Nightmares ravage through her mind uninvited as Betsy Granger tosses and turns next to James Raven in a restless sleep.
She watches in horror from the above at the memories of talking her usual sass to the hologram of the Grand Admiral. After a heated exchange, one of the Grand Admiral’s devoted Noghri warriors appeared from the shadows, the tip of the deadly spear it held pointed at James. She gasps out loud as she watches herself dive in front of James, just in time to take the full power of the Noghri’s thrust. Her heart pounds in her chest as James and Betsy stare at one another in shock before Betsy slumps forward. James catches her, helping her slowly to the ground and holding her tightly against him. Reaching out as he begins to scream for help, Betsy tries to call to him, but an invisible force sweeps her off her feet, whisking her away. The scene around her becomes a blur for a several minutes as she dragged away, struggling against the disembodied force that held her captive.
When she is finally dropped unceremoniously back to her feet, she lands on soft, damp soil that had been dug up for a shallow grave. It lay next to her, the body in question covered by an ornate rug that had been also been covered in dirt and autumn leaves. The waning moon hung brightly overhead as a biting wind blew through the trees, causing loose leaves to dance in the air. Her mouth goes dry as an unexplained sense of terror grips her; brushing away the earthy blanket that had been created, she gently unfolds the rug and stares down into her own face. A strangled cry gets stuck in her throat as she takes in the death mask her once lively features had become. Her lips were an ugly shade of blue against the unnatural paleness in her skin, dark circles under her closed eyes. Her blonde hair was spread out around her, caked in mud and leaves.
Voices behind her cause her to jump to her feet, spinning sharply on her heels and crouching defensively. A heavy sigh of relief leaves her when she sees a determined looking James standing beside a raging fire in a ring of marked stones with her then tag partner, Lycana. The Sapphire Vixen was chanting in ancient Latin, calling to Betsy loudly, urging her to return to the plane of the living.
“I’m here!” Betsy cries out, running towards them with her hands outstretched. “Please, I’m right here!”
“They can’t hear you, my lovely little traveler. They couldn’t hear you then, they can’t hear you now, but not to worry my love.” From the shadows, the Lich Demon who had been tormenting her mind emerged. She never knew which of his forms he would present himself to her as anymore; today, he had opted for his human figure. Even though she knew the monstrosity of his true form, he never failed to catch her off-guard in his human form. Even with his missing eye and smug smile, the nameless Lich was disarmingly handsome and charming. Now he walked toward her, his hand reaching out to touch her cheek. “Soon, the entire world will hear us both and they won’t be able to ignore a single word.”
His fingers feel like slime trailing down her skin; reviled, she shivers and pulls her head away. “Why won’t you just leave me the fuck alone?” She says in a whispered snarl.
“We’ve been through this, my lovely. Your soul is mine, it’s already too late to fight me. I’m inside of you... I know you can feel me.” He smiles as she shakes her head in denial. “I grow stronger within you every day... You’re finally starting to realize the true power I can give you. Our combined powers...” He pauses for a moment as a look of pure ecstasy passes over his face. “I could make you the most unstoppable force in the universe you love so much.”
“And all it would cost me is my free will... definitely my soul. So, allow me to finish the song and dance as it’s gone so many times: fuck you, no, now get the fuck out. I won’t give in to you. This vessel isn’t yours; I’ll never be yours.” Turning her back to him, Betsy tries to walk over to James and Lycana, who have now linked hands and are chanting together.
With a laugh, the Lich holds her in place with magic. “Oh, my sweet impossible child,” he says with a purr, approaching her from behind and wrapping his arms around her torso. “Soon we will become one in the most intimate way imaginable and when we do, you will embrace me willingly.” Betsy struggles, but he holds her against him with ease. “I know you can’t see it now, but I’m a patient man and you are worth the wait. We’ve already begun to purge the weaknesses that surround you; now it’s time we turn to the weakness that still rests within you.”
“I’m not weak.” She growls, attempting to free at least an arm from his grip.
“This desperate bid for humanity is the weakest part about you.” the Lich declares firmly. “You insist on living with humility and justice, but what has that provided you in the grand scheme of things? You can’t even defeat your most detestable foes because you insist on playing fair; tell me, Betsy, what have you got to show for being the nice girl everyone likes?”
