Disclaimer: You've heard it before.
Heya! Welcome back again, last time we saw Jason push Sting all the way before the Diamond's in the Rough got involved, now Jason takes on all three in a gauntlet match, will the teen continue to climb the TNA ladder? And will Mara be able to get back on a level playing field with Sirelda? Let's find out!
Here We Go!
Rebirth-Chapter Thirty Four-Running The Gauntlet
"Why did we put all this stuff in here again?" Asked Jason as he reached up to the top shelf of the closet to get the box down. "I mean, if we were gonna do this why put it away?"
"Because it was taking up too much room and how was I supposed to know you'd want to go over all your matches before we signed with Vince?"
"Hey, you're the one who wants a website, I just figured it'd be good to have some history on it."
"You planning on including Voorhees in that history?"
Jason frowned. "I guess I'll have to" he yanked the first box down and set it on the floor. "Let's see, programe, programe, DVD... hey, me vs. Chris part four..."
"That the one you actually beat him?"
"Uh huh, hey look, here's the one with me and you against Trinity and Gilberti."
"You kept that?" Asked Mara.
"If there's a show I've been on I get the DVD, speaking of that when are those ROH one's gonna get here?"
Mara shrugged and joined him in going through the box. "Is that Scott Hall?" She asked looking at the cover of one of the programme's.
"Think so, anyway, programme, DVD, scrapbook" he paused and opened it up. "Old scrapbook" he muttered trying to hide it from Mara.
"Lemme see" she snatched it out of his hands and opened it. "Is that you?" She laughed pointing at a small boy with a goofy grin. "Oh my God you are Soooo cute!"
"Moving on" he quickly snatched it back and tossed it away. "Me vs. Lawler, me vs. Gilberti, me vs. Joe..."
"The five minute massacre?"
"Uh huh, the DVD even calls it that" he answered holding up the cover for her to see. "Good thing no one remembers this anymore."
"Joe might."
"That's why I'm staying away from Joe right now, here it is, me vs. Chris part five" he smirked as he pulled the DVD out of the box. "Let's go watch it."
"What about all this stuff?" Mara asked pointing at the mess. "You planning on cleaning it up?"
"Nah, we're gonna watch most of them anyway."
"Y'know I'm starting to see why you never had a job before you started wrestling."
"I worked at that pizza place."
"You got fired after a week!"
"Only because I kept crashing the bikes."
Mara shook her head. "So what is it with you and this match anyway?"
"Last match before T-Lo signed me, it's in my top five favourite matches and Chris always gets pissed that he never beat me."
"So you think this is the match that made you?"
"Yup, what did you think it was?"
"The match you had with Zach Gowen and you started beating him with his fake leg."
Jason groaned. "I came so close to getting blackballed for that."
"How did you talk your way out of that?"
"I told the truth, I was concussed and didn't remember doing it, Zach was cool about it."
"The five minute massacre was good too, nobody takes a beating like you."
"Mara we all love our playful teasing but that was a low-blow."
"Just paying you back for all the Shark Boy jokes."
"The Shark Boy thing was funny! What part of me being beat up by an angry Samoan is funny?"
"Well firstly..."
When the two walked into the Impact Zone later that night Mara was still listing reasons.
"... then you decided you wanted to slap him which is probably the single most stupid thing I've ever seen you do..."
"I get the point! Me, Joe, funny, hahaha, see?" He walked into the locker room and sighed. "So how was your week?" He asked the only other guy in the room, Sonjay smirked.
"Boring, glad you're here actually, I was getting kinda lonely."
"Where is everyone?"
"Jerry's still training, no one knows where Jay is and Chris is 'sick'."
"What's wrong with him?"
"He has an achey breaky pelvis, or that's what he told me on the phone last night, convenient considering it was his turn to pay for the hotel this week."
Jason laughed. "His loss, if he's gonna be lazy then he ain't gonna keep that belt long."
"Yeah, I mean look at me and you, you're running the gauntlet tonight, then you got to work ROH tomorrow and Saturday, isn't your tag title match this week?"
