Eric Steel [vs.] Steel Angel

=Steel Angel : Another side, another story.=
-Man behind the coffin scheme-

For two weeks in a row Yuko had been dominating, and likewise two weeks in a row the same event has occurred.
After the match had ended and Marley and Yuko would celebrate inside the ring, the lights would go out and when they came back on once more a coffin would appear. At first he thought it was some kind of practical joke that someone was playing on him but as it turns out, it's anything but that.

He has been running the two tapes back to back, each one containing the coffin and the contents from within. He looked at the coffin from two weeks ago which contained the old New Blood title, a belt that had been put on the shelf since Anna retired it to promote the Queen of Wrestling title. He then looks at the video recording from last week's show, the content inside the coffin containing his old outfit that he donned during his time as the Dark Archangel, a being brought from blackest corners of his mind, a creature that would nearly destroy his entire career, a creature that Yuko would purge completely from his mind with some help from Corey.

After piecing together the two videos side by side, Yuko can see the resemblance between them: Both items reflect his past, the New Blood title, the very first belt he won when he joined IWF roughly two years ago. The Dark Archangel outfit, self explanatory, an outfit that Yuko once wore during his "curse".

These aren't practical jokes, these are mind games.

Naturally Death Angel was the first thing that came to mind when he filtered out the suspects, after all it made perfect sense. Death Angel was the one who awakened the darkness within him, plus Death Angel had every reason to target him: From denying his number one contender shot at From the Ashes two to removing Marley from the chamber in the Live or Die strap match to defeating all three of his personas. Indeed his half brother had every reason in the world to target Yuko for these games to play on.

However the more he thought about, it would seem too easy would it?

He knew Death Angel long enough to understand his methods to some decree, as random as his mind games are, there's always a goal in the end of it all. While Death Angel had once told him "I just do what I want because I can" Yuko knew better then to take that statement to heart. Plus while this would seem like something Death Angel would do, he couldn't help but feel something is not adding up.

Could this really be Death Angel's doing? If Yuko was any other person in IWF, he would think so but again something just doesn't click. Yuko couldn't understand why though, the coffins, the New Blood belt, the Dark Archangel outfit, it all points to Death Angel.

Yet he isn't entirely sure it was him.........but why?

A knock on the door snaps Yuko from his thoughts as he turns off the t.v set that he was watching.

Yuko Isamu
Come in.

Door opens and in comes a man with long slick dark hair and a rock star shirt with cargo pants.

Yuko Isamu
Hey Brandon.

His new next door neighbor, Brandon Maxwell, known but his old ring name as the "Hardcore Manic Bash Max" or just BM for short. Former multi time hardcore champion, tag champion and Knock Out King champion. Much like Darren De Jean, he was an athlete who worked for Dominion Wrestling alongside with Steel Angel. BM and Steel were the new kids on the block while Darren became the ring general. Two weeks before the KO King tournament after Steel and another athlete called Immortal Beast formed the Immortal Angels, BM and Immortal Beast became good friends after they each put away their rivals who nearly torn their friendship apart. That friendship would remain intact until the first round of the the tournament, Steel Angel barely won the first row of the tournament and Immortal Beast defeated his opponent with ease. BM's match would be the last round of the tourney where he was pitted against Suicide (not to be confused with the TNA character of the same name). During the match, BM would knock the ref down and take out his metal pipe which he used to clock Suicide in the head with. Before he could make the cover though, a masked man came in and took BM out with a massive kick to the face. This in turn allowed Suicide to nail his move and shake the ref awake as he counts the pin thereby eliminating BM. It wasn't until near the end of the tournament that it was revealed that Immortal Beast was the masked man who cost BM the match as he believed that BM "would do the same" to him and decided to "strike first" to prevent possible interference. This of course ended the friendship and start a feud that would last the next month. Eventually Steel himself was dragged into the mess and thus they had one tag match set before the PPV involving the Immortal Angels and BM's team the Bashing Krushers which consisted of BM and his girlfriend Krusher Kayls. Yuko would win the match for his team after making Kayls submit which resulted in a brawl between BM and Immortal Beast. Yuko tried to hold his partner back but managed to move out the way in time before Kayls attacked him and the two would lay him out with their double team move. Yuko was asked to leave the ring which he did and BM would challenge his rival to a hardcore match to settle things. Afterwards Yuko and BM would dance around the roster until it's demise. Since then BM would jump from place to place until he decided to retire alongside Kayls. Now they both work as road agents for local feds namely the one the Darren works for. BM and Kayls had just recently moved to San Diego nearly a month after Yuko moved into his new place and since then they have been catching up on old times. Now a days the two are like best buds.

