Dark Saviour
Chapter 41 - . . . The Colourful and the Dead Answer
….
A/N: And here it is, the next chapter. However, this is also the 2nd last chapter for this story.
When the final chapter is posted, I will have some questions for all of you, so I hope that you will all review the next chapter. Again, thank you all for be so patient with me. I hope I don't disappoint anyone.
….
Rey walked into the locker room that he was sharing with Jeff, Shawn and Jeff's 'mystery' partner, but what he saw had him stopping in the doorway. Shawn sat on the bench, his wrist tape sitting beside him as he tapped up his wrist. Although that was a normal occurrence for Shawn, what had Rey pausing was the colour of the wrist Shawn was taping up.
Rushing to his side, Rey knelt in front of Shawn as he took the damaged wrist gently into his hand. "What happened to you?"
Shawn shrugged slightly as he, too, looked at his wrist. "Nothing for you to worry about."
Rey looked up at Shawn, giving him that knowing look. "You ran into Cena, didn't you?"
Shawn nodded as he took his wrist back and continued to wrap it up. "Yeah, he's not to happy with the changes."
"So, he attacked you?" Rey asked as he took back Shawn's hand and unwrapped the wrist to fully see the dark red mark left by Cena.
"I didn't really do anything to not have him attack me," Shawn admitted sheepishly.
"What?"
"He wanted to know what I knew about the changes in the line-up tonight and, well, I couldn't help but annoy him."
"I'll kill that bastard," Rey snapped.
"No, you won't," Shawn replied.
"Don't go turning into Jeff now, Shawn."
"I'm not," Shawn replied softly. "Though you shouldn't be saying things like that either."
"I know," Rey said, hanging his head, disappointed in himself. "I don't know why I said that."
"Because you're worried about me," Shawn replied.
"Still . . ."
"Remember, it's Jeff's turn to kill that bastard," Shawn smiled. "You can't take that pleasure away from him."
Rey nodded lightly. "You're right, even though I hate to admit it."
"And see, the world has not come to an end like you so feared."
Rey laughed. "It's a miracle."
"I told you that you were worried over nothing."
"That you did," Rey smiled before he turned serious again as his gaze fell on Shawn's wrist again. "Does it hurt?"
Shawn shook his head. "Not really."
Rey nodded as he silently looked over the damage. He knew that Shawn was lying to him about how much it hurt. Rey could already see the bruise forming and he knew that depending on how Shawn moved or hit it, he would be in some serious pain. "Should you be fighting tonight?"
"I'll be fine," Shawn replied softly as he cupped Rey's face in his palm. "I've fought with worse injuries than this."
"I know that," Rey said simply. "But you were also younger then."
"I'm fine," Shawn insisted. "Besides, if I didn't fight tonight, it would give Cena the impression that he scared me."
"We can't have that now can we," Rey smiled.
"No, we can't. I like sleeping with you to much to risk missing a single chance I get to do that because some idiot thinks I'm easy and decides to drug me."
"Oh, Shawn," Rey said, shaking his head.
"It's true. I'd die if I couldn't have my nights with you. I like making you scream too much."
"Shawn! Keep your voice down!" Rey cried as his cheeks began to turn red in embarrassment.
"Oh, come on. It's not like anyone else is here. Besides, I'm sure everyone knows how good your lungs are."
"And that is information I really didn't need to know."
Rey's face turned a darker shade of red as he turned to find Jeff standing behind him.
"Oh, hi, Jeff," Rey muttered.
"Hey, Jeff. How are you?" Shawn added happily.
"Better than you, it appears," Jeff stated as he nodded to Shawn's wrist. "Try out some knew roles there, Rey?"
Rey sputtered as he tried to form a coherent sentence in his embarrassment.
"No, no. Rey isn't violent in the bedroom," Shawn smiled. "This is thanks to the resident pig-headed bully."
Jeff's face paled at that information as he looked again at the damaged wrist. Both Rey and Shawn could see the pain flash in Jeff's eyes as he remembered his own torture. "Cena did that, didn't he?" Even though it was put in the form of a question, it was more a statement of fact. The mark was far too similar to ones he had born to not see the resemblance.
"Yeah," Shawn replied, seeing that there was no point in hiding it. "He isn't too thrilled about the changes Vince made."
Jeff nodded. "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault," Shawn said. "I kind of egged him on."
Jeff shook his head. "But if it wasn't for me, then the matches wouldn't have changed and you wouldn't have had the opportunity to egg him on."
Shawn shook his head. "No," he chuckled. "I've been wanting to do that for years."
"But . . ."
"But nothing," Rey said simply, letting go of Shawn's hand so that the other Superstar could re-tape his wrist. "It's not your fault that these things have happened. It's all Cena's fault and he will be punished tonight."
Jeff nodded silently as he thought about it. His thoughts were interrupted when a stagehand knocked on the door. Turning, all three men looked at the guy.
"Um . . . John Cena asked me to find you so that you two could meet and go over what's going on in your match tonight."
"Oh? He wants to talk to me?" Jeff asked, one brow rising in confusion.
The stagehand nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Thanks. I'll find him in a little bit."
"Thank you."
"Wait," Jeff called as the stagehand went to leave.
"Yes?" The guy asked.
"Try to avoid Cena for the rest of the night," Jeff suggested.
"Oh?"
"Yeah, he isn't in the best of moods right now and I don't want you to be yelled at."
The stagehand nodded. "Thank you for that information."
Jeff nodded back in return and waited for the guy to leave before turning to look at Shawn and Rey. "What do you think he really wants?"
"To hurt you," Shawn replied simply with his head down as he concentrated on what he was doing.
"Why would he do that now?" Rey asked.
Shawn shrugged. "My guess is to scare him before the match."
"Why?" Jeff asked.
Shawn looked up as he flexed his wrist to make sure it was tightened properly. "If he scares you now, he might be able to convince you to change your mind on bringing in a partner and beat you up legally in the ring with no one there to help you."
"You don't think he'd stoop to that low a level?" Rey asked.
"Don't you?" Shawn retorted. "Look at what he's done already."
Jeff nodded reluctantly. "He's already attacked other people just for being associated with me. It wouldn't be too far a drop to go to the length of scaring me into putting myself with him, alone, in a cage match. I'd have no where to run then."
"And once you are to badly beaten up, you wouldn't fight him if he came to visit you afterward," Shawn added.
"That's disgusting," Rey said as he scrunched up his face.
"That's Cena," Jeff replied.
"Yeah, but still," Rey shivered.
"But the question is," Shawn began, "Is not how low he will stoop but rather what shall we do in response."
Jeff looked between the two men who had quickly become his family. Though he wouldn't trade his father for anything in the world, he knew that if he didn't have these two standing with him, he would surely have become a hollowed-out shell by now. "I honestly don't know what to do. I'm afraid to see him again. Especially alone . . ."
"We wouldn't dream of sending you to him alone anyway," Rey replied as he stood up to put a comforting hand on Jeff's shoulder.
