Chapter 92: Windy City Blowout

RAW was in Chicago, Illinois, C.M. Punk and Maria's hometown, and Skye was pacing back and forth thinking about how she was gonna tell C.M. Pink about her feelings for him.

As Skye was gathering her thoughts, she immediately ran into Punk as he walked towards her.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Skye said. "I didn't see you, I wasn't looking where I was going."

"It's okay, it's fine," Punk said. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm all right, I'm just……thinking about things."

"You know, you're always acting weird around; did I do something wrong?"

"No! No, absolutely not, I……I……it's nothing; really."

"Skye, there's something you're not telling me. What is it?"

"There's nothing to tell, really."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay, alright, I'll catch you later."

Skye let out a sigh almost feeling embarrassed still unaware that Punk knows of her crush on him; he would try to do anything to get Skye to confess and that was gonna happen soon.

A little later, RAW was on and Amanda was walking the hallway to confront Beth Phoenix only to find her and Santino Marella along with their new "intern," Rosa Mendes as she walked up to them.

"I got something to say to you," Amanda said, "I don't care if you're Beth Phoenix's number one fan or not, you should know never to get in 'Eddie's Angels' way."

"You know what, Amanda?" Santino said. "This is none of your beeswax, okay? And if I were you……"

"If I were you, I'd shut up right now before I get smacked in the mouth. Now back to you, if I catch you around me or my friends again, you better get off our backs or it will cost you dearly."

Then Amanda looked at Beth with a smile and walked away.

A little later, C.M. Punk and Skye were holding hands as they came out from the entrance to the arena.

Earlier, Punk was facing William Regal for the Intercontinental Championship after two weeks of results of their previous match-ups ending inconclusively and the match was No Disqualification with the ending of Punk defeating William to become the new Intercontinental Championship. In addition to his new title and also awarded a position in the Royal Rumble Match, Skye came out to the ring applauding for Punk and then she immediately kissed Punk straight on the lips with Punk kissing her back.

"What took you so long to finally tell me how you felt about me?" Punk said.

"Wait a minute," Skye said, "how did you know I had a crush on you?"

"Word of mouth from your friends; in fact, I've known for months and I'm really flattered."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I know that's the reason why you're always acting weird around me." Then Skye blushed a little as she let out a little giggle. "So, are you busy after RAW tonight?"

"No."

"Would you like to go out with me tonight?"

"Absolutely, I'll see you later."

Then Skye kissed Punk on the cheek as she walked away with a big smile on her face and saw that Madison and Shayna were coming towards her.

"So……," Shayna said.

"I'm going out with Punk tonight," Skye said in a sing-song voice.

"All I got to say is it's about time," Madison said. "You picked the perfect opportunity to kiss C.M. Punk and now you finally got your man."

"I certainly did."

Then the Coalition walked away laughing and giggling.

Then it was time for the official contract signing of the World Heavyweight Championship match at the Royal Rumble between John & John "Bradshaw" Layfield and Jerry "the King" Lawler was standing in front of the table.

"In just six days," Jerry said, "JBL challenges John Cena for the World Heavyweight Championship at one of the most exciting, prestigious, and unpredictable events of the year, the Royal Rumble. So tonight, I've been asked by Stephanie McMahon to moderate this contract signing and as soon as these documents are signed, the match will be made official. So once the participants join me in the ring, we can get things started."

John "Bradshaw" Layfield's entrance theme played and he came out from the curtain with Shawn Michaels following him. The two walked down the ramp and Shawn got into the ring and John's entrance theme played and he comes out from the curtain with Nicole and Kayla following him.

Nicole was wearing a red tie-neck halter top with a drawstring front, split front, and rhinestone at the neck, denim jeans, and her hair curled. Kayla was wearing a blue tie neck halter top with beaded straps and a ruched abdomen, black jeans, and her hair straight.

The three walked down the ramp and got inside the ring and John stared directly at JBL.

"Now gentlemen," Jerry said, "once those documents are signed, your World Heavyweight Championship match at the Royal Rumble is official. So who wants to go first?"

John signed the contract first and then JBL looked over it and signed it before he dropped it on the table and he picked up the microphone and said,

"It's official; so that means the reign of JBL as World Heavyweight Champion is now a matter of time."

"You're a scumbag," John said. "Get over yourself, man. I don't even want to talk to you. I came out here to talk to you."

