The opening guitar harmonics of Saliva's "Ladies and Gentlemen" ring througout the arena as fog drifts across the stage. 

MN: Crap.

DT: What is it, Neely?

MN: I thought that after he didn't show up at Aggression 40, that we'd never see him again. Color me disappointed.

TF: Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce to you at this time... BEAST!

Beast then steps through the fog and smoke and stands at center stage for a few moments, glaring at the crowd and soaking in their boos. He then proceeds to the ring amidst a flurry of moving red and white spotlights, before climbing into the ring and taking the mic from Fatora. Beast motions and his music fades out. 

Beast lifts the mic to speak, but the crowd's boos get louder, and he smiles and lowers the mic for a second, and then proceeds.

Beast: Yeah, I'd be pissed off if I was supporting a company full of losers, too.

That ignites the crowd, and Beast just smiles.

Beast: But I'm not here to talk about EPW's failures. That would take me hours. Far from it. I'm here to address the one and only...

Craig Miles.

Miles... you sir... are a c*cksucker.

MN: Now, THAT was uncalled for.

Beast: I remember when this whole tag team thing got started. I went in on it because I thought we had a shot at becoming EPW World Tag Team Champions. I never would have done it if I didn't think we could be successful. But, you had other ideas, didn't you?

You're no different from all the rest in this part of town, Miles. From Day 1 when the EPW doors opened and I got invited to come over here... from Dan Ryan to Lindsay Troy and now Craig Miles, it's been one big gigantic game of "Who Can F*ck Beast The hardest?" 

MN: This guy's got some issues, doesn't he?

Beast: And we all know the answer to that question would be Lindsay Troy, because of her gigantic PENIS and all...

But all kidding aside... whether it was Dan Ryan screwing me out of my first match, making me wear a dress, or otherwise doing everything he could to keep me down... beyond all the screwing around... no one could hold me down. I was a World Champion when everyone was doing their best to hold me down.

And then you, Miles... it was always one giant game to you too. Lock me up in a dressing room so I can't make the match, and then when it REALLY counts... you F*CK me over by dropping out of the match and them blaming ME for your immaturity. And you cost me gold because of it.

But you know something, Miles? Now, gold doesn't matter. I don't care if I'm ever EPW World Champion again. Or any other EPW Champion. You know why? Cause now, I'm all about KICKING YOUR ASS. Nothing else matters to me at this point in time other than making you realize that you've f*cked with the wrong guy.

DT: Good thing our censors are on the ball tonight.

Beast: I don't know what the whole game was... or what you were trying to accomplish, Miles. However all this sounds, I really don't give a flying f*ck. I just want to make one thing perfectly clear.

This game... is OVER.

[All of a sudden, the lights start flickering…until they turn to black. The crowd starts screaming and hollering, camera flashes sparkle in the darkened arena until the EMPIREtron sparkles to life with grainy black and white security footage. What looks eerily reminiscient of Aggression 38 from New Orleans follows as BEAST walks into a locker room screaming, “MILES! Are you in here!?” As he walks inside, CRAIG MILES sneaks out of the shadows…the audience starts getting loud in response as MILES closes the door and locks it!]

DT: …Dear God, it was never the Fallen! It was Miles that locked Beast in the locker room at Aggression 38…but why would Miles do that!?

MN: I am Jack’s colored surprise.

[As the EMPIREtron flickers out with Beast slamming against the door in frustration, MILES can be seen lighting a cigarette with a huge smirk. The house lights suddenly come back on, where BEAST is in the ring with his eyes bulging in complete surprise. The EMPIREtron fades into a new picture, which gets the crowd all riled up – CRAIG MILES on what appears to be a home camcorder recording, showing the date of “December 10, 2008.” MILES is smoking a cigarette, only the top half of his body visible in the picture.]

CM: Well Dr. McCoy, whatever this day is…you’ve FINALLY called me out. Unfortunately, what you’re watching is a pre-recorded response to what is most likely another droll, unimaginative and hardly scathing retort to the situation you’ve no likely found yourself in…

[MILES takes an inhale off his cigarette, blows out a smoke ring and watches it for a moment.]

CM: You see Henry, that night in New Orleans when I locked you up in that room…I gave you the opportunity to prove something to ME. Later that night, all by myself...I got our team to ADVANCE through my sheer will to win. Last night at Unleashed, when you were given the opportunity to match my SKILLS…not only did you fail MISERABLY, but I’m sure you scoured the arena in hopes that you could beat my brains in and blame me for YOUR loss.

[MILES shakes his head and snickers. The camera briefly cuts to the ring, where BEAST is pacing and watching in anger…]

CM: In the end, Henry…its not about me stealing Thomas’ cell phone and giving it to Neely that night.

DT: [off-camera] Now I understand all those 900 numbers! I had to file a fraud complaint!

MN: [off-camera] It’s a lonely life on the road, Thomas – don’t judge me!

CM: Its not about me pretending to be a wounded little lamb in the ring against Sean Stevens or making you believe that the World Tag Team Championships were going to be wrapped around your waist in another self-gratifying attempt to make yourself feel bigger than you really are…

[MILES takes a deep inhale off his cig and exhales a waft of smoke into the camera.]

CM: It was about a promise I made to Dan Ryan, when he was forced to leave his home…just like I’ve just left mine. It was a promise about EXPLOITING you. It was a promise about not only showing these fans that you’re a fraud, but the WHOLE INDUSTRY. See Henry, you’re living back in 2002 and still thinking that your game…your mantras and your words mean SH[BLEEP!]T. It is about EXPOSING the TRUTH about YOU.

