The Game Was Loaded

[enviousdominous]

Triple H somberly strolls through a dank alleyway on a gloomy afternoon, and pauses to lean against the cold bricks of a rundown building, his dark brown fedora hat covering his sad expression and his cold hands feeling slight less cold in the pockets of his gray overcoat. After a long sigh Triple H takes out a pack of cigarettes and immediately throws them away.

Police Chief John Cena walks down the sidewalk that runs outside of the allyway, and stops when he hears the sound of the pack of cigarettes hitting the wet pavement. John walks down the alleyway toward his old friend.

"Hey H, are you alright man!?" John shouted from the distance.

"I'm fine." Triple H said in an annoyed tone before lifting his head to look at John Cena.

"H, you won man. You got the bad guys, you got the girl, and you got a friend like me. What's there to be..."John began to say.

"I SAID I'M FINE! ALRIGHT!?" Triple H shouted back.

John pauses for a brief moment to collect his thoughts while Triple H hangs his head low again.

"Is this about Shawn?" John asked, causing Triple H to sigh with frustration.

Triple H looks up contemplatively and said in a somber tone "It wasn't just Shawn man. It was Kofi, Dean and Chyna."

"You took down an entire crime ring, you're a hero in this city." John said putting his hand on Triple H's shoulder.

"I'd give it all back if I could see them again." Triple H said.

"Well maybe it'll help if you tell me what happened, we still don't know how you got those diamonds back." John said.

Triple H shrugs his shoulders and remains in place.

"We'll stop by Sunny's diner, get some coffee and have a chat." John said.

Triple H pushes himself out of a leaning stance and walks with John toward the noise of the city streets. "You buying?" he asked.

"Of course, I owe you." John said.

The two happily stroll down the street to Sunny's diner, John holds the door open for Triple H before the two remove their hats and sit next to each other on the old fashioned bar stools.

Sunny chats up a few patrons in the distance. John knocks twice on the counter before shouting "Hey Sunny!? What's good!?"

Sunny turns her head showing an annoyed expression which suddenly changes to delighted. She rushes around the counter and gives a warm hug to Triple H from behind.

"How've you been darling?" Sunny asked while still squeezing Triple H.

"Well I was able to breath a minute ago." Triple H said causing Sunny to stop hugging him and give a playful slap to his back.

"Don't I get one?" John asked.

"Oh, right." Sunny said before slapping John hard across the back. She walks back to the employee's side of the counter and pulls a notebook from her apron and a pencil from the top of her ear.

"So what'll it be gents?" Sunny asked.

"Coffee" John said to which Triple H said "Yeah".

Sunny raises her eyebrows and puts away her notebook and pencil before saying a sarcastic "Okay, then. Coming right up."

"Ready to begin?" John asked causing Triple H to smirk.

"Am I being interrogated officer?" Triple H asked.

"You will be if you're just using me for free coffee." John said jokingly.

"Remember when Chyna was murdered?" Triple H said causing John to be taken back by the statement.

"That was two years ago?" John asked.

Triple H looks at the countertop and nods before saying "I made it my life's mission to track down the killer. I was going nowhere until that fateful day, September 8th 1922."

*scene cuts to Triple H entering his office*

"Hey Shawn, I think I know a way we can.." Triple H began to say before noticing that Shawn Michaels sits asleep in a chair with his feet on Triple H's desk and his hat over his eyes.

Triple H slams the door hard causing Shawn to frantically take his feet off the desk and fix his hat.

 

[enviousdominous]

"HUNTER!" Shawn said in an exaggerated tone while trying to gather his thoughts.

"Yeah yeah, is this what you did all day?" Triple H asked while hanging his light tan overcoat and dark brown fedora hat on a coat rack.

"I made a few calls." Shawn said while wiping his brow.

Triple H picks up Shawn's gray overcoat from the floor and hangs it on the same coat rack and asks "Who did you call?"

"I umm.." Shawn began to say. Triple H looks behind his desk and finds a half empty scotch bottle which he places on the desk with a strong *thud*.

Shawn hangs his head and sighs.

"Clear your head man, I'll look up some leads and try not to lose anymore cases to the Pinkertons." Triple H said.

Shawn rises from the wooden chair causing his bones to mimic the creaks of the chair itself and stumbles to his coat to retrieve his cigarettes.

"Those things will kill you man." Triple H said. Shawn coughs in a mocking fashion as he steps out of the office through a side door.

Triple H sits and opens his desk drawer to browse his files, and pauses to sigh as a feeling of being defeated fills his heart. He eyes the scotch bottle, and memories of Chyna calling to him before she was shot dead in the street echo in his mind. Triple H feels himself yearning to reach for the bottle, when suddenly there's a knock on the front door.

"Hello? May I come in?" a young female voice called.

"Yeah! The door's open." Triple H said as a feeling of relief washes over him.

A young well dressed woman enters the office, her dark hair made into an odd side ponytail. Triple H stands to shake her hand.

"Shawn Michaels and associates investigations?" the young woman asked.

"That's what it says on the door ma'am." Triple H said in an amused tone.

"May I sit down?" the young woman asked.

"Please. Who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?" Triple H said as the two sat.

"Bayley, and you're Shawn Michaels?" Bayley asked in a timid tone.

"I'm not Shawn, no. I'm Hunter, it's a long story but I'm the guy who takes the cases." Triple H explained.

"It's my brother, Dean. He's been missing for weeks and I can't..." Bayley began to say.

"Dean? Ambrose?" Triple H asked.

"You know him!?" Bayley asked in an excited tone.

"I used to know him, back before I gave up my old life. I can't say that he'd ever want to see me again. You're that sister he was always talking about." Triple H said.

Shawn Michaels enters the room and throws his coat across the room, which catches perfectly on the coat rack. "Who's the pretty lady?" he asked.

"I'm Bayley sir." Bayley said.

Shawn lets out a condescending "Oh!" and tosses his hat to the coat rack which falls on the floor. "Hi Bayley." Shawn said before sitting next to Bayley.

"Pick up your hat Shawn." Triple H said in a frustrated tone.

"In a minute, so what's your story Bayley?" Shawn asked.

Triple H huffs and stomps to the coat rack and properly hangs Shawn's hat. "I'm going to get some food, she'll fill you in on the details. Try not to lose another case." he said while grabbing his own coat.

Shawn leaps over the desk, landing in the chair behind it. "Don't slam the..." Shawn began to say before Triple H slams the door only to finish with "door".

Triple H walks into Sunny's diner and sits at a bar stool, daydreaming about his old gang when he lived a life of crime.

"What can I get you bub?" Sunny asked.

"Let me think about it." Triple H said

"Blue plate special, coming right up." Sunny said.

"I don't want a..." Triple H began to say.

"Everytime you bring your tired behind in here you think and you think and you settle on the blue plate special. I'm too busy for this nonsense, your order will be right up." Sunny said.

"I have a name you know." Triple H said only to have Sunny ignore him and put his order ticket on a spike.

Triple H savors the unusual quiet of the diner, which is quickly broken by the local newsboy Hornswoggle storming in hopping onto a bar-stool so he can whisper into Hunter's ear "They found Seth dead. His body is at the foundry, his head smashed in a pneumatic press"

Triple H looks at Hornswoggle with a shocked expression and whispers "Does Cena know?" causing Hornswoggle to shake his head and whisper "The cops are on their way."

Triple H leaps from the bar stool and hurries through the door followed by Hornswoggle.

"I have a taxi!" Hornswoggle shouted pointing to a running taxi cab. Triple H tips his hat and enters the cab which bolts toward the foundry.

Triple H enters the reception area of the foundry and is met on the other side of a metal mesh door by the foundry manager Earl Hebner.

"You're not getting in here Hunter" Earl said.

Triple H pulls two dollars from his pocket and slides it through a crack in the door frame which is immediately snatched by Earl.

"You've got five minutes." Earl said while unlatching the door and allowing it to swing open under its own weight.

Hunter rushes inside and quickly finds the gruesome remains of his old friend, the body hanging out of a low area where the press would compact items that weren't normally human. Only the head had been smashed, the smell of the deceased person causes Hunter to hold a handkerchief to his face while he digs through the pockets of his old friend.

Hunter retrieves a wallet and while leaning over something catches his eye. Next to the press there's a small red pencil that appears out of place, which Hunter immediately retrieves.

Suddenly the booming voice of police chief John Cena can be heard shouting "OPEN THE DOOR!" to which Earl Hebner frantically plays with the latch only to say "I can't get it open, something's stuck"

Triple H sprints to an area of the foundry where he can hide behind a large kettle, knowing that he's trapped with no other exits.

"Kane" John said causing Earl to panic and jump out of the way of the door. John steps to the side and his lieutenant Kane stomps forward and kicks the door open causing it's metal locking mechanism to snap apart.

Kane steps through and violently grabs Earl's collar before slamming him into the wall. "Did you let anyone else in!?" Kane growls.

"Kane, Kane. Easy man, don't hurt him." John said trying to pull Kane off of Earl.

"My neck, I think I'm hurt" Earl said while Triple H manages to deftly sneak through the wide open door and exit the foundry.

 

[enviousdominous]

Triple H enters his office while failing to appear as though he's not in distress and sits in a chair in front of the desk where a confused Shawn Michaels sits behind.

"Was the food that bad?" Shawn asked.

"It's nothing, what did the girl say?" Triple H asked.

Shawn points to the desk where a photograph of a smiling young man lies, and pushes it with his finger toward Triple H.

"That's Dean, his sister Baylee wants us to find him." Shawn said.

Triple H takes the photograph and pretends to examine it, while really pondering the circumstance of the death of his former colleague.

"Did you hear about Seth?" Shawn asked.

"Seth? I'm not sure if I remember who that is." Triple H said.

"Seth Rollins, the guy you did five years with." Shawn said with an annoyed expression.

"Oh, yeah. I've been in jail so many times, I'm glad you came along and let me work as a shamus. I don't think I ever truly thanked you for.." Triple H began to say.

"You're hiding something Hunter." Shawn said.

"It's nothing man, I swear." Triple H said.

"It's never nothing with you." Shawn said "What do you have to say about Seth?" he asked forcefully.

"Are they sure it was him?" Triple H asked causing Shawn to sit in silence for a few minutes.

"Why would you ask me that Hunter?" Shawn asked back causing Triple H's eyes to open wide in an obvious effort to frantically think of an explanation.

"The man was a con-artist. Maybe they found someone else." Triple H said in a nervous tone.

"His sister, Charlotte, had to identify the body. There was no head since it was crushed, but she identified him by a scar on his leg." Shawn said.

"How do you know all this?" Triple H asked.

"About that; Police Chief Cena called, and he told me to tell you all of this. Not only that, but he wants to see you about that and a few other things." Shawn said while putting his feet on the desk.

"When?" Triple H asked.

A cuckoo clock on the wall chimes 12 noon.

"An hour ago, so I suggest you leave right now." Shawn said.

Triple H pockets the picture of Dean in his tan overcoat and steps out of the office while trying to gather his thoughts.

"Goodbye Hunter." Shawn said just as the door slammed.

Triple H enters the police station, where Police Chief John Cena is standing behind the front counter.

"Look at what the cat threw up!" John shouts causing his subordinate officers to chuckle.

"Hey Chief, Shawn said you needed to see me." Triple H said.

"My man likes to get right to the point! I like that!" John shouted causing more chuckles among his subordinates causing Triple H to get annoyed.

"What happened with Seth?" Triple asked in a stern tone.

John shows a sarcastic smile and says "Your old running buddy Seth is dead, as I'm sure Shawn has already told you."

Triple H is about to respond before John interrupts him saying "Now what I want to know, is if his best friend has anything to say about that!"

"I just heard about it too man, I'm shocked." Triple H said.

