The Counter-Invasion
By: Jay Winger
Timeline Note: This chapter picks up the Monday after the last one.
Teaser: CIW has arrived in the WWF. Feuds are struck up as the WWF/CIW Coalition takes on the WCW/ECW Alliance.
Rating: R - for violence and profanity
Disclaimer: All things WWF and WCW are property of WWFE, Inc. All things ECW are property of whomever the frell owns ECW. All things CIW are property of me. The characters of "The Storm" Matthew Skinner, Claire "Rain" Whittaker, Billy Rose, Brad "Brick" Dickerson, the band Cold Steel, et al. are also my property. Please ask before you use them. Viper, Rattler, Soul, Cobra, Python, and all other creations of Boulder are his property and are used with his permission.
Previously: The Storm was suspicious of Rose's motives and intentions for whatever it was he had planned. Billy Rose arrived with his sometime-manager from CIW, Jenny Black, and went straight to Vince McMahon, leaving Jenny to bring Vince up to speed. In the ring, the Dudleys were fighting Brick and Scion when Rose came out. Once he had their attention, Rose flashed the mysterious hand-sign again, and all of a sudden, CIW wrestlers swarmed out of the crowd and attacked the Dudleys en masse. Two twin wrestlers delivered a big tandem powerbomb to D-Von, as three men triple-teamed Bubba Ray, before one of them delivered a tornado bulldog into a hangman's neckbreaker off the turnbuckle. Nate Starr then hit his reverse 450 splash to D-Von. Then a smaller man and a larger brutish man hit a superkick to Bubba Ray, setting him up for a Baldo Bomb variant. Rose then sauntered to the announce table and proceeded to cut a promo, reminding the world that long before ECW became "extreme," there was a forgotten wrestling league that did "extreme." Rose then announced he was levelling the playing field and introduced CIW! "Just as WCW launched it's invasion, CIW is hereby launching it's counter-invasion!" Rose proclaimed. "Just as ECW took the invasion to the extreme, CIW is bringing it to a whole new extreme!" He and all of the CIW wrestlers then revealed their CIW T-Shirts and flashed the CIW hand-sign. Backstage, a furious Matthew Skinner stalked out of the arena.
Chapter 6: A Whole New Extreme
Smackdown: January 9
The man called The Storm pulled into the arena three days after the launching of the "counter-invasion." Rain was with him, but she wisely kept quiet during the trip when she saw the dark, angry look on his face. When they arrivaed, Matthew Skinner grabbed his duffel out of the backseat and started for his locker room. Rain followed, but they hadn't gotten far when Jonathan Coachman approached with a cameraman. "Storm! Storm! After what happened Monday night, I just wanted to get your thoughts on--"
He was quickly cut off when Skinner pinned him to the wall with one hand. "Piss. Off," was all he said. He turned Coach loose and marched off. Rain shrugged to Coach and left with her boyfriend.
The two of them arrived at the Z-Men's usual commandeered restroom, but when they walked in, they found both of them wearing CIW T-Shirts. The front bore the CIW logo, the back read Innovators of Extreme since 1990. The WWF Tag Team Champions looked up as he walked in. Skinner's eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses. He scowled. "Oh, so the second Billy Fuckin Rose says the three magic letters, you guys jump aboard?"
"Hey, come on, man," Zed started to say, but The Storm cut him off.
"And they call Heyman a Kool-Aid merchant. Jesus Christ! Have you guys forgotten for a second what that prick bastard's done?" Skinner threw his duffel onto the sink counter and ripped off his shades. "I mean for fuck's sake!! Zait, have you forgotten he was the one who ordered Brick to break a steel chair over your head?"
"No, I ain't forgotten it, man, but, are you fucking kidding me?!" Zeta said. "We're talking about C-I-fucking-W! What were we always talking about when we were living in that house together in California? Making it to the WWF, man!"
"And that's what you did! You're the Tag Champions!"
"Look, Matthew," Zed interrupted, "you've got valid points, but Rose personally asked us to come back. We're just showing where our roots are. Nothing wrong with that."
"There's everything wrong with that," The Storm snapped. "What happens when the WWF and CIW send the Alliance back to the unemployment line, huh? You think Vince is gonna let CIW stick around?"
He shook his head with disgust, grabbed his bag and stomped out of the room. Rain sighed. "He's in a really bad mood right now," she said by way of apology. "This whole CIW thing's got him really worked up."
"It's okay," Zed replied. "He'll get over it."
* * *
"Oh, you should've seen the look on that fat lard-ass' face!" Rose laughed as his limo pulled into the arena. "When I said 'C... I... W!' you could practically see his poor little mind snap with fear."
"Yes, Vince was quite surprised as well," Jenny Black replied. "Though he was quite pleased by the time you were finished."
Rose smirked. Then he looked over at her. "What's the word on matches tonight?"
"Victor's teaming with Kurt against Rhyno and Triple H in the semi-main event at the top of the second hour," Jenny replied, consulting a paper. "Nate's got a match against Hurricane, and Mr. Skinner's got the main event against Booker T... and for some reason Shane and Stephanie have made it for the WCW title."
"Splendid," Rose smirked. "This will be quite a night, for us and the Alliance."
* * *
Rose found The Storm brooding in the cafeteria, stirring a cup of coffee. The Californian grinned. "Hey, there's the guy I been meaning to talk to! Skinner! What's the word?"
Matthew Skinner did not tell him what the word was, nor gave any impression that he was even acknowledging Rose's presence. He tapped the stirring stick of his coffee against the side of the cup and stared into the swirling brown liquid.
Rose blinked. "What? You're gonna give me the cold shoulder? Is this because I didn't come to you sooner about the whole CIW thing? Sorry about that, I just didn't want it to get leaked and have Shane, Steph, and that idiot Heyman get word of it."
The Storm still didn't even turn around to look at him. He stirred his coffee again.
Rose paused for possible input, got none, and continued, "So, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. But, now that that's over with, I want to personally invite you to come back to CIW."
Still no verbal response, but this time Skinner set his cup down, leaned forward on his hands, staring down at the table. The general impression was that he was in a foul mood, and anybody who happened to be in his general vicinity would be well-advised to leave.
Rose sensed this immediate change and took a step back. "Well, I can see you've got your mind on other things. I'll let you cool off before you tell me you're coming back to CIW."
