After what a horror fest Raw was, Smackdown is kind of enjoyable. Miz and Mizdow compete against the Los Matadores and, although Sheamus is on commentary and Mike is sure he's going to try to do something during the match to ruin things for them, he stays where he belongs, watching as Mike hits 10 beats of the ballard on whichever one of the matadores he's gotten his hands on. It's not long afterwards that Miz gets the winning pin and he and Mizdow bail before Sheamus can enter the ring.
It's fun to leave the Irishman frustrated and unfulfilled, Mike entering AJ's locker room with a proud sneer on his face, Mizdow following close behind him. AJ greets him with a smile and a kiss, ignoring Mizdow as he stands at attention next to her husband, his wide eyes following their every movement. "My match is next, but here..." Wrapping her arms around his neck, she stands up on tiptoes and kisses him again, sighing softly. "For good luck." As he nods, dazedly, she grins at him and wipes his lips with her fingers before grabbing her divas title and skipping out to the ring for her rematch against Alicia.
She's prepared this time- although Paige is at ringside, shouting encouragement to her supposed best friend and doing what she can to distract AJ, it all fails as the reigning divas' champion defeats Alicia in a similar style to how she'd defeated her on Monday, laughing ecstatically as she skips her way back up the ramp, leaving the two women who used to matter somewhat to her alone and confused, arguing amongst themselves as she makes her way back to her husband's side. He grins at her and hugs her while Mizdow grips at thin air, forever dedicated to his job, no matter how ridiculous it makes him look.
"Hell in a Cell on Sunday," she murmurs, kissing Mike's shoulder. "It'll be nice once we're duo champions again."
He strokes her hair, kisses her nose. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to that." He considers what he'd do with his locker room then- after scourging it of Sheamus' vibe, of course... Probably give it to Alicia and Alex, let them have at least somewhere to go for some privacy when he's not on the panel and she's not with Paige... Because that's just the awesome kind of guy I am.
"So am I." His hand rests on her lower back as they slowly settle in on the couch to watch the rest of the show, neither too eager to return to the hotel right away. The weekend will go fast enough as it is, and neither are sure what to think of Hell in a Cell, though they're looking forward to both regaining the US title and teaching Paige and Alicia a lesson.
-x
After a rapid visit to LA to support Ricardo in what was supposed to be his first title opportunity after his release from WWE, but was changed at the last moment to just be a regular match, they all fly back out to Texas for Hell in a Cell. MizdowTV was announced for Hell in a Cell a few days ago but it had been a distant thought for Miz, with everything else he has to do. Even so, he's looking forward to the thought of it, to pass some time listening to his stunt double's compliments and whatever else as he passes some time before his title match against Sheamus. It's everything and more that he expects, a smug look on his face as Mizdow talks on and on... until Mizdow tries to lay claim to Miz's win against Sheamus the week before, his expression immediately freezing into one of disbelief and anger. Cool blue eyes glare at Mizdow until he realizes his faux pas and backtracks, desperately correcting himself that of course Miz was the true victor in all of that, Miz is the one with the four wins against Sheamus.
In fact he goes so far in his desperation to make things right as to say Miz is the best friend he's ever had. Nice sentiments, and for a moment Miz feels even more smug that he doesn't consider Cody Rhodes or whatever other tag partner he may have had in the past in the running for such a thing, but when Mike thinks best friends, his first thoughts are Morrison, or Alex, Ricardo... Mizdow is low, if on the list at all, mostly because they've really known each other for such a short amount of time. But he doesn't want to leave him completely hanging so he does admit that Mizdow is the best stunt double he's ever had... which is a little of an inside joke, considering he'd done his own stunts for both Marine movies and Christmas Bounty. He suspects that Mizdow will see through that easily enough so he adds at the end that yes, he's come to consider Mizdow a friend as well... because it's the truth. He has, despite the man's eccentricities.
Before anything else can be said, however, Sheamus interrupts and announces what he's going to do to Miz later on to regain his title, wrapping his little speech up by brogue kicking the camera. Miz's eyes narrow as soon as it happens, remembering all to well when he'd done that in a deposition with Ricardo, nearly giving the younger man a heart attack. We keep calling back to that old feud, hmm? he thinks, storming backstage with Mizdow and relieved when they make it to AJ's locker room with no issues.
AJ isn't thrilled either, Mike standing by her side as Paige announces that tonight she'll take AJ's best friend, her title, away from her, leaving with her arms around Alicia after she kisses her on the cheek. They exchange glances, AJ's eyes solemn but determined. "That's not going to happen," she murmurs, hugging her title closer to her.
"No, it's not," he agrees, lightly kissing her. Nor will Sheamus touch my moneymaker... Alas, his match ends in loss, Sheamus then taunting him afterwards by holding his limp body up, Mizdow mimicking his stance post-loss and looking utterly ridiculous when Mike watches it back later on, his eyes narrowed. "Dammit," he hisses, barely focused on AJ's comforting touch soothing his jaw and nose.
