Phenomenal One Chapter 28
AJ was in the lead when he abruptly pulled the pale mare to a stop, hand up for silence, instincts ticking over. Heaven's Peak loomed over them as they entered its shadow, following Bullet Club's obvious trail. The very top of the mountain was lost in the clouds. None of them remarked on how the brilliant blue sky was perfectly clear, except for those clouds. The wind whispered through the trees, birds were singing and everything looked normal, except the wisps of fog clinging to the trees around the path that led upward, thickening further up the path.
"Ambush," Randy said coming alongside AJ, looking up the mountainside. "There was fog when they took me and Seth."
"They can see us but we can't see them," Roman observed, with a curled lip. "Can we go around?"
"I don't think we have time to find another way," Randy said, gaze flicking to the adjoining mountains.
"Yeah, but if we try to pass through it, they'll just shoot the shit out of us again while we're blind as fuck," Dean grouched. He didn't need to say their chances of surviving a second ambush were minimal. He stifled a gasp as his shoulder throbbed when he moved it.
AJ heard it and looked at Dean, wondering if it was even worth asking him if he could go on. The rifle in Dean's saddle scabbard caught his attention. "Can I see your rifle?" he asked as the beginnings of an idea sprouted in his mind.
"It's Seth's but help yourself," Dean shrugged. He didn't try to draw it out, but he did move his horse closer alongside the pale mare.
AJ leaned down and grabbed the stock, sliding it out of the scabbard. He was pleased to find out it was a Remington Rolling Block with a big scope. "Nice!" he said. "Where the hell did Seth get his hands on this beauty?"
"It was a gift from US Marshal Dave Bautista," Dean said with a straight face. Behind him, Roman sneered and Randy sighed.
"Generous," AJ muttered, not caring about the back story as he examined the buffalo rifle. It had the range on anything the Bucks carried. Seth had taken very good care of it, as well as customized the shit out it. AJ squinted through the sight, focusing above the fog on the clear area up the mountainside. After several minutes of searching, he spotted them among some scattered boulders. With typical arrogance that AJ had admonished for time and again, they weren't staying out of sight. He lowered the rifle. "Matt and Nick are about a quarter of the way up, above the fog. Armed with Winchesters," he reported.
"And we have to go through them," Roman said. His black horse stood still underneath him, head drooping. His and Dean's horses were getting dangerously close to being played out.
"Open to suggestions," Randy said, staring up the mountains side.
AJ chewed in his lower lip, thinking about his plan. It was reckless and dangerous, but it was all he had.
"Okay, here's what we'll do." He explained his idea.
The three were silent as they considered AJ's plan. "That plan sucks," Dean said finally.
"You're putting a hell of a lot of trust in me," Randy said to AJ. Roman wasn't as good of shot with a rifle as Randy, and Dean only had use of one arm.
AJ shrugged, hiding his doubts. "I'd trade you, but I don't think your horse will be able to hold its pace for that long. Unless you want to ride her," he offered the pale mare's reins.
"Not really," Randy admitted. He drew a deep breath and nodded. "All right, fine. We'll do this your way." He took the rifle from AJ and sighted it up the mountain. AJ reached over and pulled one of Mark's Dragoons out of Randy's belt.
"You'll have a hell of a time getting through the fog," Roman commented.
"Let me worry about that," AJ said. He ignored the other's looks as he gathered his reins into one hand, the other holding the Dragoon. "You see them, Randy?" he asked.
"Yeah," Randy said absently, attention fixed on his targets. Roman pulled his horse close alongside Randy's roan, holding more of the rifle's ammunition, ready to hand it to him rather than forcing Randy to take precious seconds to dig for another cartridge.
"Be sure to get one of them on your first shot. Keep the other pinned as much as you can," AJ said. If the Legend Killer missed, if he couldn't reload fast enough to keep the Young Bucks from getting enough time to line up a shot, AJ would die. Running a horse up the side of a mountain would take precious time and give Matt or Nick too much opportunity to get a shot off. And despite being arrogant, their reputation was well earned. The Young Bucks did not miss.
