TKO Combat ʳᵒˡᵉᵖˡᵃʸ/ᵖᵃʳᵒᵈʸ

Old wounds never heal.

Alan Snyder takes on Hayden Storms in the main event of RUTHLESS AGGRESSION in Boston next weekend!

The stars align for the Combat Queens 2 press conference in Shanghai, China!

https://bit.ly/4cbl02F

COMBAT QUEENS CONFESSIONS: COMBAT QUEENS RISING 2 [EPISODE 1]

https://bit.ly/4cLN2Sv

Many debuts, many returns and a whole lot of action takes place in Bangkok! Combat Queens Rising 2 takes place on April 5th, 2026.

https://bit.ly/4kKx9gY

RYKER’S ISLAND - PENTHOUSE EXECUTIVE OFFICE

The elevator doors slide open. Behind them is the red strobe of a prison riot. In front of them is a world of silent mahogany, floor-to-ceiling glass, and the faint scent of vanilla and high-end bourbon.

ANTHONY CHANDLER is sitting behind a desk that looks like it cost more than most people’s houses. He isn't holding a weapon. He is calmly swirling a glass of amber liquid, watching the flickering orange fires in the courtyard below through the massive windows.

Alan Snyder staggers into the room, leaving a trail of dark blood on the pristine white carpet. Savannah Storms is right beside him, gripping the cowboy whip at her waist so hard her knuckles are white, her eyes locked on the man who tried to buy her family’s soul.

CHANDLER
(Without turning around)
The service tunnel was a nice touch, Alan. Truly. It’s the kind of gritty and desperate move I expected from a man who has spent forty years crawling through the mud of this industry. Please. Sit down. You look like you’re about to fall over and I’d hate for you to ruin the upholstery.

SAVANNAH
We have Steve. The game’s over, Chandler.

Chandler finally turns the chair. He looks at Savannah and sighs as if he is a father disappointed by a child’s temper tantrum. He takes a slow sip of his drink and sets the glass down on a leather coaster.

CHANDLER
honestly? I never wanted him. Steve Austin is a relic of a bygone era! He’s a brand that has long since outlived its utility! Taking him was a logistical headache I didn’t need! But I knew your heart, Alan! I knew that if I touched the untouchable icon, you would come running! I needed your attention! I needed you in this room because we are far past the point of "matches" and "storylines"!!!

ALAN
You got it. Now what? You want to talk business while my friends are being slaughtered downstairs?

CHANDLER
Lower your voice, Alan! You’re still thinking like a worker! You’re still thinking about "friends" and "loyalty"! That is the inherited sickness of the WWE! That is the poison that has kept this industry in a state of perpetual decay for a century!!!

Chandler stands up and begins to pace the length of the glass wall. He gestures broadly at the flickering lights of the Manhattan skyline in the distance.

CHANDLER
Look at this company, Alan! Truly look at it! Everybody wants to "save" it! The Resistance wants to take it back to the "good old days" where men bled for peanuts and handshakes! Seth Rollins wants to remake it into a cult where he is the sun and everyone else is just a planet! The Rock wants to monopolize professional wrestling! But they are all wrong! They are all trying to put a fresh coat of paint on a house that is built on a foundation of human misery and corporate exploitation!!!

He stops and slams his fist onto the mahogany desk.

CHANDLER
THE WWE HAS ALWAYS BEEN CORRUPT!!! IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN INFESTED WITH THE PARASITES OF EGO AND THE CANCER OF THE HIERARCHY!!! This isn't a sport! It’s a production line where bodies are chewed up and spit out just to keep the shareholders fed!!! You are a cog, Alan! Savannah is a cog! My own wife was a cog until the machine decided she was no longer profitable!!!

SAVANNAH
You’re talking like a madman!

CHANDLER
I AM TALKING LIKE A REALIST!!! I AM NOT HERE TO RULE THE WWE, SAVANNAH!!! I AM HERE TO ERADICATE IT!!! I AM THE CONTROLLED DEMOLITION!!! Why spend your life trying to fix a system that was designed to break you?! Eventually you have to be smart enough to recognize a total loss. Eventually you have to realize that the only way to build something better is to burn the old world to the ground and salt the earth so nothing else grows back!

Chandler looks at Alan and his smile is thin and terrifying.

CHANDLER
I’m cutting the losses, Alan! I’m centralizing the spirit of this business into something pure! Something that I control! And tonight is the night we stop pretending that the WWE deserves to exist!!! IT IS A DYING GOD AND I AM THE ONE WHO IS GOING TO PUSH IT OFF THE CLIFF!!!

ALAN
(Stepping forward)
The WWE isn't the office, Anthony. It’s the people. It’s the fans. It’s the soul that guys like me put into that ring every single night! You can't eradicate that!

CHANDLER
THE SOUL IS A COMMODITY, ALAN!!! AND I’VE ALREADY BOUGHT THE MAJORITY SHARE!!!

Chandler laughs, cruel.

CHANDLER
(to Alan)
At least your father Chad understands.

He moves with a speed that seems to skip frames in reality. Alan lunges forward with a desperate haymaker. Chandler moves his head exactly two inches to the left. The punch whistles through empty air. Savannah swings the cowboy whip in a low arc to catch Chandler’s ankles. Chandler leaps vertically and lands on the corner of his mahogany desk with the grace of a cat. HE DRIVES A STIFF PALM INTO SAVANNAH’S STERNUM AS SHE RISES!!! THE AIR LEAVES HER LUNGS IN A SHARP GASP!!!

Alan tries to catch Chandler in a waistlock from the side. Chandler pivots on one heel and executes a standing back-elbow that shatters Alan’s nose!!! BLOOD SPRAYS ACROSS THE WHITE CARPET!!! Alan stumbles back while clutching his face. Chandler drops off the desk and catches Savannah by the throat before she can hit the floor. HE HURLS HER ACROSS THE ROOM LIKE A RAGDOLL!!! Savannah’s body smashes into a glass trophy case and the entire structure shatters over her!!! Alan roars and charges again. He goes for a Judo Throw. Chandler counters the momentum by grabbing Alan’s wrist and twisting it behind his back with one hand. HE SLAMS ALAN’S HEAD INTO THE MAHOGANY DESK THREE TIMES IN RAPID SUCCESSION!!! THUD!!! THUD!!! THUD!!! Alan’s vision goes blurry and he collapses to his knees. Chandler doesn't let go. He grabs Alan by the hair and whispers something inaudible before delivering a brutal knee to the jaw!!!

