The Counter-Invasion
By: Jay Winger

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

Teaser: The Storm cost Stone Cold the title at No Way Out, but doesn't look to be defecting to the Alliance. What is going through his head?

Rating: R - for violence and profanity

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: Paul Heyman rejoined J.R. and Jim Pickett at commentary. Victor E def. Booker T after sidestepping the Scissor Kick and locking on the Jaws of Defeat for the submission. Christian def. Edge to win the Intercontinental Title after the referee stopped Edge from delivering the One-Man Conchairto, allowing Christian to give Edge a low-blow with the rim of a chair, then roll him up for the pin. Dudleys def. Z-Men, Lance Storm & The Hurricane, Hardys in the first 4-Corners Elimination Tag The Hardys were the first ones eliminated after a 3-D on Jeff. Next, Lance Storm & The Hurricane were eliminated when Zeta hit a Zetasault on Lance for a pin by Zed. Unfortunately, the Dudleys then gave Zeta a 3-D on the outside as Lance & The Hurricane hit a double superkick to Zed to allow the Dudleys to hit him with a top-rope powerbomb for the pin and the win. Chris Jericho def. Kurt Angle to successfully defend his #1 contendership at Wrestlemania after hitting a Breakdown onto a steel chair. The Storm def. Rhyno to successfully defend his WCW Title in a No-DQ Match, gradually destroying Rhyno's shoulder to lessen the effects of the Gore before locking on the Necksnapper for the submission. Gemini def. Undertaker & Kane, DDP & Kanyon, Raven & Tommy Dreamer in the second 4-Corners Elimination Tag Team Match. Dreamer & Raven were the first team eliminated when Pollux hit an Apollo-line on Dreamer. DDP & Kanyon were eliminated almost immediately thereafter when Undertaker chokeslammed Page to oblivion. The Gemini and the Brothers of Destruction had a staredown before opening up on each other. Finishers were exchanged before Castor stopped a Last Ride on Pollux, then stunned the crowd as the Gemini got up and gave Undertaker a Twin Terror Bomb for the win and the titles. In the final main event match, Triple H def. Stone Cold to retain the WWF Championship, after Stephanie came down (in spite of his warnings not to), followed by The Storm, who actually stopped the ref from counting the fall on Austin. Austin and The Storm exchanged words before The Storm clocked Triple H with his belt, then blocked a Stunner and hit Austin with the belt as well, allowing Triple H to win.

FYI: List of Champions: WWF - Triple H (Alliance); Intercontinental - Christian (WWF); European - vacant; 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 - The Gemini (CIW)

Chapter 23: Disturbing Behavior

Monday: Raw, February 24 - 1 day after No Way Out

Prior to the start of the show, a video was shown to the crowd using still shots and brief clips from the pay-per-view the night before, recapping the close of the WWF Championship Match between Triple H and Stone Cold, and especially featuring the interference of The Storm at the very end, in which he clobbered both men with his title belt, allowing Triple H to make the pin to keep his title. The crowd, which had been cheering the video up till that point, started booing and jeering.

Moments after the opening pyro faded, the TitanTron lit up. "Here comes the Money! Here we go. (Money talks!) Here comes the Money... Money, money, money..." The crowd initially popped for the return of Shane McMahon, but that quickly faded to boos for the still bruised and battered would-be heir as he made his way down the ramp. He was being accompanied by Test, who wore his ring gear and a WCW T-Shirt. Shane limped some as he came to the ring, and nodded his thanks to Test as the defector held the ropes open for him.

Shane took a microphone and waited out a fresh round of boos and scattered "Shane's a pussy!" chants. Test stood in one corner, arms folded, looking about with a sour expression. Finally, Shane spoke. "Last night, the Alliance had two main objectives. One was to keep the WWF Championship in the Alliance, and I am proud to say that objective was a success! Last night, my brother-in-law, Triple H, successfully defended his title against Stone Cold Steve Austin!" Another round of boos followed this proclamation.

Shane frowned again. "The other objective was to bring the WCW Championship back home, and I'm sorry to say that objective was a failure! Rhyno did not succeed in bringing the title home, and furthermore, he's now unfit to wrestle due to the damage done to his shoulder by his opponent." A brief spark of cheers. "I speak, of course, of the man who calls himself The Storm... Matthew Skinner." Cheers came up for the man's name, but that soon degraded into slight boos. "Also last night," he continued, "Mr. Skinner decided to insert himself into Triple H's match. While I can't condone run-ins in a fine, upstanding organization such as the Alliance--" Shane smirked a bit at this blatant lie, while Test laughed a bit, "--I certainly can't deny their effectiveness. Thanks to Mr. Skinner's efforts last night, Triple H walked out with the WWF Title and Stone Cold Steve Austin walked out with nothing!"

