The words "Earlier Today" appear in the upper left portion of the screen and the scene fades in to the parking lot inside the arena. Lindsay Troy, bags over her shoulder and sunglasses covering her eyes, walks past various rental cars and production trailers to the back entrance. She's not fifty feet from the door when it bursts open and a platoon of St. Louis's finest spill into the parking area, dragging a cuffed Joey Melton along with them.

Lindsay lifts her sunglasses up from her face, thinking that the display is an illusion caused by the darkly-tinted Dior lenses that mask her eyes. When the group advances towards her, confirming the reality of the situation, she sprints over to the front of the pack and drops her bags.

Troy: Joey? Are you alright? What the hell happened?

Three policemen in the front line of the formation step forward, take Troy by the arms and lead her backwards a few feet. She looks at them in anger and begins to struggle against their grip.

Troy: Let go of me, *******it!

Policeman #1: Ma'am, we're going to need you to calm down.

Troy [yelling]: The hell I will! Someone tell me what the **** is going on here!

Policeman #2: We were told not to take you in, but if you continue to battle us we'll bring you along for obstruction.

The group surrounding Troy stop ten feet from the rest of their pack and she furiously yanks her arms out of their grip. They form a semi-circle in front of her, cutting her off from Melton's view.

Troy: I want an explanation. NOW.

The third policeman, who had been silent until now, pulls a folded bundle of papers from his back pocket and presented it to her. Troy angrily yanks the folds open and begins to read.

Troy: The court finds that it has jurisdiction over the parties and the subject matter, that the defendant was given proper notice and constitutes a ... ... threat to the physical safety of the plaintiffs and cause exists for the issuance of a RESTRAINING ORDER?!

Lindsay yanks the papers down from her eyes and glares at the officers in front of her.

Troy: Please tell me you're joking.

Policeman #1: I'm afraid not, ma'am.

Troy: This is absolutely insane! Who authorized this?

Policeman #2: If you look up at the top, the judge is...

Troy: I don't want to ****ing look up at the top! This is nuts. Completely nuts. I want to talk to Joey.

Policeman #3: I'm afraid we can't let you do that.

Troy: I can't wait to hear this reason...

Policeman #3: You're listed as a plaintiff.

A long, silent pause hung in the air while Lindsay lets the news sink in. She looks down at the motion again and saw that she was, indeed, listed as a plaintiff.

Along with Troy Windham, August DeLaRossi and Z!

Troy [shaking her head]: This is a mistake. I never authorized myself to be put on this.

Policeman #2: You didn't have to.

He flips through the back pages and brings a piece of paper to the front.

Policeman #2: Your husband did.

Lindsay immediately drops the papers to the ground and looks at the marriage license signed by her and Troy Windham in abject horror, her hands flying upwards to her mouth.

Policeman #2: Now, if you'll excuse us, we need to finish doing our job.

He motions to the men standing next to him and to those behind him. The group proceeds through the parking lot, taking Melton along with them. He looks over at Troy, who is still staring at the ground. After they move out of earshot, Lindsay lowers her hands from her lips.

Troy: But I never signed this...

She turns to grab her bags and go after Joey and the cops when Kenny Lombardo comes running out from the building, panting and sweating.

Lombardo: Lindsay, Dan needs to see you immediately.

Troy: Yeah. I need to see him too.

She snatches the papers from the pavement and walks forward to grab her bags. She briskly walks toward the back door with Kenny jogging to keep up.

Troy: It's about this restraining order, isn't it?

Lombardo: Well yeah, but that's not all.

Troy: What else could there be?

Lombardo: It's about you wrestling in the tag title match tonight.

DT: Well folks, I’m actually quite interested in seeing how this next match turns out. We just finished seeing Steven Shane make an appearance in Mongolia, via satellite!

MN: A place where he had no business being, if I might add.

DM: Steven Shane is a stand-up guy. He’ll go wherever the boss needs him to go.

MN: I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about how he didn’t need to have his nose in Irishred’s business. Red didn’t even try to provoke anything.

DM: He’s been trying to throw matches and destroy the very company that you work for! How is that not provocation? Dan Ryan is simply trying to rid the EPW of this cancer!

MN: Whatever, Matthews.

[CUE UP: No Hype Necessary’s "Patiently Waiting"]

[Fireworks began to blast, in the shape of an X, with the loud boom commanding the fans' attention. “Triple X” Sean Stevens steps through the curtain, immediately raising his arms in the air. Trip walks down to the ring, and slides in, running to the nearest turnbuckle, raising his arms in the air. "Triiiiiiiipal Eccckkks" begins to form, as his music slowly came to an end, and he hops down, turning to face the task before him.]

DT: Well guys, Triple X was very quiet this week, but maybe he didn’t have to be. I mean, his opponent isn’t even here this week!

[As if on cue, the EPW-tron comes to life. We see EPW owner, Dan Ryan sitting behind his mahogany desk. He quickly kicks his feet down and leans into the camera in the front of his desk.]

Ryan: Hello folks. You’re probably wondering why I would allow Steven Shane to skip out on this match that obviously has so much riding on it, what with an Intercontinental Title shot on the line.

MN: I’m wondering why you would allow him to go to Mongolia! Screw this match!

Ryan: Well, the answer lies deep in the genius of yours truly.

Irishred still wants to try and make a mockery of me and my promotion, and I REALLY want to make sure that he understands that Dan Ryan is not a man that anyone wants to mess with, let alone some piece of trailer park trash like Irishred.

It is because of this that I, personally, afforded for Steven Shane to take the plane to Mongolia this week.

[HUGE pop.]

