"B-b-b-bullet club." I raised my finger pistol to the sky, kissed it, and aimed to the camera right as Nick and Matt superkicked it all the way around.
"Ladies and gentlemen, accompanied to the ring by the Ring Of Honor Six-man Champions, she's a member of the bullet club, America's Day Dream, Taylor!" I stood on the apron with the Bucks on either side of me and Adam lifted me onto his shoulder until I flipped down.
"Atlanta...how are we feeling tonight?" The crowd roared and I just smiled, flipping my ombrèd hair off my shoulders. "Too sweet" chants erupted from the crowd. "Careful, careful now...we don't want to get in any trouble. It's good to be home, it's good to be in Ring of Honor and man is it going to feel good to be Women of Honor champion, my boys here...six man champs," I winked at Adam, "working on getting those tag belts too. Hear that Machine Guns, we're coming for you." I shot a finger pistol towards the entrance ramp. "Soon, and very soon, my brother will reclaim his title and I guess you could say the "Rhode" to greatness will have been paved and claimed." Right then, everything went dark and Cody's entrance started. He stood at the top of that ramp like a king. He looked so much like Daddy when he smiled, especially with Brandi and Marty by his side, my best friend...the one I looked up to more than anything, my big brother.
"Atlanta, how does it feel to be in the presence of royalty? Not just the nightmare, but a loving day dream! Her mother's beauty, her father's charisma, her big brother's attitude. I used to think I was the best damn thing in professional wrestling until I saw Taylor in that ring." He smiled and held the ropes for Brandi, then sliding in himself, Marty following after. "You've grown into such a beautiful woman, Tay. And you've been given such an honor....embraced by Bullet Club...protected, loved, given an Elite family, one even more so than you already had." He paused and I just looked at him. I couldn't tell where he was going with this. "But my Little Taylor, no one gets a free ride in Bullet Club. You have to prove your loyalty lies with us."
"What are you doing? You know I'd do anything for the Club?" I didn't even raise my mic because this wasn't what we had rehearsed.
"Would you though, Tay?" I noticed the Bucks had migrated over the Cody...Adam was the only one still standing on my side. "Would you be villainous? A young, scrappy Buck? Would you...hang a man?" Adam walked over to stand with Marty. "Would America's prettiest daydream become their worst nightmare? You want to be apart of this club, you have to prove it. You can't ride off your family name forever."
"Cody, just tell me what I have to do?"
"If you can't win your match tonight, I can't promise you the Club feels the same way about you that you do about them."
"I don't have a match tonight?"
"But you do, baby sister, you're in a elimination style 12 woman battle royal, except...every woman must pin or submit."
"Why are you doing this?" I asked quietly so no one besides us heard. He just looked at me and his eyes told me to be the Rhodes that I am and accept the challenge unless I didn't think I could. "Yanno, Cody...I'll play your games and I'll prove I belong in ROH, in the Club, in the Elite. I'll prove it all." I looked over at Nick recording for BTE, "so what do you think about that?" I superkicked his phone and dropped my mic, pushing past Cody to jump out of the ring. I kissed my ring finger the way he so often did and walked to the back to get ready.
"Hey honey." Brandi was the first to come up to me. She was still in her elegant emerald dress, which didn't make sense.
"Are you not in the battle royal?" I cocked an eyebrow at the woman who had become my sister not just by marriage but through love.
"No, no. Cody picked all the girls himself and said me being a part of it would cause issues. You know your brother and I love you, Taylor. I have no idea why he's doing this. But you are a Rhodes. You have your daddy's fighting spirit in you. And your brother's attitude, I swear. You'll always be my sister. Good luck tonight." She kissed my hair before she walked away.
I decided to wear my black and gold gear, but not Daddy's spots. I chose the black pants with the gold down the sides and my gold and black top. I'd rock the look of my other big brother instead tonight. Dustin would be proud when he saw it. I stepped out into the hallway after I was dressed and started stretching. The Bucks and Marty popped up next. "Hey Tay." Matt smiled in a weird way. "You excited?"
