Chapter 9: WWE Raw 9/16/24
WWE Raw
September 16th, 2024
Portland, Oregon
Rhea had a few glorious days at the end of last week at home with Buddy. She smiled as she thought of coming home in her black Dodge Ram and seeing her dogs and her man in the yard. Barry and Luna were running around the yard, happy doggy tongues lolling and tails wagging. Buddy was beaming, although his features fell when he saw her condition. She'd pulled off her brace and shoved it under the passenger's seat; she still needed the damn crutch, as much as she hated it and its reminder of the pain it had inflicted on Damian. She waved off his concern and his questions about Calgary. Then she went full force into married life, even getting him to come along with her for one of her Target excursions that Friday. They tried on Halloween costumes in the aisles and shared some much-needed laughs. Then Buddy left late that night for his flight to Dayton, Ohio. Barry and Luna conked out on the couch beside her, and the ticking of her antique grandfather clock echoed through the house. Rhea snuggled with her pups and closed her eyes. Alone with the ghosts of the ring, she did not sleep.
The next day, Rhea threw herself into recuperation. She lifted weights as tolerated but focused on the stretches she got from Al after drilling him for what to do to build knee and neck strength – heel cord stretch, standing quad stretch, supine hamstring stretch, half squats, hamstring curls, calf raises, leg extensions, straight leg raises, hip abduction, hip adduction, leg presses, upper trapezius stretch, levator scapular stretch, shoulder scapular squeeze, wall pushups, TheraBand rows, prone rows… She ate, slept, worked out, and did her PT exercises in her own little world, her voice unused as she focused on strengthening herself to be a worthy partner.
By the time Buddy came home from Dayton, Rhea had ditched the crutch. She stayed focused on her routine. Buddy understood and respected that.
Rhea let rumors fly that she had accompanied Damian to a local medical facility for further evaluation. Nobody but Damian knew that she was seen there too or just how bad off she was. She didn't have time for media questions or sympathy. Maybe that's why she hadn't told others. As for Buddy, she just didn't want him to worry when he had a match of his own happening shortly in Massachusetts.
Rhea was hanging out backstage when Cathy Kelley approached and asked, "How does your knee feel?"
Finn stepped in. "I can take this from here."
No, he bloody couldn't! Rhea glared at him and crossed her arms. She was just too tired for his shit.
"Hey, Rhea!" Finn smiled. "I've been meaning to catch up with ya for a while now, but whatever you think is going on with me and Damian, I just haven't had a chance to speak…"
"Well now you have the chance, Finn," she replied through gritted teeth.
He sighed and looked down. "Okay, well here it goes then. I really feel like you're…" He glared at her. "Just as bad as Damian Priest!"
She sneered.
"You said that we were a family," Finn continued. "You acted like you cared."
Rhea rolled her eyes, dropped her arms, and stepped up to stare him down.
"But in reality, the only thing you ever really cared about was yourself."
Oh, for fuck's sake. Rhea laughed.
"And I'm sick and tired of you blaming me for everything that's gone on with the Judgment Day. You and Damian were the reason why I wasn't World Champion last year. You and Damian are the reason why neither of you are World Champion now. You and Damian are the reason for everything that has happened in the last three months with the Judgment Day."
She laughed again, then got up in Finn's face. "Okay, what we're not going to do here is lie blatantly to my face and try to rewrite history to hide your little ego problem. Okay?" She gulped back tears, not wanting the likes of Finn to witness any weakness from her. "Because we were a family. All I ever did was try to make opportunities for all of us and stop you boys from fighting every single bloody week. Because I loved my family. But if you want to make me and Damian the bad guys in your fictional little story, then so be it. At Bad Blood, you, Liv, Dom, and the other two bozos will see how bad we can truly be."
Finn looked stunned. All he could say to that was, "Okay." Then he added. "You know, there's one more thing I wanted to tell you, and I wanted it to come from me. You know when Liv was putting the moves on Dom? And Dom was trying to resist? I was the devil on Dom's shoulder."
Rhea felt more tears coming on and pursed her lips.
"I told him to go with Liv. I told him to forget about you. It was me."
