PROVING GROUND #9 12/4/20: GLADIATOR CONTESTS

After the logo flashes on the screen, the scene fades into the T-Mobile Arena located in Paradise, Nevada. Blue and white pyro light up the stage. “Mouth for War” by Pantera starts to play for the SOLD OUT crowd as they are on their feet holding various signs throughout the crowd. The camera pans around to show most of them.

“DADDY LUCYS GONNA KILL YOU”
“NORWAYS SO NICE HOW IS DAGVALD FROM THERE”
“DRINK THE POISON”
“DRIP IS THE WHITE BEASTIE BOYS”
“WHAT HAIR CONDITIONER DOES JNS USE?”

As “Mouth for War” continues to play at a lower volume, the camera cuts to the announcers at ringside. The crowd stays on their feet.

TREY BOOKER: This would usually be the part where I’d be welcoming you to another episode of Proving Grounds, but tonight we’ve got something new, and something different to put on display. We are bringing to you, the first edition of Gladiator Games! Revived as a brilliant idea from the AXW vault, this was the opportunity where Project Honor warriors responded to challenges from their cohorts. Tonight, we’re reaping the rewards of their hostility, their bloodthirst, their yearning for competition and the continued improvement by going to war, and I cannot wait!

J.T. PRICE: You ain’t ever told a lie my friend! We also have the semi-finals of the Tag title tournament, letting us find out which two teams are going to face off against one another at Unbreakable resolution! This show is also scheduled to be jam-packed with major announcements and huge news about Project Honor that will have major implications, so I don’t even know what to expect and I’m barely able to stay in my seat!

TREY BOOKER: Everything about this is beautiful, isn’t it?

J.T. PRICE: I love being paid to be at ringside Trey, but it might get a little gorey tonight when Pyro makes his debut, facing off against Alex Kincaid! He promised to burn the place down and I don’t know if we’re gonna be safe at ringside!

TREY BOOKER: We also have Two-Toned Mafia breaking the mold when they debut against the Swagged out, Sauced up, Big Drip!

J.T. PRICE: At the top of a card filled with action, we’ve got the X-Factor Champion, Indy Darling, getting his hands dirty when he steps into the ring with Mark Hunter to show that he’s a fighting champ.

TREY BOOKER: A fighting champ whose hubris might be his downfall, if Mark Hunter has anything to say about it! A massive showing here and a big debut would use Indy to springboard himself to the top if he can! Let’s get to the show!


[VIA Satellite]

The words are present on the lower corner of the video feed playing live over the big screens during the Proving Grounds event. The setting was a quiet, quaint little cottage in the Lake District of England. Seated on the built-in seated area of the bay window of the cottage, was Elena DeDraca. She was dressed in black, hardly wearing any make up at this time. Her long dark hair hanging loose over her shoulders.

Behind her, outside of the window, we could see the rain clouds forming - the rain storm beginning, droplets of rain beginning to fall. She was softly coughing before raising her voice.

[color:bcd1=cf3299]Elena DeDraca: I wanna start this talk with apologizing to the audience. Some of you expected me to be in the arena tonight- just like myself. But somewhat management didn’t feel the need to book me. Or let me phrase that better: They didn’t find anyone that wanted to challenge me. So all your anger- direct it towards the big people.

She shrugged her shoulders but kept going.

[color:bcd1=cf3299]Elena DeDraca: I’ve been sitting around all week wondering how dumb they really are. Or if they don’t understand how a company works. If you have someone that makes you money and fills your arenas- you book them. But I get it. I handed out an open challenge and no one was there to answer it. Which leaves us with only two options. One, management tries to protect their chosen ones. Or two, which is probably more likely, people are scared. Either way it leaves me with having this show off. But you can be certain that I will return. And just like I made it very clear when I signed with this company- if you don’t take me serious, I will force you to. I will seek out every single person in charge and make my presence be known. I wanna see how powerful people like Callum Walker are when they stand in a pile of their own blood.

She reached out to grab the glass on the small wooden table, looking at it for a very long moment. The liquid in it was coloured amber and honey.

[color:bcd1=cf3299]Elena DeDraca: What can I say? I am not a very patient person- never been. On the other hand everyone that knows me a little, was aware of that. I wouldn’t have come this far if that was the case. But I am a very simple person too. I don’t play around or ask the impossible. Whenever I enter your ring, I deliver. I give the fans what they come for- and they leave you with lots of money. So as far as I am concerned I do my job. But what about you Project Honor? Do you think that you do a good job with Elena DeDraca? That you use the potential that has been given to you? Pretty doubtful. I gave you two, well now three, warnings. You decided to ignore each of them. You were too busy blowing sugar up certain peoples asses. Making them feel like they are the essential to this business. But are they?

Behind her a small door opened, her daughter appearing in sight. She was also wearing a black dress, her blonde hair tied together. Elena turned around trying to smile, there was no verbal response but Isabella obviously got it. She nodded and stepped back outside.

[color:bcd1=cf3299]Elena DeDraca: Either way, I feel like a broken record. Week after week I tell you what all is possible- and get nothing for it. Week after Week I step into the spotlight and prove my worth. And I get nothing. Playtime is over. That is the last thing I am going to tell you. I am done with giving chances to people not deserving it. Elena DeDraca has made a decision, and doubtful Project Honor is ready for it. The Fist of Hydra will burn this institution down. Bank on it.

A little smile which looked somewhat out of place. Odd.

[color:bcd1=cf3299]Elena DeDraca: You’re welcome.



HOLLY PEREZ: Ladies and gentleman, our Opening Match of the GLADIATOR CONTESTS...is scheduled for ONE FALL!!!

Fans pop.

HOLLY PEREZ: Introducing first...from Sanford Florida...weighing in at two-hundred and five pounds...THE NIGHTMARE...PPPPPPYYYYYYYYYRRRROOOOOOOO!!!

"Firestarter" (Metal Cover) by Leo Moracchioli hits the arena as the lights go completely out, some fans brave enough to boo and some scared to even react. The stage and ramp are lit up by fire the only source of light there is as “The Nightmare” Pyro walks out on the ramp. Pyro wears a horror themed mask as he stands at the top of the ramp. His eyes are so full of evil as he stands there wearing his jacket with different horror villains on it open to show his tattooed chest and his abs on show. His trousers the same design as his jacket tucked into black boots with blood splatters over. His head moves to the side in a creepy way as he holds his arms out wide. Most of the crowd in silence through fear but some being brave enough to boo. Pyro walks down to the ring slowly and methodically, ignoring everyone and everything around him. Once at the ring, the flames die out and the next thing you see is the lights come back on as Pyro stands in the middle of the ring. Once again his head creepily moves to the side as his hands remove his mask. Once his face is revealed, it shows a twisted and sickening smirk. Once again only some of the crowd were brave enough to boo Pyro. As Pyro’s music faded, he made his way to one of the corners of the ring and placed his mask down carefully. He then kneels down in the corner of the ring with the same twisted and sickening smirk on his face.

Holly glances towards him, keeping her distance.

HOLLY PEREZ: And his opponent…

Before Holly could even introduce him, Alex Kincaid comes out of the crowd, slides into the ring,  and grabs Pyro, whipping him towards the ropes.  Pyro bounces off and comes flying off into a HUGE KICK...NO!!!

DING! DING! DING!

TREY BOOKER: SURPRISE!!!

But Pyro just grabs his foot and looks at him, shaking his head.  With a hard push, Kincaid goes flying backwards onto his butt.  Alex quickly back to his feet, charging forward, but Pyro HITS HIM WITH A BACKFIST!!!  Alex Kincaid stumbles back a little bit…

J.T. PRICE: AND PYRO COMPLETES THE SHINING ON ALEX WITH THE RKO!!!

Pyro drops for the early cover.

ONE!
TWO!!

TREY BOOKER: Did...did Pyro just lift Alex off of the mat to stop the count?

J.T. PRICE: I think so.  I’m not sure if that is a good thing for Kincaid.

Pyro steps back...quickly steps forward, swinging his foot kick Alex...BUT HE ROLLS OUT OF THE WAY!  Kincaid uses the ropes to pull himself up.  Pyro charges forward to grab him, but Alex jumps up onto the second rope...AND MOONSAULTS OVER PYRO ONTO HIS FEET!!!  Pyro turns around...SUPERKICK AND PYRO STUMBLES BACKWARDS INTO THE ROPES!!!

TREY BOOKER: I don’t think Pyro was ready for that.

Alex goes running and bounces off the ropes on the opposite side of the ring.  He comes flying back...Pyro reaches out to grab him, but he drops down and slides through his legs...slides under the bottom rope onto the apron.  Kincaid back up to his feet grabbing the top rope and pulling it back...HE SPRINGBOARDS ONTO THE TOP ROPE...USES IT TO JUMP ON PYRO...HURRICAN- NO!!!

J.T. PRICE: PYRO JUST SPUN KINCAID AROUND AND PLANTED HIM WITH A MONSTROUS SPINEBUSTER!!!

Pyro drops down onto Kincaid for the count.

ONE!

TREY BOOKER: And Pyro...lifts Kincaid up again.

J.T. PRICE: Oh, this is just a game to him now.

Alex slowly climbs back up to his feet.  Pyro sits up, a devilish smile on his face.  Kincaid up to the top turnbuckle...looks down at Pyro who is slowly starting to get to his feet.  Alex stands up slowly...jumps...SUPERKICK FROM PYRO!!!  Alex Kincaid crumples to the mat.

TREY BOOKER: Pyro looks like he is just LICKING his chops, looking down at the mess that was once Alex Kincaid.  Blood is starting to trickle from Alex’s nose.

Pyro slowly helps Alex to his feet.  Pyro leans back on the ropes, watching Alex trying to gain his footing.  Suddenly Kincaid charges Pyro ….BUT PYRO BENDS DOWN AND SENDS ALEX TO THE OUTSIDE WITH A BACKBODY DROP!!!  ALEX LANDS HARD ON THE OUTSIDE MAT!!!

J.T. PRICE: Is...is he dead?

Pyro drops to his side and rolls out of the ring, under the bottom rope.  He bends down and pulls a limp Alex to his feet.  He grabs him by the arm...AND WHIPS HIM INTO THE STAIRS!!!  KINCAID GOES FLYING OVER THEM AS HIS KNEE CLIPS THE TOP STAIR!!!

ONE!
TWO!
THREE!

The Nightmare quickly walks over and grabs Alex, pulling him back up to his feet...which he seems to be favoring that knee.  Pyro steps behind him, grabbing him behind the arm and spinning him...RIPCORD LARIAT AND ALEX IS DOWN AGAIN!!!

Ref (Off mic): OKAY!  Let’s bring it back in the ring! SIX!

TREY BOOKER: It’s like an animal in the wild, playing with it’s food.

Pyro grabs Alex by the back of his neck and by the top of his tights and throws him into the ring under the bottom rope.

SEVEN!
EIGHT!

And he quickly follows Kincaid in, sliding underneath the ropes himself!  Pyro uses the ropes to help himself up, looking out onto the crowd.  Pyro smirks as an avalanche of boos and cheers rain onto him from the crowd.  He climbs into the ring and looks down at the bloody Alex, who has made it to his hands and knees.

J.T. PRICE: There’s that crazy look again.  I think he might be ready to end it all.

Pyro takes a few steps back, then charges forward.  He unleashes a punt kick…

TREY BOOKER: LIGHTS OUT!!!

...that sends a sickening crunching noise echoing throughout the suddenly quiet Greensboro Coliseum Complex.  Alex collapses limp to the ground as Pyro drops to his knees and lays across Kincaid’s chest, hooking his leg for the pin.

ONE!
TWO!!
THREE!!!

DING! DING! DING!

"Firestarter" (Metal Cover) by Leo Moracchioli fills the air as Pyro stands to his feet.  The ref doesn’t get up to raise Pyro’s hand as he is too busy checking on a bloody and unconscious Alex Kincaid.

The fans unleash a downpouring of boos onto one of Project: Honor’s newest signees.

J.T. PRICE: Is Alex still alive?

TREY BOOKER: Not sure, but here comes the medics and a stretcher.

HOLLY PEREZ: And your winner…..PYYYYYYRRRROOOOO!!!

J.T. PRICE: What a way to make your introduction on Proving Ground!


Lacing her boots up, Kallie Reznik sits on the floor of the locker room, her teeth pulling her bottom lip in as she pulls tightly on the cords. The debut of The Butterfly is just moments away, and already, it appears as if nerves are getting to her. Tying them tightly, she lifts her hands from the boot, and then shakes her head emphatically, unlacing them almost immediately.

KALLIE REZNIK: If I needed to cut off my circulation…

She tries again, loosening them and flexing her foot. Another second, and she grows frustrated.

KALLIE REZNIK: Now it’s just too frickin’ loose! Ugh...okay. Okay. This is okay. I’ve got this…

She ties the laces and then rises to her feet, running a hand through her hair. Thank goodness for no one else being within the area. The Butterfly of Aurora closes her eyes, pacing back and forth in the small area from the small locker to bench near it.

KALLIE REZNIK: You can do this, Kallie. I mean, he’s not really a demigod. Like, that’s not even possible, right? No, he’s definitely just a behemoth of a human being and could totally flatten you in two-point-five seconds. Ugh, what was I thinking? I know I should be capable of fighting this. I mean, I was able to face ONI and Alex and I succeeded there. I can do it here too, I know it. I just don’t think that this was the best idea…

????: You’re going to wear out the carpet there.

Kallie looks up from her spot to see The Australian Wolf, Aiden Reynolds leaning against the doorframe, an eyebrow raised. She doesn’t drop her hand, but scratches at the back of her head, appearing rather sheepish.

AIDEN REYNOLDS: Thought you might’ve been jokin’ about Project: Honor, but here you are.

KALLIE REZNIK: Yeah, and here I am...about to face the viking who could probably rip my head off.

AIDEN REYNOLDS: Ah, it could be worse. Could be facin’ a bushpig in the middle of the outback that smells like rotten cheese. Or a vicious fuckin’ dropbear.

Kallie stares at him for a second, tilting her head to the side curiously.

KALLIE REZNIK: Drop...bear?

Aiden grins slyly and moves into the room, dropping onto the bench in front of her and crosses his arms over his chest.

AIDEN REYNOLDS: Yeah. Vicious little fuckers only come out at midnight, kind of like Gizmo from that Gremlins movie in the ‘90s. Cute until you get them wet then they’ll rip your heart out of your chest and--

Kallie’s nose turns up and she waves her hands in front of her face, slamming her eyes shut and shaking her head.
KALLIE REZNIK: Nonononononono. I’m good. I got it. Ew, ew, ew, ew!

Aiden guffaws goodnaturedly, snickering and shaking his head. He places his ankle on his leg and taps his foot up and down.

AIDEN REYNOLDS: See, it could be worse.

KALLIE REZNIK: I guess...I just. I didn’t expect a dude who says he walks between two worlds and acts like he lived in the ninth century. I kinda feel like it’s a repeat of Assassin’s Creed…

AIDEN REYNOLDS: Nah, I get it. Definitely. There’re a massive cuntload of weird types in this field, and sometimes, you just gotta roll with it. I mean, Contessa Floran thinks death is in love with her, and she decided to challenge me this week after being the leftover thought at the last Proving Ground. I don’t know what benefit there is from associating with the Reaper himself, but I got slightly annoyed with it, considering Tessie over there hasn’t been the most dominating force in Project: Honor.

KALLIE REZNIK: Yeah. I guess you’re right. It’s just daunting that this is my first match here. I’m already facing someone who has a win and seems to be respected by the uppers in the offices, and I just...I feel like I’m going into this as a trial of whether I really can do this or not. I mean, before this...I haven’t had the best track record. It’s been bumpy. Some days, I have more confidence and others, I just struggle. And I don’t have any backup here like I do in OATH. So I’m a little nervous.

She sits down next to him, tucking her hair behind her ear and sighing softly.

KALLIE REZNIK: I just want to do really well.

Aiden looks upwards thoughtfully, before raising a finger and tapping it lightly in her direction.

AIDEN REYNOLDS: So, do what I do.

Kallie raises her eyebrow and leans forward slightly. Aiden smiles.

AIDEN REYNOLDS: Imagine your opponent to be a bin chicken. They’re vicious, they’re annoying, but one swift kick to their head and they’re stumbling around like they don’t know what world they’re walking on. That will work with Darrold.

KALLIE REZNIK: Dagvald.

Aiden waves his hand dismissively.

AIDEN REYNOLDS: Ragnar-Lothbrok-Ultra-Lite.

Kallie giggles at him, her shoulders shaking lightly. She pushes at his shoulder, slightly knocking him over. He grins at her and nods.

AIDEN REYNOLDS: You’ll do fine, Miss Butterfly. Just have fun while doing it. Remember that. I’ll see you after your hand is raised in victory.

KALLIE REZNIK: Thanks, Aiden. And good luck in your match with Contessa! I know you’re going to do great, just like last week.

She beams at him, before jumping up to her feet and heading for the door. She disappears from the scene, but taking her place is Hannah Watson, who appears in the doorway and crosses her arms. She glares at Aiden, who’s smile fades almost instantly and he waves his hand upwards.

AIDEN REYNOLDS: Fuckin’ what?!


The scene opens in the back as we see Arik Holt walk up to a door that says ‘DeMarco’ on it.  Dressed in a light gray suit, it is obvious that he is not competing tonight.  He straightens his red tie and knocks twice on the door.

Silence.

Arik takes in a deep breath and knocks once again.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: Come on in.

Arik opens the door slowly, the camera following him into the room.  He shuts the door softly as we see the man formerly known as Caliban, sitting on a beige couch.  He is dressed in a pair of black fabric shorts and a shirt Walking Dead t-shirt, with a picture of Negan on it.  Arik walks over to an open closet door and pulls a long white dry-erase board out and sets it up in the middle of the room.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: Wait...where the hell did you get that thing?  That wasn’t in there earlier.

Arik pulls a black marker from his pocket and then spins the board around, showing the word ‘Magic’ on the other side.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: Of course, it’s you.  What else should I have expected?


Arik flips the board around again, revealing the words ‘How are you, Caliban?’ already written on the other side.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: I’m doing better than I was a few weeks ago.  My surgery went well and that pesky brain tumor is a thing of the past.  And...so is Caliban.

Arik cocks his head to the side, like he is confused by the answer.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: Caliban was just a consequence of years of medication and that tumor pressing ever so slightly, causing pressure on my brain.  No brain tumor, no pressure, no voices...no Caliban.  So now, I am going back to using my REAL name.

Arik places his hand up to his ear, indicating he is waiting to hear it.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: Christian DeMarco.  Not as splashy as Caliban, not as one-name worthy...but it gets the job done.

Arik purses his lips together, shakes his head from side-to-side as he is trying to think about the name...then gives Christian a thumbs up.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: Well I’m glad you like it, I’m pretty partial to it myself.  I’ve only had it for two-plus decades.

Christian smirks at what he just said.  Arik grabs the board and spins it again.  The words on the board ask ‘When can you wrestle again?’

Christian takes a moment to read it before shrugging his shoulders.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: Not sure.

Arik quickly scratches the ‘Where can’ out and writes the word ‘Will’ above it.  He turns and looks back at Christian.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: Not sure about that either.  I mean, I would love to.  I haven’t been doing this as long as a lot of people around here have, but I have quite enjoyed these past seven months.  From entering into the wrestling scene, dealing with my old shit company, then finding Rock and this wonderful place...I feel I have more to give.  And for all the opportunities Rock Johnson has given me, I can’t just up and leave him high and dry like this.

Arik shakes his head, agreeing with Christian.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: Listen, Arik.  Can you just give me like twenty minutes or more.  I’m feeling a little drained and feel like taking a little bit of a nap.

