The rain had lightened up since Chris had arrived in Atlantic City, the
forecast was over heard on the radio news: Light showers for the inland
communities with scattered storms in the coastal regions, temperatures
still range in the 50's and under.
"Fourth stop, Atlantic City." The bus driver announced and Chris looked up from his daze. As he stepped off the bus, the diver called to him. "Hey son, you'd better get a coat and umbrella, it's only gonna get worse before it gets better."
"Thanks." Chris nodded and smiled up at the man as he closed the doors and drove away. Chris looked around the town, it was just sprinkling as it was only 8 in the morning. He began to think, he didn't know where he was, how would he find the arena? Finally he approached one of the other people who'd gotten off his bus. "Excuse me." The young man and woman turned around. "Do you by chance know where the arena is?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact we do." The man smiled.
"We're going there ourselves, why don't you join us?" The woman, obviously the man's girlfriend, flirted up next to Chris.
"Well," Chris noticed the rising tension from the man. "I don't want to be a bother.."
"Oh no bother at all, right honey?" The woman giggled, causing her boyfriend to snap out of his angry glare.
"Hm? Oh yea, why not."
"Thanks."
Chris smirked, he was beginning to have second thoughts about his idea. As the girl waved down a taxi, Chris couldn't help but be very nervous, he could feel the man's eyes piercing him on the back of his neck. The three of them rode in the cab with the woman in the middle, but Chris could still see the angry stares from the man across the way.
"So, what's your name?" The lady decided to break the tension.
"I'm Chris."
"My name's Lisa."
"And I'm her boyfriend, Keith." He cut in sharply, emphasizing on the words 'her boyfriend' very much. Chris chose wisely to remain quiet for the rest of the ride. Eventually they arrived at the arena. "Lisa, I'm gonna check us into the hotel, why don't you come with me?"
"I dunno, why don't you go and I'll hang out Chris?"
Chris gulped and looked up over at Keith who returned an angry leer. "No I have personal business I have to tend to, please excuse me." Chris made his exit fast.
"By Chris." Lisa waved until her boyfriend pulled her away by her arm.
Chris walked towards the arena hastily, eager to get to his friend but also to get rid of the couple as fast as he could. Luckily, due to the weather, nobody was outside at the arena so Chris didn't have to worry about a barrage of fans bombarding him. As he walked into the carport he was stopped by security.
"Stop. Name please?"
"Oh I'm Chris."
The man looked on his list, scaling up and down with his finger. "There are many Chris's on here, last name please."
"Oh, Jericho."
"Jericho. Jericho, nope sorry, not on here."
"What?" Chris stopped himself and remembered, everyone still thought he was dead. He began to think. "Hmm, that list must be wrong. but maybe it's under my new last name."
"New last name hu? Well, what is it?"
"My name is.." Chris smirked. "Benoit, I'm Chris Benoit."
The man looked down at his list for only a few seconds before speaking back up. "Ah Benoit, here it is. Heh, go right on in, and I'm sorry about the mix up."
"No prob." Chris smiled as he made his way into the arena and chuckled to himself. "Just wait till everyone sees me, I can't wait to see the expressions on their faces. This is gonna be so great!"
Chris walked down the halls of the arena, nobody was there yet which was odd. Usually everyone arrived hours earlier to prepare for their matches, warm up or eat, but the arena was practically empty. As he walked, some arena workers were moving about. He made his way to the gorilla position, everything was already ready, the ring and lights were all set up for the show, but not a familiar face was to be seen, until.
"Chris?!?" The voice made him turn, and there stood an ultimately shocked Dan.
"Hey Dan." Chris waved slightly, seeing his expression made him change his mind about scaring his friends, Dan looked like he'd seen a ghost and was about to drop dead, and Chris wasn't about ready to scare his friends anymore than he already had. "How's it going?"
"Oh my god.." Dan shivered.
"Don't be afraid." Chris spoke quietly and gently. "It's ok, I'm not a ghost, I'm alive."
"But, but how?" Dan stammered. He was dead meat and Chris only thought he was petrified to see him alive because he thought he'd died. "You're dead!"
"No, I survived." Chris still had no idea Dan was in on the whole thing. "Weird hu?"
"Chris." Dan stopped and changed his plans in his head, he couldn't reveal to Chris that he was in on the whole scam. Chris was supposed to die, how could he have lived? Dan began to growl. "Dam that doctor."
"Hey I hear ya." Chris grinned and Dan looked up. "I bet he decimated you all when he told you I was dead, but close call hu? I guess that just goes to show that this cat truly does have nine lives." Chris began to laugh.
"Chris." Dan cleared his throat and Chris stopped laughing. He decided it was better to keep playing in on the charade that he was his friend. "Everyone thinks your dead, the world has moved on as if you hadn't existed. This could really cause an imbalance."
"Hu? Dan what are you talking about?"
"I'm not sure it's a good idea to tell everyone that you're alive."
