DISCLAIMER: All characters (fiction, nonfiction, and other OCs) mentioned, and lyrics used here are properties of their respective owners; only Ricardo Alvarez, Jr., Jesse Alvarez, Joshua Garza, Alpha & Omega, The Wolves, Kurt Hudson, Alyssa Parker, Lisa Weston, Kenji Matsuo, Zack Carver, "Violet" Clarissa Rivera, Mike "The Mic" Martin, Maria Lopez, and all referees (sans Marshal Eriksen) are my property.
Enjoy.
APEX Night of Champions – Nov. 27th, 2022
[TV-14]
The first thing seen upon fading in…is a title card with the definition of "champion" clarified.
[champion/ˈCHampēən/ n. 1. a person who has defeated or surpassed all rivals in a competition, especially in sports.
2. a person who fights or argues for a cause or on behalf of someone else.]
The title card fades out, almost immediately followed by David Wenham's voice-over echoing in the pitch blackness.
"What is the meaning…of a true champion?"
Fading in, the screen is desaturated as a lone King Beowulf is found sitting on his throne and contemplating what was asked in a thinker's pose. A slow, rotating shot of the APEX World Championship, unsaturated, is seen as Beowulf's voice-over answers the query.
"A true champion…is someone that refuses a challenge and steps up to protect his reign."
A spotlight illuminates over a stand and a championship belt hidden under a small curtain. Luke Smith can be seen leaving with and kissing all three Intercontinental, United States, and Television Championships jubilantly at Rebellion, then transitioning to him raising the unified APEX Evolve Championship.
"A true champion is someone that uses his wits for his own gain and at someone else's expanse," Luke's voice-over says. "You do whatever it takes to win—no…matter…what."
Fading to another flashback, Nero is seen eliminating multiple Rumble entrants, including Jason Voorhees and Kohta Hirano lastly before celebrating his victory.
"A true champion endures the agony and survives the impossible, no matter how long or how many people come at him for a fight," Nero's voice-over says.
The rotating APEX World Women's Championship shines in the spotlight as Satsuki Kiryūin is next shown with the title raised high at Summer Wars.
"A true champion capitalizes the opportunities in front of her and rules with an iron fist," Satsuki's voice-over proclaims.
The camera zooms out on the Hardcore Championship, revealing it to be surrounded by multiple foreign objects and weapons such as filled trashcans, a sledgehammer, a baseball bat wrapped in barbwire, tables, ladders, chairs (oh my~), and more. By our next flashback, Sasuke Uchiha has Punt Kicked Jason Krueger's head to oblivion to win the belt and walk away with a wide grin.
"A true champion…shows no mercy…no forgiveness for his victims…because there is no room for such weakness," Sasuke's voice-over asserts.
Our APEX Women's Tag Team Championships shimmer under the spotlight followed by iGeneration (Carly Shay and Sam Puckett) showing off the belts and then performing an iDestruction to Samantha Hart.
"A true champion believes if they got it, flaunt it. Gotta let them know who runs this business," Carly's voice-over arrogantly speaks.
"Otherwise, they'd have to be reminded the hard way," Sam's voice-over sternly states.
Finally, the APEX World Tag Team Championships are displayed. Alpha & Omega (Carter Young and Stan Terra) retain their belts as Carter drills Venom's head with the Alpha Driver DDT and the two perform their self-titled finishing move on Nathan Drake at Summer Wars.
"A true champion certifies his mark within the history books alongside every other champion before him," Carter's voice-over utters.
"So, you damn well better ensure you go big in the business…or go home as a massive loser with NOTHING," Stan's voice-over sneers.
The screen fades to black…
"Valuable answers," a different voice echoes from within. "But which is correct?"
Footsteps soon follow from that recognizable deep and aging Latino accent, ringing in the darkness as Ricardo Alvarez, Jr. comes into the view from a medium shot. "The answer…all the above." Then, in a close-up shot, he snaps his fingers.
("Champion" by Barns Courtney plays)
One by one, each spotlight reveals the championship belts standing on column pedestals followed by statues of the very titleholders (minus one) behind the belts to match the rhythm of the song.
"My champions…you have one common goal: to remain at the top of the mountain…and be the best in the world at your reign," Ricardo speaks. "The belts you hold are why you step in the ring, why you sacrifice your body, why you're willing to do anything to remain your status. Your passion is undeniable. The drive, unstoppable. Your greatest moments, always right now. When pressure is at its greatest…a champion is at their apex."
As the camera zooms in on Beowulf's sculpture, it slowly morphs into the real one himself as he roars at the camera with a tight clutch to the world title on his shoulder. This becomes a cycle with every statue changing the real—Alpha & Omega give each other the Too Sweet gesture; Satsuki Kiryūin proudly wears her women's title as she sits on her throne, right leg hanging over her left and arms resting; iGeneration clink their women's tag belts and smugly grin to the camera; Sasuke Uchiha drapes the Hardcore Championship belt over his shoulder in a whipping motion, simply looking back with his piercing Sharingan eye as various foreign objects fall like rain behind him in slow-motion; the vacant Intercontinental Championship, which is actually hidden under a black curtain, is deliberately zoomed in on.
"As you prepare to defend, your challengers hunger for the gold," Ricardo then points up and more spotlights reveal the challengers standing across from the champions. "What you hold…they desire."
Nero and Luke Smith stare at the covered IC title before turning their heads and sharing a glare; Ichigo Kurosaki, Joey Wheeler and Crash Bandicoot walk up to Sasuke's statue, all appearing unafraid to spill some blood.
"What you have…they want it."
The Jeweled Felines—Jessica Wilson and Lisa Weston—are looking up the iGeneration statues, then Lisa offers her hand and Jessica takes it, both showing they're sticking together as a team. Saeko Busujima looks at her palms and balls her hands up into fists, soon staring up at the World Women's Champion with great fortitude.
"So, when they come for it, you must defend…what is rightfully yours."
[Whoa, Lord…
Set my soul…]
The camera pans over the Tag Team Turmoil competitors in a down shot—Altered Egos show willpower in their eyes to gain back the titles they won first; Eddy is hyping up Edback, who bellows to the sky; Hannibal Ambrose and Damian Reigns simply glare up at the champions; Komuro and Hirano are bumping fists…but one team was missing…and the Gods of Darkness' eyes are revealed in the pitch blackness by the glowing Eye of Anubis. Finally, Scorpion and Isaac Clarke come up to the APEX World Championship shimmering and look up at the Beowulf statue, ending with a subtle, yet intense stare towards each other.
[Take my pain and turn it into gold
Cause all I know, all I know, all I know is…]
"Because not only your title is on the line…not only are the challengers willing to sacrifice for their hunger…you all have one thing in common…PRIDE," Ricardo snaps his fingers, turning out all the lights and going silent…
…until…
[CHAMPION!]
SIX CHAMPIONSHIPS
[I can take a beating, I'll rise again!
Burning through the jungle until the end]
(The APEX World Championship flashes onscreen, then cuts to Beowulf raising the belt in victory from Summer Wars followed by him sitting on a throne in the middle of the ring. Then the APEX Women's Championship appears, Satsuki Kiryūin cashing in her Diamond in the Mine briefcase to win the very belt she raises high.)
[I can live forever, I'll rise again
Keep rising up, I'm—]
(Both the World and Women's Tag Team Championships appear in a split-screen, then their respective titleholders, Alpha & Omega and iGeneration, are seen performing their double-team finishing moves to achieve their gold and carry them with pride. Sasuke holds up his Hardcore Championship with an eerie smile. In a final shot, the curtain slowly raises off the hidden Intercontinental Title belt…)
[CHAMPION!]
ONE HISTORIC REBIRTH
[I can take a beating, I'll rise again!
Burning through the jungle until the end]
(Scorpion plants Tommy Oliver with The Fatality, then Isaac is seen demolishing Naruto with no amount of mercy, ending with his fist raised up as he stands over his lifeless body. Saeko Busujima hits the Bushido Code followed by a Frog Splash, ending with her hands being raised by the supportive Rei Miyamoto and Saya Takagi.)
[I can live forever, I'll rise again
Keep rising up, I'm—]
(The Jeweled Felines send Aelita Schaeffer to sleep with their Sweet Feline Music; Ichigo Kurosaki throws up rock horns on the ramp; a hyped-up Joey Wheeler shakes the camera around in his face; Crash Bandicoot flies for a Crash Landing. Altered Egos perform a Stereo Suicide Dive on the G.O.D.; Komuro and Hirano fist bump each other; Eddy hypes up Edback as they make their entrance; Damian hits a Superman Punch on Marcus King and an unhinged Hannibal licks his lips with blood running over his face while leaning forward on the middle rope—
"DEH!"
A still of the maniacal Yami Bakura, Marik Ishtar and PaniK flashes onscreen for a literal second, cutting to black and silence reigns.
…
…
…
…and the song resumes where it left off, playing at the bridging lyrics. David Wenham's voice reigns in to help bring excitement for the viewer as the APEX Athletes shown before are back through various montages, recapping the previous events of Homecoming.)
"As the second night of our renaissance transpires, we will witness those risking their reign and pride to defend it!"
(Beowulf is seen fighting his past opponents (e.g., Seto Kaiba, Ash Ketchum, Naruto Uzumaki, etc.) with a Spear followed up with the Wulfhammer each time.
"By Odin, does it feel good to be KING…" Beowulf speaks, cutting to him sitting on his throne with a cheering crowd behind him.)
"We will witness those who are chasing the titles they hold with great fortitude!"
(Saeko Busujima makes her entrance with a slide in the ring and whips her hair back, soon followed by her executing moves on her opponents, such as a Slingshot Corkscrew Body Splash on both Sakura Haruno and Téa Gardner, Bushido Code on Trish Warrington, and a Sadistic Split on Kendra Daniels.
"I am a STARVING challenger, Kiryūin… I REFUSE to let anyone call this opportunity a fluke…" Saeko proclaims, cutting to her on the mic. "So Kiryūin, nothing personal between us…but I'm coming for your head and your title.")
"Every champion will be PUSHED to the limit…"
(Satsuki Kiryūin nails Mai Valentine with the Zenkan Kick, then we cut to her planting the Bakuzan to Téa, and end with her raising the APEX World Women's Championship.
"Regarding where I stand, I will make sure the APEX Era is here and now—I will represent the redeemed Women's Division wholly as its Women's Champion of the World proudly," Satsuki declares.)
"As we witness just what it takes to PROTECT what is at stake!"
(A single 15-foot ladder stand under the bright spotlight in the middle of the ring with the camera panning up; in a side-to-side split-screen, Luke Smith drives down PewDiePie's head into the turnbuckle with the Goldsmith while Nero similar drills Kohta's head with the Neo Devil Buster, ending with the two staring each other down beside the ladder and the covered-up secondary title.)
"Because the ones without…have NOTHING to lose."
("At Night of Champions," Markiplier calls in a voice-over during fireworks going off onstage, "we'll be witnessing the most unique clash between the Dead Space Devil and the Shirai Ryu Assassin!"
Hanzo Hasashi throws his hands down for fire to consume him before his Scorpion persona walks through; Isaac Clarke looks over his shoulder, then turns completely around with a glare to the camera as his helmet folds in on his head with its blue lights consuming the screen.)
[CHAMPION!
I can take a beating, I'll rise again!]
(Alpha & Omega raise their belts on three separate occasions from events they successfully retained their belts in; Altered Egos and G.O.D. stare each other down followed by Komuro and Hirano staring down Ambrose and Reigns, Eddy left to remind everyone of their presence as Edback roars at them.)
[Burning through the jungle until the end]
(iGeneration come into view to show off their titles together; Jeweled Felines replacing them thereafter in a fading transition, posing back-to-back together.)
[I can live forever, I'll rise again]
Keep rising up, I'm—]
(The Hardcore Championship, surrounded by multiple foreign objects, is zoomed out on; Sasuke poses Legend Killer style; Joey shadowboxes for the camera; Crash simply spins around like a maniac; and Ichigo cricks his neck as he scowls deeply.)
"Tonight, where every title is on the line…"
"It's a night of OPPORTUNITY," Luke Smith states in a close-up from the side.
"A night of PROMISE," Saeko utters next, facing the camera.
"A night of CHANGE," Nero says, his Overture arm producing electricity.
"A night of CHALLENGERS," Scorpion carries his kunai chain, coating it with hellfire.
"A night of DEFENDERS," Satsuki sternly declares from her throne.
"A night of RESURGENCE," Ellie Langford speaks, Isaac Clarke standing next to her.
"A night of CHAMPIONS!" Beowulf comes into the view, half of his face being lit.
Flashing through multiple champions of the past and present in high speed, David's narration makes one final proclamation.
"WHO…
"WILL…
"BE…"
Each word flashed on screen to sync with David's voice until it cuts off as the screen goes black and silence takes over once more…
…
…and then Ricardo returns to the frame under the spotlight.
"…MY champions of APEX's revivification?" he asks, left brow raised and with the six championships standing behind him. "Let's see you give it all you got."
With a confident grin, he snaps fingers for the last time, and everything goes completely dark to end our opening package.
"And now, Apex Caliber Wrestling proudly presents…
"Champion" by Barnes Courtney plays as the ACW logo flashes by as it is encrusted on a championship main plate (inspired by the Big Gold Belt)…then it cuts to six tall column stands carrying graphics of all of APEX's championships (minus one that is remaining in the dark and hidden in the back)…and we finally reveal the ultimate logo of this very pay-per-view, a golden championship template with the ensuing plate of words…
"NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS!"
The Night of Champions logo runs through the screen briefly, transitioning to a dark arena…
…until red and white fireworks begin shooting up from the very top of the big screen to the ceiling! Then golden pyrotechnics move from left and right respectively to create a championship plate in the shape of the Big Gold Belt, reaching the bottom, and it triggers multiple explosives in all those colors fire all over the stage in a rapid-fire motion!
With one final massive eruption of nothing but gold, the lights brighten up the arena with a reveal of the APEX Night of Champions stage (designed and inspired by 2008's Night of Champions) with its "TitleTron" and its three curtains on the left side displaying the Women's Tag Team Championships, the Hardcore Championship, and the Intercontinental Championship (in its original design); and three more on the right that display World Championship, the World Women's Championship, and the World Tag Team Championships. The main difference as well is where the MiniTron should be, it is replaced by a giant red curtain with two columns on each side as an entranceway.
The camera then begins panning over the excited and sold-out crowd from the AT&T Center, catching a few of their crowd signs such as: "GET OVER HERE, ISAAC!"; "The APEX Tag Division IS the Alpha and the Omega"; "#NotMyWomen'sTagChamps"; "Marry Me, Saeko"; "All Hail Lady Satsuki!"; "Pull My Devil Trigger, Nero"; "Beowulf Forever the KING of APEX" and too many more to count. Even though the arena is technically sold out, the seats are also very limited to provide safety and health precautions regarding the current pandemic. Despite that, it's clear as day these fans are here for a good time to go with their wrestling, especially with APEX's revival.
[Champion!
I can take a beating, I'll rise again!
Burning through the jungle until the end
I can live forever, I'll rise again
Keep rising up, I'm—
Champion!
I can take a beating, I'll rise again!
Burning through the jungle until the end
I can live forever, I'll rise again
Keep rising up, I'm—]
"A perfect theme to go with an event where in six matches, every championship is on the line! Every man and woman shall be pushed to the absolute limit! It is here, where the stars at night are big and bright deep in the heart of Texas, as they say, we will witness HISTORY possibly in the making!" Markiplier exclaims, next introducing the scene. "As the native San Antonio citizens are yet again over 15,000 strong within the AT&T Center, we welcome you to a night of challengers; a night of defenders; a night of resurrection; a Night of Champions! HELLO, EVERYBODY, my name…is MARKIPLIER! I'm sitting here alongside 'The Honest Man of the Rising Sun' Kenji Matsuo, 'That Guy' Zack Carver, and 'The Legen—wait for it—dary Color Commentator' Barney Stinson!"
"Weak intro, bro!" Barney calls out. "You hardly put the effort into my nickname!"
"Yes, just like how you put effort into creating your Playbook," Kenji rolls his eyes.
"HEY! That Playbook is my life's work—don't diss my baby!" Barney glares and points.
"Gentlemen, if we can get along with our jobs now?" Mark reminds his colleagues. "We don't have all night…"
"Yeah, let's make it count with the STACKED card we got ahead of us!" Zack beams. "Six titles are on the line—Women's Tag Team, World Tag Team, Hardcore, World Women's, Intercontinental, and the World Championships! No exceptions for the titleholders!"
"Well, there's actually one exception to tonight's event," Kenji smirks. "A moment from now, Scorpion and Isaac Clarke will clash for the FIRST TIME in history to conclude the tournament finals, which we'll see who'll earn an APEX World Title shot against Beowulf in the main event."
"And just in time for our Night of Champions, too, Mikey," Barney chimes in, Kenji's eye seen twitching in silence. "Especially after recent UWE events. Came close to canceling it, too. It may be the only non-title match, but at least it's one that's got everyone PUMPED to be here tonight!"
"You've said it, chief!" exclaims Logan Reese as the camera pans over to the RAMPAGE announce table. "Even though I'm gonna have to listen to Bigby and Old Man Mosby babble all night, the action will be enough to provide great entertainment to tune them out."
"Ignoring that 'little' remark for a moment, if we're still in the introduction phase—I am 'The Architect' Ted Mosby here as well with 'The Creator of the Guide' Ned Bigby and 'Gorgeous' Logan Reese on the RAMPAGE side of things!"
"Like last night, we are assigned to call on various matches, so hope you enjoy what we have in store for you tonight at Night Champions, everybody," Ned smiles.
"What a night; we're glad you're with us!" Markiplier smirks.
"Now like the Black Eye Peas, let's get it started in here~" Zack recites the lyric.
"…Needs work, but not half-bad," Logan admits, nodding.
"Thank you!"
The camera fades away from the commentary table to the ring with Maria Lopez seen standing in the center and the music dies down in time for the bell.
"This opening contest scheduled for one fall (Crowd: ONE FALL!) to the finish is the final round of the APEX World Championship #1 Contender's Tournament!" Maria announces.