Rhea was fuming. This fucker was the one who broke up the family. She couldn't say a word, not without betraying herself. Thankfully, she had a friend who could.
"Do we have a problem here?" Jey came up beside her.
Finn smiled and looked up at Jey. "We've got no problem here, mate," he replied. He motioned a thumb toward Rhea. "Just two friends catching up."
Friends, her ass!
"But you might want to focus on the Intercontinental Championship," Finn continued looking to Jey, "because I think you might be a little bit out of your league over here." The jackass walked away.
Rhea turned to Jey. "Thanks, uce. I appreciate it, but Finn has got a point."
"What, that you're out of my league?" he looked her up and down.
"What? No. No," Rhea tsked. "That you have to focus on becoming Intercontinental Champion."
"Don't worry about it, Rhea," he assured her. "I'm going out to the ring right now." He pulled out his neon pink Yeet sunnies, and he clapped to himself. Rhea smirked at her friend's suave dorkiness.
Rhea hadn't seen Damian since they spent that overnight at the hospital. They were both medically cleared to go home the next day. Rhea recognized that they were skirting the depths of the conversation they had the night before, uncomfortable expressing that level of intimacy when the sun rose. With hugs and well wishes, they went separate ways for the week.
So, they reunited backstage at Raw, with cameras rolling.
Their eyes met, then scanned one another. Rhea could hide her pain from everyone else, but she couldn't hide from Damian. She hoped her daily workouts had paid off. Still, she limped. The grimace that overcame him at the sight of her condition made her cringe.
Damian fell in line with Rhea's pace beside her, walking in stern silence and clearly swallowing his pain. She looked at his chest. He breathed more easily, but his breaths were still rather shallow. His gait – all his features, really – were stiff. Due to nerves or to pain? He had a match tonight with Dom, and they both knew the rest of Judgment Day would get their dirty hands involved. She feared that Damian couldn't take another ambush.
"You doing okay?" she finally asked.
He shrugged. "I'm getting there. But you're in pain yourself."
"But you know I've got your back anyways," she assured him.
Jey approached while clapping; his exuberance was a welcome distraction. Rhea smiled.
"Hey!" Jey said, fist-bumping Damian. "What's up, Priest?" He turned to her and mouthed a hello.
"Hi," she voiced. She shifted on her feet.
He returned his focus to Damian. "I know you have a match with Dominik, uce. And I know you're not going to ask for my help, 'cause I know how you get down, bro. But I'm going to have eyes on that match, bro. I got you."
"All right. Right on," Damian replied. Rhea wiggled her knee, willing it to chill the fuck out from its oncoming rage.
"Uce, what up! 'Ey!" Xavier Woods approached and slapped hands with Jey. He then turned to the Terror Twins. "Priest, Rhea. Now I know we haven't seen eye-to-eye in the past, but I know allthree of y'all have an issue with Judgment Day. But tonight, Kofi and I have a match for the tag team title. We can become champs for the thirteenth time."
Jey clapped.
Pointing to Rhea, Xavier added, "And just like, when you were fighting for the heavyweight championship, you wanted to go it alone, yeah. So you could prove to everyone that you deserved to be there."
Rhea's knee was throbbing where she stood. She shifted her weight and propped her arm on Damian's shoulder like she was playing it cool. But she needed his support.
"We want to go it alone so we can prove to everyone we still got what it takes," Xavier continued. "So that's all I'm asking. Stay back here, and let us handle it."
"I respect that," Damian replied. "Just do us all a favor. Whoop their asses, and take their titles."
Jey clapped. "Hell yeah! Hell yeah!"
"And also." Xavier pointed to Jey. "I like him a lot better than Dom."
"Hell yeah, Yeet!" Jey pushed his hands down – his signature Yeet sign.
Rhea smirked and did it back. His levity was well needed, the Jey/Rhea romantic storyline a welcome distraction from pain and betrayal. She was especially grateful for Jey's open support of Damian; she knew he particularly needed it.
Damian's theme played, and he stepped onto the stage. Rhea stood beside him, raising her hands and beckoning the crowd to cheer louder for him.
