OPERATION: ODYSSEY
Click.
Lightning.
A crack of thunder.
Static covers the screen as a Play ► symbol appears in the bottom right-hand corner.
The Pantheon.
In the classy meeting room of the Pantheon, the sound of muffled and murmured talk is abundant. Everyone here is concerned. They’ve all heard about Hephaestus’ betrayal and they’re scared.
Their in-talking soon abruptly ends when The God of War steps through the door. Ares, scowl seemingly permanently etched upon his face, stands at the head of the table.
“Matters of Arcadia first,” he says sternly, as a cloaked figure enters the room behind him. “Meet our new Hephaestus. His abilities rival that of his predecessor, so welcome him well.”
The Pantheon clap slowly, almost softly, even. Hephaestus takes his seat at the table.
“And now the matter of most importance; Zeus. We must find him. I want every single level of Arcadia ransacked. I want all your people out in search of our leader,” he demands.
“Ares, what happened?” Poseidon asks. “Who took Zeus?”
The God of War shakes his head, refusing to reveal too much.
“The Uprising stormed the House of Sovereigns. The former Hephaestus built it and gave his blueprints to them for access. They stormed the palace, killed many of our men and took Zeus hostage.”
“I know that my husband is a traitor,” Aphrodite says. “But what of him? Did he survive?”
Ares slowly shakes his head once.
She gasps slightly.
“We don’t have time for this,” he continues sternly. “Somewhere in Arcadia, The Uprising have Zeus and it won’t be long before he’s murdered. Sends your scouts, send your people, and let’s tear Arcadia apart to find him.”
Nods flow around the room, even from Aphrodite.
“Go,” Ares demands.
Everyone leaves the room, heading back to make sure that the ransacking of Arcadia begins in earnest.
Everyone except Aphrodite, who walks over to Ares.
“Did he know?” She asks, placing a hand on the God of Wars face. He nuzzles into it somewhat.
“He tried to kill me,” he growls, admitting what happened. “I had no choice.”
They embrace with a hug.
Cut.
DEEP FREEZE
Last Week.
THWACK!
CLANG!
The scene opens to the visual of a Blood Runner being slammed backwards into the metal wall of a shack that we can see sits pretty in the Blood Runner’s Compound. The downed cannibal tries to rise only to catch a stiff kick to the face that slams his head back into the wall, knocking him out cold. The Burned Man beat Blacktooth here by a large margin and he’s wasting no time in what he’s here for. The former hero walks up to the door of the shack, the words ‘Deep Freeze’ crudely carved above the door.
“James! Are you in here?” The Sole Survivor shouts out, taking his Kingdomblade and transforming it into a hammer! A mighty swing break the lock off of the freezer, Burned Man kicking the door in and finding himself surrounded by the frigid air of the shack. However, he’s not just surrounded by the cold, but by the dead. A plethora of dead bodies hang from meat hooks, Burned Man pushing past them.
“Disgusting.” He speaks to himself, moving through the corpses and searching them up and down before reaching the back of the freezer, none of the bodies resembling Destructo Boy.
Yet he can’t say he feels relief.
The former hero walks back to the entrance, shaking his head as he looks back at the shack behind him. He looks around, eyes landing on what could only be a generator powering the freezer. He raises the Kingdomblade’s hammer form over his head.
CLANG!
CRACK!
CRACK!
Three powerful blows careen into the generator! The machine’s slow rumble dies down to nothingness as The Burned Man leaves the freezer without power. He doesn’t stay to admire his handiwork, however. The Burned Man leaves as quickly as he arrived, not sticking around for Blacktooth to arrive.
Cut.
Two unlikely trios walk into the ring, but only one can walk out with a victory!
Hera starts off against Colt! The former tag champs square off and Narcissa slides beneath his legs! She hits a dropkick to the back that sends him into the turnbuckle where she leaps with a massive double knee to the back! Tag to Burned Man! MATCH STRIKER! STO BY THE MUMMY!
The Journo is getting mauled by kicks from The Burned Man when he catches a boot and forces him back! SAY CHEESE! CAMERA FLASH TO BURNED MAN! Colt slips behind for a German Suplex before leaping to his corner to tag Drexl! Big Slim leaps in and catches Burned Man with a nasty lariat!
Drexl headlocks Burned Man! ANGEL TEARS! HE DIGS THAT KNUCKLE INTO THE BURNED MAN’S EYES! He goes for a punch but Burned Man pushes him off! He hits headbutt to the nose that staggers Drexl before backing up and tagging in TEC! But Drexl immediately tags in Drewitt!
Both powerhouses enter the ring and immediately trade blows! The Pilgrim’s blows bounce off of TEC’s metal hide as he gets rocked by massive haymakers! He reaches out! HE GETS THE HAND AROUND TEC’S NECK! ARDUOUS JOURNEY! CHOKESLAM TO TEC! Drewitt covers as his team rush to stop any break up attempts! One! Two! Three!
