Jeff and Alix stood outside of their next arena for the next show. Their fingers were loosely grasped together, staring at the looming building in front of them. It was hours and hours before their performance started, but just standing there humbled them. They each had something they needed to announce. Jeff: his return to his home. The place where he belonged. Alix: …well, let's wait for the show for that announcement.
"You ready to go in?" Alix asked quietly, the wind carrying away her words softly.
Jeff stood silently, playing with Alix's fingers in his one hand. There was a slight smile on his face, and a sparkle in his eyes.
"Yes. Yes, Lil Devil, I think I am." He grasped Alix's hand tightly. "Let's go."
Within minutes the two were bombarded by wardrobe and makeup, and were quickly separated. As Alix sat in front of a lit mirror and her makeup was done and her hair was re-dyed, she thought back over her brief meeting with Hunter in the hospital.
"You guys can go in now." The nurse had said. "Two or three at a time though, please."
"Alix and Jeff." Most, if not all of the visiting party had said immediately. The two nodded to each other and walked in silently.
"Hey Ally…" Hunter croaked, trying to talk and not feel like killing himself at the same time. "Hey Jeff."
"I hate you Hunter…" Alix said, tears leaking down her cheeks as she sat on the end of the bed near Triple H's feet. "I hate you so much…"
"It's s'alright, King." Jeff grunted, sitting down in one of the faux leather chairs in the corner of the room. "Replace 'hate' with 'love' and I think that's more along the lines of what she's actually thinking."
"I know Ally…" Hunter whispered, with as much strength as he could muster. "I love you too, girl. Please hold on for me. I'm not going to tell you to beat down the Nexus, or…beat down anyone for that matter. I don't want you to go for the Nexus – they'll put you like I am. Please…don't…"
With that, Hunter passed out. Alix freaked out for a quick second before she realized his heart monitor was still beeping at the same rate as it had been only minutes before. He was just tired.
"Come on, Lil Demon." Jeff said quietly, wrapping his hand around her shoulders and beginning to lead her out of the room. "There's no reason for you to be here and grieve when he can't see you…"
Alix sniffed sadly once, standing right behind the stage with Jeff. They had told Creative about their plan and the team had just smiled.
"Go with it." They said. "It's not like everything in the WWE is scripted anymore anyway. The only thing you need to tell us about is if you guys do something drastic. You know. Plan something drastic."
That 'scripted' comment had scared the living daylights out of Alix.
"You ready Lil Demon?" Jeff asked. "It's almost time."
Alix nodded once in reply, her heart beating almost as fast and hard as it had been on the first night she showed up on everyone's televisions.
"You guys are on in ten!" someone shouted and the two squeezed each other's hands once. It was time.
"Go!"
"I'm just a step away."
The two stepped out from behind the TitanTron, shutting up the commentators and causing a huge cheer from the crowd.
"I'm just a breath away. Losin' my faith today, I'm fallin off the edge today."
The two looked to each other simultaneously and took slow, short, calculated steps forward.
"I am just a man."
The two looked to each other, and ran towards the ring, sliding under the bottom rope and popping onto the top turnbuckle even before the next line played.
"Not superhuman, (I'm not superhuman,) Someone save me from the hate."
The two Swantoned at the same time, but instead of landing flat onto an opponent, they each caught themselves on their hands and propelled into a flip, each landing on their feet.
"It's just another war, just another family torn. Just a step from the edge, just another day in the world we live!"
They saluted the camera, and danced as Jeff had for years in the few seconds of the last few lines.
"I need a heerrooo, to save me now. I need a hero! I need a hero, to save my life. A hero will save me, JUST IN TIME!"
The two flipped between the middle ropes of all sides of the ring, saluting each other and the crowd over and over. They already had plans for what the real entrance would be when they had the entire team together, but for now, it consisted of mostly theatrics.
Alix grabbed two mics from one of the ringside assistants, handing one to Jeff.
"Turn down the track!" she shouted, and the crowd cheered. They love anything I say… "But keep it play, keep it playing! It makes what I'm about to say all dramatic."
Jeff and Alix stood close to each other, having some of their coming speech planned as well. "We. Are. Redención." The two said together. "We are not a tag team. By the end of this, we will be a team of seven."
