Disclaimer: You've heard it before.

Heya! Back from my holiday and back to making fun of Jay and Sonjay, coming up: Jason and AJ swore revenge on the Diamond's in the Rough for getting involved in the number one contenders match at Genesis. What do they have planned? And can they get along long enough to pull it off? Let's find out!

Here We Go!

Rebirth-Chapter Thirty Eight-Payback's a Bitch

"Mara, phone" muttered Jason as a loud ringing brought him out of his dream, it was a good dream as well, the phone rang again.

"Phone."

"Get it then" replied his girlfriend before pulling her pillow over her ears.

"How can I get it if it's on your side?"

"I moved it to yours."

"Why?"

"So the next time it rang you could get it" she answered matter-of-factly then turned over. "So could you get it? I'm trying to sleep."

Jason muttered empty threats to himself then picked up the phone to give the caller a peice of his mind for waking him but was cut off before he could even get a word out.

"Hey kid! How ya doin'?"

Jason blinked then looked away from the phone. "Mara?"

"What?"

"I'm I still dreaming?"

"No, why?"

"Because, and this is gonna sound funny, I could've sworn I heard AJ Styles talking to me on the phone" When Mara didn't reply Jason went back to the call. "OK, two questions, how did you get this number and what the hell do you think you're doing calling at this hour?"

"Chris Daniels gave it to me."

"Mara remind me to kill your brother."

"Kay."

"And what do you mean 'this hour'? It's nine thirty kid, wakey wakey!"

"Nine thirty is pretty damn early for me Styles" sighed Jason.

"Early? When I was eighteen I would've been up three hours by now!"

"Considering you lived in a trailer and your parents worked all day that's no surprise. Me? I get to choose when I get up."

"You're a lazy little jackass then."

"Look Styles what the hell are you doing calling me anyway?"

"Just checking that you were ready for what we were gonna do to the Diamonds."

"We? Look man, I want payback against those guys, you just want some too, there ain't any teamwork in this."

"Then you're really gonna hate what I've just done."

"Don't tell me you've gotten Jim to make me team with you?"

AJ went silent for a second. "OK, I won't tell you."

"STYLES!"

"You ain't much of a morning person are ya?"

"Not really, and especially not when a guy who spent three months trying to put me on the injured list decides to make me tag with them!"

"Look, you said you wanted payback, I do too, I just did the smart thing and made it so we could both get what we want."

Jason shrugged, AJ did have a point. "OK, fine, but if you screw with me..."

"I know, break me in two, gotcha."

"Right, I'll talk to ya at the arena."

"Lookin' forward to it" the line went dead, Jason hung up and lay back down.

"I think I liked him better when he hated me."

"Sup guys?" Called Jason as he walked into the locker room, Jay, Sonjay and Chris all grunted but didn't look up from the monitor they were playing PS2 on. "We're great kid, how about you?" He muttered to himself as he walked over to his usual spot and sat down. "Yeah I'm good too."

"He's talking to himself again" whispered Sonjay.

"Just ignore him" replied Chris not looking away from the screen.

"Like we always do?"

Jason smirked. "Hey Chris? I just saw some guy walking out of here with your belt."

"WHAT?" Chris jumped up and sprinted out of the room not even noticing the belt still in it's place on the chair next to him, after a minute he walked back in to laughter from the other three. "You're a bastard, y'know that kid?"

"I am what I is."

Chris blinked then shook his head. "I think I'll get you a CAT-scan for Christmas kid, someone really needs to find out what you have in that head of yours, cause it damn sure ain't a brain."

"Meh, I can live without one."

"Yeah, you've been doing it for years" laughed Jay.

"Says the guy who runs around thinking he's Randy Savage."

"You're the one who gave Nash the idea to make me do this."

"That's right, blame it on the teenager!"

"What?"

Chris sighed. "Kid, you need help."

"I've been saying that since I met him" said Mara as she walked into the room.

"You do realise that one day we might be naked when you walk in here?" Asked Jason.

"Nothing I haven't seen before, besides I doubt there's anything to see with these guys."

Jason laughed as Jay, Sonjay and Chris tried to save themselves with a comeback. "And why are you so happy?"

"Jim gave me the match with Traci."

"Please tell me not tonight?"

