By: Jay Winger
Note: this is set immediately after "Storm Warning: Storming the Walls," and two months before "Viper's Revenge - Rapid Strike" by Boulder.
To recap: on RAW, the Storm expressed little concern over Viper's apparent forced-retirement from wrestling following his attack by the Radicalz and Venom, making a few disparaging remarks about masked wrestlers. This turned out to be something of a mistake, since his opponent for the night was Kane. In the match, Kane continued to resist all of the Storm's moves, and almost had the match won after a chokeslam -- but Chris Jericho ran into the ring and hit both men with a steel chair, then locked the Storm in the Walls of Jericho. On Smackdown!, the two met again in a tag-team match -- Jericho with The Rock and the Storm with Steve Austin. The match ended with The Rock getting a Stunner, and the Storm using a new bodyslam manuever on Jericho, driving him through the announce table. Then, on the following RAW, as Jericho defended his Intercontinental title against Val Venis of Right to Censor, the Storm came to ringside, beat up Steven Richards with his ugly-stick (then gave him the same bodyslam move on the floor), and hit Val with the ugly-stick while the ref wasn't looking, allowing Jericho to hit the Lionsault for the win. After the match, the Storm told Michael Cole that the only reason he helped Jericho is because he is going to be the one to take Jericho's title, and he was going to be the one to "break down the Walls of Jericho...and bring the Y2J problem to an end."
THURSDAY: Smackdown!, Mar. 11
"The following contest is scheduled for one fall," Tony Chimel announced.
An alert siren blared as the Storm Warning symbol flashed on the OvalTron, then abruptly disappeared as an image of a silhouetted man standing in a downpour appeared, his arms raised to the sides. "Seek shelter... The Storm... has... ARRIVED!" Lightning set off pyros on the ramp as the Storm strode out of the smoke, wearing his I am a Force of Nature t-shirt as he slid into the ring, then climbed up on the post, raising a fist in the air, then pointing out at the crowd. "Introducing first, from Dallas, Texas, weighing in at 239 pounds...he is a member of Lone Star...THE STORM!"
The Storm swept his finger around in a circle, then pointed at the OvalTron as a different siren started up, the 'no' symbol flashing on the screen as an electronic voice warbled, "Warning! Warning! Warning!" Two of the geekily-clad censors appeared, walking down the ramp. Steven Richards smiled his condescending little smile at the booing crowd (though he did appear to be holding his neck) as Val Venis walked alongside him. "And his opponent, being accompanied by Steven Richards, weighing in at 240 pounds...he is a member of Right to Censor...VAL VENIS!"
Richards raised a microphone as the two censors entered the ring, his evil little smile souring. "Mr. the Storm, your behavior has long been unacceptable for our audience here and at home. First, you have time-and-again lost control and committed immoral acts of violence on your opponents, including sending them through the announcers' table with your 'Downdraft' slam--" Here Richards made quote marks with his hand. "--and even giving them the Downdraft on the bare floor." Here he winced again and rubbed his neck. "You consort with crude and violent and unacceptable people, from the foul-mouthed Steve Austin to the beer-swilling Acolytes to the inappropriately-dressed Jacqueline." Steven Richards' eyes turned intense as he stared at the Storm, who still wore his sunglasses. "We have put up with your behavior for too long, Mr. the Storm, and tonight, we will censor your actions, and you will like it, because it's for...your own good."
Val started forward to grapple, but the Storm, who hadn't taken his eyes off Richards (for all that anyone could tell with his sunglasses on), raised a hand and stopped him. He tilted his head slightly as he looked at Richards, then calmly took the microphone from him. Both censors looked at him as he scratched at his temple, appearing to be thinking. Finally, he raised his head. "You think that...what I do is...wrong?" Richards nodded, speaking an affirmative, pointing his finger for further emphasis. "Shut up while I'm thinkin'." The Storm paced to the side a bit, his head lowered, turning his back slightly to Richards and Val while he spoke. "You think...I'm wrong? You know what...I think you're right."
