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[TKOW Board]

Phoenix or Matt Griffen

vs

Tobias Burden or Salazar Tyrenus

[T-Money]

OOC ? I suggest you listen to the song while you?re reading this, then the whole setup will make sense and feel sweet as fuck for you, this promo is more like a video package if you haven?t noticed. Peace lol.


?Set to ?Candlefuse ? Fighter? as background music.?

(http://www.myspace.com/candlefuse > Click on Fighter on the Playlist)

IC-

-Its like a scene out of a morbid dream, from another dimension of reality. A powerful tornado whirls around what we can only guess is a large Cathedral, standing still against the tornado. The sound is unbearable as the guttural whistle fuses with the music.

( I am holding on to everything,
they want to take away,
I?m standing strong against the grain,
against the west the say.

I am falling from the way of man,
and crawling there to stay?)

A skip and fizzle.

?TKOW Forever 2005 ?
Ghalleon VS Salazar ?The Forsaken? Tyrenus

The feed of the match appears in between the tornado, the music thundering in the background:

Tito: "Faster Ghalleon!"

-Ghalleon makes his way to the top of the cage but loses a footing near the top setting him back a little ways giving Salazar time to climb up as well slowly....on the top, Ghalleon sees Salazar is near and grabs him by the hair and pulls him up and begins to punch him in the head and ram it into the cage!...Blood is dripping like a faucet into the ring and onto the top thick steel barricade...but somehow Salazar pulls himself up using the steel cable that lowers the cage to the ring....now both men fight hand in hand toe to toe on the top of the cage 15 feet above the ring and 20 feet above the floor

Tito: "This is dangerous!"

The two exchange blows again before Salazar desperatley rakes Ghalleons blood soaked eyes!...Salazar now picks Ghalleon up into the "Voluntary Despair" michinoku driver position....the crowd anticipates for the worst but Salazar isnt able to capitalize as once more Ghalleon counters off of Salazars shoulders and puches him into the steel cable from the roof to the cage!...Salazar springs off of it causing him to turn around but is caught right in the chin with the Ragnarok kick! The crowd goes nuts but Salazar falls back from the kicks velocity and rolls off the back off the cage, attempts to hold on but the kicks momentum is far too much and he cant hold on as he falls painfully to the floor outside!...the bell rings!-

The feed cuts off and the tornado has taken new vigor, the Cathedral gates burst open, standing at the entrance is the dark figure of The Forsaken, no introductions needed, solitary and solemn. The guitar riffs reach almost climactic pitches, the drums going louder and louder.

A skip. Another feed seems to be forcing its way through, right on top of the Cathedral?

?TKOW New Era 2006 ?
Tobias Burden VS Salazar ?The Forsaken? Tyrenus
Last Man Standing?

The feed fizzles near the climax:


Salazar gets to his knees. Burden joins him and throws a punch to The Forsaken?s head, knocking him back down. Burden staggers to his feet with Salazar lying on the mat to catch his breath for a moment, then rolls and raises to hands and knees then gets one foot beneath him and partially rises...

Tito: Oh My God!!! I don?t believe it. Burden just nailed Salazar with the Fading Mage!! It?s gotta be over!!!

Johnny: We?ll just see.

The ref starts the ten count AGAIN!
One!


The Khaostron shows a slow motion replay of Salazar getting up on one foot.
Two!


Burden gathers the last bit of energy and bursts toward his downed opponent.
Three!


Burden steps up on Salazar?s knee, flashbulbs going off numerous times,...
Four!


and hits an axe kick right to the back of his opponent's neck. Flashbulbs continue to go off like strobe lighting.
Five!


Salazar and Burden both fall to the mat. The Khaostron freezes and switches to the live feed from the ring.
Six!


Burden struggles to climb to his knees, crawling for the ropes.
Seven!


He reaches out for the bottom one, misses, then reaches again and grabs it. The Forsaken doesn?t move.
Eight!


He pulls himself up to the second, drawing one foot beneath him. The ref checks on Salazar while continuing to count.
Nine!


Burden pulls his other foot under, and gives a little bounce while reaching for the top rope and pulls himself up.
TEN!!!


The Ref calls for the bell.

Within moments the feed is gone, the music has picked up, a skip. We are staring right into the face of The Forsaken himself, hooded up, a faint smile on his face, of enjoyment and malice at the same time. The bass starts to disappear, the tornado seems to calm, leaving only a gray haze, which descends upon the face of The Forsaken, obscuring it for a while.

The riffs mellow out completely, slowing as a final feed appearing at the steps of the Cathedral now?mellow, the drums fading, and only the riffs to spill emotion?

(I will hold my head up high,
I will, sing this battle cry?.
I will hold my head up high,
I will sing?.)

The drums kick in with fervor once again and the feed appears in between the music?.

?TKOW Mass Khaos 14th June 2006 ?
Tobias Burden and Salazar Tyrenus VS Section 8?

On the floor, Phoenix pulls The Forsaken up and they trade blows, gradually making their way toward the announcer?s table but veer onto the ramp. Salazar hits Phoenix with a tornado DDT then pulls him up, kicks him in the gut and pulls him up in the pumphandle fashion.

Tito: Tyrenus is going for Bliss in the Abyss on the ramp!

Salazar walks a few more feet up the ramp and Phoenix starts to struggle. The Forsaken leaps off the ramp and nails Bliss in the Abyss on the floor next to the announce table!

Crowd: HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT!

A skip and fizzle.

On the floor Salazar pulls Phoenix up and shoves him onto the announce table. Tito scoots his chair back. Salazar hops back up on the ramp, walks up it until he?s even with the table and leaps off, hitting Phoenix with Hypnosight! The crowd boos him heavily as he casually walks away from Phoenix and heads back to his corner.

Johnny: Salazar is an idiot! He has Phoenix at his mercy and walks away!

The feed disappears, we skip into the Cathedral, The Forsaken leading the way, unusually empty and devoid of altars or any avatars. The tornado rages on outside without abandon as he goes right to the front and gets on his knees, arms outstretched and leaning back almost in a godly stance, the music circling him, and the vision going around his face 360 degrees?-

( I am a fighter, strong and brave,
won?t you run with me?
I?m pursuing a life of fame,
Because I Believe?)

Salazar: (Whispering but hearable) So much pain? So much agony? And I?m right in the fucking center of it all?

-The revolving vision continues, he drops his arms as if a great pressure were forcing itself upon his shoulder. A skip. A black garden seems to appear, on closer inspection the leaves are all black, and a black title seems to temporarily appear on his shoulder, his face covered in blood, some spread to his hair?-

Salazar: The plans are so clear in my mind that I need to drug myself to come back to reality. Have you ever heard of that?

This disease is bringing out an unholy thirst that makes my arms shake because they haven?t destroyed a carcass yet. This DISEASE?makes my brain scatter, come back, and then SCATTER ONCE AGAIN?while that voice throbs in my ears and tells me ?Forsake them all?EVERY last one of the motherfuckers!?

Do you even comprehend how much control I have to exercise on my body to keep your hopes alive before I dissect them at Megabowl finally?? DO YOU ASSHOLES?!!!

-The black title and the Garden fade, the Cathedral restored, and the tornado raging outside as seen from the mammoth windows, the sound almost unbearable but The Forsaken is heard, even his thoughts are resonating, affecting?-

Salazar: I?m the one?I?M THE ONE?that didn?t get a free ticket to where we?re going. Phoenix?you?re a corporate player, you can be the secretary for T.H. Power and rule TKOW with an iron fist, you can affect the very path we?re all walking with one whisper to the powers that be. No doubt you got here because of THAT. I fell off a fucking Steel Cage and countless ladders, and even Section 8?s creation The Prince of Hell.

I had to create Niagra Falls in the ring REPEATEDLY to warrant a place at Megabowl?I crucified my body so that there was no FUCKING DOUBT?.that I WAS THE MAN TO TAKE THE TKOW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TO NEW LEVELS.

(Back to a whisper) Griffen. Bravado doesn?t stop the blood from flowing in your veins, and when blood flows, it flows everywhere?outside, inside, and you may think you?re ready?but are you? Tobias Burden lost his fucking family, Phoenix has all the money to make himself a human abomination?and I? I don?t have the money and the fame, I never had the chance of knowing a fucking family?I DON?T EVEN KNOW HOW THE FUCK THIS INDUSTRY WORKS. The only thing I know is violence?I was a student, but I?ve grown to a killosopher. Eden wants nothing less of me?and I stride into Megabowl, my hunger reaching daunting levels?controlling myself so that your body is ripe for the season of violence.

What the fuck can you do to stop me? You never have and you never will?this is The Forsaken, awoken by you?and you will pay the price for it. AWOKEN?forget what happened, and forget what you think happened?(smiles) BECAUSE THIS IS THE DAWN AND THE SUNSET AT THE SAME FUCKING TIME!

-No more is he kneeling, he rises and stands?BOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Cathedral is burst apart and The Forsaken is engulfed in the tornado, which has grown darker and darker in color but he stands resolute, taking in the power of the entire situation, consuming the lifeline of the chaos at hand?-

Salazar: Live in your realities, prepare as much as you can?as much as you are mentally and physically capable to prepare. Stack up your videos, count how many times The Forsaken has lost, how many weakness I have, what kind of things you can say to try and demoralize me?FOOLS I AM NO LONGER ON THAT FUCKING LEVEL. Can you hear that Phoenix? Want to win a fucking popularity contest by insulting me? What about you Griffen? LOST FOR WORDS BITCH?!!! ARE YOU GOING TO TALK OR ARE YOU GOING TO FACE THE DREAD?

I have left your level behind and groveling in the dust waiting for the demons to shit on it a long time ago. Call me a lunatic, heretic, infidel, psychotic but you know I speak the truth. Burden came back to The Federation and within moments he gets to walk this path with us?.I spent A FUCKING YEAR setting situations to perfection...just so I could be a part of this. It?s been a fucking year.

All of you motherfuckers got a free ticket?but I didn?t?and it doesn?t matter anymore because none of you know what it means to desire something so much?its inhumane, its IN-FUCKING-HUMANE this disease inside me. Paranoia, anger, vengeance, and the sheer addiction to carnage and violence can only describe ? of the desire inside me.

I?m starting to think?ha-ha, I might not even be on the same path as the three of you. I might not even be on that clear path that goes through to Eden?maybe I?m on the other one, that casts me into the black oceans and throws me to the will of the Leviathan?wait?I AM THE FUCKING LEVIATHAN AND THE OCEAN IS MINE. An ocean of fire and ash?an ocean of venom and blood?AND ITS GOING TO BE RAISED TO THE REACHES OF EDEN?waiting to engulf the three of you into oblivion?

