Chapter 29:

"The following mixed tag team contest is scheduled for one fall and the winners will receive first pick of the 2008 WWE Draft." Lilian Gracia informed the crowd once the opening pyros of Monday Night RAW went off. Tonight was a special three hour edition of the flagship show. The rosters would be altered and lives would be changed.

Time to play the Game!

TIME TO PLAY THE GAME!

Motorhead wailed through the airwaves, causing the crowd to erupt in an immense ovation. Neon green strobe lights flicker across the stage and as heavy guitar sounded, two silhouettes could be made out amongst the flashing lights. If was reflected of the gold both toted around their waists.

It's all about the Game

And how you play it

It's all about control

And if you can take

It's all about your debt

And if you can pay

It's all about the pain

And who's gonna make it

The regular stage lights lifted to reveal Haley Mariano and Triple H standing center stage. Triple H was in his black ring tights, while Haley wore her black Lyrca tights, boots and a vintage Triple H t-shirt that read "Screw the Rules. Play the Game" on the back in bold script, while the front had his cross symbol and a picture of the man himself flexing.

"Introducing first, representing RAW, the team of the WWE Women's Champion, Haley Mariano and the WWE Champion, Triple H!"

I am the Game, you don't wanna play me

I am control, there's no way you can shake me

I am your debt, and you know you can't pay me

I am the pain, and you know you can't take me

Look over your shoulder, ready to run

Like a Cleveland pitch, from a smoking gun

I am the Game, and I make the rules

So move on out or you can die like a fool

Try to figure out what my move's gonna be

Come on over sucker, why don't you ask me

Don't you forget there's a place you can pray

Cause I am the Game, and I want to play

As the guitar solo ripped through the arena and Triple H did his traditional water spewing entrance into the ring, Haley climbed the turnbuckle beside him to pose with her title belt. Nerves danced in her stomach. The first match was on her and Hunter's shoulders. She wanted to win the first pick for RAW. She loved her brand and wanted them to win.

A few minutes later, Mark Henry and Maryse joined them in the ring to represent SmackDown. Mark Henry immediately tried to trash talk the Game, who merely smirked at him, before both men took the apron so that the Divas could start off the match.

Maryse charged forward only to receive two boots to the chest. Haley had just leapt into a powerful standing dropkick .The blonde flew backwards and through the ropes to the floor below.

With a shriek of pain and outrage, Maryse clambered back to her feet and climbed up onto the apron just in time for Haley to throw her the rest of the way over the ropes by the hair. Haley continued her assault with a snapmare takeover and a running dropkick. She made a cover, but the French Canadian blonde kicked out at two.

The blonde came back with a couple of forearm shots to Haley's face. She kneed Haley right in the ribs, before gripping Haley by the wrist and Irish whipping her in the ropes in front of the announce table.

Haley turned in mid-stride so that it was her back made contact with the ropes and pushed her forward on the return. A step away from Maryse, Haley propelled her legs up and around the blonde's neck, so that her upper body rotated downward like a pendulum. This action caused Maryse to be flipped forward head first into the canvas from Haley's head scissors takedown.

"Come on, Maryse!" Haley taunted, ducking under a strike from her opponent and countering with a forearm shot of her own.

"That's it, Haley, stay on her!" Triple H encouraged his partner slash prodigy. He had been looking forward to actually teaming with Haley all week and it was turning out better than he had imagined.

Haley sent Maryse into a corner turnbuckle off an Irish whip, following her into it with a running knee lift right to the face. As the French-Canadian stumbled forward, Haley viced her arm around her head and brought her down with a running bulldog.

Flipping her over, Haley again made another cover, but Maryse managed to kick out just before the third slap to the canvas. With all the remaining strength she had, Maryse shoved the Women's Champion away from her and made a beeline for safety in her corner. She hastily tagged in Mark Henry.

Haley sighed, left with no choice but to tag in Hunter because she sure as hell did not want to face Mark Henry. So, she took her place on the apron while the two men circled each other. The crowd rallied behind the WWE Champion, and he didn't disappoint them, by telling the World's Strongest Man to promptly suck it.

As she watched the two men battle, Mark Henry holding onto the upper hand for the most part, using his superior size and strength, Haley was reminded of her own matches against Beth Phoenix. Against most of their opponents, Haley and Hunter stayed grounded, using force and power to dominate the ring, but against the larger class, they had to step out of their usual wrestling tactics. They had to be agile, quick thinking and use leverage against them to bring them down to Haley and Hunter's level.

As if he heard her thoughts, Triple H came back off the ropes from an Irish whip with his drop knee facebuster, causing Mark Henry to teeter, but not go down, yet. Hunter ran to use the ropes again for momentum, ducked under a huge closeline and finally knocked him down with a running knee lift.

The Game flexed and taunted, smirking as Haley streaked by him to spear Maryse back through the ropes to the floor below, much like Kennedy had done for her the week before. Now Triple H would finish it, with a thundering pedigree. Few had ever kicked out of a pedigree and Mark Henry was not one of them.

"Here are your winners, Haley Mariano and Triple H!" Lilian Garcia announced as Motorhead played once again. "Therefore, the winner of the first draft pick, is RAW!"

Haley scrambled back into the ring and under Hunter's arm for a celebratory hug. They both turned to the titantron to see whom they had won for their brand. Haley kept her fingers crossed, hoping it would be Dave right out of the gate.

The screen lit up with various promo photos of the superstars in ECW and SmackDown, while they waited anxiously for an answer. Then it stilled to read Rey Mysterio drafted to RAW! The crowd roared its approval, while Haley and Hunter shared identical looks of stunned pleasure at securing the masked crusader for their brand.

Booyaka, Booyaka

6…1…6…1…9

Booyaka, Booyaka

That's my…that's my pueblo

Fireworks exploded on the stage as the Littlest Big Man appeared. He made his way down the ramp with smile on his face. He had been away for awhile to heal a torn biceps, but now the unbelievable high flyer was back.

Rey came through the ropes to shake hands with the Game, before he and Haley shared a friendly embrace.

"Welcome to RAW, Rey!" She greeted her friend. "You and I are going to have some fun with this!"

"You can count on it, Senorita." He tugged her hair playfully, before climbing the nearest turnbuckle to salute the fans.

"We hit the jackpot on that one." Haley grinned at Hunter, and to think, the night had only just begun.