AF7: Strikeforce vs. Ace Stevens and Stevenson Marquel

[Ty Burna]

Howard and Stormrage come hot off the heels of a victory from their first ever tag team match together and look to prove themselves against the last two Mayhem champions, Ace Stevens and Stevenson Marquel, who haven't really gotten along ever since they debuted in WZCW. Considering how impressive Strikeforce was, another victory could seal the deal in earning them a position to face off with the RRR at Kingdom Come for the titles. Can they achieve that or will the Mayhem competitors find a way to work together to take this off their hands?

Deadline is Wednesday, April 4th at 11:59 PM EST.​

 

[Richard Blonoff]

I have to call Rose, no I need to call mom, wait where is James, are my DS batteries fresh, I wonder if catering has those turkey sandwiches again. A million thoughts were racing through my head, I felt like I was running on pure adrenaline, my heart was racing, I was so excited. James and I did it, we won our tag team debut. We should celebrate, I have to find him.

He was right behind me after the road agents congratulated us when we got backstage. Maybe he went to the bathroom. I guess I can wait for him in the locker room and make my phone calls. As I started walking my ribs starting to hurt. The adrenaline must have been wearing off and I could finally feel the effects of that shot I took against the turnbuckle.

I pass Ace Stevens on my way to locker room. He always looks mad, but when you are Mayhem champ I guess you have to be a little on edge knowing each night you defend your title you have to deal with anything. I couldn't imagine how much gel and product he puts in his hair. I get to the locker room and rummage through my bag and find my portable battery charger. I plug it in and pull out my phone to call Rose first to inform her of my win

After a few rings it goes to voice mail
Hey babe, its Mikey, James and I won our match tonight, I'm gonna call my mom and after the show I should be back. Love you dear

I hang up and I faintly hear someone rapping in the hallway, must be Marquel I think to myself

Guess I will just text mom and tell her to call me when she can

As soon as I start to dial James walks in

Dude where did you go? I have been looking for you.

We had an interview for winning our match. Didn't you hear one of the guys back at the gorilla position tell us where to go?

I thought they were giving us directions to craft services.

You perplex me, I have no idea how the hell you...

[YOUTUBE]pBcqNiECUFs[/YOUTUBE]

What the hell is that? Is that your phone?

Yeah its my mom calling me, I have to take this, hang on.

James keeps looking at me in shock

Hey mom...yes...yeah we won...thanks it means a lot...huh...oh no he is from England thats why he has an accent...what, no...mom I promise he isn't a bad person...yeah I know, Jack the Ripper was English but that doesn't....mom that was like a hundred and fifty years ago...no Gary Glitter was a pedo...no I won't ask him that...mom I have to go, just trust me...ok mom I love you

I hang up and look back to James, who is still in shock

Sorry, my mom was really overprotective, even today she hates when I'm on the road all the time. She worries you know?

I'm not nearly as concerned about that as I am at your ringtone

What's wrong with it?

Your ringtone is the My Little Pony theme song, and despite your behavior at times, you are a grown ass man

Of course I'm a grown man, would a kid have a beard like this? I ask admiring my beard in the old mirror on the wall

James places his face in his palm Come on, its late and we need to get home. I heard we find out who our next opponents are in the morning.

Ok I will meet you in the car, I have to run to the bathroom

The bathroom closest to the lockers was being cleaned. Ugh, to the public bathrooms I guess. There was a small crowd outside, most of them wearing WZCW merch. I stopped count at 3 Steven Kurtesy shirts, two for Austin Reynolds, and three for Ty, one kid had some Triple X wristbands, and I think I saw a little girl in a Saboteur mask. I gave up before I saw anyone wearing the new shirts they printed up for James and I.

Most of the other guys have already left by the time I get out. I see James waiting by the car as I start to sing walking through the empty parking lot

When danger makes me want to hide, you'll Rainbow Dash to my side, Kindness is never in short supply, once smitten twice Fluttershy. For honesty no pony can deny, you are the Applejack of my eye, A heart that shines so beautiful, a Rarity to come by and you all make fun and laughter as easy as Pinkie Pie

I swear if you keep up that pony crap I will take my chances in the Mayhem division again he yells at me

Hater

I rejoined James in the car a few minutes later and we made small talk most of the ride home. I had one thing I wanted to ask him though

I was wondering, do you think we could celebrate tomorrow?

My birthday isn't until the 4th, yours is the 8th

I meant celebrate our victory

I already celebrated my first win

Yeah but...I hang my head, remembering James picked up a win over me in our WZCW debut...its my first win and our first win as a team

James lets out a sighOk, we can go out tomorrow night for a little while

Hell yes!

