Land of Shadows (1.04) Shadow of the Icemann (Part 2)

[Stormm]

Tuesday, September 19, 2006
8:03 PM

The roar of the crowd out in the arena echoed through the backstage halls of the Pure Class Arena while System of a Down’s song, “Chop Suey”, rumbled, and the pyrotechnics shook the foundation. The opening for Trauma 60 had just gone live, and Luis Malave was standing just inside the curtain, looking as suave as could be expected, but right beside him was another man clad in a black suit. Justin Michaels had just arrived in the arena, still feeling down after the outcome of Living a Legacy 2, and Luis caught him out of the corner of his eye.

“Stormm, got a second?” The Icemann shouted to the Force of Nature, who stopped in his tracks, and looked to his left, before making his way over. “I’d like for you to meet the new President, Skylar Marshall.”

The large man extended his hand out to Justin, who cocked his head in confusion, but still embraced the handshake. “President? What happened to Alejandro?”

Luis and Skylar exchanged a look, and the Icemann chuckles. “After what happened at the pay-per-view, do you need to ask?”

“I guess not, but why give me the heads up and not let me find out with everyone else? It looks like you guys are on your way out to start the show.” Justin questioned.

“That’s only part of why I wanted to grab you real quick.” Luis admitted. “You’re going to want to catch the top of the show while you’re getting ready for your match.”

“My match?” Justin wondered, as he hadn’t been booked since losing in the Icemann Invitational final at the last event.

“You’re defending the Genesis title against Jade, but you’ve got time, so just take it all in.” With a smile, Luis takes his turn shaking hands with Justin.

Looking both at Skylar, then Luis, Justin was still not sure what to think of the situation. “Take what in, exactly?”

“I told you I’d make things right.” Luis said, as the music in the arena changes from System of a Down to the Icemann’s theme song, and “Cold as Ice” by M.O.P. welcomes PCW’s Owner and CEO into the arena.

“It was nice to meet you, Justin; I can’t wait to see what you can do after tonight.” Skylar covertly admitted, and the Force of Nature was beside himself. Not knowing if he wanted, or needed, to say anything back, he merely exchanged nods with the new President, and headed towards his locker room.

Sunday, October 29, 2006
9:42 PM

Pressing an ice pack against the side of his bloodied head, Stormm sat on the floor, propped against the wall next to the door of his locker room with an ear to ear smile. Next to him was the Icemann Invitational trophy that he had just won, before being knocked upside the head by the trademark bottle of Polish Spirit that Andreas Lasiewicz kept with him at ringside.

If winning the best of five series against The Gambit weren’t enough, given everything Justin had endured over the previous month, seeing his foe escorted out of the building following their match only added to his joy. He and Andreas had faced off in six consecutive matches after the latter cost Stormm the Genesis title, but none of that mattered right then and there.

It was probably the best belated birthday present he could have given himself. That he could have earned. Everything he wanted in the ten months since signing the dotted line had finally come to fruition. Since losing in his first opportunity at the World title against Ace Anderson at the beginning of the year, his invitational victory had secured him another shot.

And, in the process, learned a valuable lesson. If he wanted something bad enough, he had to earn it, not just say he deserved it.

“I’m probably going to need to get this looked out.” Still with a smile on his face, Justin had pulled the ice pack away from his head and played with the gash in the side of his head. The bleeding had slowed down, and the cold had numbed it up, but he could tell it wasn’t going to heal well on its own.

“You’re right, a doctor does need to look at that.” A voice came from a crack in his locker room door, and startled the Force of Nature. “Immediately!”


The forceful, yet playful tone of Skylar Marshall came with a grin as he opened Stormm’s locker room door all the way, and took a single step inside, looking down at the man of the hour. “Yeah, I’ll head that way soon. What can I help you with in the meantime?”

“Just wanted to say congratulations, and that Luis extends the sentiment as well, but couldn’t step away.” The smile on Skylar’s face faded quick and he was back to all business after the pleasantries. “I’m also here to let you know that, just because you’ve won that trophy, doesn’t mean it’s smooth sailing for you from here on out.” He asserted. “In fact, as one of the guys on the roster that has as much potential as you do, I’m going to make it even harder on you.”

As the tone quickly changed, Justin was not sure how to respond, and simply nodded in agreement.

