Aired - August 7, 2026
PART 1:
0. SHOW RUNDOWN 1. SHOW OPENING 2. WELCOMING 3. MATCH 1 4. TERMS OF SERVICE 5. MATCH 2 6. MATCH 3 7. ENTER THE WARDEN 8. MATCH 4 9. MATCH 5 PART 2: 10. FALSE IDOLS 11. MAIN EVENT 12. CLOSING
(Black screen.)
(The sound of a heavy book opening.)
(Not cleanly. Not gently.)
(Old pages scrape against each other like bone over stone.)
(A candle ignites.)
(The flame burns blue for a moment… then deepens to red.)
(Ink crawls across parchment, but this time it does not form words.)
(It forms a crown.)
(Then an arrow.)
(Then a hand.)
(Then an oni mask.)
(A low choir begins. Beneath it, a war drum beats once.)
Voice-over:
“Once upon a time… they told you every kingdom needed a hero.”
(beat)
“They never told you heroes bleed.”
(The ink spreads faster now, swallowing the parchment edges.)
“They never told you crowns grow heavier.”
“They never told you stories change hands.”
(A bell tolls.)
(The screen flickers with torchlight.)
Voice-over:
“Here… legends do not rest.”
“They are tested.”
“They are broken.”
“They are remade.”
(The burning parchment folds inward, becoming a dark fairytale title card.)
NPCW: DARK FABLE
Voice-over:
“This is the MYTHIC Division.”
“Welcome… to DARK FABLE.”
SIGNATURE MONTAGE — QUARTER 3
1) King Arthur
(A sword is raised beneath a storm-black sky.)
Arthur stands alone in the ring, armor battered, breath steady, eyes forward.
The crowd roars around him, but he does not answer them.
An opponent charges.
Arthur turns, counters, and drives him down with royal certainty.
Another figure rises behind him.
Arthur meets him too.
The crown does not make him safe.
It makes him hunted.
But still…
The king stands.
2) Blonde Bombshells — Alice, Dorothy & Rapunzel
(Bright storybook light floods the screen.)
(Then the color sharpens into something dangerous.)
Alice moves first—quick, fluid, smiling as she slips through a strike and sends her opponent spinning.
Dorothy follows with perfect timing, cutting the escape off before it begins.
Then Rapunzel steps in.
Graceful.
Precise.
No wasted motion.
Three women stand together as the fallen opponent reaches for them and finds nothing.
A familiar dream.
A dangerous mirror.
A fairytale with sharper teeth.
3) Robin Hood
(An arrow cuts through darkness.)
(It strikes a hanging lantern, and green light spills across the ring.)
Robin Hood ducks beneath a wild swing by inches.
He answers instantly.
One shot to stagger.
One movement to shift position.
One clean finish to end the moment before his opponent understands it.
He rises with calm defiance and looks toward the hard camera.
Not a prince.
Not a servant.
Not a man waiting for permission.
A thief.
A hero.
A problem no king can tax away.
4) The King’s Hand
(A gauntleted hand closes around a royal seal.)
(The wax cracks.)
The Sheriff of Nottingham steps through torchlight, cold authority in every movement.
Will Scarlet strikes beside him, violence wrapped in loyalty and resentment.
The King’s Collectors close in after them.
No chaos.
No wasted cruelty.
Only enforcement.
A man is dragged down.
Another is silenced.
Another is left staring up at the lights while the Hand of power tightens around the ring.
The law has arrived.
And mercy was never written into it.
5) Crimson Viper — The Queen of Hearts
(Red roses bloom across black parchment.)
(One by one, the petals fall.)
Crimson Viper stands motionless as her opponent circles.
Then she smiles.
A trap springs.
A strike lands.
A body folds.
She moves like a sentence already passed, turning panic into punishment.
The Queen of Hearts does not chase control.
She assumes it.
And when the final blow lands, there is no rage in her eyes.
Only judgment.
6) Monster Bash’s Enforcers — Kong & Ogre
(Chains drag across stone.)
(The sound becomes a heartbeat.)
Kong surges forward and crushes an opponent into the corner with impossible force.
Ogre follows, lifting another body high before driving it down with brutal finality.
No pageantry.
No speeches.
No warning.
Tag made simple.
Power made sacred.
Two bodies fall.
Two monsters remain.
Kong and Ogre stand over the wreckage, gold and violence bound together.
The Enforcers do not protect a throne.
They make sure no one survives long enough to challenge it.
7) Raigen the Maryu
(Red and gold flame cuts across the screen.)
(A dragon’s shadow coils behind it.)
Raigen stands in the center of the ring, still as a blade before the strike.
His opponent rushes him.
Raigen erupts.
A brutal combination lands in flashes—strike, turn, impact, silence.
The old storm is gone.
Something darker has taken its place.
He lowers one hand.
The air around him seems to burn.
This is not Raigen returning.
This is Raigen becoming.
The Maryu has awakened.
8) Blood Oni Syndicate — Lord Kurogami, Kaen, Enrai & Yurei Rinn
(The screen fades to black again.)
(A single red mask appears.)
(Then another.)
(Then another.)
(Lord Kurogami stands in shadow, unmoving, his presence heavier than sound.)
Kaen steps through firelight, fists clenched, eyes burning with violent purpose.
Enrai follows beneath a flash of white-blue lightning, calm and lethal.
Yurei Rinn appears last, ghostlike, silent, her stare fixed on something the audience cannot see.
Four figures.
One shadow.
The ring becomes a ritual space.
The Syndicate does not enter stories.
It infects them.
And when Lord Kurogami raises one hand…
The darkness answers.
(The choir rises.)
(War drums thunder beneath it.)
(The arena appears, lit like a cathedral built for judgment.)
Voice-over:
“This isn’t the North.”
“This isn’t the light.”
(beat)
“This is where crowns are tested.”
“Where heroes are hunted.”
“Where monsters wear gold.”
“And where every victory leaves a scar.”
(The music drops.)
(Only the bell remains.)
Voice-over:
“In DARK FABLE… the story does not end happily.”
(beat)
“It ends… with a winner.”
(A final image flashes: crown, arrow, rose, chain, dragon flame, oni mask.)
Voice-over:
“And in Quarter Three…”
(beat)
“The story belongs to whoever is strong enough to take it.”
(The bell tolls one final time.)
Voice-over:
“This… is DARK FABLE.”
The darkness of the opening releases its hold upon Scrooge’s Camelot Coliseum.
Torchlight burns along the upper balconies. Deep blue illumination rolls across the stone walls, broken by narrow bands of crimson and gold. Ancient shields hang beneath the arches. Heavy banners descend between them, each carrying the mark of a kingdom, court, faction, or force that believes it possesses some claim upon the Mythic Division.
The ring stands beneath a single white light.
Thousands rise around it.
The camera travels through the lower bowl.
A section of supporters raises long strands of gold cloth beneath the image of a tower window. Opposite them, black playing cards are held above the crowd. Every card bears the same symbol.
A silver spade.
The image of Rapunzel appears upon the central screen.
Her golden hair twists upward around the dark towers of Wonderland.
The towers bend.
The windows narrow.
The image becomes a black castle surrounded by enormous playing cards. A crowned silhouette rises behind the Queen of Spades.
The name of the Dark Duchess burns across the screen.
Gold light and black shadow divide the coliseum.
The camera continues.
Green banners rise near the entranceway. Painted arrows point toward an enormous stitched silhouette standing beneath lightning.
Supporters of Robin Hood answer with a loud chant.
“ROBIN HOOD!” “ROBIN HOOD!” “ROBIN HOOD!”
The stitched figure turns.
Heavy iron restraints fall from its wrists.
The face of Frankenstein’s Monster appears through the storm.
The green arrows strike its chest.
None penetrate.
The screen changes again.
The crest of the Merry Band forms beneath torchlight. A quarterstaff crosses a longbow while green cloth moves behind it like the canopy of Sherwood.
Two silver blades descend through the image.
The insignia of the Virtuous Blades appears opposite them.
Then comes white snow.
A hunting blade cuts through it.
The faces of Snow White and Gretel form beneath the mark of the Fairest Hunters.
A black crown lowers over both women.
Thorns close around its base.
The Queens of Despair appear through a field of dead roses.
The next image is a sword held upright beneath the crest of Camelot.
The crowd responds loudly as Sir Lancelot appears.
The light behind him disappears.
A dark forest grows across the screen.
Branches twist into the shape of a drawn bow.
Between the trees stands The Huntsman.
The sword and bow remain opposite one another.
Neither lowers.
A final bell sounds.
The entire coliseum darkens.
One flame ignites above the ring.
Then another.
Then a third.
The Eternal Flame Championship rises upon the central screen.
Red-and-gold fire coils around the image of Raigen.
Across from him, a royal seal is pressed into black wax.
A gauntleted hand breaks it.
The Sheriff of Nottingham appears beneath the crest of Nottingham, cold authority in his expression.
Words form beneath the championship.
TWO OUT OF THREE FALLS. NO TIME LIMIT.
The reaction becomes thunderous.
At ringside, the camera settles upon Julian Ward and Brick Brody behind the commentary desk.
Julian Ward: “Good evening, and welcome to NPCW Dark Fable, live from Scrooge’s Camelot Coliseum. I am Julian Ward, joined as always by Brick Brody, and tonight the Eternal Flame Championship will be defended without limit of time and without the mercy of a single fall.”
Brick Brody: “Good. One fall can be an accident. One fall can be a bad landing, a distracted referee, or one mistake at the wrong second. Two falls mean somebody has to prove the first one was not luck.”
Julian Ward: “The champion, Raigen, faces the Sheriff of Nottingham. A champion surrounded by unanswered questions against one of the most disciplined instruments of authority in the Mythic Division.”
Brick Brody: “Do not dress it up too much, Julian Ward. The Sheriff of Nottingham wants the title because gold makes authority easier to enforce. Raigen wants to keep it because the Eternal Flame is the proof that everything he endured transformed him into something stronger.”
Julian Ward: “Before we reach that championship contest, however, we must return to the consequences left behind seven nights ago.”
The stage screen turns black.
A length of dark cord appears against the ropes.
Footage shows Lord Kurogami reaching through the lower strands and binding the injured arm of Gretel.
The image changes.
Yurei Rinn drives repeated elbows into the head of the trapped hunter.
The official struggles to free the cord.
Gretel absorbs another strike.
Then the footage advances.
She catches the arm of Yurei Rinn, rises through the damage, and drives her down with the K-360.
The count reaches three.
Julian Ward: “Last week began with Gretel enduring fifteen minutes against Yurei Rinn and the direct interference of Lord Kurogami. Her arm was tied into the ropes. Her head and neck were attacked while she could not defend herself. Yet the hunter escaped the trap and earned the final fall.”
Brick Brody: “That was the mistake. They spent too much time making sure she understood the trap. When you have somebody tied to the ropes, stop teaching and start finishing.”
Julian Ward: “The victory belonged to Gretel, but the interference left another clear warning. The Blood Oni Syndicate does not require the official result to favor its member before it considers the night useful.”
Brick Brody: “Pain is useful. Fear is useful. A damaged arm carried into the following week is useful. The record says Gretel won. Her body still had to pay for it.”
The screen shows Gretel pulling the remaining cord from the ropes and throwing it onto the canvas.
The image divides.
Snow White appears beside her.
Across from them rise the black crowns of the Queens of Despair.
Julian Ward: “Tonight, Gretel returns to tag team competition beside Snow White. The Fairest Hunters are still searching for their first victory as a team, and they face opponents who will not allow last week’s resilience to become confidence.”
Brick Brody: “A singles victory does not repair tag-team failures. Gretel proved she can survive alone. Tonight she and Snow White have to prove they can succeed together.”
The footage changes.
White light surrounds Taro Okami.
Red fire surrounds Kaen.
The clock reaches thirty minutes.
The bell rings.
Neither man has been defeated.
Julian Ward: “Thirty minutes also failed to separate Taro Okami and Kaen. The question of the black mask remained unanswered, but both men demonstrated that accusation alone would not determine the outcome between them.”
Brick Brody: “They stopped arguing about fabric and spent half an hour trying to remove each other’s heads. That was progress.”
The replay continues.
Taro Okami leaves the ring with blood beneath his nose.
Enrai bursts through the side curtain and strikes him from behind.
Taro Okami falls onto the steel ramp.
The footage shows Kaen, Enrai, and Lord Kurogami closing around him.
Then Raigen appears.
The Eternal Flame Champion drives into the gathering assault and forces the attackers backward.
The final image freezes upon Raigen pulling Taro Okami to his feet.
Julian Ward: “But the draw was followed by an ambush. Enrai attacked Taro Okami from behind, and the Blood Oni Syndicate attempted to convert exhaustion into punishment.”
Brick Brody: “That is intelligent timing. Thirty minutes had already softened the target. Enrai simply collected what Kaen had prepared.”
Julian Ward: “And once again, Raigen came to the aid of Taro Okami. The alliance which Lord Kurogami appeared determined to fracture remained standing.”
Brick Brody: “Standing for the moment. Trust built through rescue can disappear the first time somebody arrives one second too late.”
Julian Ward: “The identity of the masked assailant who attacked Masa Tanenaga remains unknown. The suspicion surrounding the Blood Oni Syndicate remains unresolved. But tonight, that conflict moves away from the championship ring.”
The image of the black mask burns away.
Only the Eternal Flame Championship remains.
The Nottingham seal appears beside it.
Julian Ward: “The title itself enters a different struggle. Raigen will not face an assassin hidden behind a mask. He will face the Sheriff of Nottingham, a man who intends every act of violence to resemble law.”
Brick Brody: “That makes him more dangerous. A madman may stop when he becomes tired. A man who believes he is carrying out policy can continue hurting somebody all night.”
The screen changes.
Green scales close around a fractured crown.
Footage shows the injured Black Knight struggling to stand outside the ring.
Hiro Tanenaga drives him into the barricade with a Suicide Dive.
The count reaches ten.
Inside the ring, the Scalekeepers stand beside Lady Ayame Ryu.
Julian Ward: “The Scalekeepers also earned their first victory as a team when the damaged Black Knight could not return to the ring before the count of ten.”
Brick Brody: “The Broken Crown sent an injured man into battle and asked pride to replace a functioning back. Pride managed five minutes. The barricade finished the argument.”
Julian Ward: “The outcome strengthened Hiro Tanenaga and Masa Tanenaga within an increasingly crowded tag team field. It also forced Sir Agravaine, Myrrden, and the Black Knight to confront whether their cause is strengthening its soldiers or consuming them.”
The green scales disappear.
A silver key turns within a closed hand.
The crowd lowers into an uneasy murmur.
Footage shows King Arthur standing with the Mythic Crown Championship.
The words of his edict appear behind him.
MONSTER. GOD. DEMIGOD. DEMON. MAN.
ALL WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THE CROWN.
Julian Ward: “The authority of King Arthur also widened last week. The Mythic Crown Champion declared that every force entering this division would be required to acknowledge his rule.”
Brick Brody: “As they should. The champion does not carry the highest title so he can request permission from everybody beneath him.”
Julian Ward: “But Merlin continued warning that fear may produce obedience without creating loyalty.”
Brick Brody: “Loyalty is overrated. Obedience keeps people where you put them.”
The footage shows Heracles entering beneath white-gold light.
The contest begins.
King Arthur prevents the demigod from establishing a base.
He forces him to the canvas.
Four minutes after the opening bell, Heracles submits.
The camera cuts to the upper observation deck.
Severin gives a small, approving nod.
Julian Ward: “The champion supported his declaration by forcing Heracles to submit in four minutes. One week after defeating Ares, King Arthur brought another legend beneath the Crown.”
Brick Brody: “That was not survival. That was control. Heracles never received enough time to make strength matter.”
Julian Ward: “And from the upper deck, Severin watched. The undisclosed proposition he placed before King Arthur remains unanswered.”
Brick Brody: “Maybe the answer has already been given. A king does not always sign a contract in public.”
Julian Ward: “Whatever was offered, Severin appeared satisfied by what he witnessed.”
The closed hand turns.
The key disappears inside it.
The stage screen fills with blue sand.
A steel rail rises through the falling grains.
Sandman traps John Henry in the Sleeper.
The footage shows another application.
Then another.
Each time, John Henry finds a different escape.
The montage accelerates.
Steel Driver.
Iron Collision.
Back Suplex Bomb.
Another Sleeper.
Another escape.
The final impact lands.
The count reaches three.
Julian Ward: “The third meeting between John Henry and Sandman finally ended with the steel driver remaining awake. Sandman secured the Sleeper repeatedly, attacked the head, weakened the back, and attempted to make exhaustion complete what force could not.”
Brick Brody: “And John Henry finally stopped pretending the Sleeper could be avoided forever. He accepted that it would close and prepared to escape it.”
Julian Ward: “The first two encounters belonged to Sandman. The third belongs to John Henry.”
Brick Brody: “Pain was not the lesson. Adaptation was. A tough man absorbs punishment. A dangerous man learns what to do when it returns.”
The blue sand breaks against the steel rail.
Golden strands descend through the image.
The North Star Tag Team Championships rise upon the screen.
Footage shows Lady Isolde Blackthorne accepting a concealed foreign object from Prince John.
The replay changes.
Prioress Malveil is isolated.
Repeated attacks damage her leg.
Dorothy sends her through the ropes.
The count reaches ten before she can return.
Inside the ring, Alice and Dorothy raise the championships.
Julian Ward: “And in last week’s main event, the Blonde Bombshells retained the North Star Tag Team Championship against the Black Chapel.”
Brick Brody: “The challengers had the hidden weapon, the first advantage, and a plan built around isolation. Then Prioress Malveil became the isolated one.”
Julian Ward: “The Black Chapel promised to separate one champion while the other watched. Instead, Prioress Malveil was left outside the ring, unable to return before the count. The altar had been prepared. The names had been engraved. But the titles remained with Alice and Dorothy.”
The footage shows the champions forming their triangle.
They stomp the canvas.
The chapel altar explodes across the screen.
“KA-BOOM!”
The live crowd answers.
“KA-BOOM!” “KA-BOOM!” “KA-BOOM!”
Brick Brody: “The chapel brought doctrine. The champions brought explosives. The gold stayed where it was.”
Julian Ward: “That victory also carries directly into tonight. Rapunzel, the third member of the Blonde Bombshells, faces the Dark Duchess, the Queen of Spades.”
The screen displays Rapunzel opposite the Dark Duchess.
Golden hair winds around a deck of black cards.
