"Are we having a viewing party?" AJ asks quietly, pressing her face into Mike's neck. He blinks a few times, running his fingers through her hair. "Of Lucha Underground's finale?" Two hours. Maybe the end of the federation entirely. John had been vague, but there'd been some talk of financial issues. Not to mention the pure evil suffusing the temple, warping so many good people into such evil beings. He's pretty sure the only reason John's making it out with as much of himself intact as he is is because of his own unexplained abilities.
"Possibly," Mike says softly, running a hand up and down her spine. "Gotta check my schedule after Raw." She kisses him and rests back against his chest, listening for Sara but otherwise just comfortable here like this. "So how's Maryse been?"
"Fine," she says. "You know, a little nauseous, a little cranky, but nothing I didn't expect." AJ sits up. "I've been able to get to know her a little better. That's been interesting. She's lived quite the life."
Mike wonders if he should feel unease about that, considering his and Maryse's past, but he shakes it off and smiles at AJ. "I'm glad you two are getting along."
"Me too," she muses, yawning lazily. "Heath's been good for her. She seems more comfortable and... less strict." Mike's noticed it too. She laughs more.
"Just like you were good for me," he says, kissing the top of her head.
She sits up and beams at him, cradling his face in her hands before kissing him deeply. "Feeling's mutual, husband."
Come Monday, nothing's really changed. Bo is still sick. Neville is still gone. For a brief moment, Mike and TJ lock eyes down an empty hallway before TJ ducks into the nearest locker room that split second of interaction telling Mike all he needs to know about the situation. But he has so much to focus on, it's hard to spit everything he's thinking out in a sensible way. The words get caught in his mouth, he stutters and struggles to explain himself. His words are coming out too fast, his thoughts are coming too slow, nothing makes much sense, but he gets through it somehow.
Of course Angle jacks everything up- makes it so if Roman beats Strowman later, Strowman's out of the match, but if Roman loses, then they get a fifth man. Mike closes his eyes, breathes in and out shallowly. No one's allowed at ring side for either the Bar vs Seth and Dean, or the cage match, but Mike manipulates what he can, pushes pieces into place like it's all one huge game of chess- which it kind of is. Axel wasn't supposed to sacrifice himself, Mike staggers when he finds him hanging down a hallway. Reminds him of being chained up by the Wyatts, liar scrawled across his chest, and he rubs anxiously at the spot, biting his lip before turning to scream at the referees to get him down. It sucks, Axel had done it for nothing- he was never even in the running to be Mike's chosen fifth man.
So much is going on, he can barely remember who had finally accepted, staggering some more over his commentary duties when he comes out for the cage match. Watches unimpressed as the Bar and Seth and Dean get involved, just to brawl to the outside. He leaves commentary and sneaks out, locking the four men in the parking garage before returning to the his abandoned headset to watch. Wait. Smirk as Kane tears his way out of the ring. Demolishes Roman and confirms himself, by Braun's side, as their fifth man.
"They have no chance whatsoever," he says confidently, staring at the two men that will be the cornerstones of his team. "We have this in the bag."