…
…
…
…
…
[The world is a vampire…]
("Bullet with Butterfly Wings" by Smashing Pumpkins plays)
The lights slowly dim inside the arena, leaving nothing but blue static on the TitleTron and the crowd are already booing the incoming competitor…
[Sent to drain…
Secret destroyers…]
…then the song transitions into the instrumental bridge as the blue static has started to go haywire all over the stage…
[Despite all my rage
I am still just a rat in a cage…
Despite all my rage
I am still just a rat in a cage…
And someone will say
What is lost can never be saved…
Despite all my rage
I am still just a rat in a…
CAAAAAAAAAAGE!]
…and on that lyric, the static is broken through by footage of various Necromorphs charging forward until it blacks out with the music cut off…then everyone hears an echoing voice…
"Make us whole again…"
"…What the…?" Markiplier softly mutters.
There is nothing but pure darkness and the crowd murmuring is the only sound being received…then new music begins to play in its place.
("The Beginning is the End is the Beginning" by The Smashing Pumpkins plays)
It remains dark for up to sixteen seconds in and a bright, flickering blue light emits from the center of the stage. The light soon starts becoming a ray that hits straight towards the ring. By then, the spotlight manages to shine onto the Dead Space Devil himself, Isaac Clarke. He wears appropriate wrestling attire that is heavily inspired by his Advanced Suit from Dead Space 2 while his helmet no more than the real thing. There is nothing for this survivor to emit emotion or express as Isaac starts his slow ambling to the ring.
Almost hesitant to call it, Maria says, "Introducing first…from the American Republic of Earth, weighing in at 229 pounds…he is…'The Dead Space Devil'…Isaac Clarke!"
[Send a heartbeat to…
The void that cries through you…
Relive the pictures that have come to pass…
For now, we stand alone…
The world is lost and blown…
And we are flesh and blood disintegrate…
With no more to hate…]
The boos and hisses were soon being cracked through the music and Isaac can hear them loud and clear. His focus is all on the ring and nothing else…but he did stop to give one glance at a fan's sign that reads, "Why Isaac Why?" The Dead Space Devil stares at it for exactly ten seconds…and he moves on back to the ring, taking his time to climb up the apron and through the ropes.
[Is it bright where you are?
Have the people changed?
Does it make you happy you're so strange?
…
And in your darkest hour…
I hold secrets flame…
We can watch the world devoured in its pain…]
Isaac comes to the center and lifts his head up, scanning the surroundings in front of his eyes through his helmet. It's clear he is in hostile territory…but it's also clear he's in the match to qualify himself for a world title shot should he succeed. That is all he is fixated on. By the time his music fades out, the lights come back on and his helmet folds in on itself to reveal his face that lacks complete emotion…at least it seems like it.
"…" Remaining silent for the whole entrance, Markiplier finally speaks, "Don't be fooled by his impassiveness, ladies and gentlemen. Yes, he could not care less about what anyone thinks of what he did to Naruto Uzumaki at Homecoming…but it is all the same there as it is here tonight in Isaac Clarke's eyes: FOCUS. The moment that bell rings, Clarke has his eyes on the goal of this tournament…and he won't give a damn if he paralyzes his opponent."
"Scorpion is in for a world of trouble once he steps into the ring with this psychopath," Barney utters. "If you thought what he done to Naruto was bad, then one can only imagine what he'll do to the Shirai Ryu Grandmaster."
After unzipping and removing his vest, Clarke waits in the ring with surprisingly great patience and paces around for his fellow finalist to appear. Eventually, he stands center of the ring as his eyes are locked on the entranceway; a minute has passed by and…
…
…
…
…
…
…cue the whip of a kunai knife come from the loudspeakers.
["GET OVER HERE!"]
("Fight (Kombat Edition)" by CFO$ plays)
Shao Kahn's laughter echoes throughout the arena lit in red, orange, and yellow with the fans exploding in cheers, thus followed by…
["Scorpion…FIGHT!"]
Pyro EXPLODES from the stage on cue to signal the arrival of one returning Hanzo Hasashi—in human form, of course. The icon of Mortal Kombat poses with a single-hand tiger hand sign and a hand on his sheathed katana, glaring up at the impassive Isaac Clarke. Soon, he raises his arms, his hands ignited with fire before throwing them down right on the 22-second mark and causing fire to blow up from the stage to consume him! As the pyro dies out, Scorpion, in current Mortal Kombat 11 attire, walks through as if he went past the hellfire and brimstone with said hellfire burning in his eyes. The Shirai Ryu Assassin expresses no fear towards the reincarnated Dead Space Devil and vice versa for Clarke himself, then the former starts his walk towards the ring.
"And his opponent: from The Netherrealm, weighing at 245 pounds…he is 'The Icon'…Scoooooorpiiiooooon!" Maria introduces.
"Twenty-four hours ago from tonight, Scorpion fought in what was a dream match come to reality that now many consider to be an all-time classic against fellow legend Tommy Oliver," Mark begins his statement. "It was a hard-fought battle, but a hard-fought battle won and earned for The Icon to enter the tournament finals alongside Clarke. And from what we are seeing right now, the Shirai Ryu Grandmaster is NOT intimidated by the Dead Space Devil."
"On one hand, he did escape Oblivion long ago, so what Clarke has planned is nothing compared to what he's been through. On the other, it's nothing more than a façade," Barney retorts. "Either way, it won't matter to the Dead Space Devil. Bringing up what you said, Isaac is FOCUSED on winning this whole thing and he'll be sure to make another example out the legendary Scorpion like he did Naruto last night."
"And speaking of which, Scorpion actually had a few words to share regarding the main event of Homecoming last night. Here's the footage," Markiplier informs with the screen shrinking and displays another with Hanzo Hasashi in a pre-taped segment.
In front of a gray backdrop, Hanzo stood with crossed arms and turned away from the camera as it faced his sides. He gets straight to the point: "Like everyone, I don't know what enforced the idea for you to practically end Uzumaki's life in that way. Frankly, it shouldn't matter to me…but I refuse to allow a mad dog like you run rabid on the rest of the roster, Clarke." Scorpion turns his head towards the camera. "Unlike Uzumaki, I have no reason to hold back. I have no reason to show mercy. Tonight…if you are going to act like a rabid animal, I am going to treat you as such and put you to sleep before you wreak havoc any further. You will be nothing more than an obstacle for me to break through on my destination for the APEX World Championship. I promise you THAT. You wish to return to the name that is the Dead Space Devil? Clarke…you have yet to face the devil himself. But worry not…you will be standing with him very soon…"
As the pre-taped segment screen moves away, Scorpion steps on the apron and enters the ring, his pale, pupiless eyes locked on Isaac, who hasn't moved a muscle since his arrival. At the center, Scorpion cracks his neck and ignites his hands with fire, raising them high in the air…and then throws them down to have the ring posts shoot vertical flames high in the air right on time to the instrumental verse. He lifts his head up, hellfire burning in his eyes and staring towards the unfazed Isaac Clarke. Both men are later directed to their corners by referee John Benoit, their eyes still on each other. With Hanzo and Isaac settled from the corners, the English official calls for the opening bell.
"The match is now underway; it is Isaac Clarke versus Scorpion in the tournament finals for a title shot at the APEX World—ISAAC'S COMING IN HOT!" Markiplier suddenly exclaims as Isaac charged at his opponent for an Elbow Smash…
…and Scorpion performs a lightning quick leaping evasion using the ropes to go over Isaac and rolls to his feet! "WHOA! And Scorpion one step ahead of the devil!"
"Clarke tried to catch Scorpion off guard in repeating what he did to Naruto right off the opening bell from last night and Scorps proved to not be made a fool!" Barney states.
Isaac quickly turns around to eat a Superman Forearm Smash from Scorpion, who follows it up with a swift Spinning Back Elbow to the jaw. After landing a few body blows, Scorpion immediately takes his arm for an Irish Whip and Isaac reverses it. Scorpion draws near the corner he's pushed to, steps off the middle turnbuckle with one foot alone and makes a giant leap back to Isaac with a Crossbody—Isaac catches the flying ninja! Isaac remains on his feet with no stumble and lifts Scorpion on his shoulders to spin him out for a Plasma Cutter, but Scorpion lands on his feet and viciously elbows his lower back to avoid an early demise. While Isaac holds his spine, Scorpion snatches him in a Side Headlock, wrenching the hold deeply as possible to wear down the Dead Space Devil. Despite Isaac's best efforts to escape with a bounce off the ropes, the grip Scorpion has on him is sealed tight as he slides on his knees. Nonetheless, Clarke goes for another breakout attempt, this time by striking the abdomen with a left-handed fist and striking the back with a right elbow. He repeats this method until he carries him off the mat…and Scorpion backflips onto his feet behind his opponent! The Hellfire Incarnate fires a Doom Blade and Isaac ducks under it, then goes for his own Elbow Smash with the Brute Force and Scorpion stops it with a kick. As Isaac nurses his arm, Scorpion leaps forward and stabs him in the back with his knees via a destructive Scorpion Sting!
"Nothing but fast and furious back and forth action between the devil and the specter, and the latter shows why he is called 'The Pariah of Backbreakers'!" Markiplier exclaims. "And with the cover set, ONE…TWO—Clarke kicks out! Notwithstanding that brutal Backstabber, Clarke is able to prevent an early loss when this match is just getting started."
"It's gonna take a LOT more than just a few moves to put away the Devil, Mark," Barney interjects. "At any moment, the Hell Ninja will be in for a RUDE awakening."
Clarke is currently out of the ring after rolling away from his fellow finalist, nursing his spine from the Scorpion Sting as he rests by the steel stairs. With his back turned, Scorpion follows and stalks him, waiting to make his next attack. As Isaac begins turning around, Scorpion immediately charges for a Double Axe Handle…and Isaac stops him right in his spot with a rising kick to the midsection followed up by smashing his skull on the steps! Scorpion is reeling back from the impact and Isaac guides him into the steel stairs once more via a Hammer Throw, the stairs themselves exploding in half from impact! Referee John Benoit orders the two to get back in the ring after counting to three at this point and Isaac merely ignores him as he watches Scorpion silently writhing on the floor. With Scorpion rolling up to all fours, Isaac walks over and takes his hand to drag him over to the top half of the steel step, albeit dealing with Scorpion fighting his grasp with rebellious fists to the gut. Clarke blocks the next one with his right knee and uses that same knee to rock his temple. Then, Isaac places his hand on the stair…
…keeps it there with his right foot…
…
…and swiftly stomps right on the steel step when Scorpion yanked his hand out of the way in time! The Icon of Mortal Kombat sends an elbow to the back of his head and hurls him back inside the ring, the referee stopping at the count of eight. He slides in after Isaac, who promptly kicks his left arm from under just as he was about to stand! Isaac snatches and wringers the arm for further pain, twisting it behind his opponent's back, then concludes this hold with a sudden Hammerlock Back Suplex!
"OOF! That move is more painful than it appears, boys and girls," Barney winces. "And right now, Scorpion is slowly beginning to eat his words after realizing who he is dealing with—a survivor that has made a living by dismembering Necromorphs, and he is going to be treating the Hell Ninja as such just like he did with a previous ninja. […] I'm sensing a pattern here."
"One: that is a meaningless coincidence. Two: this is not Scorpion's first time going through tremendous amounts of pain on his limbs," Markiplier retorts. "Though Isaac has the control at the start, it isn't going to last forever."
"The fact you actually are holding up faith this early is more delusional than Clarke's dementia—don't you dare tell him I said that," Barney warns.
"I make no promises," Mark deadpans.
Already, Isaac is putting the work to Scorpion as he applies the hammerlock on the right arm so he may hold his knee down on top and gradually pulls the hurt arm back. Scorpion is straining to withstand the submission, veins exposed on the arm to reveal the pressure Isaac is putting him through. Seeing as Scorpion refuses to quit early, Isaac drops the arm and sends a straight knee to both the arm and spine. The Dead Space Devil patiently huffs, eyes locked on his opponent tending his arms and lower back. He's letting him stand on his hands and knees before abruptly nailing a stiff knee to his kidney area. Needless to say, Clarke is taking his time to dissect and rip Scorpion's anatomy apart. Isaac moves on to hook both arms in a Butterfly Hold, clasping his fingers together for a tighter grip as he steadily reaches his vertical base with Scorpion. The amount of pressure is tremendous to the shoulders with Scorpion likely gritting his teeth underneath his mask, writhing from Isaac swaying the hold side to side every few seconds. Isaac attempts a Double Underhook Backbreaker, but Scorpion remains on his feet and quickly counters with a unique Northern Lights Suplex! His shoulders are down…and Isaac rolls through at a two-count! Adding to that, the Double Underhook grip remains locked! In defiance, Scorpion tries again, but Isaac lets go to roll him up…and Scorpion rolls back to his feet to deliver a low Roundhouse Kick to the side of his skull!
"A kick to the temple takes Isaac down, but how long that'll keep him there while Scorpion finally has a moment to recover?" Markiplier questions. "Isaac made a mistake to target only the arms of Scorpion when he should've been targeting the legs as well and he paid for it brutally with that roundhouse."
"This is a pivotal moment for both these dudes to turn the tide for either side, see who will input themselves in the driver's seat," Barney states.
Despite what Scorpion went through and Isaac likely hearing a ringing sound in his ears, the two make their way back to their feet at the center of the ring. The first to strike is Scorpion with a sharp thrusting uppercut to Isaac's throat. He nearly suffocates, but he quickly replies with a measured punch straight to the temple. Scorpion nearly stumbles, then shakes it off and hits two palm strikes to the chest, an abdomen punch, a low right kick to the knee, and a Spinning Backfist. Isaac's lights appear to be out, but he comes back with a Brute Force to the jawline area! The Shirai Ryu Grandmaster is hammered from that Discus Elbow and staggers back to the ropes, Isaac quickly charging after him—X-RAY! ISAAC'S JAW EATS A SICKENING X-RAY! The Dead Space Devil drops to the canvas face-first and immediately rolls out in attempts to recover. Scorpion shakes his head at his opponent and decides to join him outside with an incoming Suicide Dive, both men crashing hard against the barricade! Despite the eager fans slapping their hands on the barricade after that stunt, Scorpion doesn't have time to be a showman and roughly drags Isaac back in the ring, only draping him over the apron with his head out. Still holding his head, the unforgiving Shirai Ryu shinobi lifts his upper body and smashes it on the apron, following it up with another X-Ray dead-center in the face.
"No love lost between these two. Nothing but disdain and hostility throughout this match," Markiplier states. "Right now, Scorpion is making good on his words as he is giving the Dead Space Devil a taste of his own medicine. Rightfully so."
Clarke has been holding his nose after receiving the stiff knee, then he gradually rises to his knees while glowering at Scorpion, who slithers back in the ring. The two remain staring each other down from different heights and Scorpion asks evenly with venom in his voice, "What do you have to say for yourself, Clarke?" And the Dead Space protagonist's response? A simple build-up of saliva in his mouth and a spit to the face…
…which is immediately followed by a series of stiff, swift Shoot Kicks to the chest! The vengeful wraith does not let up on his kicks, striking Isaac's chest to the point of leaving bruises mere seconds! By the sixth kick, Isaac catches the leg and drills the knee with a sharp elbow and then a Spinning Back Elbow to the head! Scorpion nearly staggers with his wrist back in Isaac's grip…and so, he turns the tables and pulls Isaac in for a Short-arm Elbow Smash of his own! Feeling the disrespect, the scowling Isaac Clarke gives it right back with a sudden slap across the face! With fire in his eyes (figuratively and literally), Scorpion BEGS—nay, DARES Isaac to slaps him again. Obliging to do so, Isaac raises his hand and Scorpion ducks right under it, planting his opponent down with a Mortal Wound (Kofi Kingston's S.O.S.), one of his old signatures from CWA! Isaac's shoulders are down with the legs tightly hooked and John Benoit counts…
…
…all the way up to a near-fall with a kick-out from the devil himself! As Isaac groggily stands back up on his knees, Scorpion grabs both wrists…and Clarke immediately goes to panic mode in lying on his back and repeatedly booting at his face. It does work, forcing Scorpion to give Isaac some distance away. Clarke shakes off the cobwebs and stalks after Scorpion leaning on the ropes…when he actually used them as momentum to perform a surprise Superman Punch! The Dead Space Devil collapses HARD onto the mat…and Scorpion mouths, "Time to make good on my word and show you what a real devil is about…" before stomping a foot center of his upper back. He takes one wrist in his grasp and tries grabbing the other, but Isaac is denying him that completed sacrifice. That is, until Scorpion wisely kicks the ribs repeatedly, tricking Clarke to hold his sides for the former to snatch it completely. Now with both arms in his hands and a foot planted on his spine, Scorpion wastes no time pull back the arms and press his boot firmly against his spine, forcing Isaac Clarke to scream at the top of his lungs in pure agony!
"No mercy! No remorse! Completely immoral intentions set by the yellow-garbed ninja as he stretches Clarke out!" Barney shouts.
"After what he did to Naruto last night, Clarke sure as hell deserves what Scorpion is giving to him!" Markiplier rebukes.
Referee John Benoit holds a close eye on the anguished Isaac, who is shaking his head as he knows Benoit would be asking if he's quitting right now. Then, Scorpion starts stomping his boot on his back and his head, doing so again and again and again with no signs of slowing down! Eventually, he ends the torture with a final, brutal stomp to the back of his head, planting his face into the mat. The Netherrealm Wraith now stalks Clarke as he gradually rolls over to the nearest corner. Ever so sluggishly, Clarke pulls himself up to a vertical base while his eyes are glaring back at Scorpion's. He sends a retaliating kick to the abdomen and Scorpion quickly replies with a knee strike right in the midsection. Hanzo Hasashi hoists his opponent on the top turnbuckle, then bends him forward, hooks his legs and tucks his head in next to his. From this setup, the Muscle Buster seems clearly nigh and to be a possible end for Clarke as Scorpion gets a running start to the center of the ring…
…
…
…but Isaac barely escapes the hold and lands on his feet behind Scorpion! Both men face each other, and Isaac takes the running Scorpion down with the Full Contact (Sleeper Slam, as a counter to an oncoming opponent)! Scorpion immediately sits up to register the pain, then Clarke forcefully brings him to his feet and bent over, hooks the arms together and plants the Necro Bomb (Necro Butcher's move of the same name)! Isaac takes a moment to nurse his back and arms before holding the pin; Benoit sees the shoulders down and drops for the count: 1…
2…
…
…
…
…2.589 Scorpion powers out of the pinfall attempt!
