History Repeats Itself...Almost

That being said, please enjoy!

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[Alumni Hall, Annapolis, Maryland; September 16th, 2016, 7:54PM EST]
{Mood Music: Wasteland – “Pasedena”}
<Perspective: Indigo Bladewing (Third-Person)>
Indigo laid back against the wall, getting irritated with having to take these “security” details. The Collective was already repeating this ad-nauseum bullshit, and he was about ready to leave the group.

Not that he didn’t feel productive with Genesis, Salem, and Kabuto, the four had done a lot in the last year together. But these menial jobs seemed too routine anymore.

He needed something more exciting.

As he turned the corner, ready to stand by the curtain for the entrances to the ring for the wrestlers, one in particular caught his eye. He was a tall man, rolling his neck as a short redhead tended to his…

Burned…right…hand….

“You gotta be…”

Indigo pulled out his phone and speed-dialed something. Almost as soon as the person on the other end answered, the guy immediately regretted it.

“Why are you even bothering me?”

“You told me to contact you for any developments, Autarch.”

“I realize that, but—“

“Trust me…you’re gonna wanna hear who just stepped in the door.”

“Not intere—“

“James.”

Silence on the other end…

“You have my attention…”
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
[Unknown Place and Time]
<Perspective: Unknown>
Levethix walked into the meeting room feeling rather confident, his tie adjusted and his suit pressed. Ever since betraying Jamilyn back in LAW, he’d been consulting a group of people that were poised to take control of several communities across the country. Only two now remained unclaimed, and Levethix had plans for those.

The man sitting in the ornate chair at the far end for the room seemed a little on edge, though Levethix couldn’t imagine what for. “I take it the plans are still on?”

“Everything is going exactly as planned, sir. You should have your acquisitions by year’s end.”

“Color me skeptical, Askari, but I have high misgivings about that.”

“What do you mean, sir?”

The man stood up and threw his glass toward Levethix, the lawyer just barely managing to dodge it before glass and wine spilled all over the floor. “WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK I MEAN, ASKARI?!?”

“I’m not sure I follow…”

“The Cornetts, you buffoon!” The man sat back down as an assistant handed Levethix a folder containing pictures and documents. “You were supposed to destroy them psychologically so they couldn’t challenge my ascension, your own actions through deception and manipulation of Jamilyn’s contracts and mental status to the point where no one could take her seriously both personally and professionally, and your daughter through abusing that wretched boyfriend of hers. Instead, I now discover that not only has Jamilyn been keeping secrets from the public, but her father is now back in the public eye too, rather empowered after the accident that was SUPPOSED to destroy any confidence he had left!”

Levethix looked over the pictures of JMC and Farrah in Annapolis and Trenton. “Sir, after the whole NGW debacle, he was supposed to be unhireable. Even Chelsey when she was working with us made sure of that.”

“Considering the dominance he displayed at the last VoW event, I’d say he’s become one of their hottest commodities at present time.” The man began to light up a cigar as he spoke. “When we first spoke after Batsarkis’ incapacitation back in December, you promised me you would make it possible for us to acquire both the Genovese and Bianchi family operations from the Cosa Nostra by the year’s end. Until now, you’ve made good on that promise, and that, criado, will not be ignored in this. I have also kept young Aurica and Talindra out of this particular situation, have I not?”

Levethix only nodded at this.

“You know we took Chelsey out of the equation once she outlived her usefulness. I’d rather not have to eliminate an entire family because one man couldn’t keep his promise.” The man sneered toward Levethix. “Cornett must be psychologically destroyed, his relationship ruined, if we’re to gain any advantage in the Cosa Nostra going forward.”

“But why is his relationship so vital?” Levethix posed.

“Because the girl is full-blooded Italian, you puto tarado!” the man now violently yelled at him. “That overrides the half-breeds those triplets are and puts him in perfect standing to assimilate properly without conflict!”

“Okay…but that still doesn’t explain why she’s such a threat. Surely they would overlook—“

“Look at the picture provided. His eyes…the monster in him has taken over.”

