From The Pyre� Into The Ashes� (Cage, Connor, Damm, Storm, Bock, Francis, Vixxxen, & X-Rayted Man) Featuring: Trisha VanReardon and Cat -- Gladiator Wrestling Alliance

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, [5] ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 23:33:54 09/16/00 Sat
Author: Trace VanReardon
Subject: From The Pyre� Into The Ashes� (Cage, Connor, Damm, Storm, Bock, Francis, Vixxxen, & X-Rayted Man) Featuring: Trisha VanReardon and Cat

�Reasons��

�We all have reasons for the things that we do. Whether they be selfish motives or not� it�s a rare occasion when someone does something just for the hell of it. Stephanie Connor had been on a tear as The Valkyrie Champion� but more than that� she had been on a rampage outside the ring as well. Welding a can of mace� she had perpetrated an attacks on Chris Damm, Johnny Storm, and Sebastian Bock. Her reasons were her own� but they had come back to haunt her on Insurrection. Alek Cage had been the instrument of revenge� willing or unwilling. While Mary Jane Francis and Cat toyed with one another for control of CTN� Trace kept up his silent vigil at Stephanie�s side. Seemingly now� all else forgotten� with the exception of Connor and Cage��

6:10 PM� 16 September, 2000
Burton Medical Center, Dallas Texas

As Trace VanReardon kneeled at Stephanie Connor�s bedside he held her hand tightly as he pressed it against his forehead. He had not moved from her side since finding her nearly two days prior. Doctors and nurses had come and gone� checking charts and making notes. Some had turned their attention to him, pleading with him to get some rest for himself, begging him to eat� even checking his vitals and bringing him food� all that he ignored. His thoughts were singular at best� to see Stephanie smile at him again. To see her look at him and give him that special look that affected him in ways that no one else had ever done. Trace promised himself that he�d never leave her side again� Trace paused� that was not really true. Trace would leave her side one more time�

Trace�s jaw tightened as he thought of Alek Cage standing over Stephanie�s damp and quivering body. Alek�s eyes had told the tale� he was as appalled by the act as anyone else had been. Obviously acting on orders from a higher source� none the less he had committed the act with his own hand� he would reap the benefit first� but he would not be the last. Trace promised himself absolution� �Tra� Trace?� Not really sure if what he had heard was real and deftly afraid to look up and no see what he knew to be true� Trace squeezed Stephanie�s hand� and his heart leapt as her pale hand returned the squeeze� weakened by the ordeal� but no less welcome. Trace looked up into her intense eyes� now somewhat dull, but no less radiant. Trace couldn�t contain his joy as he held her head and kissed her gently� showering her with kisses�

Trace: Steph! Thank God!! Thank God!!!

Trace reached for the buzzer to call a doctor� a nurse� anyone who could confirm that she was indeed finally awake and fine. Stephanie�s hand caught Trace�s hand just as it was a mere few inches from the button. Trace looked down at her, bewildered by her actions. Stephanie managed to shake her head weakly as she stared at him�

Trace: We have to make sure that you are alright� we have to call someone�

Stephanie�s eyes suddenly sharpened� but just as before in the parking lot her expression when totally blank. Her hands reached out with blinding speed as she grabbed Trace by his neck� choking him. Trace grabbed her arms as she began shaking him violently�

Stephanie: Why did you leave me.. WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME!!!

Trace struggled to get a breath of air as he freed himself of her grip. With her chokehold broken, she stopped her flailing and her body went limp. But her intense eyes focused fully on Trace� her blank expression filling him with dread�

Stephanie: You let me go�

Stephanie�s head lolled to the side as her eyes stayed open� losing their brilliance suddenly as the monitors blared their warnings and lights flashed. The heart monitor displayed it�s flat-line and Trace stumbled back, nearly falling over an adjacent table as he pounded the button�

Trace: HELP!! SOMEBODY HELP ME!!

