of “Brotherhood of Man” by Motörhead.  Lights flash, a cloud of smoke rises from the entrance at the top of the ramp, and Dave Dymond appears.  Dymond is dressed much more formally than normal, he is wearing an immaculate black and grey pinstriped Hugo Boss suit, and dress shoes. The manager is wearing his glasses, but no baseball cap – he looks dressed for a board meeting. He is carrying his steel briefcase. 

Akuma Satsui is walking directly behind Dave Dymond, and he is wearing his traditional ensemble of blue karate pants, with a blood red sash around his waist, and an identically colored towel hanging limply over his head.  Of course, he has a sharpened wooden stick clenched between his teeth.

Samantha: Introducing first, being led to the ring by the man who wishes to be known as the 2011 MANAGER OF THE YEAR and future manager of CHARLES BRANDON MAGNUS – Dave Dymond – hailing from Narita, Japan and weighing in at 350 pounds, this is the Narita Nightmare, the Terror of Tokyo, the Poison Spike from the Pacific Rim: AKUMA SATSUI!!!

The two men slowly walk down the aisle to the ring as the music pounds.  Dave Dymond has a look of supreme confidence and arrogance on his face, he is pointing into the camera and loudly extoling his own greatness and predicting the defeat of Jonas Coleman at the hands of Akuma Satsui.  We cannot see the eyes of Akuma Satsui, but we can see that he is smiling viciously as he follows behind Dymond.

The fans are jeering loudly, and the odd piece of garbage flies into the aisle and hits Dymond and Satsui, who ignore it.  The two men reach the ring.  Dave Dymond grabs the towel from the head of Akuma Satsui and stands in the corner, leaning on the apron.  Satsui climbs into the ring and heads to the far corner, where he assumes the sumo position and stares up the aisle, waiting for his arch enemy.

The sound of Motörhead fades out…

“Station” by Russian Circles starts to play, and the fans come unglued.  A massive roar of approval comes across, so loud that it literally almost drowns out the music.  A graphic appears on the screen:

Jonas Coleman sprints through the smoke, into the spotlight.  The incredibly popular superstar is wearing his usual gear of boots, black tights, and his wrists are wrapped in tape, as are his hands.  Coleman is wearing a black T-shirt with a logo across the chest that is identical to the one above on the screen. Coleman charges into the aisle and begins exchanging enthusiastic high fives with as many fans as he can reach. The reaction continues to be almost overwhelming.

Samantha: Now making his way toward the ring, hailing from Houston Texas, and weighing in at 200 pounds, this is the man the fans have named THE DEFENDER OF THE FAITH…JONAS “THE BUTCHER” COLEMAN!!!

Jonas Coleman reaches the ringside area, and he charges up the stairs, ducks between the barbed wire ropes, and takes his position directly across the ring from Satsui, pointing at his rival and yelling something we cannot hear. 

Willie Dean enters the ring as Coleman’s music slowly fades.  Jonas Coleman removes his t-shirt and throws it out to the fans.

Eryk Masters: After everything that man has been through this year, the assaults, the personal attacks, the pain, the guilt…what can he be thinking right now?

The Other Guy: I’d wonder what Akuma Satsui is thinking, but I don’t think even Dave Dymond knows the answer to that.

The bell rings…

Akuma Satsui and Jonas Coleman charge at each other at full speed, and collide in the middle of the ring like two bulls.  Both men go into a fighting stance, and start to exchange huge punches to each other’s heads, like a hockey fight. Both men are punching so furiously and so quickly, it almost hard to see, it is like a blur.

Amazingly, even though he is outweighed by 150 pounds, it is Jonas Coleman who gains the upper hand in the exchange of punches!  He is so pumped up that he starts to out-strike Satsui with the shots!  Akuma Satsui is staggered, and he starts to stumble backwards, overwhelmed by the flurry of shots from Jonas Coleman!  Dave Dymond leans his head back and roars in anger, slamming his fists on the apron.  As the overwhelming cheers from the fans rise to an incredible crescendo, The Butcher leaps into the air, and lands an MMA style “Superman Punch” upside the head of Akuma Satsui…

Satsui goes down!

As the fans roar, Jonas Coleman has knocked Akuma Satsui down from nothing more than the power of his anger, channeled through his amazing barrage of fisticuffs.  Satsui sits on the mat, dazed. He is blinking in surprise but he is also stunned.  A trickle of blood starts to drip from his forehead, onto his chest.

Eryk Masters: I didn’t expect that, I have to admit!

The Other Guy: Anger and the desire for revenge can cause a hell of an adrenaline rush, Masters.  I think Coleman just took out all of his rage from the past 8 months, right on Akuma Satsui’s head.  And what the hell is he doing now?  Don’t tell me he’s going to try and…

The Butcher reaches down, and in an amazing display of strength and determination, he scoops Satsui up, and slams him to the mat!  The whole mat shakes from the impact of Jonas Coleman power-slamming Akuma Satsui into the canvas, and Coleman stays on top for the cover.  Willie Dean slides down and makes the count…

One!

Just before the count of two, Akuma Satsui angrily lifts his shoulder.  Jonas Coleman scrambles to his feet, and tries to pull Satsui up as well, but the Narita Nightmare is angry now.  Satsui makes the “thumbs up” motion with his hand, and jabs his thumb right into the throat of Jonas Coleman!  The crowd groans in sympathy, and Coleman immediately staggers backward, coughing and sputtering.

Akuma Satsui bares his teeth and screams at Jonas Coleman, and then violently rakes both his hands down Coleman’s chest, as hard as he can.  Satsui’s fingernails are sharpened to a fine point, and almost immediately the scrape draws blood.  Before Coleman can react, Satsui swivels around and nails The Butcher in the Adam’s apple with a  one legged thrust kick!  Jonas Coleman’s hands instinctively fly to his throat and he hits the mat like a ton of bricks, with his hand protecting his neck.

Eryk Masters: The pendulum has swung, and now Satsui is in control.

The Other Guy: He’s got that martial arts training, and the knowledge of the pressure points in the human body, how to hurt a guy. Of course, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that if you kick a guy in the throat – he’s going down.

Akuma Satsui slowly circles around the prone body of Jonas Coleman.  Coleman sits up, trying to get to his feet, but as he does, Akuma Satsui raises his right arm high in the air above his head, and holds his right hand up in the “claw” position. Satsui brings his hand swinging back down, and slaps it onto the cervicis muscle, on the side of The Butcher’s neck, just above his shoulder.  Satsui digs his fingernails into the neck/shoulder muscle, clamping down as hard as he can, screaming in laughter.  Jonas Coleman starts to convulse in pain, as Dave Dymond shouts and claps in triumph from outside the ring.

Eryk Masters: Shinkei claw! Shinkei claw!  Akuma Satsui has applied his lethal finishing maneuver on the choking Jonas Coleman!

The Other Guy: Yeah and you can see Satsui kneeling behind Coleman, leaning forward to put all of his 350 pounds on his hand that he has clamped on The Butcher’s neck and shoulder like a vise. He ain’t letting go.

Spittle begins to fly from the mouth of Jonas Coleman, as Akuma Satsui squeezes the cervicis muscle and surrounding nerves as hard as he can.  Coleman is still trying to fight, but he slowly loses steam, and finally he goes motionless.

Akuma Satsui finally releases the hold, and Jonas Coleman slumps over and hits the mat, motionless.  Satsui leaps into the air, and lands across the head and chest of The Butcher with a “splash” – all 350 pounds of his weight on the head, neck and chest of Jonas Coleman.

Satsui stays on Coleman with a lateral press for the cover, and Willie Dean slides down for the cover…

One!

Two!

THREE!

The bell rings, as Samantha makes the announcement…

Samantha: Akuma Satsui has scored a pinfall over  Jonas Coleman!  According to the rules of this match, Jonas Coleman has until the count of 10 to get up – and if he is unable to answer the count, Akuma Satsui will be declared the WINNER!

Akuma Satsui stands up and holds his arms over his head, laughing.  He turns towards them, and the fans boo so loudly that Samantha’s announcement could barely be heard.

Eryk Masters: Normally, that would be it, but not tonight!

The Other Guy: Yeah with the…HOLY SHIT, CHECK IT OUT!

The eyes of Jonas Coleman snap open!  In one smooth motion, Coleman leans back, and kips up!  The jeers instantly turn to cheers, and Jonas Coleman has vaulted back to his feet, before Willie Dean could even start to administer the standing 10 count!

Akuma Satsui has his back turned to Jonas Coleman, and Coleman leaps into the air and grabs the back of Satsui’s head, driving both his knees into the back of Satsui’s neck.  The Butcher simply lets his own momentum pull both men backward, so that Satsui lands head and neck first on Coleman’s knees!  BACKBREAKER!

Akuma Satsui’s body springs into the air from the impact, and he lands flat on his beck next to Coleman, who wastes no time in kipping up again!  Jonas Coleman leaps into the air and lands a flying fist drop right in-between the eyes of Akuma Satsui!  Coleman makes the cover, and Willie Dean makes the count…

One!

Two!

THREE!

Jonas Coleman leaps to his feet and pumps his fist in the air as the fans roar in approval!

Samantha: Jonas Coleman has scored a pinfall over Akuma Satsui!  Satsui now has until the count of 10 to get up – and if he is unable to answer the count, Jonas Coleman will be declared the WINNER!

Eryk Masters: What a bounce back by The Butcher!

The Other Guy: HA!  Look at Dymond!  He’s having one of his spaz attacks!

Outside the ring, Dave Dymond has removed his suit jacket, and thrown it to the ground, where he is screaming and jumping up and down the jacket, his face red. After stomping on his jacket, he begins pounding his fists on the apron, yelling at Coleman, Willie Dean, Akuma Satsui, the fans, and anybody else he can think of.

Willie Dean ignores Dave Dymond, and starts to deliver the standing 10 count.

One!

Two!

Akuma Satsui sits up, but as soon as he does, Jonas Coleman smashes him in the side of the head with a shin kick!  Akuma Satsui falls back to the mat, holding his cranium in pain. Willie Dean stops counting and gets in Coleman’s face.

Eryk Masters: That broke the count!  You can’t do that, OG.

The Other Guy: What? Why the hell not?

Eryk Masters: Rules of the match! You have to give your opponent 10 seconds to get back up, and if you don’t, then the match is back on!

The Other Guy: So I guess Coleman will regret doing that, although from the looks of it, Satsui is the one regretting it right now.

The Butcher is standing over Akuma Satsui and is stomping directly on the face of the Terror of Tokyo!  Coleman smashes the flat of his foot onto the head of Akuma Satsui repeatedly, and soon enough the blood starts to fly!  The cuts on Satsui’s forehead start to gush.

