Alright guys, trying to squeeze this chapter in since I finally have an off day from work! Seriously, being a travel agent has its perks, but I'm tired as hell sometimes, haha. Anyways, let's jump right into chapter 8 of 9 AM In Italy! To the brawl we go!
Chapter 8: Cleaning House
Layla smirked at the two men standing before her. The so called Great One and Elemental, who were designated to protect the harbinger Arianna no matter what the cost was, and here they were, barking at each other like two rabid, rival dogs.
"You see what you did to poor Ari? Now that girl's gonna have a concussion for months! Some aim ya got there Rocky," Austin said, making an angry face towards the Rock, who glared back.
"Austin, you got in her damn way and pulled her in front of you. How the hell was the Rock supposed to hit you if you pull Ari in front of you? Candy ass jabroni," the Great One snarled. Austin shook his head at his rival's cockiness.
"You never cease to amaze me at how much arrogance you exude. Maybe Stone Cold Steve Austin should stomp the crap out of ya, and walk it dry just to see how much your bitch ass cries. Then Ari can watch and laugh at what a crybaby the Great One really is," Austin said, a trollish grin appearing on the Texan's face. He liked to press the cocky man's buttons.
"So is that the route we're really going here Austin? You trying to disrespect the Rock or impress Ari?" Rock asked, as Austin glanced over to the prone body of a knocked out Arianna. "The Rock says he's seen the way that you look at her, and she's one hell of a woman isn't she? Well it's a good thing that the Rock has her. Don't forget that the Rock gets more pie from her than your candy ass gets in a lifetime," he said grinned.
Austin simply smirked. "Well quite frankly, Stone Cold prefers pie anyway, and now that ya pissed off Stone Cold Steve Austin, he's gonna whoop your ass-" before Austin could make a move towards the Rock, a loud whistle sounded off from the crafty Western witch Layla, making her presence felt.
"Okay boys, I think that's enough machoism from you two. You're making me so bored and tired, and I only have so much time that I can spend in this filthy dump that you call a bar," she said, fawning herself. "I need Ari, and I need my friend now. So Alberto and Show, would you be so kind as to take these two big egotists out of my way..."
Del Rio pulled out a conquistador sword while Big Show clamped his fists together, both with grinning faces increasing a mile wide. "We're going to teach you what happens when you steal things that don't belong to you perro," Del Rio said, glaring at the Great One. He ran forward, slashing at the Rock before the Rock began dodging.
"Whoa whoa easy chico! The Rock didn't steal Ari from you; she left your Spanish chihuahua candy ass of her own free will!" the Rock joked, as he kept dodging Alberto's constant slash attacks. Eventually, the Mexican Aristocrat launched his sword straight towards the Rock's chest, just narrowly missing him.
The Rock, surprised by Alberto's aim, quickly snapped his fingers to create a light flash, temporarily blinding Del Rio, as he began running in each and every way but the Rock's, the Great One laughing at what a jackass Del Rio was making of himself.
Meanwhile, the Big Show stood over Austin, trying to intimidate the Texas Rattlesnake with his impressive height, towering over him like a molehill of doom. "Are you afraid Austin? Because you should be," the giant warned the beer brawler as Austin simply shook his head and laughed.
"Are you fuckin' kidding me? Who the hell writes this bullshit? Stone Cold ain't scared of you! That is a nice haircut you got there though, so allow Stone Cold to treat you to a drink," Austin said, before reaching behind him and grabbing a beer bottle and smashing it upside the Big Show's head.
With the giant stunned, Austin began to let loose with different variations of lefts and rights, socking it to him. After delivering the Stone Cold Stunner to Big Show, the giant went flying over the counter. The Texas Rattlesnake wasn't done however. Pulling out all of the corks in the barrels, Austin let all the rum, beer, and any other type of alcohol all pour onto the floor, Show being dripped into it. Rubbing his hands together, fire launched from the Rattlesnake's hands towards the alcohol, and everything began to set on fire.
Show began to feel his skin searing, and with the burn now on, the giant leaped up in pain screaming. "Ahhhhhh! What the hell is this!" He was so busy screaming that he ran right into the Rock, who delivered unto the giant a thunderous Rock Bottom, with added electricity to mix with the fire for an extra burn. The Rock grabbed Big Show and tossed him right through the window. "If you smell what the Rock is cooking beeyotch!" the Rock said, with a satisfied look on his face.
"Hey Rocky, if you're done saying all your catchphrases, we have to get Layla. Forgot about her British ass," Austin said as the Rock cursed silently to himself. They looked over to the front entrance to see the crafty witch Layla making a beeline for the exit with Ari being carried on her shoulders.
"Get that candy ass!" Rock yelled, and right before Layla jumped through the exit, Austin set up a wall of fire, making the witch fall backwards and drop Ari. The two towered over the fallen Layla as she nervously stared up at the two, dead intent written all over their faces.
"You wanna know what the most dangerous thing about rabid dogs is Layla?" the Rock asked, quirking his infamous eyebrow as Austin continued.
