"You're in no shape to fight, Buffy."
The camera reveals a view of a locker room backstage, where Darkness is standing, patched up with masses of bandages, covering almost his entire torso. His face looks badly bruised, with cuts and abrasions evident across both cheeks. As he walks around the room, his movements are stiff and carefully measured.
"I'm fine," he growls at Freya, who is standing to one side, hands on hips, looking at him sceptically.
"Yeah, you look it. Why don't we go for a run to celebrate?"
"Can't. We have a match."
She rolls her eyes. "What are you trying to prove with this?"
Darkness gives her a sharp look. "What do you think? That they haven't beaten me. That no matter what they do to me and how far they push me, I won't stop fighting. They can take me to the brink of death, torture me, humiliate me, but I won't let them break me."
"But if you go out there and try to wrestle, then you
will break - physically. You need rest."
"If I rest, then they've won already. I won't be backing down from a fight just because some sadistic, soulless bitch roughed me up a bit. I'm going to go out there, and I'm going to beat Dante. I'm going to prove that even banged up like this, even after what I've been through, I can still defeat my most worthy opponent ever."
Darkness already has his belts in hand and, as he reaches the end of his speech, immediately makes his way to the door. Freya watches him walk out of shot with an amazed look.
"You're insane," she calls after him, "and you look like Brendan Fraser should be hunting you." After a few seconds, she rolls her eyes again and jogs off screen after him. "Oh, and did you ask Dante about this whole ‘beating him' deal?" she can be heard asking.
Tex: Darkness doesn't look in any shape to fight. I can't say with any conviction what he might have been through to get injuries like that though.
Cain: Even now, Darkness remains a mystery to most of us - I imagine this will continue to fuel speculation about his private life.
Banter: That's one hell of a private life if you show up at work looking like that. I wonder what clubs he hangs out at?
Cain: Not the kind you'd want to stumble into by surprise, I'll bet.
Tex: Whatever the situation, the World Champion is as ready for a fight as ever, and he's up next!
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Dante appears on stage as fire blazes up on either side of him, framing the albino in flickering light. Jay Ecks steps up beside him, and the two men slap hands before making their way to the ring.
Sammy Eubanks: The following tag team contest is scheduled for one fall...introducing first, at a combined weight of 516 lbs...JAAAAY EEEEEECKS AND JAAAAAAAAAAAAAASOOOOOOOOOON DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
Cain: This is not the first time we've seen Dante's long time friend, Jay Ecks, but this will be his first official match.
Tex: And what a debut match this is - he's going up against the best TCW has to offer.
Dante and Ecks enter the ring together and are in close conversation as Dante's music fades out.
<center>
Faint white figures paint my sleep
Please don't tell my secrets keep them hidden (you got it, you got it, you got it)
If the words that matter reach your face from floor
Will you be wondering if, or (do I need what is given or honest)
Does it cost me scarring if the words stay true
Even number your nephew (I don't want it, don't want it, don't want it anymore) </center>
Sammy Eubanks: And their opponents...first, from Oxford, England...weighing in at 143 lbs...she is the TCW BLEEDER CHAMPION...FREEEEEEEEEYAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!
An explosion sounds above the entrance ramp, sending golden pyro raining down.
<center>
And when the answer that you want
Is in the question that you state
Come what may!
Come what may!
And when the answer that you want
Is in the question that you state
Come what may!
Come what may! </center>
Freya walks down the ramp, looking pensive. She mostly ignores the fans cheering for her.
Tex: Freya will team up with Darkness tonight. Everyone in this match has those New Hellfire Club tattoos, although I suppose that that group is no longer a force in any meaningful sense.
Banter: Kind of a dumb idea to get tattoos then, wasn't it?
Cain: Certainly they're not an organised stable now, but a force - well, tonight's main event contains four of them and Darkness, Freya and Dante have seen off almost everyone Stern has sent against them. I'd say that the legacy of the NHFC is alive and well.
<center>
In a pain that buckles out your knees
Could you stop this if I plead (you got it, you got it, you got it)
So destined I am to walk among the dark
A child in keeping secrets from (will they know what I've done in the after)
In the sought for matter when the words blame you
In a blood red summer I'll give you (I don't want it, don't want it, don't want it) </center>
Freya climbs into the ring and exchanges a nod with Dante and Ecks.
<center>
And when the answer that you want
Is in the question that you state
Come what may!
Come what may!
And when the answer that you want
Is in the question that you state
Come what may!
Come what may!</center>
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Darkness has already left the locker room area, so the first the crowd sees of him is as the pyros hit and he walks out through the flames. Darkness has a noticeable limp, and his bandages show all too well that is far from 100% for this match.
Cain: Dante and Ecks could be looking to pick up an easy win here, but it's never wise to underestimate Darkness. He won a battle royal in his first match after losing his hand and actually emerged from a patrol car before a match after being arrested and went on to win his first World's Heavyweight Championship.
Tex: But we've seen Dante show off a superhuman constitution before. In all the ways that matter, these two are evenly matched.