He cracks a smile You are something else

We get inside when James get a phone call.

Tell Dinah I will be inside in a minute he says as he steps back outside

Dinah was sitting on the couch half asleep when I walked into the living room. I jumped over the back of the couch and flopped down next to her. She bolts up startled

We won! I exclaim, though she looks less than excited

Thats good, but where is James?

He said he would be in shortly, he had a phone call as soon as we walked in the door

Ok, Rose still isn't back from that meeting in Oakland but she said not to worry, she would be back soon. She was in the cab on the way when her phone died

Ok cool. Still we won, can you believe it? I put my hand out for a high five, she looks a bit taken aback when James walks in

Hey Mikey, if you could step into the ring with anyone who would it be?

Aaron Taylor, the guy who bullied me in high school, no question

James rolls his eyes Ok but who on the current roster?

I take a minute to ponder. It could be Ricky Runn, he and I were friends but our styles really contrast and it could be a fun match. Maybe Joe West, his ego could use a little adjustment. Possibly Triple X, I'm a big fan of his lately, it would be fun to face him. Hunter Jackson is a possibility, he took the last of the sweet and sour chicken last time the guys all went to get Chinese. Then it hit me

Probably Ace Stevens, he is the unfunniest guy I know

James smirks a little Well your wish has come true

Oh hell yes, Strikeforce vs Ace Stevens in a handicap match. I can dig it

No its a tag match

What the...who in their right mind would team with that asshole?

Stevenson Marquel

No shit? Didn't he just beat Ace for the title earlier tonight?

Yeah so I think we have an advantage but we still need to plan before we head out tomorrow

I agree man, I will go get Kingdome Come and we can throw down a few matches

Actually...that isn't a bad idea...I'm shocked

How do you think I got into the company? I used my extensive knowledge of the game

You will never cease to amaze me

After about a half hour of my total domination of James in the game stops to ask me

Do you honestly think Ace is funny?

Oh hell no, I know that the British and American styles of humor are usually different but don't worry no one finds him funny.

How do you think we should deal with him though?

Mess with his hair

Are you serious?

Yeah hang on, check this out

I pull out my phone and go to WZCW.com

See says right here on his bio page, "Hates matches that mess up his hair". So if we can get him worried about his hair that should take him out of the game. Hell he carries that comb with him to the ring, steal that, smash it, throw it into the crowd, just get into his head

They aren't often but when you have your moments you are brilliant

Thanks. As far as Marquel goes, though I have no clue. All I know about him is he kicks like a mule and he was listening to N.W.A. last time I passed him. Then it got that song stuck in my head, fuck the police coming straight from the underground, young ni....

MICHAEL! Dinah yells at me

Sorry

Maybe we could exploit his arm or midsection. He was shot in both of them right?

James takes my phone and heads to Marquel's bio page.

That feels like cheating to me though.

Have you ever faced a cruiserweight?

Yeah a couple times on the indie circuit, why's that matter?

Did they try to use their speed to their advantage and exploit your lack of agility?

Yeah, it usually worked too

See, its the same concept, we just use the advantages presented to us

I guess you are right, I just don't feel comfortable with it

Do you want him to take your head off with that big boot like he did in the Lottery battle royal?

I rub my head wincing at the thought Not really

About that time a car pulls into the driveway and Rose is arriving back home

Hey baby I get up to hug her as she walks in

Hey babe, I'm really tired so I am gonna go on to bed. I got you this though

She pulls out a shirt

Spoiler

Awww boo, Rainbow Dash, my favorite I love it

We share a kiss and she heads to our room.

I will never understand you

Get used to it bro, you are stuck with me until we have a nice long run with those tag titles. Anyway I'm gonna get some sleep

Ok, I will talk to Dinah and try to find a nice restaurant in town for tomorrow, something with a nice salad bar

No, no rabbit food

Just go to bed

James walks over and sits down next to Dinah

He is unusual isn't he?

Yeah a bit, but he is a great guy and when he gets in the ring he leaves all the goofy stuff behind. Sometimes I feel like he is like a big bear you see at the zoo. He is really friendly and innocent looking with his handler until his handler pokes him too hard with a stick and he gets mauled in turn

Dinah laughs a little He really loves Rose, you should have seen him when he found out she had a meeting and would miss your guys match, he looked like a sad dog She starts to coughCould you get me a drink dear?

Yeah just a second

James walked into the kitchen, but he didn't see me looking for a snack, I hear him start to softly hum

My Little Pony, My Little Pony, you will always be in my heart

Dude I knew it, brohoof!

