Post by Mongo the Destroyer on Oct 29, 2020 20:47:53 GMT -6
If you want to see if real prettylike go to this link drive.google.com/file/d/0B-8YUmKSXvLBTlRfdDd1YmpvNVE/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.
Onslaught #6: Titanfall
Far from remaining on the defensive, Britain and the IWA strike out against Carthage. A show in Rome, Italy is booked as plans are made to bring down the Titans to damage some of the leadership elements of Carthage. Though is it really sane to take on what could be the most powerful allies of Thamptis? The arena itself is built over the chasm that the Titans had ripped their way out of...what used to be Vatican City. Bridges lead into the arena over what could very well lead straight through the Underworld ruled by Hades and into Tartarus. The ancient prison of the Titans and other enemies of the former Olympian Gods that ruled on high from Olympus.
Opening
The lights in the arena go out to be replaced by a dull red glow that seems to pulsate in intensity like a heartbeat.
The camera view pans through the excited crowd as a heartbeat is heard, especially as panels around the ring open to reveal a seemingly bottomless chasm. The one blow the arena that leads to the mythical prison known as Tartarus.
Music starts to play, changing the heartbeat and pulsation of the light as it does so, and revving up the crowd.
The panels close and the normal lights come back on as the song ends, the camera going to the Commentary desk that sits not at ringside as normal, but outside of the security railing so they do not fall. Jane Coughlin and Neil Dizon look uncomfortable sitting in the city where the WWI died.
Dizon: "Well? We're not in a warzone at least..."
Coughlin: "Don't be silly. Druscilla booked this show here to challenge the Titans."
Dizon: "Right. They won't be invading here then?"
Coughlin: "Probably not. We still have a good show despite the action that will happen outside later on. A couple of titles on the line and Valora takes on Lilly to try to gain some vengeance against Kronin indirectly."
Dizon: "I still can't believe we're in a newly built arena that hangs over the chasm that leads straight down to Tartarus! What if the whole arena fell in?"
Coughlin: "Then Carthage would lose several enemies."
Dizon: "I know, right? This sucks."
Coughlin: "We'll get out as soon as the show is over. That's when the real fighting will begin anyway. Alright?"
Dizon: "I love it. And since we're back where this began...I love you."
Coughlin: "From a 'Good to Be Alive' celebration *beep* to I love you. We've come along far, Neil. I love you too. Let's get this party started."
Dizon: "Think we could do another-"
Coughlin: "We're starting the show, Neil. Talk sex later!"
Fall of Athens
After ASA Legendary #5...
Tarrasque, Glaknar the Green, and Major Hizir Sengun are seen outside of Moscow. They have made their goodbyes and promised to show in Richmond for the show, but a chore must first be done. They are driving stolen snow mobiles to the Southwest.
A man steps out from behind several large mounds of snow, causing the three to stop. Hizir sneers and Glaknar growls, but Tarrasque laughs.
"What? You don't find me frightening? I am the God of Terror after all."
Tarrasque shakes his head, his laughter dying down.
Tarrasque: "Glaknar fears nothing. Sengun too broken for fear. Me? Me am the strongest! No fear here, little God."
Sengun: "Deimos. Did Enyalios send you here all alone as a sacrifice?"
Deimos frowns at his lack of being able to frighten the three, but his frown turns into a smile.
Deimos: "I can to avenge the death of my siblings, and who said I came alone? Now!"
The large mounds of snow burst apart to reveal a dozen Gigantes. They're every bit the size of the frost giants, save the coldness.
Sengun: "You must have been watching us to have been able to set this up. You would have seen how this will play out. We will kill all your little soldiers and Tarrasque tears you apart with his bare hands. Is that how you want things to play out?"
Deimos frowns, looking at Tarrasque for a long time and swallowing hard.
Deimos: "I...that is...I'm the God of Terror, Son of Ares! I cannot be defeated...by...mere...mortals."
Sengun: "Uh huh. And?"
Deimos drops his shoulders in a slump.
Deimos: "Stand down. We cannot win this."
The Gigantes look to Deimos as if not comprehending, but then another look to Tarrasque brings understanding.
Deimos: "I cannot return to Enyalios with failure like this. He'll kill me!"
Tarrasque walks over, placing a hand on the shoulder of Deimos with a smile.
Tarrasque: "You God of Terror. Him not real God of War. Him only son. You join us. Fight Little God and fight Dark guy in flying castle. Become hero! Give terror bad guys."
Deimos looks around and sees the encouraging faces of his warriors. He smiles.
Deimos: "I'll do it! Enyalios will regret this!"
Tarrasque nods, giving Deimos a great hug.
Tarrasque: "Good! Now we go Athens before Richmond!"
*****************
Athens, Greece....
Enyalios stands before his mirror. He has been scrying for the corpse of Tarrasque or for the return of Deimos. Failing that, he searched for Tarrasque and the corpse of Deimos.
The mirror has shown neither.
Enyalios paces in front of the mirror.
Enyalios: "Show me something, you piece of garbage! Show me the would be God assassin, Sengun! Show me the orc gladiator, Glaknar! Show me the gigantes that Deimos took with him!"
The mirror only shows Enyalios himself.
Enyalios raises a gauntlet covered hand to smash the mirror when he sees Deimos. Though the scene did not change...
Enyalios turns around to see Deimos standing before him without a wound.
Enyalios: "You defeated the monster without a scratch? Huz-"
Deimos: "No, brother. I realized my limitations. I have realized how wrong we were. We are beholden to a mortal, brother! A mortal!"
Enyalios shakes his head, drawing his sword.
Enyalios: "We both know by now that Thamptis is no mere mortal. The Titans follow him. Set follows him. Our sister thought he was powerful enough to follow. Thamptis will clutch this entire world in his fist one day. How can you tell me his side is wrong?"
The gigantes that followed Deimos enter the room. From behind them step Major Hizir Sengun, Glaknar the Green, and Tarrasque.
Deimos: "Surrender, brother. Surrender so that bloodshed does not have to happen. Do not let me be the last of the Olympians outside of the Underworld!"
Enyalios: "Do not worry, brother. You will not..."
With a blur of movement, Enyalios cleaves the heart of Deimos in half with his sword buries to the hilt. His eyes go wide as he feels his immortal life ending.
Enyalios: "Say hello to Father for me."
Enyalios rips his blade out of his brother's chest, letting him fall to the floor.
Hizir Sengun takes a shot, but Enyalios deflects it with his sword. Glaknar leaps in with his axe, but Enyalios blocks the blow, placing a hand on the orc's midsection, and hurls him away through the mirror.
Tarrasque just stands and claps his hands. Enyalios just glares at him.
Enyalios: "You're next, beast! What's so damned funny!"
Tarrasque: "You! You kill brother. You defend self. You not attack. God of War attacks. You father would have two kills. You weak."
Enyalios opens his mouth to speak, but no words come out at first. His face goes several shades of red before he can speak. Ok...scream.
Enyalios: "How dare you compare me to Ares! I am the better God of War! I am the one standing here alive while he is dead and with his Uncle in the Underworld! I will ki-"
The words explode out with his breath as Tarrasque slams him in the midsection with a fist.
Tarrasque follows this up by grabbing Enyalios by the hair and bring him down to smash his face into Tarrasque's knee before tossing him against the wall.
Enyalios hits the ground, his sword falling out of reach. Tarrasque rips him off the floor by the throat, slamming him into the wall. The fingers of the beast piercing and crushing even divine flesh. Enyalios tries to break Tarrasque's grip, but cannot pry the fingers away from cutting off his air supply and trying to crush his throat.
Tarrasque: "You talk too much. You father no talk too much. You not know? Ask him when you get there."
Tarrasque grabs with his other hand, squeezing with a wide grin until the head of Enyalios pops off with a crunch.
Tarrasque turns to Major Sengun and Glaknar the Green with a smile.
Tarrasque: "We win!"
The gigantes drop to their knees.
"We will serve the Strongest!"
Tarrasque nods, patting one of them on the shoulder with blood covered hands.
Tarrasque: "Good. Spread word. All lands Olympus ruled are mine. Me must go Richmond."
Xerios vs Samuel
Theobald: "This next match is scheduled for one fall! Featuring first the challenger, from the deepest, darkest pits of your imagination (God, who comes up with these?) Xerios Kubisa!"
"Hell's Bells" by AC/DC begins as Xerios Kubisa walks slowly down to the ring. He leers at a few fans along the way, but let's really be honest. The people here at the show live in a place where local rulers use large buildings or mountains as chairs. Or in the case of three of them, use mountains as toys. The fans remain silent and disinterested in the large red man with horns as he enters the ring.
Coughlin: "Has Xerios ever won a match here in the IWA?"
Dizon: "Maybe? I think so? Let me look back in my notes, and...no. I don't care enough to look. If he has won a match here, it was against someone else we don't care about."
Theobald: "And his opponent, hailing from Tampa, Florida...Samuel Zadian!"
24 Hours by Wretch 32 starts playing. A silhouette of Samuel Zadian appears at the top of the ramp. At the 0:17.5 second mark of the song, Sam walks in, revealing himself. He walks down the ramp, sometimes looking around and staring at the audience. He walks up the steel stairs and goes in between the middle and top rope. He climbs two corners, raising one arm to the crowd at each one. He walks to an empty corner and gets into a boxing stance.
Dizon: "And the crowd doesn't care. You think they won't cheer or boo these two for a reason?"
Coughlin: "No idea. Samuel has won a match here in the IWA at least."
Dizon: "Yay for him. Now let's see if he can take down this giant."
At the ring of the bell, Samuel drops under a punch to strike the side of Xerios's left knee with enough force to cause him to stagger forward. He follows this with an elbow strike to the gut to send Xerios curling down. He turns and grabs Xerios by the shoulders to heft him over into a-
Dizon: "Is that a power bomb right out of the gate?"
Coughlin: "I think so! Xerios landed on his head! Samuel is laying sideways on the mat, I bet his back doesn't feel good. Though, Xerios..."
Dizon: "His horns got caught into the mat and the rest of his body fell on the mat. Sure, his horns came out of the mat, but not before...yeah. Xerios isn't moving."
Samuel Zadian slowly gets to his feet, seeing that Xerios is laying on his back with his head at an odd angle from the rest of his body. He looks at the ref before going for the pinfall.
Dizon: "Unless a miracle happens, Xerios ain't kicking out."
Coughlin: "Sad to see a wrestler go out like this."
Medics come down to check on Xerios Kubisa, and try to load him onto a stretcher, as the ref raises Samuel's hand in victory.
Samuel Zadian looks at Xerios with some concern, but then heads to the back. Fans cheer him on for his bloodthirsty victory which brings a scowl from him as he heads out.
Dragon's Destiny
Theobald: "This next contest is scheduled for one fall! Featuring first, weighing in at one hundred and fifty-nine pounds...Clare Miller!"
"When I Die Young" by Band Perry begins playing as Clare Miller walks down to the ring. She waves to fans who cheer politely as she walks down to the ring.
Dizon: "Since their supposed return, the Dragon ladies have not done very much to stand out."
Coughlin: "No. For being people who helped turn disaster into victory, they have been defeated over and over. It's as if the driving force behind them was gone."
Theobald: "And her opponent, weighing in at one hundred and forty-five pounds...Zolotha-what? She isn't using this name? She threatens to cut people who don't use-if you think so. And her opponent...Tabitha Osborne!"
Though no music plays, Tabitha Osborne walks out from the back with a creepy smile for the booing fans. She waves to the fans, making them boo even louder, before heading to the ring. She smiles at Clare, bowing to her with a giggle.
Osborne: "The Irish Dragon. You poor thing. Were you sad when your homeland was invaded with no way of you being able to stop the oh so evil Brits because the Queen in Jessica Tendonin didn't say to go fight. How many of your friends and family died under the orders of my Queen, Lady Apathy?"
Dizon: "Tabitha already starting with the trash talk. This thing with the name is weird. It feels strange not saying Zolothach."
Coughlin: "Let me try it. Tabitha. Yes. That is strange. Clare has shown some powerful abilities before though, Tabitha shouldn't be so arrogant."
Once the bell rings, Tabitha and Clare meet in the center of the ring. Clare already looks angry as she glares at Tabitha.
The two stare each other down before either of them move. Clare takes a swing at Tabitha, but the fist is caught. Clare is pulled off balance into a backhand that sends her spiraling to the mat.
Clare starts back up, but a kick to the face sends her back to the mat.
Osborne: "No one cares about the Dragon chicks anymore, Clare. That is...if they ever did. No one will come to save you."
Tabitha leans down to leer at Clare as she speaks. Clare takes a swing at her face while sitting up, but Tabitha twirls around to dodge the blow. Clare rises up, but Tabitha jumps up to catch her from behind, and sends her skull bouncing off the mat with a huracanrana.
Tabitha rolls Clare over, setting her up as if for a camel clutch. Instead of hooking the jaw, she hooks her fingers into Clare's nose and eyes, and pulls back.
Dizon: "What the heck? Tabitha trying to rip the face off of Clare Miller?"
Coughlin: "It would seem to. The ref is breaking it up now."
Tabitha stands apart from Clare as the ref checks to see if she can continue.
Clare angrily shakes the ref off while standing up, bleeding from her nose along with several other spots where Tabitha's nails tore open the skin.
Osborne: "Use that power you have, Clare. Show me what you tried to use against Lord Tolkek. Show me the power used to defeat Xerios Kubisa."
Clare screams, lunging at Tabitha with both fists glowing bright. Tabitha catches both hands with a sickening giggle, a dark aura around her hands shadowing the glow of Clare's hands. With a show of strength, Tabitha forces Clare to her knees.
Osborne: "Tell me you don't feel it. That pain in the pit of your belly. The dread and despair that eats away at you from within. You know that the Order of the Dragon is finished. How many of your sisters have fallen out of contact? Hmm?"
The glow from Clare's hands fades away and Tabitha giggles sadistically, kicking Clare in the face while releasing her to send her over the ropes on the opposite side and into the security railing.
Dizon: "Did you see the blood spray from that kick?"
Coughlin: "She did land about six feet away from us, but yes. I think I may have even seen a tooth land somewhere in the crowd."
Clare rises up to her hands and knees, spitting blood onto the floor. She looks up to see Tabitha flying through the air before landing on her head and sending her face into the floor with a sickening crunch.
Tabitha jumps back to her feet as Clare rolls to her side, blood pouring from her shattered nose. Clare reaches with shaky hands to her face, but Tabitha grabs both of her wrists with one hand to rip her up off of the floor.
Osborne: "I know you have healing powers and can use them on yourself now. Do not think I did not keep track of your powers once I was freed by my mother."
Tabitha swings Clare with one hand, slamming Clare's spine into the ring post, nearly bending her backwards around it. She then tosses Clare into the ring like a rag doll before following.
Dizon: "While I am seeing Clare's arms move, I don't think her legs are."
Coughlin: "Her back might have been broken by that last move. I don't think she can get up if she wanted to."
Tabitha tests the theory, raking Clare's legs with claw like fingernails to rip open the flesh. She giggles when Clare doesn't register the pain.
A quick strike to the throat and Tabitha goes for the cover.
One...Two...Three!
Tabitha jumps off of Clare, raising her hands in victory as the ref swoops in quickly to roll Clare onto her side so she can vomit blood out instead of allowing it to fill her lungs.
Theobald: "The winner...Tabitha Osborne!"
Tabitha tosses the ref to the side, laying a hand on the side of Clare's head while shouting words of power. A thunderclap is heard and the power in the arena goes out.
Dizon: "What the *beep*?"
