aCe: WAR IS HELL

[Eliath]

It is funny that last night I sat here reading this very fed considering what you were going to do with the new set.

I got up this morning & was surprised to see that you had posted & when I read it I was not disappointed. You have picked up right where you left off! I love how your characterization of Mr. Bloat. He is one of my favorite characters that you write.

The only thing that could possibly improve upon the start of this morning is to come home this afternoon & see that you have picked up your ULTRAVIOLENT ENTERTAINMENT again. Hint, hint. LOL!

Keep up the good work bro! I am seirously looking forward to this!

[Mr. Hyde]

Sept 24, 2008 5:30:59 GMT -5 Eliath said:

It is funny that last night I sat here reading this very fed considering what you were going to do with the new set.

I got up this morning & was surprised to see that you had posted & when I read it I was not disappointed. You have picked up right where you left off! I love how your characterization of Mr. Bloat. He is one of my favorite characters that you write.

The only thing that could possibly improve upon the start of this morning is to come home this afternoon & see that you have picked up your ULTRAVIOLENT ENTERTAINMENT again. Hint, hint. LOL!

Keep up the good work bro! I am seirously looking forward to this!

Thanks! As always, it's great to have you as a fan! Stay tuned, because 2121 is going to pure adrenaline-feuled warfare. All the pieces are in place, only one side can win, and all that's left to do is fight!

Unfortunately, the POC will not be holding any more fight cards until the release of the next set. So get on it Mr. Ashby! Although, I may put up a promo or two in anticipation of the next year, so you have something to hope for, Eliath. ;D

[Mr. Hyde]

BATTLE 29
CENTRA PALLADIUM, PALLADIUM MOON
11TH CYCLE-2120

…There was no Torture Chamber hanging above the arena on this night, but a cloud of depression still filled the air. In 2 years of constant war, it seemed as if the forces of Centra had accomplished nothing. Sure, the Centra Palladium had been won back, and a slow supply of Anti-Virus had found it’s way into circulation on Centra Prime. But Mecatoid, among other moons, still remained contested, with more soldiers dying there everyday. And although it was faring better now than at the beginning of the year, Centrapolis was still largely a condemned cesspool of ghouls, sickness, and despair.

In addition, Murdok the Harvester still remained on the loose, with his zombified armies on Antilia just waiting to strike out at the rest of the Dimension. Aegis had tried many times to finally destroy the Dread Lord, but had failed in every pursuit. His wife was still being held a captive living corpse by the Crusade, and the Bravest of Ramparts had failed to lead the ROC to any sort of Essence but for barely two cycles in 2119.

To the people of Centra, it appeared the aCe had only delayed the inevitable and that the ‘Grand Experiment’ was only meant to be a temporary distraction, rather than a permanent solution. What the people of Centra could have never guessed was that their sentiments were shared with various others around the Dimension, and these people had been working diligently to craft the solution to this endless warfare that the Centrans desperately sought. It was drastic, it was insane, but, quite possibly, it was needed. It was a solution already in the works, and it was a solution that could only be made after all else had failed. Indeed, there was no conundrum ever known to sentient beings more complex than the Battle for Centra, and although it had taken much time, a solid solution, a desperate solution, a Final Solution had been found for it…

Aspin Northstar w/ Lance At-Las vs. Grovel
Grovel beat the very much still injured Northstar into a bloody pulp, making Lance At-Las seriously consider throwing in the towel for his young protégé, but Aspin somehow battled back and amazingly took the win with a cross body block from the top turnbuckle!
VICTORIOUS: ASPIN NORTHSTAR w/ LANCE AT-LAS

Nemean & Holocaust vs. Darkness Falls
Both teams make big mistakes, but Darkness Falls use their superior agility to capitalize better, putting Nemean down with a Scavenger Slam.
VICTORIOUS: DARKNESS FALLS
--After the battle, Nemean is holding his only recently healed neck and appears to be moderately injured

Paganax vs. Gheist
The Heathen Chief took out a lot of pent up aggression on the Spectral Assassin, prolonging Gheist’s brutal beating for far longer than it should have lasted. Gheist suddenly began to fight back, but it was a last gasp as Paganax promptly ended things with a bone shattering PAGAN VOID.
VICTORIOUS: PAGANAX

…Hustler charges the ring and does damage to a downed Gheist, kicking and stomping away at him before delivering a Curb Jaw and getting down in his face! Hustler then explains that he isn’t done with Gheist, and that they may not be allowed to battle in the arenas, but they can sure as hell battle elsewhere. Hustler challenges Gheist to step into his world and put up or shut up in a Centrapolis Street Fight!…

