Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Richard Fannin said, "Gentlemen... we have a Pay-Per-View deal!"

"Seems like only yesterday we were doing audio and voice over work in the basement of the Yellow Sign." mused Dru.

John Jackson Flash (better known to their small viewing audience as JackFlash) rolled his eyes, "It WAS only yesterday dope. Despite the advances, we're still working from the basement."

"Nothing wrong with that. Once I got the collection down those steps, I vowed never to move it again." joked Thomas Archer, the promotion's archivist.

Watching the steam from his breath curl rings in the air, head talent scout Harold Green replied, "That's a vow you may have to break Arch. If we really sold out this damn building, we might be moving to a nicer offices sometime soon."

Fannin suppressed a chuckle, "How typically ‘front office’. Here we are about to carry off the biggest show the promotion has ever seen and you're worried about moving boxes." He paused a beat before adding, "Besides, if we really do have to move, we'll just get Jack to build us a robot to do the heavy lifting. Think you can cobble together a robot for us, Jackie boy?"

The engineer sighed heavily, "Of course, I did just spend 36 hours making sure every inch of the arena was wired for light and sound, so a robot may have to wait a few days; but sure, I'll manage."

"Did I ever tell you sarcasm from an engineer is NEVER comforting?" offered Dru.

"And yet I have to use it around you guys so often!" Jack explained with a wry smirk.

Fannin was about to say something else when his phone rang. Flipping the little gadget open, he put it to his ear, listened for a moment and said, "That's great Simon, you're a lifesaver. Tell 'Scape we'll be there in five." Closing it he said, "That was Sim. The live net feed went on-line a few minutes ago and everything's running smoothly. Oh, and Nightscape wants us inside to talk about the huge roster and office picture we’ll use for this year’s Christmas Card."

"Aww c'mon dude, no one wants to see us standing with all the ladies," grumbled Harold.

But Flash beat Fannin to the punch, "True. But would any fan turn down the opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with our entire roster? I think not."

"Good point. Let's go!"

With one last look at the sign, they took the short walk back to the arena. After a few moments of silence, Fannin said, "Ya know, I just realized; we're about to produce a show about gorgeous women pounding the tar out of one another and the whole world's going to pay us to see it. At this point, I think it's safe to take a step back, look at life and say, I have arrived!"

There were murmurs of agreement all around, then Archer added, "Yep. Being a suit DOES have it's perks." That seemed to sum everything up nicely and they made the rest of the journey in silence, but that wasn't really a bad thing. After all, there'd be plenty of time for cheering once the show started.

CHAPTER 1:

It has to start somewhere.

It has to start sometime.

What better place then here?

What better time than now?

~ Rage Against the Machine

********

When the introductory video package and massive burst of pyro concluded, the ring announcer stepped into the spotlight at the center of the squared circle and proclaimed, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to 'The Dawning of a New Age!' Tonight, this promotion will be seen on a worldwide pay-per-view for the very first time and we promise not to disappoint! With that said, it's time for our opening contest! The match is scheduled for one fall with no time limit and is fought under ‘Arkham Street Fight rules’: no disqualification, no count out and pins or submissions count anywhere in the building...or outside of it, for that matter! If you'll direct your attention to the screens, you'll see that in true street fight fashion, the match will start out on the arena's landing and will proceed to wherever the hell it goes. Introducing first at 5’7”… MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG!"

The screen cuts to a shot of one of the locker room doors and as 'Little Sister' starts to roar through the speakers, the door swings open and the brunette strides through, making a beeline for the front of the building. For this fight against an as of yet unnamed opponent, Michelle's in a clingy, purple, long sleeve T-Shirt and dark blue, low-rise jeans. The outfit is quite nice to say the very least, but it probably won't be much protection against the raging winds outside and the audience wonders just how long this ‘street fight’ will stay on the street.

As Michelle reaches the line of doors leading outside, the cameraman cuts back to the announcer who continues, "And her opponent…she stands 5’4” and is making her return after an absence of ten months... ELISHA CUTHBERT!"

There's a contradictory mix of boos and cheers as 'Headstrong' kicks in and the curvy blonde blows out of her locker room. Like her foe tonight, Elisha is clad in a long-sleeve, maroon, T-shirt and black skin-tight jeans. Smirking to the camera, Elisha cooed, "I'm baaaaaaaaacccck!" as she strutted toward the entrance to the arena. As she approached the doors, the screen cut to the cameraman waiting outside with Michelle and the official assigned to this chaotic contest.

After some hushed mutterings to both ladies, the ref shooed them apart and took one last chance to catch his breath. Knowing that there would be no bell to start this match, Elisha and Michelle did their best to add to the cold by sending icy glances in the other's direction. When the official (dressed more warmly than they) was satisfied the women were ready for battle, he took a position between them, glanced back and forth, then crossed his arms in a quick slashing gesture; the universal sign if ref language for 'let's get it on.'

Enjoying the feel of the cold December wind in her hair, Michelle glared at the blonde through the orange-ish glow of the stadium's arc sodium lights and wondered what color blood would look like on the concrete. She was guessing black, hoping Elisha would volunteer her own to confirm it. Rolling her shoulders, the auburn-haired beauty murmured, "Anyone in our locker room would have LOVED to kick your ass Elisha, I'm just glad the fans cared enough to pick someone who would do it right!" Then Michelle slipped into a slinky crouch and headed towards her adversary.

