Once, a man down on his luck in the slums, with not a credit to his name came across a little man, who seemed to be very interested in his story. When the homeless man told him of his troubles, the little man stuck out his hand.
“You’re in luck! Come and work for me for 7 years, and if you do as I bid you will earn your freedom and you won’t want for anything in your life.”
The homeless man thought, and came to the conclusion that he should take the deal, for the alternative was surely starvation. The little man soon revealed himself as the Devil in disguise and took the man down to hell. Once there the Devil gave him very strict instructions.
“You must stoke the fire under these three pots of hell-broth, and sweep all the ash from the pots into a pile behind the door. But don’t look in those pots, else rotten luck will come to you.”
The Devil left, and the man did his tasks. When the devil returned, he found the man had listened to him, and the next day left him once more. When he had done the chores, the man was curious, and opened the first pot, finding The Burned Man inside. Without breaking his stride, the man returned the lid to the pot and added more wood to the fire, stoking the flames high.
He moved to the second pot and looked inside, seeing Ezekiel Graves inside. Without breaking a sweat, the man returned the lid to the pot, added more wood to the fire, and stoked the flames higher.
He moved to the final pot and looked inside, seeing Nick Morningstar inside. Without a second thought, the man returned the lid to the pot, added yet more wood, and stoked the flames to their highest.
The Devil returned, and was pleased with his work. Seven years passed and the day came for the man to be freed.
“You have been a faithful servant, but you must realise that I know you looked in the pots. I said ill luck would come to you, but your actions let the flames lick higher. I expected you to help them keep their lives, and I would have taken yours. But because of your curiousity, their lives were taken as planned and you may go free. Take this pile of ashes from behind the door as your wages, and wear this, remaining unwashed. If people ask where you came from, tell them ‘From Hell’ and if they ask who you are, tell them you’re ‘The Devil’s Sooty Brother, and your Champion, too’.
The man donned the Devil’s outfit and turned around, a white paint now covering his face, his hair slicked back. He left Hell, and as he did so, he felt the ash in his bag turn to pure gold. Later, a passerby said ‘where did you come from?’
“From Hell!”
‘And who are you?’
“The Devil’s Sooty Brother, and your champion, too”
And he reached into the bag, pulling out the golden NXT Level Title, with Klaus Way etched into it, smirking.