A/N: Okay, something's clearly up, because this is another NEW CHAPTER! The majority of this chapter was stuff I cut from the previous one; I added several things, tightened it up, and here we are. It is a bit short, but that can't be helped. I might be taking a break from the FF for a bit; I have my thesis due in a few weeks, and I really need to get cracking on that. But in the meanwhile, enjoy this NEW CHAPTER. PEACE!

A/A/N: I meant to post this 2 days ago, but this Error Type 2 in the My Stories tab has been my nemesis. Thanks to Google and some lovely people in a FF forum, though, I think I've found the way around it, so if you're reading this-SUCCESS!

Thank you to Kyahbell, FANOFJOLINASPUFFY, DarkAngelMel2, Extremist, BigRedMachineUK, Deppfan, rebelwilla, Esha Napoleon, PrettyReckless09, LetNys, feartheSPEAR, skg16, nightmarelover, and cherrycokerocks for reviewing the last chapter! You ROCK and I LOVE YOU ALL!

Chapter 24: Tell Me Something

"Stupid bitch!"

Nitro paced back and forth across the length of the dressing room he shared with Melina, running his fingers furiously through his blond-streaked hair, his handsome features dark with unbridled rage. As he passed the mirror, the former Intercontinental Champion shot out his arm, sweeping off the contents of the makeup counter with one swift brutal motion.

There was a musical tinkle of broken glass as a vial of perfume hit the floor and shattered, but the self-proclaimed A-lister took no notice. Instead, he aimed a well-placed kick at a nearby folding chair, sending the metal apparatus bouncing off the wall and skittering across the room.

Nitro halted in front of the mirror, slumping against the counter's edge, covering his face with both hands, the sickly floral aroma of perfume wafting up around him as he struggled to rein in his fury. How had this happened? How had everything gone so wrong so quickly?

The self-proclaimed A-lister had known about the rematch when he'd arrived at the arena that afternoon, but hadn't deemed it with too much importance. After all, as the one holding the title, he was also the one with the advantage. He didn't even need to win the match to retain the belt-and of course, if things actually got tough, there was always his smoking hot ace in the hole at ringside, just as determined as he to make sure that he walked out the same way he walked in: as champion.

It was supposed to be no big deal; just eight or ten minutes of halfway decent wrestling ending in an easy victory, followed up by several hours of extended... celebrating...with Melina back at their hotel. That was what was supposed to happen...so how had he ended up here, with no title, an AWOL girlfriend; nothing except the ceaseless hum of his thoughts and the scorching heat of his anger?

He should have won...but instead, he had found himself lying flat on his back, blinking stupidly up at the ring of lights above him, while that loser's annoying entrance theme pounded in his skull with the agonizing intensity of a migraine.

And it didn't even matter that he had practically shattered Hardy's skull with a steel ladder following the match's conclusion...because in the back of his mind, he couldn't deny the truth; that the one person who was truly responsible for his defeat was the woman he'd always trusted implicitly, the woman who had always been in his corner.

The woman who was supposed to love him.

A low frustrated groan emanated from the former Intercontinental Champion's throat, and he slammed his fist down on the countertop. "Stupid!" the Raw Superstar snarled. "How could she be so stupid? How could she possibly mistake me for that-"

Maybe it wasn't an accident...a cold little voice whispered from the back of his mind. Maybe...it was on purpose...

Nitro shook his head, negating the suggestion even as he was aware that he was only arguing with himself. "No...no, that's insane." The self-proclaimed A-lister licked his lips, which had inexplicably gone dry. "Why...why would Mel want me to lose?"

"Maybe the question you need to be asking yourself is...why would she want Jeff Hardy to win?"

Nitro spun around at the sound of the voice, his eyes instantly narrowing as he appraised the pair of Superstars who had somehow magically materialized at the far side of his dressing room. The two members of Rated RKO were standing on either side of the door, arms crossed over their chests in similar fashion, their newly-won Tag Team Championships slung over their shoulders. Edge was clearly enjoying himself, a smirk playing at the edges of his mouth. Randy's expression, however, was unreadable, his blue eyes as bright and hard as pieces of polished stone.

In spite of himself, the former Intercontinental Champion felt his internal temperature drop a few degrees. The Legend Killer had always unnerved him; there was something...robotic about his demeanor, as though emotions were something he had learned rather than felt. No matter what expression his features displayed, it always seemed like a mask; a mechanism designed to hide the soulless void lurking beneath.

The Rated R Superstar broke the silence, bringing his hands together in a one-man show of applause. The sound of it was harsh, almost sarcastic. "Nice match out there tonight," the former WWE Champion remarked. "Champion for one whole week...that's gotta be some kind of new record." Reaching up, he lovingly patted the gleaming surface of his championship belt. "Next time you want to avoid choking in a title match, just watch me or Randy in action. We'll show you how it's done."

Nitro tilted his chin up a little, his gaze traveling to the red-and-gold title belt resting on Edge's shoulder, the nameplate of which still read: "RIC FLAIR". The former Intercontinental Champion swung his gaze back to the Ultimate Opportunist. "Big deal," he snapped scornfully. "All you did tonight was beat one old man."