"Uh huh, and if we win I might even bring the belt for you to hold, seeing as you won't be holding any titles round here."
Sonjay laughed. "One day kid..."
"One day you'll beat someone higher up the card than Shark Boy, I know."
"Knock it off Voor..."
"Please don't call me that."
"What's in it for me?"
"I'll work a show with CZW if you promise never to call me that again."
"One show?"
"Fine, one weekend."
"Deal."
"I hate you Dutt."
"Aww you don't mean that" smirked Sonjay. "I'm the nicest guy out of the four of us."
"Yeah, so how come no one knows where 'Black Machismo' is?"
"Haven't talked to him since last week, neither has Chris, I think he's hiding from Nash."
"I would too if I was his pet project, imagine what he'd do to you? He'd probably dress you up as Oz or Diesel, or make you turn into a guru who makes everyone mediatate."
"That would never happen, the day I act like a guru is the day you find out you have a brain."
Jason looked confused. "Brain? What that?"
They both laughed as Mara walked into the room.
"Am I missing the party?"
"Not really, what's up?"
"I don't wanna go to the women's locker room, just in case."
"What would Sirelda be doing in the women's locker room?"
"How's your back anyway?" Asked Sonjay, Mara responded by turning round and lifting up her shirt to show her lower back covered in bruises. "Yeah... you might wanna stay away from her."
"Can't make any promises, because of her I head to pull out of a show for SHIMMER, I don't let things like that go."
"Speaking of shows, I hope you're ready for a CZW appearance."
"What happened to 'I'd rather stick my head down a backed up toilet'?"
Jason shrugged. "I owe this jackass a favour" he paused for a second to think of something. "Sonjay, it ain't in Philly is it?"
"Yup."
"Aww man, I hate Philly!"
"Why?"
"Cause when I went there for ROH I got booed out of the building, and I was facing Chris Hero!"
"Jason, everywhere we go for ROH they boo you out of the building" said Mara.
"Actually Chicago and NYC were kinda fifty-fifty."
"Where's the show this weekend?" Asked Sonjay.
"Braintree Massachusetts, I'm going home!"
"And maybe you'll get cheered this time."
"Nah, I'm the most hated guy down there, then again if Jim stopped teaming me with Pearce they might not be so hard on me."
"They given you a 'Don't come back!' Chant?"
"It hasn't got that bad... yet."
"That's good... what the hell do you want?" Sonjay stood up as Alex Shelley walked into the room.
"Just here to talk, no need for violence."
"Well we don't wanna talk" replied Sonjay gesturing to himself and Jason. "So see ya around and close the door on the way out."
"Actually I wanted to talk to her" answered Shelley pointing to Mara.
"If you even think of asking me to..."
"Nah, Kev told me you weren't into that, be good if you were, but that's not it. Ya see I gotta show you a DVD."
"Of what?"
"That's the thing" he walked over to the monitor and put the DVD in. "I give you my latest work, Alex Shelley: Life with the Amazon!"
He turned the monitor on to show Sirelda standing in a gym, it cut from clips of her throwing people around to the same people talking about what she was capable of doing, towards the end of the clip it showed her pounding on men while Shelley asked if anyone thought Mara had a chance, no one said yes.
"After we stopped filming she told me to tell you that there'd be another preview in the ring tonight."
"You also missed the part where she whisked you away to her place for snu-snu" smirked Sonjay causing Jason and Mara to crack up.
"Actually I'm more into girls like her" replied Shelley nodding to Mara.
"What?"
"Not you personally, I just meant girls like you and... the big chick's on TV."
Jason and Mara both turned to the monitor to see Sirelda walking down to the ring, she started to get in then stopped and tossed So Cal Val in before going in after her, she stalked Val and looked like she was going to give her a chokeslam.
"Don't even think about it" said Jason turning to Mara only to find she was gone. "Oh crap."
"She's got more guts than you" laughed Sonjay.
