*** Damion Black is on his way back to his backstage office after the The Camp/Spencer Watts match. Damion’s expression is all business with just a hint of a self-satisfied smirk on his lips. He rounds a corner and stops short. There, dressed in a long black trench coat and his wrestling gear, arms folded over his broad chest, stands Nemesis Rex. ***
NEMESIS REX: “Damion Black.”
BLACK: “Nemesis.”
***Black looks around and straightens his tie.***
BLACK: “So… to what do I owe pleasure?”
***Nemesis Rex unfolds his arms and puts his hands on his hips.***
NEMESIS: “Oh nothing really… I just thought that I owed you a professional courtesy, considering that our two… factions… will be meeting tonight for Championship Gold.”
***Black looks around to make sure they are indeed alone.***
BLACK: “I see… a professional courtesy. Like you gave to our PWA Heavyweight Champion on Battery?”
***Nemesis smiles.***
NEMESIS: “Hah, no… nothing so crude. Not for someone of your refined tastes and… gentlemanly way of doing business.”
***Black narrows his eyes and clears his throat.***
BLACK: “You know Rex… I’ve always held you in the highest esteem. Your demeanor… your no-nonsense way of carrying yourself. You’re a legend in this business.”
***Nemesis chuckles at Black. Damion pauses and raises a cautious eyebrow.***
BLACK: “Did I say something funny?”
NEMESIS: “Not directly. It’s just humorous… you saying that you admire me. You know, for years I thought you, perhaps, had modeled yourself after me. Your choice of ring attire, your swagger, your ponytail… of course your devilishly handsome looks.”
BLACK: “… well that’s… not accurate but I suppose I’ll take that as a compliment.”
NEMESIS: “I don’t care how you take it. Because now that I see you up close… it’s clear I misjudged you. I don’t make mistakes often but when I do I’m man enough to admit it. Because no… up close I can see there’s an… impudent inferiority complex lurking underneath all that swagger. Yes… face-to-face you remind me of someone. Not myself anymore but… someone.”
***Nemesis snaps his fingers.***
NEMESIS: “Of course. How could I have missed it. That annoying self-importance. That entitled sense of heavenly appointed destiny. You remind me… of some sort of off-brand Akira Wyld.”
*** Damion’s expression darkens. He adjusted his collar and considers his words carefully.***
BLACK: “As I said Nemesis… I have always held you in great esteem and respect. You are a man who takes what he wants without waiting for permission, something I’ve always believed in. You are one of the longest tenured athletes in the sport, one of the greatest, coldest tacticians who has ever laced a pair of boots. You have inspired me on more than one occasion. But to first claim that I have modeled myself after you,… no. There is only one Damion Black and I am a unique original. And then, to compare me to that… FLUKE champion on Battery, as if he could possibly hold a candle to my genius! Respect or no respect, I will not endure that insult!
NEMESIS : “Ahh… it sounds like you are sporting for a fight. Is that what you want Damion? You want to dance with the Devil tonight?”
BLACK: “You have some nerve. Do you realize who you’re talking to? Do you realize that I hold your career in my hands? If I so much as curl my fingers into an iron fist, you will become a retired legend mentioned only in the ghost-written biographies of has-beens.”
NEMESIS: “You may hold my employment in your hands… but my career… my legacy… is beyond your reach you small, petty man.”
BLACK: “Oh I don’t mean I could fire you. I mean that if so choose, I can break you in that ring. End your legacy here and now. In fact, if I wanted I could finish you even easier than that. Swarm this hallway with Camp members and leave you a bloody mess on the ground. But, out of respect… instead, I will see you in the ring. We’re on next.”
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**Damion Black reels back and leans on the ropes as Nemesis Rex lays on the mat trying to regain his senses. Black has a frantic look in his eye, as several strands of his hair hang disheveled in his face. He looks down at the recovering Rex and then over to the referee. Then he turns around and starts gesturing broadly toward the entrance ramp for help.***
BLOOMFIELD: “It looks like Damion Black has had enough! He’s calling to the back for the Camp! We all knew this was a possibility!”
***Black waves his arms frantically… but after several seconds nobody comes out. Black glares at the empty entrance ramp and then runs over to the timekeeper and yells.***
BLACK: “What the hell is going on back there!? You! Get a camera on back there right now!”