Julian Ward: “Rapunzel has repeatedly shown that she can survive opponents who attempt to control her movement. The Dark Duchess presents a different challenge. She does not merely control an opponent. She attempts to turn the entire setting into uncertainty.”
Brick Brody: “Then Rapunzel had better stop admiring the scenery. Wonderland becomes dangerous the moment somebody believes the rules still matter.”
A green arrow cuts through the cards.
The stitched silhouette of Frankenstein’s Monster rises behind it.
Julian Ward: “Robin Hood will face Frankenstein’s Monster.”
The crowd reacts loudly.
Julian Ward: “For Robin Hood, this is another confrontation with one of the monsters and powers now being placed beneath the declared Royal Order of King Arthur.”
Brick Brody: “It is also a terrible physical decision. Robin Hood can strike, move, and disappear before most men complete a turn. Frankenstein’s Monster only needs one hand around him.”
Julian Ward: “Speed against endurance. Defiance against a force built to continue after ordinary bodies would have stopped.”
Brick Brody: “Call it whatever you like. The thief must avoid being caught. The monster does not need a second strategy.”
The screen reveals the Merry Band and the Virtuous Blades.
Julian Ward: “The Merry Band will meet the Virtuous Blades in tag team competition.”
Brick Brody: “Two teams that speak often about honor. I prefer to see what honor looks like after somebody has been driven into the canvas.”
Julian Ward: “The North Star Tag Team Champions survived last week, but the division beneath them continues gathering challengers. Every victory carries greater significance.”
The image changes to the Fairest Hunters and the Queens of Despair.
Julian Ward: “Snow White and Gretel face the Queens of Despair. The Fairest Hunters possess resilience. Tonight, they require coordination.”
Brick Brody: “And the Queens of Despair will test whether last week gave Gretel confidence or simply left her easier to injure.”
A sword strikes through the black crown.
The dark forest grows behind it.
Julian Ward: “Sir Lancelot faces The Huntsman.”
The noise rises again.
Julian Ward: “One represents the highest ideal Camelot claims for knighthood. The other approaches every opponent as something to be tracked, isolated, and finished.”
Brick Brody: “Honor means standing where everyone can see you. Hunting means choosing the angle from which they cannot. I know which approach usually leaves fewer regrets.”
The screen goes dark.
Gold letters form over a map of Europe.
SCROOGE CONQUERS EUROPE.
The outline of Spain burns red.
Images of arenas, stone plazas, and packed European crowds move across the screen.
Julian Ward: “The Mythic Division will also carry these conflicts beyond the walls of this coliseum throughout August. Every Mythic Division house show this month will take place in Spain as part of the Scrooge Conquers Europe Tour.”
The crowd responds loudly.
Brick Brody: “Good. Let Spain see what this division considers diplomacy.”
Julian Ward: “The wrestlers of the Mythic Division will travel across the country throughout the month, bringing champions, monsters, knights, outlaws, and rival courts into unfamiliar territory.”
Brick Brody: “The territory may be unfamiliar. The damage will translate.”
The map burns away.
The Eternal Flame Championship returns.
The image of Raigen forms through red-and-gold fire.
The Sheriff of Nottingham appears through black wax and cold iron.
Julian Ward: “Tonight, however, all roads return to this ring.”
The words appear again.
ETERNAL FLAME CHAMPIONSHIP. TWO OUT OF THREE FALLS. NO TIME LIMIT.
Julian Ward: “Raigen has survived the violence of the Blood Oni Syndicate, the uncertainty of the masked attacker, and every challenge placed before his reign. Tonight, he faces an opponent whose power does not come from mystery.”
Brick Brody: “The Sheriff of Nottingham does not hide what he is. He believes control belongs to whoever can enforce it.”
Julian Ward: “The champion carries a fire born through transformation. The challenger carries the authority of Nottingham and the certainty that punishment can become law.”
Brick Brody: “One fall will not end it. The clock will not rescue either man. Somebody must break the other twice.”
The complete card fills the central screen.
RAPUNZEL VS DARK DUCHESS — THE QUEEN OF SPADES
ROBIN HOOD VS FRANKENSTEIN’S MONSTER
MERRY BAND VS VIRTUOUS BLADES
FAIREST HUNTERS VS QUEENS OF DESPAIR
SIR LANCELOT VS THE HUNTSMAN
ETERNAL FLAME CHAMPIONSHIP TWO OUT OF THREE FALLS — NO TIME LIMIT
RAIGEN VS SHERIFF OF NOTTINGHAM
The camera pulls away from the commentary desk.
The ring remains beneath white light.
Around it, the colors of the evening divide the coliseum.
Gold hair and black cards.
Green arrows and stitched flesh.
Sherwood green and polished silver.
Snow-white steel and dead roses.
A knight’s blade and a hunter’s forest.
Dragon flame and royal iron.
Julian Ward: “Six contests await us. No clock will limit our main event. No single fall will decide the championship. And before the Eternal Flame is tested, every match will alter the ground upon which its rivals stand.”
Brick Brody: “Last week proved that plans fail, decrees attract resistance, and even dreams can be broken. Tonight we find out who learned from it.”
A black playing card descends upon the stage screen.
It turns slowly.
The Queen of Spades faces the crowd.
Golden hair wraps around the card and tears it down the center.
Julian Ward: “We begin with a champion’s ally stepping alone into the darker reaches of Wonderland. Rapunzel faces the Dark Duchess.”
Brick Brody: “One woman escaped a tower. The other intends to prove the door was never truly open.”
The camera turns toward the ring as Louie Linville steps into position beneath the gathering light.
Referee: “Honest” Abe
The camera returns to the ring, where Louie Linville stands beneath a narrow column of white light. Beyond him, the crowd remains divided between raised golden ribbons and black cards bearing the symbol of the Queen of Spades.
At ringside, “Honest” Abe checks the ropes before taking his position near the centre of the ring.
The lights above the entranceway dim.
A low metallic ticking begins.
One second.
Then another.
A crooked black doorway appears upon the stage screen. Its frame twists at impossible angles, narrowing toward a darkness that seems deeper than the screen itself.
A silver teacup turns slowly within the void.
It cracks down the centre.
Black liquid spills upward.
The ticking stops.
A single playing card falls onto the stage.
The Queen of Spades.
The card bursts into violet flame.
Dark Hatter steps through the smoke first.
His clothing is formal but disordered, each dark layer arranged with the deliberate imbalance of a man who considers reason a limitation. He carries no weapon. He requires none. His smile alone suggests that whatever is about to happen has already amused him.
Behind him emerges Dark Duchess, the Queen of Spades.
Her black-and-silver attire catches the cold light in sharp edges. A high collar frames her face like the border of a royal portrait. Her eyes remain fixed upon the ring as she walks beside Dark Hatter, neither acknowledging the hands reaching from the aisle nor reacting to the hostility descending from the stands.
Julian Ward: “The Dark Duchess enters with the composure of someone who does not believe she is entering another woman’s contest. She believes the contest has entered her court.”
Brick Brody: “And she brought Dark Hatter to make sure everybody remembers that Wonderland does not reward people for understanding the rules.”
The Dark Duchess climbs the ring steps and pauses upon the apron.
Dark Hatter removes an imaginary speck of dust from the middle rope before holding it open for her.
She enters without looking at him.
The lights change.
A single golden strand descends across the stage screen.
Then another.
Hundreds follow, weaving together into the image of a tower rising above a dark forest. A window opens at its highest point.
Warm gold light spills from within.
The crowd rises as the tower cracks from top to bottom.
The golden strands tear through the stone.
Rapunzel steps onto the stage.
Her long golden hair follows behind her as she surveys the coliseum. She does not smile. Her attention settles immediately upon the ring, then shifts briefly toward Dark Hatter at ringside.
He gives her a small, exaggerated bow.
Rapunzel responds by continuing down the aisle.
Julian Ward: “Last week, the Blonde Bombshells retained the North Star Tag Team Championship. Tonight, Rapunzel competes without Alice or Dorothy beside her.”
Brick Brody: “Then tonight we find out whether she is a threat on her own or just the third explosion in somebody else’s plan.”
Julian Ward: “She has escaped confinement before. The danger tonight is that the Dark Duchess may attempt to convince her that freedom itself is another illusion.”
Brick Brody: “Escaping a tower is impressive. Escaping Wonderland is harder. The walls move.”
Rapunzel enters the ring and steps onto the middle rope. She raises one hand as golden light crosses the crowd.
Across the ring, the Dark Duchess watches without expression.
Dark Hatter applauds slowly from the floor.
Rapunzel steps down and turns toward her opponent.
Louie Linville raises the microphone.
Louie Linville: “The following contest is scheduled for one fall.”
The crowd answers loudly.
Louie Linville: “Introducing first, accompanied to the ring by Dark Hatter.”
Black cards begin falling across the stage screen.
Louie Linville: “Representing the darker court of Wonderland, she carries the judgment of the Queen of Spades and the authority of a kingdom where reason holds no throne.”
The Dark Duchess lifts her chin.
Louie Linville: “She is the Dark Duchess… the Queen of Spades!”
The Dark Duchess extends one gloved hand.
At ringside, Dark Hatter places his palm over his heart and bows toward her.
The crowd responds with a wall of hostility.
Louie Linville: “And her opponent.”
Gold light returns to the coliseum.
Louie Linville: “A woman who shattered the walls raised to contain her, who carries the strength of the Blonde Bombshells into battle, and who refuses to surrender her fate to any tower, throne, or court.”
Rapunzel steps forward.
Louie Linville: “She is Rapunzel!”
The crowd erupts.
Louie Linville lowers the microphone and exits through the ropes.
“Honest” Abe calls both competitors toward the centre.
The Dark Duchess approaches with her hands clasped behind her back.
Rapunzel remains guarded.
The referee gives his final instructions.
The Dark Duchess glances past him toward Rapunzel’s hair, then slowly raises her eyes to meet her opponent’s stare.
The bell rings.
Minute 1
The Dark Duchess advances immediately.
Rapunzel braces for an opening strike, but the Queen of Spades steps past her extended arms and twists behind her. She captures both wrists, draws them across Rapunzel’s own throat, and pulls backward into the Straight Jacket Choke.
Rapunzel’s shoulders are forced against the chest of the Dark Duchess.
The hold tightens.
Julian Ward: “No observation period from the Dark Duchess. She has gone directly to the neck and shoulders with the Straight Jacket Choke.”
Brick Brody: “That is how you begin against somebody with power. Take away the arms, close the throat, and make strength irrelevant.”
Rapunzel plants her feet and attempts to drive backward, but the Dark Duchess lowers her weight and keeps the wrists crossed.
The champion’s ally struggles to turn her chin into the pressure.
The Dark Duchess pulls again.
Rapunzel’s knees bend beneath her.
Julian Ward: “The position forces Rapunzel to carry the weight of her opponent while her own arms are being used against her.”
Brick Brody: “And every second she spends trying to breathe is a second she cannot spend attacking.”
Rapunzel finally forces one shoulder forward and creates enough separation to pull herself free.
She turns sharply.
The Dark Duchess has already stepped beyond striking distance.
At ringside, Dark Hatter taps the side of his head and smiles.
Minute 2
Rapunzel closes the distance before the Dark Duchess can circle away.
She catches the Queen of Spades as she moves forward, powers her upward, and drives her down with a Pop-Up Samoan Drop.
The impact shakes the ring.
The Dark Duchess rolls toward the ropes and rises quickly, refusing to remain grounded.
Julian Ward: “There is the power of Rapunzel. The Dark Duchess attempted to dictate the position, but she was lifted and driven directly into the canvas.”
Brick Brody: “That is the correct answer. You cannot debate with Wonderland. You pick it up and throw it.”
The Dark Duchess uses the ropes to regain her feet.
Rapunzel moves toward her.
The Queen of Spades springs suddenly, wraps her legs around Rapunzel’s head, and whips her across the ring with a Hurricanrana.
Rapunzel tumbles onto her back.
Both women rise almost together.
Julian Ward: “And the response is immediate. Rapunzel brings force. The Dark Duchess answers with speed and rotation.”
Brick Brody: “Neither woman kept control for more than a few seconds. That means the first one who hesitates is going to lose it completely.”
They meet near the centre.
Rapunzel reaches for another lift.
The Dark Duchess twists away before the grip can settle.
The opening exchange ends with both women measuring the distance again.
Minute 3
The Dark Duchess changes levels and drives a shoulder into the body of Rapunzel.
She forces her backward, then catches her by the head before she can recover.
The Queen of Spades leaps.
Both knees rise.
The Queen’s Checkmate Double Knee Facebreaker drives Rapunzel’s face downward into the waiting impact.
Rapunzel snaps backward and falls flat onto the canvas.
Julian Ward: “Queen’s Checkmate. Both knees directly into the face of Rapunzel.”
Brick Brody: “That is not a warning. That is the move you use when you intend to make somebody question where the floor went.”
The Dark Duchess remains seated for a moment, watching Rapunzel roll onto one side.
She rises slowly and presses the toe of her boot against Rapunzel’s shoulder.
Rapunzel pushes it away.
The Queen of Spades responds by stepping backward with a faint smile.
Julian Ward: “The Dark Duchess has attacked the neck, the shoulders, and now the face. The pattern is becoming clear.”
Brick Brody: “The pattern is that Rapunzel is getting hit while the Dark Duchess is enjoying herself.”
At ringside, Dark Hatter leans close to the apron and whispers something toward the ring.
The Dark Duchess does not look at him.
She appears to understand regardless.
Minute 4
The Dark Duchess corners Rapunzel and raises her hand for a forehand chop.
She swings.
Rapunzel catches the wrist.
The crowd rises as Rapunzel pulls the arm downward and turns the Queen of Spades away from the corner.
Julian Ward: “The chop is caught. Rapunzel anticipated it.”
Brick Brody: “Then she had better do something with the opening. Reversing pain is not the same as delivering it.”
Rapunzel hooks the head and drives forward, attempting the Flatliner.
The Dark Duchess braces.
Her leg extends behind her.
The momentum stops before Rapunzel can complete the descent.
The Queen of Spades tears herself free and shoves Rapunzel away.
Julian Ward: “The Flatliner was denied. The Dark Duchess recognized the turn and prevented Rapunzel from bringing her down.”
Brick Brody: “That is where this match is being decided. Rapunzel is strong enough to end an exchange. The Dark Duchess keeps refusing to let the exchange reach that point.”
Rapunzel turns back toward her opponent.
The Dark Duchess is already moving laterally, forcing Rapunzel to reset once again.
Dark Hatter raises one finger toward the crowd, as though conducting music only he can hear.
Minute 5
Both women circle near the ropes.
The Dark Duchess lowers her stance, expecting Rapunzel to engage from the front.
Instead, Rapunzel drives forward with a sudden burst of force.
Her shoulder strikes the Queen of Spades near the apron.
The Dark Duchess attempts to brace against the ropes, but the impact carries her through them.
She falls from the apron to the floor.
Julian Ward: “Running shoulder block from Rapunzel, and the Dark Duchess has been driven out of the ring.”
Brick Brody: “That is the first time Rapunzel has stopped trying to catch her and started trying to remove her.”
“Honest” Abe steps toward the ropes and begins the count.
“One!”
The Dark Duchess remains on one knee beside the barricade.
Dark Hatter approaches but does not touch her.
He crouches nearby, tilting his head as though studying a fallen card.
“Two!”
Rapunzel stands near the centre of the ring, refusing to follow.
“Three!”
The Dark Duchess places one hand on the apron.
“Four!”
She pulls herself upward.
“Five!”
The Queen of Spades slides beneath the bottom rope and returns to the ring.
Julian Ward: “The Dark Duchess returns at five. Rapunzel has finally created space and forced her opponent to recover.”
Brick Brody: “But she let her recover. The floor was available, the barricade was available, and Dark Hatter was standing close enough to become part of the wreckage.”
Julian Ward: “Following her outside would also have placed Rapunzel within reach of Dark Hatter.”
Brick Brody: “Then hit him too.”
The Dark Duchess rises near the ropes.
Her expression has changed.
The amusement is gone.
Minute 6
Rapunzel steps forward to seize the advantage.
The Dark Duchess slips behind her.
She captures both wrists.
The arms cross against Rapunzel’s throat for the second time.
The Straight Jacket Choke closes.
Julian Ward: “The Straight Jacket Choke again. The same hold that controlled the opening minute.”
Brick Brody: “And this time Rapunzel has already absorbed the facebreaker. Her neck has been worked. Her breathing has been compromised. This is not the same position it was five minutes ago.”
Rapunzel drives backward.
The Dark Duchess absorbs the collision and maintains the grip.
Rapunzel tries to lower her centre of gravity.
The Queen of Spades pulls the crossed wrists tighter and forces her downward.
Rapunzel drops to one knee.
The crowd begins clapping in rhythm.
Julian Ward: “Rapunzel is attempting to rise, but the Dark Duchess has her weight positioned behind the shoulders.”
Brick Brody: “The arms cannot reach the ropes. The hands cannot fight the grip. All that strength is trapped inside the hold.”
Rapunzel pushes from one knee.
She rises halfway.
The Dark Duchess jerks backward.
Rapunzel’s body falls against her.
The resistance leaves her legs.
The Queen of Spades releases one wrist only long enough to guide Rapunzel onto her back.
She covers immediately.
“Honest” Abe drops to the canvas.
“One!”
The crowd surges.
“Two!”
Rapunzel’s shoulder does not move.
“Three!”
The bell rings.
The Dark Duchess releases the remaining arm and rises beside the fallen Rapunzel.
Dark Hatter climbs onto the apron and applauds with unsettling enthusiasm.
Louie Linville steps back into the ring.
Louie Linville: “Here is your winner… the Dark Duchess, the Queen of Spades!”
The Queen of Spades extends her hand toward Dark Hatter.
He steps through the ropes and bows over it without touching his lips to the glove.
Behind them, Rapunzel rolls onto one side and draws a deep breath.
The Dark Duchess looks down at her.
She makes the shape of a crown above her own head with two fingers.
Then she turns away.
Julian Ward: “The Dark Duchess established the Straight Jacket Choke in the opening minute, returned to it after weakening the neck and face, and this time Rapunzel could not escape. A decisive victory for the Queen of Spades.”
Brick Brody: “She showed Rapunzel the exit, moved it, and watched her run into the wall. That is how Wonderland wins.”
Julian Ward: “The Blonde Bombshells left last week with their championships intact. Tonight, one of their own has been brought down by a court whose influence continues to spread beyond its borders.”