[MILES flicks the cigarette away and takes off his sunglasses…]

CM: As of last night, I am no longer contractually OBLIGATED to wrestle in Empire Pro Wrestling and I KNOW that you won’t be able to deal with that.

[The crowd responds in shock, while BEAST grits his teeth in the ring.]

CM: Therefore, our game…MY PROMISE is about to come to fruition, Henry…because in order for YOU to ever see ME again…you’re going to have to go through SEVERAL hurdles.

[MILES raises his hand and turns up a finger…]

CM: #1…you are going to CEASE using the fu[BLEEP!]ing name BEAST. If you want to use Henry McCoy, I’ll allow it…otherwise, get used to using Marcus Westcott. [MILES raises another finger] Secondly, up until the next PPV where I WILL return if you succeed…I will be choosing ALL of your opponents. [the crowd gets loud!] And #3, in any of those match promos – if you even crack a Lindsay Troy penis joke, hell…if you even mention her name up until the next PPV…you DO NOT get a shot at me.

[BEAST puts his hands through this hair, obviously frustrated and angered by all of this…]

CM: This isn’t 2000, Henry. Lindsay Troy penis jokes are OLD. You’re OLD. If you had any semblance of creativity in your chimp-sized brain, you’d at least ask her when she was getting FU[BLEEP!]ED by Melton and felt a finger in her ASS[BLEEP!]LE…did she wonder if Alex had snuck in there in the dark…

[MILES pauses in thought, smiling…]

CM: …but I digress, because even that’s a couple of years old now…and let’s face it, Lindsay Troy doesn’t matter in this industry anymore either. She’s an administrator now, she doesn’t even wrestle.

[MILES pulls out a cigarette and lights it up…]

CM: These are three simple steps that you can take to get me in a ring, Henry. If you’re not willing to do them, then I’m not willing to give you a chance at revenge. If you’re unable to complete them, you don’t DESERVE a chance at revenge. At the end, Henry…there is a light at the end of this tunnel…you can prove ME wrong. You can prove Dan Ryan wrong…and you can find ENLIGHTENMENT at the end of your career. Because as far as I’m concerned, you’ve been playing Crash Davis in this industry for too long…you can rule the STEAK SAUCE fed, you can spout off jokes that only CarrotTop would appreciate, but your RECKONING is here and it’s your choice to find the will to FACE IT.

[The EMPIREtron cuts off, leaving the fans in a loud buzz and BEAST standing in the ring bug-eyed…he turns and paces in a small semi-circle for a moment, then raises a microphone.]

BEAST: Fine, I'll play your game just a little while longer, but only because I fully intend to tear you to ribbons. But when I come through it unscathed, and I will - you're gonna find out....you just may not want what you're asking for after all.

[Beast throws the mic down and climbs out of the ring, walking up the ramp and through the curtain while the crowd still buzzes.]

DT: Fans, we’ll be right back...

MAIN EVENT
Stalker & "Triple X" Sean Stevens (c) vs. The Fallen


[Fade in from commercial with Tony Fatora standing alone in the ring.]

TF: Ladies and gentlemen… the following match will be our MAIN EVENT of the evening!

[“Never Wanted To Dance [The Birthday Massacre Remix]” by Mindless Self Indulgence blasts over the PA. There is faint support from the core and indie fans in the audience which rings out clearly over a mostly neutral audience. Escorted by El Gothopatomus, Felix Red and the First appear through the curtain, carrying their EPW Tag Team Titles as they march to the ring.]

TF: Introducing first… being escorted to the ring by El Gothopatomus… they are the EMPIRE PRO TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS… they are… THE FORSAKEN!!

DT: I was told this match was a special challenge made by the team we’re seeing approach the ring now. No doubt, they’re bringing their A-Game tonight!

DM: You know, it’s not common that you see a prolific tag team appear in the main event of a show. Maybe once or twice, but not often. But the Forsaken are a team that keeps coming back to the spotlight. The belts they carry are testaments to how talented and dedicated this team is.

MN: Yeah, when they’re not busy holding up their iPods over their heads outside of girls’ windows while they’re blaring the Cure, or some crap!

[As the Forsaken come into the ring, “Passenger” by the Deftones overtakes the PA. Appearing through the entry-way next is the Stalker, sadistically grinning as he steps to the side, making way for the World Heavyweight Champion Sean Stevens, bearing the title and a business-like expression as he steps onto the stage and poses for the booing fans.]

TF: And their opponents… Jason “Stalker” Reeves… the EPW World Heavyweight Champion, “Triple X” Sean Stevens… they are… THE FALLEN!!

DT: It’s because of Sean Stevens’ victory over two prolific EPW stars and the sick mind games of Stalker that the likes of the Fallen have stood dominant in this federation as we enter the new year!

DM: Well, now they have a new obstacle to overcome. The Forsaken arranged this match to show that as the federation’s best TAG team, THEY are the greatest force to be reckoned with!

MN: Man, let’s not forget who we’re talking about here! The champ is GOLDEN right now! And Stalker? Well, he may not have the best track record, but you can’t tell me there’s a man who’s left a match against that guy who wasn’t hurting somewhere!