I stick my fist out to James to slaps it away in disgust

Go the fuck to sleep

 

[Shotaro]

I hate restaurants. This wasn’t anything really new to me, or Dinah. But we’d agreed to go out for dinner with Mikey and Rose. Our debut match went well; though my face hurt like hell from the bulldog I’d received at the hands of The Local Talent. But nowhere near as much as his partner’s ribs must. We couldn’t rest on our laurels though, Kingdom Come was a matter of weeks away and the tag team title match had yet to be announced. It meant that Strikeforce were in with a shot. But we needed to keep our momentum rolling. I’d been told by Leon during what was supposed to be an interview that we were taking on the Mayhem champion and the number one contender at the next Aftershock. Mikey had gone the wrong way and by the time I found him Leon was neck deep in interviewing others. I guess we would have to wait to talk as a team for the first time.

I checked WZCW.com to read the blurb about our next match. Strikeforce vs. Stephenson Marquel and Ace Stevens. The preview text they’d published even implied we were in a good spot to be involved at Kingdom Come if we won. Part of me thought that as long as we didn’t screw up in the match, if we kept ourselves in the contest, we would probably be able to sit back and watch them implode. But that’s not how I do things. Against a team that potentially volatile, we could really shine. Work them around the ring, knowing that Ace was hardly likely to jump to the defence of Marquel and vice-versa. We could put on a clinic and that was exactly what I was intending to do.

I got ready for dinner and found Dinah waiting in the living room. “Hey honey” I looked down at her sat on the sofa, she was ready to go. She was never ready first. “You’re ready early aren’t ya?”

“Yeah” she sighed as she stood up, “I’ve felt a bit rough all day; decided getting ready would at least take my mind off it.”

“Don’t force yourself to go.” I tried to smile. “If you’re not up to it you’re not up to it, I understand.”

Her hand covered her mouth “Oh no, I just a little off. I’ve been, well ill all day. I couldn’t really let on when Mikey and Rose were here.” She looked up at me.

“What do you mean? You’ve been throwing up?” My eyes widened. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, nothing, I’ll be fine, let’s just get going shall we?” She was far more animated now; I decided not to press too hard. She’d tell me if it was anything really bad. “Who’s driving?”

“Well I don’t drink - much. You love a glass of wine, especially when you’re sitting down”

“True, but you deserve a drink; we’re celebrating for you remember?”

“Honestly Hun, I don’t want to drink. Even if I change my mind, I can have a beer or two and still get there and back just fine. I know when I’ve had enough”

“Fine. Just don’t put the roof down. It took me ages to sort my hair.” She was smiling now, her troubles had clearly passed on.

The drive to the restaurant was uneventful. When we arrived Mikey and Rose were waiting for us. They’d gone out for a wander around the city before dinner. I decided against asking where they’d been. They were sharing a room from us and were used to living on the road. I would guess they got as far as the back seat. He was wearing a suit, of sorts. He’d put on some black jeans and a rather loud Hawaiian shirt, with converse. He looked immediately out of place. I’d worn my best suit and both of the girls were wearing cocktail dresses. I’d been to this restaurant before, a meal was going to cost us a lot, the main courses all ran about $50 and he looked like we were going to Chuck-E-Cheese. The Maitre d’ was sneering through the window.

“Hi guys” Mikey was never understated, he threw is hand in the air to greet us maybe a little too enthusiastically. He motioned towards Rose, leaning away from her and moving his hand slowly up and down. Rose looked distinctly unimpressed.

“He doesn’t do subtle does he?” Dinah whispered to me as we walked up to them. Pleasantries were exchanged, Mikey and I shook hands. Rose hugged both of us, planting a kiss on each of our cheeks as she did, Mikey shook Dinah’s hand. Dinah had her other hand to her mouth as the three of us chuckled at Mikey.

“You’re not used to this sort of thing are you?” I smiled at Mikey as he continued to grasp Dinah’s hand. He was looking increasingly confused, like a monkey with an abacus. “What the hell are you wearing anyway?” I looked over at Rose, “Couldn’t you get him to at least wear shoes?”

“The closest thing he has are his ring boots, and believe me you don’t want him to be wearing those. He wears them all the time; they smell like something died in them.”She smirked at Mikey who had now realised he was the butt of the joke and was starting to scowl.

“Sorry buddy, you’re just a bit of an easy target at the minute.” I put my arm around Dinah and motioned to Mikey to lead the way. “I forget sometimes that this was my life for a while. It’s strange getting used to it again. I was worse than you are now, believe me. At least you own a shirt.”