BELIEVE IT.

-The Forsaken throws away his hood, his expression numbing, as if an electric shock just passed through his entire body. The tornado almost makes him indistinguishable inside the haze and the spin. Only a blackness spreads from within, like the dead tree in the valley?its roots spreading into the tornado and completely making it black. It crashes into the vision?

Pitch Black.-

[Kahlan - R.I.P.]

A montage of shots from all the prior TKOW title winners holding the belt upon winning it?from the very first TKOW Heavyweight champ until the current. The last several shots are?

Megabowl IV said:

Soulfly reaches the door and slithers through. His hands touch the ground and Miranda puts her arms around her man and starts to help him through.

Dustin isn?t moving.

Soulfly gets one leg on the floor.

Dustin still doesn?t move.

Soulfly gets his other leg on the floor.

Megabowl IV said:

Medics start flowing down the entryway as Soulfly huddles up on the floor in a fetal position with the title pressed firmly against his body. Miranda begs him to say something but Soulfly is well beyond words. The medics force Miranda to get away from him as they tend to Soulfly and Dustin who is still in the ring.

Megabowl IV said:

the Cannabis Cart starts to head back up the ramp. Al and Fly seem to think the same thing as they each raise their belts high in the air, to a standing ovation.

Holiday Hell 2005 said:

The crowd is feeling like Tito though, chanting, again, as Phoenix?s limbs move but he gets nowhere. The glint of metal can be seen in the wreckage under Soulfly?s head. Lying on his back, twitching, Phoenix feels around, finally finding the belt, and tries to pull it out.

Tito: He?s going to do it Johnny!

Johnny: He still has to put it on. At this point he?d be lucky to point at the thing.

Phoenix manages to hook one end of the strap under his arm and just rolls, using his weight to force the belt out. He rolls to the apron, pulling himself underneath the ropes, and sits there, leaning back against the steel cables. He grasps one end of the belt and yells in pain.

Tito: That?s the arm he used to block the stickball bat. It could be broken!

Johnny: Metal pole? Shattered pal. Forget broken.

Phoenix clamps that side of the strap down with his elbow and reaches behind himself, taking the other end and pulling it around as Soulfly starts to move.

Johnny: MOVE IT SOULFLY!!

Clumsily using one hand, Phoenix starts trying to clasp the straps together. Soulfly, having rolled to the other side of the ring, gets to his feet using the ropes and sees the face of the belt on Phoenix?s back. His eyes get wide and he bounces off the ropes, runs, and baseball slides into Phoenix?s back, knocking him into the guardrail!

Tito: No!! He was so close!!

Johnny: YES! CMON SOULFLY!!

As the camera moves into position, referee Colin Oscepe, on that side of the crowd, hops the guardrail as Phoenix stands up. The camera shows the belt still around his waist, and Colin calls the match!!

The picture fades in on Griffen. He's outside and is pinning a HUGE catfish on its side on a wooden picnic table with one hand on its head. The 30 to 40 pound catfish still struggles slightly, its gills moving and mouth slowly opening and closing.

Matt: *with a clear, distinctive, Kentucky accent (no, not the hillbilly one)* The TKOW title has quite the illustrious history, doesn't it?

He picks up a fillet knife and makes two shallow slices along the length of fish's body and one just behind the front fins and gills.

Matt: With at least the last two battles for it being so harsh, it nearly makes me feel a little cheated that we're only going the submission route for the final win at MegaBowl V.

Griffen grabs a pair of pliers, grasps the fish behind the gills and front fins with them, jerks and cleanly peels the skin from the side of the catfish down to the tail. He glances up to the camera, grinning--his eyes mostly green.

Matt: That's probably just the brutality champ in me speaking. Of course, there's no telling what kind of fun we can have before that last submission. After all, I get to fight Phoenix in a cage and the two of you, Burden and Tyrenus, get to try to kill one another in your match. Which one of you will it be? Which one of you will survive to struggle in the finals?

Griffen swaps the pliers for the fillet knife and cleanly slices the flesh from the side of the catfish in one stroke from just behind the front fins all the way to the tail. The knife can be heard faintly clicking against the fish's bones as it slides through the flesh. A set of small feminine arms and hands reach in the frame and take the long fish steak. He flips the fish over... its gills and mouth still gaping and moving.

Matt: By the time we reach the finals we'll probably feel just like this fella here.

Griffen points at the fish on the table with the tip of the knife.

Matt: Come that final round in the Firestarter we'll all have given everything we've got in us to reach it. That I don't doubt. None of us are men who will half ass anything. Even when we're told and feel we can't continue, our stubborness takes us through. We fight, struggle, push, crawl, bite and scratch to achieve our goals.

Again, Griffen makes the shallow cuts down the length of the fish, one just down from the backbone and the other at the midline of the belly, following with the crosscut behind the front fins. The fish's mouth barely moves now.

Matt: The only differences in us? We do it for different reasons, make different decisions, and take different paths to get there. My reason? There are several. The main one? I want to prove myself to the man who has helped make me what I am today. To do that, I have to defeat him. The title and the finals will just be the icing on the cake for me.

A small chuckle escapes him as he trades the knife for the pliers again.

Matt: Of course, everyone in TKOW wants to defeat Phoenix. He has that unbroken winning streak in TKOW and everyone wants to be the one to end it for him. Soulfly does. Ghalleon does. If he gets past me, then Burden, Tyrenus, you have the opportunity. None of us here have been able to get the better of him in the ring. I plan to end that with the Round One match at MegaBowl.

Griffen peels the skin down to the fish's tail again, dropping the pliers and taking up the knife.

Matt: Once I do that, I get to fight one of you. Burden, you and I have over a year-long history. Last Megabowl, my team defeated yours to take your gold, and we made you better for it. We taught you what it was to lose, to learn from it, and to come back better than before. We've gone back and forth, win, lose, win, lose. Should we both progress to the finals, it will be another chapter--much anticipated, added to that history and to that of TKOW. You and I are alike here. Both of us want to leave legacies for the future so we will be remembered long after we are gone from wrestling. You, I know, will give me a fight worthy of the title and our history... like this fish did earlier today.

Griffen positions the knife to remove the second steak fillet then glances back up to the camera.

Matt: Tyrenus, we don't have the same length of time, but our history is growing nearly as intense. It burned you that you were defeated by a female, my woman. That was your own fault. You were overconfident in yourself. You held yourself too high above others and when you fell, you fell far, fast, and hard to reality. And again, in our match, you did the same. You fought well, but you weren't prepared. Once you realised you couldn't defeat me, reality slapped you in the face, and in desperation you took the low road. You knew it was the only way you could win. You proved to me you are weak.

Griffen moves his knife hand, quickly and cleanly cleaving the flesh from the carcass. Again, the hands reach in and remove the steak fillet. He lays the knife down and picks up the carcass, holding it by the gills. The camera pulls out to get it all in the frame, showing Abby stowing the meat in a cooler--which is filled to the brim. Griffen lifts the fish up above his head, showing its length from snout to tail. The skin dangles from the tail and the ends lay on the grass.

Matt: If we meet in the Firestarter finals, Forsaken, this *giving the fish carcass a slight shake* will be you.

Griffen tosses the stripped fish into a large tub.

Matt: You better be prepared this time. This time it matters.

The scene fades out on the tub... filled with catfish carcasses like the one just dropped in.

[Phoenix]

A feed begins to slowly cut in. It starts off as a static cut feed, then slowly focuses in to show the dank Phoenix Pit. The screen flickers between color and b&w, and there is just enough static left to make the darkness seem even more foreboding. We see a man alone in the dark room sitting opposite the camera, which is leaning on a slight slant. Through the grainy feed we can make out the rest of the Pit.

That man is sitting on a pile of busted tables, cracked kendo sticks, flattened trashcans, and dented chairs, among other weapons. Many of these are rusted and/or stained with blood. The pile is set in such a way that it resembles a throne. A black steel baseball bat leans on the side of the pile, within reach. The main light source in the room is a fire pit that is between him and the camera. In the far reaches of the room, flames dance high along the walls, creating an atmosphere like everything is burning.

Chains are hanging in various places in the Pit. One side of an HPWA Brutality Cage is leaning against the back wall. A black steel ladder is shown against the side wall, and dented chairs with names scratched in them are hanging like trophies. Names like 'Jacko', 'Hitman', 'Armageddon', 'Cobryn', 'Pagan', 'Haven', 'Sadler', 'Soulfly', 'Soutter', and three blackened and burnt chairs with 'Rave', 'D. Dynamite', and 'Soulfly'. Alongside them are replicas of nine title belts and the broken 2004 TKOW King of the Jungle trophy.

The man, shadowed in darkness, stares at the flames in front of him, entranced by the fire. A leather jacket is draped over the pile of weapons, and the fire shines off the TKOW "Fiery" Title. He is leaning forward, a sad, tired look permeating the cloth mask that hides his upper facial features.

Phoenix: At MegaBowl V, I face my greatest challenge to date. I have to defend my title not one, but twice, in the span of a couple hours, outside in front of a record breaking audience, live on Pay Per View to millions, in the hopes of cementing the NEW TKOW legacy.

Not so long ago, a man named Jason Starr was the pinnacle of the federation. He was catapulted to greatness with a year long Heavyweight Title reign. He set the bar, the standard, the way of TKOW for months to come.

That?s right, months. Because behind him, sailing safely at his own leisure, came a man, a great man, a man of fire, a man of pain, a man of vision. This man saw Jason Starr and said;

?Who the fuck does this chump think he is??

Those in power at the time looked at this great man, and looked at their bar-setter, and said to themselves ?selves, we cannot let this great man meet the man that defines us. If they meet, the great man will surely slaughter the definer, and make us look REALLY stupid.?

And so, this great man was held back, held down, and held without contention.

In retrospect, I could thank these scared fools. In trying to hold me back, I became even greater. I have yet to face loss in TKOW. I was the LAST King of the Jungle. I was the man that crushed Dave Rave to take the Ultimate Chaos Title. I was the man that won control of TKOW for two shows. I was the man the stripped and fired Icarus Evangeline. I was the man that took the TKOW Title from Soulfly.

I am the man.

And you know what they say, don?t you?

To be the man, WWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

You gotta beat the man.

Jason Starr knows he can?t beat me. That?s why he punked out of Holiday Hell. That?s why he?s having some big ?final match? against Extreme Killer Phil in a fed with no ties to either man. If Jason Starr had any balls, he?d be here, coming to MegaBowl V, ready to challenge ME. One on one, Phoenix vs Jason Starr. Now THAT?S a match.

