EVENT:
VENUE:
LOCATION:
ATTENDANCE:
BEST VIEW:
GUERRILLA WARFARE IV
Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Denver, Colorado
10,275
Desktop 1920 x 1080
“Born of a mother.
They say these two brothers,
Are very different.
But are they all that divergent?
It is said one is bad whilst the other is good.
But isn't one born from anger and the other is too?
Revenge and Justice are very alike,
So much that you wouldn't be able to decide
Which is dark and which is bright.
Which is truth or which is lie.”
- Uzumaki Tony. “Revenge and Justice”
IT’S TIME TO COLLECT.
IT’S STRONGER THAN FATE.
WE’RE ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION.
THE SHADOW WAR COMES TO LIGHT.
[After the opening montage, we transitions to the Red Rocks Amphitheatre where over 10,000 fans are in absolute pandemonium. Camera angles cut all throughout, capturing the excitement in the fans and the beauty of this venue. Fireworks detonate on the main stage while a stunning light show pierces through it's fog. The feed then transitions to the commentary table, where we see Elijah Carlson and Perry Wallace sitting near ringside. It's rumored that Eli finally apologized to Perry, for what we'll probably never know. The two can be seen chatting it up, probably hyping up the matches for tonight, however, there's no audio. Gotdammit. There must be some technical difficulties in the production trucks. Kaven Drell probably up to something. Sigh. Oh well, let's flip it over to the backstage area before we get things rolling in the ring.]
[Once again we find ourselves in the parking lot. Indi’s ever faithful bus is pulled up and a few members of ‘The Family’ are dotted around the place. The air is a tense calm, gone are the times when it felt as though there wasn’t a care in the world.]
[Eventually, Indi steps out from inside the bus, she’s dressed in a Ruby red cape that glitters with her movements and beneath it, a blood red version of her usual interstellar gear.]
INDI RHYDER
Hi again friends. It’s been a little while since we sat down and talked together, hasn’t it? The big b as liars and the loudest in the room want you to believe that’s because I stopped caring, because I gave up… but the truth is, I’ve been wandering far and wide to bring our family together. I’ve been preparing for this night for so so sooooooo long!
[She claps her hands together in sheer delight. She then reaches towards the camera as though she can touch each person in attendance at home.]
INDI RHYDER
Everything has been for this moment, some of you are focused on the war behind the scenes, the push and pull that two brothers are hungering for the bloodshed that decides everyone’s fate. But not us, no no, we know this dance was fated long before they joined us. Kaven, you want to watch it all burn, you seek to be a man of destruction in our world.
[As she speaks her hands seem to almost act out what she’s saying, moving quickly and freely with her words.]
INDI RHYDER
She sees you, she understands what it is that you’re trying to do. But the truth is, you’re lost. A poor little lamb unaware that he marks his own path to the slaughter house. Tonight, I will meet my destiny and in turn, you will meet yours.
DANNY MacNAMARA
Well Guys and Ghouls, it’s close to Samhain, to the eve of when spirits walk the earth.
[Cue the close up, Danny lighting up a cigarette in the middle of that dark hallway. It was no strange sight, it was what anyone might expect of the ginger at this point, honestly.]
DANNY MacNAMARA
Or maybe, if I’m lucky, it’s the time that some lucky cunt puts me out of my misery. We certainly have the full gauntlet of them tonight. From Ana Hayden to Artemis Kaiser to Whosit Whatsits who was a champion of who fucking cares.
[Shrugging, he inhaled a lungful of that cancerous smoke only to blow it out the side of his mouth in a long plume of smoke.]
DANNY MacNAMARA
I fell pretty hard, I’ve fallen more than once, but you know what? I’ve gotten up each time. I came here as an invader. I beat the champion of the Battlegrounds. I beat him, representing a worthless fucking company that didn’t use the momentum, the surge that I gave them. Still, that happened a while back. The past is irrelevant, even if I keep repeating it like an ignorant dog who didn’t learn his lesson from chasing cars.
[He plucked the cigarette from his mouth, gesturing with it]
DANNY MacNAMARA
This is my second Guerilla Warfare. My second shot at glory. I’ll probably piss it away just like I did at the Rail Rumble, and I’m sure commentary will tell you all about it too. Maybe I’ll suffer an injury that finally puts me out of everyone’s misery. Maybe I’ll find the final ounce of glory that I need. Maybe, it’ll just be another match in what’s becoming a long career.
[He shrugged.]
DANNY MacNAMARA
Maybe, just maybe, I’ll win the whole fuckin’ thing, then go and take the goddamn belt from whoever’s fingers that I have to pry it from.
[And with that, Danny put out his cigarette, letting the screen fade to black.]
MIKE DEMPSEY
Ladies and gentlemen, you are watching exclusively on the Battleground Network at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver, Colorado — and this is Guerrilla Warfare IV! The following battle is scheduled for one fall, and it is for the Union Battleground War Horse Championship! Introducing first, standing 5’7” and weighing in at 135 pounds, from Fascination Street, presenting ”The Muse” Anna Daniels!
[Darkness falls on the arena because this is how the best wrestling entrances start. The Teemba edit of Solid Space’s “A Darkness In My Soul” begins to play much to the bemusement of the crowd. It plays for a bit, building up through the somewhat extended intro before the top of the ramp is swept with light revealing Anna Daniels! Hurray!]​
​
♫
INTO THE WILD
THOUGHTS OF AN
UNEARTHLY CHILD
PLANTS AND ANIMALS
♫​
​
[Anna, to her credit, stands proudly amongst the otherwise dark venue and soaks in the crowd’s reaction, whatever it may be, before giving a side eye to the ring. Making her way down the ramp, she walks as if she’s in a trance while occasionally doing one theatrical gesture or another. In fact, she takes her sweet ass time in doing so because the (Time) Lord doesn’t have to rush for your plebs. You wait for the (Time) Lord. She wipes her feet on the apron oh-so-nicely… before exploding between the ropes and in the ring like an absolute loon.]
MIKE DEMPSEY
And her opponent, standing 6’2”, and weighing in at 180 pounds, he is the reigning, defending, undisputed Union Battleground War Horse Champion, presenting Miles Lucky!
​
♫
YOU WERE CRACKING ALL YOUR FINGERS
WITH YOUR EYES FIXED TO THE FLOOR
SOUND IT ECHOED DOWN THE STREET
BY THE MONUMENT YOU HEAR
♫
​
[“Play God” by Sam Fender hits throughout! Miles Lucky slinks through the curtain and makes his way onto the main stage. The crowd cheers as Lucky struts down the steel ramp and towards the ring. The crowd lights up with fidget spinners suddenly. Lucky wears the Union Battleground War Horse Championship around his neck. The lights dim to show the influence this man has on the masses. The glow of the spinners can be seen all around. Miles walks down the ramp only to stop briefly to glare at a woman wearing an Indi Rhyder t-shirt. He smells his fingers in front of her, then shortly after an expression of approval from Miles and a look of disgust from the fan, he slides into the ring.]
​​
[Miles enters the ring and heads to his corner. He steps up onto the middle rope and stares blankly out into the crowd. Before he can even take the War Horse Championship off around his neck, he gets ambushed from behind by Anna Daniels! The referee jumps into action and calls for the bell!]
[DING!]
[Miles hunkers over the top ropes and holds on as best as he can while Anna continues to rock him with sharp punches in the back of the head. He keeps slipping with each punch thrown, losing his balance and grip on the ropes. Anna finally lets up on the attack, but then re-positions herself and tosses Miles over the turnbuckle and out onto the ringside floor!]
[Miles takes a hard spill on the thin padding and the championship belt slides off to the side as he rolls around in agony. Anna Daniels has a fiery glow in her eyes as she looks down at Miles with ecstasy. Miles struggles back to his feet while Anna climbs the turnbuckle. Just as Miles turns around, Anna goes soaring in the air and crashes down onto Miles with a spaceman plancha!]
[Both Miles and Anna collide into the barricade, but Anna quickly pops back up to her feet. Anna doesn’t waste time playing any games early in this contest, as she starts shoving fans from the front row off their seats and tossing their chairs into the ring. She does this several times, leaving a pile of steel inside the ring. Just as she turns her attention back to the match, Miles comes flying in and smacking her between the eyes with the War Horse Title!]
[Anna goes flying over the barricade and into the crowd, and shortly after Miles hops over it as well. Miles returns the favor and throws a barrage of punches to the back of Anna’s head while a swarm of fans enclose the two. Miles abruptly stops, possibly feeling a bit claustrophobic, and scans the crowd surrounding him. Among the crowd is a fan wearing an Eli Carlson shirt, patting Miles on the back. Miles stares at the portrait of the 4CW icon and Union commentator before pulling his shoes off and handing them off. The fan seems apprehensive at first, but takes them nonetheless and Miles bows his head.]
[Back to the action, Miles goes to pick up Anna off the ground, but Anna shuts him down with a low blow! Miles jolts with thriving pain and Anna goes on the attack. She grabs a fistful of his hair and begins smashing his face against the barricade. One right after the other, she then switches gears and runs his face down the railing, knocking fans back as they go.]
[Pressing on and wedging fans off the gate, Anna and Miles eventually get to the end of the barricade and are heading right toward the red rock structure nature created. Not letting off her velocity, Anna rams Miles right into the rock wall! Miles spearheads into the crimson boulder and gets split open on his forehead while a sizable chunk breaks off, landing on his bare feet. Anna releases her prey and flinches with repulsion after detecting the greasy residue coating her palms.]
[With Miles laid out on the ground, Anna looks up at the rustic rock wall and begins to climb up the structure! She gets about ten feet up and carefully turns to face the masses. She studies her opponent from down below and dials in her sights. Just then, she takes the leap of faith off the rock and spins backwards for a shooting star press. Just as she’s about to land, Miles reaches over and grabs the shard of rock, causing Anna to face-plant into it and burst into fragments and dust.]
[Both Miles and Anna now lay motionless in the dirt with blood dripping out of their faces like a faucet for some time before Miles stirs to his feet. He grabs Anna by the hair and starts dragging her toward the ring like a cartoon caveman. On his journey back, a fan stops Miles in his tracks and tries to get him to autograph a poster of himself. He takes the poster but neglects the pen, instead licking the laminated paper from the bottom up. He hands the poster back with effervescence and the fan reluctantly accepts. Back on track now!]
[They finally get back to the ring and Miles tosses Anna in the ring. Miles rolls in after but gets sidetracked with the pile of chairs Anna threw in earlier. So instead of attacking Anna with any of the chairs, he begins setting them up in two rows closely across from each other. This gives Anna time to regain her wits and goes in for the kill. While Miles looks busy playing tea time by himself, Anna comes up from behind with a straggling chair and smacks him in the back of the head.]
[Miles folds over but Anna quickly catches him by his greasy hair. She drags him away from the setup chairs and Irish whips him across the ring. Miles barely has time to bounce off the ropes as Anna rushes in right behind and rocks him with a flying knee! Anna and Miles spill over the top rope. Anna lands hard on the ringside floor but Miles gets tangled up in the ropes by his neck!]
[Miles flails his legs wildly trying to escape, which catches Anna’s eye from below. Anna manages to catch Miles’ legs under her arms, and begins propping her feet up on the edge of the ring. Anna is now suspended in the air, holding onto Miles’ legs, pulling with everything she has, while Miles’ face begins to flush blue with a lack of oxygen. Anna feels like she’s got the champ right where she wants him, but in a weird turn of events, Miles begins to crack a smile!? Anna looks on with confusion before seeing Miles’ pants pitching a tent! He’s not in pain, he’s enjoying this!]
[With absolute shock and disgust, Anna releases her grip and drops to the ground while Miles is finally able to slip free. Miles rolls back into the ring, clutching his throat but still wearing that aroused grin, while Anna opts to take the stairs, trying to shake off the horror. Anna steps back in and reaches for the lone chair but Miles sees what she’s doing and rushes in. The two begin trading punches back and forth now, each strike spraying blood into the air like slo-mo Rocky scene.]
[Anna gets the upper hand with her dirty boxing and presses Miles into a corner. She then goes for an Irish whip, but Miles reverses it and catches her in a bear hug. With true Lennie from ”Of Mice and Men” strength, Miles squeezes every bit of oxygen out from Anna and makes his way toward the row of chairs. Miles carefully steps up onto the bed of chairs, and begins cradling Anna. With a scan across the entire venue, Miles nods in approval then drops Anna down with the 930! The cradle DDT sends both of them crashing into the chairs and sets off an eruption of steel all over the ring. Through the rubble, Miles hooks a leg for the cover!]
… One!
… Two!
… Three!
[DING! DING! DING!]
MIKE DEMPSEY
Here is your winner, AND STILL Union Battleground War Horse Champion, Miles Lucky!
[Miles pokes his head out from the pile with a bloody grin of satisfaction. He can barely get to his feet to allow the referee to raise his hand in victory. Miles is handed the title and he simply rolls out of the ring without any emotion. The camera catches him talking to himself as he walks up the ramp before we switch gears and head to the back.
