...ring...

...ring...

...ring...

"Mr. Cain?"

"Speaking."

"It's Izumi. I've found him...it's...it's...it's Darkness." She still sounded shocked. "The World Champion..."

A gasp. "Him? You're sure? You've confirmed it?"

"There's no doubt about it any longer...we have the real deal on our hands."

"How did you find out?"

"All the signs point to him. New Hellfire Club, all the werewolves, like Freya, connected to him...the backstage rumors...I...I had to use the mask again to confirm. I'm sorry. But it's real. It's the truth."

"...You know you shouldn't be using that..."

"I know, I know...but...he was suspicious. I took a look inside his mind and I saw the same vision again. Then he discovered me, and I saw Hell. I felt Hell. My head felt like it was going to burst at the seams...and then I just blacked out. I never felt so much power...I just wanted to die, even for a little bit, to get away from the images, from the pain..."

"Izumi...I believe you."

"Thank you, sir. He must be planning to create an army! First it'll be the fans. They'd follow him through hellfire and brimstone..."

"Izumi..."

"Then he'll get mainstream popularity.."

"Izumi..."

"...he'll deceive the public, he'll spread his lies throughout the w-"

"IZUMI!" Mr. Cain shouted.

"I'm gonna kill him! That lying, two-faced jackal! He's going to bring about the end of the world, and I've gotta pump one in him before he-"

"SILENCE! Damnit Izumi, will you think straight for a moment?! Please, CALM DOWN!"

"...O-okay, Mr. Cain..."

"You need to think rationally. If you try to make a move now, and it fails, he'll wipe you off the map. You can't tip your hand. And you can't do this alone. This guy isn't human, we know this. He could have killed you when you entered his mind. For all we know, he could have minions tracking you."

"What am I going to do?"

"What you're going to do is lay low. We need a plan of attack. You need to be patient. Do not make any direct contact with Darkness unless it is a wrestling match. Promise me, Izumi."

"I promise."

"Good. And, one other thing?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you..." he said, smiling on the other end. "We may just yet save the world thanks to you."

-------------

After Road to Glory, it was just another day, after another PPV. Nothing had changed in the life of Matt Strikmore.

Not much ever really changed after a wrestling match. In the ring, he was Matt Strikmore. In the outside world, he was still Matt Strikmore. He was not competing for the world title, but he was still Transcontinential champion.

So why did the loss hurt more than it should have?

Matt Strikmore thought long and hard about it, but he couldn't figure it out.

"I believe in Matt Strikmore." The words of the Masked Man, also known as Twisted Brown, echoed in his head. The son of the legendary Acid Jackrabbit had believed in a guy like him...

Was that why it hurt? Because he'd let down his believers? His fans? He could care less about having a multimillion dollar mansion and being world champion, though if the opportunity was presented to him he would take it. The problem was...he didn't get the job done at Road to Glory. Not even in the final six.

The same weirdo guys, at the top of the card again. And 'normal' Matt Strikmore in the same place he was last year. Transcontinential Champion.

Was he jealous? No.

He just hadn't proven himself to be above the 'freaks'.

Then he reminded himself of his battle with Inferno. A man who was not even seeking to pin his shoulders to the mat, but to leave him lying on it, never to wrestle again. And against all the doubters, he'd not only survived, he won back the belt that was rightfully his. He'd beaten one of the monsters...but even the monster he defeated couldn't defeat Darkness.

What next?

He decided to head out. Sitting in his hotel room and musing and reading comic books all day wasn't going to solve his problems.

*Izumi didn't really see the people that walked by her on the sidewalk. She felt the shift in the air when they passed, and she heard the insect-like noise of their conversations, but she didn't really see them. She didn't want to. She was self-contained in her own head, willing herself to obey the instructions Mr. Cain had commanded of her. She only needed to ignore the reality altering discovery she'd made about a co-worker and carry on life as usual. All these people she felt around her, all of them clueless to what she knew. And she couldn't tell a soul.*

*She only noticed him because she wasn't looking, not actively at any rate. He had a face you caught in a peripheral stare when you weren't paying attention. Innocent and almost childish, like Peter Pan grown up. And with a bar tab. Izumi watches Matt for a moment through the dusty window in front of the bar. She sees the small collection of empty bottles beside him, carefully arranged in a triangle. He raises his index finger once he gets the bartender's attention, quickly passing down another brown bottle. Izumi steels herself and steps into the bar, pausing two steps into the building as her eyes adjust to the dim light. She looks around to match the stares of the bar's inhabitants, a myriad of gazes. Apathy, confusion, despise, arousal. She quickens to the bar, hoping to add friendly to that list. She hops onto the stool besides Matt, with his head lazily turning toward her.*

Matt: Cinderella! What's a sweet girl like you doing slumming?

