Title: True Colors
Rating: PG-13 for violence, language, adult themes
Spoilers: For the date given. There's some direct dialogue from Benoit and the announcers and one match has a slightly altered ending (though the result is the same)
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this stuff except for Angel.
Summary: Angel shows her true colors, but how and to whom?
A/N: If you have any questions about this story (and I know there may be some, as in why do the hotels these people stay in have wrestling rings in their gyms? Answer - they just do, lol), write me a review and give me an email address. All questions will be answered :-)
RAW IS WAR, MARCH 12TH, 2001
Despite waking up with a slight headache on Monday morning, Angel felt better than she had in a week and decided to resume basic training. Of course, Benoit accompanied her; she couldn't stop that. She did her fitness and strength exercises, then worked with Blackman for a while. When they were done, Angel looked around nervously.
"He's not coming, is he?" she asked at last.
Blackman shook his head. "I can't say I blame him. What you did was not cool."
Angel frowned, sick of having to justify herself over things which weren't her fault. "Then why are you still here?"
Blackman shrugged. "You haven't dressed up like me, yet."
Angel sighed. "Listen, Steve, it wasn't my fault."
"I don't care," Blackman cut her off. "Al's not coming, that's obvious, but I'm here and I'll continue to keep being here until you decide to screw me over too. I will have to warn you against that, though. You should know better than anyone what I'm capable of."
Angel blinked, his words stinging her. "I do. I guess…I guess we're finished for today?"
Blackman nodded coolly. "I guess so. See you tomorrow." He shifted his gaze to Benoit. "See you tomorrow, Benoit."
Benoit just smirked as Angel reached him.
"Oh, and Angel?" Blackman called. "Watch yourself. It's much easier to make enemies round here than it is to keep friends."
"Your coaches give good advice," Benoit muttered. "Too bad they don't train you properly."
"Shut up," Angel scowled, pushing past him and out the door.
* * * *
"You go find a seat while I get the food," Benoit ordered as they reached the catering area of the arena.
"I got it already," Angel snapped, looking around the room for one of her friends or acquaintances, any protection in case one of her enemies showed up. She carefully examined the faces at the tables. No Hardys, no Hollys, no Acolytes, no Too Cool or K-Kwik. Surprisingly, she suddenly spotted the one person she wanted to see more than anyone else.
He was choosing drinks from an ice chest on a small table right across the room from where she was standing. The most direct way was over the tables, so that's how Angel decided to go.
She ran quickly, dodging plates and cups, ignoring the protests of other people, leaping from table to table. Finally, when she was close enough, she launched herself and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him as she slid down his body.
Jeff's look of surprise quickly changed to a smile as he returned her kiss and hugged her tightly.
"Hey Angel," he breathed as they came up for air.
"Hi Jeff," Angel grinned, pulling his face down towards hers again.
Before they could get carried away, Lita and Matt showed up.
"Geez, Jeff," Lita cried, putting her arms around the two of them as Matt balanced three plates. "I know me and Matt took forever with the food but you could've waited a little longer before you started eating my cousin."
Blushing, Angel buried her forehead against Jeff's neck. "Everyone's looking at us, aren't they?"
Jeff laughed. "Oh yeah. Big time."
"Oh my God," Angel sighed, headbutting him lightly with every word.
Jeff laughed again. "Come on, 'Gel. Let's go sit down."
He led her to a table as Matt set out everyone's food.
"See anything you like, 'Gel?" Jeff asked.
She sighed deeply, remembering Benoit. "No, mine's on its way."
"Great," Jeff muttered, clutching Angel around the waist. "That's just who I wanted to see."
Angel shrugged, playing with his face. "I'll move down. I don't' want another confrontation."
Jeff squeezed her and kissed her on the top of the head. "Come by our match tonight, if he'll give you permission."
"I don't care what he thinks. But isn't Lita your valet?"
"Yeah, but if Matt gets his girlfriend at ringside, I want mine there too."
Angel looked puzzled. "Is that what we are?"
