Since the series is complete, Iâm giving it (and all of its 50 chapters) its own page to save some space on the Series Masterlist. (Not to be confused with the Masterlist Masterlist.)Â
When Y/N joins the journalism crew of WWE, she is trying to make a name for herself. Then her missing past begins to catch up to her, and she finds herself capable of filling a void she never thought could be filled again.
Warnings/Promises: Angst, family fluff, some Sheamus x Reader fluff, no smut [sorry]
Total Word Count: 152,378
   Part 1: Welcome to the Team
   Part 2: Altercations
   Part 3: Long Time, No See
   Part 4: The Story
   Part 5: Making the Connections
   Part 6: Put in the Work (Money in the Bank) Â
   Part 7: Help From All Sides
   Part 8: Focused on Alignments Â
   Part 9: Chance and Consequences
   Part 10: Unfortunate Circumstances (Extreme Rules)
   Part 11: Whatâcha Got? Â
   Part 12: Nothing Has Changed
   Part 13: Not This Time
   Part 14: This Isnât Over
   Part 15: Hold It High (Summer Slam)
   Part 16: Bigger Problems
   Part 17: Tensions Rising
   Part 18: As It Could Have Been
   Part 19: When Hell Breaks Loose (Hell in a Cell)
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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The Superstar Shake-up is a success for Raw. But Paige makes a surprise appearance and requests one last trade.
Warnings/Promises: ANGST, slight Sheamus x Reader
Word Count: 1012
Series Word Count: 152,378
Note: Ow. It hurt to write, and it hurts to read, but in a bittersweet way. Let me know what you thought of the series (now that itâs done *gasp*) with comments, reblogs, messages anon or not, and however you like to give feedback. Thanks for reading this. Enjoy this final chapter!
Part 1: Welcome to the Team
Part 49: Wrapped Up
Monday Night Raw â April 15, 2019
And the end of the show, all of the Smackdown wrestlers who were moving to Raw had matches. And several of them found feuds easily. You were in the back welcoming one such wrestler when you heard the Titantron turn on. The harpy scream made your eyebrows meet.
What was Paige doing here?
You headed to the arena to find out.
She was already in the ring, grinning ear to ear. âHello, Monday Night Raw!â She giggled and scrunched her nose at the welcome. âNo, no. Raw isnât getting a new manager. I have something I wanted to discuss with Y/N, and I wanted to include you all in that.â She turned towards the stage as your music turned on.
The micâs weight was confusing in your hand. You twirled it one more time before speaking. âAs much as Iâm happy to see you⊠what are you doing here?â
âI have one last trade to proposeâ
Oh. What that all? You doubted it.
You walked towards the ring, nodding at Paige as she sat on the ropes for you. âReally? Just one more trade.â You cocked your head to one side. âThatâs very generous of you, in theory. Who did you have in mind?â
Paige knew she had you. âItâs two people actually, but Iâm sure youâll be happier about one of them.â
At that, again the stage lit up. With white rolling orbs that spelled out the name of the Swiss Cyborg. A second later, the sighting of Jörmungandr made your heart flip. Sheamus and Cesaro went through their entrance and waltzed down to the ring. The smirk on Sheamusâs face matched yours. But something was troubling you.
As the Bar circled around you to stand with Paige, you again lifted your mic. âThatâs very generous of you. But whatâs the catch?â
âWhat, you donât trust me?â
âNot an inch.â
Paige forced a smile. Then she shrugged and slipped into one more natural. And foreboding. âThat was probably smart. But really, Y/N, I just want one person from your roster. Just one.â She watched the wheels turning in your head as you tried to figure out if the Bar was worth Seth Rollins or Roman or Rhonda Rousey. âItâs not who you think.â
You were about to ask her what she meant when the Titantron lit up one last time. The mix of the motorcycle revving and the guitar riff sent an icy rod up your spine.
No.
No, no, no.
Dean strutted out. His shoulders rotated like any other Monday, but the movement was stiff. Almost guilty. By the time he made it to the ring, you were at the ropes trying to keep him out. He gently pushed on your shoulder so you could step back and give him enough room to enter. Paige closed the distance by handing him a mic.
âWhat is this?â you demanded. Looking between them, Dean was obviously not looking at the Smackdown manager. âThis was decided a long time ago, wasnât it? Dean?â
He ran his knuckles down his jaw. âLast week actually. I called her.â Before you could rant at him with a flurry of arm motions, he caught your shoulders. âY/N. Itâs okay.â He sighed as you knocked the mic from both your hands. You stepped back against the ropes, mind reeling.
âWhy are you doing this? I donât get a choice. A say?â
âNo.â
It hurt. One word and your heart was ash.
âIâm not going to let people keep controlling you because of me. If I move, you wonât have to choose between me and the roster. I thought youâd be happy.â
âHappy? I just got you back. Twenty years of waiting and almost pushing you away for good because of petty mistakes, and I thoughtâŠâ The words failed to come. âI messed up. Again.â
Dean bit back a smile. âNo! No.â He chuckled and flicked your nose. âWhat is all this? Iâm not dead. Iâm not going anywhere. Just next door. Iâll still see you at the pay per views and such. And hey,â he lightly tapped your jaw with his fist, âwho knows. Maybe Ambrose versus Ambrose two-point-oh at Survivor Series this year?â
âIt wonât be the same.â
He nodded. âI know. But Iâm not leaving you alone.â The last part was said loud enough for Sheamus to hear. They met at the back of the ring with the three of you and the Universe looking on. Their low words were just mumbles. âYou take care of her.â
âOf course. I wouldnât âave agreed to this if I wasnât ready to do tâat.â
Dean grit his teeth. âItâs more than that. Besides the obvious, youâll figure it out. Just⊠sheâs a good listener. But you need to get her to talk. Iâm not good at it either, but you and Cesaro seem to do it okay, so I need you to know what sheâs thinking. And protect her decisions.â
âI will.â
âAnd,â he leaned close, grabbing the collar of Sheamusâs jacket, âif you break her heart? Iâll speak for Seth and Roman and say the Shield has no problem reforming to shatter your kneecaps.â
Sheamus gulped. âYes, sir.â
âGood man.â
They stepped apart. Then Dean walked the Celtic Warrior to your side, catching your hand to place it in his. With a nod from Dean, Cesaro walked over to stand by Sheamus, and Dean went to stand by Paige.
She looked at everyone. âWe good?â
Cesaro picked up your mic so you could respond. âYeah. Weâre good.â
To her music, she and your cousin left the ring. At the top of the ramp, Dean looked back. You were flanked by the Bar, with Sheamusâs hands on your shoulders. You had one arm bent so you could hold one of them. Over your head, Sheamus nodded. You were in good hands. Not that you needed them, but the backup was going to be nice. Dean returned the sentiment with a curt nod, gave the arena one last grin, and left the arena.
The road is at an end. And for one wrestler, so is their career. But first, the rest of the roster get their chances to reach for glory. Titles are destined to change hands, but which ones?
Warnings/Promises: wrestling violence, tiny Sheamus x reader fluff, angst
Word Count: 3830
Note: The âMondayâ chapter is also coming out this weekend too, so look for that. And then there will only be one more chapter that is guaranteed to rip your hearts out. Please let me know how youâve been enjoying, or not, this series with comments, reblogs, or messages on/off anon. Thanks for sticking around this long!
Part 1: Welcome to the Team
Part 47: Resigning
WrestleMania â April 7, 2019 â Brooklyn, NY
âWe have finally arrived at the end of the road. Tonight is WrestleMania!â The crowd was abuzz. Chants for favorites, and the usual random ones, sounded off every few minutes. Most of the seats were filled already because no one wanted to miss a second of the show of the year.
The announce team was preparing for interviews when Charly focused on listening closely to her headset. âUm, guys, we need to break to something going on backstage.â
Camera crew members hurried to catch up to the chaos erupting backstage. Tamina had caught Sarah Logan alone. Pinned into a corner, Sarah had nowhere to go and nothing to do except to receive the attack. Referees rushed onto the scene to break them apart. Just as Tamina was made to walk away, another fight broke out further down the hall.
This time it was Alicia Fox taking her skills to Liv Morgan, who was being held back by Ruby Riott. âLet me go,â Alicia shouted. âIâm not done with her! Viva la Alicia and Mickie!â She was still being dragged away when the cameras flipped back to the pre-show table.
Newly arrived, Bayley and Sasha Banks were snickering at the destruction. David Otunga was flabbergasted. âYou donât seem surprised to see all this. Care to explain?â
Sasha giggled and shared a look with her tag partner. âOf course we arenât surprised. If anything, that was the plan. Our title match tonight is an open challenge. But we,â she motioned between herself and Bayley, âwonât know who it is until the bell rings. Anybody could challenge us up to that moment.â
âYou see,â Bayley added, âitâs no secret that Sasha and I havenât always gotten along. All this year we have done our best to rip each other to shreds to find out who is the better woman. We put that aside so we could win the first ever Raw Womenâs Tag Team Championships, and weâre not letting them go until the rest of the locker room shows us what, or who, theyâre willing to rip apart to take these from us.â
With a nod, Sasha agreed. Sorta. âNot that itâs going to happen tonight, or any time soon. If any of those ladies think they can take our championships away on the grandest stage of them all, theyâve got another thing coming.â
The champions left, leaving the announce team to hurry and get their pre-show opinions in order.
***
The first official match was the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. All of the participating wrestlers were in the ring, and at the bell, they each found an opponent. Several men flipped over the ropes, and a couple under them. It took about forty-five minutes to make it down to the final five. It was Mojo Rawley, EC3, Jeff Hardy, R-Truth, and Cesaro.
After a few more minutes, it was down to Mojo and Cesaro. The Swiss Cyborg was just going over the ropes when the missing wrestlers appeared from under the ring. The rough hype came to a standstill as he recognized his old partner and the man with the longest losing streak. Zack Ryder kept a close eye on him as Curt Hawkins followed him into the ring. It was two versus one, but Mojo succeeded in throwing both of them off. He tossed Hawkins through the ropes and set to tipping Ryder over the top. Struggling, Ryder was able to wriggle onto the apron.
Curt rolled backing into the ring, restarting the fight. It was Mojo who ended up going over the topes, but he took Ryder with him, despite Curtâs death-grip on his friendâs wrist. Mojo had a grip around Ryderâs waist. If Ryder fell, he fell. And Hawkins was the only lifeline. The duo started to slip backward, Hawkinsâs grip failing. Zack smiled. âItâs all you, man.â Then he let go.
The bell rang. Rawley and Rider had been eliminated, and Curt Hawkins had won the battle royal. And, he had ended his streak.
***
Behind you on a screen, Ryder was celebrating with Hawkins in the ring. You were too busy arguing with a flurry of women to watch it. âLadies, enough! There isnât time to add another preshow match. As much as I hate that you are fighting backstage, I canât give you a tornado tag match. Bayley and Sashaâs opponents will just have to bide their time and strike when they can. Whoever they are. Now please, Iâve got things to do.â
Begrudgingly, the women left your office. You were rubbing your temples when there was a hesitant knock at your door. âI thought I made myself clear- oh.â Large hands gripped your shoulders, working out the stressed kinks. âYouâre going to get us in trouble.â
âOnly if we get caught,â Sheamus chuckled. He succeeded in wrapping his arms around you before kissing the top of your head. It was enough to help you release a long, deep breath. Suddenly his touch was gone.
âCan I have a moment with my cousin?â Dean asked, calmly staring Sheamus down from the doorway. After your red-head gave you a reassuring pat between your shoulder blades, the men sidestepped each other.
Hey, Dean,â you whispered.
He stepped in rubbing the back of his head. âHey, Ladybug. I know youâre busy, but I need to get something off my chest.â
âGo for it.â Easy to say. The tightness of your chest claimed otherwise.
He nodded. âI get it. I understand. And Iâm sorry for the ride through hell to get there.â His hand shot up to stop you from putting yourself down again. âIt was an impossible choice. Either Roman and I were going to lose Seth again, or I was going to have to give up⊠everything. I mean, we just got him back. And I just got you back⊠and there was nothing you could do.â Dean set his shoulders, but his eyes couldnât meet yours. âI should have been willing to listen. Then maybe we could have found a way to avoid all this.â
You were on the verge of tears. He booped your nose, forcing you to smile. âRoman keeps telling me I have nothing to worry about.â You wiped away a tear. âAnd I have complete faith in both of you-â
âBut?â
âBut Brock is dangerous. Past the stupid stipulations. Heâs⊠just about everybody ends up bloody or worse-â
âAnd Iâm prepared for that.â He rested his hand lightly on your shoulder. âIâve been preparing for a lot of things, actually.â His voice dropped out. Neither of you wanted to point out the two worst case scenarios again. âThat was all I needed to say. Keep up the managing thing. Youâre good at it⊠and I couldnât be prouder of you.â He let you catch him in a tight hug, stroking the top of your head. Then he wrenched himself free and rushed out of your office.
***
The womenâs battle royal was just as dramatic, if not more so, than the guysâ. Of the final five, two women took the center of the ring. Zelina Vega, Asuka, and Nikki Cross huddled in corners, waiting to see what would happen. Natalya and Rhonda stared each other down. Not six months ago they were the best of friends, battling for the same goals but with handshakes after every altercation. Now they were cold. Unmoved by each otherâs goals or aspirations.
They set to punches and head blows that rocked the ring. Unfortunately, in their haste and determination to eliminate one another, both women ended up landing on the apron after twisting over the ropes. Then the other three women sprang into action. It took all of them to launch the women off onto the floor. Thus, eliminating them both. Then Nikki and Asuka set on knocking each other out of the match. Zelina came bouncing off the ropes, succeeding in twisting Nikki over the top.
Now it was down to two. Zelina rushed not to lose her momentum. Bu Asuka wasnât going to make it easy. Twice, three times one of them would stumble through the ropes. The Empress of tomorrow did everything she could to take the victory today. They both ended up on the apron. Taking a risk, Zelina jumped and grabbed hold of Asukaâs head, dropping with it. Asukaâs face bounced off the edge, and her body followed. Zelina fell back into the ring, running her hands through her hair. Sheâd won. After the referee raised her hand, she left the ring and stood by the trophy. Her trophy.
***
Roman marched down to the ring. He paced from ropes to rope like a caged lion, ignoring the continued mixed welcome from the crowd. When the lights finally dimmed for Dr. Mâs entrance, he kneeled in one corner with his back against the turnbuckles. Dr. M grinned and eventually met him, standing toe to toe. Even though Roman towered over him, the trepidation in Romanâs eyes made the doctor smug. And gave him an edge.
Not waiting for the bell, Dr. M rushed forward. He caught Roman unawares, knocking him to the canvas. The rain of punches and kicks didnât stop until Dr. M stepped back. He laughed. âYou arenât ready to defend yourself. How could you ever think you could keep me from healing the WWE? From healing Y/N?â His smile flickered away as Roman struggled to his feet.
They went at it again. Dr. M still had the upper hand, despite Romanâs mostly effective offense. His prior attacks had created several openings for future hits. Romanâs ribs and throat were easy targets. If he couldnât breathe, he couldnât fight. And he wouldnât win. But Dr. M had forgotten one very important thing.
No one messes with his family.