Dave Dymond screams at The Butcher from outside the ring.  Jonas Coleman totally ignores Dymond, and finally stops stomping.  Coleman grabs Satsui by the wrist and forcibly hauls the 350 pounder to his feet.  Jonas Coleman plants one leg firmly, and whips Akuma Satsui into the ropes…

The barbed wire ropes!

Satsui pivots, but still hits the ropes back first, and those ropes are generously wrapped around in strands of barbed wire.  Akuma Satsui screams in pain as he rebounds off the ropes, and we can see that the wire has torn into his back, as he bounces back toward the center of the ring, where Jonas Coleman almost takes his head off with a lariat clothesline!

Eryk Masters: Oh man, that has gotta hurt.

The Other Guy: The ropes still had enough spring to them to send Satsui rebounding back into the center of the ring when Satsui bounced off, but they took a chunk of flesh off his back when he hit them.  And then Coleman almost decapitated him with that clothesline!

The Butcher makes the cover…

One!

Two!

Before Willie Dean even finishes the second count, Akuma Satsui kicks out violently.  Jonas Coleman gets to one knee, places one hand behind the head of Satsui, and with the other hand he balls his fist and starts to smash Satsui right in-between the eyes with a rapid barrage of closed fist hammer fist punches!  For added impact, Coleman is pushing Akuma Satsui’s head upward with one hand as he punches downward with the other hand.

If Akuma Satsui wasn’t bleeding before – which he was – he certainly is now.  In a matter of seconds, Satsui’s face becomes the proverbial “crimson mask” as the blood flows from his forehead, totally covering his face.  Jonas Coleman has the crazed look of a man possessed as he hammers away, bashing the face of Akuma Satsui with a closed fist.  And due to the rules of the match, there is nothing the referee can do.

Finally, The Butcher stops, and stands up.  He backs up, and looks down at his foe, who is wallowing in his own blood.  Before Jonas Coleman can decide his next move, Akuma Satsui rears back with a single leg, and thrusts a flat foot kick directly at the leg of Jonas Coleman, smashing his kneecap.

Eryk Masters: DAMN! You could hear the impact of that kick all the way out here!  Jonas Coleman goes down as if he was just shot!

The Other Guy: Satsui is a bloody mess, but he just basically drove his heel as hard as he could into the kneecap of The Butcher!

Dave Dymond runs over to the timekeepers area, and grabs the trashcan that sits there, full of weapons.  Dymond grabs the can, and forcibly shoves the can through the ropes, where it rolls once and comes to a stop, near the middle of the ring.  Dymond starts shouting at Satsui to get up.

Jonas Coleman is rolling around on the mat, holding his leg in pain.  Sputtering blood, Akuma Satsui slowly sits up, and then stands up.  Satsui looks around the ring blearily, and his eyes light up as he sees the trash can full of weapons in the ring.  Akuma Satsui slowly staggers over, and grabs the can.

Instead of picking a single weapon out of the can, Akuma Satsui lifts the entire can over his head, and then smashes it down over the legs of Jonas Coleman!  Coleman convulses in pain, as the weapons bounce out of the can, all over the ring.  Akuma Satsui wanders over, and selects the Kendo Stick, wrapped in barbed wire.  He picks it up, and smiles.

With Dave Dymond shouting encouragement from  outside, Akuma Satsui starts to unleash a wild attack on the body of The Butcher. Satsui repeatedly smashes the cane over the body of Jonas Coleman, focusing the attack on his knees.  The cane is a blur as Satsui snaps it downward over and over again, wailing away at the legs of Coleman.

Eryk Masters: Akuma Satsui is just lashing the hell out of Jonas Coleman with that Kendo Stick, OG.

The Other Guy: Yeah, and as if it isn’t bad enough taking licks from a Kendo Stick, this one just happens to be wrapped in barbed wire!  Coleman is getting some big cuts on his legs there.

Finally, Satsui tires himself out, and stops slashing away at Coleman. He tosses the stick aside, and pulls The Butcher to his feet by his hair.  As soon as Jonas Coleman is vertical, Akuma Satsui whips him towards the ropes…chest first!

Jonas Coleman collides with the barbed wire ropes chest first, and as if that isn’t bad enough, Satsui has pushed him hard enough that the momentum carries him over the wire, falling outside the ring…

Right into the thumbtacks!

Jonas Coleman’s chest is cut open from the barbed wire, and now he lands back first in the thumbtacks that have been spread all around the outside area, between the ring apron and crowd barrier.  The Butcher bellows in pain, and thrashes around, but that just increases the number of tacks that he exposes his flesh to.

Eryk Masters: I may vomit.

The Other Guy: I’m trying to decide what’s worse…being thrown chest first into barbed wire, or falling back first onto thumbtacks. Wait…I guess both happening one after the other is worst.

Akuma Satsui slowly walks over to the corner, and climbs the turnbuckles and stands on the top turnbuckle, facing outside the ring.  The fans are murmuring, unsure of what is to come.  Satsui is still bleeding from his forehead, his face drenched in his own blood.  He looks down at Jonas Coleman, who is struggling to get up, rolling on the floor below.  Satsui looks down at The Butcher, laughs manically…and then in a sudden motion…

He jumps.

There is a gasp of shock from the crowd, as the 350 pound Akuma Satsui pitches headfirst, forward.  He executes a somersault in midair, and lands back first across the prone body of Jonas Coleman, with a picture perfect Senton Splash.

The crowd comes to their feet in unison.

“Mierda santa! Mierda santa! Mierda santa!”

As Satsui stands up, ignoring the fact that he is stepping on thumbtacks in bare feet, the announcers show a replay from a different angle, of Akuma Satsui throwing himself from the top turnbuckle to the floor outside, where he lands on the prone body of Jonas Coleman.

Eryk Masters: That was one of the craziest things I have ever seen, OG. I’m almost speechless.  A 350 pound man jumping off the top rope is crazy enough, but to do it outside the ring, onto a man laying in thumbtacks?!

The Other Guy: Well, nobody ever accused Akuma Satsui of having a lot of sense, especially when it comes to putting himself in situations where he might get hurt. I think this dude likes pain, plain and simple.

Akuma Satsui rolls Jonas Coleman back into the ring.  Satsui looks over at Dave Dymond, and barks out something in Japanese.  Dymond nods, and throws up the ring apron.  He gets down on all fours, grabs something, and pulls it out.

A wooden table.

Dymond pulls the table from under the ring, and then slides it under the bottom rope.  Satsui grabs the table and sets it up.  As he is setting the table up, Jonas Coleman gets to his knees.  We can see a large number of thumbtacks which are still sticking in his back, but he doesn’t seem to notice, or care.

The Butcher struggles to his feet, and looks around the ring. The trash can was emptied when Akuma Satsui hit The Butcher with it earlier, and the weapons have spilled all around the ring.  Jonas Coleman’s eyes stop on a pool cue, and he reaches down, picks it up, and then turns and smashes it over the head of Akuma Satsui, where it breaks in two!

Eryk Masters: OWWW!  Coleman just broke a pool cue over Satsui’s head!

The Other Guy: Yeah Satsui was taking too long setting up his table, and that gave Coleman time to do his thing. He grabbed that cue and smashed it right over Satsui’s melon.

Akuma Satsui is now slumped over the top of the table, semiconscious. Blood is still pouring from his forehead.  The Butcher looks around, and starts to clear the ring.  He kicks the broken pool cue, and the Kendo Stick out of the ring, to the outside.  Even though they have not yet been used as weapons, Jonas Coleman kicks the wooden axe handle, and a length of steel chain out of the ring, off the mat.

Jonas Coleman walks over to one of the corners, and grabs the folding wooden chair which is propped up in the corner.  The Butcher smiles, and takes a few steps toward Satsui.  In one smooth motion, Jonas Coleman swings the wooden chair as hard as he can, right across the back of the slumping Akuma Satsui!

The wooden chair splinters and flies apart, totally smashed over the back of the man known as the Terror of Tokyo! Jonas Coleman kicks the broken pieces of chair out of the ring as well.  Seeing that Satsui is almost unconscious, laying across the top of the table, Coleman turns to look amongst the debris in the ring for another weapon.

As soon as Jonas Coleman turns his back, Dave Dymond slides into the ring, brandishing his steel briefcase…

Eryk Masters: Oh shit, LOOK OUT!

The Other Guy: Coleman never should have turned his back on the side of the ring where Dymond was lurking around!

Dave Dymond holds his steel briefcase over his head, and bashes Jonas Coleman right across the back of the head with it!  Jonas Coleman falls forward, flat on his face.  Dave Dymond turns his attention back to Akuma Satsui, shaking his client, and yelling at him to get up and fight.

Akuma Satsui slowly straightens himself up, and he nods at Dave Dymond.  Dymond grabs his briefcase and slides out of the ring, ignoring the deafening jeers of the fans.  Akuma Satsui reaches down and pulls Jonas Coleman to his feet, by the hair.  As soon as The Butcher is on his feet, Akuma Satsui places his face on the top rope.

The fans literally scream in horror, as Akuma Satsui drags the forehead of Jonas Coleman along the top rope, which is covered in barbed wire!  Jonas Coleman begins to thrash around and fight back with all of his might.  The Butcher stands up, and now his face is equally as bloody as the face of Akuma Satsui!

In desperation, The Butcher fires a closed fist punch, and hits Akuma Satsui right in the middle of the forehead.  Satsui stumbles backward, but then he takes a step forward and delivers a wicked knife-edge chop to the torso of Jonas Coleman.  As we have seen these two men do so many times before, they begin to trade shots back and forth!

Eryk Masters: Here we go!  We’ve seen these guys do THIS before, OG!

The Other Guy: It’s some bizarre game these two guys play, every time they fight!  Jonas Coleman will punch Akuma Satsui in the face, and then Satsui fires back with a chop to the chest or head of Coleman, who returns the punch, and so on, and so on.  It’s like some weird version of “top this.”

The fans come to their feet, as Akuma Satsui and Jonas Coleman stand toe-to-toe in the middle of the ring, pummeling each other. Both men were already bloody before this, but they are just making things worse by continuing to punch and chop away at each other.  The only difference is that this time, they are going about half speed, due to the blood loss and damage they have both already suffered.

The first time the two men slugged it out tonight, it was The Butcher getting the upper hand. This time, it appears Akuma Satsui is gaining the advantage. Satsui starts to deliver two or three chops for every punch that Coleman is landing – and more importantly, Satsui’s shots seem to have a lot more force behind them.  Jonas Coleman starts to stagger backward, weak and woozy from the blood loss.  Finally, his arms drop to his sides, and Akuma Satsui grabs The Butcher by the back of the head and then leans back, and quickly rams his head forward, smashing Jonas Coleman right across the bridge of the nose with a crushing head-butt!

