Somewhere in Canada . . .

Lance began the daunting task of thinning the ranks of the CSS. It was something he had not considered, being as it appeared that there was perfect representation throughout Canada to really put enough people at ease. But there was something that changed his mind drastically recently. A visit from a masked man who only identified himself as Rey.

The mysterious Rey had challenged Lance to find the absolute best that Canada had to offer as far as superheroes. Lance was at a loss. He had no clue as to who could show that they had the mettle to really shine. So Lance did what any self respecting Canadian would do, he arranged a tournament.

So far Edge was proving to be the best of the bunch in Lance’s mind. But he had no clue what Rey was thinking of the whole thing. Nor did he really care, come to think of it. It was not his place to make the judgments. That was for someone else to do. Rey had alluded that there was someone of great importance watching who would make the decision. That was all that Lance needed.

It wasn’t until Lance was approached by a figure that could only be described as solid rock that he even began to think thoroughly about the task at hand. That task was to best the times and levels that Edge had set himself. The challenge to Lance had been made by the rock-man. So it was all up to him in the end. Great God, did Lance hate trying to think while putting his skills on display.

* * * * * * *

Meanwhile in the shadows of the same training grounds . . .

“Storm is the best they have to offer and he doesn’t even realize what it is that separates him yet does he?” Undertaker inquired of the Rock.

“It’s amazing,” Angle-Man commented, “Storm is like the Canadian counterpart to me isn’t he?”

“Yes he is,” Rock started. “But he just can’t see that. The Rock says that Storm is possibly the biggest threat to himself . . .”

“Enough! Both of you must be silent now. Misterio is doing what he must to bring Storm with us. Let the Luchadore work.” Undertaker seemed annoyed at the constant banter the other two heroes continually spewed.

* * * * * * *

Somewhere in the Himalayas . . .

Mick woke with the most painful headache he could ever remember having had to find himself looking at . . .

Himself! Mick was looking at what appeared to be a carbon copy of his own self. Mick was flabbergasted. The clone, for lack of a better term, was exactly like Mick except for the predominant scars that the clone sported all over his face. Following the clone with his eyes, Mick was shocked to see another clone of himself wearing a very tight spandex outfit that hid very little but enough to know that this clone was not an exact copy either.

The first clone spoke to the second who seemed to be lost in deep concentration.

“You do realize that Levesque will not tolerate anything from us short of complete perfection. And that really is not what I would like to do. I can’t think of anything better than a little barbed wire and some creativity. Why do we need to be so damned thorough?” The first asked.

“Because, Cactus, Levesque created us from the very voices that kept our genetic donor from achieving the same perfection demanded of us in his chosen craft.”

“Alright, Mankind. That suits me well, but why? I mean, wouldn’t it just be easier to go out there and find whatever target that he has in mind and,” Cactus made to finger guns with his hands, “Ya know, bang bang!”

“Too easy, and besides, it’s not his style. Although I do think it odd that now that he can clone a living organism, he doesn’t split the monster inside him away so that he can have complete control of himself again.”

Levesque entered the room at that point and began to attend to some delicate looking crystalline structures that were near Mick. Mick watched intently as Levesque quietly made slight adjustments to the crystals that made up the structures and began to muse aloud about his most recent advancements of DNA research. It seemed to Mick that Levesque was bragging to Mick directly.

“That I am Mick. I am bragging directly to you. And to the voices that have plagued your career too. I would think that you would be thankful to be rid of them as opposed to being shocked by seeing that I used you as the genetic source for their physical forms. It always amazes me that people tend not to react entirely the way that I predict. But you can’t be right all the time can you?”

Levesque came around to look Mick directly in the face for the next few silent moments. Then as he walked away, Levesque made a comment that would stick in Mick’s mind for a long time.

“After all, we are only human. But I still think that we can be so much more, don’t you?”

And somehow, Mick knew that he wasn’t going to be the television star he’d hoped to be. But he would be a star nonetheless. What kind of star, he couldn’t say. But he would finally get to be a real superstar. And he also knew that he had his work cut out for him.

Philadelphia, PA – Now

Rob knew that Extreme Justice would someday be the premiere group of superheroes on the east coast of the United States. Right now, though, they were simply a group of misfits who had no place and no money. Granted, Rob had been given a very substantial private grant by the billionaire playboy Kurt Angle, but the rest of the group was completely destitute. Not a damned red cent amongst the lot of them, and they didn’t even seem to care. Everyone but Tajiri.

He seemed to be the only one who could catch on to the fact that the group would need money. As such, he would disappear for days at a time when Rob was working on completing the training that Muta had started with Tajiri. It could be extremely infuriating, but was very forgivable when Tajiri would come back with the obvious needs of the group met from a financial standpoint.

