It’s dark and stormy outside. Raindrops batter the window pane and thunder rumbles in sky. The camera pulls back to see a hotel room, we see the Ratings Winner Austin Reynolds asleep in a large bed by himself.
Cougar is in, but it’s too late and Reynolds is now legally a part of the match. “Showtime” attempts to back off, but Reynolds smashes him with a leg lariat. Rogers attempts to get involved, but Reynolds executes a monkey flip. Austin unloads a discus lariat on Cougar, knocking him down. He kicks him right in the gut, preparing for a Ratings Killer! But it doesn’t come to fruition as Rogers batters into Reynolds with a shoulder block. He looks to go after Reynolds more, but takes a drop-toe-hold and a kick to the gut for his troubles. He then turns his attention to Cougar, hitting Five Star on his old foe! He signals it’s all over and sets up for the Ratings Killer, but Ricky tags himself in!
Connor: What is young Ricky Runn thinking here?
Cohen: He’s not, that’s the point.
Reynolds looks at Ricky with confusion as Roger comes from behind to clatter Ricky into Reynolds. They bash skulls as Austin spills out of the ring. Ricky is in real pain and will be in even more as he takes a devastating Powerbomb from Rogers! “Showtime” slowly crawls on top of Runn for 1...2...3!
Anderson: Here are your winners, and STILL WZCW World Tag Team Champions; STANTIME!
He seems to be uncomfortable. He turns and wriggles furiously within the bed sheet. Lightning strikes nearby and the storm continues to growl ominously. Despite this, Austin still appears to be dreaming.
Reynolds gets up and goes over to the ropes, fuming from the ears as Showtime heads up the ramp and motions he'll deal with him later. Behind his back, Stark is getting up and Susumu has gotten into the ring measuring up Reynolds. The ref tries to stop them so they can take care of Runn buts no use. Reynolds turns around and sees Susumu going for a spear but Reynolds evades the contact and hits the Five Star on Susumu. Stark attacks Reynolds from behind with a jumping neckbreaker and then rolls to the outside. He finds another table before pushing it into the ring and sets it up in the corner leaning against the turnbuckles. Stark sees the crew trying to move Runn but he tells them to get lost as he attempts to go after Runn to put him through the table. Reynolds is up in time to take down Stark from doing any serious damage, throwing him to the outside of the ring. Reynolds turns around and gets hit with the Kami no Tettsui through the table by Susumu. The referee immediately calls for the bell.
Harrys: Runn Reynolds Runn has been eliminated! Therefore, the winners of the match and NEW WZCW Tag Team Champions... Mind Over MATTER!
Austin kicks out and turns violently. He rotates so far and so fast that he falls out of the bed head-first. He wakes up with a start and a small bruise quickly forms above his eyebrow. He looks around for a second as he tries to grasp his bearings. Strange room, little light and a headache means it take a little longer than normal for him to realise where he was. Unusual surroundings were nothing new for him as he was in a different hotel nearly every night.
Still feeling semi-conscious, he walks slowly to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, he splashes water over his face and relived the dream-cum-nightmare that replayed in his mind when he woke up.
Reynolds is back to his feet and hits a leg lariat, sending Susumu to the outside. Ricky lifts Stark up and Reynolds kicks him in the midsection, lifting Stark up and connecting with the Ratings Killer!
Copeland: Runn and Reynolds have this match won!
Cohen: This can't be happening! They had Reynolds where they wanted him!
Reynolds is up and points to Ricky then points to the top rope. Ricky smiles, nods and climbs to the top turnbuckle. He steadies himself but Susumu suddenly hits the ropes, causing Ricky to lose his balance and drop down onto the turnbuckle. Reynolds goes to knock Susumu off the apron but goes over the top to the outside as Susumu pulls the ropes down. Susumu rolls in quickly and tosses Ricky off the top turnbuckle. Stark is slow to his feet, as is Ricky. Ricky gets up and turns around but Susumu and Stark connect with the Mind Altering Experience! The crowd boos as Stark covers Ricky, 1......2......3!
Harrys: Here are your winners, Mind Over Matter!
Austin grimaces as he recalls the events of the past few weeks. Winning rarely meant much to him but the last few weeks had infuriated him to no end.
Austin:“What was wrong with me!?”
He pounds the sink’s marble surface gently.
Austin: “This wasn’t how it supposed to go! We were supposed to the team to beat!”