Now the fans started booing in earnest. Shane went on, "Normally, after such an act, I would offer The Storm a spot in the Alliance, but considering the downright sadistic acts he perpetrated last week against the leadership of the Alliance, I am making it clear right now that The Storm will never be welcomed in the Alliance, and using my power as the Owner of WCW, I am ordering The Storm to come out here right now and put his title on the line in a match against Test right now!"

There was a long pause as the fans alternately chanted "Shane's a pussy!" and "Skinner Sucks!" Shane glared up the ramp. "Skinner, I know you're back there, and I know you're always wearing your gear, and I know you never back down from a fight. So you've got no excuse. Get out here and give Test a WCW Title Match right here, right now!"

There was another pause, and then the clash of cymbals/thunder as Cold Steel's "Force of Nature" started straight up without waiting. The Storm emerged on the top of the ramp, wearing a plain black T-Shirt and his usual ring attire, but without his sunglasses. He wore a bandage on his forehead, and that disturbing smile was still on his face, eyes shining with malevolence. He carried his title belt down with him, eyes fixed not on his opponent, but on Shane.

To Shane's credit, he did not chicken out as he saw that Skinner was making a beeline for him. Instead, he slid out and tried to get the jump on him. The Storm promptly spun on his heel and smashed his belt into the Owner of WCW's face, only to turn back and get cracked in the face by a Test clothesline. Snarling, Test pulled him up, then threw him into the ring as WCW official Nick Patrick ran out to officiate.

Test quickly kicked The Storm in the ribs as he got in the ring, forcing him into the corner, where the defector started stomping away on the champion's chest. As he stopped to turn and glare at Patrick -- who was trying, in spite of himself, to call things down the middle, Test didn't see The Storm's face. After the grimace from having the air kicked out of his lungs passed, Skinner's expression returned to that insane grin again. Test turned back, and the Force of Nature stood up in a flash, jabbing his thumb into Test's eye.

As the traitor backed off, The Storm hitched himself to the second rope, then leapt at Test, grabbing his head in midair, then swinging around him to plant him with a Tornado DDT. He went for a cover, but now Nick Patrick remained true to form and made a slow count. The Storm stood up, the smile fading momentarily as he glared at the shady official, then turned back to Test and grinned. He started punching him in the forehead, concentrating his punches around the piercing in his eyebrow. The former bodyguard shouted in pain and tried to roll away, only to have The Storm grab his leg, kneel on the other one, and clamp on the Twister Anklelock.

As Test writhed and tried to reach the ropes, The Storm burst into a wild grin and started laughing. "That's right, Test, scream! Scream for me! Scream for the pain! Scream! SCREAM!" And when Test finally did start crying out in pain, The Storm just started laughing harder as he tilted his head back and cranked the anklelock in harder. "That's it! Scream louder!"

Things broke down, however, as Shane -- ignoring his injuries -- grabbed a steel chair, entered the ring, and delivered his trademark flying chairshot straight to The Storm's forehead. Skinner crumpled, the bandage on his head flapping off as the cut started to bleed again. Shane staggered into the corner, dropping the chair as Test slowly gathered his legs under him. The Storm slowly started to get up, shaking his head to clear it, and causing the blood to flow more freely.

Test was back up first, and grabbed the chair. He blasted The Storm over the head with it -- bloodying him further. The Force of Nature gave a shout of pain, hands going to his head, but to the Alliance member's surprise, the yell turned into laughter. "Ahahahahahaha! Oh, man, that was good!" Test stood over him, looking down at him in bewilderment. The Storm lowered his hands, blood pouring over his face, staining his teeth pink as he smiled. "Come on, hit me again!"

Snarling, Test spiked the rim of the chair into The Storm's guts. He groaned and doubled over, kicking his legs, but then the groan turned into more laughter. "Ohhh... hahahahaha! Oh, yeah!" As he got onto his hands and knees, Test smashed him in the back. The Storm arched backward. "Ahhhh...hahahaha!" Now Test swung and smacked him in the face, knocking him onto his back. The Storm groaned again, but once more it just turned into more laughter as he started to turn over to get to his feet.

