Perhaps the best thing to say to describe Steve Jason's current circumstances were that times were tough.

Ever since Steve had made the hard but necessary decision to disband the Setsujoku-Kai, the ninja clan that had gone corrupt - against the orders of businessman Nestor Richards, the father of his closest confidante Talia Richards - things had begun to crumble, albeit slowly. Sure, a number of threats to Steve, his family and friends had been eliminated, but the Richards Conglomerate - the company that had more or less sponsored Steve during his rise to glory - had been crippled as a result. Nestor Richards had cut Steve off completely, increasing tension on Steve and Talia's friendship. Particularly when the Global Financial Crisis finally hit the Conglomerate's death-stroke, the company collapsing - and taking Talia's livelihood along with it.

But the Conglomerate wasn't all the financial crisis had wiped out. Steve's own private security company - the career path he had hoped to base his post-wrestling life around - took losses. Nobody was hiring - nobody could afford it. The coffers ran dry, and that was all she wrote. Avenger Private Security went bust by March 2010, and that effectively left Steve without a livelihood. Yes, he had backup finances to live comfortably from, but his planned future was in tatters.

Oddly enough, the final crushing blow had come in the form of a fateful evening a few months ago where Talia Richards had knocked on his door - sobbing and shaking - to tell him that she and Dougy McNamara had decided to end their marriage. She'd said it wasn't Steve's fault - that his ruining of her father and his friendship with Dougy had nothing to do with the decision to make the split. She'd told him that she and Dougy were two different people - he had needs she couldn't fulfil, and vice-versa. Steve could accept that - partially. In truth, he still even to this day questioned if he was partially to blame for wrecking his two closest friends' marriage - and lives.

And so the next day, Steve Jason left it all behind. Just vanished off the map, nowhere to be found. Even his closest friends and confidantes simply had no clue where he could have been. Some claimed he was in Africa, doing some kind of humanitarian work for the downtrodden. Others thought he went back to East Asia - Japan or China, maybe - to a monastery or village somewhere. And some simply thought he went back to Perth. Ultimately that is a question that will not be answered today - perhaps it will in time.

Wherever it was Steve went, it was not so isolated as to keep news of the outside world from him. Word filtered back to him - that apparently a man had returned to the XWF, a man so far back in the XWF's history that he made even a battle-hardened veteran like Steve Jason look contemporary in comparison. That had caught Steve's attention. And indeed for the first time in a very, very long time - it was a man whose achivements had eclipsed even Steve's.

That man was Jayzon Williamz.

Many people had given Jayzon up for ancient history - Steve included. It had been damn near a decade, and everybody had consigned him to one of those XWF Legends who would remain an enigma forever - like The Brand, or like what Steve himself was trying to become. His return had shaken the XWF world - so hard that even Steve, a man deliberately removed, felt it. It inspired him, reminded him of his purpose - perhaps it was the idea that somebody was back who was arguably even more accoladed than himself, perhaps it was the concept that somebody gone for so long was actually having a great deal of success, perhaps it was a long-lost hope to fence with legends he'd never brought down before. And in the end it led to Steve making a decision that he'd emphatically declared at Thursday Anarchy - if a man like Jayzon Williamz could still go, then so could Steve Jason.

And so, the return began.

Location: Pacific Heights, San Francisco, CA
Date/Time: Friday 13 August, 2010

Cast

Marcus Enderton	Steve Jason	Talia Richards

After Thursday Anarchy and the grand return, Steve Jason hadn't wasted time sticking around - he'd made his way directly towards San Francisco, California.

Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Steve's two usual bases of operation, weren't quite so appetising. There were too many bad memories in both cities. Steve tired of the continual hustle and bustle of LA, and as for Vegas - well, Nestor Richards had made it clear he wasn't welcome in that particular town again. San Francisco was clean at least - and the atmosphere was considerably more relaxing than either of the other two cities. All things considered, Steve figured it to be a good move and a good switch away from a ruined and painful past.

