Smackdown
Hurricane made the roll up on Crash Holly for the three count. As the bell rang, the superhero celebrated, calling Molly into the ring with him. She climbed up, running to her hero as Crash rolled out of the ring, defeated.
Just as Hurricane and Molly were about to leave, the arena went dark. When the lights came back up, they revealed that the Flock had taken over the ring.
Molly clutched Hurricane tighter as Raven approached them. "Molly, Molly, Molly. So we meet again. As you can see, this time I left my friend Tori backstage. But, as I told you, she was never 'my girl.'"
Molly turned her face away.
"Now, Molly, you and your hero here have a choice. Either you can come with me, or I make both of you suffer. And trust me, Molly, I know what suffering is and have no qualms about recreating the same kind of pain for others."
"WAIT!"
Raven smirked as he heard that familiar voice over the speakers. "Well, Tori," he said as he turned to face the girl who was rushing down the ramp. "So glad you joined the party."
"Raven, let Molly go!" Tori ordered as she climbed into the ring.
"Now, Tori, why would I want to do that?"
Tori composed herself. "If you let Tori go, and I mean leave the building, escorted by Hurricane, you do whatever you were going to do to her to me."
Raven looked intrigued. "You mean, I let the lovely Molly leave with this freak, and I get you instead?"
Tori nodded.
Raven smirked. "Alright, I accept. Hurricane, Molly, you may leave."
Molly sighed in relief as she exited the ring, Hurricane hovering over her the whole time. The two walked up the ramp together, Hurricane occasionally shooting looks over his shoulder at Raven.
"A small loss," Raven announced, looking Tori dead in the eyes. "So, you've decided to join my Flock, Tori?"
"No, I've decided to take Molly's punishment in her place. Go ahead. Do it."
Raven reached out and held his hand about an inch away from Tori's face. "I would, you see, but I want you conscious. So, boys, if you don't mind, punish her. But, uh…make sure she stays awake."
Matt's fist met her gut, as she doubled over she felt Test's boot make contact with her face. There was the sensation of two fists being driven into her back, who's she wasn't quite sure. Random kicks and punches were flying, she was being stepped on, spat on, but all with a maniacal care so she was still able to realize whatever it was Raven was planning.
Finally, she was stood up, supported by Test and Kanyon. They turned her so she could see the screen as a new piece of footage appeared.
A parking garage. Hurricane and Molly rushing towards the Hurri- cycle. Suddenly, Hurricane fell slightly behind Molly and grabbed her around the neck in a sleeper hold. Tori saw the slight girl struggle against the hold, but it was useless. In a matter of moments she had slipped into unconsciousness. Hurricane picked her up and turned to face the camera. "She's out. I'll put her in the car," Hurricane smirked at the group in the ring. "Tori, you're a bigger fool than he ever gave you credit for."
Tori's scream echoed though the arena, just as Raven grabbed her for the Evenflow.
Present.
"A drink?" I ask. "You brought us to some abandoned churh for some twisted reason and now you're offering me a drink?"
"I've offered you so much!" Wow, he's losing his composure. I'm really pushing the buttons tonight. "And yet you feel the need to protect the innocent." He gestures at the Hollys and Steven. "And when the innocent try to protect you, they get themselves in deeper, don't they?"
Molly's struggling against her bonds again. I have a feeling she'd be screaming if she weren't gagged.
"Let her go," Crash demands. "Please, just let her go."
"Crash, you had the option of staying out of this. However when you and your cousin here rushed my ring and tried to protect this bitch," he spits the word 'bitch' at me, "I felt the need to punish you."
"At least let Steven go," I offer. "Haven't you done enough to him?"
"Oh, I could let him go I suppose. I'm already done with him. I just thought he'd like to be here to witness the coming together of my master plan. Haven't you figured it out yet, Tori?"
I shake my head in shame. "All I know is you've somehow involved the elementals. But they can't be corrupted and they can't channel!"
"Which I am aware of," Raven laughs. "But didn't you ever think, maybe, there was a reason I choose those creatures responsible for creation? The ones who created the physical world?"
