Post by Aloysius Marcus Vance IV on Jun 22, 2023 0:02:17 GMT -6
Episode #22: Battle Lines
Live from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia
Wednesday, June 21st, 2023 at 7pm
Gates open at 6pm
MATCH ONE
Number One Contender Match: Vanguard Championship
Triple Threat/One Fall
Sandra Moore vs. Iida Matsuda vs. Tiffany Lynn Page
Number One Contender Match: Vanguard Championship
Triple Threat/One Fall
Sandra Moore vs. Iida Matsuda vs. Tiffany Lynn Page
DING! DING! DING!
As may be expected for her attitude in general, Tiffany immediately leaves the ring and exhorts Iida and Sandra to go on and fight one another while she observes. Predictably this draws the ire of the fans, who let Tiffany have it. She yells right back at them, preening and taunting them while Sandra and Iida briefly share a look before leaving the ring. Tiffany is immediately surrounded and dives for the apron as her opponents charge. Iida inadvertently knocks Sandra to the floor but doesn’t waste time worrying, instead charging in after Tiffany, who slides out the other side of the ring and takes off! Iida is hot on her heels, though, but when they come around to the other side of the ring, Tiffany skids to a stop and dives aside as the charging Iida runs right into a big shotgun dropkick from Sandra! Tiffany pauses long enough to cheer on this attack but Sandra lives up to her “Quick” nickname and pounces on Tiffany, grabbing her by the hair and slinging her into the ring! Sandra follows after with a shining wizard to a begging-off Tiffany, leading to a quick two-count. Iida is not down for long and returns to the ring, knocking Sandra down from behind and mourning Tiffany, laying in some hard shots to the head before Sandra breaks this up, leading to a brief brawl between her and the Emerald Queen!
Iida, getting the better of a straight-up fight, ducks a right from Sandra and delivers a northern lights suplex for two. Sandra kicks out with some thrust and ducks under a spinning kick from Iida, hitting a pele kick to stun her opponent. A jawbreaker and jumping enzuigiri follow, leading to another two-count while Tiffany takes a breather. Too Sexy picks her spot, though, and when Sandra hits a big backstabber off the second rope, she’s there to shove Sandra aside and try to steal the pin on Iida! Iida kicks out hard at two, frustrating Tiffany. Tiffany starts battering Iida, who throws off the assault with a snarl, lighting Tiffany up which chops while Sandra returns to the ring. Iida wants the Aftershock and Tiffany ducks, the fist nailing a charging Sandra and sending her to the canvas! Tiffany hits the Prima Donna on Iida and goes for a cover, but only gets two! Sandra is next to take a lateral press, but again, Tiffany only manages two before Sandra kicks out! Hitting the mat in frustration, Tiffany focuses her ire on Sandra, laying in some hard stops before pulling her up and whipping her into the buckles. Tiffany charges but Sandra moves to the side, delivering a kick to the back of the head and setting up a Russian leg sweep. Tiffany grabs the ropes to block it, then elbows Sandra in the jaw. Stepping up on the second rope, she goes for a back elbow but is caught by Iida, who hits a German suplex to grind Tiffany into the mat! She quickly goes for the cover, but Sandra breaks it up and tries to steal the pin! Another fight ensues and, once again, Tiffany escapes!
Iida sends Sandra into the ropes but takes a hard dropkick that knocks her into them instead! Sandra charges a second time but Iida elevates her over the top rope! Sandra turns it into a splash on Tiffany, who almost catches Sandra but cannot stop Iida’s own plancha, which wipes out her AND Sandra! Tiffany is rolled back into the ring and Iida follows, this time hitting the Aftershock. Tiffany, still on her feet, goes for the eyes of Iida and stalls her, setting up Alluring. Iida goes down hard, but gets a foot on the ropes for two… though it appears that Sandra might have put her foot there! Tiffany, thinking that exact thing, yells at Sandra, who gets back into the ring for a brief brawl, which Sandra briefly gets the better of until a few hard closed fists to the nose from Tiffany stall things again. Tiffany goes for a German of her own on Sandra, who continually blocks it, but Iida comes in and straight-up Germans BOTH women! With Sandra and Tiffany both down, Iida looks to finish things off, but Brianna Matthews comes down while the referee is checking on Tiffany and Sandra, blasting Iida upside the back of the head with what looks like a purse of some kind! But that bad boy has to be loaded, because Iida drops hard! Tiffany is up first but is waylaid by Sandra, who avoids the Prima Donna and shoves Tiffany into the ropes, hitting an apron knee strike! Clock Strikes Midnight connects and Sandra gets the one-two-three before Tiffany can break up the pin!
DING! DING! DING!
Spirit Montego: And your winner… the new number one contender to the Vanguard Championship… SANDRA MOORE!
Jacob Frankel: Sandra gets the win here, but Brianna sticking her nose in really mussed things up! Guess she still has beef with Iida, but in my opinion it was a bad idea to do that to the Emerald Queen.
Bernadette Olson: Iilda isn’t the sort to let that slide. As for Tiffany, I’m sure she’ll be loaded with excuses…
Winner: Sandra Moore
Result: Pinfall at 10:28 (Clock Strikes Midnight)
BACKSTAGE SEGMENT
Back on Top
Cordelia Clark is definitely beaming when the cameras come on her. She’s definitely feeling that awesome mood as she begins her second reign as the HYBRID Vanguard Champion but at the same time, she knows that there is still work to be done. Her determination in her eyes is as strong as ever as she begins to speak.
Cordelia Clark: First off, I am STOKED to once again be the HYBRID Vanguard Champion! It was definitely an uphill battle for a while dealing with Aleki Kekoa and all of that. The son of a bitch… and considering I rarely swear and I’m calling him that should say something… yeah, did put me through hell on multiple occasions and he was one tough customer, I will give him that due. He nearly broke my spirit and there is not many that I can say that about. He came pretty darn close to being the second person in this business that actually did. But I never gave up. I could’ve just lied down and admitted that he was better than me, but that wasn’t going to happen. Now, I wasn’t surprised that I beat him to regain this Vanguard Championship. I AM surprised by HOW I did it. I didn’t think he would actually tap out but… apparently…
Cordelia takes a bit of an awkward pause knowing she’s about to address an elephant in the room.
