Paranoia

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with the WWE! The lyrics used belong to The Champagne Charade.

Summary: Sequel to "Fear Itself." It's been over a year since that fateful night for four of WWE's top superstars. It's a night none of them will ever forget. But as they try to move on with their lives, they discover it won't be as easy as they thought. Something has stuck with one of them, and it's refusing to let go until it claims all of their lives.

Characters: CM Punk, AJ Lee, Tyler Black/Seth Rollins, Dolph Ziggler, The Miz, Eve Torres, Lita, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns, others featured

Pairings: Miz/Eve, Punk/Lita, and hints of Dean/Paige and Ziggler/Kaitlyn

Rating: T

Genre: Horror

Author's Note: All righty, guys, here we are! The long-awaited sequel to "Fear Itself." Just like the first, this will mainly be a horror/ghost story. All of the characters from the first story will be involved, along with a few new faces, as you can see listed above. If you're reading this because you read the first one, welcome back! If you're just stumbling on this story, please, please, please read "Fear Itself" first. I'm not saying that to draw attention to it, but because this story will make a lot more sense if that one is read beforehand. I'm also excited to say that my good buddy Cinnamon Muffin Punk is on board with me for this story! With all that said, feel free to read and review as we go, just no flames, please. Thanks, and enjoy! :)

Part I– Empty Dreams

"The sickness and sorrow leave me empty

The sting of their hatred tears through my dreams

The sickness and sorrow leave me empty

The sting of their hatred burns through me..."

–The Champagne Charade, "Sickness and Sorrow"

Brooklyn, New York. December 16, 2012

His own scream was the only sound he could hear.

Phil Brooks clenched his teeth tightly as he attempted to move his body, which felt as heavy as lead, where he was lying on the hard, wooden floor. But he couldn't. His arms, his legs, everything refused to cooperate. He could hardly even draw a breath, and each beat of his heart felt more forced than the last.

A loud crackle was heard from behind him, and the Straight Edge Superstar managed to turn his head with a great amount of difficulty. His hazel gaze passed over a familiar couch, chair, and roaring fireplace. What was he doing back here? The house had burnt down long ago...

But then, his eyes widened fearfully when a few sparks flew from the fireplace, igniting the dry material of the couch in front of it as well as the heavy coat of dust on the floor. Gritting his teeth once more, Phil attempted to move in order to avoid the flames that were drawing steadily closer. But once again, his body would not budge, and his scream filled his ears as the flames consumed him.

Phil let out a loud gasp as he pushed himself up on his arms on the bed, his chest heaving as he quickly looked around him. He found himself in a room he didn't recognize with off-white walls, delicate drapery, and a small television across from him, and he was lying in a decent-sized bed with an intricate wooden headboard and white sheets that weren't his own. The early morning light filtering in through the window cast a dim glow through the room, and his panicked mind finally slowed down enough to allow him to realize he was safe in his hotel room in Brooklyn. Though he was currently on the shelf with an injury due to the Superstar named Ryback, the Straight Edge Superstar had decided to travel to New York in support of his friends who were going to be a part of the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs pay-per-view that night. They had been through a lot together, and he wanted to be there for them during these successful moments in their careers.

He pulled open the door that led down to the basement, his eyes widening fearfully when a figure in black with a hood over his head reached a gloved hand out toward him...

Phil closed his eyes and shook his head in attempt to clear the image from his mind. It had been over a year since he, Mike Mizanin, Eve Torres, and Nick Nemeth had been driving from Boston, Massachusetts to New Jersey through a heavy storm for a show and crashed their rental car. The events from that night, which were still unexplainable, continued to hang heavily over him, no matter how hard he tried to move on from them, though he knew it was something he would never forget.

The petite brunette set her hand on the back of his head, pulling him down a little before meeting his lips in a soft kiss...

The Straight Edge Superstar opened his eyes again when he felt someone shift on the bed next to him, a small smile appearing at the corner of his lips when she set a light hand on his chest.

"You okay, Phil?" the familiar voice asked.

Phil looked down at the brunette woman and lightly brushed his fingers over her tattooed arm. "Yeah, Ames, I'm fine," he answered quietly, settling back against the pillow behind him with a sigh. "Just an unsettling dream."