Today, however was a different story. Today Tajiri was supposed to meet Rob at his private training facility and begin working with Bret Hart. Yet, when Rob showed up to introduce the two, Bret was there. But no Tajiri in sight and no sign that he had been there. Rob began to worry that something had happened to the ‘Japanese Buzzsaw.’ And he couldn’t be much more closer to the truth.

“Rob, do your students of justice always try to make you look bad like this?” Bret asked him with a hint of teasing in his voice.

“Hitman, I have never been stood up by this particular one,” Rob replied. “It’s very frustrating. He’s been the best of the guys that I have. I don’t know why he would do this. I wonder if he’s in trouble.”

“If he is in trouble would you go after him yourself? Would you risk all that you are trying to build for one person?”

“I think I would. Whatever. I mean, he’s the best partner I’ve ever had. I work fluidly with him more than anyone else in the group. Why?”

“Because, Rob,” Bret said cryptically, “You have found your place and it seems that he was not ready to step into that role with you. Do you really consider him a partner? Or is it just that he is the best compliment to your own abilities and you desire his aid as a sidekick?”

Rob didn’t have an answer.

* * * * * * *

Victoria, TX – Now

Steve knew what had been going on. He figured out what had been happening on his own and was thoroughly angry about it. For the past few months Levesque had been using him as a tool to rid himself of unwanted rivals. Steve knew that he wasn’t a paranoid man. Steve knew that he wasn’t a smart man. But Steve did know that he didn’t like being used for illegal activities. And that was why he was mad.

Steve brought his beloved watch up to his ear. It told him that the time had come to find Levesque and end this. But he had no clue where to start until he saw the news. And then it hit him, Levesque owned HHH Networks. Steve felt especially stupid for not realizing that he loved HHH Networks for that very reason.

Steve laced up his new pair of military jump boots, went down the road to the grave of the legendary hero Lou Theisz and said a small prayer for his soul. To his credit, Steve handled surprises very well. So it was no surprise that he wasn’t the least bit startled by the sudden appearance of what appeared to be a ghost.

“Steve, do not leave this spot until you have been sent for by a man dressed in black.”

“Who the hell is that?” Steve asked the empty cemetery.

“Who do you think, Steve?” came the reply.

“What?”

“Who do you think, Steve? Don’t you remember the voice of your hero from the old footage you would always watch of me?”

“Lou? Mr. Theisz, who is it that will be coming for me? Will it be you?” Steve asked the voice.

“No, Steve. The Undertaker is coming for you.” the voice of Lou Theisz explained to Steve. “You will be an integral part in helping to end the reign of terror that an evil man is about to inflict on the world. It will all be up to you what you do. But remember this. There are much larger forces at work then you.”

With that the voice was silent. No matter how much Steve asked the voice to tell him more so that he could understand, the voice was silent. Steve knew that he wasn’t a smart man, but he did know that he could always trust Lou Theisz to help him make sense of things. So Steve sat down.

Then he was alone.

* * * * * * *

New York, NY – That same night

Matthew had never been so enamored in his life. This woman who had introduced herself as Lita was quite possibly the most beautiful woman that he had seen. Matthew knew that he had been 97.4% captivated with her when he first laid eyes on her. But as he continued to talk to her he began to feel that rate of captivation rise and knew that he had finally found the right part of the party to be at.

Jeffrey, however, had begun to worry about the way his brother Matthew had begun to act. Jeffrey never saw it coming though as Shane strolled into the room and began to discuss the current state of HHH Networks with him.

“Jeffrey, this is Lita,” Matthew began. “She and I will be leaving in approximately 5 minutes give or take up to 30 seconds. I think it is about time for me to resign from HHH Networks and search these new feelings that have begun to well up in about 98% of me, leaving room for a .2% error rate. Please ask the receptionist to draw up the paperwork for me.”

With that, the whole design of HHH Networks would begin to crumble. On this their greatest day in history, the network fell apart. Jeffrey would never know why.

* * * * * * *

Meanwhile – Elsewhere

“Somewhere in the Andes Mountains,” Gregory ‘Hurricane’ Helms said aloud to himself. “Somewhere in the Andes Mountains is where I appear to be. But not where I belong. I feel so weak and insignificant. Why am I being forced to suffer this way?”

But there was no one to answer him. The cold, white landscape was beginning to really get on his nerves. He knew inside that he had been drawn out here for some reason. Using the last of the powers that he had been given by the former Hurricane, he had made his way to this place and found himself searching for something. But what was it?

