Alone
Chapter 1
People say they know the darkness. People say they live within it and are consumed with it. What is the darkness anyway? Is it really evil? Or is light the more evil of the two since it shines? They were going to find out at the grandest stage of them all WrestleMania XXI. Possibly the biggest match of young Randy Orton's career is going to take place on this night. The darkness inside this kid is nothing compared to the Phenom, the Conscience, the man who is undefeated, the Man from the Dark Side, The Undertaker. Can Randy defeat the incredible streak? On the night of April 3, 2005, they are going to find out who the better man is. It's Legend Killer VS the Legend. Who will come out on top? Only time will tell.
Jerica Austin, Stone Cold Steve Austin's niece, walked out of her office with the article in hand, rereading it and making notes while walking down the hallway. Her uncle had gotten her the job right out of college. She'd gone to school for a degree in journalism and ended up becoming the WWE's Magazine Lead Editor and photographer. She'd been working since 1997, when her uncle first became big in the wrestling industry. Jerica was a tender age of twenty-three when she received this opportunity. It'd been over ten years and she was now thirty-three years old and one of the most respected women in the backstage area because of her masterpiece artwork and writing techniques for WWE Magazine.
Randy Orton wasn't evil per se. He was just arrogant, cocky, young and brash...Well; he had heard a lot of terms applied to him. They were all probably dead on anyway. Snorting, he finished his shower and stepped out, wrapping a towel around his muscular waist. His current rivalry with the Undertaker, Mark Calaway, the locker room leader, was the highlight of his career. It would only get better, considering he had every intention of ending the Deadman's streak.
Mark Calaway preferred his stage name of Undertaker or 'Taker. Mainly when it came to the rookies, it reminded them of just who he WAS and what he could DO. That and someone was less likely to laugh at him when they remembered his name was associated with death. His green eyes were currently following a delicious looking woman that he had known since the late nineties. Well, known as in he had seen her. They didn't cross paths all that often.
Her long, honey chestnut locks pooled down her back in waves, resting against her middle back along with sapphire blue eyes that shined. Her entire family had blue eyes, all different shades. The reason why Jerica's last name was Austin is because her uncle had adopted her when she was a teenager, her parents running off after robbing a bank. She was fourteen when that happened and owed a lot to Steve for everything he did for her.
Jerica smiled, wearing a blue denim skirt with a pale blue tank top and white tennis shoes on her feet. She rarely wore makeup, not seeing the reason for it, but when she did it was simple eyeliner and clear gloss, like now. Nothing special.
Jerica kept to herself, rarely speaking to the Superstars unless needed, except her current boyfriend Randy Orton. Even though she was eight years older than him, age was just a number and Randy wasn't anything like his character on television. They'd been dating for awhile now, around a year or so, sometimes Jerica honestly lost track of time.
Jerica Austin. She had lasted longer then he had originally thought she would. He remembered when she had first started in the company, Austin's cousin, no she was the man's niece. How far she had come. And how well she was aging. His eyes practically devoured her whole. Currently she was dating his in ring opponent, Randy Orton and snorted, wondering what on earth she seen in the boy.
Chewing her gum, Jerica stopped as she leaned against the wall, making another change with a sigh, shaking her head. She must've been tired when writing this, there were so many mistakes. She would definitely be working on this for the remainder of the night.
One thing about Jerica was her work was perfection. If it wasn't one hundred percent, then she worked on it until it was. Nothing went to the final press release until she was satisfied and a lot of people in her area admired her for that. Jerica began walking again and turned the corner, looking up every few seconds and sidestepping Superstars of both old and new, heading for the cafeteria.
After she had disappeared into the cafeteria, Mark stepped out of his place in a shadowed doorway, following quietly behind her. His eyes automatically scanned the room, nodding at a few faces; finally narrowing in on Jerica.
"There you are." Randy snaked his arms around his girlfriend's waist, laughing softly when she jumped, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "It's just me, baby."
"You really have got to stop sneaking up on me like that, Randy." She replied with a smile, turning around to stare into his electric blue eyes, not believing they were still together after all this time. It actually started a little after a year he was in Evolution with Paul Levesque, David Bautista and Ric Flair. Bautista was the only one who gave her a problem, but Ric and Paul were very friendly...in their own ways. They gave Randy a lot of hell for having a girlfriend, but then again, Paul was with and currently married to Stephanie McMahon, Vince McMahon's -the Chairman of the Board of the WWE- daughter. Ric was married too, so really it was just David who gave Randy hell now that she thought about it. "What's up?"
Randy still caught flack from Bautista, mostly over Jerica's age, the seven year difference between them. Given that David frequently dated women who were barely legal -and changed them more often then most people changed their underwear- he had no room to be talking. "But I LIKE it when you jump." He teased, nuzzling her neck playfully.
