Old Dogs (For Randy Orton)

Same scenery, different town It never failed to get to him in all his years on the road how things always stayed the same yet changed at the same time. He looked down at the calender on his phone; he hated May, and not for the 19th, but for the losses that the single month contained that left rifts not only in the locker room, but in the hearts of talent and fans alike.

With a head shake he forced himself out of his melancholy thoughts and after putting his phone back into his gym bag picked back up the dumb-bell; working on strengthing his right arm as he watched some of the new talent, newer and older alike claim places on the various pieces of machinery. So many of the new guys over looked the benefits of training and he felt a rather hard pang in his chest as he realized that he truly was one of a handful left of the old ways. Sometimes he wondered why he even bothered at all.

Bridon walked into the gym, ready to train and drain all of his energy. He was generally a hyper person, always smiling and in a good mood. He lived his life to the fullest, taking the best out of every day and living like their was no tomorrow. He saw a few of the guys there, but none that he really talked to. As he walked, he spotted Kane. He noticed that he kept to himself and didn't talk much. Bridon always wanted to say something, to talk to him but never got up the nerve. And he never knew what to say. He sighed and put his stuff in a locker in the locker room before going over to the weights and beginning to train.

Bridon didn't have many friends, because most people thought he was a hick trying to be a city boy. If they got to know him, like Randy and John and JoMo, they would know that that wasn't who he truly was. He was a sincere, down to Earth person who happened to be from the south and liked to do some city things. He didn't understand what was so bad about that.

The room filled and emptied over time, and he just moved from one machine to another, keeping to himself and nodding only when one of the passing talent said anything to him. As he finished his leg curls he sat back up and was rubbing his face with a towel when he noticed one of the newer guys over in corner working on one of the arm strengthing machines; his body awash in a sheen of sweat.

A small smile twisted his lips as he realized that maybe he wasn't the only that took pride in his body and what training could do for it. He rifled around in his bag and towards the bottle he found an extra bottle of water that he normally packed along for Mark, or Hunter, or whomever was in the gym with him. Palming the slightly cooler than room temperature bottle and walked over, sitting it next to the young man.


"Drink up, it'll help you feel better when you're done." He patted the young man on the back and smiled down before shouldering his bag and heading out of the gym, thinking that maybe the future wasn't so bleak after all.

Bridon flinched when Kane patted his shoulder. He had had in his headphones, so he didn't hear him come up or what he said after he set the water down next to him. He looked at the larger man's retreating form and smiled slightly. He opened the water and downed about half the bottle. He pulled the bottle away from his mouth with an 'ahhh' and set the bottle down.

He walked into the locker room and got his stuff before heading out to his car. He couldn't really believe that Kane talked to him, let alone touch him. After he had moved away from home and started watching WWE, Kane was one of the people who inspired him to train. Kane may not be a Legend, but he was one in Bridon's eyes. Maybe, one day soon, he would be able to talk to him and form some sort of relationship.

His bag dug into his shoulder as he walked out to the car and after throwing it into the trunk of his rental he leaned against the car; looking up at the bright blue sky with a sense of peace. Working out had always done that for him; at first it was a way to calm the roiling rage in his system that had often made him unpredictable. Then as he learned to use his anger to push him through the rigorous work outs he started to enjoy the changes it wrought in him; the strength that helped him carve out his place in the WWF and for a while become just as feared as his 'brother' The Undertaker.

His phone vibrated in his pocket and he fished it out with a smile, holding it to his ear as he slid behind the wheel.

"How are you enjoying the time off you old coot."

He could picture the scowl on Marks' face and laughed as his inquiry was met with a growl. Their conversation was short but it was enough to make him feel grateful that for all his years in the ring he'd not suffered as many injuries as Mark or had the pain that rocketed through the Texan's body on a regular basis. Of course he also knew when to cut down on his high impact moves as well and how to pace a match so that he wasn't burnt out in the first few moments.

Phone securely back into place he headed back to the hotel; sighing as he finally stretched out on his bed, his long legs hanging off the bed with his feet planted firmly on the ground while his hands lay at his sides. It was the simple things that made the difference to him and before he knew it he was asleep, snoring lightly.

