The most replayed moment from Hunter’s Moon wasn’t a victory celebration. It was Trevor Mach looking up from the canvas, reaching toward Tack Angel and waiting for an explanation that never came. The footage followed Tack’s kick and WRIST-CLUTCH Angel Driver with Vargas dragging Trevor into the Crossface, Ness struggling to reach him, and the surrender that finally ended the match. Tack’s departure played last. He ignored Vargas’s offered hand, walked away from his teammates, and accepted royal robes and a scythe from a woman whose face remained concealed.




Inside the Battle Dome, the audience had already begun chanting for answers. Several fans held signs asking WHY, TACK? Others had crossed out his face on old Mega Dudes merchandise. Apple Kid sat unusually still beside Larry Grim, looking toward the empty entrance while the final image disappeared from the screen.

Apple Kid: I’ve watched that about twenty times. I keep thinking I’m going to notice something that makes it make sense.

Larry Grim: Whatever Tack’s explanation is, we haven’t heard it. He hasn’t answered calls from management, he hasn’t spoken publicly, and as of right now, he isn’t in the building. Neither is Makoto Angel.

Apple Kid: I tried asking Minako.

Larry turned toward him.

Larry Grim: And?

Apple Kid: Every time I brought it up, she flashed me.

Larry Grim: Every time?

Apple Kid: Every time. I’d be halfway through a question, she’d do that, and I’d forget what we were talking about.

Larry Grim: You could write the question down.

Apple Kid: I did. Forgot how to read.

Larry let out a sigh and shuffled his notes while Apple looked down at his phone. There were messages from Minako, but nothing he could offer the audience as an explanation.

Larry Grim: Tonight, Trevor Mach and Ness face Vargas Wargrave and Snakebite. I’m told Trevor specifically requested the match.

Apple Kid: I hope he knows what he’s doing. After that Crossface, I’m surprised he’s even here.

Larry Grim: Physically, he’s been cleared. I don’t think that answers the question you’re really asking.

Backstage, Christy Angel stood beside Ted Pettentool with her phone in her hand. Alison Chains waited nearby, giving her enough space to speak but staying close enough that Christy wouldn’t have to face the interview alone.

Ted Pettentool: Christy, have you heard anything from your father?

Christy Angel: No. And before you ask, Makoto isn’t answering me either.

Ted Pettentool: Do you have any idea why he would—

Christy Angel: Ted, I watched the same thing you did. Uncle Trevor reached for him. Dad just stood there.

She looked down at her phone again. There was a message she had typed several minutes earlier and still hadn’t sent. She deleted it, put the phone away, and folded her arms.

Christy Angel: I won the biggest match I’ve had in a long time. I wanted to talk to him about it. Now I’m standing here trying to figure out what the hell happened to my father.

Alison stepped closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. For once, she didn’t have a joke ready.

Alison Chains: Come on. We’ll keep trying.

Farther down the hallway, Zyro Kurogane had considerably less patience for the unanswered questions. He stopped when a production assistant asked whether he had a message for Tack and leaned toward the waiting microphone.

Zyro Kurogane: Yeah. Answer your phone. You had no trouble putting your hands on Trevor when his back was turned. You can find enough courage to explain yourself.

He walked away before the assistant could ask anything else.

Trevor was sitting alone in the locker room when Ness arrived. His championship rested inside his open bag rather than across his lap, and he had been turning his sunglasses over in his hands without putting them on. Ness closed the door behind him, hesitated, and took the seat on the opposite bench.



Ness: How’s your neck?

Trevor Mach: Better than it was.

Ness: That’s not much of an answer.

Trevor Mach: Best one I’ve got.

Ness nodded. He had spent the days since Hunter’s Moon preparing for this conversation.

Ness: About the surrender—

Trevor Mach: I know why you did it.

Ness: I need you to hear it from me anyway.

Trevor finally stopped turning the sunglasses over.

Ness: I couldn’t get to you. Zyro couldn’t get to you. You weren’t going to give up, and Vargas knew it. He would have kept pulling until something gave. From where I was standing, you were barely moving.