"For those of you keeping score, there are seven members of the Nexus. There will be seven members of Redención. Can we tell where this is going?" Jeff nearly laughed. The rest of the crowd did too. It was easy to see that they were very glad he was back.
"Alright, so I want this next part to sound like a news broadcast." Alix grinned. "So Mike, Mike's the camera man by the way, everyone say Hi Mike!"
Hi Mike rang around the arena and Alix laughed.
"You guys crack me up…okay, sorry, serious face again. Mike, back out real slow, and when I point at you suddenly zoom in on me real quick. Kay? Back out…now."
The picture of Alix and Jeff that was on the TitanTron backed out really slowly.
"And in today's – " Alix pointed at Mike, and her face suddenly zoomed big on the Tron. " – News, the newest victim of the Nexus' vicious attacks is none other than The Connecticut Blueblood, the Cerebral Assassin, the Game, the King of Kings, my friend and nearly father, the younger member of D-Generation X, my – "
Jeff interrupted. "My lover – "
"JEFF!" Alix barked, glaring at him. "Kiddies love you and I! That is inappropriate." Alix looked at the camera, showing the Rock's trademarked People's Eyebrow. "This is a PG-show, ladies and gentlemen. Anyway, in case you live under a rock and couldn't figure out who it is, the Nexus attacked Triple H. He's in the hospital. He's barely able to stay awake. Which is why Redención exists. To get redemption for what the Nexus has done to me, and to my friends, and every member of the WWE Universe who has been listening to me!" The crowd cheered loudly.
"Tonight, on Friday Night Smackdown, the leader of the Imag-I-Nation believes that this show would be more aptly titled Friday Night Redención." Jeff gestured to the Tron, and a play on the regular Smackdown logo showed up, with Smackdown replaced with the name of the WWE's newest team. On anyone's TV screens at home, the same thing happened in the bottom left hand corner, where the Smackdown logo usually was. "Tonight it is all about us. We're all that matters."
"Each match tonight will determine who will be included in Redención, in order to take out Nexus in due time." Alix nodded to each side of the ring. "Except for two out of the five, but that's coming. Cue the graphics for the matches tonight."
"Our first match will be one for the ages! The World's Largest Athlete, BIIIGG SHOOOWWW!" Jeff announced loudly.
"Vs the Demon from Death Valley: the Underrtakerrr!" Alix announced, and the graphic of the two shot up onto the Titan Tron.
"Match two: the Ultimate Underdog – Rey Myyyssterriooo!" Jeff.
"Vs the AirBourne – Evan Boourne!" Alix.
"Match Three: the Ultimate Fruity Pebble – Jyannn Ceeeenaaaaa!" Jeff.
"Vs the leader of the Boom Squad! Kofiii Kiiinggstooon!" Alix.
"These next two matches will not determine someone that will be in Redención." Jeff said, almost sadly. "All four of the coming opponents are automatically in the team facing the Nexus. Match four would have been Christian versus the Prince of Parkour, versus Version One, Matt Hardy. But because of the Nexus, John Morrison and Matt Hardy are not able to compete."
"Match five would have been The Rated-R Superstar versus the Viper." Alix said, tears pricking to her eyes. "But Edge was the first to be taken out by the Nexus."
"The remaining superstars from those two matches, Christian and Randy Orton, will face each other in match four." Jeff nodded. "But keep in mind that both are already in our team.
"Now, match five is a little different." Alix smiled a little, and curiosity peaked in the arena amongst the people in their seats. "It's something the internet has proven that the WWE Universe has been waiting to see ever since I laid my first Swanton Bomb in this ring. Match five is the Enigma himself, versus me. Version 2 point oh."
The crowd cheered for the chance to see the two high-flying superstars in the ring together. It would be amazing. It would be a match of the year contestant. It was the main event.
"And now, my little Enigmas, I believe it's time for commercial." Jeff said. The two dropped their mics and walked out of the ring, leaving it bare and empty. Redención's song was just finishing for the second time.
"A hero's gonna save me just in time…"
AN: I like this chapter. And thank you to MissShelz for a little bit of help when I needed it ^_^ REVIEW!
(oh, did anyone notice the theme with each of the matches?)