Bridon walked back to the hotel, seeing as he had walked there in the first place. The run-in with the Big Red Monster had left him a little dazed. The walk back to the hotel gave him time to think.

Maybe he was taking this incident too far. It was just on superstar helping out another. Why was he making this out to be something big when it so clearly wasn't? Bridon sighed.

He arrived at the hotel and went to his room, walking inside, throwing his stuff down and collapsing on his bed. He was exhausted from his workout. Contrary to what people saw, Bridon had a lot of internal problems. He had anger problems, which he went to counseling to help control. Long workouts were part of his therapy because he could let it anger out without hurting anyone.

Bridon took a deep breath and snuggled into his bed, closing his eyes. His mind was running with thoughts and possibilities, but before he knew it, he was fast asleep.

A loud ringing sounded shrilly in his ear and with a grunt he pushed himself into a sitting position; rubbing the crust from his eyes with one hand as he dug around in his pants with the other. As he pulled the annoying device free it stopped ringing and he pursed his lips as he scrolled through the recent calls; he'd never understand why his most recent calls would be on the very bottom of the list rather than the top; then hit the call button when he seen that the missed call was Vince.

The conversation was short and to the point; Vince had a new story line and wanted him there before involved the other party, just incase he chose to veto it. It was one thing that Glenn had to love; after the whole incident long ago with the Vick angle, Vince let him pick and choose his lines. The phone clicked shut and he stretched as he stood; his back popping and making him groan in relief.

His first order of business was a shower; his body felt slimy from his workout and it was one thing that he detested was being dirty if he had no reason to be. A quick shower and he was digging through his sports bag, grabbing a pair of old jeans that looked ready to fall apart and a WWE black muscle shirt. The look was topped off with some scuffed sneakers and with a lopsided smirk to his reflection he was off. It was no secret that Vince liked those he met with to be dressed in business causal; but to date he was never called on it.

Moments later he was knocking on the Boss's door and then being ushered into the lavish room and motioned to sit down. The look on Vince's face wasn't enough to make him uncomfortable, but it was blank enough to make him shift in the chair.

"So...."

"I want to put you in an angle with one of the newer guys. Judging from what I've heard about him and what his file states, I think you're going to be the best one to help mold him."

He blinked, the words registering in his mind but not really making that much sense.

"Mold him? Vince you're going to have to give me information than just that."

The older man smiled, but it wasn't sharkily, or slyly, it was more a soft smile that spoke to the other side of him than the side that he showed on tv.

"Glenn, like you were so long ago he's an angry young man; in fact I see more you in him than I think any one can." Vince leaned back and steepled his fingers, his voice light as he continued. "Most people don't see it, and to the kids credit he does keep it well hidden; but it's there, that fire that drove you to be what you are. Like you he's a timebomb, and he needs someone that can help difuse him.....like you needed Mark all those years ago. Trouble is, there is no Mark for him, no one close to what Mark was all those years ago. Glenn I want you to be his mentor, I think a fued between you two would help him not only in ring but out of it."

He sat there for a moment thinking it over, remembering the way it felt back then, having no one to talk to, no one to confide in. With a head nod he looked up.

"Alright, what type of fued are you looking to do here Vince."

Vince smiled and shuffled through papers, his mind back on business now that his pressing concern over a self destructive talent was put to ease; after all, it takes a self destructor to help a self destructor.

It took a while; the little incidentals needed banged out before a workable angle emerged. Once it was all set Vince had his secretary ring Bridon; hoping that his premptive strike would save the young man the same way it saved Glenn all those years ago.

Bridon woke to A Little More Country Than That. Someone was calling him. He got up, fishing his phone from his bag. "Hello?" he answered sleepily. He was genuinely shocked when it was Vince McMahon's secretary. The call was short, her telling him that Vince wanted him to come in right away. Bridon was quick to agree, telling her that he would be no more than a half an hour.

When they hung up, Bridon stripped and took a quick shower, cleaning himself from his earlier workout. He loved to workout, loved to burn calories and again muscle, but hated the after effects. The soreness, the sweat, the smell. But they were worth it. His body was lean, all pure muscle.

