Chapter 20: At What Cost

Haley leaned closer to her reflection in the mirror, carefully applying a thin coating of mascara to her eyelashes. The effect of lifted, curled lashes had her brown eyes standing out against the pale green eye shadow she wore. Her hair was done half down, half pulled back with a silver clip; her side swept bangs the only thing framing her face. She was dressed for her ring side appearance in a fitted black sweater that was cut in a low v-neck, and was a wrap around to tie in the middle of her back, baring her midriff and upper back. She wore light blue boot cut jeans over sexy black ankle boots with a three inch heel and added silver jewelry for accessories, including her engagement ring.

The locker room door swung open and she glanced up using the mirror to reflect who had come into the women's changing area. She found herself returning Kelly's bright smile, even though Haley didn't feel half the blonde's cheer at the moment. "Hey Kel."

"You look hot!" Kelly answered her cheerfully. "Love the boots!"

"You love all boots." Haley teased her lightly. "What's got you in such a good mood?"

"Oh?" Kelly's cheeks burned suddenly with color. "Um...nothing." She replied lamely.

Haley turned away from the mirror and laughed. "Bullshit. You're a terrible liar."

Kelly sighed, hesitantly looking around the changing area to make sure they were alone. "Can you keep a secret?"

Haley nodded. "Obviously. None of you knew how deranged Randy had gotten due to my secret keeping skills."

"That's not funny." Kelly frowned. "You should have told us."

Haley shook her head. "Regardless, that's not what this conversation is about. Spill Blondie."

"I think..." Kelly trailed off suddenly, looking unsure.

"You think what?" Haley probed curiously, unused to Kelly being shy.

"That I might have a crush on Evan Bourne!" Kelly blurted out before slapping a palm over her mouth in shock.

A slow smile curved Haley's lips. "Really?"

Kelly let out a pathetic moan. "This is so bad! I'm with Phil. I love Phil, and just because we're fighting I start crushing on another guy! I feel like a slut or something!"

"You're not a slut." Haley corrected her firmly. "Kel, Phil has been making you really unhappy lately. He's been belittling you, or ignoring you, and you've been spending time with a guy who ADORES you. I couldn't blame you for liking the guy who's sweet on you over your ass of a boyfriend."

"You really think Evan is sweet on me?" Kelly asked, looking slightly hopeful.

"Not only is it written all over his face when he looks at you," Haley nodded. "But, he told me when he asked me about you. Kelly, if you want to be with Evan, he's all yours."

"I guess I should just bite the bullet and break up with Phil then." Kelly shrugged, smiling again. "That will suck, but Evan..."

"Will make it worth it." Haley assured her. "I just want you to be happy, Hunn and right now, Phil isn't doing it. He's acting like a jerk. Trust me, I went through this when I was with John, denying my feelings for Dave out of loyalty. Trust me, being with a guy who puts you first, is worth it."

"Thanks Hales," Kelly hugged her. "I'll break up with him tonight. Think Candice would mind a roommate?"

"Since I'm forced to room with Hunter these days and have abandoned her?" Haley chuckled. "Heck no. She'd love to have you."

There was a knock on the door before Hunter's voice suddenly drifted through the door. "Punkin, we're on in ten minutes. Get your scrawny butt moving!"

"Coming!" Haley called back to him, rolling her eyes fondly. "That's my cue. We can talk more about this later."

"Good luck." Kelly expression sobered, knowing where Haley was going and who she was about to face. "Be really careful okay?"

"I will." Haley promised, steeling her expression before heading towards the door. Now it was time to focus on business.

The roar of the crowd could be heard beyond the thick black curtain that separated them from the Gorilla position and the main stage. Hunter and Haley crowded together on the small steel platform, waiting for their cue, which was moments away. Triple H was as intense and focused as Haley had ever seen him. In one hand, he held his water bottle in a vice grip, plastic crinkling loudly under the pressure, the other held hers protectively.

Haley's eyes remained on the black curtain, though she was seeing beyond it. When she finally stepped through, the stage would be dark, lit only by flashes of neon green. Motorhead would mix with the noise of the thousands in attendance and she would match steps with the benchmark of the business today and the current WWE Champion.

"Haley," Hunter's voice was quiet, but firm in his instruction. "I want you to stay close okay? And if I tell you too, you get your ass in that ring no matter what the referee says. You don't leave my side."

"You sound like you have a plan?" She tore her gaze from the curtain to look up at him curiously, but he was staring straight ahead.

Time to play the Game

TIME TO PLAY THE GAME! (OOH HAHAHA)

As the heavy guitar riffs hit the airwaves, Hunter violently flung back the curtain and pulled Haley forward. Together, they stepped into the dark, their silhouettes briefly shown amongst the flashing lights. Over the music, spread out in front of them, the crowd rose in welcome. Cheers were deafening, Triple chants echoed and the sheer amount of response elicited by one man stunned her briefly.

Then the lights came up, and Triple H was striding down the ramp, leaving her to follow in his wake.

"Game Time." She murmured, putting a smile on her face and beginning her journey to the ring below.

