[Start Scene]

[The camera fades in to show the inside of Slash Tannon's ranch, specifically the dining room. The room was made of a red cedar wood, perhaps also cherry wood, stained a deeper brown and carpeted with a dark yet inviting color. A large oval dining table was set up in the center of the room with fourteen chairs set equidistance from one another. In the middle of the table between every two chairs were pairs of white candles, with only the two on the far end lit. A large chandelier was above the center of the table and its eight rows of candle-like bulbs were lit two rows deep around the entire chandelier. Of the fourteen places only three were set up special for the evening, with the spot at the head of the table decorated with a pair of red candles and a bouquet of red roses and the chair on either side of the head table had place settings in front of them, perhaps the sight of a romantic dinner.]

[A moment of silence and unmoving motion passes before the sound of a door swinging open is heard and the figure of Slash Tannon makes his way into the dining room. He is dressed more GQ then ever, with his brand new, black Armani suit and a pair of mirrored black shoes so shiny that a man could see his reflection in them. His wrists are decorated by a pair of expensive gold cufflinks and his hair is spiked as usual, along with his trimmed goatee, making him much more presentable then he had been just a couple of days earlier. In his hand he carries a couple wine glasses and a bucket of ice, with a bottle of expensive Chardonnay encased in it. He sets the glasses down on the table and steps back, frowning, before stepping forward and adjusting the second glass slightly.]

'Perfect'

[He says softly, as he sets the bucket of ice on the small table behind the head chair.]

I will admit it.

I absolutely hate being romantic.

It is not me and it never has been, because for 23 years I was alone and looking out solely for number one 'me'.

I was what was important and nobody else could break down those long-since built-up walls around my heart.

That was until she came into my life.

The first time I saw Erin Blade, she was a friend to a girl I was seeing but when I saw her I knew, I knew I had to have her.

She was amazing, and despite being with her best friend and she being with my hated enemy I knew that one day she would be mine.

Now she is, not just by the fact that we've kissed in public or that she lives with me, but by the ring, the diamond ring, which she wears on her finger.

I am not a romantic guy by any stretch of anyone's imagination but Erin likes it and it makes her smile and I like making her smile.

[Tannon slowly makes his way back into the kitchen area, this time with the camera following him through the swinging wooden door that separated the kitchen from the dining room area. The kitchen itself was quite large and Tannon was doing something that is so completely out of 'character' that if it were simply spoken of then no person would have believed it. Slash Tannon, a man who has held the Platinum Title along with a half-dozen other awards in other organizations, was cooking. That is right, Slash Tannon, the greatest technical wrestler in Sin Wrestling was cooking, and not just anything, he was making a 'romantic' dinner. As he pulled a covered pan from the oven his words were heard once again.]

I won't say that I am not uncomfortable because I am.

This is not what I do, but to do this once in a while, for her, is a way in which I can push my thoughts away from what is waiting for me on Sunday.

I can push away these thoughts of stepping into a ring against Mike Phantasy.

There is something about that match that unnerves me to my innermost core.

Mike Phantasy is a man who must beat Slash Tannon, he must walk into that ring and face me.

Mike Phanatsy is a man who could of had half of Sin behind him in this match and could of had the people behind him too. But he doesn't

Why?

Because he is despised, hated and looked at as being one of the few bad spots on the face of an otherwise great federation.

Did he ask to be looked at in that light?

No, I doubt he ever did ask for it but I doubt he shys away from it.

Fact is he's let his ego ran it's course.

I used to be like you. Always out for myself, never caring for what the fan's opinions were.

They're the ones that pay out cheques you know.

Instead you want to do something devious by claiming ownership to my contract.

It's MY contract!

[Tannon sets the hot pan on top of the stove, removing the oven mitt that he had worn on his left hand when he reached in to get it. Now no longer wearing the mitt he removes the top of the pan, grimacing slightly at the dull pain from the heated top as he reveals both the sight and the smell of a fragrant enchilada dish that he has prepared. It would seem very unusual, almost eerily so, to see a man like Slash Tannon, a man who has caused so much pain and suffering to so many in the past, to be able to take such pride in something as simple as preparing a meal for his fiance.]

It has already been said that Mike Phantasy must be Slash Tannon.

But why?

Why does his career depend upon a victory at this very instance, in this match above any other?

It is because I am Slash Tannon and regardless of whether or not I hold a belt over my shoulder I am still the man to beat.

It must be some sort of rush that goes through a wrestler's body when they see their name across from mine on the card.

