A/N: Souless666, I really dig your interpretation of the Mark/Jeff relationship; in my mind though, Jeff is just his favorite toy, and he's very, VERY possessive; Neroanne, much obliged, and whether the boys are screwed or not remains to be seen (read on! Hee hee); Renna33, I knew you would be happy they got out ;) ; Onions, sorry, but I don't do bodily functions. :) ExtremeDiva18, don't worry, more is on the way. :)
Thanks to all who review!!
WWE owns everyone, I am poor and sad and own nothing. :(
Jeff and Matt moved silently through the thick forest underbrush, trying to pick their way in the shifting shadows of very early morning. They moved cautiously, as they knew that tripping over a stray root and twisting an ankle would definitely not improve their situation. Still, they pushed their pain-wracked bodies to the limits, knowing that Mark and Raven were likely just minutes behind them.
Neither of them had any idea where they were. Matt recalled something his father had told him when he was a kid, about following the current of a river to civilization. There was a stream, just inside the treeline. Not knowing what else to do, the older Hardy guided Jeff towards that, praying it would lead them somewhere safe.
They'd been walking now for about a half hour, and Jeff still hadn't spoken. Matt couldn't see his face in the darkness, only his profile, stark against the black background.
"Jeffro?", Matt whispered.
He saw him flinch at the sound of his voice.
"I just need to know that you're alright", the older Hardy said softly.
He heard his younger brother let out a quiet breath, as if he'd been holding it the whole time. "I'll be okay", he replied, "I've been through this before, remember?"
Matt stopped walking for a moment, and Jeff followed suit.
"Jeffro, don't lie to me." His voice was gentle, and full of concern.
He placed a firm hand on his brother's quaking shoulder, causing Jeff to flinch back as if he'd been scalded with a hot iron. For a moment, neither of them moved.
Finally, Jeff broke the silence, his tone soft and hesitant. "I… I'm pretty scared. He does that to me." He took Matt's hand, squeezing it in reassurance. "But I'll be okay."
The young Hardy began to move off, trusting that his brother would understand his wish to drop the matter. A few moments later, Matt followed, resolving to keep a watchful eye on Jeff.
Suddenly, both of them tensed, stopping short. Had that been a branch breaking in the forest behind them?
"Oh fuck", Jeff breathed. He turned a wild-eyed gaze to Matt, who was carefully schooling his features into an emotionless façade. He would hide his fear. He couldn't let Jeff see it, or his brother just may lose all hope of getting out of here.
"This way", Matt whispered, gesturing.
He began to move quickly forward, knowing that his brother wouldn't be far behind.
Another crack of a branch resounded through the woods. Something was moving in this direction, moving quietly and swiftly. It chilled Matt's blood to think that he was being tracked like an animal at this moment.
"Hurry", Matt urged, veering away from the river and making his way deeper into the woods. He knew it would most likely get them lost. However, growing up in the woods of North Carolina, their father had ensured that they both learned basic survival skills. Matt was fairly certain that they were well-versed enough in the subject to, with some luck, hide in these trees for several days on end. He knew they would find a way, come hell or high water, to get the fuck out of this forest.
The young Hardy followed his brother without a thought, knowing that Matt was excellent at this ranger shit. He trusted him to get them out of this safely. He was exhausted, and every inch of him hurt. He hated that he was currently swathed in Mark's too-big shirt, jeans, and leather jacket. They smelled of him. It brought back bad memories.
Shaking his head, Jeff told himself to stop it. He silently chastised himself. Imagine what Matty must be feeling right now, this being the first time he was ever raped. Jeff glanced over at his older brother. He seemed fine. Same old strong Matt. But when this was all over, and he had time to think about what Mark and Raven did to him, oh god, Jeff was scared shitless about how he would react. God damn them for touching him. He needed his brother's strength, especially now.
Another branch snapped, causing some animals to stir in the forest around them.
Jeff increased his pace. They needed to outrun those sick fucks. They couldn't be caught again.
"They're following us", whispered Matt, panic beginning to touch his calm voice, "That came from almost right behind us."
Jeff grabbed his brother's hand and squeezed it in reassuring fashion, holding onto it as they moved swiftly through the dew-covered underbrush.
"We'll be alright, Matty", he whispered.
The older Hardy nodded hesitantly, squeezing back, and releasing Jeff's hand.
A moment later, they froze and ducked down behind a tree.
The voices of their pursuers were echoing throughout the lightening forest, arguing heatedly.
And they were coming this way.
* * * * * * *
"Are you sure you know where you're going?", growled Mark for the tenth time.
Raven glared at him. "For fuck's sake, yes. Now shut up."
They had been walking for over half an hour, with no sight of the escaped brothers, and Mark was growing impatient. It was true that he had very little sense of direction in this place, but he doubted very much that the sanity-challenged man to his left did either. When Raven had said he knew how to track, the Deadman had allowed him to take the lead, simply because he knew they would be wandering forever if he himself tried to.
Mark was rapidly beginning to regret his decision, however.
The strange man bent over, feeling the ground in the semi-darkness and smelling the dirt. Mark rolled his eyes.
"Are you fucking kidding me?", he muttered.
Raven stood slowly, and glared at the dark man at his side.
"Are you questioning my tracking skills?", he said, his voice low and dangerous.
"Yes, you asshole!"
His wide eyes never leaving Mark's stormy face, Raven pointed. "This way, Marky. Can't be long, now."
Roughly shouldering his way past the odd man, the Undertaker walked in the direction his comrade had indicated.
He was going to kill Raven if they didn't find the Hardys soon.
