SHORTLY BEFORE RELENTLESS 2021

A familiar limousine drives through the streets of Chicago…

Mark Flynn peers up and out the window… At the gargantuan ChicagoLand Speedway

”...There it is. The top of the palace.”

Flynn sighs.

”Just gotta knock off the King.”

”Hey!”

Flynn’s attention is drawn back to street-level, when a man walking by the limo has peered inside.

”Flynn?” Calls an Eastern-European pedestrian through the double-width windows… Gesturing inside the car ”You Mark Flynn?”

…Flynn nods, waving to cordially acknowledge the man.

…The man walks away.

”Chicago!” The North Korean War Criminal, Flynn’s tag-team partner, declares in the backseat excitedly! ”The city of Great Wind! And clear communal spirit, eh, Mark Flynn! Did you observe that man noticing you?”

”Yup, NK. He sure said my name.” Flynn sneers disinterestedly.

”Connecting with the local rabble! Changing hearts and minds onto the vision of True Korea! Influencing the ignorant masses t-”

SPLAT!

A overly-ripe tomato slams against the window!

NK full-on pounces out of his carseat.

”FUCK YOURSELF, FLYNN! THAD BETTER THAN YOU!” The same pedestrian barks insults!

”Assault! Assault” NK’s driver and confidante, Kato, leaps out of the vehicle with a baton to defend his passengers against this attacker…

”Goodness!” NK peers out the window horrified, peeking from the limousine floor. ”Such hostility toward you! The common man! For attempting to do battle with the Illuminatus State’s Crown Prince… A multi-billionaire!”

”Yep.” Flynn sighs, as if he knew what was coming. ”Some people don’t like when you challenge the status quo.”

“Some people don’t want the corrupt king deposed.”

“Some people just want to be ruled.”

---

TODAY - Hall Closet Wrestling Union Headquarters…

”He’s our only hope!” Billy ‘Bass’ Ackwards calls from the room’s rear, ”King Kieran is the only man that can save the XWF from the Black Rainbow!”

The enhancement talent mob all nod and clamor in agreement!

”Oh, c’mon!” Wrestling Union Co-President ‘Micheal Graves scoffs. ”Kieran King isn’t saving y’all’s asses! Kieran King doesn’t give a FUCK about anyone not named Kieran King!”

”So, we should all change our names to Kieran King!” ‘The’ Jessica Anderson logically reasons from ‘Graves’’s statement!

”Ja! I would name meinself und mein firsh-born child after our King!” Announces Hans Upp!

The mob all seem to agree that this is a reasonable course of action.

”For God’s sake!” ‘Graves’ shakes his head… ”LOOK. I acknowledge that *I* let this Black Rainbow thing get out of control. I got into a pissing match with the Vampire Council… We still need to get Richard Powers back… But, I took my eye off our home court and let the company fall into enemy hands.”

”Tunnel-vision, one might say.” Irwin, Mark Flynn’s #1 fan, mutters beside ‘Graves’.

”...Yes, one might. But, I th-”

”I said that. Remember?”

”YES. THANK YOU, IR-DAWG.”

…

”Look. Black Rainbow is a problem. But, we can fix it without kowtowing to some king… A King who got his ass STOMPED by the Black Rainbow, by the way!”

”So, you’re saying there’s no hope!” Ackwards’ eyes bug out in horror! ”If Black Rainbow beat down our King, what hope do we have?!? We’re doomed!!!”

The crew of enhancement talent fall into panic and pandemonium!

”The FUCK are y’all talking about?!?”

…

”What hope do y’all have? You’re WRESTLERS!”

“You’ve dedicated your careers! Your dreams!”

“Your minds, bodies, and souls! To the art of combat!”

“You are uniquely and beautifully crafted warriors! Soldiers of the 21st century!”

“Designed to not only wage wondrous battle… but to inspire the hearts and minds of millions of fans around the world!”

…

”Look.”

“YES. Y’all ‘enhancement talent’ lose a lot. Alone!”

“But together?”

”Togezzer, Gabe and I also lose!”

”I MEAN, ALL-TOGETHER! ALL OF US!”

“If we all unite as one body!”

“One TRUE UNION!”

“We can be a more powerful force than anyone that has ever been!”

“Together the Union picked up Miss Furry a win over Madison Dyson!”

”Me!”

”She couldn’t do that by herself!”

”...Ow…”

”But that’s my point! Alone, we beg! Together, we demand!”

“Divided, we fall! United WE STAND!”

“Together! We can topple mountains!”

“We slay dragons!”

“We can can beat Black Rainbow!”

…

“Leaders come and go, but a people can carry on past the length of a lifetime! Carrying with them the changes and hopes and dreams of those that came before them!”

“If we stand together, we don’t need Kieran King!”

…

The assembled crew of enhancement talent thoughtfully trade and exchange ideas…

‘Graves’ looks over at Irwin.

Irwin proudly delivers a thumbs-up.

‘Graves’ nods.

The town hall meeting seem to come to an agreement.

Ackwards turns back to ‘Graves’. ”So, what you’re saying is… Kieran King won’t defend us because of the Union!”

”...What?”

”You said we’re strong together, so he doesn’t need to defend us! But, if we dissolve the Union, he’ll see we need him!”

”...What the FUCK?!?!” ‘Graves’ screeches in horror! “We don’t need him! We’re stronger together!”

”Right, and YOU said *we*’re safer from the Black Rainbow because we weren’t strong! So, we’ll be safest if we stay apart! They’ll leave us alone if we stay divided and don’t oppose them!”

The group all nods in agreement!

”...Jesus Christ! You small cowards! You’d rather NOT have a Union at all on the UNLIKELY CHANCE it makes Kieran King come save you… Than actually stand up for yourselves?”

…The group re-huddles.

…

De-huddles.

”Yes!”

”Aye!”

”Ja!”

…

”Pathetic…” ‘Graves’ groans. ”Thank God they have no power…”

”Um…” Irwin awkwardly coughs, as he flips through the Wrestling Union’s bylines. ”Actually, the Union’s members possess the power to democratically dissolve the Union.”

‘Graves’ spit-takes furiously. ”WHAT?!?! WHAT KINDA MORON DRAFTED THAT…”

…

”*sigh*.”

”I drafted that, huh?”

”....’People power’, you said at the time.”

”Okay. Before we do anything rash…”

”All in favor of dissolving the Union?”

All hands skyrocket upwards.

---

…

A janitor staples a piece of paper atop the paper outside the hall closet door…

Hall Closet Wrestling Union Headquarters Hall Closet