Millennium XCIX

The scene opens backstage. BROOKFORD is shown on screen wearing a three piece suit. He has the World Championship draped over his shoulder. The crowd cheers. He has a stoic expression on his face.

BROOKFORD:
I gotta admit, I can’t help but feel disappointed. Doesn’t everyone and their mother’s mother want to be the World Champion? I am noticing the same lack of desire that Duke felt leading into Below Zero. Funny, you talked about the deck being stacked against you, if memory serves me correctly, you went out of your way to request to defend the championship against Lowri Moss and Joey LeClair to begin with. One minute you act like he is the ultimate badass. Weren’t you the same person pretending on Twitter that we all knew what the outcome was gonna be. I am not the one lying to the people big man, you are. If there is anyone who is responsible for stacking the deck against themselves is you. Not my fault you requested two challengers before I entered the picture. Not my fault Alan Envy decided to show up to the dance. You’re not the victim here, you brought this on yourself. Don’t pull the management isn’t going to put us in the same ring card, that’s beneath you. I’m disappointed, really. You truly have changed. I would say it’s breaking my heart, that would be a lie.

BROOKFORD chuckles.

BROOKFORD:
Enough about you. For now. We’ll likely trade words until the next eventual showdown. Better than what I’ve been getting. I need to focus on who my next challenger will be. Since management is allegedly not gonna give you your rematch, I’ll talk about someone who has impressed lately. Melissa Reeves. Now Melissa, you don’t talk a lot, that’s fine. Your actions speak louder than anything. You have cut a swath through your competition since you’ve returned, don’t think I haven’t taken notice. According to the record books, you are the longest reigning World Champion in history. The way I see it, that’s a money match in the making. So what do you say Reeves. You. Me. For the World Championship whenever Elsa and Vincent decides.

The crowd cheers. BROOKFORD nods. We linger on BROOKFORD a little while longer as the scene fades to black.

Pre-recorded…

We cut to a dimly lit area. We cannot tell where we are but it is clearly not the arena, in fact it is nowhere near the arena in Las Vegas. The sound of footsteps echos in the background. Then we find “The Assassin” Clyde Sutter strutting down the streets. He is dressed in black pants, black boots, a black overcoat, and a white sulk button up shirt. A sinister sneer is etched across his face.

Clyde Sutter:
Everything has its appointed time. Nothing lasts forever. Everything and everyone in this life is temporary. All of this, the beauty and the ugly, the good and the bad, all of it will come to an end. Perhaps soon? Perhaps a long time from now? Either way, the fact remains that everything has its allotted time. Everyone has an allotted time for them to meet their maker. And yes, that even includes legends such as the great Glory Braddock.

He chuckles nastily.

Clyde Sutter:
You flaunted your victory over me, you bragged about how you beat me. But alas, Ms. Braddock, you were mistaken. See, I represent time itself and even you cannot defeat time. You have defeated many opponents in your illustrious career. You have overcome many obstacles and you have taken down oh so many monsters during your career as a professional wrestler. But one thing you cannot defeat is time. Your time will come, Gloria Braddock. All you did was delay the inevitable. But by delaying your inevitable fate, you sacrificed your friends and loved ones. You could have walked away after our first encounter and none of this would have happened. What I did to your friend Kyle Butler is on your head…what I will do to your childhood best friend Matthew Taylor on GCW programming this Saturday will be on your head too…because your time was up! The grim reaper had come to claim your heart, your soul, and your career, but like the stubborn bitch you are you kept fighting, and you somehow managed to overcome fate.

The Assassin shakes his head.

Clyde Sutter:
But fate will not be denied. If it cannot have you, then someone else must take your place. Kyle Butler took your place. Matthew Taylor will take your place. But don’t worry about that, Ms. Braddock; because at Millennium Centum you have a chance to make things right. You and I will fight one more time. Once more The Assassin will come knocking on your door to inform you that your time is up.

Sutter stops a few yards away from a nice looking home. He looks up at it and then back at the camera. He sneers.

Clyde Sutter:
I will come knocking on your door, literally and figuratively. You recognize this, don’t you Gloria? This is your home in Miami. You know what I have noticed about you, Ms. Braddock? You freely take your children to see you compete in Supreme Championship Wrestling. But you avoid taking them anywhere near Millennium Wrestling Enterprise. Is it because of me, Gloria? Do you avoid taking them to see you compete on Millennium and Riot because you know I will be there and you are afraid of what I might do to them? Yet here I am, standing so close to the place you call home. As of the recording of this you are away making a scheduled MWE appearance. Since I may be there, you left your youngest daughter…her name is Dawn, right? You left her here with your husband Kurt. I could march up there, kick in the door, and destroy them both with my bare hands.