Haley's fingers curled into the ring apron, her attention constantly switching from the match between Triple H and Cody Rhodes in front of her and up to the top of the ramp, where Randy Orton and Ted Dibiase Jr. stood on stage.

Five minutes earlier, Triple H had shouted for her to pull a sledgehammer out from beneath the ring. She did so without hesitation and now the infamous weapon lay at her feet, within reach should Randy Orton make one wrong move. She would not be his victim tonight, nor ever again if she could help it. A glance down at her engagement ring was enough assurance that she was not alone. And if the man currently in the ring decimating Cody Rhodes piece by piece had anything to say about it, Randy's brains would splattered all over the ring should he even think about trying to come at her.

The sickening thud of flesh meeting canvas had Haley looking back into the ring. Cody Rhodes lay dazed on the mat, courtesy of a thunderous spine buster. Triple H was grinning lecherously up at his Wrestlemania opponent, who looked none to pleased at the damage the Game was causing to one of his protégés.

"Haley!" Triple H didn't take his eyes off Orton. "Sledgehammer." He held a hand out behind him for his weapon of choice.

Haley bent down, retrieving the heavy hammer before climbing into the ring under the bottom with it. She ignored the reprimands of Mike Chioda and passed Hunter his weapon, just as Randy and Ted made the decision to rush the ring. The sight of the Game possessing his coveted implement of violence had them skidding to a halt outside the ring.

"Haley," Hunter's voice was deceptively calm. "Don't move."

Haley, who had been backing away, froze mid step at the command. "Hunter?" She questioned anxiously, looking out at Randy and wanting to put as much distance between herself and her tormentor as possible.

"Punkin," He chuckled darkly. "Trust me."

She rearranged her stance, feet spread shoulder width apart, arms crossed over her torso and head tilted just slightly as she waited for the next move.

This Triple H she was unfamiliar with on a personal level. She had seen this side of him before, on television, as a fan. But she had never gotten to see this version of himself in person before. This part of him had lain dormant for several years, having no need for this kind of thirst for violence. But Randy Orton had provoked the sleeping giant and now the Cerebral Assassin, Evolution's former mastermind, the harbinger of carnage and cruelty, stood between the Viper and the woman he seeked to destroy.

Triple H lifted the hand that did not hold up his hammer and made a quick waving motion and suddenly the cheers of approval from the fans were deafening. Haley, Randy and Ted looked up simultaneously to see the steel cage descending upon them that would effectively lock Triple H, Cody Rhodes and Haley inside and lock Randy Orton and Ted Dibiase Jr. outside.

"The man's a genius." Haley murmured, relaxing once the cage was in place. Randy could do many things, but even he had limitations when it came to steel.

"Here's your preview, Orton," Hunter taunted, tossing the hammer aside. "This is what's in store for you at Wrestlemania!" He turned his sights onto Cody who was just now beginning to come around.

"Yeah!" At home in Ipswich, Dave Batista jumped to his feet, clapping in approval as Triple H pedigreed Cody Rhodes not once, but twice into the canvas before securing a pinfall victory. Randy Orton's shouts of fury only added to his enjoyment of the match, especially since his fiance was safely ensconsed inside the steel cage with Hunter while Orton was locked out.

Onscreen, Haley was smiling, celebrating Triple H's victory, but Dave could see her continuously glance over at Randy and the fear that would briefly cloud over her face before she forced herself to smile again. Batista could kill Randy for that alone. Add it to the list of every other reprehensible thing he's done and he had signed his own death warrant. While Triple H extracting punishment on Orton and his cronies would have to be enough for now, the Animal couldn't wait to get his own hands on Randy and make him pay.

As the feed cut to commercial, Dave lowered himself back onto the couch and glanced down at his silent cell phone. He knew the likelihood of Haley calling this fast was doubtful. She was probably just now getting out the ring and heading backstage. Then she'd head straight for the Diva's locker room, change into warmer clothes and no doubt Hunter would rush her out of the arena and to the safety of the hotel they were staying at. Dave probably wouldn't hear from her for another hour at least, but it didn't stop him from wishing he could hear her voice now. Give him her version of tonight's events, so he could judge for himself how she felt about what happened.

"At least she's safe." He mumbled to himself. "You saw that with your own two eyes. Hunter made sure Orton could not touch her at all tonight."

He was about to get back to his feet and get himself a drink from the kitchen when suddenly his phone did start ringing. And, as if she had heard his thoughts, his fiance's name, accompanied by a picture of her beautiful face appeared on his screen.

"Baby?" He chuckled into his phone. "How'd you get back to the locker room so fast?"

"Hunter just made me run in heels." She complained lightly. There was noise in the background that suddenly disappeared as she apparently closed a door behind her. "Hi."

"Hi Sweetheart," His whole countenance tensed slightly at the little bit of strain in her voice. "Is something wrong?"

"I've only got a few minutes before Hunter comes back to get me." She admitted. "Fortunately, I packed my gear up before the match since I wasn't actually competing. Babe, can I ask you something?"

"Always." He assured her. "What's on your mind?"