"Well Mr. Private Investigator; who do you think would kill Seth?" John asked.

"The man had good enemies and bad friends, any one of them could have..." Triple H began to say.

"So nobody then." John interrupted.

"Again, I just found out. I need some time to sort this out, I already have a big case on my hands as it is." Triple H said.

"Big case?" John asked.

Triple H takes the photograph of Dean out of his pocket and shows it to John. "This guy just went missing, his sister needs me to find him" Triple H said.

"Old Dean Ambrose is missing then, and I am not surprised." John said.

"You know him?" Triple H asked.

"Hey guys, do we know Dean Ambrose!?" John shouts to his subordinates causing their collective groans to be heard. "The Lunatic, as he liked to be called, is a low-life and hardly worth even your time." he continued.

"It's for his sister man, can you tell me anything?" Triple H asked in a serious tone.

"He used to place bets for Big E at his barber shop, maybe go there for information and a shave. You're starting to stink up my building." John said.

A young officer opens a door behind John and peeks his head out.

"Hey Chief." the young officer said in a timid tone.

"Can it Bo, I'm busy!" John shouted.

"We really need you sir, it's about the raid on Punk's joint." Bo said timidly.

John takes a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down and says "Go away Bo, I'll be back there in a second."

"Am I under arrest?" Triple H asked causing John to sigh with frustration once more.

"Go away H, I'll call your office if I need you." John said before stepping into the back slamming the door. The subordinate officers in the building pretend to occupy themselves with other tasks, while Triple H scans the countertop.

Triple H notices a few raid manifests that were left on the counter, and coyly pockets them with Dean's photograph while stepping out.

After stepping outside, Triple H frantically runs down the block to escape the aura of the police station until eventually slowing down to a steady walk as he makes his way to Punk's joint.

Triple H ventures deep into the urban jungle until finding a familiar alleyway where a steel door hides the city's worst kept secret. Triple H knocks on the door three times with a cadence that he knows will prompt a response. A small metal slide at eye level on the door moves and a pair of piercing eyes stares back at Triple H.

"Fuck off!" a man on the other side of the door shouts.

Triple H pulls out a raid manifest and holds it to the open view port, allowing the man on the other side to take it and examine its contents.

"Okay then, don't fuck off this once." the man said before closing the slide and releasing three loud latches to open the door.

 

[enviousdominous]

Triple H removes his hat as he steps into the haze of smoke that fills the most above-ground of underground speakeasies known as Punk's Joint. He sits at the bar, staring entranced at a beautiful woman standing on a shoddily built stage singing a jazzy number.

"What'll it be Hunter?" a bartender asks.

"Scotch, on the rocks." Triple H says while still staring at the woman on stage.

"Recognize your old flame?" the bartender asks while pouring the drink.

"Old flame?" Triple H asks back.

"That's Chyna, she just moved to this city." the bartender said.

Triple H's eyes open wide and he turns his head to look at the bartender, which causes his eyes to open even wider.

"Punk?" Triple H asked rhetorically.

"Punk, in his own bar! What are the odds of that!" Punk shouted back.

"I thought you..." Triple H began to say.

"Thought I what!? Got put in jail because of that raid!?" Punk shouted causing both men to stare in each other's eyes with rage. Punk breaks his expression to start cracking up laughing before saying "I got out on a 'technicality', the judge was one of my best customers. In fact, I've sold booze to everyone on the jury." which did nothing to alleviate Triple H's expression of rage.

Suddenly a hand touches Triple H's shoulder causing him to turn his head suddenly only to see Chyna standing before him looking much different than he remembered from when they were together.

"Hey there Hunter." Chyna said.

Triple H stares in disbelief, unable to figure out what the most appropriate response would be.

"What brings you to a den of lowlifes like this?" Chyna asked with a sarcastic tone.

"I'm on a case." Triple H said hastily.

"Of course you are. I'll be done in a few hours if you want to chat for a while." Chyna said.

"I'd love that." Triple H said before contemplating if it was the best way to respond.

"So, Sunny's at 5?" Chyna asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll see you there." Triple H said.

Chyna kisses Triple H's cheek and moves back to the stage to start a new set. While following her movements with his eyes, Triple H notices a table with three of his old friends. In his mind he names them all as Kofi "Good Luck" Kingston, Adam "The Edge" Copeland and Wade "The Bull" Barret. Kofi notices Triple H and waves him to the table.

Triple H puts a quarter on the bar and swigs down his glass of scotch before walking to the table where a fourth seat is open.

"Have a seat Hunter!" Kofi exclaims with an amused expression.

Triple H sits at the table while placing his hat on the table top and says "What are we playing?" causing the three men at the table to look at each other with confused looks.

Wade looks at Triple H suspiciously and says, "So the big mean detective who once busted this place up wants to take part in some illegal gambling?"

"I'm a private investigator, and I need information. I'm not here to cause any trouble." Triple H said while pulling out Seth's wallet.

"The game is Omaha, and the ante is five dollars." Adam said in a stern tone.

"I'm in." Triple H said while pulling a five dollar bill from Seth's wallet and throwing in on the table. Adam eyes the wallet with a concerned look.

Kofi shuffles the deck in a manner so skillful that it causes Wade to exclaim "That never gets old with me" and passes each man his four cards while also setting up the four cards in the center of the table.

Triple H takes his cards and appears to eye them carefully while maintaining peripheral observance of how each other man holds his cards. Every man is entranced with his cards until Triple H says "So what happened to Seth?" which startles the other men at the table.

"I heard that he was in deep with that bookie named Paul Heyman, he was saying something about a job that would fix all of his problems though." Kofi said causing Adam to eye him suspiciously.

"Where can I find Paul Heyman?" Triple H asked causing the men at the table to laugh.

"Paul was arrested walking down the sidewalk just outside of this pub, I guess old Cena got to him before you could Hunter." Wade said while placing a bet.

"Do they have proof that Paul killed Seth?" Triple H asked while matching Wade's bet.

"The only thing we know Hunter, is that Paul owed some money to some very important people. People that run this town, and it wouldn't be a good idea to sniff around that." Adam sneered while raising the bet.

Kofi and Wade drop out of the hand, and Triple H removes a picture of Dean Ambrose from his coat pocket and places it on the table. Unbeknownst to the men at the table, Triple H had switched a few cards in the process.

"What pray tell is this supposed to be?" Adam asked while picking up the picture.

"If I win, you tell me something about that man. If you win, I match your bet." Triple H said.

Adam laughs and flips over two threes, which give him a full house. "Match my bet Hunter!" he shouted.

Triple H sighs and flips over two nines, giving him four of a kind. "Tell me about Dean Ambrose." he said in a serious tone.

Adam's expression sinks into one of rage and he rubs his brow with his hand.

In an attempt to pacify his friends, Kofi says "Wasn't Dean in debt to Vince McMahon for a lot of gambling debt?"

Adam looks at Kofi and shakes his head before shouting "None of this has anything to do with Vince McMahon!

"The kid was a safe cracker, best in town. People have been wondering if maybe he was in on that diamond job that happened recently." Wade said.

"He was scum, and he probably ran to some other town because people were sick of looking at him and his stupid hotdog cart" Adam said.

Triple H jams the pile of bills into his coat pocket with the picture of Dean and stands up putting his hat on. "I think I know where I need to go next." he said.

"Hunter, stay away from Vince McMahon." Adam said in a very serious tone.

"I'll tell him you sent me." Triple H said while walking toward the door. A large bouncer unlatches the door and opens it to let Triple H leave into the rays of the afternoon sun.

Triple H walks through the bustling city until arriving at Big E's barber shop. He walks into the front door causing the bells on the door to jingle and alert Big E to the presence of his next customer.

Big E cleans some straight razors at a sink and shouts "Hey boy, I don't know if I can do anything to make your mug look pretty"

Triple H smirks and hangs his hat and coat onto the coat rack.

"Have a seat Hunter, you look like you've been walking around all day." Big E said

Triple H sits in the middle of three barber chairs available and sighs with relief.

"So the usual then? Shave and some wonderful conversation?" Big E said in an amused tone.

"At this point I could just go for the conversation, but a shave would be nice." Triple H said while Big E loudly sharpens his straight razor.

"I heard you got a big case on your hands." Big E said.

"Word travels that fast, huh?" Triple H said back.

"You know me, I hear about everything that's going on in this town." Big E said while applying froth to Triple H's face.

"So you know about Vince McMahon and Dean Ambrose?" Triple H asked.

Big E applies a straight razor to Triple H's face and while carefully bringing the blade upward speaks softly "I know that Vince knew nothing about Dean Ambrose, until Dean owed a favor to Vince's daughter. Dean and Steph were in cahoots, kind of like how you and Steph are."

"I haven't talked to Steph in a long time." Triple H muttered while trying not to move his face too much.

Big E whips froth off the razor into a nearby sink and says "Well she talks about you every chance she gets. You might want to go see her sometime."

Triple H grumbles as Big E finishes shaving his face. Big E places a warm towel on Triple H's face and cleans his razor.

"You know Hunter, asking around about Vince McMahon is a good way to get you into some trouble. They say he has a hitman who runs a barber shop as a front, and that his hitman loves to get his targets nice and comfortable under a warm towel before he takes out a razor and..." Big E said before pulling the towel off Triple H's face while yelling "BOO!"

Triple H stares with a horrified expression while Big E laughs hysterically. "That'll be fifteen cents Hunter." Big E said while still laughing maniacally.

"Just let me get my wallet." Triple H said in an annoyed tone. Triple H walks to the coat rack and pulls out the raid manifest from his coat pocket. "Actually, I think I'll pay with this." Triple H said while handing the manifest to Big E.

Big E takes the manifest and scans it seeing that his name is scheduled for a raid the next day. "I think you just earned yourself a free shave." he said.

Triple H puts on his hat and coat and smiles at Big E before exiting the barber shop.

 

[enviousdominous]

As the afternoon sun begins to dip past the towers of the city, Triple H makes his way to the intended final stop in his investigation. The McMahon News Corporation stands taller than any other monolith to wealth that the city has to offer. Fully daunted by not only the presence of the tower, but by what waits for him inside; Triple H casually walks past a doorman who holds the door open for him.

The clerk at the front desk notices Triple H and quickly makes a phone call. Triple H sighs and stands in place until the inevitable sound of a familiar voice from long ago greets him. "HUNTER!" a female voice shouts before Triple H is nearly tackled by an old flame.

"Hi Steph, it's been a while." Triple H said while holding Stephanie McMahon in an effort to put less strain on his shoulders.

"It's been too long Hunter." she said while looking deep into his eyes until asking "Are you still running around solving murders?"

"You know me too well, that's why I'm here." Triple H said causing Stephanie to roll her eyes and let go of him.

"Well let's go to the main newsroom and see if there's any way we can help." Stephanie said. She grabs Triple H's hand and leads him to a private elevator where a well dressed attendee closes the sliding metal door for them and instinctively presses for the thirteenth floor.

"So what's the case Hunter?" Stephanie asked as the noisy elevator rushes them upward.

"I'll tell you more when we get to the office, and I really can't be long. I'm supposed to be meeting a friend at five." Triple H said in an evasive tone.

"A friend?" Stephanie asked.

"Yeah, it's nothing. It's for the case." Triple H said in the same evasive tone.

The elevator dings prompting the attendee to pull the doors open allowing Triple H and Stephanie to enter the bustling newsroom where stacks of paper are being shuffled from one end of the floor to the next. Stephanie leads Triple H to her area of the floor, there she keeps her mirror polished wood desk right next to the morgue room.

"Can I get a file on Seth Rollins?" Triple H asked.

"Not so fast Tiger, I was thinking that we could talk more about us." Stephanie said.

