It's funny.

Just one year ago, I was in the shadow of the entire WWA roster, in exile down in the WWA's development territory, the European Wrestling Alliance.

It was all so different back then. I was so different back then.

Last year, I remember the biggest wrestling event I had ever witnessed, the Birthday Brawl. I was part of it, but not as a superstar...

No, I was a ticket-holding spectator, just another face in the many-thousand-strong crowd.

I remember looking on in envy as the last year's WWA greats strutted their stuff on the biggest stage of them all, and showed once and for all what they could do, giving everyone who was lucky enough to see it the show of their lives.

Some of them are still around for this year's match. Tracer Bullet, Mal Somers, Dave Harley, Leviathan and Grunge among others, granted not that many.

Some have since faded away into the annals of time. My old enemy, Steven Murphy. Deimos. Enigma. Kash. Denrol. The eventual winner, and king of the mountain, the Almighty Damian Thorne.

Some have evolved; Mal Somers has risen to become the World Champion. Dave Harley has turned on his beloved X-Corp, to rule the WWA with his Devil's Own. Some have remained the same; Tracer Bullet is just the same as he always was, ruthless, and hungry for glory. Shaman is still is as bloodthirsty as he ever was. Leviathan is still wreaking havoc with whoever will go with him, in this case, Dave Harley and the Devil's Own.

Some who competed before are back after a long hiatus. Three time World Champion Jackson Kraven. Two time champ Craven Moore.

One thing remains the same through everyone, though. One thing courses through everyone's veins, drives everyone on to compete, to give their all, to fight like they've never fought before.

The desire. No matter who you are, the desire is the same. The desire to win, the desire to stand there, your foes bloody, beaten and broken around you, and raise up high the ultimate prize, the prize that so many before you have given their blood, and would have given their lives, for.

The WWA World Heavyweight Title.

It's funny.

It's funny how time flies. Just a year ago, I was a nothing. Now, I am one of the twenty most famed men in the WWA, competing for ultimate glory.

Everything is so different, yet in another way, it's all the same. Every last bit of it. The knowledge, the desire, the drive, the power.

Everything.

But this time...

...My prize is right there for the taking.

----

"ARGH! NO!!"

The Muppet Man woke up, sitting up like a shot. He breathed heavily, trying to calm his senses, which were going haywire. He had been dreaming of the upcoming Birthday Brawl, the match that would be the ultimate test of his skills, where he can finally prove to himself whether he has what it takes or not. He dreamed that he was on top of the WWATron, the rest of the roster either eliminated, or too hurt to continue. The broken bodies of Dave Harley and Mal Somers lay unconscious under the ladder, which he was climbing with all the strength left in his body.

He had seen the WWA World Heavyweight Title, hanging over him, glinting a tantalising gold in the arena lights. He had reached out for it. He had been inches away... when suddenly, something stopped him. He saw a face, even further up than the Championship. It was a familiar face, and it was laughing, laughing at him. Shijo Takeichi. Muppet had tried to shake it off, and grab the Title, but it had been slowly pulled away from him, almost by Mr. Takeichi's will. He continued laughing, jeering at the Muppet Man.

Muppet fought on, climbing into a standing position on the top of the ladder. He jumped, his arms flailing wildly, trying to grab that belt, but it was no use. He landed on that thin strip of metal, but he was weary, and unable to keep his balance. Slowly, and agonisingly, the ladder began to tip backwards. The Muppet Man found himself falling from a tremendous height, all the way off the WWATron. He tried to close his eyes, and brace himself for the inevitable impact, but found that he couldn't. He tried to scream, but no sound came out. He just kept falling...

And falling...

And falling...

"Damn it, pull yourself together!" he said aloud to himself, breathing heavily. "Just a dream, Andy, just a dream..."

But it had all seemed so real. He could hear the chants of the crowd, cheering him on, willing to take that last step and forever immortalise himself. He could feel the strain in his body, his ever so weary body, which he had to force to carry on, to finish the job. He could taste the blood on the corners of his mouth. He could see the scene, all of the men he had beaten, all of the faceless spectators in the crowd, every single flash of a camera lens... the World Title, hanging above...

Muppet shook his head vigorously, pulling himself out of that trance-like state that was consuming him. Lying back down on his single bed, which was uncomfortable, and doing his back no favours, he let out a deep breath of exasperation.

He had made a promise. He had promised that he would win the World Heavyweight Title. He had promised King Muppet. He had promised those random guys he met in the bar the other day. He had promised his loyal fans, his followers, who he respected more than anyone else. Most importantly, though, he had promised himself. The Muppet Man.