“Okay…still not seeing what the problem is here.”

“She’s not controlling it…she’s encouraging it.” The man began to emote with his hands as he explained. “Every other relationship he’s ever been in, the darkness within him has been maintained, controlled, repressed, if you will, so it hasn’t been a factor. He’s never really allowed it to truly consume him in over five years, and even then he was doing a stage production, it turns out, to keep Batsarkis off his ass, so who knows WHEN the last time Chaos was properly unleashed?” A puff of the cigar to keep it lit, then he was back at it. “The thing is…if that monster inside him is allowed to roam as free as is seemingly apparent, it’s going to make him more dangerous if he’s allowed to ascend to Freston’s position. And with Vittoria disowned and ineligible…”

“I think I understand what you’re saying. So what do you want me to do about it?”

The man sneered as he stepped forward into Levethix’s face.

“Whatever it takes…so long as that connection is severed.”
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
[The Cornett Mansion, North Manchester, IN; September 23rd, 2016, 2:16PM EST]
{Mood Music: Ariana Grande – “Focus”}
<Perspective: Third-Person (Off-Camera)>
The morning hadn’t started out well…Tyron was back on Twitter and running his mouth. Farrah and James had teamed on him a bit, but eventually got bored and decided to boot up Destiny: Rise of Iron. James had anticipated co-opting and put Farrah’s TV beside his, allowing them to Fireteam together. As they game, finally putting the Twitter slapfights aside for a bit, Farrah eyes James out of the corner of her eye before turning back to the mission at hand on the screen ahead.

"What would you say... if I said I wanted to try my hand at wrestling?"

His attention never wavering, he smiles as he switches to his Zhalo Supercell for the Cabal Legionaires. "I'd say, when's your first match so I can get a front-row seat to your debut?"

"I tried it a little back in the day... was fun. I don't think VoW is the place for me at my skill level, though. Maybe that place Zee joined recently... Perfect 10 Wrestling I think it is. More so after seeing how that bitch Arria attacked her I think I need to be there to watch my girl's back." She followed suit, doing her best to keep up with him. Destiny was a fun game to her, but she wasn't as locked into it as she was with FFXIV.

"I think that's a smart idea, especially considering that was their first show. Not exactly the type of tone I'd want to set as a new company, but I'm learning that the in thing these days seems to be ignorance."

"Ol' bitch's buddy might have won the thing, but my girl proved that she's got more guts and drive than any of 'em. I defy anyone to try and tell me that she didn't own those fans start to finish."

"No argument from me on that. She came damn closer than Jami ever did to a title..." He looked a bit upset as they finished their objective, clearing the last bounty they had for the day. "I think that's what's bothering Jami the most right now...she spent a whole year not even bothering asking for titles, being the company girl, and not only is she robbed of a title shot minutes after it's announced, but the way it's looking, that might be the last anyone sees of her career."

"If they saw it in her before, they'll see it again when she's back. And she WILL be back. Worst thing anyone can do, especially you, is doubt that. She needs the reinforcement of knowing that she can make it back better than ever. That hope means a lot to her. I know it. Zee would tell you the same. It's never gonna be whether or not she can make it back... only when." Setting her controller down, she waits for him to do the same before taking his hands. "We gotta do that for her."

“I'm trying to be...but I also have seen the progress reports..." He sighs deeply. "Her eyesight's been getting worse, her mood swings aren't improving, and though she won't admit it, she's been dealing with vertigo pretty bad. Tish is giving her a 35% chance to straighten up before Christmas, but apparently even that's pushing it given Jami's condition. According to Tish, if Jami doesn't improve significantly before then...she may as well write off any chance she had of a comeback."

"No wonder he's so hot at Katalina... still, I choose to be optimistic. I mean, this is Jami we're talking about. She's tough as they come." Scooting in closer, she wraps her arms around him and cuddles in close, sharing her warmth and positivity.

"Well, that and her being pregnant and all...”