Izumi: Cinderella?

Matt: You lost your shoe? I found it?

*Matt lifts his bottle to his lips, pulling to back for a second before taking a sip, speaking under his breath*

Matt: I thought it was funny...

*Matt takes the sip as Izumi connects the picture.*

Izumi: Oh! Cinderella. I guess that would make you Prince Charming?

Matt: I suppose it would. I suppose it would.

*Matt stares down into his bottle while Izumi tries to decide what to do with her hands resting on the bar. They're a few seconds past comfortable silence when Matt finally pipes up.*

Matt: What a pair we make, huh?

Izumi: How do you mean?

Matt: Finding the people you can have actual conversations with. It's like highschool. Cliques. TCW is just like my senior year. The stoners. The jocks. The goths. And here I am again, somewhere in the middle. I mean, I'm cool with my lot in life. I can joke with the stoners. Play with the jocks. Speak geek. But the goths? The "freaks"? I just never got them. Why the dour face? I mean, I like the Cure. Lets put on "A forest" and chill. TCW is just like that. I can hang with Ghetto Grass, when they're around. I'm cool enough with the jocks like DeSean. But the goths? No friggen clue. I can't even get a seat at the lunch table. You know?

Izumi: Where do I fit in?

Matt: You? You're the new girl. You're the one with the clean slate, assuming you don't walk in with Inferno. Wait. He's not here, right? Cause I'm in no mood to go Donkey Kong on that guy.

Izumi: No, he's not here.

Matt: Good. Anyway, the way I see it, you're the new girl. You haven't chosen your table yet.

Izumi: Maybe I just haven't found a comfortable seat yet.

Matt: Yeah. Word of advice? Don't look so long that your legs get too tired. You end up eating by yourself.

*Matt slumps on his stool, sighing as he takes a hit from his beer.*

Izumi: So, Road to Glory.

Matt: Yeah, that was something. My night was shorter than I liked, but I did jaw-jack Mohawk, which was pretty awesome. And how about you! You tore up, lady!

*Izumi blushes*

Izumi: Thank you.

Matt: Seriously. You've got some balls. And I mean that in the nicest way possible.

*Matt tries to keep a straight face after delivering that line, but quickly loses it. He buries his face in his arms as he lays on the bar, a long sigh coming after his laughter subsides.*

Izumi: Matt?

Matt: Yes, princess?

Izumi: Just how much have you had to drink?

*Matt sits up, doing the math in his head.*

Matt: I'm in that happy middle where my speech is impaired, but my judgment is not. I probably shouldn't push my luck though. Besides, you're much better conversation than these empty bottles.

*Izumi smiles, not recognizing the light coming in from the now open door. Matt, much more the barfly, does. He turns to look over his shoulder, Izumi mimicking him a moment later.*

Twisted Brown: My friends, how glad I am to see you, and on friendlier terms. Another round, yes? Yes.

Matt: And what do we drink to? I've already had seconds on self pity, a toast with acceptance, and a nightcap with the future.

*Twisted comes up to them, laying a hand on the shoulder of both Matt and Izumi.*

Twisted: Why, we drink to the revealing of the face of ECF.

*Twisted winks at Izumi.*

Twisted: And to it's heart.

*Twisted squeezes Matt's shoulder.*

Twisted: Yes? I'll start me up a tab.

A few too many whiskeys later.

Leroy and Izumi are still sitting at the table in the bar. Matt Strikemore has gone to the bar to get another bottle.

Twisted - I don't care what you say, Izumi. I'm not gonna tell you.

Izumi - But I have watched the tapes, I saw your reaction. So tell me. How do you know Tommy Laughlin.

Twisted - Its not really my place.

Izumi - Tell me please. I would do anything to find out.

Twisted - Anything?

Izumi - Mr. Brown. I thought you where a married man!!!