Jaw tense, Randy nodded. "Ready when you are," he said.
"Good hunting," Dean said.
AJ sank his spurs into the pale mare's sides. She took off up the mountain at a full gallop.
Randy raised the rifle to his shoulder and peered through the sight. This was going to be a true test of Randy's nerve and reflexes. The Young Bucks were waiting, talking to each other as they watched AJ approach, waiting for him to get within range. They were unaware of the Rolling Block in Randy's possession. Randy drew in a breath, steadied the sight on Nick, and exhaled.
BOOM
The whip-crack report was still echoing off the nearby mountains as Randy ejected the spent shell and reloaded, swinging the rifle to cover Matt, who appeared to be screaming and bringing his own rifle to bear on AJ.
For the first time since Mark loaned her to him, the pale mare wasn't placid. Her head was raised and her eyes were alert. Snorting, she galloped up the mountain trail much faster than a mortal horse. She followed the narrow path easily, never once faltering or slowing down. "That a girl!" AJ encouraged the mare, leaning forward, lips twisted in a savage grin. It was like riding the wind.
Below, Randy fired again, keeping Matt pinned down behind cover. He reloaded, working smoothly and methodically. He raised the rifle again, watching for any movement. The roan stood like a statue underneath him. Every time Matt twitched from behind his boulder, Randy fired, but he was unable to hit the outlaw. Finally Matt was frantic enough to come out and take aim at AJ who was still hidden from below by the fog. Randy fired again, but Matt moved at the last fraction of a second and he missed. Swearing, Randy loaded another round but knew he wasn't going to be fast enough. AJ was going to die. He'd trusted Randy with his life and he was going to let AJ down…
Then AJ and the mare finally broke through the fog. AJ saw Matt aiming the rifle right at his chest, raised Mark's Dragoon just as Matt fired. Matt's aim was true, but the mare swerved at the last second. AJ flinched as the bullet sliced over his bicep but he refocused and fired back. It was at the extreme edge of the gun's range, but Matt jerked back, falling out of sight behind the boulder.
Knowing he hit Matt square, AJ pulled the mare to a slow jog. The mare shook her head in protest but did as AJ bid. Blood poured from his arm but he ignored it for the time being. He had to confirm his kill first. They approached the place where the Young Bucks had taken cover. The Bucks' horses, and Kenny's and Seth's were tethered nearby. AJ figured Kenny and Seth must have continued on foot. Looking up, he could see why. The slope of the mountain rose to a narrow ridge that wound its way to the peak. The sides of the ridge plummeted almost straight down for over five hundred feet. From where he sat, only a mountain goat would be able to climb it. A sound caught his attention.
Nick was dead, shot through the head, but Matt was lying on his back, gasping for air. Blood stained his lips. He sneered when he saw AJ. "You're too late, AJ!" Matt said. He coughed up more blood. "Kenny's back in Heaven now, where you'll never get him."
"So Kenny left you here to die while he ran away?" AJ asked, smiling bitterly. "So much for loyalty."
"Kenny will make sure our souls get into Heaven," Matt gasped back. He choked as blood filled his lungs. The death was ugly but Matt didn't seem to care. He died with a bloody smile on his face.
AJ shook his head. What a waste. Nick and Matt were idiots, but they were Bullet Club. They had been his family once. While he waited, he tore a strip of cloth from his shirt and wrapped it around his bicep to stop the bleeding. The mare pawed the ground impatiently. AJ looked up the mountain again. His eyes may have been playing tricks on him by he swore he saw two distant figures entering the clouds. "Fuck," he said out loud. Looking down the mountain, the trio was barely past the base of the mountain. AJ knew they couldn't see how close Kenny was to escaping. He turned the mare up the mountain and touched his spurs to her sides. She responded with enthusiasm, going right back into a full gallop. He swore in surprise as he clutched her mane. This was not the placid animal he'd been riding the past two days.
