Chapter LIV: The Real Mastermind

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I HAVE RETURNED!

*Ducks fruit thrown by angry readers*

Oh, real mature. Its all fun and games until someone gets citrus in their eye. Don't throw fruit at people.

*Ducks rocks thrown by angry readers*

That's not very nice. If this is how I get greeted, maybe I just won't update.

*Ducks GRENADES AND EXPLOSIVES thrown by angry readers*

I was kidding! For the love of God go back to throwing fruit!

*Gets pelted in the face by a semi-rotten tomato*

There ya go me? Are you done now? Cause we can keep doing this and never get to the story.

*Angry readers stop throwing fruit… and rocks… and explosives*

You sure?

*Angry readers nod*

Good, then we can get on with the story.

It took a while for me to get the motivation to do this chapter, but here it is. Now hopefully I can get this story to WrestleMania and get back to a semi-frequent update schedule.

---x---

Raw was live from Oakland California and had come back from a commercial break. Shawn Michaels and JBL had their backstage segment promoting their 'All or Nothing' match at No Way Out. If Shawn beat his employer his debts were paid off and he no longer had to work for JBL. If he lost, it was all over.

The camera cut to the ringside area and Voices sounded through the arena, Orton, Rhodes, and DiBiase came out from the back and stood on the entrance ramp. Orton had a mic with him and it looked like he had something to say, "Lost in the controversy of the McMahon family and me is the fact that I won the Royal Rumble." The fans booed Orton for blatantly ignoring the controversial finish to the Rumble.

"This means I will main event WrestleMania facing the WWE Champion or World Champion, the choice is up to me. While everyone else has stopped thinking, I haven't stopped thinking about it, I will be champion! Nobody, nothing can stand in my way, not Vince, not Shane, and certainly not Stephanie." The fans booed again and a small Machettichant broke out when Orton blatantly ignored his No Way Out opponent.

"Now unfortunately, Stephanie has been intimidated because she thought I was going to punt her last week on Raw. I was never going to do that. I just wanted to show Shane McMahon what could have happened if I wanted it to. Besides, why would I want to hurt Stephanie? I don't want to hurt her, I want her to be around. I want to see the look in her eyes when I take out another member of her family. Shane, if twenty-nine…" The fans booed even louder than before, "if twenty-nine other superstars could beat me at the Royal Rumble, what kind of chance do you have tonight?" The fans were getting frustrated with Orton and that fact that he felt he had already won at No Way Out so they began chanting for his No Way Out opponent. Machetti, Machetti, MACHETTI!

"Oh yes… I knew I was forgetting something," commented Orton, with his irritating grin. "As far as I'm concerned, tonight is just a warm up. I'd hardly need to extend an effort to beat Shane, and after I beat him tonight, I'll go onto No Way Out. I WILL beat Machetti and I will once again EARN the right that was originally denied to me. I WILL get the right to main event at WrestleMania, and there's nothing ANYONE can do to stop me." The fans booed loudly, showing that they clearly didn't agree with Orton's statement, but Orton ignored them and whispered something to Rhodes and DiBiase. Then the three of them headed down to the ring, up next was a tag team match between Legacy and Cryme Tyme, but first, Raw went to another commercial break.

---x---

Raw came back from a commercial break following the Shawn Michaels/Mark Henry match, then the cameras went backstage and showed Shane McMahon in a private locker room warming up for his No-Holds-Barred match against Randy Orton. Stephanie McMahon was in the locker room watching.

"Are you sure you can handle this?" Stephanie asked with concern.

Shane threw a few punches at an invisible opponent and nodded, "Yeah, I've got this. When I beat Orton tonight, he won't have any momentum heading into No Way Out. Machetti handle whatever Orton has left and we won't have to worry about violating any contracts."

There was a knock at the door and it was pushed opened to reveal Machetti, who was wearing jeans and a t-shirt and was carrying his signature pipe with him.

"Speak of the devil," commented Stephanie.

"Hey, I didn't punt your dad in the head," objected Machetti, both Shane and Stephanie tensed at the mention of what Orton did to their father. "Orton did that. I'm helping you get rid of him."

"What's with the pipe?" asked Shane as he stared at the weapon Machetti was holding beside him.

"You know how Orton is, he'll take any advantage he can get. I can't afford to let my guard down, so I've made sure I'm armed at all times." Machetti smirked and held up the pipe, "There may be three of them, but this is my equalizer."

"Good idea," said Shane. "I wouldn't put it passed Orton to jump you. That sounds like something he'd do."

"There isn't much he wouldn't do to get what he wanted," Machetti pointed out. "I mean, he kicked a sixty-three year old man in the head to keep from getting fired." Shane and Stephanie flinched again. "I mean, who does that? I might not be on the best terms with your bed-ridden father, but I wouldn't go as far as punting the guy in the head. I mean… he's old."

"Would you stop bringing that up!" snapped Stephanie.

"What? Orton punting your father in the head?"

"Yes!" exclaimed Stephanie, she didn't like that Machetti was making light of her dad's situation. Shane just stared at Machetti and had stopped warming up, he looked irritated.

"Oh, my bad, say no more. From this moment onward, I won't mention how Orton hit your dad with a cheap shot then kicked his head in, keeping him confined to a hospital bed."

"SHUT UP!!" yelled Shane as he shoved Machetti backwards.

"Hey, I'm on your side," Machetti reminded him. "Save the hostility for Orton, he's the one that did… that."

"You bringing it up isn't helping!" said Shane. "Go do something useful!"

"Okay, okay," agreed Machetti. "I'll go see about keeping Orton's lackeys from getting involved, that way, you can face that father-punter one-on-one without them interfering."

"GET OUT!" ordered the two McMahon's, both of them looked angry.

"Alright, alright, I'm going," agreed Machetti as he quickly left the locker room, but there was no missing the smirk on his face.

"Damn it, why is he the one helping us?" questioned Stephanie once the door closed behind Machetti.

"Because he's the only one who can," muttered Shane. "I might not like him, but I'd much rather have that pain-in-the-ass main event WrestleMania than Orton. If I destroy Orton tonight, there'll be nothing left to make it to No Way Out." Shane resumed warming up and began throwing punches again, this time they were a lot faster and aggressive. In his own odd way, Machetti had just motivated Shane for his match.

---x---

Raw came back from a commercial break following the CM Punk/William Regal match for the Intercontinental Championship, and then JR and King recapped the Flair/Jericho altercation from before the show, before they ran down the card for No Way Out. Raw Elimination Chamber featured World Champion John Cena versus Rey Mysterio versus Kofi Kingston versus Mike Knox versus Kane versus Chris Jericho. Smackdown's Elimination Chamber featured Triple H versus Undertaker versus Big Show versus Edge versus Vladimir Kozlov versus Jeff Hardy. Then there's JBL versus Shane McMahon and finally Randy Orton versus Machetti to determine the winner of the 2009 Royal Rumble.