But I?ve been sidetracked.

At MegaBowl V, I first defend my title against my friend, Matt Griffen. Do you, Tobias, or you, Salazar, understand the implications of that statement? I face my friend, inside a Steel Cage, and the only way to win is to escape. And I don?t have a problem with that.

What does that mean for when I go to the Finals? When I face one of you two men in a submissions only match?

Did you know I became the first HPWA World Champion via a submissions match?

Do you know I?ve never, EVER, submitted?

At MegaBowl V, I may face Salazar Tyrenus again. The Forsaken. So far, Salazar, you?re two notches on my ringpost. I?ve beaten you while Jace Mingla refereed, and I?ve beaten you in under ten minutes. What makes you think you have a better chance now? With my TITLE on the line? My record?

Then again, at MegaBowl V, I may face Tobias Burden, one on one. Tobias, you and I have a bit of a history, thanks to your one-time mentor, Jace Mingla. We?ve been at each others throats a few times, though usually it was you with Havoc and/or Mingla against me. Now, though, it could be one on one. Submissions. What do you have to bring to this match Tobias? Are you still Violent? Are you Reacting? Or are you tired? Can you match my fire? My will? My power? Do you have what it takes to stand up against the irresistible force that is?

The scene starts to break into static.

Phoenix: I will enter MegaBowl V with an 18 and 0 record, a 51 and 7 overall record, having only been pinned once, having never submitted, and carrying the TKOW Title around my waist.

And I will walk out of MegaBowl V with a 20 and 0 record, a 53 and 7 overall record, having only been pinned once, having never submitted, and still carrying the TKOW Title around my waist.

That, is my word. And as such, is beyond contestation.

I leave you with this.

Between birth and death lies desire.

Desire for life, for love, for everything good.

And this, *holds up the Fiery title is the source of all suffering.

The scene fades to static, but?

{Let the suffering begin.}

[Tobias Burden]

[Fade in from black]

Our view is that of what appears to be a cemetery? the sky is overcast but not particularly dark, as though the clouds could break apart at any given moment to reveal blue skies, and more importantly, the sun.

Tobias: ?I?m getting fucking sick and tired of coming to these types of places??

The camera pans left to reveal Tobias Burden, ?The Heartless? Tobias Burden ascending up the small slope towards the camera, he looks unkempt, his face unshaved and his hair - still wet from a shower, apparently ? is plastered down to his forehead, an orange bandana trying in vain to keep some semblance of order atop his head.

Tobias: ?? Too bad it seems the best way to get a message across to a man I?ve been wanting to fight since before Megabowl IV? and his prot?g?, follow me, it?s just over the next hill.?

The Heartless One passes right past the camera, leaving it to give chase of his retreating form. His pace is casual, if not a little bit apprehensive. The old brown leather bomber jacket he?s wearing bears the light wind well? though his slightly baggy black jeans don?t appear to be too comfortable on this chilly noon, due to the several holes in the knees of them.

Tobias: ?? Stop here??

The camera stops to give Tobias some space. The Heartless One takes several more steps before coming to stand in front of a headstone? whose? We don?t know as Tobias himself obscures our vision?

Tobias: ?I?m noticing a REALLY ugly trend lately? almost every month for the past little while I keep having at least one of these promos revolve around the grave of family? first my son, second? my older brother Craven? and now??

Tobias turns to stand beside the unremarkable, somber, and grey monument to reveal:
DAVE HARRIS BURDEN 1955-2006

Tobias: ?This pile of shit? now, some of you may be wondering how this has to do anything with my wrestling career, but it does? and it?ll be used as an example as to why I?ve had a problem with two men? well, one in particular than a few physical disagreements with his lackey? but hey.?

He retrieves a smoke and a light from one of his jackets pockets and lights it up, taking a deep drag from the cigarette he places his Zippo back into his pocket then readdresses the camera.

Tobias: ?Until about a month ago, I wouldn?t have even entertained the thought of letting anybody, fan and wrestler alike, know too much about my personal life, but now that Sal?s gotten the proverbial closet door open I guess it?s time I cleaned it out??

He flicks his cigarette onto the ground.

Tobias: ?You and I have always had a problem with one another Phoenix, be it you putting a hold on AVR?s contracts or Dave Havoc and I crushing you head through a chair? and Matt? I?ve always had a problem with you for being the one to watch the Bird?s back, but if there?s one thing I can confirm, Phoenix, is that my problem with you, while started during the wars that AVR and Section 8 used to have, run so much deeper for me? you see - and this is through no fault of your own mind you - you remind me of the scum-sucking piece of shit buried beneath this tombstone.?

He sets his hand atop the cool, grey stone.

Tobias: ?Both self proclaimed righteous men, Phoenix? my father was Irish catholic too, and a padre somewhere down in southern Cali? this piece of crap was the most violent man I?d ever seen, a drunken, womanizing, child-abusing scumbag? who, oddly enough, was ?holy? enough to not even get charged back in the 80?s the first and only time my older brother tried to report him to the police, my dad proceeded to break Craven?s jaw once he got back from the police station.?

He begins to circle around the monument slowly.

Tobias: ?Alcohol was the key for unlocking his mean streak, and he was never without a flask of vodka? I hate myself for drinking so much, it makes me just like him at times, mean, vicious, but I always stop before I reach his level of rage. So, in the midst of a possible battle between you Phoenix, or you Griffen, I?ve been thinking about what I could use to fuel me enough to not only take the fight to either one of ya?, and this is what I came through with.?

He stops pacing and stares down the camera.

Tobias: ?Phoenix? an Irish priest, a man who fights to drain his rage, a man who has claimed to be righteous yet at times has stooped to trickery and vengeance? and Griffen, a follower of the self-righteous one, you remind me of my mother Matt? *Laughs* a stupid, hollowed out idiot afraid to make a stand against the tide of someone like Phoenix, you?ve NEVER spoken out against him even when he?s wrong, you refuse to stand up and have a fucking voice of your own and that?s why you?ll never be heard, you?ll forever linger, scared, in Phoenix?s shadow.?

He slips out of the jacket to reveal he?s in fact wearing a Megabowl V tee-shirt underneath.

Tobias: ?When I fight you, either one of you, in the Firestarter finals? know this: I?m not really fighting you, I?m fighting the ones from my past, the ones who made my life hell and kicked me out of the house. I?m fighting what I hate, my demons, pasted onto the faces of those who will be my opposition on what may be the most important night of my life??

He takes a moment to study the ground then chuckles humorlessly.

Tobias: ?Maybe these constant clubbings with steel chairs and getting double-teamed by the both of you at the last Mass Khaos is beginning to have effects on my thinking? because a lot of what I?m saying, about you guys reminding me of my parents, feels like bullshit, like something?s not quite right? maybe I don?t know what the fuck I?m saying anymore? or maybe, just maybe it?s my subconscious doing it?s best to paint you both as my number one enemies in my mind, you two have ranked up there for so long that it?s hard to think of you both as anything BUT the opposition. I?m gonna dress you both up metaphorically as wolves? as hunters, as monsters and as villains who stand in my way and will go through with attempting to hurt me seriously just to stop me from fulfilling my goal.?

He drapes his jacket over his right arm as he casts a disdainful look backwards at the tombstone of Dave Burden.

Tobias: ?And despite that last realization, Phoenix, Griffen, I think it?s working, cause when you meet me in the Firestarter finals? when you look across that ring, into the eyes of a man who?s that close to his dream and, in truth, has nothing left to lose except his life. You?ll know, without any doubt, that I am more than willing to end your careers to walk out of Megabowl V with the gold around my waist and my name on the lips of every fan, wrestler and reporter throughout the world.?

He turns away from the tombstone and walks to stand and face directly into the camera lens.

Tobias: ?Can either of you claim the same? You both have someone at home left to go to if you lose, to reassure you to comfort your wounds and make you feel better, you both have families, friends and lovers who can catch you when you fall, are you willing to end my career, knowing that I?m alone, that no one can catch me? cause if one of you can, then I applaud you, for if you beat me, I?ll be dead, if not physically than metaphorically, I?ll be a shell, a husk, and in my mind, that turns the both of you even more into the spitting image of my parents in my mind? cause they did the same to a man named Tony a long time ag-?

Unknown Male Voice: ?Toby!??

Tobias looks off camera and we almost see his jaw drop, his eyes widen a good deal as all of a sudden a figure rushes on screen and tackles the Heartless One to the ground in what may be known as a hug.

Unknown Male: ?Long time no see!?

The smaller man gets back to his feet as Tobias sits up, openly gawking at the other man, who?s clad in a pair of blue jeans, a button up flannel Sean Paul shirt and wearing a Navy blue full back cap with what appears to be? cat ears, stitched to the side of them.

Tobias merely continues to gawk as the smaller man grasps Tobias? hand and hauls him to his feet.

Tobias: ?The hell? are ya? doin? here???

The smaller man feigns hurt before casting TH1 a goofy grin.

Unknown Male: ?C?mon, is that any way to greet your little bro Tony??

At that, Tobias blinks and turns to face the camera.

Tobias: ?Shut that fuckin? thing off!!?

[Snow?]

[Phoenix]

OOC: Well, I guess I'll go first. Consider this following my second Cage Match promo.

Teresa Parente (Miranda Vera Cruz de la Hoya Cardenal)
Duh

--------------------------

Are you sure you want to do this?

The gun was jumped. I need to speak, on my own terms. Let's just get it over with.

Teresa motioned for Fredy to start recording. Neither one of them were looking at me quite the same way as they used to. They were scared.

They were right to feel that way.

This is Miranda Vera Cruz de la Hoya Cardenal reporting for TKOW from the illustrious home of TKOW "Fiery" Champion, Phoenix. Phoenix, the viewers want to know, with MegaBowl coming closer and closer, just six days away, in fact, how are you preparing for the event?

I'm not. I'm not training, not working at toughening my body, not powerlifting, nothing. All the ways you've seen me prepare in teh past, they aren't happening, not for this event.

That's very unusual. Why is it that you've changed your tactics?

I could say that I don't need to do those things. I look at my opposition, and I say to myslef, "self, look at what you got. You got Tobias Burden and Salazar Tyrenus, two people that couldn't get themselves over in UCW. And UCW made Hardcore Hagen a champion.

That's extremely harsh Phoenix.

This is a harsh world Miranda. MegaBowl is a harsh event. Submissions only is a harsh match. I'm a harsh champion.

I suppose we should run down the list of the opposition, and get your thoughts and reactions to them, one at a time.

Go for it.

The Forsaken One, Salazar Tyr-.

All bark, no bite.

