Chapter 10: Broken
By: Jay Winger
Note: this is set the Thursday after "Chapter 9: This Ain't Over."
To recap: the newly crowned King of the Ring, the Storm, came to RAW in a cheerful mood. He cut a promo on Billy Rose and invited him to step into the ring again. Rose told the Storm he'd like to oblige, and warned him that though he may lose the odd match along the way, but the Storm can never conceive of his goals. Commissioner Foley came out and booked the main event as a mixed-tag match between the Storm, Stone Cold, and Rain against Rose, Kurt Angle, and Trish Stratus. Prior to the match, the Storm seemed a bit disturbed by Rain again being driven to the arena by Austin. Later, the Storm was informed that his car had been trashed and came out to find the car all but totaled, a brick hurled through the windshield, and the words 'break him' scratched into the roof. The Storm seemed ill at-ease after that. During the match, the Storm got upset with Stone Cold when he saved Rain from a beating at Rose's hands. But then, as Austin and Angle brawled backstage, new music hit and a massive man came out. The Storm showed fear for the first time as the man -- Brick -- came to the ring and gave him a vicious gorilla press into a swinging chokeslam. Rose smirked, then ordered Brick to "Break him!" -- which the behemoth did by taking out a 2x4 and breaking it across the Storm's back. The Storm screamed in pain and collapsed, and Brick threw Rain in to Rose, who gave her a brainbuster, then the Thorn powerbomb. Rose and Brick then left in triumph as the Storm lay in pain on the ground. Meanwhile, Viper's Alliance (Viper, Rattler, Test, Triple H, and Soul) (from Boulder's fanfics) has fallen upon hard times, as Shane's Faction (Shane, Rose, Team ECK, Rhino, and Brick) continues to wreck havoc upon them.
Teaser: Billy Rose and Brick run roughshod over Lone Star while Rain stays with the recuperating Storm, who has been all but destroyed by Brick.
Rating: R - for violence and profanity
Disclaimer: All things WWF are property of Titan Sports. The characters of Matthew "the Storm" Skinner, Claire "Rain" Whittaker, Billy Rose, and Brad "Brick" Dickerson are completely fictional. I do incorporate a few traits from existing WWF wrestlers, but for the most part, they're my creations.
THURSDAY: Smackdown!, 29 June
Steve Austin -- Stone Cold to some -- swung by the hospital before heading to the arena. Inquiring at the desk, he was pointed in the right direction and went to the appropriate room. He stepped in the doorway and stopped as he looked at the two people within. Claire Whittaker looked up. Her face still showed a bruise from the black eye she'd received at the fist of Billy Rose, and she was sitting rather stiffly in her chair. But Austin expected that, after suffering that Thorn powerbomb on Monday -- again at Rose's hands.
She was seated beside of the bed of Matthew Skinner, who was asleep. Claire smiled weakly as she saw Austin. He looked at her, then at Skinner. "How is he?"
"The doctors say he has some cracked ribs, a concussion, and something's up with his discs," Claire replied. She sighed and looked at him, slumping a bit, then wincing and thinking better of it. "I forget the specifics. All I know is the last time he was in this bad shape was right after his last match at CIW -- and it was the same guy who did it: Brick Dickerson, acting on Billy Rose's behalf -- that fucking bastard."
Austin blinked -- not because of the language (Lord knows, he did enough of that himself), but because she'd said it, and she didn't seem the type. "He's gonna be okay?" he asked.
"He should be," Claire said with another sigh. "But with the damage done to his back -- that 2x4 shot laid open his back again, did you know that? -- the doctors say he may not be able to get in the ring again without seriously jeopardizing his safety." She smiled slowly. "But they said the same thing after CIW, and look at him -- former WWF Tag Team Champion, two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion and King of the Ring. He'll be fine, but it's going to take time for him to be back at one hundred percent."
Austin nodded. "You tell him I'll get one back for him, okay?" he said. "I don't care of Foley don't put me in a match with Rose or anybody from the Faction. I'm gonna find that West Coast jackass and kick his yella ass."
"Thanks, Steve," Claire said. She looked back at Skinner, who was showing signs of waking up. "Maybe you'd better go. I think he still believes you and I are doing something we shouldn't be."
