The first Evolution show in a long while was just beginning. The fans were filling into the arena floor and pushing their way into their seats, anxious to capture every moment of the show since it's back-to-back Pay-Per-View stunt. Their murmurs and shouts for the show to start were swiftly overpowered as a booming thunder shook the arena, followed by a bright flash as an entire section of the arena lost all power; lights, cell phones, cameras, everything seemed to miraculously shut off. Thunder rolled through the arena again with another bright flash, extinguishing all light from a larger part of the arena. One more time, and the arena was plunged into complete darkness. The majority of the fans were silenced by the sudden storm that seemed to shake the arena; it took a moment for a sea of cheers to erupt over the sound of the storm. It didn't take a genius to know who was coming out.
A lone guitar began to quietly play over the sound system as the titantron buzzed back to life, showing black and white footage of previous encounters involving Shanahan. Lightning flashes occasionally streaked through the arena with a booming thunder along side it. The distinct sound of raindrops hitting steel could faintly be heard with the music; the fans closest to the entrance ramp let out boosted cheers for the man about to make his way down to the ring. The fans were becoming accustomed to the rain shower that came with The Storm.
Short Change Hero - The Heavy
The footage rolled, starting with the famous image of a bloodied and beaten Shanahan holding the Evolution Championship high above his head after his ground-breaking clash with The God of Time. The image faded into the match that happened right afterward, the moment Major Devastation cashed in his Money in The Bank to rob Matt of the title. The God of Punks fought back with all he had left, but the devastating Mother of All Bombs broke Shanahan, thus giving the title to Major. Seamlessly, the footage carried on to show Matt pulling himself out of the wreckage he caused from his Showdown return, back in good health and ready to take the title back. The film went through the major highlights of the events, with the primarily ones being him landing the Chapter Four on Major and throwing the Devil Dog over his shoulders to reverse the Mother of All Bombs. The footage ended with Matt barely managing to stand as the referee gave the nine count while both men were down; it followed with Matt holding his hand high with the title tight in his grasp. The titantron faded to black, and the music seemed to stop with it, leaving the arena in a state of silence and darkness.
BOOM!!!
A thunder-clap with the force of a sonic boom shook the arena as a bolt of lightning struck the center of the stage, causing a small flame to spark around it. As if on queue, the lights came with a dark-blue hue, just barely giving the fans a glimpse of their surroundings The dim lights revealed that it had indeed been drizzling on the stage, ramp, and around the ring; the ramp itself was hardly visible through the small screen of fog that covered it. The music kicked back in, now with a distinct drum beat to it. The center of the stage was wide open, and a figure began to slowly rise from it...
I can't see where you comin' from,
But I know just what you runnin' from.
And what matters ain't the "who's baddest" but,
The ones who stop you fallin' from your ladder, baby...
The figure continued to rise up from the hole in the stage as the song played; his head was covered by a black hood, attached to a long, black leather trenchcoat. His head was kept down to hide his face from view, even though the roaring fans knew who he was. The platform kept rising as the song went on and the drizzling rain slid off of his trenchcoat.
And you feel like you're feelin' now,
Doin' things just to please your crowd.
But I love you like the way I love you,
And I suffer, but I ain't gonna cut you 'cause...
As the first verse finished, the platform ended it's rise to the the stage. Matt Shanahan lifted his head to stare down at the ring, the empty squared circle that would serve as his stage. His right hand was gripped around his legendary weapon, the 'Punk-ville Slugger', only loosening to give the bat a single twirl to his side. The chorus began as The Storm slowly began to step down the ramp, well protected from the rain thanks to his hooded coat.
This ain't no place for no hero.
This ain't no place for no better man.
This ain't no place for no hero to call "home."
This ain't no place for no hero.
This ain't no place for no better man.
This ain't no place for no hero to call "home."
