NeXuS Stage 2

[Matt Oliveira]

Finally you pull yourself from the cage, a man along with you, whom minutes ago were pummeling back-and-forth with seems a whole lot more like a friend than an enemy. You kneel on what is a 40-by-40 foot platform that is essentially the roofs of the Stage 1 cages, this flooring made of three layers of chain link fence and framing -a near cheesegrater if you lost your step while running.

The platform is encompassed in ten-foot high fencing, the side closest and furthest away from the aisle is intertwined with barbedwire to congratulate you on your performance...also to avoid from any "accidental" falls that would occur. Placed against the walls are a total six ladders at a height of ten feet tall out of steel framing and aluminum rungs, these will come in handy for the next ascent...to the ring above you.

This ring is centered over the Stage 2 platform, a small hatch that hangs open on each side of it's cage meant for the four of you to get into. Now, that means that half will contend for the title, the other half will end their night. Therefore, to decide who will be physically able, two stacks of folded tables have been provided in opposite corners of this platform ready for your use -just drag one where you want it and set it, and you're good!

Also, to keep you from risking a nasty splinter (because those are a bitch, am I right?), there is also four more weapon cans stationed similar to the previous round. Otherwise, your fists should provide necessary defense until you can wrap your mitts around a chair or two.

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Rules and Guidelines:

1) 7,000 character post limit for the sake that there's eight of you
2) Let everyone get in one post, after that, it's a free-for-all. I'll give them until Thursday or so to get it, then I'll let you go free and fight whenever you want.
3) Reservations no longer than 6 hours, if you're stuck waiting, post your reserve and that will be good until a 6 hour-mark after the previous post's completion/expiry.
4) I think you're all generally nice people, here's a cookie.
5) I'll shut this stage down on about the Sunday-Monday mark, I know it'd be a little tough to judge time, but I figure you'll be paced enough to get plenty of action in.

Good luck, have at 'er!

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Dominik Santiago vs. Santo Mascaras vs. Jaggeroth vs. Anthony Andrews vs. Brian Breme vs. Skull vs. Ryan Hughes vs. Desperado

[Ryan Hughes]

And at long last, the hatches are sealed, and eight tenacious fighters have clambered their way up to stage two. Jaggeroth; clothes torn and arms bloodied. Santiago; propping himself against a side of the cage that DOESN'T have barbed wire. Santo; still jelly legged from the onslaught he received in the second cage. Hughes; possibly the worst for wear- his head is a crimson mask, and his lack of eyebrows make him stand out from the battle-weary crowd. Breme; the swagger about his person not unnoticed. Anthony Andrews; wide eyed and strangely eager as he awaits the biggest challenge of his career. Desperado and Skull; they exchange glances, wondering whether the brief double team on Pederoso earlier will continue with the six men surrounding them. All eight men share an eerie and tense silence, before they all simultaneously spring in to action which makes the crowd burst in to cheers for their respective favourite.

“And stage two has begun here! Eight men will become four soon! Who are you expecting to shine here, Al?”

“Well the smart money is on Santiago here, yet he took a BIG bump at the tail end of stage one. Then there is Hughes, although I don't think his face will be the same again, win or loss. Breme could always fluke it, I suppose...”

The eight men split in to two groups of four, with each quartet possessing one half of the platform. In one corner, Hughes is being assaulted by a pack of angry warriors, after trying to make a sneaky early escape which, of course, turned out fruitless. The former GHW Champion adjusts in to the foetal position as he tries to limit the damage that Skull, Desperado and Jaggeroth hand out. Knowing there is not much of a choice, the Mancunian plays dead, hoping that it will cause the others to cease fire- which it does. The trio move away, and begin to attack eachother; Jaggeroth feeling the brunt of the damage this time. Skull and Despy continue to rock the Psycho King with a series of punches and kicks, until there is little chance of any retaliation from the Nebraskan. Positioning themselves with their backs against the chain link which surrounds the platform, they both wrap their arms around the Silver Devil Champion's neck in a three-quarter facelock style. Using their combined force, they lift the Time Killer- instead of him going over their heads in a traditional suplex, Skull and Desp use their positioning to their advantage. Jaggeroth's vulnerable carcass bounces off the steel chain, before landing hard on the fairly sharp chain link that holds the eight fighters up.

“Now that has to hurt! Double suplex, connecting with both the chain link wall AND the chain link floor!”

“I think Despy and Skull are sticking together, being the cage buddies that they are.”

Meanwhile on the other side of the 40 x 40 platform, Anthony Andrews made the fatal mistake of messing with Dominik Santiago. For the last thirty seconds, the newcomer has been subjected to a tirade of physical abuse from the Assassin. Andrews lies battered on the chained floor, as the sneering Santiago stand tall above the rookie. Dom raises Anthony, before forcefully pushing him against the platform wall- where there just so happens to be barbed wire in attendance. Andrews moans and winces as the barbs stick and rip in to his skin, causing several minor cuts to form across his back. This doesn't stop the Solid Core Champion though, as he repeats his actions, once again throwing the GHW newbie against the barbed wire, adding yet more lacerations to the once spotless back. Andrews stumbles forward, right in to a closed fist. Dom laughs as the rookie drops like a stone, but it doesn't last too long as he is clubbed from behind by a ladder, being wielded by Santo Masceras.

Dom falls to the ground, arching his back in agony from the impact of the steel ladder. Santo looks around, noticing that Skull is approaching. Not wasting any time, the Mexican spears the ladder in to the Pureblood's gut, causing the former World Champion to fall on to all fours, winded. Desp soon follows, goading Santo in to a rookie error. Santo just shrugs, throwing the ladder to Desperado, which he catches. That was the rookie error. The former Imperial Champion has no chance as Santo leaps in to the air, pushing his feet in to the ladder, which in turn forces the New Yorker to fall hard on to the chain link floor. The Mexican Saint stands proud, before issuing a loud war cry which the fans soon copy. Lifting the ladder from Desperado's supine form, Masceras unfolds it, and begins his climb to the final.

“Santo has a head of steam, will he be the first man to reach the final?”

“I don't think so, Colin. Look who just got up.”

Al has every right to be pessimistic, because the man who suffered at the hands of Santo in Cage 2, Ryan Hughes, has just got up. Hughes walks groggily over to the set up ladder, and chases the Mexican to the top. Hughes reaches his arm around the ladder, chopping the back of his adversary's leg. Santo falters slightly, wobbling the ladder only slightly. This gives Ryan enough time to reach the Mexican's height. The disgruntled luchador sends a left hook over to the Chief Batmanite, which connects hard against the Englishman's jaw. Hughes replies with a left hook of his own, making sure he keeps the top of the ladder in the vice like grip of his right hand. Santo sways back, only hanging on to the ladder with one hand. He quickly tries to hit Ryan for a second time, but Hughes ducks, landing a straight shot to Santo's ribcage. The Mexican Saint is stunned by the strike, and it gives the Batman a chance to wrap his arms around Masceras' head, before repeatedly smashing it against the top of the ladder. The man from Tijuana only remains on the ladder at Ryan's discretion- his fate is in the hands of the Batman, so to speak. Ryan drags the 25 year old on to his side of the ladder, propping him on his shoulders. The fans begin to make some noise, knowing what could possibly come next. Ryan knows it will hurt, but it is for the greater good, like everything he does. Making sure that Santo is well positioned on his shoulder, Ryan closes his eyes, not wanting to see his fate. Letting out a huge roar, he jumps.

*CRASH!*

“WTG OFF THE LADDER! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!”

“HUGHES HAS KILLED ANOTHER MEXICAN!”

“AND TAKEN HIMSELF OUT IN THE PROCESS!”

The competitors that are still conscious look on in shock at what they just saw. Anthony Andrews even rubs his eyes in disbelief- what a debut match this is for him. Santo lies in a crumpled heap on the chain link floor, the impact from the WTG forcing a small hole to appear in the mesh below them. Hughes just remains on his back; partly because of the pain he just suffered, and partly from the total numb disbelief of what he just did. As the eight combatants strewn across the platform try to recuperate, the fans in attendance begin a chant of “G-H-DUB! G-H-DUB!” as a mark of respect for the show that these men, loved or hated, are putting on for them tonight.



TBC Whoever
(Just thought I would kick off with something juicy to work with.)

[Jaggeroth]

Ryan Hughes starts to rise over his fresh kill, the rest of the competition start in on each other once again after the bone chilling spot. Jaggeroth is getting the boots from Desperado, his foot smashes down on any exposed joint he can find on the prone Time Killer. Despy moves onto trying to break Jaggy's skull against the metal frame the eight men fight on, that is until a new comer to the world of GHW comes to the aid of the Psycho King. Anthony Andrew's tone, tan hide comes running into Desperado, his elbow screams like a vengeful war god as it cracks into the temple of the chain smoking cowboy. As Despy hits the ground with his head cradled in his hands, Anthony, poses for the crowd.

"The action is still red hot here tonight at NeXuS!"

"Yes, everyone is really giving it their all here tonight. The company's top prize is on the line, these men are writing GHW history here."

The Hardcore Assassin is earning his namesake, he finds a cookie tray and is set on making a fresh, pure blood batch with Skull as the batter. *Tink, thud, thwaap* it goes over Skull's body as Dom pummels the tray into his targets back. Skull turns around as Dominik raises the tray, his fingers quickly poke into the bottom of his chin with a small gurgling noise, Dom tries to hide his pretty boy eyes while a misty hiss spouts from Skull's lips. The blood red mist sprays into Dom's eyes, temporarily blinding the Assassin. Skull wastes no time to take advantage during this small window of opportunity, Dom feels something broad push into his neck and an arm wrap around his head as Skull lets loose with a battle cry, a second later Dom's neck is strung across the shoulder of the Pure One. Dominik's freshly painted head suddenly snaps up before he melts across the floor, through his blurred vision he glances up at what could of been his destiny, it was slowly getting away from him.

