[// FORWARD \\]

War is upon us. Tonight, six teams will enter the battleground, yet only three will leave it. In the main event of War Games, we will see Team Eli wage war against Team Azrael in what is sure to be one of the most horrifically brutal encounters in recent memory. All week long, members from either side have made their intentions clear, proving that they are willing to do whatever necessary to stand victorious on the field of battle, or at least, leave it in one piece. The time for talking though, has come to an abrupt end. In just a few short hours the world will see first hand who has truly played this game to perfection and who, indeed, will win the war.

[// END FORWARD \\]

:: I stand there staring through the darkened lenses of my silver aviators, looking up at the bold black letters that pop out from the cream-colored stadium. I've arrived, finally, at the Joe Louis Arena. Draped over the bold lettering is a massive banner advertising for War Games. I catch a glimpse of my face, standing three-deep behind Eli James and Evertrust. I find myself finding it all a little but surreal. I draw in a long deep breath and pull the strap of my gym bag up on my shoulder so it sits a little more stable. I then look at the doors in front of me and make my way inside. It's still early, there's hours before War Games is scheduled to start, so there are very few people about. Upon crossing the threshold I am greeted by what I can only assume is a crew member. He is dressed in black pants, with a black t-shirt and an ear-piece in. He is carrying a clipboard with him, which he hands me. ::

"Mr. Sane! I'm Gary, one of the crew members for War Games. Would you like me to show you to your dressing room?"

:: He casually holds out the clipboard. Nothing on it but a photo of me. ::

"I..It's for my daughter. Huge fan of yours.. I-if you wouldn't mind?"

"What the hell are you stuttering for? You could have just asked me in the first place, I'm not a damn nutter all the time. Here."

:: I sign the guys photo and hand the clipboard back to him. I'll never understand why people want me to write on a bloody piece of paper anyway. I fail to see how that can bring them any level of enjoyment, but whatever. ::

"Thank you sir! Now, your dressing roo..."

"Actually.."

:: I cut him off. I'm not interested in my dressing room. Not yet. I want to see it.. I want to see the structure that will decide my fate in a few hours time. ::

"Which way to the seating for the show? Top level."

"Oh.. of course. Just take those stairs all the way to the top and you'll find the doors. Can't miss it. W.. would you like me to take your bag for you?"

:: I remove my aviators and just stare at him for a moment, before responding with "I'll be fine.". I make my way towards the stairs and begin to make my way up them. I can see the chipped concrete of the stairs under my feet telling a thousand different stories.. most of them about walking. I finally reach the top of the stairs and look around. I can see a set of double doors to my left that are slightly ajar. I make my way over as i tuck my aviators into the neckline of my shirt. I push the doors open gently and breath leaves my body for a moment. It's as if somebody has stuck a vacuum cleaner into my lungs and switched it on. I can see the two rings far below and the massive cage still being constructed above it. I slide into one of the seats beside me and drop my bag into the isle. I stare across the arena, I can see a couple of people sitting in various seats, scattered, and a small group sitting together close to ringside. I recognize them as XWF Superstars, but they are of little importance to me right now. I suddenly become aware of the hair on the back of my neck and arms standing on end. I run my right hand over my left forearm and feel the rough surface caused by a thousand goosebumps. This is it, I think to myself. I try to swallow but soon discover my mouth has become like a desert. I reach for my bag and grab a bottle of water. As I'm taking a drink and swallowing hard, I notice somebody stepping over the top of my bag in the isle. I look across to see a camera man. I assume he is making his way down to ringside, but he stops about 8 steps below me and starts to turn around. It's at this point i become aware of somebody clumsily clamoring over the chairs behind me. It's that weedy Steve Sayors. I roll my eyes, the goosebumps gone and the hairs resting naturally against the surface of my skin once more. He sits in the seat next to me and straightens his suit out. I look at him, contempt in my eyes. ::

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Justin, Mr. Sane, I'm Sorry. It's just, well I heard you were up here and I thought maybe y.."

"What do you mean you heard I was up here? I've only been in the building for five damn minutes."

