#i always get so damn nervous posting my wrestling fics ugh- its stupid-

[cryptidofthekeys]

This uh- this involves the AU that I made- I call it The Even More Dysfunctional Family AU where uh BoD adopts Daniel essentially and he becomes a new brother of destruction p much, its all kayfabe stuff (I never do anything o u t of kayfabe) and it might not be fully canon to the lore of both Kane and Taker BUT I just decided to put my own twist on things either way so shh

TWs: Fire, Death, literally burning alive p much, and overall just sad feelings and very big emotions

Daniel’s been curious about what happened to Taker and Kane as kids, he also feels awkward in joining them by visiting the grave of their parents, he feels as though he shouldn’t, he doubts they would have even accepted him as a son if they were alive... Little does Daniel know is he’s about to find out things he’s been wanting to know and more...

“Daniel! Come on, let’s go!” He heard Kane yell out and he yelled back “Just give me one more second! Gosh…” The bearded man rolled his eyes as he finished adjusting his outfit, he didn’t want to wear his normal attire going to well, where t h e y were going… He felt like it’d be disrespectful in a weird sort of way, especially considering he hadn’t been with the infamous brothers of destruction for too long… Undertaker had pretty much the perfect outfit for going to places like this, it felt fitting, Kane just wore what he always wore… Even the mask over his face but Daniel understood why, at least on that front. Daniel had felt like he didn’t deserve to go with them at first, not to the graveyard, not where their parents were buried, because hell… Daniel never got to meet them, he knows a bit about their history but not too much… And asking Taker or Kane is like talking to a brick wall, no emotions, no feelings, and nothing much said so Daniel never tried to push it, it wasn’t in his place anyways, if they wanted to tell him he knew they would.

…Still, Daniel couldn’t help his curiosity, he had always wondered just how and why they turned out in the ways they did, now don’t get him wrong… He loves his newfound brothers! He loves them just the way they are and he would never change them or their ways but whatever happened must’ve really messed them up inside and out… And then Kane’s voice called out from the doorway “Daniel?” That made the man jump and turn around to face the masked man who had his arms crossed “Are you… Er… Alright? I was talking to you and you didn’t uh, respond or anything…” And that’s when Daniel realized, he had gotten pretty lost in thought about that, the man sighed “Sorry, I uh, y-yeah I’m fine… I was just thinking about things…” He still felt like he didn’t deserve to go, he felt it was going to be awkward but both Taker and Kane insisted, it’s only fair that he at leasts gets to meet them in the only way he can now.

Kane nodded at that “Come on, the deadman’s already outside, he’s going to leave without us if you don’t hurry up” Daniel sighed and nodded “Okay, I’m ready, just had to fix my uh, clothes…” Kane once again nodded and began to walk off, Daniel slowly trailing behind him as the two headed out the door, and there was The Undertaker, standing there, he seemed to be a bit impatient “Well… It’s about time, what took you so long, boy?” Daniel looked down “I uh, had to… Fix my clothing, so it wouldn’t, it wouldn’t have wrinkles in it?” Taker could sense Bryan’s nervousness and he walked over, gently placing a hand on the other’s shoulder, it still made Bryan jump, he looked toward the deadman and it felt very strange to feel such a gentle touch from him “Look… I know you're nervous, I know you said you feel like you won’t fit in and it’d be awkward to go up there… But, both me and Kane feel that it’s only fair… You should meet them, at least in some way, they’d be just as much your parents as they were ours, you know?” Daniel blinked, he was stunned and didn’t know what to say, he looked over to Kane who was nodding along.

Daniel was silent, he didn't know what to say or what he even could say so the deadman then turned around after patting the man’s shoulder “We should… Hurry, the sun is beginning to set now…” That’s another thing, they both wanted to wait until the evening time, now Daniel figured that was just because maybe the incident happened at a certain time at night on this day, which would make sense, but before he could continue to get lost in his thoughts he trailed after Kane and Taker, staying in behind them for the most part, he was just looking down to the ground as he walked, just thinking about this whole thing, sometimes he’d glance up at Taker and Kane as they walked in perfect sync with each other actually, it was a slow walk, but it was a rare sight to see them walk fast or especially run. Daniel then began to think, he wondered what their parents had looked like, now sure he knew what Paul Bearer had looked like but he wasn’t… Exactly… Well, y-you know… Either way, he knew that bit of history there, Kane didn’t seem to mind too much but Taker had an absolute scowl on his face at the mention of Paul.

