[Rowan Chance]

I feel my legs wrapping around Callista's neck and I have to smile. When I feel the shudder, that smile sharpens.

Even with my face turning the color of a prune, my eyes bulging out, I know I've got you.

Bitch, I've got you. And you know it, too.

Then, the unthinkable happens.

She twists under my grip. I feel the lock slipping. I see what she's doing and I can't believe it. She's... NO!... She's breaking the--

Something hard hits me square between the legs and all my strength collapses. Everything lets go. I fall back into Megan's sleeper, my legs falling to the mat, feet hitting the canvas.

Everything going dark...

... how did she?...

Shadows dancing in my vision...

... she broke it... s-sh- bro...

The darkness gives me soft, warm kisses, making my lips numb. I'm falling harder into his arms. I see Callista laughing at me.

One last thought crosses my mind before the ten-story tall tidal wave of darkness crushes me under its weight.


i can't beat her...

[Callista]

I see the light go out in Rowan's eyes and her legs fall away from me. I take a deep breath. The crowd goes a bit wild right at the time I score that hit on Rowan, but the reaction is decidedly more positive than it's been for us. I check left and right, but Megan's quicker at spotting the source and turning to face it. I see Megan taken down hard, and then spot Emily mounting her, swinging a fist at her face.

Scowling, I step away from Rowan, bringing that mag-lite up in my right hand and swinging it backhanded, the hard metal crashing in between Emily's shoulder blades. "This thing is quickly becoming my sledgehammer," I say sardonically to myself as Emily slumps forward, one palm pressing down on the mat while the other hand goes to her back. I take a step back before giving Emily a simple front kick to the midsection, sending her rolling off of Megan.

Looking down at Megan, offering her a hand up, I say, "You ok?"

The answer I get from my purple-headed partner is, "I'M GOING TO KILL HER!" through clenched teeth, so I know she's just fine.

"Seems a good plan," I say, tossing the torch aside and grabbing at Emily's arms, pulling them behind her and leveraging her up into a sitting position. Dropping down onto my arse behind her, I dig the soles of my boots into her back, stretching her out and saying, "Have at her!"

[ThePurpleVixen]

Squeezing Rowan out in my arms is bliss.  She fights back - with grace and venom and fury, but the combination of two lethal, efficient n'er-do-wells and the fact that she just finished a 10 minute match softens her up enough for Calli to overcome her desperate assault.  God damn, she can get that Widow's Web on from ANYWHERE.  But the MagLite strikes home and insures that Rowan won't be entertaining Lord Tantalus for the evening, and my tattooed arms snake around her neck and behind her head, thoroughly dousing her lights.  I let her slide to the mat, boneless.

The crowd cheered when Calli hit Rowan in the goody basket with her flashlight.

But that cheer was wrong.  There was too much glee in it. 

People love it when we fight dirty in the ring - some sort of schadenfreude, I guess, but this is different.  This is the cheer of a crowd seeing a RESCUER, FUCK ...

"PFFUNNNNHHHHHHHHFFF!"

I turn around to face the aisle just in time to catch Emily's furious spear, jolting me off the mats and folding me in half.  Air blasts past my lips like rocket exhaust and my punkytails stream out as I slam to the canvas, gold chains jingling, kicking my bot as I'm hauled up by the hair and pistoned in the face with a couple of good ones.  Spit flies from my glossy black lips as Emily begins to churn punches into me before she's interrupted by Trip- by Calli, hammered in the back and then kicked off of me.  After helping me up like good stable members do, Quinn kindly sets the Italian brunette up a reclining surfboard and I roll my shoulders, dragging a white glove over my battered cheek, my ribs pounding with the pulsing pain of the spear. 

Glowering down at Emily, I move to drop a knee between her sprawled legs and give those pain-loving fans something else to moan sympathetically about, and then leave my knee grinding there as I clutch her shoulder in my left hand and try to sink my right hand into her face, clutching at her temples and jaw and the veins above her eyes with an IRON CLAW!