BATTLEFIELD TITLE
CENTRA DEATH MATCH
The Specialists © vs. S&M
The Disgusting Duo does an excellent job of isolating Scorch. The Primus Miner makes a brief comeback, but is soon shut down and busted open by a vid monitor to the head from Sycophant. After that, The Deviant quickly shoved Scorch back into the ring, and made him pass out in THE TOURNIQUET.
VICTORIOUS: S&M (MURDOK’S CRUSADE ACHIEVES STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE)

Hustler vs. Godsend
This was a physical and brutal battle that saw back and forth action until Hustler delivered the Street Soldier Suplex across the ring stairs on the outside! Hustler battered Godsend with brass knucks after that, splitting him open right over the left eye. With Godsend woozy, hustler leapt from the top turnbuckle, attempting a Skull Cap, but was caught in a surprising Northern Lights Suplex! Godsend was slowly able to fire back after that, delivering a Realm Eternal to Hustler as he tried to get back into the ring, and breaking his nose. Godsend jumped on Hustler from then on, applying his SPEAK OF THE DEVIL! Hustler fought valiantly to break the hold, but Godsend was tenacious and forced the Savior of the Streets to pass out in the center of the ring!
VICTORIOUS: GODSEND

…As Godsend disappeared from the ring, Gheist suddenly appeared, still looking very sore from his combat earlier in the night! Hustler had barely recovered as Gheist gripped him by the face and told him angrily that he accepts Hustler’s challenge to a Centrapolis Street Fight, and that if he names the time and place, The Spectral Assassin will meet him there and finish what he started at Battle 12!

Gheist then loosed The Possessor and jumped from the ring, watching as the Accursed Blade sailed high into the rafters and sliced through a large section of lighting work! With glee, Gheist watched the gigantic piece of steel come crashing into the ring, completely destroying it! As the audience began to panic and flee, Gheist inspected the steel carnage in the center of the arena, looking for Hustler’s dead body. What he found instead was that Hustler had escaped the crashing steel frame by the skin of his teeth and was laying his hands on his pistols!

At this point Nicodemus led a large portion of Ravager Troopers into the fray, quickly followed by Shepard, Exodus, and Centra Guard. The large amount of armed forces physically removed both Gheist and Hustler from the arena floor, leaving them only able to hurl insults at each other until their brawl in the dark streets of Centrapolis sometime between this battle and the next!…

Exodus vs. Hybrid
It took about an hour for a new ring to be constructed for this bout. Hybrid steamrolled Exodus in the beginning, but seemed to lose focus as Exodus was able to fire back, keep up a prolonged offensive, and finally put the monster down with a Kingdom Come.
VICTORIOUS: EXODUS

…A huge amount of wooden tables are brought down to ringside and set up both around the ring and inside of it in the turnbuckles. The Living Dead shamble their way to the ring first, quickly followed by NuBorn Destruction who look intense and prepared for the war they are about to fight. Finally, to the screeches of the Tribesmen of Primus, Avarice & Flatliner appear and enter the ring, handing off their Tag Essence Championships.

With Warfare staring down his mortal enemy Flatliner and Tekaro staring down HIS mortal enemy Cremator, it fully sank in how much the war between these 3 squads had come full circle. For an entire year, NuBorn Destruction had fended off the ghoulish Living Dead and the dangerous duo of the egomaniacal Avarice and the Killing Machine, Flatliner. Now with the next to last battle of 2120 for the Tag Essence upon them, they would have to destroy both of their foes at the same time, and fight the very best battle of their lives if they had any hope of leading The Ravager Army into victory in 2121 and ending the Battle for Centra once and for all…

