Part 5 (By $hannon)



           Shannon put the finishing touches on her makeup and 

checked her hair one more time before going to watch out the front 

window for her ride.  Raven was supposed to be picking her up and 

then they were heading over to pick Lorie up before heading out to 

New York.  She had never met Raven but had talked to her enough 

times online that she felt like she had known her for years.



              She couldn't believe the final KISS concert was here.  

Never again would Gene, Paul, Ace and Peter perform together on 

stage and it had been rumored that Eric Singer, Mark St. John and 

Bruce Kulick were going to be there as well.  The only one not 

invited back was Vinnie Vincent...for obvious reasons. She 

sighed sadly when she thought about Eric Carr.  He would have 

loved to have been there for this.  She wished she had had a chance 

to see him perform, but now she had to settle for his performances 

during summer thunderstorms.  



              They had great seats for the show...all the members of 

the KiSS_girltalk  list!  How Double Platinum had pulled off 

getting the tickets for them she'd never  know but she was certainly 

thankful!  She would be right in front of Gene.  She grinned 

wickedly at the thought of flashing him.  She would love to get a 

hold of him... what she would do to that man if she ever did...  



              She checked to make sure she had the sign that she had 

made for the show.  It was written in Hebrew so only Gene and 

maybe Paul would understand it.  It contained the name of their 

hotel and she would fill in the room numbers once they checked in.  

"Fifty women, four rooms, no waiting."  She grinned and 

told herself she would have to write a thank you letter to Donna 

and her sister for getting her the Hebrew.



              The car horn got her attention and she quickly grabbed her 

purse and headed out the door.  She never saw the person waiting 

for her around the corner. She never saw who hit her.  The only 

thing she knew was a sharp pain followed by blissful darkness.  



              When she awoke she opened her eyes and groaned, 

closing them again in hopes of stopping the sickening pain in her 

head.  She reached back and touched the lump on her head and 

immediately cursed herself for poking at it.  



              "Long time no see," said the voice.  She froze.  It couldn't 

be...  This had to be a dream...  She slowly opened her eyes and 

her gaze fell upon a sight that made her blood run cold.



              "Buttercup," she said sitting up slowly, hoping the room 

would soon stop spinning.  Buttercup smiled at her.



              "I see you haven't forgotten me," he said.



              "Not because I haven't tried," she said carefully rubbing 

the spot on her head.



              "Is that any way to speak to an old friend?" he asked 

giving her a hurt look that was about as sincere as a politician's 

promise.



              "You were never my friend.  I had no choice but to help 

you," she snarled.



              "That is true.  I didn't give you much choice, did I?" he 

said closing the distance between them.  Shannon tried not to 

shrink back from him but all the memories of the horrible things he 

had made her do came flooding back and she couldn't help it.



              "You're an evil sadistic bastard," she spat at him but he 

only laughed.



              "Sticks and stones... " he said walking around the table 

she had been laying on. Shannon briefly wondered if Raven had 

been captured too or if that had even been Raven that had pulled 

up in front of her house.  She hoped it wasn't and that her friend 

was still safe.  



              "What do you want?" she asked.



              "What makes you think I want anything?" he asked, 

giving her his best innocent look.



              "Because you always want something," she said.  



              "I want several things," he said brushing his hand gently 

across her cheek  making her shiver.  She couldn't go through that 

again…she would rather die.



              "Well then why don't you just kill me now because you'll 

get nothing from me," she said with more courage than she felt.  

Buttercup laughed.



              "I'm not going to kill you.  I need you alive," he said.  

Shannon would have rather he killed her right now.  It would be 

easier that way.



              "I won't help you with whatever sick plan you have so you 

can forget it," she said defiantly.



              "Such bravery!" he said.  "I think with enough... 

'encouragement' you will help me," said Buttercup.  



              "Kiss my ass," she said.



              "You know I'd enjoy that, but business before pleasure I'm 

afraid," he said. "I need your help getting to someone... someone 

I know you want to get to very  badly," he said sitting down at a 

computer terminal.  



              "Who?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.



              "Gene Simmons," he said.



              "What?  You're crazy," she snapped.



              "No, I'm perfectly sane.  You see, until quite recently 

Gene was under my control.  But now it seems that he has 

managed to break free.  I need help getting him back under my 

control.  That's where you come in," he said turning to her.



              "I won't do it," she said defiantly.  Buttercup laughed.



              "You have no choice," he said.  "I won't make you kill 

him... but he, in turn, will kill someone... someone who's been a 

thorn in my side for a long time," said Buttercup.  Shannon could 

tell that whoever it was he was ultimately after had done enough to 

him that he would stop at nothing to get rid of him.



              "Who are you after?" she asked, hoping if she got enough 

information, she could somehow get free and warn them.  

Buttercup laughed.



              "Do you think I'm an idiot?" he asked.



              "Do you really want me to answer that?" she asked glaring 

at him.  The smile on his face faded.



              "You better learn to hold your tongue Shannon or I might 

cut it out and that would be such a waste.  You have a very talented 

tongue if I remember correctly," he said and Shannon looked 

down.  She flushed with shame at the things she had done but she 

had been unable to stop it.  There were times when part of her 

mind knew she was doing something wrong but she was helpless 

to stop it.  Those were the worst times.  



              "Go to hell Buttercup," she snarled.



              "I've been there.  It's a nice place," he said with a grin.  "I 

guess you're  going to make me do this the hard way, aren't you," 

he said.  Shannon folded  her arms across her chest and remained 

silent.  She briefly wished this was all a dream or a comic book 

and that Gene would swoop down on leather wings and rescue her 

but she knew it wouldn't happen.  This was reality... not a 

dream... not a story.  This was really happening.    Buttercup 

sighed.  "Have it your way," he said.  



              Two men entered the room and Shannon was roughly 

pushed down on the table and held there.  Her panic rose as she 

contemplated all the things he might do and remembering some of 

the things he did do.  She prayed for a speedy death and wished 

there was a way for her to help Gene.  She wished she could tell 

him how much she loved him.  Was it stupid to be in love with 

someone she had never met?  She didn't know but she knew she 

would give her life to save him … or any of the members of KISS.  



              Shannon felt the electrodes being placed at her temples 

and knew immediately what he had planned for her.  He would 

shock her... torture her... and then if he couldn't get her to agree 

to help, he would put her under mind control and then use her.  



              "Are you sure you won't change your mind?" he asked as 

he switched on the machine.



              "'Been broken down but not defeated.  I kept on punching 

back 'til I  succeeded.  We all need to be somebody...'" she began 

to sing.  The lyrics of  the song calmed her and she knew she 

wouldn't give in... at least not without a fight.  Buttercup sighed.



              Shannon felt a pain that started behind her eyes and spread 

quickly through her entire body.  She thought she would die... 

HOPED she would die.  Her last thoughts were of Gene.  Finally 

she sank once again into blissful oblivion.