"Do we know what caused this yet?" Vince McMahon demanded the next
day at the asylum.
"Not yet. All we know is that she's not reacting any way other than to say 'Nevermore'."
"That's it?"
"Yes. All she'll say is 'Nevermore'."
"How could this have happened?"
"Well, from the looks of things, she was tortured for awhile before she was left alone, and who knows how long she was alone before someone found her. Who did find her?"
"A former fellow employee who notified us that she was in danger."
"Do you think I could speak to this fellow employee?"
"I'm not sure if she'd…"
"I'm right here sir," Tori entered the office softly.
"Ah, yes, are you the woman who found Miss Ivory?"
"That would be me," she sank into one of the leather chairs.
"Your name?"
"Tori."
"Only one name?"
"Her name," Vince interjected, "is Victoria Powers. I fired her quite awhile ago and lately she's been hanging around being a nuisance." Off of Tori's questioning look he simply said "Jeff Hardy said you broke into his hotel room and I was told by Raven that you'd been lurking about. What are you doing?"
"What I'm doing here is none of your concern Vince."
"Dammit, I fired you!"
"Yes, you fired me. But I've got a job to do, and if you'll let me see Ivory again I can get back to work."
The doctor stopped her. "I'm sorry, I can't let you see Ivory. She's being confined."
"Please. Give me five minutes with her. If you do I might be able to tell you who did this to her."
"You think you can get her to talk?" The doctor asked. "I'm sorry, but I've had specialists look at her already and they've told me there's no way she'll…"
"I don't need her to talk. I just need to be able to touch her for a few minutes."
Both the doctor and Vince looked at her like she was crazy.
"I'm not insane, I don't belong here. I just need to see my friend…"
"I can't let you in there. I'm sorry," the doctor shook his head.
"Please…"
"I'm sorry, I can't."
Tori suddenly stood up and pounded the desk. "This is more important than just that woman's sanity! I need to see her!"
Minutes later, Tori found herself being escorted out of the building by security.
It was an hour later when Tori finally managed to sneak herself into Ivory's hotel room. The entire place was taped off, but that didn't even bother the former diva in the least. She had to risk being arrested; there was no question about it.
Ducking under the tape and entering the room, she headed straight for the bed. She looked around once, making sure nobody was around, and then sighed heavily. "No choice, no turning back," she muttered.
Placing her hands on the bed and concentrating, Tori's mind was flooded with sensations…
His hands…oh god all over her…he wasn't going to…no, why? It didn't make any…oh dammit…yes…no…son of a BITCH!!!!
When it was all over, Ivory was gasping for breath. Raven's voice caught her ears, and through Ivory's eyes she saw him bent over her.
"And now, you go crazy. Do you know why? Not because I raped you, not because I just violated your being. But because you liked every second of it. And you'd let me do it all over again…wouldn't you?"
She felt Ivory nodded, against her will.
"Well then…let's…."
Once more…no…Ivory why?
Tori let go of the bed and fell backwards, gasping for breath herself. "Ivory…" she whispered. "Why…you knew…why?"
"Because she wanted to dance near the darkness and she got caught in it."
If Tori had been able to sit up she would have. Instead she snarled. "What the fuck are you doing here? Aren't you done?"
"With Ivory, of course. But I knew you'd be here Nancy Drewing. So I figured I'd show up and give you a clue…"
Raven bent over her, his hand closing in to her face. Tori was too weak from the vision to fight back…his skin touched hers…
Intense pain all over her body.
Raven let go. "You son of a bitch!" Tori growled before she passed out.
"Now you know," Raven smirked. "And there's not a damned thing you can do about it."
WWF Smackdown
"Matt, I'm just saying, you've been acting kind of weird the past few days. And I wanna know what's up."
The darker brother turned to face his lighter counterpart. "Nothing. I've just been a little out of it, kind of depressed. But I'm fine now. Trust me. I've got my head on straight."
