The Nickleman took his finger and swiped all the way to the right, settling deeper into the chair as his eyes never left the screen of his phone as the footage rolled again.

There he was, in good spirits after stringing together the longest TV title reign since his last TV title reign. He watched on as Lycana was skipping down the hall backstage, her face already coloring with a gross looking bruise along her cheek bone, her bottom lip swollen from getting up close and personal with Corey's boot a few times. Lycana looked over at the man in perfect step beside her.

Jim Caedus.

Charlie chuckled to himself as he took a swig of whiskey out of his flask. Jim Caedus had really had a hell of a universal championship reign, or perhaps hellish would be the more proper way to describe Jim's run as the company's top man. Charlie couldn't help but smile as he saw the wounds of war taking their toll on the mouthiest member of Apex. Jim seemed to have gotten less muscular since he rejoined the company, his face wasn't as ruggedly good looking as it used to be. The wear and tear of life on the road seemed to have been taking a toll on Jim. The color of Caedus's hair seemed to have become slightly discolored due to his recent stress.

Or maybe the lighting in the hallway was just a little bit off, Charlie really couldn't tell.

Charlie didn't know why Lycana would want to hang out with Jim Caedus after their torrid romp, but perhaps Lycana had become dickmatized by the universal champion and just wasn't able to think clearly anymore.

Charlie chuckled to himself once more as he watched the footage play out. The music had captured his opps attention first, followed by the brilliant orange glow of the cigar down the hall, causing Jim and Lycana to direct their eyes to TK. Lycana had paused, the universal champion doing the same by her side. The two had hesitated, clearly intimidated by the bastard that just beat Robert Main.

A big smile is plastered across Charlie's face as he watches himself burst from the doorway and swing for the fences. A few good whacks was all it took to leave Jim and Lycana splayed out in the hallway. Jim and Lycana's adamant denial of basic facts afterwards made the attack even sweeter to Charlie. Forcing his opposition to deny reality and live in a psycho-sexual fantasy world was always the ultimate goal of The Nickleman.

Charlie couldn’t really explain the commentary, it had sounded weird, almost tinny, and certainly didn’t fit the timeline... but, it wasn’t like weird shit didn’t happen constantly in his life. Who knew what they had done to the footage in the production trailer, that wasn't Charlie's business nor was it Charlie's job to handle the logistics of running a television program. Who the fuck knew what was happening on commentary, but it certainly didn't bother Charlie Nickles that the commentary team seemed to be smoking crack during the show. Charlie was only concerned with his business: the business of bloodshed.

This was war... and The Nickleman was ready to play any way he needed to.

“Just wait....”

Charlie said as he stared down at the championship gold laying in his lap. The screen fades to black as Charlie brings Goldi up for a kiss.