Outside of the FedExForum locker room, Decade could hear the sounds of arena staff going about post-show duties. Banging from the folding of chairs, grunting from the carrying of heavy equipment. He was pretty sure he could even hear the sweeping of brooms.

Every sound was louder than normal while the pain emanated throughout his head. It had only been a little bit ago that Fuse Makoto delivered his famous Nikuya Strike, which drilled Decade’s own sledgehammer into his face.

Decade, still wearing his wrestling gear, stammered over to the mirror, where he saw the true extent of his injuries.

In addition to the cuts and scrapes he incurred throughout the match; he also had an enormous welt across the right side of his face where the sledgehammer had directly impacted.

His good looks would probably be gone for a while, he figured.

“Another failure, just like all the times before,” a guttural, raspy voice emerged from his mouth.

The voice was back.

Decade looked toward his reflection in the mirror.

“No, I could have won that match. You are the one who failed.”

“I took out Golden Ben Miller, and I would have taken out Fuse Makoto had you not tried to deny me in the middle of your finisher.”

“Year after year after year, you haunt me,” said Decade to the mirror with a strong, yet desperate voice.

“Year after year after year, I help you,” the voice replied. “It’s time you turned yourself over to me. All of your being. Every fiber.”

Decade slapped himself in the head, which stung due to his injuries from the Fort Knocks match.

“Never.”

“You act as if you have a choice…”

With a single punch, the locker room mirror splintered, and Decade walked back to the bench.

It was too much.

The Fort Knocks match, his betrayal of Golden Ben Miller, and his humiliation.

He carefully considered what fallout from his actions would await him in Season 4.