"At over two-and-a-half seconds, Scorpion kicks out! It could have been a three if not for the aftereffects of his spine and arms from Scorpion's vicious stomping early on!" Markiplier notes. "This match is only going to get more and more physical the longer it goes on!"
"Took the words right out of my mouth, bro!" Barney agrees.
Isaac and Hanzo are flat on their backs next to each other, the pain taking a toll on their bodies as they try to bring themselves back on their feet. In the end, the two are up and about, Isaac going for a Dropkick and misses completely by a sidestep. Scorpion goes straight for the ropes and nails an X-Ray to the side of his head! Isaac nearly drops dead, stumbling on his knees over to the ropes as his eyes appear glossed over…and Scorpion bounces off the same ropes behind him to land his fourth X-Ray square in the nose of Clarke! Isaac rolls back to the center holding his ear and nose…
…
…and it's revealed that both areas have been leaking blood, especially with his nose being crooked! Rightfully concerned, Benoit tries checking on Clarke if wishes to go on…but Clarke angrily pushes him away, offended that the official would even ask that. Scorpion grabs him from behind and takes him for a ride via Irish Whip; Isaac manages to stop himself by hooking his arms around the top rope and Scorpion charges in, just to be pushed into the ropes by Isaac. He goes for an instant Discus Brute Force, but Scorpion ducks it and nails a sharp knife edge chop to the chest. He makes a run for the ropes…and this time, Isaac NAILS the Brute Force Elbow as the impact reverberates around the arena! Scorpion tumbles through the ropes and out of the ring while Isaac takes a moment to see the damage done, wiping the blood off his face. He eyes his palm painted with his own crimson…looks up at the spectators with a Kubrick Stare…
…
…and grabs his broken nose so he can snap it back in place.
"O-Oh, oh, GOD…! Oh…WOW," Markiplier winces.
"…I have nothing to say to that," Barney shudders.
Despite how grossed out the crowd was, Isaac treats his improvised "nose surgery" as if it never happened as he eyes Scorpion outside. He patiently waits for him to get on the apron, then grabs his head and hooks his left arm in attempts to drag him back in. However, the Shirai Ryu Grandmaster reacts promptly in hook his free arm around the rope, grabs both of his arms and pulls him in against the ropes! Isaac gets his throat caught and is sent flying back at the center practically coughing up a storm. Seeing this, Scorpion moves up to the high-rent district and comes back down with a Diving Crossbody! He remains on top of him with the legs hooked: 1…2…
…and Isaac kicks right out of the cover! The Dead Space Devil scurries to his feet and Scorpion clobbers him with a Clothesline after bouncing off the ropes. He begins building momentum off that attack by repeating the same rebound over and over, concluding the Clothesline series by ducking Isaac's retaliating Clothesline and planting him with a Dead End (Half Nelson Bulldog). Feeling the adrenaline pumping into his blood, Scorpion can't help but raise his fist with an emphatic roar that the audience loves. He glances over to Isaac, who is endeavoring to recover by himself in the nearest corner…but Scorpion is not the kind of man to give his opponent chances. The yellow-garbed ninja sprints right after Clarke with a Step-up High Knee right to the jaw, ready to complete his Damnation Kombination with a Running Bulldog…
…
…but Isaac digs deep enough to push Scorpion away from him midair! Scorpion lands on his feet, turns around…and barely avoids the Plasma Cutter as he shoves Clarke away this time! Clarke bounces from the ropes and RIGHT INTO A SPEAR—NO, LIFTING KICK RIGHT TO THE CHEST! Now Isaac leaps after him with knees ready to break his face—Scorpion catches those legs…stomps on his stomach…
…
…and tightly locks in the Scorpion Death Lock at the center of the ring!
"SCORPION DEATH LOCK! SCORPION DEATH LOCK! This might as well be it for the Dead Space Devil! He's at the center of the ring with Scorpion keeping that Sharpshooter sealed tensely!" Markiplier exclaims.
"At the risk of sounding like a narrator from the 1960s Batman TV show, will Clarke find a way to escape the Scorpion Death Lock or will he succumb to the pain sent straight to his legs and lower body?!" Barney queries. "Find out…well, right now!"
For nearly a minute, Scorpion has not let up on the legendary submission hold as he leans back to compress Isaac's lower backbone. Scorpion has been taunting his fellow finalist to quit here and now, the crowd more than happy to see that happen at any second. Despite the odds, Isaac is too stubborn to relinquish the match to Scorpion like this. The former ship systems engineer stands on his hands high enough to try and reverse himself onto his back while grabbing at the nearest leg. This forces Scorpion to turn around and Isaac able to nail his knuckles over his skull. Scorpion, agitated by the punches, lets go of the Scorpion Death Lock to mount Isaac with a series of downward elbows to the face while Isaac blocks the strikes and puts him in a bodyscissors. This almost turned into a straight-up MMA fight with the grounding and pounding by Hanzo until Isaac elbows his face right back and kicks him away. Unfortunately for him, he pushed him to the ropes and Scorpion bounces from it to strike him down with a high-impact Shoot Kick to the chest, then styles on him with a Springboard Moonsault. He has the legs hooked…and Isaac again kicks out of the cover. Not discouraged by this, Scorpion drags Isaac by his head in a Front Facelock and declares to "FINISH HIM" as he props his arm over his neck…
…and his Back Suplex pop-up attempt gets reversed with Isaac backflipping over and pushing him away! Scorpion goes through the ropes and saves himself from a hard crash on the floor in clinging to the ropes, now stalking him from the apron. The Dead Space Devil catches his breath…Scorpion hops on the top rope the moment he turns around…
…
…
…and Isaac shoves his legs off the rope, causing him to fall and get hung up right on his stomach! Capitalizing on this moment, Isaac keeps him rope-hung by his feet and snatches Scorpion's head in a disturbing Plasma Cutter that makes it appear to snap his neck!
"OHHH, GOOD LORD!" Markiplier shouts in horror.
"PLASMA CUTTER! THE DEAD SPACE DEVIL HAS DECAPITATED SCORPION!" Barney calls.
Isaac stares down at Scorpion's motionless body with empty eyes for a while before rolling him away from the ropes and covering him center of the ring: 1…
2…
…
…
…3!
"And that's it! Isaac Clarke wins the tournament!" Barney states. "He's on his way to meet the world champion in tonight's main event!"
("The Beginning is the End is the Beginning" by The Smashing Pumpkins plays)
"The winner of the match: 'The Dead Space Devil' Isaaaac Claaaaaaaaarke!" Maria Lopez announces, inciting enormous boos from the San Antonio crowd.
Clarke holds his Kubrick Stare towards the hard camera, casually sitting next to the immobile Scorpion. He resumes staring down at him as John Benoit checks on his condition. Eventually, Isaac brings himself up to his feet…and makes a gesture to the hard camera, holding two fingers up. He reverts them upside-down, then holds his left index finger high up, and makes a cutthroat motion with his thumb; in translation: "Two down; one more to go." Isaac glances at Scorpion one last time, disrespectfully nudging him with his boot, which Benoit didn't appreciate at all by telling him to leave already, and promptly abides so with hands raised in defense.
"Through grit, fortitude, and being the toughest son of a bitch in general, the Dead Space Devil has won the finals and inserted himself as the next challenger for Beowulf's world title. However, it is not without experiencing the battle scars he's gained from fighting Scorpion," Markiplier states. "One important question is yet to be answered: will those same wounds slow Clarke down in his main event match against the world champion, or will he overcome the negatives and end the streak and the reign while it's still young?"
"After what we've seen from ignoring his bleeding ear and snapping his nose back in place, Mark, I personally don't believe the champion has a chance in Hell against this demented freak of nature," Barney remarks. "Isaac Clarke is a whole other beast than anything he's faced before. In just less than in a few hours, it's not Isaac who will be in the ring with King Beowulf; it'll be Beowulf who will be trapped in the ring with the Dead Space Devil himself."
In the ring, Scorpion has finally started moving again and he is clutching onto his head and neck with unquestionable pain shooting through. It doesn't take him long enough to realize he's lost the match and the camera slowly zooms in on his tranquil fury shown clearly in his eyes that stares daggers at the stage where Isaac disappeared into…
…and speaking of whom, from a fading transition, Isaac is seen walking away from the Gorilla Position. Suddenly, Ellie Langford walks up to him and Isaac stops in his tracks, wondering what she was doing here with a tilted head.
"Clarke…don't give me that look. After what you did to yourself out there, you are in dire need to check in with the doctor for anything fractured," Ellie scoffs.
Not in the mood to start an argument with Ellie, Isaac complies and lets himself be escorted to the medical office. However, on their way, "Violet" Clarissa Rivera makes her appearance with a microphone in hand, obviously wanting to set the record straight as she follows them.
"No questions, please," Ellie curtly states, not even giving her a glance as she speeds up her walking slightly.
"Sorry to say, Miss Langford, but I have plenty to ask and I'm sure you have plenty to answer as well," Clarissa confidently replies, matching their walking speed. "And by you, I mean your man responsible for Naruto Uzumaki's placement on the shelf at his hands. Now if I may, Isaac Clarke, what exactly were you thinking when you decided to turn on your friend? The same person who gave you a chance and helped support you while you were suffering your dementia from the Marker?"
"And that's too many bloody questions," Ellie stops in her tracks, pushing the microphone down while glaring down the violet-haired interviewer. "Especially when they're too personal for you to understand, little girl."
Not backing down, Clarissa huffs, "I'm no 'little girl', Miss Langford. I'm just doing my job as a backstage interviewer and asking the most important questions for a long time. And I'm not leaving you until I get answers." She turns her full attention to the Dead Space Devil, who is scowling through Rivera. Despite the glare, she presses on. "Now, I repeat—Isaac Clarke…what caused you to turn violent against Naruto, to cause him so much harm that he remains in the hospital recovering from the damage you laid unto him—both physically and mentally, mind you. Just…why?"
Clarissa reaches her mic out towards Isaac…which is intercepted by Ellie and she gradually moves her arm over to her so that the mic is towards her instead.
"…You wish to know why?" Ellie questions back. "Here's I will tell you…I warned Naruto. I told him about Isaac's relapse as the Dead Space Devil, a side of him thought to be locked away alongside his dementia…but he took my caution for granted. He thought I was joking. I tried to be a good sport because I knew Isaac would annihilate him without mercy. I was trying to help him back out of the match and stay alive…and look where that got him. Right now, he's lying in that hospital bed with no one to blame but himself. He was a fool and he got he deserved. And as of tonight, Isaac has overcome two obstacles: Naruto Uzumaki, and now, the fallen icon, Scorpion. Only one final obstacle remains…and it won't be long before the so-called 'king' kneels under the new APEX World Champion…Isaac Clarke."
"…Quite the bold statement for a wench to utter when she's standing alongside her pet demon, I say…" a gruff, Viking voice emerges…and everyone has their attention towards the Beast of Geats, King Beowulf, whom the crowd cheer for tremendously as he carries his APEX World Championship over his shoulder. Clearly, Ellie was not amused of Beowulf's comments.
"Hmph… Ridicule my words all you like, 'Your Highness'…but you're only bringing your own demise," Ellie forewarns. "Like Naruto and Scorpion before, you will have no one to blame but yourself."
"We'll see who eats their own words, then," Beowulf replies.
"If I may interject," Clarissa says, "Miss Langford…I appreciate the answer…but it's not the one I'm searching for. Especially when I'm asking Isaac Clarke himself."
"Patience is a virtue, Rivera. But right now, I'm done with your crap," Ellie scowls. "This interview is over."
"Hold it," Beowulf extends an arm out to prevent them from leaving, which agitates Ellie. He walks past Ellie to stare down with Isaac. "…I actually want to give my congratulations to Clarke. Considering I am APEX World Champion, it's my duty to check the competition and acknowledge them. From where I stand…I'm glad you won, Clarke. Truly. Because now I am given a golden opportunity to not only defend my title…but to put you down as well. You believe yourself to be a devil? Boy…I've faced literal devils in my day, and I ripped one of their arms off. The least you can do, though…is give me a challenge; like I said to everyone last night…I am a STARVING KING waiting to see who can bring me to my best and start my reign off as world champion. So, don't disappoint me."
Beowulf and Isaac continue glaring each other down, their faces approximately inches away…then Beowulf extends a hand, offering a handshake. Isaac merely stares at it with narrowed eyes.
"As champion…it is also my duty to wish my challengers luck. This may very well be your only chance to earn respect from me," Beowulf utters.
Isaac's eyes remain on the hand, soon looking back up at him…and walks away, causing the fans to boo at Clarke's decline. However, Ellie takes the offer instead, which has Beowulf raise a brow at her.
So, she answers, "I appreciate what you have to offer…but I'm afraid it's not Isaac you should be wishing luck to, King Beowulf."
Ellie lets go and follows Isaac off-screen. Clarissa shakes her head and walks off, irritated her inquiries weren't completely answered. Alone, Beowulf stands, staring off to the distance where Isaac and Ellie left as the camera slowly zooms in on his indomitable smirk.
"Ooh, brother, brother, seeing that only gets me more excited for tonight's main event," Zack rubs his hands, giddy with excitement.
"You and me both," Kenji agrees. "With the tournament set and finished, Isaac Clarke has guaranteed himself as the new number one contender for the APEX World Championship. Holding that holy grail of Apex Caliber Wrestling is the Beast of Geats himself, Beowulf. By the time we reach the main event, it'll be the Devil versus the Beast. Only one can walk out as the world champion of this revived organization."
"Couldn't have said it better myself! Now, that aside, let's get right to the next contest—the Tag Team Turmoil for the APEX World Tag Team Championships!" Zack declares. "Stay tuned, folks; y'all are in for something special in this occasion."
The camera fades away from the commentary table to the ring with Maria Lopez seen standing in the center and the music dies down in time for the opening bell.
"The following contest…is a Tag Team Turmoil for the Apex Caliber Wrestling World Tag Team Championships!" Maria announces to enormous cheers. "In this bout, wrestlers will enter individually in one minute minimal and can only be eliminated by being thrown over the top rope as both feet must hit the floor. When all but two competitors are eliminated, the partners of the two survivors return and the match becomes a standard tag team match. The winning tag team will be declared as the APEX World Tag Team Champions!"
A slow panning around the arena fades in as we catch fans waiting in excitement for the first entrant…
…
…
…
…and that honor is given to the sound of wolves howling.
[WHISKEY!
OSCAR!
LIMA!
VICTOR!
ECHO!
SIERRA!
WOLVES…]
("Of Wolf and Man" by Metallica plays)
The hard camera zooms all the way out from the ring to the entire venue being colored up by sky blue and white strobing lights that sync with the drumbeat. Soon, one of the cameras catches Hannibal Ambrose coming through the doorway in the arena seats from the right side. Ambrose has donned The Wolves' signature half-face skull mesh mask, black hoodie and hands wrapped in black tape, bobbing his head to his stable's newly established theme song.
[Off through the new day's mist, IIIIII run!
Out from the new day's mist, IIIIII have come~!
I hunt!
Therefore I am!
Harvest the land!
Taking of the fallen laaaaaamb!]
It was not long before he descends the stairs in time for Miss Lopez's introduction.
"Introducing first, coming down the aisleway as Entrant #1: representing The Wolves—from Battle Creek, Michigan, weighing in at 215 pounds…he is 'The Lunatic Wolf' Hannibal Ambrose!" Maria proclaims.
"Here comes our very first entrant! Young Hannibal earned this spot in the Tag Team Turmoil after winning alongside Damian Reigns and Erik Rollins last night at Homecoming," Markiplier comments. "It was not easy fighting the Hardcore Trinity, but it all paid off for him, especially being appointed this spot by Erik."
"Got that right," Barney adds. "The Wolves actually fought their way to earn this match while everybody else was handed the shot unfairly on a silver platter. And at what expense? The APEX World Tag Team Champions who are obviously going to be at a disadvantage, being forced to enter individually."
"I wouldn't say the rest of the challengers were given their opportunity as much as rewarded, because these men were all here since the very beginning of ACW. It is due to their loyalty that they are here tonight with the World Tag Team Championship up for grabs," Mark replies. "You may not like the odds, but it's anyone's fair game."
[Off through the new day's mist, IIIIII run!
Out from the new day's mist, I have cooome!
We shiiift…
Pulsing with the eeeaaarrth…
Company we keep
Roaming the land while yooou sleep…]
Ambrose at this point has already made to the barricade after he slid on the rails halfway through. He hops right over and slides in the ring to make his way over to the corner in the lower-right section of the hard camera's view. The Lunatic Wolf has his left foot on the top rope with the other standing low on the middle rope, pulling his hoodie down and the mask thereafter to give the audience a nasty, unhinged face complete with a hanging tongue. It is also revealed his hair has been dyed brownish-red with natural roots showing and grown out to appear even messier and more unkempt than before. His ring gear has not changed much from the tactical vest and sleeveless black shirt underneath other than the addition of a spiked choker belt. A smirk appears on his face for this moment, lip-syncing to the lyrics.
[Ohhhhhh…!
Shape shiiiiiift, nose to the wind…!
Shape shiiiiiift, feeling I've been…!
Move swiiiiiift, all senses cleeeaaan…!
Earth's giiiiiift, back to the meaning…
Back to the meaning of…
LIFE!]
The headbanging Hannibal throws up rock horns with one hand, then points down at the cameraman filming him with that symbol.
"Hey, Wolfpack! Wherever you guys are right now, hope you're watching closely! This shit's for you!" Hannibal asserts.
