It looks like Jeremy’s at the Academy just finishing a workout and is making his way into one of the recording studios. He smiles and nods to a few people along the way still catching his breath as he enters the room, closes the door and fires up the recording equipment going straight into a live stream.

(Jeremy): I got a message from the office today.

His eyes look up towards the corporate offices on the floors above.

(Jeremy): They told me that Lunatik has requested a match with me and they are taking it into consideration. You know what I told them? I said, “book it.” I wish they had booked it for this coming Havoc. Lunatik you’ve been gone what…some 14 years or something? You show up at Ring Master and stick your nose in my business to coming to help that sick pariah who used to be your friend, and then have the balls to think you can come into “our” company and call the shots?

Jeremy smiles, just shaking his head and wagging his finger.

(Jeremy): Naw! I bet you didn’t know I’m somewhat of a student of wrestling. You were never anything significant so I had to dig into the video library just to get an idea of who you were and sort you out, and guess what…it all makes sense now. Middle age must have you riddled with guilt and regrets and you came back to try and make amends for your past, and have one last stand in the spotlight, haven’t you?

Jeremy reaches over and grabs a tv remote turning to the tv behind him.

(Jeremy): Gather ‘round boys and girls it’s story time. Courtesy of the HWA archives we’re going to take a trip down memory lane.

He clicks the remote and the TV turns on to the HWA App and he launches into the video library we see footage from a Havoc back in late 2003.

(Jeremy): Once Upon a Time when something called MySpace and BlackBerry’s were a new thing, a young Maniac joined the ranks of HWA. He was eager, energetic, and really caught on with the fans who truly loved him and he quickly gained recognition and status.

We see clips of Maniac in a few matches, and his early win of the United Stated Championship.

(Jeremy): With a superstar shining so bright and rising so high, so fast, who couldn’t take notice? That’s when a guy by the name of Lunatik stepped in and joined up with Maniac. The New Age Psychos they called themselves. They made quick friends….

On the screen we see Maniac and Lunatik together in some match against guys like Seth, Homeboy and Rookie.

(Jeremy): ….but it didn’t take long for things to turn sour.

We then see footage on the screen of Helloween Harvest, October 13, 2023 in the closing moments of a match between HWA Icon Buff Bridges and Maniac.

Maniac rolls to his stomach and pushes himself back up he goes over to Buff and pulls him up, Maniac scoops Buff up for a sidewalk slam. The crowd is cheering for Maniac as Buff starts getting back to his feet. Maniac hits the ropes coming at Buff who uses the ref to pull himself up and cover up the fact that he actually positioned the ref to take the clothesline. Maniac tries to stop his momentum but noticing Buff’s antics but he runs right into the ref knocking him down. Manic jumps over him still going after Buff and clotheslines him over the top rope and goes over with him landing on his feet. Maniac whips Buff into the stairs and grabs some cable from the floor wrapping it around his throat as Buff tries to get loose. Maniac pulls Biff up by the cord, hooks his arms and gives him a double arm DDT to the floor.

Seth comes down to the ring followed by another hooded figure wearing a white Seth mask. Seth stops near the end of the ramp and waits as the other person goes over and grabs the US Title. Maniac spots him and runs over to him and pulls his mask off from behind. He turns around quickly and Maniac is shocked to see the face of his best friend Lunatik. Lunatik nails Maniac with the title belt, picks him back up and stands him against the ring post and whacks him with a steel chair to the face busting him open. Lunatik tosses Maniac back into the ring, grabs the US Title and retreats back up the ramp handing Seth the US Championship. Buff gets back up and into the ring he nudges the ref with his foot as he grabs Maniac on his shoulders and climbs to the top rope, and brings Maniac to the mat with his “Silencer” F5 off the top rope. Buff goes for a cover and gets the 1……………….. 2……………….3.

(Vanessa): I don’t believe this, what the hell is up with Lunatik?

(Jakob): He’s tired of Maniac’s bullshit. He came here to help out his buddy and where has that gotten him, beat up and nowhere.

(Vanessa): That’s not true and you know it Jakob.

(Jakob): It is too true, you never saw me leeching of anyone, using my friends as stepping stools.

Buff celebrates in the ring barely giving Maniac a second thought as he climbs out of the ring with his arms raised in victory. Maniac gets to his feet and the fans give him a standing ovation but it seems his mind is elsewhere as he slowly walks to the back with his head down dripping little droplet’s of blood.

(Vanessa): Poor Maniac, he just lost his very best friend, and for what? For nothing.

The footage ends and Jeremy is shaking his head, a pitied look on his face.

