*3 Months Later*
Cody: OH NO! NOOOOO!
Mandy, Sonya, and Liv came into the locker room to find Cody sitting on the floor and crying when Mandy ran up to him.
Mandy: What's the matter honey?
Cody was shaking until he pointed at his phone which was on the floor until Liv came over and picked it up when she read it and she put her palm over her mouth and she joined Cody by his side.
Liv: I'm so sorry......
Sonya looked at it too and she began to cry with Cody when the two step siblings hugged onto each other and they started crying together as it choked up Sonya when she tried to talk.
Sonya: I know.... it's.... sickening.
Cody then got up and began hitting the lockers and trashing the room until Sonya had to wrestle him to the ground to calm him down when she just hugged him tightly and rested her head on top of his.
Cody: Why?! JUST FUCKING WHY?! I mean.... his fucking daughter was in that helicopter with him!
Sonya: Cody.... I know.... He couldn't stop it, You couldn't, I couldn't, hell, no one could stop it.
When Cody was starting to calm down, Mandy and Liv came over to comfort him too.
Liv: I know how much of a loss this is to you and of course the world Cody, but it was one of those situations where it just happened. The man died trying to protect his daughter, but he couldn't do anything to save both himself or her.
Mandy: I know how much he meant to you as a role model Cody. Trust me, we're just as shocked as you are and we're here mourning with you about this. Kobe was one of the greatest basketball players ever, but what happened today was just beyond tragic.
Cody:............... I still remember the day I accidentally ran into him when I was 18. We were both arriving to Staples Center and we accidentally bumped into each other and I apologized for it and he just smiled and welcomed me to the arena and we went our separate ways.
Sonya: Even when we talked to him for a bit back in October.
Cody: Yeah. It may've been brief, but yeah.
Mandy and Liv just hugged him as Cody kept crying.
Liv: I know we're still in the mourning stage right now, but tonight I suggest that you give it your all tonight and win the royal rumble.
Mandy: Kobe and Gigi are your guardian angels now. Use them to help you try and win tonight and go to Wrestlemania to take the title back from that beast.
Sonya: We believe in you Cody. Win this for the Bryants and we'll go back to LA and visit the memorial that his fans are making for him as we speak and do our part in showing tribute to him.
Cody: *sniffs* ............. OK......
Cody then got up from the floor along with the girls before they all went to catering to see more superstars who were also shocked, crying, comforting each other, and mourning over the loss of Kobe and Gianna Bryant.
*Showtime*
The women's rumble had passed. Mandy, Liv, or Sonya didn't win it, but they got as far as they could have. Cody was currently wrestling in the men's rumble match when Drew had entered and got in the ring and Cody was in a corner of the ring after taking a beating from Brock until Ricochet low blowed Brock. Cody took advantage and used the skullbuster on Brock until Drew used the Claymore Kick and sent Brock over the top rope, eliminating him from the match as the crowd went nuts. After a few more entrants had entered, Cody was having trouble breathing again as he held his abdomen and began to crawl to a corner after AJ had accidentally kicked him in his chest where his lungs were at. Entry #21 was about to enter when the buzzer went off and Cody's head shot up when he heard the music of one of his childhood favorites started playing and he ran out.
Cody: No fucking way....
Edge got in the ring and ran past Cody when he speared Anderson, followed by Dolph, and lastly Drew. After having a brief staredown with AJ, Cody stood up and stood face to face with Edge until AJ ruined the moment by trying to attack Edge and both Cody and Edge started assaulting AJ.
*End of the Match*
It came down to Cody, Drew, Edge, and Roman when the four of them were all going back and forth with their finishers until Edge speared Cody and Roman hot Edge with the superman punch as he threw Edge over the top rope, but didn't eliminate him as Edge and Roman fought before Edge lost his grip and balance when he fell to the floor and was eliminated. Roman was about to eliminate Drew until he fought back and Roman was about to spear him only to be met with a Claymore Kick and Cody followed it up with a skullbuster to Drew until he eliminated Roman. It was down to Cody and Drew when both men went back and forth until Cody was about to hit another Skullbuster, but was met with a Claymore Kick and was eliminated by Drew when Cody landed right next to Edge.
Cole: Drew Mcintyre's going to Wrestlemania!
Drew spun around in victory and knelt in the middle of the ring as his music played while Cody layed on the floor in defeat when he threw his palms over his forehead and began to cry a little bit. Drew noticed this and got out of the ring to help Cody up as he offered his hand to him and Cody accepted it.
Drew: You got further than anyone thought. Just remember, this is not the end, it's only the beginning. You've got a bright future ahead of you.
Cody and Drew shook hands until Cody unexpectedly hugged him as Drew hugged back before they broke the hug and Drew got back in the ring and did his small celebration when the pyro went off near the Wrestlemania sign and Cody began to walk backstage with Edge behind him until he patted Cody on the back.