DT: I won’t disagree with you there, Mike. Stalker and Sean Stevens, though they’ve earned the spite of the fans, have PROVEN themselves to be dangerous enemies. I hope the Forsaken don’t quickly realize they could have bitten off more than they can chew…

[The Fallen enter the ring, and the respective champions hand over their titles to the timekeeper while the ref makes his final checks. Finally, he cues for the bell.]

DT: Senior Referee Pat Jones signals the bell, and the main event has begun!

DM: Stalker in the ring for the Fallen, and the First steps in on behalf of the Forsaken… Stalker wastes NO TIME in advancing aggressively across the ring! Here’s the First, shooting in for the tie-up—but Stalker just says to HELL with that by a blatant kick to the gut, and HAMMERS him to the mat with a forearm to the spine!

DT: No surprise to see Stalker going right to business, brawling the Tag Team Champion right to the mat… Stalker’s looking for some ground-and-pound, but the First slips out and rolls to his feet!

DM: Stalker’s after him again, but the First is quick on his feet to remain out of striking distance!

MN: Bah! Stand up and fight, you goth-emo *****!

DM: Hey, maybe if Mr. Garbage Wrestling wasn’t just throwing punches recklessly to the left and right, he’d have a chance to actually WRESTLE!

DT: Stalker’s had enough… he just LUNGES at the First, but the tag champ DODGES with cat-like grace, and Stalker SPRAWLS into the corner, getting himself tangled on the second turnbuckle! 

DM: Here’s the First coming up from behind him… vaults OFF HIS BACK—and now he’s perched on the top rope!

DT: Stalker spinning around out of the corner with fists swinging, but… there’s nobody there! The First DUPED HIM!!

DM: And subsequently NAILS HIM with a MISSILE DROPKICK FROM UP TOP!! How’s THAT for a fight, Neels?!

MN: Eh, it’s nothing but a bunch of flippity-floppity around the ring… look, Stalker’s up already! Hardly a scratch on his face!

DT: Hardly an IDEA of where he is, to be more accurate! Stalker trying to regain his footing, but the First is already running to the ropes—bouncing off the SECOND ROPE—and BLASTS Stalker with a SPRINGBOARD BULLDOG!!

DM: The First has used the Stalker’s own reckless offense against him! He knew he’d eventually get sloppy and make a mistake, and for that, Stalker’s paying the price!

MN: It only proves that the First is too soft to take a hit to the face, so he’s gotta do all this cheap jumpin’ around crap.

DT: Stalker looking a bit shaken, but… still forcing himself to his feet! His mind might still be caught up in the effects of that hit, but his body certainly isn’t!

DM: No mind, no problem! Here’s the First from behind, and he goes right for the ROLL-UP!!

DT: The First looking for a quick three and out!

One!

Two!

NO!! Stalker VIOLENTLY breaks free, clipping the side of the First’s face with his boot in the process! The First recoils… and that will cost him as the Stalker CHARGES HIM right off his feet and SLAMS HIM back-first to the mat! Now Stalker’s climbing on top, letting loose with HEAVY right hands to the exposed face of the First!

DM: Pat Jones doesn’t even HESITATE to break that up! Blatantly closed fists there, and he practically has to DRAG Stalker off of the First! But it looks like the damage is done. I would’ve disqualified him right there, if it were me.

MN: Hey man, if you can’t take the fight, then just stay out of the big boys’ ring!

DM: I don’t know how many times I have to remind you before something finally sticks, Neels… this sport has a longstanding tradition of holds, throws, and techniques. Stalker obviously knows NOTHING of it! He’s only damning himself if he keeps this constantly brawling up, because he’s inevitably going to burn out his fuel.

DT: His approach is seldom logical, but nevertheless effective in its own way! Stalker now pushes the senior referee aside as he sees the First coming to his feet! Stalker traps him in the corner, and now the First has nowhere to go as the unhinged ferocity of Jason Reeves tears into his ribs with a series of knee strikes! Stalker is simply pounding him into a pulp in there!

MN: Let’s see him jump around now!

DT: Stalker finally letting up, taking the First by the arm and going for the Irish Whip—but the First REVERSES, whipping Stalker hard enough that he drops to the MAT when he connects chest-first with that top turnbuckle on the other side of the ring! Now the First rolls to his corner… and in comes FELIX RED after the tag!

DM: Now THIS is where it will get interesting! Let’s see if Stalker can keep it up with ANOTHER striker in the ring!

DT: Stalker is up again, once again body-before-mind… and just punches at the first person he sees standing before him! But Felix with the block—and a SPINNING DONKEY KICK to the gut causes Stalker to DOUBLE OVER—and COLLAPSE after being stung with a JUDO CHOP to the back of the neck!

MN: Oh man, WHAT HAPPENED!? Felix Red is like, the LOVE child of Jean-Claude Van Damme and Bozo the Clown!

DM: Looks like that insanity can be bottled up after all once somebody fights on his level! Felix brings Stalker back to his feet, with his head trapped in a front face lock! Felix is going to WORK on his kidneys with a couple hard shots… but Stalker just shoves him RIGHT OFF and into the ropes!!

DT: Felix bounces back… running right into a BACK BODY DROP—oh no, he LANDS ON HIS FEET!!

DM: WOW!!

DT: And LEVELS STALKER with a WHEEL KICK right into his back! He got a lot a hefty ovation for THAT one!

MN: What a bunch of sneaky bull****…

DT: Felix rolls Stalker over and hooks the legs to make the cover!

One!

Two!

NO!! Stalker again kicks out, with FORCE! It’s as if all the offense by the Forsaken thus far have done more to incite his rage than to weaken him! 