Even at a full gallop it took them a while to climb the huge mountain. Eventually they reached the clouds, the mare hadn't slowed a bit. At that point AJ didn't dare look down. Normally heights didn't bother him but normally he wasn't riding a horse at full speed along a narrow path with a fatal drop on each side. He pulled on the reins to slow the mare down but she took the bit in her teeth and charged on, following a trail AJ could barely make out. They were going much too fast and if the mare slipped, they'd plunge to their deaths. "Damn it, stop!" he finally shouted at the horse, who slid to a stop so fast AJ nearly went right over her head.
"Why? Don't you want to catch them?" the mare asked. Her pale hide glowed softly and her mane was spun spider silk. Her now-blood red eyes sparked with a thousand stars. She wasn't breathing heavy at all.
"Jesus fucking Christ, you can talk?" he asked.
"Of course," the mare said, turning her head to look back at him with disdain.
AJ stared awkwardly down at the pale mare who once again faced forward, but tipped her ears back towards him. Distantly he realized his mouth was open and closed it. "What the fuck are you?" he asked, desperately trying to figure out what the hell was happening and if it even mattered. He'd always known she wasn't really a horse. But to be having a conversation with her was surreal.
The mare snorted impatiently. "Not a horse," she said, and pranced sideways, lifting her legs high with each delicate step. Her neck was arched and she snorted impatiently. "Pretending to be mortal is dull but we are too close to a thin place between realms for me to hide what I am anymore."
"And what is that?" AJ asked.
"I am me," she said with an arrogant toss of her mane. "I am the one that carried Him since before the first being came into existence. And I continue to carry Him until He is no more. Then I will carry the next."
"Him, being…?" he asked, sitting uneasily on her back. What was she talking about?
"Death," she said, rolling her eyes and making him feel like a dumbass.
"Oh…" Well he'd asked. "You're carrying me," AJ reminded her.
"He asked me to carry you, so I do," the horse replied, practically shrugging. She raised her head. "They are nearly at the top."
"How close?" AJ asked. He decided to just go with it and think about it later. Maybe.
"If we don't hurry, not even I can catch them before they enter Heaven. I don't think you can cross into Heaven without a soul."
"Let's go," AJ said, barely getting himself settled in the saddle before she jumped right back into a gallop. The thick, moist air muffling her hoof beats and made the smooth granite they were running on very slick. AJ just hoped she was a sure-footed as the goats he'd glimpsed on the cliffs below them.
Lost in the clouds, unable to see, AJ fretted they wouldn't get there in time. But when they broke through back into the slanting sunlight, he could see them ahead. "Kenny! I am coming for you!" he bellowed, lungs tight in the thin air. Suddenly a brilliant light shone from the very top of Heaven's Peak. It was so bright that AJ raised an arm to shield his eyes. "Shit, faster!" he yelled at the mare, and she responded with nostrils flaring blood red.
It was time. 'I need you!' he shouted in his mind.
The Saint's response was immediate. 'Are you ready to finish this, boy?'
'Yes' AJ vowed. Kenny had cost him so very much.
It was time for Kenny to learn what it was like to lose.
Unaware of AJ's pursuit, Kenny dragged Seth forward towards the peak by the scruff of his neck. The sheer drop on each side of the ridge didn't seem to bother Kenny in the slightest, even as Seth's boots slid and scraped on the slippery granite. "We're almost home, little brother," the angel said. "Soon, we'll be rid of this human filth."
The cold had helped clear Seth's mind and allowed him to focus. He wasn't going to allow Kenny to drag him into Heaven. "Not your brother, asshole." Seth started working the ropes around his wrists. If he was going to do anything, he had to do it soon. They were almost to the top. The cold wind gusted, blowing their hair around their faces.
Kenny stopped abruptly, making Seth stumble. "We're here," he announced.
