By: Jay Winger
Note: This is set immediately after "Storm Warning: No Way Out." To recap: on the Smackdown! prior to No Way Out, the Storm and Chris Benoit were booked with Kurt Angle in a six-man tag against the APA and Triple H. The Storm warned Kurt not to bring Stephanie to the ring, since the Force of Nature didn't like her. Later that night, the Storm warned Stephanie of the same. During the match, Kurt, Benoit, and the Storm managed to hold off Bradshaw, Faarooq, and Triple H, but when Stephanie came to ringside, the Storm broke off from the fight to tell her to go back up to the top of the ramp. Eventually, Triple H snuck into the ring and Pedigree'd the Storm and dragged Bradshaw's arm over him for the win. After the match, Kurt hit Triple H with a suplex on the floor, knocking them both out. When Stephanie came to check on them, the Storm cut her off and threatened her with the ugly-stick. He went to attack Triple H with the bat, but Stephanie pulled it out of his hands. Enraged, he threw her in the ring where she was hit with a standing headbutt, a Windfall, and then a swandive headbutt. At the PPV, Edge & Christian unveiled a brand-new pose for the Washington, D.C. crowd ("Civil Engineering Rules!"), but Benoit and the Storm hit them hard and would not let up. The Hardy Boyz even intervened on the Canadian duo's behalf, but got stomped for their troubles. Finally, Benoit and the Storm got the pin and the win. At the end of the PPV, after The Rock defended his title, the new Tag Team Champions came out and made a silent threat to the People's Champion.
MONDAY: RAW is WAR, Feb. 22
RAW is WAR was being broadcast from the Baltimore Arena following No Way Out, and the show started off with eight words the fans loved to hear: "If ya smelllllllllllll - what The Rock - is cookin'?" The roof practically exploded off the place with the decibel level of the cheers. Carrying his WWF Title on his shoulder, the People's Champion made his way down the ramp to the ring, did his traditional pose with his belt, "smelling" it. Then he took the microphone and held it ready, but paused as the fans chanted his name. "Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!" Finally, the cheers quieted and he raised the mic to his lips. "Finally! ... The Rock has come back! to Baltimore!" The fans shouted the entire catchphrase with him, then started another "Rocky!" chant. After it subsided, he started to speak again.
"Now last night...The Rock once again showed -- beyond the shadow of a doubt! -- that he is not only the WWF Champion, but the best WWF Champion in history." Cheers all around. "But there are a few things The Rock has a problem with...first is the fact that the Big Red Retard still thinks he has what it takes to stand up to The Rock in the ring." He paced around the ring, then spoke again. "The second is an All-American, cryin', sissyboy jackass with a walking two-dollar slut for a manager..." The crowd snickered at the obvious second meaning that The Rock gave that word. He paced again. "And the third and fourth are two candyasses who claim to be 'the most brutal tag team in WWF history' and claim they'll prove it to anyone who gives a monkey's ass about what they claim!" The fans cheered again.
Before the Brahma Bull could continue, however, he was interrupted by music from the TitanTron. "One, two -- s'this on? Yo, Jimmy, hit me with that Triple H...yeah, you let the music keep playin', Mr. Dumb Sh...it!" Scowling, wearing his 'Game Over - You're Damn Right I'm Over' t-shirt, Triple H came down to the ring. He carried a microphone and stood in front of his long-time nemesis. Briefly, the fans gave him a "Triple H! Triple H!" chant before he started to speak. "You know, Rock, I've told you before not to belittle Kurt Angle. That's my job. And also," he stepped forward and sneered in The Rock's face, "do not insult my wife. I'll handle that whole, messy problem myself by beating in the face of that -- what was it you called him, Rock? -- 'All-American, cryin', sissyboy jackass.'" He tapped the belt on The Rock's shoulder. "You just keep that belt nice and warm for when I take it back."
The Rock was going to reply when the patriotic music of Kurt Angle hit. Walking alone, Kurt came down to the ring, carrying his own mic, wearing nylon pants and his 'It's True It's True' shirt. He still seemed obscenely innocent as he tried to work himself into a fury, and failed miserably. "First of all, Triple H, how dare you insult me? I'm an Olympic gold-medalist! And all of my young fans who saw their American Hero get defeated last night probably won't be able to enjoy their President's Day holiday today. Oh, it's true," he told the booing audience, "it's true. And second, Triple H, we both seem to be forgetting the fact that your wife, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, my manager, is still injured from the attack she suffered last Thursday at the hands of Chris Benoit and the Storm! If you ask me, The Rock isn't important right now! Defending your wife's honor is!"