"Thanks," Jeff sighed in relief.
Shawn sat silently for a moment, deep in thought. "Maybe we should just ignore him," he said finally.
"We can't do that," Jeff replied.
"Why not?" Rey and Shawn asked in unison.
"If I don't reply to him, he'll only grow more agitated which could make him take his anger out on someone else. I can't have him do that. I couldn't live with myself if someone else was hurt because of me."
"That's true," Shawn nodded. "Also, if he doesn't get some details about the match, he'll become even more suspicious."
"So, what do we tell him?" Jeff asked.
The three of them remained silent as they thought about their options. Not responding to Cena's request was not an option, nor was sending Jeff to him by himself. That would be a recipe for disaster. But that didn't leave them with many other options.
"I wonder," Rey said finally. "If you should show up with someone, anyone, and tell Cena that no one can prepare for this kind of match, that you will all just have to make things up as you go along."
"But who would I bring?" Jeff asked. "I am supposed to bring a 'mystery' partner."
"I know," Rey replied. "That's why I'm suggesting you bring anyone else along with you. That way Cena will think that you messed up and believe that you brought your partner with you."
"What if he attacks the guy in the belief that if he takes that guy out, Jeff will have to fight alone?" Shawn asked.
"I didn't think of that."
"Wait! I could tell him that the only stipulation is that both teams have to appear unharmed in the ring. If a member of either team is injured or doesn't arrive, Cena will be fired on the spot," Jeff said as a smile crept across his face.
"Why would Vince do that?" Shawn asked.
"Simple. I requested it. All Cena knows is that I had Vince change the match. So, he's bound to expect that I did something to ensure that I wouldn't show up alone."
"Makes sense," Rey replied. "But then, who do you bring?"
"Maybe I should bring Jay with me?"
"Christian?" Shawn asked.
"Isn't he in the Money in the Bank match?" Rey asked, confused.
"Yeah, but I don't have to say anything about him. He'll just be there with me," Jeff replied. "I mean, I don't need to tell him for sure that he's my partner tonight. Chances are he'll just assume."
"Ah, I get where you're going with this," Rey smiled. "That's clever."
"Only if it works."
"I'm sure it will," Rey smiled.
"Well, I've sold you on the idea. Now I've got to go sell Jay on it."
...
"What? Couldn't come to me by yourself?"
"I figured the more the merrier, right?" Jeff smiled a smile he didn't feel. His heart beat fast in his chest as stared at the man that had caused him so much pain and guilt.
Cena smiled back. "An interesting proposition. Does this mean that you're stopping this insane adventure so soon?"
Jeff shook his head. "I think you miss understood me."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, see, I don't roll that way," Christian said simply. "I prefer to keep my affairs private."
Cena looked at Christian as if he were merely a fly on the wall that he wanted to hit with a flyswatter. "And you would be?"
"What I am is sick of you," Christian replied as he leaned against the door.
"Very funny," Cena said darkly.
"You wanted to talk about the match tonight?" Jeff interrupted before Cena would think to act on his previous thought and add Christian to his list of victims.
Cena turned to face Jeff, giving him a gimlet stare. "I was hoping to get you to convince Vince that you no longer wanted to fight me."
"Now why would he ever want to do that?" Christian asked, his voice giving away the fact that he found the entire situation highly boring.
Cena gave Christian such a look that it made Jeff nearly back out of the room in fright. He knew that look all too well and what often followed such a look. However, Jeff knew that Cena wouldn't try anything like that on Christian. At least, not with the door open where someone could possibly interfere with it. That thought alone kept Jeff rooted to the spot. Christian, on the other hand, seemed unfazed by the glare. He even went so far as to return Cena's glare with one of his own.
"If we are done here?" Christian said, breaking the uncomfortable pause as he placed an arm around Jeff's shoulders and steered him toward the door. "I think we'll be going."
"Not yet," Cena snapped. "If you will not call off the match, Jeff, then what is supposed to happen in it?"
Jeff tried to swallow as his throat went dry. Turning slowly to once again face Cena, Jeff cleared his throat. "Vince says that it's a surprise match. We won't know who the winner is until it's over."
Cena's eyes glinted with pleasure at that thought. "Oh, really? So . . . anything goes?"
Jeff nodded, unsure if that had been a good thing to tell him or not. "The only stipulation is that both team members must enter the ring unharmed."
"Oh?" Cena asked, confused.
Jeff nodded. "That's right. If one of us is hurt or does not appear in the ring, then you will be fired."
"What?" Cena snapped as he rose to his feet in anger.
Jeff shrank back, more afraid now than he had been before.
"It means that you can't attack Jeff or anyone else in hopes to get Jeff alone in the ring because if you do, you go bye-bye," Christian said, waving at Cena as he finished his sentence.
"How dare you?" Cena growled as he advanced on Jeff.
"Don't," Jeff said forcefully, making Cena take a step back in surprise. "You touch me, you're gone. You touch anyone else and you're gone. That's it, that's all. You will no longer have a hold on me."
"We'll see, little one. We'll see."
"I ain't your little one," Jeff retorted before he turned on his heel and walked out of the room. Christian childishly stuck out his tongue before following Jeff out of the room.
As the two of them walked away, the door slammed behind them and the heard Cena cry out in frustration. Jeff flinched slightly at the noise, but continued to walk away. Once the two of them were alone and far away from Cena's cursing, Jeff pulled Christian to a stop.
"I wanted to thank you," Jeff said slowly, not quite meeting Christian's gaze.
"What for?"
"For everything."
Christian shrugged. "Hey, it was fun."
"Still," Jeff replied sheepishly. "You could have turned me away when I . . ."
"Look, Jeff," Christian said as he lifted Jeff's chin so that he was looking at him. "I'm happy I could help."
"But . . ."
"But nothing," Christian replied. "If I had known this was going on earlier, I would have killed the bastard a long time ago."
"Why?"
"Because I care about you," Christian answered simply. "I mean, I don't care about you in a way that would ever make me want to sleep with you."
Jeff laughed as he blinked back tears. "Oh, darn. I was hoping you'd be my sugar daddy."
"I ain't going there," Christian smiled. "But we're friends. We've been friends for a long time. I would never turn my back on you just because you like other guys."
"I appreciate that."
"I mean, hell, if I can stand Adam becoming gay, I think can stand you being gay too."
"Yeah," Jeff smiled. "Who would have seen that one coming?"
Christian shrugged. "I certainly didn't and I'm supposed to be his brother."
"Still, thank you for everything, Jay."
"No problem, little brother." Christian smiled as he grabbed Jeff's head and ruffled his hair.
Jeff laughed as he squirmed out of the hold and shoved at Christian. "Cut that out."
"Aw, come on. Can't I have a little fun at the expense of my brother?"
Jeff shook his head. "Only Matt can do that."
Christian pouted. "But I just made myself look gay to help you out. That's got to count for something?"
