EMPIRE Promo 1


The camera opens up in an empty trashed hotel room. The time stamp on the top right of the lens reads 10/10/17 12:03 AM.  The silent buzzing of the static air is broken by the faint sound of dragging that grows closer and closer until it's just outside of the hotel room door. After a long, tense, almost horror like build, the door kicks open revealing a disheveled looking Mallory Wilde sporting a trench coat that barely covers her ring gear.  She peers blankly ahead through the disturbed strands of hair tustled up on her forehead.  After a long moment she begins walking toward her bed, dragging her foot behind her as she lurches onward like a zombie in both stride and demeanor.  As she reaches the foot of the bed, a relieved smile spreads across her face, and her body collapses forward onto the mattress.  After a long pause filled with awkward silence and a beep of a detector in the hallway in need of a new battery, Mallory screams into the mattress.  She then turns over, smiling and giggling, and howls at the ceiling.

"Y'OOOOOOOOOOOWWWW OW OW OWWWW! What a night! I got everything I wanted out of it.  I got to get a few licks in on Chelsea Crowe, got to see April Song kick outta first gear and give me a fight, right?! I got a souvenir from the Specialist Champion. My jaw hurts, my ear's ringing like I just spent a whole Machine fuckin' Head show huggin' an amplifier.  Not to mention my toe, which is screamin' after I laid into April's jaw with it.  Most importantly of all though I got the fight of my life outta these women, yah? Was a fun ride.  A fun ride indeed. I learned to respect our champion...I mean despite her bein' a Latina in a maid's outfit who has the gall tuh call me a stereotype.  I saw what April Song could do when motivated, even though she called me an idealist while letting an ideology dictate her performance.  I even managed to gain a little bit o' respect for that sellout Chelsea Crowe, even if she question my conviction while presenting none of her own.  Gee guess I didn't make any friends did I? Not that I was settin' out to, but it got catty quick didn't it?  I expected to save stamps on Christmas cards, but those gals tried to make it personal.  Can't say I bit though.  Can't say I even cared, but I'm a bit disappointed in myself get drug down in such petty words.  It almost negates whatever respect I gained for the ladies in this match."

Mallory sits up on her elbows and cracks her neck.  Her smile is thin and filled with irritation as she bites the inside of her bottom lip.

"So I lost, eh? So I didn't take home the greatest souvenir possible? So what? Am I supposed to lay down n' die? Eat the pin and go to bed without dessert?  Nah.  Oh hell naw,that ain't me.  If I come away from this match provin' anythin' it's that I can come back from gettin' knocked on my ass and stand up smilin' and spoilin' for the next fight.  People will see this loss as a squandered opportunity, but I don't see it that way.  I know what Consuela Rose Ava's capable of now. I know who she is, I know what risks she'll take, and I've seen her in her most desperate hour and how she reacts to being cornered in a fight. I've seen that I can hang with her and I've learned what I can do differently in the future, because I will get another opportunity at that Specialist Championship.  I have no doubt in my mind that Consuela will be the one I take it off of no matter how far down the road my next chance may be.  I relish that day, but until it comes I only have one thing to say to the champ for being a major part in the biggest match of my short career: Thank you.  Now I know dat dere feeds in tuh dat dere Canadian stereotype ya like tuh pin me wit, eh? but I don't say it often and I don't say it lightly.  I know where I need to go next in order to be on your level, and there are two detours prior to that: One's an ear, nose, and throat doctor to make sure ya didn't dislodge somethin'.  Stop two is Megan Raine."

Mallory gingerly turns on her side and stares tiredly into the camera as she props her head up with her hand in a very bored,tired, tranquil pin up pose as she lets out a yawn and slaps her lips together sleepily.

"Former model, eh? People might think that I'll try n' tear that apart, but that lifestyle takes some toughness and discipline.  Ya gotta eat right, ya gotta walk right, and ya gotta exercise right to keep some tubby schmuck in a hounds tooth shirt who takes fifteen percent for doin' nothin' from tellin' ya that you're lookin' a l'il thick.  I had the honour of watchin' ya work at Blood Letter.  You did a lot to get your shot at the Specialist Championship.  You pulled out the stops n' brought a fight. I respect that, and I understand the difference 'tween a fight and a wrestling match.  There aren't any rules in a fight. There's no dress code or official.  There aren't any mercy rules.  You're a fighter. Probably have been all your life.  Doesn't matter where ya came from, what you're aboot, or what the job title was, you compete like someone who thinks they have something tuh take from the world that you think it owes you.  You gotta problem though. Oh yah, you betcha ya do. See I'm the same way, right? I ain't never been told no in a tone or language that I understood.  People have tuh show me that the things I want don't belong to me just because I want'em, and the problem is with me is that sometimes tellin' me one time ain't enough to remind me.  As far as I'm concerned you're walkin' 'round thinkin' you're the number one contender to a belt that should be mine, an' Consuela's holdin' up her l'il apron dere with what should be my belt. She's slapped my hand outta the cookie jar once, but I still want it.  Seein' how you fought at Blood Letter, I know you want it too, eh?  So what's gonna happen is that I'm gonna beat ya and maaaaybe become the number one contender? Eh? Eh?"

Mallory holds one hand out to her side and smiles a wide goofy grin while raising her eyebrows.

"That's the way I sees it anyway. If not that, then 'least my name'll stay in the convo a bit longer.  I ain't never been a materialistic person, which may be the only true difference between you n' I Meg.  Well, that and I know how to take a bruise to the ego ssst."

Mallory hisses and clasps the side of her face in a wince, still feeling the after effects of La Rodilla de la Muerte from a few hours earlier.

"And my jaw. Cripes it hurts like the dickens, but pain is temporary,
 
just like championship title reigns are temporary, 

just like contender's ship spots are temporary."

Mallory curls into a ball in the center of the bed, clasping her knees as she lay on her side in the fetal position.  She lets out a yawn and rests the less battered side of her head on a wad of blankets on the unmade bed.

"I look forward to our fight, Meg.  I look forward tuh exposin' the true fighter under that Barbie doll exterior. Maybe treat yo' self and go out and enjoy your last couple days of bein' pretty.  Get the spa treatment, get your hurr did, get a mani-pedy so that you can put a few new callouses on your feet while you try kickin' my head in, and so you can show off your gorgeous pastel fingernails when the gloves come off and we try to end one another. Get a deep tissue massage so I can put new lumps in ya, or better yet, maybe save your money on getting a mud mask because I'm going to do my best to rub your face in the dirt.  S'nothin 'personal.  S'just what I gotta do.  I think you get that, and that's probably what I actually like about what I see in you. To you this is just business, this is just another throat tuh slit in order tuh get ahead.  You get that it takes everything to get anything, and that rules aren't necessarily meant to conform to. That's what makes either one of us prime candidates for that belt around Consuela's waist.  Girls like us were made for this, but in order for us to get anywhere some of us have to be broken along the way.  It's a damn shame too.  There aren't many like us that'll gladly fight under any condition.  There aren't many that'll walk away from an encounter like the one you and I are about to have, and it's even less likely for someone to survive longer than a few moments with competitors like us but I have no doubt that you're in this for the long haul."

Mallory's mouth closes and forms a proud, but sad, pursed smile.

"And that's the problem for the two of us.  In order for one to win, the other must be broken, and that doesn't leave much in the one who walks out alive.  Either I walk away a veteran of war with more than a few souvenirs of battle or I cut out Consuela's work for her.  I don't want either of those things, so if I were you doll face, I'd make sure to keep watch for flying toes in the first moments of our match.  A loss is a loss and there's nothing wrong with the score board saying zero, but I'm one to let the clock run out before some zebra steps in and tells me when I'm done.  I'm not doin' that this time around.  Zero's not big enough and I'm here to make a point this time around.  I don't mind eating clay on the battle field, but I'm not stayin' down long enough for my face to make an impression in the mud.  When I was little I used to steal other little girl's Barbies and yank their heads off and hot glue wrestler heads to them so that they couldn't enjoy them.  I plan on doing the same at Empire with Consuela's freshly wrapped present of a new contender.  I'm not sayin' it'll be easy, and I'm not sayin' it'll be fun, but nothin' worth doin' ever is."

