NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: First off, congrats to Seth Rollins for cashing in his Money In The Bank briefcase at Wrestlemania 31 and becoming World Heavyweight Champion. Roman's not ready for prime time yet, even though he put forth a hell of an effort against Lesnar. If I were a writer for WWE, I'd put Roman into the midcard with the IC title chase so he can cut his teeth a little more. Instead, Big Show and Kane are chasing after him. Just because someone beats a big, slow vet doesn't mean he's gonna win the fans over. Beat Show? Beat Kane? SFW? But that's just my opinion.

And if Randy Orton beats Seth at Extreme Rules, I'm gonna reach thru my TV, find Randy and kick his ass. JK, but Orton doesn't need another World Championship!

We're heading into the homestretch for this story. Probably two, maybe three more chapters. This chapter is different in the sense that Bray's not providing an intro. He's decided to remain quiet and let things unfold on their own.

DISCLAIMERS: Please see the previous chapters, as well as my profile. Dialog between the Bellas is from a promo from Smackdown off of the WWE App, and Sandow's description is from Wikipedia and promos gleaned from Wrestleview dot com.

Chapter Six

"We're a different sort of thief here...Deception and misdirection are our tools. We don't believe in hard work when a false face and a good line of bullsh*t can do so much more."
― Scott Lynch, The Lies of Locke Lamora

Providence, Rhode Island
1/13/14

"...I'm sorry, Nikki. It was my fault. My mind was out of the game, and I lost the match, not only for me, but for you too... " Brie and Nikki were alone in the Diva's locker room (they didn't have a match, so they were killing time by painting their nails and watching the action on a TV monitor), and Nikki was still sore with her twin sister. Although the match between Alicia and Aksana on Old School RAW had ended a week ago, Brie still couldn't begin to apologize enough for her distracted performance.

The match started off well. Nikki hit a couple of armdrags and then an armbar. Alicia tried to land on her feet after a flip but wound up sprawled in the corner in an unceremonious heap, before flying face first out of the ring after a monkey toss. Nikki rushed out to bring her back in, but Alicia was ready. She dropkicked Nikki's knee and then used the rope to stretch it. Aksana got the tag and continued working on Nikki's leg. Nikki escaped a heel lock and tagged in her sister. Aksana met a knee to the face but blocked a second and knocked Nikki off the apron. Brie climbed to the second rope and screamed, "Brie Mode!" in preparation for a leap down to the floor. Mistake. Her enthusiasm was no substitute for her precision, however, and she completely missed her opponent, giving Aksana a chance to cover her for a win.

"Yeah, whatever," Nikki huffed, blowing gently on her freshly polished fingernails. "You've been distracted by everything that's been going on with Daniel."

Brie closed her bottle of nail polish and set it down next to her. "Next time we're back in the ring, Nikki, I'll make sure my mind's there, and I'll pull a win for us both."

Nikki cocked an eyebrow at her sister; the comment about Daniel had just flown right over her twin's head. The next words Brie uttered proved it. "Aksana look really great on Old School RAW, didn't she?"

Nikki decided to tackle this head on. "Brie, what is going on with you?"

Brie turned to look at her sister like the words Nikki uttered were a personal affront. "Excuse me?"

"I mean...here, Daniel joins the Wyatts! I mean, he's your fiancé, and you act like you're not even distracted by that?"

Brie folded her arms across her chest, mindful of her freshly polished nails. "Okay, Nikki. That's the thing. I'm not distracted. I'm supporting my fiancé."

"WHAT?" Nikki stared at her twin sister as if she'd just sprouted horns and a tail. "You're supporting Daniel in this?! Are you crazy? The Wyatt's are insane! You would never, ever support this! I don't get it!"

Calmly, Brie rose to her feet so that she was nose to nose with her sister. "Okay, Nikki. I'm gonna give you one chance to drop everything..."

"How can I drop this?" Nikki spat, astonished. "I mean, how are you sitting here supporting him when he joins a...do you remember what they did to him up until they dragged him off?"

"Nikki," growled Brie, her voice low and threatening. "Drop it."

For an uncomfortable minute, Nikki stared at her sister, who was now gathering her manicure items and placing them back into her locker. She'd half expected to be comforting her twin, while Brie worried her pretty little head off. But the fact that Brie was going merrily about her way churned her mind into a sea of questions.

