Jimmyface's Fed - VERSION 2.1

[Mr. Jimmyface]

After this past Galacticon, one thing is abundantly clear. Black and white cards are dead. It's all color now and in the future. That said, perhaps it is time for me to catch up with my peers.

Keep in mind, I have a fed already going into February 2103 with a strong lineage back to April 2074. Every match, rivalry, supercard, and title change written in ink. I am going to pause it there, and perhaps re-visit it another time and place.

For now, I will begin a new fed starting in January 2125. And there is nothing more that needs to be said other than HERE WE GO!

[Mr. Jimmyface]

PRELUDE TO A TOURNAMENT:

As if GWF Commissioner Sly Drury and the GWF Executive Committee were not busy enough trying to re-start a federation for the next generation, the arrival of Abroz and Dialectas gave them a whole new dimension to contend with. The two aliens have been known throughout the cosmos as the ultimate game players. From planetary warfare to Gravity Ball, there is nothing in the universe that these two beings will not use for a wager or a contest.

It is not a surprise that they have turned to the GWF in the midst of a year already being called "The Return of Legends". Even with the departure of the legendary Wolf and the injuries sustained to Monolith, there is still a large roster of stars in the company. In the history of professional wrestling, there has never been a larger roster of talent waiting to make an impact. And with all of the title belts to be awarded in tournaments, it made sense for them to inquire about establishing The Infinity Gauntlet. Over the course of the year, two new teams will emerge from the roster, battling for points, with the winning team to win a large cash prize.

Despite the protests of an overwhelmed GWF Executive Committee, Commissioner Sly Drury made the path for their request a relatively clear one. He made 22 wrestlers available to them, with or without their consent. Some of the wrestlers looked forward to the challenge, some of them wanted nothing to do with it. All of them are interested in winning one million galactic credits on top of their annual salary for winning the tournament.

For Sly Drury, in addition to receiving more attention to the GWF, he received a new wrestler in the bizarre Symbiosis, given to him as a gift from Abroz and Dialectas. There are also speculations about some other reasons he would allow this many wrestlers to be in the hands of two relative unknowns. The most popular being that the cash amount being given to the wrestlers may have found its way, at least in part, to the pockets of the Commissioner's office. Another popular theory was to further thin out the ranks of wrestlers who may either challenge his authority or his ability to control or possess the new championships that were going to be unveiled.

In either case, the video transmission ratings were high for the draft between these two aliens, especially considering how they decided to determine the draft order. Both fired weapons towards a lifeless moon, with the first one hitting it being declared the winner. It was quite the fireworks show, cosmically speaking, and after the dust and lights faded into darkness it was determined that Dialectas would draw first pick.

The results were worth the price of admission alone. When all was said and done, two new stables stood before the GWF collective:

ROUND 1: With the first picks, they not only set the tone for their teams, both aliens declared with these choices would be their team captains. Leading Team Dialectas, SHANN-RA. Leading Team Abroz, U.S. MALE.

ROUND 2: Team Dialectas created a bit of a buzz with the selection of SHE DEVIL, locking up two of the top female wrestlers in the GWF in short order. This almost overshadowed Team Abroz pick PANTHER WARRIOR.

ROUND 3: TRICKS THE CLOWN became the first male wrestler on Team Dialectas, while DEADLIEST became the first female wrestler on Team Abroz.

ROUND 4: The first true power play of the draft unfolded, as Dialectas drafted ZYGON, as Abroz drafted THRAXX. The once dominant team of Frontal Assault were now going to be opponents for the first time in their history in the GWF. Both men looked at each other, and turned away without shaking hands.

ROUND 5: Another difference in draft picks was evidenced in round 5. When drafted to Team Dialectas, MALKUTH went over to Shann-Ra, shook her hand, and promised to do all he could to ensure victory for her team. Conversely, when Team Abroz drafted AMERICAN GUY, he slapped away U.S. Male's handshake and told him (in between bleeped out curse words) that Male even thought about teaming with him, he would tear him apart then and there.

ROUND 6: Former allies were split apart again, as THE BETRAYER went to Team Dialectas, and VIDTEK went to Team Abroz.

