Sunset. 9 o'clock PM on the western coast, more specifically, Berkeley, California. The commotion along Gilman Street died down about an hour earlier. So now, it is just he, as he sits, stares, and thinks . . .

        The Gilman apartments. Behind the building structure, where the attendents park their cars. Far to the back left, away from the side road, and near the wall seperating the parking lot from the Industry warehouse backlot. A cloud of smoke rises, as he sits, his head down . . .

        Headlights appear from the entrance to the parking lot. They shine across the entire lot, before making their final direction, towards the back left beside the wall . . . where he waits . . .

        Inside of his car, Matt see's him. He slowly pulled his car up beside his Blazer. Beside Zero's Blazer, as Zero sat against the back of it, head down, cigarette in hand. Slowly, Matt opened his car door, as Erica slowly reached for the passenger's door to exit the car as well. {{ Who's Erica? She's a new character from the upcoming Revelations story. Click HERE to read an excerpt from Revelations, which tells her main introduction and how she originally met Matt. }}

        Zero turned his head up, slowly, looking at Matt and Erica, hand in hand, as they walked up towards him. He took another drag from his cigarette, then tossed the filter to the side of the parking lot. A creased smile passed over his face as he looked the approaching two. It quickly faded away, though, as he spoke quietly to the two of them . . .

Zero

        " How are you two doing? "

        Matt walked up to Zero, and sat back against the hood of another car parked behind the Blazer. Sliding over just a little to make room for Erica as she sat down beside him, Matt responded . . .

Matt

        " Oh, not too bad, man. Just had stopped by Lucky's, listening to Lucky tell some stories about AA meetings. That guy can come up with some stories, I'll give him that much. What's even bigger, is that he's telling the truth!

        " So, how's it been going with you, man? Not looking too great today. Something happen? "

        Zero didn't say anything. He lowered his head a little, while searching through his pant's pocket for his pack of cigarettes.

        Inquiring, Matt asked . . .

Matt

        " The cops come back by again today? "

        Zero said nothing, as he slowly lit the end of his cigarette. Blowing the initial smoke out, he raised his head up, gazing at the stars. Erica looked on at him, but she did not wonder what he was thinking any longer. Ever since she had met him, she had had a hard time understanding him. Only through time was she really able to figure out what he was actually thinking during these periods of times. Matt, though, even though he had known Zero over twice as long as Erica, was still not up to the concept, and continued to ask his questions.

Matt

        " Is it the HEW? You've seemed to slide back into that rut ever since you put your shoulder injury to the side, and decided to go back through with the wrestling world. Is that what it is, man?"

        Still, Zero said nothing. He was back in that mindless, but thoughtful, gaze, as he looked upwards, thinking, debating, all inner to himself. He took another drag from his cigarette. Exhaling, he watched as the smoke traveled upwards into the sky, directly through the line of vision through which he was staring.

        Matt opened his mouth to ask another question, but held it as Zero, his head still looking up, began to speak . . .

Zero

        " It's started all over again. Five months away from it, and it was no longer apart of me. But it's all started over, and it's too late to turn back now. "

        Slowly, Zero lowered his head back down to eye level with Matt and Erica. They were looking at him, Matt trying to find a cigarette blindly in his pocket. Zero inhaled once more, as Erica lit a cigarette for Matt.

Zero

        " Yes . . . it is the HEW. Same problems that were going on the when I left it . . . same problems from when I signed with the CSWA. No matter where I turn in the wrestling world . . . a place where I can actually make a living, and still retain who I am . . . it is thrown back into my face. "

        Erica listened to Zero talk, watching his emotions display across his face as he spoke. She knew what he was talking about. He had told her of the story once before, when he had to take her back to her house. There was only one thing that could put Zero like this. She asked . . .

Erica

        " Karen? "

        Zero looked to Erica, a vagueness in his eyes. He inhaled on his cigarette, slowly taking his eyes from Erica, and back to the quickly darkening sky.

        Aloofly, almost as a message to himself, he replied . . .

