The voiceover was also of Tom, affecting a gravelly, deep voice. It was fairly obvious who Tom was imitating, although flashes of his normal voice could be heard through the artificial bass.

 

"A wise man told me once... Y'see, when you've got a weapon that's gone dull, ya gotta reforge the edge, temper it in the coldest waters and heat it with the most EXTREME PHYSICAL WORKOUTS!"

 

Tom was holding both arms out to his sides, fists clenched. The cool morning air caught the water spraying from the splashing-on-rock of the waterfall. The woodsy riverside clearing had just enough room for the cameraman holding his little camcorder, the man holding a thick towel, and the cool wind whipping past the two men. Today was a chilly day on Baffin Island.

 

"So I took that sword, the weapon that had been bathed in the blood of men like Jaymz Watkins, the Untouchables, Zortalk and Cannon... And I took it to somewhere I could focus on one thing." 

 

Tom sprang suddenly to his feet and rushed forward. As he ran, he brought his knees high to his chest, arms furiously pumping. Lucas tossed the towel to Tom, and the kid wrapped it around himself.

 

"I could focus on becoming a shield against you and your plan, Yaz. NO! NOT A SHIELD!"

 

Cut to Tom running through the forest, a harness on his chest, a long cable running behind him connected to... Well, the cameraman!

 

"But a DAM. A mighty breakwater!"

 

Tom's arms worked, his legs pumping and bringing his knees to his chest. This running had a purpose.

 

"Before, I could always rely on the man standin' beside me. But time blunts all swords, and he lacks confidence in himself. The Sentry had to lay down his binoculars, jack."

 

Tom's long blonde hair streamed behind him as he ran through the unspoiled wilderness. He might have been the only human to ever run through this particular section of taiga.

 

"So I gotta rely on myself. Nobody else has stepped up t' join me, not yet. I'm gonna have to be a solo levee, standin' up against the storm surge all by myself."

 

Cut to Tom, still harnessed. But this time, the cameraman stood a ways beside him, and watched as Tom hauled that sled up an incline, a big-ass boulder resting on it!

 

"WELL, THAT'S FINE BY ME! You're still early in your plot, YAZ. I know your cards haven't come together. YOU DON'T HAVE DENTARI ON YOUR SIDE ANYMORE, CLAIRA WON'T JOIN YOU AND HEIDI DOESN'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT! AND SO IF I UNMASK YOU IN THE CENTER OF THAT RING, BLOW THE SURPRISE, AND BRING THAT BIG ELBOW ON YOU FROM ABOVE, YOUR PLAN WON'T GET THE FOOTING UNDER IT TO RUN!"

 

Tom managed to get to the top of the hill, straining against the rope...

 

"And I know what you're gonna say here. But Tom, you'll cry, flapping your stupid lips! I'm someone important under this mask! I've got HISTORY, you'll exclaim!"

 

And with his arms pinwheeling, Tom was pulled offbalance by the load! He slipped, and fell backwards, lost to the cameraman by the curvature of the hill!

 

"I KNOW WHO YOU ARE! AND I'M NOT AFRAID! Ya see... That's the thing, pal! Every time I get into a situation where I should be afraid or intimidated or worried, ya know what happens?"

 

After a few moments, Tom came surging back up the hill, forcing himself to keep going past his own skidmarks left in the tundra, pulling the sled over the crown of the hill!

 

"I charge on through. I ignore the little voice that says "Don't jump off that!" or "Don't get in that man's face!", and I SPIT IN THE DEVIL'S EYE! YEAH, I GIVE THE REAPER WHAT FOR, YAZ!"

 

A flash of white light, and suddenly, a picture appeared over the video. Black-and-white photo of Tom, two barrel-chested men looming over him, big fists clenched, trying to get Tom intimidated and scared and ready to back down. But Chasin' Lincoln didn't do it.

 

"Ya see, I know who you are! I've figured it out! I pored over hours of footage, compared your moves to every mystery candidate I could brainstorm, that I could conjure up with my mental list o' names! And when I got right down to it, there's only one option!"

 

Flash. Black and white photo of Tom, standing on the precipice of the big drop in Aggro Crag 1. Zortalk and Cannon at the bottom of a chasm. 

 

"And I've been preparing for you!"

 

Flash. Tom steps forward, throwing the arm out.

 

"I've figured out your moves!"

 

Flash. Tom dropping like a stone, tumbling through the sky with an Ode to Madness ready to simply murder Chris Cannon.

 

"I've prepared for your spots!"

 

Flash. Black-and-white shot of the big impact, a blast of bits of Aggro Crag, styrofoam and padding and all kinds of crap spraypainted black and gray to look impressive.

 

"AND I'M READY FOR YOU!"

 

Flash. Black-and-white photo of Cancer Jiles and Edward White facing Tom down on the peak of the Second Crag.

 

"No matter how bad you once were, dude..."

 

Flash. Black-and-white photo of Tom taking the Mongo Chop.

 

"NO MATTER HOW MANY MEN TREMBLED AT THE THOUGHT OF YOU!"

 

Flash. Black-and-white photo of Tom taking a low blow from White.

 

"I will NOT do such a thing. You've never faced a foe like me, YAZ. You've never met someone with the HEART that I got! The sheer stubborn determination, and will to stay fighting!"

 

Flash. Black-and-white photo of Tom taking the Stock Market Drop DVD.

 

"I'm gonna come into that ring, a ball of furious SAWYER ENERGY, AND I'M NOT GONNA STOP UNTIL YOU SPIT A PIECE OF YOUR OWN TEETH ONTO THAT MIKE, TELL THE AUDIENCE WHAT YOU WERE GONNA DO, AND GET LAID OUT WITH THE ODE TO MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADNESS!"

 

Flash. Black-and-white photo of Tom and Lucas, standing just a few feet up from where Tom had been laid out, confetti raining down on 'em.

 

"I know you're capable of anything. Your reputation precedes you, YAZ. I know that as soon as I think I've got the answers, YOU CHANGE THE RULES OF THE GAME!"

 

Cut back to the video of Tom training on Baffin Island. He was sitting under the waterfall again.

 

"But what I'm capable of, especially to defend DEFIANCE from your slimy claws... You have no idea. NOBODY DOES!"

 

Sitting in the lotus position, Tom had his eyes closed, a hard look on his face, icewater pouring over him.

 

"And that's why I'm gonna put you down and out with the Ode, even knowing who you really are! AS MUCH AS YOU'RE CAPABLE OF, I'M CAPABLE OF EVEN MORE! BELIEVE THE HYPE, YAZ! YOU CAN'T CATCH WHAT YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND, AND YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE!"

 

Tom, under the waterfall, exploded to his feet, water spraying off him in all directions. Muscles flexed, fists clenched, and Tom let out a roar.

 

"YOU'RE GOIN' DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWN, YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZ!"