NeXuS VI - Round 2

[Public Enemies]

Round 2:
- Eight participants will have roughly one week, the top four will advance.
- There WILL be post restrictions for this round given the larger number. Again, 5k posts. Try to keep post reservations to 6 to 8 hours each.



THE ELITE EIGHT:

Desperado
Hayden HardKore
Johnny Simpson
Nicholas Carson
Ollie Jay
Ryan Hughes
Shawn Dreamer
Vex

DUE DATE: TUESDAY JUNE 26th, 2012 at 7pm EST

[Nicholas Carson]

The eight men stand at a distance from each other, casting paranoid looks around as they scurry for weapons in the trash cans provided. Only one of them does not partake in the festivities. That man is Nicholas Carson. The behemoth faces away from them, his eyes locked on the departing loser he hoped would make it this far - Dustin Delta. The Floridian manages to sneak a peek back and sees Nasty Nick waving goodbye to him. Wiping a fake tear from his eye, Carson smiles and winks at him, all but giving the big "fuck you" to the man who beat him for the KotDM title. Once Delta vanishes behind the curtain, the colossus finally turns his attention to where it should be, figuring he would find them enthralled in a wild clusterfuck by now. What greets him is seven men with weapons in hand, not fighting each other but staring him down like he was the last piece of meat at the dinner table. The gig is up for Nicholas Carson. The coming beat down registers in the mind of the mad man, sending him to fish in his pants for a can of Copenhagen. Nicky Boy slips a pinch in and looks each man in the eye, all of them having a back story with him in some way directly or indirectly, none of it good. After a moment of suspense, Carson tosses his hands up and beckons them to come get some.

"Well? You boys gonna do something or keep looking at me like I stole your bag of dicks?"

His booming voice barely has time to end the statement before they pounce like a pack of ravenous hyenas.

Thwack!
Clang!
Crack!
Kur-Plunk!

Everything from a chair to a chain to a Singapore cane batters the big man's frame, dropping him rather quickly to their surprise. A lightube swung by Dreamer shatters across his back as he lies there, then Vlad's rookie protege rotates in to have his go at the monster. In his mysterious hand is a item most obscure but ironic in its correlation to his gimmick - a Rubik's Cube. Akin to his mentor, the masked grappler quips at the fallen legend as he pulls him up to a sit.

"Consider yourself...."

Vlad's student slams the perplexing toy against the Necromancer's hard head, the impact so profuse that it breaks the device into several pieces.

"Vexed."

The Agent of Chaos doesn't have time to deal with the aftermath of it, because one of the ten foot ladders appear over him, held at either end by Simpson and Desperado. They bring it up and down, smashing him with it once, twice, then a third and forth time. Carson's only reprieve comes at the behest of his staunchest rival, Hayden, whom insists on being allowed to do something dare devilish to the beast he's never defeated. They move out of position for a second, allowing the Kiwi to get a good run going across the unstable flooring, where he ends up taking flight. The ladder wielding duo hurl the Home Depot item into him suddenly, throwing his plan askew, swatting him out of the air like a fly. All hell breaks loose from there. Each man turns to the nearest one, a smattering or fists and weapons being thrown recklessly, half hitting half missing.

"After a solid seven man alliance against Nicholas Carson to start the second phase, it is now every man for himself."
"As it should be. And what they did to Nick doesn't surprise me. The man is the most vilified person on earth."
"They really did a good number on Carson. Couldn't have happened to a more deserving guy."

The free for fall devolves as veterans Hughes and Despy wind up with the Big Bacon from Macon, the rookie who didn't have to suffer through round one. They grab his big arms and steer him toward the barbed wire wall, only to meet each other head to head when he abruptly stops and pulls his limbs inward. Ryan falls under the might of the Georgian's follow up Big Boot, but the Deadly and Dangerous One escapes and grabs up two metal trash can lids. One shot after another pings off Simpson's head, denting them every which way possible, but in the end the big fella still stands, albeit dazed. On the other end of the spectrum, Vex has found himself in a Full Nelson courtesy of Ollie Jay, and is currently being pulverized in the chest and stomach by a Kendo stick happy Hardcore Prince. As Dreamer swings another one, Ollie moves himself and Vex out of the way, sending Shawn off balanced, OJ knowing full well Dreamer would've eventually used the weapon on him too. Seizing the moment, All Day Ollie Jay shoves Vex away and scoops the Hardcore Prince atop his shoulders, then drives him crown first onto a toppled over metal trash can.

