He had lost everything.

Everything that he had once been was now gone, stolen from him by a fleeting instant of agonising pain that, to him, had lasted millennia. Now, when he regarded what he once was, his former life, it was through a haze of suffering and pain; a fog that had stolen his identity and replaced it with something bestial and alien.

It is said that human beings are the sum of their experiences. He knew this to be false. He still retained the memory of what he once was, and recalled with the same clarity the moments of joy, misery, contentment, fear, anger and pleasure that had made up his former existence, but now there was something missing. He viewed them through a clouded lens, distorted and robbed of lustre. All the emotions he still remembered were replaced by the Hunger, and now he saw them through cold, clinical eyes, as pinned insects to study and ponder, not living things with inherent value to treasure and adore.

He had not believed in a soul before this happened. He didn't know if he believed in one now – belief was something associated with hope, and that too was lost to the Hunger. What he had come to understand though was that what he had once been was lost forever, and though he still had the memories of being human, he no longer was. He could not coherently describe how he was different now than he had been, and yet he knew that he was. Those things that had meant something to him in life no longer seemed to matter, and all of the things he had done and thought were meaningless now.

There was only the Hunger.

And yet…and yet…

Some things even the Children of the Afterdark can cling to. So long as the emotion is powerful enough, it can pass through even the barrier into undeath: the lust for revenge, perhaps, or the love for a child as yet unborn. Such stories are rare, but these are interesting times.

He had lost everything, but he still knew what he was. He still held onto one obsession, even though it was the very thing that had led him to this new ruin.

He was still a Darkling.

* * *

"What is this shit?"

Wilson shrugged apologetically from the doorway. "It is what it is."

DeSean turned around and gave him a sceptical look. "I've stayed in places with bathrooms bigger than this. I've driven in cars bigger than this."

"Hey, you think this is bad, you should see what they gave me."

DeSean pushed down his hood and gave the apartment another appraising glance. "I don't wanna play the number one contender card again or anything, but…"

"Hey, all the members of the roster get the same, no matter what their position on the card."

"When I joined TCW I didn't expect to have to become a Communist."

"Bet you didn't expect to get chased out of your own country by the FBI either, but here we are."

"You really think we should stand for this, Wilson?"

The road agent shrugged again. "Like it or leave it I guess – you can always go back to America and face the music. This place is still a step up from a jail cell, right?"

"Yeah, at least I can leave this dump whenever I want. Which will be pretty often, for the record."

Wilson laughed and placed a weathered hand around the door knob. "I guess I'll leave you to get settled in."

DeSean threw his duffel bag on the bed. "Done."

"Still leaving. I'll probably see you around sometime."

"All right."

Wilson closed the door behind him and DeSean turned back towards the window. A fog was settling over Beijing, shrouding the city in a blanket of nicotine-yellow. In the distance, the spires of neon skyscrapers pierced the spectral layer, projecting into the blue-black expanse of night sky.

This was not where he wanted to be.

With a sigh, he unzipped his hoodie and threw that on the bed too. He badly needed a shower, but he hadn't looked in the bathroom yet and wasn't sure that he wanted to. It takes a long time to get used to life on the road, but one thing you grow accustomed to pretty quickly is that hotels need your custom, and it's therefore in their best interest to keeps things clean and working. Having your own place, and therefore being responsible for your own furnishings and fittings, is something of a shock to the system.

This was not how he imagined his life being at this stage.

He'd battled his way up from the indies, paying his dues, doing right by the business, and going above and beyond what everyone had expected from him. He'd spent a long time toiling in TCW now, and had his fair share of brushes with the top, but this was the closest he'd been to finally fulfilling the potential everyone had seen in him. He was on the cusp of grasping the richest prize in the industry, and he intended to do it with both hands. So why, on the eve of the greatest opportunity in his career, was he holed up in some dingy, run-down apartment in a foreign country, scared to take a damn shower? This was what he was supposed to be like at the beginning of his career – hell, this was what it was like at the beginning of his career - not when it was just reaching its apex.

This was not his fault.

No way. He knew who did this. He knew who screwed them. One man (and his cronies) was responsible for getting them in this insane mess. If it hadn't been for him, he'd still be in America, in a clean hotel, knowing when he was next going to see his family. One guy just had to take everything too seriously, draw the eye of the lunatics that ran the free world, and ruin it for the rest of them. DeSean knew why he was in this shithole, and he was glad he'd have the chance to put all this right. He knew he wasn't just doing this for himself now; he was doing it for his colleagues, for his friends. For TCW.

This was because of Darkness.

* * *

Deng waited in the lobby for a short while after the queue of wrestlers had dissipated, then walked outside into the mist-shrouded night. It was cold, but not too cold. He put his hands in his pockets.

Presently, a black car drew up and a woman stepped out. Deng nodded in her direction.

"Ms. Stern."

"Sorry I couldn't make it for the handover. I trust everything went smoothly?"

"A few complaints, but nothing we didn't expect."

"So has everyone made themselves at home?"

"Everyone who showed up."

Stern cocked an eyebrow. "Were there some absentees?"

Deng reached into his trouser pocket and produced three unclaimed keys. He jangled them at Stern.

"Don't tell me…"

"These are the apartments assigned to Miss Green, Mr. Dante and Mr. Darkness," Deng told her anyway.

"Big surprise. I suppose we'll just have to hang onto them until they deign to collect them. Shall we find somewhere to have dinner?"

Deng was about to say something when movement from the other side of the road caught his attention. He frowned as a number of dark shapes emerged from the mist and began walking towards them. At the head of the group was a lean figure in a long black jacket. As he moved, he looked less like a man than he did a panther, prowling the shadows, both predatory and wary.

Stern said, "Speak of the devil."

"Not quite." Darkness gave both of his bosses a disinterested glance. "I was told to come here."

"Yes," Deng said, "If you'd arrived earlier you would have heard what I had to say to the others. Let me repeat. This apartment complex will be your new home for the time being. As you may have noticed, your cell phones and bank cards are not exactly functional…"

Darkness reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He flipped it open and gave it a perfunctory glare. "Seems fine to me. Haven't tried my card yet."

"Mr. Deng," Stern explained, "you'll find that some rules don't apply to Darkness the way they apply to others."

"Nonetheless." He held out a key.

"What is this?"

"An apartment. It isn't much, but it's better than a jail cell."

"I tend to leave jail cells very quickly." Darkness took the key in his good hand. "How big is this apartment?"

"One bedroom, one bathroom," Stern told him.

"I'll need something bigger," he said, handing the key back to Deng.

"All employees get the same accommodation." The Chinese man's face was placid. He didn't take the key.

"My friends need somewhere to stay too."

"Your 'friends' aren't employed by TCW," Stern said, "so we won't be making arrangements for them."

"It’s okay," a blonde woman standing next to Darkness interrupted, "some of us can stay with Freya."

"No, we'll make our own arrangements," the World Champion said. "But we can at least use this apartment as a base or something. Let's go and put our things there."

"Mr. Darkness…" Deng put his hand on Darkness's chest.

"It's just Darkness."

"Darkness…part of the reason I have housed you all in this complex – at my own expense, I might add – is so that I can make sure you don't get into the kind of trouble that drew the ire of your government."

"Not my government, but either way, let me explain something to you, Deng…"

"It's Mr. Deng."

"Deng. Of all the many enemies I have accrued in my life, the US Government is the one I fear least. I won't have you or anyone else keeping tabs on me."

"Who do you think you are, Darkness?" Stern said, interjecting herself between him and Deng.

"Your World Champion."

"Perhaps not for much longer," Deng reminded him.

"I wouldn't bank on that. Let's go." He nodded to his companions and they filed past the two TCW higher-ups. For the first time, Deng got a good look at the strangers, and found himself instinctively recoiling from their bright, hungry eyes and pale, animalistic features.

"Who are they?" he asked Stern when they'd passed into the lobby.

"Don't even ask. He won't tell you. He never tells anyone anything."

"I think running this company is going to be more interesting than I thought."

"Well these are interesting times, Mr. Deng. Isn't that a curse in China?"

