WrestleQuest Prelude: The Wildcard

>How about we take turns doing some talking. We're both charismatic, we don't need only one of us to be the mouthpiece.
I'm all for having Omega fuck up a bit, but for now, lets have a bit of success before the failure.

Rolled 48 + 15 (1d100 + 15)

>[CHA] I'm an even better promo than you, James. I'll do the talking, and you look tough.

Calling in 5 minutes.

>>How about we take turns doing some talking. We're both charismatic, we don't need only one of us to be the mouthpiece.

Calling for
>How about we take turns doing some talking? We're both charismatic, we don't need only one of us to be the mouthpiece.
Writing now.

The Main Event is well underway, as Tommy Hardcore and The Crow have already waged a war against each-other. Chairs, Kendo sticks, and likely a few bones have been broken as the pair have fought out their climactic, no holds barred contest in order to see who can walk out of the building with the HCW world title. The two had fought on the outside, on the ramp, even took the action into the crowd for a while, but now they are in the middle of the ring, as Tommy locks Crow up, hooking his arms as he falls back and delivers the Hardcore Driver! That has to be the end of the match right there!

Tommy goes for the pin... but what's this? Two mysterious men, dressed in black longcoat, slide into the ring and start to lay their feet into Tommy. He pulls himself of The Crow and tries hard to fight back, but the two men are vicious and won't let up. One of them, the one with the blonde hair, appears to have brought a metal baseball bat which he rams into the gut of Hardcore, causing him to double-over. The black-haired one, you, picks up the Crow, before hitting him with a jumping cutter, laying him out for good. You make your way outside the ring and grab a steel chair, which you soon use to strike hard on the body of the downed Tommy Hardcore. As you lay your sadistic beating down on the man, shot after shot connecting with his back, the referee rules the main event an official No-Contest. The Crow retains the title, but he's not in condition to celebrate, as he remains passed out on the outside. You drag Tommy to his feet by the hair, before whipping him right into the path of a spear from your blonde partner. James picks him back up and holds him steady as you pull an item from your coat... a metal wench. The crowd is buzzing, some from genuine concern, while others excited to see their bloodlust satiated. You strike Tommy with the wench, as blood pools from his forehead.

The crowd is in a furious uproar for having the main event stolen from them by a pair of unknown assailants. Your partner snatches the microphone out of the ring announcer's hand, as he addresses the crowd.

"You know, some people take years to make an impact in a place like this... we took five minutes!"

He develops a smug smile as the crowd rains boos upon you. "My name is James Daniels, and this right here is my good friend Kevin Omega. I don't have to tell you our names twice, because after tonight they are going to be on everyone's lips. Kevin, get that piece of old news out of our ring."

You nod, as you strike Tommy once more with the chair, before kicking his unconscious body out of the ring through the bottom rope.

"We're all that matters in HCW now!" James continues. "All these people up until now, they've been acting cool with their neat little stunts and their barbed wire and their blood. Truth is, they've been playing around. Me and Kevin... WE DON'T FUCKING PLAY."

As the crowd goes crazy with anticipation, James hand you the microphone as he starts confronting some fans in the front row.

>[HARDCORE] Play up your wild side. [ROLL D100+12]
>[CHARISMA] Establish your character with an impassioned and crazed speech. [ROLL D100+15]
>[TECHNICAL] Brag about your superior wrestling ability. [ROLL D100+15]

Rolled 48 + 15 (1d100 + 15)

>[CHARISMA] Establish your character with an impassioned and crazed speech.

Rolled 5 + 15 (1d100 + 15)

>[CHARISMA] Establish your character with an impassioned and crazed speech. [ROLL D100+15]

>Establish your character with an impassioned and crazed speech.

As you grab the microphone, you use your bloodstained hand to sweep your long hair out of your face, before giving a demented smile. "All these people these days... they want to sound cool, so they call themselves... Hardcore. They call themselves... Extreme. Let me tell you something. You people don't know the meaning of the word extreme! My father was not a very nice man... and because of him, I'm not a very nice man either. Some would call m deranged, not all there... psychopathic. But what do they know? They're just a bunch of doctors who think they can look down on me and treat me like an animal! But you know what? I may be not all there, but I've always had something to keep me ticking, something I've always been good at... and that's violence. So to see these people come along and play their fun little game of who can be the most "Extreme"... IT SICKENS ME! TO MY VERY STOMACH! These people want to play crazy, but me and my friend here... we're the real thing. And we're going to show the entire HCW locker room, one by one, what Extreme REALLY means."

You drop the microphone as the crowd buzzes in anticipation for what's to come.

Yeah, you'd call that a good first impression.

>July 18th 1998

The next three years were pretty freakin' spectacular. With James by your side, the two of you raised hell in HCW, putting on a clinic every single night you got the chance. In that span of time, the two of you held the HCW tag titles on four separate occasions, and you also had a brief reign with the TV title. Neither of you sniffed the main gold however, but hey... you can't win them all. It was of course only a matter of time before the big leagues came knocking. Charlotte had been signed up a few months prior by Universal Pro Wrestling, after they decided they need some actual talent to fix their fledgling women's division. She convinced some of the higher ups to give you and James a try-out. You impressed, and before you knew it, The Wildcards were debuting on an episode of Warzone, in a scene very similar to your HCW introduction.

