Chapter 13: Challenges

Tuesday, October 11th, 2016 - Survivor Series: 40 Days - San Jose, California

The new 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, James McGrady AKA Zack Mercer walked through the back of the SAP Center with the white and gold Championship title around his waist. He had his black oily hair flowing down his back wearing his Mercermania shirt with his new ring gear. He wore black tights with a black band around the waist with black lining around the band. In the middle of the band it had ZM in black with black lining. On the left leg of the tights there were black three tiger scratches with black lining. It was the same thing on the right leg of the tights. On the left knee pad it had ZM on the knee pad in black with black lining on a black knee pad and he wore a black knee pads. He also wore black kickpads. He had black wrist tape that started at the wrist and ended in the middle of the forearm. The designs of his tights had a metallic like finish on them.

There was a smile on the face of the champion that just couldn't be wiped away and part of that was because of the push he was receiving in the WWE and for the things that were occurring in his personal life. His relationship with Cass was getting better and his relationship with Lexi was getting better than it has been in recent memory.

He kept walking until his gaze set upon the table that most of the women of SmackDown Live usually sat but surprisingly the table was empty making him frown.

The girls were usually there eating lunch or just talking about whatever they wanted but at the moment they weren't there which made him a tad bit confused as to where they were.

"McGrady, you're needed for your segment." said a stage crew member who came running up to James. James nodded and took a deep breath before following suit to the gorilla position.

Hours Later - Smackdown Live

"Bully" Hits

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome your WWE Intercontinental Champion, Zack Mercer!" Greg Hamilton announced.

Zack Mercer walked out onto the stage with the entrance video being the only video on in the arena while all the lights were currently off within the arena. He raised his index fingers and middle fingers up in the air as the lights of the arena came back on and began going back and forth between blue and white lights.

"San Jose, How you doin?" Zack asked as he walked to the right side of the stage and pointed into the crowd while he patted his belt. He then turned around and walked to the left side of the stage and pointed into the crowd. He walked back to the center stage and looked around in the crowd before he looked down at his belt.

"Let's go it's Mercer Time baby!" Zack Mercer yelled as he walked down the ramp slapping the hands of the fans in the front row.

In the front row he saw a little boy in the front row wearing his shirt while raising a sign with a Nikki Bella hat. He smiled as he stopped and took a selfie with the little boy before he gave him a hug and continued his way down the ramp. Once he reached the ringside area he looked around at the crowd once more with a smile. He walked around the ringside area to the ring and got up onto the ring apron similar to the Miz's style. He held onto the middle rope while he raised up his index finger and middle finger with his other hand. He got up to his feet and entered the ring before went over to the turnbuckle and did his pose over again while the fans cheered loudly.

He jumped down from the ropes and was quickly handed a mic by the Smackdown Live ring crew before he walked to the center of the ring with a smile.

"Bully" Stops

Zack smiled as he heard the fans chanting his name. He looked around at the San Jose crowd before he looked down at his championship and once more at the crowd.

"Man it feels good to be right here in San Jose. But I got one thing to ask you guys." Zack said as he put the mic down for a quick second while the fans started to cheer even more as they got excited for his catchphrase.

"San Jose, How you doin?" Zack said as the crowd chanted along while he then started to walk around the ring.

"Now, I'm gonna be honest with you guys. I'm excited. I'm excited about having the Intercontinental Championship back where it belongs and I'm excited about Survivor Series which is 40 days away for those of you keeping count. And for those of you who haven't noticed, although Survivor Series is 40 days away, I don't have a clear opponent for that pay-per-view. Although there have been speculations as of late." Zack said.

"Speculations of guys like Dean Ambrose…." that name received a few cheers from the crowd.

"Heath Slater….." that name actually got a mixed reaction from the crowd.

"Baron Corbin…." that name actually received boos.

"Apollo Crews…." that name received a slight cheer from the crowd.

"Kalisto…," that name received the same reaction as Apollo Crews.

"Oh and John Cena." As soon as the crowd heard the name John Cena they were going off the charts with cheers. Zack looked around the audience at the screaming fans with a smile on his face. He soon heard the cheers of "Let's go Cena! Let's go Mercer!"

"And although that does sound good for Survivor Series. I'm looking for something that sounds good tonight. So here's what I'm proposing. If anyone in that locker room has the courage to come out here and step up to the plate then by all means come out. Because I'm putting this title up for grabs in an open challenge!" Zack said as he took off the Championship and raised it up as the crowd cheered.