Several feet away, Elisha wasn't just enjoying the cold, she was letting it pour through her, engulf her, chill every inch of her so there'd be no hesitation or remorse when she began dismantling the obnoxious brunette. A part of her had been hoping the idiot fans would put her in the ring with Allison, Billie or even that skag Eliza, but there'd be plenty of time for them later! Now it was mandated she destroy Michelle - a duty she was honored to carry out. Running a hand through her wind-blown locks, the blue-eyed beauty sneered, "What a beautiful welcome home present. I can't wait to rip it open and see what's inside." Then she too settled into a wrestler's crouch and padded forward.

Seconds later the two thinly-clad vixens were circling cautiously. While they might have had nothing but disdain for the other personally, they were perfectly aware of what her foe could do in the ring and neither wanted to make the first mistake. After a few feints and swatted strikes lead to nothing, Elisha smiled at Michelle and asked, "Aren't you going to welcome me back MichellUNNNNGHHH!"

Michelle's left hand lashed out and SMACK, slapped the blonde; a blow made several times more painful by the low temperature and howling wind.

Shaking the tingle out of her hand, Michelle purred, "Welcome back bitchHHAAARRGGHHH!"

Elisha recovered and returned the favor, sending her rival's head snapping in a billowing chestnut cloud. Balling her hands into fists, Elisha bared her teeth in a feral grin and snarled, "Gee, you really ARE as fun to hit as the rest of the locker room says."

Ignoring the burn in her cheek, Michelle replied, "And you're just as much of a bitch as I remember. Come and get what you've got coming to ya Slutbert."

Growling at the use of the hated nickname, Elisha waded in with fists flying, a tactic that Michelle was more than happy to duplicate. For the next thirty seconds, the only sound was the moaning wind, the snapping THUD, THUP and THWACK of every impact and the dull roar of the crowd who watched it all unfold from the comfort of their seats. After a sloppy Uppercut tagged Michelle under the chin, Elisha decided it was time for a new approach and fired a hard Kick toward the pit of the brunette's stomach. It was only inches away from its target when Michelle's hands flew out of nowhere and plucked it out of the void.

Forcing her foe to hop awkwardly on one foot, Michelle offered her rival a sneering smile and said, "You must have gotten rusty in all that down time Lishy. The bitch I remember would have never kicked out with an injured leg this early in the match. Thanks for the opening though, I'll make the most of it."

The words were still coming out of her mouth when she released half of her grip, raised her freed arm and brought the point of her elbow SLAMMING down on Elisha's right knee - the same knee Neve had nearly shredded in the 'Last Woman Standing' match in February. And while the better part of a year had ensured that the joint was again fit to enter a wrestling ring, it was still a perceived weakness and Michelle was going to take full advantage!

Warmed by the blonde's shriek as she landed hard on the concrete, Michelle held Elisha's right leg fully extended and helped herself to several hard-hearted stomps to the back of Elisha’s knee and thigh. Wrenching hard on her ankle, Michelle smiled down and said sweetly, "In case you forgot, there's no ropes to save you tonight 'Lishy. So unless you want your return to be ridiculously short, I'd suggest you give up right NOW!" She punctuated the statement with another Stomp to Elisha's hamstring.

Gritting her teeth, Elisha tried to kick out with her free leg, but the brunette managed to dip away from every attempt. Taking no notice of the steam that billowed from her mouth, the blonde growled, "You're gonna have to do a whole lot more that kick my leg if you wanna make me quit. That rinky-dink shit might work on Alexis Bledel or Rachel Bilson, but I'm ElisARRRGGHH!"

Michelle ceased her stomping to lace both legs around Elisha’s trapped limb, Michelle fell to the ground to cinch in the Leg Bar. Locking her ankles to compound the pressure, Michelle tugged back on the joint-lock and said, "You're in terrible pain? Yes I know, I'm the one causing it. Just say 'I'm Michelle's bitch' and this can all be over."

Refusing to entertain the thought of such an ignominious ending, Elisha sat up as best she could, balled her left hand into a fist and proceeded to pound away on Michelle's denim clad left thigh. It took longer than she would have liked, but eventually Michelle was forced to release Elisha's leg and both ladies quickly scrambled to their feet.

Using the pain as motivation, Elisha lunged in low and fast, coming at Michelle before the brunette was really ready for her. Capitalizing on the opportunity, Elisha darted out both hands, caught Michelle's left ankle and YANKED it out from underneath her, dropping the lissome grappler to her back with a dull THUD! Noting that the brunette had used both arms to cradle the back of her head from the fall, Elisha raised her right boot and then pistoned it down into her opponent's crotch.

Smirking as Michelle screeched in agony, Elisha purred, "It's good to be home." Tossing the trembling limb aside, Elisha knelt down by her foe and added, "Let's make sure those nice people in the arena get what they paid to see, is that OK with you Mish?"

She grabbed the bottom of Michelle's long sleeved T-shirt in both hands and peeled it up and off the brunette's body, leaving her in jeans and the teal bikini top of her normal ring gear. Dropping the shorn shirt without a second glance, Elisha buried both hands in Michelle's hair and pulled her to her feet.

Scooping the taller girl up onto her shoulder, Elisha held her prone for several seconds, then said, "Concrete versus bitch, who's gonna win?" She rose up on her toes and tossed Michelle down, Body Slamming her to the freezing ground. Smirking as Michelle's back arched in pain, Elisha dusted off her hands and taunted, "Concrete wins every time slut."

Dropping to one knee, Elisha sat behind Michelle and pulled her to a sitting position. Forcing the point of her knee between Michelle's shoulders and the base of her neck, Elisha cupped Michelle's chin in both hands and pulled back as hard as she could. The simple Chinlock wasn't going to get a submission, but it would wear Michelle down, not to mention force her to flail like an idiot. Just hat subtle humiliation was something Elisha enjoyed very much. Digging her fingers into the slender grappler's face, Elisha reefed back on the hold and taunted, "You ready to give it up Michelle? Or maybe you want me to take your top off too? I sure as hell wouldn't mind grinding those lame tits of yours along the ground, it might actually make them more memorable."