Upon hearing that, The Rock raised The Eyebrow. He spoke. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. First of all, The Rock is always important, as the WWF Champion." Cheers, a chant of his name for that. "And second, she has to have honor before you can defend it." Triple H and Kurt both started toward him for that, but were interrupted as cars crashed on the TitanTron and Commissioner Mick Foley walked out. The three managed to keep themselves under control as the King of Hardcore rolled into the ring.
"Okay, let's just call a time out, here," Foley said. "I can understand emotions are a little high right now, I can understand we're all a little upset. The Rock's upset because he has to stand in the same ring as you two." He broke off for a moment as the fans cheered, nodded with a grin to them, then looked back at the assembled trio. "Triple H is upset because The Rock's insulted his wife. Kurt's upset because Stephanie's still laid up from her attack. Hell, everyone's a little upset. I'm upset because I just happened to see a clip of Al Snow's match last night." Laughter. "I'm sure everyone would like to settle their scores tonight, but not everyone's going to get a chance to. You see, as the WWF Commissioner, I have certain discretionary privileges, and among those is I get to make the matches." He pointed at Helmsley and Kurt. "Since you two are upset about Stephanie, you two will take on our new Tag Team Champions, Chris Benoit and the Storm, tonight, in this very ring. And Rock, I can't let you off from that cheap shot at Steph. So tonight, you will put your WWF Title on the line against Stone Cold Steve Austin," huge pop, "right here in Baltimore, Maryland!" Another pop from the audience, a thumbs-up from the commish. All three started to shout at him, but Foley raised his hand. "I'm sorry, but I'm the Commissioner, and all my decisions...are final! Have a nice day!"
* * *
A short time later, Foley was back in his office, watering his cactus, when Edge and Christian barged in. He grinned. "Hey, guys. Started that city betterment project you were talking about last night?"
Edge and Christian shared confused looks, then shook their heads. "No, Mick," Edge said. "That's because we lost the WWF Tag Team titles! And now you're gonna put Benoit and Storm in a non-title match against the Game and Kurt Angle? That just reeks of craptitude!"
"Yeah, you're such a heinosisist!" Christian added. "If there were any justice in the world, you'd give us a title shot against Benoit and the Storm so we can get our titles back."
Foley laughed. "Guys, I'd like to help you, but as I said before, all my decisions are final!" He banged his gavel on the table in front of him. He pointed it. "But I'll tell you what I'll do, I'll book you guys in a number-one contenders' match against Lo Down tonight, and the winner gets to face Benoit and the Storm Thursday night on Smackdown! How 'bout that?"
Edge and Christian considered. "Number-one contenders' match?"
"Against Lo Down?"
"Yeah, we'll totally whup their butts!"
"Yeah!" Christian said. "Butt-whupping rules!"
Foley laughed. "Glad you like the idea, guys. Number-one contenders' match against Lo Down it is!" He banged his gavel. "Now get going, I have important things to do." After the Canadian brothers left, he started to water his cactus again.
* * *
Later that night, after Edge and Christian had lost to Lo Down, came the second-to-last event for the night. "The following tag-team contest is scheduled for one fall!" Lillian Garcia told the audience. Kurt's patriotic music played as he emerged at the top of the ramp. He walked down, facing his pyro burst, then entered the ring and removed his gold medals. He jogged in place, then pinched the tip of his nose a bit. "Introducing first, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, weighing in at 220 pounds...KURT ANGLE!"
"One, two -- s'this on? Yo, Jimmy, hit me with that Triple H..." The Game appeared, head soaked by water bottle, and stomped down to the ring, where he posed before giving Kurt a brief glare. "And his tag team partner, from Greenwich, Connecticut, weighing in at 246 pounds...TRIPLE H!"
The two enemies glared at each other before the lights flashed blue as the heels' music played. The fans started to boo as Chris Benoit and the Storm appeared, belts around their waists. The Tag Team Champions looked at each other, tapped fists, then started toward the ring. "And their opponents, weighing in at a combined weight of 470 pounds...they are the World Wrestling Federation Tag Team Champions...CHRIS BENOIT and THE STORM!" Benoit was wearing his black-on-blue tights as the Storm wore a new t-shirt. On the front it had his symbol and the words THE STORM, on the back it read I AM A FORCE OF NATURE!
