Summary : The last part of my series.
Corey Johnson joins the WWE – and is put with Brandon Levesque! Take the Raw roster, a Tag Team whose members can't stand each other and add HHH along with the rest of the family. What do you get?
AN: Hey and welcome back to the adventures of Corey Johnson. After finishing "Unforgotten" I just had to write another story. As you will see, this story is written in third person, I hope you'll still enjoy. Also I'd like to say that I invented a lot of new characters, as well as the names for the arenas, I don't know if they eally exist. If they do, I don't own them. So Read and Review,thanks a lot!
Disclaimer: I don't own anybody you recognize, I own all of my OCs and the idea for this story.
Before I start, I want to thank Tanya and start-a-revolution who have been supportive through all of my stories. Tanya for your kind words, they really mean a lot to me, and revolution for inspiring me with your reviews, your ideas really helped me when I had writers block. I dedicate the first chapter to you, guys! Chapter 1Corey Johnson walked down the long hallways of the Boston Whitestar Arena where the WWE had a show tonight. Passing the catering he grabbed a bottle of water and sat down in a nearby chair. He was nervous.
Tonight was THE night!
How long had he been training for this special moment, he thought. He had worked his ass off with a lot of help from Reese Tritt.
Reese was an old college friend of his mother, a former Bodybuilding Champion. He would push Corey to the limit, but seeing the result now it was all worth it.
Corey smiled thinking of his mother. She had always been a huge wrestling fan, and she still was these days.
His world had turned upside down when, at the age of 11, his mother would take him to his first live show. How excited he had been watching all his idols compete just a few feet away from him. And he had even been more excited when his Mom had taken him backstage, also asking himself how she had managed to get past the security guard just like that, but his excitement had pushed all doubts and questions away.
Corey remembered running around and taking in everything that she showed him. He had had the chance to meet some of his all time favorites, and they all had left a lasting impression on him. He had even met some of WWE's very own legends, like Randy Orton, Lita, and the owner of the company, Shane McMahon.
But one of the greatest moments of his life had been when 11 year old Corey found himself face to chest with a WWE Hall of Famer he had admired forever, that moment was when he had met Triple H. And to Corey's big surprise, they had taken off very well from there.
In Corey's eyes Hunter was probably the greatest guy he had ever met, sometimes he would let Corey watch the shows backstage or just hang out together, and till this day Corey felt honored to consider Hunter as a friend.
And a friend he was indeed, Corey thought. When he had told Hunter about his plans to become a wrestler, he had expected to be laughed at.But Hunter had said he should follow his dream, and since that day he had helped Corey to improve his skills, mostly with mental support and his loads of in-ring experience.
And then his mother had introduced him to Reese. Reese was a great guy to get along with, but during the work outs he showed no mercy and pushed Corey to the limit, but again Corey was thankful for all the support he received.
And it had also been Hunter who had talked Shane into sending Corey to OVW after convincing him that it was worth a try. Shane had been impressed by Corey's physique and his stubborness to do everything it takes to reach his goals and a week later Corey had received the phone call that gave him green light. He would train at OVW.
They had trained him for a year and a half, the longest and hardest 18 months in Corey's life. But the blood, the sweat and the tears had all been worth it when Shane had called him and told him he was very satisfied with his ability and he would give it a try.
That was 2 month ago, and now here he sat, waiting for his debut match in the WWE.
Corey knew he had to give everything he had, his future career would depend on this single match. He just had to make it. For himself, for his mother, and for Hunter who had become like a father for him over the past years.
My father, Corey thought sadly. He didn't know much about him. All he knew was that his father had died in a car accident when Corey was only 2 years old. He had grown up with his mother and his 'Gramma Sue', and it hadn't always been easy, but the two women had done everything they could. In times like that Corey thought a lot about his Dad, what he would say if he could see his son slowly climbing the ladder to succes, but his mother would always reassure him that his Dad would be very proud of him. No, in fact she would say that his father IS very proud of him, that he would watch every step he took and that he was very happy with his son's choice of career.
Coming back to the present, Corey took a deep breath and focused his mind on his match.
His opponent was Chris Cruise, known for his outstanding technique abilities, and Corey had a lot of respect for the man. Chris was a nice guy and had taken Corey under his wings after he had first arived in the company. With Corey only being 19 and Chris being in his late twenties, he was very cool to talk to and a friendship had built between the two men during the last weeks.
Corey sighed again and left his spot at the catering, slowly making his way to the locker room to mentally prepare himself for his match.
Corey knocked on the door of the men's locker, and after receiving a "Come In" he entered.
" Hey Kid," his opponent for tonight greeted him cheerfully.
" 'Sup Chris."
