The Counter-Invasion
By: Jay Winger

Timeline Note: This chapter picks up the Thursday after the last one.

Teaser: Three days until No Way Out. The Storm has hospitalized Paul Heyman and Shane McMahon. What does he have in store for the Helmsleys?

Rating: R - for violence and profanity

WARNING: This chapter is much more dark and disturbing than my previous ones, featuring obscene dialogue. Reader discretion is advised.

Disclaimer: All things WWF and WCW are property of WWE, 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. Lyrics from "Defy You" by Offspring are used without permission.

Previously: As Raw started off without Paul Heyman at color (owing to his attack by The Storm the preceding Thursday), Billy Rose came out with the former "Voice of CIW," Jim Pickett, to replace Paul alongside J.R. It was announced there would be two Four Corner Elimination Tag Team Matches at No Way Out for the WWF & WCW Tag Titles, the first featuring the Dudleys, Z-Men, Hardys, and Lance Storm & The Hurricane, the second featuring Undertaker & Kane, the Gemini Twins, DDP & Kanyon, and Tommy Dreamer & Raven. Dudleys & Lance Storm def. Zed & Zeta & Jeff Hardy after a Bubba Bomb on Jeff. After the match, Zeta got a 3-D before Zed chased off the heels. Gemini & Kane def. DDP & Kanyon & Raven after a chokeslam by Kane on Page. The Gemini took out Raven with the Twin Terror Bomb. Backstage, The Storm stalked the halls, looking for Shane McMahon and destroying anyone who got in his way -- including Chavo Guerrero, Hugh Morrus, Sean O'Haire, Chuck Palumbo, and Shawn Stasiak. Christian def. Tajiri via Disqualification as Tajiri spewed the blinding green mist, but hit the referee instead. Christian then set Tajiri up for the One-Man Conchairto when Edge returned through the crowd and speared his brother, chasing him off. Backstage, Shane snuck away as The Storm was distracted, fighting off Alliance security, running for his limosuine. Once there, however, he found the doors locked and someone else in the driver's seat. The false driver trapped Shane's head in the window as The Storm caught up, brutally beating on Shane, throwing his head through a car window before giving him the Downdraft on top of the limo. He wasn't done yet, however. He then put Shane on the hood of the car before driving at a stack of boxes, stopping just short to send him flying into the boxes. The Storm stood over Shane's motionless body, his taunts of "You will know what agony really is," hanging in the air.

FYI: List of Champions: WWF - Triple H (Alliance); Intercontinental - Edge (WWF); European - Eddie Guerrero (WWF); Hardcore - Rob Van Dam (Alliance); Light-Heavyweight - X-Pac (WWF); WWF Tag Team - Dudley Boyz (Alliance); Women's - vacant; WCW - The Storm (WWF); U.S. - Victor E (CIW); Cruiserweight - Billy Kidman (Alliance); WCW Tag Team - Undertaker & Kane (WWF)

Chapter 21: Trapped

Thursday: Smackdown, February 20

En route to the arena, Matthew Skinner glanced at the WCW Championship belt that lay beside him. This belt meant everything to him now. Before it was just a stepping stone, something he was going to use to get at Triple H and the WWF Championship. Then he started reminiscing about the former NWA Champions whose legacy was a part of the WCW Title, which led him to think about the disgraceful champions who had held the WCW Title. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He had set aside his quest for the WWF Championship for now, solely so he could erase the stains on the WCW Championship's prestige. He had to protect it from the Alliance now. If Shane and Stephanie got their hands on it again, they would put it around the waist of scum like Diamond Dallas Page or Test, and that would destroy what he was trying to do. He could not let that happen. The Alliance, however, was not fooling around. Booking him in tag matches where he couldn't trust his own partner not to go for the pin and the title. Booking him in handicap matches. Playing head games to try and get him to lose focus.

Skinner smiled to himself. Shane's plan had backfired. Instead of making him lose focus, he'd become even more focused. It may not seem that way to them, but he knew what he was doing. It was very simple.

In order to protect his title, he just had to destroy the Alliance.

* * *

At the Pyramid in Memphis, Tennessee, the Helmsleys' limo pulled right up to the entrance to the corridor, where Triple H and Stephanie got out. Both of them looked extremely wary as they got out, checking all around them. Spotting them, Justin Credible ran over to them. "Triple H, Steph, don't worry. We all got here early like you said to."

