Chapter Two

Angel left the locker room and headed down the hall silently cursing stubborn Canadians and Big Wolves. Not watching where she was going Angel rounded a corner and plowed into a big body. Feeling big arms wrap around her Angel grunted as she heard a deep chuckle. "Fancy meeting you again like this." Angel looked up into Batista's brown eyes and felt a smile creep over her lips. "Fancy that," Angel murmured as Batista let her go. Stepping back a step she looked up at the big man cocking her head to one side. "Tell me Leviathan. What is a monster like you doing with a jackass like Paul?" Batista chuckled softly as he heard Angel's name. Looking up he saw Shawn hurrying down the hall towards them. Batista turned to leave, but Angel put a hand on his arm to stop him as Shawn came up frowning. "Leave her alone! I may be hurt but I can still kick your ass!" Angel sighed turning her eyes heavenward praying for patience then looked at Shawn scowling. "I thought I told you to rest." Shawn pushed himself between Angel and Batista as the big man sighed dramatically. "I wanted to talk to you. Chris didn't mean any harm he just don't know you and Adam is well… pretty much just brain dead." Angel stepped from behind Shawn scowling. "Just because Adam is brain dead doesn't mean he isn't a traitor and an evil little slug." Shawn nodded knowing he had always thought the same thing as he eyed Batista. Shaking his head the big man tried to leave again, but once more Angel stopped him.

"We shouldn't be seen together," Batista rumbled softly as he looked down at her smiling once more and Angel nodded grinning big suddenly. Letting Batista's arm go she watched the big man slip away before turning to Shawn seeing him watching her confused. "What the hell was that?" Angel scowled at Shawn before answering. "You know Michael sometimes I wonder if you didn't lose your brains when you hurt your back all those years ago. That was a sheep in wolf's clothing." Shawn frowning looking at the path Batista took as he left. "Angel that guy is not to be trusted," Shawn insisted and Angel sighed thinking about the man she had seen earlier watching Shawn get beat. "You should know Michael that sometimes things are not as they seem. I don't exactly know what the deal is with him yet, but my gut tells me he isn't the bad guy here." Shawn studied Angel and this time it was he that sighed. He regularly trusted her hunches and tried not to think of the possibilities of why he would be working with Paul. "If he ain't a bad guy then what the hell is he doing with Paul?"

Angel turned and walked the opposite direction from where Batista went thinking about the possibilities. Finding herself at the ring entrance Angel headed through the curtain with Shawn following behind her. As she stood on the stage she could hear two of the road crew talking about Smackdown from the week before. "Well there's only one reason a monster does the will of someone else when he don't want to," Angel muttered softly as Shawn frowned watching her. "And that is?" Angel turned looking at Shawn. "The same reason that the Undertaker joined Paul Heyman." Shawn's lips twitched as he looked at Angel. "Because the Dudley's kidnapped Paul Bearer and gave the urn to Paul?" Angel growled smacking Shawn angrily not seeing the person that came up the ramp. "I see you're working your legendary skills with the ladies Mikey." Angel turned her head to study the man that had joined them. Shawn chuckled and grinned. "Angel this tattooed freak is Tyson Tomko - also known as Travis."

Smiling Angel held out her hand which Travis shook grinning. "Ma'am." Angel giggled at the younger man. "You can call me Angel and you look much more like a Bane than Travis I have to say." Travis chuckled grinning goofily. "Ma'am you can call me whatever you'd like. Any woman that doesn't faint at Shawn's feet and drool all over 'em gets my respect right away."

Angel giggled happily liking the new man immediately and was happy that he was as impressive off screen as he was on screen. "Tell me something Bane, being the monster type…what would make a monster of a man do something or protect someone he didn't like or want to, even if it was only on screen?" Travis frowned eyeing the woman. "You mean besides the script?" Angel rolled her eyes nodding as Shawn chuckled and Travis shrugged. "Someone would have had to found his point of weakness." Angel smiled sweetly and turned to look at Shawn who groaned. "You mean like the urn or a loyalty to Paul Bearer would be the Undertaker's weakness?" Travis nodded and Angel smiled at Shawn who sighed. "Well damn. Now the question is what could his weakness be?" Angel sighed and rubbed her chin. "That is a good question and I have no clue how we figure that out."

Travis frowned looking from Angel to Shawn and back. "Whose weakness?" Angel smiled at Travis sweetly. "Shawn and I were talking about possible storylines for Dave." Travis arched his eyebrow at the use of Batista's first name instead of his character name if they were talking storylines. "What were you thinking of doing?" Travis asked carefully watching the new woman's face. Angel moved to sit on the edge of the stage with Travis sitting on one side and Shawn on the other. "Well we were thinking of revealing that Dave is really a… shall we say, sheep in wolf's clothing. And that the reason that he is helping… Paul is because he found Dave's point of weakness." Travis studied the woman then turned to the ring. "I might be able to help you, but… I need to… consult someone first." Angel nodded. "I understand perfectly. Talk with... whomever you need and let me know." Travis got up and walked back through the curtain and Shawn studied Angel. "You're just throwin' your eggs in all kinds of baskets these days ain't ya?" Angel smiled faintly staring at the ring seeing a different ring and a different time. "Yeah well you know I have always had a soft spot for the… misunderstood. As I recall the Kliq were not backstage favorites." Shawn nodded watching Angel. "What are you thinking?" Angel sighed and dropped her head. "Just that I miss… things. I miss Kevin and even Scott sometimes. I miss my bunny terribly. I miss seeing you and Paul together. I just… I miss… things like they were. It was so much better then." Shawn sighed and brushed back Angel's hair from her face. "What happened to your man Angelface?"

Angel sighed and shrugged. "He wasn't what I longed for and I could not be what he expected. He didn't like my bursts of… stubbornness. He expected me to be meek and quiet all the time. And I wanted…" Angel shrugged. "I guess I wanted my Kliq in one big body." Shawn snorts. "Damn girl… not asking much are you?" Angel thought back to earlier and bit her lip. "I'm not sure it will be as hard as you think." Shawn turned his head to look at Angel again. "You have someone in mind?" Angel just nodded watching the ring still. "I miss my bunny rabbit." Shawn smiled mysteriously. "Well you just may see him. After all you never know who is gonna pop outta the woodwork around here."

Read chapter Three of ?? of Monster in the Shadows