Pure gray washed over the arena as Slash walked out, Marshmallow and Coconut in tow, dancing at Slash' tail, suggesting Slash headed possessed twelve legs total. Slash laughed, and wormed into the ring. Fog machines pumped in the ring as Michelle emerged from underneath the ring.

Lights faded color back in, afterwards Michelle saying, "We are sorry to announce, our audience, there will be no tag team match against Swillow and JAC for Beast Games World Belt. Therefore, in accordance to official rules, since Swillow refuses to defend, she must relinquish."

Slash said, "Broken rules demand discipline, and we are mere gluttons for punishment, and as Swillow has failed to appear over a month..."

"...After the end of her book..."

"We'll request, no, demand grand bounty during Slash's Halloween Bash, for forfeiture.

Both laughed. Michelle said, "...Anyway, we'll patiently allow the Bash to begin until Swillow bequeaths her crown, but we understand JAC can't win alone."

Pure gray filled the stadium same as Slash's entrance, before deepening black. The screen portrayed, Slash's haunted castle, grainy footage testament to age. In front of the castle, stood a figure in a hockey mask. JAC.

In the background, piano music infused with screams played. The image faded, permitting writing which read, "Beware, October 31st, at the Slash's Halloween Bash Paper View, a hideous monster returns. A being vile, twisted, disgusting, only known under the moniker of JAC."

As picture returned, text scrawled over the recording of JAC doing the disco. "Experts found footage of this after five teenagers went missing after finding an abandoned video tape, after walking in an ancient burial ground, after coming into a new house, after setting up cameras."

JAC was seen eating a protein shake at Mosor's ice cream shop. "This is the only known footage of him eating while in the wild." He flashed a thumbs up at the camera, and bit down on a sandwich, before chewing to the beat of the music.

Final text: But here's JAC right after he kills Slash and Michelle...

Blood dripped from the comic sans!

JAC toweled his behind, before drying between his legs in flossing motion, going with the music's tempo. But, he put it back on the towel rack.

As the promo ended, Slash glared, humiliated for the first time in her life, erstwhile Michelle shrieked, "He defiled my towel!"

Slash grabbed the microphone, and said, "We're going after JAC, and even if he is solo, he's going up against us!" Marshmallow and Coconut nodded. Lights went off.

***

(Written with BethanyClark)

Richard Littles: And right now we're having a straight up beat up between Harper Jay and Mosor.

Richard Biggs: That Harper-Jay has been losing quite a bit, but now she has a chance to win for once.

The hyena and wolf fox stared off. Harper charged, teeth bared. Mosor dancing around Harper, and as Harper stood up, Mosor hopped, put paw on Harper's forehead, and both fell down.

Littles: And that's known as the Firefly Jump.

Biggs: A devastating move from such a small girl.

Harper shot back up, and tackled Mosor. Mosor twisted around, attempting to escape, until Harper sunk fangs into Mosor's calf. Screams elicited, Mosor forcibly grabbed bottom rope. Harper released.

Biggs: Now that Harper-Jay may have one of the strongest sets of teeth in all the games.

Littles: Rexcelsis.

Biggs: Oh yeah...

Harper smirked, only to get smacked in the throat, compulsing hacking from Harper.

The hyena peeled her lips back. "Now you've made me bad." She bolted towards Mosor, and Mosor prepared a slap, but Harper feinted, turned, and rammed her into the ring ropes.

Mosor bounced off, and shook the mat on landing. As Mosor tried to stand, Harper bit her throat, and slammed her into the ground.

Littles: My word!

Biggs: That is known as the Jaws of Death.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

Mosor wheezed and rolled. But Harper pinned down Mosor.

"One. Two-"

Mosor kicked out. Harper let out a low rumbling, then fixated on Mosor, only for a mule kick to connect to her jaw. A click sounded, indicating Harper's dental insurance rates sky rocketed. As Harper's vision blurred, she received a second kick.

Harper backed up, leaning into the ropes. Mosor leapt. Harper braced.

Mosor locked legs with arms, and arms with legs, before orienting both fighters so she was sitting in front of an upside down Harper. Mosor tugged on Harper's leg, encouraging a scream. Hot pain filled Harper's leg, and she jerked her foot back. "Calf for a ankle, tsk."

