Can pride be more important, sometimes, than your own well being?

DeSean Blackwell seems to think so.

It was post-Friction. The cameras had gone off minutes earlier, but the tension was still palpable.

"Fucking Freya, sticking her nose in my business, I should have hit her more," DeSean said, slamming the locker room door behind him.

"I won the goddamn match!" Being beaten down by Hellfire, and then saved by them was one of the most embarassing moments of his career. He'd finally threatened their glass ceiling, so what do they do? Try to save face. Audiences often remember the one who was standing tall after the match over the actual winner...

All he could think about right now was a need to settle the score. He was always so close, so close to establishing himself over them...so close to saving the company he'd poured hours of work, pints of blood, sweat and tears into.

The anger bubbled up from within, his fists clenching, as he paced to and fro throughout the locker room, seething. Was this always how it had to be?

He stopped, as he realised how simple it was.

A match.

Beat Freya....no, beat her and take her title, embarrass her in front of the TCW faithful...that would satisfy his thrist for retribution. He'd pinned her before, he could do it again.

Changing into his street clothes, bag in hand, he burst out of the locker room in a huff. He was going to demand that match from Stern, or else there would be hell to pay. He was sure she'd agree, though, her and the NHFC were never best of friends...

He couldn't reach her office fast enough. Blowing off security, his fingers reached the doorknob, about to turn-

He jumped back suddenly, the door nearly smashing into his face.

"I'm in no mood for BS, so you'd better move your-"

"Oops."

Izumi stared into his flaring eyes. "Sorry?"

"You're one of the last people I want to see right now. All I want to see and hear is Stern giving me the match I want, now-"

"Havoc's already booked, silly."

"Well I damn sure better be facing Fre-"

"Nope," Izumi cut him off. "I'm your opponent! Bet you didn't expect that, did you? It's a shocking swerve!" She folded her arms and nodded sagely. "I've wanted this match for a while."

"Pft. You? I'd rather wrestle a monkey. Good job with that, by the way..."

"...Okay, that was low. What's your issue, anyway?"

"I just plain don't like you, Izumi," DeSean said. "Or your attitude." His eyes focused on the Aftershock belt, and he shook his head. "That's gold on your shoulder, but you're not a champion. You're just part of the sideshow. You're not a real wrestler-"

"HEY! That's crap, and you KNOW IT! I'm as real of a-"

"No. No. Fuck this. I don't have time for and, quite frankly, I'm not in the mood to deal with you," DeSean said, turning on his heel, and walking away.

"We're not done talking, DeSean," Izumi said.

"Save it." He disappeared around the corner, leaving her standing alone in a huff.

...

After a pause, she kicked the nearest wall in a bout of frustration, as she started to walk back...

As much as she hated to admit it, pride was an important thing to her too, and tonight, she had lost a lot of it. Wrestling an ape...and getting embarrassed? She'd kept a straight face on...but deep down inside, no matter how she tried to spin it, it hurt her. Badly. Worse, there were already rumors of Bundy being a potential contender for HER championship. And topping it all off, was DeSean, with this.

Worst part was? There was probably truth to his words.

After a while more of walking, the lightbulb lit up in her head.

Like DeSean, she was going to do something about her issues, too...

"He's fired the first shot...I've got no problems shooting right back. And shoot I will!"

A simple studio promo wouldn't do this. No, she needed something on a grander scale. This was a workrate match Internet smarks have wanted to see since Endgame, and it needed...

"The Internet!"

Running back to the locker room, she gathered her things, and prepared to head back to her apartment. Her weapons tonight, would be her imagination, her laptop, and Windows Movie Maker.

Valerie sat in her big comfy office chair, it seemed like since Deng took over the promotion as the sole owner. Her workload lightened being a person who was use to power this sometimes bothered her, as she seemed like nothing more than a receptionist. Other times she enjoyed the lightened workload as she could head back to her place after shows a lot earlier as most of the wrestlers would ask Deng for matches. The key word was most, some people were use to coming to see her and when you have two bosses, people normally go to the person in charge they're more comfortable with and Valerie was no exception.

A knock on the door broke the sweet silence that she was enjoying.

Valerie: Come in!

Two young men walked in, neatly dressed, both wearing dress clothes both were Chinese since the buyout Valerie kept meeting new faces, she was going to have to mention that Deng.

Valerie: Yes?

Both of the men looked at each other nervously then one spoke up.

