I needed to get this out tonight. Something not too angsty, and I had it done before Sunday. Sorry about the heading on the repost. I was thinking. This IS the real Chapter three.

TITLE: What You Used to Be Chapter One?
AUTHOR: Juliet3:16
EMAIL: RATING: R
CONTENT: VIOLENCE, ADULT LANGUAGE, TORTURE
CATEGORY: ADULT, DRAMA, ANGST
SPOILERS: Through WM - X7
SUMMARY: What would you do to save a friend?
DISCLAIMER: I own none of these people in the story, they are owned by either World Wrestling Entertainment, or they own themselves.
DISTRIBUTION: WWOMB, anyplace else, please ask.

What You Used to Be

Chapter Three

'A conversation between old friends'

"Dammit!"

Ric Flair looked up at the uncharacteristic outburst. The look of rage on the younger man's face told Ric all he needed to know even if he hadn't watched the exchange between Chris Benoit and William Regal on the monitor.

Ric sighed. "Sorry pal, Vince is dead set for this one and the board decided long ago that the Commissioner had the final authority on all matches."

"Then they should have appointed a commish that wasn't in Vince's fucking pocket!" Benoit ground out, pacing around the room.

"Unfortunately, Regal's too good at toeing the line for anybody on the board but Linda to really notice that," Ric pointed out. William Regal was a smart enough man to know that to keep his job secure, he needed to balance out his decisions. Therefore, he made just enough fair decisions to keep under the radar of the board, but not enough to undermine Vince McMahon's agenda. That stymied any hope of loosening Vince and Stephanie's power grip on the Federation; despite Ric having 50 ownership of the company. To prevent one from ousting the other, the board made sure that neither Vince nor Ric could manipulate the other out of his stake in the company, including barring any and all "winner take all" matches in any way, shape, or form. All match decisions rested with the Commissioner.

Which while it kept Vince and Stephanie from pulling an outright power play like they had with Linda McMahon, it kept majority power with Vince's faction since Regal was solidly in Vince's pocket and there were no signs of that changing anytime soon.

Benoit let out a sign and finally sat down on the leather couch in the room.

"Tag Team match? Yeah right," Benoit snorted, "Vince wants a three on one massacre. I mean: Angle and Helmsley against me and Austin? C'mon Ric, you know as well as I do it'll be a glorified handicap match!"

"I really wish I could do something about it, Chris," Ric said wearily. Benoit noted that the last couple of years had taken a toll on his mentor and friend. Not nearly the massive toll the last few years of WCW had taken before it was bought by Shane McMahon, but a toll nonetheless.

"Yeah, well we both know he's doing this to prevent you from altering WrestleMania," Benoit pointed out, "take me out and he has his precious main event. Keeps the title on his son - in - law and keeps his bitch daughter happy."

Benoit then made a face, knowing Ric did not like using the word bitch against a woman.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"Don't be," Ric said, "I may not like the word but it's probably an accurate assessment of her character. Besides it would be a three - on - one anyhow if I figured out a way to get you into that title match. Vince would put Angle in it to make it a four way and we both know it."

"At least Helmsley would actually have to fight for the belt. Hell if I though it wouldn't give Vince the opportunity to do what he wants, I'd say make it an elimination match and start it off with me and Angle," Benoit snorted, thinking in contempt of man that cost him the WWF title just a couple of weeks prior at the Royal Rumble.

Ric nodded remembering Angle's interference in that match that allowed Triple H to hit the Pedigree and pin Benoit to, in Ric's view, unfairly regain the WWF Title.

"I wish there was more I could do, Chris," Ric offered again. There really wasn't much Ric could think of to help Benoit out at No Way Out.

Benoit snorted again. "The only thing that's going to help is if Austin suddenly turned on Vince in the next couple of weeks. Look I'm going to get my gear, call Nancy and the kids, and get back to the hotel. Catch you later Ric."

"Yeah, see ya, pal," Ric said as he watched his friend walking away, wishing there was something that could be done in this no - win situation.

Next up: The evil genius himself, Vince.