NLCW When Worlds Collide Undisputed championship Dead Man's Draw match - Isaac Reynolds(c) vs Dazz (September 28th 2008)
Page 1 of 4 - First path towards NLCW glory

He lay in a hospital bed, wracked with pain all over his body, every time he moved there was a jolt of agony zapping and coursing throughout every fibre of his being. All he could see was the white panels of the ceiling tiles, made of styrofoam as he could see or something similar in look and while he had the comfort of a nice soft mattress underneath his back that helped ease any aching, it was only temporary until he moved even slightly and then the pain would return like a nasty electric current surging inside his muscles from head to toe.The pillows underneath his head were just as soft as the mattress, propping his head slightly above his chest but not too high while he felt a gentle throbbing and pulsating emanating from what seemed to be his spine, both a nice feeling of relief that perhaps any aches and pains in his back were starting to heal themselves but also a slight discomforting, painful feeling all at once.

Tilting his head to his right, he saw the window with daylight pouring in, a not too bright day with the sky a concrete grey colour but still enough to be able to clearly see the painted white radiator underneath the windowsill with no heat being generated from it currently. A table stood in the far right corner of the room with a television set resting upon it, the screen blank and empty, devoid of power, the remote control to turn it on and change channels resting on a bedside table he noticed out of the corner of his eye, not daring to turn his head fully for fear of that sudden pain he felt all over with every movement. His eyes darted left to spot the wooden door with its chrome handle jutting out, the rest of the room looking sparse, at least from what he could see currently.

He sat wondering how he ended up here in the first place, racked with pain and unable to move without feeling intense pressure on certain areas of his body until he remembered, the image playing over and over again in his head. All he could picture was cold steel several feet below him disappearing from view, a blur of colour then that same steel coming ever closer to him before his vision was filled with that of a dizzying feeling followed by the sight of scaffolding and bright lights hanging in blackness looking right at him. If only he could remember the little details and try to figure out what his memory was trying to tell him happened....


******


He’d only just debuted for the company not too long ago and yet here he was ready to take on a man who had been a veteran in this business, competing since at least 1996 if not earlier by the name of Eddie September. Eddie had returned and defeated Greg Hetrick just 16 days after losing in a triple threat to crown the first ever NLCW Hardcore champion against both Greg and Wingnut and now, exactly 2 weeks later, he was to defend against the man who failed to become the first PPV champion in a battle royal but was just as determined to become Hardcore champ, a man named Dazz.

It seemed highly unusual to him because he wanted the World title if he could get his hands on it but here he was, challenging for this championship even though over a year ago he’d thrown a Hardcore title in the trash because he was so bored of chasing or defending it and wanted bigger and better things. He hoped history wouldn’t repeat itself because while he enjoyed proving that he was tough enough to hold a title like that week after week, he also felt he had what it takes to lead a company into a fresh new direction and somehow saw the Hardcore title and its division as somehow beneath him now.

Still though, he had the chance to take on a legend and perhaps even beat him so maybe it could be an omen that other legends would fall to him in time? That would most certainly be something. He sat nervously awaiting his fate, watching the clock tick down until his moment to shine before walking out in front of those baying crowds hungry for blood, wanting to see this man they viewed as a rookie to NLCW fall at the last hurdle and be defeated and shown the door by their much loved September but, surprisingly to everyone – himself included – he didn’t fail. His mission was complete and after several minutes of beatdowns and weapon shots, after the distraction both men were caused by The X-ecutioner making his way onto the stage area with a steel chair, nobody sure of what his intentions were as he unfolded it and placed it on the stage to take a seat, watching these two men give their all, Dazz finally grabbed Eddie into the modified standing dragon sleeper he innovated, looking directly into the eyes of this unknown warrior behind the mask and dropped the legendary figure with a Chaos Factor that planted his face directly into the steel stage at X-ecutioner’s feet.

X-ecutioner just seemed to nod an approval, watching as Dazz made the cover, hooking a leg but continuing to stare at this masked man seated before him in case he decided to try and break the pinfall and utilize that steel chair but instead he just watched solemnly while the referee made the count. That was the start of his reign as champion, the first title he won in NLCW. Almost immediately though, he had to contend with Kid Chaos attacking him and wanting to wrest the title away from him, seeking revenge for costing him the PPV championship battle royal a few weeks previously but only because he eliminated Dazz first then taunted him from within the ring. It was a measure of revenge he was only too happy to settle if only to be able to move along with his life and career. The moving on with his career came quickly though, a mere 7 days after becoming Hardcore champion he answered the call to team with Jason Stylez, replacing Ethan Andrews who had left the company and forced Stylez to vacate the Tag Team championships, only able to regain them in a tag team match against the RAGE partnership of Greg Hetrick and Seth Tolbert, the two managing to do that and becoming double champions together. He felt proud to have accomplished this so soon, especially when he’d first began in the wrestling business 5 years before and looked up to the main eventers of the company he debuted in, names like the same Jason Stylez he now found himself partnered with, two championships over each of their shoulders as they became known as the Fallen Angelz.

Even so, despite the fact that they defended against the very best tag teams that could be thrown at them, he still had to battle to keep the Hardcore championship too, taking on Taj J Helms and more, at the same time having to pull double duty to make sure that Stylez held onto the World title until eventually, after weeks of questions and speculation, the Cruiserweight champion Rick Majors finally joined them, shortly after joined by a returning Scotty Ace who helped to screw Rob Thorn over in the Gate match and announced his joining of the group. Earlier that night though it was down to Dazz to make sure the Fallen Angelz could hang onto that Hardcore title by defeating Kid Chaos after a brutal battle all over the arena that saw both men tumble off the stage and continue brawling after making it to their feet. One pinfall later, the Angelz still had the championship and Kid Chaos was officially out of NLCW.

