ONE FOR KAT
SUNDAY NIGHT HEAT, JUNE 17TH
"…So, then we realized we were in completely the wrong place. You should’ve heard Lita, baby. Your cousin can really chew a person out when she wants to. I guess some things really do run in the family. Anyway, so we finally found the theater. The bad news was that we were really late and we’d missed the movie by more than an hour. But it didn’t matter because the next one was just about to start. If it wasn’t for my snappy driving, we wouldn’t even have made that one."
"Crazy driving, you mean," Angel argued, giving a little smile. "And you know, it’s funny, Jerky. ‘Cause I actually asked you how the movie was."
"Oh, it was great, baby. You would have loved it. It was good for kids, but I swear, me and Matt were almost in tears. Even Jeff had a decent laugh and that kid really doesn’t laugh much. They even featured my Walls of Jericho. I tell you, I'm a huge celebrity, baby."
"Sounds like a good one," Angel mused.
"It was. You should have come along. So many of us were there and we really missed you."
Angel shrugged. "Thanks, but a movie about a big ugly freak with a wise ass offsider and a princess who fall in love with each other? Trust me, Jerky. I’ll wait for it to come out on video."
Jericho gave her a concerned frown as she scooped up some food and chewed it before finally meeting his gaze, her eyes sad and serious.
"I miss him," she murmured.
Jericho reached out and put his hand over hers. "I know you do, Rogue. But it’ll get easier."
"You’re right," Angel nodded. "Today I didn’t think of him at all for the ten minutes it took me to get dressed and go to the gym, but then, once I started my workout, he was inside my head again, coaching me, telling me what to do. It’s funny. It’s been almost a week but I haven’t run into him at all, and for that I’m eternally grateful. But it doesn’t matter. I can’t escape him. He’s everywhere. Everywhere."
Jericho gently brushed her hand with his thumb. "I promise you. You’ll get through this. You just have to have faith."
"Yeah," Angel muttered, picking up a napkin and dabbing at her eyes. "Right. So, anyway," she went on, trying to smile. "How’s Shrek doing? Is he okay?"
"Who knows?" Jericho shrugged. "You know how he is. If he’s happy, he’s silent. If he’s sad, he’s silent. I did get him a present, though. I haven’t given it to him yet, but I think he’ll dig it."
Angel frowned her interest. "What is it?"
"Just a little something for when he starts missing having someone to yell at. It’s one of those little robotic dog things. I could just imagine him screaming at it. ‘Sit down! Sit your ass down! Go get my food! Do it! Now!’"
Angel gave a sad little laugh. "Sounds great. Just as long as he doesn’t try doing to it what he did to his last slave."
"Yikes!" Jericho cringed. "Maybe I shouldn’t give it to him after all."
Angel giggled and stared down at her food again. "I know this is stupid," she said at last. "But I really do miss him so much."
"I know, baby," he soothed. "You just need some time for it to fix itself. And it will. Things have a habit of working out."
Angel nodded, wiping at her tears again. "The worst thing is I can’t tell anyone about it. Especially not Lita. Not even Trish knows the full story. You’re the only one, Jerky…but anyway…" She sighed deeply. "Tonight’s Heat and I’ve got some more run ins planned."
Jericho nodded. "Well, baby, if they’re anything like those last ones…"
"Trust me, Jerky," Angel told him, smiling for real this time. "I haven’t even begun. By this time next week, I guarantee it, I will have a King of the Ring match. I will be at that Pay Per View."
"Well, if anyone can do it, it’s you, Rogue. So, who are you gatecrashing tonight?"
"I can’t tell you that!" Angel scolded. "You’ll have to wait and see, just like everyone else."
Jericho frowned. "Tease."
"Jackass," Angel shot back.
"That’s it!" Jericho cried, leaping dramatically to his feet. "You, me. Right here, right now."
"Geez," Angel sighed. "Can’t we at least go to your hotel room?"
Jericho laughed maniacally. "Oh, you wish, baby. You wish you had this."
"Oh, you’re right. I just don’t know if I can handle your Canuck Heat."
Jericho grinned and cried out "Mamacita!" before they chimed in together, "eh?"
Jericho laughed heartily. "That would have made no sense to anyone walking past."
"I know," Angel grinned. "But that’s why I love ya, Jerky."
"Love you too, baby," Jericho told her. "In fact, you, me, right here, right now."
Angel had to laugh. If anyone could make her forget about Benoit, how ironic that it was the one friend they had in common.
* * * *
Ivory and Jackie sized each other up. They were both accomplished grapplers, veterans of the women’s division and both had strength which greatly belied their size. They locked up, with Jackie scoring first with a single arm takeover and then a scoop slam. She whipped Ivory into the ropes and scored the heavy clothesline. Jackie lifted Ivory for another scoop slam, but Ivory slipped out the back and countered into a suplex. She grabbed both of Jackie’s hands and pulled up, standing on her hair. Jackie screamed and the ref leaped in.
