SO A GAMER, A MONSTER, AND A MUSE WALK INTO A BAR. THE BARTENDER GRINS AND SAYS…

We then see…

That damn grin.

That damn prick.

Tony “The Grin” Gamble.

One of the many PRIME Hall of Famers that has come back from retirement to join the Revival.

Standing backstage alone, preparing for a mess of a match that is about to start, he can only think about one thing…

Fried chicken.

Winning was probably a close second, or maybe third because crispy tacos are bomb.

As much as he wanted to win, the odds were hardly in his favor in a triple threat match. He had a better chance of getting fried chicken, than he did a win, and he knew it. 

Worst record in PRIME.

Still, should the opportunity present itself, he would take the win. 

He’s not stupid.

But speaking of…

Eddie Cross: Tony F’N Gamble. The Permascar Sortastar himself. I told you I would be looking for you in person. 

Tony turns his attention toward the voice, toward the ridiculous haircut, toward Timo’s late pull out.

Tony Gamble: You did, but people say quite a few things on Jabber that they don’t actually follow through on.

Gamble takes a moment, motioning toward Cross with his left hand.

Tony Gamble: Take you being worth anything inside a ring, and Mori showing me anything worth talking about.

Eddie curls his lip, but he maintains his composure while Dave Gibson stands behind him quietly. The young wrestler looks down to his elder and shakes his head.

Eddie Cross: I honestly thought you’d be taller, like the short thing is one of the locker room running jokes about ducks or something. But now that I am here, I can see your bald spot coming in. Give it a few years and you can rock a skullet like Nova and draw attention away from the stupid scar you’ve been riding for the last twenty years.

Eddie rolls his shoulders, working out a kink from the match earlier in the evening. 

Eddie Cross: But I didn’t come here to trade jabs with you. We do enough of that already. I came here to see if you’d be man enough to look me in the eye and say it to my face, and I gotta admit, you didn’t disappoint.  

He pauses.

Eddie Cross: Yes, unlike my father. Let me just scoop up that low hanging piece of fruit that you seem to be fond of. 

Tony completes his smile.

Tony Gamble: Well, I would look ridiculous carrying a stool around to reach for anything higher. 

The Grin looks over at Dave, shaking his head.

Tony Gamble: Besides, the biggest disappointment in your life would be that you allowed this man to make you believe he could help make you a decent wrestler. Not even your time with Viv has really helped you, but there’s still hope for you…

Tony’s smile curls into more of a sneer.

Tony Gamble: Pledge your adoration to me, and I can do for your career what I did for Morty’s. I can teach you things that will help you reach your goals, instead of just being low hanging fruit.

Dave rolls his eyes and huffs. Eddie seems unphased. 

Eddie Cross: I don’t get all you supposed leaders of men. You, Ivan, Foster. You all talk a big game about how great you are, and how Dave is steering me down the wrong path. The last time I checked, you haven’t really done much except piss everyone off, Ivan didn’t accomplish his goals, and Foster spent more time whining about getting his ass handed to him than he did teaching Paxton Ray anything. 

He holds up his own hand. 

Eddie Cross: In fact it’s as if all of you just talk, and talk, and talk… then when it comes time to back up these supposed legacies, you just kinda don’t. So I guess I’ll ask since you’re trying to be reasonable, what exactly are you going to teach me that will put me on the right path?

Tony shakes his head with a crooked grin, wagging his finger at the same time.

Tony Gamble: Come on, Eddie, you don’t really think it works like that do you? 

He inches closer to Eddie.

Tony Gamble: I’m sure you’ve heard the quote about giving a man a fish to feed him for a day… Well if I told you what you needed to fix, and how I’d fix it you really wouldn’t need me anymore. But just like with Morty, I’m the one that needs to teach you…

Kohime Mori: How to cheat like a lame loser that’s lame?

In walks one Kohime Mori. The usually cheerful Japanese girl is far from jubilant at the moment. Her dark brown eyes are locked into Tony, as if trying to summon eye lasers to vaporize the man. Her hips cock slightly to the left, hands settling there.

Kohime Mori: As a matter of fact, the only things you’ve taught Morty are horrible! I might be mad at him right now, but I know the truth… I know that deep down, he’s a good guy. You and the other jerks you hang out with are only doing one thing: holding him back. I wish he could see that.

Kohime receives a deep sigh and a roll of the eyes from the Permascar Superstar, or is it Sortastar now that Eddie is pushing for it? It is fitting, considering how things are going for Tony lately.

Tony Gamble: Oh the misguided thoughts of a woman scorned. If anything, Morty sees things much clearer now. He is the one holding the Alias title, while you’re here holding on to a dream. That’s what’s holding you back.

Gamble dismisses her with a wave of his hand.

Tony Gamble: What is it with you children? I guess respect is something else your trainers failed to teach you, but I’d be willing to help both of you with that for just a bit of your adoration.

Eddie raises his eyebrow.

Eddie Cross: Bruh, are you for real? What is with you and this weird energy you got going for children to adore you?  Your words, not mine.

Kohime, seemingly ignoring Eddie’s presence, steps forward to look The Grin in the eyes.

Kohime Mori: I have respect for my trainer. I have respect for a number of veterans. You have done nothing to earn my respect! You’ve treated myself and so many others terribly. You might think that’s okay, but you’re the only one. I might not have anything but a dream, but that’s better than dealing with the nightmare that’s your way of life.

Tony Gamble: I get it, if words could kill Charles Cullen would be envious of me. 

He offers no explanation, just a shrug.

Tony Gamble: Thing is, your – nor anyone else’s – feelings really matter to me, and if anything I have ever told you hurts… Well, maybe you and Eddie need to take a step back and contemplate whether you can actually handle it here. 

Eddie instead steps forward and seemingly pushes aside Kohime. He wears a confused look.

