"But why can't I come?"

"Because you're already a long way from home," Izumi started, "and you have better things to do than follow me constantly."

"But I...I love you!"

"How much?"

"You mean everything."

"Then show me how much you love me and stay at a distance for now...please. You look like a groupie being around me so much, and, you're putting yourself in danger. Especially in a foreign country like China."

Don shook his head. "I can take care of myself..."

"You mean like in the fight with the fans? Your face is bruised enough..."

"Please-"

"No. You have my e-mail address, just send me an e-mail. But..." She paused. "I guess I wouldn't mind dating you again sometime."

Before he knew it, she leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, which seemed to turn his face instantly red.

"T-thanks..."

"Don't mention it. See you later, crazy stalker fan."

"What?"

"Kidding. See you!"

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

"It's been a while, hasn't it, Valerie?"

"That's still Commissioner Stern, to you. I'd welcome you back, but I doubt you plan to stick around."

"Unless I win this," JE said, tapping the Aftershock Championship on his shoulder. "It may not be formally mine, but I possess it-"

"I would ask that you return that to Izumi-"

"What are you going to do, huh? Strip me of it? This remains with me. As far as I'm concerned, she stole a belt that belongs to me and is calling herself the Revolution Championship. So I'm just returning the favor. You'll be calling me your Aftershock Champion after Extreme Measures."

"I've heard it all before. Whatever, I really don't care about your petty feuds as long as it makes us money. But I'm warning you...you show up at a FWRFed show with that, and TCW will sue you for everything you have. You are not a recognised champion, unless you win your match."

"When I win my match. Now, where am I staying?"

Stern tossed him his key...

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

"THIS dump?!" JE exclaimed, as he opened the door.

The sight before him was quite symbolic. Crummy, dusty, dirty...Wallpaper peeling off the wall, cobwebs sticking in the corners...his nostrils filled with the disgusting scent of dust and he nearly gagged. Nothing but a bed, dresser, window and a small TV were his fixtures in here.

Was this what TCW was reduced to? Hiding out in a hole in China? Where was the dignity in this?

He slammed the door as quickly as he had opened it, turning away, insulted.

"Is this what I'm reduced to?"

"Does it matter?"

A voice called out, a few feet away. JE turned.

There stood a medium sized young man wearing a silver mask, a red vest, and red baggy pants. He stepped forward.

"What are-"

"It doesn't matter where we're staying, JE. Back here, yes, it is an ugly reality. But in front of the fans, that is where it truly matters."

He pointed at the Aftershock title. "That belt isn't yours yet. You are being tested."

"I don't need any tests. I am all but the champion."

"With your attitude, you will lose. I've seen you on FWRFed...you think you're entitled to everything. You think you're entitled to a championship belt. You think you're entitled to better accommodations than the rest of us. Before you can earn these things, you have to accept what you already have."

"Spare me the mysterious moral dribble. Who are you?"

"Kinsen. I am one of your opponents. By the time we face each other, you had better be prepared..."

“Oh, so you're my other opponent? The guy with the mask.” said J.E.

“Are you mocking my mask? If you do, you're mocking my pride, another indication that you will lose the match.” said Kinsen, stepping closer towards his would be opponent.

“I'm not mocking anyone, I was just making an observation. And as far as my attitude, what's it to you? You dont know me. I dont think I deserve everything, not anymore. But when someone gets in my way, or stops me from achieving a goal, I make it my business, to get in there faces.” J.E. is now standing over Kinsen as both men stares daggers into each other.

“What are you fighting for?” asked Kinsen. “Yourself, or you're pride?”

“I fight for what's right and for my family. Now of you dont mind, I'm going to try and get some sleep. I've got a busy few weeks coming up. I suggest you do the same.” J.E. extends his hand. “Good luck, you're going to need it.”

Kinsen looks at the hand for couple of seconds.

“Luck? Luck is for those who do not believe in victory. I dont need luck.”

Kinsen walks away from J.E., deciding not to shake his hand.

“You're right.” J.E says to himself. “You need a miracle.”

J.E. turns around to his room, but his mood doesn't get better as he sees his room. “What a dump?” he says has he throws his bag and the Aftershock title. “Cant wait to get out of this damn country. Next super power my ass.”

*

“Cant we just take the belt away from him?” Izumi asked Valerie Stern, sitting in her office.

“Come on, where all grown ups here. If you want you're belt, just win it back.”

“What about suing him? You know, for theft or something.”

“Oh come on Izumi, we dont need to get the authorities in to this. Besides, the only way I can sue him for anything is if he appears on FWR with belt, but being recognized as champion.”

“Damn. This guy is really getting to be a pain in the ass.”

“Yes, that may be. But you and him are making me money, so go ahead and do you're best to keep this little feud going for awhile longer.”

“Really? Dammit, I was just wanted to be a double champion for awhile, I didn't want to get into any trouble.”

