The Counter-Invasion
By: Jay Winger

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

Teaser: 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?

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: Shane McMahon and Test came out to start, cutting a promo lauding the fact that Triple H had retained thanks to a run-in by The Storm, but then ordered The Storm to come out and give Test a match for the WCW Title. The Storm v. Test ended in a "no contest" when Test and Shane started brutalizing him with a steel chair. The Storm only seemed to enjoy the beating, however, and started laughing like a maniac, scaring the two such that they fled the arena. Stone Cold then arrived and tried to exact some revenge on The Storm for costing him the WWF Title, but was separated by Commissioner Regal. The CIW locker room, witnessing The Storm's psychotic behavior, feared that he was slipping further into darkness, but Scion stepped forward and told them all to be wary and warn those they could trust. Gemini def. Tommy Dreamer & Raven to successfully retain their WCW Tag Titles, finishing the two off with a G-Force Combo and a Twin Terror Bomb. Backstage, Allliance and WWF/CIW women all clamored over who deserved to get the now vacant Women's Title, since Rain was going to be out of action for several months, but Commissioner Regal said there was going to be a tournament, which would end at Wrestlemania. Lance Storm then showed up and started mouthing off, prompting Regal to order him to get three allies to face himself, Tajiri, and the Z-Men. Regal, Tajiri, Zed & Zeta def. Lance Storm & The Hurricane & Dudleys after Zeta took out The Hurricane with a reverse wheelbarrow powerbomb dubbed the "Code Blue," and after Tajiri took out Lance Storm with the green mist and a kick to the head. Elsewhere, Scion sought out The Storm, but found himself in the basement, having a verbal confrontation with two voices from the darkness. Meanwhile, Stone Cold cut a "What?" promo against The Storm, warning him to stay out of his business. In the main event, Triple H def. Stone Cold in a return match, during which The Storm did indeed come out, and ultimately hit both men with his title belt after Triple H pinned Austin with the Pedigree. The show ended with a bloodied Storm holding his belt over the unconscious form of Stone Cold.

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 24: Shots Fired

Thursday: Smackdown, February 27 - 4 days after No Way Out

As the opening pyros and music of Smackdown faded, the TitanTron lit up again with the flickering lightning and rumbling thunder that signaled the arrival of The Storm. The fans started booing as the lights went out and the voice growled, "This is your Storm Warning!" When the man himself appeared, wearing a plain black T-Shirt with his usual attire, the boos turned into a loud chorus of "Skinner Sucks!" Matthew Skinner just smirked as he carried his WCW Championship belt down to the ring. He stepped between the ropes, then took a microphone, turning to regard the derogatory chants he was getting.

As the chants started to die out, he spoke. "This goes out to every boy wonder daredevil... to every six-six boot-throwing jackass... to every so-called Cerebral Assassin... and to every single bald-headed, beer-drinking, finger-raising,
mudhole-stomping Texas Rattlesnake--" He paused, smirking at the new round of boos that he was receiving, then finished: "Seek shelter, because The Storm... has... ARRIVED!" He lowered the mike, sneering at the chants of "Asshole! Asshole!" the audience was now roaring at him.

Adjusting his title belt on his shoulder, Skinner looked around at the new anti-Storm signs in the crowd. One read Force of Nature: Just a Traitor. Another had a tombstone on it and read RIP Matthew Skinner with a rattlesnake coiled up on the ground in front of it. But the most common sign in the crowd read Why Skinner Why? The Storm chuckled to himself before he spoke again. "Oh, yes, that's the question on everyone's mind, isn't it? Why, Skinner, why? Why would you attack Stone Cold Steve Austin, Storm? Why did you cost him the WWF Championship, Storm? Everyone seems to think I'm going to turn traitor and join the Alliance just because I cost Stone Cold the title. Well, guess what?" ("What?" chanted a few smart alleck fans.) "I did it just because I could!"

As that sunk in, The Storm sneered. "That's right, I'm not joining the Alliance. I've made my extreme distaste for Shane McMahon and Paul E. Dangerously Obnoxious quite clear. I cost Austin the title simply because I am a Force of Nature. You can't trust a Force of Nature. Just when you think you're on top of the world, you can expect the skies to just open up and rain on your little victory parade. The reason I cost Stone Cold the title is because the right to take the WWF Title away from Triple H is reserved for one person, and one person only, and that's me! That's why I'm going to march right back to Commissioner Regal's office and I'm going to tell him to make a match between myself and Triple H for the WWF Championship, and once I beat him, then I will be the new unified Champion of the World! And just to make things all the sweeter, that much more special, I'm going to have our esteemed commissioner book that match at Wrestlemania!"