(Jeremy): Those little droplets of blood that were lost, that’s where all of this began. Maniac couldn’t wait to get his hands on Lunatik the following week the two had a big brawl of a match on Havoc which Maniac won…but he wasn’t done yet. Hetook it a step further and asked for a Handicap Match for the week after that against Lunatik and Seth putting his United States Championship on the line. He got his match and extracted another bit of revenge.

We see the closing moments of the match…

….Lunatik picks Maniac up and body slams him to the mat. Lunatik climbs the turnbuckle and jumps off of it trying to hit Maniac with the Swanton Bomb, but Maniac moves and Lunatik hits nothing but the mat. Both men lay in the middle of the ring and the referee starts to count. 1……..2……..3………4………5……..6, Maniac climbs to his feet holding on to the ropes to pull himself up. Seth tries to get into the ring but the referee step in front of him, not letting Seth get in the ring. With the referee distracted, Lunatik pulls out a pair of brass knuckles and tries to use them on Manic but Maniac ducks and hits Lunatik with the Psycho Drop. Maniac stands back up, runs at Seth and drop kicks his feet off of the apron and Seth’s face bounces off of the apron. Seth hits the floor and the crowd cheers in excitement. Maniac signals to the crowd and as Lunatik gets up, Maniac kicks Lunatik in the gut and hits him with Sweet Death. Maniac hooks Lunatik’s leg and the referee counts. 1……….2…………..3.

(Announcer): Here is your winner and still HWA United States champion, Maniac.

(Vanessa): Maniac did it. He successfully retained his U.S. title in his first title defense.

(Jeremy): Once again the fan favorite Maniac prevailed over Lunatik, but No, No, No…he wasn’t done yet boys and girls. Things continued to escalate between the two and the records show that it all came to a head in December at the Cold Day in Hell ppv which saw the birth of Maniac’s brainchild…The Asylum Match.

Once again the closing moments of the match are shown from the December 2023 ppv.

….Maniac carefully gets back into the ring and goes to put Lunatik in the coffin, but Lunatik catches him with a low blow kick. Maniac falls to the mat and Lunatik stands himself up. Lunatik gives a couple swift kicks to Maniac’s ribs and skull. Lunatik struggles to get the straight jacket off, but has no such luck. As Lunatik struggles with the straight jacket, Maniac gets to his feet. Lunatik turns around and Maniac kicks him in the gut. Maniac sets up and executes a hard powerbomb on top of the coffin. Lunatik crashes straight through and lands inside the coffin. Maniac pushes the coffin to the side of the ring. Maniac gets the coffin under the bottom rope, and then comes out to the platform. Maniac looks at Lunatik in the coffin, and then looks at the crowd. Maniac goes to the side of the asylum and begins to climb up it. Maniac mocks Lunatik and jumps off the cage and hits a Swanton Bomb on Lunatik.

(Vanessa): My God. Maniac probably just broke himself in half. He hit Lunatik with a Swanton bomb inside of the darn coffin.

(Jakob): I know Vanessa, that was nuts! What was Maniac thinking? Now he is in the coffin too. Whoever can regain their strength will most likely have this match won and the U.S. title.

Both Maniac and Lunatik lay motionless in the coffin. The referee yells from inside the ring to see if they are conscious. Manic begins to stir and opens his eyes. He motions to the referee that he can continue and Maniac slowly gets out of the coffin. Lunatik is still motionless in the coffin and Maniac is on the platform, trying to get up. Maniac finally gets to the side of the asylum and uses it to pull himself up. Maniac stumbles towards the ring and balances himself with the turnbuckle. Maniac looks at the coffin and moves back a couple of steps. Maniac then runs at the coffin and dropkicks it so that it slides right into the fire-lit hole.

(Announcer): Here is your winner and STILL the HWA United States champion, MANIAC!!

The footage ends, Jeremy smiles and is clapping.

(Jeremy): Impressive….but our story doesn’t end there boys and girls. Sure that pretty much ended the saga between Maniac and Lunatik at the time but it’s more clear to us now what had been set in motion. What one man’s act of betrayal gave birth to. That first little droplet of blood led to one match, then another, then another, the violence increasing each time and each time Maniac coming out on top. No one realized it at the time, but something was changing inside him, and after that Asylum Match, the wrestling world was introduced to DreamMaster for the first time and the rest as they say….is history.

Jeremy cuts the TV off and looks back at the camera.

(Jeremy): One might argue Lunatik that you’re the cause of all his bullshit since. Somehow the two of you made up later on, but the damage had been done. It’s hard to imagine anyone ever cheering Maniac but there it is on video…

Jeremy’s face darkens to a frustrated frown.

