-Roman's POV-
Pushing, shoving, running, screaming, crying, and just straight out panic was going on around me as I slide out of the ring, trying to make my way backstage. The sounds of the guns were loud and earth shattering. This wasn't suppose to be happening. How was this happening?
"Mr. Reigns!"
I turned as I heard a female voice scream, seeing her crouched down near the barricade holding onto a small boy. The pure panic and fear on their faces jerked at my heart and had me jogging towards her.
"Ma'am you need to get up and get to the nearest exit." I shouted through the people that where doing just that, the screaming deafening. "This isn't part of the show, this is real!"
"Please" She cried, eyes locked on mine as she gripped the boy in her arms. "I need to speak to you. I know-"
Shots began to ring out towards us, causing me to fall down behind the barricade. I winced as I lay flat on my stomach, hands on the back of my head as I prayed that the bullets wouldn't hit me. The gun fire stopped flying our way suddenly, causing me to glance around, my breathing rapid. I sucked in a breath, gulping as I saw some bodies laying motionless near me, causing my heart to pound even more in my chest.
"Mr. Reigns?" I heard the woman call out again.
I moved up to my knees, looking over the barricade coming face to face with the woman. Her dark eyes were swimming in tears and some faint bruising was around her eyes and her plump lip was busted.
"Mr. Reigns, I know whose doing this." She spoke. "I tried to alert security but they said I was looking for attention."
I eyed the woman, before looking at my surroundings. I took note of the gun shots still ringing out around the arena, knowing that we needed to get out of here. I had family in here that I prayed was okay and had made it to safety. My eyes wondered up into the stands to see some security fighting with a masked man in all black, which meant that was why the shots had stopped coming our way.
"C'mon." I stood, reaching over the barricade. "We need to get out of here or you coming forward won't mean shit."
She handed me the boy that she was gripping tightly. He looked to be about five or six, tears running from his dark eyes that matched his mothers, but the thing that gripped me more than the fear on his face was the John Cena shirt he was wearing. He was a fan, just as all these people that where running for their lives had been inside here. They didn't deserve this, and I just prayed to whatever higher power that he would protect them. Standing him next to me, he gripped onto my leg as I helped his mother over.
Lifting the boy back up into my arms I gripped the woman's arm and we began to run around the side of the stage and out of sight. Glancing up at production I saw no one in sight, curing internally I continued to run. Once in the corridor, seeing no one I stopped to catch my breath, sitting the child back down on the floor.
"Alright, what's going on here lady?" I asked, out of breath and my heart pounding rapidly.
"My husband is one of the masked men shooters." She spoke out of breath as well. "He was approached by some rich man who offered lots of money to him and friends. I never knew why until tonight. He made me pack up all my things along with our sons and said that we would be leaving here and going straight to the airport afterwards. He was taking me back to Mexico." She picked up her son, holding him tightly as she looked around.
"Your husband is shooting up the arena for what? This is insane." I paced a bit, looking around. Why was no one back here? Not even security.
"The man, the rich fellow, apparently said he had a score to settle with a lot of people." The woman spoke, looking around frantically. "My husband kept saying a name repeatedly. It sounded Indian, very beautiful. I don't know much but I know that my husband is out there shooting and-"
I looked up in time to see a man in all black, a mask covering his face like the man I saw out on the stands round the corner at the end of the corridor. The woman gasped loudly, seeing what I was seeing. It was like watching in slow motion as he raised his gun towards us, only I didn't give him time to fire our way as I jerked the woman by her arm down the hallway in front of us, shots ringing out behind us pushing me on.
"Go!" I screamed as she ran in front of me quickly.
As we rounded the corner we collided with other running bodies. Screaming surrounded me as I looked around, noticing the woman still close to me I jumped as I was grabbed by the arm, looking to see my good friend R-Truth standing there with wide eyes.
"Joe." He embraced me.
"Ron." I spoke back, looking around as people still ran. "Ambrose? Rollins?" I looked at him.
"I haven't seen them brother. I know they were going to find Renee after their match but then all this shit went down. This is crazy dog." He spoke quickly.