Amy Dumas gazed at her boyfriend of nine months with concern. The former WWE Diva known as Lita was aware of all that had happened that night through Phil's account of it, and it was something she knew he was still hanging onto even then. It was something that was hard for her to believe, and if anyone other than him had told her about it, she would have passed it off as a mere ghost story.

"About what happened?" she pressed. Being an insomniac, Phil didn't sleep all too often, though whenever he did, his dreams were usually plagued with nightmares.

The Straight Edge Superstar wound his own tattooed arms around her waist and pulled her close to him, resting his cheek against her soft hair and closing his eyes. "I'm trying to let it go," he murmured. "But I can't."

"Give it time. It'll happen." Amy laid her head on his shoulder, lightly tracing her fingertips over the lines of ink that marked his chest. "You've been through something traumatic a lot of people can't even begin to imagine. You can't just expect to forget something like that overnight."

"But it's been a year already," Phil protested with frustration. "Haven't I suffered with this long enough? Mike, Eve, and Nick seem to be okay..."

Amy sighed and left a light kiss on his shoulder. "Like you, they're probably trying to cover everything up," she told him. "A year isn't really all that long after an ordeal like that. Sooner or later, you'll be able to move on, as will they."

Phil took a moment to let his girlfriend's words sink in, and he nodded before he kissed the top of her head. "This is why I love you, you know," he said.

A mischievous glint appeared in Amy's eyes as she met his gaze. "Oh, yeah?" she replied. "And why's that?"

"You keep me sane." Phil smirked before leaning down and meeting her lips in a soft kiss, his hand slipping beneath the hem of her tank top tracing lightly along her waist.

Amy returned the action before chuckling. "Well, someone has to keep you in line." She brushed a thumb over his cheek. "We should probably get a little more sleep while we can. We'll have to get up pretty soon if we want to get to the arena at a decent time for the pay-per-view."

"Ah, what fun is that, Ames?" Phil wondered, pulling her a little closer as his fingers began to trail up her back. As much as he loved the woman in his arms, he was also painfully aware that another reason he was hesitant to close his eyes again was because he didn't want to know what he would see.

Her smile lingering, Amy shook her head slightly before leaning forward, meeting his lips in another, more intense kiss.

"Yeah, the pay-per-view's tonight. I thought I had told you that."

Nick Nemeth shut off his rental car and stepped out from behind the wheel with his cell phone at his ear, shutting the door with his foot before using the electronic key chain to lock it. He raised his dark-rimmed sunglasses to sit on top of his bleach-blond hair before pulling open the front door of the Chipotle he had stopped at for an early lunch. Being shortly after eleven, he shouldn't have been too surprised that it was as busy as it was.

"Yes, it starts at seven, just like always," he said, continuing his conversation with the person on the other end of the line. "You're gonna watch it, aren't ya? I'm in the main event!"

The little boy with his parents in front of him turned around at the sound of his voice, his light eyes widening when he saw him. "You're Dolph Ziggler!" he exclaimed.

"One sec," Nick muttered into his phone before turning his attention to the boy with a smile. "Yep, that'd be me, the Show Off!"

"Where's your briefcase?" the second boy who appeared to be the first's older brother asked.

"In my car," Nick answered. "Now, I–!"

"It doesn't matter," the second boy continued. "Cena's gonna beat you for it anyway!"

Nick somehow refrained from laughing. This was one of the first pay-per-views where he could say he was actually in the main event against the golden boy of the company, and the Money in the Bank briefcase he had won back in July for a WWE Championship opportunity was up for grabs in a ladder match due to Vickie Guerrero. At least, that was how the storyline was going.

"Do you kids want an autograph?" he wondered.

All opinions the two children had about who was better between him and John Cena seemed to fly out the window at the mention of that magical word, and after signing a napkin their mother grabbed for him, Nick went back to his phone conversation.

"So, as I was asking, you'll be watching tonight, right?" The Show Off waited for a moment as the person he was talking to answered. "Well, yeah, it's TLC. Almost every match will have some kind of stipulation..." He paused. "Yeah, I'm in a ladder match..." He briefly closed his eyes and sighed. "Yes, Mom, I'll be careful. I always am... Okay, I'll talk to you later. Love you, too. Bye."

