Post by Mongo the Destroyer on Oct 29, 2020 20:39:32 GMT -6
If you want to see if real prettylike go to this link drive.google.com/file/d/0B-8YUmKSXvLBYkN0UlJISzY1eWs/view?usp=sharing
That's the PDF version of the show and is downloadable. Shows even come with mp3 files built into the pdf for a more immersive viewing.
The Hunt for the Crone
ASA travels to Pyongyang, North Korea! (spoiler alert) After a string of successes against Russian Imperial Forces with support coming in from the United States and a sudden turn of Warhammer forces in the area, Imperial Russia is reeling. To help ensure that a victory can be attained at all...a Hunt is on to take out Baba Yaga and the other supernatural leaders that have been helping Tsar Miranov. So in other words, we will have a show in Pyongyang and then anyone who wants to help will be making the trek into Russia for this most dangerous of missions.
First Contact
In the lower levels of the ruins of the arena at Luxor, Egypt...
Allen Anderson stands next to the floating form of Rose Johnston as they stare through an open void that is inside an ancient gateway in a stone wall.
Through this portal, a vast walled city can be seen. Not something of modern day, but something from the Middle Ages that was long before the invention of gunpowder.
Anderson looks to the side at Rose Johnston in equal wonder as the portal.
Anderson: "This is an amazing discovery, Rose! Rose, I just wanted to tell you that. ThatI umm...I am sorry that I was not able to be here when Carthage made their move against us. I don't know if I would have been able to save his life, but I would have been glad to have taken his place. He was a good friend and ally. I miss his hand at the wheel. More now than ever."
Rose Johnston places a hand on Anderson's shoulder with a sad smile. Despite her ghostly state, a warm sense of peace spreads through Anderson's body that brings him to smile as well.
Johnston: "Gideon Rogers was destined to die that day, but I could not see it then. Egypt and Rome were destined to fall. The world was destined to become a perilous place. I played my part as well, for I was destined to lose and perish for my failure. We cannot change what destiny brings us, or the burdens it bears down on our souls. We can only play the cards we are dealt and hope that we follow the correct path that has been laid out before us."
"This void before us is also destiny. Thamptis once sealed this gate with a portion of his soul to prevent a great army from coming through in full to conquer our world. He has pulled back his power to deal with his enemies here. What lies beyond in the world that we see now with our own eyes? Is this the stronghold of the very enemy that Thamptis sacrificed a part of himself to ensure would never return here? Or does this stronghold belong to a new ally by which we might attain victory over Thamptis once and for all?"
"Almost all of us have played our roles over our lifetimes. We have played heroes and villains. We have performed acts of courage and cowardice. We have been generous and miserly. We have in each of us, a Chaos Destiny. It is up to us to find out how best to rise up and seize it to change the world around us, even if only in the smallest way."
The two stand in silence for a long time while watching through the portal.
Anderson: "If such a thing as this exists, you think that Khloe Kapla could find her way home someday?"
Anderson looks at Rose Johnston and shakes his head.
Anderson: "I'm sorry. She came to this world after you had died. It was dense of me to ask."
Rose Johnston smiles knowingly. It was like Anderson to be so blunt at times. It made him a poor liar at times.
Johnston: "I know of her. Something happened on her world that changed the vibration frequency of the molecules of her body and sent her here. A device made from a hybrid of science and magic can send her back, but it must be done at the exact frequency of her world or her form will be scattered across the cosmos."
Rose places two fingers at Anderson's temple and closes her eyes.
Johnston: "This is the way for her to return home, though I do not know if she will really want to return there for an evil man has done so much wrong in the place she once called home. She is of great value to you as well. I leave the knowledge in your hands and trust that you will do what is right."
Anderson places his palm on the temple where Rose had touched him. He could send her home. He should. It would make her happy, but it would harm his company. Not that what he was about to undertake after the ppv was over would not change his company forever as well. Still, he would be no better than Thamptis if he had the ability to let her go home, and didn't at least try.
Anderson: "I will have it built and let her go home after the ppv, even should she defeat Dasha for the World title. What is that? A dust cloud?"
Anderson points off into the distance where a cloud of dust has appeared on the road that goes by where the portal appears to be sitting. As if comes closer, it can be seen to be a man on a horse. A man in ornate plate mail on an armored horse to be exact. As he comes closer, a emblem of a shining sun can be seen on his shield.
Anderson: "Is he coming here?"
Johnston: "It does look that way."
The man and horse enter through the portal, stopping in front of Allen Anderson and Rose Johnston. He regards them for a minute before taking off his helmet to reveal long golden hair and a trimmed beard. He begins speaking, but none of his words are understood. Rose Johnston closes her eyes.
Johnston: "I can make things easier."
A moment later, the temples of Anderson and the man begin to glow for a moment before the man speaks perfect English!
"Greetings! I am Sir Nathaniel Elliot the Third, Knight-Marshal of the Golden Sun, Commander of the Third Vesperian Calvary."
Anderson holds out his hand with a smile, which Sir Nathaniel takes into his own. Anderson winces at the strength of the grip, but says nothing.
Anderson: "I am Allen Anderson, Owner of Apex Superstar Alliance and I represent the United States of America as Diplomat. This is Rose Johnston, resident guardian of this land. Does the portal on your side look like this?"
Sir Nathaniel looks upon the portal and nods.
Elliot: "Once upon a time before the Empire of Vesperia was born, the Eternals of Xamillia led their dark armies through this land in their attempt to conquer all of the known world. As they were halted by the elves to the West of us through their Forest of Mist, they began to work on new worlds to conquer. An Eternal named Erauithethutui created this portal and led his army and that of two other Eternals into your world. They were defeated with Erauithethutui's allies slain in combat so he returned alone. It was what gave my ancestors the hope that Xamillia could be defeated, even with the death of our patron God. We organized ourselves and drove them back while banding together the Vesperians, the Renallians, and the Harador into an alliance that became the foundation for Vesperia. This portal has remained here, sealed against intrusion for thousands of years."
Johnston: "The world here has changed as much as your world over the years, Sir Elliot. The heroes of the war that defeated Xamillia in the past have become the villains of today. They have spread their darkness across this world to avenge the slights against them long ago. We struggle against them and the fighting has been perilous."
Elliot: "Perilous battles is what Vesperia is about. We stand against evil, no matter the source. I shall return home and bring back a representative of my Emperor in a fortnight. You and him can discuss matters of state and trade. Maybe a force of Vesperians can come and aid you in your time of need, and our scouts can come learn about your world as your's come learn of ours."
Anderson: "That would be good. I must take my leave now for I am needed at another field of battle. Good luck on your journey home."
Sir Nathaniel salutes Anderson.
Elliot: "Good luck on your battles to come. We will meet again in a forthnight!"
Anderson and Johnston watch as Sir Nathaniel Elliot the Third rides back through the portal and on his way back to the stronghold. There's a silence before Anderson speaks again.
Anderson: "What the heck is a fortnight?"
The Dragon Returns
On board the star bridge, which overlooks the section of the galaxy that planet Earth resides in, words are spoken in the empty throne room. The voice was feminine, but strong.
Voice: For several moons, I have watched the goings on of planet earth, and the beings that call it home. I've watched as the ranks I held are passed back and forth between the people who are the best skilled to be my meager replacement.
And I can't pretend to be impressed with them. You are simply filling my place. As you clump around the ring, I'm sure you're realizing you have big shoes to fill. Thing is, you never will, because they are mine. So carry on, but be warned.
The throne was occupied now, by a woman with golden yellow hair.
Woman: There is only one Super Saiyan Dragon Princess...and I am coming back to to claim my Chaos Destiny.
Opening
Instead of dimming as per normal, the lights in the arena remain on and brighten in fact. The crowd murmur at the change until they see the shadow of Baba Yaga flying in her mortal and pestle crawling across the crowd. The crowd react in the way that you might expect helpless beings being confronted as one such as Baba Yaga. That is until the shadow stops at the JumboTron and it lights up as the shadow fades away.
Once the song fades away, we go down to ringside with Kenneth Kemp and Selena Sanchez.
Sanchez: "Tonight is a night of great excitement that from what I have come to understand, will continue long after the last match has ended."
Kemp: "After parties. I know, right?"
Sanchez: "No. I mean a number of ScramJets have been provided by Tendonin X Industries so that strike teams can make their way into Russia to see about eliminating the different supernatural beings helping Tsar Miranov the First. The chief of which is Baba Yaga."
Kemp: "I didn't know a being like Baba Yaga could be slain?"
Sanchez: "I didn't think it possible either. They are going to try. I'm sure if they fail, the ASA roster is going to be much smaller at the next show."
Kemp: "If there will be a roster left at all."
Sanchez: "I'm sure that-well let's keep our fingers crossed that those who go on the hunt tonight will have the best of luck."
Kemp: "Match-wise tonight, we have an interesting show. Father Nathan takes on Boris Drago to avenge the damage inflicted upon Dixie Clement. I heard she has just finally recovered from the brutal beatings given to her by Boris."
Sanchez: "Troy Adkins takes on an ASA visitor in the form of Jade."
Kemp: "I think he wants to be called Hoskuld Lokison now."
Sanchez: "Right. My apologies. Khloe Kapla has given up her ASA Ascension championship for a shot at Dasha for the ASA World championship. Do you think Khloe can do it?"
Kemp: "This lucky girl has managed to defeat Plate Gilby and Boris Drago. If anyone can take down Dasha, I bet it would be her."
Sanchez: "You might be right there. Let's get down to the ring where MaLisha Wilson is ready with the opening bout!"
Houdini vs Tarrasque
Wilson: "This next match is scheduled for one fall! Featurnig first, weighing in at one hundred and ninety-nine pounds...Harry "Handcuffs" Houdini!"
"Great Escape" by Audio Empire begins, but no one comes out from the back.
Sanchez: "Did he get attacked backstage?"
Kemp: "He probably insulted the leader of this nation on the way to the arena and was arrested."
There's a blast of smoke in the ring. Once it clears, Harry Houdini appears with a great smile and a bow to the cheering audience.
Kemp: "He had to make a grand entrance. That sounds about right."
Wilson: "And his opponent, weighing in at two hundred and eighty-five pounds...Tarrasque!"
"Ladies and Gentlemen" by Saliva begins as Tarrasque walks out from the back. He pounds on his chest while letting out a great roar. The crowd cheers until they see that Tarrasque is followed by Major Hizir Sengun and Glaknar the Green.
Kemp: "What the heck? Is that an over-sized goblin? And Major Sengun? I thought he had died in the fighting during the Fourth Punic War!"
Sanchez: "That's an orc. No, they don't really have to look like they do in the Lord of the Rings. And yeah, I thought Sengun was dead too. Does Tarrasque seem...different to you?"
Kemp: "Vacant expression. Drool dripping from his chin. Nope."
As the bell rings to start the match, Tarrasque mows Harry down with a clothesline that causes Harry to bounce a foot into the air once he hits the mat. He rips Harry off of the mat with one hand, throws him into the air to catch him upside down, and drill him into the mat with a sit out piledriver.
Sanchez: "Tarrasque starting the match with a clothesline and a Forget Me. It's staggering the amount of damage that Tarrasque can inflict in just seconds."
Kemp: "I know that I wouldn't want to be the target of his attacks."
Tarrasque continues his assault with a Fall of the Prideful (iron claw chokeslam over the ropes). Roaring to the fans as Harry slams into the concrete floor. He rushes across the ring to bounce off of the ropes, and dives over the ropes to land on Harry outside of the ring!
Kemp: "He's certainly not sane!"
Tarrasque picks Harry up for an Electric Chair Drop, but sends him into the ring steps with the move. The stairs are knocked apart and Harry lays on the ground as if dead. Tarrasque picks him up yet again and crotches him on the ring railing before climbing into the ring and to the top rope.
Sanchez: "Oh no. Look away, Kenneth!"
Kemp: "Why would I-OH MY GOD!"
Tarrasque flies off of the top rope, planting both feet onto Harry's shoulders to drive him onto the ring railing. The fans "Oooh" in sympathy for Harry Houdini as he crashes to the concrete floor and slowly reaches for his boy parts in unimaginable pain.
Sanchez: "The Ballbreaker. That's why."
Kemp: "Oh my God...who would be so cruel?"
Tarrasque rolls Harry into the ring as he hears the ref counting them both out and follows. He drags Harry to the center of the ring, grabs Harry by the boy parts, and begins to lift him up. The move revives Harry and he quickly motions to the ref that he gives up.
Sanchez: "Tarrasque wins with the Rise of the Feminine Side! I think right about now, Harry wishes that he would have used the Paralyzing Factor to win the match."
Kemp: "I bet the men in the audience feel just like I do. In tremendous sympathy pain for Harry Houdini. That was just brutal!"
Major Sengun and Glaknar step into the ring to help Tarrasque celebrate his quick victory.
Kemp: "So where does one find an orc to follow you down to the ring?"
Sanchez: "Tarrasque does a lot of hunting in Carthage where the Restricted Zone used to be."
Coin of Legends
Harry "Handcuffs" Houdini lays on his couch in his private dressing room. Every part of his body feels like it has been smashed.
Houdini: "Stupid Tarrasque. Why did they have to book me against him anyway?"
There's a knock at the door.
"Medical here as requested. May I come in and check things out?"
Harry doesn't remember requesting medical to come to his room, but he doesn't remember a lot of how he got back to his room too. So, maybe? It is something he would do anyway.
Houdini: "Enter."
A young woman in a very revealing nurse's outfit comes into the room. She closes the door behind her and locks it. Harry raises an eyebrow as she glides across the room to sit by him on the bed. She leans down to him, her rather busty cleavage nearly spilling everything out of her outfit.
"Now, what seems to hurt the most? Is it here?"
The nurse caresses Harry's crotch, but then clenches it tight. Harry's eyes go wide in shock and pain.
"You have discovered a golden coin recently. Give it to me and I will let you live..."
Houdini: "In the drawer at the dressing table inside a silk bag!"
The nurse releases Harry and opens the drawer. She pulls the coin out of the bag, her flash morphing over the coin to pull it within her body. In fact, her entire form melts and reforms into-
"You have helped me a lot today, Harry Houdini. I will let your miserable existence as a false magician continue. In fact...you can say that Sikarin Tsooth has rewarded you for your cooperation."
Sikarin blasts Harry with a stream of blue energy from the head of his staff. Harry screams as his hands burn in agony. Once finished, Harry looks upon them. Glowing blue arcane symbols are upon his palms.
Tsooth: "You may send out bolts of energy with your hands. Each hand has five shots that will recharge upon the dawn of each new day. The amount of damage depends on your willpower and the number of shots you wish to discharge at once. Farewell."
Sikarin Tsooth fades away as Harry Houdini watches. He then looks down at the symbols on his hands in wonder.
Houdini: "What have I done?"
South of Russia
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan...
Dzintars Bakhualov, Commander of the Southern Russian Imperial Military south of Russia Proper, looks out over the ranks of his soldiers.
They are weary, battle worn soldiers that have been fighting uprisings in the conquered territories. They have been frightened out of their minds by the Zduhac. They have been pressed by the Resistance, by American forces, and by Warhammer forces.
The Commander looks around Ashgabat. Frequent battles has sent nearly half the city into smoking ruins.
Off in the distance, he can see Resistance troops slowly making their way from building to building while Warhammer and American forces are bolder in their movements.
Commander Dzintars Bakhualov walks over to stand on the hood of a burnt out pick up truck. He fires his side arm into the air to gather his soldiers around him.
Bakhualov: "We have fought hard and have been brave and have kept fighting beyond what normal soldiers would have fought! This is the fact! Tsar Miranov the First no longer cares about our well being! He cares about his personal power that goes up from the suffering from his people! The suffering that we inflict and the suffering that we feel!"
"There is no winning this coming battle! The enemy that we face have little to lose, but we have even less to win! I would hope that the Resistance would want to help heal the rift in our Mother Russia, but I am not sure if they will accept a surrender from us with open arms or bullets! Our defeat here will win freedom for the nations South of Russia! Not that they hadn't all but won this anyway! So what say you? Will you join me in attempting to end this war? "
Everywhere around him, Russian Imperial soldiers cheer. Because they have been fighting a losing war. They have been slowly eclipsed by a growing army of Zduhac. The horror of Baba Yaga and the use of the Roman Orthodox Church as a powerful right hand. It's all been too much for the common soldier. It was time for a change.
Bakhualov: "Then it is settled! Raise the white flag! Let us take the first step toward healing our great nation and ending the Tsar and his insanity!"
A cheering goes out as white flags are raised. White sheets, white shirts, and even white underwear.
Bakhualov: "This will signal to the Tsar that Russia will no longer listen to his insanity!"
Clowny vs Mmachi
Wilson: "This next match is scheduled for one fall...featuring first, hailing from the...Cakesphere? C'mon now! What the heck is a Cakesphere? He couldn't say Parts Unknown? Anyways...he is Mr. Clowny!"
The cosmic sounds of "Calamity" swirl as the arena darkens. An ominous purple light shines from the entrance way. As the clown horns go off in the song, Mr. Clowny's ice cream truck drives down the aisle. A hatch opens from the top, and Clowny is propelled by the ejection seat all the way into the ring. With the wave of his hand, he summons a cupcake for a little pre-match sugar rush. As he eats it, his eyes begin to glow in random colors.
Kemp: "Do I even want to know?"
Sanchez: "I'm going to say no."
Kemp: "Wow. Just...wow."
Wilson: "And his opponent, hailing from the Bronx, New York..."Hardcore" Chris Mmachi!"
"Can't Keep Still" by KPM Music starts playing. Chris Mmachi walks in and crouches down. After a few seconds, he suddenly jumps up and stretches out his arms. Five red fireworks explode. While walking down the ramp, fire jets shoot up. Chris reaches ringside and raises one arm before climbing the steel steps. He walks in between the middle and top rope and precedes to go to the four corners. He climbs up either two or all four, flexing his arms at each one he climbs. He goes to center of the ring and raises his arms and quickly crosses and uncrosses them. This sets off flame jets at the four corners. He then goes to an empty corner and starts jogging in place.
Kemp: "You think that Mmachi carries an anger against Carthage? I mean the Bronx is a wasteland thanks to Thamptis and the Stone Rain."
Sanchez: "I would wager a lot of people hold grudges against Carthage for the Stone Rain."
Kemp: "Grudge. Don't get technical with me, woman! Or might I remind you that your place is really bare foot and pregnant in the kitchen so you can cook dinner for the man that supports you while you raise his children."
Sanchez: "Are you really *beep*ing serious right now?"
Kemp: "No, but it's funny you thought I was."
As the bell rings to start the match, Chris Mmachi begins the match by rushing Clowny and knocking him down for a Lou Thez Press. He stays perched on him while delivering lefts and rights until the ref tells him to get off. Chris gets up into the ref's face, but is shoved back by him. Chris threatens to punch him, but the ref threatens to disqualify him.
Kemp: "Mmachi better watch out for Jang Dae Hyun! He won't play around in the ring!"
Sanchez: "No, he won't. He can fight right back if you want to challenge him."
Mmachi pulls Clowny up into an airplane spin, spinning around a few times before tossing Clowny across the ring. Clowny sits up, but is met in the head with a knee as Mmachi runs across the ring.
Kemp: "I think that would be a high knee normally, but Clowny was sitting. So, is it a low knee?"
Sanchez: "Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night."
Kemp: "A good *beep* would help me sleep at night. You game, honey?"
Sanchez: "What? Sure...I can pick up a strap on someplace on the way to the hotel I'm sure."
Kemp: "Oh. I meant...I might have to pass on that one."
Mmachi rips Clowny off of the mat, whips him into the corner, runs at him to jump into the air, and slams into him with his chest against Clowny's upper body and head. He backs away to let Clowny fall face first to the mat, a loud *honk* sounding as Clowny's face impacts the mat.
Mmachi leans down to pick Clowny up again, but falls onto his face. A bright purple frosting is on the bottom of his shoes and on the mat. Clowny sits up with a loud "Hoo hoo!"
Kemp: "Did he...just summon frosting with his hands to make Mmachi slip?"
Sanchez: "It would appear so."
Kemp: "Just checking."
Mr. Clowny and Chris Mmachi both stand up. Clowny catches Mmachi with a Pie to the Face (it's really just a plam strike to the face). It doesn't do much harm, but appears to make Mmachi mad. Clowny follows this with a double nipple twist that makes Mmachi call out in pain. Clowny releases quickly, slipping around to apply a full nelson. He lifts Mmachi up and drops him to the mat for a full nelson bomb.
Kemp: "Despite weird methods, Clowny is fighting back!"
Mr. Clowny starts to pull Chris Mmachi up, but is caught in the throat with an elbow strike. Clowny falls to the mat while holding his throat. Mmachi stands up with an arrogant smile. He climbs to the top rope, leaps for a diving fist drop, but Clowny rolls out of the way so that Mmcahi punches the mat! Clowny hits an ear clap before applying a grounded octopus with hammerlock submission.
