_{The Alias Title Comes Home}
^{Starring Dan Stein}

Dan Stein: "I am not about to lose this match for you to get some extra cash in your fucking pocket, John. I told you when I signed the contract that I would never -ever- throw a match. For any reason. You know that I put that down there FOR A FACT."

Stein screamed at Johnny, who sighed and rubbed his temples deep

Johnny: "Dan, I don't give a flying fuck what we agreed to. I told you for a matter of fact that I make the rules around here, not you. I just let you have that in the contract as a fucking formality."

Stein freaks, and throws the desk chair against the wall, shattering it completely.

Dan Stein: "Fuck that, Johnny. You better shoot me now if you think I'm throwing that match for anything. I don't care how much fucking money you have in it., this is my fucking life. This is my fucking name on the line. I told you I would take any match you put me in, and I would beat every mother fucker set in front of me."

Johnny chuckles, stopping Stein.

Johnny: "As I do recall, you did in fact lose. You lost to Kenji Yamada and Fusion."

Stein glares at Johnny, harshly.

Dan Stein: "And I already made up for it by getting Jayson Black on staff, Johnny. I will not pay for it again. This isn't about you, Johnny, this is about me, this is about my name. When my contract with you runs out, I want to have a good reputation. So you can suck my dick, Johnny. I'm not losing this match. Not for you, not for Kenji Yamada, and definitely not to anyone else."

Stein put his hands on his hips, before turning and walking away.

Johnny: "If you don't lose this match, I'll kill you, what's left of your family, and any fucking slut I've seen walk out of this bar with you. You fucked me over once, Stein, you fuck me over again, I will squash you like the flea you are."

Stein stopped as Johnny started talking, and turned around as he finished.

Dan Stein: "You'll get your answer at the pay-per-view."

Stein turned around and walked out the door, sliding his sun glasses over his eyes.

* * * * * * * * *

The camera opened up beside Dan Stein, who leaned over the balcony of a hotel room down on the strip in Las Vegas. Stein wasn't that far from the street, though a fall from the edge would be lethal. He was wearing a white button up t-shirt with a pair of Khaki shorts and plaid American Eagle sandals, which was becoming Stein's 'trademark' look. His blonde hair was slicked down, his hands clasped upon themselves as he looked down at the people walking below him.

The Lights: "Many people have come into ICE, I've seen, and many of them covet a title. Those that have no idea what wrestling is about, they go for the Universal Title. Nobody that can actually 'wrestle' wins that title, because it's all a bunch of egos and crude motherfuckers trying to get after it. The people that can wrestle, myself, go for the titles that actually mean something - the titles that will eventually make the wrestler... special. Every where I go, I covet a title that no other man does. In OPW, it was the Atlantic Coast Championship, before it was retired. Then, it was the Light Heavyweight Championship. It wasn't the World Heavyweight title, it wasn't anything 'big', but it meant something to me. In TTW, I wanted the title of Sky High Tournament Champion - which was a collection of light weights, high flyers, showing the world what they could do. In SHOOT Project, I wanted the Laws of Survival Championship, a championship with multiple stipulations, but it wasn't the Heavyweight Title. What's my point?"

Stein points down at the people, nodding.

The Lights: "Look at these people. Most of them spending their entire lives savings to get here and try and make a fortune. You've got your geeks, the computer nerds that play online poker all day trying to make it big in live play - but they never will. You've got the wedding couple spending their honeymoons in Sin City, trying to spice up their already dying love life - why in the fuck did they get married anyways? You've got the elderly group, coming into the bright city lights trying to renew their youth - but the damage is done, they will always be old. But for ever 100 people that come to this city for those reasons, one person makes it big. One person actually accomplishes something, not because his eyes are huge and wide, not because he puts it all on the line and gets lucky, but because he strategically and correctly played his cards right in the low stakes game and built it up."

Stein turns to the camera.

The Lights: "The other five people look at this match as a stepping stone match. If any of them tell you differently, they're lying. Kenji Yamada is always looking for more. Kenji is always putting his eyes on the big prize. Since his days in DIWF, Kenji has coveted the big titles. I know this, he knows this... it's simple to the eyes to see. Anyone that has seen Kenji in federations of the past knows that Kenji is a greedy son of a bitch and doesn't give a shit about the peons. And that's fine, that's cool. Because the people like Fusion, Faith and Traci Johnson, the people that really have NO shot of winning this match, they really don't know what they're getting into."