Excuse me?

Have you watched this man? Paid attention to what he's had to say? Really listen to him? Don't lie. You didn't. No one does. And here's why.

When you talk big, try to look big, attempt to act big, and then you enter that ring and are beaten, time and time again, over and over again, are you big anymore? How much smaller has Big Show gotten over the years? Seven feet, five hundred pounds, claims he's the unstoppable monster giant. And all he does is see the ring lights. He just keeps looking up at those lights, time and time again, as much smaller, better men put him down.

And this relates to Salazar?

Salazar is trying to show us his dark soul. What Salazar doesn't seem to realize is that we all have dark souls. Everyone except maybe Matt Griffen. And that's his problem. He's trying to be scary, he's trying to intimidate, but he keeps losing. People are insulated from his darkness, with their own darkness.

Salazar, I watched you. I watched you become angry. Being angry, that works. In the ring. On TV, following some clips and set to music, you're not angry. You're comical.

You almost had me Salazar. The darkness was there. It was foreboding. I almost believed you were the bringer of doom. And then you reduced yourself, your claims, your dark evil, byt using every foru-letter word in the book.

That's when you became a teenager. An angst ridden teenaged fool with dreams of glory that his body can't begin to stand up to.

What have you done, Salazar, that compares to me? I'm the one that plowed through everything this company could throw at me while you were still in wrestling school sucking off your head trainer.

You went through the Prince of Hell match?

You. Lost.

I was the King of the Jungle.

You fell off a cage? A few ladders?

I put Jace Mingla out of TKOW in a little match people right recall, the Blood Money Hitman Ladder match.

You beat Kid Styles?

I. Beat. YOU.

Twice.

Salazar has called you "a corparate tool".

He knows he can't keep class with me. He looks at me and sees everything he ever dreamed of becoming. The power. The prestige. The utter greatness. I am, what he thinks he is. He sees me, and knows he can't beat me. He knows his career is a joke compared to mine. So he does the only thing he can do. He questions my spot, because someone I know is in charge.

When I beat you the first time, Salazar, he wasn't in charge.

When I became King of the Jungle, he wasn't in charge.

When I won, and defended, the Ultimate Chaos title, he wasn't in charge.

When I was number one contender the FIRST TIME, he wasn't in charge.

This is your excuse, Salazar? Your grand design for me? Blaming T.H. for his business decision? You should be devouring my soul to make yourself stronger, not crying because someone stepped in and kept TKOW open long enough for you to FINALLY get a title opportunity.

Well said Phoenix. How about your protege, Matt Griffen?

Matt's not going to make it out of the steel cage. Move on.

Matt was the next to speak, and you should probably-

I said MOVE ON!

She looked stunned, but she was a professional, even now.

That leaves Tobias Burden.

Daddy issues.

He did mention something about you remin-

This is what you have for me? A "I hated my father" speech? We have such a history, already, and the best you have is "daddy touched me in my naughty spot"? My word, Tobias, grow up. Your dad's dead. He's history. And I can assure you, if you make it to me, and you try and use THAT as your fuel, I will knock you the fuck out, son. You cannot bring that kind of baggage into a match with me and expect to come out on top.

You see, Tobias, I don't need to compare you to some cousin, or uncle, old friend, class bully, or the ice cream guy that made fun of my gut when I was ten. I don't need that kind of motivation. Do you know why Tobias?

Because you disgust me.

A year ago, you disgusted me by being aligned with that maggot, Jace Mingla. You worked with him to try and kill me, Tobias. You attacked my friends, you ambushed me, you made the blood flow like the vodka at your pops church mixers. After that, you disgusted me when you "turned a leaf" and became nicey nice with some of my close friends, in an effort to stop being booed heavily everywhere you went. Then you disgusted me running away and hiding for months on end. And finally, now that you're back, you disgust me because you so easily went back to the way you used to be, while still thinking "you're a standup guy" and hoping beyond hope that someday, sometime, you can feel what it's like to be someone like me.

Salazar thinks he is you and Tobias thinks he should be you?

You're catching on.

Tobias, you maintain this facade of violence, this path of destruction, as if you can hold a candle to your former mentor, Jace Mingla.

As if you could hold a candle to me.

The real funny part of what you said, though? Matt follows me blindly. Never a word against me.

I play the confused face. Works well for this.

You don't watch many promos, do you? Has it been so long that you don't remember the long tet-a-tet I had with the Birds of Prey, revolving... around...

I point to the camera.

You.

You and your partner, Dave Havoc. Can you not remember the events of a year ago Tobias? Has the pain of loss eaten away at you so much as you can't recall the simplest of things?

I know pain, Tobias. I know loss. I know loss that you've never dreamed of.

I created my own loss. Made my own pain. I live every day in true suffering that you will never know about, and never understand. Suffering that I relive each and every time I see him.

You want pain, Tobias? You think you've suffered? Beat Salazar again, Tobias. Do unto him what he would do to you, make it to the finals, and I'll teach you suffering. I'll show you pain that Jace Mingla only dreamed of. I'll burn you Tobias. And I'll keep burning you. I won't stop until you scream out, Tobias.

Any final words?

Heartless. Forsaken. These are cute nicknames boys. But neither of you live your names. You don't show people time and time again why you are Heartless, why you are Forsaken.

At MegaBowl V, in the Firestarter Finals, whichever of you makes it to me, I'll do you a favor.

I'll teach you the meanings of your names.

I'll show you Forsaken.

I'll show you Heartless.

I'll show you why I'm the TKOW Champion. Why I'm undefeated. Why I'm the best.

Bring everything you have. I want no excuses when I leave you lying in the ring sobbing, your arms useless, wondering;

"Why can't I be him? Why can't I be more like Phoenix?"

Aut vincere aut mori.

This is Miranda Vera Cruz de la Hoya Cardenal, signing off from Greefire Island.

[Tobias Burden]

OOC: Wee! I'm up to bat eh? Well Bird, I figured I'd piss ya' off and turn this into a shoot, since ya' love 'em so much (Waits to get raped verbally after this).
__________________________

[Fade in from black..]

Our view is that from the top of a bluff looking out, into the vast red sands of a desert, where, we?re not sure? when? We can only assume late into the afternoon given the fact that the sun is dipping into the horizon, leading us slowly into dusk...

Male Voice: ?? Wanna be you, Phoenix? heh-heh? not hardly??

Our view shifts downwards to peer over the edge of the bluff, which is a sheer vertical drop, rough estimate? maybe three? four hundred feet to the ground, at least from the view we have makes it look much, MUCH, higher.

The camera zooms in on a vague, dust covered figure as it slowly scales its way up the side of the cliff. The figure is shirtless, his skin covered with a fine sheen of sweat in what is almost assuredly killer heat, the faint markings of tattoos and scars are almost rendered innocuous by the dust covering them, as it does cover the person?s dark hair to the point of making him appear blonde?

? He is known for being Heartless, and also goes by the name Tobias Burden.

Tobias: ?? Well, hah, maybe not? hardly? unlike both yourself and Griffen? the Heartless ain?t known for brandishing wings? but what the hell, people like me? we?re used to climbing? crawling? hauling our asses painstakingly upwards to reach a zenith we crave and desire??

We can also spot that the Heartless One has? nothing? absolutely nothing besides a baggy pair of gym shorts, Reebok shoes, and a chalk pouch. No ropes, no stakes, not climbing equipment, N-O-T-H-I-N-G? a foolish and risky decision.

Tobias: ?But yeah? to say something like? how I wanna be you? when I despise you? is kinda, funny, would be the word? when ya? think about it? because I despise myself too? and some of the similarities behind us are damn near scary? aren?t they? Brothers? Irish Catholic pasts - or present for you ? and we?re both wrestlers? and we both have this habit, at least according to you, of creating pain for ourselves? well, you don?t think I have, but you just haven?t been paying attention to my resurgence through TKOW till now, have you??

?You say that you feel I?ve been lingering along the same path I did since I was runnin? with Mingla? what!? I?ve not been involved in any shootings, any TKOW rejects being rumored to come back like Onslaught, nor have I planned backstage attacks on anybody that didn?t deserve it? with the exception of my grudge with the Order ? Which, ironically, is another thing we have in common ? I?ve merely been showing up, wrestling my matches, WINNING, collecting my fucking paychecks, and going home again. Nothing cruel, nothing evil, nothing conniving, nothing overboard? unlike, say? oh, I don?t know, crushing a man who?s already out of his wits after hi OWN FUCKING TAG PARTNER crushes him through a chair? like some other mystical, bird-like creatures I could name, or can those be overlooked? Because YOU did them? Your double standards and hypocrisy never cease to amaze me.?

TH1 hugs the cliff surface as several rocks come jarred loose and skitter down the side.

Tobias: ?Or was what I?ve been doing so wrong cause I belted your buddy KID out of the running? An easy victory in the Firestarter tourney appeals to you, don?t it? Christ, the more these thoughts keep on occurring to me Phoenix, the more I hope you beat Griffen, just so I can show you a TRUE fight? just so I can teach you EXACTLY what having true respect means, since you don?t even appear to have it for your friends anymore.?

?You also make fun of me for admitting I had issues with my father? huh, I find this hilarious considering how dark, tainted and whatever other generic ?suffering? term ?which I will admit, some of us *cough*Salazar*cough* have used before as well ? you can find for your description of your life. Yet unlike just about everyone else, while you poke fun at everyone else?s baggage, never reveal anything about yourself? why? Could it be that you?re secretive, shy? or more likely, you?re just an arrogant son of a bitch who ? with the exception of Carpenter ? never truly had a childhood problem or a family problem. Hell maybe after Aello?s personal bodyguard you hired for her gets done fighting her battle and kicking the shit out of your little bro I should ask him? wonder what sort of juicy details I could truly unlock about your past? which predominantly white, Christian suburb you grew up in, what white collar working class job your father earned the family money at, which highly recommended school you were educated in and even which corny novelty-fucking-apron your stay at home bitch of a mother wore when she cooked you, your father and your bat-shit insane little bro waffles every goddamn morning for the first fifteen years of your sheltered life? and you still have the gall, much like Salazar, to claim that I know nothing of pain, at least I don?t walk around preaching about it like you - you ignorant bastard ? I just tell of mine in order to allow others a feel of my situation, case in point, what I?m using to fuel my inner desire to win against you or Griffen at Megabowl??

He stops as he pitches all of his body weight to the left and releases his grip, he free-falls momentarily before landing on an almost unnoticeable alcove, he hugs the wall until he assures himself of his footing on the outcropping then looks back up to the camera.

