aCe: WAR IS HELL

[Mr. Hyde]

THE SCENE: MURDOK'S TOMB, ANTILIA

Noxious tears an arm off of another zombie at the entrance to Murdok's tomb, and quickly fastens it to his own body. The infected and undead flesh somehow mends itself together and as the arm acquaints itself with his his body, Noxious shuffles his way into the depths of the crypt, summoned by Murdok. Through the dark labyrinth of tunnels, Noxious shambles until he reaches the epicenter of the tomb: Murdok's throne room.

As Noxious pushes the old stone doors open, he finds Corporal Tek, Cremator, and Godsend standing before Murdok and his queen.

Godsend: I'm not intimidated by some magic dream box, my lord. I do things on a daily basis that would give that senile reptile nightmares for the rest of his absurdly long lifetime.

Murdok: Excellent, Godsend. I am very confident that you shall capture the Essence at the next battle. (looking toward Resurrection) And you, my most faithful of servants, you will defend the Essence Tag Championship succesfully, correct?

Tek: Indeed, my lord. Nicodemus' foolish followers have no hope of standing up against the Essence.

Murdok: Excellent. You shall bring me all of the Essence, and we shall become invincible. I, a god, and all of you, my loyal(the word always stings when Godsend is around) agents of doom. However, I regret to inform you that I will not join you in this battle.

Godsend: (mildly perturbed) What? But, my lord, how are we to win-

Murdok: I must travel far from here to conduct diplomatic business. I want to add to our ranks, and I have found a man who might be a suitable soldier for my Crusade.

Godsend: But-

Murdok: Corporal Tek, I would like you to be in charge of things while I am away. I would also like you to lead the crusade during the next battle.

Tek: I am honored. I will not let you down.

Murdok: Good. (loking at Godsend) None of you shall let me down. When I return, I expect this ghastly tomb to glow with the might of the Essence. Am I understood?

All: Yes, lord.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE SCENE: THE COMMAND CENTER INSIDE THE ROC BARRACKS

Rouser: I heard Aegis say that Murdok refuses to withdraw from the Centra Palladium.

Shepard: This is unacceptable. The plague gets worse and worse down here everyday. and it is because of that cursed moon! Murdok must be forced to abandon it!

Scorch: I'll tell ya what's unacceptable! (spitting out his cigar) How much we been losin' lately! (Rouser dips his head) Rouser, ya let that jerk run all over ya at the last battle! And Shepard, we ain't be doin' so hot, either! I think we need to start trainin' twi-

At that moment, Aegis and Lance At-Las both storm into the room. Aegis has his arm in a sling, still recovering from the bite Trisis took from it.

Lance: You're no use to Centra like this, Aegis. Look at you! Your arm in a sling, your eyes sunken in. You look pale and frail, friend! You're working too hard in order to take your mind off of Trisis, yet when you're in battle, you let Trisis take your mind off the fight!

Aegis: I don't need this right now, Lance. You're supposed to be my closest friend, yet you condemn me when I try to deal with my wife being enslaved by an undead witchdoctor!

Lance: That's the problem, Aegis. You're not dealing with it! You either act as if never happened, or get yourself into situations where you cannot hope to successully get her back! You need a plan. And then you need to act on that plan. But this constant torment and constant distraction is detrimental to your duties as the leader around here. You need to sit this next battle out.

Aegis: No.

Lance: You need time to recuperate, Aegis. And you need time to formulate a plan. Listen, we're floundering in the ring. And we need you to take a step back, assess the situation, and then do what you do best: LEAD!

Aegis looks coldly at Lance for a moment, and then to the rest of the ROC, who have been struck silent during this debate.

Aegis:(emotionless)...you're right. I need to focus on leading this team.

With that, Aegis walks out of the command center. For a few moments, Lance turns to look at the rest of the team as if he is going to day something. Then, he turns and follows Aegis out the door, leaving the rest of the ROC is worried inquisition.

