After another worthless showing on Smackdown the Friday before, Mike's still stewing over everything with his phone in hand as he and Alex enter the arena, his former protege keeping an eye on him as he presses viciously against the touchpad. "Hmph, I take back everything I said about Bryan a few weeks ago," he grouses. "He's still the same egotistical idiot he was when I first tried mentoring him, trying to make everything about him, when I'm the most must see superstar ever!"
Alex wisely keeps quiet, his face blank as Mike shakes his head, glowering down at the screen like the small piece of technology has been the thing that wronged him. "Guess it's a good thing he didn't accept creating a more permanent tag team with you then, huh?"
Mike scoffs. "Even if he had, it wouldn't have lasted long- I would've overshadowed him from the start and he would've joined the many other partners I've had over the years, as a failed venture." The silence that follows is awkward and a bit tense as Alex slows, waiting for what just slipped from the former champion's lips to catch up with his brain. It doesn't take that long, considering, Mike slowly putting the phone down to look over at the taller man. "Er, ... Sorry, I didn't mean that like it sounded. We weren't... I mean, you know. If not for the Anon GM we probably would've been a team for much longer. I, uh, meant the others-"
"Like Morrison?" Alex offers, torturing his friend further. As Miz looks even more horrified and tries to backtrack further, barely able to get anything past his stutters, he finally cracks, laughing aloud.
Mike's expression immediately changes to one of anger and he shoves Alex. "I hate you," he huffs, rolling his eyes.
"Payback for last week, man," he returns, unsurprised as Mike hides once more behind his phone. When his phone vibrates in his pocket, he chuckles slightly, unsurprised to find that the culprit is a tweet from the man next to him, who pointedly ignores him as he reads it. "So planning something tonight, huh?"
"Yep." Mike glances his way, smirking slightly. "Does that surprise you?"
"Hmm, nope, I can't say it does."
A little before Raw starts, they go their separate ways, Mike explaining that he has a few things to do before the show so Alex goes back to the main locker room to watch the show. Team Johnny, as it happens, has a shaky start to the evening as Team Teddy gets the advantage when Santino defeats Otunga, and Alex wonders where or when Mike will make his presence felt this evening- with there being two slots left in the GM match, he figures it'd make most sense for Miz to attempt to get into it, but considering that he doesn't like Teddy or Laurinaitis, he's not so sure what side he'd take. Though, considering a Mania match is the biggest goal they all struggle to obtain yearly, he wouldn't be so surprised if it didn't really matter to Mike which team he was on, just as long as he was on a team.
Sure enough, he's barely finished thinking it through when Santino has Laurinaitis cornered, setting up for a Cobra Strike, when another person runs into the ring. There are too many people in such a small place for a good camera angle so it's hard for Alex to catch a clear sight but when they lock in Santino for the Skullcrushing Finale, he knows. Sure enough, once things have quieted down, Laurinaitis lifts Mike's hand and welcomes him to Team Johnny, after screwing the name of his own team up and almost placing Mike into Team Teddy. Alex rolls his eyes at the gaffe, leaning back against the cool metal of the lockers to wait for his former NXT pro to return.
It doesn't take that long, considering, and as Mike sinks down on the bench in front of Alex, he smirks down at the back of his head. "So, clear up some confusion for me... which team are you on again?"
Miz glances behind him and groans, rubbing his forehead. "I know, he's an idiot... but for a spot on Mania, well. I didn't see any other way around it. I'm just glad he finally wisened up enough to put me on the card now."
"I'm glad for you," he responds, licking his lips anxiously. "Hey, uh. Since you're now on the card, um... I was just told I have a match on Superstars and with our Axxess schedules and everything else, I don't think we'll have the time or need to go hang out at my house, after all."
"Yeah, I was going to talk to you about that. I have some early morning media in Miami before the press conference on Wednesday, so I need to be there by tomorrow night."
"Sure man, I understand." He's a little disappointed but had expected as much when Laurinaitis had changed his mind earlier. To keep Mike from seeing the look on his face, he leans over to sort some things in his bag that had gotten disorganized while he was rushing around to prepare for the last minute media appearances he had put in with Zack Ryder this morning.
Mike sighs before leaning over and nudging him. "Hey, Alex."
"Huh?"
"I have an idea." He grins smugly as the younger man looks up at him, curious.
The plane lands at a ridiculously early hour the next morning and Alex stumbles off of it, half asleep and not sure where to go next. He's about to grab someone else's bag off of the baggage claim when Mike finally joins him, more used to being awake at such an obnoxious time of day. He takes over, smoothing over tensions with the true owner of the bag, an older woman who looks like she wants to smack Alex with her purse, and collects both of their bags at the same time before dragging Alex off to where the taxis are lined up, waiting to transport people from the airport.
"C'mon man, we'll get to your house and you can sleep and then we'll take it from there, huh?" Mike urges with a chuckle as he drops their bags into the taxi, Alex already sinking into the backseat.
They had agreed that spending Tuesday morning and afternoon in Tampa made sense after all, so they could just drive the rest of the way to Miami Tuesday night, but the Red Eye wasn't something Alex was accustomed to, especially so soon after the trip to Puerto Rico and back for a live event, and he was definitely feeling the effects.
Mike smiles slightly as he drops down next to Alex and finds him already fast asleep, leaning against the car door. Chuckling, he pulls his cell phone out and sends a quick text to pass the time as he waits to get to Alex's house. Hey, Morrison, doubt you caught it last night but I finally received my Mania match. Not that I doubted it, but you know. He pauses in typing, glancing over at the still deeply asleep A-Ri, who is somehow undisturbed by the numerous potholes the taxi driver keeps going over. I know you and Alex were trying (2/2) to distract me the past few weeks so... I guess, I just wanted to say thanks. He finishes typing just as the taxi pulls up in front of Alex's house, his lips twitching up into a smile for the first time as he thinks about all of things he needs to do before Mania. It feels good to finally know what's ahead, his goal achieved. All that remains is proving once more why he's the most must-see WWE Superstar of all time.