He started to leave, but suddenly The Storm's hand flashed up and grabbed him by the shirt. He halted him, then pulled him back, turning his head to look at him. He pulled off his sunglasses, cold gray eyes glaring with hatred into Rose's eyes. He held this stare for several seconds, then put his shades back on. He turned and glared still at Rose, then raised both hands in front of his face. Both hands had the middle fingers extended. As Rose blinked in shock, The Storm turned and walked away.
* * *
"The following tag-team contest is scheduled for one fall!" Low, aggressive music played as Rhyno came out on the ramp, wearing his green-on-black outfit. "Introducing first, from the Alliance, weighing in at 280 pounds... RHYNO!" The Detroit Man-Beast thumped his chest with a fist, then raised his fists in the air, bellowing, "Who's da man?!"
The opening metal guitar chords of Motorhead rocked through the arena. "It's time to play the Game... time to play the Game!" Boos cascaded from the rafters as Triple H stepped out onto the stage. He proceeded to go through his entire, extended entrance routine, sucking in a mouthful of water before spewing it into the air in a big cloud from the apron. "And his tag-team partner, weighing in at 247 pounds... he is the World Wrestling Federation Champion... TRIPLE H!" Triple H entered the ring, posed on the corner, then turned and shared a look with Rhyno before facing the ramp.
The patriotic music started playing and the fans started cheering for Kurt Angle, who stopped halfway down the ramp to raise his hands in the air, pyros going off behind him. "And their opponents, introducing first, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, weighing in at 225 pounds... KURT ANGLE!" Angle waited at the bottom of the ramp as he looked in at the two Alliance members.
The TitanTron lit up with a spinning CIW logo, as Offspring sang, "We.... are... ALIVE!" The logo stopped spinning as the I of the logo spiked between the C and W, and then a different video started up. The music that played was not too dissimilar to Angle's, quite triumphant and almost patriotic-sounding, but more like a victory march than anything else. A large letter V flashed periodically, along with the name of the man who walked down the ramp to join him. "And his tag-team partner, representing CIW, from San Diego, California, weighing in at 255 pounds... VICTOR E.!" He was a bit taller than Angle, with golden-brown hair and a beard, bright green eyes. His wrestling attire consisted of blue-and-black tights, with a silver V on the right leg, and the name VICTOR down his left leg. As he joined Angle, Victor raised his arms in the air and flashed first the CIW hand-sign, then a V-for-victory sign.
Angle and Victor stepped into the ring, where Rhyno and Triple H immediately attacked. The last ECW Champion went after the last CIW Champion, a fact not lost on announcers Michael Cole and Tazz, as Angle paired off with the Game. The Man-Beast had the early advantage, but soon Victor reversed the momentum and cornered Rhyno, pummeling him hard in the early-going, then starting to focus on Rhyno's knee, kicking it, wrenching it. Angle and Triple H had started brawling on the outside before the referee separated them.
Victor hung Rhyno's leg on the ropes and started kicking it, then had to relent as the referee, Mike Sparks, told him to let him out of the corner. He snapmared Rhyno to the mat, then picked up the leg again. He kicked the knee, then wrenched the leg to the side and dropped his leg across it, twisting Rhyno's leg upward after he did so. He wrenched this leg-lock in for a moment or so, then released it and tagged in Angle.
Together, the Olympian and the CIWer stood Rhyno up and whipped him into the ropes, then caught him with a double clothesline. They stomped him a few times before Victor cleared out of the ring. Angle continued working over Rhyno, going back to the knee that Victor had weakened. Rhyno managed to rally briefly, pummeling the patriotic superstar with right hands, but Angle kicked out the knee, and the Man-Beast went down. Kurt then picked up Rhyno's foot and started to wrap his arms around his foot, looking for his Angle Lock submission. Rhyno, however, fought out of it and grabbed the ropes. Referee Sparks pulled Angle back, and that distraction allowed Rhyno to lunge and tag in Triple H.
The Game charged at Angle, but the Olympian wrapped his arms around him, looking for a belly-to-belly suplex. Hunter, however, raked Angle's eyes and started slugging him in the head. He put his focus on Angle's arm, but Kurt managed to rally back and hit a back suplex on Triple H. He quickly tagged in Victor, who came at the WWF Champion ready to grapple. The two locked up, with the slightly larger Victor getting the early advantage, until Triple H started wrenching the last CIW Champion's arm back. Victor responded to that by snapping his thumb in the Game's eye, then clipping his leg with a drop toehold.
Victor started twisting Hunter's leg, apparently looking for a deathlock or STF, but Rhyno ran into the ring and clubbed him in the back. As Victor started to turn around, the ECWer grabbed his arm and snapped him forward, thrusting his shoulder into Victor's arm. The Californian shouted in pain for a moment before Triple H chop-blocked the back of his knee, taking him to the mat. Sparks ordered Rhyno out of the ring as Triple H sat Victor up and started delivering measured punches to his temple. Angle was shouting at Victor to make a tag, but unfortunately for the CIWer, the two Alliance wrestlers did not have that on their agenda.
Triple H worked Victor over a bit longer, then re-tagged Rhyno, who still favored his knee. The Detroit native pinned Victor in the corner and started pounding him in the ribs. He prepared to whip him into the opposite corner and follow up with a spear to the ribs, but Victor showed amazing ring presence. When he hit the opposite corner, he quickly dropped low and clipped Rhyno's knee again, so that his head smacked into the bottom turnbuckle. The Man-Beast shouted with pain as a winded Victor crawled toward Kurt Angle.
The Game, however, would have none of that fair play crap tonight. As Victor prepared to tag in Angle, Hunter ran into the ring and slugged him off the apron, stomping Victor in the head. Triple H then retreated to his corner as Rhyno started to line Victor up for the Gore. The last CIW Champion started to pull himself to his feet in the corner, while Tazz was shouting, "Here it comes, Cole! Here it comes!"
At last Victor turned around, but when Rhyno charged, he lunged away and slapped Kurt Angle's waiting hand. The crowd popped as the Olympic gold-medalist charged into the ring and took Rhyno back down with a clothesline, then did the same to Triple H. Rhyno got back up, so Angle kicked him in the gut, then spun him around and rammed his shoulder into the steel ring post. Hunter got back to his feet, charged, but Angle caught him and hit the belly-to-belly suplex.