He got out of the shower ten minutes later before pulling on a pair of dark wash jeans and a red button up before sliding on a pair of Nikes. He rolled his sleeves up to his elbow and put on a black belt to hold up his pants. He went back to the bathroom and fixed his hair, brushing and shaping it right. He sighed in satisfaction when he got it right.

He walked out of his room, phone, keycard and wallet firmly in place. He got into his truck and drove to the arena to talk to Vince. He walked in, immediately heading for Vince's office. He ran a hand through his hair when he arrived and knocked on the door, waiting for an answer.

He was nervous as shit, and that was putting it lightly. Every time Vince had called him in, it was because he had hit someone, or done something wrong, thanks to his anger problems. He had it mostly under control, but it wasn't hard to set him off. And he was sure that eventually, he might accidently kill someone. He wanted help, but who could he go to?

Vince nodded and the yes man that was always at his side opened the door. And Glenn turned in his seat and offered the kid what he hoped was an encouraging smile; his eyes darting over his face to the way he stood. It was easy to see that he was nervous; hell he'd always been nervous when Vince called him in.

"Bridon, come in and take a seat."

Vince's voice was cordial and Glenn turned back around to face his boss as the older man took his seat again, his long legs crossed at the ankles.

"Bridon it's not gotten past our eyes here in the upper office the leaps and bounds you've made since signing on with us and I'm not talking just about in the ring. I've got a new story ling for you Bridon. I want to pit you and Glenn against each other. You're both combustible in the ring and I think if I let you two let loose on each other.....in reason....the fans would really get behind it."

Bridon sat down next to Glenn. He chewed his lip as he listened to Vince. His expressions went from nervous to shocked to surprised. He never expected for this to happen to him.

"Um, wow. That would be awesome. I never gone up against someone like Mr. Big Red Monster. I would love to," he replied, nodding with a smile. "So, um, what's the storyline going to be? Like, what are we feuding about? Stuff like that?"

Vince laughed at Bridon's eagerness, wishing more of his roster was that happy about being put into a story line with a veteran of the ring.

"Well, the first match is just going to a random throw together, make it look like it was only put together to take up time. But after the bell, which will be a dq on Kane's part giving you the win, I want you to chase after Kane, a good old fashion flip out; I'm sure you've seen Glenn do it over the years, it's to set up matches further down where Kane is looking for revenge on you for it and you don't back down for anything. If I had to compare it to anything it would be like the ladder match between Jeff Hardy and Undertaker when Hardy wanted a shot at the Hardcore belt. Only I think you two can bring the best out of each other. Now that being said, don't be afraid to ask anything of me or Glenn and if you don't feel comfortable let us know, we'll find a way to make it better you."

Glenn nodded and grinned, his voice low as he spoke.

"I promise kid I won't hurt ya too bad. And if I do, well I know how to take care of the damage I cause." He chuckled lowly. "I'll have to have Mark tell you about the time I accidently broke his nose in the ring."

Vince cleared his throat and looked up, nodding to them both.

"Alright, you have your story line, I'm going to turn creative license over to Glenn for the actual pulling off the line, but I'm more than confident that you two are going to put on stellar preformances."

It was an obvious dismissal and when they were stood outside of Vince's office Glenn turned and clapped Bridon on the back.

"I'm really looking forward to this kid."

"Right," Bridon said, smiling at Vince. He was honestly excited about this. He knew that most people wouldn't want to fight someone like Kane, but Bridon wasn't everyone, and he was all for it.

He smiled again when Glenn spoke to him. "Eh, I can deal with pain. I have a high tolerance level. Part of being a Michaels," he said as he stood up and thanked Vince, shaking his hand and walking out.

When Glenn came out, he smiled, which he did a lot. "This is going to be fun, yeah?" he said.

"I'm really looking forward to this kid."

Bridon smiled. "Me too. Do you wanna meet up and discuss the match and our dialouge?"

Bridon's enthusasm was contageous and he couldn't help but smile back in return.

"Sure." Glenn looked down at his watch and chuckled as his stomach growled; he hadn't eaten before his workout and now his body demanding food. "How about a late lunch...or early dinner. Good ideas come with good food. My treat."

