Dean Ambrose waited patiently for Seth Rollins at the table in the small café named Giada's they agreed to meet in, Renee deciding to stay at the hotel after wanting no part in what Dean planned to do. He had ordered a small coffee to sip while he waited, although he managed to drink the entire cup within a minute. Dean began to grow impatient when he heard the café door open for the seventh time during his stay and turned to see Seth walking through the door. Dean grinned and stood up as Seth greeted the barista. Seth looked to see Dean looking at him and grinned.
"Hey dude!" Seth said to Dean cheerfully as he walked up to him for a hug. "What's going on? We don't get to see each other much after that split."
"I know, man." Dean said before sitting down. "Glad ya came." Seth let out an airy laugh.
"Of course I came. Why wouldn't I?" Dean shrugged.
"I don't know, I mean, ya hardly ever have free time anymore, so I don't get to talk to you much."
"Ah come on, man! We're friends. You can call me anytime. Gotta say, though, I'm sorry I haven't been talking to you much. I had a few things I needed to take care." Dean pasted a smile on his face and nodded.
"Yeah." Dean replied. "How did being at the State of Peace feel?" Seth waved off Dean's question.
"It was just another promo pop, Jon." Seth replied. "You know how those go."
"Actually," Dean started. "I think I might be forgetting. I mean, I haven't been at very many lately. Just a few house shows."
"No worries, Bro. It's all good. We all can't be everywhere in the WWE." Dean twisted his mouth and nodded once more before placing his hands face down on the table.
"I remember hearing something Stephanie said about…" Dean mimicked a look of contemplation. "What was it? Oh! Those Alpha Humans. Did she, you know… brief you on what they are?" Seth narrowed his eyes.
"Brief me?" Seth asked skeptically. "What are you going on about, Jon?"
"I mean, she had to tell you guys what they are before she told the rest of us, right? That's normally what the McMahons do with the important ones. They get the info first."
"What's that about? You feeling salty about something?" Dean blinked a few times before replying.
"Are you an Alpha Human, Colby?" He asked plainly. Seth was taken aback by the question as he did not expect it.
"What does it matter to you whether I'm an Alpha Human or not, Jon?" Seth asked in response.
"It matters, Colby, because you didn't tell me and I'm supposed to be your best friend! It matters because you Alpha Humans are all being treated better by the McMahons than the rest of us regular joes!" Dean snapped back, the volume of his voice making the barista briefly look up from his tasks.
"What the hell? That's some bullshit and you know it. Where'd that shit even come from anyway?" Dean pointed at Seth.
"No, what's bullshit is how long you've been lying to me about you being an Alpha Human and calling me your best friend, Colby. You know everything about me and now I don't feel like I know you anymore."
"So let me get this straight, Jon. You're mad because I didn't tell you I was an Alpha Human? Hell, I didn't even know what it was until Shane and Stephanie explained it all to me! You can't be serious, Jon! Please tell me you're not serious." Dean shook his head.
"I'm not buying it, Colby!" He replied. "I was the first one to know about your dick pic leak, and that could've ended your damn career. You couldn't tell me about this?" Seth folded his arms.
"Ya know, Jon, I'm started to feel like you're mad about something else because the Jon I know ain't bothered by petty shit like this! This shit here's small. So what I'm an Alpha Human?" The barista looked at Seth with weary eyes after hearing Seth tell Dean that he was in fact an Alpha Human. "It doesn't change our friendship. We're still best buds. At least, I'm hoping, Jon!" Dean twisted his mouth once again but then decided, out of slight fear, to not berate Seth any further.
"We are." Dean said to Seth. "I just hate that we don't get to shoot the shit anymore like we did before. I'm missing out on all kinds of stuff." Seth looked up to the ceiling.
"We'll talk more, I promise." Seth said before using his hand to flip his ebony hair back down his neck. "Jesus-fucking-Christ. Don't bitch out on me, Jon-boy!" Dean scowled.
"You're the one getting ghost and not talking to anybody, Colby!" Dean replied. Seth rolled his eyes and nearly laughed.