"You need something to come here not in another body, but in it's own." I suddenly realize. "You need to channel it through the elementals. That's why there's the hole in Lita…you're going to bring part of it through each of the four."
"Exactly."
"But even now you only have two of them," I defend. "You need all four. All you've got is Air and now, if you open Molly, Water."
"So naïve, Tori, so naïve. Don't you think there's a reason Steven is here…"
Steven is looking at the floor in shame. That's when I realize it.
"Steven's Earth," I look over at him. "And you already…"
"Opened him a year ago. Now all I need is the lovely Miss Molly here, and then your big red retard. Who, I am sure, would trade himself for you."
"That's where you're wrong," I announce. "Kane wouldn't sacrifice himself for me. After what I did to him, I don't blame him."
"As I said, you're naïve." Raven shakes his head. "He's on his way here now, he's tracking you. By the time he gets here I'll have opened Molly, and the world will be at my feet."
"Simple, whatever is in him is so strong it can withstand all the pain Raven is taking in. It can ignore it. And what it takes is a dose of it powerful enough to threaten the life of the conduit…"
"That's what we have to do, isn't it?" Spike asked. "We have to put him in a near death situation."
"Not we, me. And I can't.
Correction, I couldn't.
Now, I can.
"Tell me honey," Raven bends over to meet my face. "Can you guess my name?"
"You'll be ready for it. I promise you, and that's the only gift I can give. That promise."
That wasn't the only gift Kane could give me. He gave me a much greater one than he'd let on.
Raven had turned away from me and turned back to Molly. His hands were over her, moving in a pattern I had only seen once before. When Lita had touched my face to show me her pain I'd seen this. Raven was going to open Molly up and use her. Then Kane would come…
No, it would never come to that.
"RAVEN! You think you're the devil?" I ask Raven. "You really do, don't you?"
The ropes around my wrists and ankles turn to cinder. Everyone gasps; Raven stops in midmovement to turn his attention to me. He approaches me, fear hidden behind a devil may care smile.
I begin to speak. "Devil went down to Georgia, he was looking for a soul to steal. He was in a bind, 'cause he was way behind and he was looking to make a deal." I stand up, nearly as tall as Raven himself.
The Flock gasps as I challenge their leader's look. Raven, frozen, watches me walk past him.
"So he came across this young man sawing on a fiddle and playing it hot, and the devil jumped up on a hickory stump and said, 'Boy, lemme tell you what'."
I'm untying Crash, Hardcore, and Steven as I continue. "'I guess you didn't know it but I'm a fiddle player too. And if you care to take a dare, I'll make a bet with you. Now, you play pretty good fiddle boy, but give the devil his due, I'll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul says I'm better than you.'"
I walk past the guards and head for Molly. Removing her bonds, I look once more at Raven. "The boy said 'My name's Johnny, and it might be a sin, but I'll take your bet, you're gonna regret 'cause I'm the best there's ever been.'"
Molly stands up, looking at me in both fear and awe. "Leave," I tell her. "All of you, but him," I point at Raven. "Leave."
They obey, even Raven's Flock. Raven stares me down. "You bitch…"
"The devil bowed his head because he knew that he'd been beat."
Concentrating…
"After that, she went back to Kane with a new plan. Learn how to create and control fire like he can."
"And he laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny's feet."
A circle around both of us. I knew it would come to this. We're too alike to die separately.
"Kane, please. She never got that from you. You never gave it to her. I promise you, it's not in here."
It wasn't…not then.
"And Johnny said 'Devil, just come on back, if you ever want to try again…'"
Fire inside of me. Fire inside of me. My head bent over, hair in my face, arms slowly rising over my head…Fire inside of me.
"''CAUSE I TOLD YOU ONCE YOU SON OF A BITCH, I'M THE BEST THERE'S EVER BEEN!'"
The heat is overbearing as my imaginary circle bursts into flame, trapping both of us in the church. Alone.