(Jeremy): …and there it was at Ring Master and it sickened me. People cheering that vile, pathetic excuse for a veteran, a so-called legend in this business when he’s been nothing but a terror. And there you come Lunatik, and for what? Why the hell did you come back here? Is it guilt? Is it regret for what you did years ago? Will whatever amends you made never be enough for your treachery?

Jeremy shrugs his shoulders.

(Jeremy): Guess it doesn’t matter what he’s done in his career to you does it. The lives and careers he’s ruined…and there people were out of their seats cheering the two of you and your grand reunion as if Randy Savage rose from the dead and the Mega Powers had reunited. Cheering after everything he’s done. Then you have the balls to call upstairs and ask for a match with me, Lunatik? Ring Master wasn’t enough for you, apparently you want to stay in my way. You want to get your merry little band back together again? So be it! To steal a line from Chris Jericho….“You just made the list!” And I’ll gladly cross your name out alongside Maniac’s by the time I’m done. Just remember one thing…I’ve got friends too, and this is our house, you’re just a guest in it, one whose already overstayed his welcome!

And you Maniac the man himself…maybe you’re right for once…maybe I am too emotional, but that’s about to change. Right as you might be, you’re still so overwhelmingly wrong. I do see that you’ve changed…I just don’t care. I’ve heard every apology you’ve made…I just don’t care. I won’t let go of the past because I can’t, and I don’t want to…and even if I did, its not as easy as your smug ass thinks. There are murderers sitting in prison for decades who are “changed men” but why don’t you ask their victim’s families why they “can’t let go of the past?”

Jeremy scoffs.

(Jeremy): I’m your ghost of crimes past Maniac, I won’t forget, I won’t forgive, and I won’t let go. You think you can say you’ve changed and carry on with your life, and get pissy every time someone reminds you of the things you did. There’s shit you’ll need to shovel and eat all the days of your remaining life.

Jeremy takes a deep breath and allows his thoughts to shift.

(Jeremy): At Havoc…it’s me and a true legend. Hans von Richtoven. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. People say “never meet your heroes” but I’m glad to have met and know mine. The constant, the standard bearer, the consummate professional that he is. Hans the last time we met you took me to task, I learned a lot, but with all due respect…this time will be different.

I’m not the same man I was, the last months and especially Ring Master has changed that. That business model, that dream, that vision we once lived by of “pure wrestling”…that’s dead. That is one battle that Maniac won. He wanted “his” old HWA back and he got it. I see what he’s done to you…this whole Erica bullshit has consumed your life and somehow, someway you manage to maintain composure and control.

A contemplative look crossed Jeremy’s face.

(Jeremy): Respect is misunderstood word because it means something different person to person…it is not universal. I have all the respect in the world for you Hans, and to me that means I know the man you are, I accept it, and I’m proud to be a fan and now colleague, and hopefully a friend. But….

He strokes his chin…

(Jeremy): …like I said, respect is not universal and it even changes. Once upon a time I felt the same about you as I did for The Parkers but…

He shakes his head.

(Jeremy): …not anymore. Not in the same way. I respect their position as our bosses, and owners of the once again largest organization in this insurance industry, but that is where it ends these days. Maybe one day you can explain to me how you stay friends with people who enable the misery that darkens your doorstep.

Why does Erica still have a job here after everything she’s done? Why did they abandon the vision that they instilled in us? Why did they say one thing and do another allowing barbarity to return to that sacred ring? You don’t need the money. You came back to help this company get back on its feet, you came back for the love of this business and they stand idle letting Maniac and his pet dog nip and tear at your heels…and when some says enough…when some targets the head of the snake…I get booed by the fans. Explain this to me Hans.

He’s clearly frustrated but trying to refocus back on to his match.

(Jeremy): At Havoc, this match is different Hans. I want you…no…I need you to be the veteran and the legend you are more than ever. It’s like a video game when you beat a boss and gain one of their abilities. I need your temperance Hans, you’ve mastered the are of self-discipline and that is a new weapon I need to wield. Maniac, Erica, Lunatik, they don’t belong here.

I can’t ask you to bloody your hands Hans. I can’t hope for you to step outside of your nature. What I can ask and hope for is that when we meet at Havoc. I learn a new lesson, and even though I intend to win, you’ll be proud to lose knowing that I’m looking forward to finishing this game they’ve played.

Jeremy closes his eyes and sighs.

(Jeremy): To the fans… “My fans”…I love you more than ever. I see you, I hear you and I thank you for standing by my because you in turn stand up for what is right and true and you won’t be persuaded otherwise. To those of you who turned your backs, who side with our enemies, like I said at Ring Master…I’ll give you something to boo, and I can’t wait to hear you scream all the air out your damn bodies.

Jeremy hits a button ending the stream that fades to black.