Story: Embraced
Author: Krys, ak.a. THE Kid Hardy, Krys Jericho, etc.
Main Characters: John Cena, Kane, Krys (OC), and to a lesser degree, Zack Ryder, Eve Torres, Dolph Ziggler, Vickie Guerrero, CM Punk, and other members of the WWE roster, past and present.
Disclaimer: There is nothing in the WWE that I own, or can legally claim ownership of. I relinquished control over Cena's soul ages ago, and that bastard Vince McMahon used it to make millions of dollars. (I totally should never have let him go.) Anyway, take this story lightly, as it is only literary entertainment, and pure FICTION. You know, as in it isn't real. Do not put yourself through the trouble of pursuing legal action; there's nothing I have that you want, believe me.
Author's Note: I thought it would be a nice addendum to get away from the many stories I have on the Hardys, and concentrate on an idea that I've been holding inside my head for quite some time, ever since the Kane-John Cena storyline flew off.
Fair warning here—if you are in any way, shape, or form a fan of Eve Torres, and do not enjoy hearing insults hurled at her or her character, save yourself the trouble, and DO NOT READ THIS STORY. I have precious little patience for those who read a story only to bash me because they think I'm "hating" on Eve or any other Diva that I write about in this story. Honestly, it's only entertainment, and it's fiction, so it really shouldn't bother you to begin with. And if you do get offended? Well, I'd take that as a sign that you're getting into my work…or amused that you got so upset over a piece of fiction. So, without any further ado, on to the story!
Chapter One
"Krys, hey girl, how's it going?"
Krystle turned her head at the sound of the voice that drew her attention in time to see "Long Island Iced Z", a.k.a. Zack Ryder, heading her way, and stifled a groan. Zack was a nice guy and everything, but she really couldn't get into his gimmick, and the whole "Woo Woo Woo, You Know It" slogan. She hadn't had a problem with Zack personally; he was one of her best friend, but truth be told, she just thought the poor guy's gimmick sucked and needed repackaging as soon as possible. Covering up the grown with a small smile, she walked over to Zack, meeting him halfway in the backstage area of the arena. "Hey man, how's life treating you?"
"Pretty well," Zack said back with a grin. "The whole world saw Long Island Iced Z take the world by storm and win the United States Championship off of that tool Dolph Ziggler, and now everyone finally has taken notice of Zack Ryder. The only way to go from here is up, baby." He grinned cheekily at Krys, who couldn't help but snicker at the man's antics. Hey, his gimmick was annoying, but he was still a pretty funny guy once a person got to know him. "Hey, did you hear the news?" Krys shook her head in response. "Creative told me that they were pairing me up with Eve in a relationship storyline."
Krys wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Eve Torres? Seriously, dude?"
"What's wrong with Eve? She's a nice girl, isn't too bad in the ring, and has a smokin' hot body; what's not to like?"
"Before you start drooling and letting your mind fly into outer space Zacky, allow me to dispel some rumors for ya. One, she's pretty nice, but she has an undeserved ego. She hasn't beaten anyone in a believable manner to be considered a legitimate women's wrestler. Two, she's horrible in the ring; have you seen that nightmare that she has the nerve to call a moonsault? Don't even get me started, love. And three, her body may be smokin' to you, but to me, it's just one of many anorexic, salad-eating-and-iced-tea drinking Diva bodies for me. I bet she'd get sick if I floated a pizza around her, or some onion rings."
Zack laughed out loud, nearly doubling over from laughing so hard. "Ouch, that's harsh, girl," came another voice, and both Krys and Zack turned around to see John Cena standing behind them. Cena was leaning against the wall, dressed in one of his "CeNation" T-shirts—this one a bright, vivid red, Krys noted happily, as red was her favorite color, and the best of them all in her opinion—and his usual pair of jean shorts and a pair of sneakers. "Trust me, Krys, someone's gonna get you one of these days for talking about them behind their backs."
"I don't talk behind anyone's back," Krys shot back, a smirk on her face. "I've told countless Divas to their faces that they look and wrestle like shit. It's not my fault the poor girl is a few burritos shy of a full Taco Bell value meal."
"Oh, and I suppose you are?" Cena retorted, pushing himself off the wall and heading towards her and Zack. Krys couldn't help but notice that Cena's eyes never once strayed from hers, and the thought made her blush a little bit. Though she had only been with the WWE for a short five years, it still took her breath away that someone like John Cena, one of the figureheads of the WWE, and the company's leading man, was so humble, had a killer sense of humor, and was as real as they came.