Whispering to himself only wound him up more. He punches the marble again, harder this time and his knuckles redden after the impact
Austin: “Come on...get a grip. COME ON!!!”
He wasn’t kind of guy to talk to himself like this. He missed home and wished Dom or Hayley could stir him out of this slump. He slumps back into bed and grabs his phone. He sends Ricky a text.
We WILL win at Ascension.
An equally defiant reply is fired back in 90 seconds. Austin considers what Ricky is up to at this kind of night.
Damn straight dude! You at the hotel?
Not four minutes after Austin sent a reply, Ricky pounds at his door.
Ricky: “Bro, you were in bed?”
Austin looks down at his dressing gown and then at the smart suit of his team-mate who is panting and has been soaked by the storm.
Austin: “Yes I am boring. Yes I was in bed by midnight. What is your point?”
Ricky: “No point. I guess I’ll be the same when I am your age.”
Ricky strolls in and grabs an energy drink from the mini fridge.
Austin: “How old do you think I am?”
Ricky: “Not too old to kick my ass, bro.”
Austin sits down at the end of his bed as Ricky cracks open his drink.
Austin: “Look, we need to sort ourselves out.”
Ricky: “I know I’m not happy either.”
Austin: “It’s beyond a joke. The Stantime loss I can take. It’s bitter but we learnt from it. But we were beaten at Unscripted by a team that were imploding and a team that had been together two minutes, who the fans didn’t want in the match. That is just galling because we are the only real team in the company and these fraudsters have managed to get by us on three different occasions.”
Austin’s head is in his hands. He speaks quietly.
Austin: “Mind Over Matter are a pair of crooked con artists who have no idea of honour. They might think they are intelligent but they are getting by on cheating and that is only going to get them so far. I don’t care what they have in store for us at All Or Nothing because whatever is will be destroyed by superior energy and real teamwork.”
Ricky’s enthusiasm is clear. Boosted by the energy drink, he bounces around the room until he stands directly opposite Austin. This is nothing new but in the dead of night, Austin silently pondered why he wasn’t in bed or at least chilling out.
Ricky: “I’m really looking forward to our match this week though. Blade and Scott Hammond will be an incredible workout for us. Mind Over Matter wish they could be as good as Blade.”
Austin: “Hell, Scott Hammond wishes he could be as good as Blade. Look, if we can stay out of harm against Blade & Hammond, avoid their holds and not get caught in their suplexes and power moves then we will have a great insight into how we finally get past Stark and Susumu.”
For a second, Austin considers the fact that he sounds like a teacher, lecturing his pupil on a particularly tough subject.
Austin: “They are a new tag team but don’t think that they don’t know each other off by heart. These guys have been feuding on and off all summer and now they are working together. It’s a kind of scary prospect.”
Austin: “Blade is going to be licking his licks at the thought of facing us and he is going to have Hammond fighting to be let off the leash! At least that is what he is going to tell Becky Serra.”
Ricky: “Why Becky Serra?”
Austin: “Because Becky is Blade’s favourite mouthpiece and she is often around when he speaks. They have one thing in common it seems – they both adore the sound of his voice.”
Ricky: “You know quite a bit about Blade and Hammond then.”
Austin sighed. His tiredness didn’t help as he was getting a little agitated with his young friend.
Austin: “Yeah I do, luckily for you. I’ve beaten both of these guys before, repeatedly actually. I’ve got no intention of losing anymore. Blade and Hammond are going to be taken back in history and get a stiff reminder of what it was like to lose to the hottest thing in this company.”
Ricky: “Who? Me?”
Austin looks tired and smiles weakly.
Austin: “Yeah, right. There’s something that always makes me chuckle about Blade. He says he is awesome, the best never to be World Champion and all this crap when he should be saying that about me! But god forbid he ever pays someone a compliment.”
Austin: “Blades’ delusion is astounding. He rides this grand dream of being better than anyone but he doesn’t forget that he has been here for months on end and achieved less than nothing until he got the Eurasian title at Kingdom Come. He was the guy that cost me the Elite X title on my debut show and I will never forget it – I still don’t have payback for that yet. He is a jealous bitch who’s all talk and no smack to back it up. He talks of destiny like it owes him something. But his career doesn’t exactly have a sparkle to it.”
Reynolds begins to seethe when he recalls his debut and the interference that cost him the match. He clenches his fist and grinds his teeth.