Victor got back in the ring and took down Rhyno in the corner, starting to brawl with him. Kurt was continually pummeling and pounding Triple H in the opposite corner, then hit the Angleslam on him. Quickly thereafter, Victor kneed Rhyno in the gut and set him up for a pumphandle slam. Upon getting him on his shoulder, however, Victor swung him so he was more in the torture rack position. Victor pivoted a bit in a circle, then spun the other way, swinging Rhyno out into a flapjack variant. "There it is, Tazz! Victor calls that the Victory Slam!"
Angle made the cover on Triple H, and in spite of the fact that he wasn't the legal man, Sparks counted the fall on the Game anyway. 1... 2... 3! Angle's music played as he stood up, whooping, pulling down the straps on his wrestling attire. His CIW partner got up, grinning and raising his hands and flashing the V-for-victory sign again. "Here are your winners, KURT ANGLE and VICTOR E.!"
The two members of the WWF/CIW Coalition headed back up the ramp. Angle was yelling back at Hunter, while Victor just smirked and flashed the CIW hand-sign.
* * *
Backstage, The Storm was walking back to his locker room, adjusting his wrist tape and fingerless leather gloves. He stopped at a water fountain to get a drink when he heard an unctuous voice he could have done without that day.
"Well, if it isn't Matthew Skinner," came the voice of the so-called Mad Scientist of Sports Entertainment. "Say, I saw you talking with -- or should I say being talked at by -- Billy Rose earlier. Couldn't help notice the rather emphatic way you told him to get lost."
The Storm sighed and stood up, wiping water from his mouth as Paul Heyman continued talking. "I can understand why you wouldn't want anything to do with Billy Rose, Storm. After all, he's a prick bastard, right? Plus there's all that bad blood between you and him. Why be anywhere close to him? And if CIW's teaming with the WWF, you know he's going to be everywhere."
Skinner held up a hand, not looking directly at Heyman. "Are you trying to convince me to join the Alliance?"
"See? That's what I admire about you!" the Alliance leader said. "You're intelligent. Yes, I am offering you a place in the Alliance. Why not take it? Between you and me, we both know that the WWF and CIW don't stand a chance against the Alliance."
The Storm gave a smirk. Not one that said he agreed with him, but one that said he was up to something. He turned and at last looked at Heyman. "Paul, I wanna take you on a little trip down Memory Lane, okay?" Receiving a nod, he continued, "It's roughly two, two and a half years ago. I'd left CIW `cuz my contract had expired. I'd just finished a quick tour of one of the Japanese circuits, and I come back, looking for some promotion to work here in the States." He paused, and Paul nodded to indicate he was with him.
"I go to WCW and they reject me without even looking at me," he says clearly. Paul blinked and started to speak, but The Storm continued, "I then decide to keep with the whole extreme wrestling thing and I go to ECW." He looked at Heyman intently. "And understand this, not only did I submit an application and all that, I actually put down a few hundred bucks of my hard-earned cash -- cash which I was in short supply of -- to fly all the way to Philadelphia from Dallas to personally pitch my case to you. To you specifically."
Now Heyman looked nervous, and not confident. Skinner went on, "I wasn't even half-way done with my speech when you cut me off and say, 'You're from the Californian circuits?' And when I say yes, you say, 'Sorry, I don't want any of you backyard wrestlers in my organization.'" Heyman flinched as The Storm said this. "Backyard wrestlers," he repeated. "Paul, do you have any idea how much blood, how much sweat, how much pain I endured, I spilt during my five years in CIW? I may not like Rose and I may not want anything to do with him, but I will never work for someone who belittled what I did for five damn years."
Heyman gulped, and The Storm sneered, "So once you said that, I said, 'Fuck you,' packed up my bags and went straight back to Dallas, and from there I went right back to Japan. And less than six months later, I get a call from Jim Ross and the WWF." He shook his head. "You lost out, Paulie. You had a chance to get a wrestler who would have been willing to do all the crap you did in your little pissant bingo hall, and then some, but you pissed it away." He glared at him. "You don't get any second chances in life, Paul. I don't want a damn thing to do with WCW, with ECW, and I for damn sure don't want a damn thing to do with both of them combined. So you can take your little offer to join, wad it up into a little teeny ball, and shove it straight up your fat ass." He then abruptly grabbed Heyman by the back of the head and rammed him straight into the wall.
The Storm then shifted his grip to the lapels of his leather trench coat, pivoted and hurled the ECW mastermind headlong into a stack of equipment cases. He turned and stomped off down the hall, hearing Heyman's voice scream out pathetically, "OOOWWWWW!!"
* * *
"Can you dig it, Sucka?!" Music played over the TitanTron as two men walked out of the entrance arch. One was jumping about on the stage, practically skipping, wearing a Shane O Mac - wCw - The Money jersey. The other wore black trunks with a white design on the back, black boots, and black gloves. "The following contest is scheduled for one fall, and it is for the WCW Championship!" Tony Chimel announced. "Introducing first, representing the Alliance, being accompanied by the Owner of WCW, Shane McMahon, weighing in at 250 pounds... he is the WCW Champion... BOOKER T.!"
Booker T. stopped part way down the ramp, lowering his head, then shaking it about for several moments, then raised his arms in the air, causing pyros to go off at the top of the ramp. Flames gouted out as he continued down the ramp, wearing his ten-pounds of gold on his waist. He climbed into the ring and posed on the ropes as Shane bounced back and forth. He unstrapped his belt and held it as his music faded out. He and Shane exchanged a few angry words, apparently plotting revenge on Heyman's behalf.
Thunder rumbled, mixed with a drumroll. The fans started cheering as a crash of lightning lit the screen, "This is your Storm Warning..." This was followed by the wail of a siren and pounding drums. A harsh vocalist roared, "I'm a Force of Nature, I'm outta control. I live in the lightning, let the thunder roll. I kill the sunshine, bring on the rain. I am The Storm, and I'll bring ya the pain!" The Storm himself walked out onto the stage, wearing his GeT SeT To GeT WReCKeD T-Shirt. He raised his head and stared through his black sunglasses at Booker in the ring as he walked down the ramp. "And his opponent, from Dallas, Texas, weighing in at 240 pounds... "The Storm," MATTHEW SKINNER!"