He shakes his head.

Clyde Sutter:
But that would be illegal, wouldn’t it? That’s the beauty of professional wrestling. You can violently assault someone, you can intentionally end someone’s career and the law can’t do a damn thing about it. Which brings me to your oldest daughter, Melinda…

Sutter licks his lips.

Clyde Sutter:
...she really is a sweet piece of ass. You have no idea the dirty things she is capable of in the sack, let me tell you. Maybe that will be a story for another time? Your whore of an oldest daughter is now a fully trained professional wrestler isn’t she? She got her start last year and is currently competing in the European independent circuits. I could find a promoter there willing to put me in as a mystery opponent against little Melinda. Then I would have free license to maim her. Though I already have license to maim your family members. A little known fact is that you have a cousin, a cousin more than ten years older than you but a cousin nonetheless. That cousin is Angelica Jones. Your cousin, Angelica Jones, is the mother of Jessica Lasiewicz and Kimberly Williams. I could snap both of their necks just like that!

He snaps his fingers. He laughs nastily and shakes his head.

Clyde Sutter:
But none of that has to happen, Gloria. At Millennium Centum, The Assassin is coming because your time is up. Your appointed time to be crushed by me. Unfortunately you do have a nasty habit of overcoming fate. Fate will not be overcome forever, you can only delay it. And maybe you will delay it again? Just understand that if you do delay fate again, then the destruction will only continue. And if that happens, then I will target your family.

He nods at the camera.

Clyde Sutter:
See you soon, Braddock.

Backstage we find Summer Collins dressed to compete. Her semi-finals match against Omari Johnson and Leia LeBeau is coming up. She is with her best friend and tag team partner, ‘The Archangel’ Jessica Lasiewicz, and their new marketing guru Leviticus.

Summer Collins:
This isn’t exactly going to be fun for me…

Lasiewicz rolls her eyes.

Jessica Lasiewicz:
It’s wrestling, Summer. It isn’t supposed to be fun.

Summer Collins:
Still, I should get SOME pleasure out of this. And yeah, I still am in contention to become Cloud Gate Champion. This is a triple threat though and I don’t even be involved in the decision to lose. Plus I have to share the ring with Omari Johnson and Leia LeBeau. And you know how much the LeBeau’s annoy me. And Omari…well, him and his entourage, the Bad Boyz, they are the only reason I have to have an entourage at the ring with me.

Jessica Lasiewicz:
You want me to stay back here? Just say the word.

Collins shakes her head.

Summer Collins:
My problem isn’t with you.

She points to Captain Capitalism, aka: Leviticus.

Summer Collins:
My problem is him! He’s a clown!

Jessica Lasiewicz:
Yes, he is a clown…and an idiot…and a jackass…

The Maharajah of Marketing (Leviticus):
...AND still in the room!

Jessica Lasiewicz:
...I know. Levi is also a damn good fighter. He and I will have your back in case there are any shenanigans at ringside. Trust me, it will work. Levi already paid off last week. You got through.

Collins points a finger at Jessica.

Summer Collins:
But you didn’t. And you were the one who could have used that kind of help when Marshall cheated.

Jessica Lasiewicz:
I know, that’s why tonight your bases are covered. You have two extra pair of eyes at ringside watching to make sure you don’t get screwed over tonight. I may have come up short but that means you could become the Cloud Gate Champion.

Summer Collins:
I WILL become champion, Jess. There is no denying that.

The show switches to somewhere backstage at the Michelob Ultra Arena, and the sight of Lowri Moss immediately draws a cheer from the audience. Unlike last Wednesday, Lowri is dressed to compete tonight, wearing her ring attire together with one of the t-shirts that commemorates her victory in the 2018 WCS World Cup. She begins by giving her usual greeting.

Lowri Moss:
What’s occurring, Las Vegas?

That of course elicits a cheap pop from the fans in Sin City. With a smile on her face, Lowri proceeds.

Lowri Moss:
You know, I don’t think it would be unreasonable for anyone to say that… I haven’t exactly had the most memorable of starts to the new year. I mean, we’re now two or three days into February, but I’ve only had one match so far this year, and that ended in a loss… albeit through no fault of my own, but still, given how I ended last year, competing for the World title, that leaves a lot to be desired as far as I’m concerned, and so tonight I plan to start putting that right, with a win in my match against Valentine.

