Chapter 8:
As Scotty pulled his rental car into one of the spots behind the arena, he couldn't help but feel excited about the prospect of returning to his "job". For over two months, he had been forced away from the world of wrestling in order to recover from his injuries. His family had all been supportive of him, even though some of them – most notably his wife – expressed concern about his return to the world of professional wrestling. Naturally, they didn't want him to get hurt again, but Scotty calmly reassured his loved ones that he would be just fine.
The returning superstar unpacked his belongings and walked silently over the pavement of the parking lot. He breathed in the fresh Montreal air, glad to finally be back. He had been entertaining thoughts of his return for weeks now, but in the end, it was Theodore Long who had convinced him to return on the night of the Royal Rumble.
"It will be a great angle," the short general manager had explained to Scotty over the phone several weeks ago, "The crowd loves it when one of their favorite superstars returns to a major event like this. I'll put a little more thought into what part you'll be playing', so don't you worry a thing about it, playah! As soon as you get back, come and see me and I'll personally tell you what I have in store for ya."
Naturally, Scotty was curious to find out what part he would be playing in the Rumble, but he couldn't even begin to guess. He had been keeping track of the events on Smackdown while he was recovering, but there didn't seem to be any open spots left for him to fill. The roster for the Rumble Match itself was filled, but Scotty knew that there were always several so-called 'alternate spots' open just in case one of the guys failed to show up, which had been known to happen in the past. Getting thirty-plus superstars to arrive to a single event didn't always work out as planned, especially with the unreliable nature of airlines and traffic.
The former US Champion walked through the bright corridors of the arena, nodding politely to crew members he passed. It was still early in the day, so there was still much work to be done in preparation for the night's event. Almost everyone he passed was busy with their own task, so most of them were too preoccupied to notice the presence of the returning superstar. Those that did were quick to greet him and welcome him back to the business.
At long last, Scotty made his way to the Superstar locker room. As he stepped inside, Scotty noticed that nobody else was there; was he really that early?
With a slight shrug, the young man made his way over to a nearby bench and unpacked his belongings. He opened up his duffel bag and was somewhat disappointed when he was not met with the familiar gleaming belt that he had carried with him for the six months prior to his injury at Survivor Series. However, Scotty was not one to dwell on the past, so he paid his loss no particular attention. He may have lost the title to Luther Reigns, but the fans still loved him and most of his fellow wrestlers still respected him. What more could he ask for?
As Scotty laid his ring attire out onto the bench, he glanced at his watch – 3:08. He still had about five hours to kill before the Rumble started, so changing now would not make much sense. He thought back to the conversation he had had with Teddy Long and decided to go see what his boss had in store for him.
Scotty made his way down the hallways once more in search of the General Manager's office. After asking a nearby stage hand where he might find it, the returning superstar headed in the direction indicated, his curiosity getting the better of him.
After a few uneventful minutes of walking through the drab hallways, Scotty came upon his destination: Theodore Long's office. The young man knocked politely on the door.
"Come in. It's open," Long instructed from inside the office.
Scotty pushed the wooden door open and walked into the room as casually as he could. Though he was bursting with energy at the prospect of competing in the ring once again, he reminded himself that he had to remain calm and collected while in the presence of the General Manager.
Teddy Long sat behind a large oak desk, apparently filling out paperwork of some kind. He lifted his head from his work and immediately broke into a wide grin upon seeing who had entered. The General Manager got up from behind his desk and went to shake the returning superstar's hand, "Scotty! Good to see ya again, playah!"
Scotty smiled as he shook the hand of his boss, "Same here, Mister Long. It's great to be back."
Teddy Long motioned to a leather chair situated in front of his desk, "Please, have a seat. We have a lot to talk about."
Scotty did as he was instructed and waited patiently for the General Manager to get himself situated behind his desk. As soon as he was seated, Theodore Long folded his hands across the wooden surface and leaned forward eagerly, "So how have ya been? Are all your injuries healed up?"
"For the most part," Scotty said as he rubbed at his ribs unconsciously, "It'll be a few more weeks before I'm one hundred percent, but for now, I think I'll live. I take it you got the doctor's clearance okay?"
"Yes I did. I just received the fax a few days ago, as a matter of fact," Long explained, "You're all set to wrestle for tonight."
Scotty raised an eyebrow, "That's great to hear, Mr. Long, but I don't think I can contain my curiosity for much longer. What am I doing tonight?"
The General Manager smiled and leaned back in his chair, "Oh, Scotty, my man, I have quite an event planned for tonight! Smackdown's lineup of matches is gonna knock Raw right out of the water! As you know, the Royal Rumble Match has been filled up with competitors, and we have received confirmation from all of the participants that they will, in fact, be able to make it here tonight to compete. No, that's not what you're here for, playah. You're here for another match, one in which the WWE Tag Team Titles will be at stake."
Long chuckled at the returning superstar's expression of surprise and continued, "That's right, my man: you're going to get a shot at those titles right here tonight! Now as you know, the Dudleys have been Tag Team Champs here on Smackdown for months, and I think their success might be going to their heads a bit, ya feel me? They've challenged any able-bodied tag team on the Smackdown roster to a Tag Team Turmoil match tonight. So far, there have been four takers: John Cena and Eddie Guerrero, The Basham Brothers, Akio and Kenzo Suzuki, and Rob Van Dam and Rey Mysterio. Of course, since this is an open challenge, there is still plenty of time for other teams to step up to the plate and challenge the Dudleys for the gold, and since you came all the way to Montreal tonight, I figured you should find yourself a partner and be a part of this match, ya feel me?"