Hey, nobody's completely original, and the old "Jump in from the crowd and straight up murder the guys in the ring" is always a good place to start. Of course this time you weren't interfering in the main event, but rather a midcard match, and your beatdown wasn't as brutal as your one from three years ago. Felt like a watered down re-run of what you'd done before... but you didn't care. This was the big time, UPW, and you and James were competing together in a tag match the very next week, against the Harlem Brothers.

youtube.com/watch?v=R0AqE9dapV0

>And their opponents... hailing from "Wherever they damn well please"... Kevin Omega and James Daniels, THE WILDCARDS!

You sprint to the ring, sliding in with James close behind. You practically sliver on the ring mat, trying to psyche out the other team, as the referee directs you to the corner.

>I'll start things off in this match.
>James can start things off.

>James can start things off.
Let's be the hot tag. Also, glad to see you back. This is one of my favorite quests.

>James can start things off.

He's not been gone, just working on a different quest. But its time for season 2. Well, almost...

>James can start things off.

>>James can start things off.

>James can start things off.

You climb through the ropes and onto the apron, as James, the larger of The Wildcards, locks up with Jeff Harlem. With minimal effort, James pushes Jeff back, as he rolls back to his corner. He converses with his partner, his brother Matt, as he formulates a strategy. James isn't going to wait for that, as he rushes Jeff, kicking him in the face before punching Matt off of the apron and onto the hard floor of the outside, just for good measure. James drags Jeff closer to the centre, before picking him up by the side and dropping him down to deliver a particularly nasty looking backbreaker. Jeff rolls on the floor in pain, but Daniels isn't finished, as he drags him by the hair and hits him with a snap suplex before going for the pin. He only gets a one count out of the young guy. James pulls Jeff back to his feet and whips him into the ropes. He ducks down in order to deliver a backdrop to Jeff, but the younger Harlem brother leaps over and tries to take James down with a sunset flip. He can't quite get the momentum to take Daniels off his feet however, as James simply drives his knee into the face of Jeff.

Daniels smiles smugly as Jeff crawls along the floor, trying hard to reach his partner who has returned to the ring apron. James follows the crawling Jeff by his side, before punching Matt off of the apron once again once Jeff gets close. Daniels laughs as he grabs Jeff and whips him into your corner, as he dives at Jeff in order to ram him with a shoulder block. Jeff moves out of the way at the last second, as James shoulder rams into the steel post of the turnbuckle. He winces in pain, before pulling out and turning around, walking right into a dropkick from Jeff.

James falls back into your corner as he tags you in. As he does, you notice that an exhausted Jeff is back to crawling to his own corner yet again.

>[FLY] Springboard Elbow Drop into the ring. [D100+21]
>[SUB] Grab him by the leg and put him in an Ankle Lock [D100+24]

Rolled 31 + 21 (1d100 + 21)

>[FLY] Springboard Elbow Drop into the ring. [D100+21]
You start this off flying!

Rolled 30 + 21 (1d100 + 21)

>[FLY] Springboard Elbow Drop into the ring.

Rolled 64 + 21 (1d100 + 21)

>>[FLY] Springboard Elbow Drop into the ring. [D100+21]

Rolled 60 + 21 (1d100 + 21)

[FLY] Springboard Elbow Drop into the ring. [D100+21]

>Springboard Elbow Drop into the ring.

Some men would be happy to simply climb into the ring and drop the elbow on their opponent. You however, prepare to do things with just a little more speed, and a hell of a lot more flash. As James' hand slaps against yours, you hop onto the ring apron, and dive into the centre of the ring, landing your elbow down onto the back of the fleeing Harlem brother before he can reach his partner on the apron. You wag your finger at Matt as you raise Jeff back to his feet, hitting him with a stiff European Uppercut, followed by another, followed by pulling him in for a swinging neckbreaker. As Jeff lands on the ground, you roll over for the cover. 1... 2... but Matt arrives to break up the pin. The referee instructs Matt back to his corner, and you see an opportunity arise as the referee's back is turned.

James places his boot on the top rope in your corner of the ring, as you whip Jeff into it. Stunned from eating a boot to the face, Jeff is dead weight as you grab the ring rope and wrap it around his neck, strangling him a little. James slaps your back as the ref begins to turn around, giving you the signal to break Jeff free before you're caught. Jeff falls forward in a pathetic display. He begins to crawl once more towards his partner, but he should figure what doing that means by now. Your sprint is much faster than Jeff's crawl as you run to the Harlem Brother's corner and Boot Matt in the face, knocking him off the ring apron one more time.

Now, Jeff is weak and alone in the centre of the ring. This match has proven quick and easy for the Wildcards, and now all you have to do is finish him off. But how? You've got a miriad of deadly moves in your arsenal, but which one do you want to bust out tonight?

>[CHA] The Ace Crusher [D100+30]
>[FLY] The Frog Splash [D100+21]
>[SUB] The Crippler Crossface [D100+24]
>Tag in James and let him finish it off.

Rolled 2 + 21 (1d100 + 21)

>[FLY] The Frog Splash [D100+21]
Save that crusher for a big big match and a big big pop!