"Well, aren't we?" Jeff asked warily.
Angel slowly broke into a smile. "Yeah, I guess we are."
From across the table, Matt spoke and destroyed their moment. "Hey kids. Benoit, two o'clock."
Angel's face fell. "Dammit," she sighed, pushing herself to her feet. "I guess I'd better go." She grabbed Jeff's head in an embrace, then bent down to kiss him quickly. "See you guys later."
"Bye Angel," they chorused as she walked away.
Jeff smoothed his hair and looked across the table at Matt and Lita. "I hate him. I really hate him."
"We know, honey," Lita replied sympathetically. "We hate him too."
Angel reached Benoit and thrust her hands onto her hips.
"I thought I told you to find somewhere to sit," Benoit accused.
"I did," she replied testily. "But apparently only one of us was welcome there."
Benoit glowered at her. "Fine. We'll eat in the locker room."
"What?"
"Get moving!" Benoit ordered.
Angel scowled at his back as she followed him from the room, muttering under her breath. "Like it's my fault you don't have any friends."
Benoit stopped short and spun to face her. "Oh, it's not your fault, is it? It could never be your fault that I again have to fight the Radicalz tonight instead of being part of them. You didn't cause that, did you? Did you?"
Angel blinked at him. Was that hurt she saw in his face? "I'm just saying it wouldn't kill you to be nice from time to time."
"Nice," Benoit repeated through his teeth. "Has no place in wrestling. Now, move!"
Shaking her head, Angel walked on, wondering if Benoit had a breaking point and, if so, exactly how close was she to reaching it?
* * * *
Angel looked over at Benoit as the two of them ate in silence. He stared back expressionlessly, making sure she ate all her food.
"Does it bother you that me and Jeff are a couple now?" Angel asked finally.
Benoit raised his eyebrows. "So you're a couple," he repeated.
Angel nodded. "Does that news upset you?"
Benoit shrugged. "Why should I bother forming an opinion on something that'll be over just as soon as it started?"
"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Angel asked testily.
"These things don't last," Benoit shrugged, turning back to his plate.
"But Matt and Lita…"
"I don't care about Matt and Lita. I'm not talking about them. I'm talking about you."
"You don't even know me," Angel accused.
"Princess, I know you better than you think. Jeff Hardy's not an idiot. He'll work out what you're doing."
"Oh, and what am I doing, genius?" Angel demanded.
"Using him to get to me," Benoit replied, matter-of-factly.
Angel snapped. "Oh, you wish, buddy! Really, Benoit, you're just like Malenko."
"I'm like Malenko? Did you say I'm like Malenko? Little girl, you're the one who thinks I'm talking about sex."
"Well, what the hell are you talking about?" Angel demanded.
Benoit smirked at her. "I'm talking about you, hating the fact that you have to be my valet, hating it more than anything else in the world. I'm talking about you, getting Jeff to worship you so he'll do anything for you, and you finally conceding to get it on so he'll think 'hey, I just might have a chance with this girl'…"
"You don't know what you're…" Angel started, but Benoit cut her off with a look.
"I'm talking about you, convincing Jeff to fight me. Winner takes all. Winner takes you."
"What?" Angel asked with a frown.
"Stipulation match," Benoit grinned. "The best man gets the girl."
"You can do that?"
Benoit shook his head disdainfully. "Princess, surely you've been here long enough to know that all problems begin and end in the ring."
Angel was dumbfounded. "You…you'd agree to that?"
"Yes."
"But why? You'd lose me."
"No I wouldn't. It'd be just another victory for the greatest damn technical wrestler in the WWF. I have no doubt about that at all."
"Don't discount Jeff," Angel warned him. "He…"
"I know," Benoit cut in. "He loves you. Or wants to screw you, I don't know. Both are strong motivators. But passion can only get you so far. Power does the rest. And that's what I'm all about. You see, I will beat Jeff and then he'll realize that you were only using him as a way out of our little deal. How do you think he'll feel then?"
