SEASON SEVEN

EPISODE 12: THE END OF THE BEGINNING

By: Elektra

 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!

WWF TITANPRIZE - CAPTAIN'S READY ROOM

    "Captain's log, 080620.00. Shane McMahon is healed from the 'unfortunate' injuries suffered a few weeks ago. The little punk has now joined daddy in the brig! We are currently making our way towards Earth. We should arrive by tomorrow, and then my plan will be set into motion!" Russo laughed coldly, "Who needs the milky-way galaxy anyway?"

    "Don't you have any family there, Russo?!" Bishoff asked. It was a rare occasion that his gag was off.

    Russo raised an eyebrow and looked at him, "Eric, did I say you could speak?" he asked. "I thought I'd be nice and remove your gag today, but if you speak again, I may just have to punish you once more..."

    "I don't give a damn what you do to me anymore, Russo..." Bishoff replied. His voice was not much more then a whisper. He sounded tired, as if he truly didn't give a damn whether Russo shot him right here, right now. It startled Russo a bit. Eric was no fun if he didn't CARE what was happening to him!

    Bishoff made eye-contact with Russo, and Russo leaned back in his chair and looked away. Those eyes... they were as haunted as his voice. Bloodshot and almost calmly insane!

    Bishoff had grown pale and thin due to Russo's poor treatment. The skin under the ropes that bound his wrists and ankles was raw and covered with dried blood. He was a mess.

    Russo sighed, "Eric, to answer your question -- no. I DON'T have family there. I don't have family anywhere,"

    "So you think it's only fair that no one else have family either." Bishoff replied. It wasn't a question.

    Russo glared at the man before him, "Since when do you tell me how my mind works? Are you Counselor Crowbar? No! Shut the hell up, Eric!"

    "Kill me, Russo. I would rather die then watch you murder my family! EVERYONE'S families!" Bishoff replied, raising his voice.

    Russo jumped to his feet. This was the most Eric had said in all the time Russo had him tied up as his own personal play thing, "That's it! The gag goes back on!" Russo replied.  He went over to Bishoff.

    Before Russo could put the gag back on, Bishoff suddenly reached out and kicked him in the gut with his bound feet. Russo doubled over, and Bishoff clasped his bound hands and struck Russo across the face. Eric then peeled the ropes away from the skin on his wrists, and slipped out of  the knots around his legs.

    Bishoff stood up with noticeable difficulty, having not stood for a long, long time. He looked down at the fallen Russo, "Malnutrition makes one a bit thinner, Russo. Thin enough to slip out of ropes bound around one's wrists and ankles! Perhaps you should remember that next time!"

    When Russo was finally able to raise his aching head to glare at Bishoff. The man was gone.

    Damn those Houdinians! They always seemed to disappear at the least appropriate times!

BRIDGE

    "He's GONE?" Commander Jarrett whispered to a bruised Russo as the two sat on the bridge. "Shouldn't we find him?"

    "On this ship?" Russo replied, "It's heaven for a Houdinian. It would be impossible to find him!"

    "What about that WrestleFleet houdinian... Crash? Perhaps he can---"

    "NO!" Russo replied. A few heads turned to him on the bridge. He was trying to keep the conversation quiet. Damn. He glared at the bridge crew, "BACK TO WORK!" he snapped. They quickly did as they were told.  Russo lowered his voice so only Jarrett could hear, "I don't want anyone to know Bishoff was ever even here!" he said. "Besides, we out number him and can destroy him easily if he shows his face again!"

    Jarrett nodded, but said nothing.

SICKBAY

    Dr. Taker was sitting in his office when he felt the presence of someone. Someone lurking in the jefferies tubes above his desk.

    He stood up, and looked at the ceiling, "Come out, Bishoff..."

    A man dropped down through an open tile, and landed ungracefully on the ground, "How did you know?"

    "I know many things... such as how you were locked in Russo's closet for the length of his occupation here..."

