War Games was approaching, and Raion Kido had been drafted… but not, to his surprise, to the team he was certain he would join.

*CLINK!*

It was not that long since he had joined the Trilogy, and before they were even booked together, Jenny Myst had seized the chance and drafted him into her team.

*CLANG!*

He didn’t hold any grudge towards Jenny, he liked Angelica, and though, by association, Elijah Martin did not exactly trust him, Raion was a friend of his significant other, which helped, temporarily, to smooth matters out.

“But why did it have to be a Japanese restaurant?...”

*CLINK!*

These were his thoughts as he took the hammer to the metal, in a back room of the Flame Hibachi restaurant, where Jenny Myst had said to meet. A furnace had been prepared where the Lion could work on forging. Jenny Myst had insisted, and she was the captain, so Raion could not really argue - and, given her volatile nature, it was a good idea not to do so.

“In any case, that doesn’t matter. It is now time for War Games… and there is only war.”

*CLANG!*

“For now, however, I can only hope that the rest of the team will like these…”

His labor now done, the Lion wipes the sweat from his brow as he takes the final metal plate from the furnace, and assembles it with the rest of his already made work - and right on time, as the rest of the team has just arrived…

“Greetings, friends! You come right on time. I trust you’ll find these to your liking!”

“HIYA RAION!”

These were the first words Jenny had muttered the entire trip.

“So I am told you have a super special surprise for us! I am excited! I love surprises. I love toys! Have you met Goldi yet?!”

She was going a mile a minute, as if decaf didn’t exist, and certainly was more excited than the situation called for. Elijah rolled his eyes and folded his arms. Angie, seemingly intrigued, steps forward to get a closer look at what was in the boxes.

“Yes, I… saw her, when she was dating Charlie Nickles. I figured we might as well get some cohesion going, and so I decided to gift you some Cloths similar to the one I wear. Take a look!”

The Lion points behind the rest of the team, and they turn around to see four metal boxes - next to the golden one that belongs to him, there are now a box of sapphire blue, another box of coral pink, and a third one of pearly white, glinting just as much as the fire. He motions for Elijah Martin to approach.

“For the man that has been reborn from the ashes of Chris Page’s company, the Cloth of the Phoenix!”

The Lion opens the blue box, and the Phoenix Cloth is revealed - two mighty wings akin to blazing fire, four tails shining like molten gold.


“As a warrior who never gives up and always answers the bell to keep on fighting, no matter how many times I get knocked down… this is actually quite appropriate. Well done, Kido-san!”

Next, Raion moves on to the pink box, and this time signals Angelica Vaughn to come forward.

“For the exemplary selfless woman, the Cloth of Andromeda!”

Again the Lion opens the box, and Angelica Vaughn beholds the Cloth that belongs to her: the graceful figure of a maiden, from whose arms dangle two chains.


“OW EM GEEEEE! LOVELOVELOVE THEEEESE! Check out those shoulder pads, I feel like I’m in the LFL again, just with way more pink, this is amazeballz-as-flame! Thank you ever so much, mister Kido sir!”

Finally, Raion moves to the box of pearly white.

“And for our leader, the Television Champion soaring towards the heavens… the Cloth of the Pegasus!”

He opens the final box, and the captain of the Meat Clowns gazes at her Cloth - the mighty horse that bears two proud and elegant wings.


Jenny’s eyes light up with the excitement of a child at Christmas time. She looks at the rest of the team and their new outfits, and then back down at hers….

“WE ARE LIKE THE POWER RANGERS!”

“IT IS TIME TO MORPH!”

“Well, not exactly. See, the Saints of Athena are not based on technology, but rather on constellations.”

“I used to love Power Rangers as a little girl…” she said, completely disregarding Raion’s retort. “Now, let's go kick some Lord Zedd ass!”

The young Saint of Athena opens his mouth, but seeing Jenny skipping away, he decides to stay silent, drawing instead a silent sigh. Angelica follows in pursuit, trying to put on her Cloth while running.

“We need Andromeda Power, NOW!”

“Athena help us all…”


“War Games looms near, and I admit I am conflicted, for Ned Kaye and Jason Cashe were there for me in the brawl with Nickles, ALIAS and Dolly. Now, however, I face them on the other side.

And yet, what was their motivation? It must have been more than just Theo Pryce’s interest in me to form part of the Trilogy. It must have been that same thing that got me this far in my career, that got Jenny Myst to draft me, and that leads me to face them in War Games as they deserve - with everything in my soul to give.

