Title: The Road Less Traveled (15/?)
Author: Esquirella
Rating: R (for violence in some chapters. Not this one, but others.)
Disclaimer: I own the Rio character and have written other stories with her. I own all non-WWE characters. But I do not own the wrestlers. (Unfortunately. They are so cute!)
Synopsis: Shannon meets his OVW opponent as Matt, Jeff and Andrew watch backstage, ready to protect him. Of course, he gets attacked anyway. And let's just say that Shannon's less than thrilled with Jeff right now. Distribution: Just in case anyone's interested in it, please ask me first. More than likely, I will agree.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have received a review and several email messages asking for more chapters on Rio's background. There will be a chapter (coming soon) where Rio will explain a little about her past to one of her new friends. BUT, it won't have a lot of information, as Rio's not the trusting type right now. However, I have written other stories on Rio and these include the life-changing event that brought her to Justin and Sven, as well as her training time with them. These do not include any WWE characters, other than a passing mention of watching wrestling on TV. I could post these in the original fiction section if you like. (First I'd have to work them into chapters, but it probably wouldn't take me long to do so.) Please let me know, either through a review of this story or by email to esquirella@yahoo.com, if you'd like to see Rio's complete story.
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The arena was larger than the ones Rio usually frequented. She glanced around her curiously, tightly holding her gear bag over her shoulder. She'd wisely chosen not to get into costume until more of the performers arrived. Until them, she intended to prowl the surrounding parameters and plan the most likely point of attack her prey would take. Given that they weren't the most intelligent beings she'd ever encountered, she figured they would take the easiest path to their goal. In fact, she surmised that they would attack Shannon in much the same fashion as the first attempt.
She looked over her left shoulder and mentally envisioned the arena when it was full and at its most chaotic. The crowd would be to Grendel's advantage as he could slip very easily into it after the blow was dealt. Given that the security would be most heavily centered around the entrance/exit ramp to protect the talent, Grendel would probably enter and leave the ring vicinity though the far side, furthest from the ramp. He would probably expect some of Shannon's friends to be here for him tonight, so Sinbad would likely run in as well.
She felt a pair of eyes watching her from behind and turned to meet the gaze of a large, young security guard. He smiled engagingly as he approached her.
"Are ya one o' today's performers?" he asked.
"I am," she said, using her best southern accent to make him believe she was from a local organization.
"This yo' first big Indy sho'?"
"That obvious, huh?"
He grinned widely. "A little, but don' worry. Ev'ryone's gotta start somewhere."
Rio smiled back at him to show that she was grateful for his empathy. "Where should I go t' change?"
He gestured to the women's locker room and she nodded, thanking him for his help as she walked to the appropriate area. When she was out of the guard's sight, she detoured to a deserted part of the backstage that she had discovered on her way in. Making sure she was completely alone, she opened her bag and took out her fight gear.
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It was just a half hour before the show started and Jeff was going crazy wondering where the hell Rio was. He paced the men's locker room nervously and kept glancing at the clock. Andrew sat nearby, watching him intently. Neither man had spoken more than ten words to each other since Andrew walked into the room an hour ago.
"Okay, Jeff, Shan's almost ready," Matt said, walking into the locker room's main area, where Jeff and Andrew waited. "Still don' kno' why yo' here, Drew."
Andrew looked up at Matt from his seat and shrugged. "Can't a guy show some support for his fellow WWE coworkers?"
Matt looked skeptical, so Jeff knew he had to step in. "I invited Drew." This earned him a raised eyebrow from his brother. "What? We started hangin' out afta ya left."
Matt looked over at Andrew who smiled as innocently as possible. Shaking his head, the older Hardy returned his attention to his brother. "An' why're ya pacin' an' watchin' th' clock? 'Xpecting someone?"
Jeff felt cornered. He hated lying to his big brother and wasn't very good at it. He broke eye contact, glancing at Andrew, who shook his head slightly to warn him not to say anything. Jeff looked back at Matt and tried to smile a bit. "No, jus' Shanny. I wanna make sure he's prepared."
"With you, me AND Drew?" Matt replied. "He's betta prepared than eva."
"Hope so."
"Why don't you take a walk, Jeff?" Andrew suggested. "You're not going to do Shannon any good pacing like a zoo animal, and his match isn't on for a while anyway."