TAG ESSENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
TRIPLE THREAT TOWER OF TABLES MATCH
[glow=red,2,300]Avarice & Flatliner (c)[/glow] vs. NuBorn Destruction vs. The Living Dead
-Avarice & Flatliner double powerbomb Noxious through two tables, after the clumsy ghoul had fallen through a table all by himself!
-Warfare and Cremator both go through a table as they lose their balance from the top rope!
-Flatliner delivers a Systematic Suplex to Tekaro through a table, and then he and Avarice launch Tekaro over the top rope and through two tables to the floor!
-Warfare and Flatliner battle outside, creating a giant mess of 6 tables. In the ring, Tekaro goes up top, but gets followed by Cremator. Cremator latches onto Tekaro and tries to bite his throat, sending both men, with Tekaro landing first, into a death-clinch and sailing through the air, crashing through all 6 tables!
-Avarice splashes Noxious through a table and then whips him into a table in the turnbuckle, shattering it! Obviously still angry about the events of the last battle, Avarice then proceeds to drive Noxious through ANOTHER table with the 7TH SIN!
-A recovering Cremator fights off Warfare and then applies the CREMATOR CLAW to Flatliner, backing him up right over the top rope and through two tables on the outside!
-Flatliner drags Warfare and a still hurting Tekaro onto two tables outside! Avarice ascends the top turnbuckle and leaps off, but NuBorn Destruction both move, sending the Blackheart smashing through both tables!
-WITH 15 MINUTES LEFT, The Living Dead lead the Essence Bearers and NuBorn Destruction at 9, 7, and 3 broken tables respectively!
-After a wild melee in the ring, a hurting Tekaro tries to rescue Warfare from Noxious with his shield, but accidentally bashes Warfare instead! Stunned, Noxious tosses Tekaro into a table in the turnbuckle and breaks it!
-With Avarice already laid up on a table, Cremator forces Flatliner onto a table right next to him, and leaps from the ring apron, smashing both opponents!
-WITH 10 MINUTES LEFT, The Living Dead lead the Essence Bearers and NuBorn Destruction with 12, 7, and 3 tables broken respectively!
-Tekaro levels Noxious with a Ring of Destruction and turns to face Avarice. Tekaro runs to hit the ropes, but Noxious happens to be leaning on them, sending Tekaro out of the ring backwards and through a table!
-Warfare tries desperately to break tables by diving on Cremator and slamming Cremator into them, but the tables don’t break! Furious, Warfare starts wielding the tables like baseball bats and smashes 3 of them over the ghoul’s head in anger!
-Tekaro delivers a soaring leg drop to Noxious and puts him through a table! Then Warfare sets a table up, places Cremator on it and then dumps Noxious on top of him. Angrily, Warfare squashes them with another unopened table and keeps them pinned as Tekaro jumps off the tunrbuckle with his shield and smashes The Living Dead and 2 more tables!
-WITH 5 MINUTES LEFT, The Living Dead lead NuBorn Destruction and the Essence Bearers with 13, 9, and 7 broken tables respectively!
-Warfare drags Cremator out of the splintery carnage, props him up, and spears him out of the ring and through another pair of tables!
-Avarice and Noxious are battling, but Tekaro gets involved. Desperate and exhausted, Avarice quickly grabs Tekaro by the head and launches him through a table in the corner face first! After a fierce brawl outside the ring, Avarice then plants Tekaro into the concrete with a 7TH SIN and, with the help of Flatliner, delivers a Power of Greed off of the top turnbuckle and through 3 tables!
-Flatliner pairs off with Cremator and whips him into a table in the turnbuckle, breaking it! Avarice then decides to put his body on the line again and pays for it, as The Living Dead both avoid his splash and the Blackheart crashes through 2 more tables!
-WITH ONE MINUTE LEFT, The Living Dead lead NuBorn Destruction and the Essence Bearers with 15 and an 11-11 tie for tables broken respectively!
-Avarice manages to fight his way back into the ring, but Warfare intercepts him and drives him headfirst through a table in the corner, and then proceeds to splash the destroyed Blackheart through another table, JUST AS TIME EXPIRES!
VICTORIOUS WITH 15 TABLES BROKEN AND THE NEW TAG ESSENCE BEARERS:
THE LIVING DEAD

Final Score:

[glow=black,2,300]The Living Dead: 15[/glow]
Nuborn Destruction: 13

Avarice & Flatliner: 11

…With wooden splinters and shards covering the entirety of their decaying bodies, Cremator and Noxious dragged themselves over to the Tag Essence Championships and took hold of them. The eerily still Flatliner armor began to quake and the broken body of Avarice began to glow as the Essence of Centra left them and flooded into the putrid minions of Murdok!

All of the creatures in attendance looked on with disgust as the once golden glow of the Essence turned into what appeared to be a green slime and covered The Living Dead, being seemingly absorbed into their bodies and turning their eyes black as pitch. As the force of the Essence began to force the wooden splinters out of his Soldiers of the Damned, somewhere within the Crusade quarters of the arena, a heavily bandaged and still recovering Murdok watched on.