Angel shook her head, running her tongue over her teeth. "No, no. I have feelings for Jeff, too. And he can beat you. Can and will. And then he and I will be together while you and me will be nothing. In fact, we're nothing now. We'll be less than nothing. You'll regret telling me about this, Benoit. Because after I let Jeff know, I'll never have to look at your piggy face again."
"Piggy face?" Benoit asked, confused.
"Piggy face," Angel repeated, as if it was the harshest insult ever. She put her plate down on the floor. "I'm going to go get ready. I think you'll like my outfit tonight, Benoit. I'm choosing it just for you."
Benoit watched her leave and shook his head slowly. "Piggy face," he murmured, thoroughly bewildered. He shrugged it off. If she was going where he thought she was going, she was playing right into his hands.
* * * *
"Okay!" Angel cried, bursting into Matt, Jeff and Lita's locker room. "Who wants to help me piss off Benoit?"
"I'm in," Jeff announced as Matt and Lita nodded their agreement.
"What you got planned, Angel?" Matt asked.
Angel turned to her cousin. "Li, I need you to help me make one of those tops."
"Like this one?" Lita asked, pointing at her transformed T-shirt. When Angel nodded, she continued. "I'll get the scissors."
"Jeff," Angel said, smiling over at him. "You promised me a Hardy Boyz shirt, right?"
"Right," Jeff smiled back, before finally breaking eye contact to dig through his bag.
"Matt," Angel grinned, holding up the marker she's stolen from Terri's makeup case a week earlier. "You're in charge of body art. I am your canvas."
"Problem!" Jeff cried before Matt could get to work. Angel stared at him with a frown as he looked up from his bag. "I only brought my plain black shirt."
Matt rolled his eyes. "Then give her the one you're wearing and put that one on instead."
Jeff looked down. Sure enough, there was Hardy Boyz symbol on his shirt, plain as day.
"Right," he grinned, slipping it over his head. He stepped over to hand it to Angel but caught her making long, sweeping glances over his body. Jeff stared at her quizzically and she finally caught his eye, breaking into a knowing and incredibly sexy smile. He couldn't take it and lunged at her, wrapping her up in his arms as he kissed her.
Matt calmly picked up the discarded shirt. "Lita," he called, handing it to her.
Lita smiled at the couple, then at Matt, and went to work. "I hope Jeff didn't want this back," she mused as she cut strips out of the back and removed the sleeves.
"Oh, I don't think he minds," Matt replied with a smile.
"I don't have time to hem it or anything, but…" Lita trailed off. "Hey, Ange. We're finished over here."
Angel broke away from Jeff and turned to her cousin. "Okay," she grinned. "Team eXtreme me."
When they were finished, Angel was a work of art. She had her Hardy Boyz pendant and 'crop top', and Matt had written the word 'Team' down one arm and 'eXtreme' down the other. The back of each hand had a Hardy Boyz symbol and the bottom knuckle of each finger had a letter, spelling 'MATT' on her left hand and 'LITA' on her right. Her palms bore two letters each, so that if she held them up and out they spelled Jeff's name.
Angel examined herself in the mirror. "Oh yeah," she grinned, nodding her head. "Benoit is going to hate this. Thanks, guys, this is awesome."
"No problem," Matt smiled, before turning to Jeff. "That's the girls taken care of. You and me gotta get ready now."
Jeff nodded. "Angel, you gonna come down for our match?"
"Of course," Angel smiled. "The more exposure I can get looking like this, the better."
Jeff smiled back. He had that look in his eyes, like he was going to kiss her again, but Matt stopped him. "Jeff, you smudge my art, you're a dead man."
"You better get ready," Angel smiled. "There's something I want to ask you, but it can wait until after."
"There is?" Jeff asked, reaching for his shirt. "What is it?"
Angel shook her head. "After. It's a surprise. You'll like it. I mean, I like it."
Jeff nodded slowly. "Then I guess I will like it."