The cameras then went backstage where Orton was shown walking to the ring followed by Legacy. His match with Shane McMahon was up next, but suddenly Orton stopped, his path was blocked by his opponent for that Sunday, Machetti. Crusader of Chaos held out his pipe beside him keeping Orton and his faction from passing him.

"And what exactly do you want?" asked Orton as he glared at Machetti.

"I'm here to keep your boy-toys from appearing at ringside," Machetti informed him. "Now, either you can tell them to stay back here, and go out there to face Shane on your own, or I can start swinging my pipe at everything that moves, and when its over I'll drag you out to the ring so Shane can finish you off."

Instead of being intimidated by Machetti's threat, Orton just shook his head and started chuckling.

"What's so funny?" asked Machetti. "Come on, I've got a great sense of humor. I like a good joke as much as the next guy."

"YOU'RE the joke!" Orton informed him, causing Machetti to raise an eyebrow. "Look at you, the Motor City Madman, the Crusader of Chaos… you're supposed to be some kind of rebel. I'll tell you something I never told anyone else, when you and I tied to win the Royal Rumble, I was impressed. You were out there longer than I was, and in the end you could still fight. I respected you then. But then you went and aligned yourself with Shane and Stephanie, and started doing their dirty work. Any respect I had for you, I lost. Look at you, you're not a rebel, you're a corporate tool! You're running around here doing exactly what Shane and Stephanie tell you to just like a good dog. How the mighty have fallen."

Machetti stood there hanging his head, Orton grinned then he and his faction pushed passed him and started to head off towards the ring again, but suddenly Machetti started laughing. This time Orton didn't get the joke, he stopped and turned around.

"What's so funny?" he demanded.

"You – hahahaha – are – heehee – an utter hehahahaaaa –idiot!" laughed Machetti. "I'm not doing Shane and Stephanie McMahon's dirty work, THEY'RE DOING MINE! Whose idea do you think it was for the match at No Way Out? MINE! Who do you think filled Shane McMahon's head with ideas of him getting his own revenge against you? ME! Who gave Shane the idea to make his match with you a No-Holds-Barred Match six days before I have to fight you at No Way Out? ME! And who's here now, to ensure that your boys don't interfere in said match? ME!Don't you get it? They're playing parts in MY plan to get rid of you."

Orton stood still and stared at Machetti for a moment, "You seem to have put a lot of thought into that. But I'm curious, why the sudden interest in getting rid of me?"

"You're in my way. After you fight Shane tonight, you're going to be facing me at No Way Out, and there's no way you'll be getting out of this match unscathed. While I like chaos and disorder as much as the next guy, I can't allow you to get your hands on a championship, that's my goal. We're after the same thing, a Main Event Championship Match at WrestleMania. With you out of the way, I'm going to win a championship. I can't exactly do that when we're 'co-winners' of the Royal Rumble."

Orton stared at Machetti looking shocked at how the Master of Mayhem had manipulated everything around them.

"Now then," Machetti continued, "Why don't you accept that fact that I played you, leave your escort here, and go face you're opponent who's I only just recently reminded that you punted his father in the head. Personally, I'm hoping you win. Because in order for you to do that, Shane needs to be completely and utterly beaten, a cheap roll up with you holding his pants for leverage isn't going to beat him tonight. He's out to destroy you and you know how he fights, the longer the match goes on tonight, the easier it'll be for me on Sunday."

Orton gave a low growl that sounded like an animal that had been defeated but still refused to accept it. He turned around and stormed off, leaving Rhodes and DiBiase standing before Machetti in the hallway.

"Good luck Randy!" Machetti called out before he turned to Priceless, "Now, why don't the two of you head back to the locker room before I personally introduce you guys to my shiny friend here." Machetti smirked and held up his pipe, Rhodes and DiBiase walked passed him and headed off in the opposite direction of the leader, they were going to the locker room to watch the match with the rest of the roster.

And with the rest of Legacy eliminated, Orton was left to face Shane McMahon one-on-one in a No-Holds-Barred Match. And even if Orton won, he'd still lose, because he wouldn't be in shape for the match that really mattered, the match against Machetti at No Way Out. Raw went to a commercial break, the match was up next.

---x---

The cameras went to the ring and the bell rang to get everyone's attention. Lillian Garcia stood in the middle of the ring ready to announce the next match. "The following is a No-Holds-Barred Match! Now in this match there are no disqualifications, no count outs, and anything goes! The only way to win is by pinfall or submission."

Voices sounded through the arena and the fans booed as Randy Orton came out from the back and stood on the entrance ramp. He still looked irritated after his conversation with Machetti, but the Motorcity Madman's plan was solid, and there was no way out of this. He couldn't get disqualified or counted out to save himself, Rhodes and DiBiase were stuck backstage, and Shane wasn't going to just let him lie down and get pinned. The only way he was going to get out of this unscathed was by beating his opponent, but due to the 'pep-talk' Machetti had given Shane only just recently, that was going to be no easy task. All this was running through Orton's head as Lillian did his introduction,
"Introducing first, from St. Louis Missouri, weighing in at two hundred forty-five pounds, RANDY ORTON!"

Orton slowly made his way down to the ring and got in, the only positive thing that he could think of was that he could do whatever he wanted to Shane in this match. It was everything goes. He could use weapons, chokes, and closed-fists, and there were no rope breaks. While normally he'd be cocky and confident going into this thing, the match with Shane McMahon wasn't important, the one with Machetti was. And while Orton could do anything he wanted in the match, the same thing applied to Shane, and knowing how he wrestled, if Orton didn't stay in control during the match, this was going to be a rough night, and then it was only going to get rougher on Sunday when he fought Machetti for the right of becoming the Royal Rumble Winner. If he lost he would be at Shane and Stephanie McMahon's mercy. The co-winner status was the only thing keeping them from sending him on a permanent 'mental health leave'. Orton's music died down and the arena quieted for the moment as everyone awaited Orton's opponent.

HERE COMES THE MONEYYYYY… The fans cheered as Shane McMahon came out from the back and danced on the stage, he was wearing his 'Shane O'Mac' jersey and a pair of loose black pants, and he was determined not only to avenge his father, but to pick Orton apart so that he didn't even make it into his match against Machetti. "And from Greenwich Connecticut, weighing in at two hundred thirty-five pounds, SHANE MCMAHON!!" Stephanie McMahon was shown watching the match backstage as Shane jogged down to the ring and got in. The referee stood in between the two superstar and after making sure they were both ready he called for the bell, this match was officially underway.