Before The Butcher can fall, Akuma Satsui scoops him up and hoists the smaller man across his shoulders.  With a crazed look on his face, Akuma Satsui screams, and then drives himself and Jonas Coleman backward, smashing them into the mat with a brutal Samoan Drop! They both bounce from the impact, but Akuma Satsui is quick to get back to his feet, while Jonas Coleman lies on the mat, stunned.

Eryk Masters: Jonas Coleman is in a bad way here, OG.  I think Satsui really hurt him when he pulled his head across that wire.  The Butcher is down, and he’s not moving.

The Other Guy: Yeah and what the hell are Satsui and Dymond up to now?

Dave Dymond has opened his steel briefcase and pulls out a small paper bag.  He tosses the bag into the ring, and Akuma Satsui places the bag on the wooden table, and then reaches in and pulls out two items.  A bottle of lighter fluid, and a box of matches. Akuma Satsui grabs another wooden folding chair, lays it across the table, and proceeds to soak the chair with a generous amount of lighter fluid.

The fans start to come to their feet again, and there is a current of excitement running through the crowd, as it is starting to appear that something big is about to happen. Jonas Coleman is slowly starting to get to his feet, but he is bleeding profusely and is now holding his ribs after the wicked Samoan Drop he just absorbed, with all 350 pounds of Akuma Satsui landing across his midsection.

Akuma Satsui scrapes a match across the side of the box, and it pops.  With a sadistic grin, Satsui drops the match on the chair, and the wooden chair ignites!  The fans come unglued, as Akuma Satsui holds the flaming steel chair high over his head, and screams at the top of his lungs.

Eryk Masters: We’ve had weapons, barbed wire, and thumbtacks in this match already and now Akuma Satsui is taking the violence up another notch, believe it or not.

The Other Guy: These Japanese Death Matches are crazy. Look at Satsui, he has bad intentions!

Akuma Satsui brandishes the flaming chair, and as soon as Jonas Coleman turns around, Satsui smashes the chair right over The Butcher’s head. Flames scatter into the air, and the chair breaks into pieces, landing all over the met.  The flames die, leaving an unconscious Jonas Coleman laying among the wreckage of the wooden chair.

Akuma Satsui lays across Jonas Coleman for the cover, and Willie Dean slides down to make the count…

ONE!

Coleman kicks out!

The crowd goes insane, as Jonas Coleman has not just kicked out, but kicked out with authority, after being smashed over the head with a flaming chair!

Akuma Satsui stands up and looks down at Jonas Coleman with an expression of shock and amazement.  He stays on the offensive, and pulls The Butcher to his feet, slaps on a front face lock, and drives Coleman back to the mat head first, with a DDT!

Satsui makes the cover again…

ONE!

COLEMAN KICKS OUT AGAIN!

Akuma Satsui screams in rage and frustration, and Dave Dymond has another one of his now famous conniption fits outside the ring, jumping up and down, screaming, banging his hands on the apron, and swearing up a storm.

Eryk Masters: If I didn’t see this with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it.  Jonas Coleman is getting STRONGER as the match goes on, not weaker!

The Other Guy: It’s like the more punishment he takes from Satsui, the more determined he is not to stay down!

Akuma Satsui stands up, and goes to grab The Butcher again, but Jonas Coleman has had enough, and he goes on the offensive.  Coleman grabs a charred wooden chair leg off the mat, part of the chair that broke apart when Satsui hit him over the head with it.

Brandishing the chair leg like a club, The Butcher goes to work.  Coleman starts to bash Akuma Satsui repeatedly with the chair leg, on the body, arms, shoulders, and eventually his head.  Akuma Satsui drops to his knees, stunned.  The Butcher is being absolutely merciless, he is just mugging Satsui with this piece of the wooden chair, bashing his opponent in every vulnerable spot.  The blood is flying again, as Coleman smacks Satsui around so hard with the chair leg that Satsui ends up rocking back and forth, like a pinball being knocked around inside a machine.

Finally, The Butcher holds the broken chair leg high over his head, and brings it down across the head of Akuma Satsui as hard as he possibly can.  The piece of wood splinters and breaks in half, and Satsui topples over, knocked senseless.

Eryk Masters: That was one of the most thorough beatings I have ever seen. Jonas Coleman pretty much beat Akuma Satsui into the middle of next week with that wooden chair leg, OG.

The Other Guy: If you did that to a guy on the street, you be sent up the river for attempted murder!

Jonas Coleman reaches down and grabs the bottle of lighter fluid. With a determined look on his face, he empties the entire remainder of the fluid onto the top of the wooden table, from one end to the other.  Without pausing, he grabs the matches off the mat, and strikes one off the side of the box.

The Butcher, Jonas Coleman stands in the middle of the ring, holding the lit match over his head.  The fans are shaking the foundations of the arena, and there is not a man, woman or child sitting down.  Coleman tosses the match onto the top of the table, and the table goes up in an inferno!

The Butcher walks over to Akuma Satsui, and applies a standing head scissors, grabbing the huge Japanese wrestler around the waist. With a look that is half determination and half dementia, in one clean hoist, Jonas Coleman lifts Akuma Satsui up so he is literally propped up on the Butcher’s shoulders facing the opposite direction.

Jonas Coleman spins around, and POWERBOMBS Akuma Satsui right through the flaming table!

“Mierda santa! Mierda santa! Mierda santa!”

Eryk Masters: HOLY FUCKING SHIT!

The Other Guy: That pretty much sums it up, yeah.

Akuma Satsui lays amongst the wreckage of the flaming table. There are still some small flickers of fire around the edges of the table, but the impact of Satsui’s 350 pound body being driven through the flaming table has smothered the majority of the fire.

Jonas Coleman stands over Akuma Satsui and places his foot over Satsui’s face.  Willie Dean slides down and makes the count…

ONE!

TWO!

THREE!

Samantha: Jonas Coleman has scored a pinfall over Akuma Satsui!  Satsui now has until the count of 10 to get up – and if he is unable to answer the count, Jonas Coleman will be declared the WINNER!

The Butcher stands back, and just stares at Dave Dymond outside the ring.  Akuma Satsui does not move a muscle, and as Willie Dean starts to count, both the Jonas Coleman starts to count along on his fingers, while the fans count along.

Uno!

Dos!

Tres!

Akuma Satsui shows the first signs of life, starting to stir.

Cuatro!

Satsui’s eyes open and he stares up, looking dazed.

Cinco!

Seis!

Satsui sits up, weakly.  He starts to roll to his side, trying to force himself to his feet, but he is shaking badly.

Siete!

Ocho!

Satsui starts to rise slowly. He gets to one knee.  All he has to do is get to his feet, to break the count.

Outside the ring, Dave Dymond is SCREAMING at Akuma Satsui to STAND UP.

Nueve!

Akuma Satsui collapses backward, flat on his back.

Diez!

The arena goes absolutely bananas.  Fans are standing on their feet cheering their hearts out, and as the camera scans the crowd, we can even see a large number of them looking misty eyed.  “Station” by Russian Circles starts to play.

Samantha: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN…HERE IS YOUR WINNER: THE BUTCHER – JONAS COLEMAN!!!

As Jonas Coleman falls to his knees, holding his hands over his face, we see a herd of SHOOT Project staff stampeding down the aisle to the ring.  Two men with huge brooms start to sweep the ringside area, pushing all of the thumbtacks, weapons and debris under the ring, totally clearing the area.  Another group of men stick their heads under the bottom rope and start pulling all the debris out of the ring and tossing it into a huge plastic garbage bin.  Technicians wearing heavy gloves start to remove the barbed wire from around the ropes, using wire cutters.

Eryk Masters: Ladies and Gentlemen, the emotion in this arena right now is almost indescribable. After 8 months of physical, emotional and psychological torment, after having his body, his family and his friends put through unbelievable danger and harm – Jonas Coleman – The Butcher – has finally prevailed. He has soundly defeated Akuma Satsui, and gained revenge.

The Other Guy: The crew is out here right now cleaning up the after effects from this war, but both these men are going to carry their own after effects from this whole rivalry, probably for the rest of their careers.

Eryk Masters: And the best might be yet to come, too.

The Other Guy: Hell yeah, there is still something that needs to be settled for Jonas Coleman tonight.  Now, after all this time, The Butcher gets his hands on the guy who is really responsible for all of the shit he has been put through. Dave Dymond.

The music has faded out, and the crew has scurried away, having finished their quick but thorough cleaning job on the ring, and ringside area.

All that remains is Akuma Satsui, who is still laying flat on his back in the middle of the ring, Jonas Coleman who is kneeling next to him, both men drenched in blood.  Outside the ring, Dave Dymond is leaning on the apron, looking utterly drained. His suit jacket is on the floor, his hair is messed up and his shirt is half hanging out and a rumpled mess. After all his pounding on the apron, jumping up and down, shouting orders, and screaming, it has now come to this.

Samantha: And now ladies and gentlemen, as per the terms of the contract for this contest, Akuma Satsui is ordered to leave the ring and return the dressing room, and Jonas Coleman now has five minutes in the ring with Dave Dymond – with no interference allowed!

The crowd explodes.  Dave Dymond’s head snaps up, as if he is waking up from a dream.  Dymond begins to shake his head violently.  He walks over, grabs the microphone from Samantha Coil, and enters the ring. Dymond is still carrying his steel briefcase.

Dave Dymond: I don’t think so.  This isn’t happening.  I had no choice but to sign that stupid contract, but do you honestly think I’m going to let you put your hands on me, Coleman?  Not likely.

Dave Dymond points at Jonas Coleman.  The Butcher slowly stands up.  Dymond looks down at Akuma Satsui.

Dave Dymond: SATSUI!  ATTACK!  Take him OUT!  This isn’t over until I say it’s over!

Akuma Satsui slowly gets to his feet. He is literally covered in red welts from the beating he took at the hands of The Butcher, with the wooden chair leg. His face is soaked in blood, and he is breathing heavily.

Akuma Satsui grabs the microphone out of the hand of Dave Dymond! 

Akuma Satsui:  It is over.  We are defeated.

A huge cheer goes up, as Dave Dymond looks at Akuma Satsui in shock.

Akuma Satsui turns to face Jonas Coleman, face to face.

Satsui bows.

Akuma Satsui:  I have fought with the spirit of Oni, the War Demon.  Whatever spirit dwells with you? Yours is superior. You will see me no more.