âYou know, Roman,â Dr. M said into his ear while controlling him with a headlock, âY/N really is such a perfect puppet for Hunter and Stephanie. Maybe they wonât mind if Sister Abigail borrows her vessel for a while, hmm. And why not bring Dean into the family too? Iâd hate to break them apart again. Though I would have to break through their fevers by any means necessary.â
With a roar, Roman broke free and headbutted Dr. M. The man staggered back, fighting to shake free the blurriness in his vision. By the time it was back, so was Roman with a spear. Dr. M groaned and gasped as Roman walked away and gripped the top rope. The tape whined under his grip, and the referee took several steps back. Dr. M was eventually back on his feet. He dodged the first spear, but the second after Roman bounced off the far ropes. One, two, and three seconds later Dr. M was nowhere close to getting back up. Roman gave him an extra series of kicks to get him out of the ring, then swayed on his feet. He left the arena as the rest of WrestleMania started.
***
***
âLadies and gentlemen, Elias.â
Inside the circle of light, Elias strummed his guitar. The crowd was deathly silent until he finished, then they started the âwalk with Eliasâ chant. He smiled at them. âItâs great to finally be recognized at the greatest concert of them all. Even if the arena is filled with disgusting rabble like you.â He waited for their shift in mood to die down a little before playing his song. It was dedicated to the dirt people of Brooklyn, punctuated with the occasional jab at Drew McIntyre. He was met with thunderous applause as he finished. âFinally. No interruptions.â He strummed to start another song, but heâd spoken too soon.
Soon enough, Drew was in the ring, dark and foreboding. He handed the Intercontinental title to the referee, glaring at Elias while the title match was announced. Â Elias only let go of his guitar long enough to get rid of his mic and his scarves. Once the bell rang, the instrument whistled through the air, just barely missing Drewâs head. The champion slid out of the ring to quickly arm himself. Steel chairs, tables, and another guitar hidden in the bell box (after the first one was broken) came into play. The ring was littered with bamboo strips and fractured tables. Still, both men eluded the count.
A third guitar came out from under the ring. âHow many guitars does Elias have?â Corey asked, flabbergasted. No matter how many more were hidden under the ring, it was the last one Elias needed. He scaled a turnbuckle and jumped. Drew turned just in time to catch the hit on his shoulder, collapsing as it splintered. Elias pinned him, even with chunks of wood jabbing into his own body. It had taken almost a year, but Elias was finally the Intercontinental champion once again.
***
It was time to see who won the backstage battle to face Bayley and Sasha Banks for the Raw Womenâs Tag Titles. Renee had kept up with the results better than anyone else. âThe last people we saw standing were Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan of the Riott Squad. Right before Romanâs match against Dr. M, they had gotten the jump on Natalya and Rhonda.â
Corey shrugged. âI donât think any of us really thought that team was going to face the champions. They had quite a moment during the womenâs battle royal. And it cost them.â
âBut now itâs Boss and Hug time,â Cole said as the champions came down the ramp. The women waited patiently in the ring to see who their opponents were going to be. They bumped each otherâs shoulders as the aforementioned team came out to the stage. Sarah and Liv cackled, proud of themselves for having won the moment. They were just about to take a step forward when they were hit from behind. Not waiting for them to get up, Alicia Fox and Mickie James rushed down the ramp. If they could make it to the ring and survive until the bell, the match was theirs. They made it, jumping and hugging one another while Sasha and Bayley stood back and golf-clapped.
The partying didnât last long. It was time for the match. And it was a showstopper. Alicia and Mickie had years of experience on their side, years of being glossed over, years of waiting to step up only to be stepped over. Sasha and Bayley had the legacy NXTâs four horsewomen behind them and the rebuilt strength of their friendship. They had the championship buffer as well. That helped a lot when Mickie knocked Sasha out of the ring. She was willing to wait for the count, taking her time to roll around, but Alicia raced around the ring and shoved the champion back into the ring. Caught off-guard, Mickie was too busy mocking Bayley to sense the danger behind her.
Bayley ran across the ring to spear Alicia off the apron so Mickie could be pinned. Their titles retained, they stood together, ushering the new era of womenâs wrestling.
***
The guysâ tag match didnât go as smoothly for the champions. At first, it looked like they had everything under control. Rezar started the match against Sami Zayn. Behind him, Akam shouted what to do, and when to move away from the ropes when it looked like Kevin Owens was about to try something. Eventually, the tags switched and the process was the same. But as the match progressed, battle lines were drawn. Akam took a particularly teasing hit from Sami, who was good at dodging his grasp. Kevin was able to keep up with Rezar and keep him on his toes. The fight extended to ringside, and thatâs when things got⊠broken.
No limbs, thankfully. But things definitely fell apart. Rezar was ringside meeting Owens blow for blow, toss for toss, and was mid-roar after throwing Owens into a barricade when Sami came running by. Akam was quick on his heels, but the champions zigged when they should have zagged. The two massive bodies colliding sent both men flying back the way they came. Sami and Kevin had recovered, and it took both to toss Akam back into the ring. With Rezar still reeling and unable to help, Sami made the pin. The victors met in the center of the ring, falling to their knees and accepting their new tag championship. They met again at the top of the massive ramp and held their titles high.
***
The last singles match of the night was for the Raw Womenâs Championship between Ruby Riott and Alexa Bliss. As hostess, Alexa directed the biggest entrance of the night worthy of her talent, and arguably her ego. Ruby took a simpler entrance. Not that she needed anything bigger. Having the championship around her waist, and then on her shoulder, was stunning enough.
Alexa brought out all the stops. An unspoken goal had been for her team to hold all the Raw womenâs titles. But with Mickie and Alicia coming up short, it was up to her to take up the slack. Ruby was similarly in mood. Her tag-mates had been denied their match. If she could retain, the Riott Squad had hope to rise again. Ruby accepted Alexaâs attack, then rerouted it for her own mission. A Twisted Bliss was narrowly avoided, and the stunned Alexa was easy to catch in a submission while Ruby caught her breath. Several more dives from the top ropes happened, but it was a Riot Kick to one of Alexaâs leaps that finished the match. Ruby retained, screaming into the night air with her title in her hands.
***
Now was the main event.
âThis match is a Universal Championship triple-threat match set for one fall. The competitor who is pinned will have to leave the WWE forever.â
Dean nervously looked between Seth and Brock Lesnar. And the title. He bit back the urge to look towards the ramp as if you were there. Backstage, you were just as nervous. Roman was hovering by the tv too, but from a distance, so he could run to the ring as soon as the match was over. Sheamus stood right behind you, holding the hand you had resting on your shoulder.
At the bell, Seth and Dean instantly rushed to attack Lesnar in one swoop. He was laughing before they reached him. With his two large hands, he caught each around the throat. First, Lesnar tossed Seth one way and between the ropes. He threw Dean back towards the center of the ring, then caught him with the first suplex of the match. Seth pulled Dean to the floor and slid in, starting the attack he planned. His quick movements kept confusing the Beast. And they were wearing him down. A well-placed Frog-Splash caught Lesnar in the ribs, but he twisted Seth into a submission. Dean rushed back in to break it up before his brother had to tap out.
Seth remained huddled in the corner, nursing his arm while Dean and Lesnar faced off again. This time Dean was successful in dodging the harder blows and the attempted suplexes. He managed to drop him with a Dirty Deeds and instantly tried for a pin. Which instantly failed. Dean knew he couldnât let up on the attack, but Lesnarâs low laugh was unnerving.
âI donât care which one of you I pin,â he chuckled. âItâs all the same to me. No, what will matter after this match, is how your little cousin survives with me as champion.â They both rose to their feet, circling each other. âMaybe I do care. If my reign is going to be a bit more hands-on, Iâd rather not have you in the way.â Behind them on the floor, Paul Heyman nodded, grinning ear to ear. Seth heard too and used the ropes to get back to his feet.
Lesnar was flanked on both sides. E wasnât bothered by that until the timing of brothers kicked in. If he thought keeping up with Rollins or stomping down Ambrose was hard, it was nigh impossible to keep tabs on both. Dean was wildest of the two. The threat was enough to send him boarder-lining on several mistakes. Those close calls got him suplexed across the ring, several of which sent him hurtling to the floor. Still, it distracted the Beast enough from Sethâs darting attacks. Alone, the plan might have worked. With both of them working against Lesnar? It was becoming a sure match.
Then Lesnar fell out of the ring, just as Dean and Seth found themselves on opposite sides of it.
Backstage, you shook your head. âNo.â You whispered. âDonât do it guys.â
They looked at one another, and to where Brock was out of sight. Seth launched half a second before Dean did, catching him in the chest and taking him to the canvas. The referee was just swooping in to count when Seth jolted back. The price came to mind. And it was too high. With another shared look, they rolled through the ropes and set on bringing Lesnar back onto the canvas. With both of them then leaning on his chest, the referee kneeled to count. Dean backed away before he started, watching as all three seconds went by.
The screen erupted with the cheers of the crowd, but you were frozen. Sheamus shook your shoulders. âWhatâs wrong? They won.â
âIf this had been the original contract, Dean would have just given up his career⊠of his own free will.â
Roman was already gone. You hurried out the door to follow him. By the time you made it to the ramp, Dean was already enveloped in a Roman-sized bear hug. You took over, hugging Dean with all your strength. Seth was still in the ring, showing off his retained Universal title at each ring post. Brock Lesnar and his advocate came up the ramp, both of them panting. Deanâs back was still turned to them. Unaware of the danger. You pushed him and Roman back and stood between them and the advancing party. Lensar paused, amused that you thought heâd give an effort now that he was done with the company. He was long gone by the time Seth caught up.
The brothers in arms shared a victory hug. One that you watched from a distance. You couldnât hear what they were saying to one another, but that was okay. It wasnât for you to hear. When the huddle broke, Dean caught you around the shoulders the same way Roman caught his, and they led you backstage.
Seth Rollins looked out over the crowd. A sold-out arena all shouting âslay the beastâ. Because he had. With the biggest smile on his face in a long time, he lifted the red and gold belt above his head. It was theirs; heâd won it for them. And heâd defend it for them, no matter what it took.
After last weekâs contract catastrophe, itâs time for another round. People make the last of their plans for WrestleMania 35.
Warnings/Promises: wrestling violence, angst
Word Count: 4765
Note: Oh my goodness. Some of the stuff in this chapter I wrote three months ago. Itâs such a weird (sentimental/hesitant) feeling to finally see them in place. Please let me know your thoughts on this chapter and series with comments, reblogs, or even anon messages. Enjoy!
Part 1: Welcome to the Team
Part 46: At the Worst
The show was almost complete. In each hall, there were bustles of activity. You looked through the papers on your clipboard and smirked. Knowing your crew, the last few spots would fill themselves. The pen clicked in your hand as you were about to make a note when the lights flickered. Odd, you thought, observing the ceiling. When you looked back down at your work, you saw something move. You jumped back with a gasp as Dr. M stepped into view in front of you.
âMiss Ambrose.â
You stuttered through a breath. âDr. M. Is there something I can help you with?â
He chuckled and circled to your other side. âNot really. Instead, I have a diagnosis to share with you.â
The pen clicked again, and you slid it out of the way. Crossing your hands over one another, you gulped. âOh? Are any of my superstars in danger?â
âYes, of course,â he tutted. âAll of them. And you have put them there. You are blind, miss Ambrose.â He stepped closer, making you take a step back. âIt has led us to here, Monday Night Raw in ruin and wrestlers ready to rip each other limb from limb. Because you couldnât see past the fault that you built yourself, in a flip of things, the only title being talked about is the Universal. The one your cousin is fighting for on Sunday. The Intercontinental, the womenâs championship and tag titles, and AOPâs tag titles are an afterthought. You should never have become manager.â
Your back hit a wall as he stepped forward again. There was nowhere to go with his arm to one side and a steel trellis to the other.
âToo young and inexperienced. Thatâs my diagnosis. Hunter and Stephanie knew a puppet when they saw one. And in turn, you have played and pulled the heartstrings of the athletes of this company to direct them to your whim. To the whim of the ghost of the Authority. Because of it, you almost lost the one person you were trying to protect. You might lose him still.â
âStop.â
He grinned, knowing heâd won. âYou canât refuse the medicine when itâs the truth.â
Panting, you shoved him away. He lunged forward to say more but was speared out of sight. Through your fingers, you saw Roman beating him into the floor. Dr. M eventually worked his way free. He ran off, giving you a smug glance over Romanâs shoulder.
The Big Dog turned to you. âAre you okay?â
You couldnât answer. Not at first. âWhy are you protecting me? I donât really deserve it.â
Roman tightened his wrist guard. âIf Iâve learned anything about working with an Ambrose⊠miscommunication isnât a sin. It means that he needed someone to watch his back for people wanting to kick him when heâs down. Iâm just extending the favor.â He sighed, lightly placing a hand on your shoulder and guiding you to sit on a crate. âI see what you were trying to do. I donât approve⊠but I see it. I see you. Protecting your family in the only way you thought you could. Deanâll be fine on Sunday. Heâll have Seth. Either one of âem could kick Lesnarâs ass by himself. Between the two of them, Lesnar doesnât stand a chance.â
âIâm not so sure,â you muttered. âI still havenât seen what the rewritten contract look likes. He could still lose everything. And I-â
Just then, Dean and Seth walked up. You cousin plopped down next to you, missing how fake your smile was. âSo⊠when I asked about a match last week, you said something along the lines of âwho and how many?â Is that still on the table?â
You had to chuckle. Give the guys a match and all was right with the world. WrestleMania wasnât until Sunday, and the contract to be signed wasnât a bubble of worry. âGive me time to alert your opponents, itâs tonight.â
âGreat!â Dean slung his arm over your shoulders and beamed up at Seth. âMy favorite time for a match.â He bumped his head against yours.
***
There would be a couple of matches before theirs, though. Up first was the tag-team battle royal to find out the first opponents of whoever won the titles at WrestleMania.
âI donât know what Dr. M was talking about,â Renee said, watching the teams as the bell rang, âlook at this match Y/N set up.â She nodded as Michael Cole rattled off the team names: Ascension, B-Team, Gable and Roode, Heavy Machinery, Lucha House Party (with Kalisto on the floor), Slater and Rhyno, Titus World Wide, and one more. âDo Tyler Breeze and Dana Brooke have a name for their team yet?â
âIf they did, Cole would have said it,â Corey suggested.
As teams were eliminated (by one member getting thrown over the top rope to the floor) the competition was whittled down to a surprising few. Lince Dorado dodged and tossed out Tucker Knight, eliminating Heavy machinery and bringing it down to his team against Slater and Rhyno, and the team of Breeze and Brooke. Dana matched the luchador flip for flip, cartwheeling him into a corner. With Slaterâs help, they threw him over. Breeze drop-kicked Rhyno, guffawing that it hadnât made the man budge. It took Dana knocking Slater to the canvas and helping Breeze to do the same to Rhyno to give them enough edge to eliminate them both.
They jumped and cheered. Come even as soon as the Monday after WrestleMania, Tyler Breeze and Dana Brooke were going to have a tag title chance.
***
Drew McIntyre waited impatiently for his opponent. On social media, heâd called out Elias to meet him in the ring like a man. When Baron Corbinâs music hit instead, Drew gripped the top rope like it was the last strand of is sanity.
âSorry to disappoint you, Drew,â Baron drawled, âbut no one has seen heads or guitar of your WrestleMania opponent.â He grinned. âThe way I see it, you canât go into WrestleMania without a match. Blindly or otherwise. The Intercontinental deserves to be represented.â
âGet to the point,â Drew growled without a mic. He stood to his full height.