"It's apocryphal," he answered, "but it probably comes from shí shì zào yīng xióng."

"And that means?"

"The times produce their heroes."

Stern considered the phrase. "Let's hope they do," she finally said.

"No, let's hope they don't."

It’s funny how life throws you curve balls or at least that’s what he was told. He currently didn't see the humor in his situation unless this was some sick joke that only an asshole would get. 25 million dollar Nike endorsement deal....gone, the late night talk show interviews....gone, his condo....gone, his Phantom....gone, the life that he once had he lost, no more like it was stolen from like a thief in the night. Apart of him wants to say fuck it, go back to the States and deal with the bullshit charges that MacDonald and his puppets have against him but that would be admitting guilt for something he never did except remain loyal to the company that gave him a second chance when no one else would. Luckily for TCW, he didn't wrestle for material possessions, he wrestled for the love of it because he was an narcissistic asshole who wrestled for the crowd reactions whether they were positive or negative, it was their reactions that kept him going. He forcefully folded and tucked each of his clothes into a drawer, leaving a swear behind each time. He made his displeasure no secret but sooner or later he would have to get over it, he knew that if he wanted to succeed, he would have to focus on beating Darkness at Enter the Dragon. It was that moment he was waiting for his entire career, that chance to silence his biggest critics, he had dreams of winning it in his home state in front of his friends and family but Beijing, China would have to do.

"Let's see what else do I have?" he asked himself looking through his bags. He noticed more clothes and his trusty iPod, everything else his parents promised to ship to him whenever he sent word for his electronics. Which means he had the choice of either staying in his small, one bedroom apartment with form of entertainment whatsoever, or he could brave out in China. Frustrated he walked towards his window hoping to create an positive attitude about the city, trying to ignore the heavy smog the choked the life out of the Sun. Across from him, he noticed that Freya lived in a similar apartment building, she was pacing back and forth talking to some people. She stopped just enough to notice him looking at her, with no expression on his face DeSean flipped her off, she rolled her eyes at him and closed her curtains.

"Fuck this" he thought to himself. He grabbed his key, his iPod, put on his running shoes and headed out of his apartment, preparing to become the champion that TCW needed.

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

In response to TCW leaving the United States and setting up their operations in China, President MacDonald has called the move a moral victory but reminds the US citizens that the investigation against TCW is not over.

"What an asshole, we move to China and he's still not satisfied."

"Those who seek absolute power, even though they seek it to do what they regard as good, are simply demanding the right to enforce their own version of heaven on earth. They are the very ones who always create the most hellish tyrannies."

"Who said that?"

"Barry Goldwater"

"Who's that?"

"Not important"

Darkness and the children watched the television special on TCW, the investigation on them and their move to China.

Thought all of the employees of TCW are considered now wanted fugitives on the run, the US government doesn't have the power to regulate PPV as a result TCW's Enter the Dragon will air in the United States on PPV a small victory for TCW who may have lost their slight lead as the #1 promotion in the world but will still be able to hold on to their #2 status through podcasts, PPVs and no doubt illegal downloading of their shows, which will no doubt enhance their outlaw image.

The camera cuts to various fans who are apparently lined up outside of an Hooters in some city that no one watching recognized.

The main event of the show will feature a much anticipated rematch between the controversial World Champion Darkness and his opponent very outspoken DeSean Blackwell. Both men are what industry insiders would call "faces" or fan favorites. We've interviewed some fans standing outside of this Hooters in Seattle to give us their thoughts.

Fan #1: In a couple of weeks some of us will be home watching the PPV, some people will be watching here at Hooters, others somewhere in a bar but one thing is for sure we'll be rooting for DeSean.

Interviewer off-camera: Why is that?

Fan #1: Because DeSean is awesome! He can talk, he's younger, he's hungrier and he can wrestle. Darkness has carried those belts way too long, it's because of him that American fans will not be able to see them live.....

Fan #2: Darkness will win, he always does. He's a better fighter, he's beaten DeSean plenty of times. Once he beats DeSean, he'll go on and beat Matt. It's not his fault that no one can beat him.

The two fans start to rally up their side and a dueling chant starts up between the fsans. One side chants Let's Go DeSean! The other side chants Let's Go Darkness! As the camera pans away to the interviewer.

Interviewer: As you can see, though TCW is no longer here in the states, the spirit of the promotion is still alive and well.

Tilpin: It's not fair that they're blaming you for all of this, it's not your fault.

Darkness didn't respond, he sat in deep thought, thinking about how time has really changed for him, for TCW. A year ago he was universally loved by the fans, just 6 months ago. His aura, his look were still deemed "cool" the Darklings were still just a term of endearment from his fans. He seemingly had it all, or at least he thought he did. The respect of his peers, the support of the fans and without trying he became a polarizing figure in professional wrestling maybe that was the problem, he never tried to become a "Pro Wrestler" he was a fighter that happened to be a wrestler. The fans were starting to realize that or at least some of them were, he still had the "Darklings" like that was a group he really wanted to embrace. A cult that followed him everywhere and practiced self mutilation wasn't a cause he was willing to lead. Yet they look up to him as a leader, a hero in their eyes while they represented everything that he was against, irony couldn't be a more fitting word.Since he's been Beijing he hasn't ran into any of them yet he knew they were there, their presence ever lingering throughout the smogged city just waiting to make an impression for their hero.

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

DeSean resumes his pulling, trying desperately to make Darkness quit, but no matter how far he stretches, he won't tap. He roars in frustration, now planting his weight down on Darkness's back and rearing right backwards. Just at that moment, the sweat slicking his body betrays him and he loses his grip on Darkness's foot. He falls backwards as Darkness's lower half drops limply to the mat.

Cain: DeSean lost his grip! Darkness is free!


DeSean: Mental note, keep hands dry during the match.

The 23 year old ran through the streets of Beijing, with no DVD player to watch past matches on. He took mental notes thinking about Darkness' every move from their last match, his own mistakes in that match. What he managed to accomplish and Darkness' own will that kept him going in their match. He remembers everything, how he had Darkness on the ropes and how those 1/10 of a seconds lasted a lifetime.

Tex: He broke the hold, by hook or by crook, and Darkness has survived. But that submission must have done incredible damage to his back and legs. How can he even think about continuing after that kind of punishment?

DeSean plants his fists against the canvas and rises up to his feet. He glowers at Darkness through sweat-stung eyes. His lower lip is stained crimson by blood from some injury sustained earlier in the match. The World Champion staggers to his feet, limping and favouring his back. DeSean rushes him, but Darkness throws himself out of the way and DeSean crashes into the turnbuckle. He staggers backwards just as Darkness stands up and then walks right into a thunderous superkick!

Tex: Darkness with the superkick! He came out of nowhere!

DeSean is flat out, and Darkness drops to his knees, then weakly hooks his leg...

One...



Two...



Three!!!


Why did he rush him? It was a very careless mistake that cost him the match, patience would be the key.

DeSean: Note to self, watch out for that fucking superkick.

He continued running not really knowing where he really was, no destination on his mind or with no real time table to stop. What started out as a routine cardio run turned into a journey of journey of what? He didn't know but a journey nonetheless. In an essence that's what has life is just an journey with an unknown outcome, one of those "Choose your own adventure" books that he loved as a child but instead of picking the wrong ending and quickly flipping the pages back to the right outcome, in real life there were no do-overs, whatever decision you make in life you live with the consequences and hope to learn whatever lessons you've gained from them. As Ennio Morricone's Ecstasy of Gold plays in his ear, he thinks about those decisions he's made and how they've affected his life up until now for someone he's age, he's made some big decisions in his life, some hard choices and he's done some stupid things but he doesn't regret anything that's happened so far in his past, one little change could have changed the present but he has learned from his mistakes and willing to improve, that's where he and Darkness differ.