Drexl, Drewitt, and Ramsey somehow pull it together and get the win here tonight!
WINNERS: DREWITT, DREXL & COLT RAMSEY
WELCOME BACK
Last week.
Gasp.
We watch as the whites of eyes go from empty and blank to full of life and reflectivity.
It’s Drewitt, and he’s back.
He awakens on the ground of Candylabs, a pounding headache, and he’s not alone. Sat beside him is none other than Tombstone.
“Welcome back. Did you find the answers you sought after?” The Ferryman questions.
The Explorer nods his head.
“We need to discuss what your immortality means,” he continues. “You know that you must be able to perish, don’t you? You must know that your existence here breaks the cycle. It upends everything.”
Drewitt looks at him, whipping his head around.
“Does it?” He queries. “Are people still dying as they should?”
Tombstone reluctantly nods.
“Are people still being born?”
Again, he nods.
“Then how is it that my predicament has upended everything?” Drewitt queries, getting back to his feet. “Do you know what I think, Tombstone?”
The Ferryman stands to meet him, face to face.
“I think that my being alive changes nothin’. I think that you don’t like my existence because it goes against everythin’ you’re programmed to do. Perhaps that’s what needs changing, eh?”
Tombstone immediately grabs him by the throat and rushes him backwards into a nearby wall. Dirt and dust fly everywhere as Drewitt’s body crashes against it.“You dare to question me on what should and shouldn’t be?” Tombstone breathlessly hisses at him.
“Your job is to Ferry,” the Explorer barks back. “And I don’t need fuckin’ ferryin’!”
He slams his hands down across Tombstone’s, breaking his grip. Both men begin circling one another, a fight in the offing.
Flutter.
And with that, Tombstone is gone.
“Yeah, fuck off,” Drewitt yells into the void that is Candylabs. “And don’t come back!”
Cut.
TURF 'IM
Holding.
Harold Attano has been here before. He looks neither impressed nor dissatisfied with his surroundings. The Killer sits behind a desk, feet firmly planted on the ground.
Just then, Jackson Cade enters the room with a file.
“You can’t hold me much longer,” Attano reminds him with a shrug. “So, what’s taken you so long?”
Cade shuffles in his seat.
“Do you know how difficult it is to get any information out of Deathrow?” Cade asks with a shake of his head.
“They call it the abyss for a reason,” Harold replies with a smirk.
Jackson looks up at him over the file, his eyes telling of something on the agenda.
“Look, I know you had nothing to do with the assault on the House of Sovereigns. That isn’t why I brought you here.”
That admission is enough to have Harold chuckle.
“Obviously,” he says with another shrug. “You don’t think I know when someone is arresting me under false pretences? Get on with it, kid.”
“My brother is down there,” Jackson finally gets to the point. “I need to know everything you know about him.”
Harold folds his arms.
“Please,” Cade almost begs.
Just then, the door flies open and in walks a furious Sheriff Gordon, accompanied by other beat cops. They rush to the side of Harold Attano, undoing his cuffs.
“What the fuck are you doing!?” Cade roars at them.
Gordon steps in.
“Watch your fuckin’ mouth, kid,” he warns, shutting Jackson up immediately. “Get him out of here, boys. Turf ‘im.”
As the officers remove a smiling Attano, Cade is left seething quietly.
“Did you seriously abuse your powers as an officer of Arcadia law to arrest an innocent man so that you could interrogate him about your brother?” The Sheriff asks.
The Eagle lowers his head, shamefully.
Gordon chuckles.
“God damnit, kid,” he says with a laugh. “You never cease to impress me. There might be hope for you here yet.”
With a chuckle of pride, Gordon exits the room, leaving Cade to kick a chair in frustration.
Cut.
SEPTISEMIC
Within the Red District lies Eden, a club bustling with patronage on any regular night. But a club that harbors a dark secret behind its shiny and alluring frontage. Within that club, Aarman Fidel sits, observing the kingdom he has created and relishing the pleasures of the night.
A tiny mosquito flies through the bustling doorway of Eden, into the club. There, it marks its territory with a sting. A burly man, swats the mosquito away out of frustration but it flies on to sting another patron. And another. And another.
By the time the pesky mosquito is swatted down, the damage is done. Almost instantly, the site of the sting swells, the skin turning black around it. The black flows slowly through veins, seen through the skin as it spreads across the body. The first victim, the burly man, falls to his knees in a deep sweat, struggling to breathe. Others soon follow.