"What! Are you crazy, why not?"
"Not just yet that is, they still need more time to recover. You understand, don't you?"
"Well sure, I guess, but.."
"Chris, lay low and stick with me. Together we can help you get through this, we can help everyone. Got it?"
"Yea, I think." Chris was reluctant, but he did understand what Dan was saying.
"Good, now come on, we have to get you out of sight before the others arrive." Dan pushed Chris into the trainer room and began to think to himself. "Darn Chris, how did he manage to live through the doctors procedures? Now I realize what Carlos was up with and how frustrated Mr. McMahon got. Dam, we sure could use a mastermind like him on our side right now..." Dan began to think. "Wait, Carlos doesn't know what Chris is alive, only I do! Maybe I can cover this up, maybe I can tie up this loose end. Chris still might have the drug injections inside him, if I give him over the lethal dose, he's sure to parish this time." Dan began to laugh to himself and unknowingly spoke aloud. "Oh if only he could see me now, what a promotion I'd get!"
"Uh, Dan? Who are you talking to?" Chris stared at his companion, cockeyed.
"Oh!" Dan gulped and turned around. "I was just talking about, um, Vince. Yea, that's it! If only he could see me now, you and me, you alive and well, he'd be so happy."
"Yea, he would be." Chris smiled but sighed.
He still remembered how Vince looked the last time he saw him in the hospital. He wished he could tell everyone he was ok, but he had to listen to Dan, after all, he was the one who knew best. Chris sat down in the trainers room and Dan began to put his idea into motion.
"Now listen Chris." Dan's voice made Chris look up suddenly. "I really hate to say this, but I'm going to have to give you a shot."
"WHAT!" Chris nearly leaped up onto the ceiling.
"Calm down, I know that you're afraid of needles, but this is a dire necessity."
"Oh? And why's that!" Chris was speaking very loudly.
"Sh, just listen. You nearly died, you have a lot of, uh, bad stuff inside you that we need to get out, or else you could really die this time. Understand?"
"No!"
"Chris, please! I know what's best and you know that!" Dan was growing impatient.
"Yea, but."
"I really don't want to do this to you, you know that, but it's a matter of life and death here. I promise you, I swear upon it on my family name that you will never, ever in the rest of your entire life, be given a shot again."
"Well ok." Chris was reluctant and spoke very hesitantly. "If you promise."
"Oh, I do."
Dan smiled to himself, to be honest, he was telling the truth after all. If Dan gave him the lethal injection, Chris would die and really would never receive another shot again in his entire life. This was perfect, Chris was about to be killed, and he didn't even know it!
"Fourth stop, Atlantic City." The bus driver announced and Chris looked up from his daze. As he stepped off the bus, the diver called to him. "Hey son, you'd better get a coat and umbrella, it's only gonna get worse before it gets better."
"Thanks." Chris nodded and smiled up at the man as he closed the doors and drove away. Chris looked around the town, it was just sprinkling as it was only 8 in the morning. He began to think, he didn't know where he was, how would he find the arena? Finally he approached one of the other people who'd gotten off his bus. "Excuse me." The young man and woman turned around. "Do you by chance know where the arena is?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact we do." The man smiled.
"We're going there ourselves, why don't you join us?" The woman, obviously the man's girlfriend, flirted up next to Chris.
"Well," Chris noticed the rising tension from the man. "I don't want to be a bother.."
"Oh no bother at all, right honey?" The woman giggled, causing her boyfriend to snap out of his angry glare.
"Hm? Oh yea, why not."
"Thanks."
Chris smirked, he was beginning to have second thoughts about his idea. As the girl waved down a taxi, Chris couldn't help but be very nervous, he could feel the man's eyes piercing him on the back of his neck. The three of them rode in the cab with the woman in the middle, but Chris could still see the angry stares from the man across the way.
"So, what's your name?" The lady decided to break the tension.
"I'm Chris."
"My name's Lisa."
"And I'm her boyfriend, Keith." He cut in sharply, emphasizing on the words 'her boyfriend' very much. Chris chose wisely to remain quiet for the rest of the ride. Eventually they arrived at the arena. "Lisa, I'm gonna check us into the hotel, why don't you come with me?"
"I dunno, why don't you go and I'll hang out Chris?"
Chris gulped and looked up over at Keith who returned an angry leer. "No I have personal business I have to tend to, please excuse me." Chris made his exit fast.
"By Chris." Lisa waved until her boyfriend pulled her away by her arm.
Chris walked towards the arena hastily, eager to get to his friend but also to get rid of the couple as fast as he could. Luckily, due to the weather, nobody was outside at the arena so Chris didn't have to worry about a barrage of fans bombarding him. As he walked into the carport he was stopped by security.
"Stop. Name please?"
"Oh I'm Chris."
The man looked on his list, scaling up and down with his finger. "There are many Chris's on here, last name please."
"Oh, Jericho."
"Jericho. Jericho, nope sorry, not on here."
