Chapter 4

The next night, Brock sat silent and alone on a bench in the main locker room while Zack laughed with several of his friends a few feet away. It was good to hear the smaller man laugh and Brock only wished that it were him that had caused it. Unfortunately, his lover had been angry with him since the previous night, since the talk with Vince but Zack wouldn't say what had happened. He just patted Brock on the cheek and told the large man not to worry his pretty blonde head about it.

The laughter in general stopped when the door opened and Sean O'Haire and Billy Kidman walked in. However, just because the laughter stopped did not mean the locker room had gone quiet. It was instead filled with whispering comments. The smaller man was dressed nicely as always, looking like he was going to meet the prom queen's parents except for a slim white leather band around his neck. He walked a step behind Sean, his eyes on Sean's back, seeming to not hear the comments around him, even the unkind ones.

Zack and his friends were particularly being spiteful. "Why don't they just put a leach on the little bitch? Look at him trailing along."

Jamie laughed along with Zack before commenting. "I don't know why he even gets dressed. From what I hear, Billy spends more time on his back than on his feet."

"Well, as close as he's following Sean, maybe it's the `big man' on his back."

Sean and Billy ignored all the comments as they stopped in front of Brock, Sean quietly greeting the blonde.

"We're scheduled for a match tonight."

Brock's eyes opened a little wider, the last he had heard he was to wrestle Eddie. "What? But…I thought…"

Jamie's voice could clearly be heard from nearby. "Uh oh, Zack, we're in trouble. Your little boy is thinking again."

Brock fought hard not to flinch as, instead of defending him, Zack snorted derisively, "Well, that's why he's so confused."

Sean's gaze however never wavered or changed, it was as if the two smaller men were not even in the room. "Eddie's shoulder spasmed earlier today. The doctor thinks he may have pulled it." Leaning forward, Sean spoke softly in Brock's ear, so his words did not carry. "I wanted you to know, we didn't arrange this match. I know what you saw yesterday but none of us are angry about it. Go out there and do your best. Don't hold back and make either of us look bad. This match isn't personal and I'd prefer to keep it that way. Ok?"

Brock gave a brief nod, muttering a soft agreement.

The taller man whispered a soft. "Excellent," before standing up again. "I'll see you in the ring later."

He turned to go but found himself blocked by Jamie and his large friend Matt Morgan. "Hey, O'Haire, why don't you just leave pretty little Billy here for us to look after." Jaimie's eyes openly roamed over Billy's body as he made the suggestion.

Sean, however, was not amused. "Move out of our way or be moved."

Matt's grin matched Jamie's as he looked over Sean. The devilishly handsome brunette was big but Matt was bigger. "Look, baby, we all know you're the Taker's little bitches. All we're saying is share the wealth."

Jamie's smile was not friendly as he reached for Billy and Matt reached for Sean. "Or better yet, let's just say you shut up and bend over like a good little bitch."

Sean moved before anyone could react, catching Jamie in the stomach with a side kick as he brought his hand up in a palm strike, breaking Matt's nose. The large man stepped back, clutching at the painful injury, blinded by pain and blood as Sean grabbed Jamie and bodily threw him into a wall. Another turn brought him face to face with Matt again and he quickly brought his knee up hard into the large man's solar plexus sending the other man crashing to the ground, holding his stomach and struggling to breath.

His blue gaze hard and intent, Sean looked over the rest of the locker room, searching for any other threat but the other wrestlers were quickly remembering pressing appointments anywhere but here. Next, he looked over at Billy in question and received a quiet, "I'm fine." in response to his silent inquiry. Sean nodded then turned and walked out of the room, Billy following as before.

Zack stepped in front of Brock, cutting off his view of the door all the wrestlers had disappeared through, leaving Brock alone with Zack and his two friends. "And just what the hell were you two whispering about? Did you tell him to attack Matt and Jamie, promise him a little something…a little action?"

"No! I'd never… All he said was that the match wasn't personal and to keep it that way." Zack did not look like he believed Brock. "Honest, that's all he said and I agreed. That's it."

Zack turned his head to glare out the door. "Oh really? Well, it just became personal." Turning back to Brock, his voice lowered into a vengeful hiss. "I want you to go out there and make him pay, baby. You hurt him and good."

"But, Zack…I mean, he didn't…"

"He didn't what? He just beat up two of your friends for no reason."

Brock's innate sense of fairness forced him to protest before he thought. "They're not my friends and they…"

Zack cut him off with a sharp blow across the mouth. "What the fuck is this? You're defending them against me? I'm your lover, Brock, not them! I don't ask for much, do I? All I ask is you show a little loyalty to me! Is that too much to ask?"

Brock held his hand to his split lip as Zack continued to yell at him. The wound didn't hurt much but the emotional pain of it cut so much deeper and Brock hung his head in shame.