The fans booed a bit as he continued to hold his head down, pacing around in a circle behind Richards. "I think, by your standards, Mr. Richards, I am one of you, for sure." Richards blinked and started to turn, but the Storm held up a hand, head still lowered as he spoke into the mic. "See, I've put people through tables like you have, I've victimized people in and out of matches like you have, and I've been quite vocal in my beliefs like you have. Maybe I just had the wrong beliefs. Maybe I should join Right to Censor."
He raised his head, staring up at the ceiling. His lips were pursed in thought, then curled in a smirk. "Naaaah." Abruptly, the mic was thrown down as the Storm slipped his arms up around Richards' head in a full-nelson, then flipped him up in the air and brought him down on the mat in the Downdraft slam, his sunglasses flying off his nose as he got back up and ducked a clothesline from an incensed Val Venis.
The fight bell rang as Richards rolled his injured body out of the ring, wincing at the fresh pain in his neck and back. Inside the ring, Val shot off the ropes and came back at the Storm, who ducked under another clothesline to spring off the ropes himself, coming up in a front dropkick to Val's chest, which served to knock him down. The Storm and Val were both back up quickly and started trading punches. The Storm grabbed Val's tie and jerked him forward with it, then snapped his fist back into Val's face. He repeated this several times before whipping Val into the corner by his tie. The Storm threw himself to the mat with the force of his throw, and when Val turned around to land with his back to the corner, the force of his momentum caused him to fall smack on the mat, face-first.
The Storm started toward Val, then stopped as Richards climbed up on the apron to shout at him. The Force of Nature stopped to stare incredulously at the censor, then feinted at him, causing Richards to jump off the apron in fright. The Storm laughed and turned back to Val, just in time to be taken down by a clothesline. The ex-porn star breathed heavily through his nose, his breaths sounding in a hiss-like noise as he mounted and started unloading punches to the Storm's head. Richards was back up on the floor, holding his neck and shouting orders at Val, who nodded and went over to the ropes, springing off and going for a big elbow on the Storm's head.
The Storm, however, rolled out of the way and grabbed Val's arm as he got up from the missed elbow. A short-arm clothesline snapped Venis' head back, and then the Storm locked on an armbar, stretching his shoulder painfully. Val cried out in pain as the Storm wrenched the hold, then mercifully stood Val up, but kicked him in the gut to keep him stunned. The Storm looked up at the crowd and gave a chop to his shoulder. The crowd cheered as the Storm gripped Val's arm tightly, then whipped him. Rather than releasing him, however, the Storm clasped higher up on Val's arm and yanked back, and Val's arm popped audibly. The Storm released Val, letting him drop to the mat, where he clutched his arm in pain. The Storm stood over him, eyes cold as he tilted his head to the side, examining his handiwork.
Val started to get back up, but now the Storm grabbed his injured arm and twisted it around into a hammerlock. Feet shuffled, and Val fell chest-first to the mat, where the Storm pressed his knee to Val's wrist and wrapped his hands around the censor's jaw, stretching his neck back. The Storm leaned back, eyes now ablaze with ferocious intensity. "The Storm's locked it in!" Michael Cole shouted. "He's got Val locked in the Necksnapper! Will he tap out?"
The Storm snarled, the intense look on his face eerily similar to the one Chris Benoit had when he put someone in the Crippler Crossface. "Let's hear the snap!" the Storm screamed. Val was howling in pain now, his legs kicking. But as he started to tap the mat, the referee's attention was distracted by Steven Richards, who had climbed up on the ring apron. The Storm saw this and wrenched the hold tighter on Val, causing a fresh scream of pain from the ex-porn star. Referee Mike Chioda turned around and saw Val tapping the mat, then quickly called for the bell.