“Regardless, get that looked at, because your first real test as a top draw around here happens when the Main Event finishes up, and your help might be needed.” A more sinister smile formed on Skylar’s face after he conceded some of what the Force of Nature could expect having officially won the Icemann Invitational.

Before PCW’s newest President could step out, and let the door shut behind him, Stormm managed to find the right words. “Bring it on!”

...Shadow of the Icemann (Part 2)...
Present Day

I would go on to wrestle in the main even quite a few times after that night, and it led to a match against Grimm for the World title that I would end up losing as well. Actually, from that night, it would be almost five years before I finally won it for the first time, and even longer after that before I would win it again. With my conscious at ease after finally apologizing to Luis, the only thing left to do was step out of the shadows of past invitational failures. I won it in my first attempt, and I was going to try and win it again in my last.

The eleventh edition of Living a Legacy was less than a week away, but unlike Mass Destruction that year, Justin was doing everything he could to prepare. While the danger of the real Black Hand loomed over his head, he knew there would be a time and a place for action; but what mattered on that mid-week afternoon, in a gym somewhere in Greenville, was preparing to wrestle two matches in one night.

With the announcement of this being Stormm’s final Icemann Invitational, the whole family had made the trip in to South Carolina for the event. Not just the Michaels, but the Matthews as well.

Accompanying Justin inside of Combat 864’s wrestling ring, was his brother-in-law, retired professional wrestler, Johnny Matthews. The two hadn’t really seen each other since Johnny had parted ways with PCW some time back. He and his wife, Stace, had tried to get back into the booking game down south reviving the family’s Lonestar Championship Wrestling, but had hit several snags along the way.

It took weeks of pestering from both Justin and Lindsay to get the Matthews couple to South Carolina for a few days for support. So much so that, any support that Johnny and Stace provide, will be shadowed by the effort it took to get them there.

Nevertheless, Johnny had stepped into the ring that day and was all too happy to help Justin run through drills. Bouncing off the ropes, hitting the mat, throws, holds, the works. Both men were drenched in sweat, circling each other, and putting in the work. “You scared to get back into the ring with Dominator on Sunday?” Johnny asked as the two swatted away each others attempts to grapple the other.

“What makes you think I won’t be facing David Hunter in the final?” Justin asked back and he shot to one knee and whiffed on a single-leg takedown.

It was an amusing question, at least to Johnny, who despite not being apart of PCW for the last year, had still kept up on the action. “There’s a better chance you’ll face me in the final than him beating the big man.” Johnny said in jest. “But seriously, Dominator is a beast, we both know that now; you think you’re ready for that, again?”

They continued their drills for some time without talking after his question, as Justin pondered. There was a big focus on his semi-final match first and foremost, but there would need to be some mental, and physical, preparation for the final, should he make it. He had nothing against David Hunter, but he also didn’t have anything to say about him either. The two had not shared the squared circle at all, so if they ended up in the final together, it would be historical on more than one level.

“I guess we’ll see, won’t we?” Justin finally responded as the sweat dripping from his face continued to hit the mat. “No matter who I face, of the four of us, I’m probably the only one who even bothered to think about the chance of losing.”

Johnny shot in on Justin this time, faking a grapple to his left leg, and came up behind him to cinch in a waistlock. “I swear, if you let Kyle Shane beat you again, Stace and I are going to disown you!” There was no laugh, and no smile, the Hellraiser was dead serious. “Non-stop mouthpieces like him are a dime a dozen right now, it would do the place some good for you to finally step up and do something about it.”

The words were not lost on the Force of Nature, who had all but let people like Kyle Shane, Gerard Angelo, Dominator, even Grimm, and any number of others say whatever they want about him without consequence. “I’ve made my intentions known, and I’d rather do things my way without adding to the noise. Kyle probably thinks he will ‘crush my skull in again’ without breaking a sweat, and taking that next step, but neither he or Dominator are going to stand in my of going out on my own terms.” Reversing the waistlock into one of his own, Justin continues. “Something I’m sure you regret having taken from you like, ending things how you want, not how others force the end on you.”

A rogue elbow flew backwards into the side of Justin’s head, outside of the normal drill, and he released the hold. Turning to his brother-in-law, the only thing missing from his stoic stance was the old trademark coffin nail dangling from his kisser. “Good, don’t let anyone do you, like they did me!” Wearing his emotions on his sleeve, if he were wearing any, Johnny went in for the collar and elbow tie-up. “But don’t let your ego get in your way like the rest of them, either.”