    Bishoff shakily got to his feet. His legs still weren't used to holding his own weight after being forced to sit for so long, "It was you! I remember!  A while ago, I knew there was someone lurking in Russo's ready room... going through his things."

    Dr. Taker nodded, then frowned, "Tell me why I shouldn't kill your stank ass right here? You may have been Russo's prisoner, but you're still a Nytron!"

    "Please!" Bishoff begged, "I have information! He plans to blow it up! Blow it all up! And if anyone resists... he plans to kill McMahon's little girl!"

    "What does Stephanie have to do with anything?"

    Bishoff was getting awfully dizzy! For a man who hadn't eaten a decent meal in months, he had over-exerted himself merely escaping. "There's something in Stephanie's chest. Vamp put it there... he... he..." Bishoff passed out.

    Dr. Taker looked out the window of his office. Sickbay was empty. If he wanted any information, he would have to talk to the bastard lying on the ground in front of him.  Taker quickly grabbed medication and hyposprays and tended to his latest patient.

    Now... how to keep him hidden from the prying eyes of that fool Dr. Piro?

THE BRIG

    Shane stared at the ceiling, his father lying in a stupor in the cot beside him. Russo had kept him pretty doped up... but he did hear his father muttering something about Stephanie in his sleep. Something about her heart? No doubt foolish rantings from a man too drugged up to put together a full sentence.

    Shane turned on his side and stared at the wall. They were one day from Earth... and one day from complete destruction of everything he held dear. His planet, his family... his brand-new porsche! Damn Russo! The Nytrons didn't even know the full extent of Russo's madness! Those idiots follow him blindly, not realizing that he plans to destroy EVERYTHING, Shane thought.

    "STEPHANIE!" McMahon shouted in his sleep.

    Shane jumped out of his cot and went to his father's side, "Pops? Hey... POPS?! What's wrong?!"

    McMahon slowly opened his eyes, "Shane... son... they're going to kill her! They're going to kill your baby sister!"

    "What are you going on about, Pops?" Shane asked.

    McMahon sat up, "Dr. Piro put an implant in her chest!" he said, "He's going to kill her! We've got to save her! Save my baby!"

    "Pops, I don't know what that stuff is Piro's been doping you up with, but..."

    "Nothing.." Vince replied.

    "What?" Shane asked.

    McMahon took a deep breath, "Every once in a while, he comes in here, and gives me a hypospray ... but my body has gotten so used to it that it wears off within an hour. I pretend to be out of it for the rest of the day so I can think!"

    Shane looked at his father's eyes. They were definitely alert. He was all there... and that's what scared Shane... because it meant his father's wild mutterings weren't wild at all!

SICKBAY

    Dr. Taker had listened to Bishoff's story, and the information regarding Commander Stephanie McMahon. Bishoff, feeling better thanks to Taker's care, had disappeared once again.

    So Vampy liked to fancy himself an evil bastard? He didn't know what evil WAS!

    The dark doctor smiled. Perhaps it was time to let Dr. Piro know the true meaning of fear.

DR. PIRO'S QUARTERS

    The skeletal doctor tossed and turned in a fitful sleep. Images invaded his mind. His victims reached out from the grave to pull him down into the darkness. Children screamed. Women cried. Men laughed.

    One PARTICULAR man laughed. He stood before Piro, dressed in a black hat, and black cloak. He held a gloved hand out to the doctor, urging him to come forward. Piro was drawn towards the man's evil aura. Would he learn anything about the darkness that he so coveted?

    When Piro was close enough, the man reached out... and rammed his fingers through Piro's chest. He began to squeeze. Piro screamed in agony. The man just laughed, his smile cold enough to freeze hell.

    "Does it hurt?" the dark man asked.  "Does it hurt, Vampy?"