When she goes out for her match, he watches closely, surprised when Alicia and Paige truly fall apart, Alicia throwing Paige into the ring just for the British diva to get trapped in the black widow and tapping out desperately. Afterwards, she loses it completely and begins destroying Alicia right then and there, screaming and yelling at her, blaming her for her loss. Mike goes to gorilla to wait, grinning at his wife as she dives into his arms, but Paige is lurking and he watches her closely as trainer and referee helps Alicia backstage. The woman immediately shakes them off and trips towards Paige, a pleading look on her face. "I'm sorry," she chokes. "I didn't mean to cost you the match, it-" Paige isn't listening, she shoots off towards Paige, punching and kicking, scratching and clawing at every inch of bare skin she can reach.
"WHOA!" Mike yells, aware that someone needs to step in and stop this, especially since Ricardo is still in California and Alex is on the panel. So he dives between them, careful not to drag AJ into this mess, as he grips Paige around the waist and holds her back, Alicia collapsing to her feet behind him, tears pouring down her ruddy face. "Let it go! Stop this," he orders the young diva, relieved when she pulls away from him sharply and stomps away, her hands help up in dismissive acceptance. He slowly turns and helps Alicia up, supporting her until the trainer and referee return to continue assisting her to the office to check her out thoroughly. "Damn," he breathes, shaking his head as he turns back to look at AJ.
She's watching Alicia get carried away with a distant look in her dark eyes before turning to look at Mike. "Is it weird I kinda feel sorry for her, despite everything?" she mumbles. He doesn't have an answer for her, instead wrapping his arms around her and kissing her.
-x
It all happens over again on Raw. AJ wrestles Alicia, Paige is on commentary, Paige throws Alicia back into the ring in a moment of weakness, and Paige costs Alicia the match. Afterwards, AJ skips backstage, laughing, but Alicia is soon left crying out in tortorous agony again as Paige throws her around, beats her up, slams her again and again into the barricade wall until Jerry Lawler actually comes out from behind the commentary table and stops the melee, standing over Alicia protectively until Paige leaves. He tries to help the diva up but she's crying so hard that again, it's pointless. Mike watches grimly as a trainer joins them and assists her. "What is going on with those two?" he mutters.
"I'm not sure," AJ whispers. She still looks overjoyed to be divas champion, but there is no pleasure in her eyes over what's happening to Alicia.
Mike stays with her, waiting to see if anything else is said or done, until it's time for his and Mizdow's tag team match against the Usos. It's a competitive match and he's sort of enjoying himself though he wonders what's happened to his chances against Ziggler or Sheamus for a title belt, but just when he and Mizdow are getting some sort of an advantage, the Usos switch, the fresher twin taking his brother's spot, and costing them the match. Miz pounds the ring in aggravation but there's nothing he can do about it, grit his teeth and move on, hope for a better opportunity... although he has plenty other things to worry about, like Mark Henry being on MizTV for Main Event.
Mumbling curses backstage, he's relieved to return to AJ's locker room to find she's ready to go back to the hotel room, sleep off the bad taste this evening's left in both of their mouths.
However, when he and Mizdow arrive at Main Event the next night, alone because AJ's gone on ahead to California to do a few things before they surprise Morrison by sneaking into the Lucha Underground crowd the next night, they're stopped by a PA. "Change of plans," the man tells them. "Mark Henry isn't going to be on MizTV anymore. The Authority instead have put The Usos on as guests."
This Mike can work with, this is much easier to figure around than more likely than not angering Mark Henry and getting beat down. Again. So they prepare for it, and when he goes out for his show, he makes sure to antagonize them, showing their switch in the match the night before and pounding it into the ground that otherwise, they wouldn't have beat him and Mizdow, they wouldn't have come close.
Of course it leads to a rematch and Mike embraces it, however he may not be ready for it, but it ends in another loss and he groans, glowering back at the successful twins as he and Mizdow stagger up the ramp side by side, equally angry looks on their faces. Paige is backstage, preparing for her match against Natalya, and his disgust with losing three nights in a row leaves him unwilling to sit by and just watch her destroy everything and everyone around her so, as they cross paths by gorilla, he reaches out and grips her arm, staring down at her as she stops short and instinctively turns towards him. "You listen to me," he tells her lowly. "You've gotten into this sickening habit of getting close to people, and then throwing them away like they're trash... If you even think about doing that to Ricardo, it's not gonna be pretty, the fallout from such a decision. So tread carefully."
She looks annoyed but frightened as well, his fingers releasing her as soon as he's finished speaking. Before she can say or do anything, he nudges Mizdow and they walk off, Mike's breathing slowly returning to normal as he ponders the expression on her face.