Zero

        " I think . . . it has moved on from Karen the individual . . . to the pure essence of what is at hand. What used to be something that was real personal heat between Havoc and I because of Karen . . . was sooned turned into an angle for the whole world to see. And now, it's a persistent real life story portrayed on TV once again. It's back in my face, no matter how much I wanted to move on from it. It's back . . . and the emotions are the same this time, except multiplied from the pent-up feelings from the past months. "

        Matt, exhaling a cloud of smoke, listened to Zero as he spoke. Thinking back, he remembered the many talks he and Zero had had about this very thing. He remembered the way Zero had talked of Karen, how he had despised everything that Havoc had done just to satisfy his own power trip of always trying to have one-up over him. And now, those same feelings were returning. Matt wasn't sure what to expect this time . . .

Matt

        " Is this going to lead to another fight between the two of you?"

        Zero took one last drag from his cigarette, and then tossed it alongside the previous cigarette that he had just thrown away.

Zero

        " Doesn't it always turn out that way? He said I came back from an injury last time, just to get back at him because of the hate I had for him. Little does he know that it is the hate that HE produces that which drew me back. Being hurt, having a neck injury and multiple concussions is not something that you just shake off the next morning. It takes . . . something . . . deep inside . . . to draw you back. And only Havoc has been able to truly produce that anger that drew me back to confront him, and serve retribution to him soon after, putting him down with a neck injury of his own.

        " But when does it stop? That's a question that will never be answered. When will it continue? That is more suitable to ask, for an answer is quite easier to find. Do I really want to fight him once again? That is a question that I do not even know the answer to. "

        Listening to Zero talk, though, Erica knew the answer to his last question. She understood him better than Matt. She understood the reason for all of this. A reason that went beyond a physical contest, and into a pure mental feud that could only escalade. It wasn't too see who the better wrestler was. It was emotional . . . and it all stemmed from one certain thing, and only branched from that into more things because of the mindset. She understood.

        It wasn't that Zero didn't want to fight Havoc. It wasn't that Zero wanted to fight Havoc. It was the pure hatred that Zero truly had for Havoc, that drove him on. That that drove him out of injury rehab, risking his own health, in order to take one more stab at Havoc. A stab that signified that he had struck last in the battle. But everytime, Havoc had rose again, and it forced Zero back into it. It was a complete mental trap that Zero wouldn't be able to escape. And it all originally stemmed from a woman.

Matt

        " Man . . . I dunno . . . was it smart to get back into wrestling? Things had kind of turned around after the past incidents these past few months. "

Zero

        " It was . . . it is something that needs to be addressed. "

        Not really sure what to say about the situation, Matt sat there, finishing his cigarette. Tossing it aside, he figured it was best that he might need to just let Zero be right now. He was unsure of how much good he was actually doing for Zero by sitting here and talking, but not really comprehending.

Matt

        " Well hey man, I'm going to go ahead and go up to the apartment. I'm not sure if I'm really doing a whole lot of good out here. "

        Zero swayed his eyes towards Matt, showing a degree of sympathy towards the young twenty year old.

Zero

        " No man, no. You're one of the only people who I've even been able to talk to about things these past few years. I don't think you'll ever just not do any good. "

Matt

        " Thanks man. I really did need to run up to the apartment, though. Not just to brush you off . . . "

Zero

        " I understand. "

        Matt turned to Erica.

Matt

        " Were you going to come up to the apartment, or were you going to stay out here a little longer? "

        Erica looked up at Matt, and started to get up. But she looked back towards Zero, as he turned his gaze back up to the now night sky. Reflecting on things, she turned her attention back to Matt.

Erica

        " I think I'm going to stay out here a little bit longer. I'll be in in a little bit, though. "

        Matt trusted Zero. Zero and Erica had became good friends over the months, too. It was a different kind of friendship than what Matt and Zero had, though. Matt couldn't quite explain it, though. It was like . . . Zero was able to express things to Erica that he would have a hard time expressing to Matt. Matt figured it must of been the fact of who he was talking to. Erica was VERY easy to talk to about sensitive subjects. He had learned that first hand for when he FIRST met her.

        Matt turned around, and made his way to the apartments.