Rolled 43 + 21 (1d100 + 21)

>[FLY] The Frog Splash [D100+21]

Rolled 68 + 24 (1d100 + 24)

>[SUB] The Crippler Crossface [D100+24]

Rolled 56 + 24 (1d100 + 24)

>[SUB] The Crippler Crossface [D100+24]

Calling in 5 minutes

Rolled 86 + 30 (1d100 + 30)

>[CHA] The Ace Crusher

Calling for
>The Frog Splash
Writing now.

>The Frog Splash

As Jeff crawls weakly on his belly, you shake your head with a mix of pity, and sheer delight. You drag him to his feet before dropping him with a nicely placed DDT, leaving him lying face up on the mat. You raise your hands into the air, signalling that you're going up top. You climb onto the apron, and leap from the top rope with spectacular form, landing on top of Jeff Harlem. Matt climbs into the ring intending to break up the pin, but is quickly downed by a spear from James Daniels out of nowhere.

Nobody can save Jeff Harlem, as the referee makes the count. 1... 2... 3!

*DING DING*

youtube.com/watch?v=R0AqE9dapV0

>Here are your winners... The Wildcards!

An impactful debut, taking down an established tag team so easily. You and James high-five in the ring before quickly making your way backstage.

>BACKSTAGE

"We did it brother!" James laughs as he cracks open the can of beer and hands it over to you. "The big time! And between you and me... I think we're going all the way to the top!"

You smile as you swig down the beer. It tastes awful, horribly cheap stuff, but it doesn't matter. The taste of success is much stronger on your tongue right now.

"Where is he?" Charlotte exclaims as she rushes through the back. She catches your eye and smiles as she runs up to you embracing you with a kiss. "Oh, I'm so proud of you! Both of you!"

"Hey, was it any surprise we were going to impress?" you laugh, as you take her hand. The engagement ring on her finger is fairly modest, but you've promised to buy her a better one once your first UPW paycheck comes in.

"I think you did most of the impression, you damn show-off," James jokes with a chuckle. "Next time, I'm doing the frog splash."

"Can you even do a frog splash?" you fire back.

"If I wanted to, probably!" James exclaims. "You know what I mean, anyway. Next match, I get to do a cool move, okay buddy?"

He smiles as he pats you on the shoulder, and you wince in pain.

"Yikes, something wrong?" James asks.

You shake your head. "I'm fine. I just might have landed a little funny off that splash. Nothing's out of place though."

"Okay... as long as you're alright," James mutters, before being called away by a road agent. You fold out a chair and take a seat, as Charlotte joins you on your lap, wrapping her arms around you.

"So Mr. Wildcard... what's next for the next big thing in wrestling?"

>Me and James have got to go for those tag titles. We're gonna rule the division.
>Hopefully a singles run. I love James to pieces, but I need to break out of the tag team scene.
>Well, first thing I'm going to do is take my lovely fiance home, and fuck her brains out.

>Me and James have got to go for those tag titles. We're gonna rule the division.
>Well, first thing I'm going to do is take my lovely fiance home, and fuck her brains out.

And then we await for it to all go wrong.

Also, bum shoulder. That's where it starts...

>Me and James have got to go for those tag titles. We're gonna rule the division.
>Well, first thing I'm going to do is take my lovely fiance home, and fuck her brains out.

>Me and James have got to go for those tag titles. We're gonna rule the division.
Even if we wanted a singles title, tag titles are always the best place to start.

>Me and James have got to go for those tag titles. We're gonna rule the division.

Calling in 5 minutes.

Calling for
>Me and James have got to go for those tag titles. We're gonna rule the division.
>Well, first thing I'm going to do is take my lovely fiance home, and fuck her brains out.
Writing now.

"Well, aren't you just a charmer?" Charlotte giggles.

"I do my best," you laugh as you place your hands on her hips. "Anyway, let's head back to the apartment."

Charlotte shakes her head. "Sorry loverboy, but I'm sticking around for a while after the show to give lessons to some of the newer girls. They need someone with a little more experience to guide them."

"Honestly Charlotte, I don't know how a sweet girl like you ended up with a guy like me."

"You know, now that I think about it, I don't know either," Charlotte laughs. "Maybe we should break up."

"Heh, maybe we should, I'm clearly all wrong for you," you joke. "Well, if you're not coming back to the apartment yet, I guess I'll grab a drink with James. Talk to him about those tag team titles..."

Unfortunately, James found himself worn out after the match and said he was going to call it an early night. Whatever, you suppose you'll just grab a beer from your freezer and watch tapes all night. God, what a boring way to spend such a huge night. As you grab your bag and begin to make your way out of the arena, you are approached by some guy, with his daughter in tow.

"It's him, daddy!" The little brown haired girl yells, pointing her finger at you. She can't be any older than seven. "It's Kevin Omega!"

The father gives a polite smile as he holds onto his daughter's hand, preventing her from rushing. "Calm down, Patty. Sorry sir, she's just a huge fan."

"Yup!" the little girl exclaims. "You were my favourite in HCW! The Ace Crusher is so cool!"

"You let a little girl watch that violent stuff?" you ask the father.

He shrugs. "You do not know how much she would scream and yell whenever we would try to turn it off."

You smirk. "Okay, so what do you want? To say hi?"