"This is between you and I. Any problem you have with Shawn is your way of making excuses before the fact and quite frankly, I find that pathetic. Shawn Michaels is under a personal services contract to me; therefore, he will be in my corner at the Royal Rumble to support me, which is and will be his only function."

"JBL, we all know you're paying HBK a bunch of money and I know you; you're not gonna waste all of that cash to have the great Shawn Michaels just stand in his corner at the Royal Rumble. Shawn, just for a second, listen to me. When you first made this choice, I did whatever I could to try to accept and support it, but I don't understand it anymore. These people, they don't understand it anymore because last week, we had a match and last week, I didn't compete against a broken man, I didn't compete against an employee; last week, I looked into the eyes of the Main Event, I looked into the eyes of HBK, last week, I had a match with the Showstopper! Last week, you hung in there with the best in the land like you belong and you know what? That proves to me that you still got it. Shawn, your wife, your children, your family, your peers, these people, we all love you because of who you are and what you do, because quite frankly you just do it better than everybody else. And I thought maybe you were doing this because you were hurt, you weren't telling anybody, you maybe lost a step, but you haven't; but you proved last week to the world that can make an honest living in between these ropes doing what you love. Dammit, man, you're Mr. Wrestlemania and not JBL's puppet!"

"An employee is not a puppet. I know Shawn still has it. I know Shawn in still the Showstopper. I know he's still the Heartbreak Kid, and I know he's still Mr. Wrestlemania, that's why I hired him. Shawn and all of my other employees work for me because they choose to and quite frankly, because I pay them handsomely. I really don't think the employees of Layfield Energy really care what you or anyone else think about that decision. I hired Shawn for one reason and that is for me to become World Heavyweight Champion and I can go back to Texas, my home state, the returning conquering hero to Wrestlemania 25 and next Sunday that dream becomes a reality thanks to Shawn Michaels and Shawn Michaels will get what he wants so dearly and what he truly cares about and that is not your opinion; that is a large, large paycheck. John, it's not rocket science, it's not personal, it's merely a business decision."

"Shut up!" Shawn said as he took off his hat and got in JBL's face. "The idea that I had to take money from a disgusting individual like you makes me sick and everyday when I look myself in the mirror, I despise what I've become, but I do it and I'll continue to do it." Then Shawn turned to John. "And you, you don't live in my world. I'm not 20 years old anymore, John. I've got obligations that people who depends on me, I've got pressures you couldn't possibly fathom! In addition to that, I got two kids that I want to put through college and I've got a wife that I have to look in the eyes each and every day knowing full well that I've not only squandered mine but squandered her lifetime savings all the way. You and people like you, you think you know why my situation, you don't know me. You don't live my life! I got myself into this and I'm going to get myself out of this and you and everybody else can judge me all you want. But I'm going to do what I have to do……and if it means taking money from JBL, I'm going to do it and somehow overshadows I've done in my career and if that puts an asterisk by my name or more importantly, if it costs you your World Heavyweight Championship, then so be it."

"I don't believe you," John said, "I don't believe you because you wanna talk about what you have or you don't have, you know what you got? You got the God-given ability to be better than everybody else! Damn it, you're HBK, look around you! All these people wanna see HBK, they don't wanna see this! You can make it, you can still make it; I know you done made this decision already, but you got another choice. At the Royal Rumble……" Then the crowd cheered for Shawn. "Listen to that and look around, you look around and listen to that, at the Royal Rumble, you're gonna have a choice. There will be a moment where you gonna have to choose. Will you really be the guy that helps JBL become the next World Heavyweight Champion? After what I saw last week, after the fire in your eyes, in my heart of hearts, you still got it, man, and I don't believe you. I know when the chips are down, you're not gonna help JBL."

"I'm sorry you feel that way," John said.

Then Shawn jerked toward John and JBL punched him and Shawn went for a superkick, but John ducked and JBL then kicked John in the face. Nicole checked on John as Kayla was yelling at both JBL & Shawn and then Shawn left the ring as JBL shoved Kayla and delivered the Clothesline from Hell. Shawn continued to walk up the ramp as JBL left the ring and Kayla stared at the two as Nicole checked on John and RAW went to a commercial break.

A little later, the Miz and John Morrison were standing in the middle of the ring.

"Ssshh," the Miz said, "we wanted to commemorate this Royal Rumble by beating the winner of the very first Royal Rumble, Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Ho!"