He stopped dead suddenly, listening. There had been a loud shuffling, right in front of them. Raven walked up beside him, and had his head cocked to one side like a dog. Listening, listening. The noise did not repeat itself.
Mark looked over at Raven, who returned his gaze. He put his finger to his lips, in a gesture of silence. Raven was giggling softly, and trying desperately to quash it by placing a hand over his mouth.
Turning an intense gaze back to the underbrush, Mark scanned the trees and shrubs directly in front of them. Nothing moved. Perhaps, he told himself, it had just been an animal. He shook his head, a crooked smile on his face. If those little bitches were here, he was going smoke them out.
"Raven", he said suddenly, speaking in an unnaturally loud voice, "You have to tell me. Which Hardy did you prefer?" His intense gaze roamed the shadowy forest as he spoke, looking for any movement. "Did Matt or Jeff give you the better blowjob? See, I would think Jeff, since I taught him how to suck cock myself."
"Ohhh, mmmm", Raven moaned just thinking of the memory, "Little Jeffy was delicious. I could fuck that pretty mouth of his forever. But Matt", he paused, sighing, "Oh, Matt, he choked so beautifully on my thick cock. Such a sweet little bitch he was. Can't I just pick them both?"
"I suppose. They are fucking delectable little sluts, aren't they?", said Mark, smirking.
"Well, what about you?", asked Raven, "You had Matt for the first time tonight, right? Oh, the very thought of virgin ass makes my dick so hard. Did you like fucking him more than Jeff?"
"Never", he growled in return, "Matt just did not measure up to my high standards. You see, Jeff's tight little ass belongs to me. That pretty slut has learned how to pleasure me, against his will or not. I've learned how to break him each and every time we fuck. He always falls to his knees for me, eventually. My pretty little whore."
"Matt, no!" A cry issued from behind the huge tree directly in Mark and Raven's path. The pair came to an abrupt stop when they saw the older Hardy brother run out from behind its massive trunk, his face a mask of unchecked rage. Jeff followed him, his frightened green eyes darting between Matt and his former captors.
"Why, hello, Matthew", said Raven. The psychopath licked his lips as he looked him over.
Matt said nothing. He stepped in front of Jeff, gaze firmly locked on men he had, before tonight, considered to be trusted acquaintances and co-workers. Now, he wanted nothing more than to see them dead. They had committed the cardinal sin in his eyes. They had hurt his baby brother, and, worse, they felt no remorse for doing it. In fact, if they had things their way, they would be breaking him again, very soon.
Not if he could help it.
Mark stood there, smirking in the early morning light. "Something wrong, Matty? Didn't like watching us fuck your brother?"
Behind Matt's back, Jeff let out an involuntary whimper. He was shaking, and scared out of his god damn mind.
Mark's eyes narrowed. "I see you back there, you little slut! I know you loved it when I fucked you tonight. You just wait until I get my hands on your pretty little ass again! You're gonna be punished for running from me, you little whore. I can't wait to get started."
Jeff's eyes were screwed tightly shut as the Undertaker told him what he what he would have to endure, now that they'd been caught. A tear slid down his pale and bruised cheek.
"You will not come near him", said Matt softly. His tone was calm as he appraised the men opposite.
Mark and Raven wore near-identical grins at his declaration. The Undertaker took a step towards the older Hardy. Matt didn't move, though he heard Jeff step back instinctually.
"Your bitch of a brother tried to defy me for a while, you know", he said, a predatory smile on his dark features, "He learned to obey. You will too, slut. Or you'll pay for it, in blood and tears. Just like that little whore did." He turned his gaze to Jeff for a moment, before looking back to Matt. The older Hardy was unmoved.
He looked at Mark, his brown eyes intense. "You're going to let us go. Now. Because if you do, maybe, just maybe, we won't go to the police and spill everything that you've done to us tonight. Kidnapping, rape, vehicular assault. Fuck, Mark, you and this psychotic freak over here will be in a world of shit when we manage to get out of here. If I were you, I would start kissing ass, and now."
Mark said nothing, his hooded eyes revealing not a thing about his reaction to Matt's words. Raven, who had been so jovial, now just looked angry. Behind the older Hardy's shoulder, Jeff's eyes were wide on his brother.
"Listen, you little bitch-", Raven began, his face taut with fury. He started forward, but was quickly restrained by Mark.
When the Deadman spoke, his gaze slid back and forth between Matt and Jeff. "There is only one way you are getting out of here. There is only one way you will manage to make it to any place of authority, to report what happened here. And that is over my cold, stinking, dead carcass." Raven giggled as the Undertaker met stares with the older Hardy.
Matt's eyes were cold, and dark. As dark as the Deadman's.
Jeff looked between the two, and felt that something very, very bad was about to happen. He walked forward tentatively, suffering the lascivious gazes of Mark and Raven, trying desperately to ignore them. He put his hand on Matt's shoulder, and found it roughly shrugged off.
Mark licked his lips as he watched the brothers. He beckoned with his finger, his eyes on Matt.
"You want out of here?", he said, his hands curling into intimidating fists, "Come and get me, Hardy."
* * * * * * *
Okay, so that was a fairly short chapter, as chapters go, but I was compelled to leave it on a cliffhanger. Not much of a cliffhanger, I know. But I do what I can. Anyway, this crazy little mess I call a story is drawing to a close. A couple of chapters left. What the hell is going to happen to our boys?! Read to find out. I don't want to beg for reviews. But PLEASE, for the love of God, send reviews my way! They validate me as a human being. ;)