On the last two lines of the chorus, Matt stopped in the middle of the ramp to slightly turn his head to the left and right, taking in the size of the cheering crowd. They stood by him against Chrono and against Major, and he hadn't let them down yet. Deep down, he hoped tonight wouldn't be any different. Once he began to pace down to the ring again, a flash of lightning ripped across the roof of the arena, causing the dark-blue lighting to go out once more.
Every time I close my eyes, I think,
I think about you inside.
And your mother, givin' up on askin' why -
Why you lie, and you cheat, and you try to make
A fool outta she...
Three more bells chimed as the bridge was sang through-out the arena. Each time, there was a quick flash of light to give the fans a split-second view of what was happening; Matt was still making his way to the ring. With each flash, he was closer. It was almost haunting to see the black-clad figure suddenly moving positions through the rain and darkness.
I can't see where you comin' from...
The drumbeat kicked back in on queue, the dark-blue lighting throughout the arena returning with it. Now, The Storm was standing at the steps to the ring and beginning his ascent up them. He walked onto the apron and stepped through the middle and top rope to enter the ring, turning on heel to stare out at the crowd from underneath his hood.
But I know just what you're runnin' from.
And what matters ain't the "who's baddest," but the
Ones who stop you fallin' from your ladder, 'cause...
Right before the chorus began, Shanahan brought his free hand up to grab his hood by the rim and pull it back, revealing his clean-shaven features. His black locks were slicked back in his usual style, and his black eyes were in their typical near-bloodshot state. The moment he pulled his hood back, another booming thunder to echo through the arena. A lightning bolt shot across the ceiling overhead as the lights flowed back into their normal, colorless hue. The drizzling rain stopped, leaving the outside area and the ramp wet, along with some unfortunate fans who paid a well earned salary for their Front Row Seats.
This ain't no place for no hero.
This ain't no place for no better man.
This ain't no place for no hero to call "home."
The music faded away from the speakers, leaving Shanahan alone in the ring with his adoring fans. He took a moment to lift his baseball bat up and slid it behind his back, pushing it into the metal holster he had custom made for his weapon on the back of his trenchcoat. He didn't remove the coat, but simply pushed the folds of it aside to reveal the WWE:E Evolution Championship still around his waist, gaining an overwhelming applause from the audience. Without any sign of emotion breaking onto his face, Matt reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a slender microphone, flicking it on with his thumb before holding it up near his lips.
"... It's about... damn... time," the lone sentenced breathed out of Shanahan's mouth with much relief weighed on his words, causing another jolt of electricity to run through the crowd. His bloodshot eyes danced around the arena for a long moment, taking his time to speak again.
"It's been nearly half a goddamn year since I challenged Chrono Clepysdra, The God of Time himself, for the right rule over Evolution as your champion. I -retired- him that night, and claimed the right that everyone in this business wants... and within minutes, it was ripped away from me. Major Devastation took it upon himself to cash in his Money in The Bank, and take me fully out of commission. I think everyone saw that coming, though," The Storm paused, his deep, brooding voice resonating across the arena.
"So, while I recovered, an old friend of mine decided to take the situation into his own hands. He attacked Major Devastation with -my- bat. He assembled some 'Punk Army' and took to assaulting the Devil Dog as if it were -my- will. What he did not realize is that my will would have been done either way. At Heatwave, the world would've seen The God of Punks rise once against, without Nightshade's interference. At Heatwave... the world would've see me reclaim the title that I had fought tooth-and-nail for. After all... not even a man like Major can survive The Storm forever."
"Management wanted to see me lose the title almost immediately once more. They booked another Pay-Per-View event to follow, without any shows in between. So at Deception, they put me in a Steel Cage against the famous Dion Necurat, a man whom I've not met in combat before. We pushed eachother to the limit, but the night would find me climbing over the top of the cage... with him bashing on the other side to send me to the mats below. I won, but not after getting slammed by his precious shield afterwards," Matt hissed through the microphone, clearly bitter about the ending of his previous match.