Taking big clomping steps, Baron made his way down the ramp. âI can solve both problems. How about this? We have a match tonight since Elias hasnât shown up. When I beat you, I get to replace him in Sundayâs match. You get to defend your title. I get to take it from you. And nobody has to listen to that awful guitar. Everybodyâs happy.â He stopped at the bottom, giving Drew a shrug.
Drew nodded, motioning for the referee to ring the bell. The match was on. With everything in place, the lone wolf was set on adding another title to his wall. And Drew was suffering the consequences of the drive. Baron sucker punched him, instantly regretting it as Drew turned to face him like nothing had happened. The match switched. Maybe not having a match at WrestleMania wasnât such a bad idea. More secure. But he didnât doubt Elias would show up then; he wouldnât miss his greatest concert.
Maybe if Drew hadnât been thinking about Sunday so early, he would have heard the swell from the crowd before the guitar cracked over his back. The match disqualified, Elias beat a hasty retreat. Baron followed him as far as the ropes, kicking Baron to the side.
âI hope you bring that guitar on Sunday,â he shouted. âYouâre going to need it. Sanctioned or not, our match just became a no disqualification match. And youâre going to be stuck in the ring with me!â
Elias simply grinned. âWhy not make it an extreme rules match? Go all the way for the grandest stage of them all?â
***
Finally, it was time for the match Roman technically set up. He and Dean and Seth marched down to the ring, ready for battle. Dr. M flanked by Akam and Rezar took his own sweet time getting to the ring. You groaned, watching a backstage screen. There was a schedule to keep!
The match went quickly though. Frequent tags. Flash pairings of opponents. But a pattern emerged. Dr. M wasnât using most of his attention on Roman like you thought he would. It was still there, but mostly he wanted to fight Dean. He pinned your cousin to a ring post from the floor while the ref was occupied with the other four.
âSheâs going to lose you. And be all alone again. Just like when you abandoned her the first time.â
âI didnât abandon her!â
âYes, you did. You didnât fight hard enough. How can you fight hard enough on Sunday with your brotherâs career on the line? Youâre going to have to choose, Dean. Seth or Y/N. And I can bet which one it wonât be.â
âYou son of a-â
That caught Sethâs attention, and he left Roman to knock Akam out of the ring and almost pin Rezar. By the time your team was reunified, Dr. M was back in his corner, reaching for a tag like nothing had happened. He circled inside the ring with Roman, muttering other worst case scenarios. âHard to protect your family, isnât it Roman? Hard to see the infection of power from the inside. Itâs almost like youâve lost your edge, if you ever had it. What will you do if you lose both of them on Sunday? With Seth and Dean gone, I doubt thereâll be any fight left.â
He caught a Superman punch for his troubles. And then a three count.
Backstage, you listened to a techie, the blood rushing from your face. You hurried towards the ring.
Akam and Rezar helped Dr. M escape the ring. He laughed. Dean looked conflicted. Roman looked defeated. And Seth looked angry to the point of unstable.
He was gone by the time you made it to the stage. You froze in your steps as Triple Hâs music followed you. The hand that landed on your shoulder was uniquely heavy. And you resented it already. Hunter followed you into the ring, tossing you a mic from his jacket pocket. The guys went for some as well, trying to catch their breaths.
Seth gained control of his heaving first. âOf course you would come out here right after a match. Itâs your way,â he said, looking at Hunter.
âIf you guys know whatâs good for you, youâll leave this ring. And you can resign the contract backstage.â
Roman shook his head. âWeâre not leaving. And weâre especially not leaving you out here with her.â Seth and Dean nodded. Their stances shifted. Ready for another fight.
You were half a step away from being frantic. âDean, you need to get out of the ring. Now.â
âWhy? Do I ruin his perfectly crafted plans by being here? In the place I earned?â Dean smiled at Hunter and stepped to him, pushing you behind him. âDidnât train this one as well as you did the last one, did ya? Sheâs got too good a heart. Guess thatâs what happens when you take the best of us and try to twist them to your plans, Trips. You fail. Youâll always fail. And Vinceâs command over this company will always overshadow yours. Youâll never be good enough for him.â He twisted as Hunter punched him in the jaw.
It took Roman and Seth to keep you from rushing forward.
Your cousin waved you away. âDonât worry. Heâs hit me harder than that. Just a warning shot. Or evidence that the Game is going soft.â
Panic made your voice crack. âPlease. Dean. If I can only help one of your tonight, itâs going to be you. Sorry, guys.â Seth sent you a sympathetic nod. âYou donât have much time.â
Hunter chuckled. âYou never had time. And now, because of what you chose, youâll never have it.â
Heâd ripped your heart from your chest. And it was all your fault. You sucked in a breath. The music that followed knocked it back out.
The Beast had arrived.
He marched down the ramp with Paul Heyman in tow. At the bottom, he paused just long enough to give the booing audience a smug smile. As they entered the ring, Hunter went to the other side and called for the contract. Seeing the leather folder made you sick to your stomach.
âLadies and gentlemen, my name is Paul Heyman.â He smirked while all of you except Brock, even Hunter, cringed to hear him speak. âAnd I am the advocate for the Beast Incarnate, the former Universal Champion, the destroyer of each man standing opposite here, Brock Lesnar!â He gave you a little wave. âAnd the bane of Y/N Ambroseâs existence. Not the most important accolade, but a fun one, none the less.â
You stuck your arm out to keep Dean from taking Heyman out right then.
Tapping the folder with a pen, Hunter moved to stand between everyone. âSince the events of last week, the contract has changed, returning to Y/Nâs original plan. Only the competitor pinned will have to leave WWE. For good. Now, we really need to make sure we all sign on the proper lines this time. Iâd hate to have to cancel this match because of a technicality. Especially since some of you,â he looked pointedly at Dean, âwent through so much to get here.â
âHeh, and some so little,â Roman chuckled, nodding at Lesnar.
âRoman, this does not concern you.â Hunter flipped open the folder and passed the pen to Lesnar. Once he had signed, he passed the folder to Dean, hesitating with the pen. It was snatched out of his hand. Dean made a point of making sure Hunter could see where he was signing, and Seth did the same. Then he turned to you. âYou should do the honors of signing as witness. It was your idea after all.â
Again, the pen was snatched out of his hand. But you hesitated to sign. Putting pen to paper felt like hammering a nail into a coffin. By signing that sheet of paper, you possibly condemned Dean in one way or the other at WrestleMania. Possibly. You hung onto that word as you handed the folder back to Hunter. âSatisfied?â You held your breath while he checked it.
Wrapping his arm around your shoulder, he nodded. Hunter led you out of the ring, with Heyman sitting on the ropes so you could get through. It wasnât until you were on the floor that you realized that only the three of you had left. You turned. Brock was staring down Roman, Seth, and Dean. Hunter caught hold of your shoulder again before you could take a step.
âLet it happen,â he warned.
So you had to watch. Roman acted first, immediately jumping with a Superman punch. Brock took it, then caught Roman and flipped him with a suplex. Quickly, he knocked Dean out of the way and did the same to Seth. He returned to Dean when he was finally on his feet. Together, they tried to stand up to rally a combined attack, but Lesnar didnât give them that chance. He took turns attacking them individually until each man was unable to move. Lesnar turned from Sethâs body. Before he could step towards his next target, you wretched yourself away from Hunter and slid into the ring. The Beast paused when you suddenly appeared before him, blocking his path to Dean.
On the canvas, Dean tried to get up. His arms gave out.
You flinched as Lesnar laughed. He poked at your shoulder. Over your head, he saw Dean growl. âYouâve got some balls, little girl. But youâll know better than to stand in my way after Sunday. After I rip apart your family.â He snorted. But he left, jerking his head to make Paul Heyman follow. Hunter smirked at you and followed them. But not before motioning to the carnage around you.
If you were to ever get one wish, it would have been to end that moment like the end of Summer Slam. The Shield standing tall and behind you. Instead, time ticked on and the show had to go on.
***
Backstage, Curt Hawkins was bouncing on his toes. His friend and former teammate, Zack Ryder, watched from his bench seat. âWhat are you doing?â
âWarming up my muscles.â
Zack slowly nodded. âOkay. What for? Neither of us has a match tonight.â
âJust because we donât have a match doesnât mean we canât make something of tonight. Getting the blood pumping in my body is going to help me think while we plan for the Andre the Giant Battle Royal.â
Jumping to his feet, Zack did his best to catch his bouncing friend. âWait. Hold up. Youâre entering the battle royal? Since whe-â
Curt stopped jumping long enough to catch Zackâs shoulders. âWe both are. If we work together, we have better odds of making it to the final two. I can promise you now, I wonât eliminate you until then⊠if you promise the same to me?â He held out his hand.
Zack looked at the outstretched hand, tilting his head to do so. With a sigh that morphed into a smile, he took it. âDeal. Until then, what do we do?â He yelped as Curt abruptly made him sit down. Enraptured, he listened as the first bits of a jangled plan was laid out.
***
The stage lit up in flashing purple, then in bright neon as Sasha Banks and Bayley entered the arena. They hurried to the stage, excited to make their announcement. Sasha spoke into her mic first.
âAnother week as champions, and I still canât believe it.â She stroked at the white and gold around her waist. The lump in her throat was too much, so she nodded at Bayley.
She wasnât doing my better in checking her emotions, and her voice cracked. âItâs bee a long hard road. Not just for us, but for the womenâs division. Last week we said that the Riott Squad accomplished what they set out to do. They defended the titles often and well, and they brought them to the forefront of the company. This may be only our second week holding these championships, but we donât want them not to be defended on the grandest stage of them all.â
Now that the conversation was back to business, Sasha had control of her voice again. She nudged shoulders with her partner. âAt the moment, we donât have just one team that stands out above everyone else. So, if we could please have all of the womenâs tag teams come out here, we have a proposition for you.â
It didnât take long for the groups to file out. Alexa Bliss came out too to stand with Mickie James and Alicia Fox. Nia Jax and Tamina dominated one side of the stage. The Riott Squad commanded the other. As for the tea of Natalya Hart and Rhonda Rousey⊠they stood on opposite sides of the stage. Something all the woman noticed and averted their eyes from.
âIt would be easy to give all the teams a chance at these titles,â Sasha smirked. âBut we have to admit, that doesnât really give a lot of a chance to Bayley and I. We donât have to be the ones pinned, we donât even have to be in the ring. And thatâs not right. So instead, weâre going to leave it up to you.â
âNext week,â Bayley said, âwe donât really care you come to the decision, but only one team is going to face us at WrestleMania. Only one team is going to get their moment.â
Sasha cocked her head. âAnd nothing is official until that bell rings. Best of luck to you all. Weâll be ready for whoever steps up.â She unhooked her belt, with Bayley mirroring her. They held the championships up, showing them off to a whole stage full of possible opponents.
***
Corey did not approve as the women filed out of the arena. âThatâs just like Sasha. So manipulative. And sheâs sunk Bayley with her.â
âI think itâs smart,â Renee offered. âThe Boss nâ Hug Connection can focus on retaining their titles, while everyone else will have to watch their backs until itâs time to enter the arena. Or even the ring. I guess getting attacked last minute on the stage is still possible too.â
âBut thatâs still not till next week.â Michael Cole did his best to pull them to the present match. âThis week, Ruby Riott will be defending her time at WrestleMania. If she beats Alexa Bliss tonight, she can relax and back up her squad. If she loses, she will have to face Little Miss Bliss for the Raw Womenâs Championship.â
The women came out one by one; first Alexa, then Ruby. As the match started, it was obvious that Rubyâs plan was to toy with Alexa as much as she could. She tested her height and her patience. Two things that bothered Alexa, but only one that she could control. Ruby snickered as Alexa huffed. Then she winced, doubling in pain as Miss Bliss hurdled into her attack.
It was getting close to end the show and both women were exhausted. Alexa was stumbling around on wobbly feet. Ruby was still smugly smiling, but it was drawn and overly forced. It was time for the plan. She knocked Alexa down to the canvas, hard. The referee counted to two while the bottom woman was trying to get her breath back. Then Ruby pulled Alexa up. Ending the count. Alexaâs head bounced off the canvas as Ruby let her go. Confused, both the official and Alexa twisted to watch Ruby leave the ring.
The referee began to count to ten.
Ruby continued up the ramp, walking backward. She gave Alexa a little wave as the count ended, also ending the match. While the championship couldnât be won by count-out, ruby ensured her WrestleMania moment with one. And she ensured that neither woman was leaving the ring until she couldnât kick out, or until she admitted being the lesser woman and submitting. Realizing this, Alexa growled. Brilliant strategy, but she hated that she hadnât thought to use it first.
After WrestleMania, a lot of things need to be addressed. Most importantly, Dean has a big decision to make now that his brotherhood his saved.
Warnings/Promises: wrestling violence
Word Count: 3410
Note: The things in this chapter wrap up the pretty much all of the title storylines I had to keep up with. Next week will be a super short chapter because it will focus on the main cousin!Ambrose storyline. And you guys are going to hate me. So, enjoy this one, while you can! Comments and reblogs are appreciated.
Part 1: Welcome to the Team
Part 48: WrestleMania Â
Monday Night Raw â April 8, 2019
âBurn it down!â
Seth walked out onto the stage triumphantly. The defended title bright and bold on his shoulder, he smiled brighter than ever before. Down in the ring, he picked up a mic. But he wasnât able to talk for some time. Between the continued âburn it downâ chants and âslayed the beastâ and âyou deserve it,â Seth couldnât do anything but bask in the moment. The gems bit into his hand as he did his best to ground his flying emotions. Finally, he raised the mic to his lips.
âThank you.â He bit his lip. âAll of last night, all everything it took to get here, and the only words I can find⊠are thank you.â Taking a deep breath, he continued. âThank you, for watching my back, for watching my story, and for sticking around through all the highs and lows. Last night could have been a big low. I could have lost everything. My career⊠my brother.â He choked back before he could say âDean.â Then it would be too real. Seth slapped on a smile. âBut we slayed the beast. And the best part about last night? He is never coming back.â
That earned a big cheer, as it should.
Taking a few steps around the ring, Seth worried his fingers through his beard. âNow, that was last night. And tonight, like with any night, any time, any place, I am going to continue to show that I am a fighting champion. After all⊠I am the reigning, defending, beast-slaying, Universal Champion. Nobody back there has enough aces on me to even consider taking this from me, much less the skill to do so. Unless thereâs someone back there who wants to prove me wrong.â
He didnât have to wait long. Another smile, soft and knowing, spread across his face as Finn Balor made his entrance.
âSeth, Seth, Seth. First of all, congratulations.â That much needed to be said and briefly applauded. âBut youâre wrong about a few tâings.â
âReally?â Seth leaned forward on the ropes. âEnlighten me.â
Finn stepped to the top edge of the ramp. âThere is someone who has the skill to beat you, and someone who âas the aces. There is no ring, no accolade of yours that can protect the Universal from me. Clash of Champions was a fluke. Anâ it was weighed down with the Intercontinental championship. I tried chasinâ after that, tryinâ to see what the fuss was about. But nothing is goinâ to be like holding that title there,â he pointed at the Universal on Sethâs shoulder. âI will give you tonight. Slaying the beast was a lot. But I will âave my Universal back. And then Iâll have it fer keeps.â
âIs that so?â Seth nodded, curling down the sides of his mouth. âI will accept your gracious gift of not having to defend against you tonight. Thank you.â He encouraged the applause. âBut when do you want it back? Might I suggest⊠Backlash?â
Now it was Finnâs turn to nod. âBacklash sounds great. What about being a defending champion?â
âOh, Iâm still going to defend it. But Iâm not going to deny others a chance. No, no, no, no, no. After I beat you at Backlash, Iâm going to need a number one contender. Or several, but I doubt thereâs even going to be one.â
âSo be it.â Finn bowed, then turned on his heel and left.