Cordelia Clark:...he got hurt at some point during the match? It was something about his shoulder from what I heard leaving Atlanta two weeks ago. To be fair, I might have been a bit harsh when I tweeted that he got what he deserved because ultimately, I would never wish injury upon anyone. However, as the saying goes: for every action there’s a consequence. I don’t wish ill will upon him. I’m not, in any way, saying that I am happy that he got injured. I’m never happy when someone gets hurt in that ring. But injury aside, he had it coming to him. I was chomping at the bit for my revenge and that’s exactly what I did because I was never going to stand for the fact that he tried to injure me as he wound up taking this title from me and driving my morale straight through the ground.
So now? I managed to regain this…
Cordelia takes another pause as she looks at her Vanguard Championship with pride. She’s even able to crack a smile for a brief second as she’s definitely happy about the uphill battle that she overcame to regain a title that was really beginning to mean the world to her when she lost it.
Cordelia Clark:And the name of the game is similar to when I held this before! Only, this time? I admit that there is going to be a little more increased scrutiny surrounding me. I am very well aware that as time has gone on, I’ve drawn my fair share of increased praise from some and at the same time, I’ve also drawn my share of increased criticism from others and hey, I’m not upset about it. It comes with the territory when you rise up the ladder. It’s not always going to be easy to contend with the growing spotlight surrounding you and I know that there are going to be people lining up to take this title from me just like before but this time? There’s definitely a greater motivation at play. See, I’ve got to get to Heatstroke with this championship and then I’ve got to defend this title. I can do that. I will do that. But when the time comes, I AM going to retain it and I’m going to go as far as saying that I’m going to turn around what has been a not so great record on Pay-Per-Views considering the last time I wrestled on one… I LOST this title to begin with.
Well, with this coming Pay-Per-View? It’s NOT going to happen again! This time, I AM going to turn it around. I WILL continue to prove that I deserve this title, that I deserve my spot on this roster and that in due time, I will continue to prove to myself and to so many people why I am not only one of the brightest rising stars in this company, but also in this entire business. The journey I’ve taken here has definitely been hard sometimes, but I’ve been able to push through and persevere and all it’s done is made me so much stronger and so much more confident in my abilities.
When I defend this title at Heatstroke, that’s exactly what you’re going to be seeing!
Cordelia continues to exude her confidence as she turns and makes her exit from the scene.
MATCH TWO
Singles/One Fall
Captain Cosmo w/Aiden Marino vs. Samantha Tolson w/Gigi Nova
Singles/One Fall
Captain Cosmo w/Aiden Marino vs. Samantha Tolson w/Gigi Nova
DING! DING! DING!
Cosmo starts things off by offering a handshake and Samantha reciprocates. Aiden is giving advice from the Calinauts’ corner while Gigi cheers on her partner, their titles over both her shoulders. Samantha’s experience and grit is on display right off the bat, easily slowing down and keeping stationary Cosmo. Invariably, he finds ways to worm out of the tag champion’s grip, frustrating her with his antics. It’s very much like trying to hold on to a snake and, from the looks of Aiden, he’s pleased with his partner’s progress. Samantha, however, puts an end to things while Cosmo is courting the fans, delivering a hard deadlift German that drops Cosmo on his head, bridging into it for a quick two-count. This rattles the painted Cosmo and Samantha keeps the pressure on with some knee strikes and a gutwrench slam leading to another quick pin. Cosmo rolls from the ring and referee Kara Tarantino keeps Samantha from following as the Calinauts briefly have a strategy session on the outside. Samantha maintains her patience for a moment or two, but then circumvents the official and leaves the ring to confront their future title opponents. Aiden blocks her way as Cosmo rolls back in, and he is able to hit a baseball slide on Samantha! The tag champ is knocked into the barricade from the hit and Cosmo goes to slide her back into the ring but gets reversed, being shoved chest-first into the apron before being rolled in himself.
Samantha goes in after him and immediately attempts a lateral press, getting two. She waistlocks him and pulls him to his feet for another German suplex, holding on for a second one. Cosmo holds the ropes to block a third, then miraculously flips out of that third after being wrenched loose. Even he can’t believe it, to the point that he only narrowly ducks a clothesline from Tolson, hitting a European uppercut followed by a back body drop. His pin attempt only gets two, but Cosmo seems to be feeling it. The Cosmo Kick is avoided and the Mind Your Head is… confusingly avoided when panic makes Cosmo fall back, causing Samantha to charge past and nearly out of the ring. Cosmo rolls her up from the back but only manages two. Samantha gets behind him and delivers a tiger suplex for two, then a dragon suplex for two more. The constant landings on the head and shoulders are wearing Cosmo down, but a hard Irish whip into the corner leads to him running up to the top rope and sailing off with a twisting body press for a very close near-fall on Tolson. This gets Cosmo pumped again and the crowd is at his back. Samantha puts a stop to his barrage with a hard running forearm, though, sending Cosmo into the ropes where he recoils into a belly-to-belly overhead suplex. The Ode to Japan keeps the pressure on but Cosmo kicks away a charge in desperation. Another Cosmo Kick is lined up but Samantha gets under him for a leg-trap suplex, following up with Beautiful Oblivion Rendezvous for the one-two-three!
DING! DING! DING!
Spirit Montego: And your winner…
Jacob Frankel: And Samantha Tolson puts away Captain Cosmo! But Cosmo gave the veteran a heck of a fight! Can’t ever count that dude out!
Bernadette Olson: This should build the champs some momentum going into Heatstroke, but will it be enough for them to retain the titles?