DM: Yeah, but the longer you kick at a thick skull, you’ll chip away at the surface and expose the soft, painful interior! The Forsaken haven’t done anything short of perfection so far in this match!

MN: You’re forgetting that one other man has yet to step into this match!

DT: Good point, Mike. We can’t forget about Sean Stevens waiting there in the Fallen’s corner.

DM: Looks kinda bored if you ask me.

MN: Probably wondering why he decided to waste his time with this stupid challenge when he’s OBVIOUSLY leagues better than these two dye-job pansies…

DT: Back to the action in the ring… Stalker breaks free of Felix Red’s grip, and is once again violently swinging away with both fists! So Felix comes fighting back with a few shots of his own! It’s FISTICUFFS in the ring as both men beat each other into oblivion!

DM: Someone’s gotta eventually be beaten down here… and amazingly enough, it appears as though STALKER is overpowering Felix! I guess years upon years of taking chairshots to the head have caused him to be completely oblivious to pain!

DT: Felix drops to a knee after a hard elbow to the jaw shakes him… and now Stalker takes him from the side and hooks his arm around his face… there’s a RUSSIAN LEGSWEEP!! Wait a second, he hangs on… and goes for a SECOND RUSSIAN—no wait, FELIX REVERSES—AND HITS STALKER with a Russian Legsweep of his own!!

DM: …and now FELIX hangs on, getting Stalker to his feet and setting up again!

MN: Oh, what the hell!

DT: Felix with a SECOND Russian Legsweep, and that makes three overall! Stalker scrambling back to his feet, but Felix tries stopping him with a waist-lock… and that FAILS, as he gets an ELBOW to his face for the efforts! Stalker stumbles to his corner, and there’s the tag to SEAN STEVENS, coming into this match for the first time!

MN: Yeah, and it’s ABOUT time! Time to show all those nobodies in the back how it’s DONE!

DT: To an ensemble of BOOS from the fans, the World Heavyweight Champion Sean Stevens steps into the ring, as Felix Red comes at him with a BOOT to the gut—which is CAUGHT by Stevens, and quickly reversed into a DRAGON SCREW before the tag champion could even think of going for an enziguri!

DM: Here’s Red, back to his feet, quickly going for a SPINNING HEEL KICK—but TOO SOON, as Sean Stevens DUCKS IT and counters with a HIP TOSS!! Perhaps Felix got a bit over ambitious there!

DT: Felix, trying to get up… but Stevens takes him by the pants and the dreadlocks, and THROWS him to his own corner! Stevens, standing DEFIANT as he just WAITS for Red to make the tag to the First!

MN: Cause obviously, Felix wasn’t up to snuff!

DT: Red makes the tag to the First… who bounces over the ropes and quickly comes at Stevens—but the champion DUCKS a clothesline, and reverses with a BOOT TO THE GUT—quickly following through with a SNAP SUPLEX that puts the high-flying tag champ right on his back!

DM: Sean Stevens is like a white hot ball of FIRE in that ring! The First trying to get up, but Stevens quickly wrenches his arm and puts a KNEE into the small of his back to keep him grounded… and there’s the whip to the turnbuckle!!

DT: Stevens runs after him—but the First goes up top and looks for a WHISPER IN THE WIND—AND SEAN STEVENS EASILY DUCKS IT!! The First goes SPRAWLING onto the mat, and the Forsaken have yet to even lay a FINGER on the World Heavyweight Champ!

MN: Hey, he carries the belt for a reason!

DM: Stevens is just making this look easy… the First back to his feet, but Stevens cuts him off with a knee strike to the ribs! Stevens wraps his arms around the First’s waist… and a BELLY-TO-BELLY SUPLEX tosses the tag champion across the ring!!

DT: Stevens is simply overpowering the competition at this point! Here he makes the cover on the First…

One!

Two!

And a kickout by the First!

DM: The Forsaken are still looking strong, even after Stalker’s constant brawling attempts, but I don’t know how much longer they can last against the man considered the best in the industry by the title he carries around his waist!

DT: They requested this match for what we may assume was to show the champion their own level of expertise, but… it almost seems like they were caught off guard by this! Stevens is bringing the First back to his feet, and he takes him by the arm… there’s the Irish Whip—right into his OWN corner!

DM: And now Stevens is telling the First to tag Felix back in! It’s as if he’s saying he’s BORED with the First and wants to swap him out! Talk about flaunting your ego!

MN: Hey man, he’s got ROOM to flaunt! Sean Stevens doesn’t screw around!

DT: Stevens looks to his corner and shrugs, as if MOCKING his own partner’s ability to get the job done! Interesting working relationship those two have… but nevertheless, the First tags out to Felix Red once again, who enters the ring!

DM: Let’s see if Felix can get anything going for the Forsaken now that the World Champ has put the Tag Champs back on their heels!

DT: Red is in the ring, and he’s wisely hesitant before coming at the champion. Both men circling each other in the ring… and there’s the lock-up! Felix comes out on top with a headlock… but Stevens almost instantly shoves him off and into the ropes!

DM: Here’s Felix on the return… looking for a JUMPING KNEE LIFT—but Stevens DODGES, and instead Felix goes down to a REVERSE DDT!! No matter what they try, the champ just can’t be stopped!

DT: And he ISN’T stopping! Sean Stevens is going to the turnbuckle, and boosting himself up to the second rope… here he comes off with a GUILLOTINE LEGDROP… and he NAILS IT!!

