NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Finally, I'm back from vacation!:) Kona was awesome, but the flight back sucked. I'm still fighting jet-lag and room spin because of the long trip home. BTW, THANKS to everyone who favorited this story during my trip. I'd love to hear reviews from you if you have time; they motivate me.
Just to warn you, this chapter is going to jump back and forth a bit and seem more than a little choppy. Bear with me, because it's an important chapter. It's still April 5, 1999. And wow, the commentary on this...they were DESPERATE to make Taker's fans hate him. I wanted to say "Shut up! We get it already!" more than once during the broadcast.
Also, I just put a new poll up on my profile page so you can vote on the story you'd like for me to do next.
Chapter Twenty-eight
"Michael I just checked back there with Mr. McMahon's office," Lawler reassured his colleague. "And they just got more security now. everything seems to be well in hand. I don't see how Undertaker is gonna be able to fulfill his plan of sacrificing Stephanie McMahon. We've got everything well in hand. There's plenty of security."
~~~MOD~~~
"Since Backlash is going to be in Providence, I was thinking about making a weekend out of it, just you and I. Providence has got such a rich history, that I thought the two of us could take a walking tour. There's a really nice one that begins at Kennedy Plaza and ends at Prospect Terrace. Takes about two hours and there's plenty of historical places we can see on the way."
"I want to go to Thayer Street," Stephanie smiled, her eyes lighting up.
Vince cocked an eyebrow. "Thayer Street? What's on Thayer Street?"
Thayer Street was a neighborhood full of cool shops and restaurants, and it was a popular destination for students of the area's nearby schools. And it was one of the places Stephanie would have liked visiting that she thought her dad wouldn't mind tagging along.
"Well, there's some really neat local shops, places to eat and maybe pick out some unique souvenirs."
"Hmmm. I was thinking about perhaps a walking trip close to the hotel, like the one I just mentioned." Vince paused. "After everything that Mark's been trying to do, I just want to keep you close by."
Stephanie nodded and turned back to the TV screen. Her father was in full-blown Papa Wolf mode, and there was no point disagreeing with him at this point.
Vince and Stephanie were watching the match between Mick Foley and Val Venis. Mick hit a double underhook DDT, brought out Mr. Socko, and hit Val with the Mandible Claw. Val tapped, and the ref stopped the match, resulting in a victory for the Boiler Room Dweller.
Stephanie watched the post match celebration, with a little smile for Foley (he was the hometown hero) but a slightly heavy heart for Val. In the background, she heard her father babble on about Smackdown, how exciting it would be for fans who couldn't get cable to be able to watch the WWF again, his plans for Backlash, and how enjoyable it was for him to be able to travel with his daughter, even if the circumstances weren't the best.
Suddenly, the lights in the office begin to flicker.
Vince climbed off the couch abruptly, Stephanie following suit. "Hey, what the—what the hell is that?" He glared at the throng of security guys who were standing around him and his daughter. "You guys do your job!"
Stephanie sighed. Here we go again...
~~~MOD~~~
Backstage, the Ministry stood in a circle discussing strategy as Michael Cole and Lawler frantically wondered what they were doing.
~~~MOD~~~
Vince found a spare moment and got on the phone with his wife. "Linda, it's gonna be alright. It's gonna be fine. No, she's safe. We're gonna get through this, we're gonna be fine…hello?" The phone suddenly went dead. "Hello? Hello!"
Ominously, the lights flickered again.
Only this time, they went out.
Spooked, Vince dropped the phone. "What the hell? Here we go-"
"DAD! DAAD! WHERE ARE YOU! DAD! HELP! HELP ME DAD!" Stephanie's frightened, frantic screech pierced her father's ears, amid a cacophony of other voices.
"Stephanie! Stephanie!" Vince bellowed, fumbling around in the sudden dark...
~~~MOD~~~
In the arena, a hush fell over the crowd, the lights dimmed then turned purple as eerie music began to play.
Lawler's voice was soft. "It's happened, Michael. Oh my gosh."
"King, our worst fears may be realized," nodded Cole as Midian and Viscera dragged a hooded figure onto the stage. "The Ministry Of Darkness and…"
"Michael, they've got somebody."
"They've got someone alright."
"They've got Stephanie! How could they do this?" wondered Lawler as Gangrel leaned over to the hooded figure. "Where's Mr. McMahon, and where is the security? What is this?"
~~~MOD~~~
Gangrel's voice was a whisper as he tried to instruct Ryan. "We're gonna tie this loose. You'll have to hang on as tight as you can when we start raising this thing."
Ryan's nod was almost imperceptible.
