Chapter 5: Kick It Up a Notch
By: Jay Winger
Note: this is set the Monday after "Chapter 4: Closer to the Brink."
To recap: eager to see just what Billy Rose is capable of, Triple H grants him a match later that night against the Game himself. During the match, Rose holds his own against Triple H, and appears to have things almost won after an impressive counter of a side walk slam into a spinning DDT. But when he locked on the Deadly Blossom triangle hold, the Storm ran out and tried to attack him with an ugly-stick. Since the Force of Nature interfered, the match was thrown out, and Rose escaped. Stalking after him backstage, the Storm told Kevin Kelly flat out that he has one hell of a grudge against the newcomer. Harvey Whippleman told the Storm that someone was trashing his car, and he arrived in the garage to find Just Joe bashing it with a two-by-four. Distracted by the snitch, the Storm didn't see Edge and Christian sneak up on him until they delivered a conchairto, allowing Rose to tackle the Storm and stomp away on him. When Lone Star showed up, Rose and the Canadians jumped in a car and drove off, leaving the Storm a battered heap. In response to the Storm's increased aggression and violence, Mr. McMahon decided to book him in a Hardcore Championship match with Raven on RAW, and Commissioner Foley decided to add the stipulation of zero-interference from Lone Star, Rose, and Rose's newfound friends in the match. Though he disliked doing so, the Chairman agreed.
Teaser: The Storm goes hardcore, and when Rose tries to get involved, it's time to take it up a level.
Rating: R - for violence and profanity
Disclaimer: All things WWF are property of Titan Sports. The characters of Matthew "the Storm" Skinner, Rain, and Billy Rose are completely fictional. I do incorporate a few traits from existing WWF wrestlers, but for the most part, they're my creations.
MONDAY: RAW is WAR, 12 June
Raven, the World Wrestling Federation Hardcore Champion -- and self-described master of self-pity -- gathered broomsticks, kendo sticks, and other assorted junk and miscellany into his "cart o' plunder," then positioned the stuffed Frankenstein doll at the front of the cart. He glanced over at the SUV idling in the garage, catching the eye of the ninja-clad woman sitting inside. They shared a look, then Raven went back to his preparations.
"Say, Raven!" came a call. The Bowery native looked up to see Billy Rose, that crafty new guy from the California circuits, walking up. He spread his hands amicably. "Relax, I don't want your title. Got no cares to live with that 24/7 rule over my head. `Sides, look--" He gestured around them. "--nary a striped shirt in the area."
"Okay," Raven said, blinking through his long and greasy hair. "What do you want?"
"Well, seeing as how you've got yourself a match against Skinner tonight--"
"Who?"
"Storm," Rose translated, giving himself a mental note to remember that few people here knew the Storm's real name. "Well, I thought you'd appreciate a few pointers on how to deal with him."
"I've had a match or two with him before," the Hardcore Champion interrupted.
"Be that as it may," Rose said, undeterred, "you haven't dealt with him when he's this aggressive. Trust me -- I'm the guy who made him that way."
"Fine," Raven said, a trace of a sigh in his voice. "Okay, preppie boy, what's your hot tip?"
"Simple enough," the Californian said. "Keep the pressure on him, and eventually, he gets so frustrated that he leaves a wide opening. Perfect opportunity to, I dunno, break a trashcan over his head."
Raven gazed at him levelly, then nodded. "Okay." He looked around. "Better get lost. If Foley sees you talkin' to me, he'll probably add some unpleasant little stip to the match."
"Right," Rose said, backing off. "Good luck -- and kick Ski -- er, Storm's ass for me."
While Raven wheeled his cart o' plunder toward the ring, he left the ninja woman waiting in the car. She was too busy watching a black Toyota Avalon with a cracked windshield and dented side doors come roaring down the entrance ramp to the garage and speed toward the SUV. The ninja looked around just in time to see the Avalon collide with terrific force against the fender. The idling SUV was knocked back several feet, and the ninja woman was knocked for a loop and lay limp in the seat as the badly-dented driver's door of the Avalon was kicked open.