Finally, he releases her as she struggles to come up with an answer to his question. “I’ve got James and Shawn... A huge family, blood and chosen, that I adore. A career I wouldn’t trade for the world...”
The Lich nods. “How quaint.” He says, unable to keep the disdain from his tone. “A career in which you’ve had a handful of mid-tier titles that you have yet to hang on to for more than two defenses.”
“Considering how many I was able to snag in my first full year, that’s hardly something to be disappointed about.” Betsy fires back, her pride flaring with indignation.
“How about all the opportunities lost because of your unwillingness to go to your opponent's level of play?” The smile grows more sinister as he senses her doubt creeping in. “Look at all you’ve lost. Damien Ayla holds the Excellence Championship that should have been yours. XWF and OCW have made a joke of you in the worst ways possible, taking everything you earned away in the blink of an eye. Even those basic bitches over in Fight have managed to make a fool of you, some of them even repeating the insult.”
“Fuck you!” Betsy bursts out, raking her fingernails across his face. “I’ve never claimed to be infallible and all of those were experiences I can learn from.”
“Oh, really? Because it seems to me that when it comes to the likes of Sahara, Charlie Nickels, and Kayla Richards, you haven’t learned fuck-all.” The Lich’s’ human façade unravels for a moment, his image shifting to his true demon form. “Let me in willingly Betsy, and I can turn you into everything they wish they could be. They grasp at power and glory desperately, knowing how small they truly are compared to someone like you. The world already knows you are great, let me take you to the next level. I could make you untouchable.”
Through the fog of anger and fear, his words begin to reach something else within her. She can feel it stir as if from a deep slumber, causing her blood to turn to ice water. Her steps grow hesitant before stopping completely just before her lover and her friend; now she only gazes at them helplessly as they stare Death in its ghoulish face.
“You offer me so much, but you want something from me.” Betsy turns to face him now, her expression neutral. “It’s here,” she says, tapping her head. “Implanted somewhere deep, a command you’ve already left with me. I don’t know how you’ve managed to keep it concealed, but I don’t accept it and I refuse to obey any orders you might have left me with.”
“It’s adorable that you think you have a choice in this.” the Lich says with a seductive chuckle. “I really do hate having to extinguish this fire of yours, my dear, truly. It’s entertaining and sexy,” he begins, his eyes roaming her body slowly. “Honestly, if she hadn’t been so determined to pull you from Death, I would have taken you as my newest bride.”
“The Grand Admiral had a better shot at that than you’ll ever have.” Betsy says venomously.
“Hmm... I’ll be sure to keep that in mind once our binding is complete. A union with him would make for a powerful alliance.” the Lich says, filling her with revulsion.
“That is absolutely not what I meant by that and you damn well know that.”
Yet through her own sense of disgust and fear, she could feel the temptation swelling beneath the surface. How sweet it would be to finally see the fruits of her labors while lining her lawn with the heads of her enemies. Bloodlust fills her, allowing the Lich to tap even further into her darkest, innermost thoughts. He revels in there now as Betsy lays herself unwittingly bare to him.
"You want everything I can give you, Betsy Granger. I don't wish to control you, I only wish to help you. Together, we'll take everything we've ever wanted and nobody would be able to stop us. All you have to do is let me in."
"NO!" She cries out desperately. She tries to leave, but he caresses her skin and she shivers again, though she's horrified to realize it isn't with disgust...
Her eyes pop open and she sits up quickly in bed, looking around the bedroom. Looking next to her, she's relieved to see that she hadn't woken up James. Holding her head in her hands for a moment, she can still hear the husky whispers of the Lich in her mind, offering her the sweetest of prizes. A sharp pain cut through her head and with a groan, she stumbles out of bed and towards the bathroom. She shuts the door gently behind her and flicks on the dim overhead light before turning towards the mirror that doubled as the medicine cabinet. She stifles a startled scream when she catches her reflection and the grinning face of the Lich is staring back at her. A pitiful moan escapes her as she slides to the floor, his voice filling her head once more.