"Yeah," Matt agreed.
Jeff sighed and nodded, leaving the dressing area to prowl the arena and search for Rio. He was only two hallways away, when he felt a tug on his arm.
"There you are," Rio whispered as she pulled him into a deserted alcove. "I could not go to you in there with all of those people and your brother around."
"M' brotha's a 'people' too," Jeff smiled.
Rio grinned and shook her golden mane. "You know what I mean."
He laughed and reached a hand out to touch her shoulder. She flinched slightly and pulled away a little.
"Hey, Ri," he said, concerned. "Why cain' I touch ya?"
She sighed and turned away. "I am not accustomed to being touched."
"Well, can we try?"
She looked back at him frowning. He couldn't see her eyes behind her mirrored glasses, but he knew she was considering his request carefully. Something very bad must have happened in her past, he decided. And one day he intended to get her to tell him. Right now, all he wanted to do was hug her, or at least be able to touch her shoulder.
"Okay," she said finally. "We can try."
Jeff slowly moved his arms around her shoulders and gave her a gentle hug. His smile grew as after a moment he felt her arms steal around his waist, hugging him back.
"Okay," she said softly, slowly pulling back from a disappointed Jeff. "We need to talk strategy."
"Okay."
"I think that they will come in and leave through the far side of the ring, away from most of security."
"Tha' soun's right t' me."
"I will stay behind a curtain at the top of the ramp."
Jeff nodded. "Okay. Matt, Drew an' I will be right at th' top o' th' ramp, too."
"That will be fine. But when they show up, you just concentrate on getting Shannon and his opponent out of the ring. Do not stay around once you have them."
Jeff frowned. "I thought we were partners."
"We are," Rio sighed. "But your job is to keep Shannon safe. Mine is to handle Sinbad and Grendel."
"C'mon, there's two o' 'em. Share a little."
"I seem to remember you watching me handle two fighters before. And they were tougher than these two."
"But, Ri, . . ."
"No, Jeff," Rio cut him off, raising a gloved silver hand to his mouth. "I do not want to have to worry about you, as well. If I divide my attention, we will all suffer for it."
Jeff sighed against her hand but nodded his head in agreement. He would not be the cause of any further concern for her, as he figured she had a lot on her mind as it was.
"Okay," she said, satisfied. "And tell Andrew the same."
"I will," Jeff said.
"Jeff! There ya are!" Shannon shouted from somewhere behind him. "Who ya talkin' to?"
Jeff locked eyes with Rio, who gave a small smile before slipping quietly into a janitor's closet and closing the door carefully behind her.
"No one," Jeff said, turning to greet his friend.
"Why were ya gesturin' then?" Shannon.
"I was workin' off some nervous energy, is all."
Shannon shrugged, knowing Jeff always had nervous energy to burn before a stressful event. "Don' worry 'bout me. Matt an' Drew, plus you, will make sure I have a decent chance o' leavin' th' arena inna car 'stead o' an ambulance."
"Don' even joke 'bout that, li'l bro."
Shannon waved off Jeff's concern. "So when do I git t' meet yo' lady?"
"She's my frien', Shanny."
"Even betta," Shannon laughed. "I can make a move on 'er then."
Jeff impaled his smaller friend with a glare. "I don' like that idea eitha."
"Whyeva not, Jeffy," Shannon asked innocently. "Are ya jealous?
Jeff snorted, not even dignifying that with a response.
"Well then what? Dontcha trust me?"
"Look, Shanny, Yo' gonna meet 'er sometime soon an' then you'll undastand."
Shannon gave him a curious look as he adjusted his elbow pads. "Whateva you say, man."
"Hey, Shan!" Matt called from the other end of the corridor. "I's time,buddy. Le's go!"
Shannon looked to where Matt's voice was coming from and then back at Jeff. "Ya ready, big bro?"
"Ya kno' it!" Jeff replied, slapping Shannon's shoulder. "I'll be right behind ya ev'ry step o' th' way."
Shannon smiled. "I kno' that, Jeff. Ya always are."
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"Hey, it's time for the kid's match!" Sinbad called to Grendel.
"Get into position."
"Right."