Arik gives a thumbs up to Christian, before pushing the white board to the side.  As Arik turns, he slightly trips over a bag, something unrecognizable is slightly poking out.  Arik begins to bend over to fix it...but is quickly grabbed by Christian.  Arik stands up straight

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: I would advise you to forget about the bag for the moment and just come back later.  Sound good?

Arik glances down at the bag as he can just make out a slight greenish coloring...but nothing else.  He looks back at Christian and shakes his head ‘yes’.  Christian smiles and lightly smacks Arik twice on the cheek.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: That’s a good boy.  Now go, get some snacks or something.  We can talk later.

Arik turns, with some forced-assistance from Christian, and walks towards the door.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: Maybe before you come back, you can pick me up some nachos...and a pepsi or something.

Arik turns and looks at Christian as he is now outside of the room, just beyond the doorway.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: Pretty please?

Arik slowly shakes his head yes.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: Thank you, good sir.

Christian shuts the door as Arik just stands there, a little confused.  He shakes his head and slowly walks away, off camera.



Poppy electronic beats hit the sound system of the arena as “Hypa Hypa” by Eskimo Callboy begins to play. The lights surrounding the stage strobe blue and pink alternating colors with the beat as the rest darken almost completely. With the beat, Kallie Reznik appears from underneath the curtain, her arms behind her as she skips to the center of the stage. In her hair, she wears a pair of sequined Minnie Mouse ears and a white jacket over her ring attire. A bright, innocent smile paints her face as she sings along to the lyrics of the song, swaying side to side, bopping with it as she meets eyes with some of the fans in attendance.


At the end of the phrase, Kallie turns her body and sightly, pops her hip out and raises her hand with a silly peace symbol held in it as she winks flirtatiously just as the heavier guitar riffs of the theme begins. With a grin, she begins to skip down to the ring, stopping to high five a couple of younger female fans along the way. She picks a special younger girl as she reaches the bottom of the ramp and takes the Minnie Mouse ears off her head, placing them on the head of the girl before she runs and slides under the ring.


Keeping at that run, Kallie rushes forward and grabs the top rope, slingshotting the rest of her body underneath it and sitting on the second rope, letting it bounce her up and down as she grins at the crowd, raising a hand in the air. The crowd pops happily for her, before she bounces herself off and begins to head for her corner, taking her ring jacket off and then leaning into the turnbuckle, grasping the ropes with both hands and testing the tension as her music fades out.

HOLLY PEREZ: Introducing first, Kallie Reznik!!

As the slashing sound of cymbals slice their way through the arena, they herald the piercing eruption of thunder which strikes the stage, causing the lights to flicker for a brief moment. When all is clear and the guitars of pagan anthem In Horror by Bloodhorse begin throbbing throughout the venue, one man stands at the epicenter of the physical embodiment of a god’s wrath. Cloaked from head to toe in traditional Viking battle armor, wielding a bloody battle axe and self-forged iron shield, he stares imposingly straight at the ring as the music picks up.

HOLLY PEREZ: Making his way to the ring, Loki's Prodigal Son, Dagvaaaaald Riddiiiiiik!

On the big screen, the lyrics to the song are superimposed in fractured fonts over paintings and scribes of Viking victories in the days of glory. The invasion of England… I AM OF THE EARTH. The discovery of Vinland… AND I FEEL THE SKY. Raids deep into modern day Russia… ONCE ACCEPTED YOUR GODS. Clashes with the crusading Catholics from Saxony… AND I DON’T KNOW WHY.

Dagvald marches in lockstep, shield and battle axe held ready to eviscerate all who would stand before him. Now, computer-animated worlds of destruction showing the fate which awaits all civilization are flashing on the HonorTron. The fallen steel skeleton of the Eiffel Tower… MAN NOT MOUNTAIN WILL FALL. The overgrown carcass of 10 Downing Street… THIS DARKNESS FEEDS THE LIGHT. The burning ruins of the Reichstag… IT DON’T MATTER AT ALL. The crater where the White House once stood… IF I LIVE OR DIE.

Dagvald reaches the ring and walks up the steel steps, climbs up the turnbuckles and perches upon the top rope. He poses as he hoists his axe high in the air, shield before his chest, and stands tall over the inferior peasantry of the audience. A massive Norse Eagle banner unfurls with a bang over the center of the ring. Dagvald hops down and poses again in front of it. The final lyrics to the song thunder through the arena as flames erupt from every ringpost. IT DON’T MATTER AT ALL, IF I LIVE OR DIE.

DING DING DING!

Dagvald and Kallie meet in the center of the ring, and the smaller Kallie goes right on the attack! She begins nailing Dagvald in the side of the head with forearm shivers! The big man eats the blows however, and shoves the smaller competitor away. Kallie is unphased though, and charges back in, nailing him with a step-up enziguri! Dagvald stumbles from the blow! He charges back in, going for a clothesline but Kallie ducks! She nails another step up enziguri! Dagvald stumbles back a step once more! Kallie leaps, going for a poisonrana but the big man counters with a massive powerbomb!

TREY BOOKER: Kallie is agile and her offense was rocking the big man but there’s no substitute for raw power!

J.T. PRICE: No doubt. She’s gonna need to really do something special to rock Riddik and keep him rocked!

Dagvald backs into the ropes, taking a moment to shake the cobwebs from the blows to the head as Kallie writhes in pain on the mat, arching her back and grimacing. Dagvald moves back in, nailing Kallie with an elbow drop before rolling to his knees and snatching Kallie by the head, now taking his turn to rain down shots on her head! He then begins to blatantly choke her in front of the ref! The ref admonishes Dagvald and begins counting. Dagvald breaks at 4, and the ref admonishes him before Dagvald sets right back to choking! The ref gets to 4 again, and this time warns Dagvald that if he tries that shit again it’s a DQ!!

TREY BOOKER: The ref having to admonish Dagvald, who isn’t above bending the rules.

J.T. PRICE: You gotta do what you gotta do to get a win. And if she can’t breathe, she can’t kick him in the head again.

TREY BOOKER: Fantastic strategy.

Dagvald lifts Kallie, and after paying her another shot to the head he whips her into the ropes, going for a clothesline but Kallie ducks! She runs the ropes, ducking a second clothesline before nailing Dagvald in the face with a leaping knee strike! The big man is rocked! Kallie follows this up with a flurry of body blows against the rope, exhausting the ref’s count to 4 herself! After she breaks, she nails Dagvald with another step up enziguri! This one sends the big man out of the ring!!

TREY BOOKER: Big man is on the ground, out of the ring, way to go Kallie!

J.T. PRICE: Alright, tune it down. We’re supposed to be unbiased.

Dagvald uses the barricade to lift himself up, shaking the cobewebs with an irritated groan. He has little time to get himself situated, because Kallie leaps over the top rope, nailing Dagvald with a suicide dive! Both Competitors are down for the moment! Kallie kips to her feet however, feeling the energy as the crowd pops! She backs up, then charges Dagvald and nails him with a running shooting star press! She gets to her feet, and breaks the ref’s count. She then gets the big man to his feet, and rolls him into the ring! She goes for the pin!

TREY BOOKER: After an impressive offensive flurry,  Reznik goes for the win!

ONE
TWO

Dagvald kicks out with authority! Kallie confers with the ref, who confirms the two count. Frustrated, Kallie gets back on her opponent, locking in an arm bar! The ref asks the Viking if he wants to tap, but he refuses! Instead, he powers to a vertical base and lifts Kallie up, driving her into a corner and bashing her into the turnbuckles, breaking the hold! He backs up, shaking his arm and gritting through the pain. Kallie charges out, however Dagvald catches her with a massive spinebuster! He pops to his feet, letting out a furious yell and flexing as the crowd admonishes him!

TREY BOOKER: Dagvald is feeling himself now. Once again, just when it seems like Kallie has the upper hand, Dagvald just hits one high impact move and he;s back in the driver’s seat!

He pulls Kallie to her feet, straightening her up before nailing her with a hard discus elbow! He snatches her as she falls, pulling her in and nailing her with a belly to belly suplex that nearly launches her across and out of the ring! Dagvald gets to his feet slowly, smiling confidently as he begins to stalk Kallie. Kallie begins getting up slowly, Dagvald charges in and kicks her in the gut! With a yell, he nails Kallie with Hammer of the Gods!! He goes for the pin, but Kallie lifts a foot onto the ropes as the ref drops down to count!!

TREY BOOKER: Veteran move by the young woman!

J.T. PRICE: But now she’s gonna get beat up more, so how smart was it?

Dagvald looks furious as he gets up, dragging Kallie away from the ropes. He pulls her to her feet, holding her up on wobbly legs before nailing her with a hard shot to the ribs, doubling her over! He signals for the end, and goes for another Hammer of the Gods! But Kallie reverses it, nailing Dagvald with a poisonrana that spikes his head into the mat!! Both competitors are down now, with the ref checking on them!!

TREY BOOKER: She just planted his head like a daisy! But she’s beat up! This has gotta end soon, or they might kill each other!!

J.T. PRICE: Imagine the ratings, though!

TREY BOOKER: We’re on Netflix!

J.T. PRICE: Oh yeah..

Slowly, both Dagvald and Kallie get to their feet. Kallie using the ropes and looking worse for wear, but still standing despite the large man’s assault. Dagvald shakes his head, trying to work through the cobwebs from all the head shots he’s taken. The two meet in the middle of the ring, and begin trading chops! When Kallie nails one, the crowd pops! When Dagvald nails one, they jeer! Pop! Jeer! Pop! Jeer! Kallie begins getting the upper hand after nailing a european uppercut! She leaps, nailing Asphodel Fields!! Dagvald begins to get up, but Kallie bounces off the ropes and nails him with Elysium! She drops down and hooks the leg!!

TREY BOOKER: what an offensive flurry! She’s got this!

ONE
TWO
THREE!!!

DING! DING! DING!

HOLLY PEREZ: Here is your winner, Kallie Reznik!!


Lucy Sixx and Cecilia Ortiz are seen prepping for their match against Big Drip Productions. Cecilia sits on the bench and fidgets with her fingers.

Lucy: Babe, what’s wrong?

Cecilia shakes her head side to side as she stares blankly ahead.

Cecilia: I don’t know if I can do this.

Lucy kneels down in front of Cecilia as she kisses Cecilia on the forehead.

Lucy: Cecilia, you are a hell of a wrestler and the most amazing person in the world.

Cecilia raises her head, tears forming in her eyes.

Cecilia: I just… I don’t know how I would react if I were to lose you.

Lucy wipes the tears from Cecilia’s eyes.

Lucy: That is never gonna happen my love. You see, you and I are one. We are connected. We will be together forever… trust me.

Lucy stands up and reaches a hand out to Cecilia. Cecilia takes Lucy’s hand and stands up. Lucy kisses Cecilia and speaks again.

Lucy: I love you. Let’s go win ourselves a debut match!

Cecilia smiles.

Cecilia: I love you too.

The two women walk out of the locker room and toward the Gorilla position.


The titantron or whatever the fuck it’s called here lights up and shows the arena crowd what the viewers at home are watching. The camera is on the back door of the Coliseum and a loud pop comes out of the crowd as the aforementioned door opens and in walks John Nash Strader followed by a young blonde woman who seems excited to be there. John looks into the camera and gives us that underwear dropping smile as they walk down the hall.

TREY BOOKER: doing here?

J.T. PRICE: Why are you suspicious?

TREY BOOKER: First off, you like him.

John isn’t dressed to wrestle even though his ring gear is pretty much what he’s wearing right now, minus a Brother of Mayhem support hoodie that he wears under his kutte, and a black baseball cap with a Project: Honor logo on the front. His female companion wears a similar more feminine fitting hoodie, dark pants, and dark shoes. Her blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail, and her green eyes following PH’s possibly soon to be only Outlaw if Colton Saint dies later tonight in the ring(should make a number of people happy). Trey Booker quickly realizes he’s walking towards the Gorilla Position.

TREY BOOKER: ??s coming out here!

J.T. PRICE: I hope that lady friend of his follows.

Trey was most certainly right as ‘John The Revelator’ hits the arena sound system and Trey is proven right as the fans get excited as John steps out from behind the curtain and stops at the top of the ramp, and smiles ear to ear out at the crowd. He gives them a small salute with his index and middle finger from his brow as the young woman who showed up with him comes out on stage. He looks over his shoulder and motions with a nudge of his head for her to follow.

TREY BOOKER: Shh!

J.T. PRICE: I just hope she’s nobody important in his inner circle you know, don’t need him to hear things. I wonder if yours truly has a shot?

TREY BOOKER: Yeah I doubt that.

Trey shakes his head at his broadcast partner as John reaches the ring, walks the steps, but he drops his ass down onto the middle rope and holds up the top rope with his right hand so she can enter the ring. He follows suit and approaches Holly Perez for her microphone. His guest stands off over in the furthest turnbuckle from the entrance as that microphone comes up to his lips and his music has faded away.

JNS: Greensboro, North Carolina I have to say it might be a little cool outside but that reception sure warmed us up, didn’t it?

John looks over to the young lady as she just smiles and nods.

JNS: Now before I go and get on about why I am here tonight, I should introduce this lovely young woman standing over in the corner...

A few die hard fans in attendance already know but John spells it out for the rest of the fans and at least one half of the commentary team as Trey can’t hide the smirk on his face.

JNS: Allow me to introduce to you all my tag team partner, and oldest of my nieces... Victoria...Nash... Strader!

The fans give a pop for the youngest Strader now in the business. John goes to hand her the mic but she lifts her right hand from her crossed arms in protest.

J.T. PRICE: Oh shit.

TREY BOOKER: Outlaws you have pissed off the one in a Motorcycle Gang! HA!

J.T. PRICE: *trying to save face with John* That would be a club, not a gang.

JNS: Now that the introduction is out of the way I guess I will get right down to business... As everyone in the front office can attest to the very fact that before I leave the arena every night I have wrestled here I tell the powers that be to book me and up until this show they did that. I mean I get why they did what they did, this show has been pretty fucking lit tonight, hasn’t it?

The fans cheer loudly in approval, John smiles, and nods his head in approval at the expressiveness shown on his brow.

JNS: So I figured I would bring my niece out to the east coast and help her not only get acquainted with her new coworkers but to see how I handle my shit in the business of wrestling. So without wasting anymore time, I would like to get to the reason why we have come to the better of the Carolina’s...

This gets another cheap pop from the Greensboro crowd.

J.T. PRICE: He’s pretty good at that.

TREY BOOKER: Suck up.

JNS: ... when I first won my shot at the X-factor championship it’s no secret that I hoped it would be Colton Saint as it really gets under the ink on my skin that he has the audacity to call himself a Outlaw. However, someone had to go and ruin that plan with a fucking roll up. That man, as you all know unless you have been under a rock is none other than Indy Darling.

The crowd gives a pop for the fan favourite X-Factor champion. John shakes his head but moves on from his disgust at the cheap pop he got his opponent.

JNS: Indy has had a few smart mouth quips to throw my way that I will address when it comes time to fulfill my contractual promotional video but there is one thing I wanted to ask of Indy, and that is too accept my match stipulation.

TREY BOOKER: At the hell kind of stipulation he wants?

J.T. PRICE: I imagine it being one that gives him the advantage.

JNS: So Indy, I hope you are listening, because I am only going to ask you once and your response will say it all... at Unbreakable Resolution when we go one on one for my future X-Factor championship... I want it to be one on one... inside a mother fucking STEEL CAGE and the only way to win is to climb over the side and have your feet touch the floor!

The fans cheer loudly at the challenge from the true Outlaw of Project: Honor.

JNS: I won’t be here all night, Indy. If you have any balls at all it will be an easy answer. Until then? My niece and I have some contract paperwork to go over.

‘John The Revelator’ kicks back in as John hands the microphone back to the ring announcer, and moves over to the ropes to hold them apart for his family and new tag team partner. They head up the ramp as the commentators discuss what just happened.

TREY BOOKER: Damn, that would be a hell of a match for the X-Factor !!

HOLLY PEREZ: The following contest is a tag team match set for one fall!

The piano intro of “Drip Like Me” by Kenndog starts playing. Yung Sauce and Lil Petey run out onto the stage both with mics in hand.

DRIP

The second the lyrics of the song start, both Sauce and Petey put the mics up to their mouths and rap along to the lyrics while TJ adlibs and hips up the crowd.

I’m sorry for drippin’, but drip is what I do.
And one of these days i’m gonna get dressed then drip all over you.
I’m that fly young nigga.
Lil baby can’t you see?
Your style is old my fashion colt tell me who drip like me? Oh!

Yung Sauce lowers his mic while Petey keeps his up to his mouth. They both slowly start to walk down the ramp, high-fiving the fans on their way down. Lil Petey raps the entire next verse with Sauce hyping him up. TJ dances up the ramp and almost falls off the ramp into the crowd before Sauce grabs his arm and pulls him back.

Lil baby I don't chase I erase and replace.
Man that bitch ain't loyal cause I just dripped on her face.
Shopping at the finish line but you still ain't last place,
I'm a star and I smile bitch I need my space.
Petey with two E's cause I'm twice as erect.
Are you damn seeing fit
Then I'm wearing it twice.
And when the summer hit my fit's gonna be cold as ice.
Off white so nice but it ain't your price.
Imma hot nigga in the coldest fit,
When you see me walking in you're gonna notice it.
How you niggas hatin on me but you steal my drip and steal my pics?
I'm tryna tell these niggas they ain't fucking with me.

While Petey was rapping the last line, Sauce and him stepped onto opposite sides of the ring apron. They have their backs turned to the ropes, facing the audience. Sauce puts the mic up to his mouth. TJ throws t-shirts and hats into the crowd as they cheer.

I'm sorry for drippin' but drip is what I do.
And one of these days I'm gonna get dressed then drip all over you.
I'm that fly young nigga?
Lil baby can't you see?
Your style is old my fashion cold tell me who drip like me? Oh!

Petey and Sauce step into the ring. Sauce keeps the mic up to his mouth while Petey is bouncing up and down with his hands in the air. TJ exits the ring and climbs up onto the barricade, leaping into the crowd and crowdsurfing after they barely manage to catch him.

I'm the flyest in the room but you already knew that.
You're lying with those fake ass clothes, so where the truth at?
You say you big drip with the fit but it don't match.
I kill him with the drip (Finishem!) mortal kombat.
Big old sauce, I be drippin' when I'm dressing.
You're trying with them weak ass fits, you need a lesson.
I got too much sauce, nigga thinking that I'll be chiefing.
But I study dripology nigga classes in session.
Don't sleep when I'm drippin' high fashion.
I dripped on a scene.
But I spilled by the gallon.
And they're telling me I'm fly,
So I think that I'm blasting off,
In a spaceship through the stratosphere.

While Sauce was rapping the last line, both him and Petey got onto the top turnbuckle and held the mics in the air, wanting the crowd to do the last verse with them. The second the verse started, not all, but a majority of the audience joined in. TJ reenters the ring and keeps adlibing.

I'm sorry for drippin' but drip is what I do.
And one of these days I'm gonna get dressed then drip all over you.
I'm that fly young nigga.
Lil baby can't you see?
Your style is old my fashion cold tell me who drip like me? Oh!

Sauce and Petey drop the mics and the audience goes wild! Feeding into the energy from the crowd, they stand in a corner waiting for their opponents to try and top that entrance.

HOLLY PEREZ: Introducing first… The team of TJ Thompson and Yung Sauce… BIG DRIP PRODUCTIONS!!!!!

J.T. PRICE: While these three didn’t have much luck in the tag title tournament, they’re back to show their dedication to the craft and make sure their mixtape goes triple platinum, no features.

TREY BOOKER: Their freshman appearance left people wondering, but is this match going to be their big break away? Or a disappointing sophomore album?