DM: Look at Stalker over there on the apron… he’s practically BEGGING to get back into this match! But Stevens waves him off!

MN: Well, yeah, Stalker was obviously having a bit of trouble getting the job done, but naturally you’re going to expect nothing short of flawless from the CHAMPION OF THE WORLD! Believe me, he’s doing his team more good by keeping himself in at this point.

DM: While everything we’ve seen might suggest Mike is right, I can’t help but wonder if the cunning Forsaken will eventually find a way to trump the champ!

MN: Not likely. Their specialty is writing crappy poetry and crying in the corner, after all.

DT: Stevens ignores the opportunity to make the cover… instead bringing Felix Red back to his feet! Here’s Stevens with the whip to the ropes… wait, Felix makes the tag to the First as he bounces off! Dunno if the champ spotted it, but here he comes with a CLOTHESLINE—and Felix DUCKS!!

DM: WHOA!! Felix slips under the ropes to the outside, and in doing so, draws Stevens’ attention away from the legal man, as he vaults to the top rope and SPRINGS IN WITH A DIVING SENTON SPLASH that catches Sean Stevens from behind!

DT: The champ was blindsided there… but even so, he quickly rolls through and is back on his feet!

MN: Oh man, is HE gonna kick his ass for THAT!!

DT: The First backing up into his corner… and he makes the tag back to FELIX RED! How did he get back up on the apron so fast?!

DM: As soon as Felix hit the floor, he booked it back to his own corner to make the tag, and now Stevens finds the odds stacked against him as Red steps in and the First shoots in low, grabbing ahold of the champ’s right leg! He’s got him IMMOBILIZED!!

DT: Stevens trying to shake the First off, but he’s TOO LATE, as Felix NAILS HIM with a SPINNING HEEL KICK that sweeps him right off his feet!

DM: Nearly decapitated the World Champion with that one, and now the Forsaken begin to show strength against Sean Stevens! The First is back on the apron before Pat Jones can give him any grief… but right away, Felix Red tags him back in!

MN: Man, can these two make up their MINDS already!?

DT: This strategy of quick tags is certainly working in their favor, Mike. If neither of the tag champions is enough to weaken the champion alone, then it’s always more effective to work in tandem! It’s what put the tag titles around their waists and kept them as a dominant force in EPW!

DM: The First is going to show you the meaning of dominance right now as he scales up to the top rope! Stevens looks only slightly shaken as he forces himself back onto his feet… and he turns around as the First comes OFF WITH A DIVING LARIAT—AND HE NAILS IT!!

DT: The Forsaken are really starting to tear up it now! Here’s the First, making the cover on the World Champion…

ONE!!

TWO!!

NO!! A strong kick-out by Sean Stevens!

DM: But how strong can the champ stay as he withstands this punishment? The First back on his feet, and takes Stevens by his long golden HAIR as he leads him to the far corner and makes yet another tag to Felix Red! They’ve done a sufficient job of keeping the champion on his toes by swapping in and out as they have been doing.

MN: Sounds to me like they need to figure out who is doing the WRESTLING and who is going to sit there with a thumb up his ass!

DT: Here’s Felix Red back into the ring as Sean Stevens struggles to recover… and as soon as he makes it to his feet, he goes DOWN AGAIN as Felix delivers a running low dropkick to the knee! 

DM: Stevens is looking FURIOUS… but here comes Felix OFF THE ROPES… and he NAILS HIM WITH A SPRINGBOARD BICYCLE KICK!!

DT: Here’s Felix Red with the cover…

ONE!!

TWO!!

NO!! Sean Stevens makes the kickout again! But before he can react, Felix makes the tag back to the First, and the Forsaken’s strategy of quick tags to keep their opponent off-balance continues!

DM: Here’s the First, hooking one of Stevens’ legs and slapping on a Half Crab! Now the champ is feeling the pain through that hyper-extension of his joints and muscles! I bet he really wished he had made that tag to Stalker earlier when he had the chance!

DT: You can even SEE the sick delight in Stalker’s face as he stands there on the apron, watching Sean Stevens, who earlier thought he could handle the Forsaken without his help, resist the urge to tap out!

DM: I dunno if a single crab is enough to make the World Champion tap out… but nevertheless, there’s a significant amount of damage being done to his leg and back!

MN: Man, what’s with people trying to beat up the champ’s leg?!

DM: Given the amount of people who have been KO’d by the force of Sean Stevens’ superkick, I’m surprised it hasn’t been done more often!

DT: Oh, wait! Watch this here! Sean Stevens is inching his way to the ropes! The First, clearly outweighed, doesn’t have enough to keep him held down in one place!

DM: Stevens is only feet away from the bottom rope now… INCHES… and he’s GOT THE BOTTOM ROPE!! The First is forced to break the hold, but the damage has been done! The First breaks it up, and predictably, he goes to tag in Felix Red!

DT: Stevens is moving to his corner to make the tag to Stalker… but he’s STOPPED by Felix, who takes him by the boot and drags him back to the center of the ring!

DM: First he didn’t want to leave, and now they’re not LETTING him! The champ has gotta make the tag back to Stalker if the Fallen have any hope of standing up to the tag champs!

MN: Come on, Stevens! Stop looking lame out there!