Of course, this involves both Calli and I so much that we might be taken the degree we put the Black Widow to sleep for granted ...

[RedEnforcer]

I'm still watching in the back when I see Emily rush the ring. She gets in a good lick. But the numbers game, dammit.

I must twitch because Gemma grips my shoulders. A reminder. But then she starts really digging in, a very nice, firm massage.

"Easy killer. We're not ready to play our trump card yet."

[Emily Layne]

The big roar coming from the excited audience turns into a big and loud gasp as my back meets again Mr MagLite.

"AAAAAAGGGGGHH" my back instinctively arches after the big impact and the kick shove s my body off Megan after some good punches hit her face.

"Fuck! Damn you!" I curse as I roll on the side,my hand goes between my shoulder blades, bad mistake as from this position Callista can easily grab my wrists and pull them behind me, trapping my arms and get them useless to try protect my body and face.
I feel Calli strength as she holds my arms and twists them, my legs are spread apart and Punky doesn't hesitate before gettin between them with her knee.

I try to shake my arms, wanting them free but Callista grip is firm and tight.
My breasts push forward in this position, pressing against the fabric of my black firm top.
With my hands and arms in Calli hands I can't do a lot to stop Punky nasty assault.
I feel her nails and fingers on my face in a brutal claw.


"GGGGGGGGHHHH!!!" my legs and feet kicking against the white mat under me.
Its like she wants to ruin my face with her claws!

I fight by instinct, still shaking my arms in vain while I bring up my right knee against my chest and push as hard I can the sole of my heavy right boot against Megan mid section,tryin to shove her off of me.

[Lord Tantalus]

Squeezing Rowan out in my arms is bliss.  She fights back - with grace and venom and fury, but the combination of two lethal, efficient n'er-do-wells and the fact that she just finished a 10 minute match softens her up enough for Calli to overcome her desperate assault.  God damn, she can get that Widow's Web on from ANYWHERE.  But the MagLite strikes home and insures that Rowan won't be entertaining Lord Tantalus for the evening, and my tattooed arms snake around her neck and behind her head, thoroughly dousing her lights.  I let her slide to the mat, boneless.

ASIDE:

Mademoiselle Vixen, your injury does not limit Rowan's ability to entertain me for the evening in any way, shape or form.

As you well know.

[Rowan Chance]

I look down on a body, lying on the canvas, trying to rise and failing. It only take a moment to realize the body belongs to me.

Just a few feet away, Callista and Megan begin working over the woman who tried to save me.

Standing on the other side of my body is a woman in a black and red mask.

"You need me," the woman says.

I shake my head. "No," I say. "I can do this."

She laughs. A laughter darker than my own. "No, you can't. You've already admitted it." She looks at Callista. "She's is going to break you."

"No," I say again. "I can do this."

The masked woman does not smile. "Not without me," she says. Then, the masked woman looks at Megan. "You're afraid."

I try to lie. "N-no," I say.

The masked woman looks back at me. "You know what I'll do to her," she says.

There's no sense in lying anymore. I nod. "Y-yes."

"That's why you keep me hidden," she says. "Tantalus was right. You are weak."

"NO!" I scream at her.

She points at the girl in the purple ponytails again. "She makes you weak."

I feel anger building inside of me. Anger and fear. "I won't let you..."

"You don't have any choice," she says. The masked woman bends down and the maglight is in her hand.

I look and the maglight is in my hand.

"Do it," she says.

My hand trembles. "I won't."

"You will."

I shake my head. "I'm not them," I say. "I'm not Callista. I'm not a villain."

She smiles under that black mask. "That's why you need me."

---

GORDON: "This is a despicable display of cowardice! I can't believe what I'm seeing!"

RODERICK: "You'd better get used to it, Gordon. The Countdown are here to stay."

GORDON: "With Rowan Chance down, Callista kicks her aside. Rowan has rolled out of the ring. Callista has thrown aside that maglight and is now focusing on Emily.

RODERICK: "It's like the ladies say, Gordon. It's just a matter of time."