"There's no more us Stephanie, not after what your father did." Triple H said.

"My father had to look out for his reputation, he couldn't be associated with low-lifes like.." Stephanie began to say before stopping herself.

"The file, please." Triple H said prompting Stephanie to use her desk phone to call the clerk in the morgue.

"I need files on Seth, and a guy named Dean Ambrose." Triple H said prompting Stephanie to ask for those very files. Triple H thinks of another name and says "And get me a file on Paul Heyman." which prompts an annoyed Stephanie to ask for that name as well.

A clerk enters the office area through the morgue door while carrying three files and places them on the desk in front of Stephanie. Triple H shuffles through the file on Dean.

"Anything interesting?" Stephanie asked.

"This kid is practically clean, he's only been in trouble for minor violations. Nothing substantial, seems like someone is keeping his files clean." Triple H said before putting the file to the side.

"Missing kid huh? They usually end up in the most obvious places." Stephanie said while Triple H shuffles through the file on Seth Rollins.

"This is only telling me what I already knew about Seth, he was a scumbag like me. It has his address in here, I'll have to pay his sister a visit for more information." Triple H said.

"You're not such a scumbag Hunter." Stephanie said. Triple H sighs and places Seth's file on top of Dean's.

"One left." Triple H said before thumbing through Paul Heyman's file. Triple H stops on a page and becomes fixated with what he sees. A picture shows Paul Heyman, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose smiling in front of the First National Bank.

"Why is this picture in here?" Triple H asked.

Stephanie takes the picture from the file and looks at the back of it where a dedication to Vince McMahon is written. Stephanie quickly takes the file and places the photo inside before saying "It's just part of our records process, I'll just put these away for you."

Stephanie stomps into the morgue and slams the door behind her. Triple H waits awkwardly for a few moments before deciding to take the stairs and exit the tower. He hails a taxi and asks to be transported quickly to the former residence of Seth Rollins, prompting the cab driver to speed through busy traffic.

"Where did you learn to drive?" Triple H asked in an annoyed tone.

"I used to race cars until I lost all my money betting on myself, name's Bob Holly." Bob said.

"Just get me there alive Bob." Triple H said briefly before the cab screeches to a halt in a wealthy suburban district on the outskirts of the city.

"We're here, alive." Bob said. Triple H hands Bob a twenty dollar bill and says "Keep it running."

Triple H approaches the front door and before he can knock the door is flung open. A beautiful young woman stands in the doorway wearing a slinky red dress that's almost as seductive as the look in the young woman's eyes as she stares deep into those of Triple H.

"Hey handsome, what took you so long?" the young woman asked.

"Are you Charlotte?" Triple H asked causing the young woman to show a startled look.

"Yes, I am. You're not the guy I hired?" Charlotte asked.

"My name is Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Triple H for short. I'm a private detective investigating the disappearance of Dean Ambrose and the murder of your brother Seth Rollins." Triple H said.

"So you're Triple H, I remember hearing about you. Come on in." Charlotte said backing up into the home while motioning for Triple H to follow with her hand.

Triple H enters the lavishly decorated home and removes his hat while admiring the décor. He notices a small box in a display cabinet that stands out among the priceless antiques within, and he also notices that there's a cheap painting hung above a fireplace that is completely spotless. On a table near the display case is Charlotte's handbag.

"Do you like it? I think this home really captures the greatness of my family." Charlotte said before sitting on a red velvet couch. "Come have a seat." she said.

"I don't plan to stay long, I just wanted to ask a few questions about your brother." Triple H said.

"Oh nonsense, let me get you a drink." Charlotte said.

"Yeah, I could use a drink right about now." Triple H said. Charlotte very happily stands up and takes an ice bucket into the open kitchen saying "I'll be right back, don't go anywhere handsome."

Triple H immediately attempts to open the display case and finds it to be locked with a cheap locking mechanism. He opens Charlotte's handbag and manages to fish out a hairpin, noticing that a Browning handgun is also in the bag. He quickly uses the hairpin to pop the lock on the display case and opens the small box inside.

"The same photograph from the morgue." Triple H thought to himself as he saw a picture of Seth, Dean and Paul in front of the First National Bank. He looks at more photos and sees one of Charlotte and Stephanie in front of the same bank. Charlotte can be heard walking back from the kitchen, causing Triple H to frantically place the pictures back in the box and put the hairpin back in Charlotte's purse.

Just as Charlotte is entering the room Triple H says "Actually, nothing for me. I have a really bad ulcer." causing Charlotte to smirk and go back into the kitchen. Triple H quickly removes the cheap painting from over the fireplace, revealing a wall safe. Charlotte's footsteps can be heard again, causing Triple H to place the painting back into place.

"I really need to be going." Triple H said.

"Come on big boy, stay a while. I get so lonely out here." Charlotte said before sitting down on the red velvet couch.

"Pardon me for saying, but you really don't strike me as someone who just lost a brother." Triple H said causing Charlotte's expression to change.

"Me and my brother didn't get along too well, but I hope Paul Heyman fries for murdering him." Charlotte said in an angry tone.

"What about Dean Ambrose?" Triple H asked.

"Dean who?" Charlotte asked back before saying "I've never heard of someone by that name."

"That's a shame. What can you tell me about the diamond robbery at the First National Bank?" Triple H asked.

"I think you were right when you said you needed to be going." Charlotte replied in an angry tone.

Triple H nods his head and puts his hat on before leaving the residence, the cab he had paid to wait for him is nowhere to be seen.

Triple H angrily stomps to a payphone.

When the operator picks up he says "Operator, give me the police at Oxford 0614"

The phone rings a few times before being picked up by police chief John Cena.

"Hey Chief, I got robbed by a cab driver." Triple H said.

"Where are you right now?" John asked in a very stern tone.

"I'm at Seth Rollins' place, can you give me a lift?" Triple H asked.

"Hunter, I've got some bad news for you. Chyna was found dead in an alleyway behind Sunny's diner, it looks like she was..." John said, as John continued his words just faded into silence among the emotions that were now taking over Triple H's perspective. Triple H drops the ear piece of the phone and runs at break neck speed almost five miles to arrive at Sunny's diner where Shawn Michaels and Police Chief John Cena confront him.

"Hunter, can you prove that you were at Seth's residence when this occurred?" John asked causing Triple H's eyes to become enraged.

"YOU THINK THAT I DID THIS!?" Triple H shouted before being pulled away by Shawn.

"Hunter, I got the bullets from the alley before the cops showed up. We can catch the guy who did this." Shawn whispered to Triple H. Shawn leads Triple H back to their office, where Triple H decides to finish the last of Shawn's bottle of scotch and pass out on their sofa.

 

[enviousdominous]

Triple H wakes up on the lumpy sofa of his office with a heavy head and an even heavier sense of guilt. He slides to a sitting position and tries in vain to use his fingers to massage the pain from his forehead.

"Welcome back Hunter" Shawn said from his desk.

Triple H lets out a long sigh and groans "I failed Shawn. Seth and Chyna are dead. Dean is probably in a different country. We'll have to break the news to Bayley."

"Why would Dean be in a different country?" Shawn asked.

"I think he stole the diamonds, killed his friend so he wouldn't have to share and made off with the loot." Triple H said.

"So you think that Dean and Seth pulled that diamond heist?" Shawn asked.

"Dean, Seth... and Paul." Triple H said before his eyes became wide with a spark of inspiration.

"Paul Heyman? That lowlife bookie who was arrested for Seth's murder?" Shawn asked.

Triple H launches to a standing position as quickly as he forgot the throbbing pain in his forehead. He throws on his coat and hat and bolts out the door leaving Shawn with a concerned look.

Triple H hurries to the police station, and while out of breath still manages to eek out "I need Paul." to officer Bo Dallas.

"Paul might not want to see you Hunter. I believe that you two really don't get along." Bo said in a timid voice.

Triple H grabs Bo's collar and pulls him closer before shouting "NOW!"

Loud footsteps approach from behind Hunter, and a large hand palms his forehead from behind and pulls his head back until he can make awkward eye contact with Kane.

"Can I help you Hunter?" Kane asked causing Hunter to release his grip on the collar of Bo Dallas.

"I need to see Paul, it's an emergency." Triple H said while still being made to look at Kane with his head pulled back.

Kane releases his grip and Hunter turns to face him. "Okay Hunter, all you had to do was say so." Kane said before putting his hand on Triple H's shoulder to lead him outside to a police car.

"I know you like riding in these things, but have you ever taken a ride in the front seat?" Kane asked.

Triple H shakes his head and enters the passenger's door to the police car, Kane enters the driver's area while having to sit awkwardly with his knees being raised as high as his chin. The humor is lost on Triple H however.

Kane drives to the local prison, and escorts Hunter through three high security perimeters before they arrive at a meeting area where a metal mesh door separates Triple H from an old enemy. Kane leaves them both to get reacquainted.

"Just when I thought that prison couldn't get any worse!" Paul shouts through the mesh door.

"Paul, I don't have time to mess around. I need information." Triple H said.

"I need to get out of prison, so as far as I'm concerned, you have all the time in the world to hear what I have to say!" Paul shouted back.

Triple H holds a five dollar bill between his fingers and slips it through the mesh doorway, where it's immediately snatched by Paul.

"Five dollars will earn you one answer." Paul said calmly.

"What happened at that diamond heist?" Triple H asked.

"You know Hunter, I am in prison for a murder I did not commit. I'd have to be extremely naïve to just admit that I had a hand in that diamond heist to a petty moron like you, and only one thing could cloud my judgment that badly." Paul said sternly.

Triple H holds a twenty dollar bill between his fingers and slips it through the mesh door where Paul happily takes it.

"Diamond heist, I remember that so vividly now it's almost as if I was just there. Seth, Dean and I broke into the First National Bank and made off with the loot. Dean kept the loot for safe keeping and we were going to split the take at the foundry. Seth was killed, I was left looking like the murderer and Dean disappeared with enough diamonds to buy a small country. I'm lucky to be in here now to be honest, my take was already promised to Vince McMahon as he had a hot lead on a hundred to one longshot and..." Paul said excitedly while marveling at his new found riches.

During Paul's excited spiel, Triple H shakes his head and pulls a pencil from his pocket. "I'll need to write this down, do you have a..." Triple H interrupted before looking more closely at an engraving in the side of the small red pencil he's holding. "The Heartbreak Hotel." Triple H reads outloud.

"Oh yeah, that place. You can always meet some saucy dames over there!" Paul shouted.

"SHUT UP PAUL!" Triple H shouted back before rushing to exit through the prison's many security checkpoints and enter the police car where Kane sat waiting for him.

"What's the rush Hunter?" Kane asked.

"I need to get to the Heartbreak Hotel." Hunter said.

"You got a new girl already?" Kane asked.

Hunter's rage filled gaze meets Kane's eyes, and Kane throws his hands up as if to apologize. Kane speeds to The Heartbreak Hotel, motivated by a need to end the awkward silence between himself and Triple H.

Hunter enters the small lobby of the hotel, and confronts the clerk with a picture of Seth Rollins.

"Have you ever seen this man?" Triple H asked.

"First off. Hello, my name is Bobby Heenan." Bobby said.

"It doesn't matter who you are, I need to know if you've seen this guy." Triple H snapped back.

"That was a really nice, you know you have such a good rapport with people. Gosh, I'd love to stand here all day and spend time with you sir." Bobby said.

Triple H sighs and pulls a five dollar bill from his pocket before handing it to Bobby.

"With that I'm very happy to tell you that I've never seen that man before in all my life." Bobby said.

Triple H sighs again and holds out a twenty dollar bill causing Bobby to smirk.

"Look, ordinarily I'd be happy to take all your money. But you have me at a loss here. You're offering to make me rich so I can tell you what I don't know." Bobby said.

