That afternoon…
"Where are we Trisha?" Stephanie looked around, they were far from the city, wandering in the wilderness on the island.
"This is where we live." The girl, Trisha, replied happily.
"You guys all live out here Gus?" Chris asked.
"Yup, that's right." The boy, Gus, nodded proudly.
"Strange…" Chris blinked and began to think to himself again.
"There it is right there, that cabin just ahead!" Trisha pointed.
"Oh." Stephanie put her hand over her eyes. "I can see it now. Wow, this really is far out there."
"How do you live like this, so far away? No supplies, no…. I mean, your have some parents." Chris laughed to himself.
"Oh, uh…" They looked at each other.
"We don't have any parents." Trisha muttered.
"We are all orphans and live by ourselves." Gus replied.
"Whoa…" Stephanie gasped. "What happened to all of your parents?"
"There was a bad accident, the survivors were all kids and too far away from the city. Nobody knew about it because it was a small private cruise. The older kids looked after the younger ones, and it's been over a year, so we've all managed to get along since then, without adults. It's just how we've come used to living."
"That's horrible, I mean, and you prefer this?" Chris was in utter shock.
"Yeah. We were all very young and I guess we just got used to it. We couldn't see it any other way." Trisha giggled as she reached the door, an old rusted crossbow sat leaning against the porch step. "Well, here we are. Come on out everyone, we're back!"
"Twins, where have you been?" A loud voice barked.
"Uh…" They froze. "Um, sorry bout that Dean."
A much older teen stepped out from the back of the house and looked down at them with frustration, "You have to tell me when you go out like that. I'm the oldest now, I'm in charge now, and I'm the one to protect you and go out to fend for the rest of us."
"Now…?" Stephanie blinked to herself, confused by what he meant by that.
"Yeah, I know." Gus bowed his head.
"Yeah, we're sorry." Trisha did the same.
Dean sighed and closed his eyes to regain himself, "Alright, no need for that, it's okay." They both looked up and he forced a slight smile, "Anyway, I've got lunch so you guys go in and eat." He looked up at the adults, his expression not as forgiving as it was more foreboding. "I'll deal with the guests."
"Okay!" Gus ran inside, his mind on his stomach.
Trisha turned around, "They helped us you know, be easy on them."
"What?" Dean froze and whirled around. "What trouble did you get into this time!?"
"Uh…!" Trisha shivered.
Gus stepped back over, "No, Chris beat up those punks last night! We saw!"
"You were out, last night, alone without telling me where…" Dean stopped and shook his head again. "We can talk about this later." He turned to Chris who was frowning back at him, a bit confused and concerned at what he was watching. "Go and eat, all I'm going to do is talk to him alright?"
"Okay…" The twins nodded and slowly went inside, the door shut behind them.
"Now…" Dean turned and looked at Chris, then at Stephanie, and back again. "So, Chris was it…?"
"Yeah." He nodded, his expression unchanged.
"And I'm Stephanie." Steph cut in, noticing the tension.
"That's fine." Dean nodded. "I appreciate what you did in helping us, but your aid is not wanted."
"What?" Chris clenched his teeth angrily.
Dean frowned, leering back at him, "We were always just fine by ourselves, it's people coming like you, and those gangster wanabees, and as the one in charge now, I make the decisions."
"Yeah, but if you can't tell, I'm the oldest here." Chris barked back. "What I see here is very strange. If you really care about those kids of yours, you'll let them go to the city and find foster homes."
"What do you know." Dean scrunched his nose.
"They told us about the accident and how you came to be." Stephanie explained.
"That's irrelevant, this is our lives now. We didn't need adults then, and we don't now. We were the only ones to survive, the whole world had no idea about the accident, nobody on the island came to help when it happened, and now the only people coming to us are people who want to hurt us."
"You're the one hurting them!" Chris roared, his fists clenched with frustration. "Why can't you see that?"
