A/N: WHOA, do you know how long it's been since I've had time to come online...? Wow I'm so sorry. I haven't had time to finish reading stories and submitting reviews, I'm sooo far behind it's crazy! But I have a new job that has a very short lunch period, so it sucks that I had to give this up. BUT, I will try my hardest to find time at home to get back into the habbit! In the meantime, here's my latest creation, enjoy!
"And this, my children…" Vince spoke as his wife Linda stood with their young kids, Stephanie and Shane. "Is my empire, the WWF." He motioned out the suite window. Stephanie pushed her hands and face up against the glass as she watched Hulk Hogan defeat the Ultimate Warrior in a match… "And one day, this will all be both yours…"
It was a beautiful day out in the WWE headquarter courtyard. The sky was blue, the gentle breeze blew the fluffy white clouds across the horizon. CEO Linda McMahon sat with a proud relaxed smile on the bench as she closed her eyes to enjoy the cool temperature on her break. But all was not peaceful during these times, the Monday night wars were going on strong between themselves and their heated rival called WCW. But she had faith in her company and fellow teammates, one especially headstrong in mind…
"Stephanie? Stephanie." Linda opened her eyes and looked around. She grew nervous when she got no reply, she stood up. "Stephanie!" She gasped and whirled around upon hearing a sound.
"Letting your guard down eh." A burly man snickered.
"What?" Linda gasped, it was a WCW personal scout. 'Oh no, not again!'
"WWE will fail, Eric Bishoff will lead Ted Turner to glory!" He pounded a fist into his hand.
"I'm afraid your are mistaken."
"What?" The stranger whirled around at the voice to see a young 23 year old Stephanie McMahon come out from behind a large rock in the center of the garden. The man was stunned, she was absolutely beautiful, well, for a McMahon that is…
She smirked as the wind picked up at her hair, "I'm determined to see YOU fail."
"Stephanie be careful please!" Linda said this almost winded in a tired voice.
"You don't know who you're messing with." The man begins to advance on her.
"No wait, stop!" Linda rushes towards her daughter for aid.
"No mom." Stephanie didn't turn around but Linda stopped in her tracks. "Stay back." Stephanie leered focused at the man. "I can handle this one by myself." Linda looked concerned but Stephanie just looked angrily at this intruder. "We will win this war."
"You're as stubborn as ever." Stephanie turned to the voice as lead diva Sable walked out from around the corner of the building. "Refusing help from your own mother after all she's taught and given to you."
"Get out of here." Stephanie turned up her nose. "If you choose to get involved, I don't want to protect you…"
"My, I'd appreciate some gratitude here." Sable stood next to her as she faced the man. "I have to protect my job too you know." Stephanie just lowered her brow as Sable grinned back at her. Linda stared surprised at the blonde.
"Hey, aren't I the one you should be arguing with?" The man snickered in amusement at this seemingly power struggle of females. He frankly didn't mind the entertainment.
"I'll tell you what I told my mom, I can handle this myself."
"Insolence. Are you sure it's alright?"
"How many times do I have to tell you, yes."
"I can handle it myself, you should get your mom out of here to someplace safe."
"You don't have to worry about her, she can take care of herself. And so can I."
Sable smiles shrewdly, "How impressive, that a careless woman like yourself would put your pride over the well being of your own mother."
"That's it, I've got dinner plans!" The man grew impatient and charged.
"Look out!" Linda cried out but the man was rushing towards her, she looked around but saw no place to run and hide.
"Get down!" Sable gasped and Linda crouched back, covering her head.
"I got it!" Stephanie jumped up and shoved the man aside with a thrust of her shoulder. Linda finally opens her eyes and looks up to see her daughter. Stephanie turns to him and kicks him in the stomach with her heel. Linda smiled up in awe and amazement, but her eyes are sad. She always wanted her daughter to be strong, but no, not like this. How could a mere power struggle for a nightly rating on television turn into a literal physical war? Sable attacks the man from behind, grabbing his neck around his shoulders. The man is easily taken down by the duo, not giving WCW a good name in that fact. They stand on either side of him as he is on his hands and knees in the dirt. Stephanie gives a determined glare of victory as the defeated man looks up shakily and then runs off. Stephanie closes her eyes in though, 'Yes… I am a McMahon. But is this my destiny?' A strong, proud, and beautifully talented McMahon indeed, as Linda looked up in awe at her daughter. She may have been her daughter, but to Linda, Stephanie was her hero…but there was no way for her nor anyone to know what kind of fate was set out for her in the course of the next few years of her life.