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Rio positioned herself behind the curtain and waited for Shannon to make his entrance. His opponent, Chris Michaels, was already in the ring. She saw Jeff and Matt walking from the other direction with Shannon in front of them. He rolled his shoulders a little then took his place on top of the ramp. When he walked down to the ring, the crowd erupted into applause. Rio looked back to see that Jeff and Matt were now joined by a very stoic looking Andrew.
Rio looked back to the ring and saw that Shannon was reversing a shoulder lock that Michaels had on him. He flipped and suddenly Michaels was the one on the receiving end. Rio grinned. Like herself, Shannon was smaller and lighter than the other performers, but his high-flying style made him a force to be reckoned with apparently.
Michaels got out of the shoulder lock and turned to kick Shannon in the face. Shannon ducked and spun kicked Michaels instead. The match went on for about ten more minutes before Rio saw a masked man with shoulder length black hair make his way through the crowd. Jeff must have seen him, too, as he was running down to the ring at breakneck speed, Matt and Andrew hot on his heels.
Rio waited another heartbeat then darted down herself. When she got down to ringside Grendel had already mounted a turnbuckle and was preparing to pounce on Shannon, who was lying in the ring, selling a head butt. Rio knew she had to act fast and launched herself at the masked man, grabbing him around the waist with her legs and pulling off his mounting down to the floor.
"What the fuck are YOU doing here?" Grendel snarled as he shook the cobwebs out of his head.
"Oh, you are not happy to see me?" Rio purred. "And I was so glad to see you." She kicked out and connected with his jaw, knocking him several feet away from her and onto his back.
Suddenly, Sinbad materialized behind him and warily approached his friend. Rio looked into the ring and saw all five wrestlers standing there watching. Jeff and Andrew seemed to be holding Shannon and Matt in place.
"Get out of here!" she yelled to Jeff.
"Yo' that silva girl," Shannon said, pointing at her.
Rio turned back to Sinbad in time to duck his boot and deliver a roundhouse kick to his jaw, landing him next to Grendel. She knew she had only a few seconds before they recovered and advanced on her. She turned back to the ring and looked directly at Shannon.
"I will talk to you all later," she hissed. "Now get the hell out of here!"
Shannon just continued to stare at her as he allowed Jeff to pull him out of the ring. He didn't break eye contact until he was halfway up the ramp. Then he was looking at his attackers. Rio looked, too, and saw that they were on their feet and ready to fight. She knew they wouldn't just run now. She had disgraced them.
"You getting sweet on these WWE asswipes?" Grendel sneered.
Rio rolled her eyes behind her glasses. She knew she had defuse that train of thought or it would be open season on the WWE performers. There was no way she could protect them all.
"Actually, no," she assured them. "I am here because I had an interesting conversation with Menace before his . . . vacation."
"Vacation, my ass," screeched Sinbad. "He may never recover enough from that knee injury to return to action."
"What a shame," Rio answered. "Menace said you've been saying bad things about me behind my back."
"What do you mean?" Sinbad asked drawing closer to her left.
"I mean," Rio explained patiently, "that you have been spreading ugly rumors about me. Ones that I do not appreciate."
"I thought you didn't care what people thought about you, Quick Silver," Grendel said, approaching her from the right.
"I do not usually," she said. "But these are truly disgusting."
Rio smiled sweetly and back flipped into the ring, much to the crowd's delight. They thought this was a planned part of the show and didn't know they about to witness a match straight from the Warrior Series. Rio backed into the middle of the ring and raised her arms to them. She then pointed with both hands to Sinbad and Grendel and turned her palms face up curling both index fingers, beckoning the two men to face her.
They looked at her apprehensively then eyed each other in silent communication, and finally slid into the ring. They knew once Shannon left the ring that they would have to retaliate somehow. They couldn't just go back to their coworkers without some sort of victory. And taking out Rio would get them just as much of a bonus and main event shot.
They advanced on her slowly, trying to get on either side of her. Rio knew she had to take them out cleanly and quickly to get away. She flipped in the air as she felt Sinbad tense for an attack. He didn't see her move until the last second and ended up charging into Grendel, who found himself lying prone in the ring.
Sinbad turned to make another attempt on Rio and was met with a kick to the groin. He collapsed where he stood, holding his injured area. Rio quickly grabbed his right arm and twisted it up and back. It broke easily in the two designated places.
She turned to Grendel and grabbed his left leg, delivering an elbow to the back of knee. He screamed in pain, hitting the mat as if he were surrendering in a match. Rio ignored him, repeating her devastating move to his right knee.