Murdok: (a grimy smile spreading on his face) Yessss. With the Battlefield Title and Tag Essence fueling my Crusade once more, Centra Prime will have no choice but to fall to my Ship of Souls. But…if I were to hold the One Essence as well…then the entire Dimension would powerless to stop the flight of the Dead Nemesis! My Crusade shall end 2120 the same way we started it: wielding unequalled and unstoppable power!!!!!!!

[Eliath]

WOW that was an EXCELLENT card!

The Tower of Tables Match was intense...I love how you wrapped up the ending with the Essence entering the new Champions & the changes it made to them. Great stuff!!

I'm glad to see the Crusade is closing out the year on top because I look forward to what you will do with them while they are there.

Keep it up bro...this one was EXCELLENT!!

[Mr. Hyde]

Sept 26, 2008 7:27:25 GMT -5 Eliath said:

WOW that was an EXCELLENT card!

The Tower of Tables Match was intense...I love how you wrapped up the ending with the Essence entering the new Champions & the changes it made to them. Great stuff!!

I'm glad to see the Crusade is closing out the year on top because I look forward to what you will do with them while they are there.

Keep it up bro...this one was EXCELLENT!!

Thanks, man!

[Mr. Hyde]

THE SCENE: SYNDICATE HEADQUARTERS, PLANET PRIMUS

Paganax: (common tongue) Battle 9: you hooked your feet on the ropes to defeat me!

Rankor: Please, Paganax! Please under-

Paganax: (beginning to smolder) Battle 16: While I battled Godsend for the Essence of Centra, YOU struck me with a rifle in the back of the head, and then blamed it on Ventross!

Rankor: I-I didn't mean to. Godsend had me posses-

Paganax: (beginning to ignite) Battle 20: Avarice eliminated Darkness Falls from the Tag Team Battle Royal!!

Rankor: I couldn't control him! He did it all on his own!

Paganax: (growing larger) Battle 24: The first chance you get, you blindside me during the Triple Threat Match with Godsend in an attempt to win the Essence!!!

Rankor: But you won the Essence during that match!

Paganax: (roaring and erupting in flames) SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!!!

Paganax suddenly grabs General Rankor by the throat and dead lifts his pleading carcass off of the floor and slams into a nearby wall! The Mad Designer looks around frantically for any signs of Avarice of Flatliner, but only sees the ravenous and savage Tribesmen of Primus tearing his Syndicate Headquarters apart panel by panel!

Paganax roars again and puts his face right into Rankor's actually singing the General's flesh with the heat erupting from his body!

Paganax: At EVERY chance you had, you screwed me and my people over, You worthless worm!

Rankor: But-

Paganax: (slamming Rankor into the wall again) SHUT UP!!!!!! And EVERY time you committed a transgression against me, you fed me some simple lie and THOUGHT I WAS STUPID ENOUGH TO BELIEVE YOU!

As the General is about to protest again, the furious Heathen Chief launches him across the room, sending him painfully into the hard floor. As Rankor tries to crawl away quickly, Paganax quickly leaps across the chamber, stomping Rankor's hand into the ground and basically shattering it!

The Treacherous One let out a shriek of pain as Paganax grabbed him by the head and lifted him off the ground once more, lining Rankor's desperate eyes up with his own incendiary eyes.

Paganax: You just assumed that because I am the HEATHEN CHIEF, I am intellectually inferior! Oh, how wrong you are, maggot filth! Yout hink that YOU have been using ME? No no no, it has ALWAYS been I using YOU! And now, your purposes have been expended! Our little 'alliance' is OFFICIALLY OVER!

Paganax forcefully slammed Rankor into the ground yet again, leaving the Mad Designer barely able to crawl from him. Paganax bent down and turned the Treacherous One over on his back, and once again looked him in the eyes, while bearing his fearsome fangs.

Paganax: Today, I settle for the annihilation of your little tinker toy set you call Syndicate Headquarters. But, if I EVER see YOU or the rest of the Judas Syndicate on my planet again, I WILL FEAST ON YOUR BONES!!!!!!!!

Angrily, Paganax launched General Rankor THROUGH the automatic sliding door to the room, and watched as his former ally squirmed in pain and half-consciousness out in the hallway.

Paganax: (erupting in a fireball that consumes the entire room) NOW GET OFF OF PLANET PRIMUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

==============================================

THE SCENE: A REMOTE STREET WITHIN THE BOWELS OF CENTRAPOLIS

There is a slight drizzle in the air. The street is dark, and the buildings on either side of it are densely packed and mostly boarded up. Grungy and dingy cars dot both sides of the street and the few working streetlights tend to flicker.