Mallory yawns once more and lets her eyelids flutter closed as she pulls the tail of her duster up to act as a makeshift blanket.

 "You might be the number one contender, but zero always comes before one."

Almost instantly after uttering these final words, Mallory's breathing goes heavy and her eyes start dancing in REM.

Watch Out For Deja vu Black Mamba!
1-Boss (Soft Reset)
V. Prince of Pout




Oh my goodness….you’re rambling.

Here i was thinking, that i would be enlighten...inspired..by your words of toiletries. Clearly i need a better brand of wisdom to take stock in. Heartbreak Gal is preaching better words of wisdom this week. She will probably set the world on fire, but if i was to take a side now, i would surely believe it is too early to know.  Yet, i know better. I should focus on what you preached this time around. It is without your influence that Nobi beat you. He had the backing of friends more than he had your word to go on. He pushed and pushed until he finally knocked the ugly troll of the bridge towards his prize: The EAW National Elite Championship. Now, merely sit there and celebrate, he is back on the grind proving what it means to be as i have said day one upon arriving in Showdown, what it means to be a champion. You didn’t have that quality about you POP, no matter how grand, your return to EAW must have been. I don’t see it.

Guess who is at the bottom of this glorious pit with me POP? You. There is nothing to separate us anymore, Lance Hart is long gone. We ARE the bottom of the food chain. You’re not some apex predator, if you were, i cannot fathom you picking at scraps just to prove your superiority in the ring. You believe coming across is fortune manifested for you, determined to belittle at every turn. You are no teacher worth respecting...i believe i told another piece of shit that very same thing before I left NEO. However, the past as we have both spoken, is of little reference for strength. The present and the future matter most. Defeating is merely that next step in the grand scheme of things. I talk to you about championship reigns, cause in the midst of you bickering back with you don’t realize i AM actually taking note of you. If you’re going to claim some meager amount of greatness, surely there is something about you i neglected and discarded for worthless information. T

Nothing matters to you, but that is all that i need to know. What matters to me is the inevitable defeat of the Princedom of Pestilence. What remains of your realm, matters not, cause who i am to remember the man i beat who has no reason to learn anything from his travels, his rivals, his enemies, his friends? I can simply look up at the those further on the card, each them had to go through a greater tribulation or trial that didn’t revolve around them. Some rose up to the occasion, some did not. I look into the mirror and see a man whose first and utmost important priority is to remain humble. There is little in the way of being cocky if i have never seen a style of wrestling or seen someone i didn’t think could be better than me. I see that here in EAW...and that motivates me, drives me bonkers really, that i can’t see that in you. Someone marked by his peers as a legend. Someone marked by management as the rebound of the century possibly. I don’t see that. I see a man determined to tell lies and spin the truth to better himself at any cost, which is not something i want in a role model, to follow at the least. 

You are no threat to me POP, you never will be. Deja vu is a dangerous thing, but i will see to it that history repeats itself. Showdown will be showcased to yet another clinical match up between proclaimed greatness and man willing to embrace his faults at every turn. Modesty does a man wonders, and on Showdown it will be no different.

(We start this promo off outside of the KeyArena. Camera pans to the annoying and unnamed interviewer making sure the camera is on him because he’s a lil attention sloot. He’s looking more nerdy than usual. Wearing glasses and stuff. Yeah we are going with that stereotype. If you wear glasses you’re a nerd. Wanna dispute that? Idc, tough. The interviewer starts running until he finds a phone booth. Yeah I guess they still make those things. Either that or the interviewer decided to ship it out to Seattle. He steps into the phone booth with a bag and starts changing.)

Interviewer: Hey when you go to edit this you’re gonna speed this part up and make me look all heroic like Superman when he changes, right? 

Cameraman: Nah. You don’t tell me what to do. 

Interviewer: But this is so embarrassing. Plus people will know the identity of the superhero I’m becoming. 

Cameraman: Nah. You have a distinct round body shape and a very foul body odor that just lingers for miles. People will know it’s you.

Interviewer: Okay I’m done changing. These tights, do they make me look a little plump?

Cameraman: …

(Then the interviewer runs..well, waddles over towards to the camera. He’s breathing very heavily and is already sweating through his costume. Sweating buckets from just changing. His voice becomes all deep and raspy, trying to mimic Batman’s voice.)

Interviewer: My name is the interviewer. After five years in hell, I returned to Seattle with only one goal: To save The High Rollerz from the hooded bandit. Today I fight the war on two fronts. By day, I lead EAW as the greatest interviewer of all time. But by night, I am someone else. I am something else. I am—

Cameraman: The Green Arrow. Yeah you stole that from the show. You ain’t slick. 

Interviewer: Stop. Just let me have this. This is my childhood dream. 

Cameraman: …Fine. 

Interviewer: I am – Justice Man!

Cameraman: OHHH creative! 

Interviewer: During the past few weeks, I’ve watched my trusty sidekicks, David and Jack fall victim to my arch nemesis, the hooded bandit. He keeps attacking the ones I love. First it was my wife and kids. Now The High Rollerz? He or she must be stopped. 

Cameraman: You don’t have a wife or any children. You live alone in your beat up station wagon. Just traveling from arena to arena like some groupie. 

Interviewer: Yeah, it’s my cover! HAAA! So tell me, who is the real loser here? Not me, that’s for sure. But as I was saying I’m fed up. Sick and tired of the hooded figure ruining my life, along with David and Jack’s. And what does the GM, Brian Daniels do to help prevent this nightmare from reoccurring? Absolutely nothin! Showdown has zero security. Just allowing anybody and everybody to jump over the barricade like its nothing. That’s fine. I guess I’ll have to take matters into my own hands. I just didn’t think I would have to return so soon. •Interviewer takes a deep breath, trying to make things more dramatic• They said I was retired. They said I was far too dangerous to help clean the streets of Elite Answers Wrestling because of all the casualties I left behind. And maybe they were right. Maybe I lost the real me after trying to hunt down the hooded mystery for years, decades..if not centuries in different timelines. But have no fear, the chasing game will be over soon enough. I will find the hooded figure. I will capture him and I will pull the hood down to show that scumbag’s identity to the entire world! Now let’s go to my secret lair. Transition sequence! 

(We are now right outside of The RAD Betting Agency door backstage. The interviewer has a bulletin board with tons of photos of suspects. The interviewer is trying to piece everything together. He takes a red marker and draws an X on some of the photos and tears them off, as they are no longer labeled as threats. He stares at the remaining suspects. At this point David appears and of course questions what’s going on because he’s a normal human being.)

David: What is this? 

Interviewer: This? This is the key to everything! This is gonna answer the question you’ve been searching for! Who attacked you and Jack?! I’ve narrowed it down to ten final people. We are getting close David. I can taste it. Mmmmm it tastes good. Salty and savory. Like canned chocolate bacon. 

David: Um what? That was odd. That was an odd thing to say. And what is the meaning of this? Why is my face on here? How in the world did I ambush myself? 