The fans were really getting on The Storm's case now, with the "Asshole!" chants mingling with the "Skinner Sucks!" chants. Then the TitanTron lit up again with the legend Y2J and a timer that quickly counted down to 0.00. The lights went out and pyros exploded on the stage. "Yeah, you know I gotcha, yeah, one -- BREAK THE WALLS DOWWWWWN!" The lights came up on the form of Chris Jericho, who was looking up at the screen, arms extended and shaking, a microphone in one hand. He wore a Jerichohol T-Shirt over a pair of his usual flashy tights. He turned around, pumping his arm to jack up the cheering crowd, then looked at The Storm in the ring. The Force of Nature's smirk had turned into a forbidding frown as Jericho walked down the ramp.

"Matthew Skanker," Jericho began, using his habit of deliberately mispronouncing names, "I came out here to do two things. The first is to ask you to please, puhleeeeze SHUT THE HELL UP!" The fans cheered and started chanting "Y2J! Y2J!" before he continued. "The second is to point out a little snafu you might run into when you go ask Commissioner Regis for a Wrestlemania title shot. Yeah, that snafu is a little Y2J Problem, `cuz I am the one who is #1 contender at Wrestlemania, not you! So you can forget about your little plan to go to the greatest spectacle of this business to become the Unified Champion, `cuz, junior, you ain't got the shot, I do!"

The Storm scowled, then smirked again. "Jerky-ho, first off, you're lucky I'm in a good mood right now, `cuz otherwise I'd come out there and kick your ass straight back to Canadia for interrupting me. Second, you're right, you are the #1 contender. But that's a problem easily fixed. All's I gotta do is go back there and tell Regal to make me the #1 contender. It shouldn't be a problem, since we all know you don't have what it takes to beat me, just like we all know you don't have what it takes to beat Triple H." Jericho now wore a frown of his own as he reached the bottom of the ramp. The Storm saw this. "Oh, what's the matter, Jerky-ho, the truth hurt? Facts are facts, Chris. In all of our matches together, you've never beaten me. In all of your matches against Triple H, he's right, you've never beaten him. So, Chris, tell me, what gives you the right to be #1 contender over me?"

"I'll tell you what it is, Matthew Skanker," Jericho said, now standing outside the ropes. "First is I won the Royal Rumble, which gives me the right. And second is I've got each and every single one of these Jerichoholics here tonight supporting me, and they're all just begging me to give you a Y2J beating that you will never--" "Eeeeeeeever!" "--ever forget agayn!"

The Storm just laughed again. "Chris, we've been over this. I'm going to speak slower, because I know you're Canadian." The fans booed again. "You. Can't. Beat. Me. Does that blond hair go all the way to your brain, Chris? How's about I just kick your ass right here, then go back there, drag out a referee, pin your ass, and then I'll be #1 contender! I'm an undefeated champion, Jerky-ho, and I mean to stay that way!"

The two of them were now nose-to-nose, glaring at each other, when the TitanTron lit up again, playing the music of "No Chance." A mixture of cheers and boos greeted the WWF Chairman as he came down to the ring, collecting his own microphone as he separated the two. Vince McMahon gave them both a glare. "Just what the hell is the matter with you two?! Need I remind you that we're in the middle of a damn invasion here? Those ungrateful children of mine can smell blood in the water, and dammit, I'm not going to have my company fall apart like this!" The Storm advanced again, but Mr. McMahon pushed him back. "Hey, listen, if you two are so eager to kick the crap out of each other, then, in the interest of fairness, we'll have for our main event tonight, a two-falls match! The first fall, just to satisfy that scheming son of mine, will be for the WCW Title, and the second fall will determine just who the #1 contender at Wrestlemania will be!"

The Storm smiled. "I've got no problem with that, Vince. It'll give me a chance to prove that I'm the one who should be #1 contender, and I'll also prove that no matter how good Jericho talks, he can't beat me, but the simple fact is I am a Force of Nature, and I am the WCW Heavyweight Champion of the World, and Y2J Chris Jericho will never..." He paused, then sneered as he said, "eeeeeeeeeeever amount to a damn thing in this business."

