}——the WILL——{

Night descends on the city and a miraculous transformation occurs.

With each shade of darkness comes more possibility—more exemption—for the unthinkable and otherwise intolerable to cross over into our plane of existence. Take this otherwise common, 30℉ evening; the darkness prepares to blanket the city but is no match for the blackness of sins against humanity, invoked far beneath its cooled surface...


Bratislava, Slovakia...|
Somewhere there is an underground garage that is allowing passage to what appears to be a heavily armed vehicle resembling an armored Jeep, but with six wheels instead of four. Somewhere in that underground garage, that vehicle comes to a large steel door that almost never opens. The door slides open slowly and allows the vehicle safe passage through, immediately closing again as that vehicle makes its way down a spiraling ramp. It's unclear what resides at the bottom or just how deep it really goes; the drivers of this vehicle only know that they are to pull up to a certain door and let the waiting crew unload the person out of the back of the vehicle. Then, the drivers are to turn around and exit, never mentioning any of these details to anyone.

Somewhere deep within the confines of whatever underground structure she's been brought to, our protagonist is awakened from her medically induced slumber.

"Tell us your name."

Darkness all around her is something she's grown accustom to during these "meetings."

"I am known only as the Egyptian Snow Pharaoh."

"What is your purpose?"

"To deliver your will; forged so flawlessly that it may come smashing down like a relentless hammer, wiping out the masses who would dare to stand against you directly or through act of defying me."

"What is our will?"

"Burn down the titans of this landscape and show them for what they truly are. Start with the weak and progressively tear through more and more of those who would be perceived as the lifeblood of this x-treme movement. Leave no doubt in anyone's mind as to who controls the tides."

"Excellent... and is this something you've already begun doing?"

"Yes— I've started with the weakest of all and shown the entire world just how easily I could step on Kimmy K and grind her bones into dust if I so choose. This 'backstage attack' as the reports have called it, was intended to guarantee a future collision between Kimmy and myself but instead the powers that be took notice of Kimmy's vulnerable state and refused to risk her life by putting her into a match of any kind against me. I've subsequently been booked for my debut in a match that puts many of the XWF's most esteemed title holders and top contenders immediately within my reach."

"And who are these names you speak of?"

"Names like Peter Gilmour — a man who will be known as having lost his Trio Championship even with the current Tag Champion, Sebastian Duke, on his team. Sebastian Duke is also the top contender for the XWF's Crown and may even be the King of XWF by the time this match takes place. Their partner in Cam Lang shows much promise and will be perfect to target early because of two reasons: last to be picked, first to shoot. Peter Gilmour reportedly had about 6 or 7 other names lined up and ready to go before he finally got to his own stable-mate, Cam Lang, who despite being last pick has gone on to fire the first warning shots on behalf of his team. The faineant Peter Gilmour will most likely be next to be heard from on that team, seeing as Sebastian Duke should be concentrating on his upcoming shot at Kingship. The fact that Peter Gilmour has had to scramble to find these partners and that Sebastian Duke is going to be in a battle for the Crown—win or lose—just days before, significantly increases the odds that this team will be least likely to emerge victorious on Wednesday night."

"So you will be making an example out of the team that is defending the Trio Championship, has a Tag Champion on it, and has the #1 contender for the XWF's Crown on it... and this is the team you feel is the weakest in your match?"

"That's exactly right; there's only one other team to compare them to in terms of who is least likely to win, and that team is by far a more formidable unit – The Congregation."

"Do tell..."

"Led by Eli James the fourth; Alexandra Callaway and Mystica will stop at nothing to ensure the victory and the spoils come home to their Congregation... or so they think is their home. This Mystica and this Callaway are devoid of one thing that is of the utmost importance in times such as these, and that would be a human conscience – that inner voice that fills in the blanks no man, regardless of whose word he preaches, could ever hope to unravel. Eli James knows there will always be that certain percentage of Alexandra Callaway that could awaken inside of her again and lead her astray from his veiled agendas. Eli's own inner voice will never stop reminding him that Mystica might one day be the one with an unseen agenda that Eli is but a small, disposable piece of... This Eli James is by far, without question, on a mental level far beyond any of the others I oppose in this match. This man has clearly mastered an understanding for manipulation that only a small handful of men throughout history have upheld with such success... and he does it because he knows how peoples minds work. He's not only used his gift for recruitment purposes, but also performance. As a considerably unimpressive physical specimen, Eli James boasts an almost unheard of streak of wins over the past several months."