"It appears the veterans have ganged up on the rookies here for the most part. Well, were. That DVD into the can ended that."
"It's like a 4 on 2 in there; it'd probably be a 6 on 2 if Hayden and Nick weren't out."
"Well, those two are stirring, so we may see a 6 on 2."

Johnny Simpson bowls Desperado over with a sudden Clothesline, then picks him up effortlessly and presses him overhead. In a impressive show of strength, the farm boy tosses Despy into the barbed wire bulwark, the structure stabbing and slicing at the 5 time finalist's back. The Brooklyn Bomber gets tangled in it, stuck there like a fly in a spider's web. All the while Despy and Big Bacon were battling, the ever resourceful Hughes had scoured a nearby can, pulling out a ninja blow-dart in his search. He fiddles with it and tries to blow the dart into Johnny's back, but it malfunctions, leaving him with no other option but to use it as a blunt object, which he does by clobbering Simpson about the back and head a few good times.

"Aww. That's not very ninja-e of Hughes. Somewhere in Canada a man named Chris disapproves."

Out of nowhere, a rejuvenated Kiwi speeds into the fray with a staple gun held in each hand. He goes to work on Ryan and Simpson, duel wielding it to their faces and firing away like a berserker on Battlefield 3. In the commotion, Hughes' left eyelid gets stapled shut, but it doesn't matter since there's nothing much to look at in Boston (or the U.K. for that matter) anyway.

tbc

[Millson and Simpson]

The Batmanite emits a rather girlish scream by his standards, clutching at his eye and looking like a character from a Saw movie whilst Simpson fares only slightly better, a staple now entangled in his bottom lip. Simpson's inner rage drives him on, however, and he charges at the Flying Kiwi, only for Hayden to launch the stapler at the facial regions of the Punisher, sending Simpson to ground. Unfortunately, Hayden is quickly seeing stars as a steel chair connects with the back of his cranial lobe, having been swung like a baseball bat by the All Day Gangsta, Ollie Jay. As Ollie stands tall, he sees the carnage caused by the other competitors and decides to make a break for it, grabbing the ladder used on Carson and positioning it underneath the elevated cage canvas. Scrambling for the biggest win of his career, Ollie starts to clamber up the steel rungs, but halfway up the steel structure his feet are grasped and Vex yanks the All Day Gangsta back to ground before unloading with rights and lefts to the cerebellum. Jay reels as the flurry of punches hit their mark and as he sways, Vex winds up a haymaker, the crowd 'oohing' and 'aahing' to build up the suspense, finally letting out a cheer as Jay is floored by a thunderous right to the temple. Vex shrugs and takes Jay's place on the ladder, beginning an ascent to superstardom.

Vladimir Strife's erstwhile protege takes each step as it comes, quickly reaching the top rung of the ladder. As he reaches for the elevated ring canvas of the third stage, his rush of adrenaline quickly turns into a rush of pure fear as the implement whereupon he stands is pushed over by Simpson, the Macon Native sending the masked man flying. With the worst luck possible, the ladder just about manages to reach the barbed wire cage walls, meaning that as the ladder topples, Vex's momentum sends him on a collision course with the cage walls, the barbed wire ripping him to shreds, his blood coagulating on his body. The sadistic Simpson smiles at the painful landing of the mysterious masked man, but the smile is wiped from his face as a vengeful Desperado, who can sympathise with the fate of Vex, turns Simpson around and leaps into the air. In a split-second, Despy grabs the head of the Punisher in a Three Quarter Facelock and slams Simpson face-first to the mat with his patented DKO, the crowd erupting in cheers for the Strife Slayer.

DKO! Simpson never saw it coming.

Can Desperado take advantage and become the first man to reach stage 3? We all know how often he's reached the last stage, but failed to overcome that last hurdle. Can this be his year?

Maybe so, but first he has to get through a certain Hardcore Prince.