She then returned to Sinbad and delivered a similar kick to his left knee and a kick to his ribs, breaking at least two of them Satisfied that these injuries would keep the two fighters out of action for a very long time, if not forever, Rio flipped out of the ring and ran up the ramp and into the back stage area, where she knew the wrestlers would be lying in wait. It would be too much to hope that they'd retired to the dressing room. Not with the determined look on Shannon's face.
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Shannon watched the monitor with a mixture of shock and admiration. Jeff stood next to him, while Andrew and Matt watched the ring from the curtain. Michaels had gone back to the dressing area in fear for his safety.
"So tha's Rio?" Shannon asked, looking pointedly at Jeff.
"Yep."
"Ya planned this wit' her?"
"Yep."
"I may kill y'all lata, y'know," Shannon said.
"Tha's what I tol' 'er you'd say."
"Her idea then?"
"Do ya think anyone can tell 'er what t' do?"
Shannon shook his head and returned his attention to the monitor. Rio had just finished with her opponents leaving them lying in a mess in the ring. Medical attendants rushed down to survey the damage. Rio paid them no heed, walking up the ramp and Shannon was waiting for her. She stepped into his view and he immediately approached her.
"I believe we have a few thin's t' discuss, Miss Rio," he said in a controlled but angry tone.
Jeff and Andrew were instantly behind her while Matt watched her with undisguised annoyance from behind Shannon.
"It is just Rio," she replied calmly. "And I think it would be best if we discussed this in a place more private."
"Ya not leavin' without talkin' t' me," Shannon warned.
"Tha's th' truth," Matt confirmed.
"Matt, she saved our asses," Jeff said. "Don' treat 'er like a criminal."
Matt looked at his younger brother, fuming. "You knew about 'er bein' here, dintcha, Jeff?"
Jeff looked away.
"Hey, I knew about her, too," Andrew interjected, not knowing why he suddenly felt bad for the blue-haired Hardy.
Matt glared at him as well. "Well, isn't this interestin'?"
Rio sighed as Shannon grabbed her arm and pulled her along behind him.
Author: Esquirella
Rating: R (for violence in some chapters. Not this one, but others.)
Disclaimer: I own the Rio character and have written other stories with her. I own all non-WWE characters. But I do not own the wrestlers. (Unfortunately. They are so cute!)
Synopsis: Shannon meets his OVW opponent as Matt, Jeff and Andrew watch backstage, ready to protect him. Of course, he gets attacked anyway. And let's just say that Shannon's less than thrilled with Jeff right now. Distribution: Just in case anyone's interested in it, please ask me first. More than likely, I will agree.
--------------------------------------
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have received a review and several email messages asking for more chapters on Rio's background. There will be a chapter (coming soon) where Rio will explain a little about her past to one of her new friends. BUT, it won't have a lot of information, as Rio's not the trusting type right now. However, I have written other stories on Rio and these include the life-changing event that brought her to Justin and Sven, as well as her training time with them. These do not include any WWE characters, other than a passing mention of watching wrestling on TV. I could post these in the original fiction section if you like. (First I'd have to work them into chapters, but it probably wouldn't take me long to do so.) Please let me know, either through a review of this story or by email to esquirella@yahoo.com, if you'd like to see Rio's complete story.
--------------------------------------
The arena was larger than the ones Rio usually frequented. She glanced around her curiously, tightly holding her gear bag over her shoulder. She'd wisely chosen not to get into costume until more of the performers arrived. Until them, she intended to prowl the surrounding parameters and plan the most likely point of attack her prey would take. Given that they weren't the most intelligent beings she'd ever encountered, she figured they would take the easiest path to their goal. In fact, she surmised that they would attack Shannon in much the same fashion as the first attempt.
She looked over her left shoulder and mentally envisioned the arena when it was full and at its most chaotic. The crowd would be to Grendel's advantage as he could slip very easily into it after the blow was dealt. Given that the security would be most heavily centered around the entrance/exit ramp to protect the talent, Grendel would probably enter and leave the ring vicinity though the far side, furthest from the ramp. He would probably expect some of Shannon's friends to be here for him tonight, so Sinbad would likely run in as well.