The sassy Englishman is still holding onto his tender butt flaps after the tremendous drop off the ladder. Brain Breme spots the easy quarry, Ryan is lifted off the metallic ground by his hair and his silly bandanna. Breme locks his knees as they lower then quickly springs up driving his shoulder into the bottom of Ryan's chin, Ryan is almost lifted off his feet from the force of the blow. Hughes turns around stumbling from the shock, he walks a few feet away from Brian but finds his hand resting on the barbed wire wall, he pulls away shocked at his own stupidity while a storm of pain was readying itself to rain all over over his parade. Breme swiftly shoves his boot into Ryan's hot pocket propelling the front of the Bat Man's body into the barbed wall, Ryan pushes away from the wall of pricks as fast as he can, his arm is pushed up above his head while a body appears at his side. Ryan finds himself up of the ground, his legs spreading in the air as he is titled back. A thunderous *clunk* rips off the meshed floor as Ryan is driven back first into the ground. Small droplets of blood dribble off Ryan's chest as he howls in pain.


"Ryan Hughes morphed into a human pin cushion!"

"The NeXuS is one of the most hardcore environments I can think of, someone is liable to get hurt and it's only a matter of time before one of these Fighty fighty persons has a few years chipped off his career."

Jaggeroth slowly peels himself off the metal floor, Anthony is not aware that a world of hurt is rising behind him as he inspects the prone body of Desperado. Andrews senses big evil coming up from behind from the shaking ground under the feet of the lumbering tyrant, he spins his bronzed body around as fast as his hips would let him with his arm out and his fist clenched, the back of his hand collides with Jaggeroth's cheek. The Time Killer's eyes seem uninterested in in pain running through his cheek while his head and shoulders limber up, the stare down continues until Jaggy's neck snaps to one side with a sickening *crack* Andrews is in disbelief, his attack seemed to have the same effect as a soft wind against the rugged hide of the Psycho King. A misanthropic fueled roar beats against Jaggy's vocal cords as Anthony tries to turn for a hasty retreat as the Psycho King follows in hot pursuit of the young up and comer.


"Anthony really pissed him off, by cracky!"

"You poke at the bee's nest, you're bound to get stung.


Dominik is being dragged up to his vertical base with a little assistance from Skull. With a hand full of curly locks, Skull, with a stiff right punch slams the balled fist against Dom's cheek and blasts him back down to the make shift floor again. The Assassin swerves as he rolls around the ground turning into an unconventional trap for Anthony. The new comer has a sudden misadventure over Dom, he instantly finds himself flopping against the unforgiving steel floor. The Nebraskan mad man jumps over the human speed bump with his eye still set on Antony's ultimate destruction. Skull takes a crack at the Psycho King, his elbow plants into the sternum of Jaggeroth's chest sending him out to find his breath. Brian Breme turns his attention away from Ryan and forms a short term alliance with Skull to take on the titan Jaggeroth. The two slug Jaggeroth's chest with a flurry of chops and jabs, Jaggy holds up his arms backpedaling in the process to figure out a solution to his situation. Ryan Hughes is starting to raise, his arm pushes him back up as the small blood droplets fall to the the cages below. He spots Jaggeroth getting his ass handed to him again, he sprints in to help even the odds.


The unlikely pairing of Jaggeroth and the Bat Man start cleaning house with Skull and Breme, the two opposing Fighty fighty persons fall from the rampant hay makers Ryan and Jaggy unleash on their poor souls. Jaggeroth turns to Ryan, the two share an uncomfortable stare down, they decide to save it for later and turn away from each other. Jaggeroth bends down to grab up Skull when suddenly there was a crack, He turns around to see an injured Santos holding a kendo stick beside along side the fallen Bat Man. Ryan is holding onto his bloody mouth while Jaggeroth gets above him, something started to twitch inside his mind. The Psycho King turns away and dashes off to the pile of tables, picks one, and comes back. He sets the table up at Ryan's feet and looks on at the fear in Ryan's eyes. Jaggeroth's fingers are in his mouth, the unsure look in his eyes turns to overwhelming glee. The other wrestling look on as Ryan is dragged up to his feet and lead over to the table like someone heading towards the gallows, Jaggeroth was going to be his bloody executioner. The two hated enemies stand on top of the table, Ryan tries fighting back against Jaggeroth's might, his arm is spread across his neck then his body is turned backwards, with a sudden jerk he finds himself on Jaggeroth's shoulders in a modified torture rack. The Time Killer swings his hips and the package on his shoulders with Ryan's top half caught in the Time Killer's legs as he breaks Ryan's body through the table.

TBC

[Skull]

The crowd explode into a frenzy as Jaggeroth Bile Drives Ryan through the table, smashing it into pieces and scattering shards of wood in all directions.

Big Al: Sweet Jesus, that was sick.

Colin: Jaggeroth may have just taken out one of favourites to win this match with that move.

The Batman lays motionless on a bed of broken wood and chain link, his body still bleeding from its encounter with the barbed wire and now filled with splinters of wood too. The Time Killer remains sitting in the wreckage, ecstatic at the carnage he has caused. He is quickly brought back to his senses when he sees Santo Mascaras erecting a ladder in the centre of the structure, looking to make the ascent to stage 3.
The Nebraskan scrambles up to his feet straight away, his euphoria replaced with evil intent as his hate-filled eyes lock on to the Masked Saint. He ploughs his way across the structure and by the time his within range, Santo has scrambled half way up the ladder. The luchadore notices the colossus that is Jaggeroth hurtling toward him like a freight train and his head is filled with painful memories of Ryan driving him off the ladder, a move he had only just began to recover from. Not wanting an encore, he decides to vacate the ladder and launches himself in the direction of the Time Killer. Jaggeroth scuppers a little, not expecting a 189 pound projectile to launch itself towards him and is unsure whether to stop or keep running forward. In an act of compromise, he just slows down as Mascaras lands on his shoulders then whips his body around, snapping off a diving hurricanrana. As Santo lands on his feet, Jaggeroth is taken off of his and flung a few feet across the structure. As he lands, his body skids across the cheese grater-like mesh of chain link, grazing the skin off of his shoulder and upper back.

Colin: Amazing move there, showcasing the aerial ability of Santo Mascaras.

Big Al: Jaggeroth looks like he’s in a lot of pain right now but I doubt he’ll be down for long.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the structure, Dominik Santiago and Anthony Andrews are both back up to their brawling dangerously close to the barbed-wire-decorated side of the cage. Looking to make his name over the former New Age Champion, Andrews nails The Assassin in the midsection with his boot then latches on a front facelock, preparing to DDT his opponent onto the painful chain link flooring. Santiago’s experience and ring awareness pays dividends on this occasion, however, as he charges forward and drives the Canadian’s back into the barbed wire. Andrew’s cries out in pain as the barbs dig into his skin, drawing fresh blood and ripping the skin off his back. As he stands there, incapacitated, the arrogant Assassin gives him a ‘you should know better than to mess with me’ look then slaps him across the face in case he didn’t get the message.

With his opponent dispatched, Santiago turns his attention to the empty ladder standing vacant in the centre of the structure. As he makes his way over to it, he finds that he is not alone in his quest as Skull and Brian Breme are now back on their feet too, after being taken out by Ryan and Jaggeroth and are also making a beeline for the ladder, all three of them seeing it as their meal ticket into the final stage. Dominik reaches the ladder first and quickly ascends the rungs, hoping that his brief head start over the other two will be enough to move up the ladder unchallenged. This proves not to be his lucky day, however as Skull arrives at the other side of the ladder and reaches through the rungs to grab hold of The Assassin’s ankle to stop him from climbing any further. Just a second behind Skull, the savvy Brian Breme jumps over the Pureblood’s head and begins to scramble up the ladder, gaining the lead. Seeing his mistake, Skull quickly releases Dominik’s ankle and they both climb up opposing sides of the ladder in pursuit of “The Commonwealth”. Naturally, the Vegas native makes it to the top first but before he can climb through the trap door, he has Skull’s hand on the back of his trunks, keeping him tethered to the ladder. The GHW legend fends The Pureblood off with a sharp kick to the face which breaks his hold and causes him to slip a few rungs down the ladder. His work isn’t over yet, though, as Santiago joins him at the top of the ladder, having fully ascended the other side and the two begin trading punches.

Colin: I don’t get this. There are three of them and four spots in stage three. Why don’t they just climb through the trap door together?

Big Al: Because they each have a game plan, Fuzz. Dom and Brian are two of the favourites to win this match and Skull is a tough competitor in his own right. Anyone would rather be in stage 3 with a GHW rookie like Anthony Andrews or Santo Mascaras rather than a proven commodity like Brian Breme, Dominik Santiago or Skull. They’re looking ahead to who they want to be in there with. I wouldn’t be surprised to see one of them try to drag Ryan’s lifeless body up that ladder. He’d be an easy submission in his state.

As the three Fighty fighty persons continue to brawl with each other from their precarious position atop the ladder, their party is gate crashed by another uninvited guest in the form of the Brooklyn native and Nexus veteran; Desperado who begins to scale Santiago’s side of the ladder. As he nears the top, the ladder starts to creak and the steel begins to buckle under the weight of the four competitors. This doesn’t deter the ring warriors as each one of them continues to throw fists and elbows, both at the two men opposite them and the one beside them.
Back on the ground, the sound of the creaking ladder is enough to stop alert The Time Killer, who had been busy pounding Santo Mascaras’ head against the barbed-wire-free side of the cage. Turning to see four of his least favourite people huddled atop the ladder, he sees an opportunity to cause some more chaos. He makes his way over to the ladder with a sadistic thought in mind and places both hands on the cold steel and begins to push. This is no mean feat, considering the combined weight of those on top of it. Nevertheless, it soon begins to topple. Up above his four targets are oblivious to his presence, too absorbed in their own private battle. It is only when they are too late to do anything about it that they notice the ladder tilting.
Outside of the Steel Hell, the fans oooh as Jaggeroth tilts the ladder even more until gravity takes over and pulls it down, crashing into the chain link with a resounding crash and treating its four occupants to a ten foot drop onto the steel mesh. The crowd gasp as the four of them lay motionless. Even the other competitors seem shocked. All except Jaggeroth, of course, who looks remarkably pleased with himself.

