All Star Tag Team Classic III Promo Thread

[Jim Houston]

Jim Houston sits in his office, looking slightly less composed than usual. He directly addresses the camera.

"Thank you for joining me here at freedomprowrestling.com. Uprising proved to be quite the eventful show- two new champions, several excellent matches, one of which, despite being not quite the ending a lot of you will have hoped for, was one of the best we've ever seen, and a number of interesting moments. I have several things to address before I reveal the card for our All Star Tag Team Classic series. First of all, I'd like to address Alan Lightbody, Parker, Si and Armondo. You assaulted one of our wrestlers at an event in Tampa and now you've trespassed into a restricted area and assaulted one of our officials and another of our wrestlers. I will make this very clear, because I'm certain you'll be watching this. You are not to enter any arena in which there is an FPW show. You will not be making any appearances here. You are not welcome in FPW. If I see you here again, I will be filing criminal charges against you.

"Let's get to some more positive things... the All Star Tag Team Classic. All Star Tag Team Classic III in fact. It's one of our biggest events of the year and I cannot wait to get into it. This year is the most stacked line-up we have ever had, as you will soon see. In fact, we are so stacked with high quality teams, that the current Tag Team Champions, The Guardians of Strong Style, will not be entering. The winning team will receive a Tag Team Championship match against The Guardians of Strong Style on the Road to the Free-1. The matches will be as follows, in bracket order- The Queendom will open the tournament against the team of Danica Jane and Russ Bolt, who made a big decision about their future earlier today. Our next match promises to be something truly special. Jerry Bishop and MDE will team together to face a team which I expect to be very motivated to win that match: Jace Mason and Aaron Williams. The winners of those two matches will face-off in the first semi-final and the winners of that will enter the final, which will main event the main All Star Tag Team Classic III show. On the other side of the bracket, we will see The Dogs of War face the team that officially challenged them: Revolution-X. The winners of that match will face the winners of the main event of the second Road To show: Botiatus and Berry Bishop versus Death Squad. I'm sure you'll agree that we have quite the line-up for this tournament.

"In addition, I have made several other matches alongside the tournament. On the first Road To All Star Tag Team Classic III show, Bobby O will be in action against Tommy Saxon, and Tommy Saxon's partner Ella Ripley will face Elizabeth Karlson. On the second Road To All Star Tag Team Classic III show, Aaron Williams will get a shot that he very much deserves- a one-on-one match with Clutch McCloud, who, by the way, will defend that Freedom Championship against whomever I choose- male or female. On that show, I also wish to see a rematch between Robert D. Jackson and MDE. They clearly had good chemistry in the ring tonight and I think we'd all like to see a second match between the two of them. On the main All Star Tag Team Classic III show, I have granted the request of Marcus Allen Jones to get a rematch with James Saturn. There are other match slots available, and I'm confident that they will be filled.

"I would like to address the FPW Championship briefly. As our current champion has chosen to enter the All Star Tag Team Classic, he will not be scheduled to defend his championship on the main show. Should he and MDE lose either in the quarter-final or the semi-final, I will find a suitable opponent to challenge for the FPW Championship. However, I do not think it would be fair to expect Jerry Bishop to take part in three matches in one night, so I will hold off on making that decision for now.

"I am looking forward to what promises to be a very interesting tournament, and I hope to see some of the best tag team wrestling that FPW has ever seen. Thank you all for you time."

Road to All Star Tag Team Classic III: Night 1 (Sunday 3rd May)
Match 1: Bobby O vs. Tommy Saxon (Jerry to Write)
Match 2: Elizabeth Karlson vs. Ella Ripley (Mason to Write)
Match 3: All Star Tag Team Classic III Quarter-Final 1: The Queendom vs. Danica Jane and Russ Bolt (Houston to Write)
Match 4: All Star Tag Team Classic III Quarter-Final 2: Jerry Bishop and MDE vs. Jace Mason and Aaron Williams (Houston to Write)

Road to All Star Tag Team Classic III: Night 2 (Sunday 17th May)
Match 1: Freedom Championship: Clutch McCloud vs. Aaron Williams (Clutch to Write)
Match 2: The Suplex Sweethearts vs. Bobby O and Liz Karlson (Mason to Write)
Match 3: Robert D. Jackson vs. MDE (Jackson to Write)
Match 4: All Star Tag Team Classic III Quarter-Final 3: The Dogs of War vs. Revolution-X (Houston to Write)
Match 5: All Star Tag Team Classic III Quarter-Final 4: Botiatus and Berry Bishop vs. Death Squad (Houston to Write)

All Star Tag Team Classic III (Sunday 31st May)
Match 1: All Star Tag Team Classic III Semi-Final 1: The Queendom vs. Jace Mason and Aaron Williams (Houston to Write)
Match 2: All Star Tag Team Classic III Semi-Final 2: The Dogs of War vs. The House of Berry and Bo (Houston to Write)
Match 3: Free-1 Qualifier: Elizabeth Karlson vs. Bobby O (Jerry to Write)
Match 4: Marcus Allen Jones vs. James Saturn (Mason to Write)
Match 5: FPW Championship: Jerry Bishop vs. Super Che Junior (Houston to Write)
Match 6: All Star Tag Team Classic III Final: _______ vs. _______ (Houston to Write)

There are quite a few matches to be written for this set of shows. I'd really appreciate people volunteering so we can get them written and have all of the matches done in full.

[Jim Houston]

MDE walks down the corridor, a bag slung over his shoulder. He sees Dasha Banks at the end of the corridor and walks up to her. She looks left and right but there’s nowhere for her to duck out of the way.

MDE: Prowling in your usual spot to catch unwitting wrestlers as they leave the building. So predictable. Go on then. I’m ready,

Dasha looks at MDE with real hatred in her eyes. She says nothing.

MDE: What’s the problem, Dasha? I’d have expected you to be gleeful at my defeat earlier tonight. I saw your face after Robert D. Jackson managed to hold me down for just long enough to claim victory. I saw the delight in your eyes. I readied myself there and then to have to stand by and take your smug questioning about how I allowed my arrogance to lead to my downfall, about how I talked a big game and yet lost to a man having his first professional wrestling match, about how I lost tonight. But you and I both know, don’t we, Dasha, that I didn’t lose tonight. I may have lost the match- something I’m grateful to Jim Houston for allowing me to put right, by the way- but I came out a big winner tonight. Of all people, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Don’t you?

Dasha maintains her hard gaze at MDE. He smirks in return.

MDE: You know, Dasha, you were one of the first people to plant the idea in his head. Being better. Getting his mojo back. I happen to know for a fact that one of the reasons he finally acquiesced to my request to assist him was because you motivated him to want to be better. And now here it is. The piece de resistance. Jerry Bishop. Freedom Pro Wrestling Champion. Be honest, Dasha. Did you ever really expect to see it happen? I know a lot of people didn’t. Even when you were urging him, pleading with him, to be the Jerry Bishop that they all wanted to see, did you ever truly believe he had it in him? I doubt it very much. You were just like them. You wanted to see him prance around and entertain them and be the nearly-man for his entire career. You were one of the people who wanted to be able to look back and have a very easy answer to the question of ‘who was the best FPW wrestler to never become FPW Champion?’ You wanted to look back at him as a fun-loving underdog who always came ever so close to the top, but never quite made it. And then I came along and everything changed. It took time, for sure. Jerry had been told for so long that he could never be the top guy that I think he believed it himself. He believed he was destined for the hall of very good. It took my vision, my foresight, my motivation, to get him to where he is today. And all of those people who begged for him to become FPW Champion but really, in their heart-of-hearts, didn’t believe it and didn’t want it... now you’ve all got what you deserve. So go ahead. Ask me a question about how I lost today.

