Joey&Patrick VS Damon&Marcus..Prelude jimsub81

During the lull in the action after the events in New York and Washington there was little contact between the wrestlers as a whole. Some were friends out of the arena and did work out together but others had not seen each other in several weeks, As the action picked back up the wrestlers got back into the groove of working out at the TW facility. Several of the wrestlers that had not seen each other in a while were the tag team of Damon and Marcus and middleweight Joey, who sided with them against Tyson, Brett and Kyle in a 3 teen match. Damon, Marcus and Joey lost in a big way with Joey taking the brunt of the assault. Marcus totally blamed Joey for the loss. Damon was a little less certain about Joey being the weak link but he had damaged his relationship with his best friend and tag partner once before and had worked hard to get it back. Damon reluctantly agreed with Marcus on the subject of Joey. Damon's problem was that he liked Joey too but his friendship with Marcus was just too important to lose again.

Joey was walking into the facility as Damon and Marcus were leaving on afternoon. Joey smiled and made to shake hands with the two but Marcus spoke first and said, "Well, well, well if it isn't the weakest link!" Joey's smile faded and said, "Come on Marcus. Give it a rest. We've been over this time and again. I'm sorry if you think I cost you that match but as I recall you didn't do much to get the win yourself!" Marcus glared at him and said, "Screw you Joey. We could have easily won that fight with someone else as a partner. You got the crap beat out of you and didn't do squat!" Damon was noticeably silent and wanted to shrink into the wall. He hated to see his two friends talk this way but there was no stopping the bull headed Marcus once he got an idea in his head. Marcus continued as he got up in Joey's face, "And you know what Joey? You've been getting the crap beat out of you for a while now. How about that last match you had with Patrick. He kicked your ass. Oh, and don't forget how the big bad lightweight Kevin beat you silly too!" Joey had lost those two matches but the loss to Patrick was nip and tuck and he very easily could have won. He lost to Kevin too but not before being given a "treatment" by some of the Posse. Joey said in a stern tone, "You better step back Marcus. Its not like you're the greatest tag team either. I mean you just won your FIRST match against Jessie and Jack and they're not stellar." Damon had been pretty much on the fence but that comment did get him a little pissed at Joey. Marcus said, "Well at least WE know how to tag team you.. you can barely wrestle at all anymore. Maybe you should just go join the school band instead of wrestling. You could play the trumpet seeing as you blow!" Joey was red with anger now and said, "I may not be a regular tag team wrestler but I'd be able to kick you're ass in a a one on one OR as a tag team." Marcus smiled and said, "OK tough guy, I'll take you on." Damon then spoke up and said, "No, WE will take you on. You and the teammate of your choice." Joey and Marcus looked a bit stunned at Damon and Joey nodded his head and said, "I really don't have anything against you Damon but if you want to get your butt whipped along side this jerk then that's your choice." Damon liked Joey but now he had insulted Damon's tag team and his best friend. His resolve to do battle with him grew a little stronger as he said, "You're right Joey it IS my choice and I chose to stand with my partner." Marcus smiled smugly and Joey said, "OK you two are on. I'll find a partner and we'll get it on." As he turned Marcus called out, "We'll give you time to scrounge up a partner I know it will take you a while to talk someone into teaming with you. After all, who wants a sure fire ass kicking!" Joey almost said something but swallowed his anger and went off to find his partner. He knew exactly who he was going to ask too.

Joey knew who he wanted to have as his partner. He wanted Patrick. Joey knew other wrestlers who were better technically and some who were stronger but Patrick had become his best friend. Even though Patrick had beaten Joey in a singles match the encounter had only served to make their friendship stronger. Joey knew that Patrick would have his back like no other wrestler would, such an attribute was exactly what was needed in a tag team partner. Once Joey told Patrick about his encounter with Marcus and Damon Patrick was all too happy be Joey's partner. As Elton became closer to Daryl Patrick spent less and less time with him and his friendship with the blonde muscleteen Joey became more and more important to him. Joey's fight had become his fight. He would do his best to ensure they got a victory.