Coughlin: "No idea."
When the lights come back on, Clare lays on her side while staring at Tabitha in shock.
Miller: "What...what have you done?"
Osborne: "I've sealed your powers and warded you. You'll have to either heal naturally, which means you'll never walk again, or your sisters will have to kill me. Goodbye, Irish Dragon."
Dizon: "That was-"
Coughlin: "Uncalled for!"
Tabitha Osborne hurriedly leaves the ring as if going someplace. She turns around at the entrance as medics come out and blows Clare Miller a goodbye kiss.
Dizon: "Sounds as if this is the last that we will see of Clare Miller in the ring."
Coughlin: "Probably. I'd like to say that the wrestling world is taking a hit from this loss, but meh."
Dizon: "Finer words have never been spoken."
Coughlin: "Thank you."
Great Escape Championship
If Tony Manzell dodges this match, then he will be catapulted at a Titan to be eaten.
Theobald: "This next match is scheduled for being inside of a steel cage for the Great Escape championship! Featuring first, from Aberdeen, Scotland...Tony Manzell!"
"Cigaro" by System of a Down plays as Tony Manzell walks out from the back to the cheers of the fans. He steps into the cage, stretching old muscles to get them ready.
Dizon: "Have you heard? If Tony wins this match and retires the belt, he'll be released from being bound to Frietag's fate."
Coughlin: "A very bold concept, but a better carrot than threatening to feed Tony to a Titan."
Theobald: "And his opponent, from Hill of Tara, Ireland, he is the IWA Great Escape champion...Zareth Korbin!"
The lights go completely out. As the music (Apocalyptica - Hall of the mountain King) starts, dark green lights flash to the opening beat, and then die out as the song slows. The lights return as Zareth Korbin stands atop the entrance ramp. He raises his warhammer towards the ring as the song once again picks up, and flames shoot from each post. Korbin stalks down to the ring, ignoring the fans and everything else as the lights continue to flash. Korbin pulls himself up onto the ring apron and removes his armor, stretching his arms out in a crucifix position as the song ends and he steps inside the ring.
Dizon: "So, this Zareth was the strong arm of Devereaux and now he's the strong arm of O'Hara. Is he just muscle?"
Coughlin: "I think he was to be a protector or something. Right now, he just wants to beat Tony."
Dizon: "Good luck with that. I think he's beaten everyone else."
Coughlin: "Why doesn't he get a World title shot?"
Dizon: "I think Tony claims to not be a wrestler. Why don't we have someone ask him and see if he'd like to take on Kronin for the World title if he wins here."
As the bell rings to start the match, Zareth Korbin lazily swings his hammer in circles with a grin.
Korbin: "I have you in here at last. You thought you could dodge me and so I pulled what strings I could to get you here to your final match. I will break you."
Manzell: "Many have tried. Humanity prevails."
Zareth swings the hammer, but Tony slips behind Zareth to toss him backwards into the cage with a belly to back suplex.
Zareth jumps back up, lunging at Tony for a clothesline. He's instead caught for a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, but instead of finishing the motion, Tony sends Zareth's head back into the cage.
Zareth gets back to his feet quickly, wiping at blood in anger.
Korbin: "You won't beat me again!"
Tony ducks another blow, but catches an elbow to the back of the head when he tries to slip behind again. Zareth grabs Tony by the hair, slamming Tony's face into his knee with a laugh.
Coughlin: "This doesn't look good for Tony!"
Dizon: "Not at all."
Zareth laughs, kicking Tony in the side of the head.
Korbin: "Humanity prevails. A quaint concept when you consider those who defend humanity."
Zareth picks Tony up, hurling him at the cage. He catches Tony on the rebound, holding him up in a suplex position.
Korbin: "Who else can fight Gods and Demons, but Gods and Demons?"
Manzell: "God is one being, not a million deities."
Korbin: "Shows what you know."
Zareth drops Tony in a suplex, rising up to grab his hammer. He brings it down, but Tony rolls out of the way.
Manzell: "Asgard is a mythical place."
Korbin: "What's wrong with you?"
Manzell: "Castles cannot fly."
Zareth tries to smash Tony Manzell with the hammer, but the slippery mortal rolls and dodges until there is a circle of bashed mat around a standing Tony Manzell.
Korbin: "How do you keep doing this?"
Manzell: "I'm allergic to being smashed by a hammer."
Dizon: "Tony is the luckiest guy I know."
Coughlin: "He's just really skilled, despite being old."
Zareth laughs, throwing the hammer straight up into the air before hitting Tony with a spear.
Before they hit the mat, Tony gets his arms around Zareth's midsection to lift him up and use his momentum to ddt him down. Zareth bounces away as the circle Tony is in gives way to drop to the floor. Zareth jumps up to stop him rolling off of the mat, but his hammer hits him in the head.
Coughlin: "Looks like Karma right there."
Dizon: "Live by the Hammer, Die by the Hammer."
Theobald: "Winner of the match and NEW Great Escape champion...Tony Manzell!"
Coughlin: "Now to see if he will retire both himself and the title or just the title and take aim at Kronin."
Dizon: "Hasn't he beaten Kronin before? I'd take aim for the big title."
Son of the Devil Saint
A small tent hidden behind a large truck in Africa...
Terel Walker and Allen Anderson stand inside the tent. In a corner is a pile of corpses. In the opposite corner is a pile of evil red Cambion shocktrooper armor.
Walker: "You would think that your snipers would be able to pick out better sizes from a distance."
Allen picks up a torso section of armor with a hole large enough to fit a football through.
Anderson: "Or they could understand the concept of needing a disguise? You know, despite being back in the better graces of Warhammer...I feel they are still sending their reserve people to us."
Walker: "The rest are at war?"
Anderson: "Right."
Walker: "You do still have Warhammer credentials. Why can't you just walk in?"
Anderson: "I do indeed have a Warhammer Global pass. Why the heck not? Let's do it."
Anderson gets his cell phone out, sending a message to cease hunting and that he'll be using his pass.
The two get back into the back of the truck and starts heading for the facility.
At the gate to a large warehouse, the driver passes Anderson's card to the guard. He examines it, looking into the back passenger seats to see Anderson and Walker.
Guard: "You here about the prisoner?"
Anderson: "Prisoner? Yeah. We're here to question the prisoner."
Guard: "Good. Director Urizar had sent out for guy to come since his died with the Tower of Faith. Just make sure you don't tell his dad, the ceo, that we have him, or else there will be Hell to pay. Pun intended."
Anderson: "Very good."
The guard passes in an installation map to the driver who passes it back to Anderson.
Guard: "Good luck getting anything out of him."
Anderson: "Thanks."
As the truck is driven to their destination, Anderson and Walker look at the map.
Anderson: "They have Jeremiah? No wonder he didn't show up in Moscow."
Walker: "I thought he gained some sense."
At the warehouse, the two are led to a small interrogation room where Jeremiah Vastrix sits behind a table. The two sit on the other side.
Anderson: "Do I really want to know?"
Vastrix: "No, but you know I am gonna tell you anyway."
Walker: "Oh Lord, it involves sex, doesn't it?"
Vastrix: "Ok. It was days before your show in Moscow, so I thought I would check out this place to see how security had changed. And get a first look at this statue thing. I sort of got sidetracked with this fine office worker and was caught naked in a meeting room. Oops."
Terel does a face palm with a long sigh.
Walker: "How am I not shocked that you were getting it on-"
Vastrix: "Yeah, we were totally into it. Her head was on the floor with her knees against the table, and-"
Walker: "Enough! Oh God...I should have just went on to Richmond."
Anderson hides his smirk inside of a cough before speaking.
Anderson: "So what are they trying to get from you?"
Vastrix: "Why I was here, who would be replacing the dead Directors, and would my Father be supporting a move against the hottie in South America since she's been off a bit."
Anderson: "Ah. Does your father share that info with you?"
Jeremiah leans back in his chair with a laugh.
Vastrix: "You know he does? I'm not about to share those little tidbits with anyone, but the little Satanic boy himself!"
Walker: "Good thing he isn't here to-"
The locks on the door to the room are engaged. A little window is opened by the guard outside in the hallway.
"You three are to remain here. Ignado Urizar is in the building and would like to speak to you all."
The window is closed and there is silence in the room for a few minutes.
Anderson: "Someone really needs to educate you on ironic foreshadowing."
Walker: "It could be worse. They could have dropped gas pellets so they could tie us up before the brat got here."
Anderson: "No!"
As expected, the window opens up with several pellets being dropped in that explode and begin spreading the green gas into the room.
Anderson: "When we wake up, I'm kicking your ass..."
***************
Allen Anderson opens his eyes to feels his hands cuffed to the chair. He looks to his left where Terel is and to his right where Jeremiah is. Across from them sits Ignado Urizar.
Urizar: "Gentlemen. I would like to know why you have all come to visit me? I may sound a bit paranoid, but there have been several attempts on my life since taking control of Warhammer Africa."
Anderson: "We're here to see how you're doing of course."
Vastrix: "Sorry about the little misunderstanding with the office chick?"
Urizar: "Did you notice a ring on that office chick's finger?"
Jeremiah tries to move his hand, but chuckles when he remembers that he can't.
Vastrix: "I never look for those things. Was she married? I think she hated her husband for being some evil satanic...cult...guy. You know, maybe she was just blowing off some steam."
Ignado slams his hands down onto the table, spittle flying from his mouth as he screams.
Urizar: "That was my wife, you idiot! You came here and fucked my wife!"
Vastrix: "Was?"
Urizar: "I had the cheating bitch killed! Now, what do you people want here? Beyond this schmuck here that was involved with the murder of my father. He will die here and now."
Anderson: "Wait! Let's talk about this. He didn't-"
Walker: "No no no!"
Ignado draws a sidearm, putting a bullet through Terel's skull, covering the side of Allen with blood and gore.
Anderson: "You want to know why we're here, Iggy?"
Ignado points the gun at Anderson's head with a smile.
Urizar: "Give me a reason to kill you too. They won't miss you."
An explosion rocks the entire facility, nearly sending Ignado to the floor.
Urizar: "What?"
Anderson: "The Sandstormers along with several other branches of elite Shocktroopers, and heck...even most of your own Shocktroopers, did not like the way you treated your father's honor guard. I'm not saying that it's not tradition. I'm saying that they didn't like it. You are looking at a full on rebellion."
Ignado points the gun at Anderson's head with a snarl.
Urizar: "They cannot defeat my Nephilim and Cambion! My dark powers are-"
Vastrix: "Tech based."
Urizar: "I am a Disciple of the Fallen! I am-"
Anderson: "A liar and a wannabe cultist. Your father managed to gain the services of both angel and demon in his tower. You just wanted to piss him off while keeping your distance from the occult."
Ignado shakily holds the gun in his hand, going from Anderson to Vastrix.
Urizar: "I'll fucking kill you both! Tell them to stop! I am the Director of Warhammer Africa!"
Anderson: "Release us and I can do it for you."
Ignado looks uncertain, but as the gunfire and explosions sound closer, he puts the gun away and frees both Jeremiah and Allen from their binds.
Urizar: "Now call off the assault!"
Allen reaches into his pocket, checking his text messages to see that the strike team has acquired the statue and are away. The rest of the assault teams will continue to work to wipe out the rest of the Director's honor guards.
Anderson: "I will tell them to stop."
He sends another text and nods, hitting another button. He holds it out to Ignado.
Anderson: "Take this. They will be calling soon to ensure we are not being held against our will to tell them to stop."
Ignado nods, looking down at the phone quizically.
Urizar: "Download complete?"
Anderson: "It's nothing."
Ignado frowns, slowly getting his gun out before the phone rings. He drops the gun back in his pocket to answer the phone.
Urizar: "Yes?"
"Good. Hold still."
Ignado cries out in pain as an electrical arc strikes out from the phone to strike Ignado on the belt. He tries to drop the phone, but it's become magnetized to his ring. He pulls at it and shakes it to try to get it off, but to no avail.
Urizar: "What have you done to me?"
Anderson: "You murdered Shocktroopers because of fake ideology. You tried to have one of my workers killed because he defended himself against your insane father. You killed my friend because he was there when your father died. He did nothing but stand there when the fighting took place!"
Ignado grips the phone tight with a snarl.
Urizar: "Don't preach to me, Anderson. Think I don't know you? How much innocent blood is on your hands? You think you're better than me? You're not!"
Anderson: "I am smarter than you."
Urizar: "How are yo-"
That's when the first gunshot tears through the ceiling at an angle to strike Ignado in the upper chest, exiting out of his lower back. He staggers back against the wall where six more shots strike him.
Anderson: "I gave you a phone with an app to take out your force field and then the gps allowed my snipers to deal with you."
Ignado falls dead to the floor. Jeremiah elbows Anderson with a grin.
Vastrix: "I think your words fell on dead ears."
Allen rolls his eyes, but still grins.
Anderson: "I need to get to Richmond. I have a feeling that I'm going to be in a lot of trouble with Terel's widow."
Vastrix: "A widow? I like widows! Can I come?"
Allen just shrugs.
Anderson: "Why not? It'll give her another target. We should head out."
Bloodstain Rematch
Scaffold match...though the Floor around the Ring opens to the Chasm
Theobald: "This next match is a scaffold match and is for the-"
Coughlin: "Stephan! Hey, Stephan! Roux O'Hara isn't in the arena. She left with Casidhe and Zareth after his match."
Dizon: "Sorry, man."
Theobald: "Oh, come on! I know there's a war going on outside, but we still have to maintain a little professionalism!"
Coughlin: "For what it's worth, Iro went outside too. Once he heard that Roux went outside to fight."
Theobald: "*beep* it. If Druscilla knows what's good for the company, she won't be giving that Celt another shot at the title. It's a Bloodstain title, they could go fight it out on the head of Cronus for all I *beep*ing cared. Just have the damned match! Anyway...Iro wins by default. What the *beep* ever..."
The Final Coin
The Faith Within
Inside the Citadel of the Left Hand, also known as Midoral Ithiak...
Father Nathan is in chains. Bound by hands and feet in chains buried deep into the wall. The chi poisoning in his body still prevents him from accessing gifts bestowed upon him.
The room is dark, cold stone at his back lit only by flickering candles. His only company these past few days has been of dark robed beings of pale white skin and sharpened teeth with breath of dead things. They give him water and scraps of food while whispering of the feast they will have of his flesh and the bones they will break to sup of the sweet marrow within. All once their master is finished with the Priest.
They scatter as the distant, unseen door opens. A soft blue glow fills the room as Father Nathan looks up to see Sikarin Tsooth smiling at him.
Father Nathan: "Your invitation wasn't kind. I will avenge her."
Sikarin runs his hand across Father Nathan's jaw with a chuckle.
Tsooth: "Don't be such a dramatic fool. My servant left your phone with the innocent. She called the Celestial Dragon which came straight away after destroying the Red Palm Mistress and cured her before she died. They are probably in Richmond as we speak. I'm sure they would rather look for you, but the mask I keep around my home prevents idle company. Now then."
Sikarin flicks his wrist, the front of Father Nathan's outfit ripping open to reveal bared flesh. He presses skin with a finger, Father Nathan jerking in pain as electricity courses through his body.
Tsooth: "You know what I want from you, dear boy. All you have to do is give it to me."
Father Nathan spits blood onto Sikarin's outstretched hand.
Father Nathan: "I don't have it. I passed the Coin on, and you'll never get it from him."
Sikarin shakes his head with a smile.