He just didn't know if he could deliver his promise.

Not with this whole Takeichi thing hanging over his head.

"Give me strength..." Muppet muttered, closing his eyes, and doing his best to sink into the pillow and the mattress. He was shattered. Maybe he could get a more peaceful sleep...

Ring Ring!

Ring Ring!

...Or maybe not.

With an indistinguishable barrage of curse words, the Muppet Man sat up, and forced himself to answer the phone. He didn't think he could bear simply lying there, listening to it ring over, and over... and over...

"Hello?" he said, sounding thoroughly grumpy.

"Hi," came the reply on the other line. The voice was high and feminine. Good. It wasn't King Muppet. "It's Alice."

"Alice?" said Muppet, a little confused. "I don't know an Alice."

Alice laughed. "Of course you do! The party, remember?"

Oh yes. Now it was coming back to him...

"Oh... oh!" Muppet said. "What are you calling me at this hour for?"

"What do you mean?" asked Alice playfully. Muppet glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 2pm.

"Oh... never mind," he said in a low, croaky voice.

"You've just woken up, haven't you?" she said, giggling. Muppet sighed.

"Yes, yes I have. Is there anything wrong with that?" he snapped, losing control momentarily.

"Come on, now," she said, getting a little annoyed. "What's up with you today?"

"I'm sorry," Muppet replied. "I've... just got a lot of things on my mind."

"Hm... that's okay," she said, smiling to herself, wherever she was. "How are you, then?"

He thought about this for a few seconds. "Hung over, twitchy, limbs aching, and... I'm about to puke up in the sink."

There was a long silence as the Muppet Man dropped the phone, and quickly sprinted into the bathroom. Alice was left sitting there, tapping the phone patiently. Finally, he made his way back to his bed, sat down and picked up the phone again.

"Very sorry," Muppet said. "So, I'm not too bad." She giggled. "How about you?"

"I'm pretty good, I guess," came her reply, not sounding as if she meant it. "Agonisingly bored, though. So..."

"So..." Muppet repeated, as she fell silent for a couple of seconds. He was grinning to himself.

"Want to meet up? Catch a movie, do lunch... anything? I'd be right in thinking you haven't had lunch, wouldn't I?" she said with a slight grin. The tone of desperation in her voice was so obviously faked.

"You would," he replied. "Sounds good to me."

"Cool. Where can I find you?" Alice asked.

"Damn..." muttered Muppet. "Well, I'm currently moving around the country, so I don't have anywhere definite," he spoke, truthfully. She was silent for a couple of seconds. He imagined she was in the same sort of predicament. Really, it was nothing of the sort. "Wait, I've got an idea."

"I'm listening..." she said.

"How about we meet outside Takeichi's place, and go on from there? That's relatively near, right?" Muppet said. Alice was shocked, and amazed at her total luck.

"Yeah, that's easy enough," she said, trying to conceal her excitement. "I'll start getting ready, then."

"Great," he said. "Later."

They both said their goodbyes and hung up. Immediately, the Muppet Man shot up, getting straight to what he had to do.

After he had had a shower, he quickly pulled on some informal clothes, put on his multicoloured leather trenchcoat, pulled his mask over his face, and went to leave the room. Just as he was about to leave, he pulled his hand back from the doorknob, and picked up a scrap piece of paper and a pen, beginning to write. He muttered to himself as he did so.

"Going... Muppet Manor... got date... be back later... maybe..."

Muppet pocketed the note and pen, walking out of the room and locking it. On his way out of the hotel, he quickly slipped the note in under King's door.

----

A couple of miles away, within the house formerly known as Muppet Manor, the girl called Alice hung up her cell phone, grinning to herself. Getting up off the comfortably expensive leather couch, she began to walk up the huge stairs, in order to get ready for her 'date' with the Muppet Man. Just as she went up, Mr. Takeichi came out of a door on the top of the stairs, and began to walk down. They met half way, and stopped, smiling at each other.

"How did it go?" Takeichi asked.

"Better than I intended for!" she said, laughing. "He even suggested coming here!"

Takeichi laughed with her. "Then he's an even bigger fool than I previously thought. This is going to be even easier than my rise to the top of the business ladder. Where are you going?"

"To get ready," Alice said nonchalantly, starting to walk up the stairs, brushing her immaculate golden-blonde hair out of her eyes. Suddenly, she felt her wrist being clasped.

"I'm afraid that won't be necessary," said Mr. Takeichi, still looking downwards. His voice was suddenly cold, and devoid of any humour. She struggled a little, but the grip was firm.

"What are you doing?" she said, getting a little scared. He continued to look away.