With that said and done, he hops down to the mat and poses the same on the neighboring corner, this time proclaiming confidently that the World Tag Team Title belts will soon be the sole property of The Wolves. By the end of it, Hannibal goes to the center of the ring and crouches to anticipate for the second entrant with glaring daggers from his eyes. He snarls with a glimpse of his wolf-like fang…
…
…
…and after over a quarter of a minute of waiting…
[FEED…
ED…
MORE…]
"…Son of a bitch," Barney simply curses under his breath as the crowd cheers immensely.
("Meat on the Table" by Jim Johnston plays)
[FEED…ED…MORE…
FEED…ED…MORE…
FEED…
ED…
MOOOOOORE…!]
Edback wastes no time to make his arrival alone, winding up one arm at a time. Then he throws both down for fireworks to pop off-screen and hangs his head. Eyes are closed and he breathes deeply as possible, getting himself into the song as he growls in unison, "FEED…ED…MOOOOOORE…!" Ed lifts his head up with his eyes deadlocked on the squared circle and BELLOWS to the skies as he marches his way down.
"And his opponent, making his way as Entrant #2: from Peach Creek, Maine, weighing in at 245 pounds…this is 'The Big Ed' EDBAAAAACK!" Maria exclaims.
[Meat on the table
Yeah, that's what you are!
Yeah, you can run
But you won't get too far! (Hey!)
You're in my jungle
And I'll make the kill!
Meat on the table
And I'll get my fill!]
"…Yeah, no, Hannibal's dead, dudes," Zack quickly implies.
"Very cute, kid," Barney snarls. "Don't count my boy out. We've seen him hang with giants in the form of Marcus King before and I'm confident enough to see him last as long as he can before eliminating him. All Ambrose has to do is ensure 'Rydork' over here is broken from below and perhaps his arms worthless so that he can't carry and throw him around like a toy."
"We'll see if he'll keep that one in mind, Stinson," says Kenji. "For now, we've seen Ed return to action at Homecoming last night when he fought both Godzilla and Beowulf in a Triple Threat. Yes, he lost, but it has evidentially not discouraged him from this Tag Team Turmoil. He has clear intents to make it up to his fellow Eds by winning the tag belts alongside Eddy. Both he and Hannibal are honestly unorthodox and unpredictable; there's no telling how they'll even start the match once the bell rings."
Ed jumps on the apron and enters the ring, grabbing the ropes to his left and shaking them violently. Once done with that, he turns around to slam a fist into his palm for more fireworks popping off-screen and that triggers him to roar wildly while beating his chest. Hannibal already comes up to him, mocking his roar as referee Andrew Styles quickly comes in to separate them before things got ugly quick. He directs both men away from each other for the moment until he leaves the ring. Edback's theme song fades out from the loudspeakers…
…and at the sound of the opening bell, Edback and Hannibal waste no time to charge at each other and Hannibal crashes into Ed with a Running Crossbody Block! The Lunatic Wolf mounts Ed with wild fists to the skull!
"BY GOD, HERE WE GO! No time is wasted here! The clock has begun to count down from exactly one minute, and both Ed and Hannibal are after each other!" Markiplier exclaims. "Look at this madman go wild on the Big Ed!"
"As I said, unpredictable!" Kenji says.
Ambrose is all over Ed with his untamed knuckles, even going as far as to TAKE A BITE ON HIS FOREHEAD. Ed is throttling in pain with Ambrose's sharp teeth clinging to his head, screaming in his normal voice, "HE'S LIKE A BAD ITCH, EDDY! AAAHH, GET HIM OFF! HE'S ANNOYING MY HEAD! AHHHHH!" Admittedly, it was funny. Ed tries to punch Hannibal off by targeting his right ear; however, Hannibal isn't even fazed, so Ed uses his brain (for once) to ram him back-first into not one, not two, but all four corners of the ring! Plenty of those was enough to force the air out of Hannibal's lungs and have him let go before Edback went for a series of Corner Clotheslines. With an elbow that keeps Hannibal in place, Ed quickly hits opposite corner and back to perform a Stinger Splash, practically squashing him like a sandwich! Hannibal is dazed and before he knew it, Ed grabs him with a Biel Throw high in the air and all the way across the ring! Poor Hannibal nurses his back when Ed already is running after him for another Corner Clothesline, but Hannibal quickly thinks on his feet with a simple Drop Toe Hold, tripping Ed and making him fall face-first into the turnbuckle. Seeing he has the upper hand for the moment, Hannibal makes a run for the ropes and bounces right off to land a brutal knee strike to the back of Ed's head into the turnbuckle. Hannibal now just has Ed's head in his grasp and starts slamming it over the turnbuckle repeatedly before getting elbowed in the gut and shoved away. Ed then catches Hannibal's throat, preps him up in the air for a Military Press Lift, ready to throw him out of the ring…until Hannibal slips out of his clutches by sharply pinched in the nose and counters in the manner of a Diamond Cutter!
"BANG!" Zack shouts. "Hannibal takes down the Big Ed with a simple Cutter, shades of DDP!"
"And now he's trying to lift and push him out of the ring via over the top rope as we're down to the final few seconds!" Kenji states.
The unhinged Hannibal is desperately using all his strength to get Ed up and over, but Ed himself is still alive and kicking, bringing his weight down while clinging onto the ropes: 0:04…0:03…0:02…0:01…
…
…
…
("Paranoid" by Megadeth plays)
"Oh, look, it's the fat kid," Barney rolls his eyes, counteracting to the loudly cheering audience.
"Don't even think about counting this guy out, Barney," Mark quickly defends. "Kohta lasted in the Intercontinental Rumble longer than anyone expected up to the very end."
"Only to become a runner-up to Nero," Barney retorts.
"True, but it still takes away nothing from this bright, young man who showed he is not to be underestimated for damn sure," Mark states. "And I'm confident that he'll last long enough for Komuro to arrive in good time."
Kohta comes out from the red curtain, nodding to the immense support by the crowd who witnessed his performance last night. With a wide grin, Hirano starts rushing down the ramp towards the ring. Meanwhile, Ed has already elbowed Hannibal away in the face and carries him up on his shoulders just to plant him back down with a Running Powerslam. Hirano slides right in and strikes a Sick Bullseye (Running Single Leg Dropkick) right to Ed's face…at the same time he lands a Senton on top of Ambrose! As he rolls away, Kohta focuses on the Big Ed for the moment with a multiple knife edge chops in the corner. After hitting a stiff elbow, Hirano follows it up with an Enzuigiri while facing away from Ed. The Monobrow Colossus stumbles forward, weakened enough for Kohta to Irish Whip him over the opposite corner…and immediately chases after with the ensuing Kick to Kill!
…Or at least, he would've nailed it if Ed had not avoided it as Kohta unfortunately stretches out his leg in the corner in the most painful way possible. With this, Ed has already hooked him up and SLAMS him down with a vicious STO! Ed ambles towards the center…and he soon looks up to witness Hannibal Ambrose flying through the skies with a successful Springboard Clothesline—Air Ambrose, paying homage to Brian Pillman! The wild lunatic rushes the ropes while Edback sporadically stands, only Hannibal was fast enough to catch him with a Trick Knee (Running Knee Lift followed by a Neckbreaker onto the knee)! Young Hannibal snarls as he eyes a rising Kohta Hirano in the corner…and blasts him right out of his boots with a hell of a John Woo Kick into the turnbuckles! The loose cannon of the Wolves beats his chest while headbanging and shouting, "JOHN WOO KICK, MUTHAFUKKA!"
"That's exactly what that move is," Kenji blinks.
"And it's certainly one that strikes with BRUTAL impact, bro," Zack comments. "Heck, gotta give it to Hannibal for standing on top this quickly!"
"But let's see how he'll fair well against the next entrant…" Markiplier reminds as the clock now reached zero…
…
…
…
[I am the Alllphaaa!
I am the Omegaaa!
I am the beginning and the end of tiiiiiime!
I am the Alllphaaa!
I am the Omegaaa!
My whole creation stands before me toniiiiiight!]
"Looks like one-half of the World Tag Team Champions is joining the party himself, representing Alpha & Omega!" Barney notes.
"Alpha & Omega" by Stratovarius plays for Stan Terra's appearance, walking through the curtains with smug arrogance clearly oozing from his body expression as he donned a helmet. The helmet he wears is inspired by the Red Hood helmet as his eyes glow bright white and the Omega symbol plastered on the front. He soon removes his helmet to reveal his face…and age has shown to change Terra over time since APEX's hiatus as he's now grown his hair out to shoulder-length with a half ponytail on the back of his head. He's also specially grown a lot more muscle with a toned body. His ring gear consists of wrestling tights with a change of color in crimson red with thick black lining spreading from the crotch area down to the inner legs, thin black wrist-tape, knee pads and boots. After placing his helmet down, Terra suddenly replaces his smug grin with a serious scowl and proclaims to the nearest camera, "Those titles are staying with Alpha & Omega into the Renaissance Era. Don't even bother thinking about counting us out, dipshits." He pushes the camera away and starts running straight to where the action is while Hannibal is eager for him to come in and tells him to bring it. Terra leaps and slides inside, counters a right hand with an Irish Whip, chases Hannibal to the ropes…then slides right by him, confusing him with the sudden disappearance…and catches him with a Dropkick!
"Baseball slide into the Dropkick! Nice fake out from the tag champ!" Zack compliments.
"Terra's buffed up ever since we last saw him, too," Barney makes note of Stan's new appearance.
Stan barely avoids a Lariat from the Big Ed and brings him back down with a Jumping Neckbreaker! Kohta puts a stop to his rising momentum with a kick to the gut and takes his arm for an Irish Whip. As Kohta waits at the center for a Back Body Drop, Stan instantly drops to a knee and strikes him across the jaw with a vigorous haymaker! He holds his jawbone in bitter pain as Terra applies the Inverted Facelock and plants him down with Paradise Falls (Rolling Cutter)! The Omega takes the time to insult Hirano, "You don't even belong in the same ring as me, you FAT F—K! Not you or anybody else in this ring and back there did ANYTHING to deserve Alpha & Omega's tag titles, let alone a SHOT! F—k outta my ring!" Terra roughly drags Kohta to his feet and throws him over the ropes, but Kohta thankfully lands on the apron. Stan becomes too distracted to notice when Hannibal is back on his feet, wanting to give a counterargument…by way of a jumping headbutt! Terra instantly goes down and Hannibal boasts this accomplishment to the downed champion. However, Edback makes a return with great sneak effort as he grabs and hurls Hannibal across the ring with a Release German Suplex! Kohta tries to do the same as he leaps from the high rent district, attempting a major Blockbuster…
…but Ed catches him right out of the air! And so, Ed adjusts him in perfect position to send him Into the Belly of Hades…at the same time Terra nails a Chop Block to the back of his leg! Ed hits the finisher, but he didn't get all of it as he was too busy nursing his leg…and then Terra puts him down on his back with a Superkick! With the clock counting down, Terra is the lone man to try and get rid of Ed: 0:03…
0:02…
0:01…
…
…
…Ed is hardly over the ropes as he resists Stan's force and shoves him away with a bare hand while the next entrant's song plays.
[Sweet dreams are made of this…
Who am I to disagree?
Travel the world and the seven seas…
Everybody's looking for something…
Some of them want to use you…
Some of them want to get used by you…
Some of them want to abuse you…
Some of them want to be abused…]
"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" by Emily Browning is recognized from the loudspeakers for Marik Ishtar's arrival as he strolls through the curtain with his head lowered. He soon lifts his head up to reveal a mask of his own—faceless in complete black and only the Eye of Anubis on the center of it. He slowly slides it up to reveal one eye and a maniacal grin, hanging tongue included, as if it resembled a darker version of himself. That aside, Marik wastes no time to start running down the ramp.
"Even without the theatrics when he's associated with Bakura, Marik still finds a way to freak anyone out…" Kenji shudders.
"Rarely, I would agree, so in this case, yeah, you and me both, Senji," Barney nods.
Marik hops on the apron as Ed flips Stan on his shoulders for a Powerbomb…but Stan escapes and ducks down when Marik springs into the ring and Double Foot Stomps into Ed's chest! Marik rolls through back to his feet and blocks Stan's Clothesline with a raised boot that would've taken him over the ropes. He capitalizes with a picture-perfect No-handed Springboard Moonsault, landing right on top of the Omega! Marik looks up and watches a recovering Kohta staggering to his feet before he sees his old enemy. The two stare daggers at each other, Kohta especially growing enraged at the man responsible for nearly breaking his neck going through a table. It didn't take long for them to start hammering each other with their bare knuckles to their skulls. In the meantime, Hannibal is kicking Edback while he's down. Yet again, Ed proves too tenacious with a thrusting uppercut to the throat. As Ambrose stumbles back, Ed then grabs him and straight-up Burhead Bumps his skull in…but Hannibal doesn't go down…and grabs Ed's head to return a vicious headbutt of his own! Ed is actually stunned from the attack! This has Ed staggering to the ropes and Hannibal takes advantage by trying to lift and push him over the ropes, now with Stan Terra joining him. After Marik has Kohta driven into the canvas with Horns of Egypt (Inverted Falcon Arrow), he decides to help out Terra and Ambrose to get Ed out of the ring.
"Three men combining their strength in an improbable coalition to take out the Big Ed, who is the literal biggest threat due to his pure, unlimited strength," Markiplier states. "This is smart—taking out said biggest threat of the match early before he stays any longer and truly becomes tougher to take out."
"While it is smart to work together in these kinds of situations, I don't think they've done enough to damage and take Ed out of the game," Zack points out…
…as unfortunately all three men, Ed overpowers and pushes them all away!
Marik gets back up and charges, but he gets flattened quickly from a Clothesline. Stan eats a boot to the face and Hannibal receives another Burhead Bump from Edback himself. Hannibal staggers around, but he leaps for a headbutt of his own…only for Ed to catch him by the throat…and plants him with authority via Mighty Monobrow Slam (World's Strongest Slam)! The clock has already struck zero and there is NO ONE to stop the Big Ed from his reign of destruction…
…
…
…
…until wolves howl from the loudspeakers to get his attention with the hard camera zooming all the way out.
[WHISKEY
OSCAR
LIMA
VICTOR
ECHO
SIERRA
WOLVES…]
"Look who's come to Hannibal's aid earlier than expected!" Barney states. "You got the Big Ed in the ring, and now you're about to have the Justitia's Titan becoming the difference maker!"
[Ohhhhhh…!
Shape shiiiiiift, nose to the wind…!
Shape shiiiiiift, feeling I've been…!
Move swiiiiiift, all senses cleeeaaan…!
Earth's giiiiiift, back to the meaning…
Back to the meaning of…
LIFE!]
"Of Wolf and Man" plays once more for the sixth arrival of the match: Damian Reigns, another representative of The Wolves, who is already rushing through the crowd and hopping over the barricade like a hurdle. Not much about his appearance has changed from the shoulder-length black hair that's tied up to a ponytail, a fully grown beard, the signature Wolves' tactical vest, black gauntlets, black pants, and black combat boots; although, his physical appearance has changed with a muscular body from intense workouts. He makes his way inside the ring and gets in Ed's face, goading him to make the first punch. Ed just glares and roars in Damian's face…who got a whiff of Ed's terrible breath that he waves away…before decking Ed across the jaw! Ed reels back and returns the favor with a right elbow of his own! Damian and Ed go at it with their punches, fighting as if they were in the hockey rink until Ed gives him a Burhead Bump…
…at the same time Damian headbutts him! Both stagger back and Hannibal comes to his friend's aid with a John Woo Kick, blindsiding the Big Ed! Ed bounces from the ropes and Damian carries him up to drive him down on his head with a Michinoku Driver II. Confident that the Wolves are united, Hannibal lunges at Terra to prevent him from hindering Damian's progress of domination, mounting him with feral fists from both sides. Stan blocks the punches to little avail before nailing a backfist to get him off…but he stands up to eat a MASSIVE Spear from Reigns! The Enforcer of the Wolves rises to duck a Running Knee Strike from Marik, who quickly adapts with a No-handed Springboard Moonsault…
…
…which Damian actually counters with a vicious Spear to the upside-down that almost shifted into a Powerslam! Kohta clubs Reigns' back with a Double Axe Handle, trying to weaken the big man, but Damian just pushes him away and into Hannibal's sharp elbow strike to the back of his head. Kohta holds his head as Hannibal sets him up with arms pinned behind him and lifts him up long enough for Damian to hit a Superman Punch, prompting his partner to drop him stomach-first on his knees via Midnight Special (Double Chickenwing Double Knee Gutbuster).
"The Wolves are united and dictating this match as a whole so far, absolutely laying waste to everyone that stands in their way with the advantage they've got!" Markiplier comments.
"They keep this up, they have a better chance to last up to the surviving teams for the World Tag Team Titles," Barney notes.
Edback is back on his feet and sees both Damian and Hannibal looming over him. He refuses to go down as he quickly jabs at Hannibal and elbows Damian away. Hannibal rushes at him blindly and gets a Spinebuster for his troubles. Ed grabs Damian and carries him all the way to an empty corner, aggressively shoulder-thrusting him against the turnbuckles. He grabs hold of the Wolves' juggernaut for a Biel Throw across the ring…only to have that reversed and DAMIAN OVERPOWERS EDBACK WITH HIS OWN BIEL THROW TO THE OUTSIDE TO MASSIVE BOOS!
"OH, NO WAY! EDBACK IS THE FIRST MAN ELIMINATED FROM THE TURMOIL!" Zack exclaims.
"By Damian Reigns, no less!" Barney shouts.
"That's one hell of an upset, for sure!" Kenji states. "But keep in mind Ed is not necessarily gone for good; if their partner arrives and lasts to the end, then the eliminated participant can come right back as part of the final two tag teams."
"One has to hope that Eddy can hold his own without Ed's insane strength," Mark implies.
As Damian looks down at Edback with a smug grin, an equally grinning Hannibal sets up Hirano for a Lone Wolf Drive (Headlock Driver)…
…
…until the clock strikes zero and instantly followed by the riffs of Our Lady Peace's "Whatever" echoes throughout the arena to responding cheers.
"CRAP! Quick, Hannibal, get fatso out already!" Barney urges.