Booker paced in the ring as Skinner walked up the steps and onto the apron. The Force of Nature glared at Shane and shouted at him to get out of the ring. He stepped into the ring, pulling off his shades as he turned toward the corner, then abruptly swung around and charged at Booker, attacking him with right hands. The lights came back up and the bell rang to signify the start of the match. Skinner pummeled away on the 'Bookerman,' backing him into the corner, where he started to bruise his chest with knife-edge chops and open-handed slaps to the sternum. The audience whooped with each chop and slap, cheering on the WWF superstar as he whipped Booker across the ring and charged in with a clothesline.
The former Harlem Heat member, however, blocked with a boot, then stepped out of the corner to go for a double axe-handle. The Storm caught his hands as he swung them down, then slipped his hands into Booker's armpits, hoisting him as he dropped backwards, flinging Booker in a belly-to-belly throw. The WCW Champion expressed pain as he rolled to his feet, but Skinner quickly speared him beneath the ribs and carried him back into the corner. There, he started pounding him again, this time stomping him down to the mat.
Referee Nick Patrick pulled The Storm back to lecture him about the rules, and the distraction allowed Shane to pull Booker out of the ring. The two of them started to head toward the ramp, but Skinner had other plans. He grabbed the top rope, crouched, then jumped and shot himself over the top rope, coming down in a pescado onto Booker and Shane. He started to pummel Booker again, but Shane hit him in the back with a double axe-handle. This caused the Force of Nature to stand up, face Shane, and feint at him, making the WCW Owner to backpedal around the corner of the ring.
Turning back to Booker T., The Storm was caught by surprise as he was suddenly grabbed by the leg and waist, lifted up and dropped face-first on the ring steps. Yelling, Booker stood up and pulled Skinner up by the back of his shirt, then chopped him across the chest. Wincing, he staggered back, then got chopped again. The Bookerman then lifted him up and dropped him throat-first on the barricade. He then pulled him back and rolled him back into the ring, looking for his scissors-kick finisher (which was technically an axe-kick, but the commentators flubbed it) as Skinner got to his feet. When Booker came off the ropes and swung his foot down, however, The Storm backed up and raised his head out of range.
Turning around, Booker oofed as he was kicked in the gut, but managed to reverse an Irish whip to the ropes. The Storm ducked a clothesline as he came back, but Booker just pivoted around and swung his forearm into Skinner's head as he rebounded again. The Storm rolled onto his stomach, clutching his face as he slowly got up. Booker stood well back, partly staring at his gloved hand and partly at Skinner. Once The Storm was on his feet, Booker leapt, aiming a Harlem Side-Kick, but Skinner ducked, and the WCW Champion's momentum carried him forward until his leg got caught on the top rope.
The Storm reacted quickly, grabbing Booker's head for a neckbreaker. With his legs tangled in the ropes, however, the Book did not completely hit the mat, intensifying the pain of the move. The Storm stood up again after delivering the move and started to hook Booker in a full nelson, setting him up for the Downdraft. Shane, however, slipped in from behind and delivered a blatant low-blow in front of Nick Patrick. The shady WCW official, however, did not call for the disqualification.
The Storm staggered away from Booker as he covered his wounded gonads, allowing Shane to help Booker disentangle his feet. He then launched himself at Skinner, clubbing him to the mat with a forearm smash, then started mauling his back with twin hand-smacks and forearms. He set him up for the so-called scissors-kick again, and this time hit the blow. After executing his finisher, however, Booker was distracted by staring at his right hand, eyes wide and head convulsing. Shane, however, managed to yell at him from ringside and convince him not to succumb to the allure of the spinaroonie.
But when he moved in for the pin, Skinner's hand suddenly swept up and tripped Booker to the mat. Rolling to his knees, the Force of Nature grabbed Booker's ankle and turned him onto his back, planting one foot on the free ankle and pinning it down as he wrenched the other in the Twister Anklelock. Booker started yelling in pain, scrambling for the ropes. Nick Patrick tried to avoid looking at Booker, lest he see the WCW Champion tapping out. He even went so far as to move around so he was standing behind Skinner.
That was when Shane slid into the ring, steel chair in hand. The Storm released Booker and stood up, just in time for Shane to leap forward and strike him in the head with his trademark flying chairshot. Skinner staggered back into Patrick and knocked him down as Shane dropped his chair and started pummeling The Storm with right hands. The crowd's boos suddenly turned into cheers as the young McMahon stopped beating on Skinner to turn toward one of the corners. A dark-haired woman had leapt out of the crowd and climbed to the top turnbuckle. It was Rain. As soon as Shane faced her, she pounced out and onto him with a Windfall, flattening him and then dragging him from the ring.
The remaining three men in the ring -- Nick Patrick, Booker T., and Matthew Skinner -- were all down and out on the mat. Booker was the first to recover. He pulled himself to his knees, glanced at The Storm, but then he looked at his hand again. His head convulsed, and then he got a wild look in his eyes. He dropped onto his back on the mat, spun around until he was on his head, and came out of the spin on one knee. Tazz was chortling over the execution of the spinaroonie as Booker stood up and moved toward Skinner again.
All at once, Skinner tripped Booker onto his face, then moved with lightning speed. He twisted his arm back into a hammerlock, pressed it in with a knee, and locked his hands under Booker's jaw in the Necksnapper. The WCW Champion started screaming in pain again, as The Storm leaned back to wrench it in, howling, "Let's hear the snap!!" Nick Patrick came around just in time to see Booker T. start tapping the mat. Even with his biased officiating, he could not ignore that one. Wearily, weakly, he called for the bell.
The fans started cheering loudly as the music of Cold Steel played. The Storm released Booker to allow Patrick to raise his hand in victory, while Tony Chimel announced, "Here is your winner, and the NEW WCW Champion... "The Storm" MATTHEW SKINNER!" Rain had collected the title belt from ringside and brought it into the ring. Skinner looked intently at the belt as she handed it to him. Finally, his face broke out into a grin as he raised it triumphantly in the air.
The two Texans cleared out of the ring as Shane dragged Booker out as well. The Storm put his new title on his shoulder, smirking as the Owner of WCW glared up the ramp at him.
-more to come-
Next: Matthew Skinner is now the WCW Champion. Rose and CIW have their own plans for the Alliance as The Storm is beseiged by WECW to try and take its title back.
If you have any ideas for possible feuds/relationships for any of my characters, drop me a line at jay_winger_2k@hotmail.com.