Eventually though, boredom struck once again, rearing its ugly head like an unwanted knitted sweatshirt, wanting a piece of that World title but not able to do so for a while due to his tag team partner holding the gold and wanting to make an impact, make a mark on NLCW to get his name and face up there amongst those being focused on already in the main event, feeling that with Jason he would always play second fiddle to his ego and then when Rick and Scotty came on board, he felt worse, almost as if he were purposefully treated as the outsider, the lesser man while they took all the glory for themselves. He knew he had a Tag Team title defense against the defector Scotty Ace and his new tag team partner Jason Wright coming up with Ace wanting to take those titles from Jason before battling him and Thorn in a scaffold match the week after for the World title but it still wasn’t enough for him. Even if he got the pin in that match to retain the gold, even if it were Scotty he covered for victory, he knew that the focus would still be on how the “Only F’n Show” won for his team while Dazz was seen as just the backing band. It was then that his idea came to fruition:

He’d hold a Hardcore Invtiational, NLCW’s first to see who would come out of the woodwork and challenge for the gold. He smiled when he saw that his years old rivalry with Nemesis, who had attacked him after his last match against Kid Chaos, would continue here for the same title they first fought over all those years ago. Other new debuting stars like Phil Castle, Highlight Man and more signed up and the match was booked. His mark would be made and he could imagine it leading to him being remembered as the great athlete that he was, just like those other legends that came before him and had fans and other athletes alike holding reverence for them.

The match was set, the challengers were in the ring and he was making his way out, quickly taking off the Hardcore championship from around his waist and dropping it to the floor as a man he’d known and competed against on the circuit a few times known as Jim “The Cyborg” Williams rushed at him, meeting him head on while he was still on the ramp, the bell signaling the start of the match as the two seemed lost in each other, bringing violence while a referee dashed out to watch them in case of a pinfall away from the ring while a second stayed in the ring to try and keep an eye on the others, watching for a winner. Dazz and Jim fought hard, slamming each other against the set and the floor of the stage, the Chaos Factor managing to render Williams unable to move as was the case whenever the move was performed from its debut so many years ago. He could’ve got the victory here but instead chose to think on his feet, still wanting that moment in the Sun, that mark out moment that would have fans lapping up the pure insanity of it all.

That was when he found a table, dragging it onto the stage and striking hard against Jim to keep him down, placing him on the wooden surface then walking through the curtain to the back, re-emerging with a spool of barbed wire over his shoulder. It was now or never, no turning back now, not even sure if this was the right way to make an impact and trying to decide whether he should instead just finish the match and walk away, find another way to become a legend in the eyes of the NLCW fans and roster. By the time he came to his senses he was already halfway up the stage set, climbing higher and not wanting to begin his descent for fear that it would give people the impression that he’s not crazy enough to go higher still, even boo him and view him as a coward. Forcing himself to continue, he eventually found the very top of the Avultron, unable to see that his posture high up was being projected onto the 25 foot long screen he was standing upon. Taking the spool off his shoulder, he began to unravel it then placed it all around his torso until he was wrapped inside it like a steel pronged jacket.

He had to be 50 feet high up here, the sound of the fans in his ears being faint and distant, unlike the deafening roar every time he walked up or down the aisle or competed inside the ring. The other challengers in and around the ring were fighting hard, looking tiny from his viewpoint and not noticing him standing up there watching, the referee below on the stage staring up at him and seemingly pleading for him to come down although he couldn’t hear any words come out of his mouth. Jim remained on the table, laid out as if he were a body in an open casket for people to view and mourn over. His mind raced a mile a minute, sometimes flashing up thoughts to stop this, to get down safely, others of fear at the height he was currently standing. One more flash in his brain told him to go for it, to do it, to make his mark and show these fans in their seats that he wouldn’t be a secondary player, a supporting character in this Fallen Angelz charade any longer. He arched his stomach and chest forwards as his feet pushed off the steel scaffolding, watching as he got a brief glance at the spotlights in the roof of the arena followed quickly by the steel that held up the Avultron and the set which had become familiar to NLCW fans over the last 2 months of the company’s existence thus far, a same period of time he’d competed here. He then saw the very spot his feet had been firmly against just a split second ago, the floor with Jim still on the table and the referee with a look of absolute shock on his face and then……..nothing. Blackness, emptiness, a void where once there was vision.

Upon opening his eyes, he found that he was in immense pain and somehow lying on a stretcher, no longer out in the main portion of the arena but backstage, the ceiling moving as he heard voices. He tried to move his head to see what was going on but couldn’t, a neck brace firmly attached to him keeping his head and neck still at all times while the familiar feeling of a hard back board lay underneath him. He suddenly came to a halt, noting the top of an ambulance and the inside roof of the vehicle, several voices around him but he couldn’t make out a single word they were saying. Then, as if his ears had been temporarily deafened and had popped like they would in an airplane when the pressure rises or drops, he made out the most familiar voice in NLCW. The person leaned over him, giving him a glance that confirmed that he matched the voice correctly. The person staring at him had a look of concern on his face that became only slightly relieved when he saw those eyes open and staring right at him from within the neck brace. The male had long dark hair and a strap of hair that ran from his temples all along his jawline, a dark t-shirt with the edges of angel’s wings visible near the neckline while a distinctive cross design could be just made out on his upper arm. It was his tag team partner Jason Stylez.

Stylez: Hey man, you ok? Dazz? Can you hear me? Jesus, please tell me you’re ok.

Dazz managed to raise a hand just enough to gently brush against Jason’s forearm, letting him know he was ok as a sigh of relief and a smile that showed not happiness, but worry appeared on his face. He held up a monitor, moving it to allow Dazz to see every aspect of the grey box with a screen. He watched as it showed a loop of himself standing atop the Avultron wrapped in barbed wire then leaping off with a shooting star press that took him all the way down on top of Jim “The Cyborg” Williams, both men crashing through the table onto the steel stage floor. He quickly passed the monitor back to an unseen person before taking Dazz by the hand and wrist, leaning closer and speaking slowly and loudly to ensure that every word was understood.