Test stared at him in a mixture of surprise and unease. He'd hit The Storm with the chair four times, and he was just laughing at the pain, like he was enjoying it. Blood dripped from Skinner's face as he got to his feet, turning around with that insane smile to face Test again. With a roar, the Alliance member bent the chair over the Force of Nature's head, driving him back to the mat, apparently knocking him out in a pool of his own blood. Test threw the badly dented chair out of the ring, then turned to Shane. "Let's get the hell outta here."

Then they heard it. A sucking in of breath, and then that psychotic laughter again. They both turned back to look at The Storm, who still lay on the mat, bleeding and battered. His eyes weren't all the way open, but his laughter continued to come out. Test's eyes bugged out, and he rushed over to him, mounting him and starting to punch him across the face relentlessly. "Goddamn it, stop laughing!"

But each blow only seemed to make him laugh harder, though his face was a literal crimson mask by now, his hair wet with the blood soaking it. Test started hitting him with both hands until he finally seemed to drive him into unconsciousness, the laughter stopping. Test stood up, looking at his blood-coated fingers, then shook his head, whipping his hair back out of his face. "Goddamn," he muttered, turning to leave with Shane again.

They were outside the ropes and about to start up the ramp when The Storm struck again. Nobody was sure how he had anything left in him as he got up as if possessed, ran off the ropes, then dove through them in a tope suicida into Test, crawling over him toward Shane, laughter screaming from him like a banshee. Alarmed, Test grabbed The Storm's legs, trying to pull him back, but the Force of Nature had a deathgrip on Shane's shirt as his blood dripped all over him. Shane wailed in terror as The Storm laughed in his face.

"Come on, Shane! Take a swing at me! I dare ya! I fuckin' dare ya! Hit me! You wanna see what I'm capable of, you little dip-fuck?"

Finally referees and officials came down to pry The Storm off of Shane and Test off of The Storm. Test quickly ran over to Shane and pulled him to his feet, running up the ramp with him as the officials formed a barrier around Skinner, who was trying to shove through them to pursue, the mad grin still plastered across his blood-soaked face.

* * *

Backstage, the CIW locker room had watched all this with horror. "Holy shit, dude," Zeta said simply.

"He's lost it," Victor E said, shaking his head. "He's fuckin' lost it. Call the white-coats, he's padded cell material."

Voices rose and started yelling in commotion as everyone started talking, trying to make themselves and their opinion heard. Every now and then words like Agony and The Hellions could be heard, but nobody seemed to want to come right out and admit that Matthew Skinner had indeed finally turned completely insane.

Everyone quieted, however, when Scion rose from his seat in the corner, his face half-hidden in the shadow of his hood as he stared at the screen where The Storm's bloody face was frozen. Slowly, the Act of God walked across the locker room, people moving from his path as he strode up to the monitor. He stared down at the screen, head bowed, then raised one hand, his silver cross clutched in his gloved hand. He raised this in the air, and spoke something softly, too softly to be heard in the room, which had become as silent as a tomb.

Then, all at once, Scion turned and faced Billy Rose, who was standing near Victor E and Jenny Black. "Find Vince McMahon," he told the CIW mastermind. "Warn him that under no circumstances is he to contemplate signing the ones from the darkness. To do so would be a mistake of the gravest caliber, and would spell almost certain doom for his company."

Rose nodded. "You don't have to tell me twice. I'll work with Jenny and try to get to see him, even if I have to go to Stamford and bust into his office personally."

Scion nodded, then turned to the rest of the room. "The rest of you, go to what members of the WWF that you know you can trust and warn them of what's coming. Avoid Matthew Skinner at all costs. By now, he will more than likely strike at you as well." He bowed his head, and his grave voice became lower. "I myself will be doing what I can to try and force the darkness away from Matthew, not only for his sake, but for all of our sakes as well."

And then Scion turned and swept out of the locker room, leaving the CIWers to start clamoring in alarm again.

* * *

Elsewhere in the backstage area, Shane and Test both fled toward the garage, toward Shane's waiting limosuine. This time, the driver was standing outside the door, and when he saw Shane coming, he quickly opened the door to the main cabin, then dove into the driver's seat. The two Alliance members sprinted for the car for all they were worth as a mass of people emerged from the corridor. It was the officials, still trying to hold the bloody Matthew Skinner at bay.

The limo tore off just as The Storm broke free and charged forward, face still a mask of insane glee. He stared after them, licking his own blood off his upper lip as he watched the tail-lights of their limo disappear up the ramp. He started to leave, but stopped as he saw a familiar black pick-up truck speed down the ramp and pull to a halt a short distance away. The Storm smiled as he saw the skull on the hood of the truck.