"Can he throw him out as fast as Komuro is running down to the ring?!" Mark questions while Takashi Komuro wastes no time doing just that.
Realizing this situation, Hannibal decides against the finisher, rakes Hirano's eyes and hurls him over the top rope…
…
…and Komuro barely saves him in time with him landing on his shoulders! His legs nearly buckled before having to place him on the apron, now trying to catch his breath. "Know that we're even, pal…!" Komuro remarks on the Intercontinental Rumble last night. Kohta shrugs it off and gets back in the ring with Takashi in tow as the Wolves glare at them from the opposite ropes. The Wolves and Apocalypse Academy representatives walk up at the center and trash talk each other, neither one backing down. Hannibal makes the first move with a rude shove, triggering Kohta to nail a haymaker! Damian picks up Komuro and starts his series of Turnbuckle Thrusts in the corner before Komuro gets an opening to lift a knee to the face. He replaces himself with Damian in the corner to hit another knee, this one a Step-up High Knee and, after wrapping his head, Komuro welcomes Damian Reigns to the dead with a Bulldog! Hannibal and Kohta are trading fists in during all this, the former beginning to get the better of him with a couple jabs. Ambrose gets ready to make a cocky swing of his right fist…
…and Kohta dodges and snatches him up for a Bulletproof Bomb (Full Nelson Bomb)! Hannibal instantly shoots to his feet to nurse his tailbone…before turning around to receive a kick and a Gun Stun (Stunner)! Hannibal is dazed…yet is still standing as he lightly bounces off the ropes…
…and is on cue to go completely down by Komuro and Hirano telling him to Drop Dead, echoed by the San Antonio crowd!
"Maybe you should drop dead, you little sons of…!" Barney restrains himself from completing that swear underneath his growls.
"Man, how the tables have turned in favor of Kohta and Takashi!" Zack utters. "From the Wolves to Apocalypse Academy, this match entirely belongs to them at this very moment!"
Both Z-Day survivors high five and fist bump Dudley Boyz style in quick celebration of their current situation…but were not fast enough to retaliate both Stan and Marik attacking them from the sides, trying to keep them separated and weakened enough to eliminate them at an eventual point.
"HA! That's what you idiots get for celebrating too early!" Barney scorns.
"The Tag Team Turmoil proceeds as usual while we wait for the next arrival, with Edback being the only one gone so far. Now let's see who's coming out!" Zack exclaims as the clock hits zero…
…
…
…
…
…
("Born to Win" by Mutiny Within plays)
[Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!]
The eighth entrant, Yugi Mutou, runs out to the applauding cheers with a peace sign held up high à la Evan Bourne. Soon, those fingers close up and point straight to the ring as Yugi grins with determination and then speeds down the ramp. By the time he jumped on the apron, Marik was about to drive Takashi's head with a Brainbuster…and instead plants a Vertical Suplex when Yugi collided into him with a Springboard Crossbody!
"The King of Games is here and makes his presence known, taking out both Marik and Takashi in the process!" Markiplier states.
Yugi rolls off and sidesteps a Superkick from Stan Terra, then leaps off the mat to hit a Jumping High Knee to the face. As Terra turns his back to nurse his nose, Yugi hooks the arms from behind back-to-back and hits the Spellbinder (Backslide Driver)! Yugi looks around his environment before eying Kohta sitting up in the corner…and swiftly runs towards him for a successful Spiral Spear Strike to the chest! Hannibal sneaks up on Yugi with a knee lift to the gut and a Side Headlock, signaling with a Switchblade esque cutthroat for the Lone Wolf Drive…then swings the leg upward…
…
…and Yugi blocks it with a severe kick to the leg! Hannibal holds his leg in pain and hobbles to the ropes to recover…until Yugi teaches him to never go near the ropes at all costs as he takes him out with a Clothesline! He goes over…but he takes that lesson well to hang on! Young Ambrose drags himself back on the apron and Yugi takes notice with an attempted forearm, which Hannibal blocks and elbows his face. As Yugi staggers, Hannibal gets ready for an Air Ambrose…
…until Yugi suddenly moves out of the way…
…
…
…when Damian Reigns ran after Yugi for a spear and instead SPEARS HANNIBAL OFF THE APRON!
"WHOA! DAMIAN JUST ELIMINATED HIS OWN PARTNER!" Zack exclaims in shock.
"By ACCIDENT!" Barney quickly corrects. "It was an ACCIDENT, damn it! No thanks to freaking Yugi not taking the Spear like a little COWARD! It's his fault Hannibal's out!"
"Nonetheless, now the Wolves are down to just Damian! He's on his own to take out the rest of the opposing competition until the end!" Kenji states.
Damian stares at Hannibal in horror, comprehending his mistake in guilt with Hannibal coughing and holding his gut. That shock soon shifts to anger very quickly as he turns a sharp glare towards Yugi and goes for a Running Lariat. Yugi nearly dodges the attacking arm and catches Damian on the way back with a Hurricanrana!
…Or at least he would have if Damian hadn't caught him in his arms! Damian has Yugi hanging upside-down for dear life and shakes his head, lifts him on his shoulders and SLAMS him down with a vicious Powerbomb to the center of the ring, ROARING down at him. But he refuses to be done with Yugi yet. The newly monikered Justitia's Titan grabs the King of Games by the throat, tells him that for his own mistake, Yugi is going to SUFFER the "wrath of justice", and carries him off the mat like a ragdoll just to stretch him out in an extremely painful Horizontal Gory Special. As this happens, the cameras catch up to Marik being stomped down by Komuro in a corner and Hirano is trying to get Terra up and over the ropes…
…and the clock hits zero for our next arrival.
[MIIIIIIIIIISTEEEEEEEEEER…EDDY MCGEEEEEEEEEE!]
("Turn Up the Trouble" by Airbourne plays)
To a good number of cheers, Eddy walks out through the curtains and does a quick Mr. Kennedy style pose before running down the ramp straight to the ring.
"Mr. Eddy on arrival and he is all alone in this one without the Big Ed backing him up," Markiplier affirms. "But having the experience, especially after last night's Intercontinental Rumble, and arriving close to the end, Eddy's luck might favor him in this situation."
"Yeah, right. For Shorty McGee, there's no chance in Hell for him to live longer without the Big Dork," Barney scoffs.
Eddy slides in the ring as Damian drops Yugi for the moment and Big Boots NOTHING but air…and Eddy snatches him down with the Sucker Charge (Leaping Reverse STO)! The scam artist constantly looks over his shoulder all around, then notices Hirano staggering from a straight kick to the face by Terra and quickly kicks him in the gut to perform a Rude Awakening (Rick Rude's move of the same name). Terra blocks him with a raised kick to the face and hops on the top turnbuckle. But Eddy quickly recovers, knowing that Stan would be on the high rent district…runs up to the same height as him to take him on his shoulders…
…
…
…and dives down with a shocking Ultimate Peach Creek Plunge (Rolling Fireman's Carry Slam from the top rope)! Eddy rolls through to his feet and dusts his shoulders off with a self-satisfied grin.
"You were saying, Stinson?" Kenji asks, smirking himself.
"Bah! Just pure luck for the dork," Barney remains deriding.
"Hey, I say Eddy's on fire here so far," Zack remarks. "He's using that veteran experience to pick his spots and he's picking them well."
Eddy charges at Komuro and tries to eliminate both him and Marik with a lift and shove, but Komuro stays in and elbows Eddy's face. Marik scarcely avoids elimination in clinging to the middle and bottom ropes, his feet just inches off the floor. As he returns and lingers in a nearby corner, Takashi and Eddy are battering each other's heads with their fists. Eddy then kicks him in the gut and goes for a Stunner…but Takashi breaks out of it with an elbow to the back and a German Suplex thereafter! Eddy, however, lands fine on his feet and grabs Komuro for the German of his own…only for Takashi to twist the arm and force him down to the canvas, applying the Crippler Crossface! Eddy is FLAILING around whilst trying to revert the circumstances he's in. As the submission goes on, the hard camera catches up what everyone else in the ring is doing: Marik and Stan are trying to force Hirano over and out of the ring while Damian is still seeking vengeance on Yugi, who kicks him and hits a Sitout Jawbreaker from out of the corner. Reigns staggers and Yugi performs a Whisper in the Heart of the Cards, perfect timing as the clock reaches zero!
[He's my dark passenger!
…
Won't leave me be…!
…
He's my dark passenger!
…
Won't set me free…!
…
From my dark passenger…!]
("Dark Passenger" by Fozzy plays)
"The Pharaoh has arrived to even the odds for his team…and I don't think Atem looks very happy after Homecoming!" Zack gulps.
The tenth entrant is Atem himself as he shoves the red curtains out of the way and marches towards the ring with a stern and dark expression across his face. Atem soon begins sprinting down the ramp and slides inside, interrupting Komuro's Crossface with a stomp to the back of his head. Eddy is free and standing, but he suffers Atem's unbiased wrath from a Running DDT. Takashi assaults Atem with a flurry of fists to the head, which he is blocking at his best attempts. He brings Atem to the ropes, performs an Irish Whip, Atem rebounds and ducks the Clothesline with a countering Millennium Fallout (Side Effect)! Marik sees Atem and becomes distracted from completely taking out Kohta as he darts after him, only to eat a thrusting throat uppercut. Atem still remembers the unforgivable loss from last night and he has the opportunity to take all his resentment out, cornering Marik with a series of hard-hitting, agonizing right-handed closed fists to the face.
"Atem has momentarily dominated half the competition, his main focus now all on Marik Ishtar, who alongside Bakura essentially used referee Faith Hathaway as a shield and capitalize for their cheap victory," Markiplier states. "The Wolves have united until Hannibal's elimination, so now it's Komuro and Hirano and Altered Egos as the only two teams with their own advantage to take everyone else out."
After a rigid elbow smash across the cheek, Atem performs a Hammer Throw on Marik and his back makes brutal contact with the turnbuckles, instantly falling on the canvas. He tries getting up and Atem greets him with a Running Knee Strike to the face! He forces him back up to drop him face-first on the top turnbuckle from Snake Eyes, letting Marik stagger to the center…and Atem bounces off the ropes to blast him down with a Big Boot! Marik is in pain…but he is LAUGHING it off, almost disturbing the crowd to the bone. He looks up at him with an unhinged grin, slowly rising to his feet and proclaiming, "NOTHING you do can hurt me anymore, my 'Pharaoh'… Not when the shadows can HEAL ME. I'm not the same Marik you knew… I…am BETTER, now more than ever as I…have RELISHED…with…THE SHADO—!" YUGI BLINDSIDES HIM WITH A HURRICANRANA, ATEM QUICKLY CATCH MARIK WITH A KNEELING POWERBOMB!
"WHOA! BEAUTIFUL! That was BEAUTIFUL!" Zack Carver cries in astonishment.
"Talk about on-the-spot coordination! This is a perfect example of why they were the first-ever champions of the tag division!" Kenji Matsuo proclaims. "This is why they're the favorites to even become the first-ever two-time tag champs! They want this more than anything else in the world!"
Yugi shakes his head at Marik, "Man, I hate it when they talk…" Atem agrees and the two decidedly grab Marik and HURL him over the ropes…but he hangs on and attempts to skin the cat—DOUBLE LOW-ANGLE SUPERKICK from Altered Egos that sends Marik crashing down to the floor!
"Marik Ishtar is eliminated!" Kenji calls. "One-half of the Gods of Darkness are gone!"
"But that still leaves one more…and he's as dangerous on his own as much as when he teams with Marik," Barney asserts.
"Until he does show up, it's Altered Egos who hold control of the match," Mark says, while Hirano and Komuro are double-teaming Terra in attempts to push him out of the ring, Eddy and Damian are battering each other with fists in one corner, and Altered Egos are content with Marik being out of the equation…then the clock reaches zero again…
…
…
…
…and the arena go completely black.
"…I swear to God, if you spoke too soon, Mark…" Barney mutters.
"Hey, I can't control fate here, pal!" Mark cries.
Nothing can be seen but flashing lights from the fans' camera-phones…nothing was heard but the murmuring of the next arrival…until Avenged Sevenfold's "Nightmare" opening piano reverberates in the arena. It certainly spooked the crowd after hearing nothing but silence…and the lights switch back on to reveal Yami Bakura standing right behind Altered Egos!
"Ah! Oh, no! Look out behind you, guys!" Zack warns, the fans screaming the same thing.
Yugi and Atem realize the situation with the sight of Marik ominously grinning with glee and turn around to have Bakura apply a two-handed Mandible Claw on them both! He is tightly gripping the submission, glaring up at the hard camera with sadistic pleasure as Yugi and Atem are suffering greatly. Marik stands by the apron to praise Bakura, slamming his hands on the apron while urging both former champions to let go and "let the darkness" consume them…until Kohta runs past Bakura to perform a Suicide Dive on Marik while Takashi assaults Bakura from behind with a Double Axe Handle, saving Altered Egos!
"Takashi prevents any further damage to Yugi and Atem while Kohta shuts Marik the hell up! GOOD," commends Markiplier. "And right now, young Komuro remembers clear as day the rivalry—excuse me, the HELL he and Kohta went through with Bakura and Marik back around the summer of APEX, when their feud concluded at Summer Wars in a Steel Cage match."
"Even though that feud was over like you said, Takashi refuses to let the Gods of Darkness have their way in the match," Kenji states. "Either together or alone, Komuro and Hirano cannot risk the G.O.D. winning this Tag Team Turmoil."
Takashi is hammering down those closed fists on Bakura's head, not even giving him a moment of retaliation. As the relentless punching continues, Bakura is chased right out of the ring and practically hisses at the scowling high school teen. Kohta comes back at Komuro's side and goads Bakura to come back in if he wants more. Soon, they turn around and see Altered Egos recovering together from the Mandible Claw they endured. Both teams make eye contact before walking to the center for a staredown. The crowd is anticipating of what comes next between them making eye contact as they talk among themselves. From sharing respect as friends to proclaiming themselves as the next champions, Altered Egos and Apocalypse Academy eventually come to blows with fists flying—Atem on Takashi and Yugi on Kohta as the fans cheer on to the fight! Yugi hits a Sitout Jawbreaker on Kohta and he leans against the ropes nursing his jaw. Yugi runs after him, but Kohta flips him right over to the outside. Fortunately, Yugi lands his feet on the apron and strikes a Rope-aided Enzuigiri to the face. As Kohta backs away, Yugi preps for a springboard maneuver…
…
…
…only to be interrupted midway by Bakura from the outside when he threw Yugi's legs out on the ropes, causing him to fall in a horrifying manner straight to the floor!
"Yugi coming in—OH, GOD!" Zack shrieks. "YUGI, NO!"
"THAT RECKLESS SON OF A BITCH! BAKURA FORCED YUGI TO FALL ON THE ROPES, NEARLY CRACK HIS SKULL ON THE APRON AND CRASH TO THE FLOOR!" Mark angrily shouts. "YUGI IS ELIMINATED, BUT IT NEARLY COST HIS HEALTH AND BAKURA COULDN'T GIVE MUCH LESS OF A DAMN!"
Kohta saw the way Yugi was taken out and quickly grew livid as Bakura grins disturbingly at him, as if being proud of this elimination. Bakura makes it inside and Kohta immediately goes on the attack, clubbing his back with his fists before Bakura suddenly applies the Mandible Claw on him! Kohta is suffering from the Mandible Claw's pressure input into his lower jaw, unable to counter with the pain on his mind. This gives Bakura the advantage to turn him around on the ropes and pushes him over to the outside, completely eliminating Kohta! The sinister Bakura relishes on the heated jeers as he simply rests himself on the middle rope, staring down at Yugi and Kohta writhing on the ground, especially Yugi being checked by the officials. Before the clock struck zero for the last time, we get a glimpse of Eddy driving Terra's head down from a Tilt-a-whirl Headscissors Takeover and Takashi and Atem about to work together and take vengeance on Bakura for eliminating their partners…until Damian Reigns takes them down with a vicious Double Spear!
"We're down to six men in the ring! We'll be reaching seven this time with our final entrant, and we all know who it is!" Barney states.
[I am the Alllphaaa!
I am the Omegaaa!
I am the beginning and the end of tiiiiiime!
I am the Alllphaaa!
I am the Omegaaa!
My whole creation stands before me toniiiiiight!]
The final contestant of the tag team turmoil, Carter Young, makes his arrival to "Alpha & Omega" resonating in the arena. The Alpha has also shown a significant amount of change just like the Omega, and just like the Omega, Carter dons a unique helmet for himself; the mask is quite inspired by the Falconer Predator's bio-helmet, only painted navy blue with eyes glowing bright white and the Alpha symbol front and center of the helmet. Carter takes his time to detach it almost menacingly, unclipping from the left and then slowly revealing his face. Carter now has a fully trimmed beard to go with his faded Ivy League hairstyle…and has developed plenty more muscle with such an incredible athletic body. His ring gear entails navy blue wrestling tights with the Alpha symbol on both thighs, white wrist-tape, knee pads and wrestling boots.
"Wow. Time has been pretty kind to Carter Young like it has to Stan Terra," Zack blinks. "The Alpha's in pretty great shape!"
"Let's see first how well he's improved over the years of APEX's hiatus," Kenji comments as Carter instantly darts down the ring.
Carter slides in and IMMEDIATELY takes down Bakura with a fast-paced STO Backbreaker followed by a high-impact Reverse STO—Young & Bold! Eddy tries to sneak on Carter with a Diving Crossbody, but Carter catches him with ease without even budging. The Alpha scowls heavily at Eddy and shakes his head before PLANTING a spun-out Modified Facebuster with authority! Stan and Carter are now reunited as Alpha & Omega, the only pair left in this Tag Team Turmoil having the biggest advantage in front of them to take everyone else out. The World Tag Team Champions first target Komuro, who is in the corner desperately punching away at them like a cornered animal, but only earns a merciless mudhole stomping. Terra forcibly stands Komuro up against the corner and then Monkey Flips him into a sudden Death Valley Driver from Young! Atem stomps down on Carter's head, but Stan leaps onto him with a Guillotine Lock. Stan holds the submission for a while before elevating himself—Atem catches him and throws him right over the ropes, eliminating him completely from the match!