GORDON: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is nothing less than a gang-style beating. These Countdown ladies are... wait a minute? What's... THAT'S ROWAN CHANCE! ON THE TOP RING ROPE HOLDING CALLISTA'S MAGLIGHT!"

RODERICK: "She can't do that! Where did she come from? She was out cold!"

GORDON: "Ladies and gentlemen... from out of nowhere! Rowan Chance flies across the ring, bringing Callista's own maglight down hard on the back of the Countdown leader's neck! Callista falls to the side and Emily Lane falls to the mat."

RODERICK: "That doesn't belong to her! She can't do that!"

GORDON: Rowan is standing up, but her legs are shaking. The damage has already been done, but... Rowan Chance pauses and points the maglight at Punky with a glare straight from the pit of Hell...

[RedEnforcer]

(*goosebumps*)

[ThePurpleVixen]

I'm cheerfully twisting my Iron Claw into Emily's face and undoing whatever work her plastic surgeon has been up to over the past few years, crumpling capillaries and mashing cartilage as she screams and writhes, while Calli coolly holds her back and locks her in place.  The little mackerel-snapping bitch actually manages to shove one of her garish boots - why do all the girls in this federation except the Countdown seem to buy their boots at strip club wholesalers? - into my belly, my gold watch chain jingling as she frantically pushes back.  I roll back over my shoulders, going with the push as I release the Claw, but I come up on my knees grinning wickedly, drawing the heavy gold watch from my vest pocket and locking the thick woven chain tight between my gloved hands --

And then Rowan comes hurtling from Out of Nowhere™ and bashes Calli in the back with her own MagLite.  RUDE!

Calli topples over and Em flops to the mat with most of her in pain.  I'm left staring into Rowan's eyes as she levels the flashlight at me accusingly.

I slither up to my feet, facing her with my eyes narrowed intently.  Rowan's always had crazy, passionate, intense eyes.  But now there's something else back there.  Something intent and dark and furious.  Something even more dangerous than Rowan.

I grin.

Good.

I lift the watch in my left hand, swinging it hypnotically.

"Time's still ticking, sugar-tits," I hiss softly. I keep my eyes locked on her as she keeps the flashlight levelled at me like an accusation.  I slither backwards, hooking my right arm around the top rope and doing a backroll over it, and reaching under the rope to tug Calli out, supporting her on my shoulder, leaving the ring in possession of the wounded warriors as I back us down the aisle, still swinging my gold watch, glinting and flickering and ticking, ticking, always ticking.

"And one day soon it's gonna run out."

[Callista]

When I feel the sharp crack of my metal torch smashing into my spine, I let out a bit of a cry, falling forward, my grasp of Emily slipping away as I go down to the mat, clutching at the back of my neck. While the experience isn't doing anything to dissuade me from bringing it with me in the future, it is suggesting that I need to do a better job of tossing it aside when I'm done with it.

Lesson learned. Painfully so. The only way lessons truly are.

Of course there's also the question of who exactly that was. Rolling over onto my side, I see Megan facing off with Rowan, and I blink in surprise. She'd seemed out cold just moments ago. Playing a bit of possum, possibly?

Megan wisely opts for the better part of valour, giving my arm a tug after making a show exit. Walking's a chore, as my neck's still feeling the effects of that shot, but Megan's there to lean on, so I do so. I won't let foolish pride hinder what needs doing. Unlike some people...

I stifle the urge to shoot my partner a glare as we head back up the aisle. This was her handpicked message-bearer. Seems like the message being sent wasn't quite what I'd ordered.

[Emily Layne]

My stomp partially works, enough to make the Purple member of Countdown  roll away off of me. I bulge my biceps, trying to put all effort possible on trying to get my arms free from Callista tight grip.
I curl my legs, and start to get on my knees, using my energies and strenght to fight it back but as soon I'm trying to do it,  I see Megan holding that heavy gold watch.

I know what she is going to do with that. I need a fucking plan, and I need it now!

Suddenly I feel my arms jerked to my right and I'm forced to flop down, with my wrists finally free.