Interviewer: It’s simple, really. Actually, put on the X Files theme song for a second..thank you. The hooded figure was you from the future. From a different timeline. And future David was there to save the world. He knew that if you or Jack won King of Elite, which would have happened if it wasn’t for the distractions, the world would end. Let’s face it Davey, the world isn’t ready for The High Rollerz’ singles success yet. It would be too much. An overload of sorts. If you or Jack becomes world champion, every other elitist in EAW quits because they know that they can’t possibly take the belt off you. Then EAW gets stale because the viewers already know you will win week after week. It’s like watching The Big Bang Theory. Once you’ve seen one episode, you’ve seen them all. Yeah that show sucks and Young Sheldon looks even worse, I can’t even David. Oh and before I forget, another reason why you’re a suspect is because I took this photo of you earlier today. Look at what you’re wearing. Blue jeans? Yeah, nothing suspicious about that. But look on top. It’s a sweatshirt. No big deal? PYSCH, IT IS BECAUSE IT’S A HOODED SWEATSHIRT! YOU’RE WEARING A HOOD DAVID? WHAT’S UP WITH THAT? HOW COULD YOU? YOU ATTACKED JACK LAST WEEK! YOU CAN’T POSSIBLY GET OUF OF THIS! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?!

David: It was raining, therefore I had my hood up…

Interviewer: Hmm, interesting alibi. I’ll look more into this. 

(David just looks at the interviewer with disgust. Thinking of ways to get rid of him permanently. Legal of course. David isn’t a criminal, like he clearly proved just seconds ago. David is a good boy. Has never done a single thing wrong in his life. David pulls up a chair and looks into the camera. In the background The Interviewer is still staring at the photos of suspects.)

David: This week I face the one and only, Diamond Cage. What are my thoughts on this match? It’s rather simple. Since becoming a professional wrestler or I guess, “EAW elitist” to be more exact, I’ve done a lot of press and promoting for my upcoming bouts. And the promoting doesn’t just start and end with me demanding for this cameraman to come find me backstage and film one of these weekly promos. It’s more than that. There is a lot going on behind the scenes that you don’t get to see. In my travels I’ve done many interviews. Legit interviews. Not from that grease ball behind me. I’ve done interviews for radio shows and morning shows and late night shows. Magazines as well. I’ve done podcasts. I’ve done random YouTube videos with the likes of H3H3. And I’m always asked the same question over and over: Who would be your dream opponent? And I’ve answered it a million different ways. I can think of anyone living or deceased. Then I try to narrow it down to being realistic. And for the past four months or so, I’ve really thought about who I want to face and I can confidently say that in singles action, one v. one…the answer is the EAW Hall of Famer and former world champion, Diamond Cage. Why him? What makes him special? What makes him the obvious choice, the cut above the rest? What makes me want to risk it all and slug it out with Mr. Explicit Content himself? There is no reason. What why? Because it’s not true! Gotcha bitch. The truth of the matter is, I’ve never spent a single second thinking about a future match with Diamond Cage because to me, it’s not a huge deal. You see..I’m a big picture kind of guy and this match against DC is not going to do anything for me in the long run because I’ve gone on record to say many times that singles success isn’t something I crave, let alone want. What? That can’t be true! Because every elitist’s number one goal is to one day hoist a world title over their head and watch as the confetti just pours from the rafters. Oh, and I can’t possibly forget the deafening pyro going off, completely drowning out the “you deserve it” chants from the crowd. Some cookie-cutter bullshit if you ask me. See this title? The title resting on my shoulder? This is the only title I care about. This is the only title I want..no no no, scratch that, this is the only title I NEED. It’s not a want, but a need. How foolish of me because this title is a necessity. It’s up there with food, clothes, and shelter. Because when I have this in my possession, it just further validates that The High Rollerz is the greatest tag team in EAW history. And it’s not just because of the three reigns thus far. It’s not even because of the instant classics we’ve performed between those ropes. Sure it helps. But what I really pride myself on is being a great friend..I don’t care if that sounded corny. It’s true. I’m reliable. Jack can count on me and vice versa. Like I said just moments ago, I’ve held this Unified Tag title three times. Do you know who else can say that? Jack Ripley? Yep, but that wasn’t the answer I was looking for. Nah, what I wanted you to think or say is my opponent, Diamond Cage. But do you know what’s the difference between Cage and I? I won this three times with the same partner. Him? Three different ones. Let’s go down the short list shall we? Oh wait, the math is wrong because counting is hard.. it’s just Pyrite and Mr. DEDEDE. So only two reigns. Huh, I guess I was giving you too much credit. But then again, when it comes to Diamond Cage, I think most give you way too much credit and praise. 

To some, you are this unhinged badass or antihero. But what I see is some generic tough guy. A Daryl Dixon or Punisher wannabe. The rebel. Something that most wrestlers wanted to be like five years ago but they grew out of that phase. But not you. You’re still the same ole Diamond Cage. Hmmm is that a compliment or a diss? I think the answer is quite obvious. Use your head. Well, try to at least. I know you’ve been dropped on your head a few times from your previous battles..perhaps a few too many times. I would say go see a doctor but I’m sure you’re too proud to get any sort of medical attention. The CTE will creep up on ya one day. Just like Robbie V but that’s a story for another day. This is about Diamond Cage versus David Davidson. The two manliest names in EAW, in my honest opinion. I listened to you talk yesterday. I listened very carefully and I’m not sure why because nothing really grabbed my attention. I had you talking on a TV screen while my eyes were glued to my phone. And not once did I look up at your face. Everything you said was expected and I’m not faulting you for that. You’re coming off a big victory against your mentor, Jaywalker. Which reminds me, hey, congratulations. I’m sure that was rewarding and satisfying. Felt like you got a monkey off your back. And now you can breathe a sigh of relief. Especially with The Triumvirate being no more. And for the time being, let’s stick with The Triumvirate topic, since it’s relevant to the both of us. So like I said, I was listening to you flap your gums. Just bragging and boasting away. Again, it’s expected because it’s Diamond Cage. And to me, it sounded like you took all the credit of putting an end to The Triumvirate and maybe I’m wrong. Maybe that’s not what you intended to say, I’m just saying how it sounded to me. But if I’m right, if I hit the nail on the head, then DC, my friend, you are completely wrong. I’m not taking all of the credit either. Ask Jack and he’ll say the same. It was a collective effort, DC. A collective effort between The High Rollerz, DC, and HBG. Obviously you took care of Jaywalker. HBG took care of Tiberius. And we took care of Ares and especially Lannister. Sure, Ares was the one to turn on Lannister and yeah, you know. Everybody knows. I think that moment is nominated for extreme moment of the year or whatever. But tell me DC, why did it happen in the first place? Come on, it’s an easy question. It doesn’t have to be multiple choice. You don’t have to poll the audience or phone a friend. It’s because they lost the Unified Tag Team Championships to yours truly. And as a result, The Triumvirate was never the same and died a rather quick death. Just like this year’s Oklahoma City Thunder team, the “super team” that was the Triumvirate never lived up to the hype. Good riddance, I say. 

