[The house lights dim as the EmpireTron flickers to life. Revealed is a figure wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled over his head, his back to the viewer. On his back is the twisted symbol associated with the Daymon legacy. The opening bass drone of "Capricorn (A Brand New Name)" by 30 Seconds to Mars fades in as words scroll upon the screen, reading "THE LEGEND LIVES ON."]
[Then, as the music kicks into it's grinding electric guitar riffs and special effects, the stage becomes a livid display of red and white lights. A pyro explodes before the entrance, sending smoke upward in the shape of a mushroom cloud. After a few measures, Jared Leto's forlorn voice begins as the man of the hour, Rocko Daymon, confidently strides out onto the stage, clad in his black pads and boots and denim cutoff jeans. He is strapping on a pair of fingerless gloves. A fraction of a second behind him follows his manager, Caitlyn Daymon. The two stand at the top of the ramp for a moment, gazing over the mass of screaming fans around them, allowing their presence of sink in.]
"So I run, hide, tear myself up,
"Star again with a brand new name,
"And eyes that see into infinity."
[As the first verse begins, Rocko and Caitlyn make their way down the ramp at an assertive pace. Rocko slaps the hands of many of the fans reaching out over the barricade as his wife and manager patiently waits his every step. Upon reaching ringside, Rocko turns to his wife, pecks her on the forehead, and rolls into the ring. He comes to his feet, pacing from corner to corner like a caged animal for a few moments. And when the initial adrenaline of the entrance has eased, he quietly goes to his corner and sits down on his knees, putting his mind into an intense state of focus.]
DT: Man, had Daymon looked extremely focused lately, or what?
MN: zzzzzz….
DT: Mike...
MN: zzzzzzz…
DT: MIKE!!!
MN: zz….HUH??? WHA?? Oh damn… are we still on? Man I’m sorry Dave…
DT: Just how much DID you have to drink earlier on? You’ve been talking crazy all night. First Hooters… then Transformers… what is going ON with you?
MN: I dunno dude, since when did this become the grand inquisition? [Stretching] What’s next?
DT: Daymon vs. Maelstrom… the main event… and it’s already started.
MN: Man… wake me up when the entrances are over…
DT: Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for my colleague…
MN: Hell no Davey, don’t apologize for me… funk that everyone… Dave retracts his statement… hey I’m laying back down for a couple of minutes….
DT: Right.
[Cue up “Enter Sandman” by Metallica. Maelstrom comes down very stoically, he is totally oblivious of the fans around him, paying them no mind whatsoever, totally ignoring them as they reach out to touch him and ask for autographs. His focus is 100% on the Daymon as he strides slowly in a somewhat arrogant manner toward the ring.]
DT: Man, Maelstrom is one mean dude. Wouldn’t you agree Mike?
MN: zzzzz….
DT: MIKE! ENTRANCES ARE OVER BUD!
MN: HUH??? Wha?? Oh… right… right. Yeah Dave… that so WAS a wicked suplex.
DT: Damn you…
MN: Whoah… easy on the language there Mr. Thomas… this IS a family show, after all.
DT: One of these days Mike… one of these days.
[The bell rings and Daymon and Maelstrom immediately lock eyes. Daymon tests the ropes, then paces back and forth a little bit as Maelstrom stands with his arms crossed in his corner. The fans are going wild as Daymon tries to ignite them by raising his hands in the air.]
DT: Daymon trying to fire this crowd up in Philadelphia.
MN: Yeah… I guess it’s working ‘cuz they’re giving me a headache.
[All of a sudden, without notice, Daymon darts towards Maelstrom. In an instant, the big man brings his huge size MILLION boot up into Daymon’s face, knocking him backwards to the mat.]
[SFX: Crowd boos tremendously.]
JG: Oh… and Daymon just got LEVELED with that boot to the face! I’ll tell you what though, a simple boot isn’t going to keep Daymon down tonight, he’s got some incredible drive.
MN: Yeah… a SIMPLE boot won’t hold him down, but maybe a MAELSTROM boot will.