As with any tag team match up, this one started off with a Pier Four Brawl as the Storm charged at Triple H and Benoit at Kurt. The Storm and Helmsley traded punches, and then the Storm grabbed his head and drove it down into his knee. Triple H staggered back into the corner, where the Storm walloped him with a few punches to the ribs, then across the face with a haymaker. He pulled him out of the corner, then whipped him over the top rope as Benoit twisted Kurt's arm and started to kick him repeatedly in the gut. He flipped Kurt onto the mat and locked his legs around his arm in an armbar. Kurt grimaced and writhed, then managed to land a punch to the soft part of Benoit's knee, getting his arm free and rushing to tag in the Game, who'd made it back to his corner.
Helmsley ran into the ring and floored a rising Benoit with a shot to the head, then started to stomp on him. Triple H pulled him to his feet and threw him into the corner, where he continued his assault. However, when he backed up for a harder attack, Benoit kicked him in the gut and reversed him into the corner, where he continued to kick until the Game was slumped on the mat, then applied a foot choke. The referee broke it up after a four-count, and then Benoit pulled Triple H up and death suplexed him over to his corner. He tagged in the Storm, who climbed up to the top of the post and launched off in a leg drop onto the Game. He jerked in pain, and then the Storm ran over to wallop Kurt briefly with a punch. That gave the desired result, which is that Kurt tried to enter the ring, distracting the ref as Benoit and the Storm double-teamed Triple H. The Storm locked him in the Twister, but Triple H managed to grab the rope. Before the ref could see this, however, Benoit kicked his hand away and pinned it to the mat with his foot.
The referee turned back and saw this and gave a four-count for Benoit before both of the heels released Triple H. The Storm tagged in Benoit and both whipped him into the ropes and hit him with a double reverse elbow. Benoit pulled him up and turned him around, locking his hands around his waist for a German suplex pin. 1...2...and Kurt was in with a kick to the ribs. Benoit released Triple H to go after Kurt with an elbow to the head, which knocked Kurt off and face-first into the steel stairs. As the Crippler turned back to Triple H, however, the Game was back up with a boot to the gut. He started to set Benoit up for the Pedigree, but the Storm was in from behind with a reverse DDT. The referee was out of the ring checking on Kurt, so the Tag Team Champions took it upon themselves to set the Game up for the finish. They looked down at Triple H, then made a throat cut. "That's it!" they shouted. They went to opposite corners. As Helmsley got to his feet, the Storm flattened him with a Windfall, and Benoit finished him with a swandive headbutt. The ref, who had managed to get Kurt awake, saw this and slid in to administer the count. The Storm was out of the ring and going around to the still-woozy Kurt. He turned him to face him, then nailed him with a harsh jab to the gut. As Kurt doubled over, the Storm turned, threw Kurt up on his shoulder, and then piledrove him in the Southern Lightning. In the ring: 1...2...3!
The Storm stood up, grinning at Benoit as he slid out of the ring. They slapped a high five, then started to leave as Lillian Garcia proclaimed, "Here are your winners...CHRIS BENOIT and THE STORM!" The two took their belts back and triumphantly headed up the ramp, turning back to give a point and a slow neck cut with a sadistic laugh.
* * *
In the midst of the main event, the referee was knocked out by an accidental smackdown from The Rock when Austin pulled him in the way. The Rattlesnake and the Brahma Bull continued to battle back and forth until The Rock scored a spinebuster on him. He looked up at the audience and started to step into place over Austin. He kicked his arm out of the way, then reached up and slowly peeled off his elbow pad as the fans started to go absolutely apeshit in anticipation. He hurled the pad out, whipped his arms back and forth, then ran and shot off the ropes on one side, not noticing someone running down the ramp at full speed. As The Rock came back off the other ropes to prepare for the People's Elbow, the Storm slid into the ring and cracked him across the skull with his ugly-stick. As The Rock lay flat and struggled to get up a bit, Austin started to come around as well. The Storm had left the ring and prodded the referee back into awareness as he shoved the timekeeper out of his chair and claimed a seat.