Darkness hasn't learned from the decisions he's made in the past and it damn near destroyed TCW. A wise man once said that "We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future." Darkness has an responsibility as an champion but he refuses to accept his responsibilities, so as one of the locker room leaders DeSean has taken the responsibility upon himself to dethrone Darkness as champion, it was time TCW had a real one. He ran through silk street past all their vendors selling counterfeit clothing until he stopped, he came across an intersection that's when the realization that he was lost came to him. It was like he was in a trance and the realization broke him from it looking around he saw nothing but foreign faces and foreign buildings that all looked the same to him. Nothing stood out as he slowly sat on a nearby park bench, he buried his face into his hands knowing that sooner or later he'll have to make another decision in his life, or will he?

"Lost?" A female voice asked him.

He looked up from his hands, next to him was a beautiful and young Chinese girl who looked to be about his age if not somewhat younger.

DeSean: You don't know the half of it um....

"Jun, you can call me Jun."

DeSean: Ok Jun, my name is DeSean.

Jun: I know, you're the wrestler. it's a pretty big deal that you guys are here in this city.

DeSean: So I've been told so Jun how do I get back?

Jun: Depends on where you're going?

DeSean: Not sure, to an one bedroom piece of shit apartment.

Jun: Piece of shit, one bedroom apartment? That narrows it down from two bedroom piece of shit apartments. Well I go to BNU, I mean Beijing Normal University. I know all about the public transportation here, if you want I can help you navigate around this city?

DeSean: I wouldn't mind, I could use the company, I don't know anyone here besides my co-workers and I'm only friends with one of them, I can only talk about the Red Hulk so many times.

Jun: Great

DeSean: So what's next?

Jun: We just wait.

DeSean: Yea that's all we can do.

..........................
We go to a rooftop of an abandoned building, a group of people wearing greased face-paint, some missing their left hands, some their right others have deep scars carved into their faces. They form a circle around their spokesmen who hovers around a young male, imposing his will on the impressionable teenager who picked the wrong day to skip school. He tries to look brave, his fists are half clenched, failing to not show fear, as he gets wide eyed getting a glance at the sharpened canine teeth of his kidnapper.

"I know that feeling you have, trust me I understand what you're going through. It wasn't long ago, that I felt that same feeling. That feeling of helplessness, that feeling of despair but I promise you. You won't have those negative feelings anymore. Those conflicting feelings that bring you down, those feelings of heartache and pain will be replaced, never in your life will you have to worry again. I will free you from your pain and together we will take care of the weak, we will take in those who need to shelter and we will teach them, we'll teach them the ways of Darkness because he is our hero, he is our our leader, our savior and we are his followers, we are....Darklings and soon you'll know what it's like to be one too."

"Does the smog ever let up in this city?" DeSean asked, peering through the bus window.

"America's air pollution is bad too," Jun reminded him.

"Yeah, I know. That's not what I…I mean, I wasn't comparing. I just wondered, that's all."

Jun shrugged. "It's worse at some times of year than others."

DeSean turned back around in his seat and idly rapped his hands against his knees. The bus was fairly crowded, but it was mid-morning now, so the madness of rush hour had passed and he and his new friend had easily been able to find two seats together.

"What do you study?" DeSean asked the girl after a few minutes of awkward silence.

"Huh?"

"At school. College, I mean. What's your major or whatever?"

"Oh. Philosophy."

He smiled at her. "In other words, you haven't decided yet…"

Jun frowned and shook her head. "No, I study philosophy. I'm guessing you don't know much about China?"

"Well…"

"Religion is not important to Chinese people in the way it is to Americans. We don't have a single, monolithic faith that dominates our discourse on the subject; instead our religions are either traditional folk beliefs or philosophies like Taoism, Confucianism or Buddhism. In the West, philosophy is for the educated elite: in China, it's just part of life."

"Wow, you know a lot about this stuff."

"Yes," she clarified, "I'm a philosophy student."

DeSean fell silent and looked out of the window again. To his eye, the city looked like most of the others TCW had been through – there are only so many ways to put two bricks on top of one another or pave a street, after all – except for the people thronging the sidewalks, who looked uniform in a way that DeSean feared was faintly racist. China would take some getting used to.

"So do you think you'll beat Darkness?"

DeSean glanced at Jun. "Funny question to ask."

"Why? You asked me about my life: I'm just asking you about yours."

"Yeah, but most people don't ask questions like that to wrestlers."

"Why not?"

"Because most of them think the question doesn't make sense. Because they think it's fake."

"Is it?"

"The way I look at it," he said, "there's a sliding scale of realism and fakery that applies to all forms of entertainment, and wrestling especially. I'll say this: we're realer than some of the competition, but faker than some of the other stuff you see on TV."

"Remember that I don't see the same things on TV that you do."

"I know, but the same principle applies, right? MMA, boxing, tae-kwon-do or whatever: that's just a straight up sport. WWE: that's straight up entertainment, no matter what they call it. We fall somewhere in between. That answer your question?"

"My question was whether you thought you were going to beat Darkness."

"I know. Did I answer it?"

Jun furrowed her brow and looked out of the window too. "If, when you step between the ropes," she said, "you really are fighting for your life, and there's no element of trickery or predetermined outcomes, and it's just a straight battle between you and your opponent, then I don't think you think you will win."

"Okay."

"But," she continued, "if the game is rigged, and the outcome is known by both parties, then your own opinion is of course irrelevant."

"Uh…right."

"But, you say it's a sliding scale. The reality is somewhere between the two extremes. Logically, we would expect Darkness to win if it were a real fight, and you to win if the outcome is fixed, because Darkness's reign is stagnant."

"Exactly."

"But, that's just what you think. Some people like Darkness as the World Champion."

"Oh yeah? Like who?"

"Like his fans. And there are more of them in this city than you probably think."

DeSean frowned. "Really? What makes you think..."

"Oh, hey, this is my stop."

"Huh? Oh. Right."

Jun stood up and gave him a smile. "It was nice meeting you, DeSean. I'll be watching your match."

"Thanks."

She started to walk up the aisle of the bus but then stopped and turned around. "Hold on, I have something that might help you."

"Really? What?"

She rustled inside her bag and pulled out a book. "Here."

"Thanks. Uh...what is it?"

"Sun-tzu's The Art of War. In English too. I have it for practice – always good to start with something familiar."

"Oh, no, I can't accept this." He moved to give it back.

"It's fine. I've read it dozens of times now. I think it'll do you more good than me. Anyway, I have to go. Bye, DeSean."

"Bye."

Jun hurried to the front of the bus and stepped off just before it pulled away. She stood on the sidewalk and waved at him as he went past. As she disappeared from view, he wished he'd remembered to ask for her number. He didn't have a lot of friends in China right now.

Now sitting alone in silence, he looked down at the book in his hands. "Art of War, huh?" He flipped it open at a random page and read the first passage he came to.

The wise general
Is a Lord of Destiny;
He hold's the nation's
Peace or peril
In his hands.

"Hm." DeSean said.

* * *

"We were supposed to be dumping our things, not watching TV," Darkness said, walking out of the bathroom and scanning the crowded room.

"We have everything we need right here," Cai insisted.

"This is a dingy, one bedroom apartment that was last refurbished in the 1980s by the looks of things. We have nothing we need right here."

"TV," Peredur answered automatically.

"Chinese TV. You can't even understand what they're saying."

"DVDs."

"Do we have a DVD player?"

"Brought one with us," Lir said, pointing.

"Can't some of you at least go and stay with Freya? It's getting warm in here."

"Lazy," Cai said, flopping down onto his back and spreading out his arms.

"Well I'm going for a walk."

Gwen looked up from her seat at the small table in the kitchenette. "Can I come with you?"

"No, you're still healing."

"But we're in Beijing! This is a global city, full of people from every corner of the planet and even the native language is so diverse and with so many variations that there might as well be ten different ones!" She was bouncing up and down like a child.

"Are you kidding me? You’re actually happy to be here?" He looked at Tilpin, hoping for a measure of sanity.

The healer peeked at him over a book about traditional Chinese medicine. "Can we go to a market?"

"Not you too..." in desperation, he turned to Galadd.

"Can I learn kung fu?"

"Definitely not. I suppose you’re actually having fun too, Gawain?"

Gawain, in contrast to the other Children, was staring glumly at the screen of his laptop. "I can't get to any of my favourite websites! This is ridiculous!" He threw up his hands, nearly displacing the computer.