Jeff stopped and thought about it for a moment. "I guess you can be my brother. So long as I don't have to take Adam on as one too."
"Hell, no," Christian replied. "I don't share."
"What about Matt?"
"Oh, right. Okay, well, I'll share with him but that's only because he was your brother first."
"So, does that mean Matt is your brother too?" Jeff asked.
"No, only you're my brother," Christian explained. "Matt is your brother."
"Wow, do I feel wanted."
"How so?" Christian asked, confused.
"Because I now have two brothers all to myself along with a new aunt and an uncle," Jeff replied.
"Aunt and uncle?"
"Chris and Rey."
"Ah," Christian nodded, deciding to drop that subject before even starting it. "Well, I've got to get ready for my match."
"Hey, thanks again. I really do appreciate what you did for me. Not many people would have done what you did."
"Like I said, no problem," Christian smiled. "But remember, if anyone says anything to me about it, I'll deny everything."
Jeff nodded. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Good," Christian smiled. "By the way, why didn't you ask Chris for help?"
"Chris?"
"Yeah, you know, Chris Jericho. The guy you slept with at the New Year's party you and your brother had a couple years ago."
"Oh," Jeff looked away in embarrassment. "How do you know about that?"
"Oh, come on, Jeff. Everyone knows about that."
"Really?" Jeff asked hesitantly.
Christian nodded. "At least all the regular guys who were there know about it."
"Oh."
"Hey, don't think any of us think less of you for it."
"No, it's not that."
"Then what is it?"
"Nothing."
"What?"
"It's just that . . ." Jeff stopped.
Christian nodded. "You like someone else who was at that party and are afraid what they think of you, don't you?"
Jeff nodded slowly, not sure what to say to the man. "That sounds about right," he said finally, deciding not to go into any detail about what transpired the night before.
"Well, if it's any consolation, I haven't heard anyone say anything bad about you. They all support your decision and hope for the best."
Jeff smiled. "Thanks."
Christian nodded. "No problem. Besides, isn't that what a brother is supposed to do?"
Jeff merely shrugged. "According to Matt, he doesn't want to talk to me about my love life at all."
"Hmph," Christian snorted, shaking his head. "His loss then."
Jeff nodded, then waved as Christian went off to prepare for his time in the ring. The next bad thing to the Hell in a Cell match was the ladder match, especially when there were seven other people in the ring with you. Once he was alone, Jeff turned down another corridor and headed back to the room where Shawn and Rey would be waiting to hear what happened.
When Jeff entered the room, he found that Shawn and Rey were not alone. Smiling at Edge, he sat down between them and regaled them with what happened. Once he finished telling them of Cena's reaction, Shawn cheered.
"Man, I so wish that I could have seen his face when Jay said that he likes to keep his affairs private," Shawn smiled.
Edge nodded in agreement. "That would have been priceless."
"It was . . . interesting," Jeff agreed. "And maybe a little scary . . ."
"He didn't hurt you, did he?" Rey asked, his concern evident.
"No, he didn't," Jeff replied.
"Good."
"I wonder what he's going to do now?" Edge said, regaining Jeff's attention.
Jeff shrugged. "I don't know. He seemed to believe what I told him, so he might not do anything."
"Oh, come on. It's Cena we're talking about. Of course he's going to do something," Shawn replied.
"Yeah, well, we're just going to have to wait for the match to start to find out, now won't we?" Jeff replied.
"That we will," Shawn smiled. "Speaking of which . . ."
...
Jeff's heart raced as he drew closer to the gorilla position. The main event was about to start and his stomach was in knots. Though he had been looking forward to this moment for weeks, now that it was about to start, he only wanted to go back to last night, or the previous week. Although, if he did manage to go back in time, he wouldn't know what he knew now.
Why must I always over think things? It's just a match. That's all. Nothing special. Yes, it is on the grandest stage of them all, but it's still like any other match.
Jeff sighed as he came up to the curtain that separated the stage from the back area. He could hear the crowd cheering on Triple H and Randy Orton as the combated for the WWE Championship. Jeff cringed slightly as he heard the final cheer as Triple H's music began to play, signaling his victory. Jeff let out his breath slowly as he hoped to calm his nerves. He nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand was placed on his shoulder. Turning quickly, Jeff's stomach dropped as he saw Cena and Batista standing behind him.
"There is still time to change your mind," Cena whispered softly. "There is no shame in forfeiting a match to your better."
Jeff swallowed past the bile that was currently moving up his throat as he shrugged away Cena's hand in disgust. "How can you stand this bastard, Dave?"
Batista looked away in shame at the fact that he had aligned himself so deeply with the likes of Cena. He could remember a time when things weren't this bad, but then, time had made a fool of him. "I don't know," he answered simply.
"You don't know!" Cena yelled as he rounded on Batista. "How the hell could you not know?"
"Don't yell at the poor guy," Jeff chided. "The fact that he has put up with you this long is amazing."
"You would be standing right beside him if you didn't run to your little, pathetic, friends," Cena growled.
Jeff raised an eyebrow at Cena. "But didn't you tell me that I had no friends?"
Cena growled bitterly as his music started to play, which forced him to drop the subject and descend the ramp toward the ring. As Cena disappeared from view, Jeff turned once more to Batista.
"You don't have to stand with him, you know."
Batista shook his head. "It isn't that simple."
"Of course it is," Jeff replied. "All you need is people like Shawn and Rey to stand with you."
"I don't have anyone like that. I lost the people I used to be close to," Batista sighed.
"You haven't lost Rey," Jeff reminded him. "Yes, you've been a bit of a prick lately, but Rey will forgive you once he knows exactly what has been going on."
"How do you know?" Batista asked, his eyes showing the doubt he felt at Jeff words.
Jeff put a hand on Batista's shoulder. "If I can gain the forgiveness of someone who never forgives anyone, than you can get the same forgiveness from the person who forgives everyone who deserves it."
"What if I don't deserve it?"
Jeff smiled warmly. "You do deserve it. Yes, you did some bad things in the past, but you've also been trying to right some wrongs."
"How can you say such things after what I helped them do to both Shannon and yourself?"
"You forget the things I did to the people I cared about when Cena told me to do things. I had abandoned my friends . . . my family. I nearly lost my relationship with Matt because of Cena," Jeff reminded him. "John is a bastard and a prick."
"Both of them are," Batista smiled sadly.
Jeff nodded in agreement. "That they are."
"I guess it's going to be my turn now," Batista sighed as he turned to face the curtain.
"Wait," Jeff said as he put a hand on Batista's shoulder. "I wanted to thank you."
"For what?" Batista asked, baffled.
"For warning me about what was planned for Matt all those months ago. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if something happened to him."
Batista nodded. "I wouldn't have been able to live with it either," he sighed as his music finally started to play. Without another word, Batista disappeared beyond the curtain.
"Guess its show time," Jeff laughed to himself.
"You go get 'em, tiger."