Sanchez: "Mr. Clowny with Lithium in the middle of the ring. Will Mmcahi submit?"
Kemp: "Not to a weird clown."
Clowny breaks the move, pulling Mmachi up, and whipping him into the ropes. He tries to catch Mmachi on the rebound for a tilt-a-whirl back breaker, but is caught in the midsection with a knee. Mmachi lifts Clowny up high, and slams him onto the mat with a power bomb! He goes for the cover!
One...Two...Thr-Clowny kicks out!
Sanchez: "Clowny almost finished there."
Kemp: "The Cake is Strong with this one..."
Sanchez: "What?"
Kemp: "Nothing."
Mmachi pulls Clowny up, positioning him for a jawbreaker when Clowny hits him in the face with a banana creme pie. Clowny uses the distraction to pick Mmachi up to do a-
Sanchez: "Cosmic Cupcake Crush? Clowny just put Mmachi into a giant cupcake with lit candles?"
Kemp: "Yes."
Clowny blows out the candles, causing the giant cupcake to explode. He goes for the pinfall on Mmachi, holding the tights as he does so.
One...Two...Three!
Wilson: "Winner of this match via pinfall...Mr. Clowny!"
Sanchez: "I have to sya that I'm shocked that Clowny won, even with those weird cake based supernatural powers!"
Kemp: "It's certainly a sweet win for Clowny!"
Sanchez: "Oh, boo."
Frietag vs Alicia
Wilson: "This next match is scheduled for one fall! Featuring first, weighing in at three hundred pounds...Frietag!"
"Gently" by Sipknot begins as Frietag walks down the aisle.
Kemp: "So, let me get this straight. If Frietag loses, even here, then Tony Manzell has to wrestle a punishment match in the IWA?"
Sanchez: "That would be correct."
Kemp: "That sort of sucks."
Sanchez: "No one said it was fair."
Wilson: "And his opponent, weighing in at one hundred and thirty-six pounds...Alicia Ikizi!"
"Halo" by The Pussycat Dolls begins playing as Alicia Ikizi makes her way down to the ring. She lightly skips as she waves to cheering fans.
Kemp: "She's sort of the happy-go-lucky type. I hate it."
Sanchez: "Well, at least she isn't a quivering mass of evil."
Kemp: "Though I suppose if I had kids, I would let her babysit them. That way I can pay her in penis thrusts."
Sanchez: "That's disgusting. Sit down!"
Before Alicia can get into the ring, Frietag meets her at the ring apron. He grabs her by the throat and hauls her into the ring before tossing her across the mat like a lawn dart. The bell rings and he rushes across the ring to bring the rising Alicia back down with a shoulder tackle.
Alicia starts to rise, but Frietag greets her in the jaw with a football style punt kick that sends blood spraying to the first row. He drags her up into a press slam position, dropping her throat across the top rope.
Sanchez: "Maybe you want to step in there, Kenneth. There won't be much left of her to molest once Frietag gets finished with her."
Kemp: "I wasn't gonna...what I mean is. I'm not a pedo-dang it!"
Kenneth Kemp drops the head set, and rolls into the ring. He taps Frietag on the shoulder. He turns around with a grin.
Kemp: "You let that pretty young thing alone!"
Sanchez: "Ken's final words, folks."
Frietag backhands Kenneth, sending him out of the ring and to the floor. He turns around to see Alicia laying on her back, still choking. He hits a seated senton and goes for the cover.
One...Two...Three!
Kenneth Kemp slowly gets back to his seat and puts the headset back on.
Kemp: "See? I saved her life!"
Sanchez: "Half your face is black and blue now."
Kemp: "Damn it! That little bitch owes me now!"
Sanchez: "You still know you said that on live television and she's only seventeen?"
Kemp: "She ahhh...owes me money?"
Sanchez: "Uh huh. That's what you meant."
Kemp: "I'm going to check on her in medical while the promotions for the next match run. Won't take me long since she's deliciously semiconscious...I mean."
Sanchez: "We know what you mean..."
The Struggle at the Sea
Sacrifice for Victory
Vladivostok, Russia
Genrich Rakovich grits his teeth as a build nearby explodes from Naval cannons in the harbor. He is leading Resistance fighters in to help the Americans seize back their stolen ships, but he did not expect them to open fire into the midst of the fighting to take out Resistance, Americans, and Imperials alike. It seems that having a superior navy in the Pacific Ocean is important enough to sacrifice any number of Imperial lives.
He is joined by Lieutenant Alfred Tisdale, the highest commanding officer still alive from the Americans in the city.
Tisdale: "I thought they wanted to rebuild this city to be the base of the Pacific Fleet!"
Rakovich: "They seem to be more concerned about keeping their ships right now."
Tisdale: "It's a valid concern since the United States would rather see those ships at the bottom of the ocean rather than in the Tsar's hands."
Rakovich: "Isn't that a last resort plan?"
Tisdale: "You have a better idea?"
Both men flatten themseles to the ground as another volley flies overhead to smash into the ground nearly a mile behind them with explosions large enough to send debris flying over their heads.
Rakovich: "You make a good point. Are they ready?"
Tisdale: "I'm just waiting for the signal."
The guns of the Naval ships fall silent and Genrich and Alfred stand tall once again, seeing as their troops push the remaining Imperials to the sea.
Tisdale: "They give up?"
Rakovich: "No! Look to the sky!"
Large men fall from the sky in gold and purple armor. They land on the ground with a resounding boom, attacking the soldiers nearby. One lands near Genrish and Alfred. Nearly nine feet tall, the armored warrior looks deadly as he draws a sword.
"Thamptis sends his champions to Russia's time of great need."
Tisdale: "Ah *beep*!"
Rakovich: "Shoot it!"
Both Genrich and Alfred open fire, but the small arms fire just bounces off of the armor of the champion. He swings his sword, cleaving through their rifles in a single stroke.
Tisdale: "So, guns don't work. Ideas?"
Rakovich: "Knives?"
Alfred and Genrich draw their combat knives to block a strike from the champion that sends them backwards a few feet. The champion goes on the attack, alternating blows between Genrich and Alfred. They continue to block, but with the extended reach of the champion's longsword, they can't get close enough to make an attack of their own.
Alfred takes the risk to see where the Resitance and the Americans are fighting the other champions. There's only ten of them in total, but they are already winning the fight against forty or more human soldiers.
Tisdale: "The charges are in place!"
Rakovich: "Then we should blow this stand!"
Tisdale: "And let this golden guys walk? I don't think so!"
Alfred cries out as the champion's sword cuts deep into his off-hand arm. He backs away to hit his bluetooth with his knife still in the same hand. He cuts open his scalp alongside his head by accident, but pays it no mind.
Tisdale: "Converge on the USS Washington! Seize control of the main cannons and direct them on my position! I know, but we have enemies here that we cannot defeat! Kill them and blow the charges!"
Rakovich: "Are you insane? You'll kill us all!"
Alfred dives in as Genrich blocks a blow from the champion. Aflred draws blood from a joint in the armor with a laugh.
Tisdale: "The greatest victories cost the most! What would you pay to kill these things?"
The champion cries out in rage, sweeping his sword at Alfred, cutting off his knife arm at the elbow. Alfred falls onto his back cursing at his useless off-arm and his missing knife arm.
Tisdale: "Holding action, Genrich! If you run now, they'll all escape!"
Genrich nods, keeping the champion at bay, though his arm is quickly going numb from the strength of the champion raining hard blows on his little combat knife.
All at once, the combat knife shatters from a blocked swing, the blade continuing on to open up a cut across Genrich's chest that cuts through the sternum. He drops to his knees in pain from the cut. The champion holds his sword point at Genrich's face, his expression unreadable behind the helmet.
Rackovich: "Do your worst, toady of the Dark Warlock."
Champion: "I shall. We shall sweep you and your allies out of Russia to ensure that the Tsar remains strong enough to be of service to my master."
The sound of distant thunder makes the champion turn and he sees the giant shells coming his way, even as he sees explosion blossom from the sides of the hulls on each ship.
Champion: "You wouldn't..."
Tisdale: "A pyrrhic victory is still a victory!"
The explosions rip across the area, turning Resistance soldier, American soldier, and Champion of Thamptis alike into so much shredded meat and burnt flesh.
Troy vs Jade
Wilson: "This next match is scheduled for one fall! Featuring first, hailing from Asgard...Hoskuld Lokison!"
"God of Fire" by Man of War begins playing as Hoskuld Lokison walks out from the back to the cheers of the crowd with Celes on his shoulder. They walk down to the ring where Hoskuld sets Celes down on the ring apron of his corner before entering the ring. He prances about the ring like a fool for a moment before snapping his fingers and making a frosty beer materialize in the hands of every drinking age adult in the crowd. They cheer even louder as Hoskuld laughs.
Sanchez: "Here, Kenneth. I'm on duty."
Kemp: "I am too, but I would hate to waste this good beer!"
Wilson: "And his opponent, hailing from Lhasa, Tibet, China...Jade!"
A sound of lightning breaks out and the lights in the arena flash to simulate a lightning bolt. After a few seconds, the Jumbotron comes to life. On the video tron, Jade's name appears with a Chinese Character in the background. Then a great Eastern Jade dragon is shown circling around a landscape, then lightning seems to come down and strike the stage in front of the entryway causing a burst of green, silver and gold pyro have the dragon lunge towards the camera with mouth open as a roar escapes it's mouth, echoing through the arena
After a few moments, Music from the Jade Dragon Concerto (Great Muta Concerto) plays over the PA and Jade seemingly walks through the pyro and flames of the Dragon, walking out in a determined, methodical pace before finally stopping in a fighting stance as her overcoat flutters in the air before displaying a flurry of punches and kicks, ending up with her making a few martial arts movement and clenching her fist as a final burst of pyro goes off behind her. She then narrows her eyes and walks with a slow, confident purpose to the ring, wasting no movement at all as she prepares herself for the coming battle.
Sanchez: "I'm not sure who Jade is, but it seems that she came prepared for this."
Kemp: "What an entrance!"
As the bell rings to start the match, Hoskuld and Jade meet in the center of the ring. Jade gives a slight bow to Hoskuld, who returns the gesture. Though Hoskuld's bow is Excessive, and ends in a roll that turns into a move that sweeps the legs of Jade out from under her. He connects with an elbow to the side of the head as Jade falls to turn her to the side.
Both Hoskuld and Jade quickly get to their feet, Jade looking not happy that Hoskuld managed to get the first blow in.
Jade: "I should be able to see your futures. Why can't I?"
Lokison: "The confusion about my future is Excessive."
Jade grits her teeth, going for a kick. Hoskuld catches the kick and sweeps the other leg to bring Jade down onto her back. He still holds the leg in the air, kicking her in the back of the thigh before letting go. Hoskuld staggers and falls, driving both elbows into Jade's midsection.
Hoskuld makes his way to his feet, but Jade jumps up to catch him, and drop backwards for a DDT. She rolls over the downed Hoskuld, grabbing him for an armbar.
Kemp: "Hoskuld's tactics seem like fifty percent pure luck while Jade has her head in the game."
Sanchez: "I wouldn't be so sure of that. Hoskuld has a more cunning look to him. He has been this way since he changed his name at the IWA pay-per-view from Troy Adkins."
With Hoskuld face down on the mat, Jade releases the armbar to hold the arm with both hands. She does a quick handstand with the intention of bringing her knees down to strike the elbow, but Hoskuld turns suddenly to fling Jade through the air. He jumps to his feet, catching Jade as she comes down, and flings her through the air again at the ropes. Jade hits the ropes, bouncing back like an arrow. Hoskuld catches her and power slams her to the mat, going for the cover!
One...Two...Jade kicks out!
Kemp: "What the heck did we just see there?"
Sanchez: "I have no idea, but it was pretty amazing!"
Hoskuld stands up, dragging Jade to her feet. He catches a knife edge chop to the side of the head for his efforts. Jade steps back and hits a left kick, a right kick, a left kick to the ribs, and then a jump spinning back kick to the torso to bring Hoskuld down to the mat.
Sanchez: "Jade showing off her martial arts skills here."
Kemp: "I have to ask. What is Hoskuld doing?"
Hoskuld sits up right away after being downed. He has something over his right eye that looks similar to an oversized pair of Google Glasses.
Kemp: "I've watched Dragonball Z before. That looks like one of them Scouter things, but isn't it a toy?"
Hoskuld hits a button on the side of the device. Rather obvious drops of sweat form on the sides of his his head and when he speaks, his mouth seems to open much wider than it would seem for the voice coming out.
Lokison: "What? Over nine thousand? It can't be!"
Jade rolls her eyes before lunging down to hit a palm strike to the face of Hoskuld to flatten him and shatter the toy Scouter. She pulls him to his feet, bringing him back dow with a vertical suplex before going for the cover.
One...Two...Hoskuld kicks out.
Kemp: "Hoskuld being goofy could cost him this match."
Sanchez: "Well, I thought he was more focused."
Jade quickly leaps to the top rope, turning, and leaping high into the air to land a headbutt to Hoskuld's chest. She rolls back to her feet, waiting for Hoskuld to rise. He staggers a bit before Jade levels him with a Jade Kick to the jaw! With Hoskuld laying on the mat as if dead, Jade goes for the cover again.
Celes: "Daddy get up!"
One...Two...Hoskuld kicks out.
Jade jumps up and runs to the ropes as Hoskuld stands up again. She catches him in the back of the head with a drop kick before grabbing him on the ground and applying a STF. When the ref checks to see if Hoskuld submist, Hoskuld merely smiles and says that he'll have another round, slapping the ref on the butt.
Kemp: "What the? Did he just think that Aina Burkhalter was a barmaid?"
Sanchez: "It sure looks that way."
Celes: "Daddy! You're not at a bar, you're in a submission hold that's supposed to hurt!"
Hoskuld shakes his head with a smile, quickly breaking out of the hold. He stands up at the same time as Jade with a smile.
Lokison: "Sorry. Forgot what was going on for a minute. Thanks, dear!"
Jade blinks at Hoskuld for a moment before shaking her head.
Jade: "You are a puzzle sitting at the bottom of a cask of wine."
Lokison: "That about sums it up. Yes."
Jade whips Hoskuld into the corner, following up by running to the corner and beginning a series of rapid fire kicks with her foot never touching the ground. She hits nearly two dozen kicks before the ref steps in to stop her. Jade backs off and Hoskuld staggers towards the center of the ring, ready to fall. Jade turns and-
Sanchez: "Jade Dragon Kick! Hoskuld is flat in the middle of the ring! Jade goes for the cover!"
Kemp: "This is probably it."
One...Two...Thre-NO! Hoskuld kicks out!
Jade gets up to her knees, looking down at Hoskuld in amazement. How did he kick out?
Jade applies a Triangle choke, keeping pressure on to try to choke Hoskuld out. Hoskuld quickly breaks out of the hold and smiles at Jade as they both stand.
Lokison: "I've learned how to breath through my ears. Wanna know why?"
Jade's answer is to hit a Shining Wizard to bring Hoskuld down before applying a-
Sanchez: "Jade Dragon Vice!"
Kemp: "Does this Jade know the Shootfighter? You know the guy who named all of his moves Shoot this and Shoot that?"
Sanchez: "Good lord, I surely hope not."
When Hoskuld doesn't submit, Jade releases the hold. She studies Hoskuld as he slowly stands back up.
Jade: "You can take a lot of punishment."
When she sees the gleam in his eyes, Jade sighs.
Jade: "I know. I know. Your ability to take punishment is Excessive."
Jade steps in, hitting a countless number of Wing Chun style punches before finishing with another palm strike to the chest that brings Hoskuld down again. Jade goes for the cover once again.
Sanchez: "The Thousand Fists followed by a Jade Palm Strike! This could be it!"
One...Two...Three!
NO! Aina Burkhalter stands up to show that Hoskuld got a shoulder up and that it was only a two count!
Kemp: "What the *beep*? How does he keep doing that?"
Jade gets up to her knees, shaking her head as she looks down at Hoskuld. She attempts to go for the pinfall again, hooking a leg.
One...Two...Thre-Hoskuld gets a shoulder up again!
Jade rolls away to her feet, pacing around Hoskuld as he slowly gets to his feet.
Sanchez: "Hoskuld seems like a man who is hard to keep down."
Jade picks Hoskuld up, hefting him up into a Michinoku Driver position. As she drops, Hoskuld manages somehow to flip them over, and drive home a piledriver! Hoskuld is quickly to his feet, pulling Jade up by the hair before slamming her back down to slam the back of her head into the mat with a resounding boom.
Kemp: "I bet even those in the nosebleed section felt that one!"
Sanchez: "How does he still have strength to pull ff a move like that?"
Hoskuld waits for Jade to slowly get up before getting into a kung fu fighting stance and screaming like a banshee. He starts kicking in the air in rapid fire style, but not hitting anything. Aina dives to the mat to dodge being struck. Jade just chuckles at Hoskuld's drunken antics before getting struck in the chest with a kick that sends her into the corner hard enough to shift the entire ring by three feet.
Sanchez: "I think that's what he calls Drunken Karate Kick despite it being a Kung Fu technique."
Kemp: "The man is such an idiot."
Hoskuld drags Jade to the center of the ring, applying a Boston Crab. He promptly falls asleep though while in the move.
Sanchez: "Hoskuld calls this the Lumberjack Crab since he normally saws logs while applying it. I guess it's a boring move for him?"
Kemp: "He's just tired. Leave the man alone."
Jade tries to break the hold, but with her position and Hoskuld's Asgardian dead weight bearing down on her, it's difficult to do. So, ever so slowly, she begins dragging herself on her belly to the ropes so she can grab hold of them. The ref wakes Hoskuld up so he can break the hold.
Kemp: "See? He woke right back up once it was time to break the hold."
Sanchez: "It's still just weird that he fell asleep right when he applied the hold."
As both Jade and Hoskuld stand up, Jade shakes her head, leveling Hoskuld with a buzzsaw kick. She quickly climbs to the top rope, hitting an Asai moonsault before going for the pinfall again.
One..Two...Thre-Hoskuld kicks out!
Kemp: "How does he keep kicking out?"
Sanchez: "No idea."
Jade grits her teeth, but continues on and applies-
Sanchez: "The Dragon's Claw! This could be it right here!"
Kemp: "Jade is getting frustrated. She forgot where she is in the ring."
Indeed this is true as Hoskuld gets a foot on the ropes so that the ref has to break the hold. Jade gets back up, shaking her head while pacing around Hoskuld as he slowly gets up with a smile.
Jade: "How?"
Lokison: "What I do, I do for Celes. I also do this so you will be at your very best when you face Tehuai Anxiu. If you are not challenged, then how will you face your greatest enemy?"
Kemp: "What the heck is he talking about? Why would Jade fight the Director of Warhammer Asia?"
Sanchez: "I hate to say this again, but I have no idea what's going on here."
Jade slowly nods with a smile as understanding hits. She lets out a loud kiai before hitting a palm strike to tHoskuld's chest that sends him into the corner hard enough to knock the ring three feet back into its original position. Hoskuld slams onto his face hard from the strike.
Jade: "The secret death blow of the Celestial Dragon should keep you down."
Jade rolls Hoskuld over and goes for the cover, confident of her victory.
One...Two...Three!
NO! The ref stands up, revealing that Hoskuld's foot is under the ropes! Jade sits up and looks down at Hoskuld in shock when he smiles back up at her. Jade hits another palm strike to the chest, and another, and another, and another, and another. Hoskuld coughs up blood with the final strike, coating Jade's face and chest with a spray of blood droplets.
Jade: "You! Will! Be! Defeated!"
Jade kicks Hoskuld's foot from the ropes and goes for the cover again.
One...Two...Thre-Hoskuld kicks out!
Jade kneels up, a ripple crossing her body, revealing scales as it passes. Her expression is one of anger, but it quickly passes like the ripple. She pulls Hoskuld up to his feet, but Hoskuld grabs her for a belly to belly overhead suplex, turning and sending both of them over the top rope to the floor where both of them land on their heads. Both of them lay on the concrete floor as if dead.
Kemp: "I don't know if that was the brightest of moves for Hoskuld to do."
Sanchez: "I have to agree on that as neither of them look like they are getting up anytime soon."
The ref begins to count them both out. Celes vanishes from her spot and appears by both Jade and Hoskuld.
Celes: "Daddy! Jade! Get up! No one can win this match if you both just lay here!"
As the ref continues to count both wrestlers out, Celes holds a hand over the hand of the heads of both fallen warriors with a yellow spark passing into the each of them. Jade and Hoskuld both quickly sit up.
Lokison: "Thank you, dear."
Jade looks at Celes in wonder.
Jade: "Thank you, little one."
Celes: "Get in the ring you nuts!"
Both Jade and Hoskuld roll into the ring before the ten count and stand up in the center of the ring.