Harper balanced her stance and glared at Mosor. "Now what deer legs?" As if to mock her mocking, Mosor snatched Harper's arm and twisted down, thudding Harper to mat.

Biggs: A dragon screw, that's gonna snap some parts.

Harper laughed. As she rose, she snapped her eyes to Mosor. "You think I would be broken now? Wrong, so wrong. You underestimate the power and blood lust of a Hyena!" She jumped forward and latched onto Mosor's other foot.

Crunch.

"One, two, three!"

Harper rolled out of the ring, only to see a small feline.

"What are you doing?" Arson asked. "We're going to be doing the whole tag team obstacle course."

"Relax kitten," Harper-Jay said. "I'll be good for that." Still, a pain wracked her leg. Oh well, it wasn't going to do anything, she supposed.

***

Outside, fog washed over the Ice Cream Pack's shop, dulling the atmosphere in Mosor's opinion. Although with Halloween coming up, sometimes, she swore she saw a shadow in the mists.

In fact, she saw several shadows, not able to place any until from depths lurked out...

Tiercel?

Having not appeared in weeks, perhaps months, Mosor forgot he existed.

The delivery dragon opened the mailbox, slid in an envelope, and walked backwards into the mists. Vanos retrieved the letter. It was black, written with gray ink.

"Weird, it's from the ghosts," Vanos said. "Apparently Tiercel wants to face us, with his trio of Rinachi and Tuwil for the glory of Slash?"

Vanos, Mosor, and Kyofi stared at each other, before stamping it with approval.

***

Richard Biggs: We understand some matches have been announced for Slash's Halloween Bash. After breaking Citrus Snow's leg, Leroy will be facing her in an Elements the card game match. Also, Inari will be facing off against Tethys. More on that in After Dark.

***

Richard Woods: This is our main event of the evening. This will be a triathlon! The rules are that three teams will compete, and the winners of round one proceed to round three, meanwhile the losers will face off in round two for a chance to face the winners in round one. Credit will be given to Harper-Jay for suggesting this event to Swillow the Slaughterhound. Introducing first, Harper-Jay and her opponent at our next Paper View, Slash's Halloween Bash, Arson!

Arson beamed as he stood upon the entrance ramp. "Whoop!" Harper-Jay walked up from behind him.

Richard Woods: Next up is their opponents, residing from within an ice cream shop, they are the Ice Cream Pack, Vanos and Kyofi!

The most experienced tag team strode in, the hyena wolf Kyofi and the coyote wolf Vanos. Both flashed grins to the audience before turning and swaying their behinds in a dancing motion. But, they leered at Kyofi for snapping Mosor's leg earlier on. Harper shrunk back.

Richard Woods: And finally, these two come from 65 million years ago, one is of unknown gender and name but goes by Leroy, and the other is a Tyrannosaurus Freaking Rex, Rexcelsis!

"5

4

3

2

1!

Ask not for whom the bell tolls

It tolls for you!"

His theme fused with Leroy's.

"Dark days are up ahead and in my mind

Evil is gonna try to catch us blind."

Leroy and Rexcelsis sauntered to the ring, Leroy providing smallness and smarts as Rexcelsis provided strength and size.

Tale of the Tape:

Dominum Era: Rexcelsis/Leroy

Species: Tyrannosaurus Rex/Velociraptor

Height: 35 feet/3 feet

Weight: 20000 pounds/13 ounces of green soda

Names: "The Monarch"/"The Gamer"

Advantages: Strength and death beams/Small

Intangible: "Pandemonium Walking"/"Scrappy".

Ice Cream Pack: Vanos and Kyofi

Species: Wolf-coyote drakkik/Wolf-hyena drakkik

Height: 4 feet/5 feet

Weight: 210 pounds/301 pounds

Names: "Pretty Boy"/"Massive".

Advantages: Durability/Strength

Intangible: "Willpower"/"Unstoppable"

Harper Jay and Arson

Species: Hyena/Bobcat

Height: 3 foot 5/1 foot

Weight: 180 pounds/60 pounds

Names: "Queen of hyenas"/"Boy from space".

