<center>
Dante vs JE vs Kermit vs Mr Acceptable vs KID vs Shi vs Atomic Welfare vs The Hammer vs Duo vs Highone vs Myra Tripp vs Darkness

Some of TCW's finest and brightest will shine tonight as they compete in what will be a preview of The Road to Glory! Thirteen opponents face off with only one winner taking home tonight's prize: their choice of entry spot into The Road to Glory!</center>

Darkness wheeled his bike from out of the semi-trailer in which it was transported from show to show. The flawless black bodywork reflected his grim face as he swung himself into the saddle.

"Going somewhere?"

He turned around and narrowed his eyes at the woman who stood looking at him, her freckled arms folded over her chest and a hint of accusation in her green eyes.

"In my experience it's rare indeed for a man to mount a motorcycle and not intend to go somewhere on it," he replied matter-of-factly.

Freya's lips moved into a slight pout, but her eyes didn't change. "Was that supposed to be funny?"

"It wasn't supposed to be anything." Darkness turned around again and twisted the ignition key, causing the bike to roar into life. "I suggest you take from my comments whatever you wish since apparently I give so much away with each one of them."

"What happened out there?"

"Where?"

"In the ring, idiot. You messed up Joyride - and word backstage is he was a mess to start with - and then you let Jason get dropped on his head."

"What are you, my moral conscience?"

"No, just a concerned bystander. You let my friend receive a Burning Hammer. I want to know why."

"I didn't Burning Hammer anyone, Freya," Darkness said as he turned to her once more, "so go bug Hammer with this stuff, alright?"

The girl didn't seem appeased and approached the bike. She jabbed a finger into Darkness's shoulder. "I want an answer."

"Then ask someone else for one."

"We're supposed to be on the same side, Buffy..."

"We are on the same side. I just have a different strategy from the rest of you."

"And do you think that's a smart idea?"

"I guess we'll see, won't we?"

Darkness kick-started the throttle of the bike suddenly, causing Freya to step away in alarm. With a grunt he turned the accelerator and roared out of the parking lot, leaving his diminutive stable mate behind him, shaking her head.

* * *

Dante grimaced as Selenia shifted the ice pack she held against his battered skull. "That's really not necessary," he informed her again, "it'll heal."

"You're still more human than you think, Jason," she replied, checking his scalp for any more cuts or bruises she may have missed in her first three examinations, "which means you have to look after yourself."

Dante looked around at the empty locker room. It was a disarming sight for the leader of a stable. "I thought I didn't have to look after myself anymore. I was supposed to have friends to do that..."

Selenia didn't reply, but Dante could feel she was holding something back from him. That set off a twinge of anger in him as he wondered whether he could have avoided his confrontation with his friend and stable mate if she'd told him what she knew.

A knock at the door brought him out of his reverie and he grunted permission to enter to whoever it was. Acolyte stuck his head around the door, a concerned look in his eyes.

"Can I help you, Cordazer?"

"Are you okay, boss?"

Dante held up his hands. "Do I look okay? Your former buddy Hammer just hit me with the most devastating move in professional wrestling and my so-called ally has apparently gone psycho again."

Acolyte raised his eyebrows when Hammer was referred to as his ‘former buddy' since he hadn't associated with the man in over a year. Dante regretted his choice of words immediately and knew he was just reaching out for anyone to inflict his anger upon. He didn't apologise though.

"So...any idea where Darkness is, boss?" Acolyte finally asked after a long, awkward silence.

"No. And frankly I don't give a fuck either. Maybe he can go off and kill some demons or something, work out some of his issues that way."

"Do you think he'll be alright?"

It was Dante's turn to raise his eyebrows. "Do I think he'll be alright?" He surged to his feet, sending Selenia stumbling away with a cry. He jerked a thumb at his chest as he met Acolyte's eyes with his own burning gaze. "I'm the one with the possible concussion here! I'm the one who has to pick up the pieces of his fucking rampage again! Darkness will be just fine, I'm sure. It's the people who are here and who give a shit about what's going on that you should worry about."

Angrily, the World Champion turned around and grabbed his jacket from its peg. He began to stuff his clothes and possessions, including the two World Title belts, into his gym bag before shouldering it and pushing past Acolyte. He paused at the door and looked at both of his companions with a cold sneer.

"I should have known better than to recruit ‘The Man Who Walks Alone' to my cause. He's supposed to be the one who keeps me on the straight and narrow, not the other way around, but I guess Darkness only looks out for Darkness, doesn't he?"

He slammed the door behind him, leaving Acolyte and Selenia standing in silence in the locker room.

Acolyte finally spoke, addressing the closed door. "Yeah, Jason, I did loose my match. Thanks for asking. No, I won't sweat it - you know how I appreciate your advice and support."

Selenia placed a comforting hand on the big man's shoulder. "You know how he gets...he and Darkness are as similar as they are different and when one of them loses it, the other one usually does the same eventually."

"So what do we do?"

She shrugged and sat down on the bench. "Wait. Hope it resolves itself...hope that they find out whatever they need to find out to work through this and grow..."

Acolyte shook his head. "So why even bother with this stable shit? We're all supposed to be in this together, aren't we? We both know what those guys can do when they get pissed off - we need to calm them down before someone gets hurt."

"Jason wouldn't hurt anyone, Cordazer..."

"What about Darkness?"

The succubus held his stare for a long moment. Her mind flicked back to her encounter with the dark warrior in the gym before Friction, to his terrible words and his promises of violence. She hoped her assessment of him then proved to be wrong.

"I don't know, Cordazer...I just don't know..."

* * *

Kermit slumped down on the leather couch of his hotel suite. He was alone, having just come from the arena. He didn't know where Janice was right now...he'd had other things on his mind...

Breathing deeply to slow his accelerated heartbeat, he looked down at the prize in his hands, now resting on his lap. It was dull silver, stained with dark blood. A leering demonic face stared out at him with fiery ruby eyes.

"Heh...kinda looks like Janice," he laughed to himself. "Wonder why it has a demon on it though..."

His ruminations were interrupted by the feel of a dull vibration in the pocket of his pants. He placed the Bleeder Title to one side and pulled out his cell phone. The two letters on the caller ID told him who it was and he wondered if he should take the call. Sighing, he finally pressed the green button and held the phone to his ear.

"Yes?"

"What the fuck, man?!"

Kermit had been expecting this, and he knew exactly what he was going to say. "Listen...JE..."

"We agreed that the belt was for me!"

"I know. And, believe me, I didn't plan for this to happen..."

"Oh really? So why are you the one with the title in your hands then?"

"Because...alright...business is business...you know that, JE."

"This wasn't supposed to be business! This was supposed to be revenge!"

"Sometimes revenge is business, JE. At least for me it is. You know I wanted to get back at Infinity just as bad as you."

"Exactly! You could have got back at them by having me be the Bleeder Champion!"

Kermit sighed again. "I'm sorry. I really am. You were out of action - did you want one of those little Japanese girls walking out with it?"

"That explains you winning it the second time..."

"JE," he explained in calm tones, "what's done is done, alright? We got what we wanted, what does it matter who has the belt in the end?"

"It matters to me!"

"We'll discuss this when you've had a night to sleep on it, alright?"

"What? No!"

Kermit pulled the phone from his ear and hung up on his partner. He really didn't want to discuss this right now. He'd done what he had to do and he didn't regret it. JE would forgive him...or not...

The new Bleeder Champion stood up from the couch and crossed to the drink's cabinet. He took a look over at the selection of spirits on offer. He eventually settled on brandy, pouring himself a large glass.

"He will get over it," Kermit reassured himself as he took a large gulp, savouring the alcohol burn for a moment. His eyes flicked back to the Bleeder Title sitting forlornly on the couch. He smiled and put his glass down. He picked up the belt and slung it over his shoulder. "Feels good..." he murmured.

He suddenly caught sight of himself in a mirror on the other side of the room. "Looks even better!"

JE and his brandy forgotten, Kermit began to experiment with different ways of holding and wearing his new title.

Dante buried his face in his hands. It wasn't that he felt betrayed...

...Well he did feel betrayed, Darkness he had been sure was his friend, or at least his ally in this and the fed. Seeing Darkness turn around and leave the ring when Hammer attacked had in some ways broke the albino's heart.

Jason Dante wasn't the man he had once pretended to be, he was despite the Luciferian blood that coursed through his veins a normal man, he had spent almost 30 years of his life thinking the only thing odd about his was his lack of skin colour. Then one week of hell in Nevada had changed all of that, he was a semi-demon, the son of fucking Lucifer.

Dante shook his head again as if trying to clear some cobwebs from it.

He got up from his seat and walked over to his bags. From the bags he lifted clothes, clothes he hadn't worn for years now. He pulled the white shirt off and replaced it with a black T-Shirt, took off the white chinos and put on a pair of jeans. Then he put on a black shirt rolled up the sleeves and buttoned it up.

He looked at the man in the mirror and felt a smirk grow on his face, that felt better, much better in fact. He felt as the man he had been born as again.

"Jason?"

Of course he thought, that part didn't go away. He hadn't expected it to.

"Yeah?"

The answer was a bit more apologetic then he had intended.

"Where are you Jason?"

"The hotel room, Selenia...I...I'm..."

He couldn't get it out and hoped that she still understood.

"Jason, I know...you just scared us...well Cordazer mostly."

Dante slapped his forehead.

"Fuck."

"I know babe, I know...I'm going to have to make it up to him...I just...I can't..."

"I know Jason, he is under a lot of stress..."

She regretted that as the words passed from her mind to his, they both knew that stress was something Darkness was both used to and close to immune to.

"Yeah maybe...it still doesn't excuse him walking out."

"No." she said. "It doesn't.".

*****

Kermit was for the lack of a better words confused, being woken up in the middle of the night, in the middle of a dream or well a nightmare was bad enough, to be woken up and find a man that half the fed fears and the other half envies at his door made things a fair bit worse.

"You." Was all a sleepy Kermit could get out of his mouth.

Dante looked at Kermit and for a second envied him, then he saw his eyes and the envy died.

"What the hell do you want at..." Kermit paused and looked at his watch. "3 in the god-damn morning?"

Dante ignored the lack of invitation and pushed his way past the sleep drunk mobster.

"You and I need to talk Kermit."

"Talk? man it's in the middle of the night."

Kermit was being kept safe from his problems by his sleepiness, the strange glint in his eye trouble Dante a great deal though. Dante who as had been established only slept when he felt like it showed a distinct lack of understanding for Kermit's tired plight and pressed on as he sat down.

"You seem a bit...unfocused Kermit..."

"It's 3AM Dante I doubt anyone SANE is focused at this time of night..."

Dante ignored the strike at his late night visit and decided to get to the subject at hand.

"Your lack of focus is why I'm here..."

"Oh that's nice..." Kermit replies with a voice drowning in a yawn.

"I know what is causing it..."

Kermit stopped in mid-yawn and looked at the champion.

"You do?" he said and sounded more surprised then he had intended to sound.

"Yes."

Kermit walked over to a nearby chair sat down and said.

"Well then, enlighten me."

Dante sighed, Kermit was rooted in the normal world, a world that the reason or rather the reason Dante suspected for his odd behaviour didn't belong to.

Dante pointed at the Bleeder title on Kermit's bed.

"I know they guy who that title has been named after."

"Really?" Kermit replied with no enthusiasm at all.

"Yes, he was the guy behind the first Hellfire club."

"Yeah so I've heard...You Bleeder, Bruce and that Baroness chick huh?"

"Yeah." Even after these years Dante found himself missing Baroness, he wasn't sure why but he missed her.

"The thing is...Bleeder was different, he was..."

"A fuck up?"

"Ye...No not a fuck up, he was strange as fuck, he was..." Dante wasn't sure how to go on, on one hand he wanted to tell Kermit the truth about Bleeder and the effect Dante suspected the title named after him had on people, on the other he knew Kermit wouldn't believe him.

"..Bleeder had some special abilities, let's call them skills to make things nice for us both."

"Ok, fine he had skills." Kermit said just wanting this to end.

"You see that title [Dante pointed at the belt again.] has a strange history, it defines the people who won it."

Kermit nodded as this did interest him.

"I won it, and I ended up the world champion...same thing with Coren...Freya won it and she joined our...My group and is set on the tag titles with Hawthrone..."

"So Kermit began...it's a catalyst for success? That's not exactly newsworthy Dante all titles are like that."

"You didn't let me finish..."

"..."

"Shaun Bisley won it...so did Baroness, Havoc, Johnny Blaine and TI...what do those guys have in common?"

"I dunno, they aren't in the fed any more?"

He said it so casually and he didn't even seem to get it.

