Mark's P.O.V.
So the letter arrived to me this morning. Vince hand delivered it to me personally. I'm hanging up my boots. No more scary entrance. No more chokeslams. No more tombstone piledrivers. No more huge leg drops. No more wrestling. Well...I knew this day was coming. It was only a matter of time. I had been with the business for 21 good long years. It was time to go. Settle down in a nice home instead of on the road every day. Sure, I'm gonna be homesick. Hell, I would never give up wrestling for everything. But my body is telling me to do otherwise. I've been injured more times this year than I have in my last 21 years of being in the business. I don't know what's wrong with me. Perhaps it's because I'm getting old. Or maybe that the old wrestling spirit I have in me is just too exhausted to go on any longer. Either way, today's my last day. I would arrive to the arena, clean out my locker, and never stop foot in another wrestling arena again. Damn, I'm gonna miss it. Even more so one specific person in particular. I hope he takes the news well.
I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, my hands trembling. I was nervous. Not about leaving but of the expression that I know I'm going to see on his face. That look in his eyes that always gets me choking back sobs. I reached the locker room, my hand frozen in place, not being able to lift it to knock. I bit my lip and hung my head, my black hat hiding my expression. I inhaled deeply and knocked.
"Come in." I hear from the other side. I opened my eyes. His voice seemed happy. I swallowed the lump in my throat and walked in, lifting my head to see him sitting on the bench, watching the monitor. He was a bit surprised but stood up.
"Mark?" I blinked slowly, averting my gaze from his two-toned baby blues. Damn those beautiful eyes of his.
"I'm leaving..." I whispered, holding up the letter of resignation that was given to me not 24 hours ago. I dared not look up to see his expression because I already knew what it was. There was a heavy silence for a good 30 seconds before I heard it. His breathing increased and I could tell his body was shaking.
"You're..." He couldn't finish but I knew what he wanted to ask. I lowered my head even more indicating a nod.
"Yeah...For good this time..." His voice began to crack, tears welling up in his eyes.
"But...you—"
"Little brother." I lifted my head up, staring into his tear-filled eyes with my emerald green ones. He stared at me in shock as I tore my gaze away from his.
"There's nothing I can do. This...is out of my hands. I'm sorry..." I went to walk away but strong arms wrapping around my chest stopped me in my tracks. I closed my eyes, tears wetting my eyelashes.
"No...you can't leave...I won't let you..." He was sobbing, his tears soaking my jacket. I hated this. The sound of him crying broke my heart into so many broken pieces that it almost brought me to my knees. I placed my hand over his that laid on top of my chest.
"Do you feel that?" I made sure he felt the pulsing in his hand that was my heart.
"That's the love and passion that I have for this business...For all the fans, for all our friends, for everyone..." I swallowed the lump in my throat and turned around, fighting back the tears that threatened to fill my eyes.
"And this..." His eyes went wide at the waterworks now swimming in my eyes.
"This is the regret I have for leaving you here alone...This is all the love that I hold for you...This...is the last time I'll ever see you..." His bottom lip began quivering. I gritted my teeth together as I pulled him in, placing my hand on the back of his head.
"Don't. Don't you dare. We promised each other...don't you remember? We promised that when that time came...no one would see the other crack...Just...don't..." I stepped backwards, his eyes and mine meeting for the last time. I then removed my hat and hung it up on a hook in the lockers. I then removed my coat and handed it to him.
"Take good care of this for me. And if you ever need me...just know I'm here with you...always..." I then walked out without another spoken word. I could hear Kane hit the floor and a scream leave his throat. My eyes shut tightly as I placed my hand over my face, the tears now flowing down my cheeks. As I made my way down the hallway, I felt my heart sink more and more.
"NO!" The scream echoed throughout the arena as my boots stopped before the exit. I turned my head over my shoulder, tears streaming down my cheeks. I took a shaking breath, a sob escaping past my lips.
"Live in peace...little brother..." I raised my arm and closed my eyes, disappearing from existence.
Kane's P.O.V.
"Kane? Kane, can you hear me?" I opened my aching eyes and quickly sat up.
"Where is he?" Big Show looked at me curiously.
"Where's who?" I turned to see Mark's hat still hanging up. It was covered in a layer of dust, cobwebs surrounding it. I looked up at Show. He had aged.
"C'mon, man. It's time to go. We don't want to miss the 2016 Hall of Fame ceremony now do we?" I slowly stood up and took one last glance at Mark's hat before closing my eyes and walking with out of my locker room, a tear escaping down my cheek.