Trevor looked toward the floor. He remembered the pressure on his neck, Vargas’s voice beside his ear, and the far worse realization that Tack was close enough to help and had chosen to watch.

Ness: I had to protect my friend. Especially after what happened. I wasn’t going to leave you there just because Tack did.

Trevor rubbed his palms together, taking a moment before answering.

Trevor Mach: I wasn’t angry at you. I wanted the match stopped too. Just didn’t want to be the guy who said it.

Ness: I know.

Trevor Mach: Guess that’s not fair to put on everybody else.

Ness: You’d have done it for me.

Trevor looked up and gave him a tired nod. Ness leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

Ness: Something bigger is coming. I can feel it. Whatever this is, we need to be strong enough to deal with it. That means keeping each other alive, even when one of us is too stubborn to appreciate it right away.

Trevor Mach: I was hoping we’d never have to do this again. I thought we were past it.

Ness: He kept the crystal shard?

Trevor Mach: Told me himself. I should’ve pushed harder. Instead, I made a joke and let it go.

Ness: You didn’t make him attack you.

Trevor Mach: Nimbus spent weeks winding him up. Making everything personal. I saw that woman handing him his stuff, and all I could think was that she’d finally gotten what she wanted.

A woman laughed outside the door. Ness was on his feet before Nimbus Tenebrae leaned into the doorway, her green hair falling over one shoulder. She looked delighted to have found them together.

Nimbus Tenebrae: You two look miserable.

Trevor stood more slowly, keeping his eyes on her.

Trevor Mach: What did you do to him?

Nimbus Tenebrae: Which part are you blaming me for? There’s been so much.

Ness: The woman at Hunter’s Moon. The cloak and the scythe.

Nimbus laughed again, louder this time.

Nimbus Tenebrae: That wasn’t me.

Neither man spoke. Her amusement only grew as she watched the answer settle between them.

Trevor Mach: You expect us to believe that?

Nimbus Tenebrae: Believe whatever helps you sleep. You’ve both been very good at that.

She stepped back into the corridor before Trevor reached the door. Ness followed him out, but Nimbus was already walking toward the entrance for her match, laughing to herself.

Ness: She could be lying.

Trevor Mach: Yeah. She could.

Trevor kept watching long after she had disappeared.

Trevor Mach: I get the feeling she wasn't.

1. Geistbook Women’s Tournament Round 2: Mimi Starlight vs. Nimbus Tenebrae
-Mimi Starlight came to the ring determined to give the Battle Dome something to cheer about. She waved to the front row and encouraged the audience to join her familiar chant, although her smile tightened when Nimbus stepped through the curtain. Mimi had seen enough of her opponent’s behavior to know that being friendly wouldn’t accomplish much tonight.

Nimbus tried to exploit that caution immediately. She offered a handshake, withdrew it when Mimi approached, and reached for her hair instead. Mimi caught the wrist and rolled through into an arm drag, following with a dropkick that sent Nimbus retreating to the corner. The crowd’s approval helped Mimi settle. She began attacking with more confidence, changing direction before Nimbus could catch her and forcing the taller woman to defend against quick pinning combinations.

Nimbus stopped the momentum by pulling Mimi into the middle rope and striking her across the back of the neck. She concentrated on the same area afterward, using a cravat to make Mimi carry her weight and dragging her down whenever she tried to build speed. Mimi fought out with elbows, but Nimbus caught her from behind and briefly threatened a dragon sleeper. Mimi recognized the danger and kicked off the turnbuckles, rolling over her opponent into a near fall.

The escape frustrated Nimbus enough to make her rush. Mimi ducked a clothesline, landed a running forearm, and followed with a springboard crossbody for two. She rose with the audience behind her and drove Nimbus down with another fast combination before climbing toward the Stardust Press.

Harrow appeared at ringside as she reached the top.

Mimi noticed him standing below the corner and froze. He placed one enormous hand on the apron and slowly tilted his masked face toward her. She looked toward the aisle for Graveshift, but he wasn’t there. Rather than risk being caught above the ring, she climbed down inside, keeping her attention on Harrow as he moved along the ropes.

Nimbus was waiting behind her.

