Matters of life and death� (Cage, Underwood, Kado, and Fury) Featuring: Trisha VanReardon, Mary Jane Francis Jr., Stacey Lynn Jordan, Anthony Craven, 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: 09:26:41 09/15/00 Fri
Author: Trace VanReardon and Stephanie Connor
Subject: Matters of life and death� (Cage, Underwood, Kado, and Fury) Featuring: Trisha VanReardon, Mary Jane Francis Jr., Stacey Lynn Jordan, Anthony Craven, and Cat

10:45 PM� 13 September, 2000
Reunion Arena, Dallas Texas
(After the conclusion of The GWA Valkyrie Title Match)

GWA cameras follow the action out into the parking lot, where Stephanie Connor is seen bursting through a door of the arena. She looks around angrily for X-Rayted Man & Vixxxen, when all of a sudden a rope is flung over her head and around her neck. Alek Cage jerks back on the makeshift noose hard, choking her, and sending her to her knees. Alek�s face seems saddened and drawn through the cuts and bruises from the Kindred's attack earlier. Alek pours water on top of Stephanie�s head as she gasps for air. Suddenly Trace VanReardon is seen bursting through the arena door. Cage pulls out a tasor as Trace runs towards him. He holds it down on the subdued and dripping wet Connor. Trace screams for Alek to stop, but it�s too late as he pulls the trigger and electricity surges through Stephanie�s body. Stephanie drops to the concrete and shakes uncontrollably as Cage steps back and looks down at her� with a look of remorse. Trace drops down by Connor in a state of panic� almost afraid to touch her. As she convulses Trace scoops her up and tries to hold her still while Cage can be heard babbling apologies to Trace. Trace looks up at Cage with an intense look of absolute rage�

Alek: He made me do it�

Cage disappears quickly as the sound of footsteps and people shouting are heard. Trace looks down at Stephanie and squeezes her tight and rocks back and forth�

Trace: Open your eyes� Steph? Please�

Trace runs a trembling hand through her hair and looks around frantically for help before looking back down at her in total panic�

Trace: GODDAMN IT!! OPEN YOUR EYES� please!

Stephanie�s eyes suddenly flicker open� but her expression is totally blank as she stares straight past Trace as if she couldn�t even see him. Suddenly she begins to struggle as if in the middle of a waking dream. She suddenly blurts out through her delusion�

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

Trace loses it as he struggles to hold her down and tears start to roll uncontrollably down his face. Suddenly Trisha VanReardon runs out of the building, cellular phone in hand as she kneels beside Trace�

Trisha: I called the paramedics!! They�ll be here any minute!!

Trace nods absently and watches as Stephanie�s gaze shifts towards him and her eye focus momentarily�

Stephanie: � why�

Her eyes flutter shut and Trace holds her close to him and rocks her as he repeats over and over again�

Trace: I won�t leave you� I won�t�

Trisha watches her brother� seeing another side of him that she had never seen before with anyone else. She still had no love for Stephanie Connor� but could it be that she had judged her too hastily and much too harshly? Perhaps she would never approve of anyone where things concerned her baby brother. Trisha could see that there was more to Connor than her good looks� it was something unsettling. Connor had proved that Trisha�s instincts about her were right with the recent mace attacks, seemingly without reason. It was easy to say that you reap what you sew� but this seemed excessive. As Trace and Trisha sat with Stephanie, Mary Jane Francis ran out the back door of the arena with Stacey Lynn Jordan close behind her. MJ grabbed Trace from behind, paying little or no attention to what was going on around her�

MJ: LET�S GO!! IT�S SHOW TIME!

Trace jerked away from her as he shot her a vicious glance, still holding up Stephanie. MJ looked back over at Trace, then down at Stephanie. MJ�s gaze hardened as she focused on Trace and pointed at him�

MJ: You�d better suck it up! She�ll be fine� but you�ll be f*cking jobless if you don�t get off you ass!

Trace looked back down at Stephanie as the words she had uttered resounded over and over again inside his head �Why did you leave me... WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME!!!� Trace shook his head slowly, but Trisha grabbed his arm and moved next to him as she grabbed hold of Stephanie�

Trisha: Just go Trace� I�ve got her!

Trace paused and stood up slowly, still looking at Stephanie as MJ shoved a 2x4 into his hand. Trace snatched it away from her, after giving her a disapproving look. Trisha waved Trace away�

Trisha: She�ll be fine� help is on it�s way�

Trace ran over to the arena�s exit and stood on one side of the door as Stacey stood on the other side, casting a conserned glance over toward Trisha and Stephanie. Not even five seconds pass as Fred Underwood walks through the door of the building. Stacey unleashes a devastating sidekick to the door and it violently slams back into the face of Kado as he steps out the doorway. Underwood turns around and sees the grinning face of Stacey as he prepares to defend himself. But he goes down in a heap as Trace VanReardon breaks the 2x4 over the back of his head. Mary Jane Francis steps from behind Trace and puts her hands on her hips as she stands over Underwood�s prone body�

MJ: Wow Freddy! Out of all the times I�ve seen you at GWA events� this has got to be the most entertaining that I�ve ever seen you! But I�m not gonna let this moment escape me� without enjoying every single moment of it!