BM
Hey Yuko, mind if hang out for a bit? Wife's going bowling with her pals and I got nothing to do at the house.

Kayls and BM got married just three months after the demise of Dominion Wrestling, to Yuko he thought that was the coolest thing for him because those two just seem fit for each other. Too bad he didn't get a chance to say hi to her today though. One day he'll get the chance to speak with her, he hasn't seen Kayls since he saved her from Sokar's attack after losing the Ultimate Heavyweight title.

Yuko Isamu
Sure go ahead, I was looking at some old tapes of last week's show.

BM
Heh I envy you, least you still wrestle.

Yuko Isamu
You can join IWF, they can use a guy like you.

BM
Wish I could but Darren would get pissed if I jump ship. Sides I get a nice pay check just by showing up and looking like professional. Can't really complain about that.

Yuko Isamu
So how's the wife?

BM
Didn't I tell you what she is doing?

Yuko Isamu
You know what I meant by that.

BM
All the same really, just trying to keep herself occupied. That's thing about her she just can't sit still.

Yuko Isamu
You expect anything less from her?

BM
Can't say I do.

Yuko Isamu
Well you married the gal all the while understanding what you'll get yourself into. Karma is funny like that.

After a moment or so, Yuko goes over his laptop and BM follows him. Here we see where the next match card was already shown and who Yuko's opponent will be. Steel Angel from what he can understand is going up against a current member of the Empire Eric Steel. So far this man has been hit or miss, he's held victories over the likes of Ashe and Sean Libby but has also faltered against the Heavyweight champion Alexander Remington not too long ago. A man like that is someone that Steel shouldn't take his eye off from less he ends up flat on the floor with the ref counting the magic number.

Yuko Isamu
This Eric Steel guy seems to think a man like me is just a launch pad for his career. Thing about me is I don't skyrocket careers, I merely destroy them.

BM gives a slight nod, it's true lately Yuko has been doing nothing but destroying the competition as of late, even with Death Angel and his own coffin trick setting in the back of his mind Yuko won't allow such meaningless distractions to hinder him. From what Yuko can understand Eric and Christian James are close pals or something, Yuko knows Christians James, the man who claimed he's "better" than him and yet he barely stood a chance against him during the match between him and Johnny Cage. While Yuko was able to knock both men out with his Divine Cutter, the fact that Johnny was still in the ring and Christian wasn't meant that he could only pin Cage.

Now Yuko was told that Eric tends to avenge his pal's lost to him last week as well as skyrocket his own career in the process. As a member of the Empire, Eric cannot allow himself to disappoint the boss Corey. Lately the group is showing some minor cracks in the ranks, ranging from Philip having lost his Uprising belt to Sean Libby to Axle getting punked by Remington during his match with Gordon. Yuko wont allow himself to be used as someone else's stepping stone at his expense. Much less some spineless puppet from the Empire.

BM
I won't pretend to understand what is going on with you and this Eric guy but you gotta be focused, take your off of the ball for one second and you're done. We both know that better than anyone who has done this kind of thing for years.

Indeed BM couldn't have said it any better. Yuko has been doing this for over 5 years, 16 if we include the extensive training that his father placed him under. Always being pushed past his limits only to find out he had a fortitude unlike any other. He could take a beating and keep on ticking, a fact that often annoyed his old man who sought to find means that aren't cruel but hard enough to physically and mentally break his son. None of them worked, in fact it did quite the opposite, strengthening his mind and body to the point where he is like a piece of steel: Hard and durable and when sharpen very lethal.

The point is Steel knows better than to allow mere mind games like these coffins appearing out of nowhere to distract him. If Death Angel is back and is trying to get inside his head, Yuko will not give him the satisfaction. He would close his laptop and turn to BM with a slight smile.