~~~MOD~~~
Cole and Lawler's commentary continued. "What did they do to overcome the security? I mean, what's happened to the security and Mr. McMahon?"
"Michael, I don't know, but this is…I mean, come on! This is not right! It's not right to screw with a man's family, and it's not right to do something like this to Mr. McMahon's innocent daughter. Stephanie McMahon's never hurt anybody!"
Taker's music started: Accept the Lord Of Darkness as your Savior. Allow the purity of evil to guide you.
"King, the Undertaker and the Ministry, they've gone way too far this time. They've gone over the edge. Undertaker, he's lost it. It's one thing to be upset with Mr. McMahon…but to drag his innocent daughter into this?" questioned Cole, as the hooded figure was strapped to Taker's symbol and Taker stepped out. "That's bad. And there he is."
"She's tied down, and trying to get down from Undertaker's symbol," Lawler added as Taker picked up a microphone. "It's the worst thing on RAW."
"McMahon - I told you that a young girl would be sacrificed here tonight. And I'm not going to disappoint you, am I? You see, Vince, what happens here tonight -"
The scene switched to backstage, showing Stephanie still with Vince and the cops. Stephanie was clinging to her father for dear life, and Vince had her tightly wrapped in his arms.
"Hey, wait a minute, Michael!"
"King, that's Stephanie!"
And sure enough, it was. In the backstage confusion, Stephanie had stumbled into a table, and had freaked out when someone grabbed her ankle in the dark and knocked her to the floor. Her adrenaline had been surging through her at that point, and she had screamed just as much out of actual surprise and fear as she had out of play-acting. When the lights turned back on, Stephanie had been lying in a shaking, sobbing heap.
Taker continued, as his victim screamed and thrashed. "-you're responsible for. Although, this is not the young girl that I want – but she will have to do for now."
"Who is it?" asked a bewildered Lawler.
"Ahh, fear not little one," Taker wheedled. "There is nothing to fear, oh there's nobody here that can help you now. Soon, you'll be one of us."
"The Undertaker's setting an example," spat Cole in disgust.
"You see, Stephanie, when I look into her eyes, I see you."
Backstage, Stephanie watched in what looked like wide-eyed shock.
Taker continued. "When I touch her skin..."
The victim (still unknown to the live audience and the viewers at home) continued to scream and fight. "Kenny! Help me!"
It suddenly dawned on Lawler. "You know who that is? There's Stephanie, but I think that's Ryan Shamrock!"
"... I feel you." Taker drawled.
"It is!" Cole exclaimed. "That's Ryan Shamrock!"
"McMahon - it's time that she comes home," Taker continued, ominously, as Ryan continued to fight and scream. "It's time she became one of us. We have to answer to a power far greater than what we know, and He summons her! She is the Chosen One."
"King, that explains why Ryan's brother Ken was abducted!"
"Stephanie, it's time that you come home." Taker turned to his followers. "Raise her."
Lawler stated the obvious. "They need to send some security out here!"
Cole was frantic. "What are they gonna do to her now? The Undertaker, sending a message to Mr. McMahon."
Lawler winced. "Listen to her screaming. Come on! Put her down!"
Taker started his chant. "Anail nathrak, Dorthnei diednei, Bathnal nathra, de era umbrana."
Lawler shuddered as Taker gazed up and rolled his eyes back. "He's speaking in tongues, and yeah! That's Ryan Shamrock! God, Michael. This is awful! She's petrified!"
Backstage, Stephanie stared at the TV screen in what looked like horror, as Ryan hung onto the symbol for dear life.
"Kenny! Help me! Help me!"
Finally, Vince looked like he'd had enough. His nostrils flared and he was snorting like an angry bull as he leaped off the couch and glared at the camera. "You bastard! You stay away from Stephanie! You stay away from Stephanie, you evil bastard!"
Later in the broadcast, it would be revealed that Stephanie and her father had left the arena under armed guard.
~~~MOD~~~
Ken groaned as he awoke to a volcano of pain erupting in his head. He pried his eyes open and winced as the too-bright lights glared into his eyes. It felt like a white-hot dagger was sliding through his skull. His eyelids felt gritty, and there was a metallic taste in his mouth. He tried to move and realized that his hands were secured behind his back. He felt blankets against his cheek and heard the hum of a fan. He was in a motel room, he realized, and he was somebody's captive.
"What the hell?" he managed, his voice a croak.
"He speaks. His mouth opens and words come out," said the snarky voice in the corner.
"Where am I?" Ken asked, cautiously.
"Motel room. Doesn't matter where at the moment. It was either taking you here or leaving you in an unmarked ditch somewhere. The two of us are gonna have a little talk."