Stylez: Me and Rick worried about you when we saw that man. You can’t defend the Tag titles with me later so Rick’s agreed to do it instead, that ok? You understand me? Squeeze my hand if you do.

Dazz weakly squeezed as Jason smiled at him, seemingly understanding the nature of injuries such as this and knowing that he was unable to speak right now due to the agony taking over his body. He slowly began to slide out of view as the ambulance crew counted slowly then gently raised him up and into the ambulance, the sound of doors slamming shut and sirens as he stared up at the brightly lit ceiling above him.


******


So that's why he hurt all over, why he had what seemed to be dark red or brown lumps dotted about his torso and arms. The shock that his system suffered upon impact was great enough for him to physically jolt in his bed at the moment he pictured himself colliding, only a few inches of muscle, flesh and bone between him and the steel flooring of the Avulsion set to prevent serious internal damage. It was a surprise he hadn’t suffered worse injuries than this after something like that, lesser men would have practically became a vegetable, lending him a theory that perhaps God himself was on his side, allowing him to survive and live to fight another day. The mere thought of some kind of divine intervention, a Heavenly helping hand being there for him to perhaps inform him of his destiny to take his game to a whole new level, surpassing even those he once looked up to when he began in this business including the man he’d won and defended the Tag Team titles with for the last month, Jason Stylez…….that would be something he’d enjoy immensely, a task with which he now gained the confidence to attempt. He knew he had it in him, it was just trying to formulate some sort of plan to achieve that.

But how could he achieve that? Right now, the stranglehold wholly belonged to Jason Stylez, a man who had managed to defeat Wingnut to win back the World title and who not only used his fellow Tag Team champion Dazz but also the special guest referee at the February ppv – Scotty Ace – to help him retain so far. Fans were shocked when Scotty was shown to be on Jason’s side all along, even more so when they revealed the fact they were joining forces, that Scotty was the newest member of the Fallen Angelz.

That brought along a new possible conflict to his ideas. Jason had asked for anybody to be his tag partner and win back the tag gold from the team known as RAGE, Dazz answering that call and adding Hardcore gold a week later against Eddie September. Now though, with the Cruiserweight champion Rick Majors on board and Scotty Ace now added to the ranks, he’d become lost in the shuffle, watching his position as second in command become lost to those who either were active longer than him in this business, had already been a part of NLCW for slightly longer or both of those options. He remained as “the new guy” in many eyes, an unfortunate label he was given purely because those in NLCW had been so focused on their own careers that they hadn’t seen his own rise to glory for many years in other companies, something he wanted to shake off but at the same time relished, wanting to use that status to shock everybody if he were to win something huge, even if it were a non-title match against someone on the level that Stylez, Majors or others were currently on.

It had allowed him to do something like that though, Scotty Ace’s time in the group lasting less than a month as he wanted the World Heavyweight title for himself, quitting the Fallen Angelz and finding an unlikely ally in Jason Wright, the pair booked to challenge Dazz and Stylez for the tag Team championships but of course, after his stunt in his own created Hardcore Invitational, he had to be replaced by Majors, who subsequently – along with Stylez – lost the tag team’s equivalent to the main heavyweight belt to this newly formed partnership. With Scotty gone though and Majors seemingly on his way out of the group, that left an opening for him to leave and go about things on his own accord, become bigger than the group that he’d been in for the last 2 months. Deep in thought, wondering if he was making the right decision, he felt both scared of what that unknown future could hold and ecstatic at the untold power and glory it would bring towards him like a magnetic force.

It was at that moment the door to his room clicked, grabbing his attention as he shifted his head in that direction, watching the wooden door being pushed inwards from outside this room, a hand still clasping the steel handle followed by a bare arm. He continued to keep his eyes on whoever this might be, watching as a man that wasn’t too big but was slightly well built and muscular, the toned biceps and triceps of his limb helping push the door inward followed by the rest of him. He stood wearing a white sleeveless hooded sweatshirt with the Toronto Raptors logo on the front, a black pair of Adidas sweatpants covering the lower half of his body and his feet covered by immaculately white sneakers. A black wristwatch separated his hand from his forearm as Dazz continued to look up, finding himself gazing at the stubble laden face of this blue eyed, short haired blonde man at the doorway, a smile on this person’s face as he looked at Dazz laying in the hospital bed.

The man shut the door gently behind him, the lock clicking as he strode across the room, taking his seat in a chair by the bed and leaning his hands and a portion of his forearms on the side. Dazz returned the grin as he looked at his younger brother Kid Chaos, a man who he helped to train several years ago and who had competed in NLCW since the same night as Dazz, even having their debut match together. They had debuted at the January ppv event in a battle royal to crown the first ever PPV champion, Kid tossing Dazz over the ropes to eliminate him then taking the Chaos Factor when the Messiah of Metal had jumped back into the ring, aiding Thane Powers who himself was destroyed by The X-ecutioner who had returned to wrestling in an attempt to make a statement that he should be in charge of NLCW.

The two even fought hard despite the fans in the buildings and at home not even knowing they were brothers. As of right now though, despite the man who was more known and popular amongst wrestling fans as his younger sibling having the most in ring experience and being in the hottest matches in NLCW so far, Kid on the other hand had to become the brains of the family and the go-getter while his brother was holed up in a hospital bed recovering from injuries sustained only a few days prior. It bothered him that he had to lie here when he wanted to be out and about of his own free will preparing for whatever may come his way in life and business but as of right now, he had to be patient, wait his turn and hope that the painkillers would take the agony away in time while his younger sibling sat grinning like an idiot at his bedside.

Kid Chaos: So how you doing then?

Dazz: Hurting all over still.

Kid Chaos: Man, I’m not surprised, that little stunt you pulled was crazy.