That was the main secret the Cornetts had been keeping for weeks now…the night of Katalina’s assault on Jami, it was discovered that Jami’s lack of a period prior to the match was no accident…she was indeed pregnant, which was a miracle in and of itself, but the mass Jami’s aunt Tish had found doing an ultrasound suggested twins at least. Ever since, Jami had been estatic and happy, arguably the happiest she’d been in years. Tyler had asked no one to announce anything at least until Armed and Dangerous had passed, and the family had kept his wishes thus far. There’d been a few calls from Parker Van Peters for some odd reason, but JMC had hung up every time.

”Chaos may be heartless at times, but he's never been one for the death of innocents. And risking 3 lives for the safety of 1...sound reasoning or not, even if Kat had no way of knowing, VoW should have at least imposed SOME sort of consequence for willingly taking an action that injured her that bad. If it'd been me doing that to someone else, intent or not, I'd have been fired, suspended, or at the very least fined, not given a title opportunity the very next show...that's what pisses Chaos off more than anything. It's not so much that she did it, he at least understands the reasoning to an extent. It's the fact that she more or less got away with an action that, had it happened in any other company, would have had at least SOME form of reprimand, and yet in VoW is consistently rewarded by Sangue, Omega, and the like."

"I'm seeing why Emma says you two think alike. It's a shitty situation and people like you two are the only ones who see it." Pondering this, Farrah leaned up and kissed under James's chin before turning back to the game. She logged them out before setting up the PS4 to play and logging into FFXIV. "Maybe after you two beat the shit out of each other next Friday you should sit and talk."

"It won't be that violent a match." James put his hands to his chin in contemplation. "Despite what Kat has done, neither of us hold any ill will toward Emma or Joanna. Hell, Emma's the only reason Chaos didn't go full-score against Kat the way he wanted to. And she DID promise that Chaos would be allowed vengeance on Kat in the future...but Jami needed me more at the time. And I guess seeing the last few weeks, it makes sense that Emma wanted to settle the growing conflict between Joanna and Katalina first before any outside issues were addressed by the three."

He narrowed his eyes carefully.

"There's still one part of this whole situation that doesn't make sense, though...if Emma openly and publicly gave Jami the nickname she did, more or less hinting that she was being considered as a potential Rider...then why did Katalina seem intent to remove her from the equation? You would think someone able to hold their own against a Horsewoman not once, but twice, AND someone whose only other match in VoW required dirty tactics in order to get a win over them, would be the kind of person Katalina would welcome as a Rider for her talents and capability, Blink situation or not, not actively prevent them from joining the ranks like that...in fact...why even target Jami's head at all? She could've targeted her legs, her arms...something that wouldn't have had as lasting an impact, just ground her long enough to get the win...but she went straight for the head...and Katalina, being in LAW, would have known Jami's history with concussions, so you would think she'd avoid striking a potential stablemate in such a way that would threaten her career that significantly...and not just Jami's either. Kate's been a psychological mess ever since that went down. Jami isn't even supposed to be able to get pregnant to begin with...so how could Katalina have known exactly where to strike that would put her out of action long enough for her to have the babies safely?"

He shakes his head as he watches Farrah play.

"I don't know, maybe I'm overanalyzing this whole situation...I just have this feeling that there's more going on with this whole thing than we're being led to believe. Otherwise, why would Emma suddenly demand that I let things be settled 'in-house' when my daughter and unborn grandchildren's livelihoods were put at risk? "

"Maybe Katalina had a reason that didn't have anything to do with everyone else involved. The woman carries secrets like cats carry fleas. This might not have a damn thing to do with the Horsewomen, with Jami and her girls... might be something only she knows. The fact that Jami ain't bent up at her about it kinda leans toward that, too, don't you think?"

She knew that musing look on his face by now, the one that usually saw him mentally teetering between one side or the other. After a few moments of it, during which time she sets up the New Character screen and passes him in the controller, she leans back next to him and sets a hand on his leg.

"Don't overthink it, sugar. Nothing is changing what happened right now. Better to focus on what you know's in front of you and leave that for when you got the luxury of time."