Austin: “His feud with Rush got him nowhere, he had that weird blood friendship feud thing with Phoenix that took up months and he had to take advantage of Chris Beckford to get the Eurasian title at Kingdom Come. And what has he done since then? He barely defended the belt, he never sought a challenge and then he went all out to drag Scott Hammond down to his level when he sensed a potential threat.”
Ricky: “So you don’t think Hammond was a threat?”
Austin: “No, he’s just a muscled-up bonehead. Now don’t get me wrong. The Brothers in Arms are the best tag team in company history but Hammond was a flounder like Blade before he found Wasabi Toyota. He won the Mayhem Title in the same match as Doug Crashin and then lost it within four shows. At the same time I was starting the greatest Elite X title run of all time, a run that put Blade’s Eurasian title to shame.”
Austin: “Scott Hammond and Blade have formed this union of destiny and....”
Ricky: “They are going to.....”
Austin raises a hand in vain.
Austin: “Don’t say it Ric.”
Ricky: “What?”
Austin: “Don’t say that they are going to Vegas to get married in a chapel by a fake Elvis.”
Ricky lets out a loud belly laugh.
Ricky:”It’s kinda funny though, am I right?”
Austin exhales. That was pretty much the last drop of patience he had at this time of night with two hours sleep and a sore neck.
Austin: “Sure Ricky. It’s hilarious. As hilarious as losing every single match we have had together. Just like losing two main event matches for the World Heavyweight Championship or being screwed out of a record breaking Elite X championship reign.”
That was the first time Austin had snapped at Ricky and given him a taste of his frustration. The youngster looks shocked, like he had lost all of his Christmas presents and had nothing left but a piece of coal.
Ricky: “Austin, I’m sorry.”
Austin: “Sorry isn’t going to cut it anymore. This sucks and I’m sick of coming second. This isn’t good enough. We should be the tag champions already but we have been caught out in two separate matches.”
Austin gets up and kicks out at the nearest object. . It was an oak chest of drawers.
Austin: “Now we don’t deserve to be in the match at All or Nothing. And Mind Over Matter won’t worrying about us. If we can’t beat them in a non-title match, how in the blue hell do we do it on pay-per-view when the world is watching?”
A sharp bolt of pain shoots though his foot.
Damn, broken toe! OK, walk it off
Austin: “They pinned you and now they get to choose the damn match now! I can’t even begin to think what they are cooking up”
Outside, the thunder roars louder than ever. Ricky looks sheepish and he cowers silently.
Austin: “Now we do have an advantage but only if we work together and play smart. Blade and Hammond are going to have more than one eye on the pay-per-view match. They will still be trying to work out their dynamic and they will want to show the world that Hammond is equal to Blade. We know that isn’t the case but Blade’s fantasy is contagious and Hammond has got it back. It won’t allow them to see that Blade is going to use Hammond to get to the World Title. He may let Hammond try to get the Eurasian belt but I dunno. I’m certain that he is a pawn for Blade’s games.”
Austin calms down somewhat but his tone is sterner. He leans against the drawers.
Ricky: “So?”
Austin: “So what?”
Ricky: “So do we try and single out Hammond? Should we try and counter their moves? Or would another approach be better?”
Austin considers the questions pensively. Ricky has raised a valid point although he seemed reluctant to speak and suggest it – he probably didn’t want Austin to snap his head off again.
Austin: “I wouldn’t want Blade to get his hands on you for too long. We need you in one piece for All Or Nothing and if he Beckfordizes your knees, I’m fu......we’re screwed.”
Austin: “But Hammond’s doesn’t have the smarts that Wasabi had or definitely isn’t as clued up as Blade in the ring.”
Ricky:“So we can capitalise on that?”
Ricky smiles hopefully as he senses a degree of optimism on Austin’s part. Austin pauses for a second before responding.
Austin: “Absolutely. We can be quicker than him and that will make him panic”
For the first time in a few minutes, Austin smiles. Ricky breathes a palpable sigh of relief when he sees it. He sits down on the bed and gives Ricky a truthful look.
Austin: “You know what....this match isn’t important, it’s not even significant but it could be great for us. We beat Hammond and Blade or we tell the whole world that Runn Reynolds Runn is only good for making other teams look awesome. We have a chance to send a real message to Stark and Susumu. This is it, it’s going to be All Or Nothing.”
The enthusiasm in his words seems to have the desired effect as Ricky mirrors his energy. Ricky sits down cross legged on the drawers and begins to talk more about strategy but Austin phases it out as he allows the tiredness takes over.
