The Hounds

Summary: Seth Rollins deeply regrets breaking up the Shield and joining the Authority. He wants to write this wrong, by doing anything to rebuild the bridge he destroyed and reunite with his "family," The Shield. By making a deal with the Devil.

Chapter: One: Regrets

Seth Rollins was a man of action. He firmly believed and lived by the belief that action spook louder than words. He never really talked that much, unlike his persona on camera. He let his actions speak for him, both in the ring and out of the ring. He worked his ass off to get to where he was today, the World Heavy Weight Champion. Seth was also a man with very little things that he ever regretted doing in life. He always planned five or more steps ahead, weighing his options, figuring out what the consequences might be, before he acted or reacted.

But sometimes, Seth had made mistakes, had made the wrong decisions, and at times, he even listened to some people that he never would have in the first place. And when that happened, Seth deeply regretted it. Sometimes, he was able to patch things up with others, but a few times, that bridge was burned to the ground beyond repair. When that happens, Seth at times beats himself up. Takes things out on others without meaning too. The pressure of what he did, kept building, and building, and building, to the breaking point and the damn broke. The cap of the bottle that he kept all his feeling and emotions, that he never wanted anyone to see, finally pops off. The glass broke, the armor had finally cracked and everyone could see the chink in the armor now.

Seth couldn't even look at himself in the mirror anymore because the man, whom stared back at him. He didn't even recognized him anymore. Let alone knew who it was that was staring back at him. How much had he change and not for the better? How low did he sank? Was it worth it? Was it worth it Seth? Was it worth it burning that bridge that you three had worked so hard on to make and did everything together? Was it worth it to break up your family?

Family. That's what they were, a family. A dysfunctional family, but a family none the less. All of them taking the wrestling world by storm with little to no regrets. Meeting up with one another, in the Indy Circuit. Taking Championships and making names for themselves and even have so many fans following them before they even knew who they were on a National and International level. Tag team Champions, Heavy Weight Championship, World Championship, World Heavy Weight Championship, Pure Wrestling Championship, Cruiserweight Championship, Junior Weight Championship, and Television Championship, from ROH, UPW, CZW, different states main wrestling promotions and even New Japan. That's what the Shield was all about. Checking off names on their list, taking Championships as they went and leaving everyone behind in their dust.

They were the Hounds. That was what the fans had called them when they first tagged together, and that was what they called themselves afterwards. They were The Hounds of Wrestling. Hunting down the gold and claiming it for themselves and leaving no room for anyone to take the gold off of them. When they came to WWE, it was like a fresh of breath air. New victims (competitors), new championships for them to claim and have around their waist, like a brand new trophy. But most importantly of all, a new battle ground for them to make a name for themselves and have everyone on a National level know their name, inside and out.

The Shield. That was the name Hunter and Stephanie came up with for them and it sounded great! The Shield, the name fit, for who they were. Protecting their own, protecting those who had earned their trust, maybe they could even start a side business in the wrestling business. After all, wrestlers do have enemies and who better to protect a champion and learn all about them then a fellow wrestler? Seth, Roman, and Dean had their sights set on so many wrestlers to help make them famous and to make a name for themselves (sorry Taker. It was just business). Never climb the ladder when you can bulldoze your way to the top of the line for championship gold. Tag Team, United States, Intercontanel and even the World Heavy Weight Championship was in their grasp.

But then Seth Rollins did the most, stupidest thing he ever did in his life (and career), and that was saying something! He listen to the Authority! The Authority! He listen to them, on what they were saying and at the time it sounded so good! Championship gold. Their name in lights. Main event status! It sounded too good to be true but Seth was too eager to say yes! He wanted it all! All of their hard work had finally paid off! The Shield was finally going to get the glory they so rightfully deserved!

Yeah right. The only thing the Authority had in mind was Seth. Seth being their little "golden boy." Seth being the "new face of the WWE, the new face for the Authority." And Seth was too blind to see the lies, to see the consequences that had cost him everything. Yeah, Seth was the World Heavy Weight Champion, and everybody knew his name now. But at what price?

He couldn't even look at the Authority with the same gleam in his eyes. It wasn't even there anymore. It was dull, emotionless, painful, but he could put on a good show. That's all it was, a show. He couldn't even look at Roman and Dean without seeing the hurt, pain, betrayal and hatred in their eyes at him. He couldn't even look at them without the pain, longing, hurt, and hatred towards himself for what he did. He betrayed them. He stabbed them in the back. He broke the Shield. No, that wasn't quite right. What Seth did, he broke up their pack. They were the Hounds and he betrayed them.

(Raw)

On Raw July 13, 2015, before Battleground. Seth Rollins did what he did to Kane. All that pent up anger, self-hatred, self-loathing, all the regrets, and frustration, had built up too much. Seth had just finally snapped. And he took it all out on Kane.

The anger at the Authority, the self-hatred for what he did to his family, the self-loathing of what he had become and the monster he was turning in to, the regrets of ever betraying his brothers and joining the Authority in the first place! The frustration of not recognizing the man staring back at him every time Seth looked himself in the mirror. It all came out. It all exploded inside of him and all he saw was himself. Weak, ignorant, stupid, gullible, eager, Corporate's little puppet! That was what Seth Rollins saw and that was what Seth Rollins was destroying that night. He was destroying the image of himself.

(Smackdown)

On Smackdown, Seth Rollins was pacing in his locker room. He couldn't believe what he just did on Raw! Oh, my god. How could he have done that to Kane? Kane?! What kind of a person did Seth turn in too? A self-loathing, regretful, hateful, Authority and Corporate's new face of wrestling, yes man. That's what he had become. He became Corporate's new toy. Their new trophy to show off on display, claiming that they are the top dogs and are the number one people in the WWE.

Yeah, right. If they were the number people in this company then Seth Rollins (Tyler Black) would lose to AJ Styles, Jay Lethal, and Jay Briscoe in a fatal four way match at Honor Before Dishonor. Oh, wait. That already happened. Wow, how low did Seth sink? He attack Kane? Kane the Director of Operations? Kane, the Big Red Machine? Kane, the Devil's Favorite Demon? The one that no matter what kept coming back after he and his brother, The Undertaker, destroyed each other?

Oh. My. God. Seth, what did you do? You sold your soul to the Corporate Devil and now you're taking that decision of making the deal, out on others: That's what you did! You betrayed your brothers! You destroyed your family! Stabbed them in the back, just so you could be World Heavy Weight Champion again. And now you took out the only one that might have been able to help you. To save you from yourself and from what the Authority has done to you! That's what you did!

Seth stopped pacing his locker room and looked in to the mirror. He hated what he saw. His inner argument had stopped. That little voice in his head was right. He, Seth Rollins, had sold out. He sold out his family, his brothers, his pack. And for what? For the World Heavy Weight Championship that he might not even come out on top of?

Seth made a decision right then and there. When he returned to his hotel room, he would call Kane and apologize. And when Kane was cleared to come back to full fill his Director of Operations position. Seth would talk to Kane and see if he could get some advice. Who better to know what Seth might be going through or had lived through then Kane? He had to have done some things that he might not have been proud of. Maybe Kane had done some things that he even regretted doing, especially with all those feuds he had with his brother the Undertaker.

With that in mind Seth left his locker room to go face his opponent. He just hoped that Kane would at least let him explain on what he did on Raw. Seth regretted it, once he realized what it was that he did to Kane. Kane didn't deserve that and Kane certainly didn't deserve to be Seth's punching bag.