"Steve Austin?"
"Yep."
"Are you serious?"
"Have I ever lied to you?"
"…Do you really want me to answer that?"
Stephanie frowned. "I've never lied to you!"
"No? What about that time when I was in the storyline with Vince and you went and added the mud to the scene…"
"Okay, okay…'nuff said."
Trish smiled. "That's what I thought." As Stephanie pulled her car into the arena, Trish frowned. "Steph, what're we doing here?"
"Taking care of business."
"Yeah but…you control Raw…" she said slowly, confused.
Stephanie pulled into a parking space and shit the car off and turned to Trish. "I know."
Trish watched her get out of the car and walk into the entrance as she just continued to stare at her. Stephanie turned back and held up her arms. "Well?"
Shaking her head, Trish unbuckled herself and jumped out of the car and caught up with Stephanie. "If we get in trouble, I am so blaming you."
Stephanie laughed as they walked into the elevator.
----
"Alright, look here player," Smackdown's GM manager, Teddy Long began, "we have some intruders here at Smackdown tonight. We're not a hundred percent sure who they are, but we know they want to make a statement and make us look bad." The Smackdown stars and crew all exchanged looks with each other as Long continued. "Now, I got this information from a good friend of mine a few days ago. She's taking the personal time to fly up here and help pinpoint the crowd."
"Wait," Mark said, cutting him off. "There's more than one?"
Teddy nodded. "There's a whole roster." He watched as everyone began to bitch about it and argue with one another. "Now listen here, listen." Everyone quieted down. "We have Raw superstars that are coming here tonight too. Sorta, a backup security type thing. Now I want all you players to realize…none of this is scripted. When all hell breaks loose, you kick ass and take names. Smackdown will not tolerate this."
"Okay," Dave spoke up. "So who's helping us?"
Teddy smiled. "Go take a look for yourselves. They're here."
-----
Stephanie and Trish walked past the lockers and into the dining room area, where Adam, John, Paul, Randy, and Michael were waiting. "Hey, how long you guys been here for?"
John shrugged. "Just got here a few minutes ago."
Stephanie nodded. "And you all did what I asked?" They all nodded. "Alright, good."
Randy frowned. "Why do I feel like we're playing Mission Impossible or something?"
Stephanie stared at him. "You're a moron," Trish said sarcastically.
"Why? Cuz we're doing this sneaking spy shit?"
"The public has no idea what's going on," Stephanie explained. "If the fans found out, we'd look like the bad guys, just randomly showing up at our rivals show."
"It's just bullshit," Adam said. "We need to go to ECW and kick their ass. Let it be done with."
"And what is that gonna help with?" John asked.
"Teach 'em a lesson," Paul said.
John looked at Paul. "Yeah, then what? We kick their ass and send them into early retirement. Then all the money that was sunk into that brand will be gone because we'll drive away from the fans."
Stephanie listened to him, impressed, and nodded. "He's right. It's too much a risk."
"Your father took that risk," Paul told her.
"That's right. He did. But I'm running the show for now, so they're my calls."
Paul rolled his eyes and continued to chew his gum as John smirked at her, amazed on how easily she made Paul feel so small.
"So, you're all our saviors?"
Stephanie turned to Dave and smiled at him, hugging him. "How are you?"
Dave flashed her grin and pointed to his title on his shoulder. "It's fashionable, huh?"
Stephanie laughed. "It is."
John frowned, believing she was flirting with him, as he shook hands with David. "What's up man?"
"Nothing much, just can't believe this bullshit." He turned to Paul and shook his hand. "What's up?"
Paul shrugged. "Same old."
He looked from him to Stephanie and back. "Wow, you two are working together and still alive, huh?"
"Yeah well, he keeps to himself so…" Stephanie joked.
"That's a lie," Paul said, staring at her. He winked at Dave and whispered, "She still has it for me."
Dave laughed and John kept his cool, even though he found Paul to be getting on his nerves too rapidly. "Where's Mark and them?" Stephanie asked.
"Oh, Mark's getting ready," Dave said, "and honestly I've got to say, I'm glad you brought them all here."