"So, this is the man to watch for... this is that target we need to hit while the world is watching."

"Yes. Not only is he a former Tag Champion but he is also the current United States Champion. Alexandra Callaway and Mystica's blind, collective efforts being ultimately controlled by Eli James' mind makes for quite a formidable war machine to bring into Warfare. The Congregation in the mind of the onlooking masses will likely be labeled as the favorites to win this match. There is this feeling in the air that the defending Trio Champions are finally going to be toppled, and The Congregation has been hand picked to take their place. This third team that I am a member of was apparently thought of at random or was perhaps the punchline of a bad joke."

"Are you not happy with your team? We unfortunately had no control ov–"

"Actually... I couldn't be more pleased. It may be a team that no form of logical thought went into when booked, but as fate would have it this is actually the strongest team of three on the entire Warfare card. I already know my own abilities, as do you..."

"That's right. Go on..."

"Jessie Diaz and Tri Bute are capable partners and will be just the wildcards that I needed. It is as though I've stepped forward to take on the armies of the world, and just as I took that first step, the Gods that Eli chooses to ignore have blessed my onslaught with the most furious gust of wind to fill all eyes but mine with sand. Diaz and Bute need not converse with me before this event; they need not have the same vistion as mine, or any vision at all for that matter... their mere injection into the fray is all I need to rip those Trio Championships from the waists of the dying champions and be the first to make a searing example out of Eli James and his entire Congregation in the process. This brings us back to exactly how I'm going about fulfilling your will — our will. For it is your will that shall be the guiding light to my world's return to power."

"That's right, Pharaoh... We will deliver all that we've promised at the end of this journey, but it will be a long and treacherous one. Your undying loyalty will help us ascend to the top of our world, at which point you'll be reunited with your own kingdom to rule once again and forevermore. These names you have brought to us tonight sound to be precisely what we need; these champions, top contenders, and (almost)undefeated stars will bring a greater audience to our message than we had ever thought possible in your debut appearance...

Well done, Pharaoh.

Well done."

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The next thing that Pharaoh knows, she is sitting up abruptly as if startled from a nightmare.

There she sits in bright, broad daylight, the middle of nowhere, blistering snow whirlwinding around her. White upon white for as far as the eye could see. She climbs to her feet and pulls a compass from the pocket of her black coat. Within seconds she sets off in exactly the direction she was meant to go. There was something that she needed to do before heading into Warfare.

I know I was put here in this location for a reason... but what?—and I even know which direction to head... but why? If they wish for me to deliver their will to anyone, they'd better stop leaving me in the dark– "Aaah!" I drop to my knees and clutch the sides of my head! That blaring, screeching, wrenching sound ripping through my ears and shredding my mind to pieces! "Stop! STOP!!!"

The pain is so overwhelming that I'm seeing ripples of bright red coming toward me and blinding rays of light stabbing through my eyes. "NO!" I bury my forehead into my hands and squeeze my eyes shut, screaming at the top of my lungs while clutching what feels like my rapidly pulsating brain!

"Remember... you belong to us, now..."

I try to get up, losing my footing and spilling forward. "Gah... no! Stop!"

"You'll do as we command; nothing more and nothing less. Remember... to fulfill our agreement is to regain your past life, but to fail us would be your final undoing."

I see nothing but blackness as I keep my eyes shut and clutch my head, throwing myself back and forth as it feels and sounds like my mind and body are being purges by living metal. I don't feel as though I'm being struck by a metal object — I feel like metal has bound to the very fibers of my flesh and mind, and is being RIPPED through me as violently as can be. It's as though I can hear my pain and it won't stop!

"Remember... you belong to us, now... You are our weapon."

"Aaaahhh! I belong! I am your weapon!" Just as I feel ready to expire, it stops. After a few breaths I am able to stand to my feet once again like nothing had happened. I look up to the skies; my eyes shift from the left to the right very slowly as I shield them from the sun. I've been given new life by these nameless beings and promised eternal paradise at the end of my journey... or annihilation should I fail. If slaying the Champions of this world such as Sebastian Duke, Eli James and Peter Gilmour is what's going to help me return to power, then slain they shall be. I care not why my temporary masters want this done... I only care that I deliver.