Jade: "I have underestimated you, Lokison."
Lokison: "I knew exactly what I was getting into."
Jade: "So it seems. Let's finish this."
Jade goes for the Jade Dragon Kick, but Hoskuld catches her by the ankle. He lifts her into the air, swinging her around and around by the leg before driving her down onto the mat and going for the cover.
One...Two...Three!
Hoskuld stands up in shock as he looks around at the cheering fans. Instantly, Celes is on him, hugging him tight around the neck.
Kemp: "How in the heck did he? This is just..."
Sanchez: "Hoskuld is a changed man."
Jade slowly gets to her feet as Celes drops down. She bows with a deeper respect to Hoskuld Lokison. He returns the gesture, but then launches into a hug that shocks Jade. Celes vanishes and reappears by the two, hugging them both around the neck.
Lokison: "Win your fight, Jade. I think you're more than ready."
Celes: "You can do it!"
Once Jade can disentangle herself from Hoskuld and Celes, she smiles.
Jade: "This is destiny and Anxiu knows it more than anyone else, but thank you for your support."
Sanchez: "A happy ending! I'm surprised to see it happen. I'm still more surprised that Hoskuld kept a focus to be able to get the win after taking so much punishment from Jade. She would have killed a normal person."
Kemp: "Nothing about Hoskuld screams normal."
Sanchez: "Well? Amen!"
Kemp: "Do the Norse say Amen in their prayers?"
Sanchez: "Shut up."
Kemp: "What? I was just wondering!"
Boris vs Nathan
MaLisha Wilson stands in the middle of the ring.
Wilson: "The match between Boris Drago and Father Nathan O'Connell has been cancelled. This is due to the fact that Father Nathan is away on a mission for the ASA out in the Pacific Ocean. This match will not be rescheduled. Thank you."
Kemp: "That's some crap. I was looking forward to Boris smashing Father Nathan like he did Dixie."
Sanchez: "It isn't going to happen. Get over it."
World Championship
Wilson: "This next match is the main event of the evening and is for one fall! It is for the ASA World Heavyweight Championship! Featuring first the challenger, hailing from...Addis Adaba, Ethiopia...Khloe Kapla!"
“Steampunk Revolution” By Abney Park begins as Khloe steps from the backstage area and into the light. She looks at her fans with a smile before heading down to the ring with Declan and Keira at her side.
Kemp: "I don't think she really deserves this title shot after moonlighting in the IWA. Traitor!"
Sanchez: "Her efforts won her some research into returning home. Where it you in this position, you would have done the same thing."
Kemp: "Probably. Fine! She did turn in the Ascension title. I suppose she can have the shot."
Wilson: "And her opponent, hailing from Moscow, Russia...she is the ASA World Heavyweight Champion...Dasha!"
"Sgori" by Stvore begins and the Russian flag appears on the tron as images of Russian soldiers marching in parade formation and some image of the Russian Army in combat. Boos resound as Dasha walks out, pausing to salute the Russian flag and looks at the crowds before turning back and making sure Boris is there, walking to the ring with him, every so often berating Boris about something or other before they climb into the ring and Dasha carefully removes her Spetsnaz beret, handing it to Boris and ordering him to leave the ring as she prepares for the coming fight. She hands the ASA Wrld championship belt to the ref before glaring at Khloe Kapla.
Dasha: "Get a good look at that championship belt! You won't be wearing it any time soon."
Sanchez: "A little bit of arrogance on Dasha's part?"
Kemp: "And why not? It's well deserved."
As the bell rings to start the match, Dasha walks over to Khloe Kapla and extends a hand. When Khloe moves to shake her hand, Dasha pokes her in both eyes. She follows with a European uppercut and then following with a snap suplex that brings Khloe down to the mat.
Dasha pulls Khloe up a little, just so she can bring Khloe down with a bulldog. She stands up long enough to drop a knee to the small of Khloe's back, but hits only the mat when Khloe rolls out of the way.
Khloe and Dasha both stand up so that Khloe can grab Dasha for a Cobra Clutch.
Sanchez: "Khloe isn't going to give this match up without a fight!"
Kemp: "She can fight all she wants."
Dasha grabs the ropes, promting the ref to break up the hold. Dasha turns right away, catching Khloe in the side of the head with a spinning backfist. She follows this with a knuckle punch to the throat that drops Khloe to the mat while gasping for air. The ref warns Dasha, but she shrugs it off before kicking Khloe in the ribcage.
Dasha climbs to the top rope and waits for Khloe to stand up before leaping from the turnbuckles and hitting a spear.
Kemp: "See? It's the World title. Dasha is pouring on the domination."
Sanchez: "Boris poured on the domination too before she defeated him."
Dasha pulls Khloe up to her knees before backhanding her with a laugh, speaking in Russian. She backhands her again, drawing blood.
Dasha: "You thought you could defeat me and then try to return home, eh? It's not happening."
Dasha backhands Khloe again, but this time Khloe catches the hand and pulls Dasha down into a small package.
One...Two...Thre-Dasha kicks out.
Dasha stands up with a fury, grabbing Khloe and back suplexing her over the top rope to land on top of her on the concrete floor! She picks Khloe up to whip her into the railing, but Khloe reverses it and sends Dasha head first into the ring steps. The stop of the steps goes flying as Dasha impacts into the side.
Kemp: "Jeeze! That was a heck of an impact!"
Sanchez: "Khloe just won't give up!"
Dasha stands up, wiping blood from her eyes with a snarl. Khloe leaps at her, catching her around the throat with her arm, driving the back of her head into the top step while dragging her back across the edge of the bottom step. Khloe rolls to her feet, pulling Dasha up with her into a throw that sends Dasha face first into the corner post. Khloe rolls back into the ring while Boris attends to Dasha. He helps her up, but his hands are knocked away by an angry bloody Dasha. She rolls back into the ring where she is met by Khloe, who pulls her to her feet and drops her with a belly to belly overhead suplex that wraps into a power slam for the pinfall.
One...Two...Three! NO! Dasha gets her foot up on the rope!
Sanchez: "Dasha kept that title by pure luck that time."
Kemp: "That luck will be wearing out soon."
Dasha and Khloe both stand, but Dasha smiles through the mask of blood. She raises a single hand over her head.
Dasha: "Time to end this match, bitch."
Kapla: "And raising your hand does what?"
Two shots ring out over the cheering crowd and both Keira and Declan drop to the floor. Khloe looks on in shock, but Dasha moves. Hitting home an Iron Fist! Khloe drops to the mat and Dasha goes for the cover.
One...Two...Three!
Sanchez: "Dasha had Khloe's friends shot to distract her to win the match! That's low, even for her!"
Kemp: "All's fair in wrestling and titles!"
Wilson: "Winner of the match and STILL ASA World Heavyweight Champion...Dasha!"
Sacnhez: "It was still a cowardly stunt!"
Kemp: "What? She didn't have Khloe shot!"
Sanchez: "Still..."
"The Imperial March" by Metallica begins as Allen Anderson walks out onto the entrance stage.
Anderson: "At this time, everyone going into Russia should meet outside at the South parking lot. There are a number of Scramjets ready to take you to your detinations. Good hunting and be careful!"
The Mind Leech
Tallinn, Estonia...
Galina Mikhailov stalks through the city, avoiding pockets of fighting between the Russian Imperials and The Resistance, Americans, and Warhammer.
She seeks the leaders of those who chose to stand against the Great Tsar. She had been hunting her former comrades in the Spetnaz, but with open war spilling across Mother Russia...her talents are required elsewhere.
She was a Spetnaz and a weapon. She had another name whispered by those who had seen her in action.
Mind Leech.
She used her abilities in a brutal way, ripping the deepest and most guarded secrets from her targets and ingesting them into herself. She had drained many targets of so much of their lives into herself that they were left as drooling vegetables before their critical systems shut down from a lack of signals from the brain.
This method of interrogation had some really unpleasant side effects on her. She would often have to spend days in meditation as the personality of the victim blended with hers, or even tried to submerge her own. She even went through periods of split personalities.
In the end, Galina would win out, but sometimes scars would be left upon her own psyche. Personality quirks, habits, a change in favorite food, and more had been layered upon herself over the years.
She smiles as she sees her prey. General John Wilson of the Americans has been working with local Resistance leaders to coordinate the fighting in Estonia. He works to not only defeat Imperial Russians, but drive them out of the coastal nations.
Tonight will be the last night he spends in his own body.
She watches as the General enters into a small shop that has served as a command center. Only him and a couple of guards and delegates from Estonia are in the building with two guards standing at the entrance. The rest are off fighting Russian Imperials.
She tears at her clothing and stashes her weapons. She uses a combat knife to make a shallow cut along her collar bone that bleeds freely across her clothing before stashing it. She staggers out of the shadows, crying and acting as though she had been running a long time.
Mikhailov: "Help me! Help me! We were ambushed by Imperials! I'm the only one that escaped!"
The two guards lower their weapons, rushing to her side and catching her as she falls. She accepts their help to stand, touching their bare skin as she does so with a smile.
Mikhailov: "You two do not know the Mind Leech. Do you?"
The guards try to cry out, but she seizes control of their minds with iron will. They release her and falls to the ground while clutching at their heads. Blood seeping out of their ears, eyes, nose, and mouths as Galina uses her abilities to crush their minds into jelly with the brain being scambled physically by the assault.
Once they are dead, she calmly walks through the door to the shop after collecting her weapons once again.
Seven men look her direction with blank expressions as none of them recognize her. John Wilson is the first to speak.
Wilson: "I'm sorry, miss. Do you need help?"
Mikhailov: "No. I have things under control. Thanks."
Galina draws two revolvers, quickly dispatching everyone except for the General. He reaches for a weapon laying on a table, but Galina shoots it away.
Mikhailov: "Reach for another weapon and we won't be able to have our chat."
General Wilson raises his hands over his head.
Wilson: "I would not want to miss out on our chat, Miss Mikhailov."
Galina walks around the table, putting away one gun while keeping the other trained on him.
Mikhailov: "How do you know my name?"
Wilson: "We have profiles on the Spetnaz. We also know who is left amongst the Resistance, and who never joined. You'll know more in a moment. Won't you?"
Mikhailov: "Yes."
Galina presses her hand to the side of General John Wilson's face, finding iit increasinly annoying that he smiles. At least until she gets the very first surface thought thrown at her.
"You are why I lost my left eye."
Before she can dig deeper to discover the meaning of this, the General's left eye explodes. A dart, more of a sliver of metal, catches Galina just above her right eye. It sinks into her brains.
Galina backs away from General Wilson, dropping her weapon and clutching at her skull as static overcomes her every thought.
Wilson: "White noise generator for people with your talents. She's all yours, boys."
Elliot Lytle, Will York, Devin Ross, and Terence Jennings walk out of a side room. They each hold weapons. A spiked club, a tire iron, a sledgehammer, and a chainsaw.
Lytle: "When the Warhawks agree to take a target down. We take that target down hard!"
Jennings: "That Dasha chick said the jammer thing may not hold her long. Shall we do this?"
Lytle: "Warhawks, attack!"
General John Wilson watches with his one good eye, not noticing the blood dripping from his vacant eye socket as he watches the Mind Leech being torn apart. He picks up a cell phone.
Wilson: "Western coast should be finished in two days."
The Sun Also Rises
Karagandy, Kazakhstan
Fighting against Vampr, or Vampires as they are known in the West, is never easy. Fighting an army of them in the night is suicide at best. Frietag, Captain Trevor Maathai, and Allen Anderson are inside a circle of Shocktroopers as they fight off Vampr flying at them from all directions in the city of Karagandy. They chose to come to this city to fight one of the Zduhac leaders while Resistance and American soldiers fought elsewhere.
They had phos rounds,flash grenades, and so on. It seems like a good idea at the time.
Why do some good ideas sound alright at first, but then go horribly wrong?
Maathai: "With Walker missing, did you perchance lay out a Will to name who would run the company in case we don't make it out of here alive?"
Anderson: "That would have been a really good idea! I did not do this, no."
Frietag grabs a vampr before it latches onto Anderson, pulling it down to the ground before ripping its head free of its body.
Frietag: "Then you had better stay alive then."
Anderson: "Sounds like a grand idea, Frietag!"
The fighting quickly stops as a woman lands in front of the group. The gathered hundreds of Vampr stand to the outside of the dwindled group of Shocktroopers (down to about twenty from six hundred).
Maathai: "Hold your fire!"
The Shocktroopers keep their weapons trained on the Vamprs around them as the woman stands in front of the group in a clingy black dress.
"Stand your ground. I would speak with these Americans."
"I am Elizaveta Kravchenko, one of the Commanders of the Zduhac and a Vampr. Did you think to come here where I base my near limitless number of children and expect to just win the day like some American Cowboy?"
Anderson: "Well, Miss Kravchenko. I thought it would be a lot like that. Is this all your children in the city? We really wanted more of a fair fight."
Kravchenko: "A fair fight? Might I remind you that you have been dying by the drove while I have only committed half of my force to this fight?"
Frietag: "Anderson, are you insane? Why are you goading her?"
Kravchenko: "You should listen to your comrade, Anderson."
Anderson shakes his head with a laugh.
Anderson: "The men I have left with me here could clear this entire area out within seconds. I would feel bad for your chances if I didn't tell you to bring out everyone."
Elizaveta raises an eyebrow, but then she smiles before letting out a piercing cry. There is quickly over a thousand vampr in the street, all waiting for the order to pounce with hunger in their eyes.
Kravchenko: "When I give the order to attack, kill everyone but Anderson. He will sign his rights to the ASA over to me before we let him perish."
Anderson: "Ambitious are we? Let me tell you a story before I die. Do you enjoy a good story?"
Kravchenko: "I love a good story. Do tell it before I have you killed."
Anderson nods while Fritag and Captain Maathai look at Anderson like he's lost his mind.
Anderson: "Once upon a time I served a little stint in Twilight. The secret Warhammer top research facility. I saved one of the Seven Shadows from being mutilated by putting a bullet into the head of one of his genetic creations through the test of a retrovirus gas weapon. Since then, she has owed me a favor. I called in that favor and she had met me when I arrived in North Korea with this little device."
Anderson holds up a sphere that looks no larger than a grenade.
Anderson: "Within this device is a thing of wonders. A creation of creation! A creation that brings out a few seconds of the very energy that helps life flourish on this great planet of ours. This is also the reason I wanted to get your entire force gathered here at once."
Kravchenko: "You have obviously taken leave of your senses if you think one grenade will defeat us all."
Anderson: "I didn't say grenade. You were not listening. The power I speak of is the Sun!"
Kravchenko: "What?"
Anderson hits a button and throws the device high into the air. It begins glowing, growing to three feet in diameter and shining like the noonday sun. Vampr all around them begin burning and blowing away into ashes. Elizavata Kravchenko is the last standing, screaming in pain as her flesh burns away slower than the others. She is still quickly reduced to bones that become charbroiled before scattering into ashes. The shining sun dwindles before exploding with a small pop.
Anderson, Frietag, and Captain Maathai uncover their eyes. They wince as exposed flesh is seared with nasty sunburns.
Frietag: "Maybe you could have mentioned sunblock before we left the arena?"
Anderson: "I hadn't thought of that either. Oops?"
Maathai: "Oops? We nearly all died, were burnt to a crisp, and you can only say oops?"
Anderson: "Yeah. We are still alive, right? We won, right?"
Captain Maathai considers it for a moment before laughing and slapping Anderson on the shoulder. Anderson cries out in pain.
Maathai: "Good job then!"
Frietag also chuckles, slapping Anderson on the other shoulder.
Anderson: "Ouch! Quit it! Let's get back to the ScramJet and go get some ointment."
Maathai: "Oh I didn't think that a sunburn might hurt. Frietag, you consider this?"
Frietag: "Nope."
On the way back to the ScramJet, both Captain Maathai and Frietag take turns pounding on Anderson's sunburns to his weak protests.
The Horde of One
Volograd, Russia
Thor and Lady Sif stand on top of a building looking over the city. The fighting has not come to Volograd, but the Zduhac were still in full force here. They walked the streets to keep people in line...in fear...of what might happen if they stepped out of line.
Thor: "It's strange that these Zduhac all look the same. Could they be kin?"
Sif: "I think they are relations. We are looking for Levin Zhulin."
Thor: "Yes, but they all look like him."
Sif: "You know what that means then, yes?"
Thor: "We kill all of them?"
Sif: "Of course."
Thor and Lady Sif leap down from the building by the nearest group of six Zduhac, with sword and hammer, they put the six down in seconds. The last one hitting an alarm switch on a cell phone before he dies. A man runs down the road to them with a different kind of suit on. He is Zduhac, but he is uniformed like a leader.
Thor: "Levin Zhulin! We have come to kill you! Make your peace with whatever Gods you worship!"
Zhulin: "We will."
Sif: "We?"
Levin brings his fist into his other palm sharply, then there is three of them. Though, their uniforms differ in that they do not have the leadership uniform, theirs are common. Then there is nine. Then twenty-four of them. Then sixty-four. Then one hundred and ninety-two. They speak in a union, an unholy chorus.
Zhulin: "Now you understand the danger that you have placed yourselves into."
The clones attack as one, but Thor and Lady Sif throw themselves into the fight. Each swing of the sword and hammer slays between one and four of the creatures. As the pair of Asgardians cleave a blood swath through the clones, they find more and more are being sent against them until they are drowned out in a mound of bodies that work knives and guns to try to end their lives.
Zhulin: "And so ends the lives of Lady Sif and Thor. Pathetic..."
High above the city, the clouds begin to swirl and darken over where Sif and Thor are buried. Lightning passes between the swirls of clouds as they thicken and darken to block out even the moonlight. A single thick bolt of lightning strikes the mound of bodies, sending their smoking ruins everywhere. Thor stands with his hammer overhead and Lady Sif at his side.
Thor: "BEGONE, FOUL BEASTS! LET NONE QUESTION THE MIGHT OF THE THUNDER GOD!"
Thor and Lady Sif re-enter the battle, slaying more of the clones with each swipe of their weapons. Lightning strikes from the sky in ever increasing number, slaying the clones by the dozen. Thor and Lady Sif work their way through the masses of clones towards the leader of them all. Levin Zhulin.
Sweat begins to mingle with the sudden downpour of cold rain as the two slowly make their way to him.
Zhulin: "This cannot be! I am many! I am one! I am Horde!"
Even more clones spill out from the spaces around Levin, though it looks like doing this has started to take its toll on him. He starts looking gaunt, his features looking more like thin parchment stretched over rock. The clones start taking on the same appearance, dying even faster than they did before.
Lady Sif and Thor continue to battle slaying all of the clones being sent to them until the clones start dying as soon as they appear. Once no more clones appear, Levin Zhulin drops down to his knees. He looks as if he was a living corpse. His breathing comes in shallow dips.
Zhulin: "It's impossible. No man or woman could ever..."
Levin looks behind Thor and Lady Sif to see the thousands of mounded dead behind them. He nods, coughing into his head and moaning at the blood coating it.
Thor: "I am the Son of Odin. No other ending was possible here."
Levin nods, holding his chest with a sudden pain before falling dead to the ground.
Thor: "He has overextended himself and has paid for his futile efforts."
The Needle in the Egg
in the Duck in the Hare
in the Chest
under the Green Oak
on Buyan Island
Irkutsk, Russia
It's a losing battle. Captain Gunner Cole knows it, his men know it, and their enemy knows it.
Captain Gunner Cole of Warhammer North America led his Shocktroopers on a dangerous mission while others fought against "softer targets" elsewhere. He had volunteered to help bring down Koschei the Deathless where nearly a dozen other attempts had failed.
They had defeated his troops. No Imperials would follow Koschei any longer once his true form had been unveiled. The Zduhac were difficult to defeat, but they were brought down until only Koschei himself remained. Out of nearly two hundred Shocktroopers that went with Captain Cole on this mission, fewer than forty remained alive. They poured tons of gunfire into him with no effect. They tried melee combat, but he slaughtered Shocktroopers like he was harvesting wheat.
Now they kept him at bay with assault weapons. They used their automatic weapon fire like a wall. It would not harm him, but the gunfire used in the proper way did keep him from getting close. So, they surrounded him and kept him in the center of the circle. They had ammo aplenty with a few Shocktroopers helping to change out guns from those of the fallen, but it was still a finite supply. Once they ran out of ammo, they would all be dead.
Captain Gunner Cole presses a button on his helm to access his bluetooth to his communication system, making a cellular phone call.
Cole: "Miss Clement! We are holding him, but we can't do it for more than thirty minutes before he kills the rest of us. How are you doing with your end?"
The Island of Byan in the Pacific Ocean
Dixie Clement ducks under a giant iron sword being swung at her. She rolls quickly to the side as the same sword is brought down to be buried in the ground.
Clement: "We found the green oak! It was rather obvious with two Iron Golem Guardians by it. The golems are a bit tricky though."