[Daymon slowly rolls back up to his feet, shaking off the cobwebs and readjusting his ring attire. He bounces up and down a few times and comes running in at Maelstrom once more. This time, instead of a boot, he is on the receiving end of a vicious clothesline. Maelstrom smiles and eggs on the fans.]
MN: AHHAHA!! 0 for 2 Mr. Daymon!
DT: And Daymon has tried twice now to get things started in his favor, only to have it come back in his face.
[Maelstrom allows Daymon to get back up to his feet, and the camera reveals that Rocko is now bleeding from his mouth. He puts his hands on his hips, casually spitting out a little blood in the process. Maelstrom crosses his arms and chuckles slightly, then raises a hand as if to say “you wanna try again?” Daymon immediately rushes forth, and this time, slides in between the legs of the big man. Maelstrom, confused at the move, doesn’t know what to do when all of a sudden Daymon jumps on his back and applies a sleeper hold.]
[SFX: CROWD POPS HUGE]
DT: SLEEPER BY DAYMON!!! Maelstrom got him twice, but Daymon wasn’t about to let it happen again! And listen to this place, it’s electric.
MN: Just give it some time… Maelstrom owns all.
[Maelstrom slumps to one knee, but Daymon is tenacious in his attack. He tightens his hold around Mael’s head, cinching it in as hard as possible. The referee starts to walk over and check on Maelstrom, but the big man is able to get back up to his feet, with Daymon still on his back. He runs as he can (as fast as a man could run while carrying another man on his back), and does a quick 180 before slamming Daymon back first into the turnbuckles. Daymon releases the hold, falling to a knee and holding his ribs.]
MN: HAHA… YEAH!! He’s impervious to this (beep) I swear.
DT: I’ve gotta’ tell you folks, this man is huge… you wouldn’t believe it unless you saw him in person.
MN: Daymon, on the other hand, is a runt.
DT: He is NOT, Mike!
MN: Ok, so what… Maelstrom’s bigger.
[Maelstrom grabs a handful of Daymon’s hair and starts to lay some POWERFUL fists into this forehead. He pulls his fist back after each strike, cocking it for the next immense blow. Daymon’s head snaps back with each hit, but with Maelstrom holding his hair, he’s not going anywhere.]
DT: Vicious blows by Maelstrom there!!!
MN: Ouch, Daymon’s gonna have a bump there in the mornin’.
[After receiving a warning from the ref about pulling the hair, Maelstrom lifts Daymon to his feet, scooping him up for a running powerslam. He flies across the ring and slams Daymon straight to the canvas, then hooks a leg for the cover. The ref counts….
1……
2…..
kickout by Daymon.]
DT: An emphatic kickout by Daymon there…. he means business here!
MN: I should hope a powerslam wouldn’t end this match…
[Daymon is lifted back up to his feet, and this time Maelstrom sets him up for a vertical suplex. Daymon offers some resistance, but its no use as he soon finds himself up and over, impacting with the mat at incredible force. Maelstrom gets to his feet, then bounces off the ropes to deliver a huge leg drop across Daymon’s throat.]
DT: That suplex has got to be what… about 7 feet in the air?
MN: Damn… that’s rough….
[Daymon puts a hand around his own throat, gasping for air. Maelstrom gets up to his feet then drops a quick fist to Daymon’s forehead. He repeats the process, then pulls Daymon up to his feet once more. In an instant, Daymon is sent to the corner with a hard irish whip. Maelstrom goes down to one knee after exerting such force for the move and Daymon bounces hard off the turnbuckle padding. He stumbles out a few feet, and Maelstrom uses the opportunity to deliver a rising shoulder block that puts Daymon back to the mat.]
DT: Maelstrom is in clear control here…
MN: He’s whipping Daymon from pillar to post… literally.
DT: I’m not counting Rocko out. This is for a chance to advance in the tournament… he’s got the will to do it.
MN: The mind can be willing… but what about the body?
[Daymon lays motionless in the middle of the ring as Maelstrom stares down at him menacingly. He picks him up once more, sending him to the ropes this time. Rocko is able to grab the top rope and stop his process, but Maelstrom comes flying in with a clothesline that takes both men up and over the top rope. Daymon does a full flip, his hip impacting with the apron before he hits the ground. Maelstrom flies straight to the floor, making a loud thud.]