Triple H gives a puzzled look as Bobby's words sound honest. He shows Bobby a picture of Dean Ambrose and asks "What about this guy?"

"Oh, well him! Memories of him are definitely worth twenty dollars." Bobby said.

Triple H nods his head and hands the twenty dollar bill to Bobby.

"And with that, you have cleared old Dean's unpaid fees and inherited all the worthless junk he kept in his briefcase." Bobby said happily.

"Briefcase? He left without his things?" Triple H asked while Bobby hoists a large suitcase onto the countertop of the clerk's area. Triple H undoes the clasps on the front of the case and opens it causing both men to squint at the smell wafting from it.

"That smell kind of blows up in your face, doesn't it?" Bobby asked sarcastically.

"He left his clothes?" Triple H asked.

"A man would only do that under one of three circumstances. He left in a hurry or he left richer than when he came." Bobby said.

"What's the third circumstance?" Triple H asked while rummaging through the suitcase.

"He's a streaker." Bobby said causing Triple H to give him an annoyed look. Triple H finds a photograph of Dean and Chyna, and turns it over to see a handwritten message from Chyna reading "To Dean, good luck out there you old lunatic. Don't forget about me".

Triple H pauses for a moment to reflect on the picture. Bobby paws through the suitcase and exclaims "What the hell is this? Was Dean a doctor?"

Triple H looks and sees a stethoscope in the suitcase. "I need that!" Triple H shouted before grabbing and pocketing the stethoscope.

"Where was Dean's room?" Triple H asks.

"Room 123." Bobby said.

"What floor is that on?" Triple H asked causing Bobby to stare at him in disbelief for a few seconds. Triple H gets annoyed and holds up a five dollar bill between his fingers.

Without taking the money, Bobby says "It's on the first floor boss."

Triple H raises his eyebrows and pockets the money before heading down a hallway to room 123. He bangs on the door furiously while shouting "HEY! OPEN UP! IT'S AN EMERGENCY!"

The door flings open and Triple H finds himself starting directly at the chest of a very large man. "Can I help you!?" the large man asks angrily.

Triple H manages to grumble out "I'm a private detective, I'm here on a case."

"You're a shamus!?" the large man exclaims in a frantic tone. Another man from inside the room shrieks at the top of his lungs, and the larger man throws a hard punch at Triple H's forehead knocking him out cold in the hallway.

Triple H slowly comes back to the real world with the image of a dangling key dominating his vision.

Bobby stands before Hunter while dangling a key ring with a key and a tag displaying "Rm 123" in front of him. "I really think you could have handled that worse. Next time, just hit him with your car and save yourself all of this trouble." he said in a mocking tone.

Triple H takes the keys and calmly makes it to his feet and enters the room.

The room is dark as nightfall is beginning to take over the city. Triple H flicks up a nearby light switch, and in the shade of the lamp that hangs from the ceiling he notices an object blocking the light. He stands on his tip-toes and manages to pull a small key from the lamp shade. Examining the key, he sees a round tag that displays "999" on one side and "A-Train station" on the other. Triple H pockets the key and further examines the room.

After a while of coming up with nothing, fatigue sets in from having spent all day running on what he had to drink the night before and Triple H makes his way into the bathroom to put cold water on his face.

Triple H runs the tap of the sink, and begins to rinse his hands when he hears a strange clinking sound coming from the drain. He kneels down and manages to unwind the rusted fixtures from the U-shaped pipe with his hands and drains the pipe of its contents. Among the puddles of water is a small vibrant piece of proof that Dean was the mastermind behind this whole situation, a beautiful sparkling diamond.

 

[enviousdominous]

The next day; Triple H enters his office and sits on the sofa against the wall while still wearing his hat and overcoat. Shawn sits at the desk and peers at Triple H with a worried expression.

"I was wondering if you died last night Hunter, nobody knew where you were." Shawn said.

"I stayed at The Heartbreak Hotel." Triple H said causing Shawn to stare at him with a raised eyebrow.

"How did things go with Paul?" Shawn asked.

"Paul?" Triple H asked.

"Paul Heyman, your big lead." Shawn said.

"Oh him, he just rambled on and on. I had an even bigger lead and..." Triple H began to say before being interrupted by having a newspaper thrown into his lap.

Triple H looks at the front page of the morning edition of The National Advisor, and sees the headline "Paul Heyman Found Dead in Cell".

Shawn gives a stern stare to Triple H and says "You talked to Paul, and he ends up dead."

"It's probably just a coincidence." Triple H said before throwing the paper into a nearby waste bin. "I already know what happened." he said.

"Enlighten me then Hunter, what's going on?" Shawn asked with a suspicious tone.

"It was Dean man. I stayed in his room at The Heartbreak Hotel, and I found a diamond in the pipes of the sink." Triple H said.

Shawn stares at Triple H for ten seconds before asking "You have a diamond now?"

"I'm going to hold onto it until I'm ready to turn it into the police." Triple H said.

"So that's what we're going to tell Baylee?" Shawn asked with a stern tone.

"It's simple Shawn. Dean, Seth and Paul robbed the First National Bank. Dean wanted to keep the diamonds, so he killed Seth and got Paul thrown in jail." Triple H said causing Shawn to sigh and let his head slam into the desk.

"You don't have any other leads?" Shawn asked after a long pause.

Triple H thinks for a moment, and remembers his visit to Seth's sister Charlotte. "There was a safe in Seth's place, I've been meaning to look inside." he said.

"Why haven't you?" Shawn asked while picking his head up.

"Charlotte is always around, if I could get her out of the way I can get into that safe." Triple H said.

"You're able to break into the safe?" Shawn asked.

"I have my ways Shawn, I'll get in there." Triple H said.

"You've been in Seth's place a few times, where do they keep the phone?" Shawn asked.

"They keep the phone in the kitchen, why?" Triple H asked with a puzzled expression.

"If you're at Seth's place in exactly one hour, I'll make a call and keep Charlotte on the line long enough for you to crack that safe." Shawn said causing Triple H's eyes to light up.

"I'll go over there right now!" Triple H said excitedly while standing up.

"One hour Hunter!" Shawn shouted as Triple H rushed out of the office.

Triple H hails a taxi and one stops immediately at the curb where he's standing, hitting a puddle and causing dirty water to cover him head to toe.

Triple H storms into the cab and grabs the cabbie from behind.

"You owe me money for a new overcoat!" Triple H shouted before realizing that he was grabbing Bob Holly. "And the twenty bucks I gave you before!" he added.

"Look buddy, I had a gigantic guy and a little guy put guns in my face and tell me to move on. It's like they knew I was waiting on you or something." Bob said frantically.

"Well considering the circumstances, you're going to give me a free ride to anywhere I want!" Triple H shouted before letting Bob go.

"Agreed, this one's on me." Bob said in a relieved tone. "Where to?" he asked.

Triple H digs through the pockets of his overcoat to put his belongings into his pants' pockets, and finds the A-Train station locker key. "You know what, take me to the train station." he said.

Bob drives at breakneck speed to the train station and screeches to a halt in front of it.

"Wait here!" Triple H shouts before exiting the cab. Triple H is about to leave, before he snaps back at the driver's side window with a raised fist and a mean look causing Bob to cringe in fear.

Triple H enters the train station and examines the lockers in a hallway until he finds locker 999. Using the key he'd found in the hotel room, Triple H opens the locker and finds only a small notebook. With a disappointed look, Triple H thumbs through the blank pages until finding a page with "SR 32-23-35" written in pencil. Confused, Triple H pockets the notebook and walks back to the waiting cab.

Triple H enters the cab, and Bob asks "Where to now friend?"

"Take me back to Seth's place, and try not to drive like a maniac this time." Triple H said.

Bob drives responsibly to Seth Rollins' residence and says "Here we are, safe and sound."

Triple H exits the cab and takes off his drenched overcoat and throws it through the open driver's side window. "I'll be back in an hour, I better have a new overcoat by then!" he shouted before storming off.

Triple H knocks on the front door, and after a moment Charlotte opens it. Charlotte eyes Triple H from head to toe and asks "Is that a stethoscope in your pants, or are you just happy to see me?"

Triple H pauses in confusion before looking down to see that he had stowed away his stethoscope in the front of his pants. "That's my stethoscope!" Triple H said in a frantic tone before pulling it out of his pants to show Charlotte.

"Mr. H, you are just full of surprises. Come on in." Charlotte said while leading Triple H into her abode.

"May I take your stethoscope?" Charlotte asked.

"Oh no, I need it." Triple H said in a nervous tone.

"What on Earth would you do with a stethoscope in my home?" Charlotte asked causing Triple H to show obvious signs of anxiety.

"It's good luck." Triple H said.

Charlotte smirks and snatches the stethoscope out of his hands. "You don't need luck around here, just some rugged good looks. And I see that you have those in spades." she said while leaning in with the apparent intention of kissing Triple H.

The scene is interrupted when the phone rings. Charlotte pulls back and sighs before saying "It's probably that dreaded ice man, parsons. He's always late with the delivery. I'll only be a moment."

"Take your time." Triple H said while trying to snatch the stethoscope back from Charlotte to no avail.

Charlotte leaves the room, and Triple H grabs his own his head with both hands to help contain his frustration. He collapses on the luxurious red velvet couch and ponders what to do next.

In the next room Triple H can hear Charlotte yelling "S, R! My brother's initials are S and R!" Triple H groans with more frustration and pulls out the notebook from before, turning back to the page he had found earlier.

Triple H's eyes open wide and he launches off the sofa to stand at the fireplace of the living room. He pulls the painting off the wall to reveal the hidden safe he had found earlier, and frantically examines the notebook while trying to carefully turn the dial in accordance with the numbers that were written.

Footsteps are heard coming to the living room from the kitchen, and Triple H is forced to stop what he's doing to put the painting back on the wall.

"It was another one of those damn telephone salesmen! Trying to sell me some kind of Simon System!" Charlotte said before noting Triple H's demeanor and saying "You look like you just ran fifty miles Mr. H."

Triple H makes a few grunting noises in an attempt to concoct an explanation, when the phone rings again. "Now who could that be!?" Charlotte shouts in an annoyed tone before storming back into the kitchen.

Triple H immediately pulls the painting off the wall and restarts his attempt to carefully open the safe. With a satisfying click, Triple H turns the dial to the last number that was written in the notebook and pulls the handle to noisily open the safe.

Triple H cringes at the loud *thump* that was made when he opens the safe, but can hear Charlotte saying "Oh yes, he's here. What of it?"

Triple H opens the safe, and finds only a box of obviously fake jewelry and a life insurance document. He examines the document to see that it would award five hundred thousand dollars to Charlotte in the event that her brother passed away. Footsteps can be heard again, and Charlotte comes back into the room looking exasperated and failing to notice Triple H hurriedly putting the painting back on the wall above the fireplace.

"I have to go." Triple H said.

"Why did you come over in the first place?" Charlotte asked.

"I needed to... see you again." Triple H said.

"Well come back any time then sugar, I'm always here." Charlotte said.

Triple H nods and begins to leave before Charlotte says "Your lucky stethoscope." while holding out the stethoscope.

"Oh, no thank you." Triple H said while exiting the home.

Triple H notices that Bob Holly isn't back yet, so he stands in the early morning sun to contemplate what he saw in the wall safe.

A large hand grabs Triple H's shoulder from behind, and aggressively jerks him to turn around. Triple H stands facing two of Vince McMahon's most ruthless men, Brock "The Beast" Lesnar and Sean "The Sixpack" Waltman.

"Hunter, where is Seth?" Sean asked.

"I've only got two words for you two clowns. He's dead." Triple H said.

"I've got two words for you Hunter, good night." Brock said.

