A New Guy's GWF Fed!!! (2119 Start Date)

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Card 007 - House Show at the Jessie Wild Memorial Auditorium on Earth

As the show opens, Stars and Stripes come out to psych the crowd up for the evening's entertainment. After they're done, four of the Heavy Metal contenders - Havoc, Minotaur, Anivar, and the Betrayer - come out, and the holographic image of Minister Spike appears. He tells them that the challenge arranged for their two matches is a variation on the Tables Match. One of the four sides of the ring will have  no ring ropes; instead, a large sheet of plate glass will be placed along it. The goal of the match will be to throw the opponent through the glass.
[Yes, I know ring ropes don't work that way; it's the future. Also, my apologies for the dumb joke.]

1)Singles Match - Tristan vs Slave Beast
A simple match to start things off, the two fight back and forth for a long time, each seizing the momentum back after a while. They brawl multiple times out of the ring, barely making the count. Finally, on one of these brawls, Slave Beast grabs Tristan and slams him on the ground with a Cry of the Beast, then returns to the ring. Tristan stumbles back to his feet, but can’t make the count, giving Slave Beast the victory.
WINNER: SLAVE BEAST VIA COUNTOUT [Fatigue: Slave Beast 2, Tristan 2; 20 minutes, 2 Stars]

2)Heavy Metal Qualifier - Havoc vs Anivar, Plate Glass Match
The first match in the Heavy Metal Tournament is a rematch from Starclash. Havoc has the speed advantage, while Anivar has more power. Both make a single failed attempt to throw the other through the glass over the course of the match, each barely countered. Finally, just as Havoc seems to have the momentum, he fails an attempt at an Insiguri, and Anivar grabs him by the legs and hurls him through the glass.
WINNER: ANIVAR VIA RINGOUT [Fatigue: Havoc 1, Anivar 1; 14 minutes, 1.5 stars]

3)Women's Match - Thrash vs Lorelei
A short, intense match. Lorelei gets a bit of momentum in the middle of the match, even putting Thrash in a Sharpshooter at one point, but Thrash generally stays dominant - it seems like she's working out her rage at losing the Tournament on Lorelei. Finally, when Lorelei kicks out of a pin after a Single-Arm DDT, Thrash immediately hits her with a Femme Fatal, which is enough to end the match.
WINNER: THRASH VIA PINFALL [Fatigue: Lorelei 3, Thrash 1; 8 minutes, 2.5 stars]

4)Heavy Metal Qualifier - Minotaur vs the Betrayer, Plate Glass Match
The Betrayer is in control for almost all of the match. He’s just too fast for Minotaur, and savvy enough to avoid trying to weaken him with submissions that the Animan might just power out of. Minotaur’s bulk gets used against him; he’s able to narrowly avoid defeat multiple times, but eventually, Betrayer takes a risk, climbing onto his back and locking his arms into a Black Funeral. 
Minotaur angrily rushes forward, smashing into the glass; Betrayer jumps off just in time to avoid a double-elimination, and Minotaur crashes to the ground.
WINNER: THE BETRAYER VIA RINGOUT [Fatigue: Minotaur 4, Betrayer 0; 12, minutes, 2.5 stars]

Since the Heavy Metal rounds require some cleanup, both of those matches are immediately followed by a musical act - a local reenactment group, playing authentic 20th-century southern rock. After the mess from Minotaur and Betrayer's match is out of the way, it's time for the main event. The Troubleshooters come out first, Phantasy leading the way, wearing the Women's Championship around her waist. The Bomb carries their flag - a flag of their own design, featuring Muss and the Bomb's faces prominently, which gets a loud chorus of boos. Then, the live band starts playing Freebird, and Stars and Stripes come out, American Guy waving the American flag, Latasha cheering the whole while.