Winner: Samantha Tolson
Result: Pinfall at 9:29 (Beautiful Oblivion Rendezvous)
BACKSTAGE SEGMENT
An Open and Shut Case
Within the State Farm Arena of Atlanta, Georgia, a camera wanders aimlessly backstage in search of something exciting. It doesn’t take long before it captures the visual of the Hybrid rEvolution Iron Heart Champion, Nathaniel Dixon, waltzing down the hallway in a peculiar direction. Though there’s still time before his match, he’s dressed in his ring attire with the Iron Heart and the Splat Network MultiUniversal Championships across each shoulder. He finally stops before a door and knocks thrice.
Nathaniel Dixon: It is Your Lord of Charisma. I believe I was summoned by Vance the Fourth.
There’s a moment of silence. Then, slowly, the sound of footsteps approaches the door. It opens inward and the camera pans out to reveal Forge standing at the doorway. Despite his intimidating presence, Nathaniel’s lips slightly curl up to form a half smile as he looks up at the President of the Chrome Dragons New Orleans Charter. Forge narrows his eyes before he speaks up.
Trenton Mitchell: ...are you sure about this?
“I’m sure, Trenton. Now let him in.”
It’s clear Forge was addressing Aloysius when the CEO himself answered the question. Nathaniel simply waits for Forge to move aside. There’s a soft “tch” from the Chief Security Officer before he steps aside and allows the Owner of Dixon Corporate Enterprises into the office.
Aloysius Marcus Vance IV: Good evening, Mr. Dixon. Trenton, would you mind closing the door for us?
This prompts Forge to raise an eyebrow. He looks at the two for a moment before he shakes his head and closes the door -- without the cameraman being able to follow Nathaniel inside. It comes as a surprise, but there’s no trying to bypass that brick wall of a man.
MATCH THREE
Tag Team/One Fall
Lil’ Dream Machines vs. Duplex Royale
Tag Team/One Fall
Lil’ Dream Machines vs. Duplex Royale
DING! DING! DING!
Halo and Mikaela Callaway start this match off for their respective teams as the bell rings and the two start to circle the mat. Halo has a clear height advantage on Mikaela but it doesn’t seem to phase her much if at all. On the ring apron, Jessie Robinson starts a clap in support of her fellow Queen of Chaos. Across from her, Brittany Williams stands on the Dream Machine’s side talking smack towards Halo’s opponent. Mikaela seems to be ignoring it at first until she suddenly turns around and rushes up, knocking Brittany off of the apron with a forearm and sends her crashing to the floor, much to the delight of the fans. Halo seizes the opportunity with Mikaela’s back turned and rushes in with a few heavy forearms across her back in the corner. She pulls her out of the corner into a waistlock but Mikaela braces her feet and breaks the hold with her thumbs. Mikaela switches around, looking to deliver a German Suplex on Halo but Halo throws a back elbow at her head and reclaims the rear waistlock position. Now Halo goes for a German Suplex but Mikaela dips her upper body forward and pulls Halo down into a Cazador and grabs onto her legs. That’s a cover!
ONE!
TWO!
KICKOUT FROM HALO!
TWO!
KICKOUT FROM HALO!
Mikaela makes quick work of getting to her feet and Double Foot Stomps Halo on the mat before she can regain her bearings. Halo has the wind knocked out of her and Mikaela grabs her up and hits an Irish Whip, sending her slamming into her and Jessie’s corner. Mikaela comes in with a Running Knee Lift, combined with a tag to Jessie Robinson who quickly gets into the ring. Mikaela whips Halo off of the ropes and drops down as she comes back her way. Halo goes to hop over Mikaela’s prone form and before her feet touch the ground, Jessie pops up and catches her right in the kisser with a beautiful Dropkick! Mikaela rolls out of the ring as Halo hits the mat hard. Jessie stays on the quick offensive and hits the ropes for a Lionsault to Halo, hooking the bed.
ONE!
TWO!
HALO KICKS OUT AGAIN!
TWO!
HALO KICKS OUT AGAIN!
At this point, Brittany Williams makes it back up to the apron and starts screaming at the referee about what Mikaela did. How dare she lay hands on a Princess like that! Jessie looks back and forth between Brittany and Mikaela as the two start throwing shade back and forth from their corners. Jessie shrugs at the crowd and takes a big double step, delivering a Superkick to Brittany and she’s off the apron again. Now the crowd’s laughing their asses off! It costs Jessie, however, as she goes to grab Halo again and the tall blonde throws her arms out, sweeping Jessie’s hands away and nails her with a forearm. Jessie sways and Halo hits her again and now she’s rocked. Halo grabs Jessie, whips her off the ropes and looks for a clothesline on the rebound but Jessie ducks underneath. Halo spins around as Jessie comes off the ropes on the other side and looks for a Lou Thesz Press but Halo catches her under her butt, spins out and slams her into the mat with a kneeling Spinebuster! Halo folds Jessie over and the ref hits the deck.
ONE!
TWO!
KICKOUT BY JESSIE!
TWO!
KICKOUT BY JESSIE!
Halo shoves her legs aside and leans forward, starting to ground and pound her on the mat with elbow after elbow after elbow. She pulls the Lil Bean up by the arm and hoists her up for a Stalling Suplex. She starts to go for a cover again but Brittany’s up on the apron again, jumping up and down with her arm out for a tag. Halo shrugs and tags her wife in. Brittany immediately slides in and goes for a cover but Jessie kicks out before the ref can even start to count as she’s had a few seconds to catch her breath. Brittany glares at Jessie and starts slamming her head into the mat with handfuls of her hair. Mikaela leans through the ropes, screaming at the ref to do his job but this only makes the referee turn their attention to her instead, allowing Brittany to up the dirty antics. She leans Jessie against the middle rope and presses her knee on her back, choking her out. This, in turn, keeps Mikaela from complying with the referee’s instructions, instead trying desperately to get their attention on what Brittany’s doing. To Halo’s credit, she calls out to her wife and appears to be arguing with her. Brittany lets up on the choke and there’s a bit of a verbal dispute between the spouses but now, Mikaela’s back through the ropes and the referee can turn their attention back to the match. Brittany rolls her eyes at Halo and complies, seemingly, but goes right back to putting the boots to Jessie with her hands on the top rope. The referee orders her to let go and Brittany throws her hands up, sticking her tongue out at them. She goes to the top rope, looking to showoff and hit something big but as she comes sailing through the air, Jessie’s had just enough time to make it to her feet and catches Brittany with a Superkick, sending them both down to the mat.