And that thing, ladies and gentlemen, is the power of the cosmos that dwells within me… which it is now time to ignite.”

The Lion’s own inner conflict must now stand aside. There was a battle to fight, and that meant the cosmos had to burn.


“We start with Ned Kaye, the captain of the Notorious Alliance, a man on a road to rebuilding. From his time as the Chameleon to who he is now meant to be. Alas, it has been a rocky road, has it not? But like myself, he too has a fire that burns with passion and under no circumstances shall be extinguished.

That, however, is exactly the point, right Ned? The strongest steel is forged under the hottest fire, and these War Games were made for the strongest to survive. I don’t question your talent, but what you merely limit yourself to mention, I live! You have 33 wins, but if you think that number shall in any way make me flinch, let me remind you that I beat a man with fifty wins two weeks into my career. I didn’t get to do it by hiding under a mask, Ned, and the times I’ve been knocked down, I’ve made certain to rebuild.

Stronger. Every. Time!

I’m not saying this to demean you, but because you’re the leader of the Alliance, and the men that stand with you will be looking towards you. It is only appropriate, then, that you know exactly what you face. Jenny Myst drafted me, but I am here because she knows my worth first-hand, and Angie does as well.

And because they know what I can do, it’s my duty to them that they are able to rely on me, as is yours to be the one on whom your team must rely.”

With a loud clang, the Lion crashes his fist against his heart, as if to emphasize the seriousness of his charge.

“And to that end, Ned, as my duty, I’m going to war. And when I go to war, I make the cosmos burn, exactly like the fire of which you claim you’re made.

I’ve proven that I have it, and the results speak for themselves. Now, my friend, it’s your time - as leader of the team, as Theo Pryce’s first choice for the Trilogy, and as an XWF veteran with 33 wins. So prove it, Ned. Prove that you deserve your place, that you’re the leader these people need you to be.

That, Mr. Notorious, shall be the Lion’s test. And should you fail it, the only fire that awaits you is the one your heart shall experience when the Lightning Bolt strikes.”

Raion extends his golden right fist forward, letting the silence speak for itself before speaking once more.

“Now comes Jason Cashe, a man that, despite his strange behavior bordering on the unsightly, has an unquestioned talent, as exemplified from his showing in Anarchy.

Alas, Cashe, it’s one thing to run things there, and a very different one to be thrusted into the spotlight. From Savage Saturday Night I made it to the grandest stage in the XWF. You took the first step into a larger world when you joined the Trilogy - but now you face the Lion that chose to make Savage his domain.

And I warn you. We’ve both beaten Centurion, but I was the final nail on Vita Valenteen’s losing streak. Thunder Knuckles might have beaten you, but I was the one to knock him out of the Elite 8. You go this time against one of the best the XWF has to offer, and your catapult to greater heights. Just like yourself, however, this Lion bites.”

The Lion peels back his lips and shows his canines, his trademark grin now coming to play.

“This is the moment, Cashe, when I put you to the fire. Do you like to give as well as to receive? I just know you’ll make a double-entendre of that, but War Games is where we find out what substance there is to those words. Ned and you might have had a victory against Chris Page’s people, but Theo Pryce brought me here because he saw what I bring to the Trilogy.

Ned might have the heart and you might have the grit, but I’m the one that has the strength. Just like yours, my road so far reflects that, and you get to experience it first hand at War Games. The Meat Clowns are coming to take this whole event and the fangs of Raion Kido come to deal the killing blow.

Make yourself ready, Cashe… for once the jaws of the Lion close on you, you will know for certain that the fight that you craved was just too much for you to withstand.”

The Japanese wrestler now bangs his right fist against his left palm. the metallic sound drowning the fire of the furnace still flickering.

“Next is Mac Bane. A newcomer that has made his way to a very SuperContinental Title match. A third generation wrestler, forty-six years old, and still making a name for himself in the ring. But if past history is any indication, Mac, these things simply matter not when facing this Saint of Athena. You’re not the first veteran I have faced.

If experience is to be brought to the fore, I shall remind you that Centurion, and Bobby Bourbon, are names with a wealth of experience, over which I’ve emerged victorious. And if we discuss raw power, well… I pack some of my own, and I have also beaten people of size and strength - one of whom happens to stand beside you!

Confronted with that, Mac, what can you possibly bring that shall make me flinch? I too have fought for a title. Not only that, I go for the very XWF Universal Title this very Sunday, and should that fail, well, I still have the briefcase. All of that within six months. So Mr. Bane, take heed. You’re not the only one here that knows how to make an impact.”