"Yeah, show them what it means to be a true warrior."
"Beat the crap out of them . . . figuratively."
Jeff turned around to find almost the entire WWE roaster standing behind him. Jeff blinked slowly as he saw how many people were willing to stand behind him, to support him. Then he began to blush as he realized that they all knew what had happened to him.
Damn it, Shawn. Way to keep your mouth shut.
"We all wanted to show you that we support you," Rey smiled warmly.
"We also wanted to offer you our . . . assistance, while fighting that bastard," Hunter stated simply, though there was a glimmer of evil in his eyes.
"What do you mean?" Jeff asked. "It's a Hell in the Cell match."
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we can't offer you some help," Hunter replied as he took out his trusty sledgehammer for emphasis.
"You want me to take that with me?" Jeff asked hesitantly.
"If you want it, it's yours," Hunter responded as he held the hammer out to Jeff. "But you have to promise that if you use it, you smash it against Cena's back . . . literally.
"Or, if you don't want that," Kane interjected. "I can . . . procure some pyrotechnics for you."
"What?"
"You know . . . to light him on fire," Kane explained.
"Glen, we agreed that he wouldn't be set on fire, remember?" Rey chided.
Kane pouted. "He doesn't let me have any fun."
"And don't forget the tables, ladders, and chairs that I hid under the ring already," Edge yelled from somewhere in the middle of the group.
"Yeah, give them a little TLC for us," Christian added, smiling mischievously.
"Thanks, guys," Jeff smiled.
"Don't worry, sugar," Mickie said as she gave him a quick hug. "We protect our own. Even against those that are supposed to be our own."
"Thanks, Mickie."
"Don't worry about it," Mickie smiled, then, in a whisper, "But if you ever try to steal the guy I'm dating, I'll have to hurt you."
"Don't worry," Jeff laughed. "I'm already taken."
"Good," Mickie replied.
"Now hurry off and kick some Cena butt," Shawn said as Jeff's own music began to play. The rhythmic beat of his old melodic song echoed in the stadium. He didn't know how he had let himself be talked into going back to that song, but he just couldn't say no to him.
"I will," Jeff replied as he turned around and headed out with a confidence he hadn't felt in ages. Things were finally starting to turn around.
As Jeff walked down the ramp, his fears began to rear their ugly heads again. Although he could dismiss and shake off most of them, his biggest fear was that his partner wouldn't come down the ramp. That he would be locked in that gigantic cage with his worst nightmare, alone. But he knew that that wouldn't happen. He knew that he could count on his partner.
In the distance Jeff could hear Jerry Lawlor and Michael Cole debating on what had prompted this late change up as well as who his mystery partner would be. Jeff actually couldn't wait for the WWE universe to know exactly who his partner was. Though very few people would know the extant to which that partnership went, he would know and that was all that mattered.
Smiling, Jeff ran the last little bit of the ramp so that he could slide into the ring before jumping up and climbing the four ring posts, posing for his fans. He could faintly hear Cena's muttering over the sound of the crowd and music, but he didn't care. This is what he lived for. This is what he needed. The fans didn't care what happened outside of the ring. So long as he didn't disappoint them here, they would still love and adore him.
Exhilarated, Jeff jumped off the last post and bounced a little in the ring, his anticipation growing. This was it, the final moment. Either he would break free or forever be chained down as Cena's lap dog. How he loathed that thought.
Silence fell as the music stopped and everyone held their collective breath for the moment that Jeff's mystery partner would appear. Who did he pick? Did he even pick someone? Would anyone be willing to come to his aid? All of these questions floated through the minds of the crowd and were voiced softly by the announcers. Everyone wanted to know who would descend the ramp next.
As the silence stretched out even farther, the crowd began to murmur in unrest. They were growing antsy over the silence. Jeff was pleased to see that even Cena was growing restless and uneasy as the cell began its final descent to the floor, encasing Jeff, Cena and Batista within its steal wires. The door to the cage remained open, waiting to admit one more person.
…Bong…
And there it was, the single most terrifying sound to ever emit from the WWE speakers. The crowd began to cheer as the lights went out, only to come back on, bathing the arena in a dark blue glow. Jeff couldn't help but smile as he noticed Cena visibly pale as he heard that haunting sound.
…Bong…
The gong sounded again as the cheering grew louder. Jeff could faintly hear the announcers asking if they were hearing things right. The tell-a-tale gong hadn't been heard in almost a year. Everyone thought that they would never hear that sound in the arena again.
Jeff smiled as the thunder clapped and a fork of lighting struck the ground in front of the stage. Undertaker wasn't one to skimp on the theatrics and Jeff couldn't blame him. The look on Cena's face was truly priceless.
…Bong…
One final gong sounded before the music began to play. Mist crept slowly down from the gorilla position to surround the ring. Cena attempted to move away from it as if it was a poisonous gas, but all his attempts were futile. Fire erupted along the ramp, creating an eerie glow along the entire length of it. The contrast of the dark blue lighting and the red-orange glow of the fire created a strange mix of colour on the swirling mist. As the fire died down, the smoke and mist rose up, blurring the entrance. As the light brightened ever so slightly, the smoke and mist dissipated, leaving behind a dark silhouette at the top of the ramp.
Jeff's smile grew as his heart jumped in anticipation at what was to come. In the slow, steady movements that only the Deadman could achieve, Undertaker made the long trek down to the ring below. Behind him, Jeff could hear Cena letting out curses that would make a sailor blush. The man was really not expecting Jeff to have help, let alone his help.
Well, that was his mistake.
Undertaker paused for a moment at the bottom of the ramp before passing through the open door. Once he entered the cage, Undertaker reached behind him and closed the door as though he was actually closing the gate to hell.
As Undertaker made his way to the steps, Cena walked up the steps on his side of the ring. Batista remained on the arena floor, struggling with the decision of where his loyalties lay. He didn't want to help Cena, but he also didn't want to become the next punching bag, or see who would take over for Jeff's position. However, as he watched the Phenom ascend the stairs and raise the lights back to their regular colour and brightness, he wondered how much he would be willing to sacrifice, how much he would be willing to fight to be free like Jeff was right now. Even though no one else could see it, Batista could see the admiration and love in Jeff's eyes as he watched Undertaker gracefully lower his head and remove his hat in his traditional maneuver. Batista smiled inwardly as he caught the secret glance Taker gave to Jeff. These two created such an unlikely pair, that it was almost comical. However, for Batista, he found that it was a refreshing site and was secretly grateful that they could come together in such a time and would work together in the fight against one big evil. It was then that Batista realized that he was still standing outside the ring and quickly ran up the steps to stand next to the ropes.
Undertaker completely ignored the other two people in the ring. His attention was solely focused on the man standing beside him, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet. In that moment, Taker nearly forgot everything else.
"How are you holding up?" Taker whispered softly.
Jeff nodded slightly. "I'm fine now that you're here."
"I'm glad," Taker replied. "He hasn't hurt you today, has he?"