Savannah staggers out of the glass debris. She is bleeding from her shoulder but she uncoils the whip again. SHE SLASHES THE WHIP AT CHANDLER’S FACE!!! Chandler reaches up and catches the leather cord in mid-air with his bare hand!!! He yanks the whip with superhuman strength and Savannah is pulled directly into his guard. CHANDLER DELIVERS A SPINNING ROUNDHOUSE KICK TO SAVANNAH’S RIBS!!! THE CRUNCH OF BONE IS AUDIBLE OVER THE SIRENS OUTSIDE!!!

Alan finds a second wind and lunges at Chandler’s legs. He manages to secure a single-leg takedown. Chandler looks down at him with an expression of pure boredom. He uses his free leg to stomp directly onto Alan’s injured lower back!!! Alan howls in agony and his grip breaks. CHANDLER GRABS ALAN BY THE COLLAR AND HOISTS HIM!!! HE DRIVES A SERIES OF SHORT RANGE BOXING JABS INTO ALAN’S TEMPLES!!! Savannah tries to intervene with a jumping enzuigiri. Chandler doesn't even turn his head. He raises his free hand and catches her foot mid-flight!!! HE IS NOW HOLDING BOTH RESISTANCE MEMBERS AT ONCE!!! Chandler spins in a violent circle and releases them. ALAN AND SAVANNAH COLLIDE IN MID-AIR AND CRASH INTO THE LARGE EXECUTIVE WINDOW!!! THE REINFORCED GLASS CRACKS.

Alan falls to the floor and he is hacking up more blood. Savannah is clutching her midsection and gasping for air. Chandler adjusts his silk tie and smooths the front of his charcoal suit. He isn't even breathing hard. He walks toward them with a slow gait. ALAN LUNGES FORWARD WITH A DESPERATE EUROPEAN UPPERCUT!!! CHANDLER DUCKS AND CATCHES ALAN IN A STANDING SLEEPER HOLD!!! HE USES ALAN AS A HUMAN SHIELD AS SAVANNAH TRIES TO STRIKE.

Savannah stops her punch an inch from Alan’s face. Chandler laughs and kicks her in the knee. SAVANNAH’S ANKLE GIVES OUT AND SHE FALLS TO THE FLOOR! Chandler releases Alan and delivers a double-handed shove that sends him flying over a leather sofa. CHANDLER STOMPS ON SAVANNAH’S HAND AS SHE REACHES FOR HER WHIP!!! HE GRINDS THE HEEL OF HIS DESIGNER LOAFER INTO HER FINGERS UNTIL SHE SCREAMS!

Alan scrambles to his feet and grabs a heavy crystal decanter from a side table. HE SMASHES THE DECANTER OVER CHANDLER’S HEAD!!! THE GLASS SHATTERS AND BOURBON SOAKS CHANDLER’S SUIT! Chandler doesn't even blink. He turns his head slowly and looks at Alan. The only sign of damage is a small trickle of blood running down his forehead. CHANDLER EXPLODES WITH A TRIPLE PUNCH COMBINATION TO ALAN’S GUT! LEFT! RIGHT! LEFT! Alan doubles over and Chandler finishes it with a brutal axe-handle blow to the back of the neck!

Alan slams face-first into the carpet and he doesn't move. Savannah tries to crawl away but Chandler grabs her by the back of her head. HE DRAGS HER TOWARD THE WINDOW AND PRESSES HER FACE AGAINST THE CRACKED GLASS!

CHANDLER
LOOK AT YOUR CITY, SAVANNAH!!! LOOK AT THE RUINS YOU BROUGHT UPON YOUR FAMILY!

He slams her head against the glass again. THE CRACKS SPREAD FURTHER!!! Chandler looks like a demon in a three-piece suit as he stands over the two broken heroes of the Resistance!

Alan finds a frantic burst of adrenaline, lunging from the floor to catch Chandler in a low-angle waistlock. He digs his heels into the carpet and drives his shoulder into Chandler’s hip, finally managing to move the immovable object. Savannah doesn't miss the opening. She surges forward, using the edge of a chair to propel herself into a leaping enzuigiri that connects squarely with the side of Chandler’s head!

Chandler’s head snaps to the side, his silk tie fluttering. For the first time, his feet leave the floor as he stumbles back toward the center of the room. Alan roars, his stitches tearing as he hauls Chandler up and executes a high-angle Judo Throw that sends him crashing into his own executive chair! The chair flips, sending Chandler into the mahogany desk.

Savannah doesn't wait. She uncoils her lasso-whip and throws a loop around Chandler’s neck as he tries to rise. She yanks the leather cord taut, her biceps straining as she anchors her weight.

SAVANNAH
ALAN! NOW!

Alan surges in, delivering a flurry of European Uppercuts that rock Chandler’s jaw back and forth! He follows with a Military Drop Uppercut that lifts Chandler out of the wreckage of the chair! As Chandler falls, Alan catches him and executes a bone-shattering ALABAMA SLAM through a glass coffee table!!! THE TABLE SHATTERS INTO A MILLION RAZOR SHARDS!!!

For five seconds, the room is silent. Alan is bent over, hands on his knees, blood dripping from his chin onto his boots. Savannah is holding the end of her whip, her chest heaving, a look of desperate hope in her eyes. They think they’ve done it. They think they’ve found the threshold.

Then, the shards of glass on Chandler’s suit begin to slide off as he sits up.

He rises. He wipes a smudge of Alan’s blood from his lapel and looks at the torn fabric of his sleeve. The thin smile returns, but now it is devoid of any pretense of humanity.

CHANDLER
A commendable effort. You actually forced me to exert myself.

He moves.

Before Alan can even raise his hands, Chandler is inside his guard. HE DRIVES A KNIFE-HAND STRIKE INTO ALAN’S THROAT!!! Alan gasps, his airway collapsing, and Chandler follows with a heavy-booted kick to Alan’s shattered ribs that sends him crashing through the remains of the mahogany desk!!! The desk shatters completely, burying Alan under heavy slabs of wood and electronics. Savannah tries to swing her whip again, but Chandler anticipates the arc. He steps into the loop, catches the leather in his teeth for a split second to stun her, then snatches the cord with both hands. HE YANKS SAVANNAH TOWARD HIM AND DELIVERS A BRUTAL HEADBUTT THAT SHATTERS HER NOSE!!!