“I wish you wouldn’t do that though, it reminds me of High School.” Mikey mumbled, he had his head down as he walked, his shoulders haunched.

“What time is the table booked for anyway?” I looked at my watch, it was quarter past eight.

“Nine” Rose answered, looking back. She was stroking Mikey’s back as his posture returned to normal. “But there’s a bar here so we won’t have to worry about the wait.” She started to speak again when the Maitre d’ came through the doors to us.

“What is it that you want? There is a very strict dress code here and I am afraid you do not meet it.” He was pointing at Mikey and even though Mikey had a good four inches on him, he still managed to be looking down.

“We have a reservation at nine.” I said, stepping forwards. “Under the name Brown”

He glared at Mikey, “We do not allow pets in here monsieur, your gorilla will have to eat outside”

Mikey’s head hang down again, his chin was practically touching his sternum. I stooped down to meet Maitre d’ eye to eye, he did not break eye contact as I stood back up again. He started to shrink as I leant forwards his jaw was misaligned, making his pencil moustache wonky, he’d broken it there before, he might have it broken again. As I removed my right hand from Dinah’s shoulder she spoke. “We’ve got time to get him a suit our reservation isn’t until nine. If we still don’t meet your exacting standards then we will find somewhere else to eat.” I smiled at the man, he flinched. As I turned round Dinah was glaring not at him, but me. “C’mon Mikey, let’s get you some clothes.”

We walked for a few minutes down the block until we found a department store just getting ready to close. After a short discussion they allowed us in, provided we actually bought something. The girls went off in search of, well whatever the hell they were looking for. Mikey and I began looking at suits.

“I did some research the other day you know. You never hit the big time, and MMA pay isn’t that big. So how come your house is so huge? And your car, that’s not cheap either.” Mikey stopped as he finished talking.

I turned to face him and shrugged. “Nor is my suit, what’s your point?”

“How come you can afford all this stuff?”

The security guard was watching us as we walked. He was heading over now that we were stood still. I hadn’t realised but Mikey had stopped us right next to the lingerie section. I was a bit disappointed that Dinah wasn’t here. “That security guard is following us” I said, pointing in his direction. “We probably shouldn’t keep him too late.” I continued walking towards the suits.

Mikey caught up in a jog “You didn’t answer my question.”

“What question?”

Mikey was starting to talk more quickly now. “You’re not poor, but until a few months ago you weren’t competing anywhere. Now you’ve been on TV what, a month? And already you’re flashing your money.”

I shrugged off the question. “I’ve made wise investments; just because I made hurting people my job it doesn’t mean I’m an idiot.”

“Have you ever, y’know, killed someone?”

I laughed. “No Mikey, I’ve never killed anyone. I almost did, but thankfully they managed to stop me.”

“I saw it. What the hell happened then anyway”

I stopped and turned. Mikey’s eyes widened and his hands almost instinctively balled into a fist. “I don’t think we’re ready for that yet. Trust me; it’s not a nice story, and it’s one I try not to talk about unless I have to”

Mikey pointed “We’re partners now. To be honest I’m a little afraid that one day you’re going to flip out in the ring and attack me”

“You’ve got to trust me Mikey, I won’t attack you. What happened then was a one-off. I don’t ever want to repeat it.” I softened my stance, I didn’t often slouch, but for once I felt like I needed to. I let out a huge sigh “I’ll make you a deal. We’re in the running for a shot at Reynolds and Runn at Kingdom Come; if we make it I’ll tell you the whole story.”

“Deal.”

I carried on walking. We barely spoke for the next few minutes as Mikey grabbed a suit and some shoes. After making sure they fit we headed to the tills. Mikey still hadn’t looked at the price tag. As we approached the cashier I was already reaching for my wallet. “I’ll pay for the suit.”

“What? How much is this suit anyway?” Mikey looked down at the price tag. “I can’t let you pay for this; it’s more than I pay for a gun in Counter-Strike.”

“Don’t be a martyr Mikey, I know Rose is getting a music career off the ground, and the pay for indie shows sometimes doesn’t cover the fuel to the next one. Besides, you’re paying for dinner”

“Since when?”