Dasha maintains her unblinking stare while MDE let’s out a chuckle.

MDE: I thought not. I’ve told you how we got to this point. Why not tell you where we go from here? Jerry and I are entering the All Star Tag Team Classic. I see what Jim Houston has done in the quarter-final. He’s put us up against Mason and Williams, two of his golden boys, in the hope that they’ll find a way to beat us and that he’ll be able to give one of them another match with Jerry where he can hope against hope that they can get the belt from him. But how many times tonight have we heard that the fairytale ending can stay in the storybook? There is no happy ending to this story. Jerry and I will beat Mason and Williams and then we’ll go on to win the All Star Tag Team Classic. We’ll then go on to win the Tag Team Championships over The Guardians of Strong Style. We’ve beaten them both individually, so I don’t see why we shouldn’t get a shot at them already, but we’ll play Houston’s game for now. When we win the Tag Team Championships, we’ll enter the Free-1. We’ll make sure we’re in different blocks and will meet in the final, ensuring that whoever wins, we both win. Jerry will then go on to hold the FPW Championship until he decides its time to hang up his boots, we’ll do the same with Tag Team Championships and maybe I’ll take the Freedom Championship too to complete the set. Imagine it, Dasha. It’s not that hard to picture all of that, is it? And that’s because it’s going to happen, whether you like it or not. Still not got any questions for me?

Dasha blinks, but keeps her eyes locked onto MDE’s.

MDE: I’ve already told you that fairytales aren’t real. You may not get your fairytale ending either, but maybe if you’re lucky he’ll let you... how does the song go? Shine his shoe-

Dasha slaps MDE hard across the fans before walking past the camera, tears already rolling down her cheeks. MDE holds a hand to his face and then looks up, watching Dasha walks away. He smirks again before opening the door and walking out of the arena.

[ticktock]

A live video appears on FPW’s Twitter page. A camera pans across the arena where Uprising took place as a number of trainees clear chairs and start taking the ring down. It quickly switches to show Aaron Williams, who seems to be sat on the edge of the stage.

“It feels good to be talking to you all at the end of an event with a big win under my belt! Bobby, you’re a good guy and a damn good worker and I don’t doubt that you’ll get a win over me sometime. I’m not giving it to you, but I’m looking forward to you trying to get it the next time we meet. Whenever that is, I’ll be ready for you again. But thank you. That match was a lot of fun, despite what my back might be telling me right now.

“But you all saw that, right? I don’t need to go blow by blow- and trust me, my back took some big ones. Let’s look forward. And there’s a metric fuckton to look forward to in the coming weeks, am I right? Wait... can I swear on this thing? Who cares? Fuck, shit, dick. There. I can. I did. I probably will again. I am so fucking pumped to be working with my good buddy Jace Mason in our second All Star Tag Team Classic. Last year we made it to the final four and we fell short. This year... I want to promise a victory. I want to promise that we replace the FPW Championship that was stolen from Jace’s waist with the Tag Team Championships and, on the way, if we can get that title back too, all’s the better. I’d like to promise that, but... my record against Jerry Bishop is hardly stellar... But Jace, I’ll promise you this. I’ll give you everything I have. I’ll give you my heart, my soul, my blood and my sweat and I’ll do everything I can to get us the All Star Tag Team Classic. And I guess that would make you the only person to win all three of FPW’s major tournaments... and hold them all simultaneously? Damn, we have to win this thing.

“I’ll be focusing on the All Star Tag Team Classic for now of course, but there’s another opportunity I’ve been granted. My first ever shot at the Freedom Championship. I’ll address it properly after the match with Jerry and MDE, but for now, I’ll just say this. When- and I do mean when- I win the Freedom Championship, it will be defended against people of all races, all genders and all persuasions. Around Clutch McCloud’s waist, this title is the exact opposite of it’s name. When I take it, I will make sure that it truly is the Freedom Championship.

“I’ll talk to you again later this week, but until then... I fucking love you guys, each and every one of you.”

[noname1525]

(Just to clear things up, this is before he sees Houston's announcement.)

Jace was sitting on top of a storage crate outside of the locker room, still in his ring gear, with a gym bag full of street clothes sitting next to him. He stared absently into the distance, clearly lost in thought, only to be brought back to reality as Dasha Banks rounded the corner, clearly done for the day and ready to head home.

She stopped as she saw Jace, startled to see him. "Jace, I wasn't expecting to see you there."

Jace looked up. "Hey Dasha, sorry if I scared you."

"Not scared, just surprised. Pretty much everyone else has already gone home." Dasha said as she moved to stand across the hall from him. "I can't help but notice that you ducked the post-match interview, didn't feel like talking about it?"

"Pretty much. Besides, I thought you'd be busy interviewing the new champion." Jace said with a humorless laugh.

Dasha looked down. "Actually, no. I haven't interviewed Jerry once since she came."

A look of regret instantly flashed over Jace's face. "Dasha, I'm so sorry. I didn't think-"

"It's fine Jace." Dasha cuts him off, saying without words that she wasn't going to talk about that subject.  "It just would have been nice to talk to you after the match, would have given me something to do."

Jace nodded. "I'm sorry Dasha, I just wasn't in the mood at that point. And don't worry, it had nothing to do with you, I just think I would have said something I'd have regretted if I'd done the interview at that point."

"Well, I'm not exactly on the clock right now," Dasha said, gesturing to her more casual attire. "Anything you say will be off the record, we can just talk if you want to get anything off your chest."

Jace took a deep breath. "It's just, I don't really have words for what I'm feeling right now. It seems like I'm destined, cursed you might say, to not hold that FPW Championship. Every time I reach the top of the mountain and win that belt, I slip and fall at the first possible opportunity. I'm the first-ever two-time FPW World Champion, but even if you combine both my reigns, I've still held it for less time than anyone else in the title's history, just thirty days. Thirty days and zero successful title defenses. I've spent my career defying the odds, but I think I've ran into a set of odds that I just can't overcome."

There was a pause, and Dasha opened her mouth to speak, but closed it, unable to find the words. Jace sighed and dropped off of the storage crate, standing on his own two feet. "But I'm going to put that behind me. The first time I lost that title, I fought with every once of my being to get it back, but this time, I'm going to let it go. Aaron extended the invitation to team up in the All Star Tag Team Classic again, and I'm going to take him up on that offer. Maybe thinking about something other than the World Championship for a while will be good for me." He looked at Dasha with a bittersweet smile on his face and saw a similar expression on hers. "Thanks for listening Dasha, it felt good to get that out there. I won't keep you any longer though, you clearly want to head home, and I need to change and head out myself."

"I guess I'll see you in two weeks then." she said, getting ready to go."

"Yeah, and next time, I won't turn down that post-match interview. See you Dasha."

[kingclutch]

Clutch McCloud heads to the backstage area, crossing paths with Dasha Banks.

DB: Ah Clutch! Just the guy I was hoping to see. Your first title in FPW: what's the first thing that went through your mind?

CM: It's about damn time.

DB: Did come with a bit of a cost though. It seems like The Dynasty is a two person act now, with Russ and Danica entering the tag team classic. That being said, what's next for you?

CM: Christ, I miss having Crowley screen your questions. The only thing I can do: defend MY Freedom Championship. My fight is at its peak and you know what? Sometimes, standing for what you believe in means you'll have to stand alone. And if that's what I have to do, so be it. I won the title on my own, I'll defend it on my own. And I'm not worried about Aaron Williams or anyone else. Now if you will please, get out of my way. We're done here.