If Daniel had joined a family like the Wyatts, wouldn't Brie freak out and search for some way to help him escape? Of course calling the police would be out of the question; the event took place within a wrestling ring, and Daniel had joined the Wyatts voluntarily (beatdowns and stalking notwithstanding). But she could go to Triple H, or Stephanie, or Vince, or even holler at the Board of Directors to get something started, couldn't she?

Good grief! she thought in frustration. Daniel is Brie's fiancé, and I'm the one who's worried sick about him!

Nikki shook her head and gave her jumbled thoughts a voice. "I...I don't understand."

Brie slammed her locker door. "CAN YOU DROP IT?" she snarled before stomping out of the locker room in a huff.

Nikki followed her sister into the hall. "Brie! Where are you going?"

"DROP IT, NIKKI!"

"I'm NOT gonna drop this, Brie!" Nikki fired back, catching up to her sister in front of an empty bathroom and grabbing her arm.

"OW! Let go!"

"Not until you give me some answers!" Nikki shoved open the bathroom door and dragged her sister inside before shutting and locking the door. "Now, what the hell is going on with you and Daniel! He's one of the Wyatts now, and you're going about your business like it's no big deal. So what I want to know is, why are you supporting him being brainwashed by a cult!"

"There's the problem, Nikki!" Brie fired back. Might as well spill my guts now, she figured. It'll be over and done soon anyhow. She trusted her sister enough to know that she'd keep her mouth shut for at least a few hours. "You assume. You and everyone around me assume that Daniel is now a Wyatt family member, and that he's been brainwashed!" She paused. "Has it ever occurred to you that he may be in that group for a reason other than some misguided loyalty or because he's given up fighting them? Have you ever stopped to think that he's got an ulterior motive?"

"Ulterior motive?" It suddenly dawned on Nikki. "That sly sonofabitch."

"Come on, Nikki. Everyone knows that Bray's a monster. He's a psycho. He's crazy. He's a nut! A lunatic. He lives on this phony godlike image of himself, and every third word out of his mouth is a lie. He thinks the world is poisonous and sick and twisted, and he wants to burn it down. And the sad thing is, he's got others drinking the Kool-Aid along with him. Well, Daniel's gonna spill the Kool-Aid tonight. He's gonna show the Wyatts for what they really are. Pathetic, fake, and completely full of crap."

Nikki shuddered. "I hope he knows what he's doing. The Wyatts'll dismantle Daniel if he's not careful."

