(A graphic appears showing John Doe, AKA Isaac Byrne and Troy Douglas side by side with an “Inferno Match” graphic underneath)

DT: …between John Doe and Troy Douglas!! We’ll be right back!!

(A backstage hallway near the gorilla position. Cross is leaning back against the wall to keep the pressure off his knee. Lindsay Troy is pacing in front of him, her half of the Tag-Team Championship strapped around her waist, livid about the return of Vladamir Vlachinko.)

Troy: Goddamnit Xandor, I thought he was gone after Battleground Britain. I thought I had him put away for good.

(She looks visibly upset.)

Cross: Hey, Lindz, try to calm down.

(Cross straightens up and turns Troy around to face him.)

If he's back to cause you some trouble, it's not like you haven't taken him down before. Plus, you have back up around here to cover you.

Troy: No, Xandor…you don’t understand. This time, it’s different.

(She runs her fingers through her hair, pulling the loose ends out of her eyes.)

You don’t know what his presence here tonight means. Here, at this pay-per-view. You don’t know our history. He’s back because of what me and D…

(Troy halts, catching herself. The abrupt stoppage of a spill of “too much information” causes Cross to raise an eyebrow. She sighs.)

I can’t ask anyone to step in for me. You know that.

(Cross looks a little confused yet his tone of voice is confident.)

Cross: No one is saying anything about stepping in for you, Lindsay. I just mean that if that backward country's poor excuse for an athlete decides to ambush you or even touch you, I, for one, am not going to stand and watch him hurt you.

Troy (under her breath): I’m glad someone’s willing to do that.

(Cross puts both of his hands on Troy's shoulders and looks her straight in the eye.)

Cross: We may not always get along or see eye to eye on things, but you know that I would go through hell and back with you...no matter what...

(A hint of a smile crosses her lips, and Troy puts her hands on Cross’s shoulders as well.)

Troy: You know I’d do the same for you. I’m just nervous about tonight, is all. I can’t help but blow things out of proportion, especially when it comes to the Russians. And your knee being the way it is isn’t setting my mind at ease any either.

(Cross looks down at his knee.)

Cross: They way Scourge went to town on it like a pincushion with cortisone, I'll be fine. I think it hurt more when I was getting the shots then when I first hurt it.

Troy: Hey, don’t bullshit a bullshitter. It hurts. You don’t need to put up a front around me.

Voice: Or around anyone else, for that matter.

(From the right, JA walks into the picture. Troy regards him with steely resolve. Cross stands tall, relaxed yet ready in case of trouble.)

JA: Lady and gentleman.

Troy: Well, color me shocked.

Cross: Lindsay… (He turns towards JA with a twinge of annoyance.) …what’s up.

(Troy steps between JA and Cross.)

JA: I was just coming to let you know that I have your back. With two Dises lurking around and everything.

Troy (her voice dripping with sarcasm): Oh, so now you’re in the business of helping people? I must have missed the memo somewhere along the line. Xandor doesn’t need anyone else’s help, least of all Mister Opportunistic.

JA: Well, seeing that he got away from Xandor and you last week, and really, that’s not as much either of your faults as much as these Dis characters seem to be shifty bastards. I think he could use all the help he could get.

Troy: Why you, JA? Why now? You’re only in it for yourself, just like you’ve always been. Old dog, no new tricks…

JA: Alright, maybe I am, maybe I’m not, but the fact is, I don’t think I could live with myself if, as a competitor, my road to the top had to be marked with an asterisk. And I also don’t want to see anyone get chopped out from underneath them.

Cross (folding his arms over his chest and popping an eyebrow): That's very noble of you. Since when did you want to line up for sainthood?

Troy: If you think his extra set of hands won’t hurt, then you’ve got more faith in him than I do…

JA: Trust me, any extra hands won’t hurt.

Troy: I’ll believe it when I see it.

JA: Well, you will see…

(Right there, a boomerang flies on screen and hits Cross right in the head. JA turns around to see Steve Savoy charging at him with a tube of AquaFresh toothpaste in his hand. He lands a forearm to JA’s head then pounces on the falling Anglo Luchador. He opens the tube of toothpaste and squeezes it into JA’s eye holes on his mask. Finally, Troy, who was helping Cross up jumps over and tackles Savoy.)

Savoy: Ahh… get off me, manhands!

(Just then, the roving band of referees and security comes in to break the affair up.)

(We cut to the arena where Isaac Byrne stands in the ring with little fanfare. The ringside crew is setting up the sides of the ring with gasoline and propane tanks as the crew is testing everything to make sure it is correct.)

MN: It’s the Zero! Isaac Byrne!

DT: I really am starting to hate this man, did you hear why he even changed his name.

DM: No, but whatever it is it is unimportant.

DT: He killed eight people in a bombing! Yet they still have the nerve to let him wrestle!?!

MN: It’s all a bunch of bull... I bet he made it up.

DT: Whatever…

DM: Yeah, give the boy some credit he is stepping into one of the most notorious matches in the world. Hell, you literally have to BURN your opponent alive to win.

MN: Talk about a LACK OF BRAINS.

BYRNE: I’d like to start off by saying to all Texans out there…

BYRNE: THE STARS AT NIGHT ARE BIG AND BRIGHT…

CROWD: *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS!!!

BYRNE: Yes, well, there are many reasons why I love Texas, the steak is good, and I am out of the jurisdiction of the Chicago Police Department. Which I’d like to put out there right now.

Five years ago I was accused of bombing Navy Pier, I’d like to say, I DIDN’T do it. I am innocent of that crime, yet people want to accuse me of that devastation. People like Troy Douglas… (crowd cheers loud).

Why do you support that man? What has he done for any of you? IF it was his choice this match would not be happening, he is AFRAID of it, he fears me people. And he has no respect for you unlike me. I have gone above and beyond for each one of you, and I demand your respect. As for Troy Douglas his time is yet to fall.

Troy, my father tolled me a story once, and I want to tell it to you.

“There was a frog sitting by a pond, a scorpion came along looked at the frog and said.”

“If we cooperate, I can ride on your back as so we can both get to the other end of the pond.”

“The frog looked at the scorpion and said”

“You’ll sting me on my back, I can’t trust you, you’re a scorpion.”

“The scorpion tells the frog”

“I promise not to sting you”

“The frog complies allowing the scorpion to ride on his back across the pond. Midway across the scorpion stings the frog puncturing it poisoning it as the frog loses momentum and looks up at the scorpion.”

“He says”

“Why….why would you do that, now we are both going to die.”

“The scorpion looks down before submerging.”

“I can’t help it, I’m a scorpion….it’s in my nature……”

(Isaac rolls out the ring as we go to a commercial break.)