"Holy fuck… he actually did it." Amanda said quietly as she and Finn laughed backstage along with the others.
"Owens had it coming too… but the original script didn't call for it to happen." Finn responded before noticing the look on Amanda's face.
"Okay so I wanted something funny to happen tonight to spark up the feud a bit and suggested the idea to creative." Amanda admitted, Finn unable to fight the smirk on his face.
Before he could respond though, both heard Kevin Owens yelling in rage as he reached the area… he stormed over, Finn standing up after Amanda did and putting himself in front of her.
"Chill, she was just trying to liven things up a bit." Finn replied.
"Liven things up?! What she did was embarrass me and tear up what I stand for, more like trashing things up!" Kevin shouted, his eyes narrowed with the rage streaming through his system.
"Can't you take a little joke?! All the things you did to me weren't funny at all, they were damn mean!" Amanda responded.
"She's right, Kevin, they were." Finn said, Kevin turning to him with narrowed eyes.
"This doesn't concern you, you're just on the outside looking in, so back out!" Kevin growled.
"Don't you dare talk to him like that!" Amanda snapped at Kevin, who saw hers and Finn's left and right hands clasp together instinctively… and smirked a bit.
"You really are so good at hiding things, aren't you?" Kevin said, moments before he lunged towards them… only to be slammed into from the side, both him and Dianne falling to the floor. Instinctively, he kicked out with his foot as he pulled himself up to his feet again, Dianne grunting as he caught her cheek, but got up quicker and did the same to him, but with her prosthetic it was a much harder impact… several of them.
"You want embarrassment?! Go tell your fans that you just got slammed by a girl with one leg!" Dianne said angrily, wiping away a trail of blood from her chin as the kick to her cheek had caused the inside of her mouth to split against her teeth.
Kevin stood up and limped away, Dianne turning to Amanda and Finn before Amanda handed her a washcloth and Dianne wiped the blood away.
"Thank you… you two alright?" Dianne responded, as she reached for the nearby sports capped water bottle to clear the blood in her mouth.
"Yeah. What about you, any teeth feel loosened?" Amanda replied, checking Dianne for loose teeth but Dianne stopped her.
"My mouth was open, most of the force went between the teeth… if there's any loosened, I doubt it's to a point of coming out, I'm alright." Dianne answered, before she felt around her two sets with her tongue. "Yep… all good, a couple on the slight wobble but nothing big."
"Some fix themselves at times." Finn said before turning to Amanda.
"I'm okay, he didn't hit me." Amanda responded as Finn rested his right hand on the back of her neck.
As Amanda was getting ready for the commentary segment, Stephanie noticed a bit of tension in the way Amanda's shoulders were stiffened and walked over to her.
"Mandy, you alright?" Stephanie asked.
"Yeah, just looking over the script again… Steph, you know he's getting frustrated with this character and from what I heard, creative wants to bring in a new one to play a second Stardust but they haven't said who. So what's going on, no solid decision?" Amanda responded.
"No, there is a solid decision but… creative wants it to be as much of a surprise to the cast as it is to the viewers. Hunter won't even tell me yet, only why, which is what I just said." Stephanie explained.
"I've never known him to be all secretive." Amanda said, the two laughing for a few seconds. "Well, I better get on out there." She replied as they hugged.
The match with Jack and Cody was over in a little over two minutes, Alberto Del Rio, Zeb Colter and Titus O'Neil leaving the area unexpectedly… and Amanda got into the ring to help Cody up. But immediately, he shoved her down to her knees and grabbed a microphone, still in character and maniacally laughing.
"The nerve of you… taking her place!" Cody spat out as Amanda stood up, seeing the wings painted on Amanda's wrists and pale blue contacts in her eyes.
"Cody, it's still the same old me!" Amanda replied, lightly rubbing her stomach and waist as Cody shoved her by putting his hands against it when he was supposed to shove her by her sides. "And that hurt!" She hissed, Jack walking to her.
"Cody, why didn't you grab her by her sides?!" Jack demanded, Cody letting out a rageful hiss as he was scripted to before turning to Jack.
"Because that's now Balor's place to put his hands, when she fucking rides him from here to Timbuktu!" Cody shouted in response.
"Dude, there are kids in the audience and watching at home, behave yourself!" Amanda yelled, Jack keeping her from lunging at Cody.
"Get her out of here." Jack whispered after seeing Finn, who helped Amanda out of the ring and to the back.
"I think he slipped a bit out there on camera… they didn't mute him in time, did they?" Amanda said quietly as Finn grabbed the paint remover and cleaned the paint off of her wrists and forearms as Dean ran over to them… and then Dean eyes narrowed when he saw Cody walk through the curtain and he charged over, grabbing Cody by the collar of his ring outfit.
"Damn it Dean, stay outta this!" Cody shouted as Amanda put her contact lenses in her case and closed it.
"You shoved my Shield sister onto her knees and didn't even follow the script towards the end! Why the hell did you drag Finn into this?!" Dean demanded.
"Well it's true, ain't it?! There she is holding his hand, sheltering behind him, holding her stomach while she's out there, my eyes tell me he's given her a bun for her oven!" Cody responded.
"You shoved her too hard, you know she bruises easily!" Jack yelled after catching up to them, Cody storming over to Finn and Amanda.
"You were supposed to grab me by my sides!" Amanda growled after standing up and giving Cody a hard whack to his face. "I'm human, Cody, not a damn punching bag!" She yelled, Finn holding her back and putting her behind him again… Cody was about to go back at her but Finn narrowed his eyes at the younger man.
"You screwed up out there, could've-" Finn said, Cody cutting him off in anger.
"Killed ya child?! Give me one shot, I swear I don't miss!" Cody growled in response.
"Go… don't ever bother coming around me again." Amanda said as tears formed in her hazel eyes.
"Mandy-" Cody started to respond.
"I said go!" Amanda screamed, Cody storming off and Finn pulling Amanda to him and brushing her tears away as the words that Cody had spoken disturbed her. The two held each other, Dean resting a hand on Amanda's back and Jack resting one on her right shoulder.
Cody walked into the locker room and took the paint off and contact lenses out before seeing Dustin walk in.
"What the hell was all that about back there? You swore up and down that you wouldn't hurt Mandy again." Dustin replied after closing the door.
"She shoulda stayed on the pill then, wouldn't have Balor's kid growing in her womb if protection was used!" Cody said.
"You know, you really are that stupid, aren't you?! You hit her stomach and Finn is protective, that's all there is to any of this!" Dustin responded.
"It's more than a protective friend!" Cody yelled.
"You still hurt her! You need to get your head together, Cody!" Dustin responded before grabbing his things and leaving.
Cody looked around and saw an old photo of himself and Amanda when he was 23 and she was 18.
"That used to be me that was protective." Cody muttered before heading towards the shower.