"The universe, they say, is ever-changing. It began long ago as nothingness, then suddenly began to expand..."

[As the voice speaks, more and more of those pinpricks of light begin to glow on screen, the piano music quickening, joined by a violin.]

"It has continued like this ever since."

[The music keeps heightening, the screen growing very bright with stars.]

"Tonight, the phenomenon that started in Washington DC grows bigger than ever. Tonight, Denver plays host to a big bang."

[With a sudden blinding flare, the rest of the darkness fills up with stars, leaving the screen a pure, glowing white.]

"Tonight... the wrestling universe changes forever."

[Cue up: "New Beginning" - Trapt. Cut to a montage of scenes highlighting recent EPW action, a mingling of in-ring combat and out-of-ring activity, many scenes features with stars blurring in the background.

Cut to Beast delivering the Absolution to Adam Benjamin.

Cut to Boogie Smallz in the ring with a microphone.

Cut to Lindsay Troy slapping Joey Melton across the face.

Cut to Karl Brown drilling Kin Hiroshi with the Dragon's Bite.

Cut to Christian Sands sitting on a bench, taping his wrists.

Cut to Adam Benjamin clotheslining Beast.

Cut to John Doe in shadows, face etched with madness.

Cut to Troy Douglas laying into a punching bag.

Cut to a rapid montage, culminating in a deep-space panorama that ends with a single image...]

[Cut to the rather spectacular set. Pyro begins to pour from above the massive arch over the entryway, dripping down like liquid fire, columns of gold and silver sparks ascending from the ramp. To either side, bomblike explosions begin to go off one by one. After several explosions, four huge ones ring out as the pyro display ends. The camera zooms in on the screen, which flicks to roving shots of the crowd, who are cheering and screaming their hearts out. A few signs can be spotted among the fans: "WE'RE ALL HERE TO SEE BEAST!", "He's So Hot, He's Melton!", "I Saw Cameron Cruise In A Porno", "WE ARE JA-AHOLICS", "KNEEL BEFORE DODD!", "We Are Marxists", "ADAM BENJAMIN IS THE BEST WRESTLER EVER", "Christian Sands = Ratings", "BLITZ ARE THE SHITZ", "I Sold My Brother For These Tickets!", and finally, "DAN RYAN WILL EAT YOUR BABIES".]

[The camera pans across the four sexy Empire Girls, all wearing black and white, before cutting to the broadcast booth. Dave Thomas has exchanged his golf shirt for a crisp tuxedo, and Dean Matthews has left his hat at home; Mike Neely is dressed in a cheesy apricot tuxedo.]

DT: The moment has finally arrived! Welcome, everybody, to the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado! This is Wrestleverse I, brought to you by Empire Pro Wrestling! I'm Dave Thomas, and with me as always are Mike Neely and "The Show Stealer" Dean Matthews! You can just FEEL the electricity in the air, can't you, guys?

DM: You bet, Dave! These people know that this night is gonna be special. I can feel it in my gut that this night is gonna be huge.

MN: I know! This thing's gonna be off the chain!

DT: It certainly is, Mike. We've got a packed card tonight, including two huge triple-threats for both singles titles and an intense tag-team title match.

MN: Tonight's the night, man! Big Daddy English is gonna bring home the big one!

DT: All eyes are certainly on that huge match between Beast, Benjamin, and Smallz at the top of the show - though there are a couple of sets fixed VERY firmly on the triple threat match for the Intercontinental Title.

[Cut to a shot of the front row, where Priest and Eisenkreuz sit sedately. Eisenkreuz is wearing a JA T-shirt.]

DM: Well, there they are.

DT: But we've got a ways to go before we get to those two matches, and we might as well start now! What say we take it to the ring?

DM: Aw yeah!

TONY FATORA: The following contest is set for one fall!

[CUE UP: “Whiskey in the Jar” by Metallica. Pulsar walks out from the back, standing in the entrance way a few moments as the fans cheer. He walks casually to the ring, his stride oddly focused, before sliding under the bottom rope and posing with his arms out to the side]

TONY FATORA: From Sydney, Australia, weighing in at two hundred and forty pounds... PUUUUUULLLLLLLLLSAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!

DT: Pulsar had a disappointing debut at Aggression, but he looks to put that behind himself here and show everyone why he was the NWL Intercontinental Champion.

DM: He’s good in the ring, but I wonder how that loss last time out is going to affect him.

[CUE UP: “X Gonna Give It To Ya” by DMX. Time passes, strobe lights light up the entrance way and everyone is looking around for X, but he is no where to be found. After a few more seconds, a commotion seems to be erupting in the crowd. X appears in the crowd carrying his patented black steel chair marked with a white X and wrapped in barbed wire. He stands on a chair or anything he can find in the crowd and while still holding his chair in his right hand, he crosses his arms to make an X. He fights his way through the crowd, hops the barrier, and rolls into the ring. He starts banging on the ropes with the chair and then proceeds to make the same X gesture while standing on the middle of the ropes]

TONY FATORA: And his opponent, he weighs in at two hundred and ten pounds, and hails from The Bronx, New York.... XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX!!!!!!

