(A solitary white candle stick sits in the middle of an empty, dark room. The voice of Alex Knight echoes around the room, breaking the uneasy silence.)

Bye?

Good bye?

Bad bye?

Nah.

Just bye-bye to Joey K. Bye-bye to all the pathetic insults and bye-bye to one annoying itch. But it was fun, seriously Joey, you gave me more of a workout than I expected, I even broke a sweat making my way back to the lockeroom…by the way I WILL get you back for that, I had to shower because of it.

(A faint chuckle.)

However that’s not my primary concern at the moment, that’s if you can consider Fuel a primary concern or a concern full stop? He’s made even less of an impact on WWA than me and i’ve only been here a month!

(The candle lights itself)

Oh, I forgot. I have to be ‘concerned’ about your fiery temperament and your uncontrollable rage that could flare up at any moment…

(A small draft puts the flame out.)

Give me a break. Another freak who likes to play with fire, another name amongst many; Brimstone, Hellfire, Hells Henchmen, Inferno…the list goes on and on, as does the mundaneness. You, Fuel, are a two-bit nobody that wears fire on his tights only to put it out when people like Keru no Akiro make you piss yourself. I don’t blame you though, Keru is a nasty character, so I guess I should be thanking you really.

(He claps slowly and the candle lights once more.)

You just made my passage to the semi-finals that much easier. Not easier than waltzing past Joey K because the office didn’t want one of their ‘men’ to be humiliated by a mere rookie with no charisma BUT easy just the same.

One thing irritates me about you though is that I have nothing to say. You have nothing about you to critique, not because you’re perfect…you’re not…it’s just that when I ask people backstage “Who’s this Fuel guy? What’s his game?” all I get back is; “Erm. Ask Shaman? I dunno.”

Argh.

It means that I can’t go into one of my infamous rants and raves, it means you escape being verbally beaten down, all because you are just some nobody who might be associated with Shaman in some vague and unfamiliar manner. Perhaps you can bring along to your next flash?! I would be ever so grateful.

Perhaps he could reintroduce you to the WWA faithful. Perhaps even a press conference so that we can hear what Shaman has to say about you and maybe…just maybe, what you have to say about me BUT no pressure, I know you find it hard to speak out. Just take your time, make some notes and try to work out how you can possibly avoid getting beaten.

(The flame gets extremely bright for a brief moment…)

Ask Joey K!

(…and then once more, fades to a flicker.)

He managed to avoid it, in a round about way. Sure he may be the laughing stock of the Fiesta lockeroom because he got humiliated without steeping into the ring but he can still hold his chin high and say, “I never got beaten by Alex Knight.” For all intensive purposes he did but that's inconsequential, the point I am making is that you, Fuel, should look for a way out now.

Countdown to safety.

Obviously things will look a bit suspect on my part if you pay the boss to forfeit the match to me AGAIN, so I suggest coming down to the ring and just standing for the count-out. No?!

Play dead.

How about just lying down for the three count? Sure it rips away at any pride you cling to but at least you avoid getting any nasty bumps and bruises. No sore head the night after and certainly no shame…man. Haha, did you get it? Shame-man…Shaman…as in your master and substandard mentor?! Hmmm nevermind.

Be stupid.

I suspect you will do none of the above and it is with great sorrow that I must conclude you will try and honour Shaman’s teachings and battle on. However futile the effort may become you will fight on, with all the perseverance and fortitude of the WWA veteran you call dad. Can’t say I blame you really, what little respect Shaman has left for you will have evaporated as you ducked out of next Fiesta’s match. Before you make any rash decisions, however, think of it this way.

You give in, accept the inevitable and it becomes a win-win situation; you win by not getting hurt and I win…well by winning.

You try and fight, put all your energy into this match and you will only end of defeated, humiliated and feel extremely rough the morning after.

Is pain worth going through for the price of your lacklustre pride? No, it isn’t. Just like making me work any harder than I have to, isn’t worth the price.

I don’t respect you Fuel, you have done nothing to earn such an attribute BUT I may consider respecting you, if you just fade away come August 25th.

(From behind the shadows, a silhouette is dimly lit, he’s face is clean shaven and his smug smirk seems to be pasted on for life.)

Cheap lighting affects and symbolising won’t win me an oscar…

(He lifts the candle from the cold concrete floor, blowing it out one last time…)

…but it serves as an effective tool, when needed.

(…smashing the candle stick on the floor, leaving warm wax to drip everywhere.)

How can you light that fiery temper? You have no ammunition to use against me. You have nothing to ignite the rage, that you claim, burns within. Put simply, there is no Fuel to light the fire.

Not even a suggestion of hot air.

Just shattered remnants of another nobody.

So please remember that when you weighing up your options, Fuel. You don’t have many left but they are there all the same.

Chose safety. Chose reality. Chose to lye down. Chose life. Chose Elton…

“…and it seems to me you lived your life, like a candle in the wind. Never knowing who to cling to, when the pain set in. And I would have liked to have known you but I’m just a kid. The Fuel burned out long before, Alex Knight ever did.”