There is barely a pause, before Lowri continues.

Lowri Moss:
Of course, had I not asked to be removed from the Cloud Gate Championship tournament, then my first victory of the year could potentially have come in last week’s main event. And as the tournament continues tonight, with the three semi-finals, I don’t have any regrets about not being part of it, I haven’t had any second thoughts about my decision. In fact, after watching that main event between Megan Monroe and Leia LeBeau, and seeing how it ended, that just made me even more convinced that I had made the right decision by withdrawing from the tournament.

A small sigh escapes her lips.

Lowri Moss:
I think it would’ve been clear to anyone who watched it that when Gareth interjected himself into the main event last week, he didn’t do so to help Leia, he did it to hinder Megan– come to think of it, saying that he hindered Megan is probably an understatement, but… you know what I mean. Anyway, seeing what happened left me wondering, had the match gone ahead as originally scheduled, with me as Megan’s opponent, not Leia, would Gareth still have interfered to cost Megan the match? I haven’t actually asked him about that yet, and I would hope that he wouldn’t have, as he knows how I feel about being gifted a win due to someone interfering, but… I’m glad that I never had to find out. And I did see Megan tell Gareth on Twitter after last week’s show that she’s going to get her pound of flesh, which I can completely empathise with, although I do hope that I don’t end up getting dragged into Gareth’s [BEEP] again, like I did a few months ago with him and Henri Black.

Unlike Lowri, Gareth never did end up having to face Henri Black, with the latter having vanished from MWE.

Lowri Moss:
Given my track record of success in tournaments–

Lowri gestures towards her t-shirt, the World Cup of Wrestling being just one of several tournaments that she has won so far in her career.

Lowri Moss:
My withdrawal from the Cloud Gate Championship tournament would’ve come as a relief to the rest of the participants. There’ll be no such relief though for my opponent here tonight, Valentine, as I definitely won’t be pulling out of this one, and he can expect to be on the receiving end of a full onslaught of strikes.

She motions throwing a right forearm, followed by a chop.

Lowri Moss:
Both Valentine and his manager, Evie, have been on the quiet side the past couple of weeks, which... I'm not really sure whether that's a good sign or an ominous one. I am aware of how violent he can be, or likes to be, but that doesn’t faze me, and I’m fully confident of getting the result that I want. He’s going to be one of the biggest guys that I’ve fought in a while, not just in MWE, but anywhere… well, tallest, at least– I think both BROOKFORD and Dusty are a bit hencher than he is– but I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: no matter how big an opponent is, I can still chop them, I can still headbutt them, and perhaps most importantly, I can still kick them.

She nods her head, as if for emphasis.

Lowri Moss:
Today may be Groundhog Day, but I am not going to be reliving what happened in my last match, my second match of the year will not go like the first– I have no intention of being left stuck still searching for a win. Instead, it’ll be Valentine who’s the one that won’t like what lies in store for them.

Lowri then gives a wink to the camera, before it cuts away.

The camera rolls into Joey leclair’s locker room where he is seen wrapping his wrists preparing for his triple threat Cloud Gate Championship tournament match later tonight when he notices the camera and smirks looking straight into the camera.

Joey Leclair:
Last week I gave a stern warning, and held up my promise in ending my first qualifying match in decently quick fashion, and over Kimberly Williams non the less who is a top tier talent, and once again my mindset is still in the same place, but tonight will not be easy nor a walk in that park, but I knew this from the time the tournament was announced, because at the end of the day we all want the same thing, and that is to win championships, and make a name for ourselves

Joey walks over to this locker, and pulls out a water bottle taking a drink before turning to face the camera once more.

Joey Leclair:
My opponents tonight are both similar to me, and different at the same time, starting with Billy Danielson who calls himself a franchise player, and thinks that he is the big time elite player in millennium which I once upon a time had a similar ego when i Called myself the greatest man in whichever company I worked for at the time, and to be honest I still feel the same, but that brings us to our differences, because Billy is still young in his career so he is still growing, and learning where I have a decade plus under my career, and the experience edge, but I know better to underestimate even the greenest of talent, because ego is the downfall of many a person, and so despite how good he thinks he is? Or how resilient he thinks he is? He is stepping into the ring with someone full of hunger, and all consuming intensity on levels he will never see again, because if you have seen my logo? It’s a bears head with Prodigy written at the bottom of it, and that bear is more than an image, but a representation, because standing across from me is like standing across a hungry starving bear who is gonna run through you, and maim you, and eat you alive, so billy bring your ego, and your BDE, and I will humble you, and for break your spirits, but oh I haven't forgotten that this is a triple threat match which brings me to the next contestant… Gareth Prichard Jr.