Triple H shows a confused expression, before being grabbed from behind by Sean. Brock pulls out a blackjack and hits Triple H over the forehead causing a noticeable bruise.

"Is that all you got?" Triple H asked.

Brock swings one more time, knocking Triple H out cold.

 

[enviousdominous]

Triple H slowly opens his eyes, and shuts them tight when the throbbing pain in his skull occurs to him. He finds himself tied tightly to a chair with rope, in a rundown warehouse.

"He's waking up!" Sean shouted.

Triple H feels a large palm on his forehead, and his head is pulled backward until he's able to see the face of Brock "The Beast" Lesnar as his eyes are now being forced wide open.

"Hi Hunter." Brock said while Triple H remains silent.

Brock smiles and pushes Triple H's head forward while holding the back of it.

"Behold the King, the King of Kings!" Sean shouts causing Brock to chuckle.

"First question your majesty; where are the diamonds!?" Sean asks.

"I've never seen a diamond before in my life. I don't know what you're talking about." Triple H said.

Sean smirks and shows his palm to reveal the diamond that had been in Triple H's pocket.

"Oh shi.." Triple H began to say before being hit across the back of the head by Brock.

"You got a real thick skull there H, Brock is impressed." Sean said causing Brock to nod with approval.

"At first we were thinking that Seth and Dean pulled a fast one and ran off with diamonds that weren't theirs. Then we heard that you've been getting really nice with Seth's sister, so we're thinking that you and the two of them have the diamonds stashed somewhere." Sean said.

"Seth is dead man." Triple H groaned.

"Seth is one of the best conmen this city's ever known!" Sean shouted, "We know that you two used to run together, and if he really is dead then you'll be seeing him soon if you don't tell us where the diamonds are stashed!"

Triple H looks down at the map with slightly blurred vision caused by his most recent hit to the head. "They're at Seth's place, locked in a hidden safe over the fireplace."

Sean and Brock look at each other with shocked expressions, and immediately rush out of the warehouse. Triple H sighs and looks around as best he can, and notices that he's sitting next to large wooden crates bearing the company logo of The World Bodybuilding Federation. A few half opened crates reveal that they're filled with hay, dumbbells and illegal liquor.

Triple H struggles against the binds that hold him to the chair, and manages to stand on his tip toes and slowly make his way through the dimly lit warehouse. He spots a large red sign on the wall and makes his way toward it, eventually able to make out that it reads "Fire Alarm".

Triple H sits next to the Fire Alarm and smashes his head into the glass covering before leaning in to push his -- now bloodied -- forehead against the small alarm button. Nothing happens as a result, causing Triple H to slam his head into the button a few more times in frustration.

A small piece of glass falls behind the chair and into Triple H's bound hand. Triple H works the glass against the rope and manages to free himself. Before leaving, Triple H takes a bottle of brandy as a souvenir.

The bright morning sun is a stark reminder of the amount of time Triple H must have been out cold. While wondering when his luck is going to change, a familiar cab suddenly speeds up and stops in front of Triple H.

Bob Holly leans out of his window and hits the side of his cab twice with his arm. He says "Hey stranger, you need a lift?"

Triple H gets into the back of the cab and says "Get me to Seth's place, this time drive it like a bat out of Hell."

Bob laughs to himself and drives at break-neck speed through alleyways and on sidewalks until arriving at Seth's residence.

Triple H gets out of the cab and Bob remarks "I left your overcoat at your office. Cleaned and pressed."

"Just keep the cab running, this shouldn't take long." Triple H said before heading to the front door.

Before knocking, Triple H overhears Charlotte shouting "WHERE THE HELL ARE THEY!?"

Triple H knocks on the door, and Charlotte answers immediately with a terrified expression.

"They just came in, and I was so scared and..." Charlotte said in a faint quivering tone only to be embraced by Triple H.

"It's okay, I heard you asking where they were. I'll find them." Triple H said.

"Where they were?" Charlotte asks in a startled tone.

"Those two goons, Sean and Brock. You must have been out while they ransacked the place." Triple H said.

"Oh Hunter, it's horrible. Come look at what they did!" Charlotte said while leading Triple H into the home.

The home bears the obvious signs of having been ransacked, with furniture slashed open, and a sea of ornaments and wall art strewn around the floor.

Triple H looks at the now exposed safe over the fireplace. "Hmm, I never noticed that safe before." he said.

"Oh that? There's nothing in there, just some old worthless jewelry I keep as a memento of my father." Charlotte said.

"May I see?" Triple H asked. Charlotte shrugs her shoulders and turns the dial to input the combination and opens the safe.

Triple H looks in the safe to see that the documents that were in there before are now gone. "Are you sure there wasn't anything else in here?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure. What are you trying to say?" Charlotte asked in a suspicious tone.

Triple H notices that the red velvet couch is still intact and says "At least they didn't hurt your sofa."

"Oh, forget that old thing. Come see what they did in the bedroom." Charlotte said while leading Triple H into the master bedroom.

Triple H walks into the bedroom, and is taken back by a horrid smell.

"It's that idiot Sean. He just can't resist leaving his calling card." Charlotte said while staring at a large steaming turd on her ripped apart bedspread.

"You know Sean?" Triple H asked while covering his nose.

"I, know of Sean. I heard stories." Charlotte said.

"Well don't worry, I'll clean this up. And when I find him I'll give him a piece of my mind." Triple H said.

"Make sure you give him a piece of my mind too, I'll be in the kitchen." Charlotte said before leaving the bedroom.

Triple H pulls the ends of the comforter over the turd and ties them tight, and in doing so reveals a photograph on the bed. Looking more closely, it depicts Seth Rollins and Wade "The Bull" Barrett at the race track.

Charlotte comes back into the room and says "If you could, just junk that old comforter. I need to get some rest."

"What if they come back?" Triple H asked with a concerned expression.

"Oh I'll be ready for them, I've got a gun handy and I never miss. Now run along." Charlotte said.

Triple H swings the blanket wrapped turd over his shoulder and begins to walk out of the home.

"And Hunter." Charlotte began to say as Triple H was walking out the front door "Thanks you big lug". He was about to respond when the door was shut and locked before he could.

Triple H enters the waiting cab and says "The police station, and take it easy this time."

Bob slowly pulls out and drives toward the police station.

"Why are you giving me free rides all of a sudden?" Triple H asked.

"It just seems like the right thing to do." he said before asking "what's in that sack you're carrying?"

"It's evidence." Triple H responded.

"Well it smells like shit." Bob said.

The cab arrives at the police station and Triple H exits with his sack in tow. After climbing the steps and entering the main lobby of the police station, Triple H approaches the front counter, where officer Bo Dallas is reading a newspaper while mumbling "still no leads in the Chyna murder", and slams the comforter filled with human excrement onto the counter.

"I want to talk to Police Chief Cena." Triple H said.

Bo timidly opens the comforter, revealing human feces to the horror of everyone in the lobby.

"Uhhh, was he expecting you?" Bo asks in a frightened tone.

"I don't have time to mess around, now go get Cena before I get really angry!" Triple H shouted.

Bo rushes into the back area of the police station and returns with John Cena.

"BY LUCIFER'S BEARD!" John exclaims after seeing the turd and comforter on his counter.

"Sean 'The Sixpack' left this, right after he destroyed Seth Rollins' house." Triple H said.

"Okay, Hunter. First off, we haven't received a call about Seth Rollins' house." John said in a forcefully calm tone.

"Sean and Brock trashed the place, Sean left this behind and Charlotte was probably too scared to call you." Triple H said.

"Oh don't you worry. Bo and Kane are on their way to the Rollins' domicile as we speak." John said before turning his head to look at Bo. Bo stares in horror at the turd on the counter. "NOW!" John shouted, causing Bo to break from his trance and hurriedly exit the police station.

John angrily wraps the turd with the comforter while saying "We can't use poop as evidence Hunter, even if it's the modus operandi of a known criminal."

After wrapping the turd, John hands the sack to a nearby officer and says "To the incinerator, please." and turns to Triple H asking "Did someone beat you up?"

"Sean and Brock, they took me to an old warehouse on the edge of the east side. You might want to check it out, it's got evidence that one of Vince's businesses is a front for illegal booze." Triple H said.

"I'll head over there myself." John said. "Apart from bringing a pile of crap into my building, I'm glad to see you're still alive."

Triple H offers to shake John's hand, John very reluctantly shakes Triple H's hand and the two leave the building.

Triple H approaches the cab and tells Bob "I'll be good for today, thanks for your help." Bob nods and says "When you need me, just dial Klondike nine nine zero zero" before speeding off.

Triple H makes his way to Punk's joint, and is allowed in after being seen briefly through the small window in the large iron door. He makes his way to the bar where Punk is cleaning glasses, before speaking Triple H notices Punk motion with his forehead to look behind him. In an area of the room sits Kofi "Good Luck" Kingston and Wade "The Bull" Barrett.

"Have a seat Hunter, we need to talk." Kofi said.

Triple H walk over to the table where the two men are sitting and sits with them.

"Looks like old Brock did a real number on your forehead." Wade said.

Triple H touches his forehead, and dried blood flakes off. "That was me, I was headbutting a fire alarm." he said.

Wade and Kofi look at each other and look back at Hunter.

Kofi sighs and says "Talk around the street is that you helped your friends betray Vince McMahon, if you know where the diamonds are you should really give them up now."

"I don't know where the diamonds are, I only found one at Dean's room in the heartbreak hotel." Triple H said in an annoyed tone. He looks around and asks "Where's The Edge?"

Wade and Kofi look at each other again and turn to look back at Triple H.

Wade says "Adam said he had personal business with Vince at The Rosebud Club." prompting Kofi to elbow Wade and give him a stern expression.

"Personal, as in we weren't supposed to tell anybody." Kofi said in a coarse manner.

"You let me into your confidence already, tell me why he's there." Triple H said.

"He didn't say, but word has traveled fast that you upended Vince's supply of liquor. Given Edge's reputation, he's probably there so Vince can pay him off to put a hit on you. " Kofi said causing Wade to show obvious worry.

"I'll be paying them a visit instead then, just one more thing." Triple H said causing Kofi and Wade to shake their heads as though they don't intend to give anymore information.

"What were you doing at the track with Seth?" Triple H asked while looking at Wade.

Wade's look of worry turns to one of relief and he says "I used to go to the track with him all the time, he'd always get a hot lead from Vince."

Triple H abruptly leaves the speakeasy, and heads back to the office. After entering the office, Shawn starts shouting "WHERE IN THE HELL HAVE YOU..." before stopping to notice the dried blood on Triple H's forehead.

"I don't think I want to know where you've been." Shawn said.

Triple H sits on the couch against the wall, and shawn runs a rag under flowing water at a nearby sink.

"I'm going to the Rosebud Club, and confront Vince, Brock and Edge." Triple H said while Shawn hands him the wet rag.

"And do what exactly?" Shawn asked.

"Beat them up, take them to the police station." Triple H said while scrubbing his brow.

"Who beat you up?" Shawn asked while looking at a mean bruise on the side of Triple H's head.

"Brock, he and Sean 'The Sixpack' took me to their warehouse because they thought I knew where the diamonds were." Triple H said while laying back and holding the cold rag to his relieved forehead.

"So you're going on a suicide mission then?" Shawn asked while sitting next to Hunter.

"I have to, they'll come for me eventually." Triple H responded.

"What about the police?" Shawn asked.

"They can't help me, you saw how they got to Paul." Triple H said.

"Just trust me on this one Hunter, there's got to be something at the Rosebud Club." Shawn said.

"So you're saying I should just go there, and expect them to let me in? Brock is the bouncer at that club. I have to go in by force or not at all." Triple H said.

