Good Friends, Better Enemies
April 13th, 2009: Barely Legal
William's arrival draws the attention of Ash Ketchum, Nicolas Poliakoff and Ulrich Stern. He stands in the aisle, arms crossed, watching, waiting for the match to begin, the match that will decide his opponent tonight. For each man, the opportunity to get at William is fuel for their fire, and that makes each of them dangerous. For Ash Ketchum, he is driven by William's theft of his family and the ECW Title. For Nicolas Poliakoff, it is months and months of abuse and degradation by William and the chance to stand up for himself. And for Ulrich ... for Ulrich, it is the chance that he might succeed in the goal that has eluded him for almost two years: defeating William.
Nicolas draws first, charging Ash Ketchum. He pounds on the angry icon of ECW, punching and kicking him to the ground, then wrests the Singapore cane from Ash Ketchum's hands. Ulrich stands back, content to let Nicolas do the hard work, and watches as Nicolas lays in with the cane, cracking Ash across the body over and over again. But Ulrich misgauges Nicolas's focus, and before he knows it, Nicolas wallops Ulrich right in the head with the cane. Ulrich goes down, and Nicolas is on top of him for the cover; Ulrich kicks out at 2, and Nicolas is right back on him with the cane. When Ulrich is still, Nicolas looks at William in the aisle, points and pantomimes a belt across his waist. He doesn't expect to be pulled over in a schoolboy by Ash, but that doesn't even get to two. Ash and Nicolas get to their feet and start brawling, a fight that Ash ends up winning; with Nicolas stunned, Ash bounces off the ropes and charges, making a wild dive at Nicolas. Nicolas goes down, and Ash continues to pound on him on the ground, even bashing his head into the mat. Ulrich slowly gets up, leaves the ring and starts tossing objects from under and around the ring into it; a garbage can, a couple chairs, a frying pan, a stop-sign and, of all things, a DVD Player. Ulrich rolls back in as Ash picks up the Singapore cane; Ulrich grabs the garbage can as Nicolas stands up and puts it on him. Ash wallops the can, and Nicolas goes down. Ash beats on the trashcan a few more times with the cane while Ulrich joins in with one of the chairs; the two look like pistons in an engine, one hitting while the other winds up for the swing. But, again, Ulrich's trusting nature earns him pain, as Ash Ketchum switches gears and tunes up on Ulrich's head. Ulrich goes down again, bleeding this time, and Ash Ketchum goes back and forth between the two with cane shots. Ash makes a cover on Ulrich, but Ulrich kicks out. Ash puts Ulrich on the top turnbuckle, the set up for his "Poké-rana", which he hits, sending Ulrich slamming down on top of the stop sign. Another cover only gets two, so Ash sets up Ulrich in the corner, then props up a chair within reasonable distance from Ulrich. Ash grabs a cane, then bursts forward running, hopping up to use the chair as a launchpad ... only for Nicolas to kick the chair out of the way. Ash hits the mat and crumbles, totally unprepared for Nicolas's simple interference.
Nicolas pulls himself up; in his hands is the frying pan. Ash is up first, and the sound of his skull on the frying pan is a dull "bong!" noise that the bloodthirsty crowd enjoys. Nicolas then walks over to Ulrich, who is still propped up in the corner, and brains him. Ulrich slides down to the mat, his face a bloody mess; Nicolas pulls him out and makes the pin, but gets only two. Nicolas is up like a bolt of lightening, and puts the trashcan (battered and beaten as it is) on top of Ulrich; he then grabs Ash Ketchum, cinches up and hits an overhead suplex onto the trashcan, crushing Ulrich beneath. Nicolas shoves Ash out of the away and goes for another pin of Ulrich, but again, Ulrich kicks out yet again. Nicolas argues with the referee about the speed of the count, but John Finnegan is unfazed. Nicolas refuses to listen to reason, and is so caught up with arguing that he only realizes one of his opponents, Ash Ketchum, is up and alert when Ash clobbers him in the back with his cane. Nicolas falls forward, colliding with Finnegan and sending him out to the floor. Ash pauses to play to the crowd, his cane raised up in the air as if triumphant... only for the beaten, damn near delirious Ulrich Stern to come from behind and drop him with a reverse DDT. Ulrich gets an arm on Ash, but with no referee to count, the win goes unrecorded.
William finally shows signs of life, going around to where the referee has fallen; he picks up Finnegan and tosses him in the ring. Finnegan stirs enough to start counting, but Ash kicks out at two, and beats Ulrich to his feet. When Ulrich gets up-closer to a stagger than anything, as Ulrich is the walking dead from the one-sided ass-kicking he's received-Ash wraps his cane around Ulrich's throat and jerks back, hitting his signature White Russian Leg Sweep. Ash makes a cover, but gets only two. But no sooner is he on his feet then a Nicolaskick comes out of nowhere and puts him on his ass. Nicolas lets loose a primal scream of rage and fire; for him, vindication is three seconds away. He is about to cover Ash when William slides in, spins Nicolas around, kicks him in the stomach, and plants him with an Evenflow on the stop sign. The crowd is ready to leap the guard rail and lynch the deranged slacker, but instead of finishing off his oldest nemesis with a DDT (and thereby killing the three-way altogether), William dumps Ulrich's barely-moving body on Ash Ketchum and backs away; the ref has no choice but to count, and this time, he gets to three. The crowd cheers instinctively, but realization quickly sets in: Ash Ketchum and Nicolas Poliakoff have been defeated, and beaten senseless. And the winner of the match, Ulrich Stern, is a bloody, confused mess who can barely stand ... and has to wrestle immediately against a fresh William. But before that, William picks up Ash before the match begins and plants him with an Evenflow, further driving him into unconsciousness. William rolls the body out, and then does the same for Nicolas Poliakoff; trainers and medics quickly attend to them, helping them leave the ringside area, and, thusly, eliminating Ulrich's nearest two lines of reinforcements.