"Oh, of course!" the man exclaims, before handing you one of the event's printed posters. "Could I trouble you for an autograph? It would mean the world to Patty here."

You look down at the kid, who blushes and hides behind her father.

>Sure, anything for a fan.
>Don't sign it. You don't want to break character in front of the kid, do you?

>Sure, anything for a fan.
Oh boy, here we go.

>Sure, anything for a fan.
But make it so you don't break character

>Sure, anything for a fan.
But make her prove she's WILD enough for it.

>Sure, anything for a fan.

The little girl's face lights up as you take the poster and marker from her father. You scribble your name onto the paper and hold it out in front of her. Young Patty reaches for the poster, before you pull your hand back at the last second. "Quick question, though... when The Wildcards go up against The Mercenaries next week, who are you going to be cheering for?"

"The Wildcards!" the young girl exclaims.

"And are you going to be cheering as loud as you can?"

"Of course!" she answers back.

"How loud? Because only the craziest and wildest of fans deserve an autograph from Kevin Omega!"

"Really loud!" The girl nods her head frantically, desperate for the autograph. "I swear!"

"Give me an example," you reply.

"WOOOO! GO WILDCARDS! YOU'RE THE BEST IN THE WORLD!" The girl screams at the top of her lungs as she jumps up and down, much to the dismay of her father, who lets out an exasperated sigh.

You chuckle as you hand Patty the poster. "Take it, kid. Enjoy."

She beams wide as she looks at the autograph, and her father gives a pleasant nod. "Thank you very much for this. She wants to be a wrestler herself when she grows up."

"Yep!" Patty laughs. "I'm going to be the next women's champion, just like Charlotte Anderson! And maybe they'll let me be World Champion too!"

You smile. "Maybe, but Miss Anderson's a good role model to have. She's a nice lady, isn't she?"

"Yeah! I want to be like her when I grow up!" Patty replies. "But I want to be like you even more!"

You try hard to keep up a smile after that comment. A kid wanting to be like you, huh? That's a new one. You'll be happy if this little girl doesn't end up even remotely like you, because that would mean she's had at least a decent childhood.

"Uhh..." the girl places a finger to her chin, hesitant to ask something. "If I want to be a good wrestler like you, when I grow up... what should I do?"

You pause. "I guess... you should just keep pushing ahead. If you've got a dream, you need to follow it no matter what. You think Kevin Omega let anybody tell him no? I kept pushing myself until I was the very best. Don't be afraid to take risks either. Playing things safe isn't going to get you anywhere. You have to be prepared to do whatever it takes to make it to the big-time."

The little girl nods in understanding. "I see... thanks! When I grow up, I'm going to be the best wrestler in the world. I'm going to win all the title, and then I'm going to marry you!"

Her father lets out another sigh as you laugh. "Yeah... you know how to dream big, kid. I'm sure I'll catch you around some day."

You wave goodbye to little Patty as her father takes her back to her car. You wander to your car and drive back to your apartment to watch tapes. Charlotte doesn't return until late, and by then she's already exhausted and heads straight for bed. You sigh as you switch your tv off before joining her.

Tonight, you made a hell of a debut. Play your cards right, and you might end up having a nice little career in UPW. Maybe nothing majorly special... but nice.

>JANUARY 11th 2001

>AND NEEEEEEEEEEEEW UPW WORLD CHAMPION... KEVIN OMEGA!

The words still don't feel real in your head. Even as you embrace Charlotte in the middle of the ring, confetti raining down from the ceiling and the world title belt in your hand, it all feels like some kind of dream. That you're going to wake up any second now and you'll be back in your shitty car, driving from gym to gym.

But you don't wake up. It's all real, baby.

As you get changed in your locker room, the world title sitting proudly next to you, you hear a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" you call out.

"Eh, it's nobody. Just your BROTHER!" a cheerful and familiar voice calls out from the other end.

You rush to the door and pull it open. There he is, the little bastard. Logan Hickland... or Omega, as he's changed his name to in turn. Your little brother, and a wrestler in turn. He's only work independents so far, but you're sure a good word on your end can set him up with something better.

"Been a while, hasn't it?" Logan admits with a cheeky smile.

>Greet him with a hug. You're happy to see him.
>Punch him in the arm. You're annoyed with him.

>Greet him with a hug. You're happy to see him.
HEEEY LOGAN!

>Greet him with a hug. You're happy to see him.
>Happy to see him
>Happy
NOT FOR LONG

>Greet him with a hug. You're happy to see him.
Gee, our life is swell. It'd sure be awful if at some point in the future it's all ruined.

>Greet him with a hug. You're happy to see him.

You quickly embrace your little brother, ecstatic to know that he attended your huge match tonight. As he hugs back, clutching your back tight, you wince in pain, before pulling away. "I had no idea you'd be here!"

"That's the whole point of a surprise," Logan laughs. "I couldn't afford front row seats, so I ended up towards the back, but Charlotte let me come backstage to congratulate you. That's one hell of a wife you've got there."

Strange, you almost feel as if you have to be reminded. Sure, it felt amazing to stand with her as you reached the top of the mountain tonight, but overall the marriage hasn't been the strongest. Most of the time, you and Charlotte barely talk, and she often spends late nights out without telling you were she was when she returns. You're plenty suspicious, but you can't say much. You've had your own share of infidelities, particularly during the time you spent in Japan recently. Nothing like another continent to make you forget you're married.