"And?" Triple H asked. "Is he here?"

Justin shook his head. "No. We've been over every inch of the arena, and we have security guys posted at all the entrances, telling them to call us if they see him. Don't worry. There's no way that The Storm is going to get to you guys."

He'd just finished saying this when The Storm suddenly flew in from a side corridor, knocking Justin into the wall, then smashing Triple H in the head with his ugly-stick. Stephanie screamed as The Storm hauled the Game over to the trunk of the car. He threw him inside, slamming the door shut and then twisting off the key in the lock. He turned to Steph with a sneer.

She caught the mad gleam in his eyes, even through his black sunglasses, and stood paralyzed with fear. He stalked up to her and grabbed her by the arm before she could run away. "Hello, Stephanie," he hissed in her ear. "You're coming with me."

Stephanie shrieked in terror and tried to get away as The Storm dragged her away down a corridor.

* * *

Later in the evening, while the Alliance scrambled to (a) free Triple H from the trunk of his limosuine and (b) locate Stephanie, a tag match was booked between the team of Kurt Angle and Victor E. and the team of Booker T and Test. Prior to the match, however, the fans were surprised by someone else's arrival. The TitanTron lit up with the legend Y2J and a timer started counting down until it hit 0.00, whereupon the lights went out and pyros exploded on the stage. The fans cheered as Chris Jericho appeared on the ramp, wearing his Jerichohol T-Shirt and carrying a microphone. "Welcome to Memphis... is... JERICHO!" he shouted into the microphone. He turned around and posed a bit as his music faded out. "Y'know, people have been asking me, 'Y2J, why are you fighting Kirk Angel at No Way Out, you two are on the same team, you're part of the WWF.' They seem to think that just because the WWF is fighting the Alliance that I can't have a match against a WWF teammate. Like this makes everything okay between Kirk Angel and me. Well let me tell you, junior, that nothing could be further from the truth! Kirk and I have some unfinished business, and even though he's been the recipient of beating after beating by me and Triple H and Chris Benoyt and Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Storm and the technicians and even the beer merchant up on the twenty-third row!" He smirked as the fans cheered.

"Well, Kirk Angel, you and I have a date on Sunday. Our ass-clown of a Commissioner tells me I have to put my Wrestlemania number-one contendership on the line, and that's just fine with me, Kirk. Because I am going to beat the living hell out of your red-white-and-blue carcass, but don't worry! You'll still get to go home with your precious gold medals, but you'll also get as a lovely parting gift a Y2J beating that you will never--" ("Eeeeeeeeeeeeever!" chimed in the fans) "--ever forget AGAYN!"

During the match itself, Angle seemed quite distracted by Jericho's presence at the commentary table, while Test seemed nervous in his own right. Michael Cole attributed this to worry about The Storm suddenly showing up to avenge Rain on Test. Booker T made up for Test's nervousness, going after Victor E with a vengeance, double-teaming him as Angle continually turned to glare and shout at Jericho, who just smirked from the desk.

Finally, Victor got Angle to focus and managed to tag in, whereupon Angle cleaned house on Booker and Test, then beckoned for Jericho to get in the ring. Jericho stood up, picking up his chair at the desk, watching as Booker got back up and kicked Angle in the stomach. But as the former five-time WCW Champion went to the ropes for the Scissor Kick, Jericho swung the chair up and into Booker's back, stunning him. An Angle Slam followed that, but Angle tagged in Victor instead of going for the pin. The Olympian then left the ring and started for Jericho, who held him at bay with the chair.

In the ring, Victor started to set Booker up for the Victory Slam, when Test jumped in the ring, drilling him with the Boot to the Head. The last CIW Champion (and current U.S. Champion) went down, and Booker covered him for the win. After the bell was rung, the excited WCWer dropped to one knee, staring at his hand. He shook his head around, then swung his arms out to the sides, flopping onto his back and executing the spinaroonie. That done, he stood over Victor. "You just got yo' punk-ass handed to you by the five-time WCW Champion, now can you dig that, sucka--"

Before he could finish that word, however, Angle rushed back in the ring and clamped on an Angle Lock on Booker, causing him to tap out quickly before Jericho came in with the chair. The Olympic gold-medalist retreated, leaving Jericho to bash Booker with the chair instead. But Test was still around, and he hit Jericho with a Boot to the Head as well before staring down Angle on the ramp.