She pulled Mimi backward into the Embrace of the Void, securing the dragon sleeper before dropping to the mat and wrapping her legs around Mimi’s body. Mimi reached for the ropes, but Nimbus rolled her away from them. Her heels scraped against the canvas as she tried to turn and relieve the pressure, only for Nimbus to tighten her grip.

Graveshift emerged from the entrance and went straight for Harrow. The two collided beside the ring, Graveshift driving him into the barricade while the audience shouted for Mimi to keep fighting. She could hear the impact outside, but her attempts to escape were weakening. The referee checked her twice before waving for the bell.
Winner: Nimbus Tenebrae via Embrace of the Void(Dragon Sleeper with Body Scissors) -> Referee Stoppage

Nimbus kept the hold until Graveshift climbed onto the apron. She released Mimi and hurried out the opposite side, leaving him to enter and kneel beside his friend. Harrow started toward the ropes again, but Graveshift rose to meet him, and the larger man stopped long enough for officials to get between them.

Mimi stirred as  Graveshift lowered himself beside her again, blocking Nimbus from her view.



Apple Kid: Harrow scared her right into it. That was the whole plan.

Larry Grim: Nimbus advances, and Graveshift has another reason to want his hands on Harrow.

Apple Kid: Monster versus monster. LET THEM FIGHT!

Nimbus backed up the aisle smiling, refusing to answer when Ted called after her about Tack.

Backstage

Zyro Kurogane had been pacing back and forth before finally approaching the Lakitu with intent.



Zyro Kurogane: Let me save you some time. Yes, I saw it. Yes, I’m pissed off. No, I don’t have a thoughtful theory about what’s going through Tack Angel’s head. Apparently, there’s room in there for a crown, a scythe, and an entire royal wardrobe? He can take all of that and shove up his royal ass!

He glanced toward the locker room, working his jaw before returning his attention to the microphone. The usual smirk was there, but maintaining it seemed to require more effort than he liked.

Zyro Kurogane: Trevor Mach is an obnoxious, stubborn pain in the ass. He knows it. I know it. There are probably children learning those words specifically so they can describe him. But when I stood on his team, I knew he’d fight for the people standing beside him. I didn’t have to like every stupid thing he said. I didn’t have to join his fan club. I just had to look him in the eye and know he wasn’t going to sell me out when things got ugly. And Ness? I’ve heard people questioning his decision at Hunter’s Moon. People who watched from a comfortable chair, with a drink in one hand and absolutely nothing at stake. Ness had to watch his friend get trapped in that Crossface after somebody he trusted handed him over. He made the call. You want to tell him he should’ve let Trevor get hurt worse? Come down here and explain that to him. Preferably while I’m standing next to him. I’d love to contribute to the discussion.

Zyro shifted the microphone into his other hand. He had entered War Games expecting violence, and he could accept losing a fight. What stayed with him was Tack watching it happen.

Zyro Kurogane: I’m still coming for Trevor’s championship. Let’s get that straight before anyone starts making friendship bracelets. I earned that opportunity, and when it comes around, I intend to take his head off. But I want Trevor Mach standing across from me ready to fight. So, Tack. Your Highness. Wonderful makeover. Very subtle. Most men going through a personal crisis buy a motorcycle. You apparently robbed a planetarium and declared yourself next in line for the throne...AGAIN!

His smile faded as he stepped closer, lowering his voice enough that the interviewer stopped trying to reclaim the microphone.

Zyro Kurogane: I’m not going to stand there waiting for an explanation. I want you in the ring. One on one. Zyro Kurogane against Tack Angel. Leave the cloak in the back. Leave the scythe with whoever polishes your ridiculous accessories. Bring your boots, bring whatever you’ve decided to call yourself, and try remembering how to fight somebody who knows you’re coming.

He paused, rubbing his thumb along the microphone handle. There was no uncertainty in the challenge, only an impatience that had been building since the cage opened at Hunter’s Moon.

Zyro Kurogane: You can kick. You can wrestle. You can hurt people. I know exactly how good you are, Tack. That’s why I’m asking for you. Trevor and Ness have enough history with you to make this complicated. Lucky for me, I don’t. I’m just extremely talented, exceptionally handsome, and currently in the mood to introduce your royal face to the canvas.