After Skinner finished talking, Jericho blinked as though coming out of a trance. "Oh, I'm sorry, Matthew Skanker, I couldn't hear a word you were saying because all the hot air you're spewing is blocking up my ears." Skinner glowered, lowering his belt off of his shoulder and looking ready to charge as Jericho continued. "You say that I can't beat you? Well, Skanker, I'm more focused now than I've ever been at any other point in my career! I'm so close to the WWF Title I can almost smell it, and after tonight, when I do finally beat you, I will prove why I am the #1 contender, why I am the Ayatollah of Rock-and-Rollah, and why you are going to be downgraded to a simple tropical depression and that, Skanker, is your Y2J Warning!"

The two of them continued glowering at each other as Jericho's music hit, with Mr. McMahon attempting to keep the two of them from ripping out each other's throats.

* * *

Backstage, Lilian Garcia interviewed Scion, whose face, as usual, was half-hidden in the shadows of his hood. "Scion, tonight you face Test, but it's no secret backstage that since Sunday night, you've been preoccupied with what is going on with The Storm, Matthew Skinner."

"That is correct, Lilian," the enigmatic holy man replied. "Matthew and I have known each other since we both worked back in the old CIW. I have dedicated my life to battling the forces of darkness, and I can tell you right now that Matthew is teetering dangerously close to what is often termed the Darkside. Believe me when I tell you that I am doing everything in my power to prevent this from happening, but the truth is I cannot help Matthew unless he wants my help, and I fear that may not happen. Know this: if Matthew Skinner does succumb to the Darkside, then nobody -- not the Alliance, not the WWF, not CIW, nobody -- will be safe from his wrath."

Lilian looked a little spooked, but managed to ask her next question. "What about your match tonight with Test? Will you be able to stay focused on it?"

"That you need not worry about," Scion replied. "This man, whom some would call a modern-day Judas, will fall, and I shall speed him along that path." Without another word, he swept off toward the ring for his match.

* * *

In the match, Test came out as the early aggressor, attacking Scion before he could finish his pre-match ritual and set down his cross and remove his robe. The traitorous Canadian continued to beat on the holy man and slam him around the ring until he got a near-fall off of a powerslam. As Test argued with the referee, Scion got back up, looking a bit peeved.

Test turned around just as Scion hurled off his robe and began to fight back. Test was rocked back by the enigmatic wrestler's right hands and chops to the chest, backing him into the corner. There, Scion pushed his head back, then reared back before delivering a hard slap to the sternum. He followed it up with a second, then a third before whipping Test across the ring with enough force to bounce out of the corner into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for a near-fall. Scion stood up, backed against the ropes, then came back with a falling kneedrop to the throat.

Finally, Scion began to soften him up and looked to finish early after a scoop slam. The holy man climbed to the top rope, apparently looking for the Jesus Wept. Test, however, got up enough to shove the ref into the ropes, crotching Scion and toppling him into the ring. Test got back up, went over to the CIWer and turned him onto his back before folding him over for a pin. As he did so, Test placed his feet on the second rope for leverage, but only got a two-count before Scion kicked out.

Angry, Test stalked across the ring, then crouched, slapping his thigh, signaling for his Boot to the Head finisher. Scion got to his feet and turned around, but ducked under the boot, going off the ropes as he did so, coming back with a high clothesline. Recovering from the landing, Scion, face stern, faced Test and made the sign of the cross with his hand, then waited for the man to get to his feet. When the WCWer faced him, the holy man sent him into the ropes, then caught him on the rebound, lifted him up, then Rydien-bombed him down in the Fall from Grace. He covered, 1... 2... 3, and was victorious.

His job finished, Scion stood up, retrieved his cross and robe, then left up the ramp, nodding to cheering fans as he went.

* * *

Backstage, The Hurricane leapt into his shared locker room with Lance Storm, complete with the accompanying Whoosh! sound-effect. Mighty Molly, his pink-clad sidekick, soon followed. They found Lance facing away from them, rubbing at his face with a towel. "Hark! What have we here, loyal sidekick?" the self-proclaimed superhero asked Molly. "It is our always-athletic, sometimes-skeptical, ever-serious partner, Lance Storm!"