Daniel uh, doesn’t think he wanted to meet Paul too much either way, he remembers seeing mere glimpses around of that man and needless to say he looked pretty creepy… The walk was long, even longer with the slow pace these two took but eventually they made it there, and tonight was a full moon, there were some clouds but it merely looked like smoke in front of the moon, it felt eerie around this place… This is the first time Daniel had ever gone to the graveyard and that’s when he noticed… This… This graveyard, it had no lights first and foremost, the only way Daniel could see is when the two brothers turned on their flashlights (they mostly did it for Bry bc im sure they could very much find their way around that graveyard even in pitch black darkness) The place looked to be in pretty rough condition and that’s when Daniel realized… This Graveyard, it had been abandoned, abandoned for a LONG time in fact… The Graves were all unkempt, some were even broken, old flowers wilting away, pots broken, and then the grass and many plants had overgrown and taken this area hostage.

Overall the place looked like it hadn’t been touched in a very long time, that was until they got to one particular gravesite, two tombstones right next to each other… Daniel peered out from behind the two, looking at the graves a bit closer, it read off their parents’ names… This was the only patch right here that was well taken care of, and then Bryan noticed the tombstones were cracked, as if they had been broken before “Wh-What happened there…?” He whispered, not wanting to be too loud and then he noticed Kane looked away shamefully, Taker glancing toward him, it was silent for a moment before Kane spoke up “...I broke them… It was a really long time ago, I came here with Paul and we… We…” Kane clenched his hand into a fist, he seemed angry but more so at himself “...We smashed them, and then set them on fire…” Daniel looked shocked at this, jeez… Okay NOW he understood why Taker seemed to hate Paul Bearer at the very least… Taker said nothing, he merely stared at Kane who shot him a sorrowful glance back, that seemed to take the deadman off guard, he had held a slight grudge against Paul and even Kane for that but… Seeing the guilt, it made his expression somewhat change.

It looked softer, and then Kane sighed, looking down toward the graves “...I’m sorry…” The Undertaker said nothing for a moment, he then placed a hand on Kane’s shoulder, it was extremely awkward for these two to show any kindness or affection toward each other…

They hadn’t done so in decades, in fact… Neither one of them can remember the last time they shared any care or affection between each other, it had to have been when they were young kids, somewhere there… Even something as simple as a hand on the shoulder felt awkward, and he had felt Kane tense up at that but then the two shared a look before glancing down to the graves, Daniel now standing somewhat off to the side, he didn’t want to get in between the two during this moment, he stared down at the graves, keeping silent now, all three of them were silent, just simply paying respects to the dead… Daniel felt awkward still, like he didn’t fit in here at all, but he knew nothing about their parents, he didn’t even ever feel like he could call them his own, he has no idea if they would even accept him as their child if they were still around, sure Kane and Taker might have already taken him in as a new brother but their parents could have just turned him away…

It was silent for the longest time before Taker looked over at Daniel, who shared a glance back at him, and that’s when Bryan had to suppress a gasp… Now sure, Daniel has seen Kane cry before, it was extremely rare but he has seen Kane cry, and he has been there for him even if sometimes it was against his better judgment, but this was the first time he had ever seen tears on the deadman’s face, he didn’t figure he’d ever see Taker cry in his entire life but here he was, tonight, just tears cascading down his face, he cleared his throat and then spoke slowly, trying not to stutter “...She would have loved you, you know that Daniel?” Bryan blinked, he tried not to stare at Taker’s face too long even if he was in shock “...You think so?” Taker nodded “...I know so, both our parents would have loved you…” Kane nodded at this, just standing shoulder to shoulder with his brother, not looking at anything but the graves, this shocked Daniel even more, well he wouldn’t doubt that then, Taker should know more than anyone…

