Disclaimer: I do not own WWE or any other wrestling promotion, all I own is myself.
And we are… back. Coming up, the number one contender, Deadly Games tournament, who will advance? Who won't? Let's find out!
Here We Go!
Brotherly Hate-Chapter Twenty Three-First Round CarnageJason continued to warm up in the locker room as he waited for his match with Kurt Angle; the Deadly Games tournament was underway with the United States champion Chris Benoit going against the hometown hero HBK Shawn Michaels. Most of the guys were gathered round the monitor watching the match, out of the tournament participants only he and Rey were there, Christian was trying to get his opponent changed to someone else, Undertaker never went to the locker room and no-one knew where John was. Kurt was preparing for the match as well; Jason was feeling a little nervous due to a gesture Kurt had made as he was leaving the ring earlier. The wrestling machine as he called himself had held both his hands in front of Jason's face and made a snapping motion symbolising what he was going to do to Jason's ankle. Rey was watching the monitor cheering on his friend Benoit, he had the advantage of waiting until the main event before wrestling John, he noticed Jason warming up ad came over.
"You ready for this?"
"Dunno, I'm feelin' kinda nervous".
"Really? The number of big matches you've had so far I'd think you'd not feel nerves any more".
"Yeah, well, none of those matches was against a guy who could break my ankle in about fifty different ways were they?"
"True, but look at it this way, Kurt's just another guy and this is just another match, a match that puts you one step closer to a title shot granted, but it's basically just another test for you".
"Yeah, true, it's just a question of whether or not I can pass it".
"I think you will, then, who knows? Maybe I'll see you in the final".
"If I get past the winner of this match" replied Jason gesturing at the monitor. "And if you get past John and 'Taker'".
"You don't think Christian will beat Undertaker either then?"
"Nope".
Rey laughed. "So, who would you rather face? Shawn or Chris?"
"Well, it'd be good to get a rematch with Shawn, but Chris would be a new challenge and that would be good as well".
"Oh…" The discussion was stopped as John came in and headed straight over to his brother, he and Rey stared each other down before Rey went back to watching the match. Jason waited for John to speak, but his brother didn't.
"John? C'mon you don't still think I asked for a title shot do you?"
"It seems rather convenient, you being in the title picture so soon after I lose it".
"John, I was just as surprised as you were, I came here to sort things out with you, the last thing I expected, or needed for that matter, is a match with Kurt Angle!"
John seemed to soften. "Well, you got it anyway, so you're gonna have to do it".
"You wanna swap? I can have Rey and you can have…"
"Nothing doin' kid, Teddy signed it so we gotta do it, speaking of which you better get going, your match is next".
"But Shawn and Chris are…"
Jason turned back to the screen to see Shawn celebrating the victory and his advance to the next round. He gulped, it was his turn now.
"Well… here goes nothing".
"Good luck kid" said John encouraging the other guys to do the same, Jason left the locker room and bumped into Mara, who seemed almost as nervous as him, and Josh Mathews, accompanied by camera crew.
"Jason, could I get a comment on your match with Kurt Angle tonight?"
"Uhhh… yeah" said Jason, the longer it took for the match to take place the better in his mind.
"Jason Cena tonight you face Kurt Angle in the opening round of the Deadly Games tournament and already many people are writing you off, Kurt Angle included, your response?"
"My response? My response is what it was when you all wrote me off against JBL, I went out and beat him! I am an underdog, always have been, but what everyone learns sooner or later is this, never underestimate the underdog, or you just might find yourself on the receiving end of an upset".
Jason left with Mara in tow, the Deadly Games tournament was set for one hell of a match.
Shawn was still at ringside when Kurt Angle's music hit, the Heartbreak Kid had joined Michael Cole and Tazz on commentary for the match so he could 'scout' his opponent one more time. Kurt came round the ring to face him.
"After I break this kids ankle I'm gonna break yours next week!" He yelled, Shawn ignored him and stayed seated awaiting Jason's entrance. When the teen got in the ring he realised just what he was in for, he was facing Kurt Angle, an Olympic gold medallist! You don't just face them everyday. He stared Kurt down and saw the same gesture Kurt had made earlier. "Well, not turning back now"
Kurt dominated the early exchange, every technical move Jason tried was met with a counter into a pin or submission. Kurt was enjoying himself, if he kept this up the kid would soon tire himself out and be easy pickings, or so he thought. He became overconfident, and began to get sloppy, eventually he went for a takedown from behind which Jason countered into a pin, Kurt barely kicked out at two! Realising his mistake Kurt jumped back up to try and regain the advantage only for Jason to take him down with a couple of arm-drags, followed by a takedown into a pin, Kurt kicked out again and was met with another arm-drag, then a big dropkick sending him to the outside.
Kurt stood outside the ring trying to regain his composure. "It's O.K." he told himself. "You just let your guard down, calm down and you'll be fine" he looked up and saw Shawn laughing at him.
"Not so easy is it?" Kurt got up in his face but Shawn didn't stop grinning. "I'd turn round if I were you".
Kurt turned just in time to see Jason come flying over the top, he wasn't able to dodge in time and felt the full weight of the teen crash down on him. Jason was up immediately to press the advantage, he whipped Kurt towards the safety barrier but it was countered, Jason jumped up onto the barrier and came back off it with a clothesline sending Kurt back down. The teen spun round and high-fived Shawn before picking Kurt up and whipping him towards the steel steps, Kurt reversed it and this time Jason couldn't avoid colliding with them full force.