"Exactly, Bleeder watches his title Kermit some who win it go on to great things...others end up as the flotsam of the Indies...That title changes it's holder, it changed me, it changed Coren it changed Ti and it will change you Kermit."

Kermit looked at Dante, obviously the hit on his head he had gotten from Hammer had made him go nuts. Kermit knew about the stories about Bleeder and the strange guys reputation, he simply didn't believe it though, in his world bullshit like demons didn't exist, that was just the church's terror tactics to keep people in check, Dante was as crazy as his reputation said.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I sort of like you Kermit, and I'm sick of Bleeder playing the fed."

"Right. Thanks..."

Dante got up from his seat and walked over to Kermit, he thought about showing the mobster the truth but he doubted it would help the guy.

"All I wanted is for you to know Kermit...Take care of the title, it can make or break you."

"Yeah, I'll make sure to do that." Kermit said with a yawn.

Dante turned his back on Kermit and left, not sure if the message had gotten through or not.

"You know kiddo, he may be right."

Kermit looked at the ghost of Raul Gambono.

"You think he is?"

"Yes, I think he may be right kiddo."

"Look dad, Dante is deranged, he has this rep of being a Satanist and assorted BS like that...then he remembered and flew up from his seat.

"...and the bastard had apart in killing Fozzinini!"

Kermit's eyes shone with the light of someone who has lost his mind, dream and reality mixed in his head now, in his world Dante was a murderer a killer who had let his whore Selenia kill and devour the heart of one of his boys...

"And I let the bastard leave!"

"You can always catch him kiddo..." His father added, "He can run but he can't hide forever from a Gambono."

Kermit looked at his father and nodded.

"He won't dad, he won't get away the next time...the family protects it's members."

Raul Gambono nodded.

"Or avenges them..."

Kermit nodded as the last of his sanity went on holiday.

*****

Dante sighed as he closed the door behind him he wasn't sure if he had gotten through to Kermit or not. The guy seemed out of it already, he put his hands in his pockets and shrugged, he had tried at least.

As he left the now hostile Kermit's hotel, he was being watched. Eyes no human has ever had were watching him as he left the Bleeder champions hotel.

Kermit spun away from his father and caught sight of the title again. He glanced at the door that was open to the bedroom, saw the slumbering shape in the bed. He could go back to Janice, but suddenly he felt more awake than he had in days.

"Heh...World Champion calling at my door...that's a first..."

He turned back around quickly, intending to continue his conversation with his father, but no one was there. He made a small noise of surprise, but then shook his head. He had to be focused now. Calm. Dante was right - this title could indeed make or break him. He could sink or swim...do or die...

Kermit picked up the belt. The Infinity symbol still marred its surface, even though that surface was already marred with the blood of former champions and challengers.

He placed his palm against the demon's face. Wondered what it meant. Who it was.

Something made him turn.

"Let's talk."

His eyes were jet black, like shattered glass that reflects poorly, shooting a thousand shards of light into the night.

"Who are you?"

The smooth skin of his face creased into a smile that never touched the unnatural eyes. His teeth were sharp...almost metallic. Bloodstained, like his belt.

"I think you know."

"You're...Bleeder. This is your belt..."

The figure chuckled. He was sat nonchalantly in the leather arm chair, leg hooked over one arm. His black coat that seemed to be sewn from some leathery material hung down to the floor.

"Not my belt," the stranger corrected, "I never held it. Not when it was called that anyway."

"Fair enough."

"You seem remarkably calm for a man being accosted by a strange man in the middle of the night."

"Well, you aren't my first odd caller this evening. Or even my second..." He did feel remarkably calm though, Kermit reflected inwardly. Adrenaline rush? Fear? No, he dismissed both options with just as clear a head.

"Of course. So, you've been having nightmares, I hear...?"

"Sure."

"Some old friends of mine were in them, huh?"

Kermit nodded slowly. "I guess. I don't know who your friends are, to be honest."

"Neither do they."

The mobster narrowed his eyes. "How do you mean that?"

"You pick. This is as much your conversation as it is mine."

Kermit looked down at the belt. The surface became a mirror, showing him who he was, but refracted in the face of a demon. He looked back up at his visitor. "Dante said this belt could do strange things..."

"How do you define ‘strange'?"

"I dunno. How do you define it?" Kermit countered.

"Not the same way you do. But this isn't about me. I didn't come here for my benefit."

"Then why did you come here?"

"You called me."

"When?" Kermit looked confused.

"When you shed blood for that belt. They all call me...but not everyone answers when I knock at the door..."

The mobster shook his head. "I don't even know what you're talking about."

The strange figure lifted his hands. "The planets must align. You shed the blood...Mars moves into position...all that shit people place so much stock in..."

"Okay. Whatever. I answered. What now?"

"Now?" The Bleeder leant forward. "Now...something wicked this way comes.."

"Huh?"

There was a knock at the door.

* * *

Darkness tapped his fingers irritably against the table. With nowhere else to go, and nothing in mind but rage and hatred, he had turned to a place where he could find oblivion.

"Hey, man, don't I know you?"

Darkness's eyes flicked to the man who leaned against the booth in which he had seated himself. He was slightly overweight, approaching middle-age with a beer in his hand. Darkness glanced around the mostly empty bar.

"No, no I don't think so."

"No, man, you're face is real familiar to me..."

Darkness shook his head. He could tell the man was slightly drunk. "You're mistaken, friend."

A light dawned in the drinker's eyes and he pointed at Darkness. "Oh! You're Darkness! Holy shit!"

Darkness's eyes went cold for a second and something like panic welled up in his chest. From what episode in his past might this man know him? He couldn't place his face, didn't recognise his voice. He had no clear idea where he might have met him before. His ignorance worried him. Could he be losing his mind?

The man was now sat opposite him, leaning across the sticky table and grinning broadly. "Man, you were great tonight!"

"Excuse me?"

"You totally flipped out on that dude! And Dante was all like, ‘oh shit! Fuck!'"

Darkness stared at him. "Who are you?" he asked, "How do you know me?"

The man stuck his hand out. It wavered slightly. "Name's Bill. I'm a big fan. Oh shit...I bet you hear that all the time...my wife thinks I'm such a dork for liking wrestling, you know?"

"Wrestling?" Darkness suddenly understood. "Of course...you know me from...from the television..."

"Uh...yeah..."

"I..." Darkness had no idea what to say to this man - Bill - who was evidently a fan of his. He realised he had never actually met a fan before.

His attempt to converse with Bill was interrupted by the waitress bearing a tray with a shot glass, a plate full of slices of lemon, several packets of salt and a bottle of tequila.

"Whoa," Bill exclaimed, "you guys like to party hard, huh?"

"I suppose so," Darkness replied, nodding to dismiss the waitress and pouring himself a glass of his insidious tipple.

"I gotta say, I love the direction things are goin' in TCW right now."

Darkness tilted his head back and emptied the glass before quickly biting into the lemon to numb the bitter aftertaste.

"Really?" he enquired once he had composed himself.

"Yeah. All the angry stuff...it's awesome..."

"You think so?" he downed another shot.

"Yeah, you're gonna win the Road to Glory for sure."

"The Road to Glory?" Darkness cocked an eyebrow as he filled the glass a third time.

"Heh...yeah..."

He emptied the glass and placed it down on the table softly. "I'd forgotten it was soon." He glanced at Bill. "You believe I'll win?"

"For sure, dude!"

"And you're...you're a...fan...of me?"

Bill laughed. "Dude you're...like...the fuckin' icon! Most dominant ever for sure!"

"You may be right," Darkness conceded. "I hadn't considered it in those terms."

"You should be on top, man," Bill assured him, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

"I should." Darkness agreed, holding the glass in front of him and staring at it for a long moment.

"You could take anyone!"

"I could break anyone..."

"I said ‘take anyone'..."

Darkness looked at him over his glass. "I know what you said."

Bill backed away from Darkness's sudden cold stare. The shot glass shook in the warrior's grip for a few seconds before shattering, sending shard across the table. Bill jerked up off his seat, but Darkness was up faster. He grabbed the fat man's collar, flattened him against the booth's partition.

"Tell me who I have to beat to get what I want."

"W...what do you want...?"

There was a new fire in Darkness's eyes. "Glory," he replied with teeth bared into a snarl.

* * *

Kermit crossed over to the door, a frown on his face.

"If you open that door, you're on your own..."

He turned to his strange visitor. "Why?"

The only reply he got was a look that was almost playful. He looked back at the door, his hand hovering over the handle. He considered his options.

"Kermit Gambono isn't scared to open his own fucking door..." He swung it open confidently.

A figure from his dream surged through the shadows.

"Whoa...shit...what the hell is this...?"

"Your apocalypse!" Darkness growled, grabbing Kermit roughly by the collar.

"You're the third hellfire freak to walk through my door tonight!" Kermit shouted at him, kicking out with his bare feet. Darkness seemed unfazed by either his attacks or his words.

"I didn't come through the door, actually," Bleeder explained. Darkness seemed not to hear him and Kermit shot him a helpless look.

"I told you you'd be on your own..."

"Kermit?"

The mobster was dropped to the ground as Darkness stepped over him and fixed his eyes on Janice. The young woman held the bed sheets around herself protectively, and her eyes were fixed on Darkness. The Bleeder was somehow gone.

The former Shadow Slayer looked Janice up and down slowly. She covered herself modestly, but there was something coy about her movements.

"You like fire, honey?" Darkness asked with a predatory grin.

She seemed to move instinctively, pressing herself against him as he advanced.

"I could give you more fire than you can imagine," Darkness told her.

"Hey!" Kermit reached behind his back and pulled the pistol he always kept on him out. "Stay the fuck away from her!"

One of Darkness's own guns was in his hand in an instant, levelled at Kermit's head. He'd never seen a weapon like it.

"You're outgunned, friend."

"Yeah...well it ain't the first time."

"You're supposed to learn from your mistakes in life, not repeat them," Darkness observed.

"It wasn't my mistake - it was theirs."

Darkness grinned. "You don't know me well enough if you're that confident."

"I don't know you at all. Educate me."

Their respective guns had not budged an inch, but neither man was backing down. "You want to know what drives me?" Darkness asked in a low voice.

"Sure. Good a place to start as any..."

"You don't know what you're asking."

"I didn't ask it, retard."

Darkness barked a laugh. "You're not ready for the truth I can show you..."

"Is that right?"

"I'm not a liar."

"So is that what you came here to do? Taunt me with answers you can't give me?"

"No. I came here to appeal to your common sense."

"By hitting on my girlfriend and pulling a gun on me?" Janice was now flattened against the wall, her eyes flicking from one man to the other.

"You pulled the gun first. Seems like you've got a pretty short temper."

"So have you, from what I've heard."

"The difference is that mine is a weapon. Yours controls you, mine is on a tight leash."

"Sure. Keep tellin' yourself that."

Darkness smirked. "How about we finish this?"

"Finish this?" Kermit raised his eyebrows, "You're gonna kill me? You're that sure of yourself?"

"Yes. My reactions are faster than yours. I can fire my gun and blow a hole in your skull larger than my fist before you could even think about doing the same. Plus I know from experience that your bullet may not even kill me - you won't be so lucky."

"Ah. So it ends here for me, does it?"

"Not at all." Darkness lowered his gun and nonchalantly placed it back in its holster inside his jacket.

Kermit cocked his head. "What's to stop me shooting you now?"

"Nothing. But, like I said, a bullet won't stop me."

"Are you Superman?"

"Better than that." Darkness was in Kermit's face in an instant, his grip fastened around the hand that wielded the pistol. "I'm the motherfucking Antichrist. I'm here to tell you that you're in my way. You can step aside and I won't break you like I did Joyride, alright?"

Kermit wasn't intimidated. Darkness may have looked taller than he was, but Kermit knew a thing or two about intimidation. He had the height advantage and, no matter what this freak said, he was going down. Hard.

"I'm not going to step aside, you prick," Kermit said softly, "I don't give a damn what you call yourself..."

"Good," Darkness smiled.

One day after Friction, we set our eyes upon the Praise Allah X-Press, which has already made the trip from Montreal to Winnipeg. Yes, I realize such a prospect seems highly unlikely, but Ghetto Fire is an insanely fast driver. The others wish he'd at least keep it within 20 mph of the speed limit, but it's a lost cause when they're in a country that rates speed by kilometers. Freaking metric system.

At any rate, the Ghetto Grass kids are up a few hours earlier than they're used to thanks to Hammer, who wants them by his side for some sort of a meeting with TCW management. They don't appreciate it very much, especially since he wants them to wear business suits. Let's just say it's not traditional Ghetto Grass attire...