*Clutch slings the belt over his shoulder before quickly walking away*

[marileeg17]

The video begins in a dark room, the only source of light coming from a small lamp on the desk table. As the camera goes through the room, we see a figure sitting at the desk, staring at a set of monitors showing the Marcus Allen Jones vs Jerry Bishop match from the first-ever Free-1. The man turns his chair and it's revealed to be Marcus, a huge gash on his forehead that has been stitched up and some wrap around his bad knee. There is also a look on his face that is unreadable.

MAJ: They say karma's a bitch. Perhaps all of this is my karma. The Suplex Sweethearts, the stupid planet, the faux horsemen, MD...Perhaps this is my punishment for how I once ran roughshod over this place. How I once stood atop the mountain and only one man could knock me down. That man is gone now but I feel a sense of obligation to his legacy to pick up where he left off. To stand at the top of the mountain. To prevent the cancers of this place from, well, taking over...That's what Graham Baker did. Bobby O may have been the one to issue the final blow, but TakeOver's exit started being written long before that. The cracks started to show as soon as Baker defeated me for the title. Because Baker was a good champ, a great champ. Much as I imagine Jace Mason could have been. Much as he will be one day again. But in the meantime, something needs to be done about the new plague on this company. And I am uniquely qualified to make that comment because I WAS the plague and I can call it like I see it. I can call it because I've lived it. Freedom Pro Wrestling is in danger right now, and not just from the outside. Sure, we've got these faux horsemen running around but I've made my position known on that. And I'll say it again in case they are listening. I may not be the champ, but I'm the ace of this place, no matter what. It's always been two of us and with Baker gone, I'm happy to reassume that mantle. So here's the thing Lightbody and crew, you came at his MAJesty, you came at the king. And there's an old saying that goes, if you come at the king, you better not miss. You had an unbelievable numbers game. Four on one while a coward took advantage of an opportunity. But look at me. I'm still standing. I'm still here. So as far as I'm concerned, you swung at the king and you missed. There is no one else in this company more equipped to take the four of you down, so next time you step into the Freedom Pro Castle, just remember, the king is waiting and you might even see him with his crown.

As much as externally we have a target on our backs, I'm not worried about what this group thinks they can do. The locker room here won't allow it. What I am worried about however is how the locker room might respond to our current situation. And not just the locker room, but the entire crew.

Marcus pauses briefly as his face falls, a darker tone taking over his voice.

MAJ: Because now we have a court jester whose turned himself into a prince and he's doing so with his strings being pulled by a puppet. I'll make myself perfectly clear. I don't hate Jerry Bishop. I don't even dislike him really. Because I was him. I was the guy who by hook or by crook was trying to do anything to scratch and claw to the top. Only, well, I didn't have to scratch and claw that hard or that long unlike some people. The second I walked in this place and set my sights on the title, it was a foregone conclusion. And just a few months later, I was the champ. And a word of advice, Mr. Jokester, I will be again... I don't hate you. Well, I didn't. I can look back now and say I respect you. I finished second in the Free-1 that first year. I lost my block because I lost to you. The old you. Against the old me. But this time, it will be the new you against the new me. And I won't lose.

Remember Jokester, I've got a golden ticket. And I've got people asking me every day why I've waited so long to use it. I have my reasons. But a few days ago, something changed. And it changed my mind. And now, I'm not sure when. It won't be today, it won't be tomorrow. Perhaps during the All Star Tag Classic. I've got some days off headed my way that I'd love to fill. But maybe I'll wait. What better moment than to turn a Free-1 meeting into a title match? See Jokester, I don't have to wait in line. I don't have to earn my shot. At first that didn't feel right but now, it feels like nothing could be more right. I thought you cared about her. I thought you loved her. And you may not have told him to say those things but you certainly didn't tell him not to. I don't have many friends in this locker room or in this business. She's one of them. And let me make myself perfectly clear, I will NEVER allow either of you to talk to my friend like that again. I'm going to put the smile back on her face Jokester, and not the chelsea smile either. Because, like MDE says, you'll hold the title until you decide to retire. Well, he got part of that right. You'll hold the title until I decide to retire you. And in the meantime, MDE, watch your back and figure out your next move, because the retirement train is about to leave the tracks. You don't get to say what you did and get away with it.

All this time the two of you have run roughshod, unchecked, and I apologize for not doing anything about this sooner. But now's the time. You've made an enemy out of the one person here you didn't want to make an enemy. Because at the end of the day, you're just a clown prince and a washed up, has-been advisor. And this king won't be abdicating his throne. You want to be the ace Jokester? Take it from me. Because so long as I'm in this company, you will never be fit to tie my boots, let alone shine them...

We're done here.

[botiatus]

It's the morning after Uprising and the sun is just creeping over the horizon. The streets of Chicago are virtually abandoned as Bo jogs through them in a sweat suit and beanie. Thoughts of last night flash through his mind, despite his best efforts to stop them. The end of the match plays in his head and Bo can't help but be angry at himself

"How could I make a mistake like that"

His breathing clearly become heavier in the freezing temperatures

"I took my eyes off of him for way too long. I know better than that"

He continues to beat himself up mentally when a voice startles him

"Heeeyyy"

Bo looks to his right to see Berry Bishop jogging alongside him. She's wearing a matching sweat suit and beanie, the only difference that it's in her signature purple instead of Bo's electric blue

BB- "Finally found ya! You didn't come back to the locker room after your match last night"

Bo feels a twinge of guilt knowing he intentionally avoided Berry. He also wonders how long she was running next to him without his noticing but that thought only take him back to losing to Clutch and Bo quickly tries to shake the thought out of his mind

Bo- "Yeah I just wanted to go home and sleep last night. Figured my dreams were the only place I could escape this nightmare"

Berry mutters under her breath

BB- "You should've let me help"

Bo stops in his tracks

Bo- "What was that?"

BB- "Nevermind. Maybe this was a bad idea"

Bo- "No, say what's on your mind"

BB- "Fine, I will"

She takes an almost exaggerated deep breath

BB- "I SAID YOU SHOULD'VE LET ME HELP YOU TRAIN FOR THAT MEANIE CLUTCH"

Bo rubs his ears

Bo- "Jeez, ok. Maybe a little softer next time?"

Berry doesn't laugh as she clearly is getting upset

BB- "No, I don't be quiet anymore. What's going on with you? Lately you miss trainings regularly and even when you're there you're checked out mentally. What's going on huh? I felt like I was really benefiting from your training in the beginning but the last few weeks have just felt like I'm taking a class at a local gym. You practically begged me to accept your help and now"

Bo tries to cut her off as he visibly grows agitated

Bo- "Stop"

Berry

BB- "No, you owe me an explanation. Isn't that in your House Rules somewhere? Your always preaching to me and"

Bo begins to visibly shake as he tried to interject again, his voice cracking

Bo- "Please stop"

Berry is fully worked up at this point

BB- "No I won't stop. We had a deal remember? You help me, I help you"

Bo explodes showing genuine anger for the first time

Bo- "I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN HELP YOU! OK? I CAN'T EVEN HELP MYSELF RIGHT NOW!"

Berry goes quiet as the sudden outburst of emotion from Bo, plus his admission, leaves her unable to form a response. Bo sees Berry speechless for the first and he takes a deep sigh

Bo- "I'm sorry, I don't mean to yell at you, I'm just angry with myself. I've been really off lately. Last night I couldn't hang with Clutch at all. But even before then I've been picking up cheap victories and getting away with sloppy performances. So I honestly wasn't even surprised that I lost to Clutch. And that's NEVER happened before. I usually ALWAYS expect to win every match I'm in, no matter what the odds are against me. So right now I don't have any answers for you Berry cause I don't even have any answers for myself"

Berry send to carefully take in Bo's words as she rocks back and forth on her heels

BB- "Well then at least answer me this. Do you want out of our match?"