[Mr. Hyde]

BATTLE PLAN

a.C.e BATTLE 4
RAVAGER MOTHERSHIP
2-2-2119

Nemean vs. Rouser
*Nemean wants this match so that he can pad his win-loss record with another easy victory*

FOR STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE
Nicodemus vs. Paganax

The Specialists vs. Darkness Falls

Lance At-Las vs. Grovel

Ventross vs. Noxious

ESSENCE TAG CHAMPIONSHIP
TITAN DEATH MATCH
Resurrection © vs. The SWAT Team

ONE ESSENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
NIGHTMARE MATRIX
General Rankor © vs. Godsend
*Nicodemus wanted to punish both Godsend and Rankor for their actions at the last battle by puttuing them in a match that Rankor himself helped to design!*

[Deleted]

Man this fed is HOT!

So many cool things happened over the last few cards and segments I missed.

Rankor is one nasty S.O.B....and the tension between him and Paganax is great. The Tribes are definitely very interesting here.

My picks for next card:

Rouser to score some revenge on Nemean

Nicodemus to sneak by the Chief in a huge match

The Specialists to start their winning streak against DF

Lance over the always tough Grovel

Ventross to pound Noxious into the ground

Resurrection to defend against the SWAT Team

And Rankor to somehow pull out a win in the Matrix over Godsend


Big show!

~ :-Xsk

[Avarice]

What Osk said. Love to read this fed...keep up the great work, my friend.

[Mr. Hyde]

Thanks for the compliments!

[Mr. Hyde]

a.C.e BATTLE 4
RAVAGER MOTHERSHIP
2-2-2119

The crowd was very much composed the same as at the last battle: a large majority of Ravagers and news agencies from all over Centra with about 130 Tribesmen and Centrans sectioned off into their own areas of the crowd. Nicodemus made sure to suspend the Nightmare Matrix high above the ring for the duration of the battle, as a message to any one of the Adversaries who might have been thinking about doing something drastic.

Nemean vs. Rouser
Rouser put up more of a fight, but the ever-entertaining Nemean put him away with the HUNGER STRIKE.
WINNER: NEMEAN

Both the Ravagers and the Tribesmen made a lot of noise for the next match as their two respective commanders prepared to face off!

FOR STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE
Nicodemus vs. Paganax
Nicodemus survives a short onslaught from the Heathen Chief to put him down with the NUCLEAR WINTER!
WINNER: NICODEMUS (THE RAVAGERS RETAIN STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE)

The Specialists vs. Darkness Falls
Jakyll gains control of the match on the outside, and rolls Scorch back into the ring, tagging in Krypt and executing RED DAWN! But Scorch powers out of the pin and gets tossed to the outside. Jakyll and Krypt use their quickness to confuse the Ravager Referee and double-team Scorch on the outside until Scorch loses it, grabs a Tribesman from the crowd, and hurls him into Krypt and Jakyll! Scorch gets disqualified and the Ravager Troopers almost have a riot on their hands!
WINNERS: DARKNESS FALLS by DQ

Lance At-Las vs. Grovel
Lance dodges a turnbuckle charge and rolls up Grovel to earn the hard-fought win.
WINNER: LANCE AT-LAS

Ventross vs. Noxious
Noxious manages to severely bloody Ventross, surviving a SEVERED TIES and turning things around with multiple brutal OUTBREAKS. Noxious just doesn’t stop coming, and beats Ventross down to the point where it looks as if Ventross is going to go down, but The Ravager crowd gives all of the support they can muster for their hero, and Ventross feeds off of this to come back hard and finally put Noxious down with a crossbody block from the top rope!
WINNER: VENTROSS

ESSENCE TAG CHAMPIONSHIP
TITAN DEATH MATCH
Resurrection © vs. The SWAT Team
Flatliner fries Cremator early on in the match with SHOCK AND AWE, but Cremator tags Tek and Flatliner just barely survives the onslaught, even being able to survive the ANTILIAN RUINS! Flatliner manages to tag in Warfare who goes back and forth with Tek for a while. Warfare gets Tek down with the Warfare Driver Slam and tags in a just barely recuperated Flatliner to finish the job with a second exhausting SHOCK AND AWE! While Warfare knocks Cremator from the ring, Flatliner collapses on top of Tek for the 1-2-3! The Ravager Team has gone 4-4 tonight, capturing Essence in the process!
WINNERS AND NEW ESSENCE CHAMPIONS: THE SWAT TEAM

The Ravager crowd erupted into cheers as Warfare threw his fists into the air and collapsed by his friend! Nicodemus led Nemean and a limping and bloody Ventross to the ring to celebrate the SWAT Team’s victory and help Flatliner up. As the Essence poured out of Cremator and Corporal Tek’s charred bodies, Flatliner’s body armor began to pulsate with even more energy than before, and only through the power of the Essence was he able to finally begin to move. In a hail of cheers, Flatliner and Warfare grabbed the Essence titles and dragged themselves to the back.