[As the night wears on, there’s a buzz all throughout the Red Rocks Amphitheatre as the Guerrilla Warfare match lingers overhead with each match that passes by. It’s on the mind of 20 wrestlers and it doesn’t matter if they’re a ten year vet or a fresh faced rookie, with only a short amount of time until their name and number is called, everyone’s got a case of nerves coursing through their body. And The Grand Duchess herself is no exception to that as the camera pans over toward Anastasia Hayden backstage. Her eyes are looking away from the audience; all of her attention focused on the path she’ll eventually walk toward that black curtain.]
ANASTASIA HAYDEN
Holding the 4CW Championship always meant whenever I wrestled somewhere else, I was carrying the company’s banner. I had seen other champions take that flag and not only embarrassed their own name, but the company’s too, so I knew when I first held onto that championship gold, I had to hold myself to a different standard; a higher standard than those who came before me. So whenever an episode of Adrenaline wrapped up, I left the venue with the intention of showcasing why 4CW was the best of the best wherever I went after that.
[For barely a second, a smirk could be seen on Anastasia’s face; the moment of recollection creating a pause in her story. Though, it’s a bittersweet story and once that smirk is gone, she carries on.]
ANASTASIA HAYDEN
And then I lost the 4CW Championship...but I knew I had to keep myself to that higher standard. When I came into Union, I was a free agent, but I was still carrying the 4CW banner with me. That mentality helped me prepare for my comeback to 4CW and it was what I needed to reclaim my 4CW Championship, but a lot had changed between then. By then, I was one half of the Union Battalion Champions and carrying that gold meant that I no longer had just the 4CW banner attached to my name, but now I was carrying the Union Battleground's banner as well.
[Again, she looked proud of this fact and that look held on longer this time; a look she kept as she turned to finally address the camera and its audience.]
ANASTASIA HAYDEN
When I had won back my 4CW Championship, I had just lost the Battalion titles. I could’ve just walked away from Union, but I had made a promise not just to my great tag team partner Lisa Seldon, but I had made a promise to Union that we were going to carry the tag team division, we were going to show the world what they were missing out on. And that’s exactly what we did as we took the Union Battalion Championships with us everywhere we went. We won a tournament in Union’s name, we won gold in Union’s name. When everyone else came in looking for their moment of glory only to get chewed up and spat back out, we never left.
[A confident nod from Anastasia as she went to look at the title on her shoulder out of habit, but tonight her half of the Battalion titles wasn’t there because tonight wasn’t about the Hellcats. And it didn’t take long for that look of pride to morph into one of arrogance as that smirk crept back up on her face.]
ANASTASIA HAYDEN
But I hadn’t come to Union Battleground just to prove I am one of the greatest tag team wrestlers on the planet, I came to Union for a night like tonight. I wasn’t content with just carrying the tag team division on my back, I want the whole fucking company. And it’s Guerrilla Warfare tonight that gives me that opportunity. I know there are nineteen other wrestlers back here thinking the exact same thing, but none of them bust their ass for this company like me. None of them suffered the heartache of losing tag team gold and then having to pick themselves up to slay the Monster King of 4CW a few days later. None of them have the heart, the passion, the ability, the fucking dedication of Anastasia Hayden.
[With each beat, the conviction in Ana’s voice echoed off the walls around her. The intensity in her eyes had been there from the start, but now the fire was starting to burn a bit brighter in them as the internal clock wound down.]
ANASTASIA HAYDEN
And I promise you right now, regardless of what happens tonight, I’m making my message crystal fucking clear; I don’t intend on leaving that ring without letting every single person on this fucking roster know that. And for your sake? You better hope I don’t fucking win this tonight. You better pray to whatever god you believe in that I am not the last one standing because I will make you regret that every single month I step inside of a Union Battleground ring.
[She doesn’t bother rattling off a list of names, they know who they are, you know who they are, and in the end, it won’t really matter. Anastasia is a woman on a mission and it’s time for this story to start wrapping itself up.]
ANASTASIA HAYDEN
I’m begging you all not to fuck up, but I know now not to put my faith into others because they will let you down every time. Know that if I am the sole survivor of Guerrilla Warfare, no longer will there be blood spilled between brothers, no longer will there be a man of brimstone and fire, no longer will there be instability, I will be your savior because when the night is over…
[The time for Guerrilla Warfare is drawing ever closer now and that means to give one final pregnant pause that’ll lead into one of her signature sign offs.]
ANASTASIA HAYDEN
There will only be “The Grand Duchess” Anastasia Hayden.
[Coming back from commercial break, we cut to the backstage area where we can see equipment laying around. Several Union Battleground workers try to stay out of the frame of the camera, but they’re still caught pacing and running around the area. Things still need to be done, work must be done.]
[There is plenty to do.]
[The fans catch a glimpse of Bryan Williams walking up towards the camera, they’re a bit hesitant to cheer for him. They’re a bit hesitant to do anything considering it’s been a long time since they’ve seen Bryan on Union programming. Not since his loss to Indi Rhyder, losing the UB Championship.]
[Bryan doesn’t look tired here, he doesn’t look dirty like how we saw him in his last promo. Bryan is freshly rested, the bags normally under his eyes have shrunken. His skin has a healthy glow to it, he even looks like he’s put on a tiny bit of muscle weight. He has clearly been taking care of himself since the last time.]
BRYAN WILLIAMS
Nice to see you all.
[His voice isn’t coarse, it isn’t full of rage. Not yet at least.]
BRYAN WILLIAMS
It’s been a while, but I hope you all can forgive me for my lack of appearances here. Things didn’t really end the way I wanted them to. I couldn’t show my face here - not until I was ready to.
[Bryan stuffs a deep sigh from coming out.]
BRYAN WILLIAMS
But now the time is right, the time for warfare is here. I had to be here for that, I had to prepare myself for this battle.
[Bryan pauses for a moment, grinning at a thought. He rubs his hands together, the sleeves of his suit jacket briefly touching. He takes a moment to straighten them out, removing the creases to look as pristine as possible.]
BRYAN WILLIAMS
I’ve done what I can to get over that moment, and now I press forward. I’m here to right my wrongs, and get my shot at taking back the Union Battleground championship. Indi or Kaven, it doesn’t even matter to me.
[Bryan seems to remember something, as he trails off for a moment.]
BRYAN WILLIAMS
Unless…
[He shakes his head, putting that thought away for now.]
BRYAN WILLIAMS
No, it doesn’t matter who. Whoever has a shot or whoever gets the title, I’m going to win this match. I’m going to become the Union Battleground champion once again.
[Bryan smiles, but something deep down still bothers him. It’s very subtle, but it’s almost bubbling at the surface. Bryan digs deep to forget it, and just move along.]
BRYAN WILLIAMS
I look at this Guerrilla Warfare match as a door that I need to open for myself. Before, I had trouble telling myself that I deserved to be here. I let my doubts get the best of me, and I was eliminated. So close to being the winner, I kept myself in the top three.
[Bryan shakes his head.]
BRYAN WILLIAMS
Not again. Not this time.
[His confidence has returned, fully.]
BRYAN WILLIAMS
No, this time Bryan Williams walks into the Guerrilla Warfare ready to take it. I am going to be the winner here, and there’s no doubts about that.
[His confidence is peaking, as he continues to speak about the match.]
BRYAN WILLIAMS
The opposition is formidable, but it’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before. Dakota Smith, Ana Hayden, Artemis Kaiser. I look at this list over and over, and it’s a “who’s who” of people I’ve already dealt with before. People I’ve already beaten in the ring. People that I’m clearly better than. And yet again I’m here to prove myself, to prove to everyone out there that Bryan Williams deserves to be the Union Battleground champion once again.
[His right index finger raises up, pointing towards the ceiling.]
BRYAN WILLIAMS
Just one more match, and I’ll have my chance to be right back where I belong.
[He relaxes, his arms rest at his side.]
BRYAN WILLIAMS
This year was my proving ground, and I succeeded. Now it’s time to continue that success, and push forward into Twenty Twenty-One. I will let nothing; not one person -- stop me in my quest. Everybody is the enemy now, nobody stands in my way. Take that for what you will, but I’m warning you all right now.
[Bryan steps up, getting close to the camera. This message is for no-one, and everyone. And by the tone of his voice it seems that whatever was bothering him before has manifested itself yet again.]
BRYAN WILLIAMS
You get in my way, and I will make sure to end you.
[Just as quickly as it came, it leaves again. Bryan is relaxed again, as he steps back away from the camera. He gives the camera a wink.]
BRYAN WILLIAMS
So just sit back, and enjoy what comes next. I know I will.
MIKE DEMPSEY
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for the Co-Main Event of the evening! The following battle is scheduled for one fall, and it is a title versus title match, with the sole ownership of Union Battleground at stake! Introducing first, standing 6’2” and weighing in at 217 pounds, from Indianapolis, Indiana, representing Axel Graves, he is the reigning, defending, undefeated, undisputed Union Battleground Trench War Champion, presenting Kaven Drell!
​
♫
I DEFY YOUR DEFIANCE
IT'S ALL LIES IN ALLIANCE
I'VE BEEN DAMAGED, LEFT IN RUIN
'CAUSE I'M BROKEN, FLAWED AND HUMAN
♫
​
[On the final syllable of the word "human" Kaven Drell emerges, moving at a methodical pace without really paying any attention to his surroundings, his glittering Trench War Championship belt dangling over his shoulder. The fans respond positively to him, though he pays them little mind as he slowly makes his way down toward the ring. Near the end he drifts to the left toward the rows of fans being held back by a barricade, allowing a few of them to reach out and slap him on his chest or pat him on his back as he pauses to stare into the ring, his eyes not focused on any one thing but more the broad task at hand. Eventually, Kaven heads to the ring steps and takes a few sure steps up them, ducking in between the ropes into the ring where he soon finds a seat in his corner and waits for his opponent.]
MIKE DEMPSEY
And his opponent, standing 5’5” and weighing in at 130 pounds, from Los Angeles, California, representing Gunnar Graves, she is the reigning, defending, undisputed Union Battleground Champion, presenting ”The Galactic Princess” Indi Rhyder!
​
♫
KARMA, KARMA, KARMA, KARMA
KARMA CHAMELEON
YOU COME AND GO
YOU COME AND GO
♫​​
​
['Karma Chameleon' by the Culture Club hits over the PA System, and Indi Rhyder skips out onto the stage to a huge ovation wearing the Union Battleground Championship around her waist. She leaps back and forth along the stage, a huge bubbly smile placed upon her lips. She turns to give the camera a wink as she passes on by down the ramp, slapping hands as she goes.]
[The Interstellar Star Child glides beneath the bottom rope to end up in the ring. She stares daggers over at Drell, who acknowledges her with an unnerving wave. Rhyder doesn’t react, instead, she turns to climb up on the turnbuckle in the opposite corner to further hype up this already boisterous crowd!]
[Indi soon steps down from the corner and hands off her golden title. The referee in charge hoists both championships high into the air and as a result, the crowd erupts into a thunderous roar that echoes off the red rock structure endlessly. Both titles are then handed off to a crewman standing ringside before the ref checks off with each competitor one last time. The two warriors look ready for battle, so the referee calls for the bell!]
[DING!]
[The signal of the bell can barely be heard over the booming crowd. India Rhyder and Kaven Drell stand their ground in their respective corners with an intense stare at one another. Kaven breaks the tension by twisting his head back and forth in a sinister manner, wide-eyed and a grin smeared from ear to ear. Kaven begins taunting the Union Champion with hysterical laughter, but this only fuels the fire inside her. The crowd is split down the middle, volleying back and forth with their deafening chorus of chants.]
“IN-DI RHY-DER!”
“KILL! DRELL! KILL!”
“IN-DI RHY-DER!”
“KILL! DRELL! KILL!”
[Indi lets out a war cry and rushes across the ring. Drell takes a few steps out from his corner and the two crash into each other with a collar and elbow tie-up. Indi is feisty, but Kaven utilizes his brute strength and tosses her halfway across the ring, smashing into the canvas. Indi quickly pops back up to her feet and rushes back in, and ducks a swinging clothesline from Drell. Indi hooks an arm at the hips and wraps Kaven in a waistlock.]
[Drell pops his hips out to break the hold, and swiftly twists Indi’s limb with an arm wrench. Kaven uses his height advantage to apply absolute pressure on the shoulder and elbow joints. As Indi is tipping around on her toes, she somersaults forward to release the tension. Drell tries catching her with a short-range lariat, but Indi ducks the swinging forearm and escapes Drell’s grasp. The Galactic Princess begins chopping away with stinging calf kicks to Kaven’s legs to try and soften his stance.]
[Drell’s legs give out and he drops to a knee from the pain inflicted to his nerves. Indi runs the ropes and on the return launches herself high into the air, but Kaven catapults himself off the mat and stops her dead in her tracks with a forearm smash. Indi back flips in the air from the velocity and crashes down to the mat face first.]