James nodded politely and smiled as he took the controller, cuddling with her as he begins to create his character. "You're absolutely right, honey. If Jami has forgiven her then I need to as well. I just hope they don't book me against Katalina anytime soon...Chaos is that kind of antic where if he even senses she's against him, he'll go all out against her. And I already told Zoey I wouldn't seek Katalina out." He tilts his head. "Do any of these classes do like a dual-wield rogue type?"

"You actually have to get that in-game. Get any other Disciple of Hand or Magic job to Level 10 and you can go to Limsa Lominsa and learn to be a Rogue which eventually becomes a ninja. But It's not your standard dual-wielding. They have a weapon in each hand, but you only have one equipped."

"I'm already gonna have problems here…”

She laughs and watches with interest as he plays for the first time, always enjoying the observation of someone taking in something new initially. "Yeah, but if you're booked... you're booked. Gotta take it as it comes. Zoey and Katalina both are smart enough to get that."

"Let's hope you're right...."

He took a deep breath, and continued the game.

If only he’d known…
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
[The Cornett Mansion, North Manchester, IN; September 23rd, 2016, 8:32PM EST]
{Mood Music: The Cars – “Drive”}
<Perspective: James Mitchell Cornett (Off-Camera)>

Stacy managed to arrive later that evening, just in time for dinner, so after the three of us had a hell of a great meal (Tuscan chicken with a light cream sauce, in case you’re wondering), and while Farrah played her Final Fantasy a bit more, Stacy and I sparred a bit in the basement. After some exertion, we got ourselves a few waters, and while I was planning my shots for the morning, Stacy leaned on the ropes to relax. I could tell something was on her mind beyond the tag match, but I didn’t know her well enough to plan that right offhand how I’d respond.

“So…how you been holding up?”

Stacy was a tough one to read, honestly. Yeah, she seemed easy to get along with to everyone else, but part of me always felt like she kept something below the surface, something that might have explained just why Veronica had went after her in the first place. Then again, the way my mind worked, I always needed to see things from all angles, so maybe I was quick to distrust her. After all, this was a woman whose first date with Jami, as I was to understand it, involved a meltdown from my daughter because of what day it happened to be on.

“You’re gonna have to be more specific these days, Marie.”

Great, now I was doing it…

“You know…with everything that’s happened…with Jami…with Chels—“

I held my hand up immediately.

“Stacy, let me stop you right there. After everything I’ve been finding out about that woman…all the control she tried to exert, all the lies she was telling, all the ignorance toward my daughters while focusing almost exclusively on my sons…no, I’d be happy as I’ll get out if I never hear that woman’s name in that context again. Your daughter is one thing, she seems like a wonderful child, but when it comes to my personal life…no. Sorry, that’s one of my new no-go zones.”

“Oooookay…sorry to have upset you…”

“You didn’t upset me, Marie. I just want to move on from that whole mess. The more I look back, the more of a mess it was. She pushed things way too fast compared to what I was ready for at the time.”

“One could say the same thing about you and Farrah.”

“Farrah’s not exactly pushing me to get married in a month’s time span, Stacy. There’s a hell of a difference.”

“Then why so fast with her?”

“You ever have that moment where you just know?”

“Yeah. With Jen.”

“I’m not talking about drunken flings or crazy misadventures or anything like that. I mean like the moment where she’s right there…the sky’s turning that perfect shade of pink, the smells of the city are wafting into your nose, you’re having the best time you’ve had in a long while, and you turn to her…and in a moment, you don’t see anything but her. That moment when you look into your eyes and you see your entire world in her irises, and the only thing you can think, besides ‘Shit, she’s gorgeous’, is ‘Why are you only coming into my life now?’ The split second I heard her song, I was hooked. The moment she spoke, I was addicted. But that lull before she grabbed my hand…”

I raised my right hand, scar tissue, fused fingers and all, and closed my eyes, tearing up.

“….the moment she took my hand and, instead of freaking out or walking away, embraced and kissed it like it was never deformed in the first place…”

I let the water fall from my eyes as I opened them again.