Right now Steve was pulling into the neighborhood of Pacific Heights, the broad San Francisco Bay behind him as he drove his blue Nissan Navara D22 onto the main street. He'd dressed casually today, his short dark hair unstyled, clad in a white and yellow t-shirt with a New York subway motif on it and beige cargos. Sitting in the shotgun seat was one Marcus Abraham Enderton - himself a former XWF wrestler, Zimbabwean expat and former South African soldier, who Steve had stumbled across on his travels and had allowed to accompany him to San Francisco. The young man wore an olive-green army coat over a white t-shirt and combat pants.

The street was relatively clear for once - aside from the odd trolley-car - and a variety of tall apartment buildings and attractive homes lined the sides of the streets. One of those homes, Steve was told, had been arranged for him to move into and set up his operations in San Francisco.

"Swanky neighbourhood, bru..." Marcus commented in his Zimbabwean accent, peering out the window at the buildings around them.

"Not too bad at all. I should have known Talia would have set me up with a pretty sweet deal..." Steve commented, his eyes tracking towards the house he had been told to go to. It was a modest enough house - not huge, but definitely large enough for Steve to live and conduct his business in. It also had a nice modern-style design to it, almost seeming to be more glass than brick - although Steve knew better than that.

"It's Talia Richards we're meeting with, then? Nice. Word on the street is she's single now - and quite a fox."

"Yes on both counts..." Steve replied casually, backing the car into park position, "And also off-limits. You wanna play Don Juan all over San Francisco, be my guest - but Talia's not on your list, nor will she ever be. We clear, Enderton?"

"Crystal, bru. I was just curious is all, but if you're feeling protective of her, I'll behave."

"I'd appreciate it." With that, Steve pulled the car to a stop, opening the door and hopping out, Marcus following him on the other side. The two men strode across the emerald lawns of the house in front of them, Steve making his way up to the door and ringing the doorbell. A few moments passed, then it finally slid open.

It had been far too long since Steve had seen Talia Richards. Up until recently they had only been keeping in touch via emails and phone calls - and indeed that was how this safehouse had been arranged. He wasn't a hundred percent sure how she would react in person - after all, she'd been through hell at least partially because of Steve. All things considered, she was looking well. Her long honey-colored hair hung down loose around her shoulders, and her familiar dark eyes sparkled with both a warmth and fierceness that Steve had missed for far too long. She was dressed simply enough, in a white tanktop and blue jeans. A few moments passed, then she reached her arms out to embrace Steve - something that caught even him off-guard.

"Steve, you have no idea how glad I am to see you again..." she said, even as Steve tried to juggle his arms to support her.

"Er, really? That's a bit of a shock, all things considering."

"You're not going to start on the self-blaming thing are you? I've already told you that what happened with me and Dougy was not your fault. I absolutely refuse to discuss it with you, mister." Steve wasn't entirely convinced - although the small smirk she offered set him at ease, "Who's your friend, anyway?"

"God, sorry. Talia, this is Marcus Enderton, an associate of mine. Marcus - this is Talia Richards, my friend and close advisor."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Richards..." Marcus offered a firm handshake over to Talia, "SJ's told me a lot about you."

"Oh?" A brow raised, "Nothing too bad I hope?"

"Nah, nah. If anything, everything he's said has been nice as pie."

"Well, nice to see he's still smart enough to do that..." Talia chuckled, "But enough of that. Come on in, guys. I'll show you the place."

All things considered, the living area of the safehouse was certainly suitable to Steve's needs. He had always been a man of fairly Spartan requirements - the opulent mansions, estates and gold-plated shark tanks of the wealthy elite had never appealed to him - and given he'd be living there alone, there was plenty of room. A flat-screen TV and entertainment system suited him just fine, a slim black couch did the job, and the kitchen was enough to let him do his own thing. The floor was tiled - clear white - and a carpeted staircase led up to bedrooms and bathrooms. He couldn't have asked for much better than what he had.

"It's not perfect, I know, but that's all I have possession of in San Francisco..." Talia apologised, "It's pretty much usable whenever you need it."

"It suits me just fine..." Steve applied in the affirmative, looking around the main area, "What's the go with the rent?"