RESULT: DARK DUCHESS, THE QUEEN OF SPADES, DEFEATED RAPUNZEL WITH THE STRAIGHT JACKET CHOKE AT 6:00.
The camera opens in a quiet service corridor behind the arena.
The walls here are plain stone and concrete, far removed from the banners, heraldry, and ceremony of the Mythic Division. Black production cases sit stacked beneath dim overhead lights. Thick cables run along the floor toward a closed locker-room door.
The distant roar of the crowd reaches the corridor only as a low vibration.
The Sheriff of Nottingham stands alone beside the door, tightening the leather bracer around his wrist.
Later tonight, he will challenge Raigen for the Eternal Flame Championship in a two-out-of-three-falls match with no time limit.
A measured voice comes from behind him.
Severin Crowne: “A difficult opponent.”
The Sheriff of Nottingham does not turn immediately.
He pulls the leather strap tighter before fastening it into place.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “You have a habit of appearing where you have not been summoned.”
Severin Crowne: “Summons are for servants.”
The Sheriff of Nottingham finally looks over his shoulder.
Severin Crowne approaches carrying a narrow black package sealed with dark red wax. His expression is calm and almost cordial, but his eyes remain fixed upon the man standing before him.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “What do you want?”
Severin Crowne stops beside him and glances toward the closed locker-room door.
Severin Crowne: “To prevent an injustice.”
The Sheriff of Nottingham gives him a suspicious look.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “Whose?”
Severin Crowne: “Yours.”
Severin Crowne extends the package.
The Sheriff of Nottingham does not take it.
Severin Crowne: “Raigen is powerful. Disciplined. His strength is not merely physical. The Eternal Flame answers him because he has convinced himself that his will cannot be broken.”
Sheriff of Nottingham: “You came here to praise the man I intend to defeat?”
Severin Crowne: “I came to ensure that you do.”
The eyes of the Sheriff of Nottingham lower toward the package.
Severin Crowne: “Training patterns. Previous injuries. Preferred counters. The precise circumstances under which the Maryu flame begins to weaken.”
That earns the full attention of the Sheriff of Nottingham.
His hand stops against the fastening of his bracer.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “And why would you possess such information?”
Severin Crowne: “Because unlike Prince John, I study the people standing between me and my objectives.”
The expression of the Sheriff of Nottingham hardens.
He steps closer.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “Choose your next words carefully.”
A faint smile touches the face of Severin Crowne.
Severin Crowne: “You have spent years enforcing the commands of a man who calls himself a prince while behaving like a frightened landlord.”
The Sheriff of Nottingham closes the remaining distance between them.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “Prince John rewards loyalty.”
Severin Crowne: “Prince John rewards usefulness.”
Severin Crowne raises the package between them.
Severin Crowne: “There is a difference.”
A tense silence follows.
Neither man looks away.
Severin Crowne: “You understand order. Structure. Consequence. Yet you remain surrounded by men who confuse authority with noise.”
Sheriff of Nottingham: “And you believe you can offer something better?”
Severin Crowne: “Not better.”
The voice of Severin Crowne lowers.
Severin Crowne: “Legitimate.”
The Sheriff of Nottingham studies him.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “Legitimate according to whom?”
Severin Crowne: “According to the only authority that will matter when Camelot is finally made whole.”
The gaze of the Sheriff of Nottingham sharpens.
Severin Crowne offers no name.
Instead, he places the package against the chest of the Sheriff of Nottingham.
For several seconds, the Sheriff of Nottingham refuses to move.
Then he takes it.
Severin Crowne: “Consider tonight a demonstration.”
Sheriff of Nottingham: “Of what?”
Severin Crowne: “What becomes possible when your talents are placed in the service of something greater than Prince John’s vanity.”
Severin Crowne turns to leave.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “And what would this greater service require?”
Severin Crowne stops without looking back.
Severin Crowne: “Nothing you have not already sworn to uphold.”
He glances over his shoulder.
Severin Crowne: “Order. Loyalty. Judgment.”
The faint smile returns.
Severin Crowne: “Only this time, they would have meaning.”
Severin Crowne walks away.
The Sheriff of Nottingham remains alone, staring at the sealed package in his hands.
He turns it over once.
Then he presses his thumb beneath the wax.
The seal breaks.
Inside are several neatly arranged pages.
Diagrams trace the movement of Raigen’s feet and shoulders. Medical notes identify previous injuries. Photographs capture moments from earlier matches, each marked with narrow red lines and handwritten observations.
The Sheriff of Nottingham slowly turns through them.
He reaches the final page.
His eyes narrow.
At the top is a single handwritten line.
THE FLAME FALTERS WHEN THE VESSEL IS FORCED TO DOUBT.
Before the Sheriff of Nottingham can read further, another voice cuts through the corridor.
Prince John: “What did Crowne want?”
The Sheriff of Nottingham quickly closes the package.
Prince John stands several feet behind him, dressed in royal finery that looks almost unnatural against the bare concrete and production equipment.
His attention moves from the face of the Sheriff of Nottingham to the black folder beneath his arm.
Prince John: “Well?”
The Sheriff of Nottingham slips the package securely beneath his arm.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “He wished to sell me information concerning Raigen.”
Prince John scoffs.
Prince John: “And naturally, he expected something in return.”
Sheriff of Nottingham: “Men like Severin Crowne always do.”
Prince John steps closer.
His eyes remain on the package.
Prince John: “What did he ask for?”
The Sheriff of Nottingham meets his eyes without hesitation.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “A percentage of my championship purse.”
Prince John studies him.
The Sheriff of Nottingham remains expressionless.
The corridor becomes silent again.
At last, Prince John gives a dismissive laugh.
Prince John: “Then make certain the information is worth the price.”
He looks toward the closed locker-room door.
Prince John: “Tonight, I expect the Eternal Flame Championship to return with us.”
Sheriff of Nottingham: “It will.”
Prince John: “See that it does.”
Prince John turns and walks away.
The Sheriff of Nottingham watches him disappear around the corner.
Only then does he look back down at the package.
His thumb passes slowly over the broken wax seal bearing the mark of Severin Crowne.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “Perhaps it will be.”
Hana Nakamura: “Sheriff!”
The Sheriff of Nottingham immediately closes the folder beneath his arm.
Hana Nakamura approaches from the opposite end of the corridor with a microphone in hand. Her pace is quick, but she slows as she reaches him, aware of the severity in his expression.
Hana Nakamura: “Later tonight, you challenge Raigen for the Eternal Flame Championship in a two-out-of-three-falls match with no time limit. After everything surrounding Raigen, Taro Okami, and the Blood Oni Syndicate, how are you preparing for a match that could continue until one of you can no longer answer?”
The Sheriff of Nottingham looks at her.
Then he looks at the microphone.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “Preparation is the concern of those uncertain of their authority.”
Hana Nakamura: “But Raigen has survived every challenge placed before him since winning the championship. Do you believe you can defeat him twice tonight?”
The Sheriff of Nottingham shifts the black package more securely beneath his arm.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “Hana Nakamura, your function is to ask questions.”
He steps past her.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “Mine is to deliver judgments.”
Hana Nakamura turns to follow him with the microphone.
Hana Nakamura: “Does that mean you have identified a weakness in the champion?”
The Sheriff of Nottingham stops.
He does not turn around.
For a moment, his hand tightens around the black package.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “Every man possesses a weakness.”
He glances back over his shoulder.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “The fortunate never learn theirs.”
The Sheriff of Nottingham walks away before Hana Nakamura can ask another question.
She remains in the corridor, watching him leave.
Her attention drops briefly toward the black package beneath his arm.
The camera follows the Sheriff of Nottingham until he disappears through the locker-room door.
The door closes.
The scene fades to black.
Referee: “Honest” Abe
The camera returns to the interior of Scrooge’s Camelot Coliseum.
Before it reaches the ring, the image tilts upward.
Past the balconies.
Past the hanging standards of Camelot.
Past the highest rows of spectators.
A solitary figure stands within the shadowed rafters.
He is tall, muscular, and powerfully athletic, with broad shoulders beneath a long, weathered black coat. The garment hangs open across a scarred chest and is split behind the legs. Dark crimson lining becomes visible whenever the air moves through the upper structure of the coliseum.
Damaged blackened armor reinforces the shoulders. Old scratches and blade marks remain visible across its surface. Several royal insignias have been deliberately torn away, leaving rough scars in the material. Traces of former gold ornamentation have been painted over in red.
A fractured crescent emblem stretches across the back of the coat.
Long black hair hangs slightly below his shoulders, thick and uneven around a square jaw. Light stubble remains visible beneath asymmetrical face paint.
Charcoal-black pigment surrounds the upper face.
A deep crimson crescent sweeps diagonally across one pale gray eye. Thin ash-white lines fracture the darkness like cracks through burned stone. A narrow red marking extends from the lower lip to the chin. One cheek remains partially unpainted, leaving part of the man visible beneath the symbol.
Broken chain links are permanently fixed around one forearm.
They are short remnants.
Not weapons.
Evidence.
The stranger stands behind a steel support beam, his stern expression fixed upon the ring below.
He does not move when the camera finds him.
He does not acknowledge it.
The broadcast cuts away before his identity can be established.
At ringside, Julian Ward looks briefly toward the upper reaches of the building.
Julian Ward: “There appears to be someone watching from above the main balcony.”
Brick Brody: “Then he bought the worst seat in the building.”
Julian Ward: “That area is not accessible to the public.”
Brick Brody: “Then he saved money too.”
The lights throughout the coliseum dim.
A heavy electrical hum fills the arena.
A single flash of white light reveals an operating table upon the stage screen.
Leather restraints hang open.
Another flash.
The restraints are closed.
A third.
The table is empty.
The sound of iron bolts locking into place echoes through the building.
Green-white electricity crawls across the entranceway as Dr. Frankenstein steps through the smoke. He carries a narrow black case beneath one arm and watches the stage behind him with the anticipation of a man awaiting the success of an experiment.
A low mechanical heartbeat begins.
The entrance structure shakes.
Frankenstein’s Monster emerges.
He stands immense beneath the failing light, his stitched flesh and reinforced frame marked by the evidence of construction rather than birth. Heavy boots strike the stage with slow, deliberate force.
The crowd responds with a mixture of hostility and awe.
Dr. Frankenstein raises one hand.
The monster stops immediately.
The doctor points toward the ring.
Frankenstein’s Monster begins walking again.
Julian Ward: “The Royal Order declared by King Arthur has increasingly drawn monsters, gods, and legends into the orbit of the Mythic Crown. Tonight, Frankenstein’s Monster enters against a man whose entire identity has been formed through resistance to imposed authority.”
Brick Brody: “Resistance works better when the authority is not seven feet of stitched muscle.”
Julian Ward: “Robin Hood has never required a physical advantage to begin a fight.”
Brick Brody: “Beginning fights has never been his problem. Surviving what happens after somebody catches him is the problem.”
Frankenstein’s Monster reaches ringside.
He places both hands upon the apron and pulls himself upward without using the steps.
Dr. Frankenstein follows along the floor, his eyes moving continuously between the monster and the ring.
The lights turn green.
The sound of an arrow leaving a bow cuts through the darkness.
A flaming shaft crosses the stage screen.
It strikes the centre of a royal tax ledger.
The book splits apart.
Gold coins scatter across the image and transform into leaves carried through a moonlit forest.
The crest of Sherwood appears.
The crowd rises as Robin Hood steps onto the stage.
He wears his black and white gear, his movements light and alert. A longbow rests across his back for the entrance, though his hands remain free. He surveys the ring, then looks toward Dr. Frankenstein.
The doctor closes his black case.
Robin Hood smiles faintly.
He removes the bow and passes it to an attendant before beginning his walk down the aisle.
Julian Ward: “Robin Hood enters without hesitation, but the presence of Dr. Frankenstein cannot be dismissed. The doctor does not accompany his creation merely to observe.”
Brick Brody: “Of course not. A man does not build a monster and then trust it to remember every instruction.”
Robin Hood reaches the barricade and steps onto it.
He walks several paces above the crowd before leaping onto the apron.
Frankenstein’s Monster turns toward him.
Robin Hood slips through the ropes and immediately circles away from the corner occupied by Dr. Frankenstein.
The camera cuts upward again.
The unknown man remains in the rafters.
His matte-black wrestling pants carry deep crimson panels along the thighs. Dark silver reinforcement covers the knees. Heavy black boots are laced in dark red. Frayed crimson cloth is wrapped around both wrists beneath black leather forearm guards.
A single red sash crosses his waist and hangs along one leg.
His eyes remain fixed upon Robin Hood and Frankenstein’s Monster.
The camera returns to the ring.
Louie Linville stands at its centre.
Louie Linville: “The following contest is scheduled for one fall.”
The crowd responds loudly.
Louie Linville: “Introducing first, accompanied to the ring by his creator, Dr. Frankenstein.”
The electrical hum returns.
Louie Linville: “Forged from death and restored through forbidden design, he carries strength without exhaustion, punishment without mercy, and life without the consent of nature.”
Frankenstein’s Monster slowly raises his head.
Louie Linville: “He is Frankenstein’s Monster!”
Dr. Frankenstein extends both hands toward his creation as though presenting completed work before a gathering of witnesses.
Louie Linville: “And his opponent.”
The green crest of Sherwood fills the screen.
Louie Linville: “From the forests beyond the reach of unjust law, he has opposed kings, sheriffs, and every authority that mistakes possession for right.”
Robin Hood steps forward.
Louie Linville: “He is the outlaw of Sherwood… Robin Hood!”
The crowd erupts.
Robin Hood lifts one fist toward them before turning back toward the monster.
Louie Linville exits the ring.
“Honest” Abe checks both competitors.
Dr. Frankenstein speaks quietly toward his creation from the floor.
Frankenstein’s Monster does not look away from Robin Hood.
The bell rings.
Minute 1
Robin Hood begins by circling quickly, remaining outside the reach of the monster’s hands.
Frankenstein’s Monster advances without matching the pace. He simply turns with the outlaw, reducing the available space one step at a time.
Robin Hood darts forward and strikes the body.
The monster barely reacts.
Robin Hood lands another blow, then slips beneath an attempted grasp and drives a boot into the side of the knee.
Julian Ward: “Robin Hood is attacking movement first. He cannot allow Frankenstein’s Monster to establish a stable base.”
Brick Brody: “He can attack the legs all night. The problem is what happens when the hands find him.”
Robin Hood rushes forward again.
This time, Frankenstein’s Monster catches him across the upper body.
The monster attempts to drive him toward the ropes, but Robin Hood twists behind and uses the momentum to send the larger man through the strands onto the apron.
Frankenstein’s Monster remains upright.
Robin Hood strikes once.
Twice.
He forces the monster backward, hooks the body, and drops from the apron with him.
The Apron Powerbomb drives Frankenstein’s Monster onto the edge and down to the floor.
The coliseum erupts.
Julian Ward: “An Apron Powerbomb from Robin Hood! He used the position of the ropes to overcome the difference in mass.”
Brick Brody: “That would cripple an ordinary man.”
Julian Ward: “Frankenstein’s Monster is already moving.”
“Honest” Abe begins the count.
“One!”
The monster rolls onto one side.
“Two!”
Dr. Frankenstein approaches but does not touch him.
“Three!”
The doctor speaks a single command.
The monster plants one hand on the floor.
“Four!”
He rises.
“Five!”
Robin Hood backs toward the centre of the ring.
“Six!”
Frankenstein’s Monster climbs onto the apron and steps through the ropes.
Robin Hood moves immediately, attempting to prevent him from recovering.
The monster raises both hands and brings them down across the upper back with the Bolt Driver.
The Double Axe Handle Smash drives Robin Hood to his knees.
Julian Ward: “The Bolt Driver lands the moment the monster returns.”
Brick Brody: “That is the difference. Robin Hood spent everything creating the fall. The monster stood up and hit him once.”
Frankenstein’s Monster remains over the kneeling outlaw as the first minute ends.
Minute 2
Robin Hood rolls away before the monster can seize him again.
He reaches the ropes, springs onto the middle strand, and throws himself backward with a Senton.
His body crashes across the chest and shoulders of Frankenstein’s Monster.
The impact forces the monster down.
Julian Ward: “Robin Hood is using every available angle. He cannot remain directly in front of his opponent.”
Brick Brody: “Then he had better stop landing within arm’s reach after every attack.”
Robin Hood rises and runs again.
Frankenstein’s Monster sits up.
As Robin Hood returns, the monster catches him with both hands and launches him through the ropes.
Robin Hood strikes the floor beside the commentary desk.
Brick Brody: “There. Arm’s reach.”
“Honest” Abe moves toward the ropes.
“One!”
Robin Hood rolls onto his stomach.
“Two!”
He reaches for the barricade.
“Three!”
Frankenstein’s Monster stands motionless inside the ring.
“Four!”
Dr. Frankenstein watches from several feet away.
“Five!”
Robin Hood pulls himself upright.
“Six!”
He steps toward the apron.
“Seven!”
Robin Hood slides beneath the bottom rope.
Julian Ward: “Back inside at seven. Both men have now been sent to the floor, but the recovery required from Robin Hood was far more difficult.”
Brick Brody: “Because he is made of flesh the first time.”
Robin Hood rises in the corner while the monster advances.
Minute 3
Robin Hood waits until Frankenstein’s Monster is within range.
He steps forward and drives a Superkick beneath the jaw.
The monster’s head snaps backward.
He remains standing.
Robin Hood strikes with a second kick to the body and runs toward the ropes.
Julian Ward: “The Superkick found the jaw, but Frankenstein’s Monster refused to fall.”
Brick Brody: “Then strike harder or stop expecting cooperation.”
As Robin Hood rebounds, Dr. Frankenstein reaches through the lower ropes and hooks his ankle.
The leg sweep sends Robin Hood crashing face-first onto the canvas.
The crowd erupts in protest.
“Honest” Abe turns toward the sound of the impact but does not see the interference.
Julian Ward: “Dr. Frankenstein swept the leg from the floor.”
Brick Brody: “The doctor adjusted the experiment.”
Julian Ward: “He interfered in the match.”
Brick Brody: “That is a less flattering way to say the same thing.”
Frankenstein’s Monster closes around the fallen outlaw and delivers a heavy blow across the back.
Robin Hood rolls toward the ropes, clutching his face after the fall.
Dr. Frankenstein steps away before “Honest” Abe can confront him.
The referee warns the doctor regardless.