Stoner: Man, why do I gotta wear this thing?

Yasmin: Hey, at least you're a dude...what kind of woman wears a suit?

Hammer: When you're in a business meeting, you need to dress like you're attending to business. That's why we're all wearing suits to my meeting with Miss Stern today.

Alexxx: Why are we meeting with her anyway?

Hammer: Contract negotiations. My current deal with TCW expires after Endgame, so we're gonna have a meeting today at TCW's Canada office and see if we can work something out before the deadline. I've had my agent do some research, and I think I can get a pretty good raise this time around.

Ghetto Fire: You have an agent?

Hammer: Well yeah. How are you going to get ahead in this business without one? Luckily I've got one of the best...*knock on the door*...oh, I bet that's her now!

Hammer opens the door and invites a petite brown-haired caucasian woman wearing a blue blazer & skirt with white blouse into the X-Press. He then introduces her to the kids...

Hammer: Veronica, this is Ghetto Grass. There's Ghetto Fire, Stoner, Yasmin & Alexxx. Guys, this is my agent, Veronica Ridgetop.

Veronica: A pleasure to meet you all!

All of Ghetto Grass: Hi.

Hammer: Veronica's been representing me pretty much since my boxing career started. If you've ever wondered why I have millions of dollars sitting in the bank while guys like Tyson & Holyfield are still boxing because they gotta feed their kids...well, without an agent like her I'd probably be in the same place they are. She represents a lot of NBA, NFL & baseball players too, so she's a busy woman.

Veronica: You know I'm never too busy for you, Mutaaz!

Hammer: And I appreciate that. All right, let's drive on over to the office now. Veronica, we'll go to this back room here and discuss our strategy.

Veronica: Great!

Hammer & Veronica head for said back room while Ghetto Fire & his navigator Stoner head towards the front of the bus. Alexxx & Yasmin sit on the couch and watch TV while discussing things...

Alexxx: Boy, she seemed like a bitch, huh?

Yasmin: She's an agent. And a friend of Mutaaz's. What else would you expect?

Alexxx: True, it's not like he keeps the best of company.

Yasmin: Neither do his friends.

Yasmin turns away and focuses her attention on the Morning Curling Report airing on TSN during the wee hours of the morning while Alexxx lies back and ponders.

About 15 minutes later, the X-Press arrives at the temporary TCW Canada offices right next to the MTS Centre. Hammer, Ghetto Grass and the agent are escorted by Head of Security Russell Simmons into the offices of Commissioner Stern, who is flanked by TCW Enforcer Bruce 666 & a large, overweight man with a horrendous combover that Hammer is not familiar with.

Valerie: Mutaaz, you know Bruce...

Hammer: We've met.

Bruce: Nice to see ya too, Frankie!

Valerie: And this is Herbert Glen Wallace III, our head of legal affairs.

Hammer: You know Ghetto Grass...this is my long-time agent and confidant, Veronica Ridgetop. She'll handle the negotiating.

Veronica: Miss Stern, it's a pleasure to meet you.

Valerie: Likewise.

Veronica: Miss Stern, my client has made some major contributions to your promotion & its predecessors 411 Fed & ECF since his return to wrestling in June 2005. Immediately after his return at WrestleMania V, he was in the main event of multiple TV shows against foes like Rachel Hunter & Shaun Bisley. Those shows' ratings were up twenty percent from the TV shows aired by 411 Fed & ECF just before WrestleMania took place. My client has wrestled for the World title on multiple occasions, and while he has not won the title as of yet, he has participated in some of the most memorable matches of this decade. Who could forget his classic series of matches with Hunter, his matches with Darkness, or more recently, his Hell in a Cell match with Jason Dante that's being called the best match of 2007 so far? He formed an alliance with the popular young faction Ghetto Grass and led them to the Tag Team Titles. He is currently affiliated with Infinity, a faction that features some of the best talent in the business. And need I remind you of how the last show you ran ended, with my client delivering the Burning Hammer to your World champion and standing over his limp body?

Veronica pauses to take a breath.

Veronica: Clearly, my client is of great importance to the future of your company. I don't need to tell you that his merchandise sales rate third out of all the wrestlers in TCW, only behind Darkness and Dante. And if you were to include Infinity merchandise with his totals, he would be at the top. Whether your fans love him or hate him, they want to see him on your shows. Miss Stern, it would behoove you to meet my client's demands.

Valerie: And just what are those demands?

Veronica: My client would like a raise of $3,000,000 per year, his-

Valerie: Woahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Hold on a minute. Three million?

Veronica: With the sports market the way it is these days, we believe that's more than fair.

Valerie: If we gave him that kind of money, he would be the most paid wrestler on our roster by so much it's ridiculous. We can't do that.

Hammer: OK...why are you talking about me like I'm not here? Veronica, can I say something?

Veronica: Go right ahead, Mutaaz.

Hammer: Thank you. Miss Stern, all I'm asking for here is what I've got coming to me. Nobody does more TCW appearances than I do...when you guys need somebody to drop a hockey puck at a hockey game or appear on TV shows to plug PPVs, who do you come to? Not Dante, not Darkness...me. I have literally been to Hell and back for this company! And you don't want to give me a raise?

Valerie: Mr. Tareef, I never said that...all I said is that what you're asking for is way more than what would be economically feasible for TCW.

Hammer: Well, I'll tell you what. I'll keep working for TCW until Endgame...but after that, I've got a movie to film. Muhammad Jabbar's already started production on his film in Los Angeles, he's just waiting for me to wrap things up here so I can do my parts. If you want me to come back after filming...I'd suggest you figure out how to make things "economically feasible".

Hammer and the rest of his crew each get up out of their chairs and exit the office, leaving Valerie, Bruce and Herbert to discuss things. Outside the office.......

Veronica: Mutaaz, that was brilliant!

Stoner: Um, how exactly was that brilliant? Now he's not going to get anything from them.

Hammer: Oh Stoner, you just don't see the big picture sometimes. Have you seen the match listing for Havoc yet? I'm in a match that determines who gets to pick their slot in the big Road To Glory match. The winner of the Road To Glory match gets a title shot at Endgame...speaking of which, I better make a phone call.

Hammer gets out his cell phone and dials up one of his Infinity colleagues who has been known to work with Hammer on match outcomes in the past...

Hammer: Hey buddy! So it looks like we're booked in this big ol' match at Havoc. Wanna team up and take everybody else out, and then let the best man win?

Highone: Sounds good to me, Hammer.

Hammer: Rock on! See ya later!

Hammer hangs up his phone, then turns towards Veronica & Ghetto Grass...

Hammer: See, we've got this in the bag. I win at Havoc, I win Road to Glory, and then I win the title at Endgame. Simple enough.

Alexxx: And then what?

Hammer: And then they'll either have to pay me what I'm worth...or be without a World Champion.

Hammer starts to laugh as he turns around a corner, but it's interrupted when he bumps into one of his opponents that happen to be at the office this day...

Post for JE and K.I.D

The a couple of days after Friction, somewhere in Winnipeg:

Kermit and JE had arranged to meet in a small coffee shop somewhere in Winnipeg. Just like the last time that the two men had a meeting, it was in a public place, full of people, full of eyes. After the incidents of Friction, the situation between the two men had got even worse, not that things were easy to begin with. Ever since JE won the Aftershock Championship at Stranglehold, things between the two LBA members were at an all time low. It was now at a point that only a miracle could keep the LBA together, maybe today was that miracle. Although Kermit wasnt in such a good shape to hope for miracles. The fight with Darkness left him worst for ware, but buisness was buisness and Kermit wanted to at least try and get the LBA back on track.

They had arranged to meet at 12:00pm, it was now 12:05pm and Kermit was still waiting for JE to arrive. With him he had some paper's regarding the people involved in the Battle Royale that would take place on Havoc, and a metal brief case that contained his newly won Bleeder title, which he intended to give to JE, as was the original idea.

"You're early?" said JE when he finally arrived at the coffee shop, wearing his usual jeans, black t-shirt, black jacket and sunglasses combo.

"You're late." Said Kermit, with thrown on his face. Kermit was sporting his usual pin stripe suit and hat, plus a bandaged under his eye.

"Really, my watch must be slow." Said JE as he sat down.

"Where's Jess?"

"Out spending money. What happened to youre eye?"

"I got into an argument. But any way, let's get things going. I know that the original idea for Friction was to ambush TI and for you to take his championship, and then all hell broke lose and I won the title. So..." Kermit bent over to grab the briefcase, "I've decided to hand the title over to you." Kermit opened the briefcase, and pushed it in front of JE.

"I don't want it."

"What?" Kermit was taken back by this declaration from JE. He was expecting for JE to take it and say some smart-ass remark, but not this. "What do you mean you don't want it?"

"You keep it." This was the last thing that Kermit thought JE would say. "Ever since I won the Aftershock title, you and me have been at each others throats. I think we lost track at what we initially wanted from the LBA: you and me, at the top of TCW, and we cant let some stupid thing like me winning a title to get in the way."

"It's not that you won it, it's that you beat me for it, you stabbed me in the back."

"Like you would have done given the opportunity. Listen, all that it's in the past. People think that the LBA is over, I say that at Friction, we show them were as strong as ever. How about it, champ?" JE extended his hand across the table.

Kermit looked at it for a few seconds, before shaking the hand.

"Good man. What's that?" said JE, referring to the papers on the table.

"These? These are our opponents for Friction. Every thing we need to know about them is in these papers."

"Just like you, making plans before anything. Who we got?"

"Well, first there's Jason Dante." Kermit put up a picture of Dante.

"The champ? What does he want in this?"

"Not sure, but we should keep our wits up with him. Next there's Mr. Acceptable. Big guy, but shouldn't give us any real problems. Then there's you're little brother, K.I.D."

JE looked at the photo of his brother giving a wry smile. "He wont give us any problems, and if he does, you take care of him."

"Ok. Let's see: Shi, bah? Atomic Welfare? Bah? The Hammer. We've met him before."

"Yeah, he wont be an easy one. Plus, he's in Infinity."

"Yeah. This guy will far from easy." Kermit showed a picture of the massive Cage.

"I think he's gonna be the guy that every one will go after. But still, he's hard to handle."

"Highone. Hardy's little friend."

"Another Infinity dog. We'll have to keep and eye out for him as well."

"Myra Tripp? Bah. And last we've got Darkness."

"He's in the NHFC, right?"

"Yeah."

"Good. This will be the perfect place to show both Infinity and NHFC, that they're not the only ones in charge of TCW."

"I like the way you think, partner." Said Kermit as both men began to laugh.

*************************************************************************************************

K.I.D and Mr. Acceptable were relaxing in a bar somewhere in Winnipeg.

"So, how many is that, three matches cancelled so far?" said Mr. Acceptable, before taking a sip from his beer.

"Yep." Said the ever-laid back K.I.D, before taking a sip from his Red Bull. "Which is pissing me off."

"Oh well, sometime you've got to take the rough with the smooth."

"Yeah, I guess so. But I wish there was more rough than smooth."

"What are you talking about? I think not having matches is pretty smooth."

"Yeah, well. I want to compete, and that's not going to happen with them cancelling my matches."

"Man, this Canadian beer is strong." Said Acceptable, changing the subject, after taking another sip from his beer.

"I wouldn't know." Said KID, followed by another sip from his Red Bull.

"Well, I think we should head back to the...oh crap" Acceptable stop mid sentence as Shi and his contact Jason Lee entered the bar and marched in the direction of K.I.D and Acceptable.

"Hey, you two, get up." Said Jason. "Shi wants to talk to both of you."

"What about?" said Acceptable.

"Every time you two are booked in a match with Shi, it gets cancelled."

"What about the PPV, he lost in that one." Said K.I.D, who had not even looked at both men.

"Oh dare you talk like that to Shi. He's going to..."

"Jason, quiet." Jason stopped as Shi spoke for the first time. "You didn't win that either."

"Listen, Shi is it?" KID stood up from his chair. "I know where you're coming from. Ever since I came to TCW, all my matches have been cancelled to."

"I know that, I was in those matches."

"Oh yeah. Anyway, if you want to fight me, then lets wait till Havoc."

"Oh, I will, and in that match, you two are my first targets. But, I was hoping we could get some practice before Havoc. So, who wants step up?" said Shi as he looked at both men.

"Me." Responded K.I.D. "But no here, outside." All the people in the bar where staring at the four men, hoping that nothing was going to happen.

"Fine." Shi turned around and headed for the exit, followed by Jason. KID was about to make his way out of the bar, but was pulled back by Acceptable.

"Are you sure what you're doing?" asked Acceptable.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Said KID as he stepped through the door and into the cold Canadian night, and the expecting Shi.