The two competitors circled the ring, Orton approached McMahon but got popped in the face with one of Shane's famous punches. Orton backed off to 'recover' then went after Shane again, only to get another jab to the face. Orton went for McMahon a third time and managed to dodge the punch this time, then swung at Shane for a shot of his own, only for McMahon to duck it and then volley off on him with a two-shot combo. Orton backed away from McMahon again and 'rested' in the cover, he had taken a few shots to the face which had obviously taken a lot out of him. Orton and McMahon met in the ring again, but this time, when Shane went for a punch Orton lashed out and kicked him in the stomach then hit him with a series of punches of his own and ended up backing Shane into the corner. The referee made a half-hearted attempt to get them out of the corner, where Orton was still going off on Shane, but it was Anything Goes, it didn't matter what Orton was doing. Orton stopped his assault to remind the referee of this which left him opened to a body shot from McMahon. Shane hit a series of punches to the face which backed Orton into the middle of the ring. Orton was dazed after so many hits to the head and staggered into the ropes, but Shane came after him and hit another two-shot combo which sent Orton through the ropes and down to the floor.

On the outside Orton started to get back up, but Shane ran to the ropes and hit a baseball slide, knocking Orton down to the floor again. McMahon got out of the ring and lifted the ring skirt to see what kind of toys were under the ring and ended up pulling out a table. He leaned the table upside-down on the ring apron then went back under the ring and got a trash can. McMahon went back after Orton but got caught with a shot to the stomach, ORTON HIT HIS SIGNATURE BACKBREAKER! Orton got back up and grabbed Shane, then drove him back-first into the side of the ring before rolling him back inside. Orton quickly got in the ring after Shane and pulled him up by the arm, only to send him back down to the mat with a kick to the ribs. Orton pulled McMahon up again and stood him in front of him, then lifted him up into the air and slammed him down to the mat, BACK SUPLEX! Shane rolled around on the mat giving Orton time to walk to the corner and undo the top turnbuckle pad, exposing the steel turnbuckle. Orton pulled McMahon up, then pushed him back into the corner before whipping him across the ring INTO THE EXPOSED TURNBUCKLE!! McMahon went down to his knees then Orton lashed out his leg and knocked Shane down to the mat.

Orton calmly walked around Shane and kicked him in the back, then kept kicking him until McMahon ended up near the ropes on the other side of the ring. With one last boot to the back Orton knocked Shane out of the ring and down to the floor. Orton calmly walked around the ring and listened to the fans booing him, but he obviously didn't care what they thought. Orton walked over to the ropes where Shane was and reached out to grab him, BUT MCMAHON NAILED HIM WITH A KENDO STICK! Orton went staggering back into the middle of the ring, but Shane got in after him and walloped him on the back with the stick, then on the stomach when Orton rolled over, and then hit another shot upside the head when Orton fought up to his knees. Orton staggered across the ring then fell down to the mat as Shane got to his feet then hit Orton on the back with the stick again. McMahon stepped away from Orton and twirled the kendo stick around in his hand as Orton fought up to his knees, but then Shane nailed him with a hard stick-shot right to the chest. Orton went down and Shane continued to brutalize him with the weapon. McMahon stepped away from Orton again and watched him fight up to his knees, then nailed him in the chest again!

Orton rolled out of the ring and dropped down to his knees on the floor in an attempt to recover. Shane got out of the ring on the other side as Orton got up, then McMahon ran around the corner, AND LEVELED ORTON WITH A CLOTHESLINE! With Orton down Shane went over to the commentary table and pulled the top part off then began removing the monitors. McMahon pulled one of the monitors out and gave himself a long length of wire, then stood with the monitor at his chest while he kept his back to Orton who was getting back up. Orton went after McMahon not suspecting anything, AND SHANE HIT HIM IN THE HEAD WITH THE MONITOR!! Orton dropped down to his knees and seemed dazed, the corner of the monitor cut Orton and opened up a gash on Orton's forehead. McMahon grabbed Orton and carried him over to the announce table then laid him down on top of it. With Orton dazed and confused on the announce table McMahon went to the ring and climbed up onto the top rope in the corner, the fans stood and started to cheer, they knew where this was going, but suddenly… RHODES AND DIBIASE CAME RUNNING OUT FROM THE BACK!!

Shane might've been crazy, but he wasn't about to do a suicide dive when Orton's stooges were getting in the ring, he got off of the top rope and turned around to meet Legacy head on. The fans were booing loudly, but then… MACHETTI HOPPED THE BARRICADE AND CAME OUT FROM THE CROWD! HE HAD HIS PIPE! Shane started trading shots with Rhodes, while DiBiase turned to face Machetti AND GOT CLOCKED IN THE FACE WITH THE PIPE! DiBiase went down while Shane popped Rhodes in the face, causing him to stagger backwards and turn around. PIPE-SHOT TO THE STOMACH! Rhodes doubled over, but then Machetti moved quickly and stood beside him and held his pipe at Rhodes' throat, he jumped up into the air and did a backflip, bringing the pipe and Rhodes down to the mat, AMPUTATOR!! The fans cheered loudly while Machetti got up and pulled Rhodes to his feet then ran to the ropes AND THREW HIM OUT OF THE RING! Machetti put his pipe down for a moment then went over to DiBiase and pulled him up, then lifted him up in front of him and launched him over his head before doing a backflip, MACHETE'S BLADE!! Machetti got off of DiBiase and pulled him back up, then ran to the ropes AND THREW HIM OUT ONTO RHODES! LEGACY WAS OUT COLD!

Machetti turned around and saw Shane getting back on the top rope, looking to finish what had been interrupted. "Hold on a sec!" called out Machetti as he picked up his pipe and got out of the ring. He walked around the ring and over to the announce table Orton was lying prone on. Machetti held his pipe at his side and brought a finger to his lips giving the crowd a 'quiet' gesture. Machetti lifted the pipe up over his head, AND BROUGHT IT DOWN RIGHT ON ORTON'S FACE!! If Orton wasn't still out before, he definitely was now. Machetti turned back to McMahon and gave him the thumbs up, then got in the ring. Shane yelled at Machetti, "I can handle this on my own!" Machetti nodded and put his pipe down then kicked it across the ring, sending it through the ropes and into DiBiase and Rhodes who were attempting to get back up. Machetti stood and watched them recover then ran across the ring, jumped up onto the top rope, and backflipped off of it, SHOOTING STAR PRESS PLANCHA! MACHETTI JUST TOOK OUT LEGACY AGAIN! Machetti got back up and picked up his pipe, he tucked it under his arm then reached down and grabbed Rhodes by the wrist and DiBiase by the ankle, then unceremoniously dragged them both up the ramp towards the back. He stopped at the top of the ramp and stared up at the big screen in front of him, he seemed to be waiting expectantly. Shane once again climbed onto the top rope and launched himself off of it, LEAP OF FAITH… CONNECTS! ORTON AND MCMAHON SMASHED THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE TABLE!!

