Chapter 29: In the Mind

Ten minutes later

"Hey, how's your lip Ted?" Cody finally asked, taking a break from struggling to free himself from his bonds for the umpteenth time. He heaved a sigh as he slumped back into his spot, sparing his bindings one more nasty look before giving his full attention to his friend.

"It's getting better. The healing is slow going, but it's getting better . . ." Ted mumbled, licking his bottom lip to feel the raised skin one more time. "Man, JBL's bodyguard knows how to pack a damn punch! I thought I had almost lost a fang on that one."

"Well, I guess it's lucky for you that our gums are much sturdier than an average human's then." Cody mumbled as he looked at the door. It had only been a few minutes since JBL and his cronies had taken Randy away, and to Cody, it was a few minutes too long. "What do you think JBL is going to do to us?"

"I have no clue Cody. All I know for sure is that I have no plans on breaking in the face of his tactics, and neither will Randy," Ted confidently stated, bruised grin and all. "Randy has always been a tough nut to crack. I'm sure he'll be just fine."

"To be honest, I'm not so sure I have the same confidence as you do Ted."

Cody knew he had to get his reasoning across quickly once he saw the sudden emotional shift that appeared on Ted's face. He went from confident to aghast in two seconds flat, his eyes widening as far as they could go. "Just hear me out alright!? I've known Randy just as long as you have. I've seen what he can do in the face of interrogation, and it is impressive. Trust me, I won't argue with you on that one . . ."

"I sense a 'but' coming along though."

"But . . ."

"I fucking knew it!"

"Can I continue without you fucking interrupting me?" Cody bit back, his eyes narrowing as a scowl came across from his face. Ted nodded, knowing from the look on his friend's face that his sudden interruptions would no longer be tolerated. "Anyway, ever since we got our first look at JBL, I've been getting this bad vibe from him. . . There's something about him that makes him different than all the other guys we've faced before. Something dangerous."

"How bad are we talking about here?" Ted asked, now intrigued with his friend's assessment.

"Bad like we actually have to be wary about this guy bad," Cody mumbled. "There's more to him than what meets the eye. Remember, he used to be on Vince's payroll for a reason. As he said it himself, he was McMahon's go-to guy for a number of years, and we both know how much Vince loves having the best in his employment . . . JBL's dangerous, and we need to be careful."

"I'm sure Randy would have loved to have heard this piece of advice before he was taken away, but it's too late now. He and JBL are spending some quality time together." Ted sarcastically mumbled as he shook his head, his tone now somber. "Randy's strong. He's not one for going down so easy. We'll just have to hope for the best."

"Yeah, I guess you're right . . ." Cody agreed as he turned to face the door. "But still, I got to wonder, what the hell does JBL have in store for us?"

"There's only one answer for that question . . . Whatever made JBL one of the best."


With Randy

The Viper's eyelids felt heavy as he slowly got them to open up. His vision was blurry, and he had to blink it back into focus before he got himself up into a sitting position. After shaking his head to knock the cobwebs from his mind, he slowly took in his surroundings, now realizing that he was alone. He was sitting in the middle of a dimly lit hallway made out of solid white blocks. Spaced evenly on both sides were a series of large silver doors that looked plain, yet sturdy. The hallway itself looked endless on both ends, with no real exit in sight. Overall, the place felt cold and apathetic, like a prison cell.

Despite having a feeling of what the place possibly was, Randy was still unsettled by it.

"This place feels familiar," he mumbled, now realizing that he was no longer bound by any restraints. "But I don't remember ever visiting a place like this before."

"Isn't it obvious? We're in your mind Randal! I must admit, never expected the place to be so cold, but it's fitting for a mercenary such as yourself."

"JBL?!" the Viper called out, his voice echoing throughout the corridor as he looked around for any sign of him. "Where the hell are you?!"

"I'm around . . . Here, there, practically everywhere pretty much," the Texan called in return, his voice echoing along the corridor, making it hard for Randy to pinpoint where exactly he could be. "Your mind is quite an interesting place; at least it's clean."

"My head huh?" Randy mumbled, a certain dark-skinned psychic coming to mind before he brought himself back into focus. "So, that's it huh? You're some kind of psychic?"

"Just like that Amanda girl you were protecting, pretty much. . . My gift isn't as all-encompassing as her's probably is though. My powers simply allow me to specialize in intel gathering, nothing more, nothing less. . ."

"And that's why we're in my head then," said Randy as he started walking down the hallway. "You came into my skull to pick my brain."

"Exactly...! We both know that you're not the kind of guy who'd be willing to sit with his enemies to tell them all that they want to know. So, I figured that it was best to simply find the answers I seek on my own and take you along for the ride," JBL calmly explained from who knows where. "Every person's mindscape serves as a gateway into the deep recesses of their memories. Every thought, idea, and moment you've had is documented here, and in your case, each and every memory you've ever had is hidden behind these silver doors."

