(i)
Seth stopped dead in his tracks. On the floor, lying a few inches ahead of him, was a leather object that he recognized so well. The dark wig attached to the material, its ugly eyes hole and mouth roaring open , as if it was screaming profanity to him, and out of nowhere, there was a strong smell of something burning in the air.
Was Kane around? It was the first thing that popped inside Seth's head as he scanned all around him, looking for any signs of a human soul but there was nobody else but himself. He was completely all alone in the dark hallway that leading to the Crossfit gym section. Seth felt cold chill running down his spine, his throat was dry and body shuddered as he contemplated if he should take a step forward, but then he stepped backwards instead, not daring to reach out the creepy object waiting ahead of him. What the hell is that freaking thing doing here? Wasn't it supposed to be locked inside the glass case in The Authority's office? Unless..
Of course. Kane has returned.
Seth gazed upon the abandoned mask again, still hesitated to move forward , especially with the sick scent of burning flame floating in the air filling up his nostrils. He wondered if Kane had finally resurfaced after what had took place the final Raw before Battleground. Kane who was not seen or heard since the night Brock Lesnar smashed his ankle broken, since Seth had added the final damage on the already injured part of Kane, that Kane had to be steered away into ambulance afterwards. It was only a couple of days later, Seth regretted what he had done, genuinely sorry that he had to lash out his anger and frustrations on Kane, and decided that he would apologize to Kane once Kane was cleared out to resume his job. After all, Seth had no allies left since his J&J security also were taken out by Brock last week, so he realized that he still needed Kane as his last backup.
He was considering to buy Kane some more expensive gifts or a brand new car , or maybe help Kane winning some matches, because Seth figured out that it would only take a few days for Kane to fully recover from the broken leg, and it would not be that hard to convince Kane that he wanted them back on the same page again. Until Triple H informed him that Kane was reported to be missing from the hospital where he was undergoing his treatment and he had not answering any calls, text or messages since. What most seems unsettling to Seth was when Triple H told him that according to the hospital doctor, Kane had left his ward room in massive wreck- bed and stuff were shattered and lying around in piles of mess and a couple of attendants had been found beaten to pulp.
He could not stand to look at the Authority as they both staring at him like a parents disappointed with their child, their disheartened and rueful expressions accusing him of the cause of the issue with Kane- that later Seth realized they are more than just worried and unhappy, they actually seemed to look more... terrified. And the reason why they refused to talk about Kane since then, because Seth could notice the same fear in their eyes no matter how they tried to conceal it every time he or anyone else tried to bring up the subject about the former Director of Operations.
A sudden vibration and loud ringing from his phone in his pocket nearly causing Seth to jump, heart almost stopped because of the shock it gave him, but he took out out the phone , muttering a curse to himself. Looking at his girlfriend's caller ID flashed on the screen, he groaned again, proceeded to reject the call because he was not in the mood to talk to anyone now. He shoved the device back into his pocket, turning his focus back on the mask in front of him.
His heart sank. There was nothing on the empty concrete floor. Nothing whatsoever. Seth stood there frozen, rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, but the mask was gone, except the scent of the fire burning still lingering in the air . His legs were suddenly weakening and the chilly air made his hair stood on end, as he trying to rack his brains if what he had seen just now is real or merely an illusion caused by the pressure from the fact he was going into a double match tonight.
He turned around, adjusting his gym bag strap, and suddenly he felt uncomfortable as if something slick was crawling on his skin, and Seth decided to cancel his practice routine today. Part of him trying to assure himself he was imagining things and the mask was all in his head, but he swore he was certain there was something unhuman lurking in the shadows of the dim light at the end of the hallway, and it was anticipating his arrival to drag him into the depths of hell. He took another steps behind, almost were scared off by the sounds of his own footsteps, and hurriedly making his way to exit from the building as fast as he could.
(ii)
His first match against John Cena for the US championship would start in half an hour but it wasn't the thing that Seth was going to discuss with The Authority, because he wanted to ask Triple H if they could get in contact with Kane in any way, or if the Authority had any news about Kane's latest whereabouts. Or if they had any issue of something missing and stolen from their office. Seth doubted if he should let them know about the mask he spotted in the early morning, the one that he was not sure if it was real or just in his head all along.
He was about to turn the knob open when the door was already pulled open from the inside, and the person behind the door was revealed. That was the second time Seth's heart stopped beating for the day. For a split second, he thought it was Kane, but it was The Undertaker. Kane's estranged brother. The Undertaker, however did not even stop to acknowledge Seth, in fact, he just steered past Seth as if he did not see him. Like everyone else, Seth always had a chill down his spine or nervous guts every time the infamous Phenom was spotted hanging around (if you're lucky enough he's dropping by), but now he was unsure if it was the Deadman himself or the fact that he was related to Kane that made Seth feeling more spooked than usual.
What he was doing inside the Authority's office on a PPV that does not concern him, because his nemesis Brock was not even here?
And why the hell suddenly he felt like there was something unpleasant with The Deadman's presence when there was never anything involving Seth with him in the first place?
The answer he got from Triple H, who was standing in the corner with his wife Stephanie, was even more disturbing and made Seth cringe.
"He's asking for a rematch against Lesnar on Hell In A Cell." Triple H stated calmly."And he's also asking where is his brother."