Tobias: ?And you pass it off? like it?s nothing, like you?ll walk right through me, like I?m nothing, your non-chalant attitude, like I can?t even come close, like I?m hardly anything and like you?ll teach me pain when I make it to the finals? don?t say ?if? fucker, because now I have two goals, kicking the shit out of Salazar, which I aim to do? and ?IF? you make it through Griffen, kicking the shit out of you, I WILL be in those finals, and I will show YOU pain if you?re going to be there to bear it, I will break your undefeated streak, then I?ll break your non-submissions streak as I break your damn neck??

?Now? some of this may be feelin? a little familiar to you, Griffen, Phoenix, we both go back a bit on this road, and I thought I?d outgrown these simple threats? crude as they are, right now, right here, as I continue climbing towards my ambition and goal -r as Sal so eloquently continues to put it, ?Eden? ? I feel as though I could very well do it, to you Griffen, because I do have a grudging respect for you and I KNOW you?re a tough sonuvabitch, which may force me to have to go that far? and to you Phoenix, I HAD some respect for you - being undefeated, champ, and the guy that sent my former mentor Jace Mingla packing ? but with each passing show, as more and more chinks turn to gaping holes in your armor, I think that if I face you in the submissions final of Megabowl, I?m gonna have to admit I?ll particularly like and enjoy having to do what I just said I would, and since you?re a creature of pride, Phoenix? I don?t expect you to tap, at least until you know you?re really in shit, and by then you may not have any muscle control over your limbs to tap out.?

With those words resounding into the wind of the soon-to-be-dusk afternoon, Tobias makes a leap upwards and grabs onto another ledge and begins to climb once again.

Tobias: ?I didn?t have to say some of these things to or about you Phoenix, I could?ve kept it civil, and I could still be in the mindset of an athletic competition I was willing to die for to win? but now you?ve pissed me off, I was aiming to say why I wanted to win, and would win and you shot on me, goddamn you, you laced your words with barbs, what the fuck else could I do but pull the arrows out and throw them back, I hope they pierce deep when my words reach your ears and you?ll at least have the common fucking decency to bring it back to the point at hand, or you can change my reason from wanting to beat your ass from because you remind me of a man who?s dead? to just wanting you dead??

?And Griffen, please, don?t think I?ve forgotten about you, I haven?t, as our past clashes, which, ironically enough, have all been tag matches, if our paths should come to meet in a singles environment you?d better be ready for an entirely different beast from the one you faced last Megabowl and Forever? and an especially from the last Mass Khaos. There will be no Phoenix in your corner as there will be no Salazar to hinder me, this is our big chance to finally tear into each other like we?ve wanted to for many, MANY months, will you rip the literal Heart out of the Heartless One? Or will I clip the wings of the biggest man in this company? We won?t know unless you win, which your good old ?pal? Phoenix holds no illusions on your chances? as I hold none of my victory over Salazar for the THIRD time. I?m rooting for you and against you simultaneously? and I hope that you know none of it is with any disrespect, I hope to fight you merely because I WANT to fight you, but I want to fight Phoenix more because I want to hurt him.?

Thump! His palm grabs the ridge of the cliff as he hauls himself over the lip and to the top, he stands slowly ? gingerly wiping his chalk covered hands off on his shorts ? while staring at the fading sun.

Tobias: ?I want to take that title, to rob him of his view of the top, I want my turn up here Griffen, I?m selfish in that way but at least I?ll fight to obtain it, and when I get here, I can guarantee I won?t give it up? the view up here is expansive, open, clear, serene and advantageous? so much that the majority of people in this fed will get their dicks knocked stiff when they try to usurp it from me, and you can have your chance by beating Phoenix, Griffen? but this you got to remember is that you are no longer his prot?g?, he is your enemy? as he is mine, and maybe he?s something much worse? after all, look how he?s been acting lately? and Phoenix? just since you don?t think anyone noticed??

He turns to glare at the camera as the sun finally slides out of view.

Tobias: ?The lights went out for mere seconds, with more than enough people in and around the ring, including my unconscious body? lemme ask ya?, Phoenix, Griffen, TKOW fans of the world? how could Griffen get knocked clean out without any suspects? I suggest looking closer to home, at your angel, savior, and most of all TKOW World Champion? yes Phoenix, you fuck, I?m looking at you??

His face reads like he wishes to say more but he cuts himself off and turns back out to gaze into the fresh starlight of the evening sky, leaving heavy and noteworthy thoughts linger in the air like a virus? food for thought that the masses could choke on for all he cared?

[Fade to black?]

[T-Money]

Voice: How much did we borrow from the TKOW Account for this ride?

Voice 2: Enough to piss off T.H.

Voice: A hundred dollars maybe? That cheap piece of shit.

-Two choppers are flying over the Nevada desert, the night sky giving away very little detail of the ground below. Through the glass shield of the chopper can be seen dotted lights, a couple of kilometers away. Inside the chopper, looking towards the outside is Jimmy, the same camera man who Salazar flung out of a vessel a few months ago, now well and cleaned up Jimmy holds a camera to his head as if it were his third eye.

Across him, sitting on the edge of the black chopper is a man clad in a black hooded jacket, the letters ?Forsaken? written in white across the front. Cigarette smoke fades out of the chopper and past Jimmy, who is forced to cough from time to time. The man looks out vicariously, taking in the return to civilization with calm disdain.-

Salazar: So the hour draws near?and I?m left in this fuck hole of a place in the middle of nowhere. How much better can the conditions get?

-There is no hint of sarcasm, just a deep acknowledging glare as he looks out into the arid desert.-

Griffen?you?re on that piece of log, from the battered ship that just got the be-jesus blown out of it in the coldest of oceans?my ocean. You?re so unconfident you?re already going over the fact that Phoenix has a better chance of beating you than you have of beating him. What the fuck do you think is going to happen to you if you miraculously make it past him? You?re going to cry like a little whelp?

As far as our little match a few weeks ago?if you want to call it that (chuckles). There is no history between us Matt Griffen, no matter how much you want one. You?re simply another lackey?there I SAID IT AGAIN PHOENIX, a ?lackey? that is being used as a corporate pawn to make up the numbers in this tournament. Phoenix wouldn?t last a minute inside the ring in a Triple Threat in the current state of mind that myself and Tobias Burden have acquired.

Just be glad you?re having an opportunity?a form of respect from this company for being the resident janitor who cleans up after Phoenix takes a shit on the rest of us. Like a pension for all the dirty work you?ve had to do over this time. As far as Lady Hawke beating me?did I care about that match? Maybe I was polite enough to let you think I did?and right after a fucking Last Man Standing Match too. Make up your own mind Griffen but don?t rely on that piece of information to fuel you in case we meet, because that?s career suicide. In case you haven?t committed it already by accepting the invitation to this tournament. The saturation of your well being has begun, Griffen.

-The Forsaken waves a mocking goodbye.-

Salazar: Wish we knew each other better?.but there?s only enough oxygen in the world for a few billions?and only enough desire and power for ONE.

-The Forsaken?s chopper seems to be entering the outskirts of Las Vegas now, small dotted lights all around the vision, standing defiantly against the dark, some flickering and switching off in this late hour. Salazar urgently looks up at the dark night sky above, not a star out tonight, just that blank darkness, a deep and welcome ocean upside down.-

Salazar: Its what men do with power that defines them, not simply the fact that they have it.

-A dry chuckle escapes his face, he throws the cigarette out of the plane, rummaging in his pocket for another one. The Forsaken?s dry and long black hair is pulled by the wind, partially obscuring his face.-

Salazar: Ah Phoenix my dear boss, the man who puts food on my table?the man who lets me afford these filthy cigarettes. Also the man who deals with continuous contradictions in his life. Yes?I have been talking way too much for my own good haven?t I? Unfortunately you never really got the deal, Phoenix. I?ve lost a few matches?two of them being against you. Unlike the other two people in this fucking tournament, I?m not going to make any excuses. This isn?t about the past anymore?and you tend to forget the entire scheme of valuation.

We faced?and for what? What was on the line Phoenix? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

The second time around you were so fucking paranoid about being the shortest reigning champion ever and losing face that you made our match a 10 Minute Exhibition and a NON-TITLE MATCH. You?re telling me that I do not spark fear in your mind? I was the one who said fear is a pathetic tool for people who have something to hide. I have absolutely nothing to hide, Phoenix. As the thirst grew?I grew. As this disease infects?I INFECT YOU. Its simple?I?m going to finish your myth off at Megabowl, there?s no other intent besides that, and definitely no other outcome.

You keep defending yourself about beating me...that doesn't bother me...just shows me how inferior your intellect really is.

Ten minutes Phoenix, and that was ten minutes 24 hours after I took part in the most hellacious match in TKOW history, the Prince Of Hell. Yeah?big important victory, man. See I love it how you pretend to be so righteous and put on the fa?ade that you are a fighting champion when circumstances always put you in a non-confrontational situation. You haven?t even put that damn belt on the line since you won it. You fear me and you hate to admit it because that was your last hope of trying to float in the ocean of violence that I?m summoning and actually have a chance to beat me?but YOU WON?T, NOT THIS TIME AROUND.

Oh and about the first match? It took me a matter of weeks, to pick up what this craft you claim you perfected called ?wrestling?. It took a few fucking weeks and I was out of that shit hole SCW and in the big time?and they put me against you, inexperienced and raw Salazar Tyrenus?versus motherfucking Phoenix who had been plying his trade over and over again?and guess what I almost beat the fuck out of you?that?s right, you had been in wrestling for god knows how many years, I had been in it a few FUCKING WEEKS. (Whispering) And I almost embarrassed all your ideas and visions?

Defend your decisions but even you have to question your credibility. So conveniently the ?powers of the office? put me and Tobias against each other, leaving you to glide to the Finals by defeating that little shit Matt Griffen. Am I supposed to put up with this illusion?

-The choppers close in on the famous Pyramid, jet black glass casting an eerie scene. The two copters float past as The Forsaken gives it a curious eye.-

Salazar: You?re so predictable?trying to win sympathy votes from the fans, so desperate to be the greatest in TKOW?s history and yet you still haven?t gained any respect from anyone. This is the darkest period in the history of this federation and guess what, its being marketed around YOU. You?the blasphemous so-called fighting champion and the wielder of the fire, Phoenix. You plowed through everyone else in the damn company because they don?t know any better. YOU DIDN?T PLOW THROUGH ME?I almost beat you, and I wasn?t even half the man then.

They are spiritually handicapped, mentally handicapped, and failed to see past the fake promises offered to them by this company. Save your insults and attempts at degradation for morally questionable bitches like Matt Griffen and Tobias Burden, but you know better than to try and pierce my mind?to try and coerce me into your testosterone driven ego stroke.