***
âNia, Tamina,â Charly caught up with the two women just outside Gorilla. âLast night you two were taken out fairly early in the preshow. You didnât even make it to the arena for the challenge-â
Knocking the mic away from her face, Nia took a second to compose herself. âLook, our moment wasnât in WrestleMania. Thatâs fine. Last night wasnât the last one ever.â
âIf anything,â Tamina added, âit means that Sasha and Bayley are weakened. Theyâve been saying since they got those titles that theyâve been friends for life despite their tiffs. But those âtiffsâ always seem to hit when gold is on the line. Itâs about time for one of them to turn on the other again.â She was cut off by the sound of Sasha Bankâs music.
In the arena, Bayleyâs followed, and they walked down to the ring together. They both took a mic, circling back to the center.
Tapping her fingers on her thigh, Bayley talked first. âWe did it. The Boss nâ hug Connection had their WrestleMania moment.â She bent with a smile. âHow awesome is that?â
âBut we know some people,â Sasha popped the âpâ and smiled, âare upset that they missed theirs. We donât need the Universal championâs well-earned week off. We can and will face anyone who missed their moment. And you ladies might want to catch it quick. Because next week is the shake-up, and who knows where these titles might go.â
Dropping their mics to techies, Bayley and Sasha waited to see who would answer, though they had a good idea. Fulfilling that guess, Tamina and Nia Jax came to the stage, and then to the ring to answer the challenge. The match that followed was worthy of the inaugural WrestleMania weekend. The women put it all out in the ring, sparing nothing. Not their bodies, their voices, or their lungs. By the time it came down to the wire, they were all panting and heaving to suck in enough oxygen to continue.
Tamina came around the corner and clotheslined Sasha. She flipped through the air, landing hard enough for Bayley to hear it. The Hug part of the Connection turned away to check on her friend. Nia took advantage, ripcording Bayley and nearly felling her. But the lithe form was quick, and Bayley reversed the hold into a pin, kicking off the floor until the count of three. Even though theyâd lost, Nia and Tamina left the arena smiling. They were smiling because Sasha and Bayley were not. And Sasha was not letting Bayley comfort her. All according to plan.
***
Another tag match followed. Last Monday, the team of Tyler Breeze and Dana Brook won the tag battle royal. They earned their match as the number one contenders and they werenât going to wait another week to use it.
The new champions met them in the ring, happily handing their titles to the referee to hold up. The victory made them blissfully proud. And blind. Danaâs first offense caught them by surprise. Sami was on his back and Kevin was out of the ring before they could blink. Throughout the match, they didnât know what to do about here. Breeze, they had fought at one time or another. And beaten. Dana? Did they treat her like a woman, with softer hits and gentler moves? She wasnât giving them the same charity.
By the end, after several close calls, they made their decision. Dana was a wrestler. She was fighting in this division because she could handle it, receiving and dishing it out. After the bell rang with Kevinâs pin on Breeze, they circled back to where Dana was helping him stand back up.
âThis isnât over,â Sami said, holding out his hand. âIf we challenge you to a rematchâŠ?â
The partners shared a look. Breeze took his hand. âWeâll accept.â
***
Roman caught Seth in a big hug. âI know I said it last night, but congratulations, man.â He chuckled as Dean gave their brother a slight hit to his chin.
âThanks. It was rough though.â
Dean agreed, eyebrows arching with the memory. âYeah.â
âI wish I could have been in the match. Itâs been a while since itâs been just the three of us ripping it up.â
âIâm kinda glad you werenât.â Seth laid his title aside. âIf it had been the three of us, thereâs no way Hunter would have changed the stipulation back. Two of us would be out of a job, and the last one would be⊠devastated. No title is worth that.â
Dean kept his eyes on the floor, flitting around to the sides and checking the hall so they werenât disturbed. âYou donât think heâll try to control her again, do you?â Suddenly, the tape on his hands was very interesting. âI mean, we were all almost in the palm of his hand there for a second. If he gets control of Y/N-â
âThat wonât mean that he controls us.â Both men patted his shoulders and the back of his head, and Seth continued. âEven when he did have her under his thumb, sheâs a fighter. An Ambrose. And now she knows what to look out for. You donât have to worry about her. Trust me.â
Roman caught the rest of his worried expression. âAnd I handled Dr. M. I have a feeling heâs not going to focus on her again any time soon. Heâs gonna have Braun chasing him down for not holding up his end of the âbargainâ in getting his title back.â He jutted his chin at Seth. âYou and Finn might need to watch your backs.â
As the conversation fizzled and the two of them wondered away, Dean couldnât help but keep picking at his tape. Heâd been wrong before, but life never wrapped up with this nice of a bow. If he was right, and he was afraid he was, if you were in danger then they were all threatened. With that in mind, he walked way in the opposite direction for some isolation.
***
Corey laughed. Inside the ring, Curt Hawkins faced off against No Way Jose. âWhat does Hawkins think heâs doing? One lucky win doesnât mean anything.â
âHow can you say that?â Renee gasped. âThat âlucky winâ was in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. Donât be such a jerk, Corey. What if this is the start of a new streak for Hawkins?â
âWhat if this is the start of the second losing streak for him?â
After a hard throw that sent him to the far corner, Curt crawled into a seated position against the corner. He glanced to his trophy sitting by the bell box. Nodding, he psyched himself up to his feet and went back into the fight, catching Jose unawares. The dancing, neon-braided wrestler knew what this match meant to him, but he wasnât going to give it away either. If anything, Jose worried that if he lost that the losing streak might pass onto him. Superstitious, yes. But he didnât want to risk it.
Jose almost ran into the referee. He stopped in his tracks, apologetic. Curt took the moment to sweep him up from behind, holding him down for a pin like his life depended on it. He survived the three count. The referee had to catch up with him to raise his hand. It was going to take some getting used to, sticking around for that part of a match. Especially if this really was the start of better days.
***
In the next match, Natalya had requested some time to work out what happened in the battle royal with Rhonda. Not five minutes before then, Rhonda had requested time to work out the problems they had backstage before then against the other tag teams. When they met in the ring, it wasnât to talk. The bell rang instead, and the referee did his best to stay out of the way.
Someone who also wanted to stay out of the way was Ruby Riott. But she wanted a close seat. She took a chair from the bell box and planted it outside the ring. At the commentary table far up on stage, Corey snorted. âSheâs not here because sheâs worried. Look at her! Sheâs enjoying this.â
âBut of course. Who doesnât like a good fireworks show,â Renee asked.
Ruby remained unmoved as the match collapsed outside the ring. Natalya was sprawled on her stomach by the stairs. Rhonda was on her back, the only sign that she was still alive was her chest rising and falling with a stutter. The referee counted to ten, ruling a double loss by count-out. The champion shrugged and took to the ring. She held her title overhead as if claiming their broken friendship as her genius plan.
âWhereâs Rubyâs Squad? Itâs unlike them not to help her cackle over fallen victims.â
***
They were backstage. Hunting. Mickie James and Alicia Fox tried to go the other way, but they were caught by their shoulders and then their hair.
âWhere are you going?â
âYeah, we just want to talk.â
The captured women yelped as they were thrown into crates and the wall and to the floor.
âNot so hot now, are ya?â Sarah kicked at Mickieâs stomach.
Liv picked Alicia up again and tossed her over her tag partnerâs body just as security ran up. As they were being separated, she shouted, âyouâre going to for stealing our moment!â They shook themselves loose and hurried down the hallway. On the ground, Alicia and Mickie held onto their heads and their bruised sides.
***
âLadies and gentlemen: the new Intercontinental Champion, Elias.â Sitting smugly with his rewon title around his waist, Elias set to strumming an upbeat tune. The crowd started to clap along, but as soon as they got off rhythm, he ended it.
He shook his head. âWas there any doubt that I would once again save the WWE from McIntyreâs mediocrity? If you just have faith, you will see that I am the light in this business. I can lead you through the rabble and the dim-witted that fill the locker rooms of both Raw and Smackdown.â He laughed. âYes, I am already planning far ahead. While I do not have the power to decide who moves between the brand next week, (even though I should; I would do so much better than Y/N or Paige in rearranging the rosters), I can name who I think would be a worthy opponent. Not thatâs much to pick from.â
Strumming his guitar once again, Elias began to rattle off names of who he wanted to face in the coming months. Some names like Jeff Hardy and Aleister Black got a cheer. Others, like Samoa Joe and Daniel Bryan, received boos laced with awe at the thought. âAnd any of these are more worthy of my time because Drew is home, too cowardly to face me instead of licking his wounds. Or perhaps he is avoiding the Brooklyn slime.â
While the crowd was booing the dig on their city, the stage erupted with flames and music. Baron Corbin waltzed out. The crowd immediately shifted their hate to the Lone Wolf. He twiddled his mic. âYou know what I dislike about you the most, Elias? It isnât your misplacement at the top of this business, or even your tuneless music; itâs that you canât see the real talent that should hold that championship.â He shrugged. âI didnât hear my name on that list.â
Elias shrugged back. âThatâs because one: youâre not on Smackdown. And two: you are also not worth my time.â
That made Baronâs blood boil. But he breathed the comment away, continuing to the ring. âAnd yet, Iâm here. Right here and now. And none of those guys are, if they ever will be. Who knows. Maybe nothing will change. I wouldnât put it past our managers to throw that curveball.â
âIâm going to stop you right there. You are not worming your way into a match.â
Baron paused at the bottom of the ramp. âIâm not worming my way in. Itâs official. Looks like youâve fallen out of favor with Y/N.â To emphasize his point, a referee slid into the ring and shrugged.
âSo be it.â
Elias tossed his headset and his scarves outside the ring, but he set up his guitar in the corner. He had planned to use it. It was the perfect target to throw Baron through. But Baron caught himself on the ropes before kicking back into Eliasâs chest. Kicking it from its perch, Baron paused with his boot raised above it. Elias lurched forward, but his boots slipped. The guitar crunched and Elias roared. It was a short rage and pride-fueled match after that.
The referee struggled to hold up Eliasâs wrist, but the champion snatched it away. He circled Baron, growling while he rolled around on the canvas. Elias seized him by the shoulders and pushed him away.
It was supposed to be a ripcord of sorts. But as Baron was pulled in, he dodged the raised knee and caught Elias around the neck and waist. The momentum was enough to help reverse into a Deep Six. The ring bounced as Elias fell. Stunned, Baron took in the view.
After not even a secondâs more hesitation, he snatched the title off the canvas and rolled out of the ring. He didnât look back until he was at the top of the ramp. Then he hurried backstage through the side entrance leading to the garage.
***
That was where you caught up with him. âBaron. Baron!â
âWhat?â
âYou have to give it back.â
He curled his grip tighter over the Intercontinental title. âNo, I donât. The way I see it, Iâm the one that walked out of that ring. I had the last say, the right to take this championship-â
âYou lost the match. And you went over my head in the first place. Hunter signed off on this, not me.â You blocked his path and crossed your arms. âIf this had been the other way around, youâd be screaming bloody murder.â Taking the initiative, you reached up to take the title. Probably a mistake.
Baron backed away with a snarl. He readied a fist to fly towards your face. While you were prepared to defend yourself, someone else stepped in between you. Dean puffed up his chest against Baronâs and kept you safely behind him. The arrival of the elder Ambrose sparked Baronâs memory.
âI donât know why youâre so eager to stop me, Y/N. Your cousin did the same exact thing with Seth Rollins a few years ago. He beat him in a match, with Romanâs help, and then ran off with the WWE heavyweight championship. How can you âcall me outâ if your own blood has done the same thing?â
That stopped you cold. It was a good point. Dean didnât think so. âI at least won my match.â
âLet him go.â
Dean whipped around, his brow creased. âWhat?â
You stepped forward, pushing your cousin behind you and maintaining eye-contact with Baron. âHe does have a point. Not to put Seth down or anything, but I think Elias is going to be a lot less patient to get his championship back. So, you should probably run.â It took no small effort not to grin as Baronâs face fell. He was soon gone, allowing you the space to chuckle. Until you saw Deanâs face. âWhat?â
âThatâs supposed to be my question. What was that about?â
You shrugged. âHe made a good point. And really, Iâm not too worried about it. Elias will make him pay for it.â
Dean grumbled. âYou were about to pay for it. One Corbin knuckle sandwich, order up for Y/N Ambrose,â he added teasingly.
Looking down and away, it didnât make you smile. âI have a lot to pay for.â
âNo, you donât. Itâs⊠weâre past that. Itâs done, finished, signed, sealed, and wrapped with a bow. You did what you set out to do. Lesnarâs gone and-â
âAnd it almost cost you everything.â
âBut it didnât. Seth is still champion. And Iâve still got a place here. Now Iâm always ready to kick Baron in the teeth, but you donât have anything else to pay for. You never did. Not in my book.â As heâd spoken, your head dipped lower and lower into your chest. Dean flicked your nose to make you look up. âAnd Iâll be damned if anyone tries to use that against you. Okay?â
âOkay.â
âOkay,â he said resolutely. âAlright. Now come on, great important manager of Raw. Seth owes us food. Letâs go.â He wouldnât take no for an answer, so you let him sling an arm over your shoulder and guide you down the hall. A few steps down, he kissed the top of your head and you felt ten pounds fall off your shoulders.
You were forgiven. And now you could be a family again. Â
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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The Secret thatâs been keeping Y/N and the Raw roster on edge finally comes to the surface. As threatened, Dean is at risk of losing everything⊠unless he can fight back one last time.
Warnings/Promises: wrestling violence, reconciliation
Word Count: 3525
Note: Oh my gosh. I keep looking at my series plot list, and itâs a little freaky to see it with so few chapters left. Pretty much everything is already plotted out, and in a perfect world Iâd just write it all in a weekend and queue it to go. Probably wonât happen, but eh. Thank you guys for sticking around for this personal test of mine. Please let me know what youâve thought about this series. DMs and anon are always open. Enjoy!
Part 1: Welcome to the TeamÂ
Part 45: Oncoming StormÂ
Despite the ruckus heâd caused in your office, Elias was not available for Drew McIntyre to beat up. Because you hadnât seen him. Nobody had. As a replacement, you placed Bobby Lashley and Dolph Ziggler in his path for a handicap match.
âThatâs smart of Y/N,â Renee noted, âMcIntyre practically hates Dolph, and Lashley is a strong challenge. Together they should be able to handle his rage.â
Corey wasnât so agreeable. âYeah, smart. I think that Y/N gave Elias too many chances; itâs gone to his head! First, he doesnât fight last week. Then this week he canât be found?â
âWell someone who will be found tonight will be Brock Lesnar. As Seth Rollins said last week, tonight is the signing of the contract for their WrestleMania match. All three of our competitors will get to face-off tonight.â
Renee harrumphed. âDebatable. No oneâs seen him either.â
Each time Lashley or Dolph switched tags, Drew took a second to breathe. To reset. He was wearing the men down, instead of the other way around. If he could keep this up at WrestleMania, then Elias was going to be in trouble.
