“I got it!” Maven exclaimed, jumping up.
Batista looked up warily at the youngster.
“Are you talking to yourself again?” he asked.
“Yeah, sure, whatever,” Maven answered. He cleared his throat and everyone looked over at him.
“Whatcha want, kid?” the Undertaker asked as he pulled on his pants.
“Guys, I know I’m in no position to take charge like this, but I’ve noticed that everybody kinda avoids each other at pay-per-views and I was just thinking that maybe we all need to do something together and just–“
“Like what?” Benoit asked, eyes curious.
Maven bit his lip and started to blush.
“It might sound weird, but I know it always worked in the classroom–“
“What is it, kid?” the Undertaker questioned.
“Well,” Maven drawled, scratching his head, “I was thinking that since we have about an hour before the
show starts, we could play Duck, Duck, Goose.”
“What?” Kane asked, voiced muffled behind his mask.
“Cool, man!” RVD exclaimed, eyes shining.
“You gotta be kidding me,” Kurt Angle shook his head, “What have you Raw guys been smoking?”
“Nothing, man!” Shane Helms replied quickly, looking up from where he was trying to repair his Hurricane mask.
“At least, not lately,” Goldust joked as Booker T elbowed him in the ribs.
“Shut up, Goldie,” Booker T said.
Maven sat back down and sighed.
“Never mind,” he said, “Just forget it. It was a stupid idea.”
He looked up as he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Al Snow, his mentor from Tough Enough. Al smiled at him and then glanced around the room.
“Come on, guys,” he pleaded, “What else you got to do for an hour?”
“Get ready for my match,” Kane answered.
“Come on, man,” RVD rolled his eyes, “We’re not on until an hour into the show. We got two hours to get ready. Duck, Duck, Goose is fun!”
“You are one of the weirdest guys I know,” Kane shook his head.
RVD ignored his tag-team partner. He grinned at Maven.
“I’m in, man,” he said, “It’s a good idea.”
“Count us in, too,” Christian exclaimed as he and Edge walked over to join the main group. They sat in the middle of the floor and RVD joined them. “How ‘bout you, Jerky?”
Jericho sighed as he brushed his beard.
“What the hell,” he muttered, sitting down next to his tag-team partner and fellow Canadian.
“I feel like a complete idiot,” Angle sighed as he joined them, “But, what else is there to do?”
“Great attitude,” Jeff Hardy announced as he and his fellow North Carolinians joined the growing circle.
Maven grinned as, one by one, the entire locker room joined the circle. This was too good to be true. He had expected most of the guys to put up a fight, but almost everyone was quiet as they waited for him to start the game. Even Kane joined in, although it took a lot of cajoling on the part of RVD to get him in.
“Okay, who’s it?” Edge asked once everyone was seated and comfortable.
“I’ll be it!” RVD exclaimed, jumping up and starting to walk around the circle.
He went around twice before stopping at Kane’s head. He yelled ‘Goose!’ and started running away from him. Kane stood up slowly and made little effort to run after him. RVD easily made it back to Kane’s seat and raised his arms in victory.
“You’re it, Kane,” Benoit laughed.
Kane glared at the Canadian Crippler and walked around the circle, smacking his fellow superstars’ heads as he called out ‘Duck, duck, duck...’. When he reached Benoit, he slapped him hard and yelled ‘Goose!’.
Benoit jumped up and easily caught the slower, bigger man. Kane shrugged and sat down on the bench.
“There,” he said, folding his arms, “I played the game and now I’m gonna get ready for my match.”
“Come on, man!” RVD complained as Benoit started around the circle, “Stay in the game!”
“Leave him alone, Rob,” Goldust instructed, crossing his fingers and hoping he would get picked next, “If he wants to be a baby and not play, that’s his damn problem.”
He didn’t get picked, however. Benoit ran as he was chased by Angle. The former Olympic gold medalist slipped as he reached Benoit and fell to the ground. Benoit slid into Angle’s former seat and grinned, showing off his irregular rows of teeth.
“Have a nice fall, Angle?” Jericho laughed.
Angle stood up, brushing off his singlet and glaring around the circle. He ignored Jericho’s comment and started to make his way around the circle for his turn as ‘it’. He quickly made his choice in Lance Storm and easily outran the stuffy, serious Canadian.
“Damn!” Lance muttered, shaking his head.
“Lance is it!” Shannon Moore exclaimed, giggling.
“Your turn, Lance,” Goldust commented, still hoping he would get picked.
“This is so stupid,” Lance mumbled as he ran around the circle, getting chased by Matt Hardy.
Matt caught his fellow wrestler right before he slid into his seat. Lance grumbled, but, unlike Kane, stayed in the game after getting chased. He started to sit back down in the circle, but Maven stopped him.
“When you get caught, you gotta sit in the middle until somebody else is caught,” he explained, pointing to the middle of the circle, “You gotta sit there, Lance.”
“Why the hell are we playing this stupid game, anyway,” Lance mumbled, but he sat in the middle anyway.
“I don’t have to be it now, do I?” Matt asked, looking around.
“Yep, Mattie,” his little brother laughed, “You do.”