"Holy adjectives, Hurricane!" Mighty Molly replied. "You're right!" They swiveled their heads in time to look at each other, and the two shared a thumbs-up, "As always!" And they swiveled their heads back to look at Lance, who seemed to ignore them.

"Hold on, Molly, our friend seems to be in a maliciously miffed mood!" The Hurricane walked over to him. "Citizen Storm, what seems to be the trouble?"

"Trouble?" snapped Lance. He stood and finally faced Helms. Now the source of his frustration became clear. His face was stained green. "Look at my face! That spastic Japanese imbecile spewed green mist all over my face, costing me the match!"

"Holy infractions, Citizen Storm!" Mighty Molly frowned. "A most vicious and despicable violation of the rules, indeed!"

"Exactly," Lance said, pointing at Molly. "Which is why if it weren't for the fact that I can't get this green stuff off my face, I'd go out there and teach Tajiri a lesson in respect for the standards and rules of this business!"

"Never fear!" The Hurricane proclaimed. "I shall undertake this task, Citizen Storm, and vanquish that vile villain Tie-jiri!"

"We shall smite him with the Hammer of JUSTICE!" Mighty Molly added, jumping onto a bench and striking a superheroic pose, fist in the air.

Gently, The Hurricane pulled her down off the bench. "Sidekick, two things you must still learn. First of all, you must never upstage the superhero!" Mighty Molly bowed her head in apology. "And second, you do it like this!" Then he leapt onto the bench and struck a superheroic pose, finger pointed forward, face set sternly. Molly jumped up beside him and tried to imitate it, as Lance got fed up and left the locker room, still rubbing at his face with his towel.

* * *

Backstage, the Gemini were walking around, sporting CIW T-Shirts and their WCW Tag Title belts. A stagehand happened to be in their way, and got summarily shoved aside as the twin brothers headed for their locker room. Pollux was bragging. "I tell you, Cas, we're gonna keep movin' up in the world. Right now we're WCW Tag Champs, soon we'll be WWF Tag Champs, and nobody's gonna mess with us!"

"No doubt, Pol, no doubt. Hell, we kicked Taker and Kane's asses, nobody's gonna wanna take us on!" Castor grinned, then opened the door for his brother to their private locker room, closing it behind them. The camera stayed on the door for a moment, and then loud noises came from inside. Crashes and other loud noises. The sounds of a severe beating. And it sounded like the Gemini were losing.

Finally, the door smashed open as Castor came flying out, going straight into the ubiquitous metal pipes stacked against the opposite wall. He flopped to the floor as his title belt was chucked out to land on his back. Undertaker stepped out of the room and stomped the twin with the educated feet in the head. "See you around, boy!" the Dead Man snarled as he walked off.

Shortly thereafter, Pollux came flying out as well, tripping over his brother and landing on top of him as his belt was chucked out as well. Kane emerged next. He just looked down at Pollux's motionless form, whipped his hair back out of his eyes, then just said, "Bitch." He walked off after his brother.

* * *

The fans popped as Tajiri's Oriental theme hit, signaling the Japanese Buzzsaw's approach to the ring. The former ECWer nodded to the fans as he walked into the ring, where he posed on the ropes, grinning and nodding his head. "The following contest is scheduled for one fall. Introducing first -- representing the WWF -- from Japan, weighing in at 205 pounds... TAJIRI!"

"Stand back! There's a Hurricane comin' through!" The superheroic music began to play for a moment before another voice chimed in, "Holy sidekicks, Hurricane! It's Mighty Molly!" The music continued as the two delusional superstars marched out, striking "justice" poses on the ramp before continuing. "And his opponent -- representing the Alliance and being accompanied by Mighty Molly -- from parts unknown, weighing in at 191 pounds... THE HURRICANE!" As the pair reached the bottom of the ramp, however, Lance Storm appeared at the top, still mopping his face with a towel to little effect. The green stain was still there.

The Hurricane stepped in the ring, lips pursed in a frown as he removed his cape and handed it to Molly. He pivoted, one foot in the air, then planted his foot and marched up to Tajiri, who looked at him. The Hurricane pointed at Tajiri, pointed at Lance, then put his hands to his throat and mimed the mist-spewing motion before spreading his arms. "Wassapwitdat?!" Helms demanded of Tajiri.