Mikaela calls for a tag to Jessie and the Queen Bean starts crawling her way towards her. Brittany makes it up to her feet and tries to stop her by grabbing her by the leg but Jessie pushes up and Mule Kicks Brittany off of her, rolling forward and hot tags Mikaela back in! Mikaela immediately goes gunning for Brittany but B-Brat scrambles back away from her and slaps Halo on the shoulder, tagging her in. Mikaela taunts Brittany to come back in and go a round because she thought Brittany wanted a piece of her. Brittany flips her hair, looks up and away and makes “talk to the hand gesture. Mikaela starts clapping and gets the crowd to start chanting “Chicken Shit.” This sends B-Brat into a fit and she slaps Halo on the back, tagging herself back in. Halo shrugs and gets back out on the apron as Brittany gets back in and now her and Mikaela bump up against each other and the two Brats of their respective groups start firing off with the trash talk. Mikaela shoves Brittany back and offers her a free shot. Brittany angrily slaps her across the face and the crowd responds with an instigative “ooooooh”. Mikaela paintbrushes Brittany right back. Brittany gasps like that took two cups of audacity and a dash of nerve and thumbs Mikaela in the eye. Brittany grabs a handful of hair and starts firing off with the elbows until the referee calls her off. She keeps hold of the hair and Snapmares Mikaela to the mat then hits the ropes for a Springboard Legdrop and goes for a cover.
ONE!
TWO!
MIKAELA KICKS OUT!
TWO!
MIKAELA KICKS OUT!
Brittany pulls Mikaela up and the two lock up, collar and elbow where they start a trade off of Armdrags and close call kicks and lariats, just barely missing each other. Brittany gets the upperhand with a Basement Dropkick off of a rope rebound to a leg of Mikaela’s and she goes down clutching her knee. Brittany pulls her up by the hair and moves her to Dream Machine’s corner where she tags in Halo. Halo steps into the ring and lifts Mikaela up onto her shoulders in an Electric Chair lift as Brittany climbs to the top turnbuckle. Dream Machine’s clearly going for “I.E.M (Incredibly Expanding Mindfuck)” but before she can dive off, Lil Jessie Bean has made it around to their corner and hops up onto the apron, hitting a rope assisted Enzugiri that sends Brittany crashing to the mat. At the same time, Mikaela manages to twist around the other way on Halo’s shoulders and goes for a Hurricanrana but Halo stops her and powers her back up. It looks like she’s about to Powerbomb Mikaela until Jessie hops up onto the turnbuckle and dives off, hitting a Missile Dropkick right into her own tag partner’s back. The impact sends Halo falling back with Mikaela on top of her and Mikaela catches her legs for a cover!
ONE!
TWO!
T–HALO KICKS OUT!
TWO!
T–HALO KICKS OUT!
In the process, she shoves Mikaela off of her and sits up right into a Tornado Kick from Jessie knocking her back down to the mat! The referee starts trying to restore some order to the match as Jessie grabs Mikaela by the hands and hastily drags her over to their own corner. She steps back through the ropes, leans over and tags herself in legally. Jessie makes quick work of running along the apron to the closest neutral corner to Halo and hops up onto the turnbuckle. She starts calling for “Fist Bump” but as she prepares to take flight, Brittany repays the favor from just a moment ago and yanks her foot off, causing Jessie to fall and catch herself on the turnbuckle. She shoves her off, down to the mat and starts frantically shrieking for Halo to get her. Halo rubs her jaw and rises back up, picking Jessie up onto her shoulders. Brittany hits the top turnbuckle and bounds right off of it, completing “I.E.M” by hitting a Doomsday Blockbuster which sends Jessie crashing to the mat. Halo spins out and just lets herself fall over Jessie for the cover.
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
DING! DING! DING!
TWO!
THREE!
DING! DING! DING!
Spirit Montego: Here are your winners, the team of Brittany Williams and Halo, THE LIL’ DREAM MACHINES!
Bernadette Olson: Well, it wasn’t exactly the cleanest of matches, though no fault to Halo herself but it’s a solid victory for her Hybrid debut!
Jacob Frankel: You can say that again, Bern!
Winners: Lil Dream Machines
Result: Pinfall at 12:28 (I.E.M)
Result: Pinfall at 12:28 (I.E.M)
RINGSIDE SEGMENT
Turning Up The Heat!
Turning Up The Heat!
Halo and Brittany continue to celebrate as Jessie Bean starts recovering on the mat. Mikaela’s still on the outside floor, trying to get herself back up. As En Vogue’s “Free Your Mind” continues to play, the crowd’s boos grow louder as Jane Harper and Chiaki Sanada of the Gutter Ballet come walking down towards the ring.
Jacob Frankel: Oh now, what the hell are they doing out here?
Bernadette Olson: It could be argued that they’re here to congratulate their comrades on their win but I highly doubt that’s the case.
That proves to be true as Jane and Chi Chi come around the corner of the ring where the commentary table is and Jane immediately grabs Mikaela, throwing her over the commentary table and almost right into Bernadette and Jacob. As this is going on, Chi Chi shoves the timekeeper out of their seat and grabs the chair, snapping it closed. Jane stays on the outside as Chi Chi slides into the ring and looms over Jessie Robinson. The Queen Bean is barely up on one foot before Chi Chi whacks her over the back with the chair!
Jacob Frankel: Oh come on now! The match is over! You girls won!
Bernadette Olson: This is uncalled for! Adding insult to injury!
Jacob Frankel: Mikaela, get up! Jessie needs you!
Before Mikaela can react, Jane pulls her off of the table and lifts her up onto her shoulders. The crowd reacts in horror as Jane delivers an Apron Bomb to the Brat Queen! Inside the ring, Chi Chi stands over Jessie with the chair. Halo looks to be trying to reason with her but the Roppongi Kitsune stops her with a hand on her shoulder and pats it, almost reassuringly before looking at Brittany. The two women who have always seemed at odds with each other lock gazes…and Chi Chi shoves the chair into her hands, pointing at Jessie as a command. Brittany shrugs and raises the chair for a shot but Chi Chi throws up her hands stopping her. She shakes her head and points to Jessie’s legs.
