Green eyes full of terror fly open as Betsy Granger flies up from her grave with a strangled gasp. Her golden hair is a bouquet of mud and autumn leaves; the white gown Lycana had buried her in is stained with blood and soil. Not hers, but the sacrificial blood that the Sapphire Vixen and her own beloved People’s G.O.A.T. James Raven had offered to drag her back from this place. Her heart pounded as she turned and stared Death in the eye, their ghoulish face twisted in a sinister delight. A skeletal hand reaches out for her, long fingers ready to wrap around her throat and reclaim the prize that had been taken away...


“NO!” she cries out in a strangled gasp, backing away quickly and turning to run as fast as she could.


“Destroy them all.”


Betsy skids to a halt, her bare feet sinking into the soft, moist soil. The voice was like biting into tin foil as it invaded her ears unbidden. She was reviled by it, even as a jolt of excitement sent a shiver through her spine. Holding up one of her hands in the air, she smiles as her powers manifest; in moments, she’s rolling a small, controlled ball of plasma between her fingers. As the rest of her body begins to illuminate with it, the voice returns, piercing through her like a dagger. The ball flickers out as her fingers tighten into a fist and icy fear spreads through her entire body.


“Destroy them all and take all you desire.”


She wanted to run, but her legs had turned to lead. Betsy looks around frantically, hoping to find the source of the disembodied voice. Death circled her mockingly, remaining silent as the amusement in their face became ever more menacing. As they move in to take her once more, a domineering figure appears between them. Betsy’s breath catches in her throat as she takes in the nightmarish creature in awe; it turns to look at her for a moment and she cries out when she recognizes his face. The missing eye and accompanying scar were unmistakable…


“It’s you!” she squeaks, reaching out for him.


For a moment, the demonic face turns disarmingly handsome and he smiles at her warmly as he nods. Warmth and trust fill her as she approaches him; he takes her outstretched hands, his remaining eye sparkling as he brushes his lips against her fingers. Before she could do or say anything else, he touched her head, as he’d done the first time they’d met, and the world around them melted away. The Impossible Traveler slips into a mindless state, allowing the demon to return his attention to Death. When he faced his foe fully, he was back to his true form; all the while, Betsy watched on blindly, trapped within her own mind.


“She’s not yours to take; leave her be or suffer the consequences of my displeasure.”


Death chuckles at the insolence of the demon before them, but the other is not as easily entertained. Turning his back on Death, he takes his human form once more as he saunters to Betsy’s side. Leaning in close to her ear, he whispers one order.


“They would take you against your will… Destroy them.”


Betsy begins to stalk towards Death, burning with fury and fueled by her hatred of the hooded figure. They watch as she holds her hands out to her sides, allowing the plasma energy to fill her entirely. Unafraid, Death steps forward to meet her challenge, morbidly fascinated with the way she glowed with the energy she possessed. It still meant nothing to them, for they were Death, the most unstoppable force in the Universe; the most inevitable of all beings lurking among the stars. They met the Impossible Traveler in the middle, holding out their hand to end this fight quickly.


They barely have time to register their shock when Betsy reaches out her hand in return.


Their screams begin to fill the room as Betsy grasps his hand firmly and allows the plasma to pour from herself into him. She watches calmly as the unspeakable horror of the scene continues to unfold. A ghastly glow begins to radiate from beneath the tattered robe; Death falls to their knees before her, unable to take their hand away to stop what was happening. Looking up into her face as they burn alive from the inside, their sunken eyes meet the burning white glow of the Impossible Traveler’s gaze…


As the smile spreads across her lips, she tightens her grip, crushing their bony fingers. The demon behind her smiles with terrible glee as Death bursts into flames, becoming nothing more than a pile of ash.


“Well done, my pet. Now you may return to where you wish to be, but remember your duty to me. The job is still unfinished.”


She opens her mouth to ask about the mission, but he only shakes his head and touches a finger to his lips. She grunts in frustration, but allows her words to remain unsaid; moments later a blue portal is opened and he motions her towards it. Reluctant to leave her unlikely hero, Betsy stops at the edge and stares up at him hopefully. Her unspoken pleas are rewarded with a soft smile just before he pushes her roughly through the portal…



**** An Impossible Promo****



”Oh Thebe… You had such promise. The fire you displayed when you came in to slay a legend. What happened to that spunk you displayed against Cent? You can't tell me the best you have to fight me with are some slights you have with the way my move set is written?”


Betsy sits upon a throne made of twisted, black branches of ebony and rosewood. Her blonde hair is braided tightly in a Viking style, accompanied by a black leather suit clinging to her trim figure. Over that she wears a dark, thick cloak with strange symbols etched in white paint. Her face is emotionless as her fingers drum the armrest. The room around her is cast in shadow, a single light glowing eerily over her face from below.