[Kaven Drell doesn’t allow Indi Rhyder anytime to catch her wits as he mounts on top of her. He grabs two fistfuls of her golden blonde hair and begins spiking her head repeatedly into the coarse and bloodstained canvas. This action is hard to watch, but eventually, Kaven subsides and slowly rises his feet, with Indi’s hair still clutched and woven within his hands and fingers. He props her up to her feet for just a moment to adjust his grip and then picks her up off her feet, suspending her in the air by her hair! Kaven then bull rushes into the nearest turnbuckle, smashing Indi’s lower back into the weathered leather buckles.]
[Indi hooks her arms around the ropes to keep from collapsing, but Kaven doesn’t give her an inch as he presses his boot to her throat and cuts off her air supply. Indi tries to scratch and claw her way free, but the weight of Drell keeps her pinned in the corner. Eventually, Drell lets off but quickly hurls a couple of forearms for good measure. Indi looks to be in another dimension now as Drell conjures up his next offensive maneuver. He grabs an arm and Irish whips Indi across the ring. Kaven follows close behind in pursuit, but right before impact, Indi catches herself and leapfrogs over the charging Drell. Kaven smashes into the turnbuckle and takes the wind out of himself. Indi takes a few steps back and just as Kaven turns around, she rushes in and smacks him with a stinging step-up enziguri that drops him to the mat!]
[Mass members of “The Family” in the crowd gushes with cheers as Indi stumbles around, holding her head and raising a clenched fist in the air. Indi plays to the crowd, which she soon finds out is a costly mistake. Kaven rises back to his feet while Indi has her back turned. Before she knows what hit her, Kaven locks his hands around her waist and tosses her with a release German suplex right into the turnbuckles! Indi crashes into the corner and drops to the mat like a rag doll. Kaven is quick to grab a leg and drag her toward the center to make the cover.]
… One!
… Two!
… Kick out!
[Indi heaves a shoulder up off the mat to break the pinfall, and Kaven looks on with impressive appreciation. The willpower shown from the Union Champion does not deter Kaven as he stands tall and starts stomping away repeatedly on the battered Indi Rhyder on any and every joint he can reach. Kaven finishes off the beating with a heavy leg drop and springs up to one knee. Drell looks out into the massive crowd, which ignites his followers to bark out the notorious chant.]
“KILL! DRELL! KILL!”
[Kaven is nearly salivating from the uproar and lifts Indi by her hair. He Irish whips Indi across the ring and anticipates a return with a Redacted Clothesline from Hell, but Indi hooks the top rope on the bounce and stops her momentum. This triggers Drell to act fast and he rushes in, only for Indi to spin out just in time like a Matador, causing Drell to spill out of the ring! Kaven lands hard on the thin padding surrounding the ring and knocks him into a momentary daze. He staggers to his feet, which gives the revived Indi enough time to run the ropes and come soaring over the top rope with a no-handed corkscrew moonsault plancha and crashes into the Trench War Champion! And just like that, the tide of the crowd has shifted into The Butterfly’s favor.]
“IN-DI RHY-DER!”
“IN-DI RHY-DER!”
“IN-DI RHY-DER!”
[The two champions collide into the barricade with Drell taking the brunt of the impact. Indi is first to rise, but clearly shows signs of discomfort. Indi is normally not one to be doing dirty work outside of the ring, so instead, she opts to pull Kaven off the ground by his beard and toss him back into the ring. Indi slides in as Kaven struggles to his feet and she locks horns and attempts an Irish whip, but Kaven reverses it and sends Indi running. The Union Champion looks to counter by springboarding off the middle rope and striking with a back elbow, but Drell catches her in mid-air and pierces her on her head with a devastating German suplex!]
[Indi bounces off the canvas from the impact and Kaven cackles with delight from the sight of his fallen opponent. Drell stalks his prey ever-so-slowly before hammering away with more stomps to head, neck, and back. Once he feels satisfied, he kicks Indi over to her back, wraps her legs up, and locks in an elevated Texas Cloverleaf. As he wrenches back with all his might, Indi screeches out in horrifying agony. She tries to crawl her way over to the ropes, but Kaven’s base is too sturdy and she’s got nowhere to go.]
[Kaven’s eyes are dilated with euphoria as he believes he’s got Indi right where he wants her. Sensing defeat, Indi has to adjust her game plan, and so she starts rocking from side to side. Trying to gain some separation, Indi eventually gets just enough of an opening to roll her shoulder and essentially do a sit-up between Drell’s legs. She carries that momentum and somehow manages to lift herself up and sit on Kaven’s shoulders, looking for a hurricanrana. But before she can execute it, Kaven flattens her with the Tolling Bell! He holds on after the sit-out powerbomb and presses both feet on her shoulders for the pin and the referee slides in to make the count.]
… One!
… Two!
… Thr — Kick out!
[Indi kicks out! This time, the display of incredible willpower does not bode well for the Trench War Champion. No more smiles, no more laughter. This time, it strikes a nerve and Kaven Drell is in no mood for games. Kaven pounces on top of Indi and starts wailing away with a barrage of hammer fists. He then snatches her up and Irish whips her across the ring. She rebounds off the ropes and catches Kaven looking to hit a back body drop. She counters with a big step up that sends her soaring in the air in a 360 spin for added flavor. As she comes down, she lands on his shoulders and flips him on his back with a hurricanrana! Indi sticks the landing on her feet and the crowd blows up!]
[Indi Rhyder can sense that this is a pivotal moment and her time to take control. While clutching her back, she stumbles her way over to the nearest turnbuckle. As she struggles to make the climb, Kaven is starting to get to his feet. At the same time, Kaven stands fully upright and Indi launches herself off the top rope! As Indi comes plummeting down like a meteor to hit the Cool Rhyder flip, Kaven dives out of the way, but not before bumping the referee in his place! Indi comes crashing down onto the official, and of course, knocks him out cold.]
[Indi Rhyder can’t believe it. She stares blankly at the unconscious official with a pronounced emptiness inside her soul. This was her moment; her time to shine like the heavenly body above she's been so well known for. Indi cannot snap out of this trance, which allows Kaven the opportunity to strike. He sneaks up behind and spins her around. A boot to the midsection folds Indi over, and Kaven impales her with the Stillborn. The implant DDT sends Indi into the shadow realm, and now it’s time once again for Kaven to play.]
[With the Union Champ laid out cold, Kaven rolls under the ropes and slithers to the outside. From here he begins to dig under that magical apron, and soon pulls out a table. After sliding it in the ring, he dives back under the ring and pulls out a bottle of lighter fluid and a box of matches. Where’s Smokey the Bear when you need him most?! Drell rolls back into the ring and begins setting up the table.]
[Indi Rhyder has now begun to stir in the ground, which causes Kaven to start to pick up the pace a bit. After setting the table, he proceeds to pour the fluid all over the top. Drell tosses the bottle to the outside and strikes a match. With a flick of the wrist, the table is engulfed. Kaven stares at the glow, mesmerized by the flames dancing in the open air.]
[He turns his attention to Indi and hoists her up aggressively. Kaven clenches her throat then stares deep into her eyes with a maniacal smirk. Before Kaven can send Indi into the fiery deathtrap with the TKO choke slam, the crowd begins to stir into an uproar. Jumping out from the crowd and over the barricade is Danny Rizzo and Leela Watts!]
[Danny and Leela quickly slide into the ring, and glistening from Rizzo’s hand is a pair of brass knuckles! Danny comes flying in with a Superman punch and stuns the Trench War Champion which allows Indi to escape his grasp and roll off to the side and away from immediate danger. Kaven hangs onto the ropes to keep his footing, but Rizzo doesn’t let up, rocking him several times with the brass knux. Drell gets split open before falling to a knee and resting on the middle rope now.]
[Rizzo finally lets up and points to Leela. She waits patiently as Kaven struggles to muscle his way back up with the help of the ropes. Just as he stands upright, Leela rushes in and springs up on Kaven’s shoulders, and flips back to spike him on his head through the flaming table with the Leela Bomb! The crowd erupts as Kaven flops and rolls like a fish out of water, trying to put out the flames. Danny is now biding his time in the corner, and just as Kaven sits up, he sprints across the ring and drives a knee right on the button with The Warrior’s Call!]
[The crowd is in pandemonium! Cheers and jeers roar in unison as Kaven Drell is sprawled out unconscious for truly the first time in the Battleground. Danny and Leela roll out of the ring and disperse back into the crowd, feeling good about finally exacting revenge after so much torment from Drell. Just then, Indi begins to stir from the apron and sees her moment. With Kaven laid out, Indi begins to ascend the turnbuckle. With every bit of strength she has left, she climbs to the top and signals for the Kharmic Trip! She springs off the ropes and lands the split-legged corkscrew moonsault and hooks the leg! But wait! The referee is still out! Right on cue, Gunnar Graves bursts on the main stage and sprints down the aisle! He slides in under the bottom rope and makes the fast count!]
… One!
… Two!
… Three!
[DING! DING! DING!]
MIKE DEMPSEY
Here is your winner, AND NEW Union Battleground Champion and Trench War Champion, “The Galactic Princess” Indi Rhyder!
[After the bell rings and Indi has been announced as the victor, she rolls out of the ring and slips towards the barricade. As she places both hands on the barrier, she looks down and her face becomes completely blank. Her eyes open and staring at nothing, her lips move in a quick but silent way as though she’s reciting something.]
[As quickly as she looked down, she stands up and seems disoriented for a moment; looking back towards the ring a smile spreads across her face. Sliding back in she takes both championships and moves to ascend the closest turnbuckle. Once up there, she doesn’t raise her arms, or the belts, she instead pivots on the spot and takes a seat atop the turnbuckle.]
[Dropping her head ever so slightly to the left, she regards the fallen Drell and then casts a gaze towards the ramp, looking at the brother who chose her as his Champion. With a quick hand she dismisses them both and reaches for a mic.]
INDI RHYDER
If you are lost… We’ll find you.
[With an unsettling smile, she tosses the mic to the mat and claps her hands together, all of the lights going out for a second or two, when they come back on both Indi and the Championships are gone.]
[He’d never experienced anything quite like it. Sure, Zeb Martin had wrestled a couple of outdoor events. The most notable of which found him enclosed in a steel cage on the beaches of Normandy this past June. However, the phenomenon of the event space literally carved in stone was an incredible sight for this barely-traveled kid to behold. Heck, even the backstage area was remarkable: built in such a fashion to preserve the landscape as much as possible in this gorgeous location just outside of Denver.]
ZEB MARTIN
Y’all picked the dangdest time tuh roll a camera on me, huh?
[The Watson Mill Kid sat with knees pulled to his chest against the rock wall of one of the handful of dressing rooms at Red Rocks. He’d been given a twenty-minute window to put on his gear, but Zeb had taken the liberty of showing up to the event in it. Faded Wrangler boot cuts, white protective pads, a belt with an oversized star-shaped buckle, and his signature head piece. Martin tipped the bill of his Levi Garrett Racing mesh-backed cap toward the Union camera as a greeting to follow his opening line.]
ZEB MARTIN
Guess there ain’t no hidin’ it. Nerves done got a’holt uh me. Figgr’ed I mighta done got past bein’ anxious bout rasslin’ in front uh bunch of folks bein’ in High Octane fer close to a year. But, I’m feelin’ like I did right befo’ the first time I walked out in Chicagy too.
[Chuckling shyly to try and portray a cooler image, Zeb shrugs.]
ZEB MARTIN
Shore could go fer a Colorada Kool-Aid ‘er five right about now. Reckon that wouldn’t factor in too good on my chances uh doin’ well out there in a minute though. Guess that’s the cloudy side uh bein’ in the main event. Anyway, ‘preciate y’all takin’ a notion tuh wanna hear what I got to say. But truth be told, first time in a while I did one uh these on a show by my lonesome.
[While he didn’t want to bore the Union audience with the details, Zeb’s home base had not exactly been the warmest atmosphere for him as of late. His band of brothers in the eGG Bandits stable had been through inner turmoil, resulting in its members splitting to entirely different corners of the roster space. Martin, the cooler head of the bunch, mostly had lamented that the camaraderie he’d once had was nowhere to be found. He was quickly beginning to learn that things were a lot harder for him without a shoulder to lean on.]
ZEB MARTIN
Guess it’s something I’m go’n have tuh used ta, though. While I ain’t much tuh brag, I guess if y’all want a lil’ statement, reckon I’ll just say I’m lookin’ forward to showin’ what I got as much as I’m able. And if I don’t do too well, maybe y’all enjoy me enough tuh have me back some time. Ever’thang bein’ the same, shore is purty out here, and the view been makin’ this show even better with the ‘rasslin on top of it. Rest of y’all in this waw’r, let’s go out thar and give them audience more’n their money’s worth.
[With another bashful tip of his hat, Zeb looks back down to the surface of the rock he sits atop and we cut to the next segment.]