Just thinking the name summoned a guitar strum. Drew stumbled in his attack as he heard the guitar and saw Elias circle the ring. Elias wasnât singing, just strumming, but it was enough to distract Drew from a series of coordinated moves. He roared and shifted his focus back. Calmly, Elias watched as Drew took control of the match again, eventually pinning Lashley.
McIntyreâs knuckles paled with his grip on the ropes as he stared down at Elias. It made his blood boil that Elias wasnât even bothered to react. As the drifter walked away, Drew swore that he was going to regret every note and strum.
***
Lashley and Ziggler werenât even out of the ring yet when Sami Zayn came out to the ring. He danced his way down the ramp, then took a mic. âHow would you all like to see me put my life on the line?â It wasnât what everyone thought he was going to say, but they welcomed the thought anyway. âAlrighty then.â
With a smart click of his heels, he turned to face the stage. âIâve got something to get off my chest. Now Iâm an NXT grown wrestler myself, and Iâll be the first to admit that moving up to the main roster isnât all itâs cracked up to be, but when it comes to the âAuthors of Painâ,â he said with quotation fingers, âI donât see champions. I see puppets. First Paul Ellering. Then Drake Maverick. And now⊠Dr. M, whatever that means. So, Iâm calling out you, AOP. Not your puppet master. I say that you canât defend those titles without help. That you are not champions. And that you are cowards that hide behind someone else. That you hide because there are not two strategic brain cells between you-â
He shivered as their music interrupted. But he smiled. Everything was going to plan. They marched to the ring, circling it. They stood on the apron on the opposite side of the ring. Samiâs back was to the stage when the lights went out. When they came back up, Dr. M. was behind him inside the ropes.
âThose are some strong words, Sami,â his voice made Sami whip around. âBut I know you meant every word. And I understand. You are a hypocrite. A coward that would never speak your mind out loud without Kevin Owens watching your back.â Slowly, Dr. M turned and faced Kevin Owens, who was just finishing his stealth climb into the ring. Unbothered, he turned back around. âYou can lead a man to a hospital, but you canât force him to medicine. So be it. Now if youâll excuse me, I have other patients to see to.â Giving a strong eye to Kevin, he left the ring. He snapped and AOP entered the ring, dragging in a referee.
The match that followed was rough. Akam and Rezar did not appreciate Samiâs opinion of them, nor Kevinâs attempt to attack their manager. At the same time, Kevin and Sami were standing by their proof. Without someone telling them what to do, AOP was stalling before attacks. A lucky hit took Kevin to the canvas, where he was pinned. They left celebrating like NXT days, then slipped back into their more serious mood before leaving the arena.
***
Deep in thought, you werenât watching where you were going. You collided with something hard and tall. Something that turned out to be a someone.
âNo, Seth. I canât talk about this.â You tried to move past him, but Roman stepped in to block your path too.
âWe have to talk about something.â Roman let go of your shoulders, give you range to turn back to Seth.
âWhatever theyâve offered you, itâs not worth it. Trust me.â Seth pleaded with his eyes. You avoided looking at them and focused on anything else in the hallway.
âI didnât do it for the money or the fame. Your story was lesson enough.â Your voice dropped, weary. âThatâs not what theyâve got on me.â
Seth titled your chin up. âWhat are you talking about? Whatever it is, we can help you.â
âNo, you canât.â Why was it so hard to breath? âItâs my fault and I have to do what I can to work around it.â The statement distracted them enough for you to get by, but Roman caught you again.
He leaned down and did his best to look you in the eye. âY/N?â
No oxygen. No thoughts. Just the words you didnât want to say. âItâs a contract. I pitched it to Stephanie and Hunter and thought they liked it. But they added things. Things that would rip Dean apart and-â You broke away from his grasp. âI canât talk about this. Iâve said too much already. Youâre just going to have to let me be.â
They stayed for a minute while you practically ran down the hallway. Blinded by the boil of emotions, you ran into someone else.
âY/N, we need to talk.â Baron loomed overhead.
âI canât. Iâm busy.â You hissed as his arm flashed out to block your way.
âMake time. I want a match. Tonight. Now would be good.â
You sighed and looked behind you when you heard footsteps. Roman saw Baron and knew why he was there. He gave you a nod, which didnât exactly please you, but it got both men out of the way so you could think. âFine. You and Roman have a match tonight. Now.â You stood still while Baron gloated. He dropped his arm with a chuckle, giving you room to finally escape.
***
Both men werenât going to give an inch. Even as their energy waned, the crowd was enjoying the display of power. Roman fell into the ropes on one side, trying to catch his breath. As he got back up and looked off into the crowd, Dr. M popped up in front of his face. Startled, he fell back into Baronâs next attack. He quickly recovered but was shaken. Dr. M had disappeared. Eerie laughter came from one corner, though nobody was there.
Baron fell to the canvas. Roman geared up for a spear. Dr. M appeared over his shoulder. Roman saw him on the Titantron and spun around to attack. Baron swooped in as Roman missed with a swing, beating him to the canvas and finally winning the pin. Then he got the hell out of the ring. No need to stick around when Dr. M was doing his thing. Dean and Seth ran by him on the ramp. They circled around Romanâs kneeling form.
With his eerie laugh in full force, Dr. M left the ring. He stood at the base of the ramp. And then he was gone.
Seth and Dean helped Roman to his feet and out of the ring. âDonât worry about me,â he said, shrugging them off. âYou guys have enough to worry about tonight. I havenât seen him, but if Brock does show up, you need to be focused.â
Seth sighed. âI take that to mean you wonât be at the signing?â
âNo.â
âThen what will you be doing?â Dean asked. He read the expression on Romanâs face. And disagreed. âReally?â
âIâm going to be watching Y/Nâs back. Same way I watch yours.â He tried to walk on his own but limped up the ramp.
***
Ruby had issued another open challenge. With WrestleMania not even two weeks away, in her eyes, no one was going to be able to take the title from her. She laughed with Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan in the ring while waiting for her opponent. They all froze as âIâm not like most girls,â played through the speakers. Ruby was mostly silent, and she didnât appreciate her girlsâ giggles as they wished her luck.
Their giggles turned to worried hints and tips as Ruby struggled. Nia was taking no prisoners. Several times, the bell box readied to announce a new champion. Each time, Ruby desperately kicked out. The counts got closer and closer to three. Sarah and Liv jumped up onto the apron, ready to spring at a momentâs notice. Nia moved to knock them off. The referee was checking on Ruby, giving the Squad room to attack her without repercussions. Ruby saw her fall and took advantage, retaining her title.
Like a pack of hyenas, the women laughed all the way backstage.
***
Alexa Bliss inched around a corner. She breathed a sigh of relief and proudly took a step forward without looking. She bumped into Ruby, fresh out of her match. âWell hello there, Alexa!â she tried to dart away, but Ruby tossed an arm over her shoulder. âDidnât Liv and Sarah tell you I was looking for you?â
Alexa gulped. Then disgusted, she removed Rubyâs arm from her shoulder. âYeah. So?â
âWell, you kept harping on âunfinished businessâ⊠and I have to agree,â she sighed. âWeâre not done. Now I just beat Nia, since you missed it lurking around backstage, and I am still without a match for WrestleMania. And it sucks, but you donât have one either.â She talked over Alexaâs sputtering. âI know youâre going to be busy hosting, but why donât we help each other out? I mean, I could always beat you up here and now, or Iâll just destroy you there. But youâll have a chance. You game?â
As Ruby caught her forearm in a vice-grip, Alexa grimaced and grit her teeth. âWhat do you have in mind?â
Ruby smiled dangerously. âWe have a match next week. Either way, youâre going to WrestleMania. But if I win, I pick the stipulation and you donât know until the match starts. And if you win⊠well, Iâll still beat you but at least youâll have a say in which way. Sound good? Great. See you next week.â
She was off like a shot, leaving Alexa to rub some feeling back into her arm.
***
As the new Raw Womenâs tag champions, Bayley and Sasha Banks had a few things to say about the former champions. âThey did what they set out to do,â Sasha said. âThey brought our new tag titles to the forefront of the business. Last week they had the main event of Raw. They were dominant, beating any team that came their way. And the Riott Squad proved time and time again that the womenâs division was something to pay attention to.â
Bayley nodded in agreement. âHaving said that, they forgot one little thing. Nothing lasts forever. The womenâs division is constantly moving forward. Evolving. Growing stronger and building momentum. Getting better and better. Their time is over. We are the future. We have been through NXT, Smackdown, Raw. The future is now. And it is standing here in this ring.â They held their titles up, then dropped them and fell into a fighting stance.
With their music, Natalya and Rhonda Rousey walked onto the stage. âThat may be so,â Natalya said, âbut as you said, nothing lasts forever. Prove that you are the so-called best of the business.â She motioned between herself and Rhonda. âYou ladies up for a challenge?â
The Boss nâ Hug Connection shared a smile. Sasha nodded. âSure. Are you?â
During the match that followed, Bayley and Sasha showed off. The high was still real, and they were capable of riding the adrenaline without making too many mistakes. Rhonda and Natalya, on the other hand, were struggling. Both were dominant in the ring. But when it came time to tag or to work together, cracks turned into fissures. One would reach for a tag, and the other would be missing. Then Rhonda was thrown from the ring. It took her eight seconds to wobble back to the ring. At nine seconds, she was reaching for the roes to pull herself up. At ten, she couldnât get into the ring. Furious, she stepped back, dragging Liv Morgan out from under the ring.
On the other side, Sarah Logan attacked Natalya, knocking her to the ground. The former champions disappeared as quickly as theyâd appeared. Thus freed, Natalya and Rhonda met back in the ring while Sasha and Bayley rolled out and watched from the ramp. The two women began to blame one another. Defending themselves truthfully to the Riott Squadâs interference, but neither was listening. The referee pushed them apart before it turned into another brawl. Natalya stomped off, breaking through Sasha and Bayley on her way by.
***
You focused on not letting your anxiety show. The ring had never felt so large an empty. Or so foreboding. It was time to address the WWE universe. âAs you all know, in just thirteen days, WrestleMania will finally be here.â Their response made your cheeks twitch with a small smile. âThere are one or two spots that havenât been filled yet, but weâve still got two weeks. That brings us to tonight. And to a contract signing.â You took a breath to call Seth and Dean to the ring, but Stephanie McMahon and Triple Hâs intros interrupted in turn.
They calmly walked down to the ring. Stephanie carried the leather folder in one arm. She sent you a perturbed smile after stepping through the ropes. âY/N, I found this in your office and figured you might need it. Itâs kinda hard to have a contract signing without the contract.â
âOops,â you halfheartedly gulped.
Hunter stepped into the ring too. You moved to the other side, using the space like an invisible barricade. âI would like to think otherwise, but it almost looks like you donât want this match to happen as planned. Donât you think Dean is mad at you enough?â
âLeave him out of this.â
Speak of the devil, Deanâs music sounded. You closed your eyes. This was a bad dream. Seth followed him out to his own music. And he had questions. âSo, I noticed a large absence backstage. Care to explain that, Hunter?â He joined Dean on the far side of the ring, forcing you to stand in the middle.
âThatâs right, Seth,â he mocked, âBrock Lesnar isnât here. How observant of you. No, Brock signed the contract already, as witnessed by Paul Heyman. Iâll be signing as your witness.â
You stammered, âwitnessed?â
The explanation was handed off to Stephanie. âWell, given the specifics of this match, we need to make sure that the competitors are willing to endure the consequences. And that they are doing this of their own free will.â
âConsequences? Free will?â Dean shared a look with Seth, then looked at you with a growl. âWhat is she talking about, Y/N?â
âGo on, Y/N, tell them what this is.â Stephanie waved the leather folder in her hand. Then handed it to you. Hunter stood behind her, daring you to rebel.
You swallowed. Hard.
âItâs a contract. For a triple threat match at WrestleMania for the Universal Championship.â The crowd initially cheered, but it faded into confusion. âYou two against Brock Lesnar, and against each other.â
Dean and Seth shared a look. Seth shrugged. âSo? This sounds like another one of your great ideas.â
âIt was.â If you could keep your breathing even for a few more minutes, maybe you wouldnât stutter. âWhen I pitched it to management,â you gestured towards Stephanie and Hunter, âit was a normal match with room for a no disqualification clause. But they⊠it developed into more. Another clause was added.â You licked your lips desperately.
âKeep going, Y/N. Youâre just now getting to the best part.â Hunter stepped closer and patted you on the shoulder to encourage you. It did nothing but make you shiver.
âAs the contracts stands, whoever loses the match has to leave WWE. Forever.â The crowd gasped, though Dean and Seth were still confused. âItâs not just whoever gets pinned, which was the original idea. Itâs both of the competitors who lose.â The words began to pour out. âThis means, Dean, that even if you pin Lesnar, Seth would have to leave too. Or you would if he pins Lesnar. Or both of you. The original plan was to create an opening to finally get rid of the Beast. I thought⊠I knew between the two of you that you could beat him. I thoughtâŠâ you turned back to look at the Authority. âI thought I was doing what⊠what was best for business.â
Stephanie barked out a laugh. âWhatâs best for business? Brock Lesnar is one of our biggest assets. Why would we ever give you a chance to ruin that for WWE?â
âYou guys are wasting your money to pay him to do nothing. Lesnar is not a champion. He may have had the title and the crown, but like an absent king, everybody knows where the real power lies. In the people.â Rage boiled in your veins. Â âDean and Seth are some of the best here. They just donât grovel at your feet like youâd like them too.â The word hung in the air, freezing over under Hunterâs scrutiny.
Stephanie stepped closer. âNo matter how many times you use that argument, Y/N, itâs not going to change anything. Now. Seth. Dean. The contract?â
You jumped as Dean placed his hand on your shoulder.
âItâs okay, Y/N,â he whispered.
âPlease,â you shook your head, mic at your side, âdonât do this. Itâs a trap. Please, no.â Your shoulders slumped as he kissed the top of your head and took the contract out of your hands.
Hunter smirked as Dean twiddled with the pen. Dean looked back, asking Seth if he was in it too. Seth accepted the pen as his answer, signing after looking at Deanâs signature. You covered your face and rubbed your temples, missing any silent conversation they exchanged. Seth handed the contract back to Hunter to finalize.
âSee,â Hunter said, signing blindly, âthat wasnât so hard.â He took Stephanie by the arm and gave you the contract on their way out of the ring. You glanced at the signatures, resigned to hate that you had just-
Wait.
You looked up at Dean, who was smirking. Seth too.
âMr. Helmsley?â Your voice caught in your throat for a second. âAre you sure you want this contract to go through?â Hunter stared you down as you fought not smiling. âYou seeâŠum. You signed the wrong line. You signed as one of the competitors.â A laugh escaped you. This had just gotten interesting. âAs this contract states,â you flipped back a page, âany wrestler who competes under this contract and loses must leave the World Wrestling Entertainment company forever. If you beat Seth, who signed in the right place, Brock would have to leave and youâŠâ you shrugged. âThe lawyers could read through this and double check how much of this would apply to you, but at the base understanding, you would not be able to wrestle again. No more WrestleMania moments, no more inserting yourself into matches. And, at the worst, you would also have to leave the administration.â
Behind your smile, it felt like your whole being was glowing. You held the folder out to him.
âI may make the matches, but you still outrank me. You can dissolve this contract.â
Hunter snatched the folder away and looked closely at the signature and the clause he added. He pulled it out of the folder, flipping through and scanning for any way out. The crowd was deathly silent as he considered all angles.