The Storm emerged, stood up a bit gingerly, and took out his duffel bag from the back seat. He extracted his black baseball bat "ugly-stick," strode over to the door of the SUV, and opened it. The ninja woman toppled out, slowly rising to her knees, only to get clubbed in the back of the head. She went back down as the Storm picked up his duffel bag and strode toward the ring.
* * *
"The following match is scheduled for one fall, and is for the World Wrestling Federation Hardcore Championship!" Lillian Garcia announced.
Cawing birds appeared on the TitanTron as hard rock music played. Out came Raven, wearing a nondescript white t-shirt with a logo on the front underneath his torn leather jacket. Around his waist was the decrepit Hardcore title belt. He wheeled his cart o' plunder in front of him, then paused and raised his arms out to the sides. "Introducing first, making his way to the ring, from the Bowery, he is the World Wrestling Federation Hardcore Champion... RAVEN!"
Raven, his face as sullen as ever, wheeled the cart down toward the ring, where he removed two trashcans and set them on the ring apron. He upended both into the ring, dumping out the garbage and plunder inside, then looked up as yellow "lightning" pyros went off at the TitanTron. Metallica played as the Storm stalked out through the smoke from the pyros, lights flashing behind the smoke to give a "lightning" effect. He still carried his duffel bag and ugly-stick. "And his opponent, from Dallas, Texas, weighing in at 239 pounds... THE STORM!"
The Storm stopped part-way down the ramp, set his duffel down, then raised his ugly-stick in the air. He pointed it out at the audience, then slowly turned in a quarter-circle until it was pointing at Raven. He tore off his sunglasses and tossed them to a stagehand, picked up his duffel and tossed it down to the ring next to Raven's cart, then sprinted down into the ring and ducked under Raven's swing with a broomstick. He turned around and bashed the baseball bat into the side of Raven's head then into his ribs, doubling the Hardcore Champion over. He then brought his knee up into Raven's face, knocking him to the mat.
He raised the ugly-stick again and brought it down on Raven's ribs again, then again, and a third time before stopping. He tossed the ugly-stick aside and went outside to his duffel bag. The fans clamored and murmured as they watched him, wondering what he had in the bag that he was going to use. The Storm grumbled to himself as he rummaged through it, evidently having trouble finding whatever it was he was looking for. He glanced up just in time to see Raven do a baseball slide dropkick, then staggered back into the security barrier from the blow. Raven stepped out of the ring, then pulled out one of his trashcans. He swung it down at the Storm, but the Force of Nature sidestepped and beat Raven's head against the steel.
Raven staggered away, holding his face, then turned back just as the Storm swung the can into his head. Raven fell over and kicked his feet as he cried out in pain at his face, then oofed as the Storm swung the can down into his already bruised ribs. The Texan didn't stop there. He laid the can on Raven's abdomen, then picked up his duffel. Swinging it up over his head, he brought it down into the can -- and thus into Raven's stomach. Shouting in agony, Raven doubled over and rolled onto his side, kicking his feet. The Storm flipped him back onto his shoulders and made a cover, but only got to two before Raven thrust his shoulder up.
Snarling, the Storm picked Raven up and threw him into the cart, then picked up his duffel and swung it down at Raven again, who sidestepped, causing the bag to smash into a glass jar inside the cart. He turned toward the Bowery native, then got sprayed in the face by the fire extinguisher that Raven had pulled loose. The Storm staggered back initially, then abruptly turned around and charged blindly through the cloud and speared Raven in his still-sore ribs, carrying him back into the security barrier. He then hooked up a leg to make the cover -- but again only got two as Raven managed to get a shoulder up.
The Storm threw Raven into the ring and went back to his duffel bag, hauling it out of the cart and opening it up again. He pulled out another ugly-stick and a cinder block. He set the cinder block down as Raven started to get to his feet, then prepared to whip him and drop-toe him into the block.
That was when a certain large-haired Tongan jumped into the ring, yelling in his indecipherable native language. The Storm turned around, then shouted as Haku lashed out and snared his neck in a Tongan Death Grip. The Storm grit his teeth and grimaced in pain, snarling at Haku, who was continuing to yammer in Tongan. "Get your hand off me, you hairy ape," the Storm rasped past the hold on his neck. When Haku didn't look likely to do so any time soon, the Storm raised the ugly-stick in his hand and bashed the Tongan in the forehead with it.