MJ nods to Stacey and a sadistic smile crosses her face. Stacey grabs Underwood by his hair and drags him up to his feet, as she scoops him up and prepares to �Screwdrive� him into the pavement. Suddenly three members of GWA Security run into the parking lot to stop them. Stacey drops Underwood and meets the first man with a front kick to the chest that knocks the wind out of him. The second man grabs Trace, but he shoves the man back against the wall and pins him there. The third Security guard runs up behind Trace, but MJ sticks out her foot and he goes sprawling to the ground. As Stacey grabs the second guard, the door is nearly knocked off it�s hinges behind her and Kado grabs Stacey from behind and tosses her into Trace and the struggling guard, sending them all to the ground. As Trace hits the pavement, he looks up and sees several EMT�s struggling to hold Connor down as she convulses. Trisha stands off to the side holding a shaking hand to mouth in horror. Trace screams for Stephanie and struggles to get to his feet, but he is brought down from behind by the guard he had pinned against the wall. Trace gets to his feet, grabs the guard, and whips him around violently� sending him smashing into the side of one of the many GWA satellite production vehicles parked out back. Trace is grabbed from behind and shoved against the truck, but the back of his elbow finds the man�s face, sending him stumbling back as he grabs his broken nose. As Trace turns around, everything goes black as a Dallas police officer connects his service baton with the side of Trace�s head. Two police officers quickly handcuff Trace as the third one leans against the wall wiping the blood from face and swearing angrily. Back at the arena entrance� Kado wraps a massive hand around MJ�s throat and literally picks her up from the ground as she gasps of breath. Suddenly a loud thud is heard and suddenly MJ is dropped to the ground as Kado stands there with a blank stare. MJ just manages to move out of the way as Kado hits the pavement and Anthony Craven is seen standing there with a dented metal pipe in his hand�

MJ smiles broadly as she gets to her feet�

MJ: I�m glad you decided to join the party� what took you so long?

Shadow smiled smugly as he nodded toward the door�

Shadow: I had to wait for my date�

MJ�s mouth drops open as she sees Cat standing there with a grin on her face. Cat steps down and stands beside Craven as she takes the pipe from his hands and looks at it, then she looks over at MJ. Cat�s smile melts away as she tosses down the pipe beside Kado�s motionless body and steps over him. MJ watches as Cat and Shadow walk over to a white limousine and disappear inside. Before she can say anything else, Stacey Jordan walks past her as well. Stacey stops and looks over at the ambulance as the EMT�s finally get Stephanie strapped to a stretcher and load her into the back as Trisha watches on�

Stacey motions for her to come over as well, but she points at the police cruiser that Trace is stuffed into the back of. Stacey nods and steps into the back of the limousine as it pulls off and MJ goes into a screaming fit�

5:15 AM� 14 September, 2000
Dallas Police Department, Dallas Texas

Trace leaned against the bars of the cell as his mind drifted to thoughts of Stephanie Connor being held down as she convulsed violently. All that she had wanted was for him to be there for her� but he hadn�t been there when it counted the most. One desertion begat another as he reluctantly joined in on the attack on Underwood and Kado� and finally one last time as she was carted off to the hospital and he was taken to jail. Trace bangs his head against the bars in frustration as a crowd of incarcerated onlookers watch him. A pair of excessively tattooed men whisper back and forth to one another before one of them walks up to Trace�

Juan: Hey Homes! Aint you that wrestler guy from The GWA?

Trace ignores the man and does is best to block out the man�s attempts at questioning him further, but he doesn�t give un easily�

Juan: Hey! I�m asking you a question man! Are you one of those punk asses from The GWA?

Trace rubs his temples, but says nothing. The man grabs Trace and yanks him away from the bars and spins him towards him�

Juan: LOOK CHICO! I�LL BUST YOUR F*CKING FACE PUNK!

The other tattooed man grabs his friend as Trace turns back away from them and leans back against the bars as if nothing had happened. The other man pats his friend on the back�

Jak: Take it easy there Juan! Don�t you see who this man is? This is Trace VanReardon� he�s a champion over there in The GWA�

Juan: HE�S F*CKING LUCKY HOMES! I was about to bust his f*cking ass man!

Jak laughs�

Jak: Bust his ass? Bro� this guy is cool! Man� he�s like a goddamn chick magnet! They see him and they just take off their clothes and want to do the wild thing all the time! Aint that right man?