Brie placed a reassuring hand on her sister's shoulder. "Nikki, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Hunter and Stephanie don't like him," she pointed out. "They'll put some stipulation into the main event tonight that'll drive home the point that they're gonna keep kicking Daniel like a dog, regardless of who's side he's on. And it's gonna play right into his hands. But you have to trust him, and you have to trust me..."

~~~ANGEL~~~

"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another."
― Charles Dickens

"Excuse me...Jason, right?"

Jay glanced up from his plate. Erick and Luke had decided to skip dinner at catering (they were feeling carnivorous and wanted red meat), so they were at a local Five Guys for a burger. Bray and Daniel were who-knew-where; the divisiveness between Daniel and his new brothers warranted segregation. Bray had insisted that it was to engage in some additional one-on-one study. Jay thought it was out of denial; Bray didn't like to be told that he was making a mistake, and he didn't want to admit that his three other sons might be right about their new convert.

So that was why the blonde Wyatt was in catering eating supper by himself; a salad of button mushrooms, golden beets, garbanzos, artichoke hearts and white asparagus, mixed with Italian dressing and topped with some fresh grated Parmesan. It was amazing what a good cook could do with canned items.

"I notice you're sitting by yourself. May I sit down and keep you company?" Damien Sandow was holding his own plate of food. He had the look of someone who seemed content with keeping his own company, but deep down wanted someone to talk to.

To the WWE Universe, Damien Sandow was a pompous,arrogant nitpicker, who hated popular culture and bemoaned how entertainment standards had dropped since the days of Shakespeare. He was there to save the people, he often said, refusing to face opponents, because the unwashed masses in the audience would neither learn nor benefit from him facing, in his words, simple-minded ignoramuses. The masses look for enlightenment, he'd often say, but there was nobody to turn to, and those who attempted to appeal to those simple minded fools were only false prophets doomed for exposure. He was the bright beam of enlightenment who would serve as the avenging sword of taste and decency.

To be a good heel, you had to take one grain of truth and magnify it by a thousand, and Damien employed that tactic beautifully. Because, in reality, Damien Sandow was a quiet, polite man who liked to read in his spare time and engage in conversation about current events, literature, and philosophy with anyone willing to listen. He was well-educated, polished and refined by nature, but he didn't cram that down anyone's throat.

Jay studied Damien with compassion. Damien carried himself with an elegance that spoke of a person who knew his self worth. His neatly manicured hands had a softness about them that told Jay that the scholar had never worked hard-really labored hard-a day in his life.

He gestured towards the small, empty table. "I don't see why not."

Graciously (and gratefully), Damien set his plate down and took a seat across from the older blonde. The two of them ate in comfortable silence before Damien spoke up again. "It's been some time since I last saw you. You look really good, healthy, albeit a little scruffy," he commented, referring to Jay's unruly blonde hair and plaid flannel shirt.

"Thanks." The smile on Jay's face was genuine. "It's...it's good to be back, really."

"If you don't mind me asking, where were you for those months? I've heard stories about you being sick or injured or in the hospital, but they were quite vague. Nothing specific."

Jay speared an artichoke heart with his fork. "Well…" he began, softly so that only he and Damien could hear, "I was ill. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. I needed to step away for a while to uhm...heal from the inside out."

"With the Wyatts, I assume?"

"I guess it's obvious." Jay schooled his expression to conceal his racing thoughts and chewed on the artichoke heart so he wouldn't have to answer further.

"Well, it's pretty easy to figure out, especially when you're seen with a motley crew that looks like extras from the movie Deliverance. I'm surprised though, that nobody else has caught on yet."

"Well, either they haven't, or they have and they just haven't spoken to me directly. Which doesn't bother me, except that I don't appreciate being talked about behind my back. Y'know, they're actually pretty decent guys once you get to know them."

Damien nodded and took a bite of his own supper. "Yeah. I've always thought that there's more to them than what you see on television or even backstage. Bray would be fun to engage in intellectual conversation. Luke seems like a kind-hearted individual underneath all that hair. And Erick looks like the type that won't speak unless he has something very important to say."

"He's a still water that runs deep. That's how my father would describe him."

"Laurentius Abstemius. He was the scholar who coined that phrase. The story it's from was included in European collections of Aesop's fables. It's from The Torrent and The River. Actually the phrase itself began as, There's More Danger in a Reserved and Silent, than in a Noisy, Babbling Enemy."

"I take it that you've studied Aesop's fables."

"Middle school. We studied their origins." Damien paused. "So, what's this I hear about you and Harper being an item?"

Jay smirked. No use hiding it. He'd already heard and seen enough from his coworkers questioning his oddball relationship to know that keeping it under wraps was a fool's errand. "Well... it's true. Before I left, I kinda ...descended below everything in my own life. I felt no better than a piece of trash. I'd lost almost everything that meant something to me."

"Descend below." The expression on Damien's face was thoughtful. "I can relate to that. I feel like I'm descending below things myself."

This elegant, intelligent man had lost nearly everything because of a broken friendship with Cody Rhodes and a botched attempt at retribution at Money In The Bank. That attempt had incurred the wrath of Cody's new/old lover, an entitled powder keg whose political pull backstage was overshadowed only by his mental state (the only reason Randy Orton was still employed was because he made the McMahons a fortune). As a result of Orton's fury, Damien lost his push, his friends, and his reputation. If he became comic relief in the midcard, he'd be very, very lucky.

"I can't possibly descend any further than I have already, can I?" Damien chuckled.

Oh, you could, Jay thought, remembering his ordeal in the Wyatt's garage. He finished his salad, and began to mop up the remnants with a slice of bread. "You'd be surprised at how low you can go. Especially when Orton and the McMahons are involved. You put them together, and it's like a roller coaster ride without a lap bar and razor blades and barbed wire in front of you. You just hold on as best you can. Worry about the scars later."

"That's a rather gruesome analogy. But I guess that's all I can do until my situation improves."

"It will," Jay assured him. "It'll just take time and patience."

"So when you were at your lowest and worst, that's when you encountered the Wyatts, I assume?"

"Yeah. It was Luke in particular. Let's just say that Luke was there when I really, really needed him. Love means seeing someone at their absolute lowest and worst, and being there for them anyway. When I was at my lowest and worst, he took care of me."

"Sometimes you can't help who you fall in love with. Often the oddest and most complicated relationships are the best ones of all. If you make each other happy, who are we to argue, right?"

"Very true."

Jay finished his supper, thinking about Orton, Damien, and Bray. A few treatments here and there at the hands of well-paid but inexperienced doctors assuaged the WWE Board of Directors and reassured Orton's would-be opponents, but compared to what a few days with Bray could do, they might as well have been kids playing Doc McStuffins.

Bray could break Orton in fifteen minutes! That is, if he didn't kill him first for being such an annoying little snot! But Sandow ...Wow! This is the kind of man that Bray could work a miracle on! He could really set Damien on a fantastic path! Heal him inside and out. Intellectual Savior? Meet Spiritual Savior! Jay thought with a silent laugh. Imagine all that book knowledge and intellect working for the cause! And Damien's no slouch technically. His ring skills would really benefit us too.

Damien would be a fantastic addition to the Wyatt family, but Jay decided to keep that all to himself for the time being. Better to let Bray make those discoveries on his own. Hopefully, Bray wouldn't feel the need to chain Damien to a garage floor, especially if Damien was the one who came to him. And better to not force the issue, either. The eminent train wreck with Daniel Bryan was a perfect example.

What Jay could do at the moment was offer his friendship to someone who truly needed it. As he got up from the table, he offered kindly, "Y'know, if you wanna get together for some coffee or a bite to eat after the show, or if you have an evening with nothing to do, you can always swing by our dressing room. None of us bite, and we always appreciate open minds."

Damien's smile was genuine. "I may take you up on that offer one day. Thank you. And thank you for letting keep you company."