To be continued...

Darkness and Kermit glared at each for what seemed like an eternity, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Kermit had no clue what the man standing in front of him was doing here, outside of adding another strange occurrence to an already strange night.

"Well? Come on Kermit. Take your best shoot." Darkness grinned.

"You sure you can take it? Kermit smiled back, bluffing.

Darkness roared with laughter.

"Can I take it? Can I take it he asks." He fixed his gaze directly into Kermit's eyes. "You will find... I can take an awful lot"

Kermit charged into Darkness for a football tackle, only to be knocked away. Kermit regained himself and took a swing at Darkness. Darkness dodged. And dodged another. And another before grabbing Kermit's fist in his own.

"Not good enough." He said before kicking Kermit in the stomach. While the mobster reeled from the hard kick to the gut, he was mockingly pushed away like a child pushes away a smaller playmate. The disrespect was not lost on Kermit who charged again at Darkness. A side step and an outstretched foot sent Kermit crashing into the wall.

"I expected more from the Bleeder Champ." Darkness chuckled at his fallen foe. Kermit glanced over at the title belt, still lying on the couch from earlier. What this the reason? Was that damn belt causing this? Darkness came up and delivered a quick kick to the face. He picked up Kermit by neck.

"You should have backed....DOWN!" and to punctuate the last word he threw the mobster hard into the wall. Kermit feel to the floor in pain. He looked up slowly at Darkness as the focused man approached him. But there is a problem with being so focused, and that problem was sneaking up behind Darkness in the nude form of Janice. In her hand was a bottle of liquid, hairspray, and Kermit Zippo. Her eyes betrayed her motive. They were, as Dr. Teeth liked to call them, Fire. Kermit started laughing, ignoring the pain such action was causing to his ribs.

"Glad to see you are enjoying this as much as I am." sneered Darkness.

"I wouldn't be so certain of that." Kermit said, still laughing.

The hair on the back of Darkness's neck stood up. Something was wrong here. And to prove it, he felt a cold liquid fall on his back. Snapping around he saw Janice throw the rest of the bottle's contents on him. He knew that smell. But rubbing alcohol? The click of the Zippo answered the question forming in Darkness's mind.

"Yes." Janice said in a cold voice. "I do like fire.....honey."

She pressed the knob on top of the hairspray bottle sending the flammable compound contained inside flying towards the open flame in Janice's hand. The fire reached out towards Darkness like a claw, grabbing his shirt, and dancing along the alcohol already socked inside. Darkness was on fire, in every literal sense of the word. But the flames did nothing more than distract him. He grabbed Janice by the throat and drew her close to him.

"I love fire baby." And he threw her hard into the bedroom, the bed breaking her fall.

"DARKNESS!" shouted Kermit.

He turned to see the silver image of a demon coming straight for his face. The Bleeder title connected with him hard. Harder than he thought was possible. He shook off the brief stunning maneuver only to get nailed in the chin by Kermit's foot. Darkness fell backwards and hit the wall.

At that moment, in the bedroom

Janice got up off the bed shaking her head. She regained her senses and went to run towards the struggle in the next room, fully intending to help her man. But a dark figure blocked her path.

"Hello cute stuff." The suit dressed man spoke, blood dripping from his shirt.

"Who the..." she was cut off by Raul's hand roughly cupping her mouth.

"Sshhhh child.....You're too much of a distraction to my boy. So we are going to take a little trip." He grinned, flashing a fang filled mouth. Pulling her into his arms, he brushed her hair softly with his hand.

"A little trip indeed."

And the two of them vanished.

Back to the fight

Kermit loomed over Darkness, Bleeder belt in his hands. He raised it above his head and quickly brought down towards to Darkness's skull. But the Man that Walks Alone was too quick yet again for the mobster. He deftly dodged the maneuver and rolled to his feet. Kermit, with blind hate in his eyes, went after the now standing foe. He got a hard punch to the face for his troubles, and felt Darkness grab his throat. His feet left the ground as he struggled to breath. Darkness glared at Kermit with a soft smile on his face.

"Good for now." And he threw the mobster into the air. Kermit felt like he was floating, until the hard glass surface of the coffee table reminded him he wasn't. He went crashing through the glass and landed on the ground in a hard thump, rendering him unconscious. Darkness slowly walked over to his fallen foe and tapped him with his boot.

"Out cold." Darkness said with a sigh, clearly disappointed. "But there is another to pay back"

Darkness turned and walked into the bedroom expecting to find Janice exactly where he placed her, but she was nowhere to be found. He looked around the room, but nothing. Nothing except for an odd smell.

"She must have fled" he muttered to himself. "No doubt to get assistance. Not like it matters now."

Darkness quickly left the hotel room and made his way to the streets.

"I made my point."


A couple of hours later

"Kermit......." Called a voice...

Kermit stirred, moaning in pain from his fight with Darkness early.

"Kermit......" the voice called again.

He could feel glass in him. A lot of glass. He blinked his eyes open slowly, trying to clear the haze from his head.

"Kermit! Wake up son!"

Kermit opened his eyes fully and saw his father sitting in a chair opposite him. He slowly sat up and tried to brush the glass from his body, but that only caused more pain.

"We don't have all night kiddo. Pull yourself together, we have a problem."

"Huh? What's going on.....DARKNESS!" he shouted as he jumped to his feet, his nerves firing in more discomfort. He looked franticly around the room searching for the man that beat the hell out of him. Running to the bedroom, he couldn't find Darkness or Janice.

"Janice!" he called "JANICE!"

"She's gone boy. Darkness took her."

His father was standing in the doorway, looking at his son with a mix of sadness and cunning.

"Where is she Dad? Where is Janice?"

Raul shrugged.

"I don't know kiddo. But I have an idea on how you could find out."

"What is it? Tell me!"

Raul grinned and pointed to Kermit's gun, still lying on the ground from earlier.

"Kill Jason Dante."

Kermit blinked.

"What? How will killing Dante get Janice back?"

"Think about it son!" Raul said, his voiced clear and cold as he walked up to his son. "You win the Bleeder title. Then, out of nowhere, Dante shows up to "warn" you. The man who has never paid a lick of notice to you in the nearly a year you've been in the fed suddenly shows up wanting to" warn" you. Doesn't that sound a bit strange?"

Kermit couldn't answer. Everything in the last eight hours had been more than strange.

"And then, again out of fucking nowhere..." Raul continued "Darkness, Dante's cohort in the New Hellfire Club shows up, beats the crap out of you, and takes off with Janice."

"But why Dad. Why would Dante have Darkness take Janice? It's make no sense!"

"He's scared of you boy. You proved when you won that title that you have what it takes. What's coming up soon?"

"Easter?" Kermit said, still a bit dazed by all that's happened.

"NO! Don't be smart with me son! Road to Glory! And what does the winner of the Road to Glory get?"

"A....title shot..." said Kermit, slowly starting to put the pieces together in his fragile mind.

"And who is the champ?"

"Dante!"

"Bingo! He's trying to scare you! He is trying to intimidate you! You! A Made Man and leader of the Gambono crime family! How dare him!"

Kermit shook his head.

"But kill him? Why? That would only get me busted Dad; you know I can't be involved in any hit! You taught me that!"

"This is different! You are dealing with a snake here boy. You need to cut off the head of the serpent before he sends that freak Hawthorne or that bitch Freya after you. You know he will. How about you take out that whole kooky club's leader. Remember what he did to Foz."

"But that.....was a dream....right? I think. I don't know anymore." Kermit sat on the bed, staring at the floor. His father sat beside him.

"That's why I'm here kiddo. I'm here to help you. To lead you to where you deserve to be. On top of it all!"

Kermit sighed.

"Don't go soft boy. He's got your girl. He killed Fozzie. He sent Darkness to nearly kill you. He deserves to be punished. He deserves no mercy."

"No...mercy..." Kermit repeated.

"No quarter."

"No...quarter...."

"Go get dressed. You need to look sharp. The last thing that weirdo should she before he dies is you, looking at him, dressed in your best duds, showing him that you, Kermit Gambono, are better than him."

"Better than him." Said Kermit, giving into his Father's instruction.

He rose off the bed and changed. He took deliberate care to make sure everything was perfect. Every button, every seem, every line. He did it without even knowing. His actions were slow, and yet purposeful. Glancing at the mirror to make sure his hair was groomed; he didn't even notice his eyes. The light hazel color around his pupil had darkened to one of pure black, like the night sky. The silencer was locked into place and slide into his jacket. Out the door he went. He went to kill Dante. And behind him, in the hotel room stood his father, finger's twitching. Twitching like a puppet master making his marionette dance.

Acolyte tapped his fingers irritably on the smooth mahogany surface of the desk of the Grande Bibliothèque du Québec in downtown Montreal. At this late hour the huge, modern building was empty, its wide, circular galleries that were usually teeming with students and academics now silent like some vast Necropolis of knowledge.

Acolyte was not exactly at home in a library. He'd been a smart kid at school, but his traumatic childhood experiences had led him away from academia and towards fervent religious observances. He didn't do so much thinking these days, which was usually for the best given his confusing situation in the New Hellfire Club. The tired-looking librarian watched the huge blonde man with a largely disinterested but somehow still accusatory gaze. Aco smiled tightly but then turned away and puffed out his cheeks, looking for something to engage his interest. Dante's connections had allowed them to enter the library at this time of night, even though the albino himself was nowhere to be found, but even the money that would change hands in return for this unusual service didn't make him feel less awkward.

Finally he breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the white-clad shape of Selenia walking down the steps towards him, a book clutched to her chest. He walked towards her and smiled. "Did you find it?"

She regarded him with a flat look before holding out the object in her hands. "Yes, Cordazer. I found it."

He coloured and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. Yes, obviously you found it. Was it...uh...difficult to track down?"

"A little. Most of the collection here is French."

"We could have tried the Jewish Library..."

"Well that would have been ideal for the last book I was looking for, but this time we're moving away from ancient Israel..."

"Huh?"

She nodded towards a table and chairs set apart from the main reception area in a small alcove and the two of them seated themselves with the book between them.

Acolyte frowned at the title. "Sigurd the Vols...Volsa...uh?"

"Sigurd the Volsunga," Selenia explained. "It's an epic poem based on the Volsunga Saga."

"What's the Volsunga Saga?"

Selenia rolled her eyes extravagantly. "You really ought to know. William Blake once said that the Volsunga was ‘the great story of the North, which should be to all our race what the tale of Troy was to the Greeks.'"

"Oh. Right."

Selenia opened the book and began to pore over the contents for a few moments. "I know the basic story," she told her companion, "but some of the details escaped me, so I wanted to check my facts."

"What's it about?"

"It's about the greatest Viking hero of all; Sigurd the Dragonslayer."

"Oh. What was so great about him then?"

Selenia related some of the tale for him, skimming over the details for now. "He was the son of King Sigmund, but raised in exile after his people were slaughtered by their enemies. He became a companion of a crippled old smith called Regin who tells him the story of a treasure called the ‘Andvarinaut' that the trickster god Loki stole from its master as payment for his and Odin's freedom after they killed a powerful king's son. The gift was tainted though and it corrupted its bearers - the son of the king killed his father for it - and then bore it away into the wilderness. Eventually its evil power transformed him into a monstrous dragon."

"Cool," Acolyte remarked. "Then what happened?"

"Well, going back to Sigurd, he gets sent on a quest to kill the dragon by Odin, but Regin leads him into a trap and only after Odin warns him and Sigurd manages to eat some of the dragon's blood so he can understand the language of the birds does he realise Regin will betray him."

"What did Sigurd do to him?"

Selenia shrugged. "He killed him."

"Wow, seems kind of harsh. Why did Regin want the...the Andvarinaut..." he said the word haltingly, with each syllable separate, "...anyway, if it corrupted everyone?"

"Oh, it turns out he was the one Loki stole it from."

Acolyte frowned. "So all he wanted was his property back after Odin and Loki took it?"

"Um...I guess..."

"And then Odin helped this new guy...Sigurd...steal it again?"

"Well, yes."

"What happened then?"

Selenia waved her hand, "Sigurd is supposed to marry a Valkyrie called Brynhild, but there's some confusion involving his adopted brother. I forget it all," she pointed at the book, "hence why I'm reading this. Ultimately the ring ruins everything though."

"The ring?"

"Oh, yes, the Andvarinaut was a golden ring."

Acolyte nodded in understanding. "You think this has something to do with this Promethean Ring business of Darkness's then?"

"I do."

"But how does it help us?"

"Because," she explained, "so far, the story of this ring has been like a mirror to what's going on in his life. If we can figure out what aspect of the Volsunga Saga reflects Darkness's current situation, we might be able to figure out where he's going and what he's doing."