-The Forsaken leans close, running his hands through his dry black hair, nodding to himself, a faint smile appearing in acknowledgment.-

Salazar: People change...its the way of life, and I?ve changed over the last year of solace in this federation. Those losses mean nothing?I even said before hand I didn?t care enough about them. As for Burden knocking me out?that was a temporary itch on my mind. Now I am rejuvenated, and my goal is fixated to beating all of you. Ah the pain at uttering these clich?s, but that?s the only way to communicate with your petty mind.

WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU KIDDING PHOENIX?!! Your Phoenix Pit is a fucking joke man, I don?t fear it one fucking bit, great idea?your whole career is a joke kissing other people?s ass and then turning on them just to fill your insatiable ego and then driving them away so that you can reign supreme. But hey?your plans have been carried out flawlessly, only three of us are left?well only one with a realistic chance of defeating you mind, body, and soul and ending this fucked up fairy tale that you are so hell bent on creating.

-There is a long moment of silence, both choppers flying over the brightly lit casinos, small ant sized people rummaging through the streets out for their night of gambles, to a fate unknown.-

Salazar: The only certainty at Megabowl V is the fact that Eden will be unleashed on the world. Tobias Burden is drinking himself dead and trying to make some ?amusing? comments, trying to rile me up and claim that he?s definitely going to defeat me. I WON?T LET THAT HAPPEN. Unfortunately for you?even if that motherfucker damages me heavily?I will still come right the fuck back and put a submission on your dejected body and make you embarrass yourself in front of the fucking world. Oh and that?s not it Phoenix?

After that is when the real party begins. EDEN?begins. That?s when I start the carnage?when I beat the bloody hell out of you or Griffen, either one of you that makes it to the Final. I won?t stop till I?ve extracted enough blood to cover myself with.

You say I?m not a threat?but both you and Griffen spent most of your airtimes trying to warn ME. That?s confirmation enough motherfucker. Oh, and at least Burden correctly said something accurate for once?your nonchalant attitude will be your death. Though, I don?t give a shit if you respect others?I don?t even care if you respect me, because you know so well I don?t respect anybody in this federation. The only thing I give a fuck about is that damn title you?ve been molesting and tainting with the absolute crap and lies that come out of your mouth, and the lack of skill you portray inside the squared circle. Of course?there?s again, Eden which must be risen at all costs and you happen to be right in the epicenter of the fan that will propel my destiny. So?

Basically Phoenix?you will not walk out of Megabowl with anything you desire or hold dear?and unfortunately for you?this prophecy will come true?and if it doesn?t?

(Whispering) Well you better hope it does or there will be repercussions that the earthworms will whisper upon for the next century.

That goes for all of you?

-Fade Out.-

Edited by T-Money, 19 July 2006 - 10:58 AM.

[Kahlan - R.I.P.]

OOC: I can't remember the name of the program. I'm not sure it's even on anymore, but they used to have one on Friday nights (or was it Saturdays?) after the late night news. I'm rarely home when it's on and don't think to watch it the rare times I am. -_-;

Again, WBKO is a real television channel (local) and Brandenburg is a real newperson.


-------------------------------------------------------


The scene opens up on the WBKO Channel 13 late night Friday sports program. Sitting in chairs on the set is sports anchor James Brandenburg and Matt Griffen. Griffen is in different clothing than what he wore when he appeared much earlier in the day on AM Kentucky Live with Jeff Woods.

James Brandenburg: Thanks for returning to Friday Night Sports. With me now is TKOW star, Matt Griffen.

Brandenburg turns to Griffen.

James Brandenburg: Matt, before the commercial we discussed your upcoming MegaBowl V escape only cage match against your friend, Phoenix. If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you now about the Firestarter finals.

Matt: *nodding* Sure.

James Brandenburg: If you do defeat Phoenix and take the "Fiery" title from him, do you think you'll be able to successfully defend it in the finals?

Griffen takes his time to reply, taking in a deep breath and releasing it slowly.

Matt: James, that all depends upon what shape I'm in when I reach the finals. Of course I want to be as fresh as possible for them, but after going against Phoenix... I won't be as fresh as I'd like to be. Knowing him as I do and what he's capable of doing, I'll be carrying a lot of injuries into the match.

Griffen shifts in his chair.

Matt: It won't be a cakewalk for Burden or Tyrenus either. There's such bad blood between them, it's going to be nearly as fierce a battle as the Phoenix Pit. Whoever the two competitors are in the finals, it won't be easy for either of them. All four of us have something to prove to ourselves, the fans and all the roster... and that's who is THE top man in TKOW.

James Brandenburg: Who would you like to fight in the finals, Matt?

A boyish grin fleetingly crosses Griffen's face, accompanied by a quick breathy snort, followed by a more serious expression.

Matt: You would ask me that. I really would rather not say. Both men are good in the ring. If you go by wins, one is better than the other. If you go by the effort and heart put in, both are even. And the win/loss record isn't everything.

James Brandenburg: Do you have a plan in mind for the final match?

Matt: I'd be lying if I say I don't, although it depends upon which of the men makes it there to face me, what shape we're both in, and what injuries we've sustained. Adaptability will be the key for winning... and waiting for Burden or Tyrenus to mess up so I can use the opportunity it affords while not messing up myself.

James Brandenburg: So let's talk a bit about your possible opponents. There's Tobias "The Heartless" Burden, against whom you had a bit of a feud when you first entered TKOW as friends and stablemates of Phoenix. You were drawn into the problem with Jace Mingla and A Violent Reaction. You and Lady Hawke, as the Birds of Prey, took the TKOW Tag Titles from Burden and Dave Havoc, then known as the tag team A Violent Reaction. The back and forth action over the titles for the next few months kept things fairly strained, although you seemed to reconcile with them to a degree. I understand that reconciliation made a rift in Section 8, pitting you and Hawke against Phoenix and Power.

Griffen frowns and sighs.

Matt: Yes, James, it did. It put so much a rift that Phoenix nearly decked Lady Hawke in our own home, a private suite at HPWA, while T.H. tried to hold me back from stopping him. Because I feared for her safety with what she was going through at the time, and to hopefully keep things from escalating from constantly running into either of Big Business, I decided to move us out of the HPWA complex.

James Brandenburg: It got that bad?

Matt: Yes, it did. We weren't sure if things could be patched up. Thankfully, it was, although not without much hardship. Our friendship has strengthened from it or it just showed it was a strong friendship from the start with us being able to weather the situation and remain friends. So the remarks that I'm hearing Burden say about my being an obediant 'yes' man to Phoenix proves he's not paid attention or has selective memory. He was in TKOW when all that went down.

James Brandenburg: Do you believe he deserves to be in the Firestarter Tournament?

Matt: *without hesitation* Yes, James, I do. There aren't that many top players in TKOW although we have some promising new talent signing. With what I know of Burden, even though I don't really care for him personally, he's deserving of having a shot at the TKOW title. He's proven it in his time in TKOW. Though he claims to be heartless, he has a heart for the business, giving everything he's got in every match.

James Brandenburg: It sounds as if you have some respect for him.

Matt: Being the athlete and wrestler he is, yes, I do respect him but, as I stated, I don't much care for him otherwise. I start out giving everyone a certain level of respect. It's up to them whether or not I continue to do so, give them more, or stop respecting them all together.

James Brandenburg: Salazar "The Forsaken" Tyrenus.

Griffen raises a brow and crosses his legs while shifting in his chair again.

Matt: What about him?

James Brandenburg: That's what I'm asking you.

Matt: *eyes twinkling* Really? I could have sworn you only said his name.

James Brandenburg: *smiling* Okay, okay... What is your thinking on "The Forsaken"?

Matt: What is there to say about him? He whines that management is holding him down when he's been given matches against all the top players. I think that delusional grandiose psychosis of his confuses T.H. with Soulfly. If management truly was holding him down, he wouldn't even be in the Firestarter Tourney. He'd be fighting some nobody, or not even be at MegaBowl V. I've yet to hear that Tyrenus has been in T.H.'s or Blackwood's offices demanding or begging matches. So his complaints are bogus. He's been given opportunity after opportunity... and failed in nearly all of them.

James Brandenburg: You mean he was defeated?

Matt: *nodding* Yes. He yearns to be the TKOW champion--it burns in his heart and soul, but he knows he can never do it. That realization is buried deep down and he struggles with it, deluding himself. It's eating him away. He also claims he is forsaken, that he has no one, which Burden has been saying as well. Well, ya know, that's not any of our faults. It's solely theirs. If either truly wanted to have someone, he could. None of us are keeping them from creating or joining a family, even if it's an extended family of non-related friends. They choose not to.

Tyrenus is consumed and will be devoured by his own hatred, his voluntary hermit status and self-induced and self-maintained depression. The most he'll be remembered for is being a psychotic wannabe Phoenix... and there's already one of those. His name is Carpenter.

James Brandenburg: Do you believe you can defeat Salazar Tyrenus?

Matt: I have before. Phoenix has, Burden has, Lady Hawke has. Even Kid Styles has defeated him, although he lost to Tyrenus in their last match. Tyrenus plainly doesn't have what it takes to be the TKOW champion.

James Brandenburg: And you do?

Matt: I believe so and I mean to do it, taking out one of my best friends in the process.

James Brandenburg: On that note, that's all the time we have, Matt. Again, I'd like to thank you for being with us tonight. Good luck at MegaBowl V for the TKOW title. We'll be rooting for you.

Matt: My pleasure and thanks. Don't forget to watch the MegaBowl V Pay-per-View at Caesar's Palace outdoor arena on July 23rd in Las Vegas.

Brandenburg turns back to the camera.

James Brandenburg: Join us next week when Kentucky Afield's own Tim Farmer will be joining us to discuss the current state of sports fishing in Kentucky. Good night!

[T-Money]

OOC - I gave links to 'Tartarus' and 'Acheron' in the other promo thread (The Falls Count Anywhere Match) so if you still dont know what that shit means I ought to kick your ass. Hopefully everyone understands this promo because its not some "alien bullshit that T-Money is talking about" which some of you seem to think all the fucking time. READ, READ, Read it twice...research it and then let me know if I'm a raving idiot. (That goes for the promos in the other thread as well)

Enjoy...

==========================

-A couple of dim lights shine by what we can interpret as the ringside. Only the canvas, and the black ring ropes can be seen vaguely, everywhere else is shadow, no vision can penetrate its details, only know its there. A solitary chair is set up inside the ring, of steel, also black, conflicting with the white canvas. Sitting on the chair, head down, gently swinging, a towel wrapped over wet black hair. Clad in a plain black training shirt and slacks, he sits there all alone and in glory of that fact.