MIKE DEMPSEY
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the moment you’ve all been waiting for! It's time for the Main Event of the evening! The following battle is the Guerrilla Warfare Match, a twenty wrestler elimination battle royal with eliminations only coming by way of pinfall, submission, or knockout; where the winner will earn a shot at the Union Battleground Championship in the main event of Coup de Grace IV! And now, Introducing first... standing 5’6” and weighing in at 128 pounds, from Steele, North Dakota, she is “The Grand Duchess” Anastasia Hayden!
[The lights darken as the heavy drums and droning bass of "The Day Is My Enemy" by The Prodigy fills the darkness in the arena and is soon met with a huge ovation from the audience.]
♫
THE DAY IS MY ENEMY
THE NIGHT MY FRIEND
THE DAY IS MY ENEMY
THE NIGHT MY FRIEND
DOWN!
♫
​
[The music comes crashing in and bursting out from the curtains is Anastasia Hayden. At the top of the ramp, Anastasia surveys the crowd and the ring with her mouth guard hanging out and right hand up in the air with her "shaka brah" gesture. No reaction from her as she pops her mouth guard in. Anastasia holds the pose there for a second before making her way on down to the ring and hopping up onto the ring apron. She poses on the apron once more before climbing through the ropes and makes her way to a free corner, tossing her jacket to the outside.]
​
♫
THE DAY IS MY ENEMY
THE NIGHT MY FRIEND
THE DAY IS MY ENEMY
THE NIGHT MY FRIEND
♫
​
[Perched up on the top turnbuckle, Anastasia chews on her mouth guard idly with her arms crossed as she waits for the next contestant.]
MIKE DEMPSEY
And now coming in at number two, standing 5’2”, weighing in at 132 pounds, from Mt. Pearl, Newfoundland, Canada, she is “The Mother of Monsters” Artemis Kaiser!
♫
EINS, ZWEI, DREI, VIER, FUNF,
SECHS, SIEBEN, ACHT, NOIN, AUS!
♫
​
[The Mother of Monsters steps out from behind the curtain, with her head lowered. The shadow cast by her towel over her face only gives a small glimpse into the frown on her face. The rapidly changing red lights illuminate her until she raises her head up. The infamous red streak across her face occupies the camera as she gives the whole world a deadly glare. Sharpened as ever, Artemis begins her way down the rampway, a militant march to war. As she makes her way down to the ramp, she arches her head up again, flexing her jaw. She pops her wolf fang mouthguard into place before jumping onto the ring apron.]
​
♫
HIER KOMMT DIE SONNE
♫
​
[Entering the ring, she tucks her arms behind her back. She keeps walking until she reaches the nearest turnbuckle and scales it. She reaches up and grabs onto the towel, flicking it off. There, she lets her full intensity take over. She pounds on her chest and motions to herself, getting the entire audience's attention on her. She comes off the turnbuckle into a roll and lands on her knee, a perfected motion she had done numerous times before. When she rises to her feet, she stares out towards the world while pressing her index finger over each knuckle to pop them. Once done, Artemis gives the camera another look before reassigning her focus on the match at hand.]
[Hayden and Kaiser stare each other down while the crowd is at a fever pitch already. The referee calls for the bell leading the crowd to pop!]
[DING!]
[The two women dash forward to lock up in the center of the ring! Artemis slings a sharp elbow that catches Ana flush on the jaw! Hayden falls back leading Kaiser to come directly at her! Ana lunges forward to catch her foe with a headbutt! The violent lick leaves a gash on both women’s foreheads. The first drops of blood splash against the canvas, not even a minute in.]
[Artemis takes hold of Ana’s wrist to whip her into the ropes! Kaiser catches the hellcat on the return for a capture suplex! Kaiser gets up quickly to watch Hayden leap to her feet from her back. Artemisia van Dyne dashes at Ana, who catches her with a hook kick! Kaiser hits her knees which causes Ana to deliver a barrage of short kicks to her opponent's face! The crowd counts along while the timer hits thirty seconds behind the wrestlers on the big screen.]
[Artemis waits for a kick to use both hands to pull the left leg out from beneath Hayden! She topples to the mat suddenly, where she finds Kaiser already throwing fists! The two women roll around on the mat delivering vicious shots to one another! A sharp elbow catches Ana in her right eye. It already begins to blacken but she doesn’t as much as flinch.]
[The two women continue fighting around until they roll beneath the bottom rope to end up on the outside floor! Ana ends up on top of Artemis. She bangs her head against the unforgiving floor again and again! Droplets of Hayden’s blood drip onto Artemis’s face. Ana raises Kaiser up once more only to slam her down again leading her head to snap back onto the floor! Hayden peers up to see the countdown reach 0 on the large screen above the stage.]
MIKE DEMPSEY
Coming in at number three, standing 6’ even and weighing in at 229 pounds, Jason Van Owen!
♫
NEVER KNOW WHEN SOMEONE COME AND TRY TO TAKE MY LIFE
I BEEN SLEEPIN' WITH THE .45 LIKE EVERY NIGHT
IN THE WHIP, I PRAY TO GOD I DON'T SEE FLASHIN' LIGHTS
GODDAMN THEY RIGHT BEHIND ME
♫
​
[“Paranoid” by Post Malone blasts throughout. Jason Van Owen walks out across the stage to boos throughout. He struts down the stage to find Ana Hayden’s heel! The roundhouse kick stops Van Owen dead in his tracks!]
[Hayden works the crowd after taking the other two wrestlers down. Kaiser slowly rises to her feet. She reaches behind her head then peers at her hand to find blood. A grin crosses her face as she takes off running at Hayden! Ana turns too late to catch a shotgun dropkick! Artemis gets back up quickly to continue her assault. She takes off towards Ana only to be caught from behind! Jason Van Owen has a handful of her hair to stop Kaiser in her tracks! She swings a wild elbow back at him but Jason pulls her down by the hair of her head! Van Owen then starts dropping high stomps down onto Artemis! She rolls around on the steel stage to avoid the precise offense only to catch another! Ana leaps up onto Jason’s back from behind! She catches him with a sleeper!]
[Jason simply falls straight back! He puts his dead weight against Ana to squish her between him and the steel stage! Hayden struggles while Artemis catches Jason raising up with a violent stomp to the face! Van Owen hits his back while his nose bleeds from both nostrils. Kaiser swings around to locate Hayden to find Ana rolling back into the ring.]
[26 seconds remain on the counter on the big screen. The fourth entrant is less than thirty seconds away. Van Owen wipes the blood from his nose before rolling to his feet. He gets up slowly to find Kaiser walking towards the ring. Jason takes off running at her! Ana gets to her feet in the ring just in time to see Artemis caught from behind by Van Owen! Jason lunges forward to smash Kaiser face-first into the side of the apron! Van Owen rolls into the ring to face Ana Hayden!]
[Hayden comes in with open palm strikes! Jason ducks the first two shots to maneuver himself behind Ana! He chokes her with his left arm while raising the right high into the air. He brings it down with force in a clubbing motion across the chest of The Grand Duchess! Van Owen releases his hold on Hayden. She falls forward to clutch at her throat while Jason pulls out a small chain! A chainsaw chain to be exact. He drops it down and the sharp small blades glisten in the overhead lighting. Jason thrashes Anastasia across the back suddenly! Then again! The camera pans a bit to show Artemis watching from the apron with wide eyes. She’s enjoying this sadistic show.]
​
♫
WAITING IN A CAR
WAITING FOR A RIDE IN THE DARK
THE NIGHT CITY GROWS
LOOK AT THE HORIZON GLOW
♫
​
["Midnight City" by M83 blasts across the PA! Olivia Wythe flies out from behind the curtain to end up on the stage!]
MIKE DEMPSEY
Coming in at number four, she stands 5'5", weighing in at 124 pounds, she is Olivia Wythe!
[Wythe takes off down the stage to find Kaiser waiting! The two women begin swapping blows almost immediately! Inside the ring, Ana catches the sharp chain across the shoulder blades! Blood flies with each strike. The razor-sharp teeth dig into her flesh each and every time. Jason whips at her again with all he’s got but misses! Hayden dodges and manages to get hold of the chain! Van Owen pulls the chain and it slides through the hands of Ana to slice her. She holds onto it still though! Suddenly, The Grand Duchess kicks out at Jason while simultaneously yanking the chain from Jason! Ana stomps the side of Jason’s left knee cap to send him to both knees! She comes up from behind with the chain to drape it around his neck! Ana pulls back to dig the teeth deep into the throat of Jason Van Owen!]
[Oliva catches an elbow on the outside leading Kaiser to shove her face-first into the steel ring post! Wythe ends up in a seated position on the ring steps in a daze. Artemis slides back into the ring to come up from behind Hayden. Ana, meanwhile, has gotten Jason down flat on the mat and pulls the chain along his throat from side to side in a sadistic sawing motion. Wide eyed, she hopes to decapitate Jason to show Artemis. Kaiser comes in with a back rake! She then latches on with a shoulder claw on Hayden! Ana releases the chain and her hold on Jason. Van Owen rolls over to reveal his neck bleeding all the way across! The referee calls the ringside doctor in to see if Jason can continue.]
[Oliva slides into the ring to find Artemis Irish whipping Hayden into the ropes. Kaiser backs into the ropes suddenly to meet Ana in the center of the ring at full speed! She catches The Grand Duchess with a crossbody that rides the hellcat to the mat. She hooks a leg, but Wythe pulls her up off Hayden by the hair of her head. Olivia pulls her back before delivering a standing elbow drop across the throat from a standing position! The crowd pops as Wythe rolls up Kaiser!]
...One!
...BROKEN UP!
[Anastasia breaks up the pin while muttering, “She’s mine” at a confused Olivia Wythe! Seven seconds tick down on the large screen above the stage. None of the wrestlers are concerned with this fact. The ring doctor allows Jason to continue somehow. His neck continues to bleed, but his focus is solely on Hayden now. Van Owen stands up and staggers towards Ana, but Kaiser comes out of nowhere with a step-up enziguri! The shot sends Jason into the corner in a seated position.]
[“Bad to the Bone” by George Thorogood and the Destroyers hits throughout. The boo’s come fast while Miss LPW waits for the chorus to reveal herself.]
​
♫
BAD TO THE BONE
BAD TO THE BONE
B-B-B-B-BAD
B-B-B-B-BAD
B-B-B-B-BAD
BAD TO THE BONE
♫
​
MIKE DEMPSEY
Coming in at number five, she stands 5'7”, weighing in at 126 pounds, she is Precious Pepper Vain!
[PPV walks out to a real negative response. She almost seems to revel in it all. Hayden peers at Precious as she struts towards the ring with purpose. Olivia spins the hellcat around suddenly to hook her with a suplex! Wythe stalls it at the highest point to show her strength before falling back to complete the maneuver! Precious Pepper Vain hits her hands and knees at the ring apron. She climbs beneath to disappear. Kaiser climbs the turnbuckles in the corner furthest away from Ana and Wythe, who continue to battle. Van Owen gets back to a vertical base and swings around to locate Artemis and he does! She flies at him off the top turnbuckle to catch him with a tornado DDT! Kaiser gets back up quickly to get a light tube smashed across her face by PPV out of nowhere! Precious mocks Kaiser before falling alongside her to cradle a leg!]
…ONE!
...TWO!
BROKEN UP BY Ana!
[Hayden pulls Precious off of Kaiser, who is bleeding from being cut by the exploding glass light tube. Ana begins stomping down onto Artemis, who rolls around in the broken glass to avoid the sharp heels of the last 4CW Champion. Hayden turns around to find Vain! She scratches her face with her nails in a simultaneous raking motion! Scratches are left down the face of the hellcat, who throws an elbow at Precious that nearly buckles her completely! Hayden falls back while waving her arms for balance suddenly! Artemis rolls her up to end up on top of her looking down at The Grand Duchess. She smack talks in a scream while shaking her head to cause blood to drip down onto the face of the hellcat!]
...One!
BROKEN UP BY Olivia!
[Wythe goes after Hayden rather than Kaiser, who rolls out of the ring. Olivia quickly applies an inverted figure four leglock on Anastasia! She wants to make the first entrant tap. Van Owen hits the ropes behind the two women. He bounces off to leap for a low dropkick. Olivia can feel the canvas moving and ducks at the last possible moment which causes him to miss her and hit Ana in the face! The timer on the big screen ticks down to eleven seconds.]
[Wythe gets back to her feet to find Hayden standing already! She staggers forward at Olivia, who takes off at The Grand Duchess! Ana adjusts to hit Wythe with a pop up hurricanrana! Hayden leaps back up to find Jason Van Owen coming at her aiming for a lariat but she ducks the maneuver completely! Ana catches him with a spinning wheel kick that takes the larger wrestler off his feet! Van Owen and Olivia both roll out of the ring. Precious Pepper Vain comes in from behind Ana after she gets back up to snatch up a handful of the hellcat’s hair! PPV yanks her head back, where Hayden reaches up to wrap both arms around her foe’s neck before dropping down for a crowd popping jawbreaker! Vain rolls out of the ring to leave only The Grand Duchess in the middle of the ring. The countdown reaches zero.]