"Don't worry, he's not letting me face her until Turning Point, gives my back time to recover."

"What if she tries to take you out?"

"She can't, I'm officially untouchable until the trainer says my back's good to go."

"Scared?" Smirked Sonjay, Mara matched it.

"Tell me Sonjay, ever been beaten up by a girl?"

"Not without paying for it!" Laughed Jay, Sonjay glared at him. "I say let her man, that way you'll have something in common with Jarrett."

"When's Jarrett ever been beat up by a girl?" Asked Jason.

"No Mercy ninety-nine remember?"

"No Mercy... oh yeah! When he worked for Vince!"

"Yeah" cut in Chris. "He was the IC champ he had to face..."

"Yeah, the, uh, the 'Good Housekeeping' match against..."

"Yeah, she beat the crap outta him! To be fair to him you can't really call what he faced a girl, she was bigger than Sirelda!"

"Maybe they're related?" Offered Chris.

"Maybe, hey Mara next time you meet Sirelda ask her if she's related to..."

"Hey guys" said Jerry walking into the room.

"Hey Jerry."

"Who you got tonight Mr. Pioneer?" Asked Jason smirking at the look he received.

"Some kid called Sonjay Dutt, whoever he is."

"What?"

"I'm just playing Sonjay, I got Johnny Devine."

"How come they never took it that easy on me?"

"Because you were always asking for big matches every week remember?" Smirked Chris. "Or have you been hit in the head so much you've forgotten?"

"Speaking of being hit in the head too many times, what's this I hear about you teaming with Styles tonight?" Asked Jerry.

"He wants payback on the Diamonds, I want payback on the Diamonds, he went to Cornette, presto chango us against the Diamonds tonight."

"I don't like this whole AJ thing" said Chris. "I always think he's about to jump you."

"Me too, but he hasn't so far, and he seems pretty sincere about helping me out. Anyway I better go find him, knowing Simon Diamond he's gonna brag about this the first chance he gets."

He left the room with Mara, Chris shrugged and picked up the game control.

"Wanna play Jerry?"

As soon as the pyro for the start of the show finished the Diamonds music hit and they walked out to the ring, their leader had a mic in his hand and wasted no time in using it.

"Simon has... no wait, Simon had a problem, but as of Genesis that problem is solved, Jason Cena and AJ Styles have learned their lesson and that lesson is that you do not piss off Simon Diamond, they thought that we were just going to run away with our tails between our legs after that gauntlet match? They thought we were just going to take the beatdown they gave us and that'd be the end of it? No. We sat back, bided our time and when the right moment arrived we stuck it to 'em, watch."

The big screen showed the Diamonds attacking Jason and AJ at Genesis, Diamond smirked.

"It looks like Styles and Cena got what they deserved doesn't it? But anyway..."

Suddenly Jason's music hit and the teen walked out onto the stage he ran down to ringside but stopped just before getting in the ring, the Diamonds taunted him but then AJ's music hit and he came walking down the opposite ramp! The Diamonds were surrounded and Jason and AJ exchanged a look before diving in the ring! Skipper and Young tried to cut them off but were knocked down then the two went after Diamond, Jason reached him first and tackled him to the ground, he began unloading with right hands while AJ got some kicks in before Skipper and Young came back and broke it up.

The Diamonds pounded on Jason and AJ while their leader slipped out of the ring, Jason and AJ managed to turn the tables and knocked them down then threw them to the outside, security hit the ring to hold AJ and Jason back as the Diamonds took off backstage,

"C'mon let's go!"

"Where's the car?" Yelled Skipper.

"David, where's the car?"

"Over here" the Diamonds sprinted towards their car but came to a halt when they saw who was leaning against it.

"Going somewhere guys?" Asked Cornette.

"Yeah, home" said Diamond going to step round him.

"Not right now you're not, you boys got a match tonight."

"But Jim! We just got jumped out there!"

"I know, I figured you guys would want payback so I put you in a match with the guys who jumped you."

"But..."

"No buts, and just so you know if you guys don't do this match then you're fired, now go get ready."

Diamond sighed. "Go get ready guys."

"You too."

"What?"

Cornette smirked. "Well they jumped you too, so I figured you want some of them too, so tonight all three of you face Cena and Styles, now get outta here and get ready for the match."