"Whatever, Jon." Seth said with a smile. The two men then saw the barista walk up to their table with a detached and fearful look on his face.
"What's going on, Gavin?" Dean said to the barista. The man swallowed hard before speaking, making Seth look at him with confusion.
"Uhhh." The barista began with a stutter. "L-look. You guys are gonna have to leave."
"What are you talking about? We come here all the time. What's the problem?" The barista took a deep breath before fiercely pointing at Seth.
"Okay, he's the problem! He could kill all of us with that Alpha Human stuff and I don't wanna be a part of it!" Seth immediately took offense and stood out of his seat.
"Are you fucking kidding me!?" Seth snapped back, causing the other patrons to stare at him. "I've just been sitting here! I'm not doing anything!" The barista put his hands up in defense.
"Look, I don't want any trouble! Please, just leave and I won't call the cops." The notion of calling the police infuriated Seth further.
"Call the cops? I didn't fucking do anything! I was literally just talking like everyone else in here!" All the other patrons began to pull out their phones to take photos and record the spectacle. "I was all good when I walked in, then all of a sudden you're kicking me out after obviously eavesdropping on my conversation!" Seth angrily pointed at the barista then withdrew his finger and took a deep breath. "I'm out. Don't worry about me coming back to this dump again!" Seth stormed out of the café, leaving inside, including Dean, speechless. Instead of feeling remorse for Seth, however, Dean felt his ego swell slightly. In an act of jealousy, Dean turned to the barista and spoke.
"You're better off banning him." Dean said. "He'll try and come back." Dean then walked out of the café, leaving the barista baffled.
Lana had called her husband Rusev several times after he left their hotel room when she revealed her Alpha Human powers. After the fifth attempt, she had given up. Lana sat in the hotel room with tears still in her eyes. She wiped her eyes and continued to browse her phone looking at photos of them together. Lana was then startled by a hard knock on the door. She immediately stood to her feet and went to the door.
"Who is it?" She asked the person on the other side. She heard a voice that warmed her immediately.
"Open the door, Catherine." It was Rusev, his voice sounding softer and calmer than it was when he stormed out earlier that day. Lana immediately opened the door and hugged her husband as tight as she could.
"I'm so sorry, Miro!" Lana said sincerely through the slew of kisses she planted on her husband's face. "I should have told you! I should have told you about everything!" Rusev nodded and tried to calm Lana down.
"Yes, yes." Rusev said. "May I come in?" Lana looked at him and noticed that they had not gone into the room yet. She grabbed his hand and led him inside, Rusev pulling the door closed behind him. The two sat down on the bed together and Rusev went to speak.
"Catherine." He started. "I was wrong to be angry with you. I thought about it and I understand how hard that must have been for you to show me your… abilities. I didn't think of that at first." Lana grabbed Rusev's hand.
"It was difficult, Miro." She said to him. "I still should have told you regardless. We made a vow to never keep anything inside."
"This was different. I was upset that you hid it from me. I didn't think about your feelings at all. I'm sorry for leaving you alone."
"I understand that you needed time. It was a big secret of mine." Lana squeezed Rusev's hand gently. "I'm glad you decided to come back. I was afraid you wouldn't return." Rusev looked at his wife with a strange face.
"Why would I not come back?" He asked rhetorically. "I vowed to stay by your side no matter what. My love for you will not change because of what you can do. You are still and will always be my wife." Rusev kissed Lana on her lips. "Nothing will change that. I am glad you told me about your powers." Lana smiled.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." Lana said.
"If Stephanie did not open up about the Alpha Humans, it would have been harder for you. You're not to blame. I am to blame for being selfish." Rusev put on a coy smile. "Can you find it in your diamond heart to forgive me?" Lana smiled brightly.
"Of course, Miro!" She said as she hugged and kissed her husband. "Of course I forgive you!"
"Just promise me. Talk to me about whatever is going on with you, no matter what it is."
"I promise, Miro."