"We wanted to show you the latest TCW ad that's going to be shown on the website"

Valerie: OK

They looked at each other again, one guy slowly handed her a DVD while the same guy who spoke last time did so again.

"It's on there."

Valerie nonchalantly put the DVD in her laptop and waited a couple of seconds. She suspiciously looked at both men, while they both forced a grin back to her with a "please don't be pissed off at us" looks on their faces. The screen turned black and then the video showed up in the Windows Media Player.

The video starts off with 3 guys sitting on a sofa, one is black, one is white and another is Hispanic. The black guy in the middle says.

"Can't we all just get along?"

The white guy who's sitting next to him answers back.

"When we watch TCW....(all 3 men say) we can!"

Two guys then pop-out nowhere and sing

"At TCWWWW!

A woman who's sitting in her living room then speaks.

"I'm a black woman and I love watching TCW."


"I'm a white man and I like watching TCW."


"I'm a Hispanic man and I like watching TCW

"I'm a white woman and I love TCW!

"AT TCWWWWW! where white people and black people watch wrestlingggg!"

The scene goes back to the original 3 men.

Hispanic guy: And Hispanics too

Black guy: What about Asians?

White guy: Them too

Hispanic: All people

In the end they all shake hands, while the beat that sounds like it was recorded on a cheap ass Casio continues to play.

Once the video finishes, Valerie just stares in astonishment. She slowly closes her laptop, her hand trembles as she tries to find the words. Trying to break the tension, the guy speaks up.

"So what did you think?

Before she could answer. thankfully for the two men. There was a knock on the door but it opened before Valeria could answer. DeSean walked in and before Valerie could even answer him, he spoke.

"I want Freya" he demanded.

Valerie: OK, first of all you fucking wait until I acknowledge that you can come in. Second of all, you're going to get Freya at the PPV.

DeSean: I told Deng right before the Dante match, that I wanted Freya.

Valeria: And Izumi requested that she fought you before you requested the match with Freya. So there you go.

DeSean thought back to his earlier conversation with Izumi.

"I've wanted this match for a while."

DeSean: Of course, shocking swerve my ass. Why does she want to face me anyway?

Valerie: I don't know, to make a name for herself perhaps? You should be flattered, you're so over now people want to use you to try and measure their talent.

DeSean: Gee, I should only be so lucky.

Valerie: Look the match is signed, I can't change it. We've already started advertising.

DeSean: What about the card being subjected to change?

Valerie: Well...your match isn't changing. You and Freya will happen at the PPV.

DeSean: Bleeder title?

Valerie: Of course, that's if she still has it. She is bleeding and you didn't even attempt to pin her.

DeSean: What are you getting at?

Valerie: Freya was bleeding and you didn't even attempt to pin her. Meaning you either don't know the rules or you don't care about the Bleeder title, you're just trying to humiliate Freya aren't you?

DeSean: What if I was? You're not going to take the match away.

Valerie: No we're not, good luck on your match against Izumi. Don't look past her.

DeSean: Yea whatever.

Valerie didn't respond back as he left the office, he turned back once more to look at Valerie whose face was buried into the laptop.

DeSean: Hey Valerie, I have a question.

Valerie: Yea?

He looked at the two young men who were still in the room and thought better of it.

DeSean: Forget it, I'll ask you some other time.

He turned around and left the office, he never looked past any of his opponents but Izumi was harmless or at least she appeared that way. She wasn't going to attack him before a match, she would just cut some promos nothing to serious, if anything it should be a nice traditional feud compared to the last two he had, or so he thought. Unbeknownst to him, Izumi was planning something.

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

Movie Maker is a simple program to use, it may be difficult for first time users but Izumi was a pro. She's made highlight videos of her favorite wrestlers before (including DeSean himself) but this wasn't an highlight video. This wasn't a video featuring his biggest spots, in his best matches, synchronized to a beat. This was something different, if she wasn't on DeSean's radar earlier, she would be now. He won't look past her anymore, no more simple dismisses. After this video airs, she'll definitely have his attention.

"Perfect" she giggled to herself as she saved it for a final time.

********************************
"So...Who am I?"

The camera pans across an empty wrestling gym briefly to see Izumi leaning against a ringpost.

"I'm what you'd call 'young blood'."

Izumi charges King with a leg lariat and he staggers against the ropes...

"The 'greenhorn'."

Izumi drives Mark Wright into the mat with a top-rope DDT...