The Diamonds trailed off and Cornette headed back to his office he paused when he saw the three guys standing outside.

"Glad you boys could make it, but I'd rather you came when I asked for ya rather than when you felt like it."

"We don't answer to no stinkin' gringos!" Answered the leader of the trio.

"Point taken Konnan, but you might want to remember that this 'stinkin' gringo' signs your paychecks, and if you want those checks to keep coming you'll do as I say."

Konnan laughed. "Fine, stop our paychecks, we'll just call our lawyer and sue your ass for discrimination, now what did you want to talk to me and my boys about?"

"Same as always."

"This again? Look, you need to realise that when you make my boys defend their titles and stack the deck against them like you do then we'll do what it takes to defend them."

"There's a difference between defending titles and acting like a gang of thugs, you're telling me that him hitting the Border Toss on a woman is acceptable?"

Konnan shrugged. "What're you gonna do? Fine us? Suspend us? Strip Homicide and Hernandez of their titles? Oh wait, you tried all of them and it got you nowhere!"

"True, so I'll stick to trying to find a team that can beat your boys and put some honor back into those belts."

"Great idea, one problem, who you gonna put against us? AMW? Team 3D? VKM? Naturals? We've beaten every team you've thrown at us gringo! You might as well give up."

"Nah, I think I'll try one more time, Turning Point, you bring your boys and I'll stick one more team against you, you win and I'll leave you alone."

"Who're the little bitches you'll have as beat this time?"

"It's a surprise" replied Cornette closing his door in LAX's faces, he sighed, damn right it was a surprise, even he had no idea who to put against them, the only real choices were the Paparazzi or Team Canada but Nash had them running round in the X Division and D'Amore was too busy using his guys to try and take out Team 3D, Matt and Kazarian were nowhere near good enough to take on LAX and the other X Division guys were too busy goofing off to be taken seriously.

"Maybe I could call Austin and Roderick" he muttered to himself flipping on the monitor, he glanced at it for a second and saw it was showing highlights of the Jason and AJ against Christian and Rhino from the week before, the match was just reaching the part where the two took over with double-team moves, he sat forward and began paying more attention, everything the two did was done perfectly and seemed to be done without effort, he turned the monitor back off and sat back in the chair.

"Y'know what? I think I know just the guys."

Mara glanced nervously at the two men sitting either side of her, neither Jason or AJ had said a word since the attack on the Diamonds, they had just come backstage, found a quiet corner and sat down, AJ seemed a little bored while Jason was just staring off into space.

"Can I ask you something?" He said suddenly, AJ looked around.

"Me?"

"Yeah."

"Go ahead."

"Why did you suddenly start helping me after everything we did to each other?"

"Same reason I jumped you all those months back" answered AJ.

"I don't get it."

"Repect kid, you earned my respect at No Surrender, and seeing as you were getting another shot at BFG I decided to keep you healthy so I could beat you again."

Jason smirked. "Pity Chris got in the way, but that doesn't explain you helping me out with the Diamonds, or you watching me and Sting."

"Well your buddies weren't helping you when you got jumped, not at first anyway, and against Sting I was just tryin' to piss you off."

"Well it worked, but I appreciate the help."

"You're welcome."

"One more thing, after tonight it's over alright? I'm cool with you, you're cool with me, we ain't friends but I ain't got a problem with you, so we just move on to other things OK?

"Whatever you say kid."

Mara shook her head and went to say something but suddenly stood up as Traci walked up followed by Matt and Kazarian, Jason stood up as well and sensed AJ do the same behind him, Matt and Kazarian didn't seem to have expected AJ to be there as well and stood back as the two girls stared each other down.

"I hear you challenged me to a match at Turning Point."

"That's right" answered Mara.

"I also hear that I'm not allowed to touch you until your back's healed."

"Cornette's call not mine, we both know that I'd be coming after you right now if I could."

Traci smirked. "A bit convenient isn't it?"

"Like I said, it was Cornette's call, he seems to think I need protection..."

"And he's right."

"I meant from myself, not you, he thinks that I'll end up hurting myself if I come after you when I'm not ready."

"Well as soon as I find out you're good to go I'm gonna be all over you."

"As soon as the trainer says I'm good to go I'll come find you" Mara snapped back. "And I'll even let you get the first shot in."