"Don't I know it" replied Jason heading for the door to chase after Mara, as soon as he stepped out he found himself face-to-face with the Diamond's in the Rough, he threw a punch at Diamond and knocked him down but Skipper and Young took him down and began pounding on him, Sonjay came sprinting out of the room and jumped them only for Diamond to jump him, the Diamonds got ready to beat them down but AJ Styles came charging down the hall and jumped into the fight as well, Diamond called his boys off and they left, Jason was struggling to get up so Sonjay took off towards the ring.
Out in the arena Sirelda had just chokeslammed Val and was calling for another when Mara's music hit, the Amazon turned towards the ramp but Mara came sprinting down the opposite one and jumped her from behind! She knocked Sirelda down to one knee and began opening up on her until the Amazon grabbed her and threw her away, she bounced right back to her feet then ran forward and dropkicked Sirelda right in the face! Sirelda retreated to a corner and Mara went for a stinger splash but the Amazon caught her in mid-air then slammed her down back-first across her knee! Just like that Mara was rolling around in pain allowing Sirelda to take control, she looked like she was going to set the teen up for a bearhug but instead dropped her back to the mat then stood on her back and yanked her arms up so she was almost bending Mara in two! She kept the hold on but Sonjay came running down to the ring prompting her to make her exit yet again while Sonjay went to help Mara.
"That's it! I have had it with this shit! If Cornette can't stop that thing from trying to cripple my girlfriend then I'll do it myself!"
"Kid, she went out there herself, she knew what she was getting into, besides I don't think beating up a woman is gonna go down to well with management."
"Well it's a damn good thing I'm not gonna beat up a woman then!" Jason yelled back.
"Just chill kid, at Genesis she'll get what she deserves, you just take care of the Diamonds."
"If I wasn't going to before..." Jason trailed off as Mara came out of the trainers room. "You OK?"
She nodded but winced slightly as Jason hugged her. "I don't think that worked out too well."
"No, it didn't."
"I'm still going out there with you tonight."
"No, you're..."
"Look" she cut him off pointing her finger in his face causing him to step back in suprise. "I already missed your match with Sting last week, you know how bad I felt that I wasn't there to see you take him on? I'm going out there tonight whether you like it or not! If Sirelda jumps me she jumps me I don't care anymore!"
"I just wanna make sure you don't get hurt... more than you are right now."
"I know, but let me worry about Sirelda, I'm not a little girl, I'm Mara freakin' Daniels! Don't ever forget that."
"How could I?"
"Now let's go, the sooner you take out those Diamonds the sooner we can get back to making fun of Sonjay."
"Hey!"
"No offense, let's go."
Jason gave a mock salute. "Anything you say Mara freakin' Daniels" he went to follow but noticed Sonjay laughing. "What?"
"Man, you are so whipped."
"At least I have a girlfriend Sonjay."
"A girlfriend who I just saved."
"About that, any sign of Sirelda and you come running yeah?"
"Gotcha kid."
"Thanks Sonjay, for this I'll even team with you for the CZW tag titles" smirked Jason before taking off after his girlfriend.
All three Diamond's were in the ring and Simon had a mic.
"Simon has a problem, but in a few minutes that problem will be solved, Jason Cena, you're gonna wish you'd accepted my offer, especially now your boy AJ is banned from getting involved in this little match, so come on out and we'll make this as easy as possible."
Jason's music hit and the teen led Mara out on stage with a mic of his own.
"You listen to me and you listen good, I could care less if AJ Styles was banned from ringside or not, hell I'm glad because now I can focus on you three bitches. Because of you we'll never know if I could've beat Sting or not, but I do know this, I am gonna kick. Your. Ass!"
With that he dropped the mic and sprinted down to the ring! Skipper and Young went to meet him but he caught Young with a kick and knocked Skipper down before tackling Diamond and opening up with punches until Young and Skipper jumped him, they pounded on him and whipped him only for him to come back with a double-clothesline! He suplexed Young then slammed Skipper and knocked Diamond down again, Young was in a corner so Jason whipped him across the ring and hit a backdrop followed by a dropkick, Diamond was getting up near the ropes but the teen clotheslined him out, Skipper charged but the teen ducked and backdropped him over the ropes onto Diamond! Young was trying to get up and the teen grabbed him, lifted him up and landed the C-Bomb! He covered and David Young was eliminated!