"The 'rookie sensation', if you will."

Izumi goes to the top rope and then spins around, bouncing off with a moonsault...

"My name...is Izumi."

Izumi hooks Alex Lee's arm before striking out at an area of his chest with two fingers...

"You take one look at me and a few words likely come to mind: 'Diva. Valet. Eye-candy.' If you, the viewer, are thinking that right now, you'd be dead wrong. For almost a year now, I've been living the dream wrestling fans dream: Wrestling. Nobody dared to think I would succeed...until..."

The Revolution Champion sees Izumi out of the corner of his eye and turns to intercept her a second too late. As DeSean lies against the ropes facing the other way, Izumi leaps off the turnbuckle and spins Red head over heels with a hurracanrana. She hangs on, rolling him up into a pin...

One...


Two...


Three!!!

"I won this. My Aftershock Championship. Some would say I validated my position as a wrestler with this moment, at the biggest show in TCW...ENDGAME. So, why am I saying all of this? Why did I make this video? To feed my ego? I would say I am quite proud of my accomplishments. But no...I'm addressing a single person, who started this in the first place. Let me take you to the moment that this all started..."

Izumi almost runs into DeSean who glowers at her and then takes a step forward. She grins and extends a hand, but he bats it away with a growl.

"That."

She grins and extends a hand, but he bats it away with a growl.

"DeSean...why didn't you shake my hand? I offered you my respect after the match...but..."

"You refused. You didn't want any part of it. I shrugged it off. I figured you were just angry. Who wouldn't be after losing the title? But it continues..."

"I just saw you eke out a win against a midcarder..."

"That was you, about to challenge Darkness for this championship. Remember that, DeSean? You called me a 'midcarder'. Funny, isn't it? When this 'midcarder' took your Aftershock championship. But you spoke as if you were above me. DeSean, I'm a nice, polite person most of the time. But I take wrestling very seriously. You didn't want to shake my hand, you called me a midcarder, so I felt compelled to prove you wrong. I requested this match, one on one, with no excuses. Straight up wrestling. But THIS started...

"...because you said I wasn't a real wrestler. A sideshow attraction. You spat in the face of all of my hard work and you called me nothing. This 'nothing' is going to prove you wrong. You fired the first shot, DeSean. I'm firing back. This isn't just a wrestling match anymore, DeSean. This match has no titles, nothing tangible on the line. It's about pride. Every moment of my career has been about proving myself. I've been fighting to be noticed, in a sea of veterans. This is one more match where I have to do the same. I might not beat you...Hell, I WILL beat you! I'm gonna win! And when I win, hopefully, once and for all, I'll have proven myself to at least one more soul. You. So...I've said my piece. Now it's your turn."

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

"...I've said my piece. Now it's your turn."

"So it's my turn," DeSean began. "...and let me start off by saying, that was a huge load of shit I just watched. You think your special effects and your editing make you legit. But it's not the special effects and editing, it's the words. While you need all of that shit, I just need a camera, the stick, and my words. But at some point you started to think you were more 'hardcore' than me, Izumi."

"See, this crap is the reason I don't like you. Because you're not hardcore. You're not intense. You're a poser. You try to make yourself feel cool with all of this, but it doesn't mean shit. Your attempts at an intense promo are cute... and honestly...made me laugh at points, Izumi. You speak arkwardly and your facial expressions make you look like you're on the crapper."

"But worst of all, you're insulting me, Izumi. Insulting me by insinuating you're better than me, you belong on my level, that you're just as legit as me. You don't want to be a 'midcarder'. You want to be noticed within a 'sea of veterans'. Well, how does it feel to want, Izumi? I'll give you that, you've got passion, you're young and hungry. Even similar to me in respects right now, trying to break into stardom past the glass ceiling Hellfire's tempered in place."

"The difference between me and you is I've paid my dues. You want everything...for nothing. You've been here for less than a year. I've been wrestling half a decade. Sure, you beat me once, and it took everything you had. But I never forget a move, Izumi, and now I know you better than you know yourself. You've got talent, you're trying, Izumi, I'm not taking anything away from you. But that's all you have. You're not a rookie sensation. You're a gifted amateur. I'm a gifted veteran. So I'll fight you in this match, Izumi. Just remember this: You started this. You dug your own grave. Now it's time to see if you can cash that check your ass wrote."

He tossed the microphone to the ground. "I'm done."