'Curse you. This isn't over, you won't get away with this….'
The Big Show growled to himself, stomping around the backstage area of the arena they had their house show in that night. He looked around, "Where are you?" He turns. "Where did you go you WCW dog! Darn talent scouts." Something flashes in the light and it catches Show's attention and he whirls around ready to kick some WCW ass.
"Right here." The 25 year old blonde jumped up into the air from behind some boxes and crates, Show gasps, taken off guard by surprise. "Take, THIS!" He has the light behind him to blind Big Show as he charges down upon him with a hard blow to the head, knocking him for a loop and causing him to stagger back. The wrestler gave him a chop to the neck from behind, knocking him out as he falls over onto the ground. The young man smirks and clenches a fist in victory, "You fool." His face twitches with a ticked off expression, "Nobody calls me a WCW dog and gets away with it." The scout walks back off down the hall.
Meanwhile, at the Canadian WWE office branch…
"There she is, don't let her get away." A man's voice called, a blonde woman was rushing down the halls, she growled and turned around, then kept on going as the group of men gave chase. "After her, we've got her cornered!"
They were right, the young woman gasped as she came to a dead end, "Darn."
"There you are." One of the men announced as she turned around with a defensive growl. The lead man in charge stepped forward, he looked to be in about his early 40's, with dirty golden colored hair, slightly long with bangs. "I'm in charge up here, and I will not let any WCW talent scout wrestlers up here on my watch." He growls.
"You won't get away with this, WCW will win this Monday night war!" The diva stood tall. "My name is Stacy Keibler!"
"Take her to the detention cell, we have to call security." The man in charge nodded.
"Yes sir Mr. Stratus." One of the others nodded as they advanced on her, cuffing her hands with theirs behind her back as they led her off.
Mr. Stratus turns as they disappear down the hall, a cat jumps up into his arms and meow's, he smiles, "Hey there Boomerang. Why don't you go back with Trish now? I'm sure she'll be getting lonely without you." He began to walk back off towards his office.
"Mr. Stratus! Mr. Stratus!" His walkie talkie shakes on his belt from the nervous tone.
He stops and turns as he lifts it to his face and chirps, "Hm? What is it? What's the matter?"
"It's that Stacy girl, come quick!"
"The confinement room?" He gasps and goes to rush over. He reaches the door where the man on the two way has a worried expression on his face. "What happened? What's going on?"
"Please sir." He asks in desperation.
"What's wrong?"
"You have to get in there, something's going on, she's snapped and gone crazy, she tried to attack your daughter!"
"What!" Mr. Stratus growls in shock. He throws the door open to see her standing on a chair, the table shoved down aside on the floor. One of the men holds his arm as the other is in the middle to intervene. "What is the meaning of this!" Mr. Stratus barks.
"Dad!" Trish whirls around, she was toned and absolutely beautiful. She was about 24.
"Are you alright?" He rushes to her side and Boomerang jumps from his arms to hers.
"Yes dad of course, I'm fine." She looks up at him, holding their cat.
Stacy looks up ferociously as Mr. Stratus glared at her, "You could've been great under Ted Turner as his winged man, but you had to leave and help the McMahon's, then the Monday night wars started. It's all your fault, your daughter will never become a diva! WWE will go out of business!" The fiery Abyssinian cat Boomerang hisses at her.
"Security!" A guard rushes to the scene and enters the doorway.
"Good, remover her from my sight." Mr. Stratus growls deeply.
"You bastard!" Stacy lunges at Trish and throws the chair at her.
"Hey, whoa!" Trish gasps in shock.