Chiaki Sanada: Break it.
Brittany actually stops for a moment, looking a bit hesitant. Chi Chi shouts again.
Chiaki Sanada: Break it!!
Halo tries to step in and be the voice of reason but Chi Chi turns around and angrily motions to her shirt, essentially telling her this is the Gutter Ballet, not the Shieldmaidens. She turns back around to Brittany and motions to her shirt again.
Chiaki Sanada: You want in group?! You prove! Break it!!! Break it!!!! BREAK IT!!!!!
Brittany’s expression hardens and she quickly slides one of Jessie’s ankles through the fold of the chair. Chi Chi drops down to her knees and holds her down by the wrists. Halo starts to look panicked but doesn’t have it in her to get into a physical altercation with her wife or her friend. Chi Chi says to Jessie.
Chiaki Sanada: Eye for eye bish!!!!!
Brittany raises her foot to go for a stomp but looks to the corner and opts to climb the turnbuckle to make sure she gets the job done.
Bernadette Olson: Oh my god, no!!! Don’t do it!!! Please don’t do this!
Jacob Frankel: Somebody’s gotta put a stop to this! For the love of God!
Just then, the audience explodes into a pop as here come more of the Queens of Chaos, hightailing it down the ramp! Jessi Ozborne, leading the charge with Risa Saito and their manager Ollie The Peanut Man! The three slide into the ring and all hell breaks loose as Risa Saito slams into Chi Chi Sanada with a spear, taking her down to the mat and the two start fighting! Jessi Ozborne grabs Brittany Williams by the legs and yanks her back down to the floor and starts working her over in the corner! As Halo’s finally moving into action to help the Gutter Ballet, she’s intercepted by Ollie who starts trading blows with her! Jane Harper slides into the ring and pulls the chair off of Jessie Robinson’s leg, ready to use it as a weapon. She does a quick turn around to decide which Queen of Chaos to strike first but in the time it takes her to do this, Jessie Bean makes it back up and Superkicks the chair back into her face! Bean slides out of the ring to get Mikaela up to her feet, then slides back in to rejoin the fray.
Bernadette Olson: Pandeminium in the All State Arena!!! The Gutter Ballet and the Queens of Chaos continue to be at each other’s throats!!
Jacob Frankel: And here comes the equalizer!
As Jacob says this, Halo’s twin sister Rain comes sprinting down to the ring and now both sides are evened out as Rain goes for a Big Boot on Jessie but before she can hit it, Jessie rolls under the leg and Mikaela Callaway comes springboarding back into the ring and hits Rain with “Mjolnir (Phenomenal Forearm!!)” The massive brawl continues before a booming voice comes over the speakers.
Trenton Mitchell: Hey, hey, hey!! Enough!! That’s fucking enough!!! Every goddamn one of y’all!!
The Head of Hybrid Security shouts into a microphone as he comes running down the ramp before tossing it aside and slides in where he starts easily pulling everyone apart. It takes a moment, but he manages to split the two teams of five into separate corners of the ring
Jacob Frankel: Yeah, you don’t wanna make the big dog angry!
Bernadette Olson: God, I love it when he takes control like this.
Jacob Frankel: Uhh, Bernie?
Bernadette Olson: Oh! Uh, ahem, excuse me…
Forge looks ready to throw hands himself if either side tries anything when a much calmer, more collected voice is heard throughout the arena as Aloysius Marcus Vance IV comes out onto the stage.
Aloysius Marcus Vance IV: Forge. Forge, it’s fine. I got this. I appreciate you doing your job, though. Please, stay right where you are. The rest of you in the ring listen close. This is getting out of hand. The lot of you have been turning this company, my company, upside down with your crap since before this year even started. Now, I get–hey, no. Listen to me.
Aloysius says this as Jessi Ozborne starts to shout back about what the Gutter Ballet have been doing. Even so, the owner of Hybrid remains calm and collected.
Aloysius Marcus Vance IV: I understand how you feel. Believe me, I agree with you. Just listen to me. You all have your differences but I am not going to let you continue to run amok at ringside or through the backstage area. I tried to let some of you settle this at Stormfront. Clearly, that wasn’t enough and we need to let you have another go at it. So this time, all of you are going to be in a match. Now, I understand that with this many people, one cage isn’t enough to contain ten hotheads. I’d go so far as to say that one ring isn’t enough. So here’s what we’re going to do. One month from now. Heatstroke. Two teams. Five members each. Two rings. One cage. You all will have, I’d dare say the honor of competing in what will be Heatstroke’s staple match every year. You don’t have to like each other. You don’t have to even respect each other. However, mark my words, after this match, you are done tearing this place apart like packs of wolves fighting over the last scrap.
Jacob Frankel: Lay it down, boss man!
Bernadette Olson: Two rings, one cage? That sounds amazing!
Aloysius continues as he has all of the Queens of Chaos’ and Gutter Ballet’s attention now.
Aloysius Marcus Vance IV: Now on the next Vanguard, we’re going to decide entry advantage. I think that’s something the respective figureheads can settle between each other. So on Vanguard #23, Jessi Ozborne and Halo will go one on one to determine which team will have a temporary number’s advantage as each competitor alternates entering the cage. It should go without saying, as well, Queens of Chaos? I’m sorry to inform you that Alexis Lemon is also preoccupied at Heatstroke so you ladies will need to find a fifth. Mind you, I’m more than willing to sign a temporary contract if you’d like to call in one of your many colleagues.
The Queens look around at each other, trying to figure out what to do when Ollie steps up to Jessi and taps his chest.
Ollie: No hey, let me! You need someone? I’ll do it!
The Queens look at Aloysius, seeking to confirm and the owner extends a hand, motioning to Ollie.