"What?" Chris stopped himself and remembered, everyone still thought he was dead. He began to think. "Hmm, that list must be wrong. but maybe it's under my new last name."
"New last name hu? Well, what is it?"
"My name is.." Chris smirked. "Benoit, I'm Chris Benoit."
The man looked down at his list for only a few seconds before speaking back up. "Ah Benoit, here it is. Heh, go right on in, and I'm sorry about the mix up."
"No prob." Chris smiled as he made his way into the arena and chuckled to himself. "Just wait till everyone sees me, I can't wait to see the expressions on their faces. This is gonna be so great!"
Chris walked down the halls of the arena, nobody was there yet which was odd. Usually everyone arrived hours earlier to prepare for their matches, warm up or eat, but the arena was practically empty. As he walked, some arena workers were moving about. He made his way to the gorilla position, everything was already ready, the ring and lights were all set up for the show, but not a familiar face was to be seen, until.
"Chris?!?" The voice made him turn, and there stood an ultimately shocked Dan.
"Hey Dan." Chris waved slightly, seeing his expression made him change his mind about scaring his friends, Dan looked like he'd seen a ghost and was about to drop dead, and Chris wasn't about ready to scare his friends anymore than he already had. "How's it going?"
"Oh my god.." Dan shivered.
"Don't be afraid." Chris spoke quietly and gently. "It's ok, I'm not a ghost, I'm alive."
"But, but how?" Dan stammered. He was dead meat and Chris only thought he was petrified to see him alive because he thought he'd died. "You're dead!"
"No, I survived." Chris still had no idea Dan was in on the whole thing. "Weird hu?"
"Chris." Dan stopped and changed his plans in his head, he couldn't reveal to Chris that he was in on the whole scam. Chris was supposed to die, how could he have lived? Dan began to growl. "Dam that doctor."
"Hey I hear ya." Chris grinned and Dan looked up. "I bet he decimated you all when he told you I was dead, but close call hu? I guess that just goes to show that this cat truly does have nine lives." Chris began to laugh.
"Chris." Dan cleared his throat and Chris stopped laughing. He decided it was better to keep playing in on the charade that he was his friend. "Everyone thinks your dead, the world has moved on as if you hadn't existed. This could really cause an imbalance."
"Hu? Dan what are you talking about?"
"I'm not sure it's a good idea to tell everyone that you're alive."
"What! Are you crazy, why not?"
"Not just yet that is, they still need more time to recover. You understand, don't you?"
"Well sure, I guess, but.."
"Chris, lay low and stick with me. Together we can help you get through this, we can help everyone. Got it?"
"Yea, I think." Chris was reluctant, but he did understand what Dan was saying.
"Good, now come on, we have to get you out of sight before the others arrive." Dan pushed Chris into the trainer room and began to think to himself. "Darn Chris, how did he manage to live through the doctors procedures? Now I realize what Carlos was up with and how frustrated Mr. McMahon got. Dam, we sure could use a mastermind like him on our side right now..." Dan began to think. "Wait, Carlos doesn't know what Chris is alive, only I do! Maybe I can cover this up, maybe I can tie up this loose end. Chris still might have the drug injections inside him, if I give him over the lethal dose, he's sure to parish this time." Dan began to laugh to himself and unknowingly spoke aloud. "Oh if only he could see me now, what a promotion I'd get!"
"Uh, Dan? Who are you talking to?" Chris stared at his companion, cockeyed.
"Oh!" Dan gulped and turned around. "I was just talking about, um, Vince. Yea, that's it! If only he could see me now, you and me, you alive and well, he'd be so happy."
"Yea, he would be." Chris smiled but sighed.
He still remembered how Vince looked the last time he saw him in the hospital. He wished he could tell everyone he was ok, but he had to listen to Dan, after all, he was the one who knew best. Chris sat down in the trainers room and Dan began to put his idea into motion.
"Now listen Chris." Dan's voice made Chris look up suddenly. "I really hate to say this, but I'm going to have to give you a shot."
"WHAT!" Chris nearly leaped up onto the ceiling.
"Calm down, I know that you're afraid of needles, but this is a dire necessity."
"Oh? And why's that!" Chris was speaking very loudly.
"Sh, just listen. You nearly died, you have a lot of, uh, bad stuff inside you that we need to get out, or else you could really die this time. Understand?"
"No!"
"Chris, please! I know what's best and you know that!" Dan was growing impatient.
"Yea, but."
"I really don't want to do this to you, you know that, but it's a matter of life and death here. I promise you, I swear upon it on my family name that you will never, ever in the rest of your entire life, be given a shot again."
"Well ok." Chris was reluctant and spoke very hesitantly. "If you promise."
"Oh, I do."
Dan smiled to himself, to be honest, he was telling the truth after all. If Dan gave him the lethal injection, Chris would die and really would never receive another shot again in his entire life. This was perfect, Chris was about to be killed, and he didn't even know it!