Both men were down as Machetti dragged Rhodes and DiBiase to the back, the screen went to a split-screen view. One camera showed Orton, McMahon, and the smashed announce table, while the other followed Machetti backstage. He dragged the two unconscious superstars into a hallway and stopped at a door, he leaned his pipe against the wall then pulled the door opened to reveal a supply closet, which he promptly tossed DiBaise and Rhodes into. Machetti closed the door and went over to an equipment box which he quickly rolled in front of the door, effectively blocking the two superstars inside. "I warned you not to get involved," Machetti addressed the blocked door as he picked up his pipe. "Because you got involved, I had to get involved. And because I got involved, your leader got put through that table. As a result, you two are going to have to deal with a lot of 'Closet' jokes from now on. You should've stayed out of my way." Machetti twirled his pipe around in his hand as he walked off down the hallway whistling his theme song.

The other camera's view enlarged and showed the match, Shane had pulled himself back up and had managed to drag Orton out of the wreckage of the table, he pulled Orton up to his feet and rolled him into the ring then got in after him. Orton was out of it as Shane dragged Orton into the far corner and sat him against the bottom and middle turnbuckles. Shane left Orton and got the trash can he had put on the ring apron earlier, then went back over to Orton and smashed the can on his face for good measure, before pressed the slightly dented can into his chest. McMahon went across the ring to the opposite corner and climbed up onto the top rope, the fans were once again on their feet as Shane O' prepared for another of his signature crazy moves. Shane launched out of the corner and flew all the way across the ring, COAST-TO-COAST!! McMahon's feet slammed into the trash can with smashed into Orton's face, the fans cheered loudly Shane laid on the mat and recovered for a moment, so much for Orton getting out of this match unscathed. Machetti's interference had seen to it that Orton had not only been put through the announce table, but he'd been with the coast-to-coast as well.

Shane got up and stared down at Orton, but didn't go for a pin, he probably would have gotten it if he had, but it seemed that Shane wasn't going to be satisfied with simply 'beating' Randy Orton, he wanted to avenge his father. He wanted to destroy Randy Orton. With that in mind Shane crossed the ring and grabbed the table he had leaned against the ring apron earlier. He pulled it into the ring and dragged it over to the corner Orton was still down in. McMahon unfolded the legs of the table and set it up in front of the corner, then went around the table and pulled Orton up off of the mat. Shane pushed Orton back into the corner and lifted him up so he was seated on the top turnbuckle, then climbed up and stood on the second rope across from him. McMahon threw one of Orton's arms over his shoulder and it was only too clear what he had in mind here. With that table set up behind them he had Orton in perfect position for a superplex. McMahon climbed up onto the top rope and pulled Orton up with him, then lifted Orton up, SUPERPLE—ORTON PUSHED MCMAHON OFF OF HIM!! Shane fell backwards AND SMASHED THROUGH THE TABLE!!

Orton sat on the top turnbuckle and recovered for a moment while McMahon laid on the broken remains of the table he had just been put through. Blood was going down the side of Orton's face and contrasted with the white of his eye as he stared down at Shane. Orton pushed himself up to his feet then launched himself out of the corner and dropped on Shane elbow-first, DIVING ELBOW DROP! Orton rolled off of McMahon and the remains of the table and attempted to recover, Shane looked like he had just been in a car crash. Orton crawled over to McMahon and made the first pin of the match up, ONE… TWO… TH—SHANE GOT HIS SHOULDER UP! Orton pushed himself up then grabbed him and slammed him into one of the table halves. Orton stood up and stomped on McMahon's ankle, then his knee, then his other ankle, then kicked him in the side, then stomped on his arm before he jumped up into the air and came down knee-first, KNEE DROP!! Orton crawled on top of McMahon and went for another pin, ONE… TWO… THR—SHANE KICKED OUT AGAIN!

Orton sat up and glared over his shoulder at McMahon, Machetti had been right, he'd have to destroy Shane to beat him, and at the same time Shane was out to destroy him. The only person who'd win in a match where the two competitors were intent on destroying each other was Machetti, who conveniently didn't have a match tonight. Orton stood up and watched as Shane rolled onto his stomach and attempted to get up, Orton grinned then backed up into the opposite corner and waited for McMahon to get in position. He was about to punt another McMahon in the head and his blood-covered face didn't show an ounce of remorse. Orton charged across the ring, PUNT KI—SHANE GOT UP AND SPEARED HIM!! The spear had been out of sheer desperation, both Orton and McMahon laid on the mat with barely anything left.

Shane started to move first and rolled over to the ropes and slid out of the ring, Orton laid prone in the middle of the ring as McMahon went to the timekeeper's corner and grabbed a chair. Shane got back in the ring and raised the chair over his head, Orton pushed himself up onto his hands and knees but a chair shot to the back sent him back down to the mat. Orton writhed around on the mat then McMahon smashed the chair on his ankle, Orton rolled across the ring and held his ankle. Shane stayed on Orton and smashed the chair on Orton's other ankle, then raised the chair over his head and did it again. Orton groaned in pain and fought up to his knees while McMahon stepped back and measured his opponent up for another chair shot. "No! No!" Orton pleaded for mercy, but there was none to be had, McMahon swung the chair, AND BASHED ORTON IN THE HEAD!!

Orton was once again out on his back but Shane made no attempt to cover him, he dropped his chair in the corner and moved his leg back as he watched Orton rolled onto his stomach. Orton slowly started to push himself up off of the mat, McMahon waited patiently as he measured Orton up, ready to give him a taste of his own medicine, a hard kick to the head. Orton pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, McMahon charged, PUNT KI—ORTON SPRANG UP—RKO OUT OF NOWHERE!! Shane was down and out, Orton rolled him onto his back and went for a pin, ONE… TWO… THREE! ORTON GOT THE PIN! ORTON WINS!

Voices sounded through the arena as Orton and McMahon laid out in the middle of the ring. Stephanie McMahon and a bunch of medics came out from the back to check on Shane… and possibly Orton. Shane McMahon and Randy Orton had beaten the hell out of each other on Raw tonight, and Orton had managed to come out on top. But the question that was now on everyone's mind was, what did Orton have left for the match at No Way Out. With that, Raw went off the air.

---x---

(A/N: For the Smackdown portion of this chapter I'm going to use my powers as the author to alter the Smackdown card. First, the Brian Kendrick is going to face R-Truth instead of Ezekiel and that match is going to follow the MVP vs. Chavo Guerrero match. And instead of Maria vs. Michelle McCool its going to be Maria vs. Maryse for the Divas Championship.)

Smackdown was airing from Fresno California, MVP had beaten Chavo Guerrero by disqualification when Shelton Benjamin ran in and hit him with the Paydirt out of nowhere. The cameras went to the back and showed the Brian Kendrick and Ezekiel walking the ring for Kendrick's match with R-Truth. The fans booed, but then they booed even louder when Kendrick and his bear stopped walking and the camera zoomed out to reveal Randy Orton flanked by Legacy, all three of them were dressed in street clothes and Orton looked like he was still suffering from the after effects of his No-Holds-Barred Match with Shane McMahon from Monday night.