"Hunter was...different, tonight." She began and he could hear the rustle of clothing in the background. "He was colder, harder, dangerous. I saw it in the way he looked at Randy and the way he kind of systematically had everything go down tonight. He didn't even tell me what he had planned."

"Does that bother you? I could talk to him if you..." He started to offer before she cut him off.

"He was the Cerebral Assassin tonight, Dave." She said quietly. "Evolution's Cerebral Assassin."

Dave didn't say anything for a moment, knowing what she meant by the description. Dave understood this version of Triple H better than anyone else in the WWE. Unlike Randy Orton, he had been the only one to conquer Triple H at his worst. Batista's own evolution as a superstar had allowed him to defeat Triple H at Wrestlemania 21, but it had not been an easy battle by any means. Hunter had a nasty streak inside him that could run as black as pitch. He could and sometimes would resort to any means to get what he wanted. He had destroyed careers, committed barbaric assaults and unwarranted attacks. But unlike Randy Orton, Triple H had never gone over the line. Not like Randy had. Hunter wasn't sick, he was always in control. Dave was relying on that control, and that nasty streak to made Orton pay. But he couldn't blame Haley for being a little overwhelmed by it.

"This feud has Evolution roots, Hales," Dave reminded her. "Your own dealings with Randy put this feud into motion, but there's other history here too. And with how Randy's become, it's going to take the Cerebral Assassin to take him out."

"I just thought it was ugly enough, this war." Haley sighed heavily. "But it's going to get worse, isn't it?"

He didn't answer her simply because she already knew the answer, instead he tried to persuade her. "You can still take time off. Stay home with me until I'm cleared to compete. We can come back and face Orton down together."

"No." Haley's response was resigned. "Hunter may say he's doing this just as much for himself and their history, but you said it yourself, I started this. I will see it through to the beginning. I just don't want to lose myself before it's over."

"Haley, you're the strongest woman I know. It's one of the many reasons I fell in love with you." He told her. "If anyone's going to get through this, it's you."

"I hope you're right, Dave. I really do."

"You scared her tonight." That was the opening statement Hunter heard when he answered his cell phone several hours later.

Hunter glanced over his shoulder back into the hotel room where Haley lay sleeping in one of the beds. "Scared her?" He repeated, brow furrowing in confusion as he closed the slider door behind him to keep the winter chill from seeping into the room. "How did I scare her? I was protecting her."

"It wasn't something you did." Dave's voice was slightly heavy with fatigue. "But I think she finally realized how far this war could really go. She thought it's ugliest would be what Randy has done to her. I don't think she truly realized what was inside you, what it'll take to beat him, until she saw it in your face tonight. I think it scared her, a little."

Hunter scrubbed a hand over his face. "What do you want me to do, Dave? Randy Orton is a psychopath. He's that mad dog that needs to be put to sleep. I created that, I have to destroy it. But I can't do it acting like John freaking Cena. Orton has to go down the same way he was made. It's mental and physical warfare. It's violence, it's cruelty and it's hated. This isn't about faith and following your dreams. This is about survival. This isn't some contest over a title belt. This is a war. You of all people should understand that."

"I do understand it, Hunter." Dave snapped. "I was there, remember? You and I had our own war! Do you remember our battles? The final showdown in a hell in a cell? I do. I remember what you put me through. I remember what WE put Randy through. I was there through all of it. I've been down this road. I know that these kind of battles, you have to go to a dark place in order to win. But Haley…"

"Hasn't." Hunter sighed, finishing his sentence. "She's pure and she's innocent. She's never been down this road before. Her battles have been with Divas, not psychopaths."

"I'm worried for her, Hunter. You have the upper hand now, but there's still five weeks to 'Mania. Randy Orton can still retaliate and do some more damage in the mean time." Dave continued. "You know how back and forth these things can go. This time, she's caught right in the crosshairs. And Randy's going to want to hit you where it hurts so he'll target her."

"He won't touch her…ever again." Hunter swore, his hand curling into a tight fist. "I will kill him before he gets the chance."

"And you know better than anyone physical isn't the only damage he can cause." Dave reminded him. "Remember what he put her through leading up to the attack. He never got face time with her and she's was falling apart inside. He can still inflict pain from afar. I assured her she was strong enough to get through this, but…"

"She will get through this, Dave." Hunter gripped the railing of the balcony, looking up into the starry night sky. "If there is anyone in the company who can come through something like this, it's her. Like I said, she's pure and she's innocent. She might have scars before this is all over. But she'll be intact. And I'll be there, every step of the way. She's going to be fine when this is all over Dave."

"I just worry about the cost." Dave said. "She comes home to me in the mean time and she's not sleeping right. She's not eating right. And I can't get her to really relax. I hate feeling so helpless."

"Just keep being there for her, Dave." Hunter glanced back toward the room. "It's all any of us can do for her right now. Support and protect her, the rest has to come from that light she carries inside. And she'll use it. I'm sure of it."

A/N: Sorry this took so long. I've been dealing with some personal issues lately, but I've been inspired to continue on with a vengeance this week. So hopefully the updates will keep on coming. Stay tuned!