Cain: Which is why I give the nod to Dante if Darkness is this injured.
Banter: And then, their partners are...uh...a little mismatched.
Tex: Yes, it's fair to say that there is an extreme height and weight disparity between Jay Ecks and Freya, but she has overcome bigger odds to win before. This match is what they call a "pick ‘em", folks.
Darkness reaches the ring after a torturous walk down the ramp. The fans are cheering for him, but the pain etched on his face is obvious. He laboriously climbs the ring steps and Freya sits on the ropes to let him in, but he waves her away, and stoops down to go through.
Banter: What do you think happened to him?
Tex: He mentioned torture. I wouldn't like to guess what that might mean.
Banter: Maybe Freya's into weird stuff...you know...sexually...
Cain: I'm not sure why that would affect Darkness, Banter.
Banter: Oh come on. Don't make me spell it out.
Cain: I wouldn't even think of asking you to spell something live on air. It'd embarrass us all.
Dante and Ecks are still talking on one side of the ring. Ecks agrees to start things off. Freya gently pushes Darkness away, but he shoulders past her and offers a lock up to the huge former football player.
Tex: It looks like Darkness and Ecks will start things off here.
With a resigned look, Freya goes to her corner and the bell rings. Darkness attempts to push Ecks towards the ropes, but is quickly overpowered. Ecks swings him around and into the corner, shoving him against the turnbuckle. He backs straight off and looks at Dante as if for guidance.
Banter: What's he doing? Doesn't he know how to wrestle?
Cain: I think he's hesitant about fighting Darkness. He wants the nod from Dante.
Dante looks as concerned as Freya, and motions for Ecks to back off. Darkness straightens, wincing as he rolls one bandaged shoulder, but then he flies out of the corner, taking Ecks by surprise and bringing him down with a running schoolboy...
One...
Ecks kicks right out!
Darkness rolls up to his feet, but Ecks drops him with an uppercut and then picks him up. He whips him across the ring and looks for a clothesline, but Darkness ducks and then hits a dropkick. Ecks goes down, but the impact of dropping to the mat has also hurt the World Champion. He uses the ropes to stand and Freya is already asking for the tag, but Darkness ignores her.
Tex: I've seen a lot of tough athletes in my time. I've watched hurt men fight, and seen wrestlers come back from some appalling injuries, but Darkness is moving like an invalid. I don't think it's safe for him to be in the ring right now.
Darkness and Ecks lock up again, and Ecks quickly grabs a side headlock. He tries to bring Darkness down, but Darkness plants his feet and tries to lift Ecks into a back suplex. He can't get the leverage he needs though and Ecks is able to elbow his way free. Darkness stumbles backwards. Several of his bandages have become dislodged, revealing more bruises and oozing cuts.
Banter: Ew!
Cain: Darkness is in seriously bad shape. Either the referee or Ecks needs to end this right now.
Ecks approaches Darkness, attempting to reason with him, but Darkness surprises him with a spear. Darkness pounds on Ecks with right hands on the mat, but Ecks gets a knee under him and kicks him off. Darkness rolls across the ring and up to his feet. He comes back with another charge, but Ecks stops him with a shoulder block that knocks him back down to the canvas.
Ecks tags in Dante, and the albino offers Darkness a hand. The Champion takes it, but then pulls Dante down into a small package...
One...
Tw..no!
Dante leaps up, furious, and goes right for Darkness with stomps and kicks.
Tex: Dante did not like that.
Cain: We saw how frustrated Dante was at Friction with his loss to Freya. What would another high profile loss do to his ego?
Tex: What would a loss to a man this injured do to it?
Dante whips Darkness across the ring and lifts him into a back body drop. Darkness lands hard, clutching at his back, and Dante goes to one knee. He puts Darkness in a chinlock, but Darkness is able to reach the ropes and the hold is broken. Dante picks Darkness up again, elbows him in the back of the neck and goes for a suplex. Darkness counters, landing on his feet though and sends Dante sprawling with a sloppy seated dropkick. The momentum knocks Darkness towards his corner and, as he stands up, Freya makes a blind tag.
Banter: Haha, it looks like she hurt him!
Darkness did indeed wince as the tag was made, and now glares at Freya as she hops past him. Grudgingly, he goes to his corner as Freya aims a kick at Dante. He catches her foot though and spins her around, ducking the inevitable enziguri and flooring her with an elbow strike.
Cain: At Friction, we saw Freya win a textbook victory over Dante, barely breaking a sweat. Dante is going to be determined to banish the ghost of that match tonight.
Banter: Ha, banish the ghost. Good one.
Cain: What?
Banter: Well look at him. He looks like Casper.
Tex: That's a pretty intolerant way to talk about albinism, Banter. It's a serious condition.
Banter: I'm not going to be lectured about tolerance by a guy wearing a cowboy hat.
Dante covers Freya...
One...not enough!