A cloud floats across the face of Leroy Brown, but it is only a momentary meterological phenomenon, and it is soon replaced by a big dirty shit-eating grin.

Twisted - I couldn't possibly tell you, but lets just say, its a family secret.

Izumi smiles. She is going to have to have words with Tommy Laughlin the next time she see him.

Izumi - Tell me, Mr. Brown, have things changed from the ECF days? Is it strange coming back to wrestling after so long?

Twisted - Honestly. I'm not even sure it is wrestling these days. It seems like the freaks have taken over the asylum. I didn't really pay attention to what happened when ECF morphed into TCW, but I keep hearing rumors about something. Some sort of "war." I don't like it. Its not the sport I dreamed of being in as a kid, that's for sure. Its not how it should be. I pretty sure that I could have the best match of my career at it would be overshadowed. In ECF the best person won. Now, I'm not even sure if you'd describe some of them as people.

Izumi - Them?

Twisted - Freya, Jason Dante, Darkness.......

Quick as a flash, without thinking, Izumi slaps Leroy in the face. Leroy twicthes. For a second it looks like he's going to react. But before he can make a difficult decision, that choice is taken out of his hands. Izumi's phone rings.

Izumi - I.....I should take this call. Please tell Matt to forgive my ignorance in not saying goodbye.

Izumi steps out through the door just as Matt returns.

Matt - What was that about. Where did Izumi go?

Twisted - Emmmm.......she had to leave. She did say sorry.

Matt shrugs his shoulders. He goes to say something, then decides not to.

Twisted - You look like you got something on your mind, Matt.

Matt - Well. To be honest, I thought you would be a bit agitated, due to me throwing you out of Road to Glory. The usual reaction in this place would for to break my face, not buy me a beer. After your talk to me about the ECF way, weren't you disappointed I eliminated you?

Twisted - Disappointed? No. I haven't been in a wrestling ring in three years and I had to go in at number one. I'm proud I lasted as long as I did. If I was gonna be put out, better by somebody on top of his game like you, than some.....freak. ECF was.....is as much about respect outside of the ring, as it is about getting the job done inside the ring. The only thing that really disappointed me........well.......was what you did after I eliminated you.

Matt - But I didn't do anything.

Twisted - Yeah. I know.

Matt and Leroy make eye contact.

Matt - That's cold man.

Twisted - I'm just speaking my mind, Matt. You just always seem to be one rung short from the top of the ladder. Maybe its just the whiskey talking, but I honestly think if you wanted it as much as your fans did, you could be the man. I still believe in Matt Strikemore.....

Matt - Leroy.....can I call you Leroy?

Twisted - All my friends do.

Matt - Leroy, I respect your opinion. But do you? Do you believe in Matt Strikemore? Really? Here is a bit of barroom psychology for you to chew on. I think that you've been away for so long, that your not sure your quite the wrestler you used to be. Hence the mask. Hence the ECF nostalgia. Its why you want me to do so well, and do well in an ECF shirt. If you can't make it on your own, you can maybe make it through me. As far as I'm concerned, your on of the people that built this place. I repsect the hell out of you. But I'll make it or I won't. I'll climb that top rung or I won't. But if that day doesn't come, then it doesn't come. I can live with that.

Twisted - Just make sure you can. My father was always there or thereabouts. But he was never world champ. I think that's part of the reason he became the man he was. He went to a bad place because of that hole in his life. I wouldn't want to see history repeating itself. That's all.

Matt - No offense, but you where never champ either, and you never "did an Acid". Well, apart from the whole Masked Man thing.

Twisted - What can I say, I thought it would be a little bit amusing to copy my father. And a little bit twisted of course. And as for winning things, I won the only thing that was worth anything to me.

Matt - And what was that?

Twisted - Simple. The heart of the only woman I've ever loved.

Matt - Holy shit, that was so sappy. I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.

Twisted gives him that stare again. There is something cold to his eyes. Theres a hardness behind them. Matt had noticed it before, last week, under the mask.........and now twice tonight.

Matt - Just pulling you leg. Chill, Leroy.

Twisted - All that I am saying is that she was everything I needed.

Matt - (Pause) Was?

Leroy looks at the bottle of whiskey in front of him. Contemplates the contours of the bottle.

Twisted - Katrina..........didn't want me to come back to the sport.




I thought she would understand.



