Grunts and gasps of effort sounded from a mouth contorted in stress, the constant sound of shifting weights and metal lightly tapping metal sounding throughout a large room. Mirrors placed all about the room were almost bothersome to the eyes, constantly drawn to the movement at their sides as arms worked to keep up the heavy weights which pressed down so persistently against them.

The constant sound of padding footsteps, and a strange humming noise which seemed to radiate throughout the room, also accompanying the noises disrupting the silence of the room. A man many would picture as broken, as defeated, as seemingly left without hope... preparing for another day.

Preparing for redemption.

There were few who could bounce back from failures such as those he'd experienced throughout his life, but trial and error had hardened him over time to make these decisions and, more importantly, come to realizations. He didn't truly lose anything... he was given yet another chance, actually.

Another chance to prove himself worthy of being ranked among the best, another chance to make himself the legend he knew that he could truly be.

One failure always can lead to another success, just as one success can lead to yet another. Failures come when you need them to, or when you've lost all hope-- and since he forever held hope in his heart... the time for failure had came before.

His first failure brought the realization of a lack of effort being put forth, his second a lack of readiness... the third was brought on from the lack of knowledge of how serious his battles with a man had become, and his fourth? His fourth... was the breaking of the ties which bound him from being who he knew he could be.

To bounce back from a failure like the one he'd experienced... that would prove him better then any length of time as a champion would have-- to a certain extent, anyway.

Metal clattered against metal as the bar was dropped upon it's supports, the weights on either end working with gravity to make the harsh clang that sounded upon the impact of the two. The humming began to slow as eyes turned to meet eyes staring back, smiles spreading on both their faces.

"It's good to be free again." came the amused voice of a man known by so very many worldwide... Dominic Pericolo.

"Next time... you'll be ready for it all, honey." smiled his angel, Suki Minamoto, as the treadmill finally came to a stop and she stepped down off of it. Dominic chuckled at this, lifting his head to look at the flickering bulb above his head and nod reassuringly to himself, knowing her words were as true as the sun up in the sky; there was no denying them.

Dominic's eyes wandered over his love's body, as she rolled her eyes and giggled softly at this. Wearing only a pair of form-fitting sweat pants and a sports bra with, of course, her shoes... it was no wonder that Dominic would stare. Of course, given his own outfit, she couldn't help but stare either.

It was nice to have this kind of time together again.

"I can't wait for Avulsion..." Dominic smiled broadly to himself, lying back on the cushioned bench he was on, the metal bar supporting the weights hanging over his face, "Nothing to get in the way... this Tyler Scott kid is going to give me one hell of a fight."

For the longest time, Suki hadn't seen Dominic so excited for a match. Determined, of course... but it was almost as though Dominic had become the proverbial kid in a candy store, always talking about what he wanted to do now with that extra weight off his shoulders. He respected what it meant and he did all he could to represent it while he could... but when the night was over and A was crowned champion, he realized something.

He didn't need that title to become a legend... he would become it on his own accord, and he was well on his way there already.

"It was really nice of the hotel to give us the entire gym privately for these past couple of hours... I really didn't expect them to offer that." smiled Suki, making her way over to sit down beside the bench, taking Dominic's hand in hers. Dominic squeezed her hand softly and sighed, his gaze still focused upwards as he began to close his eyes.

"Yeah... and I really do appreciate it." he whispered, yawning now. The workout had made him tired for some reason-- perhaps it was just a drain from all the energy pumping through his veins. He was ready, he was prepared for Avulsion... and he was excited as hell.

Yet as with all types of highs, be them natural or otherwise, they eventually fade... and in Dominic's case, though he didn't really feel like the excitement had faded, his body was beginning to tire out after it all.

One thing was for certain... it sure did take it awhile before it did.

Dominic jumped when he felt a breath on his ear, Suki's face hovering beside his with her hand on his chest, a smile playing across her lips.

"We've got another hour before the gym re-opens honey, don't fall asleep yet... I'd kinda like to play a little." came her whispered voice, sending a shivver down Dominic's spine that woke him up pretty quickly for someone who'd been so tired before.

The excitement returned-- however it was a bit different this time, and as he turned his head to look at her with a smile, he knew it was going to be one heck of another hour. He looked past her for a moment at the opaque glass doors as shadows danced across it; people walking by and simply doing their jobs in the hotel. The door was locked-- it'd stay that way until the last hour had passed...

"Not exactly the most romantic places to do it in..." Dominic joked, as Suki laughed and pressed her lips to his own.

When everything seemed to be crumbling down around him... it all built itself back up again.