Stein looked around the beach as he leaned over the railing with his cellphone up against his ear. He was midway through a conversation, and seemed like he was trying to get out of it; what, with the redheaded beauty hanging on his shoulder looking out at the sunrise with him. All of the hard times in his life, all the struggles he had after the two “accidents”, had been forgotten for just a few fleeting moments, but that was enough time to fully enjoy everything that was going on around him (The girl he had landed, the Hawai'ian sunrise, the fact he was in Hawai'i at all... and the fact that he was STILL Iron Fist champion, some time after beating Adrian Corazon). The dreamy feeling that was coming over Stein was quickly and abruptly ended by the voice on the other line.

VOICE: “...AWESOME.”

Stein's attention snapped back to the phone call, he dropped his hand from Gemma's waist, and started to chuckle.

DAN STEIN: “Yeah, man. We're going to do a little wakeboarding, and we're going to take Patrick parasailing, I think.”

The animated voice picked up again, giving time for Dan to run his fingers over Gemma's cheeks. Stein winced for a split second.

DAN STEIN: “Haha, the only 'chica' I want is sitting right next to me, dude.”

“Alright. I'll do it, so long as I don't blow out a knee.”

Gemma started to rub on Dan again, which caused Dan to perk up and try to finish the conversation with... whoever it was on the other end.

DAN STEIN: “Listen, brah, I gotta get going, though. Big day ahead of us, you know? Good luck, dude.”

“Thanks, enjoy your time before the show.”

“And win, dude.”

“Absolutely, Dudenheimer.”

Stein clicked the phone closed and turned to the woman standing next to him. He smiled his trademark Dan Stein smile with just a hint of a sparkle in his eye.

DAN STEIN: “Early morning sex?”

PATRICK: “Dude, that's my sister!”

The three of them all bellowed out laughs. As if on cue, Patrick walked out onto the balcony, wearing just a pair of board shorts, letting his 'baby fat' hang over just a little bit. Stein and Gemma wrapped their arms around each other, and stared out at the sunset.

* * *

THE LIGHTS: “Kenji. Azraith. What is this? This isn't the 'Kenji and Azraith Show', this isn't your showcase to show how much you two can tear each other apart, this is your time to aim for ME. You two did exactly what I was hoping you WOULDN'T do all week, and that's talk up each other, talk about how the two of you are so meeeeaaaaannnn to each other and can't wait to rip each other apart, oh and maybe take my title away from me, 'just because you can'.

Why can you? What makes you think you can beat me, when the two of you are each others' arch nemesis? What makes you think that you can keep beating the fuck out of each other and still have the energy to take me out for the ten count, guys? I've beaten you both in singles competition, I've beaten you, Azraith, TWICE, both times CONVINCINGLY, and you still think you're going to take MY SHOOT Project Iron Fist title away from me... just because you're you. Kenji, I've beaten you already for this title in singles competition, why are you going to beat me with the man who calls you his 'avatar' in the ring with us? Who will have your undivided attention? Azraith DeMitri? Or Dan Stein.”

Stein sighed to himself as he walked away from the camera to sit in a sand-throne someone had made. He put his belt across his legs, and rested his arms on the sides as the camera repositioned itself in front of him.

THE LIGHTS: “I mean, both of you guys... yes, you're the absolute fucking NUTTIEST guys in SHOOT Project right now. Sure, we have some top not competitors for that title, but you guys... You can take the cake, mentally and physically. That's what I LOVE about this match right now. You guys are what my title reign is going to be built around, the solid foundation of taking the two of you out EACH AND EVERY TIME we got in the ring with each other. I love that fact that I got two of the most 'extreme' men in SHOOT Project today trying to take my title from me. Kenji, you took Corazon to the brink! You took that man to his absolute END, and you came out swinging. More than Dave Marz and a SHOOT Project Hall of Famer could say; Congratulations. And the two of you, you have your epic battles in OPW, you have your life altering hatred for each other, you have this God damned video tape that nobody gives a shit about, you have that shit. You are world renowned and famous, congratulations.

But really, guys. This isn't about me trying to suck you off. This is the fact that even with all that behind you guys. With Kenji coming 'this' close to beating Adrian Corazon, I did it. I did what Dave Marz, Del Carver and a bunch of other top notch SHOOT Project stars couldn't do for EIGHT fucking months. I got this title away from Adrian Corazon, in what I've PROVED to be NOT a fluke. I did what Kenji Yamada couldn't do, and that's beat Adrian Corazon. I am one of the VERY few people to beat this companies World Heavyweight Champion.

And still... you talk about me like I'm just a fucking pawn in this chess game you two have going on? What the fuck, guys? This isn't me fucking begging you for respect, this isn't me telling you guys LOOK AT ME, GOD DAMMIT. I've tried to do that in the past. Azraith, I tried knocking you cold on your back to get you to realize that I wasn't fucking around, as much as you can blow off losing to me by saying you were. I don't want your fucking respect, Kenji, I don't want your respect, Azraith, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS.

This is not about getting the respect of a murder, or a rapist. How's Ledgerwood's wife, Kenji? Still dead, I hear, thanks to you. And yet... Azraith is the bad man. Hey, Azraith, Akira... whether Kenji wants to admit it or not, or make us think he believes it or not... still dead. Thanks to you. Excuse me when I don't want the respect of two murderers, or of a man that beats up helpless store clerks, or wallows in his self-made delusional state of mind, rather than gets fucking help.