As Oliviera refers to, Desperado has managed to spot Dreamer rise to his feet as he disentangles himself from the collapsed trash can. The two former allies and rivals stare at each other, the entire complexion of the match coming down to the history between two veteran competitors. Both men nod and begin to rythmically clap their hands, the Nexus audience following suit, hyping up the oncoming struggle. Both men leap at each other, locking up in a standard Greco-Roman tie-up, Dreamer taking the advantage after traversing around the back of Despy and trapping his foe with a wrist lock. Dreamer then throws a kick at the sternum of the Strife Slayer as he holds the wrist, following it up with multiple kicks to the chest, each shot lighting up Despy a different hue of red. However, the one-dimensional offence of Dreamer allows Desperado to block an oncoming strike by clutching the leg of the Hardcore Prince. Using all his power, Desperado dump tackles the off-balance Dreamer like a Rugby prop and begins to lay in the punches as he straddles his friend, quickly bloodying his opponent. Despy then dismounts and grabs Dreamer by his long mane of hair, lifting him to his fullest verticality and preparing for the second DKO of the stage. Only one man's booming voice could stop him.

You didn't finish the job, bitches!

Desperado turns as the battered, bruised but not defeated Carson looms over the two rivals. Before either man can react, Carson lurches forwards and hits both competitors simultaneously with short arm Clotheslines. The Chlorine Gun Innovator lets out a guttural roar, earning the disrespect of the crowd in the process, before hauling Dreamer and Desperado back to their feet, clutching the throats of both men. Holding both athletes by their larynx with a hand each, Carson smiles with malice and lifts both men into the air before throwing them back-first to the canvas. The ring shakes and Carson sets his eyes on a new target, like a hunter with sights on his prey.

Carson is in complete control after that huge Double Chokeslam. How can anybody keep this monster down?

We've been saying that for years and we're no closer to an answer. I don't think you can keep a good Carson down.

TBC

[Hayden]

Carson allows himself to let out a laugh as he looks across the ring at the only combatant left standing, the Cyclops- Ryan Hughes. With a permanent wink stapled onto his face, Hughes does his best to look menacing. He sizes Nicky up and, throwing caution to the wind, charges at the behemoth. The Batman leaps over downed bodies, clutching a discarded baseball bat as he goes in the hopes of evening the scores against the monster. However, the one eyed Englishman is unable to correctly judge the exact distance between him and Carson. He winds up running head long into Carson’s waiting fist, dropping him like a sack of potatoes. The bat that he had brandished does more harm than good, Hughes tossing it into the air as he falls. Carson simply watches with sick amusement in his eyes as the bat comes crashing back down to earth, slamming into Ryan’s skull as he lies flat on his back.

”Looks like the Batman just got a taste of his own medicine – I think he’s out cold!”

”He just got leveled by a single punch, that’s what happens when you run into a fist. I guess his eyelid getting stapled closed by the tricky Kiwi must be playing havoc with his depth perception.”

”Carson has leveled the field… And then there was one”[/center]

Carson has little time to revel in his sore hand, as the mutterings around him let him know that at least one man has come to. Looking around behind his right shoulder, he sees the figure of Ollie Jay staggering to his feet near the corner of the cage. Beside him, the masked Vex is also untangling himself from the barbed wire. He doesn't even make a sound as each of the barbs tears a new chunk of flesh on its way out. Finally free, Vex and Ollie Jay look set to square off against each other. That is until the booming sound of heavy footsteps catches the attention of both men. Carson is bearing down on them, swinging the very bat that had knocked Hughes out just moments earlier. He swings wildly and both men duck underneath the flight-path. Snarling like a rabid dog, Nicky winds up for a second swing, but is accosted by the unlikely pairing. While Ollie Jay goes for the obvious and tries to disarm the baseball bat, Vex sweeps at the big man’s ankles and chops him down to a more manageable size. The big man topples backward into the barbed cage wall. For good measure, both assailants back up across the ring, Ollie Jay now with the bat in hand. The pair charge at the big man, a Double Dropkick slamming his body further into the cage wall with a resentful grunt.

