{Club Anipike Commercial} We return to the commentator's booth, where Jim Ross and company are still recovering from Kefkain's victory. "Welcome back to King of the Net, everyone," JR wearily greeted the camera, "Before the break, we saw Dark Sonic's Horde claim its first title... and we're still getting over it." "Kefkain all but destroyed Wolf to obtain the Mobius title," Tenay added, as the camera cut to footage of Agent Q and Sonya guiding the battered Wolf into an ambulance. "I sure as hell hope Bizarro Sonic won't show his damn snout for the rest of the show," Austin growled. He coughed to recollect himself "Anyway, the next match is for that Sailor Moon Belt, and features one of the damned toughest Avatars I've seen so far," Austin introduced. "Indeed, Nav the Destroyer, in a bizarre twist of fate, has fought through the ranks to get a shot to become AAA's first Moon Kingdom Champion," JR added. "And to say he's has some unusual experiences with his challenger, Deb "Soulstone" Lawson, would be an understatement..." Tenay concluded, as the back story video rolled. "Soulstone and Nav have been bitter rivals and reluctant allies since the early days of the AAA," Michael Cole began to footage of an early run-in of Nav "saving" Soulstone from Tuxedo Chris after her Blue Thunder loss. "YES!," Flair's voice shouted markishly, "IT'S NAV!! He can stop this sick mess!" His ambush on Caldwell is followed by Soulstone, in a violet dress, arguing with Nav. He departs with "All in good time..." Cut to the tag-team match at Otakumania... Soulstone, unperturbed, took off her trenchcoat and laid it over a turnbuckle. Then she turned toward Chris and Taruchi. She leaned casually against her corner, and looked up with a knowing grin... Then the distinctive sirens and guitars played, and the crowd erupted in wild cheers. The announcers' voices are overheard as scenes of Soulstone and Nav in action are played. "No way..." JR uttered. "Oh my..." Gadget gasped. "Oh, *yeah*," Ric concluded with a sly grin. Post-match, Soulstone is perched on top of a turnbuckle, looking down to Nav, exchanging predatory glares. He met her glance, and pulled a large pistol from its holster. In response, Soulstone summoned the Eternity Blade. "Uh-oh... it looks like we're going to have *another* fight here..." Gadget's voice breathed. They stared each other down for a few moments. Her blade glimmered, and Nav took aim. Soulstone flipped into the ring as Nav fired, dodging the shot. She landed squarely in front of Nav, and lowered her sword. "STASIS BLADE!!" she called out. Icy winds suddenly flowed around Nav, freezing him in place. Cut to Soulstone placing a kiss on Nav's cheek as her voice quietly taunts "As you said, 'All in due time'." "Due time is *now* for these two competitors," Cole's voice explained. "However, both of these warriors have been affected by Dark Sonic's influence." "The corruption of Soulstone..." Footage of a sinister Deb Lawson in black leather, brutally attacking Ankoku plays, and cuts to Bane, throwing himself in front of Oscar's Kamehameha to save his friend. "... and the sacrifice of Bane; both of these events will effect the mentality Soulstone and Nav bring to this match-up..." Cole concluded. The majestic theme of "Final Fantasy Tactics" began to play, bringing a more beautiful but deadly-looking Soulstone to the ring. She wore snug gold plate mail armor to the ring, with a sleeveless emerald green cloak over it. A hood partially shrouded her head. The armored heroine entered the ring and turned toward the entrance, adjusting her gloves in preparation... Then, the distinct guitars and sirens of Nav's theme played, to an equally enthusiastic ovation. Nav strode to the ring with purpose, carrying a bayonet-equipped M-16 across his back. "Good Gawd!" JR exclaimed. "Those two are ready for a war!" Austin grinned. "You didn't expect anything less, did ya? A noble, die- hard Moonie and the most militant Anti-moonie in the multiverse. This'll be one hell of a show." MOON KINGDOM CHAMPIONSHIP Debra "Soulstone" Lawson vs Nav They approached the center of the ring, trading off glares and insults. "Nav just shoved Soulstone and... she returns with a hard left hook! And with that gauntlet on..." Tenay trailed off, wincing from the thought. Nav was staggered by the massive blow, but he didn't go down. She backed him into the ropes, hammering away with punches and kicks. Debra attempted an Irish whip, but the Destroyer reversed it. "Back body drop by Nav... but thanks to Soulstone's armor, I think that hurt him as much as it did her!" JR called. Nav approached to pull Soulstone up, but she instead tripped him up with a leg sweep. "Soulstone's doin' the right thing, followin' up with a series of elbow drops onto Nav's bad knee. Trust me, that'll floor your ass *fast*," Austin observed. She stood up, ready to apply a half-Boston crab, when Nav countered by reaching up, grabbing a hold of her cloak, and launching her into a corner with a monkey flip leg toss. The Destroyer approached, held her head back with