Colin: Oh my God! That’s a 10 foot drop off that ladder.

Big Al: They fell like four stones. I think Skull even bounced when he hit that chain link.

Colin: This is brutal, there are bodies everywhere. Only Jaggeroth, Santo and Andrews are still standing.

TBC

[Dominik Santiago]

The arena is left quaking from the cataclysmic fall as four men are rendered martyrs; inadvertently sacrificing themselves like mindless sheep, playing into the hands of their adversaries. As Jaggeroth marches toward the vacant ladder, Santo Masceras quickly regains his bearings and sets out to thwart the Time Killer’s ambitions. Exploiting what got him to the dance, the formerly stationary Santos charges at Jaggeroth, moving across the Nexus like a blur, exhibiting his surreal quickness and incendiary speed to the fullest extent. As he closes in however, the seemingly incognizant Time Killer displays his awareness, deftly sidestepping before swinging his arm through the electric atmosphere. His arm viciously collides with the chest of the undefeated masquerader and the force itself coerces Santos into the air before he crashes unceremoniously onto the unforgiving chain-link surface. Unappeased with his work like a mammoth glutton for destruction, Jaggeroth retrieves the ladder. With Masceras writhing and prone, Jaggeroth opens the ladder and lays it flat across the chain-link before seizing Masceras’ vulnerable leg and draping it across the rungs. The Time Killer’s eyes twinkle with malignance and the disturbing glow in his pupils only brighten as he slams the leg of the ladder across Santos’s leg. With the fire in Santos currently extinguished, Jaggeroth drags the Mexican’s body, strategically placing him in between the ladder. The multi- time tag champion gradually seats himself across the back of the helpless Santos before capturing his leg in his armpit, only proceeding to violently bend Masceras’ leg back.

Big Al: “Single Leg Boston Crab, using the ladder as a weapon. Jaggeroth’s intelligence has struck me here Colin! And he’s punishing that pesky alien in the process!”
Colin Jennings: “Yeah. He’s stretching and compressing Masceras in-between the ladder and torturing his leg. He’s ensuring that Santos is eliminated from this contest whether he-”
Big Al: “Makes it to Stage 3 or not…which he won’t!”

In his relentless pursuit of crippling Santos, Jaggeroth allows himself to become oblivious of his surroundings, unaware of his other antagonists, whom have risen from the ashes. Ryan Hughes and Anthony Andrews gaze at one another before the two nod in agreement, secretly aligning themselves. Having been brought together by one common aspiration; the desire to witness Jaggeroth’s extirpation, the two set out to bring their dreams to fruition. Andrews hastily reaches into the nearby trashcan, frantically shuffling his hands, desperately looking for a means to carry out his desires. After removing a fluorescent lighttube, he tosses it to the Batman who catches it with one hand before cocking his arm back. Pouncing on the unsuspecting Jaggeroth, Hughes throws all his weight into his motion, swinging his arm across his body, maliciously driving the lighttube into the Time Killer’s head. The ligghtube shatters on impact, and the force is efficacious in dropping the titan and possibly precluding a further offensive flurry.

With Jag motionless and susceptible to more brutality, Ryan Hughes motions to Andrew to get the tables. Obliging, the younger, inexperienced, naive Andrews grabs the table, quickly carrying it over to the former Heavyweight Champion. As Anthony begins to set up the table, Ryan crouches in the ready, preparing his knife to plunge into Andrews’ back. Anthony could smell the treachery in the air as it poisoned the atmosphere, and quickly braced himself for Hughes’ descent from ally, back to foe. Shrieking a fierce battle cry, the Englishman advanced at his adversary, but was suddenly met with a devastating boot, as the Canadian had it scouted beyond his years. Adroitly, Anthony thrusted his leg into the air, his boot landing precisely on the button, square on Hughes’s chin, knocking Ryan off his feet.

“Superkick! And now Andrews is the only man standing!”
“Climb the ladder dammit! Grab this moment by the balls kiddo. Grab it!”
“And to think I thought the gay guy only worked for that other promotion!”

Basking in the glory of his historical, self made GHW moment, Anthony surveys the situation, before gazing up at the ceiling. The elated youngster quickly turns to the ladder which Santos had generously climbed out of before setting it up directly beneath the hatch. Now radiating with inner-confidence, and a strengthened faith in his abilities, Andrews begins ascending up the ladder. The Pureblood has other plans however, as he recovers from his fall not too long ago and grasps at Anthony’s boot. The Canadian novice panics at first, his heart pulsating harder every time Skull jerks his foot. Out of desperation, Andrews kicks at Skulls’ head, finally managing to blast the Pureblood in his crimson mask, bringing his adversary to his knees. The jostling for advantage between Skull and Andrews gave time for Desperado to recuperate, as he lifted his battered carcass off the floor and climbed out from the jaws of oblivion. He wastes no time to contemplate, immediately accessing the situation before him before reacting impulsively. Dashing, Desperado quickly steps onto the back of Skull, using the Pureblood as a springboard to propel himself into the air. Airborne, Despy lowers his shoulders and leads by his head, ripping through the atmosphere like a torpedo, shooting straight for Andrews who stands completely motionless on the ladder.

Like a deer caught in the headlights, Anthony’s destiny unfolds in the manner of a violent collision, as Desperado’s shoulder blade penetrates his body, landing square in his solar plexus. The momentum carries Anthony off the ladder, and two come plummeting down toward the table. As their weight causes the table to cave in, the arena is left gaping in awe; a vile spear has left both men interred in a wooden prison, and the burial of Anthony Andrews has finally come full circle!

"Right through the table! The stars have fallen for us mere mortals tonight! What a Spear!"
"Desperado stood for only a fraction of a second, and in that brief moment, he delivered what will be one of the most memorable Nexus moments ever!"
"And with those wooden chips piercing his flesh, it will be one that will forever resonate through Anthony's head!"

Stage 2 has quickly become a sight to behold; men rendered former shells of themselves lie sprawled and submerged in a pool of their own blood. Their broken spirits and damaged souls are plastered across the chain-link floor, and with dwindled hope, the wounded sheep look up to the dangling hatch; the only means for salvation, and an opportunity to step that much closer toward becoming Nexus Champion, and immortalizing themselves in the process.

[Desperado]

(OOC: Hey Santo, I hope you don't mind me posting before you. I've got my post done and I've got to go out somewhere, I just got delayed a few mins putting in a reserve.)

Worn out, battered and bruised, Desperado remains with his back entangled within the ruins of the wooden table, a huge smile plastered across his face. The adrenalin-fueled enjoyment he had just experienced, the sheer joy was beaming. Desperado knew he had done something extraordinary and the “Des-Per-Ado!” chants combined with the “THIS IS AWESOME!” were definitely worth glorifying over. Although his body was burning against the fatigue that had built within the core of his body, the adrenalin that was pumping wouldn’t allow him to remain grounded, not when the action was looming all around him.

Santo had managed to summit to a stance, although his knees were willing to give way at any second, like a weight-lifter about to succumb under the pressure of a weight he can barely handle. The Nebraskan was unaware of the cunning creep that had situated behind the Mexican. Having already, almost destroyed the cruiserweight, Jaggeroth was hell bent on taking him out of the equation. The Time Killer had almost negotiated the deal with the weapon he held but a third party joined the dealings at the final moment, striking both men with the base of the ladder. The force of Jaggeroth pummelled into Mascaras, burying the lighter superstar into the floor along with his own weight acting as the lid to the coffin, the lead pipe he was holding now withdrawn from the equation. Brian stood proud of his antic, a smile planted on his face, yet his eyes were working overtime, darting across the platform looking for signs of life. Skull and Ryan had gotten themselves into a flogging of fists, back and forth without the thought of using a technique, more of a slobber knocker to determine the last man standing. Those two were begging to be put out of their misery but the Hardcore Assassin had to get involved, also having recovered from the fall from the ten foot ladder, that he along with Brian, Skull and Desperado, had fallen victim to.

Santiago ran through, at a low angle, swiping away the legs of Brain from beneath him. The ladder he had held so firmly in his hand landed against his body as he fell into the chain-linked floor, back first. The former Dragon’s Rage Champion capitalized on the positioning of his opponent, turning a full 360 before landing his legs against the ladder, adding to the pain the ladder had already caused the Arizonian.

“An impressive Discus Legdrop there from Dominik. It’s no wonder he’s the favorite going into this match. With moves like that in his arsenal, the crowd are obviously going to be behind him.”

“Taking out Brian when he was looking dangerous is always the best way to go. Dominik is fully aware of what that man is capable of doing.”

Having analyzed the situation at hand, the former Stone Orchard member decided to join the situation at hand, with Ryan and Skull still at each others throats with Dom fast approaching. Desperado immediately caught up with the trio who had stopped what they were doing and began staring at one another, not quite sure where this was going. The quartet, as they now were, stood at right angles to each other, forming a square. Desperado shared a quick glance at his newly formed ally, giving him a nod of trust before they both turned on their heels and linked arms, forming a double clothesline at the despair of the Chief Batmanite. Dom forced his way into the scuffle, knowing quite well that he was out-numbered, swinging a huge right into Skull’s abdomen before sending a knee into Despy’s. With both allies in anally vulnerable positions, Dom took a step back before lifting himself into the air, his mind set upon executing a Shining Wizard at the nexus veteran’s dispense, however his plan was foiled midway through execution as Desperado grasped the incoming foot and reversed it into an ankle lock.