"Can I help you?" asked Kendrick as he turned to face the Legend Killer. Ezekiel came over and stood behind him.

"I'm sure you know that I have a match with Machetti at No Way Out," said Orton. "How do I beat him?"

"With a stick while he's sleeping," answered Kendrick.

"I meant in the ring, genius!" snapped Orton.

"I knew what you meant," Kendrick told him. "But in the ring, in a fair match, that guy is nearly impossible to beat. I'm one of the few superstars in this industry that have done it… twice."

"And that's why I'm here," said Orton. "Machetti's in my way, and I don't like it."

"That sounds like your problem, not mine," pointed out Kendrick.

"We can make it your problem," challenged DiBiase as he and Rhodes stepped around Orton.

"Oh, am I supposed to be intimidated by you and your closet buddy?" questioned Kendrick.

Rhodes and DiBiase rushed at Kendrick, still upset about Machetti locking them in a supply closet together. As Machetti had predicted, the 'Closet' jokes had been really annoying the passed week. But before the situation could escalate, Orton stepped in.

"Calm down, we're not here to fight him," said Orton, before he turned back to Kendrick. "You and Machetti don't exactly get along any more, getting rid of him would be in your benefit too."

"Yeah," agreed Kendrick, "but after a match at SummerSlam, a Cage Match, a Scramble Match, a Falls Count Anywhere Match, an Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match, the Royal Rumble, and the Inter-Gender Match last week, I think I've fought Machetti enough to last me a while."

"But I'd think that after all that you'd know better than anyone else how to beat Machetti," pointed out Orton who decided to feed Kendrick's ego in an attempt to get what he wanted.

"Maybe I have a way to beat Machetti," suggested Kendrick, "but then again, maybe I don't. But if you want my help, first you're gonna have to do something for me."

"And what exactly would that involve?" asked Orton.

"If you help me out against my opponent tonight, I'll help you with yours," Kendrick told him.

"Of course," agreed Orton, both he and Kendrick grinned and the camera faded as the five of them walked down to the ring, R-Truth was going to have his hands full, and that match was up next. With that Smackdown went to a commercial break.

---x---

Smackdown came back from another commercial break following the Kendrick/R-Truth Match. With Legacy and Ezekiel in the Brian Kendrick's corner it had simply been too much for both R-Truth and the referee. R-Truth was going for his Axe Kick when Ezekiel got on the ring apron and distracted the referee. But on the other side of the ring, Orton grabbed R-Truth's ankle as he was bouncing off of the ropes. R-Truth turned around and glared at Orton, which allowed Kendrick to come from behind and hit the Kendrick for the win.

Now the cameras showed Orton and Kendrick walking backstage, Rhodes, DiBiase, and Ezekiel had been sent to the locker room so Kendrick and Orton could initiate the first step of their 'plan'.

"There's one person on this brand that dislikes Machetti more than I do," Kendrick was telling Orton, "and lucky for you, she's our General Manager." The duo stopped in front of a door labeled 'Vickie Guerrero: Smackdown General Manager'. Orton grinned, then knocked on the door. A female voice told them to enter, which they quickly did before closing the door behind them. The fans were left to wonder about the conversation that was going on inside as the camera suddenly cut and went to an Undertaker Promo for the Elimination Chamber.

---x---

Smackdown came back from a commercial break following the Jeff Hardy Promo and showed Machetti and Maria backstage. Machetti once again had his pipe with him.

"Are you gonna carry that thing with you everywhere?" Maria asked as she eyed the pipe Machetti was holding over his shoulder.

"Would you put anything passed the father-punter, especially after he tried to punt you at the Royal Rumble? R-Truth found out the hard way that Orton was hanging out with Kendrick tonight, which can only mean bad news for me."

"I guess you're right," agreed Maria.

"For now, just forget about them," Machetti advised. "They're my problem, not yours. Tonight, you're facing Maryse for the Diva's Championship." Machetti paused and held up his pipe, "My shiny friend and I will make sure they don't get involved in your match."

"But what about Michelle?" questioned Maria, "We won last week, but she might not let it go… what if she gets involved and costs me the title?"

"Don't worry about it," Machetti told her, "I'm actually counting on her coming out to ringside, but I've got it under control. You just worry about your opponent and winning that championship, I'll take care of the rest."

Maria still looked nervous, but reluctantly nodded her head. "Alright, I trust you."

"Good," said Machetti, as he put his free arm around Maria, "Now let's go win you that title of yours." Maria smiled at Machetti's confidence as they walked off screen and headed for the ring.

---x---

The cameras cut to the ring where Maryse's theme played. The Divas Champion came out form the back wearing one of her long coasts and the Divas Championship around her waist. Maryse was the definition of confidence as she practically strutted down the ramp, she went around the corner and climbed up onto the ring apron, then flipped her hair before she got in the ring. Maryse took off her coat and handed her title belt over to the referee before she turned to face the entrance ramp awaiting her opponent.

With Legs Like That sounded through the arena and Maria came out from the back with Machetti, the fans popped as Maria stood on top of the entrance ramp and blew a kiss to the fans. Machetti and Maria headed down the ramp together and Machetti hopped up onto the ring apron and held the ropes opened for Maria who got in the ring and stood across it from Maryse. Machetti hopped off of the ring apron and walked around the ring over to the time keeper's corner, he motioned for the people there to move aside and while still holding his pipe grabbed two chairs. Maria, Maryse, the referee and Justin Roberts all stared in surprise as Machetti walked back around the ring and then set up the chairs at the bottom of the entrance ramp. He took a seat in one of the chairs and leaned his pipe against the side of it, then motioned for Roberts to get on with it.

"The following contest is scheduled for one-fall and is for the WWE DIVAS CHAMPIONSHIP!" Roberts paused and the fans cheered while Maria and Maryse stood across the ring from each other, this was an official title match introduction, "Introducing first, the challenger, from Chicago Illinois, MARIA!" The fans Maria, while Machetti whistled from his chair at ringside. "And her opponent, from Montreal Quebec Canada, she is the current WWE Divas Champion, MARYSE!!" The fans booed Maryse as she flipped her hair and looked confidently across the ring at Maria, the referee held up the title belt then handed it off to Justin Roberts as he went back to the time keeper's corner. The referee called for the bell and the match was officially underway.

The two divas came forward and met in the middle of the ring, Maryse struck first and shoved Maria backwards, but Maria came back and swung at Maryse's head for a forarm only for Maryse to duck. Maryse shot back up and slapped Maria right across the face, sending the contender staggering backwards. Maria snapped and charged at Maryse, then tackled her to the mat and started strangling her, the referee came over and pulled Maria off of Maryse to keep Maria from getting herself disqualified. Maryse rolled away from Maria and over to the ropes, then stood up and smiled, pleased that she had managed to get under Maria's skin already.