Hustler is sitting on one of the many grimy stoops on the roadway, his pistols in his hand, looking around alertly and angrily as he gets up to leave, convinced after waiting so long that Gheist is not going to show up.

Hustler: I knew dat [censored] Spectral Ass would puss out. Chicken [censored] [censored].

But as soon as Hustler’s guns are away, Gheist appears out of nowhere leaping out of an alley with a running dropkick, knocking Hustler into the street!

Hustler recovers and spears Gheist into the side of a car, laying into him and dragging him on top of the car, delivering a Street Soldier Suplex across the top of it!

The Spectral Assassin yelps in pain, slides off the car, and starts staggering for cover as Hustler draws a pistol and fires it! The bullet barely slices Gheist’s arm as he dives behind another car. Hustler charges and takes Gheist to the ground, rocking his face with hammer fists but Gheist throws him off and staggers toward a building.

Hustler charges again, but Gheist dives out of the way, sending Hustler crashing through a large glass window! Gheist quickly recovers and drags Hustler out of the glass, slamming him into a brick wall and launching him across the pavement toward the other side of the street.

Gheist slams Hustler headfirst into the side of a car and Hustler staggers away, getting his hands on a hubcap and slamming Gheist in the head with it! Gheist staggers back and Hustler climbs on top of a car, delivering a Skull Cap from the top of it! Gheist falls to the ground and Hustler takes the opportunity to deliver a nasty Curb Jaw right on the asphalt! As Hustler goes in for the kill, Gheist nails him in the gut and slips behind him and locks him in a rear choke!

Hustler struggles for his life, backing Gheist into a car, but to no avail. Hustler finally gets some elbows in on Gheist, but Gheist responds with a sickening SOUL SLAYER in the middle of the street!

Hustler is badly busted open and concussed for sure as Gheist goes for another choke! Hustler manages to flip Gheist over and into the asphalt. Gheist crawls toward another car and begins to stand when Hustler charges in! Gheist uses Hustler’s own momentum and sends his head smashing through the car’s driver side window!

Gheist pulls a severely bloodied Hustler from the car window and charges with him across the street, looking to plant him into another car’s front window, but Hustler puts on the brakes and sends Gheist back first into the front window of the car!

In severe pain and with his coat torn up, Gheist rolls down the hood of the car into Hustler, who has drawn his pistols! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! Hustler busts Gheist up with several brutal PISTOL WHIP’s that leave the Spectral Assassin bloody, beaten, unconscious, and defeated!

Gheist’s limp body slumps down in front of the car as a relieved yet heavily bloody Hustler sits on the hood and leans his head back for a moment. After a few moments, Hustler wipes the blood from his eyes and with one final act, to seal the deal on their wars, Hustler measures Gheist’s unconscious body and delivers a brutal Curb Jaw, on to the actual street curb!

With Gheist soundly defeated, Hustler slumped to a sitting position on the curb beside his enemy, once again regaining his wits and his breath.

Hustler: When you wake up, I hope you remember who put ya out in da first place, [censored]. Don't you never EVER [censored] wit Blue Steel, the Ramparts of Centra, or Hustler and think you can get away wit it! Now get yo powder ass off my streets [censored]!

With one final remark of disdain to the still unmoving body of Gheist, Hustler painfully pulled himself up off the street, dusted himself off, checked his guns, and began to limp away into the darkness, the definitive winner of the Centrapolis Street Fight!

[Mr. Hyde]

BATTLE PLAN

BATTLE 30
RUINS OF ANTILIA
11TH CYCLE-2120

RUINS OF ANTILIA MATCH
Hustler vs. Aegis
*Hustler specifically requested this match to Godsend, completely shocking the entire ROC! Scorch believes Hustler is out to stage a coup, but Shepard believes that more likely Hustler was hypnotized by Godsend at the conclusion of their fight at Battle 29*

BATTLEFIELD TITLE MATCH
S&M © vs. Holocaust & Hybrid

SIX-MAN ELIMINATION TAG
The Specialists & Exodus vs. Darkness Fall & Grovel

NON-TITLE MATCH
[glow=green,2,300]The Living Dead (inj) © [/glow]vs. The Light Brigade (inj)
*Although also still injured, Lance At-Las has been inspired by his own protege to take the battlefield prematurely. In response, Murdok has sicked his most loyal, though also a bit worse for wear, servants on the returning Light Brigade*

Godsend vs. Paganax
*According to Nicodemus, Godsend was chosen by the Essence to challenge for it at this battle! Instead, Murdok has placed Godsend in a different match, and against the always tough and newly reinvigorated Heathen Chief, no less*

ONE ESSENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
SEA OF FLESH MATCH
[glow=teal,2,300]Nicodemus ©[/glow] vs. Murdok
*Directly opposite to Nicodemus' recommendations, Murdok has placed himself in the spot of Challenger to the One Essence Championship in a mysterious and as yet unknown battle called the Sea of Flesh*

[Eliath]

I have always loved how you write Paganax...amazing visuals there! Great job!