Obviously, I waited quite a while to speak on this match and it wasn’t because I was afraid or because I was second guessing my chances in defeating you in middle of that ring. Silence speaks volumes, like many of my peers pointed out these past few days while they waited for their opponent’s rebuttal. I for one am usually eager to talk. I love to talk. I love to talk shit because I’m a competitor. And oh yeah, because I usually back it up but I digress. What I was going to say is the longer I wait to speak, the less I care about the match I’ll be competing in. And its not a direct shot at Diamond Cage. I did the same to Rex a few weeks ago. Yeah, back when he pulled the ultimate bitch move. Singles matches don’t exactly interest me. I don’t climb out of bed to face the likes of a Cage or a Rex. I want tag team matches. I want to fight side-by-side with my tag team partner and best friend, Jack Ripley. That’s when I’m at my best because there is usually something on the line, like for instance, these titles. But as for this week, there is nothing on the line. Nothing to lose. Nothing really win either. “But David, if you beat DC, you can brag about it later.” Like I would do that in the first place. Yep, totally. Gonna put a picture of me pinning Cage on my fridge. It would just mean so much to me! Ugh, let’s just move on. I noticed that just like me, I know Cage doesn’t care about this match. His heart isn’t completely in it because he wants that world title and hey, rightfully so. After beating Jaywalker at Kingsroad he should be second in line. Yes, Tiberius should have his rematch first because I noticed EAW picks and chooses when rematches happen. No consistency at all, which is odd, but it is what is. DIAMOND CAGE!!! Yeah I just yelled randomly. It’s the thing you usually do. It’s dumb. Stop it. Yelling your point doesn’t make it any more right or wrong. It just gives the people around you headaches. The viewers too if they have their headphones plugged in and they have the volume all the way up. But anyways you said you don’t know me. And that’s fine. I’m not hurt my that statement. My jaw isn’t clenched. My hand isn’t balled up into a fist like that popular Arthur meme. Just like when you said you are going to kick my ass. I don’t really care. It’s just a generic threat, like holy shit, you’re gonna try to beat me up in a wrestling match? And here I thought we were just gonna hug and tickle one another until one of us quits because we can’t breathe from all the laughter. Cage, you’re a hall of famer. A former world champion. You should be able to kick my ass. In fact, I get my ass kicked in most matches. I’m not the strongest. Which should be a given by my frame. I’m not the fastest. I’m not the smartest. Yet I continue to get the job done week in and week out and it’s because I’m one half of the greatest tag team in EAW history.. and oh yeah before I forget, if this hooded man or woman actually stays out of my hair for once, fingers crossed, then I’m very confident that I have the tools to put you down like the rabid dog that you are. So let’s do this DC. Let’s give it our all in a match that will be forgotten about a week later because it’s only right and makes total sense. Deal? K, Cool. 

(David turns around to the interviewer that has now put the Assassin’s Creed character on the board because he wears a hood. Just interviewer things. David gets up and leaves. Camera faces to black.)

Yes, Cameron, you certainly have a grasp of the situation that lead to my fall.  It's no deep insight, though, no in depth analysis.  You've taken the actions that have transpired in the open, and rephrased the words that I spoke when I was at my lowest.  And it's all true.  Everything that you've said, about my dependence on others, about my cascading failures, about the fact that on paper, I really don't make a good representative for Voltage at King of Elite.  You haven't lied about any of that.  But you did omit one thing.  While you reiterated my fall, you neglected to mention how I've stood back up.  You neglected to mention how I've accepted my losses, accepted my failings, and have been working to make them right.  Maybe they are just words, right now, but those words are a promise.  A promise that I will rise once again, that I will stand on my own and be stronger than I ever was in the Sanatorium.  A promise that I won't let everyone down like I did at Road to Redemption and Shock Value: the people in the back, the fans, and most importantly myself.  That is my promise, made in words now, but will be shown in action slowly but surely.  I have already stood on my own to defeat Moongoose McQueen in the previous round.  Maybe a victory over someone who is as wartorn as Moongoose was isn't a huge deal, but it was an important first step.  You're the next step, Cam, and a steep one at that.  But I know that I can do it.  You might not believe me.  Everyone else might not believe me.  But I believe me.  That's enough for now.  I'll convert more believers on Voltage during our match.

You are the popular pick to represent Voltage.  The success of HBG has certainly motivated you to match her, if not surpass her.  Everyone's eyes will be on your for our match.  And you love the attention, I'm sure.  But this isn't the last time that Voltage has been represented by a Hall of Famer and former champion in King of Elite.  Earlier this year at this past King of Elite, Voltage was represented by Drastik.  Say what you will about Drastik -and there's a lot of negative to be said about him- but when he's motivated, he's nearly unstoppable.  And he was motivated to claim the crown of Elite.  He faced off against Tiberius and Jamie O'Hara, two men who -at the time- lacked the track record of Drastik.  And yet, for all of his hubris, for all of his star power, all his motivation, he still came up short in the finals.  I'm not saying that you're anything like Drastik as a person.  You're so much better than him.  But the parable that I'm telling here still applies.  No matter your pedigree, the story that you're trying to tell, or how much you think you're better than your competition, you can still fall.  You can still fail.  But what of the rest of Voltage's contenders?  If not you, then who has a chance of representing Voltage?  There's Keelan Cetinich.  While some may say that he's underperformed recently, I believe that he's shown that when he's focused, he elevates his game.  He may not have a title to show for it yet, but I think that it's only a matter of time before he finally breaks through.  Could King of Elite be that time?  How about Harvey Yorke?  He's shown more motivation recently than he has in a long time, since the Interwire title tournament.  He's a longshot, a dark horse, but he thrives in that role.  Sleep on him and you might be surprised.

Or how about me?  My star has dimmed.  My image has been tarnished.  But scratch the dirt off and feel the steel within me.  Yes, I'm not the legend that you are, but that's how legends start.  No one pops into this world, steps through those ropes for the first time, and is heralded as a legend before the bell rings.  Not unless it's tongue-in-cheek. No, they're built, step by bloody step, win by grueling win, defeat by heartbreaking defeat.  You got there already.  Your legacy is secure.  Anything else you add is icing on the cake.  And I'm not saying that you won't add a lot more icing before you're through.  But for Keelan, for Harvey, for myself, we're still working to achieve our legendary status.  Not one of us doesn't want our names to stir the same recognition and respect that your name, or DEDEDE's name, or Y2Impact's name creates.  We will work, not to follow in their exact footsteps, but to follow in their example to blaze our own path to greatness.  For me, King of Elite is a unique opportunity to jumpstart that process.  To pull off the improbable and defeat you, and defeat Keelan or Harvey to represent Voltage at King of Elite.  To upset the order and the balance, taking popular picks like you or Keelan off the board and staking a claim that Voltage can be lead to a new era.  Not by force, as I attempted unsuccessfully before.  But by example.  By pulling my dreams from impossible to reality.

To defy Kenny Drake.

To defy The Goddess.

I will make a believer out of you.

If you spend the majority of your time being afraid, then why even bother calling yourself a Champion? Fear is all in the mind. Fear is what brings us down. Fear is the taste of blood in your mouth when you make every sorry excuse when you couldn't rise to the competition placed in front of you because you "did what you could". I have faced all the adversaries with not a single hint of fear in my heart, for so long that I don't even know what fear feels like anymore. Do you think I fear getting beaten down? Do you think I'd be ashamed of all the failures that I have endured? Nobi, not only do I not regret the missteps and misses that I've had over the past year, but I would relive it with no question if it meant I'd get to this point right now. In the face of defeat, I refuse to be dragged down the drain with everything to lose but nothing to gain. It doesn't make you a hero that you've gone from rags to riches, for that is expected in this line of business, it makes you the hero if you could live up to far beyond what is expected of you as you vow to place your opponents in a body bag, embarrassed and beyond repair. I am arrogant for it is my right to be. It's not my fault that I am better than the filthy scums that came across me. Indeed, Rex McAllister has pushed me into a road with what felt like an endless bump as the journey goes, but I never said he was hard to beat. It took John Doe's involvement for him to beat me. It took a helping hand for him to pin me for the three count while I relied on no one but myself. I only had my resources, my talent, my familiarity to see all kinds of opponents for what they truly are, and everything unexpected are just losses for me to carry again. This whole "Primary/Secondary" Champion of Showdown is just a game of comparison children play, and I am not interested in taking part of this pitiful rusty merry-go-round that you take importance in so much. You can spend days, weeks and months convincing yourself that you are the most dominant Champion of Showdown, but it doesn't take away the fact that everyone will still be looking at my story. This "chance" to beat me is not only an illusion, but an eye-rolling claim that makes me ashamed that I'm even speaking to a Champion. If someone interfered on your behalf and beat me where I stood without the officials noticing, I'm sure you'd be bragging about that fateful night when you beat the EAW Champion in her game. No wonder you and Rex get along. Either one of you gets a messy luck-driven victory that was far beyond your control, and you would claim that you did all the work, and that's where you're wrong about everything you know, Nobi: Being a Champion means with or without a title, you must prove how incredible and unstoppable you are, you would let your dominance cause the ground to vibrate as the world witness your presence or hears your music when you enter the arena, and if you haven't been paying attention, that's what I have done in the past year. I am a main event performer, I am the greatest of all time and no one can take that away. 