“What a counter, that’s why he called himself technically gifted.”

“His anticipation, awareness and technical ability are what have brought him so far along.”

The ankle was short lived as Dom managed to wriggle his way free via a twist of the body and a kick into Desperado’s visage. The ‘Pureblood’ was however, ready for the counter attack, pouncing on the grounded Dom with an onslaught of stomps. Grasping the Hollywood Superstar by the locks of his hair, the experienced Skull allowed a knee to settle into his adversary’s midsection before nodding in Desperado’s direction. Lifting Dominik into a flapjack, Skull allowed his ally to successfully trap the user of the SKO into a neck-shattering D-K-O from an elevated position, the team-work of Desperado and Skull allowing them to take Dominik out of the equation. Desperado struck fists with the former SCW superstar before pointing to the ladder, making him aware of the situation that was bestowed upon them. All the other men were still grounded. Skull became aware of the situation immediately, setting up the nearest ladder into the center of the ring. As his back was turned to the Desperado, a familiar smile became present on the lips of the Deadly and Dangerous superstar. Walking casually up to his partner in crime, the Yankee tapped skull upon his shoulder, as the man from hell turned around, he was met by an unexpected D-K-O, sending the Pure Blood crashing into the chained floor.

“I can honestly say I didn’t expect that. Did you Al?”

“Knowing Desperado, there’s always a wild card up his sleeve and that happens to be one of them. When will they learn that teaming with Desperado always ends in betrayal? Skull happened to learn the hard way. If he somehow manages to make it into the final round with Despy now, that boy is going to be in some trouble.”

“Not so fast, I don’t think Desperado’s making an exit yet, Andrews, Jaggeroth, Mascaras, and Ryan are all on the verge of recovering.”

The smirk on Desperado’s face was evident on how much he enjoyed that. Becoming aware of the stirring bodies around him, the devious superstar didn’t dwell on the moment, scurrying up the ladder as quick as feet would carry him.

[Santo Masceras]

Bodies lie strewn around the platform, amidst a pile of wreckage that would make a ten car pileup seem tame in comparison. Fresh from cleaning house, Desperado finds himself staring down at all of the other combatants in the match, a new wave of confidence filling his body. A knowing smile fills his face as he once again listens to the crowd rallying behind him in support of a job well done. Desperado looks up above him, once again spying his target. He steals a quick look around him, and notices the carnage strewn in all directions. Moving quickly, he stands up the 10ft ladder that was now leaning against the side wall of the hellish structure and places it directly underneath the trapdoor. The ladder had not even found all four feet before Desperado was beginning his ascent to the high reaches of the heavens.

Up and up, Desperado climbs, knowing that if he could be the first to reach Stage 3, he would have the added bonus of recuperation time before the other three can join him. Desperado continues his climb, moving as fast as he can until he reaches the top rung of the ladder. He reaches out, touching the cold steel of success, the feeling sending shivers through his body. He rears back, ready to bust open the trapdoor and climb through when his footing disappears from beneath him. The ladder, which he had put all of his faith in holding him, had disappeared. Much like a cartoon character, Desperado seems to hang about in mid-air before plummeting downwards to the waiting chain link floor.

:Colin "Fuzz" Jennings:
So close, yet so far Al. Desperado was within inches of reaching the goal.

:"Big" Al Mulligan:
There's only one way to see this Fuzz. The landing on this one is going to hurt... A heck of a lot... Again...[/i]

Desperado falls like a baby bird pushed from the nest too early by an overeager mother, careening back toward earth at a rate of knots. Standing underneath him, his eyes blinking in concentration beneath his golden mask is the culprit, the man responsible for compromising Desperado's footing. Santo readies himself for the inevitable impact as much as possible. At the last minute, the Masked Saint drops to his back, following the "flight" of the falling Despy carefully, before flicking his legs out and Monkey Flipping the eager Desperado half way across the NeXuS structure. Desperado only stops hurtling through the air when he meets the barbed wire cage wall, stopping him dead in his tracks. The barbs dig into his flesh, tearing away chunks of flesh before enough of the barbs hold firm enough to hold the veteran in place, upside down and about a foot off the ground. His leg is trapped up high in the barbed wall, holding him in place. As much as Desperado struggles to free himself, his efforts prove futile.

Meanwhile, the carnage seemed to have begun to straighten itself out. With Santo Masceras being the first once to find his footing again, the rest of the strewn bodies son follow suit. Having been at the Mexican's back bumper all match so far, Jaggeroth does not disappoint and is soon cutting away at the lightweight luchador's knees once more and chopping the Mexican to the ground again with a hefty Chop Block. Brian Breme and Ryan Hughes also soon pop back up to their feet, throwing their proverbial hats back into the ring. Soon, Jaggeroth, Commonwealth and the Chief Batmanite are squaring off in one twisted love triangle.

:"Big" Al Mulligan:
Desperado is shot across the arena by the pesky Mexican, straight into the flesh tearing barbed wire fence.

:Colin "Fuzz" Jennings:
Come on Al, even you have to admit that you liked the looks of that. Who would have thought? Do they teach those moves down in Mexico nowadays?

:"Big" Al Mulligan:
How in the hell should I know Fuzz, do I look Mexican. Either way you look at it, the kid is a rookie. You can see it right there. Jaggeroth was unaccounted for by the kid and he pays the price because of it. He's lucky to be in Stage 2 and should just quit while he's ahead.

:Colin "Fuzz" Jennings:
That reminds me Al, you owe me a six-pack![/i]

The love triangle move as one to square off against each other. Commonwealth is first to land a decent shot, hitting the Psychotic Jaggeroth with an European Uppercut, sending the madman reeling backward. Before Hughes can step in to take advantage of the lapse, Commonwealth had lunged forward to follow the move up, swinging Jaggeroth around in a Belly-to-Belly Suplex that threatens to send the masked lunatic through the chain link floor. Hughes, in turn, strikes while the iron is hot and forces himself on top of Breme, wrapping his hands around the head of "The Commonwealth" and locking a Crossface in on the dangerous, outspoken Brian Breme. With the "Batman Lock" in place, Hughes searches for his next move, looking around the structure at discarded weapons, broken tables and mangled ladders.

As he looks, a murmur arises from the car wreck of broken table near the center of the Nexus stage. Anthony Andrews reaches out a hand, busting through the mess of table, like a zombie coming out of a grave site. Soon, his head appears, dripping blood profusely as he tries to free himself of the prison. Santo too looks like he is about to reach his feet once more, and he kips up without too much of an effort, but regrets his choice moments later when his injured knee threatens to give way underneath the stress, courtesy of Jaggeroth's handy-work. While he is picking up the pieces and pulling his knee back together, he shoots a glance over at the mess of bodies that once were the Pureblood and Dominik Santiago.Now, both lie flat on their backs, left wondering what had happened after their subsequent DKO's. Hands cover their battered faces, the crimson stain of blood smeared and splattered across their bodies. Santo adjusts his mask, looking to see the remnants of somebody else's blood over the gold specks, before turning his attention back to the one man in the match who had been gunning for him all night long... Jaggeroth.

:Colin "Fuzz" Jennings:
The chaos seems to have cooled for now, but the brutal nature of NeXus is definitely in full swing!
Not one of these men is going to leave the same man after tonihgt.[/i]

[Dominik Santiago]

The Nexus fireworks commence as the eight combustible elements explode. Leading the charge are the night’s bitter rivals, Jaggeroth and Santos who charge at one another. Looking to permanently douse the fire in Santos, the Time Killer violently swings his arm. Taking evasive measures, Masceras circumvents the lariat, rolling across the chain-link surface before climbing to his feet. With the advantage, the quicker Masceras quickly lifts his boot before driving it toward the giant Jaggeroth’s solar plexus. Exhibiting his technical prowess, Jaggeroth captures Santos’ foot, with his face being contorted into a vainglorious gaze in the process. With vigor, Jaggeroth swings Santos’ leg upward, dragging the luchador off his feet, and sending him airborne. Despite Jaggeroth’s efforts to batter the masked Mexican, Santos foils his plot, exploiting the momentum in a graceful display of body control, dexterously rotating backward and landing square on his feet. Exasperated, Jaggeroth reacts rather impetuously, quickly thrusting his boot at the crowd pandering Saint. Turning his defense into offense, Santos ducks his head, avoiding the guillotining Big Boot, whilst twisting his body and swinging his far leg. His boot connects with Jag hamstring, taking the goliath off his feet and leaving him supine on the chain link.

With the other competitors occupied with dismantling one anther, Santos seeks to disrupt their flows. Grabbing a steel chair out of the nearby garbage can, he sets it up in the center of the hellacious structure. Backing up a few paces, Masceras prepares for his flight. Unbeknownst to the gravity defying luchador, is a skulking Ryan Hughes who clutches a ladder across his body. As Santos dashes for the chair, The Chief Batmanite flips the killswitch, tossing the ladder just as Masceras takes to the sky. The steel weapon of mass destruction crashes into the small, frail body of the Mexican Saint, taking him off his course like a swift gust and sending him flopping to the unforgiving floor.

Colin Jennings: “You’ve got to have eyes in the back of your head in Nexus. Santos just learned that the hard way!”
Big Al: “Ryan Hughes is one cunning bastard! But you’ve got to love him. He just killed that high flying annoyance!”