As the battle rages, a third man slinks his way around the ring. With one of the ladders in hand, the Kiwi Veteran decides to invest time in his surroundings, rather than charging into battle. He places a closed ladder against the far wall of the cage, letting it rest at a 45 degree angle. A second ladder is then placed in the center of the ring, where the Kiwi proceeds to climb. He is about half-way up the ladder when the two men still standing beneath him notice. Ollie backs into the ladder, which had not been there moments earlier, then looks up at the Kiwi with a perplexed look on his face. Vex follows suit, his mask hiding what may have been an equally as puzzled expression. Hayden simply waves at the men before kicking the ladder out from underneath him. The ladder topples sideways, crashing down on both Vex and O.J., more as a distraction than anything. The crafty veteran falls backward, landing on his feet atop the second ladder, placed against the cage wall.

”Hayden HardKore is back in action. He let the battle rage around him and escaped the radars of all other competitors until the opportune moment.”

”And knowing the Jackass, he will always have a trick or three up his sleeve. To game plan against him, you have to think like he thinks… three steps ahead”

[/center]

What happens next seems to flow together like a marble run. Having untangled themselves from the pesky metallic distraction, Ollie Jay and Vex turn their attention to the cheeky Kiwi. Vex lingers back a moment, knowing that angels fear to tread, while the Gangster rushes in, brandishing his trusty baseball bat. Hayden smiles as his prey approaches, crouching down into what appears like a fighting stance. When O.J. reaches the bottom rung of the resting ladder, Hayden turns and runs – up the cage wall. Unable to stop his momentum, Ollie Jay continues on ahead, grasping fruitlessly at the Kiwi’s ankles while Hayden proceeds to turn his body around in a Liu Kang -style Back-flip. Hayden passes over the top of his opponent, planting a double-footed Mule Kick to O.J.’s back in the process that sends him sprawling head first into the wall of the cage, opening up a sizable gash on Ollie’s forehead for his troubles. When the dust settles, Hayden is left standing face to face with what looks to be an almost impressed looking Vex, while the remainder of the combatants slowly rise around them, each feeling the effects of another year of Nexus on their bodies.



TBC

[Vladimir T. Strife]

Ignoring their recovering opponents, Hayden and Vex remain fixated upon one another. Strife's protege clears his shielded face of it's disbelief and places his arms straight at his sides before bending forward in a sign of respect. The Kiwi, appreciating the sportsmanship, bows in return before the rookie. As he does, he is met with a clash of crowns, the man of mystery taking a mighty step inward and driving his own skull against Hayden's, dropping him down to one knee. The sound of jeers grow audible as the crowd begins to turn against him for his disingenuous tactic, but the Black and White warrior pays them no mind as he steps in close to the 4 time King of the Deathmatch and takes him by the back of the head. The Down Under Daredevil instinctively responds with a sturdy right hand just over the beltline, breaking Vex's focus and sending him back a few paces. He makes expert use of the space he's created, pressing back up to his feet and grabbing the newcomer by the hair. Hardkore pulls his head down into his free and rising arm, slapping the crease of it against his chin and rocking his skull back. The Godking's student retreats further, looking for some relief from the Jackass's persistence.

A figure racing towards him from the side catches the attention of the Jackass, Dreamer rushing in with malicious intent. His sharp instincts serve him well though, the Kiwi hunkering down and turning to meet him shoulder to stomach. He grabs hold of the Prince's thighs, sweeping them forward so he can plant him onto his back. With momentum in his favor, Hayden returns to a vertical stance and darts in for the kill on his previous rival. He bounds into the air after closing the distance, bringing his feet up before him and slapping them across the pectorals of Vex. The rookie is knocked off of his feet and slams down onto the flimsy platform as his attacker pushes off and flings himself back, going heels over head before crashing down across Shawn's midsection.

"Dropkick into a moonsault! It does not get much better than that!"
"You really can not underestimate Hayden for even a second. That man is brilliant."
"A genius, perhaps?"
"Now wait, let's not go that far. There's only room for one genius around here and I kind of have rights to it."