Dunbar stands above the nearly unconscious Ulrich Stern circling him like a vulture, yelling; "Get up, Ulrich! This is what you wanted!" William nudges Ulrich with his boot and yells at him again. "Get up, Ulrich! It's your big chance!" William grabs Ulrich and pulls him up, then locks on the front headlock to set up the Evenflow; Ulrich, though, is too weak to stand, and slumps down on his knees, his arms dangling like pendulums. William tries to pull him up again, but Ulrich is too weak. William settles for hitting the Evenflow with Ulrich being on his knees and makes the cover ... but only gets two. William's eyes go wide with surprise. He looks at Ulrich for a moment, confused and unable to respond. Has Ulrich been playing possum? Was it just instinct? William gets up, dragging Ulrich with him; he puts Ulrich on his shoulder, leans forward and runs at the corner, crushing Ulrich in the turnbuckle. Ulrich slumps down, hanging on the top ropes by arms that can barely support his own weight. William stares at his nemesis, bleeding profusely, slumped down, a ravaged and beaten echo of the man who has chased him for months without cease (and without success). "C'mon, Ulrich, tonight's your big chance!" William yells, then steps forward and slaps Ulrich open-handed right across the face. William turns and poses mockingly, earning a round of the crowd's wrath. But as he bends over to pick up the Singapore cane, he doesn't notice the wrath melting into cheers; behind William, Ulrich's eyes have lit up, two white blazing suns amidst a field of crimson. William no sooner has turned around then Ulrich comes out of the corner like a bullet out of a gun, tackling William and strangling him, screaming like a savage. Ulrich finally lets go and hits his familiar pose-arms out, a primal yell from deep inside him filling the ECW Arena-while William gets up, coughing and holding his throat. Ulrich hoists William across his shoulders and throws him off; the death valley driver sends William crashing into the DVD Player headfirst. Ulrich drapes an arm over William; Finnegan's hand hits the mat once, twice, three times. The locker room empties, led by Ulrich's longtime school friend, Odd Della Robbia, as they pile into the ring to celebrate Ulrich's victory and crowning as the new ECW World Champion. Ulrich barely even recognizes what is going on; his burst of adrenaline is gone, taking with it any realization that he has achieved the two goals that have eluded him for so long. All he knows is his friends and his girl, Yumi, are celebrating his amazing achievement while William disappears into the crowd.
April-May 2009
The first few weeks after Barely Legal, Ulrich spends it looking over his shoulder. Since his defeat of William, Ulrich's world has been almost perfect ... his beautiful Yumi by his side ... his best friend, Odd Della Robbia, cheering him on from the corner every week, and around his waist, the ECW Championship. It should be a paradise, but the happiness of the victory is fleeting for Ulrich, and with many good reasons.
For one, now that he is a champion, he no longer has the luxury of being the hunter. Comers are on all sides, and he doesn't have the option of turning anyone away. At one house show, former ECW Television Champion Danny Phantom brings the house and then some, and tests Ulrich's limits for 20 minutes before he can put away the youngster. Another night, it is Sasuke, a huge, lumbering beast of a man that has several inches on Ulrich, way more muscle, and is nothing more than raw strength; he puts Ulrich through the paces, giving him the bloodiest brawl this side of William's capabilities and asks for more ... but in the end, Ulrich is victorious again. And no sooner is he done with Sasuke then more challengers come knocking: Tai Kamiya, Chris Griffin, and even the lovable loser Timmy Turner. One by one, he has to face them, and night after night, he is taken to the very limits of his physical well being, all in the name of remaining champion.
Also weighing on his mind is something, or someone, that isn't even there: Dunbar. Not a sound nor sight has been had from William since his sudden demise at Barely Legal, and as time wears on, the absence of his archenemy doesn't make Ulrich happy. Without William to constantly do battle with, Ulrich feels little more than a machine, constantly defending his belt, being beaten and going home to rest for the next day. Without William, the direction and purpose of his life melt away, and all that is left is a cold, mechanical purpose of wrestling. The exhaustion and exasperation begins to take a toll in his matches; a title defense against Twister Rodrigues in an episode of Hardcore TV nearly gets away from him. Like Ulrich, Twister is a technical wrestler, although a smaller guy to boot, Twister's agility and speed prove to be almost blinding for the tired champion. Only the toughness and veteran skills of Stern save his reign, but he is noticeably upset, and waves away Yumi and Odd when he heads back to the locker room.
The very same edition of Hardcore TV that would feature Ulrich's near-loss to Twister Rodrigues would feature a taped segment at the end. A segment filmed in mostly darkness, the face of the speaker obscured, but the voice unmistakable.
"I had everything," says Dunbar, sitting on the ground, head between his knees. "I had the girl, I had friends who would follow me to the ends of the earth, and I had the ECW World Title ... but bit by bit, you took it all away, Ulrich Stern. You stole Yumi, a girl who wanted to be 'just friends' with you and nothing more, not until she sent me to the fucking nuthouse! You helped drive away Nicolas away from me!" He pauses, exhaling deeply. "And a few weeks ago at Barely Legal, you took away my ECW World Title, the last thing left I had in this world. I hope you realize just how deep the cuts you've inflicted upon my psyche really are, Ulrich Stern. Your pursuit of me has been nothing less than cold-blooded, and your revenge a systematic rending of my very soul. These are wounds that will never heal ... I'll carry the pain and suffering you've heaped upon me for the rest of my haunted, twisted existence." Suddenly, William gets to his feet, boring a hole through the camera with his eyes, as if the eyes of Ulrich Stern exist within the lens. "But I've not finished with you yet, Ulrich Stern. You've only now noticed the Sword of Damocles above your head, how it threatens your very existence. The burden of being champion is something you're not ready to bear, Ulrich Stern; your weak, compassionate soul is far too fragile to withstand the crushing, lonely existence of being ECW Champion. You are a target in plain sight, Ulrich, and everyone around you ... everyone around you is armed to the teeth. You can't trust anything anyone tells you, Ulrich ... anything except what I'm telling you right now. The pedestal the ECW fans have put you on for beating me and becoming ECW Champion is made of glass, and it's cracked and chipped, Ulrich ... and it's only a matter of time before I have the last laugh of watching all your hard work crumble underneath your feet." And if the words aren't haunting enough, William does adds the punctuation mark to his oddly poetic diatribe: a wretched smile. "They say revenge is a dish best served cold, Ulrich Stern. But the part that always gets left off is that it's a dish that serves two."
The following week's edition of Hardcore TV (the first week of May) only serves to complicate Ulrich's life, and it begins with Yumi and Odd Della Robbia in the ring. "Ulrich," she says, "I know you're starting to feel the pressure of being the ECW Champion, and-" The crowd cuts her off with a spontaneous "Ulrich" chant. She lets the cheers subside a bit, then continues. "Ulrich, I can't begin to imagine how difficult it is to have to defend that title, but it's something you've worked for your whole life, and you can't let the pressure spoil it for you! You can't-!" She shakes her head, too flustered to continue. Della Robbia asks for the microphone, and she hands it over.