"You're already mine, Betsy Granger."
****An Impossible Promo****
“This is a joke, right?”
Betsy paces in front of a camera from inside of Excellence, the engine churning away behind her.
“So not only does Kayla slip through my fingers with a the lowest of victories; now they want to rub salt in the wound by making me tag with that hag?”
Stopping for a moment, Betsy looks into the camera with a sneer on her face.
“I’d rather swallow a bag of thumb tacks, but whatever. It not only bad enough to have to tag with that pathetic wench, but you’re making me do so against someone I admire very much. Someone who has been the target of this series of sneak attacks recently. Of the four of us in this match, I’d give a limb to trade partners with WBM to have Xaria by my side. At least then I wouldn’t have to keep looking over my shoulder to make sure my partner was still there when I needed the tag.”
Resuming her pace, Betsy begins to do several circuits around the circular control module that surrounds the engine.
“Listen, I know you trust pretty much everyone about as far as you can throw them right now, Xaria. I can’t say I blame you; I’d be on edge too if I, and people I give a shit about, are attacked by some bitch who can’t show their face. All I can do is offer my profession of innocence, which I fully expect you to take with a grain of salt. Everyone is a suspect until the perpetrator decides to grow a set and reveal themselves to you; I’d be ready to throw Kayla under the bus for that, but she likes showing off that ugly mug entirely too much. I know from experience that she’ll do what she can to win, but she’s never been shady about it. I guess that’s one thing I can respect about her.”
Just saying the words causes Betsy to shudder violently. She closes her eyes and shakes her head to clear it of this thought; slowly, her eyes open once more and they appear to be darkening quickly.
“My other suggestion would be to look a lot closer to your side than you have been. I’ve seen the rift this has been causing between you and Zoey; the lady doth protest too much, methinks, don’t you? She may have those Agatha Harkness vibes sometimes, but does she have the poison to go full Queen Regina? I certainly couldn’t tell you... Well, I suppose I could if I really wanted to, but I haven’t been asked to investigate this, so I’ve merely spent some time speculating from the sidelines. That’s why it probably wouldn’t hurt the keep an eye on your oh so good friend and current tag partner. You may think you have a cozier situation than I do, but if Excellence (the company, not my awesome ship) has done anything since its doors opened, it’s revealed a lot of snakes in the grass.
They say a leopard can’t change its spots, but let's hope for both your sakes that’s not true.”
A chilling smile spreads slowly across her face as her eyes turn blacker.
“I’m all about second chances and so far, William Blake Mason appears to be a changed man for the better. When he isn’t busy simping over Xaria, he’s off doing... Well, not much, am I right? For all the hype that surrounded your arrival around here, you haven’t done much to show us what it’s all about. I was among those who were excited to have the renowned WBM on the same roster as I was; much like Xaria, I spent a lot of my teenage years watching you with my Pops.
Never mind what I said before. How can one show he’s changed when he’s done nothing at all?”
Her voice grows thoughtful as she ponders this last statement.
“Not that I have much more to brag about around here. Neither of us could defeat the creature that now serves as my partner in this mess. I suppose the fact that you wouldn’t resort to the same backhanded bullshit Kayla would is a testament to the new you, Willy Bee. At least she didn’t cost you the opportunity to become the Impulse Champion; trust me, that’s a bitter pill that remains hard to swallow for me. You managed that bit all on your own, but as I recall, that entire match was a giant clusterfuck from start to finish. Let's just hope that whoever is attacking Xaria and friends doesn’t gun for you any harder than they already have.
I’d hate to see you both with fresh forehead gashes and concussions before the match. It would be unsportsmanlike to take advantage of such a situation.”
Her eyes gleam red for a moment before turning to obsidian.
“Then again, I am partnering with the one woman in this company low enough to capitalize on the bullshit you two have been subjected to recently.”
She steeples her fingers together as her mind continues to wander.
“I could take advantage of that, or I could take pleasure in possibly handing Kayla her first loss in Pro Wrestling Excellence. Oh, I know it would be another for my record as well, but to put that tarnish on Kayla’s undefeated streak would be oh, so sweet. It gives folks the wrong idea about what she’s capable of, which we all know isn’t much when she isn’t cheating to get her way. Sneak attacks and backhanded tactics are her specialty, but the record books don’t give a shit about that. History is written by the victors and Kayla has had an opportunity to write too many pages already.