Aloysius Marcus Vance IV: If you’d like to step up to plate, come see me in my office and we’ll get you signed as a competitor.
There’s a look of relief on the Queens’ faces as the crowd cheers and Ollie pops for the decision, hugging Jessi and the rest.
Aloysius Marcus Vance IV: It seems as though we’re all in agreement. Now if you’d be so kind…we have the rest of the show to put on. Get out of my ring and stay away from each other for the rest of the night. As a matter of fact: go home. Cool your heads because in one month…
Aloysius cracks a cheesy grin and laughs to himself. He knows this is about to be a bad joke.
Aloysius Marcus Vance IV: You’re all gonna Feel The Heat.
With that said, Aloysius excuses himself and leaves it to Forge to make sure the two teams disperse and go their separate ways as the crowd is left anticipating this newly announced “Feel The Heat” match.
RINGSIDE SEGMENT
Conditional Violence
Conditional Violence
HYBRID returns to ringside. After a few moments, X by Poppy hits as the arena is flooded in red light. After the music slows down, Katie Simmons steps out onto the stage, her husband, The Colossus, not by her side.
I wanna love everyone
Empty every bullet out of every gun
Please take me back to where we began…"
Katie grins and waves to the camera on her before she begins walking down the ramp, ignoring the reactions from the fan aside from blowing a few mocking kisses to those booing from the front row. She walks up the ring steps and climbs into the ring between the middle and bottom ropes. She walks towards the ringside tech area and holds out her hand, waiting for a microphone. Which she quickly receives as the lights come back up. As the lights return to normal, her veil of amusement also falls as she looks more annoyed now.
Katie Simmons: All right, all right. I don’t want to be out here for too long so let’s just get to it. You all saw the tweets, you know why I’m here. Lemon, get out here.
Simmons crosses her arms and turns towards the entrance way, waiting for her guest. After a few long moments of silence, The Siren’s frustration visibly grows by the second.
Katie Simmons: Don’t worry, little witch. My big and scary husband isn’t around. Nobody will knock you out again! This conversation is woman-to-woman. Assuming you’re anything more than a scared little kid, of course!
The redhead glares up the entrance way until the tron lights up and Freak by KISS begins to play, signaling the arrival of Alexis Lemon. The Rascal Witch meanders out onto the stage with a sly grin on her face, glancing over her shoulder every few steps. Just in case there’s a monster lurking behind her.
Once Lemon reaches the ring, she walks around it, much to the annoyance of Simmons. Lexi grabs a microphone before finally, slowly entering the ring. She stands across from The Siren, who does not look pleased. She raises the mic to speak but is quickly cut off.
Katie Simmons: I am so sick of you. I’m sick of you getting in my husband’s way. I’m sick of you sticking your nose into his business. I am sick of you constantly coming back like a cockroach during the apocalypse.
Lexi raises the mic again but is once again cut off.
Katie Simmons: Now, while it would be fun to keep watching Damian beat the juice out of you over and over again, he’s far too important to this company to be stuck dealing with a spoiled kid.
Katie looks down at the floor, debating with herself over whether she should say what she wants to say. Seeing her chance, Lexi goes to speak again.
Alexis Lemon: Look, I-
Just in time for Katie to speak up again.
Katie Simmons: So I’m going to take care of you myself!
Lexi immediately stops talking as her mouth hangs open in surprise. Katie, however, doesn’t look like she’s joking.
Katie Simmons: I’m going to fight you myself. And then, once I’ve softened you up, Damian will finally put you in the ground where you belong!
Lexi can’t help but laugh at the words her opposition is saying. With a smirk, Lexi finally responds.
Alexis Lemon: So… What you’re saying is… You’re challenging me to a match?
Katie nods and says yes without the use of a mic. Lexi responds by simply laughing in her face.
Katie Simmons: I’m going to make Damian’s life easier by beating you myself. And then, once he whips you, you’ll be out of our hair forever.
Her sneer slowly turns to a mischievous grin.
Katie Simmons: Unless of course… you’re scared.
Lexi reciprocates Katie’s smirk with one of her own.
Alexis Lemon: You’re letting me fight you? Just you and me, nobody to stop me from ripping that radiant hair out of your head? Say less!
Katie’s smile only grows at Lemon’s agreement. She goes to speak but this time she’s the one to be cut off.
Alexis Lemon: On one condition.
Katie’s smile falters, being replaced by a sneer again.
Alexis Lemon: When I beat you, I get to pick the stipulation for my match with your guard dog.
The Siren stays quiet for a moment as she thinks it over. Before long, she finally decides.
Katie Simmons: Fine. But when I win, my hubby and I get to pick the match.
Simmons punctuates her statement by holding her hand out for Lemon to shake. With a confident smirk, Lexi gleefully accepts the handshake. Katie just grins evilly as she squeezes Lemon’s hand tight. Lexi goes to pull away but finds she can’t without a bit of effort. Soon enough, however, she pulls away…
…Just as she’s grabbed from behind by Damian, who reaches over the ropes to grab her! However Lexi’s ready for this. She quickly retaliates with a pele kick, stunning The Juggernaut just enough for him to let go! Lemon quickly rolls out of the ring before Katie can get ahold of her, smirking and laughing at the couple as she makes her way up the ramp.
Katie screams at the witch as she retreats up the ramp, waving at the pair while responding with “See you next time” until the scene fades out.
MATCH FOUR
Singles/One Fall
Brianna Matthews vs. Nathaniel Dixon
Singles/One Fall
Brianna Matthews vs. Nathaniel Dixon
DING! DING! DING!
Despite the recent accomplishments of Nathaniel Dixon, Brianna Matthews doesn’t seem too impressed by him. Regardless, Nathaniel extends his right hand out to her for a handshake. Brianna stares at his hand momentarily before she scoffs and moves into her fighting stance. A soft chuckle escapes Nathaniel as he stands at the ready.