"Ulrich, I've known you for a long time," he says. "In this business, it's damned hard finding someone you can trust, let alone think of like family, and that's how I feel about you. I want to help you, Yumi wants to help you, we all do. You're a tough son of a bitch, and so am I ... but even a guy like me knows when he needs to call in for help, so I'll be damned if I'm gonna let someone I think of like a brother buckle without trying to help him!" The crowd cheers again; Odd says some encouraging words to Yumi, then addresses the crowd, and Ulrich, again. "Ulrich, I want you to come out here right now, and Yumi and I will help you work through this."
Ulrich comes through the curtains, dragging his feet as he approaches the ring. He doesn't bother with the traditional pose or showing off the belt. His face tells the story: it is one of exhaustion and disenchantment. Odd and Yumi look heartbroken to see Ulrich in such condition so soon after winning the title ... but when Ulrich lets the belt drop to the floor, Odd's eyes go ablaze. "Is that how you show your respect to the men who've held that so proudly before you? Is that how you show yourself respect for the prices you've paid and the blood you've spilled to earn that? Pick up that belt now, you spineless bastard!"
Ulrich recoils in shock. He bends down and picks up the belt, nervous and cautious and even a little scared all at the same time. He mouths an apology, to which Odd replies; "You're goddamn right you're sorry, Ulrich, and you should be! Do you realize what holding that belt means? It means you represent ECW, Ulrich. You're not like that gutless little shit William ... he only ever wanted that because Ash Ketchum had it." Odd taps a finger on Ulrich's chest. "But you wanted it because you've dreamt about it since you were a little boy; you told me so. When Ric Flair won his first world tile twenty years ago, it meant the world to him, and he fought like a son of a bitch to hold onto it. And lemme tell ya, Ulrich, that feeling didn't change when you're holding it right now. I know it's difficult to be the champion ... everybody's looking for ya. And I know that since you beat William for it, you been feeling kinda empty ... and that's okay! But that's behind you now! William's gone, and you're the champ! Everything he said last week was a load of shit, Ulrich! It's time for you to embrace that belt and what it stands for and move forw-"
The synthesetic heartbeats of Nine Inch Nails' "Closer", the entrance music of William, fill the ECW Arena. All eyes are on the entrance, awaiting the return of William. But William is not alone; in front of him is ECW co-founder Tod Gordon. He looks back at William with nearly every hesitant step; William shoos him forward, and pushes when Gordon won't move as quickly as William likes. William ushers him into the ring, and prods him to get a microphone. "Ulrich, Odd," Gordon starts to say, "I'm sorry-"
William cuts off Gordon with a slap across his cheek, and screams, "Tell them!" All eyes go back and forth between William and Gordon, who are staring at one another-William with anger (and a twinge of smug self-assuredness), and Gordon in fear, loathing and sorrow. "You can beat me up all you want, William," Gordon says, his voice quivering a little, "but you can't make me do this. You wanna screw with people's lives like this, William? You do it."
Gordon tosses the microphone at William, who barely manages to catch it. William glares at Gordon a little longer, then smiles. "Fine, Tod. You don't have to do it. All I really need you for is to confirm it, anyway." William turns to Ulrich and Odd, who both look ready to kill. "Didn't I warn you, Ulrich? Didn't I warn you that you didn't have what it takes to be champion? And that pretty soon, your precious little house of cards would come crashing down? I tried to warn you, for your own good, Ulrich, from my own experience, about what kind of personal hell it is to be champion. About the loneliness, the emptiness, the despair. I tried to tell you that beating me and taking away my ECW World Championship wouldn't do you any bit of good, because you'd crumble under the pressure." William looks at Gordon and claps him on the shoulder. "And then, a little birdy sang a song, and I overheard its sweet melody. I heard about how Ulrich Stern was beginning to crack under the pressure. I heard a song about how Ulrich Stern was a ship lost at sea, aimless now that his port of call was gone. I heard about how maybe you weren't ready to face the responsibility of being champion, and that maybe the duties of being champion, and the closure from defeating me at Barely Legal was too much for your fragile mind to bear ... that certain people wished someone like Ash Ketchum had won the number one contendership ..." The crowd audibly gasps in unison. Ulrich, Odd and Yumi all look at Gordon, but Gordon does not return the look; his head is cast down in shame. What they don't know is that he is waiting for the rest of William's sentence, the part that will truly be the nail in the coffin. "... that maybe even Nicolas Poliakoff might've been able to handle it." William's smile is now too big to be anything but smug, but his eyes are filled with a psychotic glee, like a serial killer enjoying the evisceration of his latest victim. "Or that maybe, just maybe, if Ulrich had given up his shot to Odd Della Robbia like the front office asked him to, they might have a champion made of sterner stuff."
Ulrich's mouth falls open into a dinner-plate-sized O. Yumi's hands go to her mouth. Gordon's head remains bowed. Odd looks from William to Ulrich and back again, then says; "You are a lowdown, lying piece of shit, Will-"
William cuts off Odd, pointing at Gordon. "Ask him! Ask him, Odd! Ask him, Did you offer Ulrich Stern the opportunity to forfeit his slot in the World Title to me?' Ask him, Odd!"
Odd steps up to Gordon. "Well, is it true?" he asks, but Gordon won't answer or raise his head. "Is it?" Still, Gordon does not answer. "Answer me, dammit! Did that happen?"
Gordon's head comes up slowly, and before he nods, Odd already knows it is the truth; the sorrow in Tod Gordon's eyes cannot be faked. Odd backs away, shaking his head.
"Tell 'em, Tod!" William yells in Gordon's face. "Tell them how you went to Ulrich and told him you wanted to give Odd Della Robbia one more chance at being in the spotlight, one more chance to get the World Title, to take the pressure off of Ulrich! Tell them how you said this was another chance for him, and there was a shot at me and the title down the line for Ulrich anyway!" William backs away just enough so he can look at Ulrich and Odd, even though he's speaking to Gordon. His voice is quiet, still, cold. "Tell them how Ulrich said he couldn't give up his opportunity to stick it to me, that he might not get another shot to beat me and take away my ECW Title, and that he couldn't give that up, not for you, not for Yumi, not for the fans ... not even for Odd."