The smirk returned, sharper and more natural this time. Zyro pushed the microphone back into the interviewer’s hand, but kept hold of it for one final moment.

Zyro Kurogane: You're the Star Prince? I'm Shogun Steel and Sex Appeal, and I'm going to let it RIP! Answer the challenge, Tack. You’ve already shown everyone what you’ll do to a friend. Let’s see what you can do to me.

-

Dan Kuroto arrived carrying a microphone. He stopped beneath the Xcite sign, spread his arms, and waited for a reaction worthy of his entrance. The audience booed. Dan nodded enthusiastically, treating it as confirmation that they understood his importance.

Dan Kuroto: YES! MAKE NOISE! YOU ARE WITNESSING HISTORY! YEARS FROM NOW, YOU WILL TELL YOUR CHILDREN THAT YOU WERE PRESENT WHEN DAN KUROTO PERFECTED PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING! BWAHAHAHAHA!

Point Man stood in the ring with his arms folded.

Dan Kuroto: BLAKE FAUST! WATCH CAREFULLY! YOUR LITTLE INVESTMENT IS ABOUT TO RECEIVE AN UPGRADE!

2. Singles: Dan Kuroto[Debut] vs. Point Man
-Dan climbed through the ropes, handed the microphone to the referee, took it back to add something, reconsidered, and finally surrendered it with an irritated flick of his wrist. Point Man didn’t wait for another speech once the bell rang. He kicked Dan in the thigh, took him down, and forced him into a grounded hold that left the self proclaimed god staring indignantly at the canvas.

Point Man’s disciplined approach caused problems throughout the opening minutes. He kept his strikes short, refused to follow Dan into obvious traps, and cut him off whenever he began posing. Always reliable, that Point Man. Dan grew increasingly animated, slapping his own cheeks after a hard forearm and laughing directly into Point Man’s face before answering with one of his own. Beneath the ridiculous behavior, he was powerful and quick. Once he caught Point Man’s arm and drove him shoulder first into the corner, his attacks became considerably more effective.

He targeted the shoulders with stomps and tight holds, periodically shouting toward a camera as though Blake Faust were personally operating it. Point Man escaped one attempted double underhook and nearly stole the match with a cradle. Dan kicked out, sat upright, and stared at the referee with genuine outrage.

Point Man struck him while he was arguing. The crowd cheered as he put together a sharp comeback, driving Dan into the corner and landing a running knee for another close count. This time Dan’s laughter stopped. He caught Point Man approaching, rammed him backward, and landed a short strike that left his opponent struggling to straighten.

Dan hooked both arms. He lifted Point Man high, held him there long enough to throw his head back, and screamed the name of his creation.

Dan Kuroto: MAXIMUM CRITICAL END!

The elevated double underhook sit out facebuster planted Point Man hard. Dan folded him into the cover and counted along with the referee at twice the necessary volume.
Winner: Dan Kuroto via MAXIMUM CRITICAL END!(Elevated double-underhook sit-out facebuster) -> Pin

Dan snatched his wrist away before the official could raise it, climbed the turnbuckles, and raised both arms himself.

Dan Kuroto: PERFECT! AN ABSOLUTELY PERFECT DEBUT! I HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO LEARN!

Larry Grim: That guy...is off his rocker. Moreso than usual in EBW. Not by a lot...but by enough, ya know?

Apple Kid: I was thinking the exact same thing. Wow, we are surrounded by psychopaths, aren't we?

Larry Grim: Apparently so!

Backstage

Backstage, Ted found Vargas Wargrave preparing for the main event. Snakebite stood beside him, while the Auditor watched from farther down the corridor.

Ted Pettentool: Did you know Tack was going to turn on Trevor?

Vargas Wargrave: Of course I knew. Trick up my sleeve? Ace in the hole? Did you think I was bullshitting?

Ted Pettentool: He refused to shake your hand.

Vargas’s smile tightened, but he recovered quickly.

Vargas Wargrave: I didn’t need his handshake. I needed the win. I got it.