"From New York City, weighing in at 249 lbs, Damian Priest!" announcer Samantha Irwin called out.
Rhea stalked down the ramp, controlling her hobble as best she could. No matter how hard she tried though, she couldn't keep up with Damian's pace. Her knee was throbbing by the time she hoisted herself onto the apron and crouched with a hand on the middle rope. Damian bounced his hands off the top rope over her head and roared. He stalked the stage to applause. Rhea clapped for him, then lowered herself to the floor to watch the match. Dom was in the ring, and the rest of Judgment Day stood on the other side. She would have to keep an eye on their dirty asses.
The bell rang, and Damian shoved Dom to the mat. As soon as Dom got to his feet, Damian threw him to the corner and punched him in the face. Rhea saw Damian pause to take in a breath, this early in the match.
Damian grabbed Dom's wrist and threw him into the corner. Dom bounced back, into Damian's outstretched hands. Damian raised Dom over his head.
"Bye bye!" Rhea waved to Dom. She held her hands to her throat, taunting him.
But it was Damian who paused to take in air before tossing Dom on his ass. Damian was still panting when he interlaced his fingers with Dom's and pulled.
Fighting Damian's grasp, Dom tried to stand, even attempting to push on Damian's injured chest with his free hand. Thankfully, he couldn't really reach, and Damian easily pushed Dom flat on his back.
"How does that feel, huh?" Damian shouted at Dom. "What did I tell was gonna happen, huh?" He twisted Dom's wrist and sneered.
"There we go, Priest! Brutalize him! Rip him apart!" Rhea cheered and hopped as best she could.
Damian spun Dom around and finally released his hold on that hand, sending Dom into the ropes and back into Damian's arm. Dom was back on the floor.
"Let's go!" Rhea cheered. "Get 'im!"
Damian held Dom to the floor, and the ref counted. 1! 2!
Dom kicked out.
Damian panted, briefly looking to former friends outside the ring and then back to Dom. He slapped his chest and stood. He yanked Dom to his feet and slung his arm around his neck. Like they were pals again. Damian stood there with Dom resting on his shoulder as he glared at Judgment Day and caught his breath. Then he picked up Dom, preparing to slam him down.
Dom wiggled out, landing on his feet behind Damian. He kicked Damian in the knee, knowing all too well about Damian's weak spots. Although Dom had his wrists, Damian got the upper hand. He flipped Dom onto the mat. Dom held his hands in surrender, and Rhea laughed. Damian responded by stomping Dom's chest. Liv screamed some shit.
The ref made Damian let up after several shots. Although Damian glared, Rhea saw his relief as he stepped back stiffly and sucked in air. His sights refocused on Dom as the crowd chanted, "Dom, you suck! Dom, you suck!"
Damian grabbed Dom by the wrist and hauled him right in front of Judgment Day. He shoved Dom's head onto the middle rope and rammed his leg and all his weight into Dom's neck. Liv held Dom's hand while others shouted whatever the fuck. Rhea just kept laughing.
Damian threw Dom to the center of the ring and paced by the Judgment Day.
"I hate you!" Liv screamed. "You're disgusting!"
Returning to the center of the ring, Damian grabbed Dom by the hair and drew in breath… as Dom used the opportunity to punch his flank. Damian slammed his fist into Dom, laying him out.
Judgment Day was going apeshit. Rhea taunted them by pretending to take a nap on folded hands. She knew without looking just how much that pissed them off.
Damian grabbed Dom's head again and shoved it between his thighs, holding Dom in place… without a chance to catch his breath this time. Finn was on the ropes, and Damian kicked Finn before Finn managed to climb inside. Dom rolled out of the ring.
Damian returned to the Judgment Day's side, hopping down to their level to bring reckoning to Dom. Rhea turned to watch the action on the Jumbotron. She saw Damian grabbed Dom and threw him into the apron. He then spun in place, monitoring the others' moves. Carlito crouched by Dom. Damian was there, pushing him back with his sneer. Carlito held his hands up in surrender. Damian drove Dom head-first into the announcers' table, then dragged him to the ring and punched him against the apron. Dom slid to the floor. Carlito charged Damian, who threw him on his back before tossing Dom back to the ring.
