The Undertaker stood in the middle of his yard. The fans were silent in reverence to their hero, the powerful Head of the Phenom Clan.
"I will not tolerate being humiliated by a Misneach. The Phenom Clan will not tolerate being humiliated by the Misneach Clan any longer! Star, at Wrestlemania, I make sure I send you to the Clanlands to be with your sister. You will face me in Hell in a Cell, and you WILL,
REST.
IN.
PEACE!"
"End of Days" started playing, and Star walked out to the stage.
"The Misneaches have had the wood (no pun intended) over the Phenoms for over a thousand years. Forget it Deadman, at Wrestlemania, in that Hell in a Cell, I will personally DESTROY you, and I will END the dominance of the Phenom Clan forever!" Star fired back.
The challenge was set.
–
"Are you insane?!" Heath Slater cried.
"What?!" Star asked innocently.
"Wrestlemania falls in the time frame when the Phenoms are at their most powerful Honey Badger. You are rightly and royally screwed." Justin Gabriel pointed out. "You need to back out of the match."
"Like hell!" Star cried in indignation. "This is about Clan Honour!"
"I think you take the whole Clan Honour thing a little too far." Justin sighed.
"Well, wouldn't you?!" Star snapped. "After everything I've been through?"
They didn't understand. They couldn't. For years Star had been separated from her people, she had been abused and would have been killed simply for having been born into one of the Great Five Clans. Fighting for her Clan was the only real connection she had with the Misneach Clan, and she couldn't let that go. Not with her sister dead. Not when she still couldn't look her parents in the eye, knowing that they had let her go.
"I WILL defeat the Undertaker at Wrestlemania. The Streak is over." Star maintained. "I know the risks, but this is something I still need to do. I would rather die than back away from a fight with the Undertaker."
Heath and Justin looked at each other.
"Then we'll support you in whatever way we can." Heath decided. Justin nodded.
"Thanks guys. You two mean the world to me, you know that right?" Star hugged her two best friends.
"You mean a lot to us too Star. We'll always stick together, no matter what." Justin said determinedly.
"The Unholy Trio is forever!" Heath agreed. "Although I still don't get how we got the name "Unholy Trio"."
"It will be one of the worlds greatest unsolved mysteries." Star sighed.
–
"I can't." John Cena said flatly. "I simply can't support you in this Pooh Bear."
"What?! Why?" Star asked, completely flabbergasted as she got ready for her match against Bad News Barrett.
"Because if I do, that'll make me a target. I don't want the Undertaker coming after me." John told her.
"Really? You're scared of the big, bad Deadman?!" Star scoffed.
"Most people are." John pointed out.
Suddenly, Heath Slater ran in, terrified.
"He's after me!" He panted.
"Who is?" Star asked, tying on her headband.
"THE UNDERTAKER!" Heath cried. "I was in the mens room doing my thing when the whole cubicle filled with mist and the lights went out and when I got out of the cubicle he was there so I ran!"
John gave Star an "I told you so" look which she ignored.
"I won't let him hurt you Heath. He's just playing mind games." Star reassured him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to beat up Wade for fun."
She walked out of the locker room and headed to the arena. As she was walking past some packing crates, she heard a voice yelling.
"Hmm?" She followed the sound to one of the crates. Inside, she found poor Justin Gabriel!
"He got me! The Undertaker got me!" He cried, terrified.
Star gulped. She shook it off. It was only mind games.
"Justin, make sure you and Heath stay together. Try to keep with Adam and Emma at all times." She told him. "Heath's in my locker room right now."
Justin didn't need to be told twice. He quickly bolted to the locker room to hide.
Star grimaced, and continued on to the arena.
She walked out to the ring, and stood toe-to-toe with her former guardian. Bad News grinned at her.
"So, taking on the Deadman huh?" He said. "I'll have to make sure you're ready for him."
"Yeah, yeah, just remember what happened last time you were in the ring with me." Star teased.
The bell rang to start the match. They couldn't resist. They hugged each other, a sign of respect before their match.
"YOU TWERP!" Bad News cried. Taking advantage of the hug, Star had gotten him in a sleeper hold!
"Whenever you're in this ring, always be on your guard, because I'll attack at any moment." Star quoted. Bad News groaned, remembering how he'd scared her senseless when he'd first started training her.
He pushed her off him into the ropes and went for the clothesline. Star ducked and started to attack with a flurry of taijutsu kicks and strikes!
