MD74: Ty Burna, Alhazred, Bowen, and S.H.I.T. vs. Steven Kurtesy and Celeste Crimson

[Ty Burna]

With the Apostles winning control over the entire company for Ty Burna, he has declared that the two people who have been relentlessly rebelling his movement, Steven Kurtesy and Celeste Crimson, will take on four members of the Chaos including himself in a 4 on 2 handicap match to punish them for their actions. Ty will be looking to gain revenge of Kurtesy for defeating him at Kingdom Come whilst the rest of the Apostles will have their eyes set on Celeste. Can the two defenders of WZCW manage to make it through the Chaos or will the odds be too overwhelming for them?

Deadline is Tuesday, June 12th at 11:59 PM Central Time.​

 

[Uncle Phatso]

The scene opens with the camera man standing in the doorway of a dimly lit room. He turns into the room, Ty Burna sits behind a desk, at arm length a small stack of papers sit. Sitting in his large swivel chair, he mulls over whatever is printed on the paper. He looks up at the camera man, with a sweeping motion of his hand. He shows his employee out of his office. The camera still running, we see the walls of the hall. Turning the corner, the camera man almost runs into Alex Bowen. With a growl, Bowen pushes him out of his way. Perhaps not bursting into Ty's office, but making his presence known.

Alex- You wanted to see me boss?

Ty looks up at his newest Apostle, A sly grin crosses his face, and he puts out an arm. Pointing at the small chair in front of his desk. Bowen sits down.

Ty- Well yes, why the grimace Bowen? Aren't you happy? If anyone has anything to be unhappy about, it's me. At Kingdom Come, everything went black. Chaos, is now crawling the walls, through every crack and crevice of this company. Nothing will go on in this company without my say. But I will say, I am rather impressed with all of my Apostles. Great job, Bowen. When I took you aside at Lethal Lottery, I knew.

Ty points at Bowen’s chest, as if pointing into your soul.

Ty- I knew it wasn't about the money, I knew it was in your heart. I knew what you really wanted, I knew you were to be the fifth Apostle. You have served me well, you took down two men. Two amazing competitors. Also, if you are looking at it the way I am. You eliminated Gordito. You hit the last finisher. But that is a technicality. The Apostles worked together on that one.

Alex- I lied to them Ty...

Ty- Lied to who? Us? What are you hiding Bowen?!

Alex- I hide nothing, but your right hand man, I knew he was fishy, you might not of saw it. But I saw it, I lied to everyone before the pay per view. I said, I knew we were all on the same page. Team WZCW, was not. That is why we won. But K.O. almost cost us that match. He almost cost you this company...

Ty nods his head. Looking at Bowen with understanding eyes.

Ty- Chris? Chris is still a very valued member of this group. He is still on our page, I have him right where I want him.

Bowen stands up with wild eyes.

Alex- You have him!? I do not lose Burna... K.O almost cost us that match!

Ty- You've lost to me...

Alex- Yes, yes I have. But when the chips are on the line. I always pull through, my loss to you, was a loss. But none the less, I gave you what you could handle. I know why you chose me. You saw a fire in me, the same fire you saw at Lethal Lottery.

Ty- Exactly, but let me ask you this. Before Kingdom Come, what did you have? What is your legacy? What will everyone remember you for?

Still standing, Bowen looks at his boss with a what the hell stare. He shakes his head, as if he has been asked to murder someone.

Alex- What are you talking about, nine months as champion. Only second to you, I re invented the whole Mayhem division. I beat everything they threw at me. People left this company, because they couldn't get past me. Ale, Ewan Kampa, Chris Jones, and Justin Cooper. They all left because of me...

Ty- So that is Alex Bowen? Alex Bowen in a nut shell. Took a belt that was nothing, and still means nothing. Lost it to a man who cant even make it on the card of the grandest show of all. You lost to me, and then to Armando... What does that say for me? I beat a pud, who can't beat a rookie? You left the company in shame. Don't tell me anything otherwise.

Bowen takes off his black WZCW shirt. A six pack is showing through a mottled mass of scars, he puts up his arms and flexes his biceps. Biceps that were almost non existent last year. He throws his t-shirt over his shoulder and sets back down.

Alex- I left for nothing? Are you blind?

Ty- Any man can mold clay into something impressive. You were nothing, nothing more than a footnote below my name. Before I picked you, Bowen. I took the beaten, I took the broken. I made you into something that people now fear.

Alex- I was a monster long before you found me, Ty. You gave me a purpose, I agree. But I re built that damn division and you know it.

Ty- Rebuilt? Look at it now, back to nothing more than rookies swinging sticks.

Ty leans back in his chair. Clasping his hands together he thinks his next statement out. Alex Bowen is a very volatile man, easily hurt by quick words. Ty truly knows what Bowen is made of, for months he stood atop a mountain. He was in a league of his own, Ty needs the man sitting in front of him. But the same is true for Bowen.

Ty- We are men of the same cloth, Bowen. We are both former Mayhem champions. Mayhem exists perfectly in the realm of chaos, but running rookies out of the company really means nothing. What was the great feud that put Bowen on the map? Where is the story of Bowen? Length is an amazing thing. I held my belt for almost a year, but in that year, I had feud after feud with the top talent in the company. What did you have? You had random matches thrown together. Nothing special, just doing what you've been doing for almost two decades. Be proud of what you did, but in my eyes, Alex Bowen's shining accomplishment was joining the chaos. You rounded out the team, with experience and brutality. You are a veteran. I really have no clue how you do what you do, how does one man work through that much pain? No one will ever question you about that.

Gritting his teeth, Bowen barks out

Alex- Steamboat Ricky did...

Ty- That bag of bones? The man who means nothing to the Mayhem division? He just got the strap put on him, that's it. He abandoned that division after he lost the title. He only lays claim to being the first champion. He got lucky with that shot Bowen. You know it, and I know it, A chair in your hands is a dangerous thing. If he would have gotten that chair 2 seconds later, you would have stayed in that match, but you served your purpose. Experience helped you with that elimination, it wasn't luck. It was pure ring experience. Ricky was the lucky man that time. He's lucky he got that chair when he did, or he would have been decapitated.