The Street Fight was awesome as well! I like the idea of incorporating it in story form instead of the traditional match report. Another great idea!!

Inspiring stuff my friend...Keep it going!!

[Mr. Hyde]

BATTLE 30
RUINS OF ANTILIA
11TH CYCLE-2120

…Amidst the ruins selected for their battle, Aegis and Hustler now stared each other down as the rest of the ROC implored Hustler to back down. In reply, Hustler, with distant yet angry eyes, ordered the referee to start the match. Spitting his cigar onto the broken stone floor of the structure, Scorch pounded his fist and stepped toward the ring aggressively, proclaiming that he would gladly beat some sense into Hustler in Aegis’ stead!

Aegis abruptly put his arm out, ordering Scorch to halt. Begrudgingly, the Primus miner stopped in his tracks, but still looked ready to fight.

Aegis: If this is how it must be…then let it be. (nodding to the referee) Please, start the match.

RUINS OF ANTILIA MATCH
Hustler vs. Aegis
Aegis was hesitant to get to fighting, but Hustler opened up with a [censored] slap and the Bravest of Ramparts responded with a charging tackle and haymakers! Hustler had early control, using the environment to punish his commander as Scorch had to be held back. But Aegis suddenly exploded with rage on his own soldier, slamming him into walls, tossing him down stairs, and even attempting to drown Hustler in a muddy puddle! Furious, Aegis launched Hustler into a nearby pillar, only to watch the coloumn come crashing down on Hustler! Still seething, Aegis pulled Hustler from the rubble and covered him forcefully for the 1-2-3 and ending the short yet intensely vicious brawl.
VICTORIOUS: AEGIS

…Aegis stood over Hustler angrily for a few moments more before realizing what he had done. Even angrier now, Aegis turned away and shouted into the dank Antilian air as the rest of the ROC rushed to the area. Aegis immediately ordered his men to take Hustler back to the shuttle and get him medical attention as he began to walk away by himself across the muddy landscape.

Shepard followed his leader for a few steps, and attempted to reassure him during this darkened time. For nearly two years, when things had seemed to be as bad as possible, they somehow got worse and the ROC had so far been powerless to stop it. They all knew it, but the angst had gotten to Aegis once more, and after not being able to defeat Murdok a month ago, yet having no problem hurting one of his own, Aegis couldn’t help but feel that he and his Ramparts had already lost the Battle for Centra long ago.

Shepard informed Aegis that he and Exodus had both been receiving myriad visions as of late, and that within the next week, Exodus was planning on taking the Vagabond Priest to a mysterious place called the ‘Etheral Cathedral’ in accordance with these visions. Aegis was not calmed by this news, and was unable to get past the severe pounding his forces had taken in pursuit of the Essence these past two years. But Shepard did not waver, and left Aegis with words that could have only been inspired by Vallah himself.

Shepard: We may lose our battles, and we may lose our homes…but until we lose our faith, our victory in the Battle for Centra is assured. We have been given an ultimatum: Live or Die. I choose to live, and so do the other Ramparts. Tell me Aegis, which one do you choose?

BATTLEFIELD TITLE MATCH
S&M © vs. Holocaust & Hybrid
Momentum swung back and forth wildly in this battle, until Painmaster knocked Hybrid out by smashing him in the head with a loose stone, prohibiting the monster from getting back into the ring in time to avoid a countout!
VICTORIOUS: S&M (MURDOK’S CRUSADE RETAINS THE BATTLEFIELD TITLE)