"Does Big E owe you any favors?" Shawn asked causing Triple H to pull the rag from his forehead.

"He does, I could go there in disguise." Triple H said.

Triple H leaps up and puts on his hat, while leaving the office Shawn shouts "Try not to get killed!"

Triple H makes his way to Big E's barber shop, and is met by a locked door. Triple H furiously bangs on the glass of the door, until Big E angrily answers it.

"It's three thirty Hunter! We're closed!" Big E shouted.

"I'm calling in a favor, for that raid I warned you about." Triple H said.

Big E releases a long sigh, and says "Oh, come on in man."

The two enter the barber shop and Triple H sits in one of the elevated barber chairs.

"I need you to make me look different." Triple H said.

"There's all kinds of different out there." Big E responded while finding a small bottle of glue in a drawer.

"I need to look like a different person, so nobody can recognize me." Triple H said.

"I'll tell you what. I used to know a guy named Crocker, he taught me everything there is to know about being able to blend in as a hundred different people. When I'm done with you, nobody will be able to recognize you." Big E said.

"Thanks man, I don't know what I'd do without you." Triple H said.

Big E applies glue and hair from the floor of the barber shop onto Triple H's face, fashioning thick facial hair and a thick unibrow. After finishing, he holds a mirror out for Triple H to look.

"Mutton chops!?" Triple H asks before snatching the mirror and looking more closely.

"That's not all, I have one of these left over from Halloween." Big E said while holding out a wig of long blonde hair.

"I'm going to the Rosebud Club! I'm not going to the carnival!" Triple H shouted.

"You want to look different, right?" Big E asked rhetorically in a stern tone before saying "Put on the wig."

Triple H groans and puts the elastic band of the wig over his forehead, and holds the mirror to look at his new appearance.

"This is so terrorizing." Triple H groaned.

"You said that you're going to the Rosebud Club? They're going to love you man." Big E said before laughing to himself.

"Where's your phone?" Triple H asked.

Big E pulls the phone out from under the counter and places it on top and gestures that Triple H may use it.

Triple H picks up the earpiece of the phone and speaks into the mouth piece "Hello, operator. I want Klondike nine nine zero zero." the phone rings and Bob picks up saying "Bob's Cab Service!". Triple H responds "It's Hunter, pick me up at Big E's barber shop."

 

[enviousdominous]

Triple H stands before the lavish Rosebud Club as nightfall casts its shadow over a flashing marquee that beckons attention from miles away. He draws an imaginary cross on his chest with his finger, and steps toward the large double doors of the entryway. Standing at the doorway, Triple H wonders to himself what he intends to do after entering.

Suddenly, the door swings open revealing Brock "The Beast" Lesnar standing before it. He says "You are just in time."

Triple H stands in confused silence before saying "What?"

"You're the new janitor! We've been waiting all day for you." Brock said with a large grin.

Triple H is ushered inside and led down a series of hallways designated for employees of the Club, when the two men encounter Adam "The Edge" Copeland. "Who's this guy?" Adam asked.

"I'm the new janitor, name's Duke." Triple H said in a disguised voice.

"You know, you look very familiar to me." Adam said while he and Brock stare suspiciously at Triple H. "You look like someone I've seen before."

Triple H stares down both men, ready to attack. Brock interrupts the scene by saying "The circus, Kizzarny." causing Adam to laugh and nod his head.

"He's my cousin." Triple H said while looking away.

"I feel bad for you, Duke. This place is extra dirty tonight, so you should take your time." Adam said.

"I'll be fine." Triple H responded.

Brock puts his arm around Triple H's shoulders and says "Let's go clean Vince's office."

The three men walk up a long stairway, and eventually arrive at a large door at the end of a hallway, Adam opens the door causing an angry voice from within the room to shout "WHAT IS IT!?"

"Mr. McMahon, Sir. The help is here." Adam said.

Vince McMahon stands from his desk, in an office where the walls are decorated with the trophy heads of many big game animals. "Bring him in." he said.

Triple H casually walks into the office and stands before Vince McMahon's desk, making direct eye contact with Vince McMahon who stands stalwartly behind his desk. Brock and Adam stand behind Triple H with amused expressions.

"What in the blue Hell do you have on your face?" Vince asked causing Brock and Adam to laugh during a vain attempt to hold in their laughter. Vince shouts "SHUT UP!" causing Brock and Adam contain their humor.

"Mutton chops Sir." Triple H said.

"Shave off those mutton chops kid, you look like you glued a dead squirrel to your face." Vince said.

"I will do..." Triple H began to say.

"SHUT UP!" Vince interrupted causing Triple H to sigh with frustration.

"I have somewhere to be that doesn't concern you, this office better be spotless when I come back." Vince said. Vince puts on his hat and coat, and storms out of his office.

Triple H turns and looks at Brock before saying "I better get to work then."

Brock smiles and looks around the office. Adam looks at Brock and says "Hey Brock, you heard the man. He needs to get to work, we better leave him be." causing Brock to grin.

Brock pushes Triple H aside, and flips over Vince's desk causing the contents of its drawers to spill out onto the floor. Triple H raises an eyebrow, while Adam shows a look of exaggerated shock.

"Brock, Vince is going to be very angry if he finds out what you just did." Adam said in a mocking tone.

Brock rips the trophy head of a buck off the wall and throws it into a nearby wet bar, causing bottles of liquor and drinking glasses to shatter.

"Oh no Brock, our buddy Duke is going to have to clean all that up!" Adam shouted.

Brock knocks over a bookshelf, and retrieves a sledge-hammer that was behind it.

"Why would anyone keep a sledge-hammer there!? You are absolutely nuts Brock!" Adam shouted while Triple H sighs and stays in character.

Brock swings the sledge-hammer, knocking trophies off the wall and puncturing holes into various pieces of furniture until eventually throwing the sledge hammer onto the ground.

Edge puts his hands on his hips and says in a mocking tone "Don't you think it's about time you stopped this tomfoolery?"

Brock shrugs his shoulders and puts his palm on Triple H's head, messing up his hair.

"I'm so sorry about my big clumsy friend here, it'll never happen again." Adam said while he and Brock exit the office. The familiar click of a door lock is heard after the door is shut.

Triple H sits in Vince McMahon's chair and sighs to himself while scanning the debris on the ground. A stack of small pieces of paper, connected at their short end by adhesive, catches his eye, as they've all had a picture drawn on them. Flipping through the pictures, the animated image becomes a small stick figure spitting water over its head. Triple H smirks, and notes that the last page was left blank. Observing more closely, he sees that a piece of paper has been torn from between the last page and the rest of the pages.

Triple H scans the debris and locates a sharpened green pencil. He carefully rubs the graphite over the blank page, and reveals a message. It reads "Mantaur: Across the Board". Triple H's eyes open wide as he realizes it's a bet on a one hundred to one horse, that's likely going to be made by one of the most well connected men in the city.

Triple H pockets the piece of paper, and it startled by the sound of screaming from the main area of the Club. Smoke begins to seep into the office from under the doorway, causing Triple H to panic. He grabs the discarded sledge-hammer, and slams it into a nearby window. Smoke immediately races toward the open window, obscuring Triple H's vision as he poises himself to leap from the second story of the now engulfed Rosebud Club.

Triple H blindly leaps from the open window while still holding the sledge-hammer, and lands hard on a police car causing the roof of the cab to cave in. He takes a moment to catch his breath, when suddenly his collar is grabbed by Police Chief John Cena and Triple H is violently hoisted off the cop car.

"Where-ever you go, bad things happen!" John shouted at Triple H.

"I know who started the fire, it was.." Triple H began to say before John interrupted him by waving his hand in front of Triple H's face.

"Can you not see me right now!?" John asked before shouting "I'm in no mood for any more of your stupidity!"

"What are you talking about?" Triple H asked.

"I sent two of my best men to Rollins' place, only to find out that nothing had happened. Charlotte didn't know what in God's green Earth you were talking about!" John shouted.

"But, the illegal liquor." Triple H said in a confused tone.

"I go with half my police force to bust a liquor ring, and there's nothing at the warehouse! The whole place was empty!" John shouted.

"I, I don't know what..." Triple H began to say.

"We had Kane following you, and now we don't know where he is!" John shouted.

A stretcher is carried by a pair of paramedics to a waiting ambulance, showing Kane with severe burns to his exposed skin. Triple H and John Cena look in horror at the scene.

"I want you out of this town, and don't ever come back! Whatever is happening in my city, it's happening because you're here!" John shouted in an angry tone.

Triple H sighs and walks away from the Rosebud Club as it collapses from the raging flames, letting the head of the sledge-hammer drag along the ground as he walks. He occasionally glances back as he makes the long journey to his office.

Eventually, Triple H makes it back to his office and places the sledge-hammer behind the sofa before lying down on the sofa.

Shawn sits at his desk, in a deep nap while resting his head in his arms.

"Shawn." Triple H said.

Shawn mumbles and lifts his head, only to have a confused expression come over him. "I'm not even going to ask." he said.

"I'm leaving, gonna' catch a train for anywhere but here." Triple H said.

Shawn shrugs his shoulders and says "So this is goodbye then?"

"Yeah, it's been great. You've always been a good friend, and I want you to know that I'll only bring you down." Triple H said.

"That's so sweet, are you saying that you love me?" Shawn said in a sarcastic tone.

"I do. I always will." Triple H said in a serious tone.

Shawn's eyes open wide, and he stands from his desk. "I think I need a cigarette." he said. Shawn walks over to the coat rack, and puts on Triple H's hat.

"That's my hat." Triple H said.

"It looks better on me." Shawn said before walking out of the office.

Triple H ponders his circumstances, when he hears gunfire from outside. He hastily runs out of the office and exits the building to the street outside, where Shawn lays clutching a chest wound while gasping for air.

Bystanders approach, and Triple H shouts "CALL AN AMBULANCE!" Bystanders stare in horror at the scene, and Triple H rushes to a nearby phone-booth. "Operator! This is an emergency! Send an ambulance too.." he began to say before noticing a car in the distance speed toward the scene. He drops the phone and leaps from the phone-booth, the approaching vehicle smashes through the phone booth and speeds away as police cars pursue. Medical personnel tend to Shawn, and Triple H rushes to comfort his friend.

"I love you man." Shawn muttered before releasing a dire sounding gasp from his lungs.

Triple H stands up and looks at his now dead friend as he's loaded into an ambulance. Triple H stands in that place, long after bystanders have moved on and mutters "It should have been me." He slowly makes his way back into his office, and sits on the sofa. Digging into the cushions, he finds a hidden bottle of brandy. The rest of the night consists of Triple H chasing away his pain with alcohol, unable to shake the memory of his dear departed friend and the guilt he's caused himself.

Triple H is startled awake by a loud banging on the door to his office. Slowly opening his eyes, Triple H sees that a piece of paper with letters pasted from different news publications spelling out a message had been slipped under his door.

Slowly, he stumbles toward the door and picks up the message. It reads "We've kidnapped your girl! Bring Diamonds to Wyatt Compound or she DIES!" Triple H feels a strong sense of rage boil within him, and he retrieves the sledge-hammer from behind the sofa before storming out of the building.

"Hunter!" a familiar voice shouts from a nearby vehicle.

Triple H looks over, and sees Kofi in the driver's seat of a car. Kofi motions for Triple H to come inside.

Triple H enters the passenger's seat of the car and says "What?"

"Look, I know you've been through a lot. But we need to work together on this." Kofi said in a frantic tone.

"You know about the kidnapping?" Triple H asked.

"Kidnapping!?" Kofi asked in a startled tone, only to have Triple H show him the message.

"I don't know anything about that, but I need to be honest with you. I'm FBI." Kofi said.

"So what?" Triple H asked.