"Small miracles. I'm going out then, like I said. I'd tell you all to make yourselves at home, but it's obviously too late."

"You can't go on your own," Gwen said.

"I'll take Llenlleawg. Where is he?"

"I'm right here."

Darkness turned around and saw the youngest werewolf sitting in a dark corner. "Sulking again?"

"I'm not sulking." Llenlleawg stood up and headed for the door. Darkness didn't realise how tall he'd gotten. He stomped out of the apartment and slammed the door behind him.

"What's wrong with him?" Darkness asked the others.

"He's eighteen," Gwen shrugged, "don't you remember what that was like?"

Darkness grimaced. "Fair enough."

"So am I coming too?"

Darkness looked directly up and met Revenant's eyes. She was nonchalantly sitting cross-legged on the ceiling with her DS.

"I wish you wouldn’t do that."

"No room on the floor."

"This is like living in a sitcom. Anyway, no, you're not coming. The streets of Beijing are no place for a young girl."

"After all we've been through, now is when you bust that shit out?"

"I would have thought you'd had enough excitement recently."

"Sure, if you call hanging out with some random Asian girl 'exciting'. Me, I look for a little more depth in my adventures." She adjusted her posture slightly, and lost grip of the DS. It fell straight down and Darkness caught it deftly in his good hand. He tossed it back up to her.

"Thanks. Being upside down takes some getting used to."

"I'd rather spend some time alone with Llenlleawg anyway," he threw a glance towards the door, "I think he needs it."

"Suit yourself," she shrugged.

Darkness nodded and then took a look around the packed room. "Well, look after yourselves then. I'll see you later."

"Bye!" everyone chorused.

* * *

Jun walked back to her dormitory the quick way. It meant braving some narrow alleys and some of the seedier back streets, but it was the middle of the day and she was an intelligent, capable woman.

"Lost?" a male voice asked her.

She turned around. "Not at all. I seem to be running into a lot of Westerners today..."

A shape detached itself from the shadows. They were in a cramped alley, and the grey sky was a thin strip of half-light far above her head.

"Seems like this isn't the kind of place for a girl like you."

Jun took a step back. "I have an alarm," she said, her voice only wavering a touch.

"Feel free to use it," another voice said from behind.

Now there were more of them, closing from all sides. They were Caucasian, dressed in black, with paint on their faces. She recognised them, but didn't want to admit it to herself.

"Tell me something, little girl," a third voice said from behind the rest. The group parted to let the speaker through. He looked like the others, but his hair was lanker and patchy. It hung down in anaemic-looking strands across his face, which was pale and desiccated. The paint smearing his face couldn't conceal what was in his eyes though: bright, feral hunger. Pinprick pupils watched her like she was prey. Jun's hand closed around her rape alarm.

"Who are you? What do you want?" she asked, the fear now ringing clear.

"My name is Knight. And I just want to know..." he smiled, revealing gleaming, serrated fangs, "...do you want to be a Darkling?"

When she was a child she was told that she would be destined for great things, smart, young, ambitious, attractive, she was going to graduate with first class honors but in one moment all of that was going to be taken away from her, in one moment her life was going to change forever. While the crazed maniac who called himself Knight had physically scarred her, she knew sooner or later her wounds be healed but the emotional scars would stay there, they would haunt her and give her nightmares for the rest of her life she knows this but yet as she stands with 8 fingers, deep cut in her wrist, facial scars, she's just fortunate to be alive, stumbling around, struggling to get her wits about her, dazed and disoriented she stumbles out into the street looking for some type of help instead she saw the bright lights and they were heading towards her, the world goes black.
........................................
Two days later

So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will fight without danger in battles.
If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you may win or may lose.
If you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you will always endanger yourself.

DeSean: Interesting

He's been reading the book for two days now, picking out certain passages that he felt applied to his situation. He carried the book everywhere him, like it was his baby. Never letting it out of his sight, he wished he thanked Jun personally for introducing him to the Art of War but surprisingly he hasn't ran into her since. He says surprisingly like Beijing is a small city and he knew his way around. He hadn't strayed to far from the apartment complex learning his lesson from last time and keeping track of where he was at still though Jun seemed like the type of person he would run into from time to time, he's recognized complete strangers in multiple places before but Jun he hadn't seen since, maybe that was the way it was meant to be, some people are just in your lives to serve a particular purpose then you never see them again. Either way he assured himself that Jun was fine and probably reading some philosophy book but a bad feeling stayed in his gut filling him up with a sense dread. A feeling he would have to quickly get over because it would be interrupted with a phone call.

*bzzz, bzzz*

He felt the phone vibrate in his pocket and felt like ignoring it so he could finish reading but the buzzing noise proved to be to much for him.

DeSean: Yes, Ms. Stern?

Valerie: Mr. Deng and I want you to be at Beijing Department Store it's located at 255 Wangfujing Dajie for an autograph signing.

DeSean: OK what time?

Valerie: That's it? No smart ass comment? No protesting about going?

DeSean: None of that from me right now, we need to promote the show, it's a new market so I'm going to help. What time do I have to be there?

Valerie: Can you get here in 30 minutes?

DeSean: Sure, I mean I don't know where I'm going but yea I guess I could make it there.

Valerie: OK we'll have a cab pick you up.

DeSean: See you there.

*Click*

If he was truly going to be a World Champion he was going to have to start acting like one, leading by example would be a start being the first one there, the last one to leave. Just to show that he indeed care about the well being of the promotion and that he actually appreciated it. Something that Darkness didn't seem to get or care about if he really did they wouldn't be main eventing a PPV in China or maybe they would have but it would have been under their own terms not as the the dangerous fugitives that they're seen as.

DeSean: We're fugitives, DeSean you're on the FBI's top 10 most wanted list.

He chuckled at the idea of being a huge threat to the safety of the United States that he was on a list that had Bin Laden on it making light of the current situation was the only way he could get through it without stressing over it. His life was changing and he was learning to deal with it, it was the only thing he could do.

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

The cab pulled up in front of the store, he tipped the driver and walked towards both of his bosses direction. From a distance he could see they were having an discussion, a little bit of joking as he could see a smile on Valerie's face. As he got closer both of their attention turned towards him, Deng outstretched his hand and DeSean grabbed it.

Valerie: There he is.

Deng: DeSean, first one here

Valerie: Which is a first, you even beat Matt here.

"Barely beat me here"

All 3 turned as Matt walked inside the store he and DeSean slapped hands, while Matt shook Deng's.

DeSean: So what's the plan?

Deng: First we're having a press conference, when everyone gets here and the media, we'll have a press conference introducing TCW to the Chinese public, promote the matches and talk about the significance of the PPV here, then after that it's the meet and greet.

Matt: So a press conference? I thought it was just an autograph session?

Deng: It won't take long guys, just do what you do and there'll be some questions and that's it,

DeSean: Fine, it's no big deal, we're here, we'll just wait for everyone else. Have you guys heard from Darkness?

Valerie: We called but he didn't answer.

DeSean: He's out there somewhere more than likely brooding.

...............................................
Darkness and Llenlleawg are inside of a gym, if one was on the outside listening they would have thought it was Darkness who was the one training punishing the heavy bag with everything he has, channeling all of his energy into his punches, his frustrations put into his kicks but it wasn't Darkness doing the training, it wasn't Darkness grunting everytime he made contact with the bag, it was the young 18 year old werewolf Llenllawg, his bodyguard and his protege. Llenlleawg hadn't really opened up yet to Darkness about what was really bothering him. 18 was a difficult age for any teenager, he could only figure out difficult it has to be for a werekind who has to anticipate transforming on any given night and the fact that hasn't happened yet, has to be tough.

Darkness: That's right alternate between punches and kicks, make sure your enemy can't anticipate your next move.

Llenllawg continued throwing shin kicks at the bag, while switching it up to his punching.

Darkness: Good job

Llenllawg: Shouldn't you be doing this?

Darkness: I'll be fine just focus.

Llenllawg exhaling as he throws combos: I am focused, just that you're being chased.