She felt a pair of eyes watching her from behind and turned to meet the gaze of a large, young security guard. He smiled engagingly as he approached her.
"Are ya one o' today's performers?" he asked.
"I am," she said, using her best southern accent to make him believe she was from a local organization.
"This yo' first big Indy sho'?"
"That obvious, huh?"
He grinned widely. "A little, but don' worry. Ev'ryone's gotta start somewhere."
Rio smiled back at him to show that she was grateful for his empathy. "Where should I go t' change?"
He gestured to the women's locker room and she nodded, thanking him for his help as she walked to the appropriate area. When she was out of the guard's sight, she detoured to a deserted part of the backstage that she had discovered on her way in. Making sure she was completely alone, she opened her bag and took out her fight gear.
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It was just a half hour before the show started and Jeff was going crazy wondering where the hell Rio was. He paced the men's locker room nervously and kept glancing at the clock. Andrew sat nearby, watching him intently. Neither man had spoken more than ten words to each other since Andrew walked into the room an hour ago.
"Okay, Jeff, Shan's almost ready," Matt said, walking into the locker room's main area, where Jeff and Andrew waited. "Still don' kno' why yo' here, Drew."
Andrew looked up at Matt from his seat and shrugged. "Can't a guy show some support for his fellow WWE coworkers?"
Matt looked skeptical, so Jeff knew he had to step in. "I invited Drew." This earned him a raised eyebrow from his brother. "What? We started hangin' out afta ya left."
Matt looked over at Andrew who smiled as innocently as possible. Shaking his head, the older Hardy returned his attention to his brother. "An' why're ya pacin' an' watchin' th' clock? 'Xpecting someone?"
Jeff felt cornered. He hated lying to his big brother and wasn't very good at it. He broke eye contact, glancing at Andrew, who shook his head slightly to warn him not to say anything. Jeff looked back at Matt and tried to smile a bit. "No, jus' Shanny. I wanna make sure he's prepared."
"With you, me AND Drew?" Matt replied. "He's betta prepared than eva."
"Hope so."
"Why don't you take a walk, Jeff?" Andrew suggested. "You're not going to do Shannon any good pacing like a zoo animal, and his match isn't on for a while anyway."
"Yeah," Matt agreed.
Jeff sighed and nodded, leaving the dressing area to prowl the arena and search for Rio. He was only two hallways away, when he felt a tug on his arm.
"There you are," Rio whispered as she pulled him into a deserted alcove. "I could not go to you in there with all of those people and your brother around."
"M' brotha's a 'people' too," Jeff smiled.
Rio grinned and shook her golden mane. "You know what I mean."
He laughed and reached a hand out to touch her shoulder. She flinched slightly and pulled away a little.
"Hey, Ri," he said, concerned. "Why cain' I touch ya?"
She sighed and turned away. "I am not accustomed to being touched."
"Well, can we try?"
She looked back at him frowning. He couldn't see her eyes behind her mirrored glasses, but he knew she was considering his request carefully. Something very bad must have happened in her past, he decided. And one day he intended to get her to tell him. Right now, all he wanted to do was hug her, or at least be able to touch her shoulder.
"Okay," she said finally. "We can try."
Jeff slowly moved his arms around her shoulders and gave her a gentle hug. His smile grew as after a moment he felt her arms steal around his waist, hugging him back.
"Okay," she said softly, slowly pulling back from a disappointed Jeff. "We need to talk strategy."
"Okay."
"I think that they will come in and leave through the far side of the ring, away from most of security."
"Tha' soun's right t' me."
"I will stay behind a curtain at the top of the ramp."
Jeff nodded. "Okay. Matt, Drew an' I will be right at th' top o' th' ramp, too."
"That will be fine. But when they show up, you just concentrate on getting Shannon and his opponent out of the ring. Do not stay around once you have them."
Jeff frowned. "I thought we were partners."
"We are," Rio sighed. "But your job is to keep Shannon safe. Mine is to handle Sinbad and Grendel."
"C'mon, there's two o' 'em. Share a little."
"I seem to remember you watching me handle two fighters before. And they were tougher than these two."
"But, Ri, . . ."
"No, Jeff," Rio cut him off, raising a gloved silver hand to his mouth. "I do not want to have to worry about you, as well. If I divide my attention, we will all suffer for it."