Ryan: Once Shane brought the idea to my attention this week, I told him that I would take care of any expenses he incurred. However, the problem still arose as to what we would do about the I-C title number one contender’s match.

Then, it hit me…

I gave Shane his plane ticket, enough money to cover his other expenses, told him that he would still be able to get his shot at the I-C title if things go right, and that I would take care of the other 20,000 when the time came…

[Ryan inexplicably leans back in his chair and kicks his feet back up and onto the desk without saying anything. The camera quickly cuts to the ring, where Sean Stevens is still watching the EPW-tron in awe.]

DT: Who the hell is that?

DM: German Suplex!

MN: What’s going on here? What did Dan Ryan spend 20,000 dollars on?

DM: It’s Bloodhunt! Dan Ryan’s newest acquisition!

DT: Are you kidding me? Dan Ryan has spent 20,000 dollars on Bloodhunt to take Steven Shane’s place in this number one contender’s match!

DM: Does this mean that if Bloodhunt wins this match that Steven Shane still gets the I-C title shot?

For a shot at the EPW Intercontinental Championship
If Bloodhunt wins, Steven Shane Receives EPW Television Title Shot!
Bloodhunt vs. "Triple X" Sean Stevens


DT: I’m not sure, but I think Steven Shane is hoping so, because Bloodhunt has just picked Triple X back up here and is nailing him with closed fists like a man possessed!

DM: Well, you heard his deal if you were watching EPW TV this week. One night, 20,000 dollars. That’s all it takes for his services, and he promises to come through.

DT: Well, he whips Triple X across the ring.

DM: And a HUGE spinebuster! The impact of that could have shattered Stevens’s back! Wow! What a move!

DT: This man is certainly not playing around. He intends to earn his money and make his customers come back for more. His first client here in EPW is Steven Shane, and I’m sure that Shane is loving what he’s seeing via satellite!

DM: We haven’t heard a lot about this man, but from what we can see here, he is certainly going to be a force to be reckoned with here in Empire Pro.

DT: He picks Stevens back up. Textbook European uppercuts by Bloodhunt as he backs Stevens into the corner.

DM: Big knee to the midsection there by Bloodhunt! And another!

DT: And now he climbs the turnbuckle! And he starts driving those fists into Triple X’s head!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9…

10!!!

DM: Absolute fierce and stiff offense by Bloodhunt as he hops down and Triple X crashes to the mat!

DT: And he’s still not stopping! He’s not going to slow this down until Triple X can’t move and he can make the pin!

DM: He pulls Triple X back up and into a front facelock. He heaves.

DT: But Triple X blocks it! Bloodhunt pulls again.

DM: But again Triple X blocks it! Now Triple X pulls.

DT: Vertical suplex by Triple X! He just managed to turn the tables there and now Triple X has a chance to catch is breath finally!

MN: You know, I’m still not one hundred percent with everything that’s going on here. Is this even legal?

DT: I’m pretty sure whatever Dan Ryan wants to do around here is legal.

MN: And he’s the one behind all of this, right?

DT: That’s my understanding.

MN: And if this Bloodhunt wins… nevermind.

DM: Guys, Triple X is back up here and he’s pulling Bloodhunt up. Triple X locks him in a standing front facelock.

DT: Nice swinging neckbreaker there!

DM: Now it looks like Triple X is going to head to the top rope.

MN: I don’t like this. He hasn’t really put Bloodhunt away enough to try this.

DT: Well, apparently he thinks this is going to work.

DM: He’s up and he leaps…

DT: But Bloodhunt moves out of the way of that frog splash! Triple X should have listened to Neels, as bad as I hate to say it!

MN: What’s that supposed to mean?

DT: No worries, Neels. Anyway, Bloodhunt is slowly getting back to his feet as he makes his way over to the fallen Triple X.

DM: He picks him up and locks him in that front facelock again.

DT: But he hits the gourdbuster this time!

DM: And look at the look in Bloodhunt’s eyes! I am not liking the way that things are looking here for Triple X as we continue on here!

MN: This can only get uglier, Matthews.

DT: Bloodhunt is heading to the outside! What the hell is he going to do out there?

MN: Waste time! Get back in there and finish this thing off!

DT: Oh my God! He’s getting a chair! What’s he going to do with that?

DM: Apparently nothing as the referee is trying to pull it away from him!

DT: But Bloodhunt is refusing to give it up!

DM: Look out! Bloodhunt just ripped that chair away from the ref, but Triple X is back up and nails Bloodhunt with a right hand!

DT: And that chair is now lying in the middle of the ring! The ref can’t get to it because these two are fighting right over top of it!

DM: Bloodhunt swings a right hand at Triple X, but Stevens ducks the blow! He quickly locks Bloodhunt in a rear waistlock.

DT: But Bloodhunt elbows his way out of it! He quickly turns to face Triple X! There’s a boot to the midsection!

DM: DDT! DDT on the chair by Bloodhunt!

MN: Disqualification!

DT: I don’t think you can, Neels! It didn’t really look all that blatant.

DM: Bloodhunt’s making the cover!

1…

2…

3!!!

MN: Are you kidding me?

TF: Ladies and gentlemen, here is your winner… Bloodhunt!

DT: This is unreal! I don’t believe what I’ve just seen! A chair was used, but the referee didn’t call for the disqualification!

DM: AND it would appear as though Steven Shane is getting a shot at the Intercontinental Title next week!

MN: AND, this guy, this Bloodhound used a chair illegally! What kind of a show is Dan Ryan running here?

DT: I’m not sure, Neels. Folks, we’ve gotta take a break, don’t go anywhere! We’ll be right back!

NEXT