Stone Cold Steve Austin jumped out of the truck and immediately ran around and attacked The Storm. "You son of a bitch!" snarled the Texas Rattlesnake as he unloaded several beer-fueled right hands onto the bloody Force of Nature. The officials quickly ran over to try and pull Austin off of Skinner, who was grinning and chuckling a bit.

"Geeze, Steve-o, you hit worse than your old lady." The Storm started laughing uproariously as Austin tried to shove his way through the referees. "What, you think I felt those, Steve? Look at my face! I'm in the zone right now, Steve. You could take a fucking Louisville Slugger to the back of my head, I doubt I'd feel it."

"Convince these striped-ass bastards to let me go, I'll take ya up on that offer!"

By now, Commissioner Regal made his presence known. "Let me through, let me through, I'm the commissioner, dammit!" He stopped as he caught a good look at The Storm. "Good heavens, man. What in God's sake's gotten into you?"

"Nothing's gotten into me, Regal," The Storm told him, still grinning. "Though that didn't stop Test from trying to put a steel chair into my head."

Regal stared at his blood-drenched face for a moment, then turned and had to step back as the referees held back another lunge by Austin. "And what in the bloody hell's wrong with you?"

Austin pointed a finger at The Storm. "That som'bitch right there cost me the WWF Championship last night!"

"Yeah, and apparenly now he wants a piece of my ass," the Force of Nature smirked.

"I don't want a piece," Stone Cold corrected him, "I want the whole damn thing!"

"Gentlemen, gentlemen," Regal tried to restore some sense to the situation, "we can't have you two fighting like a couple of schoolboys like this! The Alliance is out for blood--"

"They got it," laughed The Storm, who sucked some more blood off his upper lip.

Regal shook his head. "You're both on the same team here, so for God's sake--"

"I ain't on nobody's team `cept my own!" Stone Cold scowled. "The only thing I'm after is the WWF Championship!"

Regal looked at him one last time, then turned to The Storm. "Get him out of here!" the commissioner told the officials, who began escorting the WCW Champion to the medical office. He turned back to Austin. "As for you, you lay your hands on Matthew Skinner again tonight, and I'll have you suspended for a week! I'd make it longer, but we're in the middle of an Invasion, and like it or not, you're on the same team!" He pointed down the hall. "Now go on and get your arse out of here!"

Austin gave him a sneer, then a classic "Stone Cold salute" before stomping off.

* * *

"The following contest is scheduled for one fall, and it is for the WCW Tag Team Championship!" Birds cawed on the TitanTron as two ECWers emerged from the entryway. Raven wore his "battle kilt" and a torn black jacket, his hair braided into a dreadlock-like look. He sneered at the audience as he came down. Alongside him was his one-time archnemesis, Tommy Dreamer, who wore black pants with a blue "TD" emblem on the left leg. He wore an ECF'nW T-Shirt. "Introducing first, representing the Alliance, weighing in at a combined weight of 485 pounds... TOMMY DREAMER & RAVEN!"

The two former blood enemies went to adjacent corners and both struck the "crucifix" pose. Dreamer stepped down and flashed a manic grin to the crowd as Raven threw off his jacket, exposing his tattooed torso. They faced the ramp as Raven's music trailed off. "We... are... ALIVE!" After the CIW bumper ended, ominous rock music started up. Two identical twins appeared, dressed virtually the same, wearing sleeveless shirts, exposing the tattoos on the upper arms of one of them. They carried the WCW Tag Titles on their shoulders. "And their opponents, representing CIW, from Seattle, Washington, at a combined weight of 540 pounds... they are the WCW Tag Team Champions... Castor and Pollux... THE GEMINI!"

"These two men are unbelievably strong," J.R. said at ringside. "Last night at No Way Out, in the closing moments of their Tag Team Championship Match against the Brothers of Destruction, the Gemini did what no man has ever been able to do to the Undertaker and powerbombed him to the mat to win the WCW Tag Titles."

"While I have to say seeing that surprised me," Jim Pickett said, "seeing the Twins emerge victorious was not. In CIW, they were the most dominant tag team in our company, holding the CIW Tag Titles a total length of fourteen months over three separate reigns."

"Big deal," Heyman griped. "Real spectacular for a couple of nobodies."