"Cruise Control" by CFO$ Hits

The crowd cheered as Apollo Crews walked out from the back as Zack stood in the center of the ring with a smile on his face. Apollo pointed down the ramp at Zack with a friendly smile on his face while Zack told him to bring it on as he taunted.

Minutes Later - Smackdown Live

Smackdown Live was just coming off their commercial break while the referee raised up the Championship while a graphic appeared on the titantron and Zack stood in the ring now shirtless standing across from Apollo Crews. The referee handed the title to the ring crowd before he called for the bell.

Ding…Ding…Ding…

Zack and Apollo walked towards the center of the ring and exchanged a handshake before they both started to circle around the ring. They locked it up in the center of the ring with Apollo Crews getting the advantage due to his size and strength. Zack backed Apollo back to the ropes before he pushed Apollo into the ropes. Apollo Crews managed to knock Zack down to the mat with a shoulder block before he went to the ropes. Zack turned over onto his side before Apollo jumped over him and ran back to the ropes before he was dropped with a dropkick to the mouth making Apollo drop down and get up to look at Zack.

Zack told Apollo to bring it on with a smile on his face while Apollo got up to his feet. Apollo went to hit Zack with a punch but Zack was able to block the punch and hit Zack with one of his own. Zack with another punch that sent Apollo Crews back to the ropes. Zack with another shot for good measure before he sent Apollo to the ropes but Apollo reversed it sending Zack into the ropes this time. Zack tried to go for a clothesline but Apollo ducked it and this caused Zack to try to turn around and rebound only for Apollo to hit Zack with a clothesline of his own. Apollo jumped up to try and elbow drop Zack but Zack moved out of the way and tried to hit Apollo with a low-angle dropkick but Apollo rolled away before Zack could execute. Apollo got up to his feet while Zack got up to a knee and stared at Apollo. They looked around at the fans with smiles on their faces before they got up to their feet.

Apollo went for another clothesline but Zack this time ducked it and quickly grabbed Apollo looking for a Belly-To-Back Suplex but Apollo jumped out of it and managed to get to his feet. Zack tried to for a shot but Apollo caught him with a Belly-To-Belly that put Zack flat on his back. Apollo went for the cover on Mercer.

1….

2, Kick Out at 2 by Zack Mercer. Zack then sat up for Apollo to grab and set him up in a suplex position. He lifted up Zack with a Deadlift Supex before he slammed him back down to the mat. Zack sat up with a hand on his back as he grimaced at the pain from his back before Apollo backed up into the ropes and when he came back off the ropes he jumped and successfully hit Zack with an elbow to the chest this time before he went for the cover.

1….

2, Kick Out at 2 once again by Zack Mercer. Zack rolled over onto his back and reached for the ropes but Apollo saw this and grabbed Zack by his feet trying to pull him back to the center of the ring but Zack managed to grab onto the middle rope. While Apollo kept pulling Zack managed to lift himself up till he was hopping on foot. Zack jumped and hit Apollo with an Enziguri with the free leg that sent Apollo crashing back-first into the ropes. Zack saw this and ran towards Apollo trying to clothesline him over the ropes but Apollo managed to throw Zack over the ropes but Zack managed to grab onto the top rope and hold on while the crowd cheered. Zack skinned the cat back on the inside of the ring where Apollo now stood in the center.

Apollo ran towards Zack but Zack dropped down while holding onto the top rope and let Apollo go flying over the top rope till he crashed on the outside. Zack looked around at the crowd shaking his head and back and forth getting himself and the crowd hyped as Apollo Crews then stood up on the outside. Zack ran to the ropes before he managed to fly through the top and middle rope hitting Apollo with a Suicide Dive that sent them both crashing over the announce table. The referee started his count at 1 as the fans cheered at the fight that both of these men were putting on. Zack was the first to crawl away from the scene as he used the barricade to hold him up. Apollo also used the barricade to pull himself up. Both men looked at each other with fire in their eyes as the referee's count got to 7. They both turned and looked at the referee who's count now went to 8 before they both ran into the ring stopping the count right at 9. Both men rose up to their feet and Zack tried to punch Apollo but Apollo ducked it and lifted him up in a Back Suplex like position before he was able to hit Zack with his finisher The Chariot. After the spin-out powerbomb, Zack was reeling as he stared up at the lights while Apollo went for the cover.

1….

2….

