The shrill cry of her mobile phone disturbs Faith's silence, making her jump slightly in her seated position and hiccup with a start. As it continues to ring, she places the old photo album she holds carefully back into a box and reaches into her jeans pocket, her hand returning with a silver phone. She scrambles frantically, looking for the right key to press.

She stands up, unfortunately banging her head on the low rafters above.

Faith: "Ow..damn!..umm....Hello?"

She smoothes her hair back down, now slightly mussed from knock, and crouches back down on the wooden floor to avoid a repeat performance.

Faith: "Oh hey Nikkon. Having fun?"

.....

Faith: "Cool...cool."

.....

Faith: "Me? I'm just chillin'. Hanging round and stuff."

.....

Faith: "No! Not moping!"

.....

Faith: "Umm....listen...is Jake there?"

.....

Faith: "Oh."

.....

Faith: "No, it's okay....umm...just...tell him congratulations on the win."

.....

Faith: "I'm fine. Seriously."

.....

Faith: "Look, I have.......CRRSH......go. You're........CRRSH....-ing up."

She drops the phone disappointedly, pressing the cut-off key hastily, and sighs, moving to lean back against the dusty wall of the attic.

Strange really. Strange how people need people. Need companionship. Someone to be there. But this house is empty. But not just in the physical sense. Usually houses are places filled with love. The ambience is warm, comforting. Laughter and memories linger in the silence. But not this house. This house is empty. A fitting dwelling therefore for the girl before us.

Her phone lights up again, the screen flashing 'NIKKON' and that same 'Riiiiiiiiiiing' tearing through the silence. Faith exhales exasperatedly, and reaches over towards the offending phone. She holds down a key for a few seconds and suddenly it is silent again, the screen of the phone fading as if dead. Let the answer phone deal with it.

She pauses for a few seconds, her blue eyes roaming back towards the box that holds that old photograph album she had a few minutes earlier. She sits up, peering back into the box, as if daring to look at it again. She decides against it.

Instead she stands, this time bowing her head to avoid the rustic rafters, and she makes her way to the small hatch in the floor.

At the bottom of a pair of ladders now, she brushes the dust of her white t-shirt and gazes idly out of the window. Life just isn't the same here in America. She steps down the stairs in silence and enters a large white room. It feels cold within, the plain walls creating the impression of emptiness. But the room is not quite empty. A large red sofa sits in the middle of the room, facing a humming television in the corner. The floor is also littered with cardboard boxes, some opened revealing the masses of polystyrene within.

Faith: "I really should find time to unpack..."

She shakes her head, smiling lopsidedly. Between FWW shows and training sessions, she'd hardly had time to move into her new house. She'd been reluctant to move in the first place; she liked her old digs. Sure it was small, but it was hers. It was homely. But get a glimpse of fame and obsessives soon start calling. But everyone needs a home. And this was hers from now on.

Strolling to the television, she pushes a video in and presses the flashing 'Play' button. She then turns and drops onto the red sofa wearily as the screen springs to life. The logo of 'Sex and Violence' fills the shot and the opening music thunders out from the speakers, announcing the imminent showing of last weeks Pay-per-View. Her blue eyes are cast towards the screen interestedly, this being the first time she's got around to watching the show.

Familiar to those who watched the show, "Fuckin' in the Bushes" suddenly plays and at the top of the ramp emerges The Franchise himself, Neo. As he begins to speak, Faith rolls her eyes and quickly loses interest.

Neo: "Everyone's been wondering what was up with The Franchise recently. He's been a very unhappy man. A very bitter man. Hell, look at what he did to Faith last week..."

Faith is strangely now leaning over the side of her sofa, her hair tumbling down and her reaching down for something we can't see. But from her rather awkward position, we hear her mutter a retaliation that is unfortunately now too late.

Faith: "Pfft...here it goes..."

She suddenly sits back up, having retrieved whatever she was looking for, which was apparently the remote (where else would it be?). She sits back and raises the little black clicker to the screen, ready to press the 'Fast Forward' button, when she hesitates.

Neo: "...this has become kinda like a personal thing...."

Faith: "The hell?? Personal? Always business, never personal, you jumped-up asshole."

Faith speaks quietly, obviously talking only to herself, and drops her arm back down by her side. This time could obviously be used for better things - such as finally unpacking but, as with most things in her life, wrestling comes first.

Neo: "...Well darlin', you want The Franchise's blood? You're gonna have to work for it, babe..."

Darlin'? Babe? Faith raises an eyebrow, and puts the remote on the arm of the sofa, only for it to again fall back off the side and onto the floor. She then leans back and folds her arms, her head cocked to the side amusedly.

Neo: "...Faith is an ungrateful bitch..."

The smirk on her face suddenly spreads into a smile and she begins to giggle, obviously finding this very funny rather than insulting.

Neo: "...I beat her, and freed her from her ego. That's right, she no longer has a big ego to fuel. She's no longer overconfident. She now realizes that she's not invincible..."