As the other combatants free themselves up from their brawls, Ryan Hughes retrieves the ladder, setting out to further clean house. Cocking the ladder back, the depressed Batman almost dares Anthony Andrews to turn. Obliviously, Andrews obliges, receiving a stiff shot to the abdomen for his troubles, as the apex of the 10 foot ladder is buried into his gut. Coercing his victim to the floor, the predacious Englishman moves onward to bigger game; this time he goes upstairs on an unsuspecting Desperado, further tarnishing the good looks of the bloodied New Yorker as he blasts him in his crimson mask. Dominik and Skull turn to one another after glancing at the pool of bodies left fallen due to Ryan’s rampage. Tentatively aligning themselves, the Pureblood, and the Assassin charge at the ladder wielding maniac. Their efforts to avoid obliteration prove futile, as Ryan hurls his weapon straight at them. The ladder lands across the bodies of Dom and Skull, sending both men to the chain-link, leaving Ryan standing triumphant. Ryan’s lips curl up in supercilious smirk, as he gazes at the carnage he has caused to unfold. Fully engulfed by his arrogant aura, the former Heavyweight Champion stands vulnerable and ripe for the picking, as The Commonwealth slithers toward him. Creeping behind the Englishman, Commonwealth sits coiled like a viper, coiled and ready to strike. As Ryan spins around, Breme does just that, springing into action, swinging a fist at the already swollen head of Ryan Hughes. Brian slugs the smug Hughes, sending him staggering back. Looking to further take advantage, the former New Age Champion charges at his careening foe. Despite being off balance, Hughes manages to counter, quickly and skillfully sidestepping before wrapping his feet around the Commonwealth’s legs, sending him falling forward, face first into the trashcan with an expertly executed Drop Toe Hold.

With his brains shuffled, the disoriented Commonwealth struggles to his feet, using the trashcan as leverage. In the wake of his bewilderment, Breme digs into the trashcan, pulling out a GHW microphone before concealing it under his arm. As he staggers from the trashcan, Ryan Hughes moves in for the kill, pouncing on a seemingly groggy Brian Breme. Just as Ryan lunges forward, The Commonwealth turns, mightily swinging the microphone through the atmosphere before slamming it across Hughes’ very skull, consequently sending him to the chain-link with a thud. The wicked shot both reverberates throughout Hughes’ head, and resonates around the venue, bringing a condescending grin to Breme’s face. Climbing to his feet, The Commonwealth senses no immediate danger, no impending peril, and it is here, where he stamps his feet in Nexus history. Stepping over Ryan’s lifeless, bloodied carcass, Breme grabs the ladder, quickly setting it up before speaking into the microphone.

“Quiet down peasants. You are in the presence of royalty, so show some respect!”

Ascending up the ladder, Commonwealth commences his rant, which has already elicited a chorus of boos from the spectators.

“Two years ago, an atrocity occurred here, at Nexus. Robberies, theft, are two of many words that can only sum up the crime that was done to me. Ryu “Thunderhawk” Kenamora stole my Nexus victory from me. It slipped through my God like fingertips. He deprived me of my rightfully deserved immortality, and tarnished the GHW name in the process.”

“Last year, Winthorp Darkrites became Nexus Champion; another bullet to the chest of this once legendary corporation. GHW has returned, no doubt about it, it’s stronger than ever. But you degenerate apes need saving, you need liberation, and this company needs a face and a champion that will cause our light to burn brighter than ever, forever!”

“You need the former, most dominant New Age Champion in GHW History..”

“You need the Essence of Quintessence….The True New Age… THE COMMONWEALTH…. BRIAN BRE-”

*CRACK!*

The microphone falls from the fingertips of a wincing Brian Breme, as he buries his face into the nearest ladder rung. Before the pain from the vicious chair shot can subside, his attacker winds up for a second time, before unloading his aggression once more.

*CRACK*

As Breme is left cringing, Dominik Santiago tosses the chair to floor, having heard enough of the Commonwealth's fierce declamation. With Breme at bay, Santiago climbs the ladder in pursuit of his wounded adversary. Meeting Breme at the top, Dominik clubs him over the back before wrapping his arms around his torso, and clasping his hands together. Awakened, Breme desperately holds onto the ladder apex for dear life, avoiding annihilation for the time being.

As the struggle ten feet in the air continues, Skull makes his presence felt, grabbing a ladder off the stack before placing it against the rungs on the the other side. Stepping back, Skull surveys the situation, and devises a strategy before charging up the ladder. After reaching the top, the Pureblood goes airborne, diving at the Commonwealth and extending his arm. The Clothesline sends Breme from the ladder, allowing Dominik the leverage to drag the Commonwealth back down to earth. All three men come plummeting from the sky like falling stars, pancaking to the chain-link with a dehabilitating force.

"HOLY SHIT! German Suplex off the ladder! There are bodies everywhere!"
"Dominik and Skull just risked their wellbeing to prevent Breme from advancing!"
They'll be dammed if Brian smells that New Age Championship. Dammed I tell ya!"

TBC

(Aware this went slightly over the limit. Seemed to get caugth up in the post.)

[Jaggeroth]

As Dominik, Brian Breme and Skull lick their wounds after plummeting to the metal earth beneath them, Jaggeroth and Santos continue their battle for superiority. The Time Killer and the Mexican Martyr are having it out in a test of strength, the crackling Psychopath with the obvious advantage between the two men cut from different masks. Ryan Hughes and Desperado are standing, they exchange weak, fatigued blows as Anthony prepares to make his presence felt in this, the match between the biggest titans of pro wrestling.


"Will you look at all these men, they're cutting years off of their lives, and for what? A shiny piece of gold?"

"It's more than that, Big Al. This is the chance of a lifetime. These athletes are showing just how far they're willing to go here for that one chance to live on in history....HEY! What's that asshole doing?"

Oddly enough a camera man is starting to climb his way up the chain link fencing of the cage in front of the announcer booth, a small Red Eye camera is lassoed to his neck. Jaggeroth is getting the better of Santos, the lumbering mad man is pushing him backwards towards the sadistically savage barbed wire wall. Jag notices something in the eyes of the Mexican Saint, something he had seen before but couldn't quite put his finger on it. Santos is looking behind himself, the fear is written in his familiar eyes, as Jaggy forces him backwards towards his prickly doom, Jaggeroth thinks there's only room for one masked man in this federation, Santos was thinking the same thing. The high flying Saint outwits the mad man, he drops to one knee, his backside inches away from the barbed wire. Jaggeroth bears down on the holy man with all of his Psycho might, Santos holds his ground until he feels Jaggy let up on the pressure.The happy go lucky camera man had made his way up the cage, one hand holds tightly onto the side of the cage, the other grasping his expensive piece of equipment as he films the Mexican Saint's struggle. Santos waits for the second round of muscle tearing pressure to come down from Jaggeroth, he keeps his hold on the Time Killer's paws as he flops down to one side, allowing Jaggeroth to fall forward into the pointy wall of death and into the hapless cameraman.

"LOOK OUT!"

The announcer team push off their table, the wheeled chairs propel them back against the security wall as the free falling cameraman crunches through over four thousand dollars of announcing equipment.

"Jesus H. Christ...Is that boy still alive?"


Back up top ,Jaggeroth, is ripping himself off the side of the cage wall, his shirt shreds off his body and as he hits the ground in a seated position, the hard camera up top reveals the right side of his mask was slowly peeling off his bloody face.

Ryan Hughes and Anthony are dueling it out on the other side of the cage from hell, the body of Desperado lays prone to the side of their scuffle. The bronzed Canadian tries his hand at out witting the sassy Brit, his next move could mean victory or a giant L next to his first GHW match in the record books. The veteran in Ryan dodges the onrush of rage induced punches, The Batman raises his arm bent into an L as Anthony swings his entire body into a last ditch hay maker. The ground rattles from the force of the blocked blast, Ryan then takes his free arm and raises it, Anthony looks on in horror as his failed attack backfires on him while Ryan drives a hammer fist into the soft flesh of the arm where the elbow bends. Ontario's pride reels back from the sudden assault on his nervous system, Ryan latches onto his throat with enough force to hold the rookie in place. The Bat Man shoots Anthony's arm over his shoulder and points one finger in the air, the rookie tries fighting back, Ryan thrusts his knee in a curve into Anthony's gut, bending the bronzed brawler over. Ryan grabs onto the back of Anthony's pants, lifts up and has the rookie dangling his legs in the air. The cold, metal ground rattles uncontrollably from the force of the 240 pound descent.


"Hey! We need medical out here right now! This guy is still breathing!"

"I don't see any blood, but the internal bleeding looks like it's getting a lot worse."

The Bat Man looks to fly on up to the third story of the cage , everyone was preoccupied at the moment with their own personal skirmishes, everyone except tricky,little Desperado. The Chain Smoking Cowboy had set up a ladder and was ready to steal the show as the first entrant to round three, he places his hands on the hatch and is about to prop himself over the edge when suddenly his footing is stolen out from underneath him. The Sassy Englishman folds up the ladder as Despy holds on for dear life as he hangs above the unforgiving steel mesh beneath him, Ryan laughs hysterically at the sight of Desperado realizing his own mortality, Despy lets go with one hand and signals back to Hughes what he though of him. The Bat Man takes the folded ladder and tries using it as a Cowboy swatter, Despy's ribs are poked by the hard plastic end of the ladder while he tries to hold onto the hatch end with all his strength. Ryan positions the folded ladder and aims for Desperado's arm, a war cry and a thrust later the ladder springs from Ryan side, Despy's left arm is struck and slips off the hatch. The fingers on Desperado's right hand were starting to give way as he flicks around his numbing left arm. As Despy hanged in the air, seconds away from what could be a career ending fall, he didn't care about his overall well being, no, he was more scared about not being able to leave his mark on history.