While Partner’s in Crime by Set it off plays, underneath crimson red and light pink lighting, the two-toned Mafia makes their way from backstage and walks down the entrance ramp. Cecilia’s offering high fives to the new fans as Lucy trails closely behind her ignoring the audience, and the two stand in the ring where they come face to face with the white beastie boys.

J.T. PRICE: From Action Wrestling to Project Honor, the Two-Toned mafia is here to continue doing what they do best - trouncing anyone that gets in their way.

TREY BOOKER: That is correct. Per Gladiator Contests, these two had no reason to be here other than they decided that the world had gone long enough without seeing Lucy Sixx’s heels on someone’s throat or Cecilia Ortiz’s body slamming down on someone’s chest. If you are a first time watcher or you are a person who has been tuning in since July, this is what it means to be Honored. Now stepping up is only half of the job, can they get it done tonight? I look forward to finding out!

DING DING DING

With Lucy and Cecilia going over the gameplan in their respectful corners, they’re surprised by both Yung Sauce and TJ Thompson crossing the ring and immediately snap to attention. Immediately, TJ raises his hands up defensively and shakes his head, not trying to give the two the wrong idea, before both him and Sauce extend their hands out for… a handshake? The crowd applauds at the display of showmanship, and Cecilia looks at Lucy who shrugs a shoulder. Still, Cecilia reaches forward and accepts Yung Sauce’s hand… and with a lil flick of the wrist, she steps back from the handshake in surprise and confusion to see… a copy of their homeboy Lil Petey’s mixtape, blu ray edition, resting in her hand! TJ steps back and raises his hands to huge applause and Yung Sauce tries to follow up by handing Cecilia his red solo cup filled with purple drank but Lucy interjects and… and… she takes a swig from the cup… and spits a purple mist into Yung Sauce’s face! Then Lucy snatches the cd cover and snaps it in half! Lil Petey clutches his chest at ringside and starts to faint. The disc nearly explodes under her folding, and after pained horror hits both members of Big Drip Productions, they rush across the ring throwing everything but the kitchen sink! Two-toned mafia happily obliges, and we have a brawl! Fists fly and drip drops after Two-toned mafia hits back with kicks to the stomachs of their opponents, then throws punch after punch to back them over to the ropes… then both members step back and rush forward, stereo clotheslines incoming! Both members go high but Drip goes low, yanking on the ropes and dropping both women outside of the ring on their hands and feet. Immediately, Yung Sauce turns to TJ, TJ turns to young sauce, and they know the time - Yung Sauce rushes the ropes on the opposite side of where Two-Toned is climbing to their feet at ringside, and he gets a running start, does a cartwheel, scales onto the second rope and.. And… dusts his shoulder off on two-toned mafia!! Lucy slits her throat while staring daggers into Sauce’s eyes and both women try to rush the ring, but the referee cuts between the two teams and with hands raised stopping all four fighters in their tracks, regains control of this matchup!

TREY BOOKER: Gladiator contests might’ve been a bit on the nose, given how these two teams are already at each other’s throats and the bell just rung!

J.T. PRICE: Peteys mixtape might’ve been too much - the ring’s already doused in gasoline, and I think those two almost made the thing explode!

Once the referee resets and sends both teams to their respective corners, Lucy and TJ stand in the ring, measuring one another up, and trying to figure out an advantage. A quick set of right hands from Lucy nails TJ until he’s able to cover up, and Lucy rushes him with a lou-thesz press to bowl him over! TJ, the master of the rollup, earns his name, however as he uses the momentum from the tackle to spin once he’s grounded and roll on top, then bridge his body over Lucy for a pin! She kicks out before they get to one and kicks TJ off of her to get a little space, and slams her elbow into his nose before trying to yank TJ into a snap suplex. TJ goes up - then down? TJ drops to his knees, and wraps Lucy up in a small package! Misdirection!

ONE!

Lucy kicks out! Annoyed and frustrated, Lucy kicks out and immediately starts laying into TJ with fists that might as well be dripped in poison with how venomous her punches land. Still, TJ stands with his fists raised defensively, so Lucy amps it up! Stiff, stiff superkick to TJ’s knee sweeps his base from underneath him! An Axe kick across the back keeps him planted in place, and Lucy’s smile could brighten a room. She grabs a handful of his hair and proceeds dragging him to Cecelia, and gets about halfway across the ring before TJ cocks a fist and slams it into her stomach! A short knee to his chest from Lucy tries to keep the Hip Beast down, but he still puts his chin down and uppercuts Lucy in the breadbasket! Then another! And another! She loses her grip on his hair, and a chop to the throat from TJ lands with a sharp CRACK and WOOOOOO chants from the audience. After stepping back, Lucy rushes with a running big boot but TJ comes seconds away from getting decapitated and Lucy rebounds off the ropes and into a spinning back elbow from TJ! She quickly pops up, and a body splash puts her right back down! TJ quickly rushes to his corner to make a quick tag, and hits Yung Sauce with the hot hand to bring the white Soulja Boy into the match! TJ irish whips Lucy to the ropes, and on the rebound leg trips her directly into the size eight Yeezy Red Octobers from Yung Sauce, drop kicking her in the face before he makes the cover!

ONE!
TW-

Kickout! Lucy gets a shoulder up, and with the same arm, grabs Yung Sauce by the throat while staring daggers into his eyes. The Swagbeast breaks away from her clutch and uses a boot to the stomach to knock the fight away before he tries dragging her to her feet, but Lucy charges him and barrels forward to smash him into the Two-Toned turnbuckle where Cecilia tags herself in! Left and right, left and right, left and right punches from Lucy pepper Yung Sauce to tatters with vicious hooks and crosses! Both women pry Yung Sauce from the corner, and a double standing dropkick leaves him absolutely flattened on the mat! Lucy cups her hands together, and Cecilia takes the assist with a step up, elevated splash into a corner!

ONE!
TWO!
KICKOUT!

J.T. PRICE: These two are familiar enough with one another that they don’t discuss or signal what they’re about to do, they just know what comes next. I think for Yung Sauce, the two tones are black and blue, unfortunately!

TREY BOOKER: If there was a better argument for a slow-motion replay than four boots nailing someone in the face at once, I cannot possibly think of one. Kickout but definitely still in trouble.

Cecilia rolls off of Sauce and both the wiley ring vet and the drip boy climb to their feets, with her standing first. She measures her moments and bides her time as he stands, and brings him crashing back to reality with a running neckbreaker! Quick pin!

ONE!
TWO!
Kickout!

J.T. PRICE: Yung Sauce has the stamina of a raging bull, and is rumored to have gotten drunk enough to flood a party bus because he mistook the word hideous for amphibious. It’s gonna take a LOT more to put him out.

TREY BOOKER: I think Cecilia’s gonna’ make sure he leaves this ring with a little more than a little hangover.

Once again, Cecilia rises over Sauce and starts dragging him to the two-toned corner by his arm, but only manages to get about halfway across the ring before he’s yanking himself in the opposite direction, noticing TJ at ringside desperately reaching out to help his best homie. Her right hand to his chin brings his resolve to an immediate halt, and instead of looking for the helping hand, Sauce brings both hands around her head and drops to his knees, with a swift jawbreaker crashing her skull across his forehead! Cecilia stumbles backwards onto the ropes cupping her jaw, appreciating his handiwork, and shaking it off to hopefully return the favor. With a two step start, Cecilia Ortix goes airborne, with a second dropkick aimed to pick up where the first one finished off, but Sauce dips out of dodge and Cecilia lands on her back! She rises into a running high knee from Yung Sauce! Then another spinning back elbow! He tries to keep the momentum up with a hip toss, but Cecilia clubs him across the chest before she goes airborne involuntarily, but instead she wraps both hands around his head and drives him skull-first into the mat with a facebreaker ddt! Immediately, Cecilia starts dragging Yung from the center of the ring to her corner, where she makes a quick tag to Lucy Sixx, who scales the turnbuckle and watches Yung Sauce slowly rise to his feet. Without recognizing the tag made, Yung Sauce manages to step out of the way of the running clothesline from Cecilia rushing out of her corner like a bat out of hell - he doesn’t dodge Lucy, adding salt on the wound by leaping from the turnbuckle and bringing her leg down on the back of his head, flying leg drop bouncing his forehead off the canvas before the pin in a chorus of boos from the audience.

J.T. PRICE: SHE HAS IT! PICTURE PERFECT, PUT THAT IN A MUSEUM!

ONE!
TWO!
THREE!

TREY BOOKER: I can’t believe it!

KICKOUT AT 2.99! The referee signals the count was interrupted, to a bitter stare from the woman currently draping over him. The referee explains, which only irritates her further, and results in stomp after stomp after stomp being laid into Yung Sauce’s torso! Then his legs! Then whatever she can get a hold of before the referee physically steps in between the two fighters! Refusing to miss a single beat, Lucy takes a diversion and leaps onto the turnbuckle, where she starts to get her legs underneath her and starts setting up for something huge… but pauses… as TJ Thompson abandons his corner and calls out to his tag partner from the opposite turnbuckle where Lil Petey does the same, and Yung Sauce slowly rolls out of dodge towards the warm embrace of his brother in arms! Without a word or a stare, Lucy descends from her corner, bolts across the ring, and washes the bottom of her boot with TJ’s face, with a superkick that knocks him clear from the ring apron and into the barricade! Then a baseball sliding kick bashes Lil Petey at ringside and knocks him on his ass! Sauce looks up in time for a running basement dropkick from Lucy to pulverize him as well! Despite the cacophony of booing from the Project Honor fanbase, she gets back to where she left off - finishing her kill. Lucy Sixx scales a neutral turnbuckle, rises to a stand, and takes off! Standing 450 splash executed beautifully, til Yung Sauce gets his knees up for the ending!

J.T. PRICE: Alexa, can a broken spine be contagious? I FELT THAT.

TREY BOOKER: I don’t think that’s gonna do much for Lucy’s temper, but I think Yung Sauce bought himself some much needed time.

With both fighters in the center of the ring, Lucy’s hammering her fist onto the mat as she clutches her back, but still uses the mat, uses the ropes, use anything she can get a hold off to put this match in a shallow grave. Sauce stands with a red knot on his forehead after repeated abuse from the Two-toned mafia, but his head’s still head high, even if he’s a lil woozy. Still, the Big Dripper has enough bearings about him for a back elbow to Lucy’s cheek as she closes in on him and she staggers back… and roars forehead with a spinning back fist! Yung Sauce’s legs are sauce for a sweet second, but the man maintains his consciousness and keeps his balance by leaning on the ropes, so he can fire back with a bicycle kick to her torso! Lucy’s propelled back and send crashing into the ropes, but her arms clutching the top rope keep her upright and she steps forward as Yung Sauce does! Simultaneous superkicks fire off like cherry bombs, and both fighters hit the mat! The crowd’s standing, hitting the barricades and stomping their feet behind their favorite fighters! Chants of ‘TWO TONED KILLERS’ and ‘WHITE OUTKAST’ break out throughout the crowd, but the chant most prominent is clear and simple.

“THIS IS AWESOME.” Clapclapclapclapclap.

Be it the love from the fans, the leftover energy from touring, or from simply hearing TJ begging and pleading for him to get his legs underneath him, Yung Sauce starts dragging himself to his corner! Lucy’s doing the same, and is the first one to make the tag! Cecilia rushes between the ropes but is too slow, because TJ Thompson makes the tag and he leaps over the ropes with a springboard back elbow, and kips up to his feet to thunderous approval! The Hipbeast looks to the two toned corner where Lucy Sixx is, and while running hipchecks her off the apron! Hiptoss to Cecilia plants her! She rises, and TJ hoists her up into a vertical suplex… and lets her dangle for a beat.. And drops her across his knees before making the pin!

ONE!
TWO!

KICKOUT! Cecilia gets a shoulder up! TJ clutches at his hair and shakes his head, but the call is final! Cecilia starts to roll over to the ropes to get her bearings back while TJ pleads, but gets no dice! She gets up to her knees using the ropes, and a HIP IS A CONSTRUCT FROM TJ THOMPSON DRIVES HER FACE FIRST INTO THE CANVASS!

TREY BOOKER: Headscissors DDT is a nasty spin on luchador, but a gorgeous move nonetheless!

J.T. PRICE: I think this could be it!

Pinfall!
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!

No! Lucy Sixx broke up the pin at the last possible moment with a double axe handle to the back of TJ’s head! She hammers punch after punch on him to free things up for her tag partner, until Yung Sauce enters the equation with a superkick to Lucy Sixx! Cecilia stands and eats a second Sauce Superkick! TJ Thompson turns into a Sauce Superkic- no, Yung Sauce catches himself at the last moment and throws a wet towel on the superkick party but returns to the apron where TJ tags his partner in and with a practice 3 point jumper from Yung Sauce, these two look to close this thing out! TJ grabs Cecilia’s ankles and tries to start rotations with his airplane spin, but she draws her legs close to her body and kicks him right in the nose! While he’s struggling with trying to hoist her up, Lucy Sixx OBLITERATES him with a springboard forearm to the back of his head! TJ might be in sicko mode, because he’s out like a light! Yung Sauce steps in to try intervening after noticing TJ getting pummeled, but a headbutt from Cecilia knocks him back a pace! Then a superkick from Lucy Sixx takes his knee from underneath him! Double superkick from both Two-Toned Mafia members leaves him flattened! With little fanfare, Lucy Sixx tugs Yung Sauce to his feet by his hair and hoists him over her shoulders, where Cecilia Ortiz catches his neck with a leaping cutter! TWO TONED DEATH BURIES YUNG SAUCE ON THE CANVASS AND CECILIA MAKES THE COVER!

ONE!
TWO!
THREE!

HOLLY PEREZ: Your winners by way of pinfall… Cecilia Ortiz and Lucy Sixx, the Two-Toned Mafia!

J.T. PRICE: ...Talk about a debut. These two women literally choose to be here, they made their debut during the open show and found their opponents, and with the way they kicked ass and took names, you’d have thought they rehearsed it. Chefs kiss and a hat tipped to the two-toned mafia.

TREY BOOKER: Big Drip put on one helluva performance, but these two women wouldn’t let anything come between them tonight.

The two lovers celebrate in the ring with their hands raised by the referee, while Lucy kicks the shards of Petey’s mixtape onto the floor.


As the camera panned around to show the capacity crowd in attendance for the night, a particular fan in the front row seemed to draw the camera’s attention rather quickly. A flash of bright red, a megawatt smile, and a pair of mischievous brown eyes…

TREY BOOKER: Wait a second...that face looks awfully familiar.

J.T. PRICE: Of course it does! That’s none other than Kasey Winterborn!

The crowd goes wild upon realizing that indeed, Little Miss Vex is one of them tonight, as she turns and waves to everyone with a bit of a pink tint in her cheeks at their reaction.

J.T. PRICE: We haven’t seen the bubbly young woman since an unfortunate elbow injury suffered at Hell On Earth put her on the shelf for the past few months.

TREY BOOKER: There had been some rumblings that she was planning to make an appearance here tonight, and I guess they were true!

J.T. PRICE: But the question still remains - is she planning on making her triumphant comeback to in-ring action?

TREY BOOKER: What a Christmas present that would be for the Project Honor faithful!


Camera cuts to outside of the arena. Spotted in a black hooded sweatshirt and black pants, Colton Saint leans against the production truck. A cigarette hanging from his lips, he has his dead eyes locked on the building. It isn’t a look of confidence, but not a look of fear. He is empty, simply put.

Kimberly Chase: Colton?

Taking a slight glance over, he notices Kimberly Chase and her bodyguard, Ramesses. They approach him from a short distance. Through the mask, Ramesses glares at the Outlaw with a look of abandonment.

Kimberly Chase: So, we need to think of an idea of how to get me to that ring tonight without having a bunch of the swine reaching for me. Ramesses can take care of me for the most part, but there’s always that lackluster security crew swarming around. How are you going to help me?

A frustrated glance arrives on the face of Colton, looking over at Kimberly. He looks past her at Ramesses, noticing the glare in return.

Colton Saint:It’s a lot easier than you think it is. You know where this whole thing is going right now. You can’t be out there.

Looking flabbergasted, Kimberly tries to step in, but is immediately met with Ramesses stepping in between the two.

Colton Saint:Step back, tough guy. I got this. Kimberly, this is a death match, right? Weapons everywhere, people are going to get destroyed. No rules, just a lot of fighting. I can’t have you out there with me. This has to be my fight. So, do me a favor if you don’t mind, focus on yourself. Focus on your career, because mine is over. It’s all over.

Kimberly Chase:Colton..

Waving off Ramesses, she steps towards Colton Saint with a look of empathy for the situation. The two look at each other, as Kimberly began to understand the gravity of the situation before breaking back into her prior mindset.

Kimberly Chase:I’m going to be watching.

Something about the way the words were spoken, Colton isn’t quite sure how to respond. With a look past her at Ramesses, who hasn’t left his glare, Colton takes a drag of his cigarette before leaning back against the production truck.

Colton Saint: From a safe distance. I don’t know what’s going to happen. After the death threats I’ve gotten in the mail, and the wandering glares from others.. I have no idea what they may do. Ramesses, make sure you do your job.

The two nearly go nose to nose, but Colton simply slaps him on the shoulder. He looks the masked man over before slowly walking past the two of them. Kimberly immediately turns her head to watch him, glaring at him before giving Ramesses a concerned look. Reality has begun to set in as the sun had faded earlier in the evening. Someone could die tonight.



HOLLY PEREZ: The following Gladiator Contest is a one-on-one match set for one fall.  Entering first…

The lights in the arena flicker as if there is some sort of electrical short. The power struggles to stay on for a few moments until ultimately going out. For a few seconds the arena is in complete darkness.  Suddenly, rose tinted lights start pulsing along with the opening snare hits of “Only Shallow” by My Bloody Valentine.

The guitars scream as a cloud of smoke envelopes the stage and obfuscates a shape that stands in front of the curtain. The audience is entranced by the mythic imagery flashing on the screen and they wait with bated breath.

Sʟᴇᴇᴘ Lɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴘɪʟʟᴏᴡ Dᴏᴡɴ(ᴡᴀʀᴅ) Aɴᴅ (Wʜᴇʀᴇ)Sʜᴇ ᴡᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴄᴀʀᴇ
Aɴʏᴡᴀʏ (ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ)

HOLLY PEREZ:..hailing from Visby, Sweden by way of Salem, Massachusetts: she stands 5’6’’ and weighed in at 141 lbs, “Oblivion’s Crush”...CONTESSA FLORAN!

A small bleach blonde figure paces out onto the stage with her head low and her hair hanging in front of her eyes. Contessa Floran slowly parts the hair that obstructed the view of her face as the camera moves in for a close up. Her eyes closed, she appears to be in a deeply pensive state. As if struck by lightning, she opens her eyes and her piercing blue gaze stares down the lens of the camera.

For a moment she gazes into the lens, her expression blank. Following a deep sigh, Floran skulks to the ring, choosing to walk along the guard rail in an effort to stay out of sight as much as possible. She does her best to avoid the grasp of clamouring fans. The camera scrambles to find her amid the darkness and haze.

Upon reaching the ring, she pulls herself up onto the apron and sits there for a moment, hanging her head once again. As the rose colored lights flash and the smoke begins to clear, Floran jumps up onto the apron. She takes a moment to survey the audience before she wipes her feet on the apron and steps through the ropes and goes to her corner.

TREY BOOKER: Contessa always enters with such a mysterious and demure aura that chills me to my core every time.

J.T. PRICE: Crazy’s never looked so good.

HOLLY PEREZ: ...and her opponent, hailing from Queensland, Australia; standing 6’1’’ and weighing in at 227 lbs; He is “The Aussie Wolf” AIDEN REYNOLDS!