At first, it didn't seem to faze him all that much, but then the Storm hit Haku again, and the islander blinked a bit. The Storm hit him a third time, and the grip on his neck loosened. Seeing this wasn't getting him anywhere, the Storm wound up and swung at a lower target. Haku's eyes bugged out and he released the Storm to clutch at his injured gonads, allowing the Force of Nature time to reach down, pick up the cinder block, and break it over Haku's head. The islander went down, still conscious, but muttering nonsensically in his language.
Raven, by this point, was trying to sneak away up the ramp. He didn't get very far before the TitanTron lit up. "We-ell... well it's the Big Show!" Pyros exploded and Raven jumped back in surprise and alarm. Through the smoke plodded none other than the 500-pound, seven-foot-two behemoth. Raven turned around and started running again, only to be met by the Storm, who hurled himself through the ropes in a diving tope. The Storm plowed straight into the Hardcore Champion's injured ribs and folded him over for a cover. He got to two before the Big Show drove one of his massive feet into the Storm's side and knocked him off.
"His ass is mine!" the Big Show roared at the Storm. He started toward the Force of Nature, but the Storm slowed him down by hitting him in the face with a trashcan. The Big Show blinked a bit and stared at him. The Storm blinked at the now-badly dented can, then wound up to try again. The Big Show, however, merely threw a giant punch into the can, knocking the Storm off his feet.
Raven started to crawl off again, but by now Haku was back up (albeit unsteadily) and was right behind him. He lashed out with a flurry of punches, then stepped back, waving his arms about and shouting in Tongan. He grabbed Raven's head and leaned back to deliver his deadly headbutt, but then the Big Show grabbed him by the hair, pulled him away and delivered his own headbutt, which knocked Haku down and seemed to dizzy the Big Show a bit.
The Big Show turned back toward Raven, who was again starting to slink away, but before he could get very far, the Storm charged from behind and hit him over the head with one of his ugly-sticks. The Big Show turned around to face him, then blinked as he saw the Storm was holding both ugly-sticks -- the one he'd started the match with, and the one he'd pulled out of his duffel bag. He paused for a moment, looking the Storm over, then shrugged and charged. The Storm sidestepped the charge and brought both bats into his knees, knocking him down and face-first into the steel stairs.
The Storm looked up, twirled the bats in his hands, then sandwiched the Big Show's head between them. He turned back to Raven, who was just starting to get up and head up the ramp with his belt under his arm, then sprinted after him. Raven turned and ate a bat in the face, falling down. The Storm stood over him, a wild look on his face, his blue-gray eyes strangely unfocused. "Come on, Billy!" the Storm shouted suddenly, the tip of one ugly-stick under Raven's jaw and the other raised in the air. "Let's see you shrug off this one!"
He hit Raven in the head again, then made the required cover on Raven's unconscious body. The ref tore himself away from the half-stunned Haku and fully-stunned Big Show and ran up to make the count. 1... 2... 3! The Storm stood up, holding the cracked and dilapidated Hardcore title belt overhead as "Damage, Inc." played over the speakers. "Here is your winner, and the new World Wrestling Federation Hardcore Champion, THE STORM!"
The Storm headed back down the ramp to collect his duffel bag (stopping long enough to bash Haku over the head with both ugly-sticks again), and heard his music cut off, replaced by a different song. "How long? How long? -- I said how long? I said how long? I said how long? Until you crack..." The Storm frowned for a bit, then abruptly remembered whose entrance music it was.
He whirled around, roaring, "ROSE!" -- but he was just a second too late to do anything. Billy Rose had sprinted down the ramp with a steel chair in hand, and he swung it up and down into the Storm's head, knocking him down quickly. He went back up the ramp to Raven, who was starting to come around. He dragged him down to the Storm, threw him atop the unconscious Texan, and then directed the referee to make the count. 1... 2... 3. Raven's music started playing again. "Here is the new World Wrestling Federation Hardcore Champion, RAVEN!"
Rose started to help Raven toward the back, then glanced back to see the Storm starting to sit up, a murderous gleam in his eyes. Moving more quickly, the Californian dragged Raven faster. The Storm got up, picked his ugly-sticks back up, then staggered a bit as he got to his feet. "ROSE!" he bellowed again, starting to charge after him.