Father Nathan leaps back out of the range of the other iron golem, summoning his cross to his hands. He takes aim and opens fire, the sanctified rounds ripping open the chest of the golem to spray molten metal out. It falls backward to the ground, the red hot metal spilling out and cooling.
The other golem drops its sword, picking up Dixie Clement to hold in front of her as Father Nathan turns his aim towards it. Nathan throws his weapon to the side, inviting the golem to box.
The iron golem throws Dixie to the side and rushes at Father Nathan. His fists start to glow white, he launches himself into the air, and catches the iron golem in the chest with a heart punch that sends ripples through the body of the iron golem. Molten metal bursts out from the back of the golem in a geyser before it falls backwards to the ground.
Dixie Clement jumps to her feet, grabbing a shovel and digging at the base of the green oak tree. She quickly comes up with an iron chest. Once it's opened, a hare jumps out and begins rushing away.
Father Nathan dives into the hare, grabbing it and breaking its neck. A duck bursts from the side of it and begins to fly away.
Dixie draws her sidearm, taking careful aim as the duck heads for the sky. She takes a single shot, exploding the duck's head. It falls to the ground and Dixie rips it open with a knife. She holds up an egg.
Clement: "Captain Cole! We have the egg! We're going to break it and the needle inside!"
Dixie Clement sets the egg down upon a flat stone and looks up at Father Nathan, whose fists are still glowing. He swings down at the egg.
Irkutsk, Russia
Captain Gunner Cole keeps firing at Koschei the Deathless, even as he fights off the press of the bullets against him and begins killing the remaining Shocktroopers. He has a dozen left and it does his heart proud that they have not broken and fled at the hopelessness of the situation.
All at once it seems that they all run out of ammo. Right when Dixie Clement declares that they have the egg.
Cole: "Run! I'll hold him off!"
The remaining Shocktoopers scatter as Captain Cole draws his side arm. Once he hears that the egg and needle have been broken, he sees Koschei stagger as if wounded. He takes aim and begins firing into the monster's chest.
The bullets not only harm Koschei, but they pass through him, spraying blood out of his back. Captain Cole empties his magazine, watching Koschei the Deathless fall dead to the ground.
Cole: "You did it! God be praised, you did it! Koschei is no longer Deathless! He lies dead at our feet!"
Never Cry Wolf Again
Kazan, Russia
Kronin, Lenneth, and Lilly walk through the ruins of Kazan. A fierce battle had taken place here that the Resistance, Aemrican, and Warhammer alliance had lost. Burnt out building, vehicles, and bodies of both sides of the battle litter the region. The sounds of wolves howling echo off in the distance.
Kronin: "Don't think that us fighting side by side excuses you from what you did in London, Lilly. We will be having a long talk soon."
Lilly: "Of course, Kronin. Let's just get this done and I can tell you wht you need to know."
Four Vucari bound from a nearby home in their hybrid forms. They see the three and snarl before going on the attack.
Lenneth cleave one in half with a swipe from her spear, Lilly burns one to crisp with a gout of flame, and Kronin sends a stream of lightning that sends thr remaining two flying before they hit the ground. They howl in pain before dying and shifting back into human form.
Lilly: "There might be only a few Vucari left. It feels like most of them had been taken down by the brave warriors who came before us."
As though her words were prophesy, a dozen Vucai come out of the nearby buildings with a thirteenth Vucari who is larger than the others.
"Two Asgardians and a Witch. This isn't your fight. This is a Russian matter. Go home."
Lenneth shakes her head.
Lenneth: "Ulvi Saveliev. Humanity is our fight. Where you bring your evil, we will be there to stop it. Surrender and we won't have to kill you all."
Uliv throws his head back and laughs, a barking sound.
Saveliev: "And how do you think that you can win? Even Asgardians have their limits."
Kronin: "We can talk all day or we can get right into the fighting."
Uliv Saveliev howls and sends his Vucari to attack before joining the fighting himself.
It isn't long before Uliv realizes that he's outmatched far more than he would have ever realized.
As the last Vucari falls smoking to the ground, Uliv Saveliev drops to his knees with his throat exposed.
Saveliev: "I was wrong. So very wrong to think I could defeat the three of you. Please, spare my poor life and I will help you out in all my days."
Kronin: "Why do you think we would fall for that?"
Lenneth: "I think he means it."
Kronin nods, walking over to hold out his hand with a smile.
Kronin: "Then we accept your surrender."
Uliv nods, reaching up with one hand. He starts to leap with his other hand out, claws extended. He is struck by a stream of molten silver that sends him backwards ten feet. He screams and howls as the molten silver melts him away and burns him to the very core of his being. Kronin spins around to see Lilly.
Kronin: "Why did you do that? He surrendered to us!"
Lilly: "He was posing so he could rip your throat out! Can you not have seen that?"
Kronin shakes his head.
Kronin: "He posed no threat to me. All I hear are excuses built around secrets. And I am through with secrets..."
Lilly opens her mouth to speak, but no sounds come out. Instead, she fades away.
Kronin looks at where she was, saddened by the events that had transpired between them. The damage done by Sikarin runs so deep.
Kronin: "Lilly..."
Gods and Monsters
Kyiv, Ukraine
Aleksei Botvinov stands over a piles of corpses with a satified smile. Blood splatter coats his Imperial uniform.
The broken bodies of Resistance soldiers, Americans, and Shocktoopers little the ground. They are twisted at odd angles, burned, or torn apart.
There are no Imperials in the area beside himself, and why would there be? None are needed beyond Aleksei.
"You do good work, but time for me play."
Aleksei looks to see Tarrasque and Mr. Clowny walking past the carnage to him. Aleksei laughs.
Botvinov: "You are very funny man. None can equal the Hammer."
Tarrasque just shrugs with a smile.
Tarrasque: "Me never equal you. Me better than you!"
Aleksei moves, leaving behind a sonic boom. He strikes Tarrasque across the jaw with a right hook that knocks him back through the air by a hundred feet and into a building that collapses on top of him. Aleksei looks at Mr.Clowny with a smirk.
Botvinov: "You think you can surpass me too, Clown?"
Mr. Clowny looks where Tarrasque is buried under a ton of rubble and shakes his head.
Clowny: "(honk) that! I'm here to present you with a well made vodka cake!"
A cake materializes in Mr. Clowny's hand and he presents it to Aleksei.
Botvinov: "Where did that honk come from?"
Clowny: "Long story. Is good?"
Aleksei takes a bite of the cake and spits it out in disgust.
Botvinov: "This isn't vodka! It's rum! I'll kill you!"
Aleksei swings at Mr. Clowny, who ducks and hits Aleksei with a creme pie.
Clowny: "Hoo hoo, bitch! Taste the cake power!"
Mr. Clowny begins throwing cupcakes at Aleksei until his face and chest are covered by crumbled cake and icing. Aleksei wipes pastry from his eyes and growls.
Botvinov: "You seek to make fool of me?"
Clowny: "Are you (honk)ing kidding me? I would never make a fool of you! I only reveal what's inside already! Hoo hoo!"
Mr. Clowny squeezes his own nose, making streamers fly out of his ears and then back in.
Botvinov: "Tell me where that honk come from!"
Mr. Clowny shakes his head with a laugh.
Clowny: "I have it right here in my hand! Wanna see?"
Aleksei frowns. He wants to kill the clown, but where did that honk come from?
Mr. Clowny closes his right hand and presents it to Aleksei.
Clowny: "Just look in here!"
Aleksei peers into the hand that Mr. Clowny turns to lay a hand buzzer to the of his face. Aleksei jerks a little and backs away.
Botvinov: "That hurt! How did little joy buzzer hurt me?"
A set of wires can be seen attached to the joy buzzer and Clowny moves a car battery behind his legs in a rather obvious way.
Clowny: "No reason. Why you ask?"
Aleksei growls, his eyes glowing red with the cake and icing burning away from his face.
Botvinov: "You will die!"
Mr. Clowny starts running, but is pulled back once he reaches the limit of the connection of the cable to the battery. Red beams stream from Aleksei's eyes to slam into the car battery to make it explode.
Aleksei walks over to stand over Mr. Clowny's fallen form, his eyes still glowing hot with power.
Botvinov: "Now you will die like your friend."
Clowny: "He didn't die."
Botvinov: "Don't be stupid. You saw your friend die."
A chunk of concrete about a half a ton in weight catches Aleksei in the chest, knocking backwards nearly a hundred feet into the side of a truck.
Tarrasque walks over, dusting himself off, to stand by Mr. Clowny.
Tarrasque: "Clown ok?"
Clowny: "You got any whiskey?"
Tarrasque: "Umm no?"
Clowny: "Then I'm pretty well (honk)ed."
Tarrasque: "You are honking?"
Clowny: "You know it, baby!"
Aleksei tosses the concrete to the side, glaring at Tarrasque.
Batinov: "I don't know how you are not dead, but I will fix it."
Tarrasque: "Me not broke."
Batinov: "Shut up!"
Red beams streak from Aleksei's eyes to strike Tarrasque in the chest. The flesh begins to glow hot, but does not burn away.
Batinov: "How?"
Tarrasque hits an uppercut that draws blood, sending teeth flying from Aleksei's mouth. He holds his mouth in shock.
Batinov: "I am the Hammer! I am the strongest on the planet!"
Tarrasque shakes his head, grabbing Aleksei by the wrists to drive him to his knees. As Aleksei looks Tarrasque in the eyes, he knows fear like he has not known in years.
Tarrasque: "Me am strong!"
Tarrasque let's out a gout of flame that cover the entire body of Aleksei, melting him until all is left is the arms that Tarrasque is holding. He drops them to the ground with a laugh.
Tarrasque: "Anvil breaks Hammer."
Mr. Clowny walks up, handing Tarrasque a large birthday cake.
Clowny: "You don't say, big guy. You don't say."
The Crone and the Mad Tsar
Moscow, Russia
Dasha, Boris Drago, Hoskuld Lokison, Loki, and Celes stand inside of a rebuilt church on the ground of a city that is rapidly being rebuilt to its former glory. They look around at the ornate Russian Orthodox Church decorations.
Dasha: "Troy, you didn't need to come here. You would only slow me down when I do what needs to be done here."
Lokison: "Hoskuld Lokison now, dear Dasha. And you know you need help. We can provide it."
Dasha: "Heh. Should have had Thor come with me instead of you."
A giant mirror behind the altar at the end of the building begins to darken. The stained glass windows that depict saints begin to change to suffering young maidens as the entire inside of the church begins to darken. The decor becoming horrific, revealing a sinister demonic edge.
Baba Yaga steps out of the mirror with a cackle.
Yaga: "Little Dasha, you've brought friends. Have you come to try to face your fears and face me at last. You know what would happen. You've always known what would happen to you if you decided to become so brave."
Dasha swallows hard, stepping back until she runs into the bulky form of Boris.
Drago: "Boris break her now?"
Dasha: "I am not afraid of you anymore, Baba Yaga. The time has come for your help to the Tsar is at an end!"
Baba Yaga walks around the altar, leaning heavily on her walking stick as she cackles. She stands before the gathered group with a wide grin.
Yaga: "Fear is all that I can smell here, Little Dasha. Fear comes from the very pores of all of you."
"Little Dasha, we have known each other all of your pretty little life. I know what they did to you and how you feared that you would become a monster. I have watched you and lusted after your company. We have talked on plenty of nights. In your dreams and in your mirrors. Your fear here is the greatest of all of those who are gathered here tonight."
"Boris Drago. You are big and you are stupid, but you fear as well. You are afraid that Dasha will drive you into doing something unspeakable and that you will never be able to wash the blood from your hands. You are already a weapon. It is what they have made you to be and this is what makes you clutch at your pillow at night more than anything. Knowing that you were built only to kill other human beings."
"Hoskuld Lokison. I see that you have little fear for your own life. It has ever been this way with you. Though now, you fear for another. You are afraid that little Celes might become harmed on this day. You were right to fear, but she will not come to much harm. I will keep her here with me and Little Dasha as my pets. I always have enjoyed the services of young maidens over the years. These two will be suitable."
"Loki Odinson. You have always been afraid, but have used your mischief to hide it. You are afraid that you will always be in the shadow of your brother, Thor. You are afraid that the Asgardians will never accept that you are a God instead of a mere giant. You are even afraid that your jealousy will overcome you one day and that you will be the one to bring about Ragnorak and bring everything down. Your fear is quite enjoyable."
"That leaves me with Little Celes. You are as brave as tey come, but you can't hide your fear from me. You fear for your Daddy's sake. You know the risks that he takes on a daily basis. You know what he does to his own body. You know that one day that Thor might kill him. You should fear not, child. On this day, your father will make the long journey to be with his sister, Hela."
Baba Yaga throws her head back and cackles as she sees the doubt and fear on the faces of her foes. Dasha grips her knife in a growing anger, as does Celes.
Dasha: "We will never-"
Celes: "-be afraid of you again!"
Dasha launches herself at Baba Yaga, cutting at her chest as Celes vanishes from her location, appearing behind Baba with a thin garrote wire stolen from Dasha. She wraps the wire around the old hag's throat ad Dasha slashes and stabs at her.
A shouted word sends both flying away from Baba Yaga. Boris catches Dasha while Celes vanishes to reappear at the side of Hoskuld.
Yaga: "You really think that you can harm me? I am eternal!"
Loki: "Then you are a fool. Look for yourself!"
Baba Yaga looks down to see bleeding wounds from the knife that Dasha had stabbed her with. She feels her neck to discover blood on her fingers.
Yaga: "How?"
Dasha: "We are not afraid, Crone. We are not afraid anymore! You can no longer haunt us!"
Boris presses Dasha to the side, rushing at Baba Yaga and bulldozing her down into the side of the altar. It shatters under their combined weight.
Baba Yaga stands up, holding Boris up by the throat. Her feet hover high up in the air in order to get Boris off of his feet.
Yaga: "Fear or not, I am of the Old Ways. The Old Ways still hold sway in the heart of the people and that grants me all that I need!"
Baba Yaga flings Boris like a rag doll across the room, knocking down several pews.
Hoskuld Lokison and Loki rush in with swords drawn, trying to slash at Baba Yaga as she comes down to the floor. She easily blocks attacks from the both of them, cackling like a maniac the whole time.
A strike to the jaw sends Loki down like a ton of bricks, but it gives Hoskuld the opening to thrust his sword through the right shoulder of the Crone.
She backs away quickly, pointing her stick at Hoskuld and shouting a word. Hoskuld goes flying backwards, running into the front wall of the building and landing in a heap.
Baba Yaga clutches at her shoulder in pain and anger.
Yaga: "I won't be defeated by the likes of you people! I cannot!"
Dasha and Celes ready for another attack when they notice the church decor changing again. It looks less and less like an evil church and more like the inside of a large ancient cabin.
Dasha: "What?"
Dasha and Celes are rejoined by Boris, Loki, and Hoskuld.
Yaga: "You fools thought that you had entered some little church. You have not!"
Everyone nearly falls except for Baba Yaga as the building shifts and rises high into the air?
Dasha looks through the windows to see how high they are rising into the air. The entire place shifts and a thunderous shockwave channels through everything.
Dasha: "It can't be!"
Yaga: "Oh, Little Dasha. You have been here in your dreams often enough to know the truth. You of all this little gathering know exactly where you are!"
Another thunderous boom shakes the building as it seems to be moving?
Dasha: "Your Chicken Hut? We're inside your home?"
Baba Yaga lashes out with her walking stick, taking Dasha in the side of the head and splitting open the flesh. She spins and catches Loki in the belly to double him over before kicking him in the face with a laugh.
Yaga: "None of you fools are my equal!"
Baba waves a hand at Boris, bringing him down to his knees. He grits his teeth in pain in order to not cry out.
Yaga: "None of you are worth-what?"
Hoskuld holds tight to Baba's arm. He looks into her eyes with a smile.
Lokison: "Now you know what you really want, Baba Yaga. You want what you have always wanted. It's why you have taken maidens all of these years. You wanted what they would always get. You want the man. You wanted the men that swooned after the maidens. I'm right here for you, Baba Yaga. Don"t let one more night slip by of sleeping alone. Let my daughter and my friends go and I will be yours forever."
Baba Yaga frowns at Hoskuld, but then smiles. She caresses his face with a wrinkled old hand.
Yaga: "I suppose this could just be pent up sexual frustration from an old Crone. Come here and let me kiss you."
Baba Yaga brings Hoskuld's face down near hers to go in for a kiss when her hand glides to the back of his head and pulls his hair to exposes his throat.
Yaga: "You are an idiot to think your Asgardian powers would work on me, child! Now die!"
Baba slashes her walking stick across Hoskuld's throat, ripping it open. He let's the fallen god drop to the floor, blood pouring out of his wound.
"DADDY!"
Celes vanishes, grabbing Hoskuld's sword, and vanishing again. She appears and dissapears around Baba Yaga, thrusting into her with the sword.
Celes: "You! Think! You! Can! Hurt! My! Daddy! And! Not! Pay! The! Price? You! Bitch!"
Baba Yaga reaches out, grabbing Celes by the throat. The old Crone coughs up blood from the many wounds inflicted by the young Asgardian Goddess.
Yaga: "You think you can slay me, child? I cannot be harmed! Look upon the damage you have wrought!"
As Celes watches in horror, the damage inflicted upon Baba Yaga heals.
Yaga: "You will all pay!"
Celes: "One...thing..."
Baba Yaga sets Celes down, looking at her curiously.
Yaga: "What? Will you beg me to spare your daddy's life?"
Celes: "No, I will heal him."
Yaga: "Then what?"
Celes: "I am the Asgardian Goddess of Secrets, and I know yours now. Dasha! The mirror!"
Baba Yaga spins around, fear entering her expression at last. Dasha rushes at the mirror with her dagger. She slams the blade home, shattering the mirror.
Yaga: "No! You cannot! No!"
With the sound of breaking glass, thousands of cracks for in the skin of Baba Yaga form until she shatters into millions of pieces. Celes smiles at Dasha.
Celes: "Teamwork!"
Dasha: "Da."
The building comes to a halt before falling back to the ground with a smash. Celes attends to her father, healing the grievious wounds.
The front door of the hut falls off of its hinges before another familiar man walks inside. He bears a Crown of Thorns upon his head, Regal attire, and a reptillian hand with thorned vines crawling over it.
Tsar Inois Miranov the First
Miranov: "Baba Yaga is dead. It is more of a relief to me that you know. Now has come the time to bow down to me, Dasha. The Spetnaz will listen to you. What I do, I do for all of Russia. Can't you see my great work for what it is?"
Dasha walks over to the front of the Tsar.
Dasha: "You're insane, Ionis! The man who was once my mentor has become mad with a hunger for power and the Crown of Thorns!"
Tsar Miranov sneers as blood drips down his face and from around his wrist.
Miranov: "I have become Russia! I feel her pain! I feel her triumphs! I know her sadness! Her victories! Her secrets! Everything is open to me like an open book! I do not want my people to suffer, but suffer they will until they understand the good I do for this country! Putin was fool enough to use the nuclear weapons against the Dark Warlock! He was amongst the first to die with the Stone Rain! I raised this nation out of despair! I raised this nation from being a mere territory of Carthage! I am a Patron Saint of Russia!"
Ionis plucks a thorn from his crown, transforming it into a sword.
Miranov: "You can bow down to me or you can all die here!"
There's a loud bang and the eyes of Ionis go wide as a smoking hole appears on his forehead. Dasha smiles with a gun in her hand.
Dasha: "You have always talked too much."
Tsar Ionis Miranov falls backward to the floor. The Crown of Thorns and hand of the Tsar crumble to dust while his body dehydrates imstantly.
Dasha, Boris, Hoskuld, Loki, and Celes gather around the body and look down upon him.
Dasha: "It's over. Finally over."
A laughter echoes around the building. Everyone looks around in confusion.
Dasha: "Ionis?"
"You have freed me, Dasha! Freed me from my binds!"
The body of Ionis Miranov splits open, thorned vines growing out of the body that form into a humanoid shape, dark fluid spilling out from the vines that fill the form until a large thorned vine covered reptillian humanoid stands tall, complete with thorned vines wrapped around his entire form while digging into the flesh.
The entire building begins to shake as more explosions rip up through the floor as more thorn vined lizard humanoids come into being that stand twelve feet tall. Nearly twenty beings stand tall with wicked weapons grow into place.
Miranov: "Russia has evolved, my friends! I no long require the Zduhac! I not longer require Imperial soldiers, I AM RUSSIA!"
Dasha: "It's time to go."
Drago: "We could fight!"
As the giant lizardmen surround the group, Celes grabs the hands of Hoskuld and Loki.
Celes: "Dasha! Boris! Come hold hands!"
Dasha: "Hold hands?"
Boris grabs Dasha's hand and then grabs Hoskuld's hand. They all vanish from sight.