*********************

The three newcomers watched the comings and goings of the main locker room from across the hall from the shadows. They watched Billy follow Sean in and then the room clear out a little while later. The man sitting between the other two, as he always did, rubbed the back of one hand thoughtfully as Billy and Sean left. "Tough man."

The tall blonde on his left glanced down. "You think it was O'Haire cleared it out?"

"Who else?"

"There's other big men in there."

"True, but so soon after his entrance into the room?"

The black-haired man on the other side continued to stare after the pair. "When do we talk to him? See if, underneath all that innocence, he's still our Billy."

The man on the floor rubbed his companion's calf. "We don't"

"What?"

"He's collared and obviously is to remain isolated."

The standing man dropped his eyes, his voice low and slightly petulant. "I want him with us, master."

"I know you do but we won't get him by getting him punished and we won't take him by force. If he comes of his own will…" The seated man paused as another man walked out of the door, his head lowered and his shoulders hunched defensively. "I don't remember Brock having a split lip before."

"Perhaps Sean…"

The standing blonde interrupted. "Not enough physical damage and too much emotional. It was someone smaller and closer to him. Those shoulders aren't bent in pain from a split lip."

The seated figure continued to watch Brock as he walked down the hall. "Interesting. Perhaps…"

***************

Billy had just finished changing out of his ring gear while the monitor showed Taker leaving the ring after his match. Sean was sitting to the side, an ice pack on his knee from where Brock had dropped him hard. The large blonde had come into the ring seeming to want to make the match personal. Wrestling stiffly, but within minutes, his entire demeanor changed and the rest of the match, Brock had almost seemed apologetic, as if already beaten. Of course, that had not stopped Sean from getting roughed up the first few minutes and returning the favor until he realized Brock wasn't fighting as hard anymore. The end result was two men limping out of the ring and a pleased crowd since Brock's lip had begun bleeding again soon after the beginning of the match.

Billy was about to ask Sean what it had been all about when the sound hit, freezing him. Over the monitor came the sound of a bird call, specifically, a raven's cry. Turning slowly, Billy stared at the monitor in silent shock as the TV showed the wrestler known as Raven walking down to the ring flanked by two men. One stood almost half a foot taller with blonde hair that just reached the top of his back and light eyes. The other man was only a few inches taller than Raven with long curly black hair and bright blue eyes.

Billy stepped closer to the monitor, as if in a trance. The announcers called the group as the Flock and Billy whispered their names as they were introduced: Raven, Van Hammer, and Scotty Riggs. His fingers lightly traced the screen over the curly black hair as the camera men focused in on Scotty's face.

He was so focused on the screen he did not hear the door open. His attention riveted to the wrestling match as Raven and Scotty faced off against Charlie Haas and Mark Jindrak. Billy did not return Taker's greeting as he watched Raven viciously slam Mark into the mat, dismantling the younger man with experience and brutality. He did not obey when Taker called him, instead holding his breath as Scotty forced his way out of a submission hold and reversing it quickly. He did not even respond to Taker's growled command as Raven and Scotty trapped Charlie in the corner, double teaming him as Van Hammer distracted the referee on the other side. All Billy saw and heard were the newcomers, never looking away, never blinking, almost not breathing until they disappeared from sight behind the curtain and their music was replaced with the closing theme to Smackdown.

Only then did Billy realize his master was standing next to him, darkly scowling down at him. Immediately falling to his knees, Billy bowed his head but before he could say anything, Taker spoke. "So, now you choose to show me respect, after ignoring me? You think this gets ya off the hook?"

"No master. Your boy apologizes. But…"

"I give an order, I expect it t'be obeyed. Immediately. Understand?"

"Yes, master."

"Then why'd you do it? Ya knew you was gonna get punished."

"Your boy didn't think, master. It was not planned but your boy accepts whatever punishment given. But, please, master, listen to your boy first." Billy kept his eyes down but begged with his whole body.

"I hope you ain't thinkin' bout begging for leniency. You ignore me, disobey me, you gotta be punished."

"No, master, your boy admits his misbehavior and accepts his punishment but please, master, please, free your boy." Billy let his desperation fill his voice. He needed to be freed, needed…

"What!" Billy flinched at the anger in Taker's voice because he could hear the underlying pain. "Why are you askin' me that? Don' I treat ya good?"

"Yes, master, you provide for your household well. Your boy needs to be freed. He needs…."

Taker interrupted him again, "Is it Sean, did he hurt ya? Baby, if he don' look after ya right, just tell me. I'll get someone new."

Billy didn't have to see the large brunette's face to know the words had hurt him. "No, master. Sean takes excellent care of your household. No one hurt this boy. This boy just wants…"

Yet again, Taker spoke over Billy as he tried to explain. "I think you just don' wanna be punished."

"No, master…" Billy was becoming frustrated. He had known Taker would not take his request well since it was pretty much a surprise out of the blue but he had to get the man to listen.