"And you're behind one of them?" Randy growled, already realizing the implications behind JBL's words. He never really minded psychics, as long as they minded their business. His patience became thin when a psychic tried to misuse their power on him, and knowing that JBL was somewhere in his mind, watching his past, invading his personal space . . .

. . . Well, let's just say that JBL better hope that the Viper doesn't get his hands on him for a very long time.

"That's correct," said JBL. "You're welcome to look for me, but don't expect me to make it easy for you."

"The thought never crossed my mind . . ." was all the vampire said as he continued making his way down the hall. Taking in a deep breath, he decided to stop at a door on his left and took hold of the knob. Turning it, he swung the door open and stepped inside, his feet landing on the asphalt of a suburban street.

The door Randy came through was still behind him, still showing the hallway that he was previously in. In front of him stood a familiar building, and his eyes widened when he realized that he was standing in front of Amanda's home. His Hummer was parked right in front of the property, and he could see himself seated inside the vehicle talking over mission details with Ted and Cody.

"This is the first day of the mission . . ." Randy mumbled to himself as he watched his past self move toward the door, quickly followed by Ted and Cody, who were in the middle of questioning why they would be so open with their mission to begin with. Randy couldn't help but chuckle at the three as the memory flooded back to him. "The first day we were formally introduced to Amanda and her friends . . ."

Looking around, he saw no signs of JBL around the block, but not taking anything for granted, he followed his past self into the house. By the time he reached the front door, everyone else was already inside, and when he touched the door, he found that he could phase through it, as if he were a ghost.

"Hmm, I guess that figures. It's my mind after all," the Viper mumbled as he walked through the door, finding the group in the living room. He observed them for a few minutes before leaving, realizing that JBL likely wouldn't have bothered viewing this memory in full after first glimpsing it.

He left just as past-Amanda entered the scene, his eyes taking in her form slightly as he made his way back to the door. Once he was back in the hallway, he continued his trek, using his nose to see if he can get any trace of JBL's scent, if there ever was any. After walking another fifty feet, he came to a stop at another door and decided to try his luck there. When he opened it, Randy was quickly hit with a rush of rainwater, which prompted him to slam the door shut before he could be drenched any further.

"I remember that mission well, and I don't want to rehash it ever again!" the Viper grumbled as he leaned his head against the door frame. The door was to a memory of a years' old mission in Miami in the middle of tropical storm season to take down some shapeshifters taking part in a smuggling ring. A major storm occurred during the final day, and Randy had been drenched to the bone once it was all over. The deep slash marks he received that day didn't help his mood either. They eventually healed, but the wounds did manage to dent his pride a little.

Shaking his head, he continued on his way, and as he reached an intersection, Randy started to hear footsteps just up ahead. Looking up, he saw a shadowy figure disappearing around the corner, and he was instantly on high alert.

"There you are!" Randy whispered as he picked up his pace. As soon as he turned the corner, he spotted JBL stepping through a doorway about 12 doors down. He managed to reach that same door just as it closed shut, a rare smile appearing across his face as he took hold of the handle.

He swung it open and stepped inside to come face to face with a darkened alley. The bright full moon was the only light within the corridor, and the scent of a nearby restaurant flooded his nostrils. The scent was familiar to him, but nothing was coming to mind as he found his past self standing toward the alleyway's entrance. He was dressed in all black, a tell tale sign that he was on a mission, however, he knew something was off with him by how tense his shoulders were set and how tight he held his fists.

Seeing that he was still not moving, Randy slowly made his way over to his past self, anxious to see what was going on. When he was side-by-side with him, Randy's eyes widened at his expression. His body was almost shaking in rage, and his face conveyed the same emotion, but the look in his eyes showed different.

It was showing fear.

And it wasn't the kind of fear you had for yourself.

It was the fear for someone else.

"What was going on with me this night?" Randy mumbled to himself as he finally turned around, his mouth suddenly going dry when he finally got a good look at the building across the street. It was then that he finally remembered which memory he stepped into. "No . . . It can't be possible."

"How can it not be?" came JBL's disembodied voice, his tone amused as he watched the Viper from his unknown vantage point. "This is your memories after all . . . You see, when I did a little exploring earlier, I ended up finding this particular memory of yours, and I just knew it was something that you just had to relive."

"The next time I see you, I'm going to make sure you wished that you were dead before we had ever met." Randy angrily whispered, seething with rage as he looked around the area to see if he could find any trace of the Texan.

"Those are some strong words you got there Randy. Let's see if you can keep your word," called JBL, his voice sounding fainter with each word he spoke. "You know what you must do. If you want to kill me, you'll have to find me, but you'll have to confront your past first . . . Let's see if you're truly ready to do it."