Bo- "Our match?"

BB- "Yeah, the All Star Tag Team Classic, remember? Houston booked us to face Death Squad. I know we never officially agreed but we were both considering entering together for a while now and..."

Berry continues to talk but upon hearing the news Bo zones out as a powerful memory overrides his senses. He sees the lights of the Tokyo Done and hears the roar of the crowd. The jumbotron has Bo's picture to the left, the words Gurēdo Wan Kuraimakkusu in the middle and a picture of Bo's former tag team partner Alpha to the right. Moments from the match play like a highlight reel and just as the ref counts the victory Bo snaps back to reality from a light push

BB- "Earth to Bo?"

Bo is visibly sweating harder as a realization washes over him

Bo- "I uh, I gotta go"

Bo doesn't wait for a response as he resumes his run at a noticably faster pace. Berry is left with an incredulous look on her face as she watches Bo slowly disappear over a hill

[veggieleezy]

*Camera comes up in the ring following a 60 Minutes of Freedom match. Thalia Colombina makes her way down the ramp past the competitors in a purple and black pantsuit as the crowd hails her with boos, she has a clipboard in one hand and a microphone in the other.*

MW: Oh, what now? What’s she doing out here? Isn’t she supposed to stay in the back?

SD: That’s unduly sexist of you, Watson, you should be ashamed!

MW: She’s an interviewer and an announcer is all I mean! She’s not a competitor, so she must be out here for some reason!

SD: Obviously she’s here to express the interests of her client, the Freedom Pro Wrestling Champion, YOUR Freedom Pro Wrestling Champion, the PEOPLE’S Freedom Pro Wrestling Champion-

MW: We get it.

SD: You’d better.

*Thalia daintily steps up the ring stairs and stands on the apron. She gestures to the ropes and the official holds them open for her to climb through. She brushes the creases out of her outfit and takes the center of the ring.*

TC: Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, my name is Thalia Colombina, and it is my great privilege, tremendous delight, personal honor, and scintillating pleasure to be the personal interviewer for my guest at this time, THE single greatest wrestler Freedom Pro Wrestling has ever seen,THE greatest man to ever come out of Kansas City, Missouri, THE Joker, THE single most exciting, engaging and enticing figure in all of professional sports today, yesterday and forever, THE Freedom Pro Wrestling Champion, Jerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry Bishoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooop!!

*Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter” hits over the speakers. The crowd is unsure how to react at first, but boo vociferously as Jerry Bishop takes the stage in a purple and black suit, Freedom Pro Wrestling Championship around his waist. He looks out into the crowd with an almost mournful expression as he makes his way down the ring.*

MW: He hasn’t used that music in years, not since the days of the Jester’s Court, his old talk show!

SD: Maybe he just switched to something more regal now that he’s the champion?

MW: Or maybe we’re about to see something we’ve been hoping for? The end of this nightmare?

SD: Nightmare? More like dream come true!

*Bishop climbs between the ropes and stands next to Thalia. She wraps her arm around his elbow and brings him to the middle of the ring. Bishop looks somewhat uncomfortable, undoing the championship belt and placing it over his shoulder reverently.*

TC: I know, I can tell some of you are having a hard time coming to terms with all of your dreams coming true at once. The little clown that could, the man you all would flock to see, the daring wrestler who stole his way into all of our hearts is now your World Champion! I could scarcely believe it myself when I arrived here to learn that he hadn’t already held the title at least once! After all, he was the champion in all but physical accolade, wasn’t he? He was the uncrowned champion. He was the champion of the people. He was the man who every single person who watches this program loved more than any other. So let me ask all of you here this evening a question. Did you love Jerry Bishop? The competitor? The greatest talent in that locker room, hands down? The masked hero? The valiant warrior who fought for each and every one of you, night in, night out? The man who put it all on the line every single show to make sure you went home happy? The entertainer who would do anything to put a smile on your faces? The wrestler who could put on barn burner “match of the year” candidates with anyone and everyone? The man who would steal the show or go out swinging no matter what? Do you miss the high-speed daredevilry of the Jester? Do you want the old Jerry back? Do you want the man you love to go back to what doing what he did better than anyone else? Do you want the return of the Jester?

*Sections of the crowd begins chanting “JESTER! JESTER! JESTER!” Bishop looks out into the crowd. Taking a deep breath Bishop takes the microphone, but can’t bring himself to speak. He tries several times to bring the microphone to his lips but each time the words get stuck in his throat. Overcome with emotion, Jerry tries to speak, but he can’t as he hears the crowd, who booed him on his entrance, are slowly starting to all chant “JESTER!” He looks to Thalia, who motions towards the fans and shrugs as if to say “that’s what they want”.*

MW: Listen to them, Jerry! There's still hope! There's always hope!

SD: Good grief, what did you have for breakfast, Carnation Instant Disney?

*Jerry lifts the mic to his lips again.*

JB: The Jester..... that's who you want me to be?"

*The crowd cheers loudly.*

JB: The Jester... who would steal the show, no matter whether he was on first or last? The Jester... who would give it all just to hear your cheers no matter whether or not he won or lost? The Jester... who didn't need belts because he had each and every one of the Freedom Fighters behind him?"

*The crowd cheers loudly and rises to their feet.*

JB: In that case, please, may I say a few words.

*Barely containing himself, Bishop motions for the crowd to take their seats once more. They slowly sit down as Bishop steadies himself.

JB: We've gone on long enough about myself. And we all know I can go long when I need to.

*A few chuckles from the crowd. Thalia flicks Bishop an uncharacteristically demure smile, which he returns with a wink.*

JB: So I'd like to say a few words to all of you. The Freedom Fighters. I just want to say thank you. Thank you all so much, I cannot express just how deeply your responses affect me and mean to me. Because tonight, you've all reminded me of something. You've proven something to me. You've given me exactly what I need to do what needs to be done.

*Some fans start to rise from their seats as the crowd begins to cheer once more, but Bishop motions for them to remain seated.*

JB: So let me tell you what you've shown me tonight. You people never loved *me*. You never respected *me*. You never even liked *me*. Not a single one of you, no one in the stands here tonight, no one watching at home, certainly no one in the back. You all loved the idea of me sacrificing my entire career just to make you happy, never putting myself and what I want first. And as soon as I decided to start doing that, even when it meant seriously chasing, and finally winning, the Freedom Pro Wrestling Championship, something you all supposedly wanted, *you* started to turn your backs on *me*.

*Boos start to return from the crowd. Bishop paces the ring like a caged tiger, maintaining self-control but his tone growing more acidic.*

JB: And now that I've finally got it, you're mad, you hate me, you're booing me out of the building every night. You're disrespecting me, the man you allegedly wanted to be your Champion more than anyone else. As soon as I give you what you thought you always wanted, you hate it. Admit it, "Freedom Fighters", you never wanted me as Champion because you thought I'd never actually be able to do it.

*The boos mount even further as the crowd get to their feet in anger. Bishop now throws his microphone from the ring, starting to lose his composure. Thalia steps in and holds her mic to her client's lips.*

JB: You wanted to see someone else fail, no matter how hard he tried, because that way you can forget how miserable and sad you really are in your own lives. Well, just like all of you here tonight need to do, and all of you watching at home need to do, I grew up. And I finally got what I deserved. And now I'm giving the same to you.