"Whenever two rabid dogs get on the same page, they form a pack and decide to take a bite out of somebody's ass," Austin warned, crossing his arms as Rock picked up after that.
"And quite frankly, you little jabroni, the Rock says you've overstayed your welcome at the Bottom, so allow the Rock to show you out of the Bottom, courtesy of the Rock Bottom of course." Stone Cold rolled his eyes as the Rock picked up Layla, and without a second thought, gave Layla a Rock Bottom, and Austin threw her out.
The two rivals didn't have time to celebrate as the enraged Del Rio came bum rushing toward them with his conquistador sword, enabled to once again see.
"Ole!" the Rock and Stone Cold randomly said, and held out their foot, as Del Rio tripped tremendously, and fell right down the steps and out the building.
"Good riddance," the Rock said, dusting his hands off before glaring at Austin once more. "Austin, the Rock says don't you ever get involved with the Rock's business again, and that includes Arianna," he warned, snarling a bit. Austin just shook his head at the Brahma Bull and laughed.
"That fight was just as much my business as it was yours, and quite frankly I could give a damn less what you want me involved in. Stone Cold does what he wants when he wants. If he really wanted your Italian girlfriend, he would just take her by force then," Austin retorted. As he tried to walk away, the Rock spun him around, and eyed him straight in the face.
"You watch what you say, or those words that you're barking will end up getting shoved up your bald headed candy ass, you understand that?" the Rock questioned with a deadly intent glare on his face. Laughing, Austin retaliated by giving the Rock the double bird, and sauntered off without a glance back.
The Rock sighed to himself as he surveyed the damage that was done to this bar. He could definitely count this as another bar that he was definitely not going to be welcomed into, as always. Mark Henry walked into the room, and the look on his face and eyes were just screaming. "Who the hell messed up my fucking bar?! Which one of you fools is going to pay for this shit!?" the strongman questioned.
The Rock quickly thought up a reason. "That Spanish bastard down the street ruined your bar Mark. The Rock tried to stop him, but apparently he was wailing some type of matador cape around screaming 'Ole!' or something like that," the Rock mustered up. Luckily, that excuse alone was enough as Mark Henry bought into it.
"Is that so? Well, we'll see what happens if he ever decides to show his face again, I'm gonna rip him apart and induct his ass into the hall of Pain!" Mark roared as Rock hesitantly watched Mark rip apart a barrel, before stalking back off into another room.
As he left, Ari began to stir and her eyes began to flutter open as the colors started to come back to her eyes. Ari looked at the Rock, who was studying her looks, legitimately worried about the woman he had come to deeply care about.
"Wake your ass up Ari, before the Rock zaps you," he muttered under his breath, but Ari was still able to catch it. She apparently smirked at his rather rude comments towards her.
"You're so rude that it's funny, you know that right?" she said, slightly laughing as she rubbed her head. "I'm fine though, thank you for asking," she teased, making the Rock groan. "The Rock was totally about to ask you that next, but I'm glad to know that you're feeling better after that chairshot," he finished, before helping the harbinger to her feet.
"So why did you hit me with a chair? This isn't hardcore pro wrestling you know," she said, rubbing her head at the bump that was on the side of her forehead. "Ouch!" she said, holding her stomach, though the Rock wasn't looking.
"You alright Ari? The Rock says it sounds like either it's at that time of the month for you or you've got a case of really bad gas," he said, making Mark Henry in the other room snort and laugh. "Sorry, couldn't help it!" Mark laughed, before getting back to work.
"I'm fine Rocky," she said, shooting death glares at him, albeit while holding her stomach when he had his back turned. Something was kicking in there alright. But could she be feeling the aftereffects and consequences of what had transpired several nights ago? Certainly nothing was wrong with her right? Maybe a talk with her best friend Eve would help clear a couple of things up and help her get some much needed clarity into her mind. Eve wasn't exactly smarter than the average bear, but she was a true friend and right now, that's what Ari needed, and not somebody like Layla, a backstabbing witch, though Ari had no problem switching that W in for a B.
Dark Alleyway
"That stupid bitch! Those two stupid rabid dogs! These stupid henchmen! I swear if you want something done right, you got to do it yourself," Layla scowled as she opened up one of her books from a hidden safe in the alleyway wall, looking up something so sinister and dark, that not even she would be able to control it.
Desperate times called for desperate measures, and right now, it was a desperate time. She needed to get to Ari and use her powers for her own witch bloodline, to restore members of her clan; to remove the curse placed into her family's blood by the Immortal himself. In order to ensure that this spell had worked, it required a certain amount of innocent bloodshed, provided of course by innocent people.
That was when it hit Layla directly in the head. It was time to go and pay Arianna's family a visit. After all, they loved having visitors over, and who better to tell them how their runaway daughter was doing than a "friend" right?"
Well, there's chapter 8 so I hoped you liked it! Stay tuned for chapter 9 as Ari and Eve have a much needed talk and Layla the wicked witch goes to pay Ari's family a visit. And what will the Rock do? All in the next chapter so stay tuned!
PS: You haven't seen the last of Stone Cold Steve Austin either!
-Ronnie