Savannah falls to her knees, blinded by tears and blood. Chandler doesn't let her go. He loops the leather of her own lasso around her neck, crossing his arms and pulling the cord tight. HE HOISTS HER UP FROM BEHIND, LIFTING HER FEET OFF THE CARPET!!!

Savannah’s hands fly to her throat, clawing at the leather, her good foot kicking uselessly at Chandler’s shins. Chandler leans his mouth close to her ear.

CHANDLER
You wanted a fight for the soul of this company, Savannah. But souls don't have weight. They don't have value. Only blood matters.

He pulls the lasso tighter. Savannah’s face turns a dark, bruised purple. Her vision begins to spark, the red lights of the prison below blurring into a chaotic smear of color. She looks toward the wreckage of the desk, seeing Alan’s hand twitching under a piece of wood, but her strength is evaporating.

CHANDLER
Watch the lights go out, kid. It’s the only truth I have left to give you.

Savannah’s grip on the leather slackens. Her arms drop to her sides. The sounds of the sirens, the screaming, and the fire fade. The white carpet beneath her feet begins to turn black as her world narrows to a cold point of darkness.

Chandler stands like a statue of iron, staring out the window at the burning island while he continues to drain the life out of her.

CRASH!!!

THE REINFORCED GLASS SKYLIGHT ABOVE THE OFFICE EXPLODES INTO A BILLION DIAMOND SHARDS!!!

A dark silhouette descends from the ceiling like a falling star, trailing a black tactical rappelling cable! The figure hits the floor. In one fluid and blinding motion, the intruder draws a tactical combat knife from a sheath on his thigh!

SHICK!!!

THE BLADE SLASHES THROUGH THE AIR, SEVERING THE LEATHER LASSO AN INCH FROM CHANDLER’S GRIP!!!

The sudden release of tension sends Savannah collapsing to the floor! She gasps as oxygen finally floods her bruised windpipe, and she rolls onto her side, clutching her throat. Chandler stumbles back, looking down at the frayed end of the leather in his hand with the first genuine look of shock he has displayed all night.

The figure rises from the glass debris. He is dressed in red and black leather. His hair is a matted mess and his beard is unkept, but his eyes are clear. They aren't the eyes of a god! They are the eyes of a man who just walked through hell and found his way out!

SETH ROLLINS stands between Savannah and Chandler, the knife held low at his side.

CHANDLER
No…

SETH
Yeah.

Seth doesn't look back at Savannah, but he reaches a hand out behind him, his fingers brushing her shoulder in a silent promise.

SETH
Anthony, you once told me that I was a destroyer. That you were better than me because you were a builder. You’re wrong.

Seth takes a slow step forward, his boots crunching over the shards of the skylight.

SETH
I’ve got a new blueprint. And I want my tools back.

CHANDLER
Leave… or I’ll do you worse than Cena did.

SETH
No.

CHANDLER
What do you care about her anyway?! When it came down to choosing between you and Aaron, SHE CHOSE AARON! DON’T YOU GET IT?! SHE WILL ALWAYS CHOOSE AGAINST YOU! GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY!

SETH
YOU TOUCHED HER FAMILY, ANTHONY!!! JUST LIKE YOU DID MINE!!! YOU TRIED TO KILL THE ONLY PERSON WHO STILL REMEMBERED THE MAN I USED TO BE!!!

CHANDLER
I was correcting a liability! I-

SETH
SHUT THE F**K UP!

Seth lunges forward, his speed catching even Chandler off guard! HE DRIVES A STIFF FOREARM INTO CHANDLER’S JAW, THE IMPACT ECHOING THROUGH THE PENTHOUSE LIKE A CRACK OF THUNDER!!!

SETH
KINGSLAYER!

ELBOW!

SETH
BEASTSLAYER!

ELBOW!

SETH
SCARFACESLAYER!

ELBOW!

SETH
VISIONARY!

ELBOW!

SETH
REVOLUTIONARY!

ELBOW!

SETH
MESSIAH!

ELBOW!

SETH
SINNER! SAINT! SAVIOUR! SLAYER!

ELBOWELBOWELBOWELBOW

SETH
… ARCHITECT.

After one last elbow, Seth grabs Chandler by the collar of his expensive charcoal suit and HURLS him across the room! Chandler hits a marble pillar and slides to the floor, coughing as he touches the blood now leaking from his lip! Savannah struggles to her knees, her breath still coming in ragged hitches, as she stares up at the man who finally came back from the wilderness.

SAVANNAH
(Hoarse)
Seth...

Seth finally turns his head. He looks at her, and for the first time in years, the ego is gone. There is only a deep and painful clarity.

SETH
I heard you, Sav. I heard every word.

He turns back to Chandler, who is rising from the floor with a look of clinical fury. Seth grips the knife tighter and balls his free fist, his muscles bunching.

The slab of mahogany desk heaves upward as ALAN SNYDER claws his way out from the wreckage. He is a nightmare in human form, one side of his face is masked in thick, dark crimson, and he’s clutching his ribs with a hand that is shaking from nerve damage. He looks at Seth standing in the center of the room, and for a split second, the old hatred flairs in his eyes, but he quickly redirects that fire toward Tony.

Alan lunges with a heavy-legged stride. Chandler turns to meet him, but Seth doesn't give him the chance to reset. The Architect surges forward. SETH UNLEASHES A ROUNDHOUSE KICK TO CHANDLER’S TEMPLE!!! Chandler blocks it, but the impact leaves him open for Alan, who grabs him in a waistlock from behind!

ALAN HITS A GERMAN SUPLEX INTO THE REMAINS OF THE OFFICE SAFE!!!

The heavy metal doesn't budge, and Chandler’s head bounces off the steel with a sickening ring! Chandler is dazed, his mechanical composure finally beginning to shatter. He tries to push off the safe, but Seth is already there, using a leather chair as a stepping stone! SETH HITS A STEP-UP ENZUIGIRI THAT ROCKS CHANDLER’S JAW BACK!!!

Chandler grunts. He swings a powerful hook at Alan’s head. Alan ducks under the arm, his technical instincts overriding his agony, and CATCHES CHANDLER IN A STANDING ARMBAR!!! He torques the limb, the fabric of Chandler’s suit ripping under the strain!