I hear Gordon's words and look up at Rowan with that heavy MagLight in her hand.
Then look down at Calli holding her neck.

I didnt see the scene but its not hard to guess what happened.
Rowan is glaring at Punky, her eyes are burning in rage.
I get up on my feet, my face hurts, I wipe some hair off my face and see Rowan and Punky stare at each other, the maglite pointed at Megan.

I have enough time to run into Meg and lands a running clothesline or dropkick and topple her over the top rope but I dont, I just stand there, my chest heaving up and down. Not doing anything except watch.
The purple haired bitch makes her coward exit out of the ring and tugs Calli's body with her.

The two look frustrated there, while moving through the ramp that brings to the aisle surrounded by thousands boos coming from the crowd.

I will care about them later, now there is somheting more important to do!

I look at Rowan, her eyes are still on fire, I move to her and take the foreign object off of her hand while squaring her sexy toned body

"we're not them, we are much better than this Rowan..."

I look into her eyes, trying to find a reaction in her.

We never been very much friend, as I said before, me and Rowan are very different, with different styles and very different histories.

I dont say anything anymore, just me and her in the ring. Tension is high.

My left hand holding the Maglight, my right hand extends forward, palm and finger opened, offering my hand to Rowan......

The whole arena in silent.

[Rowan Chance]

I look at Emily's hand.

I don't know her. I have no idea if I can trust her. But she's an ally. At last, an ally.

I put out my own and shake it. The crowd explodes. Gordon steps back into the ring.

"Well," he says, "Dangerous times sometimes make strangers the best of friends."

I nod and turn to him. "That's right, Gordon. And I want everyone in the back to see this and understand what it means."

I pause and look directly at the camera. "Countdown aren't the only ones who have someone watching their back."

Gordon nods and smiles. "Does this mean a possible confrontation between yourself and Emily and Countdown?"

I look at Gordon. "You'd better believe it." I point at the maglight in Emily's hand. "Callista. You're real tough when you backstab folks with your little toy." I hold it up and turn it, looking at it. "Looks like about the only size that would please a slut like you."

The audience pops. They've never heard me talk like that before. I'm not exactly sure where that came from.

Yes you do.

I ignore that and look back at the camera. "Callista, you say you're here to 'save wrestling.' But all I've seen you do is ambush people with your little toy here. If you were a man, I'd say you were compensating."

The audience laughs and starts cheering, "CALLI CAN'T WRESTLE!"

"If you're here to save wrestling," I say, shouting above the cheers and chant, "then let's see you WRESTLE."

The audience cheers again. I let them have their moment before I go on. "If Emily will have me, I'll be her tag partner. And then we'll see if Calli is really here to save wrestling... or if she's just..." I point at the maglight again. "... bluffing."

The crowd cheers again and Gordon is about to say something else, but I interrupt. "Come on, Calli. You got any balls?" I hold up Emily's hand gripping the maglight. "Or just that big, fake dick?"

The crowd chants "BIG FAKE DICK! BIG FAKE DICK! BIG FAKE DICK!" and a dark part inside of me laughs.

I look at Emily to see her response...

[Emily Layne]

Rowan words are causing a storm of cheers and roars, it looks like the arena is about to explode!

I just smile and look around me to see signs with my name and hers.
My fans and her fans chanting the same words.

My lips curl in a snarl as she compares the heavy maglight to a plastic penis

I shrug and we literally soak between the cheers.

Rowan throws the challenge to Calli and The Countdown, the crowd once again explodes in a renewed roar as Gordon points the Mic toward my mouth.
My eyes are in Rowan eyes. I await for the noise to fade some.

"Count on me, Rowan!" I simply respond to her call, causing a new even louder blow of cheers.

Gordon : "Oh my goodness folks! This is going to be terrific! You don't want to miss the next event at the FCF!"

I extend my right hand again to Rowan and she brings it with her right one too,once again our eyes crosses, we are surrounded by the flashes of the cameras before we finally make our way down outside the ring between the enthusiastic audience.