They went wild as he tore the contract in half.
âWeâre not done, Y/N,â he said, pointing at you.
âI understand, sir.â The threat could not defeat the proud smile on your face. Or the matching ones on Dean and Seth. Dean picked you up and spun you around once they were gone. âIâm so sorry. I didnât mean to get you into this mess.â
He ruffled your hair, despite your protest. âWhat else is family for?â He lightly tapped his fist against your cheek. âCan I get a match next week?â
Hunter and Stephanie show up to watch the Readerâs every move. They are witnesses to some of the hardest choices sheâs had to make in weeks.
Warnings/Promises: wrestling violence, angstÂ
Word Count: 3930
Note: Everything is coming together perfectly. Longer chapter, but it reads quick. Iâve gotten most of the fights down to tiny paragraphs, yay! Please let me know your thoughts on this series with reblogs and comments. I appreciate every single one. Enjoy!
Part 1: Welcome to the Team
Part 38: Squirrels in a Row (Royal Rumble)
For once, it looked like the show was going to run smoothly. You were in the garage clearing up some last-minute details when a long, black limo pulled up. It pulled to a stop in front of you and the driver rushed around to open the door. You swallowed dryly. Triple H got out first. He held out his hand, and Stephanie took the assistance. Plastering on a smile, you welcomed them.
âHunter. Stephanie. What a surprise. Itâs good to see you-â
Hunter grinned back. âThank you. We tried to call ahead, but your line was busy.â
You shivered. âSorry, I didnât mean to miss you. All the general manager stuff, you know how it is. Iâve got quite the show for everyone tonight. Are you going to be watching from your box?â
Sharing a look, Stephanie stepped forward and wrapped her arm around your shoulders. âActually, no. Weâve been impressed with how things are going, and we wanted to watch from backstage. See how youâve had such good control over everything. Be your shadows for tonight. We hope thatâs not a problem.â
It wasnât a question. It was a test. âNo. Not at all. Right this way. The first match will be starting in just a minute.â You led them out of the garage. They followed at your shoulders like crowsâ wings.
***
The placements of the NXT move-ups were still finalizing, but Heavy Machinery wanted to prove that they belonged on Raw. They had challenged the well-established team of Heath Slater and Rhyno.
âIf they win this match,â Cole mused, âdo you think theyâll challenge AOP?â
Renee thought for a second, then said, âitâs a possibility. Depending on how tonight goes, I think theyâll do great. Iâm more worried what will happen to them if they lose this match.â
âDonât jinx them, Renee,â Corey sputtered. They digressed into a disagreement as the bell rang.
Hunter beamed as he watched from a backstage tv. Occasionally you glanced up from your clipboard to catch Slater dropping Knight. Or Dozovic triumphantly grinning as Rhyno bounced off of him.
The referee had a surprisingly difficult time keeping up with both teams. The tags were frequent but displaced enough to show off each wrestler and their skills. Rhyno engaged Knight on the floor, keeping him from entering the ring to help his partner. His back was turned as the upper hand switched to Dozovic, who did the worm before dropping on Slater. Knight escaped and doubled teamed just long enough to help his partner set up a pin, then kept Rhyno from saving him. Heavy Machinery won the match, already cheering with the fans like Raw was home.
***
Later in the show, there were going to be three matches for the womenâs elimination chamber match. Bayley and Natalya were backstage talking about their matches when Alexa walked up. âWell look at you two being all buddy-buddy.â
âKeep walking Alexa,â Natalya shot. Bayley wrapped her arm across her shoulders, holding her from stepping to Alexa.
Miss Bliss gasped and fluttered hand to her chest. âI was just making an observation.â
Bayley stepped between them. âI doubt that. But Iâm willing to give you the benefit of a doubt. Any other observations before you⊠go away?â Bayley stared at her pointedly. Patiently.
Just into Alexaâs plans. She smiled sweetly. âWell, Iâm more confused than anything. Sasha and Bayley being in the chamber match sorta makes sense. But, Natty, if you and Rhonda are such good friends, why are you fighting each other tonight? Only one of you can have the spot.â When all Natalya did was growl, she turned her attention back to Bayley and hopped to sit on a crate. âCome on, help a girl out. You know better than anyone how delicate friendship is. Itâs the reason youâre holding on so tight to Sasha, right?â
In a split second of pause, Natalya was the one ready to hold back her friend. âSure, like youâve never turned on anyone, Alexa. Turn before you get dropped, right? Fine. As the one on the other side of that exchange, yes, Sasha hurt me. But I am still my own woman. My own power. Hell in a Cell proved that. Still, weâve got something working here. Itâs not perfect, but itâs what Iâve got. So, yeah. Iâm going to stick to Sasha. Partially to watch my back, and partially to watch hers. Because thatâs what friends do. You have to do what you have to do. You canât wait for your opportunities, you have to make them.â
Natalya guided Bayley away as her voice weakened towards the end. But Alexa kept going, pushing for all she could.
âSpeaking of opportunities, Bayley,â Alexa shifted in her seat, âcan you explain why both you and Sasha are going after the womenâs championship? I mean, arenât you guys already number one contenders for the tag titles? Sounds like youâre spread yourselves a little thin. Especially for such a delicate friendship.â
Bayley smirked. âWell, as far as either of us can tell, there hasnât been a woman holding double titles. Sasha and I would like to try for it. The Riott Squad can wait.â
Alexa tilted her head. âDo you think thatâs a good idea? Making them wait so you two can go after different titles? I donât know, Bayley. Sounds greedy and poorly planned if you ask me.â
âWell then itâs a good thing we didnât ask you, isnât it?â
Natalya stepping into Alexaâs face inspired the small blonde to retreat from her seat. âAnd when did this turn into a Moment of Bliss?â
Alexa put up her hands in defense. âI was just curious. Geeze.â She walked away, leaving the other women to process what Bayley had said.
***
Braun already had his spot in the Universal elimination chamber, but he wanted a match anyway. So you gave him one with Bobby Lashley. He was running on a high. Lio Rush was flipped several times outside of the ring, no matter how fast he ran. As for in the ring, Lashley was putting the monster among men through his paces. He had a goal to gain himself.
âWeâve just been told that if Bobby Lashley wins this match, then Y/N will give him another chance to get into a chamber match. Well, how about that?â Cole said.
âSounds nice of her.â Renee mused. âExcept for the part where giving him another opportunity takes it away from someone else.â Corey cut off her next words by telling her to hush and to watch the almighty Lashley perform.
Either way, the second chance was not to be. Braun had enough. He caught a second wind, using it to break Lashley down. And with Lio already out of the picture, there was no one to cause a shift with a distraction. As Braunâs arm was lifted in victory, Dr. Mâs laugh sounded over the speakers. He did not appear. But his presence and approval were clear.
***
Behind you, Stephanie and Hunter had nodded their heads in approval of the match, though Hunter did question the double chance even with someone as talented as Lashley. âAgreed, both powerhouses here on Raw. But why such favoritism, Y/N? I thought you were better than that?â
You sputtered. âItâs not supposed to be. Braun is a great wrestler, but he needs something to do every week or things can get a little⊠destructive. And I knew I could convince Lashley to fight if I promised another chance for the chamber, either of them. Maybe the promise was a little underhanded, but both wrestlers got what they wanted. Braun his match. Lashley his chance, which motivated him during the fight. And the crowd got what they wanted.â
âAll around a successful addition to the show,â Stephanie finished. âA great job, Y/N.â
âThanks.â The word stuck like glue in your throat. You let out a sigh of strangled relief as Seth and Dean walked into the space. âHey, Seth. Dean. What can I help you guys with? Canât promise much, but Iâll see what I can do.â
Seth shifted the Universal title on his shoulder. âWhat do you mean you canât offer much? Youâre the general manager.â
Stephanie spoke up before you could. âAnd as such, she deserves respect-â
You flinched. âDonât fire me for saying so, but didnât you guys say you were going to be my shadows? I didnât think shadows gave their opinions.â Inside your chest, your heart froze in place. Stephanieâs expression froze too, then slithered into a smile that she shared with her husband.
Hunterâs cheek twitched a smirk. âWe did say that. Our apologies. Please continue.â
With a nod and a shuddering breath, you did. âYeah, Iâm GM, but the show is pretty set. Thereâs not room for another match. So if thatâs what youâre here to ask about-â Their disappointment was immediate. âUm, but thereâs some chamber tournament matches soon. Seth, why donât you join commentary. Get a front row seat for your possible future opponent?â
âOpponent? You mean opponents? Iâm the champion. Iâm in the elimination chamber match, right?â
The fire in his eyes frightened you, especially with your shadows watching. âRollins, can we discuss details later? I donât have room for a match for you tonight. Commentary or nothing?â you shrugged. He looked past you to Hunter and Stephanie, then gave you a nod. You focused on Dean. âIâm sorry, thereâs nothing Iâve got for you this week, Dean. But maybe next week? Iâm still working on it.â
Dean did the same thing as Seth, glancing over your shoulder. With a grumble, he said, âfine.â
âIâm doing the best I can, Dean.â
âI know.â He rotated his shoulders and looked at Seth. âYou heading to commentary?â When he nodded, Dean tapped his forearm. âIâll walk with you.â
You watched them leave as Hunter complimented you on how you handled it. âYou did good. It was a simple no, and they took it well. Whoâs been helping you stand up for yourself?â
Over your shoulder your tossed, âSheamus and Cesaro. Theyâve been training me how to deal with guys bigger than myself.â With a huff, you finished, âthough I never thought Iâd have to use it with either of them.â
They talked amongst themselves like nothing had happened. âI need some coffee. Catering?â Stephanie asked. Hunter agreed. âYou need anything, Y/N?â
Pinching the bridge of your nose, you turned to face them. âNo, Iâm good. Thank you.â Hunter gave you a heavy pat on your shoulder on their way out. This whole thing was starting to make you nervous.
***
The Riott Squad fought a local team, easily squashing them. Charly caught up with Sasha and Rhonda at a backstage tv for an interview. âThe Riott Squad is proving themselves to be very dominant. How do both of you think your chances of becoming tag champions are going to go tonight? Especially you, Rhonda, since youâre fighting Natalya tonight?â
Sasha snickered as Rhonda stumbled looking for something to say. âWeâre going to be fine. Weâve fought in the past for the Raw womenâs title before. Beaten each other for it. Working together is just obvious. Weâre two of the best in the business. Why have dozens of matches against one another when we could work together. I mean, Sasha and Bayley are doing the same thing.â
The other woman shrugged. âYou could see it like that, I guess.â
âGuess?â
âYeah. I mean, Iâm teaming with Bayley because it means sheâs not fighting me for a title. I get to compete for a title, she gets one too as part of the set, and we stay out of each otherâs hair.â
Charly grimaced. âSo, teaming with Bayley⊠is a means to an end.â
Again, Sasha shrugged. âYou said it, not me. But if I win the elimination chamber, maybe I can go my own way again.â Rhonda looked at her with a grimace, not liking that stance at all.
In the background, Alexa walked by having heard everything. She looked between the women, unnoticed, and then carried on her way.
***
Also backstage, Dolph flipped his vest over his shoulder and rounded a corner. He bumped off a tall torso, smiling when he saw it was Drew McIntyre. The Scotsman growled, âI told you to stay out of my way.â
Dolph shouldered past him. âI donât know why youâre so irritated. Youâre still champion, arenât you? For now. Donât get your kilt in a twist.â
Drew roughly grabbed his upper arm. âIf you think Iâm going to let you hold your actions last week over my head for more than this moment, youâve got another thing coming.â He glared at him until Dolph raised his hands in surrender. Adding a bit of a shove, he released him. âWhere are you going so happily?â
âTo challenge an old friend for a spot in a well-deserved opportunity. For your title, come to think of it. See you in the Elimination Chamber.â He chuckled and left for Gorilla as his music started.
A few minutes later, Tyler Breeze entered the arena with Dana Brook at his side. She stayed ringside for the match, giving Breeze notes and helping him watch his back. This addition to the match was not in Dolphâs plan. Her attention for detail was making the match more difficult for him. And his attention to her was making it easier for Breeze to land punches and kicks. Dolph shook his head, refocusing. He flipped the match around, sending Breeze into defense-mode. A zig-zag finished the match.
All according to plan.
***
Two weeks ago, Zack Ryder had failed to place in the Universal elimination chamber. This week he was fighting his former partner, Mojo Rawley, for a place in the Intercontinental elimination chamber. For all of Mojoâs effort, Ryder made good use of his second chance. He won this match. Wrist in the refereeâs hand, he missed the way Mojo stared daggers into his back from his huddle in a corner.
***
A pair of Universal placements happened next. Chad Gable and Bobby Roode, while tag partners, both wanted to try to win a spot. Seth sat on commentary. He was talkative, but he dodged any mention of the earlier argument with you. Gable faced Jinder Mahal, accompanied by the Singh brothers. Although he had Roode in his corner, cheering him on, Jinder won the match and the spot. Seth wasnât bothered. Heâd fought and beaten Jinder before. No matter what was going to happen in a few Sundays, Seth said he could handle him.
Gable rolled out of the ring and gave his teammate an ego boosting pat on the back as No Way Jose entered. The second match was more friendly than the first. And as such, when Roode turned on the heat, Jose wasnât ready. Roode gave his defeated opponent a handshake, then accepted the bear hug from Gable as Jojo announced his spot in the elimination chamber. Seth welcomed this possible opponent too. He hadnât faced Roode in a while.
âThis could be interesting,â he said.
***
Baron stormed into your office, ignoring your groan as your moment of isolation was broken. âI know what you promised Elias,â he said, low and threatening. âHas he picked his WrestleMania match yet, or do you have to tell him which one he can pick?â
It took a moment to breathe down your bristling. âMr. Corbin, Elias had the same chance as anyone. Including yourself.â
âNo, he didnât. You gave him a better spot because he beat me before the Rumble.â
âAnd why are you just now getting angry about that match? It was two weeks ago.â You licked your lips, stalling. âI have a feeling thatâs not why youâre here.â You crossed your arms and waited for his answer. Â
He snickered. âI want a spot in the Intercontinental elimination match. And if you donât give me at least a match to âearn my way inâ, well, Stephanie and Hunter are here. Iâm sure theyâd love to hear how youâve been abusing power around here.â
Honestly, that didnât really scare you. Part of you knew theyâd probably chew him out more than youâd be in trouble. Still. You sighed and rolled your shoulders back. âMr. Corbin, tonight I was approached by a local wrestler looking for an opportunity. He just got one. Congratulations, youâve got a chance.â Baron smirked and started to leave. âOh, and by the way, if he beats you tonight, he takes your place on the roster and in the Intercontinental elimination chamber⊠and youâre out of a job.â
He spun around to face you. âYou canât do that.â
You smiled sweetly at him, a face you had picked up from Alexa. âYes, I can. The McMahons trust me as general manager more than they ever did with you, and as such, I have been given special liberties. Unless you would like to be fired now for attempted blackmail?â Baron balanced on the balls of his feet, seconds away from attacking. Rolling his eyes, he stepped back. âFantastic. Head to the ring. Iâll send for your opponent.â
With a growl, he left your office. As soon as he was gone, you let out a shuddering breath. You sent a text to Gorrilla, letting them know who needed to be where. When you looked up, Dean was standing there. âDean! Please donât scare me like that.â
âHow is it Baron gets a match tonight, but I donât? Or Seth?â
âDean-â
âWhat are you doing, Y/N? This isnât like you.â Before you could answer, he spun on his heel and left. You struggled to regain some composure, despite the pain in your stomach.