Tsar Ionis Miranov shakes his head as he looks upon the empty area.
Miranov: "If Russia will not see the good that I do, then Russia will become like me!"
That's the PDF version of the show and is downloadable. Shows even come with mp3 files built into the pdf for a more immersive viewing.
The Hunt for the Crone
ASA travels to Pyongyang, North Korea! (spoiler alert) After a string of successes against Russian Imperial Forces with support coming in from the United States and a sudden turn of Warhammer forces in the area, Imperial Russia is reeling. To help ensure that a victory can be attained at all...a Hunt is on to take out Baba Yaga and the other supernatural leaders that have been helping Tsar Miranov. So in other words, we will have a show in Pyongyang and then anyone who wants to help will be making the trek into Russia for this most dangerous of missions.
First Contact
In the lower levels of the ruins of the arena at Luxor, Egypt...
Allen Anderson stands next to the floating form of Rose Johnston as they stare through an open void that is inside an ancient gateway in a stone wall.
Through this portal, a vast walled city can be seen. Not something of modern day, but something from the Middle Ages that was long before the invention of gunpowder.
Anderson looks to the side at Rose Johnston in equal wonder as the portal.
Anderson: "This is an amazing discovery, Rose! Rose, I just wanted to tell you that. ThatI umm...I am sorry that I was not able to be here when Carthage made their move against us. I don't know if I would have been able to save his life, but I would have been glad to have taken his place. He was a good friend and ally. I miss his hand at the wheel. More now than ever."
Rose Johnston places a hand on Anderson's shoulder with a sad smile. Despite her ghostly state, a warm sense of peace spreads through Anderson's body that brings him to smile as well.
Johnston: "Gideon Rogers was destined to die that day, but I could not see it then. Egypt and Rome were destined to fall. The world was destined to become a perilous place. I played my part as well, for I was destined to lose and perish for my failure. We cannot change what destiny brings us, or the burdens it bears down on our souls. We can only play the cards we are dealt and hope that we follow the correct path that has been laid out before us."
"This void before us is also destiny. Thamptis once sealed this gate with a portion of his soul to prevent a great army from coming through in full to conquer our world. He has pulled back his power to deal with his enemies here. What lies beyond in the world that we see now with our own eyes? Is this the stronghold of the very enemy that Thamptis sacrificed a part of himself to ensure would never return here? Or does this stronghold belong to a new ally by which we might attain victory over Thamptis once and for all?"
"Almost all of us have played our roles over our lifetimes. We have played heroes and villains. We have performed acts of courage and cowardice. We have been generous and miserly. We have in each of us, a Chaos Destiny. It is up to us to find out how best to rise up and seize it to change the world around us, even if only in the smallest way."
The two stand in silence for a long time while watching through the portal.
Anderson: "If such a thing as this exists, you think that Khloe Kapla could find her way home someday?"
Anderson looks at Rose Johnston and shakes his head.
Anderson: "I'm sorry. She came to this world after you had died. It was dense of me to ask."
Rose Johnston smiles knowingly. It was like Anderson to be so blunt at times. It made him a poor liar at times.
Johnston: "I know of her. Something happened on her world that changed the vibration frequency of the molecules of her body and sent her here. A device made from a hybrid of science and magic can send her back, but it must be done at the exact frequency of her world or her form will be scattered across the cosmos."
Rose places two fingers at Anderson's temple and closes her eyes.
Johnston: "This is the way for her to return home, though I do not know if she will really want to return there for an evil man has done so much wrong in the place she once called home. She is of great value to you as well. I leave the knowledge in your hands and trust that you will do what is right."
Anderson places his palm on the temple where Rose had touched him. He could send her home. He should. It would make her happy, but it would harm his company. Not that what he was about to undertake after the ppv was over would not change his company forever as well. Still, he would be no better than Thamptis if he had the ability to let her go home, and didn't at least try.
Anderson: "I will have it built and let her go home after the ppv, even should she defeat Dasha for the World title. What is that? A dust cloud?"
Anderson points off into the distance where a cloud of dust has appeared on the road that goes by where the portal appears to be sitting. As if comes closer, it can be seen to be a man on a horse. A man in ornate plate mail on an armored horse to be exact. As he comes closer, a emblem of a shining sun can be seen on his shield.
Anderson: "Is he coming here?"
Johnston: "It does look that way."
The man and horse enter through the portal, stopping in front of Allen Anderson and Rose Johnston. He regards them for a minute before taking off his helmet to reveal long golden hair and a trimmed beard. He begins speaking, but none of his words are understood. Rose Johnston closes her eyes.
Johnston: "I can make things easier."
A moment later, the temples of Anderson and the man begin to glow for a moment before the man speaks perfect English!
"Greetings! I am Sir Nathaniel Elliot the Third, Knight-Marshal of the Golden Sun, Commander of the Third Vesperian Calvary."
Anderson holds out his hand with a smile, which Sir Nathaniel takes into his own. Anderson winces at the strength of the grip, but says nothing.
Anderson: "I am Allen Anderson, Owner of Apex Superstar Alliance and I represent the United States of America as Diplomat. This is Rose Johnston, resident guardian of this land. Does the portal on your side look like this?"
Sir Nathaniel looks upon the portal and nods.
Elliot: "Once upon a time before the Empire of Vesperia was born, the Eternals of Xamillia led their dark armies through this land in their attempt to conquer all of the known world. As they were halted by the elves to the West of us through their Forest of Mist, they began to work on new worlds to conquer. An Eternal named Erauithethutui created this portal and led his army and that of two other Eternals into your world. They were defeated with Erauithethutui's allies slain in combat so he returned alone. It was what gave my ancestors the hope that Xamillia could be defeated, even with the death of our patron God. We organized ourselves and drove them back while banding together the Vesperians, the Renallians, and the Harador into an alliance that became the foundation for Vesperia. This portal has remained here, sealed against intrusion for thousands of years."
Johnston: "The world here has changed as much as your world over the years, Sir Elliot. The heroes of the war that defeated Xamillia in the past have become the villains of today. They have spread their darkness across this world to avenge the slights against them long ago. We struggle against them and the fighting has been perilous."
Elliot: "Perilous battles is what Vesperia is about. We stand against evil, no matter the source. I shall return home and bring back a representative of my Emperor in a fortnight. You and him can discuss matters of state and trade. Maybe a force of Vesperians can come and aid you in your time of need, and our scouts can come learn about your world as your's come learn of ours."
Anderson: "That would be good. I must take my leave now for I am needed at another field of battle. Good luck on your journey home."
Sir Nathaniel salutes Anderson.
Elliot: "Good luck on your battles to come. We will meet again in a forthnight!"
Anderson and Johnston watch as Sir Nathaniel Elliot the Third rides back through the portal and on his way back to the stronghold. There's a silence before Anderson speaks again.
Anderson: "What the heck is a fortnight?"
The Dragon Returns
On board the star bridge, which overlooks the section of the galaxy that planet Earth resides in, words are spoken in the empty throne room. The voice was feminine, but strong.
Voice: For several moons, I have watched the goings on of planet earth, and the beings that call it home. I've watched as the ranks I held are passed back and forth between the people who are the best skilled to be my meager replacement.
And I can't pretend to be impressed with them. You are simply filling my place. As you clump around the ring, I'm sure you're realizing you have big shoes to fill. Thing is, you never will, because they are mine. So carry on, but be warned.
The throne was occupied now, by a woman with golden yellow hair.
Woman: There is only one Super Saiyan Dragon Princess...and I am coming back to to claim my Chaos Destiny.
Opening
Instead of dimming as per normal, the lights in the arena remain on and brighten in fact. The crowd murmur at the change until they see the shadow of Baba Yaga flying in her mortal and pestle crawling across the crowd. The crowd react in the way that you might expect helpless beings being confronted as one such as Baba Yaga. That is until the shadow stops at the JumboTron and it lights up as the shadow fades away.
Once the song fades away, we go down to ringside with Kenneth Kemp and Selena Sanchez.
Sanchez: "Tonight is a night of great excitement that from what I have come to understand, will continue long after the last match has ended."
Kemp: "After parties. I know, right?"
Sanchez: "No. I mean a number of ScramJets have been provided by Tendonin X Industries so that strike teams can make their way into Russia to see about eliminating the different supernatural beings helping Tsar Miranov the First. The chief of which is Baba Yaga."
Kemp: "I didn't know a being like Baba Yaga could be slain?"
Sanchez: "I didn't think it possible either. They are going to try. I'm sure if they fail, the ASA roster is going to be much smaller at the next show."
Kemp: "If there will be a roster left at all."
Sanchez: "I'm sure that-well let's keep our fingers crossed that those who go on the hunt tonight will have the best of luck."
Kemp: "Match-wise tonight, we have an interesting show. Father Nathan takes on Boris Drago to avenge the damage inflicted upon Dixie Clement. I heard she has just finally recovered from the brutal beatings given to her by Boris."
Sanchez: "Troy Adkins takes on an ASA visitor in the form of Jade."
Kemp: "I think he wants to be called Hoskuld Lokison now."
Sanchez: "Right. My apologies. Khloe Kapla has given up her ASA Ascension championship for a shot at Dasha for the ASA World championship. Do you think Khloe can do it?"
Kemp: "This lucky girl has managed to defeat Plate Gilby and Boris Drago. If anyone can take down Dasha, I bet it would be her."
Sanchez: "You might be right there. Let's get down to the ring where MaLisha Wilson is ready with the opening bout!"
Houdini vs Tarrasque
Wilson: "This next match is scheduled for one fall! Featurnig first, weighing in at one hundred and ninety-nine pounds...Harry "Handcuffs" Houdini!"
"Great Escape" by Audio Empire begins, but no one comes out from the back.
Sanchez: "Did he get attacked backstage?"
Kemp: "He probably insulted the leader of this nation on the way to the arena and was arrested."
There's a blast of smoke in the ring. Once it clears, Harry Houdini appears with a great smile and a bow to the cheering audience.
Kemp: "He had to make a grand entrance. That sounds about right."
Wilson: "And his opponent, weighing in at two hundred and eighty-five pounds...Tarrasque!"
"Ladies and Gentlemen" by Saliva begins as Tarrasque walks out from the back. He pounds on his chest while letting out a great roar. The crowd cheers until they see that Tarrasque is followed by Major Hizir Sengun and Glaknar the Green.
Kemp: "What the heck? Is that an over-sized goblin? And Major Sengun? I thought he had died in the fighting during the Fourth Punic War!"
Sanchez: "That's an orc. No, they don't really have to look like they do in the Lord of the Rings. And yeah, I thought Sengun was dead too. Does Tarrasque seem...different to you?"
Kemp: "Vacant expression. Drool dripping from his chin. Nope."
As the bell rings to start the match, Tarrasque mows Harry down with a clothesline that causes Harry to bounce a foot into the air once he hits the mat. He rips Harry off of the mat with one hand, throws him into the air to catch him upside down, and drill him into the mat with a sit out piledriver.
Sanchez: "Tarrasque starting the match with a clothesline and a Forget Me. It's staggering the amount of damage that Tarrasque can inflict in just seconds."
Kemp: "I know that I wouldn't want to be the target of his attacks."
Tarrasque continues his assault with a Fall of the Prideful (iron claw chokeslam over the ropes). Roaring to the fans as Harry slams into the concrete floor. He rushes across the ring to bounce off of the ropes, and dives over the ropes to land on Harry outside of the ring!
Kemp: "He's certainly not sane!"
Tarrasque picks Harry up for an Electric Chair Drop, but sends him into the ring steps with the move. The stairs are knocked apart and Harry lays on the ground as if dead. Tarrasque picks him up yet again and crotches him on the ring railing before climbing into the ring and to the top rope.
Sanchez: "Oh no. Look away, Kenneth!"
Kemp: "Why would I-OH MY GOD!"
Tarrasque flies off of the top rope, planting both feet onto Harry's shoulders to drive him onto the ring railing. The fans "Oooh" in sympathy for Harry Houdini as he crashes to the concrete floor and slowly reaches for his boy parts in unimaginable pain.
Sanchez: "The Ballbreaker. That's why."
Kemp: "Oh my God...who would be so cruel?"
Tarrasque rolls Harry into the ring as he hears the ref counting them both out and follows. He drags Harry to the center of the ring, grabs Harry by the boy parts, and begins to lift him up. The move revives Harry and he quickly motions to the ref that he gives up.
Sanchez: "Tarrasque wins with the Rise of the Feminine Side! I think right about now, Harry wishes that he would have used the Paralyzing Factor to win the match."
Kemp: "I bet the men in the audience feel just like I do. In tremendous sympathy pain for Harry Houdini. That was just brutal!"
Major Sengun and Glaknar step into the ring to help Tarrasque celebrate his quick victory.
Kemp: "So where does one find an orc to follow you down to the ring?"
Sanchez: "Tarrasque does a lot of hunting in Carthage where the Restricted Zone used to be."
Coin of Legends
Harry "Handcuffs" Houdini lays on his couch in his private dressing room. Every part of his body feels like it has been smashed.
Houdini: "Stupid Tarrasque. Why did they have to book me against him anyway?"
There's a knock at the door.
"Medical here as requested. May I come in and check things out?"
Harry doesn't remember requesting medical to come to his room, but he doesn't remember a lot of how he got back to his room too. So, maybe? It is something he would do anyway.
Houdini: "Enter."
A young woman in a very revealing nurse's outfit comes into the room. She closes the door behind her and locks it. Harry raises an eyebrow as she glides across the room to sit by him on the bed. She leans down to him, her rather busty cleavage nearly spilling everything out of her outfit.
"Now, what seems to hurt the most? Is it here?"
The nurse caresses Harry's crotch, but then clenches it tight. Harry's eyes go wide in shock and pain.
"You have discovered a golden coin recently. Give it to me and I will let you live..."
Houdini: "In the drawer at the dressing table inside a silk bag!"
The nurse releases Harry and opens the drawer. She pulls the coin out of the bag, her flash morphing over the coin to pull it within her body. In fact, her entire form melts and reforms into-
"You have helped me a lot today, Harry Houdini. I will let your miserable existence as a false magician continue. In fact...you can say that Sikarin Tsooth has rewarded you for your cooperation."
Sikarin blasts Harry with a stream of blue energy from the head of his staff. Harry screams as his hands burn in agony. Once finished, Harry looks upon them. Glowing blue arcane symbols are upon his palms.
Tsooth: "You may send out bolts of energy with your hands. Each hand has five shots that will recharge upon the dawn of each new day. The amount of damage depends on your willpower and the number of shots you wish to discharge at once. Farewell."
Sikarin Tsooth fades away as Harry Houdini watches. He then looks down at the symbols on his hands in wonder.
Houdini: "What have I done?"
South of Russia
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan...
Dzintars Bakhualov, Commander of the Southern Russian Imperial Military south of Russia Proper, looks out over the ranks of his soldiers.
They are weary, battle worn soldiers that have been fighting uprisings in the conquered territories. They have been frightened out of their minds by the Zduhac. They have been pressed by the Resistance, by American forces, and by Warhammer forces.
The Commander looks around Ashgabat. Frequent battles has sent nearly half the city into smoking ruins.
Off in the distance, he can see Resistance troops slowly making their way from building to building while Warhammer and American forces are bolder in their movements.
Commander Dzintars Bakhualov walks over to stand on the hood of a burnt out pick up truck. He fires his side arm into the air to gather his soldiers around him.
Bakhualov: "We have fought hard and have been brave and have kept fighting beyond what normal soldiers would have fought! This is the fact! Tsar Miranov the First no longer cares about our well being! He cares about his personal power that goes up from the suffering from his people! The suffering that we inflict and the suffering that we feel!"
"There is no winning this coming battle! The enemy that we face have little to lose, but we have even less to win! I would hope that the Resistance would want to help heal the rift in our Mother Russia, but I am not sure if they will accept a surrender from us with open arms or bullets! Our defeat here will win freedom for the nations South of Russia! Not that they hadn't all but won this anyway! So what say you? Will you join me in attempting to end this war? "
Everywhere around him, Russian Imperial soldiers cheer. Because they have been fighting a losing war. They have been slowly eclipsed by a growing army of Zduhac. The horror of Baba Yaga and the use of the Roman Orthodox Church as a powerful right hand. It's all been too much for the common soldier. It was time for a change.
Bakhualov: "Then it is settled! Raise the white flag! Let us take the first step toward healing our great nation and ending the Tsar and his insanity!"
A cheering goes out as white flags are raised. White sheets, white shirts, and even white underwear.
Bakhualov: "This will signal to the Tsar that Russia will no longer listen to his insanity!"
Clowny vs Mmachi
Wilson: "This next match is scheduled for one fall...featuring first, hailing from the...Cakesphere? C'mon now! What the heck is a Cakesphere? He couldn't say Parts Unknown? Anyways...he is Mr. Clowny!"
The cosmic sounds of "Calamity" swirl as the arena darkens. An ominous purple light shines from the entrance way. As the clown horns go off in the song, Mr. Clowny's ice cream truck drives down the aisle. A hatch opens from the top, and Clowny is propelled by the ejection seat all the way into the ring. With the wave of his hand, he summons a cupcake for a little pre-match sugar rush. As he eats it, his eyes begin to glow in random colors.
Kemp: "Do I even want to know?"
Sanchez: "I'm going to say no."
Kemp: "Wow. Just...wow."
Wilson: "And his opponent, hailing from the Bronx, New York..."Hardcore" Chris Mmachi!"
"Can't Keep Still" by KPM Music starts playing. Chris Mmachi walks in and crouches down. After a few seconds, he suddenly jumps up and stretches out his arms. Five red fireworks explode. While walking down the ramp, fire jets shoot up. Chris reaches ringside and raises one arm before climbing the steel steps. He walks in between the middle and top rope and precedes to go to the four corners. He climbs up either two or all four, flexing his arms at each one he climbs. He goes to center of the ring and raises his arms and quickly crosses and uncrosses them. This sets off flame jets at the four corners. He then goes to an empty corner and starts jogging in place.
Kemp: "You think that Mmachi carries an anger against Carthage? I mean the Bronx is a wasteland thanks to Thamptis and the Stone Rain."
Sanchez: "I would wager a lot of people hold grudges against Carthage for the Stone Rain."
Kemp: "Grudge. Don't get technical with me, woman! Or might I remind you that your place is really bare foot and pregnant in the kitchen so you can cook dinner for the man that supports you while you raise his children."
Sanchez: "Are you really *beep*ing serious right now?"
Kemp: "No, but it's funny you thought I was."
As the bell rings to start the match, Chris Mmachi begins the match by rushing Clowny and knocking him down for a Lou Thez Press. He stays perched on him while delivering lefts and rights until the ref tells him to get off. Chris gets up into the ref's face, but is shoved back by him. Chris threatens to punch him, but the ref threatens to disqualify him.
Kemp: "Mmachi better watch out for Jang Dae Hyun! He won't play around in the ring!"
Sanchez: "No, he won't. He can fight right back if you want to challenge him."
Mmachi pulls Clowny up into an airplane spin, spinning around a few times before tossing Clowny across the ring. Clowny sits up, but is met in the head with a knee as Mmachi runs across the ring.
Kemp: "I think that would be a high knee normally, but Clowny was sitting. So, is it a low knee?"
Sanchez: "Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night."
Kemp: "A good *beep* would help me sleep at night. You game, honey?"
Sanchez: "What? Sure...I can pick up a strap on someplace on the way to the hotel I'm sure."
Kemp: "Oh. I meant...I might have to pass on that one."
Mmachi rips Clowny off of the mat, whips him into the corner, runs at him to jump into the air, and slams into him with his chest against Clowny's upper body and head. He backs away to let Clowny fall face first to the mat, a loud *honk* sounding as Clowny's face impacts the mat.
Mmachi leans down to pick Clowny up again, but falls onto his face. A bright purple frosting is on the bottom of his shoes and on the mat. Clowny sits up with a loud "Hoo hoo!"
Kemp: "Did he...just summon frosting with his hands to make Mmachi slip?"
Sanchez: "It would appear so."
Kemp: "Just checking."
Mr. Clowny and Chris Mmachi both stand up. Clowny catches Mmachi with a Pie to the Face (it's really just a plam strike to the face). It doesn't do much harm, but appears to make Mmachi mad. Clowny follows this with a double nipple twist that makes Mmachi call out in pain. Clowny releases quickly, slipping around to apply a full nelson. He lifts Mmachi up and drops him to the mat for a full nelson bomb.
Kemp: "Despite weird methods, Clowny is fighting back!"
Mr. Clowny starts to pull Chris Mmachi up, but is caught in the throat with an elbow strike. Clowny falls to the mat while holding his throat. Mmachi stands up with an arrogant smile. He climbs to the top rope, leaps for a diving fist drop, but Clowny rolls out of the way so that Mmcahi punches the mat! Clowny hits an ear clap before applying a grounded octopus with hammerlock submission.