* * *

Stephanie looked around fearfully. She was somewhere in the basement, she knew that much. Making things more difficult (and more frightening), however, was the fact that all the lights save one overhead were out, leaving her in a single pool of light in an extremely dark room. She couldn't even tell how far she was from the door anymore. She heard footsteps pacing around her, just outside the light, though she thought she caught the glint of light off The Storm's sunglasses once or twice, but the darkness was so black she wasn't sure. The Storm could even have left her down here. The humming of the overhead fluorescent light made it hard to concentrate.

"Hello, Stephanie," came the harsh whisper of The Storm's voice. Steph jumped. He was right behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders, holding her in the chair she was seated in. He leaned down and sneered at her. "What am I going to do with you, Stephanie?"

She just stared at him, eyes wide with fear, speechless. He removed his hands and stepped around to pace in and out of the light in front of her. The WCW Championship belt was around his waist, his forehead still bandaged. His hand massaged the bandage as he paced. "See, Stephanie, I want to keep my title. I need to keep my title. I must keep my title, Stephanie, but you and the Alliance aren't playing along."

All at once, he rushed forward, bracing his hands on the arms of the chair and leaning into her face, screaming, "You aren't playing along!" The echoes of his voice in the darkened basement were lost to the darkness and the hum of the light. His lips curled into a snarl as he glared into her terrified face, then all at once twisted into a sick grin. "But that's okay by me, Stephanie. I finally figured out what I'm going to have to do to protect my title, Stephanie, and that's simply destroy anything that tries to take it from me."

He pushed off the chair and stood in front of her, pacing in and out of the light again. "That's why I put your brother and Paul Heyman in the hospital," he remarked. "They were threats. They couldn't be allowed to send someone else after my title." He paused, staring off into the darkness. "They were threats," he repeated. The Storm turned his head and looked at her. "Are you a threat, Stephanie?"

Still too terror-stricken to speak, she shook her head. The Force of Nature titled his head. "I think you are." With a whimper, she shook her head again. "No? I'm not sure. I'll have to think about it." He stepped out of the light, swallowed up instantly by the blackness. Stephanie nervously looked around, but The Storm's voice came from the dark. "Oh, and Stephanie, I wouldn't think about trying to get away. We're not necessarily alone down here, and what you could find down here won't necessarily be as nice as I would."

With a silent squeak, Stephanie stared around at the darkness surrounding her. Was that a muscle-bound hulking figure over there? Did she just hear a growl or was it just the boilers? What was The Storm going to do to her?

"Hunter," she whimpered, "help me!"

* * *

Backstage, Scion was helping Victor E, whose U.S. Title was draped over one shoulder, back to the CIW locker room. The Coach ran up to them. "Victor E! Victor, after what just happened in the ring, there's some talk that Booker T may ask for a shot at your United States Championship this Sunday at--"

"Booker wants a shot at me?" Victor interrupted. "You tell him to bring his ass out on Sunday. I'll be glad to kick it back to Houston for him, and I'll show that just like my name, I'm always triumphant." He pushed past Coach and left with Scion following.

"Wait, Scion!" Coach called. The hooded holy man stopped and turned back to him. "What are your thoughts on Matthew Skinner? Earlier tonight, he showed up at the arena and abducted Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley. No one knows where they are."

Scion bowed his head, concealing his face in shadow, then looked up. "Matthew is teetering dangerously toward the darkness. I fear he may already have fallen to its call. If this has happened, then we are all in grave peril, for no one understands the darkness like I do. I have been fighting it since I came into this world, Jonathan, and I will keep on fighting it until I leave it. All I can say is this: if Matthew has fallen into the darkness, then woe, woe, woe, unto the members of the Alliance, CIW, and the World Wrestling Federation." He bowed again, then turned and left.

* * *

Backstage, Kane watched impassively as his brother, the Undertaker, shadow-boxed at a wall. The Big Red Machine carried his WCW Tag Team Title belt on one shoulder, and his brother's on the other. Taker turned back to him. "All right, I'm ready. I got your back, bro." Kane nodded, handing over his brother's belt. Taker nodded back, slapping his belt across his shoulder. "All right, let's go do this."

