Randy was bandaging his left wrist with black tape when in walked Cody Rhodes and Manu. The Samoan bore a menacing expression on his face as he stared intensely at Randy. Randy smirked inwardly. Manu no doubt wanted to eat the Legend Killer alive and Randy loved bringing out the worst in people. Randy turned his attention to Cody, who was also staring at the Legend Killer. His face was less menacing than Manu but just as intense. Randy knew why the duo came to pay him a visit. He did punt their partner in crime- Ted DiBiase- in the head. He didn't regret his actions though. That useless, pathetic excuse for a wrestler deserved the kick.
The Samoan opened his mouth and Randy looked down at his bandaged wrist, looking uninterested. "You had a week to think about what you did to Ted," Manu uttered in a low but dangerous tone. Randy taped his other wrist, still not looking at the Samoan. One, he liked to play with fire. Second, the man did not deserve any of the Legend Killer's attention or time.
Randy perked up when Cody began speaking but he masked it with a cool demeanor. "Our partner, Ted DiBiase, has a concussion, Randy," Cody hissed, putting emphasis on Randy's name. "If you thought we were just gonna let that slide, you're wrong." Randy felt his blood pump at the anger in Cody's voice. It was as if the younger man's fury gave the Legend Killer a high. After all, the former member of Evolution loved attention even if it was for the wrong reason.
Randy decided it was time to do the talking. "You know what guys," he began coolly, "DiBiase was the weak link in your little group. He lost the tag titles for you, screwed both of you last week in that battle royal, and on top of all of that, was stupid enough to interfere in my match. So what I did to DiBiase was what you two didn't have the guts…to do." He was speaking to both of them but his eyes were only on Cody, making sure the younger man understood why he did what he did. More importantly, he wanted Cody to understand how dangerous he could be when pushed, when someone got in the way. Cody stood his ground and his gaze did not leave Randy's but the Legend Killer saw the tiny flicker of fear in his eyes. The taller man wanted to smirk. He had power over the second generation star and it brought him more sensation than any one night stand with a bimbo ever did. He continued his speech. "Keep telling everyone you're the future. Go ahead. But the fact remains that neither of you are in my league," he stated as if his words were a fact. In his mind, they were a fact. He was better—better than Cody, better than Manu, better than DiBiase, better than the whole roster, the whole entire company. Why? Because he wanted it more—the power, the success, the glory. He wanted it all. He spoke to the duo as if they were worthless, not even fit to shine his boots. But with Cody, he did see something though his pride would not let him admit so. He saw that the younger man had hunger, a little fire inside of him. He sensed that Cody wanted the same things he did.
Cody looked the other way as if about to leave. He then reeled back and gave Randy a hard slap. In a second, the Legend Killer lunged towards the younger man, ready to pounce, ready to kill. Manu put his arm out, blocking Randy's path, and protecting his partner. The force of Randy's struggles and Manu's hold caused Randy to bang up against the locker several times. The pain didn't even register as his anger was directed at one man—one man who dared to lay his hand on him. Cody stood behind Manu and Randy felt a sense of satisfaction at knowing that the younger man was scared. Randy glared at the wall that kept him from hurting the menace. If looks could kill, both of them would have been dead, lying in a ditch somewhere. He turned his attention back to Cody, who was staring at him, challenging him to do something. Randy never backed down from a challenge. But it was not the right time or the right place. Instead, he rubbed his jaw, which was sore from the stinging slap he had received from the younger man. The entire locker room was filled with the sounds of the trio's heavy breathing. He gave Cody one last glare before walking away.
Outside of the locker room, Randy leaned against the wall, rubbing his sore jaw. Anger coursed through his veins as he thought of that little punk slapping him in the face. He wanted nothing more than to beat the boy into unconsciousness. Despite his rage, he felt the corners of his lips curve into a small smile. The little punk slapped him because of what he said about their pathetic group. The boy approached him because of what he did to their third member, DiBiase. Rhodes reacted because of what Randy started. Everything happened because of him which proved the Legend Killer's theory that the world revolved around him. Most importantly, Cody cared about seeking revenge and protecting his pride more than he cared about the welfare of his group member. Randy snarled in disgust at the thought of the wounded man. What was so great about DiBiase? All that man did was rode his father's coat tails. He probably kissed Vince's ass to get a contract into the WWE. Randy didn't know why Cody looked up to that pathetic piece of trash. DiBiase was not leadership material, Randy was. That was why he punted Ted in the head that night. He wanted to prove to Ted, to Cody, to the world, that he was the better man for the job. He wanted to show them that he could bring their little group to unprecedented heights. Cody was angry and Randy could not blame him. After all, they did have a close friendship, much to Randy's loathing. But soon the second generation star would see that what Randy did was for the group's best. Someday, Cody would thank him. He couldn't wait for that day.