I smiled at Mikey “Since I bought you an $800 suit. Anyway, I bet Dinah and Rose spend more than we do.” I was wrong. We waited for ten minutes for the girls before they returned empty handed. “Can we get back to the restaurant now? Mikey doesn’t look like a homeless guy anymore; maybe that prick of a waiter will let us in”

He did and after much waiting for food we finally sat down at our table. By sheer chance I spotted Becky Serra sat at a nearby table. She was on her dessert; she must’ve heard the Maitre d’ insulting Mikey. As we got our starters she walked past, she wished us luck for our match at the next Aftershock, and said we had impressed people with our debut. She didn’t stay though; her date was already at the door. We made small talk for a while over our starters but over the main course talk turned towards Mikey who had been seemingly staring at his lap since they collected his plate. “I gotta say Mikey; I’ve not seen you with a single game this entire evening. I’m impressed.”

“huh?” Mikey groaned as he looked up.

Rose sighed. “What you playing sweetie?”

“Temple Run.” Mikey grunted

I felt the table jolt and saw Mikey flinch. In my experience, being kicked in the shin with an angry stiletto was the most painful thing other than a straight up shot to the groin. He took it like a man. Rose spoke through her teeth. “Put it down” I heard a thud, clearly Mikey knew what was good for him. There was an awkward silence for a moment; Dinah met my gaze as if she were ordering me to break it.

“What time are we hitting the gym tomorrow then?” I asked, Rose finally broke her gaze at Mikey, allowing him to respond.

“Well, when we’re up I guess” Mikey shrugged.

“Seven thirty then. Excellent choice Mikey, glad you’re taking this seriously.” I smirked at Mikey, his mouth was moving but no sound was coming out. “We’ve got to get ready; we’re in the ring with a current and former champion. Neither of them are gonna go easy on us.”

“I think they’re both going to be happy to see the other one get destroyed.” Dinah intervened.

“They’re both ultra-competitive. I wouldn’t count on it.” If games had taught Mikey one thing, it was tactics. “I’m pretty sure Ace would do anything it took to win. Even work with the guy who took his title away and Marquel has fought hard just to get here, now he’s a champion. He’s not gonna lay down for anyone.”

“Ace is a lunatic, he looks like someone pimp slapped one of the Baseballs into a gym and force fed him steroids. What do you call a comedian who couldn’t make a Hyena laugh?”

“Ace Stevens”Mikey replied with a mouthful of pasta. With a mouthful of food he ruined the punchline.

“Yeah.” I looked at Dinah, she didn’t think the joke was funny. I didn’t even laugh at it. It was like I’d turned into the idiot I was mocking. “Did you see him in that match last week? He sliced Cooper’s forehead so badly it looked like road kill.” I looked at Mikey hoping he’d have something to add, but Dinah piped up instead.

“Cooper had tried to remove Ace’s eye. I don’t think anyone would be rational after that.” Her voice was slow and deliberate.

“I guess, but that doesn’t make Ace suddenly become some kind of hero. Did you see what he did to Truman Harrys at that house show? He handed him a load of cue cards and forced him to give an interview. He’s an asshole and he seems to have a temper too. We can exploit that. We just need to get him angry.”

“He’s not the Incredible Hulk you know.”Mikey added.

“No, but if we piss him off, he’ll make a mistake. Besdies, he lost the Mayhem Championship in his first match after he won it. He’s twenty years out of date, thinking he’s Lenny Bruce, he’s more like the shitlocks guy in that Eddie Murphy movie.” I started slicing into my steak. I was trying to cut in and it meant I needed protein. Italians do lots of things well in the kitchen. In this restaurant steak was not one of them; it was like chewing on gristle. “This steak is delicious” I forced a smile.

“Really? It looks a little overdone.” Dinah knew how I liked my steak. Almost black was not right. I suddenly became very British. I insisted that it was fine. However, after a few minutes Dinah lovingly emasculated me by complaining on my behalf. They brought me another steak and offered us a free dessert. Mikey looked relieved at the chance for free gateaux. I declined dessert, sometimes the diet I was on was boring, but after ten years it became a tough habit to break. Eventually dessert arrived and Rose turned the talk back to wrestling.

“So are you guys not in a tag team match this week? Who’s partnering Ace?”

“Marquel” Mikey interjected between mouthfuls of his free food.

“He’s the new Mayhem Champion isn’t he?”

“Yeah he won it from Stevens this week. Pretty brutal matchup actually.” I was worried about Marquel. He was legitimately tough. I was worried about Ace too, though I would never let on. “He’s been shot before, he came from a really rough neighbourhood. He gave Kensworth a guided tour, turned him white.”

“Kensworth isn’t black.” Crumbs hit the table as Mikey spoke, I saw the Maitre d’ shudder.