The Japanese wrestler replied by snapping out his right foot and kicking The Hurricane in the side of the head. Helms reeled back as Tajiri moved in with some quick forearms, then a series of kicks to the legs and knees and midsection. In a moment, Tajiri had him backed into the corner, where he slapped him in the sternum. The Hurricane cringed as Tajiri grinned to the crowd before doing it a second time. Then he grabbed his arm and whipped him across the ring, kicking him in the head again as he staggered out of the corner. The kick caused The Hurricane to turn around, woozy.

Tajiri quickly grabbed Helms as though going for a back suplex, but instead propped him up on the corner. Tajiri then kicked him in the small of the back, causing The Hurricane to dangle backwards out of the corner, in the "Tree of Woe" position. The Japanese Buzzsaw backed up, grinning and pointing at Helms, nodding his head. Mighty Molly ran around the ring, rushing over to try and help free her mentor. Tajiri came running in, intending to deliver a baseball slide to Helms' face.

Just as Tajiri started to slide, however, Molly pulled The Hurricane up and out of harm's way. As a result, the former ECWer slid crotch-first into the ring post, eliciting a groan from both him and the audience. Helms disentangled himself and got up in the ring, stomping away on Tajiri's skull before picking him up and slamming him in the middle of the ring. He followed this up with a quick legdrop, then a cover for a two-count.

Frowning again, The Hurricane bent over Tajiri's face, striking the hurri-pose as he did so. Tajiri responded by snapping his foot up and into the top of Helms' head. The self-proclaimed superhero fell over as Tajiri nipped back to his feet, clapping his hands, then setting him up for the Buzzsaw Kick. The Hurricane got up to his knees, then swiftly ducked under the kick as Tajiri lashed out. The Japanese wrestler turned back, straight into a thumb to the eyes before Helms grabbed him and dumped him by the ramp.

The referee was distracted by Molly getting in the ring and helping The Hurricane affix his cape back to his shoulders, and so he didn't see Lance Storm rush down the ramp and start beating on Tajiri, snarling about the green stain on his face before sending Tajiri into the ring post, then rolling him back into the ring. Tajiri slowly got back to his feet as The Hurricane perched on the top rope, cape attached once again. As the former ECWer faced him, Helms leapt off the top with a high crossbody, which missed as Tajiri ducked under it, starting to unleash another blistering series of kicks.

Finally, Tajiri kicked out the legs and unloaded the Buzzsaw Kick to The Hurricane's head, dropping into a cover. But Mighty Molly was not about to let "justice" fall that easily. She jumped onto the apron and distracted the referee as Lance Storm slid into the ring and prepared to unleash a superkick on Tajiri. The Japanese Buzzsaw turned around and caught the kick, spun him around, then clutched at his jaw before suddenly spewing the blinding green mist. Lance Storm, however, had it scouted now and ducked, which meant that the recovered Hurricane took the mist square in the eyes and fell back into the corner, clutching at his face.

Referee Mike Sparks turned back just in time to see Tajiri duck a clothesline from Lance, then stand and stroke at his throat. Tajiri turned around and suddenly spewed a cloud of red mist straight into Lance's face. The Canadian started screaming, clutching his face, then fell to the mat, rolling quickly out of the ring as Tajiri glanced back to The Hurricane, who staggered out of the corner toward him. The Japanese wrestler waited until he was in range, then unleashed a stiff superkick to the delusional Alliance member and covered for the 1... 2... 3.

At ringside, Tazz was on color commentary and was demanding to know why the referee didn't disqualify Tajiri for using the mist. Michael Cole replied that the referee only saw Tajiri spew the mist into Lance Storm's face, not The Hurricane, so as far as the ref was concerned, that's legal! Jim Pickett, who was on the third headset, chuckled that the ref probably couldn't tell that Helms had gotten a faceful of mist since it blended in with the superhero's mask.

* * *

"The following contest is scheduled for two falls, with the first being for the WCW Championship, and the second to determine the #1 contender for the World Wrestling Federation Championship!"

The crowd cheered as the TitanTron lit up with the Y2J timer, counting down to 0.00 before the lights went out. Pyros exploded and the music started up: "Yeah, you know I gotcha, yeah, one -- BREAK THE WALLS DOWWWWWN!" The lights came back up on Chris Jericho, who stood facing the screen, arms extended. He turned around, pumping his arm, then strode down to the ring, jacking himself and the audience up for the match. "Introducing first, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, weighing in at 231 pounds... 'Y2J' CHRIS JERICHO!"