Advantages: Strength and smarts/Altered specimen.

Intangible: "Laughless"/"Fool"

A series of hurdles stood before the three teams, all of whom were bound to their partners by ropes. Hand to hand. Goal was jump over the hurdles, get to the end, and win.

Bell rang, and while the wolves, or indeed Harper and Arson, struggled, Rexcelsis ran freely with Leroy dangling. No contestants knew about this exact contest prior, nor did the matchmakers nor did anyone picking contestants. So when Rexcelsis won within ten seconds, it was no big shock, just poor planning.

Harper-Jay grimaced, and Arson said, "You had to suggest this idea of a tag team cup to Swillow!"

"I didn't think we'd be facing a roided up lizard!" Harper-Jay said.

Next round they'd rally against the Ice Cream pack. And instead, the main focus was to jump on lily pads across a large pond until reaching the next part which would be run by partner two. Lily pads varied in sizes and distance, making each leap measured effort instead of rapid pace. Afterwards, partner two had to push a large block about fifty pounds over into a hole, however the task required quite a bit of precision, as when they slid a block, it would knock into a different block. They'd have to arrange the right configuration to succeed.

Harper-Jay told Arson, "You go on ahead, kitten. I'll do the block."

"Wait, why don't I do the block?" Arson asked. Vanos raced on ahead. Harper-Jay wanted to get his attention, but Arson said, "I think I could move the block, as I'm stronger than you-"

"-Excuse me?" Harper-Jay asked. As he opened his mouth, she bit down on his nose and he backed up. "You will do as I say."

Arson growled, and jumped on the lily pads.

Arson hunted down Vanos, and landed in front of him. He pounced Vanos. Vanos mule kicked him out of the air, and Arson splashed into water. As Arson paddled to the nearest lily pad, Vanos tagged in Kyofi who got to work in an instant.

Arson tagged in Harper, and shouted, "Go!" Harper grinned, knowing the perfect moves. As she pushed everything in place, it seemed like they would win. Bell rang, and Harper slid in the block.

Wait, the bell rang before she slid it in. She stared at the rival hyena...

"We just lost, good going!" Arson told Harper.

"We would have won if we had one more second, literally a second. You wasted my time!" Harper said. "When we get into the Armageddon Steel Cage, you better believe it will be Armageddon!"

Harper tramped off while Arson went to get a soda to cool off from losing the upteenth time.

Last round, Leroy and Rexcelsis, current leaders of the board, against Vanos and Kyofi. Not a race of precision or strength, or a test of smarts. Just a plain, good old fashioned cake walk, except literally on cake in a platform made of flour and frosting. From the frosting emerged three chairs, while from a jukebox music lulled on.

All four contestants walked around. Rexcelsis became vaguely aware of how fat his posterior was, when music ended. Three butts hit chairs, none Rexcelsis'.

He roared in frustration and walked off, leaving Leroy to fend for himself. As the music started again, Leroy stared at the two remaining chairs, and jumped as the music stopped.

Vanos eliminated Kyofi by sitting at last, but now it was Leroy versus Vanos. Both walked slow as they could, but as the music stopped, Vanos mule kicked Leroy and jumped on.

As Vanos' butt smacked into the chair, he won, for the Ice Cream Pack.

Richard Woods delivered the first ever Tag Team Cup Trophy. Perhaps a future staple event. Vanos and Kyofi held it up. Who cared about what was next, at Slash's Halloween Bash? They were winners.

***

Next:

After Dark 5: Berand Versus Kyofi

And Leroy calls out Citrus Snow.

After Dark 6: Berand Versus Ahmond

And JAC faces off against Harper Jay and Arson.

Slash's Halloween Bash:

The Ice Cream Pack versus Tiercel, Rinachi, and Tuwil - the Alliance

One Versus MEW3

Leroy Versus Citrus Snow

Halftime Show: Harper-Jay versus Arson

Inari Versus Tethys for the Artesian Championship

Berand versus Rexcelsis for the Darkest Belt

Main Event: Swillow and JAC versus Slash and Michelle for the Beast Games Crown