Oh, am I supposed to be here supplicating my partner by sucking her clit? Fuck all that noise.”
Betsy’s expression grows hard.
“We may find ourselves forced to team, but we’re far from partners, Kayla. Nothing you say or do will ever prove to me that I can trust you to have my back when it’s turned. I honestly expect to turn around to tag you at any moment to find you gone; I wouldn’t put it past you at all. I’m guessing it all comes down to what matters more to you in this match:
Maintaining your perfect record or jumping on another opportunity to humiliate me?
If we manage to be cohesive enough to scrape out this win, I’ll be the first to turn around and give you hug. It might be a bit tight around the neck, though...”
The smile finally returns, though it’s just as eerie as it was when the video started.
“It seems that no matter where I turn this week, I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place. Tensions are running high between everyone except the cozy little couple in front of me. Xaria certainly does seem to have a kink for dark haired pretty boys... I wonder how Michael feels about their deep connection? Isn’t it strange how they were the first to each other’s sides after the attacks went down? Allow me to circle back for a moment to when I was theorizing earlier; maybe the assailant IS a lot closer to your side than you realized, Xaria. Have you ever considered that your man may still be harboring a dark secret inside o him? Maybe it’s guiding his actions, feeding on whatever jealousy he may feel over this, causing him to tap into demons thought dead at long last?
Again, just speculation, don’t pay me one bit of mind.
But on the real, it must suck to be you, William. Being not-so-secretly in love with your best friend, as she continues to sleep in the arms of another man. I could be way off base here, but the way you look at her doesn’t lie. Everyone saw the genuine terror in your eyes as you held her in your arms the night she was attacked. It was as though the person who committed the sin knew you’d be nearby enough to look after her.
Quite suspect.”
She rubs her chin as her eyes begin to glow red consistently. Bright glowing light emits from underneath her skin as she floats off the ground slightly.
“It’s a vile world we live in where one can’t trust those closest to them. You know what they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. My enemy couldn’t be any closer to me this week, and I’d rather be doing just about anything else. Let me hop in Excellence and go take a stroll down the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Maybe go back a little further and wrap myself in a small pox blanket and walk the Trail of Tears with those poor souls.
Fuck it, let's just get this week out of the way so we can look towards the next. I don’t care what position we find ourselves in this week Kayla: Fuck you. I don’t trust you to do the right thing tonight, so I’m letting you know that the gloves are off. If you try anything stupid, you will be responded to in kind. I’m in no mood to deal with your bullshit, and that’s all you are these days. If you’d rather not show up at all, great. I’ll take on both of them on my own and accept whatever happens as a result. If you decide that winning is more important, cool, let's get this thing done.
I can’t do this anymore, we’re done.”
Throwing a hand towards the recording device, she sends a slight pulse of energy towards it, causing it to overpower and die. Her free hand clutches at her head by the temple, green eyes sliding shut as she slumps into one of the chairs around the console. Inside her mind, dark laughter rings through her skull gleefully as the face of the Lich Demon forces itself before her eyes. She shakes her head in terror as she stares at the ethereal figure before her. Her legs turn to lead and she falls to her knees before him, trembling violently as she shakes her head rapidly in denial.
“This isn’t real, this can’t be real, you’re not real.” She protests breathlessly, crawling away from him on all fours.
“Oh, but I am my darling. Look at me and accept your fate; you’ll never escape me now.” He purrs, stepping forward on silent feet and using magic to force her face upward.
Forced to gaze up at him, she stares in silent terror as his shape shifts between the demon and the man. As they gaze into each other’s eyes, a warmth begins to spread through her, it’s the same one from the night they met when she was desperately trying to escape The In-Between. Betsy struggles to fight it, knowing it was the Lich King enforcing his will upon her, but her attempts prove futile. As his freezing hands cup her face, she can feel his dark energy consume her before the world fades to black...
Moments later, her eyes open and they are glowing red as a victorious smile spread across her face.
