Team Work chapter 224

March 13th, 2020

It takes time. It takes a lot of thought. It takes a few sleepless nights where she spends the time pacing around her house, looking in at her daughters, leaning over Paul, and then staring out at the moon, which somehow remains the same even when her entire world is falling apart around her. "I think I know what I'm going to do," she tells the moon. "It... I hate it though. It's so bad. But it's similar to what my father is doing, and I... I hope it works at keeping everyone safe and secure." She sighs, wrapping herself up more securely in her thin body robe before returning to the bedroom to try to quiet her thoughts long enough for a few hours of sleep.

The next day, she sees it through and the week's episode of Team Work begins with no crowds, within the walls of the Performance Center. She takes in the empty room, with nothing but a ring and a couple of cameramen within it, and exhales shakily. "Well, here we go," she murmurs, turning to head back to her office to confirm a few last minute things.

The first match of the night pits Akam and Cody against Seth Rollins and Isaiah Swerve Scott. Seth barely focuses on Swerve, simply aiming his focus on Akam, who shrugs and looks warily over at his Messiah throughout the match. Seth is in only briefly against Cody, who takes a couple of moves before quickly tagging Akam in, and both men freeze and stare at each other. Seth snarls and turns sharply, tagging in Swerve with little to no warning, and then spends the rest of the match leaning on the post, watching boredly as Akam beats Swerve down, takes Cody out when he tries to come in to help, and ultimately defeats Swerve after slamming him down to the mat with all of his weight landing heavily on him.

Only Seth's entrance into the ring gives him pause and he stares up at his leader, tense, until Seth's face relaxes into a vague smile. "Good job, man, I knew you could win it if I stayed out of it," he says, clapping Akam on the shoulder.

Akam immediately relaxes and nods as Seth guides him to the ropes, shooting one last look of disdain over his shoulder at both Cody and Swerve.

Fenix defeats Kushida, and Riddick Moss gains a surprise win over Pentagon Jr. The team of Session Moth Martina and Nyla Rose defeats Tegan Nox and Bayley. MJF and The Blade succeed over Jeff Cobb and Adam Page. Buddy Murphy continues his group's winning ways by defeating The Butcher, and Mia Yim wins over Jordynne Grace.

Zachary Wentz only barely manages to defeat PAC, and Ace Austin partners with Lashley to take out Flip Gordon and Rey Mysterio. Bea Priestley wins in triple threat action against Sasha Banks and Asuka. Keith Lee claims a win over Dezmond Xavier. Seth's disciples become 3 for 3 as Rezar wins in a triple threat match of his own over Daniel Bryan and Dustin Rhodes. Willie Mack successfully partners with Jeff Hardy and Kairi Sane against Dan Maff, Rhino and Drew McIntyre.

In the main event, Pete Dunne finds himself in the ring against his tag partner, Matt Riddle, watching with a frown as his flipflops just barely miss Pete's face as they go flying off into the empty stands. He hesitates over the bell ringing and squints across at the other man, Matt looking back at him with his usual barely there grin. "Hey, man, don't worry about it, it's just a match. We'll still be friends at the end of it!"

Dunne exhales and shakes his head, still not sure how Riddle can approach wrestling so loosely when it feels like everything that matters in his world is tied up in these few minutes he gets weekly in the ring. But he decides to take the man at his word and exhales. "Alright then," he mumbles under his breath, lunging forward and finally beginning with earnest. To his credit, Riddle gives as good as he receives, and Dunne finds it a struggle just to get- and keep- any kind of lasting momentum over him, as the man seems to always be right there with some strike, kick or knee to the face or chest.

Twisting Riddle's arm behind him, Dunne tries to find a way to incapacitate him briefly- without risking their title run, but then Riddle gets ahold of him and suplexes him back, freeing himself from his attempts at a submission hold. Pete blinks up into the lights and shakes his head, trying to reorient himself, but Riddle is there, Riddle has him up and once more twists him back, tossing him away. Dunne staggers to his feet this time, and when Riddle tries to grab him a third time, he meets him head on with a punch that sends Matt stumbling back.

Riddle still comes for more, however, grabbing at him, and Dunne has little choice but to do what he'd been trying to avoid- grabs his fingers and twists. The satisfaction of the feel of the joints giving under his grip is quickly tempered by the startled shout of agony Riddle gives, and Pete releases him with a grimace. They circle each other for a moment, Riddle nursing his hand, Pete trying to get his thoughts straight, and then Riddle lunges at him again, a series of kicks and knees leaving Pete staggered, unable to find any sort of defense or offense against the volley. He can barely stand once Pete is done, stumbling back to catch his breath against the ropes when he feels Riddle grab him, hoist him up for what feels like the Bro Derek, and from there, Dunne's natural instincts just kick in and he throws elbows blindly, finally landing one square against Riddle's face, and another, and-

Riddle drops him and presses a face over his nose and eyes, and Dunne slowly staggers to his feet, taking the opportunity to twist his arms back and lift him up this time, crashing him back down in the Bitter End. Riddle is gasping for breath, arm going slack from where it'd been angle to hold his throbbing face, and Dunne rolls him up and over, putting as much weight on his shoulders as he can. When the bell rings, when his name is announced, only then can Dunne breathe normally again.

There is no crowd, so it's one of the quietest victories Pete's had in a long time. He doesn't mind, however, blinking a few times before turning back to his partner and extending a hand towards him to help him off the mat.

There's no hesitation as Riddle meets him half way and between the two of them, they get him standing somewhat upright again. "Good fight, man," he says, his teeth gleaming in the bright lights overhead. "I'm happy you won."

It's so simple and sincere of the man, Dunne isn't sure if it'd have been as simple for him had Riddle won, but he decides not to dwell too thoroughly on that and just claps his partner on the shoulder as their titles are brought to them. "Thanks," he says, glancing from Riddle to the empty arena around them.

As great as his win is, Dunne can't help but feel subdued with everything going on beyond these walls. Things they'll both have to face and make some difficult decisions on once they leave this ring.