PREVIOUSLY:

On a subway train, sitting near his best friend, Ethan Davis, is the man known to the XWF as Notorious Ned Kaye. An uncomfortable air surrounds them, both visibly uneasy. Ned, with a nervous expression, places a hand on his chin. Meanwhile, Ethan anxiously taps his left foot, the rhythm appearing to calm his frazzled nerves. The two men sit alone in their part of the car, keeping to themselves until Ethan finally allows a few unsteady words to leave his lips.



"S-so, uh, that upcoming Lethal Lottery match..."

"Mhm?"

"Well, whaddya think? Mystery should be interesting..."

"Perhaps."

Ethan's foot taps faster, his attempts at easing his inner tension obviously failing as he clings to a possibility of calming.

"How-uh how're you gonna pull it off against em' Ned? You're the planner, right? You gotta be focused on this match, right?"

Ned inhales, his other hand clenching up.

"Well, Hanari's a tough case. He's fairly predictable, but he prides himself on providing an assuredness and bravado to his matches and image. If you don't let his insults affect you, he has to fight you on your terms. We've fought on my terms before and despite my respect for his attempts, he lost. It's just a matter of making sure I can stay ahead and not fall behind. Jimson currently is too consumed on winning the Federweight and Heavymetalweight titles. I can't really divert my attention on him or a mystery opponent right now. I'll just have to wait to see who I'm facing and be the best damn Ned Kaye I can be when they finally unmask. Besides, I've no interest in facing Cent for the Hart right now. I have to focus, Ethan."

His words are careful and deliberate, but there is an unmistakable heaviness to his tone.

"On what, Ned? Aren't you the guy who tried to take every match one by one? Step by step?"

"Ethan..."

"Ned, I'm gonna say it again. I really think you should walk back on the whole Universal Title promise thing. Everyone's gonna respect you no matter what, man. You don't have to win it at next March Madness to sign another contract, that's just something you're enforcing. No one is gonna think less of you if you just take it back."

In a quiet voice, The Notorious One responds.

"I will."

The tense air seems to get even denser, Ethan's breaths getting heavier and heavier.

"If you're not gonna focus on your Lethal Lottery match, then can we please talk about what happened on Savage?"

The foot tapping stops, a chill running through Kaye's very being as he turns to look more directly at his companion.

"Like, I've heard pro wrestling can be a little exaggerated sometimes, so I get that it could be an act, but... like, did that happen, man? Did I really witness a resurrection on TV?! Did they kill someone on XWF programming?"

Ned's face turns paler, as he gulps.

"You're an insider, Ned... I just wanna know it wasn't re-"

"I don't know."

"...You don't know..?"

The Notorious One shakes his head as Ethan's voice turns to a worried plea.

"Look, man, you don't have to prove shit to anyone. This Universal Championship stuff is dangerous. Please, please get out while you can. They could be killing people Ned. This company is turning a blind eye to murder! Hell, satanic powers could really exist! The existence of an afterlife, hell and heaven, God and Satan might've just been proven by a fucking wrestling show and you're still worried about being Champion? Ned, these people could kill you and get away with it! What if you go after that title and I become a target, Ned? What then?!"

With a solemn, stoic expression, Ned Kaye stares into his friend's eyes.

"I gave my word, Ethan. That has to mean something. And as much as I hate admitting it, you're a target already. That's why I already sent some money your family's way so they could invest in more security. It's also why we're sticking together until this reign of Soldier's is done."

"Well, when is that gonna be?! Do we just hope Lux wins the Uni and sit by? If anything, shouldn't you cash in at Lethal Lottery when they've both beaten each other down?"

"I'm not ready. Unfortunately, I'm still not on the level of Lux and Soldier, as much as I despise entertaining that thought. I need to be better Ethan. Better than even Robert and I worry I can't even do that..."

Ned slumps back in his chair, looking at the ceiling, despair covering his face.

"...Is that why you're hoping you can out your faith in this trainer you've been talking up... Dewey...?"

With a small, forced chuckled, The Notorious One wears a somber smirk.

"It's not that. I'm hoping he can put his faith in me..."

"It's hard to find some solid direction right now. That's why I'm so focused on the Uni. It's the first step towards ending this transitional period of perverse violence and cruelty. Hell, Big D looks like Ruby compared to Soldier. Chris Page is a paragon of good despite his actions earlier in the year just due to facing Shane . It feels like we could all use a few compasses, moral or otherwise."

The tension between them both lightens, as Ethan chuckles weakly.

"Hey, well, maybe Lux will win and this whole uncomfortable phase will be over."

Ned's eyes narrow at the comment. He taps his fingers against his knee softly.

"You misunderstood me. Soldier's reign doesn't end with Lux. He's already won."

Eyes wide, Ethan's lip quivers.

"...What?"

"I've just...," Ned considers his next words carefully, "I've just got a feeling."

"What feeling?"



"Well..."

Ned gazes into the ceiling, his mind look to articulate the dreadful imagery that's been haunting him.

"If Soldier wins the match, you already fully understand the importance and significance of the event. The last bastion of virtue that can stand up to him is squashed and he commences with his plans to continue transforming this company into his own distorted funhouse. Time would only tell how far the moral standard would fall. Who else might succumb to the urge of following those impulsive, base instincts. The door would be open to levels of destruction of malice typically reserved for dark lords in fantasy novels. However..."

He pauses.

"If Lux wins, she will have sacrificed parts of her moral code to get there. I mean, if we buy into Soldier being... well, a real magic Satanist, then Lux is truly a time traveler from the future. An utterly decimated one. And if you haven't noticed, she's been acting incredibly questionably lately. Seemingly afraid of losing something..."

"You mean, losing the fate of the world or some stuff like that...?"

"No. More human. That fear is affecting her actions, causing more extreme measures to be taken. I mean, if she views holding that title as a key to her desires or mission or whatever the hell, then someone like me is a threat. Say what you will about Shane , but even trash like him goes through the system. To try and subvert that is... troubling to say the least. So, all I can truly trust is that if Lux succeeds in removing that Championship from Soldier, she'll only be more willing to make exceptions to moral quandaries. And then, all it is is a matter of Soldier and his morally degenerate band of misfits watching as the dominoes fall into place. And Unknown Soldier will experience a real victory, forcing one of the few bright spots of this Federation to stoop to his level."

"Are you sure that's gonna happen...?"

"It's just a feeling. But if it does, we'll be at the mercy of a multiple personality ticking timebomb that might result in the death of society as we know it. All because Lux's attempts to thwart destiny played right into its hands, as it often does. That's why I'm heeding the advice Robert gave to me months ago. I'm focusing on the bigger picture, Ethan and my place in it. Seeing the forest for what it is."

"And what's that?"

A deep sadness grows in Ned's eyes.

"A collapsing mess."

"...Do you really think you can make it there to be a threat to them if you can't focus on these matches themselves?"

The subway stops abruptly before Ned can answer, a loud chime over the speakers.

"We're here."

Ethan frowns, shaking his head, sighing in an exhausted manner.

"You still haven't told me why we're here, buddy."

Ned nods, lightening his tone.

"We're here so I can forge myself into that beacon of hope that can end this dark time. We're here because I have to fulfill my promise to Robert before Relentless. It's time to embrace everything everyone said I had the power to be and it starts with another journey between you and me."

Ned smiles widely.

"We're gonna go have a talk with Dewey."

"You can't run from yourself."