"One of the crew downstairs said you had asked where the top level was, so I quickly came to find you. I've got a lot of important XWF superstars to interview later so I thought..."

"So you thought what? That you'd come and have a bit of a warm up on some of the lesser lights? Fuck off Sayors, I'm not interested in being anybodies afterthought. After tonight you'll be begging me for interviews to boost your reputation."

:: Sayors swallows hard and looks down at his shoes. I almost pity him, he has no idea how much I am about to blow up in one single night. Still, he doesn't appear to be in any hurry to move. I look over at the camera man and say "just roll it.". Sayors head pops up again and he seems instantly more comfortable and relaxed. I make him aware that he's "got 5 minutes". He clears his throat and looks into the camera lens. ::

"Ladies and Gentlemen, my guest at this time just a few hours out from the War Games pay-per-view is one of the men on debut here tonight and in the main event no less, where he will compete for Team Eli against Azrael Erebus and his team. Justin, first of all welcome to the Joe Lois Arena for War Games. Tell me, what was the feeling when you arrived at the arena just minutes ago? What's going through your head?"

"What's going through my head? What's going through my head is that tonight I come through on every promise I have made since entering the XWF only a couple of weeks ago. I promised that I would kick Kessler's teeth down his throat. I promised that I would walk into the XWF a nobody and walk out with one hell of a reputation. Tonight, I stop talking and I let my actions speak volumes. Sayors, I promise you, the world is not ready for what they are about to witness."

"And your opponents in tonights match? They've been very vocal throughout the course of the week that they are going to dismantle Team Eli and, most notably yourself, with relative ease."

:: I offer a slight chuckle as I throw my head back, before drawing it forward once more and looking at Sayors. ::

"Steve, have you ever heard somebody coin the phrase, "talk is cheap"? To be honest with you Sayors, as I've said all week long, there's not a single thing that has come out of the Team Azrael camp that has me worried in the slightest. They've spoken a lot.. they love to talk.. but tonight, their words wont save them. Nothing will. Understand something, this is no ordinary match.. and Team Eli is no ordinary team. I've said all week long that we would do whatever it takes, that we would take Team Azrael to places of horror that they couldn't ever imagine in their wildest dreams. It will be brutal, it will be sick and oh yeah, it will be twisted. Steven Kessler has spoken this week about their team becoming monsters.. but the things is, there is no substitute for the real thing. We are already monsters. Like a shark to blood, we will flock to the destruction of Team Azrael and we will be relentless. We will not stop until every last one of them is laying, lifeless in a pool of their own blood. What we do tonight will make war look like a picnic at Disneyland."

"Justin, don't you think it's a little bit bold to make statements like that, given you haven't even had a match here in the XWF yet?"

"Bold? What, you wanna' play the 'rookie' card like everybody else has Steve? Going to make fun of my name next? I'm here for a reason.. because I've got, what it takes! Eli knows it, Evertust knows it and before this night is said and done the entire XWF locker room will know it. If you really think I would put my hand up for such a match without knowing I have what it takes, you're just as stupid is Team Azrael. You had better tread carefully Sayors. You get one warning, but that's it. Tonight, you are going to see what happens to people who underestimate me! Team Azrael, all week long they've been shooting their mouths off about me being a rookie and being unproven. Tonight, I will prove to the world exactly why I belong at the top of the food chain. Why I deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Azrael, Eli and Evertrust.

Tonight, inside that demonic structure [I look out at the cage] I am going to shock the world. I am going to do something that nobody thinks is possible. For all the doubt surrounding my name and my abilities, tonight I will make believers out of you all. When that cage lowers and the match starts, you're going to see a far different Justin Sane to the one sitting beside you right now. You have no idea what I am capable of, just like everybody else around here has no idea. In just a few short hours, that all changes. This whole game changes. The XWF will never be the same after tonight.. Team Azrael will bare witness first hand to the new uprising.. the rebirth of Justin Sane. Tonight, when it's all said and done, I welcome you Steve.. [I look back at him now.] to the new era. The era of Insanity! Trust me on that."

:: I motion for the Camera Man to switch off the camera and he does so. ::