DT: Both men on the outside now!
MN: This is where things get interesting!
DT: You’ve got that right, Mike…
[Both men are slow to recover, but Maelstrom is the first to his feet. He grabs Daymon by the hair after a few moments, then lifts him up to his feet. He grabs a hold of Daymon’s arm, whipping him hard into the far barricade. Rocko’s back slams against the metal, and he slumps down slightly after the impact. Maelstrom is relentless, immediately coming over to perform the move once more. He attempts to whip Daymon to the other barricade, but this time Rocko reverses, sending Maelstrom flying. His back hits hard against the metal, causing him to fall face first to the concrete floor. Daymon falls to a knee and starts to breathe heavily as the fans go wild.]
[SFX: Crowd pop!]
DT: Daymon’s coming back!
MN: He’s definitely determined.
[Daymon slowly gets to his feet and charges Maelstrom, who is now getting to his feet as well. Suddenly, Daymon connects with a powerful spear, taking Maelstrom back first into the commentators’ table. The back of Mael’s head smacks off the set piece, but Rocko shows no remorse. He violently slams his fists into the face of Maelstrom, grabbing a wad of his hair, similar to what happened earlier.]
DT: And now Maelstrom is on the receiving end of those vicious punches!
MN: These guys are beating the holy hell out of one another!
[Daymon finally lets up on his punching attack, pulling Maelstrom to his feet. He screams “**** YOU” to Mael’s face, which manages to slip past the booth. Thomas and Neely back up from the table as Daymon slams Maelstrom’s face off the top of it repeatedly. The crowd chants along with the stikes…
[SFX: CROWD: 1! 2! 3! 4!!! 5!! 6!! 7!]
DT: Daymon is a man possessed! He’s beating Maelstrom’s face into our table… a mere few feet in front of me!
MN: You gonna’ be ok, Thomas? You look like you’re going to wet yourself…
[After the seventh strike, Daymon goes to slam Mael’s face again, but it’s blocked by the big man. After Maelstrom blocks it, however, Daymon slams a hard fist into his face that levels him to the ground. Daymon then uses the opportunity to get on top of the commentators’ table. He waits for Maelstrom to get to his feet, then leaps off with what appears to be a double axe handle. Mael catches him in midair, though, and holds on, keeping Daymon on his shoulder. Maelstrom then trucks as hard as he can to slam Rocko’s back into the ring post.]
[SFX: CROWD “OOOOOHHHHH”s.]
DT: My god these two are dismantling each other!!!
MN: Daymon’s spine’s gotta’ be cracked in like five places after that one!
[Wiping a bit of blood from his nose, Maelstrom looks up to see that the referee is reaching the end of his 10 count. He quickly grabs Daymon and rolls him back into the ring, following him in. Maelstrom rolls Daymon over onto his back, then goes for a cover. The ref counts….
1….
2…..
kickout by Daymon!]
[SFX: Crowd pop!]
DT: Daymon’s as tough as nails, Mike!
MN: Yeah, but Maelstrom EATS NAILS for BREAKFAST.
DT: Wouldn’t that be a sight?
MN: Oh I’ve seen it done. It’s kinda’ like those hindu glass eater guys….. you know where they…
DT: That’s a little too graphic for this program…
MN: What? You’ve got wrestlers bashing each others’ face off of our announcers’ table, and you’re saying I’M too graphic?
[Maelstrom pulls Daymon to his feet, sending him hard to the ropes with an irish whip. Daymon suddenly ducks a clothesline attempt, then flies to the opposite ropes. He comes roaring back with a flying forearm that takes Maelstrom straight down to the mat, igniting the fans.]
[SFX: Crowd pop!]
[Daymon follows up his attack by pouncing over and applying a side headlock. Maelstrom tries to peel back Rocko’s arms, but Daymon’s grip is extremely tight. Daymon lets out a roar as he applies the hold with as much strength as he can. The fans start a “let’s go Rock-O” chant as Maelstrom starts to work his way up to a knee. Daymon continues to apply pressure, but Maelstrom quickly throws an elbow into his gut. Daymon refuses to release, and Mael hits another elbow. Finally, Rocko bounces off of Maelstrom, who then quickly goes for a short clothesline. Daymon ducks, kicking Maelstrom in the gut. While he’s doubled over, Daymon hooks both arms and performs a double arm ddt.]
