Author's Note: I'm sorry to say that this may be the last chapter I write for a month or so. Frankly, I've got my hands tied with my other wrestling story "Drawing In" and I need time to figure out where this story is going. Thank you to Inferno, for the bolt cutter/axe part. I forgot what they used, so I just put axe down. But since you notified me, I changed the part on my hard drive and will hopefully remember to update the last chapter with it as soon as I upload this. Anyway, I BELIEVE that the next chapter (XIII) will be the one where I explain why Austin and Elizabeth hate each other. Oh, and, if you have time, could you guys check out "Through Glass Shards" for me? I need to know whether I should be continuing it – but my computer won't let me see the reviews! Sigh… I'll try to get it to work, but meanwhile, I'll stop blabbing and continue with the STORY. Review, as always!
Disclaimer: I own Elizabeth Smith, and that's about it…
Started: 5-3-03
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Dangerous Business
Chapter XII
'They're just out to get Austin. Right? Right?' Liz swallowed the blood that had been thickening in her throat and slowly crawled to the ropes – the ropes furthest from the cage. She was too tired out to do anything as Evolution preceded down the ramp. She knew that she hadn't really done anything to Evolution. Oh sure – a win against Batista in a tag-team handicapped match, and a few sharp words – but that wasn't enough for them to come out to effectively end her career…was it? She glanced at Austin, and a needle-sharp memory of his and Evolution's feud appeared in her head, and she breathed a sigh of relief. They weren't out to get her…
The cage rattled. Liz jerked her head to the door. Since she had been panicking, Batista had destroyed the ref, and had the bolt cutters cutting. Flair had grabbed a steel chair and was bouncing up and down on his heels, like a kid eager to get his candy. As the door was opened, Liz pushed herself into a corner, trying to hide herself uselessly from Evolution. She wanted to stand and fight them, but she knew that would only endanger her further. As she had predicted, Batista and Randy attacked Austin who had been stumbling to get up. They hadn't taken notice of Liz. She slipped behind their vision, and watched Batista hold Austin back as Flair raised the chair, and then brought it crashing down onto Austin's skull, bringing a wince from Liz. Flair left Batista and Randy to join HHH. The two simultaneously turned to Liz. She froze like a deer caught in headlights.
'No…' the thought was barely a whisper in her head as she slowly rose up, never tearing her gaze from Hunter's smile. Various curses were mumbled through her mouth as she tried to make a decision, which was made all the harder by Flair, who was advancing, chair in tow. Liz gathered her strength, and barreled toward Hunter, slamming her good shoulder into his ribs. He snapped to the canvas sharply, and Liz staggered to her knees, feeling the whiplash of her attack. Flair took a swing at her head, but she rolled out of the way quickly, and swept Flair's legs out from under him, sending the chair flying. But by now, HHH had stood up, sledgehammer in hand.
The door jerked open again. Liz turned to see HBK and Jeff rushing into the cage, punches flying at Evolution. The brunette crawled to the chair. There was just one little problem, in the form of a towering Batista grabbing her head. Just as HBK delivered "Sweet Chin Music" to HHH, Batista swung Liz onto his shoulders. As Jeff finished Flair off, HBK went to help Liz, but Randy got in his way.
Liz cried out in pain as her back slammed against the mat. She pressed her face to the mat, trying to block out the pain to no avail. By the time she looked up again, her cousin, Shawn, and her father were all bleeding heavily. And – Liz noted – Hunter was bleeding slightly too. Okay, so maybe that wasn't good. She pushed herself to her feet.
Finding herself staring at HHH again, Liz tried to figure out why they were going after her. There fight was with Austin – not her! If anything, she'd be more useful being aligned with them then destroyed… From behind, Flair slammed his fist into her back, sending her stumbling forward. Hunter raised the sledgehammer and slammed it into her ribcage. The brunette crumpled to the ground instantly, blood spurting out her mouth. Her eyes wide with pain, she tried weakly to spit out the thick blood that coated her throat. She barely felt Flair pull her up to her knees, choking her with the ropes.