"So, Jimmy Duggan," John said, "Get your goofy face out here and you can choose which one of us is gonna beat you tonight because you know damn well……"

Then Cryme Tyme's entrance theme played and they came out from the curtain with Amanda following them.

Amanda was wearing a red denim tank jumpsuit and her hair curled.

"Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo," JTG said. "What's really hood? Shad?"

"Hey, yo, check this out," Shad said, "Hacksaw Jim Duggan is on a 'special assignment' right now, but decided to come out here and uh, counter your offer. I mean, we live in some historical times right now, J, and today is Martin Luther King Day, isn't it? And tomorrow and our boy, Barack Obama is being sworn in to be President of the United States."

"I'm Republican," the Miz said.

"That's too bad for you. But we decided it was the perfect time to come out and start our path to those tag team championships and I think we should start doing that, uh…….how about……tonight?"

"Really, hip hop?"

"Really."

"Why do you think you deserve a title match?"

"You guys don't deserve anything," John said. "You're worse than the Cubs. You see, we're not gonna give you……"

"Whoa, whoa, hold on," JTG said.

"Hold on?" The Miz said,

"Silly white boys."

"Silly white boys?"

"We're not asking y'all to give us nothing. We'll be happy to beat the breaks off of you tonight and gladly earn a title shot. But if we lose……"

"That's a big if," Shad said.

"We won't bother you no more."

"No more."

"So we won't have to see you two wannabes anymore," John said, then that's what hood. because when it comes to beating you two…….."

"Yes, we can!" the Miz and John said.

Then Amanda laughed as she, JTG, and the Miz left the ring as the referee called for the bell.

Shad and John circled around the ring and locked up and John was hitting Shad's back and kicked the back of Shad's leg and was beating on him in the corner with right hands and a European uppercut and John got a snap mare before bouncing off the rope and landing a knee to the head. Then John knocked JTG off the apron and went to whip Shad to the ropes but Shad reversed and landed a clothesline three times before knocking Miz off the apron and Shad whipped John to the ropes and landed a big slam and Shad went for a DDT but John got some back elbows and shoved Shad to the ropes and as Shad got a back elbow to John, Miz snapped Shad's neck over the top rope from ringside but then JTG knocked John off balance off the second rope on a springboard attempt and Shad then gave John his sweeping chokeslam for the win.

Then Amanda got into the ring and jumped into Shad's arms as she hugged and their arms were raised along with JTG by the referee and Cryme Tyme gave each other a high five and got on the turnbuckles and raised their arms in the air as Amanda raised her Women's Championship Title belt in the air.

As RAW was coming to a close, the entire RAW roster were watching EMTs rolling Vince McMahon on a stretcher as he was the victim of an unfortunate attack from Randy Orton.

Making his much anticipated return to RAW, Vince McMahon announced that six months after his life-threatening accident, he was totally recovered and felt better than ever. After allowing Chris Jericho to speak his peace about Stephanie McMahon and the way she runs the show, Vince allowed his daughter to make the decision whether to rehire Chris and place him back in the Royal Rumble. Stephanie decided that she would reinstate him, but only on the condition that he apologize to her as well as the entire WWE Universe. Chris apologized rendering himself as hypocritical as he claims the WWE Universe are, much to Nicole's dismay.

The McMahons were then interrupted by Randy Orton demanding an apology from Stephanie for slapping him and continuing to treat her with extreme disrespect when he learned from Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes that former potential Legacy members Manu and Sim Snuka were seen speaking with Stephanie and that there were rumors that she might fire him. Stephanie attempted to slap Randy, but Vince stopped her insisting that he deal with Randy himself and then demanded that Randy treat his family with respect and apologize right then and there. Randy refused and when Vince attempted to fire him, Randy responded with a slap and his vicious punt to the head forcing Vince to be carried from the ring by EMTs.

"Who the hell does Randy Orton think he is?" Delancey said. "I mean, this is the chairman of the WWE and what he just did could cost him his job and I will be so proud if he was gone."

"He shouldn't be in the Royal Rumble," Nicole said, "at all. If he was and he won, how is that gonna look next Monday?"

"I don't know," Amanda said, "but if I were Mr. McMahon, I'd make sure he's finished."

"Let's hope that it will happen," Buffy said.

Then the EMTs got Vince into the ambulance and the ambulance drove away leaving everyone to wonder about the aftermath of next week after the Royal Rumble.