"Jealous som'bitch," Austin remarked, but there was no malice in his voice. He nodded to her and left quietly as Matthew Skinner woke up.
"Claire?" he croaked. His voice was hoarse. His eyes opened slightly. "You there?"
"Right here, Matthew," she said, grasping his hand.
"Ah. Thought you might've headed for the arena with your friend Steve," Skinner said.
"No," she said. "I'm staying here with you." She looked away, hesitated, then went on: "And I didn't want to face Billy Rose again. Not this close to what he did on Monday."
Skinner's eyes opened more fully. "What did that prick bastard do to you?" he growled.
"Matthew," she said quietly. "It's not important--"
"The hell it isn't!" he growled. "Tell me!"
Claire hesitated again. "After Brick hit you with the 2x4," she said slowly, "he picked me up and threw me in to Rose. He gave me a brainbuster, then a Thorn powerbomb."
Skinner's eyes hardened. "Fucking bastard," he rasped. He gripped her hand tightly. "Claire, I swear to God, once my fucking back heals, that goddamn Rose is going to get his fucking ass kicked. And believe me, he won't see it coming." There was a hint of a smirk on his dry lips.
Claire smiled again, leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. "Just rest up, Matthew. Don't get yourself all worked up." He grunted and relaxed. "Should I turn on RAW?"
"Hell yeah," Skinner said. "See what nonsense Viper's got himself into now."
* * *
The OvalTron lit up with an overexposed clip of Billy Rose's face, which wavered back and forth, as though the film were out of alignment. The music of the Union Underground played. "How long? How long? -- I said how long? I said how long? I said how long? Until you crack..." Clips of Rose played -- in the midst of a Savage elbow, doing his powerful one-two-gutshot punch combo, the Deadly Blossom, and the Thorn powerbomb. Slowly, the man himself sauntered out, a red shirt over his Every Rose Has Its Thorns t-shirt. He paused on the stage, raised his hands to the side and peered to one side, smirking, then turned to look the other way with that same smirk. Signs in the audience proclaimed: Billy Rose: Bad Weather Advisory, one that said Rose will get a Warning with a Storm symbol on the sign, and A Rose is a Rose is a Prick Bastard.
Boos followed him as he headed down to the ring, where he took the microphone. The music cut as he raised the mic, only to pause and look out at the crowd, which was jeering and chanting, "ASSHOLE!"
"You know," Rose said when the chanting died somewhat, "it's usually customary to let the guy talk before you go doing an opinion poll." Boos followed this sentiment, and Rose just smirked. "You people can boo me all you want. I'm used to it. I've done the McMahon thing -- I've screwed people over, I've turned the fans against me, and I've played the politics of the game as well as anyone. I've never pretended to be a fan favorite. I could care less if you people like me. I'm here for one reason and one reason only -- and that's to rise to the top, be the best damn guy there is. You can get there by being better than anyone else, but to stay there, you gotta play the game better than anyone. And that person's gonna be me. Maybe not tonight, maybe not next week -- but before I leave the World Wrestling Federation, I will be its Champion."
Jeers and 'anatomy' chants (as J.R. would call them) answered this, and Rose went on. "My first step there was getting in good with the McMahons. And I did that. Granted, I have one -- maybe two, if you count Linda -- against me, but I got Father and Son backin' me, and that's good business. My second step was supposed to be winning King of the Ring on Sunday, but instead, I hit a snag. A snag that got my little plan all fubar. A snag called the Storm." Cheers at the mention of the Storm, which Rose tolerated. "The jackass had to keep our professional rivalry from years back all personal -- and that's bad business. So I decided to accelerate my plans a bit. I had to get that man out of my way, and so I decided to call in my trump card. I brought in the one man whom I know the Storm fears, the one man who can get him to scream in pain -- the same man who broke him and forced him from CIW, and who did the same exact thing to him last Monday on RAW. Ladies and gentlemen, permit me to introduce my main man -- Brick."