"I'm executing the plan," came the reply, cold and distant. "Not even you, my dear Alice, know the full extent of my plans, and what I intend to accomplish."

"You lied to me?!" she shouted, now struggling hard. He stood firm.

"To put it crudely, yes. I have no time for your foolish sentimental tendencies. I want this plan to succeed, therefore I am handling it completely by myself. That way, no one else can screw it up."

"I thought you liked me!" Alice screamed. "I thought you loved me!"

At this, Mr. Takeichi simply chuckled. "Heh. I'll admit, you had your uses..."

"You freak!" she screamed. "Let go of me!"

"In due time, in due time," he said. "But for now, please, come with me. If you resist, I promise you won't like the results."

Alice stopped struggling, bowing her head and accepting her fate. He smiled at her, but not in a kind, loving way.

"Good. Come now! There are things to do and preparations to be made!"

And with that, Mr. Takeichi swept down the stairs, Alice being dragged along behind him.

----

With beads of sweat forming, trickling all the way down his long, untamed dreadlocks and dripping to the ground, the Muppet Man continued down the country road that led up to his old house. It was a ridiculously hot day, and the mask, coupled with the trenchcoat that he really didn't feel like carrying around all day, was killing him. He knew the way so well... it wasn't very hard, just continue on down that road until you see a huge building... but already, doubt was forming in his mind, and he could feel it in his stomach.

Something was wrong.

With a quick roll of his eyes, Muppet shook it off. What was wrong with him today? He couldn't keep focused, couldn't go on normally without suspecting something. Well, he had had enough of it, or so he told himself as he forced his weary legs to carry on. Despite freshening up a little, hadn't had any time to properly rest himself or recover from his antics last night, so he was well and truly exhausted. Still, he wasn't going to pass this up. This had to go right.

He just wasn't aware of how wrong it was going to go.

Finally, Muppet saw it. There it was, looming on the horizon. His old house, and what had been his most prized possession save the US Title. Muppet Manor. King Muppet had bought it for an unbelievable bargain, but thanks to his lack of financial management skills, they had been forced to give it up. The vulture-like Mr. Takeichi had pounced on this opportunity, to commit some major fraud and take a house for absolutely nothing, and then make a huge profit out of it. Whatever Takeichi had name it, it would always be Muppet Manor to Muppet.

As he reached it, he walked up the stairs leading up to the doorway, and there was no sign of anyone. He was a little hesitant. Hadn't Alice said she would meet him here? Yes, he wasn't meant to go inside. No, what sense would that make? It's not like she lived there, they were just meeting here, because they both knew how to get there. Yeah...

He leaned against the wall next to the door, hands stuffed in his pockets. She probably got caught up with something, it was no big deal. If he was kept waiting for too long, he could just call, and check on her. Yeah, it all made sense. Still, he couldn't help feeling uneasy. There was something more to this, something Muppet didn't know about. He was sure of it.

Suddenly, just as he was falling deeply into thought, he was snapped out of it by the sound of the door opening next to him. Out walked the woman he had met before, when he and King had attempted to take the place back the first time. She noticed him almost immediately, and smiled.

"Ah, Mr. Scrine. I hope I haven't kept you waiting," she said. Muppet was confused, and lost for words. "Please, come on in. Mr. Takeichi has been expecting you for some time now."

With that, she smiled at him again, before turning around and walking back in. Muppet slowly walked up to the entrance, but dared not step any further. He was now really creeped out, expecting some kind of trap to spring the moment he stepped inside. The woman suddenly stopped, realising he wasn't following, and turned around.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Come on, we haven't got any time to waste."

"You can't make me come in there. What the hell is this?" he demanded, not knowing quite what else to say. He was so confused, and tired, that he couldn't seem to put two and two together...

"That's no way to speak to your host," the woman said with a frown. "Come on, now, quickly."

"No!" he said firmly, standing his ground. With this, the woman marched right up to him, grabbed him by the ear and twisted. He shouted out loud.

"Oh! Ow ow ow!" came the muffled cries from the Muppet Man. "What are you doing? Where are you dragging me?"

"As I said, we're going to see Mr. Takeichi. He will not be kept waiting," she said firmly, still dragging him along by his ear. He was too shocked and stunned to counter, and besides, she was incredibly strong for a middle aged woman. Quickly after that, he broke out.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming!" he said, dusting himself off symbolically.

"Good," she said with a smile, before turning and walking away without another word. He followed half-heartedly. She walked straight past the stairs, and into a small room that he had never used much when he owned the place. Suddenly, it didn't seem so small.

But that wasn't what caught Muppet's eye.

