LOOK UPON MY WORKS, YE MIGHTY, AND DESPAIR

REVIVAL 13

“Drums of Darkness” by Simone Benyacar and Craig Garfinkle. 

The percussion beat hammers before a lingering fade mere moments after its volley.

The Universal Championship is on the line. The challenger, Phil Atken, brushes his hand through his hair, a look of concern on his face as his entourage has been sent to the back. The Champion, Brandon Youngblood, stares forward, ready to strike the moment the bell rings. Referee Timo Bolamba slaps his hands together.

The war begins.

The drumbeat returns, and as it does, flashes. The Tower of Babel grapples the waist of The Humble Proprietor, arms locked, only to receive vicious elbows to the back of his head in return. A knee drives The Diamond upright. Ozymandias connects with a vicious knife edge chop. The Champion returns in kind, his hand splattering the chest of his challenger.

The beat revs up again, a fury of forearms from both, a massive backbody drop, a release german suplex, and Atken rolls to the floor. A flash. The Proprietor of the Glue Factory’s elbow cuts open Brandon’s cheek. Another flash. A half nelson suplex sends Phil Atken to the canvas. He’s inside his guard now, raining elbows. Now, Ozymandias is bleeding.

The brutality is getting out of hand. Atken takes the larger Youngblood over his hip, and fires off the penalty kick heard around the world, his nose exploded from the blow. Atken’s cover and rubbing elbow over the nose of his opponent receives a vicious kickout. A spinebuster fires off from the champion, but he doesn’t get the three.

The calamity of drums builds in crescendo, to the point where Youngblood goes for a backdrop driver. Phil Atken reverses, and locks in The Shotgun, the most devastating choke in the sport of professional wrestling. Brandon struggles with all his might to reach for the ropes, and as he makes his final lunge, the picture becomes black and white. A hooded figure pulls back, his hood dropping. FLAMBERGE. The newest member of The Glue Factory. The choke remains. Youngblood’s eyes go wide. Timo raises his hand and it falls, three times. The bell rings. 

PRIME and the wrestling world are in shock.

FLAMBERGE grabs the Universal Championship from the announce table, and hands it to its new holder, who presses it against his chest.

Phil Atken had done it. 

He was the new Universal Champion.

And all we are left with are questions of what’s next.