*Bishop holds the Freedom Pro Wrestling Championship high in the air as the air is filled with boos, chants of "FUCK YOU JERRY" pocketed throughout.

JB: So to close this evening's festivities, I'd like to quote from Mr. Machismo himself, "hard work pays off, dreams do come true, bad times don't last, but bad guys do." So say good night to the bad guy! Put your kids to bed. But sleep with one eye open, because this fairy tale has just become your worst nightmare.

*Bishop begins to laugh slowly, menacingly. At this point, the fans in the stands have begun to pellet the ring with garbage; food wrappers, cups (full and empty), crinkled program bills, even crumpled versions of Bishop's old mask. None of these seem to affect Bishop, as then the laughter grows in volume and intensity. Bishop practically bounces around the ring, holding the championship belt above his head, leaning against the ropes and laughing at the Freedom Fighters in the stands, before mounting the turnbuckle and letting out a horrifying cackle. Thalia taps Bishop on the waist and offers her arm. Bishop catches his breath and smiles sickeningly towards her. He offers her his elbow, which she takes. Bishop bellows "PLAY MY MUSIC!" towards the hard camera, and "Shine My Shoes" plays as Bishop and Thalia calmly make their way from the ring and towards the back.*

SD: An Oscar-worthy performance to be sure!

MW: I think I'm going to be sick...

[noname1525]

A video of Jace Mason was uploaded to the FPW website. The video, clearly recorded on his cellphone, showed Jace at the gym.

"Houston, we have a problem." Jace said, but then he started laughing. "No, we don't. Don't worry Mr. Houston, there is no issue, that's just a little joke I've wanted to say since I started working here. But I do have to laugh at the irony of the situation. I said that after almost four months of obsessing over the FPW World Championship, I was going to focus my energies on something else, namely the All Star Tag Team Classic. Even though I lost my championship to Jerry Bishop, I wasn't going to try and get it back until I felt I was ready. And I didn't feel ready after Uprising, and I still don't feel like I'm ready for another shot. But last week I checked the bookings for the tournament, and somehow, my first opponents include the man I said I wasn't going to face, the new FPW World Champion, Jerry Bishop. And I don't know what to think about that. It's possible that the match was booked before I'd lost my championship, but I get the feeling that this is Mr. Houston's way of saying that he thinks I deserve another shot at Jerry. And despite myself, despite the fact that I said I was going to try and forget about the World Championship, I can't help but imagine the possibilities that stem from this match. If I pin Jerry in the tag match, well that generally means that I'll get a chance at his title. Which is a very enticing outcome for me. I'd closed the door on the FPW World Championship, but now it's been cracked open again, and I think I might be able to open it all the way."

"But despite the possibility of a future title shot, my focus is still 100% on winning the All Star Tag Team Classic. Aaron came to me with the idea of taking a second chance at this tournament, and I'm not going to let him down because my mind is elsewhere. I haven't forgotten that last year, I was the one that was pinned, I was the one that led to us being eliminated. I'm not going to do that again just because I wasn't focused enough. So while there are several interesting possibilities that stem from this tournament, I'm not going to let myself be distracted with those, I'm going to be solely focused on winning the tournament."

[noname1525]

The camera came up on Thea Donovan and Myra Lopez backstage, with ominous music playing in the background.

"Two weeks ago," Thea began. "The two of us set out to prove that we were the best tag team in FPW."

*Highlights of their match with the Guardians of Strong Style were shown, focusing on moments while they were in control of the FPW Tag Team Champions.*

"But despite everything we did," Myra said. "It wasn't enough."

*The video shows Myra breaking up the pinfall after the Guardian's tag finisher, but then showed Thea getting pinned to end the match.*

"On that night," Myra continued. "The Guardians of Strong Style were the better tag team. But the next time we meet, we won't make the same mistakes, and we will leave as the victors."

"And you can be sure that we'll be meeting again soon," Thea said. "We've entered into the All Star Tag Team Classic, and there's not a team in that tournament that can defeat us. We are simply better than everyone else,"

*Highlights of their victories over Death Squad and Revolution X are shown.*

"And we simply want it more than anyone else." Thea finished.

"Artemis Evans promised a Queendom that holds all the gold," Myra said. "And while that may be further away now that she's lost the World Championship, it is still an inevitable future. And we're going to do our part to secure that future, and that starts with winning the All Star Tag Team Classic."

"And more importantly," Thea said. "It starts with obliterating any team that stands between us and those Tag Team Championships. So I hope that every other team is prepared for the devastation that we are going to unleash, and I hope that they're ready to feel the inevitable sting of defeat when we stand above them as the winners of the All Star Tag Team Classic."

[botiatus]

Berry is returning to her locker room after winning her main event match on 60 MOF. She comes through the door to find a stool sitting in the middle of the room with a note propped up on it. She rolls her eyes knowing who it's from and walks over snatching it off. She flips it over in the notes simply says "Meet me in the nosebleeds". She takes a deep sigh as she decides what to do. She then takes her time showering and changing into street clothes. Nearly an hour later she finally makes her way to the top floor of the arena. She spots Bo sitting dead center in the middle of the stands and she makes her way over, climbing the steps and taking a seat one chair over from him. They sit silently for a moment as they watch the crew carefully dismantle the ring. They both avoid looking at each other by intently watching the scene below before Bo finally speaks

Bo- "Did you know I'm originally from Las Vegas?"

BB- "Is this another one of your jokes?"

Bo- "No jokes tonight. House Rule"

Berry rolls her eyes as they both continue to watch below

Bo- "I moved to the Bay in high school and it's been home ever since. Vegas is where it all started for me though. It's where I fell in love with wrestling"

Barry looks at Bo for the first time but his eyes remain firmly locked on the workers below. She soon returns her gaze to the ring

Bo- "Up until recently, Vegas wasn't allowed to have any pro sports franchises due to the fact that sports betting is legal there. So because of that, wrestling is really big there. They had Indy shows that used to come through all the time. And Vegas loves a good prize fight so they'd have these tournaments. It was a pretty big deal back then. A packed house at the Thomas and Mack Center. Ten thousand people going nuts and waving signs"

Bo shows emotion for the first time as he cracks a slight smile

Bo- "My dad took me to my first show when I was six. It was an early birthday present for making the honor roll. We sat in nosebleed seats just like these and man... to this day that's still the best day of my entire life. I was mesmerized and I knew then that I would be a wrestler. A ticket in the nosebleeds changed my life forever. That's why I like to come up here. Seeing things from this perspective reminds me of who I am and who I want to be. Lately, those two haven't been the same person"

Bo pulls out a pair of Gatorade bottles. He tries to hand one to Berry but she shakes her head

Bo- "I'm willing to bet you still haven't rehydrated after your match. We're gonna be here a minute. It's a long story but one I need to tell you. So just take it"

Berry somewhat reluctantly grabs the bottle. They both take a swig as their gaze returns to the crew who is now pulling up all the cables and mats

Bo- "When I started my career I struggled for years. I was talented but I was too one minded. I tried to be smarter than everyone. I was kinda like that jerk your brother hangs out with"

Berry immediately tenses up at the mention

Bo- "Not his personality of course. But I used to think that I could plan for everything. I would watch film endlessly and simply try to out-prepare every opponent I faced"

Berry relaxes

Bo- "I bounced around from indie to indie all across Europe and Asia. You name the promotion, I probably passed through there. I would have great matches everywhere I went but I could never win the big ones. I challenged for multiple championships but after eight years my trophy case was still empty. I was honestly beginning to doubt myself. Then I met Alpha"

Bo stops to take another sip. He leans back as he stares at the ceiling briefly and collects his thoughts