"You're the one who doesn't understand." Dean turned his back. "Now leave. I thank you again, but this is our fight, so let us alone now." He went inside, slamming the door behind him.
"That… is very strange." Stephanie muttered after a brief moment of silence.
"That, is wrong." Chris turned and walked off.
"Wait!" Steph gasped and rushed after him. "Where are you going, what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to find those punks, beat them up, and go to the police on this."
"Chris no… You'll be arrested for beating on kids."
"If that's the price to pay for those children's future, then so be it. Besides, I'm a celeb, I'll be fine."
"Oh, Chris…" Steph swooned and then giggled.
As they walked through the wilderness on the other side of the island, they realized that they had ended up completely lost and unaware as to where they were even walking. So they decided to climb to the top and get a good look around and see what bearings they could get. Chris stood on top of a rock and looked around, the ocean breeze kicking at his long hair. Stephanie looked at him in though, she and Chris had been through so much together and yet she had never seen him this way.
There was a laugh, "Well look what the cat dragged in."
"Huh…?" Steph whirled around in shock.
"I know that voice." Chris cracked his knuckles and jumped off the rock and next to Steph to defend her.
"That's right, it's Pat." The teen stepped out, a fresh scar forming over his left eye from the last night's battle. "Looks like you've stumbled onto our terrain once again." He put his fingers to his lips and let out a high pitched whistle, some more teens appeared from out of nowhere.
"Like the bitchy pack of wild dogs you are." Chris sneered, pushing Steph behind his back.
"Don't worry, we'll save her for the end." Pat stood before his team of teens. He and Chris stared with eyes locked for what seemed an eternity until Pat raised his arm, his hand pointed in command.
"AH!" They cried happily and attacked Chris like hungry mutts.
"You mongrels!" Chris barked and attacked them all, beating the onslaught easily. "And now for the pride leader. Nothing to be proud of though I'm afraid."
"Fool." Pat snickered. "A pride is lions!"
"AH!" Chris roared and they began to fight, but Pat had a concealed weapon, he dodged Chris and pulled out a switch blade from his pocket, stabbing the knife right for Chris's neck. "Wha…!" Chris gasped, noticing the glint on the sharp end and stepping aside, causing it to only graze the side of his neck. "Ugh… you." He snarled, jumping back. "Fight me like a man."
"Feh, gladly." He put the weapon away. "Everyone knows that wrestlers are just stunt men actors."
"You'll regret that!" Chris screamed and sacked him, they tumbled and rolled down the hill as they battled.
"Chris!" Steph ran after, leaving the pack of unconscious dogs to lick their wounds.
"This is over, you're dead now." Pat chuckled.
"Oh? Well, we'll just see about that now won't we…!" Chris coughed as leaves and pebbles flew around them, their faces covered with dirt and new blood.
"Ugh!" Finally they landed at the bottom and separated as they hit the muddy floor.
Chris growled as he reached all fours first, "Somebody needs to give you an overdue spanking." He grabbed Pat's wrists.
"Please, you leave yourself open." He kneed Chris in the stomach.
"AH!" He coughed and let go, drawing back to catch his breath, and that left Pat the opening he was looking for.
"Now…!" Pat got behind Chris, his arm and hand wrapped tightly around his neck as he began to squeeze. "This is how a real neck lock is done, when you want results."
"Ah!" Chris cried for air, it was a good move combo, he had no oxygen and thus no strength to fight it off.
"But you forget…"
"Huh?" Pat snapped out of focus.
"About ME!" Stephanie stood before Pat, knife in hand.
Pat growled, "You bitch…"
"Let him go and surrender, or I'm going to the police."
Pat's eyes went wide and he shook as he thought to himself until finally, "Uh, grr… fine!" He dropped Chris and stood up, grabbing the knife and running off.
"Chris…" Steph dropped down to him as Chris gagged for breath, hand on his sore neck.
"You'll regret this, you haven't won."