Sanchez: "Mr. Clowny with Lithium in the middle of the ring. Will Mmcahi submit?"
Kemp: "Not to a weird clown."
Clowny breaks the move, pulling Mmachi up, and whipping him into the ropes. He tries to catch Mmachi on the rebound for a tilt-a-whirl back breaker, but is caught in the midsection with a knee. Mmachi lifts Clowny up high, and slams him onto the mat with a power bomb! He goes for the cover!
One...Two...Thr-Clowny kicks out!
Sanchez: "Clowny almost finished there."
Kemp: "The Cake is Strong with this one..."
Sanchez: "What?"
Kemp: "Nothing."
Mmachi pulls Clowny up, positioning him for a jawbreaker when Clowny hits him in the face with a banana creme pie. Clowny uses the distraction to pick Mmachi up to do a-
Sanchez: "Cosmic Cupcake Crush? Clowny just put Mmachi into a giant cupcake with lit candles?"
Kemp: "Yes."
Clowny blows out the candles, causing the giant cupcake to explode. He goes for the pinfall on Mmachi, holding the tights as he does so.
One...Two...Three!
Wilson: "Winner of this match via pinfall...Mr. Clowny!"
Sanchez: "I have to sya that I'm shocked that Clowny won, even with those weird cake based supernatural powers!"
Kemp: "It's certainly a sweet win for Clowny!"
Sanchez: "Oh, boo."
Frietag vs Alicia
Wilson: "This next match is scheduled for one fall! Featuring first, weighing in at three hundred pounds...Frietag!"
"Gently" by Sipknot begins as Frietag walks down the aisle.
Kemp: "So, let me get this straight. If Frietag loses, even here, then Tony Manzell has to wrestle a punishment match in the IWA?"
Sanchez: "That would be correct."
Kemp: "That sort of sucks."
Sanchez: "No one said it was fair."
Wilson: "And his opponent, weighing in at one hundred and thirty-six pounds...Alicia Ikizi!"
"Halo" by The Pussycat Dolls begins playing as Alicia Ikizi makes her way down to the ring. She lightly skips as she waves to cheering fans.
Kemp: "She's sort of the happy-go-lucky type. I hate it."
Sanchez: "Well, at least she isn't a quivering mass of evil."
Kemp: "Though I suppose if I had kids, I would let her babysit them. That way I can pay her in penis thrusts."
Sanchez: "That's disgusting. Sit down!"
Before Alicia can get into the ring, Frietag meets her at the ring apron. He grabs her by the throat and hauls her into the ring before tossing her across the mat like a lawn dart. The bell rings and he rushes across the ring to bring the rising Alicia back down with a shoulder tackle.
Alicia starts to rise, but Frietag greets her in the jaw with a football style punt kick that sends blood spraying to the first row. He drags her up into a press slam position, dropping her throat across the top rope.
Sanchez: "Maybe you want to step in there, Kenneth. There won't be much left of her to molest once Frietag gets finished with her."
Kemp: "I wasn't gonna...what I mean is. I'm not a pedo-dang it!"
Kenneth Kemp drops the head set, and rolls into the ring. He taps Frietag on the shoulder. He turns around with a grin.
Kemp: "You let that pretty young thing alone!"
Sanchez: "Ken's final words, folks."
Frietag backhands Kenneth, sending him out of the ring and to the floor. He turns around to see Alicia laying on her back, still choking. He hits a seated senton and goes for the cover.
One...Two...Three!
Kenneth Kemp slowly gets back to his seat and puts the headset back on.
Kemp: "See? I saved her life!"
Sanchez: "Half your face is black and blue now."
Kemp: "Damn it! That little bitch owes me now!"
Sanchez: "You still know you said that on live television and she's only seventeen?"
Kemp: "She ahhh...owes me money?"
Sanchez: "Uh huh. That's what you meant."
Kemp: "I'm going to check on her in medical while the promotions for the next match run. Won't take me long since she's deliciously semiconscious...I mean."
Sanchez: "We know what you mean..."
The Struggle at the Sea
Sacrifice for Victory
Vladivostok, Russia
Genrich Rakovich grits his teeth as a build nearby explodes from Naval cannons in the harbor. He is leading Resistance fighters in to help the Americans seize back their stolen ships, but he did not expect them to open fire into the midst of the fighting to take out Resistance, Americans, and Imperials alike. It seems that having a superior navy in the Pacific Ocean is important enough to sacrifice any number of Imperial lives.
He is joined by Lieutenant Alfred Tisdale, the highest commanding officer still alive from the Americans in the city.
Tisdale: "I thought they wanted to rebuild this city to be the base of the Pacific Fleet!"
Rakovich: "They seem to be more concerned about keeping their ships right now."
Tisdale: "It's a valid concern since the United States would rather see those ships at the bottom of the ocean rather than in the Tsar's hands."
Rakovich: "Isn't that a last resort plan?"
Tisdale: "You have a better idea?"
Both men flatten themseles to the ground as another volley flies overhead to smash into the ground nearly a mile behind them with explosions large enough to send debris flying over their heads.
Rakovich: "You make a good point. Are they ready?"
Tisdale: "I'm just waiting for the signal."
The guns of the Naval ships fall silent and Genrich and Alfred stand tall once again, seeing as their troops push the remaining Imperials to the sea.
Tisdale: "They give up?"
Rakovich: "No! Look to the sky!"
Large men fall from the sky in gold and purple armor. They land on the ground with a resounding boom, attacking the soldiers nearby. One lands near Genrish and Alfred. Nearly nine feet tall, the armored warrior looks deadly as he draws a sword.
"Thamptis sends his champions to Russia's time of great need."
Tisdale: "Ah *beep*!"
Rakovich: "Shoot it!"
Both Genrich and Alfred open fire, but the small arms fire just bounces off of the armor of the champion. He swings his sword, cleaving through their rifles in a single stroke.
Tisdale: "So, guns don't work. Ideas?"
Rakovich: "Knives?"
Alfred and Genrich draw their combat knives to block a strike from the champion that sends them backwards a few feet. The champion goes on the attack, alternating blows between Genrich and Alfred. They continue to block, but with the extended reach of the champion's longsword, they can't get close enough to make an attack of their own.
Alfred takes the risk to see where the Resitance and the Americans are fighting the other champions. There's only ten of them in total, but they are already winning the fight against forty or more human soldiers.
Tisdale: "The charges are in place!"
Rakovich: "Then we should blow this stand!"
Tisdale: "And let this golden guys walk? I don't think so!"
Alfred cries out as the champion's sword cuts deep into his off-hand arm. He backs away to hit his bluetooth with his knife still in the same hand. He cuts open his scalp alongside his head by accident, but pays it no mind.
Tisdale: "Converge on the USS Washington! Seize control of the main cannons and direct them on my position! I know, but we have enemies here that we cannot defeat! Kill them and blow the charges!"
Rakovich: "Are you insane? You'll kill us all!"
Alfred dives in as Genrich blocks a blow from the champion. Aflred draws blood from a joint in the armor with a laugh.
Tisdale: "The greatest victories cost the most! What would you pay to kill these things?"
The champion cries out in rage, sweeping his sword at Alfred, cutting off his knife arm at the elbow. Alfred falls onto his back cursing at his useless off-arm and his missing knife arm.
Tisdale: "Holding action, Genrich! If you run now, they'll all escape!"
Genrich nods, keeping the champion at bay, though his arm is quickly going numb from the strength of the champion raining hard blows on his little combat knife.
All at once, the combat knife shatters from a blocked swing, the blade continuing on to open up a cut across Genrich's chest that cuts through the sternum. He drops to his knees in pain from the cut. The champion holds his sword point at Genrich's face, his expression unreadable behind the helmet.
Rackovich: "Do your worst, toady of the Dark Warlock."
Champion: "I shall. We shall sweep you and your allies out of Russia to ensure that the Tsar remains strong enough to be of service to my master."
The sound of distant thunder makes the champion turn and he sees the giant shells coming his way, even as he sees explosion blossom from the sides of the hulls on each ship.
Champion: "You wouldn't..."
Tisdale: "A pyrrhic victory is still a victory!"
The explosions rip across the area, turning Resistance soldier, American soldier, and Champion of Thamptis alike into so much shredded meat and burnt flesh.
Troy vs Jade
Wilson: "This next match is scheduled for one fall! Featuring first, hailing from Asgard...Hoskuld Lokison!"
"God of Fire" by Man of War begins playing as Hoskuld Lokison walks out from the back to the cheers of the crowd with Celes on his shoulder. They walk down to the ring where Hoskuld sets Celes down on the ring apron of his corner before entering the ring. He prances about the ring like a fool for a moment before snapping his fingers and making a frosty beer materialize in the hands of every drinking age adult in the crowd. They cheer even louder as Hoskuld laughs.
Sanchez: "Here, Kenneth. I'm on duty."
Kemp: "I am too, but I would hate to waste this good beer!"
Wilson: "And his opponent, hailing from Lhasa, Tibet, China...Jade!"
A sound of lightning breaks out and the lights in the arena flash to simulate a lightning bolt. After a few seconds, the Jumbotron comes to life. On the video tron, Jade's name appears with a Chinese Character in the background. Then a great Eastern Jade dragon is shown circling around a landscape, then lightning seems to come down and strike the stage in front of the entryway causing a burst of green, silver and gold pyro have the dragon lunge towards the camera with mouth open as a roar escapes it's mouth, echoing through the arena
After a few moments, Music from the Jade Dragon Concerto (Great Muta Concerto) plays over the PA and Jade seemingly walks through the pyro and flames of the Dragon, walking out in a determined, methodical pace before finally stopping in a fighting stance as her overcoat flutters in the air before displaying a flurry of punches and kicks, ending up with her making a few martial arts movement and clenching her fist as a final burst of pyro goes off behind her. She then narrows her eyes and walks with a slow, confident purpose to the ring, wasting no movement at all as she prepares herself for the coming battle.
Sanchez: "I'm not sure who Jade is, but it seems that she came prepared for this."
Kemp: "What an entrance!"
As the bell rings to start the match, Hoskuld and Jade meet in the center of the ring. Jade gives a slight bow to Hoskuld, who returns the gesture. Though Hoskuld's bow is Excessive, and ends in a roll that turns into a move that sweeps the legs of Jade out from under her. He connects with an elbow to the side of the head as Jade falls to turn her to the side.
Both Hoskuld and Jade quickly get to their feet, Jade looking not happy that Hoskuld managed to get the first blow in.
Jade: "I should be able to see your futures. Why can't I?"
Lokison: "The confusion about my future is Excessive."
Jade grits her teeth, going for a kick. Hoskuld catches the kick and sweeps the other leg to bring Jade down onto her back. He still holds the leg in the air, kicking her in the back of the thigh before letting go. Hoskuld staggers and falls, driving both elbows into Jade's midsection.
Hoskuld makes his way to his feet, but Jade jumps up to catch him, and drop backwards for a DDT. She rolls over the downed Hoskuld, grabbing him for an armbar.
Kemp: "Hoskuld's tactics seem like fifty percent pure luck while Jade has her head in the game."
Sanchez: "I wouldn't be so sure of that. Hoskuld has a more cunning look to him. He has been this way since he changed his name at the IWA pay-per-view from Troy Adkins."
With Hoskuld face down on the mat, Jade releases the armbar to hold the arm with both hands. She does a quick handstand with the intention of bringing her knees down to strike the elbow, but Hoskuld turns suddenly to fling Jade through the air. He jumps to his feet, catching Jade as she comes down, and flings her through the air again at the ropes. Jade hits the ropes, bouncing back like an arrow. Hoskuld catches her and power slams her to the mat, going for the cover!
One...Two...Jade kicks out!
Kemp: "What the heck did we just see there?"
Sanchez: "I have no idea, but it was pretty amazing!"
Hoskuld stands up, dragging Jade to her feet. He catches a knife edge chop to the side of the head for his efforts. Jade steps back and hits a left kick, a right kick, a left kick to the ribs, and then a jump spinning back kick to the torso to bring Hoskuld down to the mat.
Sanchez: "Jade showing off her martial arts skills here."
Kemp: "I have to ask. What is Hoskuld doing?"
Hoskuld sits up right away after being downed. He has something over his right eye that looks similar to an oversized pair of Google Glasses.
Kemp: "I've watched Dragonball Z before. That looks like one of them Scouter things, but isn't it a toy?"
Hoskuld hits a button on the side of the device. Rather obvious drops of sweat form on the sides of his his head and when he speaks, his mouth seems to open much wider than it would seem for the voice coming out.
Lokison: "What? Over nine thousand? It can't be!"
Jade rolls her eyes before lunging down to hit a palm strike to the face of Hoskuld to flatten him and shatter the toy Scouter. She pulls him to his feet, bringing him back dow with a vertical suplex before going for the cover.
One...Two...Hoskuld kicks out.
Kemp: "Hoskuld being goofy could cost him this match."
Sanchez: "Well, I thought he was more focused."
Jade quickly leaps to the top rope, turning, and leaping high into the air to land a headbutt to Hoskuld's chest. She rolls back to her feet, waiting for Hoskuld to rise. He staggers a bit before Jade levels him with a Jade Kick to the jaw! With Hoskuld laying on the mat as if dead, Jade goes for the cover again.
Celes: "Daddy get up!"
One...Two...Hoskuld kicks out.
Jade jumps up and runs to the ropes as Hoskuld stands up again. She catches him in the back of the head with a drop kick before grabbing him on the ground and applying a STF. When the ref checks to see if Hoskuld submist, Hoskuld merely smiles and says that he'll have another round, slapping the ref on the butt.
Kemp: "What the? Did he just think that Aina Burkhalter was a barmaid?"
Sanchez: "It sure looks that way."
Celes: "Daddy! You're not at a bar, you're in a submission hold that's supposed to hurt!"
Hoskuld shakes his head with a smile, quickly breaking out of the hold. He stands up at the same time as Jade with a smile.
Lokison: "Sorry. Forgot what was going on for a minute. Thanks, dear!"
Jade blinks at Hoskuld for a moment before shaking her head.
Jade: "You are a puzzle sitting at the bottom of a cask of wine."
Lokison: "That about sums it up. Yes."
Jade whips Hoskuld into the corner, following up by running to the corner and beginning a series of rapid fire kicks with her foot never touching the ground. She hits nearly two dozen kicks before the ref steps in to stop her. Jade backs off and Hoskuld staggers towards the center of the ring, ready to fall. Jade turns and-
Sanchez: "Jade Dragon Kick! Hoskuld is flat in the middle of the ring! Jade goes for the cover!"
Kemp: "This is probably it."
One...Two...Thre-NO! Hoskuld kicks out!
Jade gets up to her knees, looking down at Hoskuld in amazement. How did he kick out?
Jade applies a Triangle choke, keeping pressure on to try to choke Hoskuld out. Hoskuld quickly breaks out of the hold and smiles at Jade as they both stand.
Lokison: "I've learned how to breath through my ears. Wanna know why?"
Jade's answer is to hit a Shining Wizard to bring Hoskuld down before applying a-
Sanchez: "Jade Dragon Vice!"
Kemp: "Does this Jade know the Shootfighter? You know the guy who named all of his moves Shoot this and Shoot that?"
Sanchez: "Good lord, I surely hope not."
When Hoskuld doesn't submit, Jade releases the hold. She studies Hoskuld as he slowly stands back up.
Jade: "You can take a lot of punishment."
When she sees the gleam in his eyes, Jade sighs.
Jade: "I know. I know. Your ability to take punishment is Excessive."
Jade steps in, hitting a countless number of Wing Chun style punches before finishing with another palm strike to the chest that brings Hoskuld down again. Jade goes for the cover once again.
Sanchez: "The Thousand Fists followed by a Jade Palm Strike! This could be it!"
One...Two...Three!
NO! Aina Burkhalter stands up to show that Hoskuld got a shoulder up and that it was only a two count!
Kemp: "What the *beep*? How does he keep doing that?"
Jade gets up to her knees, shaking her head as she looks down at Hoskuld. She attempts to go for the pinfall again, hooking a leg.
One...Two...Thre-Hoskuld gets a shoulder up again!
Jade rolls away to her feet, pacing around Hoskuld as he slowly gets to his feet.
Sanchez: "Hoskuld seems like a man who is hard to keep down."
Jade picks Hoskuld up, hefting him up into a Michinoku Driver position. As she drops, Hoskuld manages somehow to flip them over, and drive home a piledriver! Hoskuld is quickly to his feet, pulling Jade up by the hair before slamming her back down to slam the back of her head into the mat with a resounding boom.
Kemp: "I bet even those in the nosebleed section felt that one!"
Sanchez: "How does he still have strength to pull ff a move like that?"
Hoskuld waits for Jade to slowly get up before getting into a kung fu fighting stance and screaming like a banshee. He starts kicking in the air in rapid fire style, but not hitting anything. Aina dives to the mat to dodge being struck. Jade just chuckles at Hoskuld's drunken antics before getting struck in the chest with a kick that sends her into the corner hard enough to shift the entire ring by three feet.
Sanchez: "I think that's what he calls Drunken Karate Kick despite it being a Kung Fu technique."
Kemp: "The man is such an idiot."
Hoskuld drags Jade to the center of the ring, applying a Boston Crab. He promptly falls asleep though while in the move.
Sanchez: "Hoskuld calls this the Lumberjack Crab since he normally saws logs while applying it. I guess it's a boring move for him?"
Kemp: "He's just tired. Leave the man alone."
Jade tries to break the hold, but with her position and Hoskuld's Asgardian dead weight bearing down on her, it's difficult to do. So, ever so slowly, she begins dragging herself on her belly to the ropes so she can grab hold of them. The ref wakes Hoskuld up so he can break the hold.
Kemp: "See? He woke right back up once it was time to break the hold."
Sanchez: "It's still just weird that he fell asleep right when he applied the hold."
As both Jade and Hoskuld stand up, Jade shakes her head, leveling Hoskuld with a buzzsaw kick. She quickly climbs to the top rope, hitting an Asai moonsault before going for the pinfall again.
One..Two...Thre-Hoskuld kicks out!
Kemp: "How does he keep kicking out?"
Sanchez: "No idea."
Jade grits her teeth, but continues on and applies-
Sanchez: "The Dragon's Claw! This could be it right here!"
Kemp: "Jade is getting frustrated. She forgot where she is in the ring."
Indeed this is true as Hoskuld gets a foot on the ropes so that the ref has to break the hold. Jade gets back up, shaking her head while pacing around Hoskuld as he slowly gets up with a smile.
Jade: "How?"
Lokison: "What I do, I do for Celes. I also do this so you will be at your very best when you face Tehuai Anxiu. If you are not challenged, then how will you face your greatest enemy?"
Kemp: "What the heck is he talking about? Why would Jade fight the Director of Warhammer Asia?"
Sanchez: "I hate to say this again, but I have no idea what's going on here."
Jade slowly nods with a smile as understanding hits. She lets out a loud kiai before hitting a palm strike to tHoskuld's chest that sends him into the corner hard enough to knock the ring three feet back into its original position. Hoskuld slams onto his face hard from the strike.
Jade: "The secret death blow of the Celestial Dragon should keep you down."
Jade rolls Hoskuld over and goes for the cover, confident of her victory.
One...Two...Three!
NO! The ref stands up, revealing that Hoskuld's foot is under the ropes! Jade sits up and looks down at Hoskuld in shock when he smiles back up at her. Jade hits another palm strike to the chest, and another, and another, and another, and another. Hoskuld coughs up blood with the final strike, coating Jade's face and chest with a spray of blood droplets.
Jade: "You! Will! Be! Defeated!"
Jade kicks Hoskuld's foot from the ropes and goes for the cover again.
One...Two...Thre-Hoskuld kicks out!
Jade kneels up, a ripple crossing her body, revealing scales as it passes. Her expression is one of anger, but it quickly passes like the ripple. She pulls Hoskuld up to his feet, but Hoskuld grabs her for a belly to belly overhead suplex, turning and sending both of them over the top rope to the floor where both of them land on their heads. Both of them lay on the concrete floor as if dead.
Kemp: "I don't know if that was the brightest of moves for Hoskuld to do."
Sanchez: "I have to agree on that as neither of them look like they are getting up anytime soon."
The ref begins to count them both out. Celes vanishes from her spot and appears by both Jade and Hoskuld.
Celes: "Daddy! Jade! Get up! No one can win this match if you both just lay here!"
As the ref continues to count both wrestlers out, Celes holds a hand over the hand of the heads of both fallen warriors with a yellow spark passing into the each of them. Jade and Hoskuld both quickly sit up.
Lokison: "Thank you, dear."
Jade looks at Celes in wonder.
Jade: "Thank you, little one."
Celes: "Get in the ring you nuts!"
Both Jade and Hoskuld roll into the ring before the ten count and stand up in the center of the ring.
Jade: "I have underestimated you, Lokison."
Lokison: "I knew exactly what I was getting into."