" You know you don't have to knock to come in, this is the guy's locker, and you obviously are a guy, and we don't have anything you don't have yourself." Chris chuckled, tying his boots.
" Oh..uh..yeah I guess." Corey grinned sheepishly.
" So, are you ready?" Chris asked, still smiling.
" Don't let Hunter hear that you steal his catchphrases." Corey said playfully.
" If you don't tell him he wont know." Chris grinned. " You're one lucky guy, Kid, I mean you and Triple H..you're like that," Chris said, locking his fingers. " I would have given my right arm going through OVW with someone like that in my corner."
" I know, and I appreciate everything he did for me. I mean, he really didn't have to. I always wonder what gave him that faith in me." Corey said, scratching his head.
" That's just it, Kid. He saw your potential." Chris rose to his feet and motioned for Corey to follow him. " Let's go, our match is up next."
By the time they reached the gorilla position Corey was a nervous wreck. And hearing the crowd's cheers even made it worse.
" Loosen up, Kid, you'll do great." Chris tried to calm him.
" He's right, don't let them see you're scared, they'll eat you alive." came a deep voice from behind them.
Hunter stood a few feet away from the two men, his arms crossed over his chest, grinning broadly.
"HUNT! Whoa, I thought you were in Greenwich." Corey exclaimed excitedly.
" And miss your debut match? Not for all the money in the world." Hunter said, shaking his head.
" I don't know if I can do this..I mean…look at all these people…" Corey said, his voice shaking as well as his hands.
" You CAN do this, Kid, I know you can. Don't focus on the people, focus on the match. This is what you wanted, right? So do me the favour and show me that you were worth my time. I didn't get down on my knees in front of Shane for nothing."
" You did WHAT? You really did that?" Corey asked, his eyes as big as saucers.
"Almost." Hunter chuckled. " I tell ya what, Kid. When you step through that curtain, don't look the crowd over, look at Chris, go over the script and tear that house down, 'kay!"
" Okay. Thanks, Hunt."
"Chris?"
" Hunter?"
" I don't have to tell you.." Hunter laughed.
Chris grinned. " We'll rock the ring."
Hunter nodded. " Good luck, guys."
A stagehand walked up to them, saying something in the mic of his head set.
"Hey Chris, Corey, 2 minutes."
The men nodded and positioned themselves right behind the curtain.
" Chris, you're on in 5…4…3…2…1…go!"
Monday Night Raw
Chris Cruise vs. 'The Kid' CJ Johnson
Chris walked down the ramp, greeted by the loud cheers of the crowd. After jumping in the ring he climbed a turnbuckle and raised his fist. He did a back flip and landed on his feet, awaiting the arrival of his opponent.
"And his opponent, making his Raw Debut, from Phoenix/Arizona, 'The Kid', CJ JOHNSON!" ring announcer Ruby Diamond shouted in her mic.
Corey took one last deep breath and stepped through the curtain. He took Hunter's advice and focused his attention on Chris.
After jumping over the ropes he met Chris in the middle of the ring, the men standing toe to toe, waiting for the ref to ring the bell.
The ref gave the signal, the bell rang, the two wrestlers locked up.
Chris gained the advantage and took CJ in a front head lock, CJ used all his power and irish whipped Chris to the ropes, attempting a clothesline, but Chris ducked and hit CJ with a drop kick to the back. CJ jumped back to his feet and grabbed Chris from behind, driving him to the mat with a German suplex. Chris remained on his back, 'stunned', giving CJ time to climb a turnbuckle and hit him with a diving elbow drop. CJ went for the cover, but Chris kicked out at 2. CJ pulled Chris to his feet by his hair, but Chris blocked his punch and CJ was met with straight right hands to the face. Chris whipped CJ in the corner and hit him with a running clothesline. Whipping him in the opposite corner, Chris attempted another, but CJ ducked out of the way and Chris bumped into the corner, giving CJ the chance for a roll up. 1…2… Chris kicked out.
Chris jumped up and kicked CJ in the guts, then lifted him up and drove him back to the mat with a thunderous brainbuster. The cover, 1…2.. CJ kicked out.
A 'frustrated' Chris put CJ in a sleeperhold, the ref dropped to his knees and asked over and over again " What do you say CJ" , but CJ refused to give up.
Releasing CJ, Chris got up and gave CJ a hard kick to the back of his head. With CJ on the mat Chris climbed the turnbuckle and made the signal that he was ready to end the match.
Diving off the turnbuckle, Chris hit his corcscrew moonsault on CJ and went for the cover.
1…2…3… the match was over.
The ref raised Chris' hand in victory, then went to check on CJ.
Corey slowly got to his feet and climbed out of the ring. Making his way up the ramp he saw a little boy, maybe 7 or 8 years old, waving for him and holding out his hand. Corey smiled and walked over, high-fiving the boy, then made his way to the back.