"And what if you have the wrong story?"

Selenia looked up and waved her hand around the huge library. "We'll keep looking ‘till we find the right one..."

* * *

Darkness stalked through the streets of Montreal. He had shrugged of the effects of the fire easily enough, his regenerative powers healing him with supernatural speed. Kermit had proved little obstacle to him - that was just as well, since he planned to destroy him in the ring at Road to Glory just like all the others. Now he had found out what he needed to know, he was even more certain of himself.

So who did that leave?

There was only a handful of individuals who he considered a threat to him and he had beaten almost all of them. Those he hadn't would have to wait - now, he reflected, was not the time to seek out Stikmore or Drakus.

He ran a hand over his rough beard and considered his options. Hammer was one whose name jumped out at him but, despite his recent dealings with the so-called ‘Muslim Megastar' he found he bore the man little ill will. They had been through too much.

Still, Infinity remained a thorn in his side. Titanium Insomniac? No, he was too removed from the group. If he wanted to send a message to Infinity tonight, he had only one real option.

* * *

Selenia shook her head. "I can't see anything in here that's useful." She slammed the book shut. "Maybe I was wrong..."

"I don't get the story anyway," Acolyte said as he rested his chin on his palm, failing entirely to conceal his boredom.

"What don't you get?"

"If Sigurd is such an amazing hero, why is he such a prick?"

Selenia blinked at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well it's like I said before - Regin just wanted his ring back and Sigurd conspires with Odin or whoever to kill him. It doesn't seem very...heroic..."

Selenia made an ‘ah' noise and nodded in understanding. "You have to understand," she explained, pointing at the book, "that this tale dates back to well before Scandinavia was Christianised. Sigurd's morality is...uh...Viking...pagan..."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that he doesn't value selflessness and duty like a Christian hero would. His whole life is dedicated to achieving fame and glory. The heroes of pagan cultures are often thieves and murderers. They commit massacres and enslave women and children. We're talking a more primitive ethical system here; a tribal way of thinking that emphasises great deeds and the furtherance of a certain way of life through violence and conquest."

"So Sigurd isn't really supposed to be a ‘good guy'?"

"Not in the way we understand it no. Neither is Odin for that matter - he was manipulative, cunning and, at times, downright evil. The Vikings worshipped him because he was powerful, not because he was virtuous."

"So it's all about..." Acolyte paused, a light dawning in his eyes, "...glory...?"

"Yes. Why?"

The big man stood up excitedly. "Hang on...hang on..." he murmured. He looked around him and finally located a computer. Seating himself in front of it, he flicked the machine on and waited for a few minutes while it booted up. The librarian was still looking at him disapprovingly, but he ignored it now.

"What are you doing?" Selenia asked him with a frown.

"Looking at my e-mails..."

"Why?"

"I should have received the fixtures for Havoc by now."

He clicked around for a few moments longer before finally opening up his gmail inbox. "Ignore the porn," he grimaced before bringing up the relevant message.

"What do we have here then? Darkness is scheduled to face Accidental Genocide?"

"No, look," Aco pointed, "it's been postponed. I guess Joyride couldn't get cleared this time."

"Makes sense. So what match is Darkness in now?"

"This one." He pointed again.

Selenia frowned. "Choice of spot in the...Road to Glory? I forgot all about that! Darkness is in it...?"

"Uh huh."

Selenia straightened. "He's going to be in the Road to Glory this year, and he has a chance to make his mark at Havoc too."

"Yeah, and you can bet your ass he intends to win both Road to Glory and this battle royal."

"Right. He's looking for glory. It's just a short step from giving in to his anger like he did against Joyride to giving in to his desire for this victory."

"Which means he's becoming a pagan...or something..." Acolyte suggested.

"Yes, more or less. It's exactly what I thought - Darkness isn't becoming more evil and selfish, he's turning towards ambition and anarchy. He'll destroy everything in his path to get what he wants."

"Where do you think he'll go?"

Selenia looked at the other participants in the match. "I don't know, but checking on all the guys in this match might be a good place to start. I don't know if he even knows he has a match yet, but this is a who's who of TCW...he'll be wanting to take every one of these participants out if he wants to win Road to Glory."

Acolyte sighed and looked at his watch. "I guess we're in for a long night then?"

* * *

Jason Dante had no fear of a long night. He had no need of sleep and he intended to make the best of the additional hours of activity that gave him. He flung open the door of Valerie Stern's office in Winnipeg and saw the redheaded Commissioner busy packing up her files and papers.

"Can I help you, Dante?" Her eyes flicked towards the clock, "I'd make it quick though..."

"Why? Have you got a microwave meal for one that's going to go uneaten?" Dante growled.

"You seem in an unusually sarcastic and arrogant mood today," she observed dryly as she straightened and folded her arms beneath her breasts. "What exactly do you want?"

"I have some time to kill. I thought I might spend it thrashing out some contractual details with my boss." He threw himself down into the chair opposite her desk.

"Right. I've already had one of your colleagues trying to play hardball with me today. I'm not sure I need it from you too."

"Oh? Who else pissed you off?"

"Your old friend Hammer," she replied, seating herself in her own large chair.

"Ah, great fun."

"So what's your problem?"

Dante levelled a pale finger at one of the pictures on the wall behind Stern's desk. A number of photographs of some of TCW's biggest stars sat in frames hung on the painted brickwork of the spartan office. Highone, Matt Strikmore, the aforementioned Hammer, but there was one in particular that Dante took exception to.

Stern turned to regard the image that offended the World Champion with a flat stare. Darkness's lean form stood atop a turnbuckle, his chest covered with blood he had shed during one of his more brutal matches. The picture appeared to be from ECF Endgame after Darkness's victory in the Death by Degrees match. She cocked an eyebrow. "You have a problem with Darkness?"

"Yes."

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Stern said slowly, "but isn't he supposed to be your stable mate?"

"Yeah, I thought so too."

She clasped her hands in front of her. "Jason...I understand that you're a little flummoxed by the actions of your partner in your match at Friction but it was my understanding that the NHFC preferred to handle matters like this...internally. It was made clear to me when I came into this position that it would be in my best interests to leave you and your...likeminded...companions to your own devices and, in return, you would provide TCW with your not-inconsiderable talents in the ring, no questions asked."

"Right. Good. That's how I prefer things. But I thought it would also be in your best interests to know that the NHFC might not be around for much longer at this rate."

Stern raised her eyebrows. "Is that so? Well then, that could be a problem."

"I thought it might be."

"I don't need to tell you how popular your stable is. Darkness is, by some quite considerable margin, our highest seller of merchandise. His last DVD was TCW's best selling of all time and the demand for the joint DVD you and he are putting out is already outstripping supply..." she clicked the mouse on her computer a few times and glanced at the screen "...fourfold."

"You were talking about the stable?"

"Well, there isn't a lot of NHFC merchandise out there. But there will be - we've received designs for t-shirts, a foam hand..."

"A what?"

"A foam hand. It's red and has a pentagram design instead of a hand on it. It's shaped like flames."

"Right..."

"There's also beach towels, bandanas, a baseball cap, jewellery..."

"Jewellery?"

"Yes, pendants and such. Some in designs matching your tattoos, a pentagram, one that matches Darkness's cross icon."

Dante sighed. "Did we sign away the rights to all these images?"

"DanteCorp did. I have the signature of a...uh..." she reached for a sheaf of documents from her bag and fanned them out on her desk "...well, it's just a ‘J' and an ‘X'."

"That would be Jay Ecks then."

"I suppose so."

Dante nodded. "Well, then you have a problem. I can't guarantee that, by Road to Glory, there's even going to be a New Hellfire Club."

"Yes, I do have a problem. And so do you."

"Tell me about it..."

"No, Jason," Stern fixed him with a humourless smile, "I mean you have a problem with your contract in that case."

"Pardon?"

She slid a document over to him. "All TCW stars are contracted to fulfil certain conditions. You've been an excellent champion for this company, but you've been a better cash cow."

Dante looked from the contract to Stern and then back again.

"Darkness has made us an awful lot in merchandise, but he's made us far more in advertising from bumped up ratings as well as gates for shows. He was the most popular World Champion in years."

"So?"

"So you're lucky he's still on your side."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dante growled, throwing his contract down on the desk.

"It means that, without him, you wouldn't have made us nearly the revenue that you have. The Dante versus Darkness program between Road to Glory and Endgame last year was, according to the figures, TCW's most profitable period of all time. The two of you are ratings dynamite together and there was a huge downturn predicted after Endgame. You have no idea how relieved the Board of Directors were when you two decided to team up and form a stable."

"Are you saying," Dante murmured, his mind working faster than a normal human's could have, "that my continued employment in this company is, to some degree, conditional on me working programs with Darkness?"

"Not ‘to some degree' - the word we'd prefer is ‘entirely'."

"Fuck off."

"Pardon me?"

"You're bluffing," Dante told her, "and I'm done with this conversation."

"You started it, Jason. Your warning about the NHFC's possible dissolution is very bad news for TCW and for you."

"Yeah, right."

"The figures speak for themselves. If you want to keep your job and your titles, I suggest you work out these problems your stable is having."

Dante stood up. "That, or I take out my frustrations on him in the ring..."

Stern stared at him. "Are you suggesting Darkness versus Dante II?"

"If it comes to it."

"Then it may be a different matter..."

Dante shook his head. "I don't need this now. I don't need what I'm going through to be muddled and mixed up in all this business talk."

"Then why did you even come to my office?"

"I thought you might have been a sympathetic ear."

"Ah, then it looks like you haven't been paying enough attention to my management style, Jason," Stern smiled calmly.

"Apparently not."

Grunting a goodbye, Dante turned and stalked from her office, more angry than ever.

Light filtered through the blinds of Atomic's Hotel Room,piercing through the darkness of his room. Dust wisped through the air, falling slowly onto the uphoistery of the Wrestler's seat. Atomic Welfare was hunched on an armchair, hislarge bulk of a body enclosing around a small Blood red mark. Voices started to swarm Welfares mind:

FAILURE! YOU COULDN'T EVEN GET ONTO A FRICTION CARD, YOUR DESTINED FOR RUIN

YOU CAN'T RUN AWAY FROM US SMITH, WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS

THE MASK IS YOUR ESCAPE FROM THE PROBLEMS OF THE REAL WORLD, FROM THE SHELLSHOCK, FROM THE DEATHS ON THE BATTLEFIELD, FROM TERRY NUGENT...

Welfare's eyes were shut, it looked like he wanted to scream, it was as if he was in serious pain. Anguish engulfed his face. His arms were shaking and he continued to grip the mask, as if it were his prized possession. After moments of painful struggling Atomic Welfare dropped the mask, back into a small oak box, [adlocked from the world and hidden underneath Atomic's plain mattress.

"I need some air" He said to himself...

Highone was bored, he had done a bit of a plunge down the career ladder since he lost to Dante, not that this was unusual or strange, it was pretty much normal. It had taken him a while to realise that the events leading up to the match against Dante not the loss to him and his damned Gilded Cage was the reason he felt down.

He had realised that things more dangerous and more uncontrollable then a mere match was on the loose in the fed brutal matches he could handle, he healed relatively quickly and was more then adapt at taking a beating. But Dante had shown him hell, the albino at least claimed that it had been hell, Highone couldn't shake that or what had happened to his girl. He was about to get up from his seat in the hotel room in Winnipeg the fed had set him up with, when the door opened, no knock no questions, it simply opened and a man Highone knew all too well stood in the opening, his outline against the brighter corridor didn't hide his identity at all.

*****

Anger gave way...sadly for the pale man it gave way to depression and as close to fear as he had been for years. Life had been rough but understandable, he had been through strange situations and events that would turn a man into a crying ruin of a person, Dante had handled it and come out swinging.

He had turned out to be the son of the Devil, the scion of Hell.

He had dealt with it.

He had lost Selenia twice.

He had brought her back for good.

He had been cut by Darkness.

He bore the scar as a badge of honour.

That name, Darkness brought nothing but misery to him now. The man he had been proud to call a friend, the first real one he had ever made in the fed had turned into something Dante didn't understand, they had both been honour bound to help each other out and Darkness had just left when Hammer dropped him on his head, he had walked out as if their pledge had meant nothing.

He put the key in the lock and opened the door before the door even opened he felt better, his nostrils could already feel her scent and his skin craved for her warmth. Selenia was his safety blanket in many ways, she kept him sane in a world where insanity was the only reasonable escape from the violence and the flith.