Taker cut him off. "Look, I don' know what the hell's gotten into you tonight an' I don' like it. Sean, take care of this. I expect my boy to be his usual loving obedient self when I get back to the hotel…"

Billy tried once more. "Master, please. Free me."

A large hand tangled in his short hair, yanking his head back and Billy fought to keep his eyes averted. "No, baby, that's not gonna happen. Get over whatever this little snit of yours is and I mean now." The large man claimed Billy's mouth for a dominating kiss that he could not help but respond to. Taker smiled as he ran a hand down Billy's body, caressing the smaller man's growing arousal. "You still respond to me, baby, still want me." He kissed him hard again. "Now, what do you have to say?"

Billy could hear the smirk in the big man's voice. Taker thought he had won but the kisses, his body's reaction to them, changed nothing. "Free me, master."

Taker shoved him away with a roar of rage and Billy fell on his side, his head still bowed as the large man stood and strode for the door. "Sean, you will deal with this and then we're going to discuss just how you lost control of him later."

Billy heard the door slam and scrambled back into a kneeling position. Sean's footsteps sounded through the room as he approached. The large man's black boots stopped right in front of him but Billy remained still, waiting for his punishment. He was surprised to see the boots walk away and heard water run in the adjoining room before Sean walked back and knelt in front of Billy. A large hand softly cupped his jaw, lifting his chin so he was looking up at Sean as the big man gently washed his face.

"What's wrong, Billy? You've never disobeyed in all the time I've known you, never ignored a command. Why start now?"

Billy could see the concern in Sean's blue eyes, not caring and certainly never love, but honest concern. Reaching up he gripped the large man's wrists. "Sean, please, take the collar off, free me."

"I can't."

"Please, Sean, let me go free. I'm begging you."

"Billy, he loves you. He's not going to let you go."

The dark-haired wrestler shook his head emphatically. "He doesn'tlove me. He loves what I become for him. Taker would take to another sub just as well as long as they could play the gentle innocent." An idea suddenly struck him and he gripped Sean's wrists desperately, pleadingly. "Sean, this could work out better for you. I know you think of someone else when you're with me, someone you loved. I've never asked who and I'm not asking now, but, Sean, this could be your chance!"

"My chance for what?"

"If you free me, Taker will need a new sub. You could bring in the one you dream of. We can both have what we want. Just free me."

Sean sighed. "There's no guarantee he'd take my suggestion. Besides, Billy, he's more attached to you than I think you know. You're the most important to him."

"Not for long. He won't get what he wants. None of us will!" Billy could feel his eyes grow hot with tears and he let them flow, wanting Sean to see how desperate he was.

"Why? What is it you want? What will you do with your freedom?"

"The Flock, I need to go back to the Flock."

Sean stared down at him in confusion. "The Flock? What do they have to do with you?"

"I was part of them in WCW. They're here, Sean, and I won't be happy until I'm with them again. I won't be sweet and obedient. Taker will not have what he wants because every minute they're here; I'll want to be with them. I want to serve them again. No matter how much I might want Taker, no matter how much my body responds to him, I want them more. I need to be a part of them again." He made no effort to stop the tears flowing down his cheeks, focused only on convincing Sean. He watched the intense blue eyes studying his own, almost reading his soul.

"Taker won't like this, Billy. He's not going to let go easily. And you, what happens to you if they don't want you back? I don't see them here trying to take you back. You haven't heard form them. If they don't take you, you could end up alone. Taker will be too angry and lose too much face if he just takes you back…"

"I won't ask him to. I will make the Flock take me back. I don't care how long it might take, hours, days, years. I need to be with them again." He dropped his eyes, rubbing his hands over Sean's forearms nervously. "You never asked who I think of but, now he's here. He's part of the Flock. I still love him, Sean, I'll never stop. I have to be with him now that he's here. Now that he's within reach, I have to touch him." He raised his eyes to Sean's again, begging for understanding. "If he was here, the man you dream about, if you saw him again, what would you do to be with him again? What would you risk?"

Sean closed his eyes but Billy could see the emotional pain written across his face. After what seemed an eternity, Sean opened his eyes and stood up, pulling Billy with him. "You have to be punished. You've been disobedient and proven disloyal." Reaching up, he undid the buckle on the collar around Billy's neck. "You're banished, Billy. Your punishment is that you are no longer part of this household. Gather your possessions and leave."

Billy smiled up at the large man. "Thank you, Sean. I'll always be grateful."

The large man tried to look stern for a moment but then gave Billy a small smile. "Good luck, Billy. I hope you get what you want."

Billy nodded. "I hope you do too." Turning, he quickly stuffed the few unpacked items back into his travel bag and picked up it and his suitcase. Heading out the door, he did not look back.

Read Chapter Chapter Five of ? of Silverahra's Saved By Darkness