        Watching as Matt made his way to the apartments, Erica then turned back around to Zero, who had lit up yet another cigarette. His gaze was still looking up into the stars, though.

        She repositioned herself on the hood of the car, watching as Zero looked up, aloof, realizing full well that Erica was still there, but not notioning too her. Something was definately on his mind. She knew it. She had to break the ice.

Erica

        " Lint? "

        Coming out of his starry gaze, Zero looked back at Erica. In inhaled a quick drag from his cigarette, and flicked an eyebrow in question.

Erica

        " Could I uh . . . could I have a cigarette? "

        Erica didn't smoke, Zero knew that. Why would she want a cigarette?

Zero

        " You smoke? "

Erica

        " Oh . . . sometimes, when I need to. "

        Zero didn't care. If she wanted a cigarette, it wasn't a big deal. He pulled one out of his pocket, and handed it to her. When she put it in her mouth, Zero struck up the lighter and lit it for her.

        Sitting back on the hood of the car, Erica spoke.

Erica

        " It's Karen, isn't it? The woman you told me about once. That's the main problem, isn't it?"

        Zero was slow to respond. In fact, he didn't respond at first. He kept a distant, non-focused stare at nothing in particular as he inhaled and exhaled on his cigarette. Erica knew that that had hit home kinda close.

Erica

        " Lint . . . Zero . . . "

        When Zero lowered his gaze back down to her, she stopped her words. Zero took one last drag of his cigarette, and tossed it off with the rest of the stack that had amounted beside the wall. Taking a deap breath, he responded to Erica's question.

Zero

        " I'm over her . . . (he took another deep breath, followed with a sigh) . . . I think. I'm pretty sure of it. When I told you of her, it was many months ago. A lot of time has passed since then, and I think the wounds from the last time I saw her have healed themselves somehow. She was different the last time we encountered each other. "

Erica

        " But somehow, it revolves around Karen, doesn't it? "

        Zero knew she was right. It did revolve around Karen. Somehow, some way, no matter what issue Havoc and he had against each other, it always came back to Karen.

Zero

        " You're right. It's more just the idea of Karen. Not that Havoc got her, but that he throws it in my face at every chance. It's not that she doesn't love me anymore, it's that she blames me for everything that is wrong with her life now. She knows that I would of dies for her when I was with her. I did nothing to harm her. When I evaded the police, it was something that was out of my control. I tried, oh my God I tried, to get in contact with her. {{ to know what Zero is talking about, you need to read THIS ROLEPLAY which explained in detail exactly what happened on that dreadful day }} But I couldn't. And it tears me apart to this day. Not that she left me, but for the fact that she still blames me for something that I could not help.

        " Havoc can say that I was only looking out for myself. I wasn't. I didn't want to hurt her by dragging her into the whole ordeal. I was only looking out for . . . "

        Zero stopped what he was saying. Too many memories, memories that he had been able to block out and forget about for the past few months, were suddenly all flooding back into his mind. Memories of their simple walks down the road, laughs together, coloring and bleaching each other's hair. It was too much, too soon. He wasn't ready to say anything else about her to Erica, no matter how easy she seemed to be able to talk to.

Zero

        " I have to stop. I'm sorry. I need to go. "

        Erica wanted to say something to him, something to help him, but she held her tongue. She watched as he got up off the end of his Blazer, and closed it. Turning around to Erica, he glanced at her, before turning back around and beginning to walk.

        She said his name, low and to herself, knowing he did not hear her. She just watched as he slowly walked away, in the darkness, towards the edge of the apartments . . . towards the alley that he could usually be found in. She watched, wondering . . . what was the significance of the alley? It was yet another mystery in the life of Lint Douglas that he had chose not to share with her yet. But yet, she preferred it that way. She was scared to know everything about him . . . things that Matt knew but wouldn't tell her . . . and things that not even Matt knew of Zero. She knew they existed, but kept deep down inside of him. Maybe one day he would share them with her or someone else. Maybe one day. But until that day, she would not force it out of him. She understood that now, after what she had just experienced in just a simple memory as Karen . . .

        Getting up from the hood of the car, she started to make her way to Matt's apartment . . . . .

midi: "Infected" by Bad Religion