April 9th 2013 - Nevada.
"Guys, we'd like to thank you all for coming out tonight! It's feeling great to be back on the road as a band once again!"
In a small bar in Nevada, that when seated, usually holds around 150 people, is currently packed from it's small stage right to the exit. Just over 500 people have come to see Dirty Angels in one of their many return gigs, this one more intimate than the rest. Since the depature of lead singer turned wrestler Thrash, drummer Alex Sandro is by the far the most popular member of the band, who's taken the mic at centre stage.
"Now, obviously there's something a little bit different about the band as you all know. It's been twelve years since Mr. Michael Sullivan was forced to retire from his musical career due to a throat injury. However, nowadays, you can see him on stage once more! He's currently entertaining the masses in WZCW as one of the newest members and no longer does he go by his birth name.
A "Thrash" chant has started out in the crowd, they know all too well what Sullivan has become in the wrestling business.
"Right, now ladies and gentlemen, we do have a little surprise for you. He couldn't resist coming to see our show in his hometown, so without further ado, it gives me the greatest pleasure to introduce to you, appearing with us for the first time since 2001... THRAAAAAASH!"
Sandro runs back to his drumkit as the band start to sing his entrance music, "Let Yourself Go". As they pound through the punk-rock tune, out comes Thrash onto the stage, with a huge grin on his face. He jumps up onto the stage, throwing up the "metal" signs as the crowd are going crazy, chanting "Thrash" over the top of his song. They only begins to settle as the band hit one last punchy note, where Thrash brings down the metal signs and moves towards a mic.
"Wow, that was unbelievable. Thanks, it's great to be here back on stage with the guys again! Twelve years of rifts and tension and finally, we've brought it back to this. We've settled all of our differences and I can honestly say that these four men will be my closest friends for the rest of my life."
A cheer breaks out as all the five men look around at each other, smiling and laughing.
"Obviously, as you seem to know, I'm off doing something else with my spare time now. I'm over in WZCW, the greatest professional wrestling company on this planet. Shockingly, I'm taking to it well and with wins over Brent Blaze and Dustin Hunter already, with a couple of losses thrown in, I'm on a level playing field! My head's still a little banged up from my match with Vega a few weeks ago, but I'll live."
"LETS GO THRA-ASH" comes out from the crowd as a pick-me-up to the Rockstar Wrestler.
"Haha, you guys really are crazy aren't ya? Now, I'm here to introduce to you, the song that made Dirty Angels what they are today. Performing their last song for you, singing "Crying! For! My! Love!", this is..."
The crowd start to chant "SING! SING! SING!" to Thrash as he starts to look confused.
"Well, you know I can't do that! Anyways, please let them perform their last song of the evening, this is..."
The crowd don't stop chanting "SING!" at Thrash as his face starts to look pained.
"I've told you, I can't sing. Now let them perform their last song for you, this is..."
"SING! SING! SING!" comes out stronger and louder from the crowd as Thrash puts his hand on his head and his face starts to drop. He moves closer to the microphone and tries to speak, but only a few mutters come out as he puts both hands on his head and drops to the floor. Thrash is unresponsive as the crowd fall silent as his bandmates try to bring him back round.
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January 2nd 1990 - High School.
A younger, longer haired Michael Sullivan stands up in front of his classmates. He's dressed from head to toe in black, wearing a Guns 'n' Roses vest. Being obsessed with AXl Rose in his teens, Sullivan has already wanted to start his career as a singer. Pressing play on a track he put together himself, the instrumental of "Sweet Child O' Mine" starts to play as Sullivan starts tapping his foot.
"She's got a smile that it seems to me, reminds me of childhood memories..."
He starts to sing the tune and surprisingly, at the age of 13, he's sounding good. There's a few out of tune notes, but the class are finding it entertaining. Back in the far right of the room, Alex Sandro is sitting at his desk, looking angry and jealous. He has his arms crossed and everytime Sullivan gets a bit wrong, he finds it hilarious.
"Woah-uh-uh..."
As he goes to hit the high note in the song, SUllivans voice breaks & he can't hit the note, becoming embarassed. Sandro bursts out laughing as the teacher stops the track.
"You suck Mike! Think you can sing?!"