Bo- "Ring Of Honor was having a tryout by invitation only. I was a bit surprised I even got an invite but I figured why not. I get there and the first thing they do is pair everyone up to run drills. I get paired with Alpha and I was not happy. He was wild with his movements and he talked in the third person. He wasn't happy to be paired with me either. He said I was too stiff and my approach to wrestling was too mechanical. We struggled to work together and by the end of the day we were ready to tear each other's heads off. And then we got exactly that chance when the last drill of the day was a 10 minute match"

Bo smiles to himself

Bo- "That match was magic. All the bad blood we'd been building up just came pouring out. And we both felt it, the natural chemistry we had with each other in the ring. That was the beginning of our partnership. Neither of us were selected by Ring Of Honor that day but it didn't matter. We both knew that we could do something special by working together"

Bo takes another sip

Bo- "We became a tag team. More than that, we became best friends. No, even more than that we became brothers. He was the complete opposite of me and yet it was perfect. He rarely planned anything out and he never watched film. It's funny cause he really wasn't a student of the game but he still taught me a lot. He taught me to really develop my instincts in the ring and improvise more. He helped me become a complete wrestler. And in the process I did the same for him. I taught him the importance of preparation and film study. It was a natural fit really. Before we knew it we were racking up victories and collecting tag team titles everywhere we went. And our bond, our brotherhood, it only got stronger as the time went by. Eventually we ended up in New Japan as the IWGP Tag Team Champions. We even made the cover of Pro Wrestling Insider. Everything was going our way. And then we both qualified for the G1..."

Bo's words trail off as he shakes his head

Bo- "We were IWGP Tag Team Champions for almost a full year before that. Up until then, all the talk had been about how unstoppable House Of Chaos was. But when we both qualified, suddenly all of the talk was about which one of us was the better wrestler. About who was the true 'Alpha' of the group. And the general consensus was that I was the better man. And Alpha couldn't handle that. So he started putting all his focus on his individual training for the G1. He began cutting our team workouts short or missing them all together. And it cost us. A week before the G1 we lost the belts to a team we had already beaten twice. Alpha wasn't prepared at all and he got pinned. And I was pissed. I tried talking to him about it but all he could think about was proving himself in the G1. All he cared about was proving that he was better than me. And that pissed me off even more. This was supposed to be my brother. The man who fought by my side. And all he seemed to care about was beating me"

Bo's words hit home for Berry as she briefly thinks about her desire to beat Jerry

Bo- "We were in opposite blocks and Alpha lost his opening match while I defeated the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. It's funny because I really have Alpha to thank for that win. I was so angry that I think I could've pinned God himself that day. I was feeling a lot better after having a chance to let my frustrations out. So I went to talk to Alpha again, you know to put everything behind us and to give him some encouragement after his loss. I never imagined that night would be the end of... everything"

Bo- "We almost came to blows that night. I tried to tell him that I didn't care what the so called experts were saying. I knew that he was a good wrestler and he knew it too. That's all that should've mattered to me. But that wasn't good enough for Alpha. He just had to know if I thought I was better than him. So I told him the truth. I told him that I was better than him. I tried to explain that it didn't mean he wasn't good but my words fell on deaf ears. All Alpha heard was that I thought I was better than him. Everything after that was kind of a blur. Or maybe I just mentally blocked it out on purpose. That was one of the hardest nights of my life. But for better or worse it made me who I am today. After that night I blazed a trail right though my block. Unfortunately so did Alpha and we met in the final. We hadn't spoken since that night and from the opening bell it was clear that all that remained between us was animosity. It made for a hell of a match though. Maybe the best of my career. And it ended when I bust out my new finisher. I hit Alpha with the first ever House Call"

Bo takes another sip and lets out a heavy sigh

Bo- "My point is that I have a lot of baggage that I've honestly never really dealt with. I never faced my trust issues, instead I just made sure I'd never have to trust anyone again. Which worked just fine until recently. I can't do that anymore though. Not if we're going to win"

Berry perks up

Bo- "Ever since Dasha first asked me about us tagging together in the classic I've been getting more and more off my game. I couldn't figure out why but now I know. You see if we enter this tournament I expect us to win. Which means we'll get a tag team title match and I expect us to win that as well. Which means if we do this I expect we'll be tagging together for the foreseeable future. But that won't work unless I lower my guard and really let you in. The one thing all great tag teams have in common is the trust they share in each other. And that's where my struggle lies. I' just don't know how to really open up and trust anymore. Every time I try I just get a mental block that won't budge no matter how hard I try to push it"

Berry takes in Bo's words as she tries to decided his meaning

BB- "So what are you saying?"

Bo- "I'm saying that I can't train you anymore"

BB- "So that's it?"

Bo- "No you misunderstand. I can't train you anymore because we're going to be partners from now on. I still want to help you get better Berry. I want to see you with your hand raised in victory over your brother. And I also want to get over my own issues. So no more trainer and trainee. From now on were equal partners. I won't dictate to you anymore nor will I set up the entire regiment for us. We'll do everything as a team and we'll make decisions as one as well. You'll have free reign to call me out and challenge me the same way I do to you. You were right and I should have let you help me train for Clutch. I won't make the same mistake again"

Berry beams but Bo quickly continues

Bo- "BUT... this has to work both ways. Your going to have to open up and trust me as well. I saw your last match. You flashed more technical ability in 3 minutes then you have in 3 months of training. You've been holding back. I'm not mad cause he'll I've been holding back myself. But if we're gonna be real partners then you can't keep doing that"

Berry nods her head slowly. She looks hard at Bo as she grapples with his words on one side and her memories on the other. She gets snapped out of her haze as Bo extends a hand. She looks at the hand and then at Bo's face and she pushes the memories aside as she shakes his hand

BB- "Deal"

Bo- "Good. Now just one more thing"

Bo reaches under his seat and pulls out a box that he hands to Berry

Bo- "Consider it a peace offering"

Berry opens up the box to find a brand new set of ring gear. It's very similar in still style to her own gear with the big difference being that Bo's signature electric blue replaces the black in the color scheme. It complements Berry's signature purple nicely as both colors seem to make each other pop. Along the lighting bolt on the side she also sees the letters H.O.B.B

Berry- "What's H.O.B.B.?,"

Bo- "House of Berry and Bo. I thought it was a nice team name for us. We can change it if you don't like it though"

Berry smiles to herself

BB- "No I like it just fine. Does this mean I get to make up my own house rules now?"

Bo- "Slow your roll kiddo. I don't even get to make the rules. I just follow them"

BB- "But it's your house. Or should I say it's OUR house. You telling me I don't get to make the rules in my own house?"