From the tie-up, Justin puts Johnny into a headlock, and the two begin to run the ring again. Bouncing off the ropes, hitting the mat, jumps, dodges, reversals, the works. “Since I won the first time, I’ve gone into the last four with the mentality that I couldn’t lose, and that I was going to put myself in that elite tier of two-time winners.” The two break and begin circling around each other again. “I’m not walking into the Arena on Sunday thinking the only outcome is another trophy to replace the one I gave Luis.” He admits as the two continue to swat at each other, looking for their opening. “But I didn’t tell the faithful this was my last Icemann Invitational with the intention of losing it either!”

“So, don’t lose!” Justin dodges another fake shoot from Johnny, and hits a standing dropkick as his brother-in-law tried to move around for another lockup. Justin is to his feet first, and helps Johnny up. “Learning from your mistakes is a good start, but you’re going to have to be better than you’ve ever been.”

“At least I’ll actually show up for my invitational matches this Sunday.” Justin takes a jab at a previous tournament final that Johnny was supposed to be in, but refused to show up and wrestle. “In all seriousness, since it won’t be me and Shane in the final, I want it to be Dom.” He admits. “No offense to Hunter, but taking out Kyle and Dominator in the same night, looking at the roster these days, there’s no better Living a legacy I could have for my last tournament.”

The sound of Justin’s phone goes off, but it’s not the same tone as the alarm he had set for Johnny and him to switch between drills. His first thought was just that, but noticed that Lindsay was trying to call him as he approached his phone. “Sis?” Johnny asked.

“Yeah, give me a minute here.” Justin declared as he picked up the device and answered the call. “Hey, what’s up?” He fell silent for some time while he listened to his wife explain the reason for the call. “Are the kids okay?!” He hastily asked.

Johnny tried to be patient, even after hearing Justin’s query, but couldn’t hold his tongue long. “Is everything okay?”

Holding up a finger to ask him to wait, Justin let Lindsay finish. “Alright, yeah, I love you too.” With the call ended, he turned his attention back to Johnny. “We need to go!”

“What happened?” He questioned back as the two began to gather their gear, and pack up.

“Lindsay said that Izzy was taking the kids to the park by the condo, and a few minutes after they left, heard Remi crying.” The look on Johnny’s face had more concern in it than Justin had ever seen. “When she looked out the window, Izzy was unconscious on the sidewalk, but the kids were fine. The ambulance is taking her to the hospital now, but they still don’t know what happened!”

Your uncle Johnny and I didn’t, and still don’t, get along all the time. Something about seeing each other too much that just gets on our nerves. We love each other, not just because we have to, but don’t always like each other. That was probably one of the last times we had stepped in the ring together to wrestle, even if he was just running through drills with me before the big night. As much as I hate looking back on it being cut short, you two and Izzy were more important in that moment, and I think he knew that too.

All the bells and whistles that come with most patients admitted to a hospital room were hard to ignore for Justin as he stood at the foot of the bed, looking down on the unconscious Isabella Rey. Lindsay was sitting down with the twins in the corner while Johnny and Stace Matthews stood by the door and looked on with support.

For no bigger than the room was, it was already full with the family, but add in the doctor as well, and it was enough to make Justin feel extremely claustrophobic. He already hated hospitals in general, so given the nature of their visit, and the number of people, his anxiety was through the roof.

“She doesn’t appear to have any physical injuries, and there is no internal bleeding. Her heart rate and B.P. are normal as well.” Doctor Andrews, the red-haired, thirty-something, female packed into the room with them addressed the situation. “But I’m position we’ll know what happened when we get the toxicology report back.”

Everyone looked around the room at everyone else with concern. “Why do you say that?” Lindsay asked, trying to keep the kids calm, despite how shaken up they both were.

Moving Izzy’s hair away from the right side of her neck, the doctor pointed to a tiny spot just behind her ear. “I’m not suggesting that she did this to herself before the incident, but there’s a good chance that someone injected her with something that caused this.” All the adults in the room leaned over to see the tiny spot. “Until I see that report, though, I don’t want to do anything but keep her stable, until we know what we’re dealing with.”

“Thanks.” Lindsay said to the doctor, and the two made eye contact. Justin remained silent, contemplating what could have happened. Contemplating retaliation, if his instincts on who had done it were correct.

“If there are no other questions, I’ll leave you be, and let you know once I know.” She nodded to everyone, and even placed her hand on Justin’s shoulder as she walked by, before exiting the room.