Ken struggled to sit up; with his hands tied behind his back, it was awkward, but he managed. His eyes finally focused on the lanky, smirky blonde figure leaning up against a dresser. He was wearing street clothes (T-shirt and faded jeans), but Ken could easily identify him. "You."
Christian decked the World's Most Dangerous Man in the jaw with a vicious right hook. "Payback for nearly breaking my leg last week," he snarled. "You think I enjoyed being Taker's whipping boy tonight?"
"You deserved it!" Ken spat. "Untie me!"
The young Brood member untied Ken. "Don't even think about trying to escape, Ken," he warned, his voice low and deadly. "You're not going anywhere yet. Viscera and Midian are outside the door, and they'll pounce on you in a second. And if you think of going to the authorities about this, the Ministry will fix you so that you'll NEVER be able to compete in a ring again." A pause. "You read me?"
Ken nodded. There was something about Christian's mannerisms and tone of voice that left no room for argument. "I read you loud and clear, you little freak-"
"Watch your mouth!"
"But I promise you, Christian. Vince and the rest of the Corporation are probably looking for me. They'll find me, and they will take all of you down."
"How can you be so sure, Kenny?" Christian turned and grabbed a video cassette from off the top of the TV. There was a VCR hooked up to it, obviously for the entertainment of the motel guests. Christian turned it on, as well as the TV and put the tape in the VCR. "Hope I queued this up properly," he grumbled under his breath. "Yes!" he said in triumph before he pressed the Play button and turned back to his captive. "You need to watch this."
"Get outta there, Kenny! I told you he wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, Michael. RUN!"
"The Ministry Of Darkness swarming the ring like sharks in a feeding frenzy!"
"The Ministry is still dangerous!" Cole continued, trying to remain professional, but having a difficult time. "They're on you before you know it! They are pummeling the World's Most Dangerous Man! The Acolytes-oh, no! Bradshaw almost drilled Shamrock through the canvas! And there you see Christian hammering away on Shamrock as well."
"Oh! Where's the Corporation! C'mon, guys!"
"500 pounds on Shamrock! They are literally destroying the World's Most Dangerous Man!"
"Look at Undertaker, just standing there! Somehow he's got all of these guys, the entire Ministry under his control, brainwashed!"
"King, Obviously the Ministry is punishing Shamrock for that seek and destroy mission last week. Payback for Ken Shamrock using that ankle lock to get the whereabouts of Stephanie McMahon out of Christian of the Brood."
"And now the Undertaker has already promised that he's gonna sacrifice Stephanie McMahon!"
"Where are they?"
"This is bad, Michael! We need help out here!"
"The Ministry's carrying a beaten, pummeled Shamrock—a lifeless Shamrock—through the crowd."
"This is bad! If Shamrock can't stop them, can anybody stop them!"
Ken felt oddly empty as he watched the Ministry's beatdown. It felt like he was watching someone else who looked just like him getting pounded within an inch of his life.
What he saw next made him shake his head in disbelief. I thought Shane would have my back!
"No! It could be a trap, don't you think? It could be a trap. You know what I'm saying, Rock?"
"Yeah."
"And Bossman, look at your neck. You've been through this. This could be a trap. Just hold on a second. It could be a trap."
"I smell it, yeah."
"Yeah. Easy, guys. We don't know what's going on."
Ken gasped. "I needed them! Where the hell were they? That wasn't a trap!"
"Go! Get him in the trunk! Throw him in the trunk, just stuff him in there! Slam it shut! You know where to go! Get him there! GO!"
Christian watched Paul Bearer cackle with laughter as the car drove away. "This next part's my favorite."
Then, the scene switched to the sacrifice, and Kenny could only watch in stunned horror.
"McMahon - I told you that a young girl would be sacrificed here tonight. And I'm not going to disappoint you, am I. You see, Vince, what happens here tonight-you're responsible for. Although, this is not the young girl that I want – but she will have to do for now ... Ahh, fear not little one. There is nothing to fear, oh there's nobody here that can help you now. Soon, you'll be one of us. You see, Stephanie, when I look into her eyes, I see you. When I touch her skin ... I feel you.
"McMahon - it's time that she comes home. It's time she became one of us. We have to answer to a power far greater than what we know, and He summons her. She is the Chosen – Stephanie, it's time that you come home. Raise her."
"Kenny! Help me!"
"Anail nathrak, Dorthnei diednei, Bathnal nathra, de era umbrana."
"Kenny! Help me! Help me!"
When the segment ended, Christian stopped the tape and glanced over at Ken. The World's Most Dangerous Man had his head in his hands and was rocking back and forth. "Ryan...oh, my God! My sister! My sister..."