Is their initial feeling of nervous excitement or are they already plotting what they will do if they can beat me and take my spot?

Phantasy wants to keep my contract, that is obvious, he doesn't like me and I don't like him but we put up with each other if only to learn.

We both held back from just ripping each other apart because we are both the consummate professional and we both understand that by holding back, by watching, studying and waiting, we are able to gauge each other's methods to what we do.

It gives us insight into a part of our lives that is normally hidden from our competition.

Many people in SW never once saw me prepare for a match and they were unable to defeat me.

Me and Mike know each other like we know the back of our hand.

[Tannon is meticulous in cutting a good portion of that enchilada dish, making sure the sides are as perfect as can be expected as he slides it onto a large silver serving platter and places a similar silver cover over top to keep the heat contained and the food hot. He puts the remaining enchilada dish back in the oven, the heat off, but still warms enough to keep the meal fresh. He seems surprisingly happy as he brings the silver platter out into the dining area and sets it in front of the head chair, between the places in which he and Erin will sit and enjoy their dinner. He looks over what he has done, from the fresh bread and light salad that he, amazingly enough, prepared from scratch, to the meal he made from an old recipe of his adopted mother and finally to the wine in which he had hand-selected for this occasion. He looked over all of it and he could not help but smile at the work he had put into make such a nice evening for his fiance despite the thoughts of Gloryfying Lust that had to continuously flash through his mind.]

Slash Tannon, I, cannot lose to Mike Phantasy.

This is not even an option for me at this point in my career.

After a numer of losses I had faltered, but am starting to get back to my peak.

I am at a great precipice in my life, one in which I can see both the faults I made and I can see my future, victory.

A loss almost guarantees me tragedy, how can I walk into Gloryfying Lust, my contract, no, what was my contract being on the line and with a few losses on my plate over the past few weeks?

How could I expect to rebound from those and return that contract to it's true owner?

A win?

A win will springboard me right back onto that path that I must be on…the path of gold and victory that I have known of and walked on for so long.

A win against Mike Phantasy, who is by no account a weak opponent, would surely set the confidence that had previously faded over the past month to spark again, just in time for my greatest night.

This Sunday is not something I will take lightly because two things are definite and known. Mike Phantasy must beat me.

I cannot lose to him.

Both are important, both are necessary, but only one will ring true, only one will survive and Sunday, Sunday is when it will all be decided.

[Tannon takes the bottle of wine from its ice bucket and begins to uncork it. The cork shoots off slightly as Tannon releases the pressure and begins to pour out two glasses of wine, its aroma already wafting through the enclosed ranch as Tannon sets the bottle of wine back into the ice and checks the table again, making sure that everything was set perfectly for when Erin arrived home from her friend's house.]

These little moments that I spend with her now are important to me.

Why?

The reason is simply this; at any moment and on any night my next fight could be my last.

In this sport it is almost impossible to be safe and you are always at risk for not just a career-ending injury but life-altering ones as well.

Every night when she slips into my arms in our bed and I feel that warm touch of hers against my own, it could be for the last time.

But despite those odds, I know one thing is for certain.

That last time will not be Sunday.

It will not be at the hands of that scum Mike Phantasy.

It will not be I who shall be the fallen.

It will be him.

It will be him.

[The sound of the door opening can be heard and Tannon lets a small smirk pass by his lips as he turns to see Erin making her way into the living room area. She doesn't notice him at first but is dressed in a very small black dress with her hair worn off her shoulders. She sighs and he clears his throat softly, causing her to spin around in shock, surprised by the sudden noise.]

'Oh my God baby, you scared me'

[Her voice fades out for a moment as she notices the candlelit table behind him.]

'Slash? What? What is all of this?'

[She asks curiously as she walks into the dining room area. Tannon slips an arm behind her waist and she smiles at his touch as he leads her over to the table.]

'This is a dinner and you, my darling, are the special guest.'

'You cooked?'

'Yeah, well, I tried.'

'It's, it's, oh my God Slash, you didn't have to do all of this. I mean, especially not this week, what with everything that is going on.'

'I know, I wanted to.'�

'I, I'

[Her voice cracks slightly at the shock of both the pleasant aroma of the meal and of her luck to have found a man who would go to such lengths to make her happy, even when he must be so preoccupied with all the things happening in and around his own life. Here is a man who has had nothing but anger and sadness and hate building inside of him for so many years, culminating by the loss of his most prized possession and he is here? He is here with her, making her a meal in an effort to make her pleased and happy, who could have asked for anything more?]