Alex- I want him, in a match this week. You owe me, Burna. You know that.

Ty looks taken back by Bowen's last statement. With a smile on his face, he leans in.

Ty- If anyone owes anyone anything, it is you. Myles and Bateman were never going to let you back in this company. You are a true loose cannon, Bowen. But I know what you want, but what more can you do for me?

Alex- I want Steamboat Ricky, in a match. No rules, next week on Meltdown.

Ty- You can want in one hand and pour sand in the other. Come back to me after that experiment is finished. Tell me how that went. If you want Steamboat Ricky. You will join the Apostles in a match.

Alex- I will never stand with Chris K.O again. If anything he will grovel at my feet for mercy. You will see that I am right.

Ty- Who said anything about Chris? You will never harm another Apostle. But you will join Alhazred, S.H.I.T, and myself on Meltdown. Since you are in a mood to punish someone. Be it Chris, Or Ricky, I think you will enjoy this match. You will not be facing either of them. But you will face Steven Kurtesy and Celeste Crimson. If you do what I know you can, if you show me the true monster. You will get your match. But I will pick the date, and we will go from there.

Alex- So you want us to take out the trash?

Ty shakes his head as he gets out of his swivel chair. He walks over to Bowen, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Ty- Do you look like the trash can man? Do you think I would use you, or any of my other Apostles in that way? No I will join and fight alongside you. We are one, for the purpose of chaos. Kurtesy and Celeste have been standing in my way for too long. I'm teaching them a lesson, and I could think of no one better.

Alex stands up and smirks. He extends his hand, and in a smooth motion, the harbinger of Chaos seals the deal.

Alex- You have to look no further than me Ty. I will show you what mayhem really means in this match. But after that, I want Ricky. No strings attached, one on one. It is the only way.

Ty- We fought the long war, we are on the home stretch. Bowen, I want you to finish this. I want you to prove to everyone. Prove why you were Mayhem champ for so long. Prove why you go hand in hand with what I am trying to do here. Drop what stood in our way off the face of this company. Prove to me that you deserve Ricky.

Alex- I will...

Ty puts up one finger, he pushes it into Bowen's chest.

Ty- You want it? Prove to me, and you got it, everything you want and more. You've said it enough, but be careful with you wish for. Because you will get it. You were kicked out from this company because you were to violent. Too much for them to handle. I am a fair leader. I know what you want. No mercy, no more rules. Bowen I will cut the chain that is holding you back. You proved that you are here for the long haul and I will let you be you. I will let you be the baddest man to ever step foot in this company. No fan or employee will ever laugh at you again. Help me end this, help me end Crimson, and Kurtesy. It will all be yours.

Alex nods and turns to leave the room, Ty slaps him on the back.

Ty- Remember everything, remember what was said about you before. Use it as you know how to.

Bowen exits out of Ty's office. Turning down the hall, he has a toothy smile on his face. Shaking his head, his eye begins to tweak.

Alex- Thank you for this ammunition...

 

[Ty Burna]

The pain is numbed by the fatigue, but it still remains at least partially. The professor ducks down to grab the injury, allowing Burna to try and hook the other arm. He falls backwards, and Kurtesy follows him down. He seeks to wrap his large, brutish legs around the head, seeking the coup de grace; The Final Séance! Burna tries desperately to lock the move in, but Kurtesy is fighting with the mere might he has left. The attempts of both men are feeble, but the crowd is still fully into this, running high on their own adrenaline. It is Kurtesy however who manages to outthink his now narrow minded nemesis by flipping Ty onto his belly. Noting this, he leaps onto the year long champion and wraps his legs around the waste, and then crosses Ty’s arms; Solitary Confinement! The referee is in position as Ty tries weakly to fight out of the move. He so badly wants to win, but he can’t, he simply can’t get out. His brain is no doubt bruised and lord knows what other injuries he has sustained never mind his opponent. He tries to reach the bottom rope with his foot, fighting destiny, defying fate. He tries and tries, but he fades and fades. His efforts become weaker and Kurtesy nods. The referee checks Ty one more time. He’s unresponsive. He calls for the bell. It is over. Good has triumphed over supposed evil. The fans are jubilant.

The scene continues to play out in black and white, Steven Kurtesy standing triumphant amongst the confetti dropping all around him. As the crowd celebrates alongside him, Ty remains lying on the ground, sprawled out with his face pressed to the mat. Finally as the celebration slowly winds down and Steven Kurtesy makes his final pose at the top of the entrance ramp, the crowd begins to disperse to the exits, yet Ty remains lying on the mat. EMT's and trainers begin to slowly make their way down to the ring. They begin checking on him, though he remains unresponsive to even the basic of questions. His eyes remain shut as they begin to slowly roll him over and onto a stretcher. The scene suddenly transitions to a complete black screen, eerie silence overtaking the final buzz from the crowd as they exit. Suddenly a flicker of light as a Zippo lighter is sparked a short distance from where the camera points. As the camera zooms in, it is able to pick up just the faint outline of a man sitting upon a wooden chair, his leg lifted and crossed over the other. A long white hood prevents his face from being seen, a simple Celtic design can be seen tattooed across his chest as the hoodie is unzipped. Black jeans with various rips and holes run down his legs, ending just over large black combat boots. On his arms various gang affiliated tattoos run up and down covering almost every inch of his skin. White tape can be seen wrapped around the man's wrists and hands, and in his right hand sits the lighter, the light flickering in and out as the man closes the lid and flips it open, sparking the flame with a simple flick of the wrist. His head remains lowered as this continues on for a few moments until Ty slowly begins crawling on the ground, his hair wild and mangled, his eyes glossed over yet seemingly aware of his surroundings. He drags himself to the feet of the hooded man, grabbing hold of his ankle as he tries to drag himself up.

Ty: You.......how?

???: Your lack of consciousness has granted me the opportunity to escape your bindings spirit.

Ty: Im....impossible. The bindings were enough to handle any sort of weak minded fool such as yourself.

???: Is that so? Then ask yourself Apophis, why is it even with the death of the gods that you continue to remain forever trapped on the soil of this world? Please indulge in me, choosing this human for your own selfish goals. And yet the Scarletti has shown themselves this evening Apophis, willing your polar opposite in defeating you. Do you not see the foolishness of your ways?