SIX-MAN ELIMINATION TAG
The Specialists & Exodus vs. Darkness Fall & Grovel
-Grovel gets disqualified from the match by leveling Scorch with a loose rock from ringside, and then snatching the Ravager Referee’s pistol from him and attempting to fire it at the downed Rampart!
-Scorch stubbornly refuses to tag out, and insists on fighting Darkness Falls himself. This backfires in the end as Krypt reverses a pin attempt on Jakyll back onto Scorch to eliminate him!
-After a lengthy back and forth exchange, Krypt and Jakyll isolate Exodus and somehow put him away with 2 straight RED DAWN’s to turn things in their favor!
-Krypt pulls off an incredible suicide leap out of nowhere, catching Shepard by surprise and earning the hard-fought comeback victory!
VICTORIOUS: DARKNESS FALLS & GROVEL

…Watching from the shadows of the arena, Aegis dropped his head. Shepard’s words earlier had briefly revitalized the Bravest of Ramparts, but with such a tremendous failure on the field of battle now staring him in the face, Aegis simply could not ignore the obvious any longer. He and the other Ramparts were defeated men…and had been so for a very long time…

NON-TITLE MATCH
[glow=green,2,300]The Living Dead (inj) ©[/glow] vs. The Light Brigade (inj)
Aspin tries to take both of the ghouls on by himself, in an effort to protect Lance, but even in their weakened state, The Living Dead are too much for Aspin to handle and he falls to Cremator.
VICTORIOUS: THE LIVING DEAD

…Cremator and Noxious, with their appetites bolstered by the strange effects of the Essence, now pounced on Aspin and began to scratch and claw at him ferociously! Lance At-Las quickly leapt into the ring and saved his protégée from certain doom, hurtling both ghouls to the stone floor outside the ring and fending them off a few moments more before they finally gave up and their ferocity subsided…

Godsend vs. Paganax
Paganax steamrolled Godsend for a bit, but the demon hit a Realm Eternal out of nowhere and then locked in the HELL’S THRESHOLD, eventually forcing the Heathen Chief to submit! After the battle, the severely unhappy Godsend disappeared in flames hastily and defiantly.
VICTORIOUS: GODSEND

…With the One Essence wrapped around him, Nicodemus pleaded with the Plague Harvester to cancel this batte as he entered the ring. Wrapped nearly head to toe in torn and tattered bandages, the Dread Lord did not appear to paying the Essence Bearer any attention.

[glow=teal,2,300]Nicodemus:[/glow] Murdok! You have no idea what you are doing! Cancel this foolishness now or we will ALL suffer the consequences! Do not make me r-

But Murdok refused to listen, claiming that Nicodemus would defend his title in the Sea of Flesh Match, and that he, Murdok, the Dread Lord, would win the Battle for Centra once and for all! Nicodemus refused to defend the championship, saying that not only had Murdok disobeyed the strict orders of the Essence to allow Godsend to contend for the power, but also that he had no idea what a Sea of Flesh match was.

Nicodemus walked toward the ring ropes and defiantly began to exit them. Just then, Murdok let out a mighty bellow for his ‘minions’. In grave unison, the entire crowd of ghouls stood up, and with ravenous gestures, jumped the stone barricade and surrounded the ring. Nicodemus stumbled back into the ring, asking what was going on, but Murdok simply flashed his corrosive smile ad raised his arms into the air.

Murdok: There is no escape, Ancient One. With each and every one of my ghouls serving as my own personal lumberjacks, you will defend that Essence against me, and I will take what is mine and has been mine for thousands of years! WELCOME TO THE SEA OF FLESH!

ONE ESSENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
SEA OF FLESH MATCH
[glow=teal,2,300]Nicodemus ©[/glow] vs. Murdok
Nicodemus is seething with rage and absolutely destroys Murdok at the outset, hitting him with 3 NUCLEAR WINTER’s in a row! Nicodemus had Murdok pinned and defeated within minutes, but Cremator and Noxious at ringside pulled the Ravager Referee out of the ring and into the mess of ghouls! Nicodemus leapt up and immediately helped the referee desperately fight his way back into the ring, but this let Murdok recover and Nicodemus met a hard clothesline as he re-entered the ring. From here, the battle became pitched as both soldiers fought tooth and nail. Nicodemus took a spill to the outside twice, and seemed to be in severe danger the second time, but fought his way back in with only minor scratches each time. However, fighting off the mass of undead and ravenous flesh-hungry ghouls took its toll, and after getting obliterated by a hellacious POWER OF THE PLAGUE, Nicodemus had no choice but to submit in the center of the ring to the CENTRA TAKEOVER!
VICTORIOUS AND NEW ESSENCE CHAMPION: MURDOK

…With his grimy green teeth blaring brilliantly through his putrid smile, Murdok triumphantly took hold of the Essence Championship and hefted it high into the still and rank Antilian air! Before even putting the title on, Murdok could feel the power of the Essence beginning to run through him, and his monsters at ringside could feel it too as they began to buzz and stir wildly.