Tsooth: "I am aware of your dealings with the angel. I know you passed the Coin on. I wonder if you know how this Coin was made in the first place? The Prophesy of my Master claimed its Destiny, but it was already here. It was ever on Earth. Not meant to have been in the hands of mortals, but there it was. The Faith of the Original Fallen, torn from their bodies, and gathered into a single object. You have been invested into much by your Divine Father. You can only access a trickle of it, but we can break the dam. Think your frail body can take it?"
Father Nathan raises his head to look at Sikarin in alarm.
Father Nathan: "What?"
Sikarin brings the crystal orb of his staff close to Father Nathan's head so that he can see eye to eye with the laughing skull within.
Tsooth: "It's just a matter of reversing the damage done by Tu Sha. This might feel good at first, but will then hurt a bit as your power rages out of control."
Father Nathan feels a release as the chi poisoning within him subsides to allow the divine power to once again channel through his body. He attempts to use it to break his chains, but then he feels the connection tear open.
The trickle of power considered safe for short periods of time before a roaring stream of power that sets all of Father Nathan's nerve endings afire as his entire body begins to glow with enough strength to bleach the walls white.
Tendrils of white hot power rip from Father Nathan's body to focus on a single point.
When Father Nathan feels that death is about to come, when he is about to make his own journey to the Heavens...the flow of power stops and the room falls into a blackness that is lit only by a glowing coin in the palm of Sikarin's hand.
Tsooth: "Not the original, but it will do. How are you feeling, young priest?"
Father Nathan struggles to lift his head from resting his chin on his chest to look Sikarin defiantly in the eyes. It's no easy feat as he feels more exhausted than he has even felt in his life, and everything in his body feels as if it were burning.
Father Nathan: "Release me from my chains and I'll show you how I feel."
Sikarin shakes his head with a chuckle.
Tsooth: "There's no need for dramatics. If I were inclined to let you live, you should thank me. You would have been able to channel more divine power than ever with what we did here on this night. As it stands, your part in this dramatic play is finished. My children will enjoy you for their dinner, even roasted."
Sikarin pockets the coin and stands back, the blue glow of the crystal switching changing to purple and then a bold red.
Tsooth: "Let the fires of your own hidden depths of rage consume you from within. It will save you the indignity of being eaten."
Sikarin begins the words of his spell, but they are ceased when the wall behind him explodes with fiery power. Father Nathan looks up with more than a little surprise.
Father Nathan: "You?"
Sikarin turns to see Tabitha Osborne standing with the corpse of one of his children by the throat. She drops the body with a giggle.
Tsooth: "Zolothach. We have been quite long in meeting properly."
Tabitha narrows her eyes at him.
Osborne: "Do not call me by that name. Do not think me so ignorant that I do not know of the lies you have been filtering through to me! I know the truth about the Great Old Ones!"
Sikarin frowns. It didn't make sense. Not a single mortal alive knew this truth, not even the Guardian knew this. That is unless...
Tsooth: "Aaahh. My home is protected against the servants of the divine, but he sent an angel to tell you the truth in a disguise. It's no matter. You have played your part well so far and has now also come to an end. Goodbye, Tabitha. You will serve as fuel for my Master's reborn power."
Sikarin Tsooth aims the crystal orb of the staff at her, releasing a stream of red power. It strikes Tabitha square in the chest, exploding her outward into black mist that dissipates.
Tsooth: "What? Oh, I have you!"
Sikarin spins quickly, the orb leaving a red arc in the air. Tabitha stands behind him, catching the staff with her hand just below the orb with a giggle.
Osborne: "You can't take us mortals on without this crutch can you?"
Sikarin smiles, the staff fading away.
Tsooth: "A conquest from the past and a trinket I enjoy using more than any other. Though you are right, I have relied upon its might for too long."
Tabitha strikes Sikarin in the throat, rending and tearing with claw-like nails that sends blood splattering from the wound.
Osborne: "Try breathing without a throat, old hag."
Tabitha turns to Father Nathan as Sikarin staggers backwards while choking on blood.
Osborne: "I'm not the hero you expected to see, I know. I'm not even a hero in our story...but I'm here to get you out of here in any case."
Father Nathan weakly shrugs.
Father Nathan: "Sometimes a foe can become a friend and a friend can become a foe, even for a brief time. Look out!"
Tabitha spins around, throwing up an arm to block a strike from Sikarin. His fingers lengthen into ropes that wrap around her arm as he laughs. The torn throat quickly seals up with a sucking noise.
Tsooth: "I have no vital points, little girl. My breathing is only for show. I am not a man, but a creation of my Master."
Tabitha hisses as the tendrils around her arm grow hot.
Osborne: "I suppose the blood shed was also for show? What if you lost it all?"
Sikarin releases Tabitha with curiosity as she screams out a language that was old when humanity was still very young.
Something unseen grabs Sikarin, ripping him away to the center of the room.
Osborne: "The Star Vampire thinks you're kinda tasty!"
Tabitha whispers words of power, breaking open Father Nathan's manacles. She catches him as he falls exhaustedly down, turning both of them as an inhuman scream is head.
The sight is...ghastly at best. The Star Vampire's many toothy sucking tentacles can be seen as they are filled with the black blood of Sikarin Tsooth. However, the blood rends open invisible flesh and coats it. Sikarin is torn apart, but coats the Star Vampire on the inside and out. His face shapes from the main body.
Tsooth: "I do not normally feast in front of guests I am about to murder, but this is a tasty one."
Roux had defeated a Star Vampire in the past, but it had taken much from her to do it. Sikarin has done it with ease.
Father Nathan: "Tabitha! TABITHA!"
Tabitha shakes her head to bring herself back to the present.
Father Nathan: "It's time to go, Tabitha!"
Osborne: "Right."
Tabitha walks with Father Nathan on her shoulder. She slashes at an attacking tentacle, tearing through it to allow them to get to the hole in the wall.
One the other side of the wall is a clearing leading to an ancient forest.
That clearing is filled with nearly a hundred of the sorcerous, cannibalistic, albino children. All of them readying different destructive spells.
Father Nathan: "One Immortal, Shapeshifting Wizard or a hundred of his flesh eating children. Which do you want?"
Osborne: "What? I pick one and you get the other? You can't even stand up!"
Father Nathan: "Well, you might be right."
Osborne: "Ok. You're going to swing around and hold onto my neck as tight as you can."
Father Nathan: "And choke you? I-"
Osborne: "HOLD!"
The last word coming out like a reptillian roar, Father Nathan glides around the her back, holding around a neck as he feels skin growing hot to the touch and tearing apart with the feel of something very solid underneath.
Father Nathan: "Saints preserve us!"
Sikarin Tsooth shifts back into a human form, the Star Vampire absorbed, with the Staff of the Seven Elders in hand. He watches with a smile as Tabitha transforms into the world's most powerful dragon.
The spells of his children slam into her chest to no effect as she launches into the air after blasting his servants with fire.
Tsooth: "Marvelous. Simply marvelous. They have both served my master well enough to live through this day."
He watches as Tabitha grows smaller and smaller in the sky. He cackles a bit.
Tsooth: "But why not with a bit of a scar..."
He sends a streak of blue energy out that strikes Tabitha in the rump with a rather large explosion that sinks her down a bit without crashing her. He turns around, pulling the coin out of his pocket.
Tsooth: "Now the time is nigh. The Prophesy is nearly complete."
Hundred Handed
Outside of Rome, Roux O'Hara, Lady Casidhe, and Zareth Korbin stand in front of three mammoths of ancient mythology. They are large enough to take up the entire horizon, each with a hundred heads and a hundred arms.
O'Hara: "Briareus, Coyyus, and Gyges! You once served to keep the Titans imprisoned at the behest of Zeus! Why do you fight alongside your prisoners at the word of the madman who slew Zeus?"
Briareus leans down, several dozen heads around the three to look at them from all angles. His voice comes as a mighty chorus.
Briareus: "We have long been fooled by Zeus. He retained us as jailers to keep us in a prison without bars for he did not want us above as much as our brother Cronus and our father Uranus. We are free to do as we like now."
O'Hara: "You will find the accommodations of your nephew, Hades, to be less than comfortable."
Briareus: "A threat from puny things? How quaint. A small hill will crush you all flat...like so many thousands of other puny mortals over the years."
Roux drops a seed onto the ground with sinks in and begins to sprout.
O'Hara: "Flower so beautiful and smell so sweet, none are so dangerous as a Bone Rose."
Briareus: "What are you talking about?"
The ground bursts open as a vine rips from the ground and splits off into a hundred smaller vines that go down into the throats of every mouth of Briareus. He chokes as the vines grow thick with bone white flowers and thorns that drip with a clear ichor that sizzles when it touches immortal flesh.
Coyyus and Gyges lash out at Roux, Casidhe, and Zareth with many hands. Casidhe quickly shouts a spell that transports them several hundred feet behind them. She places a hand on Zareth's hammer while looking into his eyes.
Casidhe: "Italy is full of Divine power cast off from dead Olympians. This will empower your hammer for a brief time with the power of a pantheon. Use the power well!"
Casidhe slips away as a giant hand comes crashing down. Zareth leaps on the back of the hammer, feeling new strength pour into him from the hammer. Coyyus lifts his hand up to regard it with one of his heads.
Coyyus: "Off!"
Zareth jumps from the hand, striking the head of Coyyus with his empowered hammer right between the eyes.
The impact shatters the skull, sending Zareth through to land on another head.
Everything seems to go in slow motion as Briareus falls backwards between his brothers to land dead on the ground with an impact that sends a shockwave out for miles.
Zareth smiles grim, cracking the skull he's standing on apart before leaping to the next while avoiding the many hands grasping to crush his body.
Casidhe stands in front of Gyges with a smile.
Gyges: "Why are you laughing? I will crush you!"
Gyges slams his fist down upon her, looking confused when he lifts his hand to find no smashed corpse. He raises his hand and notices that she's standing upon it.
Gyges: "You won't-"
Casidhe: "In this place, I can tap the power of fallen Olympus. Let's see who smashes who?"
Gyges moves to smack his hand when Casidhe begins chanting a spell. He stops, twitching as he begins to quickly shrink. When the spell stops, he looks up with hundred heads as the size of a mouse to Casidhe.
Casidhe: "Who is getting stomped?"
Gyges: "...do it."
Casidhe brings her foot down as Coyyus lands dead next to her, knocking her straight up into the air. Zareth Korbin catches her in the air with style before landing on the ground.
Korbin: "Going my way?"
Casidhe: "Ha! Let's find...Roux."
They find Roux standing in front of a totally reborn Lord Nevan. Roux doesn't look very happy.
O'Hara: "You're dead!"
Nevan: "Death is a subjective term. You'll know all about it soon enough."
Nevan points a palm at Roux, sending a cone of energy at her that vaporizes her. He bows to Casidhe, smirking at Zareth.
Nevan: "All hail the new Queen! May you and your Husband to Be enjoy a wonderful wedding and long reign."
Casidhe screams in rage, sending a bolt of energy at him. It strikes him square in the chest and explodes his body into bits.
Casidhe sighs, walking through the spot where Roux had stood.
Casidhe: "I do not think it was Lord Nevan that I destroyed, but it matters not. Zareth, my love! Let us be married during the IWA pay per view! Let our love and ascension be shared with the entire world!"
Indirect Vengeance
Steel Cage with Roof Added, Submission Only, Floor open to the Chasm
Coughlin: "We are back. We had a brief break while technicians patched up the ring from the Great Escape match."
Dizon: "It would have been fixed during the Bloodstain match while people were fighting on the scaffolding, but the match never happened."
Coughlin: "And we lost three techs because of the around the ring are that led into the chasm below the arena that leads straight through the Earth into Tartarus. Mostly because the mechanism to close the trap door failed to work."
Dizon: "There's four planks leading to the ring wide enough for someone to walk across! Enough of this nonsense. Shall we get down to the ring?"
Coughlin: "Yes."
Theobald: "This next match is the main event of the evening and is scheduled to be a submission only match inside of a steel cage! Featuring first the challenger...Valora Salinas!"
"Death Triumphant" by My Dying Bride starts playing as Valora Salinas walks out from the back to the cheering of the fans. He laughs as she takes in the cheers of the mainly pro-Carthage crowd before heading down to the ring. She leaps across the opening from the aisle to into the ring with a single bound.
Coughlin: "Valora is very cheery for someone who lost her World championship not long ago."
Dizon: "That's because she's planning something. Count on it."
Theobald: "And her opponent...Lilly!"
"Grace" by Apocalyptica begins playing as Lilly walks onto the entrance stage. She looks around at the booing fans, shaking her head.
In a flash of light, she's standing in the ring in front of Valora Salinas.
Dizon: "What? The *beep* she do that?"
Coughlin: "Magic?"
Dizon: "Oh yeah. I forgot that she could do that."
The cage is slowly lowered into place, connecting with the ledge right outside of the ring railing so that if thrown from the ring...either Valora or Lilly would be looking (or the ref too) at a very long fall if they miss one of four two foot wide planks.
Coughlin: "While this would be a very dangerous match for most people, I think both Valora and Lilly can either fly or teleport. The chasm here is just sort of dramatic overkill."
Dizon: "This is true. The chasm more to scare everyone in the arena I guess. I remember when the chasm opened up five years ago and the Titans first came out to signal the victory of Carthage over...well...everyone. It was one of the things that tolled the death of Warhammer Wrestling Inc."
Coughlin: "The other being the betrayal by Druscilla."
Lilly and Valora close in as the bell rings.
Lilly: "Try sapping my strength, bitch. I have an enchantment to try out."
Valora: "Oh I will. When I do, I'll take it all. You think your lover would enjoy a dry husk?"
Valora takes the first swing, but it passes harmlessly through an image of Lilly. She appears behind Valora, grabbing her by the hair with one hand, and nailing home kidney punches with the other. She continues her assault, dropping Valora with a bulldog.
Lilly pops up, placing her knee on the back of Valora's neck, and pulling back on her forehead.
Dizon: "Lilly going in for the quick win it looks like."
Coughlin: "She jumped right in there."
Valora gets her palms flat on the mat, shoving to leap into a standing position with enough force to send Lilly high into the air.
Lilly turns, planting both feet on the cage roof to springboard herself straight back down at Valora, but she's caught, and flung out of the ring.
Coughlin: "Already someone out of the ring!"
Dizon: "No! She's on her way back!"
Lilly springs from the cage wall at Valora, but is caught again, and planted with a power slam in the center of the ring. Valora follows this up by applying a Scorpion Vise. The ref gets into place to see if Lilly will submit.
Dizon: "Think this is it?"
Coughlin: "I doubt it."
It isn't long before Valora releases the hold and brings Lilly up for a Russian Legsweep, but Lilly breaks free to knee Valora in the gut. She hits Valora with an Evenflow DDT before standing up to grabs her legs for a figure four leglock. Valora sits up, belting Lilly across the jaw to send her into a backwards roll.
Dizon: "These two are really going at it!"
Coughlin: "They both have something to prove it seems."
Valora and Lilly meet in the center of the ring with Valora applying an armbar with a laugh.
Valora: "Let's test your enchantment."
Moments so by with the contact until Valora smiles.
Valora: "You created a circuit! I steal from you, but the energy flows through me, and back into you. Clever girl!"
Valora whips Lilly into the ropes, following close behind. Lilly rebounds, turning back through the air to hit a hurancanrana, but Valora ducks under it. When Lilly lands on her feet and turns, Valora latches on for her own hurancanrana that sends them both over the ropes!
Coughlin: "Oh no!"
Dizon: "How's the ref going to get a submission?"
The two quickly fall below the ring and below the arena with walls of bedrock far away to the sides. Lilly is above Valora, holding out both palms toward her.