Joey places his hands together cracking his knuckles.

Joey Leclair:
In my opinion Gareth is the true threat in this match, because his technical ability is top notch, and I know very well that he will attempt to use his expansive repertoire of submission holds to end the match early due his history of running out of breathe in lengthy contests due to asthma, and he is very capable of doing that, and there is no real way of preparing for match against someone like Gareth, but I have faced many a opponent who had intentions of ending matches quickly only to drag them the distance, and why do you think I am called The Prodigy? A prodigy is someone with extraordinary abilities, and for me that is my technical game, and since I have started focusing on bringing back my technical game? My career has skyrocketed! I may not have won every single match, but everyone loses sometimes its how you get back up and avenge those loses that defines you, and since returning my focus to my technical game i have had a few high profile matches going on beating Seth Iser, and a draw with Lowri Moss two people you know very well don’t you? Hell I even had a World Championship match when I came up short, but I held my own every step of the way, and I am not bringing up these facts because I am arrogant, or overconfident, but simply because they are facts, and so Gareth, and Billy? Tonight three men known for excellence step inside the ring, and after is all said, and done? I will stand with my hand raised, because I am hell neither of you prepared for, so bring your best so that when I break your spirits? There are no excuses.

Joey smirks as the scene comes to an end.

Billy Danielson is pacing back and forth backstage. The GOAT is waiting for a camera crew to walk up so he can cut his promo. The camera crew comes sprinting down the hallway, as Danielson looks at his phone and scolds them for being late. The camera crew apologize as they turn on the microphone and hand it to him as the mic catches the last bit of Danielson ranting at them.

Billy Danielson:
This is the last time I outsource for my own damn camera crew. I have a damn match in a few minutes, the least you can do is be on time!

The cameraman

Billy Danielson:
WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU’RE ROLLING ALREADY??? Ugh… okay, let me clear my mind for a second…

Billy takes a deep breath and does a vocal exercise to get back to square one mentally. The cameraman counts down from 5 and Billy finally gets zen-enough to cut a promo.

Billy Danielson:
Last week, I had a deeply sentimental match against my own flesh and blood. I faced someone who I have helped train and watched grow into their own slowly, but surely…

He pauses as he thinks back to his match with Millie Smith, but as soon as that moment of silence he goes straight into a cocky smirk.

Billy Danielson:
This week not so much.

Billy scoffs as he continues on.

Billy Danielson:
I would be lying if I said I knew who Joey Leclair or Gareth Prichard Jr were, but I’d also be lying if I didn’t google their wiki pages as soon as I saw the card, because I wasn’t going to allow my opponents surprise me with anything… Luckily for me, they won’t be.

Danielson laughs, but he’s still struggling not being a total ego maniac, so he tries to reign it in a bit. He truly didn’t know who his opponents were, but he wanted to try and respect them as much as he can.

Billy Danielson:
According to google, Joey LeClair is a man in his thirties still calling himself a prodigy, despite his near-decade in this industry. If that doesn’t scream unfulfilled potential, then maybe the fact that he has spent the last year being a shell of his former self does. I want to look at this man with respect. I really do, because I get it. Injuries ruin career and momentum, but even in my steepest downward spiral, I’ve never been as forgettable as Joey LeClair has become.

Billy pauses again, genuinely feeling bad for Joey LeClair, despite the fact that he has actually been on the up-and-up.

Billy Danielson:
But I guess that’s what makes Joey the most dangerous right now, huh? That back-in-the-corner feeling you get when you hit rock bottom and have nothing to lose. The fact that this man has been in this industry since 2011, but his biggest claim to fame is a tertiary title reign he had for a handful of months back in the thick of the pandemic. He has to prove to the world that he was a prodigy at one point and now he is a virtuoso or a master or a paragon or something more evolved than what he was before now. He has that drive and hunger, the only thing he needs is the opportunity, and what better way than eliminating The Franchise and… The King of Failure?

Billy is taken aback by this nickname, but doesn’t let his pikachu-surprise meme face stay for long as he scoffs and continues.