The ECW Arena is so quiet from shock, the ticking of watches is the only sound in the place. Odd's eyes go from William to Ulrich, who is now shaking his head and backing away. Odd pleads with Ulrich to say something, anything to explain why, but William interjects. "He can't explain it, Odd! You know why? Because Ulrich Stern is a selfish son of a bitch! Ulrich Stern couldn't step aside for one night for his best friend, for a man who's been like a brother to him, even when he had a promised shot! All Ulrich could think about was himself and his needs. You know why Ulrich Stern was so obsessed with destroying me? Because deep down, Ulrich Stern is just like me; he's a selfish, self-loathing-"
William's words are buried in his throat as Ulrich bursts forward and tackles William. Ulrich's hands close around William's throat, throttling the very air out of his body (with William smiling the whole time, even as his face slowly turns blue). Yumi is screaming behind him, screaming for help, but Odd is still too shocked to move; it takes almost the whole locker room to pull Ulrich off William, who is left coughing, but laughing too. William rolls out of the ring, holding his throat, smiling and laughing ... and more so when Odd leaves the ring, walking away from Ulrich without a second look, past William, into the locker room.
The following week, Ulrich tries to patch things up by getting him and Odd a shot at the ECW Tag Champions, The Boondocks, but the gesture only serves to further sour their strained relations. Odd's input in the match is half-hearted, and the tension between he and Ulrich is palpable with the hard slap tags Odd makes, but Ulrich ignores it all and focuses as best he can on winning. In the closing moments, though, as all four men are in the ring brawling, Ulrich, winded from a long beat-down by Riley and Huey, tries to clothesline Riley as he brawls with Odd; Riley ducks, and Ulrich hits Odd instead. This leaves Ulrich open for the Drive-By, and is pinned. Odd gets back in the ring after The Boondocks leave, and Odd starts berating Ulrich for not tagging out sooner, and not being more careful. Ulrich tries to reason with Odd, but Odd will not listen. Odd grabs a microphone and launches into a tirade; "Ya know, Ulrich, that whiny shit William may be a rotten excuse for a human being, but he's got one thing right: you are just like him! You aren't ECW, Ulrich! Wearing that belt and being the hero for all these people don't mean the company begins and ends with your sorry ass!" Ulrich tries to interject, but Odd cuts him off abruptly; "Shut the fuck up, boy, before I smack the taste out of your mouth! You disrespectful little bastard! It's so hard being champion! I don't know what to do now that I finally beat William!' You make me wanna fucking puke!" Odd lets out a growling screaming of frustration and throws down the microphone; he stomps out of the ring, only pausing to turn and give Ulrich the finger before walking through the curtain. Ulrich cannot tear his heartbroken gaze away from the curtain long enough to notice William coming through the crowd, having been watching the whole sick, sad tableau unfold. William is clapping, and has a microphone as well. Ulrich doesn't even notice William speaking until he is almost in the ring.
"You see, Ulrich? Do you see what revenge gets you? Your greed and your obsession has cost you your best friend and your sanity! Is this what you wanted, Ulrich Stern? Is this the goal you so longed to accomplish for the last two years? Is this what you expected from beating me?" William is now at the ring; he slides under the bottom rope. Ulrich is on his knees, a picture of utter confusion. William squats down in front of him. "Aww, are you not getting it yet, Ulrich? You brought this on yourself, Ulrich! A balance of good and evil, men and monsters, is what keeps this world moving. You can't kill a monster without replacing it, and that's what you've done. Your quest for my blood has turned you into what you despise most: me, Ulrich Stern." William stands up and backs up a few feet. "I can take the pain away, Ulrich. I can help you learn to live with the cancer that is stealing your soul; to teach you how to turn it into fuel. I can show you the light in the darkness, Ulrich Stern. I can give you back everything you lost when you beat me." William drops the microphone and extends his arms out in his familiar Jesus Christ pose. Ulrich is on his feet and charging in the span of a heartbeat; Williams sidesteps, and Ulrich crashes chest-first into the turnbuckle. He is easy pickings for William to drop with an Evenflow. William sits up, smiling that psychotic grin, and grabs the microphone as he stands. He stands over his fallen adversary; "You and me, Ulrich, loser-leaves-ECW, at Wrestlepalooza! I'm going to give you your life back Ulrich ... when I defeat you once again, and banish you from ECW forever, I will give you back everything you've lost, by setting you on a quest for vengeance against me that you'll never be able to finish!"
Wrestlepalooza: June 6th, 2009
William enters the ring first, and as usual, slumps down in a corner, awaiting the arrival of his archrival. His face bears no hint of the malicious glee he has experienced since coming out of hiding and dismantling Ulrich's life with one little statement; in its place is the steely determination he knows he will need to combat the rage he has ignited in Ulrich Stern.
When Ulrich comes through the curtain, there is no victorious pose in the entranceway. There is no prideful display of the belt (despite the fact that this is a championship match, Ulrich has not brought the belt), and Yumi is nowhere to be seen. Ulrich's expression is grim, his eyes as cold as stone. William's eyes lock on Ulrich's and see the expression on him; William's maniacal pride, if there was any left, is driven out of him. Ulrich has not come tonight for a wrestling match, nor did he come to defend his title ... not even for something so simple as payback. Tonight, it is about inflicting pain and misery.
Ulrich breaks out into a run, diving into the ring in a slide. Instead of jumping on him as he slides in, William stands up, urging Ulrich to come bring it. Ulrich is up on his feet in a flash and runs at William, and the two fall to the ground, punching one another over and over, rolling around on the mat as the crowd explodes. The war that has been an axle around which the company has revolved for two years is now entering its twilight, but for Ulrich and William, it burns as bright as the day their hatred ignited. Ulrich gets the upper hand in the fisticuffs, ending up on top of William and punching wildly, connecting on William's jaw, cheeks and the sides of his head Ulrich's arms become a blur as his blows become less about measured pain and more about raining down hell on William, and the fists fall anywhere they see fit; all the while, Ulrich screams like a man possessed, his hands rising and falling like oil derricks. Ulrich gets up, slides outside and grabs a table; he pushes it in, then re-enters the ring. A few kicks to the gut keep William occupied with keeping himself awake while Ulrich sets up the table in the opposite corner. Ulrich whips William into the table with such force that William ends up crashing into, and through, the table head-first. No sooner is William buried amidst the rubble of the table then Ulrich is outside again, getting all sorts of implements to use to kill the virus known as William. Many chairs are tossed in, as well as another table (and a third is set up spanning the gap between the apron and the barricade); but the weapon that gets the immediate reaction is the most deadly of all: a roll of barbed wire. Ulrich slides back in as William is extricating himself from the wreckage of the table. Ulrich is on William in a heartbeat, kicking and pounding away, screaming incoherently. No matter where William crawls to to find sanctuary, Ulrich is there to bring the pain again. A legdrop to the back of the head, followed by a piledriver, puts William out, but Ulrich doesn't even try for a pin. Instead, he unfolds the table and puts William on it. Ulrich climbs onto the table as well, putting William in position for a Stern-DDT ... but, in desperation, William hits a low blow, then shoves Ulrich away. Ulrich's placement of the table works against him, as he not only falls off, but over the top rope, and through the table set up outside. A "holy shit!" chant breaks out instantaneously; William is barely moving, shaking the cobwebs out (and wiping away blood that is quickly covering his face, thanks to the dive into the table earlier). Ulrich, however, isn't moving at all.