"Good to know, big bro," Jeff patted Matt on the shoulder. "Now, let's go get us some."
On their way to the ring, the boys stopped for about thirty seconds outside the woman's locker room to pick up Lita. She met with them, shaking her head.
"Guys, something's wrong. Have you heard about Ivory yet?"
Both brothers shook their heads.
"Apparently she was found in her hotel room. From what they said she had some kind of breakdown and had to be institutionalized."
Matt and Jeff looked shocked.
"Nobody knows what caused the breakdown either. And get this, Tori was the one who found her."
"Tori?" Jeff asked.
"Yeah. Then she showed up at the mental hospital and tried to convince them she had to see Ivory. They had to have her forcibly removed."
"It was Tori, you're sure?" Jeff asked more urgently this time.
"That's what they're saying in the women's locker room."
"You okay Jeff?" Matt asked.
"I'm fine," Jeff swallowed. "Look, Matt, are you sure you wanna do this tonight? I mean, this match…"
"Come on Jeff, I've fought tougher matches than this before. It's one match against Test."
"I don't like the feel of it Matt."
Out in the ring, Jeff's fear kept rising as he watched his brother in action against Test. It shouldn't have bothered him, except for what Tori had said.
"He's coming for Matt."
"Who?"
"He is…he'll turn him against you. Hurt you… Listen to me. He's been planning it for a long time."
Who in the world was "he" anyway?
Jeff watched Lita as she yelled words of encouragement at her boyfriend. Matt would never do anything to hurt her again, would he? After their rough break up before…
Jeff's last thoughts were shut out by the chair that hit him in the back of the head.
Lita was busy yelling at Matt to be careful when Raven hit the ring.
Test and Matt stopped fighting to turn and look at the intruder. There was a long pause, Test and Matt staring down Raven.
Out of nowhere Kanyon appeared and threw Lita into the ring by her hair. Test grabbed Matt as Kanyon handed Lita to Raven.
Raven motioned for a mike, still holding Lita by her mane of red hair. When he had his mike, he began to speak.
"Matthew Moore Hardy, I am here tonight to allow you to make a choice. You say you're a God fearing man? Well, tonight you're dealing with the devil. You see, there's only one difference between a good man and a bad man…and that's free will. You have free will, Matthew, and this is your chance to exercise it. I have here your girlfriend, the lovely Lita. Outside the ring, knocked out cold, is your brother, Jeff. Your choice, Matthew, is who deserves to feel the evenflow."
Matt struggled against Test's grip.
"Simple choice Matthew, it's in your hands. Do you play the chivalrous one and save the girl, or is blood thicker than water?"
Lita struggled against Raven again. "Keep doing that," he growled at her, "and I'll even flow you and your two pretty boys."
Lita stopped.
"Now Matthew, there is another choice here. As you can see, I'm rebuilding my flock. Matthew, you have always been the darker brother, the neglected one. Do you remember how your brother was being called the next Shawn Michaels? What were they calling you? I'll bet it was the same when you were children in Cameron. He was the baby; he got the attention. How many girls went after him in contrast to the ones that went after you? When you go back do you get the same recognition he does? He's being praised as a wrestler as well as a poet, a musician and a daredevil. What are you being praised as?
"What I'm offering you is a chance for revenge. A chance to redeem yourself. I'm offering you a place in my flock."
Matt looked at Test, then at Lita, then at Kanyon, then finally looked back at Raven. Raven approached him, holding out the mike. "Your choice?"
Matt growled. "Evenflow me."
Raven smirked. "If you insist." He threw Lita to Kanyon while at the same time Test was throwing Matt towards him. Raven kicked Matt in the gut and preceded to Evenflow the older Hardy into the ground. He then picked Matt up and did it again, then a third time. Finally, Kanyon threw his leader Lita.
Raven Evenflowed her as well.
When the red head's body had hit the mat, Raven nodded to his Flock. "Bring her."