Lilly: "This is where we end this!"
Lilly shouts a spell, sending a stream of power at Valora, but a silver bowl appears in her hands. The beam strikes it and reflects back to strike Lilly, sending her back up over the ropes and into the ring where Valora materializes next to her.
Valora: "I am not the simple undead you knew. I used your spell to break your defenses, and now..."
Coughlin: "Valora with the Aztec Clutch while using her draining abilities in full!"
Dizon: "I don't think that she can take it!"
Kronin runs down the aisle with the quiver of Zeus lightning bolts on his back as Lilly taps out just before passing out.
Kronin: "You win! Now let her go!"
Valora releases the hold, kneeling by the downed Lilly.
Valora: "Don't you have some Titans to kill? Lilly and I are going to have some quality girl talk. Later!"
Kronin hurls a lightning bolt in anger, disintegrating a wall of the cage so he can cross. Valora and Lilly are gone by the time he gets there though. Kronin looks around, his anger plain.
Kronin: "Valora!"
Dizon: "That's an ending I did not expect! Valora wins and steals Lilly away!"
Coughlin: "To what end? To force a title shot?"
Dizon: "No idea, but I'm sure it won't be good."
The Duel
Kronin runs through the broken streets of Rome with the quiver of lightning bolts on his back. He would have rather hunted down Valora to get Lilly back, but this is something that has to be done.
Word has gotten back that the remaining children of Ares had been killed in Greece. It left the Titans. Those few that had been imprisoned in Tartarus by Zeus.
In the distance sat Cronus upon a mountain throne of his own creation. He had once considered rebelling against Thamptis, since no Titan should be bound by such a puny creature.
The body of Atlas floats in the seat, bound to the shore by the chains that once held him fast to holding up the sky. An example set by the Dark Warlock.
Seems the sky did just fine without him...
As he nears, he starts reaching for a lightning bolt to be ready when he arrives. That's when a cackling laugh stops him in his tracks.
Valora rounds a building with a grin and a new sword. Glowing blue sigils run down the blade with a glowing stone on the end.
Valora: "This is a new blade, bound to my essence. When I kill you with it, I will get all of your energy instead of only some. Shall we try it out?"
Kronin moves his hand to draw his own blade.
Kronin: "Give back Lillian!"
Valora: "Give back my World title!"
Kronin: "Is that what this is about? A gold belt? Your obsession will be the end of you!"
Valora smirks, sending the tip of her sword about in a lazy circle.
Valora: "Been there, done that. You won't get further than here."
"Valora! I think it's time we played at last."
Valora licks her lips as Lenneth comes into view.
Valora: "I have been waiting for my chance to play with you, little harlot for the dead."
Valora nods to Kronin.
Valora: "You'll find Cronus ready for you. His brothers too. If you live, we'll see each other in the ring soon enough."
Kronin: "Indeed we will."
Lenneth holds aloft her spear as Valora and her circle each other warily. Lenneth a picture of determination and Valora with a wide smirk.
Valora: "I heard Asgard took a loss. A pity it hasn't happened sooner. After all of Olympus has fallen, did the lofty deities of Asgard feel themselves invulnerable?"
Lenneth: "Do not speak so casually of Asgard. We will survive this."
Valora: "You won't survive me!"
Valora slashes at Lenneth, but the blow glances off of her shield. Lenneth thrusts at Valora, but the blow is sidestepped.
Valora: "Sif dying and Thor running off leaves openings doesn't it. I wonder if Lilly had arranged this so her and Kronin could take their places in the pantheon?"
Lenneth: "She wouldn't do that!"
The two continue to trade blows with parries and dodges until Valora draws first blood with a slash across Lenneth's thigh. Valora smiles as a burst of energy is transferred from the sword drawing blood.
Valora: "You know a betrayer betrays. How many past masters has Lilly betrayed? How many more will she add to the list?"
Lenneth: "You lie! You don't know her history!"
Despite her bravado, Lenneth takes another wound along the rib cage a few moments later.
Valora: "I may not know, but you do. Don't you?"
Lenneth backhands Valora's sword with her shield, sweeping her legs with the spear, and pressing the point against the underneath of Valora's chin.
Lenneth: "You lose. Your empire loses a Goddess today and Carthage her most powerful ally."
Valora: "Don't be foolish."
Valora holds out a palm to Lenneth, hitting her square in the chest with a stream of energy that sends Lenneth backwards over a hundred feet where she lands without spear or shield.
Lenneth struggles to stand, but finds Valora's foot planted on her chest to hold her down.
Valora wipes blood from a small cut under her chin, licking the blood from her fingers with a sinister laugh.
Valora: "The lead Valkyrie under my boot as it's always meant to be. Maybe your successor won't be so foolish."
Valora holds a glowing hand over Lenneth's head when she sees Cronus slowly fall dead to the ground. The impact knocking Valora into staggering away from Lenneth, who quickly recovers her gear to stand up.
Valora: "I'll be damned. Kronin brought the big guy down. We'll finish our play date later."
Lenneth cries out, throwing her spear, but it passes through Valora as she fades away.
The Reluctant Titan
Iro Waters fires a grappling hook, sinking it into the shoulder of his target, and flying through the air as he reels in the wire to bring himself up. He aims a few kicks into the arm and chest of his opponent, but he really doesn't think it has any more effect on his target than the hook sinking in.
Who is this target that stands towering over all nearby buildings in Rome as a organic skyscraper?
Iapetus, Titan of Craftsmanship and Mortality, Brother to Cronus.
Iro stands on the shoulder of Iapetus, holding his cybernetic arm as it transforms into a cannon at the head of the titan.
Waters: "You're on the wrong side, Iapetus! Surrender or I will shoot!"
The massive head of Iapetus turns to look at Iro Waters.
Iapetus: "You cannot harm me."
Waters: "You don't know what I'm packing in this thing. I could blow your head clean off."
Iapetus chuckles, a motion that nearly sends Iro off of the Titan's shoulder.
Iapetus: "Actually, I do know exactly what's in your arm. I might have been imprisoned for thousands of years, but I am the Titan of Craftsmanship."
Iro sighs, sitting down on the Titan's shoulder.
Waters: "You going to swat me like a fly then?"
Iapetus: "I should, but I will not."
Fighting is going on all around them as forces work to bring down the Carthage military, but Iro pats the Titan on the shoulder as if he could feel the action.
Waters: "This is going to sound silly, but you want to talk about it? I mean...you are the bad guy here."
Iapetus: "I was angry with Zeus for so long. He slew many of my family during the War. He imprisoned me and my siblings. Delivered such cruel punishments to my children that were not imprisoned. I thought we owed Thamptis so for freeing us all. But then he killed Atlas and Prometheus. He slaughtered the Olympians who would not follow him. I was glad to see Zeus fall, but then he killed Hephaestus. He was not my son, but one of my heart."
Normally something like this you would see at a counselling session, but when in Rome (pun intended).
Waters: "And so will you continue to support Thamptis? You kind of have to try to kill me if you do."
Iro mentally crosses his fingers as he waits through the silence as Iapetus considers his next words with care.
Iapetus: "No. I will throw my lot with his enemies and hope for mercy."
Waters: "Oh good. Maybe we can help Kronin? He looks like he's fighting Cronus right now with Crius, Coeus, and Hyperion rushing to help."
Iapetus: "Yes. The cord from your shoulder...plug it into my shoulder. Your tech will be able to use my divine power. Then shoot one of them. That will draw them to us."
Waters: "Gotcha."
Iro does as instructed, feeling the jolt of power as the power of a Titan flows into him. He takes aim at the back of Hyperion and let's loose a might blast that grows into a cone shape that blasts the heart of the Titan into bits.
Crius and Coeus pause at seeing their brother fall and turn to see Iapetus at their back.
Iapetus: "They are deciding on if they should attack us or help Cronus. It should buy precious seconds to see if Kronin can defeat the King of the Titans."
Iapetus: "Here."
A scroll case materializes in Iro's free hand.
Iapetus: "Hephaestus kept a secret forge away from Olympus should he feel the need to hide from the eyes of Zeus. Brontes, Steropes, and Pyracmon are there with the other cthonic cyclopses. This map will help you find it and mark you as heir to the forge. When Thamptis is defeated, his main forge on Olympus will also be yours. These creatures are more than myth and barbarism. They delve into sciences merged with things beyond even your father's imagination."
Waters: "That...wow."
Iro would say more, but that's when he sees Cronus falling.
Waters: "He did it! Now will the brothers fight?"
King of the Titans
"Cronus! Your time is at an end!"
Kronin stands before the King of the Titans as he sits upon his crafted mountain throne. It would seem that one at the size such as Kronin would not be heard by a behemoth such as Cronus, but he looks down all the same.
Cronus: "I have been expecting you to come and see me. I have helped kill all the upstart Olympians. How do you think you could surpass me when they could not?"
Kronin smiles, reaching back into the quiver on his back to draw a lightning bolt that was forged for Zeus eons before. The bolt grows in his hand, arcing with power.
Kronin: "You know the weapons your youngest son once used. This will seem familiar."
The eyes of Cronus go wide as he sees the raw power of Zeus in the hand of Kronin. He stands, a titanic scythe appearing in his hand.
Cronus: "Then, I will send on on your way to Hela's domain."
Cronus swings the scythe, but Kronin throws the lightning bolt that catches Cronus in the elbow.
The swing goes wide as the elbow blasts open, sending blood and bone fragments everywhere.
Cronus roars in pain, dropping the scythe. He holds out his hand, a cyclone of sand swirling around Kronin to bring him to his knees. His clothing starts to show signs of serious wear and his armor starts to darken with age.
Cronus: "Historians have always though I was the Titan of Time. This is wrong. It is the destructive effects of Time. I am the Titan of Entropy. Where all things come to an end. Feel as your futures end."
Kronin hurls another lightning bolt, then another, then another. All striking the midsection of Cronus to try to get him to stop.
Cronus coughs up blood, but then laughs.
Cronus: "You do not have the force that Zeus did. You cannot stop me before I age you beyond the capabilities of your little apples to keep you alive."
Kronin drops to his hands and knees, feeling his body aging rapidly. He reaches back, grabbing the rest of the bolts and merging them with his power. It will take most everything he has left, but it may just work.
He sees in the corner of his eye Hyperion, Crius, and Coeus walking toward the battle. They stop as Hyperion is killed from a blast coming from Iro Waters on top of Iapetus.
He throws the bolt, catching Cronus under the chin. It explodes out of the top of his skull, taking the whole top of his head away into fragments.
With the effect of the Entropy effect no longer upon him, Kronin jumps up and begins to run as Cronus slowly falls to the ground.
The shockwave from the impact sends Kronin through the air until he lands at the feet of Crius and Coeus. He stands up, reaching back with one hand under the quiver. He uses his own power to remove the bottom of the quiver and make it seem full of lightning once again.
Kronin: "Cronus is dead! Thamptis will not save you! Return to Tartarus and remain there until the end of days and I vow to not smite you down where you stand!"
Crius and Coeus look at each other before kneeling to the ground.
Crius: "We will go in peace, Kronin. For the one who has slain the great Cronus...look to the night sky. You will find yourself looking back. I am He who is the Titan of the Constellations! The Heavens will recognize and glorify this deed for all time, rearranging itself in your honor."
Crius and Coeus take a few steps before dropping into the great chasm that had split apart Vatican City so many years before. A chasm that leads straight into Tartarus.
Kronin sits back onto the ground with a smile, releasing his power from filling the quiver. They had won. The Titans and the Children of Ares were defeated, bringing down another major part of the leadership of Carthage.
Kronin: "Now, to strike a blow against Valora and find Lilly."
The Portal is Ready
Inside of Midoral Ithiak, Sikarin Tsooth sits idle in a throne crafted from humans shaped with a combination of magic and medical brutality.
The throne literally pulsates, oozes, and moans as Sikarin sits and admires an iron goblet that bubbles, hisses, and steams. Sikarin sips of the goblet with a smile. He motions lazily at the ceiling with a chuckle.
Tsooth: "Long has it been where everything has come together."
The ceiling swells, a large lump coming down as the stone blocks move as a liquid. The stone melts away from the end of the lump to reveal Hakim Firath, Director of Warhammer Australia. His head is shown as he hangs upside down, tears of sheer terror dropping into Sikarin's cup.
Tsooth: "Come now, Hakim. This isn't the murder you thought you would wind up being the target of. When I used a monstrous form to murder your parents while you watched, I had no idea that the phobia I was fostering in you would run so deep. Do you know that your people have threatened to rebel and seize Australia itself if help is not given to find you? At a time when Britain joins the war against Carthage even. Your fine country has avoided the bloodshed taking over the rest of the world until now."
Hakim struggles, but it is a futile effort.
Firath: "Why would you do this? You have been a Warhammer ally for so long!"
Tsooth: "I have been a Warhammer ally since the very first Circle of Fire convened, but it has ever been an alliance of convenience. I did not bring you down to converse. I just needed a little bit more of your delicious fear and anguish, the delightful fruit of your phobia matured to its fullest extent. I must speak with my other...ahem...ally. So, off with you."
Firath: "Wait!"
Hakim's words fall on deaf ears as he is drawn back into the ceiling and a large ornate mirror floats across the room. The view in the mirror changes from the reflection of Sikarin himself to a view of Thamptis.
Tsooth: "I heard about the losses in Italy and Greece. Who could know that a few heroes could change the balance of the world in slaying even Gods and Titans?"
Thamptis grits his teeth, his anger at recent set backs raw on his face.
Thamptis: "Once upon a time, I saved this world. I'm prepared to destroy it now..."
Sikarin takes a sip from his goblet with an even smile.
Tsooth: "Good. Good! Let's put that anger to good use. Shall we? Gather your forces and what allies you have remaining to a single location. The portal is ready for you to travel to Asgard. You can defeat one of your strongest foes and seize the Uru army. This war can be ended in a single stroke. Once the Earth and Asgard are yours to control, there is the portal hidden in Luxor to rule that world as well. Then you could also use the bifrost to invade any number of worlds. Imagine Carthage as a multidimensional empire!"
Thamptis slowly begins to smile, the wheels turning in his head.
Thamptis: "The destruction of Asgard is the first step."
Sikarin motions with a hand, shattering the mirror into sparks of light.
Inside the flying castle, Thamptis walks down a hallway through the fading motes of light of the connection with Sikarin. Nebiryau and Elizabeth Devereaux walk with him, but neither look very happy.
Nebiryau: "Brother. This invasion of Asgard is too risky! We will put so much of our resources into this that if we lose here, we may lose it all."
Devereaux: "Those who oppose us have been able to bring down Russia and-"
Thamptis raises a hand, silencing everyone.
Thamptis: "We will defeat Asgard. I will be leading the invasion into the land of the Norse Gods myself with the two of you at my side. We three are bound by purpose and by magic. Whilst the two of you yet live, nothing may harm me. I will use all of my power to keep you two from harm. The rest of the empire may fall, but while we three stand tall...nothing can defeat us in the end."
Devereaux: "Still...I sense something is foul in the air. What does Sikarin gain from this to the end that he would help us in the way that he is?"
Thamptis: "It matters not. We will rule two worlds when we are finished. Nothing else matters. Now. Summon our forces and summon our allies. When all is ready, the way to Asgard and conquest will be opened!"
Nebiryau: "Yes, brother."
Devereaux: "Yes, brother."
Thamptis: "Do not look sad. We stand upon the cusp of our greatest victory!"
Nebiryau and Elizabeth Devereaux stop as Thamptis keeps walking.