[Callista]

(I didn't realise we were cutting ECW promos, now )

[The Second City Wrestlerette]

The Announcer stands in the middle of the ring and the lights in the arena are dimmed as he lifts the mic towards his lips. „Ladies and Gentlemen, this next match is set for one fall!“ He pauses for a moment to hear the polite cheers the crowd always gives him after that – not that there is anything special about it, but...ya know! - „Introducing first, from Cody, Wyoming...“ that's when the music starts to play...but not that little cowgirl-theme from the country girl that was just introduced, but instead „Revolution“ by Pennywise blares through the speakers. The announcer is silent, the crowd looking confused, except for the few people who actually follow what's going on in the developmental roster and have seen me before. The music plays for about 10 seconds before finally someone appears on top of the stage.

The 5'5'' 115 lbs girl stands with her legs spread a bit, twirling a microphone in her right hand, which, unlike the left one, is covered by a black, fingerless leather glove. She's wearing a black t-shirt, the left sleeve torn off, and also quite roughly torn between her perky breasts and her belly button, which is surrounded by a (very impressive) six-pack. A white circle across the front of the shirt, a white and blue „L“ and „S“ perfectly fitted into it. Kinda similar to the well known „Anarchy“ symbol.
She's also in a pair of tight, glossy black leather shorts which just barely cover her ass cheeks, and with a thick, blue leather belt around the waist. The shorts are connected - via black, studded leather straps on the in- and outside of each thigh – with a pair of black fishnets, that have an about 4 inch wide helix of glossy black leather running down from top to bottom.

After a few more seconds of just standing there, she makes her way down towards the ring. The shoulder length, platinum, almost silverish-white and blue hair bounces on her shoulders with every step she takes in her black and silver Chucks with blue laces. With one swift hand-motion the announcer slips out of the ring, and as she reaches it to climb up to the apron, the lights are finally completely turned on again. With a tight grip on the top rope, she launches herself up and leaps over the top rope into the ring, taking a few hop steps towards the middle of it, where she stops and looks around the sold out arena while continuously twirling that microphone in her hand.

The music fades out and there I stand, in the middle of the ring for the first time in my career, looking out into the huge crowd. My heart's pounding as I raise the mic up to my lips „The Countdown is over! Welcome...to the future!“ Spreading my arms, a smirk comes across my lips as I start walk side to side in the ring, before taking a hop-step towards the camera outside, leaning over the top rope, left hand grabbing the middle rope „For those who don't know me. My name's Lisa Starr!“ pushing myself back off the ropes to the middle of the ring „And I've been waiting for this moment for WAY too long!!“

I keep walking back and forth in the middle of the ring for a few seconds before stopping, pointing towards the backstage area „But the guys behind the scenes held me back. You see, the GM doesn't want me out here right now. Neither do the producers, the trainers, doctors...I just found that one sound guy who wanted me out here...thanks for playin the music, by the way.“ Giving the camera a little wink, before turning to an angry glare again, also getting some obvious boos from the crowd, directed at the management, but I wave that off and shake my head „No, no...if I wanted the cheap way to reaction I'd have done the old hometown-trick, but like I said: No cheap reaction for me. I wanna earn every cheer and every boo! Right here. In this ring!“ Twirling the mic in my hand again as I take a little pause, looking up the stage, backing up into the ropes and casually leaning back against them. Elbows resting on the top rope at my sides.

„My debut was set to be FOUR weeks ago, ya know? So, obviously, I should be champion by now BUT that chance has been taken away from me! Four weeks of my precious career have been stolen, because management thought it was better to hold me back. Now...the question is WHY did they hold me back?“ Shrugging my shoulders as I look out into the crowd. Scanning the surroundings, yet again taking in the amazing feel of being on stage in front of this sold out crowd. „They held me back, believe it or not, to protect me! To protect their biggest talent from this lil girl group who call themselves the Countdown. I don't really blame the decision makers for trying to protect their future MVP. Sure, I'm not happy I had to wait for so long but...they meant good. On the other side, though...you three?“ glaring into the camera as I step off the ropes, shaking my head „You shortened my precious career! You decided to 'save wrestling' at the WORST possible time! Because the savior was already on her way! And now, that savior is pissed!“