And then Kane sighed “...I can’t even remember what my own mother looks like… …The most I remember is that she was very nice, kind, soft, gentle, and caring…” He admitted, Taker sighing, wiping his eyes with his sleeve as he looked toward Kane, Daniel was shocked to see another side from the two of them tonight but he didn’t say anything, he merely watched as the two embraced each other, man… Coming here really brought out an entirely new side of these two, one Daniel had never fully seen, not… Not like THIS anyways… They didn’t hug for too long though, both breaking away from each other and then turning away “...We miss you” Taker began and then Kane spoke up “We’ll always miss you…” The two then both simultaneously told them to rest in peace and with that they began to walk, however Daniel stayed behind for a moment, now standing in front of the graves, looking over the both of them, after a bit, Kane noticed and looked back, calling out for Daniel “Are you coming or what?”

Daniel turned and shook his head “Uh, no, actually… I’ll catch up with you two later, promise, I know how to get back to the house so just uh, g-go on…” This confused the two but they didn’t question him too much, just told him not to stay out TOO late… Daniel nodded and said he wouldn’t before looking back to the graves, now he was alone… In this eerie abandoned graveyard, well, half-abandoned… Bryan wasn’t even sure why he stayed behind, he felt as if something compelled him to stay as he knelt down to the graves, looking over their names, this felt… Awkward, he should’ve gone home with those two but he didn’t, something compelled him to stay and he needed to figure out what it was, he just kept staring at the graves…

Searching for something, anything… A sign of some kind of what compelled him to stay behind like this “...I guess they care a lot for you… Huh?” He glanced at their mother’s grave now “...I wasn’t around for anything that happened, they just… Took me in not even that long ago, but… I can tell they care a lot about you guys huh?” And then there was a pause, god, he would’ve probably looked like a crazy person had anyone been around “...I wish I knew what happened to them, what happened to you, what happened in general… …I wish I could meet you as well…” There was silence, which of course there was, what was Daniel truly expecting, he sighed and stood up and that’s when he felt dizzy “Ugh… Jeez, o-okay, that’s… That’s new…” The dizziness was so bad that Daniel had to actually sit down, beside the grave, he felt like the world was spinning extremely fast right now, he groaned and rubbed at his head and then he froze upon hearing a voice, he couldn’t look around right now because of the dizziness but he was sure he just heard a voice.

And then it was confirmed, he heard a soft voice calling out his name, a gentle soft spoken voice called out to him and now he should be scared of this, he knew he should but this voice, it didn’t sound like any kind of threat… It didn’t sound like it was trying to threaten him, and then it went dark… After a bit, Daniel awoke with a gasp, he stood up immediately and began to spin around, looking at his surroundings but yet… He saw nothing, it was a pitch black void that had swallowed him up, there was nothing and nobody around and if it hadn’t been for his own heavy breathing, the silence would be deafening… Bryan got into a fighting stance when he heard a voice call out behind him, spinning around to see who might be going to attack him, however his eyes widened when he saw a lady, staring at him, a soft smile on her face, she had a literal glow to her body, she looked to be wearing a long purple dress and that was the most Daniel could see, his body relaxed somewhat and he got back into a normal stance “...W-Who are y-you…?”

The lady gently spoke up “Hello Daniel… My name is Eliza, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you more properly…” Before Bryan could speak up “I know… You are very confused, allow me to explain dear… I brought you here for many reasons… But I should tell you who I am more specifically… I am both little Taker and Kane’s mother… I’ve watched over them for as long as I can remember now… And I’ve never seen them like this before… Before you came along, things between them had always been so very complicated but it seems like… You’ve really begun to help my two boys… And for that, I thank you… Now the next thing I should say…” Eliza gracefully waltzed over, almost like she was floating in fact and she gently cupped Daniel’s face in her hands, it was so strange, this was all so much for Bryan to process, and it should have felt unnerving to feel her hands on his face like that, but they were so warm and so gentle…

“Taker was right… Me, and my husband, we both accept you as our own… You needn’t worry yourself or doubt such a thing… Both my boys have accepted you as their brother already and you’ve helped them so much, even if you may not think it or know it… And for that, we have to thank you…” And then her husband appeared, wearing a similar outfit to Taker’s and then Daniel began to see where he got his style from and favorite colors… He had a similar expression to Taker, a hardened look for a moment before he smiled “She’s right, boy… We accept you, we want you to always remember that… Son…” Daniel was in such shock at this.