Jaggeroth lies against the metal ground, the cold steel against his skin feels like a burning sensation due to the blood loss. His trade mark symbol of hardcore superiority was almost in shreds along the right side of his face, some of it still hangs from the barbed wire wall. Santos raises off the ground and prepares to put the final nail in the coffin of Jaggeroth's fight to obtain singles gold. Santos grabs Jaggy by his greasy, unkempt hair and brings the Leviathan to his feet. The Mexican Martyr kicks with all his god fearing might into the Psycho King's bread basket, Jag doubles over from the sudden shock as Santos turns around and applies a 3/4 face lock on the Time Killer. Santos raises his finger and points to the heavens uttering a small prayer to obtain the strength needed to exercise this demon, Masceras hunkers down then shoots up, while in the air he straightens up using Jaggy as a firm base. Jaggeroth shows off how little he cares for the work of God's chosen, Santos is dragged back down head first into the earthly hell that was The Psycho King's domain. Santos's skull sends shock waves through the make shift floor, Jaggeroth lets go of the tiny Mexican sensations head, Masceras flops across the ground. He is soon brought back up into a seated position, Jaggy stands behind him, Santos's finds his nose under assault by Jaggeroth's fist and quickly reaches up looking for an eye hole to poke, he finds the hole but his fingers get caught in the false face, The Mexican Saint begins to pull down on the mask of skin, tearing the right side in the process. Jag's true face begins to show as the Saint keeps pulling, Santos feels the strings on his mask being tugged. Jaggeroth gets the first few strings off and begins pulling up on the Luchador mask as Santos pulls down. Jaggeroth is about to give one final tug of the mask as The Martyr exposes the man behind the facade of skin.


TBCB: Sorry for going over, I too was just getting really into this match.

[Desperado]

Just as Jaggeroth was about to prise open the final stitching on his foe’s mask, his efforts are foiled thanks to the Pure-Blood himself who struck the sole of his boot into Jaggeroth’s own masked face. There was no personal vendetta in the attack, Jaggeroth just happened to be in the wrong place, at the wrong time as Skull looked to vent his anger on everything that came in his way but his eyes were searching frantically for one man, ... Desperado. They had worked together so far through-out this match. From the fourth cage, as they double teamed to take Chris Pederoso out of the equation until the point where they had taken out every other man in the ring and were well on their way to make it into the final stage of the neXus. Just then, for no other reason than for the sake of doing it, Desperado stabbed his ally in the back with a D-K-O when Skull least expected it. Now it was time for pay-back, whether it cost Skull this match up. He was going to make sure Desperado realised he just fucked with the wrong son-of-a-devil. Passing by, he again used his boot yet again, this time distorting the appearance of Anthony Andrews face as he slammed the leather/rubber combination against the cheek-bone and nose, leaving a gush of blood. As if Andrews was in any position to do anything at this moment in time.

“Would you look at Skull? He’s infuriated; I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like this. That poor soul in Andrews just got his faced kicked in after receiving that deadly fall.”

“I think Skull is in search for Desperado. I mean I would be after what he did. That was just out and out betrayal. Desperado used Skull to get by this far, only to stab him in the back right when both of them could seal the first two places in the final stage of this hell.”

“I think he’s spotted Desperado who’s still hanging off the hatch, almost into the final stage. He’s the only one who’s come this close to making it to the final stage, not once but twice.”

“Yeah, that’s the experience that everyone was talking about when he entered this competition but another fall from that height might mean the end of his night. I don’t think he can handle anymore. I doubt any of these guys can. Not after what they’ve been through”

Ryan is still poking Desperado with the ladder, as if Desperado were a caged monkey in a zoo and he a naughty British kid. Skull came into the scene like a lion, hunting down a prey that had made a fool out of him and got away. Picking up a chair on the way, Skull stalked up behind the un-expecting Manchunian, thwacking him into the cerebrum region of his brain. Ryan fell to the ground silently, the deafening blow leaving Ryan with a concussion. It was finally time for the hunter to take down his prey who was in no position to negotiate, although he made the poor attempts in doing so.

“Hey Skull my man, *Pant, Pant* Lookie here, nothing’s lost yet. We can both still make it up. Why don’t you put the ladder up and climb on up.”

Desperado looks down upon his former ally, giving him the most apologetic he could find out of his artillery of acting. He had already noticed Dom and Breme continuing their little dispute from early on. Brian clearly blaming Dominik for not being in the final stage already.

“I agree, that was wrong of me, I shouldn’t have done it. You want to shed some payback, fair enough. Come up here and you can beat me down all you want but at least that way we’ll already be guaranteed a shot at the New Age. You know it’s the right thing to do. Just because I did something insanely stupid doesn’t mean you should do the same. You know what they say; two wrongs don’t make a right. Hurry and set the ladder man, let’s get up there and sort our little problem out, before these bastards get up and tear us both apart.”

As Skull went into a state of pondering, realising Desperado proposal was although benefiting for himself, it was benefitting for him also. The little time he spent on the thought was enough for Brian to position himself behind the Pure-Blood, having already disposed of Dominik with a head-butt in their little bout. The stalling had worked perfectly and Brian had Skull in position.

“And finally, don’t hold a grudge against me for what’s about to happen next but it just had to be done.”

Desperado took his right arm off the frame of the structure above, allowing his middle finger to salute Skull goodbye as the veteran finally realised what had happened, looking over his shoulder, he tried to retaliate but it was already too late. As Skull turned to face his predator, Brian struck him with a kick to the mid-section before hooking both his arms, hoisting him into the air and executing the Butterfly Effect to excellence. Desperado knowing he could hold on no longer decided this would be the perfect time to let go, landing his fall to perfection, right above and on top of Brian. The 10 foot drop causes a high impact fall, Brian’s body breaking the fall for Desperado, but not enough to stop the damage. Both former Stone Orchard members find themselves sprawled across one other and the knocked out Skull who had just suffered a butterfly suplex at the hands of ‘The Commonwealth’.

“Oh my, after holding on for that long, Desperado finally took the drop, taking out his former stable-mate and rival in the process.”

“The way he played this whole spot to his twisted plan was beyond cunning. Having stalled Skull for long enough to allow Brian to strike with the Butterfly Effect and with the two in combat Desperado saw the perfect opportunity to let go.”

“Mind you, he was holding on for a very long time, even through the severe damage he took to the ribs at the hands of Hughes and the ladder.”

TBC

[Ryan Hughes]

The crowd begins to chat “FUCK YOU DESPY” in a loud and raucous manner, simply as a way to kill time as they wait for the next big moment in this already enthralling Death Match. Buoyed on by the noise of the GHW faithful , Santo gets up and staggers his way across the chain link, diverting his route to get out of the way of the sprawled, spread-eagled bodies of Brian, Skull and Desperado. His eyes are locked on Jaggeroth, the man who tried to rip his mask off and insult his tradition. His mouth froths, his eyes bulge, his muscles tense. Letting out an almighty roar, the Mexican Saint charges at his victim, driving his knee into the exposed ribs of the Time Killer. Not wanting to stop, the Mexican continues to distribute blow after blow to the ribs, stomping all over the already hurting ribcage. The Nebraskan cowers on the floor, just waiting for the pain to end, and it seemingly does- “seemingly” being the important word. Unbeknownst to Jaggeroth, Santo has only retreated to get a running start for his final blow. Taking a run up, Masceras jumps; he stretches his legs in front of him to land a low running Dropkick to the supine Psycho King. Jaggy just simply rolls helplessly on to his back, looking in to the shining lights that dazzle the arena- and burn his retinas. Looking for the nearest ladder, Santo scans the platform, noting everyone's condition whilst doing so. Spotting a ladder propped against the northern wall, he approaches it, and picks it up. Looking around once more, he sees that the rookie of the 8 remaining battlers, Anthony Andrews, is gathering himself on the right half of the platform. The newbie pushes himself up to a vertical base, only to be levelled in the gut with the ladder in Santo's grip. The crunching sound that comes with the impact is unsettling, and even the luchadore has to wince at what he just did. Focusing his mind once more, he tilts his head up- he knows that he could so easily make his way through one of the hatches above, and with no Ryan Hughes in sight to throw him off the ladder like earlier, now is a better time than ever to begin his ascent. He sets the ladder up, puts his left foot on the bottom rung, and begins to climb.

“Surely this time Santo is going to make it!”

“I hate to admit it but- OOOOOOH! He still isn't going to make it!”

The surprise this time comes in the form of Desperado, who seems to have recovered from his earlier “screwjob”. He drives his forearm in to the back of Masceras, causing the Mexican to stop climbing, and start hanging on. Again Despy strikes, aiming for the small of the back, knowing that it will ground the aerialist for the time being. Santo screws what can be seen of his face up in agony, staying still for a moment to see what happens next. Desperado takes a step back before leaping in to the air and extending his body, pushing both feet in to the same spot of Santo’s back he has been targeting throughout. The force of the dropkick causes the Masked Saint to career forward, taking the ladder with him. After what seems to his like an eternity, Santo hits the ground, feeling worse still due to the ladder underneath him which may have broken some of his fingers. Masceras is trapped. He can’t get up due to the fact that his fingers are wedged in the ladder, and he can’t get up due to the amount of pain that he feels throughout his body. Knowing that there is nothing much he can do until some kind soul frees him, he simply lies there, hoping against hope that no one bothers to attack him. This isn’t going to be the case however, because Desperado isn’t finished yet. Standing tall above his helpless opponent, he grins slyly. He snaps his head and his gaze toward the nearby wall, and quickly sets to work in scaling it. In a surprisingly fast motion, he is already a good seven feet above platform level. Looking behind him, he sees that Santo is as supine as ever, locked in the ladder he hoped would take him to greatness. Smiling to himself, he pushes off of the wall, twisting in midair to land on top of the Mexican. The impact causes the New Yorker to bounce off, landing on his back against the chain link floor. He clutches his stomach, which now bears homage to a searing pain. Santo is worse off however, his face, torso, and not to mention his trapped fingers; they all become one with the steel ladder. If it is any consolation, he impact also freed Masceras’ fingers from their temporary prison.

