A/N: Hello and welcome to part 3 of my Fantasies Come True universe. If you haven't read the first two, I would highly recommend doing that. So far, this series has pretty much followed the WWE storyline, but now it's going to go in a completely different direction and basically become an AU.
Also, I've thus far based all my fic titles off of songs and let that song kind of guide the theme of the fic. The first one was Fantasies Come True by Avenue Q, the second was All You Need Is Love by the Beatles, and this one is Heroes and Thieves by Vanessa Carlton. Just thought I'd bring that up incase anyone is interested.
Now enjoy the fic :)
xXx
Heroes didn't exist, it was a sad truth, but a truth none-the-less, and it was one that Zack Ryder had had to learn the hard way. He hadn't even been with John for two whole months, but he'd poured his heart and soul into their relationship only to be crushed both physically and emotionally. The kiss with Eve hadn't been in any script he'd seen, nor was her escape from the ambulance, and so he could only figure that it'd all been real. He'd wanted to kick and scream and throw things, but with the back brace, the neck brace, and the pain, he couldn't move enough to pull it off, so he settled for forcing his way out to the ring and slapping his once lover. He'd been rewarded with a shove that sent him onto his back, pain shooting throughout his entire body, and an angry Cena looming over him. He couldn't take it anymore, he rolled out of the ring and hobbled back to his chair while Kane once more taunted Cena from the Titantron. Cena grabbed a microphone and began to speak again and from there, everything was a blur; he was being rolled away by Kane, then he was flying off the edge of the stage and the moment his body hit the floor, everything went black.
xXx
Watching Zack get thrown off the stage shattered the last shreds of John's heart, and he almost broke down in full view of the crowd, but he needed to get medical attention for Zack. Eve showed up as well, distraught, and John didn't know whether he wanted to comfort her or tell her to leave. Zack was once more taken away on a stretcher and John couldn't bring himself to follow, knowing that if he were there when he woke, it would cause more harm than good. Instead, his mind went on auto-pilot and he made his way back to the locker room, threw on a shirt, collected his things and made to leave the arena.
"John," Eve called from the other end of the hall. John turned to face her slowly, anger rising in him at the sound of her voice.
"What?" he asked, feeling no remorse for the harshness in his voice.
"I'm sorry," she said so quietly he could barely hear her.
"Sorry?" John asked incredulously; "Sorry isn't going to fix any of this Eve. We betrayed Zack, the two people he trusted most and we betrayed him. Why do you think I didn't go with him to the hospital? How am I supposed to face him now, after all the pain I've caused him?" Choked up, he couldn't finish, tears streaming freely down his face. Eve could have answered, could have pointed out that they truly loved each other, but she couldn't get the words out and she watched him leave without another word.
xXx
Consciousness returned slowly to Zack. The first thing he was aware of was new pain emanating from his right hand along with his left leg, no doubt products of the fall. The next was the sterile smell and the various cringe worthy sounds of a hospital, something he'd grown very accustomed to over the past couple months. Finally, he was able to open his eyes and his fears were affirmed, he was in a hospital; he tried to sit up, but a hand was laid across his chest to keep him down.
"Slow down, wouldn't want to hurt yourself more," a bone-chillingly familiar voice whispered in his ear.
"Kane," Zack ground out, turning to look at the monster who'd ruined nearly every good thing in his life; "The fuck are you doing here? Get the fuck out of my room." He went to push the call button on his bed, but Kane grabbed his wrist with bruising force.
"Tsk, tsk Zack. Is that any way to treat your only visitor?" he asked, an evil smirk spreading across his face, his eyes full of mischief.
Only visitor? So John hadn't even bothered to stop in and check that he was okay. It was in that moment that Zack knew that things between him and John were officially over; everything they'd had was gone and the grief that enveloped him was more powerful than anything he'd felt before.
"Why?" Zack asked, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice, not wanting to break down in front of Kane.
"Because Zack, I think you should know the truth," Kane said, releasing Zack's hand and sitting back down in a chair by the bed.
"What truth?"
"They've been lying to you Zack. Everyone you know, everyone you love. They've been lying about everything, even your injuries are a lie, even this hospital room is a lie. All just an elaborate plan to make everything you do, every facial expression, every word, every action, as real as possible."
Zack just stared at him, the man was truly crazy! He could have almost laughed, but it would have hurt too much both physically and emotionally, so he settled for a rude comment.
"The fuck crazy shit are you rambling on about?" Zack asked, realizing whatever pain medication they'd been pumping into him must've shut off his natural word filter.
Kane rose once more, walking over to Zack's bed and pulling the sheet off, throwing it onto the ground.
"All of this," he said, gesturing to the neck brace, the back brace, the new cast on his hand, and the steel brace going from his ankle up to mid-thigh; "Just props. Painful props, cruel props, but props none the less."