The opening riff of Parkway Drive's "Vice Grip" hits. The high speed riffs give way to Aiden Reynolds stepping out onto the stage with a fist in the air and a black leather jacket with "The Aussie Wolf" spray painted on the back. He makes his way down to the ring and as the refrain of the song hits he throws his arms out to the side as he and the crowd both chant.

"YEAAAH YEAH YEAH"

He leaps onto the apron and takes a few steps backwards before sling shotting himself into the ring and spinning around. He then stops and drops to one knee slamming his fist into the mat.

TREY BOOKER: Quite the intense individual to say the least.

J.T. PRICE: Yeah, well I wish you would say less.

DING DING DING!

Contessa immediately rushes Aiden with a running shotgun dropkick that sends The Aussie Wolf stumbling back into the corner.  Contessa, not missing a step, immediately starts handspringing toward the corner, looking for the Space Rolling Elbow, but Reynolds side-steps last second and lets Contessa crash elbow first into the corner.  Aiden acts as if he’s going to bound out of the corner, but then doubles back, looking for a back elbow of his own, but Floran moves out of the way at the last second.  Contessa pops Aiden with a rope assist gamengiri in the corner and then stomps toward the center of the ring with authority as she turns, and charges Reynolds, but Reynolds ducks under the top rope causing the ref to intercept Contessa before she can do any  further damage in these opening minutes.

TREY BOOKER: Smart play by Reynolds for sure.

J.T. PRICE: He’s begging off someone he towers over with nearly half a foot in height. I’m not sure if this is ring generalship.

Contessa Floran finally breaks away from the ref, just in time to catch a low kitchen sink knee to the abdomen from a charging Aiden Reynolds.  Contessa’s keeled over and winded as Aiden turns to hit the ropes, looking to come back with a high knee lift, but Contessa pulls her head out of the way at the last second. Aiden turns to confront her as she runs toward the corner, seemingly in retreat.  Aiden makes up the distance between them and falls right into Contessa’s trap as she drops down with a drop toehold, smacking Reynolds face first into the bottom turnbuckle pad.  Contessa quickly gets to her feet and punts the turnbuckle pad up into Reynold’s face.  Reynolds stumbles to his feet out of the corner as Contessa rushes him from behind with a rear waist lock and pushes him off of the ropes and rolls him back to the center of the ring with an O’Connor Roll.

One!

Aiden immediately kicks out and sits up on the canvas, but in the process launches Contessa toward the ropes.  Contessa springs off of the middle rope and twists around, looking for a crossbody, but Aiden rolls out of the way just in time and lets her crash face first onto the canvas.  Contessa almost immediately tries to push up off of the mat and get to her feet, only for Aiden to rush in and plant her head first onto the canvas with a brutal snap DDT.  Contessa’s head plants hard into the canvas as she goes head over heels eating the DDT, rolling up to the seated position.  Aiden quickly scrambles to his feet and charges the ropes, looking for a sliding forearm, but just as he reaches striking distance, Floran lays flat and dodges the forearm.  Floran pulls Aiden Reynolds back down into a crucifix pin!

ONE!
TWO!

Aiden rolls backwards out of the pin and powers up to his feet with Contessa on his shoulders!  He goes for the fireman’s carry slam, but Contessa Floran lands on her feet and quickly charges the ropes with Aiden in hot pursuit.  Contessa springboards backwards off of the middle rope and falls backwards into Aiden Reynolds with a backsplash!  Wait!  Aiden absorbs the impact and rolls through the backsplash!  He deadlifts Contessa off of the canvas and bridges back with a brutal german suplex!  

TREY BOOKER: Brutality at its finest!  Aiden probably should’ve held that bridge!

J.T. PRICE: I don’t know, it looks like Contessa’s already fighting to her feet.

Contessa scrambles up off the canvas on all fours and charges Aiden Reynolds, only to get quickly slammed down to the canvas with a brutally deep snap powerslam!  Aiden hooks the leg on impact.

ONE!
TWO!

Contessa kicks out as soon as the number two leaves the ref’s mouth.  Aiden grabs one of her arms as Contessa groggily tries to find her wind.  Aiden irish whips her up off of the canvas, looking for a short-arm lariat, but Contessa ducks the line and swings around, clasping her legs around Aiden’s frame as she pulls him down to the canvas with an explosive Yoshi Tonic style sunset flip bomb, pinning Aiden’s arms under her legs for the cover!

ONE!
TWO!

Aiden gets the shoulder up, but the now desperate and infuriated Contessa Floran isn’t going to let him regain the advantage as she stomps her heels into the bend of his elbow and pulls herself to her feet with both of his wrists in her grasp.  Aiden senses the danger of the situation as Contessa gets to her feet and begins to lift her foot up to stomp down on the side of his head.  He narrowly avoids the big stomp and pulls Contessa down with a modified school boy.  Contessa kicks out before the ref can even drop down to check the shoulders.  She rolls to her feet out of the cover, reticent to give up wrist control even now. She releases one of Aiden’s arm and rocks him with a brutal close range European uppercut.  He staggers down to one knee as she scrambles to grab his other wrist.  As she reaches down to grab it, Aiden pulls it out of reach, springs to his feet, and yanks her into a falling short-arm clothesline!

TREY BOOKER:And just like that, Aiden Reynolds is back in control.

J.T. PRICE: Yeah, but at what cost to his own well being?

Aiden once more whips the limp Contessa off of the mat and right up onto his shoulders, maybe thinking it’s time for The Gold Coast Cutter.  As he pivots his hips, looking for that patented TKO variation to put Contessa Floran away, Floran drops off of his shoulders with her full body weight and yanks him back with a skull crushing crucifix driver!  Contessa quickly grabs his wrist immediately after impact, twists Aiden over onto his back, and starts raining down stomps on his head!  The ref tries to warn her off from delivering those undefended shots with a five count for a break.

ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
FOUR!

Contessa finally relents and lets go of Reynold’s wrists.  She stalks toward the nearest corner as Aiden Reynolds struggles to get to his feet.  Before he can gain his bearings, Contessa charges in with a running european uppercut into the corner!  Aiden Reynolds crumples as he hits the turnbuckle bend.  Seemingly reinvigorated and freshly possessed with malicious intent, Contessa scoops Aiden out of the corner and slams him into the turnbuckle, effectively trapping him in the tree of woe.

TREY BOOKER: Oh boy...we’ve seen this before.

J.T. PRICE: I hope the ref didn’t get winded with that last break count…

Contessa starts laying in repeated and unrelenting round  kicks to the face of the trapped Aiden Reynolds!  After peppering him with a stiff five off the bat, the ref’s quick to get in there and pull her off, not even bothering with the warning count.  Aiden collapses out of the tree of woe position, nearly falling on his neck as he crashes to the canvas.

TREY BOOKER: Aiden, struggling to get off of the mat as the ref tries to keep Contessa out of the corner.

J.T. PRICE: The guy’s got his hands full with this one, that’s for sure.  

As Aiden finally finds his feet in the corner, Contessa breaks free from the ref.  She charges Reynolds, looking for another uppercut, but gets caught with a snap suplex into the corner for her troubles!  Aiden quickly rushes to his feet, finding a second wind as he hits the ropes and comes back and scrapes the face of Contessa in the corner with a brutal running facewash!  He quickly whips her off of the canvas once more and powers her down with a spinning spinebuster dead center in the ring!  Aiden quickly steps through Contessa’s legs, grapevines the ankles, and turns her over into Four X Gold!  He digs his knee into the small of her back as he wrenches the modified sharpshooter hard.  Contessa flails her hands around blindly in search of the ropes, before realizing there are none in reach, and taps out!

DING DING DING!

HOLLY PEREZ: Ladies and gentlemen, your winner by submission “The Aussie Wolf” Aiden Reynolds!

TREY BOOKER: Wow, that was quite the fast face game of human chess I’ve ever seen J.T.  Not a single movement was wasted in this whole match.

J.T. PRICE: Especially on Aiden’s part.  He teased that Gold Coast Cutter all night, only to put Contessa on the mat where she didn’t expect to be with that brutal Four X Gold submission.  Kudos are in order for both competitors here tonight, but only one walks away victorious and that’s “The Aussie Wolf”.

As “Vice Grip” pipes through the PA, Aiden thrusts a fist in the air in celebration before rolling to the outside and running up the ramp. Contessa has rolled out of the ring and seems to be looking for something under the ring right now. She grabs a weapon that has been made up to look like a human femur bone but is actually just an aluminum bat beneath some plaster. Quickly, she runs up the ramp and swings the bat at Aiden’s back, knocking him down to the ground.

TREY BOOKER: WHAT IS CONTESSA DOING?!

After Aiden falls to the ground, she continues to drive the bat into his stomach.

J.T. PRICE: SOMEONE STOP HER!

Continuously driving that bat into his stomach, she forms a smirk on her face.

“Brand New Numb” by Motionless in White blasts through the speakers as the fans all rise in cheers. Dickie Watson runs out to Aiden’s rescue and Contessa steps away. She signals for an official to bring her a mic and just seconds later she gets one. While Dickie is tending to Aiden, Contessa puts the mic up to her mouth.

CONTESSA FLORAN: I’m going to keep this short and sweet, Dickie. I can do this every single show until you give me a shot at your Grand Championship, or you just simply give me the shot. Say, at Unbreakable Resolution? You got before the night ends to give me an answer before I do much worse with Smashy.

Contessa drops the mic on the ground and then heads backstage. The camera fades out to Dickie lifting Aiden up and walking him backstage also.


We are backstage once again at the office of ROCK JOHNSON where we see the door open as Victoria and John exit the room, with a dossier in Victoria’s hands as the fans cheer! John turns back to look in the office.

JNS: Appreciate the effort to get this contract done, Rock.

VNS: And thank you for the tickets tonight!

John and Victoria walk down the hall talking.

JNS: Alright kid, this is gonna be your chance to show that you are just as good as your mom and aunt, alright? And that you have what it takes to play with the big dogs and be my partner.

VNS: Thanks Uncle John, I really can’t wait!

He puts his arm around his niece and kisses her on top of the head. He motions for her to follow him.

JNS: Let’s go watch Indy take on that new guy, Mark Hunter. Should be a good match.

A wide almost sinister looking grin appears across his face. Victoria looking up at her uncle out of the corner of her eye smiles and laughs with him as they head into the general admission area.



HOLLY PEREZ: Ladies and gentlemen...this next match is SCHEDULED for a BEST TWO-OUT-OF-THREE FALLS MATCH.  Introducing first...from Indianapolis, Indiana...weighing in at two-hundred-and-fifteen pounds...HE IS THE X-FACTOR CHAMPION...he is Everyone’s Favorite...INDY...DAAAAARRRRLLIIIIINNNNGGG!!!

"Just Like You" by Falling in Reverse begins to play as Indy Darling walks onto the entrance area with the hood of his vest pulled over his eyes. He drops to one knee with arms outstretched on either side, soaking in the reception from the live crowd. After we hear "Honestly I'm just like you" for the first time, he springs back to both feet and allows his hood to fall from his head, revealing a lit cigarette between his lips. Indy is sporting a pair of sunglasses under his cropped reddish-blonde hair, and his expression is difficult to read. Neither smiling or frowning, he casually makes his way toward the ring, his eyes focused on the challenge that lies ahead of him. Around his waist is the championship gold, the flashing lights from above sparkling off its surface. Upon reaching the ring, Indy slides under the bottom rope and lets his vest slide off of his shoulders, catching it in his right hand before whipping it out to a lucky member of the audience. He is wearing full tights with his name stylized down the right leg, along with color-coordinated kick-pads and an elbow pad on his left arm. He moves toward the ropes facing the hard camera and steps onto them with one foot on the bottom rope and one on the middle. He looks around at the crowd, letting a slight smile creep over his face, as we hear "I am aware you are all assholes'' from his entrance music. He then unfastens the belt from his waist and proudly lifts it above his head with his right hand. Indy then takes a final drag from his cigarette before flicking it to the ringside area, while soaking up the cheers, jeers, curses, and praise from the diverse audience reacting to his presence in the ring.

HOLLY PEREZ: And his opponent.  From San Jose, California...weighing in at two-hundred-and-eleven pounds...THE STRAIGHT SHOOTER...MARK….HUUUUUNNTTERRRRR!!!

“Feel Invincible” by Skillet suddenly sounds throughout the building and the crowd erupt into an undeniably negative response. After a few seconds pause Mark Hunter strolls out onto the ramp area, he smirks in a self-satisfied and confident manner at the reaction from the fans and begins his walk down to the ring. Mark acknowledges literally no fans as he wanders down the ramp, he continues to receive the negative crowd response as he ascends the ring steps. He enters between the middle and top rope and instantly wonders other to the far corner, Hunter climbs up and poses for the crowd whilst taking in the response from the fans. He soon steps down to the canvas and stretches his arms in the air before readying himself for action. At this stage the music dies away.

DING! DING! DING!

Darling jumps forward and grabs an unsuspecting Hunter by his neck and pulls him over to the corner.  He pulls his head back…AND SLAMS IT INTO THE TURNBUCKLE!  Hunter stumbles back and Indy grabs him from behind…GERMAN SUPLEX and The Straight Shooter goes rolling out of the ring.

TREY BOOKER: Wow, Indy is trying to get some aggressions out already.

ONE
TWO
THREE

Mark looks up at Darling, who is sitting in the corner of the opposite side of the ring.

FOUR
FIVE
SIX

Hunter climbs up onto the apron. He grabs the rope and slingshots his way up to the top rope…and he jumps…Darling IS UP…MISSILE DROPKICK!  Darling stumbles back against the ropes as Hunter is quick up to his feet. He bounces off the ropes, comes flying at Darling…CROSSBOD-DARLING CATCHES him!!!  Darling walks into the middle of the ring…BACKbreaker!  Darling drops down and hooks Mark’s leg.

ONEE!

J.T. PRICE: Kickout by Mr. Hunter!  The X-Factor Champion is ON FIRE!

Darling up onto his feet…HARD swift kick into Mark’s ribs.  Indy pulls back…ANOTHER hard kick to the ribs.  He steps back and charges forward...RIPCORD KNEE STRIKE TO THE SIDE OF MARK’S HEAD!!!

TREY BOOKER:Mark looks like he’s got a cut on his lip.

Hunter rolls onto his side and is slightly bleeding onto the mat.  Darling paces around him a few times before grabbing him and pulling him to his feet.  But there’s still life in him. He throws a shoulder into the gut of Darling…he stands up…hard spinning kick to Darling’s gut causing him to bend forward.  Mark grabs him…THE EGO TRIP!!!  THE EGO TRIP!!!

J.T. PRICE: HUNTER PUT DARLING DOWN WITH A TWIST OF FATE!!!

Hunter with the cover…

ONE!
TWO!!

Kickout by the X-Factor Champ.  Mark is up, he bounces off the ropes…but Darling is up and waiting for him…he hops over him!  Mark hits the next ropes and bounces back…DARLING WITH A CLOTHES-NO!  MARK DUCKS UNDERNEATH.  Hunter hits the ropes again and comes flying back at Darling…he hops up into the air…wraps his legs around Darling’s neck…SPINS AROUND…HURRICANRANA AND DARLING GOES FLYING OUT OF THE RING THROUGH THE MIDDLE ROPE!!!

TREY BOOKER: Look at John Nash Strader just sitting there, his eyes glued on the match.

J.T. PRICE: Maybe he is scouting Indy Darling for their X-Factor Title match at Unbreakable Resolution.

Darling slides into the ring and is up onto his knees, trying to get back up, Mark is back at him…ENZIGU-DARLING DUCKS THE KICK AND HUNTER DROPS ONTO HIS STOMACH.  Darling holds onto that first foot…he’s trying to grab his other leg for a sharpshooter…but Mark is wriggling around on the ground.  he kicks Darling off…then flips up onto his feet…Darling comes flying at him for a clothesline…but he ducks underneath again.  Hunter hops up onto the ropes…Moonsault…BUT DARLING IS READY…

TREY BOOKER: MICHINOKU DRIVER!  EVERYONE’S FAVORITE DRIVER!!!  INDY DROPS QUICKLY FOR THE PIN!!!

ONE!
TWO!!
THREE!!!

DING! DING! DING!

HOLLY PEREZ: Winner of the FIRST fall...INDY...DARLING!

Fans pop as Indy rolls off of Mark and stands to his feet.

J.T. PRICE: Uh-oh...Strader just got out of his seat and hopped the barricade.

Darling stands at the ropes…and looks down to see John Nash Strader waving at him from the mat.

TREY BOOKER: Indy looks livid and he is yelling something at John.

J.T. PRICE: But John points behind Indy.

Indy Darling turns around, only to have a boot placed squarely in his midsection.  Mark Hunter grabs Indy and lifts him up, dropping him with a cradle piledriver.

TREY BOOKER: MERCY KILLER!!!  MERCY KILLER!!!

Mark Hunter covers Indy Darling.

ONE!
TWO!!
THREE!!!

DING! DING! DING!

HOLLY PEREZ: And the winner of the SECOND fall...MARK HUNTER!!!

Mark Hunter quickly gets back up to his feet and grabs Indy by his hair…pulling him to his feet.  He whips him into the closest corner, Indy hitting his back against the turnbuckle.  Hunter comes charging…ELBOW TO THE FACE BY DARLING!  Hunter stumbles back…

Darling forces him over to the ropes.  He lifts him up for the choke-NO!  he grabs the ropes with both hands, clinging to them for dear life.  Darling lets go of his neck, but whips him to the opposite side of the ring.  Hunter comes bouncing back…Darling bends over…The Straight Shooter’s momentum carries him onto his back…BACK BODY DROP AND HUNTER GOES FLYING OUT OF THE R-NO!  HE GRABBED THE ROPE!!!  He lands on the apron!  Darling turns around…AND HUNTER SENDS A SHOULDER THROUGH THE SECOND ROPE INTO HIS GUT!  Darling doubled over in pain.  Mark uses the ropes, slingshots him way up onto the top rope…jumps onto Darling’s back…he falls backwards…ROLL-UP PIN WITH HUNTER HUGGING DARLING’S LEGS!!!

ONE!

Darling with the kickout.  Both of them are quick up to their feet.  Mark charges Darling…hip toss.  Hunter back up…another hip toss. He's back up again…ANOTHER HIP TOSS.  Mark up once more…he charges Darling…slides underneath Darling’s outreached arms…pops up as he turns around…he jumps and hits the crossbody-NO!…DARLING GRABS HIM IN MID-AIR...ADJUSTS HIS HOLD…

J.T. PRICE: EVERYONE’S FAVORITE DRIVER, AGAIN!!!  THIS IS IT!!!

TREY BOOKER: Darling with the cover.

ONE!
TWO!!
THR-

Hunter seems to be running out of steam, but he kicks out to survive a little longer!

J.T. PRICE: How the hell did he manage to kick out of that?

Darling up to his feet, but he is leaning into the corner, watching Hunter slowly crawl over to the ropes and using them to help him up.  Darling charges him…BUT HE PULLS DOWN THE ROPES AND HE GOES FLYING OUT OF THE RING INSTEAD!!!  Darling crashes hard on the outside and is laying with his legs up against the barrier.  The crowd is stomping and cheering, trying to get Indy riled up!  Darling is slowly getting up as Mark is catching his breath on the inside of the ring.

TREY BOOKER: Good thing Strader found his way back to his seat.

Darling to his feet, wobbling a little bit.  He gets to the apron and rolls in, wincing as his back touches the mat.  The fall to the outside must have been painful.  Indy stands to his feet.  He charges at Mark Hunter...CLOTHESLINE BY INDY!  NO!  Mark Hunter ducks...Indy stops and turns around….