Excuse me when I have more respect for MYSELF than to want it from you fucks.

For the last fucking time, try to hear me out. I don't want your fucking respect. ¿Comprende, amigos? One of you two will understand me, I'm sure.

The only reason why I brought up the IDEA of respect is because none of you have it for me, for this title, or for anything in the world. Not for human life, not for the sport of wrestling itself and especially not for the Champion of the belt that YOU have fought for and lost. You never will have respect for ANY of those things. I can't beat respect into you, I can't make you FEEL respect for anyone.

But I can show you that without the respect you're FAILING to give me, you can not beat me.

Kenji, Azraith and I made you change your entire approach going into this match. You went from first, a promise to a dead relic of an old past, to fighting for their memory to beating the two men that have had your number since you came to SHOOT Project back to the memory of the mother YOU KILLED and the 'son' you put in harm's way. In Azraith's way. Your fault. Azraith's sin is on YOUR hand. And that's driving you batty, er... more batty than ever before. You can't put him down, you can't put me down, and yet, you're still going to fucking beat me? You're still going to lay both ME and AZRAITH out and walk out with the title? Good luck, man. I wouldn't put it past you, I wouldn't put anything past anyone, but I'll still wish you luck in your path, because I'm sure as FUCK not going to let you walk in, poke me in the chest, and have that be the end of it, Kenji.

And Azraith, lets not get too full of ourselves, now. I'm not blowing off Kenji. This calm that you feel in my voice, that's me. That's Dan fucking Stein. That's who I am, Azraith. I know what I've gotten myself into, I am the one that requested you be in this fucking match, Azraith. This calm in my voice, this inexplicable calm that you seem to have wrapped up your head as arrogance? That's not arrogance. That's me, scoping out the situation, being RATIONAL about the shit that's going on in the last two months, playing them out in my head, and still knowing that I am still the most sane one in the match. I am calm, because I am confident. I am confident, because I learned from the BEST over time, that respect is what gets you places. Your career is not dead, but you are trying to be what you once were, don't even begin to deny that.

Why me, Azraith? We've been through this once before; Because I AM STILL the hottest thing in SHOOT Project today. You saw me as someone you once knew, and you thought you could just run through me. But I'm not the Dan Stein of old. Just like you're not the Azraith DeMitri of old.

When was the last time Azraith attacked someone from behind? When was the last time Azraith DeMitri had to attack a newly crowned champion to get his name back in SHOOT Project?

Never. This isn't the Azraith of old, but the Azraith of new is just as fucking brutal as the past. Only now, Azraith, you've met someone that might just be a little better than you. One that's not going to let your mind games and the verbal fear that spew get to them. You've found a confident, skilled member of a roster that you can't beat, and you wont let go of the fact that YOU. CANNOT. BEAT. ME. You wont let it go.

That's why I wanted you in this match. Not because you attacked me from behind each and every chance you get, or when I open a fucking door, but because you're relentless. You're right, I want to prove that I can 'hang' with you, but Azraith? I already HAVE done that. I don't want to just fucking prove I can hang with you, I want to prove that I am BETTER. THAN. YOU. That I deserve this Iron Fist championship. I want everyone to fucking look back and go, “Wow, Dan Stein. This is what really pushed your career forward.” or “This is what really cemented the Iron Fist championship in its place.” I want people to look back at this time in the Iron Fist era and go, “What the fuck, who is this Dan Stein character, and how in the fuck did I over look him before?”

That's what I want. That's what I'm fighting for. I'm fighting for this Iron Fist title. I'm fighting for my name. I am fighting to make my name SYNONOMOUS with the Iron Fist championship, because that's what drives me. I am fighting because I respect the past champions of the Iron Fist division, and what they did for the sport of wrestling, and what their name will do for me, and for this title, for years to come. I am fighting to make sure that their name doesn't die because of me. And Azraith... Kenji.

I'm going into Reckoning Day, fighting for you two. Because I know what the two of you once were. I know what the two of you could be. And I want to be the one that brings you two back.”

Stein stood up, throwing his belt over his shoulder. He winced just a bit as he strained his back.

THE LIGHTS: “It doesn't matter if you two DO come out, balls to the wall, trying to beat me down. I am not going to die, I will not be laid out. I will be the one that walks out of the arena victorious, I will be the one that everyone remembers standing tall on June 1, 2008. It will be MY name that is on the tip of everyone's tongue, come Monday at the water cooler. And you two? Hopefully this will be the time that you two SNAP out of WHATEVER hell you've put each other in, and come back to the real world.

To my world.

Because you're better than this. You're better than videotapes and hallucinations. You're better than scraping your way back to the top. Me? The 'Golden Boy'? I know my place in SHOOT Project. And I'll fight to the death to keep it.”

* * *

The fire was high in the air around the rock-circle fire pit. There was a few other SHOOT Project athletes there, but mostly just the dark match workers. The sounds of a ukulele could be heard along with the traditional pacific island drums, but the main attraction was the sight of Dan Stein wearing that grass skirt. Stein was having the time of his life, his girl was next to him, his co-workers enjoying the night before the big show, and Stein had no care in the world.

Or so he wanted everyone to believe.

The party started to slow down in Stein's mind, and as he looked at Gemma, he knew he was happy with her. But he wish he knew what his parents thought of her.

...Of their boy.