    Piro feel to his knees as pain burned through his body. Every nerve was on fire. He screamed, unable to answer through the blinding agony.  It felt as if the dark man was ripping his very heart out! "Get rid of it," the man said, "Delete the passcodes that will destroy the McMahon girl! Or YOU will feel the pain when her heart bursts. YOU will feel it, Piro! And I guarantee, it will hurt more... MUCH more... then THIS!"

    Piro's vision grew blurry and his mind fogged, yet he was aware enough to see the dark man hold something out to him.

     Something dripping red.

     Soon, the pain stopped - and Piro bolted upright in bed, cold sweat dripping down his neck.

    He suddenly had an urge to delete the passcodes to the device embedded in Stephanie McMahon's chest.

BRIDGE - the next day

    "Captain Jabroni..." Lt. Rock started, "We are in orbit around Planet Earth. What does your candy ass want to do here anyway?" he asked.

    Russo simply smiled, "I wish to start some fireworks, Lt. Rock..." Russo replied.

    "Hold on... the Rock is getting a communication in from a ship. It's the ECW Extremeship!" Without being ordered too, Lt. Rock put it on the screen before him.

    "Lt. Rock. We have been informed that your ship is currently occupied by Nytron rebels!" Captain Heyman began.

    Russo jumped to his feet. What the hell? How did HEYMAN know? Communications were only available on the bridge!

    Russo fumed and allowed Heyman to see him on screen, "Do you think YOUR ship can stop us, Heyman?!" Russo asked, then laughed. "Not on your life! NOTHING can stop my ultimate plan! NOTHING!"

    "Except maybe 30 cloaked WrestleFleet ships surrounding the Titanprize..." Ensign Edge said as he looked at the monitor in front of him, "Wrestlefleet RULES!" he high-fived his brother beside him.

    "WHAT?!" Russo gasped. He glared at Heyman on the screen in front of him, "How did you know? HOW?!"

    The WrestleFleet ships uncloaked themselves and Heyman smiled, "Let's just say McMahon has a very resourceful doctor!"

SHUTTLE BAY 4

    Commander Stephanie stared out the port, and couldn't help but smile. WrestleFleet ships surrounded them! FINALLY it was over!

    "Commander..." a voice spoke behind her.

    Stephanie spun around happily and threw her arms around the speaker, "They came to save us!" she said, tears of joy streaming down her face, "Finally we're free!"

    Lt. Commander Jericho held his breath, and wondered what these strange energy surges going through his body were. They were a direct result of Commander McMahon-Helmsley's close contact.

    He looked down at her, keeping his hands stiffly at his sides, fighting the urge to return the embrace. "Commander..." his voice was almost a whisper.

    Stephanie quickly stepped away from him when she realized that... well… she was hugging JERICHO, "Excuse me, Lt. Commander," She began, and smoothed out the top of her uniform, "A momentary lapse in composure..."

    "Pardon me for disturbing this touching moment... but Captain Russo requests your presence on the bridge!"  Stephanie and Jericho spun around at the sound of the voice. Kimberly stood there, holding a phaser on both of them.  She went up to Stephie, "You're not out of the woods yet, honey!" she hissed, then turned to Jericho, "And it's a shame that things had to turn out as they did between you and I..." she ran a hand through his hair, smiling slyly, "Because one night with me would have made your circuits sizzle, babe!"

    "My circuits are incapable of 'sizzling'," he said. "Unless my structure is under extreme heat at--"

    "Shut up!" Kimberly snapped. "YOU stay here. The skank comes with me!" she said, and lead Stephanie out of the shuttle bay.

THE BRIDGE

    "Ahhh.... the guest of honour!" Russo said as Stephanie made her way on the bridge with Kimberly happily holding a phaser to her back.

    Captain McMahon and Commander Shane were already there, being held at phaserpoint by the Nytron rebels. Off to the side, Dr. Piro held a phaser on a frighteningly calm Dr. Taker. Vamp was looking paler then usual as he eyed the WrestleFleet doctor nervously.