“That’s not... nevermind.” I buried my face in my hand for a second. “Marquel is the Mayhem Champion. He’s not some idiot who thinks he can go; he’s got form and momentum. He’s in damn good shape for a guy who’s been shot, especially considering other guys his age in the ring. Hell, look at Rush. He had a goddamn heart attack in the middle of a match. Now he’s back and that’s got to mean something for a guy in his forties who is just getting started. Marquel is no spring chicken, but we can’t count on him being past his prime. He is a real threat.” Suddenly I got hit with a strong craving for Nicotine. “I’ll be right back. Need a ciggy.”

Whilst I was outside I figured I’d give Alex a quick ring. He congratulated me for winning, but he didn’t understand why Mikey and I had been overlooked for the triple-threat tag match. I re-assured him, we couldn’t be counted out for KC just yet, we’d got a mention on the Fantabulous Fifteen and almost everyone on that list already HAD a match at KC. If we were just off the list they couldn’t really write us off yet. I knew we were going places. We were taking on two guys who had damn near killed each other the week before. We beat BLT last week and the Shaolin Jacks had beaten the Kings of Hate the week before. If Strikeforce made it to KC we’d be in with a real shot at winning. When I went back inside everyone had pretty much finished their dessert. Mikey paid for dinner, which he tried hard to enjoy, as we went our separate ways I yelled back. “8am tomorrow Mikey. We need to hit the Gym. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

“I can’t believe we could be main-eventing Aftershock. It’s amazing.”

“Main-eventing a show is one thing. Kingdom Come is the superbowl of WZCW. If we’re going to get there we have to win.”

“OK. See you at ten”

I yelled back. He carried on walking. The following morning he was waiting for me in the basement gym, Mikey was a serious as I was about getting to Kingdom Come. Marquel and Stevens were in our way. God help them.

 

[The Best]

"So you won't strike it, I took it and I hyped it" -Eazy-E, We Want Eazy feat. MC Ren and Dr. Dre​

The scene opens in a very small room in a prison. There are many fold out chairs with prisoners sitting on them across the room, and as the camera turns to where the chairs and the prisoners are facing, the WZCW Mayhem Title is seen resting on a small school like desk, with WZCW Mayhem Champion, Stevenson Marquel next to the title. Marquel has a microphone in his hand, as the prison security guards are walking all across the room to make sure that all of the prisoners are silent and paying attention. Marquel touches the Mayhem Title, and brings up the microphone.

Marquel: Gentlemen….Marquel looks around, and realizes that everyone in the room is a male…. yes, gentlemen, it’s crazy where life can take you. Now, before I get in to depth, I would just like to give you boys a little background. My name is Stevenson Marquel, and I am currently a professional wrestler in WZCW, where I am the Mayhem Champion. Right here is that title. You boys are probably thinking, why is this fake playa speaking to us, well fake playa isn’t exactly the word to describe me, you know? I was in your exact spot before, I was in a seat, watching people who went through their rough roads speak to me while I was locked up. I’ve been in prison before, and for something legit too, I know where you are coming from, just trust me. We’ll get in to that stuff later. Now, just a question to you boys, raise your hands if you do, how many of you listen to the music of Tupac Shakur?

Some of the prisoners raise their hands, as others don’t. Marquel nods his head up and down.

Marquel: Alright, now, whether you like him or not, you know he wanted to make changes, he even made a song about it, correct?

Some of the prisoners nod their head up and down, as Marquel smiles, and starts walking closer to the people listening to him.

Marquel: That’s why I’m here speaking to you. I’m not letting this fame get to me, I’m making changes no matter how big I get in the wrestling, you know? I’m trying to tell you that you can turn around if you want to, if you don’t want to, I understand. I know what that feeling is like, and to me, you are who you are, and that’s all good, you know. It’s all good, and I respect that, I’m just trying to say that anyone who wants a turnaround can listen to me, and follow me. I’m going to go in to pretty deep topics, and I hope you can relate to them. Any questions?

No hands raise, and Marquel nods his head up and down again. He touches the Mayhem Title again, and once again brings up the microphone.

Marquel: Alright, let’s go.

The camera shows small parts of Marquel speaking, and the reactions of the prisoners. Some reactions are normal, and others get different reactions. Marquel raps a couple of times, which seems to get a nice reaction from the prisoners. Marquel also picks up the Mayhem Title, and holds it up a couple of times, and then passes it around to his audience. During his long speech, Marquel smiled a lot, but also was very serious throughout the speech.

When Marquel finishes his speech to the prisoners, he gets a loud, and partially standing applause. Some of the prisoners nod their heads in approval, yet others remain mainly emotionless. Marquel nods his head up and down again, and puts his right hand up in the air, and waves.