Billy Danielson:
Talk about the polar opposite of Joey LeClair. While Joe is a grown as man who still calls himself a prodigy, Gareth is a fetus who seems to think he can make a claim to being a claim at anything, let alone FAILURE...

He looks completely in disbelief as he tries to keep his face straight.

Billy Danielson:
And the crazy thing is, you’re the actual prodigy here. I remember the name Neal Durden. I remember all the tag titles you held and all the hype that was behind you when you started to really hit your stride, but then something changed and now look at you….

Danielson shakes his head.

Billy Danielson:
You’re just another edgelord who thinks he’s so unique compared to all the other edgelords. It’s almost as sad as what has happened with Joey, but the difference is that you have all this potential. You have so much going for you, even if you’re just another angsty Zillenial, but instead, you choose to label yourself a King of Failure and accept your fate before it even gets decided. And then you go and piss of Megan Monroe, which means she’s going to hyper-fixate on screwing you over for the next 4 months… trust me I know from experience.

A sigh

Billy Danielson:
But I guess neither of you really had a chance in this tournament to begin with. I beat Gareth all over Chicago with a hockey stick at Redline, and his version of bouncing back is getting a win against a woman with a name I can’t even pronounce. Joey on the other hand is trying his best to gain momentum, but fun matches with old rivals is where his journey ends.

He tries to reign in the ego again, but it only lasts so long.

Billy Danielson:
Both of these men have so much going for them. They really do. Prodigies. Kings. Whatever they want to call themselves, they provide an argument as to WHY they are who they say they are. However, I’m more than just an argument… I am the truth.

Danielson begins to readjust himself to add to his presence. He stands a bit taller, puffs his chest out a bit more, and turns his nose up just a bit higher.

Billy Danielson:
Tonight, GPJ and Joey face a man who is known for carrying another company on is back for 5 years, where he has created titles and alternate shows just because he wanted to. They’re facing a man who one of his bosses want to fire him, but can’t because he’s too damn marketable. They’re facing a man who just walked into Millenium, jumps between rosters when he likes, and inserts himself into whatever title scene he wants because he can. I’m not some prodigy or upstart. I am The Greatest of All Time, The Franchise, and the Cloud Gate Championship WILL be mine, because when it is all said and done… I am…

A producer motions to Billy that his cue is coming up and he needs to be up front in the next few minutes. Billy shouts in frustration

Billy Danielson:
GOD DA-

He throws the microphone at the freelance camera crew and heads towards gorilla in a huff.

The scene opens backstage in the locker room. The fans boo at the sight of Faizah Marshall. She can be seen sitting on a blue steel folding chair. The mammoth of a man, TD Batterson, towering over here from behind.

Faizah Marshall:
Beating Jessica a week ago was soooooooooooooooo satisfying. I hear she isn’t too thrilled with the way I won. Tough shit, Jessica. What’s wrong? Embarrassed? Next time, think twice before you guarantee victory. My only disappointment about tonight, other than sharing the same ring with Julian--

Faizah gags.

Faizah Marshall:
-- is not being able to knock off Summer from the tournament myself. Now that would be fabolous.

Faizah smiles.

Faizah Marshall:
Speaking of Julian... hey. At first I didn’t get it. You have been trolling me for weeks on social media. Is it a Savell thing to be completely annoying? Then it clicked. The only reason you are paying any attention to me is because you love what you see. Pretending you don’t want me, saying my ass is saggy when anyone with a functioning brain knows otherwise. You’re like the kid from middle school, pretending you don’t like the girl, teasing her, getting under her skin, it all makes sense. You can pretend you’re already with your dream girl. When the reality is, no one holds a candle to me. Not your supposed dream girl. Hell, not even that rat Evelyn in The Academy, I am the best. Anyone who says otherwise is lying to themselves.

JJ, when you see the light, call me.

Faizah blows JJ a kiss. The fans boo at the arrogance of Faizah.

Faizah Marshall:
This isn’t about romance tonight. I have a main event to win. I want 2022 to be better than the back half of 2021. I want to be a champion. Am I going to say this is inevitable? No. I’m not. This is probably the deepest tournament in MWE history. You’re no slouch either Nine van der Hoek. But I am on a mission. I plan on nothing stopping me from achieving my goal. All of you will recognize that I am the Best. At. Everything. Let's go big guy.

Faizah stands up. She walks away. TD follows her. The scene fades to black.