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

As DeSean drove up to his apartment, he thought to himself:

"This is ass. I should be fighting Freya at Havoc. I don't have anything to prove to a rookie. But fine. Whatever she wants. She'd better not try anything stupid though."

He shut off the car and stepped out, before heading up to his apartment.

Or, he would have...

Had Izumi not been waiting for him.

"Oh, god DAMN it, Izumi. Haven't I seen enough of you already?"

"Nope. I saw your response."

"And?"

"...I challenge you!"

DeSean raised an eyebrow.

"To what?"

"Oh I get it" DeSean said while chuckling to himself. "I see what you're trying to do, alright then. Take your best shot." He stuck his chin out and pointed to it, goading Izumi into taking a swing at him. She just stood there, her face starting to turn bright red with anger.

"Come on Izumi, should I turn my back? You challenged me!" DeSean turned his back and outstretched his arms, dropping the cane by his side. "You want to be taken serious? Go ahead and prove how great you are by fighting me right now." DeSean waited but nothing happened, Izumi stood there with her fists closed tight but she did nothing. DeSean smirked then turned around, he looked at Izumi who dropped her head then relaxed her body.

"That's what I thought" DeSean told her as he walked past her and into his apartment. Izumi proceeded to do the same but as she walked away, she noticed the cane still lying on the ground. With a mischevious smile on her face, she picked it up and walked away.

"No one looks past me" she thought to herself.

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

I want to
I want to be someone else or I'll explode
Floating upon this surface for the birds
The birds
The birds

Radiohead plays in the background as he sits alone in his apartment, he stares inside the only photo album that he was able to pack and take with him. While the other one sits safely in an hiding spot in his old room back at his parent's house, safe from the US government who no doubt busted into his North Carolina condo and seized everything they could find. All of the personal items he found enjoyment with, his desktop PC, his arcade cabinet, his recently bought 60 inch. flat panel HDTV, the Stereo that has the iPod dock, his digital camera, his impressive porn collection, his PWI almanacs (The 96, 97' and 98' editions) Wrestling Superstars I and II written in 1985 and 1986 respectively and most importantly the wrestling DVD's. Anything that they felt brought personal happiness they more than likely stole because MacDonald is a Republican and an asshole and that's what Republicans do. They probably auctioned them off to their lobbyist friends, the FBI probably did some silent auction, while MacDonald sold the porn to all of his buddies in Washington.

"Some Conservative is watching my porn now, while his 3rd mistress is sucking his dick, fucker." He thought to himself.

[i[You want me?
Fucking well, come and find me
I'll be waiting
With a gun and a pack of sandwiches
And nothing
Nothing
Nothing
Nothing[/i]

He looks through the album at various pictures of him, his friends, family, co-workers, ex-girlfriends and the one that got away. What does one do when they're living across the world from their friends and family, people who care about them. What does one do when they feel like they're slowly losing their mind? When they're filled with loneliness, in a business that's filled with people that are quick to call you a pussy with any hint of you suffering from depression, anxiety, any type of mental state that makes you different from the herd. Since they were forced to relocate to China, there's been no going out for him, all work, no play and the one person he connected with ended up getting attacked by a group of men who followed his arch-rival. In a way he felt responsible for the attack like they purposely targeted her to get to him, he knew it wasn't true but what were the odds?

You want me?
Well come on and break the door down
You want me?
Fucking come on and break the door down
I'm ready
I'm ready
I'm ready
I'm ready
I'm ready
I'm ready

He looked at the picture of he and Infinity all posing for a photo-op, another one him and the Italian Stallions inside of a club, there was another picture from a magazine article that featured he and Marcus Jones when they were Carolina's Finest and holding the ROH World tag titles and Mid-Atlantic Tag titles with a caption up top that one is never enough. He had to be all of 19 years old in that pic, wow did he accomplish a lot within that first year. More than a lot of guys who are just starting out as rookies, normally they start off small, they work on the ring crew, setting up the ring (which he did do) and as job guys which they would do for the next couple of months before the're given a gimmick and they go from there.