"THE OMEGA IS GONE! ONE HALF OF THE TAG CHAMPS HAS BEEN ELIMINATED FROM THE TAG TEAM TURMOIL!" Markiplier exclaims as Terra is LIVID over this, swearing up a storm with the referees holding him back. "Any chances of Alpha & Omega taking this match hostage have been quickly reduced to DUST thanks to the Pharaoh!"
"NO thanks to the Pharaoh, you mean!" Barney asserts in resentment. "But that doesn't matter! Now, it's up to the Alpha to ensure that only he and Terra remain the TRUE tag team champions by the end of the night!"
"Look at who's left, gentlemen," Kenji gestures. "Six men only and all their partners have been eliminated from the equation. It's TRULY anybody's game now."
"Damian Reigns representing The Wolves; Komuro representing Apocalypse Academy; Eddy, the Eds; Atem, Altered Egos; Bakura, Gods of Darkness; and now, Carter Young, Alpha & Omega," Zack cites. "TWO people must survive the end of the battle royal section to make it to the tag team match section for their partners to come back!"
Carter grabs and throws Atem in a near corner to bury his fists into his temple; Eddy is being clobbered with multiple Clotheslines in another corner by Damian; and an old feud is being reignited between Takashi and Bakura as they trade fists. With a knee lift to the gut, Takashi guides Bakura by the head and hurls him into Damian Reigns in the middle of shoving Eddy out of the ring. Takashi is now switching punches between Bakura and Reigns, going and back and forth until Damian blocks and jabs an uppercut to the throat. Komuro staggers back and Bakura capitalizes with a Death Penalty (Swinging Reverse STO), spiking his head into the canvas! Bakura is satisfied with his handiwork before noticing Reigns glowering at them and he quickly backs away to let Reigns punish Takashi. Though cautious, Damian takes up on that offer…until Bakura tries to grab and throw him over the ropes to no avail! Damian uses the ropes to push himself out and have Bakura flying back from the sheer power. Soon as Bakura staggered back to his feet, Damian greets him with a vicious Spear! Takashi shakes his head off from Bakura's Death Penalty and his eyes widen the size of saucers when he sees Damian knock him out with a Superman Punch! Atem has turned the tables on Carter with Snake Eyes and runs INTO A SPEAR BY JUSTITIA'S TITAN! Eddy McGee halts Damian's progress with a swift kick to the gut, then goes for the ropes…and Damian counters the Running Knee Lift attempt with a Swinging Belly-to-back Side Slam! The Reigning Juggernaut wastes no time afterwards to pick up Eddy by his three singular hairs and HEAVE him over the ropes.
"Now Eddy is gone, and so are the Erupting Eds altogether thanks to Damian Reigns!" Zack calls. "Hell, prior to that, he's DEMOLISHED everybody in the ring! Damian is on FIRE!"
"Well, almost everybody, brother…" Kenji points to Carter Young standing by as Damian howls to the roof of the AT&T Center. "I believe we're about to see something special between these two big men."
Coming off the adrenaline, Damian takes notice of the composed Carter resting his elbows on the ropes in the corner. Both men hold their glares as Carter moderately walks up to him at the center. Anticipation and tension were rising high from the staredown between Damian and Carter, both who are quite tall and impressively strong. Carter tells Damian he does actually respect him and Hannibal for actually earning their spot in the Tag Team Turmoil unlike the rest who "were given" their spots…but he doesn't believe he deserves the tag team belts when they belong to the Alpha and the Omega of the Tag Team Division. Damian understands…somewhat…but he couldn't give a damn as he struck an elbow to the face. Young is surprised, but he retaliates with a measured punch to the temple. The two are now going blow for blow, back and forth on their strikes, and neither man are backing down one bit. It wasn't until Damian ducks a punch to go for a Discus Lariat, but Carter avoids it…and snags him to pull off a Capture Suplex! Damian is dazed, but he remains defiant with a punch to the gut and then an uppercut to the throat. He takes the arm for an Irish Whip and Carter reverses it to his own. Avoiding the Big Boot, Damian pushes Carter to the ropes and catches him along the way with Reigning Supreme (Pop-up Samoan Drop)!
"The Alpha has been taken down and it could be for good if Damian can take great advantage right here, right now!" Markiplier states.
Damian whips his hair back to get it out of his eyes, now grabbing Carter's head and bringing him to a Standing Headscissors. "BELIEVE…IN JUSTICE! BELIEVE…IN THE WOLVES!" Damian cries before lifting Carter up on his shoulders in an Elevated Prawn Hold…
…but Carter slips out from it, sliding down on the shoulders…
…
…and DRILLS Damian's skull into the mat via a critical Alpha Driver (Future Shock DDT)!
"I think we have a winner between these two big guys!" Barney proclaims.
"The Alpha avoids and counters Damian's attempted Powerbomb with the Alpha Driver, a move we've not seen in a while!" Markiplier calls. "And it's just as impactful as we remembered!"
Carter lies besides Damian's lifeless body for a mere moment before performing an abrupt kip-up so seamlessly to the shock of San Antonio! "HAIL ALPHA & OMEGA!" Carter hollers, arms splayed proudly. But with his back turned, Takashi takes him by surprise with a German Suplex! Despite being a man of such large stature compared to Komuro, Carter was being tossed around in the ring! Of course, it wasn't without struggle since Komuro is not the strongest and he continues nevertheless with a SECOND German Suplex. Practically running on fumes, Komuro rolls his hips through, holds tight of the rear waistlock…and with ALL the strength he has left, he hits a THIRD German Suplex, completing the Infecta Trifecta! However, Takashi rises to his feet and ROARS triumphantly to beat his chest, inciting the audience to rally behind him.
"Despite Carter being heavier than Komuro, the absolute madman did the impossible with the Infecta Trifecta!" Zack exclaims. "And he's FAR from being done with the Alpha! He's going for the high-rent district!"
"Punk's going to regret not taking out Carter immediately if this doesn't go the way he plans it out," Barney forebodes.
Takashi sluggishly, but surely reaches the top turnbuckle and begins his rising stance. He watches Carter closely lying on his back, nodding to the perfect opportunity. With the fans continuing to rally behind the fearless Komuro, he makes a cutthroat gesture…then flips Carter off to shout, "FUUU—K ALPHA & OMEGA!"
…
…
…
…and Komuro GETS PUSHED OFF THE TURNBUCKLE BY IAN HECOX!
"WHAT THE HELL?! IAN?!" Kenji shouts. "WHAT IS HE DOING HERE?!"
"IF HE'S HERE, THEN—OH, THERE'S ANTHONY!" Mark yells, as Anthony Padilla CRACKS the jaw of Takashi with a Superkick! "Good gravy, what a kick! Komuro is KNOCKED OUT COLD."
"I hate Smosh so much, but this slightly raises my respect for them in taking out Takashi," Barney utters.
"For what?! Being a bunch of sore losers after Takashi and Kohta eliminated Anthony fair and square from the Intercontinental Rumble?!" Zack questions.
"EXACTLY. He was in a two-on-one situation and now he and Ian are returning the favor to Komuro! And that little bastard DESERVES what's coming to him!"
"You of all people actually agreeing with Smosh's agenda baffles me…" Kenji shakes his head.
"Where's your otaku freak of a friend NOW, pretty boy?!" Anthony sneers, stomping Takashi down while Ian mounts him and rains his fists over his head. "Not so FUN getting ganged up, huh?!" As Smosh are beating down a defenseless Takashi, Kohta is already on his way to even the odds…
…
…
…but eats a blindsiding Roundhouse Kick to the face from "Atomic" Mari Takahashi!
"GOOD GOD!" Mark winces. "Where the hell did Mari come from?!"
"Sweet Jesus, she's like a freaking ghost…!" Zack states…while Barney guffaws. "And just what the heck are you laughing at, man?"
"HE, HE—THAT DORK GOT KNOCKED OUT BY A CHICK!" Barney howls in laughter, burying his face in the table while pounding it.
"Oh, GROW UP," Kenji berates.
As the boos grow increasingly louder in volume and malice, Ian and Anthony take Takashi by the head and THROWS him right into the LED ring apron! The LED fizzles from the impact before returning to normal after a while and Takashi is being dragged over to Mari, who is gradually revving her right leg with sadistic glee. Smosh prep Takashi on his knees with his head lifted…then Takashi breaks away from their grip, elbowing Ian and punching out Anthony, but takes a sudden kick right in the groin! The fans, especially all males, sympathize with him in phantom pain while Takashi falls back down on his knees…and practically gets his head decapitated with an Atomic Kick (Buzzsaw Kick)! Takashi and Kohta are laid out for good and Smosh get to walk away from the crime scene to enormous boos, satisfied with their deeds accomplished.
"So damn petty of Ian and Anthony to ruin Takashi and Kohta's chances with the World Tag Team Titles," Markiplier frowns. "It's so childish, so pitiful, so PATHETIC even."
"Give it a rest, Mark. Smosh was in the right to return the payback as much as what Komuro and Hirano did to poor lonely Anthony last night," Barney states.
"I repeat, you of all people actually agreeing with Smosh's agenda BAFFLES me…" Kenji scowls.
"Much as I agree, we got a match to focus on calling. Because now we have Atem of Altered Egos, Carter Young of Alpha & Omega, Damian Reigns of The Wolves, and Bakura of the Gods of Darkness left in the ring," Zack says. "It's our final four; two people must be taken out properly over the ropes to the floor for the tag team match to happen and we are drawing closer and closer to it."
All four men are in their individual corners, surveying the scene in front of them. Bakura in the northwest corner; Damian in the northeast; Atem in opposite of Bakura; and Carter in opposite of Reigns. It was a sight to see for all the attendants; these four men representing their tag teams are also representing the inaugural tag team division that has grown massively since the very first episode. It was also difficult for them to root for either Altered Egos, Alpha & Omega, or the Wolves…while Bakura merely earned boos considering his controversy. After a while, the first to step up is Carter Young, who takes the time to criticize EVERYONE and the eliminated challengers that NONE of them deserve to be in a match with Alpha & Omega. None of them deserve this title opportunity. Not even to lay a FINGER on the World Tag Team Championship gold. Carter was truly livid over this Tag Team Turmoil made by Ricardo Alvarez, Jr. just to entertain "the damn city full of ingrates", which no doubt upset the San Antonio natives.
"Carter is emphasizing his discontent with Mr. Alvarez's decision about the match overall, and frankly, I can't blame him," Barney says. "Alpha & Omega worked hard to earn their APEX World Tag Team Championships, and while Damian and Hannibal did win their spot to get in this match, everyone else was handed their title shots."
"I understand where they are coming from, but this gives them no excuse to act like they're higher above anyone else," Mark retorts.
Bakura decides to retort with a simple suggestion to all his opponents, "You lowly heathens have been nothing but obstacles…but I am willing to forgive all if you are also willing to blind yourselves from the light…sacrifice yourselves to the deities of the blackness…and FOLLOW…THE SHADOWS…" Such a disturbing aura was radiating from Yami Bakura and it's clearly making most fans and a few contestants uncomfortable. (Mark: Jesus Christ, I hate it when he talks…) Damian actually walks up to the Spirit of Darkness, who was pleasantly surprised to see him appear to accept his offer…but in actuality, Justitia's Titan circles a finger around his head to call out Bakura as insane. "As if I have to take your offer, FREAK. You're fricking CRAZY." Damian utters before looking at the cheering crowd…and HOWLS exactly like a wolf, pumping himself up and promptly removing his tactical vest completely to expose his intensely muscular body, which many of the ladies in the audience go wild over.
"…Oh, damn," Zack blinks.
"Damian Reigns is DEFIANT against Bakura's offer…and I say he's made the right decision," Barney nods.
The Enforcer of the Wolves, proud of his rebelliousness and boasting, turns to Atem and solicits, "What'd you got, OLD MAN?" Atem glares at the young Damian for that comment…then scans the environment and his opponents in front of him…and closes his eyes. He says nothing at all for a moment…and he doesn't need to as the Eye of Anubis glows brightly, more so than before, from his forehead. With a dark countenance and a gleaming third eye, it's enough of a message to get across that he is Pharaoh Atem, the 3,000-year-old ruler of Egypt and guardian of the Shadow Realm.
"…That's another reason why he's the inaugural World Tag Team Champion alongside Yugi," Markiplier firmly utters with a slight hint of concern.
All four gladiators have made their statements…so now it was a matter of time who made the first move as they all approach the center carefully…
…
…
…
…and it's Carter Young with the first shot, a blindsiding Big Boot to Atem's face! Damian thwarts off a Death Penalty from Bakura with a One-handed Spinebuster! Now Carter and Damian focus on each other alone, exchanging their bare knuckles to their temples. This fight lasts long enough for Damian to get the better with a sudden knee lift to the stomach and Irish Whips him over to the ropes. Carter LEAPFROGS over Damian's Back Body Drop attempt and kicks him for an Alpha Driver, but Reigns breaks out of it with all his strength and both men SIMULTANIOUSLY HEADBUTT EACH OTHER TO OBLIVION. They crumble to their knees, nursing their skulls…and Atem capitalizes on both with a dual Running DDT! Soon as Atem rose to his feet, Bakura brings him back down with a Running Inverted Bulldog. Bakura takes his archenemy by the head and proceeds to throw him over, but Atem hooks his arms under the top rope to prevent that. With an elbow to Bakura's face, Atem grabs Bakura's throat right after and clenches it to choke him out as if with intent to kill. Bakura is already turning red as Atem's face grows more nefarious…before Bakura takes a page from his book and grabs Atem's throat as well! The two emphatically are refusing to loosen their throttling on each other's necks, expecting to see who goes down first.
"My God, these two are actually trying to kill each other here!" Markiplier emphasizes.
"They go a long way back since B.C. Egypt over 3,000 years ago (or 5,000, doesn't matter) and nothing has changed between them one damn bit! They're not gonna stop until one of or both pass out!" Barney says.
Soon enough, their knees are beginning to buckle, and their faces continue changing color, yet their grip remains resilient and constrict tighter. The moment their faces turn blue, Damian Reigns and Carter Young FLATTEN them with a Discus Lariat and a Running Dropkick, respectively! The impact of both attacks echo around the arena as the Alpha and Justitia's Titan get back to fighting each other. Hitting a European Uppercut, Carter tries the Young & Bold on Damian, but he breaks out of it with a vigorous elbow to the back of his head. Carter reels from the elbow and Damian now puts him in a Standing Headscissors…
…lifts him almost all the way up…
…
…
…and instantly sheer drops him with the Final Reign (Jackknife Powerbomb)!
"Jackknife! A Jackknife Powerbomb to the Alpha!" Kenji exclaims. "We previously called this the Reign of Power, but Damian has recently rebranded it as the 'Final Reign'!"
"Sounds suitable in this state of affairs as Carter's tag title reign could be drawing closer to its conclusive moments!" Zack calls.
Damian takes enough of his time to boast while Carter is down and proceeds to throw him out of the ring. Carter is swaying over the ropes with a hand on the apron to preclude complete elimination and Damian sees this, struggling to push him all the way out. Now, the 6-foot-4 Alpha finds himself with his legs secured around the ropes that Damian tries to untie them with all his power. But Carter grabs hold of the ropes to pull himself up and sends a straight boot to the face. As he stumbles away, Carter adjusts himself on the ropes and skins the cat back inside to an admittedly impressed reaction from the fans. Damian sees him and darts at him, Carter back body dropping him over the ropes…and Reigns lands fine on the apron. He stops a right hand from hitting him and strikes back with a thrusting uppercut to the gullet followed by a powerful shoulder thrust to the abdomen, Carter falling onto his stomach from the impact. The Reigning Juggernaut gets back in the ring…
…
…
…until Atem lands a Running Knee Strike up to his skull! Damian clings onto the ropes as he nearly fell off and his feet are still on the apron! He rises back up…
…and EATS a High Knee from a running Yami Bakura! Damian is STILL hanging on by one arm, now with eyes glazed over…
…
…
…and he FINALLY plummets to the floor after a Sick Kick from the Alpha!
"HOLY BABY JESUS, WHAT A KICK!" Zack screams.
"It was a Sick Kick sent from the heavens! And that's suitable because Carter calls that God's Kiss (Running Single Leg Dropkick)!" Barney asserts.
"The Wolves are OUT! Damian Reigns, rebellious to the end, is now gone from the Tag Team Turmoil!" Kenji declares. "It's a shame, I'll admit, but this loss does not take away from his performance—WHAT THE HELL?!"
Just as Damian was rising to a knee…
…
…
…
…NOLAN GATES HITS HIM DEAD CENTER OF HIS FACE WITH A SHINING WIZARD! He is joined by Marcus King and Mason Stone for a merciless beatdown and the crowd is reacting VENOMOUSLY towards it!
"What in God's name is this about now?! Reigns is already eliminated! What gives them the motivation to punish him so cruelly?!" cries Mark Fischbach.
"I believe it's clear the Foundation overall are not content being excluded from the Tag Team Turmoil that they had an opportunity to qualify," Kenji proclaims. "And so, they're taking it out on Reigns at his most vulnerable, especially as he's been eliminated."
"They're ANARCHISTS, gentlemen. It's as simple as THAT," Barney abbreviates.
They waste no time bringing out a wooden table in the mix of this unfair three-on-one assault. Nolan soon finishes setting the table up and helps Mason prep Damian for their own Triple Powerbomb, Marcus mockingly howling to the skies. Mason and Nolan hoist Reigns up on Marcus' shoulders…
…
…
…
…
…
…AND SHEER DROPS HIM THROUGH THE TABLE AS IT EXPLODES INTO PIECES!
"TRIPLE POWERBOMB! THROUGH THE TABLE! INJUSTICE SERVED TO DAMIAN REIGNS!" Zack exclaims. "Geez, that's just unfortunate…"
"Pure irony at its cruelest…" Barney states…as the crowd starts exclaiming for Erik Rollins and Hannibal Ambrose running down the ramps! "BUT HERE COMES THE CAVALRY!"