Kurt took over from then and began to punish Jason; he particularly focused on the right ankle and slowly worked away at it so that Jason would offer little resistance when he finally put on the anklelock. Jason tried to make comebacks but the 'wrestling machine' would constantly put the brakes on any attempt for Jason to regain the advantage. The teen attempted his usual comeback by ducking a clothesline and going for a flying forearm but Kurt caught him and hit a belly-to-belly suplex for a two count. He tried to follow it with a hat trick of German suplexes but on the third Jason slipped behind him and hit one of his own.
Both superstars got up and Jason began to take over, he hit a powerslam for a two-count and followed up with a slam, he climbed to the top and came down with a big cross-body for another two, he hit the ropes but Kurt was up to meat him with another belly-to-belly but Jason countered into one of his own. The teen then went for a superkick but Kurt caught it and went for the anklelock, Jason fortunately managed to kick him away and hit the impaler for another two. Kurt crawled to the corner and pulled himself up, Jason went for the stinger splash but Kurt avoided it and Jason crashed into the turnbuckle, Kurt lifted Jason to the top-rope and went to follow but the younger Cena gave him a few punches to send him back down, he stood up to hit a high impact move but Kurt was back up, the Olympian ran forward and brought Jason all the way down with a big belly-to-belly suplex, he covered but Jason got a shoulder up at two.
Kurt signalled that the end was near and went for the Angle slam when Jason got up but the teen somehow countered it into a DDT, Jason went back to the top and came down looking for a frog splash but Kurt moved! Jason had barely hit the mat when Kurt had put the anklelock on him again, Jason screamed in pain and tried to crawl to the ropes, he fingers just grazed them but Kurt pulled him back away and sat down, wrapping his legs around Jason's so that the teen couldn't move. Jason tried desperately to reach the ropes but they were just out of his reach, Kurt locked it on tighter causing Jason to scream again, he raised his arm to tap… and only just managed to stop himself, with a sudden surge of adrenaline he kicked at Kurt's hands with his other foot and felt the grip slacken, he launched himself forward before Kurt could put it back on and grabbed the bottom rope.
Kurt's frustration was growing but he called for the Angle slam again, again it was countered but this time Jason landed behind him and went for the F-U, he lifted Kurt up but his right ankle gave out before he could hit it and both dropped to the floor. Kurt got up and charged Jason but the teen countered with a drop-toehold that sent Kurt's neck to the middle-rope, he bounced back up and dropped to his knees, Jason limped forward and went for the shining wizard but Kurt ducked and went for the anklelock again! Before he could get it locked in Jason pushed himself up and popped a forward roll grabbing Kurt's legs as he did pulling him into a pin, the referee counted, and got the three!
Jason slowly pulled himself up and he realised what he had done, he'd beaten Kurt Angle! He was going to the semi-final! As he was celebrating Kurt argued with the referee, suddenly he spun round and gave Jason the Angle Slam! He then put the anklelock back on, Jason screamed and began tapping but, the match being over, Kurt wouldn't let go. Just as the pressure got too much and Jason thought his ankle would snap he felt Kurt's hands let go, he rolled onto his back grabbing his ankle and saw Shawn beating on Kurt, Kurt countered by raking Shawn's eyes and went for the Angle slam but Shawn slipped out and gave Kurt Sweet Chin Music sending him to the outside. He then turned his attention to Jason.
"You O.K. Kid? Can ya stand?"
"I dunno," replied Jason before trying to put weight on his ankle and falling back down. "No, I can't".
"Right let's get ya to the trainer". Shawn helped Jason out of the ring and, along with Mara, helped support him to the back.
The rest of the night seemed like a blur to Jason, he vaguely remembered people coming to the trainer's room to congratulate him, he also remembered the trainer fitting a brace on his ankle.
"Will it be alright for next week?" he had asked.
"It depends on how much stress you put on it".
While he was in the trainer's room Christian faced the Undertaker and lost, as was expected, but he gave a good go of it before inevitably falling victim to the Tombstone.
"Looks like John or Rey are gonna have a tough job next week" he thought as his brother made his way out for the match, he didn't remember much of it but it ended with John countering the West Coast Pop into a powerbomb then following up with the F-U for the win. "YES! Alright bro!" He thought before seeing JBL and Orlando came out and attacked John, Jason sighed and got up to go help, as soon as he left the room he met Shawn.
"Why did I know you were gonna go help?"
"Because you're psychic and I'm that kinda guy" replied Jason before the two set off, when they got to the ring Shawn went for Orlando while Jason battled with JBL. Shawn quickly dealt with the chief of staff and Jason backed JBL into a corner, the cabinet leader responded by kicking Jason's injured ankle, the teen limped away and JBL went for the Clothesline-From-Hell but Jason ducked causing JBL to receive Sweet Chin Music from Shawn.
Jason limped toward JBL to talk trash but noticed the title lying on the ground next to him, he picked it up and stared at it and for a brief moment imagined what it would feel like to be champ and the image of himself coming to the ring with it around his waist popped into his head. The image disappeared when he noticed John staring at him; he looked from the title to his brother then winked before draping it over JBL, when he looked back up John was grinning.
"Don't get any ideas kid"
"Yeah, we all know I'm gonna get the shot!" Said Shawn.
Before Jason or John could reply…
GONG!For the second time that night the lights in the arena went out and when they came on Undertaker was in the ring, he looked at his three challengers and repeated the motion he made earlier as Jason, John and Shawn all stared him down.
The Deadly games Tournament was getting interesting.
End of ChapterHmmm, could that be greed forming in Jason's head? Coming up, the semi-finals of the Deadly Games Tournament. Will Jason win his rematch with Shawn? Will his ankle be one hundred percent? Will John get through 'Taker'? Find out next time.
R&R (Please?)
HOO-RAH!