ALAN
DO IT, SETH!

Seth doesn't hesitate. He hits the far wall at a sprint, runs two steps up the marble, and launches himself backward! A LIONSAULT DIRECTLY ONTO CHANDLER’S EXPOSED CHEST!!!

The force of the double-team drives Chandler back against the massive, cracked executive window. The glass groans, the spiderweb of fractures spreading to the very edges of the frame. Chandler is gasping for air, his vision finally beginning to fail as he stares at the two men he thought he had successfully erased.

CHANDLER
(Spitting blood)
You’re... still... cogs...

Seth grabs Chandler by the throat, pinning him against the vibrating glass. He leans in close, his face inches from the man who tried to own his soul.

SETH
Then watch the gears turn, Anthony.

Seth releases the throat and takes two steps back. He catches Alan’s eye for a microsecond… and then he explodes forward! HE LEAPS INTO THE AIR, BOTH BOOTS LEVELED AT CHANDLER’S STERNUM!!!

THE SHOTGUN DROPKICK!!!

CRASH!!!

THE REINFORCED GLASS GIVES WAY COMPLETELY!!! The window shatters into a million shards of jagged ice, and Anthony Chandler is propelled backward into the night! He doesn't scream. He simply disappears into the blackness, falling twelve stories toward the concrete courtyard below.

A ringing silence falls over the penthouse. The wind howls through the gaping hole where the window used to be, swirling the papers and the dust around the room.

Seth stands at the edge of the precipice, staring down at the spot where his tormentor landed. He stays there for a long beat, his chest heaving, before slowly turning around.

Alan is standing five feet away. He’s leaning against a pillar, his breath a whistling rattle in his lungs. The two arch-enemies, the men who have spent a decade trying to destroy one another, stare each other down across the wreckage. The history of The Shield, the New Corp, and the Covenant hangs between them. No words are spoken. They don't offer a handshake. They simply look at the scars they gave each other and acknowledge that, for tonight, the war is elsewhere.

Alan breaks the stare first. He looks toward the floor near the center of the room.

Savannah is trying to push herself up, her fingers digging into the blood-stained carpet.

Seth and Alan move at the same time. They meet at her side, one on either arm. Alan reaches down with his good hand, gripping her shoulder, while Seth hooks his arm under her waist. Together, the Iron Man and the Architect haul the Cowgirl to her feet.

Savannah leans her weight between them, her head lolling for a second before she finds her balance. She looks at Alan, then at Seth.

SAVANNAH
We... we got 'em.

ALAN
We got 'em.

Seth says nothing. He just grips her tighter, his eyes fixed on the elevator doors. The sirens are getting louder. The island is still burning.

EXECUTIVE ELEVATOR

The doors hiss shut, sealing out the wind and the silence of the penthouse. Inside the small, mirrored box, Savannah leans heavily into Seth’s side, her breathing a painful whistle. Alan stands on her other side, his head bowed, blood dripping from the tip of his nose onto his vest.

The digital display counts down. 12… 11… 10.

Alan looks at Seth’s reflection in the polished steel. His eyes are hard, suspicious, and full of a decade’s worth of grievances.

ALAN
You’re a long way from the temple, kid.

SETH
And you’re a long way from the dunes.

ALAN
If you think this one night washes away the five years… if you think saving her makes us even for Aaron… you’re as delusional as you were when you were wearing the white robe.

SETH
(Finally meeting Alan’s eyes in the reflection)
I’m not looking for a handshake. We can kill each other tomorrow, Snyder. Right now, we have to get her to the water.

The elevator dings. The doors slide open to the main lobby.

ADMINISTRATIVE LOBBY

The lobby is a warzone. The glass partitions have been shattered and the emergency strobes are flickering. Through the massive front doors, the courtyard is visible…

JOHN CENA is fifty yards away, standing near the heavy iron gate of the North Block. He’s carrying STEVE AUSTIN draped over his shoulder like a fallen comrade. JAKE CARTER and ADAM MATSUDA are flanking him, firing non-lethal rounds and throwing haymakers at a wave of Fixers trying to pin them down.

BATISTA is near the transport trucks, swinging a heavy piece of truck axle like a club, clearing a path through the perimeter guards.

Alan, Seth, and Savannah burst through the lobby doors into the freezing night air.

PUNK
(Shouting from behind a concrete barrier)
ALAN! OVER HERE!

Punk stops mid-sentence as he sees the man supporting Savannah’s left side. His jaw drops, and for a split second, his guard falters. A Fixer lunges at him, but JOETTA levels the guard with a stiff forearm.

PUNK
Is that… are you kidding me…?

CENA
(Skidding to a halt near the group, shifting Austin’s weight)
Snyder! What the hell is this?!

Cena’s good eye narrows, his fist tightening around his tactical light. He looks ready to drop Austin and tackle Seth Rollins into the dirt.

CENA
WHAT IS THIS?!

ALAN
(Roaring over the sirens)
SHUT UP AND MOVE! HE’S THE REASON SHE’S STANDING!

JAKE CARTER
Alan, he’s a traitor! He’s a-

ALAN
HE’S REINFORCEMENTS! We don't have time for a court-martial! The backup response team is hitting the docks in two minutes!

The Resistance members share a look of hesitation. They look at Savannah’s bruised neck, then at Seth’s grimy, blood-flecked face.

SETH
Believe what you want. But if we don't move now, Austin dies in this courtyard.

SAVANNAH
(Hoarse, grabbing Joetta’s hand)
He’s… he’s with me.

BATISTA
THEN LET’S FINISH THIS!!!

The group moves as one unit. Cena and Carter lead with Austin, while Batista and Alan form the rear guard. Seth and Savannah move in the center, the Architect slicing through the line of Fixers with an animalistic efficiency that looks nothing like the choreographed "Vision" he used to preach.

They reach the edge of the rocky outcropping. The river is churning below, a black abyss.

DOCKS

BLITZ is holding the Zodiac raft against the rocks, the engine idling low. He’s brandishing a flare gun, looking frantic.

BLITZ
TICK TOCK, GENTLEMEN! THE COAST GUARD JUST PINGED THE ALARM!

Cena rolls into the boat first, gently depositing the semi-conscious Austin onto the floorboards. Carter and Matsuda dive in next. Joetta and Omega Felix scramble over the gunwales.