Stunt? It was damn near suicide, he could’ve turned himself into a gory puddle right there in front of a live television audience. That would’ve been a horrific, nightmare inducing sight, throwing himself off from that height and landing with a thud in a heap, turning into a broken pile surrounded by blood, pieces of torn flesh and having to be scraped off the stage. Fortunately for him, he and the man he leapt onto – Jim “The Cyborg” Williams – survived the spot, Williams possibly living up to his nickname even if he could be as hurt as he currently was in this bed. Then again though, he performed that move completely sober while anybody else would’ve needed to be plied with copious amounts of alcohol and/or drugs to even consider climbing that high up let alone jumping off with the prospect of missing the target. Dangerous or not though, he had to agree that it was a crazy stunt.

Dazz: Yeah it was wasn’t it? Still surprised I even did that.

Kid Chaos: You’re surprised? Jesus Christ, I’m surprised, the rest of the world is surprised.

Dazz: Well you know me, I had to make a statement and I did.

Kid Chaos: Yeah, by practically coming close to killing yourself.

Dazz: What else could I do though?

Kid Chaos: I dunno, maybe something that wouldn’t put your health or your life in danger?

Dazz: It was a Hardcore Invitational though, for my Hardcore championship. I mean come on, all hardcore matches are dangerous and when I made that match I knew people would do whatever it took to beat me.

Kid Chaos: That’s the thing though, nobody beat you, you took yourself and another guy out early then Nemesis beat Highlight Man to win the title.

The first thing he already knew but the second…..wow, Nemesis with a championship? It had happened before last year in the company he, Violent A and Souless ran together and it shocked them then that somebody they considered a bumbling fool and an idiot could somehow hold championships but the fact he did so again here in NLCW against talent equally as good as those he’d somehow managed to win against before? It was ludicrous to say the least and he didn’t quite know whether to believe it or not but the expression on Kid’s face said it all. It was very real.

How the hell did he win though? He’d have to watch the tape at a later date, study it to figure out how it could have happened but he just hoped that what he’d done when he dove off the Avultron had overshadowed the fact that Nemesis joined only himself, Eddie September and Greg Hatrick as the first four hardcore champions in NLCW history. A sigh escaped his lips as he sat, his brain racing a hundred miles an hour with all the thoughts rushing through it. What else had happened that night? He’d heard about the Fallen Angelz losing the Tag Team championships but how close was the decision? How hard did the challengers fight to take the gold? How did Stylez function with a tag partner he wasn’t familiar with and who at times he didn’t even get along with even though they were in the same group? All of these were questions he’d have to find the answers to in time but as of right now, he had to try to explain to his brother why he did what he did.

Dazz: Listen, I did what I had to do and as long as people are talking about that spot then that’s all that matters.

That certainly wasn’t an answer he hoped he’d hear. The look of concern he could see in front of him pretty much said all it needed to, that although he knew his brother’s fondness for wanting to make history as an in ring competitor, sometimes – as he saw last week – he could go too far. Whether it was pushing himself to take a hardcore match to the extreme without need or caution or acting as if he could take on an entire country as if he were invincible, the concern was there. Because of that throwing caution to the wind, devil may care attitude, there he was laying in a hospital bed in too much pain to even move. He shook his head, sighing as he just chalked it up as another of his older brother’s crazy schemes.

Kid Chaos: Fine but you’d better be sure you did that for some greater good or whatever it is.

Dazz: It won’t screw up the plans, don’t worry.

Kid Chaos: Do you even remember the plans or did you knock yourself silly and suffer amnesia?

Dazz: Yes I remember them.

Kid Chaos: And?

The look on his face now changed to one of expectancy, as if he were almost waiting to hear an answer and quickly pounce on a stumbled word or misplaced idea on what their well-thought-out plans were. He didn’t want to wait too long to answer because then Kid would know that his mind was still a little scrambled from last Sunday but if he answered too quickly then he might screw up somewhere and give him a cause to laugh at his inability to remember something they’d created together with some of their friends. A moment’s pause to remind himself quickly gleaned the answer he was looking for, allowing him to slowly, calmly force each word from his lips with a military precision and accurate proficiency.

Dazz: We bring Chaos A.D. back to professional wrestling this week at Bloodbath, end the Countdown to Chaos and go right after Jason Stylez, show him that the Fallen Angelz had nothing on us.

Kid Chaos: Well at least you never injured your brain, probably thanks to that thick skull of yours.

Dazz: You contacted the others yet? What’s going on with them?

Kid Chaos: Well, Souless is in a match against some new guy that’s debuting called Enigma, Violent A is against Rage in the Rage Cage whatever that is, that’s all I know.

He didn’t feel worried for Souless, he’d known him for so long that he just knew that a new member of the roster, especially one debuting at a ppv, wouldn’t be much of a threat to him. In fact, Souless never saw anybody as a threat. Maybe that’s why he’d won so many championships where others might fail due to nerves? The Brazilian didn’t seem to have anything but nerves of steel, the only fear in his eyes being that reflected from his opponent’s eyes into his own and after seeing the list of opponents put before them before matches in other companies for the last year and a half that they’d known each other, the only reaction he’d seen from Souless was just a gentle nod, a glance towards him and Violent A and a few words uttered that just oozed confidence and ensured victory, which he’d later bring once the match was over.

As for Violent A, well he’d known him for the same amount of time and they were almost as close as brothers, having spent the better part of their time as not only a tag team but as faction mates, drinking together, smoking marijuana together, destroying not only pieces of equipment and vehicles together but also rivals. Having been in such close quarters for so long, they knew each other well and while Rage had shown himself to be a dominating and violent monster in his short time here in NLCW, he just knew that Violent A would certainly live up to his name as he had in the past against opponents like Rage.

Dazz: Right ok.

Kid Chaos: Oh, Souless got arrested.

Dazz: WHAT?!

Kid Chaos: Something about assaulting someone, I don’t know the details but hopefully he can make it out of jail in time for the match.