Nick ended the call on his phone before he slipped it back into the pocket of his dark skinny jeans, seeing that the two boys were looking back at him and laughing. "What?" he wondered, though he couldn't keep the slight smirk off his face. "Even I still get told to be careful by my mom."

Before any of them could say anything else, the boys' parents guided them up to the counter to place their orders. Nick stuck his hands in the pockets of his black coat, his gaze passing over the menu above him to decide what he'd want to get for himself. Something that could be easily eaten in the car while driving, he reasoned, since he wanted to get to the arena early to prepare for the pay-per-view that night. He'd probably just go with his usual.

"Well, howdy, stranger! Fancy seeing you here."

Nick glanced behind him at the sound of the familiar voice, finding himself faced with a woman with two-toned hair looking back at him with her arms crossed. He had been good friends with Celeste Bonin, better known by her ring name of Kaitlyn, ever since they shared their couple on-screen intimate moments when she was Vickie Guerrero's rookie on the third season of NXT. She had since been moved up to the main roster, working with the in-ring veteran Natalya, and he was happy to see she was doing so well.

"Well, I come here often. Though I'm sure you know that," he said with a chuckle.

Celeste's smile broadened into a grin. "Of course, Nick. And I'm totally stalking you," she replied sarcastically, sticking her hands in the pockets of her black hooded sweater.

Nick smirked. "Wouldn't be the first time I've had a woman after me," he muttered.

"Oh, don't flatter yourself." Celeste laughed a little as she raised her gaze and started reading over the menu. "I'm actually here because this is a few blocks away from the arena. Duh!"

The Show-Off sent her a quick wink, which caused her to punch him in the arm a bit harder than was necessary. "Ow! Watch it! You hit like a few guys I know." He paused and arched an eyebrow. "You sure you have a permit for those guns?"

Celeste turned to him, a look of disbelief crossing her face. "Wow! That was almost cheesier than one of my jokes," she stated. "I didn't think that was possible. Good job, Nemeth. Good job."

Nick shrugged slightly. "Hey, I try." He then took a few steps forward to place his order, Celeste lingering a little behind to quickly decide what she wanted.

After getting his food, which consisted of two chicken tacos with veggies and the medium spice mix along with a bottle of water, Nick lingered near a table by the door to wait for his younger companion. Celeste joined him a couple minutes later with her own bag, slipping her wallet back in the pocket of her jeans.

"So, what'd you get?" the Show-Off asked.

"Ah, I got a couple beef tacos with some of that spice mix stuff," the hybrid Diva answered.

"How spicy?" Nick pressed.

Celeste smirked. "The hottest available," she told him.

Nick worried his bottom lip between his teeth. "That'll be hot," he cautioned.

"I think I can handle it." Celeste's eyes gleamed. "How about you, hot shot?"

Chuckling almost nervously, Nick brushed her words aside. "Of course I got some of the spice mix..."

However, his sentence trailed off when his light gaze landed on a copy of that day's newspaper a customer at the table next to them was reading. The front page featured a story about a major house fire that had happened during the night, and his gaze lingered on the picture of the bright, quickly rising flames that were claiming the two-story structure.

A young, petite brunette woman sat on her bed, her knees pulled up to her chest, surrounded by crackling flames that were quickly spreading toward her...

Celeste's smile slowly vanished as her eyes narrowed in concern when she saw the fearful look that passed over Nick's now paler, scruff-lined features. "Hey, you okay?" she wondered, lightly setting her hand on his back.

Nick hissed and flinched away from her touch, almost as though he'd been burned. Celeste took a startled step back. "Whoa! Nick, what the hell, man..."

The Show-Off glanced back at her, taking a couple deep breaths. The Diva could see the hints of uncertainty that lingered in his eyes. "Sorry, Celeste. I just..." Nick sighed, running a stressed hand through his light hair. "Look, I've gotta go. I'll see you at the arena, all right?"

"Nick–!" Celeste began, but she ended with a sigh when he turned and hurried out of the restaurant, not looking back.