Across the platform from the fresh carnage, Ryan shakes the proverbial cobwebs from his head as Carson sneaks behind him with the stapler in hand once more, looking to finish what Hayden had started. Slowly, he reaches out and grabs the Mancunian by the shoulder, spinning him around to face the incoming weapon. Despite his impaired vision, Hughes manages to grasp the maniac's wrist, pushing back against his advance desperately. GHW's Dark Knight is no match as far as strength is concerned for Nicholas, who begins to gain ground in the struggle, and is forced to rely on his wit instead. He brings a swift kick up between the legs of the Agent of Chaos, catching him in the most sensitive of areas and leaving him hunched over in agony. Ryan easily disarms him, claiming the stapler and then slamming it across the side of the Necromancer's head and fastening his ear to it. Not content with this measure of equalizing, he peels his hand away from the wound just as soon as it arrives there and locks it between his thighs. Leading Carson down to his stomach, he wraps his arms around his head and reels back, holding the Batman Lock in to torture his would be tormentor despite it's futility in the current stage of the match.

Johnny, taking advantage of the madness, props the ladder up once again and looks to bring himself one step closer to victory. He takes hold of the sides and sets one foot onto the first step. A steel chair comes down across the back of his head, driving it forth into a rung before he can climb up and further. Ollie Jay treats The Punisher to an encore of the assault, leaving him stunned before discarding his weapon. OJ steps in next to him, bringing his closest leg onto the lowest rung as well and reaches across Simpson's back, grabbing tightly onto another. While his opponent is still seeing double from the tandem shots, he whips back, jerking the ladder from it's standing and pulling it and it's occupant to the platform with a clamor of steel and bodies.

"Impromptu Russian Leg Sweep with a ladder... I love it!"
"Yeah, he'll certainly be feeling that one in the morning."
"Trust me... you don't forget the NeXuS for many mornings afterwards.."

Ollie rises back to his feet, taking in his handiwork with a bit of pride. His line of sight becomes obscured by the unexpected Strife Slayer popping out in front of him and reaching in, seizing the Georgian around the waist. With no time to protest, OJ is whipped up and overhead, coming down upon his spine across the crumpled trash can he had earlier dumped Shawn Dreamer into. As Desperado rises back to his feet, he grabs onto the ladder, looking to make his way to the top cage for the sixth time.

TBC (If I left this off, would noone else post and therefore guarantee me a place in the final 4?)

[Desperado]

The Nexus Warrior began his ascension, his eyes on the summit. There were bodies lay battered at his feet, growing distance with each step he took; having knocked out the only remaining victim with the cold upper-cut to the jaw or a one-hit K.O as he liked to call it. It was like a blast from the past; similar scenes, different faces. He recalled all the previous moments he had achieved this feat, trying not to remember the countless times he had failed. Despite his gravest efforts, it was futile. Nothing could take away those memories. The times he had lay in the locker room, battered and bruised; pointless. There were no prizes for second place, third or fourth. Many may have rated him for having achieved the final four on five occasions, consecutively, an act that would probably never be repeated but for Desperado it was not enough; he had to win.

He was halfway up now and the depression had kicked in. Was there even point in trying so hard when you’d come crashing back down. It was like the spider that tried and tried again. Perhaps Desperado was that spider, who would never give up.

“I reckon Desperado going to make it. He’s planned this to perfection. Let everyone take each other out and then take his chance. It’s no wonder he always makes it to the top.”

“I wouldn’t count his stars yet. Luck plays a major part in this tournament and some could say he got lucky before. Luck might not be on his side this time.”

“I don’t think Despy needs luck, he makes his own destiny.”

There was a weight on his shoulder now; the expectation of millions. Although he didn’t like to let it show but he was the showman who hated to disappoint. There was a spot in the final stage with his name on it and he wasn’t letting no son-of-a-bitch take it from him. With his mind drifting else-where, he failed to notice a challenger to his throne taking up from the opposite side of the ladder.

It was none other than the man Desperado despised; the man who he had betrayed. It was the Imperfect son-of-Satan himself, Nicholas Carson. A wicked smile was on his face as he challenged Brooklyn’s finest in a race to the top. Desperado was all in for the challenge but his claim to the throne was hindered as a tight grasp locked around his ankle; the hand of Hayden. Desperado desperately attempted to shake it off but it was to no avail. Jackass was not giving up that easily. A two-time finalist himself, Desperado knew the threat he possessed. Before Desperado knew it, Hayden had dragged him back to earth. The former Imperial Champion had seen it coming and upon landing struck Hayden in the neck, causing him to choke before slamming both his palms against his ears. Once his opponent was discombobulated, Desperado rose off his feet and then struck the Hardkore Legend dead in the chest.