"Look out!" Her dad ducks her head but it narrowly hits him on his shoulder. "Ah!"
"Restrain her!" The guard cries as the other men get on top of her.
"This isn't over, oh contraire." Stacy snarls as she is handcuffed by the security man and pulled away. "Oh no, this has just barely begun!"
"Dad!" Trish gasps and reaches at him for aid.
"Are you alright sir?" The other man came over to him concerned.
"Yes, I'll be fine." He opens his eye and looks at his hand as he takes it off the wound to check for blood. He looks up and sighs sadly to himself as he wonders, "Why did it ever have to come to this…? Who would've ever known that one night's worth of money and ratings could lead to a war?" He sighed, this wasn't the world he wanted for his daughter.
"Me, I did." The other injured man raised his good arm.
Mr. Stratus leers at him with frustration and fatigue, "Shut up…" He sighs and looks around in thought. "All of this betrayal and secrecy and talent scouts sneaking into the other side… it's all gone on long enough, and it must stop before something happens."
Trish stepped up to him, "What are you going to do dad?"
He sighed and furrowed his brow, "I have to go see the McMahon's…"
Back with the McMahon's…
"I suppose you're going to travel with the wrestlers again?" The pampered diva Sable asks the ladies. "I'm sure they can take care of themselves if any scout should arrive."
The McMahon women stop as Stephanie turns to look over her shoulder. "We don't have to explain our reasons for departure to you."
"Very well then." Sable bows her head in acceptance as the two turn to go again. "But are you sure about this? You aren't a diva like I am, you can't fight. You only have a cunning business mind, much like your mother who has taught you."
Stephanie stops again but doesn't turn this time, "Then you don't seem to know me at all Sable…"
She starts to go again but Sable's voice stops her once more, "You know Stephanie, as a fellow WWE diva I feel I should give you some advice."
"Oh and what's that?"
"As a diva you can never achieve your real talent and power until you throw away your feelings, listening to your heart can blind your eyes and your mind from the truth, the reality, and the safeties of the world. But as women, we are only cursed to fall in love."
Finally Stephanie turns to face Sable and her speech, "You can't possibly think that would happen to me. Fall in love, you can't be serious. Any superstar would fear to touch me for risk of loosing their job should the relationship not work out. My father's wrath."
"But that's not what I mean." Sable smiled slyly and Stephanie stared back at her. "Just remember, not to fall in love, with any man… even if you think he loves you. For if you ever meet and fall for such a man, a cruel and tragic fate will befall upon you."
Stephanie smiles to herself and closes her eyes as she turns to actually leave this time, "How fictional. I'll try and keep that warning in mind."
Sable watches them go with an evil smirk, "Hmph."
"Wow, that sure was some advice." Linda blinks.
Stephanie opens her eyes, "Curses to her, that was no advice, more like a threat if you ask me." She swore under her breath.
"She is such a complicated woman." Linda turns to her daughter who walks firmly next to her without any emotion on her face. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"Don't worry about it." Stephanie replies stubbornly. "There's no way I would ever fall in love."
Meanwhile…
"We won't let you get away this time WCW dog!" Big Show roared in the hall, this time accompanied by the equally large WWE superstar Viscera.
Viscera looks around, "I'll help you get revenge for that bastard attacking you, no WCW superstar gets back here and lives to tell about it I tell ya that."
"Yeah."
Hiding in the storage closet, the very same young blonde growls with gritted teeth as he holds his injured arm closely to his body, "Great." He says with a worried expression. "How could I have figured he'd have an even larger ally?"
"There you are!" Viscera opens the janitor closet door.
"Wah ah!" He gasps and looks up horrified as Viscera lunges for him with a right fist. But he dodges just barely by rolling out of the way from under him.
"What, darn you!" Big Show roars as their prey flees. "You're not getting away this time!"
"Go away!" The man pants heavily from around the corner, he holds his injured arm tightly with his other hand. "Or I'll have to resort to something tricky like this!" He jumps back around from behind the wall and rams Viscera back into the Big Show, squishing the already injured giant up against the wall.