But literally within a two year period, he went from small indie promotions in the Southeast and worked his way up to the major indie promotions, to wrestling in Japan, Europe, Mexico, training with the best of the best, to signing a developmental deal, going to OVW, realizing a dream of being called up to the WWE, then later signing with TCW. Not many people can say they did that, few could accomplish even with all of their contacts, having a parent who wrestled in the business, even Randy Orton had to be in OVW for a couple of years before he got called up. Yet Izumi, has the gall to challenge him, she has the nerve to have this huge ego with the thought process that she really accomplished something? She wants to run around and make highlight videos of herself like that's really proving something. Anyone could make a highlight video on Windows Movie Maker, showcasing all of their talents and none of their weaknesses, nothing new there. Even with her little stunt today nothing Izumi did surprise him, he's seen it all this wasn't his first rodeo, if anything Izumi showing up at his apartment ready for a fight meant he was getting under her skin, this was becoming easier than he thought, more promos should be enough to completely unravel her. She wasn't in his league, he wasn't looking past her, he was
...................

"I'm looking through you Izumi because you're transparent. I can see through you Izumi because you don't have much to offer. You did your little highlight video, you show up at my apartment looking for a fight, that fortunately for you didn't happen. The thing is Izumi, this isn't about a lack of respect at least on my end it's not, this isn't hate. No, you see I hate Darkness, I hate Freya, I hate Dante, I hate Darklings, I hate my shit apartment. No this isn't hatred, I respect your talent as a matter of fact, I see some of myself in you when I was 19/20 around the same age you are now. But my 23 year old self can beat my 19/20 year old self. What is it that you could possibly do to me that hasn't already happened? What you fail to realize is that I'm having fun, it's been a while since I've been in a traditional wrestling feud. No BS, no super powers, just two people going at it, cutting promos. So I'm in complete control of my emotions and just to prove it, after our match if you beat me and that's a big if. I may even just shake your hand, out of respect. Because hell, I'm somewhat of a traditionalist and I'm a technician which means I'm better than you Izumi."

Once the promo, DeSean walked away from the cameras and walked inside the locker room. He grabbed his bags while still wondering where he placed his Singapore Cane when he finished gathering his stuff, he heard the door closed behind him. Now it could have been anyone on the roster but the silence and the way the door slammed shut, he knew something was wrong.

DeSean: Freya, I swear..

Izumi: Wrong person

DeSean rolled his eyes and turned around.

DeSean: Izumi what the fuck are you doing?

Izumi emerged from the shadows, DeSean took a step forward but Izumi pulled out his Singapore Cane.

DeSean: I was wondering where that was.

Izumi: You should pay more attention to your belongings next time.

Izumi held the cane in front of her and titled her head sideways before dropping her arms back down. She noticed that DeSean was a little more careful in how he spoke to her, his actions seemed more timid now that she had a weapon. She smiled back at him and brought the cane back up to her face.

DeSean: Ok, ok. What do you plan on doing with my cane?

DeSean asked as Izumi came closer....

The weapon.

The cane.

Izumi's slender hand continued to grip it as she stepped closer. How differently the situation felt, now, while she was holding a weapon. It was usually she was the underdog. Now she controlled the flow and ebb of this moment and time.

"You want to know what I'm going to do with this, DeSean?" Izumi said. She stepped closer, gripping the cane tighter...

Her muscles in her arm tensed as she lifted the cane into a swinging position...

Just one flick of her arm and DeSean would be on the ground.

"You want to know what I'm going to do?"

Her eyes locked onto DeSean's carefully. Hers were filled with confidence.

Control.

Power.

His were filled with...concern.

...

...

...

"Nothing."

Izumi lowered the cane.

"I don't have to do anything. I already won this fight before it started."

A Cheshire cat smile spread over her face.

"...No, Izumi, you're losing. You're losing another battle."

"What?" Izumi asked, the smile leaving her face.

"You want to know why? Why it seems why I'm looking past you? The truth?" DeSean asked, before continuing before she could answer. "The truth is...I'm afraid, Izumi. Not of you...you could hit me a thousand times with that cane and it still wouldn't be any worse than what's been done to me before. I'm afraid of what you're becoming."

"Look at you. Standing there all confidently just because you have a weapon. Just because you won two championships--Don't think I don't know about your 'win' in FWRFed," DeSean said, pointing at her. "All that proves to me is that you're lucky. You rolled the dice and came up with sixes in a multi-man match. Something you're quite good at, but when it comes down to it...you can't beat anyone one-on-one. In fact...I've checked the records...you've never, ever won a one-on-one match."

"WHAT?!" Izumi bellowed angrily. DeSean smiled, gaining a victory of his own.