Jade: "So it seems. Let's finish this."
Jade goes for the Jade Dragon Kick, but Hoskuld catches her by the ankle. He lifts her into the air, swinging her around and around by the leg before driving her down onto the mat and going for the cover.
One...Two...Three!
Hoskuld stands up in shock as he looks around at the cheering fans. Instantly, Celes is on him, hugging him tight around the neck.
Kemp: "How in the heck did he? This is just..."
Sanchez: "Hoskuld is a changed man."
Jade slowly gets to her feet as Celes drops down. She bows with a deeper respect to Hoskuld Lokison. He returns the gesture, but then launches into a hug that shocks Jade. Celes vanishes and reappears by the two, hugging them both around the neck.
Lokison: "Win your fight, Jade. I think you're more than ready."
Celes: "You can do it!"
Once Jade can disentangle herself from Hoskuld and Celes, she smiles.
Jade: "This is destiny and Anxiu knows it more than anyone else, but thank you for your support."
Sanchez: "A happy ending! I'm surprised to see it happen. I'm still more surprised that Hoskuld kept a focus to be able to get the win after taking so much punishment from Jade. She would have killed a normal person."
Kemp: "Nothing about Hoskuld screams normal."
Sanchez: "Well? Amen!"
Kemp: "Do the Norse say Amen in their prayers?"
Sanchez: "Shut up."
Kemp: "What? I was just wondering!"
Boris vs Nathan
MaLisha Wilson stands in the middle of the ring.
Wilson: "The match between Boris Drago and Father Nathan O'Connell has been cancelled. This is due to the fact that Father Nathan is away on a mission for the ASA out in the Pacific Ocean. This match will not be rescheduled. Thank you."
Kemp: "That's some crap. I was looking forward to Boris smashing Father Nathan like he did Dixie."
Sanchez: "It isn't going to happen. Get over it."
World Championship
Wilson: "This next match is the main event of the evening and is for one fall! It is for the ASA World Heavyweight Championship! Featuring first the challenger, hailing from...Addis Adaba, Ethiopia...Khloe Kapla!"
“Steampunk Revolution” By Abney Park begins as Khloe steps from the backstage area and into the light. She looks at her fans with a smile before heading down to the ring with Declan and Keira at her side.
Kemp: "I don't think she really deserves this title shot after moonlighting in the IWA. Traitor!"
Sanchez: "Her efforts won her some research into returning home. Where it you in this position, you would have done the same thing."
Kemp: "Probably. Fine! She did turn in the Ascension title. I suppose she can have the shot."
Wilson: "And her opponent, hailing from Moscow, Russia...she is the ASA World Heavyweight Champion...Dasha!"
"Sgori" by Stvore begins and the Russian flag appears on the tron as images of Russian soldiers marching in parade formation and some image of the Russian Army in combat. Boos resound as Dasha walks out, pausing to salute the Russian flag and looks at the crowds before turning back and making sure Boris is there, walking to the ring with him, every so often berating Boris about something or other before they climb into the ring and Dasha carefully removes her Spetsnaz beret, handing it to Boris and ordering him to leave the ring as she prepares for the coming fight. She hands the ASA Wrld championship belt to the ref before glaring at Khloe Kapla.
Dasha: "Get a good look at that championship belt! You won't be wearing it any time soon."
Sanchez: "A little bit of arrogance on Dasha's part?"
Kemp: "And why not? It's well deserved."
As the bell rings to start the match, Dasha walks over to Khloe Kapla and extends a hand. When Khloe moves to shake her hand, Dasha pokes her in both eyes. She follows with a European uppercut and then following with a snap suplex that brings Khloe down to the mat.
Dasha pulls Khloe up a little, just so she can bring Khloe down with a bulldog. She stands up long enough to drop a knee to the small of Khloe's back, but hits only the mat when Khloe rolls out of the way.
Khloe and Dasha both stand up so that Khloe can grab Dasha for a Cobra Clutch.
Sanchez: "Khloe isn't going to give this match up without a fight!"
Kemp: "She can fight all she wants."
Dasha grabs the ropes, promting the ref to break up the hold. Dasha turns right away, catching Khloe in the side of the head with a spinning backfist. She follows this with a knuckle punch to the throat that drops Khloe to the mat while gasping for air. The ref warns Dasha, but she shrugs it off before kicking Khloe in the ribcage.
Dasha climbs to the top rope and waits for Khloe to stand up before leaping from the turnbuckles and hitting a spear.
Kemp: "See? It's the World title. Dasha is pouring on the domination."
Sanchez: "Boris poured on the domination too before she defeated him."
Dasha pulls Khloe up to her knees before backhanding her with a laugh, speaking in Russian. She backhands her again, drawing blood.
Dasha: "You thought you could defeat me and then try to return home, eh? It's not happening."
Dasha backhands Khloe again, but this time Khloe catches the hand and pulls Dasha down into a small package.
One...Two...Thre-Dasha kicks out.
Dasha stands up with a fury, grabbing Khloe and back suplexing her over the top rope to land on top of her on the concrete floor! She picks Khloe up to whip her into the railing, but Khloe reverses it and sends Dasha head first into the ring steps. The stop of the steps goes flying as Dasha impacts into the side.
Kemp: "Jeeze! That was a heck of an impact!"
Sanchez: "Khloe just won't give up!"
Dasha stands up, wiping blood from her eyes with a snarl. Khloe leaps at her, catching her around the throat with her arm, driving the back of her head into the top step while dragging her back across the edge of the bottom step. Khloe rolls to her feet, pulling Dasha up with her into a throw that sends Dasha face first into the corner post. Khloe rolls back into the ring while Boris attends to Dasha. He helps her up, but his hands are knocked away by an angry bloody Dasha. She rolls back into the ring where she is met by Khloe, who pulls her to her feet and drops her with a belly to belly overhead suplex that wraps into a power slam for the pinfall.
One...Two...Three! NO! Dasha gets her foot up on the rope!
Sanchez: "Dasha kept that title by pure luck that time."
Kemp: "That luck will be wearing out soon."
Dasha and Khloe both stand, but Dasha smiles through the mask of blood. She raises a single hand over her head.
Dasha: "Time to end this match, bitch."
Kapla: "And raising your hand does what?"
Two shots ring out over the cheering crowd and both Keira and Declan drop to the floor. Khloe looks on in shock, but Dasha moves. Hitting home an Iron Fist! Khloe drops to the mat and Dasha goes for the cover.
One...Two...Three!
Sanchez: "Dasha had Khloe's friends shot to distract her to win the match! That's low, even for her!"
Kemp: "All's fair in wrestling and titles!"
Wilson: "Winner of the match and STILL ASA World Heavyweight Champion...Dasha!"
Sacnhez: "It was still a cowardly stunt!"
Kemp: "What? She didn't have Khloe shot!"
Sanchez: "Still..."
"The Imperial March" by Metallica begins as Allen Anderson walks out onto the entrance stage.
Anderson: "At this time, everyone going into Russia should meet outside at the South parking lot. There are a number of Scramjets ready to take you to your detinations. Good hunting and be careful!"
The Mind Leech
Tallinn, Estonia...
Galina Mikhailov stalks through the city, avoiding pockets of fighting between the Russian Imperials and The Resistance, Americans, and Warhammer.
She seeks the leaders of those who chose to stand against the Great Tsar. She had been hunting her former comrades in the Spetnaz, but with open war spilling across Mother Russia...her talents are required elsewhere.
She was a Spetnaz and a weapon. She had another name whispered by those who had seen her in action.
Mind Leech.
She used her abilities in a brutal way, ripping the deepest and most guarded secrets from her targets and ingesting them into herself. She had drained many targets of so much of their lives into herself that they were left as drooling vegetables before their critical systems shut down from a lack of signals from the brain.
This method of interrogation had some really unpleasant side effects on her. She would often have to spend days in meditation as the personality of the victim blended with hers, or even tried to submerge her own. She even went through periods of split personalities.
In the end, Galina would win out, but sometimes scars would be left upon her own psyche. Personality quirks, habits, a change in favorite food, and more had been layered upon herself over the years.
She smiles as she sees her prey. General John Wilson of the Americans has been working with local Resistance leaders to coordinate the fighting in Estonia. He works to not only defeat Imperial Russians, but drive them out of the coastal nations.
Tonight will be the last night he spends in his own body.
She watches as the General enters into a small shop that has served as a command center. Only him and a couple of guards and delegates from Estonia are in the building with two guards standing at the entrance. The rest are off fighting Russian Imperials.
She tears at her clothing and stashes her weapons. She uses a combat knife to make a shallow cut along her collar bone that bleeds freely across her clothing before stashing it. She staggers out of the shadows, crying and acting as though she had been running a long time.
Mikhailov: "Help me! Help me! We were ambushed by Imperials! I'm the only one that escaped!"
The two guards lower their weapons, rushing to her side and catching her as she falls. She accepts their help to stand, touching their bare skin as she does so with a smile.
Mikhailov: "You two do not know the Mind Leech. Do you?"
The guards try to cry out, but she seizes control of their minds with iron will. They release her and falls to the ground while clutching at their heads. Blood seeping out of their ears, eyes, nose, and mouths as Galina uses her abilities to crush their minds into jelly with the brain being scambled physically by the assault.
Once they are dead, she calmly walks through the door to the shop after collecting her weapons once again.
Seven men look her direction with blank expressions as none of them recognize her. John Wilson is the first to speak.
Wilson: "I'm sorry, miss. Do you need help?"
Mikhailov: "No. I have things under control. Thanks."
Galina draws two revolvers, quickly dispatching everyone except for the General. He reaches for a weapon laying on a table, but Galina shoots it away.
Mikhailov: "Reach for another weapon and we won't be able to have our chat."
General Wilson raises his hands over his head.
Wilson: "I would not want to miss out on our chat, Miss Mikhailov."
Galina walks around the table, putting away one gun while keeping the other trained on him.
Mikhailov: "How do you know my name?"
Wilson: "We have profiles on the Spetnaz. We also know who is left amongst the Resistance, and who never joined. You'll know more in a moment. Won't you?"
Mikhailov: "Yes."
Galina presses her hand to the side of General John Wilson's face, finding iit increasinly annoying that he smiles. At least until she gets the very first surface thought thrown at her.
"You are why I lost my left eye."
Before she can dig deeper to discover the meaning of this, the General's left eye explodes. A dart, more of a sliver of metal, catches Galina just above her right eye. It sinks into her brains.
Galina backs away from General Wilson, dropping her weapon and clutching at her skull as static overcomes her every thought.
Wilson: "White noise generator for people with your talents. She's all yours, boys."
Elliot Lytle, Will York, Devin Ross, and Terence Jennings walk out of a side room. They each hold weapons. A spiked club, a tire iron, a sledgehammer, and a chainsaw.
Lytle: "When the Warhawks agree to take a target down. We take that target down hard!"
Jennings: "That Dasha chick said the jammer thing may not hold her long. Shall we do this?"
Lytle: "Warhawks, attack!"
General John Wilson watches with his one good eye, not noticing the blood dripping from his vacant eye socket as he watches the Mind Leech being torn apart. He picks up a cell phone.
Wilson: "Western coast should be finished in two days."
The Sun Also Rises
Karagandy, Kazakhstan
Fighting against Vampr, or Vampires as they are known in the West, is never easy. Fighting an army of them in the night is suicide at best. Frietag, Captain Trevor Maathai, and Allen Anderson are inside a circle of Shocktroopers as they fight off Vampr flying at them from all directions in the city of Karagandy. They chose to come to this city to fight one of the Zduhac leaders while Resistance and American soldiers fought elsewhere.
They had phos rounds,flash grenades, and so on. It seems like a good idea at the time.
Why do some good ideas sound alright at first, but then go horribly wrong?
Maathai: "With Walker missing, did you perchance lay out a Will to name who would run the company in case we don't make it out of here alive?"
Anderson: "That would have been a really good idea! I did not do this, no."
Frietag grabs a vampr before it latches onto Anderson, pulling it down to the ground before ripping its head free of its body.
Frietag: "Then you had better stay alive then."
Anderson: "Sounds like a grand idea, Frietag!"
The fighting quickly stops as a woman lands in front of the group. The gathered hundreds of Vampr stand to the outside of the dwindled group of Shocktroopers (down to about twenty from six hundred).
Maathai: "Hold your fire!"
The Shocktroopers keep their weapons trained on the Vamprs around them as the woman stands in front of the group in a clingy black dress.
"Stand your ground. I would speak with these Americans."
"I am Elizaveta Kravchenko, one of the Commanders of the Zduhac and a Vampr. Did you think to come here where I base my near limitless number of children and expect to just win the day like some American Cowboy?"
Anderson: "Well, Miss Kravchenko. I thought it would be a lot like that. Is this all your children in the city? We really wanted more of a fair fight."
Kravchenko: "A fair fight? Might I remind you that you have been dying by the drove while I have only committed half of my force to this fight?"
Frietag: "Anderson, are you insane? Why are you goading her?"
Kravchenko: "You should listen to your comrade, Anderson."
Anderson shakes his head with a laugh.
Anderson: "The men I have left with me here could clear this entire area out within seconds. I would feel bad for your chances if I didn't tell you to bring out everyone."
Elizaveta raises an eyebrow, but then she smiles before letting out a piercing cry. There is quickly over a thousand vampr in the street, all waiting for the order to pounce with hunger in their eyes.
Kravchenko: "When I give the order to attack, kill everyone but Anderson. He will sign his rights to the ASA over to me before we let him perish."
Anderson: "Ambitious are we? Let me tell you a story before I die. Do you enjoy a good story?"
Kravchenko: "I love a good story. Do tell it before I have you killed."
Anderson nods while Fritag and Captain Maathai look at Anderson like he's lost his mind.
Anderson: "Once upon a time I served a little stint in Twilight. The secret Warhammer top research facility. I saved one of the Seven Shadows from being mutilated by putting a bullet into the head of one of his genetic creations through the test of a retrovirus gas weapon. Since then, she has owed me a favor. I called in that favor and she had met me when I arrived in North Korea with this little device."
Anderson holds up a sphere that looks no larger than a grenade.
Anderson: "Within this device is a thing of wonders. A creation of creation! A creation that brings out a few seconds of the very energy that helps life flourish on this great planet of ours. This is also the reason I wanted to get your entire force gathered here at once."
Kravchenko: "You have obviously taken leave of your senses if you think one grenade will defeat us all."
Anderson: "I didn't say grenade. You were not listening. The power I speak of is the Sun!"
Kravchenko: "What?"
Anderson hits a button and throws the device high into the air. It begins glowing, growing to three feet in diameter and shining like the noonday sun. Vampr all around them begin burning and blowing away into ashes. Elizavata Kravchenko is the last standing, screaming in pain as her flesh burns away slower than the others. She is still quickly reduced to bones that become charbroiled before scattering into ashes. The shining sun dwindles before exploding with a small pop.
Anderson, Frietag, and Captain Maathai uncover their eyes. They wince as exposed flesh is seared with nasty sunburns.
Frietag: "Maybe you could have mentioned sunblock before we left the arena?"
Anderson: "I hadn't thought of that either. Oops?"
Maathai: "Oops? We nearly all died, were burnt to a crisp, and you can only say oops?"
Anderson: "Yeah. We are still alive, right? We won, right?"
Captain Maathai considers it for a moment before laughing and slapping Anderson on the shoulder. Anderson cries out in pain.
Maathai: "Good job then!"
Frietag also chuckles, slapping Anderson on the other shoulder.
Anderson: "Ouch! Quit it! Let's get back to the ScramJet and go get some ointment."
Maathai: "Oh I didn't think that a sunburn might hurt. Frietag, you consider this?"
Frietag: "Nope."
On the way back to the ScramJet, both Captain Maathai and Frietag take turns pounding on Anderson's sunburns to his weak protests.
The Horde of One
Volograd, Russia
Thor and Lady Sif stand on top of a building looking over the city. The fighting has not come to Volograd, but the Zduhac were still in full force here. They walked the streets to keep people in line...in fear...of what might happen if they stepped out of line.
Thor: "It's strange that these Zduhac all look the same. Could they be kin?"
Sif: "I think they are relations. We are looking for Levin Zhulin."
Thor: "Yes, but they all look like him."
Sif: "You know what that means then, yes?"
Thor: "We kill all of them?"
Sif: "Of course."
Thor and Lady Sif leap down from the building by the nearest group of six Zduhac, with sword and hammer, they put the six down in seconds. The last one hitting an alarm switch on a cell phone before he dies. A man runs down the road to them with a different kind of suit on. He is Zduhac, but he is uniformed like a leader.
Thor: "Levin Zhulin! We have come to kill you! Make your peace with whatever Gods you worship!"
Zhulin: "We will."
Sif: "We?"
Levin brings his fist into his other palm sharply, then there is three of them. Though, their uniforms differ in that they do not have the leadership uniform, theirs are common. Then there is nine. Then twenty-four of them. Then sixty-four. Then one hundred and ninety-two. They speak in a union, an unholy chorus.
Zhulin: "Now you understand the danger that you have placed yourselves into."
The clones attack as one, but Thor and Lady Sif throw themselves into the fight. Each swing of the sword and hammer slays between one and four of the creatures. As the pair of Asgardians cleave a blood swath through the clones, they find more and more are being sent against them until they are drowned out in a mound of bodies that work knives and guns to try to end their lives.
Zhulin: "And so ends the lives of Lady Sif and Thor. Pathetic..."
High above the city, the clouds begin to swirl and darken over where Sif and Thor are buried. Lightning passes between the swirls of clouds as they thicken and darken to block out even the moonlight. A single thick bolt of lightning strikes the mound of bodies, sending their smoking ruins everywhere. Thor stands with his hammer overhead and Lady Sif at his side.
Thor: "BEGONE, FOUL BEASTS! LET NONE QUESTION THE MIGHT OF THE THUNDER GOD!"
Thor and Lady Sif re-enter the battle, slaying more of the clones with each swipe of their weapons. Lightning strikes from the sky in ever increasing number, slaying the clones by the dozen. Thor and Lady Sif work their way through the masses of clones towards the leader of them all. Levin Zhulin.
Sweat begins to mingle with the sudden downpour of cold rain as the two slowly make their way to him.
Zhulin: "This cannot be! I am many! I am one! I am Horde!"
Even more clones spill out from the spaces around Levin, though it looks like doing this has started to take its toll on him. He starts looking gaunt, his features looking more like thin parchment stretched over rock. The clones start taking on the same appearance, dying even faster than they did before.
Lady Sif and Thor continue to battle slaying all of the clones being sent to them until the clones start dying as soon as they appear. Once no more clones appear, Levin Zhulin drops down to his knees. He looks as if he was a living corpse. His breathing comes in shallow dips.
Zhulin: "It's impossible. No man or woman could ever..."
Levin looks behind Thor and Lady Sif to see the thousands of mounded dead behind them. He nods, coughing into his head and moaning at the blood coating it.
Thor: "I am the Son of Odin. No other ending was possible here."
Levin nods, holding his chest with a sudden pain before falling dead to the ground.
Thor: "He has overextended himself and has paid for his futile efforts."
The Needle in the Egg
in the Duck in the Hare
in the Chest
under the Green Oak
on Buyan Island
Irkutsk, Russia
It's a losing battle. Captain Gunner Cole knows it, his men know it, and their enemy knows it.
Captain Gunner Cole of Warhammer North America led his Shocktroopers on a dangerous mission while others fought against "softer targets" elsewhere. He had volunteered to help bring down Koschei the Deathless where nearly a dozen other attempts had failed.
They had defeated his troops. No Imperials would follow Koschei any longer once his true form had been unveiled. The Zduhac were difficult to defeat, but they were brought down until only Koschei himself remained. Out of nearly two hundred Shocktroopers that went with Captain Cole on this mission, fewer than forty remained alive. They poured tons of gunfire into him with no effect. They tried melee combat, but he slaughtered Shocktroopers like he was harvesting wheat.
Now they kept him at bay with assault weapons. They used their automatic weapon fire like a wall. It would not harm him, but the gunfire used in the proper way did keep him from getting close. So, they surrounded him and kept him in the center of the circle. They had ammo aplenty with a few Shocktroopers helping to change out guns from those of the fallen, but it was still a finite supply. Once they ran out of ammo, they would all be dead.
Captain Gunner Cole presses a button on his helm to access his bluetooth to his communication system, making a cellular phone call.
Cole: "Miss Clement! We are holding him, but we can't do it for more than thirty minutes before he kills the rest of us. How are you doing with your end?"
The Island of Byan in the Pacific Ocean
Dixie Clement ducks under a giant iron sword being swung at her. She rolls quickly to the side as the same sword is brought down to be buried in the ground.
Clement: "We found the green oak! It was rather obvious with two Iron Golem Guardians by it. The golems are a bit tricky though."