Jericho stepped into the ring and paced around, looking up the ramp and then crouching in wait. His music faded, replaced by the thundrous drumroll and eventualy cymbal crash, the lights going out again. "This is your Storm Warning!" The fans booed as the music of Cold Steel roared up, the lights coming back up to reveal The Storm standing on the stage, again wearing a black T-shirt and wearing his championship belt around his waist. "And his opponent, from Dallas, Texas, weighing in at 240 pounds... he is the WCW Champion... Matthew Skinner, 'THE STORM!'"

The fans were booing heavily and chanting "Skinner Sucks!" as he came down to the ring, tossing his belt to a stagehand, then sliding into the ring to begin brawling with Jericho. The two traded right hands until Skinner blocked one swing and drove his knee into the Canadian's stomach. Sneering, he knocked Jericho down with a stiff shot to the temple, then pulled him up and threw him into the corner, where he started chopping at Jericho's chest. After four chops, The Storm punched him in the head, then started kicking and stomping away at his midsection.

He paused and laughed, turning to gesture rudely to the booing crowd. He spat in referee Earl Hebner's direction, then turned back to Jericho, whom he pulled back upright and then set him on top of the turnbuckle. The Storm chuckled, then chopped him in the chest again before climbing to prepare to superplex him. Jericho fought out of the front face-lock, then delivered a quick headbutt to dislodge his opponent, who fell and crashed to the mat. He then stood up on the second rope and waited for Skinner to get back up before hitting a missile dropkick to the back of his head.

As he got back up, Jericho stomped him in the head, then chopped him in the chest twice. After the second one, however, The Storm snarled and chopped him back. Jericho reeled, then fired back with a chop of his own. Skinner staggered slightly, then chopped him again. This continued for a couple of exchanges before The Storm started getting the upper hand, chopping, then hitting an open-handed slap to the sternum on the backswing. He backed Jericho against the ropes, then grabbed his arm and whipped him across, going for a clothesline. Y2J, however, ducked under, then rebounded off the ropes with a flying forearm attack, knocking Skinner down.

"Come on, you son of a bitch!" Jericho shouted, stomping him in the head, then picking him back up and chopping him across the chest. He chopped again, backing Skinner against the ropes, then went for the whip. The Storm reversed the momentum and twisted Jericho's arm behind him in a hammerlock. Before Y2J could react, The Storm slapped on a half-nelson as well, then launched Jericho backwards in that deadly half-nelson snap suplex, folding him in half. This elicited a groan from the audience, which started booing and chanting, "Skinner Sucks!" again.

The Force of Nature stood up, stretching his neck back and forth, then cracked his knuckles. He beat on Jericho for a moment, then lifted him off the mat and dropped him with a hard right hand. With a smile, The Storm wetted his finger and raised it in the air, pointing to a corner, drawing more boos as he started to climb. He leaned back on the top turnbuckle, holding onto the ropes for balance, waiting for Jericho to stand back up. When he did so, The Storm leapt out in the Windfall--

--and struck the bare mat as Jericho ducked out of the way. The Storm got back up, teeth bared in a grimace as he clutched his chest, then reeled as Jericho chopped him in the chest again. Jericho followed it up with a second, then a third, before he whipped him into the ropes, then hit a spinning wheel kick. The Storm got up, holding his face where he was kicked, but then Jericho came off the ropes, grabbing his head and smashing his face to the mat with a bulldog. He stood up and yelled, "I'm gonna be the champ!" before running to the ropes. He jumped, bounced off the second rope and sailed backwards in the Lionsault.

Unfortuantely, The Storm had it scouted. He rolled out of range, then got up and snared Jericho in a full-nelson as he landed on his feet. With a snarl, he lifted him up, then dropped forward, dropping him on the back of his neck and shoulders in the Downdraft. He floated over into a cover, hooking a leg. 1... 2... 3. "The winner of the fall -- and still the WCW Champion -- THE STORM!"

