Roman was still trying to wrap his head around what he had just seen in the ring.
An asylum match? Really? Had Dean actually, like, literally lost his mind?
There wasn't much to like about the whole arrangement especially given how it all started. Roman knew just how humiliated, just how affected, Dean had been when Jericho put him in that strait jacket. It was horrifying to watch and even more so to be a part of, especially given Dean's past, especially given his, well, let's just call them 'tendencies for violence.'
And that's what this match was going to be. It was going to be violent and it was going to be brutal. It was going to be dangerous and having the potential to pull entirely too much from Dean's earliest days in the indies, a thought that made Roman feel incredibly uneasy. He watched as the cage lowered and the lights framed Dean's face in such a way. He could see the change in his eyes. He could see just how much Dean wanted this, how much he was already dreaming of how he'd punish Jericho old school style.
Roman knew there would be no way Dean would be able to do what he could only imagine the so-called lunatic wanted to, without coming out the other end scarred. There was no coming out unscathed and that was something Roman didn't want to think about. He knew how much Dean wanted, needed even, to get revenge on Jericho, but where the two would disagree was in the methods. This match had the potential to come at the expense of Dean's health and quite frankly, of his sanity. Once he got in that cage there would be no going back and there was no way Roman would ever be on board with something that held that high of a risk.
He knew what he needed to do. He needed to confront Dean and attempt to talk some sense into him. Easier said than done but he wasn't going to just sit back and let things unfold. But as Roman prepared to make a visit to Dean's locker room, his phone rang.
Sitting on the bench in the middle of the room, the device vibrated and hummed methodically. Hearing the familiar ring was odd enough given no one ordinarily called him during shows, but when Roman walked over and picked up the phone in his hand, it was the name he saw on the caller ID that really threw him for a loop.
Seth Rollins. Seth 'freakin' Rollins.
Lighting up the screen was that name, a name that Roman never thought he'd see appear on his phone ever again. But there it was, even if it made absolutely zero sense. Roman felt like he was dreaming. Sure he wasn't sleeping but this being some sort of weird dream or nightmare really, was the only thing that seemed even remotely plausible.
Roman held the phone in his hands, just staring as it continued to dance and continued to hum, just begging to be answered.
On one hand, he had wanted to pick up the phone, if only to tell Seth off for all of the shitty, reprehensible things he had done to them. But on the other hand, Roman just wanted to ignore the call and continue his original plan, that being to go find Dean and talk to him about the asylum match.
The phone still rang, each time getting one step closer to voicemail and each time, increasing Roman's anxiety level ever so slightly.
"Ah screw it," Roman whispered to himself as his fingers worked against his mind, pressing the green button, officially making the decision to answer Seth's call.
"You better have a damn good reason for calling this number," Roman stated coldly, skipping the traditional greetings and getting right to the point.
It wasn't exactly like he had the time or the patience to deal with whatever nonsense Seth was trying to pull this time. He was really starting to wonder why he even bothered to answer the call in the first place. Damn his curiosity.
A few seconds passed and nothing came through on the other line. No forceful comeback, no witty remark, not even a pretense for cordiality or an outright explanation of why he called in the first place. And just when Roman was starting to think this was some sort of butt dial or drunk dial or childish prank call, Seth's voice came through on the other end. But instead of responding to Roman's comment, all he said was this:
"You're going to stop this right? Because if anyone can talk some sense into him, it's you."
Roman was taken aback as he tried to figure out what Seth meant.
Stop what? Talk some sense into whom? Wait a minute… could this have been about…
"Do you mean Dean?" Roman asked as he was pretty sure he pieced together what Seth had ben inferring about. The only thing that didn't make sense though was why Seth was inferring in the first place. Had he really called for this? To talk about Dean and about his upcoming match with Jericho?
"Of course, I mean Dean," Seth said simply as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "An asylum match, really? He's lost it, he's finally lost it. You've got to stop this before it goes too far and he does something he'll regret."
The more Seth spoke, the weirder the conversation was becoming. For starters, he seemed not to grasp at all why Roman was tentative, hesitant to answer and then when he did, to question Seth's motives. It was as if that was a foreign concept to Seth, who had seemed to gloss over the details. His singular focus was on this match, on Dean.