“For twenty two years, Stacy, I felt broken, incomplete, useless. In twenty-two seconds…she made me feel whole. Complete. Loved, in a way I’ve not felt for years.”

I looked up and realized that Stacy herself was tearing up.

“God, you sound just like Dad…”

I nodded and put my hand on her shoulder.

“I don’t mean to sound like you don’t care for Zelda…I did my research…wasn’t till you two got together that you started to stabilize and get to the point where you felt confident again. You get where I’m coming from on this probably more than any other…how that one soul can change the entire world around you.”

Stacy nodded, but she seemed unable to speak for a moment. I tilted my head in confusion. “You know…now I understand where Jami gets all her patience from…” She hugged me tight, tears on her cheek as I patted her head.

“Hey…it’s okay…”

“No…it…it just hit me…right now you’re probably the closest thing to a father figure I’ve got now. Last thing I wanna do is let you down.”

“You’re not going to.” I pushed Stacy away from me just enough so the hug was still intact, smiling at her. “No matter what happens next week, Stacy, I’m gonna be happy working with you…and I’m proud of what you’ve accomplished. I know your dad will be too.”

“Listen…since the next event’s in Pennsylvania, I know of a convention happening Sunday…would you and Farrah be interested in going?”

“I’m sure I can talk Spice into going…might not be a bad idea to see if Jami’s willing to—“

“Oh no, I’ll ask Jami myself. The way she was feeling tonight about Tyler’s business meeting, it’ll give her something to look forward to. Plus, I KNOW she’s been itching to cosplay with Jen for some time now.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Stacy just tightened her hug again, and I chuckled as I kept my embrace around her.

Somehow, I knew I just gained another adoptive daughter out of this conversation.

And honestly?

I was perfectly okay with that.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
[The Cornett Mansion, North Manchester, IN; September 24th, 2016, 10:54AM EST]
{Mood Music: Nickelback – “Edge of a Revolution”}
<Perspective: James Mitchell Cornett (On-Camera)>
There are bad days, and then there are legendary bad days.

This was shaping up to be one of those.

Tyron Bickerton had made the fatal flaw that I had even warned Stacy not to make during our conversation.

He brought up Chelsey.

In a negative light.

So you’re damn straight I was going into this monologue even more pissed than usual. Chaos had already fully taken over, it was just me sitting in the back of my head watching from here, as he expertly controlled my body. We’d gotten used to this symbiotic relationship by now, so it was rather easy to go into this plan.

“History has yet again repeated itself. Not exactly how we envisioned it, not in terms of the title victory, but in terms of impact. Chaotic Light versus Animal Instinct turned out to be ever the pace-setter as we envisioned it, so much so that the chatter for most of the show was the intensity of the Twin City Championship Match. Matthew…Veronica…we don’t agree with how the match ended by a long shot, but we do agree that you fought the way we hoped you would. Hard, fast, and prepared. Congratulations on your title win….but don’t get complacent. Contrary to what you may be thinking, Chaotic Light is far from removed from the championship picture. And the next time we meet…and there will be a next time…it will be on our terms. A fairer setting, if you will.

“Now, once again, we have found ourselves inserted into the Main Event of the subsequent card before a mega-event, with World Title implications hanging over the head of all. In one corner, two partners, in the ring and in life, who know each other back and forth and are a cohesive unit. On the other side, the #1 contender for the World Visionary Championship and the entity who, admittedly, still has a sore spot toward their third member. No matter how this match ends, it will shape the energy and the conditions going into Armed and Dangerous.

“So in order to set the tone for what we have coming forward, we have four things to discuss this afternoon.”

“Death.

“War.

“Famine.

“Pestilince.”

The four ringposts in my basement now had a singular toy horse on top of each, one for each horse of the Apocalypse I had mentioned. There were also coverings over the top pillows, but I wasn’t ready for what they contained yet.

Now, I know what you’re thinking…”James, you idiot, people have done this already with Chaossworn and the Horsewomen, why even bother to bring it up?”