* * * *
Angel was a completely different person when she made her entrance with the Hardyz. She smiled, she danced, she held up her hands so people watching on TV could read them. When Jeff locked up with X-Pac she cheered him on loudly.
"Yeah, Jeff!" she shouted, applauding as he gave X-Pac a dropkick to the back of the head, then ran to tag Matt. They double-teamed X-Pac a couple of times before Jeff returned to the corner.
"That was awesome, Jeff," Angel cried.
Jeff smiled down at her. "You liked that, huh?"
"Oh yeah," Angel replied, before being grabbed around the shoulders by Lita, who led her away.
"Ange, no one's happier than me that you and Jeff are together, but this is a title match and they have to concentrate."
"You're right, I'm sorry," Angel replied, leaning on the apron. "Come on, Matt!"
"Hey!" cried both Lita and Angel as X-Pac nailed Matt with a martial arts kick from outside the ring, but the worst wasn't over with Justin Credible pushing Matt out onto the ground and jumping down after him. Jeff tried to give chase but was stopped by the ref as X and Credible posted Matt, much to Lita's horror. They then threw Matt back into the ring and. After an X-Pac spinning heel kick, it was time for the broncobuster.
"That's awful!" Angel cried as X-Pac bounced up and down on Matt. "Is that guy gay or something?"
Despite her concern, Lita laughed. "I don't know. Come on, Matt!"
X-Pac tagged Credible, but Matt moved just as Justin made an attack, causing him to post himself.
"Yeah!" screamed Angel as Matt made the tag. Jeff made his entrance by flipping himself over the ropes, to Angel's delight. His opponents went for the double team, but he took them both down with a perfect dropkick.
"Let's go, Jeff!" Angel shouted as he dropped X-Pac with a corkscrew moonsault. Next, Matt arrived for the Poetry In Motion, but X-Pac attacked Jeff from behind, whipping him into the ropes, then trying for an armdrag takedown, which sent Jeff flying from the ring and into Lita.
"Lita, are you okay?" Jeff asked, trying to get to his feet.
"Jeff, I've got her," Angel told him. "You go help Matt." Jeff nodded and climbed the ropes as Matt threw X-Pac from the ring, then performed the Twist Of Fate on Justin Credible. Jeff flew in the Swanton Bomb and made the cover as Angel cheered him on from where she was trying to help Lita stand.
"One! Two!"
Suddenly, a huge bald man, who Angel recognized as Albert, grabbed Jeff. The bell rang but Albert lifted Jeff above his head and threw him a good ten feet onto the concrete floor in front of the crowd.
"I'll be right back, Lita," Angel fumed, jumping to her feet. She slid through the ring, stood on the apron and raised her sticks above her head. "Aaaaah!" Albert turned just as she jumped and tried to hurricanrana him. But he just caught her and dumped her carelessly on the bottom of the ramp, before climbing into the ring to give Matt a Baldo Bomb.
At that moment, Chris Benoit came racing down the ramp. He hoisted Angel over his shoulder and was gone just as fast, letting the fight finish behind him and not caring in the slightest who came out on top.
* * * *
By the time they reached the hallway, Angel had started to struggle. "Let me down!"
Benoit ignored her protests until they reached the locker room. He dumped her onto the bench.
"Thanks for the ride," she scowled. "But I am capable of walking."
Benoit eyed her accusingly. "How am I supposed to keep you safe when you pick fights with people more than twice your size?"
Angel shrugged. "He hurt Jeff."
"Then did it occur to you he'd hurt you, too? No, I didn't think so. Stay right here."
"Where are you going?' Angel asked.
Benoit didn't answer her question. "Turn the TV on. I think you'll like this."
* * * *
Angel watched as the Radicalz strategized ways of destroying Benoit. She smiled and nodded at some of their ideas. Saturn suggested lynching him, tying him to the back of Eddie's car and then dragging him up and down the street. Malenko thought it would be a great idea to attack him with a steel pipe, then sit around and watched him bleed. Renewed by their ideas, they left to hunt Benoit down.