Christian leaned over Kenny. "Vince was falling all over himself with gratitude when you saved his little girl last week. You'd think that he'd do something nice for you in return. Or maybe his Boy Wonder son would give you some extra attention. After all, it was his baby sister you saved, right?"
Kenny glanced up and nodded, weakly.
"Well, doesn't it strike you as more than a little strange that neither one of them did anything to help you tonight? After all, you did stick your nose where it didn't belong, so it would only make sense that you'd have a target on your back because of it, right? Really, under those circumstances, you'd think Vince would have tried to keep you and yours safe."
Ken locked eyes with the angry young Brood member. He had a sense that Christian was enjoying his discomfort. "Where is my sister?" he demanded, coldly.
"You'll see her soon enough. But I suggest that the more you keep your mouth shut, the better off you're all going to be. So, I'll ask you again. Doesn't it strike you as more than a little strange that neither one of them-"
"Okay! I get it!" Ken snapped, viciously cutting off his captor's words. "I get that I've got a target on my back! But Vince had his hands full! His daughter was being threatened, he was too busy trying to keep her safe-"
"Vince could have sent some of those guys out to watch your back and your sister's, Ken!" Christian fired back. "Or he could have called the police for real, but he didn't! He didn't need eight guys watching Stephanie. Two or three of them would have been plenty! But Vince had to get all the security in the arena to watch his little girl. And because he sent all of those guys out on a fool's errand, your sister got sacrificed! You weren't there to protect Ryan because Vince wasn't there to protect you!"
Finally, Ken had heard enough. With a roar like an angry bull, Ken leaped off the bed and lunged at Christian, itching to take him apart, warnings be dammed. He caught Christian in the jaw with a roundhouse right that dropped the lanky blonde to his knees.
Christian groaned and rubbed his jaw, stars flickering in his vision. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ken approach him, his teeth bared and his fists clenched. He waited until he felt Ken's hand grabbing a handful of his T-shirt to haul him back to his feet, and then he struck. Christian went with, instead of against, Ken's momentum to throw the World's Most Dangerous Man off balance. Both men tumbled back to the floor, and Christian managed to wrestle Ken until he lay on his stomach.
Breathing easily in spite of the struggle, Christian pinned Ken's arm behind his back. "Nice try," he smirked.
"Go to Hell! Mark's got all of you guys singing off the same song sheet! I don't know what he's preaching, but he's got all of you freaks under his control, brainwashed!"
Christian yanked Ken's arm hard enough to let him know who was really in charge at the moment. "Vince has you all singing the same song as well, so you're not much different from me."
"I'm nothing like you-"
"Really? It amazed me how willing you were to look for Vince's little girl last week. You put Gangrel in so much pain last week, he nearly passed out, then you nearly break my leg because Vince was so distraught over Stephanie being abducted. If he asked you to jump, you'd probably ask him how high? You're no different from me or the others in the Ministry. We do what we do out of loyalty as well. We do what we do in the name of a power greater than you can imagine."
Christian leaned down and snarled, "And you still want to blame Taker for everything. Because you don't wanna admit that deep down, I might be right. Kenny, you shouldn't blame the Ministry for what happened to you and Ryan. Maybe you should blame Vince McMahon."
"Where's my sister?" Ken croaked.
"She's safe. You'll see her in time-"
"Where is she?"
"In time." Christian got to his feet and grabbed something out of the closet, while Ken lay silent and numb on the floor. "Here," he sighed, tossing the objects onto the bed. "Your wallet and your gym bag. All your stuff's in it." He turned on his heel and headed towards the motel room door. With his back turned, he continued. "Room's paid for the night if you wanna stay here, or you can go back to your original hotel. And don't freak, everything's there."
Before he opened the doorknob, Christian turned around and fixed Ken with a steely gaze. "Oh, one more thing...we never had this conversation. And if you breathe a word of it to anyone, you will never see another wrestling ring again. And that's not a threat. That's a promise."
And with that, Christian walked out of the motel room, closing the door without even a backwards glance.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I think I let my angry Christian muse run away with the last part of this. Maybe he wanted to get payback for what Kenny did to him, IDK. I just liked the idea of him being a badass behind that fragile and sweet-and-innocent exterior he showed when he first arrived in the WWF. Honestly, there's NOTHING fragile about this guy; he's pretty sturdy as far as I'm concerned.
Also, to anyone that's trying to view my pics for this story. FF dot net has disabled outside links to prevent spam on their site. Try copying and pasting the links into your browser so they'll work. If you have trouble still, let me know. I'll send you the links privately if you give me a valid email address.
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