They carried Lita off, leaving Matt and Jeff broken in the ring.
"Not yet. All we know is that she's not reacting any way other than to say 'Nevermore'."
"That's it?"
"Yes. All she'll say is 'Nevermore'."
"How could this have happened?"
"Well, from the looks of things, she was tortured for awhile before she was left alone, and who knows how long she was alone before someone found her. Who did find her?"
"A former fellow employee who notified us that she was in danger."
"Do you think I could speak to this fellow employee?"
"I'm not sure if she'd…"
"I'm right here sir," Tori entered the office softly.
"Ah, yes, are you the woman who found Miss Ivory?"
"That would be me," she sank into one of the leather chairs.
"Your name?"
"Tori."
"Only one name?"
"Her name," Vince interjected, "is Victoria Powers. I fired her quite awhile ago and lately she's been hanging around being a nuisance." Off of Tori's questioning look he simply said "Jeff Hardy said you broke into his hotel room and I was told by Raven that you'd been lurking about. What are you doing?"
"What I'm doing here is none of your concern Vince."
"Dammit, I fired you!"
"Yes, you fired me. But I've got a job to do, and if you'll let me see Ivory again I can get back to work."
The doctor stopped her. "I'm sorry, I can't let you see Ivory. She's being confined."
"Please. Give me five minutes with her. If you do I might be able to tell you who did this to her."
"You think you can get her to talk?" The doctor asked. "I'm sorry, but I've had specialists look at her already and they've told me there's no way she'll…"
"I don't need her to talk. I just need to be able to touch her for a few minutes."
Both the doctor and Vince looked at her like she was crazy.
"I'm not insane, I don't belong here. I just need to see my friend…"
"I can't let you in there. I'm sorry," the doctor shook his head.
"Please…"
"I'm sorry, I can't."
Tori suddenly stood up and pounded the desk. "This is more important than just that woman's sanity! I need to see her!"
Minutes later, Tori found herself being escorted out of the building by security.
It was an hour later when Tori finally managed to sneak herself into Ivory's hotel room. The entire place was taped off, but that didn't even bother the former diva in the least. She had to risk being arrested; there was no question about it.
Ducking under the tape and entering the room, she headed straight for the bed. She looked around once, making sure nobody was around, and then sighed heavily. "No choice, no turning back," she muttered.
Placing her hands on the bed and concentrating, Tori's mind was flooded with sensations…
His hands…oh god all over her…he wasn't going to…no, why? It didn't make any…oh dammit…yes…no…son of a BITCH!!!!
When it was all over, Ivory was gasping for breath. Raven's voice caught her ears, and through Ivory's eyes she saw him bent over her.
"And now, you go crazy. Do you know why? Not because I raped you, not because I just violated your being. But because you liked every second of it. And you'd let me do it all over again…wouldn't you?"
She felt Ivory nodded, against her will.
"Well then…let's…."
Once more…no…Ivory why?
Tori let go of the bed and fell backwards, gasping for breath herself. "Ivory…" she whispered. "Why…you knew…why?"
"Because she wanted to dance near the darkness and she got caught in it."
If Tori had been able to sit up she would have. Instead she snarled. "What the fuck are you doing here? Aren't you done?"
"With Ivory, of course. But I knew you'd be here Nancy Drewing. So I figured I'd show up and give you a clue…"
Raven bent over her, his hand closing in to her face. Tori was too weak from the vision to fight back…his skin touched hers…
Intense pain all over her body.
Raven let go. "You son of a bitch!" Tori growled before she passed out.
"Now you know," Raven smirked. "And there's not a damned thing you can do about it."
WWF Smackdown
"Matt, I'm just saying, you've been acting kind of weird the past few days. And I wanna know what's up."
The darker brother turned to face his lighter counterpart. "Nothing. I've just been a little out of it, kind of depressed. But I'm fine now. Trust me. I've got my head on straight."
"Good to know, big bro," Jeff patted Matt on the shoulder. "Now, let's go get us some."