one hand, and dropped a judo chop across her collarbone with the other. "Nav's continuing his assault, pummeling Soulstone with a series of hard knees right in the gut..." JR said. The robo-ref eventually had to intervene. "Nav's backing away, but he looks as furious as ever, " Tenay began. "As for Soulstone, she's... she's *up*, and... a tremendous backhand, right across the Destroyer's jaw!" Soulstone closed in on the dazed Nav, wrapped an arm and leg around him and slammed him with a Russian Leg sweep. "Lawson's goin' for the pin... barely a two count! Nav's up, and gets her with a side suplex!" Austin continued. Nav then bound her up with an armbar while painfully driving a knee into the small of her back. "Nav's having no success there... The Destroyer's pulling Soulstone up, sends her into the ropes..." JR observed expectantly. "Nav's telegraphing a back toss, but a beautiful counter-move by Soulstone! A vicious aerial axe kick right to Nav's neck!" Soulstone then slumped down and attempted to obtain a submission, applying a cross-face/chicken wing combination. Nav growled in frustration, but did not tap out. "Soulstone's beginning to show signs of frustration herself," Tenay noted gravely. She pulled Nav up violently, and spun with a roundhouse kick that nearly sent him out of the ring. "She's attempting a suplex... but Nav reverses and sends her out onto the floor with a suplex of his own!" "MAH GOD! Nav's trying for a flying tackle, and..." JR suddenly stopped. "And Soulstone gets outta the way and leaves Nav eating pavement," Austin finished. "Well, that was a costly error, but Nav is back on his feet..." JR enthused, only to be cut off by a hail of boos. "What is..." "Something's going on up in the entranceway," Tenay uttered. "Oh, no..." The reason for the announcer's concern was soon made clear. The camera cut to show a very arrogant Oscar standing upon the rampway, carefully observing the match-up. He cocked his head toward the audience, coolly regarding the increasing "OSCAR SUCKS!" chant with a Vegeta-esque smirk and arched brow. "Well, Soulstone's not watchin' the herm!" Austin exclaimed. "She's goin' for an ambush with a lariat clothesline... but Nav counters and turns it into a power slam! And her wearin' all that damn armor!" "And thank God she is!" Tenay suddenly yelled in panic. Nav had reached around, whipped his M-16 off his back, and opened fire. Her plate mail sucked up most of the damage, but she still recoils from the impact of the bursts! "I don't believe this... Soulstone's actually charging in... she's taking even *more* hits, and... she floors Nav with a clothesline!" JR enthused. Soulstone paused to hastily rip off her cloak and her now- useless breastplate, revealing a blue, somewhat sweaty T-shirt underneath. "What? Why's she taking her armor off *now*?" Tenay wondered. "Speed, jackass. After what Nav did to it, it ain't nothin' but dead weight," Austin replied mercilessly. Ignoring his colleagues, JR's brow knit in confusion. "Deb's just chucked her breastplate into the ring... Oh, gawd, it just became a weapon." Soulstone dragged Nav back into the ring, and prepared to suplex him onto the armored plate. However, Nav struggled free as he was lifted up and landed on his feet behind her. "Knee to the stomach from the Destroyer!" Tenay called in excitement. "He grabs her head and... DDT ONTO THE BREASTPLATE!" Deb forcefully jerked back up, cursing and clutching her nose. She threw a wild backhand, putting her in perfect position for the Bloodbath! One German suplex...two...three...and a Dragon Suplex for 2! "Soulstone's beginning to look desperate, and..." Austin paused a second. "... a lowblow from Soulstone." Tenay and JR groaned audibly as they considered her armored boots. The crowd groaned as well, but more in disgust than sympathy. "Nav is understandably stunned..." JR began shakily. "Soulstone' continuing her attack, and floors him with a beautiful flying head scissors!" She stood up, blood flowing from her nose, and extended her hand. "This is it! She's summoned Eternity!" Austin said decisively. In a frenzy, she began slashing at the Destroyer, but he managed to parry effectively with his assault rifle's bayonet. A vicious spin knocked Nav against the ropes, and Eternity glistened with ominously... "HELLCRY PUNCH!" She called out, summoning a previously unseen technique. Austin openly swore as a trio of force waves appeared in mid-air and crashed into Nav. The blast not only sent him sailing into the corner... but shattered his M-16 into tiny metal bits. "I can't believe she just... and she's still attacking!" Tenay shrieked. Deb charged in and lowered a hard slash into the unarmed Nav. She would have added a lot more if the robo-ref hadn't forced her off, and began to verbally discipline her. Soulstone simply ignored the raving referee and peered across the audience with icy contempt, receiving an ample amount of boos. "Oh, dear..." JR uttered. "This is shades of Dark Soulstone..." "Not at all, Jimmy," Austin interrupted. "That lady's facing