"But, I'm not out here to address Dion. I'm not out here to boast about beating Major. I'm out here to address -you-. The fans. The ones that pushed me to end Chrono's career, to ones that were with me every moment since I've stepped foot back into this ring. This is the address that -should- have been made after I beat Chrono. This is the address that -should- have been heard once I took the belt back from Major Devastation. The tides have been against me, but now nothing can stop what I have to say on this matter," Matt paused to slide his free hand into the trenchcoat and yank on the back of the belt, pulling it free from his waist and holding it up for the world to see, "I stand here -now- as your Evolution Champion. Against all odds, I stand before you tonight as the figurehead of this company, -the- face of WWE:E. Matt Shanahan... reigns supreme."
The Storm finished, gaining a roaring cheer from the entire arena. However, he didn't make any notion of stopping for long, "Do not mistake my worlds for arrogance. I do not deserve this title, nor do you fans deserve me as your champion. You deserve a better, brighter mind that can hold this belt and usher Evolution into a Golden Era. You deserve a champion that can fend off everyone, despite the odds. Instead," Matt paused to lower his hand, holding the title at his side now, "You have the last God standing. You have The Storm protecting you from people like Devastation. From the ones that would seek to hold this title for fame, for their own selfish reasons. I hold this title to ensure that this company -will- get the champion that will lead it into a better future, because I do not honestly believe that it's me. When the day comes that a man worthy of this belt challenges me and I falter, then... then I will step away and let him guide this company forward. Until such a day, I will guard this title with everything I have. If an unworthy foe steals it away, I will hunt him down until it is back in my possession. This business will not suffer a year-long reign from a tyrant like it has before. This business will -not- have an unworthy champion, so long as I live!" Matt roared into the microphone, exposing the raw emotion that he had tried to contain since losing the belt back in April.
"... Tonight, I face a man much worse than any I have before. A damn near demon, if you ask me. Disciple is my opponent, and I know he'll prove to be a tough opponent. Even so... not even he will best me. To him, Dion, Major, and everyone else in the back... this title and this business are under The Storm's fury until further notice. When the day comes that there's man to pass the belt onto, then the fury will subside. Until then?... I -am- your champion," Matt Shanahan dropped the microphone after making his address and began to exit the ring. He didn't make a huge celebration speech like so many would have expected back in April, but he made his message clear. He was the Evolution Champion, and he was going to keep the roster in check until that changed.
A lone guitar began to quietly play over the sound system as the titantron buzzed back to life, showing black and white footage of previous encounters involving Shanahan. Lightning flashes occasionally streaked through the arena with a booming thunder along side it. The distinct sound of raindrops hitting steel could faintly be heard with the music; the fans closest to the entrance ramp let out boosted cheers for the man about to make his way down to the ring. The fans were becoming accustomed to the rain shower that came with The Storm.
Short Change Hero - The Heavy
The footage rolled, starting with the famous image of a bloodied and beaten Shanahan holding the Evolution Championship high above his head after his ground-breaking clash with The God of Time. The image faded into the match that happened right afterward, the moment Major Devastation cashed in his Money in The Bank to rob Matt of the title. The God of Punks fought back with all he had left, but the devastating Mother of All Bombs broke Shanahan, thus giving the title to Major. Seamlessly, the footage carried on to show Matt pulling himself out of the wreckage he caused from his Showdown return, back in good health and ready to take the title back. The film went through the major highlights of the events, with the primarily ones being him landing the Chapter Four on Major and throwing the Devil Dog over his shoulders to reverse the Mother of All Bombs. The footage ended with Matt barely managing to stand as the referee gave the nine count while both men were down; it followed with Matt holding his hand high with the title tight in his grasp. The titantron faded to black, and the music seemed to stop with it, leaving the arena in a state of silence and darkness.
BOOM!!!