"I'm not gonna gouge you, but a girl's got to make a living after the Conglomerate went bust..." She chuckled quietly at that, "Honestly, just get yourself settled in there for now, then we can hammer all the details out. There's pretty much all you need here - TV, living space, balcony, bedroom, bathroom - and you won't even have to go to the gym. The basement's pretty much the area of the house itself. There's probably not only enough room to set up some equipment, you could probably run around down there if you wanted." She winked. "I figured that would be a deal-maker for you, given your chosen profession."

"You'd be right. Thanks a ton, Tal. All things considered, it couldn't have come at a better time - I need to get started right out the gate."

"Oh yeah, so I've heard. Hunter Ryan, right? Well, at least they're not going soft on you. I was afraid they'd throw Jerry Atrick at you or something like that. Still, that's a lot of pressure on you right off the bat - given if you play your cards right, you could have your fourth Universal title reign within a month. You ready to deal with that straight out the gate?"

"Eh, he can't be that hard, bru..." Marcus interjected, "I fought his brother, and I took him down. If genetics are anything to go by..."

"...and that line of thinking is exactly why you didn't make it in this business, kid." Steve cut Marcus off bluntly. The young man winced at the rebuttal, but Steve continued nevertheless, "It'll be tough. I'm probably gonna have to work my arse off to get de-rusted as quick as I can. By the next Thursday, stepping in the ring needs to feel no different to how I live the rest of my life. It needs to be firmly planted in my blood."

"I know - and I've got the utmost confidence in you, Steve." Talia smiled warmly back up at him, "You may not be working with the Conglomerate any more - and Dougy and I may no longer be connected together, but I assure you, I'm still with you all the way in your journey back."

All things considered, that touched Steve somewhat. He'd always been uncertain as to what would happen to any friendship he had with Talia in the aftermath of the past couple of years. In seven years she'd never been far - save for a few brief seperations - and out of all the people he'd met and worked with, she'd been the one who'd seen him through the most successes in the XWF. It felt good to be back, to be sure - but it felt even better to have Talia with him during it. Steve was a cold man - always had been - but there was a flush of warmth in his chest at that. He nodded solemnly.

"Thanks, Talia. You have no idea how much that means to me. I've... I've missed you, I'll say that much."

"I've missed you too - and there's no place I'd rather be right now." She left that hanging for a little while - Marcus standing idly in the background as the tall, lean Steve matched ice-blue eyes with the brown orbs of the tiny, petite Talia, then finally the silence was broken.

"Now get your ass in the basement and get to work." she winked.

-Promo: The Undeniable Words - 14/8/10-

Ladies and gentlemen, what can I honestly say right now?

You haven't heard from me in this capacity for quite some time - and particularly not in a long-term-wrestling one. I won't bore you all with the endless gushing and life stories and where I've been at and all that - the honest truth is you don't need to know and you probably don't want to know. I'll just put it short in one simple sentence: it's good to be back.

Already I've been backstage - and through mountains of paperwork - and on the same travel services as some of the rest of you wrestlers - and I can truly say that I feel as if I've come home. Home isn't a word that I've used much in the past couple of years - there've been times where I haven't really even had anything I could call one, and there've been times where what I would used to call home was destroyed - and there are some homes that I've just outgrown. It's only been here in the XWF that I feel as if I have a place, a purpose, a belonging - it is only this federation that feels like home. In fact I think it's the only real home I have. There's something that I haven't been giving thought to for a while until very recently - wrestling is more than a job. It is the core I build my life around. It's in my blood - and I'd better start getting used to that.

Of course, there are already people who cast doubt. I've heard the buzz on the smark websites and some of the rumormills - 'SJ's not gonna last long', 'look at his track record the last couple of years', 'inevitably he's going to fizzle out'. Some people might wonder how I'm going to react to that - am I going to go on the defensive and go 'screw you guys, you don't know what you're talking about'? Am I going to pull a Daniel Malcolm and go on a vitriolic rant about how the sheeple have no idea what they're talking about and they're picking on me cause The Man wants to hold me down for no apparent reason other than that's how The Man rolls? Nope. What I'm gonna say is this-

Your concerns are valid.