As Rhea turned, she saw a flash on the screen. Finn had slammed Damian into the post. Damian was hunched forward, heaving and staggering. Rhea's stomach sank. Dom came flying out of the ring, sending himself and Damian into the announcers' table, Damian rolling behind it. The Jumbotron showed him curled with his hands over his face. Fear for her twin and rage for the cheering fuckers ran hot in Rhea's blood, and she balled up her fist. She watched as Dom dragged Damian back into the ring.
She breathed a sigh of relief as Damian gained the upper hand and got Dom into a vertical suplex. Dom wiggled out of it, and Damian took a breath by the ropes. He jammed his shoulder into Dom's charge, then hung on the ropes again while panting. He turned and ran at Dom. Dom dodged him, sending Damian into the post with a hard smack. Damian managed to turn and throw Dom before hitting the mat hard himself. His body was rigid, blank eyes staring. Rhea leaned her torso over the apron. Dom leaned into his chest, pinning him for the count. Damian winced, throwing himself into the hand on his chest. He ripped free with a grunt. He rolled onto his stomach and didn't move.
Tears sprung into Rhea's eyes as she reached for him. "Get up! Get up!" she shouted.
Damian flipped onto his back, holding his head and panting so hard.
All she could do was watch… or do something to piss off Dom and distract his ass.
"Get up!" She called Damian. "He's just a little dweeb! Get him!"
Making eye contact, Dom thumped on his chest. "I'm the man around here!"
Rhea grabbed Dom's discarded shirt - the one he'd had around his waist - and rubbed it between her legs. But his attention had already turned. Dom circled Damian and rammed his fist into his face. Damian staggered, fell to his forearms, and shook his head. Rhea leaned in again and tried to make eye contact, tried to remind him that she was there. Her presence didn't seem to register in his vacant gaze. Her stomach wrenched.
Dom grabbed him by the hair, punching Damian in the face several times before slapping his chest – hard. Damian folded over himself, heaving. Eyes unfocused, he appeared to be losing consciousness.
"Damian, get up!" Rhea shouted with clenched fists. "Come on, we got this!"
Damian rose with clenched and outstretched fists, towering over a freaked-out Dom. Damn, he was channeling his inspiration, The Undertaker! He slammed Dom to the mat twice, kicked him in the gut when he rose, punched him in the face, and laid his ass out.
"There we go!" Rhea cheered over whatever crap the Judgment Day was yelling. "There we go! There we go! Oh yeah, baby! Oh yeah! Get him! Get him! Yes! Beat his ass! Beat his ass! Hell yeah, Priest! Woo yeah! Wepah!" She slapped the back of her hand into her other palm. "How does that feel, Dirty Dom? Yeet! Let's go!"
Damian covered him. Tears in her eyes, Rhea beamed and pounded the apron. The ref counted down, and Dom punched out.
"That was a three! Come on, ref! We've been through this. Learn to count!" She refocused on Damian. "You can do this! Don't let him go!"
Damian stood, raised his fists, and beat one into the inside of his elbow. He wound up but then rushed the rope to shoo Finn off the apron. Dom grabbed him from behind him rolled him to his back.
1! 2!
Damian kicked out, jumped to his feet, and kicked Dom in the face. He drove Dom to the mat and held him there as the crowd counted down…
Liv propped Dom's foot on the rope to disqualify the hold, and Rhea seethed. Fucking Liv! Rhea ran around the ring – knee screaming – and tackled the bitch. Both flew into the announcers' table. Rhea's head struck the back wall, shooting a bolt of pain down her spine. She cried out, stars exploding through her vision. She blinked and shook her head, her world spinning. Liv's blurry form loamed over her, her icy glare and smirk all too clear.
"Nighty night, Rhea!" Liv waved, the sight of her dimming as Rhea faded. She gritted her teeth, telling herself not to let go.
She heard something from the announcers about South of Heaven. She heard the count to three and cheers – and immediate commotion.