As this was all being said, the TitanTron showed the clip in question, featuring the Gemini hitting the Twin Terror Bomb on Undertaker. Castor stood in the ring, handing the belts to the referee, then lifted one leg and grabbed his knee, stretching it for a moment, then doing the same for the other leg as he smirked confidently at Tommy Dreamer.

Dreamer just glared at him as Cas finished his stretch, then beckoned with both hands for him to "bring it on." The ECWer obliged, lunging at the fleet-footed twin with quick right hands, pushing him against the ropes. There, the Innovator of Violence grabbed his arm and went for the whip across the ring, but Castor reversed it, then nailed Dreamer with a big boot on the rebound. He followed it up with a sharp elbow drop on his opponent's chest, followed by a second, then came off the ropes with a legdrop before going for a cover. He got a two-count before Raven broke the pin with a quick shot to the head.

This only seemed to enrage Cas, who got up and knocked Raven off the apron with a stiff forearm. He returned to Dreamer, pulling him to his feet, then muscling him back into the hostile corner, where he beat on him for a moment before tagging in Pollux. The tattooed twin joined his brother in tandem mudhole stomping before swinging him around into the neutral corner, where he started pummeling him with hard closed fists, ignoring the referee's orders to fight without them. After several moments, he pulled him out of the corner to snapmare him down, then slap on a rear chinlock.

As the ECW stalwart struggled to free himself, Raven paced anxiously in the corner, obviously wanting to get a little measure of revenge on the Gemini himself after their humiliating defeat last night. The fans were already aware that these CIWers were not babyfaces, and so they were chanting "E-C-W! E-C-W!" to rally behind Dreamer, who was slowly starting to fight out of the chinlock. Finally, he managed to get to his feet and elbow free of Pollux's grip, then starting firing off right hands in the corner.

This seemed to work until Tommy went for the whip out of the corner. Pollux easily reversed the whip on the smaller wrestler, but the two struck each other in the middle of the ring with a double clothesline. Raven started slapping the turnbuckle, stomping his foot to rally the crowd behind them as he stretched out his other hand to Dreamer. Pollux was slowly getting back up, as was the ECWer, but before he could get to Raven, Castor ran in, smashing the Master of Misery off of the apron again, then stomped Dreamer in the head. He returned to his corner, accepted the tag from Pollux, then dragged Tommy back over to the CIW corner.

The fans were booing heavily as Castor continued the beating on poor Tommy Dreamer, finally shooting him into the ropes and nailing him with the Slash Kick. He crouched in wait as Dreamer staggered to his feet, then prepared to catch him for the Scissors Kick. Before he could go for it, however, Raven hit the ring and nailed him with the Raven Effect DDT. He started to pull Tommy into the cover, but then Pollux came back in, all but taking his head off with the Apollo-line, then rousing his brother. The Gemini stood up and turned to Dreamer. Pollux swung his fist deep into his solar plexus, doubling him over, then held him down for the Scissors Kick -- the G-Force Combo. Castor, the legal man, covered him for the pin and the win, retaining their titles.

But the evil Gemini weren't done yet. They grinned as they pulled Raven back to his feet, sending him into the ropes. On the rebound, they caught him and swung him around into the Twin Terror Bomb, flattening him on the mat. Triumphant, the Twins took their WCW Tag Title belts and raised them into the air, then simultaneously dropped them onto their shoulders and left up the ramp.

* * *

In the commissioner's office, William Regal and Tajiri were doing their best to maintain order. Five women were all clamoring for his attention, and close to coming to blows with each other as they all argued. The object of their argument was the WWF Women's Championship belt that lay on the desk.

"Ladies, ladies, please, calm down," Regal beseeched them. Finally, they all managed to quiet. Ivory and Mighty Molly (newly defected to the Alliance under the wing -- er, cape of The Hurricane) glared at Lita, Trish Stratus, and Dee Meaner. Tajiri stood just behind Regal as the commissioner addressed them. "Thank you. Now, due to Rain's unfortunate attack a few weeks ago, she is still in the hospital, and the doctors tell me she will be unable to wrestle for several months. Because of this, the Women's Title has been declared vacant."

"Gimme the title!" Ivory declared. "She was about to lose to me when she got hurt, so the title's mine!"

"Hell no!" Dee spoke up. "Give the title to a stuck-up traitor like you? It should go around the waist of someone who hasn't held it before... someone like me!"

"Or me!" Trish added. "I can wrestle just as well as any of you!"

"Yeah, if it involves bras or panties," Ivory sneered.

"If you ask me," Mighty Molly remarked, "it should belong to a superheroine, like me, Mighty Molly!" She nodded, hands on her hips, as though this resolved the argument.