DT: HUGE DOUBLE ARM DDT BY DAYMON!!!
MN: Maelstrom’s busted open… yeah baby!! Blooooooood!!!!
[Rocko rolls Maelstrom over and goes for a cover. The ref drops to the mat and counts.
1….
2…..
kickout by Maelstrom! Daymon slams the mat in frustration, then decides to get to his feet and lay a few well placed kicks into Maelstrom’s knee. He braces Mael’s leg with his hands, then jumps up to drop a knee into it. He repeats the process two more times before getting up to his feet again. The fans clap for Rocko’s tenacity.]
DT: This is a smart move on Daymon’s part. He’s going to work the legs to try and take away Maelstrom’s base…
MN: He’s doin’ a damn good job right now…
[Daymon grabs both of Maelstrom’s feet, lifting his legs up. He then drives a hard elbow to the inside of Maelstom’s thigh. He repeats the move one more time, and on the second go around, decides to hold the leg and wrench back on it. Maelstrom holds his leg as Daymon pulls back with all his might, not giving him an inch. After a few moments in the move, Daymon backs off and lets Maelstrom slowly get to his feet. After he does so, Daymon comes hauling ass in toward Mael, throwing a shoulder into the back of his leg, swiping it out from under him. Maelstrom goes flying back to the canvas, and Daymon runs a hand through his own hair to clear the sweat out of his eyes. He then grabs a hold of Mael’s legs, looking out to the crowd for approval.]
[SFX: Crowd pop!]
DT: What’s Daymon got planned now?
MN: Man, he is really takin’ it to those legs!
[Daymon applies a texas cloverleaf, flipping Maelstrom over onto his stomach and pulling back with all his might. Maelstrom cries out in pain, then laughs slightly, then cries out in pain some more. Daymon gets a look of “what the ****?” on his face as he applies the hold even harder.]
DT: Do you see that? Maelstrom’s actually ENJOYING the pain!!
MN: Well… Daymon’s feeling giving, so he’s got a lot to dish out!
DT: I highly doubt Maelstrom will submit… to my knowledge that’s rarer than a blue moon. He’ll probably pass out from the pain if this goes on much longer…
[Daymon continues to apply the hold, leaning back as far as possible. Maelstrom starts to edge his way towards the ropes, but Daymon is quick to drag him back to the center of the ring and apply the move with even more force. After a few MINUTES, Daymon finally releases the hold, tossing Mael’s legs down in disgust. He heaves some deep breathes from the constant pressure he just applied, but Maelstrom holds his knee, obviously worse off.]
DT: I can’t believe that… Rocko Daymon just had Maelstrom in a texas cloverleaf for 2 minutes and 23 seconds…
MN: It doesn’t matter… Maelstrom eats lightning and craps thunder, dude.
[Maelstrom tries to use the ropes to pull himself up to his feet, but Daymon is quick to attack. He puts a couple boots into Mael’s midsection, then forces him over to the nearest corner. After taking a couple seconds to gather his strength, Daymon uses all his energy to hoist Mael up onto the top turnbuckle. Daymon follows him up, then throws Mael’s arm over his neck. He looks out to the crowd as he grasps Maelstrom’s ring attire, and the fans react to what he’s about to do.]
[SFX: CROWD POP!]
DT: No… don’t tell me… Daymon’s going to superplex Maelstrom off the top rope!!!
MN: Damn, this could be risky…
[Sure enough, Daymon hoists Maelstrom up and over with all of his strength to superplex the big man straight to the mat. The arena booms with excitement as both men lay motionless on the canvas.]
DT: He did it! What a superplex!!!
MN: Yeah but do you know how much energy that must’ve taken out of him?
[The ref starts his 10 count for both men.
1….
2….
3….
4….
5….
6….
…. And Daymon starts to stir. He reaches his hand over and makes a cover on the fallen Maelstrom.]
DT: Daymon with the cover!
1…
2….
3!!!