Seth looked up at the impossibly blue sky with the world spread out below them. "Where?" he asked.
"Home." Kenny laughed and stretched his arms wide. Fingers of pure light slipped through the space in front of them. Seth had to close his eyes against the brightness. He tugged once more and felt the ropes slip off. It was now or never. He would not have a better chance, while Kenny was distracted. He took a deep breath and flung his body at Kenny, intending to push Kenny over the cliff. He wasn't sure Kenny could be killed, but a thousand-foot drop would certainly slow him down.
Without bothering to look at Seth, Kenny caught him easily. He didn't move an inch.
"No, you don't!" Kenny said in Seth's ear. "Nice try, but there's nothing you can do, human." With that, Kenny physically hauled Seth toward the light.
"Let me go!" Seth shouted, frantically trying to squirm free.
Then, over the wind came the sound of pounding hooves. Kenny spun around, and his eyes widened.
Bearing down on them was a pale horse, eyes and nostrils blood red. The horse was glowing. The rider's shoulder length brown hair was streaming back in the wind. His eyes were pure white, glowing with the same pale light of the horse. The rider reached down and drew a Colt Walker, aiming it over the pale mare's head, right between her ears.
Seth didn't recognize who the rider was, but he did recognize the Saint of Killers. "Holy shit!" he gasped.
"No! Not you!" Kenny screamed, loosening his grip on Seth, who pulled violently away.
Seth stumbled and hit the ground, sliding to the edge of the cliff. He looked up and saw it happen as if time slowed down to a crawl. Kenny stepped back to the gate to Heaven. Bright light streamed over him. The rider levelled the barrel of the gun at Kenny and pulled the trigger. Thunder rolled off the surrounding mountains as a hole appeared in the middle of Kenny's forehead.
The angel fell backward into the light.
The horse skidded to a stop right at the edge of the light, rearing high on her hind legs with an eerie, high pitched whinny. The rider sat easily as she sliced the air with her front hooves. Unnerved, Seth fell backwards, lost his balance and plunged over the side.
For one heart-stopping second he fell. Then with a flailing hand, he caught the side and held on. His feet swung sickeningly in the emptiness below him. He reached up with his other hand to grab the rock, but it was too slippery and he was losing his grip…
An incredibly strong hand gripped his wrist and hauled him back up over the side. Laying on the granite, Seth gasped, trying to get his pounding heart under control. He found himself staring into normal human blue eyes and a sardonic, side-sliding grin. "Thanks," he gasped, crawling away from the edge. "That was too close."
"Reigns and Ambrose would have made my life miserable if I'd let you kill yourself," the man said, still crouching next to Seth. He held out his hand. "AJ Styles." Nearby, the mare shook her head and snorted.
"Seth Rollins, and your timing was amazing," Seth said. He took AJ's hand and shook it, noting the fresh blood on AJ's arm. The wind gusted again and Seth felt goosebumps raise on his arms, not entirely from the cold. AJ felt…empty. Not completely, there was a trace of something there, the echo of a soul. "You used the Colt Walkers to get away from the demons," he said.
AJ's expression went flat. "Yeah, I killed the Destroyer and the Skinwalker," he said, as if it were no big deal.
"And it cost you your soul," Seth said, carefully neutral. It wasn't up to him to judge if it had been worth it. Besides, if AJ had a soul when he'd shot Kenny, he'd be unconscious and Seth would be a red smear at the base of the cliff.
Withdrawing his hand, AJ shrugged. "Yeah," he said again, not really wanting to talk about it. But he had to know. "The Saint implied that an angel could fix it," he said, not looking at Seth, but over the peaks of the adjoining mountains. The clouds below them seemed to be dissipating. The sun was low in the west, casting a red-gold hue over them. The gate to Heaven was still open but slowly growing smaller.
"I can't. There isn't enough left to heal," Seth said, not bothering to soften the news. He'd nearly killed himself repairing Randy's, and there was much more left of the Legend Killer's soul. He wasn't even going to attempt to heal AJ's. "I'm sorry." And he was.