-=Jay 2K Winger=-
Live and Almost Legal
February 15, 2002
By: Jay Winger
Timeline Note: This chapter picks up the Monday after the last one.
Teaser: CIW has arrived in the WWF. Feuds are struck up as the WWF/CIW Coalition takes on the WCW/ECW Alliance.
Rating: R - for violence and profanity
Disclaimer: All things WWF and WCW are property of WWFE, Inc. All things ECW are property of whomever the frell owns ECW. All things CIW are property of me. The characters of "The Storm" Matthew Skinner, Claire "Rain" Whittaker, Billy Rose, Brad "Brick" Dickerson, the band Cold Steel, et al. are also my property. Please ask before you use them. Viper, Rattler, Soul, Cobra, Python, and all other creations of Boulder are his property and are used with his permission.
Previously: The Storm was suspicious of Rose's motives and intentions for whatever it was he had planned. Billy Rose arrived with his sometime-manager from CIW, Jenny Black, and went straight to Vince McMahon, leaving Jenny to bring Vince up to speed. In the ring, the Dudleys were fighting Brick and Scion when Rose came out. Once he had their attention, Rose flashed the mysterious hand-sign again, and all of a sudden, CIW wrestlers swarmed out of the crowd and attacked the Dudleys en masse. Two twin wrestlers delivered a big tandem powerbomb to D-Von, as three men triple-teamed Bubba Ray, before one of them delivered a tornado bulldog into a hangman's neckbreaker off the turnbuckle. Nate Starr then hit his reverse 450 splash to D-Von. Then a smaller man and a larger brutish man hit a superkick to Bubba Ray, setting him up for a Baldo Bomb variant. Rose then sauntered to the announce table and proceeded to cut a promo, reminding the world that long before ECW became "extreme," there was a forgotten wrestling league that did "extreme." Rose then announced he was levelling the playing field and introduced CIW! "Just as WCW launched it's invasion, CIW is hereby launching it's counter-invasion!" Rose proclaimed. "Just as ECW took the invasion to the extreme, CIW is bringing it to a whole new extreme!" He and all of the CIW wrestlers then revealed their CIW T-Shirts and flashed the CIW hand-sign. Backstage, a furious Matthew Skinner stalked out of the arena.
Chapter 6: A Whole New Extreme
Smackdown: January 9
The man called The Storm pulled into the arena three days after the launching of the "counter-invasion." Rain was with him, but she wisely kept quiet during the trip when she saw the dark, angry look on his face. When they arrivaed, Matthew Skinner grabbed his duffel out of the backseat and started for his locker room. Rain followed, but they hadn't gotten far when Jonathan Coachman approached with a cameraman. "Storm! Storm! After what happened Monday night, I just wanted to get your thoughts on--"
He was quickly cut off when Skinner pinned him to the wall with one hand. "Piss. Off," was all he said. He turned Coach loose and marched off. Rain shrugged to Coach and left with her boyfriend.
The two of them arrived at the Z-Men's usual commandeered restroom, but when they walked in, they found both of them wearing CIW T-Shirts. The front bore the CIW logo, the back read Innovators of Extreme since 1990. The WWF Tag Team Champions looked up as he walked in. Skinner's eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses. He scowled. "Oh, so the second Billy Fuckin Rose says the three magic letters, you guys jump aboard?"
"Hey, come on, man," Zed started to say, but The Storm cut him off.
"And they call Heyman a Kool-Aid merchant. Jesus Christ! Have you guys forgotten for a second what that prick bastard's done?" Skinner threw his duffel onto the sink counter and ripped off his shades. "I mean for fuck's sake!! Zait, have you forgotten he was the one who ordered Brick to break a steel chair over your head?"
"No, I ain't forgotten it, man, but, are you fucking kidding me?!" Zeta said. "We're talking about C-I-fucking-W! What were we always talking about when we were living in that house together in California? Making it to the WWF, man!"
"And that's what you did! You're the Tag Champions!"
"Look, Matthew," Zed interrupted, "you've got valid points, but Rose personally asked us to come back. We're just showing where our roots are. Nothing wrong with that."
"There's everything wrong with that," The Storm snapped. "What happens when the WWF and CIW send the Alliance back to the unemployment line, huh? You think Vince is gonna let CIW stick around?"
He shook his head with disgust, grabbed his bag and stomped out of the room. Rain sighed. "He's in a really bad mood right now," she said by way of apology. "This whole CIW thing's got him really worked up."
"It's okay," Zed replied. "He'll get over it."
* * *
"Oh, you should've seen the look on that fat lard-ass' face!" Rose laughed as his limo pulled into the arena. "When I said 'C... I... W!' you could practically see his poor little mind snap with fear."
"Yes, Vince was quite surprised as well," Jenny Black replied. "Though he was quite pleased by the time you were finished."
Rose smirked. Then he looked over at her. "What's the word on matches tonight?"
"Victor's teaming with Kurt against Rhyno and Triple H in the semi-main event at the top of the second hour," Jenny replied, consulting a paper. "Nate's got a match against Hurricane, and Mr. Skinner's got the main event against Booker T... and for some reason Shane and Stephanie have made it for the WCW title."
"Splendid," Rose smirked. "This will be quite a night, for us and the Alliance."
* * *
Rose found The Storm brooding in the cafeteria, stirring a cup of coffee. The Californian grinned. "Hey, there's the guy I been meaning to talk to! Skinner! What's the word?"
Matthew Skinner did not tell him what the word was, nor gave any impression that he was even acknowledging Rose's presence. He tapped the stirring stick of his coffee against the side of the cup and stared into the swirling brown liquid.
Rose blinked. "What? You're gonna give me the cold shoulder? Is this because I didn't come to you sooner about the whole CIW thing? Sorry about that, I just didn't want it to get leaked and have Shane, Steph, and that idiot Heyman get word of it."
The Storm still didn't even turn around to look at him. He stirred his coffee again.
Rose paused for possible input, got none, and continued, "So, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. But, now that that's over with, I want to personally invite you to come back to CIW."
Still no verbal response, but this time Skinner set his cup down, leaned forward on his hands, staring down at the table. The general impression was that he was in a foul mood, and anybody who happened to be in his general vicinity would be well-advised to leave.
Rose sensed this immediate change and took a step back. "Well, I can see you've got your mind on other things. I'll let you cool off before you tell me you're coming back to CIW."
