Chapter 52
At Breakdown, Steve lost the championship by being double-chokeslammed and both monsters had pinned him for the victory. Vince had run away with the Smoking Skull belt, the championship, and screamed at Steve it was his and Steve didn't have it anymore. The following Raw, Steve showed up on a Zamboni, with Anca beside him, and crashed McMahon's party by leaping off the Zamboni onto the Chairman, beating the hell out of him before Taker and Kane intervened.
Steve was arrested and taken out of the arena with Anca following. Later that night, Vince had his ankle shattered, by Taker and Kane, after announcing their match at Judgment Day for the WWF title and insulting them to their faces. Taker had warned him to watch his ass and Vince hadn't listened, flipping them both off and caught him red-handed. He paid the price and now had a shattered ankle for his troubles.
Judgment Day, Steve Austin was the special guest referee and let the monsters beat the living hell out of each other. Anca watched from ringside, helping Steve whenever he asked and laughed the entire time as Taker and Kane destroyed one another. Suddenly, Paul Bearer came out from the back with a steel chair and it looked as though he was aligning himself with his son, Kane, again. Only, that wasn't the case.
He had struck Kane with the chair, which unfazed him and turned his back on the Big Red Machine, aligning himself with Undertaker again. It was a reconciliation of hellacious proportions. Anca could only watch as Steve refused to make the count for Taker, flipped the man off and stunned him into next week. Then, Steve counted them both out by doing the 3-count on the mat, ending the match and pissing on Vince's idea. For that, he was fired publicly by Vince McMahon, who was in a box of sorts that protected him.
So many things happened afterward, but ultimately, Shane McMahon reinstated Stone Cold Steve Austin into the company, behind Vince's back. It was an iron-clad, binding contract and it also guaranteed Austin a title shot whenever he wanted it. Anciana just went with the flow, following her brother everywhere and kept to herself. She remembered every single thing of that night Taker visited her, even him taking care of her, which messed her up emotionally and mentally even more. Steve kept asking her if she was alright and all she could do was shake her head, not wanting to talk to him about it. He backed off, leaving her be and they continued working.
The night of November 16, 1998, Undertaker finally struck again and interfered in Steve's world title shot by hitting him in the head with a shovel. Anca screamed out, covering her mouth with her hand and didn't dare get in the ring while he was in there, staring down at Steve with a thoughtful expression on his face. What the HELL?! Steve had been inches away from reclaiming what he'd been robbed of all those months ago at Judgment Day and Undertaker cheated him out of it! Anca was pissed and worried for her brother, backing up from the ring the moment Taker's eyes snapped to her. They hadn't spoken or really interacted with each other since Judgment Day.
During the house shows later that week, Steve actually blacked out in his match, which wasn't scripted. The shovel shot wasn't scripted either and Anciana couldn't believe Taker had done this to her twin. They were currently at a hospital with a bunch of machines attached to her irritated, pissed off brother. Anciana groaned when a WWF camera crew came into the room, wanting the fans to know how Stone Cold was holding up. She tried pushing them out, but Steve stopped them and had his sister sit back down in her chair, yelling about how he was going to destroy the Undertaker.
The nurse and doctor told Steve he had to get some sleep because his blood pressure had skyrocketed, which wasn't a good thing. The camera crew left for the moment as Anciana stood up from the chair and walked over to stare out the window, not seeing the hearse pull up outside of the hospital. The WWF audience did since there was another camera outside, but Anciana and Steve were clueless as to what was about to happen.
Taker was fairly patient, knowing sleeping medication was definitely on the list for Austin because he was that kind of asshole. Snorting, he sent Paul scurrying ahead, already knowing Anciana would be there because wherever her brother went, she followed. Like the broken little puppy that she was. He had, since that night, become a bit more sadistic, a bit quieter backstage… Anciana was always there, whispering her vile little words at the back of his mind. Well tonight, he'd be smothering her brother and then it was her turn.
"Miss Austin?" A nurse poked her head in. "We need you to sign these forms, please."
He really hoped ether was going to do the trick on that woman.
"Yes, of course."
Anciana took the clipboard with the papers and began looking them over while her brother slept. Steve needed all the sleep he could get right now. That concussion was nasty, grade A…Taker had NOT lightened the blow and, after speaking with Vince over the phone, they found out the man acted on his volition. Rubbing her temples, Anciana scrawled her signature on the paperwork, writing Williams, and set them aside on the table since the nurse had left to attend to other patients. Yawning, she walked back over and took her seat beside Steve, taking his hand as tears welled in her eyes. Even though she was broken and a mess on the inside, on the outside she had to be strong for her twin.
"I love you, Stevie." She whispered, kissing his hand and let the silent tears flow, wishing Taker would just leave them alone.
Lights were being dimmed on the floor as the nurses began their nightly routine of getting the patients down and settled. When the nurse's station dimmed as well, Paul hit the button on his pager, procuring his small flask and cloth. Knock her out, that was all he had to do. Had Taker bothered to remember what that woman was capable of? Anca would let herself be knocked out or Taker would tie her ass to a chair and make her watch as he suffocated her brother.