“This is the state that the Visionaries of Wrestling are in…the Apocalypse.”

THAT’S why.

Because while it could have been instantly assumed I would be discussing the Horsewomen, I intended on doing something a bit more abstract this time.

“Let’s start with Famine, shall we? The famine of dignity and respect. Tyron Bickerton insulting anyone and everyone because no one cared about his health scare, even when outright shown that people did care. Seth Iser trying to pin his interference in the Twin City Championship Match last week on us because we were being a ‘glory hog’, never minding the fact that my contract SPECIFICALLY FORBID US from participating on the roster unless our daughter was unable to compete for reasons beyond her control. Although, kudos to him for actually knowing who the fuck we were going into VoW instead of how the rest of the company has addressed us. Ace Watson’s track record of stabbing people in the back to the point his own self-admitted best friend doesn’t even trust him completely. Katalina Star openly risking many lives for the sake of one.”

You’d think people would have clued in why Katalina was such a heavy focus of Chaos, but strangely almost no one seemed to call him out on it. Hell, if anything, Seth’s little “this is your fault” bullshit could have been shut the hell down if he’d taken five seconds to realize why I was even as irritated with VoW as a whole.

But I’ll give him credit, he at least respected me as a competitor until lately.

That’s more than I can give 75% of the roster at this point.

“War. The neverending conflict that will never be continually glorified in contests such as this. The confrontations that make a woman like Joanna Thade go crazy with noise unless they can get the silence back. The kind of fight that drives women like Stacy Jones and Emma Carlisle to the limits of their capabilities. War is never meant to be gentle, but there can still be dignity within the confines of it, and that’s what people seem to have forgotten. Even in the heat of battle, there are lines that should never be crossed, something that the Horsewomen are learning the hard way.

“Death. Now this might be the most complicated to assert into the equation. After all, how else but the death of a company could we possibly fit the Black Horse into the mix? Well, that’s the beauty of it…the ‘death’ we refer to is more or less the death of discipline and consequence. More and more it’s getting clear the inmates run the asylum, and while that might have worked over on Lucas Dupree’s sinking ship more than its current leadership would have you believe, the desecration of the Visionaries can be left solely at the feet of its bosses. From Ryan Omega’s lack of conviction when suspending his own wife to Sky Sangue’s flat out defiance of paying attention to health and safety for the sake of profits and controversy…the effects of it are being felt everywhere. As a result, the prominent proveyors of positivity are dying off.

“Which leads to the final aspect….Pestilence. Disease. Specifically, the nagging sense of overall negative energy that would normally kill a place off, and yet somehow the Visionaries of Wrestling seems to thrive on it. Thriving to the point a broken and pathetic man has the nerve to bring up our deceased wife in an attempt to discredit us. He then claims we should be fired for a natural response to what he’s done, but claims WE are where the company will draw the line when they allow their talents to be psychologically and physically assaulted on a regular basis. It’s gotten to the point where the honorable, the respectful, the dignified are seen as the disease, and the corrupt, the wicked, the devious are seen as the cure.

“FUCK. THAT.

“The time has come to counter the Apocalypse.

“Make no mistake, we hold no ill will toward Death and War. If anything, we find ourselves agreeing with the Chaossworn more often than not. We will pay attention to the rules and follow them because we respect you two. Joanna, we understand the need to rid yourself of the noise, and we hope our upcoming encounter will assist in that. Emma, we owe you for allowing our nicer half to regain control long enough before we did something we regret, and we understand your role in this. Neither of you will be disappointed in our efforts along with Stacy to make this count where it needs to. But admittedly, they are a much smaller part of what we consider the big picture.

“People like the Orphanage, like Tyron Bickerton, like Ace Watson, want to bring the end of days to VoW.

“The Souls of Steel have the counter.”

It’s only now that I pull down coverings on the ringpost cushions to reveal little symbols resting on them. I first head to the purple-tinged rope on the northeast post.