They turned to leave, and found the Gemini Twins standing before them. They both wore sleeveless CIW T-Shirts, exposing the tattoos on Pollux's upper arms -- the only discernable difference between the two. Castor smirked and tapped his fist against his twin's arm. "Look, Pollux, it's the Brothers of Destruction."

Pollux nodded, smirking identically. He gazed at Undertaker. "Undertaker. The American Badass."

"The Phenom," added Castor.

"The Lord of Darkness," Pollux put in.

Castor raised a finger, then pointed at him. "The Dead Man." The tattooed twin nodded, looking back at Taker. "But, Castor, let's not forget this guy. Kane. The Undertaker's little brother."

"The Big Red Machine," Castor nodded.

The Brothers of Destruction hadn't said anything as the Twins were saying this, until finally Taker leaned forward to peer into Pollux's eyes. "You gonna get out of our way, boys?"

The Twins smirked simultaneously and stepped out of their way. "Go right ahead, Taker," Castor said. "I'll see you out there."

"Enjoy the titles while you still got `em!" Pollux called out as the Brothers left.

* * *

This exchange took place for one of the matches that night was a tag match, pitting Kane and Castor against DDP and Tommy Dreamer. The other partners had all been barred from ringside again, preventing interference or run-ins. The Alliance team, despite having a disadvantage in terms of size against the near seven-foot Kane and six-seven Castor, worked well as a team, smoothly tagging in and tagging out, leading to first Castor, then Taker getting isolated. In both cases, Dreamer and Page worked over the WWF or CIWer's legs, trying to destroy their vertical base -- and in Castor's case, trying to limit what he could do with his "educated feet."

Finally, after a couple of minutes of beatings by the Jersey native and ECW mainstay, Kane managed to hit his flying top-rope clothesline to Dreamer and make the hot tag to Castor, who charged the ring and started throwing out forearms and boots. He whipped Page into the ropes, then hit a sort of reverse enzuigiri kick to his head -- the Slash Kick, completely rotating himself in the air as he hit it. That done, Castor nailed the charging Tommy Dreamer with a big boot, then scouted the recovering DDP for a Scissors Kick. He struck hard and quick, taking the stalker down, then turned to see Kane asking for the tag.

"What the fuck d'you want?" the Gemini demanded.

"That guy stalked my brother's wife!" Kane snapped at him. "Lemme finish him off!"

Castor paused, apparently considering this, then snapped his foot up and booted Kane off the apron. He walked over to the ropes and gave him the finger then turned back, shoving Page away as he tried to deliver a Diamond Cutter. DDP hit the ropes and came back into a Slash Kick, after which the Gemini Twin went for the pin. He got to two before an angry Big Red Machine grabbed his ankle and pulled him out of the ring.

Before the CIWer could react, Kane had grabbed him by the throat and delivered a massive chokeslam on the outside. Dreamer and Page left the ring and started attacking Kane at the same time, while the referee counted all parties out of the ring, ending in a double count-out. The fans booed both the outcome and the double-team.

Coming out to even the odds, however, were Undertaker and Pollux. The sight of the charging Dead Man scared off Page immediately, who took off through the crowd. Furious, Taker grabbed the nearest person -- in this case, Tommy Dreamer -- and promptly chokeslammed him. He then climbed over the barricade and chased Page until he lost sight of him in the crowd.

In the meantime, Pollux went to check on his twin brother, then angrily turned to Kane. "The fuck you do to my brother, you crisp-fried freak!?"

"Hey, watch what you say to my brother!" Undertaker was back, and getting in Pol's face.

"Your freak of a brother just cost us the fucking match!" Pollux snapped, shoving Taker back.

This wasn't a smart thing to do. Undertaker looked at him like he was insane, and advanced menacingly, but the referee stepped between the four, keeping them apart and returning Kane's WCW Tag belt to him. The Gemini stared down the Brothers of Destruction as they backed up the ramp. Castor and Pollux glared hard, and then simultaneously gestured around their waists, a gesture full of promise and threat.

* * *

Stephanie sat shivering in the basement, hugging her legs. It wasn't all that cold down here, but despite being fully clothed, she felt naked and exposed. It didn't help that she kept believing she was seeing someone -- or worse, something -- lurking in the darkness beyond her apparent not-quite-sanctuary in the pool of fluorescent light.