Trial by fire…death by fire…
Hurricane made the roll up on Crash Holly for the three count. As the bell rang, the superhero celebrated, calling Molly into the ring with him. She climbed up, running to her hero as Crash rolled out of the ring, defeated.
Just as Hurricane and Molly were about to leave, the arena went dark. When the lights came back up, they revealed that the Flock had taken over the ring.
Molly clutched Hurricane tighter as Raven approached them. "Molly, Molly, Molly. So we meet again. As you can see, this time I left my friend Tori backstage. But, as I told you, she was never 'my girl.'"
Molly turned her face away.
"Now, Molly, you and your hero here have a choice. Either you can come with me, or I make both of you suffer. And trust me, Molly, I know what suffering is and have no qualms about recreating the same kind of pain for others."
"WAIT!"
Raven smirked as he heard that familiar voice over the speakers. "Well, Tori," he said as he turned to face the girl who was rushing down the ramp. "So glad you joined the party."
"Raven, let Molly go!" Tori ordered as she climbed into the ring.
"Now, Tori, why would I want to do that?"
Tori composed herself. "If you let Tori go, and I mean leave the building, escorted by Hurricane, you do whatever you were going to do to her to me."
Raven looked intrigued. "You mean, I let the lovely Molly leave with this freak, and I get you instead?"
Tori nodded.
Raven smirked. "Alright, I accept. Hurricane, Molly, you may leave."
Molly sighed in relief as she exited the ring, Hurricane hovering over her the whole time. The two walked up the ramp together, Hurricane occasionally shooting looks over his shoulder at Raven.
"A small loss," Raven announced, looking Tori dead in the eyes. "So, you've decided to join my Flock, Tori?"
"No, I've decided to take Molly's punishment in her place. Go ahead. Do it."
Raven reached out and held his hand about an inch away from Tori's face. "I would, you see, but I want you conscious. So, boys, if you don't mind, punish her. But, uh…make sure she stays awake."
Matt's fist met her gut, as she doubled over she felt Test's boot make contact with her face. There was the sensation of two fists being driven into her back, who's she wasn't quite sure. Random kicks and punches were flying, she was being stepped on, spat on, but all with a maniacal care so she was still able to realize whatever it was Raven was planning.
Finally, she was stood up, supported by Test and Kanyon. They turned her so she could see the screen as a new piece of footage appeared.
A parking garage. Hurricane and Molly rushing towards the Hurri- cycle. Suddenly, Hurricane fell slightly behind Molly and grabbed her around the neck in a sleeper hold. Tori saw the slight girl struggle against the hold, but it was useless. In a matter of moments she had slipped into unconsciousness. Hurricane picked her up and turned to face the camera. "She's out. I'll put her in the car," Hurricane smirked at the group in the ring. "Tori, you're a bigger fool than he ever gave you credit for."
Tori's scream echoed though the arena, just as Raven grabbed her for the Evenflow.
Present.
"A drink?" I ask. "You brought us to some abandoned churh for some twisted reason and now you're offering me a drink?"
"I've offered you so much!" Wow, he's losing his composure. I'm really pushing the buttons tonight. "And yet you feel the need to protect the innocent." He gestures at the Hollys and Steven. "And when the innocent try to protect you, they get themselves in deeper, don't they?"
Molly's struggling against her bonds again. I have a feeling she'd be screaming if she weren't gagged.
"Let her go," Crash demands. "Please, just let her go."
"Crash, you had the option of staying out of this. However when you and your cousin here rushed my ring and tried to protect this bitch," he spits the word 'bitch' at me, "I felt the need to punish you."
"At least let Steven go," I offer. "Haven't you done enough to him?"
"Oh, I could let him go I suppose. I'm already done with him. I just thought he'd like to be here to witness the coming together of my master plan. Haven't you figured it out yet, Tori?"
I shake my head in shame. "All I know is you've somehow involved the elementals. But they can't be corrupted and they can't channel!"
"Which I am aware of," Raven laughs. "But didn't you ever think, maybe, there was a reason I choose those creatures responsible for creation? The ones who created the physical world?"
