Mark Kendrick: The show’s kicking off tonight and the World Champion and the World Tag Team Champions are ALREADY waiting for us in the ring!
Maria Madden: They came out here, essentially decided they weren’t leaving until they got what they had to say off of their chest, so here we go!
The crowd lightly pops for Helado and Furia Inviernal, who take the cue and hold their championship belts high atop their heads. Victorious. They all take to a corner and stand towards the top turnbuckle, continuing to hold their championships up, soaking in the atmosphere, really taking the time to enjoy it.
Viento Helado: At Total Annihilation, Furia Inviernal proved to the world that we will not be beaten. My boys, your World Tag Team Champions, handled business against the Willett Clan, and I…
He smiles.
Viento Helado: I defeated Rapture.
Medium sized pop for that.
Viento Helado: We also saw a new contender get crowned for this title, in Avalanche Anderson. His career has been short, but he’s already done some big things, and you might think that Avalanche Anderson has what it takes to topple Viento Helado… but you’d be wrong. I think the world knows at this point that if we square off?
“AND STILL…”
So I was thinking, maybe we don’t square off.
Mark Kendrick: What?
Maria Madden: Interesting strategy.
The fans are puzzled too.
Viento Helado: Hear me out. We BOTH got attacked at Total Annihilation. Rapture and Johnny Brave clearly sought to take us both out. I don’t believe you to be the type of person to stand for such a transgression, are you?
He shakes his head.
Viento Helado: Of course not. You’re a fighter. A big-ass cornfed fighter who spits on things like what Rapture did. Finds them detestable. Deplorable. Much like I do. I think that we take Rapture out. You and me.
He smirks.
Viento Helado: Ideally, you’d do the heavy lifting in this regard, but I can throw down if I have to. I think we all know that. So ponder that for a bit, Avvie. Will ya? We have a lot in common. Similar goals. Similar aesthetic. Think about it.
Maria Madden: Is he trying to recruit Avalanche Anderson here?
Mark Kendrick: It’s a smart strategy, Maria! Deal with both opponents at once! One through compliance, one through a very advantageous numbers situation. You think Anderson goes for it?
Maria Madden: I’m not sure, but it looks like Viento isn’t done.
Viento Helado: And for my boys here, the World Tag Team Champions… they destroyed the Willetts, and for now, they see the Midnight Cowboys on their list, but Mordida and Sangre? They must rest. Prepare. Get ready. So, we’re going to sit out here tonight and take in this show. Well, not OUT here, out here, but in our Skybox, furnished and stocked thanks to the wonderful bonus that Total Annihilation has afforded us.
We know you’re set for action tonight, Cowboys. We will be watching. Mark, I believe we can have our first match now. I’m satisfied.
Helado smiles as he looks over towards a semi-bewildered Mark Kendrick, and our opening match between “The Steel Titan” Sebastian, and the returning Blade McGuinness!
Mark Kendrick: We’re about to get our bakes smashed, Maria!
SEBASTIAN Vs. Blade McGuinness
Bobson Dugnutt Vs. The Damn Goober
A Contender’s Conundrum
The SHOOTron fires up with a shot of a smirking Golden Burkhalter in a personalized t-shirt and his wrestling attire walking through the backstage area. The fans in the arena immediately rain down boos.
Mark Kendrick: Fresh off of his win at the Total Annihilation Supercard, we’ll get to hear from the Number One Contender to CICADA’s Horizon Championship!
Maria Madden: I’m just so glad to get away from the two spoo-
Just as Maria is finishing her sentence, Golden Burkhalter is SPEARED from the side, sending him FLYING into a crate. The thud is sickening, and Burkhalter is laid out in agony, holding his side. Ultimo Muerte rolls off of the rookie, quietly staring at him the entire time.
Mark Kendrick: Dear JESUS, what?! WHY?!
Coming out from one of the hallways and assessing the pile of men on the ground is the 6’3” Pandora, with a sly smile on her face.
Maria Madden: Ultimo Muerte’s handler definitely had a part in this! He doesn’t do anything without her say-so!
The camera moves to the two men, now with Ultimo Muerte getting to his feet. Burkhalter struggles to say anything as Ultimo Muerte puts his boot squarely on Burkhalter’s chest, keeping him pinned to the ground. Pandora walks over to Muerte, placing her hand on his shoulder slowly. She looks down at Golden Burkhalter and sneers.
Pandora: Congratulations on your victory, young Mr. Burkhalter. I understand how you must have been feeling, knowing you have a championship opportunity in your back pocket. You were walking on cloud nine. In time, you will come to understand that in the SHOOT Project, everything that glitters…
…is rotten.
Pandora smirks. Burkhalter struggles to move the much heavier boot off of his chest, but Muerte does not budge.
Pandora: You may be his number one contender, but Ultimo Muerte is not yet finished with CICADA…and, now, you have caught his eye as well.
Pandora moves her hand off of Ultimo Muerte’s shoulder. Muerte lifts his boot off of Burkhalter, who gasps for air. Pandora sneers again.
Pandora: That suffocating feeling you are experiencing? Cherish it. By the time Ultimo Muerte is finished with you, you will long for it, and Mr. Burkhalter? You will believe…
…in Ultimo Muerte.
Pandora turns away from Golden Burkhalter, causing Ultimo Muerte to do the same. The two of them walk back down the hallway they came from. Medical staff rushes over to Burkhalter, allowing for Mark Kendrick and Maria Madden to catch their breaths.
