You're fading in to a rented out cabin at a close-by mountain. Not a long endeavor, he rented it out just for the day. Just back from the half pipe, he's hitting double black diamond before catching the plane to Denver.

"'Oh, how unimportant I must be. Yeah, right. If this match reinforces anything, it shows just how integral I am to this community and the people in it. What have I done that's mattered? Obviously something, since there's one constant in each of your first breath's."

"The word - Vicious."

"Listen to yourselves. You spend so much time trying to convince me I'm barely even a footnote, but I'm the first thing on your minds. You spend lengthy paragraphs, the majority of your promotional work on me and my career, only throwing pot shots and quips at the rest of your competition towards the end. I must be one hell of a fucking footnote."

"Here in the real world, I am the centerpiece to this match. I don't even think Riley knows its for the World title. You could fight for that hollow piece of gold, but I've given each of you something more demanding. You want to diminish my presence, you want to be the man that puts me down. To shut me up. To humble me from where I stand among the gods."

"And with each word, you're justifying my every claim."

"I've dug deep, crawled around underneath your skin. You want to scratch that itch, but you can't. I'm one step ahead of each of you, and that's why I command your attention every time you're on the air. You're each racing against each other to try and be the one who catches up to me. But not one of you has even come close."

His cold green eyes seem warmer, almost at peace.

"I mean, Riley, are you done yet? You're boring as hell. You fight to win. We covered that already, and I'm not disputing it. You waste time trying relentlessly to un-justify my career, but you only look like more of a fool putting more time into it than I do."

"I say that I'm a headliner? Really? Why do you suppose that is? Could it be because there hasn't been one show since this third iteration began where I've appeared on a card in any capacity other than the main event? You only allow me a "glimpse into your world"? Besides being clichéd as hell, I've got to tell you... no one wants to see any more than we absolutely have to. Trust me."

"But we already know you can't talk a game for the life of you. For all of the men and women I've faced, they "ain't you", right? You're an ignorant fuck as much as they come, but you prove it undoubtedly when you say "cue the run ins". You are one dense mother fucker. This entire match has been staged so someone else can stir the pot with us inside it. I don't like being an ingredient, so I'm going to take a stand in my own way tomorrow night. Have you even noticed that Aarya Ranvir is in this match? One loss to his LWF record, in a match for the World title, and you're worried about run ins? And if you have to ask what difference it makes that you never capitalized on your win from the fall, then you never deserved to be there in the first place. Goodbye, Tommy Riley. Goodnight."

"And Aarya Ranvir - wake the fuck up. I made that offer for two reasons, and I'm quite positive you know what they are. I was hoping you'd show a little resilience and fight the current, but if you're content with where you are? I won't give it a second thought. Get ahead any way you have to, but you don't have to think of your superior as "the man" to realize he thinks of himself as "the man". You'll succeed when its convenient for him. But you're not the only one sucking up."

"CWA was a "shit hole"? One that "doesn't count"? I'm sure someone will be very happy to hear that."

"Though its a pretty unrealistic claim since ninety percent of the former Alliance community chose to congregate there at one time or another. Hey Lisa, instead of dribbling on trying to catch up to me, why don't you man up and answer the one fucking question that actually matters this week. I asked you why your reign didn't begin on February second. If you think you're going to make it to Vertigo without answering, you're sorely mistaken."

"I admit, I have a laugh almost daily at your expense. Listening to you try and justify your dismal work ethic and claim to be the most important thing around here, all the while I'm the one garnering the attention. You're right, I'm a fourth tier champion of a community that's barely afloat. Which is why it must sting on an excruciating level that nobody gives a fuck about you or your title this week, while I'm the first thing out of everyone's mouth."

"And now you want to throw titles aside? Nice move. Before I let you pussy out of the only actual title defense you're ever going to make, I'm going to wait and see. I'm going to hear the announcement tomorrow night and move from there. Like I said, I'm in no hurry to take that sullied piece of tin away from you. I'll let you play make-believe just a little bit longer. You know why? In your last cut, you almost gave the impression that thing means something to you. That's good. Because I want it to sting even harder, unbearably painful when I take it all away from you."

"And if you think I don't have the power to do that, you're far more ignorant than I've ever made you out to be."

He leaves, and he's off to live. More than anyone else will ever try to do. You're fading away.