Batista stands on the rock, holding back the final wave of Fixers with sheer mass, hurling men into the freezing water like they were made of straw.

Alan grabs Savannah. Then he turns back to Seth.

Seth is standing five feet away.

SETH
I need to go back and finish the job. Finish Chandler.

SAVANNAH
N-no! You’ll go down with the rest of this island!

SETH
Maybe that’s what it takes. Maybe that’s my… my atonement..

Savannah’s eyes widen. She shakes her head

SAVANNAH
Colby, don’t.

Seth looks at Savannah, then back at the prison.

ALAN
GET IN THE BOAT, COLBY!

Seth doesn't move for a heartbeat. He looks at his hands. the hands of a man who decided to stop being a god.

ALAN
I SAID GET IN THE DAMN BOAT!!!

Alan grabs Seth by the tactical vest and yanks him toward the water. They both tumble into the raft as Blitz hammers the throttle.

EAST RIVER

The Zodiac lurches forward, the bow lifting as it cuts through the black chop. Behind them, the fortress of Ryker’s Island begins to recede into the fog. The sirens fade, replaced by the roar of the wind and the spray of the river.

The Resistance is silent. Cena is checking Austin’s pulse. Punk is staring at Seth, who is sitting in the back, staring into the dark wake.

Savannah crosses from Joetta over to Seth. She collapses into his arms, burying her head in his chest.

Everyone looks at this.

Everyone looks at Seth.

SAVANNAH
(whispering)
Thank you, Colby…

Seth looks down at Savannah.

He smiles.

For the first time in years, he truly smiles.

CUT TO BLACK

DRAINAGE PIPE - RYKER’S ISLAND - NIGHT

Waist-deep in the freezing black sludge, the tunnel team moves.

ALAN leads the way, his teeth gritted so hard his jaw muscles are bulging. Every step forward sends a jolt of lightning through his damaged vertebrae, but he refuses to slow down. Behind him, JOHN CENA keeps one hand on the rusted iron wall to guide himself, his other hand hovering near Alan’s shoulder, ready to catch the Patriarch if his legs finally give out.

ADAM MATSUDA
I’ve had dreams that started like this. You know, the wet kind.

JAKE CARTER
Keep your voice down, Adam. Sound carries in here.

MATSUDA
If there’s anyone in here to hear me, they’re a mutant.

Cena stops suddenly, his hand clamping down on Alan’s arm. He kills his light. The others follow suit instantly.

CENA
Stop. Listen.

Above them, through the thick concrete of the pipe ceiling, there is thrumming. It’s the sound of heavy machinery. fans, or perhaps a lift system. But beneath that, there’s a sharper sound. Clack. Clack. Clack.

ALAN
Patrol. They’re right above the junction.

NORTH WALL - RYKER’S ISLAND - CONTINUOUS

Thirty feet above the churning river, GAVIN STORMS clings to a rusted rebar spike protruding from the concrete. His fingers are numb, the cold sea spray turning his grip into a gamble.

AYA YAMAGUCHI is five feet above him, braced against a narrow drainage lip. She looks down at him, her eyes the only thing visible beneath her dark hood.

AYA
(Over a low-frequency comms)
Almost there, Gavin. On my mark, we hop the rail. Orton, give us the timing.

ORTON (V.O.)
Wait for it. Tower Two is looking at his phone. Tower Three is checking the south gate. You’ve got a blind spot in five... four... three... mark.

Gavin lunges, his muscles screaming as he hauls his weight over the jagged concrete lip. He and Aya roll onto the narrow catwalk behind the camera array. They stay flat, chests heaving, as the searchlight from the main tower sweeps just inches above their heads.

GAVIN
(Wheezing)
I’m starting... to hate... this island.

AYA
(Already pulling a hacking device from her vest)
Write a Google review when you get home. I'm tapping into the sensor loop now.

SOUTH PERIMETER - VEHICLE DEPOT - CONTINUOUS

Down on the tarmac, the distraction is in full swing.

BATISTA stands in the center of the floodlights. He is surrounded by four "Fixers" in tactical gear, their assault rifles levelled at his heart. They are shouting at him in a language that sounds like gravel.

BATISTA
I TOLD YOU! I WANT TO TALK TO CHANDLER! Tell him the Animal is tired of waiting in the lobby!

The lead guard barks a command, stepping forward to press the muzzle of his rifle against Batista’s sternum. Batista doesn't flinch. He stares down the guard with a look of such predatory boredom that the man actually hesitates.

Hidden fifty yards away behind a row of armoured transport trucks, SAVANNAH STORMS, JOETTA, CM PUNK, and OMEGA FELIX.

PUNK
Look at Big Dave. He’s actually enjoying this.

SAVANNAH
Focus, Punk. Omega, how long to drop the mag-locks once we’re inside the box?

OMEGA
(Fumbling with a pair of insulated wire cutters)
If the schematics Francis gave us are accurate? Ten seconds. But the moment the circuit breaks, a silent alarm is going to hit Chandler’s personal terminal. We’ll be the only ones on the island with the lights out.

SAVANNAH
Then we better make sure Alan is in good position when it happens.

They reach the chain-link enclosure of the substation. Joetta boosts Omega over the fence while Punk keeps his eyes on the guards surrounding Batista.

Inside the buzzing chain-link cage, Omega. He’s crouched in front of a heavy gray junction box, the insulated cutters shaking in his grip as the light from Savannah's phone illuminates.

OMEGA
This isn't a standard grid, Savannah. It’s redundant. If I cut the primary without grounding the secondary, the surge will fry the terminal and probably me along with it.

SAVANNAH
Ground it, then. We don't have time for a physics lecture, Felix. Look at the gate.

OMEGA
This isn’t usually my jam. I like to punch things, and parkour things.

Fifty yards away, the situation with Batista is reaching a breaking point. One of the "Fixers," frustrated by the giant man’s refusal to move, c***s the bolt on his rifle.

PUNK
Dave's about three seconds away from being a very muscular colander. Omega, do it now.

OMEGA
(Gritting his teeth)
Grounding the secondary... now. Cutting the North Block feed in... three... two... one...

Omega clamps the cutters down.

WHUMP.