the nastiest Anti-Moonie in existence with gold on the line. She *has* to fight like this." "Still, this is a *very* vicious side of Deb Lawson," Tenay pondered. Nav slouched in the corner, disorientated and bloodied. He weakly looked across the arena, remembering Bane's last words before the medics carted him away. His blurred vision snapped into a sharp focus on the rampway. There stood the Saiyajin Oscar, quietly mocking him with a snide grin. In a fluid motion, the Destroyer pulled off his tattered forest-green shirt, now soaked with blood, and his sight returned to his opponent as he reached for his pocket. Spiritual energy embraced Soulstone as she lifted her blade to the sky... "HOLY EXPLO---" Her incantation was cut off and turned into a scream as she was engulfed by Nav's firebomb. "MAH GOD! I knew Nav was resourceful, but..." JR began in shock. She was thrown back into the ropes, and even before the smoke cleared, Nav had tackled her and begun furiously pummeling her with punches. "Aw, hell yeah! Listen to that crowd... this is the Destroyer at his best!" Austin called with grim satisfaction in his voice. "Nav throws her into the ropes... bounces off th' other set off ropes..." "And with a low dive, Nav viciously clips Soulstone's knee! She's on the canvas!" Tenay enthused. Grabbing the leg of the stunned Moonie, Nav took one last look up the now *much* less confident Oscar before wrapping his leg around Debra's, twisting her around and bridging back for an inverted STF! "She's tryin' to fight, but there's just no where to go! This is over," JR pronounced. Soulstone flailed in pain for a few moments before her eyes finally glazed over and she tapped out! A few seconds later, Nav actually let go, and lurched to his feet, utterly exhausted. But he never took his eyes from Oscar, even as the Robo-Ref handed him the Moon Kingdom Title. The Super Saiyen promptly retreated back through the curtains backstage. As Nav climbed the turnbuckles to play for the crowd, Soulstone crawled over to the ropes. She remained on the mat, clutching her ankle and glaring up at the champion. Nav noticed this, and climbed down to face her. "Hell of a match," Nav stated with contempt. Soulstone merely nodded, her steel-blue eyes remaining on the Anti-Moonie. "Anytime you think you can take this away, I'll be waiting," Nav said evenly. Soulstone's only response was a stern smile. She'd have to take him up on that, someday... "A grueling test for both of these competitors!" JR enthused, barely heard over the thunderous standing ovation. "And compared to some of our earlier competitors, both Soulstone *and* Nav were class acts tonight!" "I wouldn't expect anything less from the Destroyer," Austin smirked, as Nav staggered up the ramp victoriously."Hell, even Lawson got vicious tonight!" "We all knew this was going to be intense, but look at Debra, she can't..." Tenay began anxiously. Then his tone brightened. "Hey guys! Check that out!" A familiar looking hunk in street clothes climbed over the ropes, his silver-grey hair tied back in a pony tail. "It's Ankoku!" Ankoku entered the ring, and assisted the exhausted Soulstone to her feet. Carefully, he lifted her and climbed back out of the ring. They gazed into one another's eyes, and he placed a kiss on Soulstone's forehead. He looked about the predominantly female cheers of the crowd before carrying her into the back. "They make a beautiful couple, don't they?" Tenay sighed goofily. "But Soulstone was...and Ankoku's..." A confused Austin rambled. "One of the first things you learn working here is not to think about anything too hard, Steve," JR said helpfully. "And finally, the main event is next: Kronos vs Kintobor! The title and their very existences are on the line, so stay with us. First up, though, a word from a returning Avatar, E-fed wrestler Aron Scythe..." [Open to see a young man sitting in a field of grass reading an issue of Bone. The man is clad in a pair of ripped jean shorts, tennis shoes, and a white T-shirt with the words "Troubled Youth" spray painted on it. He has glasses, mussed shoulder length brown hair, and blue eyes.] Young Man: My name is Aron Jones Scythe. You may remember me from a period of time in the AAA... [Cuts to a clip of Aron attacking Diamond Dallas Page while he was under Pipkin's control.] Aron: Now my last visit to the Author Avatar Arena was an experience that I would like to forget. Much like Samantha Jones, I too was a pawn of that fiend Pipkin... That rabbit zoot nearly ruined my life... Because of the actions I took at the first Author Avatar Association Tournament the Global Championship Wrestling Federation fired me. They said that I was "unstable..." They said I was a threat to myself and others. They may have been right... [ Cuts to a clip of Aron from his WCWF days, brutally attacking "The Wolverine" Chris Benoit with a chair...] Aron: Since then I've been slowly re-building my life... I've recently signed a deal with the NPWA, the greatest Wrestling Federation in the history of the internet. But I still feel