SEASON SEVEN

EPISODE 5: BECOMING THE HUNTED
PART TWO

By: X_C

 SPACE: THE FINAL FRONTIER. THESE ARE THE VOYAGES OF THE WWF TITANPRIZE. IT'S MISSION: TO EXPLORE AND ENTERTAIN NEW SOCIETIES AND NEW CIVILIZATIONS.  TO BOLDLY GO WHERE NO WRESTLER HAS GONE BEFORE!

TITANPRIZE/NYTRON CREW:

Captain Vince Russo (aka High Commander)
First Officer, Commander Jeff Jarrett (aka The Chosen One)
Chief Engineer, Commander Stephanie McMahon
Chief of Chiefs, Commander Linda McMahon
Chief of WrestleFleet Security, Commander Kane
Chiefs of Nytron Security, Commanders Hall, and Nash
Chief WrestleFleet Medical Officer, Dr. Taker
Chief Nytron Medical Officer, Dr. V. M. Piro
Diagnostics Officer, Lieutenant Commander Jericho
Tactical Officer, Lieutenant Commander Austin
Transporter Chief, Lieutenant Commander Debra McMichael
Communications Officer, Lieutenant Rock
Counselor Al Snow (assisted by H.E.A.D.)
 

... And many more!

NYTRON SPACE-MYSTERIO-6

    "Cya later Crocky!" Shane waved merrily as Lt Rock was escorted by four heavily armed Nytron guards into the depths of the weapons factory. Let the People's Chump get his grimy little fingerprints all over the illegal phasers and dangerously modified bombs - that dirty work was beneath a proud McMahon.

    Now, sealing the earthly remains of those Hardy twits in airtight coffins - he could throw a party around something like that! Matty and Jeffy being dead meant Shane O' Mac wouldn't have to try and run a scam on Russo, something he wouldn't live to tell about if he failed...

    Maybe he wouldn't live to tell anyways; it was rather hard to breathe when someone had their knee in the base of your spine and a blade pressed so tight to your throat that inhaling just a little too deeply would slice you open.

    "Hardly?" Shane managed to croak out.

    "Bingo." Jeff was hissing in his ear. "You win a prize for passing round one. I won't cut your throat for the next five minutes."

    "Get off me! I'm still your superior officer!"

    "You’re backstabbing pondscum!" Matt was laughing. "I gotta say, you really suck at this whole murder thing. By the way, did you even realize you're helping Russo blow up the Milky Way?"

    "What?" Shane glared up at him, which took some doing since he was almost facedown in Nytron mud. "You're crazy!"

    "Well, well, well, The Rock'll be a monkey's ass!" Rock smirked with amusement as he saw the knife gleaming against the young McMahon's preppy flesh. "Looks like you found your little jabronis!"

    "Shane O' was just explaining to us how he rigged our shuttle's warp core to explode, stranding us here on this floating chunk of space debris." Jeff greeted the Communications Officer. "And after that I believe he was going to confess to poisoning his sister and selling out Wrestlefleet."

    "Like hell!" Shane would rather bleed to death than give anything up to the Hardyz. "But I will confess I do enjoy your girlfriend's sweet, sweet lips Ensign Jeff! Did I forget to mention that Lita's moved up in the world since your untimely death?"

    "Commander McMahon, the Rock says this!" He was on his knees, shouting in Shane's face. "You screw the Great One, taking your candy ass to Wrestlefleet and reporting the Rock for laying the smackdown on you and Benoit's intelligence operation? You make the Rock save that dirty panties model you call a sister and then you spit in The Rock's face! Two things that don't go together are Shane McMahon and Intelligence! Now you better start singing, you steaming pile of McMahon monkey crap, or the Rock's just gonna let ol' Jabroni Hardy carve a new blowhole in your neck!"