Scotty smiled at the thought, "I feel ya, Mister Long. In fact, I already know who my partner is going to be. Shannon Moore is still scheduled to compete in the Rumble Match, right?"
Theodore Long nodded, "You bet, playah. I'll call his cell phone right away and let him know what's up. In the meantime, I'm sure you've got some catching up to do with all the other guys."
Scotty nodded as he stood up and shook the General Manager's hand once again, "Yes, I do. It'll be great to see how everyone is doing. Thank you for this chance, Mister Long. Thank you very much."
"Think nothing of it, playah," Teddy Long said with a smile, "You deserve it, after all."
As Scotty turned to leave, Theodore Long spoke up, "Oh, and Scotty," the young man turned around and the General Manager continued, "You be careful out there, y'hear? Kurt Angle is none too happy to hear that you're back, and I wouldn't put it past him or his guys to get in a cheap shot on ya. If you see those guys, don't let your pride get in the way of your better judgment, alright?"
Scotty nodded, his face reflecting the gravity of the situation, "I understand, Mister Long. Thanks for the warning."
"Holla," Teddy Long called after the young man as he left the office.
Scotty made his way through the bustling corridors, the entire environment bringing a smile to his face. Whenever he had been forced to stay away from the business for an extended period of time, he always felt a sense of elation and belonging upon his return. There was just something about this business, some intangible aspect that he couldn't quite identify, that always managed to put his mind at ease. It was no secret that this truly was the place where he belonged; there was no other occupation in the world that he would have preferred over professional wrestling.
The young man made his rounds through the backstage area, socializing with the crew members when they weren't busy setting things up. He had always gone out of his way to get to know the people who worked behind the scenes, the people who were essential to the show yet never received any recognition. Scotty felt compelled to talk with them, and was pleasantly surprised at how interesting some of them were. Unlike most of the other wrestlers, he considered the stage hands on the same level as all the rest of them. In Scotty's mind, to think otherwise would be ludicrous.
Scotty eventually made his way to the outside of the arena, where he noticed that some of the more diehard fans had begun to congregate in front of the entrance. He briefly considered going over to sign autographs and mingle, but remembered that his presence was to be kept a secret until the actual moment that he appeared during the show. No, he would have to remain hidden from view for now, but there would always be plenty of time to interact with them once the show was over.
Scotty checked his watch again – 5:17. Some of the other wrestlers were sure to have shown up by now. He ventured in the direction of the locker room to meet up with them.
As he strolled casually down the hall, he noticed three figures approaching him from further down the hall, their bags clutched in their hands as they talked among themselves. One of them had the US Title slung over his broad shoulder. Of course, it was Angle, Reigns, and Jindrak, though they had not yet noticed Scotty's presence.
If you see those guys, don't let your pride get in the way of your better judgment, alright? Theodore Long's voice played back inside Scotty's head. He knew that being in the presence of those three was just an accident waiting to happen, but he couldn't bring himself to back away from them. It just wasn't in his nature to run away.
Stone-faced, Scotty continued on down the hallway in their direction, his eyes firmly locked in front of him. Jindrak was the first to notice the young superstar; he tapped Angle on the arm and motioned in Scotty's direction.
Angle turned his head towards the approaching young man and said cheerfully, "Scotty 2 Hotty! Great to have you back!" His voice was patronizing; it made Scotty sick just to hear it.
Scotty ignored them and tried to walk by, but Angle and Jindrak cut him off, blocking him from advancing further down the hall. A devious smirk tugged at the corners of Angle's mouth, "What's wrong, Scotty? Aren't you going to say 'hello'? Aren't you glad to be back? We're welcoming you back into the family with open arms, and you're ignoring us. That isn't right, Scotty."
"I have nothing to say to you," Scotty spat venomously as he stared the Olympic Gold Medalist in the eye, "If you don't mind, I have a match to prepare for. Shouldn't you be doing the same?"
"A match, huh? On your big night back?" Angle chuckled, "Oh, this is too good. I have to hear this. What does Teddy Long have planned for your triumphant return tonight?"
Scotty glared at his enemy and responded, "That really isn't any of your business."
Angle took a step forward to bring his face within inches of the returning superstar's own, "How about I make it my business?"
"Hey, leave him alone," Luther Reigns spoke up suddenly as he placed a hand on the Olympic Gold Medalist's shoulder.
Angle turned to his cohort with a confused look on his face, "Leave him alone?" he repeated, incredulous.
"It's……he's not worth it, man. Just let it go. Come on, we've got to get ready for the Rumble Match," Reigns explained hastily.
Angle, Jindrak, and even Scotty just stared at him in bewilderment. After an uncomfortable silence, Angle stepped away from Scotty. He shot the young superstar a hate-filled glance before making his way down the hallway with Luther and Jindrak in tow. As the trio left, Luther shot a quick glance over his shoulder at Scotty, his facial features indistinguishable.
Scotty just stood there in confusion as the three of them left to get ready for the big Rumble Match. The young man knitted his eyebrows, What the heck was that all about?
Scotty just shook his head slowly and continued on his way. He would think about it later. For now, he, too, had his own match to prepare for.