One mosquito infecting several patrons seems to have generated much concern within the club. But the concern of other patrons is only amplified as an entire swarm floods inside the club. Soon, Eden is a hive of activity as chaos ensues. People scream, rushing towards the exit. But there, they stop in their tracks, for what they see entering the club makes the swarm of mosquitos seem like a better fate.
Nergal, walking slowly in such a way that makes her appear that she’s gliding inside. She glides inside, past the crowd of people now breaking out in weeping sores from the pestilence the mosquitos had infected them with.
The damage is soon done. Every soul in the club infected, except for one. The swarm now hovers about the owner himself, his entourage of Arcadia’s finest now lying dying at his feet. Fidel looks shocked, but shows no fear in his eyes as he stares at her, the swarm patiently waiting for her command. Gemini smiles, waving the mosquitos away and the swarm dissipates. She holds his business card in front of his face.
“Quite the empire you had created here, Mister Fidel.” She hisses at him, her tongue lashing like a snake as she speaks. “But nothing lasts forever. I see a different future for the Red District, under my leadership.”
Aarman swallows, taking in everything before him.
“Y-you cannot intimidate me with tricks. I built this empire from scratch and you will not take it away from me.” He looks about him, at his patrons, his staff, all in the stages of succumbing to the pestilence. “W-what will happen to them?”
She laughs, an almost innocent laugh at first but laced with a sinister cackle that sneaks up from within it.
“They will all be dead within the week. There is nothing that can be done. This is just the beginning, of the end of Eden.”
Cut.
The Death Singer and a Death Dealer enter the terrifying steel cage. However, only one of them can escape.
Scissors starts us off as he slams shoulder first into Muerte! The Mariachi bounces back into the ropes AND INTO THE QUICK SNIP! POWER SLAM BY SCISSORS! The Marionettist peels up the former champ, ANOTHER QUICK SNIP! He forces him back up A THIRD SNIP! MUERTE IS GETTING MANHANDLED!
The string cutter drops the limp Muerte and begins to scale the wall of the cage! He slowly ascends the massive structure leaving Muerte behind! NO! THE LAST CARNIVALE! MUERTE HITS THE SPRINGBOARD LUNGBLOWER AND BRING SCISSORS DOWN TO EARTH! Singing Death isn’t down and out just yet! He begins his assault!
Muerte rains down boot after boot onto his opponent, peeling him up for a quick suplex before rolling through and nailing a standing leg drop. He’s begging Scissors to get back to his feet so he can put him back down! CLOTHESLINE- NO! BIG BOOT BY SCISSORS KNOCKS MUERTE DOWN!
Scissors peels up Mariachi, nailing a headbutt that Muerte returns in kind! Both men trade blows! SCISSORS CATCHES AN ARM! FULL NELSON! HE SLAMS MUERTE HEAD FIRST INTO THE CAGE! CUT THE STRINGS! FULL NELSON SUPLEX! Scissors drops Muerte and rises! He goes to the door of the cage and kicks it open! He escapes the cage!
The Marionettist hits the ground, slamming the door behind him!
WINNER: SCISSORS
VIOLENCE AND DEATH
Deathrow has an upgrade.
The ring itself now has red skirts with a Deathrow logo and as Max Meadows stands in the middle of it, he holds a microphone. With prisoners surrounding the ring, standing in their cells and above on catwalks, he smiles.
There’s what looks like a camera pointed towards him.
“Welcome to Deathrow Television,” he says with a big smirk. “I’m your new Warden and this is the very first of its kind – it’s dTv.”
The crowd cheers.
“Zeus realized the potential for our little underground fight club and decided to record it for viewing audiences all over Arcadia. If you can afford to watch, you’ll see the greatest spectacle of violence and death that we can provide.”
Four people suddenly appear from the cell way, walking towards the ring – one of them is a face we recognize.
Jasper Redgrave.
“Meet our four newest recruits; Jasper Redgrave, Prophet, Nox and Haywire.”
He looks them up and down.
“Next week, I personally will see precisely what you’re capable of, starting with you, Redgrave.”
Jasper smirks.
“And beyond that, in three week’s time, the Deathrow Championship will be decided when everyone in Deathrow competes in an anything goes battle royale!”
The crowd begin chanting and jeering.
“This is Deathrow,” Max reaffirms to loud and raucous cheers. “And on Deathrow… anything goes.”
Cut.
BLEED
Deep in The Altar, there is a near-silence only permeated by the low hum of the Third Eye as they surround a table in the centre of the room. The humming sounds like some kind of chant.
On the table in the middle of them all, is none other than Vision, lying down on his back, motionless. He is so still he could almost be dead.
But he is not, for after a few short minutes, he sits slowly, and the Third Eye members stop chanting and take a few steps back. He steps off the table and adjusts his robe.
“My friends, my confidants. My family. It brings me no great joy to speak these next words. But I have a duty to communicate what the Third Eye shows me.”