A sly grin creeps up to Raion’s face, before he lifts up a finger, and his mischievous smile widens.

“But we’re not done talking about impacts yet. It’s one thing to be a wrecking crew, it’s another thing to be the one wrestler that people want to be. And that, more than my strength, or any of my moves, is what makes me be the wrestler I am. I’m not a mere killing machine - what I am is a warrior with a message, that anything I can do may be done by anyone, if they follow the path that I do. It isn’t easy, or something that bears immediate fruit - but the fruits that it does bear are sweeter than those of anyone else.

I tell you this because you talk about dismantling rosters, to which I say, out of all the people in this match, I beat three of them, and look where they are now! Angie got herself in the same match as I did after I beat her, the Ring Master went on to compete for two titles after I beat him, and Jenny became Television Champion after I won our match. Losing to me seems to bring good fortune - everyone goes for a title shot, and who knows, maybe again it’ll happen to you!

The point I’m trying to make, Mac, is that dismantling isn’t enough - it’s much better to give them their time to shine, and now you got your own in the shape of Raion Kido. You will come at this with all your strength like the savage beast you want to be, but there is just one such beast standing across you.”

The previous grin is gone, and Raion’s face is now galvanized.

“Take this, therefore, as the challenge that it is. You claim to be about fighting, scratching and clawing, but so am I. You may have earned your name, but so have I. You claim that when you step into the ring you want to win a fight, but so do I! When the Lion goes to battle, he does so with one single purpose in mind - to show the world the power one may achieve if they get their soul to burn. That is my calling, what I was born, and meant, to do.

I mean to show the reason for each one of these things - and that entails the One Man Wrecking Crew getting a wreck of his own.

So prepare yourself, Mr. Bane, for the Lion’s fangs come for prey - and if you don’t come to the War Games as your name deserves, the heart on which they sink shall be your own.”

As he utters these last words, no roar escapes the Lion’s lips, but rather, an eerie warning in the form of a whisper, before he addresses the remaining opponent.

“And last, we have the Ring Master. Twice gone for titles, twice lost, but at least he made a comeback. Let me break it to you, friend: You now hold the place where I belong. Knowing this, what is it you seek to achieve? Were I in your place, I’d be looking to prove why I stand next to these men. I’d want to honor the trust they’ve placed in me and the draft pick Ned made, and that would mean making my mark in this match.

Because, Ring Master, that’s exactly what I’m doing from this other side.

For you see, I may go on to wrestle for the Universal Title, but at my side stand the Television Champion, a former Anarchy Champion, and one of the stars of the future; and two of them have fallen at my hand, as have you. Call that condescending if you will, but I assure you, it’s the complete opposite.”

A silent pause, to let the Ring Master catch the weight of Raion’s words.

“These people, Ring Master, are relying on me. And for them, and to prove myself to those men that stand beside you, I shall get the job done.

That’s a lesson that you have yet to learn - you immediately assume that your opponents are arrogant, and more often than not, it ends up costing you. So it was with me, with Nickles, and with Thunder Knuckles.

Because there is a difference between mere arrogance, and the confidence it gives someone to know that they are able to perform. In my case, it is to win for my team, and to show those on the other side that their faith in me was well-placed.”

With a snapping motion, the Lion now points his fist directly at the camera - directly into Ring Master’s face, were he to stand on the other side.

“I hope, then, that this time of all times, you come at this like you should. Drawing pretty pictures and heaving forth empty insults was not enough the first time, and it shall not be here, because you’re facing someone who, when faced with his next prize opportunity, actually went out and achieved it, and won what had so far been the biggest match of his career - the same event where you lost what has so far been the biggest match of yours.

Is the pressure mounting on yet, Ring Master? Are you aware of where you stand? If from my own place, I feel the responsibility to be the trump card for this team, it should be amplified tenfold for you. So I hope, friend, that you pay heed to my words. Come at this not for payback, but for your place in the team where I would have been. Make the men stand beside you proud. Show them that, despite your losses, you mean to prove yourself.

And once you do, steel your heart to take the Lion’s fist.”

The Lion clenches his fist, holding it right in front of his face.

“Those are my words to the Notorious Alliance. The prospects of War Games are exhilarating for certain - for the glory, for the fight, for the impact, and for redemption. Noble motives all. But as you know, ladies and gentlemen, this flagship event of the XWF is called War Games...”

Raion Kido thrusts his fist forward, his motion cutting the very air around him, before he makes one final point at the camera.

“... and for us Meat Clowns Inc. LLC, there is only war.”

Fade to black.