"Nonna" I gasped.
It suddenly hit me that she had went up into Hunter and Stephanie's private box to watch the remainder of the show with their kids, Kelly and her children. The private boxes where located up in the very top of the stands, where all the gun fire had originally started. I turned pushing my way through people, one thing on my mind. I needed to get to my woman. Wynonna.
"Joe!" I heard Truth calling out. "Reigns man." He gripped me, turning me.
"No, Ron I got to get to her!" I called out.
"Reigns you ain't no match for no guns dog!" He screamed, looking around us.
"She went up to a private box Truth. I-" tears filled my eyes as panic filled my heart. "What if-"
"Nah man," He shook his head frantically, holding onto my shoulders. "Nah, they could be done made it outside brother. Don't think like that. We can't be thinking like that!"
I looked around, my heart beat sounding in my ears as I felt like my world was burning to ashes around me. If something happened to her I would never be able to forgive myself.
"Look, we can't keep standing in here. We gotta get to safety while we got the chance." Ron's voice sounded in front of me
"Yeah, look, that woman over there knows one of the shooters." I spoke, pointing to the young woman who was still gripping her child a few steps down from us, people still screaming and running wildly around. "We need to get her outta here and to the nearest officer okay?"
"Alright, let's go." He turned walking back towards her.
Once I knew he was occupied with helping her, I turned and began to push my way through the people who where running past full force. I could hear Ron calling my name loudly, but I kept moving. I had to at least try and make sure she was okay. Wynonna was one of my main reasons for breathing, if I lost her I would loose half of my heart and soul. We had a daughter at home that was waiting on the both of us to come through that door tonight, and I wanted to make sure she got that.
Running through a side door, my breath caught in my throat as I came up on a man holding a gun up to my cousin Tamina's head. Tamina's eyes where wide with fear as she stared him down, blocking a crying Stephanie McMahon from the shooter.
"I'll drop you bitch!" The man screamed, both women jumping in fear.
I sprung into action, wrapping an arm around the man throat and applying pressure as Tamina and Stephanie moved quickly, missing the shot as it sounded. I wrestled with the man, finding him to be just as strong as me. I growled as Tamina jumped in, gripping his arm that held the gun, trying to slap it out of his grasp. I brought my fist back and began to connect with the mans face, hearing him grunt and snarl in pain. Suddenly we all went flying as a force hit us, knocking us all over. I gasp, trying to regain the breath I had lost as I glanced up quickly catching the sight of Bruan Strowman beating the gunman's head against the floor, loud snarls coming from him mouth.
Shuffling to my feet, I glanced around to make sure no other gun men was waiting in the wings as I kicked the gun laying on the floor, sending it into the other room. Turning I suddenly halted as I saw Tamina cradling Stephanie, seeing blood seeping out of her leg.
"Uce please." Tamina cried out. "She was hit when we where running down the hall."
"I can't bare weight." Stephanie cried, her eyes looking around in fear.
"Hey, I got you alright?" I looked around, before picking her up bridal style and standing. "We're gonna get you outta here okay?" Looking at my cousin, trying to see if she had any wounds. "You good?"
"You know me Uce, always good. Let's get the hell outta this mess."
Glancing over towards Bruan I smiled as I saw he had also tossed the man he had saved us from over his shoulder with ease. He turned toward us and nodded his head before letting us walk in front of him. Tamina in the front looking around cautiously as we made our way through the hall, seeing a side exit. I followed her out the door, holding onto Stephanie who gripped at her bleeding leg, letting out soft whimpers.
"Joe, Paul was sending up a team to get to Maria and the girls. Kelly and her children where in there with Wynonna, but Paul lost connection when the shooting began backstage." Stephanie spoke as we descended some steps.
"Do you think they made it to them?" Tamina asked, peeking over her shoulder at us before looking around, nodding her head as we kept walking, seeing some flashing lights just up the small hill.
"Wynonna was telling Paul they were going to make a run for it." Stephanie replied.