Blocking out Elisha's voice with thoughts of all the terrible things she was going to do to her, the brunette clutched at Elisha’s hands and pushed up hard, managing to relieve the pressure on the Chinlock just enough to get her knees under her. From there it didn't take much effort to push to her feet, but before she could fully escape the hold, Elisha pulled her into a Side Headlock, which was just as unpleasant, if not more so.

Forcing the brunette's temple against the point of her hip, Elisha chided, "What? You thought I was gonna let you go that EASSYYAAUUHHH OH NO YOU DON'T!"

Michelle had wrapped her arms around Elisha’s waist and hoisted her into the air, attempting a Belly-to-Back Suplex, but before she could dump the blonde on her head, Elisha caught her balance and pulled back to the ground. The instant her feet touched down, Elisha Hip-Tossed Michelle and followed her descent; flattening her with a Headlock Takedown, another simple move that was made so much more painful thanks to the weather and battleground.

Continuing to crank back on the Headlock, Elisha sucked in a deep breath and said, "You don't get away from me that easy bitch. You hear meGUURRHHHHK!"

Apparently, Michelle heard her loud and clear because just then the brunette Scissored her legs up and snapped them shut around her tormentor's head. Crushing down with all the formidable strength her legs had to offer, Michelle pulled free of the Headlock and added even more pressure to the hold. Balancing on one hand, she used the other to grab a murderous handful of Elisha's hair and just tug away.

Loving that the arrogant blonde's nose was only inches from her crotch, Michelle thrust her hips forward and growled, "I'm not going anywhere bitch, how about yoAARRHGGGHHHHH!" Despite the vile force of Michelle's gams, Elisha had turned her head just enough to Bite the brunette's thigh which forced her to relinquish the Head Scissors long before she'd actually wanted to.

Taking in great burning gasps of the December air, Elisha lunged forward and wrapped both hands around Michelle's slender neck. Bringing them both to their feet, Elisha continued to strangle her victim as she growled, "You wanna squeeze baby? Lemme show you how to do it right..." Clamping down on the brunette's windpipe, she continued the brutal punishment until the ref started to tug on her shoulder; even under Street Fight rules, Fannin didn't allow the use of this sort of Choke.

Rolling her eyes, Elisha released her grip on Michelle's neck only to immediately wrap her up in a jarring Front Facelock. Slinging the taller girl's near arm over her shoulders, Elisha grabbed a handful of her foe's jeans, bent her knees and then lifted up and back. Hoisting Michelle up over her head, Elisha held her there for just a moment before dropping backwards to complete the Vertical Suplex. Sitting up on her haunches, Elisha could hear the 'HOLY SHIT' chants from inside the building and it brought a cruel smile to her lips.

Glancing in the direction of the nearest cameraman she told the viewers, "If you thought THAT was a holy shit moment, you haven't seen anything yet."

Getting to her feet, Elisha pulled Michelle to hers and pointed the brunette in the direction of the waist-high steel barrier that had been erected at the top of the landing to keep curious passersby and the Street Fight participants from tumbling down the huge concrete steps. Only mildly disturbed by the tiny voice that whispered about how amazing it would be to see Michelle go tumbling over that barricade down the steps, Elisha pulled away from her opponent and FLUNG her toward the unforgiving metal.

Dazed as she was, Michelle knew she was headed for trouble and in the instant before she would have rammed thighs-first into the barrier, she whirled around and went low to take the brunt of the impact with her shoulders and back. It wasn't a pleasant landing by any means, but it was much better than the alternative.

Savoring the hollow CLANG of the brunette's landing, Elisha strutted over to her woozy adversary and dragged her to her feet. Backing up a few feet, Elisha took hold of Michelle's wrist again and cooed, "I don't care how often you try to turn into the landing bitch. It's not going to matter when I throw you THROUGH the barricade."

Planning to do just that, Elisha planted her feet and whipped Michelle away, but just as she was about to let go, the brunette bore down on her wrist and tugged her forward, reversing the momentum on the whip. Before Elisha could say a word against it, Michelle dropped low, wrapped both arms around the blonde's hips and pushed up on her toes. Holding her prey aloft, she staggered back a few steps, then lost her balance, sending Elisha crashing down chest-first along the top of the barrier in a wickedly modified Hot Shot.

The blonde let out a terrible shriek as she bounced off the barrier and landed flat on her back next to Michelle. At the moment she would have loved nothing more than a few minutes to recover and catch her breath, unfortunately, the brunette sitting next to her was righteously pissed off and not in a very giving mood. With a hellish fire raging in her dark eyes, Michelle got to her feet, buried both hands into Elisha's mane and pulled her to hers. Shifting her hands, the vindictive grappler took Elisha’s shirt in both hands and said, "I don't think you'll be needing this anymore..." Then she ripped it up over the blonde's head and tossed it away into the darkness of the stairs. Slapping Elisha across her near-naked chest, Michelle sneered, "You wanna try to use this thing to cripple me? Then turnabout is fair play Cuntburnt."

Allowing her actions to speak for her now, Michelle hoisted Elisha up onto her shoulders in a Fireman's Carry. With the blonde helpless on her shoulders, she hesitated for several seconds and a vast majority of the viewers thought she might actually toss Elisha over the barrier and down the steps. Instead, she tossed Elisha off her shoulders and dropped her belly-first along the unpadded steel in what might have been the most wicked application of the Gutbuster in the promotion's history. Breathing hard, Michelle peeled away from her victim just long enough to catch her breath, then she waded back into the trenches and grabbed the hung-up blonde in a Front Facelock of her own.