It looked to get worse from there as they all started to speak over each other, but then Regal called for silence again. "Ladies, you'll all get your chance to compete for this belt. Mr. McMahon has already suggested we have ourselves a little tournament to determine who will have the title. The finals will be at Wrestlemania, and the winner of that match will receive the championship."

Tajiri spoke up, saying something in Japanese, then whispering in Regal's ear. The commissioner nodded. "Yes, and to make sure things are equitable, four women from the WWF or CIW will participate, and four women from the Alliance may participate."

"Lotsa luck," Dee snickered. "They've only got two of them that can wrestle!" She nodded pointedly at the two in front of them.

"Oh, trust us," Ivory snapped, "we'll find two more. And then we'll bring the title to the Alliance! We'll showcase it on upstanding women, who won't wrestle ridiculous underwear matches or in mud pits!"

Tajiri muttered something in Japanese, which prompted a snicker from both he and Regal. At this moment, Lance Storm stepped into the office, taking a spot next to Ivory. "What was that? Were you insulting the honor of Ivory? Perhaps I should teach you a lesson in respect, Tajiri, tonight in the ring!"

"How's about we give you a lesson in ass kicking, you damn Canuck bastard!" Zeta walked in, standing next to Dee. "You cost us the WWF Tag Titles last night, ya robotic retard!"

"What goes around comes around," Lance retorted. "You and your partner both cost us the titles. Now the titles are going to a company where the leaders don't let their decisions be made by people who can barely speak decent English!"

Tajiri snapped something in Japanese, frowning. Regal stood up, scowling at Lance. "Listen here, you blockheaded pillock, if you're so anxious to have yourself a match, I'll give you one! Go and find three of your miserable toe-rag Alliance friends, and you'll face myself, Tajiri, and Zed & Zeta in an eight-man tag team match, and we'll give you all a bloody good hiding!"

"Damn skippy!" Dee cheered.

Lance sneered, then nodded. "You got it. I'll see you in the ring." He left, with Ivory and Mighty Molly following.

* * *

Scion seemed to glide through the halls, his monk-like robes billowing behind him, his face hidden in shadow from his hood as he pursed his lips, deeply troubled. His fingers slowly stroked over the silver cross he held in his hands, its chain clinking quietly as it dangled from his wrists. He stopped a passing stagehand, then asked him, "Have you seen Matthew Skinner?"

The stagehand shook his head. "No, man, I haven't seen him."

Scion sighed wearily, then nodded, clapping him on the shoulder. "Thank you, Joseph." He continued on his way (not hearing the stagehand say "That's Joe. Just Joe," behind him), more troubled now. He had been to The Storm's dressing room, and found it mysteriously empty. The WWF locker room had seen neither hide nor hair of him since his confrontation with Austin earlier, and his rental car was still in the garage.

Sighing again, Scion started to head for the basement, wondering if perhaps Skinner was lurking down there like he'd been the preceding Thursday. Reaching the darkened underbelly of the arena, he flipped the light switch. Only a solitary light came on at the foot of the stairs. He frowned, then went down and stepped into the lonely circle of light.

"I might have known you were here," he said to the darkness.

"Oh, come now, Scion," a silky voice purred. "We know you better than that."

"Of course you knew we were here," added a second voice. "You could feel it, couldn't you?"

"What are you doing to Matthew Skinner?" the holy man demanded.

"We aren't doing anything to him," the first voice replied. "He's doing it to himself."

"He's brought it all upon himself," the other voice chimed in. "Poor dear, heaping all that stress and pressure upon himself. Is it any wonder he's started to turn?"

"You stay away from him," warned Scion. "You stay away from everyone in the WWF and CIW."

"Scion," the first voice turned hard and frigid, "you couldn't stop us from coming to CIW, and if we desire it, you couldn't stop us from coming into the WWF either. You are just one man, and one man cannot stand against us."

"I kept you at bay in CIW," Scion told the voices, "and I'll do so again here. Nothing has changed."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, Scion!" The second voice sounded quite smug. "Things have changed! You just don't realize it yet."

Scion turned in a circle, peering into the darkness surrounding him, then frowned again. "Rest assured, when I comprehend what your plans are, I will stop them. I have the ability, and you know it, even if you will not admit it."

"By the time you comprehend our plans, Scion," the first voice told him, "it will already be far too late for you to stop us."

"You know this," chuckled the second voice, "even if you won't admit it."