Erik and Hannibal have CHASED the Trinity out of the ring area as they jumped the barricade and disappeared in the booing crowd. Hannibal is at the barricade and swearing up a storm after the Trinity, practically foaming at the mouth as he couldn't get his hands on them, while Erik checks up on Damian's condition with a few officials helping out. But back inside the ring, the remaining three APEX Athletes were focused on each other as Atem attempted to totally eliminate Yami Bakura with a toss over the ropes at such full force. Atem believed for a moment he was gone, so he looks back to see Bakura crawling back in through the middle and bottom ropes. With a growl, Atem repeatedly stomps and clubs down on the rising Bakura before being ensnared by a Mandible Claw! As he applied such a grave, agonizing grip, Bakura began to have Atem teeter over the ropes…
…and ever so deliberately, Atem does so…
…
…almost half of his body is outside of the ring…
…
…
…until Bakura receives God's Kiss from Carter Young and falls to the floor!
"God's Kiss! Another one from the Alpha for the elimination…and now we're down to the final two!" Markiplier proclaims. "It's Alpha & Omega versus Altered Egos for the World Tag Team Championships!"
"After all that, it's come to this! It's blowing my mind right now that we've come full circle here!" Zack says. "A&O and the Egos competed in our first episode as the first competitors in the first-ever ACW match overall! Now here we are at Night of Champions with a rematch between old rivals!"
Atem keeps his distance to the other side of the ring after being free from the Mandible Claw, nursing the jaw area while Carter Young locks his sights on the pharaoh. It is a rematch in the making since ACW's humble beginnings and the place could not be more perfect than right where it all commenced. The Pharaoh and the Alpha stare each other down as they get ready for the official tag team section of the match and their partners to return…
…
…
…but nothing was happening other than referee Corey Jackson soon entering the ring to tell Carter and Atem that the battle royal section is still going on! Carter is confused as well as enraged because he knows Bakura was eliminated…or at least, he believed he was taken out of the match after he saw Atem throw him over the ropes.
"Hang on…the officials are trying to dispute that Bakura is still in the match…" Kenji informs.
"But we saw with our own eyes that Bakura was out! Right? Right?!" Zack queries anxiously…
…as the camera transitions to a replay from another angle, the same shot of Atem hurling throwing Bakura over the ropes…but unfortunately, Bakura was the slickest and quickest by sliding in under the rope and climbing back out through the ropes to make it appear he was about to get back in. "…CRAP."
After seeing the clip that sends the crowd to massive boos, the horrified Alpha turns around and sees Yami Bakura poking his head back inside the ring. He aggressively grabs Bakura by his hair and sets him up for the Alpha Driver DDT…then when he reeled the leg back, Bakura spun right out of it…
…
…
…and DRILLED his head into the middle turnbuckle with a Death Penalty! Atem attempts to take Bakura out while he has a second chance, but Bakura ducks and counters the Clothesline into an Occult Rhapsody (Cutter)! The Alpha is momentarily stunned from his head spiked by the Swinging Reverse STO in the turnbuckle, resting by the ropes…
…
…
…and by the time he regained his senses, Bakura has Clotheslined him over the ropes! But he stays on the apron, life still remaining in the champion! Bakura growls heavily in frustration and seizes him by the head, receiving a sudden punch from Carter for his troubles. The Spirit of Darkness retaliates with a forearm to the face, engaging in a sequence of trading blows with Carter. By the end of it, Carter has elbowed Bakura so hard down to a knee, he takes quick advantage to hopefully take him out via Suplex, applying it and lifting him over. Despite his natural strength, Bakura is showing to be difficult to get rid of as he kicks his legs around and weigh himself down. Eventually, Carter succeeds to lift him up completely…
…
…but Bakura drives a knee down the top of his head, coming back down to his feet…
…
…
…and Yami Bakura is the one with the final elimination by hitting a Hotshot Occult Rhapsody to Carter, who falls to the floor to enormous boos!
"OH, NO…! I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT I'VE JUST SEEN! THE APEX WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS HAVE BEEN TOTALLY ELIMINATED FROM THE MATCH!" Barney exclaims. "TELL ME THIS ISN'T HAPPENING!"
"I'm afraid it is, Stinson!" Kenji utters. "We're officially down to our two finalists—Altered Egos and…the Gods of Darkness…!"
"I am literally praying right now that the worst-case scenario is just a worst-case scenario…!" Zack whimpers.
"Now it all comes down to the tag team section. If you think about it, this is yet another full circle of two rivals colliding once more for the World Tag Team Titles since Spring Breakdown," Markiplier apprises. "With Alpha & Omega dethroned, we could be seeing Altered Egos making history as the two-time World Tag Team Champions…or a terrifying reign from the Gods of Darkness…"
The Alpha sits outside the ring as he tries to comprehend what transpired with a shocked gaze to the ring; both feet touched the floor and now he's unqualified from the tag team match for a chance to retain the belts. He slowly grasps his head, utterly horrified over the fact Alpha & Omega are no longer the champions while referee Andrew Styles' requests to send him to the back have fallen on deaf ears. Carter soon looks up at the devilishly grinning Bakura mockingly waving him goodbye…and it incites him to lunge after him if not for John Benoit and Nikolas Alba holding him back! Carter is now being forced by them to leave to backstage and he begrudgingly accepts, glaring at Yami Bakura in the ring. Yugi Mutou, nursing his head from the nasty fall earlier, is now appearing through the curtains and walking down to the ring. He and Carter reach other and make eye contact…then the Alpha tells him, or better yet, WARNS him to win the belts…lest they want to doom the entire division. Yugi replies with confidence, "We'll win the belts…but it won't be for you," and continues moving ahead with Carter glaring at him from behind.
"The King of Games has returned for the Pharaoh, making promise that he'll win the titles, but it will not be for Alpha & Omega. Oof," Zack winces. "Hey, I can't blame him for that answer."
"Little prick should be at least a bit grateful he didn't take his anger out on him…" Barney frowns.
Atem and Yugi reunite in their northwest corner of the ring and stare down Yami Bakura, who was sitting on the bottom turnbuckle and patiently waiting for Marik to return as well. He eventually does…through the lights going out for a moment and coming back on to reveal himself standing right next to his tag partner. Andrew Styles comes in the ring as the definite official of this contest as both teams discuss strategies. Marik is the first to represent his team while Yugi, after convincing Atem he'll be okay in spite of the fall, is next to wrestle Marik. Now, the tag team portion for the currently vacant World Tag Team Championship has begun with Yugi and Marik locking up belligerently at the center of the ring. Marik pushes Yugi all the way into an empty corner as the two are just trying to push each other's faces in until Andrew separated them and told them to keep it clean. Marik becomes momentarily distracted with a glare to the official disrupting them and Yugi exploits that with a sudden and sharp knife edge chop to the chest. He ducks a reacting backhand chop from Marik and constantly kicks the back of his left leg to get him near the ropes for an Irish Whip. Of course, Marik reverses that, then Yugi baseball slides through the legs and leaps off the mat with a Dropkick. With Marik down, Yugi bounces off the ropes again and Sliding Clotheslines the former tomb keeper.
"A Clothesline delivered from Yugi to Marik, keeping him down on the mat for the first pin attempt," Markiplier observes. "And—oh, a kick-out at nearly two."
"For a moment there in the corner, you can actually feel the animosity Marik has for Yugi," Kenji notes. "But that got him distracted long enough for Yugi to counteract and put himself on top."
Yugi lets Marik get to all fours so he can kick the back of his left arm, which he grabs right after to exploit with an arm wrench and then practically snaps it over his shoulder. Marik nurses that arm and takes a shortcut with a piercing pinch to Yugi's nose before performing an Irish Whip. Yugi bounces off with a baseball slide, but Marik is ready with a Double Foot Stomp to the chest! Yugi practically coughs out a lung as Marik picks him up and flips him on top of his head with a Half Nelson Suplex to a loud grimacing reaction! The official checks on Yugi in the corner for any possible concussion with Atem becoming anxious in the corner until Marik blatantly exploits this spot and blasts Yugi with a vicious Facewash boot! Ignoring Andrew's berating and relishing in the crowd's enormous boos, Marik remains on the ropes with a sadistic smile and hanging tongue for the camera to see from underneath.
"What a f—king sadist…" Mark comments with a tone of disgust.
"A sadist, he is, but he has completely neutralized Yugi Mutou for the moment," Barney adds.
Marik drags Yugi close to the center and covers him…up to a two-count with Yugi's left arm springing to life. The King of Games is alive, but how long can he sustain what the G.O.D. have in store for him? The former leader of the Ghouls/Rare Hunters tags out to Yami Bakura and—Yugi connects a hard-hitting Elbow Smash to Bakura and a Back Elbow to Marik! The King of Games is desperately retaliating on G.O.D. until Marik struck the back of his head with an elbow of his own, hoisted him up and dropped him in a rope-hung fashion head-first on the top rope! Yugi recoils into Bakura's arms and puts him down with a High-angle Back Suplex, once again targeting the head. (Kenji: They knew it. Marik and Bakura knew Yugi was hurt when the latter eliminated him so recklessly and dropped him on his head on the apron, and they're exploiting that for their own game…! They're bastards, but they're clever bastards.) Once again, Yugi is pinned and able to kick out by the count of two. He might be concussed, but the King of Games refuses to go down so easily for G.O.D. Bakura tags in Marik, sets Yugi up for a Powerbomb and tosses him into Marik's knees after he sat on the top turnbuckle. Yugi walks on his knees away from them with stinging pain to his spine as Marik stalks him. He allows Yugi to try standing up, but once he did with a glaring eye, Marik outright SLAPS him across the face! Marik shouts, "Don't you EVER look at me that way, you LITTLE WORM! You brought this on yourself! Not us! YOU." And another quick tag for the Gods of Darkness with Ishtar hurling Yugi via Irish Whip to the ropes and Drop Toe Holding him down for Bakura rebounding off the ropes to nail a straight kick to the side of the head.
"With such lethal velocity and force, the G.O.D. are making work on Yugi's temple and only that specific area," Zack calls as Bakura hooks the leg…and again, Yugi kicks out! "Oh, man…!"
"These two lack empathy and mercy for anybody that crosses them in their way of their goals, and right now, they're especially worse than ever with the tag team titles hanging in the balance," Kenji states.
"And honestly, even I hate to say it, but that is what will help Bakura and Marik become the new World Tag Team Champions," Barney says.
"Even so, Yugi is still fighting," Mark enhances. "He is refusing to stay down no matter how much they are throwing at him with such animosity. One can only hope how much longer he'll endure."
Almost frustrated, Bakura applies a Reverse Chinlock on Yugi, wrenching DEEPLY around the neck and head in attempts to wear him down. Meanwhile, the Pharaoh slaps the turnbuckle, signaling the crowd to start rallying behind the King of Games. Bakura quickly shifts gears by now applying a bodyscissors, then grinds his forearm across the face at a slow, agonizing stride. Despite trying to break Yugi's spirit, Yugi himself hears the support and starts rising to a vertical base. Yami Bakura attempts persuading Yugi to simply "let go" and allow himself to be taken by the darkness…and Yugi says aloud, "NOT…HAPPENING!" before suddenly lifting Bakura with all his strength for a devastating High-angle Back Suplex! (Zack: OHHH, PAYBACK'S A BITCH, I SAY! ; Kenji: YUGI MUTOU WITH A SYMBOLIC COUNTER TO DARK BAKURA! And here comes Marik to attempt to cut Yugi down where stands!) Marik catches Yugi's kicking leg…and Yugi misses the Leg-feed Enzuigiri…
…
…but not to Bakura, who took the full attack just as he got back to his feet! This distracts Marik plenty for Yugi to connect a Spinning Mule Kick! Now the ring was empty—no more disruptions! Yugi is free to make the tag as he crawls as fast as possible with a hand towards his corner…
…and he leaps forward towards Atem's extended hand…
…
…
…but Yami Bakura pulls Atem off the apron and pushes him into the steel stairs!
"DAMN IT!" Zack groans. "SO CLOSE…!"
"Yugi got close, but Bakura proved too fast and prevented the tables turning on his team in taking out Atem!" Barney comments.
Yugi lies dismayed at an empty corner with his partner taken out of the equation and Bakura sliding in to drag Yugi by the leg back to his corner. With a tag, the two stomp on Yugi for a while and then set him up in a dual Vertical Suplex stance until dropping him instantly with a spiking Double Brainbuster. Marik hooks both legs: 1…2…
…and Yugi kicks out once again! But now it seems his eyes are appearing glazed over, as if he doesn't know where he's at. Taking much of his time, Marik Ishtar slithers on the mat from behind, stalking Yugi like a snake. Yugi crawls to both hands and knees, shaking his head to reclaim any sense. He looks up and has Marik's foot raking across his face so bitterly. Of course, the more he did so, the more Yugi began to stew with rage and vivid expressions similar to Atem…
…right up until Marik cracked his jaw with a vicious elbow…and so does Yugi with his own! Yugi goads him to try again, as if to start an exchange…but Marik shuts that down with a kick to the right leg, bringing him down on his knees and then drills his skull with a Snap DDT. Marik tags Bakura back in and sets Yugi up for an excruciating Standing Inverted Indian Deathlock Surfboard, stretching him far back by the arms while Yugi is struggling to not scream in anguish…then Bakura puts an end to that by bouncing from the ropes…
…
…
…and stopping for a mere sudden stomp to the back of his head.
"God, it's really becoming too much at this point," Markiplier winces. "This isn't a match; this is a vile and unbearable public execution we're being forced to watch."
"You may not like it as much as anyone else here, but this is Wrestling 101 in cutting the ring in half and keeping Yugi down and away from Atem," Barney retorts.
Atem feels absolutely helpless in the corner with Yugi covering up his face in pure pain from the head stomp; even if he could interfere, he knows better that Bakura and Marik will take advantage of the referee's distraction and put Yugi in danger. All he can do is trust in Yugi to find a way and eventually turn the tables for his team. Yami Bakura makes the pin…and Yugi kicks out once again, Bakura instantly sitting him up and cranking his neck at a distressing ninety-degree angle. Even through all the pain, Yugi endures his suffering while Atem encourages the crowd to give their support for him through rhythmic clapping and they eventually start chanting his name. Bakura cranks up the painful submission and Marik ridicules the fans for even cheering for a "weakling" in his current predicament. But against all odds, Yugi is finding the strength within to start rising and gradually slip out of the neck crank. Bakura changes to a Front Facelock, trying to hold Yugi at bay from his corner as both he and Atem are desperately reaching out for a tag. Then he connects constant lifting knees up to Yugi's face and hoists him high for a Suplex…
…
…
…which Yugi counters with a Sitout Jawbreaker!
"What goes up must come down—AND THAT CERTAINLY WORKED OUT FOR YUGI MUTOU IN THIS CASE!" Kenji exclaims.
"HELL YEAH, WHAT A COUNTER! This has gotta be the difference maker here and now!" Zack shouts.
The utterly stunned Bakura stumbles back and bounces from the ropes into a Hurricanrana…then Yugi hits the same ropes to connect a straight Dropkick to the back of his skull! Meanwhile, Marik was trying to help tag himself in…only to fall into the ring, which referee Styles sees and orders him to get back to the apron. With this distraction, Yugi was too into the heat of the moment to realize it and tag out to Atem, who rushes in to a massive pop, but the official stops him to instantaneous jeers! The Pharaoh and referee argue among themselves while Bakura recovers to take Yugi in a Pendulum Backbreaker…
…Marik ascends the top turnbuckle…
…
…
…and BRUTALLY DOUBLE FOOT STOMPS HIS FACE IN, FLIPPING HIM ON HIS STOMACH!
"GOOD LORD, THE BACKBREAKER / DOUBLE STOMP COMBO!" Markiplier reacts. "DON'T TELL ME THIS IS HOW IT'S GOING TO END!"
"IT IS BRILLIANT STRATEGY RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES, MARK! YOU CAN'T DENY THAT AS A FACT IN THIS MATCH!"
Atem is forced back on the apron and sees the official counting Bakura's pinfall attempt: 1…
2…
…
…
…
…AND YUGI MUTOU KICKS OUT AT A NEAR-FALL RIGHT WHEN ATEM CRIED HIS NAME OUT!
"NO! NO NEW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS JUST YET!" Kenji calls. "Give credit where credit is due! Yugi Mutou took ANOTHER of Bakura and Marik's most devastating combos, and he is STILL in this match!"
"A well-laid trap by Marik FOILED by the King of Games—and now look at Bakura! He's finally lost his cool!" Barney observes to the Spirit of Darkness slamming his hands on the canvas in frustration.
"DAMN YOU, MUTOU!" Bakura screams off-mic. "Why won't you DIE?!" He takes him by the chin, brings him to his knees…and force-feeds him a savage elbow to the cheek—blood and spit FLYING out of his mouth now. The livid Yami Bakura grabs his wrist for a Hammer Throw, hurling him at high speeds into a corner…
…
…
…but Yugi counteracts with a Whisper in the Heart of the Cards on top of a pursuing Bakura! Marik enters the ring, rushing past the official for a Discus Elbow Smash…which Yugi ducks…
…
…and CATCHES him with a Spellbinder! Yugi stands and fumbles backwards into his corner, FINALLY TAGGING OUT TO ATEM WITH AN ENORMOUS POP FROM THE CROWD!
"AND FINALLY, THERE'S THE TAG! ABOUT DAMN TIME FOR ALTERED EGOS!" Zack cheers.