John Cena laid in bed with Nikki Bella next to him. He was unable to sleep as it was still sunny outside, but Nikki became tired after getting back from the ceremony and decided to lay down. John grew restless and decided to get up to walk around the mansion in an attempt to ease his mind. John got up carefully so as to not wake Nikki, slowly made his way to the door of the room, and silently closed it behind him. John then readjusted his glasses and walked down the hallway towards to door that lead to the garden behind the mansion. As he scanned the area, he saw Shane with Finn, Charlotte, and Cesaro. Shane was talking to Finn while Cesaro and Charlotte watched.
"Remember what I told you, Fergal." Shane said. "Just focus on the boulder and think about your energy hitting it and bowing it up." Finn looked back at Shane then back to the boulder Shane spoke of. He took a deep breath and began to generate his energy within his body, the energy slowly emitting a deep red glow around his body. Finn eyed the boulder intensely as he fought to focus his energy onto it. His breathing became heavy as if he were hyperventilating and veins began to show on his temples as he continued to try and focus his energy. Charlotte and Cesaro looked at each other then back to Finn. Shane then noticed something about Finn.
"Don't hold back, Fergal." Shane said. "You are Balor and Balor is you. Embrace it. Don't be afraid." Finn blinked as Shane's words resonated in his head. Charlotte saw the slight fear in Finn's face.
"You can do it." She said in an attempt to reassure him. "We practice this all the time. You got this." After nearly a minute of self-reassurance, Finn reached his hand out towards the boulder. The veins in his arm darkened until the black substance encased his entire arm. Then, the red energy that encased his body flowed to the darkened arm and with a loud cry, Finn released a torrent of red energy upon the boulder making it explode into pieces. Finn's arm returned to normal and Charlotte jumped up and down cheering him for his success.
"I knew you could do it, Fergal!" She said after hugging him as tight as she could. Cesaro and Shane smiled at Finn.
"Fantastic job." Shane said. "How do you feel?" Charlotte let Finn go so that he could answer Shane.
"I feel…fine." Finn said, surprised at his own answer. "No. I feel good."
"I told you. That power is your power. You own it. It doesn't own you." Shane walked up to Finn and put his hand on his shoulder. "This is a big step for you, but we'll keep practicing so that you get to using Balor to its full potential. Alright?" Finn nodded.
"Alright." He said. Shane then turned to the door of the mansion to see John watching them. John immediately jumped upon being seen.
"Come on over, John." Shane said to John, making the three Superstars look towards him. "We can get you some practice in, too." John gave them all half a smile before timidly walking over to join them. "Have you been practicing using your powers?"
"A little." John said. "Not much, though." Shane smiled.
"Well, show us how far you've gotten." Shane scanned the area then pointed at a lonely bush. "See if you can focus your beam on that shrub right there." Cesaro, Finn, and Charlotte looked at John with curious eyes as they awaited John's reply to Shane's request. John swallowed and then stepped in front of Shane to eye the bush. The moment he prepared to remove his protective glasses, Shane stopped him.
"Hold on, hold on." Shane said as he placed his hand on John's to stop him from removing his glasses. "I said focus. You were about to burn down this entire garden, John." Shane moved his hand. "Take a deep breath, think about your target, and think about how much power you need to knock that shrub down without burning everything else behind it. Okay? Take your time." Charlotte looked at Shane then back to John to see him breathe deep once more. John focused on the bush as hard as his mind allowed, and after a minute he shut his eyes and slowly removed his glasses. Shane noticed that John did not open his eyes.
"Shane." John said with a slight quiver. "I-I'm not ready for this yet. Give me some more time." Shane put his hand on John's shoulder.
"Listen, John." He said. "Just relax. Everything here is replaceable and there's not a soul out there in the woods. You're not going to hurt anyone. I can't help you if I don't know where you need help, so just give it a shot." Shane then looked at Charlotte. "To help you feel better, Ashley's gonna put up her mirrors so that your beams will shoot up to the sky if you do miss the shrub." John nodded and Charlotte moved to stand beside him. Shane then spoke to her.