"So, what brings you out here, Logan?"

The twenty-year-old scratches the back of his head. "Come on. Like I was going to miss my brother's big win! This is what we've been dreaming of for years! Maybe I'll get to where you are one day."

"You've still got plenty of time," you say, patting him on the back. "I could try to arrange a try-out match for you. I'm sure you'll blow them away."

"I don't know," Logan mutters, unsure. "I think I'd be considered a little too... short for UPW."

"Yeah, but I've seen you go," you reply. "You can fly better than anyone. With your talent, size doesn't matter. The sky is the limit for you, kiddo."

"You think so?" Logan asks.

"I know it," you smile. "You deserve to be here, just a much as I do."

"Wow, this much praise from the world champion," Logan laughs. "I it would be pretty awesome to work in the same locker room as you. I'm sure you need me to make sure you don't do anything dumb. I've always been more responsible than you."

"Me? Dumb?" you laugh. "I'll have you know that I'm a responsible married man now, Logan. And who are you to get on your high-horse. Didn't you knock a girl up when you were sixteen?"

"Hey, I'm allowed to make some mistakes," Logan shrugs. "I didn't say I was perfect! Besides, you were ten times worse at sixteen!"

You laugh. "True, but I'm all grown up now!" you reply, as you grab your gym bag. "Hang on, let me make room for you to sit down..."

As you pick up your bag, a small packet of pills falls from it. A bead of sweat makes it down your forehead as Logan makes it to the pack before you can, picking it up and examining it. "Uhh... what's with the painkillers, bro?" he asks.

>I don't usually take them, but tonight's match was rough. Kirk Angel's a real stiff worker. [ROLL D100]
>They aren't mine. Charlotte's had some trouble with migraines recently, and I'm just holding on to them for her. [ROLL D100]

Rolled 71 (1d100)

>I don't usually take them, but tonight's match was rough. Kirk Angel's a real stiff worker. [ROLL D100]

Rolled 78 (1d100)

>>They aren't mine. Charlotte's had some trouble with migraines recently, and I'm just holding on to them for her.

Calling in 5 minutes.

Rolled 98 (1d100)

>I don't usually take them, but tonight's match was rough. Kirk Angel's a real stiff worker. [ROLL D100]

Calling for
>I don't usually take them, but tonight's match was rough. Kirk Angel's a real stiff worker.
Writing now.

"Wow, really?" Logan asks.

"Yeah," you reply. "I mean, the dude was in the Olympics. Of course he's going to be pretty rough."

You don't like lying to your brother, but he doesn't need to know about your little habit.

"I guess that makes sense..." Logan mutters. "I mean, I'm sure it's not a big thing. If you had a problem, you'd tell me... right?"

You place a hand on Logan's shoulder and smile. "Of course I would. I'd tell you anything. Now... I need to get a few things ready. Do you mind waiting outside?"

"Uhh... sure," Logan replies.

"Great, I'll meet you in five minutes. We've got a lot of catching up to do!"

As Logan exits the locker room, you pop out one of the painkillers and shove it down your throat. Good god, did you need that...

As you close your eyes and take in the numbing feeling, you don't notice the door opening behind you, followed by a slow clapping of hands.

You turn around to see James leaning against the wall, with a smirk on his face. "Well done, Wildcard."

"A dramatic slow clap?" you laugh. "What were you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that title should be mine, to be honest."

You pick the belt up and stuff it in your bag, before closing the zipper up.

"I don't know how you managed to win that thing first," he laughs.

"Hey, your time is coming," you reply. "There's not that much of a gap between us."

"But there is a gap in how much Vincent Crockett likes us," James fires back. "You've been sucking up to the boss, Kevin. I don't like it. It's not like you."

"I've been sucking up to Crockett?" you scoff. "Come on, are you kidding? I'd be the first to tell that old fart to go fuck himself."

"No," James fires back. "You WERE the first to stand up to the guy... not so much now that he's giving you everything you want."

"Don't be bitter, James."

"I'm not bitter," he fires back. "I know my time will come. I'm next in-line for a run with that strap. I just don't like what you're turning into."

"And what is that?" you ask.

"Are you going to be sleeping in Charlotte's bed tonight?" James asks. "Or someone elses?"

You shake your head. "What are you accusing me of? Of course it's Charlotte-"

"Funny, because she won't be staying at her own place tonight," James interrupts. "She'll be staying at mine."

Your eyes widen in anger. "What did you just say? Have you been sleeping with-"

"No, she comes over to my place to cry about you," James replies. "To cry about how many times you've sneaked around on her, the amount of times you've come home drunk or high out of your mind. She comes to me because I'm the only person she can trust... and that person is supposed to be YOU, her husband. So I comfort her, I console her, I listen to her... and yeah, on a few occasions... I've fucked her."

"Get out of my way," You mutter, as you shove past James. He doesn't resist or try to pull you back to start a fight, he only calls out after you.

"What happened to us, man?"

You turn your head and look at him solemnly. "Fuck if I know."

