Dante sat down with a thud and a groan. Tumbling from the ring maybe looks easy but anyone who felt like asking why he was groaning could have gotten a long lecture on exactly why it hurt like being hit by a 2x4 in the lower back. Dante leant back and let his advantages take care of the niggling injury and the pain it caused.

He sighs as the door opens and Selenia and Meagan walk in...well Selenia walks as Meagan hasn't gotten past the being carried stage yet. Dante smiles as he sees his daughter and wife. They share a kiss and Meagan hands Jason his daughter.

"Daddy is sorry he couldn't with the match for you, honey...he tried, but a big oaf got in daddy's way."


Meagan's only reply to this was slight giggle that lighted Dante's mood considerably, at least until Meagan started frowning as the smell of sweat her father gave off.

"Sorry, Meag...can't help it."

Meagan gave her father a disgruntled frown again and he handed her back to her mother. Meagan seemed to almost slot into her mother's arms and as she found herself at ease she promptly fell asleep.

"Did you hurt yourself when you got eliminated?" Selenia asked.

"Yeah, a little...nothing that a demonic treatment won't soothe...or maybe the touch of my fair lady can deliver me from the grasp of agony!" Dante said almost dropping to his knees in faked pain.

Selenia laughed.

"You're talking this much better then I thought..."

"Not really, I didn't want to act like an arse in front of Meag..."

"I don't think she'll mind." Selenia said and nodded towards their sleeping daughter.

"Maybe not...but...you know...I could have won it..."

"Yes, of course Mr. New father...I know you could have." Selenia said before kissing her husband.

She frowned.

"Meagan was right...you do stink."

Dante got up and grabbed a towel. As he walked to the shower he gave out a fake, heartbroken sigh.

"Betrayed by the women I love...betrayed for the sake of the smell of sweat." He sighed again.

Selenia's heartfelt laughter accompanied him into the warm shower.

*****

Valerie Stern got up from her desk and walked up to Indigo and shook her hand.
"Congratulations, you truly deserved the win Indigo."

"Thank you Ms. Stern...I eh..."

Indigo felt a bit embarrassed by the whole situation, she had been the recipient of a fair share of back pats and even a back slap by a less the focused Matt Strikmore...he had apologised though.

"So, now that you're in line for a shot at Darkness belts...how do you feel?"

"Eh..good...mostly...to be honest I haven't decided that I'll challenge for his titles yet...."

"I see...What can i say Indigo, while I understand that you might want to get the FWRfed title back, the ECF and 411fed world titles have more history, more weight, more...are more important in our business. You would walk in the footsteps of people like Rachel Hunter, Coren, Bruce-666, Acid Misfit, Mansion Fan, Kristina Marie Lawless and Jason Dante...Men and women who have not only made their impression on the business but who have changed it in their own image...great champions that the world remembers...and as much as I understand your feelings for the FWRfed belt...I can't help but feel that you are giving a much greater legacy away...you could reshape this company, this business...image the wrestling world in your own image, Indigo...Imagine the children you could inspire."

"Oh...that's...nice..."

"Yes, it is...You must understand Indigo that I have an eye for talent and I see great things for you...great, great things...if only you...you know..."

"Yes...I'm sorry Ms. Stern but I'm too tired to make a final decision tonight..."

"I understand that but I do assume you want to know what is next for you, right?"

"Well, yes I do."

"I have booked you in what I would like to call a warm up match, you know to get you in a swing for End Game..."

"Oh ok..."

"I found an opponent for you that knows very well what the End Game main event is all about...a veteran, a real test for you."

Indigo said nothing but as she had kept her eyes on the TCW the last few years she already had an idea of who Stern was talking about.

"So at Friction you will be going up against Jason Dante...that match alone will boost our ratings tremendously."

"Oh...yeah...I bet." Indigo said...for some reason she felt a bit intimidated by this Dante guy, Darkness she had met before but Dante was an enigma of sorts for many backstage. She tried to shake it off and put her unease at rest by trying to tell herself that she just thought he looked a bit weird and all...she didn't believe it but she tried.

Stern put her hand on Indigo's shoulder.

"I take it you want to get back to your hotel and get a good night's rest after this, right?"

"Yes, I do...and thanks for the congratulations...I'll get ready to face Dante..."

Indigo left and as the door closed behind her Stern sat back down.

"I hope you will, he'll be a real litmus test for you, Indigo..."