Marquel: Thank you. Thank you for listening to me.

The security guards try to escort the prisoners out of the room, but one prisoner stops, and whispers to one of the security guards. The security guard nods his head, and stays in the room, as the other guards and prisoners leave, and the prisoner starts to walk towards Marquel, who now has his back turned, as he just stares at the Mayhem Title. The prisoner taps Marquel on the back, and Marquel turns around, a little surprised at first, but them Marquel lets out a massive smile, and hugs the prisoner.

Prisoner: It’s been a while, hasn’t it.

Marquel: Way too long brotha’.

Prisoner: Seems like you’ve been okay.

The two separate, and Marquel still has a very wide smile on. The two shake hands again, as Marquel starts laughing. The prisoner is a very tall, African-American man, who is about Marquel’s size in height, yet a lot skinnier. The prisoner is Marquel’s very close friend, who he’s known for a while, named Jack Bowa.

Marquel: Yeah, I’ve been alright lately, just trying to make a difference, you know?

Bowa: I see you got that title, boy. Congratulations, but dude, when I get out of here, I’m going to be traveling with you for this wrestling thing alright. We could chill in all of the big cities, and don’t worry, I’m done with prison, so you won’t be taking risk.

Bowa extends his hand out, and Marquel accepts it as the two shake hands again. Marquel is still smiling wide.

Marquel: Alright brotha’, but when are you supposed to get out.

Bowa: Soon, no later than a month I’m pretty sure.

Marquel’s smile widens more.

Marquel: Brotha’, Kingdom Come, the biggest even in WZCW is around a month away, brotha’ if you get out before Kingdom Come, I’m making sure you will be there. James will be there, and it’s in Texas, so we’ll just be chilling there too. Hopefully I can keep this title by Kingdom Come brotha’, dude I’m so pumped.

The security guard watching them signals for Bowa to get back to his cell. The two shake hands, and hug again.

Bowa: I got to head back brotha’, but once I get out of here, keep close to your phone, you know?

The two back away from each other, as Marquel is still smiling.

Marquel: Yeah my brotha’, I will. See you soon.

Bowa waves his hand to say goodbye for now to Marquel, as Marquel waves back. Bowa and the security guard exit, and Marquel turns back around, and picks up the Mayhem Title, and puts it on his shoulder. Suddenly, very loud clapping is heard in the room. Marquel looks around, and sees that the person clapping is his rival, and former Mayhe, Champion, Ace Stevens. Marquel’s smile quickly turns in to a look of rage, as Ace starts to laugh. Stevens steps closer to Marquel, as Stevenson looks to be ready to hit Ace with the Mayhem Title.

Stevens: Good show Stevenson, good show.

Marquel: Step closer Ace, come on brotha'....
Marquel grabs the mayhem title, and pulls back, looking ready to hit Stevens with it.....Come on, Ace!

Stevens: Chill out brotha’ I actually got something to say.

Marquel slowly puts the title back on his shoulder, and slowly walks towards Ace, and stares him down. Ace starts laughing again, and Marquel remains very angry looking.

Stevens: Don’t worry, I’m not here to beat you up, and take back the title that you clearly stole from me, but I have to say this. On Aftershock 7, we will be in a match together. Not as opponents, but sadly, as tag team partners, against Strikeforce. Don’t worry though Stevenson, I can see your shaking, but I assure, the wrestler in the world right now, and the WZCW Mayhem Champion, Ace Stevens will be your tag team partner, so there is clearly nothing to worry about.

Marquel: All words, no fight
Ace Stevens wrestling just for the spotlight
Failed comedian, funny isn’t your thing
I guess you just couldn’t hold on to that brass ring
Couldn’t beat me
Now you got to join me
Don’t worry, I’m getting that W
I don’t even need you
Ace Stevens, just like at MSG
The crowd going to boo you out the building, only this time, they’ll cheer for me.

Marquel then turns around, and heads out of the room, which leaves Ace Stevens standing there still with a massive grin on his face.

 

[Daniel]

Ace Stevens
Guest In The Studio​

Ace Stevens is walking down a non-descript street in his hometown of New York. His assistant, Lewis Middleton is alongside him, trying to keep up with Stevens’s usual brisk pace. While the weather may be dull and overcast, the former Mayhem champion is unusually happy.

“I dare say, sir, that that didn’t go to plan.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, your intention was to intimidate, correct? But, Mr. Marquel didn’t look particularly intimidated. He just rapped.”