I'm well aware of what happened in my previous long-term return. It didn't last long. A whole engine of hype built up only to collapse into nothing. I've been quite frank about the fact that I hold myself to a high standard and the last major return, I fell short of it. Believe me, I know that. And if there's anything you guys know about me, it's that when I discover a flaw or weakness in myself - be it physical or psychological - I do my absolute damndest to make sure that it never happens again. So I'm not going to insult people for claiming this is all a bunch of hot air. I'm not going to stick my head in the sand and ignore what I don't want to hear. What I am going to do is assure every man, woman and child in the audience, backstage, Home Office, the locker room, wherever - that I have no intention of allowing it to happen again. You have my word on that - and history has shown that when Steve Jason gives his word, he's good for it.

I intend to demonstrate that fully in my first match back. Universal title tournament. You know, I consider it kind of fitting that my first real rise to greatness started in a Universal title tourney - and now first thing back, I'm in another one. It's a sign, I think. It's a sign of the beginning of another rise to glory. Hunter Ryan, I hope you're listening to this, because it's important that you fully understand what exactly it is you're staring down the barrel of here.

In a way you and I are in similar situations. We're both recent returnees, and we have both been granted the opportunity to shoot for the ultimate prize. We both have reputations to reclaim - it wasn't all that long ago that people were calling you a breakout star, even a Universal Champion in the making. I read the news, I pay attention to what goes on. And the reputation I seek to claim is pretty obvious. Unfortunately only one of us can claim the right to move on to claim that reputation back - and while I haven't got anything against you, I must deny you that right. It's you or me, and unfortunately I'm not so altruistic as to lay down my destiny so you can claim your own.

Does that sound cold? Probably. But that has been the path of success for the vast majority of my life.

Although to be completely honest with you, Hunter... I've been looking forward to this for longer than you think. As I said before, I've been tracking your own progress over time and you represent the kind of figure I want to do battle with in my time here - the up and comers. I don't necessarily believe in the Jayzon Williamz school of thought when it comes to the current echelon of XWF stars - that it's got nothing on 2001. It's self-righteous rose-colored garbage. I've been there, and I've been here - and I can safely say that any man from 2010 could slaughter most of 2001's roster. It wouldn't even be a stand-up fight. That is why I have an interest in fighting you - you are a part of the XWF's evolution, and I want to see if I can still evolve with the XWF roster. If I defeat you, I guess that's a yes. If I don't, then it tells me that I have some serious work to do to catch up. This is the first deciding battle of a revitalisation of my career.

It's my understanding that you want to enter the XWF Hall of Legends. Or that's the gist I got from your most recent promo. Fair enough goal, it's what everybody here should aspire towards. But it seems to me like you seem to believe that all you need to get your career eligible for that is the Universal title. I have to say... doesn't work that way, Hunter. If your idea of what gets you into that hall is what titles you've held and your accolades, then you will be waiting a long time. Any moron can win titles. What gets you into the Hall is personality. There have been many former Universal Champions who never made the list - and there have been people in that list who've never been there. Consider that some friendly advice - you want to be in there, your rep is going to have to mean more than your gold. Once you have your name engraved on the minds of every person when the name 'XWF' is mentioned - then you're a shoe-in. My assessment? You're well on your way, but you still have much to experience and much to learn. This match could even be a part of that journey - even if you lose.

That's something I kind of want to show you in this match, Hunter - I could wax lyrical for hours on what it means to be an XWF Legend, but I don't think I could do it proper justice in words. It has to be experienced. So that's what I'm going to do, Hunter. I'm going to show you precisely what it is you hope to achieve - and what precisely needs to be done if you're to attain it. Brace yourself, because it will not be an easy lesson - it's going to hurt, it's going to be demanding, it's going to make you work harder than you ever have before. I can tell you one thing, Hunter - I can't predict whether or not you will be a Universal Champion by 2011, but I can predict that one way or another, you're going to come out of this with a far greater understanding of just what it is you're chasing.

But before you start jumping for joy, you need to hear this, and you need to hear it good. If I have it my way you'll have that understanding - but if I have it my way, and I'm damn good at doing that, I'll be one step closer to being the Universal Champion.

And that... IS UNDENIABLE!