"Don't let her get to you!" Machetti called out from his seat at ringside, causing Maryse's smile to fade. "You won't beat her if you're distracted. Don't let her get in your head!"

Maria nodded and approached Maryse again, but Maryse caught her with a boot to the stomach, causing Maria to double over. Maryse grabbed Maria and whipped her across the ring into the ropes, but when Maria bounced off the ropes she jumped up and got her legs around Maryse's head, the swung around, HEAD-SCISSORS TAKEDOWN! Maryse went rolling across the mat over to the ropes on the other side of the ring while Maria got back up. Maryse stood up and sent a glare in Machetti's direction, Machetti simply smiled and waved at her, then pointed at something behind her. Maryse turned around and barely dodged a clothesline from Maria. But Maria kept going and jumped up onto the middle rope then springboarded off and caught Maryse as she was turning around, SPRINGBOARD CROSSBODY!! Maryse went down with Maria on top of her, allowing Maria to make the first pin attempt of the match, ONE… TW—but Maryse kicked out, she wasn't going to be beaten that easily, not with her title on the line.

Maria got up and pulled Maryse up to her feet then whipped her into the corner. Maryse hit the turnbuckles and held onto the ropes to keep from falling forward, but then Maria ran over and jumped up into the air, TURNBUCKLE CROSSBODY!! Maria smashed into Maryse then backed up, allowing Maryse to fall downwards so she was sitting against the corner. Maria backed up into the middle of the ring then ran at Maryse and jumped up onto her shoulders, BRONCO BUSTER!! Maria finished bucking against Maryse then got off of her and dragged her out of the corner before going for another pin, ONE… TWO… T—but Maryse kicked out again.

At ringside Machetti applauded and cheered Maria on, "That's the way to do it, stay on her!" Machetti encouraged her.

But just then, some of the more observant fans started to boo. Maria turned and stared at the entrance ramp while Machetti casually glanced over his shoulder and saw Michelle McCool marching down the ramp towards the ring. It appeared as if she wanted to get involved in the match, but Machetti grabbed his pipe and held it out beside him blocking Michelle's path.

Machetti shook his head and gestured to the empty chair next to him, "Take a seat," he instructed, "I've got a proposition for you."

Michelle stared at Machetti but then figured there was still plenty of time for her to interfere in the match, so she might as well listen to what Machetti had to say. Michelle walked around Machetti and sat in the empty chair. Maria, and Maryse once she got back up, stared at Michelle as Machetti leaned over and whispered something in her ear. Michelle nodded occasionally to show she was listening, then when Machetti pulled away she nodded again. Much to the surprise of the two confused divas in the ring, Michelle crossed her legs and made herself comfortable in the chair next to Machetti. Maria and Maryse turned and stared at each other, neither of them having the faintest idea what Machetti was planning, but a split second later Maryse charged and took Maria down with a surprise clothesline.

"What did I tell you, don't get distracted!" Machetti called out.

Maria rolled away from Maryse and tried to reach the ropes, but Maryse ran after her and kicked her in the side. Maria was sent rolling under the bottom rope and dropped down to the floor, not wanting to lose her advantage and give her opponent time to recover Maryse followed Maria out of the ring. Maryse pulled Maria back up to her feet, then shoved her backwards into the barricade, causing Maria to go crashing back down to the floor. In the ring the referee started the ring out count, ONE! But outside the ring, the fans, as well as Michelle, stood up to get a better of the action that was taking place at ringside. Machetti nudged Michelle with his elbow and pointed behind him, Michelle looked where he was pointing and realized that there was a big screen behind her providing a better view of the two divas that had taken the match to ringside. TWO!

Maryse walked over to Maria and pulled her up off of the floor, but Maria suddenly dropped down to her knees and caught Maryse by surprise with a jawbreaker. Maryse was launched backwards and fell down to the floor, Maria stepped back and stood by the steps, THREE! Maryse got back up and charged at Maria, only for Maria to drop down and catch her with a drop toe hold, MARYSE WENT FACE-FIRST INTO THE STEPS! FOUR! Maria pulled a dazed Maryse back up and rolled her back into the ring, then quickly got in after her and went for a pin, ONE… TWO… TH—but Maryse managed to kick out again. With the two competitors back in the ring, Michelle sat back down in her chair and continued to watch the match, she didn't seem to be the slightest bit interested in interfering now. Whatever Machetti had said to her had done the trick, this was going to be a fair one-on-one contest for the Divas Championship.

Maria got off of Maryse and pulled her up to her feet then whipped her across the ring into the corner. Maria rushed at Maryse and jumped up into the air, TURNBUCKLE CROSSBO—MARYSE GOT HER FEET UP! Maria smashed face-first into Maryse's boots and fell backwards, she rolled away from Maryse and pushed herself up onto all fours but Maryse ran at her and flipped over her, then pinned her shoulders to the mat, OAKLAHOMA ROLL! ONE… TW—Maria kicked out! Maryse got up off of Maria and stood up, she stood beside her and watched as her challenger pushed herself up onto her knees, then swung her leg around AND KICKED HER IN THE HEAD! Maria fell forward and ended up face-first on the mat, Maryse quickly rolled Maria onto her back and went for a pin, ONE… TWO… T—Maria kicked out again!

Maryse stood up and pulled Maria up to her feet then whipped her into the ropes, Maria bounced off but Maryse dropped down and tripped her, causing Maria to slam-face first down to the mat. Maryse walked around Maria so she was standing behind her then flipped her hair before she dropped down and rolled across Maria's back, THEN LOCKED IN A CAMEL CLUTCH! Maria yelled out in pain as Maryse pulled back on the chin lock she had in and wrenched her neck backwards. Maryse had 'conveniently' positioned Maria so she was staring out of the ring at Machetti and Michelle who were both still seated at the bottom of the entrance ramp.

"Come on Maria, you're not gonna tap out to that are you?" asked Machetti. "Come on, get out of it!"

Machetti began clapping which encouraged the fans, and surprisingly Michelle McCool, to join in. The applause got louder and louder as more fans cheered, Maria didn't want to let down the fans, or Machetti… or Michelle, so she started fighting and managed to pull her arms free from Maryse and pushed herself up off of the mat. Maria elbowed Maryse in the stomach causing Maryse to lose part of her hold on the chin lock, Maria quickly used that opening to fight up to her feet, leaving Maryse with only the chin lock locked in. The applause had grown to a surprisingly loud level (for a women's match) and Maria decided not to question why Michelle McCool of all people seemed to be cheering her on, she quickly reached back and grabbed Maryse then broke the chin lock the Diva's Champion had on her as she flipped her over her and onto the mat in front of her, SNAPMAER! Maryse ended up seated in front of Maria who quickly jumped up, AND DROPKICKED HER IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD!! Maryse lurched forward then fell backwards, allowing Maria to roll on top of her and hook her leg for a pin, ONE… TWO… TH—MARYSE KICKED OUT!