Snakebite leaned toward the microphone.

Snakebite: And tonight we get another one.

The Auditor’s eyes remained on Ted as the wrestlers left.

The Auditor: Mr. Mach has survived a great deal of pain. Betrayal appears to trouble him far more. We shall see how it affects his performance. His suffering is exquisite as always. None of you will ever know the joy of ripping the wings off a Celestial. This comes close.

3. Women’s Singles: The Harmacist[Debut] vs. Alison Chains
-The Harmacist approached the ring with a clipboard tucked beneath her arm and a delighted expression that made Alison immediately suspicious. Her elaborate drill pigtails bounced as she stopped beside the steps to inspect the paperwork, nodding to herself before climbing inside.

The Harmacist: Alison Chains! Excellent. I’ve been looking forward to examining you.

Alison Chains: Everybody’s got an opinion about what’s wrong with me lately.

The Harmacist: Mine comes with a treatment plan!

Alison took the clipboard, glanced at it, and handed it to the referee.

Alison Chains: Bell first. Billing later, bitch!

The Harmacist attacked Alison’s arm early, twisting the wrist and using her elbow to apply pressure whenever Alison tried to pull free. She seemed almost distracted by her own enthusiasm, laughing after successful counters and talking through her attacks as though addressing an audience of students. Alison initially tried to overpower her, but a sharp kick to the shoulder taught her to take the newcomer seriously.

Christy watched from ringside, calling for Alison to slow down when frustration began creeping into her movements. The Harmacist noticed and started taunting her about Jane, provoking a reckless charge that she redirected into the turnbuckles. A twisting neckbreaker earned two, and she returned to the damaged shoulder, trying to keep Alison from lifting her.

Alison worked toward the ropes instead of trying to fight through the hold. She forced the break, took a breath, and caught the Harmacist with a heavy forearm when she approached again. Her comeback was deliberate: a clothesline, a suplex, and a hard body shot that interrupted another laughing explanation. The Harmacist attempted to catch her in a sudden submission, but Alison rolled through and hauled her upright.

Christy saw Alison hesitate, waiting to make certain she had the grip rather than rushing toward the finish. The Package Piledriver landed cleanly, and Alison held her opponent down through the three count.
Winner: Alison Chains via Package Piledriver -> Pin

Alison sat back on her heels, looking more relieved than triumphant. Christy entered and offered her a hand.

Their celebration was interrupted by Ted approaching the apron with Christy’s phone. She took it immediately, checked the screen, and lost the hopeful expression almost as quickly as it had appeared.

Alison Chains: Him?

Christy Angel: No. Nothing.

Alison put an arm around her as they left. Behind them, the Harmacist retrieved her clipboard and began furiously crossing things out.

Larry Grim: Wow, that was a good comeback for Alison. Ted seemed happy, but then that phone thing shook them up. What's what about?

Boomtown: Probably saw YOURS TRULY just uploaded my victory video on all the socials! What's up, CHAT!? The Boom boy is here after telling Apple Kid to TAKE A HIKE! 

Larry Grim: Oh...wonderful. How did I miss that happening? I have no peripheral vision. Not sure how I have any vision. I have no actual eyeballs. 

Boomtown: No one cares about the deets, bro. They just want the content, and THE content creator is HERE! Did you see me win War Games? The video is BLOWING UP! 

Larry Grim: Vargas got the win...with help...technically.

Boomtown laughed much louder than the remark warranted, checking his phone to make sure it had captured his reaction. He pulled the belt higher on his shoulder and leaned toward Larry as though inviting him into an exclusive business opportunity.

Boomtown: Listen, unc. Hunter’s Moon was a generational W. The strategy? Elite. The execution? Cinema. Trevor Mach? Absolutely cooked. That’s going in the recap with the little falling pipe sound effect.

Larry Grim: Ness surrendered to keep his friend from being seriously injured after Tack betrayed him.

Boomtown: And that’s why you have to be careful who you collab with. Always vet your circle. I actually cover that in my premium creator course.

Larry Grim: Does the course explain how you’re taking credit for a War Games win?

