A/N: The full conversation (from Mike's POV) between Mike and ADR is in BtB 173. Go check it out if interested!
After a weekend spent trailing around his grounds, Alberto vows anew not to give up. He still has a rematch, he still has his career. He can do anything he wants, just because Cena is holding his title means nothing in the long run. He'll regain it. That's all that he can focus on at the moment. Especially since seeing Ricardo this past week, encouraging him that his decision months ago was the right path to take. Yes, the man is battered physically and emotionally, but he's not giving up- working through everything Alberto had put him through to learn how to compete. He had always been impressed by the ring announcer's determination, and now he wants to live up to the man's standards, be just as strong as his best friend.
But things don't go all that well on Raw. His thoughts are still scattered, his renewed focus towards Cena making everything else irrelevant- his match against Kofi goes bad from the start, Alberto almost falling to near-pins three times before locking up the man in an armbar and forcing him to tap. He seethes only harder when he makes it backstage to find everyone talking about how Kofi had had a televised entrance but he hadn't. Gritting his teeth, he glowers around at everyone before storming towards the World champion's locker room, just to stop short outside of it, the realization once more hitting him like a pair of brass knucks to the midsection. It's Cena's room now, and his is yet again delegated to the ordinary locker room.
Unable to do anything about it now, he grunts and storms back towards the room, relieved at least to find no one had touched his things while he was gone. He's about to get dressed when he hears another mention of the upcoming six man tag match coming from the monitor, roughly changing his mind about leaving so soon... After all, he might as well scope out his future opponent a little more, yes? Just see what Cena may have up his sleeves...
One thing he doesn't prepare for is having to do commentary with Zeb Colter, who is out there supporting the so-called Real Americans. He snarls as he stares at Jack Swagger, who had so cruelly broken Ricardo's ankle months back. He traces his fingers along the top of the announcer's desk, wondering how the younger man's ankle is doing now. He had been careful to not target his legs, or do much that would cause harm to his neck, but still... he had done enough that Ricardo's arm is still giving him grief now, so... he purses his lips, only vaguely paying attention to what Colter and the announcers are saying, the disgust growing within him as he finds himself actually agreeing with the xenophobic man across from him from time to time.
The amusement he feels when Cesaro is thrown into Colter is quickly drenched when Cena's team wins the match, Del Rio glowering into the ring as he leaves, it taking everything in him not to lose focus of Cena and go after Swagger, the echoing memory of Ricardo's screams still fresh in his mind, especially as it had been near the announcer's desk that Swagger had attacked Ricardo yet again not long after that, causing more damage to his ankle... bringing back horrible memories of when the ring announcer had been a teenager. Alberto shakes his head, remembering everything that the younger man had been through this year, and hating himself a little more for adding to it. But it needed to be done, he thinks warily, tries to convince himself yet again.
He's just made his way to the exit, dressed completely and gripping the straps of his bag, muttering to himself, when he realizes that the area isn't as empty as he'd hoped. Miz is pacing back and forth, looking as disgusted as he's feeling, turning towards him after a moment. His eyes narrow as he remembers the last time he'd seen Mike, when he'd been left with a black eye and other bruises. Their eyes lock and Miz sneers, rolling his eyes. "Get out of my way, perro," Alberto snaps at him, in no mood to deal with him. Not tonight. He tries pushing past the other man but, before Del Rio can even blink, he feels himself being grabbed and forced into a stare-off with Mike, who truly looks pissed. He's not sure what's gotten into the man, but he doesn't really care, rolling his eyes as Miz mocks him about his repetitive insults.
Trying yet again to leave, Alberto pulls himself free and storms for the door, barely touching it when Mike returns, slinging him into the wall before he can even think about what to do. He gapes down at him, shocked at the speed the Awesome One had just moved at, gasping slightly as his forearm digs into his throat more. But worse than that, his knee is suspiciously close to the scar from the surgery needed to repair Del Rio's groin tear from a couple of years ago and he gasps, remembering the pain and never, ever wanting to relive it. This more than anything keeps him in place, glaring down at Mike warningly. "Let me go, perro."
But Mike refuses and instead applies more pressure as he begins to talk. He seems determined now to get answers, for Ricardo, and that whole situation. Alberto flushes as Mike slowly puts together more and more of the pieces, his eyes flashing at Alberto's reaction. He's too close to the truth, Del Rio cringing as he imagines everything he'd done slipping through his fingers just because Miz is too nosy for his own good... "I was delirious," he insists. "Speaking-"
But before he can say nonsense, Mike cuts in. Explains that delirium brings out the truth, no matter how much Del Rio claims otherwise. Applies more pressure to his throat, leaning in closer to him to take in the effects of his words and actions all the more. "Nor are you strong enough to completely hide how you're feeling when your best friend, the man who's been alongside you loyally for years is looking you in the eye, needing the truth. And I think you gave it to him that night and then regretted it."
