The camera pans to a scaffold being held over the ring by steel cables, then back down to the ring.

Howard Finkle: "The following contest is a Three Stages of Hell match, where you must win two out of the three possible matches to win! The first stage will be held under Puro rules: no pins, three rope breaks each, and you must win by submission. The second stage will be held under Scaffold rules: you must knock your opponent off the scaffold to be declared the winner. And at request of the general manager, the ring will be covered with thumb-tacks during the second stage. The third and final stage will be a Falls Count Anywhere match, where you can pin your opponent anywhere in the arena."

After a lengthy explanation, the bell rang.

"Introducing first!"


"From Sioux City, Iowa. He is the one, the only. Nick... Way!"

Between Angels and Insects kicks on over the PA system as Nick Way walks out dressed in a black top hat, with black crow like makeup under his right eye going down. The T-shirt he is wearing is the classic Forsaken T-shirt, but it has a big red X going right through the middle. He is wearing a pair of black bondage pants, and punk like wrestling boots. The crowd erupts as their returning "champion" makes his way down the aisle towards the center of the ring. He slides under and looks around at the scaffolding surrounding the ring, and checks the ropes, stretching out a little bit before taking his perch atop the corner turnbuckle, awaiting his "friend" Shadow.

An eerie, almost alien sound begins to play along with the sounds of hollowing winds. A low chanting noise is then heard as the lights fade to black. A yin-yang symbol appears on the titantron that then begins to spin, the letter S fading into place at the center. While this happens, the music still plays.

This means out...

Thunder cracks throughout the arena.

This is your way out...

A purple fog pours onto the top of the ramp.

Do or drown
Do or drown in torpor...

A second thunder clap is heard, and then a third. Stepping through the curtain and onto the ramp, Shadow is finally seen devoid of emotion. He walks slowly down to the ring with the aid of strobe lights. Climbing through the ring ropes, Shadow removes his good jacket and drops it to the outside ring. Adjusting the tape on his wrists, Shadow stared directly into the eyes of Nick, taking in the moment before the battle would commence.


Nick smiles and waves at Shadow, in a mocking manner, while Shadow is in the middle of staring him down. He jumps off the top turnbuckle and approached the center of the ring getting face to face with his Better Enemy.

The ref calls for the bell.

Ding Ding

Nick, ever the opportunist goes for a quick jab which if successful will follow up with a short arm lariat.


Shadow took the jab but ducked the lariat, then attempting a kick to the gut as Nick turn around. He'd then follow up with two jabs and then a Discus Clothesline.

Nick bends over, and then reels back from the two shots, but following suit, ducks the clothesline, and when Shadow turns back Nick tries to hit him with a boot followed by a DDT.

Hit with the boot, Shadow attempted to put both arms around Nick's waist and lift him up to run him into the turnbuckles.


Nick is brought up, and is forced back into the turnbuckles with pain.

Shadow then attempted to ram hims shoulder into Nick's gut spear style several times while he was in the turnbuckles.

After the first couple hit Nick pushes himself up and over and down the back of Shadow, rolling under and trying to pull Shadow down and over into a single leg boston crab.

In the Boston Crab, Shadow attempted to counter by turning on his waist and using his free leg to push Nick away in the butt.

Nick is getting kicked, but instead of letting go he tries to drop down making the hold stronger.

Frustrated now, Shadow makes the unwilling decision to make a rope-break.

Nick sighs and is forced to break the hold, but as Shadow turns around to look at Nick, he makes a signal with his hands by holding up a three then taking a finger away to show only two.

Shadow replied by mimicking Nick's two finger gesture and removed a finger down to just the middle finger.

Nick faked looking shocked and then smiled, knowing he already had the advantage. This was his match he wasn't about to lose it. Nick rushed Shadow going for a running shin to the face.

Avoiding the shin to the face, Shadow waited for Nick to turn around before attempting to catch Nick in the chest with a jumping side kick.

Nick turns and gets caught right in the side, he grimaces and closes his eyes in a slight twinge of pain.

Shadow then attempted to whip Nick into the ropes and catch him on the rebound with a Knee Lift.

Nick gets whipped into the ropes, and crumples because of the shot to his chest.

With Nick crumpled to the mat, Shadow attempted to grab both of his arms and lock in a Cattle Mutilation hold.

Nick lets out a scream, and begins to scoot, towards the ropes, having to have the hold broken, and losing a rope break.

Forcing to break the hold, Shadow stood back up and did a mock-Raven pose in front of Nick's face, smiling and shaking his head at him.

Nick rotated his shoulders and loosened up his joints, he got to his feet applauding Shadow, and walked to the center of the ring getting right into Shadow's face.

After Nick got in Shadow's face, Shadow brought up his hand and shoved it into Nick's face, trying to push him away.

Nick smiled, his head down facing the mat, he turned to look up at Shadow a sly grin on his face, and brought his fist up going for a huge punch right into Shadow's face.