To prove his point, he began fiddling with bits of the leg brace, Zack attempted to resist, but he didn't have very good control over his body, all the medical equipment attached to him restricting his movements. Kane laughed, then popped a latch and the brace fell away; apart from the stinging burn in the sores where the brace had rubbed at his skin, the pain in his leg was relieved almost instantly. He looked at the other man, baffled. His mind refused to process the new information.
"But...why?" he asked, unable to fathom why the company he'd worked so hard for, sacrificed everything to, and loved his entire life, would do something like this to him.
Kane just shrugged, "It's good for business."
"Get me out of here," Zack demanded and Kane laughed, a deep, genuine laugh.
"That's my boy," he said as he left, leaving Zack to puzzle over what it meant.
It meant trusting Kane, it meant knowing that he was just a pawn, and it was time for him to decide who's pawn. His relationship with John had been a lie, his friendship with Eve had been a lie, his job with the WWE had been a joke and a lie, but Kane had only ever told the truth. He didn't sugar coat it, he didn't try to soften the blow, he just let the brutal truth into the open, and Zack was realizing that was what he needed most in his present state.
Kane left to talk to a doctor and got him approved for release and they left the hospital, Zack in a wheel chair, being pushed by the larger man. Once in Kane's car, Zack couldn't wait any longer to ask the one question still burning in his mind.
"Why are you doing this?"
Kane turned to him, the expression on his face unreadable, "Because I like you."
The statement sent shivers down Zack's spine and he restrained himself from asking anymore questions, not knowing if he could handle the answers.
xXx
John had tried to stay away, had told himself that Zack wouldn't want to see him after everything that had happened, but he just couldn't resist. He had to see his boy, see that he was alright, and that's what brought him here, standing in front of the hospital, mentally preparing himself to go inside and face what he deserved. Finally, he pushed through the doors and searched out a nurse's station, pulling out the most charming smile he could muster.
"Hello ma'am," he greeted the stout, older woman behind the counter; "Could you tell me which room Zack Ryder is in?"
She looked up at him over the tops of her glasses, "I'm afraid he's gone sir. He left about two hours ago with that large, scary man. Wouldn't have done it myself, but he seemed fine with it, eager even."
Large, scary man? It couldn't have been...could it? Would Zack really leave with Kane willingly? Was he really hurt that badly, that deeply? It was all too much for Cena to handle. He couldn't even think straight as he stumbled his way out of the hospital, trying to think of what to do, where to go, and who could possibly help him find Zack and get him back. Punk came to mind, that man seemed to have a soft spot for Zack, but he also had a special kind of hatred for Cena. He could, perhaps, ask Randy, he always seemed to be willing to help John out of a hard situation, but he wasn't sure this was exactly the place, seeing as Randy didn't know about John and Zack's relationship and this wasn't the best of times to spring it on him.
He didn't know how, but he eventually made it back to his hotel room and collapsed on the bed. He'd never been one for crying, believing rather in being strong, but he couldn't hold back the tears that accompanied the wrenching pain that consumed him. And so, he cried long into the night, sob shaking his body, tears and mucus combining to wet his face and pillow. He felt pitiful, disgusting, but he knew he deserved it, deserved everything that was coming his way.
xXx
Kane took Zack to a hotel, different from the one the rest of the roster was staying in, and wheeled him up to a room. Once there, he helped Zack to sit on the bed.
"Are you ready to learn the truth?" Kane asked and Zack nodded, swallowing the fear rising inside him and allowing it to be replaced by the anger that had been quietly boiling and building within him.
Kane began to work on the straps and clasps on the back brace, slowly freeing Zack from it. Once it fell away, Zack felt as if he were breathing for the first time, air rushing into his lungs, a fog he hadn't realized in his head slowly clearing with each breath he took. The world became clearer, as did the situation he'd allowed himself to be pulled into. He was in a strange hotel room, with Kane, the man who'd all but tried to kill him over the past few weeks, and everything seemed to be okay. Better than he could remember it being in a long time; since he'd won the title really.
There was still an ache in his back, but it wasn't the excruciating pain he'd been in since being slammed through the stage. Next to come off was the neck brace, and though he'd thought he was fine with it on, when it came off he coughed and sputtered, a sharp pain shooting up his throat, as if someone had been choking him and had finally let go. Last was the cast on his wrist; it was mostly just plastic and some sort of foam, but it was surprisingly more difficult to remove than the others. Kane eventually managed though, settling for using brute strength to break it away, piece by piece. Other than some light bruises and a few cuts inflicted by the equipment, Zack was perfectly fine, not one of the injuries had been real. Again, he wanted to cry, tears welling up in his eyes, but one look at Kane put them on hold. Crying wouldn't help, wouldn't change anything; what he needed to do was plot, plan, get back at John for the hell he'd put him through, and he'd do anything to get the job done.
He noticed Kane sitting in one of the arm chairs, staring at him, a grin twisting his face sinisterly, something strange in his eyes that Zack didn't want to analyze for fear of what he might find.
"What?" he snapped, trying to put some force behind it.
