Hey all! I know it has been six months since I've posted anymore of this story, and I apologize profusely! Please don't hate me! I wasn't kidding when I said I got major bouts of writer's block. My inspiration is back, however, now that this new Kane Resurrected promo is out. :) (Dances around giddily.) I can't wait for the big red machine to return and wipe the floor with all these new guys! He should be steamrolling right over them in no time! (As you can see, I got my hopes up. But I still love Kane!)
As for the story, you may be asking: Is it still as confusing as all hell? The answer is, yes! Yes it is. Every time you think something is starting to make sense, it'll get even worse in the next chapter. When I do complete this story, rest assured that I will put up an epilogue explaining just exactly what the heck is going on. For now, just read on and hope not to go as crazy as some of the people in this story. :)
Disclaimer: I do not own the WWE, Vince McMahon does. (Lucky SOB) If I did, it wouldn't be rated PG , Cena would have turned heel a long time ago, and we'd still have the hardcore championship with 24 hour rules. The song Becoming Insane still belongs to Infected Mushroom, even if I didn't exactly say the name of it in this chapter it's better safe than sorry. Please don't sue me, I'm already poor! :( Once again, the poem is mine. If you want to use it for anything just send a message and let me know, and give me proper credit for it as well. :)
One
There's one pill left before Heaven,
And we're raving lunatics
Fighting for the chance
To have just one last lick of it.
A scary picture we make, the two of us
Rolling around upon the ground,
White powder from our Heaven
Slowly raining down.
The red of your betrayal
Is the mask upon your face,
When my tongue inches too close
To your last and final taste.
My asylum blues are in the darkness
Watching me roll upon the floor,
And as long as that pill is present
I can't love you like before.
But the orderlies are waiting
With shiny buckles all in a row.
My little slice of Heaven is gone
As you swallow it down whole.
I am bound and tethered
Left to stare at you in vain,
As Heaven comes to claim you
So you have won the game.
A moment of silence comes to pass
For the loss of what was mine,
But the smile on your face
Makes me forget the lingering crime.
So we are carried away
And deemed crazier than before.
But I've remembered what is important,
Just as they close the rusted door.
There was one pill left before Heaven,
And even though you won the fight
I went to bed knowing that I loved you,
Before we met that cold, barren night.
The last thing Mercy remembered was Paul shining the flashlight onto a rotted wooden panel imbedded within the forest floor and hidden by the dirt and leaves. The pain had finally become too much to handle and she passed out within the Undertaker's arms. She had been sure that when she next awoke she would be back in her apartment and throwing her pillow at Kane to get him to shut off the alarm he had set. Mercy groaned loudly when the burning pain in her arms and legs flared up again before she even opened her eyes. She could feel the extra weight of heavy bandages as she shifted sluggishly in the old, creaky metal bed she was in.
"Welcome back to the world of the living." Paul laughed, his whining voice piercing straight through Mercy's already pounding head. She blinked a few times, trying to adjust her eyes to the dim lighting in the room. "Try not to move too much."
When she was finally able to focus in on her surroundings the first thing Mercy noticed were the red Christmas lights strung along some shoddy looking wooden beams in the ceiling. It cast an eerie glow around the room, the only other lighting being a small lantern on top of the stainless steel work table Paul was working at. There was an opening in one of the walls that led into pitch darkness and Mercy realized that they were underground. The table Paul was standing at was littered with bottles full of different colored fluids and salves, medical tools, a microscope, and large rolls of gauze.
The scent of embalming fluid suddenly hit Mercy full force and she had to cover her nose and mouth with the thin brown blanket that was covering her. Her arms burned when she moved them and it was then that she saw the gauze they were wrapped in, along with her legs. She turned her head towards the opening in the wall when a series of coughs echoed from within the darkness, followed by a large crash.