He couldn’t move or speak and then Eliza gently chuckled “Yes son… Even if we might not be on the same plane of existence as you, even if we might have passed on… We still love you, love you as our son, and your brothers love and care about you very much as well… They might not admit it out loud but we can tell…” Daniel almost felt tears pricking his eyes at that, to which Eliza gently took a hand and wiped them away, her husband walking over and giving Daniel a pat on the shoulder, Daniel then looked at the both of them “I… Th-Thank you… I appreciate… That…” That gives him some closure on one front, but now he had questions, he wanted to ask but then he thought it might be rude, I mean some of those questions involved the incident… So he shouldn’t- “...Daniel, sweetie… I know you are curious about what happened…” …Ask… Well okay, that’s… “I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t… That’s-” Before he could speak, Eliza shushed him “Shh… I promise, we aren’t offended or upset, I mean… Curiosity is a natural thing for everyone…”

And then she got more serious “But, honey… I can’t sugarcoat any of this, this won’t be a pleasant thing to view, it might even scar you… And we really don’t want to do that, I would never want to scar one of my own children… But if you REALLY wish to see, then I’ll grant you that wish…” Daniel thought about it for a bit, he had been wanting to know what happened so badly, he had wanted to know the truth and what happened between this family, why Taker and Kane were the way that they were, what they went through, he wanted to know it all… …Even if it may be scarring, at least he’ll know now the truth about his own brothers. After giving it some more thought and knowing his curiosity would only eat away at him he slowly nodded “...Please, I want to… I-I wanna know, I need to know what happened to my brothers… Please, uh… Mo…” He hesitated on that front, but Eliza merely sighed and smiled “...It’s alright, you can call me mom, you can call us mom and dad if you wish to… I promise, it’s okay…” Bryan nodded “...Mom… Dad… I wanna know what happened to my brothers… Please” Eliza’s smile was a sad one, and her husband sighed “Very well son… But please, if at any point you wish to stop the vision… Tell us… And we won’t continue…”

Daniel nodded and then the two ghosts shut their eyes, Eliza’s hair gracefully blowing as if there were a gust of wind… And for a few minutes nothing happened before Daniel suddenly blacked out again… …The next time Daniel woke, his eyes slowly fluttered open, he felt like he was standing up but then… He… He felt taller, w-wait… Wait, something was wrong… This didn’t feel like Daniel’s body at all… And then Daniel heard Taker’s voice, it sounded more so like a young version of him and then suddenly the head of this body was turning toward that direction “Coming big brother!” That was… Kane’s voice, he was stuck in his body, viewing the world from his eyes, he wasn’t in control or anything, just merely viewing the world in Kane’s perspective… He watched as Kane ran toward Taker, laughing as he tackled his brother in a hug who only rolled his eyes “Ugh, get off me…!” The deadman was trying to push Kane off but he had a tight grip on his big brother, this was so weird for Daniel, okay well seeing Taker be an edgy emo-like kid? …Seems legit but Kane being so… Innocent, so full of joy and so happy, just enjoying life like a normal kid would…

He listened as they shared playful banter and then… Taker began to pull out some matches, and that’s when Kane’s eyes nearly sparkled, he got off and stood by Taker’s side now.

“Ooh! Are we going to make the fire come out again big brother?!” He sounded so excited… To which Taker laughed at and ruffled his hair “Yeah we are you lil arsonist… C’mon lil man grab one” Now he knew Kane’s love of fire, that’s partially why he grabbed the matches like he did, because deep down he loved to see his brother so happy… Taker showed Kane how to strike up a match, swiping it up the sides and little Kane’s eyes sparkled with pure delight as he took the match and looked over the flame, a wide smile on his face as he watched the flames dance and wiggle, Taker did the same, before a harsh voice called out “HEY!” That startled the brothers and even Daniel who was still watching in absolute awe of this, to see his two brothers, so full of innocence, just… Like normal human beings, just living normal lives and living out normal childhoods, then Kane’s head spun around along with Taker’s and it was their fathers who ran over quickly and snatched the matchbox and matches from them, quickly putting out the fire “Boys! You know better than to play with fire like this!”