The night of the match Damon and Marcus stood silently. They looked each other in the eye and knew what the other was thinking. They had lost many fights and had just won their first not long ago against the pathetic team of Jessie and Jack. They each wondered if they really were good enough to be a part of the TW tag teams. Tonight they were going up against two very tough competitors but who were not a regular tag team. They hopped that this fact would play to their advantage. Damon and Marcus wanted to prove that they did belong in TW, and a win over Joey and Patrick would go a long way to prove that they did."And now our next event is a tag team match. First at a combined weight of 320 pounds ...JOEY AND PATRICK!" As the two popular teens ran to the ring the crowd greeted them loudly. Joey had always been a fan favorite and Patrick's popularity had risen like a rocket since his debut. Both boys were terribly good looking and well built with Joey having a slight edge in that department. They got into the ring and bounced around on their feet as they loosened up and awaited their opposition. "And, their opponents, at a combined weight of 323 pounds...DAMON AND MARCUS!" The long time members of the TW tag teams ranks entered to a mixed reception. They were not a hated team but given the popularity of Joey and Patrick they were seen as the team most wanted to see lose. Damon was extremely popular with the girls, he even rivaled Joey and Patrick in that area. He had his own band of groupies and they cheered loudly for him and a few even held signs that said 'We love you Damon.' They got into the ring and faced off with their opponents. The two teams were only off by 3 pounds. Damon was the heaviest at 169 and Marcus the lightest at 154, Joey and Patrick were both 160 pounds even. Both teams were well built and had proven strength. It looked to be an even of a fight as two tag teams could be. The bell rang and the fight was on...

As expected Joey started against Marcus. Marcus wanted to take Joey out in a bad way. His long standing dislike toward the blonde could no longer be withheld. Joey came out ready to lock up but Marcus came charging out and caught Joey by surprise with a shoulder block that sent him staggering backward to the ropes. Marcus followed in quickly and rammed him a second time. He then grabbed Joey by the arm and tossed him across the ring and into the ropes catching him up in a power slam as he rebounded. Joey was laid out and Marcus dropped an elbow to the stomach and just as the match started Marcus was in total control. Marcus pulled Joey up by his hair and Joey swung a punch that Marcus ducked under only to bring an uppercut of his own to Joey's sternum. The breath was knocked out of him as Joey doubled over. Marcus swung a hard kick up into the gut and grabbed an arm and side hip tossed Joey to his butt. Marcus came round behind him and quickly pulled him up again locking in a sleeper hold. Marcus had the hold cinched on perfectly and Joey flailed his arms as he felt himself getting lightheaded.

Joey knew he was getting beaten and in the back of his head he was remembering his last matches which were losses as well. He didn't want another loss. Joey moved his feet back till he felt them make contact with those of Marcus. Joey made a quick hop and locked his ankles around the other boy's at the same time throwing his weight backward. The result was that Marcus fell straight backward and Joey's full weight came flat down on top of him. Marcus was winded as he lost his hold. Joey knew he had to recover and rolled and tagged in Patrick.

As Marcus was getting up Patrick caught him with forearm into the side of his head and sent him falling off stumbling to his left. Patrick caught his arm and twisted it straight out behind him. Marcus had a look of pain as Patrick applied the arm bar. Marcus slapped at his shoulder and Patrick applied more pressure forcing Marcus to his knees. Damon decided to come to his partner's aid and charged Patrick from behind and slammed a kick to the middle of the back. Patrick let go of Marcus and the now freed boy spun around and drilled Patrick in the lower belly with a fist the doubled him over. Damon had gotten out of the ring and Marcus rammed a forearm of his own to the side of Patrick's head and grabbed the stunned teen walking him over to Damon who he tagged in. Marcus pulled Patrick's arms behind and Damon had a free shot at the wide open body. He drove a hard kick to the stomach and Patrick grunted at the blow. Marcus got out but not before shooting a hard punch to the kidney. As Patrick sunk to his knees Damon rammed a knee into his chest flattening him. Damon grabbed up an ankle and gave it a twist. Patrick yelped and Damon delivered a stomp to the gut. Patrick gripped his middle and Damon twisted the ankle again causing Patrick to roll over to his stomach. Damon sat himself down on Patrick's butt and continued to work over the ankle. Patrick looked to his corner and met Joey's eyes. Joey knew he needed him to help out and Joey came charging the ring to nail Damon from behind. But the two were still near the Damon/Marcus corner and Marcus was able to intercept Joey before he could rescue Patrick.

Marcus came charging too and hit Joey with a flying clothesline that sent him to his back. A Joey was getting up Marcus ripped a hard kick to the side of the ribs that flipped him over. The referee then tried to get Joey out of the ring. Marcus immediately stopped his attack and turned to get some free double teaming in on Patrick. Both Marcus and Damon lifted Patrick and whipped him hard to their corner. He hit back first with a ring shaking crash. As he sagged with both arms on the top ropes Damon and Marcus each took turns laying in kick after kick to the hard but softening stomach muscles. Patrick was being reduced to a quivering mass as the kicks poured in on him. At last Joey got out of the ring and the ref turned his attention to Marcus to exit him. After one last kick that drove deep into the gut Marcus got out. Damon then pulled up Patrick and snap neck tossed him over his shoulder to his back. After another stomp to the gut Damon lifted Patrick up and crotch slammed him.