Austin was up first and saw The Rock slowly getting to his feet. The Texas Rattlesnake placed his hands on his knees in anticipation, then hit The Rock with a swift boot to the gut and a Stone Cold Stunner. He hooked up a leg. The ref administered the count. 1...2...3!
Despite the fact that Austin won with the assistance of the heel, the Storm, the fans went nuts. Austin claimed the belt and climbed up on the turnbuckle, turning and raising a hand. "Beer me!" he shouted, then blinked in surprise as he saw the Storm bend over the cooler to grab two Steve-weisers out and chuck them to Austin, who absently caught them. He stared at the Storm, who had taken two of his own beers as he walked past the ring and back up the ramp. Austin continued to watch him as he stood at the top of the ramp, popped open the beers, toasted Austin and shouted, "Don't mess with Texas!" to the fans. He tilted back his head and poured the contents of both cans into his open mouth, then swallowed (foam pouring down his jaw and onto his shirt), brought the cans in front of him and smashed them together. Still grinning at Austin, he gave his two-finger salute and disappeared to the back.
THURSDAY: Smackdown!, Feb. 25
The show kicked off with a crash of glass and the aggressive music of Austin's theme by Disturbed played. The fans gave him a rousing standing ovation as he walked down to the ring, carrying his new WWF title belt, then touched all four corners to give the crowd a double first in the air. He wore his 100% Hell-Raiser shirt, jeans, and his camo hat. Taking the microphone, he paced around the ring a moment before he started to speak. "Now, last Sunday at No Way Out, I came out for a Triple Threat Match with the Undertaker and The Rock. To make a long story short, I gave both those som'bitches a Stone Cold ass-whuppin', but The Rock somehow managed to knock me flat, and that's all I've got to say about that." He paused. "But on Monday, The Rock and I stomped mudholes in each other, he was about to get the damn pin, and then this son of a bitch callin' himself the Storm comes down and decides to help me out. Now, Storm, I don't know who you think you are, but I don't need your help, and I want you to get your ass down to this ring so I can kick it right back into the clouds you've got your head in!"
There was a pause. The Storm Warning symbol flashed as the siren blared. "This is your Storm Warning!" came his voice. The Metallica instrumental of "Ride the Lightning" played. Striding out, the Storm was wearing his I AM A FORCE OF NATURE t-shirt, black jeans and boots, his sunglasses, and his Tag Team title belt. He carried a microphone and slowly walked down to the ring, but stood outside it, looking up at Austin. The fans started in on an "Ass-hole!" chant, but the Storm ignored it. "Stone Cold Steve Austin...I don't suppose I should be surprised," he said, a slight drawl in his voice. "You've never been the sort to accept help from anyone, and frankly, neither am I." He slowly started up the steel stairs and stood on the ring apron. "But allow me to explain to you why exactly I decided to beat The Rock with an ugly-stick." A chorus of boos from the audience. "Oh, shut up," he told the fans. "See, Austin, although I've only been in the WWF for a month, I've noticed certain things, and I've been watching for a while...and I know how Commissioner Mick Foley -- in all his infinite wisdom --" Extreme sarcasm, "-- does business. It's no secret he's close personal friends with The Rock. So he stacks things in The Rock's favor. Fully Loaded -- Chris Benoit wins the WWF title according to the stipulations of the match, and Foley reverses the decision and The Rock manages to hold onto his title. Unforgiven -- Chris Benoit again wins the match, and Foley again helps The Rock keep the title!"
He smirked. "I know, Austin, I know, you're not Chris Benoit, but let's face facts -- Mick Foley will do whatever he has to in order to let The Rock keep that title around his waist. So I took it upon myself to help you out. Why? Because Austin, it doesn't matter what The Rock says -- you are the bigger draw. You will bring in the money to this company, and the more money the company makes, the more money we'll make." Then he grinned. "And you are a fellow Texan."
"What the hell you talkin' `bout, boy?" Austin snapped. "Mick Foley is also a close personal friend of mine. He didn't try to screw me out of the title, `cuz he knew if he did, I'd open up a can of Stone Cold whup-ass on him!" He threw off his hat and stuck his finger in the Storm's face. "Now you listen here, jackass, you ever, and I mean, ever, try to help me out again, I'll stomp a mudhole in your ass, walk it dry, and then stomp a mudhole in your face!"