5)Tag Team Match - Stars and Stripes w/Latasha vs the Troubleshooters w/Women's Champion Phantasy, Flag Match
A few early attempts are made by each side to grab the others’ flag, but get stopped, as the momentum shifts back and forth. Muss spends more of the match in the ring, but the Bomb has one streak of really good offense, laying out US Male and setting up Muss to try and grab the flag. American Guy rallies, pulling Muss off the pole. Stars and Stripes then hit Rocket’s Red Glare - three times - to soften Muss up, the crowd roaring louder each time. US Male cuts off the Bomb with a top-rope bulldog when he tries to interfere - and out of the ring, Latasha stops the Women’s Champion with a clothesline - allowing American Guy to triumphantly climb the turnbuckle and wave the flag.
WINNER: STARS AND STRIPES VIA FLAG RETRIEVAL [Fatigue: Muss 5, the Bomb 0, American Guy 1, US Male 1; 20 minutes, 2 stars]

[Overall card rating: 2.10]

Heavy Metal Championship Standings: Anivar and the Betrayer advance to the Semifinals.

[chaosclockwork]

Another edition of Monday Night Morpheus comes around!
-There's no video footage offered of the carnage that occurred at the Jessie Wild Auditorium, but a few still images show off the Heavy Metal fights, as well as the triumph of Stars and Stripes.
-The next event coming up is another edition of Novabrawl, broadcasting from Ursa Major. One of the highlights of the night will be the first match for the Interplanetary Championship, pitting Bloodline against the Amazing Mann.
-It's been reported that Endgame has finally recovered from his injuries, and Paralyze's suspension has run its course, so they'll both have their first matches back that night.
-A series of quick video montages show various members of the roster enjoying their time on Earth - Stars and Stripes in Washington DC, Vin and his Greatest Show in the Roman Colosseum, Antak and Minotaur on a fishing boat in the Atlantic, Phantasy and the Troubleshooters riding in a limo through the neon streets of Beijing, and so forth. Even the Gladiators of Aethra take the time to visit a museum, mostly looking at ancient weapons and armor. Thrash pauses in front of a hologram of the Winged Victory statue, expressing admiration. 'They tore her head and arms off, but she's still here, still victorious. She gets it.'
-As an odd note - while the Animen are in Florida, after they finish up a meal, an incredibly old man in a wheelchair suddenly gasps, pointing to Minotaur. 'It's HIM!!' is all he exclaims, as he begins hyperventilating. The family apologizes and quickly rushes him out of the room. Minotaur is disturbed, but the other Animen pay it no mind. Obviously, footage of this is not aired.
-Back at the Morpheus Center, Havoc comes in, saying this will be the last time he'll be the Voice of Aethra. He's excited to get back to tag team fighting, and he and Paralyze already have their first opponents scouted - the Animen Horde. He then mentions that there was something else he wanted to bring up, but he's forgotten...
-After Havoc, Vin Strutter comes by. He talks up the Amazing Mann's chances to win the Interplanetary belt, as well as Steele Freak's viciousness. In fact, at Novabrawl, Steele Freak is due to have a match against a man who recently lost his chance for the Heavy Metal title, Minotaur. Meanwhile, Kill Prey is challenging Valour of the Guardians to a fight, for his own reasons. Sir Melvin brings up that job offer that Vin directed towards the Troubleshooters, but Vin dodges the question.
-Scutt Sleeze gets a visit from the Society of Death. The Betrayer gloats about his victory against Minotaur, insisting that the rest of his opponents will suffer the same fate. Meanwhile, Tanck drops a bombshell - still desperate to prove himself the strongest man in the Federation, he's challenged Endgame to a match. Even the Betrayer looks at him like he's crazy.
-Next up, the Troubleshooters drop in on Sleeze. They're still sore about their two back-to-back losses, insisting that the 'ungrateful' audience on Earth threw their game off. Phantasy, meanwhile, is angry about Latasha laying her out. Afterwards, 'that snotty cheerleader' challenged Phantasy to a non-title match; Phantasy promises to show her just why she's the champion.
-Finally, Verne and Melvin welcome the Guardians, including Endgame. He thanks all his fans for their support and well-wishing, and promises to impress. When asked about the match against Tanck, he simply shrugs and says that perhaps a lesson needs to be learned. Valour, meanwhile, has no qualms about the upcoming fight with Kill Prey; Endgame reminds him to be more careful about his sword, an admonishment that earns a heavy sigh from Valour. As for Reckless, with his fellow champion being occupied, he's agreed to joining Tristan for a tag team match against Epoch and Slave Beast.