"You need something to come here not in another body, but in it's own." I suddenly realize. "You need to channel it through the elementals. That's why there's the hole in Lita…you're going to bring part of it through each of the four."
"Exactly."
"But even now you only have two of them," I defend. "You need all four. All you've got is Air and now, if you open Molly, Water."
"So naïve, Tori, so naïve. Don't you think there's a reason Steven is here…"
Steven is looking at the floor in shame. That's when I realize it.
"Steven's Earth," I look over at him. "And you already…"
"Opened him a year ago. Now all I need is the lovely Miss Molly here, and then your big red retard. Who, I am sure, would trade himself for you."
"That's where you're wrong," I announce. "Kane wouldn't sacrifice himself for me. After what I did to him, I don't blame him."
"As I said, you're naïve." Raven shakes his head. "He's on his way here now, he's tracking you. By the time he gets here I'll have opened Molly, and the world will be at my feet."
"Simple, whatever is in him is so strong it can withstand all the pain Raven is taking in. It can ignore it. And what it takes is a dose of it powerful enough to threaten the life of the conduit…"
"That's what we have to do, isn't it?" Spike asked. "We have to put him in a near death situation."
"Not we, me. And I can't.
Correction, I couldn't.
Now, I can.
"Tell me honey," Raven bends over to meet my face. "Can you guess my name?"
"You'll be ready for it. I promise you, and that's the only gift I can give. That promise."
That wasn't the only gift Kane could give me. He gave me a much greater one than he'd let on.
Raven had turned away from me and turned back to Molly. His hands were over her, moving in a pattern I had only seen once before. When Lita had touched my face to show me her pain I'd seen this. Raven was going to open Molly up and use her. Then Kane would come…
No, it would never come to that.
"RAVEN! You think you're the devil?" I ask Raven. "You really do, don't you?"
The ropes around my wrists and ankles turn to cinder. Everyone gasps; Raven stops in midmovement to turn his attention to me. He approaches me, fear hidden behind a devil may care smile.
I begin to speak. "Devil went down to Georgia, he was looking for a soul to steal. He was in a bind, 'cause he was way behind and he was looking to make a deal." I stand up, nearly as tall as Raven himself.
The Flock gasps as I challenge their leader's look. Raven, frozen, watches me walk past him.
"So he came across this young man sawing on a fiddle and playing it hot, and the devil jumped up on a hickory stump and said, 'Boy, lemme tell you what'."
I'm untying Crash, Hardcore, and Steven as I continue. "'I guess you didn't know it but I'm a fiddle player too. And if you care to take a dare, I'll make a bet with you. Now, you play pretty good fiddle boy, but give the devil his due, I'll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul says I'm better than you.'"
I walk past the guards and head for Molly. Removing her bonds, I look once more at Raven. "The boy said 'My name's Johnny, and it might be a sin, but I'll take your bet, you're gonna regret 'cause I'm the best there's ever been.'"
Molly stands up, looking at me in both fear and awe. "Leave," I tell her. "All of you, but him," I point at Raven. "Leave."
They obey, even Raven's Flock. Raven stares me down. "You bitch…"
"The devil bowed his head because he knew that he'd been beat."
Concentrating…
"After that, she went back to Kane with a new plan. Learn how to create and control fire like he can."
"And he laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny's feet."
A circle around both of us. I knew it would come to this. We're too alike to die separately.
"Kane, please. She never got that from you. You never gave it to her. I promise you, it's not in here."
It wasn't…not then.
"And Johnny said 'Devil, just come on back, if you ever want to try again…'"
Fire inside of me. Fire inside of me. My head bent over, hair in my face, arms slowly rising over my head…Fire inside of me.
"''CAUSE I TOLD YOU ONCE YOU SON OF A BITCH, I'M THE BEST THERE'S EVER BEEN!'"
The heat is overbearing as my imaginary circle bursts into flame, trapping both of us in the church. Alone.
Trial by fire…death by fire…