*****

Indigo knocked on the door to Jason Dante's dressing room. She half hoped he would have left the arena already but somehow she knew he was in there. The door opened and Indigo froze, a woman...Dante's wife she reminded herself opened the door.

"Yes?" Selenia asked.

"I...I'm Indigo...I'd like to speak with..."

She wasn't quite sure what to say, Mr. Dante sounded too formal...and a bit too respectful, Jason sounded too familiar and too casual...she settled on asking.

"I'd...is Jason Dante here?"

Selenia smiled.

"Yes and no...he is in the shower and if you try to see him there you're going to answer to me."

Indigo paused for a brief second before Selenia's hearty smile made her laugh and relax.

"Oh not to worry Mrs. Dante...I won't."

"Selenia..."

"Pardon?"

"My name is Selenia...Mrs. Dante makes me sound too old."

Indigo laughed again, Selenia looked maybe 25 or 27 at most so Indigo understood the raven haired woman's joke perfectly.

As the two women spoke, Dante emerged from the shower, as he did he froze in the middle for a step and disappeared into the shower again only to return wearing pants a few seconds later. He walked up to Indigo and shook her hand.

"Congratulations on the win..."

"Thanks..."

"You eliminated Darkness, that's pretty impressive."

"Yeah, I...listen...I hope you don't mind me coming here to."

Dante laughed.

"Not at all, the only one I'm annoyed or angry at is the bigoaf that gave me a pain in my back."

"Oh...That was Mike...Mohawk he is...no was..."

"I know." Dante said...it's no big deal. "So are we going to get our first female champ since Rachel Hunter then?"

"Maybe I'm not sure I'll pick his belts yet..."

"I see..." Dante replied.

"He's beatable though...I mean you beat him." Indigo said eager to switch subjects and failing at it.

"Yeah, he's an old fox though...tough as leather."

"Yeah..."

Indigo looked at Dante, looked him straight in the eye, and as she did a strange idea took shape in her mind...he looked almost exactly like...

"Jason...if you don't mind me asking...Do you have a brother?"

Dante's face grew significantly more cloudy.

"No." The answer was short, icy and normally allowed no continued prying in that direction, but Indigo couldn't help herself.

"There is this guy I have met, he's called..."

"I have no brother..."

"But you look."

"Listen...you won, that's good for you...and I'm sure you'll have a great fucking match with Darkness and I'm certain that you would like some advice on how to beat him, but I can't give you any...he is the best and your dead against him, ok?"

"I just thought that you and..."

"No, we don't...Good bye!"

Dante slung a shirt on and stormed out. Selenia walked up to Indigo and put her arm around the woman's shoulders.

"He's just upset at losing...he's a horrible loser...don't worry about it, I think he'll be knocking at your hotel room door in half an hour asking for forgiveness...he is like that sometimes." Selenia said thinking that if Jason didn't go on his own accord, she would damned sure make him go and apologise...Just don't worry about it, it wasn't your fault and he will get over it quickly."

"Oh, ok..."

Indigo left the locker room feeling deflated, Dante seemed like a nice guy but that thing with a brother had just made him explode. She shrugged and tried to tell herself that Selenia was right.

Indigo walked back to her own locker room to collect her bag. She put Dante out of her mind. Selenia was probably right; he was just annoyed about the match. She put her hand to her throat which was still sore after the mechanical grip of Darkness's prosthetic hand. She wondered if it was going to bruise or if she got some witch hazel on it it would be okay. She was going to have to watch out for any more antics like that if she did decide to go for his belts.

What was she thinking of? Going for his belts? The was doing this whole thing to get back to FWRFed and take her belt back, wasn't she? Even she was being taken in by this silly speculation.

"I think he was out of order."

Indigo looked up as a tall, skinny man stepped out of the shadows. She didn't recognise him as a wrestler - she was certain he hadn't been in the Road to Glory, anyway.

"Can I help you?" She got a better look at him as he walked towards her. Under the fluorescent lights, the blonde man looked pale and sallow. His eyes had a haunted, sleepless look.

"Spike." He held out a hand, which Indigo shook. It was cold.

"Did you want an autograph or something?" She patted her wrestling shorts, just for show really, "I'm afraid I don't have a pen or anything."

Spike let out a low chuckle. "No, love, I want to have a rabbit about Jason Dante. Or rather, the reason he just acted the way he did."

"I'm sorry, but what's that got to do with you?"

"Me? I'm his brother, darlin'."

**

Selenia stepped into the bedroom and quietly shut the door behind her, leaving Meagan asleep in the adjoining room. She turned to see Dante putting something in a drawer next to the bed.