Jeff shook his head. "No, he hasn't."
"Good, then he only needs to die ten times today to appease me."
Jeff laughed at that. "Oh, Mark, you know you can't kill him."
"Why?" Undertaker asked innocently. "I'd bring him back to life afterward."
Jeff merely smiled and shook his head.
"What?"
"How have you been?" Jeff asked, deciding it was better to change the subject before the Deadman convinced him that he was right.
"All right I guess," Undertaker shrugged. "Although I'd be better if we weren't in the middle of a crowded arena."
"Oh?"
Taker nodded slightly. "Yeah, I'm getting tired of those guys wondering what the hell I'm doing here."
Jeff glanced over at where each announcer from the three brands was chatting wildly about his mystery partner. No doubt they were all wondering what kind of beef Taker had with the other two men in the ring with them.
"Don't worry about them."
"I'm not," Taker muttered. "I'm worried about breaking into a smile or laughing."
"That would be bad," Jeff agreed. "Although that would really get the WWE universe talking. I can see it now, 'Oh my god! The Undertaker has a new persona! The Crazy Man!'"
"Oh brother."
Jeff chuckled. "Or, better yet 'Mick Foley has competition! See inside for details!'"
"You really like that idea, don't you?" Taker grimaced.
"Oh, hell yeah," Jeff nodded. "I could make a fortune selling pictures of you smiling in your Undertaker uniform."
"Are you girls finished gossiping? Or can we get down to business?"
Both Undertaker and Jeff turned to stare at Cena, although for Taker it would be more of a glare. To Cena's benefit, he didn't flinch under the weight of Undertaker's gaze. Instead, he gave him an un-amused shrug as he returned to his side of the ring.
The referee walked into the center of the ring and ran through the regular spiel before backing out of the way so he could call for the bell. However, unknown to the ref, this was not going to be a typical Hell in a Cell match. Instead, this was going to be an all out cage fight, winner takes all, loser ends up in the hospital for a couple of weeks . . . at least.
Cena rolled his head, attempting to stretch out his neck, while Batista moved to stand in the corner. Undertaker motioned for Jeff to stand behind him, however the smaller Superstar made no move to leave the ring. Cena looked at the two of them, his brow raised in expectation. Undertaker casually moved forward, a ghost of a smile on his face at Cena's confused expression.
"What, expecting a regular match?" Taker taunted before slugging the smaller man
Cena's head snapped back at the sudden contact and stumbled backward. He knew that the fabled Undertaker right hook was painful to those who got the privilege of tasting it, and he had first hand knowledge of how deadly Taker's strikes could be.
"You hit me?" Cena said in shock as he held his cheek.
Undertaker gave him a level stare. "You hit Jeff," he responded simply.
"So, what? You get to hit me in retaliation for something I did to someone else? Someone who enjoyed it?" Cena mocked. "What? The little baby can't fight his own battles?"
"You say that, or any other derogatory remark about or to Jeff, and I will put you on permanent hiatus," Undertaker growled. "You understand that."
Cena rolled his eyes as he circled around the Deadman. "Do you really think you can stop me?"
"You want to bet that I can't?" Taker retorted.
"Try it, old timer."
Undertaker took hold of Cena's arm, wrenching it behind his back before throwing him full force into the steal post. He had moved so quickly and suddenly that Cena had no time to prepare a counter move or brace himself for the impact. The echo of the impact as Cena's shoulder connected with the post was heard throughout the stadium and well over the cheering of the crowd.
Cena fell backwards, clutching at his shoulder as pain throbbed throughout the length of his arm. He couldn't believe that that had just happened. He had heard of accidents happening when people didn't prepare quickly enough for moves like that. Hell, he had been victim to such stunts before, but to feel it like this, like it was on purpose . . . that was another matter entirely.
"Okay, no more mister nice guy," Cena growled as he got back up.
"That's mister nice guy?" Undertaker replied in a mocking tone. "I'd hate to see mister bad guy."
Cena growled lowly as he circled the Deadman, searching for an opening. If the big man wanted to play rough, then he was going to get rough. This was, after all, Hell in a Cell on the grandest stage of them all. That meant that there were no rules. As he was thinking about all the ways that he could hurt the Deadman, Taker feigned to the right, throwing Cena off balance. With three quick jabs, Undertaker had Cena off his feet again.
"You really like lying down don't you?" Taker remarked as he stared down at Cena, his brow raised slightly at the smaller man. "I think you're in the wrong profession."
"What would you know about that?" Cena asked through clenched teeth.
"Well, I've been in the business a long time. I think I know what the fans like."
Cena scoffed. "The fans like the theatrics, as you proved tonight already."
"It's better than being you."
Cena raised a brow at that. "You don't want to be me?"
Taker shook his head. "Why would I want to be the scum of the earth?"
Cena smirked as he finally found an opening in the Deadman's defense. He could kick himself for not thinking of it earlier. "Wow, what an insult?" he smiled as he moved to the left. "Considering that Jeff there likes scum."
"What?" Undertaker growled.
"You heard me," Cena replied smugly, pleased with the anger he saw flash through the Deadman's gaze. What pleased him even more was the hint of sorrow, regret and shame that hid behind the anger. Cena wondered who all that emotion was aimed at, him, Jeff or the Deadman himself.
Undertaker's gaze narrowed viciously. "You really think it's a good idea to be bringing that up now?" he growled as he nodded toward the steel cage.
"What? Did I say something wrong?" Cena asked innocently. "Did I hit a nerve?"
"Don't listen to him!" Jeff called out to Taker. "He's just trying to make you angry."
"He's succeeded," Undertaker retorted under his breath.
Cena pretended to attack Undertaker so that he could put himself between his two opponents. Looking over his shoulder casually at Jeff he said, "Don't worry sweetheart, we'll be together again tonight. And I'll make you scream so loud . . ."
Cena didn't get to finish that sentence as Undertaker used his big boot to knock him to the ground once again.
"I'm going to kill you," Taker growled as he reached for the fallen Cena.
In a surprising move, Jeff jumped up onto the second rope so that he could reach out and tap Undertaker on the shoulder, forcing the referee to come forward and separate Undertaker from Cena. Taker stared at Jeff in surprise as the smaller man jumped over the rope and into the ring.
Jeff shrugged at the Deadman. "I wanted a piece of him before you killed him."
Taker nodded in understanding as he left the ring. Unnoticed by both men, Cena had used that brief pause in the fight to move toward his side of the ring and retrieve the chair he had hidden against the metal stairs. Hiding it under his body, he waited for Jeff to come within range of a surprise attack, when it would be too late to turn back or react. Once Jeff was in that special area of no return, Cena jumped to his feet and swung the chair with all his might.
Pain exploded in Jeff's head as the metal came in contact with his skull. Stars danced in front of his eyes as he stumbled away from the blur that was Cena's form. He could faintly hear the crowd cheering through the ringing in his ears. As Jeff turned around, he vision clearing slightly, he saw that the chair was coming in his direction again. Jeff raised his arms to cover his head seconds before the chair made contact.