"One…two…three…four…get off the hair!"
Ivory shoved Jackie down, then grabbed both hands and did it again.
"Off the hair! One…two…three…four!"
Ivory turned to argue with the ref as Jackie writhed in pain on the canvas. Neither of them saw the intruder with the chair.
First, Angel slid the chair along the mat, then climbed in after it. She scooped Jackie up, backed herself to the ropes, then suplexed her from the ring. Next, she ran back to the chair and picked it up. Bam! Ivory hit the deck and the crowd roared its approval.
"Come on!" Angel screamed. "Get up! Get your ass up!"
Ivory crawled around and started to pick herself up. Bam! Another chair shot flattened Ivory.
Angel nodded clinically and sank her boot into Ivory’s side, kicking her from the ring, kick after kick until she finally hit the ground.
"What in the hell do you think you’re doing?" called a voice.
Angel spun around, a smirk on her face.
"Whatever I want," she replied simply.
"You can’t do that!" referee Jack Doan argued. "You can’t interfere in my match."
"Matey," Angel shrugged. "Looks like I just did."
Jack Doan lunged for the chair, but Angel simply ducked, raised her arm and back body dropped the ref, right out of the ring.
She prowled around to the cheers of the crowd, slamming the chair against the canvas, daring anyone, everyone to step back in the ring with her. No one did and she finally called for the microphone.
"Jack! Jackie!" she called. "I humbly apologize. The two of you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ivory, you weasly loudmouthed little bitch, you deserve everything you get. But now, on to business. William Regal. You think you can silence me? You can’t. You think you can stop me? You can’t. I told you what I want, and the thing about me is, when I want something, I damn well get it, you limey, pommy, jackass wanker. So, what I’m asking you, no, telling you, is this. Get your ass out here and give me my damn match, because, if you don’t, it’s real simple. I know all these fans came here tonight looking to see some wrestling, but I’m sure you won’t mind seeing a little of me, too." The crowd roared its approval, spurring her on. "And you know what? Since Ivory’s flat on her ass and the rest of Right To Censor have bitten the big one, it looks like the only one who’d even want to stop me is you, my friend. So, you wanna play, Regal? Let’s play." She threw the microphone down and looked towards the stage, beckoning a couple of times. Regal didn’t show.
"Oh well," Angel murmured, shrugging dramatically. She reached her fingers into the bottom of her tank top and slowly, slowly lifted it over her head.
The flashbulbs went crazy, as did the fans themselves. Angel grinned wickedly and spun a slow circle, giving Regal plenty of time to appear. Still he didn’t show.
Angel nodded thoughtfully.
"This one’s for you, Kat," she murmured, going for her pants. She undid them and carefully eased them over her hips, pulling off her boots as she did so.
She fixed her smile as the crowd cheered her on. Okay. So she was now on national TV in just her underwear and still Regal hadn’t arrived. She blinked heavily, telling herself one thing.
"Whatever it takes. Mama, Papa, I hope you’re still proud of your little girl once I do this."
Squeezing her eyes shut so she wouldn’t have to see anyone’s reaction, Angel’s hands traveled to the clasp of her bra and started to work it open. Suddenly, some music piped from the speakers and the crowd booed.
"Thank God," Angel muttered, doing her bra up and reaching for the microphone again.
"Geez, Regal. Took ya long enough. Or wait. Maybe you didn’t take quite long enough, huh?"
The crowd cheered, but Regal was not amused.
"Miss Torres! You filthy little tart. Put your clothes back on at once!"
Angel put one hand on her hip. "Yeah, I could do that. Or then again I could just continue my little show." She reached her free hand to her bra again.
"Miss Torres! No! This show has a PG rating!"
"Well," Angel shrugged. "Maybe you should have thought of that before you decided not to give me what I want."
"What do you want? What do you want?" Regal demanded.
"How many times do I have to tell you?" Angel cried, her chest heaving furiously. "I want to be in the King of the Ring!"
"And I’ve told you I can’t let that happen. The elite eight has been decided and you are not a part of it."
"Okay," Angel told him. "Then I guess the fans won’t get to see as much of me tomorrow night and at the King of the Ring after all. But that doesn’t mean they can’t see a lot of me right now. How about it, guys? You wanna see me strip?"
"Yeah!" roared the crowd.
"Okay," Angel shrugged. "You can’t argue with the fans." She reached for her bra one last time.
"Wait!" shrieked Regal. "Stop! You must stop that at once…you can’t…you can’t… Fine, Miss Torres. If you cease this display you shall be included in the King of the Ring quarter finals."