​
♫
A CHANGE OF SPEED, A CHANGE OF STYLE
A CHANGE OF SCENE, WITH NO REGRETS
A CHANCE TO WATCH, ADMIRE THE DISTANCE
STILL OCCUPIED, THOUGH YOU FORGET
♫
​
[The heavy bass of "New Dawn Fades" by Joy Division starts to play and the crowd begins to boo as the lights in the venue dim. Once the guitar kicks in, a dark blue light fills the arena and Kaz Bonham steps out from the black curtain with her arms raised up high. Kaz looks around the crowd as disinterested as possible before lowering her arms. She's got a sinister smirk on her face as she walks down to the ring, sulking along with the music, and sneering at the fans.]
MIKE DEMPSEY
Coming in at number six, she stands 5’ even, weighing in at 132 pounds, she is “The Southern Gothic” Kaz Bonham!
[Olivia cuts off Kaz’s path to the ring which leads the two women to come to blows almost immediately! Ana stands tall inside the ring, but Artemis slinks up on the apron to slowly creep to the closest turnbuckles. Kaiser scales them to end up on the top looking out at the unsuspecting Hayden, who turns around slowly. Artemis leaps off the hit her with a diving crossbody! Ana catches her out of the air! Hayden transitions into a backbreaker! She pushes herself up off of Artemis to catch a chair shot to the face from out of nowhere! Bonham nearly takes the hellcat’s head off. She quickly falls alongside Anastasia to cradle a leg!]
...ONE!
BROKEN UP BY JASON VAN OWEN!
[Wythe comes down across Jason’s back with a double ax handle lick! Van Owen swings around to begin delivering razor edge chops to her chest and neck! Again and again, Jason rocks Olivia with burning backhands until she ends up in the far corner. Jason clutches the top rope in his hands before putting his left heel against the throat of Wythe in the corner! He braces himself to put as much pressure as humanly possible against the throat of the smaller Olivia. Bonham gets up to find Ana already up and staring her down from across the ring. Kaiser gets up on the top turnbuckle in the corner closest to Hayden, who appears to not know she’s there. Suddenly, Precious Pepper Vain dashes across the ring to leap up onto the ropes in the corner until she reaches Artemis at the top to perform a crowd-pleasing frankensteiner that spikes the head of Kaiser into the mat with authority between Kaz and Ana!]
[Wythe’s eyes begin to bulge in the corner. No rules means he can technically use his heel to choke her to death. Her face begins to flush red as the oxygen in her brain can’t replenish properly. Kaz slips up behind Jason to drop to one knee. She brings her arm with the violent force for a low blow that causes Jason to buckle completely. He hits both knees to recover only to catch a hook kick from The Grand Duchess! The ticker on the big screen hits zero as the next entrant is set to arrive.]
[The beginning beat to “Warrior” by Dead by April begins to blare through the speakers.]
​
♫
WARRRRRRIOR!
♫
​
MIKE DEMPSEY
Coming in at number seven, she stands 5’6”, weighing in at 136 pounds, she is “The Warrior Queen” Kaelan Laughlin!
[After the first scream of Warrior, Kaelan Laughlin comes bursting through the curtains with a grin on her face. She soaks up the cheers from the fans for a moment nodding her head before she starts walking down the ramp. Many of the wrestlers inside of the ring turn to watch Kaelan make her way to the ring. Artemis pulls out a small crowbar to smack Van Owen in the face as he raises up! She goes for a quick pin!]
...ONE!
...TWO!
...THREE!
MIKE DEMPSEY
Jason Van Owen has been eliminated!
[Laughlin slides into the ring to begin swapping blows with Hayden! The two women hammer one another with solid shot after solid shot! Kaelan gets whipped into the ropes by the hellcat only to counter on the return with a Lou Thesz Press that she transitions into mounted punches! Artemis picks back up her beloved weapon. She peers at Kaz Bonham from behind. Kaiser comes up to use the hook of the crowbar to pull Bonham’s right leg out from under her! Artemis then comes in to raise the crowbar high above her head. She intends to bring it down across the back of Kaz’s head when she can’t...? Olivia Wythe has a hold of it from behind. She yanks the weapon away from Kaiser before swinging it at the side of Artemis! The two small teeth at the end dig into her flesh. She gasps after the hard lick and falls down onto her hands and knees.]
[Precious Pepper Vain rolls Ana out of the ring beneath the bottom rope before following suit. Meanwhile, Laughlin comes up from behind Olivia to spin her around! She delivers a kick to the abdomen of Wythe before turning around to face away from her while simultaneously taking hold of her with both arms! Kaelan takes off to drag Oliva along, she comes to the far corner to leap up on the middle turnbuckle before flipping back to drive her opponent’s head into the mat with violent force! THE FLYING FOX!! The Irish Rose wastes no time in cradling up a leg!]
...ONE!
...TWO!
...THREE!
MIKE DEMPSEY
Olivia Wythe has been eliminated!
[The timer once again reaches zero on the big screen.]
​
♫
I CAN SEE THE WAY I'M BOUND
LOOKING NORTH HEADED SOUTH
THE DEVIL, HE DON'T CARE WHICH ROAD I TAKE
I'VE BEEN RUNNIN' LONG ENOUGH
♫
​
[The mid-tempo backing drone and accompanying piano and outlaw Nashville guitar licks begin to kick up. The voice of Ben Nichols pierces through the melody as “Everything Has Changed” by Lucero blares over the sound system, and the vocal queue signals the entrance of Zeb Martin. The Watson Mill Kid steps out to greet everyone with the bill of his Levi Garrett Racing hat worn low to shield his eyes. A friendly grin on his face, he attempts to pull the hat down even further (a real shy boy) as he makes his way down to the ring while making sure to outstretch his arm for some old-school hand slapping.]
MIKE DEMPSEY
Coming in at number eight, standing 6’1”, weighing in at 235 pounds, he is Zeb Martin!
[Precious Pepper Vain stomps down on Ana continuously as Martin approaches on the outside of the ring. She swings around to face him. She knocks the hat off his head in one swift motion. PPV then takes hold of his head and kisses him deeply? The unorthodox approach leaves a confused expression across the face of Zeb after she breaks the embrace. Precious then kicks him in the genitals with all she’s got! The low blow causes most men in the crowd to cringe and squirm in their seats.]
[Kaiser applies a fujiwara armbar to Kaz, inside the ring. She continues to bleed from her right side after catching a lick from her own weapon. Laughlin glides through the ropes after eliminating Olivia to find PPV throwing punches at Zeb, who remains on his knees after the brutal low blow. Kaelan dips low behind Precious to get her head between Pepper’s legs. She lifts her up high onto her shoulders! Kaelan uses her upper body strength to stand up with PPV sitting across her shoulders with each leg draped over Laughlin’s midsection. Kaelan takes four big steps before falling forward! She slams The Southern Gothic rib cage first against the unforgiving steel security barrier! The crowd starts a “Warrior” chant.]
[The countdown ticks past twenty-one seconds. Kaiser hits the ropes inside the ring to come in fast to drop a high knee to the back of Kaz’s head! Her skull smashes against the mat flush and she does not move. Artemis gets up quickly then comes forward at Bonham looking to drop to make a pin, but Hayden takes hold of her from behind out of nowhere! The Grand Duchess dumps Kaiser through the ropes before pinning Kaz herself!]
...ONE!
...TWO!
...THREE!
MIKE DEMPSEY
Kaz Bonham has been eliminated!
[Artemis watches from outside the ring. She hammers the apron with two balled fists, filled with unadulterated rage. The countdown hits zero on the large screen above the stage. Jack Coura walks out with no music. The crowd gives a mixed reaction.]
MIKE DEMPSEY
Coming in at number nine, he stands 6’ even, weighing in at 186 pounds, he is Jack Coura!
[Jack walks slowly to the ring. He does not pay the fans attention at all. Martin catches Coura with a flush right hook on the jaw out of nowhere! The violent shot rocks Jack. He nearly falls but Zeb scoops him up onto his right shoulder with his head facing out at the ring. Martin takes off to slam Coura face-first into the ring post! He drops Jack, who catches the corner of the ring steps during the fall! A gash forms across his shoulder blades as he hits the outside floor! Laughlin comes in at Martin, who catches her with a swift kick in the gut before delivering a popup powerbomb across the steel ring steps! Precious Pepper Vain appears in the crowd. She ended up on the fan’s side after Kaelan attempted to break her in two.]
[Kaiser and Ana circle one another back inside the ring. Zeb Martin slides into the ring for the first time to end up between the two rivals. The two women come at him with Artemis swinging precise elbows and Ana throwing side body kicks that she transitions into high kicks with her long sticks! They team up until he covers up for some kind of defense. They then hook him on both sides looking for a suplex. Kaiser and Hayden hoist up Martin into the air. Flashes from phone cameras throughout catch the action as they stall for a moment before simultaneously dropping Zeb hard onto the mat!]
[PPV leaps over the security barrier to end up back at ringside. Kaelan slides back into the ring to find Artemis and Ana rolling around on the mat attempting to kill each other. Coura trips up Precious causing her to hit jaw first against the edge of the ring apron! The solid lick causes her to spit out a tooth! She hits the floor, but realizes quickly Jack knocked one of her teeth out! He crawls slowly at her on the floor leading her to stomp him in the forehead after rolling onto her side! Vain slowly gets up in a bit of a daze to roll back into the ring.]
[Kaelan peers back to see thirteen seconds remaining on the big screen. She swings around to find Zeb back up and coming for her! The Irish Rose sidesteps the clothesline to end up behind Martin. She applies a waist lock on the larger wrestler. Zeb swings back wildly with an elbow to catch her in the mouth! The shot busts her lip causing her to release her hold. Martin swings around to adjust Kaelan for an abdominal stretch! PPV pops up in the center of the ring. Kaiser has applied a Guillotine Choke on Ana, whose eyes bulge out now! Suddenly a man rushes down the ramp. The camera’s cut to show Ben Everest hustle towards the ring. The countdown hits zero before he makes it so he can legally enter.]
MIKE DEMPSEY
Coming in at number ten, he is Ben Everest!
[Everest slides in to make his way over to Kaiser, who continues to choke the life from Hayden. He begins dropping down stomps on the first and second entrants without mercy! The two women roll out of the ring to end up on the outside floor, side by side. Ben gets pushed down from behind to one knee while off balance. PPV comes in to take hold of both his arms to force him onto the mat before applying a crossface to further wench the back! RED RIOT!]
[Coura slides into the ring to find total chaos. He catches a running knee to the side of the skull from Zeb! Martin released his hold on Kaelan to find Jack at his most vulnerable! Ben screams that he gives while Zeb hooks a leg on Jack!]
...ONE!
...TWO!
...THREE!
MIKE DEMPSEY
Jack Coura and Ben Everest have been eliminated!
[Precious refuses to release her signature hold even after Ben taps. Coura rolls out of the ring and heads for the back while Kaelan uses the turnbuckles in the far corner to pull herself back up. Artemis and Anastasia slowly stagger up on the outside of the ring. Ana walks over to the announcer’s booth and uses her extended right arm to sweep everything from the top of it. She peers over at Kaiser, who grins wide. Her mouth is full of blood from one of Ben’s sharp heel shots. Artemis comes right at The Grand Duchess, who steps out of the way! Ana takes hold of Kaiser as she flies past to use her own momentum for a vicious face-first slam into the tabletop! The crowd pops for these two women who continue to fight each other without as much as an ounce of mercy between them.]
[Laughlin climbs the turnbuckles in the corner back inside the ring. Zeb Martin gets up and wants to celebrate but is just too shy. Zeb swings around to catch a springboard stunner from The Irish Rose! The crowd pops as she leaps back up to her feet from her back! Kaelan works the crowd before Precious comes in to take a handful of Laughlin’s red locks! She balls it up in her hands and begins tugging Kaelan around the ring! The timer ticks down to nine on the big screen while Zeb staggers back to a vertical base. Precious Pepper Vain puts a knee in the back of Kaelan while simultaneously pulling back at her hair to inflict as much pain as humanly possible. PPV uses the turnbuckles in the far corner to punish Kaelan even further! Zeb Martin comes flying in with a huge splash onto both women! The larger wrestler uses his weight to squish them between the turnbuckles!]
​
♫
HAD TO HAVE HIGH, HIGH HOPES FOR A LIVING
SHOOTING FOR THE STARS WHEN I COULDN'T MAKE A KILLING
DIDN'T HAVE A DIME BUT I ALWAYS HAD A VISION
ALWAYS HAD HIGH, HIGH HOPES
♫
​
[“High Hopes” by Panic at the Disco blares from the arena speakers which sends the audience into a hysteria of excitement at the unique wrestler making his way out. Gold and Crimson lights flash around the arena and confetti drops from the ceiling as American Tommy pushes through the curtains to walk out. A look of satisfaction glistens in his eyes as he starts down the ramp before he reaches the middle of it to stand there with a bright smile. He waves to the crowd and as he makes his way down to the ring, he pulls on the bottom of his shirt so everybody pays attention to it. He’s happy, he’s in a great mood.]