“A dropkick from Desperado but it is too late now, Carson already near the top.”

“The wise thing to do would be to get back to where he was and hope he can also make it despite the hindrance.”

“But knowing Despy, he’s going to go after that crazy clown.”

Just as Matt had predicted, Desperado had decided not to continue his climb but switched to the opposing end of the ladder, giving pursuit to the sadistic psycho. A smile grew on Carson’s painted face as he realised the risk Desperado had taken and the adrenaline immediately kicked in. This was going to be fun.

The high-flying hunk attempted the same move Hayden had inducted but had his hands trampled instead as the Imperfect saw it coming from a mile away. A stupid mistake as it almost cost Daniels his balance but the deadly and dangerous superstar hung on. He took several quick steps as Carson struggled to get his footing in place, catching up in the process. With both men near the top of the ladder, it would be ignorant not to realise they both could easily make it through. Carson sent a look that almost pleaded for Desperado not to do anything stupid but Desperado being the stubborn nut-case he was shook his head in disagreement forcing a scowl of anger to form on the joker’s face. He forced a boot at Desperado which the Strife Slayer dodged with ease followed by another which was a near miss but the third shot did catch, right into Desperado’s grip. The Yank tugged at it, forcing Saint Nick to lose his footing, catching his chin on the steel step and dropping onto Desperado who just about managed to hang on for dear life. With Carson now at his mercy, there was only one thing in Desperado’s mind. Hooking his arms beneath Carson pits he wrapped them tightly around Carson’s chest, squeezing the breath out of him; weakening him in the process. Upon release, he immediately re-fastens the seat-belt, this time around the outcast’s waist. He took a moment to think it through but in his mind, the decision was already made. Desperado bent his knee’s a little to give him the thrust he required the lift the heavyweight. The german suplex was initiated and before Nicholas knew it, he was heading right back for earth, head first.

“He just did that; they were almost at the top. Is he out of his mind? Why would he do that?”

“Because he’s a ruthless son-of-a-bitch. Guys like Desperado risk everything when they put their mind on causing someone pain. Its acts like these that cost him so dearly at the big stage. It might do so once again.”

“But if he didn’t do what he did, then he wouldn’t be Desperado.”

[x|SHAWN DREAMER|x]

The bitter-most rivals crashed upon the apron with a huge thud, with Nicky curled up like a pretzel and nursing his neck, while Desperado lies lifeless over the canvas with his eyes fixated onto the Promised Land above. There’s nothing anyone could do it to stop it, not even Hayden who came close in pulling the Deadly One down. The Jackass just stood there with a blank look on his face as the carcasses of Nicky and James lay by his feet; he couldn’t believe that the Strife Slayer opted for such a suicidal option being so close to his sanctuary. But then, the emotional bit from Hayden turned out to be his doom; he’s struck from behind by the one-eyed Batman with a hockey stick. The Nexus IV winner had managed to get behind Hayden while he was taken aback by the Desperado-Carson saga, and had managed to take down the former Imperial champion with a hard blow to the back of the cranium. With the multi-time Nexus finalist now down by his feet, Ryan decides that it’s about time he seeks some retribution, and so he walks up toward the Innovator of the infamous Chlorine Gun, with shades of no mercy on his only open eye. He stamps on the back of the neck of Carson, and pulls the stick up over his shoulder, much like a pro-golfer at work. “CLOBBERIN’ TIME!” screams Hughes at the top of his neck, and he drives the hockey stick down to the head of the former Imperfect, as if he was going to set the skull of Nicky flying around the place. The crowd could only pray and hope for the well-being of Nicky as the hard end of the hockey stick flew toward the skull of Nicky… but doesn’t hit target in the end! The protégé of Strife, Vex, had decided to play superhero this time around, and he pulls the Batman off Carson in the last moment, before turning him around and unleashing a barrage of fist on his already disfigured face.