"What's that?"

Dante jumped and turned quickly. "Oh, nothing. Nothing important I mean."

Selenia slid into bed next to him. "Oh, come on, what are you hiding? Did you buy me something nice?"

"Do I need to buy you nice things? I thought you loved me for my sense of humour and boyish good looks?" He pulled her close, but Selenia wasn't being distracted.

"No, come one, show me what you're hiding." She tried to lean past him.

"Okay, okay, I'll show you." He turned back to the drawer. Selenia noticed the bruises that covered his back, though they were already fading. Dante brought out a small box.

"What's in there?" Selenia raised an eyebrow.

"Secret." He gave her a schoolboy grin. "Think you can keep it?"

Selenia rolled her eyes. "Come on, Jason."

Still smiling foolishly, he flipped open the box. Inside was a plain gold ring, completely undistinguished. Immediately, Selenia jumped out of bed, eyes wide in astonishment and horror.

"Where did you get that?!"

"Novamori had it..."

"Don't you think he might want it back?" Selenia's voice was getting louder. She took a deep breath. "What did Freya say about you taking the Ring?" Her voice had now gone dangerously quiet.

"Well I didn't ask her. And she wasn't exactly in a position to do anything about it. Don't you think it's better that I look after it?"

Selenia started to pace across the room at the end of the bed. "I can't believe you brought that thing here. You've put your family in danger by doing this, Jason - you didn't even think." She pulled on her robe. "You need to get rid of it, Jason. What if your father came here and tried to claim it? What if Darkness found out you had it? Do you know what he and Freya went through to get it? It's not yours."

She opened the door and the noise of Meagan starting to stir could be heard. "You need to give it back to Freya, or your daughter and I are going back to Chicago. I'm going to give you the chance to do the right thing because I love you, alright?"

Dante stared after his wife as the door closed behind her. His anger started to simmer and his skin blanched. He looked down at the Promethean Ring, nestled in its box.

She didn't understand. This thing was his now; his by right. The werewolf proved she couldn't look after it - it was because of her carelessness, carrying it around in her pocket like that - that it had fallen into the hands of the demon Novamori. Freya was nice enough, but she wasn't the right person to look after something as important and powerful as this. That's why he'd had to take it.

He lifted the Ring from its box and held it in his pale hand. Attuned as he was to the infernal energies of Hell, he could feel the awesome power trapped within it. The power to enslave a Fallen Angel and protect the Earth from his fury...and now that power was Jason Dante's...

Indigo looked at Spike with real, honest distrust in her eyes.

"He said he had no brother."

"Yeah, he'd been known to say that...but I still am 'is brotha!"

"Sow hat do you want from me?" Indigo asked.

"I wanna warn ya..."

"Warn me, about what?"

"About Jason....'e's not what 'e seems ta be. He can seem kind, friendly and sociable...but underneath that exterior is the cold heart of a raving psychopath."

"I can hardly believe that!"

"No? I hear 'e kicked ya out when ya said 'e 'ad a brotha...ain't i right?"

Reluctantly Indigo nodded.

"Ya see, 'e's afraid that I'd steal 'is thunda...ya know, 'e fears that 'is brotha would be better a wresslar then 'e is."

"But you were in the TCW, a while back weren't you."

"Yeah, much good that did me...the second I got there 'e got into Stern's ear and started bad-mouthin' me. I wasn't ready, I wasn't the right guy for the fed, I didn't wressle a TCW style and otha pieces of bullshit like that. Just look at my records, I lost every damn match I was in...and I feuded with 'im and his buddy Darkness...and that guy...that guy 'e's as bad as 'is buddy, Dante. All that's bad, but just wait till ya factor in the business with 'is wife!"

"But, I met Dante and his wife...he seemed nice and she seemed just as nice...they seemed to truly love each other."

Spike grinned.

"Ya thinks she dares to behave any otha' way?"

"..."

"Dante more or less bought her, 'e does things like that, once 'e is done with her 'e'll do ta 'er what Darkness did ta 'is wife..."

"Darkness was married?"

"Yeah, 'e 'ad a kid an' all...then he grew bored with it and away she went."

Spike could see Indigo swallowing hard as the words "...and away she went." left his mouth.

"He..." She couldn't get the words to leave her mouth.

Spike simply nodded solemnly.

"An' Dante will do the same thin' when 'e gets tired of his current babe..'e has done that before. Since 'e joined the fed, 'e 'as 'ad three "valets"...none a' them are around any more..."