"She's a Daniels alright" muttered AJ, Jason grinned and nodded.

"I'm not going to beat you up Mara" said Traci. "I want you at your best so there's no excuses when I beat you again."

"But you'll still be coming after me?"

"Uh huh, I'm pretty sure you agree that you don't need to beat someone up to embarass them" she stepped right up in to Mara's face. "And I just happen to know the things that embarass you the most" she went to flick Mara's hair but the teen slapped her hand away.

"Don't touch me."

Traci smirked and backed off. "See you around Mara" she left with her boys while Jason, AJ and Mara glared after them, AJ broke the silence.

"Well, that was awkward."

All three Diamonds were waiting in the ring when Jason's music hit and he led Mara out onto the stage, he posed for his pyro then began walking down the ramp, he'd only gotten halfway then AJ's music hit and the 'Phenomenal One' came out to join him they stopped at the bottom of the ramp and stared down the Diamonds while AJ took his jacket off, they nodded to each other then dived in the ring.

Skipper and Young met them like they did before and began pounding on them while Diamond shouted instructions from a corner, they pulled the two up and Young began pounding Jason in a corner while Skipper beat on AJ against the ropes, he charged but the 'Phenomenal One' ducked and backdropped him to the outside, Young tried a whip on Jason but the teen reversed it and sent him into a corner then caught him with a backdrop, he bounced up only for AJ and Jason to put him back down with a double dropkick.

Skipper dived back in the ring and charged the two but they caught him and went for a double hiptoss, he flipped through it but they held on and clotheslined him back across their knees then threw him down on his face, Young was trying to get up so they hit the ropes and took him down with a high-low combo, Skipper pulled himself to his feet and they whipped him then AJ hit a kick to the gut, he dropped to his knees and Jason nailed him with a shining wizard! Jason and AJ stared each other down then both called for their finishers, Jason grabbed Skipper and lifted him up while AJ got Young, they stared each other down then Jason hit the C-Bomb while AJ hit the Styles Clash!

Instead of making a pin they pushed the two to the outside and turned to Diamond, he looked from one to the other then tried a double clothesline but they ducked and Jason hit a superkick while AJ nailed a Pele at the same time! They glanced at each other and Jason grinned.

"OK that was pretty cool" he said as they pulled Diamond back up and hit a double brainbuster! They pulled him to the middle of the ring then both went to the top-rope, AJ came down with a spiral tap then rolled out of the way while Jason hit the Showstealer Press! He covered and AJ leaned on him as well as the referee counted Diamond down.

The two stared each other down as the referee raised their arms then they stepped up to each other.

"It's over" said Jason, AJ nodded and patted him on the back then the two went to leave but stopped when Jim Cornette got in the ring with a mic.

"Hold on you two, now, I got a little business to attend to but first I need our tag team champions out here, so LAX come on down!"

LAX's music hit and they came out of their side entrance but stopped and stood by the Spanish announce table, Cornette shrugged.

"OK, you wanna stay there that's fine, now I said I had a surprise for you and here it is, at Turning Point the team that you will defend the NWA tag team titles against is the 'Showstealer' Jason Cena and 'The Phenomenal' AJ Styles!"

The crowd erupted as LAX threw a fit, they weren't the only ones, Jason covered Cornette's mic with his hand.

"Jim, I'm gonna tell you what I told AJ, it's over, I don't want him and me in each others business anymore."

"I understand that, but c'mon kid, this is the tag team titles we're talking about!"

"Yeah" said AJ. "You said we were cool kid, and you know that me and you can take them."

Jason paused and seemed to think, it would be good to hold some gold again even if it meant teaming with AJ, he glanced up at the 'Phenomenal One' who smirked and held out his hand, Jason asked for Cornette's mic.

"LAX, you're looking at the next NWA tag team champions, and there are just two things you can do, nothing and like it!"

With that he dropped the mic and shook AJ's hand, Mara put her hand in as well and the three stared down LAX while Cornette looked on wondering what in the hell he had gotten himself into.

Well there ya go, the team we thought we'd never see gets a tag title shot, the 'Showstealer' and the 'Phenomenal One' but can they defeat LAX? Will they be able to co-exist? How will Chris and the others react to Jason's new partner? And what exactly did Traci mean? Find out next time!

See ya!

HBKJOH