What Could Have Been II
As usual, the Undertaker arrived in the locker room he shared with his brother just as the pyrotechnics that announced the beginning of the show were starting and found Kane already in his ring attire. "Hey," he greeted Kane as he entered the room.
Kane looked up at him, and for a moment the Undertaker thought he saw a hint of mistrust in his brother's eyes. But then it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, and the Undertaker assumed he had imagined it. Kane's face was so hard to read behind his mask, it was easy to see things that weren't there...or not see things that were.
"Hey," Kane returned, trying to gauge his brother's expression, to see if he could see any hint of possible betrayal there. Finding none, he began to wonder about the validity of what he had overheard earlier. HHH and Austin weren't exactly the most reliable of sources. But they had no reason to lie...they hadn't known he was listening...had they? Kane gave an internal sigh; all he was managing to do was give himself a headache. He would just have to watch his own back a little more carefully than he had been doing lately, and hope that HHH and Austin had been wrong.
Further conversation was cut off as William Regal's music came over the speakers of the room's television and the Commissioner made his way to the ring.
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Kane couldn't believe the audacity of Regal. Calling out him and Taker, chewing them out for interfering in HHH and Austin's business...as if he and Taker were the bad guys. And then making him defend the Hardcore Title against Rhyno, Edge, and Christian. As Regal finished his tirade the aforementioned trio made their way to the ring. Kane saw Edge and Christian go after Taker, but then Rhyno began attacking him, and his attention was reserved for the man-beast. Thus he was unaware of Edge and Christian luring the Undertaker out through the crowd.
Kane was easily handling Rhyno, and was about to conclude another successful title defense when he suddenly was hit from behind. Turning around to get a look at his attackers, Kane was not surprised to see HHH and Austin, both with steel chairs in their hands. Several more blows followed, and Kane quickly realized that he couldn't defend himself against the armed men. He collapsed to the mat, but the relentless men continued their assault, adding insult to injury by throwing the still-unconscious Rhyno on top of Kane, who was only semi-conscious at this point, causing Rhyno to win Kane's Title.
Even after the match was over and Rhyno had been declared the winner, however, then men kept up the beating. Kane felt something in his arm snap as a particularly hard edge-on chair shot from HHH hit it. And still the blows kept coming, and Kane couldn't help but wonder where his brother was. Surely the Undertaker would not have allowed this to go on for so long unless he himself was also in danger...or unless he wanted it to continue.
"What's the matter, Kane," HHH, as if sensing Kane's thoughts, taunted him as Austin hit Kane with another chair shot in the lower back, "Can't stand up for yourself now that big brother isn't rushing to your rescue?" Then he, too, hit Kane with a chair, this time hitting Kane's now throbbing left arm, before proceeding, "God, you're pathetic. No wonder your brother doesn't want anything to do with you anymore."
Kane could not respond, he only curled around his injured arm, trying to protect it from further damage. This only alerted HHH and Austin to the fact that it was vulnerable, however, and they continued to focus their attacks on Kane's limb.
Finally the Undertaker was successful in extricating himself from his battle with Edge and Christian and made his way quickly to the ring. Before he could get there, however, HHH murmured to Kane, "This isn't over yet, freak. Not by a long shot." Then he and Austin abandoned the ring, not wanting to face the Undertaker's fury.
The Undertaker leaned down at his brother's side, concern showing in his face, "Are you alright, Kane?" he asked, laying his hand on Kane's shoulder.
Kane jerked away from his brother's touch, offering up a curt, "I'm fine," before struggling to rise, carefully holding his left arm and determinedly making his way out of the ring and up the entrance ramp. The Undertaker stared at his brother for a second, startled at the anger he had heard in Kane's voice, before following his brother. Taker quickly overtook Kane, who was forced into a slow, lurching walk due to his injuries, and the brothers exited the main arena area side by side. The sense of camaraderie that had surrounded them for the last few months, however, was gone.