Atem enters the ring and immediately Clotheslines Bakura back down on the mat—twice, in fact! Then, he ducks a Discus Clothesline, picks Marik up from behind and drives him down with a Millennium Alter (Belly-to-back lifted and dropped into an elbow drop to the opponent's midsection)! High on the adrenaline rush, the Pharaoh points straight at Bakura trying to pick himself up in the corner and makes a run for him…only to eat a retaliating back elbow. Bakura ascends the second rope…and his Diving Double Axe Handle is FOILED by a thrusting uppercut right in the throat from Atem! As Bakura holds his esophagus, Atem grabs him by the hair and brutally smashes his face into the turnbuckle repeatedly before hurling him away to the center…
…where he would meet him with a devastating Running Knee Strike to the face! Atem with the hasty hook of the leg: 1…
2…
…
…
…and a kick-out from Bakura! But despite this, Atem holds his composure, dragging Bakura to his feet by the wrist of his left arm and twisting it to immense pain. He backpedals to the corner, climbs all the way to the top turnbuckle and ropewalks with Bakura's arm, all without even taking his eye off his opponent to the amazement of the spectators. Just as he was about to pull off Old School (The Undertaker's move of the same name), Marik comes on the apron to interfere, but Atem kicks him down…which causes him to lose his balance…
…
…
…and improvise by performing a hot shot arm drag across the ropes that practically popped Bakura's arm out of his socket! Atem lands fine on his feet on the apron and then takes out Marik for good with a Diving Clothesline! Quickly sliding back in the ring, Atem sends a straight kick to the midsection, puts Bakura in a Standing Headscissors, flips him up on the shoulders…raise him even higher…
…
…and hits the Stairway to the Underworld (Elevated Powerbomb)! Atem with a tight hook of the leg: 1…
2…
…
…
…
…and AGAIN, Yami Bakura's left arm goes up…as Atem grabs that specific arm and applies the Fujiwara Armbar on him!
"Close, but no cigar—OH, OH! ATEM WITH THE ARMBAR! ATEM WITH THE ARMBAR!" Markiplier exclaims.
"The Fujiwara Armbar to be exact!" Kenji informs. "I think this is the first time we've Atem any submission in his career and after the spontaneous hot shot over the ropes on Bakura's arm, this might help Altered Egos win the tag titles here tonight!"
"It may be the first time we've seen him do this, but the way he's wrenching the Fujiwara Armbar makes him look like a pro at it!" Zack proclaims.
The Pharaoh is BENDING back Bakura's arm to no end, even going as far as to bend his fingers while Bakura is SCREAMING in true agony! But in the near thirty seconds it's been applied, Marik runs in with a Low-angle Superkick to Atem's face! The Gods of Darkness quickly regroup as Marik helps Bakura to his feet and the two prep Atem for a Double Brainbuster…
…until Yugi came back with a Front Dropkick to Marik, saving his partner from mere doom! And during this, Atem has reversed into a tight Small Package: 1…
2…
…
…
…
…2.777 BAKURA KICKS OUT FROM THE INSIDE CRADLE! The two lie exhausted next to each other as the ecstatic San Antonio natives are chanting "A-C-DUB! A-C-DUB!" Soon enough, the first to rise was Bakura as he suddenly springs on his hands and feet à la Bray Wyatt, frightening the entire arena with his unnatural spider walk that abruptly stopped their chants. (Zack: HOW is it we haven't called an exorcist on this guy!? ; Barney: I'm actually asking myself the same thing, kid…) Yami Bakura continues spider walking around Atem with a vile grin on his face, seeing all the horrified and perplexed faces of the fans. It was enough to make him cackle…
…
…
…
…
…until the Pharaoh curtly sits upright to a thunderous amount of cheers! (Markiplier: OH, SON OF A—! *Mark nearly fell out of his chair* ; Kenji: Now ATEM with a sudden rise of his own, even taking Bakura of all people by surprise!) The Spirit of Darkness' smile gradually fades away while Atem turns a dark glare over to him with the Eye of Anubis glowing brightly on his forehead. Atem and Bakura lock eyes as the latter's spider walk crumbles down to a prone position. The Pharaoh takes this moment to rise further to a vertical base, the kneeling Bakura attempting to talk his way out…before giving an eye poke—that Atem blocks and lands a hard haymaker from the right across the face! Bakura holds his jaw…and growls as he hits a Throat Thrust Uppercut…and then the Pharaoh replies with one his own! These two bitter rivals are now STIFFING each other with the most vicious elbows ever delivered between them simultaneously to a massively cheering audience until Atem grabs Bakura's head to nail two lifting knees and a concluding European Uppercut!
"From a slugfest of elbow shots to a severe European Uppercut, Atem is on top of his game as Bakura is reeling!" Kenji calls. "And now I think he's going for something bigger!"
"The oncoming Twist of Fate he dubs 'Pharaoh's Endgame'!" Barney exclaims as Atem was about to connect it…
…but Bakura spins out of it and connects a High Knee to the skull! "Oof! He was about to hit it until that happened."
Atem reels to the ropes, where Marik was ready in the corner for a tag in by Bakura. The two have Atem ready for the finish as Bakura flips Atem onto Marik's shoulders with a Vertical Suplex…and Yugi appears yet again to take out Bakura with a Hurricanrana! At the same time, Atem slips out of Marik's grasp and ensnares him in a Leg-trap Sunset Flip! Referee Andrew Styles drops down to count: 1…
2…
…
…
…KICK OUT BY MARIK ISHTAR AT 2.789! Marik and Atem roll to their feet…and the first to strike is a vengeful Atem via Big Boot after ducking a Discus Elbow Smash! That raise kick to the face sends Marik in the corner and Atem tags Yugi back in for their finishing blow. Atem plants Ishtar with the Pharaoh's Endgame as Yugi has ascended on the top turnbuckle…lets out an emphatic roar…
…
…and lands the Millennium Swanton (Swanton Bomb), completing their Forgotten Memories! Yugi has the inside leg hooked: 1…
…
…
2…
…
…
…
…
…
…3!
"AND WE HAVE OUR NEW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS! ATEM AND YUGI HAVE DONE IT—THEY MADE HISTORY!" Markiplier calls to a vast majority of cheers and Yugi and Atem hugging each other tightly. "WE HAVE OUR FIRST-EVER TWO-TIME CHAMPIONS—"
"NO, NO! LOOK!" Barney points to the official's eyes seeing Marik's foot is on the bottom rope.
"WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHAT?!" Zack queries.
Referee Andrew Styles quickly waves off the three-count to the timekeeper as he then tried to explain to Altered Egos that they did NOT win the titles because of Marik's rope break and so the match must continue.
"SON OF A—! I-I can't believe it!" Kenji groans. "I refuse to believe this!"
"Altered Egos got too excited to even notice that Marik has his foot on the rope in time and that's their own fault," Barney rebukes. "But if they can keep the ball rolling, there's still a chance for them."
Distraught by this revelation, Yugi and Atem begrudgingly understood…
…as Bakura attempts blindsiding them, but he eats a hard right and then an Enzuigiri! With Bakura out of the way, Altered Egos keeps on rolling for another finish with Yugi lifting Marik off his feet in a Vertical Suplex stance. Atem stands ready by the corner…
…
…and Bakura again interferes by pulling Atem out of the ring and shoving him face-first into the turnbuckle LED ring post! Yugi drops Marik for the moment to take care of Bakura with a surprising left hook that knocks him down to the floor! But Marik has promptly recuperated long enough to connect a Discus Elbow Smash to the back of his head! Yugi DROPS like a sack of potatoes from the impact! Returning to their corner, Bakura extends a hand to Marik and Marik gladly accepts the tag-out; the Spirit of Darkness takes Yugi in his arms to put him in a Vertebreaker hold while Marik climbs to the top rope. The two face at each other with sinister glee, Bakura ordering him to "do it"…
…and as commanded, Marik gets the hang time to pull off a Diving Double Foot Stomp on Yugi at the same time Bakura hits the Vertebreaker—Malevolent Nightmare (Vertebreaker (Bakura) / Diving Double Foot Stomp (Marik) combination) executed!
"OH, GOOD GOD, NO!" Markiplier screams. "MALEVOLENT NIGHTMARE BY THE GODS OF DARKNESS! THE SAME MOVE THAT PUT KOHTA HIRANO ON THE SHELF!"
"THOSE BASTARDS ARE ENSURING THAT NOT ONLY THEY ARE WINNING THE BELTS, BUT THEY ARE ALSO PUTTING ALTERED EGOS THROUGH CRUEL AND UNNECESSARY PUNISHMENT!" Kenji shouts.
Bakura keeps Yugi down for the pinfall: 1…
…
…
2…
…
…
…
…
…YUGI KICKS OUT…BECAUSE OF BAKURA LIFTING HIS SHOULDER UP. Bewildered, the official tells him he had the match won…only for Bakura to respond, "I'm not even FINISHED yet~"
"Oh, you SON OF A BITCH…" Zack growls.
Bakura takes the nigh comatose Yugi by his wrist…
…falls to his back…
…
…presses his left shin firmly against the throat…
…
…
…
…and locks in the Millennium Ring (Hell's Gate)!
"OH, YOU SON OF—! IT'S NEVER ENOUGH FOR YOU, ISN'T IT?!" Zack lividly yells. "YOU HAD TO PROLONG YOUR SICK DESIRES WHEN YOU ALREADY HAVE THIS MATCH WON!"
"Kid, I'd shut up unless you want to be suffering the same fate as Yugi right now…" Barney forebodes.
"LIKE HELL I'D DO THAT WHEN YUGI'S GONE THROUGH ENOUGH PUNISHMENT AS IT IS, DAMN IT! COME ON, REF, END IT ALREADY!"
Yami Bakura tightens the Millennium Ring as dangerously possible with Yugi unable to do retaliate in his condition. Every single audience member is shouting "NO!" in chanting form, wanting Yugi to survive somehow…
…
…
…
…
…
…but it was clearly not enough as Yugi, after enduring the Millennium Ring for nearly a minute, is forced to tap out at a lethargic pace. The referee calls for the bell, the crowd fell near silent out of devastation for a moment…and Bakura finally lets go of Yugi's corpse to the realization of their triumph.
"…" Commentary was SILENT. They had NO words to what they just witnessed. But one managed to speak up in the form of Mark Fischbach, "…It's over…"
("Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" by Emily Browning plays)
To the Gods of Darkness' theme song playing for their victory, Bakura slowly rises to his knees with a blank stare, as if he couldn't believe it himself and the same can be said for Marik. Andrew Styles almost hesitated to grab the APEX World Tag Team Championships from the timekeeper…and Maria Lopez, shaking her head in pure horror, had no choice but to raise her microphone with an announcement she'd never thought she'd say.
"Ladies and gentlemen…here are your winners…and…a-and the new…Apex Caliber Wrestling World Tag Team Champions…Yami Bakura…Marik Ishtar…the Gods of Darkness…"
This declaration was enough to have one brave soul start booing and soon followed an eruption of TOXIC JEERS towards the new tag champs…and Yami Bakura gladly replies with a wicked grin. The referee arrives in the ring with the belts in hand and he is petrified to even hand them over, so Marik swipes them away and kneels besides his partner. He gives one of the straps to Bakura and reassures him that the Gods of Darkness have won. Yami Bakura raises the World Tag Team Championship belt high and holds it close to his face, singing off-mic, "Sweet dreams are made of thiiis…"
"…Tell me I'm not seeing this…" Zack utters for the first time. "For the love of God, tell me this is just a BAD DREAM…!"
"Zack…I don't think God is with us at this moment. This 'bad dream'…is our reality," Barney bluntly affirms. "Bakura and Marik are your new World Tag Team Champions of the Renaissance Era."
"We've just seen two MONSTERS defeat probably the two bravest men that can go toe-to-toe with them," Kenji says before the replays appear onscreen to show different angles of various, including one where Bakura had actually lifted Marik's foot on the rope without Altered Egos or the referee noticing. "Yugi and Atem fought valiantly to the bitter end…but it was not enough. Their victory was snatched away by Bakura as you can see here."
"Cruel…sadistic…terrifying… The APEX Tag Team Division is in a world of trouble now with these 'men' as their champions," Markiplier states. "What was meant to be a momentous occasion for APEX's rebirth…has morphed into APEX's worst nightmare."
As the lights darken with only a few lights surrounding them from underneath, Bakura wraps an arm around Marik as the two raise their belts and incite another round of spiteful jeers from the audience. The Spirit of Darkness places his forehead against his partner's, repeatedly telling him proudly that they have WON—they WON…and this is only the beginning. Then, PaniK appears in the ring as if he walked out from the blackness to congratulate the Gods on their championship winnings. The G.O.D. are grateful for that…and nod to each other before handing PaniK their belts. They entrusted him to hold their gold because—in Bakura's words—he "deserves to hold them as much as his Gods do." The G.O.D.'s enforcer nods, then raises the belts high as Marik stands beside him with a raised fist and Bakura kneels with his arms spread out wide.
"THIS…is only the beginning, MORTALS! So please…let me advise that you FOLLOW…THE SHADOWS!" Bakura proclaims, then leans back laughing like a true psychopath—
"DEH!"
A still image of the unhinged and grinning Cult of Shadows trio flashes onscreen, then cuts to black…
…and after what felt like an eternity of darkness, the cameras fade to backstage with a petrified "Violet" Clarissa Rivera on the interview set, sharing the same emotion as her fellow San Antonio residents.
"…Clarissa? …Clarissa! You're live!" a crew member whispers to her loudly off-screen.
Clarissa gasps and snaps out of her trance, remembering she's on set with a microphone in hand and has an interview to get through. Her reaction to the Tag Team Turmoil results resonated with what the audience was feeling right now. So much to take in after observing newly crowned World Tag Team Champions…but she has a job to do. She puts on a serious face as she goes on with her upcoming interview segment.
"Um…well, while congratulations are in order for the new APEX World Tag Team Champions," Violet winces to herself once she heard the massive boos from inside. "…We got a show to run and I have a job to accomplish. Ladies and gentlemen, my guest at this time is the Intercontinental Rumble winner from Homecoming—please welcome 'The Lone Devil Hunter' Nero."
Regaining a small, confident smile as she made the introduction, Clarissa turns to said Devil May Cry 5 protagonist who walks in the camera's view with a nonchalant appearance of his own and receives sudden loud cheers. It's quite clear that the fans were easily into the grandson of Sparda.
"Yo," Nero greets casually.
"Evening, Nero," Clarissa nods. "Last night, you entered from the biggest disadvantage at number one and survived twenty-nine other wrestlers to the very end to earn a shot at the vacant and reborn APEX Intercontinental Championship. Now tonight, you are going against Luke Smith, who just so happens to be the final Evolve Champion in the previous incarnation of ACW."
"Let me stop you there really quick," Nero holds a finger up. "What you said just now—I went through twenty-nine other guys from number one to number thirty for over an HOUR. I earned that new shiny belt more than anything… And what did Luke do to earn a match with me? Become the last champion of the very belt he helped rename so many goddamn times? Bull. Shit. You can call him the last U.S. Champion; you can call him the last TV Champ; you can even call him the last Phenomenal Champ—all those accomplishments mean NOTHING when that bastard left this company to DIE." That raised a valent point enough for the fans to agree with cheers. "Smith is obviously in it for the money instead of the so-called 'justice' he preaches…but that doesn't make him less dangerous when it comes to his brains. From what I've seen, the guy is smart as hell. He'll take any shortcut and use any means necessary to get his way."
"So, what's your strategy, then?" asks Clarissa Rivera.
"…F—k if I know," Nero shrugs, perplexing the violet-haired woman. "I just go out there what I do best: kick ass with the most stylish moments. Thing is, Smith may have the brains and is not afraid to take shortcuts…but it won't be enough when I'm done bashing those brains in. He had his glory in the old era. Now it's time for a change in this one. Because the one major difference between me and him…I stayed."
On that note, the Lone Devil Hunter takes his leave to conclude the interview with the audience cheering behind him and a smiling Clarissa looking on where he left.
But the mood shifts quickly when in another backstage area, Atem is helping Yugi Mutou to the trainer's room as he has his arm over his shoulder. He wanted to check his partner in for a concussion after their unfortunate loss for the World Tag Team Titles. It's unambiguous that the disappointment and guilt was heavy and showed on their faces, especially who they lost to. As much as frustrated Atem was, no one was more disheartened than Yugi as he kept his head hung low and his face covered in his hand the whole time.
"…Don't take it too hard, Yugi. We fought valiantly," Atem tries reassuring.
Of course, Yugi made no response nor any movement. He merely keeps his face buried in his palm. All Atem can do was sigh deeply and take him to the trainer's room.
"Okay, we shouldn't be any farther from the—"
ATEM GETS SLAMMED WITH A STEEL CHAIR TO THE BACK FROM STAN TERRA!
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Mark exclaims.
Yugi is dropped to all fours, breaking out of his self-loathing to see their situation and is too late to retaliate when Carter Young blasts him in the face with God's Kiss! Stan is RELENTING on his steel chair shots to Atem's body!
"STUPID! STUPID! YOU WORTHLESS F—KING PRICKS!" Terra exclaims with every shot to the screaming Atem. "YOU MOTHERF—KERS HAD ONE JOB. ONE JOB to keep OUR belts safe and away from those FREAKS until we won them back from you! Now you've screwed EVERYTHING up for EVERYONE in this division!" Stan hurls down the dented chair over Atem's chair in pure frustration and anger. "F—K!"
As the boos become more venomous and spiteful towards Alpha & Omega, said Alpha himself crouches and lifts Yugi's head by his hair. He can see Yugi's nose is busted open with glazed over eyes and all he does is shake his head at him.
"Former world champion…and apparently our inaugural tag team champions…" Carter scoffs. "You continue to be a disappointment to your fans, your friends…and even that useless woman of yours. Now because of your arrogance, we've got to clean up your mess… Don't worry. Just while you two take a lovely vacation at the hospital, we'll leave this as a reminder to NEVER come back to our division."
Carter holds Yugi's head down as Stan picks up the same, used chair, ready to smash his skull into the concrete…
"DEAR GOD, NO! NO!" Mark begs.
"HEY!" shouts Joey Wheeler's voice, Alpha & Omega startled enough to drop the chair and run away when he, Tristan Taylor and Duke Devlin chase them off. As the latter two check on Yugi and Atem, Joey is LIVID. "GET BACK HERE, YA ASSHOLES! C'MON! GET YOUR KEISTERS BACK HERE AND FIGHT ME!"
"Can we get some medical attention here already?!" Duke requests. "These guys are seriously hurt!"
"…Damn it…!" Joey curses to himself, pulling at his hair. The EMTs arrive immediately to check on both men, especially Yugi.