Matt rolled his eyes and started around the circle, slowly. He considered picking Jeff, but decided against it.
He would definitely catch him, and he didn’t feel like sitting in the middle and taking Lance’s place. He went around twice before he decided on a person. He picked Al Snow and started running as fast as he could. The older wrestler was no where close to catching him and Matt easily sat back down.
“Your turn, Snow,” the Undertaker laughed.
“Uh, Al, what are you doing?” Maven asked, frowning as his mentor dug through his gym bag.
Al turned around and grinned as he found what he was looking for. He held it up and everyone groaned. It was Head.
“Why the hell do you have that stupid head here?” Booker T asked as Al sat Head next to him.
Al didn’t answer. He just started walking around the circle. He picked Head and grabbed it by the hair, holding the mannequin behind him, and running around the circle.
“He’s lost it,” Big Show shook his head as they all watched Al run slowly, being “chased” by Head.
“He’s never had it,” Nowinski added.
“Now I’m scared,” Batista said.
“It’s kinda funny,” Shane Helms held back a snort.
Christian looked slyly at his former tag-team partner, Edge, and gestured for him to watch what he was about to do. Christian turned sideways and stretched out his legs just as Al ran past him. Al tripped on Christian’s outstretched foot and fell to the ground. Head hit him as he fell and Edge laughed.
“Looks like Head caught Al,” he announced, grinning, “Al has to go in the middle.”
“But, then how is Head gonna play if Snow’s in the middle?” RVD asked, confused.
“Who cares?” Lance asked as he rejoined the circle, “I’m out and he’s in.”
Al stood up and started guiding Head around the group. He picked Edge and started running slowly. Edge caught the Tough Enough trainer and his mannequin head and jumped up and down in victory. Al threw Head in the middle and joined the circle again. Edge grinned, showing off his gleaming white teeth, and started his trek around the circle.
“Duck, duck, duck, duck...” he stopped in front of Jeff Hardy, “Goose!”
Edge took off, blond hair flying behind him. Jeff jumped up and chased after his friend. He made a risky dive just as Edge was about to sit back down. He caught him by the ankle and Edge groaned. He would now replace Head in the middle of the circle.
“Dude, you suck,” Christian laughed at his best friend.
Edge was about to reply when the locker room door opened and in walked Bischoff. He took one look at the group of wrestlers and shook his head. Goldust glanced up and gestured to the circle.
“Wanna join us, Boss?” he asked the GM of Raw.
Bischoff started to shake his head, but stopped. What the hell? It looked like fun and he hadn’t played this game since he was a kid. Maybe it would get him in better with some of the guys in the back. It couldn’t hurt. He looked at his watch. They still had forty minutes until the show started so there was time. He sat down between Booker T and Angle.
Jeff Hardy started around the circle, trying to decide on someone to call ‘goose’. He decided to pick someone big, slow, and stupid. He smacked Big Show on his massive head and quickly made it back to his seat before Big Show had even made it a portion of the way around the circle.
“This is great,” RVD giggled as he watched the big man make his way around.
Big Show started to run around the circle as he picked Batista. The rookie shook his head, but made the effort to chase the bigger man. As he chased him, the door opened again and Shane McMahon walked in. He said nothing–just stood there, arms folded across his chest and smirking. Batista caught Big Show and started to walk around the circle as Big Show replaced Edge in the middle.
“Wanna join, Shane-O?” Jericho asked, looking back at the young McMahon.
“I’m good,” Shane shook his head, “I can’t believe you guys are playing Duck, Duck, Goose! I expect this out of the Raw crew, but not the Smackdown crew.” He smirked at Bischoff and added, “I can’t believe you’re playing, Bisch.”
“It’s something to do,” Bischoff shrugged, “You got anything better?”
“Will you guys shut up so Batista can pick somebody,” Goldust complained, still hoping he would get picked.
“Man, what is with you, Goldie?” Booker T asked, “Do you wanna get picked or something?”
Goldust shrugged.
“Goose,” Batista said without enthusiasm as he picked the General Manager of Raw.
Bischoff stood up and started to chase the big rookie around the circle. The door opened yet again and the owner of the WWE walked in. He took one look at Bischoff chasing Batista and cleared his throat loudly.
Batista skidded to a stop and fell on top of Angle and Jeff Hardy. Bischoff stopped as well and lowered his head.
“Bischoff,” Vince commanded, hands on hips, “My office-NOW!”
He walked back out of the locker room. Bischoff sighed and followed him out.
“Um...oops,” Shannon Moore said as everyone watched them leave, “Think he’s in trouble?”
“I wouldn’t doubt it,” Benoit answered.
Shane McMahon opened the door and peaked out. He smiled as he made sure no one, especially one of his family members, was around. He closed the door and looked down at the group of wrestlers.
“Okay, I’m in,” he exclaimed, jumping into the circle.
“Who’s it now?” Angle sighed, looking around.
“I’ll be it!” Goldust offered, jumping up and running around the group as he quickly picked Booker T.
One by one, all of the wrestlers were picked. They spent the rest of the time playing the game and Maven was happy. He hadn’t expected the game to go so well, but it had. Now he just had to think of something to do for the next pay-per-view.