The the island dies instantly. The towering floodlights above the South Perimeter flicker once and go black. The searchlights on the North Wall freeze in mid-sweep before the lenses go dark. The entire fortress of Ryker’s Island is plunged into pitch-blackness.

The guards surrounding Batista shout in alarm, their flashlights snapping on, the narrow beams cutting chaotically through the dark. In the sudden silence, the sound of the river against the rocks seems to double in volume.

BATISTA
My turn.

One guard sweeps his light toward where Batista was standing.

The spot is empty.

GUARD #1
(In Afrikaans)
Where did he-?

A massive hand emerges from the shadows behind the guard, clamping over his mouth. There is a muffled grunt and the sound of heavy tactical gear hitting the asphalt. The other lights swing around, but the "Animal" is already gone, moving through the darkness.

DRAINAGE PIPE - RYKER’S ISLAND

In the bowels of the prison, the effect is instantaneous. The clack-clack of the patrol above stops. Then, a series of CLUNKS echo through the concrete walls… it is the sound of every electromagnetic lock in the North Block releasing simultaneously as the power fail-safes kick in.

ALAN
That’s the signal. Carter, get the hatch.

Jake reaches up, grabbing the rusted wheel of a circular maintenance hatch set into the ceiling of the pipe. He heaves against it, his muscles bunching, until the ancient seal breaks. He pushes the heavy iron plate aside, revealing a dim service corridor.

MATSUDA
(Scrambling up the ladder)
I swear, if I ever see a drop of water again after this, I’m moving to the Sahara.

Alan hauls himself up next, wincing as his ribs grind together. He pulls his tactical vest tight and looks down at Cena and Carter.

ALAN
We’ve got maybe three minutes before the backup generators kick in and the locks reseal. If we aren't in Austin’s cell by then, we're just trade-ins.

CENA
(Pulling himself into the corridor)
Then let’s stop talking and start running.

NORTH WALL CATWALK

On the high catwalk, Aya is hunched over a laptop wired into the camera housing.

AYA
Power’s out on the main loop. I’ve got the internal sensors looped on the backup frequency. They’ll see a hallway full of nothing for exactly five minutes.

GAVIN
Look.

Below them, the prison courtyard is a hive of activity. Flashlights are bobbing everywhere as guards scramble toward the generator rooms. But in the center of the North Block, a reinforced door stands unguarded in the gloom.

GAVIN
That’s where the thermal hit was.

AYA
Alan and the boys are inside. We stay here. Anyone tries to cross that courtyard to ground-floor security... we take ‘em out.

Gavin nods, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a heavy, blackened lead pipe. He looks at the courtyard.

GAVIN
Let ‘em come. I’ve got a lot of frustration to work out on this island.

NORTH BLOCK HALLWAY

The red emergency lights sputter to life. ALAN SNYDER, JOHN CENA, JAKE CARTER, and ADAM MATSUDA emerge from the maintenance hatch like phantoms, their boots silent on the cold tile.

They don't make it ten yards before the first squad of "Fixers" rounds the corner. These aren't standard prison guards; they are clad in matte-black tactical gear, night-vision goggles flipped up, carrying electrified batons and compact submachine guns.

ALAN
F**k this.

ADAM
F**k what? Alan?

ALAN
Get ‘em!

ADAM
Alan,. wait-

The Resistance explodes into motion.

John Cena leads the charge, acting as a human battering ram. The lead guard tries to raise his weapon, but Cena is too fast. He grabs the barrel of the gun, yanking the guard forward and delivering a shoulder-shaking PROTO-BOMB onto the hard concrete! Before the second guard can react, Cena spins, catching him with a thunderous THROAT THRUST that lifts the man off his feet!

Jake Carter moves. He runs up the side of a row of lockers, parkour style pivoting in mid-air to deliver a FLYING KNEE that shatters the visor of a third guard! He lands in a crouch, sweeps the man’s legs, and follows up with a series of lightning-fast palm strikes to the solar plexus.

Alan Snyder, despite the fifteen stitches and the cracked ribs, is a master of the Dirty Trench style. He catches a baton swing with his forearm, the impact turning the tape on his wrist red, and counters with a BONE-JARRING EUROPEAN UPPERCUT that sends the guard's head whiplashing into the wall. Alan doesn't let him fall; he grabs the man’s tactical vest and executes a X-PLEX into a stack of metal meal trays!

MATSUDA
(Twisting a guard’s arm into an unnatural angle)
I thought you said no noise, Snyder! This sounds like a demolition derby!

ALAN
(Kicking a guard in the face)
Keep moving!

NORTH WALL CATWALK

High above the courtyard, the perimeter has been breached. Three guards scramble toward the catwalk stairs, their flashlights on.

Aya doesn't wait for them to reach the top. She vaults over the railing, a pink-and-black blur falling twenty feet through the air. She catches the lead guard around the neck with her legs, using the momentum to spin into a FRANKENSTEINER on the landing! His head hits the steel grating with a hollow GONG.

Gavin is right behind her, descending the ladder with a speed that defies his years. He meets the remaining two guards at the base of the stairs. He doesn't use martial arts; he uses forty years of bar-room geometry. He swings the blackened lead pipe shattering a flashlight and the hand holding it. He follows up with a heavy-booted STOMP TO THE KNEE, buckling the guard, before delivering a clubbing blow to the back of the neck.

AYA
(Kicking the third guard into the fence)
Not bad for a dinosaur, Gavin!

GAVIN
Save it, kid. Orton, tell me the secondary gate is clear.

ORTON (V.O.)
Gate is clear. But you’ve got a problem. A heavy-response team is coming across the yard from the West Block. Ten men. And they’re not carrying batons.

SOUTH PERIMETER - VEHICLE DEPOT

Near the transport trucks, the "distraction" has turned into an all-out war.

Batista is surrounded. He has discarded his hoodie, his massive, tattooed back glistening under the red emergency lights. He is a force of nature. He catches an armoured guard mid-sprint, hoisting him high above his head and delivering a SICKENING POWERBOMB onto the hood of an SUV! The glass shatters and the alarm begins to wail.

Two guards lunge at his back. CM PUNK intercepts them. He delivers a series of stiff MUAY THAI KICKS to the lead guard's lead leg, then pivots into a BACK-FIST that knocks the man’s goggles into the next zip code. Punk grabs the second guard’s arm, transitions into a GOGOPLATA while standing, and uses the man’s own weight to drag him to the ground.