Devereaux: "Or the death of everything we hold dear."
Nebiryau: "We must obey, but remain vigilant, sister. Everything depends on us."
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.
Onslaught #6: Titanfall
Far from remaining on the defensive, Britain and the IWA strike out against Carthage. A show in Rome, Italy is booked as plans are made to bring down the Titans to damage some of the leadership elements of Carthage. Though is it really sane to take on what could be the most powerful allies of Thamptis? The arena itself is built over the chasm that the Titans had ripped their way out of...what used to be Vatican City. Bridges lead into the arena over what could very well lead straight through the Underworld ruled by Hades and into Tartarus. The ancient prison of the Titans and other enemies of the former Olympian Gods that ruled on high from Olympus.
Opening
The lights in the arena go out to be replaced by a dull red glow that seems to pulsate in intensity like a heartbeat.
The camera view pans through the excited crowd as a heartbeat is heard, especially as panels around the ring open to reveal a seemingly bottomless chasm. The one blow the arena that leads to the mythical prison known as Tartarus.
Music starts to play, changing the heartbeat and pulsation of the light as it does so, and revving up the crowd.
The panels close and the normal lights come back on as the song ends, the camera going to the Commentary desk that sits not at ringside as normal, but outside of the security railing so they do not fall. Jane Coughlin and Neil Dizon look uncomfortable sitting in the city where the WWI died.
Dizon: "Well? We're not in a warzone at least..."
Coughlin: "Don't be silly. Druscilla booked this show here to challenge the Titans."
Dizon: "Right. They won't be invading here then?"
Coughlin: "Probably not. We still have a good show despite the action that will happen outside later on. A couple of titles on the line and Valora takes on Lilly to try to gain some vengeance against Kronin indirectly."
Dizon: "I still can't believe we're in a newly built arena that hangs over the chasm that leads straight down to Tartarus! What if the whole arena fell in?"
Coughlin: "Then Carthage would lose several enemies."
Dizon: "I know, right? This sucks."
Coughlin: "We'll get out as soon as the show is over. That's when the real fighting will begin anyway. Alright?"
Dizon: "I love it. And since we're back where this began...I love you."
Coughlin: "From a 'Good to Be Alive' celebration *beep* to I love you. We've come along far, Neil. I love you too. Let's get this party started."
Dizon: "Think we could do another-"
Coughlin: "We're starting the show, Neil. Talk sex later!"
Fall of Athens
After ASA Legendary #5...
Tarrasque, Glaknar the Green, and Major Hizir Sengun are seen outside of Moscow. They have made their goodbyes and promised to show in Richmond for the show, but a chore must first be done. They are driving stolen snow mobiles to the Southwest.
A man steps out from behind several large mounds of snow, causing the three to stop. Hizir sneers and Glaknar growls, but Tarrasque laughs.
"What? You don't find me frightening? I am the God of Terror after all."
Tarrasque shakes his head, his laughter dying down.
Tarrasque: "Glaknar fears nothing. Sengun too broken for fear. Me? Me am the strongest! No fear here, little God."
Sengun: "Deimos. Did Enyalios send you here all alone as a sacrifice?"
Deimos frowns at his lack of being able to frighten the three, but his frown turns into a smile.
Deimos: "I can to avenge the death of my siblings, and who said I came alone? Now!"
The large mounds of snow burst apart to reveal a dozen Gigantes. They're every bit the size of the frost giants, save the coldness.
Sengun: "You must have been watching us to have been able to set this up. You would have seen how this will play out. We will kill all your little soldiers and Tarrasque tears you apart with his bare hands. Is that how you want things to play out?"
Deimos frowns, looking at Tarrasque for a long time and swallowing hard.
Deimos: "I...that is...I'm the God of Terror, Son of Ares! I cannot be defeated...by...mere...mortals."
Sengun: "Uh huh. And?"
Deimos drops his shoulders in a slump.
Deimos: "Stand down. We cannot win this."
The Gigantes look to Deimos as if not comprehending, but then another look to Tarrasque brings understanding.
Deimos: "I cannot return to Enyalios with failure like this. He'll kill me!"
Tarrasque walks over, placing a hand on the shoulder of Deimos with a smile.
Tarrasque: "You God of Terror. Him not real God of War. Him only son. You join us. Fight Little God and fight Dark guy in flying castle. Become hero! Give terror bad guys."
Deimos looks around and sees the encouraging faces of his warriors. He smiles.
Deimos: "I'll do it! Enyalios will regret this!"
Tarrasque nods, giving Deimos a great hug.
Tarrasque: "Good! Now we go Athens before Richmond!"
*****************
Athens, Greece....
Enyalios stands before his mirror. He has been scrying for the corpse of Tarrasque or for the return of Deimos. Failing that, he searched for Tarrasque and the corpse of Deimos.
The mirror has shown neither.
Enyalios paces in front of the mirror.
Enyalios: "Show me something, you piece of garbage! Show me the would be God assassin, Sengun! Show me the orc gladiator, Glaknar! Show me the gigantes that Deimos took with him!"
The mirror only shows Enyalios himself.
Enyalios raises a gauntlet covered hand to smash the mirror when he sees Deimos. Though the scene did not change...
Enyalios turns around to see Deimos standing before him without a wound.
Enyalios: "You defeated the monster without a scratch? Huz-"
Deimos: "No, brother. I realized my limitations. I have realized how wrong we were. We are beholden to a mortal, brother! A mortal!"
Enyalios shakes his head, drawing his sword.
Enyalios: "We both know by now that Thamptis is no mere mortal. The Titans follow him. Set follows him. Our sister thought he was powerful enough to follow. Thamptis will clutch this entire world in his fist one day. How can you tell me his side is wrong?"
The gigantes that followed Deimos enter the room. From behind them step Major Hizir Sengun, Glaknar the Green, and Tarrasque.
Deimos: "Surrender, brother. Surrender so that bloodshed does not have to happen. Do not let me be the last of the Olympians outside of the Underworld!"
Enyalios: "Do not worry, brother. You will not..."
With a blur of movement, Enyalios cleaves the heart of Deimos in half with his sword buries to the hilt. His eyes go wide as he feels his immortal life ending.
Enyalios: "Say hello to Father for me."
Enyalios rips his blade out of his brother's chest, letting him fall to the floor.
Hizir Sengun takes a shot, but Enyalios deflects it with his sword. Glaknar leaps in with his axe, but Enyalios blocks the blow, placing a hand on the orc's midsection, and hurls him away through the mirror.
Tarrasque just stands and claps his hands. Enyalios just glares at him.
Enyalios: "You're next, beast! What's so damned funny!"
Tarrasque: "You! You kill brother. You defend self. You not attack. God of War attacks. You father would have two kills. You weak."
Enyalios opens his mouth to speak, but no words come out at first. His face goes several shades of red before he can speak. Ok...scream.
Enyalios: "How dare you compare me to Ares! I am the better God of War! I am the one standing here alive while he is dead and with his Uncle in the Underworld! I will ki-"
The words explode out with his breath as Tarrasque slams him in the midsection with a fist.
Tarrasque follows this up by grabbing Enyalios by the hair and bring him down to smash his face into Tarrasque's knee before tossing him against the wall.
Enyalios hits the ground, his sword falling out of reach. Tarrasque rips him off the floor by the throat, slamming him into the wall. The fingers of the beast piercing and crushing even divine flesh. Enyalios tries to break Tarrasque's grip, but cannot pry the fingers away from cutting off his air supply and trying to crush his throat.
Tarrasque: "You talk too much. You father no talk too much. You not know? Ask him when you get there."
Tarrasque grabs with his other hand, squeezing with a wide grin until the head of Enyalios pops off with a crunch.
Tarrasque turns to Major Sengun and Glaknar the Green with a smile.
Tarrasque: "We win!"
The gigantes drop to their knees.
"We will serve the Strongest!"
Tarrasque nods, patting one of them on the shoulder with blood covered hands.
Tarrasque: "Good. Spread word. All lands Olympus ruled are mine. Me must go Richmond."
Xerios vs Samuel
Theobald: "This next match is scheduled for one fall! Featuring first the challenger, from the deepest, darkest pits of your imagination (God, who comes up with these?) Xerios Kubisa!"
"Hell's Bells" by AC/DC begins as Xerios Kubisa walks slowly down to the ring. He leers at a few fans along the way, but let's really be honest. The people here at the show live in a place where local rulers use large buildings or mountains as chairs. Or in the case of three of them, use mountains as toys. The fans remain silent and disinterested in the large red man with horns as he enters the ring.
Coughlin: "Has Xerios ever won a match here in the IWA?"
Dizon: "Maybe? I think so? Let me look back in my notes, and...no. I don't care enough to look. If he has won a match here, it was against someone else we don't care about."
Theobald: "And his opponent, hailing from Tampa, Florida...Samuel Zadian!"
24 Hours by Wretch 32 starts playing. A silhouette of Samuel Zadian appears at the top of the ramp. At the 0:17.5 second mark of the song, Sam walks in, revealing himself. He walks down the ramp, sometimes looking around and staring at the audience. He walks up the steel stairs and goes in between the middle and top rope. He climbs two corners, raising one arm to the crowd at each one. He walks to an empty corner and gets into a boxing stance.
Dizon: "And the crowd doesn't care. You think they won't cheer or boo these two for a reason?"
Coughlin: "No idea. Samuel has won a match here in the IWA at least."
Dizon: "Yay for him. Now let's see if he can take down this giant."
At the ring of the bell, Samuel drops under a punch to strike the side of Xerios's left knee with enough force to cause him to stagger forward. He follows this with an elbow strike to the gut to send Xerios curling down. He turns and grabs Xerios by the shoulders to heft him over into a-
Dizon: "Is that a power bomb right out of the gate?"
Coughlin: "I think so! Xerios landed on his head! Samuel is laying sideways on the mat, I bet his back doesn't feel good. Though, Xerios..."
Dizon: "His horns got caught into the mat and the rest of his body fell on the mat. Sure, his horns came out of the mat, but not before...yeah. Xerios isn't moving."
Samuel Zadian slowly gets to his feet, seeing that Xerios is laying on his back with his head at an odd angle from the rest of his body. He looks at the ref before going for the pinfall.
Dizon: "Unless a miracle happens, Xerios ain't kicking out."
Coughlin: "Sad to see a wrestler go out like this."
Medics come down to check on Xerios Kubisa, and try to load him onto a stretcher, as the ref raises Samuel's hand in victory.
Samuel Zadian looks at Xerios with some concern, but then heads to the back. Fans cheer him on for his bloodthirsty victory which brings a scowl from him as he heads out.
Dragon's Destiny
Theobald: "This next contest is scheduled for one fall! Featuring first, weighing in at one hundred and fifty-nine pounds...Clare Miller!"
"When I Die Young" by Band Perry begins playing as Clare Miller walks down to the ring. She waves to fans who cheer politely as she walks down to the ring.
Dizon: "Since their supposed return, the Dragon ladies have not done very much to stand out."
Coughlin: "No. For being people who helped turn disaster into victory, they have been defeated over and over. It's as if the driving force behind them was gone."
Theobald: "And her opponent, weighing in at one hundred and forty-five pounds...Zolotha-what? She isn't using this name? She threatens to cut people who don't use-if you think so. And her opponent...Tabitha Osborne!"
Though no music plays, Tabitha Osborne walks out from the back with a creepy smile for the booing fans. She waves to the fans, making them boo even louder, before heading to the ring. She smiles at Clare, bowing to her with a giggle.
Osborne: "The Irish Dragon. You poor thing. Were you sad when your homeland was invaded with no way of you being able to stop the oh so evil Brits because the Queen in Jessica Tendonin didn't say to go fight. How many of your friends and family died under the orders of my Queen, Lady Apathy?"
Dizon: "Tabitha already starting with the trash talk. This thing with the name is weird. It feels strange not saying Zolothach."
Coughlin: "Let me try it. Tabitha. Yes. That is strange. Clare has shown some powerful abilities before though, Tabitha shouldn't be so arrogant."
Once the bell rings, Tabitha and Clare meet in the center of the ring. Clare already looks angry as she glares at Tabitha.
The two stare each other down before either of them move. Clare takes a swing at Tabitha, but the fist is caught. Clare is pulled off balance into a backhand that sends her spiraling to the mat.
Clare starts back up, but a kick to the face sends her back to the mat.
Osborne: "No one cares about the Dragon chicks anymore, Clare. That is...if they ever did. No one will come to save you."
Tabitha leans down to leer at Clare as she speaks. Clare takes a swing at her face while sitting up, but Tabitha twirls around to dodge the blow. Clare rises up, but Tabitha jumps up to catch her from behind, and sends her skull bouncing off the mat with a huracanrana.
Tabitha rolls Clare over, setting her up as if for a camel clutch. Instead of hooking the jaw, she hooks her fingers into Clare's nose and eyes, and pulls back.
Dizon: "What the heck? Tabitha trying to rip the face off of Clare Miller?"
Coughlin: "It would seem to. The ref is breaking it up now."
Tabitha stands apart from Clare as the ref checks to see if she can continue.
Clare angrily shakes the ref off while standing up, bleeding from her nose along with several other spots where Tabitha's nails tore open the skin.
Osborne: "Use that power you have, Clare. Show me what you tried to use against Lord Tolkek. Show me the power used to defeat Xerios Kubisa."
Clare screams, lunging at Tabitha with both fists glowing bright. Tabitha catches both hands with a sickening giggle, a dark aura around her hands shadowing the glow of Clare's hands. With a show of strength, Tabitha forces Clare to her knees.
Osborne: "Tell me you don't feel it. That pain in the pit of your belly. The dread and despair that eats away at you from within. You know that the Order of the Dragon is finished. How many of your sisters have fallen out of contact? Hmm?"
The glow from Clare's hands fades away and Tabitha giggles sadistically, kicking Clare in the face while releasing her to send her over the ropes on the opposite side and into the security railing.
Dizon: "Did you see the blood spray from that kick?"
Coughlin: "She did land about six feet away from us, but yes. I think I may have even seen a tooth land somewhere in the crowd."
Clare rises up to her hands and knees, spitting blood onto the floor. She looks up to see Tabitha flying through the air before landing on her head and sending her face into the floor with a sickening crunch.
Tabitha jumps back to her feet as Clare rolls to her side, blood pouring from her shattered nose. Clare reaches with shaky hands to her face, but Tabitha grabs both of her wrists with one hand to rip her up off of the floor.
Osborne: "I know you have healing powers and can use them on yourself now. Do not think I did not keep track of your powers once I was freed by my mother."
Tabitha swings Clare with one hand, slamming Clare's spine into the ring post, nearly bending her backwards around it. She then tosses Clare into the ring like a rag doll before following.
Dizon: "While I am seeing Clare's arms move, I don't think her legs are."
Coughlin: "Her back might have been broken by that last move. I don't think she can get up if she wanted to."
Tabitha tests the theory, raking Clare's legs with claw like fingernails to rip open the flesh. She giggles when Clare doesn't register the pain.
A quick strike to the throat and Tabitha goes for the cover.
One...Two...Three!
Tabitha jumps off of Clare, raising her hands in victory as the ref swoops in quickly to roll Clare onto her side so she can vomit blood out instead of allowing it to fill her lungs.
Theobald: "The winner...Tabitha Osborne!"
Tabitha tosses the ref to the side, laying a hand on the side of Clare's head while shouting words of power. A thunderclap is heard and the power in the arena goes out.
Dizon: "What the *beep*?"
Coughlin: "No idea."
When the lights come back on, Clare lays on her side while staring at Tabitha in shock.