MIKE DEMPSEY
Coming in at number eleven, he stands 5’11”, weighing in at 175 pounds, he is American Tommy!
[Tommy reaches the bottom of the ramp to see Ana and Artemis now throwing fists on top of the announce table. Artemis knee’s Ana in the side of her own knee to cause a charlie horse! She bends slightly to nurse it, leading Kaiser to swing her around and cradle up the hellcat for an inverted DDT through the table! PPV and Kaelan remain down. Zeb looms over them in the corner like a shadow. American Tommy slides into the ring to catch Martin from behind. He hoists up Zeb for a brutal inverted atomic drop!]
[Tommy pushes Martin into the ropes facing forward before backing into the ropes with all he’s got to slingshot forward! He meets Zeb for a picture-perfect bulldog! Martin hits his back which causes American Tommy to hook a leg!]
...ONE!
BROKEN UP BY PPV!
[Laughlin rolls out of the ring. She ends up in a seated position up against the ring skirt. Precious breaks up the pin but struggles to get back up. The splash in the corner robbed her of all the oxygen in her lungs. She catches her breath while Ana and Artemis stir in the shards of wood that remain on the table. The maneuver took its toll on both wrestlers.]
[Back inside the squared circle, American Tommy has pulled out a wooden wand. He attempts to put a spell on Zeb, who reaches up to take hold of it! Tommy and Martin fight over the wand until it’s broken in two pieces! Zeb laughs out loud while American Tommy holds the wand in both his palms. An expression of angst crosses his face. Precious Pepper Vain regains her ability to breathe and swiftly takes hold of American Tommy’s face. She uses her long thumbnails on either side to dig into the eyes of the 4CW fan favorite! He reaches out with one side of the broken wand. He sticks the jagged side into the outside thigh of PPV! She shrieks in pain before glaring down at her new stab wound. Tommy rolls around on the mat rubbing both eyes attempting to regain his sight.]
[Artemis and Ana begin crawling towards the ring alongside one another. They throw punches and wild kicks at each other during this journey. Kaiser crawls to the ring steps then slinks out onto the apron before rolling back into the ring. Hayden makes it to her feet on the outside just as the countdown reaches zero.]
MIKE DEMPSEY
Coming in at number twelve, he stands 6’3”, weighing in at 179 pounds, he is Daniel MacNamara!
♫
I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN IT WAS A LONG RUN
SHOOK MY HEAD AND MY WAY HOME.
BUT WHEN I TURNED I LAID MY EYES ON A DIRTY ANGEL WITH A BROKEN HALO.
SPIRITS LEAD ME TO THE OTHER SIDE
♫
​
[Daniel appears on the stage as “Bring Me The Disco King” by David Bowie and James Maynard hits the loudspeaker throughout the arena. MacNamara gets the crowd riled up almost immediately. Boo’s come down as he almost struts to the ring. MacNamara walks up the rings steps before gliding between the ropes to take the fight right to American Tommy!]
[Kaelan rolls back into the ring after a short breather. She runs right into Artemis Kaiser! Laughlin slings a right elbow that hits the mark! Kaiser hits a knee leading Laughlin to back into the ropes to build forward momentum! Kaelan rushes in to catch Artemis with a knee to the face! Kaiser hits the mat, flat on her back. Both nostrils now begin to bleed. The violent shot busted her nose on the spot. Laughlin rolls up Kaiser!]
...ONE!
...TWO!
...BROKEN UP BY ANA!
[Artemis does not move after Hayden breaks up the pin. Kaelan hits the mat with pure frustration before turning that fury towards The Grand Duchess. MacNamara has yet to focus on any other wrestler other than American Tommy. He buries knees deep into the rib cage of Tommy! One right after another attempting to break him, piece by piece. Laughlin and Ana begin throwing fists in the center of the ring. Anastasia pushes her back suddenly causing her to trip back over Daniel and Tommy! Hayden dives over the two and atop Kaelan!]
[Precious Pepper Vain rolls out of the ring and begins searching beneath the ring for anything to help in this battle. Zeb Martin comes in from behind MacNamara to apply a cobra clutch! Daniel’s eyes widen as he realizes Zeb has the maneuver locked in. American Tommy rolls beneath the bottom rope to catch his breath. He stands up to face back into the ring. He clutches the top rope in both hands briefly before leaping up onto it in a single bound! Tommy springboards off as the shot widens to show him catch Zeb with a blockbuster that drops all Martin’s weight down onto MacNamara as well! The crowd pops at the incredible maneuver. The timer ticks down to zero on the big screen during all the excitement.]
[“Smell Yo Dick” by Riskay begins to blast throughout. The camera cuts to the production truck. Eddie Murder sits at a large desk with many screens producing this shit show. He grins wide at the music selection before muttering, “Dick.”]
​
♫
WHY YOU COMIN' HOME 5 IN THE MORN'
SOMETHING'S GOING ON, CAN I SMELL YO DICK?
DON'T PLAY ME LIKE A FOOL, CAUSE THAT AIN'T COOL
SO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS LEMME SMELL YO DICK
SO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS LEMME SMELL YO DICK
♫
​
MIKE DEMPSEY
Coming in at number thirteen, he stands 5’10”, weighing in at 172 pounds, he is River Echo!
[Echo steps out from behind the curtain. He reaches up to his fake number 13 eyeball to roll it along with his good eye at this Eddie Murder music selection for him. River is surprised to find the crowd more supportive this time as he walks slowly down the ramp to the badass song.]
[Precious Pepper Vain pulls a small concrete block out from beneath the ring. She lugs it up on the apron while River makes his way to the ring. He works the crowd after the more positive response and eats up the attention. PPV gets up on the apron with the solid block as he walks up the steps to ease through the ropes. She takes off down the apron to swing the block at River’s head! It busts as it impacts his jaw! The violent blow separates his jaw causing the entire crowd to gasp. River falls back into the waiting arms of Ana Hayden in the form of a roll-up!]
...ONE!
...TWO!
...THREE!
MIKE DEMPSEY
River Echo has been eliminated and fired!
[Paramedics rush down the ramp to attend to Echo. One of them holds his pink slip. It gets tucked into his empty eye socket. The small number 13 eyeball had popped out upon impact of the concrete block smash and is rolling around the ring. American Tommy snatches it up and catches MacNamara turning around after the excitement to shove it down Daniel’s throat! MacNamara chokes on River’s fake eye while American Tommy forces a pin!]
...One!
...BROKEN UP BY ZEB!
[Kaelan snatches up Hayden from behind on the opposite side of the ring with a german suplex that she transitions into a pin!]
...ONE!
...TWO!
...BROKEN UP BY ARTEMIS KAISER!
[Echo gets rushed up the ramp on a stretcher. His face covered to hide the gruesome injury sustained in this match. Laughlin catches a stomp while getting up from Precious Pepper Vain! She comes in for another but Kaelan catches her right foot! PPV brings up her left to catch The Irish Rose flush on the jaw! Both women fall flat on the canvas. Martin comes over to step on the throat of Precious Pepper Vain! The low blow from earlier still fresh in his mind. Tommy runs right into a knee to the gut from Daniel MacNamara, who cradles him up for a muscular bomb that transitions into a sit-out pin!]
...ONE!
...TWO!
...THREE!
MIKE DEMPSEY
American Tommy has been eliminated!
[Laughlin rolls to her feet to find Artemis holding Hayden in a chin lock. She continues to apply pressure until Kaelan comes in with a headbutt! Ana rises up to catch a headbutt from The Irish Rose as well! Laughlin whips Hayden into the ropes! She hits the ropes on the opposite side to meet the hell cat in the center of the ring for a double axe handle between the eyes! The countdown timer in the background hits zero once again.]
​
♫
GINGER, THIS IS SARAH.
PICK UP IF YOU'RE THERE.
I'M AT THIS PLACE ON PICO BOULEVARD CALLED TECH NOIR...
♫​
​
[The introduction of the song is sudden, we hear an ominous tone that follows the Terminator line. The keys are dragged out, lingering in the air as the song gets to a slow start. Seconds pass, as a backing track is finally introduced along with the lengthy notes. Eventually, after a minute, the song really kicks into gear. Neon strobe lights flash along with the beat, a shadowy figure keeps in the darkness. Slowly, we see Bryan Williams methodically walk out from the back. He's dressed for a fight, his jacket covering his torso and his baseball bat in hand. It rests comfortably on his shoulder as it keeps its dangerous message. The chicken mask on his head stays contrasted with the neon lights and the darkness. Bryan keeps his head low, as the song continues to play along. The techno beat ramps up more and more, as the lights around him shimmer and dance.]
MIKE DEMPSEY
Coming in at number fourteen, he stands 6’2”, weighing in at 220 pounds, he is Bryan Williams!
[Some of the Union fans are dressed in costumes as this show is so close to Halloween. One fan stands in the front row wearing an Ernie McCracken outfit. The character from the 1996 film, Kingpin. The fan even has the resin bowling ball with the rose inside signed by Bill Murray. Bryan stops dead in front of this fan to take said bowling ball. The fan’s name is Chad, but that doesn’t matter. Williams tosses the heavy movie prop into the ring and it hits MacNamara!]
[The bowling ball rolls around the ring after bouncing off the spine of Daniel. Precious manages to chase it down! MacNamara nearly falls after being hit by the ball but manages to end up in the far corner in a seated position. PPV holds the bowling ball in the corner on the opposite side. MacNamara holds his back while she winds up! Vain rolls the ball across the canvas and it picks up speed as it goes between the legs of Artemis and Hayden to find the crotch of MacNamara! He flops around while Precious celebrates her “strike” with the dance Murray does in the movie. Kaelan comes after her full speed ahead to catch PPV with a headscissors tilt-a-whirl that halts the celebration!]
[Williams glides through the ropes to come face to face with Zeb Martin! Martin comes at him with a solid right but misses! Bryan catches him with his bat to counter across the back of the head! Zeb hits the mat face first which leads Williams to drop his weapon to roll over Martin to hook a leg!]
...ONE!
...TWO!
...THREE!
MIKE DEMPSEY
Zeb Martin has been eliminated!
[Williams pushes himself up using Zeb to find his baseball bat is gone? Kaelan snatched it up and now her and Artemis are in a standoff of sorts in the far corner. Kaiser holds up her crowbar that she found to hit Ana with. Kaelan came in with the stolen bat and now they are swinging the weapons at one another as if in a samurai sword fight from the past. Laughlin swings the bat at Artemis, who catches it with the hook on the crowbar! She comes in close to snarl at Kaelan, who knee’s Kaiser in the abdomen! Artemis falls back to be rolled up from behind by Hayden!]
...ONE!
...TWO!
BROKEN UP BY KAELAN!
[MacNamara gets pulled out of the far corner by the former world champion, Bryan Williams, who has not forgotten the match these two had earlier in the year. Daniel leans in to bite the side of Bryan’s face! Williams fights him off after a few moments but MacNamara has brought blood. The shot widens to show the shock on Bryan’s face and the blood dripping from Daniel’s mouth as the timer ticks down to three seconds. Kaelan uses the edge of her bat on the other side of the ring to nearly break the nose of Artemis Kaiser!]
MIKE DEMPSEY
Coming in at number fifteen, he stands 6’3”, weighing in at 240 pounds, he is Logan Traeger!
[The arena lights dim, beckoning the crowd’s attention to the entryway as the beginning riffs of “Absolute Power" by Parkway Drive lead into the lead singer’s roar, triggering an array of blues and strobe lights to engulf the area Logan Traeger stands in as he makes his way out, bottle of water in hand, which he pours over his hair before taking a drink of some just before discarding it and walking to the ring with a confident purpose.]
​
♫
YOUR HEART, YOUR HOME, YOUR VOICE, IT'S GOT A PRICE TAG
SIGN IN BLOOD, BURY YOUR RIGHTS IN A BODY BAG
THEY'RE FEEDING FEAR THROUGH THE FAULT LINES
YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST, THEY GOT YOUR FREEDOMS ON THE FRONT LINE
♫
​
[Logan stops at the immediate ringside area, gazing toward the ring and surveying the crowd. Making his way to the left he slides up onto the apron on one knee and proceeds to stand, playing to the raucous fans.]
​
♫
PAY 'EM OFF AND PLAY 'EM OFF
FEAR ROLLS LIKE A REAPER THROUGH THE STREETS OF THE LOST
PAY 'EM OFF AND PLAY 'EM OFF
BUT IN THE EYES OF THE STORM
THE TRUTH DROPS LIKE A BOMB
♫
​
[Stepping into the ring, Logan hits the ropes twice, flipping over the top rope on the opposite end of the ring the third time, feet landing on the apron, with his arms stretched out, palms facing the crowd.]