>March 10th 2004

You and James barely spoke after that night. You still worked in the same company, but rarely together. Your first title reign wasn't that long. You wanted to prove that you were the same guy backstage one night and found yourself cutting down one of Vincent Crockett's ridiculous booking ideas. You dropped the title back to Angel two weeks later, who then dropped it to James Daniels. James shot into the Main Event while you began to flounder in the upper-midcard. You had a decent tag run with your brother, followed by a pretty great feud when you turned heel on him, but that was pretty much the highlight.

Until you won the Royal Rumble, and found yourself scheduled to Main Event Starrcade 2004, against a man you once called your best friend. Now... not so much.

As James tries his best to be professional and run down the nights Warzone segment with you, you're just hoping he doesn't notice the pills you hid in his locker as her entered the room. You just have to wait until he's finished talking, then you can fish them back out again.

So, it was a real bad time for Logan to come calling.

"Hey guys! Hate to interrupt the rehearsal, but can I borrow my brother for a second?"

Your eyes dart nervously between Logan and James locker.

>Sure, what's up?
>Can it wait for 10 minutes? I'll get back to you.

>Sure, what's up?
Play it cool Kevin, play it cool...

>Sure, what's up?

>Sure, what's up?

>Sure, what's up?

James isn't going to check in there is you just step out for about 5 minutes... is he? Whatever, the air was too tense sharing a room with the guy, so it's good that Logan was there to break it up.

You follow Logan outside of the locker room. As you exit, he sighs and places a hand on your shoulder. "You want to talk about it, bro?"

You shrug your shoulders. "Talk about what?"

Logan tilts his head. "Come on, you know what I mean. About Charlotte."

Oh.

You shake your head. "Look, this has been a long time coming. So, I'm getting divorced. It's not that big a deal. I'm 31, there'll be other girls. Trust me, Kiddo. My next marriage will be much more fruitful than this one was."

Logan raises an eyebrow. "Kevin, you don't have to act tough. This is me you're talking to."

"Relationship never work on the road, anyway." You continue to brush away the issue as you speak. "Seriously Logan, families are not something that work for a wrestler. Don't ever get married, and I suppose I don't have to tell you about not having kids-"

"Are you going to keep dodging me, or are you going to talk to me?"

You pause. "Kiddo, I..."

"Kevin, I got you something..." Logan says. "Follow me."

Logan leads you back to his own locker room, where he opens up a gym bag and pulls out a framed photo. "What the hell is this?" you ask.

"It's us..." Logan replies with a smile as he hands you the photo. So it is... this picture must have been taken when you were 14... which makes little Logan about six. The picture shows you laying on the ground, smile on your face, as tiny Logan pins you for the 1-2-3. You remember this... the picture was taken on a time delay, because you'd be damned if either of your parents would take it for you.

"God... I look so... happy."

"Well... yeah," Logan laughs. "You're wrestling. That always made you happy."

You pause as you stare at the picture, a small smile creeping onto your face. "Why are you giving me this?"

Logan places a hand on your shoulder. "I know these last couple of years haven't been the best for you... you've lost a lot. But that doesn't mean you still don't have a family. You've got me, bro. You'll always have me."

"There's nothing I do to chase you way, huh?" you laugh.

"Not that I can think of. I'm with you to the end, Kevin."

"Logan..."

>I love you, Kiddo.
>I have a problem.
>I need a hell of a lot more than some picture to fix my problems.

>I love you, Kiddo.
>I have a problem.

>I have a problem.

>I love you, Kiddo.
>But
>I need a hell of a lot more than some picture to fix my problems.

...

>I love you, Kiddo.
>I have a problem.

"Yeah... I know," Logan mutters. "To both those things. You know, drowziness is a side effect that's pretty hard to hide. There's only so many time you can blame it on a rough night or not sleeping enough on the tour bus."

You should have figured. Logan can be pretty naive sometimes, but he's not a complete idiot. "So, why haven't you done anything about it before?"

"I trusted that you can break yourself out of your habit," he explains. "I still trust that. You're a lot stronger than you think, Kevin. You're not going to let some pills take control of you."

You cross your arms. "I'm sorry Logan, but I can't. It just... hurts so much to come off them. I..."

"I know how hard it must be. But you can do it." Logan places a hand on your shoulder. "You can do it, bro. I believe in you."

You sigh as you wander out of Logan's locker room without a word, still holding onto the picture. You stare at the two smiling kids contained within. It used to be so simple back then... actually, it wasn't. You're certain that a little while after taking this picture, your dad found some excuse the beat the shit out of the two of you... but still, you and the kid were able to make the best out of a real bad situation. Why the hell can't you do that now?

Whatever, now is not the time to make any major life decisions. Things need to stay exactly as they are until Starrcade is finished. Then... then you can start taking risks.

>April 3rd, 2004
>STARRCADE BACKSTAGE

A routine inspection saw an excess amount of painkiller pills being found within the locker of James Daniels. Despite him being adamant that the pills weren't his, he will be serving a 30 day suspension for violating the UPW's wellness policy immediately following Starrcade. His Main Event push is also in huge jeopardy, due to the bad PR his suspension will bring. At least he'll have one Main Event of the biggest show in Wrestling under his belt before that happens... at least, that's what you console yourself with. As you stand by the catering table backstage, you are approached by all too familiar a face.

"What do you want, Charlotte?" you ask.