NO!!! Maelstrom kicks out!!! What a war these two are having!!!
MN: Damn, what a contest!
[Daymon is the first to his feet, and he slowly makes his way over to pick Maelstrom up as well. Rocko then whips Maelstrom to the turnbuckle, allowing him to rest there for a couple seconds. Then Daymon comes flying in for the Phantom Train, but misses as Maelstrom moves out of the way at the last second. Rocko smacks his back off the turnbuckles, and Maelstrom uses the opportunity to hit a HUGE clothesline that nearly decapitates Rocko.]
[SFX: Crowd “oooooohhhhh”s.]
DT: Oh my!!! What a clothesline! Maelstrom must have put every bit of energy he had in his body into that one!
MN: Yeah, that’s why Daymon probably just swallowed a mouth full of teeth…
[Still favoring his leg, Maelstrom pushes Daymon to the nearest turnbuckle and lays a few hard punches into his face. He then goes to the back elbows, hitting them on the side of Rocko’s head. After that comes the furious set of shoulders to the gut, followed by the hard knees to the stomach. At the end of the move set, Daymon is gasping for air, as well as Maelstrom from the amount of energy used.]
DT: MY GOD… Maelstrom is going wild!!
MN: Awww damn, he’s pissed…
[Maelstrom puts all of his strength into lifting Daymon up on the top turnbuckle, but his leg almost gives out as he does so. Eventually, he gets Rocko into a sitting position, then goes through the ropes to the outside apron.]
DT: Mike… what the hell is Maelstrom doing? I’m freakin’ out here…
MN: Well Dave, whatever it is.. I think it involves Rocko Daymon and a world of pain…
[Maelstrom looks out to the crowd, then slaps his hand across the throat of Daymon. The fans react with a big gasp of “OOOOOOOOHHHH SHIIIIITTTTTT”. Daymon snaps out of his daze and starts to claw at Maelstrom’s hand, but the big man is dead set on what he wants to accomplish. He puts another hand on Rocko’s back, then uses his momentum and strength to pull Daymon off the turnbuckle and to the outside with a chokeslam. The rough part is… Daymon comes crashing down through the commentators’ table.]
DT: HOLY SH….
MN: DAVE!! FAMILY SHOW!!! DAMN!!!
DT: Daymon has got to be dead!!! I don’t believe it… oh my God!!!
MN: Chill out, Dave… these kind of things happen all the time. Matter of fact, I’m surprised it took us until the third week to have someone go through this thing. Ha ha!
DT: How can you be so light hearted right now?? Rocko Daymon is completely decimated in the rubble of what used to be OUR table!
MN: Bummer. You know what really sucks? Here comes Maelstrom. Move over Dave, I think we need to jump the barricade….
[Thomas and Neely make their way over the barricade as Maelstrom takes his time limping towards Daymon. A few moments pass and Maelstrom finally pulls a near unconscious Daymon up to his feet. Mael then takes Daymon’s head and begins to slam it off of the ring barrier repeatedly, eventually busting him open. Daymon’s blood coats his face, then Maelstrom’s hands. Mael looks at the crimson liquid, smiles evilly, and looks out to the fans.
[SFX: Crowd booooos!]
[Mael then wipes the blood off on his chest before continuing his assault. He goes to slam Rocko’s face off the barrier once more, but to everyone’s surprise, Daymon blocks it!!! He nails Maelstrom in the gut, then slams his face off the barrier instead! The arena goes ballistic!]
[SFX: CROWD POPS!]
DT: OH MY GOD!! DAYMON’S FIGHTING BACK!!! DAYMON’S FIGHTING BACK!
MN: I thought he was dead!!!
[After a few hard blows to the barricade with Mael’s face, Daymon grabs a hold of his arm and whips him solidly into the nearest set of ring steps. Maelstrom hits them with his knees, doing a full frontal flip over them and to the floor. Daymon hobbles his way over to pursue Maelstrom, but it takes him a while to get there. After a few seconds, Rocko starts to beat the living crap out of Mael’s face with his fists. Putting as much effort as he possibly can into every punch, he wails away on the now bloodied features of Maelstrom, much to the crowd’s delight.]