And so, we get a prospective card for the next Novabrawl:
1)Minotaur vs Steele Freak

2)Kill Prey vs Valour

3)High Stakes vs the Colonizers

4)Latasha vs Phantasy, Non-Title

5)Bloodline vs Amazing Mann, Interplanetary Tournament

6)Animen Horde vs Havoc and Paralyze

7)Endgame vs Tanck

[chaosclockwork]

...okay, I figured I'd run a couple of these matches tonight, just to have them done. I hit the button to launch the game table for Steele Freak vs Minotaur...and instead of Minotaur, it loaded up the free Rob Van Dam card I got for signing up to cotgonline.
I'm really tempted to just run with it.

[chaosclockwork]

Card 008 - Novabrawl, at the Mizar Solarshere in Ursa Major
Jezebel Moon and Slambot X are joined on commentary by the Commissioner himself. Massif says that, with no-DQ matches on the non-broadcast shows serving as an outlet for uncontrolled violence, the wrestlers will be able to focus on sportsmanship and competition in the ring tonight.

1)Singles Match - Kill Prey vs Valour
Kill Prey starts off pretty dominant in the match, constantly out-wrestling or out-maneuvering Valour. For some reason, Valour keeps trying to hit Kill Prey with a Double Knee Lift, but every time he tries, Kill Prey counters and takes control of the match. Valour barely powers out of a submission, and later on, kicks out of a pin after a Skullcrusher. There’s a lot of near-DQ moments in the match - vicious brawling outside of the ring on multiple occasions. Plus, at one point, Kill Prey screws up a high-spot move, knocking out the referee for some time. By the end of this, Valour has seized the momentum. After a quick rollup attempt fails, he hits Kill Prey with a Warrior’s Rage - but Kill Prey kicks out. During the kickout, the ref dodges out of the way, ending up losing his balance. While the ref is distracted, Valour gets enraged, and Kill Prey ends up getting smacked in the face with his sword; the referee misses it, and Valour manages the pin.
Massif is not particularly happy about this.
WINNER: VALOUR VIA PINFALL [Fatigue: Valour 2, Kill Prey 2; 12 minutes, 2 stars]

Backstage, Scutt Sleeze checks in on the Animen. She Devil expresses her worry about them facing Gladiators, but Swarm tells her not to worry. She Devil then uses her hat to hide their faces from the camera, but an audible smooch is heard. 'For luck', she says. Scutt goes to ask Minotaur if he's annoyed by this, but finds him distracted; he explains that it's not concern about the upcoming match - he's just been uneasy ever since an odd encounter back on Earth. Antak tells him to shrug it off and concentrate on the match, and Minotaur seems to look a bit better.

2)Tag Team Match - High Stakes vs The Colonizers
Reckless and Slave Beast start things off; Epoch never makes it into the ring for this one, as it turns out. Reckless starts on the offensive; after a failed pin attempt, he tags in Tristan, at which point Slave Beast rallies. He takes the fight to Tristan over and over, Reckless barely breaking up a pin attempt at one point. He seems to be relishing repeating his previous victory; Epoch yells at him to tag him in, after a 3rd pin attempt, but Slave Beast ignores him; this results in Tristan managing a Hurricanrana, and running back to his corner for a tag. Reckless comes in hot, hitting three Reckless Drivers in a row; Slave Beast kicks out of the first. During the second, Epoch breaks up the pin, but Tristan pulls him out of the ring, where the two brawl. When Reckless hits his last Driver, it’s enough to keep Slave Beast down. Epoch, enraged, breaks off the fighting to storm the ring and berate Slave Beast, as Reckless and Tristan support each other on the walk to the back. Massif is more pleased with this one, as the rules were mostly maintained.
WINNER: HIGH STAKES VIA PINFALL [Fatigue: Slave Beast 4, Tristan 3, Others 0; 11 minutes, 2 stars]


In the back, Sleeze checks on the Guardians. Endgame and Valour greet the victorious Reckless, but Endgame begins to admonish Valour again. Valour insists that he only did what was necessary, and points out that Tanck will almost certainly cheat in the upcoming match. Endgame simply says that the upcoming match is a chance for many lessons to be taught - not just to Tanck and his allies, but perhaps to others. He looks directly at Valour as he says this; Reckless and Scutt Sleeze exchange an awkward glance at the noticeable tension.

Next up is a Women's Match. Phantasy and the Troubleshooters come out first, and Phantasy congratulates the crowd at their opportunity to watch her brilliance. There's a good amount of strutting and posing to boos, before Latasha comes out with the Stars and Stripes.