He started to leave, but suddenly The Storm's hand flashed up and grabbed him by the shirt. He halted him, then pulled him back, turning his head to look at him. He pulled off his sunglasses, cold gray eyes glaring with hatred into Rose's eyes. He held this stare for several seconds, then put his shades back on. He turned and glared still at Rose, then raised both hands in front of his face. Both hands had the middle fingers extended. As Rose blinked in shock, The Storm turned and walked away.
* * *
"The following tag-team contest is scheduled for one fall!" Low, aggressive music played as Rhyno came out on the ramp, wearing his green-on-black outfit. "Introducing first, from the Alliance, weighing in at 280 pounds... RHYNO!" The Detroit Man-Beast thumped his chest with a fist, then raised his fists in the air, bellowing, "Who's da man?!"
The opening metal guitar chords of Motorhead rocked through the arena. "It's time to play the Game... time to play the Game!" Boos cascaded from the rafters as Triple H stepped out onto the stage. He proceeded to go through his entire, extended entrance routine, sucking in a mouthful of water before spewing it into the air in a big cloud from the apron. "And his tag-team partner, weighing in at 247 pounds... he is the World Wrestling Federation Champion... TRIPLE H!" Triple H entered the ring, posed on the corner, then turned and shared a look with Rhyno before facing the ramp.
The patriotic music started playing and the fans started cheering for Kurt Angle, who stopped halfway down the ramp to raise his hands in the air, pyros going off behind him. "And their opponents, introducing first, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, weighing in at 225 pounds... KURT ANGLE!" Angle waited at the bottom of the ramp as he looked in at the two Alliance members.
The TitanTron lit up with a spinning CIW logo, as Offspring sang, "We.... are... ALIVE!" The logo stopped spinning as the I of the logo spiked between the C and W, and then a different video started up. The music that played was not too dissimilar to Angle's, quite triumphant and almost patriotic-sounding, but more like a victory march than anything else. A large letter V flashed periodically, along with the name of the man who walked down the ramp to join him. "And his tag-team partner, representing CIW, from San Diego, California, weighing in at 255 pounds... VICTOR E.!" He was a bit taller than Angle, with golden-brown hair and a beard, bright green eyes. His wrestling attire consisted of blue-and-black tights, with a silver V on the right leg, and the name VICTOR down his left leg. As he joined Angle, Victor raised his arms in the air and flashed first the CIW hand-sign, then a V-for-victory sign.
Angle and Victor stepped into the ring, where Rhyno and Triple H immediately attacked. The last ECW Champion went after the last CIW Champion, a fact not lost on announcers Michael Cole and Tazz, as Angle paired off with the Game. The Man-Beast had the early advantage, but soon Victor reversed the momentum and cornered Rhyno, pummeling him hard in the early-going, then starting to focus on Rhyno's knee, kicking it, wrenching it. Angle and Triple H had started brawling on the outside before the referee separated them.
Victor hung Rhyno's leg on the ropes and started kicking it, then had to relent as the referee, Mike Sparks, told him to let him out of the corner. He snapmared Rhyno to the mat, then picked up the leg again. He kicked the knee, then wrenched the leg to the side and dropped his leg across it, twisting Rhyno's leg upward after he did so. He wrenched this leg-lock in for a moment or so, then released it and tagged in Angle.
Together, the Olympian and the CIWer stood Rhyno up and whipped him into the ropes, then caught him with a double clothesline. They stomped him a few times before Victor cleared out of the ring. Angle continued working over Rhyno, going back to the knee that Victor had weakened. Rhyno managed to rally briefly, pummeling the patriotic superstar with right hands, but Angle kicked out the knee, and the Man-Beast went down. Kurt then picked up Rhyno's foot and started to wrap his arms around his foot, looking for his Angle Lock submission. Rhyno, however, fought out of it and grabbed the ropes. Referee Sparks pulled Angle back, and that distraction allowed Rhyno to lunge and tag in Triple H.
The Game charged at Angle, but the Olympian wrapped his arms around him, looking for a belly-to-belly suplex. Hunter, however, raked Angle's eyes and started slugging him in the head. He put his focus on Angle's arm, but Kurt managed to rally back and hit a back suplex on Triple H. He quickly tagged in Victor, who came at the WWF Champion ready to grapple. The two locked up, with the slightly larger Victor getting the early advantage, until Triple H started wrenching the last CIW Champion's arm back. Victor responded to that by snapping his thumb in the Game's eye, then clipping his leg with a drop toehold.
Victor started twisting Hunter's leg, apparently looking for a deathlock or STF, but Rhyno ran into the ring and clubbed him in the back. As Victor started to turn around, the ECWer grabbed his arm and snapped him forward, thrusting his shoulder into Victor's arm. The Californian shouted in pain for a moment before Triple H chop-blocked the back of his knee, taking him to the mat. Sparks ordered Rhyno out of the ring as Triple H sat Victor up and started delivering measured punches to his temple. Angle was shouting at Victor to make a tag, but unfortunately for the CIWer, the two Alliance wrestlers did not have that on their agenda.
Triple H worked Victor over a bit longer, then re-tagged Rhyno, who still favored his knee. The Detroit native pinned Victor in the corner and started pounding him in the ribs. He prepared to whip him into the opposite corner and follow up with a spear to the ribs, but Victor showed amazing ring presence. When he hit the opposite corner, he quickly dropped low and clipped Rhyno's knee again, so that his head smacked into the bottom turnbuckle. The Man-Beast shouted with pain as a winded Victor crawled toward Kurt Angle.
The Game, however, would have none of that fair play crap tonight. As Victor prepared to tag in Angle, Hunter ran into the ring and slugged him off the apron, stomping Victor in the head. Triple H then retreated to his corner as Rhyno started to line Victor up for the Gore. The last CIW Champion started to pull himself to his feet in the corner, while Tazz was shouting, "Here it comes, Cole! Here it comes!"
At last Victor turned around, but when Rhyno charged, he lunged away and slapped Kurt Angle's waiting hand. The crowd popped as the Olympic gold-medalist charged into the ring and took Rhyno back down with a clothesline, then did the same to Triple H. Rhyno got back up, so Angle kicked him in the gut, then spun him around and rammed his shoulder into the steel ring post. Hunter got back to his feet, charged, but Angle caught him and hit the belly-to-belly suplex.