However, at that moment, something strange happened. For thousands of years, not even a gentle breeze had caressed the barren and rotten surface of Antilia. But as Murdok watched with horror as the glow of his Essence Championship began to fade, a powerful gust suddenly swept through the arena!

As the once brilliant faceplate of the Essence drained of color and turned into what looked like lifeless cement, the ferocious gail passed over the ring. Murdok’s grin turned to a slack jaw as the Essence Championship faded away and crumbled to dust in his hands! With his hands still outstretched, as if holding the title, the Plague Harvester watched as the particles and debris that once were the Essence Championship blew away in the mysterious winds, and completely disappeared!

It was at this moment that Murdok turned to his zombie slaves, and realized that the Tag Essence had ALSO crumbled and blown away, right off of the corroding bodies of Cremator and Noxious, leaving them even drained and beginning to slightly decompose!

Nicodemus: (getting to his feet) I warned you, Harvester! I warned you, and now look at what has happened!

Murdok just stood speechless for a few moments, and then his ugly face contorted into rage and hatred as he leveled Nicodemus once more with a surprise POWER OF THE PLAGUE! With Nicodemus down at his feet, Murdok stood slack-jawed once more. Gheist, Painmaster, and Sycophant all pushed their way through the flood of zombies to the ring, and crowded around Murdok, having witnessed what had just happened.

Painmaster: M-Murdok…what-what the hell just happened?

The Plague Harvester could still feel the effects of the Essence fading rapidly from his bones as his ancient and rotten mind processed what had just transpired, and formulated a plan.

Murdok: (looking straight at Painmaster, serious now) All bets are off. The Essence is gone and it is now or never.

Painmaster and Gheist were not entirely sure what Murdok was talking about.

Murdok: Before the fighting on the battlefields resumes fully, we must launch the ultimate of surprise attacks. (serious, calm, almost resigned) Painmaster, Gheist…ready the Dead Nemesis for battle!

[Mr. Hyde]

THE SCENE: THE COMMAND DECK OF THE RAVAGER MOTHERSHIP

The doors to the command deck slid open, almost seeming to have an urgency to themselves, as Holocaust marched briskly into the chamber.

Holocaust: Nicodemus, sir, I have imperative news!

Nicodemus' command chair spun around to point the Ancient One in the direction of his soldier. Since the apparent destruction of the Essence of Centra on Antilia just a few days ago, Nicodemus had been constantly absorbed in his monitors, research, datasets, and calculations, and seemed to have an air of annoyance about him as Holocaust continued.

Holocaust: Sir, I have successfully located Ventross again! He is recovering and hiding in the sewers of Centrapolis, but he is alive!

Nicodemus:...and?

Holocaust: And I believe that we should go to him, sir. We should reconcile, and see if we can get him back onto the battlefields.

Nicodemus: Ventross has been dishonorably discharged and banished from the Ravager Army as per the agreements of his Unconditional Surrender Match with Rankor. You know that.

Holocaust: Yes, but the agreements stated that he would only be banned from The Ravager Army...but NOT the ROC! He could join their ranks! They are weakened as it is, so adding him to their forces-

Nicodemus: Ventross is better left to rot, Holocaust. He served with distinction, and fell victim to Psychotic War Sickness. Now, he is no longer of use.

Holocaust: But, in this time of greatest peril you would reject any assistance he could provide? You would not want to gather any and all forces that we possibly could in order to aid in the fight against the ever-growing hordes of hate in this dimension? Nicodemus, we are in trouble, here. The Essence has been destroyed, the ROC is falling apart, The Ravager Army cannot survive a two-front battle, and on top of this-we have not even begun to scratch the surface of Murdok's destructive forces. Those that freed him from his watery tomb still lurk in the shadows, and when they decide to strike, who knows how it will change the face of this war? Nicodemus you must-

Nicodemus: Those who found and freed the Dread Lord from his grave are of no concern. I already know their identity.

Holocaust: That is excellent news. Who was it, then?

Nicodemus turned back to his screens.

Holocaust: Sir, please...(no response)...Nicodemus...who is responsible for this? Who enleashed the Dread Lord upon Centra once more?

Nicodemus sat up rigid in his chair, gazing out across the command deck, mulling over exactly what he was about to say.

Nicodemus:...I did.