"Kinda yeah, I'm just...ready."
"I'm worried about you...you and Cody have such a weird relationship and you look up to him so much." Nick said.
"But he is right. We all had to prove we wanted to be in Bullet Club....I mean Jesus, I killed Adam Cole." Marty chimes in.
"And WWE buried him." They laughed and the Bucks each put a hand on my shoulder.
"All we're saying," Nick started.
"Is if you don't win tonight, it's been fun having you around." Matt shrugged."
"God Speed, little Rhodes." Marty tipped his umbrella at me and they all walked outside.
I started walking towards the entrance way when I saw Adam. "You're just not going to talk to me?" I kind of chuckled.
"You know, if you guys didn't want me in the Club, I could have made it just fine. I'm one hell of a wrestler and know how to sell a character. I don't need this? And another thing! You weren't there for me today when I needed you? Not anyone else, not Cody, not Marty or Brandi, not Nick or Matt. You. I needed you," I paused and ran the dynamic of me and Adam's relationship through my head again. Ever since I made it to Ring of Honor...he had protected me and showed specific interest in me. "I thought that we had..." Adam pressed his lips slowly to mine and kissed me.
"You're right, you don't need the Club, you don't. You're everything you just said and more. So go out there and do what you do best but don't let this define you, okay?" He kissed me again but this time I pushed him away.
"You too? Do none of you have any fucking faith in me?" I pushed him hard, and he actually looked hurt, "fine, you don't want to believe in me? Watch me go prove every one of you wrong." He didn't try to catch me, he didn't tell me he was sorry, he just let me walk away. I don't need him anyway, I don't need any of them.
I nodded to the production crew who hit my actual music instead of my Bullet Club music. I posed at the top of the ramp, ankle popped, hood up, back turned and let the gold pyro fall around me until the song dropped into a strong steady rock beat as I flung my hood off, gliding down the ramp and sliding into the ring on my elbows. I hit the pose and then sat on the turnbuckle, waiting as 11 other girls came out. All girls I knew, all girls I had fought on my way to the top. All girls who had gruesome matches with me. All girls with vendettas. All girls with no reason to care about my career or relationship with my brother.
The second the bell rang, I was bombarded with punches and kicks from every direction. One girl specifically targeted my ribs and I swore wasn't going to stop until she broke one. Eventually they started hitting each other and I took a second to breathe before going back into battle. I wiped one out no problem, now there were only 10 more. 25 minutes later, 10 more had become 5 more.
I couldn't breathe, at least two of my ribs were actually broken and my nose was bleeding. One of the bigger girls took out a young girl I didn't really remember, then I took my chance and hit her with a disaster kick...but one wasn't enough so somehow I managed to hit two. I laid on the mat long after I heard 1,2,3. Everything was coming in and out of focus and I couldn't breathe no matter how hard I tried. The more air I took in, the more it hurt. Someone took advantage of the broken girl on the floor, stomping hard on my ribs. I was starting to think Cody was right and i didn't deserve my spot in BC. But they had always had each other, they always came to each other's rescue. I wished Brandi would be the sister I needed right now. Those thoughts quickly fled. I knew I was all I had and all I needed. I kicked out of a pin I wasn't fully aware of.
When we both stood up, she went for a close line but missed so I took a chance and somehow managed to hit the Right of Passage. There, only three more. One attempted a spear but I took her out with a superkick. Two more, and they seemed wrapped up in each other. They fought in the corner, so engrossed in each other. I watched and waited until I saw the perfect opportunity. I caught the girl on the left with a disaster kick and the girl on the right I took down with a sling blade. My knee connected hard with the other's jaw. I held onto the sling blade, turning it into a cross face. I bridged my back and locked it in as hard as I could. It wasn't long before the other girl tapped. One more, I told myself over and over again. The crowd chanted my name, adrenaline flowing through my body. I crawled over and made the pin, but she kicked out at two. I made it to my feet first, and she stayed staggered on her knees, but I saw a chance. I saw my last chance. I bounced off the ropes and hit her with a shining wizard I had named"Taylor's apprentice". I covered her 1,2,3.