Jak threw his arm over Trace�s shoulder and leaned in close to him�

Jak: Especially that Connor chick� AWWWW! Man� that is one sweet piece of ass there bro! Hey� just between me and you� what�s she like in the sack huh?

Trace doesn�t answer as he closes his eyes and tries to ignore the man� but his persistence is too great�

Jak: Come on man� tell us! It�s not like the b*tch is gonna be anymore good to you or anyone else now! She�s a vegetable now!

Jak starts to go into mock convulsions as everyone in the cell laughs, but the laughter is short lived as Trace slams a hard right hand into his face. Trace grabs the man by his hair and sends him face first into the cell and he falls to the floor screaming as blood streams down from a deep cut on his forehead and his busted nose. Juan grabs Trace by his shirt and whips him into the far wall as inmates scatter to get out of the way. Juan rushes over and tackles Trace into the wall, but Trace lands a knee to his midsection over and over that knocks the wind out of him. Trace grabs him by his hair and yanks him up. Juan holds up his hands and screams for Trace to stop and points down at Jak as he squeals in pain�

Juan: STOP MAN!! STOP!!! I DIDN�T WANT TO FIGHT YOU� HE MADE ME DO IT MAN! HE MADE ME DO IT!

Trace looks at Juan as if he�d seen a ghost. He yanks Juan toward him angrily�

Trace: What did you say!

Juan looks dumbfounded and terror stricken�

Juan: Wh� what?

The words uttered by Alek Cage resound in Trace�s mind and suddenly Trace finds himself standing in the parking lot again as the words of Alek Cage repeat over and over again� �He made me do it! He made me do it!� Trace�s eyes grow wide as he looks down and sees his hands wrapped around the throat of Alek Cage. Juan screams as Trace slams his head into the wall viciously and he slides down, leaving a bloody streak on the concrete. Trace grabs the unconscious body of Juan and wraps his hands around his neck and squeezes for all he�s worth� pouring ever ounce of pain he can muster into his bulging arms. Trace grits his teeth as he sees the electricity jump from the tasor into Stephanie�s pale skin. He feels her convulsions rising through his arms from the flailing body underneath him� and he squeezes even harder to stop it. Juan�s tongue hangs out and his eyes roll back in his head as Trace threatens to choke him too death� �Trace! Trace! Stop it!!! YOU�RE KILLING HIM!!� Trace�s eyes come back into focus and he sees the struggling body of the man called Juan in his grip. Trace lets him go and backs away as he looks over his shoulder at his sister standing at he cell door watching him. Several more police officers move in and open the door as they pull him out of the cell�

Trisha: What in the hell is wrong with you!

But Trisha knows the answer before she even utters the words. The officers quickly shove Trace against the wall and handcuff him as the shift sergeant orders him charged with two additional charges of assault. Trisha turns to the officer and pleads for him to let Trace go�

Trisha: Officer! Please!! I�m begging you! My brother is not a bad person� what happened outside the arena was an accident! He had no idea that was a police officer outside the arena!

The sergeant cocks his eyebrow at Trisha�

Sergeant: And I suppose it�s better now that he just beat the living hell out of two men who weren�t policemen?

Trisha: No� not at all! It was wrong� but� but� his girlfriend was just sent to the hospital tonight. He has no idea how she�s doing! If she�s living or if she�s� she�s�

Trisha paused and looked at Trace as he rested his forehead against the wall. His chest heaved up and down and a thin sheet of sweat coated his face. His eyes were blank� but she knew he was listening to her� and he knew what she meant to say. Trisha looked to the office again, her eyes starting to well with tears�

Trisha: Please?

The officer pauses for a long moment as he looks down at Jak and Juan laid out in the cell, then over at the three officers holding Trace�

Sergeant: Un-cuff him and get him the hell out of my precinct!

Several of the other men in the cell rush to the bars and beg Trisha to ask the sergeant to let them go as well. The cries to be let go turn to cheers and whistles as Trisha kisses the sergeant. He grabs her and holds her at arms length�

Sergeant: Alright! Alright! Don�t get mushy! Just take your brother and get him out of here before I change my mind! Those two characters in the cell are as rotten as they come� but this in no way absolves your brother�s actions! Now� take him down to booking and get him the hell out of my sight�

The officers escort Trace out of lock-up and take him down to receive his property. As Trace is handed his effects and walks out of the building with Trisha, the sergeant calls her one last time�

Sergeant: Miss!

Trisha turns around at looks at the officer�

Sergeant: I hope your brother�s girlfriend is alright�

Trisha nods and follows Trace out into the parking lot. Trace tosses down his bag, spilling his property and The Olympic and Legion Title onto the ground as he paces back and forth. Trace turns to Trisha�

Trace: Which hospital! Which one did they take her to!

Trisha stops�

Trisha: I� I don�t know?