PUNK
(Shouting over the alarm)
SAVANNAH! THE HATCH! GET TO THE HATCH!

Savannah and Joetta are sprinting across the open tarmac toward the secondary entrance. Savannah is running with a gritted-teeth limp, every step on her bare ankle a spike of agony, but she doesn't slow down. She reaches the heavy iron hatch and yanks the handle.

SAVANNAH
JOE! HELP ME!

The two sisters pull together, their muscles straining, as the heavy steel plate slowly groans open. Behind them, Omega is frantically typing on a tablet, trying to keep the silent alarm from calling in the mainland police.

OMEGA
Hurry!

Inside the North Block, Alan’s team reaches a reinforced steel door. The word "CONTAINMENT" is stenciled across it in white. The backup generators kick in, and the mag-locks begin to re-engage.

CENA
(Diving for the gap)
NOT AGAIN!

Cena jams his massive arms into the shrinking gap of the closing door. His biceps swell to the size of watermelons, veins bulging in his forehead as he fights the industrial-strength magnets. The metal groans and sparks, the motor screaming in protest.

ALAN
(Shoving Carter and Matsuda through the gap)
GO! FIND HIM!

Alan looks back down the hallway. Another wave of Fixers is coming, and this time, they’ve unholstered their sidearms.

ALAN
(Wiping blood from his eye)
Looks like the main event just started.

Ten Fixers charge from the far end, shields locked, batons with high-voltage electricity.

Alan wraps his leather jacket around his left forearm and leads the surge. He meets the first shield with his shoulder, the impact jarring his cracked ribs, but he doesn't stop. He slips the jacket-wrapped arm over the top of the shield, yanking it down, and drives a stiff European Uppercut into the guard's exposed throat. As the man collapses, Alan snatches the baton from his grip, spins, and shatters the knee of the second guard.

Behind him, Cena is in motion. He catches two charging Fixers by their tactical vests, his boots skidding on the damp tile as he backpedals, before lunging forward and slamming their heads together with a sickening crunch of Kevlar and bone. A third Fixer lunges with a knife; Cena parries the wrist, twists the arm until the joint screams, and executes a gut-wrenching Proto-Bomb directly into a stack of metal lockers. The metal door buckles, pinning the guard inside.

They move down the hall like a two-headed monster. Alan catches a baton swing, pivots, and executes a Judo Throw that sends a Fixer sailing over his hip into the concrete wall. Without looking, Alan drops into a crouch and sweeps the legs of a man trying to aim a sidearm, following up with a heavy-booted stomp to the man’s hand.

Cena uses a discarded riot shield like a bludgeon. He drives the edge of the shield into a Fixer’s midsection, doubling him over, then uses the man’s back as a platform to launch himself into a shoulder tackle that levels three more guards in a human domino effect. He discards the shield and grabs a Fixer in a front facelock, deadlifting the armored man and dropping him with a vertical suplex onto a section of exposed piping. Steam hisses out, scalding the air as the guard goes limp.

Alan is bleeding from the forehead again, the red fluid mixing with the sweat on his neck. He catches a Fixer in a side headlock, walks him into the wall, and repeatedly smashes the man’s helmet against the stone until the visor shatters. He finishes with a back-hand slap that sends teeth skittering across the floor.

Cena is swarmed by three guards. He catches the leader by the waistband and the neck, hoisting him high for the Attitude Adjustment. Instead of a standard drop, he drives the man’s spine into the edge of a concrete pillar. Alan charges the other two, beating their heads into the wall.

The two men stand in the center of the wreckage surrounded by groaning men and shattered gear. Alan wipes a glob of blood from his lip and looks at Cena. Cena’s knuckles are split, his t-shirt torn to ribbons, but his eyes are fixed on the door at the end of the hall.

They don't say a word. They just keep walking, boots crunching over glass and brass casings.

Jake Carter and Adam Matsuda sprint through the sterile white laboratory-style hallway that marks the interior of the containment unit. The floor here is polished metal and the red lights reflect off the surface like pools of blood. They reach a T-junction and two Fixers slide out from a hidden alcove with high-tensile wire garrotes in their hands.

Jake doesn't break his stride! He slides on the metal floor and sweeps the first guard's legs out from under him! While still on the ground he reaches up and grabs the guard's tactical belt! JAKE CARTER EXECUTES A SIT-OUT POWERBOMB ONTO THE COLD STEEL FLOOR!!! THE THUD IS DEAFENING!!!

Adam Matsuda vaults over the fallen guard and the second Fixer! He uses the wall as a springboard and catches the guard in a mid-air headscissors! ADAM SNAPS THE GUARD FORWARD INTO A TORNADO DDT!!! THE GUARD'S HELMET CRACKS AGAINST THE METAL FLOORING!!!

They reach the final reinforced door. It is marked with the number 316.

MATSUDA
Either Chandler has a sense of humour or we are walking into a very specific trap.

CARTER
Open it. Now.

Matsuda smashes the glass on the emergency release. He yanks the manual lever. The heavy door slides open with a slow and grinding hiss.

The room is small and freezing. In the center is a heavy industrial chair bolted to the floor. A man sits there. He is stripped to a grey t-shirt and his denim shorts. His wrists are locked in heavy iron manacles and his legs are chained to the chair's frame. His head is bowed and his breathing is a slow and wet rattle.

Jake Carter steps into the room and his boots click on the metal. He reaches out a trembling hand.

CARTER
Steve?

The man in the chair doesn't move. Jake steps closer and gently lifts the man's chin.

STEVE AUSTIN’S face is a map of agony!!! His eyes are swollen shut and a deep purple bruise covers his entire jawline! There is a faint trail of dried blood running from his ear! He looks like he has been through ten car wrecks! He blinks one eye open slowly and it takes a moment for him to focus on Jake's face!

AUSTIN
You... you're late... you son of a bitch.

Matsuda rushes in and starts working the locks on the manacles with a set of picks.

MATSUDA
Nice to see you too, Steve! We were going to bring beer but the security at the gate was a real killjoy!

AUSTIN
Chandler… he…

CARTER
Don't talk. We're getting you out of here. Alan and Cena are holding the hall.

Suddenly the room vibrates! the mag-locks return with a high-pitched scream! THE BACKUP GENERATORS HAVE FULLY ENGAGED!!!

MATSUDA
NO! NO! NO! The locks are freezing up!