Darkness: I'm not afraid of the US government.

Llenllawg: Not just them but by everyone, you're a wanted man by everyone. MacDonald wants you dead, the Darklings want you, Valerie wants you gone and DeSean wants you out of the title picture.

Darkness: People want they can't have, life is full of disappointments and we're all bound to get some.

Llenllawg: I'm sure you'll have no problem disappointing your critics. Still DeSean has been saying things about you, how you don't truly care about wrestling or how you don't appreciate being a world champion. I have a question and I'm sure it's been asked before but why......

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

DeSean: Why did I become a Professional wrestler? I've always been an wrestling fan my entire life, I have a picture of me at the age of one sitting in a high chair with some fake makeshift wrestling belt, my cousin made that has the letters NWA on it. I have old wrestling mags. PWI, Inside Wrestling, World of Wrestling, those old Apter mags, books, video games, posters, you name it. Some kids want to be Astronauts, some want to be Doctors, Lawyers I wanted to be a wrestler in a way this business chose me because what type of person really sticks with this business? Not a lot of normal people can survive in Pro Wrestling especially in a promotion like TCW, I was just born to do thiis.

The press conference was going surprisingly well, with the usual questions coming from the reporters, the whole thing felt like they were all robots with DeSean answering softball questions and giving automatic answers. Nothing's rehearsed of course but when you've been asked the same question over and over again, it's easy to give the same answer especially in a foreign country like China.

Reporter: How are you liking China so far?

DeSean: To be honest, I wasn't happy here at first mainly because we're forced to be here, I didn't come here voluntarily so of course I have some resistance in terms of really enjoying the country but this city, the area it's not bad. I've met a couple of cool people here, some enthusiastic fans with one sticking out in my mind right now, I don't want to mention their name but they know who they are. I haven't really been here long enough to grow a cynical attitude about the country but yet love it like I feel for the United States, North Carolina will always be my home no changing that but I think China can be my second I can learn to love it here. Next question I guess.

Reporter #2: Are you nervous coming into the match?

DeSean: I always get some butterflies before a match but I'm not really nervous, I've been in this situation before so no I'm not nervous. I've been studying tapes, training, just preparing for a war. I've already won half the battle, Darkness is going to play mind games with me, none of that bullshit. I have no reason to be nervous or scared, we're the same height, nearly identical weight and he's 20 years older than me and I have more experienced. Yea he's damn good fighter but so am I, I'm trained in Jiu-Jits, kickboxing and other fighting styles, he's just a man and I fear no man.

Deng: Next question

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

Llenllawg: What about the fans?

Darkness: What about them?

Llenllawg: You're not exactly a popular guy right now except among the Darklings which we both know are here, though we haven't ran into them recently, the question is how do we deal with them?

Darkness: The wrestling fans I haven't lost all of them and the ones I did lose my talent will either regain them back or they'll forever hate me, the Darklings....we'll deal with them personally.

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

DeSean: Thank you

The autograph session had begun, the roster minus Darkness were lined up side by side with two tables sitting across from each other, (take a guess of who sat together) DeSean and Matt seated next to each other, the two partners simultaneously signed autographs while having a conversation not missing a beat in what they were doing.


DeSean: The art of war teaches us to rely not on the
likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness
to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking,
but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.
There are five dangerous faults which may affect
a general:
(1) Recklessness, which leads to destruction;
(2) cowardice, which leads to capture;
(3) a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults;
(4) a delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame;
(5) over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him
to worry and trouble.

These are the five besetting sins of a general,
ruinous to the conduct of war.

Matt: Let me guess you're the reading the Art of War?

DeSean: How did you know?

Matt: It's only the most famous strategic war book published and it sounds like you're reading from the 1910 translation. Where did you get the book from?

DeSean: I don't know, it was a gift from this girl, we were talking and we hit it off. Then as quickly as we left she was gone.

Matt: So she was one of the fans you were talking about?

DeSean: Really she's the only fan I spoke to.

Matt: So why did you....

DeSean: I lied that's why. I didn't lie but it was an rehearsed answer, I'm used to answering certain questions a certain way and that was one of them. Just replace China with fucking Oregon or some other boring state. (See you at the show man.)

Matt: (Here you go Lee) So you haven't spoken to her? What's her name?

DeSean: Jun, I've tried looking her up, do you know how common Jun is has a name? She goes to BNU that's all I really know and she majors in Philosophy.

Matt: Sounds like a smart girl, someone to take home to Mom.

DeSean: It's not like that, she seemed like a cool person and I have no friends here. All of my friends are gone, Tony, Paul and Eddie all signed with the E and I don't blame them, just I'm bored, hell I'm lonely.

Matt: I understand trust me I do. Here's a newspaper, I picked it up, it's in English

Matt handed DeSean the rolled up newpaper, not looking away from signing a 8x10 photo of himself and some programs. There was enough of a lull in DeSean's line that he managed to open the newspaper up and take a look at the front page headline. Little did he know that headline was about to give him a huge shock .

21 year female involved in bizarre car accident, remains in critical condition

Underneath that headline was a picture of a healthy looking June, the same June he met on the street who wore a bright eyed smile underneath that picture was a picture of her post accident, bruises from the wreck appear visibly on her face but there were some deep cuts going up along her cheeks while smeared, greasy facepaint cab seen along her eyes.

DeSean: Jesus Christ, it's her.

Matt: What?

DeSean: This is the girl I was talking about Jun, she got hit by a car while she wandered in the street in the middle of the night. The hit banged her up but it wouldn't have been serious if it wasn't for her previous wounds. They say her wounds were still fresh and when they tried to speak with her, she was delirious not really able to answer a question of how it happened. She had two fingers missing, deep scars going across her face and small indented mark on her neck as if someone was trying to bite her but failed at it when they finally calmed her down, she told him that she was able to kick herself free from her captors after she saw a small opening, she grabbed her rape alarm, pressed the button which caused the assholes to scatter and she stumbled away right into traffic, she mentioned that one of the men who called himself Knight asked if she wanted to be a....a Darkling.

Matt: Darkness' followers?

DeSean: They're here, sons of bitches followed him here, I told him I fucking told him. I gotta take a break, cover for me.

Matt: Where you going?

DeSean: To find the assholes responsible for this before they hurt another person.

DeSean grabbed the newspaper and quickly left the table not even pausing to say goodbye.
....................

A couple of hours later

Gawain: I never have a strong signal in here.

Gawain stared at his laptop, lightly tapping on the front of it as if a stronger signal was going to magically appear out of thin air and send waves to the laptop causing his favorite websites to load up faster.

Lir: Why don't we watch a movie?

Peredur: We've seen just about all of them already.

Gwen: I say we go to a museum there's so much to learn in this city, so much history here. I don't understand why we're just sitting. Hey Darkness?

Darkness: No

In response Gwen folded arms resembling a small 3 year old who's pouting after being told they can't play with anymore toys. Darkness sat at the table checking his cell phone messages, he "accidentally" left his cell phone in the apartment but in reality chose to put it on silent so he and Lllenllawg could talk without any interruptions. After listening to the 8th voicemail of Stern cursing him out (she left 2 relatively clean messages) he decied to close his cell phone shut and laid it on the table, deciding to ignore the subsequent vibrations with the thought process that Valerie was calling to curse him out again, he could do without hearing all of that. The phone shook on the table lightly with the vibration making a small noise as it slowly, inched it's way across the surface, wiggling like a caterpillar walking across a leaf. For a few seconds the vibrating would stop, then start back up again, until the sound of another phone ringing in synch with his phone's vibration. Everyone in the room and looked towards the door, hearing the ringing get closer, all of them had their hands on their weapons ready to strike at any moment's notice. The ringing was so close they could hear it outside the door, there was a knock on the door.

Revenant: Who is it?

"Me"

Revenant: Who is Me?

"Just open the fucking door"

Revenant looked at Darkness, who nodded his head signaling for her to open the door, she drew one of her gauntlets as she opened the door, luckily she had control and stopped shy of hitting the target who happened to be her fellow Shadow Slayer's next opponent. To his credit DeSean didn't seemed phase as he casually walked in before even being invited or even acknowledged, he made a bee line towards Darkness, ignoring those around him and slammed the newspaper on the table.

