Disclaimer: I d...d...d...d.d...D..d.d. (smacks face) don't own the WWE talent or the venues used in this chapter or the over all story. Like the stuttering bit? LOL!
The Road to WrestleMania: One Man's Journey to the Top
Chapter XII
Game On
The pyrotechnics went off as Smackdown came on the air from Wichita Falls, Kansas. Michaels Cole and Tazz welcomed everyone to the show as Drake Williams came out ready for some in ring action as the United States Champion to a standing ovation. Tonight he was once again defending his title against Gregory Helms. After Helms came out, Drake handed the title to the referee who went on to signal for the bell to start the title match. Helms and Williams locked up and Williams forced Helms into the corner; needless to say, Drake had the power advantage over Helms. Before they could lock up again, the music of Triple H hit in the arena and he finally came out. Williams was not quite sure what to make The Game's arrival and failed to see Helms go on the attack. The distraction might have cost Drake the gold as Triple H made his way to ringside.
Five minutes past and clearly, Drake Williams was off his game thanks to Triple H's presence. The question was; why is The Game even out here tonight? Gregory Helms kept up the assault until he ran the ropes; Drake quickly recovered and hit a spine buster before letting out a primal scream. Drake did not make a cover because Triple H was right outside the ring staring at him. Drake dared Triple H to come into the ring and get himself some of the Crusader. The Cerebral Assassin climbed onto the apron and Drake got in his face, not seeing Helms getting up. Helms shoved Williams into Triple H and then rolled up Williams for a two count; causing Helms to be catapulted into the referee.
Drake immediately got up and hit the Widowmaker and made the cover but there was no official. As Williams tried to revive the referee, Triple H snuck in and hit a low blow followed by the Pedigree. The Game pulled the prone Helms over Williams and the groggy ref administered the three count. Triple H cost Drake Williams the United States Championship. The Game tossed Gregory Helms out of the ring before demanding a mic. Then he stood over a fallen Crusader.
"Drake Williams, HHH said. "I warned you not to cross me and look what happened." The crowd chanted, "Asshole, Asshole." Triple H looked up and just smiled before saying, "Yeah go ahead, let it out. Drake, welcome to my world." Triple H said as his music played throughout the arena.
Drake struggled to rise in the ring and he was absolutely seething as the show went a commercial. During the commercial, Drake was going ballistic backstage, throwing furniture and officials aside in a rage. No one else tried to calm him down as he stormed to Theodore Long's office. After a while, Drake reached his destination and stormed in, pushing Palmer Cannon out of the way before getting right in Teddy's face and seething with rage.
"DID YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENED OUT THERE, TEDDY?" Drake yelled. "Take it easy, playa, I…" Long could not finish before Drake interrupted.
"I want Triple H, Teddy. I want him right now." Drake demanded. "Listen to me, son. I can't give you Triple H tonight, but I can set up a match for Survivor Series," Long said. "One on one."
"That's damn near not good enough." Drake yelled. "Look Drake, I'm sorry." Long said "But I can not let you fight Triple H in the state of mind that you're in. Just try to calm down for now." Drake shook his head in disbelief and said, "For your sake Teddy, I better not see Hunter before Survivor Series."
Drake made his way to the door and opened it find the Boogeyman standing right there, holding a clock and drooling. "I'm the Boogeyman, and I'm comin' ta get cha!" he said.
The Boogeyman got ready to smash the clock over his head but Drake stopped him. The angry young man took the clock and examined it; then Drake savagely smashed it over the Boogeyman's head. The Boogeyman crumpled to the floor laughing more like an idiot than usual as Drake Williams took his leave. Once he entered his room, Drake went completely berserk, tossing his bags and other things around the room. He had no idea that Christy was in the room waiting for him. Drake finally calmed down when Christy came into view and he just sank to his knees crying. Christy hurried to his side and embraced him, hoping to take the pain away. She realized that was not the same Drake Williams she knew so well.
"It'll be okay, Drake," Christy said. "I know I'm better that this," Drake sighed. "I know it."
Two days prior to the PPV, Triple H attacked Drake Williams during a tag match and used a sledgehammer on the youth. Drake was said to be diagnosed with two busted ribs and had been coughing up blood for the past forty-eight hours. The day of the Survivor Series came about and Drake Williams arrived at the arena. The Crusader held his abdomen still favoring his midsection. Nevertheless, Drake was going into his match with Triple H regardless of whatever injuries he might have. About eight hours later and halfway into the event, Drake made his final preparations before heading for the gorilla position. He could hear the music of Triple H echoing throughout the arena. Drake Williams finally made his entrance for his first bout against the Cerebral Assassin; Michael Cole and Tazz pointed out Drake's heavily taped ribs. As soon as the Crusader entered the ring, he and Triple H came face to face before the ref pulled them apart.
Drake and Triple H went to lock up and the Game took an early cheap shot at Drake's midsection. Clearly, Williams was grimacing in pain from the shot but he was able to suck it up and continue with the match. They finally locked it up and the Game clearly had the edge in experience; slipping in a head lock on his younger opponent. Drake fought out of the hold and tossed the Game into the ropes only to get knocked down; the blow made Drake hold his ribs again. Triple H ran off the ropes again as Drake rolled to his gut; then the Crusader ran the ropes himself and hit a shoulder block on Triple H but again Drake held his ribs. Just as the experience factor served Triple H, the youth and stamina was in Drake's court. They locked it up once again and this time Drake slipped in a headlock on Triple H before the Game returned the favor by tossing Drake into the ropes. Drake easily saw this coming and once again knocked Triple H down to the mat, but the move sent more pain into the ribs. The Crusader ran the ropes again as the Game rolled to his gut; but Triple H immediately got up and hit a high knee, sending Williams out of the ring.