She looks happy, and for now that is all that matters.

This moment.

But then you must always be thinking ahead as well and I am.

I cannot help but, even as she looks at me with those amazing eyes and tells me how surprised she is, a part of me is still thinking about Sunday.

It is both a gift and a curse I suppose, this ability to show two sides of the same person.

The loving and caring Slash Tannon who will sit down to dinner with this beautiful woman, make love to her this evening and hold her close as she sleeps until morning.

The vengeful Slash Tannon, the man who will not be sleeping at all this week as he continually goes over the upcoming match in his mind.

It is both a gift and a curse because as much as I care for her, I will never fully be able to relax and give her my all.

There will always be a part of me preparing for the next fight, the next battle, and the possibility that it could be the last one.

But it will not be Sunday.

I have too much to fight for.

They can love or hate me all they want, but it is I who will be fighting for the contract, it will be I who keeps the girl and she becomes my bride and it will be I who they come and pay to see fight.

Fight and lose.

Fight and win.

It is all the same for them, so long as my blood and Phantasy's blood stains the canvas

I will bleed, against Phantasy I have no doubt that I will bleed, but he will bleed more.

He will bleed that slightest bit more and I will win.

Why?

Those two simple things; Mike Phantasy must beat Slash Tannon and Slash Tannon cannot lose to Mike Phantasy.

I will never be the broken man Mike, not now, not ever.

You can bring your all to the table Mike and it will not matter.

I will win.

I will win.

I WILL win.

[Erin cannot help but lean up and kiss Tannon softly on the lips, placing a hand on his chest as she smiles and laughs slightly, her eyes on the decorated table before her.]

'You really didn't have to do this Slash.'

'I know, but I like making you smile and this'�

[He touches her smiling face softly.]

'This has done the trick.'

[Erin can only smile and nod happily as she is led over to her seat at the table, her eyes never leaving Tannon's frame as he stands behind the chair, holding it in place in a gentlemanly manner so that she may sit down. Tannon seems happy and at ease now that she is there but something, something continues to tug at the back of his mind, whether he knows it or not, Glorifying lust.]

I have every fan behind me and every man in Sin by my side, rooting me on to defeat the hated Mike Phantasy.

I have her, and that is all I need; her, the people and the talent that I possess as the single greatest tactician in the SW today.

That is all I need to gain back what is rightfully mine.

Weeks of pain, weeks of character destruction and weeks of troubling losses.

This could all be cured in the next few weeks.

One match for honor, another match for the contract and both, both act as a test of my ability to climb back to the top of Sin Wrestling.

Mike, you can spend all the countless hours you want to spend in trying to deduce my game plan, how I will fight and what I will do.

I will spill it all out for you right now though, if only to save you the trouble.

I will go all out on Sunday and leave it all on the line; my blood, your blood, my sweat, you sweat, my pain, your pain, my honor and your honor.

It will all be on the line and you can walk out there with your head held high, prepared for everything I have to give and you will be forced to accept a hard realization.

Mike, for every suplex, for every punch, for every kick and every slam, I will take it.

Mike, for everything you have and everything you can give I will simply be, that much better.

[The camera pans back slowly as Tannon holds Erin's seat for her as she sits down, leaning over to gently kiss her neck, to which she smiled and wrapped an arm around him to keep him there for a moment before letting him go. He quietly went around to his own seat and sat down as the two began to enjoy their meal and the camera slowly began to fade out to black until all that was seen was a crimson backdrop.]

[The camera slowly fades back in on the same scene as before, to the dining room table but this time hours have passed since Erin and Slash began their meal. Now with dishes strewn about on the table and a bottle, no, two bottles of emptied Chardonnay in a now empty ice bucket the meal has ended and the fun may have already begun and ended as well.]

[The camera slowly pans around to show a nice long trail of clothing from the dining room and leading towards a thick oak door that hides behind it the Tannon bedroom. The door is open a half inch and the camera begins to move in close until it is directly next to the door and then the audio kicks in from the other side of the door.]

'Mmmm, Slash, that was, wow, fantastic.'

'No kidding, you are amazing.'

[A moment passes and the sound of a door shutting can be heard. The bedroom door slowly opens and a wave of heat hits the camera, steaming the lens ever so slightly as the camera moves in to show a jumbled mess of clothing and sheets. A single sheet is on the bed, which is completely messed up, and it is wrapped around the otherwise nude body Erin Blade. Her hair is matted down a bit and her body is covered in a sweat as she lies back slowly onto the bed, her hand over her heart as she tries to keep her breath still. Slash Tannon can be heard in the other room, a faucet running as Erin calls out slightly.]