Thr-No, Kick out right before 3 count making Apollo fall on his back and look up at the ceiling in frustration while the fans cheered. Apollo cursed as he got up to his feet groggily before he walked towards Zack and lifted him up by the head and shoulders before Zack out of desperation pushed Apollo off of him and hit him with the Ace of Spades. But Apollo didn't fall; instead the kick sent him back-first into the ropes causing him to ricochet after the ropes and let Zack hit him with another Ace of Spades. The crowd cheered as both men dropped back down to the mat this time with Zack falling on his frontside while Apollo lied on his backside. Zack crawled towards Apollo and somehow managed to drape an arm across him.

1….

2….

3…..

Ding…Ding…Ding…

"Bully" Plays

Zack rolled over onto his back-side and stared at the ceiling as the fans cheered.

"Here is your winner and still the WWE Intercontinental Champion: Zack Mercer!" the fans cheered as Hamilton announced this and Zack used the ropes to pull himself up. The referee handed Zack his Championship title which he held to his chest very closely while he ran his hands through his hair. He raised up the championship title causing the fans to cheer even more while he limped in the ring a bit from the soreness in his knee.

Minutes Later - Backstage

James walked around the back with his championship sitting firmly on his shoulder, his hair was slightly sticking to his head as he had a towel wrapped around his neck with a water bottle in his other hand.

"Drew!" James heard making him smile as he turned around to see her standing there. She looked up at him with a smile on her face.

"Hey Lex." James said as he walked towards her.

"I saw your match, you did good."

"I thought I did okay. I could've performed better but I'm somewhat proud of my performance."

"You're a little hard on yourself. You can't wrestle a 5 star match every night. Some of the most successful superstars go their whole careers without a 5-star match."

"Yeah but I'm not trying to be on that list, I want to be on the list of guys who had one."

"You will be. You got a lot of time ahead of you."

"I hope you're right. You want to grab a bite after the show."

"Yeah, we can do that."

"Okay, great." Lexi said with a smile as she then turned around leaving James standing there with his title and a smile on his face. His eyes trailed her body looking her hourglass figure up and down. Sometimes he wondered if Lexi would ever see him the way he saw her but if she did, then he would have to do the one thing he never wanted to do and that was hurt Cassie. As much as he loved Cassie, he also loved Lexi.

Next Week - Tuesday, October 18th, 2016 - Survivor Series: 33 Days Away - Denver, Colorado

James MCGrady stood in the male locker of the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado wearing his wheat timbs with skinny blue jeans with a white v-neck and a burgundy leather jacket and a simple gold chain. The IC title rested at the top of his locker. He had an earbud in his left ear listening to his music as the guys in the locker room were getting ready for their segments or matches.

Man, I hate Denver. There are like no good restaurants in Denver." Uhaa Nation AKA Apollo Crews, who stood there dressed in his ring gear with a tank top.

"Yes, there are." Randy Orton said as he laced up his boots.

"Okay let me rephrase that for you. No good affordable restaurants in Denver." Jon Fatu, said as he leaned up against a locker. Randy and Uhaa both nodded along.

"I'm gonna be honest here, I have never been to Denver. I have never been to Colorado." James said as Jonathan Good walked into the locker room with a roll of wrist tape taping up his hands and his wrist.

"You serious?" Jon Good asked.

"Yes, I'm serious." James chuckled as Jon Good then shrugged his shoulders.

"I mean you're not missing anything so." Jon Good said as James chuckled while Randy and Uhaa both shook their heads.

"What we really need to be talking about is your harem of women." James heard Jon Fatu say, making him quickly yank out of his earbuds to listen to what was being said.

"I don't have a harem." He defended with a frown.

"You definitely do, Cassie and Alexa. You got both of them wrapped around your finger." Jon said.

"Me and Lexi are just friends. Cassie is the one I'm with right now." James replied.

"Bullshit. I see the way you look at her. I see the way you two interact. You like her but you're tied down with someone else and she is too." Randy said, James chuckled and shook his head running a hand through his hair.

"You make it sound so simple."

"In a way, it is. You're both with other people and it's clear to just about everyone that you two want to be together but the people you two are dating, are in the way and neither of you want to hurt your partner. It's situations like this, somebody is bound to get hurt. It's just a matter of how they take it." Randy said, making James frown as he listened to Randy's statement.

"Looks like OG Randy dropping some knowledge on the youngins." Jon joked, making James and the other guys in the locker room chuckle.

While he was seeming laughing off what Randy told him, James was deep in thought about his statement. He loved Lexi but also loved Cassie and he didn't want to hurt her.