Angel paused, but made no move to put her clothes on. "Promise?"
"Yes, Miss Torres. I promise. Now, put your clothes on at once so we can discuss this like civilized human beings."
Angel reached for her top and pants, much to the disgust of the crowd.
"So, jackass," she went on, pulling on her pants. "Who will I be facing tomorrow night?"
"Well, my girl, that’s up to you, of course. Of the four match-ups set for Raw, which would you prefer?"
Angel thought about it for a minute. "Kurt Angle and Jeff Hardy. I know them. I can beat them."
"Well, in that case," Regal told her. "Tomorrow night, on Raw Is War, you, Angel Torres, will indeed have a King of the Ring quarter final. Against your opponents, Rhyno and Tajiri."
But Angel simply shrugged. She knew Regal well enough to realize he’d screw her over.
"Okay," she smiled. "Bring it on."
"What?" cried Michael Cole and Tazz from their commentary area at WWF New York. "Angel must be crazy. She wants to face Rhyno and Tajiri?"
"What she lacks in brains, she makes up for in guts, Cole."
"Well, I have to agree with you there. But really, Tazz. Why does she even want to be in the tournament?"
"She wants to play with the boys, Coleslaw. She wants to play with the boys."
"Well, she’ll get her turn to play tomorrow night as she joins the elite eight for the King of the Ring quarter finals on Raw. In my opinion, she’ll be lucky to come out of it alive."
"For once I agree with you, Cole. Tomorrow night, that plucky little Devil will be entering a whole new kind of hell."
* * * *
"Angel, what were you thinking?"
Angel spotted Jeff and broke into a grin. He was dressed for the ring and was just moments away from defending his Light Heavyweight title against Taka Michinoku.
She shrugged. "I know I said I only strip for people I like, but what can I say? I really, really like the fans."
Jeff nodded. "Well, I did enjoy the show, but that’s not I meant. You really think it’s a good idea to take on Rhyno and Tajiri?"
"Sure. Why not?"
Jeff formed a concerned frown. "Well, you know they were stablemates in ECW, don’t you? And they were both ECW champions."
"What are you getting at?"
"Angel," Jeff sighed. "You’re gonna get hurt. You’re gonna get hurt real bad."
"Only if they catch me."
Jeff sighed again. "Tajiri. He’s quick. Real quick. Maybe even quicker than you are. And Rhyno, when he goes for one of those gores? You can’t stop that, Angel. There’s just no way."
"Look, Jeff," Angel told him, putting a hand on his wrist. "I appreciate your concern, but you have to see it through my eyes. I got exactly what I wanted. A chance to prove myself. And once I win the match tomorrow night, I’ll go into the semi finals at King of the Ring, still as the underdog, true, but maybe people will finally start thinking, ‘hey, the girl can fight’. And then, I will win that match as well and I’ll go into the final. And still no one will think I can do it, but I’ll win. And then, finally, when I’m crowned King of the Ring, I’ll get my contract. There’s no way they’ll be able to deny me. No way at all."
"Angel…" Jeff started, but she cut him off by placing both hands on his.
"Jeff, I know what I’m doing. You don’t need to worry about me, okay?"
Jeff was powerless to argue when she smiled at him like that. Absolutely powerless.
"Okay," he sighed. "Just promise me you’ll be careful, okay?"
"Of course I will, Jeff."
"And Angel?" Jeff frowned, squeezing her hands suddenly. "You’re still friends with Chris, right?"
Angel froze, her mouth completely dry. She tried to swallow. "C…Chris?"
"Yeah, Jericho," Jeff nodded. "The two of you are friends?"
"Oh, Jerky. Yeah, we’re still tight."
"Okay," Jeff nodded. "Promise me one more thing. Promise me you’ll talk to Chris before tomorrow night. He was in ECW once, he knows what it’s like over there."
‘And,’ he added in his mind. ‘Maybe he can succeed where I’ve failed. Maybe he can talk you out of it.’
"Of course," Angel smiled. "We talk every day."
"Well, good," Jeff breathed, somewhat relieved.
"Hardy? You’re up."
"Okay." Jeff hoisted his title belt onto his shoulder. "Wish me luck."
"Good luck, Jeff," Angel smiled, patting him on the back and watching him head off.
"Hey, Angel," he called, turning back with a confused frown. "You really wanted to fight me?"
Angel broke into a slow smile. "Jeff, you’re my friend. It would have been an honor to step in the ring with you."
Jeff matched her lazy smile. "Some other time, huh?"
"You bet," Angel nodded. "Now get out there and kick some ass."
"Will do, Angel,"
Jeff told her, turning to leave again. "Whatever you say."