Thus far Damon and Marcus were making the match look like a joke. Patrick knew he and his friend were losing badly and he had to do something fast so when Damon dropped down to land an elbow Patrick reacted on instinct alone and raised a knee that made contact with Damon's ribs. Damon fell away holding his chest and Patrick crawled to tag in Joey.

Joey had real issues with Marcus but not with Damon but he was still in a match he wanted to win so spun Damon around and drove an elbow into his gut. Damon grunted and Joey locked in a side head lock and forced him to his knees. Damon slapped at Joey's hard muscled back and Joey released the hold and slammed a boot to Damon's hard pecs. Joey then pulled Damon up from behind and placed a boot to his butt and shoved him forward and crashing into the turnbuckle. Joey ran in quickly behind him and rammed a shoulder to the small of Damon's back. Damon was falling backward and a chop to the chest from Joey only helped the process and Damon was laid out. Joey took a quick leap up on the second rope in the corner and came down with a punch to the stomach. Damon was hurt from the blow but he managed to bring a swing of his own around to catch Joey on the ear. Joey went to his side and Damon got to his feet and kicked Joey in the back. He then pulled him up and Marcus made a motion and Damon grabbed Joey's arm and sent him flying toward the out stretched foot of Marcus. Joey's ripped abdominals crunched under the impact as the boot of Marcus went deep in Joey's gut. Joey fell backward and Damon came leaping over him landing full force on the wounded stomach with both feet as he tagged in Marcus.

Damon pulled Joey up and held both arms behind him and Marcus went into a wild fury of punches that ripped Joey's abs apart. Damon let go of Joey who fell in a heap holding his hurting belly. Marcus was looking very smug as he pulled Joey up and smacked a backhand across the cute blonde's ripped chest. Joey had not made a good showing for himself and he knew it. The cocky look on the face of Marcus was just too much for him to take and as Marcus prepared to deliver another Joey ducked under the backhand and Marcus swung right over him. Joey grabbed Marcus from behind by the head and swept the feet out from under him powering him down to the mats at the same time. Marcus was stunned and Joey dropped a knee to the chest and was up fast taking Marcus with him. An Irish whip sent Marcus to the ropes and as he came off them Joey nailed him in the chest with a spinning roundhouse kick. Marcus's legs went flying out from under him and he came crashing down hard to his back. The crowd was at last coming to life as their favorites at last showed signs of being more than fresh meat.

Joey stomped the chest and dropped another elbow to the stomach. He then pulled Marcus up and displayed his strength as he pressed the 154 pounds of Marcus over his head. The crowd loved it and Joey dropped him letting his throat hit the top rope and Marcus snapped back clutching his throat and gagging. Joey then pulled him up and bent both arms behind him as he walked him over to Patrick. The tag was made and Joey and Patrick each grabbed an arm and fired Marcus to the ropes. On the rebound he was flung up into a back suplex by both boys and he actually seemed to fly up into the air. It was a long way down for Marcus and the ring shook as he landed on his back. Joey gave his nemesis one final stomp to the stomach before he let Patrick take over.

Marcus was hurting bad and need to tag out but Patrick showed no sign of allowing that to happen. Patrick pulled Marcus up by both arms and pulled the boy forward as he drove his own shoulder forward too hammering into the upper abdomen Marcus grunted and Patrick repeated the move two more times. Patrick then shoved Marcus to the corner and plowed him yet again with his shoulder. Patrick rammed a knee up into the stomach and side hip tossed Marcus out of the corner. He came around the sitting kid and slipped on his awesome leg scissors. Almost immediately Marcus felt the terrible pressure on his upper gut. He tried to pull the legs off but Patrick had worked hard on this move and he knew exactly how to keep it locked on. Patrick grabbed the right arm of Marcus to neutralize it. Marcus arched back and had a look of sheer agony on his face but refused to submit. Patrick poured on the pressure and Marcus felt his innards squeezed like a tube of toothpaste and he let out a primal groan of pain. But still he refused to give up.

If Marcus had a quality it was that he could take a ton of punishment, almost like his rival Joey could. Damon could see the predicament his friend was in and when the referee turned his back to him Damon rushed in a brought a knee to the side of Patrick's head. The referee was pushing Damon out of the ring but he had done his job. Marcus was beaten badly and was weakened enough that even Benji could have pinned him at that point but now he rolled just enough to tag in a fresh Damon.