"And the winner of this match as the result of a submission...THE STORM!" The Storm kept Val in the Necksnapper a few more moments, then got up as Richards entered the ring. The censors' leader skidded to a halt as the Storm rose to his feet, then tried to turn and run, but the Storm grabbed his arm, twisting it around into a hammerlock, then tripping him and pressing in the knee and locking in his hands. Now Richards was in the Necksnapper, and his already injured neck burned with fresh pain as he screamed in agony. Chioda tried to pull him off Richards, but the Storm shook him off and wrenched in the hold.
Finally, the Storm released Richards, who lay twitching on the mat. Val was still moaning in pain, clutching his injured arm. The Force of Nature looked them over, then turned to the timekeeper. "Beer me!" he called, and caught the tossed can. He popped it open, then looked down at Richards. A smirk crossed his face, then he dragged Richards to his feet and pressed him into the corner. Richards blinked thruough the haze of pain and gasped as the Storm raised the beer. "Here, Stevie, have a drink!" He shoved Richards' head back, then upended the can over his open mouth.
Val staggered to his feet and started toward the Storm, but he turned around and threw the mostly-empty can at his head. It connected, and knocked the groggily censor back to the mat. The Storm let the beer-drenched Richards fall to the mat, then caught another two cans from the timekeeper as he left the ring, popping them open and toasting the fans as he left.
MONDAY: RAW is WAR, Mar. 15
"The following match is a hardcore match," Lillian Garcia announced, "and is scheduled for one fall."
Cawing birds echoed over the speakers as the word RAVEN appeared on the screen. Metal guitar chords played as the master of self-pity walked out, climbing into the ring. He got up on one of the posts and held his fists out to the side. "Introducing first, making his way to the ring, from the Bowery...RAVEN!"
Raven took the microphone from Lillian and started to speak. "Storm, you consider yourself a Force of Nature. No one knows quite what Nature is capable of than the one who had to withstand the elements while living hand-to-mouth in a cardboard box. So come on down to the ring, Storm, and show me what you think a Force of Nature is made of."
The Storm siren blared, his symbol flashing, then paused as his voice spoke: "Seek shelter... The Storm... has... ARRIVED!" The lightning pyros shot off, and an instrumental of Metallica's "Ride the Lightning" started up. "And his opponent, from Dallas, Texas, weighing in at 239 pounds...he is a member of Lone Star...THE STORM!" Raven, who had devested himself of leather jacket and flannel shirt, jumped out of the ring and ran up the ramp to start the attack. As he stepped out of the pyros' smoke, he found no opponent waiting for him. He turned around, shrugging to the ring and the fans, who were clamoring with confusion.
As a result, he didn't see the form lowering himself from above the scaffolding of the TitanTron. The Storm held onto the scaffolding with one hand, his ugly-stick in the other. The fans saw him and cheered, prompting Raven to turn around, just in time to see the Storm drop to the stage and swing the ugly-stick. It connected with the side of Raven's head and sent him reeling. Raven staggered down the ramp, then got another blow to his back. The Storm grabbed Raven's hair, pulled his head back, then brought the bottom of the baseball bat right into the middle of his forehead. Raven went prone on the ramp, clutching his face in pain as the Storm tossed down the ugly-stick and headed down the ramp.
The Storm fished under the ring and dragged out a trashcan and a kendo stick. He went back up to Raven, who had gotten back to his feet. Raven caught the trashcan as it was tossed to him, then shouted in pain as the kendo stick cracked across his head. The Force of Nature whipped Raven down the ramp. Raven, who was still holding the trashcan, collided with the ring and groaned again as he dented the can and injured his ribs. He dropped the can, only to get hit with the kendo stick again. Raven leaned against the ring as he tried to shake off the blows, but the Storm dropped the kendo stick and grabbed Raven in a full-nelson, lifting him up, then flipping Raven up, grabbing his shoulders and heaving him down in the Downdraft -- right on top of the heavily-dented trashcan.