"See Izumi, seeing you standing victorious with both belts...you looked for a moment, like the spitting image of Darkness. And I...hate...Darkness. He's a man with talent...who used...and abused it to get to the top...and stays there with his cronies helping him out. He feeds his own ego with those titles and gives nothing back to the company. He's ruining wrestling, Izumi. Look at us, we're in fucking China. I can't see my family, my friends...I lost my home...and if MacDonald had his way, I wouldn't have a job, either. Why? Darkness. Every second he stays on the air as champion continues to dig the grave for TCW...no, the entire wrestling business."

"Why are you telling me this?" Izumi asked.

"Because I don't want you to turn into another Darkness," DeSean said quietly. "Like this fucking business needs another one. Now, like I've said, I prefer wrestling you over Darkness any day. My problem is I'm starting to see an ego forming in you. You have the potential to become a force in this business, whether or not that happens is another story. If you do...if you become a world champion, I don't want you to do the same things Darkness is doing now. That's why I'm trying to bring you down to Earth now, before you get too full of yourself. I need to make you realize you're not as good as you seem to think you are...not just yet. You have yet to pay your dues in this business. And threatening me with my own cane benefits you absolutely zero."

Izumi narrowed her eyes. "Hey, don't compare me to Darkness! Besides he earned his spot, didn't he?"

"Oh, don't you start defending his shit now. Don't confuse the subject, Izumi. The point is, you're getting an ego. Egos ruin wrestling. Remember Triple H?"

"All I wanted was for you to take me seriously! I'm a double champion, you can't just look through me..."

"I do take you seriously, Izumi. And I know exactly where our abilities are. Realistically? You're outmatched. You need to know your limitations. You may yet win...but even if that's in the cards, I'm going to make you work hard for it. You haven't bled for anything in this damn business yet...well, at Havoc, win or lose, I'm going to make you pay your dues in blood in one match."

Izumi stepped forward.

"Go ahead. Hit me with that cane. I'll pay it back tenfold."

...

Izumi shoved it into DeSean's grasp.

"You...you make good points...but don't think you have this won."

"Likewise to you. Now, go home Izumi."


-------

"...and in the ring, weighing in at 137 pounds...LOOOOOOOOOOP!"

Izumi climbed in the ring as the announcer announced her opponent, to little reaction. She eyed him, and screwed up her face in...almost disgust.

"C'mon...I deserve better than a jobber...I know this is a house show, but still..."

"I'm not a jobber." The blonde boy looked at her out of one, dirt-brown eye. "I used to be like you, once..."

"Let's be real here...you're half blind. This is going to be a slaughter. I won't go too hard on you..."

"Whatever you say." He smirked. "You make the first move.."

Izumi carefully moved in as the boy stood in a wrestling stance, before grappling with him. She performed a judo takedown and brought him down to the mat, pinning him down...for a two count. They both stood, before she approached...

She started launching kicks left and right. Loop stepped back from them as they whizzed dangerously close to his face, coming closer and closer, backing him into the ropes...

She launched him off, without incident. He bounced against the ropes, and she moved to dropkick him, but he stopped himself short just in time, causing her to hit air and land embarrassingly. She quickly stood, some audience members chuckling. Without a word, she moved on him again, again kicking. He raised his hands to block, the stiff kicks striking his arms as he helplessly backed onto the ropes again.

"Aren't you going to try attacking?" Izumi asked, stopping her attack.

BAM.

A kick...sloppy...but to the stomach, doubled her over. He quickly grabbed her and drove her head to the mat with a DDT, laying her out...to an astonished pop from the crowd...

A cover...One...Two...



Thre-Izumi kicked out a hair before three!

"You let your guard down," he whispered. "Are you okay?"

She blinked, looking at him. It looked like there were three of him. "Y-yeah..."

He pulled her up to her feet slowly, and backed away a few paces, actually waiting for her to regain herself.

He came back into focus.

"You could have finished me right there..."

"Not bad for being half blind?" he asked.

"Yeah..."

"Now wrestle me like you would anybody else."

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

It ended in Izumi's favor. She didn't seem too happy in the locker room afterwards, though...

"I make a mistake like that against DeSean..."

That was the first one-on-one match she'd won in her entire career, and it almost didn't happen. She could have four belts and it still wouldn't make her more experienced than DeSean...or even a half-blind boy.

Now it was time to get serious. Time to check her ego.

Because in the end, it was she who was looking past him, at first...