Indigo seemed horrified enough that her intuition had gone on strike.

"Wh...why are you telling me this?"

Spike smiled as kindly as he could.

"'Cause I like ya, babe...an' I don't wanna see you go away too." He said while getting up from his seat. He patted the disturbed Indigo on her shoulder and left the locker room without a further word.

As the door shut behind him, a wide grin spread on Spike's face. He had taken his first step on the path to become what his demonic brother had failed to become...a true to the word corrupter. He managed to restrain himself and didn't break down into a mad cackling laughter until he had left the arena behind him.

Indigo on the other hand felt disturbed and very uncomfortable. Dante had seemed so nice until she had mentioned his "brother", she did know that psychopaths always seemed nice and social...Spike on the other hand was obnoxious, but sounded honest.

She sighed and decided to go for a walk to clear her head.

*****

"I'm going to give you the chance to do the right thing because I love you, alright?" Dante repeated in a mocking tone.

He grumbled and rolled out of bed.

The ring was his, after all he of all people in this damned world had the right to the key that kept his twisted and corrupt father locked away. Freya was so small and so easily hurt, he had to protect her and he had to hold on to this ring, besides it was HIS ring now, his and no one else's.

He got dressed and put the ring back in his pocket. He threw a coat on and walked out without even speaking to his wife, she would just try to...try to...take his ring from him. He stuck his hands in his pockets and he walked down into the lobby and as the ring slid on his finger he felt a surge through his body, he felt more powerful then ever before. All the sadness and worry disappeared, Jason Dante had walked out of his room a downtrodden man, but he left the hotel as a god in human form.

He walked towards the arena as that was the only place he really could find in the city, as he got there he saw a group of fans, at least he assumed they were fans walking away from a bar located in the same building as the arena.

The fans were clothed in the normal assortment of TCW merchandise, Darkness shirts, Desean Blackwell caps and the odd Dante T-Shirt. As he crossed the street he saw that one of the fans had broken off from the group and was headed his way. Dante grumbled tried to hide in his coat.

The fan was defiantly drunk, and dressed like his apparent hero...Jason Dante, he even shared the albino's skin colour.

"Hey!" the fan slurred in perfect California English. "Are you who I think you are?" he asked sounding almost in awe.

"No." Dante replied.

The fan staggered over to him and a wide grin appeared on his face.

"Yes, you are...You...Your my hero, man!"

Dante sighed.

"Thanks."

"Yo... *burp* your much better then Darkness, dude!"

"Thanks."

"I mean I travelled all the way from LA to see you wrestle again, I mean you guys have like been away from the US for a long time now."

"Yeah, we have...these tours take time."

"They sure do, dude. Hey can I like get an autograph or something?"

"Sure." Dante said with a sigh and signed the fan's TCW program.

"Thanks dude...you rock!"

"Yeah, I do." Dante said trying to sound convincing.

"Hell, man lemme buy you a drink!"

Dante looked at the young man, he was barely 25 and had travelled to Argentina from his home to see him wrestle. For a brief moment Dante wished Stern was here so that she could see that he defiantly still had fans. Dante felt that he didn't want to deal with a drunken fan and possibly get to say hi to La Plata's finest. Normally he had no problem with going for a drink as his metabolism would nullify the intoxication in no time, but at the moment a plethora of factors made him feel grumpy and ill at ease, and the last thing he wanted to do when he was in this mood was to hang out with people. He gave the young man a pat on the shoulder.

"Dude, you seem to have had quite enough already...how about a rain check, huh?"

The young fan seemed to take this in the wrong way.

"Hey man, I support you...buy shirts, watch shows...I travelled to fucking Argentina so see you, man...when I wanna buy you a drink, you fucking take it ok?"

"Calm down, man...I appreciate the gesture but you need to..."

Dante didn't get any further as the fan got straight into his face.

"There are a bunch of us who live for you, man...we follow your matches, keep up with the news, we're your most dedicated fans...And as soon as I can afford it I will have my skin bleached so I can look like you!"

"What?!" Dante exclaimed.

"I mean, you are like the reason we go on, man."

"Listen, what kind of freak are you? Do you think it's nice to walk around looking like a human fucking ghost? Don't you think people stare at you as if you carried a plague or something like that?"

"I...I don't care man, we have found our path...and it's the same as your path...man."

Dante shook his head.

"No, you DO NOT want to walk my path, trust me...you don't have the slightest fucking clue what that paths leads to."

"Oh, I like sure do...Mr. From the City of Dis."