CRACK!!!

J.T. PRICE: SUPERKICK BY MARK HUNTER!!!  INSTANT KARMA BY MARK HUNTER!!  

Indy crumples to the mat, with Mark instantly jumping onto him and hooking the leg.

ONE!
TWO!!
THREE!!!

DING! DING! DING!

The fans boo as Mark Hunter stands to his feet, holding his hand in the air.

HOLLY PEREZ: And your winner with two falls...MARK HUUUUUUNNNTEEERRRRR!!!!


Fresh off his match against Mark Hunter, the cameras show us Indy Darling as he returns to the backstage area, the X-Factor Championship hanging over his shoulder. Win, lose, or draw, Indy had grown accustomed to seeking out his manager and trainer, Doc Miyagi, immediately following his match. Doc had often made it a point to stay backstage during Indy’s matches, preferring that his protégé stand in the limelight on his own. Of course, it also gave him time to hit on Crystal Ward as well. Tonight is different, however. As Indy returns to the backstage area, we do not see Doc waiting for him in the gorilla position. Continuing into one of the main halls, Indy and the camera following him continue to fail in their search for the retired wrestling veteran. Then, as Indy looks up and down the long corridor, it seems as if something catches his eye.

He starts to walk away from the camera, but it doesn’t take long for his pace to quicken. Within seconds, Indy has taken off into a full sprint as the camera picks up the reflection of blue and red lights flashing off the corridor’s walls. As the surprised cameraman does his best to keep up with his target, we see Indy running towards a crowd of onlookers, some official company staff and even a few members of the roster. Who or what they have gathered around remains unseen, but it is clear that the running ambulance behind them has something to do with the situation.

The camera is able to pick up the sound of Indy shouting his manager’s name before it catches back up to him. Once the out-of-shape cameraman reaches the crowd, we can see that Indy has pushed his way past them to reach the side of an unconscious Doc Miyagi, who is being secured on a stretcher.

INDY DARLING: Doc! Doc...what...what the hell happened? Who did this? Was it Strader? I swear I’ll kill that dirty son of a…

CRYSTAL WARD: Indy...Indy, please, it wasn’t John.

The camera continues to film as Crystal manages to get Indy’s attention away from his fallen friend.

INDY DARLING: What are you talking about? Who else would jump him while I’m in the ring? It wasn’t Saint...was it?

CRYSTAL WARD: No, Indy, it wasn’t Colton Saint. It wasn’t anyone...well not really. He was watching your match on the monitor, and when Strader came out he got really upset...he was all worked up and yelling and…

INDY DARLING: What? What are you talking about…

CRYSTAL WARD: They think he’s had a heart attack.

The cameraman continues to film, totally unconcerned about catching a performer attempting to process a personally dramatic situation. We can see the color wash away from Indy’s face before he slowly turns away from Crystal to look back at the fallen Doc Miyagi. Finally, it is Crystal Ward who seems to realize the situation has no place on television as she turns and takes notice of the camera.

CRYSTAL WARD: Hey...not now, Charlie. Give them some space, okay?

We then see the EMTs load Doc Miyagi into the ambulance, with Indy Darling joining them in the back of the vehicle moments later. It is the last thing we see as Crystal finally convinces the cameraman to cut his feed.

HOLLY PEREZ: The following is the semifinals in the Tag Title Tournament. Entering first, the team of Vortex and Debris, The Stoooooooooooooooooooooormchasers!

The wind in the arena picks up. "Respect the Wind" by Van Halen begins to play as faux pas lightning flickers in the rafters. Vortex steps out from behind the curtain. He pauses, extends his arms and begins to spin around. Debris is out next, following Vortex and dropping trash along the way.

They approach the ring in this fashion, leaving a trail of trash behind them. Vortex hops on the apron and enters, continuing to spin. Debris rolls in under the rope and gets to his feet, continuing to drop trash, following Vortex. Their music stops once Debris has run out of trash. The arena returns to normal and the ref kicks all the trash out of the ring.

J.T. PRICE: My hat! How the hell do they do that-

TREY BOOKER: I don’t know, you could call these men powerful, you could call them absurd, you could call them annoying, but we might end up calling them our Project Honor inaugural tag team champions if they fight this week the way they did last show.

HOLLY PEREZ:  And next, the team of James Raven and Shawn Warstein… LEGACY!!

Both James and Shawn take to hopping onto the apron and nod towards each other as they get fully into the ring, mocking the crowd as the booing slowly dies down.

TREY BOOKER: With another win picked up next week, both Raven and Warstein booked themselves a ticket to the semifinals of our tournament. With cunning speed, strength, and good teamwork between the two, they’re also another amazing pick to represent the gold.

J.T. PRICE: Yes, but the same applies to the men standing across the ring. Given how evenly balanced this match is on paper, which team’s going to show the x-factor that’d put them over the edge?

DING! DING! DING!

Vortex and Shawn start the match out, at least until James tags himself in and steps in. Shawn looks at him irritated, and bewildered but shakes his head and steps out onto the apron as James and Vortex lock up in the center of the ring. James transitions into a side headlock and takes Vortex down, tightening his grip on the headlock. Vortex manages to push up to a more vertical base, and lifts James up, nailing him with a suplex!

J.T. PRICE: Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimber!

TREY BOOKER: Planted his feet, used his legs, and showed amazing flexibility while spiking Raven into the mat. Excellent form.

Vortex and James are both up decently quickly, and once again lock up. James, incensed at the suplex, manages to power Vortex into his corner. Shawn makes a tag, and steps in. James does a clean break, and says something to Shawn about the tag, clearly not ready to step out. Shawn responds, and seeing the opening, Vortex leaps out of the corner and takes both down with a double bulldog! He then charges to his corner and tags in Debris!

James rolls out of the ring, throwing his hands up in disgust as Shawn gets to his feet, only for the Storm Chasers to knock him back down with a double clothesline! The ref manages to get Vortex out of the ring, as Debris sets to stomping a mudhole in Shawn! He pulls him up, and whips him into a corner before charging in and nailing him with a clothesline! He follows it up by launching Shawn to the middle of the ring with a monkey flip!

TREY BOOKER: This affair’s starting to look like it might be over before it got started!

J.T. PRICE: Look at that hangtime!

Debris goes and tags Vortex back in, who goes up top as Debris steps out. He goes for a flying elbow drop, nailing Shawn dead center in the chest! He then hops on him, going for the pin!

ONE
TWO

Shawn kicks out! He sits up, looking toward James who has made no move to break the count up. James only pays him a shrug. As Shawn gets to his feet, Vortex is up to meet him and begins clubbing him with blows to the back of the neck and shoulder area! He snatches his head, going for a DDT but Shawn reverses it into a northern lights suplex!! He rolls out of it, getting to his feet. James waves his arms wildly, motioning for Shawn to go up top!

TREY BOOKER: Unorthodox teamwork but James is looking for the kill!

J.T. PRICE: What do these two have planned?

Shawn, feeling it runs to their corner and scales the top rope. Only to have James Raven tag in, leaving Shawn bewildered and irritated as James pays him a shrug and goes to pick Vortex up and measures him, backing up only to run in and nail him with a running knee strike! He then turns, and tags Shawn back in who had just barely gotten back down onto the apron!

J.T. PRICE: ...Unorthodox might’ve been a bit soft of a description.

Shawn steps into the ring, bumping shoulders with James as he stalks Vortex who is barely getting back to his feet. He kicks him in the gut, and lifts him onto his shoulders, going for a buckle bomb! But Vortex manages to shift his weight, and lean over Shawn’s head, repositioning himself, he nails Shawn with a Canadian Destroyer, quick as light! The fans come alive as now both competitors are down. Warstein looks absolutely dazed! Debris is going nuts on the Apron, cheering Vortex on to his corner!!

Vortex and Warstein both begin dragging themselves to their respective corners. The fans are unglued! Debris reaches out for the tag! James yells sarcastic shit at Shawn for being dropped on his head! Vortex makes the tag just as Shawn does! Debris comes in like a house of fire! He ducks a clothesline from James and nails him with a dropkick that sends him into a corner! Shawn charges in for the save, but debris ducks which sends Shawn reeling into James in the corner! Vortex has gotten up now, and with some encouragement, Debris irish whips him hard into the corner, sandwiching Shawn between himself and Raven!

TREY BOOKER: These men are willing to sacrifice everything to win, including their bodies. Lemme tell you, there’s nobody who walks away from a move like that thinking they got the best of it.

Vortex rolls out of the ring to catch his breath as Shawn stumbles backward into a german suplex by Debris! James Raven remains in the corner, the air knocked out of him! He then charges James and nails him with a monkey flip! James lands right on top of Shawn! Feeling himself, Debris raises his fists and yells to the crowd, before getting up on the second rope, and leaping for a splash! But James Raven manages to get his knees up, ending Debris hot streak and busting his midsection up!

TREY BOOKER: This match is brought to you by Debris’ lunch, which he might see for the second time today after those knees caught him right in the stomach!

J.T. PRICE: Talk about gnarly. Stormchasers came out with massive offense early, but now Legacy’s reaching into their tank to show how they earned the name Legacy.

Shawn shoves James off of him, and rolls out of the ring, returning to his corner gingerly as James Raven gets up, and pursues Debris, paying him a kick to the ribs as he’s trying to catch his breath and getting to his feet. James stalks him further, paying him another kick before snatching Debris by the tights and pulling him to the center of the ring, before lifting him up and measuring him. He goes to hit the F.Y.S but Debris ducks! He nails James with a neckbreaker, taking him down!

Debris follows it up by trying to lock in a figure-four leg lock, but James manages to shove him away with a boot to the ass! Debris stumbles into the ropes, he turns around and charges back in going for a shining wizard, but James Raven leaps forth and nails him in midair with a vicious spear that levels Debris and knocks the very life out of him! James gets up, and drags Debris to his corner where he tags in Shawn! After conferring, Shawn gets in and James heads up top! They hit the WAAZZZUUUP, but not as lame, you know? Shawn goes for the pin as James charges and knocks Vortex off the apron!!

TREY BOOKER: This might be it, the ring’s cleared!

J.T. PRICE: I think that spear folded Debris in half!

ONE
TWO

Debris kicks out! He gets a shoulder up! James looks shocked and yells “HOW DIDNT YOU GET THAT?!” before throwing his hands up and being herded to his corner by the ref. Shawn, undeterred, picks Debris up and goes for a discus clothesline but Debris manages to duck! Shawn turns around into the E-F5 tornado punch!! He stumbles into his corner, where James Raven tags himself in! He hits the F.Y.S on Debris almost immediately, before heading back to his corner and tagging out once more!

J.T. PRICE: ...James Raven might need a Metropass given how often he’s taking frequent stops.

TREY BOOKER: It isn’t textbook, but textbook doesn’t always get the job done on fighters as out-of-the ordinary as Stormchasers, I suppose.

Shawn comes in, and nails a running elbow drop onto Debris! He then gets up and tags James Raven back in, who saunters over near Debris, and nails him with a springboard elbow drop! He kips to his feet, waiting for Debris to get up once more….and then goes and tags Shawn back in. The two of them lift Debris up, and whip him into the ropes, before nailing “The Shrug!!” Vortex is incensed on his corner, yelling encouragement to his partner as Shawn drops down for another cover, only for Debris to get a foot on the rope!

TREY BOOKER: Ring awareness saves the day for Stormchasers!

J.T. PRICE: Yeah, he didn’t need Doppler radar to know his way around the ring.

Shawn, angry that Debris won’t die, pulls his opponent up, and nails him with the PPF! Debris is rocked, falling back into the ropes. Shawn goes and snatches him, he lifts him up into a stalling brainbuster! He holds Debris vertical in an impressive display! But Debris begins to fight through! He nails Shawin in the face with a couple knee strikes, causing him to put Debris down! Debris then leaps and nails him with an elbow to the face! He uses the momentum and leaps to Vortex, making the tag!

J.T. PRICE: Vortex FINALLY gets the moment he waited for, and he’s ready to blow them away!

TREY BOOKER:  He looks like a man with a plan and nothing to lose, so I love it!

Vortex runs past Shawn and instantly knocks James Raven off the apron! He turns and ducks and strikes by Shawn and begins dealing his own blows to Shawn’s kidneys, causing the man to try and arch away from the blows! Vortex kicks Shawn in the back of the knee, dropping him, then nails him with a shortfall DDT, spiking his head into the mat! Vortex gets up and heads to the top rope! Shawn gets up wobbly, and is nailed by a flying crossbody from Vortex! Vortex motions that the end is nigh!

TREY BOOKER: Is this it? Are we going to see it?

J.T. PRICE: Boys and girls at home, right now’s the time to tuck your head between yer legs and cover yer ears, cuz you’re about to be blown to pieces!

He motions to Debris for their joint finisher, and goes to tag him but James Raven rushes around the corner of the ring, and pulls Debris off the apron! He then nails him with the F.Y.S, knocking him down and probably out cold!! Vortex launches himself over the top rope in a suicide dive, but James Raven manages to catch him, and charges into the turnbuckle, bashing his spine into it! He then rolls Vortex back into the ring to Shawn, who has started to get to his feet.

James Raven rolls in, and he and Shawn engage in a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors! Shawn, the legal man wins! He hits Vortex with the Ego trip, and drops down for the pin, hooking the leg! James Raven postures to the crowd, flexing as the ref goes to count!

J.T. PRICE: ...I love the level of seriousness they devote to the match.

TREY BOOKER: They narrowly escaped death, and after wasting valuable seconds, Raven makes the cover!

ONE!
TWO!
THREE!

DING! DING! DING!

HOLLY PEREZ: Here are your winners and advancing to the Finals of the Tag Team Tournament… The team of James Raven and Shawn Warstein… LEGACCCCYYY!!

TREY BOOKER: I’m just gonna say it now, Storm Chasers are a force to be reckoned with and Legacy was able to put a stop to the storm tonight.

J.T. PRICE: Agreed. Now they have one final stop and that’s at Unbreakable Resolution for the Tag Team Championships!


A long black stretched out limo pulls up backstage to the arena. Once the fancy ride comes to a halt, the driver gets out of the driver's side and goes to the back door to open it. The anticipation of who is inside has the crowd in an uproar, then the door opens and a set of female hands is shown gripping the door. The figure then reveals herself out to be Kimberly Chase. Suddenly, the noise from the crowd was replaced by a chorus of boos. From behind, her new female assistant, Mattie follows behind as the two make their way inside the building. Upon inside, Kimberly strolls through the same familiar hallway until she reaches the office of The General Manager, Callum Walker. She places her hand on the door knob to turn it before Mattie stops her.

Mattie: “Wouldn't it be appropriate to knock first instead?”

Kimberly Chase: “Kimberly Chase does not knock on doors, honey. You will learn that soon enough.”

Mattie: “Still, Miss Chase.. Mr. Callum deserves the privacy and respect just as much as anyone here.”

Kimberly chuckles and turns the doorknob. Both walk into the office without the presence of the general manager there. Mattie takes a seat on a chair while Kimberly walks around and observes everything in sight, turning her attention to his desk. She shakes her head over the
untidiness of it, but something else seemed to capture her attention. She slowly walked closer and cleared the papers from the desk, then saw the fresh wad of cash sitting there, her eyes lit up like Christmas day upon holding it. Typical Kimberly, she started shoving it into her pockets, shoes, shirt.. anything to keep it hidden away as her assistant was oblivious to what was happening.

CALLUM WALKER: To what do I owe the pleasure of you two barging into my office?

She turns around with a fake smile and walks towards him to extend her hand out.

Kimberly Chase:“Mr. Callum, hello. Just the man I was looking for.”

CALLUM WALKER: What can I do for you, Kimberly?

Kimberly Chase“I know you're a busy man running this asylum and with the holidays approaching your schedule will surely increase, but I was wondering if you had the chance to look over the paperwork I sent you?”

She crosses her arms, trying hard to conceal the money she has stolen.

CALLUM WALKER: I did, actually. I’m quite impressed. I’m a little worried after this whole Colton situation though, but I’m assuming that’s why you’re here to talk.

[color:f344=ff0000]Kimberly Chase “I can assure you that you will be making an excellent choice should you say yes. Anything that I do will clearly turn to gold. Plus, not only that, but this will help you as well. Think of the success to be made from this decision.”

Callum rubs his hand across his face and takes a deep breath.

CALLUM WALKER: Well, Kimberly… I can’t say that I might not regret this, but you make a good point. I’m still not fully sold on this yet, so whatever else you got, lay it on me.

Kimberly Chase:“We can talk about the rest in private. I don't need people knowing my business. I have enough of that in my private life.”

Her assistant joins her and flashes him a genuine smile as Kimberly grins knowing he could possibly give in to her persuasion. Callum smirks back at them.

CALLUM WALKER: You heard the lady, she wants to talk in private. Go on.

Callum waves out the camera crew and they walk out of the office. When the door shuts, the camera cuts out.



The show feed switches back over to the ringside area, the fans erupting into tears as the focus shifts to Project: Honor ring announcer Holly Perez who is ready to lead us to the next contest.

HOLLY PEREZ: This next match is your second of two semifinal matches in the Project: Honor Tag Team Championship tournament!!

The lights in the arena are completely extinguished as “The Bloodletting” by Concrete Blonde begins to play. Moments later, a pair of spotlights shine on opposite sides of the entrance area, as Ambrosius and Valentine rise from seemingly prone positions. Both men have their arms crossed at their chests and their eyes remain closed until they reach a vertical position. Snapping their eyes open simultaneously, they begin to walk toward the center of the entrance, meeting each other in the middle with a pair of sinister smiles. Valeria then makes her entrance, seductively walking between the two men before leading them towards the ring, the fans mostly voicing displeasure at the trio.

HOLLY PEREZ: Introducing first..making their way to the ring at this time, accompanied by Valeria, coming in at a total combined weight of 452 lbs., Ambrosious and Valentine, THE AV CLUB!

Ambrosius and Valentine take their time walking toward the ring side-by-side, both staring straight ahead and grinning as Valeria walks a few feet ahead and the camera seems to back away from the trio. Upon reaching the ring, Ambrosius walks up one set of ring steps while Valentine moves to the steps on the opposite side of the ring. They both step between the ropes while Valeria slides into the ring, and the two men move behind her as she remains on her hands and knees. Both men begin to raise their arms at their sides, palms facing upwards, and the lights return to full illumination along with their symbolic gesture.

J.T. PRICE: Jeez I still can’t get used to that! Too freaky..

Once the lighting has returned to normal, Valeria slides back under the ropes while Ambrosius and Valentine move to their corner of the ring and begin to remove their entrance coats. They hand the garments over the top rope to Valeria, and then turn back to bare their fangs as a symbolic warning.

TREY BOOKER: This group is rather unique, but you can’t question the skills of Ambrosius and Valentine as they made an emphatic statement at the last Proving Ground.

J.T. PRICE: That they did but tonight they’re not facing just any team. They’re going up against arguably the most dynamic individuals Project: Honor has and as a force, so far they’ve been unstoppable.

With The AV Club standing outside the ring by their corner, the collective gaze of the masses return to Holly Perez who greets them all with a smile.

HOLLY PEREZ: Now introducing their opponents.. About to make their way to the ring, at a total combined weight of 300 lbs., “The Crescent Moon” Zane, “The Shining Star” MYOJIN, they are the CELESTIAL LOVERS!!

Everything goes dark again for a few moments. A beautiful projection of stars and moons shows up on the ceiling of the arena, swirling around the audience and over the ring, the fans already erupting just at the imagery.