The punch made Shadow take a few steps back. Holding his cheek, Shadow ran at Nick for a clothesline.

Nick has time to see the move coming and duck under it, he stands up behind a confused Shadow and tries to lock in a full nelson on Shadow.

Because it wasn't the Master Lock, Shadow stood a chance at breaking the Full Nelson. Knowing this, Shadow attempted to break the hold by slamming his arms down hard on Nick's arms while he thrashed about.

Nick knowing the hold was about to be broken, tried turning it into a full nelson slam.

Though he had almost broken the hold, Shadow couldn't stop from being suplexed.

Nick gets to his feet, and grabs Shadow's leg trying to lock him into his Toe Tag finisher. Nick locks in the Toe Tag, and grapevines it, hoping to break Shadow's ankle.

Caught in the grapevine, Shadow made a desperate crawl for the bottom rope to use his second rope break.

The ref began to count.

One... Two... Three... Four... Fi

Nick broke the hold, and got to his feet, trying to stomp Shadow's ankle before getting back to the center of the ring.

Shadow's ankle was stomped on, adding only more agony to his already agonizing state. Staying by the ropes he used them to help himself back up.

Nick smirks and the crowd boo's him for the first time this match, but he doesn't care. He has the advantage, and smells blood in the water, he grabs Shadow and tries for an Irish Whip into the other ropes.

His arm being grabbed, Shadow resisted against the pull and attempted to reverse the momentum so that Nick would come to him, allowing Shadow the chance to lift him up and Flapjack him onto the top rope.

Nick is flapjack-ed onto the top rope and rolls into the ring landing on his neck in pain.

Shadow then pounced on Nick attempting to lock him into a Triangle Choke.

Nick feels Shadow's legs cutting of his breath, and he begins to squirm, his vision becomes blurred, and he quickly moves towards the ropes.

Even as Nick squirmed towards the ropes, Shadow showed no signs of relieving the pressure.

Nick moved, fading faster every breath he couldn't take, he scooted again towards the rope, placing his foot on the bottom rope, and the ref called for the break.

Shadow held onto the lock until the count of three and he had released his lock and rolled back at the count of four. Now that they were both even for rope breaks, Shadow got up and he attempted to send stomps to Nick's neck.

Nick able to get enough breath back into his system opened his eyes, and tried grabbing Shadow's leg right before it came down on him, going for another Toe Tag.

Shadow was placed into the Toe Tag again, and leaped at the ropes for his last break before Nick could do anymore damage.

Nick kept the Toe Tag applied for the four, and broke it again, he began to crawl away from Shadow, trying to regain his focus, still dazed.

Once again, Shadow had to pull himself up with the ropes. Instead of waiting for Nick though, Shadow began to limp towards him.

Nick began to stand shaking the cobwebs from his head, he hasn't been able to keep the advantage for very long and he needs to step it up to get the win.

Getting closer to Nick, Shadow attempted to club his neck with two fists to bring him down. He would then attempt get on top of Nick and lock in a Camel Clutch.

Nick fell to the ground after the vicious shot to his neck, and after another he couldn't fight the grip Shadow got on him, and his face became entangled with pain. He slowly crawled carrying his and Shadows weight towards the ropes.

Shadow held the hold until Nick's hand grabbed the ropes. He then quickly released his hold and then backed up as the ref prescribed to him, only to grab Nick by the foot to pull him into the center of the ring.

Now is when the match started to get good. Neither man had any rope breaks left, and Nick was at the disadvantage, he reached behind Shadow leg, and tried to take him down.

When Nick grabbed Shadow's leg, Shadow attempted to stomp on Nick's head to get him to let go.

Nick didn't let go, but let out a grunt of pain, and tried to take Shadow down.

Finally Shadow was swept off of his feet and he fell back-first onto the mat.

Nick tried for the Trailer Hitch on Shadow.

Shadow attempted to fight back Nick's hold by rolling onto his back and shoving him backwards into the ropes with his feet.

A couple quick kicks to the head allowed Nick to relinquish the hold, and caused him to back up against the ropes, trying to shake the cob webs from his head.

Shadow was able to use the time to get back onto his feet and comfortably put his weight on the injured ankle.

Nick slowly gets up to a kneeling position, closing his eyes and opening them again this match has obviously taken its toll on him.

As Nick got to his kneeling position, Shadow charged at him with a boot attempt to Nick's face.

Nick goes down with a barrel roll in the air, collapsing against the mat in pain.

Shadow then took the opportunity to pounce on Nick and lock in his patented Coffinspire.

Nick fought the hold, and was able to power himself to a crawling position before Shadow could get both knees secured, by the time Shadow had Nick was in a standing position, and Nick charged a corner turnbuckle backwards, trying to get Shadow off.