Edge: Hey Cody. That was amazing effort out there and some awesome sportsmanship you have.
Edge extended his hand as Cody smiled.
Cody: Thanks Edge.
Cody and Edge shook hands and bro hugged until he was met with a hug from his step sister and girlfriends until Sonya kissed Cody's forehead.
Sonya: The performance was incredible. Kobe and Gigi would be proud of that.
Mandy: We still love you so much Cody.
Liv: And your generosity and respect is like no other.
Cody: Kobe and Gigi would've wanted that.. I love you all so much.
Cody, Sonya, Mandy, and Liv all went to their locker rooms and showered up before changing and heading back to their hotel room in Houston for the night before they had a place to visit soon.
*3 Days Later*
Cody stood outside Staples Center in Los Angeles where people were still leaving flowers, jerseys, and basketballs by the memorial that all the Laker fans have left for a giant memorial they built for Kobe and Gigi when Cody, his girlfriends, and step sister all stepped up and layed the bouquets of purple and gold flowers in front of the giant picture of Kobe and Gigi that another fan had left there as Cody grasped hands with Mandy and Liv when he began to feel tears flow down his cheeks.
Mandy: While we're here, why don't you tell us some fond memories you have of Kobe's career.
Cody: God, where do I even start?
Liv: All the memories you can think of off the top of your head.
Cody:........ for starters, he was a five time NBA champ, finals mvp winner, been with the Lakers for 20 years, he scored 81 points in one game, aka my first Laker game, still played with broken fingers, a broken nose hell played with broken bones in general, made his free throws and walked off the court all by himself after tearing his achilles, put up 60 points in his final game ever, I could go on forever.
Sonya: But beyond all that, he was a loving father of four beautiful daughters and the best role model anyone could ask for, especially for my step brother.
Cody and Sonya hugged onto each other tightly as they all.stood there for a little bit longer and interacted with other Laker fans who were also mourning over the loss of their beloved Laker legend before Cody, Sonya, Mandy, and Liv all went to a local restaurant just across the street from the arena. After dinner and a few drinks, Cody was stumbling back to the room while Mandy helped him back and Liv put the key into the lock and opened the door and Cody was helped to the bed, until he went into a bit of a rage and began hitting the walls and floor again, only to be tackled by Liv.
Liv: Cody stop! STOP! YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN AND RELAX.
Cody stopped and calmed down as Liv hugged onto him.
Cody: WHY DID SHE HAVE TO FUCKING DIE TOO?! SHE WAS ONLY A FUCKING TEENAGER!
Mandy was helping Liv with keeping Cody under control as she too was trying to calm him down.
Mandy: Cody.... I'm crying over this too, we all are. It's one of those signs that just shows that mother nature can be an unstoppable force. I mean, yes the pilot himself had something to do with it, but it was mother nature that really had it happen.
Liv: And it can't be stopped. No one couldn't stop the events of Kobe's and Gigi's deaths. Plus, everyone is mourning over this, even us. I know she shouldn't have died either, but he couldn't stop it either. I'm sure he was trying to help her too when it was going down and he knew that he couldn't do anything to help her, so I'm sure he shielded her as best as he could, but they couldn't save each other.
Cody looked up at Liv.
Liv: This also shows that everyone is gonna die one way or another. I'm not saying that they're just two more people that died and I know it's always tragic when someone dies, but everyone is gonna die from something at any age and this was sadly how they both died and the ages they died at. It can happen to anyone, including you, me, Amanda, Daria, and anyone else in the world.... but we do everything we can to make sure that we're all here for as long as we are alive.
Cody started crying again until he pushed both women away and ran into the bathroom when he started throwing up everything he had eaten and drank just an hour ago into the toilet.
Cody: Fuck! Goddamn it!
Mandy came in and helped him up.
Mandy: Here, wipe your mouth.
Cody wiped his mouth with a wet washcloth until Mandy helped him to the bed and he layed down before he passed out until Mandy heard a knock at the door.
Sonya: How is he?
Mandy: Passed out drunk. You saw how much he had. It got so bad he had a drunken breakdown.
Sonya: Really? That's the first time he ever did that.
Mandy: I never wanted to see this side of him. It's so sad.
Sonya: Can you blame him? He just lost his main role model and supporter. He just needs a little space and some time. I mean, we all learn to live without people we've known and passed, but this one's gonna be a while for him.
Mandy and Sonya looked over and saw Liv cuddling next to him when Cody hugged onto her in his sleep.
Mandy: I guess you're right. See you tomorrow?
Sonya: Yeah. We gotta fly back to Texas for the show tomorrow night. All we can pretty much do is comfort Cody as much as we can for the rest of this tour. Like I said, he needs some time. For now, join him and Gionna and comfort him a little bit and I'll see you a little later.
Mandy and Sonya hugged before Sonya went back to her room and Mandy went to join Cody as she cuddled next to him on his other side and nuzzled herself under his free arm....................................................................