    "STEPHIE!" McMahon cried. "You're ok!"

    "Well... ok is probably not the word for it..." Stephanie muttered as she fixed Kimberly with an icy glare.

    "She won't be ok for long, McMahon," Russo started, "You know what I'm talking about. What did I tell you a short while ago about your dear sweet daughter?"

    "You wouldn't!" McMahon gasped, "You COULDN'T!"

    "Oh I would... and I could!" Russo laughed. He looked at the viewscreen. Captain Heyman stood on the bridge of his ship, beside him the Chief of Chiefs, Linda McMahon, "Now sweet Linda, you either tell WrestleFleet to stand down, or your family dies. I guarantee Stephanie's death will be exceptionally painful!" he thought for a moment and looked at Stephanie, "I wonder what it's like to feel as if your heart is bursting from the inside out?" he asked.  "Do tell me..."

    Stephanie looked at him and furrowed her brow, "What?"

    "OH! Silly me. I didn't tell you! That odd V on your chest... there IS a reason for it..." he said.

    Stephanie gasped, and glared at Dr. Piro, "What did you do to me?!"

    Dr. Piro turned away, but wilted under Dr. Taker's glare, "Tell her, Vampy. Go ahead..." the dark man said.

    Piro turned back to Stephanie, "I inserted a device in your heart," he started, "With the proper passcodes, it will cause your heart to burst from the inside. Very painful..." he allowed a cold smile, then his smile faded as he felt Dr. Taker breathing down his neck.

    "I'm sorry, Stephie..." McMahon whispered, "I'm so sorry! I knew, but I couldn't tell you! I just couldn't!"

    Stephanie turned wet eyes to Russo, "You'd torture me to death?"

    "Well... yes!" Russo shrugged, "It's fun to watch people suffer sometimes. Especially McMahons!" he turned back to the screen, "Call your WrestleFleet dogs off, Linda! NOW!" he demanded.

    Stephanie put a hand to her chest, "But I don't want to die. Not like that!" she said. "Shoot me with a phaser... just... please... don't make me suffer!"

    Russo pulled a small padd out of his pocket, and held it in his hand. "All I need to do is punch in a passcode, little girl..." he smiled, "Unless mommy calls off the ships and lets me continue with my plan!"

    "Your plan!" McMahon spat angrily, "WrestleFleet knows all about your plan! I'd rather you kill all of us then destroy an entire planet!" he hissed.

    "Well... hey... I can do both!" Russo replied with a smile, then began typing something into the device in his hands, "There we go..." he said, "Now I just have to type in the last number, and we're all set! I hope you enjoy watching your dear sweet daughter suffer, Vince. I know I will!" Russo turned back to the screen, "Well, Linda...?" Russo said.

    On the Titanprize screen, Linda turned away. Her family, or the planet. Why did it come down to that? Both meant so much to her...

    "Don't do it, Linda!" McMahon said, "It's an entire PLANET! If he destroys it, our lives mean NOTHING! We die anyway!"

    Linda turned back to her husband. The look in their eyes said everything that needed to be said. She nodded, "Be prepared to be incarcerated, Russo..." she said.

    Within seconds, the Titanprize security crew were beamed to the bridge, armed with brand-new WrestleFleet phasers. They quickly trained them on the Nytrons.  Russo punched something else into the padd in his hands, unseen by the others.

    He held up the padd. He could kill two birds with one stone! One number would not only set off the bomb, but also destroy precious Stephanie. HE had no family anymore, and he'd be damned if any other human would be allowed one either!

    "Take me in! It doesn't matter! In three seconds, NOTHING will matter anymore! First Stephanie, then in two minutes, the bomb will follow!" he laughed coldly as he pressed the button, "Better kiss your life good-bye, sweetie!"

    Stephanie closed her eyes... and waited...