On their way to the ring, the boys stopped for about thirty seconds outside the woman's locker room to pick up Lita. She met with them, shaking her head.
"Guys, something's wrong. Have you heard about Ivory yet?"
Both brothers shook their heads.
"Apparently she was found in her hotel room. From what they said she had some kind of breakdown and had to be institutionalized."
Matt and Jeff looked shocked.
"Nobody knows what caused the breakdown either. And get this, Tori was the one who found her."
"Tori?" Jeff asked.
"Yeah. Then she showed up at the mental hospital and tried to convince them she had to see Ivory. They had to have her forcibly removed."
"It was Tori, you're sure?" Jeff asked more urgently this time.
"That's what they're saying in the women's locker room."
"You okay Jeff?" Matt asked.
"I'm fine," Jeff swallowed. "Look, Matt, are you sure you wanna do this tonight? I mean, this match…"
"Come on Jeff, I've fought tougher matches than this before. It's one match against Test."
"I don't like the feel of it Matt."
Out in the ring, Jeff's fear kept rising as he watched his brother in action against Test. It shouldn't have bothered him, except for what Tori had said.
"He's coming for Matt."
"Who?"
"He is…he'll turn him against you. Hurt you… Listen to me. He's been planning it for a long time."
Who in the world was "he" anyway?
Jeff watched Lita as she yelled words of encouragement at her boyfriend. Matt would never do anything to hurt her again, would he? After their rough break up before…
Jeff's last thoughts were shut out by the chair that hit him in the back of the head.
Lita was busy yelling at Matt to be careful when Raven hit the ring.
Test and Matt stopped fighting to turn and look at the intruder. There was a long pause, Test and Matt staring down Raven.
Out of nowhere Kanyon appeared and threw Lita into the ring by her hair. Test grabbed Matt as Kanyon handed Lita to Raven.
Raven motioned for a mike, still holding Lita by her mane of red hair. When he had his mike, he began to speak.
"Matthew Moore Hardy, I am here tonight to allow you to make a choice. You say you're a God fearing man? Well, tonight you're dealing with the devil. You see, there's only one difference between a good man and a bad man…and that's free will. You have free will, Matthew, and this is your chance to exercise it. I have here your girlfriend, the lovely Lita. Outside the ring, knocked out cold, is your brother, Jeff. Your choice, Matthew, is who deserves to feel the evenflow."
Matt struggled against Test's grip.
"Simple choice Matthew, it's in your hands. Do you play the chivalrous one and save the girl, or is blood thicker than water?"
Lita struggled against Raven again. "Keep doing that," he growled at her, "and I'll even flow you and your two pretty boys."
Lita stopped.
"Now Matthew, there is another choice here. As you can see, I'm rebuilding my flock. Matthew, you have always been the darker brother, the neglected one. Do you remember how your brother was being called the next Shawn Michaels? What were they calling you? I'll bet it was the same when you were children in Cameron. He was the baby; he got the attention. How many girls went after him in contrast to the ones that went after you? When you go back do you get the same recognition he does? He's being praised as a wrestler as well as a poet, a musician and a daredevil. What are you being praised as?
"What I'm offering you is a chance for revenge. A chance to redeem yourself. I'm offering you a place in my flock."
Matt looked at Test, then at Lita, then at Kanyon, then finally looked back at Raven. Raven approached him, holding out the mike. "Your choice?"
Matt growled. "Evenflow me."
Raven smirked. "If you insist." He threw Lita to Kanyon while at the same time Test was throwing Matt towards him. Raven kicked Matt in the gut and preceded to Evenflow the older Hardy into the ground. He then picked Matt up and did it again, then a third time. Finally, Kanyon threw his leader Lita.
Raven Evenflowed her as well.
When the red head's body had hit the mat, Raven nodded to his Flock. "Bring her."
They carried Lita off, leaving Matt and Jeff broken in the ring.