Michael's face goes a ruby red colour and his head drops into his hands, as he's visibly embarassed & upset.
"Hey Sullivan, you can't hit notes but guess what?! I can hit people!"
Sandro grabs a book off of his desk & throws it in the direction of Michael, as it lands and hits him in the forehead.
"How's that feel Sullivan?! See what you get what you show off?!"
Sullivan runs out of the room whilst Sandro continues to shout towards him. How the two of them became friends is another story for another day.
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April 10th 2013 - Local Hospital.
Thrash is lying in a hospital bed, dressed in the usual white gown that comes along with the free stay. Sitting at his bedside is Alex Sandro, with a large folder in his hand.
"Is that the doctor's notes? 'Cos damn, there must be a lot wrong with me!"
Sandro laughs & shakes his head, putting the folder on a small table located next to the bed.
"The Doc says that it's the match you had against Vega playing up on you. I guess you're not used to a bashing? Considering all the head banging that you've done before, I'm surprised you weren't able to sail on through those injuries."
"Join the club Alex. It's weird, I just went back to when I first performed in class and you threw that book at me. That moment back in the bar, that's how it felt. I felt bullied."
Sandro looks awkward on the chair and shuffles back, trying to not mention anything about it.
"Well, how are you feeling now Mi- I mean, Thrash?"
"Weirdly, I feel great. My head feels great, I don't feel like I'm gonna collapse anymore, which I guess is a good thing really."
"You don't say?"
Thrash sits up in the bed, running his hand through his hair.
"What's the folder then Al? Something important?"
Sandro grabs the folder and hands it to Thrash. An A4 folder with about 10 pages in it, Thrash flips it open & browses through it.
"Some woman brought it in this morning. She knew you were here and asked me to give it to you when you finally woke up. Becky, I think that was her name!"
"Ahh, Becky Serra. That girl's adorable, she knows it. *He flicks through the folder* First page of this and I already wanna close it."
Thrash attempts to hand it back over to Alex, but he refuses & opens it up to the first page, dropping it on Thrash's lap.
"What's so bad about that?"
"It's my next match. Their telling me that I've gotta face Dustin Hunter, in a... No Disqualification match. So next week, on Ascension- WAIT! Ascension? Wow, I'm moving up!"
"Huh?"
"Aftershock is the show people start out on! Ascension is the second show after Meltdown, I'm sure this means that I'm moving up the ranks! Either way, this is amazing news. But, a No Disqualification match. This is just... crazy. I've been part of a Mayhem Title match, but this No DQ match is just something else. I mean, can I do it?"
"Look, I'm gonna talk to you as yourself here Mike. You can do this and you damn well know it. You're a fighter and always have been, but you are also in hospital right now. Then again, they told me you'd be out this evening.
"Really? Well, tomorrow, I'll be hitting the gym. This match is the defining match in the little saga me & Hunter have been having recently. That guy seems to think that he's all that, but he's nothing more than a deadbeat lowlife, sucking the life out of every man, woman and child in the arena every night."
"Woah, take it easy man. You collapsed last night and you're lying in a Hospital bed telling me you're going to beat Hunter?"
Thrash gets up out of his bed. Looking through the drawers in the table at the bedside, he finds some of his clothes from the previous night. Looking at them, a bit dirty, he slides on his pants under the gown, removing the gown to then put on his T-Shirt.
"I told you that I'm gonna beat Hunter... because I am. When Ascension rolls around, I'll be ready and I'll be bringing it better than last week where I beat Brent Blaze. Hunter can put anything up his sleeves and there's no chance in hell that he's going to think he's beating me in this one. This match is mine and when I win it, not only will Hunter be lifeless, but I'll move up to a Championship. Vega might think that I'm "no worry", but if this No DQ match works in my favour, why not go after something?"
He grabs his things and decides to discharge himself by signing his papers at the end of the bed. He waits for Alex to stand up and the two men start to walk through the Hospital. A nurse calls out to him, but he ignores it as he smiles.
"Alex, I'm gonna beat Hunter just like I beat Blaze last week and I'm gonna make the beating worse than I've ever put on anyone. Mark my words when I say, I will beat Dustin Hunter... even if it kills me."