The hooded figure stops flicking the lighter and the flame remains on, illuminating just the area around the two men. Ty falls to the ground once more but still is able to emit a faint cackle as his breathing becomes more and more haggard.

Ty: You should know better by now Scarabus that I am never struck down forever. Even as we speak my cult has spread across the land, my disease slowly sickening this world, and this time there will be no cursed sun god or feline to strike down the serpent. I will devour this world, this is merely the beginning. The Scarletti are nothing but remnants holding onto a broken ideal. Humans are nothing, they are a plaything to the likes of me Scarabus, just as I tore your mind from your decaying corpse. This vessel is just a tool to be used in time of war.

Scarabus: And yet you stand here Apophis, defeated in human form. Why not reveal your true nature? Show the world the snake that once defied the sun and tried to devour the very light this world was born into? Or have you grown so weak that you must rely on this frail body as your only means of assault? You must envy the dead gods, at least they are not pathetic enough to rely on a human's life as a crutch. They faced their deaths win valor and honor! Where is yours Apophis?! You could not even become champion of the very organization that you possess, defeated by a man who carries the war cry of the very opposition you claim to reign supreme over. Where your supreme power now?! Nonexistant, just as your threats so many millenia, they will fall upon deaf ears.

Ty: One minor set...back. I assure you Steven Kurtesy will pay for ruining my perfect plan. His waist will remain a mere placeholder for the title until I am ready to rip it from his cold dead hands.

Scarabus: Having power does nothing if you cannot use that to your advantage and capitalize on the opportunities you have given yourself. You had every opportunity to end the Ra in the past, yet it was always one minor slip up that cost you and sent you spiraling down into the Chasm of the Delirious. Soon you will see such a defeat again Apophis, even if you are fully aware of the poison within your cult. It will be the death knell of your worshipers, and soon the very death of Chaos itself. What will you do then when your most trusted Apostle takes away all that you have and more? Your prophecy will hold true, but the circumstances will truly be out of your control. You set your travesty in motion every time Apophis, and this will be no different!

The hooded man slowly looks up, his eyes glowing an intense white, cutting through the pure darkness with the simplest of ease. He lowers his leg and kicks Ty hard in the stomach, Ty crumbling around the man's foot in immense pain. Ty rolls over onto his hands and knees, coughing up blood from the attack. He looks up feebly at the man, Ty's eyes faintly glowing red before he collapses to the ground.

Scarabus: Not only have you dragged this human into your game, you have ensnared Pakhet into this war of yours as well. For what purpose Apophis? Do you not see the strain you have placed upon her? Pathetic. Let us end this game Apophis. Chaos will no longer reign over this world, darkness has been defeated and it is time to join your brethren in their eternal slumber.

Scarabus holds his arm out and a simple sword materializes in his hand. He presses the blade up against Ty's neck, forcing Ty to sit up, his head tilted back as the cold steel presses against his jugular. Ty closes his eyes, lifting his hands up into the air as Scarabus slowly circles around Ty.

Scarabus: What final words do you have Apophis?

Ty: So it is written.

Ty lowers his head onto the blade, his eyes suddenly shooting open as he stares up at his former prisoner.

Scarabus: So it shall come to pass.

Scarabus lifts the blade up high into the air, preparing to bring down the killing blow. Ty lowers his head, his eyes closed once more when suddenly a hand grabs hold of the blade from behind Scarabus at the last second. Scarabus lets out a thunderous roar, echoing throughout the darkness as he is able to bring the blade past the hand and down towards Ty. Ty suddenly breaks apart, thousands of black mambas materializing where Ty once stood. Scarabus whips around to see who had stopped his attack momentarily. A look of anger spreads across his face as he yells at the man fallen to his knees.

Scarabus: You fool! We could have ended this nightmare once and for all!

The man has his head lowered, his hands cupped in his lap. Slowly he lifts his head up, revealing a pale faced Ty, only with his hair cut short. He wears torn and tattered jeans and a white shirt. A white fitted cap can be seen sitting to the side of him. This Ty looks up at Scarabus, his eyes revealing him to be blind, his lower lip trembling at the presence of the ancient one in front of him. Ty slowly lifts his hands up to the angered being, his voice weak and soft as he speaks.

Ty: I'm sorry, but I need him if I am to be free.

Scarabus: What are you....

Just then Ty unclasps his hands, a black mamba suddenly forming and lashing out right at Scarabus. The venomous snake suddenly bites Scarabus in the neck as the other black mambas converge on Scarabus, taking the spirit down as terrifying screams of pain now fill the darkness. The pale faced Ty retreats, his arms wrapped around his legs, though his eyes never leave the scene of the horrendous attack. The sword suddenly flings outward from the convergence, landing directly in front of Ty. He reaches out, faintly feeling the handle before slowly pulling the blade off the ground. He holds it in his hands, his fingers slowly feeling along the sharpened edge. Soon there is silence, the spirit silenced and devoured by the serpents. The pale faced Ty places the blade behind him, causing it disappear into the darkness. Just as this happens the black mambas converge together, their mass becoming one faintly outlined figure. Soon a hand emerges, and the illusion disappears, a fully recovered Ty Burna, the Harbinger of Chaos, standing tall. No longer fatigued or injured he stands tall over the pale faced Ty. The pale faced Ty speaks first, his hands reaching out blindly, his fingers feeling the change in energy in the area.

Ty: You need my assistance.

Harbinger: Why would I need your assistance?

Ty: To destroy your enemies. You have had be blind and destitute in my own mind for so long, I now understand the only way for me to be free is to work with you.

The Harbinger crouches down, slowly taking the blind man's hand in his. He gazes down at the man's palm, seeing the clear cut from the blade early. Blood oozes from the cut as the Harbinger squeezes hard on the man's hand.

Harbinger: You are nothing. You should have let Scarabus end me Tyrone.

Ty: But...it is as you wanted, I protected you, you owe me your life.

Harbinger: No Tyrone, it is you who owe your life to me. Without me the people would not know your name. They would not know the tragedy of your story. You are nothing more then a fragment, a fragment that will be erased when I am finished with this all.

Ty: No....please....let me remain free.