Miller: "What...what have you done?"
Osborne: "I've sealed your powers and warded you. You'll have to either heal naturally, which means you'll never walk again, or your sisters will have to kill me. Goodbye, Irish Dragon."
Dizon: "That was-"
Coughlin: "Uncalled for!"
Tabitha Osborne hurriedly leaves the ring as if going someplace. She turns around at the entrance as medics come out and blows Clare Miller a goodbye kiss.
Dizon: "Sounds as if this is the last that we will see of Clare Miller in the ring."
Coughlin: "Probably. I'd like to say that the wrestling world is taking a hit from this loss, but meh."
Dizon: "Finer words have never been spoken."
Coughlin: "Thank you."
Great Escape Championship
If Tony Manzell dodges this match, then he will be catapulted at a Titan to be eaten.
Theobald: "This next match is scheduled for being inside of a steel cage for the Great Escape championship! Featuring first, from Aberdeen, Scotland...Tony Manzell!"
"Cigaro" by System of a Down plays as Tony Manzell walks out from the back to the cheers of the fans. He steps into the cage, stretching old muscles to get them ready.
Dizon: "Have you heard? If Tony wins this match and retires the belt, he'll be released from being bound to Frietag's fate."
Coughlin: "A very bold concept, but a better carrot than threatening to feed Tony to a Titan."
Theobald: "And his opponent, from Hill of Tara, Ireland, he is the IWA Great Escape champion...Zareth Korbin!"
The lights go completely out. As the music (Apocalyptica - Hall of the mountain King) starts, dark green lights flash to the opening beat, and then die out as the song slows. The lights return as Zareth Korbin stands atop the entrance ramp. He raises his warhammer towards the ring as the song once again picks up, and flames shoot from each post. Korbin stalks down to the ring, ignoring the fans and everything else as the lights continue to flash. Korbin pulls himself up onto the ring apron and removes his armor, stretching his arms out in a crucifix position as the song ends and he steps inside the ring.
Dizon: "So, this Zareth was the strong arm of Devereaux and now he's the strong arm of O'Hara. Is he just muscle?"
Coughlin: "I think he was to be a protector or something. Right now, he just wants to beat Tony."
Dizon: "Good luck with that. I think he's beaten everyone else."
Coughlin: "Why doesn't he get a World title shot?"
Dizon: "I think Tony claims to not be a wrestler. Why don't we have someone ask him and see if he'd like to take on Kronin for the World title if he wins here."
As the bell rings to start the match, Zareth Korbin lazily swings his hammer in circles with a grin.
Korbin: "I have you in here at last. You thought you could dodge me and so I pulled what strings I could to get you here to your final match. I will break you."
Manzell: "Many have tried. Humanity prevails."
Zareth swings the hammer, but Tony slips behind Zareth to toss him backwards into the cage with a belly to back suplex.
Zareth jumps back up, lunging at Tony for a clothesline. He's instead caught for a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, but instead of finishing the motion, Tony sends Zareth's head back into the cage.
Zareth gets back to his feet quickly, wiping at blood in anger.
Korbin: "You won't beat me again!"
Tony ducks another blow, but catches an elbow to the back of the head when he tries to slip behind again. Zareth grabs Tony by the hair, slamming Tony's face into his knee with a laugh.
Coughlin: "This doesn't look good for Tony!"
Dizon: "Not at all."
Zareth laughs, kicking Tony in the side of the head.
Korbin: "Humanity prevails. A quaint concept when you consider those who defend humanity."
Zareth picks Tony up, hurling him at the cage. He catches Tony on the rebound, holding him up in a suplex position.
Korbin: "Who else can fight Gods and Demons, but Gods and Demons?"
Manzell: "God is one being, not a million deities."
Korbin: "Shows what you know."
Zareth drops Tony in a suplex, rising up to grab his hammer. He brings it down, but Tony rolls out of the way.
Manzell: "Asgard is a mythical place."
Korbin: "What's wrong with you?"
Manzell: "Castles cannot fly."
Zareth tries to smash Tony Manzell with the hammer, but the slippery mortal rolls and dodges until there is a circle of bashed mat around a standing Tony Manzell.
Korbin: "How do you keep doing this?"
Manzell: "I'm allergic to being smashed by a hammer."
Dizon: "Tony is the luckiest guy I know."
Coughlin: "He's just really skilled, despite being old."
Zareth laughs, throwing the hammer straight up into the air before hitting Tony with a spear.
Before they hit the mat, Tony gets his arms around Zareth's midsection to lift him up and use his momentum to ddt him down. Zareth bounces away as the circle Tony is in gives way to drop to the floor. Zareth jumps up to stop him rolling off of the mat, but his hammer hits him in the head.
Coughlin: "Looks like Karma right there."
Dizon: "Live by the Hammer, Die by the Hammer."
Theobald: "Winner of the match and NEW Great Escape champion...Tony Manzell!"
Coughlin: "Now to see if he will retire both himself and the title or just the title and take aim at Kronin."
Dizon: "Hasn't he beaten Kronin before? I'd take aim for the big title."
Son of the Devil Saint
A small tent hidden behind a large truck in Africa...
Terel Walker and Allen Anderson stand inside the tent. In a corner is a pile of corpses. In the opposite corner is a pile of evil red Cambion shocktrooper armor.
Walker: "You would think that your snipers would be able to pick out better sizes from a distance."
Allen picks up a torso section of armor with a hole large enough to fit a football through.
Anderson: "Or they could understand the concept of needing a disguise? You know, despite being back in the better graces of Warhammer...I feel they are still sending their reserve people to us."
Walker: "The rest are at war?"
Anderson: "Right."
Walker: "You do still have Warhammer credentials. Why can't you just walk in?"
Anderson: "I do indeed have a Warhammer Global pass. Why the heck not? Let's do it."
Anderson gets his cell phone out, sending a message to cease hunting and that he'll be using his pass.
The two get back into the back of the truck and starts heading for the facility.
At the gate to a large warehouse, the driver passes Anderson's card to the guard. He examines it, looking into the back passenger seats to see Anderson and Walker.
Guard: "You here about the prisoner?"
Anderson: "Prisoner? Yeah. We're here to question the prisoner."
Guard: "Good. Director Urizar had sent out for guy to come since his died with the Tower of Faith. Just make sure you don't tell his dad, the ceo, that we have him, or else there will be Hell to pay. Pun intended."
Anderson: "Very good."
The guard passes in an installation map to the driver who passes it back to Anderson.
Guard: "Good luck getting anything out of him."
Anderson: "Thanks."
As the truck is driven to their destination, Anderson and Walker look at the map.
Anderson: "They have Jeremiah? No wonder he didn't show up in Moscow."
Walker: "I thought he gained some sense."
At the warehouse, the two are led to a small interrogation room where Jeremiah Vastrix sits behind a table. The two sit on the other side.
Anderson: "Do I really want to know?"
Vastrix: "No, but you know I am gonna tell you anyway."
Walker: "Oh Lord, it involves sex, doesn't it?"
Vastrix: "Ok. It was days before your show in Moscow, so I thought I would check out this place to see how security had changed. And get a first look at this statue thing. I sort of got sidetracked with this fine office worker and was caught naked in a meeting room. Oops."
Terel does a face palm with a long sigh.
Walker: "How am I not shocked that you were getting it on-"
Vastrix: "Yeah, we were totally into it. Her head was on the floor with her knees against the table, and-"
Walker: "Enough! Oh God...I should have just went on to Richmond."
Anderson hides his smirk inside of a cough before speaking.
Anderson: "So what are they trying to get from you?"
Vastrix: "Why I was here, who would be replacing the dead Directors, and would my Father be supporting a move against the hottie in South America since she's been off a bit."
Anderson: "Ah. Does your father share that info with you?"
Jeremiah leans back in his chair with a laugh.
Vastrix: "You know he does? I'm not about to share those little tidbits with anyone, but the little Satanic boy himself!"
Walker: "Good thing he isn't here to-"
The locks on the door to the room are engaged. A little window is opened by the guard outside in the hallway.
"You three are to remain here. Ignado Urizar is in the building and would like to speak to you all."
The window is closed and there is silence in the room for a few minutes.
Anderson: "Someone really needs to educate you on ironic foreshadowing."
Walker: "It could be worse. They could have dropped gas pellets so they could tie us up before the brat got here."
Anderson: "No!"
As expected, the window opens up with several pellets being dropped in that explode and begin spreading the green gas into the room.
Anderson: "When we wake up, I'm kicking your ass..."
***************
Allen Anderson opens his eyes to feels his hands cuffed to the chair. He looks to his left where Terel is and to his right where Jeremiah is. Across from them sits Ignado Urizar.
Urizar: "Gentlemen. I would like to know why you have all come to visit me? I may sound a bit paranoid, but there have been several attempts on my life since taking control of Warhammer Africa."
Anderson: "We're here to see how you're doing of course."
Vastrix: "Sorry about the little misunderstanding with the office chick?"
Urizar: "Did you notice a ring on that office chick's finger?"
Jeremiah tries to move his hand, but chuckles when he remembers that he can't.
Vastrix: "I never look for those things. Was she married? I think she hated her husband for being some evil satanic...cult...guy. You know, maybe she was just blowing off some steam."
Ignado slams his hands down onto the table, spittle flying from his mouth as he screams.
Urizar: "That was my wife, you idiot! You came here and fucked my wife!"
Vastrix: "Was?"
Urizar: "I had the cheating bitch killed! Now, what do you people want here? Beyond this schmuck here that was involved with the murder of my father. He will die here and now."
Anderson: "Wait! Let's talk about this. He didn't-"
Walker: "No no no!"
Ignado draws a sidearm, putting a bullet through Terel's skull, covering the side of Allen with blood and gore.
Anderson: "You want to know why we're here, Iggy?"
Ignado points the gun at Anderson's head with a smile.
Urizar: "Give me a reason to kill you too. They won't miss you."
An explosion rocks the entire facility, nearly sending Ignado to the floor.
Urizar: "What?"
Anderson: "The Sandstormers along with several other branches of elite Shocktroopers, and heck...even most of your own Shocktroopers, did not like the way you treated your father's honor guard. I'm not saying that it's not tradition. I'm saying that they didn't like it. You are looking at a full on rebellion."
Ignado points the gun at Anderson's head with a snarl.
Urizar: "They cannot defeat my Nephilim and Cambion! My dark powers are-"
Vastrix: "Tech based."
Urizar: "I am a Disciple of the Fallen! I am-"
Anderson: "A liar and a wannabe cultist. Your father managed to gain the services of both angel and demon in his tower. You just wanted to piss him off while keeping your distance from the occult."
Ignado shakily holds the gun in his hand, going from Anderson to Vastrix.
Urizar: "I'll fucking kill you both! Tell them to stop! I am the Director of Warhammer Africa!"
Anderson: "Release us and I can do it for you."
Ignado looks uncertain, but as the gunfire and explosions sound closer, he puts the gun away and frees both Jeremiah and Allen from their binds.
Urizar: "Now call off the assault!"
Allen reaches into his pocket, checking his text messages to see that the strike team has acquired the statue and are away. The rest of the assault teams will continue to work to wipe out the rest of the Director's honor guards.
Anderson: "I will tell them to stop."
He sends another text and nods, hitting another button. He holds it out to Ignado.
Anderson: "Take this. They will be calling soon to ensure we are not being held against our will to tell them to stop."
Ignado nods, looking down at the phone quizically.
Urizar: "Download complete?"
Anderson: "It's nothing."
Ignado frowns, slowly getting his gun out before the phone rings. He drops the gun back in his pocket to answer the phone.
Urizar: "Yes?"
"Good. Hold still."
Ignado cries out in pain as an electrical arc strikes out from the phone to strike Ignado on the belt. He tries to drop the phone, but it's become magnetized to his ring. He pulls at it and shakes it to try to get it off, but to no avail.
Urizar: "What have you done to me?"
Anderson: "You murdered Shocktroopers because of fake ideology. You tried to have one of my workers killed because he defended himself against your insane father. You killed my friend because he was there when your father died. He did nothing but stand there when the fighting took place!"
Ignado grips the phone tight with a snarl.
Urizar: "Don't preach to me, Anderson. Think I don't know you? How much innocent blood is on your hands? You think you're better than me? You're not!"
Anderson: "I am smarter than you."
Urizar: "How are yo-"
That's when the first gunshot tears through the ceiling at an angle to strike Ignado in the upper chest, exiting out of his lower back. He staggers back against the wall where six more shots strike him.
Anderson: "I gave you a phone with an app to take out your force field and then the gps allowed my snipers to deal with you."
Ignado falls dead to the floor. Jeremiah elbows Anderson with a grin.
Vastrix: "I think your words fell on dead ears."
Allen rolls his eyes, but still grins.
Anderson: "I need to get to Richmond. I have a feeling that I'm going to be in a lot of trouble with Terel's widow."
Vastrix: "A widow? I like widows! Can I come?"
Allen just shrugs.
Anderson: "Why not? It'll give her another target. We should head out."
Bloodstain Rematch
Scaffold match...though the Floor around the Ring opens to the Chasm
Theobald: "This next match is a scaffold match and is for the-"
Coughlin: "Stephan! Hey, Stephan! Roux O'Hara isn't in the arena. She left with Casidhe and Zareth after his match."
Dizon: "Sorry, man."
Theobald: "Oh, come on! I know there's a war going on outside, but we still have to maintain a little professionalism!"
Coughlin: "For what it's worth, Iro went outside too. Once he heard that Roux went outside to fight."
Theobald: "*beep* it. If Druscilla knows what's good for the company, she won't be giving that Celt another shot at the title. It's a Bloodstain title, they could go fight it out on the head of Cronus for all I *beep*ing cared. Just have the damned match! Anyway...Iro wins by default. What the *beep* ever..."
The Final Coin
The Faith Within
Inside the Citadel of the Left Hand, also known as Midoral Ithiak...
Father Nathan is in chains. Bound by hands and feet in chains buried deep into the wall. The chi poisoning in his body still prevents him from accessing gifts bestowed upon him.
The room is dark, cold stone at his back lit only by flickering candles. His only company these past few days has been of dark robed beings of pale white skin and sharpened teeth with breath of dead things. They give him water and scraps of food while whispering of the feast they will have of his flesh and the bones they will break to sup of the sweet marrow within. All once their master is finished with the Priest.
They scatter as the distant, unseen door opens. A soft blue glow fills the room as Father Nathan looks up to see Sikarin Tsooth smiling at him.
Father Nathan: "Your invitation wasn't kind. I will avenge her."
Sikarin runs his hand across Father Nathan's jaw with a chuckle.
Tsooth: "Don't be such a dramatic fool. My servant left your phone with the innocent. She called the Celestial Dragon which came straight away after destroying the Red Palm Mistress and cured her before she died. They are probably in Richmond as we speak. I'm sure they would rather look for you, but the mask I keep around my home prevents idle company. Now then."
Sikarin flicks his wrist, the front of Father Nathan's outfit ripping open to reveal bared flesh. He presses skin with a finger, Father Nathan jerking in pain as electricity courses through his body.
Tsooth: "You know what I want from you, dear boy. All you have to do is give it to me."
Father Nathan spits blood onto Sikarin's outstretched hand.
Father Nathan: "I don't have it. I passed the Coin on, and you'll never get it from him."
Sikarin shakes his head with a smile.
Tsooth: "I am aware of your dealings with the angel. I know you passed the Coin on. I wonder if you know how this Coin was made in the first place? The Prophesy of my Master claimed its Destiny, but it was already here. It was ever on Earth. Not meant to have been in the hands of mortals, but there it was. The Faith of the Original Fallen, torn from their bodies, and gathered into a single object. You have been invested into much by your Divine Father. You can only access a trickle of it, but we can break the dam. Think your frail body can take it?"