3)Women's Singles Match - Latasha w/Stars and Stripes vs Phantasy w/The Troubleshooters, Non-Title Match
This ends up being a long, tough match. Latasha starts out fierce, getting in a lot of Latasha Lances early. Her first pinfall attempt gets broken when the referee gets distracted by Muss. When this happens again, the two accompanying tag teams start brawling on the outside, at which point the referee ejects all four of them. The action then shifts back and forth constantly, with pin attempt after pin attempt, each woman seizing momentum - there’s a lot of outside brawling, now that the floor is unoccupied, which Massif is getting increasingly annoyed about. Finally, Phantasy hits Latasha with a Cradle Suplex, then quickly puts her in a Sweet Suicide. Latasha makes it to the ropes, and after the break, immediately charges Phantasy, grabbing her in a Cobra Clutch Suplex and slamming her down for the 3-count. The crowd roars at the upset; Latasha staggers backstage, grinning at her victory, while Phantasy pouts in the ring.
WINNER: LATASHA VIA PINFALL [Fatigue: Latasha 4, Phantasy 6; 20 minutes, 3.5 stars]

Backstage, Vin Strutter is rallying the troops. Shann-Ra is angry about the outcome of Kill Prey's match, but Kill Prey admits he'd have done the same thing in Valour's place. Vin proclaims that both of his remaining competitors in action tonight will see victory; he arranges GWF security to escort Steele Freak to the ring, as he has more strategy to discuss with the Amazing Mann.

Back at ringside, security brings Steele Freak out, leading him into the ring. Moon asks the Commissioner if he's worried about this match, but he says he's had a discussion with Minotaur, who promised to try and keep the match as under control as possible. As Minotaur walks towards the ring, Massif is in the middle of extolling the virtues of a clean wrestling match - but then, a strange energy surge rips through the arena! People mutter in worry, some screaming in panic as the ring announcer urges them to stay calm. Moon asks what's going on, and Slambot mentions that his sensors are picking up some sort of tachyonic disturbance. Objects seem to pop in and out of existence at random. Then, Minotaur himself glows green, and vanishes - replaced by someone else!!!

4)Singles Match - Steele Freak vs Minotaur ? ? ?
As Minotaur disappears, a green glow explodes in the ring, and a new person appears - a stocky man with a ponytail, wearing a wrestling singlet. He looks around, confused by the audience, then at the growling Steele Freak. He just has time to utter 'You ain't Rhino' before Freak charges at him. The man dodges out of the way, and not knowing what else to do, the referee calls for the bell to be rung and the match to start. The stranger dominates throughout the match, going for a lot of high spots; Moon describes him as a 'Really Vicious Diver'. At one point, Steele Freak actually rolls outside; the stranger leaps over the ropes after him, but Freak actually catches the man, slamming him into the barricade. Freak then brings him inside, and climbs the turnbuckle to try a high move of his own - this turns out to be a mistake, as the stranger pulls him down onto the ring floor. Freak kicks out of the pin, then goes on the offensive. The stranger lands badly after a clothesline, limping as if his ankle might be injured; however, just as Steele Freak is about to charge in to finish him off, there's another green flash, and a steel chair appears in midair. Shrugging, the man grabs it, throws it at the Steele Freak's face, and then kicks him through it. Massif is beside himself with frustration as the referee doesn't rule for a DQ; Steele Freak falls over, and the stranger hits him with a move Slambot refers to as a 'Rolling Thunder', earning the pin in front of a roaring crowd. 
WINNER: REALLY VICIOUS DIVER VIA PINFALL [Fatigue: Steele Freak 3, RVD 0; 10 minutes, 5 stars]

Steele Freak is carefully taken into the back, as the mysterious stranger stands on the turnbuckle, basking in the crowd's admiration - his ankle looks thankfully uninjured. Then, there's another surge of temporal energy, and both the man and the chair are gone (as are several other extratemporal objects); a moment later, Minotaur reappears in the ring, clutching a mostly-drunk Earth beer in his hand, and clutching his ribs. Minotaur just shrugs, sighs in relief, and heads towards the back; Moon and Massif are both incredibly confused, but Slambot tells them that he thinks he understands, and that he'll investigate, and explain his theory on the next MNM.