Their dad tried his best not to yell but he couldn’t help it, Taker only looked like an edgy teen, arms crossed and eyes rolling, meanwhile Kane was looking down, clearly upset about getting in trouble “Listen, we have VERY flammable liquids here at the Funeral Home, son… Ya can’t be playin’ with these you hear me? And YOU… Taker, you KNOW better! You know better than this, you're much older!” Taker still had his arms crossed but he was looking down now “...I know, I-I’m sorry…” Their dad sighed and hugged the boys close “Listen, I… I just don’t want you boys getting hurt, your mother wouldn’t want you getting hurt either… And playing with matches, around a funeral home like this? And NEAR the flammable liquids no less? Taker, you know better, like I said, you’re older… And Kane… You just… Just don’t play around with fire like this again, y’all hear me?” The two muttered a ‘yes sir’ and then their dad hugged them tighter and thanked them “Now, go on, get… Taker, you go do your chores” Little Taker sighed but went to do as he was told, Kane watching him and then watched his father walk off, taking the matches with him.

Daniel wasn’t surprised, he knew Kane’s love of fire, he figured he had loved it just as much as a kid… But then Daniel was watching through Kane’s eyes, the little kid was sneaking around after watching Taker walk off to go do his chores and making sure no one was in sight… Daniel was confused as he snuck into the shed, and that’s when Bryan realized what Kane was going to do… His eyes wide, he tried to call out for Kane to stop but he couldn’t speak, he couldn’t control any of this… It was a vision, even if he wanted to he couldn’t do a thing… Daniel watched as Kane gathered some of the flammable liquids, even when the ghosts reminded him he couldn’t do anything, he called out for Kane to stop, begging Kane to stop as he carried the liquids to his home… Kane wanted to see more flames, wanted to see bigger flames… And didn’t want to get Taker in trouble again, so he’d do it himself! And Kane betted he could create an even BIGGER flame than Taker! His plan was full proof! As he poured the liquids around, Daniel began screaming at Kane to stop, screaming to not do what he was about to!

But Kane continued on, the little kid walking over and sneaking the matches back before slowly doing what Taker had taught him, slid the match up the side and then… Kane gasped as the match lit up, he grinned so happily at it, the flame was so pretty, he knew he could make the flame even bigger though! Bigger than his brother ever could! Kane then tossed the match…

Right to the floor to which Daniel screamed out “NO! NO NO NO!” And that’s when he watched things go up in flames around him, he could see through Kane’s eyes, at first Kane had been excited, clapping and cheering but then some fire had gotten onto him… And that’s when Daniel heard Kane screaming, screaming in agony! Bryan had a hand clasped over his mouth as he watched the scene unfold before him, he heard the dad yelling out for Kane and then his mother screaming in terror, she had a hand clasped over her mouth as she called out for her husband, she began to scream about the fire and that’s when it got so hectic… The fires were quickly consuming them and the funeral home along with them… And that’s when perspectives changed… Before Daniel could see them all being charred by flames, now he was suddenly seeing through Taker’s eyes… He was watching Taker coming back from doing all his chores, Daniel heard little Taker gasp and yell out as he began sprinting toward the funeral home, he heard the sirens and saw the police and firefighters, trying to put out the flames so desperately…

Daniel watched through Taker’s eyes, as the kid tore past everyone, he was about to run into the front door before officers restrained him, he heard Taker screaming for his mom, screaming for his dad, and then screaming for Kane, the little kid screamed for his family, trying so hard to break free from the officers grasp, Daniel was watching in horror at this display, he felt absolutely sick to his stomach… “O-Okay! Okay okay okay! I-I’VE SEEN ENOUGH! STOP!” He yelled out and just like that, he was brought back to the void, he gasped and looked around before seeing Eliza and her husband in front of him, the two holding hands, looking very saddened, tears streaming down their face “We’re sorry Daniel… Perhaps we showed you too much, we- We should have tried to stop you…” Bryan shook his head “N-No! I mean… No, it… It’s… I… I wanted… I needed… t-to know, no matter… I-If it traumatized me… I… I needed to know…” There was a pause before he slowly hugged them back, despite being ghosts, he could physically feel them somehow… It was strange “...I’m sorry… M-Mom… Dad… You… N-None of you deserved that…”