The OvalTron lit up with the snarling visage of Brick. "Break it! (Break it!) Break it! (Break it!)" Aggressive music played as the behemoth came out, his craggy face set in a grim sneer as he came down to the ring and stepped over the top rope. He flexed muscles in his huge arms and raised them in the air, roaring. He paced around the ring, roaring at each of the ropes as his music continued. "I come from a broken home -- `cuz I broke it! I've seen some broken bones -- `cuz I broke `em! Don't you get in my face -- `cuz I'll break it! Don't you get in my way -- `cuz I'll break you!" Finally, Brick stopped and stood beside Rose, who was smiling.
"This, ladies and gentlemen, is Brick. Seven-foot-one, 350 pounds. Pure muscle, pure aggression, pure pain, ladies and gents -- this is the man who will weed out the weak and worthless from my trek to the top," Rose said. "Anybody who makes the stupid mistake of trying to disrupt my plans will be broken by Brick, just as the Storm was broken. And for those who manage to get past him..." He paused, then smirked. "Well, like the shirt says: every Rose has its Thorns."
* * *
The Acolytes arrived late at the arena that night, due to the beer run they had to make. As they pulled into the garage, they got out and got out the cases of beer in the trunk. "Can you believe the nerve of that guy?" Bradshaw remarked to his drinking buddy. "Tried to sell us light beer?"
"I know, man," Faarooq said. "Who the hell's he think we are? Some white-collar moron who only drinks on Christmas?"
"Yo, Acolytes!" came a voice from behind them. They turned around, only to get hit with 2x4s in the face. Faarooq staggered and almost fell into the trunk of the car, while Bradshaw stumbled and dropped the beer. Rose smiled as Brick dropped his board and grabbed Bradshaw by the head, hurling him headlong into the wall, then charging and squashing him against the unyielding concrete. Meanwhile Rose was pounding on Faarooq with fists and the occasional shot from his 2x4, then squeezed him into the trunk and shut it on him.
Brick grabbed Bradshaw and lifted him overhead in a gorilla press, then hurled him on top of the car. The burly Texan groaned as he hit it, then again as Brick swung one massive fist down into his kidneys. He turned away from him, but then Rose pressed the 2x4 into his hands. Brick looked at it, then at Rose, who grinned and pantomimed snapping something. "Break him!" he ordered.
Brick's expression didn't change as he turned, raised the board overhead, then brought it down across Bradshaw's back. As on Monday, the board snapped, the crack sounding like a gunshot. Bradshaw screamed in pain, slumping off the top of the car and lying on the ground while Brick stood over him, holding the broken 2x4 in one hand. Rose smirked and patted Brick on the shoulder. "Good work, my boy. Let's go."
* * *
At the hospital, Skinner saw this and growled. "Goddamn son of a bitch," he muttered.
"He's getting Lone Star out of the way," Claire remarked.
"Yeah," Skinner said. "Any roadblock to getting to the WWF title's gonna get the same treatment. Once he's done with us, Rose is gonna go after Viper and his stupid Alliance. Then he's gonna do the same with those geeks in RTC, `cuz Richards is too damn dumb not to realize that he can't keep interfering in matches and beatin' people up backstage." He paused. "Come to think of it, I wouldn't mind too much if Rose and Brick got rid of RTC."
"Neither would I," Rain said. "Damn that Ivory."
"This means Austin's next," Skinner said. "Goddamn it."
* * *
Before Rose had time to find Stone Cold, however, he had to go out for his scheduled match against William Regal. "Until You Crack" began playing again. Rose walked out, wearing his Every Rose Has Its Thorns t-shirt and crimson pants. "The following contest is scheduled for one fall. Making his way to the ring, from Los Angeles, California, weighing in at 245 pounds... BILLY ROSE!" Rose stepped into the ring and hit his pose on the second rope.
The pompous music of the British good-will ambassador played, and William Regal strutted out in his red trunks. Regal gave the audience a slow Miss America-ish wave of his hand and a patronizing smile as he headed for the ring. "And his opponent, from Blackpool, England, weighing in at 245 pounds, he is the United Kingdom's Goodwill Ambassador... WILLIAM REGAL!"