The voices' laughter faded into the shadows around him, and as he climbed wearily up the stairs from the basement, Scion feared, deep in his soul, that they were right.

* * *

Out in the ring, the eight-man tag was in full-swing. Tajiri, Regal, and the Z-Men were squaring off against Lance Storm, The Hurricane, and the Dudleys. The Z-Men had been accompanied by Dee Meaner, who tried her hardest to offset the outside advantage held by the Alliance team, which had Ivory, Mighty Molly, and Stacy Keibler with them. In the early going, Zed and Zeta worked over Lance and Helms stiff and hard, seeking retribution for their costing them the WWF Tag Titles the previous night. Tajiri and Regal chipped in wearing down the Alliance team, but before long, Zeta got isolated.

The Dudleys took great delight in working over Zeta's neck, which had been injured on Sunday when they gave him a 3-D on the floor. Lance Storm and The Hurricane also worked over the neck, hitting a combination Samoan Drop/swinging neckbreaker on the hapless Z-Man. Every time Zeta managed to get in any offense and get a near-fall, one of the three Alliance women would break the pin by dislodging Zeta or by putting his opponent's foot on the ropes.

Finally, Dee tried to get involved by taking out Stacy, who had just broken up a pin by Zeta on D-Von, but Ivory and Mighty Molly both attacked her. In the ring, Zeta managed to counter a whip by D-Von by coming off the rebound with a Zetasault, flattening them both. Slowly, both men crawled to make the tag. D-Von tagged in Lance Storm as Zeta tagged in Tajiri, who flipped into the ring, ducking under a swing by Lance before striking back with a stiff superkick. He countered The Hurricane's charge with an armdrag takedown, but then Bubba Ray barreled into him from behind.

Bubba threw Tajiri out of the ring, where he started to work him over, but then Zed and Regal got involved. The British grappler hurled Bubba into the security barricade, then started giving him hard left forearms as Zed grabbed D-Von and hurled him back-first into the steel stairs. Zeta, meanwhile, took The Hurricane into the ring, where the so-called superhero grabbed him by the throat, apparently intending to deliver a "hurri-chokeslam." The blue-streaked Z-Man, however, kicked him in the stomach, then folded him over slightly. He moved quickly, jumping onto his back, threading his legs between Helms' arms. The Hurricane stood up, but Zeta swung himself up, then down between his legs quickly, snapping Helms around into a snap powerbomb, which Jim Pickett dubbed the "Code Blue."

Unfortunately, Bubba had managed to reverse a whip by Regal, so the Jawbuster intended for the Dudley struck the Commissioner instead. D-Von then got back up and attacked Zed from behind. This allowed Bubba to hit the ring and cream Zeta with a Bubba Bomb. As he dragged Zeta out of the ring, Lance Storm rolled Tajiri back in, not seeing the Japanese Buzzsaw stand up and gesture at his throat. As Lance spun him around, Tajiri suddenly spewed a green cloud of blinding mist into Lance's eyes, which went unseen by the referee, who was busy trying to maintain order on the outside. As the Canadian fell to his knees, clawing at his eyes, Tajiri calmly lined up, then unleashed a stiff kick straight to the temple, knocking Lance out, then covering him for the 1... 2... 3.

The Dudleys hit the ring to try and get some revenge for their fellow Alliance members, but Tajiri quickly slid out of the ring, grinning and showing the green liquid still trickling out of his mouth. Regal got up, clutching his jaw, and giving one of his classic facial expressions as he tried to wiggle it back into place. The Z-Men got up and retreated up the ramp along with their cohorts, grinning as the Alliance glowered from the ring.

* * *

Michael Cole looked slightly nervous as he held the microphone. The reason for his nervousness became clear as the camera pulled back to reveal that Stone Cold Steve Austin was standing next to him. Elsewhere, the fans started cheering like mad. "Stone Cold Steve Austin, last night at--"

Stone Cold stopped him with a sharp "What?" ["What?" parroted the fans, as they would every time Austin said the word or paused.]