I was wrong.

Leroy stares again at the container of liquor before him. He rubs his eye. He pretends he's got something in it. He's not going to break down. Not in front of this kid.

Twisted - We've decided to.....try......alternate living arrangements......for the time being.

Leroy makes a grab for the bottle. Starts pouring it down his gullet. Matt jumps out of his chair and grabs the bottle off him.

Matt - You crazy bastard. Your gonna kill yourself doing that.

Lreoy tries to get up, but the sudden influx of copious amounts of alcohol has had an immediate effect on his metabolism, already somewhat overloaded with copious amounts of booze. He struggles up to his feet.

Leroy - Give me the bottle back.

Matt - I think you've had enough.

Leroy - Now.

Matt stands there for a split second, then slowly lets the bottle drop to the floor, where it explodes in a crescendo of glass.

In less than the time it takes to blink, Leroy is upon him, has hooked him up and hits his patented Double Helix (Double Arm DDT) on Matt Strikemore. His face lands in the broken glass.

Matt growls low and deeply as the glass digs into his face. He fights back the temptation to scream out at the pain.

Leroy collapses back. He sits on the ground, his back against the wall. He rocks back and forth, his face buried in hands and keeps repeating the same words over and over again.


"I believe in Matt Strikemore."


"I believe in Matt Strikemore."


"I believe in Matt Strikemore."


"I believe in Matt Strikemore."


"I believe in Matt Strikemore."


----------------------------------------------------

Izumi stops. Then turns around and starts walking back towards the bar. Maybe she should apologise. She probably overreacted. She was sure Mr. Brown would forgive her. After all, he was such a nice man.

6 blocks, 1 vomit, 3 broken windows, 1 smashed street light and who knows how many red lights later...

"This is the best car trip ever," Leroy said.

"I just wanted to say...if we don't make it...Matt, I love you." Izumi said, with a dazed look on her face.

"Izumi..."

A blush from Matt Strikmore.

"Now. Let's go. Our lives depend on it." Izumi said, revving the engine. She stared down the red light, as it's red evil eye stared back...

Waiting.

Waiting.

Waiting.

"Gotta make it..."

It turned green!

"NOW!" She punched the gas, high speed, straight through the hazard of the empty intersection, the scent of burnt rubber filling the air...

CRASH.

The windshield shattered as they came into contact with a lightpost.

"We're here!" Izumi said. "We finally made it home!"

"Sweet!" Matt said.

"Way to go, Iz-blaaaaaargh!" Leroy half-said, before stumbling out, and vomiting onto the sidewalk. Leaned over, he coughed up the contents of his stomach.

Izumi stumbled out of the car, as did Matt.

"Maybe we aught to return this? I hope they don't notice the broken windshield. Or the windows. Or the smashed fender. Or the pool of vomit Leroy coughed up in the back seat. Or the-"

"I think we should get to our hotel rooms..." Matt said. "I'm pooped..."

"You know somethin guys," Leroy said, putting his arms over their shoulders, "You're really...swell...too bad I gotta beatcha up tomorrow..."

"Huh?"

"Didn'tcha hear? We got a 3 way."

"What kind of girl do you think I am?! I'm not THAT drunk..." Izumi said.

"No, not that kind, I mean...on second thought, that sounds niiice..."

Izumi slapped him, limply.

"Ow...probably deserved that...anyway, I'm goin' ta bed." He stumbled his way to the door into the hotel. "See you guys tomorrow in the ring! An' don't forget...ECF! ECF! ECF!"

He chanted it all the way to his hotel room.

"Hell of a night, huh?" Matt said to Izumi.

"You said it."

"And tomorrow we have to be enemies in the ring."

"Could be fun, actually." Izumi said. "A little bit of fun competition couldn't hurt. You beat Inferno, so you'll be tough...Don't take it easy on me, sweet pie."

"Sweet pie?"

Izumi planted a kiss on Matt's nose, a few inches above her actual target. "Have a good night..."

And she stumbled off to bed too.

Matt was alone.

"Sweet! I got a kiss from Izumi! I wonder what I should do now..."

He stared up at the moon...

...then got a sudden, powerful urge, from within...

"I am vengeance..."

...wore a discarded sheet from a trash can like a cape...

"I am the night..."

...and stole off into the darkness...

"I. AM. STRIKMORE!"