Regal strode up the stairs to the apron, paused and wiped off his boots, then started to step into the ring. He'd barely begun standing up before Rose charged and clubbed him with a forearm. Regal grunted and fell back against the ropes, where Rose smacked him with a few knife-edge chops before whipping him across the ring. As Regal came back, Rose shoved him up into the air in a Farewell and let him drop. Regal winced and started to get back up, but Rose stomped on his shoulders and back.
Rose pulled Regal to his feet and whipped him into the corner, but the British wrestler stopped the follow-up clothesline with an elbow. Rose turned back around, only to be floored by a clothesline from Regal, who pulled him up and pushed him back in the corner, where he began hitting him with forearm shots. He then drove his knee into Rose's gut, pulled him out and whipped him into the ropes. He bent over for a back-body drop, but Rose stopped himself and punted Regal, who oofed and staggered back upright. Rose went for what looked like a clothesline at first, but he turned around quickly, spun around Regal, then planted him with a spinning DDT.
Rose pulled Regal up and caught a quick kick that Regal aimed. Regal hopped for a moment, and then Rose grabbed his leg and looked to be going for a dragon screw leg-whip, but rather than slam him to the mat, Rose swung him up onto his shoulders. There, he applied a torture rack hold, turning in a circle to grin maliciously at the audience. Regal grimaced and shouted in pain, and then finally Rose dropped back in a Samoan drop. Hook the leg -- 1... 2-- and Regal got a shoulder up.
Rose stood up and beckoned Regal to get back to his feet, then gave him a hard scoop slam as he did so. Rose went to the corner and ascended, pointed out at Regal, then pounced out in a Savage elbow. Regal moved aside and Rose slammed into the mat hard. Regal quickly moved over, and bent him into the Regal Stretch. Rose grimaced in pain, but before Regal could force him to tap out, a seven-foot-one form appeared at ringside and hauled him off of Rose. Regal turned to look at Brick in surprise before one of Brick's huge hands smashed into his face.
The referee called for the bell, and Brick threw Regal back into the ring. Rose snared him in the Deadly Blossom for a moment, then released him as Brick got into the ring. Regal got up, only to have Brick clap a meaty hand on his throat. Brick hoisted him up in a gorilla press, then spun him back to the chokeslam position and hurled him down hard. "The winner of this match as the result of a disqualification... WILLIAM REGAL!"
Rose smirked down at Regal, then clapped Brick on the shoulder before heading out of the ring. Brick glared down at Regal for a moment, then followed.
* * *
Rose and Brick continued their search for the Texas Rattlesnake, but he was nowhere to be found before his scheduled match with Kurt Angle in a rematch from RAW, when the two brawled out of the ring, inadvertently leaving the Storm to get broken by Brick. The patriotic music of "Medal" played as the Olympic Hero walked out, stopping halfway down the ramp to pose with his arms in the air, pyros exploding behind him. "The following contest is scheduled for one fall. Making his way to the ring, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, weighing in at 220 pounds... KURT ANGLE!"
Angle climbed into the ring and handed his medals out to a stagehand, then warmed up a bit, jumping in place as he faced the ramp. There was the shattering of glass and the aggressive music of Disturbed. The fans went crazy. "Step up, `cuz you're the next one in line for the kill, you don't believe me, but I'm betting that you will! Step up, I'll let you live a little bit with the pain that I bring -- you know it's only the beginning!" Stone Cold ran out to the ring, not even bothering to remove his BMF vest before hammering away on Angle with right hands. A clothesline over the top rope sent Angle toppling to the ground. Austin threw off his vest and followed out to continue the beatdown.
Austin threw Angle into the barricade, the announce table, and the steel ring steps before finally sending him back into the ring. There, Kurt scrambled into the corner, but that proved to be a big mistake as Austin simply followed him over and began stomping a mudhole in his chest. He stepped back to jaw at referee Earl Hebner, who tried to tell him to get it out of the corner. When Austin turned back, Angle raked his eyes, then clotheslined Austin in the back of the head. Kurt continued by stomping away on Austin, then pulling him up and whipping him into the ropes, then ducking his head down for a back-body drop. Austin stopped himself and punted Angle in the shoulder.
