“Hmmm, so you claimed you already know what Troy Matthews is going to say.”

[Fade in.]

[Troy Matthews is right on front of us, but he’s not looking into the camera, grinning with confidence; he’s staring down at the barbell laid out at his feet, plates on either end.  Dressed in a tight green singlet, he glowers down at the weight, before swooping down and getting a wide grip on it... and lifting it over his head, his knees bent as he crouches down.]

[And those screams are his, as he scrapes up every ounce of his being into this lift, before standing fully erect, barbell still over his head.]

THUD!

[Until he drops it down on the ground in front of him.]

“Too bad he’s busy training for this battle to talk.”

[The camera turns around, giving us a good view of this gym; it doesn’t look like a wrestling or kickboxing gym with rings and the like, but rather, a dingy, musty old weightlifting gym that looks like something out of the lore of strongmen of the past, lifting as much weight as their bodies and hearts would allow, unsung heroes of strength.]

[The camera finally settles on Eddie Dante, sitting on a weight bench, hands between his legs gripping the edge of the platform.  Dante grins.]

DANTE:

So of course you didn’t factor in Eddie Dante doing the talking.

[He stands up, and sways his head from side to side.]

DANTE:

Donovan Torment has already thrown in his hat as the next man on a quest to be a manager of champions, but as we said before, he’s going to have to lead his men through us.  And I simply don’t think he can do so.

You know, Torment... you claim your men have an impressive pedigree, especially Omar Wise and his training with the Faces of Death.  Too bad Faces of Death trainees... simply don’t seem to last in DEFIANCE.  They win some matches, a tournament or two... then simply vanish.  So here’s hoping you stay a while, Torment, and let your three men make themselves at home.

[We cut to Mushigihara staring down at what appears to be a large axle posing as a barbell... weights on either side, but the bar itself looking about as thick as a Coke can.  He leans down and grips it... and power cleans it onto his shoulders, in front of his face.]

DANTE:

Because we are simply too strong to fold.  You will all soon learn that in Santa Barbara.

[If Mushigihara wasn’t wearing a mask, you could likely see his face curled in anguish and anger as he deals with what has to be over 400 pounds of steel resting on his shoulders.  Teeth gritted, eyes bulging... but all you can see is his mask.]

[What you can hear, on the other hands, sounds like the hybrid of a sumo wrestler and a lion seven inches away from that gazelle.]

“GYAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHRRRRRRROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAA~”

[And with a mighty push, he jerks the axle over his head, and stabilizes his footing, holding the weight over his head like a true strongman.]

THUD!!!

[And dropping it.]

[We cut back to Dante.]

DANTE:

Our power struggle begins in Santa Barbara, Shadowmen, but we are the light that will make you fade away.  See you then, boys.

[Dante grins and bows his head, as we fade to black.]

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