Chapter Twenty Four

After a long discussion with Chris about why he should probably not show up at the arena tonight because of his injuries, I finally managed to get him to say at the hotel and look after Louis there. The climate change from Alaska, even though it's my home state, to Texas is welcomed as I drive the red Prius rental car to the arena with the windows open and the AC on. The arena looks wonderful and as I pull up to it in the car, I can see Cena talking to two young men: a blonde and a brunetter. The brunetter I recognize, by the fur coat and bedazzled boots, as John Morrison. The blonde looks familiar but I can't place a name. I throw the car into park and Cena signals me to come on over. As I approach, I can see that someone must have not liked the blonde very much because he has a black eye and a swollen lip. Did I mention John and No-Name are sitting on a stack of boxes that raises them at least a few inches over John's head and looking very comfortable up that high? No? Well, now you know.

"Hey John! What's up? Who are your friends?"

""Well you know John Morrison. This is his..." he trails off, looking at John who nods as if to say go ahead, "husband Alex Nooks."

My eyes go wide, "Morrison's gay?"

"Maybe you shouldn't have let John tell her..." Alex, the young blonde I recognize as being the United States Champion over on Smackdown, sighs. He pouts which looks weird with his swollen lip.

"Oh I have no problem with it," I grin, "I just didn't think it was supposed to be that obvious."

Cena puts a hand over his mouth to muffle a laugh and calmly replies, "I think she called you out on that one Morrison."

Morrison grins, wrapping his arm around Alex's shoulders. "Guess she did."

"Now, what happened here? Is the lie that old 'I ran into a door' excuse?" I tease. I know JoMo well enough to know that he'd never ever hurt someone he loved.

"Yeah, if the name of that door is Skip Sheffields fist." Alex says, darkly almost.

"The Nexus did this to you?" I ask, looking at Cena from the corner of my eye.

"Just Skip Sheffield." Alex frowns, "He told me that I was a 'pretty boy Californinan who needed to learn that my pretty face can get hurt just like the rest of the pretty boys'."

"Sorry about that..." I frown, though my mind is focused on trying to talk him or John into joining our little Anti-Nexus.

"Eh, it's nothing that bad." smiles Alex, "I'll be fine."

"So, guess you'd like to get back at them for what they did, huh?" I casually put my hands in the pockets of my jeans and lean against the support beam (holding up the roof of the parking garage) behind me.

"I'm not really a revenge type. Goes against my personal beliefs." Alex replies.

"Personal beliefs?"

"Karma. If he's meant to get punished for what he did to me, something will happen. I won't have to go ahead and get even," Alex smiles. "Well, I have to go train a bit, I'm opening up tonight against Daniel Bryan. Wish me luck." He kisses John before climbing down the boxes and walking off.

"What about you Morrison? You just gonna let Sheffield get away with hitting your husband like that?" I ask, looking up at him.

"Hell no." John growls, "What he did to Alex was wrong! And now he has to go out looking like that to cut a promo against Daniel Bryan. Sure Bryan's not shallow but he's still gonna ask what happened to Alex's face! What he's suppose to tell him?"

"That he hurt it in a fight," Cena shrugs. "What would you say if we could offer you a way to get back at that bastard?"

John leans back against the wall, "I'm listening."

"Cena and I are going after the Nexus. We need a team to help us get rid of them. I've seen your in ring skills, your phenomenal! You do all these flips and shit!" I smile.

"It's called parkour," John smiles, "and sure. I'll join. Whose in this group other than me, you, and John?"

I lick my lips, "That's the thing...we..."

"We've yet to recruit anyone else," John finishes for me.

Morrison pauses, "So let me get this straight: so far there are only three of us to combat the seven Nexus members?"

"Yeah, that about sums it up." I nod.

"Sounds like we need to do some serious recruiting," John jumps off the boxes onth the car next to us and then to the ground. Wow. He's like some sort of ninja.

"Keep your eyes peeled open for new recruits," nods Cena. Morrison walks off and he turns to me, "You got a match tonight?"

"Nope. Picking out a theme song and working on my return with Vince." I reply. "You?"

"I have a match against The Miz tonight which Vince is supposed to guest ref," John replies as we head backstage. The atmosphere is so thick you could cut it with a knife. This is different, darker than usual. Different superstars are standing in the hall, their eyes shifting as they look for signs that the Nexus may be around.

"This is...wow..." John softly says.

"This is the worst I've ever seen this place..." I trail off before shaking my head, "I"m going to Vince's office. If you need me, text me."

The sound of my high heel boots clicking against the hard tiles of the hall are the only sounds being made as I walk to Vince's office. Once I get there I knock on the closed door. I wait for about a minute and then knock again. When I recieve no answer I open the door and enter the room. The lights are off but as almost as soon as I turn them on, I wish I hadn't. Vince McMahon is sprawled out on the floor. I rush over, checking his wrist for a pulse. It's there but it's light. I call John, "I know we just seperated but you gotta get down here to VInce's office with a medic. Have someone call the hospital."

"Whats wrong? Are you okay?" John asks. Realizing how stupid that sounded since I'm obviously okay enough to call him John replies, "It's Vince isn't it? Did they..."

"All I know is he's lying on the floor and the rooms trashed. But as far as I can figure..." I trail off when I see a piece of paper laying next to Vince's head. I pick it up and examin it, then reply to John, "Yeah, yeah it was them."

In my hands, I'm holding the contract for me to be able to come back to in ring competition which Vince and I already signed. The surprise element I was going to have against The Nexus is gone. Wade knows I'm fighting again. Let the war begin.