Bo let's out a huge laugh

[veggieleezy]

*We see Jim Houston arriving at the FPW arena early in the morning to start his day, coffee in hand. He says hello to some of the arena staff as he makes his way to his office. Once he reaches his floor, Houston sighs when he finds that the hallway is dark. "Guess there must be a bulb out or something. I'll let the maintenance crew know later," he grumbles.*

*He makes his way down the darkened hall to his office, and he sees that his door is slightly ajar. This isn't entirely out of the ordinary, the cleaning crew sometimes leave the door unlocked when they finish if they know he'll be in early, but they don't usually leave it open. "Huh. I guess they must not have pulled the door all the way," Houston thinks to himself.*

*Without thinking any more of it, he takes hold of the doorknob and senses it feels colder than usual and slightly damp. Houston pushes the door open and looks at his hand as he turns on the light with the other. He sees his palm is covered in purple paint. "What the-"*

*Houston cuts himself off as he looks up. He drops his coffee in shock. His office has been turned upside down, furniture overturned, file cabinets rifled through, pictures on the wall and on his desk broken and crooked, and purple paint splattered all around the office. The only thing that Houston is more concerned about is a small purple gift-wrapped box on his desk. He cautiously walks over to it, half-thinking he should call security.*

*Taking a deep breath, Houston opens the box. Inside is a jack-in-the-box with a note that says "Play me, will you?" "No, he can't be this far gone," Houston mutters. Houston steels himself and cranks the handle. The jack pops out at the end, painted to mirror Jerry Bishop's facepaint. Attached to the jack's nose is a ring, and sewn to one hand is another note. Houston takes the ring and note and studies them. He realizes the ring is the same design as the old League of Friendmigos' rings, but with a large X scorched onto its emblem.*

*Houston opens the second note, hands shaking slightly. It simply reads, in large scrawled letters, "That's. Not. Funny." Houston drops the note to the floor and franticly searches for his phone. He finds it on the floor with another note sticking out from underneath the receiver. He tears it out and reads it. "PS- 'You should've changed that stupid lock, you should've made me leave the key if I'd known for just one second they'd be back to bother me.' Now THAT'S funny.". Houston slumps himself into his chair and picks up the phone calling security.*

[ticktock]

Aaron Williams carries a bag, walking up a set of steps, stretching out his neck from one side to the other. He pauses before he gets to the door and pushes it open. As soon as he steps through it, a loud cheer can be heard from young voices, and moments later Williams is surrounded by kids from his wrestling class.

Kid 1: Aaron! You did it!
Kid 2: We knew you could do it!
Kid 3: Are you and Jace going to be champions?
Kid 4: Does this mean you'll be facing Jerry for the title?
Kid 5: How cool is it that Super Che and Matt Dwyer are back?
Kid 6: Is it nice to finally beat him?
Kid 7: It was the best match ever!

Williams holds his hands up and smiles.

AW: Whoa there. Whoa. Erm, let me see if I can do all of those at once... we did, thank you for believing in me, I hope so, it might, I don't know them yet, it really is and thanks. Did that cover them all? Let me put my bags down and then we'll get started.

Kid 1: You and Jace are the best! Me and Will want to be the A Plus Students when we grow up!
AW: That name's going to stick, huh? Go on. Get yourself ready and I'll be over in a minute.

Williams heads over to a load of seats where the children's parents are sat.

AW: Sorry I'm late. Car trouble and it turns out that I'm limping a lot more today that I thought I'd be. I wrestled for quite a while yesterday after all.

The parents laugh as Williams puts his things down and bounces up and down a bit before jogging over to the ring and sliding in.

AW: Alright! Get yourselves around the ring, everyone. Let's see... 14, 15... 16 of you. Great numbers today. Anyone here for the first time?

Two kids put their hands up.

AW: Wonderful. What are your names?

Kid 8: Tommy.
Kid 9: Aleister.

AW: Good wrestling names. I'll talk to you guys in a bit and I'll talk to your parents at the end too. The rest of you... welcome back! Tonight I thought-

A child puts their hand up.

AW: Yo, Randy, what's up?

The kids hesitates before asking his question.

Randy: Can you tell us about your match yesterday?

Williams chuckles.

AW: I thought this might happen... who wants to talk about-

Williams is cut off by screams from the kids.

AW: Alright, alright. Well, it was great to team with my good friend Jace again. You all know how good he is and how hard he works, right? He's a great role model for you guys to watch. So to get to team with him is an honor. I just wanted... I just wanted to not let him down. Jerry Bishop is someone who has had my number for a while and MDE is a tough guy. Jace has gone through the wringer recently and I wanted to help him get something positive after he lost the title again. I'm proud that we did it. It was hard. But what do I always tell you guys?

The all chant together: If it's not hard, it's not helping.

AW: Exactly. It was one of the hardest wins of my career and I'm proud that we managed it. But we don't stop working there, oh no. What do I say about stopping after one win?

They all chant together again: When you win, you just work harder.

AW: Right again. When you win, it means your next match will be harder because someone will come after you just that little bit more. For me and Jace, that someone is The Queendom. Jace is more familiar with their particular brand of... I'm not sure of the word I can use with all of you here, but you know what I mean. They're motivated to win this thing more than I've seen from a lot of teams. They think they've got something to prove. Maybe they think that now Jace and I beat Jerry and MDE we'll ease off and let them walk into the final, but that's not going to happen. Thea Donovan and Myra Lopez are good. In fact they're very good, but so are me and Jace and we're going to keep working ourselves harder and harder to push towards winning the All Star Tag Team Classic and getting the chance to become Tag Team Champions. Fun fact, if we achieve that goal, Jace Mason will become the first ever Triple Crown Champion in FPW. He's building one hell of a resume.

Tommy: So now you beat the champion, you get a chance at the belt, right?

The kids all shout in agreement.

AW: I don't know about that. Jace got the pin on MDE, not Jerry, and I didn't get the pin at all. Jace deserves the shot more than I do. In fact, Jerry has beaten me three times in a row now, so I'm not sure that I've earned the chance to make any demands yet. But I'm prepared to work hard and give my all to climb the ladder. It might take me a while, but I'm eyeing up that Free-1. It's not too far off now and I do love a tournament. A lot of people took notice of me after my matches in the Free-1 last year, even though I finished bottom of the block. This year... maybe this can be the year I really make people sit up and take notice. But that's enough about me. I don't come here to talk about me. I come here to help you all become the next John Cena... except a lot better than he is, obviously. Who wants to run the ropes?

The kids groan.

AW: You don't get to do shooting star presses all the time and think you're Will Ospreay. It starts with conditioning, proper warming up and good fundamentals. 4 at a time, 10 there-and-backs. Rest of you stretch out. Yo, Tommy and Aleistar... let's get you too started.

Williams rolls out of the ring as the first group of four come in and start running the ropes.

[noname1525]

A video was uploaded to the FPW website, showing Jace and Aaron returning backstage after their victory over Jerry and MDE the previous night. The two were still celebrating, although Jace winced any time he moved his left arm too sharply. He glanced down the hall that they were passing and saw Dasha standing at the end, a microphone in hand bu with no one nearby. He clapped Aaron on the shoulder with his good arm and said, "you go on ahead, I'm going to have a quick conversation and then head to the trainer and get my arm looked at." Aaron nodded. "Sounds good man, I'll see you later." he said before continuing to walk down the hall. Jace watched him go for a moment before he turned and started walking towards Dasha, who hadn't noticed him yet.

"What's going on Dasha?" he called, startling her a little. "I told you'd I'd see you for the post-match interview, and instead I find you hiding down the hall?"

"Sorry Jace," Dasha said. "I just had to get away from the screens. I couldn't keep watching Jerry, the way he's acting nowadays." She glanced at the camera and took a moment to compose herself before she extended the mic towards Jace. "Congratulations on your victory tonight Jace," she said, all signs of her previous discomfort gone. "How does it feel to advance to the semi-finals of the tournament for the second straight year?"

Jace was taken aback by her sudden change of demeanor, but went along with the interview. "Well, it felt great. The last time Aaron and I teamed up, things didn't go as well for us, so getting back to our winning ways was a bit of a relief. I have to admit, after that loss I was a little concerned we'd lost our touch as a tag team, but tonight proved that that's not the case."

"With a victory over the FPW World Champion, do you believe that puts you into contention for a title shot?" Dasha asked.

"Well, no." Jace said. "I may have picked up a win over the champion, but I didn't pin him. I still haven't proven that I have what it takes to defeat the World Champion. And even though there was a part of me that truly wanted that to be the result tonight, I'm mostly glad that things played out the way they did. Like I said, I need to get the World Championship out of my head for a while."