Faith: "Ha ha....this is just too rich..."

She speaks through her laughter, shaking her head almost in disbelief.

Faith: "Thank God I freed you from that damn ego!...Or maybe Stan did?"

Neo: "...So I did you a favor. And what payment do I get from it? You turn savage amazon woman on me and want to rip out my throat! You should LOVE me for what I did for you, and yet you'd rather KILL me!..."

As her giggles subside, she suddenly rolls her eyes and speaks in a high, mocking voice.

Faith: "Oh yes Neo! Thankyou! Thankyou for kicking my ass! Thankyou so much!"

Neo: "...And I know you don't want to face me, for fear that you'll lose again, and this time you'll lose your title. And, since I don't really WANT that title of yours, how about this: We won't have this match. Not tonight, anyways..."

Faith: "Oh. My. God. He's scared of me! He knew even then I'd win the match!"

She runs her fingers through her hair, wishing she'd not arrived late that night and wishing she'd had the opportunity to respond to these...what she could only describe as laughable...insults and propositions.

Neo: "...In return, I ask only that you go out to dinner with me after the show. You know, a sort of celebratory dinner, to celebrate the fact that you're still Underground champion. Of course, clothing is optional..."

Faith: "Will you just shut up already?"

Having listened to all she can about stand of 'The Franchise', a rather worried looking Faith stands up and grabs the remote of the floor. Pressing the 'Fast Forward' button, the screen suddenly jumps forward and those familiar scenes from 'Sex and Violence' speed forward silently.

Faith begins to glance around the deserted room. Man, talk about needing a room-mate. Maybe she could call in a favour from one of her friends in England. Doubtful, they'd never pack up and move over here. Oh well, it's not like she spends most of her time there anymore. In fact, some might say it's pretty pointless even owning a house with a lifestyle like hers. She shrugs.

In her idle thought, Faith doesn't even realise the video has skipped past the Johnny The Homicidal Maniac, Shane Blood and Acid Payne match and is half-way through her own match. She glances at the screen, and seeing herself, Neo and Orian battling it out, quickly scrambles at the remote for the 'Play' button.

As the screen slows to normal speed we are just in time to watch Orian leave the ring, only Neo and Faith remaining. She's tempted to rewind it back, but doesn't. Hey, she's lived it, she doesn't need to watch it again.

But she watches as she gets nailed by Neo's 450 Frogsplash.

She watches as Neo covers her for the pin.

She watches as Stan Greer runs down to the ring.

And she shakes her head silently, as if it could alter what has already come to pass.

Faith: "No right. No freakin' right."

Because only now, watching it back, does she fully realise what happened. Last week. All her anger. All her training. All her hard work. It was all in vain. Because had it not been for Stan Greer, Neo still would have got the victory. It makes her sick. And once again those doubts as to whether or not she is truly the champion fill her head.

In silent disbelief, she stares at the screen, watching as Mr Greer lays her body over Neo. Watches herself almost get the 3-count. Watches as she gets back up and nails Greer with a lowblow.

This was when she had the choice: pin Neo and retain her belt or walk out.

So she took the pin.

What else could she do? Wait until Neo regained consciousness and start again? Faith isn't stupid. And Faith never gives up. So she did what she had to do. And she pinned Neo. Looking back however, she wishes she'd taken the other option.

Faith wishes she'd walked out.

At least then she could have won it back, fair and square. Without interference this time.

As the video cuts to commercial, Faith remains silent. Images like that belittle the little confidence she already has. She shakes her head.

Faith: "Screw this. Look to the future. Mayhem. Who am I against again? Stallone, that's it."

And luckily, "Fist of Rage" begins to blare from the speakers, announcing the appearance of the man in question onto the screen. Faith looks him up and down, taking in his size and stature.

Faith: "Well he's certainly got the statistics."

But they don't mean anything. His height. His weight. All that matters is the talent. But Faith doesn't doubt that Joe Stallone has this too.

She watches the match progress. We now see Ette pull Stallone up, looking like she's going for a DDT, but Stallone counters with a beautiful Northern Lights suplex, which he bridges into a pin. She should be analysing Stallone's method. Memorizing his moves. Guessing his game plan. But she doesn't. Because if she doesn't expect anything, she can't make assumptions. And if she doesn't make assumptions, she can't make mistakes.

Faith fears nobody. Joe Stallone included. Bruises disappear. Scars fade. Bones heal. At the end of the day, it's only pain. And pain she can withstand. And that's why she'll fight to the end. So forget Stallone's size. Forget his weight. Forget his strength. Until they both enter that ring at Mayhem, they are equal. But after Mayhem, they will know who's better. And Faith intends to prove it is her.

She pauses the video.

Faith: "Look's tough. Real big. Potential threat....this'll be fun."

The screen stands still, showing Joe Stallone lifting Ette above his head...as the scene fades to black.