Title: In the Blink of an Eye.
Author: Dana
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Summary: In the blink of an eye everything you've worked three years for can go up in smoke.
Author's note: Takes place the night of Payback 2016
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone you recognize in this fic. They either belong to themselves or WWE.
"Yeah Carmella," Enzo Amore said into the cellphone as he half watched Ryback make a mockery of CM Punk in front of the Chicago crowd. "You know Cass and I got this. We've beaten English and Gotch hundreds of times. We can beat them." He saw his tag team partner Collin "Big Cass" Cassady looking impatient. "Here he'll tell ya himself." He said before handing Cass his phone back.
"Baby we've got this. You just be ready to congratulate me when I get home Wednesday."
Enzo tuned out the rest of what Cass was saying to his girlfriend. Even away the two could be sickeningly in love.
A Production Assistant hurried over to them. "Your match is starting the show." He said and hurried away.
"I gotta go Carmella. I'll call ya after the match." Cass said before hanging up the phone.
"Don't know what she's so worried about," Enzo said. "We've beaten them plenty of times."
"I think she's just disappointed she's not here," Cass said truthfully. "I'm kinda nervous myself. It's our biggest match yet Zo. Way bigger than any of the Takeover shows or Roadblock."
Enzo flashed him a grin. "We've just gotta prove why everyone else is SAWFT. I've got your back and you've got mine. It's us against the WWE. We're going straight to the top," he said sticking his fist out and Cass smacked it.
That was the last thing Enzo remembered from the show.
DDD
Cass could see his partner was nervous as they made their way out to the ring for their tag match. He may have been big talk backstage but the first sign he had that his best friend was nervous was when he dropped his mic. Chicago was a tough city but they seemed to let it go without any mocking chants. The fans absolutely loved Enzo no matter where they went.
He tried not to cringe when Enzo went into his promo. He'd been friends with him for almost three years. He was used to all the crazy things Enzo said. To most people it made no sense but to him it made perfect sense. His tension and nervousness went away as the fans reacted to him. This was a crowd that still hadn't let WWE forget that CM Punk was their boy. They didn't mind telling whoever was in the ring what they thought of them. If they could get the whole arena yelling how you doin? Than everything would be okay.
He let Enzo start as he seemed wound up tight and needed to let off some of the nervousness. His own anger flared up when English tagged in. He and English had a long history with each other. Whether it was in the ring or singing. He truly did not like this man and tagged in as soon as he could.
He worked him over for a little bit before he and Enzo double teamed him. He even got a chance to throw his partner at both Gotch and English. It was a move they did that always worked.
It all went downhill when English hit Enzo with both knees. Enzo went down hard to the mat. He went over to check on him but the ref quickly made him get back.
It was as if in the blink of an eye Gotch threw Enzo out of the ring. Something looked wrong and he heard a thud as Enzo's head hit the edge of the ring and he fell out of the ring. He couldn't see him so he hurried over to make sure that English wouldn't jump him when he was down. He swore he stopped breathing when he saw Enzo unconscious on the floor.
It wasn't the first time Enzo had been knocked for a loop during a match. He remembered a match almost two years ago that Enzo was unconscious when he pinned their opponent but this felt so much different.
He went over and touched his arm but there was no response. The ref tried to make him step back which he tried to do but his worry couldn't keep him back for long. He couldn't believe Gotch tried to move him. did he hate them that much? Couldn't he see Enzo was unconscious?
He barely held back from punching New Day who sat in bean bag chairs eating pizza while his brother in arms lay unconscious only feet away.
He watched as the ringside doctors and EMTs worked on his match. He didn't forget how his girlfriend said on the phone before the match that she had a bad feeling. Was she right?
He couldn't watch as they put a neck brace on and hooked him up to oxygen. What if Enzo had broken his neck? He followed the stretcher to the back not allowed to hold his partner's hand as he was in the way. Not for the first time did he wish he wasn't seven foot tall. He was too big to get in the back of the ambulance.
Before Enzo was put in the ambulance, Cass heard him ask one of the medics what happened. He breathed a sigh of relief. His friend was conscious again.
He watched as his best friend was driven away. He leaned against a wall trying not to cry. Amman went up to him and tried to reassure him but he wouldn't hear any of it. His best friend was hurt and he couldn't do anything to help him. he was supposed to have his back and he had failed. There was no reassurance that could make him feel better.
DDD
Next chapter is the ER.