Dr. Frankenstein raises both hands with clinical innocence.
Above the ring, the unknown observer shifts his weight for the first time.
The broken chain links around his forearm catch a faint red reflection.
His expression remains stern.
Minute 4
Frankenstein’s Monster pulls Robin Hood upright.
The outlaw attempts to strike the body, but the monster absorbs the blow and drives forward.
He lifts Robin Hood across his chest and charges.
The Flat Liner Running Powerslam drives the outlaw into the canvas.
The ring shakes beneath the impact.
Julian Ward: “The Flat Liner! Robin Hood has been driven beneath the full weight and momentum of Frankenstein’s Monster.”
Brick Brody: “That is what happens when the monster finally gets both arms around him.”
Frankenstein’s Monster covers.
“Honest” Abe drops into position.
“One!”
“Two!”
Robin Hood forces one shoulder upward.
The crowd responds.
Julian Ward: “Robin Hood survives the first Flat Liner.”
Brick Brody: “Survives is accurate. Escapes would imply he was in control of something.”
Dr. Frankenstein strikes the apron with one hand and instructs the monster to remain focused.
Frankenstein’s Monster rises immediately.
Robin Hood rolls toward the corner, breathing heavily.
The camera cuts to the rafters.
The stranger’s pale gray eyes remain fixed upon the monster.
The crimson crescent across his face seems almost black beneath the upper shadows.
Minute 5
Frankenstein’s Monster advances into the corner.
Robin Hood waits until the monster reaches for him and drives another Superkick into the jaw.
The impact turns Frankenstein’s Monster halfway around.
Robin Hood steps out of the corner, seeking another opening.
The monster suddenly catches him across the torso.
He leans backward and launches Robin Hood overhead with the Stitched Slam.
The Fallaway Slam sends the outlaw across the ring.
Julian Ward: “Another Superkick connected, but Frankenstein’s Monster answered with the Stitched Slam.”
Brick Brody: “Robin Hood keeps winning the first second of every exchange. The monster keeps winning the final one.”
Robin Hood lands near the ropes and rolls onto one knee.
Frankenstein’s Monster turns toward him.
The outlaw rises before the larger man can close the distance again.
They stare across the ring.
Robin Hood gestures for the monster to continue.
Brick Brody: “That is either courage or a serious head injury.”
Julian Ward: “Perhaps both are required tonight.”
Minute 6
Frankenstein’s Monster lifts both arms, preparing the Bolt Driver again.
Robin Hood watches the shoulders.
As the monster brings the Double Axe Handle Smash downward, Robin Hood steps inside the arc and catches one arm.
He turns beneath it and forces the limb across the monster’s chest.
The strike is neutralized.
Julian Ward: “Robin Hood anticipated the Bolt Driver.”
Brick Brody: “He remembered the first minute. That is useful, provided he remains conscious long enough to use the lesson.”
Robin Hood drives several short strikes into the ribs and slips behind.
The monster turns.
Robin Hood retreats before he can be caught.
For the first time, frustration enters the posture of Frankenstein’s Monster.
Dr. Frankenstein calls from the floor.
The monster stops pursuing recklessly and returns to the centre.
Julian Ward: “The doctor recognized that Robin Hood was drawing his creation into a chase.”
Brick Brody: “That is why the monster comes with instructions.”
Robin Hood circles again, watching both men.
Minute 7
Robin Hood attempts to strike and withdraw.
This time, Frankenstein’s Monster moves before the kick can land.
He catches the outlaw around the body and throws him across the ring with another Stitched Slam.
Robin Hood attempts to rotate through the fall, but the impact still drives the air from his lungs.
Julian Ward: “A second Stitched Slam, and Robin Hood could not prevent the throw.”
Brick Brody: “The monster is beginning to understand the rhythm. Every time Robin Hood moves in, there is a moment when both feet leave the ground. Catch him there.”
Frankenstein’s Monster covers.
“One!”
“Two!”
Robin Hood kicks out.
Dr. Frankenstein stares toward “Honest” Abe, dissatisfied with the count.
The referee holds up two fingers.
Julian Ward: “Another kickout from Robin Hood.”
Brick Brody: “And another layer of punishment added to the back. Those kickouts become harder when the spine stops cooperating.”
Frankenstein’s Monster rises.
He looks down at Robin Hood with no visible frustration.
Only expectation.
Minute 8
Robin Hood rolls beneath an attempted grasp and reaches the ropes.
He springs upward and throws himself backward with another Senton.
The impact drives Frankenstein’s Monster down.
Robin Hood rolls away immediately this time, denying the monster the chance to catch him.
Julian Ward: “The Senton lands again, and Robin Hood has learned not to remain within reach.”
Brick Brody: “He learned half the lesson.”
The monster sits up.
Robin Hood moves toward him, but Frankenstein’s Monster reaches with one arm and pulls the outlaw downward.
The monster rises above him and drops a heavy elbow across the chest.
Robin Hood’s legs lift from the impact before falling back to the canvas.
Julian Ward: “A crushing Elbow Drop across the sternum.”
Brick Brody: “That is the other half. Distance only matters until the monster closes it.”
Robin Hood rolls onto his side, protecting his ribs.
Frankenstein’s Monster rises and turns toward Dr. Frankenstein.
The doctor points to the centre of the ring.
The monster drags Robin Hood away from the ropes.
Minute 9
Frankenstein’s Monster reaches down.
Robin Hood catches the wrist and twists outward.
He rises behind the arm, hooks the monster, and forces the larger body forward.
With tremendous effort, Robin Hood lifts him into a Pumphandle Kneecap Brainbuster.
The monster’s head and shoulder strike against the raised knee before he falls to the canvas.
The crowd erupts.
Julian Ward: “A Pumphandle Kneecap Brainbuster! Robin Hood used leverage and rotation to bring the monster down.”
Brick Brody: “He also had to place himself directly behind him.”
Frankenstein’s Monster rises with sudden force.
Before Robin Hood can move away, the monster swings one heavy arm across his back with the Heavy Hand.
The Back Smash drops Robin Hood to all fours.
Julian Ward: “And the Heavy Hand immediately answers.”
Brick Brody: “Every successful attack costs Robin Hood another blow. That exchange rate will bankrupt him.”
Robin Hood crawls toward the ropes.
The monster follows.
Dr. Frankenstein watches with increasing satisfaction.
The mysterious figure remains above them, one unpainted cheek visible as he leans slightly beyond the steel support.
Minute 10
Robin Hood reaches the apron and pulls himself upright.
Frankenstein’s Monster advances.
The outlaw jumps to the top rope and launches himself backward with another Senton.
This time, the monster absorbs the full impact and falls beneath him.
Robin Hood rolls through and returns to his feet.
Julian Ward: “A third Senton, delivered from greater height.”
Brick Brody: “And the monster is finally staying down.”
Robin Hood moves around the ring, drawing energy from the crowd.
Frankenstein’s Monster turns onto one side.
Dr. Frankenstein strikes the apron and commands him to rise.
The monster pushes himself upward.
Robin Hood waits in the opposite corner, measuring the distance.
Julian Ward: “Robin Hood has created his first sustained opening of the match.”
Brick Brody: “Then he needs to finish something before the doctor reminds the corpse that it is not supposed to be tired.”
The monster reaches one knee.
Minute 11
Frankenstein’s Monster rises and swings both hands upward, preparing the Bolt Driver.
He advances.
Robin Hood waits until the arms begin to descend.
He catches the monster’s momentum and redirects it toward the corner.
The hands strike the top turnbuckle instead of the outlaw.
Julian Ward: “The Bolt Driver is reversed!”
Brick Brody: “That is twice now. The monster keeps reaching for the same answer.”
Robin Hood drives a kick into the back of the knee.
Frankenstein’s Monster drops forward against the corner.
The outlaw climbs rapidly.
One foot reaches the top rope.
Then the other.
Robin Hood turns and launches himself backward with a Swanton Bomb.
He crashes across the chest of Frankenstein’s Monster.
The crowd rises as both men remain down.
Julian Ward: “Swanton Bomb! Robin Hood committed his entire body to the descent.”
Brick Brody: “And for the first time, the monster did not have an answer waiting.”
Robin Hood rolls onto his back, unable to cover immediately.
Dr. Frankenstein shouts toward his creation.
Above the ring, the unknown man’s expression remains unchanged, but one hand closes around the steel beam beside him.
The broken chain links rest against his forearm.
Minute 12
Robin Hood crawls toward Frankenstein’s Monster.
Before he can reach the chest, the monster sits up.
Robin Hood stops.
The crowd reacts with disbelief.
Frankenstein’s Monster rises and catches the outlaw around the body.
He lifts him overhead.
The Graveyard Slam drives Robin Hood into the canvas with a full Body Slam.
Julian Ward: “The Graveyard Slam! Robin Hood could not capitalize after the Swanton Bomb.”
Brick Brody: “That is the horror of fighting something built to continue. You can win the exchange and still lose the minute.”
The monster covers.
“One!”
“Two!”
Robin Hood kicks out.
The crowd answers again.
Dr. Frankenstein steps toward “Honest” Abe, demanding an explanation.
The referee warns him to remain on the floor.
Julian Ward: “Robin Hood survives again.”
Brick Brody: “Every kickout is becoming an act of defiance. Defiance is admirable. It is also exhausting.”
Frankenstein’s Monster pulls Robin Hood upright by the arm.
The outlaw struggles to remain standing.
Minute 13
Robin Hood suddenly drops beneath the monster’s reach.
He drives upward and attempts to elevate Frankenstein’s Monster into a Pop-Up Powerbomb.
The monster rises several inches.
Then stops.
His hands clamp around the shoulders of Robin Hood.
The lift is neutralized.
Julian Ward: “Robin Hood attempted the Pop-Up Powerbomb, but he could not complete the elevation.”
Brick Brody: “That was ambition exceeding available machinery.”
Frankenstein’s Monster forces his weight downward.
Robin Hood’s knees begin to buckle.
He abandons the attempt and twists away before the monster can trap him.
Frankenstein’s Monster turns with surprising speed.
The outlaw narrowly avoids another grasp.
Julian Ward: “The attempt failed, but Robin Hood escaped before the monster could convert the position.”
Brick Brody: “He spent strength he may not have and gained nothing. That matters this late.”
Robin Hood reaches the ropes.
He draws several deep breaths while watching the monster approach.
Minute 14
Frankenstein’s Monster reaches for the throat.
Robin Hood catches the wrist and drops suddenly.
He drives the monster’s head into the canvas with a DDT.
The body of Frankenstein’s Monster turns over from the impact.
Julian Ward: “DDT! Robin Hood used the monster’s forward momentum against him.”
Brick Brody: “That is what he should have been doing from the beginning. Stop trying to prove he can lift the mountain. Make the mountain fall.”
Robin Hood rises and strikes quickly at the head.
The monster remains down longer than before.
Dr. Frankenstein opens the black case at ringside.
Inside are narrow instruments and several small glass containers.
“Honest” Abe notices and points toward the case.
The doctor closes it again.
Julian Ward: “The referee is watching Dr. Frankenstein closely now.”
Brick Brody: “He should have started seventeen minutes ago.”
Robin Hood pulls the monster away from the ropes.
The outlaw looks toward the legs.
Minute 15
Robin Hood reaches for the ankles.
Frankenstein’s Monster kicks him away and rises.
He catches Robin Hood as he returns and lifts him into another Graveyard Slam.
The Body Slam drives the outlaw down.
Julian Ward: “Another Graveyard Slam from Frankenstein’s Monster.”
Brick Brody: “The back has taken the Apron Powerbomb effort, two Stitched Slams, the Flat Liner, and now repeated Body Slams. Robin Hood is running out of structure.”
The monster reaches down again.
Robin Hood catches one leg.
He twists beneath the larger body and sweeps the other leg away.
Frankenstein’s Monster falls forward.
Robin Hood steps between the legs, turns the monster onto his stomach, and straps in the Sharpshooter.
The crowd rises.
Julian Ward: “Sharpshooter! Robin Hood has the legs trapped and the lower back compressed.”
Brick Brody: “Now we find out whether reconstructed nerves understand submission.”
Robin Hood leans backward, applying greater pressure.
Frankenstein’s Monster raises his head.
“Honest” Abe moves beside him and asks whether he submits.
The monster gives no answer.
Dr. Frankenstein strikes the apron.
Dr. Frankenstein: “You do not yield!”
The monster’s hands close against the canvas.
Robin Hood pulls harder.
Frankenstein’s Monster does not submit.
He begins dragging both men toward the ropes.
Julian Ward: “The monster refuses to yield.”
Brick Brody: “Not refuses. He may not possess the instinct.”
Frankenstein’s Monster reaches the lower rope.
“Honest” Abe orders the hold released.
Robin Hood maintains it until the count of four, then lets go.
Both men remain down.
Minute 16
Robin Hood rises first.
He watches Frankenstein’s Monster push himself upward near the ropes.
The outlaw catches the head and drives him down with another DDT.
The monster’s body strikes the canvas and remains flat.
Julian Ward: “A second DDT, and Frankenstein’s Monster has been driven down again.”
Brick Brody: “The head has become the opening. Robin Hood finally found it.”
Robin Hood sits beside the fallen monster, his own back preventing him from rising immediately.
The crowd begins chanting his name.
“ROBIN HOOD!”
“ROBIN HOOD!”
“ROBIN HOOD!”
Dr. Frankenstein shouts from the floor.
The monster’s fingers move.
Robin Hood reaches the ropes and pulls himself upright.
Frankenstein’s Monster begins to rise once more.
The outlaw looks toward the corner.
Above them, the mysterious observer stands fully visible between the steel supports.
The fractured crescent emblem across his back catches a faint blood-red reflection from the ring lights.
His attention remains fixed upon the contest.
No one at ringside notices him.
Minute 17
Robin Hood climbs to the middle rope.
Frankenstein’s Monster reaches his feet and turns.
The outlaw launches with another Senton.
The impact drives both men down.
Robin Hood rolls through, but the accumulated punishment prevents him from rising cleanly.
Julian Ward: “The Senton lands again, but Robin Hood cannot create immediate separation.”
Brick Brody: “His back is finished. Every landing now hurts him almost as much as the monster.”
Robin Hood forces himself upright.
He turns toward the ropes, seeking another attack.
Behind him, Frankenstein’s Monster rises.
The monster accelerates.
He catches Robin Hood across the body as the outlaw turns.
Julian Ward: “The monster has him!”
Frankenstein’s Monster drives forward with the Flat Liner.
The Running Powerslam crushes Robin Hood into the canvas.
The impact echoes through the coliseum.
Brick Brody: “That is the end.”
Frankenstein’s Monster remains across the chest.
“Honest” Abe drops beside them.
“One!”
The crowd rises.
“Two!”
Robin Hood’s hand moves.
It does not lift the shoulder.
“Three!”
The bell rings.
Dr. Frankenstein closes his black case and steps onto the apron.
Frankenstein’s Monster rises from the cover.
Robin Hood remains on his back, one arm across his ribs.
Louie Linville enters the ring.
Louie Linville: “Here is your winner… Frankenstein’s Monster!”
The crowd responds with sustained hostility.
Dr. Frankenstein enters and stands beside his creation.
He places one hand against the monster’s shoulder and turns him toward the nearest camera.
Frankenstein’s Monster shows no triumph.
No relief.
Only readiness for another command.
The camera tilts toward the rafters.
The unknown man remains above them.
His stern gaze passes from Frankenstein’s Monster to Dr. Frankenstein.
One crimson-wrapped hand closes around the broken chain links fixed to his forearm.
A subtle red reflection moves through the fractured crescent emblem on his coat.
Then the lights shift.
The space beside the steel support is empty.
Julian Ward: “Robin Hood used speed, elevation, and repeated attacks to the head. He escaped multiple pinning attempts and forced Frankenstein’s Monster to endure the Sharpshooter. But the damage to the back accumulated until the second Flat Liner ended the contest.”
Brick Brody: “Robin Hood fought intelligently. He also fought something that kept getting up. Intelligence means less every time your best answer fails to remain answered.”
Julian Ward: “A significant victory for Frankenstein’s Monster, though the unexplained observer in the rafters leaves another question hanging above the Mythic Division tonight.”
RESULT: FRANKENSTEIN’S MONSTER DEFEATED ROBIN HOOD WITH THE FLAT LINER AT 17:00.
Referee: “Fast Count” Frank
The camera returns to the ring as attendants clear the last remnants of the previous contest from ringside.
A thirty-minute clock appears above the stage.
At its centre, two crests form.
The first is carved from Sherwood oak. A quarterstaff crosses a wooden cup beneath a canopy of green leaves.
The second is forged in polished silver. Two upright blades frame the seal of Camelot while a faint emerald light moves across the steel.
At ringside, “Fast Count” Frank enters the ring and checks the tag ropes in both corners.
Julian Ward: “Our third contest brings together two teams attempting to establish position beneath the reigning North Star Tag Team Champions. The Merry Band represent the strength and resilience of Sherwood. The Virtuous Blades carry the discipline and expectations of Camelot.”
Brick Brody: “And one team brought Merlin. That means discipline has decided it would prefer an unfair advantage.”
The lights turn green.
The sound of wooden cups striking together echoes through the coliseum.
A deep drumbeat begins.
The stage screen reveals a long table beneath the trees of Sherwood. Bread, fruit, and overturned royal tax ledgers cover its surface. Gold coins pour from the ledgers and disappear into waiting hands beyond the edge of the image.
A heavy laugh rolls through the arena.
Friar Tuck steps onto the stage.
He raises a wooden cup toward the crowd before setting it down beside the entranceway.
Behind him comes Little John, carrying a long quarterstaff across his shoulders. His immense frame fills the archway as he looks toward the ring.
The two men exchange a nod and begin their walk down the aisle.
Julian Ward: “The Merry Band do not approach competition with the ceremony of Camelot. Their strength comes from loyalty formed outside the walls of the kingdom.”
Brick Brody: “Loyalty is valuable when it comes with a man the size of Little John.”
Friar Tuck slaps hands along the barricade while Little John remains focused upon the ring.
They reach the floor.
Little John steps onto the apron and pulls the ropes apart for his partner.
Friar Tuck enters, then holds the top rope while Little John steps over it.
They move into their corner.
The green light fades.
A single bell rings.
White light descends upon the stage.
Two swords appear upon the screen, their blades crossing beneath the crest of Camelot.
The image separates.
A road of stone stretches between two forests.