'Don't take too long baby.'

'I'll be right out.'

[Erin smiles and curls up softly, sighing just a bit as she reaches over and touches the pillow of Slash Tannon. Her face almost lights up as thoughts of him, the man she loves, moves through her mind and the camera slowly makes its way towards the bathroom. The door is half open and Slash Tannon can be seen standing in front of the sink in a pair of dark blue boxers. He is breathing slightly more than normal as he cools his face with the cold water of the faucet. He cups a small bit of water in his hands and brings his face down to meet them. When he shows his face again it is wet, not from just the lust of earlier but from the water as well. He eyes himself in the mirror and now, despite hours of being free his thoughts of Sunday flashes back to him in his mind.]

Mike Phantasy is a man out for blood.

He wants to take what he could never earn.

My contract and a place at the top.

Do not think for a moment that I am underestimating you Mike, I know exactly how you work and exactly how you will prepare.

You won't simply come at me with a single stroke, a single style set to destroy me, no you will come at me from every angle and every possible light in an attempt to confuse me into making a mistake.

Greater wrestlers than you have tried and failed.

More powerful brawlers have found themselves laid out at my feet.

The best of the best across four federations have seen their blood staining the canvas and my hands coated in their crimson mask.

The past is dead though Mike and the future are coming up quick.

I am done reliving my past victories because in seventy-two hours I will have yet another one to add to the list.

[Tannon calmly removes a wash cloth from the rack near the door and soaks it a bit, only one corner, under the cool tap water before rubbing it slowly across his brow as he stares into the mirror. His hair is jumbled a bit and he is sweating slightly but that would be expected after the night he and Erin had just been through. His eyes though, his eyes have become bloodshot from weeks of very little sleep, and not all of it due to Erin's beautiful body and unbelievable stamina. He is slowly exhausting himself, draining his energy as he continues to go full pace at everything that he does. He sighs and runs the cloth through his trimmed goatee once to smooth it out a bit, enough so that it will not bug him during the night. He dabs the cloth under the water once more before turning the water off and dabbing his face again, wringing the water out into the sink when he is finished and then smoothing his hair back a bit with one hand.]

[Tannon calmly replaces the wash cloth onto its place in the bathroom before checking himself once more and smirking as he shuts off the light and makes his way back to his bed. He stops halfway there and cannot help but smile at the sleeping form of Erin, wrapped comfortably in the sheet, her tanned skin contrasting perfectly and appearing as some sort of an angel in Tannon's world. Tannon stands by the bed for a moment, watching her sleep and his thoughts again become a mix of his love for her, and of Sunday.]

Mike,learn this and learn it well.

When you double cross me, you pay dearly.

It is Slash Tannon and Mike Phantasy now, nothing more and nothing less.

This Sunday will be a true example of both of us; two great athletes at their absolute peak.

One will walk away as the victor.

One will walk away defeated and dishonored.

What will you do Mike when the better man's hand is raised?

What will you do when the better man walks out to his music and is declared the winner?

What will you do Mike when you and the rest of the world realize that the better man was the better man all along?

What will you do when everyone sees that the man who was once supposedly your puppet was the better man?

Mike, for all your talent and all your ability, I have always been and always will be better.

Sleep well tonight Mike, I know I will because on Sunday I beat you and at Glorifying Lust I regain my contract while leaving you in a heap of your own blood. Faggot.

[He sighs ever so softly and quietly pulls the bed sheet down just a bit, so that he may slide in next to the sleeping form of his fiance. His movement wakes her; just enough to have her turn and look at him. She smiles and they exchange a small kiss, the type of silent kiss that does not show much passion but at the same time can only be shared between two people so truly in love with one another. Erin rolls back over, her back to Tannon, but scooting close to him as he drapes his arms around her and then lightly kisses her on the shoulder as she smiles and goes back to sleep. Tannon remains awake for a few minutes, perhaps contemplating all that could happen in just a day or two before looking down at his beautiful woman and smiling almost unperceivable before shutting his eyes.]

[The camera pans away from the bed until the entire room can be seen, the breathing of the young couple the only sounds as the scene slowly fades darker and darker until what is viewed can be described as only one thing.]

[Nothing]

[End Scene]

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