~~~ANGEL~~~

Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer
― Sun Tzu

RAW Taping
1/13/14

"This always gives me the willies," JBL sighed as the lights went out. When they came back on, Bray appeared at ringside in his rocking chair. Daniel was to his right, Luke to his left, and Erick, decked out in his sheep mask, stood behind them. Jey and Jimmy Uso were already in the ring, and the group engaged in a brief staredown before Bray leaned over to his new convert.

"Let's do this," he whispered, before he climbed out of the chair to begin the match in earnest.

The action began quickly, as Jey Uso squared off against Daniel. The fans began another Daniel Bryan chant as Jey delivered a few hard stomps and a hard chop that could be heard throughout the arena. Jey sent Bryan into the ropes but Daniel fought back and sent him into the Wyatt's corner with a few well-placed kicks.

"Look at Bryan go," Michael Cole remarked on commentary as Bryan continued his assault like a man possessed.

"Looks like he made a pretty good decision to me right now," JBL fired back, as Bray got the tag and continued with the stomping before tagging Daniel back in. Remarkably, the two of them were working like a well-oiled machine.

Cole continued on commentary. "Daniel Bryan told us on Smackdown Friday night that, Everything I've been doing is a lie. Made me wanna run into a wall head first, and made me wanna destroy something. And that's what he wants to do with the Wyatt family."

"You get tired of fighting the machine," JBL nodded. "Sometimes you just wanna join them. And that's what Daniel Bryan did."

"Aren't you guys getting tired of playing heroes?" Bray shouted before tagging Daniel back in.

The would-be traitor choked Jey over the second rope as Cole and JBL remarked at what a tremendous addition Daniel was to the Wyatts. As Luke and Erick looked on, Daniel set Jey up on the apron with his head dangling off and drilled the dazed Uso with a Running Knee before tagging Bray back in.

"He came to the Wyatt's to learn," Cole reiterated for the benefit of the viewers at home that didn't hear it the first, second, or five-hundredth time. "But he also came to teach. He said, I've been a tag team champion before. Let me contribute. And that's what Bray Wyatt's doing tonight."

JBL agreed with his colleague. "That's exactly what he's doing. Bray Wyatt's a smart guy."