The Storm, who had started to scowl by this point, was about to reply when the OvalTron lit up. "If ya smelllllllllllll - what The Rock - is cookin'?" The fans started to scream again as The Rock walked down the ramp, face set like stone, glaring a hole in the Storm, who took a step back to let The Rock into the ring. He held a mic. "Now let The Rock get this straight," he said, holding one hand out to the Storm as if to keep him silent. "You come out here on The Rock's show -- Smackdown! -- and you don't even have the grapefruits to apologize to the millions--" The fans finished that part. ("And millions!") "--of The Rock's fans for hitting him in the face with a baseball bat?" He paused, not looking at Stone Cold, who had backed off to the corner for the moment as the two stared at each other. The Rock continued. "Just who do you think you are, jabroni?"
The Storm raised his microphone. "I am a Force--"
"It doesn't matter who you think you are!" The Rock shouted. "How dare you, little jabroni, cost The Rock his WWF Championship. How dare you come out here and claim you did it all for Stone Cold. You give The Rock one good reason not to whup your candyass all over this arena!"
The Storm had started to smirk again as The Rock ranted. "Well, Rock, I'll give you two good reasons." He raised a finger. "One, when -- and if -- you kick my ass all over this arena, you'd better hope I don't get back up, because when I do I will unleash such Southern Lightning that you will never again be able to raise that eyebrow or smell what you're cookin' for the rest of your meager existence. Nobody ever gets up from the Southern Lightning." He raised a second finger. "And two, you forget about my partner, and fellow Tag Team Champion, Chris Benoit. The same man who you and Mick Foley screwed out of the WWF title. And together, we are, as we've told you time and again, the most brutal tag team in the history of the WWF, and you will never prove us wrong!"
The Rock raised The Eyebrow. The Storm did the same. Snarling, the Brahma Bull spoke again. "Chris Benoit? The Rock wipes his ass with Chris Benoit." The fans started to cheer again. "Tonight, The Rock is going to give you, jabroni, a chance to go one-on-one with the Great One, and he invites you to bring down that little ugly-stick of yours. Go ahead, and bring that little toy of yours, jabroni, and The Rock also wants you to bring...a piece of cloth." The Storm narrowed his eyes a bit as he looked at The Rock, wondering where this was going. "And when you get down to the ring, The Rock wants you to take that ugly-stick in one hand and that cloth in the other. Then, The Rock wants you to start prettying up that ugly-stick." The fans had now picked up on The Rock's train of thought and were cheering in anticipation. The Storm also started to see where this was going and started to scowl. "Then, once you've got that stick all nice and pretty, The Rock wants you to take that stick, turn that som'bitch sideways, and STICK IT STRAIGHT UP YOUR CANDYASS!"
The Storm frowned and glanced out at the cheering audience. He tucked his microphone under his arm and started to slowly clap. He stopped and took the mic back up. "Bra-vo, Rock. You've managed to successfully train all the dogs in this building to bark on cue. I hope you're proud of yourself. But, Rock, I'd love to get in the ring tonight and show you just what being a Force of Nature is all about, but you see, I've already got a match tonight, defending my WWF Tag Team title with Benoit against Lo Down." He held up a finger to silence The Rock. "But I'll tell you what to do, Rock. First, you go on back and find your little buddy Commissioner Foley. You go tell him you want a piece of me on Monday night on RAW. Have him book the match. Then, once you've got all that done, I suggest you find shelter, Rock, because the Storm is coming for ya."
The Storm lowered his mic and started to turn away from The Rock, but as he did so, he faced Austin. The Rattlesnake wasted no time booting him in the gut, then dropping him in a Stone Cold Stunner. He stood over the dazed Force of Nature, gave him a Stone Cold salute, then walked to the corner and posed. The Rock watched Austin for a moment, then frowned and left the ring as Austin's music played. Austin went across to the other corner and did the same, but as he started to turn for the third corner, the Storm's arms shot out and tripped him up. He fell on his face, but before he could get up, the Storm had pinned one foot and was twisting the other in a reverse Twister. The fans started to boo instantly, and a cadre of referees came into the ring to try and break up the Storm's hold. As Sgt. Slaughter made his way into the ring, the Storm dropped Austin's leg, floored Slaughter with a hard right to his pronounced jaw, then stomped back up the ramp as his Metallica instrumental played. "Ungrateful jackass!" he shouted back before disappearing to the back.