ROUND 7: Another example of opposite strategies was displayed when Team Dialectas brought over the powerhouse TANCK, and Team Abroz brought over the high flying TRISTAN. In a match of power and speed, which team will have made the wiser choice by the end of tournament?

ROUND 8: Team Dialectas brought over the young Ani-Man MANTIS, hoping his youthful enthusiasm would bring victory. Team Abroz may have had the same idea in their drafting of NITRO, but everyone was shocked when Nitro completely ignored Tristan and immediately embraced Thraxx!

ROUND 9: ORACLE came over to Team Dialectas, promising that this selection was cosmically ordained, and that it would ensure absolute victory. When GRYT came over to Team Abroz, he promised that no member of the team would fight harder for victory than he would.

ROUND 10: When Team Dialectas drafted former multiple time champion BLOODLINE, he smiled and went over, but the galaxy was realizing that being drafted this late in the game, they were clearly seeing a telltale sign of a career in decline. ROTUNDA coming over to Team Abroz was an academic selection, and her running over to Gryt (who was running away) became the comic highlight of the draft.

FINAL ROUND: SCIMITAR has a look of relief when Team Dialectas ensured that he wouldn't be the last pick of the draft. PLETHADOR kept shouting something about "saving the best for last" as he sauntered over to a less than enthusiastic Team Abroz.

After the draft, the teams went off to get to know their future partners a little better. The team captains spent time with Abroz and Dialectas to go over the rosters, and make their recommendations. The following day, a press release was sent out declaring the team set up:

TEAM ABROZ (aka, The Red Team)

SINGLES: U.S. Male, Panther Warrior, American Guy, Vidtek, and Plethador - The reluctance of American Guy to work with U.S. Male convinced team captain U.S. Male to keep him in the singles division, and to keep the team of Stars & Stripes from reuniting... for now...

TAG TEAMS: Thraxx & Nitro (Power Shock), and Tristan & Gryt (Titan Alliance) - The first team was a request from both partners, whereas Tristan and Gryt are from worlds with a long standing history of war and hostilities. Neither man wants to be in this team, and U.S. Male is using every ounce of his leadership and peacemaking abilities to keep this team together. But is he doing it at the risk of his own career?

WOMEN'S: Deadliest of The Species and Rotunda - Outside of their pursuit of the GWF Women's Title, there are rumors of their potential romantic links (if you believe the galactic gossip columnists) with Thraxx and Gryt (respectively).

TEAM DIALECTAS (aka, The Blue Team)

SINGLES: Tricks The Clown, Tanck, Mantis, Oracle, and Bloodline - No team in the history of the GWF has had a more eclectic and diverse assembly as these five men have. The only thing uniting them is both the contest, and the knowledge that victory will not only benefit their team, but also their chances of winning either the Interplanetary and GWF Heavyweight championships.

TAG TEAMS: Malkuth & Zygon (Power Kings), and The Betrayer & Scimitar (Spoiler Alert) - The Power Kings could be not only the best team in the tournament, but given their abilities, they could become serious contenders for the GWF Tag Team chamionship. Meanwhile, Spoiler Alert is showing the fans a new side of both members, as they are greatly enjoying their new alliance.

WOMEN'S - Shann-Ra and She Devil - Shann-Ra is quickly growing into her role as the team leader, and is earning the respect of her teammates early. She Devil, meanwhile, seems far more concerned with seducing Mantis, and making the young wrestler the target of her affections.

As the tag teams went off to learn how to work together (with minimum in-fighting), the singles competitors from the teams were off to join the others. Commissioner Sly Drury has requested all singles competitors to arrive at Noon in order to determine a new champion...

To be continued...

[Mr. Jimmyface]

A DAY OF SURPRISES:

On the second day of the Perennial Tournaments, Commissioner Sly Drury approached the podium to address the media and wrestlers assembled. All members of the GWF roster were told to be at the press conferences. Not only to help promote themselves and the company, but because Sly Drury has refused to let anyone know about the brackets for the upcoming title tournaments. Flanked by GWF Security Forces, the Commissioner made the following announcements:

"As it stands now, we have 30 men active for GWF singles competition. Of these men, 15 of them will compete for the GWF Heavyweight Championship, and the remaining competitors will compete for the Interplanetary Title. I would like to announce the breakdown of the GWF Heavyweight Championship first..."