Maria got up and with Maryse still down on the mat she went to the corner and climbed up onto the top rope. Maria stared down at Maryse then launched herself out from the corner and moved her legs out in front of her, DIVING LEG DRO—MARYSE MOVED! Maria slammed down to the mat while Maryse got up and ran to the ropes, then bounced off, ran back to Maria and jumped up into the air before coming crashing down, RUNNING LEG DROP! Maryse rolled over and covered Maria for a pin, looking to capitalize, ONE… TWO… THR—MARIA KICKED OUT!! Maryse got up and pulled Maria up to her feet, then whipped her into the ropes, Maria came back and Maryse caught her, swung her around and drove her down onto her knee, SPINNING BACKBREAKER SIDESLAM!! Maryse rolled Maria off of her leg and quickly went for another pin, ONE… TWO… THRE—MARIA MANAGED TO KICK OUT AGAIN!!

With Maria down on the mat and once again at her mercy, Maryse began to return to her normal cocky self. She stood up and stood over her downed opponent then turned so she was facing the two 'observers' at the bottom of the entrance ramp and flipped her hair. Much to Maryse's surprise Machetti smiled and began clapping.

"Wow! That was great!" Machetti cheered before turning to Michelle. "You can't do that can you? She must be an extraordinary athlete to be able to pull that move off."

"She's just flipping her hair!" objected Michelle, seemingly not appreciating Machetti's sarcasm. "Anyone with long hair can do that! You could do that!"

Seeing that as a challenge Machetti stood up, which got Maryse's full attention then he bent his head forward so his long brown hair fell in front of his face, before he snapped his head back up and flipped her hair up and out of his face. The fans popped while Maryse looked upset.

"You think that's funny?" challenged Maryse from the ring. "Well watch this!"

Maryse reached down and pulled Maria up off of the mat then booted her in the stomach, Maria glanced over her shoulder at Machetti and flipped her hair, then went for her signature Snap DDT, FRENCH KI—Maria countered out of it with a wristlock and slipped behind Maryse, then ran forward and lunged passed her, driving the champion's face down to the mat, BULLDOG!! Maria quickly got up and went to the closest corner and hoisted herself up onto the middle rope, she waited for Maryse to stagger back up to her feet then lunged out of the corner, DIVING BULLDOG!! Maria drove Maryse's face down into the mat a second time, but this time with much more force, then rolled her onto her back and went for the pin, ONE… TWO… THREE! MARIA PINNED MARYSE! MARIA WINS!

With Legs Like That played and Maria's eyes widened in surprise, SHE WON! A grin threatened to split Machetti face as he bolted out of his chair and ran around the ring, then grabbed the Diva's Championship before the referee could. He quickly got in the ring where Maria grabbed him and hugged him, when she released him, Machetti motioned for her to turn around while Justin Richards stood up in the corner, "Ladies and gentlemen, here is your winner and the NEW DIVAS CHAMPION… MARIA!!" Machetti reached around Maria and put the newly won championship around her waist, when he was done, Maria turned around and promptly kissed him senseless, she had just won her first championship in the WWE, this was the biggest moment of her career.

Maryse had rolled out of the ring and was kneeling down at ringside. She stared at the new Diva's Champion and what used to be her title in absolute shock. When Maria finally broke her kiss with Machetti she turned around to see Michelle standing in front of her chair applauding. Michelle motioned to her own waist, signifying that she'd be winning the title soon, then went around the chairs and headed up the ramp to the back Machetti and Maria stayed in the ring and continued to celebrate Maria's first title win, then Smackdown went to a commercial break.

---x---

When Smackdown came back from the break, Machetti was shown escorting the new Diva's Champion backstage. He had reclaimed his pipe on the way up the ramp and both of them seemed in high spirits, but they suddenly stopped walking and the camera panned to the side to see Michelle standing in front of them.

"Congratulations Maria," said Michelle with a fake smile. "I'm glad you won, because as your boyfriend pointed out to me earlier, you just made my job easier. Now I just need to beat you to win back my championship, I don't even have to bother with Maryse."

"Maybe," Maria replied, "but for now… it's MY championship."

"For now," Michelle agreed before she quickly turned around and walked off down the hallway, leaving Maria looking slightly worried.

"Hey, don't let her get to you," Machetti told her. "For now focus on the fact that you won the title. You'll face her when you face her, but for now, we're going out to celebrate."

"EXCUSE ME!" came an unwelcome voice.

Machetti and Maria turned around to see Vickie Guerrero in the hallway behind them, but she wasn't alone. On her left were Orton and the rest of Legacy, while on her right was Kendrick and his bear. Behind her were Miz, Morrison, and Chavo Guerrero.

"Well… isn't this a surprise," commented Machetti, as he tightened his grip on his pipe, "A group of my favorite people in the whole wide world!"

"Congratulations Maria," said Vickie, sporting a fake smile like Michelle had been. "But I'm afraid you're going to be celebrating your win on your own tonight. You see, Machetti's still a superstar on this brand and he still has a match tonight.'

"I do/he does?" questioned Machetti and Maria at the same time.

"That's news to me," said Machetti.

"Vickie is the General Manager of Smackdown, and she can't show favoritism with her superstars," explained Kendrick with a smug grin on his face. This had all been his idea.

"She can't?" questioned Machetti and Maria at the same time.

"Machetti, your old friend and myself have… graciously… pointed out that you haven't had a match this week," Orton told him, with a big grin of his own. "We've come up with a solution to that."

"You did?" questioned Machetti and Maria, again at the same time.

"Stop that, its getting creepy!" scolded Kendrick.

"Machetti," said Vickie with a huge smile, "tonight you're going to face the Great Khali… in a Lumberjack match. And these superstars have all volunteered to act as the Lumberjacks for your match."

"Oh… how… thoughtful," commented Machetti, he glanced behind Vickie at Miz and Morrison, "You two are doing her dirty work too?"

"Hey, this is proving to be a good night," said Miz. "Not only, did we score a double date with the Bella Twins…"

"But now we finally get our chance for revenge after you took our stuff," continued Morrison.

"Oh… good for you then," replied Machetti with a nod. "Um… you wouldn't mind giving me a few minutes to prepare, would you? This comes as a total shock, and I know we wouldn't want to risk me getting injured, right?"

"Actually… that's the general idea," explained Kendrick. "I got you suspended last year, and now I'm about to get you put on the shelf… permanently."

"I might not be in great shape after that match with Shane on Monday," pointed out Orton, "but even if you survive tonight, you'll at least be at my level."

"Your match is up next Machetti, have fun," Vickie told him, then she and the lumberjacks all turned and headed off down the hallway leaving Machetti and Maria on their own.

