"Won't you go see your boyfriend?" Seth arched an eyebrow. "Today is the big fight."
Dean grunted. He hadn't heard from Roman all week. In fact, no one had heard from him. His training and everything about him had been kept a deep secret.
"Trouble in paradise?" Seth smirked. "You recently said that he was the love of your life and today you refuse to talk about him."
Dean looked at Seth with hellfire in his blue eyes. "It's none of your business."
"Love is such a cruel feeling, one day you think you are indestructible and the next you are... destroyed." Seth pursed his lips.
"That's why you're a cold bastard, right?" Dean said angrily. "You go out several nights a week and come back at dawn, and don't think I haven't noticed those hickies. You're obviously seeing someone... Poor guy... you sure treat him like trash."
Seth winced, but regained his composure. "It's better than feeling bitter on Saturday night because even though you found the love of your life, he doesn't make you happy."
Dean smiled despite his anger. "You are no better than me, Seth. You sure think you are using the poor guy who is now warming your bed to kill your loneliness, but in the end you are here throwing your bitterness at me. Obviously those empty relationships don't make you happy either."
That made Seth angry and for a moment he lost his cool. But he couldn't say anything as Dean went into his room before Seth could react.
The heir clenched his fists in frustration, "I'll never end up worse than you Dean, because I'm not romantically involved. I don't feel anything for Finn."
"You have to focus on this, Roman!" The coach said firmly. "You have trained hard, you isolated yourself from the world so that its negativity does not affect you. It is time for you to make the last effort, tonight your future depends only on you."
Roman nodded. "You were the only one who believed in me, Mick. I won't let you down."
AJ also approached Roman. "I'll go to my seat, I wanted to be in the ring with you, but Mick has taken this training very seriously and he doesn't want anything or anyone to distract you. You will win, trust yourself."
Roman sighed. He was grateful for the unconditional support AJ had shown, but that didn't change the fact that it wasn't him Roman wanted here supporting him.
However, he couldn't think of Dean right now or he would get distracted and lose the fight. After the fight he would look for his... boyfriend? He didn't even know if they were still dating. Roman shook his head, he couldn't think negative things now.
I won't lose this fight and I will definitely not lose Dean. I just have to focus on this and then solve everything with him.
"Thanks AJ, you should go now. We'll meet after the fight." Roman said instead.
AJ kissed Roman's forehead and walked over to his seat.
Dean was watching the broadcast from his room.
On his nightstand were all the newspaper and magazine articles that featured Roman. Each and every one of them saying what Dean already knew: that Roman was going to lose that fight.
"It's amazing that I only know about you from tabloid articles." Dean sighed. "However, even if you think I don't support you, all I want is for you to win this fight."
Dean was frustrated, but when the event started, all he could feel was worry.
"I could buy a ticket and go, but... If I was there, nothing would stop me from killing Lesnar if he hurts you, and that would be even worse." Dean gulped. "Why do you have to be so stubborn? Why are you putting me through this torture?"
Dean threw a pillow on the floor angrily. "I will come for you after the fight. I must help you, because you are going to need it. If things go wrong, I will be with you to support you. I will not lose you. But I cannot be there during the fight because I will do something very stupid."
This time Finn wasn't on the show. After his suspicions seemed unfounded and nothing happened in the Lashley vs. Lesnar fight, he stayed home. Also, he didn't want to see how the Incarnate Beast broke Roman's leg.
Finn looked at the picture of Roman on television, he was watching the broadcast in his little office at home.
"But no one can save you if it is your decision to go there and put yourself at risk." Finn spoke at Roman's image.
He turned his attention to his investigation. He needed to keep his mind occupied so as not to think about Seth Rollins. The man had returned several more nights that week, one of them to announce that Daily The Club would reopen the following Monday with a big party where Finn would be his date. Seth didn't even ask if Finn wanted to go with him, he just announced that they would go together and, as always, Finn couldn't refuse. The last night Seth didn't even make up an excuse, he just went to Finn's house and like the previous nights, they had sex several times.
And as always Seth disappeared before dawn and the next day he ignored the reporter, treating him almost with disdain. Balor had never felt so used, sex was good but the feeling of abandonment and emptiness he felt after each encounter made him wonder if it was worth it.
As if I was capable of saying no to him.
The reporter focused his attention on the photos and documents. Several more envelopes had arrived, all with disjointed information that Finn was trying to connect somehow.
"The last envelope has Bobby's information. D-X had in mind to use it but they didn't."
Finn then turned his attention back to television. He was showing footage from the Lashley vs. Lesnar and how Lesnar nearly killed him, breaking his leg.