“You think mocking me about my hobbies outside of the ring is original? Hasn’t been done?


Do you really believe you are the first to cast a joke or two at my time travel? The fact that I’ve been taken up with language since I was a child?


What did you do baby boy, read my bio and pick out what looked best?”


She giggles mirthlessly, the sound cold enough to send a chill up anyone’s spine. A long leg, clad in a chunky heeled black boot swings upward for a moment before crossing over the other leg.


”It only shows how wet around the ears you are, you insignificant little bitch. If you want a prayer of taking my Television Title, you’ll have to come at me with a lot more than those pathetic notes you jotted down. You feeble misogynistic piece of shit, the only nails you need to worry about are the ones I’m going to break off in your ass. That’s only because I’m going to reach into your asshole unlubed and pull your rectum out; I won’t stop until I have enough of the large intestine to strange you with. And as you suffer the smells and sensation of your own cocktail of internal fluids, I’ll make you watch as I eviscerate you completely, with my bare hands.”[/bg[


She tips her head as a dark smile crosses her face.


[bg]”And then, I think, before the wildlife comes, attracted to the smell of your blood against the snow, I’ll use one of those ice crystals as a fondu fork and dig around the area you’re testicles are supposed to be; my puppies will be ready for a snack by then.”


Another spine-tingling laugh emits from her lips as two large, grey wolves flank her from the shadows. They sit obediently on each side of the throne, waiting patiently.


”You cocky little inchworm, do yourself a favor and crawl back into whatever cesspool of mediocrity you spawned from. You speak of respect like it’s something you’ve earned, yet claim to hold it for me while showing so little. I’ve met millions of little boys just like you, many of them surrounding us every time we enter an arena.


You can take your fake respect and shove it right up your dickhole. Or perhaps I’ll shove a red-hot knitting needle up there instead? Challengers' choice, friend; let's play a fucking game.”


****

“BETSY!”


As her soul is reunited with her physical body, Betsy faintly hears the voice of James Raven calling to her. He sounds frantic, which is evident in the soft taps he’s putting on her cheek. She sucks in a loud, gasping breath of air as her heart restarts in her chest. Stunning light from the night sky invades her eyes as she blinks rapidly, desperate to regain her vision. Green eyes reflect the dazzling array of hues from the Aurora Borealis that she and James had been watching before...


“Fucking hell, Bets, thank Christ.” James growls, grasping her chin in his fingers and forcing her to look into his eyes.


“What happened?!” She asks in a hoarse whisper, alarmed by his appearance. Never had she ever seen his face that pale or that much fear in his eyes.


“Betsy... You were dead... I think. You stopped breathing and I couldn't feel your pulse...” He stops to compose himself for a moment. “I thought I lost you again.” James finally manages in a clipped tone.


“I don’t understand this.” Betsy says, clutching at James tightly. “What the fuck is happening to me?”


James wraps his arms around her tightly and holds her protectively against him. Stroking her hair, he rests his cheek on her soft golden curls and sighs. “I don’t know, Bets, but I’d like to find out myself.”


An icy fist grips her heart, squeezing it tightly in a death grip. Pulling back enough to look deeply into his eyes, she allows her vulnerability to show in full. “I can feel it now, trying to take devour my soul and block out any light left inside of me. Please don’t let it die, James...” she chokes on her word as she can feel the darkness trying to tear its way into her mind. She shakes her head violently several times before looking up at him desperately. “I’m sorry I’m not stronger.”


“Whatever this is, we’re in it together Bets,” James says in a hard tone, his face growing stern. “You’re one of the strongest people I know; there aren’t a lot of people willing to put up with me full time the way you do.” He’d hoped that would make her smile, but her lips remain in a tight line. “I’ll never let anyone or anything take you from me again, you hear me? Whatever has to be done moving forward, we do it together.”


He leans in and crushes his lips against hers, his hands grasping her head. As his fingers get tangled in her hair, she grabs at his shirt and responds urgently, her heart pounding hard in her chest. Ignoring the bitter cold, the kiss quickly progresses as the universe watches them from above...



**** How About A Little More ****


“Have you taken a look at the line-up for that cute little tournament they’re putting on? Did you ever consider why all those folks have thrown their name in?”



Betsy rises from the throne, the two wolves getting to all four legs with her.



”They threw themselves at this opportunity because they knew my name would be attached to the belt by Bad Medicine. And if you were to ask any of them who they believe they will face there, they’ll say my name one more time.



Betsy Granger, bitch.