“Zoey Madigan, known to the world as Zahara Matisse, the Indigo Enchantress, the Magical Maiden. The positivity that we seek to re-establish in VoW. A tough but respected woman who has made a name for herself with her resiliency and her neverending smile. With the means to channel her energies into far more useful applications, she will set the tone for VoW going forward.”

Now to the southeast corner, a sneaker.

“Kathryne Montes, better known to the fans as the Cumberland Jet, the Zooming Zebra, Katie Moicelle. Though her Sorrow feels overwhelming at times, her tenacity and her honor will assist us greatly in our task. Stepping up to Iser was the first step…we look forward to her surpassing our legend. We dare even say she’d be a good candidate for the Horsewomen…so long as Katalina doesn’t get any ideas about shelving her too.”

Southwest with a General Leia figure.

“Katelyn Cecilia Bos, more commonly known to fans as the Geekette Extraordinaire, Cali-Kate. Though her star has somewhat diminished as of late, we dare not abandon the girl we think of as our own daughter. With time, she will gain the confidence to surpass the Candy Crush Saga Championship she once held and ascend to much greater things in VoW.”

Finally, northwest with the torn military shirt.

“The Migrant Marine, the Lone Wanderer, Saul Morgan. A man down on his luck, but not without honor or respect. We know how it feels to be on the streets, fighting just to get your next meal, much less to survive. In time, we hope to impart focus into his chi, but so far he’s managed to impress us, a near-impossible feat these days.”

Then to the center of the ring again…

Where it’s noticed that my glove is on the floor.

“The problem is, the Souls of Steel, going forward, need to remain positive and unified in their desire to see true change in the Visionaries. And in their current states, if any one of them were to fall to the darkness that the others have, the entire point of their existence goes away. People like Gwendolyn Massey, Reya Janason, Phineas Crowe, and yes, much as she hates to admit it, even Dazielle Miyashita are going to need these four individuals to stay at their strongest, both physically and spiritually.”

I picked up the glove and examined it…and now I show that there’s barbed wire inside.

“There is a well-known quote in the movies…it goes something like this. In normal times, evil would be fought by good. But in times like these, it should be fought by another kind of evil. The evils of vice, disgrace, and hatred have corrupted the Visionaries into a dank splendor where people go not to prove themselves the best, but to fester their own darkness. If the good souls of this company are going to have any chance of surviving, a different kind of evil has to emerge, one of vengeance, destruction…

“The Chaos in the Shadows.”

“And that’s where I come in,” the now-all too sultry voice of my angel piped up as she stepped into the camera frame, decked out rather interestingly in a Poison Ivy-esque costume. “You see, Iser, your little stunt may have worked for the Orphanage last week, but let’s just say my sugar here has decided it’s time to add some spice to the occasion, to keep himself in check, if it were. From here on, I’m accompanying James to the ring, the Poison Ivy to his Two-Face. And if any of you backstabbing trolls decide to try anything…well…” She picked up my scarred hand and held it to her cheek, kissing it softly before looking back to the camera with a smirk. “…you’ll be lucky if you’re awake enough to regret it.”

“The endgame is simple…” Chaos picked up, my smile evident. “The Dark Paladin of VoW has been unleashed, whether the rest of you want him or not. And unless Farrah herself deems it, the rest of you aren’t getting James Cornett again. You have to EARN the right to face Your Friendly Resident Jackass again…now, the lot of you get to deal with a Crimson Nightmare the likes of which you’ll regret ever releasing into your ranks. Chaossworn will get Jimmy, because they haven’t disrespected him, nor do we see them actually doing so. But the rest of the roster has officially been put on notices that they now must suffer the Fly in the Ointment, the Monkey in the Wrench, the PAIN IN THE ASS….”

I take a moment to lean over and kiss my girlfriend, and for a moment my eyes kick back from the jet-black sclera they’ve been up to this point to their chocolate brown. I turn back to the camera, and though my eyes are brown, my smile doesn’t change, because as the camera fades to black on my face, my left hand holding up the glove in question, for the first time in years, Shadow Chaos and I are of the same opinion.

“….and the FinalHazard to the End of the Visionaries.”