    No wonder Benoit wanted to assassinate this moron! "Fine!" Shane spat the words out. "I tried to kill Matt and Jeff! I poisoned my sister! I sold you up the river Rocky! And yes, Rainbow Bright, I have played tonsil hockey with Lita!"

    "Why?" Jeff pocketed his knife and stood up. "To get back at me for liplocking Stephie so long ago?"

    "You two have a nasty chronic case of immortality." Shane brushed his uniform off, trying to maintain his dignity. "And by the way, Lita-lover." He poked a finger into Matt's chest. "The Titanprize is two months away from Earth now. Where do you get a looney idea like Russo wants to rip my galaxy apart?"

    "Uhhh maybe from the plans we found for a massive quantum explosive." Matt snapped back. "Accompanied by maps of the Milky Way. We sort of just put two and two together."

    "I'll bet." Shane wanted to jump up and down, throw a temper tantrum. Those freaking, freaking Hardyz! Of course-you try and wipe them out of existence, they live to discover Russo's maniacal master plan! God how he hated them more than ever! "Dr. Taker?" He pounded on his comm badge. "Beam down the coffins. I've found what's left of the Hardy ensigns."

    "Aye sir."

    Matt and Jeff looked slightly queasy as two standard issue Wrestlefleet burial chambers materialized on the surface. Aerialians liked wide-open spaces they could fly through, not high-tech, oxygen-deprived caskets.

    "Play dead boys." Shane was smiling so ghoulishly it made Jeff take a step backwards. "Take it easy, Gumby. As much as I'd looove for you and your big brother to slowly suffocate, you'll be all snug in a stasis field."

    "A stasis field?" Matt frowned. "How long do you plan on storing us exactly?"

    "I convinced Russo to keep you in Taker's morgue til we do a fly-by near Aerialia. The ship should be mine before then." Shane explained calmly. "You'll keep for three months. Don't look so anxious Jeff-Lita won't want for a pair of arms to keep her warm!"

    Matt and his brother exchanged glances. Commander McMahon was playing a lethal game of cat and mouse with a total madman. If Shane hadn't been doing it so he could sit in the captain's chair, the brothers might have admired his bravery and sacrifice.

    And just what had Shane given up about Wrestlefleet to make Russo trust him completely with this retrieval mission?

    "Well...." Jeff hesitantly sat inside the cramped coffin. "I'd feel a lot better if I had my favorite teddy bear."

    "Pipe down you monkey's behind." Rock hissed. "Those Nytron jabronis are about to bring it! Lay your candy ass out in there and know your role!"

    "Aye aye, Commander Catchphrase!" Jeff saluted Lt Rock before allowing the lid on his final resting place to be sealed. As the stasis field was activated, he just prayed that ol' Shane O' Mac hadn't gotten any funny ideas about sabotaging the specially rigged coffins....

WWF TITANPRIZE-THE SMACKDOWN

    "Slut!"

    "I'm sorry!" Trish's face turned bright pink and she recoiled as Ensign Helmsley brought a huge fist crashing down on the bar. "Is that synthehol n-not right?"

    "It's fine!" Hunter spat, ignoring the glasses that shattered on the floor from the impact of his blow. "It's just-Stephanie...." He was too angry to put it into words!

    "Trouble in paradise?" The Kanatian beauty's wide eyes sparkled with innocence.

    "Paradise?" Hunter laughed scornfully. "Blondie, I don't define paradise as finding my tramp wife about to make first contact with another man's lips! If you can call that a man!"

    "Oh nooo." Trish sighed. "Stephanie and Chris huh?"

    "How the hell do you know it's Jericho?" Hunter was practically frothing at the mouth as he leaned over the bar. "Is there something going on behind my damn back?"

    Trish felt her back collide with a rack of champagne bottles. Provoking the Game was a fine art she'd better learn fast! "No! Of course not, sir! Sure, there was that shower thing and-"

    "Shower thing?" Helmsley's eyes were wild. "Talk or die Trish!"