Mike "the Miz" Mizanin took a deep breath as he splashed some cold water on his face. He allowed the drops to fall to the sink below and raised his gaze to the mirror in front of him, brushing his still damp hand through his hair in effort to smooth it back. TLC, the final pay-per-view of the year, was officially underway, and he wanted to make sure he was prepared for the six-man tag match he would be involved with later that night against the team of Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre, and Jinder Mahal with his partners, Alberto Del Rio and the Brooklyn Brawler. With the Mexican Aristocrat turning face and the hometown surprise against Three Man Band, the match was sure to be a crowd pleaser.

A moment passed as Mike rubbed his eyes, clearing them of excess water, and blinked a couple times before gazing back at his own reflection. There were still a couple dark rings under his eyes, reflecting the troubled sleep he had been having for the past few nights. He then heard a quiet click from behind him, and he let out a startled shout when he saw a tall, broad-shouldered man with a black hooded sweater, the hood concealing his face, and a pair of black gloves take a step into the bathroom.

He was sitting on the floor in a dark kitchen, the hooded figure standing before him, as his ears began to ring at a deafening level...

"You okay, man?"

Mike quickly turned away from the sink with wide eyes, letting out a long, low breath when he saw Joe Anoa'i, one of the newer talents WWE had as well as a member of The Shield, one of the company's most dominant factions, as its powerhouse known as Roman Reigns. He was already in his black ring gear. Out in the hall behind him, he saw his two teammates Jonathan Good, the eccentric and often crazy member of the group known as Dean Ambrose, and Colby Lopez, the group's high-flying member known as Seth Rollins, watching curiously. All three men were a part of a major six-man tag team tables, ladders, and chairs match in their first actual pay-per-view event against the team of Ryback, Daniel Bryan, and Kane that night. It was taking the place of the match of a similar fashion that was supposed to happen between Ryback and CM Punk for the WWE Championship, but with the latter injured, the plans had to be changed. It would be the first time where a TLC match would be decided by pinfall rather than climbing a ladder.

"We'll meet ya in the locker room, man," Jon muttered as Colby nodded his agreement, and the two men continued on their way to finish any last-minute preparations for their match.

"Uh... yeah, I'm okay..." Mike said weakly as the younger man walked further into the bathroom, allowing the door to close behind him.

Joe stopped at the sink beside the self-proclaimed Awesome One, gazing at him with a hint of concern. "If you don't mind me saying so, you're not looking all too okay," he replied quietly, starting the water. He hesitated. "No offense. I mean, I know I don't know you all that well yet, but..."

"No, no. Don't worry." Mike chuckled, able to see his companion was a bit nervous that he may have said the wrong thing. "I'm just... well, I guess I'm just a little nervous, that's all."

"You? Nervous?" Joe arched an eyebrow. "C'mon, man, you can't be serious..."

Mike forced a smile. "I know, right? It doesn't seem possible, does it?" he wondered. "Well, you'll soon find out that even when you've been around as long as I have, there are still some nerves in there from time to time. Besides, I'm working with the Brawler tonight! What's there not to be nervous about?"

Joe laughed a little himself as he ran his wet hands through his long, black hair. "True, I suppose," he agreed. "That should be fun though!"

"Yeah, it should." Mike reached out and patted him on the shoulder. "Break a leg tonight, kid. Not literally, of course, but you know what I mean. I'm just gonna go grab something from catering. Settle these nerves slightly."

"All right, man." Joe chuckled quietly as he looked up and met his gaze, and Mike could see in his eyes that he didn't quite believe his words. "I'll catch ya around."

"Definitely!" Mike grabbed a couple paper towels and dried his hands off, tossing them away before he left the bathroom. The halls were bustling with Superstars, Divas, and production crews, ensuring the pay-per-view was going off without a hitch. He meandered his way through the crowd, politely excusing himself as he lightly pushed his way past a couple people as the doors to catering loomed before him. The self-proclaimed Awesome One entered the crowded room filled with his coworkers, who were either winding down before a match or getting a little extra energy before theirs started. Not too far away from him sat Britani Knight, one of NXT's youngest and top prospects known as Paige, the Raven-haired Lady, snacking on a sub sandwich as she texted on her phone. He also spotted Nick in a corner with his headphones in, sipping on an energy drink, before Celeste Bonin wandered over to him and started up a conversation. Though he was being polite, Mike could see that something else was weighing heavily on his mind, and for a moment, he had to wonder if it was the same thing that seemed to be haunting him as of late.

