Another Monday night. Another round of mind games. I was backstage, lacing up my boots, already bracing for the storm that was sure to come. Cody paced a few feet away, arms crossed, jaw tight. The tension between us wasn’t personal—it was electric. We were both ready. We had to be. Especially after what went down last week.
The Rock’s theme hit, and the crowd’s boos came in like a tidal wave. I felt my stomach twist, that all-too-familiar heat curling in my chest. I stood up slowly, stepping beside Cody as we watched the monitor. There he was—strutting onto the stage like he owned the entire damn world. John Cena followed close behind, expression unreadable as always. But it was The Rock’s smirk that really got under my skin. “Here we go,” I muttered, glancing sideways at Cody. He just nodded, stone-faced.
The Rock lifted the mic with the same arrogant flair he always did. “Ladies and gentlemen, the future of WWE continues to rise… and you’re lookin’ at the two who are shaping it.”
He gave a side glance to Cena, who stayed silent and still. I rolled my eyes. “And before you ask, yes—we're going to be at Backlash. And yes—we’re bringing backup.”
I blinked. “Backup?” I murmured aloud. Then the arena went dark for a beat—followed by a booming theme I hadn’t heard in a while.
Nia Jax.
Her music hit like a sledgehammer. I straightened up, arms folding over my chest as the woman herself walked out with that signature swagger, joining Rock and Cena in the ring. The crowd was mixed—shock, boos, and a few pops just out of sheer disbelief. Cody raised a brow. “So that’s the play.”
“Guess it’s a three-on-two now,” I said under my breath. Then I grinned. “Good thing we found some back up too, just in case.”
In the ring, Nia took the mic and sneered, “You all really thought Angel and Cody were the ones to watch? Please. Angel’s nothing more than a traitor with a savior complex—and Cody? Just another wannabe Rhodes with a God complex.”
“Oh, hell no,” I hissed.
The Rock laughed. “Tell ‘em, Nia. Tell ‘em what happens when you ride on a dream built by better men. This is our time, and we’re gonna put those two ‘heroes’ down for good at Backlash.”
Right then, our music hit—“Awake and Alive” by Skillet—and the place exploded. I walked out with Cody beside me, mic in hand, and I swear the adrenaline hit like lightning in my veins. We didn’t rush. We owned that ramp. When we reached the ring, I stepped through the ropes with purpose, locking eyes with Nia like I dared her to throw the first punch.
Cody raised his mic. “You know… it’s funny. You three really think you’re untouchable. That the WWE Universe is gonna just roll over and let you rewrite history in your image.”
I stepped beside him, tilting my head at The Rock. “You thought three-on-two was smart?” I asked, letting the smirk tug at the corner of my lips. “Cute. But we came prepared.”
The crowd stirred—anticipation growing. Cody grinned now. “Because we’ve got someone too. Someone who’s not afraid to put down a false idol or remind the world why legends fall.”
Then it hit—“Voices.” Randy Orton’s theme. The roof blew off. I turned just in time to see Randy sprinting down the ramp, and Cena’s eyes went wide for the first time all night. Randy slid into the ring like a viper and pounced—RKO outta nowhere! Cena was down hard.
All hell broke loose. The Rock lunged at Cody. Nia charged at me. She came at me with a clothesline—I ducked under and spun behind her, delivering a brutal roundhouse to the side of her head. “Not tonight, Jax,” I growled, then followed it with a running knee that staggered her back into the ropes.
Cody and Rock brawled with fists flying, both men spilling over the ropes before Cody flung The Rock into the barricade. Orton had Cena in the corner, fists pounding away like a man possessed. And Nia tried to lift me into a Samoan drop—until I slipped out and nailed her with a dropkick that sent her tumbling out of the ring. Rock, Cena, and Nia regrouped at ringside, backing up the ramp, shaken but still scowling. Rock pointed a furious finger at us, yelling something about how we were going to pay. But I just stepped forward and raised my mic one last time.
“You better bring an army,” I shouted, my voice rising above the music. “Because the three of us? We’re not backing down. Not now. Not ever.”
Cody and I stood tall in the ring, but what hit harder was when he turned and offered Randy his hand. The two shook with a nod of mutual respect, a long-overdue alliance forming in the face of war. Randy smirked faintly. “Told you I never liked Cena.”
I chuckled. “Glad to see you haven’t changed.”
We turned to the ramp, where The Rock, Cena, and Nia stood watching us with murder in their eyes. Let them watch.
Because they weren’t facing just Cody and me anymore. They were facing a united front. And this time, we were ready for war.
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