With that, he brought out the new GWF Heavyweight Championship title belt. It was massive, ornate, and looked to weigh around 20 pounds. It was an awesome sight of precious metals and sparkling jewelry, and adorned with magnificent detailing. If there were any doubts as to the significance the new champion, they were dashed immediately at the sight of the championship belt.

"As Commissioner, I am recognized as the natural #1 Contender, and will receive a first round bye. This is due both to my ranking, and to allow me to oversee to the other title tournaments, media affairs, and administrative duties that I am responsible for." The announcement was greeted with boos, as many in attendance saw this as a clear sign of using his office to give him an unfair edge in becoming the new champion.

"I will then face the winner of the match between Endgame and... Hector The Holy Brown Bear." This drew immediate applause from the fans, as these were arguably the two most popular men in the GWF. Later, there would be speculation that the Commissioner pitted his enemies against each other in order to obtain an unfair advantage for himself, but at the moment, the fans were happy.

"The next match will be The Aethran Overmaster taking on... Thantos." With this, the crowd lost control and there was a buzz that could be felt all over the galaxy. This new year was being termed The Year of The Legends, and this announcement cemented that status. Thantos, who has not competed regularly in over 20 years, was arguably the greatest wrestler in GWF history. Even with the sheer power and might of The Overmaster, if Thantos was returning to active competition, even at this age, could even the leader of the Aethran race handle him?

"The winner of that match will face the winner of Paralyze and... Bishop Hell". Now the buzz became a cacophony of chaos. Bishop Hell was last seen wrestling in the CPC over a decade ago, and has not been seen since The Cosmic Battle. Given his past, and his allegiance and dedication to black magic, his return could spell doom for everyone. For once, Paralyze was being looked at as the hero in this situation.

"Next round will have Havoc taking on U.S. Male, with the winner taking on the winner of Encubus and Patch". Of all of the wrestlers reactions, Encubus was the most interest. He was positively livid, his face read with anger. The second generation star had been shocked by the announcement that his father was going to be in the tournament, as this would be his first encounter with him since aligning himself with Mother Superior. Could it be possible that father and son would oppose each other for the greatest prize in the galaxy?

"The last round will see Paganax vs. Swarm." Even with all of the announcements leading up to this, there was a fresh buzz for Paganax. He had made a name for himself in the aCe federation in Centra, and was one of their greatest champions. Many were curious to see how he would fare against one of the best wrestlers in the galaxy.

"And the winner of that match will face the winner of Tauran vs. Payback. At the end of the tournament, there will be one man standing in the center of the ring, and they will be rewarded with the title of being recognized as the GWF Heavyweight champion, and the leader of the Legends of the GWF. But in the meantime, there is the issue of the Interplanetary title..."

He then pulled out a second title belt. While not as big as the other title belt, it was no less impressive. In the large center of the belt, there appeared to be a large black jewel that took up most of the front. Upon further examination, there was what appeared to be stars in the belt. It kept shifting appearance, and formed many different constellations and systems inside of the jewel. This truly was a belt that belonged to the cosmos.

"The winner of this title will be determined in a battle royal which will begin... now."

With a flash of light, 15 wrestlers suddenly found themselves teleported into a ring in the GWF Arena. The image of Commissioner Drury appeared on the GalactiCon screen above their heads. "The last one of you standing in this ring will win this title. Good luck!" And with that, the battle royal was on!

Tanck was the first victim in the match, as opponents ganged up on the large, muscular wrestler. Tricks The Clown was eliminated by the alliance of Ensor and Oracle. Minutes later, Oracle and Panther Warrior were positioning to eliminate the other over the ropes. Plethador ran headlong into them, and all three tumbled to the mat, creating a very exciting triple elimination. Ensor was eliminated by Vidtek, as Nosfera was eliminated by Bloodline. Moments later, Bloodline repeated his performance by eliminating newcomer Coven Black. But as his back was turned, Vidtek dumped Bloodline over the edge. Turning to the ring, he met with a devastating clothesline from Retribution which carried him over the top rope. Anivar was then eliminated by American Guy, who was then eliminated by Mantis. Minutes later a mistimed cross body carried Mantis past Retribution, who ducked at the last moment before impact.