Stein nodded looking back down at the street.

The Lights: "These people know what they're going for - more than they could ever imagine. Sure, they strike gold for a couple hours and they're high on life, but sooner or later it all starts wasting away because they just don't know when to give up, when to call it a night. Just like Faith. She just doesn't know when to shut the fuck up and realize that her tits and good looks aren't going to get her any wins in this federation, any more. Her promotions bore the SHIT out of me, and that's hard to do. I'm a very open person. Traci Johnson doubts herself, but yet she still keeps putting her chips out on the board only to watch them get swept away. She has some pull, a dealer in this card game named Dick 'Shaq' Steele, so she's always there - as annoying as it gets trying to hold her fat ass up off the mat. And Fusion... Fusion buys into the game, puts his blinds in, but folds every hand because he knows he has NOTHING on ANYONE in this match."

Stein looked down, pointing at a group of men that have people surrounding them. 

The Lights: "These guys, these are the superstars in Las Vegas. These are the guys that mean something, that have already shown they know what's going on - and capitalize on it. Your guys like Doyle Brunson, Phil Helmuth and Daniel Negraneu. Guys like that, that's who Kenji Yamada, Jayson Black and myself are. We're the reason why this match is worth P-P-V time. We put on shows people will never forget each and every night. Seriously, who's going to forget a crippled Asian guy superkicking a chick in the face? Nobody will. Ever. That's some funny shit. And who in their right mind would forget a seven foot black man tossing people around the ring like rag dolls? Noone. Myself? The guy that will run people around the ring, back and forth, back and forth, only to stun them with agility and strength? Nobody forgets me. Even ICE's own name-made champion remembers me, though we haven't even been in the same ring with each other. But unlike these guys, I don't care about the money. I don't care about the fame. I don't care about putting my Yakuza bosses in the black. All that I really care about, is the wrestling."

Stein smirked turning towards the camera.

The Lights: "The Alias Title is special. The Alias title is... it's different. Than anything else. If the champion feels like a fist fight, he'll book a fist fight for his championship. If he wants a pure-wrestling rules match, he'll get it. If he wants a light-bulb, burning table electrified ropes match, by God, he'll fucking book it. And that, friends, excites me more than ANY title under that ICE banner. And these retards will watch this video and go 'oh my God, he's undermining me!' And I'll laugh at them because they feel they need to lie to make themselves feel better. Myself? I've let my feelings on the title known, and I do plan on keeping my strangle hold on this title LONG after I win it. Because I don't have the Yakuza breathing down my neck, I don't have my hood status on the line. My hair isn't the most important part of my life and I don't self doubt. I know I'm the best wrestler in this match, I know that Kenji Yamada isn't WORTHY of this title, ever, but especially when I'm holding and/or wrestling for it. I know this. And I will do EVERYTHING in my power to keep it that way."

Dan turns to the street, nodding.

The Lights: "Regardless of what spot I'm put in when I come out fourth, the crowd will KNOW that business is picking up. They will be buzzing, they will be talking about this match for the rest of the month. And I can assure the five of you, even my new friend Jayson, that I will walk out of the arena as the Alias Championship, with that title over my belt, and there will be a new era in ICE."

Stein looks at the camera.

The Lights: "Mine."

* * * * * * * * *

The cameraman walked out of the hotel room, leaving Stein by himself off camera. Stein walked back into his room, slightly smirking, before plopping down on his bed. He grabbed the remote and turned on ESPN to watch the Boise St. vs Fresno St. football game. As he layed his head back on his pillow, his cell phone began to ring. He looked down at the cell phone, before opening it up to a text message from an unknown number.

"Sup, bro? I hear you're in Las Vegas. Want to make some extra cash? I know you're still fighting, and I know a place to hone your skills. Give me a ring. Vik."

Stein looked out the window for a few seconds before throwing his legs over the side of the bed and grabbing his American Eagle hoodie on the way out.