The Storm sneered, then turned Jericho onto his stomach and started to set him up for the Necksnapper. Y2J, however, had other plans. He flipped the Force of Nature off of him, then slid out of the ring to regroup. Naturally, The Storm did not let him off that easy, going off the ropes for a baseball slide. Jericho saw it coming and stepped out of the way, then bounced his opponent's head off the barricade once, twice, thrice, four times total before chopping him in the chest and whipping him into the ring steps.

The Storm plowed into the steps legs-first, his momentum flipping him over with a loud clangor, getting up rather quickly, if dazed. Jericho pursued and rolled him back into the ring, then followed. Skinner got up as he rolled into the ring, then slid out the other side. Jericho sneered and slid right back out after him, but this bought The Storm the extra time he needed to recover a bit from his trip into (and over) the stairs. As Jericho landed next to him, The Storm thumbed him in the eye, then grabbed his opposite shoulder, hooked a leg and dropped Jericho in a side Russian legsweep.

He wasn't done yet. He stood back up, grabbed Jericho's legs, then tilted backwards and catapulted him face-first into the ring post. The Storm faced the crowd after pulling off the move, tilting his head at the round of boos he was getting. He sneered and slapped one hand through the other in a rude European gesture, then spat. "Fuck you!" he snapped at one fan, who brandished a The Storm Doesn't Suck - He Blows! sign. He stomped over to Jericho, pulled him up, and rolled him into the ring.

Inside, Skinner brought the pain again. He pulled Jericho up and gave him a swinging neckbreaker, then a stiff clothesline. He put him in the corner, chopped his chest a couple of times, then turned and roared, "I'm gonna bomb him through the fucking mat!" He chopped Jericho again, set him up on the top rope, then hooked Jericho's legs over his shoulders. Grabbing him by the middle, he pivoted around, preparing to deliver a vicious powerbomb into the mat. Jericho, however, reversed it into a hurricanrana, flipping The Storm across the ring.

"Y2J's been taking a beating throughout this match," Cole commented. "He can't have much left, so how did he manage to reverse that?"

"The Storm practically yelled it in his ears," Pickett replied. "How could he not have reversed it?"

Jericho returned to the corner and hitched himself to the second rope, beckoning for The Storm to get up. He delivered his second missle dropkick of the match, then a pair of quick elbow drops before grabbing The Storm's legs and trying to turn him over into the Walls of Jericho. Skinner, of course, fought it, but was unable to get the leverage he needed to counter it or reverse it or to break it. Jericho heaved and twisted, and finally managed to turn him over, stretching his legs back and driving his knee into The Storm's back, a much more painful variation.

"And Jericho's got The Storm locked in the Walls of Jericho!" Cole shouted.

"Skinner's never tapped out before, Cole, and he's not about to tap out now, I can tell you that!" Tazz replied.

"I'm gonna have to call you there, Cole," Pickett said suddenly. "That's not the Walls of Jericho. That, my friends, is the Liontamer, a more excruciating version of the Walls. But our orange-clad thug here, though I hate to admit it, is right. Matthew Skinner has never tapped out to a submission in his career, and I highly doubt it's going to start now."

Sure enough, as Jericho leaned back, stretching The Storm futher, screaming, "Ask him! Ask him!", the Force of Nature suddenly started laughing in between the snarls of pain that came out of his bared teeth. "Ahhahahahahahaha, oh yeah, that's it! Come on, Jerky-ho, lemme feel it! Hurt me, baby, come on!!"

Jericho responded to this by simply arching back further, stretching him even more, yelling his fury to the rafters. "Ask him!" "I ain't done yet, Jerky-ho! Ahahahaha! Give it to me some more!" "ASK HIM!" "COME ON, BABY, AHHAHAHAHA! HURT ME, I FUCKIN' DARE YA!"

Yelling with rage, Jericho arched back still further, and lost his balance, having to break the hold. The Storm flopped face-down on the mat upon release, then suddenly did a push-up, body quivering as he flashed an insane smile at Jericho. Y2J stared at him as The Storm laughed again, standing up and tilting his neck from side to side, then arching his back, clutching it. "Man, that hurt like hell, junior!" Skinner cackled. "I'll be feelin' that tomorrow! Ahahahahaha!"

"Come on, you son-of-a-bitch, stay down!" Jericho lunged, locking up immediately, but The Storm seemed to have gotten some sort of bizarre second wind, hurling Jericho into the corner. He charged in, but got an elbow to the face for his trouble. He turned around, holding his jaw, and Jericho rushed in and clipped him in the back with a forearm. The Storm gave a shout and crumpled to the mat. That extended stretch in the Liontamer had indeed taken its toll.

