I apologize ahead of time for the delay and the crappiness of this chapter. I wasn't feeling it this week for a bunch of reasons.
He had heard the whispers. Knew as soon as he had entered by the mood in the locker room that something was off. I heard someone say Edge is going to announce his retirement later. He stares blankly at his phone, those words bouncing around his skull. Who knew a random comment from Gail Kim that he had accidentally overheard would stick with him so stubbornly?
He barely looks up as people wander past him, too busy with their own thoughts and agendas to spare him a glance either. Edge is only six years older than me, he thinks, jaw clenching as he stands up, the tense silence finally getting to him. He heads out into the hallway and wanders for awhile, eyes downcast as he instinctively dodges people and things scattered around as they prepare for the event. He had lost track of his dreams after losing to Miz at the start of the year, culminating in this feud with Dolph Ziggler at Wrestlemania taking up his time and chances. Well, no more.
When Raw starts, he watches blandly as Cena talks about Wrestlemania 28- something that feels like a lifetime away to Morrison- and the here and now, just to get interrupted by Orton. It's partial impulse, partial determination to follow through on his earlier thoughts as he heads down the ramp and continues the chain of interruptions. That's not the end of it, however, as Dolph and Vickie interrupt, and then R Truth. The Email GM's interruption is almost unsurprising as they're all standing at a stalemate, each declaring how they deserve to be #1 contender for Miz's belt.
The five man gauntlet match that is made in response leaves Morrison pondering as he reflects on his opponents, working out ways to beat all of them just in case. His eyes are closed as he thinks, a leg across his bag while he stretches to prepare for the match. Despite numerous distractions, he still notices when the whispers and various sounds of his coworkers preparing for their individual matches dies down to near nothingness.
"What was that?"
John sighs, folding his leg at the knee and hooking his bag with his foot, dragging it back over towards his bench as he opens his eyes and raises an eyebrow at his former tag partner and his "vice president". "What was what?"
"Don't act stupid," Mike huffs, his eyes narrowing as Morrison looks nonplussed. "You going after this again?" His fingers tap spastically across the M plate of his title belt, piercing gaze locked on Morrison, weighing any reaction that is forthcoming.
"And if I am? You gonna Reality Check me again?"
"Don't tempt me," Mike mumbles, gazing at him for a moment longer before nudging Alex. "Come on, let's get out of here."
It's only later that his words come back to haunt him when he's facing off against R Truth while Miz is watching, doing commentary. It's a simple flub and he can almost hear Miz's voice reprimanding him for doing high risk moves off of the top rope, berating him for pulling a Rey Mysterio when his knee's his weak point, and sure enough when he lands on his feet on the empty canvas, his knee buckles and distracts him just enough that R Truth gets the advantage and pins him for the three, his chance slipping through his fingers once more.
His dark eyes blaze, a bitter taste in his mouth as he watches Miz and A-Ri cause Truth and Cena the match, the referee claiming it as a double count out. But of course the Raw GM interrupts again and makes the main event at Extreme Rules a triple threat. Miz vs Cena vs Truth. Dammit, he thinks angrily. Why do I keep screwing this up? Not in the mood to run into Miz again, he collects his things in record time and leaves the instant the show is over, needing some air and quiet to think.