Grabbing Elisha's jeans, Michelle purred, "I'm gonna hurt you now Lishy." In the same instant she lifted up fast, hauling Elisha up over her head. Michelle kept her there just long enough to spare a glance at the starry sky and then she fell back, treating Elisha to a Vertical Suplex of her very own. Ignoring the way the rough concrete was abrading her back, Michelle fought off her aches and rolled to one knee. Given the way Elisha was quivering, it might have been possible to finish her off right then and there; but honestly, she wanted to drag this bitch all the way to the ring before she put her out of her misery.

But that didn't mean she couldn't ruin her out here and spend the rest of the match parading the crippled slut around the arena. Enjoying that idea very much, Michelle pulled Elisha to a sitting position and sat heavily in her lap. Wrapping her legs around the blonde's waist, Michelle forced Elisha's head down and wrapped her arm around it, securing a slightly modified Front Facelock. Crossing her ankles Michelle admonished, "Now you're gonna have to scream real loud Elisha; I want everyone at home to hear you blubbering!" Rolling onto her back, Michelle immediately began to squeeze with her legs and pull down on the Facelock, applying the Guillotine Choke perfectly.

Resting heavily against Michelle's crushing bulk, Elisha knew she didn't have a lot of time before the Choke would drain all the fight from her and with no ropes in sight it was looking rather bleak to tell the truth. But Elisha was nothing if not resourceful and while she didn't have ropes, she did have the brunette's jeans which gave her a better handhold than normal ring attire would have. Fighting against the black dots that were swirling across her vision, Elisha grabbed Michelle's waistband in both hands, let out a primal roar and managed to get one knee under her. From there the going was still laborious but she was able to regain her feet, even if Michelle was still clinging to her like a 5’7” remora.

Shifting her grip to the brunette's waist, Elisha turned towards where she THOUGHT the arena was and plunged forward. After a blind, frantic ride that was much longer than she'd expected, there was a dull THUD and their progress came to a halt as Elisha had succeeded in backing them into the glass wall of the stadium. Much to Elisha’s relief, Michelle's breath-stealing grip fell away, but Elisha was so exhausted by the effort of her escape that she collapsed to her hands and knees. She was still in this position when Michelle sank one hand into her hair and started dragging her forward like an unruly dog. Infuriated that Elisha had been able to fight out of the Guillotine, Michelle spat, "So ya wanna go inside Elisha? All right bitch, I'll take you inside so everyone in this building can see me kick your ass live!"

Reaching one of the myriad doors, she gripped it with her free hand and yanked it open. Stepping into the warmth of the arena was a blessing after the frigid cold outside, but it was a pleasure Michelle only noted in passing. Instead all of her attention was focused on Elisha and causing her the most pain. Pulling the blonde along after her, Michelle stopped her about halfway and said, "Lemme get the door for you Lishy!"

She SLAMMED the door as hard as she could, smashing the svelte blonde's ribs between the door and the frame. Not satisfied with once, Michelle let Elisha sob for a few seconds and repeated the brutal process over and over!! Finally, when the blonde had started to wheeze like a ruptured bellows, Michelle dragged her the rest of the way in and let the door slam shut behind them. Ignoring the startled squawking of the fans waiting in line at the concession stand or the merchandise table, (Really, who the hell goes for snacks during the first match of a show?)

Michelle dragged Elisha into the center of the cavernous space and said, "Please go about your business folks, I won't be long in putting this slut out of her misery." Michelle forced Elisha to her knees and grabbed her by the hair. Calming her nerves, Michelle said, "It's time that someone finished the job Neve started. I'm thrilled to be tapped for the honor."

Still clutching her ribs, Elisha growled, "From the way I hear it, you're just thrilled to be tapped."

The brunette snorted. "Not your smartest comment ever Lishy, but why should I expect better from a fuckin' blonde ass jack like you?"

Elisha might have opened her mouth to reply but Michelle cut her off by tugging Elisha's head forward even as she was slamming her knee up. The Knee Lift connected with a low THUD and Michelle so enjoyed the sensation that she repeated it several more times. THUD! THUD! THUD! When Elisha started to slop out of her grip, the brunette tightened her hold on the blonde's tresses and pulled her to her feet. Giving Elisha's belly a sample of what her forehead had already enjoyed, Michelle bent Elisha over double, trapped her in a tight Front Facelock and prepped for what appeared to be a DDT onto the bare tile floor.

But in the midst of her fall to the floor, Michelle raised her free arm and brought her elbow slicing down across the back of the Elisha’s neck. The Elbow Strike combined with her own momentum didn't so much pull Elisha off her feet as send her straight down, face-first, into the tiles with a cringe-inducing THUD! The sympathetic groans of the capacity crowd were much more audible now as even the Elisha haters had to sympathize with the blonde's plight. The Finishing Touch was bad enough in the ring, taking it on a floor with no give was nothing short of brutal!

Enjoying her harsh dismissal of one of the promotions most reviled heels, Michelle ran a hand through her hair and glanced between Elisha and the loose knot of fans who had surrounded them. Licking her lips she said, "I guess you guys actually picked a good time to leave your seats huh?" Only sort of hearing their replies, Michelle pushed to her feet and hoisted Elisha to her knees. Standing behind the blonde, Michelle yanked Elisha’s head back at a terrible angle and said, "I've locked this hold in on some of my most despised opponents, but I don't think I've ever enjoyed it as much as I'm about to right now."