    "Oh god." She whimpered. "I shouldn't have been eavesdropping but Chyna and Eddie were talking while she was here at work and....it was nothing! I swear it!"

    "If it was nothing you shouldn't have a problem spitting it out!"

    "Chris told Chyna.... man Ensign Helmsley." Trish was trembling. "He said that Stephanie climbed into the shower with him! It was probably an accident-"

    But Hunter didn't hear anything about any "accident"-he couldn't hear a damn thing above his own pulse thundering in his ears. Something broke inside him when he spotted Jericho and his blushing bride sitting at a table in the corner. It didn't matter that they weren't looking at each other, weren't speaking to each other...

    Something inside him just snapped.

    "Hey!" Last Call Hall, Nytron terrorist turned synthehol sponge, was slow to react as Hunter stripped him of his weapon and turned it towards Lt Commander Jericho, his teeth bared in a predatory smile as super-charged plasma burned a hole in one rugged titanium shoulder, causing the scumbag 'droid to reel back in shock.

    Jarret, who'd just strolled into the Smackdown, waved at his Nytron officers to stand down. Russo should've been here to savor the moment-the fiery young ensign was gonna kill two birds with one lethal stone by cutting down the patriotic toy robot and Vince's spoiled spawn with phaser fire! Beautiful!

    "Oh god-Chris!" Stephanie knelt beside him, wishing she'd had her tri-corder.

    "Get away from me Princess!" Jericho pushed her away, out of Hunter's line of fire as another blue beam of death exploded against the wall. No one was going to stop the attack either-not a single Nytron even so much as twitched a muscle...

    Shooting a hole in the Y2J Unit's mechanical heart just wasn't good enough after watching Stephie fall over it like some sort of angel of mercy! Jericho wasn't entitled to mercy!

    "You don't wanna play it that way, Trip!" Chris ignored the searing heat that burned his shoulder, watching with smug pleasure as Hunter tossed his phaser to the ground. Oh this was soooo perfect! No way could ol Needle Nose match his lightning fast android speed or superhuman strength! It would be like shooting fish in a barrel to pick the son of a bitch apart once and for all!

    "Make me bleed Jericho!" Hunter sneered at him. "Break every damn bone in my body, make me hurt so bad I'll wish I was never born! There ain't a damn price I wouldn't pay just for the chance to kill you with my bare hands!"

    "Oh please god,  don't do this!" Stephanie cried out in horror, watching as the Nytron formed a circle around the two men, chanting for a fight with a bloodlust that frightened her. She just knew one of them wouldn't come out of this alive....

    "Who am I to deny Trip his death wish?" Jericho flinched as Hunter landed a fairly impressive blow to his  ribs with a solid kick. The pain lasted a mere second before the android wrapped one hand around Helmsley's throat and threw him like a rag doll across the bar. The roar of approval from the Nytron audience  was drowned out by Stephie's hysterical screams.

    "Stop it Chris!" Stephanie wailed. "I am begging you, please, I will do anything-just don't kill my husband! Stop hurting him! Oh god-Hunter!"

    She ran over to where he was staggering to his feet, blood dripping down his handsome, sweat-streaked face. Stephanie tried to touch his arm, steady him, but he flung her aside like a piece of furniture.

    "Don't pretend you care about me!" Hunter shoved her again, this time cracking her skull against a turned over chair.

    Jericho was blinded by rage, watching that demonic Helmsley so out of control with Stephanie! He snatched the phaser off the floor and launched a fiery stream of plasma at his mortal enemy.

    "Stephanie!" No-no way! Hunter had pulled her in front him like a human shield, so that the little princess absorbed the phaser fire with her body. That insufferable coward!

    "You shot my wife!" Ensign Helmsley roared, lunging at the android. Jericho didn't put up a struggle, cause the sooner he jobbed to Hunter, the sooner Princess could get medical attention.

    Next time Trip... it will be Game over!