Boomtown’s smile tightened. He reached for his phone, tapped the screen twice, and resumed with the confidence of a man certain that editing could repair any conversation.

Boomtown: Team victory, Larry. We’re building a brand here. You wouldn’t understand the ecosystem.

Larry Grim: I understand how the match ended.

Boomtown: Chat, this is what happens when you give a hater a headset.

4. Singles: Bashin Dan vs. Marco De Leon
-Marco De Leon had no interest in giving Bashin Dan a clean path back toward Kinniku Mike. He attacked Dan’s neck from the opening exchange, forcing him to remember the Muscle Buster he had taken before Hunter’s Moon and the punishment that followed. Dan resisted the urge to turn it into a frantic fight. He broke Marco’s grips, worked back toward the center, and used his strength to make every attempted takedown difficult.

Marco caught him with a DDT for two and began preparing for Lion Untamed. Dan recognized the setup before Marco could secure it, driving through his legs and forcing them both toward the ropes. Marco released just long enough to strike him across the back of the head, but Dan turned into the next attack and answered with a lariat that brought the audience to its feet.

The match shifted in Dan’s favor as he began cutting off Marco’s escape routes. He caught him leaving a corner, drove him down with a powerslam, and kept hold when Marco tried rolling outside. Marco resorted to grabbing the ropes and demanding the referee intervene. Dan waited for the break, pulled him back toward the center, and began positioning him for the Brave Clash.

Kinniku Mike struck him from behind before he could complete it.

The referee called for the bell immediately. Darkness Aoi followed Mike into the ring, and Marco scrambled clear while Mike drove Dan into the corner.
Winner: Bashin Dan via DQ

Hope Mach came down the aisle before Mike could lift Dan again. Aoi moved to intercept her, but Hope had been watching for exactly that. She caught Aoi’s reaching arm, turned her, and shoved her into Mike. The collision gave Dan enough time to recover, and he stepped forward beside his wife as their opponents retreated through the ropes.

Mike pointed angrily at Hope from the floor. She answered by beckoning him back inside.

Dan requested a microphone and waited until Hope was beside him, making sure she could see him speaking.

Bashin Dan: Every time I get close to finishing a match, one of you shows up. Fine. Let’s put both of you in one.

Hope signed toward Mike and Aoi, her movements sharp and emphatic. Dan nodded before turning back toward them.

Bashin Dan: Me and Hope against you two. Mixed tag. You want to keep doing this together? You can fight us together.

Kinniku Mike: You think I’m scared of your wife?

Hope pointed to the spot where she had slammed him at Hunter’s Moon. The crowd laughed, and Mike’s face hardened.

Aoi took a microphone from the timekeeper.

Darkness Aoi: You should have stayed out of this, Hope. We accept.

Hope’s response was brief. Dan smiled as he translated.

Bashin Dan: She's bummed you didn't make it harder. She likes to be more "convincing". She know how to play the game! Let's why I love her.

Before the main event, Trevor paused near the entrance curtain. Ness stood beside him, stretching his shoulders while the crowd reacted to Vargas’s music on the other side. Trevor had his title around his waist now, though his attention remained on the corridor leading toward the locker rooms.

Ness: You still think he’s coming?

Trevor Mach: I keep expecting him to walk around the corner.

Ness: And say what?

Trevor shook his head.

Trevor Mach: That’s the part I can’t figure out.

Ness put a hand on his shoulder.

Ness: Right now, you’ve got me.

Trevor looked at him and nodded.

Trevor Mach: Yeah. I do. Thanks, OG.

5. Tag: Trevor Mach/Ness vs. Vargas Wargrave/Snakebite
-Trevor insisted on starting against Vargas, but the former champion tagged Snakebite before they made contact. Snakebite attacked the neck immediately, forcing him backward with clubbing forearms and testing how well he had recovered from War Games.

Ness called for the tag sooner than Trevor wanted it. The champion hesitated, caught Snakebite with a short counter, and went to his corner anyway. Ness entered with quick strikes to the legs, forcing Snakebite to turn and move rather than simply lean on a wounded opponent. Trevor watched from the apron, working his neck carefully while Ness created the first sustained advantage of the match.