"Ladies and gentlemen, your winner of the match....the American Day Dream, Taylor." I laid there, trying to count my ribs and see how many were bruised and broken. I watched stars slowly go away and everything come back into focus. The crowd chanted for bullet club and "that was awesome". When I sat up The Bucks, Marty and Adam were each on a side of the ring. Cody sat on the turnbuckle directly in front of me. He had this small smirk on his face that I didn't understand. I scooted back from him but then the boys each jumped up on the actual ring. I was so confused and for the first time in my life I don't think I trusted Bullet Club...I looked frantically at Adam.
"Atlanta, lets give it up for the American Day Dream." Cody just smirked, dropped the mic and then security started ushering people out and the house lights went off. Each club member slowly dropped off the side of the ring, starting with Cody and ending with Adam who looked around rather confused on what was going on. After about 10 minutes, I followed and headed back towards the area they all hung out.
Everything was dark and I was scared, but when I walked in the lights came on, bottles were being popped and streamers were being thrown. "YOU DID IT!" They all yelled.
"What the actual hell is going on?" I looked at Cody who was taking off his tie.
"You did it, Tay. You proved that you don't need me. You don't need Brand, or young Hangman here. You're the best damn wrestler in the world, by yourself. That's what I wanted you to learn. All of us? We had careers before BC. You're just starting out and I want you to know that no matter who you think has your back, you'll always have to prove yourself and peasants never forget royalty. But that doesn't include your big brother, I'm always there for you. I was seconds away from giving it all away to come save you tonight. Are your ribs okay?" He pushed slightly and I cried out in pain.
"Just a little broken. But let's celebrate. I passed your dumbass test, let's toast."
"To living and loving the dream!" Matt called out after we all had our glasses.
"To brotherhood." I nodded to Cody.
"To Bullet Club." Cody said and we all drank.
"We're so proud of you." Matt ruffled my hair.
"We knew you could do it. We just knew if we pissed you off you'd do it even better. That disaster kick, beautiful."
"Which of the seven, aye Nick?" Marty laughed. "But I think there's someone else who wants to talk to Taylor right now." They all three looked at Adam and teased him as they walked by.
"I told you you could do it." He smiled weakly, unsure of how I would react.
"Did I hit it right?" I asked.
"What?"
"The right of passage, did I do it right?"
"That's what you're worried about right now?" He laughed, "You did it perfectly, Tay." He kissed the top of my head and carefully put his arms around me. "And about earlier, I just..I'm sor," I pulled him down to me and kissed him hard.
"Don't be. Please, don't be because I liked it, I like you...Adam. A lot and yeah the boys are gunna give us hell and Cody's probably gunna kick your ass but, I mean...I think we make a pretty good team, Hangman."
"The Hangman and The Day Dream...it does have quite a nice ring to it." He smiled down at me and kissed me slowly before Cody came and snatched him in a headlock.
"You hurt her, or push her to do anything she doesn't want to, or touch her anyway, I will fucking kill you and you will be out of this club and a job so quick. Am I clear?" Adam frantically muttered yes and Cody finally set him free. "Good, now why don't we get out of here and have Mom go check your ribs?" He smiled at me. "There's room for everyone in the Rhodes' house, go get in the damn car. The boys whorahed and all started outside. I was left with just Cody.
"You ever pull something like that again and I swear I will end you." Cody just chuckled but part of me meant it.
"You did good, Tay. Dad's proud. And you did it, you proved who you are and what you can do, and still did Hangman's finisher better than him. Really by the way? That one? Not Marty or some other guy? Hangman?"
"I like him, he's cute." I just laughed and Cody threw his arms around my shoulders, the two siblings from the backwoods one step closer to taking over the world together.