O—
Aphrodite
I wrote your constellation
Into the sky
S-s-s-s-s-sa
Suns at night

The lights return ever so softly dim as the entrancing melody of “4 ÆM” begins to play.  Magenta, neon blues, and other vibrant mesmerizing colors give the arena a cosmic, ethereal appearance. The lights begin to shine down upon two figures, standing- as if they're glowing. The lights dim, revealing both the Crescent Moon and the Shining Star! Zane wears a glowing tiger mask with a tear on the left eye, as MYOJIN wears a half mask, their color schemes matching. They both lock elbows as they walk down the entrance ramp as the music begins to amp up, the two staring at each other with a grin before they let go and simultaneously run down the ramp!

I’m out late at 4 AM
He says, “How’s the weather, baby? How’ve you been?”
You’re gonna get sick, you don’t know when
I never doubt it at 4 AM
I’m out late at 4 AM
He says, “How’s the weather, baby? How’ve you been?”
You’re gonna get sick, you don’t know when
I never doubt it at 4 AM

They both climb up the apron and somersault into the ring. Zane moves to the left top turnbuckle as MYOJIN moves to the right. The glowing lights shining down on them both once more as they point up to the ‘starry sky’ projected up above, then slowly point toward each other with a dramatic flair, before both backflip off of the turnbuckles. Moving to the center of the ring, they both take a bow in front of the audience, removing their masks at the same time, their confident grins unfading as they look to the cheering fans. They then move toward their corner and begin to get ready.

J.T. PRICE: Wow these two just bring such a high level of energy wherever they go! The crowd can’t get enough of them!

TREY BOOKER: Well J.T., both earned the favor of the fans all around the world and have shown that in the face of the greatest challenges, professionally and personally, that they will not give up. It’s something you have to respect if nothing else.

J.T. PRICE: Too true, Zane and MYOJIN were able to win against a very game Big Drip Productions and look to continue that wave of success heading into Unbreakable Resolution! Let’s see if they can..

With both members of the AV Club climbing up onto the apron, Valentine enters the ring to start things off while MYOJIN steps out onto the apron so that Zane may begin for their team. Ring announcer Holly Perez makes her way outside the squared circle and the bell then sounds to get things rolling officially.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Circling the ring for a moment, Zane and Valentine lockup in the center. Seeing herself with a bit of a disadvantage as she’s pushed a couple steps back, Zane ducks under with the go behind. Valentine moves to the ropes, using his weight to push Zane off, who rolls back. Charging at him, Zane has her momentum used against her by the creature of the night who tosses her over the top. The young woman catches herself though, landing on her feet on the apron. Spotting this, Valentine comes charging at her only to be met with a quick side kick that causes him to stumble back. Zane then capitalizes, leaping up and nailing a springboard arm drag. Not letting up, she follows with a Japanese arm drag and a sliding knee that sends her larger opponent scrambling to the wrong corner. MYOJIN stretches out his hand, Zane looking at him a moment before making the tag.

TREY BOOKER: Interesting moment of hesitation there by Zane. Could there be something going on between these two?

J.T. PRICE: While I doubt it Booker, if there is, they better get their heads back in the game quick!

The partners hit crisp simultaneous dropkicks sending Valentine, who had just been whipped into the ropes, down to the canvas, generating a loud and quick burst of cheers from the audience as they spring up to their feet with a perfectly timed kip up. Zane speaks a few inaudible words to her partner, giving him a light slap on the shoulder and then stepping out to their corner.

J.T. PRICE: You were saying?

TREY BOOKER: Hey now, I was just making an observation, I’ll own up to being wrong, if I am..

Keeping up with the pace set by his partner, MYOJIN takes Valentine off guard with a series of running strikes which end with a Step Up Enzuigiri that drops the other blonde. Running for the modified corkscrew neckbreaker, MYOJIN finds himself cut off with a kick to the back which allows Valentine the chance to meet him at the pass with a wicked Spinebuster, recovering for a second before tagging in his partner.

TREY BOOKER: MYOJIN ran right into trouble there J.T. I don’t know if it’s a case of being in the clouds mentally but he’s paying for it now.

J.T. PRICE: The former number one contender is one of our top athletes for a reason though Booker so it’s going to take a lot more than a simple mistake to keep him down.

TREY BOOKER: With all that’s on the line, I don’t doubt that for a second. The AV Club have the advantage now though so let’s see how he can handle it.

The referee has a hard time separating the men from stomping the grounded star, but the duo finally let up. Valentine returns to their corner after a quick Double Hip Toss, but rather than go for the cover, Ambrosius begins choking MYOJIN. A pinfall attempt is finally made once the bigger man hoists MYOJIN up by the throat, rocking him with a sitout chokebomb.

One!
Tw-

Shooting his shoulder off the canvas defiantly, the crowd cheers for MYOJIN to recover. Their rally is cut off though by the hammering fists of Ambrosius. The bigger man gets to a vertical base, dragging his opponent up to one as well by his blonde locks, actually tossing him up high by the hair before catching him and dropping him with a twisting Saito Suplex.

J.T. PRICE: Man that was wicked!! Incredible show of strength there by Ambrosius and MYOJIN is in a world of hurt now!

TREY BOOKER: No kidding..

Taking a second to mockingly toss away a few stray locks, the vampire then goes for another pin.

One!
Two!!

MYOJIN again shows his fighting spirit by kicking out, getting more clubbing blows for his effort. Going for a rear chinlock proves erroneous for the bigger man as he eats a few knees to the face before MYOJIN is able to get enough of a base to take him over with a Bridging Northern Lights Suplex for the pin.

One!
T-

Ambrosius kicks out with a bit of authority but is met with frustration induced strikes from MYOJIN now, the crowd coming alive as he rises to his feet with a burst of adrenaline. The big man tries for a lariat but MYOJIN is a little too fast for him, ducking under and catching him with a Backflip Headscissors Takedown at the turn. Grabbing hold of Ambrosius, he brings him back to the corner of the celestials as Zane tags herself in. MYOJIN lays in a few strikes before the duo set up and execute the ‘Luminous Descent’ Falling Neckbreaker/Moonsault Combo with perfection, Zane then going for the pin.

J.T. PRICE: This could be it Booker!!

One!
Two!!

Valentine comes in with a stomp to the back of Zane breaking up the fall. Grabbing the smaller competitor by her dark hair, he finds himself on the wrong end of a spin kick, followed up with a Gamengiri by Zane which gets him down and rolling out of the ring. She then runs the ropes to try and go after the recovering Ambrosius but gets tripped up by Valeria which brings some serious boos from the crowd. Ambrosius looks to gain the advantage but Zane shocks him with a leaping variant of ‘Just Stamp The Ticket Man’ which gets a huge reaction from the fans. However, the zoomed in gaze of the Crescent Moon turns hollow, almost greying as she stares off, now smirking.

TREY BOOKER: An interesting take on Just Stamp The Ticket Man by Zane there but J.T. I do not have a good feeling about the look in that young woman’s eyes.

J.T. PRICE: I’m sure it’s just a case of adrenaline Booker..

TREY BOOKER: I seriously hope you’re right, it’s not discussed often at her request but Zane has been in a.. rather rough way since coming back.

J.T. PRICE: Look man just drop it, this is the last thing Emiko needs right now. Let’s keep focus on the match.

Slowly turning her head to her corner, Zane simply walks over and makes the tag to MYOJIN, who looks at her a bit worried. Checking in with his partner a couple times to make sure she is okay, MYOJIN then turns around to a Spinning Back Suplex into a Spinning Side Slam from Valentine who faked the tag unbeknownst to the referee.

One!
Two!!
THR-

Zane breaks up the cover just in time which prompts the manager of the AV Club, Valeria to climb up for the distraction.

J.T. PRICE: Now what the hell does she think she’s doing?

TREY BOOKER: Getting under the skin of the wrong person it looks like..

Zane heads over to Valeria on the apron, her gaze still looking rather distant as she’s yelling at her to go away, but as Valentine charges in to strike from behind, the moon maiden sidesteps the vamp just in time so he collides with his manager full force. Using the bigger man’s unsteadiness to her advantage, Zane snaps back to reality and catches him with a knee to the back of the head, sending him to the outside as well. Back on the other side, Ambrosius and MYOJIN are back to their feet, the bigger of the two looking to grab hold of the Shining Star, but he rolls through. Taking a half step, Ambrosius finds himself trapped in the sights of both eccentric talents who level him with “The Eclipse” Shining Wizard/Yakuza Kick Combo. Zane then rocks Valentine with a basement dropkick to the outside as MYOJIN goes for the cover.

One!
Two!!
THREE!!!

HOLLY PEREZ: Here are your winners, advancing to the Tag Team Championship finals, the CELESTIAL LOVERS!!

Rolling into the ring, Zane looks over at her partner who rises to his knees following the pin. He gives her a reassuring nod, the two sharing a few inaudible words before getting up and embracing in a hug, as the fans continue applauding the outcome.

TREY BOOKER: They did it J.T., Zane and MYOJIN have made it to the finals of the tag team tournament!

J.T. PRICE: That they did but it’s only going to get more daunting from here Booker, they have one hell of a team waiting in the wings for them, not to mention another...very looming figure in their paths as well.

TREY BOOKER: Wow, that’s the most professional I’ve seen you handle that whole thing so far.

J.T. PRICE: Last thing I need is another fine thanks to that asshole..


We open up in the back and we see Christian DeMarco, formerly Caliban.  Dressed in a black suit with a dark blue tie, he is sitting on the coach in his room.  In his hands is the bag that Arik Holt tripped over earlier in the night.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: Am I ready?

He continues to stare at the bag.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: In my short time in this business, I’ve been through so much.  Through the death of Kymani…

...the nepotism of Common Questions Wrestling…

...the brain tumor…

...the voices…

A tear slides down Christian’s cheek.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: I’ve fought so hard.  I’ve given my all.  Am I right for this?  Am I...am I the correct man for this?

Christian grips the bag tightly and throws his head back slightly.  He sniffles and then uses one hand to wipe the wetness from his cheeks.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: Can I be the one...to pull this off?

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.  After a moment, it's as if the tension just disappears.  A wicked little smile appears on his face and he opens his eyes.  He stands to his feet and makes his way over to the small bathroom, out of sight of the camera.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: I’m going to make this mine.  I’m going to prove to myself that I am the right person for this.  I’m going to prove to them ALL...that they were wrong…

The black jacket comes flying out of the bathroom, landing on the floor.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: That they held me down...

The white dress shirt and tie comes flying out of the bathroom, landing on the floor.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: That I have it in me…

Now an empty bag comes flying out of the bathroom, landing on the floor

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: That I have moved beyond strings…

Suddenly the lights in the room go out and there is a green hue coming from the bathroom.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: To something a little bit more...extreme.


As Proving Ground returns, the view of the backstage area is visible. The interviewing area, normally filled with superstars talking about that future ahead of them, is empty save for the Grand Champion himself. Dickie Watson stares at the ground in front of him, the smile that usually paints itself across his face absent as his nose flares. He wears the championship upon his shoulder, holding it tightly in right hand over his chest. He is not pleased, and that’s obvious from the actions that took place earlier in the night. His hair, the swoop of his bangs across his forehead, obscures his eyes from being seen completely, but it absolutely doesn’t mask the rigidity of his pose.

DICKIE WATSON: It takes a lot to get me irate. I know I walk around these halls with an obvious chip on my shoulder -- for good reason, mind you. But a chip and anger are two different things, two entirely different emotions that can take hold and embed themselves within someone’s body and soul and have vastly different consequences. I’ve been annoyed, certainly. Irritated, angry...but irate? No, I’ve never been irate in the halls of Project: Honor. I’ve never needed to be. No one has ever quite gotten me there. Not until now. Not until tonight.

He pauses, You can see the white-knuckled grip his has upon his title, and he doesn’t let go of it either. He raises his head and he stares directly into the frame. His lip is curled up in anger and his nose is titled in a degree that makes wrinkles appear upon the bridge of it.

DICKIE WATSON: For those of you that care, Aiden is fine. A few pathetic whacks because someone didn’t like the result of someone powering over them like they said they would, like they said they would capitalize upon isn’t going to keep someone like Aiden down. But what it does do is that it causes a bit of chaos and anarchy to arise, and it pisses me the fuck off more than you can even imagine.

He exhales, letting the words settle into the air before he opens his mouth again and speaks. His cockney accent, usually sparcing the joy in his tone, now only makes his angry words harsher and more deliberate. Dickie Watson, as far as anyone can tell, is fucking done with the entire night.

DICKIE WATSON: Contessa Floran, you made it clear that you thought last week was not the best night of your infinitely short lifespan of wrestling. You went as far as to call yourself collateral damage in a fight that was stacked against you to begin with. But tonight? You were your own detriment, and you couldn’t find a way to place the blame on someone else because it was you who fucked up. No one saw you as anything less than what you proclaimed yourself to be, and tonight? Contessa, you fucked with the wrong group of competitors because of your desire to be considered great before you’ve taken the steps to become more than nothing.

He shakes his head, looking off to the side as he does so, before quickly returning straight-forward.

DICKIE WATSON: I respected you before tonight. It may not seem like it, but I respected you as a competitor. You’re a bit unethical, but that’s fine. We all are at times. But to become petulant and attack the man who cleanly beat you two weeks in a row? No. That I can’t stand by. That I can’t abide.

He lifts his championship, setting it higher upon his shoulder.

DICKIE WATSON: You want to talk about having a Death Wish List, and all of these names written red and underlined like a sad Taylor Swift song are on it because you didn’t like the results of something. Welcome to mine. And unlike you, I only have one focus to target for this list at the moment and your name is at the top. You do not attack the people in my circle without facing retribution for your crimes. It took me a minute. I wanted to make sure my partner in The Commonwealth was fine before I went to Rock Johnson and made my case. Lucky for me, he agreed and approved. But here I am, standing before you to let you know that you will have a match at Unbreakable Resolution. You will have an opportunity to stand tall and face the last name on your shitty little list. You will get your shot at taking down the Grand Champion of Project: Honor.

His grip continues to stay strong upon the golden belt, and finally, his lips curl upwards into a sinister smile.

DICKIE WATSON: That’s right, Contessa. You’ll be facing me at Unbreakable Resolution. And to up the ante? You’ll be carrying a shot at the Grand Championship itself. I told everyone from the get go that I was going to be a fighting champion, and that hasn’t fallen yet. But before you get excited about that fight, let me give you the stipulation.

He leans forward for a second, as if to share a secret of his own. That smile doesn’t fade..

DICKIE WATSON: You’ll be facing me in a street fight, Contessa. I know you like weapons, but let me remind you that every time I’ve defended this championship, it’s been in a match that carries weapons and requires blood to be spilled. As much as you think death loves you is how much I want to paint Denver in the red stain that flows through your veins. So trust me when I say this, but you better hope that your boyfriend is waiting for you in Hell with open arms, because on the 20th? The Underworld is going to be your new home.

He clenches his hand upon his championship as he leans back.

DICKIE WATSON: Every action has a consequence, Contessa. Remember that.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

HOLLY PEREZ: The following contest is your main event of the evening, and is a Deathmatch, scheduled for one fall!!

Lights dim down around the arena. Spotlights roam around the audience before settling in on one specific location. No entrance music, no fancy entrance. Colton Saint emerges from the tunnel, still wearing the armed guard uniform from earlier on. He glares down at the floor, soaking in the horrendous response from the audience here.

TREY BOOKER:Oh, they are letting him have it!

Colton’s gaze moves from the floor to the ring in the distance. He slowly makes his way towards the stairs before beginning his descent towards ringside. Security is lined up all the way down to the ringside area as the Last Breathing Outlaw remains stone faced, focused on the task at hand. Audience members initially try to get through security with no luck. A few of them point at Saint, shouting things at him. It all falls on deaf ears.

J.T. PRICE: I’m shocked they haven’t gotten past security yet. This is the damndest thing..

Continuing his walk down the steps, the spotlight remains on him. Colton notices a few overly eager fans try to get past the guards, eventually spitting at him. Colton stops in his tracks, glaring at the fan before grabbing his hat. He makes his way down the steps, looking at the Charlotte Hornets hat before putting it on. He shouts to the crowd “I love this team!” mockingly before ripping the hat off and throwing it into another section.

HOLLY PEREZ: Introducing first, fighting out of the Rofflestomp Ranch, weighing in at 245lbs. He is the ‘Last Breathing Outlaw’ Colton Saint!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A thunderous chorus of boos rain down on the former X-Factor Champion as he reaches the bottom of the steps. Colton grabs onto the guard rail, stepping over it as several fans try to cross over as well, only to be stopped by security.

TREY BOOKER: I’ve been doing this a long time, J.T., and I have never seen a reaction like this. They are calling for his blood.

Slowly making his way up the steps to the ring apron, Colton looks out at everyone before climbing into the ring. He calmly rips the security shirt open before taking it off. He glares over at Holly Perez before circling the ring with a focused demeanor.

J.T. PRICE: And that’s the thing, Trey. They are calling for his blood, and blood will be pouring. Will it be his blood though?

Colton walks over to the ropes, leaning his upper body down as he rests his arms on the top rope. Looking out at the audience, he notices objects being thrown his way, including a cup of beer that he promptly swats away. He turns away from the ropes and glances up at the stage with a slight sneer. It is time for war as the spotlight drops off of him, awaiting the entrance of his opponent.

TREY BOOKER: Well folks our Main Event of the evening is a Deathmatch between Colton Saint and Lazarus Arjen as ordered by the supreme leader, Rock Johnson!

J.T. PRICE: Yep and during the break the ring crew has set it up with fur trash cans in each corner filled with various weapons from barbed wire baseball bats to fluorescent light tubes to thumbtacks and god only knows what else. Also apparently two of the turnbuckles have been rigged with explosives!

TREY BOOKER: Well, I think one or both men could die streaming on Netflix!

HOLLY PEREZ: And his opponent... on his way to the ring - from Alkmaar, Netherlands, weighing at One Hundred and Sixty-One Pounds. He is “The Poison” … Lazarus Arjen!

It was around the time when the ring announcer got to his name that a deep, low humming began emanating over the P.A. That deep, low hum lasts for four seconds, and then stops for a few seconds. This four seconds of the hum repeats three more times before the beat fully drops and “PIT OF FIRE” by 3TEETH takes over the P.A. system fully. All attention has turned to the entrance way, but seconds go by while the song plays and no one comes out. It wasn't until a disturbance in the crowd was heard by means of jeering, that the cameras all shifted to see - through the crowd - Lazarus Arjen, Aurora Ray and Euan Hill. The trio known as 'Project: Death" pushed their way through the crowd, despite the jeering and even odd person throwing a water bottle or something at them - although Euan looked like he was ready to murder that person. Lazarus was the first to jump the barrier, then Aurora and then Euan and now all three surrounded the ring. Lazarus slid in underneath the rope while Aurora ascended the stairs and Euan climbed onto the apron. Once the team of American Grime entered, they made their way to the corner where Lazarus has sat himself. Euan stands tall and Aurora sits on the middle rope, her arms outstretched on the top rope. And the three 'Project: Death' members stare dead ahead.

J.T. PRICE: Shit Arjen is wasting no time as the American Grime move away from the ring!

Arjen goes right after Saint and tries for a clothesline, but Saint ducks underneath. Saint tries for a right punch of his own but it gets blocked by Arjen. Arjen kicks Saint low and then DDTs him to the mat causing one of the trash cans full of thumbtacks falls over spreading across the mat.

The referee finally calls for the bell to ring and the match to start.

DING DING DING!

J.T. PRICE: About damn time ref!

Arjen picks Saint up and unchambers lefts and rights into Saint's stomach and chest. Arjen shoves Saint into the corner and rushes in with a clothesline and connects. Saint stumbles out of the corner and then Arjen picks up Saint in a full-nelson and slams him right ontop of the thumb tacks.