"He never liked having to be taken care of." Paul laughed darkly before turning around with a fresh roll of gauze and a container of some sort of salve in his hands. " Dr. Foley must be having a hell of a time trying to give him that shot." He rolled his eyes when another crash was heard, along with a few expletives.
Mercy wasn't thinking straight, especially since Paul was now coming towards her with a sinister grin. She pulled the scratchy fabric of the thin blanket up to her chin and watched him with wide eyes, his body forming grotesque shadows on the walls as he moved through the room. The rotund man cursed as he accidentally hip-checked a rickety wooden bookshelf that she hadn't noticed until now, a couple of books tumbling loudly to the floor.
"What are you so jumpy for? I just need to change your bandages." He reached out with a grubby hand and pulled the blanket off of her, tossing it over his shoulder. "I Always hated that blanket."
Something snapped within Mercy's psyche, and she was suddenly very scared. She didn't know what had come over her, it was like she had been possessed by a completely different person. Her dirty brown hair spilled over into her face and she curled into a ball against the wall that served as the head of her bed. When Paul grazed the side of her foot as he sat down beside her, she screamed.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" She hurled the one dingy pillow she had at his head and kicked out despite the burning pain in her legs. Eyes wide, she rolled off of the bed with a loud wail of anguish as she went to catch herself with her arms. Mercy felt the sores beneath her gauze riddled arms open up with the swift gesture and shuddered as the waves of pain rippled through her. Paul came at her again, lips moving frantically, but she couldn't hear anything that he was saying. Her senses were fuzzy, the room moving farther and farther away as her vision tunneled. She was still shouting but she couldn't even hear herself. She was vaguely aware of backing into a pair of strong legs, and when she looked up a huge wave of relief washed over her. "Kane...gotta fix your alarm..." Mercy blacked out.
…...
"Thanks for taking her at such short notice Susanna, you've really gotten me out of a fix this time." A short, thin woman with a bob of wind swept brown hair handed her daughter over to Glenn's mother. He peeked from around the open back door and into the kitchen where the two women were just finishing there goodbyes, the two year old's mother fishing her keys out of her purse and heading back towards the front door. "I completely forgot I was supposed to cover for Ella tonight." She kissed the top of her daughter's own fine, brown hair before moving out of the door and out of Glenn's sight. "Be good for Mrs. Callaway, Mercy!"
"Goodbye Catherine, don't work too hard!" Glenn finally fully entered the kitchen, kicking off his muddy red and black Nike waffle trainers by the door as he went. His mother finally turned and she and Mercy caught sight of him covered in dirt. She let out a heavy breath in surrender . "Here, take Mercy up to your brother's room and ask him to watch her while I finish dinner. Then please get washed up."
"OK, Mom." Susanna ruffled the top of her youngest son's head as she put Mercy down beside him and smiled as he took her tiny hand in his and determinedly began teaching her how to climb the stairs. Glenn was five years older than Mercy, and since the first time Susanna had been asked to watch her he had shown a fierce protectiveness for her. But Mercy was oblivious to this, even though she had been showing her own admiration for him over the months. She hobbled up the stairs, tiny fist wrapped in Glenn's dirty shirt, his arm wrapped around her back for support.
When they finally reached the top, Mercy had rosy cheeks and a wide smile. "Did it!" She pumped her fist in the air and spun in a wobbly circle, stumbling over her feet and landing face first into Glenn's stomach. The two looked at each other and immediately burst into laughter.
"Hey, I can't here myself think!" A heavy hand crashed down onto Mercy's shoulder and all fun and games came to a screeching halt. She saw the frown slowly spreading across Glenn's face as his older brother scooped her up into his arms and headed back down the hall to his bedroom.
"Sorry, Mark." Glenn muttered an apology under his breath and followed him. Mark was eleven, but he was big for his age...real big for his age. He was already five foot ten inches tall. Glenn always hated him for that, and prayed that he would start growing taller soon too.