“Just when I thought Desp was all about the trickery, he does something like this!”

“YES! How can Santo climb the ladder with the state his fingers are in, not to mention the fact that he needs grip to be able to climb in to the ring above us!”

Amidst the latest din, Ryan Hughes is up, and is once again ready to fight. Brushing off the effects of Skull’s chair shot, the Batman looks for the man that caused the pain in the first place. He isn’t hard to spot, as he lies in the middle of the platform, getting his bearings near the seemingly unconscious Brian Breme. Hughes grunts in anger, running towards the Pureblood in a fit of rage. Not even calming himself to think of a hold or strike to bring down the veteran, he just jumps through the air, aiming solely for Skull. He didn’t expect the man from the Depths of Hell to counteract him, though. Skull uses his ring savvy and awareness in order to sidestep and let Hughes leap past him. Not content on giving up though, the former GHW Champion positions himself in midair so he can roll on the chain link, and quickly return to a standing position. He starts towards Skull once more, but he is stopped in his tracks by a boot to the gut. Ryan doubles over, and the Pureblood drops his elbow in to the arched back, causing yet more suffering to the stricken Mancunian. Hughes drops to one knee, before Skull sweeps the standing leg with his foot, causing him to fall on to his side. Skull keeps up the offensive charge, mounting the Chief Batmanite before unloading with left and right hooks on the skull (no pun intended) of Hughes. Skull releases Hughes, allowing him to get to a vertical base in order to face him like a man. The bleeding Batman clutches his head, probably to check that it isn’t pounded in to mush. He turns around, just in time to see Skull lift his leg, in a superkick attempt. Hughes just manages to duck underneath the Pureblood’s raised boot, before turning and running at Skull, who only just stops his own momentum carrying him in to the barbed wire wall. Breathing a sigh of relief, he backs off and turns around. Not the best move of his career...

“BFK2H! HE JUST TOOK SKULL’S HEAD OFF!”

“I knew this would happen! Hughes is gonna do it!”

Instead of doing the smart thing and running to the nearest ladder, he kneels beside his latest victim. Crouching low, so his face is mere inches from Skull’s, he hisses a victory speech of sorts.

“Looks like I just exploited your flaw, Skull. Just like I did one and a half years ago. Now maybe, just maybe, you and the other delinquents in this cage will realise... they can’t stop me. They should just stand idly by whilst I claim what should have been mine a month ago. I am getting that New Age Championship... AND THERE IS NOTHING THAT YOU, OR ANYONE ELSE CAN DO TO STOP ME!”

Ryan spits in the face of the Pureblood, and begins to laugh maniacally, much to the discomfort of the crowd in attendance. They shower the Batman in boos as he lifts himself up to a vertical base, on his way to grabbing a ladder, and reaching for his destiny.


TBC (Ever so slightly over the limit, my bad)


STATUS
Ryan: Searching for a ladder.
Skull: Out cold from a BFK2H, with saliva on his face.
Desperado: Nursing his stomach from his dive on to Santo and the ladder.
Santo: On the floor from said dive.
Andrews: Winded from a ladder to the gut, getting up.
Jaggeroth: Curled up near the cage wall, in pain.
Santiago: Keeping himself to himself, avoiding the action.
Breme: Getting up after having Desp drop on him.

[Santo Masceras]

Hughes could have seen it coming.

The extra time spend to rub salt on the wounds of a battered "Pureblood" had left him open to any takers. He hadn't even reached the ladder of victory when Dominik Santiago crept up behind him, snapping back the Chief Batmanite's head into a Neckbreaker that seems to do all that the name suggests. With that, Santiago slinks back into the shadows. Hughes is left lying at an awkward angle, the ladder he had been reaching for still feet away from his outstretched hand.

:Colin "Fuzz" Jennings:
Dominik Santiago!
Stopping Hughes short, I had all but forgotten about him.

:"Big" Al Mulligan:
Staying clear of the destruction around here, I think thats the best idea that any of these men have come up with in this entire match.[/i]

Dominik does not get far before his actions are spied upon by a pair of recovering competitors. Anthony Andrews and Brian Breme both see the sneaky Assassin back away from the scene of the crime. The rookie Andrews simply sees another opponent, prime for the picking, but the loudmouthed Breme sees right through Santiago's plans to "stay out of things" and decides to change them for his own favor. Brian "The Commonwealth" acts first, a sense of urgency in his movement. As he moves, he picks up the very chair that Santiago had assaulted him with earlier, a Commonwealth sized dent in the steel seat. He grabs it with both hands before continuing to move into position. Like Santiago had done to Hughes, Breme sneaks up behind his target, raising the chair behind his head. Andrews watches as the cold steel connects with the back of Santiago's head.

The smile is instantly wiped from Santiago's faced, replaced by a dreamy-eyed look as he stumbles forward a few steps. His eyes glaze over, and Dominik collapses to the ground, just as a second chair shot slices the air just above his head. Breme, having put all of himself into the missed shot, is put off balance and teeters on the edge of falling over, only to have Andrews join in on the scene and finish the job with a running Shoulder Charge that sends "The Commonwealth" careening into the unforgiving cage wall.

:"Big" Al Mulligan:
One has to have eyes in the back of ones head at Nexus. A stage this huge, its no wonder that men are falling over themselves to stab each other in the back.

:Colin "Fuzz" Jennings:
I'm beginning to think that nobody is going to ever make it through the trapdoor and into to the final stage![/i]

Brian Breme bounces backward off the side wall of the Nexis structure, straight back into the arms of Andrews. Before Andrews can capitalize on the gift wrapped Commonwealth, he is rudely interrupted by a tapping on his shoulder. Instincts tell the GHW newcomer to turn around, but as soon as he does so, he regrets it. What he finds is a waiting Desperado, fresh off his destruction of Santo Masceras and poised to strike. He waits just long enough for Andrews to face him before unleashing his killing blow. He leaps into the air and grabs Andrews' head before slamming it down into the chain link floor in a D.K.O that looks to send the young man's head straight through the roof of the cell. Amids a sea of booing, both Desperado and Brian Breme find themselves standing toe to toe with each other. Perplexed as to how either man came to be standing in front of the other, both men are taken aback slightly before turning their surprise into an attack.

:Colin "Fuzz" Jennings:
Poor Andrews... Just when the kid gets something going for him, BAM, he walks right into a D.K.O that nearly sends him into next week.

:"Big" Al Mulligan:
Sorting out the men from the boys. That is what Nexus is all about.[/i]

Desperado and Breme lock horns, each reaching out toward the other at the same time. While they dance about the ring with neither man getting a clear advantage over the other, the Time Killer, Jaggeroth staggers to his feet, his large chest heaving heavily. Even with the mask hiding his face, one can see the agony his body is going through. The battling legends do not see Jaggeroth as they approach, but he sees them. As Depserado and Breme tear themselves into the path of the waiting Nebraskan, Jaggeroth lines up his shot. The brawlers approach, and Jaggeroth raises a foot. Kicking out, he catches Desperado with a Savate Kick, landing perfectly on the side of his head. Desperado drops to the floor, leaving Breme to wonder what had hit him.

He does not have to wonder too long, as Jaggeroth scoops him up from behind and lifts him high into the air, before dropping "The Commonwealth" to the floor, right next to his dancing partner. Jaggeroth sits down as the move hits, allowing him to control the drop the whole way to its impact point. As the Blue Thunder Bomb lands, Jaggeroth can feel his veins pumping with adrenaline. He looks up above him and sees the trap door. Nodding as he stands, he heads off on his way to get to it.

:Colin "Fuzz" Jennings:
Blue Thunder Bomb. Jaggeroth just single handedly took out both Desperado and Brian Breme!

:"Big" Al Mulligan:
Correction, Breme and Desperado took themselves out. Jaggeroth just happened to be in the right place at the right time. They waltzed on into an ambush.

:Colin "Fuzz" Jennings:
Now the question must be raised, who can stop Jaggeroth?[/i]

There seems to be no answer to the question, as all around the ring, the bodies lie strewn like cars in the aftermath of a destruction derby. Jaggeroth makes a beeline for the closest ladder that he sees, never minding the fact that it happens to have a certain Mexican's fingers in between the legs, not to mention having said Mexican crying out from beneath it, his once gold mask now splattered with a mixture of his own and others blood. Jaggeroth picks both Santo and the ladder up, standing them both to their feet as one. Santo sighs relief at the release of his fingers, yet his knees buckle beneath him at the shock of supporting the luchador's weight once more. Jaggeroth looks to finish the night of the battered Mexican with the force of one almighty boot, but Masceras catches the foot in mid air and twists it until Jaggeroth is thrown off balance, tripping over the wobbly ladder and lamming his forehead into the steel as he hits the mat.

Santo, in turn limps off across the ring as quickly as possible. He spots a ladder, still set up and with nobody to climb it. Happy to oblige, the Mexican scales the steel ladder as quickly as he can, running up about halfway without so much as touching the ladder itself with his hands. Santo turns around to face Jaggeroth. Even through the mask, his eyes twinkle as he jumps. He back-flips off his own ladder, tucking his feet behind his back. He soars through the air, slamming into the exposed body of the Nebraskan Cornfield Psycho, still atop the second ladder. One can hear the cries of agony escape Jaggeroth's mouth as the Shooting Star Press hits, even above the clang of Jaggeroth's bones being driven into the ladder even further.

:Colin "Fuzz" Jennings:
Shooting Star Press from off the ladder. Somehow, some way, Santo Masceras is still going, suspected broken fingers and all.

:"Big" Al Mulligan:
Santo's only chance is to get up that ladder and out through that trap door before any of the others wake up. I don't know how much more the pesky Mexican can take before he is done for good.