JBL's laughter somehow echoed throughout the landscape, taunting the Viper, pushing him further into his anger as it quietly dissipated in the breeze. Chancing one last look at the doorway, he turned his head and started following his past self toward the building, ready to step into the place he wished to forget.

The place where he lost his fiancée forever.


Somewhere else in the world

"Mm . . . Woah, what happened?"

It was the first thought that came to Amanda as she finally came to, her eyelids fluttering open to come face-to-face with a set of dark red sheets that was lying underneath her. Now suspicious, she slowly moved her head, now realizing that she was laying on someone's bed. Moving her legs around a little, she stopped when she heard metal rustling, looking down to see cold steel wrapped around one of her ankles.

"Ah shit!" she mumbled as she looked down to see the steel chain locked around her right ankle. That's also when she realized that she was wearing a new change of clothes: a light gray dress with spaghetti straps. "And who the hell changed me in my sleep?"

A sudden chill went through her spine at the thought of someone changing her while she was knocked out. Sure her life as a model made her immune to the gazes of those who helped her get through numerous wardrobe changes, but at least she knew the faces of those who helped her dress, as well as their thoughts when needed. Not knowing who touched her was disconcerting, but she decided to push that aside in order to focus on the true issue at hand.

"Hello! Can anyone hear me?" the psychic thought as she brought a hand to her temple, focused on checking her link. "Kaitlyn, Kelly...! Ted? Cody . . . Randy?"

Instead of being met with the voices of her best friends and the men assigned to protect her, Amanda was met with silence. Stretching her powers as far as they could go, Amanda could not get a lock on any of them, her efforts thwarted by some invisible wall preventing her from moving any further.

"Some kind of shield I see." she thought, gritting her teeth. She then turned her focus on the chain locked on her ankle and focused her efforts there. She waved a hand across the chain, hoping a quick use of telekinesis would unlock her from her confinement. The chain shook a little, but her powers eventually did the trick, undoing the locking mechanism to free her leg.

"Damn . . . Something's must be affecting my powers. It shouldn't have taken so long to undo a simple lock." she grumbled as she looked around the room. It was warm and inviting, with the deep red walls and wooden furniture decorating the place giving it a bit of a rustic feel. Making sure that nothing seemed amiss, Amanda slowly got off the bed and walked over to the door that was directly facing the bed, intent on finding an exit.

Grumbling when she realized that the door only led to a very sleek looking bathroom, Amanda closed the door and made her way over to a second door just off to her left. When she opened it, she saw that the room was filled with designer clothes, shoes, and accessories that all looked to be about her size.

"Well, whoever is in charge of this place certainly has good taste," the psychic mumbled as she heard the sound of a doorknob turning. When she turned her head, she saw that the room contained a third door just a few feet away from the bed's right. When the door fully opened, three individuals stepped inside with varying looks on their faces. Amanda instantly recognized Punk among the group, his pierced lip stretched into a pleased grin as he kept his hands in his pockets.

"I see our little sleeping beauty is finally awake." said the Chicago-native, his eyes amused as he stared the woman down. "Trust me. It's best to remain compliant here. Don't want to put your friends in danger right?"

Amanda was about to say something, but stopped herself when she remembered the other two people in the room. The lone woman in the group was dressed in a pressed women's business suit colored in shades of blue. Her raven black hair was tied up in a high ponytail, the color complimenting her pale, doll-like skin nicely. Her grey-eyed gaze was slightly vacant looking, which didn't help to alleviate Amanda's nerves one bit. However, it wasn't the woman or Punk that had Amanda's undivided attention.

It was the man standing in between them.

He was tall, probably an inch or two taller than the Viper, with slicked-back, pale blonde hair that looked almost white in the lighting. He was casually dressed in a navy-blue button down with the first few buttons undone, black slacks, and matching shoes. A playful smirk was etched across his face as he watched her, his eyes going up and down across her frame, studying her. Amanda may have been looked at all her life, but his stare was a look she didn't appreciate, grimacing when she locked eyes with his dark green ones.

"It's so nice to see that you're finally awake Ms. Evans," said the mystery man, his voice deep, yet faintly familiar to the psychic. "I'm sorry we had to meet like this, but it was necessary."

"Necessary?" she asked, her body tensing up as her eyes slightly narrowed. "And why was it necessary?"

"You are a crucial part of my plans my dear," said the man, taking a step forward. "Once you go through the test, which I'm certain you'll pass, my plans will finally get into motion."

"And who are you exactly?" Amanda mumbled as she took a step back. "I've never seen you before in my life."

"You've never seen me before, yes, but you have heard my voice, somewhat . . . My dear, let me formally introduce myself," said the man, the grin he now wore showcasing his pearly white teeth, including sharp canines.

"I'm Mr. S."

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