With the Ravager crowd still buzzing from the SWAT Team’s victory, and the smell of burning corroded flesh still permeating the arena, the Nightmare Matrix was lowered into place. The Ravagers had had an excellent night so far, but it was about to get better as they were about watch two of their most dangerous foes destroy each other inside the Nightmare Matrix!

ONE ESSENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
NIGHTMARE MATRIX
General Rankor © vs. Godsend
The Matrix continually disorients Godsend and Rankor, even making Rankor believe that Nicodemus and Ventross are charging the ring to attack him! Godsend is lucky enough to capitalize on this and hits Rankor with everything he’s got, but Rankor won’t stay down! Even after two REALM ETERNALS, Rankor, fueled by the Essence, keeps coming back. Rankor begins to regain momentum, but suddenly The Matrix makes him feel sleepy, and it knocks him out! Godsend gives him one hell of a wakeup call when he desperatelt hits a final REALM ETERNAL for the victory!
WINNER AND NEW ESSENCE CHAMPION: GODSEND

As the Nightmare Matrix rose up to the ceiling once again, Godsend dragged himself to his feet. As Godsend took the Essence Championship into his hands, Rankor’s body seized up painfully and a flood of light that seemed to be concentrated into a stream of orbs crashed into Godsend’s body! Godsend was initially brought to his knees be the force of the Essence, but as more of it entered his body, he regained his composure and found his strength restored! Suddenly, Godsend’s glow began to turn from the usual green to red, and as the crowd watched in wonder, Godsend began to emit a sickly crimson light. The arena trembled during the passing of the Essence, but after a few moments, all was calm and the ritual was complete. Godsend stood proud and powerful in the center of the ring, his eyes glowing red and faint ripples of red energy encircling him.

From his locker room, Nicodemus looked upon the bittersweet events that had just transpired, and try as he might, could not fight off the feeling that he had just made a grave mistake.

[Deleted]

Great night for the The Ravagers...but what about the new champ?

Are we about to see the debut of Godsend SE?


~ :-Xsk

[Eliath]

I agree with Osk..this is the PERFECT time to unleash the full power of Godsend & SPEAK OF THE DEVIL.

Great card!!

[Mr. Hyde]

THE SCENE: ONE OF THE MANY DOCKING BAYS ABOARD THE RAVAGER MOTHERSHIP

The Recon shuttle had been deployed dangerously close to Antilia, and was quite seperated from the accompanying Ravager Battleship that had launched it. A few days ago, contact was lost with it, and now that it had been recovered by a search team, it sat eerily still inside the Ravager Mothership.

Nicodemus, leading Ventross, Nemean, Warfare, and Flatliner, approached the shuttle and took account of the all the Ravager scientists working feverishly around the outside of the vessel. Nicodemus approached the door and punched the entrance code into the nearby keypad. The shuttle opened, and the Ancient One stepped inside.

Silent corpses were scattered all over the interior of the vessel and Ravager blood coated all of the surfaces inside the ship from the floor to the ceiling. Many of the Ravager corpses had been severely evicerated, their insides thrown askew across the floors and their limbs torn from their bodies. These soldiers had not been devoured. They had been played with. As Nicodemus and the rest of his team stepped over all of the gore, a flashing red light on one of the control panels caught the Commanders eye. A message had been recorded.

Nicodemus wiped the blood from the video screen and pressed a button, urging the screen to buzz to life. In a few moments, the message materialized. The grim visage of Corporal Tek appeared in the foreground and behind him Cremator sttod silent amidst still intact bodies. Tek reached off-camera for a moment and pulled a young Ravager Trooper next to him. The trooper was no older than Nemean and had been severly beaten already.