Paul Heyman and Tod Gordon, along with trainers and medics, come out to check on Ulrich, but William pushes them all aside to get at his mortal enemy. William uses the ring and the ringside area as weapons to inflict more pain on an already near-dead Ulrich Stern. The steel barricade almost becomes William's tag partner, as he uses it to toss Ulrich onto, throw onto Ulrich, and score a trifecta of legsweeps into. William uses a steel chair to crush Ulrich's head in between it and the barricade, tearing open a wound on Ulrich's forehead that sends a cascade of blood down his face. All the while, William trash talks his opponent, goading him to get up and bring the fight; "C'mon, Ulrich, now's your chance!" William says, then sends Ulrich face first into the timekeeper's table. Ulrich staggers around until William uses the hammer to bash Ulrich's skull in, and Ulrich hits the ground, out like a light. Gordon and the medics try to edge a little closer to check on Ulrich, but William scares them away again, and tosses Ulrich back into the ring. William sets up a chair, then hits another legsweep on Ulrich; the crack of Ulrich's skull on the unfolded steel chair sends shivers up the spines of everyone involved ... except for the madman in the ring inflicting the pain. William does his pose to piss off the crowd, then hovers Ulrich over a folded chair, in position for the Evenflow. "Here's your fucking hardcore hero!" yells William, and drops; Ulrich connects with the steel, but barely reacts at all. He is already out on his feet, and the Evenflow just pushes him that much further into the blackness. William makes a nonchalant cover, and the referee makes the count ... but Ulrich's shoulder goes up at two. The look of surprise on the faces of everyone there doesn't equal the shock and horror on William's. He gets up, dragging Ulrich with him. He brings Ulrich's face up to his, cradling it in his hands: "Time to go home, Ulrich!" William yells, then quickly hits another Evenflow. But again, it only gets two. William is furious, and he lets it show by hitting the referee, Jim Mollineaux, with an Evenflow.
William sets up Ulrich on top of a turnbuckle and climbs up with him. He puts Ulrich in a front facelock, the set-up for the Evenflow. This brings out Yumi, who begins to beg and plead for Ulrich, offering up herself if William will just pin Ulrich and get it over with. But for William, that kind of torture is old news; he flips off Yumi, and punctuates the message with; "Fuck off, ya cheap whore!", then delivers the Evenflow from the top turnbuckle. The impact takes something out of both men, although more from Ulrich, who is spread eagle on the mat, face down in a pool of his own blood. William crawls over, his back aching from the impact, and goes for a pin ... but with no referee, no one can count. Nevertheless, Ulrich's instinct is stronger than his body, and he kicks out at what would have been two anyway. William scoots away, aghast at what is before him. For two years, he has managed to finish Ulrich Stern in nearly every match with that very move; now, it gets him nothing. William sits in the corner, unable to process what has transpired. In frustration, he sets up the table in the corner; if he has to, he will injure Ulrich Stern so badly, he will be rendered unable to continue. It is not a preferable way of winning-totally distasteful, in fact, compared to physically pinning someone-but at the moment, it is his only option. William hauls up Ulrich's limp body and starts to whip him into the table, but somehow, Ulrich finds the strength to reverse the whip, and William goes into the table instead.
Ulrich collapses to his knees, unable to lift his head, the blood dripping off his forehead; William gets up gingerly, holding his back (which took the brunt of the impact); he staggers forward, and turns it into a run ... only for Ulrich to drag himself up in enough time to back body drop William. For Ulrich, it is a double stroke of luck: it helps switch the momentum of the match, and gives him time to recuperate, as William lands directly on the batch of barbed wire. William rolls around, trying to reach at it to rip it off, but the wire gets tangled in his shirt; the screams of pain as the barbs rip into his flesh are inhuman, but have a galvanizing effect on Ulrich. With every shriek from William, one emerges from the throat of Ulrich in response, and he rises to his feet, his screams a meaningless jumble of sound. Where he has found the strength, no one knows, but the crowd responds in kind, and a chant of "Ulrich" runs through the ECW Arena. Ulrich kicks William a couple times before ripping the barbed wire away from him. He uncoils a length of it, then proceeds to wrap it through and around a steel chair. When William gets up, Ulrich blasts him in the head with it, sending William into paroxysms of pain. Ulrich stands above him, raising the chair high above, and brings it down on William's body over and over again. The screams of the two men melt together, but after the first few blows, Ulrich's begins to contain words; "DIE, MOTHERFUCKER! " he says after every blow. William tries to get his hands up to block, but they are quickly covered in small, blood-filled holes. Ulrich drops the chair, then picks up William, holding him by the face as William did to him not moments ago, and spits in his face; William is too glassy-eyed to register the insult, and Ulrich drops him with a Stern-DDT. But, seeing the referee is still out, he doesn't bother with the cover; he jostles the ref enough to wake him, and then lays out a chair near the corner. He puts William over his shoulder, and then climbs the turnbuckle. He wastes no time with poses or adding insult to injury; now, it is about ending the curse of William once and for all. Eliminating the plague. And Ulrich steps off the turnbuckle, bringing William with him in a Stern Driver, which connects right on the chair. Ulrich throws an arm over William, and the ref crawls over for a groggy count of three. The ECW Arena erupts like never before, but Ulrich is once again too winded to celebrate. All he can do is clutch the ECW World Title to his chest and cry; the long, soul-draining saga is over, and William is no more. His mind games, his torture and humiliation tactics, are all for naught, and Ulrich lets it all loose with sobs of happiness and relief. Odd Della Robbia comes to the ring, and for a tension-filled handful of seconds, the crowd waits; Odd extends Ulrich to his feet, hugs him, and raises Ulrich's hand in victory, Ulrich feels a weight lift off his shoulders. Odd calls for a microphone.