[Logan gets caught from behind by MacNamara! He struggles to get free only to catch a wicked backbreaker! Daniel gets back up quickly to turn right into a blue thunder bomb from the former champ, Williams! Precious Pepper Vain comes in with the crowbar she found on the mat! Bryan ducks the swing and takes the bar from her during the exchange! She attempts to get away but Williams catches her around the throat with the hook at the end of the bar! He yanks her back violently to catch her in the back of the head with a vicious elbow that hits the mark! PPV falls to the mat, lifeless. Williams scoops up a leg quickly!]
...ONE!
...TWO!
...THREE!
[PPV kicks out, but a split second too late.]
MIKE DEMPSEY
Precious Pepper Vain has been eliminated!
[Kaelan continues to use the bat on the other side. Hayden has rolled out of the ring to gather herself while Kaiser struggles on the mat while being choked by the handle of Williams weapon! Laughlin gets picked up from behind suddenly! Logan hoists her up into a military press slam! He drops his entire two hundred and forty pound frame down onto her without mercy! Traeger hooks a leg!]
...ONE!
...BROKEN UP BY ANA!
[Hayden slid back in prior to the pin. Artemis struggles to her feet in the far corner while Kaelan remains down. Logan rolls to his feet to catch a swift kick from The Grand Duchess! She uses her sticks to soften him up before dropping to the mat to sweep his feet from beneath him. Williams adjusts his feet to behind the falling Traeger to catch him flush on the back of the head with an extended knee! The crowd gasps at the brutality!]
[Hayden drops down alongside Logan to go for a pin but he rolls out of the ring suddenly! Ana crawls to give chase only to be snatched up from behind by Bryan Williams! The crowd pops as the two fan favorites face off for the first time in this huge match. The ticker on the big screen makes it past nine while Williams applies a surfboard stretch on the hellcat!]
[MacNamara pushes Bryan off of Ana suddenly! He then ducks low for an explosive crotch lift that he transitions into a high angle slam! Kaelan begins to stir as a new entrant is entering the match.]
​
♫
IT FEELS LIKE WE ARE HEADING FOR A MELTDOWN
I'M SWEATING AS THE SECONDS START TO RUN OUT
I KNOW THAT THERE'S A GLITCH IN THE SYSTEM
WE'RE BREAKING DOWN THE WALLS OF THIS PRISON
♫
​
[“Warriors” by Papa Roach blasts across the PA! Katya Djurdjevic makes her way out across the stage. The crowd gives her a positive response. The Valor alumni struts down the steel ramp while slapping hands with a few fans.]
MIKE DEMPSEY
Coming in at number sixteen, she stands 5’9”, weighing in at 126 pounds, she is “The Straight Line Demon” Katya Djurdjevic!
[Logan Traeger catches Kaiser back inside the ring with a rolling fireman’s carry! He quickly gets back to his feet to continue his momentum. Logan pulls Artemis back to her feet only to catch a ripcord elbow! Then another! THE CRUSADES! Kaiser lets out a horrifying shriek before catching Traeger on the temple with another violent ripcord elbow to send the much larger wrestler to the mat in a pile! Katya slides into the ring just as Kaiser hooks a leg on Traeger!]
...ONE!
...TWO!
...THREE!
MIKE DEMPSEY
Logan Traeger has been eliminated!
[MacNamara brings Williams to his feet by the hair of his head! Anastasia gets back up after being pulled around the ring briefly by Bryan. Kaelan comes in from behind Ana to whip her into the far corner! Laughlin then flies across the ring looking for a big clothesline only to be tripped up by Kaiser, who remains on the mat after pinning Traeger! Ana leaps up onto the turnbuckles in the corner quickly. Kaelan pushes herself back up off the mat while Kaiser and Katya begin to tangle!]
[The Grand Duchess gets perched up high on the top turnbuckle to wait. The Irish Rose reaches her feet only to find Ana flying at her! She catches Laughlin with a springboard arm drag that hits the mark! Hayden hits the mat to wench the arm with all she’s got! She wants to tear it off if possible! Katya comes in from behind after tossing Kaiser through the ropes! The Straight Line Demon applies a sleeper onto Ana, who continues to twist the right arm of Kaelan! A double submission unfolds before this capacity crowd!]
[A chair slides into the ring suddenly. Kaiser follows it in to take hold of it once more. Artemis immediately stands up to begin swinging the steel chair with all she’s got! She catches Kayta on the back of the head to drop her then swings it down across the shoulder blades of Ana Hayden! The chair begins coming apart by the time Kaiser begins swinging it down at Laughlin! Ana rolls beneath the bottom rope to end up on the apron while Katya makes it to a corner to hold her spine after the brutal chair attack by Artemis, Kaelan somehow manages to reach up and take hold of the chair leading Kaiser to drop an elbow into it to thrust it down onto the face of Laughlin! Kaiser cradles a leg!]
...ONE!
...TWO!
BROKEN UP BY DANIEL MACNAMARA!
["War Machine" by KISS blasts throughout to bring the crowd to its collective feet!]
​
♫
WANT TO BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS ME, WANT TO TURN THE TIDES
SET THE DEMONS FREE AND WATCH 'EM FLY
STRIKE DOWN THE ONE WHO LEADS ME, I'M GONNA TAKE HIS PLACE
GONNA VINDICATE THE HUMAN RACE
♫
​
MIKE DEMPSEY
Coming in at number seventeen, he stands 6’ even, weighing in at 235 pounds, he is “The War Machine” Chris Madison!
♫
BETTER WATCH OUT 'CAUSE I'M A WAR MACHINE
BETTER WATCH OUT 'CAUSE I'M A WAR MACHINE
♫
​
[The arena's lights dim to black as the opening guitar riffs to "War Machine" by KISS begin to screech over the P.A. system. The video screen lights up with visual static noise. Suddenly in the center of the screen a black hand print begins pulsating to the beat of the drum that has begun to play. A spotlight shines on the entrance ramp and we see Chris Madison standing with his head bowed under a black towel, wearing an official licensed t-shirt that says, "Always Ready For War," across the chest. He nods his head to the music and as the chorus breaks he rips the towel from his head and tosses it into the live audience, starting his way down the ramp toward the ring. All of the wrestlers left in this match take notice of this. Madison walks down the ramp never taking his eyes off the ring. Madison charges up the ring steps, where Bryan Williams meets him! The two men begin swapping blows immediately with Chris using an elbow to create separation so he can get inside the squared circle.]
[Madison catches Williams with a dragon suplex! Chris gets back to his feet quickly to find Daniel MacNamara! The two men rush at each other to end up in a mighty grapple in the center of the ring! Laughlin has made it back up and takes hold of Artemis by the hair of her head. Hayden and Katya battle in the corner with Ana using a headbutt to leave a gash across the forehead of Djurdjevic! She follows up by Irish whipping Katya into the ropes before hitting the ones directly across the ring. The two women meet in the center of the ring with Hayden hitting her signature single leg dropkick! Ana cradles up a leg quickly!]
...ONE!
...TWO!
...THREE!
MIKE DEMPSEY
Katya Djurdjevic has been eliminated!
[Ana rolls over onto her back after eliminating the former Valor superstar. Artemis and Hayden have now been wrestling well over an hour, nonstop.]
[Williams gets to Kaelan in the corner who pushes him off and he comes forward to catch her with his signature CTE! The crowd is split on this as he falls down alongside her for a pin!]
...ONE!
...TWO!
...THREE!
MIKE DEMPSEY
Kaelan Laughlin has been eliminated!
[Katya and Laughlin slowly make their way out of the ring and towards the entrance ramp as the next entrant enters.]
MIKE DEMPSEY
Coming in at number eighteen, he stands 6’4”, weighing in at 215 pounds, he is “The Scum God” SWITCHBLXDE!
♫
ASK ME IF I GIVE A FUCK ABOUT A CLIQUE, AYY
ASK ME IF I GIVE A FUCK ABOUT A DISS, YUH
ASK ME IF I GIVE A FUCK ABOUT FAME, YUH
RECENTLY I JUST DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT A THING, YUH
♫
​
[The hypnotic and Satanic intro to "Mercury" By Ghostemane begins playing as the house lights dim out and begins flashing violently to the beat. After the intro plays out and the heavy bass drops, SWITCHBLXDE rises out from the bottom of the stage through a blackened fog. He is attached to a scarecrow perch in the scarecrow position with his arms spread out wide and his head lowered to the ground. He oddly and violently snaps one of his arms off as he begins twitching. He rips the other free before dropping down from the perch. He twitches and convulses, almost demon-like, before raising up from his knees with his arms back into a spread stance. He begins down the ramp, twitching and shaking to the beat.]
[As he comes to the ring he steps up onto the outside of the turnbuckle and spreads his arms again as he lets his head hang and twitch about. He steps over the ropes and gets into the ring where he comes to the ropes facing the hard cam. He leans over and uses his pointer fingers to pull down his bottom eyelids, exposing only the whites in his eyes as he shows off his silver teeth. The music dies down as the lights return to normal. SWITCHBLXDE takes a position in the corner, hanging on the ropes in the scarecrow position.]
[Ana and Kaiser have resumed fighting in the corner with Kaelan and Katya now eliminated. Artemis clotheslines Hayden over the ropes but she holds onto Kaiser to pull her along for the ride! Both women bounce off the apron and end up on the outside floor, where they remain. They breathe heavily while staring up at the bright lights. Chris Madison connects with a belly to belly suplex that he transitions into a choke hold on Williams! Bryan struggles to get free as SWITCHBLXDE comes in with wild punches on Chris Madison, who releases his hold on Williams! Daniel MacNamara slides back into the ring after a brief break to go for a pin on Bryan Williams!]
...ONE!
...TWO!
KICK OUT!
[Madison gets SWITCHBLXDE down with a violent barrage of clinched muay thai knee shots! Chris heads for the closest corner and nearly trips over Daniel and Bryan. MacNamara is now on top of Williams simply attempting to choke him to death with both hands. Williams' eyes bulge out as he struggles to break free from this mad man. Madison climbs up the turnbuckles and gets up top fairly quickly. He waits patiently for SWITCHBLXDE to rise up to both feet and turn around. Madison leaps off the top rope leading SWITCHBLXDE to adjust his feet to leap up into the air and catch Chris with a picture perfect codebreaker in mid air! THE NOSE JOB! SWITCHBLXDE pins Madison quick!]
...ONE!
...TWO!
...THREE!
MIKE DEMPSEY
Chris Madison has been eliminated!
[Williams finally knees MacNamara in the crotch to break the choke hold. Bryan rolls over onto his side to cough and catch his breath. SWITCHBLXDE rolls to his feet after eliminating Madison with an aerial counter that wowed the entire crowd. He comes up from behind MacNamara with a knee to the spine! SWITCHBLXDE then takes hold of both of Daniel’s shoulders to continue driving a knee deep into the back of MacNamara! Without mercy! Bryan rolls out of the ring to end up on the outside floor alongside Artemis and Ana, who both begin to stir. The countdown ticker on the big screen ticks to zero once more.]
[Blue Barrera rushes towards the ring. No music, no theatrics. The brash MMA fighter walks directly to the ring.]
MIKE DEMPSEY
Coming in at number nineteen, she stands 5’7”, weighing in at 145 pounds, she is “Bullet” Blue Barrera!
[Blue wastes no time. She gets to Ana, Artemis, and Bryan on the outside first. She begins to drop stomps down onto Hayden then Artemis! Barrera then turns her ire to Williams by dropping a knee into his Adam's apple! The blow leaves him searching for breath once again! Blue then turns around to hoist up Kaiser to roll her into the ring before doing the same to Hayden. She slides in to leave Bryan on the outside gasping for air.]
[MacNamara drops Blue with a high angle dropkick to the jaw as soon as Barrera enters the ring! SWITCHBLXDE catches MacNamara with a snap dragon suplex out of nowhere! Artemis managed to find a shard of glass on the outside floor. A piece of broken light tube from earlier in the match. Hayden gets to her feet inside the ring and quickly pulls Kaiser up only to be slashed on the arm! Artemis cuts the hellcat again on the hip without mercy!]
[Williams rolls back into the ring to be intercepted by a staggering, Daniel MacNamara! Williams gets hoisted up into the air with a pump handle backbreaker! Mac quickly falls down alongside the former world champion to cradle a leg!]
...ONE!
...TWO!
BROKEN UP BY SWITCHBLXDE AND BARRERA!
[The two get up fighting after attempting to do the same thing. Mac and Williams remain on the mat to rest briefly after the pin is broken up. SWITCHBLXDE and Blue are now swinging at each other as if their lives depend on it. SWITCHBLXDE misses with a strike and leaves himself open for Barrera to nail him with a right hook that sends him to the mat! Blue quickly hooks a leg on SWITCHBLXDE!]
...ONE!
...TWO!
...THREE!
MIKE DEMPSEY
SWITCHBLXDE has been eliminated!