Jeff cried out as more pain ran up along his arms and he dropped to the floor. He knew how painful chairs could be, considering how much he loved ladder and TLC matches, but this was more than he was used to. This was a whole new experience.
It was then that Jeff realized something important. He's going to kill me . . .
Jeff crawled across the mat, hoping that he could find his side of the ring, trying desperately to find his partner. But before he could even get halfway across the ring, Jeff felt the chair slam into his back, knocking the wind out of him and forcing him back to the floor. He could faintly hear Taker calling out to him, encouraging him on. He knew that he had asked Taker to follow the rules of a traditional tag-team match, but at this moment, he was wishing that he hadn't. He could really use the Deadman's help. Jeff tried to move toward the sound of the Deadman's voice while bracing for the next time the chair made contact with his back.
However, the hit never came. As Jeff tried to crawl forward once again, he felt a pair of strong arms circle around his waist and lift him up. From the feel of the arms around him, he knew that Taker wasn't coming to his aid. These arms were the arms that held him back when Shannon was being beaten within an inch of his life. These were the arms of the Animal Batista.
Jeff let out a pitiful cry as Batista threw him into a ring post. It wasn't until he felt the gentle, gloved, hand of Undertaker on his shoulder in a light tap that he began to realize what had happened.
"Rest now, I'll take care of that bastard," Undertaker whispered as he subtly wiped away the small trickle of blood that ran down to the smaller man's brow. Jeff smiled at that small action that said so much. As he opened his eyes, he caught the sight of Batista running quickly back to his side, tagging Cena back into the ring.
Batista watched the look of horror cross Cena's face just before Taker was on him again, beating him to a pulp. As Undertaker wailed on Cena, Batista had enough time to run over to stand next to Jeff and check on him.
"I'm so sorry," Batista whispered. "I tried to make sure that he wouldn't have easy access to any weapons."
"It's okay," Jeff replied weakly as he tried to catch his breath. His back hurt so much that it seemed to be affecting his lungs.
Batista shook his head. "I worked so hard to protect your brother from his wrath, yet I failed to protect you."
"It's okay," Jeff smiled slowly. "Mark protects me."
"I'm so thankful that he does," Batista nodded.
Both men turned their attention then to the two men in the ring as Undertaker pummeled Cena mercilessly. Cena was stumbling blindly around the ring, trying to get away from Taker's famous fists. Finally, he dropped to the floor so that he cold roll away from the Deadman. Once he felt like he was far enough away, Cena regained his footing and kicked out at Taker, catching him in the mid-section. Undertaker stumbled back a little, slightly caught off guard.
Cena used this opening to spear the Deadman to the ground and rained his own blows down on the big man's head. Luckily, Taker still had quick reflexes, which allowed him to bring his arms up to protect his head. With as much force as he could manage, Taker pushed Cena away from him and quickly moved so that he was in a standing position again. Undertaker faced Cena, panting slightly as the exertion was finally beginning to take its toll.
At least he's not in good shape either, Taker thought to himself as his gaze drifted past Cena and over to where Jeff was leaning against the post, Batista standing next to him. He could tell that The Animal was waiting for an opening to tackle Cena. However, Cena seemed to realize this and quickly turned around and slugged Batista across the jaw, causing the bigger man to topple over the rope and off the side of the ring, where he crashed into the metal links of the cell before landing in a heap on the hard floor.
Undertaker took the moment of distraction on Cena's part, to grabbed hold of Cena's wrist and threw him into a post on the opposite side of the ring. Taker moved quickly toward Cena, feeling that it was time to bring this match back to the fans. Undertaker took hold of Cena's wrist again and began to twist and wrench it into an uncomfortable position. Hearing the crowd cheer, Taker smiled inwardly as he began to ascend the ropes. Once he was on the top rope, he walked across it, feeling it shake underneath him. As the crowd cheered again, Undertaker completed his 'Old School' maneuver to the cheering crowd.
Not willing to lose the advantage, Undertaker dragged Cena back onto his feet and threw him into the ropes, bouncing him off them so that he would feel the full impact of Taker's boot to his face.
Cena groaned as he held the side of his face as it continued to throb from the impact. Before Taker could take hold of him again, however, he rolled out of the way, rolling all the way out of the ring. Cena landed on the floor with a dull thud, thankful that he knew how to do that with little to no damage to himself. However, he didn't account for the fact that Undertaker could still move quickly. Cena quickly found himself being dragged to his feet, seconds before he was thrown into the steel cage.
The crowd cheered louder as the evil structure was finally being put to use. Unfortunately for Cena, he was the first one to feel the biting sting of the metal against his flesh. Taker was quickly on him again as he forced Cena's face to rest against the links in the metal before dragging it slowly and roughly against the cage. Cena cried out in pain as his flesh tore against the assault.
Undertaker finally pulled Cena away from the cage, turning in a tight circle so that he could throw the smaller man into the opposite side of the cell. The resounding crash as he hit the cage and the way it shook with the force of the impact made Taker smile. He had always loved the sound the cage would make when someone, other than him that is, made contact with it.
Cena groaned again as he hit the ground. His body felt like it was on fire. The only part of him that felt cool was where a small trickle of blood flowed from his temple and shoulder. Though it was an odd relief, it was still a relief. Cena crawled slowly away from the cage wall, hoping to put as much distance between him and the Deadman as possible. Things were not working out as he had planned. It was supposed to be Jeff dragging his way across the floor in an attempt to get away from him, not him crawling to get away from the Deadman.
Damn them all. I'm so going to make that bastard pay for this. His brother will not escape this time and Mark, oh, I've got special plans for him.
However, Cena's thoughts were interrupted when Undertaker picked him up and threw him back into the ring. Although Cena was planning on what he'd be doing afterward, Undertaker only had plans on what he was going to do now. Undertaker entered the ring behind Cena's rolling form, quickly bending and picking Cena up again. With little effort, Taker walked over to the ropes, Cena's body draped over a shoulder.
Cena knew he should be fighting against the light hold, but he just couldn't make his body respond. In a feat of pure strength, Taker lifted Cena over his head and threw him over the rope, directly into the cage. Cena felt the sudden shift in weight and looked up to see the cage coming closer. He barely had enough time to brace for the impact before his body crashed into the cage and fell to the floor again. Between the crowds cries of surprise he could hear the traitor and the guy who just couldn't grin and bare it, cry out in worry. Cena assumed that that meant that Taker had hurt himself with that last maneuver. How badly however, Cena could only guess.
Most likely it was not as much as I was hurt with that last maneuver. Time to change things up, Cena thought slowly, slightly afraid that any thoughts would cause a brain hemorrhage. He slowly moved toward the banner that hid the bottom of the ring from the view of the fans. As his one hand snuck under it, he hoped he would find something, anything, to even the field and possibly tilt it in his favour. When his hand came across one of the weapons hidden under the ring, no doubt intended for Jeff to use on him, he nearly laughed in delight.