"Damn you!" Viscera gets up and charges at the mongrel. "Who do you think you are WCW dog?"
The man does a very high jump and flips in the air, landing feet first on Viscera taking him down, "You got a problem with me being a WCW dog, bitch?" He swished his long blonde ponytail over his shoulder with his good hand arrogantly. Viscera is in shock at this man's talent. He jumps up not as high this time, "Take that!" He kicks Viscera with an enzeguri and knock shim out alongside his fallen comrade. They both groan in agony and defeat. He stands up in victory but a sharp stinging pain pierces through his injured arm and he cries out, "Ah, damnit. They don't have big guys like you in WCW that strong…." He looks around growling. "I have to get better if I'm going to win this."
That dark night…
"Hello?" Stephanie opens her cell phone, she's in the arena after the house show is over.
"Honey, it's mom. Somebody came here looking for us."
"Who?"
"The receptionist back at the headquarters said his name was Mr. Stratus and that he had a Canadian accent."
"Oh, I see." Stephanie began to think.
"You'd better hurry, the sun has set and it's dark out. I don't want something to happen to you if you stay out too long by yourself."
"Don't worry mom, I just want to get something from the office before I come back. I've got my room key, I'll be fine alright?" She hangs up and closes the door to the office and locks it, heading back to the hotel. She picks up her mom and they drive back to the headquarters where like the man promised, he had returned.
"Hello, my name is Mr. Stratus."
"So, like I thought." Stephanie looked him up and down. "You're the man in charge of the Canadian branch in Toronto."
"That is correct miss."
"What can we do for you sir?" Linda asked, seated behind the executive desk in the office.
"We've been having WCW break ins, this is really getting too far out of hand."
"I agree. Things have become dangerously serious, and it has me worried."
"What do you propose we do Mrs. McMahon?"
"Well sir, I don't think there is much we can do until a resolution works itself out."
"And that resolution being?"
"WCW ratings fall, they loose money and go out of business."
"That's risky…"
"I know but it's our only best bet we've got right now. What else?"
"But mom, then what of the superstars? They'll be coming to us either for a job, or to exact revenge."
"She's right."
"Yes I suppose she is." Linda began to think. "I guess all we can do is be careful and play things by ear. And if you're forced to use force, use digression when necessary."
"Right… I'll do that." Mr. Stratus nods. "Thank you for your time." He is about to leave but then stops. "Here, I want you to have this." He opens his hands and reveals something to Stephanie as he walks over. "My family, employees and I want to thank you for giving us this continual opportunity with your company amid all of this. This ring was a gift from my daughter, she wishes to one day become a WWE diva and help stop this war. She really is dedicated and admiring of you and has a great passion for your company."
Stephanie smiles, "Thank you." She takes it, it's a bit too big for herself, but she accepts it with kindness.
"I look forward to our next meeting, hopefully it will be with much better news." He goes this time.
Stephanie looks down at the ring in her hand, if only peace were such a simple enough option in grasp to be as easy an exchange as her accepting this ring. Linda looked at her daughter, little did they know how that very ring could in fact change her daughter's destiny dramatically. She sighs… this kind of fate was not the life for every 23 year old, most young ladies are just out of college, out to enjoy the world before getting a job. Shopping with friends, going out on dates with boys, but Stephanie didn't even have much time to even get her hair done anymore. Linda would often see her gazing at girls putting on make up in salons when they would be walking in the city. Linda felt sorry for her, granted she was beautiful, but it was all because of the feuding when the Monday night wars started that she grew up so fast. That night, the rain clouds began to gather…
Early the next day, just after sunrise…
The same man was rushing around the arena, he had lost his way sneaking around in the dark after hours and had found his way back outside, "Damnit!" He began to swear under his breath, the rain was starting to fall from the dark clouds in the morning sky. "I have to hurry." He gritted his teeth together angrily. He began to sneeze.
"Ah!"