He turns slowly as he speaks, ensuring his voice carries to each side of the chamber.
“I see colour. Bright colour. I see the colours rotating around each other, but they all become muddy. The colours start to merge.”
“The colours start to bleed into one another. Until there is only one colour remaining. A deep, murky, crimson.”
He breathes out.
“The Third Eye has shown me that the bleeding of the colours means the spilling of blood. We will bleed, friends. The Third Eye will bleed. We can only prepare for the kaleidoscope to envelope us, so that it’s destruction can be minimised. There is grave danger in our future, and we must ensure it is not our claret that spills. I wanted to save Grimskull, bring him into our family. But he is beyond repentance, now. It must be his blood that spills.”
Cut.
After a short-lived run in Double Tap, .kill//Exploit implodes on Thunder as Harold Attano takes on Jinx!
Jinx rushes toward Attano from the start, catching Mr. Nobody with a flurry of offense that sends him to the corner. She takes a step back before charging to the corner…only to crash against an empty turnbuckle as Attano escapes, taking the Fatal Error to the canvas with a neckbreaker!
Attano’s back on his feet, trying to wear Jinx down with lefts and rights until the hacker makes it to a standing position of her own…and sends Harold to the ropes, nailing Mr. Nobody with a discus elbow on the return to send him crashing down upon the canvas! DDOS!
Jinx sees an opportunity and takes it, making the cover! ONE…NO! Attano kicks out! Jinx stays on the attack however, stomping away before taking a look at the nearest turnbuckle with a smirk. She heads over, climbing to the top…where she’s intercepted by Attano, taking her down with a superplex!
Both competitors are down, with Attano starting to stir. He gets to his feet as Jinx slowly gets to a vertical base…but not for long, before the hacker takes a Hidden Blade elbow from behind! SILENCED! Jinx crumples to the canvas as Attano goes for the cover! ONE! TWO! THREE!
Mr. Nobody makes somebody of himself with a win, shutting down Jinx in the process!
WINNER: HAROLD ATTANO
MY TURN
The bell has barely finished ringing when a new shadow descends on the ring.
Luther Grim is here, a titan fueled by rage and revenge. He’s got his spear, a wicked promise.
A challenge to weeks of Jinx’s assaults.
Harold Attano looks at Grim and bolts immediately, leaving Jinx, who seems amused.
“Still don’t remember me, do you?” She taunts.
Grim shakes his head.
“Too small to be prey, too small for me to care.” He taunts back, awaiting his desired reaction.
He gets it.
Jinx charges in with a head of steam, but Grim sidesteps her, nailing her with the non-lethal side of his spear to force her into the corner with extra force.
Shaken up, the Black Hat tries to get the cobwebs out, but the Hunter has her sized up.
He charges in, the spear cleaving the air towards her.
GRIM RUNS HER THROUGH!
NO!
JINX LEAPS STRAIGHT UP IN THE AIR, LEAPS OFF THE FUCKING SPEAR AND KICKS GRIM BACK INTO THE TURNBUCKLE, DROPPING HIM TO A KNEE!
WHAT A FUCKING MANEUVER!
A groggy Grim turns around to see, Jinx holding up a single finger.
“That’s a one frame trick, motherfucker.”
WHAM!
KINSHASA FROM JINX!
SHE SCRAMBLED LUTHER GRIM’S SIGNAL!
Before the shock fades, Jinx is a streak of motion, darting out of the ring.
Grim’s growl vibrates through the crowd, echoing off the ring ropes, reverberating off the steel posts. He touches his bruised face, eyes burning with a vow.
“Smart little thing.” He mutters. “This’ll be fun.”
This hunt is far from over.
NOBODY HAS SEEN
Answers lie all around Arcadia to questions those daring enough care to ask, should one know where to look for them. Colt Ramsey is the kind of guy that knows which stones to upturn to seek the answers he wants, which leads to chase down and which people to talk to.
In one of the more secluded nooks and crannies of Arcadia, we find Colt Ramsey with his journalist’s notebook in hand, frantically thumbing through pages. His investigation is drawing blanks, and he is a man who is not used to answers being unfound.
“Why?” He speaks to nobody in particular. “Why… Something doesn’t add up. Why her, why the bomb, what does this have to do with them?”
He looks about the secluded corners surrounding him, his own a solitary figure.
“And why the fuck is nobody saying anything?”
Colt checks his watch, noting the time. A look of frustration fills his face. He scribbles a note in his notebook, before flicking the pen across the page as to cross out some details.
“Now my contacts have gone dry on me? People are only this tight lipped when something doesn’t add up.”
He ponders the book for a moment before putting it inside his suit jacket.