Upon one side, sunlight passes through green leaves.
Upon the other, a narrow beam of gold descends from an unseen heaven.
Merlin walks onto the stage first.
He carries his staff in one hand and a crystal sphere in the other. The sphere gives off a pale, shifting light that moves across his face without revealing what lies within it.
Behind him comes Sir Gawain.
His armor bears the green and silver colors of the land he has sworn to protect. He walks with his shoulders squared, his eyes fixed upon the ring.
Sir Galahad follows beneath the golden light.
His movements are composed and measured. He does not look toward the crowd. His attention remains on the contest ahead.
Julian Ward: “The Virtuous Blades bring two different forms of faith into this match. Sir Gawain draws strength from oath and earthly duty. Sir Galahad carries the conviction of a man who believes his path has already been chosen.”
Brick Brody: “And Merlin carries a crystal ball so he can tell them when the path gets difficult.”
The trio reaches ringside.
Merlin steps toward the corner and places the crystal sphere upon a small stand beside the ring post.
Its surface continues to glow.
Sir Gawain and Sir Galahad enter the ring.
The four competitors stand across from one another.
Louie Linville moves to the centre.
Louie Linville: “The following tag team contest is scheduled for one fall, with a thirty-minute time limit.”
The crowd responds.
Louie Linville: “Introducing first, from the free roads and protected forests of Sherwood.”
Friar Tuck raises both hands.
Little John rests his quarterstaff against the corner post before stepping forward.
Louie Linville: “They carry no royal decree and recognize no law that places greed above the people. Friar Tuck and Little John… the Merry Band!”
The Sherwood supporters rise.
Friar Tuck lifts one fist.
Little John gives a single nod.
Louie Linville: “And their opponents, accompanied to the ring by Merlin.”
The silver swords appear upon the screen.
Louie Linville: “Bound by sacred duty, tempered through trial, and sworn to defend the honor of Camelot through blade, body, and oath.”
Sir Gawain and Sir Galahad step forward together.
Louie Linville: “Sir Gawain and Sir Galahad… the Virtuous Blades!”
Merlin lifts his staff.
A faint green light passes through the crystal sphere.
Louie Linville exits the ring.
Friar Tuck elects to begin for the Merry Band.
Sir Galahad steps forward for the Virtuous Blades.
“Fast Count” Frank checks both men and signals for the bell.
Minute 1
Friar Tuck opens with surprising speed.
He runs directly at Sir Galahad and throws his full weight forward with a Cross Body Block.
The collision forces Sir Galahad onto his back.
Friar Tuck rolls through and rises, but the knight reaches the ropes before he can follow.
Julian Ward: “Friar Tuck immediately turns his size into momentum.”
Brick Brody: “That is not subtle, but subtlety is wasted when you can become the weapon.”
Sir Galahad springs onto the middle rope.
He turns in the air and launches into the Chosen Fall.
The 630 Senton crashes across Friar Tuck’s chest and shoulders.
The crowd reacts to the height and rotation.
Julian Ward: “The Chosen Fall from Sir Galahad. An extraordinary response after being driven down moments earlier.”
Brick Brody: “That is faith with velocity.”
Both men roll toward their corners.
Friar Tuck tags Little John.
Sir Galahad reaches Sir Gawain.
The new competitors enter.
Minute 2
Little John advances without hesitation.
He drives a Forearm Smash across the chest of Sir Gawain.
The knight staggers but remains upright.
Little John lands another forearm and reaches for the body.
Sir Gawain drops beneath the grasp, catches both arms, and twists his larger opponent into position.
With considerable effort, he lifts Little John and drives him down with a Crucifix Powerbomb.
The ring shakes.
Julian Ward: “A Crucifix Powerbomb from Sir Gawain. He met the power of Little John and redirected it.”
Brick Brody: “He also proved he can lift the largest man in the match. That changes how Little John has to approach him.”
Little John rolls onto one knee.
Sir Gawain backs toward his corner and tags Sir Galahad.
The golden knight enters before Little John can fully recover.
Minute 3
Little John and Sir Galahad meet near the centre.
Both men hesitate.
Little John reaches for a collar-and-elbow tie-up.
Sir Galahad withdraws.
They circle.
A second attempt produces another separation.
Julian Ward: “Neither man is willing to surrender the first position.”
Brick Brody: “Or neither one knows which mistake he wants to make.”
They engage again.
Sir Galahad slips beneath one arm, but Little John turns before the knight can take his back.
The movement resets.
The crowd grows restless.
A third approach ends with both men withdrawing from an attempted strike.
Merlin steps toward the crystal sphere at ringside.
He places one hand above its surface.
The light within the sphere shifts.
Sir Galahad glances toward it.
Little John uses the moment to drive a Punch to the Midsection into the knight.
Sir Galahad folds forward.
Julian Ward: “Little John finally breaks the stalemate with a direct strike to the body.”
Brick Brody: “And Sir Galahad looked at the crystal instead of the man trying to punch him.”
Little John backs into his corner and tags Friar Tuck.
Sir Galahad retreats and tags Sir Gawain.
Minute 4
Friar Tuck catches Sir Gawain as he enters.
He wraps both arms around the knight and applies the Keg Crusher.
The Bear Hug closes across the ribs.
Sir Gawain braces his hands against Friar Tuck’s shoulders.
Julian Ward: “The Keg Crusher is locked in. Friar Tuck is compressing the ribs.”
Brick Brody: “That is where his size matters most. There is nowhere for Sir Gawain to move.”
Sir Gawain creates enough distance to place one boot against the canvas.
He pushes backward.
The grip loosens.
The knight steps away and launches the Verdant Oath.
The Brogue Kick strikes across Friar Tuck’s upper chest as the larger man attempts to close the hold again.
Both men stumble.
Neither maintains control.
Julian Ward: “The Verdant Oath breaks the hold, but Friar Tuck absorbed enough of it to remain standing.”
Brick Brody: “They both landed. Neither gained anything. That is a costly way to remain equal.”
Sir Gawain backs toward his corner and tags Sir Galahad.
Minute 5
Sir Galahad enters behind Friar Tuck.
He hooks one leg while securing the waist.
Before Friar Tuck can lower his base, the knight lifts and drives him backward with a Leg Hook Belly-to-Back Suplex.
Friar Tuck lands across the shoulders.
Julian Ward: “Sir Galahad attacked from behind the moment the tag was completed.”
Brick Brody: “That is what a functioning team does. The incoming man begins before the outgoing man has finished thinking.”
Friar Tuck attempts to sit up.
Sir Galahad presses him back down with a forearm across the jaw.
He then pulls him away from the Merry Band’s corner.
Little John extends one hand from the apron.
Friar Tuck cannot reach it.
Minute 6
Sir Galahad traps one arm and pulls Friar Tuck upward.
The knight turns beneath the body and drives him down with a Michinoku Driver II-B.
The impact leaves Friar Tuck flat on his back.
Julian Ward: “The Michinoku Driver lands. Sir Galahad is concentrating punishment upon the shoulders and upper back.”
Brick Brody: “And he is making the largest mistake possible for Friar Tuck. He is keeping him away from Little John.”
Sir Galahad looks toward his corner.
Sir Gawain extends one hand.
The tag is made.
Sir Gawain enters while Friar Tuck struggles onto one knee.
Minute 7
Sir Gawain crosses the ring with a full stride.
He drives the Verdant Oath into Friar Tuck’s chest.
The Brogue Kick sends the man from Sherwood onto his back.
Friar Tuck attempts to raise both arms but cannot prevent the full impact.
Julian Ward: “A second Verdant Oath, and this one lands cleanly.”
Brick Brody: “That should be followed by a cover.”
Instead, Sir Gawain looks toward Little John, then pulls Friar Tuck farther from the corner.
Brick Brody: “That is pride delaying efficiency.”
Julian Ward: “The Virtuous Blades appear determined to control the entire match rather than risk an immediate cover.”
Friar Tuck turns onto his stomach.
He crawls several inches.
Sir Gawain places one boot beside him, blocking the path.
Minute 8
Friar Tuck suddenly reaches upward.
He catches Sir Gawain around the head and pulls him down into a Reverse Chin Lock.
The knight’s neck is forced backward against the shoulder.
Julian Ward: “Friar Tuck has found a way to stop the pursuit. The Reverse Chin Lock is secure.”
Brick Brody: “He may not be moving toward his corner, but at least Sir Gawain is no longer kicking him.”
Sir Gawain attempts to rise.
Friar Tuck shifts his weight and keeps him grounded.
The knight reaches toward the ropes.
They remain beyond his fingertips.
Sir Galahad calls from the apron.
Sir Gawain forces one knee beneath himself, then another.
He drives backward and breaks the hold against the turnbuckles.
As Friar Tuck releases, Sir Gawain reaches up and tags Sir Galahad.
Minute 9
Sir Galahad enters quickly.
Sir Gawain remains inside.
The referee begins warning him to leave, but the Virtuous Blades move before the count can advance.
Sir Galahad runs toward the ropes and returns with a Running Shooting Star Press across Friar Tuck.
Sir Gawain immediately traps the legs and turns the man from Sherwood into a Cloverleaf.
Friar Tuck braces his forearms against the canvas.
Julian Ward: “The Virtuous Blades are combining aerial impact with compression of the back and legs.”
Brick Brody: “And Fast Count Frank is being generous with the amount of time both men remain inside.”
Friar Tuck reaches toward the ropes.
He cannot reach them.
He kicks free with one leg and creates enough space to catch Sir Galahad.
Using the knight’s momentum, Friar Tuck throws him toward the ropes with a Slingshot.
Sir Galahad rebounds hard against the strands.
Sir Gawain maintains the Cloverleaf for another moment before being forced to release as the referee orders him toward the apron.
The double-team continues.
Minute 10
Sir Galahad regains his footing and strikes with a Pele Kick.
The heel catches Friar Tuck near the temple.
At the same time, Sir Gawain seizes the legs again and turns him into another Cloverleaf.
Friar Tuck attempts to defend against both attacks but is overwhelmed.
Julian Ward: “The Pele Kick lands as the Cloverleaf is reapplied.”
Brick Brody: “That is two men attacking opposite ends of the body. There is no correct direction to defend.”
“Fast Count” Frank finally steps between the knights and orders Sir Gawain out of the ring.
The green knight releases the hold and returns to the apron.
Sir Galahad remains beside the fallen Friar Tuck.
The prolonged double-team ends.
Little John strikes the top turnbuckle and calls for his partner.
Minute 11
Friar Tuck rolls away from an attempted grasp.
He reaches the ropes, plants both feet against the middle strand, and launches Sir Galahad across the ring with another Slingshot.
The knight lands near the opposite corner.
Julian Ward: “Friar Tuck creates separation with the Slingshot.”
Brick Brody: “Now he has to use it.”
Both men crawl.
Friar Tuck reaches his corner first.
He tags Little John.
Sir Galahad reaches Sir Gawain.
Both fresh men enter.
Little John crosses the ring before the green knight can establish position.
Minute 12
Little John catches Sir Gawain in a Side Headlock.
He drives repeated punches into the side of the knight’s head.
Friar Tuck enters behind them and adds repeated forearms across the upper back.
Sir Gawain attempts to cover, block, and turn away, but the attacks come from both sides.
Julian Ward: “Now the Merry Band answer with a double-team of their own.”
Brick Brody: “This match stopped being about virtue several minutes ago.”
“Fast Count” Frank begins the count.
Little John keeps the head secured.
Friar Tuck drives another forearm into the ribs.
Sir Galahad starts through the ropes but is ordered back by the referee.
The Merry Band continue for another round.
Minute 13
Little John releases the headlock and turns Sir Gawain across his shoulders.
He drops the knight over one knee with a Backbreaker.
Before Sir Gawain can fall away, Friar Tuck catches him and applies a Sleeperhold.
The knight’s head is trapped against Friar Tuck’s chest.
Julian Ward: “Backbreaker into the Sleeperhold. The Merry Band have changed the match by attacking the back and restricting the breath.”
Brick Brody: “They watched the Virtuous Blades isolate Friar Tuck and learned the lesson.”
Sir Gawain’s arms begin to slow.
Little John returns to the apron as the referee completes his count.
Friar Tuck releases the Sleeperhold and steps through the ropes.
The double-team ends.
Little John remains legal.
Minute 14
Little John reaches for Sir Gawain.
The knight lowers his weight and rolls forward.
He pulls the larger man across his shoulders with a Rolling Fireman’s Carry.
Little John crashes onto his back.
Julian Ward: “Sir Gawain uses the Rolling Fireman’s Carry to escape the pressure.”
Brick Brody: “He did not overpower Little John. He moved beneath the weight and let the momentum finish it.”
Sir Gawain rises first.
Little John attempts to sit up.
The knight strikes him across the shoulders and keeps him away from Friar Tuck.
Merlin watches the crystal sphere closely.
The light within it darkens for a moment.
Minute 15
Little John surges forward.
He catches Sir Gawain by one shoulder and clamps down with a Shoulder Claw.
Friar Tuck enters and delivers repeated forearms into the knight’s chest.
Sir Gawain absorbs the first strike, then turns sharply.
He catches Little John and drives him across one knee with a Backbreaker.
All three men remain entangled near the centre.
Julian Ward: “The Merry Band began another double-team, but Sir Gawain answered with a Backbreaker.”
Brick Brody: “That did not stop Friar Tuck from striking him. It only made the collision more crowded.”
Friar Tuck lands another forearm.
Sir Gawain rolls away from the Shoulder Claw.
The referee again orders the illegal man from the ring.
The Merry Band still have another sequence available before the count expires.
Minute 16
Little John reaches for Sir Gawain, but the green knight turns beneath the grasp.
The larger man is unable to secure a hold.
Friar Tuck runs from the ropes and lands a Splash across Sir Gawain.
The impact forces the knight backward.
Before Little John can capitalize, Sir Gawain catches him with both arms and drives him down with another Crucifix Powerbomb.
Julian Ward: “A Splash from Friar Tuck, followed by a Crucifix Powerbomb from Sir Gawain.”
Brick Brody: “Every double-team is becoming a collision where somebody from each side leaves damaged.”
Friar Tuck returns to the apron as the referee completes the count.
The double-team ends.
Little John remains legal but is slow to rise after the Powerbomb.
Minute 17
Little John and Sir Gawain stand across from one another.
Both men are breathing heavily.
Little John reaches forward.
Sir Gawain pulls back.
The green knight attempts a short strike, but the larger man raises one arm and causes him to reconsider.
Neither commits.
Julian Ward: “Fatigue has begun to change the pace. Both men recognize the danger of another mistimed engagement.”
Brick Brody: “Or they have finally realized they have been throwing each other around for seventeen minutes.”
Little John moves one step closer.
Sir Gawain retreats toward his corner and tags Sir Galahad.
The golden knight enters.
Minute 18
Little John calls Friar Tuck back into the ring.
The Merry Band attack together.
Little John climbs to the middle rope and drops an Axe Handle across the shoulders of Sir Galahad.
Friar Tuck immediately secures a Reverse Chin Lock.
Sir Galahad attempts to rise through the hold.
He turns and strikes backward with a Pele Kick.
The blow catches Little John as he approaches.
Julian Ward: “The Axe Handle and Chin Lock find their mark, but Sir Galahad creates space with the Pele Kick.”
Brick Brody: “He is being attacked by two men and still found a third angle.”
Friar Tuck maintains the Chin Lock.
Little John rises after the kick.
The referee’s count continues.
The double-team remains active.
Minute 19
Little John clamps the Shoulder Claw onto Sir Galahad.
Friar Tuck releases the Chin Lock, runs from the ropes, and lands a Splash across the knight.
Sir Galahad attempts to cover against both men but cannot prevent the impact.
Julian Ward: “Shoulder Claw into the Splash. The Merry Band are overwhelming Sir Galahad.”
Brick Brody: “This is where the Virtuous Blades need Sir Gawain to stop watching and start interfering.”
Sir Gawain moves through the ropes.
“Fast Count” Frank intercepts him and forces him back toward the apron.
Behind the referee, Little John and Friar Tuck continue their attack for another moment before separating.
The double-team ends.
Little John remains inside with Sir Galahad.
Minute 20
Little John takes Sir Galahad by the wrist.
He pulls him forward and sends him across the canvas with an Arm Drag.
The knight rises.
A second Arm Drag sends him down again.
A third follows.
Julian Ward: “An Arm Drag Series from Little John. The pace has changed completely.”
At ringside, Merlin lifts the crystal sphere from its stand.
He turns it toward “Fast Count” Frank.
Light moves across the referee’s face.
The referee stops.
His eyes remain fixed upon the shifting image within the sphere.
Brick Brody: “The old wizard has the referee staring into the crystal.”
Julian Ward: “Little John has made a cover.”
Little John presses both shoulders of Sir Galahad to the canvas.
The referee does not move.
Friar Tuck shouts from the apron.
Merlin lowers the sphere.
“Fast Count” Frank blinks and finally drops into position.
“One!”
“Two!”
Sir Gawain enters and breaks the pin.
Julian Ward: “The delay gave Sir Gawain enough time to make the save.”
Brick Brody: “The referee has one responsibility. Apparently, it can be interrupted by reflective glass.”
Little John rises angrily.
Sir Galahad crawls toward his corner and tags Sir Gawain.
Minute 21
Sir Gawain enters and drives a Short-Arm Clothesline into Little John.
The impact turns the larger man but does not drop him.
Little John holds the wrist and pulls Sir Gawain back into a Back Smash.
Friar Tuck enters and catches the knight in the Keg Crusher.
The Bear Hug closes across the ribs.
Julian Ward: “The Merry Band answer the Clothesline with a Back Smash and the Keg Crusher.”
Brick Brody: “The ribs of Sir Gawain have already absorbed the first Bear Hug and the Splash. This is the correct target.”
Sir Gawain drives short forearms into Friar Tuck’s head.
Little John strikes the back again.
The referee begins another count.
The double-team continues.
Minute 22
Little John catches Sir Gawain in a Headlock and drives repeated punches into the side of his head.
Friar Tuck moves behind the knight and applies a Reverse Chin Lock as the headlock is released.
Sir Gawain attempts to turn between them.
He cannot.
Julian Ward: “The Merry Band are refusing to give Sir Gawain a clear direction of escape.”
Brick Brody: “One man attacks the head. The other controls the neck. That is simple, ugly, and effective.”
Sir Galahad steps through the ropes.
The referee orders him back.
The Merry Band continue until the count forces Friar Tuck to return to the apron.