It had been over a year since he, his girlfriend, Nick, and Phil had been trapped in that house with restless spirits. He and Eve certainly hadn't forgotten all that had happened to them, and he doubted that the resident Show-Off and the self-proclaimed Best in the World had either.

Mike grabbed a bottle of water and left the busy room, making his way down a less crowded hallway to get to his locker room. He took a sip of the cold beverage, grateful that he had these few minutes to collect his thoughts as he journeyed to his locker room and opened the door. He smiled when he saw Eve Torres, his girlfriend of a few years, was sitting on the couch against the wall, still in her green and silver ring gear and clutching the Diva's title she had retained. But the look instantly vanished when he saw a few silent tears were falling from her dark eyes.

"What's wrong, Eve?" Mike asked, shutting the door behind him before hurrying over and kneeling on the ground beside the couch. He rested his hand on her knee, which caused her to meet his gaze. "Are you okay? You have a match soon..."

The Latina Diva, however, shook her head in answer as she set her hand on top of his. "I'm fine," she answered in nearly a whisper. "I'm looking forward to my match with Naomi. But..."

"But what?" Mike prompted, leaning a little closer as he rose his other hand and gently brushed her tears away with his thumb.

Eve met her boyfriend's gaze, and Mike could see the fear that still lingered there. "I stopped in the bathroom before coming back to your locker room," she explained, her voice shaking slightly. "I took the back way. And there was this woman... just skin and bones... and her hair was stringy and covering her face... But when I looked again, she was gone..."

Mike let out a low breath, taking her hand in his. He remembered her telling him about the woman she had seen locked in the house that belonged to Harold, the man who had killed the people who had once lived in the house they had been trapped in overnight. It was clear this spectral figure was still tormenting her mind, as those events were doing to all of them. There had been nights where Eve had woken up screaming and in tears because of nightmares of this very woman, but it hadn't happened for a couple weeks.

"It's okay, Eve," he murmured, giving her a small smile. "I promise. No one's here to hurt you. You're just fine. I'm right here, okay?"

Eve tried to smile in return as she nodded a couple times. "Until you have to go out for your match," she said with a quiet chuckle.

Mike sent a quick glance at the clock hanging on the wall behind her. "Which will be soon," he replied. "But after that, I'll be right here. I guarantee it."

"I know." Her smile lingering, Eve leaned down and left a light kiss on her boyfriend's lips. "I think I'm gonna take a quick shower and get freshened up. Maybe grab something to eat from catering. That way, I can watch your match and meet you back here when you're done."

The self-proclaimed Awesome One smirked. "Well, I wish I could join ya," he told her, wiggling his eyebrows in a suggestive manner and making his girlfriend chuckle. "There, that's the Eve I know and love."

The Latina Diva brushed her hand over his cheek before she patted his hand and rose to her feet. "Well, maybe another time when you don't have to go kick some ass." She set her title in her bag on the floor in front of the couch, watching as Mike rose to his feet. "Do you want anything from catering when I go?"

"Nah, I'll be okay." Mike approached his girlfriend and wrapped his arms around her waist, smiling when she hugged him back. "I love you."

"Love you, too." Eve quickly kissed him a second time before she turned and walked toward the door that led into the bathroom. "Break a leg!"

Mike chuckled, his girlfriend's words echoing the same sentiment he had given to Joe, watching her until the door closed behind her. He waited for a moment until he heard the water from the shower start to run before he made his way over to his own bag, crouching down in front of it. He pulled out his ring gear for that night and set it aside on the floor to change into before digging around a little more to where a small black box was sitting at the bottom of his bag. He glanced back at the bathroom door, hearing the water still going, before he pulled it out, lightly running a thumb over the lid before pushing it open to reveal a silver diamond ring, beautiful in its simplicity. A smile started to tug at the corner of his lips, knowing that he just had to wait a little bit longer before he presented it to the woman he loved.