Eddie Cross: What makes you think I care about that? Let me be blunt, Gamble, I don’t think you can actually hurt me. That has always been what this is about.

Tony Gamble: That’s because you don’t know any better, Eddie. You’re paying more attention to my record, instead of what actually happens in the ring to my opponents. I suggest you go and ask Colton or Youngblood if they feel our match was a walk in the park. Ask them, because if you knew the truth I really don’t think you’d want to find out first hand. 

Eddie scoffs.

Eddie Cross: K, Tony. Cool story, bruh.  

And this is the part where things get a little derailed. Kohime and Eddie are so busy discreetly one upping each other and jabbing at Tony and Tony is so busy being a pitiful floppy dick that next to nobody notices the boot that is about to connect to Tony Gamble’s head. Until, of course, it does. It’s an excellent punt, the type that no god stands a chance at duplicating. As Tony stumbles to the floor, the giver of said boot to the head smiles at the two youngsters.

Anna Daniels: Ohaidere.

The Merch Czar is still in her Fuck Your Head shirt, but now the wrestling gear is clearly underneath it given the shiny white boots.

Anna Daniels: We were just changing into our stuff and doing some last minute prep. Couldn’t help overhearing. Was a little disappointing seeing you three wasting valuable air time doing the same thing you’ve been doing online for free for weeks on end. We were expecting it to come to blows by now. Two young shining prospects with all the talent in the world alone with an antagonistic idiot who irritates them. His lackeys are stuck to a wall and Row–

The Time Lord looks at Mori.

Anna Daniels: Mortimer is in the fetal position somewhere hiding from a mob that have bought a whole bunch of rocks to perform target practice.

She then forces Mori’s hand open and places a #Justice4Mori throwing rock inside of it. Then a look to Eddie as Gamble is beginning to come back around to the land of the living.

Anna Daniels: He’s alone. He prefers to run his mouth right now and there’s two of you. You’re not changing his mind, he won’t change yours. Why aren’t you guys hitting him?

Tony Gamble: Did… Did any…

Up to one knee, with one hand on the ground and the other rubbing the site of impact, Tony winces as he looks up at the Time Lord.

Tony Gamble: Shit, that hurt.

He tries to shake off the birds that are circling his head, chasing after the stars that showed up the moment the heel of the shiny white boot made contact with his skull.

Tony Gamble: Did anyone get the… license plate… of that bus?

Eddie looks at Daniels then to Gamble. 

Eddie Cross: Not really my style. I’m more of a tactical sniper, buuuut… 

He spins and deftly strikes Gamble across the jaw with a back elbow as The Grin stumbles to his feet. 

Eddie Cross: I don’t have a problem with corpse camping. 

Tony takes the shot like a champ, spitting on the ground as he continues to rise to his feet, using the wall for support.

Tony Gamble: You hit… like a… bitch…

One hand on the wall, his knees a little wobbly, the other rubs at his jaw as he looks at the vessel.

Tony Gamble: No offense.

Anna Daniels: We take that as a compliment.

Tony Gamble: Why is there five of you?

Anna Daniels: Oh, there’s more than that.

The smile (dare I say grin?) returns to the vessel’s face as she teases another kick.

Anna Daniels: Wanna see?

Kohime looks down at the rock. She knows how she feels. She knows what others want her to do. That rock… feels a lot heavier than it looks. Looking down at Tony, compromised as he is, doesn’t help relieve the weight any. Mori looks over to Anna, politely handing the rock back to her.

Kohime Mori: I appreciate it… But I already eliminated him in the Culture Shock Battle Royal. That’s something he’s never gonna live down. And honestly…

Mori gives Gamble another, more malice ladened glance.

Kohime Mori: I don’t think he could beat me anyway.

Eddie snickers.

Eddie Cross: Sick burn, Mori. Not the kind he is used to either. 

Tony Gamble: Hey, can one of you tell me how many fingers I’m holding up?

For the record, it’s only one. I’ll let you guess which one it is. He spits on the ground again, this time you can see a slight red tint to it.

Tony Gamble: You’re all lucky I already have a match lined up tonight, or I’d take all twenty of you one by one.

EC stoops to Tony’s eyeline and slowly takes his yellow gaming glasses off.

Eddie Cross: You know what? I’m changing that name to Permascar Dyingstar. Seems more fitting. Oh and I got you something. Anna?

The Muse produces a blood red special edition GG shirt and hands it to Eddie. He holds up the design and smiles with menacing intent. 

Eddie Cross: (mockingly) Yo dawg, I heard you like tee shirts. Well this one is the first off the line, just for you. Hold on to it. If you keep running your mouth you’re going to want some camo. 

Eddie pulls out his Sharpie and signs “n1ghtcraw1er” on the tee, then throws it at Tony. He stands up and looks at Mori and Anna.

Eddie Cross: This was fun. We should do this more often.

Anna actually thinks about this a little bit…

Anna Daniels: Maybe we should.

…and stubbornly puts the rock back into Mori’s hand.

Anna Daniels: If you don’t wanna use it, at least keep it as a memento. Stay this way as long as you can no matter what we say. You’ll miss it when it’s gone. As for you…

She turns to Gamble.

Anna Daniels: We don’t even hate you. We just kicked you for fun. Toodles!

With that, Anna and all the Multitudes skip away.

Tony just laughs, as he slowly backs away.

Tony Gamble: Figures, it would be the little girl that ends up being the bigger man. Thanks for the shirt, I know just how to use it.

Eddie moves toward The Grin, only for Kohime to grab his arm gently and shake her head.

Kohime Mori: Don’t… Be better than he is.  

Eddie takes a deep breath and stares hollow-point bullets while Tony slinks away from the remaining two, grinning the whole time. 

We then cut to…