"Sounds like her." I smiled a bit, letting out a sigh of relief as I saw the line of police cars, tanks, trucks, ambulances and fire trucks ahead. "You back there Strowman?"
"I'm here brother. Got this little bitch to. He better do some talking when he wakes up." I heard him speak as we made our way over.
Tamina raised her hands as a few officers and swat team member rolled out at us, guns drawn. Stephanie screamed out who we where and they surrounded us, leaning us behind the line of vehicles.
"She's been hit." I spoke out, walking her towards one of the ambulances. "She's bleeding from her leg." I sat her down on the gurney.
"Joe?" Stephanie looked up at me, tears running down her face. "Thanks."
I smiled, patting her arm before turning. Bruan had tossed the gun men down on the pavement, giving some officers the rundown on why he was knocked out as I took a few steps forward, my eyes wandering around to see if I could see any familiar faces. I nearly lost my balance as arms wrapped around me, squeezing for dear life. I wrapped my arms around my crying cousin, trying to console her. Tamina rarely showed emotion, but who couldn't in a time like this.
"You saved my life Joseph." She cried against my vest.
"Hey, you would've done the same for me cousin." I hugged her tighter, letting her know it was okay to let it all out. "We family and we protect our own. I always got you, just like I know you gonna always have me."
"Always." She hugged me tighter before pulling away, smiling up at me. "You tell anybody I broke down I will beat that ass."
"You can try." I smiled.
"Uce!"
I turned, letting out a breath as I saw Jon and Colby come running at me at full speed. I embraced my brothers as they collided with me, all three of us overly emotional but thankful to see that the other was fine. I knew we all were releasing some tears, but that was all okay. We all nearly lost our lives.
"Uce your bleeding." Colby spoke as we separated, all wiping the dampness from our faces.
"Huh?" I glanced down at my arm where Colby was pointing, seeing a gash and some blood dripping down.
"Looks like you were grazed." Jon spoke, looking around. "We'll get you to the medic."
"I'm fine. Has anyone seen Wynonna?" I spoke, searching their faces.
"No and I'm loosing my shit." Jon spoke, emotion laced in every word. "Pops and Sika where watching Uce. With the kids."
"Fuck." Tears welled in my eyes at the thought of what my family and Wynonna's were going through at home, not to mention both our kids. "This is so screwed up."
"What's even more fucked up is the fact that it is Brooks that's behind all this." Colby's anger filled voice replied.
"What?" Jon and I both shot out at the same time.
"You didn't tell me that." Jon called out, stepping towards him, only to be hugged around the waist by Renee.
"I didn't tell you because we where focused on Graves." Colby spoke, his arm wrapping around Pam as she had walked up to us with Renee. "When I found Pam and Graves he told me it was Brooks that shot him."
"Graves was shot?" Panic ran through me as this information was dumped on me. "Is he okay?"
"He's going to be fine." Pam spoke up. "It went straight through. He's lost a lot of blood though."
"Wait, that's who that woman was talking about then." I looked around, everyone's eyes on me.
"What woman?" Renee asked.
"Did anyone see Truth come out with a lady and a child?" I asked, voice raised so everyone around could hear.
"Yeah," Michael Hayes spoke as he stood near by. "Their over with Vince and the police right now."
"What woman are we talking about?" Jon asked.
"When I was trying to make it to the back once the shooting started, this woman called my name and got my attention. She said her husband was approached by a guy with a lot of money and a score to settle." I ran my fingers through my hair, shaking my head. "I didn't put two and two together until now. What the fuck is wrong with this psycho man? Innocent people where in that building and he hired a team to kill them?" I was getting angry.
"Hey!" We heard called out. "We got women and kids running this way."
"Wynonna?" I spoke.
Turning I moved through some of the people that stood around, everyone following behind me. Finally pushing our way to the front, tears filled my eyes as I saw Paul embracing his three daughters, their Nannie held tightly in Vince's arms. Kelly stood nearby, Max and Haven in her arms as she spoke to one of the men in suits.
"Kelly!" Renee called out.