Minutes Later - Smackdown Live Arena

"Bully" Hits

Zack Mercer walked out onto the stage with the entrance video being the only video in the arena while all the lights were currently off within the arena. He raised his index and middle fingers up in the air as the lights of the arena came back on and began going back and forth between blue and white lights.

"Denver, How you doin?" Zack asked as he walked to the right side of the stage and pointed into the crowd while he patted his belt. He then turned around and walked to the left side of the stage and pointed into the crowd. He walked back to the center stage and looked around in the crowd before he looked down at his belt.

"Let's go it's Mercer Time baby!" Zack Mercer yelled as he walked down the ramp slapping the hands of the fans in the front row. Zack looked at a fan who sat in the second row who had his phone out looking to take a picture of Zack. Zack reached out and took the phone before he snapped a selfie of himself with a peace sun up before he handed it back to the fan and winked before he continued his way down the ramp. Once he reached the ringside area he looked around at the crowd once more with a smile. He walked around the ringside area to the ring and got up onto the ring apron similar to the Miz's style. He held onto the middle rope while he raised up his index finger and middle finger with his other hand. He got up to his feet and entered the ring before went over to the turnbuckle and did his pose over again while the fans cheered loudly.

He jumped down from the ropes and was quickly handed a mic by the Smackdown Live ring crew before he walked to the center of the ring with a smile.

"Bully" Stops

Zack looked around at the crowd. He could see several signs featuring his name and his nicknames. He smiled as he looked down at the ring mat thinking about how his popularity had quickly risen in the matter of months. He then looked up at the crowd and put the mic up to his mouth while the fans started to quiet down showing respect to the Intercontinental Champion.

"Denver, How you doin?" Zack said on the mic as the fans chanted along with him. Zack chuckled as he looked round at the crowd.

"33 days. In 33 days, We will be in the Air Canada Centre for the 30th Anniversary of Survivor Series where I will be defending this Intercontinental Championship. And I still don't have a clear opponent for Survivor Series but I'm not gonna let that stop me. I'm not gonna let that keep me from being the guy that you all know and love. And I'm not gonna let that stop me from the being the-" Zack was saying but a certain theme music cut him off.

"I Came To Play" Hits

The Miz walked out onto the stage with his sunglasses on his face while he was dressed in a suit. His wife wore a burgundy colored dress with a matching color lipstick and black heels. The Miz put the mic up to mouth as his music faded off into the background.

"I Came To Play" Stops

The Miz opened his mouth as if he were about to speak while the fans booed him loudly. Zack then started to act if he was a chorus conductor making some of the fans who weren't booing chuckle a bit.

"When my hand goes up, your mouth goes shut." The Miz said as he raised a hand in the air making the fans who were booing him boo him louder.

"You've been saying that for months now and literally no one does what you say." Zack said on the mic as he stared at The Miz

"You think you're funny, don't you? You think that you're this comedian. That you're just the funniest guy in the room. The only thing I find funny around here is you and that joke you call a career." The Miz said on the mic making James smirk as he looked down at the mat chuckling.

"You think this is funny. Well, you can laugh all you want now because next week you won't be laughing. I talked to Shane McMahon and right here, next week I will cash in my rematch clause against you for my Intercontinental Championship. And I will be the guy heading into Survivor Series defending my Championship." The Miz said on the mic as Zack chuckled while he leaned up onto the ropes.

"You know Miz, I think you should be a comedian because that's funny. And you know I actually talked to Daniel just a few hours ago, and he said that I can pick the stipulation for our match. And when I beat you, it's gonna be fair and square. No Maryse. No outside interference. So our match will be inside a Steel Cage!" Zack said on the mic as many fans cheered in anticipation for that match. The Miz on the stage was flipping out in anger while Maryse stared down Zack Mercer and muttered a few words that might not be suitable for children to hear.

"And seeing as though these fans and I aren't in the mood to wait for next week, I might just kick your ass tonight." Zack said as he dropped the mic and took off his title before he exited the ring looking to fight The Miz early but several security guards came out who were all wearing Miz shirts. They pulled Zack Mercer back while The Miz gave off an arrogant smirk.

"I always have a plan and next week you'll see a different plan. A plan that will leave you in a pile of your own bones." The Miz said as he music started to play before he and his wife disappeared off into the back with a smirk on their face while Zack looked at the security guards with a look of frustration.

A/N: So I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. I just combined this chapter with another and added some extra dialogue to advance one of the subplots for the story. But anyway next chapter, Miz vs Mercer Steel Cage.

This is the ZackAttack signing out!

Peace!