As usual, the Undertaker arrived in the locker room he shared with his brother just as the pyrotechnics that announced the beginning of the show were starting and found Kane already in his ring attire. "Hey," he greeted Kane as he entered the room.
Kane looked up at him, and for a moment the Undertaker thought he saw a hint of mistrust in his brother's eyes. But then it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, and the Undertaker assumed he had imagined it. Kane's face was so hard to read behind his mask, it was easy to see things that weren't there...or not see things that were.
"Hey," Kane returned, trying to gauge his brother's expression, to see if he could see any hint of possible betrayal there. Finding none, he began to wonder about the validity of what he had overheard earlier. HHH and Austin weren't exactly the most reliable of sources. But they had no reason to lie...they hadn't known he was listening...had they? Kane gave an internal sigh; all he was managing to do was give himself a headache. He would just have to watch his own back a little more carefully than he had been doing lately, and hope that HHH and Austin had been wrong.
Further conversation was cut off as William Regal's music came over the speakers of the room's television and the Commissioner made his way to the ring.
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Kane couldn't believe the audacity of Regal. Calling out him and Taker, chewing them out for interfering in HHH and Austin's business...as if he and Taker were the bad guys. And then making him defend the Hardcore Title against Rhyno, Edge, and Christian. As Regal finished his tirade the aforementioned trio made their way to the ring. Kane saw Edge and Christian go after Taker, but then Rhyno began attacking him, and his attention was reserved for the man-beast. Thus he was unaware of Edge and Christian luring the Undertaker out through the crowd.
Kane was easily handling Rhyno, and was about to conclude another successful title defense when he suddenly was hit from behind. Turning around to get a look at his attackers, Kane was not surprised to see HHH and Austin, both with steel chairs in their hands. Several more blows followed, and Kane quickly realized that he couldn't defend himself against the armed men. He collapsed to the mat, but the relentless men continued their assault, adding insult to injury by throwing the still-unconscious Rhyno on top of Kane, who was only semi-conscious at this point, causing Rhyno to win Kane's Title.
Even after the match was over and Rhyno had been declared the winner, however, then men kept up the beating. Kane felt something in his arm snap as a particularly hard edge-on chair shot from HHH hit it. And still the blows kept coming, and Kane couldn't help but wonder where his brother was. Surely the Undertaker would not have allowed this to go on for so long unless he himself was also in danger...or unless he wanted it to continue.
"What's the matter, Kane," HHH, as if sensing Kane's thoughts, taunted him as Austin hit Kane with another chair shot in the lower back, "Can't stand up for yourself now that big brother isn't rushing to your rescue?" Then he, too, hit Kane with a chair, this time hitting Kane's now throbbing left arm, before proceeding, "God, you're pathetic. No wonder your brother doesn't want anything to do with you anymore."
Kane could not respond, he only curled around his injured arm, trying to protect it from further damage. This only alerted HHH and Austin to the fact that it was vulnerable, however, and they continued to focus their attacks on Kane's limb.
Finally the Undertaker was successful in extricating himself from his battle with Edge and Christian and made his way quickly to the ring. Before he could get there, however, HHH murmured to Kane, "This isn't over yet, freak. Not by a long shot." Then he and Austin abandoned the ring, not wanting to face the Undertaker's fury.
The Undertaker leaned down at his brother's side, concern showing in his face, "Are you alright, Kane?" he asked, laying his hand on Kane's shoulder.
Kane jerked away from his brother's touch, offering up a curt, "I'm fine," before struggling to rise, carefully holding his left arm and determinedly making his way out of the ring and up the entrance ramp. The Undertaker stared at his brother for a second, startled at the anger he had heard in Kane's voice, before following his brother. Taker quickly overtook Kane, who was forced into a slow, lurching walk due to his injuries, and the brothers exited the main arena area side by side. The sense of camaraderie that had surrounded them for the last few months, however, was gone.