Shadow was eventually backed into the corner and his back was slammed against the turnbuckles. Keeping his hands around Nick's chin Shadow attempted to push the two of them forward by kicking off the turnbuckles, hoping the momentum would push Nick back onto his chest for another Coffinspire lock-in.

When Shadow kicked off, Nick reached his arms back and hooked his arms under Shadows leg going for a side slam to tak Shadow to the ground.

Unfortunately, Shadow's plan didn't quite work as he suffered a side slam at the hands of Nick.

Nick grabbed Shadow leg and tried to lock him in the Toe Tag one more time.

Locked in the Toe Tag, Shadow attempted to use all the strength in his legs to flip Nick over where he would then follow up with yet another Coffinspire lock-in.

Nick's hands gripped loosened, and he was no longer able to hold onto Shadow's legs, he was caught off guard until Shadow got up right behind him and locker him in Coffinspire, Nick began to fight. But he slowly began to fade, he tried standing, but it was just too much, his eyes closed and the ref checked him. Nick didn't respond, and the ref called for the bell.

Ring Announcer- "The winner of the first stage... SHADOW!"

Shadow released his hold on Nick and rolled over, staring up up at the ceiling. After waiting out the fifteen seconds, the bell rang and the scaffold was lowered into position. Two ladders were brought to the ring and set up for the two men to get to the top. Slowly, Shadow made it onto his feet and he made his way towards the ladder.

Nick doesn't answer immediately, and the ref walks over to Nick and starts to shake him back into consciousness, Nick stumbles to his feet, and the ref helps him towards his ladder, as Nick slowly and horribly begins his slow and painful ascent to the top.

Dragging his carcass to the top of the scaffold, Shadow waited for Nick to make his way to the top. As both men climbed, two referees began to fill the ring with bright and shiny thumbtacks.

Nick finally rolled onto the top of the scaffolding and lay there trying to regain his composure.

The bell rang for the second stage. Shadow carefully made his way up to his feet, as the scaffold was unsteady.

Nick's eyes slowly opened and he pushed himself up to a sitting position. Slowly stretching out his arms, and back.

Shadow made his way slowly over to Nick.

Nick put his hands to his head, and sat there mouthing.

"How could I have lost? That was my match choice! How the ******** did I lose!"

With Nick's hands on his head, Shadow decided to interrupt Nick's thought process with a Buzzsaw Kick to the head.

Nicks face plants right into the platform he is sitting on, and then he launches backwards because of the momentum and the back of his head connects with the structure as well, when he his comes up he is bleeding.

Grabbing Nick by the hair, Shadow took great pleasure as he sent shot after shot into Nick's bleeding head, becoming more and amused with each blow.

Nick couldn't let this happen, blood began to fill his eyes, and things began passing through his mind, he knew this was the end, Shadow had won, as consciousness began to leave him, one thought passed through his mind...

Satisfied with Nick's beating, Shadow grabbed both of Nick's arms and hooked them in a Butterfly position. Seeing this as his defining moment, Shadow brought Nick close to the edge of the scaffold and attempted to send Nick flying to the ring below with a Butterfly Suplex.

Nick aware he was being pulled, maneuvered his way out of the hold, and stepped back, Shadow was confused at how Nick could still be up and moving, and Nick smiled. He tried to plant his foot right under Shadow's jaw with his patented super kick known as the Switchblade.


CRACK

Like the sound of bubble wrap popping the sound of Nick's boot colliding with Shadow's chin resonated throughout the arena. Shadow tilted backwards and then fell off the scaffold, flipping in the air and then with a resounding thud, landed stomach and face first into a pile of thumbtacks. The crowd was on their feet at the sight of such a turn of events. Medics then began to swarm around Shadow, making sure that he was alive, let alone able to compete.

Announcer: "Winner of round 2: Nick Way!"

Nick, not even waiting for the next bell to ring, jumped off, going for his third finisher known as Suicidal Tendencies, and shooting star press off the top of the scaffolding, trying to get the jump on Shadow, and praying he made, cause if he didn't it would be certain disaster for the next fall.

As medics scrambled to get out of the way, Shadow was in no condition to dodge such a move. Taking the hit, both men bounced off of each other and there was probably some cracked ribs for that insane spot. Someone in the audience screamed and a couple others peed their pants, all the while chanting, "Holy s**t!"

Nick gets punctured from most of the remaining tacks in the area, but he keeps him mouth closed, and doesn't scream, even though his mind is on fire.

The ref's and medical staff looked at the wreckage in the middle of the ring and debated on what they should do, finally the refs looked around, and so did the medical staff, both groups began questioning each competitors.

"Do you want to continue?"

Can be heard throughout the entire arena, directed at the two train wrecks in the ring.

Through a mouthful of blood, Shadow said, "No."

Nick couldn't respond he was in too much pain, the match was over, and there was no winner.

Paramedics then swarmed the both of them and got the two of them on their separate stretchers, carting them both out of the ring.