If it was anyone else but Seth, Roman might have mistaken the call as being from someone who cared about Dean and his wellbeing. But this was Seth. This was the man who had no problem hitting Dean in the back with a steel chair, crushing his body inside a cage, and most horrendously of all, curbstomping his head through a pile of cinderblocks.
So no, Roman knew better. Seth didn't care, he couldn't. This was clearly some kind of angle, likely part of his next master plan to destroy Dean once and for all.
"I saw it in his eyes, I know that look well from the early days in FCW," Seth continued, cutting though the silence that had taken over the conversation. "This just isn't going to end well. Listen, I thought his idea to call out Lesnar was bad enough but this? I've just got a bad, a real bad feeling about it."
That couldn't possibly be panic in his voice that Roman was sensing could it?
The way Seth spoke, the things he said, even Roman couldn't deny that it at least sounded genuine. Again, had he not known better he would have thought that Seth was honestly looking out for Dean and his wellbeing much the way Roman himself was.
After all, he hadn't exactly been thrilled either at Dean's intentions for this match. Granted, he found out the same time the rest of the world did so it's not as if he had a chance to talk Dean down from the proverbial ledge but he would have. In fact, he would have done everything Seth was imploring him to do, a thought that in and of itself was disturbing.
It wasn't like him and Seth to be on the same page with anything, least of all Dean, ever since the incidents on the post-Payback Raw 2014. Normally it was more like, Seth would attack Dean and Roman would protect him. He still couldn't process a scenario where they both stood on the "protect him" side. It made Roman uneasy. It made him completely and utterly confused too.
Roman had wanted to ask, "Who are you and what have you done with Seth Rollins?" but instead he said nothing. Once again, it fell on Seth to cut through the silence, his voice sounding increasingly more desperate to put an end to this match, with each and every word.
"Wrestlemania, I thought that was going to break him, finish the job that well, the one I started," Seth paused nervously. "But no, he didn't go far enough. This time however, I think it's it. Chris put him in a strait jacket, for real, confined him in a strait jacket. We both know his fears. Jericho literally brought them to life. And just, looking at him in that ring tonight, it was like something had snapped. He's going into this match full steam and I just, I'm convinced that win or lose, there is no way Dean is coming out of this thing the same."
Everything continued to spin in circles for Roman, who found himself attached to everything Seth was saying. That's because he had thought the same thoughts, feared the same things, worried about the same outcomes. It blew his mind that Seth was the one on the other line sharing those thoughts, things and outcomes, but in that moment, Roman let his guard down. He needed someone to talk to about this, even if that person was in fact the man who very well could have broken Dean himself a few years ago.
In fact, as crazy as it sounded, that actually made Seth uniquely qualified for the job. It also didn't hurt that he was pouring his soul out to a man he hadn't shared with, let alone spoken to in months. It was unnerving to say the least but it was also, strangely comforting.
"Are you going to say something?" Seth asked, again imploring Roman just to acknowledge his doubts. "I mean, I'm not crazy am I? I'm not overthinking this? I mean, you can't possibly think any good can come of this right?"
Roman took a deep breath, the line hanging on the balance of what he did next.
He had options. He could hang up and ignore the calls and voicemails Seth may end up leaving. He could say nothing, continue to let Seth talk and see how far the man would go. Or, he could do what he had wanted to do deep down for such a long time and talk to his former brother, talk like they used to.
"No," Roman began quietly. "No, I don't think it's a good idea at all but Dean's an adult and he's going to make his own decisions."
"I know," Seth sighed, somewhat relieved Roman was still on the line but also annoyed that at this point there really wasn't much he could do to talk Dean into anything. "It's just, I mean, I'd call him myself and try to talk some sense into him but we both know hell would sooner freeze over than he would ever answer my call. In fact, I'm kind of surprised you even bothered to pick up the phone. I wouldn't have blamed you if you just ignored my calls. But, I'm really glad you didn't because you're the only person I can talk to about this. You're the only person who can convince Dean not to go through with this. It has to be you Rome."