DT: Felix, apparently continuing to focus on the leg of the World Champion, looks to be going for a Figure Four Leglock… BUT STEVENS KICKS HIM AWAY! The champ has a only second to react… and here comes Felix Red once again, to—

X-FACTOR!! OH MY GOD, THE WORLD CHAMPION JUST CAME OUT OF NOWHERE WITH THAT!!

MN: WOO-HOO!! That’s what it’s about!

DM: And Felix Red had NO IDEA it was coming! What a way to turn the tide, if not COMPLETELY END, a highly competitive match!

DT: Stevens falls over the fallen body of Felix Red and makes the cover…





ONE!!








TWO!!













BROKEN UP!! OH MY GOD, IT’S BROKEN UP BY A CUT THE THREAT FROM THE TOP ROPE COURTESY OF THE FIRST!!

DM: Man, The First came RIGHT DOWN ACROSS THE HEAD of Sean Stevens with that top rope finishing maneuver, and effectively ENDED all the momentum the World Champion picked up! And can you blame him for such a daredevil act? Desperate times obviously call for desperate measures!

DT: Pat Jones is trying to remove the First from the ring… but here’s Stalker shoving him aside! Stalker BOOTS The First in the gut—EVENFLOWW!!!

MN: Yeah, THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS to guys who don’t know when to keep out of the freakin’ ring!

DT: Complete chaos is breaking out in that ring as Pat Jones tries to remain in control… and now Stalker is bringing the shaken body of Felix Red back to his feet! I think he might be going for another EVENFLOW—OH WAIT!! Red REVERSES the kick to the gut and spins Stalker around—

AND HE FALLS RIGHT INTO A FELIX SLAM!! Stalker was just DESTROYED in the middle of the ring, and Felix COLLAPSES after using every last bit of his strength to dish that out!

DM: What a round robin of finishers, and now senior referee Pat Jones has no idea on where to go from here! Are four men are lying in pain on the mat, and… wait a minute, WHO IS THIS RUNNING TO THE RING?!

[The camera pivots around until it finds CAMERON CRUISE sprinting down the rampway to the ring, and not at all alone! Quickly following him out are Larry Tact, Shawn Hart, and Jared Wells.]

MN: Looks like trouble!

DT: IT’S THE ANTHOLOGY!! WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY DOING OUT HERE?!

DM: I can only think of ONE thing!

DT: Stevens and Red are almost back to their feet… but within mere MOMENTS, all four members of the Anthology are in the ring! OH!! LARRY TACT JUST BOOTED STEVENS RIGHT IN THE FACE!!

DM: And Jared Wells wasted NO TIME in going right after Felix Red! Now everybody’s following suit, as they mercilessly STOMP AWAY at the four defenseless competitors!

DT: RING THE BELL!!

[Pat Jones signals for the bell, and everybody in the arena BOOS TREMENDOUSLY as the four members of the Anthology subsequently manhandle the other four competitors of the match, rendering them defenseless.]

DT: It is complete and utter PANDEMONIUM in the ring as the Anthology have come in to crash the main event of Aggression, and the fans don’t like it one bit!

MN: Well hey… if you ask me, these fans are going to have to DEAL with it! I, for one, feel that it’s an ATROCITY that none of the Anthology were considered to compete in the main event! 

DM: The Anthology are certainly making a statement here tonight! We know they’ve had grief with both the Fallen and the Forsaken, and this attack was easily their way of killing two birds with one stone! They’re showing the Fallen and the Forsaken that THEY are the ones that should be at the top of Empire Pro!

DT: Wait a minute… Cameron Cruise is ordering the other Anthology members to bring Stalker off the mat! These two shared harsh words in the weeks leading up to the event! Cruise grabs the defenseless Stalker… and JUST BLASTS HIM WITH THE SHIPWRECK in the middle of the ring!

MN: KABAM!! Maybe Stalker should take notes on how to be a BADASS!

DM: I don’t think I’ve ever had a negative thing to say about the four great athlete standing tall in the ring… but this kind of arrogance, to interfere and subsequently ruin the main event, is just beyond me! Even IF some people would take pleasure in seeing slime like the Fallen get their comeuppance!

DT: This doesn’t look like justice or karma, if you ask me! It looks to me like it’s the same form of bullying and strength in numbers! Over on the other side of the ring now, Anthology members are bringing Felix Red off the mat and feeding him to Jared Wells! Wells bends Felix backwards… and just DESTROYS HIM WITH THE RAGE BOMB!!!

DM: Bodies are dropping left and right now! Here’s Hart, lifting the First off the mat… and he HITS HIM WITH THE HART ATTACK!! Here’s Larry Tact on the World Champion… and he DRILLS SEAN STEVENS WITH THE STARBREAKER! 

[More jeering ensues as the members of the Anthology stand up and being to pose for the fans.]

[…when suddenly, the house lights cut to black.]

[A few moments of limbo pass as panic begins to set in. Then the EmpireTron lights up but only briefly…]

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[…and quickly goes to black. All at once, the house lights come on, revealing the ring just as it was, with the four members of the Anthology still standing over the beaten bodies of the Forsaken and the Fallen, but now looking confused at what they’ve just witnessed.]

DM: …what was THAT about?

DT: Those numbers on the screen! What ARE they? Is it some kind of code, or date, or a message?

DM: And was that something for the Anthology to see?

MN: Where’s my decoder ring when I need it!

[Before the confusion can leave, even more surprises are abound, as “Imperial March” suddenly hits the PA. The fans shift from befuddlement to euphoria as EPW legend and owner, LINDSAY TROY, appears in the entry-way, staring defiantly at the four men in the ring.]

