Phase Forty-Eight: Life's A Masquerade
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Divide and Conquer
Hania was starting off the show with a mic already in hand. She wasn’t booked for tonight, but she was fully dressed for a fight. The fans were hyping her up, knowing exactly what she was going to address tonight. Banged up with a bandage around her waist and obvious bruises still lining her body, Hania grimaced every so often as she moved, but stone cold determination was still present.
Indigo stood by her teammate and friend. A look of caution was on her face as she watched Hania pace back and forth in anger, trying to find her words. The raven-haired beauty kept her mouth shut despite feeling uncomfortable. Something was off, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Tonight was not going to be an essay one.
“Last week a couple of bitches decided to put their hands on the Howling Huntress. Tied me up and pretty much had your way with me. It’s clear that I have some lingering enemies out there. Let me guess...Jimmy must’ve hired you both,” Hania says into the mic. She starts to laugh, despite it causing her pain.
“Jimmy, I get that your little plan to put Indigo and I against each other didn’t work, but you have to let it go. We’re a team now and it’s going to stay that way, so instead of sending random broads to attack us, you need to show your face like a man.”
Indigo nods and takes the mic. “You knew I’d be distracted with my match against Zack. You knew we had history and some unfinished business. That’s why you sent the attack out when you did, but I’m here now. There’s no pulling a fast one on us. If you want a fight, get your ass out here right now and fight.”
The women remain in the ring and refuse to leave until they get some answers. Seconds ticked by, but nothing happened. They exchange a glance with each other, unsure of what would occur next. In another few seconds, the light flickers overhead. Indigo and Hania put their backs together, ready to fight. As the lights continued to flicker, the two women were ambushed. They brawl in the ring, punches and kicks being thrown with every flicker. It’s hard to tell what happens entirely, but Hania howls out in pain before the lights finally settle down. She was alone, face down on the mat in excruciating pain. Her bandages had been torn off. Clearly, they knew exactly what to target. Indigo was gone. Vanished with the assailants.
UIC Pavilion
Brandi Lauren vs Tessa Blanchard
Tessa is in the ring already with a smirk on her face and a mic in hand. She flips her hair over her shoulder, standing tall in the center of the ring
“When I decided to make a full return to PCW, I expected real competition. I expected a whole new breed of talent that would actually be worth a damn...yet I’ve been handed table scraps. Taya, I know you did this on purpose. I know you don’t want me to shine on the show, but I could wrestle a stick and it’d be a Match of the Year candidate.”
Before she can continue, Ava makes her way to the ramp with a smirk of her own and a mic in hand. “Oh, please, Tessa. You are yesterday’s news. Nobody cares about you like that anymore. You’ve got all these titles across the globe, you’ve been somewhat impressive here in PCW, but let’s be real...there’s new blood in the building. A better legacy will be created by yours truly and I will be at the very top of the hierarchy sooner rather than later.”
The two traded more words until Ava had enough and raced to the ring. They slugged it out, going back and forth as the crowd hyped up the match. Despite having less experience, Ava was taking it to Blanchard. The Diamond was on the defense, eventually leaving the ring. Storie attempts a chase and Blanchard takes advantage when rolling back into the ring. She catches Ava on the rope for the codebreaker, but Storie gets her foot on the ropes. Blanchard goes for the signature DDT, but Ava counters for a roll-up, holding the tights for the three-count.
Jay Lethal vs Will Ospreay
The two men immediately locked up and went hold for hold until Will takes the advantage with a sudden enzuiguri. Lethal attempts to escape on the outside, but his opponent took him down a suicide dive. They continue on the outside as the referee starts the count. Jay gains the advantage with a sudden uppercut.
He tosses will in for a one-count. Jay takes control for a short while, but Will manages to escape every attempt to connect with the finisher. Jay became increasingly frustrated, and it nearly costs him the match as Osprey gets the packaged roll-up pin. Lethal manages to escape and capitalizes after an uppercut with the Lethal Injection for the victory.
