Chapter Four: The Deal
(Smackdown)
The locker room door shut complete before Seth even gotten to it. Okay, that was a very creepy and an impressive parlor trick, Seth had to admit to himself. Then all of the lights began to flicker. Seth couldn't explain why but he suddenly had an urge to run. To run like a bat out of hell and never look back, but he was frozen. He couldn't move. Never daring to even breathe.
Seth felt a presence though. He couldn't explain it, couldn't even fathom, on how this would look, let along how it would sound if he tried to tell someone. People thought he was over worked or worst, was starting to snap. Neither one of those were good for Seth, so he just stood there frozen, secretly praying that whatever this was, would be over and done with soon. He sensed more then heard someone looming around him. Just hovering over him.
"What do you want, Seth?" A deep, dark and sinister voice asked.
Seth, briefly closed his eyes. Undertaker had always freaked him out. Now, here was in the Undertaker's locker room, at his mercy. Seth should have thought this through more. What did he expect? That the Undertaker would just give him answers in dealing with his brother? Seth, you moron! They are the Brothers of Destruction! Even at their worst, being at each others throats, they wouldn't help an outsider! Let alone someone who was the enemy!
Seth went to open his mouth but nothing came out. He couldn't form words. Nothing was coming to him. He needed to tell the Undertaker that it was a misunderstanding on his part. A little mistake. That Seth came to see an old friend and accidentally had gotten the wrong locker room. It was a simple explanation and it could be that easy to get out of there unscathed.
"I know why you're here, Seth," Undertaker said lightly slapping a hand on his shoulder.
Seth couldn't help it, he flinched a bit at the sudden contact and how close to his ear Undertaker sounded. Of course he would know the reason why Seth Rollins, Raw's number one guy was here to see him. Kane. Kane had come back. Kane and the Undertaker are brothers. Both in destruction, and in blood. No matter how bad it would get between the two of them, no matter how strained their relationship may get. They still held that bond and they would never break that code.
"My brother has finally come back, hasn't he." It wasn't a question, more like a statement.
The only thing Seth could do was nod his head. Now, he understood what everyone had meant about never being the same when face to face with the Undertaker. Seth had always thought and assumed it was the mind games and the parlor tricks, but now? Now, Seth would testify and swear on a stack of bibles, that no. It was not. It was all the Undertaker's doing. The mind games and parlor tricks may help but it was truly all of the Undertaker. How? Seth doesn't know and probably would never know.
"And you want my help?" Seth nodded again hoping and silently praying that Undertaker would just say no, so he could get the hell out of here. "Well I could help you." Seth wanted to look up at the Deadman because complete shock covered his face, but he thought it best not to. Just keep his head down, let the Undertaker have his fun with scaring the hell of him as warning and never come back. "But that's not what you truly want. Now is it Seth?"
Seth felt the Undertaker circle him with he said all of this. He never dared lift his head because of how terrified he was at the moment. How? How did Undertaker know that Seth was regretting his decision? How did Undertaker know that he was about . . .
"Is it Seth?" Undertaker slapped his hand on Seth's other shoulder. Seth flinched, not because of the contact but because . . . He felt a surge of something just ran through him. It was cold, ice, ice, cold. It was like reaching into the back of the freezer to grab a carton of ice-cream and wound up finding an icepack instead.
Flashes ran through Seth's mind. Him and his brothers in the ring high fiving each other. In a Marriott Hotel sitting around watching TV, drinking a few beers that found at a local liquor store, munching on some snacks. All three of them laughing and having a good time and seeing who got the beds and who got the cot. Celebrating back stage in NXT after winning the tag team belt. Fist bumping, high fiving with the belts, laughing when they got "scolded" from Hunter for doing that with the belts. Meeting up in the locker room figuring out what to do with their next opponents, and trying to get them noticed for bigger things.
"N-no," Seth manage to stammer out not believing for one second at what he just saw. "N-no. It's, it's not."