Once the bell rings, Nathaniel beckons Brianna to make the first move. She does so without hesitation, sending him onto the mat with a surprising double-leg takedown. Brianna swings rights and lefts with such ferocity. Nathaniel raises his arms to block some of the shots before he swiftly kicks her off. She’s quick to react, however, backpedaling to rebound off the ropes and nail him with her signature Running Low-Angled Dropkick just as soon as Nathaniel sits up! He falls back and she quickly covers him, hooking the leg, but he kicks out at two!
Matthews takes advantage of the situation, laying into Dixon with fierce kicks. Her agility is swift and she’s able to take him down with her signature Tilt-a-Whirl Takedown! Rather than go for the pin attempt, however, Matthews ascends one of the corners of the ring and perches herself on the top turnbuckle. She takes flight with her signature Moonsault -- only to crash land on Dixon’s knees! Matthews rolls over to the side and cradles her ribs in pain. Slowly rising to his feet, Dixon accesses the situation and takes over, ensnaring Matthews in "Lamenting Sorrow" (Rivera Cloverleaf)!
The fans look on, rooting for the Iron Heart Champion as he locks in the submission hold. Matthews grits her teeth and hisses before she begins to drag them toward the ropes. In a few excruciating seconds, she’s able to grab the bottom rope. Dixon releases her without the start of the referee’s five-count and takes a moment to breathe. The agony sets in for Matthews and yet she refuses to give up. Slowly, she uses the ropes to pull herself to her feet. Regardless of her condition, Dixon calculates her roaring elbow, ducks under it, and counters with "Blood in the Darkness" (Shining Wizard)! Matthews hits the mat with a THUD and Dixon goes for the cover, but he only receives a two-count!
It appears as though London’s Master Manipulator has full advantage of the match. However, he does not predict the Goddess’ counterattack, her signature Spiked Hurricanrana! She covers Dixon and hooks the leg, but she, too, only receives a two-count! A slight growl of frustration escapes her while she pulls Dixon up to his feet. Matthews nails Dixon with a strike combination that staggers him. She backpedals for a moment before rushing forward, looking to finish him with her Impaler DDT -- EXCEPT DIXON REVERSES IT! His “Evolutionary Imperative” (European Uppercut) on the way down shocks Matthews to her core and she falls onto the mat. The Intellectual Evolution doesn’t hesitate to go for the cover and hook the leg, scoring the three-count!
DING! DING! DING!
Spirit Montego: Ladies and gentlemen, here is your winner… “Your Lord of Charisma” NATHANIEL DIXON!
Bernadette Olson: Well, how about that? Dixon continues to impress me with each and every performance. I’ll give Brianna some credit, though. She surprised everyone here.
Jacob Frankel: It’s another clean victory, Bernadette! Honestly, I like this version of Nathaniel more and more. “The Lord”, right? Let’s just hope no one unleashes “The Monster” again…
“Heavy is the Crown” by Daughtry plays from the PA system and the majority of the fans cheer! Nathaniel rises to his feet with a shake of his head and allows the referee to raise his left arm in victory. His earth-colored eyes set on Brianna as she’s slowly coming to. Simply drawing away from the referee, the Iron Heart Champion extends his right hand out to her once again. Seeing this, Brianna narrows her eyes for a moment before she finally accepts it. Nathaniel smiles and helps the lady to her feet with applause from the crowd. Of course, Brianna takes her hand back with a “hmph!” and sees herself out of the ring. Your Lord of Charisma casually shrugs and takes the time to celebrate.
Winner: Nathaniel Dixon
Result: Pinfall at 12:44 (Evolutionary Imperative)
Result: Pinfall at 12:44 (Evolutionary Imperative)
PRE-RECORDED SEGMENT
From the Ground Up
Duke Andrews: This shit is biblical, on top of the mountain, I am the original.
The camera is panned on the balcony of the corner guest suite of the W Hotel in downtown Atlanta. Our Global Heavyweight Champion is sitting along the chaise lounge overlooking the city skyline. Dressed like a million dollars as he puffed on a Cuban cigar.
Duke Andrews: Y’all look so miserable, you fight over crumbs, that shit is pigeon food.
Wearing a light gray suit, with a solid light blue dress shirt underneath, the Global Heavyweight title sat folded over his lap. His right leg was propped over the length of the chaise lounge where Tiffany Lynn Page sat next to him, a leather bodysuit, and her red bottoms visible for the camera. Duke's left wrist sported a gold Rolex Daytona. A gold ring on his right pinky as he held the cigar in his right hand.
Duke Andrews: Shit could get physical, run, you could talk shit, but I am the one. This shit is effortless, y’all talkin’ reckless and runnin’ towards war with no weapons.
He raised the cigar to his lips as he took a quick puff, followed by another. A bottle of EH Taylor barrel proof bourbon sat on the table next to him, a glass poured with two fingers worth of the bourbon. Another quick hit from the cigar before he pulled it from his lips and looked it over as he exhaled.
Duke Andrews: I get it. I know the target on my back. I know where I stand on the food chain. This is chess and yall are playing checkers. I promised I would take my rightful place at the throne of the new version of HYBRID and reign supreme as I did in the previous incarnation. It wasn’t because I just wanted to be the man, it was because I have to be the man. I have to sit at the top and control the peasants that fight for my scraps. I have to sit at the top and watch as each and every person on this roster fights to maybe one day have a chance at the man.
His lips formed a cynical grin as he takes another puff of the cigar. His left hand reaching out for the glass of bourbon as he takes a sip.
Duke Andrews: I’ve said this time and time again and not a single soul has listened to me. The climb to the top is the east part. Beating Eddy Todd was the easy part. And what separates Duke Andrews from the rest of this roster, is that I know what’s expected and I know the pressure of holding this title. I know what it takes to stay at the top and I’m willing to sacrifice every ounce I have to keep what is mine.
His hand left the glass as he placed it back in front of him. Moving it to the title and smacking the gold faceplate.
Duke Andrews: Everyone has complained that I’ve changed since I beat that piece of pond scum in the ring for this championship. You’re goddamn right that I’ve changed. You’re goddamned right that this version you see is better than what you’ve grown accustomed to in that ring.
His black loafers had a gold accent on the fabric.