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Shooting The Breeze
We return to the ring, Tyler Breeze's theme song playing over the PA system. The ring is decked out; a large pink fluffy rug now covers the mat, a small coffee table with a microphone and two bottles of water and two black leather recliners sit in the center. Tyler Breeze sits in one of them, using his selfie stick to look at his phone and fix his hair. Setting the phone down, he reached forward and picked the mic up from the table.
"I said on Twitter that, while I may not be scheduled for action, I was indeed going to show up and let my presence be known. So, that being said, I'd like to welcome you all to a historic night. Because you are about to witness the long-awaited and anticipated return of... Shooting The Breeze with Tyler Breeze!" He smiled, nodding his head - the crowd, however, gives him a primarily negative response of boos, a few cheers and claps mixed in.
"Thank you, thank you. And since this is such a monumental occasion, I knew I couldn't disappoint when it came to having a guest on tonight's show. So, speaking of disappointment, let's bring out our guest for tonight... Please welcome... Rachael Ellering!!"
Rachael's theme hits, and she stands backstage for just a few seconds until the beat picks up. She rips through the curtain, screaming as the fans erupt for her. She smiles for a second, standing at the top of the ramp, before looking down in the ring, and the smile quickly fades. She begins walking down to the ring, never once taking her eyes off of Breeze. She slides into the ring and walks over to the chair where Breeze was sitting in. She gave a soft laugh, and shook her head, walking by him to grab a microphone as her music died. She hopped up onto one of the chairs and rolled her eyes as she relaxed. "Thanks for having me, or whatever."
"You're welcome. I think there's been a lot of misunderstandings and animosity between us. So I thought it would be the perfect setting for us to get everything out in the open and put to rest those misunderstandings. What do you say?"
Rachael looked out to the crowd, where the majority of them were chanting no. She gave a smile as she glanced over at Tyler, and nodded her head softly.
"Tell you what, Breeze. I'll give you an opportunity to clear the air. I don't have a problem with you. I, in fact, like you Tyler. We have the same trainer and the same path here. So please. Enlighten me. Why did you decided that you wanted to pick on me?"
"You see... I didn't pick on you. I motivated you. Well... That's what I tried to do. But then..." Tyler adjusted a string of hair, pushing it to the side, behind his ear.
"But then you lost." He could see Racheal's demeanour change and he quickly held a hand up. "Calm down. What I'm trying to say is... Now watch me bring this around full circle... You disappointed people. Which brings me to my first question, Rachael. What's it feel like to continuously disappoint, not only yourself but everyone around you?"
"I don't know, Tyler. Shouldn't you be the one answering that question?"
The fans ooooh as Rachael shrugged her shoulders and gave a small laugh.
"Almost fired from NXT. One of the most touted athletes in NXT. Go to the big show with... a lot of fanfare and what happened to you, Tyler? Now you're a 30-year-old nobody, who no one cares about anymore. Me? I'm just starting out. I'm still trying to perfect my craft. Regardless of what you say, Tyler I'm not a disappointment."
Tyler's face scrunches in disdain, almost on the verge of a pout before regaining his composure. "I see what you're trying to do. Trying to get me to lose my cool. You're trying to project your internal disappointment onto me. I'll throw you a bone. Lord knows you need something to go your way once in a while." A sly smirk adorned his face as he adjusted in his chair.
"You see, I may not have what many consider to be an accomplished resume, As far as the "big times" go. But you know what? I'm there. There are thousands upon millions of people that would trade their life for mine. To be in the shoes I'm in. And yes, I'm 30. But look at guys like AJ Styles. Shinsuke Nakamura. Samoa Joe, etc. Guys that didn't reach the top spots until well into their 30s. There are guys and girls in NXT older than me. I still have plenty of time to accomplish what I want. But nice try, Rach." He gave her a phoney and condescending smile before taking a drink of water.
"But anyway, enough about me, this about you, Rach! The spotlight is yours. So that brings me to this question... Everyone knows you as 'Paul's daughter' and 'That girl from the MYC', amongst some others. But what's it like to add another moniker to the list... 'The girl that lost to Tyler Breeze in his PCW debut'?