Charlotte sighs in reaction to your stand-offish greeting. "Kevin, I just wanted to wish you well out there tonight. I know things haven't been... great between us, but this is a huge night for you."

"I think James would a appreciate your well-wishes more."

Charlotte shakes her head. "Don't be that way. Do you really need me to flaunt all your affairs in your face-"

"Yeah, well none of the women I slept with were your best friend, were they?" you fire back. "I don't know what happened. You were my princess..."

"You could have called me that a little more," Charlotte replies. "Who knows, you might have fooled me into believing it."

A long, uncomfortable silence ensues, until Charlotte finally speaks up again. "Look... I'm trying to be nice. Can't you accept a simple Good Luck?"

>Sure... thanks, Charlotte.
>Walk off without a word.

>Sure... thanks, Charlotte.
Damn, Omega...I can just feel our TWA career getting harder and harder.

>Walk off without a word.

>Sure... thanks, Charlotte.

>Sure... thanks, Charlotte.

Charlotte gives a weak smile. “No problem, Kevin... I don't hate you. You know that, right?”

“No...” you mutter. “In fact, I don't believe it.”

“If I hated you, I wouldn't have let Close to You be the first song at our wedding.”

“God, I hate The Carpenters...” you mumble.

“You didn't use to...” Charlotte sighs. “I hope... one day you'll be able to like them again.”

“Yeah... me too.”

>AND NOW IT IS TIME FOR YOUR MAIN EVENT OF THE EVENING. AND IT IS FOR THE UPW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP!

>INTRODUCING FIRST, THE CHALLENGER...

youtube.com/watch?v=kf1Vt6r-sj8

>HAILING FROM “WHEREVER HE DAMN WELL PLEASES”, WEIGHING IN AT 220lbs... “THE WILDCARD” KEVIN OMEGAAAAA!

>Jerry Ross: And welcome ladies and gentlemen to our main event! The biggest match of the year! Possibly even the decade!

>Jimmy Prince: That's right! Two former friends! Two men who entered this business together and teamed together for so long. They know each-other inside and out, and now they are fighting for the greatest prize in professional wrestling, on the Grandest Stage of them all!

>Jerry Ross: And don't let the serene music fool you, Prince. It's a true juxtaposition to Omega's real nature... he's a psycho, through and through. Nobody who has ever stepped foot in that ring has proven to be more unstable, more willing to put his body, his mind, his soul on the line to achieve greatness than The Wildcard!

>Jimmy Prince: Yeah, and he's won the respect and love of the people because of it! But he's got the biggest challenge of his life ahead of him if he wants to claim the gold from James Daniels.

You step out onto the stage and saunter down the longest ramp you've ever walked down, taking in the majestic beauty of what you see. A crowd of 70,000+ screaming fans, all wanting to see you succeed. This is where you belong. This is the only place you have ever belonged.

>AND HIS OPPONENT...

youtube.com/watch?v=zYxkezUr8MQ

The ramp explodes with pyro as the long haired blonde strides out into the arena, to equal cheers to the ones you just received. The belt around his waist obscured under his biker jacket, he soaks up every bit of energy from the crowd, likely knowing this will be the last truly huge match he is part of. Either way, it's the biggest match of either of your careers.

>HAILING FROM HOUTON, TEXAS... WEIGHING IN AT 245lbs... HE IS THE UPW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION... JAMES DANIELS!

>Jerry Ross: And here he is, folks! The World Champion himself! This man has proven himself time and time again to perhaps be the greatest wrestler on the face of the earth.

>Jimmy Prince: Yeah, there's only one man that rivals him for that title, and he's standing in the ring right now!

>Jerry Ross: Both men came from nothing, they helped each-other reach the top of the mountain, and now... they fight to determine who truly is the best in the world. This has all the makings of an all time classic, ladies and gentlemen!

He slides into the ring with total confidence, smirking as he looks over in your direction. He passes the belt to the referee, who holds it high, before signalling to ring the bell.

*DING DING*

>[STRIKE] Go right after him with punches and kicks. [ROLL D100+30]
>[CHA] Begin with a stare-down. [ROLL D100+30]

Rolled 65 + 30 (1d100 + 30)

>>[CHA] Begin with a stare-down. [ROLL D100+30]

Rolled 79 + 30 (1d100 + 30)

>[CHA] Begin with a stare-down. [ROLL D100+30]
And so the epic match begins.

Rolled 24 + 30 (1d100 + 30)

>[CHA] Begin with a stare-down.
Stare him down so hard he catches fire.

Rolled 45 + 30 (1d100 + 30)

>[CHA] Begin with a stare-down. [ROLL D100+30]

>Begin with a stare-down.

You and James don't make any major moves as the bell rings, instead opting to just stare the other down. Pure intensity burns between the two of you as you continue to glare at each-other as you approach one another, eventually coming so close that you both butt your foreheads together. Daniels gives the first shove of the contest, forcing you to take a step back. You give a confident chuckle before shoving him in turn, sending him back. James throws the first punch, but you block it, before whacking him in the face with a stiff forearm shot. Then another. And another. James starts firing back with shots of his own, and it soon becomes a back-and-forth of both men exchanging blows, neither one managing to put the other down. Of course, neither of you are trying to put the other down just yet. This is simply a testing of the waters.