"Looks like I gotta watch you again shrimp. Don't touch anything." Of course, Glenn was ignored and Mark simply stuck Mercy on the floor by the head of his bed. Mark's room was nothing special,Glenn thought. The walls were Navy blue and bare, the curtains and bedding black, and his dresser an out of place and unfinished light oak wood. There was just the one window opposite Mark's bed and it over-looked the parking lot of the funeral home they lived above. Facing the end of the bed was his closet, complete with flimsy, black painted wood door. It had slats in it so if anyone decided to hide inside, they could see out. Glenn had done that lots of times, so he wouldn't get caught for being his brother's room. He knew where Mark hid all of the things he would get in trouble for...which were a lot of things!
"Red!" Mercy had maneuvered herself behind Glenn and gave a good tug to the leg of his jeans. He lost his balance and fell backwards, reaching out for anything he could grab for support. That happened to be Mercy's arm, and they both ended up tumbling to the ground in a messy heap, right on top of Mark's model Harley collection.
"Aw, Glenn! I'm gonna kill you, ya stupid numb nuts!" Mark roared, his face turning red in anger. Even though Glenn couldn't feel it if he got socked good, he still grabbed the back of Mercy's shirt and hauled ass down the hall. Mark followed in long strides, nearly catching up to them with one long arm out-stretched. He felt his brother's fingers brush the back of his neck just as he turned and shut the door to his parents room. He turned the lock and sank to the floor, his back against the door, and his breathing heavy.
"You klutz." Glenn murmured the tiny insult at Mercy, the beginnings of a smirk playing at his lips. Brother forgotten, he jumped up on his parent's mahogany bed. The olive green canopy brushed his face where it hung down as he crawled to the other side and looked over the edge.
"Pretty!" Mercy had crawled half way under the bed, her pudgy little legs were the only part of her that he could see. Glenn rolled off of the bed as she emerged covered in dust and holding up her prize.
"Cool Mask." Glenn looked through the plastic that was wrapped securely around it. It was red with black stripes, like claw marks gouged across the face of it, it's eyeless face staring eerily up at him. "But..." He slid under the bed himself, finding the box that Mercy had gotten to. "I don't think dad and mom wants us playing with this." As soon as he closed the lid on it, a loud banging sounded on the door and he jumped whacking his head on the underside of the bed.
"GLENN JACOB CALLAWAY, UNLOCK THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!" Mercy got scared and, clinging to Glenn's shirt sleeve the two of them edged back around the bed. He reached out his free hand and opened his parent's door. Dad was pissed. "Glenn! Do you know how much those motorcycles cost-WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO YOURSELF!" He was grabbed by the shoulder, torn from Mercy's grasp, and hauled into the bathroom across from his own room. Susanna had finally made it to the top of the stairs and scooped her into her arms before joining them in bathroom to see what was the matter. She tsked at Glenn when she saw the blood pouring from the back of his head and set Mercy back on the floor so she could find the gauze that Randall couldn't.
"Hello! Susanna, you'll never believe it! I was supposed to cover for her tomorrow not tonight." Catherine had come walking around the corner to find her daughter sitting in the bathroom doorway.
"Red!" Mercy pointed into the room with a concerned expression on her face.
"Oh, dear. Well, I'll see you in a few Susanna. Don't let me get in the way." Catherine picked up Mercy and she looked over her mother's shoulder as she turned and made her way back down the stairs. She waved a tiny hand at Mark who was standing with his arms crossed in the middle of the hall and giving her the most evil stare he could muster. When she simply giggled and waved more furiously at him, he threw his hands up and disappeared back into his room.
"Red!" Mercy flopped off of the couch with a thud, the dressing room spinning wildly as she went. It took her a minute to realize where she was, and when she did Mercy propped herself up on the floor and blushed furiously. The plane had landed at eleven in the morning and she, Taker, and Kane had gone immediately to the arena. She didn't know what they were supposed to be doing here, and Kane had told her they were going to 'cut a promo' for the taping of smackdown that night and she was even going to be in her first match. She simply nodded her head in agreement the whole time he had spoken to her. Mercy was tired and didn't really understand what he was talking about. She had just wanted to lay down and go to sleep.
