Disclaimer: You've heard it before.
Hi, welcome back, the dream is over, the Cena brother's have lost the WWE tag team titles and seem to be on a path of self-destruction, John's plotting almost caught up with him but Shawn decided against warning Jason only for the older Cena to clock him with a chain later that night. Jason is now faced with a choice, Shawn or John, who will he choose? How will he decide? Let's find out!
Here We Go!
Brotherly Hate-Chapter Forty Five-Jason's ChoiceAs soon as Smackdown began Shawn Michaels' music hit and HBK made his way to the ring in a pissed off mood, it was obvious that the five days since Armageddon had done little to calm him down and he had one thing in mind, revenge. He got in the ring and grabbed the mic out of Tony Chimel's hand.
"Now, forgive me for seeming a little rude but I think someone in my position is allowed to be a little pissed off. Last Sunday at Armageddon I went out to the ring to stop two brothers from beating the heel out of each other only for the older brother to knock the hell out of me with a chain, John Cena, you should know by now that when you pull a stunt like that there will be consequences, so get your ass out here right now and take the beating like a man!"
Shawn dropped the mic and waited for John to come out, instead Jason's music hit and the teen came down to the ring, Shawn picked the mic back up.
"No offence meant, but I called your brother out…"
"I know, but I just came out here to ask you a favour… don't, please Shawn, don't call him out or challenge him to a match, not tonight…"
"Why the hell not? I don't know if that boot to the head damaged your head, but I ain't about to let someone clock me round the head with a chain and not face the repercussions, so no, I'm calling him out and I'm calling him out now!"
He barged passed Jason and began calling for John to come out, ignoring Jason's pleas for him not to, after a minute or so he realised that John wasn't gonna come out.
"Come on John! You weren't afraid when my back was turned" he looked at Jason and an idea came into his head, it was low, but he was so angry he didn't care; he had reached his breaking point.
"Fine, you don't wanna come out? That's fine with me, but… it's in your best interests that ya do, cause otherwise, I'll tell your brother about that little conversation you were having on the phone that night, you don't think I'll do it? Try me!"
John still didn't come out, Shawn frowned, it was obvious John didn't care what he did, he sighed, he'd played his hand, and he'd better go through with it.
"Kid, I gotta tell you something, something I should've said ages ago but first I have to apologise to you, I'm sorry, I'm sorry because a few weeks ago I looked you dead in the eye and I lied to you".
"You lied? Lied about what?"
"You remember when you asked me if I knew if there was anything going on with your brother? I looked you in the eye and I said no, I've been feeling guilty about that day for weeks and I think it's time I came clean with ya. The night that you and John had the first of those open challenges, I overheard your brother on the phone, I don't know who he was talking to, but you were the subject of the call, anyway John told the guy on the other end that the moment you guys lost the tag titles he was going after the WWE title, and that if you didn't follow behind him and help him get the gold, then he was gonna cut ya loose. Jason, I am truly sorry, for not telling you and for what's going on, but…"
John's music hit and the older Cena came down the aisle carrying a bag, he had a mic and hesitated before he got in the ring.
"Easy there HBK, you'll get me soon enough, but first I have one thing to say, how dare you lie to my brother's face like that! The kid idolises you Shawn, which is probably why you let him hang with ya from time-to-time and stuff, and you stand there and fill his head with all this poison trying to turn him against the only family member he has left? You deserved what I did to you on Sunday, anyway, Jason, who do you believe? Me, your brother, who has stood beside you every step of the way here in WWE? Or Shawn Michaels, the showstoppa! The man who has to have every spotlight and camera on him at all times?"
Jason looked torn; before he could answer John cut him off.
"Before you answer kid, let me remind you of something, who is the one who won the tag titles with you? Who is the one who helped you all those times when you were in trouble with that gang a few years ago? Who is…"
"Who is the one who slapped me across the face a few months back?" Screamed Jason into the mic. "Who is the one who abandoned me last week against the Gymini? Who is the one who sat in a bar drinking while my girlfriend and me were beat down by MNM? Who is the one that abandoned me in Chicago? All you, and who took me in when you left me in Chicago? Shawn did…"
"So this is your choice? You gonna go with him over your brother?"
"I never said that, I was just pointing out that you haven't been there for me as much as you claim you have, as far as a choice goes, I don't know, Shawn is a religious man with a family, why would he lie? But, why would my own brother lie to me? It's obvious that one of you is lying, so I'm gonna think about it…"
"You won't have much time to think, cause remember I said that you'd have to make a choice if me and him had a match this week? Well I accept his challenge? And we're gonna find out whose side your on cause tonight…" he reached into the bag he had and pulled out a blue shirt and tossed it to Jason. "Tonight, YOU'RE gonna be the referee for our match! So I would take a very good look at both Shawn and me and decide who it's gonna be, I'll see both of you later".