Jeff sighed against her hand but nodded his head in agreement. He would not be the cause of any further concern for her, as he figured she had a lot on her mind as it was.
"Okay," she said, satisfied. "And tell Andrew the same."
"I will," Jeff said.
"Jeff! There ya are!" Shannon shouted from somewhere behind him. "Who ya talkin' to?"
Jeff locked eyes with Rio, who gave a small smile before slipping quietly into a janitor's closet and closing the door carefully behind her.
"No one," Jeff said, turning to greet his friend.
"Why were ya gesturin' then?" Shannon.
"I was workin' off some nervous energy, is all."
Shannon shrugged, knowing Jeff always had nervous energy to burn before a stressful event. "Don' worry 'bout me. Matt an' Drew, plus you, will make sure I have a decent chance o' leavin' th' arena inna car 'stead o' an ambulance."
"Don' even joke 'bout that, li'l bro."
Shannon waved off Jeff's concern. "So when do I git t' meet yo' lady?"
"She's my frien', Shanny."
"Even betta," Shannon laughed. "I can make a move on 'er then."
Jeff impaled his smaller friend with a glare. "I don' like that idea eitha."
"Whyeva not, Jeffy," Shannon asked innocently. "Are ya jealous?
Jeff snorted, not even dignifying that with a response.
"Well then what? Dontcha trust me?"
"Look, Shanny, Yo' gonna meet 'er sometime soon an' then you'll undastand."
Shannon gave him a curious look as he adjusted his elbow pads. "Whateva you say, man."
"Hey, Shan!" Matt called from the other end of the corridor. "I's time,buddy. Le's go!"
Shannon looked to where Matt's voice was coming from and then back at Jeff. "Ya ready, big bro?"
"Ya kno' it!" Jeff replied, slapping Shannon's shoulder. "I'll be right behind ya ev'ry step o' th' way."
Shannon smiled. "I kno' that, Jeff. Ya always are."
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"Hey, it's time for the kid's match!" Sinbad called to Grendel.
"Get into position."
"Right."
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Rio positioned herself behind the curtain and waited for Shannon to make his entrance. His opponent, Chris Michaels, was already in the ring. She saw Jeff and Matt walking from the other direction with Shannon in front of them. He rolled his shoulders a little then took his place on top of the ramp. When he walked down to the ring, the crowd erupted into applause. Rio looked back to see that Jeff and Matt were now joined by a very stoic looking Andrew.
Rio looked back to the ring and saw that Shannon was reversing a shoulder lock that Michaels had on him. He flipped and suddenly Michaels was the one on the receiving end. Rio grinned. Like herself, Shannon was smaller and lighter than the other performers, but his high-flying style made him a force to be reckoned with apparently.
Michaels got out of the shoulder lock and turned to kick Shannon in the face. Shannon ducked and spun kicked Michaels instead. The match went on for about ten more minutes before Rio saw a masked man with shoulder length black hair make his way through the crowd. Jeff must have seen him, too, as he was running down to the ring at breakneck speed, Matt and Andrew hot on his heels.
Rio waited another heartbeat then darted down herself. When she got down to ringside Grendel had already mounted a turnbuckle and was preparing to pounce on Shannon, who was lying in the ring, selling a head butt. Rio knew she had to act fast and launched herself at the masked man, grabbing him around the waist with her legs and pulling off his mounting down to the floor.
"What the fuck are YOU doing here?" Grendel snarled as he shook the cobwebs out of his head.
"Oh, you are not happy to see me?" Rio purred. "And I was so glad to see you." She kicked out and connected with his jaw, knocking him several feet away from her and onto his back.
Suddenly, Sinbad materialized behind him and warily approached his friend. Rio looked into the ring and saw all five wrestlers standing there watching. Jeff and Andrew seemed to be holding Shannon and Matt in place.
"Get out of here!" she yelled to Jeff.
"Yo' that silva girl," Shannon said, pointing at her.
Rio turned back to Sinbad in time to duck his boot and deliver a roundhouse kick to his jaw, landing him next to Grendel. She knew she had only a few seconds before they recovered and advanced on her. She turned back to the ring and looked directly at Shannon.
"I will talk to you all later," she hissed. "Now get the hell out of here!"