As soon as they were gone, Maria began panicking, "What're you gonna do!? The Great Khali's a giant! You can't face him unprepared! And with them all around the ring there's no way out of it! You're fighting Randy on Sunday you can't—"

Maria was silenced when Machetti grabbed her and kissed her. "Don't worry, I've got a plan," Machetti told her, he glanced over his shoulder in the direction Vickie and the Lumberjacks had gone, then leaned in and whispered his plan in Maria's ear, causing her eyes to go wide.

"YOUR GOING TO WHAT!?" she demanded.

"Just trust me, it'll work," Machetti told her. "Now, I need you to…" Machetti leaned in and whispered instructions in Maria's ear, then pulled back. "I'll go find Khali and see what I can do."

"What if it doesn't work?" asked Maria.

"Then I'll use Plan B," answered Machetti.

"What's plan be?" questioned Maria, who was surprised Machetti had come up with two plans in such a short period of time.

"Plan B is simple… I kick him in the balls and run away," explained Machetti. "But hopefully… Plan A will work. Now quick, I need you to do your part, while I do mine. If all goes well, we'll still be able to celebrate tonight."

Maria nodded and turned and ran off down the hallway, while Machetti ran in he other direction. Machetti's plan had better be a good one, because he was facing the Great Khali in a Lumberjack Match, and that was next. With that Smackdown went to another commercial.

---x---

After a backstage promo by Triple H, the cameras went to the ring where Voices sounded through the arena. Randy Orton came out from the back and led the other Lumberjacks out to the ring which they quickly surrounded. Orton and Kendrick were standing in front of the commentary table while Rhodes and DiBiase were around the corner from Orton. Miz and Morrison were situated at the bottom of the entrance ramp, while Chavo Guerrero and Ezekiel took up the final side of the ring. The Lumberjacks were all in place and all of them had a dislike for Machetti, who would probably not survive if he was knocked out of the ring in this match. The referee stood in the middle of the ring next to Justin Roberts, "The following contest is a LUMBERJACK MATCH and is scheduled for one-fall!"

Land of Five Rivers played and the Great Khali came out from the back, his translator Ranjin Singh had been left in the back seeing as he'd probably just get in the way. "Introducing first, from India, standing over seven feet tall, weighing four hundred twenty pounds, THE GREAT KHALI!" Khali raised his arms up above his head as he walked down the ramp towards the rings, the 'impartial' Lumberjacks all applauded the Punjabi Giant as he climbed up onto the ring apron, then stepped over the top rope and got in the ring. Khali raised his arms up over his head again, and posed in the middle of the ring before his music cut and everyone turned to watch the entrance ramp.

Riot Time hit and the fans stood up and cheered as Machetti came out from the back still holding his signature pipe and stood on the stage. Miz and Morrison grinned and stepped aside, showing that they weren't going to attack Machetti… yet. "And the opponent, from Detroit Michigan, weighing two hundred twenty-two pounds, MACHETTI!" Machetti sprinted down to the ring and ran passed Miz and Morrison before sliding under the bottom rope and into the ring. He placed his pipe down in the corner then went across the ring and climbed up onto the middle rope. Machetti glanced to the side and stared down at Orton and Kendrick who were both watching Machetti with sinister grins, Machetti flipped them off then backflipped out of the corner, prompting blue pyro to shoot up out of the corner when he landed. The referee stood in between Khali and Machetti and after checking to make sure everyone was ready, he called for the bell, this match was officially underway.

Machetti nodded at Khali and charged, but Khali side-stepped him and whipped him into the ropes, only for Machetti to hold on and step away from them before Rhodes could grab him. Machetti suddenly smirked and Kendrick's eyes went wide, he didn't like that look. Machetti stared at Khali then raised his hand up into the air and gave Khali the 'Thumbs Up' sign. Khali nodded then suddenly held his side and dropped down to his knees, the Lumberjacks were all too surprised to react as Khali dropped down to the mat and rolled onto his back. Machetti ran at Khali jumped up into the air and did a backflip, then came crashing down on top of him, RUNNING SHOOTING STAR PRESS! Machetti hooked one of Khali's giant legs and went for a pin, ONE…TWO… THREE! HE GOT IT! KHALI LET MACHETTI WIN!!

Riot Time hit and the Lumberjacks were still standing in complete shock after seeing Khali willingly lose the match to Machetti. Machetti quickly grabbed his pipe, slid out of the ring and ran to the back before anyone could stop him or hurt him. The Great Khali got back up and was bearing a smirk that resembled Machetti's as he stepped over the top rope and got out of the ring. Miz had recovered and got in Khali's way, only to get shoved on his ass. Khali continued up the ramp and headed to the ramp, leaving all the fans in shock as Smackdown went to another commercial break.

---x---

Smackdown came back from the commercial break and showed Machetti backstage, Maria came running up to him carrying a big cooler. "I got them!" she called out, "it was tough, but I managed to get them before the match was over!"

"And you charged it to the McMahon's like I told you to, right?" questioned Machetti.

"Of course," replied Maria with a smile.

"Good," said Machetti, he grabbed the cooler from Maria and didn't seem surprised when he turned around and found the Great Khali and Ranjin Singh standing behind him. "As per our agreement, these are yours." Machetti held out the cooler, which Khali took with a smile.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" called out Kendrick, as he stormed over. "I don't know what the hell you pulled out there, but I'm going to find out!"

Kendrick shoved Ranjin to the side and elbowed Khali as he opened the cooler Machetti had handed him, Kendrick reached inside and pulled out… a Klondike bar!?

"YOU SOLD OUT FOR ICECREAM!?" demanded Kendrick as he stared up at Khali in surprise.

Khali replied by saying something in Punjabi, which Ranjin took it upon himself to translate. "The Great Khali says: What would you do for a Klondike Bar?"

Machetti laughed at the shocked expression on Kendrick's face, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to out celebrate my girlfriend's title win." Machetti took Maria's hand and let her off down the hall, "Come on, Stephanie agreed to send a limo to take us back to the hotel."

Kendrick stood next to Khali, making him look really, really short and stared at Machetti, "I really… really… hate that guy," he muttered. "And I'm taking this!" Kendrick quickly turned and ran off down the hallway, taking one of Khali's Klondike bars with him. The cameras then went to the ring for the main event Fatal-4-Way Match between Big Show, Kozlov, Jeff Hardy, and Triple H. But this week had proved, that Machetti was indeed the Master Manipulator. Not only was Orton less than one hundred percent going into the match at No Way Out, but he had escaped a career threatening Lumberjack Match against the Great Khali. What would happen at No Way Out, when Orton and Machetti faced off to be declared the official Royal Rumble Winner?

---x---

There it is, at long last the next chapter of Can I Ask You Something? III. I'll have the next chapter up next week, I PROMISE.

'Till Next Time…

Peace!