Cole hesitated, then started again, "Last ni--"

"What?" "Last n--" "What?" "Last night at--"

"What?!" Austin interrupted. "You wanna talk about last night? Twenty-four hours ago? Sunday? No Way Out? You wanna talk about Stone Cold's match last night against Triple H? The Game? The Cerebral Assassin? The WWF Champion? You wanna talk about how Stone Cold Steve Austin got screwed? I said 'screwed?' Cheated? Robbed?" The interviewer started to ask something, but the Rattlesnake cut him off again. "You better shut your mouth, Michael Cole, `fore I shove my fist down your throat. I tell you what, last night, Stone Cold Steve Austin was screwed out of the World Wrestling Federation Championship. But he wasn't screwed out of it by Triple H. No, he wasn't screwed out of it by his tramp of a wife, Stephanie, either. No, he wasn't screwed out of it by that piece of trash Vince McMahon, either. No, last night, Stone Cold Steve Austin was screwed out of the WWF Title by the WCW Champion. The Force of Nature. Stone Cold was screwed by the man who calls himself 'The Storm,' Matthew Skinner!

"Matthew Skinner, ya wanna interfere in my matches? Ya wanna stick your nose in my business? Ya wanna get involved? Ya wanna dance? Matt Skinner, if ya wanna dance, go get yourself some tap-dance lessons, `cuz if ya stick your ugly face in my business again, I'm gonna have to take the business side of my boots to your ass and stomp a mudhole in ya!" Austin paused now, while the fans cheered loudly. "Tonight, I'm gonna get myself a rematch against Triple H for the WWF Championship, and if I see one measly hair on that head of yours near the ring, I'm gonna have to teach you a lesson in Ass-Whupping 316 at Stone Cold University, and that's the bottom line-- and that's the bottom line-- and that's the bottom line-- What? -- `cuz Stone Cold said so!"

* * *

Later that night, the main event was, indeed, the rematch between Austin and Triple H. They picked up right where they had left off, tearing into each other with their entire arsenals, but the match was not even five minutes old when The Storm appeared on the ramp. His head was now bandaged, but he still wore dried blood on his face. He watched with that disturbed little smile on his lips as the two men in the ring fought on, oblivious to his presence.

Slowly, The Storm walked down the ramp, along the side of the ring, then took a seat in the chair normally occupied by ring announcer Lillian Garcia (who had left her seat seeing the bloodied madman coming), flashing Paul Heyman a grin as he did so. The Mad Scientist of Sports Entertainment, for his part, managed to retain his composure and did not react too much, his voice wavering only slightly with anxiousness. Pickett also seemed slightly on edge, though for an entirely different reason.

Before long, Austin managed to knock down Triple H with a clothesline, then turned to yell at the cheering crowd, gesturing around his waist. He stopped as he caught sight of The Storm sitting at ringside. The two locked eyes, Austin staring with bewilderment that the Force of Nature would ignore his threats, The Storm staring back with that smile still on his face. Austin blinked first, then scowled and left the ring, stomping over to the seated Texan, sharing some choice words with him as The Storm stood to look him in the eye.

Austin finished what he was saying, then prepared to give him the Stone Cold salute, but The Storm beat him to the draw, flashing him the double bird, then pointing behind him. Austin spun around just in time to duck a swing by Triple H, who clobbered The Storm in the face with the WWF Title belt. Austin waited for The Game to turn back around, then jabbed his thumb in his eye before bouncing his face off the steel post and rolling him back into the ring for a cover and a near-fall.

The two continued to brawl as The Storm got back up on the outside, his face freshly bloodied again. Rather than seem angry, he seemed almost happy, if the insane chuckles uttered under his breath were any indication. He stood up, wobbling slightly, then grabbed his own title belt, heading over to the ring. Austin whipped Triple H into the ropes, intending to deliver his whiplash spinebuster. Hunter was ready to counter with his facebuster off the knee, but as he came off the ropes, The Storm swung his belt into The Game's back, staggering him enough for Austin to land the spinebuster for a near-fall as The Storm pulled him out of position.

Now Austin got up and reached over the top rope, grabbing at the Force of Nature, who just jumped up, grabbed his head, then hot-shotted him off the top rope into Triple H's waiting reach. The Game kicked him in the midsection, then delivered the Pedigree in the middle of the ring for the three-count. As he stood up in celebration, The Storm charged into the ring, knocking him flat on his back with a well-placed WCW Title belt shot to the forehead.

The fans started booing heavily as The Storm picked up the WWF Championship belt in his other hand, looking at it. After a moment, he grinned, raising both belts high in the air before dropping the WWF Title on Triple H's chest, then sneering down at Stone Cold, blood dripping off his face onto the Rattlesnake's prone form. This was far, far from over.

-more to come-

Next: There's trouble brewing on the horizon as tensions continue to mount between The Storm and Stone Cold, and what will Triple H's reaction be to being laid out by the WCW Champion? And how will Chris Jericho get involved?

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
November 13, 2002