that I have some unfinished business here in the AAA... namely, the Horde. Some recent words really do come to mind now... [The scene cuts to Oni's pre-recorded comments...] Oni: It is for you, Samantha, that I have come to this dimension. For you I have crossed the gulfs between worlds. For you that I have joined the Horde. I engaged you like a warrior and you countered with coward's tactics. [The scene cuts back to Aron sitting in the field. We can see him holding a necklace with a small golden heart-shaped locket in his hand...] Aron: Oni, I was wondering, what exactly qualifies as coward's tactics in your world? I personally think using your shape-shifting spells to impersonate a friend and attack a person from behind is rather cowardly myself... And Oni, if you're really this great warrior you claim to be, why do you insist on aligning yourself with a group of cowards? What Dark Sonic did to Lynxara was the vilest, most cowardly thing I've ever seen in my life. It kind of reminds me of... [Aron pauses for a moment, looks down at the necklace, and then with a heavy heart he continues to speak...] Aron: Never mind what it reminds me of... But let's just say that for Lynxara's sake the whole Horde is going down. Oni, the fact of the matter is that you're really a coward, the same goes for the rest of the Horde... Oni, if you're really the warrior that you claim to be, I'm sure you won't have any problem with this challenge. You see Oni, I'm a bit different from everyone else on the AAA roster. I don't have superpowers. [Cuts to a clip of Aron Scythe from his TCW days hitting The Overgiver a flying bulldog.]] Aron: I don't use plot contrivances or fancy armor... [Cuts to a clip of Aron from his WCWF days hitting Jeff Jarrett with his "Chrono Trigger" (spinning DDT) maneuver.] Aron: I don't even believe in carrying a gun... [Cuts to a clip of Aron wrestling in the GCW, hitting Angry Kid Freshman with the dreaded Sailor Moonsault...] Aron: But Oni, there is one thing that I can do, and that is wrestle. So Oni, if your still in this federation after you wrestle Samantha Jones, I have a challenge for you. I want you to face me... Not as Oni, but as Johnny Hellfire. No shapeshifting, no demonic powers, no magic spells... nothing. Yeah, Oni, I know you're a bad ass with all of your powers and all, but let's see if you're anything without them. Or are you just a coward hiding behind your spells? Well Oni, what's the answer to this question? What do you have to say? Oh, and by the way Oni, don't bother with threats to kill me, because I honestly don't have that much to lose... [Aron puts the necklace inside of his pocket, and slowly walks away. Fade to black...] The camera returned to King of the Net, and showed a baffled Michael Cole in the backstage area. "Welcome back, everyone," he greeted awkwardly. "I have some rather startling news: David Kintobor has *not* shown up, and he's nowhere in the arena, either. Is he actually trying to back out of a match-up that *he* requested, and what will happen if he forfeits? I'll try to get some more info as..." Cole's musing was interrupted as several of the Freedom Fighters barged in. Bunny Rabbot, Antoine, Tails, and Knuckles scrambled around the lone, startled human, as if desperately in search of something. A regal looking skunk, Geoffrey, approached Cole with authority. "Ah... Mr. St. John, what in the world's happening?" Cole puzzled. "We're on most urgent business," the skunk replied. "It's the princess... ever since that rogue Sonic clone appeared, she's been acting strange and, just after Kefkain's match, she... she vanished." Cole paled slightly. "This is grave news. Jim, I'll fill you in as soon as we discover her whereabouts. Back to you!..." "Tonight's been a night of many disappearances, apparently," JR wondered. "First Kintobor, and now Sally Acorn..." "A bizarre twist to an already chaotic evening," Tenay added. However, he grew a bit uneasy as he looked down at his notes. "And According to the schedule, we'll be having some guests for the main event." As if on cue, a storm of jeers filled the Knothole arena, as WWF owner and AAA Co-chairman Vince McMahon strolled toward the announcer's table. The AA's *other* co-chairman, Tim 'Shinji' McLees, trailed somewhat reluctantly behind him. "Oh, here's a big friggin' surprise," Austin slurred with disdain as he eyed his arch-nemesis from Connecticut. Mr McMahon ignored him for the moment and eyed Mike Tenay coldly. "Well?" he asked his new employee expectantly. Tenay heaved a sigh and reluctantly relinquished his head set and seat to Vince. Timothy merely sat down on a previously-nonexistent chair at the opposite end of the table. JR was the first to break the uneasy silence. "Well, Mr. McMahon, I can honestly say that, judging from last week's Fight Scene, your role in the AAA has certainly been very... interesting." "It is indeed," McMahon smiled. "Being able to use these super-powerful fighters has been an exciting experience..." "Just ask Marta and Samantha," Austin riffed as he cracked