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A very famous and beloved guitar riff would grace the PA system following the entrance of the APEX ace. Avari had already been keeping his eyes up on the stage just waiting to see who his first opponent would be in this X-Cup, and boy was it a surprise to him, and the world when...he appeared.


Nicky Delabonte Jr., the near 32 year-old geriatric and stabbing victim at the hands of Staff Member Russo and Michael Tarver, was out from the back in a Midnight Marauders International shirt and bright purple tights with an "N.D." on the side near the thigh. Nicky had been on the run for a year, attempting several times to find a way to destroy MMI from the inside out...but in the end, money spoke too loudly and in a language Nicky understood far too fluently. There was going to be a big problem tonight as he prepared to face one of the most successful workers of the recent era: Nicky Delabonte Jr. had not worked an actual wrestling match in several years.

Layla
You've got me on my knees
Layla
I'm begging, darling, please
Layla
Darling, won't you ease my worried mind?

There would be no help for him tonight from Roberto Mendez either, as the official singer of MMI was not in the arena tonight but instead at Club Marauder, forced again to preform alongside animatronics and be a sex icon. Nicky made it down the ramp successfully, which was a much needed victory in and of itself. He was a touch gassed, clearly not in the best of ring shape and perhaps still in a little bit of a pain which radiated from the scar on his back. He climbed the steps slowly and lurched into the ring, keeping away from Avari. He didn't want to get close, perhaps not now or ever. His theme song, "Layla" by Derek and the Dominos, would enter it's ballad portion and Nicky slicked his half blonde/half brown hair back. Why the hell was he here, really? Was the money good enough to return to Midnight Marauders International and fall back in line? That was going to be a question perhaps never answered -- but for now, he'd have to defeat Avari and score some points for the team one way or the other.

Avari flat backed down to the ground, Nicky not even needing to touch him to cause the drop. The Marauder looked around with a series of confused blinks, the crowd booing as they figured the fix was somehow in -- MMI must have gotten to Avari. The poisoned Fusion family tree would certainly be advantage for Delabonte Jr., however. His blank, confused blinks turned to desperation in the eyes as with a grimace he quickly dropped down and tried to cover Avari!

Moments after the bell rings confetti starts to drift from the ceiling down into the ring. Emerging through the curtain is none other than the dead president himself Nick Khan himself looking sharp in a polo and headset resting on the prosthetic ears of his Hollywood stunt mask. The rubber contorts against the pressure of the biggest smile in the world as the Iranian man holds two BIG thumbs up towards the ring and slowly claps his hands before pointing at Nicky:


The words catch in his throat as he stops himself. "I mean, uh, good job SON!" He repeats, this time carefully shifting his emphasis to covey the tone of a young, urban youth referring to his peer rather than a father talking to his literal son which we all know and accept unquestionably is absolutely not what is happening here.

Swallowing hard but pleased with his recovery the MMI representative slowly turns to the nearby camera holding a finger up to his lips as reaches around his neck to the laminated card hanging around his neck on a lanyard. Holding it up to the camera he taps his finger against a word that undoubtedly sent chills down the spine of viewers going into commercial:

Nick Khan: GZW Staffmember.