The Storm pulled Raven up and tossed him in the ring, then climbed on the apron and ascended to the top of the post. As Raven unsteadily got to his feet, he was quickly taken back down with a Windfall. The Storm, rather than making the cover, went back out of the ring and picked up the kendo stick. He re-entered the ring, walking up to the half-conscious Raven. Raven looked up, then got flattened once again by the kendo stick. The Storm made the cover, but by now, it was academic. 1...2...3.
The Storm got back to his feet, staring down at the unconscious Raven and tilting his head to the side, as if appraising his handiwork. "Here is your winner, THE STORM!" Lillian Garcia proclaimed. The Storm held out his hand for the microphone, then looked up at the TitanTron.
"Hey, Jericho!" the Storm said. He pointed the kendo stick at Raven. "You see this? This is a preview of coming attractions. When I take your Intercontinental Championship, you're gonna look a lot worse than What About Me? here. Seek shelter, Jericho, `cuz the Storm is comin' for ya."
The Storm tossed the mic back to Lillian as he left the ring, discarding the kendo stick and scooping up his baseball bat. "Ride the Lightning" followed him as he left up the ramp.
THURSDAY: Smackdown!, Mar. 18
The Storm's remorseless spree of violence continued the following Thursday. Jericho had been oddly silent about the whole thing, not cutting the usual expected promo on his rival. The Y2J Problem seemed to be content in having six-man tags with the Hardy Boyz against other groups like Right to Censor, the Radicalz, and Venom.
"The following contest is scheduled for one fall." The OvalTron flashed the words The 1 - Billy - Gunn as jazz-esque guitar music played. Appearing at the top of the ramp was none other than "The One" himself, wearing green tights. He grinned at the audience, then turned and offered a hand to the leather clad Chyna, who walked out beside him. "Making his way to the ring, being accompanied by the Ninth Wonder of the World, Chyna -- weighing in at 268 pounds...he is "The One" BILLY GUNN!"
Billy entered the ring and spread the ropes with a boot for Chyna. He posed for the fans, then smiled at Chyna again as she stepped out of the ring. He paced around a bit, then stopped and looked up as the siren started up. "Seek shelter... The Storm... has... ARRIVED!" The lightning pyros went off, and then the Storm started down the ramp through the smoke. "And his opponent, from Dallas, Texas, weighing in at 239 pounds... he is a member of Lone Star... THE STORM!"
The Storm climbed up on the ring apron and vaulted over the ropes, glancing at Billy out of the corner of his eyes as he went over to the post and climbed to the top. He raised his fist in the air slowly, then made a cutting motion with his hands and pointed straight at Billy with a very unpleasant smirk on his face. He tossed his sunglasses to a stagehand and adjusted his gloves casually. While he was doing this, Billy rushed him, but the Storm sidestepped and clipped his feet with a drop-toe hold, then quickly started to lock in the Twister anklelock. Billy, however, was close enough to the ropes to grab them, and the Storm dropped his legs to start stomping on his shoulders and head.
Referee Teddy Long told the Storm to let him stand up, so he did so, but then dropped Billy in a death suplex. He began stomping again on Billy's left shoulder, getting shouts of pain from the former Mr. Ass. Finally, the Storm let him stand back up and whipped him into the ropes. As Billy came back, he caught a superkick to the jaw, flattening him. The Storm laid across him and held down his arms. 1...2...and Billy kicked out. Frowning, the Storm knelt next to Billy and started unloading punches to the temple, but Billy managed to shake him away.
The Storm aimed another kick to Billy's head, then stepped around him and grabbed his kicking legs. The Force of Nature moved quickly, twisting Gunn's legs around his right leg, then dropping to the mat and holding the legs in place with his left. The former AssMan writhed in pain in the Figure-Four Leglock, then grasped at the ropes. The Storm crab-walked backwards, dragging Billy away from the ropes. Long squatted next to Gunn and started asking him if he'd submit, and didn't see Chyna sneaking around toward the Storm, whose head was near the ropes.