Triple H went out to catch his prey and viciously drove Drake into the barricade back first, then again this time into the ring apron; hurting the midsection more in the process. The Game went on to send Drake crashing into the ring steps before throwing Drake back into the ring. Triple H came into the ring and made the cover for a two count. Triple H went on to deliver some hard shots to the head of Drake Williams until the referee pulled him off. The Game argued with the ref, unaware that Drake was getting up. As soon as Triple H turned around, the Crusader came back with some hard rights of his own. Triple H returned the favor and now the match has become a fight. Drake Williams got the better of the situation and finally hit a hard clothesline followed another and then a DDT for a two count. Drake stayed on the attack, peppering Triple H with more hard rights before being pulled off by the ref.
As Drake argued with the ref, Triple H used the distraction to attack his opponent from behind. Drake went down hard from the attack and held his ribs, grimacing in agony. Triple H went on the attack with numerous elbow and knee shots, focusing every blow on the ribs of Drake Williams. Every shot made Drake scream in pain and prompted the ref to ask him if he wanted to quit. Ever the defiant one, Drake Williams emphatically said "HELL NO" to the official. Unfortunately, that meant Triple H would continue the assault and attack the soft spot.
As the match went on, the Cerebral Assassin was all over the Crusader, going so far as to lock in an abdominal stretch all the while using the top rope for leverage. The submission hold focused on the midsection and by this time, Drake was bleeding from the mouth. Again the referee asked if Drake would give up, but the Crusader refused to quit. The ref eventually caught Triple H using the rope and kicked it off, allowing Drake to flip Triple H over. The effort made Williams drop to his knees, allowing Triple H to continue the assault on the ribs. Somewhere along the way, Triple got careless; that in itself rarely happens for someone the caliber of the Game. Regardless, Drake Williams made a big time comeback and somehow trapped Triple H in the Sharpshooter.
"WE WANT BRET, WE WANT BRET!" The audience chanted as loudly as could be heard. And why not? A Sharpshooter at Survivor Series brought back some memories, or reopened some old wounds.
Even with what could be some internal injuries, Drake applied as much pressure as he could to the back and legs of Triple H. The Crusader recalled the Game's previous injured leg from years ago; and chances are it was still very tender. Triple H screamed in pain and agony until he finally reached the ropes but Drake would not relinquish the hold. With the referee threatening to disqualify him, Drake released the hold; then he picked up the Game for the triple-German suplexes. On the third suplex, Drake held his midsection again in more pain, and more blood trickled from his mouth. Triple H slipped out of the ring and searched underneath the apron for something. Anyone who knew how the Game worked knew what he was looking for and he found it; the sledgehammer.
Triple H returned to the ring with the weapon in hand and was about to take a swing at Drake's back, but the referee stopped him. The ref pulled the weapon away and wound up arguing with Triple H, and Drake snuck in and rolled up Triple H for a near fall. Triple H quickly got back to his feet and knocked Drake back down hard. Williams again held his midsection while Triple H waited for him to get back up if he could. As soon as Drake was up, Triple H set up for the Pedigree, but some how the Crusader rolled up the Game out of nowhere for the upset win. Tony Chimel could not make his announcement before Triple H went back on the attack. Drake was barely able to defend himself but the beating was far too much and Triple H finally hit the Pedigree.
The Game was not done as he recovered the hammer and finally struck Drake's midsection with the weapon. The shot was more than enough to cause more internal bleeding on Drake, but the Game was not done yet. Triple H threw his victim out of the ring and started dismantling one of the announce tables before setting Drake up for of all things; another Pedigree. Several officials tried to prevent the maneuver but their pleas fell on deaf ears as Triple H hit his finisher threw the table, which exploded on impact. Triple H struggled to his feet and stood over his fallen prey as the crowd booed the hell out of him. Triple H could not care any less as he took his leave with his hammer in hand. Drake Williams was hardly even moving as the officials tried to revive him.
Some time after the show ended, Drake sat in the trainers' room getting check on. Every time the trainer tried to help, Drake winced in more pain and even coughed up blood. Sometimes Drake would actually push the trainer away, if not to say he was okay then to just show how stubborn he could be. Shawn Michaels stopped in to check on the youngster.
"What's the verdict, doc?" Shawn asked. "I've done all I can for Drake," the trainer said. "But he's gonna need to take it easy for a few weeks."
"Are you kidding me?" Drake asked. "I'm not finished with Triple H yet." The trainer shook his head and said, "You can't fight Hunter again those ribs heal. I'm sorry." Drake jumped out of the bed saying, "I'm not letting this stop me from…" Drake never finished before falling over and coughing up more blood. Shawn and the trainer caught the kid.
"Maybe he's right, Drake," Shawn said. "Your too beat up to go after Hunter again." Drake looked up Shawn and asked, "Whose side are you on? You came back from a friggin' back injury to fight that bastard."
"Yeah, I fought Hunter and won," Shawn said. "But I also knew when I was hurt. I think you've still got a lot to learn, kiddo."
Shawn Michaels had said enough to get Drake Williams thinking. Even the best in the WWE get injured and put on the shelf now and then. Granted, Drake had a lot of intestinal fortitude but sometimes he has been known to be a major hothead. In the end, Drake decided to take it easy for now and let his ribs heal. Then he would go after Triple H again; even though he defeated the Game, Triple H still busted Drake up badly. For the Crusader, payback was in his future.
Author's note: Finally. Sorry I took so long, but like all writers, I ended up getting writer's block. But I'm done with this chapter. Review please and keep the flames low.