Michelle stepped forward and wedged the blonde's head between her thighs, trapping her in an insidious Standing Inverted Head Scissors. Bearing down on Elisha's skull with as much force as she could muster, Michelle wiggled her hips a little adding just the right touch of humiliation to Elisha's agony. Looking over her shoulder and down her back, the brunette teased, "You wanna give up now Elisha? Or do you actually like letting all these people watch you sniff my ass?"

Elisha let out a choked groan and just clawed at Michelle's jeans, but Michelle didn't think that was a tap so she'd have to keep squeezing, though... it was thirsty work. Turning her attention back to the fans, Michelle eyed a young man holding beer in each hand. Offering her brightest, fan-friendliest smile, she pointed to a cup and said, "Wanna be a part of history buddy?"

The guy gaped. "Oh dear lord yes."

"Easy there. All I need is your name and one of your beers."

He handed it over, saying, "Ben."

Taking the proffered cup, Michelle helped herself to a healthy guzzle, then looked into the camera and commented, "Richard Fannin, take a note. The office owes Ben a beer, Elisha owes me a new T-shirt and I owe her THIS!"

Michelle turned the cup over and poured the contents down Elisha's chest. Flinging the cup over her shoulder, Michelle held the Scissors for another several seconds before she stepped away, leaving Elisha to fall forward on her hands and knees. Wiping her hands off on the seat of her jeans, Michelle commented, "Wow, a few minutes ago I thought I would freeze to death, now I'm actually sweating. What an age we live in."

Some cut-up behind her replied, "Maybe you're just too hot!"

She rolled her eyes and replied, "Well duh. But I think it's actually busting up this bitch that's bringin' the perspiration."

For some reason, the word 'perspiration' brought a rowdy cheer from the crowd, one so loud that Michelle had to repeat herself when she asked them to step aside so she could finish punishing Elisha. When a suitable gap had been cleared, the brunette pulled her foe to her feet and pointed her towards the counter of the merchandise stand. Pulling back from the wounded blonde, Michelle said, "Dudes behind the counter, I'd get out of there because this fight is coming your way!"

The words were still hanging in the air when she flung whipped Elisha away from her, sending the blonde loping across the lobby to CRASH back-first into the chest high ledge of the counter. More than ready to pay the hateful bitch back for trying to send her down the steps, Michelle sank into a tense crouch and then sprinted forward, aiming the point of her shoulder directly at Elisha’s navel. This would have been perfect had Elisha not lowered her own shoulder, stepped forward and plowed it into Michelle's exposed tummy. Without even thinking about it, Elisha straightened up fast, flinging the gasping brunette into the air in a short arc that ended with her disappearing out of sight behind the merchandise counter.

Trying her best to shake off Michelle's last assault, Elisha did her best to wipe the beer off her chest and stomach. Noticing how intently some of the fans were watching this, Elisha sneered, "In your dreams pervs!" and flicked some droplets towards them. Enjoying their surprised cries, Elisha whirled around, scrambled up and called, "Ohhhhh Michelle! Whereeere arrrrre yooooou?"

There was a dazed groan from the other side of the counter and Michelle pushed her way up a few seconds later. Seeing the perfect opportunity to strike, Elisha simply hopped off the counter, wrapped her legs around Michelle's neck in mid-air and twisted to the side, ripping the leggy brunette off her feet with a close-quarters application of the Hurricanrana. Quickly pushing to her feet, Elisha scrambled over to her fallen quarry and forced her up. Stunning Michelle with a few heartless slaps, Elisha taunted, "You wanna try and make a spectacle out of me, you bony little skank? Well two can play that game and I don't mean to brag about it or anything, but I am MUCH better at it than you."

After giving Michelle another taste of her palm, Elisha took her by the wrist and whipped her towards the far end of the merchandise booth. There wasn't that far to go (the booth was maybe twelve feet long and six feet wide) but that just meant Michelle had more momentum behind her when THUD she hit the wall! Refusing to give her opponent anything like a respite, Elisha moved in close, banged the back of the brunette's head against the wall a few times and then whipped her back across to the far end of the booth. This time Michelle didn't have the energy to turn around and ran face-and-chest first into wall, then slid bonelessly to her knees.

Taking her time, Elisha sauntered towards her prey only to be distracted by a pile of T-Shirts. Pawing through them, she muttered, "C'mon, someone's gotta be pathetic enough to want one of... ahhh, here it is." Pulling one of Michelle's 'Michelle Special' shirts from the pile, Elisha used it like a rag, wiping the rest of the beer off her chest and torso before balling it up to dab at her brow and armpits. Almost done now, she faked an exaggerated sneeze and told the eagerly watching fans, "Being this close to so many disgusting losers must have aggravated my allergies. Luckily, I've got the perfect rag right here."

Holding the shirt open to find the exact center, Elisha brought the garment to her face and blew into it as hard as she could. She pulled it away and held it in one hand. Not bothering to check her deposit, the blonde used her free hand to grab Michelle's hair and jerked Michelle to her feet. Grinning from ear-to-ear, Elisha purred, "THIS’S how you do spectacle Mish..." She jammed the shirt into the brunette's face and really mashed it in close for about ten seconds.

Just as the viewers were getting used to their revulsion., Elisha tossed it away and doubled Michelle up with a Knee Lift. Having free reign over her opponent's sinewy frame, the blonde wrapped her arms around Michelle's waist and then turned her around so she was facing back towards the rest of the lobby. Using every inch of the available space, Elisha bent her knees, then lifted up and back, tossing Michelle up onto the counter with a Gut-Wrench Suplex.