That just about cemented it. Hearing his nickname come out of Seth's mouth the way it used to, not with venom and disgust the way it had lately whenever he would call him by his last name, was enough to make Roman practically putty in his former brother's hands. He wanted to trust him, wanted to believe him. If not for his own sake than for Dean's because Seth was right. Wow that felt weird to say.
But it was true. Roman knew he needed to stop this match before it became a reality. The only thing was, he didn't know how. Roman knew how Dean got when he was set on something and he was definitely set on this. No one could blame him either. Jericho went way too far with the stunt he pulled on Smackdown. Like Seth, Roman could see it in Dean's eyes. Something had changed that night and it would only get worse if Dean would be allowed to go in that cage with all of those reminders of just how insane he could really be.
This wasn't exactly something Roman and apparently Seth wanted to entertain.
But instead of go further down the rabbit hole with Seth; Roman couldn't help himself to ask the one question that had been on his mind ever since he first saw the caller ID light up with Seth's name and number.
"Why?" Roman asked plainly, no emotion, no pretense behind the word. "Why do you care?"
The question hung in the air for minutes that felt like hours as Seth tried to figure out how to answer. The truth was, he had no idea. He had no idea why he cared or why he called or why he was so desperate to stop the match. All he knew was that something inside of him changed too, the second he saw Jericho wrap Dean in that jacket.
It was as if that was the wake-up call he needed to see that Dean was in trouble and that as Seth traced the steps, it all really did go back to the fateful night when all it took was one steel chair and a hell of a betrayal to completely change everything.
Seth couldn't be bothered to care then as it didn't really affect him. It didn't bother him that Dean was hurting or that Roman was trying to be strong for both of them. It didn't matter that something inside of Dean had broken that day or that the anger inside Roman had grown. No, Seth could only care about his own path. The briefcase, the Wrestlemania moment, the WWE World Heavyweight title.
He was on top of the world… until he wasn't.
It was a fluke injury, one that he probably couldn't replicate if he tried, but it resulted in over six months of time on the shelf. He lost his championship. He lost his authority. He watched as everything he had worked for, everything he had sacrificed his brothers for, all went down the drain.
Seth watched Roman became champion and he should have been furious. But actually, he was strangely kind of proud. He watched as Dean came so close to taking the belt off of Triple H. Again, he should have hated that but instead, Seth watched with respect and maybe even a slight rooting interest. Being shelved, unable to get in the ring, Seth found himself just wanting to see the boys succeed for reasons that still hadn't quite made sense to him.
In fact, it wasn't until watching Jericho humiliate Dean the way he did that the lightbulb went off. He wanted the best for Dean and Roman because he genuinely still cared about them. He was coming to regret his decisions and the guilt at almost ending Dean's career, hell, even his life, was weighing on his heart heavily. Feelings of revenge were replaced with feelings of concern. He didn't want Dean or Roman for that matter to hurt at the hands of Triple H, Vince, or anyone else.
And it was Monday night Raw that made him take those feelings into unchartered territory, calling Roman for the first time in over a year. He had no idea how his former brother would respond but Seth didn't care. He didn't care if he was going to be chewed out. He didn't care if he was going to be cursed out. From the confines of his physical therapist's office, this was all he could do to help Dean and of course, he was going to do it.
"You know, I had a real perfect and polished answer ready because I kind of figured you'd ask that question," Seth finally spoke up. "But, it sounded way too rehearsed and disingenuous and I didn't want you to think I was BS'ing you or that this was some sort of game. I assure you Roman, my concern for Dean, as sudden as it seems, is no game. Let's just say that Jericho's actions opened my eyes to my own and I just, I don't know, I hate how everything happened the way it did. We all made decisions and mistakes, some of us more than others, and we, I, have to live with that. And while I can't change the past, this time on the shelf has taught me that it's never too late to change the future. I want to change the future Roman. And for me, that starts with finding a way to make sure Dean does not go through with this match."
At this point, there wasn't much Roman had left to say. Seth was completely pulling a 180 and it just rendered him speechless. No longer was this about anger or animosity. He'd have plenty of time to deal with all of that when Seth got back in the ring. No, this was purely about both of them being on the same page. This was about both of them just wanting to do what was best for Dean, as crazy as that seemed.