MONDAY: RAW is WAR, Mar. 1
Benoit looked at the Storm as he paced in their locker room. "Hey," the Crippler said, "will you settle down? You're makin' me dizzy, pacin' around like that."
"Just keepin' the blood flowin'," the Storm replied. "I want to make sure I'm set to blast The Rock clean out of his size-13 boots." He stopped for a moment and looked at Benoit. "What about you? You ready for your match with Jericho?"
"Jericho?" Benoit said. He scoffed. "Don't make me laugh. I've beaten that pansy so many times I've stopped counting. He never could stand up to the Crossface."
The Storm nodded and put his sunglasses on. "Well, I'm up. Catch you on the flip side." He picked up his ugly-stick and strode out.
* * *
The sirens blared and the symbol flashed on the TitanTron. The boos had already started before the Storm's voice said, "This is your Storm Warning!" Lightning shot off and detonated the pyro burst at the top of the ramp, and the "Ride the Lightning" instrumental started. The Storm strode out of the smoke, Tag Team title belt around his waist as he carried the ugly-stick in his hand. "The following match is scheduled for one fall," Lillian Garcia said. "Introducing first, from Dallas, Texas, weighing in at 250 pounds...he is one of the World Wrestling Federation Tag Team Champions...THE STORM!"
The Storm entered the ring, removing his belt and tossing it to referee Tim White, then climbed up on the post, raising the baseball bat in the air. He pointed it out and swept it in an arc before pointing it at the TitanTron, just as his music cut and another video began. "If ya smellllllllll - what The Rock - is cookin'?" The fans screamed and cheered as White held the Storm back as the People's Champion came to the ring and went to the corner, raising a fist in the air and "smelling it." "And his opponent, from Miami, Florida, weighing in at 275 pounds...THE ROCK!"
The Rock lowered his fist and looked straight at the Storm, who had removed his sunglasses and was glaring right back. The Rock began to snarl and spit a stream of trash talk unlike anything the Storm had heard before. He knew it was a by-product of The Rock's time as a Hurricane at the University of Miami, and the Storm calmly ignored him as he threw aside his ugly-stick. The Rock got off the corner and started toward him, still talkin' trash. Abruptly, the Storm raised a hand and put it in The Rock's face. In surprise, he stopped talking and looked at the Storm, who turned his hand over and beckoned.
"Just bring it, Rock," the Storm said with a smirk, "just bring it."
The Rock raised The Eyebrow, then lashed out with a right hand. The Storm took it on the jaw, and returned it with a right hook. The Rock took this as well and attacked again. The two continued to trade punches until The Rock sped up his rhythm and got two blows in before the Storm could react. Off the rhythm now, the Storm could only stumble back as The Rock continued to lay the smackdown. Finally, The Rock caught him in the corner with a flurry of right hands, then stepped back to spit into his palm before lashing once more. The Storm jerked back from the impact and slumped down. The Rock landed a few stomps before Tim White pulled him back. The Rock had a few words with him, then turned back to the Storm. The Force of Nature lunged out of the corner with a spear that took the Brahma Bull down.
The Storm got up and stomped his foot down on The Rock's ankle as he grabbed his leg. He snarled once, then applied the Twister. The Rock grit his teeth and clutched at his leg, then looked to the side and started reaching for the ropes. The Storm saw this, grabbed up his other leg and stepped forward as if he were going for the Sharpshooter. Instead of twisting around The Rock's legs, however, the Storm raised his left leg and stomped hard on the People's Groin. The Rock doubled over as the Storm stepped away to pose for the crowd, which was half jeering at the heel and half chanting "Rocky! Rocky!"
The Storm pulled The Rock up and threw him into the corner. He moved his arms away from his chest, then pounded on The Rock's chest with a vicious arm chop. The Rock grabbed his chest and shouted in pain, which only served to make the Storm take his arm away and do another chop, then a third. The Storm pulled him out, then gave him a vertical suplex. He stood over The Rock and looked down at him. "Come on, Rock! Where's that ass-whuppin' ya promised me?" He stomped on The Rock's shoulder, then taunted him again. "Come on, Rock, just bring it!" Another stomp. "All right, Rock, then I guess it's time for you to reap the Windfall!" He gave a throat cut to emphasize this last point and went to the corner. He climbed to the top, grabbed the ropes, and leaned back, watching as The Rock unsteadily got to his feet. The Storm leaped out--
--and was caught by The Rock, who reversed the Windfall into a powerslam! The Rock hooked up a leg. 1...2...and the Storm threw The Rock off with authority. The two stood and faced each other. The Rock had a good four inches on the Storm, and it showed. But the People's Champion could not seem to keep this guy down. The two stared for a few more moments before they started trading punches again. This time the Storm got the upper hand when he blocked one of The Rock's punches and went low, delivering a hard jab to the solar plexus. The Rock doubled over, allowing the Storm to throw him up on a shoulder.