Being a reasonable person, I acknowledge the fact that anything can happen in that ring. You can beat me in an unlikely event, but it seems you have already shut the door to the more than likely possibility... or must I say guarantee... that I can beat you too. It's funny how you mention Chris Elite and Mr. DEDEDE in this as a point that you're capable of putting me down, when, newsflash, I have already beaten Mr. DEDEDE and Chris Elite multiple times in the past. Their dance in the ring was nothing to me but two people I consider beneath me as they fight for whatever is left of their pride. I idolized Mr. DEDEDE, I kissed the ground he walked on, I wore his shirts and merchandize even as far back as 2007, I wrote him letters telling him that he's the one person that I want to be in the future. Eight years later we met in the ring and what happens? He belittled me, yelled at me and told me that I was worth nothing but not once did he get the upper hand against me. The moral of the story is: Don't make comparisons where the Heart Break Gal is involved. Don't use other people as metaphors to what YOU can and can't do when faced with the devil in the ring. Your only defense is the sad, desperate "you're stupid" finger-pointing, when in truth you are the one who is coming off as an ignorant pile of garbage for you refuse to acknowledge the reality of the situation. The reailty of my undying dominance and power. The reality of your place. The reality that you're no Tiberius Jones, Y2Impact or Mr. DEDEDE, to even deserve to be in the same ring as me. The only thread that you can hang on to are the empty promises and meaningless threats of how you will snap my neck with ease in that ring, when I'd be surprised if you even last a single minute without questioning why you agreed to be in this match to begin with.

If you have idolized me for so long, then you shouldn't be surprised that we don't and will never hum the same tune. You would accept me for who and what I am, and at the same time accept your inevitable defeat. The reason why I'm influential was never because of the battles that I have won, but what I did to redeem myself in the face of defeat that led eventually to my success. You chose to wallow in your own grave, you chose to walk at the back of the line and wish the opportunities would come nearer, while I simply break through the glass wall, risk getting injured and compete with all I have just so I can get another glimpse of the title. The reason why I'm influential is because I am the Heart Break Gal, I am someone who knows better, I am someone who IS better. You can take all the lessons from me, but I'm afraid it's too late to start learning. If your morals and minset are easily steered by what every opponent says to you in a given week, it just proves how weak and easily manipulated you are, and when faced with a conniving showstealer like me, not even on your best day will you be able to take a win. You are expected to be the toughest competition when the situation needs you to be, not when your opponent starts pointing it out, and you fucking wonder why the name that you carry has little to no value. You can be a scared little rat coming to this match, or be the wild beast that I expect you to be, tear my limbs and ensure I never fight in the ring again, but you are forgetting the fact that I have not only fought but bested both types of opponents. I have turned beasts into rats, and you will be no different. That's what makes me the best champion, not only of Showdown but of EAW with or without competing in this match. And at Showdown, I will stand in the middle of the crowd as they watch in awe the living proof of greatness and timeless excellence in the EAW Champion.

(It’s dawn in Portland, Oregon as Stephanie “Cloud” Matsuda is sitting atop the Moda Center with a cup of coffee beside her, watching the sunrise. She’s wearing an old ‘Sky Princes’ sky blue hoodie from her JET days. She has a hood over a ‘C9’ fitted hat and is wearing Brooklyn College sweatpants. She’s kicking her feet a little, covered by a pair of ‘C9’ New Balance sneakers, just released.)

‘Due to unforeseen technical issues, the EAW Bloodletter event has been pushed back to Sunday, December 10’. (laughs) Funny how this happens when we’re the main event, sweets. It’s as if the universe doesn’t want us to do battle if fate itself is trying to avoid the inevitable. All this does is increase my hunger for championship gold. Then again, maybe this was for the best. You and I can continue our conversation with the world listening in. This match will be unlike anything anyone has seen. We’re both not naive. We know we’re in the fight of our lives. This match isn’t about skill or experience, but rather who wants it more. We can give each other all the compliments in the world, but deep down we believe we want to be champ more than the other woman. You may have a fire that’s been going since you started, but my desire burns brighter than yours, sweets. You can’t even comprehend how important this match is for me - or maybe you can. Neither of us can’t think of losing this match. I’ve had three chances to win a title this year Aria, THREE FUCKING OPPORTUNITIES. The first was the Formation triple threat for the Women’s World Championship; The second was the Inferno match against Brody for the Specialist Championship, and the third was against Ryan Marx for the Openweight Championship. I had three chances to get it right in one year - and I’ve wasted them all. So yes, I have to be my own hype man like Ron hyping Dwayne Wayne. So allow me to flip my glasses for a moment to show you my vision.

(The camera focuses on the sunrise for a moment as Stephanie continues to speak)

I have a vision for Empire. Not to say you don’t have one of your own, sweets, but I carry the weight of the world on my shoulders for a reason. You ever notice win or lose both my competitors and I come out of battle stronger and wiser? That’s because I’m a competitor’s-competitor, Aria. There were times where I had to end the careers of those who threatened the direction of women’s wrestling. I had to end Sheridan’s chances at getting the crown, and I’m the one who made the call to lock away you-know-who, giving up the rights to those children who are now in my possession. Ec- no Joseph was the man behind the woman, pulling at Alexis’ strings. Megan and I discussed this; in fact, that’s why she stayed in The Sanatorium. That was her last gift to the world - exposing that snake for who he is. 

(A sigh is heard from Cloud before she continues)

We didn’t always get along, but I loved her like a sister, much like the way I love you sweets. You know you care about this brand more than anything. I see you out there with your title raised, etching in a win after win, shining the spotlight on Empire and women’s wrestling as a whole. With what I have planned next, I wouldn’t be able to do without this reign of yours, so I want to thank you. Though you shade the most at your opponents, there’s many a night where you compliment these girls. We’d be chilling at a lounge or Dairy Queen, and you start going on about how much potential Azumi has, how proud you are of Consuela, how much April should get a push, and we'd agreed on how much of a threat Chelsea Crowe is. You want to see everyone at their best - with you at the helm of course. But, you know that fire you talked about? It only works for you. It enables you to overcome the greatest of odds ‘Ria. My fire? It nurtures or burns everything it touches. My flame has become turned into a blazing phoenix - nurturing those I feel are important and destroying those who try me and mine. I’m the only one who can make this place more than it is and I think deep down, you know and understand where I’m coming from. But, you ain’t no bitch, ‘Ria. You’re not going down without a fight. This match is my rite of passage, the next step in the evolution of Stephanie Matsuda. I need this victory more than anything sweets; if I fail a title match for the 4th time in twelve months, then I have no business being on Empire, or in EAW period. I’d rather fall into obscurity than be the woman who just can’t get it done.

