34 year old Finn Balor couldn't help but feel slightly nervous about tonight's match against Team K.O. He had seen what Bryan, Luke and Dakota Sang can do together as a team in NXT and he worried that by the end of this showdown he would be crawling out of the ring, much like what they did to Seth when they first joined WWE.
He was tying his ring boots when he felt 25 year old Amanda Cena's arms wrap around his shoulders and her resting her jaw on his left shoulder and reached his hands up to rest them on hers.
"You're spacing out here…" Amanda whispered.
"I'm just thinking about tonight." Finn said.
"They're not gonna kill us… doesn't mean they won't make it seem that way to the fans." Amanda responded as Finn lightly nuzzled his face to hers, Amanda letting out a stray laugh when his beard tickled her skin and Finn smiling… if anything could make him smile, it was her laugh. "How you feeling about Karl and Luke being in WWE?" She asked, the two former members of the Bullet Club having shown up two weeks ago after Wrestlemania 32, when Finn made his debut on the main roster.
"I missed them being around… but I still don't know why Gallows never introduced me to you back then, we've both known him for a decade." Finn answered before turning around and pulling Amanda onto his lap.
"I guess in his way, he wanted to make sure I stayed innocent for as long as I possibly could… but I was slowly losing my innocence then and didn't even realise it…" Amanda responded as Finn lightly reached his right hand up and tucked some of Amanda's hair behind her left ear… and at that moment, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson had walked in. "Hey, you two." She greeted as Karl walked over and lightly rubbed the top of her head.
"Hey kiddo, who's ready for their possible death tonight?" Karl asked.
"No one's dying tonight, Karl." Luke responded as Finn and Amanda stood up and Amanda absentmindedly adjusted her black and white ring top.
"Are you sure about that? They are called Team K.O, Hellraiser, Ironman and Queen of Pain for a reason." Karl said.
"No dying, didn't say unharmed." Luke responded before the four headed out of the locker room.
The match was set to kick off Raw, Amanda slightly fazed by the mix of cheers and boos but she shook it off and got in the ring when Finn swatted her on her ass.
"Someone's naughty tonight." Amanda whispered as Dakota and her cousins watched from across the ring.
"You boys ready?" Dakota asked.
"Always." Luke and Bryan said before they high fives.
The match started off with Amanda and Dakota… and as Amanda went for a dropkick, it was reversed by Dakota… and then the lights went out.
"What the fuck?" Dakota asked.
"Somebody get the backup generator going!" Amanda shouted.
"Amanda, get back to Finn. I don't like the looks for this." Dakota said.
Amanda did so and Finn pulled her to him, their vision adjusting to the darkened arena.
"What the hell's going on here?!" Bryan whispered once Dakota reached him.
"I don't know and I don't-" Dakota said before being cut off by someone slamming her head into the post.
Amanda ran at the person and slammed her knee into their back, knocking them down and a brawl ensuing… when the lights were turned back on, Amanda had found herself tangled up in the ropes with a black bag over her head before the guys untangled her and pulled the bag off, Finn holding her close to him.
"CLYDE!" Dakota yelled, scaring everyone. "I know it was you that did that! Come and face me like a real man, instead of hiding in the dark!"
Amanda turned back around but was stopped when Finn saw the knife wound in Amanda's right shoulder and pressed a towel to it.
"Cut to the back, please?" Michael asked into his headset, the cameramen doing so.
When Amanda was getting fixed up, Bryan and Luke pulled Gallows and Anderson aside as Dakota went to go calm down.
"Who the fuck is Clyde?" Karl asked.
"One of Dakota's older brothers. Let's leave it at her parents divorced and he hates her because she's got a career while he's on drugs." Luke said.
"Fuck…" Karl responded.
In the trainer's room once they were alone, Amanda was on Finn's lap with his arms around her.
"I should've gotten you out of there…" Finn said quietly.
"This isn't your fault, Finn." Amanda responded, her head resting on his shoulder. "That's now the first time Clyde has appeared since he got his brother put in prison."
"And with this, we could press assault charges against him." Finn responded.
"Second he hears of that, he'll fucking run." Amanda muttered, yelping slightly when Finn's grip on her unintentionally tightened and Finn lightly rubbing his hand up and down her side before burying his face into her left shoulder. "You okay there? Finn… I'm still here, he just roughed me up a bit." She responded as she absentmindedly ran her fingers on her left hand through his hair, Amanda having not seen Finn like this since the time Seth dropkicked the table into her face and cut her mouth open.
At the same time, Seth saw Dakota outside.
"I thought you were in Davenport." Dakota responded, motioning to Seth's braced right knee.
"Got stir crazy there… are you alright? And where's Mandy?" Seth asked.
"I'm fucking pissed!" Dakota yelled, Seth nearly jumping back.
"Who was it that-" Seth started to ask but stopped when Dakota ripped her pack of cigarettes in half.
"Fuck! Now I gotta buy more! Fucking Clyde showed up!" Dakota yelled.
"And ran off like a fucking coward!" Seth growled, starting to get angry himself.
"I want to hunt him down so badly and just wrap my hands around his throat! I want to see the fucking light go out of his eyes, knowing that I've finally won!" Dakota growled.
"How about a few drinks for now?" Seth asked, Dakota looking at him.
"Well why not? Ain't got much else to do apart from smoking." Dakota said.
The two left, intent on clearing their minds.
At the hotel later, Amanda was on a video call with Lara.
"And then the next thing I know, he's stabbed me with the damn thing!" Amanda replied after Lara asked about the attack.
"Bloody hell! Clyde is just a bastard who needs to be fried." Lara said as 3 year old Tiffany appeared.
"Mommy, Esmeralda took my bunny." Tiffany said.
"Esmeralda please give Tiffany back her bunny. Remember yours is the red one, Tiffany has the purple one." Lara said.
Esmeralda appeared, handing Tiffany the purple bunny before both children saw Amanda.
"Hey, kiddos." Amanda greeted.
"You guys remember Mandy don't you?" Lara asked.
"What happened to her arm?" Esmeralda asked.
"Someone was… really mean earlier to her." Lara explained in the best way she could.
"Daddy will kick that person's ass." Esmeralda said.
"Esmeralda watch your mouth and where did you hear that word?" Lara said.
"Sorry, Mommy… and I heard it from that dark haired man that likes to hurt Mandy." Esmeralda explained before seeing Finn. "You'll keep her safe, right Mr. Demon King?" She asked.
"Of course I will, kiddo. Now you and your sis behave for your mom, okay?" Finn responded.
"We will, I know it's hard for her since Daddy isn't home a lot, but we get to see him, Uncle Luke and Auntie Kota on TV." Esmeralda said.
"Team K.O!" Tiffany yelled.
"Team K.O!" Amanda and Finn responded simultaneously before the video chat ended and Amanda set the tablet down.
Closing their eyes, the two fell asleep… and reminded themselves to relax for a few hours.