DeSean: Read it, frontpage fucking news.

Darkness: A female was hit by a car....

DeSean: That female's name is Jun Song, age 21 a student at BNU, she majored in Philosophy, she was a smart, funny, bright young woman with a nice future ahead of her. Want to know how I know because I met her, now she lies in an hospital bed in critical condition with fucking scars embedded in her scar, missing two fingers and black make-up smeared on her face with a small indention into her neck not enough to break the skin.

Darkness: DeSean I....

DeSean: Jin Zhao age 15 been missing for 5 days, last seen with a group of men dressed in all black, they wore black facepaint underneath their eyes, they had visible scars and some of them were dismembered most notably their hands being removed.

Darkness: I see what.....

DeSean: Tao Wu age 19, an art student at Peking University, second class honor student found dead in an alleyway with his left hand missing, again deep cuts into his face, black facepaint believed to be dead for a good 2 days.

3 innocent people missing, maimed or dead because of you because of your fans. I fucking told you, I told you what would happen and you refuse to listen because you don't give a shit. 3 people already and I'm sure more bodies will be found and instead of me calling out their names how about I carve them into your fucking chest.

Darkness rolled his eyes at his opponent who looked back at him carving a hole into him with his eyes, staring at him with deep contempt.

Darkness: What do you want DeSean? A fight right now? I'll tell everyone to leave us alone and we'll fight get it over with.

DeSean: As much as I would like to kick your ass in front of your weird friends, I came here because I'm going after them and I need to know how they think, how they act seeing as though they look at you as some type of leader.

Darkness: You can't face them alone.

DeSean: I've done it before.

Darkness: It's different now, they're evolving, they're growing and they'll sooner or later successfully recruit.

DeSean: So what do you suggest then? That we team up? Fuck you.

Darkness: Look holding a grudge against me isn't going to make things right, we can work together we can rid the world of Knight and his Darklings.

DeSean stood in thought for a couple of minutes, he quickly nodded his head.

DeSean: Fine, so what do you suggest we do first?

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

Lee Qian age 16, male. He came from a broken home, he was a subpar student who didn't seem to have anything to live for, he had no friends, he hated his family filled with a bunch of abusive drunks and strung out junkies. He had nothing to live for until that fateful day that he met him. He met the man who called himself Knight, he befriended him, introduced him to more friends, showed that he actually cared. In return all he had to do was give up his life and devote it to Darkness which was easy because the only thing he felt in his life was pain, anger, hatred emotions that he no longer wanted to feel.

Tonight he was promised a new beginning, a new life, with no emotions, no anger, no pain, no more hatred, no more anxiety all of that, that's within him would now be gone and replaced with a power he would never imagine before and an obsession he never felt before. The bulb above them flickered on and off, with only the dim street lights providing them with adequate light. Standing still, Lee could hear the familiar footsteps they were distinct as they lightly tapped on the surface with a little bit of rhythmic beat to them. Slowly the rest of the Darklings parted like the red sea as Knight emerged from the shadows with a smile on his face, his sharpened teeth gleaming along with knife that he held close to his face.

Knight: Lee Qian do you want to be a Darkling?

Lee: Yes, yes I do.

"Kyle's a good boy he's just...shy..."

She looked down at the dark-haired child sitting on the kitchen floor. As always, he seemed absorbed in his own little world. He whooshed and zoomed his action figures around, not listening to his mother's phone conversation. Occasionally, when she had the time, she worried there might be something wrong with him. Every now and then she caught him talking to himself, acting out the adventures of his toys, doing their voices and humming snippets of imaginary theme tunes. He was a very quiet boy, apart from that.

"Yeah, he'll be starting school in the Fall. I don't know. Fine I guess. Maybe if his daddy was around."

Kyle didn't have any brothers and sisters – his father was gone, in spirit if not in person, the moment she found herself pregnant with him – and he didn't mix well. So far anyway. Things would be better when he was at school. She couldn’t give him the attention he needed, but that's what teachers were for.

"I can't make Friday, Julie," she said into the phone, "I have to work an extra shift then. I know. I know. You know how it is."

Kyle didn't pay any attention to what she was saying. He was still playing on the floor.

* * *

DeSean cast his eyes around sceptically. It was night now, and the moonlight filtered down into the streets, lending everything a twisted, austere aspect. It had rained recently, but not hard, and the ground was slicked with a reflective sheen. Darkness looked up into the sky. It was clear now, the clouds whipped away by a fast wind off the steppes. Darkness wasn't showing any discomfort, but DeSean had his hands shoved deep in his pockets. Idly, he kicked a can printed with unfamiliar script across the floor of the alley. It came to a halt near Darkness's foot.

"Something wrong?"

"What? No. Just wondering why we're hanging around in some scummy alleyway."

"It always comes down to an alley eventually. Just one of those things."

"Right."

"You didn't have to come," Darkness reminded him.

"You came with me, not the other way 'round. And I didn't think this is where we'd start looking for these freaks."

"Then where do you suggest we start?"

DeSean narrowed his eyes. "I'm not the spooky warrior."

"That's right, you aren't. So kindly defer to my judgement."

"I would if I knew what you were trying to do. You haven't exactly been that open with me."

"Why would I ever be open with you?"

"We're on the same side here, aren't we?"

"Are we?"

DeSean shook his head. "It's always the same with you."

"What is?"

"This bullshit attitude. This aloof crap. You think you're so much better than the rest of us."

"I don't think I'm better than the rest of you," Darkness said, turning back towards the other end of the alley so his back was to DeSean, "just you."

"Pardon me?"

"Just you. It's you I think I'm better than. Not everyone else."

DeSean blinked in disbelief and then walked after Darkness. He placed a hand on his shoulder and spun him around. "Say that to my face, you prick."

"I think I'm better than you," Darkness told him, enunciating carefully.

* * *

"Look, Kyle, you're a bright kid..."

"Thank you."

"I'm not finished. You're a bright kid," the school counsellor continued, "but you have to be realistic."

"Never had much time for realism, Chapman."

"Mr. Chapman. And I know that, Kyle. But there comes a time in every young man's life when he has to face facts."

"I want to go to college."

"That's great! I have some brochures right here for some of the local community colleges..."

"No, I want to go to real college. I want to study something real."

"You can study real things at community college. That's kind of the idea – you can do an associate's degree in something vocational, make yourself a nice living in the future."

Kyle ran a pale hand through his shaggy hair. "No...you're not getting it. You're not...I want to be someone."

"You can be someone."

"I'm not going to just throw in the towel and be a good little consumer, Chapman. I'm not going to lie back and let society fuck me in the ass by fitting your mould of how you think I should be."

Chapman rolled his eyes. "We've been through this, Kyle. Look, I don't want to bring you down from your ivory tower, but the reality is that, unless you can land a scholarship, you're not going to be able to go to the kind of college you want to. It's just not in the cards given your...circumstances..."

"You mean 'cause I'm poor."

"You’re not...you know that isn't what I mean. Kyle, you've had a million chances to clean up your act, get the grades you need and achieve anything you want. But that hasn't happened, has it? You don't apply yourself. You live in a fantasy world."

"So what? It's better than this one."

"Damnit, Kyle, I'm trying to help you! I want you to succeed!"

"No, you want me to shut up and become a faceless drone like you...like my mom. I want to be more than that."

"Now listen here, young man. I'm on your side, and I won't sit here and be insulted by a little jumped up..."

Kyle slammed his hand down on the counsellor's desk. "No you fucking listen. I'm tired of this. I'm tired of your fucking bullshit American Dream 'you can achieve anything you want' crap. I just want to do something that means something. I want to be part of something worthwhile."

Mr. Chapman was looking at Kyle's wrist. He saw the spider web of red scars scored into his pale flesh.

* * *

"Better than me?"

"That's right."

"Why?"

"I don't attack paralysed men."

DeSean frowned, and then it dawned on him what Darkness was talking about. "Hey, now, that was..."