Father Nathan raises his head to look at Sikarin in alarm.
Father Nathan: "What?"
Sikarin brings the crystal orb of his staff close to Father Nathan's head so that he can see eye to eye with the laughing skull within.
Tsooth: "It's just a matter of reversing the damage done by Tu Sha. This might feel good at first, but will then hurt a bit as your power rages out of control."
Father Nathan feels a release as the chi poisoning within him subsides to allow the divine power to once again channel through his body. He attempts to use it to break his chains, but then he feels the connection tear open.
The trickle of power considered safe for short periods of time before a roaring stream of power that sets all of Father Nathan's nerve endings afire as his entire body begins to glow with enough strength to bleach the walls white.
Tendrils of white hot power rip from Father Nathan's body to focus on a single point.
When Father Nathan feels that death is about to come, when he is about to make his own journey to the Heavens...the flow of power stops and the room falls into a blackness that is lit only by a glowing coin in the palm of Sikarin's hand.
Tsooth: "Not the original, but it will do. How are you feeling, young priest?"
Father Nathan struggles to lift his head from resting his chin on his chest to look Sikarin defiantly in the eyes. It's no easy feat as he feels more exhausted than he has even felt in his life, and everything in his body feels as if it were burning.
Father Nathan: "Release me from my chains and I'll show you how I feel."
Sikarin shakes his head with a chuckle.
Tsooth: "There's no need for dramatics. If I were inclined to let you live, you should thank me. You would have been able to channel more divine power than ever with what we did here on this night. As it stands, your part in this dramatic play is finished. My children will enjoy you for their dinner, even roasted."
Sikarin pockets the coin and stands back, the blue glow of the crystal switching changing to purple and then a bold red.
Tsooth: "Let the fires of your own hidden depths of rage consume you from within. It will save you the indignity of being eaten."
Sikarin begins the words of his spell, but they are ceased when the wall behind him explodes with fiery power. Father Nathan looks up with more than a little surprise.
Father Nathan: "You?"
Sikarin turns to see Tabitha Osborne standing with the corpse of one of his children by the throat. She drops the body with a giggle.
Tsooth: "Zolothach. We have been quite long in meeting properly."
Tabitha narrows her eyes at him.
Osborne: "Do not call me by that name. Do not think me so ignorant that I do not know of the lies you have been filtering through to me! I know the truth about the Great Old Ones!"
Sikarin frowns. It didn't make sense. Not a single mortal alive knew this truth, not even the Guardian knew this. That is unless...
Tsooth: "Aaahh. My home is protected against the servants of the divine, but he sent an angel to tell you the truth in a disguise. It's no matter. You have played your part well so far and has now also come to an end. Goodbye, Tabitha. You will serve as fuel for my Master's reborn power."
Sikarin Tsooth aims the crystal orb of the staff at her, releasing a stream of red power. It strikes Tabitha square in the chest, exploding her outward into black mist that dissipates.
Tsooth: "What? Oh, I have you!"
Sikarin spins quickly, the orb leaving a red arc in the air. Tabitha stands behind him, catching the staff with her hand just below the orb with a giggle.
Osborne: "You can't take us mortals on without this crutch can you?"
Sikarin smiles, the staff fading away.
Tsooth: "A conquest from the past and a trinket I enjoy using more than any other. Though you are right, I have relied upon its might for too long."
Tabitha strikes Sikarin in the throat, rending and tearing with claw-like nails that sends blood splattering from the wound.
Osborne: "Try breathing without a throat, old hag."
Tabitha turns to Father Nathan as Sikarin staggers backwards while choking on blood.
Osborne: "I'm not the hero you expected to see, I know. I'm not even a hero in our story...but I'm here to get you out of here in any case."
Father Nathan weakly shrugs.
Father Nathan: "Sometimes a foe can become a friend and a friend can become a foe, even for a brief time. Look out!"
Tabitha spins around, throwing up an arm to block a strike from Sikarin. His fingers lengthen into ropes that wrap around her arm as he laughs. The torn throat quickly seals up with a sucking noise.
Tsooth: "I have no vital points, little girl. My breathing is only for show. I am not a man, but a creation of my Master."
Tabitha hisses as the tendrils around her arm grow hot.
Osborne: "I suppose the blood shed was also for show? What if you lost it all?"
Sikarin releases Tabitha with curiosity as she screams out a language that was old when humanity was still very young.
Something unseen grabs Sikarin, ripping him away to the center of the room.
Osborne: "The Star Vampire thinks you're kinda tasty!"
Tabitha whispers words of power, breaking open Father Nathan's manacles. She catches him as he falls exhaustedly down, turning both of them as an inhuman scream is head.
The sight is...ghastly at best. The Star Vampire's many toothy sucking tentacles can be seen as they are filled with the black blood of Sikarin Tsooth. However, the blood rends open invisible flesh and coats it. Sikarin is torn apart, but coats the Star Vampire on the inside and out. His face shapes from the main body.
Tsooth: "I do not normally feast in front of guests I am about to murder, but this is a tasty one."
Roux had defeated a Star Vampire in the past, but it had taken much from her to do it. Sikarin has done it with ease.
Father Nathan: "Tabitha! TABITHA!"
Tabitha shakes her head to bring herself back to the present.
Father Nathan: "It's time to go, Tabitha!"
Osborne: "Right."
Tabitha walks with Father Nathan on her shoulder. She slashes at an attacking tentacle, tearing through it to allow them to get to the hole in the wall.
One the other side of the wall is a clearing leading to an ancient forest.
That clearing is filled with nearly a hundred of the sorcerous, cannibalistic, albino children. All of them readying different destructive spells.
Father Nathan: "One Immortal, Shapeshifting Wizard or a hundred of his flesh eating children. Which do you want?"
Osborne: "What? I pick one and you get the other? You can't even stand up!"
Father Nathan: "Well, you might be right."
Osborne: "Ok. You're going to swing around and hold onto my neck as tight as you can."
Father Nathan: "And choke you? I-"
Osborne: "HOLD!"
The last word coming out like a reptillian roar, Father Nathan glides around the her back, holding around a neck as he feels skin growing hot to the touch and tearing apart with the feel of something very solid underneath.
Father Nathan: "Saints preserve us!"
Sikarin Tsooth shifts back into a human form, the Star Vampire absorbed, with the Staff of the Seven Elders in hand. He watches with a smile as Tabitha transforms into the world's most powerful dragon.
The spells of his children slam into her chest to no effect as she launches into the air after blasting his servants with fire.
Tsooth: "Marvelous. Simply marvelous. They have both served my master well enough to live through this day."
He watches as Tabitha grows smaller and smaller in the sky. He cackles a bit.
Tsooth: "But why not with a bit of a scar..."
He sends a streak of blue energy out that strikes Tabitha in the rump with a rather large explosion that sinks her down a bit without crashing her. He turns around, pulling the coin out of his pocket.
Tsooth: "Now the time is nigh. The Prophesy is nearly complete."
Hundred Handed
Outside of Rome, Roux O'Hara, Lady Casidhe, and Zareth Korbin stand in front of three mammoths of ancient mythology. They are large enough to take up the entire horizon, each with a hundred heads and a hundred arms.
O'Hara: "Briareus, Coyyus, and Gyges! You once served to keep the Titans imprisoned at the behest of Zeus! Why do you fight alongside your prisoners at the word of the madman who slew Zeus?"
Briareus leans down, several dozen heads around the three to look at them from all angles. His voice comes as a mighty chorus.
Briareus: "We have long been fooled by Zeus. He retained us as jailers to keep us in a prison without bars for he did not want us above as much as our brother Cronus and our father Uranus. We are free to do as we like now."
O'Hara: "You will find the accommodations of your nephew, Hades, to be less than comfortable."
Briareus: "A threat from puny things? How quaint. A small hill will crush you all flat...like so many thousands of other puny mortals over the years."
Roux drops a seed onto the ground with sinks in and begins to sprout.
O'Hara: "Flower so beautiful and smell so sweet, none are so dangerous as a Bone Rose."
Briareus: "What are you talking about?"
The ground bursts open as a vine rips from the ground and splits off into a hundred smaller vines that go down into the throats of every mouth of Briareus. He chokes as the vines grow thick with bone white flowers and thorns that drip with a clear ichor that sizzles when it touches immortal flesh.
Coyyus and Gyges lash out at Roux, Casidhe, and Zareth with many hands. Casidhe quickly shouts a spell that transports them several hundred feet behind them. She places a hand on Zareth's hammer while looking into his eyes.
Casidhe: "Italy is full of Divine power cast off from dead Olympians. This will empower your hammer for a brief time with the power of a pantheon. Use the power well!"
Casidhe slips away as a giant hand comes crashing down. Zareth leaps on the back of the hammer, feeling new strength pour into him from the hammer. Coyyus lifts his hand up to regard it with one of his heads.
Coyyus: "Off!"
Zareth jumps from the hand, striking the head of Coyyus with his empowered hammer right between the eyes.
The impact shatters the skull, sending Zareth through to land on another head.
Everything seems to go in slow motion as Briareus falls backwards between his brothers to land dead on the ground with an impact that sends a shockwave out for miles.
Zareth smiles grim, cracking the skull he's standing on apart before leaping to the next while avoiding the many hands grasping to crush his body.
Casidhe stands in front of Gyges with a smile.
Gyges: "Why are you laughing? I will crush you!"
Gyges slams his fist down upon her, looking confused when he lifts his hand to find no smashed corpse. He raises his hand and notices that she's standing upon it.
Gyges: "You won't-"
Casidhe: "In this place, I can tap the power of fallen Olympus. Let's see who smashes who?"
Gyges moves to smack his hand when Casidhe begins chanting a spell. He stops, twitching as he begins to quickly shrink. When the spell stops, he looks up with hundred heads as the size of a mouse to Casidhe.
Casidhe: "Who is getting stomped?"
Gyges: "...do it."
Casidhe brings her foot down as Coyyus lands dead next to her, knocking her straight up into the air. Zareth Korbin catches her in the air with style before landing on the ground.
Korbin: "Going my way?"
Casidhe: "Ha! Let's find...Roux."
They find Roux standing in front of a totally reborn Lord Nevan. Roux doesn't look very happy.
O'Hara: "You're dead!"
Nevan: "Death is a subjective term. You'll know all about it soon enough."
Nevan points a palm at Roux, sending a cone of energy at her that vaporizes her. He bows to Casidhe, smirking at Zareth.
Nevan: "All hail the new Queen! May you and your Husband to Be enjoy a wonderful wedding and long reign."
Casidhe screams in rage, sending a bolt of energy at him. It strikes him square in the chest and explodes his body into bits.
Casidhe sighs, walking through the spot where Roux had stood.
Casidhe: "I do not think it was Lord Nevan that I destroyed, but it matters not. Zareth, my love! Let us be married during the IWA pay per view! Let our love and ascension be shared with the entire world!"
Indirect Vengeance
Steel Cage with Roof Added, Submission Only, Floor open to the Chasm
Coughlin: "We are back. We had a brief break while technicians patched up the ring from the Great Escape match."
Dizon: "It would have been fixed during the Bloodstain match while people were fighting on the scaffolding, but the match never happened."
Coughlin: "And we lost three techs because of the around the ring are that led into the chasm below the arena that leads straight through the Earth into Tartarus. Mostly because the mechanism to close the trap door failed to work."
Dizon: "There's four planks leading to the ring wide enough for someone to walk across! Enough of this nonsense. Shall we get down to the ring?"
Coughlin: "Yes."
Theobald: "This next match is the main event of the evening and is scheduled to be a submission only match inside of a steel cage! Featuring first the challenger...Valora Salinas!"
"Death Triumphant" by My Dying Bride starts playing as Valora Salinas walks out from the back to the cheering of the fans. He laughs as she takes in the cheers of the mainly pro-Carthage crowd before heading down to the ring. She leaps across the opening from the aisle to into the ring with a single bound.
Coughlin: "Valora is very cheery for someone who lost her World championship not long ago."
Dizon: "That's because she's planning something. Count on it."
Theobald: "And her opponent...Lilly!"
"Grace" by Apocalyptica begins playing as Lilly walks onto the entrance stage. She looks around at the booing fans, shaking her head.
In a flash of light, she's standing in the ring in front of Valora Salinas.
Dizon: "What? The *beep* she do that?"
Coughlin: "Magic?"
Dizon: "Oh yeah. I forgot that she could do that."
The cage is slowly lowered into place, connecting with the ledge right outside of the ring railing so that if thrown from the ring...either Valora or Lilly would be looking (or the ref too) at a very long fall if they miss one of four two foot wide planks.
Coughlin: "While this would be a very dangerous match for most people, I think both Valora and Lilly can either fly or teleport. The chasm here is just sort of dramatic overkill."
Dizon: "This is true. The chasm more to scare everyone in the arena I guess. I remember when the chasm opened up five years ago and the Titans first came out to signal the victory of Carthage over...well...everyone. It was one of the things that tolled the death of Warhammer Wrestling Inc."
Coughlin: "The other being the betrayal by Druscilla."
Lilly and Valora close in as the bell rings.
Lilly: "Try sapping my strength, bitch. I have an enchantment to try out."
Valora: "Oh I will. When I do, I'll take it all. You think your lover would enjoy a dry husk?"
Valora takes the first swing, but it passes harmlessly through an image of Lilly. She appears behind Valora, grabbing her by the hair with one hand, and nailing home kidney punches with the other. She continues her assault, dropping Valora with a bulldog.
Lilly pops up, placing her knee on the back of Valora's neck, and pulling back on her forehead.
Dizon: "Lilly going in for the quick win it looks like."
Coughlin: "She jumped right in there."
Valora gets her palms flat on the mat, shoving to leap into a standing position with enough force to send Lilly high into the air.
Lilly turns, planting both feet on the cage roof to springboard herself straight back down at Valora, but she's caught, and flung out of the ring.
Coughlin: "Already someone out of the ring!"
Dizon: "No! She's on her way back!"
Lilly springs from the cage wall at Valora, but is caught again, and planted with a power slam in the center of the ring. Valora follows this up by applying a Scorpion Vise. The ref gets into place to see if Lilly will submit.
Dizon: "Think this is it?"
Coughlin: "I doubt it."
It isn't long before Valora releases the hold and brings Lilly up for a Russian Legsweep, but Lilly breaks free to knee Valora in the gut. She hits Valora with an Evenflow DDT before standing up to grabs her legs for a figure four leglock. Valora sits up, belting Lilly across the jaw to send her into a backwards roll.
Dizon: "These two are really going at it!"
Coughlin: "They both have something to prove it seems."
Valora and Lilly meet in the center of the ring with Valora applying an armbar with a laugh.
Valora: "Let's test your enchantment."
Moments so by with the contact until Valora smiles.
Valora: "You created a circuit! I steal from you, but the energy flows through me, and back into you. Clever girl!"
Valora whips Lilly into the ropes, following close behind. Lilly rebounds, turning back through the air to hit a hurancanrana, but Valora ducks under it. When Lilly lands on her feet and turns, Valora latches on for her own hurancanrana that sends them both over the ropes!
Coughlin: "Oh no!"
Dizon: "How's the ref going to get a submission?"
The two quickly fall below the ring and below the arena with walls of bedrock far away to the sides. Lilly is above Valora, holding out both palms toward her.
Lilly: "This is where we end this!"