He lifts her and whips her into the corner, following in with a spear, but Freya jumps up and Dante crashes into the post. She jumps on his back as he staggers out, but he grabs her by the hair and slams her into the mat from behind him. He goes to drop a leg, but she rolls out of the way and bounds up to her feet to deliver a spin-kick to the back of the head. Dante goes flying forwards, hung up on the second rope.
Cain: Oh here we go!
Freya signals for the OX4, making a circuit of the ring, but then Darkness leans over and tags her. She rounds on him, angrily, but he's already diving past her and dragging Dante up to his feet. He backs up and tries a superkick, but Dante ducks it and grabs him from behind. He snaps on an inverted front-facklock...
Tex: The Broken Reflection! Dante just took Darkness out!
The referee is pushing Freya back to her corner as Dante hooks Darkness's leg but he rushes back and dives to the mat to make the count...
One...
Two...
Thr...kickout!
Cain: Darkness kicked out! He's not beaten yet!
Freya is yelling something at Dante, and he mouths off at her before picking Darkness up by the hair. He levels a finger at her, but then Darkness surprises him by dropping down into a jawbreaker. Dante is bounced off his feet and tumbles back against the ropes. Darkness rises up and, as Dante staggers towards him, smashes him with a thunderous superkick!
Tex: Darkness with a huge move! Dante might be knocked out cold!
Both men are down, Dante from the kick, and Darkness from the injuries that have been exacerbated. He's now lost several more bandages, and is bleeding from multiple locations. Freya leans over the ropes for the tag as Dante comes to and starts crawling towards Ecks, who is also asking for a tag.
Cain: The race is on!
Banter: The slowest race ever.
Tex: Even if Darkness makes the tag, Freya will be up against an opponent twice her size - how can she even hope to triumph?
Dante throws himself towards his corner and makes the tag. Darkness tries to crawl up to his feet, but Ecks is on him too quickly, dragging him back to the centre of the ring. He picks him up, lifting him onto his shoulders and then falling back into a Somoan drop. The move shakes the ring, and Ecks hooks Darkness's leg...
One...
Two...
Thre...and Freya comes in and breaks up the pin!
Tex: Freya made the save, but surely Darkness can't hold on for much longer.
Cain: It's only going to take one big move to finish him off.
Freya is forced back to her corner and Ecks moves to the corner opposite. He ducks down and beckons for Darkness to stand on the other side of the ring.
Banter: What's he doing?
Cain: It looks like he might be going for a spear...
Darkness is up and he turns around slowly. Ecks surges out from the corner, taking off as he reaches the middle of the ring and slamming into Darkness with an immense flying shoulder.
Tex: A football tackle! I should have guessed.
Banter: That the kind of big move you were thinking off, Isaiah?
Cain: Pretty much.
Darkness is flat out and Ecks pins...
One...
Two...
Thr...no, Darkness's foot is on the bottom rope!
Ecks can't believe it, but he goes back to the corner again, looking for another football tackle to finish this off. Freya is beating her turnbuckle madly, trying to encourage Darkness, and the crowd is soon chanting his name. He groggily gets to his feet again and turns. Ecks charges once more, but Darkness is ready for him. He takes to the air too and, with a thunderous crash, slams his knee into the giant hurtling towards him.
Cain: The Shadowed Wizard! Incredible impact!
Ecks is sent flying by the blow, spinning halfway across the ring and being carried right back up to his feet by the momentum. He blunders into Dante, knocking him off the apron and into the barrier at ringside.
Banter: Oops!
Ecks stumbles over and then flops down, hung up on the second rope.
Banter: How does that always happen? It's amazing!
Darkness is down, but he crawls towards Freya and makes the tag as she reaches down from her perch on the second rope. She bounds over the rope and signals for the OX4 again. The crowd surge to their feet as she runs the ropes and then spins between them on the way back, kicking Ecks right in the face and sending him right down to the mat. She covers...
One...
Two...
Dante is on the apron...
Three!!!
Cain: They did it! Freya and Darkness have defeated Dante and Jay Ecks in an amazing match!
Ecks rolls onto his stomach, clutching at his face as Freya has her hand raised in victory. Darkness has rolled out of the ring and is now slumped against the apron, clutching at his bandaged side. Dante climbs in and tends to Ecks in the middle of the ring. He looks at Freya and gives her a grudging nod.
Tex: Another defeat for Jason Dante at the hands of Freya, albeit indirectly this time.
Banter: Think he'll throw another tantrum?
Cain: He didn't throw a tantrum, Banter.
Freya leaves the ring and holds out a hand to help Darkness up. He accepts it gratefully and stands beside her. She ducks in under his arm to support him as he raises a hand in triumph.
Tex: Darkness swore he would win this match, and he has done so. I don't know who he was trying to send a message to, but he's surely succeeded.
Cain: It was a team effort, of course, but maybe that's part of his message too. Freya and Darkness have formed what is surely one of the most successful partnerships in TCW history, and whoever hurt him will, I'd imagine, have to go through her to do it a second time.