"They're right on top of him!" the announcer's voice was muffled in her head. "Typical Judgment Day!"
She had to get up. She had to bloody get with it and get out there. Damian needed her. She clasped the edge of the table and pulled herself to her feet with a groan. The ring and fans spun around her, as did Finn's jumping on Damian's injured chest. Rhea's stomach lurched. She lunged over the table and clamored to the ring, attempting as best she could to narrow her sights on Damian's heaving frame. Finn motioned to JD, who threw his body to the mat with an elbow digging into Damian's ribs.
Fucked up knee raging, Rhea pounced up the side of the ring and grabbed Dom by the back of the head. He was the closest fucker to her, and someone had to pay. The others turned from Damian, who was gasping and writhing on the mat. She had to get to him. She tried to pull up on Dom to get over the ropes.
Pain seared her damaged leg as it was pulled off the apron. Liv spun her around and slammed her into the steel steps. Rhea screamed, the consciousness she was barely holding onto slipping away as she writhed. She felt herself being lifted and throw into the ring, then the assault of Liv's boot stomping her gut.
USO!
Rhea focused her sights on Jey's form as he rushed the ramp. She tried to pull herself upright, telling herself that help was coming. But it wasn't. A hooded form took out Jey. She couldn't tell who. All she knew was that now she had to get her ass back in the fight. She pulled herself to the ropes, attempting to climb to her feet. Her throbbing knee just wouldn't let her. She held it, slipping from the rope. She had to fucking do this thing.
Rhea grabbed the ropes again and pulled herself to her feet. Liv slammed her to the mat. She landed on her back, just as Finn jumped from the top rope into Damian's abdomen. Damian groaned and rolled toward Rhea. She blinked, everything around her going gray. She felt him roll away from her and heard the impact and groan. Then more pain as Liv jerked her head upright with a hair pull. Rhea's failing sights found Damian flat on his back and heaving. Finn was behind him, perching on the ropes. Rhea's breath caught in her throat. Damian reached out his hand for her. She clasped it, tears in her eyes. Finn jumped off the ropes into Damian's chest, and he let go with a cry. Liv slammed Rhea's head into the mat.
Rhea tried to rise but barely propped herself up ever the slightest on her forearms. Tears flowed as she heard Damian's moaning and struggling to take in breaths. She managed to push herself to her back. She reached for Damian's hand. Finn blocked her with his foot.
The assholes left. Damian rolled over and got to his knees. She saw his determination to walk out of here instead of being carried again. She needed to do the same. She pulled herself to her feet and attempted to climb through the ropes. They stalled at the same point, Damian sitting back on his heels while Rhea dropped to her back. Her eyes drifted shut, that chill overtaking her. But she had to walk her ass out of here, for Damian's sake. Pushing out the chill, she rolled under the bottom rope and sat on the apron. She hopped down and looked behind her. Damian had rolled onto the floor. She and the ref helped Damian to his feet, putting his arms around their shoulders. He leaned into her. Rhea limped down the ramp while holding fast to his midsection.
"We're not going out like this," Damian murmured to her. "Turn me around."
They turned to face the crowd, who cheered. He waved, then grabbed hold of Rhea again. She steered him toward the clubhouse.
"Can we go to my car?" he asked.
She furrowed her brow. "Why your car?"
He closed his eyes. "I need a break from the cameras."
The ref and Rhea grabbed his stuff and made their way to the parking garage. With Damian's guidance, they located his rental Audi A3.
"Put me in the driver's seat, please," he requested.
"You are not driving!" Rhea protested.
He met her gaze. "No, I want to talk to you."
Rhea looked at the ref and motioned with her head to the car door, which he opened. They set Damian down in the driver's seat. He groaned and closed his eyes. The ref crouched down and reclined the seat all the way.
"Thank you," Damian breathed and closed his eyes.
Rhea hobbled to the other side of the car. "Thanks for your help," she said to the ref before ducking inside.
She watched the ref head back inside, then reclined her seat as well. Her muscles released ever so slightly, enough to lose the shaky grasp she had on any sense of alertness. She felt herself going under. The last thing she felt was Damian's hand on hers.