***
The match was about to start when Deanâs music hit. He waved at the ring, sniggering as the local wrestler waved back, then walked over to join the commentary table. âHey, Renee. Cole. Corey.â Like Seth, he avoided any discussion about your earlier conversations. But he was more than happy to make snarky comments about Baronâs style and lack of control. âItâs like heâs lost his marbles out there.â
To his defense, everyone watching the match agreed with him. Baron was unfocused. The local wrestler was gleefully using this to his advantage. It was a close match. The pin falls reached critical mass with Baron struggling to kick out before anything earlier than two-and-a-half. Thinking he was joining the roster, the wrestler tossed Baron out of the ring and began to celebrate.
âThatâs not going to be good,â Dean noted.
Baron swung back in and caught him in a Deep Six. He made sure the other man wouldnât be able to kick out by picking him up and dropping him in an End of Days. Growling in a mixture of irritation and relief, he got to his feet and let his hand be raised.
Grinning, he waved at Dean. He was going to Elimination Chamber. And so far, Dean was not.
***
The last three matches of the night were for three spots in the elimination chamber for the Raw womenâs championship. Well, to become the number one contender for the title, since Ember wasnât going to be in the match. Bayley entered the ring, pumped and ready. She groaned as Nia Jaxâs music played next. The Irresistible Force entered the arena with Tamina at her side. Bayley gave a small sigh of relief as Nia sent her backstage. Their match was going to be between just them.
Or, it should have been.
Bayley was winning the upper hand. She had been able to keep Nia on her knees or at least unstable on her feet. Then Liv Morgan swung into the ring when the referee was checking on Nia and attacked the hugger. By the time he turned around, Liv was again out of sight and Nia was more than happy to take the win. She left the arena triumphantly, laughing as Liv rolled back in a went in to attack Bayley again.
Liv was forced to retreat as Sasha rushed out. Apparently, the only woman who was allowed to beat up Bayley was her, and heaven help any woman who tried otherwise. Sasha made sure Bayley made it safely out of the arena and waited for her opponent.
Several minutes later, Alicia Fox won a similar victory against Sasha. She had to fight harder before Sarah Logan got involved because Sasha was determined to not waste her opportunity. But there was no one to save her like sheâd saved Bayley. So just after Aliciaâs hand was raised, Sarah and Liv swarmed the ring and launched an attack. They didnât leave until Sasha was unable to fight back. Then they left cackling, promising that they would give her another dose of damage in their next tag match.
***
Natalya entered the arena. She was all smiles, but it was strained. It quickly turned into a frown as Alexaâs music struck. Miss Bliss was followed by a techie crew who quickly set up for a Moment of Bliss.
âI hope you donât mind Natty, but Iâve got some questions. For you too, Rhonda!â she called over her shoulder. âAnd hey, you should be thanking me for postponing your match a bit.â As Rhonda walked out and took a seat she added, âI canât imagine either of you are eager to fight one another.â When neither woman answered, she continued. âThis is a talk-show, ladies. It means you have to talk. What happens if one of you wins the Raw womenâs championship after the Elimination Chamber? What happens to the-â she gestured between them, âthe friendship?â
âNothing.â Rhonda squirmed in her seat. âIâve been here for almost a year. Natalya is my closest friend here.â She faced Natalya. âWhy canât we try one of those things where we help one of us get the title, then weâre the first challenge? Between the two of us, we could either rack of title reigns or help one another ensure long, successful ones.â
Not it was Natalyaâs turn to squirm in her seat. âRhonda, Iâve been in this business my whole life. Iâve seen-â She sighed. âYou know those donât actually work, right? Someone always wants to be the best. They canât be that if theyâre always in their friendâs shadow.â
Alexaâs eyes glowed in triumph, even as she kept her mouth shut. Well, mostly. âThatâs very interesting stances from both of you. I think itâs time we saw that match then. May the best woman win.â
As Alexaâs music played for her exit, the competitors walked down the ring together. There was hesitation from both of them at the start. Rhonda continued to hesitate. What Natalya had said was nothing sheâd expected. Natalya sprung forward, beginning her attack. They could work this out later. Right now, she had to make her own opportunity. âTake what you can get,â she muttered. Rhonda heard and faltered in her steps. She caught a kick to the face that put her in the perfect position for a Sharpshooter. Natalya released her as soon as the referee told her Rhonda had tapped.
After all the mixtures of emotions, the womenâs elimination chamber was set. Ruby Riott, Nikki Cross, Lacey Evans, Nia Jax, Alicia Fox, and now Natalya would have their chance for gold.
***
Hunter shook your head after he helped Stephanie back into the limo. âWell done, Y/N. I have no doubts now that this is going to work out perfectly.â
You flexed your hand like it burned as the limo pulled away.
The Royal Rumble is a hit and a new champion is crowned. When Monday night rolls around, the reader and Seth Rollins have a heart-to-heart that reveals some of the motivation for some of her recent choices.
Warnings/Promises: wrestling violence
Word Count: 5340
Note: Itâs the Rumble, itâs big. Sorry. Interesting stuff happens though! I can already tell you that WrestleMania will be getting its own chapter. A lot of dialogue in this one, 95% of it advancing the plot. Comments, reblogs, and every other means of reader reactions are super appreciated! Enjoy.
Part 1: Welcome to the Team
Part 36: Choices
Part 37: Planning the Rumble and Beyond
Royal Rumble â January 27, 2018 â Phoenix, Arizona
âAnd we are rapidly approaching the first step on the road to WrestleMania!â Michael Cole introduced Renee and Corey before the last match on the pre-show. âNext up is the greatly anticipated match between the Nia Jax and Tamina against the Raw women tag team champions, the Riott Squad.â All three members of the announce table picked which team they thought would win. It weighed in favor of Nia and Tamina.
Sarah Logan and Tamina started off first, their rematch having been interrupted last Monday. Holding true to her promise, Sarah held the upper hand until Nia tagged in. Then she survived only a little bit before needing a respite and tagged in Liv. Ruby directed from ringside, watching her teammatesâ backs and calling for tags when she noticed either getting tired. Her presence was giving them an edge, something their opponents did not appreciate.Â
While Tamina was keeping the two occupied, Nia ran around to take care of Ruby. Liv disengaged and left the ring to help, leaving Sarah alone. Tamina was distracted as Liv attacked Nia, jumping on her back, and tried to go after her. Sarah used that to her advantage and won the pin.
The Riott Squad had retained.
***
To officially begin the Royal Rumble, the menâs Rumble match was first. The crowd counted down to each wrestlerâs entrance. At the number six spot, Deanâs music hit then shifted to Curt Hawkinsâs theme. Their match on Monday had ensured a better entry for Dean, but how much better remained to be seen until the fortieth spot. Again, there was a switch of music until Dean came out. About that time, Hawkins was finally eliminated. Dean gave him a salute on his way by before sliding into the ring. R-Truth entered last thanks to his win with Carmella in the Mixed Match Challenge.
Dean had his focus on a group of Smackdown wrestlers trying to toss him from the ring. Samoa Joe was leading the attack. Your cousin grinned as Elias approached, thinking he was there to help. Instead, Elias tipped Dean and two of the group over the ropes, eliminating them. And bringing the match down to the final five of him, Finn Balor, Mustafa Ali, Andrade, and Samoa Joe. Mustafa went for Joe and was assisted by the rest of the group to send him over. He tried to get back in the ring and retaliate, but the referees prevented him. Four to go. Finn rind the ring of Andrade after a show-off of power and ring acrobatics. Mustafa returned the favor, flipping onto Finn to weaken him, then accepting help from Elias to eliminate him.
It was down to Elias from Raw and Mustafa from Smackdown. Grappling against speed. And both capable of keeping their feet on the ropes instead of the canvas. Mustafa tried to flip onto Elias like he had with Finn, but Elias came up with a high knee. Exhaustion almost brought the match to a halt. They wobbled to their feet and gave each other an approving nod. Mustafa ran at full speed towards Elias hanging onto the ropes. The Drifter dropped, taking the top rope with him. Mustafa went over but landed on the apron. A hard shoulder finished the match.
Elias was going to WrestleMania. But for which championship?
***
Now the first of the Raw championships was up for grabs. Ember Moon stalked down to the ring, glaring at Rhonda Rousey already in the bottom corner. They started with a stare-down, muttering threats at each other. Threats only one of them was going to be able to live up to. Rhonda attacked first, taking the upper hand. Ember had to retreat until she was able to break free and make her own offense. From corner to corner, then around the ring, they fought tooth and nail. When the refereeâs ten-counts got to close for comfort, Rhonda rolled into the ring and out, breaking them. A count-out or disqualification would give Ember the win. Which seemed to be the championâs strategy.
Often, Ember would let Rhonda trap her in the ropes or in a corner, where the referee would threaten Rhonda with a disqualification if she didnât back down. Each one made her more and more irate. Her last fuming around the ring ended as she breathed herself down, then turned just in time to catch a Total Eclipse. One, two, and three. Ember retained her championship fair and square. Give or take messing with Rhondaâs head.
***
The Raw menâs tag titles match was also a mental minefield. But not because either side had ahold of the controls. Both the Authors of Pain and the team of Chad Gable and Bobby Roode had power and great minds for strategy. Either side could win the titles and no one in the crowd would feel cheated of a good show. But this is WWE. Since when is anything easy?
Rezar slumped off his feet in a corner. The referee was busy on the other side trying to break apart Gable and Akam. Roode rushed at full speed towards Rezar. As he reached the corner, Braun Strowman jumped up onto the apron and roared. Startled, Roode fell back and Rezar caught his legs for a roll-up pin. By the time the referee turned, Braun was gone; he counted to three. The bell rang. As itâs echo came to an end, it was replaced with laughter. AOP and Maverick rushed to the ropes, shocked to see Dr. M with the bell mallet in hand.
âCongratulations,â he said with a bow. He took the tag titles to the ropes and handed them to the referee to hand to them. Then he left with Braun, slowly backing up the ramp until he was sure that they knew who had helped them win. And why.
***
Heading towards the end of the show, the triple threat for the Intercontinental Championship was up next. Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, and Dolph Ziggler eyed each other from various sides of the ring. They stepped left and right, both trying to make the first move and to keep away from the others. Dolph nodded towards Seth, looking at Drew. The Scotsman shook his head. Not tonight. Not ever. Seth made to grab at Dolph. Drew grabbed him before he made a step. Dolph laughed as they fought and left to recline in a corner. He was ready with a near-zig-zag the second Seth was able to rid the ring of Drew.
When Drew was able to stagger his way back up to the apron, Seth and Dolph shared a look. As one they gave him a kick to the jaw. He crumpled outside the ring, giving them space to continue one-on-one. Dolph won control of the ring for about ten seconds, which he spent gloating instead of watching his back. Seth gladly took a breather as the two former teammates tore each other apart. He quickly rejoined them as Drew went for a pin, breaking it with a double fist between Drewâs shoulder blades. Sometimes all three were involved in a show of strength, each trying to push one man from the locked group in the center of the ring. Dolph was thrown wide, his back arching around a ring post. Seth turned from the view to a Claymore kick that dropped him for the pin.
There was a new Intercontinental champion. Drew kneeled, looking at his title, then stood tall and held it high, smug and proud.
***
It was a given that Carmella was going to enter last. But the presence of Alexa Bliss was a welcome surprise. The second appearance of Rhonda a little less so, but she wanted another chance. And she was willing to fight for it. Unfortunately for the both of them, neither made it to the final five. Alexa did have the pride and privilege of eliminating Rhonda before then, but she was eliminated by Lacey Evans. Who in turn was eliminated by Mickie James with a smile. She was tipped out of the ring by Bayley.
The final five women in the ring stood in a circle. From Raw, Ruby, Natalya, and Bayley stared down Sonya Deville and Carmella from Smackdown. The flurry of activity whittled down the group to just two: Ruby and Sonya. They ran and bounced off the ropes, colliding in the middle and falling to hold their torsos. With the fight that continued, the commentators wondered how the wrestling universe would change if Sonya left Mandy and joined the Riott squad. Or if they both left their teams to form a new one. The thoughts were thrown out the window as each woman refocused on breaking the other one down enough to throw her over the ropes. Sonya was standing on the apron. Ruby went to elbow her in the face, but Sonya used that momentum to send her flying over and onto the floor.
The ladiesâ WrestleMania moment belonged, well deserved, to Sonya.
***
***
Monday Night Raw â January 28, 2019
âWith the Royal Rumble out of the way, now everyone has to focus on the Elimination Chamber. Itâs one of the last chances to get into a WrestleMania match.â Cole side eyed Corey as he scoffed. âSomething to add, Graves?â
âYeah. The Royal Rumble could have gone better for several people if there werenât elimination Chamber matches before it. General manager Y/N might have ruined peopleâs chances!â
Renee piped up, defending you. âI donât agree with that at all, but look at it this way. Theyâve still got the Elimination Chamber and Starrcade to make it onto the card. Weâre on the road, but itâs not done yet. And starting the show is the first of those opportunities for the Raw womenâs championship. Mickie James and Lacey Evans are going to start us off. It should be interesting considering Mickie eliminated Evans from the Rumble last night.â
It was. Mickie continued to avenge Alexaâs elimination and worked to finish the fight sheâd started between them. Lacey took it all in stride. She sneered and knocked Mickie to the canvas, daintily walking over her with a yawn. Cole noted that it was experience versus class, though Renee didnât agree with the description of class. Laceyâs mask of control began to slip as Mickie refused to stay down and take the pin. She grew frustrated. And Mickie took advantage. She rolled up her opponent, bracing her feet on the ropes out of the refereeâs view, winning the match and her spot in the Elimination Chamber.
Lacey Evans left the arena fuming. She showed up on Smackdown on Tuesday and did not come back to Raw.
***
Finn Balor searched backstage, bouncing off Eliasâs shoulder at one point until he found Drew waiting to enter the arena. âThere ya are. Was beginninâ ta think that Seth was too much for ya,â he joked.
âWhat do ya wanâ, Finn?â Drew didnât look at him, instead focusing on a smudge on his white and gold title.
âIâm here to receive my end of the deal. Ya do remember our deal, right?â Finn crossed his arms and grinned.
Drew grinned back. âI do. Anâ I remember that it was for the Universal, not the Intercontinental. And that you would only get a chance for keeping Dolph off my back. Which you didnât. I handled âim myself. So, really, why are you here? I mean, the challenge is open, but youâll probably have to beat someone else to it.â In the background, Drewâs music started. He smirked at Finn, then turned his back to enter the arena.