Liz did nothing to silence the yell that she emitted when Hunter slammed the sledgehammer into her back. Her labored breathing began to slow as she slowly slipped off the ropes, like water rolling down a wall. Time seemed to stop as her eyes glazed over with pain, as the pain began to knock her out, as she couldn't draw any more breath, as Flair cracked the chair into Austin repeatedly…
And as Hunter stood over her, smiling down at her.
HHH looked down at the brunette. Her eyes seemed to have a white coating over them, and she was shaking as blood overflowed her mouth. Hunter bent down and whispered in her ear.
"You were born with the wrong father."
Liz felt her confusion build, but she could hardly act with the pain racking her body. She couldn't move…she couldn't breathe… What use was there in ending her career? Austin hated her anyway, and that would probably just joy him!
"What…goes around…comes…around," she managed to whisper. Hunter jerked back, looking down at the brunette. Her glazed eyes held their promise, even as her body slowly went limp on the mat. He stepped back, ignoring the commentators' angry voices, and looked around the ring. He slowly picked up the sledgehammer and set it onto Liz's almost unmoving chest as he and Evolution exited the cage calmly. Batista and Randy were menacingly stopping the medical personal from reaching the ring. Hunter and Flair slowly sauntered backstage, reveling in the glares thrown at them. That is, until a certain Rob Van Dam found it his place to decimate both of them with a chair.
Back in the arena, the crowd booed continually as the screen repeated Evolution's doings and as Batista and Randy continued to block the medicals' way. Randy laughed and taunted them happily, until he noticed that Batista was gone from his side, and the ramp was shaking. Randy whipped around…straight into an F-5. The medicals rushed forward as Brock Lesner watched from his spot on the middle of the ramp.
"What is Brock Lesner doing here King?" J.R wondered.
"I don't know, but I'm sure glad that he's here!" responded King.
"Me too," whispered J.R.
Brock continued to watch as the medicals lifted Liz's limp body onto a stretcher. A bloody Jeff Hardy waved away the rest of the medics as he lumbered uselessly after Liz. Feeling that it was not his place, Brock slowly made his way up the ramp, met by a ferocious and panicked looking RVD. Brock walked swiftly past Rob, ignoring the man's curious stares. In the back of his mind, Brock remembered that Rob had been banned from ringside – and if he went, his job as well as Liz's would cease. Of course, Liz's career was probably already decimated… The blonde's anger rose as he thought about Evolution. HHH – in particular… He had done it again – ruined another career without any purpose – more pacifically, Liz's. He was a monster; a bug, fit to be squashed… Brock looked around suddenly. Wondering about what was happening – what had happened – wouldn't do any good. Neither would destroying what was left of Evolution, what was on his mind. But it would sure make him feel a hell of a lot better, he reasoned, starting to scour the premises.
As he followed the medics closely, Jeff pressed a towel to his bloody forehead. HBK trailed even further behind, limping slightly. Rob was locked intensely to Liz's side, and frankly wouldn't move until they reached the ambulance. As Jeff boarded it, his hand fell from Liz's hand limply to his side. Rob ran to his car, intent on following the ambulance.
HBK stood, watching this, a sad look plastered to his face. He had seen the scene before him far too many times… Shawn sighed, worried for his friend. But at the same time – he couldn't help but wonder – was this what he returned to the WWE for? Shaking his head, Shawn retreated backstage. He knew he – or anyone else – wouldn't be able to see Liz for quite a while.
He would know. He'd been through it. As he walked backstage, he thought deeper into Hunter's actions. Hunter himself wasn't that much of a mastermind, and it was obvious that Flair formed the plan… So why did it seem to help the Rattlesnake? No, he was obviously missing something. Flair would never do something like this for a reason… Shawn just had to figure out why.
He never thought the answer would be so simple for him to miss.
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A/N: That was the shortest chapter in this story so far, I believe. I'm sorry if it sucked, but I did this over a long period of time. Sorry! Please review!