Mark Kendrick: I just…I hope that Golden Burkhalter is okay. You hate to see him like this, no matter what your thoughts are on his personality.
Maria Madden: Ultimo Muerte attacked CICADA at the ETERNAL press conference, so I suppose I should have seen this coming. The fact it’s Burkhalter, though…
Maria shrugs.
Mark Kendrick: I don’t think CICADA, nor Golden Burkhalter, know what’s in store for them with Ultimo Muerte! He’s really…TICKED OFF. Let’s get back to the action. Miles Miller against a debuting Julia Riff-Raff, NEXT.
Miles Miller Vs. Julia Riff-Raff
Midnight Cowboys MC Vs. The Willett Clan
Shenanigans
We check back in with our World Champion and our World Tag Team Champions later in the night, and they’re looking VERY pleased with themselves. The skybox is VERY well-fed, well-drank for those that are into that kind of thing, and able to capture the very ESSENCE of what REIGN has to offer, all from the comfort of some very nice chairs.
Mark Kendrick: While we’re not able to get someone up there and back in time for our final match of the evening, we DO have what basically amounts to a fancy zoom call set up with Furia Inviernal. Viento, I certainly hope you’re having a great night!
Viento Helado: Mark, we’re having a WONDERFUL night. The action, the grandeur? We’ve really taken REIGN to the next level, haven’t we? And by we, I mean Furia Inviernal.
Mark Kendrick: I’m certainly happy with the way things are going, that is for sure. Viento, I have Maria here with me as well. She had a question for you all.
The camera shifts towards Maria Madden, who’s also mic’d up for this occasion.
Maria Madden: Any news or word from Avalanche Anderson yet?
Viento nods his head and considers her questions while shifting in his seat.
Viento Helado: Nothing from Avalanche yet, but I’m confident we’ll hear from him very, very soon. We look forward to welcoming him into the family, as it were, and putting this business of challenging for my championship behind us. Table it for later, you know.
Without warning, the door to the skybox FLIES open, as Martin Claypool and Devoe Anderson burst through the door, steel pipes in hand! They level the World Tag Team Champions and drag them out into the hallway! The camera follows as Claypool and Anderson continue their assault, punching, kicking, and hitting the tag team champions with everything they possibly can!
Soon, the camera cuts back to the skybox and you see none other than JOHNNY BRAVE walk in! He’s flanked by Helado’s previous title challenger, RAPTURE.
Mark Kendrick: This is bad news, Maria! We’ve lost our direct feed to the skybox, the tag team champions are under attack, and I think Viento is in trouble!
Maria Madden: Viento is ABSOLUTELY in trouble.
Viento Helado’s eyes are HUGE as he stares Rapture down. He knows he has no place to go, so he attempts to launch an attack onto Rapture, but gets clipped in the back of his leg by Johnny Brave, stifling the attack as soon as he tries it! Viento Helado is helpless.
Rapture grabs Helado’s face and walks him down towards the front of the skybox! The fans are rabid, waiting and watching for what happens next, and Johnny Brave has pulled a microphone from his jacket!
Johnny Brave: You BEAT Rapture? BEAT HIM?
Brave shakes his head.
Johnny Brave: No no. You SURVIVED the Rapture, and you should consider yourself very lucky to have done so, because tonight, you will not be so lucky.
Mark Kendrick: What does he mean by that?
Maria Madden: Ohhh, I think I know…
Rapture is now holding Viento’s head over the edge of the skybox! The crowd is losing their collective minds!
Johnny Brave: Just a moment, Rapture. One of the things that is always so interesting about professional wrestling and wrestling arenas is that there are always so many things to get thrown through, thrown off of, thrown… well, you know what I’m saying. And the Los Angeles Epicenter is no different!
You see, while SAFEGUARD were happy to take my money in service of getting the tag team champions out of the way, it really is me that has paved the way for Rapture to do this.
Rapture looks over towards Johnny Brave, who simply mouths the words “dispose of him.” Rapture attempts to lift Helado to his feet, but Helado is dead-legging, trying to force Rapture to really and truly work. His efforts are mostly in vain though, as Johnny Brave comes over and attacks Helado one more time in the back of the leg, causing the REIGN World Champion to stumble and ultimately get lifted up over Rapture’s head. The fans are absolutely OUT OF THEIR MINDS RIGHT NOW.
Mark Kendrick: WHOA WHOA WHOA. That is my WORLD CHAMPION UP THERE. SOMEONE GET HIM SOME HELP! WHERE ARE THE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS?!
Maria Madden: You heard Johnny Brave, Mark. SAFEGUARD took a payday, took out the tag team champions, and here we are.
Security starts flooding up the steps, but ultimately they are too late. Rapture presses Viento Helado over his head and then just SLINGS him over the edge of the skybox, with nothing more than a loud CRASH and THUD and the utter silence of the Los Angeles Epicenter Crowd.
Mark Kendrick: That’s enough! Get medical up there! Security!
The final shot of this edition of REIGN is that of a smiling, cackling Johnny Brave, a satisfied Rapture, and a crumpled and unconscious Viento Helado. The only thing of his that remains in the skybox is the REIGN World Championship, which Johnny Brave picks up and hands to Rapture, who simply holds the title over his head as the show fades.