Harbinger: I fear you are more trouble then you are worth. Even so, you made the biggest mistake possible Tyrone. You know just as well as I do that even if he had severed the head, it would have done nothing. Only the destruction of my physical embodiment can end my conquest. I fear that your soul will not hold up long enough to see that day!

The Harbinger grabs hold of Ty by the throat and lifts him high into the air. The blind man struggles against the grasp, his attempts to break free becoming weaker and weaker with each moment. Soon Ty passes out, and the Harbinger lifts his free hand up, an obsidian Chaos Symbol slowly rising from the ground. The Harbinger shoves Ty violently into the symbol, Ty's body cracking hard against the stone. Red daggers suddenly form, stabbing through Ty's arms and legs. No blood seeps through, and the blind man does not react, his head merely slumping over, his chin pressed against his chest as the Harbinger begins to laugh maniacally, the laughter becoming deeper and inhuman with each moment. Suddenly the scene flashes back to Dallas Cowboys Stadium in the backstage area. The EMT's have wheeled Ty and have reached the ambulance. The camera points down at Ty's face, his eyes suddenly popping wide open and glowing an intense red. He looks over at the EMT's trying to load him in the ambulance. Ty breaks free of a restraint, his hand wrapping around an innocent medical personnel's throat. He grows loudly as he pulls the man's face right to his.

Ty: Release me immediately.

The EMT's try to reason with Ty, but Ty uses his other arm and breaks free of another restraint. He shoves the EMT in his grasp away from him as he unshackles each restraint, and suddenly standing tall once more, his injuries and fatigue gone in this realm as well. He begins walking down the hallway, the lights above him shattering one by one as he passes.

Ty: I have every card I need. My hand complete, and the others played out in front of me. It is time to end those that have defied me. With full control of WZCW now mine, there will be no more protection for those standing against me. They have declared war with no general to lead their forces. The sun is setting, and soon the serpent will devour the light once more.

The camera focuses on Ty as he continues walking down the hallway, slowly disappearing until suddenly a sound like glass shattering is heard. A red light flashes down the hallway, and then the Chaos Symbol briefly appearing before the feed cuts out.

 

[Miko]

There is a loud crack as Alhazred pulls the string on the party popper, showering S.H.I.T in confetti, as the robot stares straight ahead, completely oblivious to the one man party dancing in circles around it, Alhazred blows a party blower into its face. Still S.H.I.T takes no notice. The former Dr. jumps into the air, back to S.H.I.T and does his best air guitar impression, culminating in him going to both knees, strumming ridiculously in slow motion, head upturned towards the heavens, a silent, wordless scream of emphatic victory etched onto his face and mouth, confetti and used party poppers covering the floor around him.

All this is interrupted by a knock on the door, Alhazred, still locked in his pose glances towards S.H.I.T and does a very good job, using his eyes only, to tell the robot to answer the door. S.H.I.T finally understands a command that it deems useful and moves toward the door.

The man knocking was just an indistinguishable robe, face covered in shadow, he or she does not so much as offer a word of greeting before pushing past the robot, who in any case wasnt offended, and walking straight up to Alhazred who is still locked in a pose that the very best of guitarists would struggle to play a decent cord in. The two exchange words, S.H.I.T unable to hear what is being said, but all the while the robots eyes burn a hole into the back of the new occupants head, not a literal hole of course, S.H.I.T has not been equipped with lasers or other projectile weapons. . . yet. Alhazred visibly loses his former gusto as he climbs gradually to his feet. The man/woman turns, Alhazred nods sourly at whoever it is, but they just seem to stare at the robot before leaving the room.

Alhazred sits down, cupping his chin under both hands.

“Well, business as usual soon then.” He says, no enthusiasm at all in his voice, the usual anger and enjoyment combined not present at all.

We have a match? The robot replies with its usual lack of enthusiasm, and also no anger or enjoyment in its voice.

“Yep! Me, you, Bowen and Ty against Steven Kurtesy and Celeste Crimson. . .”

And Everest and Titus?

“Nope!”

And Everest and Steamboat Ricky? S.H.I.T interrupts again.

“Nope, there is. . .”

And Everest and Gordito?

“THERE IS NO ONE ELSE!” He shouted, before the robot could insert another combination of former Kingdom Come opponents that aren’t involved in their match. “We’ve got a four on two beat down, on Meltdown, hey, good lyrics.” He adds sarcastically.

This is not fair!

“Fair? We’ve never played fair, why would we start now?”

The Machine considered this, by its standards the Apostle’s had played entirely fair up until now, sure there had been beat downs and assaults where they had outnumbered their opponents, but that was just part of the mind games that was this form of combat, only once had S.H.I.T gone into a sanctioned combat situation where it had outnumbered its opponent and at that point it didn’t have a say in the matter. It just did what it was supposed to do. It had taken part in a gauntlet match against two different people at different times, but that was just a series of one on one encounters for one person.
At Kingdom Come, the Apostles had quickly eliminated Gordito, thereby outnumbering them from the outset, but that was after the bell had rung, that was all legal, not strictly legal, not how they did it, but S.H.I.T considered that team WZCW had as much leeway to bend the rules as the Apostles did, and it wasn’t the Apostle’s fault that they did it better. It still wasn’t like this.

Alhazred, recognising the slight pause as one of S.H.I.T’s calculating moments obviously decided that he wasn’t in the mood for it, or any of its speeches.

“I thought we were done!” He wailed, "I thought we could just do what we wanted now the company is in Ty's control, I thought. . .

Perhaps you should request that two more opponents are added to face us! The robot interrupted.

"And all you can think about is what match we've got next." Said Alhazred sadly, heading towards the door and grabbing his coat, he added "I am going outside, I may be some time." Before slamming the door behind him.

The Apostle’s are acting strange, even S.H.I.T could notice, James King was James King of course, an indoctrinated fool. Alhazred though was more erratic than ever, although this could be considered a good thing from S.H.I.T’s view. K.O couldn’t look at the machine without clenching his fists, a fairly typical Human sign that the person wishes to do physical harm to the person he is staring at. S.H.I.T hadn’t expected gratitude, but it certainly didn’t expect almost open hostility for completing its task. Serafina was still useless, Ty Burna was almost unreadable. The only normal person was Bowen, who had just smirked.