Backstage, Scutt Sleeze talks to the Gladiators. Paralyze is thrilled to be about to get back into the ring and start taking people apart. Havoc also seems enthusiastic; again, he remembers that there was something that he needed to tell people, but he's again forgot it...

5)Tag Team Match - Animen Horde vs Havoc and Paralyze
Brutal. Just brutal. Swarm and Paralyze start things off, with Paralyze on the offense. Swarm briefly rallies, but Paralyze tosses him over the top ropes, and he barely makes it back inside. Paralyze tags in Havoc, who has the upper hand for a while, but Swarm makes it to the corner and tags in Antak. He gets the Aethran in a nerve grip, but Havoc powers out, tagging in Paralyze. He slams Antak around, softening the animan up with a High Tension and a Piledriver, before going for the Paralyzer. Swarm breaks up the pin just before the three-count. Paralyze tags Havoc in, then charges Swarm, flinging him over the ropes and following him down; meanwhile, Antak staggers to his feet, just in time for Havoc to hit him with a Fallen Dreams for the pin. She Devil and Minotaur come out to help the Horde backstage, as the Gladiators bask in boos and victory.
WINNER: HAVOC AND PARALYZE VIA PINFALL [Fatigue: Swarm 1, Antak 3, Gladiators 0; 6 minutes, 1.5 stars]

In one last visit backstage, Scutt Sleeze finds himself talking to the Gamemasters, who are not in the most united of moods. Thantos plainly tells Tanck that he won't be watching the match from ringside; Encubus and Sly agree with him on this. He says that there are more important matters to be paying attention to, and that Tanck's success rate in this crusade isn't particularly impressive. Even Betrayer seems reluctant to help, until Tanck gest close to begging; although clearly nervous, the Betrayer agrees to be at ringside.

We then come to the first qualifying match for the Interplanetary Championship. Massif is expecting good, clean, technical brilliance from the two competitors in question.

6)Interplanetary Tournament Match - Bloodline w/Lorelei vs The Amazing Mann w/Vin Strutter
This match begins heavy on technical wrestling, both going for lockups and submission moves. After some back and forth, Bloodline escapes a suplex attempt, bringing the Amazing Mann down to the mat with a Cetus Masterlock. Just after he’s got it locked in, Vin Strutter is up on the apron yelling. While the referee is distracted, the Amazing Mann pulls out a padlock and hits Bloodline with it, causing Massif to scream bloody murder at commentary. Mann takes over the match at this point, with Bloodline barely escaping from the Contortion hold twice. Things start to break down when they both end up brawling outside. Vin moves to distract again, but Lorelei is right in his face this time; he grabs a handful of one of his powders, but she kicks him in the gut, causing him to throw it in his own face. When the referee goes to calm the two down, Shann-ra pops out of the crowd and tosses a juggling club to the Amazing Mann, but Bloodline intercepts; he thinks about hitting Mann with it, but decides against it, tossing it to the ground and climbing back onto the apron. Mann, angry, grabs the club, pulls Bloodline's foot off the apron, and as Bloodline falls, slams the club into his face on the way down. Unfortunately for him, the referee sees this, and a DQ is ruled. Before the Amazing Mann can react, Vin Strutter stumbles over to Mann and Shann-Ra, his paralyzing poison taking its toll on him; the two carry Strutter towards the back between them as the crowd boos. Strutter attempts to yell insults back, but is having trouble forming complete words.
WINNER: BLOODLINE VIA DQ [Fatigue: Bloodline 2, Amazing Mann 1; 8 minutes, 1 star]

Finally, the last match of the evening arrives. Tanck comes down to the ring first, the Betrayer accompanying him; Tanck flexes in the ring, trying his best to look confident, though Betrayer seems very uncomfortable. Then, as the crowd cheers, Endgame walks out calmly. He climbs into the ring, and nods to Tanck, and the match begins.