One forearm from James rocks you right in the jar. In return, you escalate things by kicking him in the gut, before whipping him into the ropes. You go for the clothesline, but he ducks under, coming behind to attempt a german suplex. You elbow him in the face and go behind in turn, lifting him up to deliver a German. James rolls back towards the ropes after taking the move, but you aren't done with him. You immediately spins around and rush the downed champ with a series of stomps before he has chance to recuperate.

>Jerry Ross: In the build-up to this match, Daniels threatened Omega, saying that tonight he was going to, and I quote... Beat him even worse than his daddy did. It seems the opposite is true in the early goings of this match.

>Jimmy Page: It's what the champ gets for antagonising a maniac like The Wildcard. Both men were evenly matched, but you piss off Omega, and there's no going back.

To escape the onslaught of stomps, James rolls out under the bottom rope and to the outside, trying to catch a little of a breather as he does.

>Jerry Ross: Smart thinking from our champion. Omega's the kind of person who is hard to stop when he gets on a roll. In that kind of situation, you have to buy yourself some time and break away from his continuous assault.

You aren't happy with this. You don't want Daniels backing down at any point. This goes beyond just taking the title, you want to hurt your opponent, and by ducking out of the ring, he is denying you that right.

>[FLY] Perform a suicide dive from the middle rope. [ROLL D100+30]
>[STRIKE] Brawl on the outside. [ROLL D100+30]

Rolled 59 + 30 (1d100 + 30)

>>[STRIKE] Brawl on the outside. [ROLL D100+30]

Rolled 51 + 30 (1d100 + 30)

[STRIKE] Brawl on the outside. [ROLL D100+30]
Fight me bruv!

>[STRIKE] Brawl on the outside. [ROLL D100+30]
So, are we wrestling face this match?

Rolled 95 + 30 (1d100 + 30)

>[FLY] Perform a suicide dive from the middle rope.

Rolled 53 + 30 (1d100 + 30)

Forgot my dice.

I am feeling like its ambigous at best. Feels like a match between tweeners and emotion is giving way to actual face/heel dynamics.

Worded that poorly. Emotion is trumping the dynamics.

I mean, history states that thus was a legendary match. Pretty sure its because of them throwing out the script.

>Brawl on the outside

You slide out of the ring, and start levying Daniels with a series of right hooks. He stumbles back into the guard rail between him and the crowd. You take a step-back and wind up your arm, before hitting him with a clothesline that send him careening over the rail and into the front row of fans. The crowd, especially that portion, go wild, as many of the front-rowers scramble to take pictures of the downed, Daniels. As he slowly rises to his feet, you know you're not done with him yet. As the ref is counting the two of you out, you begin to climb over the guardrail. You stand atop it and raise your hand triumphantly. The crowd pops huge, until Daniels rushes towards you, pushing your leg out from under you, causing you to fall, your chin connecting rather nastily with the tip of the guardrail as you fall back on the outside of the ring.

Daniels shakes off his grogginess as he climbs back over the rail, before grabbing you by the head and tights, and ramming you into the side of the steel steps on the outside of the ring. You hold your shoulder, wincing in pain, as James rolls you back into the ring as the ref's count reaches 8.

>Jerry Ross: And there's something you need to know about James Daniels. He doesn't want to retain his title on a cheap count-out victory. He wants to end this decisively, to prove he truly is better than Omega beyond a shadow of a doubt. This match is a matter of pride to him.

James slides into the ring as he grabs you by the arm, driving an elbow into your bad shoulder. He repeats this several times, before taking you into a seated position with a nice snapmare. He goes for the ropes, intending to boot you in the head on the rebound, but you slide back, causing him to lose balance as you roll him up for a school-boy pin.

1... 2... kickout!

You almost stole the win from out of nowhere there. In a way, you're glad you didn't. You not through putting a hurting on Daniels yet.

Daniels rolls out of the pin and goes for yet another boot. You grab his foot before spinning him around, then kicking him in the gut and wrapping your arms around his head.

>Jimmy Prince: Kevin Omega, perhaps looking to go for the Ace Crusher here!

It's not to be however, as James sees it coming from a mile off, He drives an elbow to the back of your head, before pulling you back, sticking out his knee in order for the bottom of your spine to land hard on it.

>Jerry Ross: Both these men are incredibly capable of some of the most athletic displays you could ever hope to see, but tonight, they've got different attitude. None of these moves are particularly pretty, and that's because they're not supposed to. Make no mistake folks, these men hate each-other, and they are trying to inflict as much pain as humanly possible.

James reaches behind for a German Suplex, and this time he does get you off your feet. He tosses you back, but you manage to spin in the air enough to land on your feet. As he turns around, you leap up and hit Daniels with a picture-perfect Enzuigiri kick. The smacking sound of your foot meeting the side of his face is the most satifying sound you've ever heard. With Daniels dazed, you see your chance to hit him with one of your big moves.

>[POW] Triple German Suplex [ROLL D100+24]
>[SUB] Crippler Crossface [ROLL D100+30]
>[FLY] Springboard Moonsault [ROLL D100+30]

Rolled 41 + 30 (1d100 + 30)

>[FLY] Springboard Moonsault [ROLL D100+30]
Moonsault! Moonsault! Moonsault!