"Go ahead, Ashley." He said. "Do your thing." Charlotte nodded and then put her hands out in front of her. With the sound of diamonds combining with one another, the group witnessed their area become surrounded by clear, crystalline walls that reached what appeared to be miles into the sky. Shane smiled then looked at John whose eyes were still closed. "The walls are up, John. It's all yours." John, his eyes still closed, furrowed his brow. He then opened his eyes and unleashed his lasers on the bush, causing it to combust and split in half. John began to struggle with closing his eyes and the beams seared through the bush and ran up the wall. John's sight started to blur and his eyes burned as he stumbled backwards due to the momentum of his eye beams hitting the wall. He shouted as Finn grabbed him to keep him on his feet. Shane grabbed John as well.
"John!" Shane shouted. "Close your eyes!"
"I can't!" John shouted back as his head fell backwards, his eye beams hitting the crystalline wall behind him and nearly hitting Charlotte and Cesaro whom were both able to duck under them. Cesaro then knew that John was unable to stop his beams, so he quickly walked over to John, shut his eyes, and took a deep breath. Cesaro then grabbed the back of John's neck and tied his mind to John's mind.
"Relax, John." Cesaro said mentally. "I've got you now." That moment, John's eye beams began to weaken in intensity until they were completely stopped and John was able to close his eyes as Cesaro calmed his mind. Shane and Finn eyed Cesaro as he continued to hold the back of John's neck while Charlotte lowered her crystal walls. Cesaro's eyes briefly flashed a golden hue as he removed his consciousness from John's mind.
"John?" Shane called out. "You alright?" John, still dizzied by how long his eye beams were active, huffed out of breath.
"Yeah." John said as his friends gave him room. "I'm fine. Sorry about that." Shane shook his head and John put his glasses back on.
"Don't worry about it. That's why I wanted you to do that. We've got to work with you more is all." John nodded and stood up. He looked at Cesaro and smiled.
"Thanks, Claudio." John said. "I don't know what you did, but I owe you one."
"You're welcome, John." Cesaro replied. Finn looked at the two men then looked to Shane.
"I guess practice is done for right now?" He asked.
"For right now, yes." Shane said. "You all did good. You're free to go." The four Superstars headed for the mansion. Shane then thought about something. "Claudio. Wait a second." Cesaro stopped and turned around.
"Yes, Shane?" He replied. Shane walked up to him.
"What did you do to John back there?" Shane asked.
"I just... stopped his power momentarily. That's all." Shane blinked.
"How long were you able to do that, Claudio?"
"I've… always been to do that." Shane began to wonder, but decided to let it pass.
"We'll talk about it later, alright?" He said to Cesaro before walking towards the mansion, leaving Cesaro to his lonesome. Cesaro thought about what happened with John and what he saw in John's mind while he was linked to it. He wanted to help John with his powers and he knew how, so he nearly to catch up with John. Upon entry into the mansion, he saw John talking with Nikki whom had awakened and met John on his way in. Cesaro slowed his pace and approached the couple.
"John." Cesaro called out, getting both of their attention.
'Yeah?" John replied.
"Do you have a moment?" John looked at Nikki with eyes of questioning.
"I'll see you in bed." Nikki said, knowing what his eyes were asking. She kissed John on the cheek and headed back to her bedroom. Cesaro sighed.
"Sorry for interrupting." Cesaro said to John. John shook his head.
"No-no." He replied. "Don't worry about it, Claudio. In fact, I was kinda hoping I could talk to you anyhow." Cesaro grew slightly surprised.
"Really? About what?"
"I'll-uh-let you go first." Cesaro balled his mouth up briefly.
"Let's go outside." Cesaro headed back outside and John followed him. The two walked towards the forest and John began to question where Cesaro was taking him until Cesaro stopped and turned to face him.
"Why are we out here?" John asked.
"I needed to go somewhere where no one could hear us." Cesaro replied. "I… wanted to talk to you about something I saw when I was linked to your mind earlier." John blinked.
"You read my mind?" He asked, making Cesaro sigh.
'Not intentionally, but yes. It happens sometimes when I link to other people. It's complicated. I won't explain that to you." Cesaro paused for a moment, causing John to grow nervous.