It was then down to two men, Retribution, and the newcomer, Symbiosis. At first, it was a rather one sided affair, as Retribution overpowered and crushed Symbiosis. But then something happened which will be replayed on highlight reels for months, even years to come. As Retribution ran Symbiosis toward the ropes to be thrown out, it appeared that the back of Symbiosis was ripped out and thrown over the top rope. Both the crowd and Retribution were stunned on their feet as his back grew legs and scurried down the aisle. Completely distracted, the rest of Symbiosis' body threw Retribution over the top rope.

As the smaller creature crawled back into the larger body, GWF officials entered the ring to present him (them) with the Interplanetary Title. History has indeed been made. The first ever new champion of this era was a competitor who not only hasn't fought in the GWF before, but who is as unique a creature as has ever been seen. If this event was just the beginning, wrestling fans would need to keep on their toes and glued to their holovid screens.

The Year of The Legends has begun...

[The B-Mack]

Great read! Loved the storytelling and can't wait to see where you head next. Good job.

[TTX]

Looks really interesting. Keep those dice dizzy.

[Mr. Jimmyface]

THE MEETING

Sly Drury was in his office, dealing with another issue in his day. The GWF Tag Tournament was not coming together as well as he wished. With the breakup of teams going into the Infinity Challenge, there were only two contenders emerging that appeared to be worthy of the championship. One was an established team with an amazing legacy. The other was a team that had never appeared in the GWF before. To be blunt, they never appeared in a WRESTLING ring together. But given their credentials from the world of mixed martial arts, the fans of the GWF could have no issues with these men competing for the title.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. He continued typing on the keyboard for another minute before the knock returned. Looking up, he stared into the eyes of a man whose name was synonymous with the GWF.

Omega.

Looking up, Sly Drury met his stare with a look of indifference.

"Yes?", he replied flatly.

Taking the chair opposite his desk, Omega sat down. He settled in as best as he could, his body dealing with the pain earned through years and years of in ring combat. He rested his cane across his lap, and looked over the desk that was once his.

"Drury, I want to know why my grandson is not competing for the GWF Heavyweight Championship. Is there a reason why a former champion is not involved in the tournament? Or did it just slip your mind?"

Sly Drury looked over, a hint of a smile crossing his lips as he leaned towards the legendary wrestler and promoter.

"First of all, don't ever come into my office without setting up an appointment, Omega. I don't care about your history with this company. You make appointments with me, and then we meet."

Omega leaned forward, his words twisted like a snarl.

"You little punk! Do you know who I am? I am not someone who has history with this company. I AM this company! While your mother had the misfortune of meeting your father, I was building this company with my blood and sweat. You wouldn't be in that desk without me. In fact, not too long ago, that was MY desk."

Drury chuckled, more to himself than to Omega. "Actually, Omega. I moved your desk into storage. And you don't need to tell me the history of your desk. Because I have access to all of the documents and records of the company. I know that the desk belonged to Zachary Carter's grandfather when he was promoting wrestling on Earth. I may not know the number of contracts that were reviewed, negotiated, and signed across that desk, but I do know it's importance to the history of the GWF.

"Yes, Omega. I do know all about history. One does not rise to this position without a true mastery of it. But just because it was a part of what the GWF once was, that does not mean that it belongs in the GWF that exists today. That is a lesson that you never learned when you sat behind this desk.

"Let's look at the track record of this company. The number of stars who wind up managers, commissioners, and front office staff after their careers are over. More to the point, let's look at who winds up in that position. All of them were those who found favor in your eyes. It was all about the status quo with you. You had your vision of what the GWF had to be. And without hesitation, you manipulated, bullied, and forced this company to give you everything you wanted."