Adam frantically tries to pop the final shackle on Austin’s left leg! The metal pin is jammed! Outside in the hallway the sounds of gunfire and heavy thuds return as a fresh wave of Fixers descends on Alan and Cena!

AUSTIN
Leave me. Get the kids out... get the team out.

CARTER
I'm not leaving you! Move over, Adam!

Jake Carter grabs the iron bar used as a manual release for the chair! He plants his feet and roars! HIS BICEPS STRAIN AGAINST THE FABRIC OF HIS JACKET AS HE LEVERAGES HIS ENTIRE BODY WEIGHT AGAINST THE JAMMED LOCK!!! THE METAL GROANS AND SPARKS SHOWER OVER JAKE'S ARMS!!!

SNAP!!!

The lock shatters! Austin’s leg falls free!

They haul him up but the Rattlesnake’s knees buckle instantly! He has been drugged and beaten for a week! Jake and Adam catch him! They drape his massive arms over their shoulders!

AUSTIN
Give me... give me a minute... I'll walk.

CARTER
You'll walk when we're on the boat! Right now you're cargo!

They move back into the hallway just as Alan and Cena are forced back toward the cell door by a wall of riot shields and suppressed gunfire! Alan is using a Fixer's discarded rifle as a club and Cena is covered in white dust from a shattered drywall!

CENA
YOU GOT HIM?!

MATSUDA
WE GOT THE S.O.B.!!!

ALAN
Good! Now move! The West Block team just breached the courtyard!

They form a tight circle around Austin and begin the desperate retreat back toward the maintenance hatch!

The courtyard becomes a killing floor. The backup generators aren't just powering the lights anymore; a secondary alarm system triggers high-frequency sonic emitters along the walls. The piercing screech rattles the teeth of the Resistance members, momentarily stalling their momentum.

Batista is swarmed by eight Fixers. He roars and throws a massive double-clothesline that sends two men spinning into the side of a transport truck! He grabs a third guard by the waist and executes a bone-crunching spinebuster directly onto the concrete! But the numbers are too much. Two Fixers leap onto his back, driving electrified prods into his neck. Batista's muscles seize and he falls to one knee, snarling as he fights the voltage!

Punk is a blur of desperate violence. He snatches a discarded tactical helmet and uses it like a knuckle-duster, shattering the jaw of a guard! He transitions into a high-speed roundhouse kick that clips another Fixer in the temple! He looks over and sees Joetta being backed into a corner by three men with riot shields.

PUNK
JOE! DUCK!

Punk hurls the helmet at the lead guard's head and dives into a low-angle sweep that topples the shield wall! Joetta doesn't miss a beat! She uses the top of a shield as a stepping stone and delivers a double-stomp to a guard’s chest!

Inside the containment hallway, the situation is even more dire. Cena is acting as a human shield for the battered Austin. He catches a baton swing with his bare hand and yanks the guard into a short-arm lariat that nearly takes the man's head off!

CENA
THEY’RE CLOSING THE EXITS! CARTER! GET HIM TO THE HATCH!

Carter and Matsuda are dragging Austin toward the maintenance hole, but a heavy gate slides shut, sealing the floor. A dozen Fixers spill out from the elevator banks, weapons raised.

MATSUDA
WE’RE BOXED IN!!!

Alan Snyder looks at the carnage. He sees the tide turning. He looks at the elevator that leads to the top floor. the Executive Wing. He sees the golden "C" logo on the directory. He knows this doesn't end with a rescue; it ends with an ex*****on.

ALAN
CENA! TAKE OVER! GET THAT GATE OPEN!

Alan doesn't wait for a reply. He grabs a discarded fire axe from an emergency glass case and charges toward the Admin stairs! He meets two guards in the stairwell door! HE SMASHES THE BUTT OF THE AXE INTO THE FIRST MAN’S FACE AND USES THE BLADE TO HOOK THE SECOND MAN’S ANKLE, YANKING HIM DOWN THE STAIRS HEAD-FIRST!!!

On the South Perimeter, Savannah Storms watches the Admin tower lights flicker. She sees the heavy-duty security shutters beginning to close over the windows. She knows if those shutters seal, Chandler is gone.

SAVANNAH
PUNK! HOLD THE DEPOT! I’M GOING UP!

JOETTA
SAVANNAH, NO! YOUR ANKLE!

SAVANNAH
IT’S NOT MY ANKLE HE’S GONNA HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT!!!

Savannah ignores the pain and sprints toward the loading bay entrance of the tower! She ducks under a closing security gate, sliding across the floor and popping up with a lead pipe she snatched from the substation! She enters the main lobby just as Alan Snyder bursts through the stairwell door on the opposite side!

They stop for a microsecond, breathing hard, both covered in grime and blood. They look at each other; the Iron Man and the Cowgirl. There is no time for a plan.

ALAN
He’s on the penthouse level.

SAVANNAH
Then let’s go knock.

They turn as one toward the executive elevators! FOUR FIXERS CHARGE FROM THE SECURITY DESK!!! ALAN HURLS THE FIRE AXE LIKE A TOMAHAWK, THE HANDLE SMASHING INTO THE LEAD GUARD’S CHEST!!! SAVANNAH SURGES FORWARD, SWINGING THE PIPE IN A BRUTAL CROSS-BODY ARC THAT SHATTERS THE KNEES OF THE SECOND GUARD!!! SHE PIVOTS ON HER GOOD FOOT AND DELIVERS A STIFF BACK-ELBOW TO THE THIRD MAN’S BRIDGE OF THE NOSE!!!

Alan catches the fourth guard in a front facelock and drives him face-first into the marble reception desk with a DDT that cracks the stone!!!

The elevator dings.

They step inside. Alan hits the button for the top floor. As the doors begin to slide shut, they see the rest of the Resistance in the courtyard being engulfed by a sea of black tactical gear. The struggle is at its peak.

Alan grips the rail of the elevator to keep from collapsing. Savannah leans against the wall, her chest heavy, her eyes fixed on the floor numbers as they climb.

Alan looks at Savannah.

SAVANNAH
(groaning)
What…?

ALAN
Thank you. For forgiving me.

Savannah gives a weak smile. She almost falls over, dropping the pipe, but Alan catches her.

The elevator climbs. 10... 11... 12…

Alan looks up.

ALAN
Showtime.