Jericho grabbed his legs and started to turn him over again, obviously intending to do it again, but now The Storm was ready. He grabbed and held onto Jericho's leg, cackling insanely under his breath, preventing the challenger from turning him over. After a moment, Skinner grabbed both legs and kicked his own free, dropping them to the mat and turning Jericho over, slapping him in a Boston Crab. Jericho screamed in this for a few moments, but he was close to the ropes, so he was able to grab the bottom rope to break the hold.

The Storm didn't let up as he released Jericho, however. He dropped an elbow square on his back, then dragged him out into the center of the ring, preparing to put him in the Necksnapper. Y2J, however, turned himself over and kicked Skinner straight in the jaw. The Storm staggered back, then took an enzuigiri dropkick to the head, knocking him over. Jericho got back to his feet. "Come on, you son of a bitch!" he yelled, stalking him, waiting for him to turn around. The Storm had rolled onto the apron and was in the process of getting back up.

Jericho ran to the corner, springing off the second rope and intending to do his springboard dropkick, but The Storm was ready for him again. He grabbed Jericho's head and dropped clean off the apron, hotshotting him off the top rope. Jericho snapped backwards, clobbering Hebner in the process. The Storm laughed evilly as he slid back into the ring, pulling Jericho up and scooping him onto his shoulder. Holding him there, The Storm grinned and pointed up. "Lightning!" he screamed. The fans booed as he dropped Jericho down in the Southern Lightning Driver. Rather than cover, however, he went to the corner and climbed to the top. He stood and, without apparent time to target, leapt out in a Savage Elbow, driving it deep into Jericho's chest.

The Storm now made a cover, but Hebner was still down. Swearing under his breath, Skinner got up and not-so-gently kicked him in the kidneys. As he was busy doing so, however, he noticed a rising cheer from the crowd, and -- more importantly -- the chant that had suddenly sprung up: "AUSTIN! AUSTIN!"

The Storm whirled around just in time to see Stone Cold Steve Austin get to his feet after sliding under the bottom rope. Before he had time to react, Skinner got a swift kick to the stomach. Austin spun around, grabbed The Storm's head, then dropped him in the Stone Cold Stunner. The Storm shot back to his feet and actually left his feet after the move, falling backwards onto the mat. Austin then dropped onto his stomach and thrust his face right into Skinner's. "You wanna mess with Stone Cold? What? You wanna cost Stone Cold the WWF title? What? What? You wanna be Unified Champion? What? What? What? Enh-ehh! No way! What? What? WHAT?!" Austin sneered and left the ring, stomping back up the ramp and watching with his arms folded.

Jericho had recovered by this time. He saw The Storm on his back on the mat, then ran to the ropes, sprang off the second, and flipped back in a perfect Lionsault. He dropped into the cover just as Hebner came around. The referee slapped the mat 1... 2... 3! The crowd cheered as Jericho stood, Hebner raising his arm in the air. "The winner of the fall, and therefore the #1 Contender is CHRIS JERICHO!"

Jericho turned and saw Austin, then looked at The Storm. Jericho nodded to Austin, then returned the "Stone Cold salute" that the Rattlesnake gave him. Both men understood perfectly that this wasn't about helping each other, it was strictly business -- Jericho wanted to go on to face Triple H, so he didn't care how he did it, and Austin just wanted to screw The Storm out of the chance to face Triple H.

Jericho left the ring and walked past Austin on the ramp. Austin eyeballed him as he walked by, then turned back to the ring and smirked as The Storm came to, realizing what just happened. He surged to his feet and started cursing a blue streak. He spun to face Austin, eyes bulging. Austin laughed and gave him the "Stone Cold salute" as well, then pointed The Storm, at himself, then gestured around his waist. I want your belt.

The Storm grabbed his belt from Hebner, then raised it up as he glared at Austin. He pointed at the belt, then tapped his chest. This belt belongs to me!

-more to come-

Next: Another shot has been fired in the brewing war between The Storm and Stone Cold. Other problems are fast coming to a head as well. Will cooler heads prevail, or will this powder keg even make it to WrestleMania?

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=-
December 21, 2002