"I know you do." She muttered, though her eyes were sparkling and she was melting against him as his arms wrapped around her waist.
Jerica didn't understand what she saw in Randy besides how great of a man and lover he was. At first they were friends, but the more they connected, the more it made sense and when he asked her out, Jerica couldn't deny him. She slowly turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck, softly kissing his lips while running her hands up in his spiked hair.
"Hey Orton, ready for tonight?"
Mildly surprised, Randy turned around to look at 'Taker, his arm still firmly wrapped around his luscious girlfriend. "Yeah, I think so, 'Taker." He chuckled, pleased and flustered at the same time. 'Taker was usually fairly silent unless offering advice. "You've met my girlfriend, haven't you?"
"Years ago." Mark said, his green eyes moving onto Jerica, drinking her in. "Miss Austin."
"'Taker, always a pleasure." Jerica replied with a smile, remembering the feuds this man had with her uncle back in the day, and was terrified of him for awhile.
That was until Steve assured her it was all scripted, when she was still a rookie around the backstage area. Now...Jerica knew the business like the back of her hand and knew what these men and women, these Superstars -Entertainers- did to entertain people. 'Taker was the leader of the WWE locker room, slowly passing torches to younger guys, like Randy, though he hadn't yet. Their match at WrestleMania was going to be historic and one for the ages. She was sure of it.
"Indeed it is, Jerica." Her name flowed off his tongue in a soft, sensual drawl.
Something not unnoticed by Randy, his blue eyes narrowing for the briefest of moments. "Well...it was nice talking to you, 'Taker." He said politely, nodding at the Phenom before guiding her away. "What are you doing out of your office? I figured you'd be in there going nuts over an article or something." He teased gently.
"You know me too well." Jerica sighed as she looked at the article again, tapping her chin in thought. "I can't let it go to press release and the deadline is midnight. So to say I'm a little stressed out over it is an understatement." She made ANOTHER change on it and suddenly put it in her notebook before going to get bottled water. "I needed some air, but I'm fine now." She kissed him again, smiling. "If I'm late getting to the hotel tonight, you know why." She tapped his nose before stroking his chin between her forefinger and thumb, locking eyes with him, crossing one leg over the other.
"I'll TRY to be waiting up for you." Randy said lightheartedly, faking a yawn behind his hand. "I'm just so tired." He smiled when she mock punched him, catching her hand and planting a tender kiss to the back of it. "It'll be perfect. How about I read it for you and offer some creative feedback?"
"Nope not happening, Legend Killer." She giggled when he blushed and pressed a kiss to his forehead before his nose and finally his lips, slowly standing up. "Be careful." It was something she always said to him before every match and hugged him, kissing his cheek with a wink. "I'll see you tonight, Mr. Orton."
Jerica laughed when he smacked her ass playfully, her water and tuna sandwich in hand, heading back to her office while shaking her head. Sometimes Jerica wondered how she'd gotten so lucky. A great job and beautiful man in her life, which couldn't get any better.
Randy watched her go, his head automatically cocking to the side to watch her delicious ass sway from side to side with each step. He shook his head and straightened up. No time for those kinds of thoughts, not if he didn't want to get his ass handed to him by 'Taker for having his head in the clouds; or in the gutter actually.
Jerica's mind was solely focused on the article as she walked down the hallway and stepped into her office, closing the door behind her. The shades were drawn on her door, not wanting any peeking eyes, and sighed as she stopped to make another change. "This is pathetic." She muttered, sitting down behind her desk and leaned back in the chair, tapping her pen against her chin again as she kept writing. "Maybe I should just redo this..." She was getting a headache and popped two aspirin, the only light in the room being a small lamp on her desk.
Mark had retired to shower for his upcoming match against Randy. Afterwards, he dressed in his ring gear, not bothering to pull up the straps just yet. His mind was on Jerica, which was odd because before today, he hadn't really noticed her. It might of been that denim skirt she was wearing; he had just realized, after tentatively working with her for over a decade, she had beautiful long legs.
It was past eleven o'clock when Jerica finally left her office, finally satisfied with her article. It took ten different drafts, but she'd finally managed to get it perfect. Jerica had texted Randy, letting him know she wouldn't be at the hotel until after eleven. He texted her back saying he missed her and wanted her with him, along with some other perverted words. Jerica chuckled, still not believing she was eight years older than him. Again, age was just a number and he was a man with a heart of gold, a great performer in the ring, especially in the bedroom. Locking her office, Jerica walked down the hallway with her jean jacket on, finally feeling the cool air assault her and smiled before lighting up a cigarette, heading toward her rental car.