    "WHAT THE HELL?!" Russo gasped as he looked at the padd in his hands.

    Stephanie slowly opened her eyes.  She wasn't in pain! She wasn't suffering. In fact, she felt pretty damn good. She felt ALIVE!

    Russo was fuming, "You're supposed to be screaming in agony! Writhing in pain! DEAD, damnit! DEAD!"

    Stephanie laughed. She couldn't help it! She was ALIVE. Dr. Piro's silly little device didn't work after all!

    Titanprize security quickly grabbed Russo, who was still ranting about the device not working. He looked to Dr. Piro, "What happened?" he shouted, "What the hell happened?!"

    Dr. Piro felt a cold hand on his shoulder, "Why don't you tell him, Vampy...?" Dr. Taker said, "Tell him how you invalidated the passcodes."

    "You WHAT?!" Russo started, "WrestleFleet TRAITOR!"

    "NO! I am NOT WrestleFleet! I could NEVER be WrestleFleet!" Dr. Piro hissed. "I'm Nytron through and through!" Russo was fuming. No excuse would be good enough for him. He couldn't tell the High Commander he had invalidated the passcodes because of a bad dream... a dream that had seemed all too real!

    "Take him to the brig!" McMahon snapped, then turned to the armed Nytrons, "Drop your weapons… NOW! Or I give the order to kill Russo!"

    The Nytrons quickly complied

    Lieutenants Bradshaw and Farooq began to drag Russo from the bridge... when suddenly the ship started to shake. "Maybe I couldn't kill Stephie the way I wanted, but soon, everyone on planet Earth will be dead!" Russo shouted.

    A sound like thunder almost deafened everyone on the Titanprize. The air began to prickle with static, the monitors flashed, the lights flickered.... and the picture of Linda and Heyman on the Titantron fizzled into snow, only to be replaced by a view of the stars in front of the Titanprize. The beautiful image began to split and crack. Light exploded outwards, nearly blinding everyone on the bridge.
 
 

    "WOAH! Dude!!" Ensign Edge gasped, "What the heck is THAT?"

    "Readings are off the scale!" replied Ensign Christian, "This totally reeks of suckitude!"

    "A wormhole..." Lt. Benoit said. He had been so silent, everyone had forgotten his presence at the bridge's science station. He looked towards Russo, and smiled, "I told you, Russo. It's a shame you didn't listen to me..."

    Suddenly, the Titanprize jerked forward, tossing everyone to the ground. The ship was being sucked towards the large funnel of light on the screen. "FULL SPEED! BACK US OUT OF HERE!" McMahon shouted.

    "I'm trying, man!" Edge said, "It's not working! The gravitational pull is too strong! Our engines are overloading!"

    "Hey... you used technobabble, Edge!" Christian said, then smiled, "Technobabble RULES!"

    Another violent jerking threw everyone backwards against the bulkheads.  The ship was shaking uncontrollably, making Ensign Edge's bright-white teeth rattle.

    A wave of electricity hit the ship... then everything went black.

WCW EXTREMESHIP

    "What the..." Heyman gasped. The light was gone... and the stars were once again calm and serene.

    "Message coming in from WrestleFleet Headquarters!" Styles said, "Oh my god… what do we tell them about the Titanprize? What?!"

    "Just put HQ on-screen, Styles!" Heyman commanded.

    Admiral Mae Young appeared on the F'n Screen. Most of the crewmen screamed at the extreme close-up of the admiral's face, then quickly composed themselves, "Well.. where'sa Titanprize. I thought you guyssss were s'pposed to get it back.." she asked, and took another chug from the wine bottle in her hands. "Ans'r me, damnit!"

    "Uh... um..."  Ensign Van Damn checked his readouts, then looked at Captain Heyman, and Chief of Chiefs Linda McMahon, almost helplessly. He turned back to Admiral Mae Young, "I'm sorry, man... but... the WWF Titanprize seems to have... disappeared..."