Akuma Satsui drops the microphone, bows at Jonas Coleman, and slowly exits the ring and walks up the aisle with an inscrutable expression on his face.  The fans are not booing and jeering him any longer – there is an eerie silence.

The silence is broken when Dave Dymond grabs the microphone and begins to scream up the aisle toward Akuma Satsui.

Dave Dymond: What the HELL are you talking about?  SPIRITS?  Are you INSANE?  You work for ME, dammit! DAVE DYMOND!  You coward!  You let this scrawny tag team reject make a fool out of you!  YOU FAILED ME!  YOU ARE FIRED, AKUMA SATSUI!  DO YOU HEAR ME?  YOU ARE FIRED!

Dave Dymond is red faced, and he turns and faces Jonas Coleman.  Surprisingly, Coleman is just staring at Dymond, with an expressionless stare, similar to the look Akuma Satsui had on his face.

Dave Dymond: Well I’m sure you’re very proud of yourself, Coleman.  You managed to scare off that superstitious half-wit. But don’t go patting yourself on the back just yet.  If you think you’re going to lay one finger on me, I have two words for you…

DAMAGE CONTROL!

“March ör Die” by Motörhead starts to play, and sure enough the two identical twins known as Damage Control appear at the top of the ramp.  Both men are dressed as per usual, bald heads, black goatees, black sunglasses, and matching black business suits.  Both Clubber and Stomper stand at the top of the ramp, staring down the aisle. They fold their arms across their chests and simply stand there like two statues.

Their music fades…

Dave Dymond: THAT’S RIGHT!  Come on down men, and give this miscreant a beating worse than the one that turncoat Satsui just gave him!

Referee Willie Dean is still at ringside with Samantha, and he grabs a spare wireless microphone from the timekeepers table.

Willie Dean: At this time, I would like to remind Mr. Dymond and Damage Control of the terms and conditions of the match that just ended. Any person attempting to enter the ring and interfere with Jonas Coleman and Dave Dymond will be BANNED from SHOOT Project for LIFE!

The crowd roars. 

Clubber and Stomper turn and look at each other.  They nod to one another in unison, and then turn their backs on the ring, and disappear into the back!

Dave Dymond: What the HELL?!  Clubber! Stomper!  GET BACK HERE!  You don’t even work for SHOOT, you work for ME! DAVE DYMOND!  GET BACK HERE YOU BRAIN DEAD MUSCLE BOUND COWARDS!

There is silence, and Damage Control do not reappear.

Meanwhile, somebody backstage must have flipped a switch, because slowly from above the lighting rig, surrounding the ring, a Steel Cage slowly begins to lower.

Dave Dymond doesn’t notice at first, since he is still screaming up the aisle.

Dave Dymond: FINE!  YOU’RE FIRED TOO!  BOTH OF YOU!  There are plenty of muscle-headed morons out there I can hire and turn into my bodyguards!  I don’t NEED you two!

Dymond looks up, as the cage finishes lowering into place, surrounding the ring.

Dave Dymond is now alone in the ring with Jonas Coleman, who continues to simply stare at him.  Dymond looks around himself in a panic.  He stumbles a few steps backward.

Dave Dymond: Okay, wait. Wait just a minute.  Jonas – you don’t mind if I call you Jonas do you?  I can see where you might be a little upset.  After all, there has been a misunderstanding between both of us.  I might have even made a few minor mistakes.  I’m sure I may have said or did a few things I regret – and I’m sure you did too.  But we’re both adults.  We can work this out.  Right?  Can’t we?

Jonas Coleman continues to stare directly at Dave Dymond, as the arena is shaking from the cheers of the fans.

Dave Dymond: I mean, you’re obviously tired. You’ve had a rough day. You don’t want to do this.  What it would prove? The great Jonas Coleman – by the way, I don’t know if I’ve ever told you how much I respect you, but I think you’re easily the best wrestler in this organization – what it would prove, beating me up?  I’m not a wrestler!  I’m a manager!

Jonas Coleman takes one step towards Dave Dymond. Dymond stumbles backwards.

Dave Dymond: I’m just a manager!  Plus, I’m sick!  I have acute viral rhinopharyngitis! I have necrotizing fasciitis! I have irritable bowel syndrome!  I have…I have…OH GAWD PLEASE DON’T HURT ME!

Dave Dymond falls to his knees in front of Jonas Coleman, and literally starts begging.

Jonas Coleman takes another step.

Dave Dymond bursts into tears, and starts to sob.  Dymond throws himself around the feet of The Butcher.

Dave Dymond: No!  PLEASE NO!  WAIT!

Dymond holds up his steel briefcase and snaps open the lid.

Dave Dymond: I thought there might be a small chance you would be a little upset with me, due to our misunderstanding – really it was just a lack of communication – so I brought you a gift.  Open this case!  It has $25,000 dollars!  I swear! $25,000!  I will GIVE you this money if you just let me walk out of here!

Jonas Coleman stops dead in his tracks and looks down at Dave Dymond.  The Butcher takes the case from Dymond, opens it and looks inside. 

He nods.

Some fans boo, worried that Coleman is going to let Dymond go and take the money.  Jonas Coleman closes the steel briefcase…

And bashes Dave Dymond directly over the head with it!

The crowd comes unglued again, as Dave Dymond is laid out.  Jonas Coleman walks to the cage door, and kicks it open.  The Butcher snaps the case open, and starts to grab huge handfuls of cash, and throws them out to the fans! Jonas Coleman completely circles the ring, and every step he takes he throws another huge handful of bills into the crowd, as far as he can.

Eryk Masters: Fans we’ve been keeping silent, letting you enjoy this moment, but right now it looks like Jonas Coleman is about to incite a riot, by throwing that cash out into the crowd. I mean, that’s a hell of a lot of money, OG.  … What the?  OG?

The camera goes to the broadcast position, where we see Eryk Masters sitting by himself. The shot switches to the ringside area, where we see The Other Guy leaping into the air, trying desperately to  grab some of the cash.

Eryk Masters: OG! GET BACK HERE!

The Other Guy turns around, looks a little shamefaced, and slinks back to the broadcast position. He pulls his headset on.

The Other Guy: What?

Jonas Coleman has now finished throwing the money into the crowd, and he re-enters the ring, empty case in hand.  Before he closes the door, he points into the crowd. The camera shot changes, and in the third row, we see a huge crowd of people, all wearing Jonas “The Butcher” Coleman t-shirts.

Eryk Masters: LOOK!  There’s Coleman’s mother, Elizabeth! She’s the one Dymond had thrown into the empty grave!  And sitting next to her, isn’t that the 10 year old kid that Dymond had shoved down the stairs?  And those two guys sitting next to her…

The Other Guy: Those are two of the wrestling students that Dymond had Satsui attack, as a “warning” to the Bad-Ass Brotherhood.  And the guy next to them, that’s that poor dude that Dymond had Damage Control beat up on the street, as a “message” to Coleman!

Jonas Coleman holds open the cage door, and beckons.  His mother, 10 year old Michael Seraph, the two wrestling students and the man who was attacked on the streets, all walk through the crowd, over the barrier, and into the cage.  Coleman closes the cage door.

Dave Dymond is still rolling around on the mat, holding his head in pain.  He opens his eyes, and when he sees the crowd of people around him, he looks puzzled and a little panicked.  The Butcher picks up the microphone from the mat, and pulls Dave Dymond to his feet, by the hair.

Jonas Coleman: I’d like to introduce you to some people you might have forgot.  First off, this is Dan Corlett.  He’s a construction worker.  He was walking down the street, and you had Damage Control pull him into an alley, and beat the shit out of him.  You said you were trying to prove a point about innocent people getting hurt.

Corlett steps forward, and swings a massive uppercut, right into the stomach of Dave Dymond. Dymond lets out a loud “oof” noise and doubles over.

Jonas Coleman: These two guys here are wrestling students. Roger Gillan and Ian Glover.  They were taking lessons from Layne Jacobs until you brought Akuma Satsui in, and had them destroyed.  You said you were trying to show me what Satsui was capable of.

Gillan and Glover leap forward, each man grabs one of Dave Dymond’s wrists, and whip him into the ropes.  As Dymond rebounds off, the two men almost take his head off with a double clothesline.

Dave Dymond hits the mat like a ton of bricks.

Jonas Coleman: Now I’m sure you remember Michael Seraph.  He’s the little kid you tricked into thinking he was going to get to meet me, but instead you and Satsui were there, and you had him thrown down a flight of stairs.

Dave Dymond is still laying flat on his back, and young Michael runs over, and begins to jump up and down on his stomach as hard as he can – and Dymond is already in a fair bit of pain in that area thanks to the shot in the gut from Dan Corlett.  As Michael jumps up and down, a chant breaks out…

“Michael! Michael! Michael!”

The young boy grins from ear to ear, and takes a couple of last stomps on Dave Dymond, before heading over to Jonas Coleman and giving him a high five.  The Butcher pulls Dymond to his feet by the hair again, and drags him a few feet.

Jonas Coleman: Last but not least, you remember my Mother?  The woman who you tricked into thinking I was dead, and then pushed into an open grave and left her there?

Elizabeth Coleman is a pleasant looking middle aged woman, and she looks at Dave Dymond with an expression of utter contempt and disgust.  Suddenly, she rears back, and drives her foot directly into the groin of Dave Dymond, as hard as she can!  Dave Dymond screams in agony, and falls to his knees!

The fans are still cheering their hearts out, as Elizabeth Coleman leads Michael Seraph, Ian Glover, Roger Gillan and Dan Corlett out of the ring. Corlett closes the cage door, leaving The Butcher alone in the cage with Dave Dymond.  Coleman drops the microphone.

Dave Dymond looks like hell.  He has been bashed over the head with his own steel briefcase, punched in the gut, double clotheslined, stomped on, and kicked in the balls.  He sits on his knees, his hands over his groin, groaning.

Jonas Coleman grabs Dave Dymond by the hair, and drags him over to the corner.  He starts to bash his face into the turnbuckle, as hard as he can.  The fans count to ten, and as they do, blood starts to fly from the nose of Dave Dymond.

The Butcher points to the other corner, and the fans cheer.  Coleman propels Dymond across the ring, and proceeds to smash his face into that turnbuckle ten times as well.  The cheers are deafening.  Coleman whips the bloodied Dymond into the next corner, and does it again!

Dymond is a mess now.  His nose is flattened and bleeding, and he looks like he has been run over by a truck.  To add insult to injury, Jonas Coleman points to the final, fourth corner and drags Dave Dymond there, and does it again!

Uno!

Dos!

Tres!

Cuatro!