A thunder-clap with the force of a sonic boom shook the arena as a bolt of lightning struck the center of the stage, causing a small flame to spark around it. As if on queue, the lights came with a dark-blue hue, just barely giving the fans a glimpse of their surroundings The dim lights revealed that it had indeed been drizzling on the stage, ramp, and around the ring; the ramp itself was hardly visible through the small screen of fog that covered it. The music kicked back in, now with a distinct drum beat to it. The center of the stage was wide open, and a figure began to slowly rise from it...
I can't see where you comin' from,
But I know just what you runnin' from.
And what matters ain't the "who's baddest" but,
The ones who stop you fallin' from your ladder, baby...
The figure continued to rise up from the hole in the stage as the song played; his head was covered by a black hood, attached to a long, black leather trenchcoat. His head was kept down to hide his face from view, even though the roaring fans knew who he was. The platform kept rising as the song went on and the drizzling rain slid off of his trenchcoat.
And you feel like you're feelin' now,
Doin' things just to please your crowd.
But I love you like the way I love you,
And I suffer, but I ain't gonna cut you 'cause...
As the first verse finished, the platform ended it's rise to the the stage. Matt Shanahan lifted his head to stare down at the ring, the empty squared circle that would serve as his stage. His right hand was gripped around his legendary weapon, the 'Punk-ville Slugger', only loosening to give the bat a single twirl to his side. The chorus began as The Storm slowly began to step down the ramp, well protected from the rain thanks to his hooded coat.
This ain't no place for no hero.
This ain't no place for no better man.
This ain't no place for no hero to call "home."
This ain't no place for no hero.
This ain't no place for no better man.
This ain't no place for no hero to call "home."
On the last two lines of the chorus, Matt stopped in the middle of the ramp to slightly turn his head to the left and right, taking in the size of the cheering crowd. They stood by him against Chrono and against Major, and he hadn't let them down yet. Deep down, he hoped tonight wouldn't be any different. Once he began to pace down to the ring again, a flash of lightning ripped across the roof of the arena, causing the dark-blue lighting to go out once more.
Every time I close my eyes, I think,
I think about you inside.
And your mother, givin' up on askin' why -
Why you lie, and you cheat, and you try to make
A fool outta she...
Three more bells chimed as the bridge was sang through-out the arena. Each time, there was a quick flash of light to give the fans a split-second view of what was happening; Matt was still making his way to the ring. With each flash, he was closer. It was almost haunting to see the black-clad figure suddenly moving positions through the rain and darkness.
I can't see where you comin' from...
The drumbeat kicked back in on queue, the dark-blue lighting throughout the arena returning with it. Now, The Storm was standing at the steps to the ring and beginning his ascent up them. He walked onto the apron and stepped through the middle and top rope to enter the ring, turning on heel to stare out at the crowd from underneath his hood.
But I know just what you're runnin' from.
And what matters ain't the "who's baddest," but the
Ones who stop you fallin' from your ladder, 'cause...
Right before the chorus began, Shanahan brought his free hand up to grab his hood by the rim and pull it back, revealing his clean-shaven features. His black locks were slicked back in his usual style, and his black eyes were in their typical near-bloodshot state. The moment he pulled his hood back, another booming thunder to echo through the arena. A lightning bolt shot across the ceiling overhead as the lights flowed back into their normal, colorless hue. The drizzling rain stopped, leaving the outside area and the ramp wet, along with some unfortunate fans who paid a well earned salary for their Front Row Seats.
This ain't no place for no hero.
This ain't no place for no better man.
This ain't no place for no hero to call "home."
The music faded away from the speakers, leaving Shanahan alone in the ring with his adoring fans. He took a moment to lift his baseball bat up and slid it behind his back, pushing it into the metal holster he had custom made for his weapon on the back of his trenchcoat. He didn't remove the coat, but simply pushed the folds of it aside to reveal the WWE:E Evolution Championship still around his waist, gaining an overwhelming applause from the audience. Without any sign of emotion breaking onto his face, Matt reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a slender microphone, flicking it on with his thumb before holding it up near his lips.