"I can see it, in your eyes, you're starting to understand what I've been talking about. Don't hold back Zack, let go, let it in, embrace the hate," by the end, his voice was little more than a whisper, and so enticing...seductive even, Zack thought. He'd already made the decision and he did as he was told, allowing the anger to consume him, burning away the last of the grief and replacing it with drive, with reason. He would get his revenge and he would do it by Kane's side, obeying the larger man and learning from him.
Zack was surprised at how...nice Kane could be when he wasn't tormenting him. He helped Zack when he needed it, particularly when it came to mobility; he was still wobbly when it came to walking, the muscles in his legs severely diminished after weeks of disuse, making him nearly as clumsy as a toddler just learning to walk. Kane also brought him the things he needed, like food or drink, but he wasn't any sort of mother hen and had no bedside manner to speak of. Throwing stuff at him, grumbling the entire time about being used like a nurse made, and Zack had to work to hide his smile.
Zack sat and watched TV with him for a while, some sort of show that played out like a short horror movie, but with extremely smart heroes, who seemed to know what they were doing. He watched a few episodes, trying to gain some understanding, but he kept dazing out and nodding off, losing entire chunks of time, so he decided instead to retire to his bed.
He crawled under the covers on the left side, his side, and shivered. He wasn't used to be in an empty bed, and it felt much too large for him alone. He scooted his way into the middle and used the extra pillows to box himself in, holding one as if it were a person. Sadness was starting to overwhelm him again and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't hold it back any longer. It overpowered the anger, the hate, the betrayal, and it left him sobbing quietly, trying not to let Kane hear him. He eventually gave in completely, allowing himself to wallow in pity, hoping that if he let it out, maybe it'd go away. The bed sank slightly to the right and a large hand was laid across his back.
"Stay strong," Kane encouraged, his voice soft and lulling.
The tears continued to flow, but he refused to let himself break, or even crack. Kane's presence brought with it a strange sense of security and when he'd finally run out of tears to cry and the bone shaking sobs had subsided, the feel of the larger man's hand rubbing across his back and the strong sense of safety lulled him into a deep, dreamless sleep.
xXx
Soft snores told Kane that the boy had fallen asleep and he couldn't help but smile, his plan was coming together nicely. He now had a protege to help him destroy Cena and to eventually carry on his legacy. Ryder may not have been the popular choice, 'Taker had given him hell for not choosing some else, but he was the best choice. Kane saw what no one else did, a willing pawn who, deep down harbored a dark side to rival even his, it just needed to be freed.
He rose carefully so as not to wake his sleeping ally and he climbed into his own bed, allowing himself to sink into the oblivion of sleep as well.
xXx
John trudged down to the breakfast room, throwing some things on a plate without looking, and went to sit across from Randy.
"You look like hell John."
"Good morning to you too," John said sarcastically, even though he knew I was true. He hadn't slept a wink, too busy trying to come up with a way to get Zack back, or at the very least save him from the dark road he was taking.
"Sorry man, but I've never seen you looking this bad. What's up?" Randy asked, genuine concern in his voice.
"It's..." John wanted to tell him, let him in, but at the last moment, he chickened out; "Nothing. Just a little insomnia is all."
"Don't bull shit me, John," Rand said, seeing straight through him; "This has to do with Zack, doesn't it? Was he really that angry? Did he end things with you?"
John's eyes widened in surprise and his mouth gaped, unable to make words.
"Come on John, it's not like you guys were doing much to hide it. Anyone could have guessed at it, and most of us have. So did he break it off after Monday night?"
"Yeah, I guess, but..." he trailed off, not sure if he should tell Randy about Zack's sudden turn toward the dark side.
"But?" Randy coaxed and John broke, needing to let it out.
"He's with Kane, left the hospital with him."
"With Kane?" Randy asked, rare surprise evident in his voice.
"I don't know about that, but I know that wherever they went, they went there together."
It was silent for a moment before Randy spoke up again.
"Can I ask you something John?"
"What?"
"Why did you do it? Even a cynic like me could see how much he truly loved and admired you, why would you throw that away?"
"I wasn't thinking Randy. Eve grabbed me and kissed me and before I could come to my senses enough to push her away, it was too late. God, Randy, the look on his face, it almost killed me. When he slapped me, I snapped, I pushed him, I didn't mean to, but I couldn't help it, I was so mad at myself I couldn't think straight and I lashed out like I would at anyone else. If I were him, I wouldn't forgive me either. But I can't stand the thought of him being fed lies by that monster."
Randy listened patiently, nodding understandingly.
"He'll come back John. He's young, he hasn't quite figured stuff like this out. He'll come to his senses once the anger and hurt wear off."
"I hope so," John whispered, pushing eggs around on his plate, nothing making it to his mouth.
"Come on John, we've got a plane to catch," Randy said, getting up and throwing their plates away. John followed him, telling himself that his friend was right, that Zack would come back, trying to cheer himself up enough to make it through the day.