Cena quickly dragged the object out, his strength returning as he felt true joy for the first time since Taker walked down the ramp. Trying to keep the object hidden, he slowly pulled himself into the ring. Once back within the confines of the squared circle, he found that his assumptions were correct. Undertaker was down on one knee, bracing himself on the mat. Apparently that last move had hurt the big man's as well.
Smiling in triumph, Cena swaggered over to where the big man crouched. Even with both the crowd and Jeff yelling at Taker to get up, he made no move to comply. That was fine with Cena. His smile growing, Cena revealed the 'trusty' sledgehammer he had found under the ring. He could tell by the way Jeff's face paled that Hunter had put his 'friend' under the ring for him before the night began. Cena taunted Jeff with the hammer before bringing it down across Undertaker's back, forcing the Deadman to collapse to the floor.
Undertaker couldn't think as the pain flooded down his spine and into his arms and legs. The muscles in his legs contracted, causing him to lose his balance when he tried to stand up. He barely managed to roll out of the way as the hammer came down again. Luckily for Taker, it hit the mat harmlessly instead of hitting him.
Taker scrambled to his feet, but learned quickly that that was a mistake. As soon as he rounded on Cena, the hammer rammed into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him and increased the pain in his back. As he folded over in agony, the hammer came down on his back again, bringing him to his knees once more. Cena continued to press his advantage and kicked the Deadman in the face, causing the bigger man's head to snap back which brought the rest of his body with him as he fell backwards. The crowd held its collective breath as Cena kicked Taker's sides before bringing the hammer down on his chest. Cena stared at the Phenom for a second, watching the blood trickle out of the corner of Taker's lips before lifting the sledge hammer again, poised for one final attack.
Before the hammer could come down, however, Jeff speared Cena, knocking them both to the ground and forcing the hammer out of Cena's grip. Jeff quickly moved to sit on Cena's chest to pin him to the ground.
"I thought that you didn't like sitting on top of me?" Cena laughed weakly as he tried to regain his breath.
"You don't get to talk anymore," Jeff retorted as he began to punch Cena in the face.
Cena had to actually fight with everything he had to get the smaller man off of him. Once he managed to regain his feet, he saw the deadly look on Jeff's eyes. The man wanted blood, his blood. Looking behind Jeff, he could see that Taker was still lying on the mat, which caused Cena to smile. At least he had taken care of the Deadman well enough that he shouldn't have to worry about Taker for a long time.
At least, not until I can get the Deadman alone, in a private room . . . just the two of us.
"How does it feel?"
"What?" Jeff asked confused.
"How does it feel knowing that you've basically destroyed his life?" Cena clarified, nodding toward Taker's fallen form.
"I didn't destroy his life," Jeff retorted.
"Yes, you did."
Jeff shook his head. "No, I didn't. You can say it all you want, I'm not going to believe you."
"You don't have to believe me. The proof is right behind you."
Jeff looked behind him and at the still form of the Deadman again. Crying out in frustration, Jeff rushed Cena, tackling him to the ground so forcefully that it knocked him off his feet. Jeff looked around briefly, measuring the distance quickly in his mind before running up the ring post and pulling off his Swanton Bomb. What little breath Cena had been able to regain came out in a whoosh as Jeff's body collided with his. Rolling, Jeff regained his feet even as he clutched his arm to his chest.
That landing could have been better, Jeff thought to himself as he winced slightly at the new pain that was beginning to aggravate the old ones.
Jeff could barely hear the crowd cheering as he picked up the chair that Cena had originally used on him earlier. Holding it loosely in his hands, Jeff remember all the matches he had been in that chairs had been used. Never before had he thought of using it to actually hurt his opponents. Now all he wanted to do was smash in Cena's head for all the abuse, the pain and suffering he had caused to both himself and those he cared most about.
Turning, Jeff swung the chair up, intending to hit Cena with it, but instead was kicked in the stomach by his target who had managed to recover slightly from the earlier attack. Jeff stumbled back, dropping the chair. Cena quickly scooped it up and ran at Jeff with it raised high above his head.
"This ends now!" Cena yelled as he ran towards Jeff.
Jeff dodged the attack by running towards the ring post and completing his Whisper in the Wind maneuver. Both men fell to the mat, Cena groaning in pain as he pushed the chair aside while Jeff rolled in the opposite direction, holding onto his legs. Though he had achieved his desired effect, Jeff cursed the fact that he had let himself become vulnerable to injury due to the chair Cena had been holding.
Jeff slowly dragged himself to a standing position at the same time Cena regained his footing. Cena seemed to calculate the distance between himself and Jeff at the same time as he looked at the discarded chair. Jeff knew the instant that Cena had made up his mind on what he wanted to do, however, Cena was too fast for him to intercept. Cena dived left and picked up the discarded sledgehammer that was lying next to where Undertaker still lay. Once the hammer was in his hands, he looked at Jeff, than down at Taker, then back up at Jeff. His eyebrow rose slightly, daring Jeff to come and get him now.
Jeff stood still for a moment, unsure of what to do. If he moved to attack Cena, he knew he wouldn't make it over to him before he got one good hit on Taker's limp form.
But if I don't do anything, he'll be able to freely attack Mark. I know he wants to hurt Mark at least as much as he wants to hurt me, if not more. How much more can Mark withstand any way? Jeff stood still for a moment longer as his mind worked out all possible scenarios. Finally, his mind came upon the only possible solution that would keep Taker the safest.
Cena smiled at the defeated look Jeff gave him as he faced him, shoulders slumped. Cena tossed the hammer back and forth, sensing that things were drawing to a close. Jeff looked up at Cena, his expression blank before a smile crept across his face.
Without warning, Jeff attacked, managing to tackle Cena before he could use the hammer on Taker. Unfortunately, when Cena was hit with the spear, he dropped the hammer, which landed directly on Undertaker's chest anyway.
Jeff cried out in anger as he pummeled Cena, all his pent up frustration, embarrassment, horror and sadness rushing out as he finally had the upper hand in this awkward relationship. Cena fought hard against Jeff's assault before kicking him away. Jeff rolled away from Cena's counter-attack. When the two fighters regained their footing, Cena made the move to attack Jeff from behind. Fortunately for Jeff, he had rolled in the direction of the damaged chair and had gotten up with it in his hands. As Cena attacked him, Jeff whipped around, bringing the chair down on Cena's head.
Cena didn't even know what hit him. The force behind the attack was so strong that he didn't even know when he hit the ground. Throwing the chair aside, Jeff kicked Cena onto his back so that he could finish the match and the nightmare. However, before Jeff could move in for the pin, Cena kicked out with his legs, causing the smaller man to fall onto his back. Grabbing the chair, Cena regained his footing and stood over Jeff, raising the chair above his head.