Her eyes snapped to us and she instantly sat the kids down and they ran towards us. Renee and Pam embraced her first, all three women crying. Jon and Colby had each picked up one of the kids but my eyes searched and searched for the light brown hair and green eyes that made my world spin on its axis.
"Joe." I looked down at Kelly's crying face. "She was right there and then she was grabbed and her and Sasha-"
"Whoa whoa slow down alright?" I hugged her to me as she was crying uncontrollably. "Shh" I rubbed her back soothingly.
"Joe I'm sorry" Kelly cried out. "I'm so sorry. She made me keep going. She screamed for us to keep going and get the kids out of there."
"Shh." I looked down at her. "Kelly breath okay? Breath and calm down." She took deep breaths even though her tears didn't stop. "Now, where is Nonna?"
"We had made it down three flights when the crowd couldn't go any farther so we ran out of the stairwell and was going down a corridor when she was grabbed. She had Haven in her arms, but she let her down and told us to run. I tried to help her but the guy slapped me with the gun," I took note of her black eye and red welt on her cheek. "Out of no where Sasha comes flying in on him. She had blood on her head but she was throwing rights and lefts and Wynonna was fighting him too. She screamed for us to run, to keep going. The last thing I heard before he tackled them into another room was her screaming how much she loved us."
Tears fell down my face as I listened. My baby was in there fighting a man with a gun to save the lives of those who meant the world to her. Even Sasha. I looked over as I heard Jon let out a loud growl, sitting Maxwell down.
"Motherfucker!" Jon screamed, tears running down his face.
"Jon." Renee cried out, reaching for him, only he stepped away from her arms.
"That son of a bitch!" He screamed out again.
"Ambrose man." Colby reach for him, tears running down his own face.
"I should've stayed." Kelly cried. "My best friend was fighting to save me but I just ran and left her. 'Til death, we promised we'd ride 'til death and I left her." Kelly cried.
"Kelly you did nothing wrong. Wynonna told you to go. She was protecting you and your children." I hugged her, my tears falling rapidly down my face as my heart broke.
"She better be alive!" Jon screamed, big tears running down his red face as Colby tried to get a grip on him.
"You need to get to Corey." I spoke softly, looking down at Kelly.
"What? Why? Is he okay?" She gasped, her blue eyes meeting mine as more panic set in.
"He was shot but it went in and straight out." I explained. "You and the kids go to him. He needs you."
"Wynonna." She whimpered.
"Don't worry about that. I'll let you know as soon as I know." I bit back a sob as my heart was filled with hurt at the thought of what could be happening to her inside that building.
Kelly grabbed Haven and Maxwell's hands and took off screaming out for Corey. I looked at the scene in front of me. Renee and Pam where sobbing messes, Baron Corbin standing with his arms around them. Colby was trying to calm down a screaming and crying Jon who was tossing any and everything he could get his hands on. I understood his pain. Wynonna meant everything to not only me, but to him as well. From the moment they met, they clicked and that was his sister and no one could tell him any different.
"Jon." I spoke out, moving towards him.
"My fuckin' sister is in there with that psychotic mother fucker. They have guns!" Jon screamed.
"Ambrose man calm down." Colby cried, trying to grab his arms as he went from another trash can.
"Jon!" I screamed, wrapping my arms around him from behind.
His body jerked around as he tried to get out of my grasp. Screams of rage escaping his lips before he gave out, crashing to the ground with me as loud sobs escaped his lips. Colby moving down in front of him, his own crying heard along with mine, but Jon's rang out the loudest. The crowd around us watched, tears and sadness all around.
"We just left her in there man." Jon cried, gripping my arms as I held him tighter.
"We where fighting for our own lives too brother." Colby cried out, looking at him.
"She better be alive!" Jon screamed out.
"She is!" I hollered, Jon's sobs and Colby's mixing in together as he stopped moving. "She has to be. I just got her back. She has to be."
I released Jon, scooting away from him as I finally let all the sobs and tears I've been holding in out.
"Oh my god!" I screamed, feeling two sets of arms wrap around me. "She has to be! She's all I have!"
❤
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