The dream she just had replayed in her head and she shook it as she got back up on her feet. Mercy's head was much clearer since she skipped her pills like Hurricane had said to do, and she figured that when she was blacked out in the pit they must not have forced them down her throat. Even though she was proud that she hadn't had her medicine for the day, her head was beginning to throb and she was feeling disconnected. Mercy wasn't feeling as happy as she usually was, in fact since they landed in Tampa she had been feeling really miserable. The dream didn't make her feel any better. It was so real!
"Hey, It's time." Kane opened the door and waved for Mercy to follow him. It must be time for the promo. She followed him down the hall quietly, head down and lost in thought. By the time they rounded the bend and headed down the next corridor she was digging the palm of her hand into her forehead to try and ebb the pain. Kane figured she was just getting into character and motioned for the camera man to begin recording immediately when they got to the parking area. Micheal Cole was standing with mic in hand, ready for the interview.
"Kane, Kane! Can I get a moment of your time please!" The camera followed Cole as he nervously approached Kane. The big man was pacing back and forth furiously, stopping once to punch the concrete wall with his gloved hand. Mercy was still standing behind the camera man, hand pressed to her forehead and not really sure what was going on. She tried to focus through the pain. "Everybody wants to know who that woman was that attacked Stone Cold on Monday night. Can you tell us anything?" Cole tried to put the mic up to Kane's mouth and quick as lightning he was hauled up by his throat and pinned to the wall.
"You tell me who she is Cole, because I have no idea!" Kane grabbed Cole's wrist and growled low and menacingly into the mic. The guy with camera was motioning for Mercy enter the scene but she didn't understand why. "If McMahon is trying to pull one over on me and my brother he-" The big red monster was interrupted by Mercy who was shoved forwards and into the fray by the camera guy and she didn't look very pleased about it.
"Mercy! I'm Mercy, you know that!" She was in too much pain to crane her neck and look up at Kane, and she was at a loss for a reason why he would forget who she was so easily. Mercy was now hitting herself in the forehead with the side of her fist , and holding her hair with the other hand. "I hurt Kane, I hurt!" She began to raise her voice, and Kane finally let Cole go.
"How in the hell am I supposed to know who you are!" Kane thought she was just acting, and putting on a pretty damned good show. Mercy tensed up and placed her head on the cool metal of the dumpster beside them. She still had one hand in her hair and was now kicking the dumpster repeatedly. Kane took a step back in confusion and tilted his head to the side. "You're crazy!" He bellowed his frustration and turned to go back inside.
"I AM NOT CRAZY!" Mercy's eyes widened in anger. She didn't understand, Kane was supposed to be her friend. He saved her. She began pounding on his back with all the strength she could muster and he turned and grabbed both of her hands in his gloved one, lifting her off the ground and letting her dangle there. "YOU USED MAGIC AND I'M NOT CRAZY ANYMORE!" She was kicking her feet out trying to catch him anywhere she could reach, but her legs were too short.
Kane was getting even more pissed off and frustrated and grabbed her by the throat with his other hand. He raised her high, getting ready to choke-slam her onto the top of the dumpster. Something in Mercy's head clicked and she was suddenly very afraid.
"No, Red, no..." Mercy went limp in his grasp and placed her hand on his forearm. "Don't hurt me Red, I'm not crazy." She looked up at him, her hazel eyes full of a deep, penetrating sorrow. Kane froze with her half way in the air and let her go, watching as she fell to her knees on the cement. The camera man zoomed in for a close up on shocked eyes behind his mask before Kane turned on his heel and ran back into the arena. The scene faded out with Mercy still on her knees on the pavement, hitting her head once more, and staring down at the ground.