Trace doesn�t even hesitate as he walks out into the street just as a taxi is coming. The car barely stops in time as Trace doubles up over the hood. The driver curses at Trace, but he gets into the taxi and is off before Trisha can follow. Trisha gathers up Trace�s belongings and watches at the taxi disappears around the corner and the scene fades�

8:10 AM� 14 September, 2000
Burton Medical Center, Dallas Texas

After searching the city for several hours looking for the right hospital, Trace stumbled through the main door of The Burton Medical Center. Trace wandered through the hospital in a daze. His head was swimming with images of Stephanie being carted off and the image of what Cage had done to her. Trace bumped into people left and right, but too no notice of any of them. As he staggered past the Nurse's station, one of the petite nurses quickly intercepted him...

Nurse: Excuse me sir! Can I help you?

Trace looked down at her as if he just noticed her there suddenly. The nurse looked over at the Head Nurse, then slowly back to Trace...

Nurse: Sir? Are you all right??

Trace blinked his eyes and his mind cleared momentarily...

Trace: Connor... Stephanie Connor...

The nurse looked concerned for a moment as she knew her next question would send him off the deep end...

Nurse: I'm sorry... unless you are a relative... I can't let you see her now. Give me your name and maybe I ca...

Trace pushes the nurse aside as he reaches over the counter and grabs the chart listing. The Head Nurse jumps to her feet, then thinks the better of it and moves back away from Trace as he rifles through the charts until he finds Stephanie's room number. Trace tossed the charts back down onto the desk and walks down the hall as the two women call for help. Trace finds the room and quickly pushes the door open and walks inside. Trace freezes as he sees Stephanie hooked into various monitors and instruments. A knot of anger builds in his throat, but he chokes it back down and goes to her side as he holds her hand and strokes her hair... being careful and hoping not to cause her further pain. As he hears the door swing open behind him he turns as sees several members of hospital security standing at the door. A doctor pushes his way through them and looks at Trace...

Doctor Kerns: Trace?

Trace doesn't acknowledge Kerns' question, but the doctor knows the answer without asking anything else. He motions for the others to leave the room as he steps inside to explain the situation...

Doctor Kerns: Trace.... are you related to Stephanie some way? I need to know, because to be honest with you, she may not make it. Her heart already stopped once, right after she came in. Her heart is not beating very strongly. We need an explanation as to why. I hoping you could shed some light on what happened to her? The man who came to visit her earlier didn't get a chance to explain the situation.

Trace turns slowly to Kerns and looks at him through narrowed eyes...

Trace: Man? What man!

Doctor Kerns: If I recall his name was Steven Fury. He said he was her boss.

Trace shakes his head and turns his attention back to Stephanie...

Trace: That f*cking bloodsucker! Checking up on one of his investments... making sure she's available to spill her blood all over one of his rings next week I suppose! Fury can go to hell!

Trace pauses then turns back to the doctor...

Trace: What happened to her? You want to know what happened to her!

Trace stands up suddenly, causing the doctor to jump back. Trace doesn't leave Stephanie's side as he continues to stroke her hair...

Trace: She was doused in water and shocked with a goddamn tasor by a walking dead man! That's what f*cking happened!

Trace kneels back at Stephanie's side and forgets the doctor's presence as he kisses her forehead lightly and starts to talk to her...

Trace: Steph... Steph? Wake up... It's me... It's Trace...

Trace puts her hand to his cheek as he closes his eyes and struggles to find the words, even though his voice starts to crack under the strain...

Trace: Damn it! You have to get better... you have to! Please Steph!!! It's my fault...

Trace pauses with the revelation...

Trace: IT'S ALL MY GODDAMN FAULT!!!

Trace pauses there as he struggles to swallow the emotions threatening to consume him. Doctor Kerns listen to Trace's pleading. He lets out a deep sigh. This was the kind of thing that made him not like his job. He walked around to the other side of the bed and looked at a couple of the monitors and wrote a couple things on his chart. He then turned his attention back to the tormented Trace�

Doctor Kerns: I'm sorry Trace. I hate to say this but she can't hear you. It seems she slipped into a light coma. Her brain waves are almost none existent. This happens a lot when people are revived from clinical death. Like I said there is a strong possibility she may not pull through. That is why I need a family contact. They may need to start making arrangements. I am doing all I can. But it depends on her. If she has a strong will to live�then that will help her in her fight. If she wills to die... then as much I don't want to say it, she won�t make it. You can stay as long as you like. Just make sure you stay quiet.

Trace nods and the doctor backs out of the room, leaving them in silence. Trace turns back to Stephanie and stares at her for a good long time as the doctor's words play over and over in his mind. "She can't hear you Trace..." Trace holds her hand to his lips and kisses it gently. Slowly Trace leans over next to her... his lips nearly touching her ear...

Trace: I love you...

[ 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.