Souless, arrested for assault? He better hope he’s kidding because that wouldn’t bode well for him. The idea was for every previous member of Chaos A.D. still involved in the wrestling business to be at the show ready for their shock announcement and to help balance it with the couple of new members which would show their faces and be revealed that night too. If just one of the older generation of the group wasn’t able to make it…….it didn’t bear thinking about, not this close. Maybe somehow in the upper echelon of management could help get him out of jail and explain things because it didn’t seem right.

Dazz: He better get his ass out of jail before the ppv, that’s all I know.

He felt angry, that was the natural reaction of course. If he could leave this bed without feeling intense pain, march down to whichever police station Souless was being held in and get him out himself he would but he had to face facts, that just wasn’t possible at this moment in time. He looked at Kid’s face, noting the expression that told him that his brother felt the same, that there was nothing they could do unless charges were dropped or something, anything to help him make his way to the building on Sunday.

Dazz: Look, just make sure they’re ready because Sunday’s a big night for us, do whatever you can to get that bastard out of jail and make sure no one sees you here.

Kid Chaos: Huh?

Dazz: Just don’t visit me again, I’ll call you once I’m out of here.

Kid Chaos: What do you mean by that?

Dazz: Last month we had a Loser Leaves NLCW match for the Hardcore title, we practically tried to kill each other after a month of brawling.

Kid Chaos: Yeah, I was there remember.

Dazz: Well then, we’re supposed to be bitter enemies and I caused you to lose your job as part of this plan. If they knew we were brothers...

Kid Chaos: Ok fine, keep up the pretense. I get it. Just make sure you’re ok. Can’t have you hurt for much longer can we?

He smiled, a big wide grin forming that made lines around his mouth and on his cheeks appear, indentations of happiness showing the brotherly love between the two men. Kid went to pat him on the shoulder but quickly realized and paused in time, a sheepish grin emerging as he rose to his feet, gently pushing the chair back with his calves and hands so that he could rise to an upright position, using the time to slowly stretch every bone and muscle in his body toward the ceiling, sighing the stiffness and aching out of his body. He walked around the chair, swiveling it mid air and pushing it back into its correct position in the corner between the wall and the bedside table. He turned once more to face his older brother then nodded gently, twisting his body so that his back were facing the bed before walking towards the door, opening it and disappearing from sight while he closed the door behind him.

Dazz continued to lie in the bed, thinking long and hard about the conversation he’d had with his younger brother. He hoped his request to leave him until he’d left the hospital didn’t sound too harsh but the reality was, the two acted as if they wanted to kill one another and for anybody from NLCW to suddenly show up unannounced to bring him more cards, flowers, fruit or get well soon requests, see these two supposed bitter enemies deeply engaged in friendly conversation and cracking jokes just wasn’t something he needed right now. The surprise and the plan for this Sunday would reveal that they were not in fact in dispute with each other the entire time and he didn’t want that discovered prematurely, especially when he planned for Kid to help him in his confrontation with Stylez and shock everybody without them knowing beforehand and being on the lookout for the two of them.

His thoughts suddenly became interrupted by the door handle being turned from outside the room once again, sighing and becoming fully prepared to yell at Kid for returning but – upon seeing who it was – became pleasantly surprised at the revelation. A man wearing a black suit, white shirt and red tie walked into the room, long brown hair tied at the back so that just the top of his head was well groomed and looking tidy while the back hung over his shoulders like the very embodiment of Atlas carrying the globe on his. He also smiled upon entering the room, shutting the door behind him. Dazz recognized the man as Mark Steele, the President of NLCW and the man in charge of signing paychecks, hiring and firing and keeping business afloat while his second in command and Commissioner – one Jaymz Marshall, a man so laid back he could be horizontal most of the time and loved his comic books and his weed while also continuing to practice martial arts long after his own in ring retirement – looked after Avulsion, occasionally making decisions as to booking and being the general face to go to during a show if there was a problem. Quite why Steele was visiting though was beyond his comprehension but here he was, standing in the room smiling like a Cheshire cat.

Steele: Hey Dazz, how you doing?

Dazz: Yeah I’m good thanks, just a little sore, pains when I move but other than that...

Steele: Good, good. I have to say, that was incredible, I sat wondering what you were about to do and when you leapt, that took some balls.

He tried to nod but of course that caused pain to shoot through his body again, a feeling he hated and wished to avoid. Looking back, it seemed like a part of him didn’t know what he were about to do either that night, he just got on with it and performed a dangerous move to wow the audience. If he’d known then the amount of pain he’d be in for the following few days with apparently more to come, he probably wouldn’t have done what he did but the fact is, he couldn’t rewind the clock now and had to keep his head down and get on with his road to recovery if he were to set foot inside a ring again any time soon.

Steele: Gave everyone a scare though, talented guy throwing himself off the Avultron like that, we thought you’d either committed suicide or might die in hospital later.

Was he serious? Did this man honestly think that he was giving him words of encouragement? If he did then he was badly mistaken.

Dazz: Gee, thanks.

Steele jumped back just a little at this sarcastic barb directed squarely at him, those simple two words and the way he uttered them diving like a missile and connecting with his ears with a force that rattled him. He visibly showed the fact that his mind was processing the information before shaking his head and looking a little apologetic, his body movement seeming to jerk and twitch in his attempt to deflect what he’d said into something that would please this athlete and serve as a sort of apology for the words that fell out of his mouth without his thinking.

Steele: Oh, no I don’t mean.....No what I meant was that we stood there scared for your well being.

Hmm, just moments ago it seemed like he had no concern for him, now he’s suddenly playing the caring and doting employer? Steele, impatient for a response, instead decided that he should try and make things a little more informal.

Steele: Dazz, may I sit down?

Dazz: Sure, nothing stopping you.

He watched as his boss looked around him, finding the chair that not too long ago Kid Chaos occupied at his bedside then placed his hands upon the back of it, raising it slightly off the floor to avoid dragging it along the carpet, swinging his body around to place it down so that he had a direct line of sight with the face of the wrestler laid up in the hospital bed. Brushing his hands against the back of his pants to push the back of his jacket up, he stepped in front of the seat and lowered himself gently down, moving his hands away as he found contact with the chair and sat back, relaxing his spine a little against the cushioning behind him before leaning forwards to rest his elbows on his thighs.