DT: LOOK AT HIM GO!!! ROCKO DAYMON IS GOING WILD!!! MY GOD!
MN: Dude, just look at this scene… Daymon and Maelstrom are both busted open… our table’s broke… and this place is on its feet. THIS is what Empire is all about!
[Daymon slowly pulls Maelstrom up to his feet and rolls him in under the bottom rope, following him in. He goes for a cover, hooking the leg. The referee counts, as well as the fans.
1…..
2….
KICKOUT by Maelstrom!!]
DT: These guys are relentless!! What’s it going to take??
MN: I don’t know man, but they’re brutalizing each other!
[Daymon lifts Maelstrom up to his feet and applies a standing headscissor, then all of a sudden hooks his one arm. The fans start to erupt, but it’s premature as Maelstrom performs a back body drop. Daymon bounces off the canvas and Maelstrom falls to one knee.]
DT: Do you think Daymon was going for the Brain Rocker Redux there?
MN: Yeah man, seemed like a prime time to do it….
DT: But now Maelstrom’s on the offensive again!!!
[Maelstrom quickly limps over to Daymon and applies a standing headscissor of his own. He lifts with all his might, pulling Daymon up onto his shoulders. His knee, however, starts to give out, but not before Daymon is on his way down to the canvas from a vicious jackknife powerbomb.]
[SFX: Crowd “ooooooooohhhhhs”]
MN: Damn, did you see Daymon’s head smack off the mat???
DT: He’s out like a light!!
[Maelstrom, now on the mat as well, uses all his energy to crawl over to the fallen Daymon, applying a half-nelson/claw hold.]
DT: MORTAL SIN!!! MORTAL SIN!!! That’s Maelstrom’s finishing hold!!! But does he have enough energy to keep it on?!?
MN: Come on Rocko… all you gotta do is hold out man….
DT: I can’t belive it… this is amazing!!! Daymon’s thrashing around with all his might…. He can’t escape!!!
MN: This is an extremely difficult hold to escape from Dave… only two people in the past six years have done it!!
DT: Come on Rocko… we’re pullin’ for ya’ man!!! I can’t believe this… look at the fight in Rocko Daymon!!!
MN: He’s a horse!!!
[Maelstrom applies the move even harder, screaming out a loud war cry. Daymon kicks his legs about attempting to get to his feet any way possible. Maelstrom refuses to relinquish the hold, and eventually Daymon’s legs stop kicking. He desperately tries to peel Mael’s hands away from him, but there’s no use…]
MN: HOLY CRAP… DAYMON’S BEEN IN THAT THING FOR ALMOST A MINUTE!!
DT: This is insane… do you see the amount of blood Rocko’s lost?
[After another minute in the hold, the fans start to chant “ROCK – O, ROCK –O”, but their calls fall on deaf ears, as Daymon finally slumps to the mat, passing out from the pain. The ref checks him, and his hand is raised and dropped….
1 time.
DT: Come on Rocko….
MN: Yeah man… come on… raise your hand.
2 times.
DT: …
MN: Let’s go Daymon…
3 times.
[SFX: DING DING DING]
WINNER: Maelstrom
[And the referee calls for the bell as the arena goes SILENT. Maelstrom releases the hold, breathing heavily, wiping the blood from his eyes. A pindrop could be heard as Mael slowly crawls over to the ropes, facing the nearest camera.]
DT: My god…. We just witnessed an incredible display by both of these men…
MN: Rocko Daymon just earned my respect, that’s for fu…
DT: Mike, I don’t think now’s the time…
[As Maelstrom looks into the lens of the camera, his black blood soaked hair hangs down in front of his face. He pulls it out of the way, revealing the huge gash on his forehead, which still spits blood out over his features. His eyes narrow… followed by a simple smile.]
Maelstrom: See ya’ next week, Sands…
[The copyright information appears at the bottom of the screen, then the picture starts to fade out. Dave Thomas speaks over the broadcast as it goes off the air…]
DT: My god… ladies and gentlemen… I don’t even know what to say. This man just went to WAR with Rocko Daymon… who can stop him???
MN: Somebody get out here to check on Rocko…
[Fade to black.]