Chapter 2: I'm a Monster
October 23, 1997
Kane had made a huge impact on the WWF in only a couple of weeks. Since his appearance during the Hell in a Cell match between his half-brother and HBK, he had begun a rampage. And it felt good. He had a taste for violence. And he'd gotten to know Miranda better. She was very sweet to him and she didn't seem to fear him. Perhaps this was because she could see what he was on the inside. Miranda, despite all of Kane's strength and rage, could see that he was lonely and angry and in need of love and support. And Miranda was more than willing to help. Kane only wished that he could understand why being around Miranda made him feel so dizzy and vulnerable. Every time she was near him his heart began pounding and he felt weak. He wasn't about to ask his father, though. Paul had once warned him about women. ~"No woman will ever love you, Kane. No woman *could* ever love a horrible scarred thing like you. Women will only use you and hurt you, Kane. Remember that."~ Paul had said. Kane sniffed slightly. His father was right, of course. There was no way any woman would love him. And especially not one as beautiful and kind as Miranda. She'd never see anything in him. But he wished...oh, how he wished. And his daydreams were filled with visions of himself, unscarred and normal, telling Miranda how he felt. She would gasp with delight and run into his arms and he would... He was rudely jolted back into reality as he heard the locker room door open. That would be Father. Kane finished tying up his boots, giving no thought to his mask, which was lying on the bench in front of him. "Kane, in our match tonight against..." But Kane never heard the rest. He had looked up in horror to see Miranda standing beside her locker, pulling out a black t-shirt, looking straight at him. It took Miranda a moment to register what she was seeing. Then, as realization dawned on her, she slowly swallowed. Kane frantically searched for his mask, not remembering that it was right in front of him. Miranda walked over to him and picked the mask up off the bench. "Is this what you were looking for, Kane?" she asked. He nodded and snatched the red and black leather mask from her and turned away, quickly pulling it on and tying it. When this was complete, he looked up at Miranda. "I'm sorry...you...had to...see...that. I'm...a...monster." he told her, unable to meet her emerald eyes. Miranda cautiously reached out and took Kane's chin in her hand. She raised his head until his blue eyes met her own. And she shook her head. "Kane, you are not a monster. You are a very handsome man who any woman would be very lucky to have." Kane could tell that she meant what she was saying, but he didn't understand just what she meant by it. Miranda blinked, unable to believe the words that had just come out of her mouth. Had she *really* just told Kane that she thought he was handsome? She did think that. The scarring was not nearly as bad as she had imagined from Bearer's description. Only the right side of Kane's face was scarred, and that scarring was not enough to noticeably detract from his attractiveness. His right eye, being damaged in the fire, was a lighter blue than the left. So if Kane wanted to get a better look at something, he'd tilt his head, which he did now. But although she thought Kane handsome, she hadn't meant to blurt it out like that. 'There is no way Kane could ever feel about me the way I feel about him. He's tall and strong and brave and here I am, skinny and pale and not nearly good enough for him. But I can treat him better than that sorry excuse for a father of his does.' She leaned toward Kane and hugged him gently, causing the Big Red Machine to suffer a minor heart attack. 'She's hugging me...The last person who hugged me was my mom. I was a little kid and she hugged me and played with me and told me she loved me. Father has never hugged me. Not that I blame him. Who would want to touch a repulsive creature like me?' But as he thought this, he realized that Miranda didn't seem to mind. When she let him go, Miranda gave him a smile. "I'd better go get ready for the match. I'll be back in a couple of minutes," she said, picking up her t-shirt, which in her surprise she had dropped. Kane watched her as she left, willing the tears in his eyes to go away. Despite Miranda's kind words, he still thought himself a monster. And monsters didn't cry
Kane had made a huge impact on the WWF in only a couple of weeks. Since his appearance during the Hell in a Cell match between his half-brother and HBK, he had begun a rampage. And it felt good. He had a taste for violence. And he'd gotten to know Miranda better. She was very sweet to him and she didn't seem to fear him. Perhaps this was because she could see what he was on the inside. Miranda, despite all of Kane's strength and rage, could see that he was lonely and angry and in need of love and support. And Miranda was more than willing to help. Kane only wished that he could understand why being around Miranda made him feel so dizzy and vulnerable. Every time she was near him his heart began pounding and he felt weak. He wasn't about to ask his father, though. Paul had once warned him about women. ~"No woman will ever love you, Kane. No woman *could* ever love a horrible scarred thing like you. Women will only use you and hurt you, Kane. Remember that."~ Paul had said. Kane sniffed slightly. His father was right, of course. There was no way any woman would love him. And especially not one as beautiful and kind as Miranda. She'd never see anything in him. But he wished...oh, how he wished. And his daydreams were filled with visions of himself, unscarred and normal, telling Miranda how he felt. She would gasp with delight and run into his arms and he would... He was rudely jolted back into reality as he heard the locker room door open. That would be Father. Kane finished tying up his boots, giving no thought to his mask, which was lying on the bench in front of him. "Kane, in our match tonight against..." But Kane never heard the rest. He had looked up in horror to see Miranda standing beside her locker, pulling out a black t-shirt, looking straight at him. It took Miranda a moment to register what she was seeing. Then, as realization dawned on her, she slowly swallowed. Kane frantically searched for his mask, not remembering that it was right in front of him. Miranda walked over to him and picked the mask up off the bench. "Is this what you were looking for, Kane?" she asked. He nodded and snatched the red and black leather mask from her and turned away, quickly pulling it on and tying it. When this was complete, he looked up at Miranda. "I'm sorry...you...had to...see...that. I'm...a...monster." he told her, unable to meet her emerald eyes. Miranda cautiously reached out and took Kane's chin in her hand. She raised his head until his blue eyes met her own. And she shook her head. "Kane, you are not a monster. You are a very handsome man who any woman would be very lucky to have." Kane could tell that she meant what she was saying, but he didn't understand just what she meant by it. Miranda blinked, unable to believe the words that had just come out of her mouth. Had she *really* just told Kane that she thought he was handsome? She did think that. The scarring was not nearly as bad as she had imagined from Bearer's description. Only the right side of Kane's face was scarred, and that scarring was not enough to noticeably detract from his attractiveness. His right eye, being damaged in the fire, was a lighter blue than the left. So if Kane wanted to get a better look at something, he'd tilt his head, which he did now. But although she thought Kane handsome, she hadn't meant to blurt it out like that. 'There is no way Kane could ever feel about me the way I feel about him. He's tall and strong and brave and here I am, skinny and pale and not nearly good enough for him. But I can treat him better than that sorry excuse for a father of his does.' She leaned toward Kane and hugged him gently, causing the Big Red Machine to suffer a minor heart attack. 'She's hugging me...The last person who hugged me was my mom. I was a little kid and she hugged me and played with me and told me she loved me. Father has never hugged me. Not that I blame him. Who would want to touch a repulsive creature like me?' But as he thought this, he realized that Miranda didn't seem to mind. When she let him go, Miranda gave him a smile. "I'd better go get ready for the match. I'll be back in a couple of minutes," she said, picking up her t-shirt, which in her surprise she had dropped. Kane watched her as she left, willing the tears in his eyes to go away. Despite Miranda's kind words, he still thought himself a monster. And monsters didn't cry