"Well," He started. "What did you see?" Cesaro looked into John's eyes, appearing as if he were looking through his protective lenses.
"There's fear inside you." Cesaro said in a soft tone. "That fear is what's keeping you from controlling your eyes. The moment I took that fear away from you, your lasers weakened and you were able to close your eyes." Cesaro continued to gaze into John's being. "I want to try something with you. Do you trust me?"
"What?" John said. "What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said. Do you trust me?" John thought for a moment trying to figure out what Cesaro was referring to before ultimately deciding to forego his nerves and go along with the other man.
"Yeah." John said. "I do." Cesaro blinked before placing his hands on both of John's temples. Cesaro then shut his eyes and used his power to telepathically link his mind to John's. John involuntarily lowered his head and shuttered to Cesaro's touch as he felt a sense of serenity begin to course through him.
"Take off your glasses." Cesaro said. John snapped his head back up to look at Cesaro.
"What? You know I can't do that with you standing right in front-"
"John. I can help you control your power, but you have to trust me. Your fear of hurting people is what's keeping you from being able to turn your power off." John began to breathe heavily when he felt his glasses lift off of his face as Cesaro used his telekinesis to remove and suspend them in the air. He shut his eyes instinctively.
"I'm not ready, Claudio! I'm not ready for this." John then heard Cesaro's voice in his head, its sound resonating like an angelic wind.
"Don't doubt yourself, John." Cesaro said mentally. "You are stronger than anyone I've ever met. If anyone is capable of overcoming their fears, it's you." John's breathing began to calm. "Trust yourself, John. I trust you. Now look at me. Remember how you saw me before all this. Remember how you saw Nikki, Shane, Stephanie, your family and friends. Remember how much all those people mean to you and how deeply you want to keep them safe. Use that feeling, to control your lasers."
John ruminated on what Cesaro said to him. He tried to remember the colors he saw before his powers awakened. He then saw images in blues, reds, greens, and many other colors. John saw Nikki in vivid color wearing her wrestling gear. He saw the fans. He saw Cesaro. Everything he saw was in color. John breathed deep and smiled to himself.
"I see it." He said aloud. Cesaro opened his eyes.
"What do you see?" He asked.
"…Everything. I see it all." Cesaro slowly withdrew his mind from John's and moved his hands.
"Then open your eyes." With that, John opened his eyes. He initially saw all red, but before long the red tint faded and John was slowly able to see Cesaro's olive skin and light brown eyes, his dark blue jacket and denim jeans, and his black shoes. He saw the green of the grass and the brown of the trees behind Cesaro. John blinked several times to make certain what he saw was real before hearing Cesaro speak to him with a smile.
"It's all real, John." He said. John huffed with a joyful tone.
"I… I can see." Cesaro simply continued to smile. "I can see everything and not just red." John nearly jumped then involuntarily hugged Cesaro as tight as he could, Cesaro grunting as some of the air left his body under the weight of John's arms. "You've got no idea what this means to me, Claudio!" Cesaro winced in slight pain as John squeezed tighter. "Thank you!" John's smile faded as he looked into Cesaro's eyes, the same look returned by the other man until they both realized that they were staring at each other. John let Cesaro go and Cesaro readjusted his jacket.
"Practice, John." Cesaro said simply. "That's all you need now." Cesaro patted John on his shoulder before leaving him to his lonesome. John looked down at the protective lenses in his hand and sigh with a smile as picked out the black frame and the red tint of the lenses themselves. He then looked over at the bush he had split in half earlier. He furrowed his brow as he thought about his lasers and what Cesaro told him. John then imagined the bush was a threat to his safety and tried to summon his lasers. That moment, his sight faded to red and his lasers burned through the remainder of the bush. John then fought the searing sensation his lasers caused on his eyes and tried to remember the colors he had just seen moments ago. Sure enough, his lasers retracted and his vision returned to normal. John smiled then looked back at his glasses before placing them on the collar his shirt and heading back inside the mansion.