The big man delivered a splash in the corner before tagging Daniel back in. Daniel kept Jey on the mat with a series of methodical kicks. He then toyed with Jey's eyes with a few extended eye rakes before putting Jey into a rear headlock. Jey managed to find his second wind and fought to his feet and delivers a spinning heel kick to Daniel's head that left him dazed. Finally, Jey tagged his brother. Jimmy came in like a house of fire and nailed Daniel with a pair of vicious clotheslines, a spinning heel kick of his own, and a hard Samoan drop. He tossed Daniel into the corner and nailed him with a Rikishi-style butt bump. A drag to the center of the ring, a cover. If Bray hadn't come in to break the count, the Usos would have won the match.

Snarling, Jimmy picked up the Wyatt patriarch by the hair and tossed him out of the ring. Daniel was tossed out soon after, and the two of them caught their breaths and regrouped.

Jey climbed into the ring to join his brother. A knowing look passed between both Usos before they launched themselves out of the ring to knock both Wyatts down before they could completely regroup. Dazed and in pain, Bray and Daniel were both rolled back into the ring.

Jey and Jimmy continued their high-octane offense. Each brother climbed a turnbuckle and prepared for their finishing move. However, they wouldn't be able to capitalize, as Erick and Luke stormed the ring and knocked them off of their perches. Luke The bell rang to signal a DQ as Erick tossed Jimmy out of the ring. Luke knocked Jey onto the mat; the Uso landed on his feet, and Luke delivered a couple of roundhouse rights. Erick joined his brother, and the two of them assaulted a fallen Jey.

It was becoming a mugging at this point. Erick and Luke put the boots to Jey and set him up for a splash. Erick charged, but Jey managed to dodge the big man. He nailed Luke with a Superkick and scurried out of the ring to join his brother backstage.

"Cowards," Luke mumbled under his breath as he watched the Usos hightail it to the back. He fixed a look that could break glass at Daniel, who'd been knocked to the mat in the melee.

Bray, who had climbed back to his feet, was a bit more vocal. "Get back here, you gutless wonders!"

Once the Usos had escaped from view like a pair of scalded dogs, Bray leaned over Daniel. His eyes were flinty, his voice hard. "Get on your feet!" he barked.

Daniel flinched. Is my deception suddenly obvious? he wondered in concern as he slowly climbed to his feet. The Wyatt's patriarch leaned in close. A shudder raced down his back as he caught Bray's whispered words: You better not be lying to me, Daniel. If you are, I will dismantle you. That's a promise, not a threat.

He glanced around at Erick and Luke, who stood at either side of him like angry statues. Their expressions were stony. "I'm not," Daniel stuttered desperately, as he dropped to his knees. He held his arms out like he was being crucified.

Bray grabbed him in his massive arms and kissed his forehead. "Don't let me down tonight," he hissed, before delivering Sister Abigail in front of the stunned audience.

Daniel's body bounced off the mat, and he clutched his head in sudden and unexpected pain. He glanced to his left and let his distressed gaze lock with Bray's fiery blue eyes. "This is for your own good, Daniel," Bray implored softly. He glanced up at his other sons and raised his voice. "I do this for all of us!" he continued, gazing back down at his fallen convert. "This will make a change, Daniel!"

He climbed to his feet and instructed Erick and Luke to help him to the back. The expressions on their faces were of barely concealed contempt as they rolled Daniel out of the ring and half-carried, half-dragged him down the aisle.

Just two more hours of this, Daniel consoled himself. I'll be free. And everyone will see the truth about these wack jobs.

You're not a prophet, Bray. You don't receive any visions, and you don't talk to God either. And tonight, in the steel cage, I'll expose you for what you really are. A pathetic, lunatic fake.

Follow the buzzards? You should fear the buzzards, Bray. Especially the one who's gonna feast on your carcass tonight.

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Well, it's all gonna hit the fan in the next chapter. The Jay/Damien exchange was something that just took on a life of its own. The High End Of Low by theytalktome was where I got that inspiration. I think it would be cool to graft Damien onto the Wyatt family tree. Intellectual Savior and Spiritual Savior. Helluva combination, huh? And I wouldn't expect to see Damien chained to a garage floor in this instance. Perhaps Bray's learning a few hard lessons about how to spread his message. You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

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