As he stepped in he felt her scent, that warm soft smell of her hair and the very smell of her beauty, as he felt it all worries ran away and he felt an overwhelming urge to hug her and to bury all his woes and just show her that he loved her.

She was laying on the bed and without turning around he knew he was there.

"Hi"

Her reply was the same.

He undressed and joined her in bed and at least for the time being Selenia and Jason let all their worries wait outside the door.

Hours went by.

The sun started to raise over the horizon and a stray sunbeam struck Dante in the face and awoke him from his slumber.

"Jason?"

He looked at her and smiled.

"Don't you ever consider sounding tired out of politeness?" He asked with half a laugh in his voice.

"No, not that I can remember." was the reply.

He laughed and kissed her.

"I meant to ask you about where you were last night Jason."

Dante felt his mood turning sour again.

"I was out."

"That's a teenager's reply Jason."

"I know. You of all people should know where I was, Selenia."

"Well I don't, you shielded me out Jason." The tone of her voice told him that she felt that he did that too often.

He sighed.

"I know...I went and talked to Stern."

"Oh." Selenia knew that of all people in the fed only Stern, Hammer and Highone could bring out what was left of the old Dante in Jason.

"About what?" She asked.

"Darkness...the club...sh...stuff like that."

"What did she say?"

Dante felt like he didn't want to tell her, he wasn't in the mood to ruin this morning by retelling what Stern had told him. But Selenia pressed on and he told her the whole sordid thing.

"You think you may have to fight Darkness again?"

"It sure looks like it, if the club dies I don't see I ave much of a choice, do I?" The question almost contained a challenge.

"I'm not sure Jason..."

"Neither an I...All i know is that I won't let my career die because of Stern being a bitch..."

Selenia didn't recognise the man she had grown to love even more the last year, she crawled closer to him and tried to give him the warmth and comfort he needed. She fell asleep shortly and her troubles went out while she was asleep.

Problem was, that Jason Dante did the same thing...

*****

"What the...Darkness? Man it's three fucking AM man...What do you want?"

Highone asked but got no reply.

"Jesus, you scare the shit out of me by entering my room uninvited in the early fucking morning."

It was OK Darkness thought, he knew that Highone had other things to do then to sleep.

"Do you mind telling me what the fuck you want?"

Highone's tirades were getting more and more curse filled, the man was obviously under stress.

Darkness grinned and thought "That makes two of us."

Then an arm pulled back, a hand turned into a fist and then night turned red.

*****

Ten minutes later the door was flung open again. The man who entered now was again no stranger to Highone, he was someone he knew well and disliked as much as his previous visitor.

Dante was about to ask Highone if he had seen Darkness and where he was when his former opponent turned to him. A black eye and two streams of dried blood under his nose was enough of an answer to the first question.

"Where is he?"

"How the fuck should I know, the asshole decided to punch me n the fucking face...twice."

Talk about being overly clear Dante thought.

Dante walked up to Highone, looked at the nose, it wasn't broken but Darkness at least he felt sure it had been Darkness had left it in a bad way.

"I asked you a question Highone...a question tend to be followed by an answer."

"Why the fuck should I tell you anything?" Dante knew that Highone was far from a coward, he was from the looks of things upset and angry. The attack it seemed had come without warning.

Then Dante saw the look on Highone's face and for some reason it made him boil.

"Because if you don't I'll make sure you jerk the curtain for the rest of your fucking life Highone." Dante said while he took a step closer to him.

Highone seemed unimpressed by Dante's attempt at being threatening and simply grinned.

"How the hell should I know where your boyfriend went Dante...you let go of his hand and he decided to try to level me because of that..."

That fucking rumour again...Dante hated it, every time that slur or rumour surfaced he wanted to bash the person responsible in the face.

Suddenly he was glad that Darkness already had done that.

A few minutes later, the door closed behind Dante and he could hear Highone curse as he cleaned his face from the streams of blood.

Darkness had gone insane.

Dante looked up into the Winnipeg skies as it began to drop a torrent of spring rain on him.

"Nice morning for it." He said to himself as he walked down the street unaware that a man dressed in black was following him.

*****

Hours later, Mutaaz Tareef rose from his knees after the morning prayer, he yawned slightly a yawn he had been able to hold back during prayer. He rose to his feet and looked out the window, it was nice but not necessary to have a window in the direction of Mecca, when he had found the window he had smiled an thought it was appropriate. He yawned again and went to the kitchen of the hotel room to get some breakfast. He only got half way there when a knock on the door interrupted him.

"Now who the hell can that be?"

He opened the door and found a man and a woman standing outside.

"Selenia...Acolyte..." Selenia thought he sounded like he was telling an outside party who they were.

"What the hell do you want at this time of the morning?"

Acolyte, always an enemy of long talks got straight to the point.

"We're looking for Darkness."

"Well you sure picked the wrong room, he isn't here."

Selenia cut in.

"No but he will..."

"Why?"

"Call your buddy, Highone..." Selenia suggested.

For some reason Hammer did just that.

*****

He saw them come and he recognised them both, he knew who they were and he had a clue why they were here. Neither the woman nor the man were the one he was looking for. He holstered the gun again and waited. Kermit Gambono was a patient man, he had time to wait.

*****

About half an hour later Acolyte stepped back into his hotel room. He took off his coat and sighed. There were times that he regretted taking Dante's offer, this was one of them. Dante had gotten into his face about shit Acolyte didn't even think would bother the half-satanic bastard. He sighed and took a glass of water.

"You're gonna need something stronger to wash that taste away Aco..."

Acolyte didn't even turn around, he knew that Dante was there.

"No, your sour taste is hard as hell to drink away."

Dante rose from his seat.

"Aco, I wanted to talk to you...I wasn't fai..."

"Cordazer, I think if sound something new..." Selenia stepped into the room carrying a book. She paused as she saw Jason standing there face to face with Cordazer.

"Hi, Jason" she sounded worried but knew she had no reason to be worried at all.

Dante said nothing, he just looked at her and the at Cordazer, again he felt his ire raise. Acolyte missed this and started talking.

"Well you see boss, we found something about this ring shit..."

"I don't give a shit about any fucking ring..."

"We, read...what?"

"You fucking heard me Cordazer...what the fuck is she doing here?" He pointed at Selenia.

"She...I...We..." Cordazer didn't have a good way to explain why Selenia was in his room carrying books without entering a long winded discussion that Dante had already made clear he wasn't interested in.

"Selenia...leave..." Dante was short and almost hostile in the way he told her to leave.

"Jason, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Think! That's really fucking great Selenia, that's all we ever fucking do think. Oh I think this may be Lillith again 'Oh, this seems to be the abyss at work'. I'm sick of just babbling about shit, we are supposed top be telling the people what the fuck is going on in the world and what do we fucking do? We talk and read fucking books!" Dante said as he threw a book from the table.

"And you..." He pointed at Acolyte.

"You have the fucking audacity to come to me and whine because you lost a fucking match...a fucking match. I talked to the fed's own little Frau Führer last night and do you know what she told me? She told me that she fucking owns me! She owns me! I built a business from zero, I too the ruins of a life that my parents pissed on and made myself great, I made the fucking cover of Time magazine for fuck's sake! Valerie Fucking Stern says she owns me and the entire fucking club and you whine because you lost, get fucking used to it.

I fucking have!"

Acolyte was about to protest when Dante had regained his steam.

"You two play your fucking university games and think the solution can be found in fucking books...you read the Lord of the fucking Rings."

"Eh yeah..."

"We so did I. I read it when i was fucking fifteen! I'm so sick of this, and then I see you two all chummy and friendly...don't mind me, I'll fuck off to hell and let dear old dad fuck me in the ass while you two play love birds."

"JASON!"

Selenia was mad. No that's the wrong word, she was both angry and frightened. This Jason she hadn't seen in over a year, this Jason had died in the desert of Nevada she was sure of that...yet here he still was.

"That's enough Jason."

Dante looked at her and behind the rage she thought she saw a glimmer of guilt and regret, the glimmer of guilt and regret vanished as the man that had shown it stormed out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him. Selenia looked down at the books that she had read and Dante had hurled to the floor. She sighed.

"Hey, are you ok?" Acolyte asked.

"No, are you?"

"No."

"I thought so."

Then she started to cry.

*****

Hours later Dante walked into an office he owned in Winnipeg, he couldn't face going back to the hotel and seeing Selenia this soon after he had just made an ass of himself. He let his mind drift back and the anger took over again.

"Selenia and Acolyte...nice fucking couple."

He remembered the infatuation Cordazer had had with her when they had first met, Dante was sure that he loved her. To make matters worse, he knew that he still loved her and had probably killed it all off tonight.

The club was dead.

His career was dead.

He had no friends left.

He was alone.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a case. He fingered it for a bit and then opened it. He took two objects from it, a syringe and a small bottle. He tore the wrapper of the syringe and filled it with the sickly green liquid.

He looked at it for a good five minutes and thought about what he was about to do, then he jammed the needle into his arm and emptied the syringe.

He sat there as a wave of nausea washed over him and the he curled into a foetal ball on the couch and went to sleep while the serum too effect.

An hour later, just before dawn was about to break an man entered the office building, on silent feet he walked up the stairs and past the sleeping guard. He entered the waiting room and saw a man on the couch, the man was obviously sleeping.

He grinned, this was perfect. Revenge at the crack of dawn.

He walked slowly over to the sleeping man in the din of the early morning he saw the scar on the face, it was Dante al right.

He pulled out the gun, checked the silencer and released the safety. Then hi pointed the gun at the man on the couch and spoke.

"Wake up you murdering fuck!"

Dante woke up and groggily looked at the man who stood by the couch, He saw Kermit standing over him holding a silenced gun pointed at his head.

Kermit looked down at his intended target, not even seeing that the man he was aiming at wasn't an albino anymore.

We go to Great Britain at the home of Nigel Harrison where Shi and Jason are at, the two of them stand in front of his office door, it was the first time that they both have ever seen his home. Even when Shi and BadBoy were held hostage, it was inside of a generic, white room with no personality at all to it. The home was nice; it was what Shi was expecting, a nice size mansion, old style look, paintings everywhere. The door opened Shi walked in with Jason behind him. There were body guards standing on either side of the door, there were two more bodyguards standing on either side of Nigel's desk. Nigel sat in his office chair, Shi and Jason couldn't see his face as his back was to them.

Jason: Nigel we're here

Nigel: I know, congrats to you Shi, you've done a great job so far.

Nigel waved his hand away motioning for something, as he did this a young woman in her 20s rose up from her knees and wiped her mouth. With an annoyed look on his face, Shi could hear the sound of a zipper being moved. Nigel turned around in his chair.

Shi: Did you just want to show us that you could get blowed whenever you want or do you have a point?

Nigel: I always have a point Shi, you see I'm a selfish man and I don't like when people are allowing their side work get in the way of what they're goals are supposed to be. I know you have this "wrestling" hobby.

Shi: You make it seem like I'm collecting cards, I'm fighting Nigel.

Nigel: I know, now I can't make you stop fighting so I've come to the realization that a compromise needs to be made. I read up a lot on TCW and its history is filled with corruption and crime. I want you two to monitor what's going on and report back to me everything. You have a match coming up that features a lot of the roster, get tabs on all of them.

Shi: Fine but it won't be easy, I need better equipment, I may be good looking but people aren't going to let me get close to them.

Nigel: You underestimate your employer, let me show you something.

Nigel stood up from his desk and walked towards a door that Shi just now noticed, it wasn't marked and it blended in with the rest of the room.

Nigel: I want to show you how we track down our criminals, welcome to the Information Age.

Nigel pushed the door opened, Jason got wide eyed while Shi remained cool but in the back of his mind he was impressed and a little weary. In front of him were large main frame computers and a large map of the world on screen. People were feverishly working but with the exception of typing, not a lot of noise was being made.

Nigel: We have satellites Shi, satellites that have the ability to follow anyone, anywhere anytime. These are at your disposal, also here's a tracking device, GPS just for you.

Nigel handed him the GPS tracker and Shi stuck it in his pocket.

Shi and Jason both turned around there was nothing else to say, they had their orders now they had to follow those orders...even if it meant death.

.......................

(Back to the present)

Shi and Jason stood outside waiting for KID and Mr. Acceptable, the cold air in Canada didn't faze Shi at all as he took off his jacket, handing it to Jason. Shi shadowed box little bit as he jumped in place, he notice Jason didn't look to thrill over the prospects of a fight.

Shi: What?

Jason: Nothing except that I don't know, do you really need to fight him right now?

Shi: No I don't but I am I can take this guy all right? I've faced tougher competition.