“People must have caught wind of my investigation and are staying tight lipped. The slums, Arcadia… Nobody is saying a damned thing.”
But he soon finds himself not alone. His meeting, the secluded location. It is the type of place one does not find by accident. The clip-clop of high heels gives away the identity of the second figure long before we see her. Colt tenses up in frustration.
“You’re not my contact.” He states coldly. “What the hell are you doing Narcy. Just let me do my damned job.”
Narcissa has an almost sweet smile on her face as she steps into the light, her heels making one last clop before she speaks.
“I told you that you need to drop this, Colt. Nobody else needs to be brought into this, just leave it where it lies and walk away.”
Colt turns to her in anger, barely containing himself from screaming in her face.
“Bullshit. The truth is out there, and I will connect the dots. Whatever you or your people have said to scare away my contacts, it will not stop me from getting to the bottom of this. Something doesn’t add up, but I will find out what.”
Narcissa’s smile fades, her head shaking slowly in disappointment.
“You don’t know the full impact of what you’re playing with here and that is for the best. Let it stay like that. For your own safety, Colt, drop it. Tell nothing and move on.”
Colt shakes his head.
“If I wanted safety, being an underground journalist wouldn’t have been the path for me. I crave truth, Narcy.” He glares at her. “And from where I stand, you’re the only one being untruthful. So this lives and dies with you, one way or another.”
Cut.
The double feature title is on the line as Blacktooth defends against Aarman Fidel! Will the black heart or black tooth prevail? We find out now!
DING! DING! Blacktooth charges at Fidel! Fidel has the same idea! FRESH MEAT! AAROW OF GREED AND DESIRE! both men dive at each other! Fidel going for the spear! Blacktooth going for whatever they can get! Massive collision as both skulls collide! We’re seconds into this match and they’re both busted open!
Blacktooth gets up first and he is grinning as he yanks up Fidel and starts nailing him with rapid strike headbutt! He starts biting at the open wound and Fidel is gushing! Fidel shoves Blacktooth off out of desperation! IRON PERFUME! Blacktooth spits out the blood and flesh on Fidel!
Fidel is blinded and Blacktooth goes for a jumping DDT but with some crazy reaction and grace, Fidel catches him and counters with a spinning spinebuster! LAY THEE DOWN! He pulls Blacktooth up and follows with a delayed cradle piledriver! JUST THE TIP!
Fidel stretched out that cut and it looks like he’s ready to finish this! He’s pulling Blacktooth up by the hair! Blacktooth counters it with a quick kick to the gut! Blade on the end of the boot! Normally the set up for an enzuigiri but he follows with the curbstomp! DIRT NAP! BLACKTOOTH COVERS! ONE! TWO! THREE!
Blacktooth has done it! He has retained his belt in this hard fought match!
WINNER AND STILL DOUBLE FEATURE CHAMPION: BLACKTOOTH
The Revelation of he, which God gave unto him, to shew unto Arcadia things which much shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his agent unto servant John. [1:1]
John, who bore record of the word of God and the testimony of all things that he saw. [1:2]
Blessed is he that hear words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written, for the time is at hand. [1:3]
John, grace be unto you. Peace be unto you, from which is and which was and that is to come. [1:4]
For John is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead and the prince of Kings in Arcadia. Unto him that loved us, and washed our sins in his own blood. [1:5]
TOKEN PAYMENTS
We find ourselves down in The Slums, within a section known as The Marketplace, where Arcadians of all walks of life can be seen conducting their transactions.
That is, until they grow deathly silent at the arrival of someone who doesn’t quite fit in…something stepping into view, its eyes scanning the premises as it walks.
The denizens stare down the Tactical Examination Correspondent in a mix of fear and confusion, something the TEC is coldy ignorant of as it fixes its gaze upon the establishment it has been seeking, reading off the name on the sign up above the shop.
“The Unturned Stone.”
The irony is completely lost on the Automaton as it opens the door to enter, immediately finding itself surrounded by a group of concerned staff…until they are calmed by the presence of an older gentleman stepping into the room, a kindly demeanor about him as he raises an inquiry.
“Hello stranger, are you in need of something?”
TEC takes a moment to process the question, slowly nodding with a mechanical creak of the machinery powering it…a response that seems to light the old man’s eyes up.
“Excellent! We have plenty of wares here at the Unturned Stone, provided you have the necessary credits.”
The response is met with a cold glare from TEC, making the staff a little more unnerved before it replies.
“Credits is why I am here. Drexl is owed a debt, and he awaits payment.”
The thrill appears to fade away from the gentleman’s face, his head slowly nodding in agreement as he calls for an assistant to fetch a satchel. Moments later, a pair of credits are retrieved and brought before the Correspondent, who processes what has been presented to him…stating an error as calculated by Drexl’s instructions.