Victor got back in the ring and took down Rhyno in the corner, starting to brawl with him. Kurt was continually pummeling and pounding Triple H in the opposite corner, then hit the Angleslam on him. Quickly thereafter, Victor kneed Rhyno in the gut and set him up for a pumphandle slam. Upon getting him on his shoulder, however, Victor swung him so he was more in the torture rack position. Victor pivoted a bit in a circle, then spun the other way, swinging Rhyno out into a flapjack variant. "There it is, Tazz! Victor calls that the Victory Slam!"
Angle made the cover on Triple H, and in spite of the fact that he wasn't the legal man, Sparks counted the fall on the Game anyway. 1... 2... 3! Angle's music played as he stood up, whooping, pulling down the straps on his wrestling attire. His CIW partner got up, grinning and raising his hands and flashing the V-for-victory sign again. "Here are your winners, KURT ANGLE and VICTOR E.!"
The two members of the WWF/CIW Coalition headed back up the ramp. Angle was yelling back at Hunter, while Victor just smirked and flashed the CIW hand-sign.
* * *
Backstage, The Storm was walking back to his locker room, adjusting his wrist tape and fingerless leather gloves. He stopped at a water fountain to get a drink when he heard an unctuous voice he could have done without that day.
"Well, if it isn't Matthew Skinner," came the voice of the so-called Mad Scientist of Sports Entertainment. "Say, I saw you talking with -- or should I say being talked at by -- Billy Rose earlier. Couldn't help notice the rather emphatic way you told him to get lost."
The Storm sighed and stood up, wiping water from his mouth as Paul Heyman continued talking. "I can understand why you wouldn't want anything to do with Billy Rose, Storm. After all, he's a prick bastard, right? Plus there's all that bad blood between you and him. Why be anywhere close to him? And if CIW's teaming with the WWF, you know he's going to be everywhere."
Skinner held up a hand, not looking directly at Heyman. "Are you trying to convince me to join the Alliance?"
"See? That's what I admire about you!" the Alliance leader said. "You're intelligent. Yes, I am offering you a place in the Alliance. Why not take it? Between you and me, we both know that the WWF and CIW don't stand a chance against the Alliance."
The Storm gave a smirk. Not one that said he agreed with him, but one that said he was up to something. He turned and at last looked at Heyman. "Paul, I wanna take you on a little trip down Memory Lane, okay?" Receiving a nod, he continued, "It's roughly two, two and a half years ago. I'd left CIW `cuz my contract had expired. I'd just finished a quick tour of one of the Japanese circuits, and I come back, looking for some promotion to work here in the States." He paused, and Paul nodded to indicate he was with him.
"I go to WCW and they reject me without even looking at me," he says clearly. Paul blinked and started to speak, but The Storm continued, "I then decide to keep with the whole extreme wrestling thing and I go to ECW." He looked at Heyman intently. "And understand this, not only did I submit an application and all that, I actually put down a few hundred bucks of my hard-earned cash -- cash which I was in short supply of -- to fly all the way to Philadelphia from Dallas to personally pitch my case to you. To you specifically."
Now Heyman looked nervous, and not confident. Skinner went on, "I wasn't even half-way done with my speech when you cut me off and say, 'You're from the Californian circuits?' And when I say yes, you say, 'Sorry, I don't want any of you backyard wrestlers in my organization.'" Heyman flinched as The Storm said this. "Backyard wrestlers," he repeated. "Paul, do you have any idea how much blood, how much sweat, how much pain I endured, I spilt during my five years in CIW? I may not like Rose and I may not want anything to do with him, but I will never work for someone who belittled what I did for five damn years."
Heyman gulped, and The Storm sneered, "So once you said that, I said, 'Fuck you,' packed up my bags and went straight back to Dallas, and from there I went right back to Japan. And less than six months later, I get a call from Jim Ross and the WWF." He shook his head. "You lost out, Paulie. You had a chance to get a wrestler who would have been willing to do all the crap you did in your little pissant bingo hall, and then some, but you pissed it away." He glared at him. "You don't get any second chances in life, Paul. I don't want a damn thing to do with WCW, with ECW, and I for damn sure don't want a damn thing to do with both of them combined. So you can take your little offer to join, wad it up into a little teeny ball, and shove it straight up your fat ass." He then abruptly grabbed Heyman by the back of the head and rammed him straight into the wall.
The Storm then shifted his grip to the lapels of his leather trench coat, pivoted and hurled the ECW mastermind headlong into a stack of equipment cases. He turned and stomped off down the hall, hearing Heyman's voice scream out pathetically, "OOOWWWWW!!"
* * *
"Can you dig it, Sucka?!" Music played over the TitanTron as two men walked out of the entrance arch. One was jumping about on the stage, practically skipping, wearing a Shane O Mac - wCw - The Money jersey. The other wore black trunks with a white design on the back, black boots, and black gloves. "The following contest is scheduled for one fall, and it is for the WCW Championship!" Tony Chimel announced. "Introducing first, representing the Alliance, being accompanied by the Owner of WCW, Shane McMahon, weighing in at 250 pounds... he is the WCW Champion... BOOKER T.!"
Booker T. stopped part way down the ramp, lowering his head, then shaking it about for several moments, then raised his arms in the air, causing pyros to go off at the top of the ramp. Flames gouted out as he continued down the ramp, wearing his ten-pounds of gold on his waist. He climbed into the ring and posed on the ropes as Shane bounced back and forth. He unstrapped his belt and held it as his music faded out. He and Shane exchanged a few angry words, apparently plotting revenge on Heyman's behalf.
Thunder rumbled, mixed with a drumroll. The fans started cheering as a crash of lightning lit the screen, "This is your Storm Warning..." This was followed by the wail of a siren and pounding drums. A harsh vocalist roared, "I'm a Force of Nature, I'm outta control. I live in the lightning, let the thunder roll. I kill the sunshine, bring on the rain. I am The Storm, and I'll bring ya the pain!" The Storm himself walked out onto the stage, wearing his GeT SeT To GeT WReCKeD T-Shirt. He raised his head and stared through his black sunglasses at Booker in the ring as he walked down the ramp. "And his opponent, from Dallas, Texas, weighing in at 240 pounds... "The Storm," MATTHEW SKINNER!"