As he complained about having to find a rope somewhere, Saturn stopped for a drink. When the other two had disappeared from view, Benoit leaped out from behind a wall and attacked him, before locking on the crossface. Benoit didn't let him go until all Saturn's strength was gone. Then he simply got to his feet and smirked down at his former teammate. One down, two to go.
* * * *
Chris Jericho interrupted William Regal's inaugural speech as commissioner (a position he'd won in a match with Al Snow). It was supposed to be funny and the crowd loved it, but Angel didn't laugh.
Next, Christian met D-Von Dudley in a match to determine whose team would take on Matt and Jeff in a week's time. Buh Buh Ray interfered and handed D-Von the match, but Angel just kept wondering when the hell Benoit was getting back.
Vince McMahon showed up with Trish Stratus and then, finally, Malenko and Eddie were shown, walking the halls as Malenko lugged a steel pipe. Eddie promised to watch his friend's back as Malenko walked through a doorway, into another passage. Just then, Benoit shoved the door shut, locking Eddie out. He knocked Malenko down, then bent the pipe around his knees, before breaking it over his back. He opened the door and Eddie burst in to find his friend lying on the ground. He looked up, right into the cold eyes of Chris Benoit.
"It's time," Benoit announced. "See you in the ring."
Eddie launched into some smack talk but he didn't sound nearly as confident as he had before.
A minute later, Benoit arrived back at the locker room.
"Come on," he said to Angel as he pulled his T-shirt off. "It's time to go."
Angel sighed and got to her feet. "You think that impressed me?"
"Didn't it?"
Angel just raised her eyebrows and followed him from the room.
* * * *
"I'm going to sit at the announce desk," Angel declared, hoping he'd argue with her. But Benoit didn't even flinch. He was in the zone.
Angel took her seat beside Paul Heyman.
"Hi," she said sullenly.
"Angel Torres," Heyman greeted her. "You're looking very eXtreme tonight."
"Yeah," Angel replied as Eddie made his entrance. She stiffened noticeably.
"I take it you're not an Eddie Guerrero fan?" JR asked.
"You take right," Angel murmured.
Eddie tried to attack Benoit but was immediately brought to the canvas in a legdrag takedown.
"So, you'll be cheering on Chris Benoit?" Heyman asked.
"You don't take that right," Angel replied as Benoit kicked Eddie in the corner.
"You are his valet, correct?" JR questioned.
"That's right."
"So, isn't it your job to cheer him on?"
Angel shook her head. "I accompany him to and from the ring. That's what I do."
Eddie ducked a hard right and started punching Benoit.
"You don't like Chris Benoit, then?" Heyman asked.
"No, I don't."
"But isn't it true that this feud between Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero started because of you?"
"That's right. I valet, Benoit keeps me safe. That's our deal. The Radicalz attacked me, Benoit had to get revenge."
"While we're on that, Angel, it seems to me that you're responsible for the breakup of one of the greatest friendships or partnerships I've seen in my years of broadcasting. Don't you feel even the slightest empathy for the man who lost it all because of a simple deal?"
Angel shook her head. "No, I don't. And don't martyrize him. No matter what he says, no matter what he does, he's still a son of a bitch and I hate him with a passion. With or without his former puppets."
"Well, you heard it, folks. Angel Torres is not a happy young lady."
Angel simply clenched her jaw and watched the action expressionlessly, refusing to say another word.
"It seems to me that if not even his valet's on his side, Chris Benoit doesn't have a friend in the world."
"Yeah, but that's the way he likes it," Heyman argued. "Chris Benoit's a monster, he's a machine. He doesn't need anyone else."
"Benoit, burying that knee into the abdomen of Eddie Guerrero."
But, just as Benoit seemed to have the upper hand, Eddie brought him down in a hurricanrana and started a flurry of punches to the face.
It was anyone's match. Eddie tried the suplex, reversal from Benoit, Benoit tossed Eddie from the ring.