Steele: Look, what you did a few days ago, it was dangerous but it was impressive. You really showed me that you’re willing to put your body, your career and your life on the line to entertain the fans and prove to me you have what it takes to go to the top.

He maintained eye contact with Steele momentarily before rolling his eyes, showing his disgust and displeasure with what he’d just heard. This guy not only seemed uncaring for those under his management, he also seemed to enjoy rambling without his words seemingly coming to a conclusion.

Dazz: Is this going anywhere?

Steele: Of course, please. Now as you know, I’m the President of NLCW so therefore I’m the man in charge of pretty much everything that goes on there.

As if that wasn’t already obvious. After all, he was the guy who called him offering a contract to work for NLCW, he was the guy in the meeting when the contract was signed, he was the guy who continuously walked up to him before a show at the arenas to inform him of his matches and let him know if there were promos to be filmed. In fact he stepped towards Dazz just 2 months prior to now and with glee asked if he wouldn’t mind taking on Kid Chaos to defend the Hardcore title. Therefore, if he hadn’t been the man in charge, then who was? Again, Mark Steele seemed to enjoy the sound of his own voice at times. Before he could say anything though, Steele was already forming a sentence and beginning to move his mouth.

Steele: Now you’re probably wondering why I’m telling you something you may already know and why I’m sitting here visiting you.

Dazz: You’re a mind reader too then?

He was once again being sarcastic because he did indeed wonder what the point of this little visit was but so far he hadn’t told him why and this last sentence had him on edge, desperate to know exactly why he was here. Unfortunately it seemed like this barb was either hilarious or just purely causing nervous laughter from Steele because the sounds coming from his mouth sounded forced.

Steele: Haha, no, unfortunately not but here’s the reason. As I said, that stunt of yours impressed me and when I’m impressed by a talented wrestler, I like to reward them.

Dazz: Go on then, cut to the chase, why are you here?

Steele: Ok, well if you continue to impress me like you did at Avulsion, you may get yourself something huge, something that every male on the roster is battling to earn. A shot at the World Heavyweight championship.

Dazz: Hmm, that’s interesting but there’s already a title match this Sunday, how am I gonna get a shot if there are two people already challenging Stylez?

Steele: Simple. Whoever wins whether it’s Stylez, Scotty or Thorn, once their little battle of wits is over you may see yourself in line against whoever manages to hold that belt.

Dazz: So basically if I impress you, I get to wait however many months and challenge the World champ?

Steele: Pretty much. Like that idea?

Dazz: What’s not to like? Sure, I’m up for that.

Steele: Good. Well when are you back?

Dazz: Doctors say a few weeks maybe.

Steele: Ok, well I’ll see you at work in a few weeks and I look forward to seeing what you can do.

He rose to his feet, standing over him with a smile on his face and his right hand extended, waiting until Dazz slowly raised his right hand to grip his boss, a firm handshake between the two that lasted a few seconds but felt like eternity before Steele released his hold, allowing the now former Hardcore and Tag Team champion lying in the hospital bed to have his hand returned to him. Steele pushed the chair backwards then took a few steps to allow himself to stand behind the chair, taking the back of the seat and lifting it slightly off the ground, swinging it carefully to his left and carrying it towards the wall, putting it down in the place he’d first found it upon being allowed to take a seat. Quickly turning and twisting his body slightly to allow him to see Dazz lying in the hospital bed, giving a quick wave and a smile before gripping the door handle, pulling it toward him and walking out of the room, pulling the door closed behind him as he leaves.

Dazz released a gentle sigh from his lungs, watching the boss leave him silent and alone in the hospital bed once again to ponder what had been talked about. The leap he’d chosen to undertake had impressed those in charge of the company enough to warrant them making the decision that any more from him would most certainly have him granted a shot at the World Heavyweight championship. That thought, that little piece of friendly advice, helped stir something deep within him, a beast being awoken for perhaps the first time in as long as he could remember. This newly discovered nugget of information, short glimpse of knowledge that those willing to push themselves physically and mentally to the limit of humanity just to impress this seemingly sadistic and bloodthirsty crew running the company enough to gain the world, would it really be worth almost killing himself, leaving a corpse inside the ring just for them to consider it great television? Should he really do something like last Sunday just to be considered good enough by management to have all the responsibility, the weight of the world on his shoulders and be “the man”? He wasn’t sure whether it could or should be possible. After all, if the people running this show wanted blood, guts, a roster full of paraplegics just to make them sit back with excitement and huge grins on their faces at the fact these men would batter each other with whatever they could find that wasn’t nailed to the ground, even throw themselves from high in the stage set directly onto solid steel stage flooring. It beggared belief that some people, especially those supposedly in charge of looking after this small roster of athletes and their well being week after week, could demand such ridiculous and exceedingly high standards and requests just to get people to go above and beyond, offering the most scintillating, the most tantalizing object on offer, World Heavyweight glory.

Even if that particular championship was the main goal of many in this and other companies, why should they reduce themselves to nothing more than carnival freak shows willing to die or seriously injure themselves in such a way? Why couldn’t they just allow their employees the freedom to not only enjoy competing in the ring but also staying healthy to spend time with family, friends and associates? That was something he deemed as wrong about the way Mark Steele ran things from the short experience he’d had so far as an employee of his. Was this guy a carnival ringmaster before accepting position as President of a professional wrestling company that, while it wasn’t a major known name just yet was on the rise slowly thanks to not only those experienced in the industry dominating the main event scene currently or lying in this hospital bed but also those who have scratched and clawed their way to the position they held in the eyes of the fans and critics.