Shannon just continued to stare at her as he allowed Jeff to pull him out of the ring. He didn't break eye contact until he was halfway up the ramp. Then he was looking at his attackers. Rio looked, too, and saw that they were on their feet and ready to fight. She knew they wouldn't just run now. She had disgraced them.
"You getting sweet on these WWE asswipes?" Grendel sneered.
Rio rolled her eyes behind her glasses. She knew she had defuse that train of thought or it would be open season on the WWE performers. There was no way she could protect them all.
"Actually, no," she assured them. "I am here because I had an interesting conversation with Menace before his . . . vacation."
"Vacation, my ass," screeched Sinbad. "He may never recover enough from that knee injury to return to action."
"What a shame," Rio answered. "Menace said you've been saying bad things about me behind my back."
"What do you mean?" Sinbad asked drawing closer to her left.
"I mean," Rio explained patiently, "that you have been spreading ugly rumors about me. Ones that I do not appreciate."
"I thought you didn't care what people thought about you, Quick Silver," Grendel said, approaching her from the right.
"I do not usually," she said. "But these are truly disgusting."
Rio smiled sweetly and back flipped into the ring, much to the crowd's delight. They thought this was a planned part of the show and didn't know they about to witness a match straight from the Warrior Series. Rio backed into the middle of the ring and raised her arms to them. She then pointed with both hands to Sinbad and Grendel and turned her palms face up curling both index fingers, beckoning the two men to face her.
They looked at her apprehensively then eyed each other in silent communication, and finally slid into the ring. They knew once Shannon left the ring that they would have to retaliate somehow. They couldn't just go back to their coworkers without some sort of victory. And taking out Rio would get them just as much of a bonus and main event shot.
They advanced on her slowly, trying to get on either side of her. Rio knew she had to take them out cleanly and quickly to get away. She flipped in the air as she felt Sinbad tense for an attack. He didn't see her move until the last second and ended up charging into Grendel, who found himself lying prone in the ring.
Sinbad turned to make another attempt on Rio and was met with a kick to the groin. He collapsed where he stood, holding his injured area. Rio quickly grabbed his right arm and twisted it up and back. It broke easily in the two designated places.
She turned to Grendel and grabbed his left leg, delivering an elbow to the back of knee. He screamed in pain, hitting the mat as if he were surrendering in a match. Rio ignored him, repeating her devastating move to his right knee.
She then returned to Sinbad and delivered a similar kick to his left knee and a kick to his ribs, breaking at least two of them Satisfied that these injuries would keep the two fighters out of action for a very long time, if not forever, Rio flipped out of the ring and ran up the ramp and into the back stage area, where she knew the wrestlers would be lying in wait. It would be too much to hope that they'd retired to the dressing room. Not with the determined look on Shannon's face.
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Shannon watched the monitor with a mixture of shock and admiration. Jeff stood next to him, while Andrew and Matt watched the ring from the curtain. Michaels had gone back to the dressing area in fear for his safety.
"So tha's Rio?" Shannon asked, looking pointedly at Jeff.
"Yep."
"Ya planned this wit' her?"
"Yep."
"I may kill y'all lata, y'know," Shannon said.
"Tha's what I tol' 'er you'd say."
"Her idea then?"
"Do ya think anyone can tell 'er what t' do?"
Shannon shook his head and returned his attention to the monitor. Rio had just finished with her opponents leaving them lying in a mess in the ring. Medical attendants rushed down to survey the damage. Rio paid them no heed, walking up the ramp and Shannon was waiting for her. She stepped into his view and he immediately approached her.
"I believe we have a few thin's t' discuss, Miss Rio," he said in a controlled but angry tone.
Jeff and Andrew were instantly behind her while Matt watched her with undisguised annoyance from behind Shannon.
"It is just Rio," she replied calmly. "And I think it would be best if we discussed this in a place more private."
"Ya not leavin' without talkin' t' me," Shannon warned.
"Tha's th' truth," Matt confirmed.
"Matt, she saved our asses," Jeff said. "Don' treat 'er like a criminal."
Matt looked at his younger brother, fuming. "You knew about 'er bein' here, dintcha, Jeff?"
Jeff looked away.
"Hey, I knew about her, too," Andrew interjected, not knowing why he suddenly felt bad for the blue-haired Hardy.
Matt glared at him as well. "Well, isn't this interestin'?"
Rio sighed as Shannon grabbed her arm and pulled her along behind him.