Bad News blocked nearly every blow, except for one that caught him in the side of the head. He stumbled. Star prepared to finish him off, but he got her with a nasty back kick, winding her.
"C'mon Bad News!" Ruby called from the sidelines. Bad News tried to lift Star up for a power bomb, but she escaped and bounced off the ropes to gain momentum for an attack. It failed, as Bad News scooped her up for the Winds of Change.
Not defeated yet, Star wrapped her legs around him in a triangle hold, trying to wear him down. He lifted her up and slammed her down, before climbing up the turnbuckle to the second rope. He lined her up for an elbow drop, but she rolled out of the way just in time, and he landed heavily on his elbow. Sensing blood in the water, Star got him up for a pumphandle slam, before heading to the top rope herself for a frog splash.
Bad News was just as quick and cunning as she was, and she ended up face-planting on the mat. The pair slowly got to their feet, backs to each other, both of them weaving the deadly hand-signs...
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Alas for Bad News Barrett, he'd left out the "Dragon" hand-sign! Stars Infinite Paralysis had his meagre Paralysis Slaps beat, and she was about to let him know all about it.
Then the gong sounded.
Star spun around. The Undertaker was standing on the stage!
"Get out of here!" Star barked angrily at him. She turned around to face Bad News, only to meet a Bullhammer Elbow!
One! Two! Three!
Star was FURIOUS!
Not as furious as someone else, however...
"WHAT have I told you about paying attention while you're in a fight!?" Bad News growled at her, shaking off the referee as he tried to lift his hand in victory. "You have been warned time and time again NOT to let your concentration slip!"
Star looked pleadingly at Ruby, who looked uncomfortable at best.
"C'mon Bad News, let's go get you showered..." Ruby tried.
Bad News shook her off. "And that's another thing, you took too many unnecessary risks! What on earth were you thinking jumping off the top rope! You've gotten very sloppy Missy, and if you want to beat the Undertaker..."
Star groaned. The one thing she definitely did NOT miss about Bad News was his lectures!
–
"It means a lot to us that you're willing to take this risk Star. The Misneach Clan is proud of you." Hazard said over the phone later that week.
"Thanks Hazard." Star replied, stirring her pasta sauce as Snowy looked on hungrily. "How's the Lionswood?"
"Doing fine. Your mother goes there every day. She seems to get the most out of it. By the way, did you know she's been clean four months now?" Hazard told her.
"Really?" Star beamed.
"Really. She really wants to see you again too. She misses you and you don't know how much she wishes she was there to protect you while you were growing up." Hazard continued.
Star felt a cold chill go down her spine at the mention of her less-than-stellar past.
"I've got to go. I promise I'll catch up with everyone after Wrestlemania." She said, feeling flat.
"No problem Star. Good luck, and thanks!" Hazard hung up.
Star sighed. Was she EVER going to get over what had happened to her? Were the nightmares ever going to stop? Were the memories always going to be there?
She shook it off, and patted Snowy on the head. She would think about it after Wrestlemania. She'd ask her mother the questions she'd never dared ask before, the biggest one being "Why?"
Snowy began growling, and Star knew that John Cena had arrived.
"Hi John. SNOWY!" Star shooed the dog away from the front door. As usual, Snowy looked disgusted and walked back to his crate, refusing to come out until John was gone.
"That dog is a menace." John looked down his nose at the mutt, who growled back.
"Never mind, he's never bitten you." Star pointed out. "Ready for dinner?"
"Sure." John replied. "I'm sorry to say though that this will be our last dinner together until after Wrestlemania. I'm booked out to the hilt with appearances and signings and the like."
"I was hoping you'd help me train for the Undertaker..." Star trailed off.
"I'm sorry Pooh Bear. I promise I'll make it up to you though." John kissed her. "We'll have a big holiday after it's all over."
"Sounds good." Star said, not meaning it.
–
Wrestlemania was a flurry of excitement and wonder. Bad News Barrett defended his title against Cody Rhodes, who accused the Barrett of cheating (it's only cheating if you get caught). Ruby wrestled her first match in a Divas Battle Royale, and won the Womens Championship. The Unholy Trio just managed to hold on against the Usos and the Golden Truth. John Cena defeated Randy Orton for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
And finally, it was time for Star to face her destiny.
Sorry it's a bit short, but I'm so excited to FINALLY post the next chapter (seriously, I've had it written since I started writing this fic!).
Can Star end the Streak? Find out...in about ten minutes! (told you I'm excited!)
