In a dark, dimly lit room, Big Bad Leroy stands over a table, addressing an assemblage of mysterious and foreboding figures.

"Gentlemen...you may be wondering why I have summoned you here. What, you might think, could you possibly have in common with me? To that I simply say, politics make strange bedfellows, gentlemen. Now...on the surface, our goals might seem quite disparate and unconnected." Leroy turns to his left, where a powerfully built Chinese man with a hard, wicked face sits.

"Chong Li, you thirst after revenge. Revenge against the American who defeated you in the Kumite nearly thirty years ago...Frank Dux."



The powerhouse's lips twist into a cruel smile. He nods slightly. Leroy then turns to another man, bald but for a single braided pony tail.



"Tong Po...you were dishonored when Kurt Sloane dethroned you as king of the Muay Thai world. Ever since...you've been searching the globe in vain, looking for Sloane...looking...for vengeance."

The man grimaces, as if in memory of the defeat. Leroy then turns to yet another man.



"Jason Stillwell...long ago...your father's leg was broken by a Russian kickboxer named Ivan Kraschinsky...forcing him to close down his dojo. I'm sure you would like very much to even the score with that Russian."

This time, the man's reaction is enigmatic and difficult to read.


"Surprisingly enough," Big Bad Leroy continues, "This is where our goals converge. You see, till now you have each been fighting on your opponent's own leveI, the mere physical level encompassing the four dimensions of space and time, and you have lost.... each... time."

The assembled gladiators tense, but Leroy doesn't miss a beat.

"Now, my 12th level intelligence operates on levels infinitely beyond that, and what I've used it to discover will shock you. Gentlemen, we have every reason to suspect that each of you, in fact, share the same enemy...and that he now competes for the XWF...under the name...Angelus. Allow me to present...exhibit A. A photo comparison of Ivan Kraschinsky, Kurt Sloane and Frank Dux first..."



A gasp escapes each of the hardened men in the room. The photos are nearly identical.

"And now...a photo of the XWF superstar...Angelus."



Another murmur. Angelus, it seems, is a dead ringer for Dux, Sloane and Kraschinsky.

"Leroy, its not that I don't appreciate all the research you put into this little presentation...but what exactly does all of this have to do with me?" asks the man who had been identified as David Xanatos. "No offense to my present company, but I could care less about these men, whether they're the same guy, clones, quadruplets or whatever."

"My dear Xanatos...thank you for asking. Now...you wish to eliminate Sebastian Duke...and, I presume the rest of you would like very much to eliminate your common enemy...the man currently hiding beneath the name ''Angelus'. The key to satisfying all involved parties? I give you exhibit B: stupidly named XWF mid-carder and full-time fool...KnightMask."

A picture of KnightMask comes up on the screen.

"Mute and masked...replacing him is a task of exceeding ease. All that it is required is a man of similar build, height and skin complexion...who knows enough to remain silent in the role."

"That makes sense enough, but why on Earth would any of us want to replace KnightMask with a stand-in...?" questioned Xanatos.

"Why, so he can assassinate Sebastian Duke and Angelus, of course."

"Easier said than done," Chong Li put in, "If he is indeed the same man that has previously defeated all of us. If that is so...then Angelus is formidable indeed."

Leroy smiled.

"It is much easier than you expect. Angelus and Duke shall be girding themselves for a professional wrestling match...not an assassination attempt...especially not from not KnightMask, whose cowardly obedience to the rules of the sport is legendary. All you gentlemen have to do is utilize your unique skills to incapacitate KnightMask...and I will attend to the matter of his replacement...and in short order, all involved parties problems see their problems solved."

"Forgive me if I am too cynical of human nature, Leroy, but I assume you're not doing all of this simply out of the goodness of your heart. What do you stand to benefit from all this....?" Xanatos asks, rubbing his chin.

"Lets just say...I have certain...studies I would like to conduct upon KnightMask. There are strains of a certain...medical condition which may reside within him...."

"This is all great, Leroy...but how exactly are we going to lure KnightMask into striking distance...?"

"The same way you catch any fish...with bait. And the perfect bait for a modern day Don Quixote...is of course, a damsel in distress."

A woman steps out of the shadows...

"And that's where I come in. If KnighMask thinks I'm endangered...he'll come running like a dog...right into our clutches."

"Woman, what do you have that makes you think KnightMask will bat an eye if you're in trouble? He might be a freak, but he's still an XWF star. Surely he suffers no shortage of women!"

"You don't realize what a Puritanical boyscout our friend KnightMask is, Tong Po," replies Leroy. "Or that he's already fallen for this very trap before. Once a fool...always a fool."


TO BE CONTINUED...