He genuinely liked the kid, feeling that with some extra care he'd be one of the ones to carry the company in the future and take it even grander heights...or at least know enough to keep others from hurting themselves and their opponents in the ring.

Bridon nodded, smile firmly planted on his face. "Sounds good to me," he replied before walking out of the building and into the parking lot.

Bridon, too, was starving. He had had a few strawberries before his workout but nothing more. He could go for a burger or a sandwich or some pasta. Something, anything with a lot of carbohydrates.

Because he worked out so much and for so long, carbohydrates were a huge part of his diet. He ate lots of pasta, bread, pretty much anything and everything that contained a large amount of carbohydrates. He also ate a lot of healthy foods, like fruits and veggies, but every now and then, he would indulge in unhealthy foods.

Bridon was pure muscle, not an ounce of fat anywhere on his toned, lean body. But because he was so small and so lean, many people underestimated him and his strength. He was strong, and unlike many of the other superstars, he knew the limitations of his strength.

When they arrived at the restaurant a while later, there were ushered into a booth by a nice, young hostess immediately. He thanked her with a smile that was slightly softer than his previous smile and she put their menus in front of them. She informed them that their server's name was Alicia and she would be over as soon as possible before she walked away.

His eyes scanned the menu, looking for delicious, unhealthy food to consume. He didn't eat burgers often, so when he got to that part of the menu, he decided he would have a burger. He looked through the different options, his tongue sneaking out of his mouth as he tried to make a decision. He found one that fit his cravings and closed his menu just as their server came over.

"Hi. My name is Alicia and I'll be you're server today. Can I start you off with drinks or are you ready to order?" she asked in a sweet voice.

"I think we're all set," Bridon said, seeing that Glenn had also closed his menu and set it down.

After they both had ordered their food and their waitress Alicia had brought them their drinks with a soft, friendly smile, Bridon looked over at Glenn, his smiles still on his face. "So, yeh got any ideas for this "random" match of ours?" he asked, throwing in the air quotes while his accent was as prominent as ever in his excited state.

(wrong thread, sorry)

Glenn folded his hands on the table, a habit he picked up from Mark a long time ago when they would talk about story lines or anything remotely eluding to work. His smile was fixed in place, easy going and gentle as the hostess and the waitress came and gone.

"Well, the random match is going to be the easy one, we can just go out and wing it, put on a good showing for the crowd. I know you know your inring stuffs, so I'm not worried about any of that. It's the after the match that we have to put together." He reached out and took a sip of his coke before going on. "You're going to get the win, it's going to be a DQ so there are a few ways we can do that, I can trap you in the corner until the ref counts it, I can bring in a forgein object like a chair and take a swing at you, or I pull out some decidedly dirty moves in front of the ref. I'm personally very flexible about stuff like that so I'm going to leave that up you about which way you want the DQ to go."

The waitress showed back up with tray that held their food and moved his glass and took the plate that had his three cheese chicken penne from her with a smile and a head nod; sitting it down and chuckling inwardly at the large burger that Bridon had ordered. It was obvious from the blissful look on the kids face that it was the highlight of his meal week and Glenn remembered those days when those greasy comfort foods didn't stick to his midsection despite his rigorous workout sessions.

After their drinks were refilled and the silverware dispersed and waitress sent on her way Glenn turned his attention back to Bridon, taking a bite of his meal and following it with a drink of coke before speaking.

"Also with your "freak out" after the DQ we need to figure out how you're going to "attack" me. Do want me halfway up the ramp and then take me out from behind? Or maybe once I get on the stage I'll turn around to smirk at you and you get me then? Or we could even take it back stage, make it it's own segment. I can be in my 'eerie' part of the arena and you some storming in and we trade punches, you can scream and yell to your hearts content."

Glenn fell silent after that, taking bites of his meal while he waited for Bridon to think things over and put in his input so they could find a happy medium for them both to get this angle over with the fans.

"Wow. That just gave me a lot to think about," Bridon said, chuckling. He took a big bite of his burger and practically moaned from the delicious taste. It was like an orgasm in his mouth.