There was a pounding on JE's door, and he whirled around.

"No fucking peace around here either, eh? Come in. It had better be for something good."

The door slowly opened. It was...

"Izumi, you've gotta have a real set to even think about walking in here with the mood I'm in..."

"Look, I just got something to say to you and then I'm leaving..."

"Say it. You got a minute."

Izumi shuffled her feet, "I...well...err..."

"Spit it out!"

"I...I...I'm sorry!"

"...What?"

"When I...at Intensity, when I rolled you up...and pulled your tights..." she started... "I...I panicked."

"You 'panicked'?"

"I was nervous. It was just after I'd become a double champion...can you imagine how I'd have looked, if I'd have dropped the title after I won it? I wasn't sure if I could get the job done...so I bent the rules a little bit."

"You 'bent the rules'," JE said, in a mocking voice.

"Yes...I admit it. I'm sorry..."

THWACK.

Izumi slumped over to the ground after a harsh blow, before JE mounted her and grabbed her by the shirt.

"You're SORRY? Is that all you have to say? SORRY? What a fucking joke!"

THWACK...The slightest hint of red appeared on her forehead...

"You care about how YOU looked for losing? Imagine how I looked! I have a wife and child at home that I promised to win the belt for! I'm putting food on the table for them!"

THWACK! The cut started to bleed faster...

"And you think you're special, you think you can just come here and apologise and say 'I'm sorry,' like it's some kind of magic word that excuses you. You want to be buddy-buddy now? Well FUCK YOU!"

One more swing...but JE stopped himself, and looked at her for a second...and instead grabbed the Aftershock belt, and held it in Izumi's face.

"You think this is yours? No, this is your payment to me for not completely fucking you up. You stole my Revolution title from me...so I'm going to make this officially mine at the pay-per-view. 'Sorry' isn't going to heal what you did...or what I've done to you. But go ahead. Say it again. I dare you."

No response from Izumi, except for unintelligible moans of pain as she clutched at her opened wound....

"That's what I thought. Now get out of here."

It's a hot summer night in China. The humidity in the air blocks any kind of breeze, and the pollution doesn't help matters. In the streets, people are making the most of a Saturday night; drinking, laughing, all in all having a nice time. And there's no difference in a small bar in the Shenzen. All around the sound of happiness fills the bar, as the clients live it up, except for one person sitting on a stool at the bar. J.E. is staring at a shot of whiskey he ordered over half an hour ago, with the Aftershock Championship on the table next to him. For the first time in nearly a year, J.E. was tempted for a drink.

Things had gotten out of hand. When he returned, all J.E. wanted was to send a message to Brent Powers, and in the process, recapture the Revolution Championship. But after everything that has gone down with Izumi, Powers seemed the furthest thing from his mind. But the actions of earlier on in the day in the hotel, pushed things over board.

“I'm not that person anymore.” J.E. said to his reflection in the glass. “What the hell did I do?” J.E. had never been all that comfortable fighting Izumi in matches, but hitting her like he did, made him sick to his stomach. In his life, he had never struck a woman outside of a wrestling ring, so why now?

“You okay mister?” Asked the waiter, struggling with his English.

J.E. looked up at the elderly Asian man staring back at him. “Oh, yeah. I'm fine.”

“Why you not drink?”

“I'm not thirsty.”

“Then why you order drink mister? Must be thirsty if you order drink.”

“Yeah, must be.” J.E. picks up the glass. “Must be.”

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

“Damn it. That's going to leave a mark.”

Izumi was in the bathroom of her hotel room tending to the cut on her forehead. She had finally calmed down after the incident left her shook up. Had she really done that much to J.E. to make him snap like that?

“That son of a bitch. I'm going to show him. This isn't over, that bastard is going to rue the day he...”

Izumi stopped as a knock came from the door.

“Oh, what the hell now?”

Izumi looked through the peephole and saw a man wearing a red tiger mask.

“Kinsen? What does he want?”

She opened the door and Kinsen looked up, noticing the cut on her forehead.

“That's a nasty looking gash you have there. Hopefully you wont use it as an excuse after I win that title of you...Oh I'm sorry, you dont have it with you. What kind of champion doesn't keep they're property with them at all time?”

“I don't know, why kind of champion does that?”

“A weak one. One who will lose her championship to a strong minded person, like myself. Someone who has the ability to restore honor to that championship, like myself. Someone who...”

“Who hasn't won a match since he came into TCW, someone like you. Listen, I know you want to be champion badly, but you picked the wrong time mess with me, so I suggest you go away, and get ready for the show, before I do something I regret.”

Kinsen smirked as he turned away. “I would like to say that you should take care of that championship while you can, but unfortunately, it seems like you cant.” He continued down the corridor, disappearing in the corner.

Izumi shook her head and went back into her bathroom, tending to her cut, trying to get the last day out her mind.