"You failed too."

"I know I did, you don't have to rub it in it, I know I failed."

"All you had to do was take that chance, but you couldn't even do that."

"No excuses I know."

"I think it'll be best if you give me back control."

"That's not going to help."

"Why?"

"Because we need to be at our best to face Vinnie Lane for the Hart Championship."

"You said you were the best to deal with Sebastian Duke, and look how that ended up."

"I know what I said, but we need to come up with something that is more darker not lighter."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"You wouldn't. So why?"

"If we go even darker, then it would be harder to come back from. It's kind of hard controlling you at the moment."

"Do you want the Hart Championship, because I know I do?"

"Of course I do you know that's a stupid question."

"Only a fuck wit like yourself would say no, so luckily you're no fuck wit because you agreed with me wanting the Hart Championship."

"Do you really want to expose Maria to that side, if we go darker?"

"It's only for two weeks, so maybe you should tell her to go on holiday for that long?"

"Why me?"

"Because I can't stand the lovey dovey talk that you two have."

"Fine, I'll deal with Maria, if it means we have to find our darker side."

"Well that's good then. You best wake up then.... WAKE UP NOW."

---

Mastermind shot straight up in bed, he was perspiring quite bad. He tried to get his bearings, and wasn't sure how he got from the states after Lethal Lottery 3 to his own bedroom, it was like he missed some time. But wait. He felt like his normal self for once. That explains it.

Maria sat up half asleep, she placed her arms over Mastermind.

MARIA: "What's wrong 'M'? Is it the beating that you took from Sebastian Duke? Is it the challenge to Loverboy Vinnie Lane that you called him out on, on your way home, and that he accepted said challenge for the Hart Championship?"

Mastermind remembered what needed to be done. If what Maria said was true, that Vinnie had accepted, then the next course of treatment had to be achieved.

"I think it maybe a bit of both Babe."

Maria's ears pricked up. She knew that tone.

MARIA: "Wait a minute, Is that you 'M'? The good you?"

"Yes baby it is."

MARIA: "Does that mean you are back full time now, and the evil side of you has gone?"

"It means something else baby, something else all together."

MARIA: "You're not here for long?"

"That's correct."

Maria turned Mastermind so that he faced her, and with tears running down her cheeks they kissed. It was a passionate kiss that last for a few minutes. Mastermind was the one that broke away first. He wiped away the tears from Maria's cheeks.

"I need for you to do me a huge favor, please baby it's for both our interests."

Maria started sobbing.

MARIA: "I just want the old you back, I just want you away from the Asylum, from the Doc, and his friends, you can't keep this up much longer, you don't have it in you baby."

Mastermind hugged Maria.

"I know baby, I know. But I need to do this one last thing, I need to do it, for my own well being, I need to do it, because if the chance goes begging I will be kicking myself for far too long. You want the best for me don't you baby?"

MARIA: "I do babe, I do, but I believe you can do it another way, the good way."

"And in time, I will do that, I just need to know how far can I go to reach the depths that I need to reach in order to find that right level to be on when I take men like Loverboy Vinnie Lane, and one day maybe even The Doc. I know how much you would want that."

MARIA: "Is that in the pipe line?"

Mastermind laughed, and pulled Maria back so that she was looking at him.

"It's way, way down the road, that is. I need for you to do me one big giant favor though for this week."

Maria gulped, she knew what was coming but didn't like it.

MARIA: "What is the favor?"

"I need you to leave here as soon as you can, I need you to go to your parents, and I need you to stay there, and do not, and I express this very much, do not, just for your own good, get back in touch with me, until I get in touch with you. Do I make myself clear?"

MARIA: "Loud and clear. Do you want me to leave like now?"

"That's what I meant Baby Doll."

Maria looked shocked.

MARIA: "What are you doing back."

"My good side was taking far too long to get to the fucking point."

"Stop it will you. Just give me five more minutes."

"Five more minutes, fine, I'll leave you be."

Mastermind looked at Maria, who looked really confused.

"It's me baby, just for the next 5 minutes."

MARIA: "This is so weird, I don't know what to think."

"Sorry, it shouldn't have happened."

Maria quickly got out of bed, and grabbed her clothes, Mastermind grabbed her, and stood up, and pulled her into him.

"I'm so sorry, baby."

MARIA: "Promise me one thing 'M' one thing."

"Anything."

MARIA: "You fucking get your shit sorted, do what you have to, win that fucking Hart Championship, and come back. But only you yourself come back, not that mad side of you, or any other side. Because if you don't, I'm leaving you."

That hit Mastermind like a stone thudding onto his foot.

"I love you baby."

MARIA: "I know you do, I love you too. But you need to be the only one who comes back. You're lucky that I'm not making you choose between me and the Asylum dick heads, but that's going to come. But you need to sort yourself out first of all. I mean it."

"I know you do."

Maria looked up at Mastermind, and kissed him, then parted, and Mastermind watched her walk out of the bedroom.

"It's for the best."

"That was not 5 minutes and you know it. You made it worse. Ten times worse to be exact."

"Well excuse me for fucking caring about wanting to win the Hart Championship from Vinny Lane. If you don't want to do that tell me now, and we can just go in half arsed."

"I know we have to do this, but it's still hard seeing Maria walk away like that."

"Well we both want to see her away from the danger, I give you that."

---

It took half an hour for Maria to have all her things packed, and showered and was ready to leave. Mastermind walked her out to the car, in silence. As he opened the car door for her, she looked up at him.

MARIA: "I do understand what you are trying to do 'M', and I appreciate you keeping me out of danger. I'd still want to be here for you."

"I would like that, but we both know that wouldn't be any good."

MARIA: "So I can't even get in touch with you to wish you luck, or even check up on you?"

"No it's best that you not do that. Please promise me that. I might not be able to stop what could happen."

MARIA: "Very well. Well then I better wish you good luck now, and I hope you win the Hart Championship. Good luck 'M'."

Mastermind smiled, and they kissed a long and passionate kiss, before parting.

MARIA: "And remember what I said. Get your shit sorted before coming back to me."

"I promise."

Mastermind took a step back, as Maria got into her car.

"I love you."

MARIA: "I love you too. Just come back safely, and with that bloody Hart Belt."

"Will do."

Maria semi smiled, and started up the car. They took one last look at one another, and then she drove off into the early morning night. It was just about to be dawn. Mastermind watched her go, and just stood there, like a lost lamb, minutes after she left.

---

An hour later Mastermind stood in front of his closet door, looking at the handle.

"Are you going to open it or not?"

"I would prefer the not option, because what we are about to do is crazy, it's like opening Pandora's box. We aren't really sure that this would work, or if it does work, if it's safe, or even if it's safe or not, can we both come back from this?"

"I swear your fucking procrastination and fear have taken over our body, I can't get us to move."

Mastermind took a long winded sigh, and held out his hand for the door. He slowly opened it, and walked into the walk in closet. He grabbed the big box, and pulled it out. He stood there looking at it a while longer.