Father Nathan leaps back out of the range of the other iron golem, summoning his cross to his hands. He takes aim and opens fire, the sanctified rounds ripping open the chest of the golem to spray molten metal out. It falls backward to the ground, the red hot metal spilling out and cooling.
The other golem drops its sword, picking up Dixie Clement to hold in front of her as Father Nathan turns his aim towards it. Nathan throws his weapon to the side, inviting the golem to box.
The iron golem throws Dixie to the side and rushes at Father Nathan. His fists start to glow white, he launches himself into the air, and catches the iron golem in the chest with a heart punch that sends ripples through the body of the iron golem. Molten metal bursts out from the back of the golem in a geyser before it falls backwards to the ground.
Dixie Clement jumps to her feet, grabbing a shovel and digging at the base of the green oak tree. She quickly comes up with an iron chest. Once it's opened, a hare jumps out and begins rushing away.
Father Nathan dives into the hare, grabbing it and breaking its neck. A duck bursts from the side of it and begins to fly away.
Dixie draws her sidearm, taking careful aim as the duck heads for the sky. She takes a single shot, exploding the duck's head. It falls to the ground and Dixie rips it open with a knife. She holds up an egg.
Clement: "Captain Cole! We have the egg! We're going to break it and the needle inside!"
Dixie Clement sets the egg down upon a flat stone and looks up at Father Nathan, whose fists are still glowing. He swings down at the egg.
Irkutsk, Russia
Captain Gunner Cole keeps firing at Koschei the Deathless, even as he fights off the press of the bullets against him and begins killing the remaining Shocktroopers. He has a dozen left and it does his heart proud that they have not broken and fled at the hopelessness of the situation.
All at once it seems that they all run out of ammo. Right when Dixie Clement declares that they have the egg.
Cole: "Run! I'll hold him off!"
The remaining Shocktoopers scatter as Captain Cole draws his side arm. Once he hears that the egg and needle have been broken, he sees Koschei stagger as if wounded. He takes aim and begins firing into the monster's chest.
The bullets not only harm Koschei, but they pass through him, spraying blood out of his back. Captain Cole empties his magazine, watching Koschei the Deathless fall dead to the ground.
Cole: "You did it! God be praised, you did it! Koschei is no longer Deathless! He lies dead at our feet!"
Never Cry Wolf Again
Kazan, Russia
Kronin, Lenneth, and Lilly walk through the ruins of Kazan. A fierce battle had taken place here that the Resistance, Aemrican, and Warhammer alliance had lost. Burnt out building, vehicles, and bodies of both sides of the battle litter the region. The sounds of wolves howling echo off in the distance.
Kronin: "Don't think that us fighting side by side excuses you from what you did in London, Lilly. We will be having a long talk soon."
Lilly: "Of course, Kronin. Let's just get this done and I can tell you wht you need to know."
Four Vucari bound from a nearby home in their hybrid forms. They see the three and snarl before going on the attack.
Lenneth cleave one in half with a swipe from her spear, Lilly burns one to crisp with a gout of flame, and Kronin sends a stream of lightning that sends thr remaining two flying before they hit the ground. They howl in pain before dying and shifting back into human form.
Lilly: "There might be only a few Vucari left. It feels like most of them had been taken down by the brave warriors who came before us."
As though her words were prophesy, a dozen Vucai come out of the nearby buildings with a thirteenth Vucari who is larger than the others.
"Two Asgardians and a Witch. This isn't your fight. This is a Russian matter. Go home."
Lenneth shakes her head.
Lenneth: "Ulvi Saveliev. Humanity is our fight. Where you bring your evil, we will be there to stop it. Surrender and we won't have to kill you all."
Uliv throws his head back and laughs, a barking sound.
Saveliev: "And how do you think that you can win? Even Asgardians have their limits."
Kronin: "We can talk all day or we can get right into the fighting."
Uliv Saveliev howls and sends his Vucari to attack before joining the fighting himself.
It isn't long before Uliv realizes that he's outmatched far more than he would have ever realized.
As the last Vucari falls smoking to the ground, Uliv Saveliev drops to his knees with his throat exposed.
Saveliev: "I was wrong. So very wrong to think I could defeat the three of you. Please, spare my poor life and I will help you out in all my days."
Kronin: "Why do you think we would fall for that?"
Lenneth: "I think he means it."
Kronin nods, walking over to hold out his hand with a smile.
Kronin: "Then we accept your surrender."
Uliv nods, reaching up with one hand. He starts to leap with his other hand out, claws extended. He is struck by a stream of molten silver that sends him backwards ten feet. He screams and howls as the molten silver melts him away and burns him to the very core of his being. Kronin spins around to see Lilly.
Kronin: "Why did you do that? He surrendered to us!"
Lilly: "He was posing so he could rip your throat out! Can you not have seen that?"
Kronin shakes his head.
Kronin: "He posed no threat to me. All I hear are excuses built around secrets. And I am through with secrets..."
Lilly opens her mouth to speak, but no sounds come out. Instead, she fades away.
Kronin looks at where she was, saddened by the events that had transpired between them. The damage done by Sikarin runs so deep.
Kronin: "Lilly..."
Gods and Monsters
Kyiv, Ukraine
Aleksei Botvinov stands over a piles of corpses with a satified smile. Blood splatter coats his Imperial uniform.
The broken bodies of Resistance soldiers, Americans, and Shocktoopers little the ground. They are twisted at odd angles, burned, or torn apart.
There are no Imperials in the area beside himself, and why would there be? None are needed beyond Aleksei.
"You do good work, but time for me play."
Aleksei looks to see Tarrasque and Mr. Clowny walking past the carnage to him. Aleksei laughs.
Botvinov: "You are very funny man. None can equal the Hammer."
Tarrasque just shrugs with a smile.
Tarrasque: "Me never equal you. Me better than you!"
Aleksei moves, leaving behind a sonic boom. He strikes Tarrasque across the jaw with a right hook that knocks him back through the air by a hundred feet and into a building that collapses on top of him. Aleksei looks at Mr.Clowny with a smirk.
Botvinov: "You think you can surpass me too, Clown?"
Mr. Clowny looks where Tarrasque is buried under a ton of rubble and shakes his head.
Clowny: "(honk) that! I'm here to present you with a well made vodka cake!"
A cake materializes in Mr. Clowny's hand and he presents it to Aleksei.
Botvinov: "Where did that honk come from?"
Clowny: "Long story. Is good?"
Aleksei takes a bite of the cake and spits it out in disgust.
Botvinov: "This isn't vodka! It's rum! I'll kill you!"
Aleksei swings at Mr. Clowny, who ducks and hits Aleksei with a creme pie.
Clowny: "Hoo hoo, bitch! Taste the cake power!"
Mr. Clowny begins throwing cupcakes at Aleksei until his face and chest are covered by crumbled cake and icing. Aleksei wipes pastry from his eyes and growls.
Botvinov: "You seek to make fool of me?"
Clowny: "Are you (honk)ing kidding me? I would never make a fool of you! I only reveal what's inside already! Hoo hoo!"
Mr. Clowny squeezes his own nose, making streamers fly out of his ears and then back in.
Botvinov: "Tell me where that honk come from!"
Mr. Clowny shakes his head with a laugh.
Clowny: "I have it right here in my hand! Wanna see?"
Aleksei frowns. He wants to kill the clown, but where did that honk come from?
Mr. Clowny closes his right hand and presents it to Aleksei.
Clowny: "Just look in here!"
Aleksei peers into the hand that Mr. Clowny turns to lay a hand buzzer to the of his face. Aleksei jerks a little and backs away.
Botvinov: "That hurt! How did little joy buzzer hurt me?"
A set of wires can be seen attached to the joy buzzer and Clowny moves a car battery behind his legs in a rather obvious way.
Clowny: "No reason. Why you ask?"
Aleksei growls, his eyes glowing red with the cake and icing burning away from his face.
Botvinov: "You will die!"
Mr. Clowny starts running, but is pulled back once he reaches the limit of the connection of the cable to the battery. Red beams stream from Aleksei's eyes to slam into the car battery to make it explode.
Aleksei walks over to stand over Mr. Clowny's fallen form, his eyes still glowing hot with power.
Botvinov: "Now you will die like your friend."
Clowny: "He didn't die."
Botvinov: "Don't be stupid. You saw your friend die."
A chunk of concrete about a half a ton in weight catches Aleksei in the chest, knocking backwards nearly a hundred feet into the side of a truck.
Tarrasque walks over, dusting himself off, to stand by Mr. Clowny.
Tarrasque: "Clown ok?"
Clowny: "You got any whiskey?"
Tarrasque: "Umm no?"
Clowny: "Then I'm pretty well (honk)ed."
Tarrasque: "You are honking?"
Clowny: "You know it, baby!"
Aleksei tosses the concrete to the side, glaring at Tarrasque.
Batinov: "I don't know how you are not dead, but I will fix it."
Tarrasque: "Me not broke."
Batinov: "Shut up!"
Red beams streak from Aleksei's eyes to strike Tarrasque in the chest. The flesh begins to glow hot, but does not burn away.
Batinov: "How?"
Tarrasque hits an uppercut that draws blood, sending teeth flying from Aleksei's mouth. He holds his mouth in shock.
Batinov: "I am the Hammer! I am the strongest on the planet!"
Tarrasque shakes his head, grabbing Aleksei by the wrists to drive him to his knees. As Aleksei looks Tarrasque in the eyes, he knows fear like he has not known in years.
Tarrasque: "Me am strong!"
Tarrasque let's out a gout of flame that cover the entire body of Aleksei, melting him until all is left is the arms that Tarrasque is holding. He drops them to the ground with a laugh.
Tarrasque: "Anvil breaks Hammer."
Mr. Clowny walks up, handing Tarrasque a large birthday cake.
Clowny: "You don't say, big guy. You don't say."
The Crone and the Mad Tsar
Moscow, Russia
Dasha, Boris Drago, Hoskuld Lokison, Loki, and Celes stand inside of a rebuilt church on the ground of a city that is rapidly being rebuilt to its former glory. They look around at the ornate Russian Orthodox Church decorations.
Dasha: "Troy, you didn't need to come here. You would only slow me down when I do what needs to be done here."
Lokison: "Hoskuld Lokison now, dear Dasha. And you know you need help. We can provide it."
Dasha: "Heh. Should have had Thor come with me instead of you."
A giant mirror behind the altar at the end of the building begins to darken. The stained glass windows that depict saints begin to change to suffering young maidens as the entire inside of the church begins to darken. The decor becoming horrific, revealing a sinister demonic edge.
Baba Yaga steps out of the mirror with a cackle.
Yaga: "Little Dasha, you've brought friends. Have you come to try to face your fears and face me at last. You know what would happen. You've always known what would happen to you if you decided to become so brave."
Dasha swallows hard, stepping back until she runs into the bulky form of Boris.
Drago: "Boris break her now?"
Dasha: "I am not afraid of you anymore, Baba Yaga. The time has come for your help to the Tsar is at an end!"
Baba Yaga walks around the altar, leaning heavily on her walking stick as she cackles. She stands before the gathered group with a wide grin.
Yaga: "Fear is all that I can smell here, Little Dasha. Fear comes from the very pores of all of you."
"Little Dasha, we have known each other all of your pretty little life. I know what they did to you and how you feared that you would become a monster. I have watched you and lusted after your company. We have talked on plenty of nights. In your dreams and in your mirrors. Your fear here is the greatest of all of those who are gathered here tonight."
"Boris Drago. You are big and you are stupid, but you fear as well. You are afraid that Dasha will drive you into doing something unspeakable and that you will never be able to wash the blood from your hands. You are already a weapon. It is what they have made you to be and this is what makes you clutch at your pillow at night more than anything. Knowing that you were built only to kill other human beings."
"Hoskuld Lokison. I see that you have little fear for your own life. It has ever been this way with you. Though now, you fear for another. You are afraid that little Celes might become harmed on this day. You were right to fear, but she will not come to much harm. I will keep her here with me and Little Dasha as my pets. I always have enjoyed the services of young maidens over the years. These two will be suitable."
"Loki Odinson. You have always been afraid, but have used your mischief to hide it. You are afraid that you will always be in the shadow of your brother, Thor. You are afraid that the Asgardians will never accept that you are a God instead of a mere giant. You are even afraid that your jealousy will overcome you one day and that you will be the one to bring about Ragnorak and bring everything down. Your fear is quite enjoyable."
"That leaves me with Little Celes. You are as brave as tey come, but you can't hide your fear from me. You fear for your Daddy's sake. You know the risks that he takes on a daily basis. You know what he does to his own body. You know that one day that Thor might kill him. You should fear not, child. On this day, your father will make the long journey to be with his sister, Hela."
Baba Yaga throws her head back and cackles as she sees the doubt and fear on the faces of her foes. Dasha grips her knife in a growing anger, as does Celes.
Dasha: "We will never-"
Celes: "-be afraid of you again!"
Dasha launches herself at Baba Yaga, cutting at her chest as Celes vanishes from her location, appearing behind Baba with a thin garrote wire stolen from Dasha. She wraps the wire around the old hag's throat ad Dasha slashes and stabs at her.
A shouted word sends both flying away from Baba Yaga. Boris catches Dasha while Celes vanishes to reappear at the side of Hoskuld.
Yaga: "You really think that you can harm me? I am eternal!"
Loki: "Then you are a fool. Look for yourself!"
Baba Yaga looks down to see bleeding wounds from the knife that Dasha had stabbed her with. She feels her neck to discover blood on her fingers.
Yaga: "How?"
Dasha: "We are not afraid, Crone. We are not afraid anymore! You can no longer haunt us!"
Boris presses Dasha to the side, rushing at Baba Yaga and bulldozing her down into the side of the altar. It shatters under their combined weight.
Baba Yaga stands up, holding Boris up by the throat. Her feet hover high up in the air in order to get Boris off of his feet.
Yaga: "Fear or not, I am of the Old Ways. The Old Ways still hold sway in the heart of the people and that grants me all that I need!"
Baba Yaga flings Boris like a rag doll across the room, knocking down several pews.
Hoskuld Lokison and Loki rush in with swords drawn, trying to slash at Baba Yaga as she comes down to the floor. She easily blocks attacks from the both of them, cackling like a maniac the whole time.
A strike to the jaw sends Loki down like a ton of bricks, but it gives Hoskuld the opening to thrust his sword through the right shoulder of the Crone.
She backs away quickly, pointing her stick at Hoskuld and shouting a word. Hoskuld goes flying backwards, running into the front wall of the building and landing in a heap.
Baba Yaga clutches at her shoulder in pain and anger.
Yaga: "I won't be defeated by the likes of you people! I cannot!"
Dasha and Celes ready for another attack when they notice the church decor changing again. It looks less and less like an evil church and more like the inside of a large ancient cabin.
Dasha: "What?"
Dasha and Celes are rejoined by Boris, Loki, and Hoskuld.
Yaga: "You fools thought that you had entered some little church. You have not!"
Everyone nearly falls except for Baba Yaga as the building shifts and rises high into the air?
Dasha looks through the windows to see how high they are rising into the air. The entire place shifts and a thunderous shockwave channels through everything.
Dasha: "It can't be!"
Yaga: "Oh, Little Dasha. You have been here in your dreams often enough to know the truth. You of all this little gathering know exactly where you are!"
Another thunderous boom shakes the building as it seems to be moving?
Dasha: "Your Chicken Hut? We're inside your home?"
Baba Yaga lashes out with her walking stick, taking Dasha in the side of the head and splitting open the flesh. She spins and catches Loki in the belly to double him over before kicking him in the face with a laugh.
Yaga: "None of you fools are my equal!"
Baba waves a hand at Boris, bringing him down to his knees. He grits his teeth in pain in order to not cry out.
Yaga: "None of you are worth-what?"
Hoskuld holds tight to Baba's arm. He looks into her eyes with a smile.
Lokison: "Now you know what you really want, Baba Yaga. You want what you have always wanted. It's why you have taken maidens all of these years. You wanted what they would always get. You want the man. You wanted the men that swooned after the maidens. I'm right here for you, Baba Yaga. Don"t let one more night slip by of sleeping alone. Let my daughter and my friends go and I will be yours forever."
Baba Yaga frowns at Hoskuld, but then smiles. She caresses his face with a wrinkled old hand.
Yaga: "I suppose this could just be pent up sexual frustration from an old Crone. Come here and let me kiss you."
Baba Yaga brings Hoskuld's face down near hers to go in for a kiss when her hand glides to the back of his head and pulls his hair to exposes his throat.
Yaga: "You are an idiot to think your Asgardian powers would work on me, child! Now die!"
Baba slashes her walking stick across Hoskuld's throat, ripping it open. He let's the fallen god drop to the floor, blood pouring out of his wound.
"DADDY!"
Celes vanishes, grabbing Hoskuld's sword, and vanishing again. She appears and dissapears around Baba Yaga, thrusting into her with the sword.
Celes: "You! Think! You! Can! Hurt! My! Daddy! And! Not! Pay! The! Price? You! Bitch!"
Baba Yaga reaches out, grabbing Celes by the throat. The old Crone coughs up blood from the many wounds inflicted by the young Asgardian Goddess.
Yaga: "You think you can slay me, child? I cannot be harmed! Look upon the damage you have wrought!"
As Celes watches in horror, the damage inflicted upon Baba Yaga heals.
Yaga: "You will all pay!"
Celes: "One...thing..."
Baba Yaga sets Celes down, looking at her curiously.
Yaga: "What? Will you beg me to spare your daddy's life?"
Celes: "No, I will heal him."
Yaga: "Then what?"
Celes: "I am the Asgardian Goddess of Secrets, and I know yours now. Dasha! The mirror!"
Baba Yaga spins around, fear entering her expression at last. Dasha rushes at the mirror with her dagger. She slams the blade home, shattering the mirror.
Yaga: "No! You cannot! No!"
With the sound of breaking glass, thousands of cracks for in the skin of Baba Yaga form until she shatters into millions of pieces. Celes smiles at Dasha.
Celes: "Teamwork!"
Dasha: "Da."
The building comes to a halt before falling back to the ground with a smash. Celes attends to her father, healing the grievious wounds.
The front door of the hut falls off of its hinges before another familiar man walks inside. He bears a Crown of Thorns upon his head, Regal attire, and a reptillian hand with thorned vines crawling over it.
Tsar Inois Miranov the First
Miranov: "Baba Yaga is dead. It is more of a relief to me that you know. Now has come the time to bow down to me, Dasha. The Spetnaz will listen to you. What I do, I do for all of Russia. Can't you see my great work for what it is?"
Dasha walks over to the front of the Tsar.
Dasha: "You're insane, Ionis! The man who was once my mentor has become mad with a hunger for power and the Crown of Thorns!"
Tsar Miranov sneers as blood drips down his face and from around his wrist.
Miranov: "I have become Russia! I feel her pain! I feel her triumphs! I know her sadness! Her victories! Her secrets! Everything is open to me like an open book! I do not want my people to suffer, but suffer they will until they understand the good I do for this country! Putin was fool enough to use the nuclear weapons against the Dark Warlock! He was amongst the first to die with the Stone Rain! I raised this nation out of despair! I raised this nation from being a mere territory of Carthage! I am a Patron Saint of Russia!"
Ionis plucks a thorn from his crown, transforming it into a sword.
Miranov: "You can bow down to me or you can all die here!"
There's a loud bang and the eyes of Ionis go wide as a smoking hole appears on his forehead. Dasha smiles with a gun in her hand.
Dasha: "You have always talked too much."
Tsar Ionis Miranov falls backward to the floor. The Crown of Thorns and hand of the Tsar crumble to dust while his body dehydrates imstantly.
Dasha, Boris, Hoskuld, Loki, and Celes gather around the body and look down upon him.
Dasha: "It's over. Finally over."
A laughter echoes around the building. Everyone looks around in confusion.
Dasha: "Ionis?"
"You have freed me, Dasha! Freed me from my binds!"
The body of Ionis Miranov splits open, thorned vines growing out of the body that form into a humanoid shape, dark fluid spilling out from the vines that fill the form until a large thorned vine covered reptillian humanoid stands tall, complete with thorned vines wrapped around his entire form while digging into the flesh.
The entire building begins to shake as more explosions rip up through the floor as more thorn vined lizard humanoids come into being that stand twelve feet tall. Nearly twenty beings stand tall with wicked weapons grow into place.
Miranov: "Russia has evolved, my friends! I no long require the Zduhac! I not longer require Imperial soldiers, I AM RUSSIA!"
Dasha: "It's time to go."
Drago: "We could fight!"
As the giant lizardmen surround the group, Celes grabs the hands of Hoskuld and Loki.
Celes: "Dasha! Boris! Come hold hands!"
Dasha: "Hold hands?"
Boris grabs Dasha's hand and then grabs Hoskuld's hand. They all vanish from sight.
Tsar Ionis Miranov shakes his head as he looks upon the empty area.
Miranov: "If Russia will not see the good that I do, then Russia will become like me!"