open a beer. McMahon briefly glared at his uncultured rival, but continued. "Much like that Fight Scene, the *new* AAA will be one of the most talked about events in this or any world," McMahon enthused. "Wasn't that the case anyway?" Austin muttered quietly to JR. "Smile and nod, Steve, smile and nod..." Jim Ross replied softly. "Wouldn't you agree, Mr. McLees?" Vince asked cordially. Tim glanced over to his new partner. "Mr. McMahon's efforts have made the Author Avatar Association more... noticeable, to say the least," he noted a bit despondently before returning his attention to the ring. JR looked at the troubled youth and then back at his smug superior, and just shook his head. "In any event, we go to Mike Buffer in the ring..." JR hastily finished, as the ring bell tolled steadily to introduce the main event. "Welcome, citizens and visitors of Mobius, to tonight's *MAIN EVENT*," Buffer boomed in his traditional introduction. "Knothole Stadium is the setting for this epic battle, in which these two Avatars, once strong comrades, will fight each other to the bitter end. Now enemies, they will fight not just for the AAA Virtual Net Championship, but their very right to exist as well. Are you ready?" The rest of the commentators, and even Shinji, turned to JR, expecting his usual snide comments about Buffer's intro. "What?" JR smirked innocently. The capacity crowd, meanwhile, responded with a thunderous ovation. "Mobius, are you rrrrrrready?" The vast audience roared in anticipation. "Then for the thousands in attendance here at Knothole Stadium, and the millions watching throughout the multiverse... ladies and gentlemen, lllllet's get ready to RUMBLLLLLLE!!!" The begin guitars of Queen's "I Want It All" begin to play to an unusually enthusiastic crowd. A very focused David Kronos approached the ring, hardly noticing his manager Jonathan Brisby trailing behind him and rooting him on. "First, the challenger, hailing from Victoria, Texas. He is one of the founding members of Team Foxfire. He was the Moon King of the Silver Millennium, and has battled the forces of the Negaverse alongside his daughter Sailor Moon and her Sailor Senshi. He is the master of the Crescent Shooter pistol, and is here today to prove himself as the one true Avatar of David Gonterman. Please welcome... DAVID "STAR MECH" KRONOS!" Kronos got an incredible pop as he climbed the corner and tossed away his trenchcoat. McMahon looked somewhat less than pleased. "Isn't this David *Kintobor's* home dimension? You'd think the crowd would be behind *him*..." "It might be the new attitude, or... um..." JR began. "The fact that everyone hates Kintobor's sorry ass?" Austin finished scornfully. "Hell, Jim, try both! Whatever it is, Knothole's *chosen* their fighter." Vince was beginning to glare at Austin with more intensity, prompting JR to try to head off the impending confrontation. "I was wondering what you thought of Star Mech's *new* attitude, Austin," JR anxiously asked. Austin, at first, narrowed his brow as he watched Kronos mocking the robo-ref with some rather impolite and familiar mannerisms. Finally, he just shook his head. "Ain't the first time I've seen it, and it won't be the last. What can I say? It must be the damn water," the Rattlesnake reasoned. "His opponent, the champion, from St Louis, Miss..." Buffer began, before being abruptly stopped by a furious guitar solo... It was *not* "Princes of the Universe" that boomed out from the speakers. It was clearly another Queen song, "Show Me The Prize", that played to the very confused audience. "The hell?! Isn't that General Patterson's old music?" JR wondered. "It sure is. Why the hell it's playing now..." Austin began, just as, in a large sulphuric black cloud, none other than Dark Sonic appeared next to the horrified Mike Buffer. He quickly dropped the mic and scrambled out of the ring. Massive gasps filled the audience, as well as the commentator's booth. "No! What could that *evil* creature want with Kronos and Kintobor?" McMahon gasped, in his always-melodramatic announcer's voice. Tim's eyes simply widened at he watched the unfolding scene... "Allow *me* to introduce the champion," Dark Sonic snarled with pride. "Ladies and Gentlemen of... *Mobius*," he began with a smirk. "I now present to you the first AAA Virtual Net Champion, the only 'Foxfire' worth remembering, and the one true Avatar of David Gonterman..." The hedgehog paused to wet his fangs. "But most of all, the newest member of my Horde..." Then he tapped his chest proudly with a clawed finger. "...and my very own *brother*: The Grey Fox, KINTOBOR!!!" With that, Kintobor stepped from the curtains. He wore a grey, sleeve- less, armored vest, and leggings. The usual trio of tails extended from his rear. His Prism Rifle hung across his back... but the change showed the most in his bionic arm, which now had a series of small, sharp blades running across it. "Oh... OH MAH *GAWD*!" A disgusted JR cried. "Kintobor is Dark Sonic's *brother*!?!" "How the hell does *that* work?!" Austin spat. "It was in