Duke Andrews: I came up from the framers, that’s how I built this house. I came up from the painters, I put our masterpieces in that ring. Started down at the baseboard, now I’m lookin like the crown mold. Unlike those that I’m facing tonight, I’m self built. I’m the one that’s been put together by me and me only. I wasn’t given a single hand out. That’s the difference between me and the two standing across from Noah and myself. I don’t have to speak for Noah. He’s a professional and I expect that he will be a professional and understands the task at hand. He understands where we stand and moving forward. But what we are facing is something old to me, Burger King and what’s her name.
Duke once again lifted the cigar to his lips and takes another puff, this one much longer than the first few. The exhale left a cloud of smoke that took over the entire camera view.
Duke Andrews: This is me keeping it short. This is me setting up the main event, but this is also me not sweating what is going to happen tonight. This is me, once again stepping into the ring and proving that without a shadow of a doubt that I am the best thing that has graced HYBRID.
One last puff of the courage before the scene fades.
MAIN EVENT
Tag Team/One Fall
Eddy Todd & Stephanie Kenyon vs. Noah Ortega & Duke Andrews
Tag Team/One Fall
Eddy Todd & Stephanie Kenyon vs. Noah Ortega & Duke Andrews
DING! DING! DING!
Eddy starts things off against Duke and the tension is apparent from the start. The two waste little time before trying to pulp one another’s faces with big right hands. Duke gets the better of the exchange after a shot to the throat, immediately letting off the Red, White & Blue Combo. Eddy goes down but doesn’t stay there, pulled up to his feet and sent into the ropes. But the former champion busts through a clothesline attempt, shocking Duke before hitting the ropes again and shouldering the champ to the mat! After a couple running exchanges, Eddy hits a leaping shoulder to drop Duke again, then gets the champ up on his shoulders for a Death Valley driver. Duke elbows his way down and goes for a neckbreaker but Eddy counters out and hits a forearm to the back of the head. Hitting the ropes, he ducks a back elbow from Duke and is snatched up for a powerslam on return. Stephanie is ready to break up the pin but Eddy breaks out quickly at two. Duke sends him to the buckles but Eddy charges out with a leaping knee to the jaw. Duke staggers and returns with a lunging headbutt, likewise rocking the Beggar King. Both men clothesline one another straight to hell, both dropped to the mat as Senior Official Butch Ward starts an early ten-count!
Noah takes this time to burst into the ring and put the boots to Eddy, picking the champ’s bones, but Stephanie comes in and tackles him to the mat, laying in some rights of her own. Noah fights back but Stephanie’s power is a match for his and he’s tossed into the buckles hard. A charge from Stephanie has her crashing chest-first into the padded steel as Duke and Eddy start to rise, still legal. Noah drives both knees into Stephanie’s back but is snatched by the hair by Eddy. Duke attacks Eddy from behind and Noah is able to escape, but Duke’s plans for Eddy are stymied by a Kiss-Off from Stephanie! Butch sees both Ortega and Kenyon out of the ring and Duke uses the opportunity to low blow Eddy before Take the Throne can be locked in! Not seeing the infraction, Butch turns to see Duke line up a Killshot only for Eddy to dodge to the side and hit a pump kick before tagging in Stephanie! He delivers an over-the-knee backbreaker to Duke, holding him for Stephanie to hit a running knee to the head, but the pin attempt only gets two. Stephanie takes the fight to Duke with hard kicks and punches, backing him into the ropes, but Noah blind-tags himself into the match. Duke, sent into the ropes, slides out of the ring while Noah comes off the top from behind Stephanie, bulldogging her to the mat for another near-fall.
Noah keeps laying it in to the number one contender, continually looking to Eddy to make sure he’s watching what goes down. A leaping calf kick drops Stephanie and a springboard leg drop earns Noah another two-count, and a chinlock on the mat keeps Stephanie grounded. When Noah turns it into a choke, Eddy is ready to break things up but that only draws the referee’s attention, allowing Noah to act with further impunity. Stephanie is able to fight her way up and elbow out of Noah’s grip, but a pull of the hair yanks her back in. Her response is a backhand to the jaw, followed by a DDT, but Duke breaks up the resultant pin, leading to a tag from Noah to the Global Heavyweight Champion. An elevated slam and an elbow get Duke a near-fall and Eddy is more than eager to get into the match. Stephanie gets close to a tag but Duke knocks Eddy off the apron before it can happen. The distraction of Eddy trying to get in anyway hems up the referee and Duke takes advantage, but Stephanie goes low as Duke had done on Eddy, then pops him in the jaw with a pair of rights before hitting another Kiss-Off! The referee is still distracted as she makes the cover, but dives in to count only for Noah to break things up! That brings in Eddy and now there’s a four-way brawl! Stephanie keeps her focus on Duke, though the distraction of the others allows him to get in a Killshot and set up The Andrews Effect! Stephanie breaks loose, though, and shoves Duke into the buckles before hitting a dropkick to the back and delivering a neckbreaker! It’s still not enough to keep the champion down, though, and he brawls back with the challenger! Eddy and Noah’s brawl takes them into the crowd and Duke, narrowly missing a second Killshot, takes his third Kiss-Off! Stephanie is about to make the pin, but Tiffany Lynn Page bursts in, punting Kenyon upside the head to draw the disqualification!
DING! DING! DING!
Spirit Montego: And your winners via disqualification… the team of EDDY TODD AND STEPHANIE KENYON!
The beatdown is still on post-match with HYBRID’s golden couple putting the boots to Kenyon, ending with Duke hitting The Andrews Effect! Tiffany hands over the championship and Duke stands tall over his Heatstroke challenger as security and trainers show up to restore order!
Jacob Frankel: Duke trying to send a message to his Heatstroke opponent tonight! And of course Tiffany had to butt in!
Bernadette Olson: If they knew anything about Stephanie, though, they’d realize she’s not a woman to take lightly! We’ll see you in two weeks for the final Vanguard before Heatstroke, fans!
Winners: Stephanie Kenyon & Eddy Todd
Result: Disqualification at 15:11