All at once, Matthew Skinner's form seemed to melt out of the shadow, causing her to yelp in alarm and fear. That disturbing half-smile was on his face again, all the more disturbing for the fact that his sunglasses were gone, that his cold, gray eyes sparkled with malevolent glee. She noticed -- for the first time -- that he wasn't wearing one of his usual T-Shirts. This one was all black, no slogans or designs on it at all. For some reason, this made him seem all the more demonic.

"Hello, Stephanie," he said, his voice twisting the simple greeting into a promise of terror. "I've been trying to decide what to do with you," he remarked off-handedly. "I'm not sure whether to hurt you or to find some... other use for you." He leered, causing her to shrink back in her chair.

"Oh, come off it!" he snapped, that sick glee vanishing from his face in an instant, replaced by a vicious snarl. "I know you'd enjoy it! You'd spread your legs for me in a second if you thought it would save your hide!" He leered again, but this time without lewd, just malice. "You know you would, Stephanie. Deep down, you're a slut, and you know it."

But he shook his head as he started pacing again. "But I wouldn't do that to you, Stephanie." He turned and fixed her with a stare. "Not because I care about your dignity, but because I wouldn't lower myself that much. You're not even worth it."

He resumed pacing. "No, I'm think I'll probably just hurt you instead. I'm busy trying to decide the best way to do that. Maybe I'll cut your nipples off and mail them to your husband." She whimpered, trying to muster up the courage to form a coherent protest, but he cut her off before she could say anything. "Or perhaps not. I might have some other use for you, Stephanie," The Storm whispered, half in the shadows and half lit by the light overhead.

He stepped forward into the light again and leaned down, bracing one hand on the arm of her chair again, raising the other one before her. She noticed -- again, for the first time -- that he held a couple of pieces of paper in it. "You see this, Stephanie? This is the contract for my WCW Championship Match with Rhyno this Sunday." He flicked his hand to the side, flipping it to another page. "And you see this part, Stephanie? This is the part of the contract where stipulations can be added to the match."

She trembled at his closeness, whimpering. He sneered. "I want you to add a stipulation to the match, Stephanie. I want you to make it a No Disqualifications Match."

He paused, and she managed to find her voice long enough to say, "I-I can't do that," in a weak voice, choking the words past the terror in her throat. "Shane's the owner of WCW, not me--"

"Oh, please," The Storm interrupted, voice dripping with disgust. "Just how stupid do you think I am? You two are co-owners of the Alliance. Hell, Stephanie, correct me if I'm wrong, but Rhyno's part of ECW, isn't he?" She didn't say anything, causing him to sneer again. "That's right, Stephanie. That means you have some say-so over his matches. And I want you to make this a No Disqualifications Match."

She trembled as she looked at the contract. The Storm held up a pen. "Go ahead, Stephanie, make the stipulation." She looked back and forth between pen, paper, and madman. The gleefully psychotic grin on his face faded again. "Can't make up your mind, Stephanie? All right, I'll leave you here so you can think about it some more."

She started to make a whimpered protest as he left the contract and the pen on the floor in front of her, but he ignored her completely as he vanished into the encompassing darkness again. She bit her lip, looking around fearfully as she wondered the implications of signing a contract with the terrifying demon that had trapped her here.

* * *

"You think you know me... you will never know me..." The fans cheered as lights flashed on the stage behind a bubbling cloud of dry ice fog, as the brooding face of Edge lit up the screen. Rob Zombie music started up. "Yeeeeah, my Durango, number 95..." "Never Gonna Stop" continued as Edge came out from the fog, wearing his black trenchcoat again, jumping back and forth as he pumped up the crowd. Michael Cole and Tazz announced that Edge would indeed face his brother Christian and defend the Intercontinental Championship at No Way Out. "The following non-title contest is scheduled for one fall! Introducing first, representing the WWF, from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, weighing in at 240 pounds... he is the World Wrestling Federation Intercontinental Champion... EDGE!"

Edge slid into the ring, flashing his usual toothy grin as he bounced on his hands and toes for a moment before posing in the corner. He threw off his trench and sunglasses, facing the ramp. "Who betta than Kanyon?" The fans jeered as the smarmy Chris Kanyon came down the ramp, showing off his Alliance MVP T-Shirt. "And his opponent, representing the Alliance, from New Jersey, weighing in at 240 pounds... KANYON!"