Just looking up and down the roster, he saw the passion in everybody’s eyes. Matt “Icey” Arren was looking incredibly focused last he saw him, walking around backstage barely saying a word as he looked to become the second ever NLCW Television champion although he’d have liked to have defeated the first champ – “The Ego” Landon Rice – one on one rather than competing in a battle royal. Highlight Man was the young upstart, having only just come out of wrestling school wide eyed and full of youthful energy, hoping to impress fans and have a shot at glory. How would he feel if he saw Highlight Man pulling a stunt like he did last week at Avulsion or even tried to top it by going even further? He couldn’t bear the thought of such a young wrestler with tons of potential being carried out of an arena in a body bag after being promised that if he impressed Steele and the Board of Directors enough then he too could have a shot at whoever the World champion was.

Then again, if he took the bait and became a challenger, a legit challenger to the main man in the company whoever that would be after Sunday night, then he could stop the Highlight Man types from risking death or serious injury just to get a foothold in the company. He hoped that maybe if he could get that title shot and even win the belt then he could perhaps spare those new to professional wrestling from thinking that every promoter was like Steele, that they only had to work hard to earn their chances instead of committing suicide. In fact that’s what he was going to do, work hard and…….but wait, he had a plan in place to make a massive impact anyway. If he could just modify it slightly, just enough to remain the same but also become an even bigger and more historic NLCW moment that will run the gamut of time as such a thing…..

He shifted his head to his left, staring at the telephone resting upon the bedside table and gently reaching over, the slightest movement in his arm still wracking him with immense pain. The jolts of agony continued to shoot up his body as he tightened his grip on the phone’s receiver, raising it to his ear and pushing the buttons to make an outgoing phone call to a number that was nowhere near the hospital he had called home since Sunday evening. The pain only ceased when he rested back against the plumped up pillows and soft mattress, replaced by throbbing that was both uncomfortable and intense, waiting as the ringing in his ear from the telephone receiver, an impatience looming over him, hanging heavy like a rain cloud only instead of droplets of rain water, it was droplets of emotion as he waited for the person on the other end of the line to finally pick up and answer his call, getting not only impatient but also angry as well as having to handle the pain rushing through his body.

Eventually, that call was answered, the sound of a telephone clicking into life and the background sounds of life on the other side were heard faintly. He smiled, aware that the person he was calling couldn’t see but feeling excited at the prospect of this new idea, happier with every second while also grimacing through the agony coursing through his every fibre.

Dazz: Hey bro, it’s me. Listen, I had Mark Steele here and he told me something, you got a pen and paper to write this shit down cause I think we need to up the ante a little.


******


There he was, seated in his locker room, the locker room he shared with his group Chaos A.D. who had returned last week with previous members Souless and Violent A. The room was small anyway but the amount of people packed into it made it even smaller. Souless was sat with his brown hair still short, a vast change from the dreadlocks and the thick beard he’d been known for in the beginning but now looking smarter and with an air of confidence that shocked even Dazz, the fact that he was an extremely confident person beforehand made him wonder just what this guy could do for his career as well as Chaos A.D. in future. He was sitting wearing his green boots and trunks talking to Violent A, who wore a Chaos A.D. t-shirt, Adidas sweat pants and black and white ICP style face paint, his hair dyed platinum blonde and spiked, another change in colour. That’s the thing about Violent A – or Alex Taylor to his closest friends – that he was constantly changing his hair colour.

He looked around the room, taking note of the others. Lithium was a new member, of course they’d known each other for years having competed together in RWF and other companies, known for his love of anything branded by Nike and for – as he deftly put it – “burning off” in his Lamborghini at the end of every promo no matter what the situation. He sat with dirty blonde hair and clad in a Nike tracksuit and sneakers, a thick gold chain hanging around his neck as he sat in the corner singing 80s pop songs to himself, not too quietly. Other new recruits included Phil Castle, sat with his ring gear on after a grueling match earlier in the night while he spoke to a tall, longhaired blonde man with a goatee and mustache named Lightning. They seemed to be talking strategies though they didn’t know if they were to have a match any time soon or not together. Over seated by himself almost cowering from the sight of the group that looked like a freak show and intimidated him was Highlight Man, his mask hiding his face but the expression of pure fear was visible in his eyes, especially because he was seated near Nemesis, a 7 foot man with tattoos all over his arms, pale skin and long black hair, looking very much like he’d fit in as an extra at the local morgue. The only female presence in the room happened to be somebody Dazz had met last week at the same ppv where he’d ambushed Rob Thorn and she somehow managed to miss out on becoming the first NLCW Women’s champion when Justice pinned Autumn Lockwood but watched on as Lightning attacked Justice for the second week in a row.

He watched, scanning the room as the door opened and Kid Chaos wandered inside, closing the door behind him and standing in track pants and Chaos A.D. t-shirt smiling at everyone in the room. He looked at his brother than strode toward him, looking him squarely in the eyes.

Kid Chaos: Sure you’re ready for this?

Dazz: As I’ll ever be.

He looked around at everyone, kissing Faith on the cheek then walking towards Lithium, grabbing his attention as he halted his singing.

Dazz: Look, Lithium, I want you to listen to me very carefully ok? Do not interfere in the match, that goes for the rest of you. I wanna do this on my own and prove I can otherwise people will think I need help to beat someone like Thorn. Everyone clear?

They all nodded but he paid special attention to Lithium, the fact this man had spent the last few weeks since his debut trying to help others in their matches but ending up being attacked himself before he could even do anything to a Chaos A.D. opponent meant that more than ever, Dazz didn’t need the distraction of a failed attempt at help. If the botched interference caused a distraction for Thorn to capitalize on then to say he wouldn’t be happy with Lithium would be an understatement. He made his way to the door, taking one last long look at his motley crew of talented athletes before leaving the locker room, closing the door behind him while the logo for their group was attached to let them and everybody else know who was occupying this room.