Impressed with the sweaty THWAP Michelle's body made against the counter, Elisha hopped up after her victim and wasted no time in rolling her over onto her belly. Taking a seat right on the small of Michelle's back, the blonde lifted up and yanked Michelle to her hands and knees, then tugged the brunette's arms across her thighs. Almost done, the curvy vixen made a show of reaching down and lacing her fingers under Michelle's drooping chin. Smiling for the cameras, Elisha leaned forward for just a moment before pulling back viciously, trapping Michelle in the Camel Clutch.

Thrilled to have such a long, lean canvas to torment, Elisha really worked the Clutch like a champ, bouncing her ass up and down against the brunette's back while simultaneously wrenching her head back and forth. And as if that wasn't enough, after several seconds, Elisha released one half of her Chinlock just so she could reach down to the brunette's modest assets and tweak them mercilessly. Leering into Michelle's pinched face, Elisha leaned down, kissed her forehead and said, "Tell these people who kicked your ass."

Gurgling through the pain, Michelle snorted, "Never!"

Elisha reefed back on the brunette's neck and viciously twisted her right breast. "Tell them, or your teeth and your tits come home with me."

Closing her eyes, Michelle drew in a deep breath and shuddered, "All right. Everyone... I have something to tell you. Elisha... Elisha Cuthbert is... A FUCKING, NO TALENT, WHORE!"

Snarling her fury, the blonde slung Michelle's arms off her thighs, grabbed the back of her head with both hands and SLAMMED the brunette's face down onto the counter. Rubbing Michelle's battered features back and forth across the slick countertop, Elisha snarled, "WHAT WERE YOU SAYING bitch? I COULDN'T HEAR YOU THROUGH ALL THE BROKEN TEETH!" After a few more seconds of this abrasive (no pun intended) behavior, Elisha sidled off her victim and insolently kicked her off the counter and back into the main part of the lobby. Noting that Michelle had been kind enough to land flat on her back, Elisha got to her feet and posed on the counter. Hands on her hips, she looked from Michelle to the fans and told them, "Usually I do this from the top rope, but I don't have a top rope yet and quite honestly, Mish down there isn't tough enough to take this from any higher. Hell, this version will probably cripple her, but that's not my fault. It's you morons that made this match."

With no further preamble, she dipped her knees, then leapt out into the void where she executed a perfect somersault before gravity reclaimed her and brought her down thigh-first across Michelle's throat with the Somersault Leg Drop she'd dubbed 'Three Seconds from the End." After Michelle's trembling had stopped, Elisha decided it was time to end this farce, so she draped herself across Michelle's chest, hooked the far leg and waited for the official to count, 'ONE... TWO...' Michelle rolled a shoulder off the tiles, forcing the match to continue.

Growling her displeasure, Elisha got to her feet and muttered, "Ya know Michelle, I've given it some thought and those pants don't really suit you. Come to think of it, whores and clothes generally don't mix well, but we can't blame you for trying..."

She dropped to her knees and quickly relieved the brunette of her sneakers. Crawling up her rival's slender frame, Elisha fumbled with Michelle's jeans for a moment, but then she undid the belt-buckle and the button they were holding in place. Patently ignoring the hoots from the crowd (both present and those still watching from their seats) Elisha stood up and rudely peeled Michelle's jeans off of her, leaving the brunette in a bikini bottom that matched her teal top. Tossing them behind the merchandise counter (that drew quite a lot of boos) Elisha reached down to her own waist, undid the buckle and pulled her belt free with a long hissing ZIIIIIP! Holding the buckle in one hand, Elisha nudged Michelle over onto her back, then tugged her to her hands and knees.

Standing over the penitent beauty, Elisha licked her lips and said, "God I make this look good."

Then she brought the belt 'whicking' down to CRAACK across Michelle's back. The brunette howled and tried to crawl away, but that just motivated Elisha to hit her again, CRAACK. For the next minute, she criss-crossed Michelle's back, thighs and buttocks with a vile, insane pattern of cruel red welts. It was only when Michelle collapsed onto her chest and started to curl up that Elisha showed anything like mercy; and even then, it was a dubious kind of mercy.

Taking note of the pleasant burn in her shoulders and arms, Elisha slipped the belt back around her waist and said, "And that's just the FIRST spankin' you're gonna get tonight baby." While she contemplated her next move, Elisha noticed a pair of double doors marked 'STAFF ONLY' and she knew that this would take her to the backstage area and eventually the ring itself. Having had her fill of having an audience, she whispered, "Let's take this somewhere a little more private. Is that OK with you, Mish?"

Getting no answer, she scraped the lashed brunette up off the tiles and scooped her up. Holding Michelle across her chest, Elisha smiled at the fans and said, "It's been fun having you losers watch me while I work, but what I do next shouldn't be witnessed by anyone who wants to sleep well tonight, so I'm gonna take this backstage. Before I go, here's one last present that'll hopefully make your sad little lives a tiny bit brighter." In a flash she rose up on her toes and dropped forward, ramming Michelle's exposed ribs into her posted knee. Still sporting that sick smile, Elisha held her grip and pulled the brunette back up, before hitting a second Rib Breaker.

When the second move connected, Elisha's taunting smile disappeared only to be replaced with a vicious scowl. Holding Michelle helpless across her chest, Elisha cooed, "Enjoy her while you can punks!" She fell backward, tossing Michelle over her head as she did so, sending Michelle sprawling almost halfway to the swinging doors. Turning her back on the fans, Elisha stalked after Michelle, quickly caught up with her and peeled her off the ground. Marching her nemesis to the double doors, Elisha stopped just short and quickly shoved Michelle's head between her thighs. Snaking her arms around the brunette's trim waist, Elisha bent her knees and mused, "I don't think anyone's ever tried this before."

