~He did what he was told to do – and what he wanted to do.~

~After weeks of not being able to get his hands on Centurion, Giovanni DeSantis was finally able to get into his head. His distraction in the main event of last Anarchy reminded Centurion and the entire world of the presence he had and the things he was capable of. And yet, the God of Death is not satisfied. Not by a long shot.~

~Giovanni sits in his bedroom. The room is decorated with lavish linens and medieval style torches, though he also has the modern conveniences of things like a television, computer, etcetera. Two servants stand against the wall with their hands behind their backs, as Giovanni paces back and forth.~

“Well done.”

~A distorted voice speaks out from a speaker attached to a telephone on his desk – the voice of his “benefactor” and faceless ally within the XWF. ~

“I know you have Centurion thinking about you, and his victory over Ruby and subsequently taking the Anarchy Title was more than we could have hoped for. Their alliance is shattered, and his mental fortitude is falling apart. Soon, he will be unable to compete at any level.”

“Hmm...”

~GD just responds with a hum.~

“You do not sound convinced.”

“I lost last week.”

~The sound of a light chuckle from the distorted voice is heard, though GD is not smiling in the least.~

“You did not lose. You were not pinned, nor did you give up. Someone else won your match – a meaningless, nothing match that has no bearing on you or your mission here. I would not concern yourself with that.~

“And is that what Centurion, or anyone else for that matter, is going to say? That I was not beat, and that match did not matter? Or do you think I will be mocked for not winning a contest that I was clearly the strongest competitor in.”

“So you care about people’s opinion of you now? I thought wins and losses did not matter to you.”

“That was before I was staring into the ring and seeing someone else get their hand raised. That was before Lord Raab ran his mouth, and not only insulted me, but prevented me from winning.”

“Do not distract yourself with people who do not matter.”

“He matters to me!”

~GD lashes out at the speaker as he stops pacing and looks directly at it. There is a short silence before the distorted voice speaks.~

“Never yell at me again.”

“And you should never question my motives or methods again. As long as this fake “Lord” Raab roams the roster and needles me with the very sight of his face, the Reign will not take place. He needs to go first, you understand?”

“You are falling down a path that can easily derail you. This week it is Lord Raab. Who will it be next week? Or the week after that? As long as you are a member of the roster, you’re going to be paired against opponents, and those opponents are going to try and distract you.”

“And as long as I am a member of the roster, I will eliminate anyone who thinks they can get under my skin or insult me, regardless of their connection with Centurion or anyone else in the company.”

“This is all because of HER, isn’t it? That...woman you hang out with.”

~GD glares and growls at the speaker, insulted by the very insinuation that the benefactor is making.~

“No one decides what I do or how I think other than me.”

“I’m telling you, that woman is bad news. She does not have your best interests at heart. She is using her for her own personal goal, and then she will dispose of you the moment she no longer needs you. Do not listen to her.”

“Funny - she said the exact same thing about you.”

“Is she the one delivering checks to you? Is she the one making sure you get everything you need to continue to live the lifestyle you live? I have proven my worth to you, and if you can’t see that, then you’re a fool.”

~The tension in the air is high. It is clear, whoever is on the other end of that speaker, has as much pride and ego as Giovanni does, which is not something the God of Death is used to. He considers hanging up the phone and severing his relationship with this unknown man, but he thinks twice about it. Instead, he decides to change the subject.~

“What do you know about Lord Raab.”

“I know that it is not my job to do your research for you. I have never once cared about Lord Raab or his career, so I haven’t retained any information on the man. You want to know more about him, you’ll have to find out on your own. Or maybe you can get HER to tell you.”

“Maybe I will. Between the two of you, she seems to be the only one who cares whether or not I make a fool out of myself.”

“Last time I checked, our arrangement wasn’t for me to pay you so you can beat up Lord Raab and feel good about yourself. You’re here to eliminate Centurion. Nothing more. Everything else you do, you do on your own time. I don’t need to suck your dick – you seem to have plenty of people around you to do that for you already.”

~With that, the connection is severed, as the benefactor hangs up the phone. GD yells as he grabs the speaker and rips it out of the wall before tossing it across the room. The servants all flinch, but they do not move. GD, panting, turns towards one of the servants.~

“Call her.”