“This does not appear to be a full payment.”
This is met with another slow nod by the gentleman.
“It’s what I have. Please, consider this a token payment…on good faith, until the rest can be paid off.”
Another moment passes, and TEC accepts the payment from the old man, storing it carefully in a compartment for safe keeping. TEC turns to make its way out of the shop, when it is stopped by one final statement by the shopkeeper, whose tone becomes much more stern.
“And please, if I may offer some advice? Be wary of that Shark. He has feasted upon our plight before, and he is overdue for a feeding frenzy.”
The Automaton takes a moment to process this, but says nothing before stepping out of the shop, ready to make its return to Drexl…unaware of what danger it may run into.
Cut.
The Thunder is rolling as Luther Grim hunts OSW Gold but he needs to fell the Ferryman to do so.
The bell tolls and Grim starts in trying to chop down the redwood Tombstone with round house kicks to the knee, once, twice, thrice, and Tombstone… is unphased as he responds with a series of throat thrust uppercuts – THE FERRYMAN’S KNOCK! Sending Luther stumbling backward into the ropes, rebound, Brogue Kick – BLOOD SPORT – rocking Tombstone!
Both men take a moment to shake off the cobwebs, The Ferryman’s the first to snap back to life snatching the Hunter up Tombstone Piledriver – ELYSIUM FIELDS – NO! GRIM SLIPS OUT THE BACKDOOR! Luther gets him up in the Torture Rack – IT’S HARVEST TIME!
The Trophy Hunter is squeezing the life of The Ferry Man who takes his free hand and rakes the eyes of Grim allowing Tombstone to slip free and onto his feet. The Courier of the Dead sets up the Hunter for a Ripcord Bossman Slam – YOU CAN’T RUN FROM THE FERRYMAN!
Into the cover… ONE… TWO… KICKOUT WITH AUTHORITY! Goozle by Tombstone before Luther can get back to his feet. The Ferryman drags Grim up onto the top rope looking for a massive Chokeslam but a thumb to the eye staggers Tombstone! The Trophy Hunter is in position, leaping into the air Spear – NO! STRAIGHT RIGHT HEART PUNCH – SOUL TAKER – CATCHES GRIM IN MID-AIR! Tombstone covers hooking the leg… ONE… TWO… THREE!
A valiant effort by Grim but Tombstone made sure the Rewind Trophy stayed just out of the Hunter’s grasp.
WINNER AND STILL REWIND CHAMPION: TOMBSTONE
BUILD IT
The Doom Factory.
Stubbins Doom is working like a mad man. He has henchmen left and right, piecing together a ginormous unit that’ll make up the bulk of his Odyssey Pool™.
Suddenly, the lights go dark.
Everything and everyone vanish.
It’s just Doom, stood alone.
“Hello?” He calls out into the darkness.
“Has it been built yet?” A voice casually calls back.
The Scientist doesn’t understand what’s going on. He searches the black for answers, not seeing that Scissors has appeared behind him.
“Come on,” he hisses. “Make it.”
Doom’s head whips around, but Scissors isn’t there.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Doom demands to know. “Who are you?”
A visage appears in the distance.
Slowly it moves closer.
“Hello?” Doom calls out.
Suddenly, the visage runs at him. It’s Stubbins Doom. It’s Stubbins Doom running at Stubbins Doom!
The Scientist puts his hands up to protect himself from himself, but nothing hits him – only a gust of air.
“Build it quickly,” a voice echoes from within the black. A voice that we know belongs to Scissors. “An Odyssey awaits.”
Just then, the darkness falls away and Stubbins Doom is revealed to be unconscious on the floor, waking up in a panic with men around him. Everyone helps him back to his feet, checking on him as he stumbles away.
“GET BACK TO WORK!” He yells. “NOW!”
Stubbins stumbles off to a work bench and frantically continues his efforts as a voice laughs inside his head.
Cut.
MAXWELL
The streets of the Slums are alive with chatter and civilians as usual. However, in an instant, every single person in the street rushes inside! The scene pans around to reveal the reason as we are greeted by the Blood Runners. Blacktooth leads his band of vandals through the streets, clearly unhappy with last week’s meddling by Burned Man.
“MAXWELL!“
Blacktooth shouts, calling the Burned Man by his name, practically frothing at the mouth as he does. He stands surrounded by his men, watching as The Burned Man appears from a nearby alleyway, the former hero unsurprised by Blacktooth’s appearance.
“Blacktooth.” He speaks dryly, eyes focused on the small horde of men crowding his level. “Here to tell me where Faith is?”