Omega rose from his chair, leaning on both his cane and the desk as he lowered his face to Drury, his voice low and measured. "Praise from the student? If I were a lesser man, I'd be flattered. To be honest, that little speech could just as easily been made for you. Do you really think that your secrets are not known to me? I know all about your dirty dealings both in and out of this company. So why not do the smart thing, and just give Bloodline his shot? You don't want things to get messy with the board of directors."

The smile disappeared from Drury's face completely.

"Omega, you are an old fool. Do you really think that there is anyone left in this company who is willing to listen to you anymore. Since day one, you have imposed your will on everyone in this company. In my time running this company, I have made sure to keep my loyalists close, and to send all of yours to new endeavors. There is no one here who will take your side over mine, let alone listen to the ramblings of a bitter old wrestler whose time has passed.

"And for the record, if you want to try and go to the press with me and my so called secrets, you just need to keep in mind one little thing. Before putting that desk into storage, I took out the documentation. You would be amazed how many secrets were still remaining on paper, in the computers, and provided from disgruntled ex-employees. You have hearsay, I have evidence.

"As it stands now, you are not even close to being the man you once were, and even further away from the man you think you are. Do you think you still have any love from the fans after it came out that you lied about having a grandson? Do you think your legacy has not been tainted? Even with your handpicked successor Massif behind this desk, did you notice how nobody from the front office rallied to your defense? That's because you are a damaged legacy. You were the man, but now, you are someone that the industry is longing to forget."

Omega slammed his cane over the desk, trying to hit Drury. "Damn you! I know all about your tricks with Thantos! With Bishop Hell! You are not going to get away with this!"

Sly Drury responded with a hard slap across the face of the GWF co-founder, which brought him to his knees.

"There is nothing you can do. I run this federation. I control its future. I control its destiny. You see the world in black and white, and your vision has tainted this company long enough. All of your machinations, lies, and tricks won't work on me. I'm not a loyalist of yours. I am not one of your needy children who looked to Daddy to make them into champions."

Reaching down, Sly Drury lifted Omega to his feet, and pushed him into the chair. He tried to fight back, but his arms were held fast by a smiling Sly Drury. After a few moments, Omega realized that his resistance was to no avail. He slumped down into his chair, as Drury continued to berate him.

"For many years, you have made enemies from your former allies. Morpheus, Thantos, and Commander Sam all stepped away from you. And even when they returned to your side, it was only because they did not have the strength to break away from you. That is the one fact that you cannot deny. The only thing that ever stopped people from hating you is the power that you possessed. At one time, you were the power in the GWF. But if push came to shove, and if you were foolish enough to try and come after me, my office, or the company that had entrusted me to control its direction, the world would see just how little power you really have."

He released his grip on Omega, and walked around his desk. Omega stared at him with silent rage in his eyes as he stood up. "This isn't over, Drury."

Sly Drury couldn't contain his smile. "Actually, it is over. You are going to leave my office now. As pathetic as I find you right now, you have earned enough respect in the industry to walk out with your legacy intact. Go home, and enjoy your remaining years with respect and dignity. I have nothing to gain from destroying your legacy. I already have all the power and respect I need. There is nothing you have that I could possibly want. But if you speak against me or confront me again, I will take away what little I have given you this day."

For long moments, both men stared at each other. It was a moment where the balance of power teetered between both men. It was a defining moment that only the two of them would ever know, and that only the other could truly understand. As Omega turned to leave, Sly Drury returned to his computer and started reviewing his agenda.

"Oh, Omega? One more thing..."

Omega turned with a look of frustration and anger, not saying a word.

"Don't ever discuss the career of your grandson, or any other wrestler, with me. Ever."

*****

Later that evening, Sly Drury left the GWF Offices. Before leaving, he left instructions with the office staff to have the old wooden desk taken out of storage, and to be moved to his retreat in the countryside. That night, Sly Drury sat across his Uteympian Fire Circle, watching the flames consume a desk that was cared for and protected for over 200 years. Looking across the burning timbers, his eyes caught the stare of The Aethran Overmaster.

"So, Drury... Why have you summoned me here?"

A knowing, sinister smile crossed the lips of the GWF Commissioner...

To be continued...