DT: IT’S LINDSAY TROY!! The OWNER of Empire Pro is HERE, and she doesn’t look happy!

DM: I doubt she WOULD be, after seeing her show interrupted by the Anthology!

MN: DAMNIT!! You can always depend on a WOMAN to ruin the fun!

[Troy already has a mic in hand, which she raises to speak.]

TROY: GENTLEMEN… it seems to me that in the time you’ve spent having secret meetings for your private club, you’ve had a memory lapse and forgotten who the AUTHORITY is here in this federation! And as much as I just LOVE watching someone wipe Stevens’ face across the mat… I’m not letting MY show end this way. This match is NOT over!

[The announcement earns a POP from the fans! In the ring, the Anthology have forgotten about the competitors in the ring, now finally recovering in time to hear this news. Troy looks to the back and signals to someone unseen… who turn out to be a lot of someones. Security guards, specifically, who file out and approach the ring.]

TROY: But just to ensure that YOU guys won’t overstep your limits again… I’m going to have to kindly ask that the four of your LEAVE the arena!

[The fans POP again as the Anthology show their immediate displeasure! The force of security guards, in the meantime, surround and systematically begin entering the ring.]

DT: What TREMENDOUS news! The owner of Empire Pro, Lindsay Troy, using her absolute authority, has ordered that this match be CONTINUED until a clear winner is declared! In the meantime, it looks like the Anthology will NOT be present for the rest of Aggression!

MN: What a bunch of crap! That ball-buster thinks she can just go willy-nilly with her authority and ORDER THEM out of the arena?! This federation is just as much THEIRS as it is HERS!!

DM: You argue that to her, Neels, and we’ll see how far it gets you. Looks like the Anthology are putting up a bit of resistance in leaving the ring!

[The tension mounts in the ring as the Anthology members threaten to attack some of the security guards if they come any closer. The security team, however, have a job to do, and a fracas inevitably breaks out as soon as one reaches out and tries to take Jared Wells by the wrist, and gets a fist in his face for his efforts. Men in yellow shirts are suddenly flooding the ring, with up to three or four physically manhandling every member of the stable and forcing them out of the ring. Eventually, Cruise, Hart, Tact, and Wells are corralled near the base of the ramp with a wall of security officials blocking their path to the ring and backing them back up to the rampway.]

DT: The Anthology obviously don’t like it one bit, but… the show must go on!

MN: Yeah, but did she have to get EVERY security guard in the building to get them out of the ring? I bet you anything the merch booths are being looted RIGHT NOW!!

DM: The Anthology are still making a scene on the rampway… but back in the ring, it looks like Stalker has aided the World Champion in getting to his feet, with Gothopatomus assists the Forsaken. All four men have been considerably shaken after that attack, but now they are all remembering their duty in that ring, just as Pat Jones rings the bell to continue this match!

DT: The World Heavyweight Champion is back on his feet, and Stevens wastes no time in going across the ring and grabbing the first person he sees—and that person is indeed, THE First! Stevens slaps on a waistlock, and it looks like he could be going for a German Suplex!

DM: NO!! The First breaks free and makes the reversal! The First is looking for a roll-up—but Stevens hangs onto the top rope, and the tag team champion rolls back without him! 

DT: A quick move by the champ, but the First is just as quick to get to his feet! The First sprints forward, looking for a CROSS BODY BLOCK—and GOES TUMBLING TO THE OUTSIDE with Stevens as they fall over the ropes together!!

DM: Meanwhile, back in the ring, Stalker has decided to abandon the entire notion of “tagging” and go right after Felix Red! Felix still looks a little weary after that Rage Bomb from Jared Wells… 

MN: I may not know who in the hell Jared Wells is, but he immediately made my cool list the moment he did that!

DT: Nevertheless, Felix Red is FIGHTING BACK, as a quick chop across the chest prevents Stalker from fulfilling what he was set on doing! Meanwhile, Stevens and the First are still going at it on the outside! I’m not sure who the legal men are in this match, but it looks like Pat Jones is going with Stevens and the First as he begins the ten count!

DM: There’s Felix with an Irish Whip on Stalker… Stalker bounces back as Felix goes for a HURRICANE SPINNING HEEL KICK—BARELY missed by Stalker—OH NO!! Stalker RUNS RIGHT INTO PAT JONES, sending the referee to the outside with a HARD fall!

DT: The senior official was busy with the ten count on the First and Stevens to see the action behind him, and now the referee is OUT! Sean Stevens seems to realize this as he BATS the First away with a hard shot to the face… and quickly throws a ringside CHAIR into the ring!

DM: He just gave his partner a valuable weapon there! Here’s Felix Red to stop Stalker—

*CRACK!!*

DT: OH NOO!! Felix just got CLOCKED with that chair, and now he’s lying flat on the mat! The Fallen are now taking full opportunity of the referee being incapacitated!

DM: Stevens apparently knows Stalker well enough now that a chair tips the scales of balance clearly in the hardcore specialist’s favor! Felix Red is lying hurt on the mat as Stalker sets the chair up in the center of the ring. Back on the outside, the First has his hands full with Sean Stevens, who takes him by the hair and RAMS HIM RIGHT INTO THE STEEL BARRICADE!!

DT: It’s complete BEDLAM out there, and with the referee out, it’s bound to continue! Stalker has Felix red back on his feet, and he whips him to the ropes… and straight into a DROP TOE HOLD, DROPPING HIM RIGHT ONTO THE CHAIR!!!