"If you ever come after us, or those kids, or anybody else again." Chris coughed and stood up, wiping the blood from his chin. "I will finish this."
"Please, no threats, I know you wrestlers go all over the world, by the time you come back, those kids will all be gone and this island will be ours." Pat moved his hand across his neck and ran off.
"Ugh…" Chris dropped to one knee.
"Take it easy, are you alright?" Steph held him up. "Should we go to the cops?"
"No, we did our part. Those kids will never follow that Pat guy again, and if Dean and those children want to live like this, we can't change this. This is their lives, we won the battle for them." He groaned and stood up. "Besides, we have our own life to live, I have another match to fight tonight. We can't do anything more."
"I just, wish we could help them more…" Steph sighed. "But, I guess there really is nothing we can do…" She helped Chris walk as they headed back to civilization, which Chris had seen the lead to when he was on top of the hill. It was over for them, and they could only hope that in time it would be over for Pat and Dean and their groups as well.
Back to present day…
"Steph and I were wrong, I don't know why we didn't act upon what we saw back then…" Chris cringed as he neared the top, the small sliver of smoke turning into a volcanic sized cloud. "This has become worse than it ever was back then, and it's all my fault!" He reached the top, standing on the same rock as he looked at the ruins of the flaming punk hideout. "Joanie! Joanie come out, where are you?" He looked around the flying soot and flames, getting no response. "Oh damnit." He covered his nose and jumped down into a safe opening, running through the roaring fire as he looked all over. "Come on, this is foolish, get out of here now!" He looked around and his eyes went wide, the path he had come was now lit with flames all around him. "Damn, look what I have gotten myself into now…" He coughed, dropping his hand from his mouth. "Ugh, Joanie…! Grr, if I ever have kids I…!"
"Chris!" A small voice coughed.
"Joanie…" Chris headed towards the sound to see an opening to a very small cave about only six feet deep into the soil, and Joanie was huddled inside, soot burned onto her arms and clothes. "You idiot, get out of there, are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"I would gladly die like the others if it meant protecting the kids left." Joanie whimpered, her voice tired and full of sorrow.
"Think about it…!" Chris crouched down, partly of fatigue and also to get down below the smoke to her level. "What would the others say if you were doing this?"
"Uh, well…" Joanie bit her lip. "They would understand…"
"Listen…" Chris looked up, Joanie paused and watched. "Did you hear that?"
"What…"
He looked back down at her, "Exactly, it was nothing! They aren't speaking to you, they are angry! They gave everything for you and you're throwing it away. Peter and Jess need you! Dean, Gus, Trisha, they did this all for you!"
"Yeah, you knew them, right…" Joanie sighed. "But you didn't know them."
"Look, die if you want." Chris went to stand but groaned, there was little air. "Oh damn, now I'm going to die too." He grabbed Joanie with one arm. "You better get ready, as the only adult here and the only one thinking like one, I'm in charge, I'm the eldest, so I'm the leader now." He looked down at Joanie, smirking. "Isn't that how your code of rule goes…?" Joanie's eyes shook with shock, and she choked as tears formed in her eyes and she nodded. "Great, now that we see eye to eye…?" He coughed and waved the smoke out of his way. "Let's get out of here!"
"Right." She nodded meekly, covering her face with one hand as she held onto Chris with the other.
Chris leapt out of the flames and quickly ran on instinct, jumping on every opening he could find until luckily it led him to safety as the fire smoldered on the rocky hideout, burning everything in it's wake and not going over the border to endanger the wilderness and move through the island and to injury anywhere with civilians. With volcanic action always on the islands, nobody ever took notice when the burnout of the gang hideout by the eldest of the children took place every now and then. It was lucky for them.
"Ugh, we made it…" Chris dropped to his knees, letting Joanie go as he coughed violently for air.
"Chris, I'm sorry… I guess I can see everything clearly now…"
"Yeah. And all it took was a near death experience."
"Uh, yeah…" Joanie chuckled slightly.