"I never been more proud of you then right now, brother," Odd says, and gives Ulrich another hug. The crowd cheers, and Odd joins in, leading the ECW Arena in a "Ulrich" chant. When it dies down, he says; "You kicked that low-down, dirty bastard right the hell out of ECW! That was every bit the effort of a champion, Ulrich Stern!" Odd gives the ECW Title, slung over Ulrich's shoulder, a couple jovial slaps. "Now, whattya say about letting your old friend get in line for a shot?"
All of the joy runs out of Ulrich's face; his eyes, formerly full of light and happiness, now fill up with dread and panic. Odd can see it, and his gaze becomes hard. "What, you gonna make me jump through hoops? You gonna pull the same shit Flair did twenty years ago? C'mon, Ulrich, it ain't like I'm some greenhorn who hasn't earned his spot!"
Ulrich gets a microphone handed to him, but even with amplification, his voice is barely audible. "Please don't ask this of me, Odd. Please. Don't ruin this."
Now Odd is confused, and angry. "Ruin? What am I ruining? All I am is some stump-dumb friend, come to shake his good buddy's hand and ask him for a small favor. I been like a brother to you for how many years? You ain't gonna tell me of all people to go pound salt, are ya?" Ulrich tries to interrupt, but Odd won't let him. "You really telling me no? Are you really pissing on me like that? I'm your best friend, Ulrich; our school years are behind us. Alls I'm asking from you ... man to man ... brother to brother ... one last chance to dance, Ulrich. You won't do that for me?"
Ulrich can barely even bring himself to look Odd in the eyes. "Odd, please. I can't ... please ... don't ask this of me. Don't-"
"C'mon, Ulrich, you owe me; you shit on me at Barely Legal. It's the least ... the fucking least you can do."
"Odd, I can't-"
"And why not, Ulrich? Did you not get your head together by beating William? Or are you afraid of your best friend? Or are you just like William said ... a selfish prick, just like he is? Why, Ulrich? Why?"
Finally, Ulrich snaps, and screams his reply in Odd's face; "Because I won't fight you, Odd! I will not fight my best friend! I'd rather die then fight you!"
Odd backs up a step, his eyes blazing with the sting of rejection. He brings the microphone up to his mouth, but he cannot find the words. Ulrich drops his mike and starts to apologize, but Odd shakes his head and holds his arms out in front of him. Ulrich apologizes again, but Odd's gesture is insistent: keep away from me. Ulrich's head droops like a penitent child, and he turns to leave ...
... only to be stopped by Odd cracking Ulrich in the back of the head with the microphone. Ulrich, already spent from the punishment of his match and the loss of blood, goes down without a fuss. He picks up Ulrich and slaps him across the face. His yells of rage can be heard without the microphone: "Is this how you treat family, Ulrich? Is this what you do to family, you rotten piece of shit?" He kicks Ulrich in the gut, puts him in position and hits a classic Della Robbia piledriver. Ulrich's body quivers with spasms, but Odd isn't finished; he drags Ulrich's body by the corner. He goes to grab a chair, then stops when he sees the barbed wire chair Ulrich created. He grabs both it and a regular chair; first, he puts the barbed wire chair on Ulrich, then on top of it, the plain chair. Odd goes to ascend the ropes, but Yumi runs in and puts herself over Ulrich, screaming for mercy. Instead, Odd picks her up by the hair and tosses her outside like a sack of potatoes. He climbs the ropes, pausing to gaze upon the shell-shocked crowd; then, he leaps, twisting in a moonsault, coming down across Ulrich's chest. The move knocks the wind out of Odd, but it is a small sacrifice; Ulrich's ribcage is crushed beneath the two chairs, and his body is perforated with holes. Odd stands over Ulrich, bent over in his face; "You can't run forever, boy!" he yells, and leaves the ring, his carnage, and his friend behind.
June-August
Week after week following his assault of his symbolic brother, Odd issues his challenge over and over again. Ulrich, nursing his injuries, cannot reply on his own, save to send Yumi to turn away the challenge. The second time Yumi acts as Ulrich's messenger, Odd snaps and goes after Yumi; the timely interruption of Ash Ketchum saves Yumi from a broken neck at the hands of Odd. Ash and Odd brawl until Odd gets the upper hand and uses his branding iron to maim Ash. The following week, another hero comes to stand against Odd's fury: Sasuke. The Japanese Bullet manages to get the better of Della Robbia, but Sasuke's nemesis Naruto helps Odd get the upper hand, and Odd assaults Sasuke's previously broken neck with repeated piledrivers.
Finally, days before the "Orgy of Violence" super-event in the ECW Arena on June 28th, Ulrich returns to ECW to a mixed reception. "I thought when I sent William out of ECW, I'd get my life back in order," Ulrich says to the crowd. "But William was right: revenge is a dish for two. My chance to face him at Barely Legal ended up costing me my best friend. I've sat at home, nursing my injuries, wondering what if I had given Odd the shot ... would he have won? Could he have gone on to beat William? I don't know, and I guess we never will ... all I know is that the path I chose is the one I felt was right, and being able to look back and appreciate that I finally gave William what he deserved, I don't regret it." Ulrich pauses; the crowd is still unsure what to do. "But William used that against me, and has left me stuck in a trap I set up. Odd Della Robbia is like a brother to me! Odd Della Robbia has been there for me when no one else has been! I know of Odd Della Robbia since middle school. But I know how sadistic he can be, how far he's willing to go to win if he has to ... and if I were to face him, I'd have to be willing to go even further then he would, even more depraved and more evil, then he would, to keep the ECW Title. Would you do that to your brother If you think I'm a coward for it, fine ... if you think I'm selfish for denying him his last chance for the spotlight, you go ahead and think that ... if Odd were thinking straight, he'd understand."
Ulrich considers saying more, but instead lays down the microphone ... only for Tod Gordon to come out. Ulrich hands him the microphone when he enters the ring. "Ulrich," Gordon says, "while you've been gone, there have been some significant issues revolving around you and Odd Della Robbia. He has assaulted numerous competitors, including Yumi, and caused a great deal of panic. But he has also systematically shown dominance over many of the top competitors here in ECW, both in unsanctioned fights and in matches." Ulrich's eyes grow wider and fill with panic. He starts pleading with Gordon, who shakes his head; "I'm not going to make you fight just yet, Ulrich. I want you healed up before you have to defend your belt again. But I have to name a number-one contender, and considering recent events, I am left with only one solution. At Orgy of Violence, there will be a four-way dance for a shot at you, Ulrich Stern, at Hardcore Heaven, live on pay-per-view August 17th. In that match, it will be Naruto ... Sasuke ... Ash Ketchum ... and Odd Della Robbia." Ulrich shakes his head, disregarding that Della Robbia's odds are 1-in-4 of winning. "And," Gordon adds, "if you think of doing something to effect the outcome of the match, and specifically towards Odd Della Robbia, I will have no choice but to suspend you indefinitely, and strip you of the ECW Title."