MN: HA!! Take a seat, CHUMP!!

DT: Stalker has used the lack of authority in this match to his advantage, but how will he put it away until Pat Jones comes to?

DM: I’m sure that’s all secondary to him now… Stalker is bringing Felix Red back to his feet, and sets him into a front facelock! Is he going for it?

DT: HE IS!! EVENFLOW, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RING!! That’s all she wrote!! But now what happens? He can’t make the cover with Pat out there, and… wait just a minute, who is THAT?!

[A ringside camera quickly pivots around to the rampway. Up near the entrance, security continue to herd the Anthology back to the backstage area. Unseen to almost everybody, however, is an Asian woman slipping over the barricade and approaching the ring, a black club-like object in one hand and evil intent in her eyes.]

MN: Oh great… MORE interruptions!

DT: Who IS that woman?! I’ve never seen her before!

DM: Wait a minute, I think I recognize her…

..yes, that’s none other than RYOKO!!

DT: WHO?!

DM: I’m sure I can sit here all day and tell you her story, Dave, but let’s just say she’s had a more than sordid history with Felix Red! I wouldn’t doubt that’s the reason she’s here tonight! What’s that in her hand?

DT: I’m not sure, but it can’t be good! Nobody in the ring has notice her yet, but that hasn’t stopped Stalker from continuing to pace this match! Now he’s calling to Stevens on the outside, just as the World Champion LEVELS the First with a DDT on the thinly padded concrete floor!

DM: Looks like he’s really missing the referee! I don’t blame him! He’s only moments away from finishing this match, and if I were him, I’d get it done before SHE got to the ring!

MN: Jesus, Dean, you don’t even know WHY she’s here! You just go spouting off about some history with Felix Red, and suddenly you think there’s conspiracy abound!

DT: There’s nobody to stop her; all the security personnel are up the ramp dealing with the Anthology! On the outside, Sean Stevens is bringing senior official Pat Jones to his feet and rolling him inside! Now Stalker is trying to bring him to his senses… turning his back to Felix Red!

DM: Come on, Felix! Now’s your chance!

DT: With Stalker focused on the referee, the tag team champion Felix Red is beginning to recover… and I can’t help but notice how this Ryoko on the outside is focusing solely on him! I don’t know if I feel very comfortable with her being so close to the ring!

MN: Too late for THAT, Dave! We just HAD to remove the Anthology from the arena, remember?!

DM: Felix is almost to his feet… and now RYOKO SLIDES INTO THE RING!! She’s wielding that black stick like she means business!

DT: Red sees her… and she LUNGES FORWARD!!

*ZZZZNAP!!*

DT: OOH, BUT HE LUNGES OUT OF THE WAY JUST IN TIME!! Ryoko put the tip of that object into the back of STALKER, and he just sprawled to the mat CONVULSING!!

DM: Looks like she’s got a shock stick, the kind Canadian Mounties used to carry around! That put Stalker right to the ground in a whole world of pain!

[Before Ryoko can act again, a pair of hands reach into the ring and grab her by the foot, subsequently dragging her outside. It’s none other than EL GOTHO, coming to Felix’s aid by dragging the would-be attacker out of the ring!]

DT: Gotho has removed Ryoko from the ring… and Felix FALLS across the chest of Stalker just as Pat Jones comes to, and begins to make the count!

MN: Oh come on, you gotta be KIDDING ME!!

DT: ONE!!

DM: Stevens trying to get back into the ring…

DT: TWO!!

DM: BUT THE FIRST HAS HIM BY THE LEGS!!

DT: THREEEE!!!

[Pat Jones weakly signals the bell as Stevens finally boots off the First and comes into the ring, realizing he’s too late. Back on the outside, Ryoko finally breaks free of Gotho and escapes through the audience.]

TF: Ladies and gentlemen… here are your winners… Felix Red and the First… THE FORSAKEN!!!

DM: After a hard-fought battle, the Tag Team Champions have DONE IT!! They came here with a goal in mind, and that goal was to overcome the Fallen, who have had control over the federation for so long… and they did everything they could to fulfill it!

DT: The Forsaken might be walking away from this one with the win, Dean, but I can’t help but imagine circumstances turning out differently if not for the involvement of the Anthology and the enigmatic Ryoko!

MN: Yeah, but unfortunately, the Fallen really shot themselves in the foot. I kinda expected this from Stalker, but… not somebody like “Triple X” Sean Stevens. I figured he would’ve mopped the FLOOR with everybody.

DM: Well, apparently, being this federation’s centerpiece and sole defense against all that badmouth it isn’t enough for you. Stevens might be an egomaniacal and self-centered athlete… but in a time where uncertainty is around every corner and the fans of EPW have nobody to look to for a hero, what does the future hold?

DT: That remains to be seen, Dean. As it is, the Fallen are quickly realizing that their dominance in Empire Pro is now under threat! The Forsaken have bested them in the ring, and the Anthology are clearly having no problem in making their presence felt! Where the World Heavyweight Champion goes from here remains to be seen, but until next time, ladies and gentlemen, I’m Dave Thomas, signing off for Mike Neely and Dean Matthews, and we hope you have a good night!

[We get a final shot of the First, Felix Red, and El Gotho standing tall in the ring with their tag team titles. On the outside stand the defeated “Triple X” Sean Stevens and Stalker, looking back at them with spite. Fade to black.]


FIN