Angel nodded slowly, glowering at the image of Eddie's body on the monitor in front of her. Benoit tried for a suicide dive into Eddie, but missed it, ramming his head and shoulders into the barricade. Eddie signaled his intentions to the crowd and started kicking Benoit. Angel watched expressionlessly, folding and unfolding her hands.
The action returned to the ring, with Eddie suplexing Benoit and getting a two-count.
"All credit to Benoit for kicking out," Heyman announced. "For there would be no shame in losing after missing the suicide dive."
Angel turned to him, aghast. "Do you know him? He hates to lose. He's even more of a bastard when he loses than when he wins."
"So, you do want him to win?"
"Of course I want him to win. Doesn't mean I hate him any less."
Again Eddie made a cover and got a two count, then another.
Somehow, Benoit dug deep for a series of German suplexes. He spread his arms. It was headbutt time. Benoit crashed onto Eddie but it took a lot out of him and by the time he made the cover, Eddie kicked out on two.
Both men were exhausted. Reversal followed reversal until Guerrero landed two brain busters in a row, then stumbled towards the corner.
Angel knew what was next.
"See you later," she murmured, wrenching off her headset. She raced to the corner and by the time Guerrero reached the top turnbuckle, she was ready. Just as he started his frogsplash, she slapped her sticks hard across his back and he fell harmlessly to the canvas. The ref was watching over Benoit's body and hadn't seen a thing. Angel ducked behind the apron as an almost exhausted Benoit found his legs, rolled through Eddie and locked on the crossface. Eddie tapped out, the bell rang, and it was over.
Angel threw her hands in the air, nodding to herself. She climbed into the ring and helped Benoit to his feet, then raised his hand in victory.
"How do you like that, you piece of crap?" Angel shouted as Benoit grabbed her to keep from falling down. "We just kicked your ass!"
"When you see Dean and Perry at the ER, say hi for me," Benoit added as he stumbled from the ring.
Angel patted Benoit on the back as they stopped at the bottom of the ramp and turned back once more. Benoit smirked while Angel nodded coolly. She'd be damned if she let the Radicalz screw with her anymore. Benoit might be the one taking the fight to the ring but, as she had just shown, she was perfectly capable of defending herself.
* * * *
Angel returned from the trainer's room, armed with some ice packs.
"Put this one on your knee," she suggested. "I'll get your neck and back with the other ones."
Benoit didn't argue; he simply applied the ice to his knee, bending down so she could get at his back.
"About what you did out there," he said at last.
"Uh huh," Angel murmured, concentrating on her two ice packs.
"That wasn't about me, was it? It was about Eddie."
"That's right."
"Yeah, that's what I thought."
They sat in silence until Angel announced, "Fifteen minutes. Take it off."
Benoit removed the ice and tried to sit up straight. He watched Angel for a while, but she was used to it and didn't even move.
"I think it's time we talked about your costume," Benoit said at last.
Angel spread her Team eXtreme arms. "You don't like it?" she asked innocently.
"Don't play with me, little girl," Benoit scowled.
"You've never complained about my costume before," Angel shrugged.
"You've never stepped out there for one of my matches looking like that before," Benoit told her.
"Well," said Angel, getting to her feet and spinning around slowly. "What don't you like?"
"Six year olds play with magic marker," Benoit started. "You don't."
"No magic marker," Angel shrugged. "I can live with that."
"If you want a pattern on anything, you ask me first," Benoit continued.
Angel followed his gaze to her top. "Get your damn eyes off my…"
"Puppies?" Benoit mocked. "Don't flatter yourself, princess. I was looking at that symbol. Speaking of which," he added, stepping up to her and grabbing at her neck. "You don't wear this." With that, he pulled at her pendant, snapping the necklace.
"Hey!" Angel cried, trying to grab at it. "That's not mine! It was a present!"
"And it's presently mine," Benoit told her, amused by his own humor.
Angel scowled at him. "Why are you such a prick?"
"That's what happens when you try me," Benoit replied simply. "Now, let's get back to the hotel."