“Tell you where your veal is? After what you did to my fuckin’ freezer? You let a lotta good meat rot, Maxie. But, tell ya what, I’m a kind man.” Blacktooth snaps his fingers, his men parting ways, one of them dragging a tied up captive, a bag over his head. We can’t see his face, but from his build and height? One could be certain it was Destructo Boy. Blacktooth grabs the captive, throwing him down and placing a knife to his throat.
“Faith?” The Burned Man’s eyes go wide, staring down Blacktooth as the Devil holds his captive close.
“I got your fuckin’ veal. I wasn’t thinkin’ of eatin’ him just yet. But now? You owe me. So here’s the deal. You get me a replacement for the generator you broke and I give you back your veal. Don’t? And you get back whatever my boys don’t want.”
The Burned Man is already poised to strike, but he stops, knowing full well Blacktooth could kill before he even got halfway there. He pauses, rage boiling beneath his skin before sighing, putting his weapon down.
“Fine. I’ll replace what I broke. But if you so much as leave a mark on Faith-“
“Yeah yeah, I’ve heard it before. Get goin’ and maybe he’ll be in one piece by the time you get back.”
Blacktooth throws his captive back towards his Blood Runners, his gang dragging him away as Blacktooth begins to leave, leaving the Burned Man behind to stew on what he’s just been forced to agree to.
Cut.
Four of the very best in Arcadia go head to head in this non-title action here tonight. Can the new OSW World Champion prove his worth against three very game competitors or will a new number one contender emerge in three simple seconds?
The bell sounds as all four competitors stare at one another for a moment, sizing eachother up before Gemini is the first to rush forward, leaping upon V1sion, as she wraps around her legs around him like a spider monkey and begins clawing away at his face, V1sion trying desperately to defend against this frenzied attack from Nergal that draws the attention of the world champion so much that he doesn’t see the onrushing Cade before it’s too late
HOSTILE DOWN! SUPPPPERKICK!
Death’s skull gets rocked by that brutal kick from Perseus as Cade sees his chance, rolling down and covering as the referee slides in
ONE
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TWO
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V1sion manages to throw Gemini off him, diving forward as he breaks up the pinfall attempt just in time.
Death slowly stumbles up to his feet, groggy from the Superkick but he barely gets his bearings before Cade delivers another hellacious Hostile Down that sends him tumbling through the middle ropes to the floor below. Perseus can’t follow up however as he’s jumped by a frenzied Gemini who lashes out him with open hand palms, her sharp fingernails almost like claws as he desperately tries to block.
Gemini feigns right before kneeing Cade right in the little Jackson’s, Perseus doubling over as Gemini rushes to the ropes, springboarding off
INTO A BRUTAL LARIAT FROM V1SION WHO TURNS HER INSIDE OUT!
The Awoken One pulls Cade up, signalling that they need to take care of Gemini as Cade agrees, pulling the groggy Nergal up before rocking her with a brutal headbutt. Both he and V1sion hoist Gemini up over their shoulders, running forward
AND LAWN DARTING HER OVER THE ROPES TO THE FLOOR BELOW!
Gemini crashes head first into the concrete, looking out cold as Cade and V1sion turn to one another, nodding for a moment
Before beginning to throw down hands.
Cade quickly gets the better of the exchange, rocking V1sion with a brutal right hook before backing him up into the ropes and tossing him across the ring. Cade tries for a clothesline but V1sion ducks underneath
GERMAN SUPLEX! V1sion keeps hold of Cade’s waist, rolling through as he tries to lock in Hello Darkness.
Cade manages to slip out of the Dragon Sleeper attempt but as he staggers up to his feet, he gets rocked with a brutal Bicycle Kick. V1sion grabbing his head into an STO position before flipping him around into a spike DDT
MIDNIGHT SHADOW!
Cade gets spiked into the mat as V1sion floats over for the cover,
ONE
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TW….NO! Jackson pushes his shoulder up!
Cade stumbles up to his feet, ducking under another Pump Kick attempt before delivering a brutal Incendiary Round with the Bullhammer to the jaw. V1sion doesn’t go down but instead gets lifted into the air, Perseus looking for that Master Key Brainbuster but gets a knee to the top of the head instead as V1sion lifts him up now, trying for a Brainbuster of his own but Cade counters it this time. Both men back up, rushing forward
DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE! Both men go down hard as they manage to slowly stumble up to their feet
DOUBLE
LETHAL
INJECTION!
Death out of nowhere taking down both men with that brutal leaping cutter of his. V1sion is the first to slowly stumble to his feet, throwing out a wild right that Death easily ducks underneath, rushing to the ropes as he spingboards off
LOBOTOMY! Brutal Tornado DDT spikes V1sion right into the mat.
Cade staggers up next, slamming a forearm into Death’s back and throwing him into the ropes. Death grabs Cade’s arm as he goes for a clothesline, using it to fling himself forward into the ropes and springboard off
CODE RED! Brutal Sunset Flip Powerbomb sends Cade hard into the mat as Death hooks the leg for the pinfall attempt
ONE
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TWO
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…………CADE MANAGES TO KICK OUT!