TREY BOOKER: Arjen has wasted no time and is dominating Saint early in the match.

J.T. PRICE: What a cheap start by Arjen. He didn't give Saint any time to get ready in the ring.

TREY BOOKER: Saint had plenty of time, J.T..

Arjen gets Saint up to his feet and sends him into the ropes. Arjen hits a tilt-a-whirl slam on Saint. Arjen goes into the ropes and comes down with a highly elevated leg drop over the throat of Saint causing the thumb tacks to go deeper into his. Arjen goes into the ropes again for another leg drop, but Saint rolls out of the way just in time.

J.T. PRICE: Whoo! Come on Saint!

Saint gets to his feet, and climbs up the turnbuckles grabbing two fluorescent light tubes. Arjen gets over to his feet and runs toward the corner. Just before Saint can jump off causing him to drop the tubes, Arjen nails Saint with a right hand. Arjen takes Saint down to the mat with a gorilla press slam on top of the fluorescent tubes, the shards piercing his skin!

TREY BOOKER: Arjen' strength is endless, J.T.! Did you see how he lifted Saint?

J.T. PRICE: Whatever, Saint has got this!

Arjen waits for Saint to get up, and then nails Saint with a right punch. Arjen whips Saint into the ropes and Saint comes back only to have Arjen hit 180 spinebuster on him. Arjen goes into the ropes and comes down with a splash over Saint. Arjen gets to his feet and lays the boots to Saint, and then gets him to his feet. Arjen knees Saint in the stomach and then sends him shoulder-first into the ringpost. Saint connects violently with the ring post and Arjen pulls him out of the corner. Arjen picks up Saint and sets him on the top turnbuckle. Saint's back is to the ring and Arjen climbs to the middle rope. He puts his head underneath Saint's left arm and picks him up, slamming him back-first into the mat below on top of one of the four metal trash cans in the corners but as we know one has spilt over but the other three still have plenty of fun left in them.

TREY BOOKER: What a reverse suplex off the top rope from Arjen! He's not letting Saint breathe!

J.T. PRICE: Don't worry Saint will get out of this soon.

TREY BOOKER: I don't know, Saint seems to be in some major pain after landing on that metal trash can.

Saint is grabbing his back as he rolls off the now crushed trash can. Arjen gets Saint up to his feet and slams his taped fist he covered in the broken light tubes and slams it into Saint's lower back. Arjen does it again, and again. Arjen sends Saint into the ropes, and Arjen immediately goes into the ropes perpendicular from Saint. Saint bounces off the ropes the same time Arjen does and Arjen gives Saint a fireball to the face!

TREY BOOKER: Good God! Arjen tried to set Saint on fire!

J.T. PRICE: Wow..

Arjen gets up to his feet, getting the crowd pumped up. Saint stirs a bit, trying to get to his knees that have thumb tacks in them. He's gasping for air. Saint grabs the ropes and tries to get up, but Arjen is back on him again. Arjen slams his fist into Saint's back again and then takes Saint down with a german suplex.

TREY BOOKER: Saint is in a lot of trouble here, J.T.. If he can't do something about Arjen' offense then it might be over for him.

J.T. PRICE: No way, Trey. Saint is too good and too experienced for that.

Arjen begins to climb to the top rope. The crowd gets crazy as Arjen is standing on the top rope holding onto a barbed wire bat he retrieved from a trash can. He tries to keep his balance and then leaps off with an attempt to swing down, but Saint moves out of the way! Arjen connects with nothing but the canvas and the barbed wire bat to his . Saint tries to get up to his feet quickly, but he's in a lot of pain. Arjen gets up to his knees. Saint finally gets to his feet the same time Arjen is, and Arjen charges in. Saint ducks underneath and then hits a roundhouse to the back of Arjen' head!

TREY BOOKER: What a kick from Saint!

J.T. PRICE: Oh yeah!

Arjen holds his head and Saint slams his fist into Arjen' side. Saint picks up the barbed wire bat goes into the ropes and comes back with a flying forearm but it’s the bat and goes to Arjen' head, taking him down. Saint stomps Arjen on the mat, and then slides out of the ring. Saint reaches for something underneath the ring. He brings it out, and it's a steel chair!

TREY BOOKER: I think Saint has had enough and feels it's time to let loose on Arjen.

J.T. PRICE: No kidding Trey!

Saint slides into the ring with the chair and Arjen is on his feet. Saint swings, but Arjen moves out of the way. Arjen kicks Saint low and Saint drops the chair. Arjen tries to go for the DO NOT RESUSCITATE and gets Saint up on his knees, but Saint tries to fight out of it, hitting Arjen in the legs and toes with lefts and rights.

TREY BOOKER: Arjen is going for the Do Not Resuscitate!

J.T. PRICE: Saint reverses out of it!

Saint musters the strength to stand up sending Arjen behind him onto the shards of light tubes and thumb tacks that have covered the mat. Saint gets up to his feet and grabs the chair again. Saint walks over to Arjen, but Arjen kicks Saint in the left knee! Arjen rises to his feet with a big uppercut, knocking Saint to the mat. Saint gets to a knee and Arjen charges in, but Saint head butts Arjen in the stomach and then elbows Arjen in the head. Arjen stumbles back and Saint tries for a spinning heel kick, but Arjen catches Saint before Saint can connect. Arjen hits Saint with a belly to belly suplex! Saint crashes to the mat.

TREY BOOKER: What a reversal from Lazarus!

J.T. PRICE: Saint is definitely hurting from that suplex and needs to get back on offense here.

Arjen walks over to Saint and picks him up by the head. Arjen slams Saint head-first into the turnbuckle which....

BANG!

...explodes on impact from the turnbuckle being rigged to blow slightly blinding the former X-Factor.

CROWD: HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT!

Arjen sends Saint into the ropes. Saint bounces back and Arjen tries for a big boot, but Saint ducks underneath, wrapping Arjen by the waist from behind. Saint tries for a german suplex, and sends the smaller man back into the turnbuckle that blew up in Coltons face and the raw hot metal underneath stings Lazarus on impact.

TREY BOOKER: Saint isn’t going down without a fight! I mean how can he see after that explosion in his face?!

J.T. PRICE: Saint is one of the fastest and strongest guys in the Project: Honor, Trey. I hear a few more turnbuckles are rigged to blow if hit hard enough! This is insane! Someones gonna die! WOOOO!

Colton goes to splash Lazarus but he ducks out of the corner and as Saint turns Arjen hits a Cutter on The Last Breathing Outlaw!

TREY BOOKER: Nice Cutter from Lazarus!

J.T. PRICE: Where did he learn THAT?

TREY BOOKER: I imagine from the wrestling school he would have attended ya jackass!

Arjen gets to his feet and goes over and comes down with a knee drop over Saint's forehead. Arjen gets Saint up to his feet and nails him with a european uppercut. Arjen backs off a bit, and puts his dukes up. He nails Saint with calculated hooks and jabs. Saint is barely able to stand, and his lip is busted open. Arjen takes a step back, and then nails Saint with a huge haymaker. Saint goes right back down to the mat. Arjen towers over Saint and gets him up to his feet again. Arjen raises his hand up in the air to keep the crowd going, but Saint takes away Arjen' moment with a low blow.

TREY BOOKER: A low blow from Saint... now that's cheap, J.T..

J.T. PRICE: And perfectly legal!

Arjen falls to the mat. Saint gets up and stomps on Arjen' head pushing broken glass and the odd thumbtack. Saint climbs up to the top rope, his back to the ring. He smiles at the crowd and then leaps off with a moonsault double foot stomp and lands directly on Arjen' chest. Arjen goes crazy in the ring, holding his chest and trying to gasp for air. Saint doesn't let Arjen breathe and connects on Arjen' face with a vicious kick. Saint mounts Arjen and unchambers lefts and rights. Saint grabs Arjen by the head and yells at him, and then reaches back with his right hand and delivers a crushing blow to Arjen' face.

TREY BOOKER: What a stiff punch from Saint.

J.T. PRICE: He’s a mean son of a bitch!

Lazarus gets up to his feet and sees the steel chair that he brought in earlier. He grabs it. Colton is trying to get up to his feet, still holding his chest. Colton turns around and Lazarus nails him directly on the forehead with the chair!

J.T. PRICE: OH YEAH!

TREY BOOKER: Colton... Colton is bleeding badly after that chair shot.

J.T. PRICE: He’s bleeding all over the ring from the thumb tacks and glass light tube shards!

Colton can taste his own blood, and his eyes light up with anger and fury. Colton gets to his feet and Lazarus swings at him again, but Colton catches the chair. Lazarus and Colton both hold the chair, but Colton overpowers Lazarus and slams it into Lazarus's face! He does it again, again, and again! Lazarus stumbles back and Colton throws the chair at Lazarus. Lazarus catches it right at face level and Colton punches the chair as hard as he can, slamming it into Lazarus's nose looking like he broke as blood pours from his face!

TREY BOOKER: GOOD GOD! Colton just punched that chair into Lazarus's nose!

J.T. PRICE: And Lazarus's nose is probably broken. This is Japan level craziness! Kill him Colton!

TREY BOOKER: Dude, have some class.

Lazarus falls to a knee, holding his nose. Colton tosses the chair away, his blood pouring out of his forehead. There's obviously a huge gash right in the middle of his forehead. Colton wipes the blood away and goes after Lazarus again. He hits Lazarus with a knee and then picks him up for an atomic drop and connects! Lazarus bounces back into the ropes. Colton tries to clothesline Lazarus over the top rope, but Lazarus ducks down and lifts Colton over the top rope. Colton falls to the floor below and crashes hard, rolling up against the barricade.

TREY BOOKER: What a counter by Lazarus, and he's gonna use his tiny period here to rest for a moment and hopefully stop his nose from bleeding.

J.T. PRICE: He's trying to clot it, but I don't think it's working.

Colton gets to his feet as some of the fans in the front row give him jeers and jerk off comments from MARKS. Colton, instead of going into the ring, reaches for something underneath it and pulls out a table.

J.T. PRICE: Colton has got a table!

TREY BOOKER: Wait, what's ON that table?

J.T. PRICE: Uhh.. is that barbed wire?

TREY BOOKER: Yeah, and the surface of the table is covered in thumbtacks that are pointed up.

J.T. PRICE: Someone is actually gonna die out here! Colton is setting up the table on the outside near the apron, and Lazarus finally realizes what he's doing!

Lazarus's eyes light up and then he goes to the opposite side of the ring and bounces off the ropes. He comes back and then launches himself over the top rope and tries to land on top of Colton and take him down. Colton catches him, lifts him up as high as he can, and then hits Lazarus with the sit out powerbomb through the table with the thumbtacks and barbed wire!

CROWD: THIS IS AWESOME! THIS IS AWESOME!

TREY BOOKER: OH MY GOD! Colton CAUGHT Lazarus AND PUT HIM THROUGH THE TABLE!

J.T. PRICE: ... I.. that is incredible!!!

Lazarus is in serious pain. He tries to roll off the barbed wire and thumbtacks, but it only hurts him more. Finally he escapes the modified table's wreckage... and Colton begins to stalk him. Lazarus is crawling to safety, his back covered in tacks and blood.

TREY BOOKER: Holy.. Lazarus's back is cut nearly everywhere.

J.T. PRICE: Colton isn't done yet...

Colton grabs Lazarus by the hair and pulls him back toward the wreckage. Colton tosses Lazarus back onto the thumbtacks and barbed wire, and Lazarus yells out in pain. Colton slides into the ring. Colton climbs to the top turnbuckle after grabbing a trash can that was wrecked and the fans are cheering him on to finish Arjen Lazarus right here and now. Colton leaps off with the can from the top turnbuckle to the outside floor below, crashing down on Lazarus and driving him hard into the tacks and barbed wire again. Lazarus cries out in more pain... and the floor is turned red from Lazarus's blood and Saint’s mixing in as well. Colton caught some wire and tacks when he landed as well, but not that bad as he manages to get to his feet.

TREY BOOKER: Oh my God JT... Colton is a monster right now.

J.T. PRICE: This should be stopped but I kinda wanna see someone almost die!

Lazarus, still trying to stay in the fight, gets up to his knees. His back is still covered in tacks and blood. Colton grabs Lazarus by the head and walks him over close to the announcer's table. Colton slams Lazarus head first into the announcer's table, and the only good thing about the impact was that it knocked off some of the tacks that were stuck in his back. Lazarus falls to one knee.

J.T. PRICE: Don’t fuck up our table man!

Colton shoots JT a scary look. JT sits back down.

TREY BOOKER: Shut up JT, he isn’t a happy dude.

Colton picks Lazarus up and runs him right into the ringpost. Lazarus hits head-first and falls to the ground. Colton stomps on him some more, and then picks Lazarus up off his feet. He drops Lazarus over the barricade on his throat. Lazarus bounces off and lands to the mat below. Lazarus is crawling away, trying to escape underneath the ring.

J.T. PRICE: Yeah, Lazarus. That's not a bad idea.

TREY BOOKER: Colton isn't having that as he grabs Lazarus, who's about half-way underneath the ring, by the legs and drags him out.

J.T. PRICE: Wait, Lazarus has something. A fire extinguisher! Lazarus turns around and sprays Colton with it!

Lazarus sprays nearly the whole can on Colton.. and Colton is temporarily blinded more as the exploding turnbuckle has been messing with him. Lazarus then uses the fire extinguisher by slamming it into Colton' head. Colton falls to a knee, still kind of blinded. Lazarus combines kicking and slamming the fire extinguisher into Colton until Colton falls to the mat. Colton tries to wipe away the blood and mess from the extinguisher. Colton can finally see again, only to watch as Lazarus uses the extinguisher one last time to open up Colton' forehead cut some more.

TREY BOOKER: Good God... Colton is bleeding even more now.

J.T. PRICE: I wonder if Rock Johnson has doctors backstage?

TREY BOOKER: I don’t know, he was pretty pissed with Colton

Lazarus tosses the fire extinguisher away. He goes underneath the ring again and grabs a ladder. It's a 12 foot ladder, and he slides it in the ring. Lazarus goes over to Colton and grabs him by the head. He slams his elbow into Colton' throat and then tosses him into the barricade. Lazarus's back is still a bloody mess, and Lazarus runs over and nails Colton with a butterfly kick!

J.T. PRICE: That's such a pretty kick when Saint does it.

Colton nearly falls to the mat, but Lazarus catches him by the chin. Lazarus gets Colton to his feet and lays him across the announcer's table.

TREY BOOKER: Come on Lazarus we need this!

Lazarus just laughs. He grabs something else underneath the ring. It's another steel chair. He raises it up and smashes it down on Colton' chest. Colton covers his chest, as he cries out in pain. Lazarus punches Colton in the head and Colton' face is now covered in blood. Lazarus places the chair over Colton' chest and then slides into the ring. He sets up the ladder against the ropes so that one he can only climb up one side of it. He climbs up to the top of the ladder and is now standing directly on top of it, with his back to Colton.

TREY BOOKER: Wait Lazarus! Don't do this!

J.T. PRICE: It's too late!

Thousands of people fall silent as Lazarus leaps off the ladder and comes down on top of Colton, the steel chair, and through the announcer's table with a reverse styled swanton bomb. He lays motionless on top of Colton.

TREY BOOKER: Ok I think they might be dead.

J.T. PRICE: THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

Lazarus remains on top of Colton, but both men aren't moving. The referee is forced to count.

1...
2...
3!!!

DING! DING! DING!

HOLLY PEREZ: And your winner via pinfall.... LAZARUS ARJEN!!!!

TREY BOOKER: Lazarus still isn't moving. Just wow.... that was crazy!


The camera view opens up backstage as MYOJIN heads to his locker room, wiping sweat from his face with a towel after he and Zane faced the AV Club. He walks toward his locker room but stops once he hears a loud struggle down the hallway, turning to the corner, his face briefly turns to a look of confusion before growing completely alert as he sees a few backstage crew members laid out cold. Having an uncomfortable sense of deja vu after what had happened to Zane, the blonde quickly picks up a folded chair.

MYOJIN: WHERE ARE YOU, SAINT?!

He yells before turning to see a man in a hood walking away nearby. MYOJIN quickly runs forward and slams the chair into the hooded figure's back, and he goes down with a loud yell. He swings the chair again to make sure Colt stays down and quickly pulls the hood from his head to see…. it's not Colt? It's a random man. MYOJIN steps back and drops the chair, now bewildered as he stares in disbelief.

The random bystander remains motionless as MYOJIN continues to watch him. One of the staff members slowly rises to his feet, removing his hat to reveal himself to be Colton Saint. The opportunity comes as Saint charges in, driving MYOJIN’s head into the brick wall, knocking him to the floor. The cold demeanor on Saint’s face changes into an intense grimace as he fires in a devastating stomp to the back of the head of the Shining Star. Upon seeing the advantage, Saint kneels down towards him, driving in several punches to the back of the head.

COLTON SAINT: Why do you do this? Talk to me.

Noticing MYOJIN attempting to get to his feet, Saint promptly punches him repeatedly.

COLTON SAINT: You don’t understand what you’re doing. Your frame of mind. You’re losing it…’Shouta’.

Gripping MYOJIN around the neck in a choke, Colton Saint sits back, leaning against the wall. He lays into the young man with several punches before continuing.

COLTON SAINT: Every time you and I cross paths, it seems like a magical moment for the media. They want to see you angry, and you fall right into it. You fall into the traps. Your temper always gets the better of you, and look at you now.

Upon feeling the comeback attempt from MYOJIN, it’s quickly thwarted with more closed fists to the side of the head and jaw.

COLTON SAINT: It didn’t have to be this way. You didn’t have to jump to conclusions when I stood on the apron, allowing you to fail against Caden Young. It didn’t have to be this way when you decided to fire at me in the media. Everyone was begging for you to stand like a man, you’ve proven the world right. In your case, trying has always been the first step towards failure.

MYOJIN’s fight continues to deplete every second he is in that choke, and Colton knows it too. The Last Breathing Outlaw rises to his feet, throwing him to the floor before stepping back, giving him a chance to stand.

COLTON SAINT: Show the world, MYOJIN! SHOW THEM! Prove me right again, the first step for you, is always the last. GET UP!!

MYOJIN holds his throat, gasping for air as he weakly tries to get back up. He stumbles and his legs give out as he falls back to the floor, crawling as he begins to get back to his knees.

MYOJIN: F-fuck… you… I'll END YOU!

He wildly throws a weak fist at Saint, dazed from the repeated blows to the head- but with one last surge of strength- his eyes flicker with an intense hatred as he gets up and CHARGES THE OUTLAW INTO A TABLE LEANING AGAINST THE WALL.

With very little give from the table, Saints back smashes against it while MYOJIN’s momentum continues to drive against him. With few other options, Saint attempts a front facelock, but MYOJIN pushes off and throws a wild right hand, smashing his fist through the table as Saint was able to escape. A knee lift sends MYOJIN back before Saint slams his head into the top piece of the table, knocking it over along with him.

COLTON SAINT: You’ll end me, huh? You BETTER.

Sensing the opportunity, Saint strikes with a stray kick to the throat of MYOJIN, sending him crashing to the floor again.

COLTON SAINT: Wanna know what happened to your girl?? Wanna know what I did to her?? You’re making me do this, fine. I TOLD HER THE TRUTH.

Another harsh kick to the throat of MYOJIN from Saint before the Outlaw pulls him to his feet. He shoves MYOJIN into the wall, driving in a forearm to the side of the neck before resting it over his throat.

COLTON SAINT: I did the one thing that nobody else around here has the balls to do. I told her the reality of what this business is. People like you, you are POISON to this business. You are not meant to be trusted, you are a user. I warned her about you, Shouta. I warned my sister, I warned everybody, and NOBODY would listen.