"We've been trying to find these diamonds for the longest time man, and every lead we have turns up nothing." Kofi said.

"So you thought that maybe I knew something?" Triple H asked.

"You've got the biggest players in organized crime trying to kill you and anyone close to you, they would only do that if you knew something they didn't want to get out." Kofi said.

"Well, I don't know a damn thing. And now I guess I'll go to the Wyatt Compound and see what happens." Triple H said.

"Not alone you're not, give me a minute." Kofi said before exiting the vehicle. Kofi runs into a nearby business to place a phone call, and hurries back to his car.

"I've got some good friends of mine that'll meet us there." Kofi said.

"They're holding someone hostage, we have to leave now." Triple H replied.

"I'm sure that.." Kofi began to say, only to be interrupted by Triple H shouting "NOW!"

Kofi starts the car and speeds through the city until hitting dirt roads that wind into the wilderness. "I'll take you to half a mile away from the Wyatt Compound, but I can't get you any closer. There's hunters everywhere and..." Kofi said before a bullet smashes through the windshield and pierces Kofi's skull between his eyes.

Triple H panics and grabs the steering wheel in an attempt to bring the car back under control, to no avail. The vehicle slams into a tree, causing Triple H to launch from the vehicle and lose consciousness in the brush of the forest.

 

[enviousdominous]

Triple H's eyes open slowly, and his senses come to him. He finds himself in a log cabin where the walls are decorated with the heads of various big game animals. He attempts to move, but finds himself restrained to a chair.

"About time you came to, you big lug" Stephanie said from nearby.

Triple H looks to his left, and sees Stephanie in a predicament similar to his own.

"I've been here since daybreak, kidnapped by my own father!" Stephanie shouted.

Loud footsteps can be heard approaching the cabin door. The door swings open, and the afternoon sun casts a shadow of a very tall man into the cabin. Triple H looks at the figure long enough to make out Wade "The Bull" Barret.

"How are you feeling Hunter?" Wade asked.

Triple H shakes his head and says "Wade, the FBI is on their way. Kofi called them right before we left and..." before being interrupted by Wade who takes an FBI badge out of his pocket and shows it to Triple H.

"I've got some bad news for you Hunter, Kofi called me." Wade said.

"You had your friend killed?" Triple H asked.

"Friend?" Wade asked rhetorically before saying "We were partners on this case, I'm promised a bounty from Vince if those rocks are ever found."

"How much are the offering you?" Triple H asked causing Wade to chuckle.

"More than you could ever counter, so I suggest you tell me where those diamonds are." Wade responded.

"Wade, I have a lead on something big. Bigger than these diamonds." Triple H said causing Wade to laugh.

"Hunter, I'm not the one who shot Kofi. That was The Sixpack, and he's still out there. If I let you go, we're both dead." Wade said.

"Can I at least die without being tied to a chair?" Triple H asked.

"What about me!?" Stephanie asked in a frantic tone.

"You're here to lure this guy, and you're tied to that chair for your own protection. The bosses princess isn't dying tonight." Wade said in an amused tone.

"Wade, I promise that what I have is worth more than..." Triple H began to say before Wade places his palm in front of Triple H's face.

"Save it Hunter, unless you're going to tell me where the diamonds are." Wade said.

"Just tell him sweety." Stephanie said.

"Look, I don't know where the diamonds are." Triple H said.

"A diamond was found on you." Wade replied.

"I found that diamond in Dean's room of the Heartbreak Hotel. Dean has probably fenced the diamonds already and is living it up in Cuba." Triple H said.

"Well Hunter, if what you say is true, then you're not leaving here alive under any circumstance." Wade said causing Stephanie to mutter "Oh no."

"Look, I really don't care. My best friend is dead and other people have died because of me. I just want to be able to die like a man, not some restrained animal." Triple H said.

"So you'll share this lead with me, so you can die standing up as opposed to sitting down?" Wade asked in a suspicious tone.

"Swear to God." Triple H said.

Wade sighs to himself, and cuts the ropes that bind Triple H to the chair. Triple H stands up and stretches, feeling welcome circulation to his lower arms.

"So, how about it then?" Wade asked.

"Mantuar across the board." Triple H said while examining his surroundings.

"Mantuar? That mule has a ticket to the glue factory!" Wade shouted.

"Yeah, and Vince is betting on him tonight." Triple H said.

Wade's eyes light up and he says "If you get out of this Hunter, and this turns out to be the real McCoy, come find me at Punk's place at nine tonight. I've got a lead as well, and I know you'll want to hear it."

"Yeah, if I get out of this." Triple H said.

Stephanie interrupts the scene by saying "HEY! Can't you undo these cuffs?"

"Do you have a lead on a horse?" Wade asked with a smile before sprinting out the front door.

"Hold still" Triple H said to Stephanie. He reaches into her hair and manages to find a bobby pin, he pulls out the bobby pin causing her hair to fall.

"This is no time for a makeover!" Stephanie shouted.

Triple H pulls the wax tip from the bobby pin with his teeth, and bends the tip of the metal. He reaches behind Stephanie and, with touch alone, finds the keyhole of the cuffs and manages to disengage the double lock. He slides the straight end of the bobby pin into the grooves of the cuffs, and slides one cuff off. Stephanie manages to pull the other cuffed hand from the back of the chair, and Triple H opens that side as well.

"Nice going Houdini." Stephanie said while taking back her bobby pin and placing it into her hair.

"We don't have much time." Triple H said.

"Are you going to escape?" Stephanie asked.

"Sort of." Triple H said while picking up a nearby bear trap.

Triple H uses the bear trap to break a window of the cabin.

"What now?" Stephanie asked with a confused look.

Footsteps can be heard from outside walking across a wood porch as they approach the front door.

"Pretend to be cuffed." Triple H said before standing against the wall on the side of the front door so as to conceal himself if it were opened.

Sean Waltman throws the door open, and notices the broken window.

"WHERE IS HE!?" Sean asked Stephanie.

"He escaped out the window!" Stephanie shouted back.

"DAMMIT!" Sean exclaimed before being struck from behind and rendered unconscious.

"That's one down. One more to go." Stephanie said.

"Who else is here?" Triple H asked.

Loud footsteps slowly approach from behind Triple H, and the oddly high pitched voice of Brock Lesnar says "Hi there Hunter" before shutting the front door behind him.

Triple H turns, and charges at Brock Lesnar who fails in his attempt to stop the momentum. Brock is speared through the front door, causing it to break off its hinges while Triple H pushes Brock until his back is slammed into a tree. Brock brings both of his arms down onto the back of Triple H, and with a hard kick manages to push Triple H off of him. Triple H takes a knee, and Brock charges kicking Triple H's head. Triple H tumbles and manages to find a large stick in the process. Brock unwittingly approaches Triple H to finish him off, and has the end of the large stick jabbed hard into his lower abdomen. Brock leans down in an effort to deal with the paralyzing pain that now overcomes him, leaving him open for Triple H to break the large stick over Brock's back. In a final act of desperation, Brock attempts to stand up while having Triple H's torso over his neck. Triple H strikes Brock's back causing him to lose strength, and send Brock's face crashing into the hard ground with Triple H over him.

Triple H stands up catching his breath, and Stephanie charges toward the scene delivering a hard kick to Brock's side.

Triple H puts himself between Brock and Stephanie, and embraces Stephanie as the two are relieved to be free.

"I called the cops while you were fighting, they're on their way now." Stephanie said.

"I need to get back to the city, there's not much time." Triple H said while noticing the sun dipping below the horizon.

"Then I'm coming with you, I can fill the cops in when we get there." Stephanie said.

The two find a car belonging to Sean Waltman, and Stephanie drives at Triple H's insistence.

"I need you to drop me off at Punk's place." Triple H said while Stephanie speeds toward the city.

"Look Hunter, this is a dangerous game you're playing. It's downright loaded if you ask me." Stephanie said.

"I'm closer now to finding answers than I ever have been." Triple H said.

"Hunter, I can take you far away from the City. We can live in peace, away from all this diamond nonsense." Stephanie said.

"This isn't about the diamonds, this is about Shawn." Triple H said.

Stephanie speeds back to the urban jungle of the city and stops before the alleyway leading to Punk's Place.

Triple H is about to exit the vehicle, when he's pulled back by Stephanie grabbing his coat. Stephanie kisses Hunter, and he slowly backs away. "Be careful you big lug" she said.

Triple H sighs and tips his hat before approaching the entrance to Punk's Place. He knocks three times at a cadence necessary to earn a response, and a metal slide at eye level opens to reveal the furrowed brow and angry expression of Punk. "WHAT!?" Punk asked in an angry tone.

"Is that Hunter!?" Wade could be heard asking.

"Yup." Punk said.

"LET HIM IN! IT'S IMPORTANT!" Wade shouted.

Punk rolls his eyes and releases the locks on the door to open it and allow Hunter entry. Triple H enters Punk's place and is embraced by Wade.

"I guess the horse came through then." Triple H said.

"THREE HUNDRED GRAND!" Wade shouted before slapping a small piece of paper into Triple H's hand.

"You've more than earned this!" Wade shouted before sprinting out of Punk's Place.

Triple H squints and looks at the small piece of paper he was handed.

"What's it say." Punk asked from behind the bar.

"It says 'Tortazo Abajo Hotel, room 316'." Triple H said with a confused look.

"That's all he gave you for making him three hundred grand?" Punk asked in an amused tone.

Triple H looks up, and sees a gun pointed between his eyes by Adam "The Edge" Copeland.

"First the diamonds, and now you're nosing into Mr. McMahon's betting racket. I'm gonna' love killing you Hunter." Adam said.

Triple H smirks and says "You're already going down Adam. Brock and Sean are on their way to the slammer, and you can bet they'll start talking eventually about how you started that fire."

"No, that's where you're wrong. Vince McMahon owns this city, he owns the judges, he owns the police and he owns you." Adam said.

"Do you really think you'll walk out of here a free man if you kill me?" Triple H asked.

"I think I'll worry about that after you're dead!" Adam said while cocking back the hammer of his revolver only to be interrupted by the sound of a shotgun being charged nearby.

Adam looks to the side, and immediately drops his pistol after seeing Punk pointing a shotgun toward him.

Triple H looks at Punk and asks "Hey Punk, mind if I call Chief Cena to come over here this once?"

"No, I don't mind. This once." Punk said while keeping his shotgun locked on the trembling form of Adam.

Triple H picks up and pockets the pistol, and walks to the phone behind the bar counter.

"WAIT HUNTER! DON'T DO IT!" Adam shouted.

"What's stopping me?" Triple H asked while standing beside the phone.

"I know who killed Chyna." Adam said causing Triple H to refrain from picking up the ear piece of the phone.

"Who did it?" Triple H asked.

"No no no, it's not going to work like that. I talk, I walk. Your friend is gonna put down his weapon, and you're gonna' rip that phone cord out of the wall. That's the only way you find out!" Adam said.

Triple H looks at Punk who shrugs his shoulders, and he rips the phone cord out of the wall.

Punk lowers his shotgun, but still holds it to his chest.

"Who did it?" Triple H asked.

"It was Stephanie. All Stephanie ever wanted was you, she never gave a damn about the diamonds!" Adam shouted.

Triple H pulls the pistol from his pocket and shoots three shots into Adam's chest, he only stops shooting because the gun no longer has bullets to fire. Punk stares at the scene with wide open eyes. Triple H steps from behind the bar and looks down at Adam who lays dying slowly from his wounds.

"That was for Shawn." Triple H said before leaving Punk's Place.

Triple H takes a long walk to the luxurious Tortazo Abajo Hotel.

Upon entering the main lobby, guests gawk at Triple H's drab appearance. A well dressed man approaches Triple H and begins admonishing him. "What exactly are you doing entering through the main lobby!?"