As Angle got to his feet, Austin flashed him a Stone Cold salute and kicked him in the gut. Before he could drop Angle in the Stunner, however, Angle shoved him into the ropes, caught him on the rebound and gave him a belly-to-belly suplex. Austin rolled to his feet groggily, but Angle just grabbed him for a snap suplex. Austin was pulled to his feet again, and Angle prepared to give him an Olympic Slam, but Austin grabbed Angle's head in a headlock, then punched him in the face. Angle staggered back, and Austin turned to continue punching away on him, driving him back into the corner. There, he once again stomped a mudhole in Angle.
Finally, Austin pulled Angle to his feet and threw him into the ropes. Angle had just enough time to see the double middle finger before Austin booted him in the gut, then turned and dropped him in the Stone Cold Stunner. He hooked a leg, and the referee dropped to make the count. 1... 2-- and the referee was yanked out of the ring by Billy Rose, who had showed up at ringside. Rose threw the referee to the floor and sneered at Austin, who came up to the ropes and beckoned with a finger to get in the ring. "Come on, ya West Coast jackass," the Texas Rattlesnake taunted. "Come on, you come try that shit on Stone Cold."
Rose just smirked and pointed behind Austin. Stone Cold did so, just in time to see Brick stepping over the top rope. Austin jumped back in surprise, but had nowhere to go as Brick walked up and grabbed him around the throat, then hoisted him up for the gorilla press. "No, don't do that!" J.R. screamed at ringside. "Austin's got a bad neck, he can't take a chokeslam of that magnitude!" Brick snarled as he held him there for a moment, then turned, swung Austin into the chokeslam and hurled him down with all his might. "Good God Almighty!" Jim Ross screamed. "Brick just gave Austin that -- that Breaker Chokeslam!"
Rose climbed in the ring with a smirk, then looked at Brick, who took a microphone from ringside and handed it to him. Rose stood over Stone Cold. "Austin," Rose said, "let this be a lesson to you. Don't mess with Cal-if-orn-I-F'ing-A!" He threw the mic down and slapped Brick on the arm. The two left the ring as Rose's music played.
* * *
Claire and Skinner watched this from the hospital. "Damn it," he muttered. "I knew Rose was gonna do something like that." He grabbed the plastic cup off his tray and threw it at the TV, then growled. "Damn fucking prick bastard."
"Matthew, calm down," Claire told him.
"I am calm," Skinner grunted. He sighed. "Sorry, darlin'. It's just that prick bastard gets me so goddamn mad. Well, once I get better, I'll kick his yellow ass back to California." He looked at her. "As much as I appreciate you bein' here for me, I think you need to get some rest. Go on back to the hotel and get some sleep. I'll be all right."
Claire hesitated, then nodded and got up to leave. She stopped at the door to blow a kiss to him. Skinner smiled and "caught" it, then looked back at the TV. He scowled a bit, then picked up his cell phone from his bedside table. He punched in a number. After a few rings, a voice answered. "Yo."
"Roger?"
"Dude, it's Skinner! Pick up the extension!" the voice called to someone else. After a moment, another voice came on. "Skinner?"
"Hey, Mike."
"Dude!" "`Sup, man?"
"Listen, you been watching WWF?"
"Yeah, man. Congrats on winning the King of the Ring." "Sucks that Prick Bastard had to go and do that."
"Hey, relax," Skinner said. "It all has a system."
"Whaddaya mean?"
"Billy Rose ain't the only jackass who can play the game," Skinner said. "Y'know what I mean?" There was a pause, and then both voices chuckled. "Exactly. Can I count on you guys to help out when the time comes?"
"Dude, for you, we'd kick anybody's ass." "Damn straight, man."
"Thanks, Mike. Thanks, Rog. I'll be in touch."
"See you on the flip side, Skinner!" "Z-ya!"
Skinner turned off his phone, then leaned back as he watched Billy Rose posing on the TV. "You wanna play games, Billy? I got a hell of a good one for you. And you're gonna lose."
-more to come-
Next: The Storm, still recuperating, tries unsuccessfully to prevent Rain from going up against Billy Rose and Brick by herself while Rose continues "Playing the Game."
If you have any ideas for who you think the Storm, Rain, Brick or Billy Rose
should team up with or go up against, drop me a line at jay_winger_2k@hotmail.com.