Noticing staff members were slowly coming to, Saint throws MYOJIN towards a case that traditionally holds television equipment.

COLTON SAINT: If the words won’t do it, then I only have one option. Get the fuckers awa..

A stiff kick to the head of one of the staff members from Saint forces them to reel back.

COLTON SAINT: Only one chance to make the statement. Just one more moment, just one more opportunity. You may kill me, but rest assure, you’re going first. SHOW ME HELL, SHOW ME WHAT YOU SEE!

The Outlaw makes his way back to MYOJIN, reaching for him- but MYOJIN CATCHES HIS ARM AND TWISTS IT INTO A DOUBLE WRISTLOCK, AND JUMPS ONTO HIM- APPLYING A KIMURA TO COLT'S INJURED ARM AND TWISTING THE JOINTS AS BRUTALLY BACKWARD AS POSSIBLE WHILE SCREAMING. HE HOLDS IT IN AS TIGHT AS POSSIBLE AS COLT YELLS IN PAIN AS HIS ELBOW BEGINS TO BEND THE WRONG WAY.

Yelling in a mix of anger and agony, Colton begins to feel his shoulder separate. The intense glare slowly turns into panic as he scrambles to get MYOJIN on his back. Reaching for anything around him, Colton brings his elbow down across the throat of MYOJIN several times. While the grip begins to fade away in the Kimura, he presses his elbow fully down as if he’s trying to squeeze the throat shut. The hold is finally broken as Colton pulls himself back, gripping his arm as he tries getting to his feet. MYOJIN isn’t far behind, holding his throat while ready to strike.

Saint charges in anger, only to be caught by MYOJIN who leaps into a body scissors, trying to apply the Kimura once again. Saint uses the momentum to slam him into the wall! Feeling the effects of the hold that nearly snapped his arm, Colton tries standing himself to strike MYOJIN, only to be shoved off. MYOJIN charges in for a strike, but a knee lift from Saint stops the momentum. Punching his own shoulder in anger, Colton opens the equipment box. He proceeds to slam MYOJIN against the edge of the box, first by his head, then by his throat. Not satisfied, Saint slams the top of the box down onto the back of his neck several times. He steps back, away from MYOJIN as he grips his shoulder.

COLTON SAINT: Some day… Shouta.. You’ll thank me.

Saint goes to charge in, stopping in his tracks. A final slam of the top of the equipment box sent MYOJIN into a near motionless state. Knowing the extremes that need to be taken, Colton climbs onto a second equipment box, kneeling for a moment before standing himself up. He looks down in a full glare at MYOJIN, wanting to put an end to the Shining Star once and for all. The staff members clamour towards the two in attempt to stop Saint, only for Saint to attempt to jump over them to the first box. Thankfully, MYOJIN is pulled from the box by some of the staff members, forcing Saint to land on his feet on the floor. The staff members keep the two separated, but the damage has already been done.

COLTON SAINT: You’ll never get rid of me, Shouta. No, you’ll never get rid of me..

Knowing his wounds are severe, Saint backs away from everybody as he gets ready to head out to the ring for his match. In the meantime, staff members are shouting for EMTs to show up to tend to the fallen Shining Star.

MYOJIN lays lifeless as they began to carefully place a stretcher under him, his eyes open but blank as a concerning amount of blood runs from his forehead and nose from the attack.


The camera cuts to an empty ring. Trey Booker and J.T. Price are at the commentators table still. The camera then pans over to them.

TREY BOOKER: Well, folks. Now that we’re back here, that can only mean one thing… IT’S ANNOUNCEMENT TIME!

J.T. PRICE: We’ve had an amazing show up to this point and it’s only about to get better! We’re about to be joined by most of the Project: Honor Staff in the ring for something so big you would think Trey’s mom had shown up.

TREY BOOKER: Wait, wh--

Out of nowhere, every light in the arena turns off. Darkness takes over everything until a voice is heard over the speakers, echoing throughout the arena.

VOICEOVER: Ladies and gentlemen… Boys and girls… Humans of all different sizes and ages… prepare yourselves for something that’s going to change Project: Honor for some time to come. To do a better job at announcing things than me… here is your Project: Honor Staff!

“Mouth for War” by Pantera blasts through the speakers. Blue lights shine on the stage where Rock Johnson, Ed Wheeler, and Callum Walker all emerge. The crowd all rise to a standing ovation and chants overtake the music.

CROWD: PROJECT: HONOR! PROJECT: HONOR! PROJECT: HONOR!

While the chants and “Mouth for War” continue, all three make their way to the ring, interacting with the fans along the way. Ed and Callum enter the ring first by walking up the steel steps. Rock stops at them and looks behind to see the fans all on their feet. A smirk forms on his face and then he walks up the steel steps and into the ring. A PH Official slides into the ring to hand them each a mic and then immediately slides back out. The three top staff members of Project: Honor pace around the ring taking in the standing ovation of 20,000 fans.

ROCK JOHNSON: Alright, alright, I know I look damn good tonight, but let’s settle down. There’s a lot we have to cover.

“Mouth for War” fades out completely and so does every sound coming from the audience. Silence strikes the arena.

ROCK JOHNSON: You know what, I don’t like the silence. LET ME HEAR IT FOR PROJECT: HONOR!

Another roar of cheers hits the arena for a few seconds before fading back out.

ROCK JOHNSON: It’s story time now, so park your asses in those seats and let’s take a stroll through memory lane. Project: Honor began as a small start-up based out of Stockton, California a little over five months ago now. July 31st, 2020 was our inaugural show for about 12,000 fans. I don’t think we quite sold out that show, but it was pretty close. We had just TEN people brave enough to step into the Proving Ground and show us exactly what they were made of in the Trials of Time Tournament. The best times would advance to our inaugural PPV; Hell on Earth. Those two then faced off for the Grand Championship. Well, we ended up having three in that match and boy was it a match for the ages. Dickie Watson, Kasey Winterborn, and Jason Terrance put on a motherfucking show, am I right?

CROWD: YES! YES! YES!

ROCK JOHNSON: Dickie would go on to win that match and become the Inaugural Project: Honor Grand Champion. Our X-Factor Champion and Warrior Rising Champion were also crowned that same night. Since our very first show, we’ve gone through another PPV and many shows in between. We’ve seen some new faces and seen some faces leave. Personally, I don’t have time to waste on the people that aren’t here, but instead the ones that are. Today, we have a roster of just about 40 with some new faces solidifying their brand new contracts with us as we speak. We have a sold out crowd tonight of 20,000 fans and just continue to grow. For that, I want to thank each and every one of you in the crowd tonight. I also want to thank those in the back that gave us a chance and are enjoying themselves.

Rock, Ed, and Callum all start clapping in the ring while the crowd begins to chant, ‘THANK YOU’ a few times.

ROCK JOHNSON: Because of each and every single one of you, I’m HONORED to be standing here with Ed and Callum to make such a huge and exciting announcement for Project: Honor. Before I do so, would you two like to add anything?

Ed puts the mic up to his mouth first.

ED WHEELER: Honestly, Rock, you just about covered everything there is to say up to this point. I know you all haven’t seen too much of me, but ask anyone on the roster how tired they are of seeing me. I’m always backstage running around and checking on things. I’m the reason why Rock here gets to sit his ass in the back and not have to worry about anything besides watching the growth of Project: Honor. I’m just as excited as both of these guys to be here tonight for such a trademark time in this company. Thank you all and holy hell I can’t wait for what’s to come.

Ed lowers the mic from his mouth while Callum lifts his up.

CALLUM WALKER: I know sometimes it’s been rough here like with the whole Colton Saint/Zane situation, but we’ve always pulled through and done what’s best for our people here. You blokes hear from me more than you probably like, but that’s what you get out of the Proving Ground General Manager. I bring the good and bad news and I take pride in it. You can’t have a successful brand without ups and downs. Proving Ground and Project: Honor have both proven to be a massive force in the wrestling industry and we’re just adding to it! Each fan that joins us, each roster member that signs up, each staff member that gets hired, it’s because of you all that the growth of Project: Honor has happened at an exponentially rapid rate. Thank you all and let’s keep this up.

Callum lowers his mic and all three share a moment of silence, nodding at one another. Rock looks in the direction of the stage.

ROCK JOHNSON: Ladies and gentlemen… The moment you’ve all been waiting for. CAN I GET A DRUM ROLL, PLEASE?!

Everyone in the audience begins stomping on the ground. The ones in front of the barricade start banging their fists on it creating a massive echo of a drum roll throughout the arena.

ROCK JOHNSON: It brings me great pleasure to announce… THE EXPANSION OF PROJECT: HONOR!

Gasps are sporadically heard from the audience.

ROCK JOHNSON: Project: Honor is expanding to TWO MAJOR BRANDS; Proving Ground and… FALLOUT!

Rock Johnson lowers his mic and points directly to the titantron where a logo appears on the screen.


Immediately following the appearance of the Fallout Logo, the crowd begins a massive chant.

CROWD: FALLOUT! FALLOUT! FALLOUT!

ROCK JOHNSON: That’s right. Project: Honor now has two major shows! Thursday nights will be home to Fallout while Friday nights stay home to Proving Ground. These will take place on the same week with a bye week the following week as things have been up to this point! Now, Instead of you hearing my loud ass voice talking much longer… let me introduce you to the brand new staff of Fallout including their General Manager, who will be taking it from here to discuss how Fallout works, his staff, and the new shiny belts that you all will be fighting for. Without further adieu… YOUR OFFICIAL FALLOUT STAFF!

“Rise Above It” by I Prevail ft. Justin Stone blasts through the speakers as three women and two men emerge onto the stage. Green pyro goes off on the stage with the Fallout logo still displayed on the titantron. They all make their way to the ring while the crowd continues to chant, ‘FALLOUT!’ Once they make it to the ring, they walk up the steel steps and into the ring where an Official meets one of the women with a mic. The others stand around and all shake hands with Rock, Ed, and Callum.

The woman with the microphone can be recognized as Alara Adams, a co-host of The Edge.  She smiles as the crowd as she brings the microphone to her lips, the entire Complex starting to quiet down.

ALARA ADAMS: HELLO, NORTH CAROLINA!  ARE YOU READY FOR THIS???

Fans explode.  Alara turns and shrugs her shoulders to everyone in the ring.

ALARA ADAMS: I don’t think they’re excited enough.

Alara turns back around, taking a deep breath.

ALARA ADAMS: ARE...YOU...READY...FOR...FALLOUT???

The entire Greensboro Coliseum Complex goes absolutely ballistic.

ALARA ADAMS: Then let me introduce...YOUR FALLOUT GENERAL MANAGER...the one...THE ONLY…

Alara stops talking when suddenly the lights go out and green spotlights begin to circle the Complex, shining down into the crowd.  “Anxiety” by Black Eyed Peas ft. Papa Roach fills the arena as we see a green purge mask emerge from the entrance way.  The lights slowly come up, but they now have a green hue to them.  We see that the person behind the green mask is a man dressed in a pair of black dress pants and a green polo shirt.  He walks down the entrance ramp as the lights slowly turn back to normal.

The fans are still hesitant as to who it is as the man walks up the steps and enters the ring through the ropes, his music dying down.

ALARA ADAMS: Let me try this again.  YOUR FALLOUT GENERAL MANAGER...THE ONE...THE ONLY…

The man rips off the mask, revealing a twisted smile.

ALARA ADAMS: CHRISTIAN DeMARCO!!!

The fans pop, realising it is the man formerly known as Caliban.  Alara hands the microphone to Christian, who takes it with a smile.  He slowly brings it up to his lips, looking out at the crowd.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: HELLO EVERYONE!!!

Fans pop.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: WHO IS READY FOR FALLOUT???

Fans pop louder.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: WONDERFUL!!!  First off...I want to give a shout out to Mr. Rock Johnson, for giving me this opportunity.

Christian turns and nods to Mr. Johnson.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: You see, after my last match and the small issue with my brain tumor...I thought I had lost my opportunity to work in this business for good.  But Rock reached out to me and we talked and he offered me the opportunity to run a new brand of Project: Honor...a new chance to highlight the...darker...bloodier side of the coin.

Alara walks back in line with the rest of the Fallout staff.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: So, I got to making some calls and hiring some stuff.  Like our wonderful Fallout Announcers!  Please give a warm welcome to Alara Adams and Kayden Ellis!!!

The fans go crazy as Alara and Kayden wave to the crowd.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: And our beautiful ring announcer...Clara Olson!

The fans continue to go nuts as the redheaded Clara Olson waves to the crowd.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: And our two backstage interviewers...Timothy Daniels and Alyssa Nguyen!

The fans keep marking out as Timothy and Alyssa wave to the crowd.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: Now that you see the faces of Fallout...let me explain a little more about it.

The fans quiet down.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: On Fallout...we recognize that Proving Ground is a place for people to showcase their talent.  We recognize on Proving Ground, there is honor...there is tradition...there is a boring-ness that you just...can’t...look away from.

Christian smirks as the crowd can be heard talking to themselves, trying to figure out where Christian is going with this.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: I, for one, am tired of these ‘time’ challenges...these normal pinfall matches...these little hoity-toity Championship matches.

ROCK JOHNSON (Off mic): Do you remember Dickie Watson versus Jacob Steele?  What about Bloodbath’s Hell From Above Match?

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: I intend to add a little pizzazz to this company.  A little darkness to the goody-goody ways of Project: Honor.  Oh yes, my friends...there will be blood.

The fans start to cheer as they are slowly realizing what he is saying.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: Fallout will be for all the delinquents, all the malefactors, all those...who want to inflict a LOT more pain into their opponent.  EACH match...will compete with hardcore rules.  Each match will contain the type of violence, the type of brutality...that will keep you coming back for more.

Christian pauses for a moment, letting the knowledge sink deeper into the fans’ minds.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: On Fallout...we will have THREE titles.  The lowest of the bunch being, the Ascension Championship Title.  As where it is not the top of the mountain...this is where you begin your ascension to the top.


Christian smirks at his pun, but the fans are still cheering for the idea of a hardcore show.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: The next in line is the Noble Championship.  It is for all those goody two-shoes who don’t want the scars or the blood transfusions every week.  It will be subject to the pure rules of wrestling.


CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: And then there is the BIG dog of Fallout...the PRIME CHAMPIONSHIP!!!  You want to say you are the best fight on Fallout?  You want to boast that you are the meanest person on our roster?  Then you need this title.  You would be the PRIME example of what Fallout stands for.


Christian waits for everyone to enjoy the view of the Prime Championship.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: And that, my friends, is what Fallout is all about.  No rules, no silly little countouts, none of this ‘but he did this’ or ‘she did that’.  NO!  I want to see the blood.  I want to see the rage come through my roster.  I want to see that passion.  The passion that caused Colton Saint to kidnap Zane.

ROCK JOHNSON (Off mic): Woah…

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: The passion that I see in MYOJIN’s eyes when he looks at Colton.  The passion that drives us to think the deepest, darkest, most hateful thoughts you can imagine.  I want to see it here...

Christian points his eyes.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: ...and in here.

Christian points to the mat.

CHRISTIAN DeMARCO: I will lead Fallout to glory and we will bring back a way of fighting that too many people have forgotten about or want to ignore.  Let's remind people what true violence is.

Christian lowers the microphone and turns towards Rock Johnson, nodding his head.

ROCK JOHNSON: What a time to be involved with Project: Honor. Fallout is going to add that piece to our fine establishment that will take us to the next level, but we didn’t stop there. Fallout was just one of the few announcements we have for you tonight! You’ve been introduced to our second brand; Fallout. You’ve been introduced to the Fallout staff, Championship belts… but you haven’t heard about this yet… The Tag Team Championships can be contested for and defended on either show! That’s right! The Tag Team Championships are going to be an interbranded belt so that no matter what brand you’re on, your team has a chance to face off for the most prestigious Tag belts in all of wrestling and they haven’t even been won yet! I’m not done yet either! We’re introducing YET ANOTHER Championship belt to Project: Honor. This belt can be contested for and defended on either show also. The people who fight for this have to be ready for any match stipulation, whether it be pure rules or hardcore rules. You want to cement your legacy in wrestling? THE LEGACY CHAMPIONSHIP IS FOR YOU!


ROCK JOHNSON: I’m not gonna lie to you people, we have some sexy ass Championship belts here. From the belts on Proving Ground, to Fallout and now these interbrand ones. Absolutely sexy. BUT I’M STILL NOT DONE YET! After getting settled into the fact that we now have a second brand, EIGHT TOTAL CHAMPIONSHIP BELTS… I do have some bad news. Unfortunately our contract with Netflix is expiring as of this show.

CROWD: BOOOOOOOOOO!!!

ROCK JOHNSON: I also have some good news… Since we have two brands now; Proving Ground and Fallout… WE HAVE INKED MASSIVE TV DEALS FOR BOTH SHOWS! THAT’S RIGHT! Proving Ground will be LIVE on FX as of Unbreakable Resolution and Fallout will be LIVE on AMC as of its first show which we’ll get to here shortly. THE GOOD NEWS KEEPS COMING, BECAUSE THERE’S STILL MORE! Unbreakable Resolution is the next PPV and show which takes place on December 20th, 2020. We’re happy to announce that this PPV will be taking place in Denver, Colorado! Since it’s still a Proving Ground show, it will be aired on FX and not only did the PPV grow interest, but so has Project: Honor! Which brings me to the official sponsors and theme song for the final show of the year! Thank you to Taco Bell, Playstation 5, the Denver Broncos, and FX for being sponsors for such a historic show. Also a huge thank you to Skillet for allowing us to use “Legendary” as the official theme song of Unbreakable Resolution!


Rock pauses for a second to hear cheers start to form throughout the crowd.

ROCK JOHNSON: To keep the ball rolling with good news, I’m sure a lot of you are curious what’s going to happen with the roster since there’s two brands now. It’s a valid curiousness to have and I’m here to assure you that we’re going to make the best out of this entire situation. Which is why I’m fucking ecstatic to announce… THE PROJECT: HONOR DRAFT SHOW on January 8th, 2020!

CROWD: DRAFT NIGHT! DRAFT NIGHT! DRAFT NIGHT!


ROCK JOHNSON: Throughout the night, we’ll have matches taking place and announce where certain people get drafted to. We won’t announce every single pick, but the ones that aren’t announced on the show will be posted on our new website immediately following the show! If you aren’t announced on the show, please do not take offense as it is completely random and we only have so much time on a live show! Every single person on the Project: Honor roster will land on a brand no matter what. Wherever you go, prove to you and everyone around you why you are going to be the best PH Superstar that ever steps foot in one of our rings.

Rock makes one final pause before wrapping up such an amazing night of announcements.

ROCK JOHNSON: One final announcement for you all before we head up and prepare ourselves for the final Project: Honor show of the year! Having two brands means we have to add more special events that are specific to each show. That being said… SEASON TWO OF PROJECT: HONOR STARTS WITH THE DRAFT SHOW AND HERE IS YOUR OFFICIAL SEASON TWO PAY-PER-VIEW-SCHEDULE!


ROCK JOHNSON: Not only that, but I would like to be the first to announce that Project: Honor will be hosting a Disney-themed special event sometime this summer! We’ll have more information on that as we close in on the deal with Disney. That’s all we got for you tonight, folks. Two major brands, eight titles, a draft show, new PPV’s, TV networks, new website, so many things to be thankful and excited for! I’m honored to have come out here tonight with our staff to make these announcements and to share the growth of Project: Honor with each and every one of you. We’ll see you all in a couple weeks for the final show of the year; UNBREAKABLE RESOLUTION!

Rock Johnson drops the mic as every staff member of Project: Honor stands in the ring, shaking hands and conversing with one another. The scene fades out to a black screen.

Project: Honor logo flashes on the screen.