"I can't make any promises," Roman finally replied. "We both know Dean can be a little hard-headed."
"A little?" Seth commented causing a slight chuckle to escape both men's lips. "Rome, a kid refusing to clean their room until they get ice cream is a little hard-headed. Dean's like, 90 percent stubborn, 100 percent of the time."
"Can't argue with you there," Roman smiled. "So like I said, I'm not going to promise anything, but, I'll talk to him. I'll see if I can't convince him to maybe rethink all of this. Hell, maybe I'll even tell him that you and I are on the same page. He won't know what to do with that."
Seth felt a lump in his throat. Nerves, obviously. But it was more than that too.
"You can't tell him I called," Seth said seriously. "And you can't tell him I don't want him to risk his health or his sanity in this match. He'll listen to you Roman but if he finds out I don't want him to do it, well then, what do you think he'll do?"
"He'll not only do it but he'll probably make sure to add like five more weapons above the cage including that chainsaw he never got to use at Wrestlemania," Roman said, realizing Seth was right. There was no way Dean could know. At least not until after Sunday.
"Right," Seth agreed. "Hey, uh, you've got to go."
"Wait, what?" Roman said confused.
"Your match, well the Usos match, its coming up next," Seth replied.
"And how would you know that?" Roman questioned.
"You forget, I'm watching Raw on TV," Seth smirked to himself. "Cole just announced that it's coming up after the commercial break."
Roman smiled. "I got so caught up in this, I almost forgot. Oh that would have gone over well. I'm surprised the boys didn't,"
Just as he was about to finish his thought, Roman looked up to see Jimmy and Jey standing at the door of his locker room.
"Ready Uce?" Jey asked.
"Hey uh Se-," Roman began before realizing it was probably best to keep their conversation to himself. "Hey man, I've got to go. Thanks uh, thanks for whatever this was."
"No, thank you," Seth smiled. "Thanks for answering. Thanks for listening. And good luck out there, you and the boys. Talk soon I hope."
That last sentence hung in the air, just barely dangling as Seth let the words escape his lips.
This wasn't just about Dean after all. It was about Seth. It was about whatever change, whatever regret he had being real, being genuine. Roman didn't know if he was ready to go back to that place but he knew he didn't just want to dismiss Seth either. His concern for Dean was enough to convince the current champ to at least entertain the idea of giving Seth a second chance.
Of course, that was all for later. Roman highly doubted he and Seth would talk as soon as Seth may have hoped. No, things were still too weird for that. What he did know however was that when Seth came back, everything was going to be different and maybe just maybe, different in a good way.
Any thoughts of second chances or forgiveness and reconciliation, well, that could wait until then. In the meantime, Roman had a match to be ringside at and following that, he had a lunatic to try to convince not to be a lunatic.
"Hey Uce, who was that?" Jimmy asked as the trio headed toward the top of the ramp, waiting for their music to hit. "Whatever you guys were talking about, it sounded serious. Everything okay?"
"Yeah, and it was just," Roman paused. "It was a friend, an old friend. He had some advice."
"Oh, about Extreme Rules and how we're gonna kick AJ and the Club's collective asses on Sunday?" Jimmy asked.
That's when Roman's music, which was just a remixed version of one that used to be shared by the Shield, hit. He couldn't help but smile.
Never in a million years had he expected Seth's call, his change of heart. And never did he realize just how much he had needed the sounding board, how much he had wanted it. The man made mistakes but who hadn't? What was more meaningful was just how much he seemed to want to fix them and how much he still found himself looking out for the one guy in the company who he had always done that for.
Roman didn't think he'd ever be able to forgive Seth's actions, especially the cinderblocks, but he was at least willing to try. And that was something that in and of itself was a minor miracle. In fact, before that night, if someone told him he'd even be entertaining the possibility; Roman would have called them crazy.
It was funny how things worked sometimes.
"Something like that," Roman replied, vaguely answering Jimmy's question. "Now come on, you've got a match to win."