What could it do now? Apart from continue with its task.

Where in S.H.I.T’s programming does it state that S.H.I.T must fight fair?

That was it, it couldn’t locate this piece of information anywhere, it went through all of the little orbs inside its own mind, or whatever it could be called in that strange place, but they only contained information about the roster, how to execute moves, allies and enemies. They didn’t focus on things like “principle.”

Where did this notion come from?

Suddenly, as what happens with Humans sometimes, the answer popped out of thin air, which of course S.H.I.T knew to be impossible, obviously it was still searching and found the answer, but was doing the search on autopilot. Nevertheless, the answer was there.

Gustav!

There it was, S.H.I.T wouldn’t think twice about physically destroying an opponent to win a match, it would join in any kind of physical message sending to psyche an opponent out, but some strange part of it felt it was wrong to outnumber you’re opponents. It would soon see to that.

Inside the dark abyss that was S.H.I.T’s mind, it located the orb of Gustav’s, it’s green, like all of the orbs that represent people, a very light green, opening the orb, Gustav's image flashed up, flicking through all of his guises up until this point, information about him listed next to the frequently changing images.

The man of many faces!

S.H.I.T had only one face, it was locked in a permanent snarl, there was no doubting what it was, it made no effort to deceive or trick, it only destroyed what was in its path, what it was told to, it did it well.

Closing the orb, the images vanish, the writing has disappeared. Now the robot closes its hand around the orb, slowly crushing it, it glows brighter green, shining through its hand but the force is relentless, slowly, the orb is completely crushed, leaving nothing but a few sparks all of which fly out in different directions.

S.H.I.T returns to the real world, takes a look at its surroundings, it is still in the hotel room that Alhazred had been attempting a one man party in, confetti still sprayed all over the floor. It had no idea what Alhazred was doing now, but the room was somehow darker and gloomier without him, S.H.I.T wondered if he would return, although this was Alhazred, the machine had grown to know him well, it had no doubt that he would be ready and able when required to meet their opponents. No doubt at all. It cant doubt.

The match against Kurtesy and Celeste will be a 4 on 2 handicap match!

Anybody else would be embarressed to say something like that in an empty room, fortunately S.H.I.T isnt just anybody else, but it seemed the room needed some words to fill it, plus the shadows were lengthening, not that that was a problem, they were only shadows after all, what fear could they hold for a machine?
The sentence however no longer held any reservations for the robot, it was just a simple statement of fact. Now it could get about its business, and its business was physically destroying its two opponents.

Kurtesy and Celeste have both been destroyed by S.H.I.T and its allies before, this Meltdown meeting will be no different!

Another statement of fact, from its perspective anyway, still no reservations, just the intent of physical destruction. Content in its work, it settles down and awaits the return of Alhazred. Or its match on Meltdown, whichever came first. Waiting. In this room. On its own. Alone.

Back inside the dark recesses of its mind, a few green sparks join together to create a very small, miniscule even, bright green orb, in fact it is so small it could barely be considered an orb, but there it was, forming from all of the errant sparks that managed to get away from the robots vice like grip.

This can be explained, much like you’re activity on the internet, you can try to clean it out all you want, delete you're search history, the sites you've been on, but some information will not disappear and can be located by the right person looking for it. All this orb needed was the right person.

 

[Bernkastel]

It was a cool summer day in Sacramento, a rarity in what was sure to be one of the hottest seasons on record. The heat from the unforgiving sun had been parried by thick cloud cover and a light breeze from the north. It was late in the morning, and the streets of downtown were still bustling with pedestrians. The whine from an ultra performance superbike ripped through the air, causing heads to turn in an uncontrolled reaction. The driver parked the red Ducati Desmosedici RR in the parking lot of The Lucid Thorn, a small privately run tattoo shop located next to the heart of the city. She had been craving a day of relaxation to take her mind off of recent events. Celeste walked to the front desk of the shop and took a seat in the waiting room; she had an appointment with the owner of the shop, a woman named Maddie.

She did not have to wait long, as the owner soon greeted her with a smile. “Hello you must be Celeste.”

Celeste stood and greeted her with a smile of her own. The owner was much younger than she thought; she had to have been ten years younger than she was. She was short, spunky girl who sported a retro gothic look. She was covered in a myriad of tattoos which snaked up and down both arms and across the top of her back.

Maddie lead her to one of the rooms in the back of the shop; the walls were covered in photos and drawings of different designs. It was clear to her that the girl was quite a talented artist.

“You requested that you wanted to get one of your tattoos re-inked?” she asked.

Celeste took off her red racing jacket and hung it on a hook by the door. She stripped off her top, exposing her black lace bra. Maddie’s eyes traveled from the hazard symbol on her shoulder, to the crest on her arm, to the names inscribed across the top of her large breasts; she had a mixture of different tastes which defined her personality.

“It’s this one,” she turned and gestured to the large tattoo covering the majority of her back, the mural of the burning yin-yang encircled by a large white tiger on the top, and a great green Chinese dragon on the bottom.

“Wow that’s quite a piece,” the girl marveled. “How long have you had it for?”

“About seven years now.”

The ink had become worn and faded over time, and the bumps she constantly took to her exposed back added to the wear and tear. With the money that she made following Kingdom Come, Celeste had decided to spiffy up her appearance a bit.

“The ink’s been worn down over time, and I thought it would be a good idea to get it replaced.”

Celeste laid her body down across the table and undid the clasps on her bra allowing the artist full access to her back. She folded her arms and laid her head on top of them as she prepared her ink. She didn’t even flinch as she felt the needle pierce her flesh.

“I can tell you’re a veteran at this. You don’t even so much as make a sound when you get poked,” Maddie remarked. “I find it amusing whenever a newbie gets a tattoo, had a girl in here last week who broke out into tears as soon as the needle grazed her skin.”

She laughed, “I wish I could say that I feel the pain, but I can’t.”

Maddie was puzzled, “What do you mean you can’t feel the pain?”

“I have a rare neurological disorder that affects my nervous system; I don’t really feel that much pain in short bursts.”