People don’t just want a shot at the TV Title; they want a shot at putting out one of the hottest names in the business. Who the fuck came on the off-chance Thebe Nwadike could get the job done and become TV champion himself?



Vegas odds most of the XWF Fanbase can’t even spell your name properly, let alone spit it out anywhere near correct. They haven’t heard it enough, and that’s not about to change anytime soon. Once I’ve made an example of you to my future opponent for Bad Medicine, you’ll disappear into the footnotes of XWF history as I continue my journey onward and upward to greater glories.”



She glides gracefully from the throne, the cloak sweeping gently behind her against the icy ground.



”Complain all you like about the location of our brawl; this is how you’re truly going to get your first taste of the absurdity that XWF allows in the rings. You should be happy I’ve decided to take it so easy on you, I found myself in a cage that was lit up with electricity not too long ago. You’ve never seen snow? Poor baby, I’ll introduce you to it in earnest when I shove it down your throat.



You sad, whiny mongrel, just tuck your tail between your legs and move back down to the curtain jerker spot you belong in. Don’t let management's poor decision-making allow your head to inflate over this; you’re just another pawn being moved around a bigger board, like the rest of us. You managed to make their jaws drop enough to get Cent's dick out of their mouths; now they want to put their pretty new toy up to the test against last year's model.”



Her hands land on the heads of each of the wolves, who gaze up at her. Her lips begin to curl as she continues, her eyes darkening ominously.



”You’re coming into Savage with nothing, and you’ll leave with just the same. Because that is exactly what you are and what you mean to me or anyone else around here. All you’ll ever amount to in history is the pity sign-up Theo made after XWF chased OCW back into the shadows. This match isn’t a reward to you for beating Cent, it’s my warm-up for whatever they have planned for me next.



And you can bet your sweet ass they’re banking on me leaving with the belt. Who am I to disappoint?”



Baring her teeth in a creepy smile, Betsy turns her back on the camera and gracefully walks back to her throne. Falling elegantly onto it, she sits regally, staring down at the camera with a smirk full of malice.



”I’ve only just begun cutting the weakness out from around me. My question to you, Thebe, is will you be the next to fall?



Or will you stand by my side as we burn it all to the ground?



Show me what you’re made of, child. You have potential, but you’ve yet to truly unleash what drives you. Look at the opportunity that stands before you; how badly do you wish to take what is mine? I want to see the madness in your eyes as you violently try to pry from my hands that which you covet.



Then submit to your fate and go easily under my merciful hands. Don’t make me destroy you.”



Her eyes turn to slits as they darken to black.



”But I must... You are only the first.



I must destroy you all.”



With a tortured scream, Betsy grabs her head as the wolves begin to howl. The sounds bounce off the walls of the cave as the cameramen abandon their positions and dash out at a run. Betsy falls to her knees, screaming in several dead languages before something interferes with the electronics, causing them all to power out at once.



The cave plunges into the darkness as the scene disappears from everyone’s screen.



****



The pair had fallen into a satiated sleep after their lovemaking; though they had started tangled up in one another, they had both moved during their sleep. Now Betsy twitched restlessly as a handsome, one-eyed stranger approached her in her dreams. Something about him was familiar as he offered her his hand with a devilish smile. A pleasant warmth spread through her as she took it and allowed him to dance her around the garden.



Her laughter fills the air mingling with the sweet aroma of honeysuckle and jasmine; under his expert hands, they move effortlessly to music only they can hear. The hand around her waist lowers teasingly before drawing in her in closer. A sigh escapes her as she melts under his warm touch, her eyes limpid pools of desire. Lifting her into the air and wrapping her legs around his torso, he carries her with ease to a stone bench and sets her down on it gently. His weight is deliciously heavy against her. Closing her eyes, she sighs as his lips graze her neck gently before his weight disappears entirely. Keeping her eyes closed, she waits with anticipation, her body thrumming with the desire. She frowns as the moments turn to minutes and the air around her grows frigid. Opening her eyes, she gasps as she takes in the glowing red orbs coming from the nightmare hovering above her face. Before she can scream, the creature mounts her, dropping a large hand over her mouth.



“You belong to me, Betsy Granger.” He says in a husky growl of delight, enjoying the effort of her struggles. “Submit to me and I'll help you destroy anyone who would overlook you... Underestimate you... Stand in the way of the glory you deserve.” He leans in closer. “Submit to my will and together we will burn the world to the ground.”



”NO!” Jerking awake, Betsy looks around fearfully. James slept soundly beside her, undisturbed. With a sigh, she sinks back down and stares up at the roof of their tent, giving up on sleep for the night...

FORMER