Cinco!

Seis!

Siete!

Ocho!

Nueve!

Diez!

Jonas Coleman has now bashed Dave Dymond’s face off all four turnbuckles ten times!  He drags the semiconscious manager into the middle of the ring, and lets him drop.  Dymond falls flat on his back, and The Butcher takes an MMA mount position over top of his hated rival, and lets his fists fly!

Right and left, over and over again, Jonas Coleman punches Dave Dymond in the face as fast as he can.  Dymond’s head is comically bouncing off the mat like basketball, and now his face is drenched in blood, just like Coleman and Satsui’s.  It’s impossible to keep track of how many times Coleman has punched Dymond in the face, because his hands are moving too fast. For what seems like forever, Coleman just smashes Dave Dymond in the face with closed fists.

Finally, The Butcher stands up.

Dave Dymond is laying completely still in the middle of the ring, a bloody, bedraggled mess. Jonas Coleman pulls the steel briefcase over, closes it and places it next to Dymond’s head.  The Butcher reaches down, and applies a standing head scissors on Dave Dymond.  With a fluid and smooth motion, Jonas Coleman hoists Dave Dymond into perfect position for a PILEDRIVER!

For a moment, Jonas Coleman stands with Dave Dymond upside down in front of him, ready for the piledriver.  The cheers are incredible, and flashbulbs are going off all over the arena.  The Butcher leaps into the air, and piledrives Dave Dymond headfirst into his steel briefcase.  Dymond’s body bounces high in the air, and then falls to the mat, where he lays motionless.

“Station” by Russian Circles starts to play, and The Butcher stands over the unconscious Dave Dymond.  Jonas Coleman places a boot on the bloody face of Dave Dymond, and poses with his fist high in the air in triumph.

Eryk Masters: Revenge is sweet!  And if revenge has a picture, there it is!  The Butcher, Jonas Coleman – standing over the bloody, beaten body of his greatest enemy.

The Other Guy: I got to give Coleman credit. He did something I thought was impossible.  He managed to SHUT DAVE DYMOND UP!

Flashbulbs continue to pop, and finally a smiling and exhausted Jonas Coleman walks forward, over the body of Dave Dymond and out of the cage.  The Butcher slaps hands with the fans as he makes his way to the back, and on to a future that will see him as the most popular star in the SHOOT Project, and free of the threat of Dave Dymond, and Akuma Satsui. His Mother and his young fan Michael are waiting in the aisle.  Coleman puts one arm around his Mother, and hoists Michael on his other shoulder as he makes his way to the back.

A group of Emergency Medical Technicians rush down to the ring to remove the bloody carcass of Dave Dymond. The shot goes to the broadcast position.

Eryk Masters: What a bloodbath, both before and after the match!

The Other Guy: And the best thing is, we still have our MAIN EVENT to come!

We hear the ticking of a bomb.

The arena is empty. The stage is set for SHOOT’s latest and greatest extravaganza. That stage? The Redemption Ring, and around that ring the towering twisted metallic monster that will attempt to contain the Hierarchy and Stellar Insanity. The ticking slows… its about to go off, as Ke$ha’s "Blow" erupts instead.

"Back door cracked

We don’t need a key"

Close up of the cage door. Its closed, and wrapped in chain.

"We get in for free

No VIP sleaze"

Flash of X and Az standing inside the ring, oozing cockiness. The cage surrounds them. Yuri is in the background, arms crossed menacingly.

"Drink that Kool-Aid

Follow my lead"

Flash. Stellar stands in the corner, Loco sitting on the top rope. Each man with a confident smirk.

"Now you’re one of us

You’re coming with me"

The Hierarchy and Stellar Insanity are standing in the ring locked in a hard stare down.

"It’s time to kill the lights

And shut the DJ down… (This place about to)"

Just as they reach one another for the all out offensive? An explosion.

"Tonight were taking over

No one’s getting out"

The cell’s door slams shut, and we met with an explosive fireball.

"This place about to blow

Blow"

BOOM! Stellar drops Goeren with a Stellar drop, with the same fireball effect.

"This place about to blow

Blow"

BOOM! X-Calibur returns to SHOOT. The crowd elated.

"This place about to blow

Blow"

BOOM! A close up on a couple teens jumping up and down. Stop motion through their faces falling. Hatred in their eyes as he plants Stellar with the X-Terminator.

"This place about to blow

Blow"

Stellar on the ramp. Hierarchy in the ring. He’s talking with a huge smile. The Hierarchy look annoyed…

"This place about to…"

BOOM! Loco Martinez steps out onto the ramp. Stellar and Loco exchange a nod and then tear ass towards the ring.

"Now what (What)

We’re taking control"

BOOM! Loco nailing Goeren with the Locapitator.

"We get what we want

We do what you don’t"

The shot of Hierarchy back inside the Cage.

"Dirt and glitter

Cover the floor"

Stellar Insanity in the corner, under a spotlight. From around us the other 3 turnbuckles explode with an explosion of glitter.

"We’re pretty and sick

We’re young and we’re bored (Ha)"

Goeren and X standing with a bevvy of beautiful young women, dressed to the nines.

"It’s time to lose your mind

And let the crazy out"

Loco and Stellar sitting over a game of Hungry Hungry Hippos getting ready to do battle.

"(This place about to)

Tonight we’re taking names

‘Cause we don’t mess around"

BOOM! X with the X-Terminator. BOOM! Goeren with the Blitzkrieg.

"This place about to blow

Blow"

X locking a sharpshooter on Stellar… becomes Goeren locking the Iron Cross on Loco.

"This place about to blow

Blow"

BOOM! Becomes Loco nailing Happiness 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO on Goeren… becomes Stellar dropping X with the Stellar Drop.

"This place about to blow

Blow"

Again Stellar Insanity and the Hierarchy are standing across from one another.

"This place about to blow

Blow"

They take off and when they reach one another, an explosion.

"This place about to

(Blow)"

The empty arena. The ring. The cell bathed in spotlights.

"Go, go, go, go insane

Go insane"

X smacking the mat in frustration. Goeren rubbing furiously at his maced eyes.

"Throw some glitter"

BOOOM! Loco’s pre match "glizzard" filling an arena, it falling on elated fans..

"Make it rain on him"

BOOM! Goeren standing over some scantily clad, crazy hot, strippers, flinging ones like he’s starring in his own rap video.

"Let me see them Hands."

BOOM! X and Loco exchanging wild haymakers.

"Let me, let me see them Hands."

BOOM! the ICON and the Megastar brawling on the floor.

The music snaps shut with another explosion, and as the smoke and fire fades away all we’re left with is: the arena’s spotlights bathing the cell and ring in an eery white light for a moment before the lights are snapped off.

Samantha Coil: The following match is scheduled for one fall… and it is the… HELL…IN…THE… CELL MATCH!!!

The fans ERUPT.

???: Pardon the interruption, folks… but… I have something to say!

Eryk Masters: What the… is that… no way… IS THAT…

Other Guy: What the hell is HE doing here?!

Bryan Harris, former LEGACY announcer, former college football player AND retired international wrestling star, walks down the aisle with a microphone in hand.  Wearing his trademark cowboy hat and pinstriped suit, the former on-air personality taps the microphone and speaks directly to the audience.

Bryan Harris: I’m sure by now you’re ALL wondering why exactly I’m here right now, on my way to a SHOOT ring.  Well, to honest… and I’ll be quick about it… I’m here because Mr. Van Warren and Herr Goeren asked me to be!

“BOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

Bryan Harris: For too long has the SHOOT Project shown unfair bias against the members of the Hierarchy… against men who deserve a REAL voice of wrestling to convey their excellence out to all of you watching at home!  These are men I have come to know over the years and greatly admire through the dedication to their craft, so I’m here tonight… to even things up a little bit!  I’m here tonight…

Stopping in front of the announce booth, the six-foot-six Texan points at them both.

Bryan Harris: … so that THIS son of a bitch, and THIS son of a bitch, actually do their jobs RIGHT for once!

Mexico City boos the piss out of this man.

Bryan Harris: So move over, boys, and let a real COMMENTATING GENIUS show ya’ll how it’s done!

Eryk Masters: You’ve got to be shitting me.

Other Guy: I don’t think he is, Eryk.

As Bryan Harris puts on his head-set… the arena goes black..  The crowd leaps to their feet in excitement.  The SHOOTron springs to life looking like the flashiest of Vegas slot machines.  We see a lever to right of the SHOOTron.  It slowly lowers, and the slots being spinning wildly as Wolfmother’s "Joker and the Thief" incredibly recognizable opening begins.  The slots spin franticly and slow.  The first slot slows…  

A huge picture of Loco Martinez, smiling like the Cheshire Cat.    

Second Slot.   Similar picture of Stellar, smirking. 

Third Slot.   $I.  

The bottom of SHOOT’s  "SLOT-TRON" flashes "JACKPOT", the crowd goes batty, and we hear the bells and whistles that you’d associate with the Jackpot.  We pull back showing an escalator coming out of the SHOOTron.  

"I said the joker is a wanted man,

He makes his way all across the land,

See him sifting through the sand,"

Samantha Coil: Making their way down to the ring first… from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Chicago, Illinois, respectively… weighing in at a combined weight of 507lbs… Loco Martinez and “The ICON” Rocky Stellar… STELLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAR INNNNNNNNNSAAAAAAAAAAAANITYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!

The screen continues to flash "Jackpot" as we see Loco Martinez and Rocky Stellar in an homage to both the Hangover and Rainman, riding down the Escalator.  Each man in a matching silver suits.  Loco’s head tilted slightly to the side as they ride the escalator to the entrance ramp below.

"So I’ll tell you all the story,

About the joker and the thief of the night,"

Other Guy:  Stellar Insanity gets their own escalator? 

Eryk Masters: Of all the shit we’ve seen over the years, is this even in the top 20 craziest things we’ve ever seen?

Bryan Harris: Probably not, I just figure its for Stellar so he can GET to the ring.  Oh, hi, by the way.  My name’s Bryan and I’m a proud sponsor of the Hierarchy.

"Always laughing in the midst of power,

Always living in the final hour,

There is always sweet in the sour,"

Loco and Stellar get to the ramp, and head to the ring.  Each one working on taking off their suit jackets.  Ties.  Button down shirts… and tossing them all into the rabid crowd.

"We… are… not goin’ home"

Eryk Masters:  The slot machine entrance, and Hangover homage, not just a fitting reference to our home base, but also the nature of this epic and dangerous match.  You’re gambling with your health.  With your career.  With your life!

Loco and Stellar eye the cage for a moment as the music fades away.  They stand there while the crowd buzzes before turning and exchanging a pound and hug and stepping through the door,  ready for battle.