Vargas changed that by catching Ness at the ropes. A forearm from the apron left him exposed to Snakebite’s clothesline, and the opposing team began isolating him near their corner. Vargas worked with particular satisfaction, repeatedly glancing toward Trevor as he grounded Ness.

Trevor stepped through the ropes before catching himself. The referee ordered him back, and Vargas used the distraction to drag Ness farther from the corner.

Ness endured the pressure without answering the taunts. He protected his neck, stayed alert for tags, and finally escaped Snakebite by slipping behind a lift and attacking the knee. Snakebite stumbled toward Vargas, and Ness used the opening to dive across the ring.

Trevor came in hard. He drove Vargas backward with forearms, knocked Snakebite off the apron, and caught Vargas with a suplex before following him up into another exchange. For the first time all evening, his movements looked certain. He wasn’t waiting for an explanation; he had an opponent in front of him and knew what to do.

Vargas attempted the Crossface. Trevor rolled through before the grip could settle and struck him with a knee that sent him stumbling toward the ropes. Snakebite entered to interfere, but Ness intercepted him. Their fight spilled outside while Trevor stayed with Vargas, driving him into the corner and pulling him back toward the center.

The audience began reacting to something behind him.

Tack Angel stood on the stage.

He wore the royal cloak, the scythe held upright beside him. Tack made no move toward the ring, offered no explanation, and stood beneath the entrance lights while thousands of people demanded one.

Trevor released Vargas.

Apple Kid: He’s here. Tack’s here!

Trevor approached the ropes slowly. He gripped the top strand and stared up the aisle, his expression changing from anger to something far less guarded.



Behind Trevor, Vargas lowered himself near the corner and drew the referee’s attention, complaining that he couldn’t see out of his one working eye. At ringside, Snakebite drove Ness against the barricade, leaving him struggling to stand.

A figure crossed behind the timekeeper’s position.

Larry Grim: TREVOR, TURN AROUND!

Apple Kid: IT'S! IT'S! IT'S! 

Larry Grim: DESTROYER A!!!



The first blow struck Trevor from behind and sent him chest first into the ropes. Destroyer A pulled him away before he could recover, battering him with heavy strikes that left him unable to establish a defense. Trevor tried turning into the attack, but another blow knocked him sideways. A cut opened above his brow, and he dropped to one knee.

The crowd’s shouting drew Ness’s attention. He shoved Snakebite away and headed for the apron, only for Snakebite to seize him from behind and drive him back into the barricade.

Destroyer A hauled Trevor upright, struck him again, and left him staggering in the center of the ring. He slipped outside as Vargas abandoned his complaint and moved forward.

Trevor barely had time to register who was grabbing him.

Vargas delivered the Warhammer and hooked his leg.

Ness reached beneath the bottom rope as the referee’s hand struck the canvas for the third time.
Winners: Vargas Wargrave[o]/Snakebite via Warhammer to Trevor Mach -> Pin

Apple Kid: DESTROYER A?! WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING BACK HERE?!

Larry Grim: Trevor saw Tack and never saw the attack coming! Vargas has stolen another one!

Ness crawled across the ring and placed himself between Trevor and Vargas. He was hurt, breathing hard, and ready to fight again if anyone came closer. Vargas considered him for a moment before backing toward the ropes with a satisfied smile. Snakebite joined him outside, while Destroyer A remained near ringside long enough to make certain Trevor saw him.

Trevor pushed himself onto one elbow. Blood ran toward his eyebrow, and he wiped it away without taking his attention from the stage. Tack was still there.

Apple Kid: He came here. He watched that happen. And he still wouldn’t say a damn word.

Larry Grim: Destroyer A is back, Trevor has been attacked again, and we still don’t know what Tack Angel wants. Somebody needs to find out before this gets any worse.

Ness helped Trevor sit against the ropes, then stayed beside him as the medical staff entered. Across the aisle, Vargas raised his arms, celebrating another victory over the champion. Trevor hardly seemed to notice. He was still watching the curtain where his friend had disappeared.

Last edited by Machismo (Today 4:31 am)