Team Work chapter 221

February 21st, 2020

One week closer to Wrestlemania, one week closer to everything potentially falling apart. Instead of getting better, things keep spiraling further towards being a major problem. Stephanie breathes in and out slowly and rereads the latest news reports, shaking her head with a soft groan. "Damn," she sighs. The last thing any of them could've possibly expected, a worldwide pandemic. But it is what it is, she keeps her chin up and does the best she can to remain strong and certain around those working for her as they set up the evening's show. We'll make it through, she tells herself. We always do.

The night starts off with a triple threat match where Naomi walks out victorious against Chelsea Green and Kris Statlander. In tag action, Riddick Moss and Hangman Page defeat Elias and Daniel Bryan. Adam Thornstowe beats Jey Uso, and Drew McIntyre combos the Glasgow Kiss with a Claymore and all but KOs Matt Riddle. Eddie Edwards wins over Luster the Legend, and Danny Burch withstands everything thrown his way, every submission and attack used against him, and ultimately pins Pete Dunne. Mark Haskins holds his own and succeeds over Angel Garza, and Tyler Breeze takes down Oney Lorcan after a lengthy, hard fought battle where he had to struggle for every inch gained against the hardfighting man.

Bateman makes his entrance, followed shortly by Raul Mendoza. Kofi Kingston dances down the entrance ramp, tossing pancakes around to the crowd as he stands and waits for his tag partner. Velveteen Dream's entrance is a spectacle, as always, and his gear doesn't disappoint either, faint purple twists in the fabric of his tights gleaming under the lights. Once done motioning enticingly to the camera on the apron, he slides into the ring and keeps his eyes on their opponents as he stretches out over the mat, slowly making his way back to his feet with a smug grin on his face, arms held out to his sides as he circles. Once done with the theatrics, he steps back as Bateman lunges at him, laughing dismissively at him while the referee lectures Bateman, pushing him back towards his corner.

Dream tugs off his shirt as the bell rings and Kofi starts the match, Dream settling back behind the ropes to watch and see if Kofi would need any assistance and wait for the tag. Bateman takes first shot, and claims the advantage against Kofi very quickly. Dream watches, trying to encourage Kofi on, working the crowd up to support him as needed. When Kofi gains the upperhand after a sudden Mic Drop, Dream claps enthusiastically, exhaling slowly. Eventually, he gets Bateman down long enough to slide over and tag Dream in, and then the show really begins. He meets Bateman with a dropkick, grips his forearm and slings him into the ropes before catching him with a tight lariat on his rebound.

Bateman flounders, and Dream chuckles in his ear before trying to twist him into an early Dream Valley Driver, but he elbows Dream in the ribs, knocking some of the wind out of his chest and weakening his grip just enough for Bateman to be freed. He staggers Dream further with a few solid strikes to the chest and one across his jaw before going to his corner and tagging Mendoza in. "Don't mess this up," he warns the man, and Mendoza shrugs before going after Dream.

He manages a couple of strikes of his own, about to go for a Suplex when Dream gathers himself, catches Raul and spikes him into the ground, right then and there. He sprawls out over the man and sneers over at Bateman, who quickly moves into the ring and swipes a kick right at Dream's face, just for the man to break the pin up and just barely dodge the move, the blur of Bateman's leg in his vision disorienting him for a second. He gets to his feet, ready to fight, but Kofi is behind him, ready to help if needed, and the referee is in the way, rebuking Bateman, so Dream turns his focus back to Raul, kneeing him in the chest, dazing him further, before going for the top, almost amused upon realizing that Bateman is back where he belongs, and Kofi is gaping at him from his corner as well. After landing the Purple Rainmaker, this time when he pins Mendoza, he turns his focus onto the crowd visible from this angle and ignores everything else until the bell rings to mark his victory. He breathes deeply as he and Kofi stand in the middle of the ring, arms raised high by the referee, laughing softly as Bateman kicks at the steps on the outside.