When he stepped through the curtain he was greeted by Chris.
" I told you you'll do great Kid. And from what I've seen, you have a fan already." He said grinning and pulled Corey in a hug.
After releasing each other they left the gorilla area and walked backstage where Corey was greeted by half of the locker room congratulating him on his match.
" That was one hell of a debut performance. Wouldn't surprise me if Shane waited for you in his office with a contract ready to be signed. Great show CJ." Joelle, one of the Raw divas, exclaimed and kissed Corey on the cheek causing him to blush.
Joelle giggled and and walked away, her hips swaying, and Corey couldn't help but stare after her.
" Earth to Corey." Chris said and waved his hand in front of CJ's face,
" Huh?"
"I asked you something."
" Oh..uh..yeah? I.."
" Hey, it's alright, Joelle is one hot chick. I wouldn't mind some special attention from her myself. I happen to know that she's single.." Chris patted Corey on the back, grinning.
" I..uh..hey I never said I was interested in her." Corey tried to defend himself.
" True, but I know that look."
" What look?" Corey asked.
" THAT look you were giving her, c'mon Kid, it's no shame to like a woman like that."
" I don't know what you're talking about." Corey said, shaking his head.
" Right." Chris rolled his eyes and grinned.
" Are you going to stand there all day long or are you gonna come and give that old man a hug!"
Corey turned, smiling at Hunter's words and walked over to him.
" Hey, did you.."
But he was cut off by Hunter pulling him in a bear hug causing Corey to choke for air.
Hunter released him laughing and said
" Get used to it. There are guys out there that wont go easy on you."
" Did you watch the match?"
" No, I spent the last 20 minutes in the divas locker room enjoying myself.." Hunter grinned sarcastically, but then turned serious. " You know what, this isn't such a bad idea."
Chris walked up to them and also grinned.
" I heard that. Stay away from Joelle, Corey likes her."
" CHRIS!" Corey shouted embarassed.
" Oh is that so!" Hunter said looking at Corey, crossing his arms.
" NO! I don't even know her.. I mean… uh.."
" Aaaaaw Chris look at that, isn't that cute." Hunter snickered with Chris soon joining in.
" What is cute?" a female voice asked.
The three men turned, and Chris gasped. Standing before him was none other than Hunter's wife, former WWE Womans Champion Destiny.
She looked from one man to the next and smiled.
" Hey. What is cute?" She asked again.
" Uhm..you." Hunter said, saving Corey from further embarassment.
" Aaaaaw how sweet." Destiny said and placed a sweet kiss on her husband's lips.
She then turned to Corey and extended her hand.
" Great match Kid." Was all she said.
Corey shook her hand and answered blushing
" Thanks. It means a lot coming from someone like you."
Destiny smiled and turned to Chris.
" Hey, I don't think we've met before. I'm Jolene, but I hate that name. Please call me Jay."
Chris took her small hand in his but was unable to speak.
" Cat's got your tongue?" Jay teased.
Hunter laughed and said
" I know what you're going through, Chris. I acted like a retard myself when I met her."
" And that, my friends, was the first and only time I could make him shut up " Jay said grinning.
" Hey.." Hunter pretended to be hurt." YOU shut up.."
" Make me." She challenged playfully. " Whatcha gonna do? Shove something in my mouth, huh?"
Hunter's grin widened.
„ That's even better than what I thought about." He said with a wicked smile.
Jay's eyes widened as it dawned to her what he was talking about.
" Ooooooh NO! NO!NO! You're a dirty old man, Baby!"
Hunter laughed and said
" We shouldn't have that kind of conversation in front of the kids."
Corey had blushed several shades of red when he had realised where this was going, and Chris grinned like a cheshire cat.
" I bet Corey wouldn't mind a little private celebration himself."
Hunter looked at him with raised eyebrows.
" NO, don't get me wrong, I'm sure he isn't interested one bit in your wife.."
" You mean my wife isn't good enough?" Hunter said in a serious tone.
" No..no..I'm sure she's very good.." Chris stuttered.
" How do you know that?" Hunter's tone turned even more serious.
" I mean..I…I don't know why…she looks…"
" She looks WHAT!" Hunter shouted at Chris who looked like he was about to pee his pants.
" Babe, leave the poor boy alone, you're scaring him." Jay chuckled.
" I know." Hunter said, grinning, and Chris sighed with relief that it had all been a joke. He didn't dare to think about what Triple H could possibly do to him.
" You really got me there, man. But what I meant, I'm sure Corey wouldn't mind some company for tonight, maybe in form of…." but Chris was cut of by Corey's hand covering his mouth.
" CHRIS!" Corey hissed in a warning tone.