She rolled her eyes as he continued to try and run her down. Shaking her head, she sighed, looking at Tyler curiously as she stood up.
"I am Paul Ellering's daughter, you're completely right about that. Everyone is someone's son or daughter. I'm proud of who my father is. He's the best father in the entire world. If that's your biggest insult to me, Breeze, then you obviously need to head back to Lance's and learn how to talk. Because... That's weak. Much like you." The fans gave a small cheer as she smiled.
"As for me being the girl in the MYC? Yeah. That was me. I made history. I was one of 32 women who continued a revolution in Women's Wrestling, and I was lucky enough to be selected for it twice." The fans applauded as she nodded. Small 'women's wrestling' chants began in the crowd, and she smiled brightly.
"As for losing to you, pretty boy? It was a lucky day for you. You'd never be able to do it twice."
Tyler feigned shock as Rachael stood up in front of him. "That sounds like a challenge. Is that a challenge?"
Tyler stood up, flattening out his shirt before raising the mic back to his mouth. "Get the powers that be to draw up the papers. I'll sign. But, Rachael. I need to say one more thing before we wrap up."
Tyler took a step forward and his face turned to a serious look. "We talked about disappointments, earlier and I find myself wondering something... I wonder about your aforementioned father. I wonder if he's going to be more disappointed in the fact that you challenged me and failed a second time... or more disappointed in the fact that he never told Mrs. Ellering to take a morning after pill, 25 years ago."
Tyler smirked, looking at Rachael. "Ha." Rachael scoffed and nodded her head as she looked at Tyler curiously. Her eyes sizing him up for a moment before she shook her head. She lightly patted Tyler on the shoulder as she brought the microphone back to her lips.
"See you soon, Breezy Bitch." She quickly hit him with a right hand, knocking Tyler down to the ground as she stood over him, taunting him to get up but he quickly rolled out of the ring, holding his jaw and retreating up the entrance. She no longer looked like the Queen of Strong Smile, she looked like a woman on a mission.
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Pentagon Jr. vs Pavor Nox
The rematch of The Fear and The Fearless was set and the crowd was paying full attention right from the start, knowing full well that something wild was bound to be in store.
Pentagon Jr's entrance was met with cheers and loud reaction. He did not look like he was in the mood to play at all. He reached the ring, looking intimidating from the first time the camera hit him. He did not look impressed or bothered by the eerie flickering of the too bright lights.
Nearly every light in the UIC Pavillion were uncomfortably, almost painfully white. Suddenly there was one loud popping sound, followed by another and another. Each of the bright white lights made the sound of bursting and fizzling then the arena went starkly black.
Quietly at first Protege Moi began to play. Only the ramp lights lit red, tracking up to the ring revealing the inconsistent shadow of Pavor Nox and his Doll, walking with his unusual, delicate and uncomfortable gait. The doll was escorted to an antique rocking chair on the outside of the ring and Pavor disappeared as the lights went black, then somehow back to normal and he was face to face with Pentagon Jr in the center of the ring.
From the second the bell rang, Pentagon was laying into Pavor with brutality unhindered by fear or hesitation. The taller figure held his own but everything he threw at the luchador failed to stick. He focused on wearing him out, forcing the other man to expend as much energy as possible for his moves, evading more than retaliating.
Strange whispers rose up through the sound system whispering secrets and threats, barely audible in the sounds of many voices. Shadows danced and threatened over the ring. Pavor climbed to the top turnbuckle for a flying move of his own when Pentagon Jr. seemed exhausted but before he lept into the air, something caught the corner of his eye, but it was too late to abort the move.
Spike Trivet made his way towards the ring, slowly, determined but keeping his cool, accompanied by the booing of the audience. He'd threatened Pavor before, and though the fear monger could feed off him as he could from the rest of the Haus of Havoc, the deathmatch noble didn't have anything to hide from Nox. But Pavor had something to hide from him.