"Friendly guy, huh?" Kofi calls over to him.

Dream smirks. "Clearly."

In a rarely seen tag team battle royal, the team of Braun Strowman and Drake Maverick are successful against Mox and Lashley, Matt Jackson and Ace Austin, Zack Gibson and Jordan Devlin, and Keith Lee and Flip Gordon. Madison Rayne defeats Kairi Sane, and Big E wins against Willie Mack. Kenny Omega wins against Rhino, and Vincent beats Jimmy Uso.

In the main event, TJP partners with Cody against Ricochet and Aleister Black. The former tag partners greet each other, knocking fists as Ricochet grins brightly at his friend. Once the bell rings, however, he falls serious, staring back at TJP. The two fight hard and fast, TJ giving as good as he gets throughout the opening part of the match. Ricochet staggers him quickly with a kick to the midsection, however, and TJP struggles to catch his breath, still trying to fight back as Ricochet targets his ribs and abs, weakening him for the 630. He never quite gets there, however, as TJ grips him under the arms and snaps him backwards in a suplex so sudden that the crowd gasps. Getting to his feet, TJ twists Ricochet into a submission, tugging his arms back and stomping on his ankle before dragging them into position for an octopus stretch, Ricochet crying out in pain as his body is manipulated in a way no body should ever go.

Aleister tries to help but Cody meets him before he can help free Ricochet, and TJ releases the move only long enough to adjust it, but that's enough as Ricochet forces himself to move and meets the man with a solid kick straight to the jaw. As TJ staggers, Ricochet regains his footing and hits the ropes, adding momentum to his sidebody, sending TJ crashing back down to the mat. Fumbling over to the corner, Ricochet exhales shakily and climbs, trying to prepare for the 630... just to see that TJ's rolled out of the way, and even tagged Cody in. He groans and quickly hops down, just to be met by Cody grabbing him and spiking him backwards. This, however, has only put him back into a direct line with his corner, staring up at Aleister. He crawls the few inches needed and, when he reaches out, Aleister meets him halfway and gets in, immediately targetting Cody with a spree of kicks and elbows, staggering the man to his knees. Cody gets up quickly, however, and fights back viciously.

They're pretty well matched, Aleister's eyes grow sharp with frustration the longer this goes, and then he lands a kick straight across Cody's jaw that downs him immediately, his legs just turning to rubber under him. TJ starts yelling from the corner as Aleister gets his boot under Cody's jaw and all but wills him to stand once more, preparing for the Black Mass, when TJP enters the ring, ignores the referee's rebukes, and elbows Aleister hard in the face. It angers him more than anything, and he lunges at TJ, but TJ has already dragged Cody into their corner and tagged in and now Aleister's viciousness cannot be contained as he grabs TJ and slings him into the ropes, meeting him with a knee that downs him immediately, his knees skidding against the mat until coming to a sharp stop a few inches away.

Still hungry to land the Black Mass that was denied to him only moments earlier, Aleister tries again, hoisting TJ up with his boot under his chin, but when he moves to kick, TJ drops down, snags the leg he's based on and flips him into another submission, twisting his arms back and digging his knee into his spine before chaining it into a more complicated hold, Aleister breathing shallowly as his limbs are tangled around, TJ's form locking him into position and making it nearly impossible to find a way out as burning pain surges throughout his veins, intensifying the longer he's held like this, Aleister biting his lip in agony. He tries, he really does, the ropes mocking him from so far away. Ricochet is still out of it from earlier, and Cody, barely with it either, is watching closely from their corner.

Aleister burns with rage, with pain, with a creeping sense of failure as he has no choice but to slap his hand against TJ's shoulder again and again until the referee calls the match. Once TJ detangles him, he goes to Ricochet, who is blinking blurrily at him. "I'm sorry," he exhales.

"Not your fault," Aleister says tensely, squeezing his former partner's shoulder before casting a glance back at TJ and Cody, both struggling to stand, but both smug as can be as their arms are raised in victory.