" What? Oooh I wanna know." Jay whined.
" He likes Joelle." Hunter blurted out.
" HUNT!" Corey shouted and tried to hide his embarassment.
" Aaaawww how cute. Corey has a crush on Joelle, Corey has a crush on Joelle" Jay began singing like a 14 year old school girl learning the secret crush of one of her friends.
" DAD!" someone yelled from across the hallway.
The group turned and saw Hunter's son Brandon walk up to them.
Corey groaned silently. He didn't like Brandon, and it was obvious that Brandon disliked Corey himself. Ever since they had met, it was like something stood between them. Corey didn't know what, Brandon barely talked to him, or didn't talk to him at all.
Corey Johnson and Brandon Levesque, these two would just never get along, and every sane person could see that.
" Hey Chris." Brandon greeted as he reached them, and Chris nodded in return.
After giving his mother a kiss on the cheek Brandon turned to Corey, his gaze burning a whole in him, but Corey stood his ground and refused to look away.
Sensing the tension building up, Hunter broke the silence.
" What's up Junior"
Breaking the eye contact, Brandon turned to his father.
" Don't call me Junior, I hate that."
" I know." Hunter grinned.
Grinning himself Brandon continued.
" Shane wanted to see you and him (nodding his head at Corey)."
" Brandon.." Hunter said in a warning tone.
" What?"
" HE has a name, you know."
" Yeah but I.." but he was cut off by his father.
" Brandon, don't.." Hunter warned him again.
" Why don't you go see Shane? He might give you a job, you know." Jay said smiling at Corey.
" Uh..yeah..okay."
Corey shot one last look at Brandon who smirked at him, then turned and walked down the hallway with Hunter beside him.
When they reached Shane's office Corey knocked on the door and waited.
The door flew open a few seconds later revealing a grinning Shane McMahon.
" Come in, come in." He closed the door and motioned for the two men to sit down.
" Hunter, good to see you again." Shane said as they shook hands. " It's a shame I can't call one of my Dad's, may he rest in peace, biggest stars my own. How's the knee?"
" A motherfucker as always." Hunter laughed.
" True, true. Corey, " Shane nodded as he extended his hand which Corey took and shook it.
" Corey, I'll come straight to the point. Your performance tonight was very impressive, to be honest you have been better than I expected. I talked to a few people, and I got nothing but positive feedback. Corey, I decided to give it a try. We worked out a 3-year-contract to start with, all you have to do is read it and sign on the dotted line."
Corey sat there, speechles and unable to move as the words sank in.
He did it! He really did it. Shane McMahon had just offered him a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment.
" Corey? Are you still with us?" Shane asked.
" Uh..uh..yeah..sorry I.."
" I know. It's fine, you don't get an offer like that every day." Shane gave him an understanding smile.
Corey nodded and took the clipboard holding the piece of paper that meant his life.
He slowly read the contract over and over again, then took the pen Shane handed him…and signed.
Shane nodded, smiling, and extended his hand again.
" Welcome to the WWE, Kid."
Corey shook his hand and said
" Thank you, Mr. McMahon."
Shane chuckled.
" Formalities aside, call me Shane, please. Hunter, " he said turning to the other man and shook his hand, " you were right, thank you, I'm sure this is a big gain for the company. I tell you what, what about a big return for one evening only? One last match. I owe you, brother."
Hunter smiled, but shook his head.
" Thanks for the offer Shane, but you know as well as I do what will happen if I step in that ring again. And I honestly want to spent the rest of my life on my own feet."
" Of course, Hunter, I know. Well, if you excuse me now I have a couple of phone calls to make. Welcome aboard again, Corey."
" Thank you Shane." Corey said, his cheeks glowing as he stepped out of his boss' office.
" I gotta go, Kid, we have an early flight back home. Congrats." Hunter said.
" No, I have to thank you. You made this possible. I wouldn't have made it so far without your help." Corey said, still not believing what had just taken place.
Hunter smiled.
" Well, I'll see you around, Kid."
Corey nodded and watched his mentor disappear around the next corner.
He looked down at the copy of his contract and let out a deep breath.
He was part of the WWE family. He couldn't wait to tell his mother. She would be so proud, he was sure of that.
'And I hope YOU are also proud of me, Dad' Corey thought as he looked towards the sky.
He was pulled out of his thoughts by someone calling his name. Looking down the hallway he saw Chris, Joelle, ring announcer Ruby Diamond and a couple of others walking towards him.
Speaking of the guys, now that he was part of the WWE also meant he would have to put up with Brandon, week in, week out.
Corey shivered thinking of Brandon, but he would just make the best of it. And that was celebrating with his new found friends for now. Reality would hit him soon enough.
Little did he know how right he was!