My Return...

My Debut...

My Last Stand....

My First Chance...

My...

..Fight.

(The place: A hip, trendy, cafe in San Diego. The cafe is slightly populated. At best a few college students sitting at different tables, drinking coffee while either studying, or talking on cellphones, or some other hoopla. However, the camera centers in on two people in particular. One with a pair of headphones in his ears, bobbing his head to random music, and the other messing around with a laptop. The headphone guy is an african american with a Booker T style mop and is dressed in a real casual business suit with rayban sunglasses covering his eyes. The other man is caucasion and dressed extremely casual with just cargo pants and a white Trigun T-shirt with the series' main character, Vash, aiming a gun. A blue-ish camoflauged bucked cap rests on the man's head as he types slowly into the lap top. As you look closer, you notice that the man in the cap is IWF superstar Ander "Paladin" Carvetti. The man next to him is someone no one has ever seen before, but is confirmed as CWE rookie and Carvetti student, Diego Rhanavardi. Now what the two are doing in a cafe is beyond all knowledge. One notices Diego looking at a watch. His eyes widen and he takes off the headphones...)

Diego: Hey Ander?

Ander: Si Senor?

Diego: Don't we have to get to that press conference in a sec? You know, the joint conference you set up for both of us?

Ander: Eh don't worry. We'll be fine if we're late.

Diego: Isn't that kind of rude for us to make them wait though?

Ander: Diego, friend, pal...student. First rule in dealing with evil of press conferences. If you're gonna be a star in the future, fashionably late isn't a bad thing.

Diego: It still doesn't make it good to keep the press waiting.

Ander: Heh, trust me. The longer you make people the wait, the more they cheer when the wait is over. That's a lesson of wrestling, right there. A good and long match can go a long way. The best matches are always at least 10 minutes. And keep things fresh and exciting, and always be sure to pull out something unexpected every so often, just to keep the peeps on their toes. That's the secret to working a good match nowadays.

Diego: Yes, but we aren't exactly wrestlers of that age, are we?

Ander: Nah...we aren't. We're not wrestlers. We're fighters. We fight for our living. That's what I trained ya to do....at least I hope I trained ya to do it.

Diego: I was trained by the legendary Ander Carvetti. The Paladin! I'm confident in my teacher's training.

Ander: Heh, you are...but I'm a bit worried.

Diego: Why is that?

Ander: Dammit, you're against High Voltage. He's a veteran to this game. It just feels like too much, too soon. They shouldn't be putting you against a guy like him yet. The odds are just too stacked! I don't like it and I'm sorry!

Diego: Don't be. You trained me well and regardless how experienced Mr. Voltage is, I'm sure that with your training, whatever experience I lack I can make up for in skill.

Ander: Hope you're right.... you're not worried which is good for a debut... but I am. Something just doesn't feel right.

Diego: Methinks you worry too much...

Ander: Heh... you'll understand when you're in this business longer. Nothing is what it seems....hey, what time is it?

Diego: Ehmm....2:47 PM.

Ander: Ok...15 minutes late. Now we go.

(Carvetti turns off his laptop quickly and Diego stuffs his headphones into one of the suit pockets quickly. The two walk out quickly and they arrive to Ander's Black Dodge Viper. Diego slides over the hood and opens the passenger side door and sits in. Ander whistles calmly and opens his door and gets in. He starts the car and drives out, onto his destination. Diego is taking a few deep breaths and looking into the car door mirror, making sure he looks ok. Ander looks over and laughs.)

Ander: Dude.

Diego: Yes?

Ander: Relax, we purposely stopped at that cafe because it was close to our destination. Besides that, don't worry... you'll be fine.

Diego: Easy for you to say... you've done all of this before. I am new to this, remember?

Ander: Dude, just be yourself. You want advice since this is your first time? Talk about yourself. Talk about what you've done. Talk about your intentions. Just don't worry, yeesh.

(Ander laughs a bit and Diego just looks at him sternly.)

Diego: I don't see the humor in mocking me because I want to be prepared for this.

Ander: Dude, chill. You'll be fine. Besides, there's one other thing I got to tell ya.

Diego: What's that?

Ander: Our conferences will be held at the same time, but will be seperate.

(The normally well spoken and calmly worried Diego's jaw drops as he hears those words...)

Diego: What?!

Ander: Dude, I didn't tell ya? Yeah, they're separate. Figured you'd prefer that.

Diego: I've never done this before, and you're going to throw me to the wolves, without a little help?!

Ander: Well umm...yeah.

Diego: ....You suck.

Ander: Coming from the most polite and articulate fighter I've ever met, that's quite a stretch for you to tell me I suck.

Diego: I'm sure you have heard it many times before actually.

Ander: I have actually....oh look. We're here.

(Ander pulls into the parking lot of the studio in which the press conferences are scheduled to be held. He steps out of his car and pops his neck. Diego on the otherhand and breathing slowly, trying to calm himself down. For someone like Ander who has done this for years, this isn't a problem. However for the new fighter in Diego, a little television deal like this is a big thing. This is what could very well make or break the carer of Diego Rhanavardi. One little television press conference. The same man who is very confident that he can defeat High Voltage, a former champion and veteran in the world of wrestling, is very well terrified of his first public debut. Still he regains enough composure to enter the television studio with Ander. The "camera" follows the two down a small hallway in the backstage area to a small green room. The two enter to see before them a TV with the local news on as well as a small catered table with little bits of food ready. There is a white leather couch (An Ander Carvetti trademark) and a modern styled red couch (A soon to be trademark of Diego Rhanavardi) waiting in the room. The two enter and Ander plops down on his couch and lays down. Diego on the other hand walks over and carefully sits down on his. Ander notices and raises and eyebrow..)

Ander: Dude I can very well promise the couches aren't needle trapped or anything.

(Diego just gives Ander a cold vengeful stare as Ander looks at him and says "What?". Diego sighs and leans his head back. Ander lays down on the couch and looks up at the ceiling...)

Ander: So... you aren't worried about you're debut match with Volty?

Diego: No... are you worried about your main event match with Shawn Richter?

Ander: Yep. Why shouldn't I be?

Diego: Why? He's a rookie like myself. You're an experienced veteran. Why are you worried?

Ander: Cause professionals are predictable. It's the amateurs that are dangerous. So what if I've never seen the man fight. He's got a chance to get one up on a veteran and all he needs is a win. To him, I'm a stepping stone. So he's going to do everything he can to make sure he walks out of there with the win and making sure I walk out of there looking like an embarressment to my own name. That's what his goal is. He's already tried to do that by attacking me two weeks ago. I wouldn't put it past him to try something like that again. For that reason, I can't just look past this guy like he's a 2 minute warm up drill. He's headhunting me and I have to put a stop to it as efficiently as possible. Besides.... better off crushing the bastard while he's new and not when he grows to be a threat.

Diego: ....that's deep man. Really it is.

Ander: That's cool. Machivellian?

Diego: In a way...

(A man in a polo and jeans walks in. Nothing real special....really.)

Dude: Guys, 1 minute till showtime.

(The man leaves and Carvetti looks over at Diego...)

Ander: Ready?

Diego: Nope, but do I get a choice?

Ander: Nope.

Diego: Ok, lets go.

(For what seems like slow motion, the two walk out in that kind of heroic way you see in films nowadays. The two walk out the door and head in different directions. These two paths have split for now, but will meet again eventually. Where....we don't know.)