For a moment, something flashed in Edge's eyes-something which suggested he might be less than thrilled by the younger Superstar's lack of respect. But instead of losing his cool, the former WWE Champion merely glanced at his tag team partner. "Randy, you want to step in anytime?"

The Legend Killer shrugged, straightening up and taking a step forward. "What my partner is less than tactfully trying to say is: as humiliating as it must have been to get your ass handed to you by Jeff Hardy, you shouldn't worry about it because we've got an offer for you."

Nitro remained silent for a moment or two as he mentally digested this, his eyes darting suspiciously from one Superstar to the other. "Okay..." he replied slowly after several long seconds had gone by. "What?"

Randy cocked his head slightly to the side, his eyes traveling off to an unseen point in space as he talked. "You know that Survivor Series is coming up in a few weeks? With the big five-on-five traditional match? Team D-X versus Team Rated RKO?" Nitro said nothing; only nodded impatiently for the third generation Superstar to continue. Randy went on, his focus drifting downward as he met the self-proclaimed A-lister's eyes. "Our offer is...we want you on our team."

Surprise flashed across Nitro's handsome face. "Me? On the Rated RKO side?" For just an instant, his countenance opened up, but in the next, it closed back down again, hostility and distrust blotting out the shock. "Wait a minute...why should I?" The self-proclaimed A-lister jabbed his index finger accusingly at the Tag Team Champions. "The last time I teamed with you guys, you did shit for me! You let John Cena pound my ass into the canvas, and then lock a submission hold on me! Why the fuck should I do anything for you?"

The two members of Rated RKO exchanged a look. This time, it was Edge's turn to shrug nonchalantly. "Man's got a point, Randy," he admitted mildly.

The Legend Killer locked eyes with Nitro once more, and the former Intercontinental Champion felt an icy chill slither over his skin, as though he was facing a wintery gale head-on. Randy smiled, a cold reptilian grin, and Nitro almost expected a forked tongue to come darting out between his lips.

"Why should you?" the third-generation Superstar echoed, his deep voice as unsettling as the inhuman hiss of a snake. "I don't know; maybe because there's a rumor going around that D-X's going to have both Hardy brothers on their team. Maybe because we need someone who can neutralize that flying freak Jeff Hardy. Or maybe because...you need to prove something to yourself."

Randy paused, moving closer to the self-proclaimed A-lister. He turned his head to the side, peering out of the corner of his eye, his voice dropping to a malicious murmur: "It's starting to get to you, isn't it? In the beginning, yeah, he seemed like just a joke; a loser trying to get one last glimpse of glory. But now...he's starting to get to you. The way he keeps bouncing back-the way he won't...fucking...stay...down. And now... he's taken everything away from you. Your spotlight, your title..." The Legend Killer stopped for a moment, as though savoring his next words. "...and who knows what else."

The Tag Team Champion leaned closer, his tone lowering even more to a sibilant whisper: "Or maybe...you don't want to be part of this match because deep down...you know that you can't beat Jeff Hardy. No matter how hard you try, you just can't fucking beat him-"

Nitro's arms shot out, catching Randy in the chest and knocking him back a step or two. The Legend Killer's face registered faint astonishment, but nothing else. The self-proclaimed A-lister pointed at himself. "I can't beat him?" he repeated incredulously. "Did you even see what happened after the match tonight-I fucking destroyed Jeff Hardy! And next Monday, I'll do it again!"

The former Intercontinental Champion moved forward, gesturing as he talked. "Next week, it's my rematch-and it's gonna be a fucking ladder match! I'm gonna beat that loser with his own weapon of choice, and once I've reduced his face to a bloody pulp, I'm gonna set the ladder up right over him, just so the last thing he sees is me, reclaiming my title!" Nitro paused, sucking in a breath. "Come Survivor Series, you won't even need me, because Jeff Hardy...won't be an issue anymore."

Silence fell over the room. Edge and Randy glanced at each other, exchanging raised eyebrows and shrugged shoulders. Eventually, the pair looked back at the still-fuming self-proclaimed A-lister. "So..." Edge ventured, his voice nonchalant. "Are you in...or are you out?"

Nitro sucked in another furious breath, his upper lip briefly pulling back from his teeth. "I'm in." the former Intercontinental Champion whispered, his voice dripping with hatred and barely contained rage.

For a moment, tension still reigned...and then abruptly dissipated as the two members of Rated RKO nodded approvingly. "Good choice," Randy remarked calmly.

At this tacit show of acceptance, Nitro let out his breath slowly, his clenched muscles gradually relaxing. Unfortunately, the ease turned out to be temporary, as the Legend Killer added: "...provided your girlfriend doesn't fuck up this match, too."

Nitro's eyes bulged in their sockets, his whole face flushing with fresh ire. "You leave Mel out of this," the self-proclaimed A-lister growled. "It was an accident."

The Tag Team Champions exchanged another wordless look. "An accident?" Randy eventually replied after several moments of awkward silence. "It looked pretty deliberate to me."