It had something to do with the weird belt he even now wore around his waist. What that was he still couldn’t seem to make sense of. He knew that he should be freezing cold, but for some reason he was comfortable. Then as if by magic (Which it actually was by magic as Helms would find out later), a portal opened in front of him and out walked a black figure.

“Hurricane. Good, I knew you would be here eventually. Although you seem to look a bit different than when we last met.”

“Who,” Hurricane began, “are you? I don’t think I’ve ever met you before in my life.”

“I am the Undertaker,” the figure commented casually. “We have met before. The belt will explain all. But for now it is important that we get you to the place where I have moved the machine. It will recharge your belt and give you a good sense of what is going on again.”

With that Angle-Man stepped out of the portal and lifted Hurricane.

* * * * * * *

At the same time in Canada

Lance wondered why Rey kept demanding the nearly impossible of both him and Edge. But it began to make more sense as he noticed that not only did he keep pace with Edge, but seemed to be expending less energy than Edge. Lance began to question if Rey was here to recruit him.

Edge, in the meantime took the opportunity to formally end his business relationship with Christian and set up his own style that would carry him into anything on his own. Edge’s development was complete and Lance knew it. There was no longer a need for a CSS and Lance tendered his resignation to the government explaining that Edge would be all that Canada needed to protect it’s borders.

With that Lance Evers ceased to be just a Canadian super-soldier and finally embraced his fate as Lance Storm, Superhero. As he and Rey made preparations to leave on the impending adventure that lay before them, Lance made certain to stop and talk to Edge. He wasn’t sure what he would say to start with, but he knew that it very well could be the last time that they would see one another, and Lance wanted to make it something profound.

“Edge? Adam? Are you in here?”

But the base was empty. Lance Storm suddenly got the sinking feeling that he would never see Edge again.

* * * * * * *

The ‘Himalaya Project’ – Two days later

Levesque paced patiently around his office while he waited for the one piece of the puzzle surrounding his transformation to finally fall into place. If he could only find out if there was something specific that triggered the change in himself, he may find some way to counteract it and possibly harness control of it so that he could make the monster that he became a servant to his wishes. Levesque patiently waited while the cameras were mounted in place. Ice-Pac had gone to great lengths, or so he had said, to steal these cameras from the greatest of the telecommunications companies.

Levesque rather enjoyed having Ice-Pac stuffed and mounted. Now that he had made him into a wall decoration, Levesque actually began to miss the screwball antics that Ice-Pac was always up to. The kept the place lively, instead of drab. Or were they snowball antics?

Levesque shook his head. Didn’t much matter anymore. Ice-Pac was a wall ornament and would remain that way until someone could figure out how to cure death. Levesque chuckled to himself.

Then the door burst open on his office. Levesque turned to find himself standing over the limp body of his first ‘project.’ Someone had destroyed Chris Jericho’s body almost beyond the point of recognition. Levesque was furious, that is until he saw who was on the other side of the doorway.

* * * * * * *

Somewhere outside of Chicago

Cactus Jack and Mankind were just beginning to have fun. They had started by showcasing their respective abilities. Cactus’ nifty trick of creating barbed wire out of thin air and Mankind’s ability to change his shape at will. They both joked that it might come in handy for parties.

But what they really preferred to do with these talents is too sick and vile to describe here. Even I, as a storyteller have some standards that I won’t cross. I’ll only say that it involved a large amount of bloodshed for anyone who came in contact with Cactus and extremely high therapy bills for the lucky few that Mankind spared from exploding heads.

* * * * * * *

Extreme Justice Headquarters

Rob Van Dam began to see exactly what was happening in the world around him for the first time. It wasn’t pretty.

* * * * * * *

The Cemetery in Victoria, TX

Steve Williams stood in front of Lance Storm, Undertaker, Rey Misterio, Angle-Man, and Rock, taking his own set of oaths to fight to right the wrongs that Levesque had created in the world. Taking the name Bionic Redneck, Steve Williams left behind all that he had been and became Steve Austin, the Bionic Redneck.

* * * * * * *

The Andes Mountains

Hurricane surveyed everything that was going on and knew what would happen next. He placed his power belt in for a recharge and then set to work on making a new belt that could harness the old ones power permanently.

* * * * * * *

HHH Networks Towers

Jeffrey Hardy cursed silently under his breath as everything he had been working so hard to create suddenly seemed to be crashing down around him. All due to his brother, Matthew, and his involvement with what Jeffrey considered the most vile of creatures, a woman.

* * * * * * * *

The ‘Himalaya Project’

Levesque stared in wide eyed shock at what he could only describe as a ghost.

The Orange Goblin.

What is the connection between Levesque, the Orange Goblin and the barely mentioned Brock? Read Rebirth the first part of World Hero Federation 3: Aftermath by CLICKING HERE.