Alberto stares at him for a moment before his words sink in and he slumps into himself, sure that if Mike hadn't been pinning him in place with his arm and knee that he'd have collapsed right then and there. He breathes heavily, horrified as tears fill his eyes. Not wanting to cry in front of Mike, or anyone for that matter, he snaps at him, "What does it matter, perro?! Let me go!" However he's once more ignored, Miz staring him in the eye as he begins to talk about Morrison, clearly trying to compare that situation with his and Ricardo's. Disinterested in anything to do with John Morrison, Del Rio tunes him out until...
"...he asked me to do it. You decided for Ricardo what was best for him...? And you thought it had any possibility of ending well?" Del Rio is staring at him, gaze heavy and dark, when he sighs and releases him, leaning against the wall next to where he'd been so unceremoniously thrown against. Any thought he might've had about pushing himself upright yet again and, if not outright beating Mike down, then just leaving with some of his dignity remaining, goes by the wayside when Mike speaks again. "You know you destroyed everything that was secure in his life in one fell swoop, right? His home, his employment, his relationship with you and Sofia both... If Alex and I hadn't been there to help pick up the pieces..."
His worst thoughts coming to life before him, he releases a shuddering breath, too horrified and sad to look up from his shoes. Shoes that Ricardo had bought him before... before... "I am aware," he forces out, burying his fingers into his eyes, welcoming the physical discomfort to block some of the emotional agony this conversation has brought him. "It is all I have been thinking about the past three months." When Mike suggests he tell Ricardo the truth, he looks over at him, about to snap at him to mind his own business, when he continues on to say something about helping the ring announcer trust again. His heart plummets when Mike explains that Ricardo hadn't unpacked most of his things since, just... in case...
He buries his face in his hands, groaning softly. "Ay, mi amigo..." A few tears drip into his hands but he quickly pulls himself back together, not wanting to fall apart any further in front of the annoying superstar still standing next to him. No matter how tempting it seems, to just tell Ricardo and have him back in his life in any capacity, he knows it can't happen. He can't be selfish, not now. "You can't tell him any of this," he refuses dully, feeling like everything's going at half-speed, his heart beating painfully slowly as he struggles to remember how to breathe normally. "None of it. It will derail his progress."
He wants to sneer at Mike's sputtering disbelief at that, until his words register with Alberto. "You broke him so thoroughly emotionally and physically and you can't even guess how bad it was because it fell on me and Alex to help him try to rebuild! It's been months, just explain to him why-"
He doesn't need to be told how hard it's been for the younger man, feeling much the same on some level himself... but Mike does have a point, Alberto still had his home and Sofia and a steady career to fall back on, Ricardo hadn't had the same luxuries. But he can't allow himself to be swayed, yelling back at Mike. "I can't do that, can't you see?!" he all but screams. "He spent almost three years dedicating his every waking moment to me and my career. I began this all so he could concentrate on himself for once! If I go to him and tell him that everything I've done the last few months was so he'd focus on himself, he'd start to care again, and I can't risk all of it being for nothing. He deserves the opportunity-"
Mike yells back at him, interrupting him in turn, trying to convince him that people can be friends and put business separately and Alberto's shoulders slump as he takes it all in, unable even now to see how he and Ricardo could ever possibly separate the two. They'd been employer and employee first, then friends, and he can't fully imagine their being one without the other. Especially after everything he'd done the last three months. Something about how low Del Rio is feeling must finally register with The Awesome One because he falls silent and stares at Alberto, lost in his own thoughts for long moments. When he does speak again, he sounds more in control, less emotionally driven, and Del Rio is relieved, a headache beginning to throb against his temples.
Even so, all he does is suggest that Alberto could've found a different way, a better way to fire the younger man, and the Mexican aristocrat shakes his head. He'd thought about it every night since August the 5th, considering other ways he could've gone about all of this, not seeing a different way out of the situation. "It wouldn't have worked," he breathes. "He was too loyal... He needed to hate me... and I accomplished it."
"And was it worth it?" Mike demands, eyes flashing as he stares at the taller man. "Truly?" But before he can ask anything else, or Alberto could possibly think of a proper response, AJ Lee and Tamina Snuka approaches them, quickly distracting Mike from his trying to figure Alberto out. Thankfully, the former GM wants to leave, so he barely glances back at Del Rio before taking his bags and AJ's and pushing the door open for them, leaving the distressed superstar behind with his heavy thoughts.