Despite embodying fear itself, it seemed like terror was reflected briefly in his eyes and his lack of concentration cost him. Pentagon caught him in midair and brought him forcefully back to the mat with an earthshaking powerbomb.
While Pavor fought to crawl out of the ring, disoriented from the last move and for the first time truly looking rattled and out of control, the titantron showed what was taking place outside of the ring once again.
Spike took a violent hold of the doll sitting near commentary table, tugging the small figure towards him and holding him hostage, away from the ring and away from Pavor. The doll thrashed and wiggled in his grasp, but his movements were very delicate and it almost didn't seem like he was struggling at all, while Trivet's grasp just got stronger, too tight on him.
A loud shout was heard from Pavor again but as he tried to run after the threat that Spike posed, he felt a firm grip around his ankle, reminding him of the real fight at hand. Fury took a hold of him and he twisted, one hand bracing on the mat so his other foot could come into harsh contact with his competitor's head, knocking him away for the moment.
Pavor took that moment to slid out of the ring, sending a violent punch sailing for Spike Trivet's face, seeming desperate to release his hold on his creation. As the lights went out, the last thing that was seen was Pentagon in midflight, in perfect trajectory for both of them. After that there were only flashes of a fight visible on the titantron, all three involved. The referee was forced to announce the match as no contest because when the lights returned Pavor, Pentagon Jr, Spike and Sominum, the doll were all gone leaving only the broken rocking chair in their wake.
Candice LeRae vs Paige
The toughest cupcake makes her way to the ring first with the crowd fully behind her. This was her last match before taking on Hendrix and she needed the momentum going in. She was more than determined to succeed tonight.
Paige came out next to a warm welcome. The raven-haired competitor makes her way down to the ramp with pure confidence in abilities tonight. She expected a victory against her opponent.
The two go at it once the bell rang. Strike for strike, hold for hold. Nothing was connecting until Paige catches LeRae with a superkick for a two-count. She takes control, connecting with several headbutts before going for the Scorpion Lock. Candice refuses to tap out and makes it to the ropes. Again they battle it out and Candice takes control with a suicide dive to the outside. She takes the win with ballsplex for the three-count.
The celebration doesn’t last long as Hendrix makes her way to the ring with Priscilla close behind. Candice fights them off for a while, but the pheromones surrounding the ring by Hendrix in combination with the numbers game eventually catches up. Candice can hardly fight back. Taeler sends her to the outside, using every part of the ring to shatter her body and spirit until LeRae could no longer stand. Taeler wasn’t done yet. She yanked Candice’s head and kisses the bear unconscious woman.
Taeler gave off a wicked smile and waited as Candice turned over to reveal the veins under her skin turning a shade of green. In seconds, the woman began to screech in pain, convulsing on the floor as paramedics rushed to the ring.
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Heart against Hardcore
Sami Callihan had taken the ring with a mic in hand. He was visibly pissed, still steaming over his loss to Cadwell last week. He paced back and forth, kicked the ropes and turnbuckles, as the fans began to chant about his loss to Chris. “Shut up! Shut the FUCK up! He didn’t beat me. He didn’t truly put me down. He just got lucky. That’s all his victory was: a fluke. It will NEVER happen again.”
The fans only sing louder and Callihan growls into the mic. “I will rip that little shit’s head from his body and squash it underneath me boot like the bug that he is. He doesn’t have what it takes to truly go the distance with me. Nah, he ain’t got the balls to take me to the limit. I’ve beaten countless opponents much stronger than him. Better than him. Hell, I am the one who ended Allysin Kay. Nobody could touch her for months... Except for me. I ended her career in PCW, but you all think Chris can stop me. It’s pathetic.”
The fans continue to sing in Chris’s honour and Callihan has had enough. He rolls out of the ring and yanks a chair out from underneath it before tossing it into the barricade. The crowd are stunned into silence as Sami makes it clear he will break them, too. “Woah, Woah. Sami, you need to calm down” Cadwell says as he makes his way to the stage. “These people are simply reminding you that there is someone out there that can put you down. That someone is me.”