Dasha nodded before asking her next question. "With this tonight's win, you and Aaron move on to face some hold foes of yours, Thea Donovan and Myra Lopez from the Queendom. How do you see that match playing out?"

"I'll give Thea and Myra the credit they deserve, the two of them have been on a major winning streak recently, one that only ended when they met the Tag Team Champions. But tonight they bounced back, and made a compelling argument that they could win this whole tournament. But Aaron and I are going to provide an even more compelling counter-argument. Because now that we've made it past MDE and Jerry, and all the questions about challenging for the World Championship are behind us, we're going to be an even better team throughout the rest of the tournament."

"Thanks for your time Jace," Dasha said, finishing up the interview. "I'm sure we all look forward to seeing how you and Aaron do in the semi-finals."

"Anytime Dasha," Jace responded, glancing at the camera as it turned off. But a moment later it turned back on, showing Dasha walking away, with Jace following after her. "Hey, wait up." He caught up to he just before she rounded the corner. "I'm sorry if I made you feel like you had to do that. I was just referencing the conversation we had last time-"

"I get it Jace," Dasha said, holding up a hand to interrupt him. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "It's just hard seeing how far he's fallen. I don't know why it hit me so hard tonight, but it was just too much."

Jace awkwardly shifted his weight, thinking over his next words. "I wish I could say I knew what you're going through, but honestly, I've never been in your situation. I just want you to know that I'll be there for you if you need it."

Dasha nodded, wiping away a tear. "Do you know what the worst part is?" she asked. "The worst part about all this is that no matter how far he goes, no matter how bad it gets, I still want to see him win. What he does sickens me, I can barely stand to look at him anymore; but when I do, I still see the same old Jerry, and I just can't help myself but to want to see him succeed."

Jace sucked in a breath. "That sounds rough. I really wish I could do more to help you. But like I said, for now, if you need a friend, I'm here."

Dasha nodded and gave him a quick hug. "Thanks Jace," she said before she collected herself and walked down the hall.

[Jim Houston]

MDE stands in front of an official FPW background, looking at his watch in frustration.

MDE: Hey, Crewmember. Is my watch wrong or what?
TC: No. She'll be here soon, I'm sure. I guess she just doesn't...
MDE: Doesn't what?
TC: Nothing...
MDE: No. Say it. If you've got something to say to me, say it.

Ted Crewmember steps in front of the camera looking awkward.

TC: She... she's not a big fan of yours... but you know that.
MDE: I've worked it out.
TC: And, if I may be so bold, you really don't help yourself in that regard. Try to see things from her point of view. Maybe she'll at least be able to tolerate you being here.

MDE gives Ted a look.

MDE: You think the approval of an interviewer means anything to me? You think that someone who is paid to wear low-cut dresses and talk a lot can give me any kind of pleasure from deciding that 'he's kind of ok I suppose'? Her opinion doesn't matter to me. And neither does yours.
TC: Fine. But maybe stop rubbing it in?
MDE: Why? It's fun. Seeing her cower away from me. Seeing her shoot me sideways glances full of disgust. Seeing her find any excuse she can to avoid me. She's been doing it ever since my flight landed for Judgement Day a year and a half ago. Toying with her doesn't mean anything. It's a game. How far can I push her before she finally cracks? I came close last time we spoke, don't you think?
TC: You're a sick son of a bitch, aren't you?

MDE smiles a smug grin.

MDE: You see, she's lasted longer than you. You're an easy nut to crack aren't you? And you were never in love with Jerry Bishop as far as I know. She's stronger than I thought. Maybe we'll see if I can crack her if she finally decides to turn up? What do you say, Crewmember? 50 bucks says I can get her to cry. 100 says I can get her to crack on camera.

Ted looks disgusted and shakes his head, moving behind the camera as Dasha walks up to them and sighs.

DB: Sorry I'm late, I...
MDE: Go on.

She looks MDE dead in the eyes.

DB: I was predisposed.
MDE: Really?
DB: Yes, really. Ted, are we good?
TC: We're ready, if that's what you mean. I'm not sure anything is good with him here.
DB: Let's get this over with.

Dasha's usual professional veneer cuts in as she begins the interview.

DB: I'm joined by MDE. MDE, you just lost in the All Star Tag Team Classic, a tournament I believe you assured everyone that you and your partner would win. How much did that loss hurt?
MDE: Nice try but I'm not so easy to rile up. Not as easy as you are, anyway. I heard what you said to Mason. You were rooting for us. You were sitting there and secretly cheering us on. You couldn't wait to say those words... 'And your winn-' Oh... wait... you wouldn't have been the one to say them, would you? He doesn't want you to have anything to do with him anymore. Thalia Columbina is ten times the ring announcer and about fifty times the interviewer that you are.

DB: You didn't answer the question. You lost. Again. Is he angry with you? You took the pin after all and maybe Mason and Williams have a claim to face him for the FPW Championship? He can't be pleased with you.
MDE: Another nice try. Jerry and I are a team. We win as a team and we lose as a team. This time we lost. But let's get one thing crystal clear. Jace Mason and Aaron Williams have no claim at Jerry's title. Mason lost to Jerry when he won the belt and he hasn't proven that he deserves another chance. Williams... he's lost to Jerry more often than anybody this year. He won't get near him for a long time. As far as Aaron Williams thinking that he can win the Free-1 and get his shot that way... please. Jerry will defend that title against Super Che Junior, for some reason, and he'll beat whichever unworthy challenger that Jim Houston throws at him after that. Then he'll win the Free-1 and I think we all know that the perfect Judgement Day III main event would be Jerry choosing to defend the belt against me. Because that's what Judgement Day will look like. And that's what they- and you- deserve.

DB: Let's move on-
MDE: Really? I'm happy talking about this. You see, Dasha, you may look at him and still see the old Jerry Bishop, but we both know that The Jester is dead and never coming back. Not for you, not for anybody. You can choose to see whatever you like, but the reality is right in front of you. Jerry is the FPW Champion now. And you'd better get used to hating him for it, because he's not letting go of that belt for anyone.

DB: And how about your match with Robert D. Jackson? He's beaten you once. He seems confident that he'll beat you again. What will you do to make this one different?
MDE: I'm not going to tell you, obviously. But Robert... you think you have all the answers don't you? You think you've got it all worked out. You're a smart ass. That's all. You try and get under my skin but you're destined to fail in that regard just like you're destined to fail in our match. You may think there's no difference between a backslide victory and a clear pin or submission, but you know nothing about this sport. This is professional wrestling and you've come into my domain now. You do not get to beat me again. I will show you, and anyone else who wants to offer their worthless opinion on the matter, that I am ten times the wrestler that you are. And when I beat you, guess what? I'll come and do it again. We won't end this tied up 1 for 1. We won't end this with you 2 and 0. This will end with me proving, without a shadow of a doubt, that I remain the best technical wrestler in the world. Now we're done.

MDE walks off as Dasha speaks under her breath: "And your winner... Robert. D. Jackson! Just give me that chance."

TC: You ok, Dash?
DB: I am now that he's gone. Sorry I was late, I just can't-
TC: I get it. The guy's sick. I'll speak to the boss and see if we can't find a way to cut him out of the schedule.
DB: No.
TC: No?
DB: No. I want to look into his eyes after every match he loses and see it all drain out of him. I want to look into his eyes when that moment finally comes and I want to be the one to ask him that question.
TC: What question?
DB: How it feels when Jerry sees him for what he really is. I'm not missing that moment. Not a chance.