TBC

OOC: Going with the trend, slightly over. Tried to keep it down as much as possible

[Desperado]

(OOC: Am I the only one he keeps within limit, lol.)

The Masked Mexican attempted a quick escape, knowing perfectly well this was the best opportunity he was going to get to climb his way into the final stage. Lifting himself off the floor as hastily as he could, Santo headed in the direction of the ladder but collapsed to the ground just as quick as he had got up. The sudden rising to his feet had triggered a response in his body system due to a reduction in blood pressure, possibly created by the loss of blood but a second coming of adrenaline through his body managed to stop him from passing out as he pushed himself to the limit to get back onto his feet. The 10 foot climb in front looked near impossible for the condition he was in but it didn’t stop the Mexican from trying. Taking one step at a time, through the pain in his fingers, through the blood that had stained his mask red and through the pain that felt like a thousand volts shocking every receptor in his body. His eyes kept opening and shutting, his brain and body working in overload. He could black out and collapse any moment now. The crowd knew it, the commentary team knew and even he himself could feel himself slipping away from consciousness but with the prize at stake and the glory in sight, Santo Masceras kept climbing as if his life depended on this very act.

“This is it; I think we’re going to see our first competitor reaching the final stage of the nexus. Who would have thought this fairly inexperienced, newcomer to GHW would be the first to make it.”

“Let’s not carried away already, Ryan Hughes doesn’t seem like he wants Santo to make it up first. They all want to get that honor.”

“Well, it does give them that extra time to rest and regain their stamina, before the other three competitors make it up.”

His dreams however were cut short as Ryan, who had just recovered from the neck-breaker suffered at the hands of the Hardcore Assassin, rammed him body into the steel, sending Masceras, who had his hand inches away from the open hatch to watch as his finger brushed past the air that was in between as the ladder beneath him gave way. The Masked Saint soars through the air like a dove, his arms flailing as he gets buried beneath the ladder and meshed against the cold steel beneath him. Ryan has a grin across his face, as he attempts to get to his feet and do as El Santo Masceras had just prior to himself. The Batmanite however, had not anticipated the thought of having his past actions haunt him in his moment of glory. Wiping the English-man’s saliva off his face, the ‘Pure-Blood’ rose off the ground, his eyes filled with anger. Gathering a random weapon out of the steel can, Skull heads off in Ryan’s direction, who seems completely unaware as he sets the ladder back into position, relieving Santo of the heavy load. The sound of the Singapore cane striking against the bone of Ryan’s back brought an ‘Ooooh’ from the crowd as sympathy for the previous shot or the assault he was going to have to endure. The first shot made Ryan freeze in his tracks, the pain coming as a complete shock. The second strike to the back brought the former GHW champion down to one knee before the final knock around the head sent him kissing the ground. With payback the only thing in his mind, Skull explored the deep cave of his mouth and brought forth a fresh batch of saliva and let it spray onto the face of Ryan.

“That’ll teach Ryan not to spit on another person's face.”

“Especially if that other person happens to be Skull! I mean what was he thinking?”

“He wasn't thinking that's what. This hell-hole makes people forget who they are and what they are doing. It's no wonder none of them have made it up into the final stage yet.”

With one down, he went in search of Desperado, who was beginning to stir after the savate kick he received at the Time-Killer’s hands. The Yankee had just enough time to become aware of Skull’s intent, not having enough time to prepare himself for it.

“Hey man, let’s talk this through shall we. What Brian did was what he did, nothing on my part I swear. I only gave you a D-K-O, you don’t have to use a weapon like that now.”

*THWACK!*

Skull brought the kendo stick down, battering against the side of Desperado’s knee-cap, sending him falling to the ground. Desperado scrunches his face up but decides to continue negotiating.

“Aaargh, FUCK! That hurt... Are we equal now? I hurt you, you hurt me. Can we stop being immature about this and let it past us. Let’s move onto ...”

*THWACK!*

Skull again brought the wooden stick, this time aimed vertically at Desperado’s head who managed to bring his right hand out in front, taking the damage and almost breaking his phalanges in the process. Desperado clutches his right hand with his left, trying to deal with the damage as he rolled around on the ground, in agony. His mind however was fully aware of what could happen next and before Skull could bring the kendo stick down on to his back, Desperado flicked his leg, striking Skull in the ankle, putting him off balance and sending him to the ground, the weapon dislodged. Desperado pounced on the opportunity, mounting the veteran and reigning down blow after blow with his left hand, his right hand in position to attack. With the handicap he was at, Skull found it easy enough to block an incoming punch with his own right hand before pushing Desperado away with his left. Turning the tables on Desperado, Skull mounted the former Imperial Champion, raiding down both rights and lefts into the visage of Desperado who was in no state to defend himself.

“Looks like Skull finally managed to get the payback he was looking for.”

“Serves Desperado right for not appreciating the help Skull had offered him. They both could have been in the final stage by now, if it weren’t for Desperado’s stupidity and ego.”

TBC...

[Dominik Santiago]

Skull was exasperated beyond endurance, and though his barrage of enmity induced fists subsides, he is far from through with his foe. As the Pureblood rises, he grabs Desperado's legs, commencing to outstretch them. With all the energy left in his body, the former Imperial Champion opens his weary eyes and lifts his attenuated arms; a blatant act of repentance and plea for mercy. The ruthless, implacable Pureblood denies Despy's appeal, quickly leaping into the air before crashing down on top his foe, dropping his weight across Desperado’s groin region. As Skull rolls onto his chest, attempting to regain his composure and stamina, the Stone Orchard alumni is left convulsing spasmodically, and screeching fiercely.

Big Al: "And we now know why the caged bird sings folks!"
Colin Jennings: "Sounds like a swan song. If he does recover, he might need a wheel chair after that Leg Drop!"

Having exacted his vengeance and fed Desperado a bitter bowl of just desserts, the Pureblood once again rises, quickly heading for a ladder and aspiring to make his great escape. Clutching the ladder horizontally across his body, Skull makes his march toward the center of the satanic structure. Before he can set the ladder however, his feet are taken out from under him. Executing a picture perfect dropkick, Dominik Santiago effectively drops Skull back down to the chain-link, where he lands chest first on the ladder. Allowing his unconventional offense to flourish, the former New Age Champion staggers into a crouched position, before rolling forward. Springing off his feet, Dominik somersaults forward, plummeting down across the defenseless Skull, compressing the former Heavyweight Champion between his own frame and the ladder.

"Rolling Thunder! Vintage Santiago here tonight!"

The self-assured Assassin gradually regains a vertical base. Sneering down at the prone Skull, Dominik curled his lip in a contemptuous smirk, and glowed with prideful swagger. However, when he turns, he oblivious walks into his demise. His fate manifests in the form of a steel chair, as his bulbous ego is quickly deflated by the unforgiving steel chair he once used to preserve his own standing. Swinging the weapon through the air, the Commonwealth connects with a vicious impact, sending his bitter rival to the chain-link. Breme hunches forward, quickly taking a breath and hoping to regain some energy lost due to both fatigue and the resurfacing agony of carrying GHW on his back a year ago. As he begins to build his own momentum, The Commonwealth falls prey to the same smug glow of self-congratulation as his predecessors. While Brian falls victim to the satisfaction of his latest conquest, Santos Masceras slowly staggers to his feet. Catching a glimpse of the Cruiserweight with his peripheral vision, Brian quickly brandishes the chair, preparing himself for a mighty swing. He does just that as the wounded Masceras stumbles forward. Despite his current condition, Santos evades the attack, once again proving why he's a legitimate threat to all his opponents, and vexating Breme in the process. Brian doesn't have an opportunity to succumb to the mortification however, as Santo quickly goes on the offensive. In a desperate attempt to defend himself, Brian places the chair in front of his face; a grave mistake holding painful repercussions.

Leaping into the air, Santo simultaneously spins 360 degrees, swinging his leg and driving his heel into the chair, thus sending the chair into Commonwealth's face and knocking him off his pedestal.

"CRACK"

As the blast resounds through the arena, Santo Masceras quickly retrieves the ladder, leaving Brian Breme unconscious, and sprawled in all his glory.

"What a Spinning Heel Kick! That's a face re-arranger there!"
"Breme prides himself on his good looks. But after that vicious blow, he might look as ugly as these people in attendance!"

Santo wastes no time in setting the ladder up, quickly spreading the legs and placing it directly under the ceiling hatch. The undefeated Mexican struggles at first to ascend the ladder due to the poor condition of his injured knee and the wear and tear on his body caused by the grueling match itself. In spite of the agonizing, physical torment, Masceras begins to scale the ladder. Just before he can reach the top however, The Batman springs into action, latching onto Santo's nearest leg. Masceras initially breaks free, belting the bloodied Batmanite in the chin and sending him staggering back. Preserving obstinately like a rabid dog, Hughes attacks again, this time plunging his fist into Masceras' injured leg, causing the Mexican Saint to lose his balance. Santo's legs hook around the ladder rungs, leaving him suspended and upside down, at a complete and utter disadvantage. Flailing his arms, Santos desperately attempts to pull himself up; but to no avail. All his efforts to free himself from his perilous predicament are futile, and the harsh realization that he is completely trapped, helpless and facing impeding defeat suddenly begins to sink in.

Fueled by hatred and pure malice, Ryan Hughes sizes his foe up, before charging forward. Lifting his leg into the air, the former World Champion thrusts his boot into Masceras' temple, shutting the electricity off in the Mexican's head on impact, releasing him from his hell and coercing him to the chain-link where he lands lifelessly.

"BFK2H! That a boy Ryan! He just splattered his brains around the NeXus!"
"That was one devastating kick! Masceras had no chance to escape. And Hughes is now in the driver's seat!"