But seriously, Bridon had no clue what to do at the moment. His mind was running with all the possibilities. "Well, for the DQ, I would say a dirty move in front of the ref would make for a good match. Those are always fun to do. As for the freakout, I'm thinking we go backstage. It's not like me to lose my cool out in the ring, so if we went backstage and acted like the camera wasn't there, that would be best. I can just wing it, too. I mean, I've had my fair shares of freak outs. So yeah. But, um, I don't yell. Actually, I can't. My voice cracks when I do," Bridon chuckled.

He knew that this was going to be a fun feud and that because of it, he had made a new friend. One that was his idol growing up. Seriously, how could his life get better?

Glenn couldn't help but laugh at the obvious guilty pleasure that Bridon felt at his dinner and truth be told, the defintely unhealthy burger was making his mouth water. Unfortunately for him he couldn't get away with anything like that anymore.

"Ahh, the dreaded voice crack. I remember when that used to happen to me, Vince had me play it off as the damage from the fire was messing with my vocal cords." He took antoher bite of his meal and thought the ideas over, nodding pleased with them. "I like it, I perfer to be backstage too, gives us more room and if we want to move around we don't have to worry about the fans accidently getting in the way."

The angle was shaping up to be a good one and he was proud to be helping the young man become the best that he could be in the ring and hopefully outside of it as well.

"I hadn't actually thought about that, but it makes sense now that I think about it," Bridon said, pausing to take a bite of his burger, which was angus beef with bacon, chipotle mayo, cream cheese and avocado. It was amazing. THen he took a sip of his water before continuing. "Okay, so I have a few levels of freak out. I have mental breakdown, I have rage and I have depression. With the semi-storyline I'm in now, I'm having a losing streak. So the fact that you basically let me win sends me into freak out. We can also combine all of them and make one crazy freakout which I haven't done since I was in a storyline with Randy."

Glenn thinks it over and nods. "I like that. I'm sure over the years you've seen the freak outs that I'm capable of, and I can say without a doubt 'Kane' will love to have someone worthy to cross insanity swords with." He smiles kindly as he lowers his voice. "I do have a question Bridon...do you let your ring work follow you out of it, or do you have separate life once the bell rings?"

Vince's words rang in his ears and he waited paitently, wonder if Bridon would have the same trouble speaking about the anger and sheer rage that boiled in him like he had all those years go.

"I tend to keep them separate. I don't like to bring the emotional baggage from work home or vice versa," Bridon replied. That wasn't exactly a lie. He didn't like to combine his work and his personal life. But he wouldn't say that he was different. His anger was always there, he just controlled it better than when he was in the ring.

Glenn nodded. "Good. It's always good to keep those two seperate," his face colored a bit as he looked down, deciding to lay his cards on the table so that Bridon would know where they stood in all aspects, "I had a hard time doing it back when I was younger, I never knew where Kane ended and I began. If you ever need anyone to talk to Bridon, I'm always available."

He pulled out a pen and scribbled his phone number down on a napkin and pushed it over to Bridon. "You can call me anytime, the phone is always on."

Bridon looked down at the number in front of him. "Um, okay then. I'll make sure to do that," he said and put the napkin in his pocket. "Thanks," he said. Truth was, there were times where he couldn't control himself. If you pushed his button the wrong way, he could snap in an instant and you would have no idea what hit you. But that hadn't happened in years. He was glad, though, that he had someone he could talk to if he needed.

Glenn smiled and hoped that even in his good intentions he hadn't pushed the young man away. Clearing his throat he picked back up his fork and turned the talk back to the angle. Losing himself in the animated style of the young man.

Before he realized it the waiter was standing at their table and informing them that they were closing shortly and that it would be appreciated if they finished up. Normally Glenn couldn't abide being pushed to do things, but instead of letting it get to him he nodded and turned his attention to Bridon.

"Looks like they're kicking us out kid, whaddya say to a night cap at a localbar..if you drink that is."

"I'm not much of a drinker but I'll just get a Coke or something," Bridon said with a smiled as he finished his meal. He noticed that Glenn called him kid a lot. Not that he wasn't to him, but it bothered him. The only time people referred to him that way when they were disappointed in him when he was younger. Hell, they did it now.