The Mendez-Brooks home was quiet as the night fell but for the sound of the television. Phil and Celeste had fallen asleep watching the television, and AJ went to bed in her and Phil's room. The noise of the room slowly woke Phil from his slumber, and he easily shifted so he did not wake up Celeste who slept next to him. Once he was free, he stood to his feet and went into the kitchen, pulled out his phone, and quietly dialed Mick Foley. The phone rang twice.
"What's going on, Phil?" Mick said on the other line. "It's getting pretty late."
"I know." Phil said quietly. "Everybody here is asleep. I need your help. It's urgent."
"What's wrong?"
"It's about April." Phil heard Mick sigh into the phone.
"She already told me what she was going to do."
"Mick. It's too soon for this. People are just starting to grasp what we are and most aren't taking it well at all. If she gets out there trying to talk everyone into thinking we're not bad guys, they're gonna fire back at her."
"Phil, just… be there for her tomorrow."
"What? Mick, are you serious? I can't let her go out there!"
'You aren't gonna stop her either. You know that. I know that. All you can do is be there for her and keep her from getting hurt." Phil sighed through his nose.
"I don't like this." He said. "It's giving me a bad feeling. It really is."
"I know, Phil. If I could be there for it, I would be." Phil heard a door open on the other side of the house and immediately knew who it was.
"Okay, Mick!" Phil said quickly. "I gotta go! Talk to you later." Phil hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket before his wife AJ, sleep seeping out of her demeanor, walked into the kitchen. She looked at the refrigerator and then to her husband.
"What are you doing in here?" She asked with sleep in her voice.
"I just finished an apple." AJ huffed, unaware that Phil had lied to her.
"You ate the last one?"
"N-no. There were two. The last one is still in there."
"Oh. Okay." AJ opened the refrigerator and pulled an apple out of it. Phil then spoke again.
"April." He said. "Please don't do this." AJ turned to face him, a confused look on her face.
"Don't do what?" She asked. "What am I doing?"
"Don't go out there tomorrow, April. Please." AJ let out an airy laugh and shook her head.
"Puddin'." She said. "We've already gone over this. I'm doing this whether-" Phil grabbed AJ's shoulders and stared into her face, his emotions showing through his features.
"I'm begging you, April. Please don't go. I have been having this bad feeling ever since you said you were going out there!" Phil turned away from AJ and let go of her shoulders to keep her from seeing the tear escape his eye. She looked at Phil with concern. "I just have a really bad feeling about this and I can't shake it. I don't want anything to happen to you." AJ put her hand on his face and turned his head so she could see his reddened eyes.
"Nothing's gonna happen, Phil." AJ said. "You'll be there, and the guards will be there, too. I'll be fine. You've got nothing to worry about." Phil was not satisfied with AJ's reply, and it showed in his body language. AJ kissed him on his lips. "I promise I'll be okay." AJ took her apple out of the kitchen and headed to the bedroom. "Come on. Get in bed. We have a big day tomorrow morning and you look tired." AJ took a bite out of her apple and walked into the bedroom. Phil sighed and walked to a closet near the door. He pulled out a large blanket and put it around Celeste whom was still laying on the sofa asleep. Phil paused a moment before walking towards the bedroom to join his wife in bed. Outside, a familiar face was watching through the window, looking at everything take place inside the home. Beside him stood a taller man with an unkempt beard and hair that grew down a short length past his shoulders, a slightly soiled tank top with a torn flannel shirt over it, and light denim jeans.
"Do we take him now?" The man asked his shorter companion. The man shook his head.
"No, Jon Boy." He said in a soft voice. "He is not ready yet. His mind is still strong. Tomorrow, he will surely be weakened." The taller man, recognized as Jon Huber or Luke Harper, furrowed his brow.
"We doing something to the girl?"
"We won't have to. They'll turn on her. That is all it'll take." The shorter, Bray Wyatt, turned to face Luke. "We'll be there to retrieve him then. He will make a fine addition to our cause." Luke nodded in agreement then witnessed Bray conjure the dark mist used by The Undertaker to teleport. Knowing what Bray wanted, he made his way towards the mist and two men disappeared in the night.