With that he dropped the mic and walked out of the arena, Jason and Shawn both stared at each other in shock then looked at the referees shirt in Jason's hands.
Backstage John was in the locker room when the door was almost knocked off its hinges by Jason bursting in.
"What the hell's wrong with you?"
"Sorry Jason, I'm not allowed to talk to the referee before my match".
"Well it's a good thing I ain't the ref then!" Yelled Jason throwing the shirt on the floor. "Cause I ain't doing it!"
"Fair enough, I just hope you enjoy sitting at home all the time".
"What?"
"Ya see, it's like this, either you be the referee, or you're gonna be suspended for six months!"
"What? Teddy Long said that?"
"No, but Palmer Cannon did".
"You went to Palmer Cannon for this match?"
"Ya think Teddy would make it? No, so you're gonna just have to do it".
"Why are you doing this to me? What did I do to deserve this?"
"Jason this isn't out of spite, it's just I think you need to decide whose side your on".
"Fine" said Jason picking the shirt back up. "Fine I'll do it, but if I gotta do it then I'm gonna do it right, no favouritism, just one-two-three best man wins, see you out there, bro'".
The teen stormed out of the room while John smirked to himself, he headed out into one of the corridors, once he was sure he was alone he slammed his hand against some lockers and slumped to the ground, he put his head back against the wall and sighed, he wasn't alone for long.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
He forced a reluctant smile on his face. "Hey Mara, you alright?"
"Am I alright? You're the one who should be answering that question, you sure you're gonna be up for doing this?"
"I don't have a choice do I? If I refuse I'm gonna get suspended".
"Oh, sorry".
"That's alright, shit, even if I do this fairly I'm gonna end up losing".
"What do you mean?"
"Even if I'm the fairest referee ever, the guy I count down is never gonna speak to me again, so I either lose a friend, or my brother".
"Who have you talked to?"
"John".
"What about Shawn?"
"True, I better go talk to him".
"Yeah, and Jason?"
"Yup?"
"When it comes down to it, I know you'll do the right thing".
Jason smiled. "Thanks Mara".
Shawn had just finished lacing up his boots when Jason arrived, the teen now had the referees shirt on so he seemingly had the intention of doing what he had to do tonight.
"Hey kid".
"Shawn, I'm just here to tell you that, regardless of what's going on between you and my brother and where my loyalties lie and all that, I'm gonna call it right down the line tonight".
"Fair enough kid".
"And I also want to say, no hard feelings if I count you down right?"
"Kid, if your brother beats me fairly and you count the three, that's fine, I got no problem with it".
"Cool" Jason turned to leave.
"Jason… what I said earlier, you do believe me, right?"
Jason sighed. "Shawn, I don't know what to believe right now" And with that he left the locker room.
Jason slowly made his way out to the ring for the main event of the show, he was determined to do the right thing and be fair an impartial… but something didn't seem right, he got in the ring and stood in one of the corners as Shawn came down to the ring, he gave Jason a sympathetic grin as he got in the ring which Jason returned, then John came out to a lot of boo's from the crowd, things really had changed from just over a month ago. Once both were in the ring Jason began searching John for weapons, he didn't find any but he did ask John to hand over the chain, reluctantly his older brother did and Jason threw it to the crowd.
"Not tonight John" he muttered.
His brother scowled as Jason turned to check Shawn, while both were distracted, John ran forward and jumped the Heartbreak Kid and pounded him back into a corner, Jason twice tried to get him to stop before stepping in between them and bodily hauling John away, he called for the bell and told the two to lockup. John took control first and gave Shawn a few takedowns before trying a quick pin for a two-count, obviously checking if Jason was going to be impartial or not.
"A little slow there bro'". He smirked before Shawn pulled him into a roll up which also got a two.
"Not really" replied his brother as he jumped to his feet with a panicked look on his face, he charged Shawn but was met with a hiptoss, then a backdrop and a suplex for a two-count, he got up using the ropes and Shawn charged but he sidestepped and sent Shawn over the top-rope only for HBK to skin the cat back in and clothesline him to the outside, he quickly climbed back to his feet but Shawn came over the top and crashed onto him. Shawn brawled with the older Cena round the ring while Jason began to count them out, Shawn slammed John's head into the announce table before whipping him towards the steel steps, however John reversed it and Shawn collided with them hard. John returned to the ring and told Jason to count Shawn out, HBK got back into the ring at nine and John hit a fisherman's suplex for a two-count.