Other Guy:  But the fun and games are over, Eryk.  Its all business, and like you just said this business is deadly serious in nature.

Bryan Harris: And NOW… get ready for the greatest entrance of ALL time….

Once again the lights go out.  This time, the SHOOTron turns on to a white screen.

10%.

Eryk Masters: Ugh… I thought maybe we’d get a break from this tonight.

Other Guy: You thought wrong, E.

Bryan Harris: I don’t know what you guys are bitching about.  This is the greatest entrance in the history of all that is awesome.

Eryk Masters: I really don’t think I’m going to make it through this broadcast without punching you in the face, Bryan.  You know, just sayin’.

Bryan Harris: By all means.  Do it.  I’d LOVE to see The Hierarchy make an example out of you.

Other Guy: I can’t believe I’M the voice of reason here but, relax fellas.

15%.

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BUFFERING…

BUFFERING…

BUFFERING…

…INITIALIZING_H1>S1+IH 

Clint Mansell’s “Summer Overture (LOTR REMIX)” hits the speakers and gold pyro begins showering over the entrance area.  Walking through the pyro in matching knight’s armor are X-Calibur and Azrael Goeren.  Walking awkwardly to the ring, clanking their feet on the ramp-way every step of the way, The Hierarchy look at each other for a moment before nodding their heads.  Just before they step through the cell door, however… Tony Lorenzo instructs both of them to remove their armor.

Samantha Coil: And their opponents… making their way down to the ring… from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by way of Germany, and Eberswalde, Germany, by way of… the Delaware Water Gap?  Um,  respectively… weighing in at a combined weight of 462lbs… AZRAEL GOEREN AND X-CALIBUR… THE HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIERAAAAAAAAAAAAARCHYYYYYY!!!

Bryan Harris: WHAT?!  He can’t do that!

Eryk Masters: He just did, numb nuts.

Bryan Harris: Your Mother’s a whore.  

Eryk Masters: Least My Momma’s not my Daddy.

Bryan Harris: You can just go suck your Daddy’s C-

Other Guy: EY, EY, EY, EY, EY!  ‘Nuff of that!  JESUS.

As X-Calibur and Azrael Goeren remove their knight’s armor, they reveal matching gold and black tights.  X wearing an “XC” on his crotchel region with alternating colors, and Az bearing an “AG” with alternating colors on his crotchel region, The Hierarchy’s cohesive ambiance is quite conspicuous to the viewing audience. 

After stalling for a bit while arguing with Lorenzo to allow them their knight’s armor, they finally relent and make their way up into the ring.  Once Lorenzo steps inside, another official in Austin Linam locks the door shut and applies the padlock.  Upon doing this, Lorenzo signals for the bell.

Without hesitation, Stellar and Loco CHARGE towards X and Goeren… but the Hierarchy quickly rolls out of the ring to the outside. Generating a mass amount of boos from the capacity crowd in Mexico City, The Hierarchy smirk at one another from across the ring and slowly walk the perimeter until they meet at the opposite side of the ring from where Loco and Rocky are standing. 

Eryk Masters: This match is eight months in the making.

Other Guy: You have to figure that, at this point, both teams are SICK of one another and will do anything it takes to rid themselves of the other once and for all.

Bryan Harris: Don’t worry.  Hierarchy plans to do JUST that.

Eryk Masters: Ugh… at least OG over there PRETENDS he’s unbiased.  This is gonna be a long night.

Loco and Rocky look at each other, nodding their heads.  X and Goeren turn towards the cage wall, shouting at the lone official on the outside to remove the padlock for them.  Rocky and Loco wait for Goeren and X to turn around… and once when they do, Stellar Insanity charges forward.  Jumping first to the middle turnbuckle, Loco springboards back down to the outside of the ring, landing right on top of X-Calibur with a springboard plancha, while Rocky suicide dives through the ropes, knocking back Goeren into the cage wall!

As all four competitors lay on the outside of the ring in one collective heap, some of the fans begin chanting “FREAK-SHOW!”, while others being chanting, “STELL-AR!”.  Moments later, Loco and Rocky are back on their feet, dusting themselves off from the hard collision with The Hierarchy.  As Rocky guides Goeren to his feet, Loco slowly brings X to his.  Knife-edge chop from Stellar reel Goeren back into the cage wall. 

Loco tries to do the same to X, but X blocks and rolls Loco back into the ring.  X follows Loco inside, who seems to be ready for his former best friend turned arch nemesis.  X stands in the center of the ring, much in the same way as Loco.  They mirror each other… almost as if they were the same person.  Meanwhile, the crowd roars in anticipation for these two to go at it once more.

Eryk Masters: There is no love lost between these two combatants.  Long time friends, who were even longer time enemies.  They are not strangers to causing unspeakable violence towards one another.

Loco winds up with a right.  X blocks.   X goes for a snap kick to the gut, but Loco catches his leg.   Loco tries to step over and deliver a spinning heel kick, but X knows this is coming and ducks.  As Loco hits the match, X goes for an elbow drop, but Loco rolls out of the way.  X is up and tries another, and Loco rolls again.  X is up, and Loco goes for a leg sweep, but X jumps it.  Loco kips up, and the two lock in a stand still stare down.  The crowd applauds.  The two smirk at each other for a moment before X winds up and slaps the taste out of Loco’s mouth.

With the crowd letting loose a unanimous “OOOOOOOooooh!!”, Loco rubs at his cheek and delivers an equally violent slap.

Other Guy:  Slap fight?  What’s next, are gonna scratch each other’s eyes out?

Bryan Harris: And X would STILL make it a five-star match!  He carried Loco’s ass in LEGACY much in the same way.

As if to answer OG, X snaps off a thumb to the eye that connects.  Loco clutches at his face and is then nearly decapitated by a running clothesline. 

Eryk Masters: Wow!  X folded up like an accordion!

Stellar and Goeren are exchanging lefts and rights on the floor, while Loco drops X with a nasty short armed clothesline inside the ring.  Goeren is starting to get the better of Stellar.  Driving him back with rights.  Loco quickly exits to the ring apron, and before Goeren can do any more damage, Loco yells, "DUCK!".  Instinctively, Stellar knows what to do and drops to his knees while Loco leaps off the apron driving his knees into the torso of Azrael who crashes into the side of the cage.  Loco gets up with a fist pump and lets out a animalistic growl.   He drags Goeren to his feet and drives his ribs against the side of the ring, snapping him back, awkwardly.  Loco doesn’t let go.  Instead, he turns Goeren and drives him back hard into the cell fencing with a crash. 

Eryk Masters: Martinez really working that back on Goeren!

Loco then stomps his foot on the ground twice, and grabs Goeren’s wrist.

Eryk Masters:  Looking for the Locapitator, perhaps?

Loco goes to snap him down, but Azrael senses it and drops to his knees, Loco’s foot hits the mesh of the cage, and his heel gets caught. 

Bryan Harris: YES!!!  RIP THAT KNEE APART!  DO IT, DO IT, DO IT, DO IT, DO IT!!

Eryk Masters:  This isn’t gonna be good for Loco.

Other Guy:  Or us, if we have to listen to Bryan over there.

Loco’s eyes go wide as he looks at Goeren, and then at X up in the ring who smiles deviously.  Chuckling, X steps to the outside apron, and with both arms raised he jumps off the edge if the apron and SMASHES both of his fists into the brunt of Loco’s knee with a diving double axe-handle smash!

Eryk Masters: X just tearing at Loco’s ligaments!

Bryan Harris: That’s how we, The Hierarchy, DO things to ya’ll bitches out there.

Other Guy:  And it’s as legal as  a drop toe hold.

Bryan Harris: Only way more effective.

Turning his attention back onto Stellar, who is approaching them once more, Goeren goes for a straight shot to the side of Stellar’s head, but Stellar blocks this.  Azrael blocks a counterstrike with Stellar’s left hand, and goes to throw him head-first into the cell fencing.  Stellar blocks this, too, by putting his foot up on the cage wall. Elbowing Azrael in the ribs, Stellar turns the tables and smashes him face first into the cage!

As X rips Loco down from the cage, freeing his leg from the fencing, X promptly rolls him back into the ring.  Seemingly fixated on each other inside the ring, Stellar seems to be content with staying on Azrael’s heels and keeping him at bay on the outside.  Taking Azrael’s head by grabbing a tuft of his hair, he mashes Azrael’s face into the grating steel fence in a back and forth motion. 

Eryk Masters: This is a good way to open someone up.  More often than not, a loose barb from the fencing will catch on a competitor’s skin and-

Bryan Harris: Stop.  I just had about fifty raw oysters before I came out here tonight.

Other Guy: If you ate raw oysters in Mexico City, then the Hierarchy losing tonight will be the least of your worries!

Satisfied enough with Goeren’s predicament, Stellar backs up until his tail-bone touches the edge of the ring apron.  Then, in one forward motion, he THRUSTS the sole of his boot forward, smashing the back of Goeren’s head!  Watching him collapse awkwardly to the outside mat, Stellar looks out at the sea of Mexicans screaming with approval.

Eryk Masters: This is getting uglier by the minute!

Bryan Harris: I’m surprised no one’s been busted open yet.  They’ve been going at each other tooth and nail in there.

Other Guy: I agree with Bryan, Eryk.  The emotion is running high in this match and with every shot thrown there’s been this high degree of stiffness to it.  It’s only a matter of time before we see some crimson flowing.

Inside the ring, Loco whips X into the ropes.  On the rebound, X baseball slides underneath Loco who leaps forward with a diving somersault.  Keeping with the momentum, Loco bounces off the ropes after rolling to his feet from the diving somersault.  Leapfrogging Loco, who continues towards the other side, X runs forward into the ropes.  On the rebound, just as X attempts a lunging lariat, Loco spins forward with a foot extended and connects right across X’s jaw with a perfectly timed spinning heel kick!

With Goeren in his clutches, Stellar rings him back into the ring.  Both Stellar and Loco whip Goeren off the ropes.  From the recoil, Stellar Insanity launch Goeren high up into the air with a double back body drop – Goeren’s feet narrowly missing the top of the cage before he comes crashing down.

Bryan Harris:  NO! 

Eryk Masters:  Goeren going all Hindenburg.

Other Guy:  That’s inappropriate, and hateful!  Which is why it was so funny!

Eryk Masters:  Right, ‘cause Azrael Goeren is the bastion of tolerance.

Stellar notices X in his peripheral vision and delivers a scintillating clothesline that sends him up and over the top rope.

Other Guy: Just think, if this were the Redemption Rumble, X would be eliminated right now!