“Oh Lulu, you’ve got so much to learn. He was intimidated alright. I could see it in his eyes.”

“I'm not so sure, sir. I’ve seen enough of Mr. Marquel to know that it takes more than a bit of trash talk to faze him.”

“Nah, he’s weak. The only reason he didn’t lash out then was because we were in his home.”

“We were in a prison.”

“I know.”

---​

Sat in an old radio studio, Ace Stevens is about to take part in his first radio interview as a professional wrestler. As he was earlier in the day, Stevens is accompanied by his suit-wearing personal assistant, Lewis Middleton. Across the table from the unlikely duo is the man who was voted the Tri-State area’s fourth favourite wrestling journalist, Mr. Mark Mathews.

“Hey, hey! You’re listening to “The Wrestling Hour” on Cyrus satellite radio channel 98, with your host, Mark Mathews! Now, joining me at this very moment is a man who has made waves since signing with WrestleZone Championship Wrestling last month. He’s the man you all know and, well, probably hate, it’s the former Mayhem champion, Ace Stevens!”

“Former?” Ace immediately retorts, his voice already inflected with slight annoyance.

“That’s what you are, right?”

“If by “former” you mean “current”, the yeah, I’m the former Mayhem champion.”

“But Stevenson Marquel did beat you, right?” replies the DJ, who seems genuinely confused by Steven’s remarks.

“No. He did not.” Ace says, firm in his convictions.

“OK, it’s just that I watched Aftershock and saw Marquel pin your shoulders to the mat, one-two-three.”

“And that’s your definition of winning?”

“That’s not yours?”

“Did you even watch Aftershock? I dominated three other men for fifteen minutes. I was seconds away from making Johnny Scumm-ball tap out. How did I not win that match?”

“Because Marquel pinned you.”

“So let me get this straight. You can dominate for what feels like forever, a guy kicks you in the face once, and he’s the winner?”

“Well, he has the belt, right?”

“I’m so glad you said that. Lulu, the belt!”

Ace’s reluctantly loyal assistant, reaches for his briefcase next to him and opens it up. Inside is... the WZCW Mayhem Championship, in all it's broken glory.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Ace Stevens is currently sitting opposite of myself with a replica of the WZCW Mayhem title belt.”

“How do you know it’s a replica? I could’ve just taken it from Stevenson Marquel’s possession.”

“Did you?”

“Nah, it’s a replica. But it means a lot more than the worthless piece of crap Stevenson Marquel carries around.”

“Speaking of Stevenson Marquel, it’s safe to say that you don’t like him.”

“He’s not given me a single reason to like him. He's essentially an oxygen thief.”

“He is from Brooklyn, though. Surely sharing a hometown is a bit of common ground.”

“So because we’re both from the same patch of land in New York, I have to like him? No, the fact that he’s a coward, a liar and a criminal outweighs the fact that he’s from Brooklyn.”

“Well, earlier today it was announced that you’ll be teaming up with Marquel to take on the team of James Howard and Mikey Stormrage. Are you sure you guys will be able to co-exist?”

“Sure. First and foremost, my job is to win. It’s what I do. After I get the win, then I’ll beat the crap out of him.”

“And Strikeforce? You’re treating them like a non-issue.”

“What? You want me to lie and tell you that they’re awesome? That they have great chemistry? That they aren’t destined for a career of disappointment?”

“So you don’t rate them highly?”

“Oh no, they’re great! I was just joking.”

Taken aback by the positivity on display, the DJ doesn’t notice Ace’s sarcasm.

“Really?”

“No! Of course not! They’re just another one of these teams that formed because they can’t find success by themselves. And the rest of the tag team division, oh man. You know a division sucks when Ricky Runn is a champion of it.”

“Not a fan of Ricky Runn, eh? Is there anyone in WZCW you do like?”

“No. "Like" is such a strong word. There are some guys I don’t hate. That’s something.”

“Who?”

“Well, Showtime Cougar for one. I see a lot of myself in him. I mean, he’s not as good as me. But the guy’s certainly close. I’ll give him that.”

“Alright, well it looks like the “Wrestling Hour” is up for this week. Any last words for our listeners, Ace?”

“Just make sure you tune in to Aftershock this week. Unless you’re a fan of Strikeforce. Then don’t. Because I’m going to single-handedly destroy them. No tagging required. I’m going to punch James Howard in the head until he bleeds and makes the ref lose a ball. Again. I’m going to take Mikey Stormrage’s games console and shove it so far up his ass hat he'll be coughing up controllers. Why, you ask? Because I can. Later, Mark.”