(The camera goes back to Stephanie who  puts her head down as she takes sip of coffee)

There was once a young girl who was lost at a fair. She separated from her mother, looking for the arcade tent. She made her way across the rides and the wooden roller coaster - which looked unsafe - until she ended up in the petting zoo area. There she saw a little girl, several years younger, weeping on a bench. She walked up to this girl and asked what was wrong. The little girl simply said “I can’t find mommy and daddy’. So the older girl overcame her fear of being lost to take this little girl across the Orange County Fair to find her parents. Lo and behold she not only find the little girl’s parents but her mother at the same time. This story seems out of context until it hits you. Who do you think the little girl and older one was? I was just as shocked when my mother told me the other day. I remember that little girl, but you said your name was AJ then, which was a nickname. When I saw you years later, I thought I knew you from somewhere. It’s why I started talking to you in the first place. We both couldn’t pinpoint where, but it turns out I’ve been watching over you since we were kids, Aria. 

(Cloud puts her head up, her eyes red as if she’s been fighting back the tears)

I was reminded of that little girl on that fateful Thursday night in late October. I was backstage with Tarah, Finn Wakefield, and Nasir Moore when you came to us, shaking. That face...I’ll never forget it. I can only hope you never see you like that again. I must’ve held you for hours, slumped in the corner around the production area. Nobody - minus Tarah - disturbed us for hours. I felt that small body shake and shake. I can still hear those weak whimpers buried in my sweater.

(Cloud looks distant as a couple of tears go down her cheek)

I can still hear your muffled weeping, ‘Ria. I can still feel you in my arms. That’s why I wanted to be ‘Family First.’ I may not have known about our expanded history until several days ago, but whenever you needed me the most, I was there. When you needed someone in the first Territorial Invasion match, I was there. When you were fighting Hexagun, I was there. After leaving The Coven, I returned to your side. I had your back when we bumped heads with Azuna. The nights crying about Brett Kennedy being a dick., Cailin’s betrayal, I was there for all of it. How can I think about hurting the woman who begged me not to let go early in the morning in a whimpering voice? Well, that same woman also happens to be a force of nature. You’re so strong Aria. You're possibly the bravest woman I know. You keep on trucking, winning accolade after accolade. You’re the star of Empire, the example everyone should follow. I'm going to carry you out of the ring like I carried you back to the hotel that Thursday night into Friday morning in October, just like I lead you back to your family that summer of '99.

(Cloud wipes the tears from her eyes)

But you’re not a leader. You’re one hell of an inspiration to every little girl out there, but you’re not me, sweets. Your place as a figurehead is the blueprint for my revolution. ‘The War Queen defeats Empire’s True Empress.’ Because that’s what you are - that’s your true form. You’re the last Empress standing, the unbroken. You’re the target I need to take out. It’s not my intention to break you Aria - but to rebuild you. This idea may be a foreign concept to you, but it’s been awhile since you felt a true loss. You’re riding high without a care in the world, and eventually, that roadblock is going to hit you. When it does, it ain’t going to be pretty. I rather become the one who puts it there than one of the Astraeas of the world. You don’t know what it’s likely having your ability come into question - major loss after major loss and regulated to the role of a choke artist. Sometimes I question my place in this business - which is why I MUST win. I can’t lose to you sweets - not in my fourth title match this year. I think that’s more chances than anyone else got in an entire season. The pressure is more on me then it is you; all you have to do is show up, and you’re already considered the winner. ‘Formation’ by Beyonce plays, and everybody applauds - ANOTHER WIN FOR THE ALMIGHTY FACE OF EMPIRE! AND STILL YOUR WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPION! ARIAAAAAAA JAXOOOOOOOON! Yay, woo, and all that jazz!

(Cloud takes off her hood and fitted, her eyes narrowed as she endures the cold)

Like I said before - nobody expects me to win this fight. Not even my own family, who can’t even tell me good luck with a straight face. The world is enamored with the idea of a ‘GOAT Aria Jaxon reign.’ Well, I’m about to send those dreams crashing down and exploding upon impact. I spent too many years worrying about how the world will accept me. So, fuck it. I’m still going to get mine ‘Ria. I won’t be fighting you come tomorrow - I’ll be fighting myself for myself. That’s The Reality of Empire; every woman is out there on the battlefield, fighting for her glory, just how it is in the so-called real world. Our brand is a simulation of the everyday struggles the female species endure day in and out. I once talked about the concept of ‘fighting like Matsuda.’ I’m about to introduce the world what that means. You can have their love Aria - I’d rather have their respect. Then again, when I sling that title over my shoulder, my only concern will be who’s next and how can I make her famous? That’s what I do best ‘Ria. When I’m involved, everybody eats. All I have to do is focus on what’s currently mine and what’s about to be. That’s the true power of Empire, the true power of every woman - to take what’s rightfully hers and own the moment when she gets what she wants.

(There is a moment of silence as Stephanie stares at the sun. Her breath is seen appearing before her determined eyes. There is no sign of tears, or any form of distress on her face.)

I’ve shed my tears for you Aria-Marie Jackson Lebeau. I gave you my love, support, and undying loyalty. Now you will receive my wrath. The queen is dead.

(Stephanie stands up and puts her signature black bandanna around her face)

Long live the War Queen.

(The next scene is a shadow of Stephanie scaling down the side of the Moda Center, using her parkour skills. Stephanie drops down from above the ‘rip city’ sign and starts walking away with her hands in her pocket. The camera focuses on the sign and zooms in on ‘rip’ as if to signify ‘R.I.P.’ The following is a voiceover from an earlier interview with Stephanie Matsuda after Pain for Pride 9.)

“There’s a moment in this world where you realize all you got is you. If that’s it, then so be it. It doesn’t mean you’re alone - just that you’re the only person who believes in yourself.”

 
(In a quiet bar other than a soft jazz instrumental and a few conversations going on, April drinks. She’s sitting alone, per usual, with several empty shot glasses and a half-empty bottle of wine at her table. The bartender looks over in her direction with a look of half concern, half astonishment that the former soldier is still conscious let alone not completely drunk, but looks away immediately when April’s gaze shifts to her in a silent warning.)


Some people are so damn stubborn. They don’t know what they’re saying or doing and it’s really sad. Sad to see that people who try so hard to look intelligent or ride on their high horse like they are some kind of saint and look just so awful doing it. They are what we in the military used to call “Blue Falcons”, assholes who sell out their contemporaries and comrades for their own benefit. In a way, the three women I’m going against are all blue falcons, aren’t they?
First we have the adorable Mallory Wilde. And by Adorable I mean how one considers an ugly bulldog puppy adorable. Did I ask for this match? Yes. Was it because of someone’s sympathy instead of them understanding my talent and ability? Heh….that’s rich. Someone is lecturing me about being allowed into a match when Tarah put her in before she even proved herself by beating me. Yeah, maybe you didn’t ask to be here, but the fact that Tarah put you in here to round out the numbers before even going against me got under my skin a teeny bit. I came here as a mercenary with a job. I was supposed to take people out and I’ve strayed from that protocol I have to say. I’m sure my receipt is coming eventually for pretty much going rouge, but hey, as long as my employer’s biding time I can have all the fun I want. I think Mallory misunderstands the relationships I have with people. Tarah is, well WAS, my boss. My benefactor who continues to remain anonymous was also an employer. Manami-sensei is my mentor.


I don’t have a master.
Never have, never will.


As for my motivations in this match, that’s my business and not yours. What difference does it make to you why I’m competing, hmm? Of course I want the prize. And as far as respect goes, I have it for you. Especially since you beat me. Maybe my bluntness has the message a little misconstrued in your mind, but I have no ill-will towards you. Honestly, I’m rather intrigued that you performed the way you did, you know? People who beat me get a special place in my mind. Not obsessive or anything, but it’s like solving a puzzle. I try to find the pieces that go in the right places to get the full picture and make sure the same mistakes don’t happen again. Lightning won’t strike twice, I don’t think. You kicked my ass once, now I suppose I should return the favor, hmm?