Emotional pain, however, she felt plenty. The family house that had burned was now being rebuilt; although it was costing her and Laxus an arm and a leg each. It was a necessity that had to be met; her family needed a house to live in right? Those wounds would soon heel; what was burned to the ground would soon be reborn from the ashes. But what was plunged into darkness often did not return to the light. Hours passed, and yet she continued to feel nothing as the needle violated her skin. Some slight discomfort, but that was it.

Maddie lowered the needle and wiped away the access blood, “I think that will just about do it.”

Celeste stood and gazed into the body mirror on the side of the table; her back was raw, but the piece looked spectacular even against her reddened skin. She smiled, “Your talent knows no bounds Maddie. I’ll have to throw in something extra for you.”

She taped up her back, as Celeste made herself decent. She put the rest of her clothes on and paid the artist generously, throwing in an extra hundred as a tip. She stepped back outside into the mid afternoon air; the sun was still blazing overhead, showing no mercy. She pulled her sunglasses from the small glove box and revved the engine, darting out onto the road like a missile. From the ashes she would rise again.

**********​

S.H.I.T. slowly pulls himself up as well as Celeste is back to her feet. She connects with the shuffle side kick, sending him into the corner. Celeste doubles over for a moment before rushing towards the corner, going for a big dropkick but S.H.I.T. counters with Celeste's own Spirit Crusher, catching her in midair! Celeste crumbles to the mat as S.H.I.T drops down, taking a moment to go for the cover. Chris meanwhile sees what's going on and sets Serafina down. The ref begins the count, 1.........2...Chris slides into the ring and dives, trying to break up the pin attempt..........3! Just as the ref's hand hits the mat Chris dives on top of his partner, just missing the pin attempt breakup by a mere moment. The ref signals for the bell as Chris has a horrified look on his face from what just happened.

Harrys: Here are your winners, The Apostles of Chaos, and therefore, the sole owner of WZCW is now Ty Burna!

**********

“This is how individuality dies; the curtain of chaos has dropped over the company.”​

It’s been two weeks since the fallout of Kingdom Come, arguably the greatest pay per view in the history of WrestleZone Championship Wrestling. For some their dreams of holding one of the five prestigious titles had become a reality, for others pride was on the line and for those that lost received a shame worse than death. However, this shame didn’t extend just to the superstars that lost, but even those that won. At Kingdom Come, team WZCW failed in their mission to eradicate the Apostles of Chaos. Celeste Crimson, Titus, Everest, Steamboat Ricky, and Gordito… one by one each of them fell until none remained. Ty Burna now had full control of the company.

Thousands of screaming fans have packed their way into the arena for the Meltdown 74 pre-show signing and met and greet. A yellow taxi pulled into the side parking lot adjacent to the rear entrance. Celeste grabbed her duffel bag and walked towards the double doors. Team WZCW’s defeat at the pay per view had sent shock waves ripping through the company. There were so many people that had put their faith in her to win, and it hurt to let them down so badly. That was until she had time to think about the situation.

She continued to make her way through the arena and back to the production room area for her pre-show interview. Unbeknownst to her, two women were agitatedly expecting her arrival. The blond on the left continued to tap her foot against the floor, while the brunette on her right paced slightly back and forth mumbling some sort of rehearsed jargon.

“I can’t take this anymore!” yelled the blond has she stamped her foot against the ground.

“Stacy, please try to remain professional,” said the brunette in an attempt to calm her coworker down.

“Don’t give me that crap Becky! After everything that we’ve been through, and now this?! I-I just-“

“It’ll be okay-”

“How can you possibly say that? When WCZW lost all of our hopes went with it!”

Becky was at a loss for words; the two of them had several weeks to think about their futures. They quickly came to the conclusion that neither of them wanted to work under Ty Burna.

“I understand Stacy, but-”

“But nothing! It was bad enough working Under Ty Burna as General Manager. I shudder to think what it’s going to be like working under him as Owner.” The blond seethed as she trembled in barely restrained rage.

“I understand how you feel, but please try to keep calm,” Becky cooed as she tried to calm her coworker down. “We’ve still got a job to do.”

The two women are interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. They creased the bickering as Celeste stepped into view. The tension in the air began to grow as all three women began to stare at each other in silence. Stacy stared with her mouth agape at the elephant in the room, as her expression soon turned into a scowl. Becky continued to gawk like a deer stuck in the headlights of an oncoming car.

The smaller blond was the first to react, “You have some nerve; not even so much as an apology for the way you lost at Kingdom Come.”

Celeste batted an eyebrow, but otherwise her expression remained stoic. “What? You’ve got nothing to say to me; to us?” she gestured to her coworker.

“You promised us Celeste; you promised that you wouldn’t lose,” she seethed.

“Are you finished?” asked the larger blond after the woman finished her tirade. “I didn’t promise you anything, and I apologize for nothing.”

Stacy’s jaw fell open, “Are you kidding me?! You told us that if we put our faith in you that you’d bring order back to the company.”

“The outcome was out of my control,” said Celeste with a growl. “You should just accept what happened and move on.”

She was too flabbergasted to even respond; all that came out was a mess of jumbled syllables. She turned to the side as Becky finally found the nerve to speak.

“I apologize for Stacy; we’re both still trying to come to terms with Ty Burna having full ownership of the company. We don’t blame you nor anyone else from Team WZCW for losing; we realize that it’ll was out of your hands-”

Celeste folded her arms and listened to what the brunette had to say, her expressionless disposition never changing.

“I guess we’re both afraid of the future because we don’t know what to expect,” she continued.”I know this defeat must have hard on you as well, as you’ve worked so hard to bring order back to the company.”

She looked back and forth at the two announcers, Becky was now off on a tangent; singing her praises like a pariah in a failed attempt to build her ego up, and Stacy was still seething.

“I was going to ask this in the interview, but I just have to know for myself,” she exclaimed. “Do you have any intention of going after Ty Burna and the Apostles, and putting an end to what you started?”

“I have no intention of doing anything of the sort,” Celeste answered, taking both announcers by surprise.

“What do you mean ‘No’?”

Stacy looked appalled as she brushed past her coworker, “Are you kidding me?”

“I didn’t return to this company in order to play mommy to a bunch of wining babies!” she shouted. “Ty Burna wanted to throw this company in turmoil and he got his wish-”

“Wining babies? How dare you!”