“I’m glad that Vex came in at the right time to save Carson. That blow could just have been deathly, keeping in mind of all the other incidents I’ve read about.”

“I bet those weren’t about the GHW superstars, Fuzz. These people are like fuckin’ machines!”

“Vex just spoiled the party… that’s all! I just wish we could watch Ryan put Nicky in a concussion and get done with it. I’m marking out for him this year around too!”

The unload of aggression from Vex soon transitions into a war of fist as Ryan joined the party as well, putting in the skills he inherited from the streets of Manchester. But then, mind you, it has almost loomed in toward the end of the second stage, and soon the two turns out to be completely burned out, with Vex being a notch above Hughes. The exhaustion of the Yin-Yang superstar doesn’t escape the veteran – be it one-eyed – vision of the multi-time GHW champion, and he decides to exploit it with a hard kick to the midsection. The kick sets Vex to wind up into an inverted-L, and Ryan takes him up into a scoop, much like one would take up an infant. The Mancunian then paces forward by a few feet and launches the middleweight frame of the Vex onto the barbed wire wall behind, sending him away with a fallaway slam. Much like a dwindling, wandering fly would end up glued up in a fly paper, the Monochromic superstar gets stuck on the walls, with his clothes ripping open at places, leaving his flesh open to the sharp ends of the wire-loops.

With no one to deal with and his crafty work left to be admired, the Brit turns around and takes a look at the Vex being stuck on the wall, grinning ear to ear. His grin, however, doesn’t even last for a minute; it gets smudged off his face with a scrub of agony. Out of nowhere, the Punisher, Johnny Simpson takes up the spotlight as he plants his boot to the back of the skull of Hughes, sending the Batman racing off to the barbed wire wall. Knowing well of the layout of Nexus, the Mancunian hits his brakes at the right moment, but no avail – Johnny had decided to blow the candle wick of the Brit for once and for all. He grabs a handful of Hughes’ hair and rams his face with authority against the wire-linked wall, setting the entire cage to shake upon the impact. The Macon native then pulls the skull of the Manchester native off the wall, and it turns out that the face of Ryan has contorted up badly, with scars all over and a few already started to ooze out blood.

“Simpson just took that pride of Ryan out of the window! It should be credited upon his hard work a few weeks back on Triumph though; he’s reaping the fruits now.”

“I don’t know about that quite well, Fuzz, seeing how we never had such a chance back in the days.”

“You need to take a look at Ryan right there! Johnny just got his face to be cut all over… poor ol’ Batman!”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ring, Ollie Jay and Shawn Dreamer are seen to be up on their feet, and as soon as they are up, they go at it. A brawl of fist once again breaks out on the other corner of the ring, and it remains just equilibrium for the initial moments. Soon, the Georgian comes up with a huge fist that sends Dreamer back reeling, but that… that was the turning point of the entire deal. Accustomed well with the endurance bit, the Hardcore Prince manages to take a hold of himself right then and grabs a steel chair from the side, before sending it slamming across the dome of Ollie.

TBC;

[Nicholas Carson]

The Punisher surveys the landscape and takes note that he and Dreamer are the only two standing. Shawn meets his eyes with the same acknowledgement, and the two storm toward each other with malice in their hearts. The Hardcore Prince hikes the chair back, prepping it up for a murderous chair shot against the empty handed big man, but they stop a few feet from each other. For once in this hell on earth, logic had prevailed. They keep their guards up, but converse and point skyward, a nod coming from both soon thereafter. And just like that, Shawn drops the weapon and the pair commence to climbing the standing ladder. Not far from them Hayden stirs after a long recess, clamoring to his feet and looking around. In his field of vision Vex pops up first, the Jackass finding him almost free from his confinement. Already knowing the dangers of the young man from their skirmishes earlier, the Kiwi sets out to prevent his escape. The Devil from Down Under takes hold of a discarded ladder and rams the top into the masked man's stomach, expelling air from his lungs. HardKore adjusts the ladder further, placing it at diagonal angle so that one end is grounded while the top end stays painfully against Vlad JR's gut.