Stellar quickly gestures to Loco to get to climbing, who instantly obliges.  Stellar then grabs Goeren and stands him up.  He drives a couple quick rights into Goeren’s temple and then kicks him in the gut.  Grabbing him by the waist, he hoists him up for what looks to be a piledriver.  As he sits out, spiking Goeren, Loco jumps up and manages to grab onto one of the cross beams of the Hell in the Cell structure.

Bryan Harris: DISQUALIFICATION!

Eryk Masters: Stop.

Other Guy: He’s not doing what I think he’s doing..

Hand over hand, monkey bar style, Loco climbs towards the center of the ring until he’s hovering directly over Goeren.  The crowd jumps to attention, buzzing with excitement.  He swings his legs behind him, and then pumps them up, starting a swinging, almost trapeze-like effect.  He pumps back once again building more momentum.  The crowd oohing as he builds his momentum, and as he get to a nearly parallel position he lets go and BACK FLIPS INTO A SHOOTING STAR PRESS, LANDING WITH VIOLENT FORCE ACROSS GOEREN’S FRAME!!

Eryk Masters: MOTHER OF GOD!!!  LOCO JUST DROPPED THE BOMB ALL THE WAY FROM THE HEAVENS!!!

Other Guy: UNBELIEVABLE!!!

Bryan Harris: Dammit… no… please… God no…

The crowd absolutely ROARS with excitement as chants of, “HOL-EE-SHIT! HOL-EE-SHIT!”, echo through out the arena.

Loco and Goeren both clutch at their ribs from the impact.  Stellar tries to capitalize on the situation and makes a cover.  Lorenzo is right there for the count.

ONE!!

TWO!!

THR- NO!  X is back and connects with a diving axe handle smash to break up the pin.

Bringing Goeren to his feet once again, Stellar tosses him to the outside of the ring.  As he points towards the steel steps, the crowd responds accordingly.  Grabbing his arm, Stellar hunkers down and attempts to whip Goeren towards the steel steps.  Goeren is cognizant to Stellar’s plan though and manages to reverse the whip attempt by digging his feet into the outside mat.  Reversing the direction of the momentum, Goeren swings Stellar back towards him.  Clutching his arms around Stellar’s upper body, Goeren lifts up and suplexes Stellar towards the fencing, causing him to crash onto his back right in front of the post!

Eryk Masters: I can’t believe he was able to manage that!  His ribs must be absolute dust from Loco’s trapeze-like shooting star press!

As the Icon’s body slams awkwardly into the Cell wall and down to the outside mat, Goeren looks back into the ring, albeit clutching at his ribs, and watches as Loco drops a succession of lightning quick leg drops across the head and neck of X.  Realizing his partner is in trouble, Goeren slides gingerly underneath the bottom rope and into the ring.  Loco senses Azrael’s presence however, and as soon as he stands up, Loco makes Goeren eat a well-timed dropkick to the chest that reels him back into the turnbuckles.

Bryan Harris: Azrael’s ribs must be ACHING from that SSP!  This is not fair.

Other Guy: I respectfully disagree, Bry. 

Eryk Masters: You RESPECTFULLY disagree, OG?!  Why are you kissing this piece of shit’s ass?!  He is CLEARLY a member of the Hierarchy!

Bryan Harris: HEY.  Watch your mouth, son, before I knock your ass into next WEEK!

Eryk Masters: I’d like to see you try it, motherf-

Other Guy: GUYS! 

Retreating to the opposite corner to give himself enough room for maximum speed , Loco sprints to the corner turnbuckle Goeren is leaning on.  A few feet in front of the turnbuckles, Loco jumps up, hoping to land both feet on the second ropes beside Goeren’s frame.  He misses his mark, however, and Goeren immediately capitalizes on this mistake.  Pushing UP underneath Loco for an added push, Goeren sends him SOMERSAULTING FORWARD OVER THE TOP ROPE AND STEEL POST INTO A SENTON BOMB POSITION, LANDING OUTSIDE ACROSS ROCKY STELLAR!!

Eryk Masters: OH MY GOD!!!  LOCO JUST WENT SAILING OVER THE POST!!! STELLAR INSANITY IS DEAD!!!

Other Guy: I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE IN MY LIFE!!!  THIS CROWD HAS GONE MENTAL!!!!

Looking down outside of the ring at the carnage, Goeren smiles evilly.  Loco SCREAMING in agony over the force in which his back hit the outside mat.  Stellar seemingly unconscious from the inadvertent “swanton bomb”.  Looking back towards X, who looks as if he just fell through forty tables, Goeren checks to see if he is alright from the series of leg drops Loco gave him.

With nobody stirring on the outside, Azrael and X roll out of the ring and stalk their prey.  X kneels down beside Loco and disrespectfully slaps him across the face a few times to snap him out of his agony.  Azrael meanwhile slowly begins picking Stellar’s limp body up from the outside mat and awkwardly guides him under the bottom rope into the ring.  Audibly yelling back at his partner to finish it, X keeps the wounded Loco occupied on the outside with much taunting and slapping.

Sliding in right behind Stellar, Goeren opens his arms for the entire arena and withstands a shower of boos as Mexico City throws their venom directly at him.  Dropping to one knee, Goeren lowers only a pinky down across the chest of Rocky Stellar as he awaits Tony Lorenzo to slide into an apt position to make the count.

ONE!!

TWO!!

THREE- STELLAR SHOULDERS OUT!!

Bryan Harris: WHAT?!  HOW???

Eryk Masters: Stellar is alive!  STELLAR… IS… STILL… ALIVE!!!

Looking perturbed at Stellar, Goeren grabs Stellar’s face and angrily spouts off a bunch of German nonsense into his face.  Sitting him up on the mat, Goeren signals that the time has come for his patented Blitzkrieg finishing maneuver as he patiently waits for Stellar to get to one knee.  On the outside, X lifts Loco up to his knees and puts his hands across his face similarly to how Goeren did it to Stellar.  Screaming into his face much in the same way as his partner did, X then follows it up with a disrespectful pie-face move that sends Loco’s nearly cataleptic state into the cell wall.

Eryk Masters: Loco looks like he’s OUT.  If someone were able to get him inside that ring again, this match would be over.

Stellar finally gets to one knee and Goeren swings a leg through for a buzz saw kick… but Stellar catches his leg!  The crowd becomes UNGLUED as Goeren hops on one foot in front of Stellar.  BEGGING for the Icon to think twice about what he was going to do, Goeren clasped both hands together to look his most earnest.  Drawing him back towards the center of the ring, Stellar shakes his head “no”, and kicks the man square in the balls.

Eryk Masters: DING!

Other Guy: DONG!

Bryan Harris: DAMN!

Goeren goes down like a sack of marbles, and Stellar grabs both of his legs in a supine position.  Placing one foot forward, Stellar looks as if he’s going for a sharpshooter.

Eryk Masters: SHARPSHOOTER!  Shades of Reckoning Day all the way back in December!

Realizing that his partner is in danger, X enters the ring again.  Just before Stellar steps through in the move, X delivers a clubbing blow to his back that stops Stellar in his tracks.  Then, binding his hands around Stellar’s waist, X-Calibur lifts up for a German suplex, driving the Icon straight down onto his upper back and neck region.  Keeping his hands locked around Stellar, X rolls to the side and brings him back up to his feet.  But instead of going for a second German suplex, X spins around Stellar, criss-crosses both of Stellar’s arms across his own chest, lifts up, and slams him down with a straight-jacket northern lights suplex!  With the bridge in effect, Lorenzo makes the count…

ONE!!

TWO!!

THR- STELLAR KICKS OUT!!!

Loco slowly beginning to stir outside, albeit holding his back and looking quite laborious in his efforts to sit up.  X looks frustrated that Stellar was able to kick out of his German Suplex/Straight-Jacket Northern Lights combination, and once again has him on his own two feet.  With Goeren back up on his feet, Goeren shouts some direction at X, who then grabs Stellar’s arms in position for a Misawa-inspired tiger suplex.  Lifting up, X slams the Icon back down to the mat… but rather than bridging the move for the pin, X rolls Stellar over and FLIPS FORWARD with the cattle mutilation submission!

Bryan Harris: WOW!!!  X just blatantly stole the “Way of the Samurai” from Katsuro Yoshida!  I love it!!

Eryk Masters: What is Azrael Goeren doing?

Other Guy: Look out!

With Stellar’s face in agony and his head lifting up from the mat, Goeren uses his prone position to his advantage by diving forward off of the rope recoil like a missile with his legs extended forward.  Crashing his feet right into the face of Stellar, the Icon’s entire body goes limp as the fans in attendance cringe with unbelievable dread.

Eryk Masters: Loco HAS to get in there!!  Stellar is DONE FOR!!! 

Bryan Harris: NO, Eryk.  What Loco NEEDS to do is do the smart thing for once in his miserable life and stay the fuck out of the Hierarchy’s way!!  HIERARCHY GOT THIS!!!

Other Guy: Not like this… please…

As X makes the lateral cover, Loco gets one hand up onto the skirt of the ring and pulls himself up.

ONE!!!

TWO!!!

THREE- NO!  STELLAR KICKS OUT!!  STELLAR KICKS OUT!!  STELLAR KICKS OUT!!!

Incensed that they weren’t able to keep Stellar down after that tag team combination, X kicks the bottom rope and cusses aloud.  Goeren meanwhile, mounts Stellar and just begins pounding the everlasting tar out of Stellar’s face.  Right fist after right fist bludgeons Stellar’s head into the mat, and soon, a sizeable wound opens up across Stellar’s forehead from Goeren’s bare-knuckled shots.  Enjoying the torture they’re unleashing onto Stellar, the Hierarchy regroups again, this time setting their sights on Loco Martinez, who seems to be struggling to stand on the outside.

Exiting the ring together, X-Calibur grabs Loco from behind and holds him for his teammate like some kind of high school bully.  Pounding Loco much in the same way he just did Rocky, Goeren finally backs up after a couple of stiff shots.  Then, charging forward, Goeren spins around with a forearm ready and connects a roaring forearm shot…. RIGHT ACROSS X’S JAW!!

Eryk Masters: Loco moved!!  He moved!!!

Bryan Harris: Come on, X!  How could you loose grip of that squirmy little piece of shit?!

Other Guy: Loco showing signs of life yet in this match-up.  I wonder if he can hear your commentary, Bryan?  Maybe we should thank you in advance?

Bryan Harris: SHUT UP!!  COME ON, X!!!  COME ON, AZRAEL!!