Without warning, Cena felt the head of the sledgehammer slam into his stomach. Coughing, Cena dropped the chair and looked up with blurry eyes at the towering figure of Undertaker, the sledgehammer clutched tightly in his fists.
"No one, and I mean no one, makes either of us bleed and gets away with it," Taker growled low as he wiped at the dried blood on his lips.
"What are you going to do about it?" Cena growled back as he looked between Jeff and Undertaker.
Undertaker glanced at Jeff. "We're going to put you out of commission for a while. Make sure that you take a nice, long, vacation away from everyone."
"I'd like to see you try," Cena threatened.
"I have no problem with that," Jeff replied as he took hold of Cena's wrist and threw him into the ring post, hard.
As Cena stumbled forward, Taker picked him up for his signature finisher; it seemed only appropriate to finish things with the Tombstone. As he went to perform the finisher, both for them and the fans, Jeff held up a hand to stop him. When Undertaker looked at him, his brow raised in confusion, Jeff merely motioned toward the chair that Cena had previously dropped. Taker nodded, understanding Jeff's thoughts.
Jeff picked up the chair and placed it carefully at the Deadman's feet. Once Jeff was out of harms way, Taker dropped to his knees, driving Cena's head directly into the steal seat of the chair. The sound that echoed throughout the stadium silenced the entire audience, including the announcers.
Taker moved away, allowing Cena's now limp body to hit the canvas. Though the bastard still breathed, the fact that he was currently unconscious made the Phenom happier. Nodding, Undertaker stepped back further, allowing Jeff to move forward for the cover, finishing the match officially as well as ending the battle between him and Cena for good.
The crowd cheered as the ref counted to three and the bell rang. As Jeff stood up, shaking slightly with the adrenaline he felt, Undertaker lifted his arm in victory. As his arm was raised, Jeff felt like a great weight was lifted off his shoulders. Smiling, Jeff looked up at Taker, who in turn was smiling at him.
Now that is a site to see, Jeff thought to himself before moving away from Taker so that he could run up the ring post and pander to the audience. As Jeff moved from post to post, he saw the cell beginning to rise, allowing the medics to come in and tend to the unconscious Cena and wounded Batista. When he finally bounced down from the last post, Jeff looked around to find that Undertaker had already left the ring and was making his way back up the ramp.
Jeff watched as the Deadman limped away slowly before he waved and bowed to the crowd one final time before he followed after Taker. By the time he reached the top, Undertaker was nowhere to be found. Instead, he found the entire WWE roster waiting for him, cheering him on. Jeff quickly scanned the crowd, but found that the Deadman had all but disappeared. Instead Jeff saw Kane walking toward him, a huge, creepy smile on his face.
"What did you do?" Jeff asked nervously.
"Just wanted to tell you that everything has been taken care of," Kane replied.
"Huh?"
"What he means is that we've got Layfield locked up in a holding cell as it were." Shawn answered.
"Why?" Jeff asked, slightly confused.
Shawn shrugged. "Because he's having a fit."
"He lost his title and his boss was beaten up all in the same day," Rey stated simply as he patted the Intercontinental Championship belt. "Who wouldn't be pissed off?"
"Yeah, well, if he doesn't calm down soon I'm going to beat the crap out of him," Kane snapped.
"I told you that you should have made your match last longer," Shawn said, shaking his head at Kane.
"Yeah, but I wasn't a main event."
Jeff shook his head, silently laughing at the entire situation. "You guys are strange."
"But you still love us," Shawn replied, smiling.
Jeff nodded. "That I do," he paused, his mind drifting in another direction, "Did anyone see where Mark went?"
"He wasn't with you in the ring?" Kane asked.
"He was, but once the cage went up, he left," Jeff answered.
"Sorry, Jeff. I don't think anyone saw him come through the curtain," Rey stated softly.
"He probably headed to the locker room to clean up," Shawn piped up. "I'm sure the idea of even touching that pothole with a forty foot pole makes him squirm."
"Not to mention that that match had to have been one of the most bloody matches since the glory days of ECW," Edge replied.
"Really?" Jeff asked, his head tilting slightly in thought.
"Hell, yeah," Edge smiled. "Look at you, you're covered in blood."
Jeff looked down at his clothes and arms, realizing that Edge was right. "I can't believe that I never noticed that."
"Considering how much you wailed on Cena, I don't even know how much of that is yours, his or Mark's," Edge shrugged. "All I know is that there is a lot of it."
"You had better go get cleaned up," Rey suggested.
"I think you're right," Jeff nodded. "It's about time I finish washing Cena out of my life."
"Good thinking," Kane nodded, clapping the smaller man on the back.
Jeff smiled at the group. "Thank you guys. Thanks for standing with me."
Shawn wrapped an arm around Rey's waist, a big smile on his face. "No problem. Now get going before you start to stink."
"Ha, ha," Jeff laughed sarcastically before he made his way through the crowd toward the locker room he shared with Rey and Shawn and stepped into a shower.
Once Jeff was out of earshot and sight, Shawn and Rey looked at the group.
"So, what now?" Shawn asked.
"Well, first, you can take your freaky chicken back," Kane stated simply as he thrust a rubber chicken into Shawn's hand.
"Bob! I thought I lost you!" Shawn exclaimed in excitement.
"Second," Kane said as he shuddered involuntarily. Before he could continue, Kane was interrupted as Cena hobbled his way through the curtain. The man looked like a tank literally hit him and it backed up to do it again, which, considering the match and the men who participated in it, more specifically the Deadman, it wasn't surprising.
Cena stopped in his tracks when he felt the hostile glares coming toward him from the group. Looking up, Cena gave the entire group his infamous sneer and glare combo that had allowed him to control Batista for as long as he did, as well as allow him to make Jeff his obedient slave for the past year.
Kane exchanged glances with Shawn, Rey, Edge and Triple H. "Is he trying to scare us?"
"I think he is," Triple H smiled, rubbing his hands together. "And by the way, no one but my friends, can touch my sledgehammer."
"I agree with you, Hunter. And I don't like the fact that the pothole thinks he can scare all of us with that look," Edge added, his eyes narrowing dangerously at Cena.
"Neither do I," Rey piped up. "What should we do about it?"
"Wipe it from his face," Shawn suggested, his face serious for once. The entire roaster nodded in agreement.
The colour drained from Cena's face as he realized that what Shawn had said before was true. Though he had managed to terrify certain people into jumping when he told them to, Shawn could rally everyone on the roaster to his cause with only a few words.
I'm in trouble, Cena thought as he backed away slowly from the encroaching group. "You can't attack me," he said slowly. "We're not in a match. It isn't legal out here."
"Anyone going to say anything to Vince about beating the shit out of this guy?" Kane asked the crowd.
There was a big and collective "No!" from the group before they continued to advance on the trembling Cena.
"Jeff and Mark had their turn. Now it's ours," Rey smiled mischievously.
Cena whimpered pathetically as Kane took hold of his arm and dragged him from the arena.