Jason: It's not that Nobu, it's the fact that you don't think its a little cliché to fight outside a bar in the middle of the night? It's a little cheesy and we're supposed to be cool, cutting edge, not some walking stereotype.

Shi stopped jumping and looked over at Jason expressionless.

Shi: What are you talking about?

Jason: It's just that you have a match, you're both wrestlers people are expecting it that's all I'm saying.

Shi continued to look at Jason this time not countering with a rebuttal, as he thought about what Jason said, KID and Mr. Acceptable both walked out of the bar. Shi finally responded to Jason's words.

Shi: I'm a fighter Jason, it's what I do.

KID continued walking towards Shi meeting him face to face; they both stood outside in the cold neither one looking down or away, neither guy wanting to blink. This was it for KID he was going to prove he was a fighter, a real threat in TCW. He's been wanting to fight and release all of the pent up emotion, stress and anger and Shi was going to be the target. Shi smirked at KID's scowl; he then backed away showing disrespect by having his hands down.

Shi: Let's make this interesting, I'll give you one minute, one minute to give me your best and if you don't it's over. I guarantee though, you won't beat me you won't even connect with a punch.

KID: And if I do?

Shi: I'll tell you the secret to picking up women

KID: Deal

Shi smiled and set his watch for 60 seconds, he looked over at Jason and winked at him and tossed him the watch.

Shi: On Jason's call we'll start.

Jason: GO!

Kid ran at Shi and threw a front kick but missed it as Shi dodged it, he countered with a back heel kick knocking Kid down. Shi backed away and quickly moved his feet, taunting Kid with his fingers, motioning him to come at him. Kid obliged him and ran at him again, he quickly threw some punches but Shi easily dodged them never throwing a punch himself.

Jason: 30 seconds!

Kid's flurry wasn't working at all; it seemed as if Nobu knew what he was throwing before he even threw it.

Kid: What the hell?

KID annoyed and getting a little tired KID lunged forward throwing his leg but that didn't even work as Shi caught it, he spun KID around.

Jason: 10 seconds

Shi ducked expecting Kid to go for a Dragon whip but instead Kid feigned a kick and dropped lower, sweeping Shi instead. Shi quickly kipped up back to his feet getting in his stance.

Jason: Time!

Shi: Women they're all the same!

Shi back flipped towards Jason and put back on his jacket, Jason handed him his watch back and showed his cell phone. Nigel's number appeared under the miss calls.

Shi: I would love to continue this "fight" but I have business to take care of Kid.

KID: What are you afraid?

Shi: Yea I'm really scared Kid of you, no I have far more important business to take care of. I'll see you in the ring!

With that Shi and Jason walked away from Kid and Hagan

Kid: See Chuck no harm done.

"Where is Janice?"

Kermit stood over Dante, still lying on the couch, with the pistol a few inches from the champion's forehead. Dante ignored the weapon, instead looking directly at Kermit. He saw the hate burning in those orbs, and Dante knew this was not going to be a good night for somebody.

"How should I know Kermit? I've never met the girl."

"Don't lie to me Dante!" Kermit shouted as he hit Dante across the face with his gun. "Where is Janice?"

Dante snapped his head back at Kermit, now with anger showing clearly on his face.

"I will tell you once again. I...don't...know..."

Kermit took a few steps back, gun still pointed at Dante, who decided to sit up since he now had the chance. He saw a small flash from the barrel, heard a very light pop, and felt the bullet fly past his cheek. Dante didn't flinch, even though it did startle him. Kermit was known around TCW for his violent temper, but never anything like this. The mobster used goons, henchmen, whatever you call them. Rarely did he do anything in person, leaving it up to his lackeys. But this, this was different. No goons, just Kermit with a gun.

"Warning shot Dante. I wouldn't miss again. Last chance. Where is Janice?"

"I don't fucking know. And why the fuck do you think I have anything to do with whatever happened to her?"

"STOP LYING TO ME!" Kermit roared. "You tried to frighten me early tonight with your stories about the Bleeder belt. When I didn't flinch, you sent your chum Darkness to rough me and take my girl. I am not a freaking idiot Dante!"

Darkness went after Kermit? Why?

"I can assure you, I have nothing to do with that."

"I said stop LYING!"

Dante stood up off the couch and looked Kermit.

"Listen to me kid, I am not lying. I did not send Darkness after you, he does what he wants!"

"Sit back down!"

Dante ignored this directive.

"And I don't fucking like you breaking into my room with a gun in my face. I have done nothing to you Kermit, except warn you about that cursed title!"

"You killed Foz! You let that cunt of yours rip out his heart you bastard! I won't let you do the same to Janice!"

Anger rose in Dante. That insult would not go unpunished.

"What...the fuck....did you....just say?"

"Where is Janice, Dante?"

"I asked you a question!"

"I'm holding the gun!"

The two stared each other down. Rational thought was gone for both men along with logic. The anger flowed from each of them, permeating the room with its heavy emotion.

"I will tell you for the last time. I do not have your girl and I did not send Darkness after you. If you don't want to believe that, fine. But either get the fuck out of here or shoot me. Either way, do something."
"Kill him kiddo. Before he can hurt Janice." Raul whispered into Kermit's ear, appearing right next to his son.

Dante's eyes went wide as he saw the thing standing next to Kermit.

"Kill him boy." Raul directed again, looking over at Dante with a nervous glance.

Dante looked back at Kermit.

"What have you done?" he asked.

"KILL HIM!" shouted the mobster's father.

Three near silent pops went off. Three bullets flew towards their target. Three explosions of blood erupted from Dante's chest, knocking the champion to the floor. Dante lay still, blood lightly flowing from the wounds in his chest. Kermit stared at the body lying before him, as slowly the haze in his head lifted. He blinked, taking in his surroundings. Then he noticed the unmoving body on the ground, and the gun in his hand.

"Nice work kiddo."

"What.....what did I do?" he asked, still confused by where he was.

Raul smiled at his son.

"You made me proud boy. You made me very proud."

Kermit took a few steps back from Dante. He stared down at the body, then back to his smiling father before leaving the room in a hurry. Once he hit the street, he ran.


Mutaaz Tareef sat patiently cross-legged on the floor. If what Selenia and Acolyte said was true, and by what he heard from Highone it was, then Darkness would no doubt show up for him. But unlike Highone, Mutaaz would be ready for him. Ready, centered, and focused. Darkness would have Hell to pay should he come looking for a fight.

His eyes opened as a knock sounded at the door.


Kermit ran until his legs were too tired to carry him anymore. He was still in shock and confusion at what had just transpired. The past few hours seemed like a blur. He remembered, albeit vaguely, waiting outside Dante's hotel. He remembered an argument, but the context of it was lost in his confused and fractured mind. Then there was Dante, lying on the ground, bullet holes in his chest. Had he done that, or was it another dream. Kermit sat in an alley as the sun began to rise.

"Dammit Kermit!" he shouted at himself. "What is happening to you man!"

He smacked the back of his head against the wall in frustration.

"You did what you had to kiddo"

His father was leaning against the opposite wall, looking down on his son in mock sympathy.

"You had to pay him back for daring to have you assaulted and your girlfriend taken. It was his choice."

Kermit jumped to his feet.

"NO!" he shouted. "I had a choice, I think. But I didn't have to do that. How do we know Dante sent Darkness after me huh? We don't!"

"Come on son, we know he did. And you did what you had too."

"I didn't have to kill him like a...."

"A murderer?"

Kermit locked eyes with his father.

"I am not a murderer."

"Yes you are son!"

"No! I have never murdered anyone in cold blood until you showed up! Ever since you came to "help" me, I have taken innocent lives! That's not who I am!"

"Yes it is! Remember Don Sbezzo? You killed him yourself while he was walking his dog."

"He had you killed Dad! I was getting revenge for YOUR death!"

"Revenge is still murder! And Jimmy Marco, you killed him because he was going to rat you out to the Feds. And Shawn Blaine, and Scott Smith, and Franklin Slack, and Alan Roberts, and"

"ENOUGH!" Kermit shouted. "Yes, I've killed people, but they all brought it upon themselves! That girl Hardy had, she didn't deserve it! And Dante, we don't know he did anything against me!"

Raul walked up to Kermit and got face to face with his son.

"Murder is murder. Sin is sin. Accept it. All the excuses in the world, all the reasoning, will not change the fact that you are a killer. It's what we are son. You know that deep in your soul. And you cannot escape it."

Kermit cast his eyes to the ground. His father was right. Kermit was a killer despite all the lying he did to himself and all the justification. Raul put his hand on Kermit's shoulder.

"You can't change fate kiddo. All you can do is stay one step ahead of the Reaper. I tried, and failed. I don't want you to fail. That's why I'm here. You need me Kermit. You need my advice and my guidance. Otherwise, you would have self destructed by now. But never forget, you are already damned.

Kermit just nodded. He was damned. He knew it. Nothing would change that.

"But...you can try to prevent such fate from continuing."

Kermit looked at his father.

"Do you love Janice?"

"Yes."

"Then save her. Save her from the New Hellfire Club. But for the time being, go get some sleep. Dante death will stir the hive, and you will need plenty of energy when the bees come out to avenge their queen."

Kermit nodded, and began to walk out the alley.

"And kiddo?"

"Yes?"

"I'm proud of you."

And at that moment, Kermit's last bit of reservations vanished. Raul had pulled the right strings over and over. As Kermit exited the alleyway, Raul's form shifted to his true appearance. A tooth filled maw smiled at his latest manipulation. Love is such a great tool to use to damn the unknowing.

Dante's hand fastened itself around the arm of the couch and slowly, purposefully, he pulled himself up. There was blood everywhere, and it stank of sulphur. That was the Hellfire, he knew, the strange, invisible substance that floated like an oil slick on his vitae. It also healed him.

He began to laugh. Kermit hadn't known what he was up against, hadn't understood the nature of his target. It would take more than that to kill Jason Dante.

Dante prodded his chest experimentally, saw where the bullets had entered his flesh and, gritting his teeth, his fingers began to probe the ragged ruins they had left in their wake. With a swiftly indrawn breath he reached within his body and pulled out a lump of misshapen lead, still warm to the touch.

"One..." he whispered to himself, depositing the remains of the bullet on the table in front of him.

Steeling himself once more, he reached in for the second bullet, slowly pulling it from the entry wound and, with a high-pitched cry, yanking it wholesale from himself.

"Two..." he breathed, dropping the second bullet onto the table next to its partner.

He sank back into the couch, closing his eyes and breathing heavily. No other man - with the possible exception of Darkness - could have survived what he just went through, but that didn't mean it wouldn't take its toll. His Infernal heritage gave him many powers, but he was still built of meat and bone like a man. The damage would leave him weakened and in pain for days, weeks, perhaps even months.

But no healing could begin until he had rid his body of the last of the intruders. With a grimace, he reached into his chest one final time, rooted around, cried out again, but eventually found what he was looking for. He wrenched the last bullet out and with it a terrifyingly large quantity of wet flesh and blood. He gasped at the new pain as the lead object fell from his fingers and landed with a small thud on the carpet.

"Th...three..." was all he could manage as he doubled over, his hands pressed against the bloody wounds on his chest, trying to stem the flow of blood.

Minutes or hours passed. Dante couldn't tell which. He didn't cry out for Selenia in his mind. He wouldn't allow himself to touch her, or to admit his weakness to her after what he had said and thought. This was Jason Dante's pain...Jason Dante's war...

After what could have been an eternity of lapsing in and out of consciousness, Dante thought he heard a voice. It was familiar, but he couldn't place it.

"How the mighty have fallen, Jason..."

He was unable to reply. For a moment he was seized upon by the notion that he was still paralysed.

"Listen to me. Don't try to speak. I'm here to help you."

He did as he was bidden.

"Your enemies have conspired to make this happen. They think you are dead, but you have survived and you can still scupper their plans."

"Why should I do as you ask?" Dante enquired of the empty air in a broken voice.

"You've tried looking out for number one, Jason, and where has it left you? Without Darkness you're nothing. Without Selenia you can never be victorious. Listen to someone else for once and maybe you'll live."

Dante laughed to himself. "Alright," he whispered, "tell me..."

"This plan is not without risks...you must walk into the jaws of the Abyss..."

"What do I have to lose?"

"Everything, Jason."

* * *

Kermit seated himself in front of the desk in his hotel suite. He worked swiftly, preparing his arsenal with a practiced hand. Each weapon was cleaned, primed and fitted back together before being placed to one side.

He reeled off the list aloud.

"Tec-9, Desert Eagle, Glock 17, Walther PPK, Colt Python, MAC Ingram..."

More than enough, even if Darkness proved as formidable as his reputation might indicate. The others, he knew, would go down easily enough. He'd be sure to make it a headshot next time though...there would be no taunting, no conversation. He'd do what he had to do.