"Hayden is up to his old tricks. He's wedged Vex in place. There's no way the masked mysterioso can get free even if he were to unravel himself fully from the wired wall."
"Too bad Vlad didn't teach this kid how to escape from such things. We all know Strife would have already fought his way out of this predicament."
"Maybe so. Bottom line though, what Hayden did was very keen. And on top of simply trapping him there, that steel pressing against Vex's resistance is reaking havoc on his cardio vascular system."
"And he doesn't look too worried about Dreamer and Johnny ascending the ladder."
"I wouldn't be worried either. All he has to do is trail up right after them and rest until the final man is able to emerge."

Meanwhile, next to Hayden, the Despy-Carson soap opera opens to it's next scene. The two have willed themselves vertical again, albeit barely, with the Brooklyn native having wrapped a chain around his fist on the way up. His unarmed enemy is oblivious to his cunning ways and trots into the line of fire. The Deadly One slams a ferocious row of chain clad knuckles upward, putting his mind, body and soul behind the One Hit K.O. The blow careens into the underpinning of Nicky's chin, causing his head to snap up and back in whiplash manner like a Pez gum dispenser, except Carson doesn't spit out gum he spits out saliva, two teeth, some blood and most of his consciousness. The sound of the impact alone startles the nearby Kiwi into a turn around, his eyes lighting up with shock at first, then delight upon witnessing the crazy colossus timbering like a freshly cut tree onto the slanted ladder. The New Zelander's state of marvel vanishes upon realizing he can kill two, no three birds in one shot. Snatching up the nearest item among the plethora of weapons lying around, which happens to be a Gnarffinger the Butcher themed Frying Pan, the Kiwi dashes toward Desperado and pops him in the back of the head with it.

A emphatic thud echoes through the venue, the Yank suddenly falling forward, limp and asleep, right onto Carson's crouch area. Continuing up the ladder like a bat out of hell, the pan wielding phenomenon whacks Vex with it too just for good measure, whipping his brains into a oblivion omelet. With the fans chanting "Gnarf" and held in fascination by the Kiwi's latest spurt of offense, the man from down under tosses the pan aside and heaves himself into the air. Directing his body toward Nicholas, the two time NeXus finalist pushes himself into a quick forward flip and lands very Sentonishly across the mad man's torso. The Devil from Down Under rolls off the side after impact and swiftly stands up, his head and eyes snapping around in paranoia, half expecting to get hit out of nowhere. Nothing happens. Satisfied, the Kiwi leaves the beleaguered threesome for the glory that awaits up top. He reaches the ladder and motions for the two eyeing him to continue, conveying that he means no harm until the next round. The forgotten about All Day Ollie Jay bumbles into camera view, a chair dangling in his grasp, yet the carnage round about him and the temporary three-way alliance occupying the ladder prompts him to use discretion as the better part of valor. Tossing it asunder, he too joins the climb, being welcomed by the other three for the time being.

"I think we have our four!"
"Yeah but as history has shown us, at any time these men will turn on the other."
"If they even make it. Ryan Hughes has been up to something over there, with those tables."

It's true. For the last several minutes the Batman turned Cyclops, now affectionately known as "Bat-Clops", has used his intellect to stack two tables side by side not too far from the standing ladder. Perfect Gentleman my ass. He had allowed his enemies to progress while he plotted, using his tactical skills learned from experiences inside this structure to bring about their collective demise. In a burst, RyRy plows into the ladder with all he's got, a primeval scream joining him. The four become unhinged from their places, shaken off like fruit from a rattling tree branch. The ladder falls and so do they. Hayden, having enough speed and wits, manages to back-pack himself to Dreamer's plummeting frame, using him as a cushion to soften the fall. The other three are not so fortunate, and wind up crashing through the Bat-Clops's concoction at full pace. Utter destruction follows as bodies come to mangled and ripped heaps among splintery debris in what could adequately be described as a horror crash.

"After getting his eye shut, his face damn near torn off, Ryan Hughes baited them all the way and now he alone stands stall!"
"The old man has still got it!"
"There's nothing at all stopping him now. NeXus belongs to the RYMAN!"

TBC

[Public Enemies]

Locky locky

6/8. I'm lovin' it.