Now Daniel understood to a certain degree, he understood why Kane was the way he was along with Taker, now that he knew what they had both gone through… The screams from Kane wouldn’t leave his mind, the screams of them all really, Bryan couldn’t escape those screams of agony and then screams for a family that was long engulfed by the flames… Eliza and her husband smiled, her husband ruffling his hair “Don’t be sorry, it wasn’t your fault, we should have… Paid more attention to those two… I should have locked the shed up tight, I should’ve put the flammable stuff somewhere Kane couldn’t have reached…” Eliza shook her head “Playing the blame game, trying to pick who's at fault will get us nowhere darling…It was just an accident, it was… A Tragedy… Tragedies happen all the time, we just wish for the boys… Wouldn’t stay at each other’s throats so much… …We wish for their peace, the both of them…” Daniel was silent for a bit before pulling back “...Then… I-I’ll keep trying… I’ll keep trying to help them achieve that peace… F-For their sake, and f-for yours… I promise” The pair of ghosts smiled and interlocked hands “...We know you will son, you’ve already accomplished so much …So before we return to the spirit world, we want you to know one thing…”

And then they both spoke simultaneously “...We love you, son, take care of your brothers for us”

Bryan nodded, tears cascading down his face as he smiled “...I will… G-Goodbye…” They waved him goodbye and then suddenly Daniel woke up with a gasp, jumping up from the ground and looking around, he was right back at the graveyard again… “...W-Was it all a… A dream…?” Daniel looked around and then looked back down at the graves “...No… No it wasn’t…” Bryan sniffled slightly, wiping some tears from his face “...I’ll take good care of them, I promise, love you… Mom… Dad… Rest easy…” Daniel then turned to walk off, it was late, his brothers would be worried sick about him if he didn’t return home soon…! Daniel practically sprinted back to the house, it wouldn’t take him as long since he was running down, still thinking about that vision… Thinking about his mom and dad, he could call them that now, he knew next time… Things wouldn’t be so awkward returning to the graves… Taker was right, he should’ve not doubted him… After all he would know… And after a bit of jogging, he finally got back to the house, he opened the door to both his brothers standing by.

Kane snapped his head up “About time you…” And then Kane looked surprised, he looked in shock as he shot up from his seat, Taker doing the same, the two walking over “D-Daniel? …Wh…What’s wrong? Why are you… Crying?” Kane looked concerned, before he could start threatening anybody if they hurt him, he quickly ran over and hugged both Kane and The Undertaker, hugging them in a tight embrace, the two shared each other confused glances but just merely hugged back, albeit a bit awkwardly “What uh, what’s this hug for exactly?” Daniel smiled “...Just hugging my brothers… That’s all” …That wasn’t the case, Bryan was hugging them for so many more reasons than just being brothers but there’s no way he could tell them what happened, he just… Couldn’t… Even though it was awkward, he knew the two appreciated the hug… “...I’m sorry…” Daniel couldn’t help but feel the need to apologize either, which confused them even more, Taker speaking up “What are you sorry for, boy? Look, we- We’re not mad for you staying out late or anything like that… Don’t worry about it, man…”

Daniel wouldn’t tell them the reason he was apologizing either, he wouldn’t tell them about any of the things he had witnessed tonight, at least, not yet… He wasn’t sure if he’d ever tell them, or if he ever could, but at least now he knows he’s accepted not only by his brothers but by their parents as well, he felt closure, he felt closure in more ways than that tonight, and then he felt their hug get a bit tighter, it was comforting and secure, it made him feel… Safe… This made Bryan sigh, it was a content sigh… And then he had one thought in his head, that he wished he could say out loud but if he did, he’d have to explain what happened tonight, so for now… This was Daniel’s last thought for the night “...You deserved so much better… You all did…”

if y’all wanna know more about this AU then dont hesitate to ask lmao i dont mind sharing deets