With that, Rated RKO exited as surreptitiously as they had entered, leaving behind a speechless Nitro...but just as he pulled the door shut behind him, Randy though he saw a glimmer of almost-comprehension flicker across the self-proclaimed A-lister's face.

The Legend Killer smiled.

"Jeff?"

The Charismatic Enigma opened his eyes as Melina's voice floated up out of the darkness. The two of them were lying together in the dark, physically spent from their lovemaking, their arms entwined around each other. To Jeff, the past few hours seemed like a dream, one almost too vivid to be reality, and while he could feel everything-could feel Melina's cheek pressed against his chest, could feel the warm pants of her breath as she spoke-he still couldn't quite shake the feeling that any second now, he would wake up, and all of this would melt away into nothing.

It didn't, however, and the younger Hardy brother leaned down, placing a kiss on the top of Melina's head. "What is it, princess?" he murmured sleepily into her hair.

The Dominant Diva hesitated, trailing her fingers over his chest as she pondered her next words. "He wasn't always like this."

"Who?" the Rainbow-Haired Warrior replied, his mind already tumbling back toward sleep.

Another long moment of hesitation, then: "Johnny."

At the mention of the former Intercontinental Champion, Jeff's eyes flew open, slumber temporarily driven from his thoughts. The paparazzi princess continued, the words spilling from her as though she was trying to force them out all at once: "In the beginning, he was so different...he was sweet and caring, and he made me laugh. But then...somewhere along the line...he changed. 'Johnny Nitro' stopped being a character, and started being who he was on the inside."

Melina paused, pressing her face against Jeff's chest. "He doesn't even see me anymore. I'm just a...thing...to him; just a hot girl with big boobs who helps him win matches and who's as mean as he is-I'm not a person anymore; just an object."

The Dominant Diva rolled over onto her back, pillowing her head on Jeff's arm, reaching up to lace her fingers through his. "It's like...I stopped running a long time ago, but he kept going, and now...every time we go out to the ring, I have to pretend that I'm still running, just so he won't see how far behind I am." She turned her head, gazing over at the Charismatic Enigma in the darkness. "Does that make any sense?"

Jeff didn't answer at first; merely caressed her fingers, running his thumb across her palm. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked slowly."

At this, Melina rolled over onto her stomach, propping herself up on her elbows. Jeff could just make her out in the faint light, her reddish-brown tresses tumbling down over her bare shoulders. "Because I want you to know that I did love him once," the paparazzi princess whispered. "Once upon a time...it was real."

The younger Hardy brother reached up, cupping her cheek in his hand. "And now?"

Melina sighed softly, leaning into his touch. "Now...I hate him." She bit her lower lip pensively. "I hate him so much. And I'm afraid...I'm so afraid-"

"Don't be," Jeff wrapped his arms around the Dominant Diva, holding her against him, sheltering her in his embrace. His mouth hovered above hers, his lips grazing her own. "Don't ever be afraid of him."

With that, he kissed her; a slow lingering kiss that sent heat rushing through both of them. "I'll protect you," the Rainbow-Haired Warrior whispered.

"No matter what..."

"You know," the Rated R Superstar remarked. "I'm surprised you didn't just tell him the truth back there. I would have loved to see the expression on his face when he found out his girlfriend is bumping uglies with Jeff Hardy-"

Randy shrugged, his perfectly-featured face registering only mild amusement. "Nitro might have some skill in the ring-but the guy's an idiot. You saw him back there; he's totally dependent on that girl-but in total denial about how much he needs her." The Legend Killer's expression closed down. "If we told him the truth, it would break him...and as much as I'd like to see that guy jerk and twitch a little, we need him for Survivor Series."

"True," Edge agreed. "But then again, if he loses the match for us, we could just happen to mention to Mike Knox how much time that wannabe's been spending with the lovely Kelly Kelly."

Randy snorted derisively. "Hell, I was gonna do that anyway!" His azure irises focused straight ahead, taking on that glazed appearance which indicated he was lost in thought. "Besides...there's someone I was planning on telling first...before we break the bad news to Nitro."

Edge opened his mouth to ask "Who?", but didn't get a chance to as Randy's arm shot out, grabbing onto his and dragging him to a halt. Without breaking his focus, the third-generation Superstar pointed in front of him. "Bingo."

The Ultimate Opportunist looked in the indicated direction, his gaze lighting on a figure about fifty yards up the hallway. Edge's mouth dropped open, and he glanced at his tag team partner, then the figure, then back again. "Oh, you are evil, dude." A pause. "Can I watch?"

Randy shrugged indifferently. "Suit yourself-just keep your distance." Edge nodded and shrugged off his title belt, leaning against the wall, his face aglow with an almost childlike eagerness. As he watched, the Legend Killer closed in on the figure, his movements slow and liquid, like a snake stalking its prey...

Maria was in the middle of composing a text message when she felt the tap on her shoulder. The backstage reporter looked up, her expression cooling immediately at the imposing figure of the Legend Killer. "What do you want?" she asked, not even attempting to mask her disdain.

Randy cocked his head to the side, studying her. "Hey, 'Ria; got a minute?" His countenance was sympathetic, almost wounded...but his eyes were blue pools of emptiness.

"There's something I need to tell you..."