In the ring, Drew took his time parading around and raising his new title at each of the corners. Mostly he was met with boos, which he ignored. âFinally!â He smirked and raised the title in the middle of the ring before dropping it to his shoulder. âItâs about time this title was worn by someone deservinâ of it. Someone whose attention isnât divided. Someone who will wear it proâdly like the gold it is and not as ânother win for the lists. The WWE has a true Intercontinental champion now. And I am going to erase the reign of Seth Rollins with my own long stay as champ.â
He growled as Sethâs music struck. âThat might be a little difficult, Drew. I mean, I was a pretty good champ. I defended it for over eighty days. And youâre barely going to hold it for twenty-four hours.â
âAnd what makes ya think tâat, Rollins? Automatic rematches are a thing of the past.â
Seth shrugged. âI know. But really, Iâm just trying to help you out. You see, our match wasnât one-on-one. Which didnât bother either of us, but I have a feeling that a certain former teammate of yours will make a claim. Are you going to let Dolph hold it over your head that you couldnât beat me by yourself? Have to admit, that doesnât sound like you.â
The side of Drewâs mouth twitched with a sneer. He looked past Seth, waiting for Dolphâs music to hit on cue. Or Finnâs, considering the earlier conversation. When it didnât, he nodded. âAlrâight Rollins, I hear yer point. Letâs get a ref out to here settle it. But⊠when I beat you. Thatâs it. I donât want to see you followinâ me like some sad puppy trying to get a second chance.â
With a grin, Seth walked down the ramp. âFair enough.â
They started like always, staring each other down from the other side of the ring. Drew ran for the attack, but Seth scaled the turnbuckles and was ready with a jump that turned into a Northern Lights Suplex. That set the pace for the rest of the match. With the way it went, people were going to talk about it for months.
It came to a screeching halt when Dolph in a black hoodie dropped the camera chords heâd been holding and slid into the ring. He toppled Seth, hitting him about the face and head. Drew tugged him off and threw him into a corner. âWinner by disqualification, Seth Rollins!â Jojo announced. âBut still your Intercontinental champion, Drew McIntyre.â Drew glared at Dolph, who only smiled back.
Seth was making it to his feet when you rushed out to the stage. He saw you coming and motioned for a mic. âDonât, Y/N. Thereâs not use restarting this.â He nodded respectfully at Drew. âItâs the way things happen around here. No matter what you try to do. And besides, we agreed. I only had one chance.â He stretched out his arm, nodding again as Drew accepted his handshake. Seth left the ring, Dolph scurried out, and Drew was left to hold his defended title high.
***
She was sitting on a crate. To a quick glance, Bayley looked like she was just waiting for the show. But her shoulders were slumped deeper and her head hung a little lower looking over her phone. You gently sat beside her and leaned your back against the wall. With a soft smile, you turned your head to look at her. She sighed. âHowâd you know?â
âYouâre one of my wrestlers. I do try to pay attention to how you guys are feeling.â You fiddled with the hem of your blouse. âAre you okay to talk it over with me?â
Bayley looked both ways through the hallway. âYou arenât busy?â
âNope. Iâve got all the time you need, sweetie. Is here okay to talk, or would you like to do it in my office?â
âNo,â she rushed. âYour office is too⊠official. Hereâs fine.â
You turned slightly to give her your full attention. âAlrighty. Whatâs up?â
There was a moment of silence while she gathered her thoughts. âI donât know what to do. Sasha and I are just this side of hating each otherâs guts. But we both hate seeing the Riott Squad with the tag titles. On the other hand, I donât⊠weâre not-â
âYou feel that because you guys arenât friends, you donât feel like you should hold the tag titles either.â
She sighed. âYeah. I donât trust her. Probably never will again. What kind of a team is that?â
Drumming your knees, you let the conversation lapse. âWould you rather be involved in the singleâs title matches? Youâd probably have to face Sasha in matches again, but you can go after your own goals then. Iâm sure Ember would be glad to face you.â
Bayley chuckled. âI actually donât mind Ember as champion. Sheâs doing a great job. And I really donât want to have to fight Sasha again.â She couldnât find much more to say. âI guess that leaves us at an impasse.â
âNot necessarily.â You tapped your collarbone, finalizing your thoughts. âThe Riott Squad beat Nia and Tamina last night. Â The Riott Squad will be looking for their next challenge. What better way to grab their focus than to beat who they beat? For all your disagreements, you and Sasha work well together. And youâre a threat. Ask any team or woman here. Fight them tonight. If you win, you and Sasha are the number one contenders for the tag titles. I assume your teammate will be okay with that. Lose, we can talk about your next step. Sound okay?â
Nodding, Bayleyâs cheeks twitched with a small smile. âThat sounds nice.â She bumped her shoulder into yours. âThanks for listening.â
âNo problem. You can come talk to me anytime. Or text me that we need to have another travel crate session. Whichever you need,â you jokingly added. She thanked you again as you left. You were only a few feet down the hall when Seth got caught up to you. âHey. I really am sorry about your match.â
He waved away your words. âIt was going to happen either way. Having said thatâŠâ He pulled you to one side of the hallway. âMiss manager of Monday Night Raw, you better get your ducks in a row or the consequences will keep coming.â
âI donât have ducks; I donât have a row. I have squirrels. They are everywhere, and their names are Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and apparently Dolph Ziggler. And depending on the week, thereâs another monstrous one named Braun Strowman.â You grinned tight at him. âIf you want my job dealing with his moods for a week, be my guest. Iâll split my paycheck with you.â
It was getting harder and harder to keep yourself from bubbling over. And Seth knew it. He was standing his ground, but at a split secondâs notice, he could be out of the way. So, you licked your lips and kept talking, trying to use up your oxygen.
âThough you guys do come in handy sometimes. People come to see you, they fill the seats. Management is happy. They pay me so I can pay off college. I get to have fun putting you guys in crazier match after crazier match. And for the most part, the show runs smoothly. And the cycle continues as long as I keep them,â you motioned toward the arena and crowd, âentertained.â
âSo, you do all of this⊠because itâs best for business.â
You froze and swallowed hard, looking at the ground knowing what he was referencing. âYes, I suppose so.â
Seth let out a deep breath. âIf you mean it⊠you have to say it.â
Looking up, you set your shoulders broadly. âFine. Yes. I do all of this: the ego-deflating, the stressful match setting, the rules and the stipulations, the wrestler wrangling, all of it,â you swallowed and tried to make your voice as strong as it could be, âbecause itâs best⊠for business.â
He nodded. âThatâs all I needed to hear.â Seth walked around you and left you alone. You refused to look over your shoulder, missing the look of knowing pity he gave you.
***
After a commercial break, Renee announced that a tournament for the Intercontinental championshipâs chamber matches had been set up. First up was Apollo Crews and Jinder Mahal, who begrudgingly agreed to send the Singh brothers to the back during the match. For the majority of the match, it looked like Jinder was going to the elimination chamber. He had Apollo wobbling on his feet and barely rolling back into the ring before the end of a ten-count. But Apollo was faking it. He caught Jinder in a flurry of hits, dropping him. It was a struggle to hold him down, but Apollo managed it, winning his spot.
***
The next match was just for the opportunity to get into the elimination tournament, this time for the Universal Championship. Dean and Baron Corbin met in a flurry of hits that didnât let up until Dean lost ground. He caught himself on the ropes, springing forward to hit Baron. They continued trading blows and throwing each other from the ring. Baron tried the most for pins. And each time Dean was able to kick out. Dean didnât try for one until after a Dirty Deeds, a method that was successful. Renee cheered that Dean would have another match for an elimination spot soon.
***
âReady for round two, Baron?â Dean blocked Baron from continuing down the hallway. âWhere are you headed so angrily?â
Baron growled, âto see your cousin and to give her a piece of my mind. You should come with me. Our match was filler, and you know it. Sheâs hiding something. Sheâs been hiding something for weeks. And if she doesnât come clean soon, sheâs going to have to start watching her back.â
Dean placed his hand on Baronâs chest to keep him from walking around. âWatch what you say about Y/N. It was a fair opportunity. She wouldnât have put me in the match if it wasnât.â
âYou sure about that? Seems like Elias gets more chances than you and look where heâs going. Oh. To WrestleMania. All he had to do was stay in your way. Or didnât you notice?â Baron shouldered past him, but only made it about a step before Dean snagged his shoulder.
âBaron, stay away from Y/N. Sheâs doing a lot better job at managing than you ever did. Stop being such a jerk about it and move on or youâre the one whoâs going to have to watch their back.â He nodded for Baron to go back the way he came. He didnât let go of Baronâs shoulder until he was sure thatâs where the lone wolf was headed. Once he was gone, Dean sat down on a crate and began to think about the last several weeks.
***
The crowd chanted along to EC3âs theme, âtop one percent!â He made his way to the ring, snagging a mic off the stairs on his way in. âWell hello, Phoenix.â He grinned. âI think itâs about time I introduced myself. As you all just heard, I am the top one percent of this business. The strongest. The fastest. The most willing to do anything to win. The best. Now, when they asked me to join Monday Night Raw, I wasnât so sure I wanted to join. Then I took a closer look at the line-up. Thereâs the heavy hitters: Rollins, Balor, Ambrose⊠Ambrose-es, the like. Heavier hitters like Strowman. Then there are several middle-grade wrestlers. Too many.â He titled his head. âThat made my decision for me. Raw is desperate for a talent like me. And congratulations, now itâs got one.â He looked towards the stage, confused, as Bobby Lashleyâs music hit.
âWoah, woah, woah,â Lio Rush said, popping out from behind Lashley. âYou seem to have forgotten one very important person on your âheavier hittersâ list.â
EC3 shrugged. âI really donât think so. Youâre not even on my,â he leveled his hand closer to the ground, âeasy prey list.â
âHar-har,â Lio sniped. âYou donât have to worry about me anyways. Iâm on 205 Live⊠if any of you were looking for ya boy.â He shook his finger. âNo, no, no. You forgot the one and only Bobby Lashley. You may be the top one percent, but he is the top of that. And if you donât believe us, heâll prove it when he pins you tonight for that spot in the Universal champion elimination spot.â
Unimpressed, EC3 backed up against the ropes. âThen what is he waiting for? Except for you to shut up. Get him down here so I can prove him wrong.â
Considering it was his first full match on the main roster, in hindsight EC3 may have wanted an easier opponent. Heâd faced big guys before on NXT, but Lashley also had the skill built up from years of wrestling in multiple rings, squared and octagonal. Still, he rose to the occasion. Thanks to a botched distraction from Lio, he caught Lashley in a lucky hit that dropped him and won the pin. He left the ring quickly, headbanging to his theme along with the audience.
***
Next was another round for the womenâs elimination chamber: Nikki Cross versus Dana Brooke, who was accompanied by Tyler Breeze. They both flinched as Nikki entered the ring in her usual high-velocity way. Breeze quickly dropped to the floor, giving Dana a thumbs-up as the bell rang. Danaâs superior strength could do little against Nikkiâs speed and resilience. Though she did get in several hits that showed off her gymnastic skills. But in the end, it was Nikki Cross who was going to the Elimination Chamber. Breeze reassured Dana, reminding her that they had a chance to go in the tag teams.
***
Speaking of the tag teams, the defending champions, the Authors of Pain, made their way to the ring with Drake Maverick to celebrate their win on Sunday. They were barely in the ring when Dr. M appeared at the bottom of the ramp.
âNo!â Drake said, rushing to the ropes. âWhat are you doing out here? Whereâs Braun?â he added twisting around to check the other end of the ring.
Dr. M smiled. âHe is in another wing of the arena⊠preparing the next dose of the plan. Why I am here, is to ask the powerhouses of the tag division if they have learned what they needed? And, if they are ready to begin the healing process.â He lowered his mic and waited patiently.
In the ring, Drakeâs brow creased. He shook his head, trying to figure out what the man meant. Then he was lifted into the air by Akam and Rezar. He bounced across the floor, where Dr. M stepped over him. He watched, jaw dropped, as Dr. M kneeled in the center with AOP flanking him at his shoulders. âIt has begun!â he shouted.
The Titantron came alive, showing what was going on backstage. Finn sailed through the air into a pile of boxes. Braun roared and picked him up, throwing him again, this time into a group of poles that clanged as they hit the ground.
In the background, Elias tweaked his guitar strings, struggling to hear them over the ruckus.
A few referees were able to make Braun step away so they could check on Finn.
Back in the arena, Renee shrugged. âI think heâll be fine. Finn already has a spot in the elimination match for the Universal. He beat McIntyre, Mahal, and Mojo Rawley for it a couple weeks ago.â
Adding his two cents and then some, Corey talked over what else she had to say. âI bet heâs still thinking about holding both titles. Balor might be a bit jealous of how Rollins was able to do that for so long. I think he needs to focus on one title at a time though. But none of that explains why Braun attacked him.â
âSure it does. Braun took the second spot before the Rumble. Honestly, Corey, your memory is very selective.â She giggled. âToo many Mean Girls quotes,â Renee quipped.
âHey!â
***
The women involved in the tag match entered, ready to prove themselves. Tamina and Nia laughed to see Bayley and Sasha actively avoiding one another as they came down the ramp. They stopped laughing after the bell rang. As youâd noticed, despite their differences the women made a great team. They knew each otherâs in and outs, their strengths, and their tells for when exhaustion was creeping in. As such, Sasha was able to keep Tamina occupied outside the ring, and Bayley was able to pin Nia. Sasha slid into the ring to celebrate like it was old times but just for a second. Bayley pulled her in for another longer hug as the defeated stared daggers into the womenâs happiness.
***
Ember Moon entered the ring next, her defended title bright on her shoulder. âWell, thatâs another match over. It doesnât matter how many more there are in the future, my next step is winning the Elimination Chamber, which I will be competing in. As champion, it is my right and my privilege to be in that match, being the champion that you all deserve. Here and active.â She groaned as Ruby entered the arena.
âAre you sure you can be that champion?â Ruby mewled. âWe all saw your match last night. It was close. Too close. Had Rhonda been the wrestler management thinks she is, weâd have a different woman in the ring right now.â She sauntered down the ramp. âNo matter. It doesnât matter which one of you won. What matters, is that Iâm going to beat you tonight.â
With a chuckle, Ember asked, âOh, really? And just how are you going to do that?â
Ruby entered the ring and stepped to Ember, making her take a step back. âI just talked with Y/N. Weâve got a match right here, right now, for your spot in the Elimination Chamber. That is⊠unless youâre too scared to compete. Or too tired.â
Ember swallowed. âFine. Whereâs the ref?â
The bell had barely rung when Ruby knocked ember over. She was quick to keep her off her feet, targeting the places Rhonda injured her on Sunday. It worked quickly. Ruby crowed triumphantly as the referee raised her arm in victory. She rolled out of the ring and was almost at the stage when you came out.
âI have to say well done, Ruby.â You gave her a clipped grin. âBut there is one little thing I forgot to mention⊠possibly because I didnât think Iâd have a reason to⊠but because you have taken the championâs spot, you will be starting the match at Elimination Chamber. I hope that isnât a problemâ
You gulped as she got in your face and took your mic. âI welcome it. And really, why would that be a big deal?â She twisted her head to look at Ember still in the ring. âA competent champion would be able to do it. A competent champion would be in that spot anyway. Iâm just speeding up my duties as Champion.â She held the mic back out to you, then dropped it before you could take it. Cackling, she left the arena.
***
Charly Caruso rushed to catch up with Elias as he headed toward the garage. âWait. Elias. Just a moment.â She caught her breath as he finally turned and waited for her question. âWeâve barely seen you just after you won the Royal Rumble. Which title do you have in mind to go after at WrestleMania?â She lifted the mic closer to him and waited.
Elias looked over her head where Drew McIntyre was leaving too. Drew glared, but gave him a nod, acknowledging the potential match and rolling his shoulder under the Intercontinental. The rolling of suitcases sounded behind Elias, and all three of them looked back to see Seth gathering the last of his things, placing the Universal title on top.
âWell?â Charly tried.
He looked forward, thinking. Then he shrugged and continued on his original path.