"Chris!" Kari screamed as she led the others to the top. "Oh Joanie, Chris, you're both alright. Thank goodness."
"Chris, Joanie!" Everyone else cried and gathered around, the flames starting to lower, the moisture in the air helping to put it out.
"Joanie finally came to her sense, we're going to go back to the cabin and form a plan, which will consist of you all leaving to the city and finding a real family to live a real life. No more fighting."
"But we'll be separated." Peter sniffed.
"Do we have to?" Jess asked sadly.
"Yes, I'm the oldest now, I'm the leader in charge, so my decisions go and are final. Right?" Chris put his hands on his hips, standing up.
"Yeah…" Joanie chuckled.
"Uh, by the way, you really aren't the oldest here…" Christian muttered.
"Shut up…" Chris snarled. He looked up as the sun had moved across the sky. "I guess we had no idea how late it had become. So a change of plans. Kari you take the kids back, Pat and his punks will be here soon for their little fight of theirs, so we'll stay and handle them, then I'll come back for you."
"Alright." Kari nodded and looked down at the three kids. "Come on, let's go back. Everything will be alright now, okay?"
"Alright." They nodded and followed.
Chris sighed and looked at the remains of the fire, "What did I get myself into now? I guess I have only my past to learn from, my regrets too, and Stephanie and… huh?" He froze, his eyes wide as his jaw hit the floor. Did he just see what he thought he saw?
"Chris? What is it?" Trish asked. "Are you alright?"
"Stay here, don't follow me! I'll come back!" Chris yelled quickly and jumped into the basin, running off.
"Hey wait!" Trish gasped.
"No, wait." Christian put a hand on her shoulder.
"Huh?" She turned.
"Let him be." Christian frowned, there was only one time in his life that Chris ever said words like that so fast and ran off. Stephanie McMahon must be nearby. "But, how, or why…?"
"Huh?" Trish lowered her eyes, she was confused, what was going on here now?
"Stephanie! Steph?" Chris panted as he followed into the darkness under the tall trees. He could hear water, but it wasn't loud, it must've been a small pond or stream leading through the island to the ocean. "What's going on here? Steph, come on Stephanie answer me! Hey…!" He moved through tight bushes and finally came out to see the woman he had been chasing. "There you are, but why, how did you… Huh?" He froze and stepped slowly closer. His eyes shook, "You are Stephanie aren't you?" It was strange, she looked exactly like her, yet she was quiet, her eyes were dull, and she didn't seem at all to be herself. "What is the matter, this isn't like you?" Stephanie didn't respond, she approached Chris herself, touching her hand to his face, moving around down his neck and to his chest. Chris cringed, "Wha… what is it?" She put her finger on his lips, pushing it into his mouth to open it slightly. "Ah, Ste…" She moved in and replaced her finger with her own lips. He closed his eyes as they kissed, it had been so long since they had last seen each other. It was strange, but Chris was happy the encounter did happen. Unfortunately, the appearance had let his guard down. Chris's eyes flew open and he jumped back, coughing and gagging, "Ah, Stephanie what the hell was that! You just shoved something down my throat." He frowned. "And it wasn't your tongue either."
The so called Stephanie smiled, "Chris…"
"Huh?" He froze. "That's, not your voice…" He shook and leered at her. "You aren't her! Who are you? What are you doing here? Why are you here? How did you…"
"You, can't hurt me…" She smirked coldly, her eyes couldn't look at him, she was almost like a puppet with one design, to kill Chris.
"You fraud."
"Pat, he will prevail, you fool."
"So, Pat did this. He got some poor girl, made her look like Stephanie so he could get rid of me and go after the others. He's smarter than I give him credit for." He frowned. "Who are you really, why work with Pat? Do you know what he is… huh?" He looked closer, recognizing the expression on her face. "So, you are just a pawn indeed, you have no idea who you are or what you are doing, Pat is controlling you, you're just drugged."