7)Singles Match - Endgame vs Tanck w/The Betrayer
Endgame waits calmly, letting Tanck attempt the first move, then quickly counters the move with one of his own. After a few such allowances, Endgame takes to the offense fully, hitting a Shining Wizard, then putting Tanck in a Rolling Figure Four. As Tanck makes it to the ropes, the Betrayer gets on the apron, distracting the referee; Tanck attempts to take advantage of this, but a judo-esque throw from Endgame sends him towards the ropes, where he slams Betrayer off the apron and onto the barricade, effectively taking him out. In the ring, Tanck actually manages to briefly overpower Endgame, hitting him with some offense, but Endgame counters with another Shining Wizard. Tanck crawls out of the ring to recover; rather than follow him out for a brawl, Endgame sits in the ring and waits. Enraged, Tanck charges back in, right into a Michinoku Driver. Tanck manages to kick out of the pin attempt that follows, but Endgame immediately goes for a beautiful Ultima Leap, which connects and allows him to put Tanck away.
WINNER: ENDGAME VIA PINFALL [Fatigue: Endgame 0, Tanck 4; 5 minutes, 2 stars]

Endgame celebrates in the ring, waving to the crowd, as Betrayer and Tanck stagger back up the entranceway. Massif is full of admiration for the clean match. Then, when the Society of Death is by the wall near the entrance, Havoc appears on a balcony, microphone in hand. He's finally remembered the big announcement he keeps forgetting  - 'Tonight, your champion is coming back'. As he says this, the wall explodes away as Disaster bursts through, grabbing Betrayer and throwing him into Tanck. He roars as the crowd goes wild; he looks as if he's about to continue his aggression, when Endgame is out of the ring and approaching him. The two wrestlers stare at each other. Meanwhile, Tanck staggers to his feet, and briefly looks like he's actually considering attacking one or both of the two men. Betrayer has to grab him by the arm to get him to finallly see sense and retreat, and the broadcast ends with Endgame and Disaster continuing to lock gazes.

[Overall card rating 2.43]

Interplanetary Tournament Standings
Bloodline advances to the final round

[chaosclockwork]

Interlude

January 29, 2000 at Zuma Beach Club in Orlando, FL

Well, after the tag match carnage is cleared away, we're ready for our main event!

8)ECW World Television Championship Match Singles Match - Rhino vs Rob Van Dam ? ? ?
As the Champion approaches the ring, a series of strange green explosions start going off all around; one of them envelopes RVD, and he vanishes! Everyone looks around, astonished, when another figure suddenly appears in the ring - a figure that looks to be half-man, half bull! The ref shrugs, assuming this is some sort of publicity stunt that Heyman didn't explain to him, and calls for the match to start. This Bull-Man figure is very confused at first, but Rhino is surprisingly enthusiastic to lock up with the beast, and the bull-man returns offense in kind.  The fight is big and brutal, in and out of the ring. The creature gets hit with a Gore early, but the two actually crash right through the ropes, tearing them apart! At one point, when the bull-man is knocked down to the ground, he locks eyes with a teenager in the crowd, and gasps in astonishment. He doesn't get a chance to say more than 'You...' before Rhino picks him up for a powerbomb. Even without ring ropes, they end up back in the ring brawling. The stranger goes for a charge just as Rhino goes for another gore, and they collide head-first. Both barely stagger back to their feet at the 9-count. Suddenly, Justin Credible runs in, distracting the referee; while he's busy, Lance Storm tosses a chair to Rhino. He goes to slam it into the Bull-Man, but there's another green explosion, and the chair vanishes from his hands. While he's confused, the creature recovers enough to charge into him horns-first, putting him down for the pin.
WINNER: BULL-MAN VIA PINFALL [Fatigue: Rhino 7, B 6, 15 minutes, 5 stars]

After the victory, some enterprising person backstage quickly pops a Kid Rock cd into the sound system, and 'Bull-Man' gets the ECW theme of 'I Am the Bullgod'. Though still confused, the creature basks in the crowd's appreciation. Heyman himself, smelling money, runs down grinning, offering the creature a beer and asking if he's willing to negotiate a contract. The two drink, but before any answer can be given, there's another series of green explosions, and the Bull-Man is gone. Rob Van Dam suddenly appears back in the ring, looking very confused; the missing chair also reappears, falling on Heyman's head.

