Title: The Liberator
Part 27
Author: Angel Eterno
Rating: NC-17 - slash
Content: Slash, Romance, Abuse
Disclaimer: Characters don't belong to me. They belong to WWF and Titan Sports. No copyright infringement intended.
__________________
Vince was pleased: the show had gone well, and if there were any miscues or fuck-ups, he sure as hell hadn't noticed them. Rob Van Dam flopped onto the bench to get his breath back - it had been a brutal fast-moving match against Chris Jericho, and all he felt like doing was blasting the sweat and exhaustion away with a refreshing shower. He hadn't noticed the dark figure loom up out of the shadows until it stood just behind him, making him jump when he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder. He spun round to see Raven standing there, his face seeming to wear a sinister mask where the shadows half concealed it. His soft, charismatic voice sounding in complete contrast with his ominous presence.
"So where is my new playmate?" the words were low and lilted. He hadn't had a spot in the ring this session, thus was wearing his street clothes: jeans, a dark tee with his black leather jacket flung carelessly over his left shoulder. Rob almost emitted an involuntary shiver - he'd always got along well with Raven, but was glad Raven had never approached him to become a "friend". Rob spread his hands in a gesture of supplication.
"I don't know . he just seems to have disappeared. I guess he maybe doesn't hang about too much after shows ." He knew it sounded feeble - but it was true - there had been no sign of Raven's unwitting prey.
Raven nodded seriously, burning dark eyes seeming to pierce through Rob's soul - to seek out and dismember his inner thoughts. Rob attempted to blanket his mind, barricade it against psychological assault. Then to Rob's enormous relief he smiled.
"Maybe next time", he suggested. "I wonder who it was you had in mind? But then, I always did enjoy a mystery." And with one more fleeting sinister smile he had melted back into the shadows and gone out the door. Rob expelled a sigh of relief, as grabbing up his towel he dived for the nearest shower cubicle.
***~***~***
Shane was seated behind the large desk in his father's office. He was not happy. Apart from reading storylines and scripts, his father had placed upon his shoulders the onerous task of sorting out the finance and accountancy side of the business during Stephanie's two-week vacation. Not one of his most favorite chores. So it was with some relief he found himself interrupted by a sharp tapping on the door. He called out "Come in" at the same time as the door was flung open and shut again immediately behind the impressive figure of Chris Jericho.
Shane smiled - he'd always had a soft spot for Y2J.
"Good match," he indicated the monitor in the corner of the office.
Chris nodded distractedly. He wasn't interested in talking about his match.
"You and Rob Van Dam work well together - you seem to make a good partnership."
Chris peered closely at Shane at the last remark - was he trying to get at him? No, he decided, Shane had no idea of his one-off sex-fling with Rob - it had simply been an innocent comment. And if he had had an idea - he wasn't the type to make snide comments anyway. Chris nodded again, before launching into his prepared speech without further preamble.
"Shane - I want to ask you something .."
Shane leant back in his chair, prepared to give Jericho his full attention. He respected Jericho's opinions on matters wrestling-related, he loved the business and had offered some good ideas in the past. Moreover, it had been he who had exerted much influence on his father to get Jericho to jump to the WWF.
"OK, Chris, what is it?"
Chris paced the length of the desk a few seconds before turning back to face Shane.
"I think you should split up the tag team of Edge + Christian now." He stated, his eyes closely scrutinizing Shane's for his reaction.
Shane couldn't hide his surprise.
"Well - that's not really up to me - I don't write the storylines, the writers do, then they OK it with my father."
"But you must have some influence." Chris insisted, seating himself opposite Shane, who leant both his hands on the desk as if for emphasis, a puzzled expression on his normally serene face.
"Chris - let me ask you something - why do you want this? What is it to you?"
"Have you looked at any of those fan sites out there lately? Loads of people think the imminent splitting of the team is overdue, that the writers are stalling too much, and the way it's been lead up to long enough ."
"Chris," Shane warned, "Now tell me the real reason."
Chris hung his head, his untied hair falling forward to cover his face. This hadn't worked, Shane had seen straight through his feeble ploy.
"OK", he admitted, "Edge is brutalizing Christian - he's been beating him up for years. Now Christian's decided to make a stand and have no more to do with him - trouble is, the storyline still has them together - and that isn't helping him one helluva lot."
Shane could feel every ounce of emotion weighing on him behind those sapphire eyes, and although he half-guessed the reason, he needed to ask.
"Why are you getting involved in this, Chris?" he asked gently.
Chris hung his head again, unable to meet Shane's eyes. Then he lifted his head resolutely as he tossed his golden mane back, gazing intently at Shane.
"You know why," he was almost whispering. "You helped me years ago by recruiting me into the WWF, you knew what was happening to me and helped me get out! I know what Christian's going through - and now I want to help him. No-one should suffer that ."
Realization dawned fully now on Shane, as he remembered his interview meeting with Jericho a few years back. How the younger Y2J had endeavored to hide his real reasons for wishing to leave WCW. And now his old nightmare had come back to haunt him, mirrored as it was by Christian's situation. He, Shane, had been Chris Jericho's liberator - maybe now was the time to assume that role once again.
Y2J's words had trailed off, and Shane placed a reassuring hand on both Jericho's that were clenched together on his desk. Jericho then removed one of his and squeezed Shane's hand, saying nothing more.
"OK," Shane sighed, "I'll see what I can do. I can't promise anything - but I'll try."
"I knew coming to you was the right thing to do." Chris smiled his relief, elated that he had done all he could to help Christian's perilous predicament. His short crusade was over and he was filled with virtue at having made the right decision: Christian would be able to be with Rob with no more close contact with Edge. He would be so much happier with Rob - and Jericho quashed that old irritating tinge of regret that insisted on rearing its ugly head whenever he thought of Rob Van Dam.
"Thank you for listening, Shane, I appreciate it a lot."
Shane returned Jericho's smile, his eyes remaining fixed to the door closed now behind the departed wrestler, as he re-lived the past, the scenario of his disturbing first meeting with Jericho playing itself out once again in his mind.
Forcing himself sharply back to the present, he wondered how in hell he would persuade his old man to speed up the severance storyline without arousing suspicion. The last thing he could say to his father was "oh by the way, Dad, I think E+C should split up now coz they're both gay and Edge beats Christian up, and Christian wants to fuck RVD!" He almost laughed out loud at the irony of the surmised conversation; but he'd have to think up something plausible soon - and the computer may just hold the answer. Pointing his cursor to internet dial-up, he headed straight for the respected website Jericho had been referring to. Once at the appropriate page he hit the PRINT button, his thoughts losing themselves in the past once more against the humming backdrop of the machine spewing out its evidence.
End Part 27