"Why?"
Dave shrugged. "A lot of the guys are new."
Trish nodded. "That's a good reason."
"So…is there a plan or something?"
Stephanie shrugged. "Not completely. For now, we're playing it out by ear. I think we'll have them go into the audience and scope it out. Maybe we can catch some of them in the crowd."
Randy's eyes lit up. "Oh! Do we get earpieces and walkie talkie's?"
Stephanie rolled her eyes and walked out the room as she muttered to Dave, "See what I put up with?"
-------
They were nearing the last half hour of the show, and so far no ECW members had showed. In the break room, Stephanie and Teddy sat, watching the show and listening for the radio, as Trish, Randy and John were knocked out on the sofa. Stephanie rubbed her eyes and sighed.
"You sure about them, Stephanie?"
She looked at Teddy with tired eyes and nodded. "Yes, I am. Trust me when I say, I know how Paul Heyman plays."
Teddy nodded as it switched to commercial. "Alright, we'll, I'm going to head out there."
Stephanie nodded and turned around just as he opened the door. "Hey." He turned around. "Keep your eyes open."
He flashed her a smile and walked out. Stephanie looked over at Randy and them as he began to snore. She rolled her eyes and leaned back.
------
"This is bullshit man," Paul muttered angrily.
"What is?"
Paul stopped walked and looked at Michael shining his boots. "This! Playing security."
Michael looked up at Paul. "Well, you'd be complaining if you got ambushed."
Paul thought about it for a moment and nodded. "True, but still." He stopped as he saw Chris Benoit walked down the hallway towards them. "Hey, here comes Chris."
Michael looked up and at Paul again. "Don't do anything."
Paul frowned. "Why not?"
"He's been getting enough shit for being in ECW in the past," he explained. "Just leave him alone."
But Paul ignored him. "Yo, Chris!"
Chris stopped and looked at Paul, then shook his head. "Aw, shit."
Paul jogged over to him and gave him a cheesy smile. "What's up bro?"
Chris narrowed his eyes. "I'm not your brother."
Paul held up his hands. "Okay, okay. Jeez, don't have to get all defensive. You sound stressed."
"I have a title match coming up."
"Oh, I see. The US belt would look nice on Sci-Fi channel, huh?"
"Fuck you," Chris sneered, walking away.
"Fuck me?"
But Chris said nothing and Paul watched him walk away. Michael shook his head. "I told you…"
-----
Mark punched Dave and he hit the mat. He went to cover, but Dave kicked out in time. He stood up and took a second to see Teddy sitting at the table, watching and calling the match, and seeing Adam in the audience in a disguise. He turned back and ducked a clothesline, then matched him with his own. Mark proved quicker however and grabbed Dave by his throat, lifting him up. Just as he was about to land the move, he was hit from behind.
----
Stephanie watched the screen and quickly sat up, her eyes widened. "Oh, shit!"
She got up and slapped John's knee, startling him, and waking up the others. "What…what is it?"
"Come on!" Stephanie yelled, running out of the room.
John looked at her in confusion, then looked at the screen and saw Mark on the ground and Dave getting beat up with a chair.
-------
Adam jumped the barrier and threw off the hat and coat and slid into the ring. As the fans cheered, thinking it was all part of the show, Adam speared the attacker. He then grabbed the chair and hit him in the kidney. The man cried out and Adam did it again. He then went to check on Dave and Mark. As he did, he felt the mat move. He ignored it, thinking it was the referees'. That was mistake number one. He was picked up by his shirt and tossed across the ring into the post. He turned and saw Paul (Big Show), towering over him. Yelling, Adam charged at him but he simply moved and grabbed onto the shirt again and threw him into the other post. Not being able to slow down, Adam's shoulder went straight through the post and hit the metal piece. Screaming in pain, he sank to his knees, and clutched his shoulder. Just as Paul was about to finish Adam up, Paul (HHH) and Michael came running down to the ring. Paul, with his sledgehammer in his hand, slid in the ring first. Show kicked the hammer away and Michael delivered the sweet chin music. Taking advantage of the stunned Show, Paul picked up the hammer and swung it at Show, but he grabbed it and yanked it out of his hands, then hit Paul with it, connecting with his back. He gave out a yell and fell to the ground. Show then grabbed Michael by the throat and lifted him up with one hand, then slammed him to the mat, knocking him out cold. He looked around, seeing Paul, Michael, Mark, Dave and Adam all lied out and smirked, raising his hand and the hammer and shouting out to the crowd as they booed. But then the lights dimmed, and unfamiliar music filled the arena.