Chris slowly makes his way down the ramp as Callihan buffs and puffs on the other side of it. “You’re hardcore, you’ve beaten one of the most controversial champions PCW has ever had, but you haven’t beaten me, which means you’re not better than me. In fact, all you know for certain is that you got a height and weight advantage. After that, it’s all fair game. I don’t need to be a brute to take you out. I’m faster than you, smarter than you—I can put you down with just a little thought put into my strategy. You can make all the claims you want, but at the end of the day... The score is 1-0 and it’s going to be 2-0 when I become the next champion.”
Sami drops the mic and removes the championship from around his waist. Chris was already prepared for what comes next. Sami charges him and the two explode into a battle of flying fists. Sami overpowers Chris and sends him into the steps, but connects a knee strike to the metal as a Cadwell uses his speed to get out of the way. They clash again, neither man easing up as the journey up the ramp. Security appears to break them up, but it was near impossible to rip them apart. Callihan manages to boot Chris back in the chest, sending him and the referees down to the floor. Callihan breaks free and leaps off the ramp onto Cadwell, throwing caution to the wind. The brawl continued on the floor, the men trading blows and even Cadwell going as far as to bite the hand to force Callihan off of him occurs. It was only when the general manager appeared that everything stopped.
“ENOUGH OR I WILL SUSPEND YOU BOTH AND VACATE THAT TITLE!” Sami immediately slows his fists and Cadwell ceases fire. Both slowly separate and turn their attention to Taya as security keeps them apart.
“Can’t say I wasn’t enjoying the warfare, but if I let complete chaos occur, we wouldn’t have much of a roster or a security team... Who were completely useless tonight. That said, I’m willing to let you both go the distance and practically kill each other on another night in a TLC match.” Taya says no more and leaves the stage as security forces Sami and Chris to leave the arena.
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Frankie Valentine vs Natalya
Natalya appeared first and ready to rumble and assert herself as more than just a special guest. The fans welcome her warmly as she takes her place in the ring.
Frankie was next to show herself and her expression was of pure annoyance and disdain. The fans were mixed, unsure of how to react to her newfound attitude.
The two lock up once the bell rings and Natalya overpowers Frankie again and again. The woman was becoming increasingly frustrated, eventually catching the Hart with a back elbow. She takes over with her own show of power. The fans are completely engaged as Frankie gets a two-count after a fisherman buster suplex. She was showing grit and aggression that was highly unlike her, making Natalya pay for her appearance.
The Canadian veteran did her best to fight Frankie off, but the woman unleashed quick counters and unbelievable power that eventually put Natalya away for the three count. Frankie didn’t have long to celebrate.
She grabbed a mic and called Rhea and Flash out immediately. Rhea didn’t waste any time answering the woman. She was out in seconds and the two brawled in the center of the ring. Back and forth these former friends damn near killed each other trying to work off all the anger and hatred they now had for each other.
It wasn’t until Morgan made his appearance that everything ceases. “Ladies, I’m well aware that your disintegrating friendship is all because of my title. I hate to inform you that you two threw something special away for nothing because you will both fail at capturing the All-Weight Championship. You can continue to attempt to kill it each other now. It’ll make our triple threat, Falls Count Anywhere Match, that much easier for me to win. You both will get your shot and you both will fail miserably.”
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(Right click on the picture below to open link in new tab.)
A recording begins and Indigo is show on the camera. She was unconscious and being dragged along a dirty, cement floor. Yellow light from overhead lights the way. She slowly stirs as she’s pulled along and the camera slowly moves to show one woman in a white, dollface mask. “Kill, annihilate, capture, purge” were scribbled onto the mask and x’s blocked put the eyes. The camera moves again, clearly, someone else holding it, to reveal another figure. Entirely cloaked and unrecognisable from behind. Indigo’s groans could be heard in the background.