That's when Finn tied the ends together. "They were going to use Lashley but he lost, and now the goal must be ... Lesnar!"
Finn had to go to the fight. Perhaps there was time to warn Lesnar, as the show had just started and his fight was the main event. But again everything was sold out, so he had no choice but to contact Seth Rollins.
At that moment he realized that he didn't even have his phone number.
"I must go to his mansion, he is the only one who can help me."
"Everything is ready." Randy was sitting next to AJ. "Can you relax? Nothing will happen to your lover. After Lesnar breaks his leg, the D-X will take Brock away."
"They'll have to do it in front of everyone, because that bastard hates Roman. He'll want to hurt him more than his previous opponents." AJ explained.
"I don't care if this time we kidnap one of these guys in front of an entire arena. Lesnar will be my super soldier and everyone will know about it anyway, so I don't need to hide anymore." Randy said smugly.
"When I finish my job and give you full control of Lesnar, I'll be leaving town for a while. I want to get Roman away from Ambrose." AJ clarified. "The serum is perfect now and I really don't need to be here 24/7. I need a vacation."
"You're scared that Ambrose will ruin your romance again, huh? Okay, take some time, if you give me my super soldier, I'll be quite entertained watching Lesnar destroying this city." Randy smiled.
Balor was at the entrance to the mansion. The guards demanded that he leave, but seeing the reporter's insistence, they contacted Seth.
After a long time, the guards let him in.
Finn had never been to the mansion before. The place was awesome, now he understood why Seth used him so cruelly. A millionaire like him would never take a mere reporter seriously. Maybe Randy Orton was right and Seth was destined to be with him: two arrogant millionaires.
"You better have something important to say, Mr. Balor." Indifferent and cold, Seth seemed almost to despise Finn.
"Could you get me tickets to the MMA League show? It's for my investigation." Finn explained quickly.
"Last time it didn't work-" Seth tried to say.
"They are going to go for Lesnar." Finn cut him off.
At that moment Dean reached the living room.
Finn explained the theory back to him to Seth and by then they had wasted too much time. Dean was shocked and extremely angry.
"Why didn't you tell me about this?" Dean affirmed.
"I tried to make you part of this investigation but you were too busy fucking Roman." Seth smirked. "In any case now you know."
Dean looked at Seth with deep resentment. "It's like you want to punish me because I fell in love with Roman!"
"That's your problem Dean, you get too involved. You have to take relationships for what they are, just entertainment." Seth was very cold. "And while you were concentrating on Roman, I had to do what was necessary to carry out this investigation."
Finn was stunned. Hearing Seth refering to everything they were doing just as entertainment. Worse, to imply that perhaps he only used Finn as a means of investigating what was going on with those athletes, was devastating.
In that moment, Finn realized two things: that Seth and Randy were two sides of the same coin and if Seth's words hurt him so much, it's because he was too involved with him.
I've fallen in love with a heartless bastard.
Finn didn't have time to regret it.
Dean turned on a huge television. On the screen Roman was already in the octagon and Lesnar was making the triumphal entrance of him, amid the euphoric shouts of the whole arena that supported him.
"The fight is already starting, I must go there." Dean said desperately. "If they go after Lesnar, Roman will try to do something and they will hurt him, and even if Lesnar is a bastard, we can't let the D-X turn him into a zombie."
"If the D-X try something, I must be there." Seth admitted. "But even if we go at full speed, we are very far from the arena, and Lesnar finishes off his rivals in less than two minutes."
"I don't think the D-X will try anything during the fight, it would be too obvious, all the kidnappings have been after the fights." Finn said suspiciously. "Also from the way they both talk, it looks like you guys could take on D-X, which would be absurd."
"Nothing is absurd for a millionaire like me. You don't know what resources I have available and what things I can control, Mr. Balor." Seth smirked.
"I only know two things about you, Mr. Rollins: first, you are a master at manipulating everyone to do your will and second, even if I wanted to believe you have salvation... you don't." Finn walked over to Seth and stared at him. "But there's still a big secret here, huh? And I'll find it."
"Good luck with that, Mr. Balor, because you're fired." Seth said dismissively. "Get out of my house! Someone like you doesn't belong to a place like this."
Finn smiled. "I agree with that. You and I are like oil and water, no matter how many times you went to my house to have sex with me, we could never mix."
That said, Finn pushed Seth away and left the mansion.
"So it was Finn Balor, huh?" Dean wanted to laugh but he was too worried to do it. "He's right, you can never mix with him, Finn is too good for you."
Dean also left the mansion and didn't even bother to wear his suit. Seth followed after him. He had to stop Dean from doing something stupid.