"That's just a wrestling gimmick."

"Oh yeah, and how did you do what you did to Lance Canada then?"

"Special effects..." Dante's voice trailed off as his excuses grew lamer and lamer.

"Listen, man don't bullshit me...you're some kind of Superhero, right? Like you know Superman."

"No."

"Give it up, man...I know what I have seen!"

"Listen I..."

At this pint the fan grew extremely angry.

"Fuck, man I'm telling you...I have seen what you do and I want to help you...I...I mean we can be your sidekicks...you know...just give us a bit of what you have!"

At this point a connection went wrong in Dante's brain, fatigue, boredom, anger and frustration combined to increase the feeling that these jokers, like Selenia was after his ring. He grabbed the fan by his coat and pushed him against the wall.

"No, I won't give you that...that belongs to me!"

"We just want to help!"

Dante lifted the fan off of his feet as if he weighed nothing and pushed him harder against the wall.

"You can't help, no one can...as long as I have this I'm the only one who can help anyone...I don't want any sidekicks, I don't want followers, GOT THAT?"

"Yeah, sorry man...I'm you know just a fan..."

Dante stared a hole through the fan.

At this point, a woman walked around the corner on her way out from the arena, as she saw a man holding another against the wall she paused and stared at Dante in stunned surprise. She saw his hands grabbing a young man's coat and lifting him off the ground, she saw his face distorted in barely repressed anger.

But most of all she felt the anger in the air.

She felt the frustration and the hate filled greed.

On top of all that, Indigo felt a sick, twisted need to hold on to what belonged to the man who held the young man against the wall. She felt obsession, sadistic urges to bring pain...but most of all she felt an overwhelming love of the chaos he had created radiate from him.

Indigo reeled under the wave of emotions. She reached out and supported herself against the wall.

"Get off him." Her voice came out, but she wouldn't have recognised herself if her attention hadn't been solely on the pale man.

Dante dropped the drunken fan who staggered back towards his friends. Even at this distance Indigo could see the red glow from his eyes. She let out an almost bestial growl as another wave of hate rolled over her.

"You!"

Dante spat out the word. Indigo's only reply was to charge at him. Dante deftly deflected Indigo's attack, but she didn't go far.

"You can't have it; it's mine!"

"Want. It." Yet again, the voice wasn't the usual chirpy Australian accent, but something deep and hollow that sounded like it came from a long way away. At the same time, there was a New York twang to it.

"Never!" roared Dante, backhanding Indigo with such force that she fell to the ground. She jumped back up and renewed her attack with the ferocity of a wildcat, scratching and biting. Dante grabbed her around the waist, lifted her above his head and threw her to the floor. He jumped on top of her and wrapped his hand around her throat. Indigo struggled, trying to claw at his eyes, then kneed him in the stomach, winding him.

He picked himself up and staggered slightly away from her. He rested against the wall for a second, then a weight landed on his back and an arm hooked itself under his chin. Dante threw his head backwards and felt it connect, but there was no crunch of bone breaking - Indigo's head didn't come up far enough. With another roar he wrenched her arm free from his neck and pulled Indigo from his back, then flung her right into the wall.

There was a thud as Indigo connected with the bricks. She slid down to the floor, unmoving.

Dante smirked. It served her right for trying to take what was his. He walked away from the scene, not paying any attention to the group of fans still standing to one side.

**

"Indigo? Are you awake?"

Indigo slowly opened her eyes. The lights were too bright, the sheets too crisp. This was not her room.

"Yeah..." Her head pounded at the sound of her own voice.

There was a weight on the bed. "Do you remember what happened?"

Her vision cleared to reveal Stern sitting on the bed with genuine worry in her eyes. Indigo closed her eyes again. The bright lights were making the headache worse. She felt like she had the world's worst hangover. She put a hand to her head and felt a massive bump. She groaned.

"Indigo?"

"I... I'm not sure..."

"Here, look at this." Stern handed Indigo a fancy-looking device, a bit like a cell phone, but there were no buttons. There was an icon with the word ‘play' on it in the middle of the screen.

"How do I make it go?"

"Touch the screen."

Indigo was impressed as the video started. It was difficult to work out what was going on at first, but when she saw it was her and Dante fighting she let out a gasp.

"According to the young men that called for help, you attacked him."

"What?! I..I wouldn't...that's..." She wanted to say ridiculous but the word stuck in her throat.

"I'll leave you to rest. Feel better." Stern shut the door quietly behind her, leaving Indigo alone.