"I once thought I could respect you, DeSean, but after that moment I knew you were a lost cause."

"Oh, you think you're so goddamn perfect? What about that wife of yours? The one you gave the black eye to?"

"You know nothing about that," Darkness said, his voice a low growl.

"Yeah, and you know nothing about why I attacked Dante. Funny, because the same shit that was happening then is what's happening right now. This fucking Hellfire glass ceiling you freaks have in place, flushing this business down the toilet. Don't you see how you spit on everything that's important to guys like me and Strikmore every time you walk out to the ring?"

Darkness lunged for DeSean and slammed his forearm against his throat, driving him back and pinning him against the alley wall. "And don't you get that you don't have the first idea what's going on right in front of your ignorant face? You're so concerned with your petty life that you can't understand there may be something bigger at stake here. You're so convinced your frame of reference is the only valid one that you can't step out of your limited paradigm for just one moment and imagine that there may be more going on than your worldview can encompass."

"Is that supposed to impress me?" DeSean rasped, pushing Darkness's arm away and sinking down to the ground. "What makes you think I even want to be part of your world, whatever that is?"

"What makes you think you even have a choice?"

"So why patronise me? Why give me this shit?"

"You're the one playing my game, DeSean, not the other way 'round."

"Really? Because last I checked, this was pro. wrestling. And you're supposed to be a World Champion. Maybe it's time you started being some kind of locker room leader..."

"You don't have the first idea about what it means to be a leader. You can't even begin to imagine what it is I lead."

* * *

"This is...nice..."

Kyle looked up from the Formica table in his kitchenette. "It’s a roof," he shrugged.

His mother smiled and took his hand. "I'm so happy you're starting out on your own."

"Starting?"

"That's right. This is the beginning of a whole new life for you."

"I don't call working in a theatre much of a life."

"It's better than nothing."

"Barely."

"Oh, Kyle. It's going to be a fine. And, who knows, if you work hard you could be promoted, become a manager. All you need is your foot on the first rung of the ladder."

"Some ladder."

"Kyle, this is life. You have to stop dreaming. You have to stop thinking some magic lamp is going to land in your lap and change everything."

"I don't want everything to change," he said, looking down again, letting his stringy bangs hang over his face, "I just want to mean something."

* * *

"Lead? You don't lead shit. Your fans are leaving in droves, and you're killing TCW."

"My fans? My fans still chant my name. My fans still buy my shirts. My fans..."

"Are freaks! They're monsters who kill people!"

"Not all of them."

"They're all that's left! You're a has-been...an old man."

"I'm stronger, faster and more skilled than you'll ever be."

"You want to prove that?"

"I can prove it in the ring."

"Why don’t you prove it right now?"

"I don't want to hurt you."

"You don't?"

"Okay, that isn't true."

DeSean stepped back, holding out his arms. "Well why don't you bring it then, you piece of shit?"

"By all means." Darkness took a step forward, but then a pale hand grabbed DeSean from the shadows and dragged him backwards.

"Hey!"

He heard a voice near his ear, but felt no breath. "Hello again, DeSean Blackwell. I forget...did you ever answer my question?"

"What question?"

"Do you want to be a Darkling?"

* * *

"Who's that?" Kyle asked, looking up at a poster in his girlfriend's bedroom. He had met her at the theatre, and felt nothing for her but lust. In every other respect, she was someone he despised.

"Oh, some wrestler."

"Wrestler? You mean in that fake shit?"

"I dunno. Does it matter?"

"What's his name?"

"Darkness. Come on, let's fuck."

"Huh?"

"Let's fuck." she insisted. "C'mon, Kyle Knight, do you wanna fuck me or do you wanna be a Darkling?"

Kyle Knight looked at his girlfriend, she smiled back slowly caressing her tongue across her lips. He looked behind her at the poster of Darkness, he admired the poster of the tall professional wrestler, muscular, strong, holding two belts he gave the aura of a true champion, a true leader. That's what Kyle wanted to be, that's what he knew he was destined for, to be a leader of his generation. He always dismissed wrestling as that "fake shit" but on that day he saw Darkness as larger than life, nothing seemed "fake" about him. She smiled at him as walked closer towards her but she quickly frowned as he walked past her to get a closer look at the poster.

"What are Darklings?" Kyle asked inquisitively

"That's what Darkness calls his fans, lame right?" she responded fighting the embarassment of having an pro wrestler on her wall.

"No it's not, why do you have a poster of him?" he asked while tilting his head to the side looking at the poster.

"I thought it looked cool." she told him nonchalantly while removing her shirt, hoping that would get his attention and focus it back on her.

"Are those real scars?" Kyle asked himself softly as he looked at Darkness' face. Darkness looked like a warrior, with his battle scars and his sword that sat behind him ready to be drawn at a moments notice.

"Dammit Kyle, do you want to fuck me or not! You pussy, come one! Darkness is a nobody, I'm your girlfriend do you want to fuck or do you want to be a Darkling!" she asked exasperated.

"I want..." Kyle kept his head down, a blank stare came across his face. He picked up a nearby switchblade his girlfriend used for protection with a burst of speed she's never seen before from him he rushed her bringing the knife close to her throat, he held her with one hand. He smiled and slowly turned knife onto himself, he stuck it deep into his forehead and ran it across his face, blood seeped through his skin like water seeping through the cracks of ceiling. It trickled down onto his face as he smiled a devilish grin.

"I want to be someone special, someone respected, I want to be like Darkness, I want to be a Darkling." he whispered into her ear, he then put the knife to her throat and asked.

"Do you want to be a Darkling?"

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

"Why?"

The answer caught him off guard though it shouldn't have but obviously Knight never comprehended things the way a normal human would do. The answer caused him to loosen his grip which is the #1 broken rule against a superior fighter like DeSean who quickly sidekicked Knight and rolled away giving himself some distance. Knight fell to one knee clutching his stomach.

Knight: "Excuse me?"

DeSean: Why the fuck would I want to be a Darkling? Look at you, you're a fucking loser. You're an ugly motherfucker, with grease smeared all over your face looking like a mechanic who just had an orgy underneath the hood of a car, you're missing body parts. Fat desperate emo chicks wouldn't fuck you and that's after you've slipped GHB in their drink, you're a fucking loser and a piece of shit. Why the fuck would anybody want to be a Darkling? A bunch of nobodies.

Knight: Nobodies? You're calling us nobodies? You're wrong DeSean

DeSean: No I'm very fucking sure I'm right.

Knight: You're fucking wrong!

Knight rushed him with the knife but DeSean side stepped him, he grabbed Knights arm and simulataneously kicked him in the chest 3 times, Knight fell backwards, but quickly kipped up surprising DeSean in the process who remembers their last encounter and how easily he overtook the Darkling leader. Knight threw several punches and kicks none of which connected cleanly as they were all blocked or sidestepped, DeSean countered with a well connected elbow to the face staggering Knight backwards, he followed that up with a roundhouse kick to the face of Knight who fell to the ground. DeSean quickly ran up to him, stuck the had of Knight in between his ankles, he rotated his body counter-clockwise breaking Knight's good hand and causing enough pain for Knight to cry out.


DeSean: You're fucking pathetic, you want to cry? What about all those innocent people you tortured? You didn't give them a chance, you ruined their lives.

Shaking his head at Knight, turned back at Darkness who he could barely see through the fog though he knew he was still out there watching from the shadows.

DeSean: You see that Darkness? I didn't need your help.

Darkness emerged from the shadows looking down at Knight who appeared lifeless as if he passed out from the pain, his pale arm clutched at his arm while he laid still in the fetal position.

Darkness: No you didn't need my help but it's not over yet.

DeSean: For once you're right, this pussy is the type of pussy who usually has a pack of pussies rolling with him. Where are the others?