"As a matter of fact," Krys said, staring him right in the eyes, "yes I am. Haven't you seen me in the ring? I'm perfection."
"Hey hey hey, who's going around stealing my catchphrases?" came another voice, and the three wrestlers all groaned as Dolph Ziggler came walking up, Vickie Guerrero in tow. Like Zack, the man was a good wrestler, not very hard to get along with, but his character and gimmick was lame. On the plus side, Krys thought to herself, he couldn't get any worse than Long Island Iced Z. At least Dolph doesn't run around shouting "Woo Woo Woo, you know it".
"What's up, boy?" Cena said, slapping hands with the former Spirit Squad member. "Me, Zack, and Little Miss Perfection over here were going over the finer points of being perfection in the ring."
"Ah, okay, so you want perfection, huh? Look no further than yours truly." Dolph smirked at the groans that once again emanated from the people around him, then got a cheeky grin to his face. "Well hey; it's not my fault that my theme song fits me perfectly. I AM perfection and the world knows it."
"Yeah," snickered Zack with a sly grin, "that's why I beat you for the United States Championship."
The blonde's grin faded, and he frowned over in Zack's direction. "Maybe so, but at least I'm not stuck in a storyline relationship with Steve Torres."
"Oh my god, I knew I wasn't the only person who used that name!" Krys exclaimed with a hysterical laugh, before slapping hands with Dolph, who grinned again.
This time, it was Zack's turn to frown. "But at least I wasn't paired up with Vickie Guerrero."
From Dolph's side, Vickie scoffed. "Oh please, Zack. You can keep your precious Eve Torres. Most guys prefer a full-figured girl, anyway." She preened up at Dolph, who smirked down at her in response. Zack in turn repressed a shudder, which brought on another round of laughter.
"Oh, that reminds me," said Vickie. "Me, Dolph, and Punk were all going to hit up a party at this club after the show. You guys wanna come with?"
"Count me in, bro; I'm always up for a party," Zack piped up with a grin on his face. "Is my number one broski coming with me?"
Cena chuckled as he clapped his friend's shoulder. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. How about you, Miss Perfect? Are you coming with us?"
Krys looked around at all the faces grinning back at her, anticipating her answer, then finally shrugged her shoulders with a smile. "Eh, sure, why not?"
Ziggler grinned and clapped his hands together. "Great, that settles it. I'm gonna go run and let Punk know, and we'll all just meet up in the parking lot at the end of the show. That cool with everyone?" They all agreed, and Dolph and Vickie said their goodbyes and headed off to the men's' locker room to prepare for the show.
"Wanna come hang out with me until your match?" Cena offered, while Zack listened on. "You can sit around and look pretty, while the Champ steals the show and sends the fans home happy, as usual."
"Now who's full of themselves?" Krys asked with a smirk, then punched his shoulder playfully. "Maybe some other time, princess. I'm gonna hang with Beth and Nattie, see if I can get some last-minute training done before my match."
"If you insist," Cena shrugged. "But don't run too far away from me, gorgeous; I might get tired of chasing you," he joked with a wink. Krys only grinned in response, then turned and headed off in search of the Sisters of Salvation, a.k.a. "two of the only five girls who knew how to wrestle in the whole goddamned company", as he once remembered her so eloquently putting it.
He couldn't quite recall what had ever attracted him to the young woman, he simply knew that, without realizing it, she had caught his attention, and now he couldn't get enough of her. There was just something there about her that appealed to him, and he enjoyed every single moment that he was around her. Sure, they had a mutual friend in Zack, but there was just something about the Philly girl that drew him in…
Frowning contemplatively about the possibility of claiming a woman that spirited and fiery as his own, he turned on his own heel and walked in the direction of the men's locker room to get ready for the start of RAW.
As he walked off and everyone around the backstage area went on their separate ways preparing for RAW to go on the air, no one noticed the hulking creature lurking in the background. Of course they wouldn't notice him, with their perfect little poster boy running things on the show week in and week out, him and Dwayne using their pointless little feud to headline and steal the show each and every week. His face darkened at the thought of Cena "rising above the hate", when his opponent was doing nothing but sending hatred his way, drowning him in it with every word that dripped from his hypocritical lips. His face contorted with fury, the monster simply glared silently from the shadows as John Cena, the little corporate pawn, move towards the Gorilla Spot to prepare for his match that night.
That was when the idea struck him, and a cruel, twisted smile crept its way across his face, inch by demented inch.
He was going to help Cena. Help him by destroying everything that he held so near and dear to his pitifully weak little heart. He was going to help him. And in the end, he was going to learn embrace the hate, whether he wanted to or not.