As the Storm stalked after Rose and Raven, the Acolytes emerged from the Lone Star dressing room. "Wait up, Storm!" Bradshaw called. "We'll help you whup this guy's ass!"
As they emerged into the parking area, however, they saw that Rose's rental car was idling. The ninja woman was in the front seat. The Storm and the Acolytes ran toward them, but Edge and Christian emerged from the sides and brained Bradshaw and Faarooq with steel chairs. The Storm stopped and swung his ugly-sticks at them, stunning the two long enough for him to whack Edge first with both, then Christian with both ugly-sticks. He turned back toward Rose, who was bundling Raven into the backseat of his car. He started running for them again, but then Kurt Angle and Shane McMahon jumped him. Angle started pounding away while Shane took a metal rod and started beating it against his knee. The Storm shouted and tried to beat them away with the ugly-sticks, but that just encouraged them to beat on him more.
The Storm dropped his ugly-sticks and tried to stand back up, but Shane stopped that when he hit him in the back with the rod. His vision was blurry, but he could see Rose climb into his car and direct the ninja woman to drive, then leaned out the window to taunt, "See you on the other side, Skinner! Maybe then you'll actually have the gonads to go toe-to-toe with me!"
Angle and Shane retreated with Edge and Christian as Austin, Rain, Mick Foley, and Mr. McMahon arrived on the scene. The Storm started to get to his hands and knees, grimacing and muttering, "Son of a bitch!" not-quite-inaudibly.
"I'll thank you not to make disparaging remarks about Vince's daughter, Storm," Foley said as he walked up. Mr. McMahon glared briefly at the Commish, who merely grinned.
Rain went over and helped the Storm to his feet, while Austin glared at the retreating forms of Angle, Edge, Christian, and Shane. "Who did this, Storm?" Rain asked.
"Who else?" the Storm growled. "Billy Fuckin Rose."
"And that pansy-ass Angle, and those two, uh," Austin paused. "What was it you called 'em, Storm?"
"Canuckleheads?" Rain offered.
"Yeah, them," Austin said, then turned to give Mr. McMahon a steely glare. "And that som'bitch of a son of yours."
"What my son does," the Chairman said, "is his own business."
"Funny," Austin remarked. "When it involves a McMahon, it usually winds up bein' your business."
"Foley," the Storm said as he got up, wincing a bit as his knee sent a surge of pain up his leg, "I want Rose's ass on Monday."
"Now, wait just a minute," Vince said. "Billy, Edge, Christian, and Shane did not violate Mick's decree. We told them they could not interfere in the Storm's match with Raven. And they didn't. The fact that Haku and Show did is beside the point. The point is that once Storm won the match, it was over. I can't do anything about the fact that Rose read the fine print, as it were."
"Slick som'bitch," the Storm muttered.
"But, in the interest of fairness," Vince went on, "seeing as how you were ambushed by Kurt Angle, I will give you a match against him this Thursday on Smackdown! -- and it will even be for qualification in the King of the Ring tournament."
"Well that's all fine and dandy," Austin said, "but what about Shane?"
"Yeah," Foley said, stroking his beard. "What about Shane, Vince? Well, since we're all about fairness, and since Kurt's being punished for his involvement, we'll book Shane-o in a match against, uh... against Stone Cold on Thursday!" He glanced over at the Acolytes, who were on their feet now and looking pissed. "And we'll also book Edge and Christian against the APA."
"Now, I'm not so sure about that," Mr. McMahon murmured, but Foley had already produced his gavel again.
"You may not be," Mick said with a grin, "but I am, and that decision is final!" He raised his gavel, looked around, and not seeing anything to tap it against, he tapped it against Vince's head again.
"As far as Kurt's concerned," the Storm said, "payback's gonna be a bitch."
"I'll thank you not to say that about my daughter," Vince said without thinking, then his face flushed with embarassment as he realized what he just said. Mick Foley just grinned and ambled off.
-more to come-
Next: Billy Rose continues to play mind games with the Storm, who comes close to "Losing Control."
If you have any ideas for who you think the Storm, Rain, or Billy Rose should team up with or go up against, drop me a line at jay_winger_2k@hotmail.com.