Perseus staggers up to his feet as Death pummels him with lefts and rights before leaping high into the air
COMATOSIA! BEAUTIFUL TORNADO KICK KNOCKS JACKSON OUT COLD! That very well could be it but before Death can do anything, he’s spun around
FALL OF MAN! NERGAL THROWING THOSE INSECTS UP ALL OVER DEATH!
The mask protects the doctor from the worst but he’s still stunned as Gemini pounds down on him with brutal strikes, softening up the world champion before rocking him with a brutal high kick to the temple as she dodges behind him
SNAP GERMAN SUPLEX!
Death gets snapped down right on his dome, the Luchadoc staggering up to his feet into another brutal high kick before she leaps up high
YIN! Codebreaker hits flush but it simply drops Death to his knees, completely dazed as Gemini flips over him, leaping up as she grabs the back of his head
AND NEARLY SNAPS HIS BACK IN HALF WITH YANG! The Backstabber radiates pain throughout the world champion but as Gemini tries to cover, she’s lifted up from behind
BLINDSIDE! Side Saito Suplex onto Dr Death! V1sion out of nowhere could very well win this here as he drops down for the cover on both Gemini and Death
ONE
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SCREAMING EAGLE! Jackson Cade breaks up the pinfall attempt with a picture perfect Elbow Drop onto all three competitors as everyone is down.
Jackson is the first to rise as he rushes at a kneeling V1sion, drilling him with a brutal running knee to the jaw but as he tries to finish V1sion off, Death spins him around
BY APPOINTMENT! DESTINO drills Jackson into the mat but he can’t follow up as V1sion rocks him from behind with a brutal headbutt before lifting him into the air
AWAKEN INTO DARKNESS! GORDBUSTER GTS! That very well could be it there but Gemini is up, rocking V1sion with a hard kick to the jaw before rushing to the ropes, springboarding off
UNLEASHED! SPRINGBOARD TORNADO DDT! Gemini doesn’t cover as Jackson slowly staggers to his feet, rushing to the ropes once more as she tries for a repeat, diving off
INTO HOSTILE DOWN! Superkick out of nowhere as Cade collapses onto the fallen Nergal, the referee sliding into position
ONE
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TWO
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THREE!!!
Jackson Cade picks up the huge victory here tonight, putting down three of OSW’s best in the very first episode of Thunder
WINNER: JACKSON CADE
IS IT TRUE?
After the conclusion of the exciting main event, everyone disperses.
Everyone but the World Champion.
Like a dark blot in a sea of light, Dr. Death holds the gleaming OSW World Championship over his shoulder. Nurse Frightengale is at his side, expectantly waiting on her doctor.
But Death doesn’t move to leave. He stands resolute. Watching.
Waiting.
He doesn’t have to wait long before a figure walks the stairs to the ringside area.
El Mariachi Muerte.
EMM looks conflicted, not even his killer match with Scissors earlier has gotten him as shaken as this moment has.
“Mi amigo,” Muerte says, a dose of pained sarcasm in his voice, “is it true?”
Dr. Death nods to Frightengale, who takes a flanking position.
“The truth’s all around you, amigo.” He returns, pure vitriol in his words. “You’ll have to be more specific.”
EMM strums his guitar, his fingers deftly plucking a chord that sounds like a child’s first note.
Nurse Frightengale smiles.
“I don’t believe I broke your hand.” Dr. Death says, circling EMM. “I don’t recall you being that poor of a player.”
Once behind EMM, he snaps his fingers.
“Or is there something else afoot?” He asks with mirth in his voice.
Muerte is in no mood for riddles.
“The only reason you’re still standing is because I need to know if it is true. Did you break La Musica?”
“Did I break the Music?” Dr. Death asks, a new sinister tone in his voice. “Perhaps you broke it? Perhaps that is why your guitar is sick with rot.”
He pauses, letting EMM look down at his guitar. His holy relic, able to heal after being broken, now has a streak of rot in the wood.
Muerte falls to his knees, trying to process his treasure’s hurt.
Dr. Death stands behind the kneeling EMM, who is cradling his guitar. Looming like a dark shadow over everything the Mariachi stand for, the Luchadoc leans over Muerte to whisper in his ear.
“It’s true.”
Shock floods El Mariachi Muerte. His head bows over his guitar before he explodes in a rageful roar. No beauty or grace to it. This is not a song.
It’s a fucking dirge.
But Dr. Death and Nurse Frightengale are gone.
EMM has his answer.
Dr. Death has broken the Music.
But what does that mean?
And what can El Mariachi Muerte do to restore it?