[Overall card rating 3.04]

[chaosclockwork]

-We begin our next Monday Night Morpheus with a glimpse into Massif's office. Slambot X is there, along with several other backstage talents. Slambot is explaining to them all the nature of temporal mechanics, as well as a history lesson. The audience is keeping up to differing degrees - the Commissioner himself seems to be getting a headache. Slambot explains the specific set of circumstances in Mizar that led to an accidental time travel incident. Obviously, the Federation is no stranger to the occasional bout of time travel - 'Please don't remind me of the Hammer' - and by the end of the match, those people on staff versed in the history of Earth wrestling had a pretty good idea who the time-traveling wrestler was. Slambot confirms this - he did some extra research, and was able to pinpoint the likely date Rob Van Dam traveled from. The records are incomplete, but after one particular ECW show in the year 2000, rumors circulated of some sort of strange costumed opponent, and weird special effects. In the aftermath of this, Paul Heyman got a huge influx of cash, which was able to keep his promotion going for another decade or so. Not long after this, a corporation managed to develop Earth's first technology for faster-than-light travel, initiating the planet into the greater galactic community and leading to their role in the course of events over the last century. Slambot's conclusion is that, after the temporal incident, Heyman secretly sold that corporation some sort of temporally-infused object - like, for instance, a teleported steel chair - that allowed them to jumpstart their research.
"So....you're telling us that Earth traveled through space because Minotaur traveled through time?"
"Exactly! Earth could only be a destination for Galactic Wrestling thanks to that temporal anomaly! Were it not for the hardcore violence of one week ago, you would never have had the hardcore violence of two weeks ago!"
The Commissioner buries his head in his hands and demands everyone go away.
-Back at their desks, Verne and Sir Melvin review the results of the latest Novabrawl. They then talk about the next house show, for which the GWF will be traveling to Draco. There, the last two matches of the opening round of the Heavy Metal tournament will take place.
-Scutt Sleeze talks for a while with the Animen. Antak and Swarm aren't discouraged by their loss against the Aethrans; and there'll be other chances to beat them. Minotaur isn't interested in discussing his 'journey'; he came out of it in one piece, which is all he cares about. He'll be taking part in tag team action next, as he and Antak face the Society of Death. Meanwhile, She Devil mentions that Thrash has challenged her for a match at the house show; she promises to match the Gladiator's brutality if need be.
-In the last segment, the Gladiators arrive on Verne and Melvin's set, led by the Galaxian Champion, Disaster. The Champion graciously allows the hosts to congratulate him on his victory. He says that no opponent has been settled on for his first title defense, but he's looking forward to it. Thrash talks about her victory against Lorelei, and promises another one against She Devil - 'a beating so bad, they won't be filming it'. Paralyze, meanwhile, has arranged for a singles match against his rival Valour at Draco - in fact, they've both agreeed to make it a no-disqualification affair. 'If he wants to bring that sword in the ring, he's welcome to it. But he may end up eating it!'

[chaosclockwork]

Card 009 - House Show at the Dragon's Lair in Draco

The biggest venue on the planet Thuban is packed for the show, with a particularly bloodthirsty crowd. At the opening, Switchblade, Sly Drury, and Payback come to the ring, along with Vin Strutter. Spike appears again via hologram, and explains this week's stipulation - the Heavy Metal contenders will have to win a ladder match, climbing onto a platform hovering above the ring.

1)Women's Singles Match - She Devil vs Thrash
The beating is every bit as bad as Thrash predicted. She explodes out the gate with a Running Lariat, followed by a Femme Fatal. Over the next few minutes, she works She Devil over with a lot of vicious offensive, with a second pin attempt in the middle, and then ending with another Femme Fatal. After She Devil’s third kickout, Thrash climbs the turnbuckle, but She Devil recovers and tosses her off. She goes on the offensive for a bit, fighting Thrash in and out of the ring, but after she misses with a clothesline, Thrash is back in control. She body slams She Devil into the turnbuckle, and goes for a pin, but She Devil kicks out yet again. With a scream of frustration, Thrash hits her third Femme Fatal, finally putting She Devil down.
Swarm runs out to check on She Devil as Thrash celebrates.
WINNER: THRASH VIA PINFALL [Fatigue: She Devil 4, Thrash 0; 6 minutes, 2.5 stars]


2)Heavy Metal Qualifier - Sly Drury vs Switchblade, Ladder Match
The feud between these two brawlers continues. They trade blows for a bit, Switchblade trying and failing to overpower Sly several times. Sly gets put into a Centaurus Leg Lock long enough to weaken him; Switchblade then slips out of the ring to grab a ladder, but Sly still manages to hit a suicide dive to stop him. After a lot more brawling, Switchblade finally manages to get the ladder into the ring, slamming Sly into it before setting it up. Switchblade climbs, but Sly isn’t far after him. They brawl on the ladder, and it falls over, both men jumping off. After more brawling, they both make another climbing attempt, fighting on the ladder. Switchblade is knocked off first, but rather than climb, Sly dives off to slam into Switchblade - but Blade rolls away, leaving Sly to slam into the mat. More fighting ensues, and Switchblade makes one more attempt to climb, but Sly is right after him, and pulls him down, connecting with a kick on the way. The path clear, Sly manages to climb the ladder to victory.