Damon and Patrick now faced off. This was a true "pretty boy" contest. As they closed both had the same idea of sending a kick to the stomach and they landed their kicks almost simultaneously. Both went down and Damon was a little faster on the recovery. He whipped a kick that caught Patrick in the side of his chest sending him rolling across the ring. Damon followed quickly and dropped down with an elbow that Patrick somehow dodged and Damon connected hard with the canvas. Patrick rolled over and got on Damon's back and wrapped him in a full nelson as he lay across Damon's back. Damon knew full well of Patrick's ability to apply this move and he wanted to avoid it at all costs. But now Patrick had it slapped on him with perfection and Damon felt his shoulders under pressure and his face being ground into the mats. Damon made an attempt to get to the ropes but the two were dead center of the ring. Joey was fully aware of his role at this point and that was to keep Marcus from interfering as Patrick gained the upper hand. Joey fully expected Marcus to try and charge the action at any moment. He wasn't disappointed. Marcus did indeed make a lunge at Patrick's back. Joey saw the move and ducked in to intercept him. Joey and Marcus collided just as they both reached Patrick's and Damon's position. Joey hit Marcus with a clothesline that only partially connected as his target ducked it. Marcus spun around and hit Joey across the chest with a clothesline of his own and Joey fell backward and tripped over the two boys on the mats. He fell backward and landed on top of Patrick. He actually squished Damon even harder but he caused Patrick to have to lose his hold on Damon.

As Joey fell Marcus leaped over the two teens already on the mats and came down with both knees on Joey's tender gut. Joey rolled over and Marcus went crazy with a series of viscous stomps and kicks. He was kicking as Joey was rolling away in vane to avoid the blows. At last Joey was near the ropes and he rolled under them to escape the attack.

Damon was moving to get away from Patrick and made a lunge to get to his corner. But when he did he was startled not to see Marcus there. Marcus had followed Joey outside of the ring and was continuing his assault on Joey by picking the hurt kid up and driving a knee to the stomach. Joey doubled over and Marcus forced him to the steel barrier and drove him down in a gut buster over it. Joey was winded and gasping at the blow. Marcus did not let up and grabbed Joey by one hand to the back of the hair and another to the waist band of those trademark orange bikinis and powered him into the ring apron again gut first.

As Damon made the failed attempt to tag his partner Patrick was on him like a cat on a field mouse. He pulled him up and rammed a shoulder into the upper abs and smashed him against the turnbuckles. Damon sagged a bit and Patrick drove in another four shoulder blocks. He followed this with a punch to the lower belly and front kick to that same spot. Damon doubled over and called out, "Marcus!" Marcus, hearing his name, dropped the battered Joey and jumped into the ring to assist Damon just as Patrick was applying his leg scissors around the waist of Damon. As Marcus made the move to get to his partner he felt his foot trapped and he pitched forward. Joey had managed to grab his ankle and trip him up. Marcus rolled to his back and kicked out at Joey.

Patrick cranked on the leg scissors and Damon groaned as he now felt Patrick's hold applied. Damon tried to pry the strong teen's legs away and allow his gut a bit of breathing room. It was no use as Patrick stepped up the pressure a notch. Damon called out in pain but not submission. Joey had released the ankle of Marcus to get back into the ring himself. Marcus made a quick move to try to help Damon but Joey was leaping over the top rope and he landed behind Marcus grabbing his shoulders and spinning him around. Joey's and Marcus's eyes met for a split second and Joey saw concern in the other's look. Joey scooped up Marcus and crotch slammed him hard. The referee decided to concentrate on the two legal boys in the match and watched as Patrick squeezed even harder and Damon felt his guts being squashed and moved around. He hated to but he had no choice as he was in total agony. He weakly called out, "OK, I quit, please I give up."

Joey had stomped Marcus after the slam and Marcus was slightly out of it as the bell rang and the announcer said, "Here are your winners... JOEY AND PATRICK!" The crowd was cheering wildly as their favorites won. Marcus had crawled over the still hurting Damon and helped him up. Damon said, "I'm sorry Marcus. I'm so sorry." Marcus was more than a little disappointed in his partner but he was his best friend after all and said, "Its, OK man, we'll get them next time." But Marcus had no intention of rematching as a tag team with Joey and his buddy Patrick. He still wanted to send Joey to a defeat and he figured he would have to do it solo.

Joey and Patrick embraced and waved to their fans. "Are you OK?", asked Patrick. Joey had taken one heck of a beating but said, "Yeah, I'm OK. I'm just glad one of us performed tonight. I knew I chose the right partner with you." They both smiled and hugged again. But Joey could not get the thought out of head that he still was not wrestling well. He knew he was not working to his full potential. And he certainly was not wrestling the way he was when he was selected to be part of the four corners match to decide the middleweight champion. He wondered when his slide would stop.