He began his long slow march down the corridor on his way towards the ring. His heart began to beat faster, feeling himself have to swallow continuously to help get over this sudden bout of nerves before he got in between the ropes in front of thousands. It felt as if he were walking towards his execution, perhaps this was how death row inmates felt upon their last steps on the way to the electric chair. The veins in his legs pounded away as they pumped blood in a steady rhythm, helping his steps as he inched little by little to his certain fate, either doom at the hands of a Thornbush DDT or victory at the hands of a Chaos Factor. His mind remained focused as he heard his theme music start, his ominous marching helping him on his way as he pushed through the black curtain and out in front of the masses of paying fans, screaming at him, hearing a few expletives thrown his way as he walked down the steel ramp. Many hoped he’d lose, some were even verbal in their wishes, not caring if they hurt his feelings or not. He didn’t seem to be bothered by them anyway, too focused on the task at hand than what somebody who had never even been inside a ring before thought of his talents and abilities.

After posing in the ring he lowered his arms, pushing his back against the ropes to feel the force and elasticity in them, testing them so he could determine what he could and couldn’t do on this canvas then giving the top rope a little tug before swinging his arms and getting a little more warmed up. The moment the opening bars of that theme song hit, the place went wild, fans on their feet as their NLCW World Heavyweight champion Rob Thorn made his way towards the ring. He too looked determined and focused, putting it aside for just mere moments as he performed his trademark pose for the fans, title belt held aloft, before handing it to the referee to raise into the air above them, giving the fans a glimpse of the object they were fighting for. The two men stared each other in the eye, unflinching until the sound of the bell rang in their ears.


******

He’d done it. After all the talk about him losing to somebody who the fans thought would be a surefire guarantee to retain the championship, he shocked the world by becoming NLCW World Heavyweight champion, even if Lithium seemed to ignore his earlier request and foolishly decided to rush out with a steel chair, resulting in him being tossed over the top rope and hitting his own head on the chair, rendering him unconscious. It was ironic in a sense, again Thorn was one of those he’d looked up to and wished to be in the company of when he first started in the business and now, one week after the self proclaimed Greatest Sports Entertainer on the Face of the Planet had first won the NLCW World title and 2 months after Dazz debuted for the company, here he was as THE man. He felt bad of course that he never went after the Television or PPV championship first and worked his way up but the fact was, after impressing as a Hardcore champion and as one half of the Tag Team champions, holding those titles for a month each, he was now the focus of this fledgling company.

He looked all around him, the world seemingly in soft focus as if this were a tremendous dream, slow motion reigning his world. The locker room seemed a lot bigger than it did before he left to make his way towards the ring, seemingly having grown in size to accommodate the enormous glow of energy radiating from every pore on his body, a light shining brightly all around him. It were as if he now found himself in Heaven itself, surrounded by all the angels as they fluttered past him, brushing lightly with a touch as airy and breezy as a summer wind, he could even hear the Heavenly chorus as it sang a tune especially created for him, harps and gentle ringing of bells in the distance creating a bright and cheerful melody to back up the thousands of voices. Of course he’d held a World Heavyweight championship before many, many times but having defeated Rob Thorn, this time it became a truly momentous and special win, especially one which shocked fans and had them standing on their feet applauding the fact that they were proved wrong.

That’s just what he enjoyed though, proving people wrong, he’d done so before and not too long ago, during the Avulsion main event, he’d done it again. Fans, management, fellow wrestlers around the world and the boys in the back during this show were all fully behind Rob Thorn, he’d even caught some of them exchanging money and betting on the outcome with not one person believing he could do it. Even those within the ranks of his own group Chaos A.D. supported him but didn’t fully believe he could actually win the World title on this night anyway even if some of them had seen him carry major gold before. He liked and even relished that he’d walked out to the ring as the total underdog because that just made him battle that much harder to overcome the blatant negative attitudes of those who claimed he’d never win, those who even went so far as to belittle him in the corridors as he walked from his locker room, telling him how much he sucked and that he’d be back at the bottom of the card “where he belonged” after he’d “had his ass handed to him” by the veteran.

Yeah, right. What he hated most was the fact that sometimes people could completely and utterly underrate his abilities to the point where people are wondering how long it would take for him to lose to the champion. Would it be 5 minutes or less? Would it take just one move to put him away or would he just need to be rolled up instantly after standing in fright and nervousness at the fact he was against the main man in the company? Here he was, being verbally abused by those who considered his actions the week prior as wrong when they’d do just the same themselves to send a message and after all, now he was called World champion once again and had to be respected as such.

That’s what he didn’t understand though. People in NLCW weren’t respected unless they were holding the belt he’d took possession of in a hard fought contest. It didn’t matter to him now though, not when he had the biggest prize, the object which everybody signed the contract for, over his right shoulder. He captured glances of reflected light against the wall dancing over the paint with even the slightest movement. His eyes wandered toward the championship belt hanging from his shoulder, admiring his own reflection in it while the gold shone brightly. The feeling of pride welling up within his very core shone as brightly and as golden coloured as the title belt. This was his, belonging to him and it didn’t matter who or what came after it, he’d defend on a weekly basis. Whether the challenger be Rob Thorn, Jason Stylez, Y2K, whoever, it didn’t matter. He knew that he could be the best NLCW World champion in history and now he just had to prove it. His moment to shine after so long in the shadow of Jason Stylez and the rest of the Fallen Angelz, having to cope with fans not paying him enough attention, well now he had this in his grasp he’d have all the attention he needs from those same fans who would now worship him.

They were so fickle. He’d see just how fickle they were now he was their champion but the thought of all the perks of being the man seemed astounding. More money, getting to do media regularly to promote himself and the company - spread the word about Chaos A.D. too while he was at it – and also having the chance to main event all shows, be the main name up on the marquee outside every stadium and arena worldwide. Hell he could even have his pick of the rental cars apparently, something which Stylez had enjoyed as he saw first hand. Yep, from now until he eventually lost this baby, his life would become both easier and more of a challenge all at once, a clash of contradictions but one he was only too happy to deal with. After all, what kind of World champ would he be if he weren’t able to handle pressure?

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