Whoops... I lied... Wrestling in the next chapter... This one is the pre-stuff. XD
Also, thanks again to everyone who reviewed. Some of you can seemingly read my minds, while others had great ideas that I wish I'd thought of (laugh). Hopefully you all will like the way the story goes anyway... I think it went well... Still haven't written the very end though...
Wow, 19 chapters... Who knew it'd be so long? :)
Anyway, enjoy, and please review!
The RAW and SmackDown Superstars arrived at the arena throughout the day, some heading for the locker rooms, some changing into their gear immediately, some meditating silently in a corner and others warming up in the quiet, empty arena.
"Where are those two jackasses?" Kane wondered aloud, scanning the arriving wrestlers for his older brother and Shawn Michaels. He had everything planned out perfectly--tonight was the tri-brand pay-per-view event, and tomorrow was a Supershow, meaning that those two would have about a week or so to talk to one another and sort things out. After that, well, it was in their hands…
"Who are you looking for?" CM Punk asked, walking up to him, holding the ECW Title. Glen had always wondered about this kid--didn't seem to be afraid of him at all, for some reason.
Kane gave him a small smile. "I wanted to speak to my brother before his match against Batista," he answered, which was mostly true. He didn't think it wise to mention Shawn at this point, for various reasons. "What are you doing here?"
CM Punk tossed his hair back with a grin. "Are you kidding? Look in the ring, Kane."
The Big Red Machine obliged, and saw Maria warming up, Mickie coaching her a little too aggressively.
"Swing your fists harder!" Mickie James barked, and Maria nodded quickly, increasing the force of each punch. "Good, but not good enough, Maria. Beth is going to kill you if you don't shoot to kill…"
"Speak of the Devil…" CM Punk muttered, seeing Beth approach Mickie and Maria from behind, a devilish smile on her face. The Glamazon climbed quickly into the ring, causing Maria to scream a warning to Mickie, who turned around an instant too late.
With ease, Beth Phoenix lifted Mickie into the air, into a fireman's carry, and jumped backwards in a brutal Samoan-esque drop. She glanced at Maria, who wisely ran from the ring before smiling down at the fallen Mickie.
"Damn," Kane whispered to Punk, shaking his head. "Women are--" He stopped talking when he noticed that the Glamazon was looking right at him. Confused, he gave her a nod, and was surprised to receive a smile and a wink in return.
"What the hell was that?!" CM Punk asked, already chuckling. "Oh, shit, Kane… I think she's got the hots for you!"
Glen blushed slightly, watching Beth leave the ring. She threw him another wink, and there was no mistaking her expression. "Wow," was all he could say at the moment, wondering what the hell he did to prompt that reaction.
Shaking his head, he looked back to CM Punk, who was laughing. "Go away," he growled, but the younger man only patted him on the back.
"What a playboy you are Kane!" he snickered before wisely heading away to "check on" Maria, even though Mickie was the one limping from the ring with a scowl.
After Punk was gone, Kane stood there, stroking his chin, wondering if he should pursue the Glamazon. He was certain that his boyfriend wouldn't mind anyway…
Of course, as he made possible plans for a possible date, he missed the arrival of both the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, never seeing them go to their separate locker rooms, they themselves missing one another by a fraction of a second.
Shawn Michaels stood quietly in one corner of the locker room, adjusting the chains and mirrors of his outfit, re-tying the band holding back his hair. It was taking a great act of will to focus on his match tonight, because his mind was very much on what was going to happen after the match. He had made up his mind to have a talk with Mark, to ask him if everything was okay, to get an update on how his life was going…
Small talk that would mean so much to Shawn right now.
'I didn't realize just how much I missed him until Kane told me I should…could see him again…I don't even know what to say to him…' With a sigh, he tightened the belt on his pants, suddenly smiling.
'Oh, wow, I'm pretty fit,' he thought with a laugh, shuffling over towards a mirror. 'I look pretty good tonight,' he thought, turning around and examining the image he saw reflected at him.
"And here I thought you were warming up, or making plans," a voice said from the door. Shawn turned once more and saw Cena standing there, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "I think you spend more time in front of the mirror than the Divas."
HBK had to laugh at that one, because he of all people knew it was true.
Cena laughed as well, sitting on the opposite bench. "You seem to be a really good mood tonight. What happened?"
"Nothing," Shawn said with a smile, moving away from the mirror after another quick glance. "I'm just going to talk to a SmackDown friend."
"I hear ya, man. It's so hard to talk to my buddies over here when you're so far away. But, it can still work, ya know?" He took his cap off, brushing it lightly. "Well, at least we'll have a few days… Ever since Vince and Co. decided to change the traveling schedules, it's been kinda hard, so Dave and I are going out clubbing tonight." He smiled slightly. "Hopefully I'll find a chick or something for him."
Shawn laughed. "Why? He can't find one on his own? He's attractive enough…"
"No, man, it's just…" Cena inched closer to Shawn, voice dropping to a whisper. "He's been head-over-heels for the Undertaker for a while now, and I think it's going to make him crazy, y'know?"
To Shawn's own surprise, he felt his face flush slightly with anger. "He likes 'Taker?" he tried to ask casually, but couldn't keep all of the strain out of his voice.
"Yeah," Cena said with a hopeless shrug. "The man is nuts, I tell you. The Undertaker hasn't even noticed… From what Batista tells me, he just has his match and leaves before he can get a chance to ask him out… Like to a bar or something." John shrugged. "I guess I can see why he's after him, though. I mean, he does look good sometimes…"
"Sometimes?" Shawn said incredulously, clapping his hand over his mouth right after he said it. Cena raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as he stood to go. "Good luck with your match tonight," he said softly, hugging the Heartbreak Kid. "Orton's not that tough."
Shawn smiled. "Don't blink, or you'll miss the match," he said, waving Cena away. When the door closed and he was alone again, he looked into the mirror, eyes growing wide at the emotion he saw reflected in them.
Jealously.
The Undertaker slipped into his leather trench coat as he looked at the match schedule. He read down the names, seeing his own towards the middle of the show, and smiled slightly. He continued down, seeing Kane's name right before his.
"Two slayings in a row," he whispered to himself, planning out the details of just how he was going to beat the holy hell out of the Animal. Unfortunately for him, his green eyes caught another name--the last name of the card--and his thoughts took an entirely different turn.
"Shawn Michaels," he whispered, folding his arms. If he was going to be honest with himself, he want nothing else more than to go to the RAW locker room and talk to the Heartbreak Kid.
But Shawn's words still rang in his ears, and he knew he'd hear them forever.
He closed his eyes, forcing himself to think exclusively of the match, as he sat alone as he always did, waiting for his bout.
Next chapter are the matches! Review?