"So you're here. Good. I've been waiting, Mr. Scrine."

There stood Shijo Takeichi, the Muppet Man's most hated enemy, who up until now had always gained the upper hand against Muppet. And by the look on his face, it seemed he was about to do just the same.

"You!" Muppet spat. "What do you want with me? What the hell is this?!"

"One question at a time, please," said Takeichi. "Don't worry, all will be explained in due time. It's so simple, in fact, that even a man of your... inferior intellect can understand."

"Bastard," was the only thing that Muppet had to say in response. Takeichi tilted his head, as if daring Muppet to say it again. But, he quickly recovered his composure, and his cocky grin.

"Don't worry, Mr. Scrine. All your problems will shortly be resolved... no wait! That's me!" he said, following up with a booming laugh. Muppet expected to hear laughter from the woman, but found that she had disappeared altogether, probably back into the main hall. "But seriously, Mr. Scrine, this is where it all ends. This where all the planning, everything, comes to fruition. With this complete, there will be nothing standing in my way."

"Planning?" Muppet said. "What are you talking about?"

"Fool!" came the reply. "Do you think this was all your own doing? Confronting me all that time ago? Coming to the party? Meeting Alice? It was all me!"

"Wha..." said Muppet, trailing off. He was shocked. "This was... a set up?"

"Hahaha... you complete idiot!" shouted Takeichi, thoroughly enjoying himself. "You don't realise how much easier you made this for me!"

"Shut up!" Muppet charged forwards, motioning to hit Takeichi, but Takeichi put up his hand.

"Uh uh... I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said calmly.

"And why's that?" Muppet growled, his fist still raised. Takeichi smiled wryly.

"Because..." he began, walking over to the door at the side of the room. Motionless, Muppet watched him as he opened the door and walked through. Muppet followed, and the sight both shocked and appalled him. In fact, he was struck completely dumb.

There was Mr. Takeichi, standing and smiling at him with his hands behind his back, and behind him was a large pool full of some liquid that Muppet couldn't quite see. Hanging over it, in a perspex (or some other transparent, yet hard, material) cage, was Alice. Her face lit up as she saw the Muppet Man, but quickly fell again when she saw his expression.

"...Of this," said Mr. Takeichi, finally finishing his sentence, with a look of extreme happiness on his face. "With one pull of this lever," he pointed it out, "The bottom falls out, and dear Alice here meets her untimely end."

"You... you..." began Muppet, his gaping mouth unable to form any coherent words. "You..."

"Scumbag?" Takeichi said. "Bastard? Shitface? Cabron? I'm sure all of those apply."

Before Muppet could even begin to reply, the doors burst open behind him. He wheeled around, and Takeichi and Alice's eyes focused on what was entering. It was four of Mr. Takeichi's finely dressed henchmen, and they were carrying a writhing and struggling body. Muppet's mouth fell even wider open...

It was King Muppet.

"Andy!" he exclaimed. Seeing Alice in the cage, his eyes opened wide. "You... but... WHAT THE HELL?"

"Will!" Muppet said. "How did you get here?"

"I found your note," King explained, "And I knew it had to be a trap, so I had to come and rescue you!"

"And a fine job you did of it!" shouted Muppet in reply.

"Hey!" said King, offended. "You were the one who got us into this stupid mess in the first place! How could you fall into this trap?!"

"How could you get caught?!" Muppet screamed back at him. "What did you do, WALK IN THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR?!"

"Well..." King started.

"YOU IMBECILE!" Muppet exploded, staying rooted to the spot. He didn't want anything to happen to Alice.

"Now, gentlemen, now!" Takeichi said, attempting to calm them both down. "I may be new to the whole kidnapping and blackmail scene, but aren't you two meant to be... on the same side?"

Muppet and King fell silent. As much as they hated to admit it, Takeichi was right.

"Why are you doing this?" Muppet said, finally. "What do you want with us?"

"That's what I wanted to know," said King and Alice in unison. There was a momentary silence, where Mr. Takeichi looked them all up and down, before finally giving his explanation.

"Well, I'll put it in words you can all understand. In order to fully open this place, I must dispose of you, to get you out of my way. But there's also something else. You," he said, pointing to the Muppet Man, "You're the WWA United States champion, and you're in the Birthday Brawl."

Muppet nodded, everything slowly dawning on him. King and Alice were silent.

"It's quite simple," continued Mr. Takeichi. "I want your United States title, my ticket to the Birthday Brawl, to the WWA Heavyweight title, and to my ultimate fame and glory, the one thing that I have yet to attain...

"And if you ever want to see your dear Alice again, then you're going to have to do exactly what I say."



To be continued.