As Goeren looks down at X in complete shock over nailing him flush across the jaw, Goeren turns around and eats a FEROCIOUS flurry of forearm, fist, and elbow shots from a FRENZIED Loco Martinez.  With Mexico City rallying behind their Freakshow one-hundred and ten percent, Loco finally drops Goeren to the outside mat with a stiff standing clothesline. 

Eryk Masters: Loco is a man on fire!  He’s taking out everyone!!

Bringing X back to his feet, Loco aims for the same steel steps that Stellar attempted to throw X into earlier, and with every ounce of strength he can muster, Loco whips X directly into them.  As X crashes all of his body weight into the steps, the upper-half of the steel steps EXPLODES off of the bottom set and crashes into the cell fencing! 

Other Guy: Holy hell… those steps just about disintegrated with the way X crashed into them!

Giving a primal scream to the capacity crowd, Loco looks down at Azrael Goeren who seems to be in a state of disbelief over Loco’s resurgence in the match.

Grabbing Azrael by the back of his head, Loco sets his opponent up for what seems like an old school running bulldog, but rather than jumping forward for the bulldog, Loco runs straight into the ring post, conking Goeren’s head, as well as sacrificing his own shoulder, against the solid steel ring post.  Finally getting the chance to look back into the ring at his partner, Loco then slides in and comes to Stellar’s aid – who seems to be bleeding profusely from above his right eyebrow.

Other Guy: Man, Stellar is busted BAD.

Bryan Harris: Courtesy of Azrael’s world class street fighting skills, mind you!    

Eryk Masters: The tag teaming efforts of the Hierarchy almost seem to be too much for Stellar Insanity to bear in this match.  But separate them, and Loco seems to be winning this battle all on his own.  It’s an interesting dynamic here in this match, for sure.  

Stellar begins to get up, and in doing so he wipes some of the blood out of his eye while assuring Loco that he’ll be alright.  Once Loco’s fears are alleviated a bit, they both turn their attention back outside to X, who crumbled upon the impact of colliding with the steel steps.  Motioning for Stellar to grab the steel steps, Loco sets X up so that his back leans on the steel fencing.  Retreating back towards Stellar, Loco takes one side of the steel steps as Stellar takes the other.  Together, they run full speed ahead with the steels steps between them and SPEAR X WITH THE STEEL STEPS THROUGH THE CELL WALL!!!      

As parts of the cell fencing split apart and allow X’s body to fall through to the other side, Loco and Stellar look down at the steel steps they used to help enhance their double “spear”.  As X clutches his mid-section, coughing and gagging while his insides churn from the collision, Loco motions for Stellar to focus back on Azrael while Loco begins trying to slide through the slit in the cage wall without cutting himself to pieces from the frayed and destroyed parts of the fencing.

Eryk Masters: This is going too far.  Someone’s going to get killed. 

Other Guy: Where are you going?!

All of a sudden, Bryan Harris gets up from his position at the announce booth and starts making his way towards Loco and X.  Back in the ring, though, Goeren is back to his feet from the running post shot Loco gave to him, but Stellar is right behind him.  Tossing him back into the ring, Stellar re-enters right behind him.  As both men get to their feet, Stellar closes in on the MegaStar, but like a caged animal with his back against the wall, Azrael Goeren kicks at Stellar’s shin, causing the Icon to clutch down at his leg for a moment.  This is all the opportunity Azrael needed though, and when Stellar refocuses his line of sight on his opponent, Goeren straight kicks Stellar right in the knee and watches the Icon buckle onto the mat.

Eryk Masters: Goeren looks like he has him right where he wants him… but what the hell is Bryan Harris doing?!

Once Loco lifts X up from the outside mat, it becomes clear that the fencing did a number on the former World Heavyweight Champion.  Specks of blood ooze out from multiple parts of his back, almost like tiny little puncture marks where the frayed cell had scraped his body when he passed through from the steel steps assisted double spear.  Feeling a little masochistic in his own right, Loco turns X around so that his back is facing the guard rail and DRIVES him back into it, causing the front row to jump back a little bit from the impact.  Bryan Harris is hovering near them both, yelling at Loco and cheering on his apparent comrade in X.

Right when Rocky Stellar’s knee buckles Azrael Goeren immediately seizes his legs, steps through, and places him inside the makings of a sharpshooter!  Turning Stellar over, whose face oozes blood down onto the mat, Goeren SCREAMS at him to give it up as he applies pressure to the maneuver.  To no avail, Stellar searches for the ropes… but there are none in sight.

Eryk Masters: Stellar’s about to give up!  But keep an eye on Loco and X outside the ring!

Other Guy: I still want to know what Bryan Harris is doing!

Peeling X off of the guard rail, Loco guides him over towards the announce booth, while ramming his head down into the edge of the guard rail occasionally, keeping him disoriented.  Once they reach the announce booth, Loco rolls X onto the table, and then stops and looks at Bryan Harris, who is significantly taller than he.  Looking back at the crowd, Loco points up towards the top of the cell, causing the crowd to go BALLISTIC. 

Eryk Masters: He’s not…

Other Guy: I think he is!

Turning towards the cell, Loco throws caution to the wind and begins searching for a proper way up the fencing to the top of the cage.  Once he finds a foot-hole, Loco begins climbing the cage… but Bryan Harris grabs Loco by his wrestling pants and pulls him down!  Realizing he had no other alternative, Loco NAILS Bryan Harris with a right hand, stunning him back.  Then, kneeing the Hierarchy’s own personal color commentator in the gut, Loco short-arm scissors Harris’ arm, twists, pulls back, and NAILS him right across the chin with a perfectly executed short-arm super kick!

Eryk Masters: LOCAPITATOR TO BRYAN HARRIS!  MY NIGHT HAS OFFICIALLY BEEN MADE!!

Other Guy: Poor guy.  I kinda liked him.

As soon as Harris hit the ground, Loco begins his ascension up the cage again, but unfortunately for he, X has already removed himself from the announce table., to which Mexico City boos mercilessly.  Following right behind Loco, X searches for a safe way up the side of the cage as well.  Climbing right behind Loco, who has stumbled a bit on his way up, X gets directly underneath Loco by positioning his head underneath Loco’s bottom.

Eryk Masters: I always knew X had his head up Loco’s ass, but this just confirms it!

Other Guy: Yeah, I don’t know if we’re safe here right now.

Bryan Harris: First smart thing you’ve said all night, OG.

While All three commentators leave their position at the table, X reaches up with one arm and hammers it directly into the small of Loco’s back.  Realizing full well that Loco was tender there from his inadvertent senton bomb onto Stellar earlier in the match, X gains a few extra foot-holes on Loco until Loco’s legs are pressed down against X’s shoulders – as if Loco was seated on X’s shoulders and being carried up the side of the cage.   Reaching up, Loco misses the edge of the top of the cage by about three and a half feet when X RIPS LOCO’S BODY AWAY FROM THE CELL WALL AND FALLS DOWN, SENDING LOCO THROUGH THE TABLE WITH AN ELECTRIC CHAIR DROP!!!!

“HOL-EE-SHIT!  HOL-EE-SHIT!  HOL-EE-SHIT!”, soon transcends into, “THIS-IS-AWE-SOME! THIS-IS-AWE-SOME! THIS-IS-AWE-SOME!”, and Loco Martinez remains in the table’s wreckage as X is sprawled across the mat just outside of “ground zero”.  

Stellar watches on while trapped inside Goeren’s sharpshooter as X-Calibur gets to his knees and crawls towards the fencing, using the cell wall to help himself up to his feet.  Then, from the outside of the ring, he presses his face against the fencing and shouts at Rocky to “GIVE IT UP, OLD MAN!”.  All of sudden, as if somewhere deep within himself there was a burning desire to do the exact opposite of what X says, Rocky pushes up from the mat with both hands, blood SPEWING down his face, and Azrael Goeren falls forward,  losing his grip on the sharpshooter!

Eryk Masters: (re-adjusting his head-set from the wreckage) STELLAR BROKE THE SHARPSHOOTER!

Other Guy: I DON’T BELIEVE IT!  LOCO IS DEAD… BUT STELLAR IS ALIVE!!

The crowd ROARS, Stellar breaks Goeren’s grip and reverses the pressure of the sharpshooter onto Azrael Goeren.  The MegaStar SCREAMS in agony, as Rocky Stellar pulls back with all of his might on Azrael Goeren’s legs.  Realizing his partner is in trouble, X limps slowly back over to the opened slit in the cage wall, keeping his eyes locked on Stellar the entire time.  Trying to hurry as best he can, X-Calibur squeezes through the cell fencing, tripping over the steel steps that assisted in his unceremonious exit through the cage earlier.

Eryk Masters: HE’S ABOUT TO TAP!!

Azrael raises his hand up off the mat.

X-Calibur desperately pulls himself up from the mat using the ring skirt.

Azrael looks like he wants to tap, but he balls his fist up and shakes it.

Pulling on the bottom rope, X pulls himself under the bottom rope and into the ring.

Azrael’s hand stops shaking.

X-Calibur starts crawling towards Rocky and Azrael.

Azrael Goeren’s hand slaps the mat repeatedly.  Lorenzo slaps Stellar on his back and calls for the bell.  Rocky Stellar collapses forward and Mexico City LOSES IT!!

Samantha Coil: Ladies and gentlemen… at a time of 50 Minutes and 39 Seconds… the winners of this match….. STELLAR INSANITY!

X-Calibur pounds both fists on the mat repeatedly, screaming, “WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY?!!!”, and Rocky Stellar looks out at his friend… who is unmoving amongst the rubble on the outside.

Eryk Masters: Ladies and gentlemen, we just witnessed an absolute WAR tonight!  Stellar Insanity and The Hierarchy brought everything they had to the Cell here tonight… but in the end, Stellar Insanity proved that they wanted it more!  Once and for all, Stellar Insanity… beats… the Hierarchy!

Other Guy: Loco needs some medical attention here, folks.  I have yet to see him move after taking that electric chair drop from three-quarters the way up the side of the cage.  That was a damn UGLY spill, and I don’t know if Loco will EVER be the same after that one.

Eryk Masters: For that matter, Rocky Stellar is a blood mess, and he too might need medical attention!  Ladies and gentlemen, we are out of time tonight here at Redemption: Day One… stay tuned tomorrow night for Day Two!!

The medical team begins pouring out from the back and make their way over to Loco Martinez and Rocky Stellar – who has quickly exited through the newly unlocked cage door to go and check on his best friend. 

Meanwhile, in our last shot of the broadcast, Azrael Goeren sits up with a disappointed look etched across his face while X-Calibur drapes himself over the top rope and looks out at the medical team and Stellar Insanity with a hateful glare.