SICKBAY

    "Steph's time is running out Shane." Lita's breath formed icy clouds in the frigid morgue air, her heels clicking and creating hollow echoes against the metal floor. "You should lock Hunter up immediately before he gets her killed."

    "Hunter?" Shane raised an eyebrow. "Jericho's the one who shot her! That titanium twit is lucky I don't throw his robot ass in the brig!"

    "You won't because you know I'm right."

    "I don't know any such thing." Shane told her. "There's your boys!"

    Lita felt a wave of revulsion wash over her as she stood next to the two coffins. She was helping the slime who was playing Russo's right hand man-and Russo had murdered Matt and Jeff in cold blood!

    "They kept nice." Shane smirked as he watched Red kneel beside her boyfriend's so-called corpse, wanted to laugh out loud as the luscious Aerialian broke down and sobbed to the point of convulsions. Who knew the feisty little wench had such a soft heart underneath the layers of fire and ice she'd built around her?

    "I can't do this anymore!"

    "Lita...." Shane got down on his knees beside her, gently touched her hand. She wasn't just talking about the dangerous mission either-she looked like she wanted to curl up and die. What the hell did he just feel? A twinge of empathy? A pang of compassion? Could he trust her? "Lita, please listen to me. They're not dead."

    "What?" She wiped her eyes, ashamed at her weakness. "Of course they are. They're in airtight coffins you idiot!"

    "They're in stasis." Shane whispered. "Til we get the ship back."

    "Stasis." Lite murmured. She felt such a rush of joy she wanted to get up and dance. She could've even kissed Shane on the mouth just then...wait....no she couldn't! "Can we just wake up Jeff for a second so I can say something to him? Please?"

    "Are you nuts?" Shane hissed. "If anyone catches the freak awake, he'll have a phaser hole between his eyes so fast his head will spin. And so will we, Lita. You'll just have to postpone your little game of Aerialian tongue tag til after I save Dad's precious Titanprize."

    "Well, well, well Shane O'" Lita smiled. "You are a sweetheart aren't you? I know how much you hate them!"

    Shane blushed furiously. "Sweetheart? I'd give my right eye to unplug their oxygen right now! God-just go check on Steph alright?"

    "Aye sir!" Lita winked at him. Most intriguing-all this time she was looking for his weakness and all she had to do was look in the mirror!

SHUTTLEBAY 4

    "Don't even say it!" Stephanie stared daggers at the top bunk as she slithered under her sheets, her body aching from the way the super-charged plasma still burned in her veins. At least she didn't have to lay under the cold, curious eyes of Dr. Piro anymore....

    He'd looked at her like he wanted to perform a live autopsy or worse. God! She shuddered violently-there was just something about the creep that left her scared!

    "I'm sorry I shot you." Jericho said flatly, his baby blues fixed on the ceiling.

    "Get real Chrissie." Stephanie said scornfully. "Isn't "I told you so" on the tip of your tongue?"

    "I told you so?" Jericho closed his eyes, wanting to block out the memory of what he'd done to hurt her after he'd silently vowed to protect the little princess....

    "Cut the crap!" Stephanie sighed. "I know Hunter used me as a human shield. Make you happy to see it, slimebot?"

    Jericho bit down on his lip, hard. Stephie was already a marked woman as it was, to turn her anger loose on her rotten husband would be digging a grave for the naive wench.

    "He was trying to help you up. My shooting you was an accident."

    "Oh god!" Stephanie laughed. "Hunter saw you aim at him!" She stood on her tiptoes, looked at Chris curiously. "He threw me in front of the phaser blast as soon as you pulled the trigger."

    Jericho's gorgeous blue eyes locked with hers. "I have a very clear memory of that night. Hunter didn't know I was going to shoot him. He was helping you. Doesn't that make you happy, Princess?"

    Funny, Stephanie thought. It really didn't seem to make her happy at all.