"... It's about... damn... time," the lone sentenced breathed out of Shanahan's mouth with much relief weighed on his words, causing another jolt of electricity to run through the crowd. His bloodshot eyes danced around the arena for a long moment, taking his time to speak again.
"It's been nearly half a goddamn year since I challenged Chrono Clepysdra, The God of Time himself, for the right rule over Evolution as your champion. I -retired- him that night, and claimed the right that everyone in this business wants... and within minutes, it was ripped away from me. Major Devastation took it upon himself to cash in his Money in The Bank, and take me fully out of commission. I think everyone saw that coming, though," The Storm paused, his deep, brooding voice resonating across the arena.
"So, while I recovered, an old friend of mine decided to take the situation into his own hands. He attacked Major Devastation with -my- bat. He assembled some 'Punk Army' and took to assaulting the Devil Dog as if it were -my- will. What he did not realize is that my will would have been done either way. At Heatwave, the world would've seen The God of Punks rise once against, without Nightshade's interference. At Heatwave... the world would've see me reclaim the title that I had fought tooth-and-nail for. After all... not even a man like Major can survive The Storm forever."
"Management wanted to see me lose the title almost immediately once more. They booked another Pay-Per-View event to follow, without any shows in between. So at Deception, they put me in a Steel Cage against the famous Dion Necurat, a man whom I've not met in combat before. We pushed eachother to the limit, but the night would find me climbing over the top of the cage... with him bashing on the other side to send me to the mats below. I won, but not after getting slammed by his precious shield afterwards," Matt hissed through the microphone, clearly bitter about the ending of his previous match.
"But, I'm not out here to address Dion. I'm not out here to boast about beating Major. I'm out here to address -you-. The fans. The ones that pushed me to end Chrono's career, to ones that were with me every moment since I've stepped foot back into this ring. This is the address that -should- have been made after I beat Chrono. This is the address that -should- have been heard once I took the belt back from Major Devastation. The tides have been against me, but now nothing can stop what I have to say on this matter," Matt paused to slide his free hand into the trenchcoat and yank on the back of the belt, pulling it free from his waist and holding it up for the world to see, "I stand here -now- as your Evolution Champion. Against all odds, I stand before you tonight as the figurehead of this company, -the- face of WWE:E. Matt Shanahan... reigns supreme."
The Storm finished, gaining a roaring cheer from the entire arena. However, he didn't make any notion of stopping for long, "Do not mistake my worlds for arrogance. I do not deserve this title, nor do you fans deserve me as your champion. You deserve a better, brighter mind that can hold this belt and usher Evolution into a Golden Era. You deserve a champion that can fend off everyone, despite the odds. Instead," Matt paused to lower his hand, holding the title at his side now, "You have the last God standing. You have The Storm protecting you from people like Devastation. From the ones that would seek to hold this title for fame, for their own selfish reasons. I hold this title to ensure that this company -will- get the champion that will lead it into a better future, because I do not honestly believe that it's me. When the day comes that a man worthy of this belt challenges me and I falter, then... then I will step away and let him guide this company forward. Until such a day, I will guard this title with everything I have. If an unworthy foe steals it away, I will hunt him down until it is back in my possession. This business will not suffer a year-long reign from a tyrant like it has before. This business will -not- have an unworthy champion, so long as I live!" Matt roared into the microphone, exposing the raw emotion that he had tried to contain since losing the belt back in April.
"... Tonight, I face a man much worse than any I have before. A damn near demon, if you ask me. Disciple is my opponent, and I know he'll prove to be a tough opponent. Even so... not even he will best me. To him, Dion, Major, and everyone else in the back... this title and this business are under The Storm's fury until further notice. When the day comes that there's man to pass the belt onto, then the fury will subside. Until then?... I -am- your champion," Matt Shanahan dropped the microphone after making his address and began to exit the ring. He didn't make a huge celebration speech like so many would have expected back in April, but he made his message clear. He was the Evolution Champion, and he was going to keep the roster in check until that changed.