Trace was frantic once more� unsure of whether to touch her or go into the hallway screaming for help. Remembering his promise, he grabbed Stephanie and clung to her� resolved not to leave her side. As the heart monitor continued it�s whine, Trace hoped against all hope that Stephanie would fight for her life� whether she wanted that life to include him or not. �Move aside!!� Trace pause as he was unsure if he was hearing the voice or not. �Sir! You�ll have to get out of the way!� Trace moved aside quickly and looked up. His heart nearly stopped as he saw the face of Vixxxen staring down at him�

Vixxxen put her hands on her hips as she looked at Stephanie�s prone body and shook her head. Before Trace could move a muscle, she reached down and yanked a handful of wires out of their housings. Stephanie�s body jerked with the cruel swipe as thousands of dollars worth of medical equipment toppled over and smashed into the floor�

Trace: NO!! WHAT THE F*CK ARE YOU DOING!!! YOU�RE KILLING HER!!!

Trace struggled to move, but he was held fast. Vixxxen turned to him, her eyes welled with crocodile tears�

Vixxxen: Don�t worry my love� she�s not dead yet�

Trace�s eyes flicked up as the door to Stephanie�s room flew open and Alek Cage walked in� the image was complete as he was decked in a doctor�s overcoat� sharply contrasting with his shock of lime green hair. Alek looked down at Stephanie and his eyes widened� just as they had done in the parking lot of The Reunion Arena. Acting quickly he rushed to her side, quickly checking Stephanie�s vitals. His gaze became even more frantic as he did not like what he�d found. He looked over at Vixxxen�

Alek: NURSE! ASSIST ME!

Vixxxen sprung into action as Trace watched on as if everything around him was in fast forward� and he stuck in reverse. Vixxxen grabbed a pitcher of water a kind nurse had left for Trace and dumped it unceremoniously over Stephanie�s entire body. Trace screamed as he knew what would come next� and so it did. Alex pulled a tasor out of his overcoat and held it up as he looked at Vixxxen�

Alek: CLEAR!

Vixxxen put on a helmet and pulled down the black plexi-glass blast shield over her eyes� her maniacal grin still glaring. Alex brought the tasor down onto Stephanie�s soaking wet body and instantly the air was charged with electricity as her body shook so violently that the bed vibrated. Trace was frozen� not even his mouth obeyed him now. Smoke poured from the smoldering sheets as Alek strained to send more voltage into Stephanie�

Alek: IT�S� IT�S NOT WOOOORKING!!

Vixxxen tore off her helmet and ran around the side of the bed. She plugged a thick black cable into the back of Alek�s tasor and stood by a humongous throw switch on the wall. The muscles in Trace�s neck bulged as he strained to move or talk� but neither would happen. Vixxxen blew Trace a kiss and looked down at Stephanie, her eyes now open and staring up at the ceiling as her body convulsed and threatened to shake itself apart�

Vixxxen: I HOPE YOU F*CKING DIE YOU UGLY B*TCH!!

Vixxxen yanked down the throw switch and suddenly the world seemed to go silent all around Trace. The lights flickered and everything stopped� frozen in time� everything except for Trace and Stephanie. Trace looked down at her laying in the bed looking over at him� even the smoke hung motionless over her body. A single tear rolled down her face as she looked at him�

Stephanie: You let me go� you said you�d be there� but you weren�t�

Stephanie�s eyes lost focus and dulled one last time�

Trace: Steph�

Stephanie�s body arched violently as the most excruciatingly painful scream erupted from her frail body. All the lights in Dallas itself seemed to flicker and dim as what seemed like a bolt of lightning shot from the tasor and into Stephanie�s pale body. As her screams peaked� Trace realized in horror that his scream was also being added to hers. Her body seemed to explode like confetti and her scream died away in an instant. Trace continued to scream as Vixxxen scooped up a handful of what remained of Stephanie and blew it across the room like so much dust. Vixxxen hopped into Alek�s arms as the two jumped up and down in celebration. Vixxxen gave Alek a kiss, then turned her attention to Trace� his screaming fit now broken by gasps for air as he hyperventilated. Vixxxen walked over to Trace and touched her fingers to her pursed lips� then to Trace�s. His screams died away quickly as he stared up at her. She took him by the hand and pulled him to his feet�

Vixxxen: She�s gone on to a better place now. Forget about her� she�s moved on� now it�s your turn�

Vixxxen pulled Trace in front of the mirror and grinned�

Vixxxen: Take a look�

Trace�s eyes moved upward slowly as he looked at his reflection. He was unable to turn his eyes from the image as Vixxxen pealed the latex mask from his face�

Trace�s mouth gaped as his hands trembled. Vixxxen leaned over his shoulder and whispered in his ear�

Vixxxen: It�s you� as you were meant to be. Mine� all mine�

Trace�s lips trembled, but no words would come. His eyes suddenly glazed over as he felt a cold touch on his shoulder. He stared in frozen terror as the charred remains of Stephanie Connor leaned over his other shoulder. Her pale silky skin gone� her long dirty blonde locks singed� only her fierce blue eyes remained. The grinning apparition squeezed his shoulder�

Stephanie: You�ll have to go�

Trace screamed and broke down into hysterics�

*** *** ***

The nurse shook Trace violently as he screamed� his eyes open wide� but seeing only the dream. As she shook him one final time he stopped and realized where he was. The nurse leaned over him�

Nurse: Mr. VanReardon� You�ll have to go�

Trace stopped and wiped the sheen of sweat from his forehead. The nurse tugged on his arm, but Trace yanked away from her and shot a vicious glance her way. The nurse stood back and pointed an angry finger at him�

Nurse: Mr. VanReardon� you�re disrupting this entire ward and this poor woman�s recovery! This will not stand! I�ll see you thrown out of here! You can�t stay here forever�

Trace glared at her, but turned his back and continued to hold Stephanie�s hand to his forehead in silence. The nurse shook her head�

Nurse: Have it your way� I�ll have you dragged out of here! Not even Doctor Kerns will allow you to stay here so long as you cause this sort of disruption! You�re hurting her more than helping her with your presence here.

Trace turned to the nurse and stood up� his eyes reddened from lack of sleep�

Trace: I�m not leaving�

The nurse gave a smirk�

Nurse: Suit yourself� the police can come and drag you out.

The nurse turned to the door, prepared to call the Dallas police, but she was stopped in her tracks as the tall frame of Cat stood towering over her� a slight smirk of her own plastered across her face�

Nurse: Can I help you?

Cat glanced over at Trace, then back to the nurse�

Cat: Not really� I�m here to see Mr. VanReardon and Ms. Connor.

The nurse folded her arms�

Nurse: You people are something you know! Look! This man is about to be removed from this room and you have even less right to be here than he does! So I suggest that you�

Cat held up a single hand to stop the nurse�s rambling as Dr. Kerns stepped from behind her and shook his head at the nurse, who quickly quieted down. Cat grinned at the nurse and walked past, bumping against her, ever so slightly. The nurse looked at the doctor and he shook his head and motioned for her to step out of the room�

Nurse: But sir�

Doctor Kerns: Ms. Jones has arranged for a private room at the other end of the ward. Would you mind helping the other girls set it up?

As the nurse paused and started to argue the point, Dr. Kerns grabbed her impatiently and pulled her out of the room. Trace turned to Cat and watched her through narrowed eyes�

Trace: Why?

Cat walked to the opposite side of the bed and kneeled down, her big brown eyes watching him intently�

Cat: Why not�

Trace turned his attention back to Stephanie�

Trace: Is this some sort of appeal for me to join up with you instead of MJ? I really don�t give a damn about that right now� you and the rest of The Circle can go to hell!

Cat grinned even broader�

Cat: Perhaps we will� but wouldn�t you rather send Alek Cage there first?

Trace�s eyes flicked up at Cat. The mention of Cage was already filling him with new anger and new hatred. Cat stood up and nodded�

Cat: I�ll scratch your back� and when it�s time� you can scratch mine�

Cat looked down at Connor, then back to Trace as she held out her hand�

Cat: They�ll be moving her soon� come get something to eat. You won�t do her any good if you starve to death.

Trace ignored Cat as he kissed Stephanie�s hand. Cat sighed and put her hands on her hips�

Cat: Suit yourself.

As Cat turned to walk out of the room, Trace called out to her�

Trace: Cage belongs to me� I don�t want anyone else touching him�

Trace�s eyes met hers�

Cat: I understand.

Trace nodded and went back to his silent watch over Stephanie as Cat walked out of the room. Trace rocked back and forth as he thought of Wednesday� nothing would get in his way� and God help anyone who tried�

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

[ Contact Forum Admin ]

Forum timezone: GMT-5
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums^(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.