Elisha hoisted Michelle up into the stall position for a Powerbomb and it soon became clear that she meant to Power Slam Mish THROUGH the double doors and into the backstage area. It might have actually worked if it wasn't for the theatrical delay Elisha had felt compelled to include. Said delay allowed Michelle just enough time to pound a few right hands off the blonde's forehead, knocking her off balance.

Acting with a quickness and dexterity that was almost unrivaled in the promotion (both Ashley Scott and Kristen Bell had pulled off similar feats) Michelle shifted her legs off of Elisha's shoulders and as she started to fall, twisted her entire body around so that Elisha was turned around a full 360 degrees before THWUMP! Her head and Michelle's back connected with the doors simultaneously, the force of the impromptu Tornado DDT taking both ladies through the doors and out of sight.

The fans that had gathered to watch the battle in the lobby stayed in place for nearly a minute, but when all they heard was a few effortful grunts and some muffled cursing, they figured it was time to head back to their seats. The last of them was just about to leave when one of the doors popped open and a weary but smiling Michelle poked her head out.

Smiling at the surprised fan, she said, "Hey pal, you want a really trashy souvenir?" Without waiting for an answer, she threw the guy Elisha's jeans and added, "Don't sell those immediately. They'll be worth a lot more after I beat her to death. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to doing just that." Slinking back through the doors, Michelle turned her attention to Elisha's sprawled form and snarled, "I may have given away your slutty ass 501's, but THIS..." she slapped Elisha’s belt against her palm. "...I kept all for myself."

Looming over the wounded blonde, Michelle dropped to her knees, looped the belt around Elisha's throat and pulled back as hard as she could, strangling her victim just to prove she could. Watching the action unfold with a grimace, the official waited to see if Michelle would release the hold on her own and when she showed no signs of doing so, he began counting. "ONE... TWO... THREE... FOUR..."

Fixing him with a baleful glance, the brunette released her choke, but she wasn't about to let Elisha go. Rolling Elisha onto her back, Michelle straddled her foe's waist and slapped her a few times, again, just to prove she could. With Elisha groaning beneath her, Michelle slowly wrapped the belt around her right hand, not stopping until she had the buckle clutched in her fingers.

Grabbing a talonful of Elisha's locks with her other hand, the brunette pulled Elisha’s head off the ground and purred, "Normally I'd pound your entire face into hamburger, but tonight I'm gonna spare your mouth and nose, just because I want to feel them on my ass when the bell rings."

Mewling and hissing at the same time, Elisha replied, "Fuck you bitCUGGNNNHH!"

Michelle started blasting hard right hand Punches into the blonde's forehead, paying special attention to hit her with as much of the buckle as was humanely possible. Eventually she succeeded in opening a shallow cut on Elisha’s porcelain face and when the blood started to flow, Michelle decided it was time to find a new game. Tossing the belt aside without another glance, the lithe brunette scraped her foe off the floor and took a place on her left and slightly in front.

Cupping 'Lishy's chin in both hands, Michelle took two giant steps forward, then leapt up and dropped flat on her back. The landing wasn't all that pleasant for her, but it was million times worse for Elisha. First, the Swinging Neckbreaker felt like it was going to tear her head off her shoulders and when that didn't happen, the THUNK of skull on tile was more than enough to make up for it. Feeding on Elisha's moans and the roars of the crowd (they were even louder now, it was almost like being in the ring) Michelle rolled to her feet and realized that they'd brawled their way into an area where all of the extra ring equipment was stored.

Eyeing the hardware like a kid in a candy store, Michelle casually drove her bare heel into the pit of Elisha's belly and commented, "Wouldja look at all the blunt objects? Even if I only hit you once with every one, you'd still be pulverized..." Falling silent after that rather ominous statement, the brunette dragged her rival to her feet and assumed an iron grip on her left wrist. Pointing Elisha towards an equipment cart stocked with ladders, Michelle muttered, "That'll do nicely." and put Elisha on a collision course with it.

A few feet from impact, Elisha's instincts kicked in and she was able to turn into the blow, but all that meant was the metal railing that would have caught her across the nose had she not turned, slammed full force into the back of her head. The blue-eyed vixen let out a wounded howl and staggered forward a few steps, unfortunately Michelle was there to meet her and when the distance was right, she left the ground in a short leap, snaacked out her left leg and THWOCK struck Elisha across the side of her face with a Running Enziguiri.

Pushing her way off the felled blonde, Michelle regarded the ladders with a discerning eye and shortly thereafter, she made her choice. Pulling a twelve footer off the cart, she quickly set in up a few feet away from her opponent. Pausing to catch her breath, Michelle turned to the camera man, smiled brightly and told the audience, "I don't mean to brag, but this is going to be really fucking cool."

With a final wink to those on the other side of the lens, Michelle pulled Elisha up with a double handful of hair and scooped her onto her shoulder, the stall position for a typical Body Slam. Moving carefully, Michelle strode towards the ladder and when she reached her destination, she forced Elisha to lay against it while she threaded the blonde's shins between two of the steps and tugged them down. Hoping Elisha's knees would be enough to keep her from falling, the brunette stepped away and was pleased when her makeshift Tree of Woe held her captive in place. Dropping to her knees, she scooted under the ladder and situated herself so that she was facing Elisha’s back. Reaching her hands between the steps, Michelle laced her fingers across Elisha's chin and started to puuuuuuulllll, bending the blonde's neck against the cold metal step with a viciously augmented Chinlock. Completely satisfied to let Elisha suffer after what the blonde had put her through in the Camel Clutch, Michelle kept the Chinlock cinched in for about forty-five seconds before she demanded, "Give up!"