Tek nodded to Cremator and the ghoul sprung to life, tearing the corpses to shreds in the background while Tek looked directly into the camera. Nemean had to turn his head as Tek took one of his putrid fingernails and drew it across the young Trooper's soft neck, slicing it open deeply and fatally. Ventross, Nicodemus, and the SWAT Team looked on in silent rage as blood geysered from the Trooper's neck and Tek drank it like a water fountain. This grim scene continued until the blood from the young trooper splattered onto the camera, conceling any more of the grotesque message.

Ventross could stand no more and stormed angrily from the shuttle along with Warfare and Flatliner. Nemean had already left the vessel, and alone, Nicodemus came to a dark conclusion.

Nicodemus: So, this is how it will be, Murdok?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE SCENE: THE MAIN GYM OF THE ROC BARRACKS

The gym is area is filled to the brim with Centra Guard, all watching the wrestling ring in the center of the room. They are rowdy, whooping and hollering, obviously having a good time with something. Lance At-Las pushes his way into the room followed Shepard. The two make their way to the front of the crowd where they meet Scorch and Rouser.

Scorch: Yer gonna want to see dis Lance!

Lance looks up at the ring to see Corporal Aegis, leader of the Ramparts of Centra and commander of the forces of Centra, standing in the ring amidst several fellow Centrans who are on the ground moaning in agony!

Aegis: (smiling and looking healthy again) Come on lads, you'll be fine. Pick yourselves up now and go see the doctors if you have to. You all of tons of potential, but you need to keep training. Come on now, move it.

Lance: Aegis? What-what are you doing?

Aegis: I'm getting ready to go to war, friend!

Lance: I assume you're ready to fight in the aCe once again?

Aegis: More than that, Lance. I need to thank you for forcing me to recuperate myself. I've had alot of time to think over this past cycle and a half.

Lance: ...and?

Aegis: And it's time we start to do things right, Lance. No more whining. No more pining away. The time to fight is upon us, and I'm going to do what I do best: lead.

Lance cracks a smile to see his closest friend so much like his old self.

Aegis: (speaking to the entire crowd, now) The people of Centra have been on the losing end of this war for far too long! It's time for a change, and it's going to start at the top, with me! Murdok infests our moons, he abducts my wife, and the scum of the universe plays hot-potato with the Essence! No more, boys! If Murdok refuses to give us the Centra Palladium, then we'll TAKE the Centra Palldium! If he insists on keeping my wife enslaved, then we'll take the fight to him and TAKE her back! And if the Essence is held by traitors, snakes, and ghouls, then we'll TAKE them out!

The crowd is whipped into a frenzy now, and even At-Las, Scorch, Rouser, and Shepard have finally regained confidence in their commander.

Aegis: It doesn't matter how long it takes, boys. None of us will ever stop fighting. For our property, for our families, for our survival, we ARE Centra! And together, with me at the helm and all of you behind me, we are going to WIN THIS WAR! The Battle for Centra starts NOW!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE SCENE: A VAULT, BLACK AS PITCH, DEEP INSIDE THE LABYRINTH OF MURDOK'S TOMBS ON ANTILIA

There is nothing inside the chamber. Or so it seems. The overbearing darkness strangles all vision, and all sense of security. Suddenly, the ferocious silence is broken and the darkness dispelled by the an eruption of fire. The fire spreads quickly into a precise pattern, and then settles into the perfect form of the pentagram across the stone floor.

Slowly, deep cackling can be heard from the far back of the room, still swallowed by the dark. The laughter begins to rise in volume and self-assurance as the camera approaches the back wall of the room. Slowly, a deep red light appears. It is a whirlwind of tightly coiled energy. It is the Essence of Centra, tainted by the serpent. The energy coils itself into several distinct forms along the backside of the wall as Godsend awakes from his transfiguration.

On the bottom of the forms, a faceplate to a championship, glowing sickly crimson. above that, a gigantic, heaving cross, turned on it's head and glowing just like the title belt. Above that, two piercing red eyes and sitting perfectly centered above them, still whirling in furious curls, a crimson halo. Then, another form appears in the darkness. It is the form of a crimson grin.

The Serpent has become a Demon.

[Mr. Hyde]

I am officially using Godsend SE and Aegis SE now.

I like my bad guys to be as bad as possible...but I like my good guys to be badder!

It's time for Aegis to man up and start kicking ass!