Edge waited until Kanyon was in range, then hit him with a baseball slide to start things off. He started dishing out right hands, then threw Kanyon into the steel steps, then into the barricade. The WCWer hadn't even had time to remove his shirt yet as Edge bounced his head off the barricade three more times before stomping him. The referee, Jimmy Korderas, finally managed to convince Edge to get it in the ring, so he rolled Kanyon in to officially start the match. Kanyon swung at him, but Edge ducked, causing the Alliance MVP do bounce off the ropes into a flapjack.

Edge returned to the mount position and fed Kanyon some more right hands, then bounced his head off the mat a few times. Tiring of that, the wronged Canadian flipped Kanyon over and ground his face into the mat. Korderas argued with Edge, who got up and scared him off, turning back into a kick to the gut by Kanyon. He whipped Edge into the ropes, but Edge reversed it. The "innovator of offense," however, slid under Edge's legs and hit a pumphandle powerbomb for a two-count.

Kanyon, angry, started dishing out right hands, muscling Edge back into the corner, where Edge reversed and returned the favor. The Jersey native managed a kneelift, however, and sent Edge into the ropes. The Canadian ducked, swung, but missed. Edge came off the ropes again and hit a spinning wheel kick. Both men went down from this one, but they got up as Korderas counted to four. Edge blocked a swing from Kanyon and dished out a right hand of his own, threw Kanyon into the corner, then whipped him across, hitting a shoulder block as he came back. Kanyon reversed another whip to the corner, but Edge stopped himself, turned around, and hit a cross-body to the self-styled MVP. He covered for a two-count.

Kanyon again reversed a whip to the corner, but Edge blocked the follow-up with a boot and threw him into the corner again. He started hitting the Alliance member with closed fists, and when the referee tried to stop him, Edge inadvertently knocked him down with an elbow. With the referee out of the picture, Christian chose this moment to run out and attempt a spear. Edge jumped over him, causing his treacherous brother to spear Kanyon instead. Christian fled the ring, hightailing it up the ramp, but Edge pursued as Korderas began a ten-count. He reached ten and awarded the woozy Kanyon the victory.

Edge stopped at the top of the ramp, turning back and running down the ramp as Kanyon celebrated his "win" in the ring. Edge slid in, kicked him in the stomach, then promptly hooked his head and tights to deliver the Buzz Killer DDT. He stood over Kanyon for a moment, but Christian slid into the ring behind him, grabbed his arms, then turned him around to deliver the Unprettier, fleeing up the ramp.

* * *

Stephanie looked at the contract on the floor. Would The Storm honestly let her go after she signed it? Or would he just hurt her, now that her usefulness was at an end. She thought of the condition he'd left Paul Heyman and Shane in. Paul had had difficulty breathing when he'd been taken to the hospital, and his voice still wasn't back to normal. And Shane! He'd nearly killed Shane, smashing his head through a car window, bruising his vertebrae with a Downdraft on the car roof, and then sending him through a stack of boxes!

The thought of what he could do to her made her blood freeze in her veins.

Then the demon returned, grinning that malevolent psychotic grin. "Hello, Stephanie. Have we reached a decision?"

Stephanie looked fearfully between the contract and The Storm, then hesitantly asked, "If I sign the stipulation, you'll let me go?"

He nodded. "I'll let you go, with a little message for your husband." His smile faded again, and he scooped up the contract and the pen. He thrust them at her. "Sign it!"

Hands trembling, she took the paper and pressed it against her leg, shakily scribbling in the 'no disqualification' stipulation to the contract and signing her name on it. He snatched the contract back with a smile, folding it shut and sticking it in his back pocket as he removed his title belt, speaking as he paced around behind her. "Thank you, Stephanie, now I want you to take a message to your husband for me."

All at once, he swung his belt up into the back of her head, knocking her senseless into a sprawl on the cold, slightly damp floor. He knelt down next to her. "Tell him, when I'm done with Rhyno, I'll be coming for him next." With an evil chuckle, he stood up and vanished into the darkness again, but through blurry vision, Stephanie could make out the sudden stark outline of the doorway -- just a few feet outside of the lit area she'd been "trapped" in. The Storm stood silhouetted in the doorway, chuckling. "See you around, Stephanie. Tell Rhyno I'll be seeing him in three days."

-more to come-

Next: No Way Out is here. Powder kegs fill the card, as conflicts between various parties reach a head, and what will the Alliance do to The Storm after what he's done?

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
September 1, 2002