[SWITCHBLXDE kicks out but a moment too late. He hits the mat in frustration before rolling out of the ring. The timer ticks to zero to send the last entrant to the ring!]
[Cry Little Sister begins to play as the lights drop in the arena. Smoke and fog billows from below the stage rising higher and higher as the stage and ramp begin to light up in fire in a falling dominoes pattern. The faint silhouette of a figure can be seen through the smoke.]
​
♫
LAST FIRE WILL RISE
BEHIND THOSE EYES
BLACK HOUSE WILL ROCK
BLIND BOYS DON'T LIE
♫
​
MIKE DEMPSEY
Coming in at number twenty, he stands 6’2”, weighing in at 195 pounds, he is Viduus Morta!
[The Smoke disappears to reveal Viduus entirely looking left and right scanning the crowd. As the music begins to pick up pace, Viduus starts to float his way to the ring.]
​
♫
CRY LITTLE SISTER
THOU SHALL NOT FALL
COME COME TO YOUR BROTHER
THOU SHALL NOT FEEL
♫
​
[Viduus slithers under the bottom rope and licks his lips, ready to feast, as he crawls to the middle of the ring. Viduus rises slowly and tilts his head left inquisitively like a curious dog as the lights come back on.]
[Blue Barrera comes at V immediately only to be nearly cut in two by a violent spear! The front row winces while Viduus cradles a leg!]
…ONE!
...TWO!
...THREE!
MIKE DEMPSEY
Blue Barrera has been eliminated!
[Hayden finally manages to yank the piece of glass away from Kaiser, who turns away. Ana stabs her in the shoulder blade with it swiftly! Daniel MacNamara backs into Viduus, who grabs Daniel’s head from behind, setting up a scorpion death drop. He picks his MacNamara up in the air like a suplex and drops them down on their head brainbuster style! V cradles a leg while Williams struggles in the corner to recover.]
...ONE!
...TWO!
...THREE!
MIKE DEMPSEY
Daniel MacNamara has been eliminated!
[Hayden and Artemis bleed in the far corner after fighting with a piece of glass for the better half of the last ten minutes of this big match. Bryan Williams staggers out of the corner to come flying at Viduus, who counters with a big boot to the face! V carefully gets Bryan back up to a vertical base. Morta then whips Williams off the ropes while simultaneously hitting ropes on the opposite side to use a gore-like tackle to hit his opponent as hard as he possibly can! SOUL REAPER! V hooks a leg of the former Union Champion!]
...ONE!
...TWO!
...THREE!
MIKE DEMPSEY
Bryan Williams has been eliminated!
[V rolls to his feet to peer over at The Grand Duchess and Kaiser, who tries to pull the shard of glass out of her shoulder with little success. The women know they must work together to have any chance here. They both suddenly take off at Morta full speed ahead! Ana starts with swift kicks while Artemis comes in with sharp elbow shots! V pushes Kaiser through the ropes and out of the ring! Ana continues to kick at the much larger wrestler until he lifts her up into the air! He tosses her over the ropes and down onto Artemis on the outside!]
[The crowd goes crazy as the hellcat and Kaiser stagger up. Both can feel a second wind coming on as they walk over the front row together. Two fans eagerly hand over their folding chairs. Viduus stands in the ring calling for them to bring it on. Ana holds her position on one side while Artemis staggers around the other side of the ring. Slowly, both women approach the ring to slide in their chairs simultaneously. They slide in, in unison to grab the chairs. They rush at V, who throws a barrage of punches but misses! The two women begin laying into the monster with wide swinging chair shots! They inflict as much damage as possible before dropping the chairs and attempt to cradle up V on either side for a suplex! They struggle together to lift him up into the air. Both of his feet come up slightly before hitting the canvas, where he adjusts to double suplex both of the women!]
[Hayden leaps up only to be caught around the throat by V! Artemis picks up her chair then dashes for the corner! She quickly bounces onto the middle turnbuckle to end up on the top. She clutches the chair against her knees as she faces out at V and Ana. Hayden can see her and suddenly kicks out to hit Morta in the gut! He drops her and she falls down on her hands and knees. Kaiser screams out leading V to swing around! Artemis leaps off the top rope while holding the chair against her knees! She nails Viduus in the face and he trips back over Hayden, who’s behind him still on her hands and knees! The two women quickly hook a leg each of the monster!]
...ONE!
...TWO!
...THREE!
MIKE DEMPSEY
Viduus Morta has been eliminated!
[The crowd pops as both women remain down on the mat. Breathing heavily and with no almost nothing left. They stagger up to face each other one final time as V is forced from the ring by security in a furious daze.]
[The crowd hits a fever pitch as the two women begin fighting in the center of the ring. They have fought each other since the very beginning and made it all the way to the end from the opening entrant spots. Artemis comes in with a headbutt that instantly busts the nose of Hayden! She stumbles backwards which allows Kaiser to Irish whip her into the ropes! Artemis stands still to wait for a clothesline attempt that misses! Ana ducks it and continues her momentum towards the opposite side. She bounces off to come back at Kaiser with a single leg running drop kick! She Was Only Seventeen!]
[Ana musters enough to hook a leg!]
...ONE!
...TWO!
...THREE!
[DING! DING! DING!]
MIKE DEMPSEY
Artemis Kaiser has been eliminated! And here is your winner of Guerrilla Warfare AND NEW number one contender to the Union Battleground Championship, “The Grand Duchess” Anastasia Hayden!
[The crowd comes unglued as the two entangled bloody women both slink on the mat. Hayden covers her face with both hands in shock that she’s done the impossible. The referee bends down to help Anastasia up. The ref hoists up her right hand while also helping her remain vertical. The crowd begins a hellcat chant that carries two towns over.]
[Ana looks down and sees Artemis struggling to sit up off the mat. She bends down and helps Kaiser up then raises her arm up high. The two bloody and bruised decorated warriors embrace an incredible battle. First two in, last two out. The crowd is in pandemonium, cheering for both women as streamers and confetti fall from the steel scaffolds above. Ana and Artemis soak in the atmosphere of the Red Rocks Amphitheatre as we slowly fade off to darkness.]
[The Commodore is shown whirring into life in the parking lot. But still Indi Rhyder is nowhere to be found, the family as she calls them, are all loaded up on the bus and ready to go. But appear lost without her to lead them, eventually one of them steps off the bus to look around the parking lot.]
[Once again the lights flicker and cut out, when they come back on, Indi is standing directly behind the family member, gone are the Championship belts and she has changed out of her ring attire into a white gown like dress. As the member turns she’s startled by Indi who simply smiles and points toward the bus.]
INDI RHYDER
It’s time.
[The girl appears to understand the barely audible words, bowing her head she gets back on the bus with some haste. Indi pauses to stare directly into the camera. That same blank expression that she had at ringside sits on her face for only a second, before the feed is cut.]
[Miles Lucky is an individual who has rarely been seen on camera except for when he’s creating chaos in the ring. So, it’s a surprise for us to see him lanking his way to Gunnar’s office. Both men are having a fairly successful night, with another defense under Miles’ belt and Gunnar having secured the company as his own, yet again.]
[Miles unceremoniously swings the door open to the office, disrupting Gunnar and making him trip over his own words in the midst of a phone call. He’s surprised to see the champion, as they’ve never really spoken before.]
GUNNAR GRAVES
Uh, yeah. Yeah. Hey, let me call you back.
[Gunnar ends the phone call as Miles takes a seat at his desk across from him. The two men stare at each other, Miles eating and slurping at his own fingers. He’s wild eyed, fresh off a victory and smelling of adrenaline and sweat, in a way that fills the office and disgusts Gunnar, who breaks the silence.]
GUNNAR GRAVES
Miles, was there something you wanted?
MILES LUCKY
Actually, yeah. You know, I’ve been doing a great job. You haven’t told me that and it’s fine, I don’t need you to tell me that, because I know I have. I’ve put some meat on this title, swelled it up. And-
[And it doesn’t need to be said, that Miles Lucky goes on a tangent on the War Horse title; an accolade, gold that he feels he’s breathed to life, a belt that for some reason is absent from this meeting. Something he’s rather proud of, if you believe it possible that he could feel anything close to pride. Gunnar is taking every word in horrifically as time passes, waiting for the young man to shut up and get to the point.]
[This is an inconvenient, last minute meeting. This is Miles Lucky, invading his time and his small victory. This is Miles Lucky, sitting there, rambling, sweating and mumbling. Crazy eyes meeting with ones that are wide with disbelief at the speed of his words. This is Miles Lucky, annoying Gunnar, still not shutting up.]
MILES LUCKY
If you really think about it, sit here and think about it, it’s perfect. It’s-
GUNNAR GRAVES
OKAY! Okay, Miles. Okay, let’s get to the point, what are you saying here.
MILES LUCKY
I’m cashing in. Next show, I want her.
[There’s a hushed calm that fills the room as Miles finally relaxes in his announcement. Gunnar gives Miles a long look as he leans back into his seat, a lip jutted out as he nods.]
GUNNAR GRAVES
You want to cash in?
MILES LUCKY
Yes.
[After such a grueling dilemma with his brother and Drell, Indi claiming victory and, thus, the company being his. Has that been mentioned yet? God, he feels great about it all. He feels like the fucking man and Indi? That’s his champion, someone that has proved to be counted on. Miles Lucky, a wildcard, cashing in the War Horse for a shot at the very next show, would ruin all of that and the rhythm of Guerilla Warfare.]
[However, Gunnar is a smooth guy. Whatever you’ve heard, let it be known that you’ve also heard he’s a persuasive guy. He attempts to change Miles’ Mind.]
GUNNAR GRAVES
Okay, well, hey. Listen to this, the champion? She’s on fire, you know? Fresh off of a defense, she’s on top of the world. There’s no beating her right now, so I would really rethink that and maybe time it a little better.
[This would be reasonable to say to anyone else. Not really the best thing to say to Miles Lucky, whose nostrils flare at the mention of Indi in a positive, unstoppable light. Gunnar frowns as Miles begins to grit his teeth.]
MILES LUCKY
I’m fresh off of a defense.
GUNNAR GRAVES
Yeah, well-
MILES LUCKY
I’m on fire. I’m on top of the world!
GUNNAR GRAVES
Okay, calm do-
[Are you watching this kid lose his cool? Because he’s losing his cool, raising his voice. The cameraman is smartly taking steps back as Miles bangs his fist against the desk. Gunnar is unimpressed and exasperated by this conversation.]
MILES LUCKY
There’s no beating me!
GUNNAR GRAVES
Except for when she did.
[Miles is thrown into silence, shocked to even hear this at all. It’s true, but Gunnar is either missing the point completely, or purposely deflecting Miles in his goal and, obviously, standing in his way. This is a circle Gunnar, don’t you know it? Don’t you fucking know that? Why do you have to make this conversation so difficult, why is this like pulling teeth. Miles huffs out, sitting back in his seat and shaking his head, pulling at his hair.]
MILES LUCKY
You know, I almost liked you. I could respect a lot inside of a guy who will go to any lengths to get what he wants. Someone who’ll betray their own family to get what he wants, hurt whoever he needs to. I could respect a high stakes guy, you know? I loved it. I could’ve loved you, but there’s no talking to you. You were a good guy. I mean, not really, but you know what I mean. And then you had to do this. You had to be an idiot, you had to talk to me like if I’m fucking slow. Hey, it’s fine. You were a good guy. Maybe they’ll send someone better.
[Before Gunnar can even ask why he’s being referred to in the past tense, Miles begins to dig in the inside of his tattered jacket. He continues to speak as he searches.]
MILES LUCKY
Now - where is it? Cripes. Well, listen, I’ve never done this before, you know, use one of these, but I can get away with anything and I might as well try it once. Also, I always wanted to say this, but it doesn’t really apply to this situation too well but-ah! Here we go!
[Miles pulls out a fucking gun and points it right at Gunnar because why not. We’re here, folks!]
MILES LUCKY
Feeling Lucky, Gunnar?
GUNNAR GRAVES
Whoa! Now hold the fuck on!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
[The noise is loud enough to make the cameraman jump, missing the exact point of contact. However, he straightens up enough to catch the impressive blood splatter on the wall and Miles, who shot from his seat to the unmoving Gunnar, picking at an opening with hungry fingers. When Miles catches the cameraman, he leaves Gunnar behind and approaches him, blood on his hands and some on his lips.]
MILES LUCKY
Did you catch all of that? It’s my first Union meeting, I definitely want to watch it back.
[The cameraman gives him a thumbs up and a smile erupts jaggedly on Miles face.He’s shaking and so is his voice.]
MILES LUCKY
Good job, MJ. Let’s head out of here.
MJ
How are you going to cash in now, though?
MILES LUCKY
You know, good question. Sometimes these things just work themselves out. Now let’s go, hurry the heck up.
[And that’s the end of the video. A video that Miles had filmed for himself, so did we ever really see it? Who knows. Rest in Peace, Gunnar Graves.]