Triple H attempts to respond, but is interrupted with the question of "You don't realize who I am, do you!?"

"No, who are you?" Triple H asked.

"My name is Aaron Haddad! M.D. A.D. D.D.S F.L.D F.F.F. AND F.! I'm the one who has the unfortunate task of keeping the help wary of their place while this fine hotel is short staffed! The workers quarters are out back, and I'll have you know that there is a wash-bin there!" Aaron shouted.

"I'm really sorry about this Sir." Triple H said.

"ENOUGH!" Aaron shouted before slapping a key into Triple H's hand.

"There's your pass key, you will clean yourself up and report back to me immediately!" Aaron shouted.

Triple H stands with his mouth open in disbelief before hearing "YOU'RE WELCOME!" shouted into his ear.

Triple H thinks to himself that if a room number beginning with the one was one the first floor of one hotel, that perhaps a room number beginning with three would be on the third floor. He makes his way to the third floor after having this epiphany.

Triple H locates room three one six and opens the door with the passkey he had been given. He nervously enters the room and locks the door behind him, only to see that it's very ordinary.

Triple H looks through the mundane possessions that surely belong to a man, when he notices an odd jar filled with a strange substance on the bathroom sink. "Blonde hair-dye?" he whispered to himself while observing the label.

The lock of the door is audibly opened, and Triple H jumps into the bathtub in a state of panic. He pulls the shower curtain and nervously waits while he hears what sounds like someone undressing. The sound of bare feet approach the shower, and the shower curtain is pulled open.

Triple H finds himself staring at his old friend, Seth Rollins.

 

[enviousdominous]

A look of horror comes across the face of Seth Rollins, which is a contrast to the look of rage on the face of Triple H.

Seth screams in horror and attempts to run out of the small bathroom, only to have his long hair grabbed by Triple H. Seth slams onto the hard tile with a sickening *thud* and slowly attempts to get back on his feet. Triple H steps out of the bathtub and kicks Seth Rollins in the stomach. As Seth holds his abdomen, Triple H stomps Seth's knee causing it to dislocate.

Seth screams in pain and shouts "WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?"

"That was for Dean. I think I know whose body that was at the foundry." Triple H said in an angry tone.

"Dean was a dead man walking! He didn't bring the diamonds!" Seth shouted in a tone that indicated his excruciating pain while sitting against the wall of the bathroom.

"So you don't know where the diamonds are?" Triple H asked.

"I wouldn't have had to go into hiding if I knew where the diamonds were. I'm smart enough to not mess with Vince McMahon's authority." Seth said while attempting to nurse his knee.

"What about Charlotte?" Triple H asked.

"Yeah, my sweet sister Charlotte. She's on Vince's payroll too, and she's wanted me dead since long before the diamond heist. I'm really a dead man if she or Vince found out that I was alive." Seth said.

"So you murdered Dean to hide out?" Triple H asked.

"I murdered Dean because he said that he wanted a bigger cut because he was answering to someone higher than Vince McMahon, and that until he got it nobody would ever see the diamonds again." Seth said.

"I'm taking you in Seth." Triple H said.

"NO! NO! NO!" Seth screamed while whipping his arms out in front of him to further emphasize his horror.

"Shut up." Triple H said while picking up Seth.

Triple H pushes Seth to the bed of the hotel room, and throws random pieces of clothing from a closet onto the bed.

"Get dressed." Triple H said.

Seth shakes his head and says "I heard about Paul, everyone involved who goes to the hoosegow gets killed or worse."

Triple H steps toward Seth and grabs his neck with his palm before saying "You're gonna' get a lot worse if you don't put your clothes on and come with me."

Seth reluctantly dresses himself in a cheap suit, and is helped down to the lobby area with Triple H. They stop at the counter where a courtesy phone is available, and Triple H picks up the mouthpiece. He holds the ear piece to his ear and says "Hello operator, get me the downtown PD. It's important."

Seth leans over the counter to rest his head, while moaning about his predicament.

A high pitched voice is heard from the ear piece "Downtown PD, Bo Dallas speaking. How may I direct your call?"

"Get me Chief Cena, it's an emergency." Triple H said.

"Is this Hunter? Oh, hey Hunter. How have you..."Bo began to say before being interrupted by Triple H shouting "I WILL HIT YOU THROUGH THIS PHONE!"

Triple H waits for a moment, and John Cena is heard through the earpiece saying "Hunter, just the man I wanted to talk to."

"Seth Rollins is alive, I have him at the Tortazo Abajo hotel lobby." Triple H said.

After a five second pause, John Cena can be heard shouting commands to other officers. "I've got a team coming there in five minutes, you better be right about this." he said to Triple H.

"I guess I shouldn't leave town so soon then." Triple H said.

"No, this town needs more heroes like you Hunter. We brought in Brock and Sean, but they're not talking. Stephanie McMahon however is tearing her father apart, it's the biggest break we've ever had in our investigation into organized crime." John said in an excited tone.

Triple H pauses as he silently reflects on his certainty that Stephanie was the one who murdered Chyna.

"Are you there Hunter!?" John shouted.

"Yeah, that's good." Triple H said as the sound of distant sirens wail toward the hotel.

"We stopped by Punk's place earlier, your old friend Adam "The Edge" Copeland got whacked." John said.

"What?" Triple H asked.

"Punk said that he and Wade got into a fight over cards, and Wade killed him right there." John said.

"Oh, yeah. I gotta' go." Triple H said.

"Stay safe Hunter" John said before Triple H ended the connection.

Police officers and reporters flood into the lobby of the Tortazo Abajo hotel. Police apprehend and escort Seth from the hotel as a throng of reporters desperately try to get a statement from him. Triple H waits for the chaos to die down before picking up the mouthpiece of the phone again.

"Operator?" Triple H asked.

"How can I help you sir?" the operator asked.

"I need you to connect me to Bayley Martinez." Triple H said as his heart began to sink.
A moment passes, and a familiar voice says "Hello?".

"Bayley, I need you to come to my office. I have news." Triple H said.

After a long pause, Bayley says "Okay." before disconnecting the call.

Triple H starts walking along the sidewalk before a car screeches to a halt on the street beside him, causing Triple H to instinctively leap into an alleyway.

"Hey Hunter! It's me!" Bob shouted.

Triple H steps out of the alleyway and sees his old friend Bob Holly in his familiar vehicle.

Triple H approaches the cab and says through the open window "Hey Bob, can I get a lift?"

Bob leans over and opens the passenger door. Triple H enters and says "To my office."

"Why so glum Hunter? Word on the street is that you're the greatest detective in the world." Bob said.

"A lot of people died along the way. I'm just not sure if I deserve to be here." Triple H said.

"Does anybody deserve to be here?" Bob asked causing Triple H to smirk.

"What keeps you going?" Triple H asked.

"Discovery, experience and reflection. It's a new day Hunter, celebrate it." Bob said while pulling the cab over near the building that houses Triple H's office.

Triple H exits the cab and walks around to the driver's side of the cab. Bob offers to shake Triple H's hand, and Triple H obliges him. Bob drives away, and Triple H enters the building.

After climbing the stairs to his floor and opens the door to his office, Triple H sees a small piece of paper on the floor that had been apparently pushed under the door. He picks up the piece of paper to see that it's an eviction notice, and that the office will no longer be his in a week. Triple H tosses the piece of paper on the floor, and sees that his office had been ransacked by intruders long ago.

He sits at his desk and waits for a brief moment before a young woman enters the office carrying a large suitcase.

"Bayley?" Triple H asked while standing up.

The young woman nods and sits on a chair on the other side of the desk while Triple H sits back down.

"It's been a long time Hunter." Bayley said.

"I know what happened to Dean." Triple H said.

Bayley nods her head, and a tear rolls down her cheek.

"I knew the second that you called me. They said they found a scar on the leg of the body that was found at the foundry, right where Dean had his when he off his bike as a kid. They had always said that it was Seth that died, but I would always wonder if they were wrong. I called the morgue after you called, I'll be going there later to identify the body." Bayley said while holding back her sorrow.

"I'm very sorry." Triple H said.

"Dean liked to live dangerously. He really wasn't like that at all when we were kids. No matter how bad he ever got, he was always my sweet big brother until he was gone." Bayley said while still trying to keep her emotions at bay.

"Will you be alright?" Triple H asked.

Bayley nods and stands up. "Do I owe you anything?" She asked.

Triple H shakes his head. Bayley begins to leave and Triple H says "Bayley, you forgot your suitcase."

Bayley stops at the door and opens it while shaking her head. "It's not mine Hunter, it never was." she said before leaving the office.

Triple H shows a look of confusion, and lifts the suitcase onto the desk. He unlatches the lid, and flips it open. Triple H falls back into his chair while trying to calm his fast beating heart when he sees the contents of the suitcase.

Triple H sees more diamonds than he'd ever seen in his life, in an old beaten-up leather suitcase in his trashed office.

After collecting his thoughts, Triple H closes the suitcase and hurriedly carries it out of the office and out of the building. To avoid suspicion, he walks quickly through a back alleyway. As he walks by another alleyway, a familiar face jumps out and embraces him.

"Hi Hunter!" Charlotte shouts while holding Triple H in her arms.

Triple H pushes Charlotte off of himself and holds the briefcase more tightly in his grip.

"What do you want Charlotte?" Triple H asked.

"Is that anyway to talk to an old flame?" Charlotte asked.

"You know what I have, and you're not going to stop me from doing what I have to do." Triple H said in a stern tone.

"You don't have to do anything baby. Let's just go, far away. We'll have each other and we'll have a mountain of diamonds to play with." Charlotte said trying to take the handle of the briefcase, only to have Hunter hold it farther away from her.

"Go away Charlotte." Triple H said.

"Hunter, I have to go away now that my brother turned up. He knows things about me that I don't want anyone else to know. I'll need a few of those diamonds to get by while I'm on the lamb." Charlotte said in a serious tone.

"I'll say it again, go away" Triple H said.

"Well at least let me have a cigarette while we're talking" Charlotte said while skimming through her purse.

Triple H immediately reaches into her purse with his free hand and pulls out a small Browning handgun. He points the gun at Charlotte and she drops her purse with a look of horror.

"I'm not going to tell you again." Triple H said.

Charlotte nods and takes off running through the back alley.

Triple H pockets the handgun and resumes his trek through the alleyways before finally arriving at his destination, the Police Department.

Triple H steps into the Police Department, and everyone inside notices him. Applause breaks out among the many officers, with the loudest among them being Police Chief John Cena who stands behind the main counter.

"The Champ is here everyone!" John shouts referring to Hunter.

Triple H tosses the briefcase onto the counter, and whips the lid open causing the onlookers' faces to change from amusement to pure shock.

"Enough diamonds to build a giant belt with. I believe this belongs to the First National Bank." Triple H said while the rest of the room sits dead silent.

"How did you?" John began to say before once again being overcome by the sight of the diamonds.

"I found them in the street. That's all you need to know." Triple H said before exiting the police station.

Light rain falls onto the city as clouds overhead create a gloomy haze throughout.

Triple H wanders with no destination, and eventually treks through a dank alleyway.

 

[enviousdominous]

[[EPILOGUE]]

I can finally stop brainstorming ways to connect the plots.

For those who haven't played the game or didn't get the reference; this was loosely based on the old CDI game "The Dame Was Loaded".

For those who are very thorough readers, I'm aware of a paragraph that basically undermines most of the story. I'm hoping that most of you have overlooked it, but I apologize nonetheless for being careless.

I'll try to get it right when I start writing another story crammed full of subtle pro-wrestling references.

I'll be writing another "loosely based off of an old video game" story filled with pro-wrestlers and pro-wrestling references soon. I'll try to do it right that time.