The Ninth Wonder wound up and let fly with a hard snap jab to the Storm's ear. Shouting in pain, the Storm rolled onto his side, his legs disentangling from Billy's. Chyna shouted encouragement to her former DX partner while the Storm got to his feet and started toward the post. He ascended to the top and leaned back, eyes cold as he waited for Billy to get to his feet. Teddy Long was nearby, asking him if he wished to continue. Billy nodded to him and turned to the Storm to see him leaping in the Windfall. Abruptly, "The One" pulled Long into the Storm's path, and the ref was knocked unconscious when his head struck the mat from the manuever. The Storm got to his feet, staring with disbelief at the prone referee, then got knocked down by a clothesline from Billy.
Gunn pursued and began stomping away on the Storm's chest, then unloading punches as the Storm got to his feet. He aimed another kick, but the Storm caught his foot, then dropped down, taking Billy with him in a dragon screw leg whip. He started to go for a Twister hold, but Billy kicked him in the face and got back up, flattening him with another clothesline. He pulled the Storm back to his feet and threw him into the ropes, hurling him into the air in a big back body drop on the rebound. Remarkably, the Storm landed on his feet from the back drop, and stumbled into the ropes again. Coming back, the Storm hit a Lou Thesz press and started hammering on Billy's face. He made a cover, but Teddy Long had not yet recovered from the Windfall. The Storm noticed this and went over to check.
Chyna slid into the ring behind him and nailed him with a low blow. The Storm doubled over, leaving him open for the Fame-Asser. Billy made the cover now, but once again, Long was still out from the Windfall. He stood up and went over to him, prodding him with a boot and getting no response.
As this was happening, the fans and commentators were both bewildered when a woman ran down the ramp. She was tall and had wavy black hair, but her eyes were hidden behind a pair of round sunglasses. She wore a sleeveless slate gray top and tight dark blue pants and black boots. She ran toward Chyna, who turned to face her just in time to take a spinning heel kick on the chin. Chyna went down and held her face in pain while Billy remained preoccupied with trying to rouse Teddy Long. He didn't see the mysterious woman run in behind him and nudge the Storm back to his feet.
The Storm looked at the woman in surprise. They were close to the same height. The Storm looked her over, then gave another unpleasant smirk. He nodded to her, spoke a word, and then she went up behind Billy Gunn and spun him around. "The One" had a moment to register surprise before she hit him with a gutshot and grabbed his arms in a double-underhook. She flipped back in a snap suplex, bringing Billy's legs squarely on the Storm's shoulders. She released Billy just as the Storm completed a sit-out powerbomb. He pinned down Billy's shoulders with his legs and wrapped his arms around Billy's legs. The woman slipped out of the ring and managed to nudge Teddy Long back into awareness. The referee dragged himself over and made the count. 1...2...3.
The Storm thrust away the semi-conscious Billy as he stood back up. The woman slid into the ring and handed him his sunglasses, which he accepted and put back on. He took the woman's hand and they both raised their hands in the air. He looked down at the weakened Billy Gunn and tilted his head to the side, then gave an Italian arm chop and his two-fingered salute. Both he and the woman went to the ropes and vaulted over and dropped to the floor.
They headed up the ramp, then paused at the top, looking back at Chyna and Billy, who were starting to come around and were staring groggily. The Storm raised his fist in the air as the woman posed, raising her hands up and holding them flat as she tilted her head back.
"The Force of Nature has left Billy Gunn lying!" Michael Cole shouted into his headset from the announce table. "What sort of person has the Storm become?"
"More important than that," the King said, "who's that woman? Why'd she attack Chyna like that?"
"All I can say," Cole continued, "is that come Monday night, there's gonna be hell to pay for Storm and that woman!"
-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. The next part will feature just who this mysterious woman is and what her connection is to the Storm. 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=-