WINNER: SLY DRURY VIA ASCENSION [Fatigue: Both 9; 32 minutes, 4.5 stars]


3)Tag Team Match - Animen Invasion vs Society of Death
This match goes the distance, and gets pretty intense. Despite not officially being no-DQ, the referee is willing to let a lot of distractions, outside fighting, and foreign objects play out, letting the crowd enjoy the violence. All four take some amount of punishment in the ring. At one point, the Betrayer attempts to use all three of his finishers on Minotaur, in rapid succession, but Minotaur easily powers out of each of them, causing steadily increasing frustration for the Betrayer. By the end, the smaller two members of both teams are dazed on the outside, while Tanck and Minotaur square off. Minotaur finds himself continuously out-muscled by Tanck, who glories in showing off his musculature. But Minotaur manages to out-wrestle him - he escapes an Airplane Spin Drop, counters by slamming Tanck neck-first on the ropes, and quickly getting distance and slamming into Tanck with a Charge, picking up the win.

WINNER: ANIMEN INVASION VIA PINFALL [Fatigue: Tanck 5, Betrayer 2, Antak 4, Minotaur 3; 34 minutes, 3 stars]


As the next match is set to begin, Vin Strutter comes out, leading a phalanx of security wearing archaic armor, who escort a chained and particularly fierce-looking Steele Freak to the ring.

4)Heavy Metal Qualifier - Payback vs Steele Freak, Ladder Match
Both men spend the whole match brutalizing each other - over the cource of the match, Payback hits the Payback Time on five separate occasions. Payback makes two attempts to grab the ladder, but both times is mauled by Steele Freak. Freak, by this point, has all the momentum, pulling Payback into and out of the ring to beat him up in every way that comes to mind. The ladder comes into the ring as a weapon when Freak rolls Payback into the ring, then hurls the ladder on top of him. Freak begins to climb, but Payback recovers and follows him up; in the resulting fall, Payback hurls Freak and himself entirely out of the ring, crashing through a table on the outside. Both men somehow recover from this, and the carnage returns to the ring. After Payback hits three separate pump handle slams, he attempts to climb again, but Steele Freak is right on his tail. Just as he's on the platform's rim, Steele Freak is on him, and they fight. They both begin to fall during the fighting; Payback manages to hold on by one hand as Steel Freak and the ladder both fall to the ground; Payback pulls himself up on the platform to win, as security collects the semi-conscious Freak.
WINNER: PAYBACK VIA ASCENSION [Fatigue: Payback 10, Steele Freak 12; 16 minutes, 5 stars]


5)Singles Match - Paralyze vs Valour, No Disqualification
The momentum spends a lot of time shifting back and forth; yet again, Valour keeps trying to use a Double Knee Lift that constantly gets countered by his opponent. Paralyze uses some of his more brutal moves to soften Valour up, while Valour makes several pin attempts after big slams. Due to the rules, they spend a lot of time brawling on the outside, through the audience and around the ring. Finally, Valour gets frustrated and pulls out his sword, clocking Paralyze with it and going for the pin, but Paralyze kicks out, and after a struggle, grabs the sword himself, striking Valour with it several times. He then puts Valour up on the turnbuckle and hits the Paralyzer...and Valour kicks out! Valour tries to escape to the outside, and Paralyze follows him. They slam each other against the ring and the barricade over and over. They end up back in the ring, where Paralyze keeps the upper hand, and manages to hit Valour with a second Paralyzer; this time, Valour stays down.

[Fatigue: Paralyze 3, Valour 4; 20 minutes, 4 stars]


[Overall card rating: 3.80]

Heavy Metal Championship Standings: Sly Drury and Payback advance to the semifinals