different dimensions, but Julian Robotnik *was* the father of both..." Tim explained numbly. Then he paused as the weight of realization dropped onto him. "No..." "HOLY CRAP!" Austin bellowed. "This whole damn thing... Kintobor breaking from Team Foxfire, Dark Sonic, this match... it was a big God-damned set-up!" "And poor Star Mech is trapped right in the middle of it," McMahon uttered somberly. "The poor boy doesn't stand a chance now... it's simply awful." Timothy just stared out silently at the war that was beginning, as Kronos and Kintobor approached the center of the ring. Outside, both Dark Sonic and Brisby were unusually motionless, glaring at one another with nearly as much hate and intensity as their wards... AAA VIRTUAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH David "Star Mech" Kronos (/w Jonathan Brisby) vs. Kintobor, the Grey Fox (/w Dark Sonic) (Death match: Winner is Gonterman's real Avatar, loser is erased from existence) "Well, the fighters are tied-up... and Kintobor begins, with a *strong* snap mare," JR began quietly. "Kronos rolls with it, and he's already back to his knees," Austin continued. "Star Mech charges in, attempting a double leg takedown... but with *deadly* agility, Kintobor shoots out of it!" Vince finished. "Really, Kronos will have to do a lot better than those *amateur* moves..." Regaining his balance, the Grey Fox pounded a pair of bionically-powered elbows into Kronos' back. "Kintobor's continuing his assault with a painkiller- style armbar... but Star Mech's in the ropes!" JR called. As the Grey Fox reluctantly released, Kronos spun and floored him with a leg sweep, then bound one of his legs with an ankle lock. "Star Mech's just clamped onto Kintobor's head... he turned it into an STF! I dunno, Vince, Kronos is lookin' pretty good for an amateur..." Austin trailed off mockingly. Vince simply smirked back at him as Kintobor made his next move. Snarling in rage, The Grey Fox managed to reach back with his bladed arm and *tear* a gash into Kronos' side, forcing him to release the hold and sending Star Mech to the mat in pain. JR sounded somewhat sick as he continued his commentary. "Now, Kintobor dragging Kronos up... and slamming him down hard with a solid belly-to-back suplex! "Kronos is up... Kintobor's charging and connects with a clothesline that sends Star Mech *sailing* over the ropes!" Vince continued. "Uh-uh, Vince," Austin corrected as Kronos grabbed hold of the top rope. While Kintobor stretched his arms wide to play to the furiously jeering crowd, Star Mech got back to the ring apron. Kintobor turned around... just as Kronos vaulted over the top ropes and planted a foot solidly into the Grey Fox's snout. "Now Star Mech with a spear takedown! Kronos is in a fury... absolutely *pummeling* Kintobor with a flurry of punches," JR said, oblivious to the ongoing argument around him. "But when you're fighting someone of Kintobor's caliber, that's simply not enough," Vince said gravely. The grounded Kintobor managed to reach up and grab onto Star Mech's armored shoulders, sending a powerful electric pulse through him! Kintobor then pulled himself to his feet and contemptuously threw Star Mech into the corner. "Kronos is bringin' out that Crescent Shooter of his... now we're gonna see these two really get down to business," Austin observed. "But Kintobor sees him! Kintobor sees him!" JR shrieked. The Grey Fox dashed in and, just as Kronos shot, hit him in the arm with a palm strike, sending the blast shooting wildly out of the ring. Then Kintobor swiped with his bionic arm, *ripping* into Kronos' shooting arm down his forearm, wrist, and palm! The Crescent Shooter skittered to a neutral corner, but it no longer seemed to really matter... Kronos' firing arm looked like it had been rendered useless. "God damn... to hell with blinkin' out of existence, we're gonna see these two rip each other apart in the ring!" Austin said in shock. "Good God... Kintobor just shredded that boy's arm... how's he gonna fight like that?" JR breathed in horror. "Kintobor's gone absolutely insane, been driven insane by his rejection from Team Foxfire," Vince proclaimed. "He's a fox who's been driven one step too far..." Grimacing and clutching his hand in incredible pain, Kronos was defenseless as the Grey Fox battered him with a combination of solid, bionic punches that buckled and dented his armor with each blow. He then threw Star Mech wildly against the ropes and delivered a flying clothesline! "Kinto's goin' for the pin... and only a two-count!" Austin noted respectfully. By this time, Dark Sonic had moved over to Brisby's side of the ring... yet the mouse still hadn't moved. He maintained a cool, focused stare. "Kintobor with a fisherman's suplex... Two-count! Now Kintobor with a Tiger power bomb...again, only a two count!" JR called excitedly. "Kronos is literally fighting for his life here!" "Kintobor's still solidly in control of this match, though," Vince added. "Even now, look at him... charging a power surge in his bionic arm, while Star Mech is