John started to take control of the match and kept Shawn on the defensive, he picked Shawn up and hit a hanging suplex for another two-count before following up with an elbow and a DDT for another, he hit a neckbreaker and a back suplex before throwing John into the corner and punching away at him, Jason pulled him off so he hit Shawn with a running shoulder, then a hiptoss, he hit the spinout powerbomb and did a relaxed cover which got a two-count, he shot a glare at Jason before picking Shawn up and giving him a slam, he went for the Five-Knuckle-Shuffle but wasted too much time and avoided it, Shawn jumped to his feet and hit the ropes but John ducked his attempted clothesline and hit a drop toehold and locked on the STF-U! He had it locked on in the middle of the ring and Shawn couldn't move, Jason twice asked Shawn if he wanted to give up but got a resolute 'NO!' each time.
"C'mon Jason" said John. "Do to him what he and Earl Hebner did to Bret!"
Jason ignored his brother although it did cross his mind to call for the bell if Shawn seemed to be in great pain, HBK suddenly seemed to have a surge of adrenaline as he tried to break the hold but as soon as it came it went and his arm went limp, John yelled for Jason to ring the bell but the teen instead checked Shawn's arm, it fell once, twice… but on the third Shawn stopped it and began throwing elbows at John! He freed his legs and started to stand but John still had a hold of his neck, he elbowed his way free and tried a whip but John reversed it only for Shawn to hit a flying forearm! Both were down and Jason began his ten-count but John got up, he went to punish Shawn but HBK nipped up and began unloading with punches and chops, a big right hand sent John down before Shawn hit an atomic drop, two clotheslines and a slam, he climbed the turnbuckle and came down with the elbow and began to tune up the band, he went for Sweet Chin Music but John ducked and rolled him up with his feet on the ropes! Jason counted but at two saw what was going on and stopped.
John got up and the two brothers argued allowing Shawn to get up, he charged towards them but they each moved to one side causing him to collide with the corner, John then hit a big DDT which almost dropped Shawn on the top of his head, he covered but Shawn kicked out at two. John got to his feet in a rage, he yelled at his brother then rolled out of the ring, while Jason checked on Shawn he grabbed a chair! He got back in the ring and tried to nail Shawn with it but Jason caught it! The two fought over it while Shawn got back up, out of the corner of his eye, John saw HBK going for Sweet Chin Music again and gave the chair a sudden jerk, that pulled Jason towards him and Shawn ended up almost taking the teen's head off! Jason went down in a heap and John raised the chair only for Shawn to land another Sweet Chin Music sending it back in his face! Instead of covering Shawn checked on Jason, the teen was out like a light and there was no ref, he called for a new one and covered John, the new ref counted… but John kicked out!
Shawn quickly picked John up and whipped him into a corner, he tried to follow but ran into a boot followed by a throwback, John then climbed to his feet, acted like he was going to cover then spun round and nailed the new referee! The guy went down then John threw him out of the ring yelling that only Jason would make the count, Shawn snuck up behind him and hit a DDT before calling for Sweet Chin Music one more time, he started forward but John caught his foot, spun him round and hit the F-U! He went over to where Jason was lying and bodily dragged him to the middle of the ring, he covered Shawn and yelled for Jason to count, the teen looked round incoherently for a moment before noticing the pin and counting… but Shawn kicked out!
John got to his feet and screamed in frustration, he went to yell at Jason but noticed his brother was still barely aware of his surroundings, he picked up the chair and pulled it back to hit Shawn but Jason grabbed it again! The two stared each other down and Jason yanked it out of his brother's hands before going face-to-face with him.
"I've made my choice" he said.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah" Jason stared his brother down, his face expressionless, then spun round and nailed Shawn with the chair! The crowd, which a split second before had been cheering him, slipped into a stunned silence. Jason stood over Shawn and dropped the chair, his face still expressionless, then it slowly cracked into a grin and he began to laugh, he turned to John, who like the crowd was in shock, and motioned for him to make the cover, his brother complied and he counted the three!
John leapt to his feet in celebration; Jason came over and raised his arm before the two hugged, Jason then stood over Shawn and made the DX sign and high-fived John before hugging him again, some of the crowd booed them while the others stared in shock at what had happened. Jason Cena had shown his true colors!
End of ChapterThere ya go, they've united again but with a difference… will the new heel Cena brother's take control of Smackdown? Will there be repercussions of what they did to Shawn? How will Mara react to what her boyfriend did? Find out next time!
R&R
HOO-RAH!