While in the arena, the fight started. Lesnar threw himself at Roman, who dodged him easily. The audience was in a deep silent.
And for the first time Lesnar was frustrated. "You feel very smart, now I'm going to destroy you worse than the others."
Roman smirked, this was part of his strategy. The whole secret was paying off.
"Did I hurt your pride, Lesnar? Come get me and try to break my leg."
"Not only will I break your leg, I will break your spine." Lesnar said angrily.
Lesnar lunged at Roman and the Samoan dodged again. Roman hit kicked him square in the face. Lesnar fell to the ground. The audience began to murmur.
"Lesnar always does the same." Mick smiled when he saw how the training was working. "Once you realize his lazy fight and dismantle it, you win at his own game."
Lesnar grew increasingly frustrated as Roman dodged punches and kicks. At this point, it was obvious that the Samoan was winning that fight.
The first round was about to end and Lesnar didn't even get to touch Roman, but the Samoan had already hit him several times and Lesnar was a bit dizzy. He didn't see it coming, Roman slammed his fist into Lesnar's face and he fell to the ground, the beast wanted to get on his feet and couldn't.
People were screaming euphorically, they wanted Roman to subject Lesnar to the same punishment that he had subjected other fighters, Roman was tempted but then remembered Dean's words.
"Roman, that guy is a cheater and he fights dirty. You are not like him and I don't want the anger you feel right now to turn you into someone like him."
"I'm not like you, I'll never be like you..." declared Roman.
The referee ended the fight by technical KO, Roman was the winner and the entire arena mocked the fallen idol viciously, celebrating the rise of the new champion.
Randy was in awe, he couldn't believe it, Roman had won that fight and pretty fast. He was unheard of. AJ could not hide his happiness, for a moment he forgot about their horrible plans and only celebrated for the victory of the man he loved.
"You have lost your super soldier again." AJ finally realized that Randy's plan had failed again.
Randy violently tossed the beer glass from him. "You are wrong, I will not lose my super soldier. I just have to change the aim. It is not the option I would have wanted, but if he defeated Lesnar, Roman should work perfectly."
AJ panicked. "You can't do that! That wasn't the deal!"
"You don't decide what the deal is. I can't waste any more time." Randy indicated to Triple H that he was close to them and immediately they all moved.
AJ pushed Randy. "If you do that, I'm going to expose you! I won't help you turn Roman into your puppet. Lesnar is still healthy, just follow the damn plan and leave Roman out of this!"
Randy fell to the ground but smiled. "I'm sorry Allen, but I'm not going to settle for the second best option just because you love the first one. And that you're not going to help me, it's not your decision. Because the options are: make Roman my puppet or watch him die."
Randy's bodyguards caught AJ, pinning him down as the arena was a pandemonium. The D-X attacked everyone and suddenly people ran uncontrollably. Amid the chaos, the D-Xs surrounded the Octagon, beating people and firing their weapons.
Dean was in his car, on his phone he was watching the broadcast, that's when he saw that Roman won the fight, his heart was beating desperately.
"You did it!" Dean yelled excitedly.
Roman looked so happy, the coach was hugging him, both of them celebrating.
"If I had trusted you, I would be there with you now." Dean said sadly.
But he didn't have time to regret it. He suddenly heard the screams and the shots and stopped the car. He was still a long way from the arena. The cameras focused on the octagon and to Dean's despair, he saw the D-Xs pointing their weapons at Roman.
The Samoan was going to defend himself and Triple H used Mick as a hostage. Dean remembered Finn's words. His fear that D-X would use Lesnar for those experiments. But Lesnar had lost and now... they would use Roman.
"I can not allow it!" Dean started his car and, disregarding all traffic laws, headed straight for the arena. Maybe he could still make it in time.
But to Dean's despair, the broadcast ended. There was no news of what was happening in the stadium.
Dean arrived at the arena 15 minutes later, the place was surrounded by police. Dean got out of his car and ran to the scene and was stopped by a police officer.
"What happened?!" Dean screamed desperately.
"They kidnapped the new champion and murdered his coach." The policeman explained. "You can not be here".
Dean was devastated, he couldn't make it on time. The auburn haired man screamed in despair and ran into a nearby alley. Tears ran down his cheeks.
"This is all my fault. If I had been with you, none of this would have happened. If I had trusted you, I would have been here with you!"
"I don't think so. You didn't know this could happen." It was Seth's voice. He had followed Dean.
"Of course I didn't know, but you did!" Dean approached Seth punching his brother's face. "This is your fault too!"
Seth fell to the ground, his mouth bleeding. Dean didn't have time to say anything, he just ran back to his car. He had to do something but he didn't know what.