struggling just to stand..." Kintobor rushed in, his electrified arm ready to grab Kronos' throat... but Kronos charged *him* instead, and bent his bionic arm back into a joint lock. "Kronos is either damned gutsy or damned stupid... he's dangerously close to gettin' fried... and he still closes in and trips Kintobor, sendin' the cyber- fox down onto his *own* bionic arm!" The whole announcing team winced slightly as they heard the sound of metal being twisted out of shape. Kintobor slouched up to his knees, clutching his arm, hydraulic fluid leaking from its elbow. Dark Sonic showed grave concern for his ward, while Brisby nodded with confidence toward his nemesis... "I don't know where Kronos is getting it!" JR called in awe. "Star Mech bolts for the ropes, bounces off... and delivers a low drop kick right into the back of Kintobor's head!" Both weary combatants got back to their feet. Kronos approached, and Kintobor winced as he crashed a backhand across Star Mech's temple. Kronos clutched his bleeding head, and Kintobor shoved him arrogantly into the corner. "Kintobor's setting Kronos on the top turnbuckle... he's going up himself... and Kintobor with a Frankensteiner!" Vince yelled. "HELL NO! Kronos reverses it into a power bomb from the second turnbuckle!" Stone Cold called out gleefully. Both fighters were down. Kronos managed to drape an arm over the Grey Fox, but he *barely* jerked a shoulder up at about two and a half. Kintobor began rolling to his feet, just as Vince McMahon abruptly got up from his seat... "Kintobor's dragging Star Mech to the center of the ring and... MAH GOD! There it is, Kintobor's specialty half-crab submission hold! That's the hold that won him the title..." "But Kronos is fightin' it! And you can be damned sure that kid won't tap out... if he does, he dies! Star Mech's fightin' to make it into the corner..." Austin continued. "And he's actually making some headway! If he can just stand the pain long enough to get there..." JR trailed off anxiously. Meanwhile, and largely unnoticed by the announcers, McMahon had shoved a hapless Mobian timekeeper away from the bell. But Vince's partner was watching... and as McMahon picked the hammer up himself, Timothy "blipped" away from the desk in a green burst. Kronos was snarling in pain and continuing to slowly pull himself to a nearby neutral corner, but he didn't even look close to tapping out. However, McMahon was about to ring the bell *anyway*... when a green burst flashed at his side, and Timothy firmly grabbed the descending hammer. "*What* are you *doing*?" Tim snarled bitterly at his partner... "There it is! He made it, Kronos made it!!" JR cheered. "Despite several minutes in the most effective submission hold in the AAA, Star mech just made it to the ropes... and his Crescent Shooter!" Kronos grabbed it with his good hand, then reached back and aimed. He manages to drill a blast squarely into Kintobor's cybernetic shoulder, causing a cascade of sparks to flow on both competitors and forcing Kintobor to break the hold. The injured and berserk kitsune summoned his Prism Rifle, while Kronos hastily connected his Ginzuishou to his Crescent Shooter... "Aw hell... this is it..." Austin breathed. JR glanced over nervously, as he saw the confrontation between the AAA's co-chairmen unfolding. "You see, McLees, you have a lot of potential here with the Author Avatar Association," McMahon complimented rather snidely. "Just not the *will* or the *guts* to control it, to take new opportunities..." Mystical energy surrounded David "Star Mech" Kronos as he awkwardly took aim with good arm, bracing it with the injured one. The Grey Fox coldly took aim with his rifle... "Moon..." Kronos began softly. Kintobor glared hatred at his rival, and ripped a solid blast through his armor and into his shoulder. Kronos' shoulder twisted back painfully from the impact, and he lurched into the ropes... ...but remained standing... "I have many *associates* who have suggested that I take AAA into a more innovative, more...*adult-oriented* direction..." Vince continued. "...CRYSTAL..." Kronos called out, loudly and with more confidence. His mystical aura began to focus into his Crescent Shooter. The Grey Fox snarled, cocked his rifle, and unloaded a deadly blast into Kronos' gut. Star Mech doubled over and collapsed to one knee, even coughed up some blood... but he weakly stood back up. With a final swift motion, he steadied the gleaming pistol's aim toward Kintobor... "I have many plans for this organization." McMahon nodded wisely, "...but they certainly don't include a pathetic Austin clone like Kronos..." "...or you." Vince's face twisted into a sinister, scornful smile. Timothy's face contorted in rage, and a emerald field of power formed around his fist... Both JR and Austin bolted upright from their chairs, both with a look of disbelief. "Vince..." JR breathed in shock. "What..." "Damn. You are a warped, power-mad bastard," Austin stated simply. Vince spun to his employees with an air of confidence. "Yes. But I'm good at it, aren't I? After all, I learn from the best..." And with that, Vince glanced over to where Brisby and Dark Sonic were watching the battle, and exchanged a knowing smirk with the black hedgehog. "*SHOCKWAVE!!!