"Then what Seth? What do you really want?" Undertaker hissed. He saw the images that flashed before Seth's mind. He knew. He knew that Seth wanted his brothers back.
Seth took an involuntary step back, and squared his shoulders. He brought his head up and looked Undertaker in the eye and had wished that he hadn't. Undertaker was dressed in what could only be described as a cross between a Medieval Grim Reaper and his Lord of Darkness days. His eyes though. Taker's eyes were . . . Glowing. Clear of all color and glowing in the dark. His hair looked as if he decided to not do anything let them see his true age. The purest of silver white hair Seth as ever seen. It didn't do anything to make the Undertaker less terrifying. It just added to the effect!
"What do you really want Seth?" Undertaker asked again.
Oh, god. Were those fangs? Seth was really freaked out now! He so hoped and prayed that this was all a parlor trick and mind game that Undertaker had cooked up for him. To punish Seth for what he did to Kane. Seth stared with eyes and his mouth slightly opened for he wasn't sure for how long, but Undertaker acted as if he had all the time in the world. Seth slowly took a deep breath and swallowed that lump in his throat. He knew what he truly wanted but there was no way Undertaker to deliver!
Oh the hell with it! Just tell the Undertaker and be off! He can't bring them back! Can't build that bridge that he burned. He can't . . . Bring him back to his brothers. "My brothers," Seth barely said above a whisper. "I want my brothers back. I want my family back. I want the Shield back. No, I want the Hounds back. That's what we were. We were the Hounds. That's . . . That's what I really want."
Seth took a step to the door and Undertaker stepped aside to let him. Seth stopped for a moment. Not trusting that Undertaker would let him out of her scot free. Undertaker never made a move. Seth continued on until he was in arms reach of the door. Undertaker's hand shot out and grabbed Seth in a vice like grip. Damn! That ice cold feeling was back but it felt like it was coming from the Undertaker's hand!
"What are you will to do for it? What are you willing to exchange for that to happen?" Undertaker asked as if he was bargaining a deal.
"As if you could!" Seth spat looking at the Deadman.
"Oh there are many things we can do Seth," Undertaker said cryptically. "But it all has a price. I can bring back your brothers, they're just a miserable as you. But you need to make the move to prove that you're not the puppet anymore. What price are you willing to pay for me to do this for you?"
"Anything."
"Anything?"
"Anything! Anything you want. Name it. All I want's my brothers' back!"
Undertaker let go of Seth with grin that could give the Cheshire Cat a run for its money. "I think we have a deal. You'll have your family back Seth. You can count on that. But I expect you to pay my price when the time comes." All Seth could do was nod. Everything the Undertaker said didn't make any sense. It was cryptic, like a damn riddle, and you only have the first half.
(Graveyard)
Seth yanked the door opened and ran like hell, never looking back. He could hear the sinister laugh of the Undertaker all the way through the corridor. Seth ran outside and stopped, leaning against the building to catch his breath. Man, oh man. That was worst then seeing The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Catch your breath Seth. Just that you had a run in with the Undertaker and everyone would understand. Put his head against the cool building and closed his eyes for a moment. What did Undertaker mean? What price? He didn't say anything for he wanted Seth to give him.
Seth collected himself and decided to walk back to the hotel. It was only a few blocks from and he could really use the stroll to clear his head. On the way to the hotel, Seth was starting to pass the local cemetery, when he felt like someone was watching him. He stopped and turned around. No one. No one was there. Okay relax Seth, you just met the Undertaker and now you're spooking yourself. Get a grip! Seth turned back around to head back to the hotel when he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
There in front of him was Kane! No, it wasn't Kane. Kane didn't have his old wrestling attire, with glowing red eyes and fangs! Seth turned around and stopped. There in front of him stood the Undertaker. Glowing eyes and all. Seth turned again to the street there was bar he could hideout in. But he got no more a few steps when took a couple steps back. Roman and Dean were standing there but something was off. It looked like they were in some kind of trance or something. Seth backed away and high tailed through the graveyard. His only way to go.