Diamond and Skipper were both struggling to their feet when it was announced that Young had been eliminated.
"Not again" sighed Diamond. "Get in there Elix."
"Why me?"
"Because I'm tellling you to that's why!"
While they were arguing Jason ran forward and dived over the ropes onto them! He pulled Skipper to his feet and threw him into the ring then picked Diamond up and threw him into the ringpost, the teen then climbed to the top-rope and came down on Skipper with a cross-body for a two-count. Skipper retreated to a corner and Jason followed and hit some punches before whipping him and hitting a powerslam for another two-count, Skipper got up in a corner again and Jason went for the stinger splash, it connected then he lifted Skipper up for the C-Bomb! He went to hit it but Skipper countered into a hurricanranna for a two-count, they both jumped up and Skipper went for a punch but Jason took him down with a reverse-STO and put on the Koji clutch! Skipper struggled to break free but Jason rolled away from the ropes and locked it on tight leaving Skipper with no choice but to tap out! That just left Diamond.
The leader of the Diamond's could only look on as Jason pulled Skipper up and tossed him out of the ring, the teen turned his eyes on him and began calling him into the ring, he slowly got up on the apron and through the ropes, Jason started forward but Diamond suddenly exploded with a superkick! He quickly made the cover but Jason kicked out at two, he pulled the teen back up and hit the Simon Series before ending with a Northern Lights suplex for a two-count, he set the teen up for a Simonizer but Jason slipped off his shoulders and went for a punch only to receive a kick to the gut, Diamond whipped him and went for an elbow but Jason ducked and hit a flying forearm! He lay on the mat for a second then nipped up to his feet!
Diamond tried a right hand but the teen ducked and knocked him down with one of his own, Diamond bounced up and Jason hit him with an atomic drop followed by a couple of clotheslines, he slammed Diamond and climbed the ropes before coming down with an elbow drop, he got up in a corner and began tuning up the band for a superkick, he started forward but at the last second stopped and hit a huge slap! The force caused Diamond to spin in a full circle then walk right into the superkick! He pulled Diamond up again and smirked before lifting him up for the C-Bomb, he walked around the ring making Diamond think about it but this stalling cost him as both Skipper and Young jumped back in the ring and took out his legs.
The two Diamonds beat Jason down, while their leader rolled out of the ring, Skipper whipped Jason and Young caught him with a spinebuster to lay him out, Diamond ordered them to pick the teen back up whle he grabbed a chair, they held Jason and Diamond measured him but Sonjay came sprinting out to the ring, he avoided Diamond's chairshot and knocked him down, he caught Young with a kick and set Skipper up for a Sonjay cutter but in mid-move Young got up and caught him then slammed him face-first to the ground. He stomped Sonjay down then he and Skipper pulled Jason up again, Diamond measured the teen with the chair again and started forward but froze when a voive rang out through the Impact Zone.
"Ooooo YEAH!"
All three Diamonds looked around in confusion as Kevin Nash walked out on stage and pointed to the ring, then a remixed version of Randy Savage's old music hit and Jay came running out of the tunnel dressed in full 'Macho Man' gear, Sonjay and Jason were both down but they exchanged a look of disbelief as Jay dived in the ring, he beat Diamond to the punch and knocked him down then began throwing right hands at Young and Skipper before grabbing their heads and smashing them together, he grabbed Skipper and hit him with the Lethal combination then jumped to the top-rope and came down on Young with an axe-handle!
"Did they put something in the water tonight?" Asked Jason. "Because I feel like I'm tripping or something" Sonjay didn't answer but walked up to Jay.
