Chapter 2 The tasks at hand.

By the next day, the wrestlers all gathered in the circus' tent to eat. There was a lot of food there to eat, yet none of their favorites. "Where's all the good stuff? Burgers, pizza?" asked Edge aloud.

"You are all on diets if you are to fit into your costumes!" called Phoenix. "So you eat what we eat!"

"I'm going to starve," muttered Taker.

"Buck up Deadman, it's not that bad" said Triple H.

"Not that bad? Hunter, you're training to be a clown!" growled Edge. "And I got to work with Matt!"

"I am doing acrobatic circles around you!" Matt called out from down the food line, he was quick to find his seat and chat among his trainers. Edge sneered to the idea as he pulled out his cell phone.

"Screw this I am getting Vicky to get me out of here!" Just as Edge heard Vicky's voice did Phoenix snatch it out of his hands! Edge ran after him as Phoenix got the other athletes to get involved. The cell phone was thrown, tossed slid across the floor, it was a very entertaining game of monkey in the middle and Edge was no where near in getting it back! Edge found himself breathless after ten minutes of chasing them. The Phone was back in Phoenix's hands. "Now then, you know better than to mess with us, yes?" he asked.

Edge only passed out moments later. "That was rather awesome, you think they can teach us to do that?" Kane whispered to Taker.

It was the first smile he got out of the Deadman the moment they got there, yet once breakfast was over the training began.

The wrestlers were all divided up into where they were going. Edge and Matt with the acrobats, Taker and Jeff with the trapeze artists, Kane was with Phoenix as Hunter was sent elsewhere.

Kane found himself alone in a tent as Phoenix walked in he looked about on the walls and noticed the posters… Kane got a bad feeling about this. Phoenix came in shortly after and asked him to follow him. They went to one of the main tents. The floor had a strange covering on it, Phoenix excused himself as he went to gather Kane's 'learning tools' Somehow, Kane knew he was in over his head.

Phoenix returned with fire in hand. "Kane my friend, you will learn to juggle fire! Then, eat it!"

Kane's eyes widened in great shock. "Damn" he muttered.

Elsewhere

Matt and Edge stood on each other toes, literally. Neither man had back down from staring the other in the eyes, neither man was also paying attention to the acrobats showing them the routine they were to be practicing! "You two should be paying attention! You have to do this now!"

"I am not going to be doing that with Matt! I do things solo!"

"The only reason they paired us together was so I make this look good!" Matt snapped back. All the acrobats stared at one another in utter confusion as well as anger, knowing this was not going to be solved any time soon. However they heard a sharp whistle coming from below them, it was the Undertaker. He waved them down so he could speak with them.

The acrobats came down the only way they know how, by the ropes and long cloth. They were standing before the Deadman in no time looking curious as to what he had to say. "Think about it, why not make their little skit or whatever the hell you people call it… a battle?" he asked.

They all looked to one other, interested to the idea. "A battle?" One asked. The idea was rather good. "Not bad"

"It will get them to shut up faster" he pitched it.

"Done!" announced the main acrobat. They climbed back up and told the two men who still barked at one another, once they heard the idea, satisfied looks came over Matt and Edge.

Taker smiled to it as he felt Jeff yanking at his arm. "Come on Deadman! We got to get the routine down!"

Jeff was so excited for this; he pulled the Undertaker all the way to the trapeze. Yet the moment Taker saw his instructor he excused himself and high tailed it. Jeff was confused. "What's with him?" he asked.

The instructor knew. "I know, but perhaps we not say in front of the others. I do believe we need to train him on one other item before he faces the trapeze." Jeff was paired with another trainer.

The Trapeze artist was named Daniel; he came from France to peruse his dream. He found a towel to clean off the makeup that was on his face, he found the Undertaker not far with his back to the wall. "For a man who had worn white face paint before, I assume one of your… integrity wouldn't be fearful of clowns"

Taker sneered at Daniel bitterly. "I… never liked the circus" he muttered. "I hated the clowns"

"It is understandable to be scare of them, but one shouldn't when he knows who is under the mask of makeup"

"Easy for you to say! How the hell do you expect me to keep my cool when all of you are damn clowns! Not to mention the guys will never let me live it down when the find out I don't like the damn things!" he snapped back.

"I understand, appearance is everything," Daniel explained. He tried to think things over. "I will speak with the others and ask that no one wear their makeup until show time, until then, you must maintain our schedule and training"

Taker let out a sigh and nodded in agreement, he went back out to the trapeze where Jeff was already taking to it. He was doing the Swanton bomb onto the trampoline and continued with whisper in the wind. Daniel noticed how agile Jeff was and realized… the Deadman didn't fit into this category. "Perhaps we need to seek another location for the likes of you" he announced.

Taker nodded in agreement, but where do you put a Deadman in a three-ring circus?