DM: And here’s someone who we haven’t heard from since the Battle Royal, who’s also looking to bounce back from a bad run.

DT: The ref forcing X to drop the chair outside of the ring, as the match is now under way. Pulsar and X locking up in the centre, X with a knee to the gut doubling up the Australian. Clubbing blow to the back, as X whips Pulsar to the corner. Charging in... Pulsar up and over the top there, and X hits the buckles hard.

DM: Pulsar with a hard chop, now a snap suplex out of the corner.

MN: Wilbur in trouble here as Pulsar screws that dragon there.

DT: What he means is a dragon screw leg whip as X gets to his feet.

MN: ‘Tis what I said, Burgerman.

DT: Pulsar now locking in a standing toe hold, but X manages to grab the ropes. The ref forcing the break, and Pulsar obliges. X now sliding out of the ring, but Pulsar follows him, not giving the New Yorker time to recover. A hard forearm to the kidneys, as he looks for an inverted suplex on the outside... NO, as X lands on his feet behind, dropping the larger man with a bulldog. X now sliding back into the ring to break the count, as Pulsar tries to shake the cobwebs, climbing the ring apron. X moves in, punching away, but Pulsar’s fighting back.

DM: Pulsar’s got more to lose in this exchange; he falls and he has the hard floor to land on, whereas X has the mat. Much softer in comparison. Still not soft.

DT: Pulsar’s getting the better of the exchange though... a hard headbutt knocking X down... SOMERSAULT into the ring with the legdrop. A cover... two.. kickout from X there. Pulsar pressing his advantage, tossing X into the corner. Whipping him across the ring... BLACKHOLE!!!! BLACKHOLE!!!! The cover...

TWO...

THREE!!!! PULSAR WINS IN SHORT ORDER!!!

[SFX: *dingdingding*]

TONY FATORA: The winner of the match... PPPPPPPUUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLLLLSSSSSSAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!

DT: A convincing win for Pulsar here tonight, as he makes up for his performance in his debut by putting away X easily.

DM: The kid impressed me this time around, Dave. I have high hopes for him.

MN: Heehee. Wilbur got served. What's up with him, anyway?

DM: I dunno. Wilbur was one of my favorites, but he's lost a big step lately. I have no idea what's up.

MN: The world may never know...

[Wrestleverse locker room, Troy Douglas is pacing back and forth. He seems angered, all of a sudden the doors burst open as John Doe strides through. John has a big smirk on his face.]

Douglas: Where in God’s creation have you been? 35 minutes late?! Are you kidding me John! If Freeman or Ryan catch hold of your lateness your ass is grass!

Doe: First off, you mean instead of in God’s creation you could have said where in John’s creation, also, it’s ok, I am very important to this company.

Douglas: Oh, and how do you figure that? Huh?

Doe: I beat Adam Benjamin...

[In the background you can hear cheering from the crowd]

Douglas: You beat Adam, because I trained you to. Hell, it was because of The Path. John understand that you are learning from me, and with me you will be a star success!

Doe: Then how come you don’t let me come down to ringside and watch, I always have to sit back here and see it on the TV set!

Douglas: All in good time my friend! But hell, you got a match with Karl Brown!

[Crowd cheers again more loudly this time]

Douglas: You ready for that bro!?

Doe: No, not really.

Douglas: WHAT!

Doe: Nothing...I just...

Douglas: You just.....

Doe: I left my lucky penny at home....

[Troy’s jaw drops.]

Douglas: I thought we got over that already! Listen up! Karl is ready, you are ready, you can win, if you put your mind to it! Win or lose John I am still right here, and like always I am going to teach you how to improve got that?

Doe: Yes, I got it.

Douglas: Ok well, get changed, and get ready your up shortly.

Doe: Understood.

Douglas: See you soon pal, and remember we are in this together! Got that?

Doe: Understood chief!

Douglas walks out of the room as John laces up his combat boots.

Doe: (mocking Douglas) We are in this together, blah, blah, blah. Whatever Troy, all you have done is found out my first name, that’s it, nothing more. In this together, hell, you weren’t even there for my match with Adam Benjamin! In this together? In this for yourself Troy, that’s all, you want to show off to the crowd that you are great.

[John rolls down his sleeves to his shirt.]

Doe: You just wan to appeal to the crowd that you can train a kid, that you are so good you can make someone else as good as you. Well Troy, I can do it all by myself, I beat Adam on my own, and I sure as hell can beat the next champ...whoever it is....may it be Beast, Benjamin, or Boggie, I can beat any of them. Anytime, with or without Troy. Sick of living in Troy's shadow, as his hand puppet.

[John stands up.]

Doe: But hell, next week I have to go back to Black Water, and once I get my memory back, well Troy will just have a little surprise for him. A thank you present.

[John looks at the camera as he plays witha Zippo lighter, he flicks it on and off, finally he leaves it on. He puts his finger in and out of the flame as he looks at the camera.]

Doe: A little bit of fire never hurt anyone now did it?

[Lights a Marbloro Red. John shuts the Zippo and walks out the locker room pulling down a poster of Troy Douglas on his way out.]

[Cut to a video package of the rivalry between Second Coming and Golem and X-Ecutioner.]