"Foolish Chris, Pat will prevail." Stephanie jumped at him.
"Nice try!" Chris dodged and leaped back.
"You can't hurt me…" She repeated, kneeling before him.
"Huh?" Chris blinked. "Leaving herself open…?" He shook, she was right, even though it wasn't Stephanie, it looked like her, Chris could never hurt Steph, or an innocent girl.
She looked up and smiled, jumping up and around Chris just like Pat had, and strangled him, digging her sharp nails into his neck, "You fool…"
"Stop, saying that!" Chris struggled, this was hard, he didn't want to hurt her, but he couldn't let himself get hurt, he had the others to protect and go back to. "I can't let Pat win, I won't, I… uh…" His vision started to blur. "That liquid you slipped me, I…. ugh…" He felt his body grow weak, it was hard to breathe, his arms began to hang limply at his side. "Steph…" His eyes shut.
"You really are a fool. How could you honestly believe that to be me…?"
The weight of the world and his life fell off Chris's shoulders, "Huh…?" His eyes snapped open, he had just heard Stephanie's voice. "Hmm?" He looked around and gasped, seeing the fake Stephanie on the ground and the real one before him. "Steph…!"
"Luckily for you I decided to come to Hawaii." She turned and walked off.
"Stephanie, but how did you, what…" Chris blinked and felt his neck, the strange drug had no affect on him anymore. Stephanie meant that much to him she was like the cure to any ailment or injury Chris would ever have. "Steph…" He watched her go. "Thank you… good bye." He sighed even after she was gone and finally turned and left himself, rushing back to the others. "Hang on guys, I'm coming for you…!" He frowned. "Pat…"
Meanwhile, back at the cabin…
"So, we've talked it over now. Are you guys ready now?" Kari asked.
"Yeah." Joanie nodded.
"I guess so…" Peter sighed.
"This is so strange, this is going to be weird." Jess shook. "It doesn't feel right."
"It's what they would've wanted. You have to do it for them, alright?" Joanie smiled.
"Okay." The duo lowered their heads.
Joanie chuckled to herself and looked up at Kari, "Right?"
"Yeah. Exactly." Kari grinned. "You're a good leader after all Joanie, looking out for the ones you care for. The elders would be proud of you."
"You think so, really?" Joanie laughed. "That's great."
"Now come on." Kari opened the door, it was getting later.
"But Chris told us to stay and wait here."
Kari smirked back at Joanie, "You don't know him like I do, let's go." She led them outside. "Hey wait, what's that…?" She noticed something on the lawn under some very long grass.
"Oh, that's a crossbow. It's the last thing of wreckage we found that we still have here." Joanie picked it up. "It's old and a bit rusted from the salt water, but it's still a weapon. And maybe we can use it in Chris's battle with Pat."
Kari looked down at it, she was not only a black belt but a very skilled and accomplished archer, "This is like a sign. Yes, we have to take it, it's too much of a coincidence." She picked it up and smiled. "Now come on, let's go!"
"This is it, the final battle, and the prize is our freedom." Peter gulped.
"But what if we lose?" Jess asked.
"Well, then I guess we'll see everyone again after all." Peter sighed.
"The others, and our parents?" Jess gasped and looked up. She had always thought she would be happy to see everyone she lost again, it was how all of the kids had always thought of their lives, but for some reason, now, the thought terrified her.
Back at the top…
Trish and Christian were still waiting for Pat's gang, but Chris was the first to appear, "Sorry to keep you, there was something I had to take care of."
"Or somebody…" Trish frowned.
"How was it?" Christian motioned at the marks on Chris's neck.
He growled, covering them with his hand, "It's not what you think."
"Sure." He chuckled, Trish just growled and elbowed him.
"So no sign yet, I wonder if they've given up? We burned them out and are here ready to fight and accept the challenge." Chris thought to himself. "No, it can't be over, that win would be way too easy." He growled. "Man I hate this boring calm before the storm!"
