"A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself as a fool.

- William Shakespeare




63 miles south of Kansas City

The Ex-Detective stumbles down US-69. It's been nearly a week since the Doctor's last appointment in Houston. He waited outside the stadium for the Doctor to never show up again, so what was he to do? He left a bar stool in the middle of Houston, Texas and started walking. It was seven hundred and forty-three miles to Kansas City and for some reason, he knew that's where the Doctor was going. So he walked. And he walked.

It wasn't the desert. He didn't care if it was or if it wasn't. He felt the force pushing him to Missouri. The flat, straight road seemed endless in front of him. He reached to his pockets and pulled out his last cigarette, lights it, and carries on.

In the distance he sees a silhouette walking down the highway towards him. He rubs his eyes and shakes his head about. The lack of sleep is surely getting to him. Is he not alone out here? As he approaches the silhouette it seems to flicker like an old television and vanishes. The Ex-Detective stops for a moment.

What the fuck, Doc... What's going on now?

The Ex-Detective continues to clumsily walk down the road. He stops to relight his cigarette after the last staring contest didn't pan out for him. As he continues down the road he sees a girl skpping down the road holding a baby doll in front of him. The silhouette was not so unclear to him now, she was only about twenty feet away from him. The Little Girl stands in the middle of the highway talking to the air.

Who is that...? Who is she talking to?

The Ex-Detective continues to walk towards her. The road around him becomes dark and a bit foggy. The fog is becomes so thick it makes it a struggle to even walk towards the girl.

Trevor- Hey! Hey you!

The Ex-Detective stumbles forward and catches himself on the ground. As he looks up the little girl is gone and he sees a pair of headlights and a horn blaring at him. From the ground he pushes himself and he rolls off the road into the dirt on the side.

Okay. Breathe. No sleep. Nothing to drink. You're freaking out. Just take a deep breathe and get moving.

The Ex-Detective picks himself up from the ground and looks up straight into the eyes of the Little Girl. She holds up her baby-doll and it kisses the Ex-Detective on the cheek. The Little Girl giggles and begins skipping down the road again. He calls out and follows her, but just can't seem to catch her.

There's no way she's faster than me.

He continues to run faster after the Little Girl, but gains no progress. He tries to push all his energy into a run but can't get his legs to move any faster. He stumbles forward once again, this time hitting his head. He looks up again and see's the Little Girl turn around and peer at him. She giggles again as his head falls to the pavement.





63 miles south of Kansas City


The Ex-Detective wakes up. He's sitting in a bus seat next to an elderly woman, who was also sleeping. His startled sudden movement also startled her as they both almost fall out their seats.

A nightmare..?

The old woman looks at the Ex-Detective with a bit of concern and turns away from him. He gives her a small sincere glare then turns away himself. He looks outside the window and sees a lake out to his right. La Cygnes Lake, it must be, he thought to himself. We're getting close to the city. We're getting close to some answers.

Meanwhile. The Doctor walks along the same highway. His briefcase in one hand and a thick cigar in the other, he marches down along side US-69 North, to Kansas City. To the next XWF event, Monday Madness, at Arrowhead Stadium. He peers to his right and sees a large lake off in the distance, must be La Cygnes Lake. He's within one hundred miles of the city for sure by now. He stops for a moment and peers behind him to see a pair of headlights coming his way. The large charter bus zooms by him without the thought of anyone else along the highway. He laughs as he watches the eyes stare at him as the bus passes.

Doctor D'Ville- Hello, my friends!

The Doctor stares out to the distance and breathes a large puff of smoke.

Doctor D'Ville- Let me first start off by saying what a pleasure it is to finally meet you, Mister Delacroix. It seems I've offended you in a way this past week, though that was not my intention. Just to clear a few things up, I do take all of my sessions very seriously, whether I have bigger things going on or not. The reason I mentioned the "bigger fish" is simply a metaphor as I have better things to do. Different things on my agenda that concern me. I don't look past you or think of you differently than any other threat I oppose in this fine organization. And I do not expect these "bigger fish" I speak of to even dream of interfering with one of my sessions. I do not fear, my friend. These "bigger fish" I speak of tried foiling my victory last week, only to fail. Also, I still have a title shot lingering somewhere that has yet to be awarded to me. I believe those things take priority over a session with you, friend, I apologize. But, as far as our session is concerned, my mind is clear. I'm glad you've pointed out that you have no distractions either. Although, you do seem to have you mind hung up on Mister Knight. You compare me to him as though we have anything in common or as if he ever had anything important to say. You match me up to him several times. I don't believe that is necessary. I'm not like anyone you've ever met before, Mister Delacroix, and I believe it is you, who ended up with more than he bargained for. You defeated Mister Knight and had a three week... Was it three weeks you said? A three week hiatus, to return and face me in the Main Event of Monday Night Madness. It seems to me you've been placed on quite a pedestal. During your absence I've been here, working my ways however I can. I do not look for words to protect me and lead me to victory.

Doctor D'Ville- At first, I thought you would've been different from the rest. You seem a bit smarter, a bit more self-controlled. But, as I said, I know there's a dark side in you. Oh, but everyone has their demons correct? Well I suppose they do but that doesn't make yours any better. I suppose smoking cigars... And drinking alcohol... They are demons. But there's more to you, isn't there, Mister Delacroix? There's something more to you, not so simple as cigars and booze. Unlike myself, you're not much different than the opposition here in the XWF. Many of them mocked my practice. They've thrown my own words back in my face. As a doctor in my field, I expect this from most if not all of my patients. No one likes to be studied, broken down, picked apart, or analyzed. But it's what I'm here to do, my friend. You seemed to pick apart everything I've said the last time you spoke. Every detail and nearly every word. Well I'm glad you're at least paying attention. And I hope I've cleared up any discrepancies you may have had about my previous statements and I hope you take great heed in the words I've spoken. I'm not the push over you may expect to have once again.

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*Song "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas performed on piano on YouTube by vkgoeswild.