Yuko Isamu
I'm more focused then ever before.......in fact you wanna hit the gym? Beats being stuck here doing nothing.

BM
Alright I'm down, I might be retired but I can still kick some ass, if you want we can throw down at the wrestling ring.

Yuko Isamu
Challenge accepted.

With that they grab their jackets and stuff and left the house, afterwards the camera fades away.

=Steel Angel=
-The Promo-

Marley and Yuko are seen watching Eric on a video recording as he addressed his foe being Steel Angel himself and everything else that goes with it. Yuko decided he's seen and heard enough and turns to Marley.

Steel Angel
Say......Marley, got a sweet tooth for some ice cream?

Marley
Yeah I do actually.

He pulls out his wallet and hands her a twenty.

Steel Angel
Wanna get some for me and you? I'll take anything just as long as it's chocolate.

Marley
Sure thing.

She gives him a kiss on the cheek and skips away, he smiles and brushes the part that she kissed him with the back of his hand. He takes a look at the camera and walks to the side while the camera man follows him.

Steel Angel
Pretty nice speech you had there Eric, indeed the gift of a silver tongue, a mark of a perfect missionary......and a liar. See the thing about you guys is you're so in love with the sound of your own voice you never take the time actually listen to half the crap you spew from your lips. Well allow to retort if you will, you tried to bend the audience to your will by preaching this whole "the Empire will rule this fed" nonsense. Thing is Eric this place is known for it's past stable failures, take a few names: Se7en, RHG, Team Swag 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0, Upper Limit, Human Highlight Reels and finally Natural Law. Sure some of these groups were more successful then others but at some point they die off and almost nothing changes afterwards. You can preach about change like you're Obama but at the end of the day when it's all said and done, IWF will still be IWF and the world will just keep spinning. The only thing that changes is who stays and who gets the ax and shown to the door. You can brag about your so called wins over Ashe and Sean Libby till your heart is content. I've beaten Ashe with hardly any effort while you struggled against him and the last time I beat Sean was when I was a rookie. You can try and slander my good name, brag about how you're better than me because god knows it worked SO WELL when your pal Christian said the same thing before he stepped up to the plate. I'm not going to allow my half brother's mind games effect me in any way shape or form which is too bad for you because that was the only hope you had to beat me. You're allowing your own ego to get into your head much like your pal did and he paid the price. Only this time there will be no substitutes, you won't be able to save yourself like he did. If this were a triple threat perhaps but it's one on one which means my eyes are on the prize and you're just a attack dummy that is getting between me and the prize at the end.

He stops towards the wall observing the poster for Rising Monarchy.

Steel Angel
We're really not as similar as you might think Eric, see I used to be just a high flyer but I learned to expand my arsenal to include other styles into the mix. I can pretty much do just about anything these days: Power moves, quick jabs and judo throws and perhaps a submission hold or two along the way. Also I don't get this whole "the Empire doesn't owe you anything but a complete beat down" crap. Me acting like I'm owed an explanation? If we're talking about the whole coffin trick that's been going on for the past two weeks, I never asked so much as one question and never once did I allow it to faze me in the ring. Do I think about that when I'm fighting someone? Of course not, I got plenty of time to worry about it later, if you really think that these mind games are going to effect me in this match then get ready to be severely disappointed Eric. The only thing that's going to be running through my mind is shutting that god awful clam shell you call a mouth and send your ass crying back to big daddy Corey so that he can kiss your boo boo. I ain't gonna be anyone's bitch tonight Eric, much less yours, it's going to be the other way around, I've beaten guys more threatening than you. You're just a glory hound who likes to wipe ass and kiss ass while using ass cream to do both. You're trash Eric, pure and simple and today I get to play the role of the janitor as I mop the floor with your carcass and send your broken body back the dumpsters where you belong.

He turns around where Marley returns with the ice cream bars, she hands one to him and she opens hers up and starts eating the top. He takes a look at the label and laughs.

Marley
What's so funny?

Steel Angel
They actully made them, look!

Shows the IWF logo on the side of the ice cream bar wrapper.

Steel Angel
IWF ice cream bars, awesome!

He tears the wrapper and takes a bit, the camera centers on him and Marley as they chomp down on the ice cream bars. The scene then fades to black.