"Good God Almighty!" J.R. shouted from the announce table. "The Storm's setting The Rock up for the Southern Lightning!"
"I know I'm supposed to be rooting for the bad guy, but somebody stop him!" Jerry Lawler screamed.
The Storm dropped to a knee and piledrove The Rock's head, then dumped him and covered him. 1...2...impossibly, The Rock got a foot on the rope. The Storm, eyes ablaze, left the ring and went over to the timekeeper's table, where he grabbed his ugly-stick. He went back into the ring and approached The Rock with it. Tim White stepped in his way and told him to drop the bat, but the Storm ignored him, waiting for The Rock to turn around. The Storm swung, and missed as The Rock ducked, threw an arm up and flattened the Storm with a Rock Bottom. The ugly-stick went bouncing away as The Rock hooked up a leg. 1...2...and now the Storm had his foot on the ropes.
The Rock pulled the Storm to his feet and set him up for another Rock Bottom, but he elbowed free and hooked The Rock's head for a DDT. With The Rock still face down, the Storm grabbed his head and started to slam it repeatedly into the mat as J.R. and Lawler hollered for somebody to come and do something. The Storm flipped him over and went for a pin. 1...2...somehow, The Rock got a shoulder up.
The Storm got up, furious, stomping around the ring and chased Tim White away from him as he picked up his ugly-stick. He held it up in the air, grinning maliciously at the audience, then turned and saw The Rock on his feet. The Storm charged, but The Rock slammed him with a spinebuster. The baseball bat bounced away again, the Storm lying in a daze as The Rock looked up at the audience, then kicked the Storm's arm out of the way. He reached up, pulled off the elbow pad, then threw it out to the audience. He whipped his arms back and forth, ran and shot off the ropes, hurdled the Storm's body and shot off the other ropes, stopped over the Storm, shot out a leg, and dropped the People's Elbow on the sternum of the Force of Nature. He hooked up a leg. 1...2...3!
The fans screamed themselves half-hoarse as The Rock climbed the corner, raised a hand in the air and "smelled it" again, then looked back at the Storm, who was starting to recover. The Rock spit on him, then left, leaving the Storm to get up in a towering rage. Tim White tried to calm him down, but with nobody else to vent his frustration on, the Storm beat him with the ugly-stick before stomping up the ramp.
* * *
"Goddamn it!" the Storm hollered as he entered his locker room. He threw the baseball bat across the room, shattering a mirror. Benoit jerked in surprise as the Storm kicked over a bench and threw down a row of lockers. Benoit looked at him.
"Hey, settle down, damn it!" Benoit finally got up and restrained his tag partner and smacked him upside the head. "What're you doin'? I saw what happened. The Rock beat you, but you don't need to wreck our locker room over it!" He looked the Storm in the eye. "You'll get your chance to get even. Just focus."
The Storm slowly calmed down. "All right...you're right. Just need to calm down..." He closed his eyes and worked to bring his anger under control. "I'll keep it in for now. You just go take care of Jericho."
"Listen," Benoit said as he slapped the tape on his wrists, "maybe The Rock isn't the one you should be angry aboot. After all, Austin was the one who gave you a Stunner."
The Storm shook his head. "No, Austin knows where I stand. It's The Rock who I don't like." He dug in his duffle and brought out another pair of sunglasses, which he flicked open. "And I'll get him back." He slid the sunglasses on and smirked. "Texas style."
-more to come-
Disclaimer: All things WWF are property of Titan Sports. The Storm is a completely fictional character. I do incorporate a few traits from existing WWF wrestlers, but for the most part, he's my idea. There is definitely more to come for the Storm, and the next installment will feature a definite twist to the story. If you have any ideas for who you think the Storm would team up with or go up against, let me know. Drop me a line at jay_winger_2k@hotmail.com
-=Jay 2K Winger=-