Triple H had always had the cold, dark voice whenever he speaks, but this time Seth sensing more than usual dark in his tone, that he knew he could almost exactly tell that both of The Authority were thinking what he was thinking. Their anxiety and distraught expressions were too obvious although neither of them would admit it out aloud. Undertaker was not the type of someone who talk about his family everyday but you know if he opens his mouth just for once, that means it was a matter of something that everybody should take serious precaution of. Although as far as Seth was concerned, the brothers had been estranged in a long time and Kane told him once that they had not speak to each other for almost two years (since The Shield had annihilated Taker ) but things probably had changed a lot by now.
The Brothers of Destruction is not something you can just kill and stay dead forever. The whole WWE and the world were aware of the undeniable fact. There had been so many gruesome history between them but in any other way, they would always keep coming back to back each other's up.
Seth forced himself to swallow a dry lump in his throat, trying to remain cool as he always was. After all, he was the World Heavyweight Champion, there was no reason to be scared off by an aging, bitter old man grouching over a legendary possession he had lost in the past.
"He does know that Kane was injured, right?" He asked, wishing the answer wouldn't be what he was expecting. But of course it was only a wishful thinking. And Seth always thought the brothers communicating with each other through some telepathy shit and the fact that Undertaker had to ask Triple H where was Kane, was just too illogical to him.
"He did. But he doesn't say anything about it." Stephanie replied quietly.
Of course Undertaker never says anything, Seth thought . Someone like him doesn't speak, they only act and they show what they want the world to know. But then, he could not possibly be here just because he wanted a rematch? After all, Taker was aware that Brock wasn't the only one who had hurt his baby brother the other night. Seth glanced at Triple H, who now had his head turned away, staring into the distance as if he did not want to be caught that he was just as worried as Seth. Or more precisely, afraid. Afraid of Undertaker looking for a cause to seek revenge on his family, to seek retribution for his missing, damaged brother. To destroy anyone or anything that were associated with the blood on the hands that had hurt his sole family member.
For awhile, there was a paralyzing silence in the room. Everyone seemed to be at loss of any words to say. The whole thing- Undertaker mysteriously just appeared out of blue and then the mask incident were too much for Seth to handle on the night he had to face two opponents with both of his championship titles were on the line.
Wait a minute.
First it was the mask. Now it was the big brother suddenly resurfacing. Both are eerily connected to Kane, but is it too much a coincidence? Was Undertaker were really here to mess with his head along? Did Kane sent him? Were they both here to destroy everything Seth had tonight? Questions after questions flooding the back of Seth's mind, he wanted to open his mouth, to ask Triple H about Kane and proceed to tell what he had found earlier morning, but once again, Seth found himself at the loss of ability to even speak, when he spotted the glass case behind Stephanie. He was not even sure if he should be more relieved or more apprehensive, because Kane's mask still kept intact inside the confinement, implying that it had been remained there untouched and ignored, and also the sign that The Authority still had the monster under control.
Or were they ?
Later on the main event of the night, Seth found the answer the hard way , after he had beat Sting black and blue and tearing the washed up legend apart and he captured a clean victory for his WHC title but the cruel night doesn't seem to end there.
(iii)
Seth thought he was was probably dreaming and he was lying in a hotel bedroom, but the loud blast from pyros exploding on the stage ramp and red light filling the arena followed by Kane's theme music were already the worst nightmare he had ever had in his whole life. There, standing on the ramp was no longer a man in normal business suit, but a new demon unleashed from hell, and he was spotting a new mask and new costume as well but , surprisingly , no Undertaker with him. Under the red fluorescent illuminating the whole arena , the demonic monster marched his infernal way towards the ring and when the light came back on, the new mask he was wearing becoming more clear in view.
It wasn't the regular one he wore before he turned into Corporate figure, it resembled the scary one he wore in his Attitude Era debut (when Kane had attacked Undertaker inside the cage match), except this new one was exposing his mouth and chin. In the first glance, the new mask appeared to be a combination of the first one and the second that Kane wore between late 2002 until the mid of 2003 (right before Kane unmasked for the first time in history). It was still designed with the terrifying slashed red and black colors, his dark, ghoulish eyes glaring into Seth with fiery venom and rage as he strolled into the square ring. He was wearing sleeveless, intense red tights with black flames pattern covering his upper chest and on each sides of the legs , also similar to his old school gear he wore around the late nineties.
The refreshed brand new mask now seemed even more horrendous with evil and dangerous vengeance written all over them. Seth swore the entire arena were falling silent as if Kane had sucked their souls off, except for the screaming and gasping from the commentators that the original devil's favorite demon had been resurrected from its slumber and how Seth was going to be fucked up like never before, even more worse than Lesnar's cute German suplexes.
The first thing his instinct was telling him was to run, but Kane was faster .Seth did not even have a chance to blink when he felt the large gloved hand picking him up by his throat, strong fingers gripping his jaw as if they were trying to squeeze the life out of him, and Kane slammed him down the mat. And he wasn't having enough. No, nothing was never enough for a possessed man hellbent on revenge and thirsting for innocent souls to be tortured.
Through his eyelids and heavy ragging breath, Seth watched Kane made the slashing gesture across his throat, his brother's infamous deathmark, and Kane scooped him up again, reversing his body up and down to piledriver position. The last thing Seth saw when Kane dropped his head on the mat was a glimpse of death, and he didn't even know if he was hallucinating again, but he thought he saw Undertaker's face flashing before his eyes in a few seconds before the image quickly vanished into thin air. Seth nearly passed out when Kane shot his explosive pyro across the ring post as he was blinded by the scorching blaze and thick clouds of smoke surrounding him , suffocating him to the point he eventually lost his consciousness and everything went blank from there.
It was the time to face the demon now.