Celeste took a step forward and got right in the smaller blonds face, “You better watch yourself, Madison.”

“Whoa, hold on!” Becky said as the separated the two blonds. “What about all the people that stood by you, Celeste? You can’t just turn your back on us-”

“I rely on no one!” she bellowed, causing the brunette to cower. “Relying on people is how I got myself into this mess. Team WZCW was considered a ‘dream team’ of sorts; we all agreed that the chaos had to be stopped, but we were never unified. And because of that we lost.”

Even with the star power that they had, Team WZCW ended up being a disaster. Titus never fully trusted her, Ricky treated the entire ordeal as if it was a joke, and she only spoke to Everest and Gordito once before Kingdom Come. Perhaps it was ego and arrogance that hindered them; either that or lack of trust. She had come regret the decision of ever forming any alliances within the company.

“From now on, I’m going to do things by myself and for myself. I don’t need anyone’s help getting to where I want to go,” she exclaimed. “The WZCW championship-”

“I still don’t agree with what you’re doing,” Stacy interrupted. “The three of us are some of the few women in the company; we should be sticking together.”

“She’s right,” said the brunette. “You told us that the reason why you came back in the first place was that love had changed you from the person you once were. Isn’t it selfish to turn your back on all of that now?”

“Love as nothing to do with this Becky. I fight alone; it’s a simple concept to understand,” said Celeste coldly. “On Meltdown 74 when I single handedly destroy the Apostles and Ty Burna, I’ll show the both of you what it means to survive on your own. And then maybe the both of you can shut up about this chick clique crap.”

Becky looked hurt, as Stacy just shook her head. “I’m done here Serra,” she said, walking away. “You can do the interview on your own.”

The three women are cut off by the sound of more approaching footsteps. They turn to see Sandy Deserts walking towards them. She appeared to be anxious, and a little agitated. Celeste figured that she must have heard them while walking down the hall.

“Is this the reason why you haven’t returned my calls, Celeste? You better not be planning on betraying us this week-”

She turned to face the smaller highlighted brunette head on. “I wasn’t going to do anything of the sort.”

She frowns and shakes her head, “I thought I knew you better, but now I can’t trust you at all-”

Celeste cracked a smile, “I don’t care whether or not the rest of you trust me or not, even if everyone in the locker room hated me it still wouldn’t change the fact that I’ve got thousands of screaming fans cheering my name every single time I go to the ring; and that’s not ever going to change. All of my success I’ve garnered on my own; relying on people is just doomed as a waste of time.”

“Unbelievable. This how you say ‘thank you’ to Steven and I for having your back? We aren’t going to give up on bringing order back to the company, and as long as he’s the champion there’s nothing to worry about.”

“You’re so naïve Sandy. We both know that Ty would never do something as cowardly as strip him of the title, but it’s only a matter of time before someone beats him. Steven’s days are number, and you know it!”

Sandy growled as Celeste continued to mock Steven, “Unless, of course, you honestly believe that he could go undefeated for a year. How ignorant can you be?”

“Now listen here you-”

She exploded, but is immediately cut off. “I’m going to be the one that defeats Steven for the title. And when it happens I hope we can still be friends, but if not, well, I really don’t care.”

Celeste shot her a deranged look that looked so foreign that Sandy could swear that she was looking at a different person.

“I am tired of being the queen of the cosmos; I put my faith in others and it only brought me misery. Now that Ty Burna has unleashed the chaos, this company can burn for all I care. That’s why I want to return to the way I once was! Cold, ruthless, and merciless!”

Sandy’s heart sunk, “I don’t understand you, Celeste-”

She began to laugh so eerily that it gave Sandy chills, “There was a reason why I was once called ‘The Violent Reactor’, Sandy. Like a nuclear reactor, you don’t know when I can malfunction and become a hazard to those around me. I took pride in the fear I installed in others. And no one, not even Ty Burna, would dare to cross me on his best day. The only difference is that the fans are going to cheer me this time as I run roughshod across this roster on way to my first world title.”

Celeste took a step forward and loomed over the smaller woman as she met her gaze, “This week I’m to destroy the Apostles of Chaos,” she hisses. “I’m going to make all of them suffer for the humiliation they caused me! It isn’t about winning this week; I am going to leave all four of those bastards lying in pools of their own blood. And when Ty Burna stares up at me from the canvas, his body broken and bleeding, he’ll realize that by unleashing chaos onto this company he’s opened a Pandora’s box in me!”

She began to laugh so manically that Sandy actually took a step backwards.

“And if Steven wants to survive, he better damn well stay out of my way.”

Celeste turned to leave, “And one last thing, Sandy, after this match consider the alliance between Steven and I terminated.”

Sandy watched her leave, cursing to herself. The two interviewers, forgotten in the shuffle, could only watch the turmoil unfold like a chilling horror movie. Ty Burna may have unleashed chaos upon the company, but Celeste Crimson was going to be the one to send everything to Hell. The camera never activated.

 

[Viola Moonlight]

Happiness.

It's the emotion that everyone strives to feel; to have a moment where a smile appears on our face and our hearts are warm. For some, they like to achieve this happiness throughout multiple points of their lives... others just wish for it during their last remaining seconds. The code I live by, the order that I have joined requests me to find that happiness within myself so inner peace may become apart of me. I'm a man who has an embarked on a journey to search for this peace whereby I have passed my final challenge; I have defeated one man who has been at the helm of my problems for years and I did it on the biggest stage anyone could ask for in the greatest battle of my life. I not only beat him but I prevented him from attaining the one thing that he has been searching for to make himself complete, the prize that I carry proudly on my shoulder: the WZCW World Heavyweight Championship... but in that time of achieving this, I have achieved so much more: I am a Master of Psychology with the role as a professor; I have made new friends who we share a mutual respect for each other; every other hurdle that I had to tackle through this journey I have overcome without any backlash; and I know who is my soul mate and will always be there for me, for better or for worse. It seems like I have everything I've ever wanted and I definitely fit the criteria of a man who has achieved his goals...

... but why do I still feel empty inside?

Professor. May I speak with you?