The double-team ends.
Sir Gawain drops onto one knee.
Little John stands above him.
Minute 23
Little John reaches down.
At ringside, Merlin raises his staff.
He speaks beneath his breath.
A narrow green light travels from the crystal sphere along the polished wood.
Little John stops.
His grip loosens before it can close around Sir Gawain.
He looks toward the corner, then toward his own hands.
Julian Ward: “Something has changed in Little John.”
Brick Brody: “Merlin spoke, the light moved, and now the largest man in the match looks as though the floor has shifted.”
Little John attempts to step forward.
His balance fails.
Sir Gawain rises but does not immediately attack.
He watches his opponent with uncertainty.
Merlin lowers the staff.
The strange weakness remains.
Julian Ward: “Whatever influence Merlin has created, Little John is suddenly unable to defend himself effectively.”
Brick Brody: “Then stop studying it and punish him.”
Minute 24
Sir Gawain acts.
He catches both arms of Little John, turns beneath the larger frame, and lifts him into a Crucifix Powerbomb.
The impact drives Little John into the canvas.
He makes no effective attempt to prevent it.
Julian Ward: “The Crucifix Powerbomb lands again, and Little John offered almost no resistance.”
Brick Brody: “That is what the wizard created. Sir Gawain only had to use it.”
Friar Tuck extends one hand from the apron.
Little John turns toward him but cannot rise.
Merlin watches without expression.
The light inside the crystal sphere continues to move.
Minute 25
Sir Gawain lifts Little John and attempts another Rolling Fireman’s Carry.
This time, Little John widens his base.
The knight tries to turn beneath the weight.
Little John drops one arm across his shoulders and stops the rotation.
The maneuver is neutralized.
Julian Ward: “Little John finally prevents the throw. The influence affecting him may be weakening.”
Brick Brody: “Or survival reached him before clarity did.”
Sir Gawain attempts to pull again.
Little John forces him away.
He remains unsteady but has recovered enough to resist.
Friar Tuck continues calling from the corner.
Minute 26
Sir Gawain drives a knee into the body.
He pulls Little John forward and lifts him into a Front Powerslam.
The larger man attempts to brace but cannot prevent the descent.
He strikes the canvas chest-first.
Julian Ward: “The Front Powerslam lands. Sir Gawain has used the period of vulnerability to attack repeatedly.”
Brick Brody: “And now Little John has to make the tag before the wizard decides to create another three minutes.”
Little John crawls toward Sherwood’s corner.
Sir Gawain reaches for one ankle.
Little John kicks free.
He stretches toward the ropes.
Friar Tuck reaches over the top strand.
Their hands meet.
The tag is made.
Friar Tuck enters.
Minute 27
Friar Tuck charges.
He catches Sir Gawain and applies a Sleeperhold.
The knight turns beneath the arm and reaches for the legs.
He attempts to trap Friar Tuck in the Cloverleaf.
Both men struggle for position.
Neither completes the hold.
Julian Ward: “Sleeperhold against Cloverleaf. Both men are attempting to secure control before the other can settle.”
Brick Brody: “And neither has enough leverage to finish it.”
Friar Tuck releases the head.
Sir Gawain releases the legs.
They separate.
Sir Gawain backs toward his corner and tags Sir Galahad.
The golden knight enters.
Minute 28
Friar Tuck runs toward the ropes.
He returns and throws himself forward with a Splash.
Sir Galahad raises both knees and turns beneath him.
The Splash is reversed.
Friar Tuck lands awkwardly across the raised defense.
Sir Galahad pulls him upward and drives him down with the Benadryller.
Julian Ward: “The Splash was anticipated. Sir Galahad answers with the Benadryller.”
Brick Brody: “That is the danger of using your entire body as the attack. Once the landing is altered, there is nothing left to protect you.”
Friar Tuck rolls toward his corner.
Sir Galahad reaches for one leg.
Friar Tuck kicks free and tags Little John.
The larger man returns despite the punishment he has absorbed.
Minute 29
Little John strikes Sir Galahad with a Punch to the Midsection.
The knight folds forward.
Little John reaches for the head, but Sir Galahad slips behind and secures one leg.
He drives Little John backward with a Leg Hook Belly-to-Back Suplex.
Both men land hard.
Julian Ward: “A direct strike from Little John, answered by the Leg Hook Suplex.”
Brick Brody: “At this stage, every successful attack costs the man delivering it.”
Little John rolls toward his corner.
Sir Galahad reaches toward Sir Gawain but remains just beyond the tag.
Friar Tuck extends one hand.
Little John reaches him first.
The tag is made.
The clock above the entranceway passes twenty-nine minutes.
Minute 30
Friar Tuck enters as the final minute begins.
He immediately calls Little John back into the ring.
The Merry Band attempt one last double-team.
Friar Tuck catches Sir Galahad and sends him toward the ropes with a Slingshot.
As the knight rebounds, Little John strikes across the back with a Back Smash.
Sir Galahad turns through the impact and throws a Pele Kick.
The kick catches Little John near the head.
Julian Ward: “Slingshot and Back Smash from the Merry Band, but Sir Galahad answers with the Pele Kick.”
Brick Brody: “Thirty minutes, and nobody has enough left to maintain control for more than one strike.”
The referee orders Little John toward the apron.
Friar Tuck reaches for Sir Galahad.
The knight twists away.
Ten seconds remain.
Sir Gawain calls for the tag.
Sir Galahad reaches toward him.
Friar Tuck catches one ankle.
Five seconds remain.
Sir Galahad kicks free.
He turns.
The bell rings.
The thirty-minute clock reaches zero.
For several seconds, neither team reacts.
“Fast Count” Frank steps between them and signals toward the timekeeper.
Louie Linville enters the ring.
Louie Linville: “Ladies and gentlemen, the thirty-minute time limit has expired. Therefore, this match has been declared a draw.”
The crowd responds with a divided reaction.
Friar Tuck sits against the lower turnbuckle, breathing heavily.
Little John enters and helps him rise.
Across the ring, Sir Gawain places one hand upon the shoulder of Sir Galahad.
Merlin retrieves the crystal sphere from its stand.
The two teams look across the ring at one another.
Neither offers a handshake.
Neither retreats.
Julian Ward: “Thirty minutes have failed to separate the Merry Band and the Virtuous Blades. Both teams controlled extended portions of the match, both endured repeated double-teams, and both were denied the final advantage before time expired.”
Brick Brody: “The Merry Band came within one count of winning before Merlin distracted the referee. The Virtuous Blades nearly broke Little John after the wizard left him unable to defend himself. Do not call this equal. Call it unfinished.”
Julian Ward: “No victory has been earned, but the struggle has clarified the distance between these teams. Neither can claim superiority tonight, and neither is likely to accept the absence of an answer.”
RESULT: MERRY BAND AND VIRTUOUS BLADES FOUGHT TO A THIRTY-MINUTE TIME-LIMIT DRAW.
The camera cuts backstage.
The noise of the coliseum reaches the corridor as a low, restless thunder.
Hana Nakamura stands beneath a row of iron wall lamps with a microphone in hand. Beside her are Robin Hood, Friar Tuck, and Little John.
All three men carry the evidence of their matches.
Robin Hood leans one shoulder against the stone wall. His ribs have been wrapped beneath his vest, and the exhaustion of seventeen violent minutes remains visible in his posture.
Friar Tuck presses a cold cloth against the back of his neck.
Little John stands beside him with his arms folded. The larger man’s expression remains hard after the thirty-minute draw with the Virtuous Blades.
Hana Nakamura: “I am here with three members of the Merry Band after what has already been a difficult night for Sherwood.”
She turns first toward Robin Hood.
Hana Nakamura: “Robin Hood, you pushed Frankenstein’s Monster through seventeen minutes. You survived the Flat Liner once, escaped several pinning attempts, and came close to forcing him to submit. But eventually, the monster caught you with a second Flat Liner. What does a loss like that tell you?”
Robin Hood takes a slow breath before answering.
Robin Hood: “It tells me that some enemies do not fall because the blow was clever.”
He adjusts the wrapping around his ribs.
Robin Hood: “I found the head. I attacked the legs. I forced that creature to carry its own weight and mine. Every time I thought I had discovered the answer, Dr. Frankenstein gave the monster another command and it rose again.”
Hana Nakamura: “Were you surprised by how much punishment Frankenstein’s Monster could endure?”
Robin Hood: “No.”
A faint smile crosses his face.
Robin Hood: “I was surprised by how much I could.”
Friar Tuck lowers the cloth from his neck.
Friar Tuck: “That answer sounds better when you are not the man who has to help him walk back to Sherwood.”
Robin Hood: “I walked here.”
Little John: “Poorly.”
Robin Hood looks toward him.
Little John does not smile.
Hana Nakamura turns toward the other two men.
Hana Nakamura: “Friar Tuck, Little John, the Merry Band fought the Virtuous Blades for the full thirty-minute time limit. Neither team earned the victory, but the match included repeated intervention from Merlin. Do you consider the draw a fair result?”
Friar Tuck: “The result is written, and arguing with ink rarely changes the page.”
He glances toward Little John.
Friar Tuck: “But fairness did not mesmerize the referee with a crystal ball.”
Little John: “Fairness did not place a curse upon me.”
His voice is quiet and heavy.
Little John: “I could see Sir Gawain standing in front of me. I knew where my hands were. I knew where my feet should move.”
His jaw tightens.
Little John: “For several minutes, my own body refused the command.”
Hana Nakamura: “Do you believe Merlin directly altered the outcome?”
Little John: “I believe he prevented us from discovering it.”
Friar Tuck: “And that means there will need to be another contest.”
Robin Hood: “One without a crystal deciding when the referee opens his eyes.”
Hana Nakamura: “Tonight’s matches also come at a time when King Arthur has issued increasingly broad Royal Decrees. He has declared that monsters, gods, demigods, demons, and men must all acknowledge the Crown.”
The expressions of the three men change.
The fatigue remains.
Something harder forms beneath it.
Hana Nakamura: “You have opposed royal authority before. What do these decrees mean for Sherwood?”
Robin Hood pushes away from the wall.
Robin Hood: “A crown may declare ownership of a road. That does not mean the road belongs to it.”
Hana Nakamura: “But King Arthur is not merely speaking. He defeated Ares. He forced Heracles to submit. His authority within the Mythic Division is growing.”
Robin Hood: “Authority and strength are not the same thing.”
Friar Tuck: “Strength can protect people.”
Little John: “Authority decides which people deserve protection.”
Robin Hood: “That is where the danger begins.”
Hana Nakamura: “Do you believe King Arthur has become a danger to Camelot?”
The corridor falls silent.
Robin Hood considers the question.
Robin Hood: “I believe every king becomes dangerous when obedience matters more to him than truth.”
A metallic sound echoes from deeper within the corridor.
One broken link striking another.
Friar Tuck lowers the cloth.
Little John unfolds his arms.
Robin Hood turns toward the darkness beyond the lamps.
A figure steps into the light.
He is tall, muscular, and athletic, with broad shoulders beneath a long, weathered resistance coat. The coat hangs open over a scarred chest, its dark crimson lining visible along the split behind his legs.
Damaged blackened armor covers the shoulders. Old blade marks cross its surface. Several royal insignias have been torn away, leaving scars where symbols once rested. Fragments of former gold decoration have been painted over in red.
A fractured crescent emblem stretches across the back.
Long black hair hangs slightly below his shoulders, thick and windswept around a square jaw.
His face bears asymmetrical rebellion paint.
Charcoal-black surrounds the upper face. A deep crimson crescent sweeps across one pale gray eye. Thin ash-white lines cut through the darkness like fractures in burned stone. A narrow red marking extends from his lower lip to his chin. One cheek remains partially unpainted, leaving the man visible beneath the symbol.
Broken chain links are fixed around one forearm.
He stops several paces from the Merry Band.
Little John steps forward.
Little John: “You were in the rafters.”
The stranger looks directly at him.
Blood-Moon Warden: “I was.”
His voice carries openly through the corridor. There is no attempt to disguise it and no hesitation within it.
Robin Hood: “You watched my match.”
Blood-Moon Warden: “I watched more than your match.”
Friar Tuck: “That is an answer designed to create another question.”
The stranger looks toward Friar Tuck.
For the first time, the severity in his expression loosens.
Not into a smile.
Into recognition.
Blood-Moon Warden: “Then ask it.”
Hana Nakamura raises the microphone.
Hana Nakamura: “Who are you?”
The stranger turns toward the camera.
He takes one step into the full light.
Blood-Moon Warden: “I am the Blood-Moon Warden.”
The broken chains around his forearm shift as he closes one fist.
Blood-Moon Warden: “Guardian of the rebellion. Enemy of every throne that demands blood from the innocent and calls the payment lawful.”
Hana Nakamura: “Why have you come to Dark Fable?”
Blood-Moon Warden: “Because I have seen what happens when authority stops asking whom it protects.”
His pale gray eyes move toward Robin Hood.
Blood-Moon Warden: “And because I came to speak with the outlaw who still remembers that a kingdom is more than its king.”
Robin Hood: “You know who I am.”
Blood-Moon Warden: “Everyone who has worn chains knows the name Robin Hood.”
Little John remains between them.
Little John: “Knowing the name does not earn trust.”
The Blood-Moon Warden looks at him without offense.
Blood-Moon Warden: “Good.”
He points toward Little John.
Blood-Moon Warden: “Never trust a man because he speaks against a crown. Some men oppose kings only because they want the throne for themselves.”
Friar Tuck: “And which sort are you?”
The Blood-Moon Warden pulls one of the broken links away from his forearm as far as its fastening allows.
Blood-Moon Warden: “The kind who was once ordered to march against people who had no swords.”
The energy in his voice rises.
Not anger without control.
Conviction refusing restraint.
Blood-Moon Warden: “I wore royal colors. I guarded royal walls. I believed obedience made me honorable.”
His hand closes around the chain.
Blood-Moon Warden: “Then my commanders ordered us into a village. They called the people traitors because they would not surrender their food to soldiers who already had more than they could eat.”
The corridor remains silent.
Blood-Moon Warden: “I broke formation.”
He raises the chained forearm.
Blood-Moon Warden: “I broke these.”
He touches the damaged armor upon his shoulder.
Blood-Moon Warden: “I burned their gold from my armor and painted what remained in the colors of the people they told me to crush.”
His eyes return to Robin Hood.
Blood-Moon Warden: “I have been running toward that fight ever since.”
Robin Hood: “And now you believe that fight has reached Camelot.”
Blood-Moon Warden: “I know it has.”
Hana Nakamura: “Are you referring to King Arthur’s decrees?”
The Blood-Moon Warden looks briefly toward her.
Blood-Moon Warden: “The decrees are the sound of the gate closing.”
Hana Nakamura: “Then what is the danger?”
He looks back toward Robin Hood.
Blood-Moon Warden: “Not here.”
Little John steps closer.
Little John: “You appeared without invitation, watched us from the shadows, and now expect us to follow you somewhere private.”
The Blood-Moon Warden meets the larger man’s stare.
Blood-Moon Warden: “No.”
His voice is firm.
Blood-Moon Warden: “I expect you to question me. I expect you to doubt me. I expect every man who still values freedom to make me prove what I say.”
He turns again toward Robin Hood.
Blood-Moon Warden: “But proof has a cost, and there are eyes in this building that do not need to know what I carried through its gates.”
Robin Hood: “You said you came to warn me.”
Blood-Moon Warden: “I came to warn Camelot.”
He steps closer.
Blood-Moon Warden: “I came to Robin Hood because kings rarely listen until the forest begins speaking back.”
Friar Tuck studies him carefully.
Friar Tuck: “You are asking us to prepare for a rebellion before you have named the enemy.”
Blood-Moon Warden: “No.”
The Blood-Moon Warden looks toward the dark end of the corridor.
Blood-Moon Warden: “I am telling you the rebellion may already have an enemy inside it.”
That draws the full attention of all three men.
Robin Hood: “What does that mean?”
The Blood-Moon Warden reaches inside his coat.
Little John immediately raises one arm.
The stranger stops.
Slowly, he removes a small piece of blackened metal.
It bears the remains of a royal insignia.
The crest has been broken down the centre.
A narrow crescent has been carved across it in dried red paint.
He holds it out toward Robin Hood.
Blood-Moon Warden: “It means someone is building a kingdom beneath Camelot while everyone is watching the Crown above it.”
Robin Hood takes the broken insignia.
Blood-Moon Warden: “And when that kingdom rises, King Arthur’s decrees will be the smallest danger standing before you.”
Hana Nakamura: “Who is building it?”
The Blood-Moon Warden turns toward her.
Blood-Moon Warden: “That is the question I crossed kingdoms to answer.”
He looks back toward Robin Hood.
Blood-Moon Warden: “You know the roads outside the law.”
Robin Hood: “And you believe the answer lies upon one of them.”
Blood-Moon Warden: “I believe someone has been using those roads to move soldiers, weapons, and promises into Camelot.”
Little John: “Whose soldiers?”
Blood-Moon Warden: “Men who once served crowns.”
His gaze hardens.
Blood-Moon Warden: “And men who are waiting to serve the next one.”
The Blood-Moon Warden extends his hand toward Robin Hood.
Blood-Moon Warden: “Walk with me.”
Robin Hood looks down at the offered hand.
Then at the broken royal insignia in his own.
Friar Tuck: “This could be a trap.”
Blood-Moon Warden: “It could.”
Little John: “You admit that easily.”
Blood-Moon Warden: “A man who promises safety before a rebellion has begun is already lying.”
Robin Hood studies him for another moment.
Then he takes the offered hand.
The Blood-Moon Warden pulls him into a firm forearm grip.
Broken chains rest against Sherwood green.
Robin Hood: “You speak.”
His eyes remain fixed upon the stranger.
Robin Hood: “We decide whether to believe.”
The Blood-Moon Warden nods.
Blood-Moon Warden: “That is all I ask.”
He releases the grip and steps back.
Blood-Moon Warden: “But decide quickly.”
The passion in his voice rises once more.
Blood-Moon Warden: “Because when the blood moon rises, every wall casts two shadows.”
He turns toward the darkness.
Blood-Moon Warden: “One belongs to the kingdom everyone can see.”
He looks back over his shoulder.
The red crescent across his eye catches the corridor light.
Blood-Moon Warden: “The other is already moving.”
The Blood-Moon Warden walks away.
His long black coat follows behind him, the fractured crescent visible until the darkness takes it.