Chelsea thinks she’s so smart too. Heheheheheh……SHE THINKS SHE IS GOING TO GET IN MY HEAD BY SAYING DESERTER OVER AND OVER! HAHAHAHAHAHA! What a fucking idiot. (April haphazardly crosses herself, giving an apologetic look up above) Language, I know. It’s a work in progress. But can you blame me? She spends the whole time lecturing about opportunities and what to exploit and this and that, but does she forget she’s talking to a professional? Someone who has actually been taught about things like psychological warfare. Throwing a little tidbit out there and she bit for it like a catfish going after a bloodied worm at the lake. Of course being called a deserter is pretty damn insulting, but is it really the end of my world? Absolutely not. Is it going to stop me from doing my job? No. I have a match I want to win, I have a score that desperately needs settling. I’ll save the lack of unprofessional behavior for Consuela, friend. Otherwise, I’m going to be composed as can be. It’s in my training, it’s in my blood. And do you think that I am going to be worried about you trying to sneak up behind me and take advantage? Maybe just a tiny bit. If you can somehow capitalize, more power to you, but I think I have enough skill to fend you off and plenty of piss and vinegar for Consuela.


Speaking of Consuela…Azumi Goto? I put her to sleep so often instead of counting sleep she counts little April Songs jumping around in her head! HAHAHAHA. Good one, right? Yeah, you’re bitter about losing in your home, right? Well…you should have been better. I didn’t change. I didn’t let EAW and the bright lights and all this other shit get to me. You did. And you want to blame me for your issues. That sounds more like something your sister would do than the woman I wanted to befriend would do. I won’t have excuses. All I have for you, and all I have for the other women involved in this match are fists. I’m tired of talking. Apparently neither you nor Chelsea are because you spent a day whining and complaining about how nobody wanted to talk. I want to fight now. I want to take out this rage and frustration I feel. I want to feel whole again….that’s all….

Why do I feel this way though?
This was just a job before.
Now it’s part of my life. Now it is my life. And I’m obessed with winning the title, beating Consuela….but what am I fighting for?
Is Mallory right….am I just fighting for someone else?
Is Chelsea right? Is my attention too scattered, or too focused on one person?
Is Consuela right? Am I not better than her? Was everything that happened over the summer a fluke?


Why am I doing this? 

I'm going to keep this short and sweet, I did exactly what I said I was going to do, I rid the world of another scumbag, I am the catalyst to the end of the Triumvirate, so now I focus, I set my sights back on what I want. The EAW World Championship, holy grail, everything in this business that I ever wanted is in that championship, I've said it once that tasting the EAW Championship has left me crazed, I'm an addict looking to get another quick fix of a drug that I simply can't get over. I returned at the Grand Rampage and nostalgia died the minute I entered that ring and started kicking ass, ever since then I've been kicking people's asses, I'm not a nostalgia act, I'm hungry. As hungry as I've ever been because dropping Jaywalker on his head with the help of some steel steps and seeing the blood flow reminded me of who I really am. I'm a killer shark, I'm an unstoppable killing machine that gets more deadly as the days past by, I'm the last man standing, I proved it against Jaywalker and I've proved it my entire fucking career.  This is what I do, this is who I am, I fight to the bitter end and when they think I'm dead I rise from my grave because can't nobody keep me down, I'll always be the last man standing, I never needed the stipulation.  I was on a warpath leading up to ending me and Jaywalker's violent story and I don't think I want it to end, I think more people need to be hurt on my way to getting what I want. Speaking about it won't do shit around here, asking won't do shit, YELLING SURE AS HELL WON'T DO SHIT! So I'm going to beat the hell out of everyone they put in front of me until I get HBG's ass in that ring and I beat the hell out of her too, the Triumvirate is dead, Jaywalker is now the epicenter of depravity. Every match is a step closer, every town is a step closer to the inevitable, this companies worst nightmare and since it is their worst nightmare they'll throw everything at me, a monkey wrench in my plans just so I can change my focus from what I want, but it won't happen, they can't stop me, nobody here can stop me from getting what I want. I'm too relentless, I'm too hungry, and I'm too much of a son of a bitch to go quietly into the night.

 I'm not much of a guy who is for story book endings, I'm not much for endings at all, why do you think I come back so many times when I've been written off? Consider what I did to Jaywalker as a rebirth, as a reassurance of what I have to do to everyone to get what I want, I have to drop people on their heads, I have to stain the canvas with blood, I have to put pain on those who want to take from me and put pain on me. I'm a target, reason why? Cause I can't die, I'm an indestructible fighting machine, no one has been able to put the final nail in my coffin, not even me when I've had it with this world to the point where I'd want to blow my own brains out. It isn't a gift, I'm just different, if you experienced what I experienced you'd be different too but fortunately there's only one Diamond Cage, and I wouldn't have it any other way, me against the world, me against David Davidson, me against whoever, don't count me out, count me in, bet on me, put every dollar you have on Diamond Cage because I'm coming for everything they said I couldn't have and when I get the ball there isn't anything that's going to stop me from going all in. On Showdown, David I don't know you, I don't care to know you, all I know is you are a lamb being lead to slaughter and my thirst for violence hasn't even been quenched with just kicking Jaywalker's ass. I'm going to kick your ass too, I'm going to beat you dead center in the ring and then I'm going to focus all my energy on taking the EAW World Championship back and once again shoving it down everyone's throats and this time, what makes this time different is I've tasted it like I said, I've had it albeit for a short while, and if you thought what I was willing to go through before to even get it was inhumane. What do you think I'm willing to do to get it back? How many hoops am I going to have to jump through? How many times am I going to have to get right back up after getting my ass kicked? How many times am I going to have to take the favorites of this brand and drop them on their heads? I got nothing but time and I ain't going anywhere so I'm happy to play this little game, when the smoke clears like it will on Showdown after me and Davidson go head to head, Diamond Cage is the last man standing, when the fight for the EAW Championship begins and the smoke clears then, Diamond Cage last champion standing.

Baby It’s Cold Outside
 
(Camera reveals a disclosed location with a house in the middle of nowhere. A figure walks up and approaches the door step and knocks on the door. The door creaks open and a head pops up revealing to be Revy. Revy quickly tries to unlatch the locks before opening the door wide and dragging the guest in. The guest takes off her cap and lets down her hair revealing to be Savannah Sunshine, but the sober one, booo, I know. The house is furnished with guns mounted on the wall, Revy’s medals, and cabinets filled with liquor for days)
 
Savannah: Revy, why did I have to come all the way out here? Do you have any idea how cold it is outside.
 
Revy: Yes, and I told you can stay here until Bloodletter. Now have a drink.
 
Savannah: But I don’t want to stay here, but you kept insisting that I do. Now why am I here?
 
Revy: Gurl, why do you gotta be like that? Now have a drink.
 
Savannah: We went out one time for fun, but that doesn’t make us best friends or anything. Just so you know.
 
Revy: Never said that, but we are more than “friends.” Now have a drink.
 
Savannah: No, and why do you keep trying to make me have a drink? Can’t you see I’m trying to sober up. If you’re just having me here for some sick stupid fantasy of yours so I can entertain you or something, I’m out of here.
 
(A gun shot can be heard as a Camera pans over to Revy by the window with a sniper rifle in hand and slamming the window shut and locking it.)
 
Revy: No you can’t. Oops, your tires just blew out. Guess you can’t go anywhere now. Now have a drink.
 
Savannah: Did you just?!
 
Revy: I said your tires blew out, you can’t go anywhere, it’s cold outside, now go sit your ass by the fireplace and have a drink!
 
Savannah: Oh god, is this a Baby it’s Cold Outside parody? First of all, that song is innocent and sweet. Ok? The guy was being considerate and just wanted her to feel warm and welcomed. Why do you people have to go and make everything dirty and wrong?!
 
Revy: I don’t know what you are talking about, but this is more like Misery than whatever the hell you are talking about.
 