Still not looking at Seth, AJ nodded then shrugged. "Well, I guess that's it," he said. He was mildly disappointed. But it was getting hard to care. There was only emptiness where passion, rage and contentedness should have been. He stood up and headed over to the mare, already moving on. "Now we just have to get off the mountain without killing ourselves."
Behind him, Seth frowned at AJ's indifference, but he was too was eager to get back to Dean and Roman to pursue what was ultimately a pointless conversation.
"Giving up, my love?" a female voice called to them. AJ spun around, eyes wide. A spirit was standing in front of the gate. She was small, and had a beautiful smile. "The Allen Jones I married would never quit, no matter what obstacles he faced."
"Wendy," AJ breathed. His wife, the love of his life. "How is this possible?"
"Darling, I've missed you so much," she said. She approached AJ who reached a hand out to her, then let it fall back limp to his side. "Seriously, what was going through your head, turning into an outlaw?" she asked, exasperated.
"It seemed like the thing to do at the time," he smiled stiffly. The wind blew his hair across his eyes and he reached up to brush it out of his face.
She grinned and looked at Seth. "If you need another to heal his soul, I want you to use mine."
"No!" AJ objected. He was empty, but this was wrong. "I won't let you!"
"Since when do you tell me what to do, Allen Jones?" She fixed him with a stern look and AJ backed down. Seth grinned at AJ's discomfort. "I gave you my heart and my soul the day we were married," she reminded him gently. "And I will use it to help heal yours."
"I won't let you to destroy yourself for me," AJ protested. The sun was sinking lower. It was already dark in the valley below. "You were the best thing to happen to me. It was my job to take care of you, and I failed. You belong in Heaven with our kids. I made my decisions and mistakes. And I will pay for them, not you."
"I know, darling. But I can't stand the thought of losing you for all eternity. Allen Jones was a good man and deserves a chance to redeem himself."
Stunned, AJ swallowed hard. His chest ached. "Maybe just some of it?" he bargained.
But Seth was shaking his head. "Sorry, it won't work. The amount I would need to take will destroy her."
"Then let me help," Becky Lynch said from behind Seth, nearly sending Seth over the cliff again. "Two of us should be enough."
"Becky?" AJ asked, absolutely floored. "Why?"
"Don't be an idiot. You know why," she sneered at him. "Is he always this thick?" she asked Wendy.
"He has his moments," Wendy sighed.
"Alright, if there are no more objections?" Seth asked AJ, who shook his head, not taking his eyes from his wife's face. "Let's do this and get off this mountain before it gets dark and we're trapped up here for the night."
Both spirits reached out and touched AJ. Seth placed his hands on AJ's chest and forehead. He concentrated, not feeling the cold wind that blew around them. It was easier this time. The souls were freely given, one with love, the other with gratitude. Soon, AJ Styles was whole once more. The demon mark stayed inert, having no connection to his new soul. Seth also healed AJ's body while he was there, as a thanks for saving Seth's life.
As Seth stepped back, AJ opened his eyes. He looked at Wendy once again, this time through tears and he sank to his knees.
"I must go," Wendy said as the sun finally set behind the mountains. The gate behind her was a soft glow. She was dimmer now but still radiant. "I will take your love to our children."
Wordlessly, AJ reached out to her. "Good-bye my love," Wendy whispered as she disappeared through the gate. The glow was gone with her as the gate faded without a sound.
"I gotta go too. But if you don't get your act together, you can always hang out in hell with me," Becky winked, the wind gusted again as she too vanished. AJ's shoulders shook as silent tears streamed down his cheeks.
"C'mon, let's go," Seth sighed, placing a hand on AJ's shoulder. He was cold, tired and wanted nothing more than to see his brothers again.
Heartbroken, AJ nodded. With a sigh he got to his feet and started down the mountain without looking back, Seth on his heels with the pale mare silently following them.
TBC