The sound of broken chains fades with his footsteps.
Hana Nakamura looks toward Robin Hood.
Hana Nakamura: “Do you believe him?”
Robin Hood turns the broken royal insignia over in his hand.
Robin Hood: “I believe he has seen something.”
Friar Tuck: “That was not the question.”
Robin Hood: “It is the only answer I have.”
Little John looks toward the corridor where the Blood-Moon Warden disappeared.
Little John: “Then we find the rest.”
The camera closes upon the broken crest in Robin Hood’s hand.
A crown split in two.
A red crescent carved through its centre.
The scene fades to black.
Referee: “Honest” Abe
The camera returns to ringside.
Before the next entrances begin, a ceremonial trumpet sounds from the stage.
The crowd rises as the crest of Camelot appears upon the central screen.
Blue banners descend through the image. A golden crown forms between them.
King Arthur steps onto the stage.
The Mythic Crown Championship rests across his waist. His armor catches the light in polished gold and silver edges. He surveys the ring, then turns his attention toward the commentary desk.
There is no smile upon his face.
Julian Ward and Brick Brody rise as the Mythic Crown Champion approaches.
An attendant places a third chair beside them.
King Arthur removes the championship from his waist and lays it carefully across the desk before taking his seat.
Julian Ward: “We are being joined for this contest by the reigning Mythic Crown Champion, King Arthur.”
King Arthur: “You may continue.”
Brick Brody: “That almost sounded like permission.”
King Arthur turns his head slowly toward Brick Brody.
King Arthur: “It was.”
Brick Brody settles back into his chair.
Julian Ward: “Your presence appears connected to the competitors preparing to enter.”
King Arthur: “It is connected to a title being used without authority.”
The stage screen displays two black crowns surrounded by dead roses.
King Arthur: “There is a Queen of Camelot. Her name is Guinevere. The word is not decoration to be claimed by any woman who gathers darkness around herself.”
Brick Brody: “I doubt Regina and Malice requested royal approval.”
King Arthur: “That is the offense.”
The lights dim.
A cold wind moves through the coliseum.
White snow begins falling across the stage screen.
A dark forest forms beneath it.
The trees are thin, black, and stripped of leaves. Their branches bend inward until they resemble the bars of an enormous cage.
A hunting horn sounds.
Snow White steps onto the stage first.
Her white-and-red attire stands sharply against the frozen landscape behind her. She carries herself with composed resolve, but her attention moves immediately toward ringside.
Beside her appears Gretel.
The hunter’s arm still bears traces of the punishment inflicted by Yurei Rinn and Lord Kurogami one week earlier. A dark support wraps the shoulder and upper arm, though her movements remain deliberate and ready.
The two women stand together beneath the mark of the Fairest Hunters.
Julian Ward: “Last week, Gretel survived direct interference from Lord Kurogami and defeated Yurei Rinn. Tonight, she returns to tag team competition beside Snow White.”
King Arthur: “Persistence is admirable. Repeatedly entering battle while damaged is not always courage.”
Brick Brody: “Sometimes it is the only opportunity available.”
King Arthur: “Then the wise warrior learns to distinguish opportunity from bait.”
Snow White and Gretel begin their walk to the ring.
They remain close together, neither allowing the other to move beyond reach.
Gretel looks briefly toward the commentary desk.
Her eyes settle upon King Arthur.
The champion gives no acknowledgment.
The Fairest Hunters enter the ring and move into their corner.
The snow upon the screen turns black.
Dead roses grow through it.
A low chant rises through the coliseum.
Not from the crowd.
From the entrance music itself.
A black crown descends from above the screen. Long thorns twist around its base.
Beneath it stands The Huntsman.
He emerges first, dressed for pursuit rather than ceremony. His eyes move across the arena before settling upon Gretel. A leather strap crosses his chest, and a long hunting blade remains sheathed at his side for the entrance.
Behind him comes Regina.
She walks with the stillness of a magistrate entering a chamber where judgment has already been determined. Dark royal fabric trails behind her. A narrow black crown rests upon her head.
The temperature of the presentation falls again.
Malice steps from the darkness.
The colors of Wintergrave cling to her. Black, frost-white, and traces of corrupted silver shape her attire. Her expression carries no anger and no pleasure.
Only punishment waiting for a reason.
The three move down the aisle together.
King Arthur watches them without blinking.
Julian Ward: “The Queens of Despair have presented themselves as rulers of suffering rather than any recognized kingdom.”
King Arthur: “A ruler requires recognition.”
Brick Brody: “Fear is recognition.”
King Arthur: “Fear is temporary obedience.”
Brick Brody: “Temporary obedience still gets people to move.”
King Arthur: “Until they discover the source of their fear can bleed.”
The Queens of Despair reach ringside.
The Huntsman remains on the floor while Regina and Malice climb the steps.
Regina pauses before entering.
Her gaze moves toward the Mythic Crown Championship upon the commentary desk.
Then toward King Arthur.
She touches two fingers to her black crown.
The crowd reacts.
King Arthur’s expression hardens.
Brick Brody: “I believe that was meant for you.”
King Arthur: “Then she has ensured I will remember it.”
Regina enters the ring.
Malice follows.
The four competitors take their respective corners as Louie Linville steps to the centre.
Louie Linville: “The following tag team contest is scheduled for one fall.”
The crowd responds.
Louie Linville: “Introducing first, bound together by the hunt and tempered by the darkness of the forests they survived.”
Snow White and Gretel step forward.
Louie Linville: “They pursue the wicked through snow, shadow, and poisoned kingdom. Snow White and Gretel… the Fairest Hunters!”
The crowd rises behind them.
Gretel raises one fist.
Snow White keeps her eyes upon the opposite corner.
Louie Linville: “And their opponents, accompanied to the ring by The Huntsman.”
The dead roses upon the screen close around the black crown.
Louie Linville: “They carry judgment without mercy and despair without end. Regina and Malice… the Queens of Despair!”
King Arthur: “No.”
The single word carries through the nearby commentary microphones.
Louie Linville lowers his microphone slightly but completes the introduction.
Regina looks toward ringside with a faint expression of satisfaction.
Malice never turns.
Louie Linville exits the ring.
Gretel steps forward for the Fairest Hunters.
Malice enters for her team.
“Honest” Abe checks both competitors and calls for the bell.
Minute 1
Gretel begins cautiously.
She circles toward her healthy side, keeping the damaged arm away from Malice.
Malice does not follow the movement immediately.
She waits.
Gretel steps forward with a low kick.
Malice catches the leg and turns sharply beneath it.
She traps the ankle, crosses the other leg, and pulls Gretel backward.
The movement carries them both to the canvas.
Malice threads her own legs through the lower body and captures the upper torso in a Modified Scorpion Crosslock.
Gretel’s spine bends beneath the pressure.
Her damaged shoulder is drawn backward.
Julian Ward: “The Modified Scorpion Crosslock is secured immediately. Malice has trapped the legs while forcing the upper body away from them.”
Brick Brody: “And she found the injured arm before the first minute ended.”
King Arthur: “That is not discovery. That is preparation.”
Gretel presses one forearm against the canvas.
She attempts to turn her hips, but Malice shifts her weight and prevents the rotation.
Snow White reaches across the ropes.
The distance remains too great.
Julian Ward: “Gretel is absorbing tremendous pressure through the back and shoulder.”
King Arthur: “Her refusal to yield is becoming expected.”
Brick Brody: “Expected does not mean ineffective.”
King Arthur: “No. It means her enemies know they must damage her more thoroughly.”
Gretel drags both women several inches toward the ropes.
Malice releases before the referee begins a count.
She rises without urgency.
Gretel remains on one knee, holding the damaged shoulder.
Minute 2
Gretel forces herself upright before Malice can close around her again.
She runs forward and drives a Sliding Knee Strike toward the head.
The knee catches Malice, but the woman from Wintergrave turns through the impact rather than falling cleanly.
Gretel attempts to follow.
Malice catches her leg again.
She sweeps the supporting foot and immediately returns to the Modified Scorpion Crosslock.
Julian Ward: “The Sliding Knee found its target, but Malice used the position to return to the same hold.”
Brick Brody: “The knee landed. It simply did not matter long enough.”
King Arthur: “Repeated control of the same weakness creates doubt. Once the opponent expects pain, the threat of the hold begins doing part of the work.”
Malice pulls back.
Gretel’s free hand reaches toward the ropes.
Her fingertips remain several inches away.
“Honest” Abe lowers himself beside her.
“Honest” Abe: “Do you submit?”
Gretel: “No!”
Malice tightens the Crosslock.
Gretel raises her head again.
“Honest” Abe: “Do you give up?”
Gretel: “No!”
Snow White strikes the turnbuckle and calls to her partner.
Gretel twists her shoulders and creates enough space to turn partially onto one side.
Malice releases the hold.
She keeps one hand around Gretel’s ankle while backing toward her corner.
Malice tags Regina.
Regina enters with Gretel still grounded.
Minute 3
Regina reaches for the damaged arm.
Gretel pulls it away and rolls toward the centre.
Both women rise.
They circle without committing.
Regina offers one hand for a test of strength.
Gretel refuses it.
Julian Ward: “Neither woman is willing to accept the first engagement.”
Brick Brody: “Gretel knows every offered hand comes with a trap.”
King Arthur: “As does every offered crown.”
Regina attempts to close the distance.
Gretel withdraws.
They reset.
A second approach ends with both women abandoning attempted strikes.
The Huntsman moves slowly along the floor outside the ring.
His eyes remain fixed upon Gretel.
Snow White points toward him and warns the referee.
“Honest” Abe looks toward the floor.
The Huntsman stops.
Inside the ring, Regina lunges forward.
Gretel meets her with a Superkick.
The strike catches Regina beneath the jaw.
Regina falls backward toward the ropes but uses them to propel herself upward.
She leaps from the middle strand and crashes across Gretel with a Diving Splash.
Both women hit the canvas.
Julian Ward: “Superkick from Gretel, answered by a Diving Splash from Regina.”
Brick Brody: “That is the first time Regina has stopped measuring and committed her weight.”
Regina turns toward the floor.
The Huntsman has moved close to the apron.
He reaches toward the lower rope.
Gretel sees him.
She rolls beneath Regina, slides out of the ring, and drives herself into The Huntsman before he can withdraw.
Her shoulder strikes his body.
The collision sends him backward into the barricade.
Julian Ward: “Gretel has attacked The Huntsman!”
Brick Brody: “She remembered last week. No waiting for the interference this time.”
King Arthur: “She has removed an approaching threat.”
Brick Brody: “You approve?”
King Arthur: “I approve of recognizing an enemy before the blade enters your back.”
Gretel follows The Huntsman toward the barricade and drives a forearm across his face.
He falls beside the timekeeper’s area.
Officials move toward him.
Gretel returns quickly to the ring.
Regina catches her and rolls her into a cover.
“Honest” Abe drops into position.
Before the count begins, Gretel turns the body and reverses the pin.
“One!”
Regina kicks out.
Both women rise.
Regina retreats to her corner and tags Malice.
At ringside, The Huntsman remains down while officials check him.
Minute 4
Malice enters.
Gretel rushes toward her own corner.
She tags Snow White and immediately remains inside.
The Fairest Hunters close around Malice.
Gretel drives a Superkick into the jaw.
The strike turns Malice directly into Snow White.
Snow White catches her from behind.
She lifts and drives Malice onto her shoulders with the Kiss of Life.
The Bridging Dragon Suplex folds Malice against the canvas.
Julian Ward: “Superkick into the Kiss of Life. The Fairest Hunters have found their first sustained combination.”
Brick Brody: “They removed The Huntsman and attacked before Malice could establish the Crosslock again.”
King Arthur: “They identified the structure supporting their opponents and broke it.”
Regina steps through the ropes.
“Honest” Abe turns and orders her back.
Snow White releases the bridge.
Gretel pulls Malice upright before she can reach the opposite corner.
The double-team continues.
At ringside, The Huntsman sits against the barricade, still unable to return to his team.
Minute 5
Gretel runs from the ropes and delivers a Sliding Knee Strike to Malice.
The impact drives Malice backward.
Snow White moves into position for another attack but hesitates when Regina steps toward the ropes.
The brief distraction leaves Gretel alone in front of Malice.
Julian Ward: “The Sliding Knee connects, but Snow White was drawn out of position by Regina.”
Brick Brody: “The double-team became one woman attacking while the other watched the wrong corner.”
Malice catches Gretel beneath both arms.
She turns and drives her down with a Butterfly DDT.
Gretel’s head and injured shoulder strike the canvas.
She rolls onto her side immediately.
Julian Ward: “Butterfly DDT from Malice, and Gretel landed across the shoulder that was already compromised.”
King Arthur: “The damage is no longer isolated to one match.”
Brick Brody: “That arm was tied to the ropes last week. Tonight it was trapped twice in the Crosslock and driven into the canvas.”
Snow White moves toward Gretel.
“Honest” Abe orders her back to the apron.
The double-team period ends.
Gretel remains the legal competitor.
She attempts to push herself up.
Her damaged arm gives way beneath her.
Minute 6
Gretel reaches one knee.
The referee steps closer and asks whether she can continue.
Gretel nods before he can finish the question.
Malice does not wait.
She catches the head and damaged arm, folds Gretel inward, and drives her down with a Cradle DDT.
The impact leaves Gretel motionless upon the canvas.
Julian Ward: “Cradle DDT! Gretel could not protect herself on the descent.”
Brick Brody: “The arm failed before the move began. She had no defense left.”
King Arthur: “And still she would not have requested the match be stopped.”
Malice turns Gretel onto her back and covers.
Snow White enters.
Regina steps through the ropes and cuts off her path.
“Honest” Abe drops beside the cover.
“One!”
Snow White attempts to move around Regina.
“Two!”
Regina blocks the centre of the ring.
“Three!”
The bell rings.
Malice remains across Gretel for one additional second before rising.
Snow White drops beside her partner immediately.
Regina returns to her corner and raises both hands.
At ringside, The Huntsman has regained his feet but remains beside the barricade, one hand against his jaw.
Louie Linville enters the ring.
Louie Linville: “Here are your winners… Regina and Malice… the Queens of Despair!”
King Arthur removes his headset.
He rises from the commentary desk and lifts the Mythic Crown Championship.
Inside the ring, Regina looks toward him.
She touches the black crown upon her head again.
King Arthur places the Mythic Crown Championship across his shoulder.
King Arthur: “Enjoy the word while it is still merely offensive.”
The nearby microphones capture the warning.
The crowd reacts.
Regina’s expression does not change.
Malice looks toward King Arthur, then lowers her eyes to the fallen Gretel.
Snow White shields her partner as the victors leave the ring.
The Huntsman joins Regina and Malice in the aisle.
He looks back toward Gretel, then toward the stage.
His next match with Sir Lancelot still awaits him.
Julian Ward: “The damage suffered by Gretel last week became the foundation of the strategy tonight. Malice repeatedly attacked the arm and back, then used the Cradle DDT when Gretel could no longer defend the descent.”
Brick Brody: “The Fairest Hunters removed The Huntsman and briefly controlled the match, but they could not erase the damage already carried into it. Malice found the broken piece and kept striking it.”
King Arthur: “Regina and Malice have earned victory. They have not earned sovereignty.”
Julian Ward: “A decisive victory for Regina and Malice, but their chosen title has also drawn the direct attention of the Mythic Crown Champion. The Queens of Despair leave with the result, while King Arthur leaves with an offense he does not appear willing to ignore.”
RESULT: QUEENS OF DESPAIR DEFEATED FAIREST HUNTERS WHEN MALICE PINNED GRETEL WITH THE CRADLE DDT AT 6:00.
Referee: “Honest” Abe
The camera remains at ringside following the victory of the Queens of Despair.
Snow White continues helping Gretel toward the backstage area while officials remain close beside them. Regina and Malice disappear through the entrance curtain beneath their black crown.
The Huntsman follows several steps behind them.
Before reaching the curtain, he stops.
He looks back toward the ring.
Then toward the commentary desk.
King Arthur remains seated beside Julian Ward and Brick Brody, the Mythic Crown Championship resting across one shoulder.
The eyes of the king meet those of The Huntsman.
Neither looks away.
Julian Ward: “Your Majesty, The Huntsman remains scheduled to compete against Sir Lancelot. After what occurred during the previous match, he may enter that contest carrying damage from his confrontation with Gretel.”
King Arthur: “He carries something more damaging than that.”
Brick Brody: “A bruised jaw?”
King Arthur: “The belief that consequence belongs only to those he hunts.”
The Huntsman turns fully toward the ring.
King Arthur: “He approached Gretel from outside the field of competition. He attempted to influence a contest in which he was not a participant.”
Brick Brody: “He was doing his job.”
King Arthur: “Then he requires a lesson concerning the limits of that employment.”
The stage lights darken around The Huntsman.
Black branches grow across the central screen.
A narrow path opens through the forest.
King Arthur: “And Sir Lancelot is the finest man in Camelot to teach it.”
A hunting horn sounds.
The Huntsman begins walking back down the aisle.
There is no manager beside him now.
No queen.
No court.
Only the tracker returning toward a confrontation he has been told will become punishment.
His leather gear bears the marks of the earlier collision with Gretel. A dark bruise is beginning to form along his jaw, but his stride remains steady.
Julian Ward: “The Huntsman has been presented as a tracker, an enforcer, and a man who believes every opponent can be reduced to prey.”
King Arthur: “Prey flees.”
The king watches him approach the ring.
King Arthur: “Sir Lancelot will not.”
Brick Brody: “That certainty has buried better men.”
King Arthur: “Not this one.”
The Huntsman climbs the steps and enters the ring.
He moves to a neutral corner and waits.
The forest disappears.
A single sword stands upright upon the screen.
White light descends along its blade.
The crest of Camelot forms behind it.
A ceremonial trumpet sounds.
The crowd rises.
Merlin steps onto the stage first.
His staff rests in one hand. The crystal sphere in the other carries a faint silver glow, quieter than the light used during the previous tag team contest.
He moves aside.
Sir Lancelot enters beneath the crest of Camelot.
His armor reflects the white light in polished edges. A royal blue mantle hangs from one shoulder during the entrance, and the emblem of the Round Table rests across his chest.
He pauses at the top of the aisle.
His attention moves first toward The Huntsman.
Then toward King Arthur.
The king gives a small nod.
Sir Lancelot returns it.
Julian Ward: “There is complete understanding between the champion and the knight.”