Booker paced in the ring as Skinner walked up the steps and onto the apron. The Force of Nature glared at Shane and shouted at him to get out of the ring. He stepped into the ring, pulling off his shades as he turned toward the corner, then abruptly swung around and charged at Booker, attacking him with right hands. The lights came back up and the bell rang to signify the start of the match. Skinner pummeled away on the 'Bookerman,' backing him into the corner, where he started to bruise his chest with knife-edge chops and open-handed slaps to the sternum. The audience whooped with each chop and slap, cheering on the WWF superstar as he whipped Booker across the ring and charged in with a clothesline.
The former Harlem Heat member, however, blocked with a boot, then stepped out of the corner to go for a double axe-handle. The Storm caught his hands as he swung them down, then slipped his hands into Booker's armpits, hoisting him as he dropped backwards, flinging Booker in a belly-to-belly throw. The WCW Champion expressed pain as he rolled to his feet, but Skinner quickly speared him beneath the ribs and carried him back into the corner. There, he started pounding him again, this time stomping him down to the mat.
Referee Nick Patrick pulled The Storm back to lecture him about the rules, and the distraction allowed Shane to pull Booker out of the ring. The two of them started to head toward the ramp, but Skinner had other plans. He grabbed the top rope, crouched, then jumped and shot himself over the top rope, coming down in a pescado onto Booker and Shane. He started to pummel Booker again, but Shane hit him in the back with a double axe-handle. This caused the Force of Nature to stand up, face Shane, and feint at him, making the WCW Owner to backpedal around the corner of the ring.
Turning back to Booker T., The Storm was caught by surprise as he was suddenly grabbed by the leg and waist, lifted up and dropped face-first on the ring steps. Yelling, Booker stood up and pulled Skinner up by the back of his shirt, then chopped him across the chest. Wincing, he staggered back, then got chopped again. The Bookerman then lifted him up and dropped him throat-first on the barricade. He then pulled him back and rolled him back into the ring, looking for his scissors-kick finisher (which was technically an axe-kick, but the commentators flubbed it) as Skinner got to his feet. When Booker came off the ropes and swung his foot down, however, The Storm backed up and raised his head out of range.
Turning around, Booker oofed as he was kicked in the gut, but managed to reverse an Irish whip to the ropes. The Storm ducked a clothesline as he came back, but Booker just pivoted around and swung his forearm into Skinner's head as he rebounded again. The Storm rolled onto his stomach, clutching his face as he slowly got up. Booker stood well back, partly staring at his gloved hand and partly at Skinner. Once The Storm was on his feet, Booker leapt, aiming a Harlem Side-Kick, but Skinner ducked, and the WCW Champion's momentum carried him forward until his leg got caught on the top rope.
The Storm reacted quickly, grabbing Booker's head for a neckbreaker. With his legs tangled in the ropes, however, the Book did not completely hit the mat, intensifying the pain of the move. The Storm stood up again after delivering the move and started to hook Booker in a full nelson, setting him up for the Downdraft. Shane, however, slipped in from behind and delivered a blatant low-blow in front of Nick Patrick. The shady WCW official, however, did not call for the disqualification.
The Storm staggered away from Booker as he covered his wounded gonads, allowing Shane to help Booker disentangle his feet. He then launched himself at Skinner, clubbing him to the mat with a forearm smash, then started mauling his back with twin hand-smacks and forearms. He set him up for the so-called scissors-kick again, and this time hit the blow. After executing his finisher, however, Booker was distracted by staring at his right hand, eyes wide and head convulsing. Shane, however, managed to yell at him from ringside and convince him not to succumb to the allure of the spinaroonie.
But when he moved in for the pin, Skinner's hand suddenly swept up and tripped Booker to the mat. Rolling to his knees, the Force of Nature grabbed Booker's ankle and turned him onto his back, planting one foot on the free ankle and pinning it down as he wrenched the other in the Twister Anklelock. Booker started yelling in pain, scrambling for the ropes. Nick Patrick tried to avoid looking at Booker, lest he see the WCW Champion tapping out. He even went so far as to move around so he was standing behind Skinner.
That was when Shane slid into the ring, steel chair in hand. The Storm released Booker and stood up, just in time for Shane to leap forward and strike him in the head with his trademark flying chairshot. Skinner staggered back into Patrick and knocked him down as Shane dropped his chair and started pummeling The Storm with right hands. The crowd's boos suddenly turned into cheers as the young McMahon stopped beating on Skinner to turn toward one of the corners. A dark-haired woman had leapt out of the crowd and climbed to the top turnbuckle. It was Rain. As soon as Shane faced her, she pounced out and onto him with a Windfall, flattening him and then dragging him from the ring.
The remaining three men in the ring -- Nick Patrick, Booker T., and Matthew Skinner -- were all down and out on the mat. Booker was the first to recover. He pulled himself to his knees, glanced at The Storm, but then he looked at his hand again. His head convulsed, and then he got a wild look in his eyes. He dropped onto his back on the mat, spun around until he was on his head, and came out of the spin on one knee. Tazz was chortling over the execution of the spinaroonie as Booker stood up and moved toward Skinner again.
All at once, Skinner tripped Booker onto his face, then moved with lightning speed. He twisted his arm back into a hammerlock, pressed it in with a knee, and locked his hands under Booker's jaw in the Necksnapper. The WCW Champion started screaming in pain again, as The Storm leaned back to wrench it in, howling, "Let's hear the snap!!" Nick Patrick came around just in time to see Booker T. start tapping the mat. Even with his biased officiating, he could not ignore that one. Wearily, weakly, he called for the bell.
The fans started cheering loudly as the music of Cold Steel played. The Storm released Booker to allow Patrick to raise his hand in victory, while Tony Chimel announced, "Here is your winner, and the NEW WCW Champion... "The Storm" MATTHEW SKINNER!" Rain had collected the title belt from ringside and brought it into the ring. Skinner looked intently at the belt as she handed it to him. Finally, his face broke out into a grin as he raised it triumphantly in the air.
The two Texans cleared out of the ring as Shane dragged Booker out as well. The Storm put his new title on his shoulder, smirking as the Owner of WCW glared up the ramp at him.
-more to come-
Next: Matthew Skinner is now the WCW Champion. Rose and CIW have their own plans for the Alliance as The Storm is beseiged by WECW to try and take its title back.
If you have any ideas for possible feuds/relationships for any of my characters, drop me a line at jay_winger_2k@hotmail.com.
-=Jay 2K Winger=-
Live and Almost Legal
February 15, 2002