"What the hell?" Jay just shrugged and started posing for the crowd, Diamond had bailed and was backing up the ramp when AJ came walking out behind him, he grabbed the Diamond's leader and threw him back in the ring where the three X Division stars were waiting, they each hit a right hand to bounce him around then Sonjay hit a kick that caused him to stagger into Jason, the teen quickly lifted him up and hit him with the C-Bomb! He dragged Diamond over to a corner and told Jay to go up, he did then came off on Diamond with a 'Macho Man' elbow! Young and Skipper pulled their leader out of the ring while Jay's music hit again for them to pose.
"You gotta hand it to him" smirked Jason. "He does one hell of an impersonation."
Backstage the trio and Mara were heading back to the locker room when Cornette came over to him, he stared at Jay in confusion for a moment then seemed to remember why he was there.
"Sorry guys, I need a moment with the kid."
Jay and Sonjay left and he turned to Jason. "What the..."
"Black Machismo" shrugged the teen.
"Anyway, nice showing out there, you're starting to shine."
"It's what I do."
"You up for the ROH show?"
"Got my tickets booked, even teaming with Pearce isn't getting me down."
"Look, just work with him, all goes well and the two of you are gonna be champs."
"Yeah, no problem, but what's up? You obviously don't wanna talk to me about ROH."
"Put it this way, you might wanna stay until after the main event."
"Why?"
"It's a suprise" smirked Cornette before leaving, Jason stood there for a second then turned to Mara.
"He stopped us for that?"
The main event of Raven and AJ Styles was in full swing but Jay, Sonjay and Jason weren't paying any attention to it, Sonjay had been poking fun at Jay since they'd gotten backstage while Jason just seemed confused about the whole thing.
"Seriously Jay, doing his voice I can understand, doing his moves I can understand, but this? C'mon man what the hell?"
"Nash and me talked, figured it was a good way to get noticed."
"It's a good way to get yourself in a straightjacket!" Laughed Sonjay.
"Yeah man, I don't think..." Jason stopped and looked past them at the monitor, Skipper and Young had hit the ring and were putting a beating on AJ, Jason watched for a second then stood up and ran out of the room.
"What's his problem?"
"Dunno, anyway Sonjay Nash wants to know if you'd be interested in doing a little Diesel impe..." Jay trailed off at the look he was getting. "Or not."
Jason meanwhile had burst out through the tunnel and was sprinting down to the ring, Young and Skipper met him but he quickly took control and sent Young out, Skipper caught him with a kick and set him up for the Play of the Day but AJ caught him with a huge kick, the two then threw him out of the ring before turning to each other.
"Didn't know you cared kid."
"I don't, I just didn't get enough of these guys earlier, and I guess I owe you for saving my ass lately."
"Whatever you say kid" They went to leave but Jim Cornette came out ith a mic.
"Hold on a second, I need to talk to the two of you. Now for the past five months the two of you have been involved in each others business, you've jumped each other, saved each other, you tore it down twice on PPV and you even tagged with each other once. Now I've watched you guys tear up the X Division and I think it's time to move you up to bigger and better things, over the past few weeks you Jason have been pestering me for a better spot on the card and I think you've earned that. And AJ, you haven't said anything but I know you want a better spot as well."
Both AJ and Jason nodded, Cornette continued.
"Now I've had two other guys come to me asking for a better spot, in fact they want the spot, so I figured let's solve this in one go, so at Genesis we are gonna have a match where the winner will receive a title shot at Sting or whoever is the champion at Turning Point, and the four participcants are: the 'War Machine' Rhino, Christian Cage, 'The Phenomenal' AJ Styles and of course the 'Showstealer' Jason Cena!"
Jason looked stunned at Cornette's announcement, AJ just smirked and nodded, but Cornette wasn't done.
"And one more thing, next week we're gonna have ourselves a little preview because it's gonna be Rhino and Christian against the two of you! So I hope that the two of you can get along."
With that he dropped the mic and walked off leaving Jason and AJ staring each other down in the ring.
End of Chapter
Well there ya go, so Jason could end up with a title shot, but can he pull it off? Will he be able to trust AJ? Will they even get through the tag match? Will Mara survive Sirelda? And will I give Jay and Sonjay a break? Find out next time!
R&R
See Ya!
HBKJOH