Savannah: Misery?
 
Revy: It’s a book, by Stephen King
 
Savannah: Does it have pictures?
 
Revy: No.
 
Savannah: Then I’m not reading it. How does it end?
 
Revy: You don’t want to know. Now just read, I mean drink.
 
Savannah: No, I’m not drinking anymore…. What’s in it?
 
Revy: It’s Peppermint Schnapps. Frickin asshole at the liquor store laughing his ass off when I was buying a bunch of cases of these like I was some basic white girl during the holidays, but I figured that is probably the only thing you would drink and …. *turns around Savannah and is surprised to see an empty bottle on the floor* …. What the hell?
 
Savannah: Just like liquid candy. Yummy! I feel  so warm and nice inside me now.
 
Revy: I’m almost certain that woman in the song put up more of a fight than this. This was just too easy. Like I thought this would be harder than I thought It’s like, how does that expression go? “Giving liquor to a baby?” I don’t know. Ok, Savy. You have all the drinks you want, BUT, I’m just going to take these handcuffs that I “borrowed” from Megan Raine  *Revy places a handcuff on Savannah’s wrist and attaches to a table besides her* Now don’t go hurting yourself. That table is bolted down to the floor. *Revy hands Savannah more bottles of Schnapps and places them on the table.* Now just sit there and have fun, OK? Good.
 
(Revy moves the camera away from the living room and moves over to another room and placing the camera in front of her.)
 
Revy: Wahahaha! What about now Haruna and Azumi? There is no way I can lose Savannah now. Not going to lie, was getting a little worried she wouldn’t make it to Bloodletter after losing track of her like 3 times. But I have her now and she ain’t going nowhere. Expect to see us at Bloodletter intact as we prepare to beat the living shit out of ya both!  And so what, Haruna? So what if I’m just saying what you said back at you? Don’t all races have everyone doing the same thing, but guess what? The winner that does it best wins, so you say you will break Savannah? Guess what? I’ll break Azumi first and in a more gruelsome matter.
 
And here you are, Haruna, spewing on and on about honor and the sanctity of “the rules.”
 
(Glass breaking can be heard in the background as Savannah is yelling for “Another” in the background)
 
Revy: sigh….. Check the table next to you and stop breaking shit. You’re going to get glass everywhere.
 
Savannah: Found it! Thanks!
 
Revy: Where was I? Oh right. The whole “she eliminated us after she was eliminated already too.” Nah, Haruna, did you miss the point that I was making? That because you and Azumi were total assholes, Savannah acted naturally on her instincts and chose to eliminated you both. Ok, while you might be arguing for the rules of the Battle Royal, I’m going to talk about the rules of life, where if you piss someone off, Karma is a bitch. And it’s stupid, because you and I both know if it was the other way, you would try to justify your own actions and say you had the right reason to get involved, but at the end of the day, you just need to admit you are a horrible human being and you are just getting what is coming for you. This match at Bloodletter, I’m going to deserve it because I chose to stand up for Savannah. I’ll own up for my actions by creating this monster known as “Drunk Savannah.” But so what? Instead, you are just going to target the drunk that doesn’t know what the hell she is doing instead of the drunk that has it all under control. Yeah, spoiler alert. I’m drunk like 70% of the time. Hell, I had a couple of cans of beers before that Battle Royal, and chances are, at Bloodletter, I’m going to down a bottle of whisky and Daniels and start swinging. Because that is the difference between you and I. You hold back, you follow the stupid rules and morality, where I’m always loose, and that makes me dangerous. You don’t know what I’m going to do? Did I just “Baby, it’s Cold Outside” Savannah?  I sure did! Am I going to rape her? No, because truth be told, she isn’t my type.
 
Savannah: I heard that!
 
Revy: Just keep drinking!  But I will keep her here until Bloodletter because Drunk Savannah is a loose cannon, dangerous, because she lacks inhibition to control herself, and I’m going to make sure she uses that this Saturday. Why? Because I don’t think you both can handle it, because each and every single time you both form a plan, it never works out. It didn’t work out at the Extreme Chamber match, and it didn’t work out in the Battle Royal match. So Really, how did you both think it would work out for the Specialist title when its only one of you against 3 other women? Sure, people will look at the both of you guys as a threat, together, but as individuals, you both ain’t got nothing going for you. At the end of it, Haruna, all you’ve amounted to ever be is a bucket of blood. Now that we’ve seen that, what else can anyone expect from you? Um, how about being in a filler match with two drunks? I mean, how low have you two really fallen, because the jokes on you. Savannah and I, we are wrestling up, and you’re wrestling down. It must sting to know you both ain’t fighting for the world title, let alone, a second tier title after it. I mean, it’s Stephanie Matsuda, Chelsea Crow, April Song, and Mallory Wilde. But where is Haruna and Azumi? Hold up? Tarah Nova is wrestling again? My where is her greatest enemy? Is it not Haruna? Oh wait, it’s Sheridan Muller, the former world champ on Empire that just returned little less than a month ago. I thought you and Tarah were close, Haruna? Shouldn’t it had been Haruna vs Tarah and Azumi vs Aria? But nope. Just you two versus a couple of drunks that don’t know how to follow “the rules.”  And you want to know why? Because you both deserved it! You deserve it! You deserve it!
 
(Savannah in the background slurring “You deserve it!” chants)
 
She knows it. Hell, the whole world knows it, and here you are, acting tough as if breaking little Savannah is about as much effort as it takes for you to win a title. And if that is the case, then why the hell would I be worried? Why should I be scared if this is your best? I came to Empire looking to face the best, and not once did it cross my mind that I have to fight Azumi or Haruna. I’m not even saying I’m in this match because I want a piece of you. I’m in this match because of Savannah and because I want to beat the crap out of Azumi for trying to impale me with metal pipe. And what will it come down to? Because she deserved it. Just as you want to use that to justify your actions to target Savannah, which is dumb because you should had seen it coming with how much of a prick you both are backstage. But here I am, going to have to stand up for the little guy because you two just want to make it as if being bullies is right. You talk about your honor and bullshit, but all you both done is confirmed that you don’t have it if you want to beat up a drunk that wouldn’t be able to properly defend herself. But that will change. Because in the next 24 hours, I’m going to teach Savannah how to manage her drinking. I’m going to teach her how to fight without restraint. I’m going to teach her how to defend herself against you and anyone else that wants to take advantage of her, because gurl, you are too damn gullible, and it should not had been that easy. WE ARE WORKING ON THAT SAVANNAH! I can’t protect you all the time, you know. But the next person that tries, I’m putting them 6 feet underground until they are pushing daisies. And I’m going to start with you both.
 
(A crash can be heard in the background, as Revy rushes out to check on Savannah, leaving the camera behind towards the window. A Shadowy figure can be seen walking past the window. Background noise can be heard)
 
Revy: God damn it, Savannah. Look at this mess. There is broken glass everywhere, my cabinet is busted, and how the hell did you remove the table out of the floor? It was bolted down?!  Holy shit, I have to ask Megan Raine where she got those handcuffs, they are so damn durable! And why is half of liquor cabinet empty? Woah woah, Savy, put the gun down. Oh god, what have I done? This was a horrible mistake. Put the gun down!
 
Savannah: I thought I saw a predator outside….. I did, I did, I did see Eclipse outside?
 
Revy: What? Where?
 
(Door can be heard slammed open)
 
Revy: I see him!
 
(Multiple gun shots are fired)
 
Revy: Give me that, Savannah! You can’t aim for shit!
 
Savannah: I almost… *hiccup* got him.
 
Revy: And you stay away from my property! This is my place now! I’ve burnt all your nasty ass shit you sick son of a bitch!
 

*Camera fades to black*