After taking the red eye back to Nashville, Intrepid grabbed his old Ford from the airport and drove back to Arkansas. With Mal hard asleep against the passenger window they rattled their way further South to Intrepid’s little gym. It was about sunrise when they had arrived just outside of Hot Springs. Intrepid watched the sun slowly climb its way up over the hills as he turned into the long steep driveway. With the Ford shifting hard pushing the transmission to propel the vehicle up the incline, Mal mumbled something about some girl he had been talking to the night before in New York. Intrepid rolled his eyes and shook his head as he killed the engine, letting the truck rolled to stop in front of the gym. The sound of the gravel crunching underneath mixed with the sound of Intrepid popping the transmission into park while setting the parking brake woke Mal from his induced slumber.

{Somers:} Wha? Where are we?

{Intrepid:} We are where I hold up my end of our deal.

Intrepid pops open his door sending a loud creaking metal noise through the silent morning air. It creates the same if not louder sound as he slaps the door shut once he got out. Intrepid walks around the back of the truck, the gravel crunching under his feet. He reaches down into the bed and collects his duffel bags and his title belt case. You can hear Mal moan from inside the cabin of the truck as he begins to stir around to stretch.

{Intrepid:} You sure are a grouchy morning after drunkard.

{Somers:} And you smell like a…

Before Mal can finish Intrepid slaps the roof of the cab and pops open the passenger door staring in at an irritated Mal. Intrepid just stands there for a moment with that trademark smile of his on his face waiting.

{Intrepid:} Let’s go brother. We’ve got a lot to do before breakfast. First, I want to start by working this alcohol out of our system.

{Somers:} I’ll take my coffee really black and really hot.

Intrepid chuckles quietly to himself as the two head in the entrance of the building. Intrepid begins systematically flipping on lights as they travel through the building. You can hear the popping buzz as the florescent lights warm up and begin to shine. As they travel through the small weight room to the office in the back, Mal notices a large white sign with large red block lettering that reads; “No Complaining! Or Run A Mile!” He continues to look around as he follows up with Intrepid who is sitting in his small office that is lined with bookshelves of law books and trophies from when he was in college. Intrepid is sitting there pulling off his boots and lacing up some running shoes.

{Intrepid:} You might want to grab yourself a sock hat…it stays rather chilly up in these hills almost until mid-day.
Mal looks at him very confused while Intrepid just stares back waiting for the light to come in the World Champion’s head.

{Somers:} Wha...How is that going to get my coffee any faster?

Intrepid finishes up with his shoes and grabs a sock hat off the hat rack behind his office door. As he returns from the back side of the door he still finds Mal’s slowed massively hung-over face still waiting for the light to come on. Intrepid produces his trademark smile yet again much to the amusement of Mal.

{Intrepid:} There was never any coffee brother…we’re gonna do this the old-fashioned way. It is about a mile and half up through the hills to the dam. We’ll stop once we get there and do some stretches and discuss our team match with Jack and Eddie against WWA’s dropouts for Meltdown next week. After that we’ll jog back and Ma should have breakfast up here by then. And don’t worry; she’ll have your coffee then.

Mal stammers with an almost panicked look on his and then he remembers the sign out in the weight room. Pointing back into the room with his thumb he continues:

{Somers:} But, but…I hadn’t complained about anything yet…plus, there’s a treadmill in there. How about we just use that? Anyways, how does this have anything to do with our match on Monday?

Intrepid chuckles and smiles again leading Mal to the door.

{Intrepid:} No, you haven’t complained about anything yet. But don’t tempt me…no, this is I guess the first I want to give to you. You gave me one last night in New York by relaxing and having some fun at that party. For that I thank you, now in return I want you to find two things in yourself. One would be how to understand your body’s pain threshold and the other would be endurance.

Mal crosses his arms in playful disgust and shakes his head to show that he isn’t going. Intrepid just smiles and pushes him out of the door into the cool morning air.

{Somers:} You’re not that the least bit serious? Are you…?

Intrepid nods and points up the hill as to point the way they are to go.

{Intrepid:} Welcome to my world brother. Hey…

{Somers:} …I know, I know. Thanks for nothing! Remind me if I survive, to drink you into long term memory loss this weekend so you won’t do this to me again.