***The timekeeper frantically talks into his headset as Black runs over to Rex and stomps him a couple of times for good measure before gesturing broadly at the entranceway again.***
BLOOMFIELD: “It… it seems like something isn’t going according to plan here. Clearly Damion Black was expecting some support from backstage but… wait, it looks like we’ve got a camera crew backstage ready to go!”
***The large screen above the entrance ramp flicks to life and shows and image of the backstage area, just in time to catch Brawler Beckett sailing through the air into a stack of plastic crates. SHANE stomps him hard on the ground, as The Army of ONE can be seen bodyslamming Nakamura Yamasaki hard on the concrete floor in the background. Pantaro dives into view from offscreen, peppering Army with lefts and rights, only to be caught and choke slammed rudely to the ground. Just then, Yuri Kruchiev appears and kicks Army in the gut doubling him over. Before he can follow up, he eats and explosive big boot from SHANE. The gigantic Megaliths then pick up the World’s Greatest Grappler and deliver a thunderous double powerbomb through a nearby catering table!***
BLOOMFIELD: “Oh my!! The Megaliths have laid waste to the Camp backstage!! Damion Black’s backup is laying battered and beaten on the ground!!”
***Damion Black stares at the scene on the monitor with his mouth agape.***
BLOOMFIELD: “Damion Black is beside himself!”
***On the screen, the Megaliths look at the carnage around them and give each other a fist bump. Then they nod at each other and begin striding menacingly toward the entrance area.***
BLOOMFIELD: “The Megaliths are making their way to the ring!!”
***Inside the ring, Black is shaking his head and cursing under his breath… and doesn’t see Nemesis Rex slowly and deliberately rise to his feet behind him.***
BLACK: “Get security back there right now! Do you hear me?! I said…”
***SHANE and the Army of ONE emerge from the entrance ramp and march toward the ring. Black’s eyes go wide and he backs up… and bumps into Rex. Black wheels around and comes face to face with Nemesis, who smiles at him. Black immediately backpedals and rolls under the ropes away from Rex. He backs up the ramp shaking his head. Suddenly, he realizes what he’s doing and spins around to see the Megaliths advancing down the ramp towards him. Black puts up his hands and backs toward the ring again. He turns and runs along the side of the ring to leap the guardrail… only to have MIGHTY COBRA suddenly appear from behind the rail and blast Black with a face full of Cobra Venom!***
BLOOMFIELD: “The owner of PWA has been blinded by a sneak attack by Cobra! Damion Black is helpless and alone!”
***Black pinwheels and flails backwards clutching at his eyes… and stumbles right into the clutches of the Megaliths! Army goozles Black around the throat as Nemesis Rex beckons from inside the ring. Army picks up Black and gorilla presses him over the middle rope from the floor into the ring. A blinded Black stumbles to his feet, clutching wildly at the air with his hands. Nemesis Rex puts his hands on his knees and measures Black… and cinches him into a headlock and drops him in the center of the ring with an Unkindest Cut!***
BLOOMFIELD: “The Cut! The Unkindest Cut! For the FIFTH time tonight, Black has been laid out in the center of the ring with the Unkindest Cut!!!”
***Nemesis rolls over Black and covers him… and Bill White counts a slow and decisive three! He raises Nemesis Rex’s hand as the Devil’s Own enters the ring and poses with their leader. Just then, from the entrance ramp, Victor Sokolov, Average Jo, Spoiler III and Bokrug all come running down to the ring.***
BLOOMFIELD: “A day late and a dollar short, the rest of the Camp has arrived!”
***The Camp makes it to ringside and Spoiler makes a quick grab and manages to drag Black to the floor, out of the clutches of the Devil’s Own. Sokolov props up Black who is desperately trying to regain his senses. The two factions stare each other down, with Nemesis Rex in the ring beckoning for the Camp to enter and continue the fight. After a tense stare down… Black groggily waves off the Camp and beckons for them to head to the backstage area. Sokolov glares angrily at the ring… and then backs up the ramp with Black and company.***
BLOOMFIELD: “Folks, it looks like the Camp is backing off! Damion Black certainly knows that Average Jo and Bokrug both have scheduled title matches later tonight, so it makes sense to avoid a fight now, but still… ladies and gentlemen, The Devil’s Own are standing tall in the center of the ring while the Camp retreats! What does this mean for the war between PWA and the Camp? It looks like maybe we are looking at a legitimate three way conflict here! Stay tuned… there’s plenty more action coming up next!”