If it hadn’t been said before, it probably hadn’t been said enough, but the short time that Izzy had been in the Michaels’ lives, she had become more than just a nanny to the kids, and an assistant to Justin and Lindsay. She had become a close friend, and was becoming more a part of their family by the day. There wasn’t anyone in that room that didn’t feel bad that she had become a target in the ongoing Michaels drama.

The fact that everything continued to escalate in his life, however, had begun to wear thin on the Force of Nature. There was only so much he could sit back and watch for the sake of his own safety. Despite what the rest of his family though, it wouldn’t be long, if the crisis endured, before he would snap.

He had to do something.

He needed to do something.

“Babe, can I talk to you in the hall real quick?” Lindsay asked her husband, whose grip on the bed-side table was seconds away from breaking it, or throwing it through the window. He nodded, but kept looking at Izzy.

Sitting the kids back into the chair she was just in, she looked at Johnny and Lindsay as if to ask if they could watch the little ones for a moment, and they both nodded.

Lindsay then took Justin by the hand, and escorted him out.

Thankfully nothing happened to either of you. They were still just trying to scare me and your mother, and doing a pretty good job of scaring her, mostly for your sakes. Through the years, though, I had been through enough, and that shit was only make me want to find them even more.

“Do you think ‘they’ did this?” With a hushed voice, Lindsay asked Justin, as the two stood as close to each other as they could in the hallway of Greenville Memorial.

The accusation would not take Justin long to respond to. Thinking back on his previous encounter with the Black Hand, and how they targeted Izzy and the kids, there was no doubt in his mind they were behind it. “Of course ‘they’ did this!” He exclaimed not-so-under his breath, and a nurse from a nearby station looked over.

They looked over and Lindsay mouthed “sorry” to the nurse, as she put a hand on Justin’s chest to try and calm him down. “You know I’ve only wanted you to be safe, and for all of us to just be happy; but I can’t help this feeling that we can’t be happy unless you put yourself in danger.”

What she said had forced his meandering eyes back into her baby blues with concern, and curiosity. “I told you I wasn’t going to let myself get consumed by any more of this nonsense.” Justin declared. “I agreed that I wasn’t going to get involved in anything else, and it’s a promise I intend to keep.”

Wrapping her arms around Justin’s midsection, Lindsay pulled herself in close, and Justin wrapped his arms around her head and shoulders and held her there.

There they stood in silence, watching nurses and doctors hurry by, while other patients roamed the hall. An elderly woman rolling by in a wheelchair even looked up at the couple and smiled real big.

At least fifteen minutes went by with them in each other’s embrace when Justin heard a sniffle from his wife. Looking down at her, he playfully squeezed her tighter to get her attention when he noticed a couple tears falling from her eyes.

“What if I don’t want you to?” She finally spoke up, but Justin wasn’t sure he heard her correctly as she said it quite softly.

“What did you say?!” His tone changed, and so did the volume of his voice.

Lindsay pulled away from the hug ever so slightly, and looked up into Justin’s hazel eyes, while hers turned red, and repeated herself. “What if I don’t want you to?” She said, loud enough for him to understand that time as she tightened her grab around her husband again, tighter than before, and he did the same.

The Michaels stood in that embrace for another fifteen minutes, or more, pondering the conversation, and what it meant.

After everything that had gone down between Justin and what was being dubbed the Southwind Scandal, the last thing their family needed was something else to cause a commotion, and put them in danger. To give Justin a reason to put himself in danger for their safety.

It would seem the Black Hand would be such a commotion, and Lindsay was starting to realize that there was no such thing as not fighting, not for Justin.

Not for any Michaels.

It was probably the first time your mom had said anything like that to me. She was always so worried about me going off and trying to take care of things on my own. But, it was different then, and as bad as it had gotten already, we both knew that the only way out of the danger was for me to run headlong into it.

It did put a damper on things for me moving forward, but it wasn’t anything I hadn’t mentally prepared for. Or tried to. Would something happen to you three while I was wrestling? Would something happen to you while I was chasing after the Black Hand? Would any of it affect the business, or my career, even my life?

I had to put all of that aside, and take it one step at a time. Always forward, though, never backwards. If they wanted to keep coming after us, I was going to be ready. I was going to force them back. Then, while they tried to regroup to come after us again…

...I was going to take the fight to them!