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At the end of the show, a series of men would approach the ring from the tunnel entrance, each one sporting a padded, tactical-style vest with POLICE emblazoned across the chest and back. About a dozen in total, they proceeded to form a line at the end of the ramp, barring any traffic from stage to ringside, standing statuesque as though waiting for something...or someone.

No sooner had their formation been finalized would the speaker system across the XLL Arena blast the familiar refrains of Rev Theory's "Wanted Man", the acoustic rendition used by Salem Croft, who now stepped out from the curtain and started towards the ring and the procession of police between them.

The audience cheered "The Copperhead" on, anticipating a confrontation as Croft looked ready for a fight in his ring attire, black jeans and combat boots with nothing up top but taped fists and flexing muscles that were plastered with various colors and sizes of tattoos.

As Salem reached within five feet of the security line, he lifted a microphone in his hand and stared down the series of men standing in his way, gesturing for his music to be cut.

"Now, I came out here tonight knowing full well something like this was going to happen." he said, gesturing with his empty hand at the armed escort surely meant to take Salem away.

"I violated a restraining order, I broke the law when I attacked that coward Cartwright, but boy was it nice seeing that British b*****d run for his life at the end of the night, wasn't it?"

Chants of "HE'S A b*****d!" started to reverberate around the arena as Salem smirked, sizing up the guards as he twirled the microphone in his hand, but not taking another step yet. Instead, Salem turned around, pointing towards the backstage area before cutting off the crowd.

"But Cartwright isn't why I'm out here right now. I want to talk to someone who honestly doesn't talk very much, but made a big statement when he came from 'Parts Unknown' to help me out, and that man is my old buddy Disciple!"

The crowd popped for the mention of the gargantuan wrestler who'd come to Salem's aid in his recent scuffle with Cartwright and MMI, Croft turning back towards the row of officers and pointing past them to the ring, instead.

"So, what's going to happen next will happen one of two ways, and I'll let you gentlemen decide. Either I'm going past y'all to get into that ring, or I'm going through y'all. But no matter what, I'm not leaving tonight until my friend comes out here and gives me some answers. What's it gonna be?"

After a tense moment, the human barricade broke in front of Salem, parting so the Blackfoot Beast could pass. Smiling, Salem winked at the fellas as he walked by, starting up the ring steps while the officers filed around the ring, standing with their backs to the barricades as Salem circled the inside of the ring to a series of cheers, picking up the microphone for the last time.

"Get on out here, Disciple! We got some things to sort out!" he shouted, looking on towards the stage as he chucked the mic out of the ring.

Salem smirked at the titantron, chuckling as he thought to himself how he expected something like this to happen, and yet his stubbornness and pride wouldn't allow him to avoid it. Of course Cartwright would try to get some comeuppance, of course he'd be walking into the lion's den once again. Salem never could stay away from animals, though, he often found them more likeable than people. But the hyenas lurking around the ring right now weren't nearly as friendly as the canines he was used to.

Despite the snicker of humor on Salem's face, however, his eyes were firm and piercing, sharply looking over the men dispatched to take him out. Stepping one foot forward, he dug his toe into the canvas and spun, stretching his arms out wide as he looked on with a twinge of maniacal delight at the inevitable fight before him. He knew there would be pain to come, but he also saw plenty of limbs and throats and ribs he could have fun with, and he was determined to leave his mark before he fell.

"There's the line, boys!" he shouted, pointing at the path his dragging toe had taken around him. "So come on with it! You ain't getting paid to stand around!"

With his ultimatum issued, Salem braced his footing and watched as the dozen men started scrambling up onto the apron, "The Copperhead" wasting no time as he started wildly running the ropes, clobbering skulls and kicking faces, knocking some off the apron while others slipped through and into the ring! The crowd lit up for Salem, trying to encourage him to fight as he lashed out like a maniac at all in sight, delivering elbows, fists, knees, and kicks to any person in striking distance, fighting for his life like a caged animal as Cartwright and Nicky watched on from the big screen!

Salem is seeing red through tunnel vision, his actions are all impulse as he swings and strikes and smashes anyone in sight, knowing that if he didn't make every action count, he was likely to be laying on the canvas in a pool of his own blood by night's end. Disciple wasn't here to save him this time, and if Salem hoped to survive he'd have to be as savage as he ever had! He didn't notice the change in cheers as Drako slid in the ring behind him and pulled his hood back, just as Croft came around to reflexively swing at whoever was behind him!

Halting his taped fist in the air, though, Salem froze for a moment as he saw the member of the Damone Clan, a family he'd had many encounters and bloody battles with. A quizzical look came across Salem's face as he was left momentarily amnesiac to his surroundings, various hired thugs trying to recover around the pair as they had a kind of silent 'meeting of the minds' in the ring. Gesturing to Drako with an open hand, Croft quietly pondered what the man could be doing here, expecting some kind of explanation for his arrival!

Salem could see in Drako's eyes he was there for a fight, but the vibe coming off him wasn't what Croft was used to, it was almost friendly. "The Copperhead" couldn't help but let out a laugh as Drako asked his question, however, a new fire burning in his eyes as he saw the potential for some real fun to be had with his new ally. Glancing back at one of the thugs getting up behind him, Salem reached out and grabbed Drako's wrist with a nod, winking at the smaller figure.

"Bet. I'll START!" he shouted, almost teasing Drako as Croft whipped the young dragon into the ropes and towards the recovering goon behind Salem!

The crowd was roaring as Salem and Drako put on a clinic, entertaining the audience with unmitigated violence! Salem's spine stung from the landing to the outside, but the two men he'd brought with him seemed down for the count!

While Drako played his games in the ring, other goons started approaching Salem, who was getting up next to the announcer's table! Pulling displays from the booth, "The Copperhead" started chucking the monitors at the men, catching them in the face and ribs as he ripped the paneling off the table, clearly planning something!

Just in time for Salem to clear the table, a couple thugs volunteer to be his next victims, trying to pounce on Salem and push him over the announce table! As they try to make their way around the announcer's booth to him, Croft recovers and chucks a big, padded rolling chair at each of them, stunning them and knocking one down and the other to his knees!

Sliding over the table, Salem would chop the kneeling goon down with a sharp kick to the side of the head, turning and dropping his weight into the other's ribs with a standing elbow drop!

Noticing Drako in the ring, Salem smirked and began pulling each of the men up onto the announce table, laying their battered bodies side by side as he stepped back and signaled to his more slender sideman, gesturing for Drako to do his thing!

Salem was just about to try and give Drako a hand up to his feet following his crazy dive through the now-shattered announce table, but before he could, a larger man of the group of thugs charged him from his blindspot, driving his body over into the barricade on the adjacent side of the ring!

The burly man was noticably bigger than the others, but only a bit bigger than Salem himself. Trying to grab Salem by the throat, he began throttling the Native, anger in his eyes and a small cut on his forehead from some earlier entanglement.

Reaching behind him as the goon almost flipped Salem over the barricade by his neck, "The Copperhead" caught hold of a steel chair from the front row, swinging hard at the man's skull and collaring him with the seat!

Stunned, the big guy staggered back as Salem rubbed his neck and climbed up onto the security rail, leaping to shotgun dropkick the chair closed around the man's neck, a loud metal BANG! heard as the steel chair snapped shut and made the large oaf collapse!