The third assailant moves the camera back on a dazed Indigo. She doesn’t speak at first, gathering her thoughts, before finally speaking out. “There’s three of you...?” She receives no answer and the woman helping her be dragged suddenly stomps a boot down into her chest. Indigo coughs hard and the woman continues until blood is hacked up from Indigo’s lips. The camera holder finally turns the recording on them. A doll face mask on them, as well, with the same writings and X’s. Theirs also spells out “freedom” across the forehead. Indigo tried to fight back, despite her injuries. The second assailant kicks her across the face before the camera shuts off.
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(“Tiptoe through the window. By the window, that is where I'll be.
Come tiptoe through the tulips with me.”)
The camera is once again recording and Indigo awakes, tied to a chair. The angle was from above, the camera clearly a surveillance one that captured Indigo in a room with no windows. She was placed in the center of it, trapped between three women.
(“Oh, tiptoe from the garden.
By the garden of the willow tree.
And tiptoe through the tulips with me.”)
The woman who stopped her was to the right, shoving spikes into something, but her back was to Indigo and the camera wouldn’t capture it all. Another, likely the initial cameraman, was to her left. The sound of metal sharpening metal could be heard as sparks flew. The woman was sharpening something—a knife? Sword? What? Indigo couldn’t tell, but just as panic started to set in, the third woman, who sat at a table across from her, begin to lightly tap her nails on the wood.
(“Knee deep in flowers we'll stray.
We'll keep the showers away.
And if I kiss you in the garden, in the moonlight, will you pardon me?
And tiptoe through the tulips with me.”)
Her face was hidden from the camera, but Indigo could see her clearly. Panic started to grow and her eyes widened as the woman’s head lifted for full view that only Indigo could see. Whatever she saw, whatever the woman said, it freaked Indigo out. The woman unintentionally jerked back and the chair feel over as she tried to escape. The third woman stood up slowly as the other two stopped what they were doing. They inched towards Indigos fallen body and helped her back upright.
They forced Indigo to look the woman in the eye. She attempted to twist and turned her head, but the woman could not pull away. The atmosphere had changed. Whoever took Hania was being generous that night because the look on Indigo’s face made it clear these people are far more insidious than originally thought. She started to scream, twisting in her chair to escape as they held her down and the woman reached across the table to the hollering woman.
(“Maybe it's flowers you stray will be the showers of life.
And when I kiss you in the garden in the moonlight.
Will you pardon me and tiptoe through the tulips with me?”)
***************
Indigo was tossed out onto the cold cement. Hours had gone by. Not a single star shined above her as she rolls over onto her back. The trio that took her stood above her, one looking down through their mask without a sound. The other held the camera again, recording Indigo as she slowly comes to. The third, the leader, had their back turned to her and whispered something to one of the assailants. Indigo is grabbed by her hair and dragged across the ground until she’s dumped in front of the PCW entrance.
“You were an excellent... Canvas to draw inspiration upon, Indigo. You are free to go for now. You will show this to her. All of it, all that occurred within the last few hours. You will tell Hania that her fate will be far worse than your own.”
“W-w-wh...” Indigo could barely cough a word out. They did not spare her, making sure she would be the perfect messenger. Bruises were visible along her arms, a black eye was forming, and there were numerous light cuts to her body. Just deep enough to bleed, but not to seriously injure. They toyed with her.
“Why you? Why Hania? Hania is... An interesting specimen. So strong-willed, but I wonder how intact her faith is. I wondered what it would take to shatter her beliefs, to shift her perspective, and reveal to her that the only higher power she ought to answer to is me. As for you. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time, but using you has surely caught her attention. You served your purpose. You only live to tell the tale, to spread my message to the masses. Be thankful, rejoice, because you have lived to see another day.”
Before she could speak, one of the masked figures kicks her in the face and Indigo is out cold once more. The leader scoffs and walks out of the camera’s sight. The camera seems to zoom in, but really the masked attacker simply sets it down on top of Indigo’s chest. Only their feet are captured as the trio walk away.
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