Brick Brody: “That is what worries me. A man fights differently when he believes the king is measuring every strike.”
King Arthur: “A true knight does not require observation to fulfill his duty.”
Sir Lancelot removes the mantle and hands it to an attendant.
He begins his walk toward the ring with Merlin following several steps behind.
The Huntsman watches from the corner.
He does not pace.
He does not stretch.
He simply waits for the knight to enter range.
Sir Lancelot reaches the apron and steps between the ropes.
Merlin takes his position at ringside.
The two competitors stand across from one another as Louie Linville enters the centre of the ring.
Louie Linville: “The following contest is scheduled for one fall.”
The crowd responds loudly.
Louie Linville: “Introducing first, the tracker who walks beyond the borders of mercy and follows every trail until judgment is delivered.”
The Huntsman steps away from his corner.
Louie Linville: “He is The Huntsman!”
The dark forest appears behind him once more.
The Huntsman looks toward King Arthur rather than the crowd.
Louie Linville: “And his opponent, accompanied to the ring by Merlin.”
The sword upon the screen burns brighter.
Louie Linville: “First Knight of Camelot. Defender of the Round Table. A warrior whose blade, honor, and body remain pledged to the service of the Crown.”
Sir Lancelot steps forward.
Louie Linville: “He is Sir Lancelot!”
The coliseum rises behind him.
Sir Lancelot turns toward King Arthur and places one fist against his chest.
The king acknowledges him with another measured nod.
Louie Linville exits the ring.
“Honest” Abe checks both competitors.
The Huntsman refuses to break eye contact with Sir Lancelot.
The referee calls for the bell.
Minute 1
Neither man advances immediately.
Sir Lancelot lowers his stance and begins circling.
The Huntsman moves in the opposite direction, keeping his shoulders square and his hands close to the body.
The two men briefly engage.
The Huntsman reaches for the waist.
Sir Lancelot withdraws before the grip can close.
They reset.
Julian Ward: “An unusually cautious beginning from two men capable of immediate violence.”
King Arthur: “Caution is not fear. It is the discipline to understand the opponent before committing the blade.”
Brick Brody: “A blade does not need understanding. It needs an opening.”
They engage again.
Sir Lancelot slips beneath an arm and runs toward the ropes.
He returns before The Huntsman can turn fully, leaps, rotates, and crashes down with a Running Shooting Star Press.
The impact forces The Huntsman onto his back.
Sir Lancelot rises quickly.
The Huntsman catches him from behind.
He locks both arms beneath the shoulders and lifts.
The Full Nelson Slam drives Sir Lancelot into the canvas.
Julian Ward: “The Running Shooting Star Press lands, but The Huntsman answers with the Full Nelson Slam.”
Brick Brody: “That is the danger of landing beside the man you attacked.”
King Arthur: “And Sir Lancelot will correct it.”
Both men rise.
Neither has secured control.
Minute 2
The Huntsman advances with both hands raised.
Sir Lancelot allows him to close the distance.
The knight steps sideways and drives an Enzuigiri into the side of the head.
The Huntsman attempts to raise one arm but cannot block the strike.
He staggers into the ropes.
Julian Ward: “The Enzuigiri finds the temple. Sir Lancelot waited for The Huntsman to enter the striking line.”
King Arthur: “He offered the hunter a trail and punished him for following it.”
Brick Brody: “That sounded almost pleased.”
King Arthur: “It was intended to.”
Sir Lancelot follows with a forearm across the jaw.
The Huntsman remains upright but is forced toward the corner.
The knight does not rush after him.
He resets in the centre and allows The Huntsman to leave the turnbuckles under his own power.
Minute 3
The Huntsman closes with greater aggression.
He throws a short strike toward the body.
Sir Lancelot catches the arm, pulls him forward, and traps both arms.
The knight drives The Huntsman down with a Pedigree.
The crowd rises as the head and shoulders strike the canvas.
Julian Ward: “The Pedigree lands with full force.”
King Arthur: “A lesson delivered directly.”
Sir Lancelot reaches down to pull The Huntsman upright.
The tracker suddenly drives a Woodsman Uppercut beneath the jaw.
Sir Lancelot’s head snaps backward.
He stumbles several steps before regaining balance.
Brick Brody: “And the student struck the instructor.”
King Arthur: “A lesson is not diminished because the subject resists it.”
The Huntsman follows with another blow to the body.
Sir Lancelot absorbs it and raises his guard.
They meet near the centre once again.
Minute 4
The Huntsman secures a front grip.
He pulls Sir Lancelot upward and lifts him vertically.
The knight attempts to shift his weight but cannot escape.
The Huntsman falls backward and drives him into the canvas with a Vertical Suplex.
Julian Ward: “The Vertical Suplex gives The Huntsman his first sustained control.”
Brick Brody: “That is what happens when the hunter stops chasing and begins holding.”
King Arthur: “Control is useful only when it produces a conclusion.”
The Huntsman rolls onto one knee.
He grips Sir Lancelot by the wrist and drags him away from Merlin’s side of the ring.
The knight rises slowly.
The Huntsman keeps the wrist and drives a shoulder into his chest.
Sir Lancelot is forced against the turnbuckles.
Minute 5
At ringside, Merlin raises the crystal sphere.
A pale light moves across its surface.
The Huntsman looks toward it.
The forest reflected within the crystal appears to bend in several directions at once.
For a moment, the tracker’s attention leaves the ring.
Julian Ward: “Merlin has drawn the attention of The Huntsman.”
Brick Brody: “He drew more than that. The man looks as though he has forgotten which corner he entered.”
King Arthur: “A hunter who can be distracted by an unfamiliar path deserves to lose his quarry.”
Sir Lancelot drives a series of strikes into the ribs and shoulders.
The Huntsman absorbs them and reaches blindly.
He catches the knight by the head.
The moment the crystal light fades, The Huntsman turns and drives Sir Lancelot down with an Ace Crusher.
Julian Ward: “Despite the influence of Merlin, The Huntsman finds the Ace Crusher.”
Brick Brody: “He did not need to know where the forest was. He only needed to know where the neck was.”
King Arthur: “And he will discover that one successful counter does not erase the offense.”
Sir Lancelot rolls toward the ropes.
The Huntsman follows.
Minute 6
Sir Lancelot pulls himself upright against the middle rope.
The Huntsman closes from behind and catches the head again.
Before the knight can turn, the Ace Crusher drives him into the canvas a second time.
Julian Ward: “A second Ace Crusher. The Huntsman has recognized an opening at the neck and is returning to it.”
Brick Brody: “That is what a hunter does. Once the wound is found, he does not become creative.”
King Arthur: “Predictability creates vulnerability.”
The Huntsman presses one forearm against the back of Sir Lancelot’s neck.
He pulls him upright and turns toward the commentary desk.
The Huntsman looks directly at King Arthur.
The king remains seated.
King Arthur: “He should watch the man in front of him.”
Sir Lancelot drives an elbow into the ribs and breaks free.
Minute 7
Sir Lancelot turns and throws a Rolling Elbow.
The strike catches The Huntsman across the jaw.
The tracker responds immediately with a Clothesline.
Both men collide near the centre.
Sir Lancelot falls backward.
The Huntsman drops onto one knee from the force of the elbow.
Julian Ward: “Rolling Elbow and Clothesline land almost simultaneously.”
Brick Brody: “That was not strategy. That was two men deciding the other should stop standing.”
King Arthur: “There are moments when direct force becomes the most honest form of instruction.”
The Huntsman rises first and reaches for Sir Lancelot.
The knight rolls beneath the grasp.
He creates distance before the tracker can secure another hold around the head.
Minute 8
The Huntsman charges.
Sir Lancelot steps forward rather than retreating.
He drives a Superkick into the jaw.
The Huntsman attempts to block but raises his arm too late.
The strike sends him backward into the corner.
Julian Ward: “The Superkick lands cleanly.”
King Arthur: “The hunter entered without balance. Sir Lancelot removed what remained.”
Brick Brody: “He is still standing.”
King Arthur: “Then the lesson continues.”
Sir Lancelot presses forward with a forearm to the body.
He pulls The Huntsman away from the turnbuckles and turns him toward the centre.
The tracker resists.
Both men struggle over position.
Minute 9
The Huntsman secures a front waistlock.
He lifts for another Vertical Suplex.
Sir Lancelot shifts his hips and drops behind him.
The suplex is reversed.
At ringside, Merlin reaches beneath his robe and throws a small burst of flash powder toward the apron.
White light erupts beside The Huntsman.
The tracker turns instinctively.
Julian Ward: “Flash powder from Merlin!”
Brick Brody: “The wizard has stopped pretending the crystal is enough.”
King Arthur: “The Huntsman entered the previous contest from outside the ring. He cannot object when the world beyond these ropes becomes relevant.”
Sir Lancelot drives a forearm into the back and sends The Huntsman forward.
The tracker strikes the ropes and turns with one arm across his eyes.
Sir Lancelot takes control of the centre.
Minute 10
Sir Lancelot runs toward the ropes.
He rebounds and launches into another Running Shooting Star Press.
The rotating body crashes across The Huntsman’s chest.
Sir Lancelot rolls through and attempts to rise.
The Huntsman forces himself up beneath him.
He catches the knight around the waist and drives him down with a Body Slam.
Julian Ward: “The Running Shooting Star Press lands again, but The Huntsman answers with the Body Slam.”
Brick Brody: “Every time Sir Lancelot leaves the canvas, he gives the hunter a chance to catch him afterward.”
King Arthur: “Yet every landing is weakening The Huntsman.”
Brick Brody: “And every catch is weakening Sir Lancelot.”
King Arthur: “Only one of them requires the lesson.”
Both men rise slowly.
The Huntsman reaches one knee first.
Minute 11
Sir Lancelot catches The Huntsman as he stands.
He secures the body, lifts, and drives him down with a Falcon Arrow.
The impact folds The Huntsman against the canvas.
Julian Ward: “Falcon Arrow from Sir Lancelot.”
The knight hooks one leg.
“Honest” Abe drops into position.
“One!”
“Two!”
The Huntsman kicks out.
Brick Brody: “The hunter survives.”
King Arthur: “Survival is not victory.”
Sir Lancelot sits beside him for a moment, then rises.
Merlin calls for patience from ringside.
The knight nods and pulls The Huntsman away from the ropes.
Minute 12
Sir Lancelot measures another Superkick.
He strikes.
The boot lands beneath the jaw.
The Huntsman stumbles but catches the knight as he attempts to follow.
He lifts Sir Lancelot and drives him down with another Body Slam.
Julian Ward: “The Superkick connects, and again The Huntsman uses the closing distance to secure a Slam.”
Brick Brody: “He cannot stop every strike. He can make sure Sir Lancelot pays for delivering them.”
King Arthur: “Pain does not invalidate duty.”
The Huntsman places one boot against Sir Lancelot’s shoulder and pushes him onto his back.
He does not attempt the cover.
Instead, he pulls the knight upward again.
King Arthur: “A mistake.”
Brick Brody: “You wanted the lesson to continue.”
King Arthur: “For him. Not for Sir Lancelot.”
Minute 13
Both men pause.
Sir Lancelot raises his guard.
The Huntsman circles toward the damaged side of the neck.
Neither commits to the first strike.
The Huntsman feints a charge.
Sir Lancelot refuses to react.
The tracker reaches for the wrist.
The knight pulls away.
Julian Ward: “The match has returned to the same caution with which it began, but both men now carry thirteen minutes of damage.”
King Arthur: “This is where discipline matters most.”
Sir Lancelot suddenly steps forward and throws a Rolling Elbow.
The Huntsman attempts to cover but cannot prevent the strike from reaching the side of the head.
He falls toward the ropes.
Brick Brody: “Discipline found the jaw.”
Sir Lancelot remains close but does not allow the tracker to grasp him.
Minute 14
The Huntsman uses the ropes to stand.
Sir Lancelot waits near the centre.
The tracker steps forward cautiously.
The knight changes direction and drives an Enzuigiri into the side of the head.
The Huntsman falls onto his back.
Julian Ward: “A second Enzuigiri finds its target.”
Sir Lancelot covers.
“One!”
“Two!”
The Huntsman kicks out.
King Arthur: “He continues to resist the inevitable.”
Brick Brody: “That is usually what fighters do.”
King Arthur: “Resistance without purpose is merely delay.”
Sir Lancelot rises and looks toward King Arthur.
The king extends one hand toward the fallen tracker.
The message is unmistakable.
Continue.
Minute 15
The Huntsman rises with sudden force.
He drives forward and throws the Woodsman Uppercut.
Sir Lancelot catches the striking arm before it reaches the jaw.
He turns beneath it and forces the wrist across the tracker’s chest.
The Uppercut is neutralized.
Julian Ward: “Sir Lancelot anticipated the Woodsman Uppercut.”
King Arthur: “He has learned the hunter’s favored counter.”
Brick Brody: “The hunter has spent too long fighting the same way.”
Sir Lancelot drives one knee into the body and releases the arm.
The Huntsman retreats several steps.
The knight follows at a measured pace.
Minute 16
The Huntsman attempts another sudden grasp.
Sir Lancelot slips beneath the hands and catches both arms.
He turns the tracker toward the centre and drives him down with a second Pedigree.
Julian Ward: “Another Pedigree from Sir Lancelot.”
The knight rolls The Huntsman onto his back and covers.
“One!”
The Huntsman throws one shoulder upward.
Brick Brody: “He escaped at one.”
King Arthur: “Instinct.”
Julian Ward: “A forceful kickout, but The Huntsman remains unable to create sustained offense.”
Sir Lancelot rises without arguing with the referee.
He pulls the tracker back toward the centre.
Merlin watches from the floor, the crystal sphere held against his chest.
Minute 17
Sir Lancelot runs toward the ropes and launches into a third Running Shooting Star Press.
The impact drives The Huntsman down.
As Sir Lancelot attempts to roll away, the tracker catches the head.
He twists and drives the knight into the canvas with another Ace Crusher.
Both men remain down.
Julian Ward: “The Running Shooting Star Press and the Ace Crusher land in the same exchange.”
Brick Brody: “The Huntsman waited until the knight’s momentum carried him within reach.”
King Arthur: “And used the last opening he is likely to receive.”
“Honest” Abe begins checking both men.
Sir Lancelot rolls onto one side.
The Huntsman uses one arm to drag himself toward the ropes.
The crowd begins to rise as both men struggle upward.
Minute 18
The Huntsman reaches his feet near the corner.
Sir Lancelot closes from behind.
He catches the head and runs forward.
The Running Bulldog drives The Huntsman face-first into the canvas.
Julian Ward: “Running Bulldog from Sir Lancelot.”
The knight turns him over and covers.
“One!”
The Huntsman kicks out before the second count.
Brick Brody: “Another escape at one.”
King Arthur: “His body refuses surrender before his mind has considered whether continued resistance serves him.”
Brick Brody: “You sound offended by toughness.”
King Arthur: “I am offended by toughness without obedience.”
Sir Lancelot draws a breath and rises.
He does not show frustration.
He pulls The Huntsman away from the ropes once more.
Minute 19
Sir Lancelot secures the body.
He lifts The Huntsman and drives him down with another Falcon Arrow.
The tracker lands heavily across the shoulders.
Julian Ward: “A second Falcon Arrow.”
Sir Lancelot hooks both legs.
“One!”
“Two!”
The Huntsman forces one shoulder upward.
The crowd reacts to the late escape.
Brick Brody: “That one was closer.”
King Arthur: “The body is beginning to understand what pride refuses.”
Sir Lancelot sits beside The Huntsman and studies him.
The tracker turns onto one knee.
He pushes upward despite the accumulated punishment.
King Arthur removes one hand from the Mythic Crown Championship and places it against the desk.
His eyes remain fixed upon the ring.
Minute 20
The Huntsman reaches his feet.
He throws one desperate Clothesline.
Sir Lancelot ducks beneath it.
The knight catches the head from behind and runs toward the centre.
The Running Bulldog drives The Huntsman face-first into the canvas for a second time.
He does not move.
Julian Ward: “The Running Bulldog lands again.”
Sir Lancelot rolls The Huntsman onto his back and hooks the leg.
“Honest” Abe drops beside them.
“One!”
Merlin watches from the floor.
“Two!”
King Arthur rises from his chair.
“Three!”
The bell rings.
Sir Lancelot releases the leg and kneels beside the defeated tracker.
The Huntsman remains on his back, breathing heavily.
Louie Linville enters the ring.
Louie Linville: “Here is your winner… Sir Lancelot!”
The crowd rises as Merlin steps onto the apron.
Sir Lancelot stands and allows “Honest” Abe to raise his arm.
At the commentary desk, King Arthur watches without celebration.
His expression carries only satisfaction that an expected judgment has been fulfilled.
Julian Ward: “Sir Lancelot endured repeated Ace Crushers, heavy throws, and the physical resilience of The Huntsman. He remained disciplined, continued attacking the head and neck, and the second Running Bulldog finally secured the victory.”
Brick Brody: “The hunter kept surviving, but survival gave him no path back into the match. Sir Lancelot punished him until the kickouts stopped meaning anything.”
Julian Ward: “A decisive victory for the First Knight of Camelot, delivered beneath the direct observation of King Arthur. The lesson demanded by the Mythic Crown Champion has been completed.”
RESULT: SIR LANCELOT DEFEATED THE HUNTSMAN WITH THE RUNNING BULLDOG AT 20:00.
King Arthur removes the headset.
He lifts the Mythic Crown Championship from the commentary desk and places it across his shoulder.
Brick Brody: “It appears the king has more to say.”
Julian Ward: “And he intends to say it from inside the ring.”
King Arthur walks away from the desk.
The crowd rises as he approaches the ring steps.
Inside, Sir Lancelot turns toward him.
Merlin enters through the ropes and stands beside the knight.
The Huntsman has rolled beneath the bottom rope and sits against the barricade, holding the back of his neck. He looks toward the three men gathering in the ring but makes no attempt to return.
King Arthur climbs the steps.
Sir Lancelot moves toward the ropes and holds them apart for him.
The Mythic Crown Champion enters.
Merlin stands to his left.
Sir Lancelot stands to his right.
King Arthur moves to the centre and raises the championship above his head.
The crest of Camelot fills the stage screen.
Blue banners descend through golden light.
Louie Linville approaches from the corner and offers the microphone.
King Arthur takes it.
The crowd slowly quiets.
The camera closes upon the king, the wizard, and the First Knight standing together beneath the light of the Crown.
The next decree waits to be spoken.
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