"Ay, Ricardo," he breathes out, pressing a fist to his forehead. "I can't think of any other way I could've accomplished this... but perhaps, on some level, Miz is right..."
The conversation with Mike still fresh on Alberto's mind, he considers going home as usual for a few days before Smackdown and discussing it with Sofia, but he can't bear the thought of facing her. Not when he's still trying to sort through his own anger and uncertainty involving the World title loss, and now Miz's description of how Ricardo is fairing. Alberto had known, on some level, how hard it truly was for the younger man but to honestly have it spelled out to him in no uncertain terms... He swallows and closes his eyes, shaking his head. It had made sense at the time, or at least he thought it had, but now... He buries his face in his hands, grunting slightly. "What have I done..."
He spends the next few days holed up in his hotel room, staring blankly ahead, thinking. Wondering if he'll ever have the opportunity to make any of this right... but Ricardo hasn't been at an event in around a month, and he's not about to go to Alex's apartment and risk ruining yet another place of comfort for the former ring announcer. By the time Smackdown rolls around, he's tired and feeling more than a little rough around the edges. He hasn't slept well, nor ate that much, in he's not sure how long and he just wants to go home and let Sofia work her magic finally, but there's a European tour on the horizon and he won't have the chance to, as well as adding jet lag to the already building madness within him.
And this is the excuse he finds himself using when he tries to explain his title loss. Not that he's disgusted with himself, or had been thinking about Ricardo, or anything else along those lines... no. He explains that he was ill, he'd had a fever, and a messed up knee and elbow and... He has no idea what he might've spat out next, if not for Cena's music interrupting. He closes his eyes, glaring up the ramp at the obnoxious perro who had stolen his title belt, unable to do anything but listen as Cena mocks him his weakness. He sneers, thinking. Si, of course, this is the sort of person these peasants wish to cheer. Mocking my claims of illness... and even if I had been truly sick, he still would mock, because that is the kind of man John Cena is. But he can't help it, his anger is just as much for himself as it is for the man before him, his racing thoughts reminding him of all of the times Ricardo had been ill or injured and Del Rio had allowed him to push himself, continue to assist Alberto in whatever he'd needed, no matter how much to his own detriment.
But before he can even attempt to get his time to talk back on track, Cena abruptly offers him his rematch for the title- tonight. The opportunity all Del Rio can focus on now, he has just accepted it when... Vickie Guerrero interrupts, Alberto's face tightening with annoyance and aggravation as he remembers all that she's done to him the past month. Of course, she takes his chance away from him and reschedules it to the upcoming Survivor Series PPV. Alberto's odd week of agreeing with those he hates continues when Cena insults Vickie, and he concurs without thinking.
The General Manager of course takes offense to it and puts them both in individual matches... Del Rio's starting next, his opponent Khali. The man is large and tall, though his size makes him slow, he's still formidable when he gets his hands on the Mexican aristocrat and he lands harshly on his arm on the outside, scrambling to keep it together just long enough to survive this, lock in his armbar... which he does, twisting as best as he can on the awkwardly sized man until finally he gives up, Alberto's breath leaving him in a relieved rush of oxygen. He visits the trainer just long enough to get his arm looked at and some ice before ducking back into the main locker room.
His only comfort is that a fair amount of the superstars are in Europe already, so it's quiet and subdued for the most part, everyone minding their own business as the show heads towards its conclusion. Allows him to think and try to recollect himself before he too has to prepare for the trip overseas. It won't be his first time making such a trip alone, there having been an overseas tour during the very end of Ricardo's suspension, but this will be different none-the-less. He closes his eyes and sighs, finally turning his attention back to the show when Cena's match against Ryback begins.
Midway through the match, he tosses the icepack to the corner of the room, where it lands with a mushy kind of thud against the tiles, before making his way to gorilla to watch the rest of the show. Keep an eye on what Cena's doing, see if any opportunity makes itself known. Just so he can focus on anything but the sorts of thoughts that have been rattling around his skull all night. Finally it comes, when Cena has defeated Ryback... and Alberto runs out, overpowering the new World Champion briefly... but it doesn't last. Cena recovers way too quickly and Del Rio is forced to retreat, watching from the ramp as Cena holds his title and celebrates with the WWE Universe.
Alberto feels truly ill now, unsure what he's going to do. If he can do anything for yet another important thing in his life...