Anciana wasn't startled that the lights had gone out because it was time for the patients to rest. Holding her brother's hand, Anciana leaned back against her chair…and that was her mistake. The second she did, a cloth was placed over her mouth, fighting against it and screamed into it, inhaling the ether it held. Whoever had a hold of her was using her hair against her, wrenching her head back in order to slap the cloth over her mouth.
Her eyes drooped, her body grew limp and she was out after 30 seconds of fighting, her adrenaline keeping her awake longer than normal. The cloth was removed from her mouth while Steve remained sleeping in his hospital bed, Vince had left a camera behind in the hospital room, just in case something happened. Slumping to the floor in a heap, Anciana didn't see Steve being smothered with a pillow by none other than Undertaker while Paul Bearer stood over here.
"OH MY GOD, KING! WHAT ARE THEY DOING TO THAT POOR YOUNG WOMAN?!"
"We gotta get outta here…"
Oh, he was tempted to smother Austin to death and probably would have, if not for Paul's worried admonishments they needed to get out of there. Cursing under his breath, he pushed away from Austin, smirking at how red-faced and desperate to inhale that sweet air Austin was. He spared a sideways glance at Paul, nodding before stooping to pull Anciana in his arms.
"Fair trade, Austin, your sister for your life." Taker chuckled, tossing her over his shoulder and vacating the room, Paul nervously trailing behind him.
When Anciana came to, she was planted on a pile of dirt and could hear the outdoors, slowly opening her eyes to stare up at the night sky. "S-Stevie…" Her throat was dry and Anciana felt nauseous, trying to sit up, but her body wouldn't move. "W-What…?"
Turning her head, she spotted Bill – no Paul Bearer – staring at her and felt her heart rate pick up in speed. Taker…Taker had to be here, wherever they were as Anciana rolled on her side, trying to get her body to cooperate with her. They had drugged her, she remembered being grabbed from behind in her chair by her hair and then…nothing. Darkness met her memory.
"Taker – Taker, she's awake!" Paul pointed a shaking finger at the woman, beady eyes wide. "W-What do you wanna do?!" Were they really going to bury her alive?
"What do you think we're going to do, Paul?" Came Taker's derisive reply, followed by a shovel being tossed upwards and out of the hole he had been digging. A second later, his tattooed arms appeared, lit by the lone lantern they had brought and hoisted himself out of the grave. Green eyes landed on Anciana as he pulled himself to his feet, brushing the dirt off his hands. "We stick to the plan; an Austin is an Austin."
Even through the thick fog in her brain, thanks to the ether, Anciana heard him clear as day and felt tears sting her eyes. He was going to bury her alive? Is that what Paul said? What happened to coming to her hotel room and taking care of her, pleading to make new memories with him? Taker ran hot and cold…it gave her whiplash. Granted, she hadn't helped the situation claiming to let the bellhop have his way with her…that had probably pissed him off. Now he probably thought she actually DID whore around, when that wasn't the truth. All Anciana did was work as Anca and then go back to the hotel to drink herself into a stupor to numb the pain this monster inflicted on her.
Why wasn't she fighting this? Did she actually want to be buried alive? Paul had pulled out the video camera Taker instructed him to bring, which was connected to the arena, wanting the whole world to witness this.
"Are you scared, Anca? Do you KNOW what awaits you in that 6-foot deep grave?"
The camera was in her face now and all she could do was nod. "Peace." Her weak voice replied just as her body was pushed into the grave.
"No – NO, they can't do this to her! For heaven's sake!"
Anciana landed on body pillows, which was why he had been down there so long, arranging it for her because… that was, technically, his wife. He wasn't out to totally kill her. While Paul laughed into the camera, he began shoveling in the dirt, hoping she was smart enough to use the square of plexiglass down there to protect her face. Probably not, she was a bit… dazed and confused, so to speak. He aimed for her legs, knowing the camera was now on him, showing him burying Anca Austin alive.
What the hell was going on? Why were their pillows down here? Frowning, Anciana was too out of it to understand what Taker was doing.
"Wait, you're not gonna do this now?"
"No, I got a better idea. This is too good for an Austin."
Paul giggled maniacally, looking down at the woman on the pillows, face first. "W-What are we gonna do?"
"We're gonna embalm her."
"Alive?!"
"We're gonna embalm her alive."
"WHAT?!" JR shrieked over his headset while watching this in horror.
"Anca, you're going to know what pain is…REAL pain."
She was lifted up from the pillows into his arms, her body limp while Paul slapped the ether-soaked cloth over her mouth again, knocking her out all over again. Her body was set in the back of the hearse while Paul and Taker got in the front, driving off moments later from the gravesite.
"Are you sure you want to embalm her?"
"Sure. I'll prop her up in our bedroom at home and look at her whenever I'm feeling nostalgic."
Paul shook his head. That was just disgusting and disturbing. "I can't understand why she'd leave you, you're such a catch…"
Mark began laughing at that, though there was no humor in it. "By the time I'm done, she'll never leave me again."