-------
John ran through the back, pushing people out of the way, attempting to catch up to Stephanie. "Steph!" He didn't even realize that Randy and Trish were behind him as he abruptly stopped.
Trish bumped into him and sent him a glare. "What the hell, John!"
He raised his finger to his mouth and looked at them. "Shhh. You hear that?"
Randy listened and shrugged. "What?"
Without warning, John took off sprinting again and Trish groaned. "Why does he always do that?"
-----
Show looked towards the ramp and frowned. The video playing on the big screen didn't give any clue as to who was coming out. Heyman didn't say anything about this. Show jumped slightly as Pyro went off at the ramp and the lights brightened again as the music picked up. The crowd jumped to their feet and cheered loudly while Show was still clueless. Still, no one came out, but the cheers got louder. As he looked at the entrance, he felt the mat move slightly. Thinking one of them was coming too, he quickly turned around and his eyes widened. Before realizing what was coming, he was hit with a clothesline. Taken off guard, he was hit with another one, then another, and another. Show swayed slightly, shaking his head. He couldn't believe it. Of all guys to show up, Dwayne was the one to show. Just when he had the upper hand, Show grabbed him by the throat and held tight, lifting him up. Dwayne saw others coming into the ring and he rocked himself to slip free of Show's grasp. Hitting the floor with his feet, he ducked as Rob came at him with a clothesline. He in turn threw his shoulder into Tommy Dreamer, knocking him out of the ring, and bounced off the ropes, giving Rob a DDT. The cheers grew louder as John and Randy came running down the ramp and slid into the ring. Show gave Randy a chop on the chest, but he came back with several punches. Then Sandman came into the ring with CM Punk. He grabbed Dwayne and threw him against the post then started punching him. CM went after Randy as John took on Show.
-----
From the back, Stephanie watched nervously, with Trish by her side. "Come on guys, come on."
From behind them, the Smackdown and few Raw stars were waiting anxiously. "Just give us the word, Stephanie," Chris Benoit told her.
She nodded and rocked herself back and forth. Not yet…not yet.
-----
Dwayne blocked an advancing hit and came back with his own. Wrapping his arm around Sandman's' shoulder, he nailed the Rock Bottom, and then looked into the crowd. Swinging his arms, he jumped over him and bounced off the ropes, stopping above him, he drove his elbow deep into his breastplate. Randy punched CM so hard; it knocked him to his feet. Taking advantage, he grabbed his neck and performed his finishing move, knocking him out on a chair that was sitting in the ring. John ducked as Show tried to hit him and he bent down and let Show fall onto him, raising him on his shoulders. Using all his strength, John grunted, and hit the F-U on Show. The crowd roared in excitement and Dwayne and Randy grabbed John and raised their arms up, signaling their victory. It was short lived however as a swarm of ECW wrestlers came from the crowd and into the ring. Even as Dave and Mark finally came too, it wasn't enough.
----
Stephanie's eyes widened and she signaled to the crew members and turned to the wrestlers. "Go, go, go!"
-----
As they fought in the ring, the lights turned blue and Smackdown's own theme music hit. Paul Heyman's eyes widened as the entire locker, plus Raw stars, came out from all ends; the entrance, the crowd, under the ring, all attacking the ECW invaders. As the crowd cheered and laughed with excitement, Paul growled. How in the world could they pull something like this off?!? He sighed and tried to keep his cool. He had one thing though that Stephanie and WWE didn't have anymore; and Monday night, he'd show the world what it is and will laugh to see Stephanie's stricken face.