My Enemy's Enemy
Chapter 3
"They say to keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer. But what if you don't know which is which?"
Vanessa Cleveland looked up as Test paced across their locker room, once and a while throwing a fake punch. She was sitting on the wooden bench that provided the only sitting area, leaning as far as she could back, her legs balled up in front of her. He was slowly getting into the mindset for his rematch against Scott.
"Test?" a feminine voice from outside the door said, and he opened it. Vanessa watched through sullen blue eyes as he shamelessly flirted with the pretty brunette while she told him that his match was up.
"Come on, Vanessa," he said sharply when the brunette left. Like a dog following an order, she got up, walking to him, ignoring the mirror completely. She had done her best to hide the bruises with make-up, but in the end had thrown on a pair of hip-hugging flare jeans and a low cut top.
By the time they made it to the ring, Stacy and Scott had already arrived and done their posing, and Stacy was on the outside, looking a bit nervous as Test entered the ring. Vanessa walked past the stairs and to her spot on the outside of the match. Test, happy and arrogant over his win to Scott the week before, overlooked many moves he could've countered, leaving Scott at an advantage.
Vanessa allowed her eyes to fix away from Test as he slowly lost all control over Scott, her eyes straying to the crowd. Closing her eyes briefly, she let the roar of the crowd echo through her ears until she heard the mat crash. Half-heartedly, she yelled encouragement to Test as Scott lifted him up.
"What?" Vanessa whispered as the bell jerked her from her thoughts, a minute after a loud crack sounded. A steel chair was firmly in Test's hands, and Scott was defenseless on the ground. Test brought the chair down in fearful bursts of power, cracking the dented chair against Scott's bleeding body a total of five more times. Vanessa slid into the ring as Stacy did. When Stacy went to break up Scott and Test, Vanessa leapt at her, spearing her to the mat. The spear wasn't great, as Vanessa wasn't a wrestler, but it stilled Stacy. Vanessa looked back at Test, and then at Stacy, hoping that her attacking Stacy had stopped any thoughts of him attacking her with the steel chair.
"What the hell did you do that for?" Test said.
She looked warily at the steel chair in his grip, blood smeared across it in a sick spider web.
"ANSWER ME!" he brought the steel chair swinging. She hit the mat, somersaulting before the steel hit her. Stiff and in pain from the bruises on her skin, she walked to the edge of the ring away from him as he advanced. Vanessa backed off every time he approached. Soon enough, he'd backed her into a corner, grinning menacingly at her. She held up her hands, worthlessly pleading for him not to hit her.
As he prepared to swing the chair into her, music blared suddenly from the speakers. Vanessa gaped at the three men that came running down to the ring. Test turned away from her, and she sunk to the bottom turnbuckle, unmoving as the three wrestlers completely destroyed Test, using the steel chair to their advantage.
The crowd cheered for the three wrestlers, which was probably a first, considering what they'd done in the past few days. Vanessa struggled to her feet, her heart pounding. They had just saved her! The thoughts in her head were a jumbled, messy mush. She pushed herself forward.
"Tha-Thank you," she stuttered, as confused as the crowd had been to her saviors.
The blonde in the group laughed, sticking out a hand for her to shake, "The asshole had it coming." She shook his hand, forcing hers to stop shaking. She was introduced quickly to the other two.
The full realization still hadn't hit her. She looked down at Test. His hair lay across his face, covering the horse-like horror. Blood streaked across his chest. She shivered.
I'm free, she realized finally, the shock of what had happened still running through her mind. She wouldn't have to go back to him every night, receiving the physical and emotional beatings every night.
Every elation, every happy thought, crashed suddenly. The men certainly wouldn't want her around! She was a dead weight! Her eyes still stared at Test. He would make her pay for what they did.
"What's wrong, kiddo?" the blonde man said, not touching her because he knew she would draw back.
"Nothing," she whispered.
The old, white-haired man caught on to what she was thinking. "Relax," he ordered, "He's not going to get you. You're going to be with us. That is, if you want to," he added.
"You can valet for us, too," the brown-haired youngster supplied, "So you wouldn't have to leave your job."
She felt her jaw drop. Everything she wished for was suddenly coming true so fast that she couldn't keep up. Being freed from Test, being protected from him…
"So what do you think?" the old man asked.
She nodded mutely.
The blond man smiled, "I'm taking that is a yes, so, welcome to Evolution."
She shivered in shock and joy.
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