With this thought in mind, the self-proclaimed Awesome One closed the box and set it back in its place at the bottom of his bag, covering it back up before he started to change to prepare for his match.

Phil made his way through the crowded backstage hallway, smiling at those who passed him by when they acknowledged him. He and Amy had found a monitor to sit comfortably in front of to watch the pay-per-view, and he had to admit it wasn't too bad of a show so far. He was glad to see that Eve was going to continue to be Diva's Champion and that both Mike and Nick were also scheduled to win their respective matches. After everything they had all been through, he was glad he could be there to see their successes for himself.

Since he was getting a little hungry, he was now making his way to catering, planning to get sub sandwiches, chips, and drinks for both him and his girlfriend to enjoy while they continued to watch the show. The Shield's debut pay-per-view match was coming up soon, and the Straight Edge Superstar planned to make his trip as quick as possible so he could watch it. He knew Colby well from his training days, having trained him a little himself before the younger man ventured into the indy scene, and also knew Jon from the bits he had seen of him through his indy days as well as the couple matches they had when he was in Florida Championship Wrestling, WWE's developmental territory at the time. He was happy to see them on the main roster now, and though he didn't know Joe as well as his two teammates, it was clear to see all three of them would one day be the future of the company. He couldn't ask for anyone better to take over his spot on the pay-per-view card that night.

Smiling slightly to himself, Phil hurried around the corner into a shadowed hallway that wasn't quite so congested, but he stopped dead in his tracks when his eyes landed on a slender, petite, brunette woman standing at the other end of it.

"You."

Colby allowed all the cheers and boos from the sold-out crowd around him sink in as he began to climb a ladder that had been set up in the ring while Jon and Joe used chairs and whatever other weapons were at their disposal against Ryback, Kane, and Daniel Bryan. For their pay-per-view debut, he felt the match was going well with all six of them using the tables, ladders, and chairs this particular match called for much to the delight of the audience in attendance and sitting in front of their televisions. All of them would be bruised, battered, and sore in the morning and probably for the next week or so, but it was something he had come to expect from the wrestling business when he had entered it years before. It was a toll on his body that he was used to.

The two-toned Shield member gingerly climbed up a few more rungs. He was already starting to feel the effects of this match, and though he had had his share of brutal matches before, it was still just as painful. The crowd noise picked up slightly as he approached the top of the ladder, and he glanced down at the ring below, seeing that Jon and Joe were each sparing him watchful glances whenever they got the chance as they handled their opponents. He took a deep breath, knowing that the massive bump he was about to take was going to hurt, and for a moment, he wondered if he was crazier than he thought. There was nothing to climb for in this match, unlike WWE's TLC predecessors, but he knew the fans loved the high-flying moves. And those, he was proud to say, were his specialties.

Ryback began his climb up the ladder to meet him. Colby exchanged a few hits with the larger man, knowing that soon after this spot happened, Joe and Jon would get the win for their team. Ryback soon got a secure hold on him, and the youngest member of The Shield mentally prepared himself for the impact he knew was coming. His hands released their safe hold on the ladder, and Colby allowed Ryback to toss him off toward the couple tables on the floor outside the ring.

The roar of the crowd increased around him, reaching a panicked pitch, as he plummeted from the top of the ladder. But as he watched the tables get closer and closer to him, Colby instantly knew that Ryback's throw had been slightly off. His momentum wasn't taking him as far out as he needed to be in order to get through them as cleanly as possible with the least chance of an injury, but he was already in mid-air, and there was nothing he could do about it.

The two-toned man braced himself as best as he could. Cheers erupted from around him as he connected with the tables. Splinters of wood flew everywhere, and for a split second, he thought he would make it through relatively unscathed.

But then, the back of his head connected hard with another table, jarring his neck. Colby looked up at the bright lights of the arena above him, shocked, before everything went black.

Author's Note: All righty! This was more of an introduction chapter to recap what happened in "Fear Itself," show where those characters are now, bring in the new ones, and set the tone for the rest of the story. Things, of course, will only continue to pick up from here. So, what's going to happen next for this group? We'll have to keep going to find out! Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!