Fighting the stupor of her position and the pain of the submission, Elisha continued to pry at Michelle's hands as she growled, "Go screw yourself bitch!"

Michelle chuckled, "You're the one that'll be doing that Elisha, losers always go home alone remember?"

Furious with the treatment she was enduring, the blonde tried to reply, but Michelle suddenly cupped one hand over her mouth and used the other to pinch her nose shut, effectively smothering her. As much as she enjoyed the renewed burst of frantic wriggling from her rival, Michelle knew the ref would be on her case in another second, so instead of dealing with his shit again she released her hold on Elisha's breathing passages and slid out from behind the ladder. Getting to her feet, the brunette strutted away from the hanging beauty, then whirled around on her heel. Michelle roared forward and jumped high into the air. Tucking her knees up against her chin, the brunette seemed to hold this position for an indeterminate amount of time before she BLASTED them out again to smash Elisha across the chin with her patented Hesitation Dropkick. The merciless strike was finally enough to dislodge Elisha from the ladder's steel clutches and she landed hard on the tile with sweaty PLOP.

Smoothing her hair, Michelle was pondering just what she was going to do to Elisha next and that's when she saw the sign that said CATERING THROUGH DOORS -->

Grinning brightly, Michelle told her foe, "Ya know Elisha, kicking your ass so thoroughly has made me hungry and I bet that flabby little tummy of yours is always ready for a snack, so what's say you and me raid the catering table? And don't worry, I know you're not feeling up to walking there right now, so I'll let you ride on the cart." Encountering minimal protest from the blonde, Michelle hoisted her semi-conscious form off the mat and unceremoniously dumped her onto the cart. Jogging around to the far end, Michelle grabbed hold of the steering bar and started to push forward. Even with Elisha and all the equipment stacked up, the cart rolled easily and Michelle sound found herself bursting through another set of double doors.

Laughing at the surprised faces of some crew members and her fellow wrestlers, the brunette called out, "Get your smoothies later girls, me and Elisha are having a private party here!" Picking up a solid head of steam, Michelle made a beeline for one of the tables piled with comestibles and as she neared the point of no return, she pulled back hard, a move that sent Elisha’s body tumbling off the cart to land just a few inches shy of the table. 'Tsk-tsking' in disappointment, Michelle rolled her eyes and said, "Damn, that would have been cool too. Oh well, guess I'll have to do it the old fashioned way,"

Reeling the cart away so she'd have room to work, Michelle quickly stalked back over to the smoldering wreckage of Elisha Elisha and pulled the blonde to her feet. Putting her back to the table, Michelle caught Elisha in a Front Facelock, wormed the blonde's near arm over her shoulders and finally used her free hand to secure a grip on Lishy's red and white briefs. Dipping her knees, she lifted up... and Elisha threaded her left leg around the brunette's right leg, effectively blocking the throw.

Grunting, Michelle tried to lift her foe a second time, only to have Elisha bring her knee slicing up directly into the brunette's crotch. Michelle let out a keening wail and tried to pull away, but Elisha clamped down on her this time and now it was the brunette who was helpless as the blonde lifted her high overhead, held her there for a moment and then dropped her right back down, face and chest-first across all the delicacies the catering staff had so generously laid out.

Sneering with a nearly homicidal rage, Elisha took a deep breath, slapped the back of the brunette's head and growled, "You are gonna PAY for trying to embarrass me Twatenberg."

Falling into a disturbing silence, the blonde wrapped her adversary in a Front Facelock and backed up a few steps, dragging the lissome beauty's head and torso off the table. Biting her bottom lip in a cruel smile, Elisha lifted up on her toes, then sat out hard, taking Michelle along for the ride to SPIKE her head to the floor with a hateful DDT. Still in a remarkably foul mood, Elisha's spirits brightened considerably when she saw a small trickle of crimson coming from under Michelle's head. More than ready to put this meddlesome cunt away, Elisha buried her hands in Michelle's dark mane and scraped her off the floor.

Muscling the boneless brunette onto the table again, Elisha rolled Michelle over onto her back and climbed up after her. Standing with a foot planted on either side of Michelle's chest, Elisha put her hands on her hips and cooed, "You're nothing Michelle. You started as nothing and you'll end as nothing. Luckily for you, the end is right fuckin' now."

She leapt straight into the air, tucked her knees up against her chest and came slamming down with the full force of her ass smashing into Michelle's sternum. There was a loud, splintery CRASH and then the table split in two, dropping Elisha and Michelle to the floor below. Grinding her rump back and forth across the brunette's chest and grinned into her face as the ref counted off, 'ONE... TWO... THRNO!'

Michelle managed to shove the blonde off of her, breaking the count at the last possible moment. Grumbling in frustration, Elisha spat, "All right Mish, this isn't how I wanted to finish you anyway."

Spying a few wooden palettes stacked by the doors that would lead to the staging area just behind the entryway, Elisha treated her opponent to one more smug ass-rub, then pushed to her feet. Taking the brunette by the hair, Elisha pulled her to her hands and knees, then forced her to crawl behind her. Stepping onto the palette, Elisha pulled her rival into a Standing Head Scissors and wrapped her arms around Michelle's waist. Lifting the taller girl into the stall position for a Piledriver, Elisha purred, "It's been far too long since I've done this in front of an audience."

Springing into action, she stepped forward and threaded her right leg across Michelle's left arm, then repeated the process with her left leg. With Michelle hooked in position for the White Out, all Elisha had to do was lift up and fall forward, but before she could, Michelle jerked an arm free and grabbed the palette, executing a rough, but effective counter to the blonde's finisher. Cursing loudly, Elisha pulled her legs away from Michelle's arms and shifted her grip to the brunette's ankles.