On the ground below him is a long steel chain, the ?Dreadlink? as he fondly likes to call it. No cigarettes tonight, but a gray haze accompanies the shadow, mildly obscuring his face, but his intents perfectly open to scrutinize.-

Salazar ?The Forsaken? Tyrenus: The three of you keep passing me off as delusional. You don?t get it, NEVER discard knowledge of the human mind?and never discard the intentions of one either. If you cannot understand me?don?t make the effort to discard me, because it only increases the lethal possibilities that mind will exploit on your bodies because you came completely unprepared, you?ll always be unprepared for me.

-He breaks from his snake-like head swing and reaches for the chain on the ground, fingering it up and down and caressing it as if it were a live beast.-

Salazar: Can you hear the drums? They?re tormenting my ears with their sweet inspire. Witness the beauty of this entire circumstance. Phoenix, Griffen, Burden?all three of you hiding behind the fact that I have been pinned inside the squared circle multiple times before or ?knocked out?. Ah, weren?t they more comfortable days for all of you? Knowing that there was no real intellectual and physical threat to your aspirations? Unfortunately paradise never lasts forever?

-Behind The Forsaken, inside the darkness, like a paradoxical world, is the image of the skeletal tree, light enough to be illuminated through the shadow, wavering somewhat.-

Salazar: My throat is throbbing?it just wants to scream out in defiance, scream out in jubilation at the fucking horrors I am going to unleash at Megabowl. I hate it?.I hate to keep you guessing, but that?s how its going to be. Phoenix, Griffen?for once try looking at this from another perspective. Look at this entire circumstance?this entire chain of events from a different perspective, try to make your idiot minds WORK for once and realize that the foolish things you are saying will have absolutely no bearing on the outcome.

The image above me is the Tree of Woe?the source of?ME. This is the mind of The Forsaken One. The roots of this tree were planted when I first arrived in this federation. Weak, unknowing, simple. They grew over the months?getting used to the harsh conditions, like getting thrown off the Steel Cage by Ghalleon. Losing multiple times?tormented and abused was this tree, only grown to a plant?not yet that imposing. More, more disappointment, more loss?more agony. Slowly the lashings from the world made the skin numb?made the branches numb, they didn?t feel the pain anymore?but reveled in showing their defiance to the lesser forces that had the insolence to try and tame it.

UNTIL NOW.

Defiance is not enough any longer.

-The image of the Tree of Woe is highlighted as small flames leap out of nowhere, forming a ring of fire around the skeletal tree.-

Salazar: The sickness surrounds me now and there?s no turning back, even if I wanted to. I?m mummified inside the concept of violence?and that?s not a position to envy, but a position to dread. This is no delusion?this is hauntingly real and I guess the three of you are only just beginning to grasp the real details of my journey?and my zenith. The pity is that Phoenix, you and Griffen are only able to work straight forward?only look straight across the bridge, 2+2 = 4. You can?t look at the implications, look at the alternatives?the area around the bridge, that fucking huge pitfall that awaits you at Megabowl. Is that enough non-delusion for you? Is that ENOUGH FOR YOU?

Has that brought you motherfuckers into the fold at last?

(Whispering) Probably not?

-The vision slides back down towards The Forsaken himself, head inclined to the right in a questioning look towards everyone watching. The towel laid over his head like a hood, his expression blank and demented.-

Salazar: Waterfall upon waterfall UPON WATERFALL. Blood?carnage, more and more and MORE. Spirals?spirals of absolute chaos hurling me into the darkness, I cannot breathe?and the only outpour are tears from my victims and their screams at the fate I will force them into soon. This is not a delusion?this is my WILL speaking, this is what I WILL DO. Will you stop me Phoenix? Please try?for your own life and career please try to stop me.

Matt Griffen?muster all the courage and faith needed to stop you quivering if you make it past Phoenix?and have to be the one suffering the birth of Eden?I truly am sorry. The density of this situation is only now dawning on the three of you. You have seen what has happened to the mind of Tobias Burden already?he?s drugging and drinking himself to keep sanity?to keep himself floating, to avoid getting drowned inside my abyss.

There is nothing more any of you can say to me?there is nothing more I need to say to you. All the words we?ve spoken, all the numerous altercations over the past year, a whirlwind of events that have led to THIS SPOT IN TIME. This is now?this is the Apocalypse, the result of all our spirits brought together by sheer force and desire to survive.

Delusion becomes reality now?and Tartarus rises above and into your paranoid minds, into your insecure futures, into YOU. No analysis of my sanity will save you Phoenix, no doubting of my skill will save you Griffen?no hopes of floating will save you Burden.

Nothing can save you now?because the rise is inevitable, let the sense fall over the three of you. Let yourselves free in these last hours we spend under this neutral ground?under this prelude to the war. The Forsaken One awaits with a vengeance?I swim across Acheron...below it, into the seas of the abyss below the ground you walk on. Past the paranoia, past the doubt, past the fear, past the pride, past the power?to the source. To Tartarus?and the sickness spills out like Chernobyl?the infection spills out?like a virus in the system.

Eden rises.

-Fade Out-

[Tobias Burden]

OOC: Final one... and I'm done...

____________________________________________

No fading in from black, not this time, instead we merely open to a shot of what appears to be nothing but space, dark, empty matter, only illuminated by pale blue light as it? rises? Yes, rises, the camera pans down briefly to the ground to reveal that the ground is alight? akin to that of when a medical professional puts an x-ray snapshot over the clip lights to show a person exactly what is wrong with them?

Our attention pans up to the edge of the wall of light as we hear footsteps closing in towards us; the pace is calm, as though the person walking has all the time in the world. Eventually the figures silhouetted legs become visible, the light slowly trails up the rest of his or her body, as though intentionally, until we reach their face to discover.

? Who the hell do you think at this point, it?s Tobias Burden.

Tobias: ?Figure I?d better get on with what this is all about??

He spreads his arms out wide, as if to encompass the entire area. The baggy leather car coat he?s wearing is unzipped to reveal that Tobias is, in fact, dressed in his ring attire.

Tobias: ?To put it simply, this is me??

He peers around at the floor, the camera goes to an overhead view to reveal that it is, in fact him, or at least an x-ray image of his entire body, blown up to ridiculous size, the young wrestler?s body only creating a minor flaw with the image? so the comparison above, was in fact, a correct guess.

Tobias: ?? Heh? I?m standing right beside where my liver is, yep? you can see the damage that three years of nonstop beer bingeing has done to me??

Indeed we can, as the flesh of that particular area appears to have small tears along the surface of it? we could probably see more of it, but instead the camera follows him along as he walks across the set, stopping at anything that looks out of the ordinary on an x-ray scan.

Tobias: ?You know? from up there you must be getting great view of the price that I?ve had to pay not only to be in this business, but to wrestle MY style. Look at that, my knuckles and elbows look like gelatin from all the goddamn strikes I?ve been throwing??

Indeed, the knuckles, wrists and elbows all appear to be trying to fuse together under the brutal strikes of Tobias? wrestling style.

Tobias: ?There?s the cracked rib from what Phoenix and Griffen did to me last Mass Khaos??

A hairline fracture greets our view once Tobias point it out?

Tobias: ?Bruised spine suffered in my first match against Salazar??

? It?s there?

Tobias: ?Sprained ankle which occurred during the match against Kid Styles.?

He finally walks up to his chest and we see?

Tobias: ?Huh? nothing? no heart? well, since we all know about that being bullshit? guess I should fill the area with what I see fit, no??

With that, Burden reaches into his jacket and procures a lighter, he flicks it once, only a spark, second time though it light, he tosses it into the black empty crevice where his heart should be?

FWOOSH~!!!

The flames shoot up quickly, causing Tobias to take a step back, away from the dancing flame. The orange light licks up into the air, illuminating the surrounding area more brightly than any x-ray scan ever could hope to. Our view goes back down to eye level to stare Tobias dead in the face over top of the flames.

Tobias: ?You saw it all from up there, didn?t you? Didn?t you cameraman, didn?t you locker room, didn?t you TKOW fans. And what did you see, you saw every physical weakness I have to exploit, and I could care less really, the ones I pointed out are only the tip of the iceberg, don?t believe me? Well, rewind the tape and look over it again, pause and scour you may be shocked at the sheer number of fractures, of broken toes and knuckles, of muscle tears and ligament rips.?

?And some of you may be shocked by all that, but don?t be, no wrestler worth his weight is, they have it all the same too, an injury occurs every other match which you?ll never hear about, due to the hectic schedule we all keep, and the pace we work, this is the price you pay for never letting up, never slowing down and never giving in? you hurt, every day, every night, no matter where you are or what you?re doing.?

He stuffs his hands into his pockets and takes a sudden interest in the fire rather than the camera.

Tobias: ?Some guys have their true foundations in the right place, family, friends, lovers? I made my foundation in the goals that I fought for, so if I won it became a vicious cycle, and if I lost it became a vicious downfall, I became heartless so nobody would have to bear the brunt of it with me? I was weak when it came to the pain though.?

Procures a bottle of hard liquor from his pocket and stares at the label while he continues.

Tobias: ?Since I couldn?t have family, friends, and lovers. I had no place to slake my pain, except for my opponents, but as I said earlier, vicious cycle, every match causes more. I was weak, I AM weak, I?ll openly admit that, my escape for the pain everyday was this: Alcohol? liquid depression, one of man?s biggest downfalls and cures simultaneously, all poured into a convenient little bottle you can get at your local corner store. All because I couldn?t have anybody to cling to, my will, my drive to succeed would override all thoughts about giving it up.?

?Now, on the biggest night of my life, what I?ve sacrificed everything for, is upon me? and you too Phoenix, Griffen and Salazar, and I?ve come to a realization??

He pours the bottle into the flames, causing them to rise even higher? he releases the bottle into the inferno once emptied then turns back to the camera.

Tobias: ?If I can?t do it, if I can?t win on the grandest stage of my life, then being Heartless has been for naught, and after Megabowl, win lose or draw, my Heartless moniker, being Heartless, it goes too, it dies on that fucking night, and it will not be looked back on.?

?Then after that? Then what? If I win then it?s served its purpose, if I lose it was doomed to start and it?s been a waste of my time. But after it all, what? I?ll tell you what??

He slips out of the jacket and throws that too into the fire? goodbye and so long $300?