My master, the man who has single-handedly put me on this journey and provided guidance throughout, wishes to speak with me... now? For a man who encourages his students to concentrate during a time of meditation it isn't his forte to ask me to stop and talk with him. Usually, he waits until after we have finished but the look on his face makes me sense that this is something urgent. As quietly as possible, I raise myself from the floor, leaving my spot in the candle-lit room and follow him. We make our way outside, transitioning from a dimly-lit room to a brightening outdoors, despite the time being of night. The moon is full and close to the Earth's surface, shining its lunar glow upon us. Although I've spent a majority of time out in the darkness, I've never seen anything so peaceful or illuminated. The master and I continue walking, heading in the direction of the look-out: a great choice for a private conversation.

What is it you wish to speak with me about, master?

The master says nothing for a moment as we both keep walking. He looks up and takes a look around before facing me.

Tonight is such a beautiful night. I've always enjoyed going outside and taking midnight strolls where the moon provides more light than the sun. It allows me to remind myself that even in darkness, there will be light to help guide us. Some days the darkness is too overbearing for us to find that guidance but if we press on, we will eventually get this.

The master lifts his arms up, showing me everything that we see now. I nod as he brings up a very valid point. After a few more steps, we finally reach the look-out and head to the edge, gazing at what the view has to offer us as the wind caresses our bodies. I try to savour the moment with a deep breath but the master interrupts me with a question that ruins the mood:

For a person who has achieved everything along his path, why is it that he has not been able to concentrate on the simplest of spiritual tasks?

Am I really that easy to read? First Stacey, then Sandy and now my master? It seems that everyone who has known me for a long time are able take one glance at me and tell me everything I am thinking at that present moment. It's not really a comforting thought to know: I might want to consider finding some armour to protect myself with... hopefully someone like Celeste Crimson or Drake Callahan cannot see the same things they do.

Whatever do you mean, master?

There is no point in trying to get me to say what is wrong, professor. It is best if the person in question is able to admit it himself... and there is no need to feel ashamed: it is why you and I are standing here alone to discuss this.

He's good. Really good. Despite the fact that I've been helping patients with their mental problems for years and I've always read them like a book, I wish to aspire to be like my master. He does the same thing as I yet he is able to pick up worries or problems through spiritual vibes. That was a quality I would've like to have during my time as a doctor; it would've helped immensely with those difficult patients.

When I came here for the first time, I did so to clear my conscience of everything bad I've ever done in my life so I could start anew with a fresh clean slate. You helped me get in touch with my spiritual side and that has given me a new dimension, which I am eternally grateful. Then I decided to take a spiritual journey to clear everything that reminded me of my darkness where I cleared every obstacle, including the final one when I defeated Ty Burna. I stand here, journey completed but with nothing to show for it. I took the journey so I could achieve inner peace and yet I feel more conflicted than ever.

There should be no reason for you to feel conflicted. You've achieved everything you set out to do, professor and...

Not everything, master.

The master finally stops staring at the view and turns to me with an intrigued look on face, wanting to hear what I have to admit.

Taking down Ty Burna at Kingdom was what was required of me in the collective mission to take down the Chaos. I completed that task and I do feel better for finally beating the man I've feared to face for a long time but my personal mission of beating the Chaos was for them to be removed from power and dissolve into nothing; a job lead by my friend Celeste Crimson. However, she did not win: the Chaos managed to keep the power with themselves. How can I achieve inner peace if we are still under the wrath of darkness?

The master has a smile on his face as I finish speaking. I feel a little annoyed and irritated at this gesture but I wait for his response before I do anything drastic.

The Apostles of Chaos may not have been defeated but you took down their leader. They've retained power for a man who has just lost everything he wanted. He wanted to beat you and take back his prize but you stopped him from attaining both. Ty will be conflicted with himself and with Chaos in charge, everything will soon implode... all you have to do is hold out until the light can be seen through the darkness. Notice how this is a recurring theme, professor?

Yes I do, master... yes I do. Normally a reason like that would suffice and put me at peace but the fact that I could have stopped it much earlier still weighs on my shoulders: I could have been apart of Celeste's team to help take down the power.

I guess I can take solace with that fact... time will just have to tell. I could have missed something, master. I think it might be a good idea to review myself once more.

It might be, professor.

My master puts a hand on my shoulder before nodding and heading off, leaving me at the look-out to think... and I've got a lot to think about. I might have avoided the most difficult part of that conversation with some lies but it has bought me enough time. I need some personal me-time and find out why I feel this way. Why I feel empty inside...

*ring* *ring*

Why do I keep getting interrupted every time I find the time to do some soul-searching? Sandy? What's she calling me for at this hour?

Hello?

Hey Steve... I don't mean to bother you during your time at the monastery but I'm a little worried.

Why, what's wrong?

I've been trying to get in contact with Celeste but she hasn't been answering her phone. What if something's wrong?

I'm sure she's just taking some time off to rest and needs some personal time. That's what I'd do.

She never misses my calls... look, I'm going to get to the bottom of this but please, whatever happens: you take care of yourself, Steve. You've got a huge encounter coming up and the last thing I need is to be worried about two people who I care for.

It's a 4 on 2 handicap match against the Chaos, Sandy. This would be classified as one of those times where no matter what happens in either of our personal lives, Celeste and I are going to have to stick together to battle through the odds. I'm not taking this lightly and if I know Celeste, neither is she. There is nothing to worry about.

What if the two of you end up in hospital beds?

That won't happen. If the event should come up where we could be taken out on stretchers, I hope that there are people in the back who are still loyal to us and are willing to aid us.

You cannot rely on hope to get you through the sticky situations, Kurtesy. Just be careful when its time.

I promise you, I will. I'm not the only one that wants to come home in one peace.

Okay... thank you Steven.

No worries... oh, and Sandy...

Yes?

I take a deep breath.

I just wanted to say: thank you, for everything.

... alright, you're welcome, I guess.

*click*

One day I will let her know but for now, I hope she is doing okay. The last thing I need is the one person who lifts me up from the ground when I'm down is to be down there with me: we'll never get out of that hole should we both fall. I need all the help I can get... and hopefully nothing serious is happening with Celeste because she seems like the only person I can trust these days.

I guess I'll just have to wait and see...