As if they were waiting for DeSean to say that line, on cue another Darkling jumped from a rooftop and landed on top of DeSean. The Darkling appeared to be 16, Darkness noticed that the scars on his face appeared to be somewhat fresh and there were small bitemarks on his neck, though they weren't deep enough to really penetrate the skin. Yet Darkness knew that Knight was starting to figure out the extent of his powers and that he would soon figure out to transform people into a vampire. The Darkling threw some rabbit punches on DeSean, the punches weren't the most effective but they were coming quickly enough that it was starting to overwhlem him not giving him enough to counter. Darkness ran and gave the Darkling a sidekicked causing him to fall off of DeSean. Darkness then picked up the Darkling and finished him off quickly with two open palm punches to the chest. DeSean stood up and dusted himself off, he looked at the younger Darkling and turned back at Darkness.

DeSean: Thanks

Darkness: Don't mention it.

DeSean: So that's it? We stand around in an alleyway for two Darklings? Where's the rest of them?

Darkness: I don't know, I was expecting more too.

DeSean: I mean you that guy out with two punches, I took the so called leader out and broke his arm.

DeSean walked towards Knight and looked down at him he slouched over attempting to insult him so more.

Darkness: Hey, DeSean wait, he's a Vamp.....!

Deciding to not heed Darkness' warning, DeSean leaned over Knight, to his surprise Knight opened his arms, readjusted his hand back into place and grabbed DeSean by the throat. He shoved him against the brick wall and with one hand he lifted him up off the ground.

Darkness: Put him down!

Knight: Why? I'm trying to help you! We know who you really are!

Darkness: I don't need your help!

DeSean struggled for breath, his eyes widened at the sight of the sharpened canine teeth of Knight who mainted a death grip around his neck. Out of desperation, he does the first thing that comes to his mind....an eye poke. The age old heel trick one of the few wrestling moves that works in real life and this time it doesn't fail him. Knight dropped him and rubbed at his eye, Darkness took advantage of the quick opening and landed a series of punches to the face, DeSean followed it up by putting his cross pendant in his hand, with his palm opened using his fingers to hold the cross he punched Knight using the cross. The subsequent attack left Knight in a bewildered state causing him to sprint out of the alleyway. DeSean started to sprint after him but by the time he left the alleyway, Knight was gone.

DeSean: Fuck! He's gone.

Darkness: Don't worry, we'll find him.

DeSean: Yea but how many more people will suffer before we do? So this is your world huh? Walking around in alley ways? Dealing with fucking freaks? Fuck you and fuck your little world. You think the real world is easy? It's not, don't ever downgrade the world I live in. I've worked too damn hard, too damn long for you to try and trivialize it. I wrestle to entertain, people paid their hard earned money to see us, their last paychecks to come to our shows to cheer and boo us, yet you try and marginalize that? Fuck you, fuck Freya, and fuck Dante you're a bunch of hypocrites who are willing to sell your friends and your allies out like Hawthorne to get ahead in life but yet this wrestling shit isn't that serious to you. Fuck this, I'm out of here.

DeSean waved off Darknesss and headed back to his apartment, head down, hands in his pockets he slowly walked across the sidewalk looking out for a cab or a bus. As he saw a cab approached he whiistled for it to stop and sat inside it, Darkness looked on from a distance, from the shadows as the cab pulled off.

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

All warfare is based on deception.

19. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable;
when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we
are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away;
when far away, we must make him believe we are near.

20. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder,
and crush him.

his eyes widened at the sharpened canine teeth of Knight, while Darkness yelled at Knight. DeSean plucked his cross pendant from his chain and tugged it into his pocket, he stuck the pendant in his left hand, with his right he poked Knight in the eye, Darkness' attack was right on time and just an added bonus.

21. If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him.
If he is in superior strength, evade him.

22. If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to
irritate him.

"Oh, you think you're so goddamn perfect? What about that wife of yours? The one you gave the black eye to?"

"You know nothing about that," Darkness said, his voice a low growl.

"Yeah, and you know nothing about why I attacked Dante. Funny, because the
same shit that was happening then is what's happening right now. This
fucking Hellfire glass ceiling you freaks have in place, flushing this
business down the toilet. Don't you see how you spit on everything
that's important to guys like me and Strikmore every time you walk out
to the ring?"

Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.

DeSean: For once you're right, this pussy is the type of pussy who
usually has a pack of pussies rolling with him. Where are the others? Out of the corner of his eye, DeSean could see the young darkling moving about on the rooftop ready to strike, so he moved slightly to the left giving the Darkling enough room to land on top of him while giving him enough room to not take any real damage but enough for Darkness to believe that he needed to be "saved"[/i]

23. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest.
If his forces are united, separate them.

24. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where
you are not expected.

25. These military devices, leading to victory,
must not be divulged beforehand.



He closed the book and looked out the window of his shitty one bedroom apartment, the two days he would face the biggest challenge of his career by all accounts he should be scared shitless. He's facing a guy who's arguably a better fighter, held the world titles for over two years, defeated people he's had trouble against, hell defeated people he's never defeated himself. A lost puts him down the card again, more than likely lost in the shuffle with no direction. The message that he and Strikmore were trying to send, the battles that they were fighting would all be for naught, one mistake, one screw up can cause him to lose as his opponent can beat him in many ways. Yet he stands out on the balcony not shaken but calm, his hands are steady, his mind is clear and he realizes what he must do, there was no turning back in two days, he had no choice at all, no choice at all but to...

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

"Win, that's what I'm going to do at Eye of the Tiger. Some may think I'm foolish for being so confident, my peers may think I'm crazy, some of my own friends may even doubt me. They say the ceiling is too damn strong. I can't beat Darkness, he's too fast, he's too powerful, he has too many fans, he's this, he's that. I've heard it all, yet I stand in front of the camera, talking to those around the world about to headline our first ever PPV in China, no scratch that the first American wrestling PPV in China and my hands don't shake, my voice doesn't crack and my heartbeat remains steady. I've been in the ring against Darkness plenty of times and at first I was nervous, hell I threw up before a tag match against him and Dante but once I stepped into that ring. I said the hell with it all and I wrestled my ass off. We may have lost that match but I realized that night, I could go toe to toe with anyone in this promotion including Darkness.

And after our last match I know I can beat him, I know in my heart that I can beat him, Darkness you're not special to me anymore, I don't seek your respect, I don't care about your respect, this isn't about respect, this is about something more, this is about the business I care about, preserving it, saving it from you. I've spent the last couple of weeks here soul searching and I now know who I am and I know who you are, I know my heart is in it because I love this business even when it's screwed me over, I've still stuck by it, I still gave back because I want to see it survive while you don't give shit whether it lives or dies. That's why I know I'll win at Eye of the Tiger because I'm the Technician DeSean Blackwell and I'm pro wrestling and pro wrestling means I'm better than Darkness."

Sweeney: Ok that's a wrap, good promo DeSean. We'll air it in it's entirety the edit it, cut it up use it as sound bites for the PPV video promo.

DeSean: Ok, cool hey have you seen Darkness?

Sweeney: Earlier today, taking some promotional pictures not sure where he is now.

DeSean: OK, it's cool I think I have an idea of where he is.

..........................
Darkness stands in an alleyway along with Revenant and Llenllawg.

Revenant: No sign of them so far.

Darkness: We have to be patient.

Llenllawg: What makes you think they'll show up to this one?

Darkness: I don't know, we just wait and see.

Revenant: And if nothing happens?

Darkness: Then we leave.

Llenllawg: What if we're too late?

Darkness: We won't be able to prevent every attack but we can stop them. They're around this area somewhere I can feel it.

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

Kerry Mattheson was just a 24 year old tourist trying to enjoy the various shops located in Beijing. It wasn't supposed to end like this for her, the next day she was supposed to be on plane headed back to Florida where she can show off all of her Chinese souvenirs to all of her friends. She wasn't supposed to die in alleyway, murdered by a crazed lunatic who surrounds himself with other crazed lunatics who dress in goth and practice self-mutilation. She starts to cry, the tears don't even get a chance to land her blouse as the crazed lunatic stops them with his finger. He reaches into her purse and pulls out her Drivers license, he glances at it then flippantly tosses it away. He pulls out his knife and brings it to her throat.

Knight: Kerry Mattheson of Tallahassee all I have is one question do you want to be Darkling?"