Ulrich watches the four-way dance at Orgy of Violence from behind the steel safety railing, although he is noticeably nervous the entire time. He makes not a single noise or gesture favoring anyone, whether things turn for or against Odd. For twenty minutes, the wrestlers fight and brawl their way through a horrific slugfest until the first elimination; Sasuke is the first to go, victim of a cheap pin using the ropes by Naruto. Sasuke snaps and continues to attack Naruto, getting his Sasukemission locked in, choking Naruto for several minutes, until authorities can pry Sasuke off Naruto and haul him away. Odd jumps in and quickly covers Naruto and eliminates him, leaving him with Ash Ketchum. Ulrich watches on as Odd and Ash beat the living hell out of one another with canes, chairs and anything else they can muster. But in the end, it is Odd's branding iron, pressed into the flesh of Ash so long he quits, that nets him the victory. Once his hand is raised in victory, Odd walks over to the side of the ring Ulrich is seated at and glares at him, pointing at the belt and taunting.
Ulrich stands up, hops over the barricade and slides into the ring. Odd backs away, letting Ulrich have his space. "You're mine, motherfucker," people hear Odd say. "Your ass is mi-" Odd's words drop off when Ulrich extends the hand holding the ECW Title. Odd looks down at it, then at Ulrich, the belt again, and Ulrich again. Ulrich nudges it and mouths two words: Take it. Odd looks at Ulrich as if he's speaking in another language. Ulrich reiterates his offer. Odd shakes his head, pointing at Ulrich; "I want you," he says. Ulrich tosses the belt aside and lays down on the mat. "Pin me!" Ulrich screams, but Odd shakes his head again. Ulrich gets up and shoves Odd. "You want a fight? Is that it?" Ulrich says and slaps Odd. Odd's head reels back, then comes back around; he grins, rubbing his cheek. Odd shakes his head and mouths a simple two-word reply, Not yet, and leaves the ring.
The next two months see Odd launch a bitter and steadily escalating campaign against his now disavowed brother. Ulrich's first defense upon his return, against Timmy Turner, is marred by Odd's interference; he beats on Ulrich, yelling at him to fight back, until Ulrich is down on the mat. When Timmy goes to pin Ulrich, Odd attacks Timmy to keep his own title shot from vanishing. Another title defense, this one against Naruto, is marred when Odd gets himself named the special referee. He uses the position to further antagonize Ulrich by allowing his opponent to use any method of offense available, but forbids Ulrich from doing anything but wrestling. Once again, it takes Odd attacking Ulrich's opponent to save his own shot at Ulrich at Hardcore Heaven, but Ulrich is resolute in his decision to avoid confrontation with Odd at all costs. Week after week, the attacks escalate in severity and gruesomeness, but Ulrich stands on his honor and refuses to fight.
It would be a taped statement from Odd two weeks before the event that would mark the turning point of the rivalry. The statement closes out an episode of Hardcore TV, and is eerily familiar for the location Odd is in: darkness, seediness, the type of place William frequented. "Ulrich, when I look back on how I stood by you and groomed you to be a man in this sport, and I see what you've become, it makes me sick. That's why I've pushed you so hard, Ulrich, these past few months; your head ain't in this anymore, man! You done let that cheap whore soften you up ... you done let that piece of trash William screw with your head so much over a woman ... a goddamned woman, that you don't know what end is up. That's why I been pushing you, boy ... you need to remember that this ain't no Newlywed Game, Ulrich. This ain't no college debate team. And this sure as hell ain't no game of chess. This is professional wrestling, Ulrich. If you can't put friendships aside ... if you can't leave that bitch back at home cookin' dinner where she belongs ... then maybe you shouldn't be ECW Champion. And if I gotta take away your woman ... your title ... your career ... whatever it takes, I will pull your head out of your ass, son. At Hardcore Heaven, I will have you in between strands of barbed-wire, and I am gonna remind you of what kind of world you're in, Ulrich. As God as my witness, Ulrich, I will make you remember, even if I have to do something you'll never forgive me for."
The fruits of that statement come to bear the very next week as he and Yumi come to the ring to be interviewed by Joey Styles. But before Joey can begin, Odd ambushes Ulrich with a chair, pounding him repeatedly. When Ulrich is incapacitated, Odd pulls out two pairs of handcuffs, and binds Ulrich to the ropes. Odd grabs the chair and starts to swing, but the screams of Yumi stop him. She pleads with Odd to stop, but his sick smile says he has no intentions of doing so. When she again begs for her boyfriend's life through a curtain of tears, she does so while unbuttoning her shirt; Odd regards Yumi's body as she cries and shivers, offering herself in exchange for Ulrich. Odd drops the chair, ogling her breasts; he points to her schoolgirl skirt, and she obligingly takes it off. Odd leers at her, then looks at Ulrich and winks; Ulrich's face flares red, until Odd kicks Yumi in the gut and puts her head between his legs. Now it is Ulrich begging, but Odd isn't listening. He picks up Yumi, looking Ulrich in the eye as he does it, then comes down, driving Yumi into the mat with a piledriver. Odd grabs her again and puts her in position; like Yumi had, Ulrich begs through his tears, but Odd drops her down head-first again. Odd walks over to Ulrich and yells, "You pissed off yet, boy?" Odd grabs the chair he brought in, puts it down in front of Ulrich, then positions Yumi over it. Odd takes his time, making sure Ulrich soaks in the moment; then, jumping for extra impact, he comes down on the chair. Yumi, already virtually unconscious, starts convulsing. One more piledriver on the chair breaks open Yumi's forehead, but stills her trembling. When medics take her away, she doesn't move, nor speak, or even blink. An update on her condition is posted on the ECW website which states that Yumi has suffered a broken neck, and may never return to ECW again. Following that, the site posts a short but poignant statement from Ulrich: "Odd Della Robbia has managed to ruin what little I had left in this world that made me happy. He's taken my dignity, the pride of being ECW Champion, and Yumi. I'm sorry I ever met him and allowed him into my life. But I won't be sorry for what I do to him at Hardcore Heaven."