"And a good job too."

He glanced up, his eyes alighting for a second on the silver belt that sat on the other side of the desk from his weaponry. The man with the eyes like shattered glass was back.

"Pardon?" he asked the stranger calmly.

"Do you think you did enough to kill him?"

"I shot him three times."

"We're talking about Jason Dante here. Do you have any idea who and what he is?"

"He's a dead man. That's what he is. A corpse."

The visitor shook his head. "Nope. He lives."

"How do I know you aren't lying?"

"Why don't you ask your dad?"

Kermit felt the presence of his father behind him and he turned. Raul Gambono wore a face like thunder as he regarded the interloper in his son's suite.

"What is that creature doing here?" he asked with barely concealed contempt.

"Do you two know each other?" Kermit asked, looking from one spectral figure to the other. For some reason, this situation didn't feel the least bit strange.

"Oh, we're old friends," The Bleeder smiled, showing off his bloodstained fangs.

"Quite."

"And there's one thing we can both agree on...Jason Dante is still alive..."

Raul frowned. "How could you know that?"

"Dante's an old friend of mine. Everyone knows that."

"Then why would you tell me this?"

Bleeder shrugged. "That's for you to puzzle out, Raul. I can tell your son where he can find Dante to finish the job."

The ghost of Kermit's father shook his head. "You have something up your patchwork sleeve, Bleeder..."

Kermit's eyes lit up. "Ooooh...that's who you are..."

The two figures ignored him. "I always have something up my sleeve. It's time to play the game, Raul - trust me or not. You can listen to me and I'll show Kermit where he can find Dante or you can ignore me...and he'll continue to live and you'll achieve none of your aims..."

"Speak," Raul spat.

* * *

The door opened and Hammer spun around, his fist cocked. He paused when he saw the slight woman who had entered his room but then became immediately wary again when he saw the looming white shape behind her.

"You two weren't exactly what I was expecting," the former boxer frowned.

"Good," Selenia nodded, "we got here before him."

"What's going on here?" Hammer asked, still frowning.

"We're not sure yet," Aco chimed in from behind.

"No," Selenia agreed, "but we think we know what to do."

Hammer narrowed his eyes. He refused to trust either of these people, but something from his past, from his faith, told him to listen. "Alright," he murmured, "tell me what to do..."

* * *

Darkness entered the hotel room and found it empty. His eyes cast around, searching for somewhere his target might be hiding, and then alighted on an open window. A swift breeze from outside stirred the curtains.

"You'll have to be smarter than that, Mutaaz," Darkness grinned, moving towards the window and looking out to the fire escape that was easily accessible from the sill. He looked down, saw the ladders that were still stowed away and then up, where they gave an uninterrupted ascent to the building's roof.

"Bad idea, Hammer," Darkness said softly, climbing out and then swiftly moving up the fire escape.

* * *

"You thought you could escape?!"

Dante stumbled back from the blow of the pistol butt that impacted against his fragile-feeling skull. Nowhere near recovered, he was easy prey for Kermit now.

"This time, I'm going to make sure this kills you!" Kermit levelled the pistol at Dante's forehead. The leader of the NHFC was sprawled on the rooftop, finally at the mercy of Kermit. Both men had been lead here by the same creature, and both wondered if they had been betrayed.

Suddenly, Dante's eyes widened as he saw a dark shape bound onto the roof behind Kermit. He watched, stunned, as Darkness drew his sword in one swift motion and, tossing it from one hand to the other, spun it in a wide arc towards Kermit's unprotected neck.

Kermit's finger was depressing the trigger on his gun...

Two paths opened up before him. Either Kermit or Darkness would be faster. If the former, he would die now - he could survive a bullet in the chest, but one in the brain was too much for even his Infernal constitution. If the latter, Darkness would kill a normal man and Dante realised suddenly, with crystal clarity, what that would mean.

Two paths, and both lead to damnation. There was no third path...

"There is always a third path, Jason."

He knew what he had to do in that instant. Faster than thought, Dante raised his hand and summoned from within him all the Hellfire that coated his blood. He drew it into a ball of twisting fire and, with a bellow; he hurled a bolt of incandescent fury across the rooftop.

In that moment, all the colour drained from his body, his pale complexion returning and his hair becoming bleached white again. His eyes lit up with red fire and his fangs lengthened. His demonic body was emptied of everything that was unnatural to it as he unleashed the deadly blast.

Darkness's sword clattered to the floor and Kermit turned, his own weapon forgotten, to stare in shock at his enemy who now stumbled back and released a cry of pain that Dante never thought he would hear from the warrior's lips. Darkness dropped to one knee, then both Kermit and Dante looked down to see him cradling his left hand...

No...

Cradling the place where his left hand had once been.

With a look of astonishment, horror and searing agony, Darkness lifted the blackened stump and looked at Dante imploringly. "Why did you do this to me?" he demanded hoarsely.

"I...I did what I had to do..." Dante stammered.

Darkness roared in anger, louder than a thunderstorm and, to Dante's eyes that could pierce the ethereal plane, there was a great shockwave of fire with Darkness at its epicentre that pulsed out across the rooftop, across the city, maybe across the entire world.

Kermit's body wavered in the storm and Dante saw the ghost of whatever possessed him disappear though not, he suspected, forever, and the mobster stagger and fall.

Dante tried to stand, to go to Darkness and explain, but in a second, the warrior was gone, leaping across the city and disappearing into the night. Dante watched him go, then sank back onto the concrete.

They had indeed walked into the jaws of the Abyss, but they had emerged victorious. He wondered though, if this victory was worth its terrible cost.

Suddenly, Dante doubled over in agony and began to retch. His stomach was wracked by cramps and he felt like he hadn't eaten in weeks. Looking down at himself, he perceived that he was leaner, more muscular than before. Somehow, all alien influences on his body - food, fatty tissue, the serum that had restored his human colouring - had been driven out by his harnessing of his Hellfire.

Not knowing what else to do, Dante lapsed again into unconsciousness.

* * *

Outside the boundaries of space and time, The Bleeder watched Darkness howl his despair into the night. "The cost was high," he murmured.

"Yes," his lover agreed, stepping up behind him, "but it's one he must pay. He cannot be allowed to wield the Ring."

Bleeder turned and looked into Ta-Te's golden eyes. "It seems a crude solution..."

"Maybe so, but it saved Dante...and the other one...and if I must take his other hand to save us and our world too, then I will..."

Tired...


Tired...


Tired...


I feel dead, I feel as if my head had been wrung like a cloth and my braincells set on fire. One thought runs in my mind.

Must eat...Must drink...

I crawl and it feels like the desert of Nevada again. Even though I'm far from sure I have a feeling something has gone and died on me again. A few more painful crawling steps and I reach...something.

A pair of boots, attached as they should be to a pair of legs...a pair of pale legs that look fairly great. I look up into a beautiful female face that I have seen somewhere before. She smiles a and my world goes belly up.

*****

She could sense it, Acolyte usually called what Selenia did smelling it. It was as if she knew what you thought even before the thought crossed your mind. Acolyte thought back to when he had at first seen this black haired woman, it had been before Dante hired him...while he still was...

He paused and almost spat.

...being led around by Dragon. He had seen her and the bottom of his heart had fallen out. She was he had decided then and there the very reason the sun rose every morning. Sadly he had fairly quickly realised that Jason Dante his fire...no his boss Acolyte decided was of the same opinion. He had also seen that Selenia only had eyes for the albino. Of course it had pained him but he had let it go and moved on...or at least that was what he told himself. Now he looked at her and felt in control....for now.

"I hear the champ didn't take me grabbing his attention all that well?" Hammer asked with a grin that annoyed Selenia.

"That's one word for it." She shot back.

"Oh it is? You have any more I guess..."

"I don't...Jason did."

"Most of them would be bleeped on national television I assume" Hammer asked with his grin widening.

"The ones people would understand yes..." Selenia replied as coolly as she could.

"What bugs me Tareef..." Acolyte began "...is the why?"
"You think i need a reason to dislike him Aco?"

"Normally, sane people have a reason behind why they dislike people..."

"How about him beating me at Stranglehold...is that normal enough?"

Acolyte interrupted.

"No, the guy had his neck broken...a feeling you and I know him and I share." Acolyte didn't know why he stuck up for Dante, the albino had scalded him for something petty a while ago and Aco had felt that the ghost faced bastard had gone too far...Of course, Acolyte only had a limited understanding of what going to far meant for Jason Dante.

"Oh that little accident..."Hammer replied, the smirk back on his face. Clearly he was enjoying this.

"Accident?" Acolyte was happy that he held back the explosive anger he felt.

"You dropped me on my neck...destroyed it with a Burning Hammer!"

"It was a game situation" Hammer said with a shrug.

Selenia had heard enough.

"Game situation? Game Situation?" She fumed.

"Listen to me and listen well Tareef, you may see this bullshit as only a game and some fun between guys...but trust me I don't. Every time Jason goes out to a match I feel sick of worry, sick of worry because of ass holes like you who try to maim him. Bastards like you who try to win by crippling make me sick!"

Hammer shrugged again.

"What can I say...that's the rules of the game."

Selenia slapped the Muslim for those words. She took in air and quoted her beloved Jason when she said:

"Tareef...just Piss off!"

With that she turned around and walked off with a grinning Acolyte in tow.

*****

A soft and almost silken voice caressed Dante's ears.

"Jason? Jason...are you awake?" The cold hard concrete slab made its presence known as Dante's spine struggled to realign.

"Yeah..." The voice was still weak, nothing more then a whisper.

"You need to eat" She said.

"I'll help you Jason."

The voice was seductive and the woman's smell was intoxicating. Dante felt as if he grew stronger near her.

She helped him up and they staggered off to a nearby diner.

*****

Selenia's eyes welled up in tears, tears of anger. She had spent the last few minutes spewing obscenities Acolyte wished she had no idea what they meant...and some in languages he had never heard before...that in itself was something he was thankful for.

"Selenia..." he began. "Tareef just wanted to piss you off..."

"He damn well did." She scraemed.

"Hey now I didn't do anything to you..."

She calmed down.

"I know Cordazer, I know...It's just that...I love Jason so much and..."

Acolyte suppressed the "he doesn't love me" he half hoped for.

"He hurt you?"

"Yes No! Jason is special, he carries two worlds with him everywhere he goes you know, he feels as if he is torn between them and can't find what side to stand on."

Acolyte had heard this one before, he was fairly sure Alexx had done the same thing a few times.

He felt a tang in his heart when that thought passed through his mind.

Selenia was apologising for Dante's behaviour, typical behaviour of someone in n abusive relationship.

"He has never hurt me, I look in his eyes and see...almost worship." Selenia continued.

"But right now you don't know where he is?"

Acolyte cursed to himself, he wasn't trying to drive a wedge between Dante and Selenia...was he?

"No." She replied in a small voice.

What Acolyte did next was what he felt cam naturally, he put his arm around her shoulders and said.

"You know, I've known Dante for a while...well not known as such but I feel that i know him well enough to know that he'll pull through this."

Selenia gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek.

"You are a good man Cordazer..."

That made him a bit embarrassed.

"Well, no I power bombed my ex-girlfriend through a wind shield and treated her like shit..."

Selenia didn't know what to say in reply.

"Well...I hope you learned from it."

"Oh I did, I just hope I can patch things up again."

They walked on Acolyte with his arms still around Selenia's shoulders as he had forgotten to take it away from there. The whole thing looked a bit less innocent then it actually was.

*****

He had assaulted the fairly distasteful pasta as if it was the last meal for a gourmet, he had attacked the cola as if it had been Pearl Harbour and he had been a Japanese pilot. Now he was resting and relaxing after regaining some vital energy. At this point, he saw the woman who he still saw in a blur as a Samaritan, an attractive Samaritan but still.

"Feel better Jason?"

He didn't even wonder whys he knew his name or why he recognised her blurry face.

"A little..." he replied as if he was a child.

She gave him a warm laugh.

At this point a pair walked by, Dante sat up because he recognised them both Cordazer Smith and Selenia. Dante rose from his seat to greet them when he saw Cordazer lay his arm around Selenia and her telling him that "You are a good man Cordazer...".

Inside Jason Dante something broke. On the chair beside his, Razor also known as Lillith smiled, Dante's friends had just helped her get a foot in. The house was scheduled for emotional demolition but she needed this estate for her plans. Now she had a sacrificial champion and wasn't forced to sacrifice her own Spike.

Dante stared in disbelief and anger as Acolyte and Selenia walked off, Acolyte with his arm still around Selenia's shoulders.