Giving the cameraman, who climbed on the apron to get a better shot at my angry face, a little push right on the lens that sends him staggering back and almost falling down to the floor as I make my way across the ring and leap up to the middle ropes in the corner. Sitting down on the top turnbuckle, elbows on my knees, tapping the microphone against my forehead. „You girls say you wanna save wrestling? That's one thing we agree on, I guess. I TOO want to save wrestling from these air headed, bikini wearing bimbos. They should just get back to their beaches, on the catwalk...street corners, wherever they came from! And leave this ring to the ones who really care about it and actually know what they're doing in here. Like me, for example! So...yeah, we might be after the same thing! Just for different reasons and in different ways.“

„Ya see, I AM the future of wrestling! I AM the Revolution of this industry! While you...oh boy, how do I say that?“ taking a deep breath, letting out a little sigh and shaking my head a bit „You're...kinda old news! Coming out here, ganging up against these poor lil girls. Waltzing through everyone in the back, spreading fear and discomfort all over the locker room. Leaving everybody wondering: Who's next?!“ Rolling my eyes a bit, shaking my head.

„Now I'm not like that. I'm not scared of you! I mean, why should I be?“ chuckling a bit „I've taken a good look at you girls. I know who you are, how you work. Seen you in action. And I find it very hard to even think about shuddering in fear only from hearing your names. Let's just look at what we got in this lil clique, which by the way could also be just another 70's pop revival band...“

„Let's start with Gemma Rox! A common hooligan whose mouth is bigger than her brain, whose fists are faster than her brain and whose age is higher than her IQ. And...even though she might look like the Walking Dead from time to time, NO! She's not over 100. Then we got that purple haired punky girl Megan. A psychopathic, brutal, predictable, instinct-driven egomaniac with the concentration span of a goldfish on drugs! Sounds like someone you'd LOVE to have on your team, right? And last but not least there's the boss: Callista! A woman who had to use all her good qualities – mostly cleverness and relentlessness – to get two loners like Roxy and Megan to team up with her. The question is...why? And...during all those weeks I had to wait before getting out here...I found the answer to that question!“

Taking the mic away from my lips, softly smacking it against my right thigh a few times as I take some time to look around the arena. After seeing how the „Countdown“ works, I try to check if that black hoodie-covered girl is hiding around here somewhere already. Then, finally, I continue...
„It's because she can't get it done herself anymore! Like so many great athletes, when you take some time off, you lose a step or two, get out of shape! And now, to get yourself back into the spotlight, you form this trio infernal. Acting the brilliant leader. Then, once you conquered this place, forming cracks between the other two? Making them crack each others' skulls before you dispose them like trash to FINALLY make yourself the ruler over everything and everyone again? Interesting plan! Very interesting plan...“

Hopping off the turnbuckle and with a little hop in my step, making my way back to the middle of the ring. „So let's recap. We got a common hooligan, a predictable psycho and a girl who seems to be in no shape to fight her battles alone anymore. What's there to be scared of? NOTHING!“ Glaring into the camera, stepping closer to the guy holding it on the apron, leaning in and holding the microphone close to my lips.

„I'm Lisa Starr. I'm the future. I'm here to save wrestling. I'm here. To save. You! And just like every hero in every movie...“ Raising my free hand, pointer, middle and ring finger extended. “...I'll stop the countdown...” curling in my ring finger, waiting a second before doing the same with the pointing finger. Leaving my middle finger up, like flipping off the cameraman “...at the last second!” After that I place my hand on the lens again to push the camera to the side before simply dropping the microphone, which lands on the canvas to send a crackling little thud through the speakers and the arena as I head towards the ropes and out of the ring. Getting mostly cheers from the crowd who seem to be very happy about the fact that I've finally arrived AND don't seem too impressed by or scared of the Countdown.