Lilly shouts a spell, sending a stream of power at Valora, but a silver bowl appears in her hands. The beam strikes it and reflects back to strike Lilly, sending her back up over the ropes and into the ring where Valora materializes next to her.
Valora: "I am not the simple undead you knew. I used your spell to break your defenses, and now..."
Coughlin: "Valora with the Aztec Clutch while using her draining abilities in full!"
Dizon: "I don't think that she can take it!"
Kronin runs down the aisle with the quiver of Zeus lightning bolts on his back as Lilly taps out just before passing out.
Kronin: "You win! Now let her go!"
Valora releases the hold, kneeling by the downed Lilly.
Valora: "Don't you have some Titans to kill? Lilly and I are going to have some quality girl talk. Later!"
Kronin hurls a lightning bolt in anger, disintegrating a wall of the cage so he can cross. Valora and Lilly are gone by the time he gets there though. Kronin looks around, his anger plain.
Kronin: "Valora!"
Dizon: "That's an ending I did not expect! Valora wins and steals Lilly away!"
Coughlin: "To what end? To force a title shot?"
Dizon: "No idea, but I'm sure it won't be good."
The Duel
Kronin runs through the broken streets of Rome with the quiver of lightning bolts on his back. He would have rather hunted down Valora to get Lilly back, but this is something that has to be done.
Word has gotten back that the remaining children of Ares had been killed in Greece. It left the Titans. Those few that had been imprisoned in Tartarus by Zeus.
In the distance sat Cronus upon a mountain throne of his own creation. He had once considered rebelling against Thamptis, since no Titan should be bound by such a puny creature.
The body of Atlas floats in the seat, bound to the shore by the chains that once held him fast to holding up the sky. An example set by the Dark Warlock.
Seems the sky did just fine without him...
As he nears, he starts reaching for a lightning bolt to be ready when he arrives. That's when a cackling laugh stops him in his tracks.
Valora rounds a building with a grin and a new sword. Glowing blue sigils run down the blade with a glowing stone on the end.
Valora: "This is a new blade, bound to my essence. When I kill you with it, I will get all of your energy instead of only some. Shall we try it out?"
Kronin moves his hand to draw his own blade.
Kronin: "Give back Lillian!"
Valora: "Give back my World title!"
Kronin: "Is that what this is about? A gold belt? Your obsession will be the end of you!"
Valora smirks, sending the tip of her sword about in a lazy circle.
Valora: "Been there, done that. You won't get further than here."
"Valora! I think it's time we played at last."
Valora licks her lips as Lenneth comes into view.
Valora: "I have been waiting for my chance to play with you, little harlot for the dead."
Valora nods to Kronin.
Valora: "You'll find Cronus ready for you. His brothers too. If you live, we'll see each other in the ring soon enough."
Kronin: "Indeed we will."
Lenneth holds aloft her spear as Valora and her circle each other warily. Lenneth a picture of determination and Valora with a wide smirk.
Valora: "I heard Asgard took a loss. A pity it hasn't happened sooner. After all of Olympus has fallen, did the lofty deities of Asgard feel themselves invulnerable?"
Lenneth: "Do not speak so casually of Asgard. We will survive this."
Valora: "You won't survive me!"
Valora slashes at Lenneth, but the blow glances off of her shield. Lenneth thrusts at Valora, but the blow is sidestepped.
Valora: "Sif dying and Thor running off leaves openings doesn't it. I wonder if Lilly had arranged this so her and Kronin could take their places in the pantheon?"
Lenneth: "She wouldn't do that!"
The two continue to trade blows with parries and dodges until Valora draws first blood with a slash across Lenneth's thigh. Valora smiles as a burst of energy is transferred from the sword drawing blood.
Valora: "You know a betrayer betrays. How many past masters has Lilly betrayed? How many more will she add to the list?"
Lenneth: "You lie! You don't know her history!"
Despite her bravado, Lenneth takes another wound along the rib cage a few moments later.
Valora: "I may not know, but you do. Don't you?"
Lenneth backhands Valora's sword with her shield, sweeping her legs with the spear, and pressing the point against the underneath of Valora's chin.
Lenneth: "You lose. Your empire loses a Goddess today and Carthage her most powerful ally."
Valora: "Don't be foolish."
Valora holds out a palm to Lenneth, hitting her square in the chest with a stream of energy that sends Lenneth backwards over a hundred feet where she lands without spear or shield.
Lenneth struggles to stand, but finds Valora's foot planted on her chest to hold her down.
Valora wipes blood from a small cut under her chin, licking the blood from her fingers with a sinister laugh.
Valora: "The lead Valkyrie under my boot as it's always meant to be. Maybe your successor won't be so foolish."
Valora holds a glowing hand over Lenneth's head when she sees Cronus slowly fall dead to the ground. The impact knocking Valora into staggering away from Lenneth, who quickly recovers her gear to stand up.
Valora: "I'll be damned. Kronin brought the big guy down. We'll finish our play date later."
Lenneth cries out, throwing her spear, but it passes through Valora as she fades away.
The Reluctant Titan
Iro Waters fires a grappling hook, sinking it into the shoulder of his target, and flying through the air as he reels in the wire to bring himself up. He aims a few kicks into the arm and chest of his opponent, but he really doesn't think it has any more effect on his target than the hook sinking in.
Who is this target that stands towering over all nearby buildings in Rome as a organic skyscraper?
Iapetus, Titan of Craftsmanship and Mortality, Brother to Cronus.
Iro stands on the shoulder of Iapetus, holding his cybernetic arm as it transforms into a cannon at the head of the titan.
Waters: "You're on the wrong side, Iapetus! Surrender or I will shoot!"
The massive head of Iapetus turns to look at Iro Waters.
Iapetus: "You cannot harm me."
Waters: "You don't know what I'm packing in this thing. I could blow your head clean off."
Iapetus chuckles, a motion that nearly sends Iro off of the Titan's shoulder.
Iapetus: "Actually, I do know exactly what's in your arm. I might have been imprisoned for thousands of years, but I am the Titan of Craftsmanship."
Iro sighs, sitting down on the Titan's shoulder.
Waters: "You going to swat me like a fly then?"
Iapetus: "I should, but I will not."
Fighting is going on all around them as forces work to bring down the Carthage military, but Iro pats the Titan on the shoulder as if he could feel the action.
Waters: "This is going to sound silly, but you want to talk about it? I mean...you are the bad guy here."
Iapetus: "I was angry with Zeus for so long. He slew many of my family during the War. He imprisoned me and my siblings. Delivered such cruel punishments to my children that were not imprisoned. I thought we owed Thamptis so for freeing us all. But then he killed Atlas and Prometheus. He slaughtered the Olympians who would not follow him. I was glad to see Zeus fall, but then he killed Hephaestus. He was not my son, but one of my heart."
Normally something like this you would see at a counselling session, but when in Rome (pun intended).
Waters: "And so will you continue to support Thamptis? You kind of have to try to kill me if you do."
Iro mentally crosses his fingers as he waits through the silence as Iapetus considers his next words with care.
Iapetus: "No. I will throw my lot with his enemies and hope for mercy."
Waters: "Oh good. Maybe we can help Kronin? He looks like he's fighting Cronus right now with Crius, Coeus, and Hyperion rushing to help."
Iapetus: "Yes. The cord from your shoulder...plug it into my shoulder. Your tech will be able to use my divine power. Then shoot one of them. That will draw them to us."
Waters: "Gotcha."
Iro does as instructed, feeling the jolt of power as the power of a Titan flows into him. He takes aim at the back of Hyperion and let's loose a might blast that grows into a cone shape that blasts the heart of the Titan into bits.
Crius and Coeus pause at seeing their brother fall and turn to see Iapetus at their back.
Iapetus: "They are deciding on if they should attack us or help Cronus. It should buy precious seconds to see if Kronin can defeat the King of the Titans."
Iapetus: "Here."
A scroll case materializes in Iro's free hand.
Iapetus: "Hephaestus kept a secret forge away from Olympus should he feel the need to hide from the eyes of Zeus. Brontes, Steropes, and Pyracmon are there with the other cthonic cyclopses. This map will help you find it and mark you as heir to the forge. When Thamptis is defeated, his main forge on Olympus will also be yours. These creatures are more than myth and barbarism. They delve into sciences merged with things beyond even your father's imagination."
Waters: "That...wow."
Iro would say more, but that's when he sees Cronus falling.
Waters: "He did it! Now will the brothers fight?"
King of the Titans
"Cronus! Your time is at an end!"
Kronin stands before the King of the Titans as he sits upon his crafted mountain throne. It would seem that one at the size such as Kronin would not be heard by a behemoth such as Cronus, but he looks down all the same.
Cronus: "I have been expecting you to come and see me. I have helped kill all the upstart Olympians. How do you think you could surpass me when they could not?"
Kronin smiles, reaching back into the quiver on his back to draw a lightning bolt that was forged for Zeus eons before. The bolt grows in his hand, arcing with power.
Kronin: "You know the weapons your youngest son once used. This will seem familiar."
The eyes of Cronus go wide as he sees the raw power of Zeus in the hand of Kronin. He stands, a titanic scythe appearing in his hand.
Cronus: "Then, I will send on on your way to Hela's domain."
Cronus swings the scythe, but Kronin throws the lightning bolt that catches Cronus in the elbow.
The swing goes wide as the elbow blasts open, sending blood and bone fragments everywhere.
Cronus roars in pain, dropping the scythe. He holds out his hand, a cyclone of sand swirling around Kronin to bring him to his knees. His clothing starts to show signs of serious wear and his armor starts to darken with age.
Cronus: "Historians have always though I was the Titan of Time. This is wrong. It is the destructive effects of Time. I am the Titan of Entropy. Where all things come to an end. Feel as your futures end."
Kronin hurls another lightning bolt, then another, then another. All striking the midsection of Cronus to try to get him to stop.
Cronus coughs up blood, but then laughs.
Cronus: "You do not have the force that Zeus did. You cannot stop me before I age you beyond the capabilities of your little apples to keep you alive."
Kronin drops to his hands and knees, feeling his body aging rapidly. He reaches back, grabbing the rest of the bolts and merging them with his power. It will take most everything he has left, but it may just work.
He sees in the corner of his eye Hyperion, Crius, and Coeus walking toward the battle. They stop as Hyperion is killed from a blast coming from Iro Waters on top of Iapetus.
He throws the bolt, catching Cronus under the chin. It explodes out of the top of his skull, taking the whole top of his head away into fragments.
With the effect of the Entropy effect no longer upon him, Kronin jumps up and begins to run as Cronus slowly falls to the ground.
The shockwave from the impact sends Kronin through the air until he lands at the feet of Crius and Coeus. He stands up, reaching back with one hand under the quiver. He uses his own power to remove the bottom of the quiver and make it seem full of lightning once again.
Kronin: "Cronus is dead! Thamptis will not save you! Return to Tartarus and remain there until the end of days and I vow to not smite you down where you stand!"
Crius and Coeus look at each other before kneeling to the ground.
Crius: "We will go in peace, Kronin. For the one who has slain the great Cronus...look to the night sky. You will find yourself looking back. I am He who is the Titan of the Constellations! The Heavens will recognize and glorify this deed for all time, rearranging itself in your honor."
Crius and Coeus take a few steps before dropping into the great chasm that had split apart Vatican City so many years before. A chasm that leads straight into Tartarus.
Kronin sits back onto the ground with a smile, releasing his power from filling the quiver. They had won. The Titans and the Children of Ares were defeated, bringing down another major part of the leadership of Carthage.
Kronin: "Now, to strike a blow against Valora and find Lilly."
The Portal is Ready
Inside of Midoral Ithiak, Sikarin Tsooth sits idle in a throne crafted from humans shaped with a combination of magic and medical brutality.
The throne literally pulsates, oozes, and moans as Sikarin sits and admires an iron goblet that bubbles, hisses, and steams. Sikarin sips of the goblet with a smile. He motions lazily at the ceiling with a chuckle.
Tsooth: "Long has it been where everything has come together."
The ceiling swells, a large lump coming down as the stone blocks move as a liquid. The stone melts away from the end of the lump to reveal Hakim Firath, Director of Warhammer Australia. His head is shown as he hangs upside down, tears of sheer terror dropping into Sikarin's cup.
Tsooth: "Come now, Hakim. This isn't the murder you thought you would wind up being the target of. When I used a monstrous form to murder your parents while you watched, I had no idea that the phobia I was fostering in you would run so deep. Do you know that your people have threatened to rebel and seize Australia itself if help is not given to find you? At a time when Britain joins the war against Carthage even. Your fine country has avoided the bloodshed taking over the rest of the world until now."
Hakim struggles, but it is a futile effort.
Firath: "Why would you do this? You have been a Warhammer ally for so long!"
Tsooth: "I have been a Warhammer ally since the very first Circle of Fire convened, but it has ever been an alliance of convenience. I did not bring you down to converse. I just needed a little bit more of your delicious fear and anguish, the delightful fruit of your phobia matured to its fullest extent. I must speak with my other...ahem...ally. So, off with you."
Firath: "Wait!"
Hakim's words fall on deaf ears as he is drawn back into the ceiling and a large ornate mirror floats across the room. The view in the mirror changes from the reflection of Sikarin himself to a view of Thamptis.
Tsooth: "I heard about the losses in Italy and Greece. Who could know that a few heroes could change the balance of the world in slaying even Gods and Titans?"
Thamptis grits his teeth, his anger at recent set backs raw on his face.
Thamptis: "Once upon a time, I saved this world. I'm prepared to destroy it now..."
Sikarin takes a sip from his goblet with an even smile.
Tsooth: "Good. Good! Let's put that anger to good use. Shall we? Gather your forces and what allies you have remaining to a single location. The portal is ready for you to travel to Asgard. You can defeat one of your strongest foes and seize the Uru army. This war can be ended in a single stroke. Once the Earth and Asgard are yours to control, there is the portal hidden in Luxor to rule that world as well. Then you could also use the bifrost to invade any number of worlds. Imagine Carthage as a multidimensional empire!"
Thamptis slowly begins to smile, the wheels turning in his head.
Thamptis: "The destruction of Asgard is the first step."
Sikarin motions with a hand, shattering the mirror into sparks of light.
Inside the flying castle, Thamptis walks down a hallway through the fading motes of light of the connection with Sikarin. Nebiryau and Elizabeth Devereaux walk with him, but neither look very happy.
Nebiryau: "Brother. This invasion of Asgard is too risky! We will put so much of our resources into this that if we lose here, we may lose it all."
Devereaux: "Those who oppose us have been able to bring down Russia and-"
Thamptis raises a hand, silencing everyone.
Thamptis: "We will defeat Asgard. I will be leading the invasion into the land of the Norse Gods myself with the two of you at my side. We three are bound by purpose and by magic. Whilst the two of you yet live, nothing may harm me. I will use all of my power to keep you two from harm. The rest of the empire may fall, but while we three stand tall...nothing can defeat us in the end."
Devereaux: "Still...I sense something is foul in the air. What does Sikarin gain from this to the end that he would help us in the way that he is?"
Thamptis: "It matters not. We will rule two worlds when we are finished. Nothing else matters. Now. Summon our forces and summon our allies. When all is ready, the way to Asgard and conquest will be opened!"
Nebiryau: "Yes, brother."
Devereaux: "Yes, brother."
Thamptis: "Do not look sad. We stand upon the cusp of our greatest victory!"
Nebiryau and Elizabeth Devereaux stop as Thamptis keeps walking.
Devereaux: "Or the death of everything we hold dear."
Nebiryau: "We must obey, but remain vigilant, sister. Everything depends on us."