Title: A Hard Kind of Life
Characters/Pairing: Lita/Punk, Maria/Jeff, Scott Levy
Genre: AU, Supernatural, Angst.
Rating: NC-17 for violence just to be safe.
Complete: No.
Summary: "I find myself startled awake, staring into darkness so deep I don't think I'll ever be able to claw my way out of it."
Notes: This chapter took a turn for the worse.
Warnings:Violence, mentions of torture. Nothing too explicit, just being safe.

I find myself startled awake, staring into darkness so deep I don't think I'll ever be able to claw my way out of it.

A light flashes on and I realize with startling intensity that Maria and Scott are gone and I'm in an entirely different room.

Punk...

He is hanging off the wall opposite me, blood trickling from both of his wrists, indicating he has fought to be free.

"Punk," I whisper hoarsely, moving toward him when a strong hand catches my wrist in his grip, swinging me around. "Kane...Why are you doing this?" I ask, my eyes narrowing.

The tall man stares down at me for a moment until he speaks, "I'm not," his voice is hoarse as though from disuse and I find myself even more confused than I was before.

"Regal?" I tilt my head to the side.

None of this is making sense at all, I don't understand what's going on at all and I'm pretty sure if I don't get any answers soon I'm going to end up taking them forcefully.

"Why should we tell you anything?" Matt steps out of the darkness and there is a moment of uncertainty, what is going to happen to me?

"I wasn't talking to you asshole," I spit, glaring at him with an anger I feel but a confidence I do not.

I turn, backing toward Punk, feeling out his mind carefully. Are you okay?

I can practically hear Punk snort in amusement in my head Would you be okay if you were strung up like this?

I find myself thanking God every day that I have been able to establish connections between my mind and someone else's.

My head shutters with power for a moment and my knees buckle as I try not to fall to the ground.

Kane's mind is not a place I want to be in, but I sink into it relatively easily, surprised at the warmth there.

What did you do to him? Why are you doing this? I force the questions in his mind before slipping out, surprised when it buckles behind me.

"What are you gonna do Matt? You don't have a real power anyway, just that of being an asshole," I find myself growling at him.

Matt grins and all of a sudden I feel the need to get even with him for how he treated me like shit while we were together.

Before I can even think of what I'm about to do a growl tears itself from my throat and I lunge forward, knocking him to the ground I'm surprised when a howl works its way out of my mouth.

Punk responds in kind, and I glance to see his back arching as he thrashes against the wall, his bones sliding out of place.

I realize with a startling horror that I have taken part of his beast, that in some way I have been infected.

It's not whole yet, but it wants to be. It's calling for him.

I hear Punk, in full wolf form padding toward me on the stone floor nails clicking.

A laugh rises up in me before I find myself tearing into Matt in the only way that I can, falling into his mind until he's screaming in madness, begging Kane to get me off him.

Kane isn't doing anything, he's not trying to protect Matt and it's startling.

Kane is laughing, a low rumble in his chest but he seems...pleased.

I pull myself out of his mind hurriedly.

"What is happening?" I gasp having gotten the answers I was looking for but I'm not liking them.

Punk paces in front of me, pausing in front of Matt's now unconscious form and looking down at him, no pity in those wolf eyes.

Scott, Maria and Jeff stumble in a moment later, Scott supported somewhat between the two of them. It is clear he's weak.

"What's going on?" Scott asks, his breathing ragged as he leans against the wall, glaring at Kane.

"Ask the girl," Kane turns to leave the room, and I realize shortly after that there is blood dripping from his fingertips.

Regal is dead.

I feel my stomach turn and barely have a moment to process the pain in my head before I'm doubled over and heaving.

Punk makes a distressed noise and nudges my leg as my stomach empties itself.

Maria is beside me suddenly, making a disappointed noise as she rubs my back gently.

Our disgust as she sees what's in my mind is mutual.

"The institute," she whispers, feeling relieved that she had never went there and Jeff had gotten out, along with pity for myself, Punk and Scott.

"What?" Scott's voice is hoarse, broken.

Our trust has been betrayed.

I wipe my mouth, leaning back on my heels.

"The institute is funding both sides of things," I reveal, rubbing my forehead and closing my eyes finally because even the dim lighting hurts. "They want to be able to win either side just in case a war breaks out."

"We were played?" Scott asks me, shaking his head. "No no no, we weren't."

I don't know what to tell him because I've never heard him sound so defeated, the way he is right now.

"You were, sometimes you just aren't as smart as you think you are," Jeff says, crossing his arms over his chest and sighing, bowing his head, blue hair falling into his eyes. "None of us are apparently," he swears and punches a brick wall.

"We can't stay here," Punk's voice is gravelly, and he grips me under my arms, lifting me carefully from the ground and swinging me up into a bride style hold.

"You're right," Scott agrees, coming back to himself. "We've gotta find a safe house."

Maria helps Scott, Jeff aligning himself on our brother's other side, supporting him carefully as we head out of the manor.

"I am infected," I murmur as my head lolls against Punk's shoulder.

Punk nods, "I know."

"I really am yours," I mutter, my eyes sliding shut.

"Mine," there is a growl to Punk's words.

I can't deny the feeling is mutual.