The camera panned into the hearse pulling up to a local funeral parlor before cutting out again for commercial. When they came back, Anca was laid out on a table, her blonde hair splayed all around her. Some of her clothes were dirty from the dirt by the grave since she'd landed on all pillows in the 6-foot hole. She had little smudges of dirt across her cheeks as well, dirt in her hair as well. Paul got to work setting her up properly, placing her hands one on top of the other on her torso. The Deadman busied himself with the dagger he would use for the embalming as Paul tied on an apron and placed a block for her head to rest on.
Anciana slowly began to awaken again, but didn't open her eyes for fear of what she would see. She could hear Paul and Taker talking again and Paul began cutting directly up the middle of the Austin 3:16 t-shirt she had on. Taker was right above her, she could feel him and Anciana was too weak to stop this from happening, hoping he ended her life quickly. The pain would go with it and he'd finally be rid of her. Her black lace bra was flashed for the world to see as her chest rose and fell steadily, due to the ether.
"That's what it's all ABOUT!"
"OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD, DON'T DO THIS! SOMEBODY HELP HER!"
He could practically hear Vince, JR, and big-mouthed Lawler screaming, even though those idiots were nowhere around. Taker was banking on someone saving Anciana, else wise he would have to either commit an actual murder on national television, let her go, or pray that Paul had enough sense to turn that camera off, so he didn't have to do either. He bent down, so his mouth was brushing her earlobe.
"Deep breath, darlin'. It's almost over." He whispered soothingly.
"W-What…?"
Anciana was so confused right now, a single tear falling from the corner of her eye and kept her eyes closed, taking deep breaths as instructed. What was this all about? Why did she have to be drugged in order to do this, if it was part of work? The shovel shot to Steve's skull wasn't; Vince had told them that. Suddenly, Taker began chanting in tongues, a language she didn't understand, which confused her further. If she would've opened her eyes, she would've seen a HUGE silver dagger looming over her, ready to be plunged in her chest.
"I-It's KANE! KANE!" Paul shrieked out in his shrill voice and took the dagger, ready to finish his master's job, but Anciana caught him at the last second.
"Get…away…from…ME!" She shoved him none too gently, making him land flat on his fat ass and rolled off the embalming table, her head killing her.
"IT'S KANE! KANE IS HERE!"
Anciana didn't bother looking back, reaching the stairs and immediately emptied the contents of her stomach, tears pouring down her cheeks. Once she finished, Anciana kept going and pulled herself up the stairs, needing to find the exit. Even if she did, how the hell was she supposed to drive?
The camera feed was disrupted and that was it. Paul was tired and sore. "She's probably down there puking…"
Nodding, Glen vacated the room after giving his brother a look. He had nailed him pretty hard. Given what had just happened, he was perhaps the only one who would be able to get close to Anciana right now. If she had seen that dagger… she was also probably shitting bricks.
Little brother had swung hard on purpose… Mark hissed, a hand at his temple.
Outside, Anciana emptied more of her stomach in the grass and kept running, stumbling away from the funeral home. The hearse sent chills up and down her spine, refusing to go near it and tears streaked her cheeks under the moonlight. Her shirt was currently shredded during the 'procedure', so she was just in blue jean shorts and a black lace bra. Stumbling again, this time Anciana went down and scraped her knee and elbow, looking back at the funeral home through blurred vision. Unable to run any further, Anciana dropped to her knees and gripped her hair in her hands, screaming out to the silence before throwing up for a third time.
"Finished?"
Glen had been watching her, noticing her entire body give a start before stepping forward. Slowly, deliberately, and he made sure to give her a wide berth, letting Anciana see him before crouching down before her. She looked like hell.
"Come on." He stood, halfway, and extended his hands to her. "Before he comes." That was about the only warning she was going to get from him. Mark was in there, dealing with the blows Glen had landed on him.
"W-Why?" She croaked out, her throat killing her from all the vomiting she'd done and screaming afterward. "W-Why are you h-helping me?"
"Payback."
Taker had admitted to being the one who set the fire that burnt Kane's face…in a promo the Raw after Judgment Day. When he realigned himself with Paul Bearer and turned his back on Kane…and his fans. Anciana didn't know if she could trust this monster, but…she was out of options. She had no idea where they were and had to get back to Steve, who was hopefully still at the hospital. Anciana shakily rose her hand and grasped his gloved one, letting him pull her to her feet.
"T-Thank you…" She whispered, fresh tears sliding down her cheeks and blinked when he swept her up with ease in his arms, carrying her further away from the funeral home.
Venomous green eyes watched as Glen carried Anciana away, knowing little brother had a car somewhere down the road, somewhere where he could quietly park and creep up. He shook his head, wondering what was going through Anciana's mind right now, what she was thinking. Mark had warned her, a couple of times, not to trust Vince McMahon and that, on occasion, real life got pulled into this business, but there was a bottom line.
"He'll make sure she gets back to her brother?"
"You did leave him alive, yes?"
"We were being broadcasted live on national television. If I was to commit a murder, I'd be a bit more discrete than that, you know better."
Anciana's near fatal accident came to mind.
