So, thanks to the discontinuation of a couple of my other fics, I started getting the idea for this one. It's only going to be a one-shot for now, unless you like the idea, and then I may do some more. So here's the deal. It's sort of like, a discontinuation of a person's career. The way I'm describing it probably won't make much sense, but if you read the first chapter, you'll get what I mean.

Basically, a person gets fed up with something in their career and leaves. Whether they come back or not isn't a guarantee.

So! Here's how this works. I'll take requests for future chapters in the form of reviews. If you've got a certain person, a reason, or a situation for their return or lack thereof, send it in the review. I'll do it chapter by chapter. This is just sort of one I can update on a regular basis, this way I can work on my technically discontinued fics in the meantime, until I get more ideas.

I own nothing. Until I buy it from the McMahon family. And then, IT SHALL BE MINE!!

Second Chapter: X-Pac/Sean Waltman

Degeneration of a Career

Done for: Golden-Black Dragon

Looking down at his hands, Sean sighed, reaching for the pill bottle near his bed. He let his free hand rest on the back of his neck, rubbing carefully. He popped open the bottle, taking out three small capsules, and looked in it before replacing the cover. "Gotta call up that doctor again soon..." he mumbled, swallowing the pills dry.

A few minutes later, he was laying back on the bed when the door opened to reveal Paul, who already looked angry. He took one look at Sean before he started speaking. "Dammit, Waltman, how many did you take this time?"

Sean shrugged. "Two. Three. Something like that."

A glare found its way onto Paul's face. "I swear, if you took more than two, I'm telling Vince."

He sat up, anger in his voice. "Oh yeah? What do you think he'll do, Paul? I've got a screwed up neck! You really think he's gonna get me for frickin' pain pills? Be serious!"

The blond man's jaw clenched. "We'll see about that," he said before closing the door again.

Sean laid back again, shaking his head. "Nothing could possibly happen. It's just a pain killer. No big thing."

DgX DgX DgX DgX DgX

A hand resting on his neck lightly, Sean was waiting for the call to board his plane, thinking. A match with Booker T, and he was supposed to lose? Really? And who said he was planning on losing anyway? He didn't have to listen. He'd been in the WWF longer. Hell, he'd even stayed loyal to them when WCW was getting popular. But, should he take the loss anyway?

He sighed, nodding to himself. Take the loss, work the angle, then move on with the career.

Taking an orange bottle from his pocket, he smiled at the newly filled medicine. He took out a handful of pills, taking them with a sip of water this time. He sat there afterward, the pills kicking in, finally feeling the pain in his neck ease up.

As the call to board his plane finally came, he stood, heading toward the gate. A few steps in, he started feeling a little dizzy. He stopped walking, putting a hand on a nearby chair to try and steady himself.

From across the room came Shawn and Paul, heading for the same flight. They'd left him to sit on his own when he wasn't talking. The two stopped, each resting a hand lightly on Sean's back. "You okay?" Shawn asked gently.

Sean looked up, met his eye, and proceeded to collapse.

DgX DgX DgX DgX DgX

When he awoke in the hospital, the first thing Sean did was look toward the bedside for his usual pill bottle. He could feel the sharp stings in his neck, the ones from the botched spine buster. Upon not finding it, he groaned, looking around the room.

Vince was standing off to the side of the room, near a window. He was looking out, an almost blank look on his face. Almost. There, deep in the confines of the blankness that made up his expression, was anger. And regret.

Sean cleared his throat, drawing the owner's attention. "Vince. I didn't think you of all people would be here."

"I have reason to be here, Sean, and I'm sure you know what that is." He let out a sigh. "I should have stopped this earlier."

The bed-ridden man raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about, Vince? I don't know why I passed out. I was just sick or something."

He shook his head. "No, Waltman, no. You didn't just get sick or something. The tests they ran came up with lethal amounts of the pain medication you were on. You could have been dead." Vince sighed again, putting a hand up to rub his eyes momentarily before speaking again. "I'm sorry. We have to let you go. Until you clean up, you're a risk not only to the team you're on, but the opponents you're up against. I can't let you be here when you're such a risk."

"But, Vince..." Sean trailed off, unsure how to continue. Vince started for the door, shaking his head. "This... this is my life. It's everything to me."

The owner turned around, looking at his former employee. "If it were your life, you would give up the pills. You would've given them up a long time ago." With that, he left.

Sean laid there, staring at the door for what felt like hours. Finally, the realization of the situation sank in. "My life... What do I do without it?"

DgX DgX DgX DgX DgX

Seven years later, Sean had finished a match in the indie brand he was working with. He was sitting at home, resting his neck against an ice pack. He was falling asleep when his telephone rang.

Surprised, he looked at the caller ID. The number he saw was unfamiliar, but the name was one he'd never forget. "Paul?" he said as he answered.

A deep laugh sounded on the other end. "You never forget a name, do you? Listen, we're in town and we wanted to talk to you about something important. Mind if we stop by?"

"Nah, come on over. I'll be here all night."

DgX DgX DgX DgX DgX

"So. We've been thinking for a while now." Paul was sitting on the couch opposite Sean's chair. Shawn sat beside Paul. The three had been talking for well over two hours when the issue at hand finally came up. "We've seen that you're off of the pain pills, from what we could tell," Paul said.

Shawn looked down at his hands, sighing before he continued. "We want to do a DX reunion. But it's no reunion if there's only the two of us."

"We've gotten Laurie to agree to come back, but only for one night. We came because Vince is offering you a full contract, newly leased, if you agree to come back to our storyline."

Sean looked between the two, surprise weighing on him. "Wait, huh? Vince let me go because of the pain pills. I didn't think he'd take me back with the new wellness policy..."

"As long as you stay off the pills man," Shawn said, meeting his former partner's eye. "That's the only stipulation."

"What do you say, Sean? Take a chance?" Paul asked with a smirk.

"Create some more havoc?" Shawn continued.

Sean smirked. "Degenerate some more lives!"

So that's it for this chapter. Sorry if it's not so great, but I don't know a whole lot about the circumstances behind Waltman's retirement and such. I barely even remember him, and that's sad, because I used to watch him all the time...

Anyway! Review and request! They'll make me a happy author and lead to quicker updates, I promise you that.

And that's the bottom line...