Hardcore Heaven: August 17th, 2009
The crowd firmly cheers on Ulrich as he walks to the ring. Gone is the fear, the trepidation, and the respect for Odd Della Robbia. All that is left in his eyes is a bloodlust that he has vowed cannot and will not be satiated until he personally runs Odd Della Robbia out of ECW for good. Odd waits for him in the ring, and when the bell rings, the two meet in the center. Odd talks trash, but Ulrich is stoic until Odd mentions Yumi. No sooner is her name out of Odd's mouth than Ulrich wraps both hands around Odd's throat and squeezes. Odd's eyes bulge out, but he is smiling, even as Ulrich closes his hands tighter and tighter. The referee steps in before the very life is drained from Odd, but Ulrich only stops the strangling; the beating starts, first with fists, then with boots. Ulrich picks up Odd and slings him towards the wire, but Odd slides under to the safety of the floor. Ulrich follows behind and the two brawl; first at the ringside area, throwing one another into the guardrails and ring posts. When Odd knocks Ulrich over the railing, the fight moves into the crowd, where fans supply the two with an arsenal to unleash their hatred on one another; frying pans, a shovel, a push broom, even a Phil Collins CD gets used as they beat, batter and bludgeon each other across the floor of the ECW Arena.
When they finally make it back into the ring, Odd has taken control of the match. He slings in a couple chairs, along with a fetching two tables; one is put inside, one is set up outside. Odd batters Ulrich with a chair repeatedly, but a pin attempt only nets two and an emphatic kick-out. A piledriver on the chair gets Odd only two again, so he tries a second time, and neutralizes both legs when he covers; again, only two. Odd whips Ulrich towards the wire, and he cannot counter in time; the barbs tear into Ulrich's body. Odd bashes Ulrich's chest with a chair, crushing him against the barbs again, then whips him to the other side. After two more whips into the barbed wire, Odd goes for another cover, but somehow, Ulrich kicks out. Frustrated, Odd goes out and rummages under the ring until he brings out a sack. He slides the sack in, then goes about setting up a table. When Ulrich stirs, Odd throws him into the barbed wire again, then opens the bag; he pulls out a can of lighter fluid and a lighter. Odd douses the table, then pours the rest of the bag's contents-thumbtacks-onto the table, and lights it aflame. Odd pulls Ulrich over and puts him in position to powerbomb him into the flaming table. Odd cannot get him on the first try; on the second, he only manages a little height. Before Odd can try a third time, Ulrich vaults him over his back, and Odd crashes through the flaming wood and thumbtacks.
Ulrich gets to his feet, a bloody, beaten mess that can barely stand. When he sees Odd rolling on the ground in pain and screaming, he pauses to consider how far they've gone ... then, he grabs Odd and whips him into the barbed wire. Another whip into the barbed wire gets Ulrich a two-count, but for Ulrich, that just means more time to inflict punishment. Ulrich pounds Odd in the head with a chair once, twice, three times before Odd finally goes down. Ulrich puts Odd over the chair and takes great glee in driving him down in a piledriver of his own. Ulrich follows it up with two more piledrivers on the chair, but he pulls away before the ref can finish the three-count. Ulrich drags Odd over to the barbed wire and begins to rake his forehead across the barbs, turning Odd's head into ground chuck. But Odd reverses the whip on instinct, and Ulrich crashes into the barbed wire again. Odd lurches forward to the ref and starts digging through his pockets until he finds something: wire cutters. Odd cuts a strand of wire away and, when Ulrich pulls himself off the wire, starts to lash him with it. Ulrich hollers in agony as Odd whips him over and over, the barbs tearing into the back of Ulrich. Odd whips him a few more times, then goes for a pin, but only gets two. Odd is on his feet again, reaching for the strand, when Ulrich hits a low blow out of desperation. Odd drops to a knee as Ulrich struggles to stand; when both make it to their feet, they're in the center of the ring again, although now a bloody mess. The two trade weak, wild blows in the center of the ring, each man reeling back from the blows. Both men threaten to topple over until Ulrich wisely buries a knee in Odd's midsection. Odd doubles over, giving Ulrich the chance to build some momentum. He charges, running Odd down and driving him backward into the barbed wire ... but gets the surprise of his life when the wire snaps, and the two of them tumble out of the ring together, crashing through the table Odd has set up earlier. The crowd erupts into a "holy shit!" chant as the two lay amidst the wreckage of wood and wire. For several minutes, the two are still; medics and trainers attempt to check on them, but the wire dangles in their way, making attending to them tough going. By the time they can make it to their sides, Ulrich is moving, and when he shakes out the cobwebs, he tosses Odd back in the ring. The voices of the medics pleading to let the referee stop the match are a distant echo in his ears; the only thing he wants to hear right now are three slaps against the mat, and the announcer call out his name. Ulrich grabs the strand of barbed wire cut free by Odd and wraps it around Odd's head like a crown. He locks his arms firmly around Odd's head and lets loose a terrifying war cry, then drops down, driving Odd's head into the barbed wire, and the mat, in a thunderous DDT. The ref drops down to make the count, but Ulrich picks him back up and hits the DDT once more, and once more beyond that, before making the three-count. No sooner has the bell sounded then the paramedics are in the ring, checking on Odd. Ulrich embraces the belt as if it his life depended on it, not bothering to notice the crowded ring until a stretcher is brought in. Ulrich watches the medics lock a hard brace around Odd's neck, his face covered in gauze and bandages. Looking at Odd makes Ulrich think of Yumi; doctors had told him the day before that she would be able to resume a full and normal life ... but she would never be safe in a wrestling ring again. Ulrich looks at the ECW World Title and considers all that he has lost for the sake of the belt ... his dignity, his woman, his best friend, his passion for wrestling, even his sanity. He looks upon his former friend, being carted away, unconscious and bleeding, a broken man of 30-something ... a man he once called friend. He thought of how, if he had stood up to Odd sooner, or even given him the shot at Barely Legal, all of this could've been avoided. And his thoughts drifted to the words of William, that revenge was a dish that served two ... he had been right. Beating William had won him the peace of ending William's career in ECW and winning the ECW Title ... but it had cost him everything. William had gotten the last laugh after all, he realized, and he hadn't had to do a damned thing to get it. Suddenly, Ulrich Stern felt sick to his stomach; suddenly, he was positive it hadn't been worth it. Not a bit.
The End