*" Kronos valiantly screamed, finishing his attack. The four men turned almost as one back to the ring. A wide beam of divine power erupted from the Crescent Shooter and slammed into Kintobor, shattering his Moon Prism Rifle, and sending him flailing into the ropes. Dark Sonic went ballistic, yanking his quills in fury. He began motioning for help from the back and screaming for Vince to 'do something'. In the ring, Kronos closed in and quickly delivered a knee into Kintobor's wounded ribs, then dropped him throat-first into a *very* familiar move. Austin merely looked over to JR, slightly disgruntled. "The... *Star Mech* Stunner..." "Look on the bright side," JR joked nervously, "He could have called it the Chartbuster, or the Apocalypse..." "Well, whatever the hell you call it, Kintobor *ain't getting up!*" "You're right, Steve! Kronos hooks the leg...1...2... *THREE*! HE DID IT! WE'VE GOT A NEW CHAMPION!" "And Kintobor is OUTTA HERE!" Austin exclaimed, backed up by the resounding cheers of the crowd. Kintobor finally recovered, and went berserk as he realized what had happened. He proceeded to stomp down on Kronos, then snagged his Crescent Shooter. Kintobor gripped Star Mech's head with his bionic arm and drove the Shooter's barrel into his temple. "I *won't* go alone," Kintobor hissed. He was about to pull the trigger, when a crimson bolt of energy blasted out and sent the Grey Fox flying. Brisby, glowing with an ominous red magical aura and clutching his amulet, entered the ring to guard his charge... An outraged McMahon turned to confront his *former* partner... but he had vanished! A split second later, in an emerald flare, Tim phased into view right behind Dark Sonic, with a twin-bladed spear in his hand. "What in the *hell*..." Austin began. "I think Timothy just threw the no-interference rule out the window..." JR said nervously. "At least he didn't give himself the Wings of the Light Hawk..." Vince's reaction was just a bemused smirk... until, with alarming ease, Tim turned his hand, and engulfed the distracted Sonic in a wave of raw mystic power! Staggered from the unexpected, *powerful* assault, Sonic reeled helplessly for the first time. In fact, Sonic's powerful healing magic was the only thing keeping him in one piece as he was battered time and again by Tim's furious strikes. McMahon stepped back to the timekeeper's booth in shock. "Great Scott... He's ripping him apart..." "You pushed him *way* too far, Vince!" JR protested. "He may be a damned college kid, but he's still half a god here... and if you push a kid like that too far..." Austin moved forward to confront his boss. "Let's just say that you shouldn't have given McLees a *reason* to fight..." Giving Austin one last look of contempt, McMahon snatched the Virtual Net Championship Belt off from the table and chucked it into the ring at Kintobor's feet. Before Brisby could react, Kintobor grabbed the belt, and darted out onto the ring apron. Dark Sonic was a bleeding heap on the ground, and Tim raised his spear, ready to lower his spear down for the final strike onto the creature that had attempted to systematically destroy his world. That's when a shadow passed over him... Tim spun just in time to see the Grey Fox descending. Kintobor used all of his bionic arm's strength to drive the massive buckle of the Virtual Belt into the side of Tim's head, the belt connecting with a sickening crack. He collapsed to the ground, clutching the his face in tremendous pain, oblivious and vulnerable as a restored Dark Sonic and Kintobor stomped him the floor. "No!" JR shrieked emphatically. "I... that's kid's a demi-god! This can't be happening..." "So was his first partner," Austin countered, sounding a bit sick. Kintobor flung Shinji easily back into the ring, and bounds Tim's arms up in the ropes. Meanwhile, a very torn-looking Brisby had maneuvered Kronos out of the ring and over to the announcer's booth. "Keep an eye on him, couldja?" Brisby asked up to the bewildered announcers. "I've gotta go give quill-boy a *major* attitude adjustment..." Ignoring Kronos' weak protests, Jonathan Brisby then dashed back to the ring, already beginning to glow faintly red... ...and all the while Vince McMahon simply looked upon the carnage cold- bloodedly. To make matters even worse, Horde members Tuxedo Chris, Oscar, and the Great Red Serpent were coming down the rampway. Already, NRH and the security staff were beginning to usher the panicked audience out of harm's way. The Horde members strode to the ring with confidence... "This is hideous! Absolutely hideous!" JR groaned. "The show may be officially over, but we're *not* going anywhere! Stay with us!" ************************************************************* We had too much to work into the second hour of the show. So, in a few days, run, don't walk, to the King Of The Net: Endgame!