"Hey, shoot's over. You can go get ready to tape your match now." The camera man lowered his camera and shrugged his shoulders at Mercy when she didn't acknowledge him. "These guys always get way too into their characters..." He mumbled to himself as he went into the arena through the same door Kane had.
As he was going in, Vince was coming our of the production crew's truck. He had been watching the whole thing on the monitors inside. He could here the roar of the audience packed arena, dulled by the heavy walls as he approached her. Road Dogg and X-Pac were set to tag against the B.O.D., echos of 'Oh you didn't know!' Reverberated around him faintly even though DX had turned heel and joined with the McMahons. " Did you forget to take those pills I left for you at the security yesterday?" Vince hovered over the now crouching Mercy, placing a hand upon her shoulder as she finally stumbled to her feet. He fished around in his suit-coat pocket and pulled out an orange pill container. "The Propanal supply hasn't been refilled yet, but I have the new medication you were supposed to start on." He shoved the pill bottle into the hand that wasn't currently clutching her head in confusion. " Take one right after your match. Oh, and you might want to hurry, you're supposed to interfere in the brothers' match. Great job on that promo by the way, very convincing!" Vince guided her through the double doors and straight behind the curtain at the top of the ramp. He motioned to the sound guy with his hand before turned to leave. "Cue Mercy's music!"
"But!" Mercy rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands as her music started up. "What am I supposed to do?" She muttered those last words to herself before she was shoved through the curtain from behind by someone she couldn't see.
She stumbled out onto the top of the ramp, the red lighting and white lasers making her see stars, and the smoke making it hard for her to breathe. Mercy stood there rooted to the spot , eyes wide with fear. Too many people. She began biting her fingernails nervously, eyes darting from left to right. She spotted Kane and Taker getting beat down by a bunch of guys in the ring and decided to make a mad dash towards them. The people all roared in unison when she began to run down the ramp, hands whipping out on both sides, trying to grab at her. Mercy knocked as many of the hands away as she could, and when she made it down to ringside she sat on top of the steel stairs, hanging onto the ring post for dear life. The music was cut, the lights went back to normal and the men in the ring stood over the B.O.D in a victorious pose. They were all leering at her. X-pac moved towards her first and the second he put his foot through the ropes, she screamed bloody murder.
In unison, the brothers sat up and the right to censor's music flared to life. A bunch of people in white shirts and black slacks hurried down the ramp and to Mercy's aid. As they beat down DX in the ring, two familiar faces were in a stand off with Taker and Kane.
"STEVIE! How did you find me! I'm not going back, I'm not going back!" Mercy made to cling to the ring post tighter before she noticed the second man beside him and completely freaked out. "NO, NO , NO! DON'T HURT ME! I'LL BE GOOD! I'LL BE GOOD! DON'T LET HIM HURT ME!" She was screaming pitifully and still thinking that Kane was angry with her and didn't remember who she was, she hurled herself into Undertaker's arms and began banging her tiny fists upon his chest. "DON'T LET HIM GET ME, DON'T LET HIM GET ME!"
Both DX and Steve Austin were now at the top of the ramp looking on in bewilderment. Some of the audience was still cheering but it had died down considerably and most were just left speechless. Undertaker went from looking utterly pissed off to shocked as hell in a matter of seconds.
"Get her out of here!" After a short moment to think things over, and not wanting to catch any heat from Vince for screwing shit up, he shoved Mercy into murderous looking Kane's arms and watched long enough to see him scoop her up and barrel through an already scattering DX and Austin. After that, he turned on his heel and crushed his fist into a wide-eyed Steven Richards's face. That sent the audience into cheering once more as they watched him single handedly take out the right to censor.
"She should have taken her medicine."Vince sat comfortably in his office and watched, shaking his head in exasperation. Just as the scene on the television faded out, there was knock on the door.
"Who is it?"
"Its me."