"What was that?" He turns to the woman's scream. "It sounded like it came from inside." He sneaks through the parking area garage and is able to make his way inside through the underground tunnel leading into the arena from the parking structure. He wipes his nose and shakes off the water from his shivering body as he looks around. "There's something there…" He sneaks over and hears commotion as he gathers, the dirty smell of sweat from fighting is in the air. He gets a feeling in his chest and tries to hold it in, but he starts coughing. "Darn." He gasps but luckily it didn't give him away, the sounds of arguing cover it up. He peers around the corner and gasps as he sees some fellow WCW stars, and behind a corner in his direction is a beautiful young brunette woman, only two years younger than himself. "Wait, who is she?" He squints and overhears their conversation.
"You can't hide forever. You won't get away!" One of them growls. "Darn, we must've lost her…"
The other turns to him, "Come on let's get outa here before we attract any attention."
"Right." They run off. After a few moments, Stephanie looks around the corner, panting, very wary and battered. The man is in awe as he continues to watch her from in hiding.
"Please, I don't want to fight anymore…"
"Huh?"
"I never have…" Stephanie sighed as she closed her eyes, she didn't have the strength to protect herself physically anymore.
"She knows I'm here?" The man was in shock and turned around. Stephanie turned towards his direction but he knew she couldn't see him. "But how did she sense me?" Suddenly he gasps and lurches, holding his breath and trying to keep it in, but no luck, he keels at the waist as he coughs. "Damn." That's how…
"Take care now, you must've caught a little cold from that storm out there." She wears a weak smile as she closes her eyes. "How long do you intend to hide back there? Are you shy? Well, you'd better not slack off on the job, or next time WWE comes around you won't be able to clean up after us."
"Wait." The man thought to himself. "She doesn't know I'm a wrestler, she thinks I'm in the arena staff?" He glared over his shoulder back at her from his hiding place.
Stephanie raises an eyebrow, "Or maybe you're after me too? Another WCW star. If you aren't however, then you have nothing to fear from me." The man remained perfectly still and didn't respond, he could tell just by looking at this woman that he didn't want to mess with her. Stephanie sighed, "No…" She smiled. "I don't sense that in your presence." She went to leave. "If any WCW star wanted to live, they'd better stay outa my way." She stopped in her tracks and fell to her knees, her body shaking in pain. The man gasped but still didn't move. She was hurt, she fell onto the ground in pain.
"Hey, wait!" Finally he jumped out from hiding and rushed over with concern without thinking. But she was unconscious as he knelt down beside her. "Wow…" He looked down at the woman, she was amazing, so beautiful. "Is she a diva? She doesn't look strong enough, unless she could be…" His eyes widen.
"Stephanie, Stephanie?"
"Wha oh!" The man gasps at the alarming cry and rushes off to hide in the nearby storage room.
"Where is that daughter of mine?" Linda comes into view at the end of the hall, shaking off her umbrella. She gasps with high concern as she sees the slumped body on the floor at the other corner. "Stephanie!"
"Is that you mom?" Stephanie asks weakly as her eyes shake and then open slightly.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." She sits up. She looks around the room, no longer sensing the man in his hiding spot. She smiles, now realizing that he in fact was a WCW star. She closes her eyes, "So, he left me be after all huh… I suppose I still have a little bit of luck left on my side after all." She leaned her head back against the wall with a slight sigh of relief.
Meanwhile…
"Nothing can hold me back from my cause, not some detention cell, nor any security guard." Stacy smirked as she crept from behind the ally and onto the street. She'd been flown in to Connecticut to face punishment, but escaped. "The WWE will fail, and I will make sure to ensure my part in helping reach that resolution." She continues to walk down the street in the rain and passes by the arena across the street from the hotel.
The man smiles as he notices her pass, relaxing nonchalant up against a wall, "So, she's in on it too huh…" He smiled. "I guess even the weakest diva and superstar are strong enough in loyal spirit to help our cause and carry out our common goal." The image of Stephanie on the ground flashed through his mind. "So that really was Stephanie McMahon then… she's the one everyone's going after. So I guess I should be too….?" He sighed in thought, then cleared his throat and tapped his chest with the brunt of his fist. "Damn cold. Man I need a smoke…" He walked off, slouching, hands pocketed.