Tobias: ?I?ll tell you what, for the first time in a long time, win or lose, I?m gonna be fighting, shooting and struggling from the heart, instead of denying it. My past isn?t gonna hold me down any more. The friends I?ve left behind, the family I?ve denied, I?m going to make it up to them. If I win then I?m fighting on top, if I lose than I?m fighting my way back up there but I refuse - I deny - shunning everything I?ve ever cared about until I can?t care about anything anymore.?

?But I gotta say, regardless of when I abandon my ?Heartless? ways, I do hope that I can destroy it on a high note, I?ll be pretty pissed if everything I did over the course of the past? what? three? four? maybe even five months was all for nothing. At least if I get the title, the TKOW championship? or??

Gestures into the flames.

Tobias: ?The ?Fiery? Title if you wish? then I can at least say that I gave up everything for something, I can say I got SOMETHING, anything, in return??

?Submissions finals? the winner has to get his opponent to tap out? I can?t think of a single time that Phoenix, or even Griffen has tapped out? well, here?s a newsflash and a history lesson for the both of you: neither have I. Don?t believe me? Search? look around, getting stunned, winded and knocked out for a three count are inevitabilities, they happen? tapping your hand against the mat and screaming you quit however, that?s a matter of pride, and I?m thinking we all have too much of that. So much in fact that one of us may not walk away from the match without being crippled.?

He puts his hand just over top of the searing flames? all the while staring at the camera.

Tobias: ?This is it? one of you will be my final match while I?m still Heartless, and I will do anything to ensure I will win, tear my ligaments, break my bones, target my weaknesses ? I?ve left them open for you to see ? and do your damndest. Phoenix, Griffen, Salazar and Santa Claus, this is my night, and I will take it, it will be mine, I?m gonna do it for my fans, I?m gonna do it for myself, and I?m gonna do it for the thing that burns the most, my heart.?

He begins to walk away, leaving the flames behind, and leaving us with solitary thoughts and wonders about who will take Megabowl? and who will meet with defeat.

[Snow?]

[Kahlan - R.I.P.]

The scene opens on Griffen. The feed is a bit grainy, similar to that of an older model home video camera. He sits outside in the shade under a full-size, fruit-bearing apple tree. He straddles a wooden highback kitchen chair, his arms resting on the back and his chin resting upon his forearms. He looks into the camera with predominantly greenish hazel eyes.

Matt: The day is nearly upon us. My second MegaBowl. My second chance to walk out with a new title. Last year I left with the gold Burden carried, causing an uproar in TKOW. My team wasn't expected to win. We were expected to lose to the current champions because we were new, we weren't in the 'in crowd.' We weren't the favorites. Everyone believed we didn't DESERVE the spot.

As birds chirp and sing in the background, a cute, dirty-blonde haired boy, approximately 7 or 8 years old, enters the frame ducking under a branch several yards behind Griffen. He holds his hands behind his back.

Matt: But we proved everyone wrong. This MegaBowl is similar in a way, only this time I have to fight and defeat the current champion and friend, again being the underdog--not expected to win, in order to just GET to the finals.

Another young boy about the same age and size, this time dark haired, enters the frame. He, too, holds his hands behind his back, and the two quietly move closer to Griffen from behind, concentrating hard on carefully placing their feet in the grass, avoiding twigs. The mischievous grins on their faces reveal they're up to something.

Matt: Burden, Salazar, do you know what state of mind, what mood I'll be in when I get to the finals? Yes, I'll be the new champion for the brief time between my match and the finals. However, I won't be filled with joy. I won't be filled with happiness. Once I have the title, I plan to keep it for more than an hour.

The boys creep closer. The camera gradually zooms in more on Griffen, close enough to show his eyes morphing green.

Matt: No matter how beaten I am. No matter how tired I am. No matter how much I've bled. No matter how much I hurt. No matter if I have to fight you blinded, in a cast, bandaged up like a mummy. After taking that title from Phoenix, after having to go through him for it, I'm not ABOUT to let either of you walk, crawl, or slither away with it.

The boys look at one another, their grins growing--the grin on the dark-haired boy identical to the one Griffen bears in lighter moments. Unbeknownst to them, Lady Hawke sidles into view, appearing, peeking between the thick dual trunks of the apple tree behind them all, then hiding again.

Matt: The only one of us three who has earned the shot to end Phoenix's undefeated record in TKOW and take that title and keep it... is me. Why else do you think Power pitted us against one another? If I can't take it from him, then there's absolutely no chance for either of you.

The boys bring their hands out from behind their backs... each packing a super supersoaker. They carefully aim at Griffen, whose expression turns to one of determination with a hint of disgust.

Lady Hawke steps around the tree trunk carrying two 5-gallon buckets and quickly moves behind the boys, setting one of the buckets down and gripping the other with her other hand, lifting it higher.

Matt: And when I do take it from him, to lose it to either of you would be a disgrace and dishonor, especially when he's made it a worthy title again after taking it from Soulfly. I won't let that happen. At MegaBowl V, I'll be the one wearing the TKOW title home. That's something you can bet on.

Dark-haired Boy: Hey! Matt!

Griffen turns in his seat, only to get soaked by both boys. He stands to go after them, knocking over the chair. The camera moves to follow the action. The boys turn, only to run into the deluge from the bucket of water Hawke throws on them. They yell in between squeals of laughter and spray Hawke. Griffen, dripping water down his face, reaches over and takes hold of the water-filled weapons, lifting them up and eventually pulling them from the boys' grasps. As he grins in victory, Hawke douses the three with the remaining bucket and takes off running, ducking under the branches. All three males follow in hot pursuit, with Griffen tossing one soaker back to the boys.

Matt: GET HER!!!

[Phoenix]

I considered righting the camera before I started my final recording. While thinking on that, I let my mind linger to the final promos from my opponents, and one thought screamed out at me?

Raving idiot?

Fade in. Sideways.

Here we are, ladies and gentlemen. Three days from MegaBowl V.

By now we?ve heard countless things from each competitor in this cluster we call the Firestarter Tournament. Apparantly I?m the last to make my final appearance. I suppose it?s fitting, being the champion. It?s time to buckle down, to prepare, to remind each and every one of you why I?m the champion, why I?m the best, why I?m the strongest, the toughest, the nastiest.

I absentmindedly twiddled my bat into the dirt as I spoke.

I look at each of you and remember what I was like years ago, when I took my own first steps on the journey known as wrestling. The first time I was ever seen was on a program shown by the upstart federation, WWR. They held two shows a week, one Pay Per View a month. Their schedule was, quite frankly, something most of you would have burned up attempting to keep up with. There I was, sliding into the ring behind some young punk named Jacko. He had just finished delivering some speech to the crowd, when I hoisted him over my shoulder for the first ever Hellfire, then known as the PX-Slam, into a steel chair.

I flexed, because other than my black jeans, sneakers, socks, gauntlet, Rosary, and mask, I had nothing on. And I mean nothing. Rawr.

Back then I didn?t know who I was. I was young and cocky, I was dark and mysterious, I was nasty and destructive. I was everything, at different times, as I attempted to find myself.

Here?s a few of the things I?ve learned over my three plus years.

Young and cocky is overdone.

Dark and mysterious is overdone.

Nasty and destructive is overdone.

No matter what way you go, people will hate you, or people will love you. No matter what you do, how you act, the words you use, people will or will not like you for some of the dumbest reasons ever heard.

All you need to do is find your path, stick with it, and hope for the best.

My path, as most of you may have noted, is one strewn with fire, burning pain, and heated emotions. It?s been a balance, of the light and the dark. Darkness corrupts the soul, you see, and the fire lights up the darkness, burns the darkness, the evil, away.

However the fire itself, if not kept in check, soon may burn everything else as well. What happens, one may ask, when the fire is allowed to burn uncontrolled?

Well, viewers, the result can be seen before you.

You see, this fire that has enveloped my being for so long has been burning unchecked since MegaBowl IV. There was one person that entered my life near that time, and she was able to fight back the heat with her own, but that, too, has been burned away to nothingness.

If you?ve watched me at all, you?ve noted that my normally fun exterior has been dissipating more and more as the weeks have progressed. I?m not the same joking fun loving man I once was.

What does this have to do with MegaBowl V?

Even I don?t know.

You see, normally this kind of degradation in a man would lead to increased threat, craziness, added violence. However, in my time I believe I have shown a degree of each of those traits that would suggest it can?t get any worse.

I scowl, eyeing the camera.

My biggest fear? What if it can get worse? What if there?s something that I buried deep within me, locked up, lost the key for? What if there are demons inside of me that I feared so greatly I joined the church to attempt to burn away with the scalding light of faith? What if, there?s more to me than any of you could possibly have dreamed of? If there?s a side of me that only one man has ever seen before?

And what if that man found the key? And found a way to make sure the fire within burned away all my defenses? What would happen if this man found the part of me that most emulates him, and found a way to bring it to the surface, and use it for his own means?

What would become of me then?

And worse, what would become of each of you?

I have been warned that at MegaBowl, he will bring me the key. He will unlock the box, and free that part of me. He will twist me to his ends, and unleash the me that he wants upon TKOW.

You?ve all seen what I can do, what I can become, when I?m pushed to my limits. You saw it at MegaBowl IV when I faced down Jace Mingla. But even then, even after my friends being attacked, the beatings I suffered, even being shot, I had limits. There was a line, that I could never cross. Things I could never do.

He doesn?t have that line. He doesn?t have those limits. And that part of me? That part of me made him.

I have great fear for MegaBowl V. I fear facing my good friend. I fear the possible loss of my record, and the possible loss of my title. Most of all, I fear what will happen if the beast is set free of the depths and chains that have held it down for so long. I fear what I might do to friend and enemy alike.

I stood up and stepped forward, taking the camera into my hand and holding it at face level.

Make no mistake, any of you. I have not lost any focus on this event, that title, my record, or the matches I must win to retain it all. I know who I?m facing, what you are each capable of, and what I need to do to win. I know how to out-hurt Matt to escape the cage, and I know all the spots to work to make Tobias or Salazar scream out in the pain I have grown to love.

At MegaBowl V, I will be bathed in the white hot light of searing pain, both mine and yours. I will relish each and every moment of it. I will use it to sustain my body as I work towards my goal.

The only thing I cannot foresee is what state of mind I will be once that first match starts. Will I be me? Or will I be me. That, dear friends, honored enemies, is what you will have to wonder as the hour draws near.

I leave you, with this.

?I have walked among men and angels through a thousand years. Time has no end, no begining, no purpose. I wander the earth. I seek forgiveness for my horrible crimes against God and men. I live to seek death, destruction, but the light cannot be extinguished. I live in a prison of my own demise. I am lost in time.?

Aut vincere, aut mori.

Fade, one last time.