ENDGAME

Batista left pretty fast after Seth joined. He threw a bit of a tantrum like a spoiled brat who had been told no to lollypop number 20. He didn't wanna share the spotlight with Seth, so he left, and Seth took his place in Evolution.

Randy was clearly jealous too, but he managed to keep his feelings within in front of Hunter and the world. Whenever Seth was the only one around, the story was a different one. He would make fun of Seth's feelings, telling him he sold out for no reason since Gretchen would never want him.

"And why would she when she can have me? I might ask her out tonight after the show," Randy said that Monday a few weeks later.
"Don't you dare!" Seth sneered.
"Or you'll do what?" Randy asked mockingly. "You'll do nothing. Hunter will always choose me over you. If you get yourself thrown out of Evolution, where will you go? Your brothers have made the world know exactly what they're planning on doing to you if they get their hands on you. You need our backup."

The door opened, and Gretchen walked in.

"What's going on in here?" She asked.
"Nothing," Randy answered. "Would you maybe be interested in grabbing a drink after the show with me?"
"That sounds like fun, big man," she smiled and looked at Seth. "Seth?"
"No, he's not coming. Just the two of us," Randy said.
"Are you asking me out on a date, Randy?" She giggled.
"Yes, I am," he said.
"Then maybe I'll say yes," she said. "If you go in there and beat Roman and Dean."
"Come on, babe, piece of cake. We're three against those two," Randy said.
"Five if you count me and Stephanie. We're going with you. I want a front row ticket for this one," she said.

Hunter started in the ring with Roman. For the two first minutes it seemed like a normal match, but then things changed fast. Hunter made the tag to Seth, but Hunter never got out of the ring. Just as Seth entered the ring, Dean jumped down from the apron, ran around the ring, and yanked Randy down. Randy's head slammed down on the apron, and he didn't have time to see Seth flying out into him with a suicide dive. He felt it though, and he got slammed back in the barricade and fell to the ground.

"What the hell's going on?" Hunter asked.

He was sent crashing down by a superman punch from Roman.

"Hunter!" Stephanie screamed.

She jumped up from the seat and moved towards the ring. She didn't get far before Gretchen grabbed her. Gretchen did a teardrop suplex on Stephanie over on the commentator table. It was enough to keep her now former boss lying still. She looked up in the ring as Roman's roar filled the entire arena. Hunter was lifted up on Roman's shoulders by Seth and Dean, and then he came crashing down hard thanks to the triple powerbomb. She grabbed a mic, and joined them in the ring.

"Like I told you at Payback, Stephanie," Gretchen leaned over the top rope. "I walked out of the door, but not before making a deal with them."

Dean snickered as he took the mic from her.

"This was always going to happen," he said. "Batista's gone, and he's not coming back. The Shield was always on the same page, and now we have Gretchen too. And we got Randy on camera asking her out. That one has already been e-mailed to his girlfriend, so I'm sure he has more important things to tend to now. Evolution is done. We run this place now."
"This is our yard now! Believe in The Shield!" Roman yelled.

Seth grabbed the mic out of Dean's hand.

"Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year," he said. "We'll be there every step of the way. We'll be waiting around every corner you turn. We'll be hiding in every locker room you're in. We'll be watching you breathe until your final breath."
"Why?" Stephanie whimpered.
"Do you really need to ask why?" Seth looked at Gretchen. "We had to make her see the truth. You were using her. We had to set her free, and we could take over around here at the same time. Like I said, we're gonna be there constantly."
"We're taking control! We're taking the power!" Dean yelled. "This is our fucking yard!"

They left the ring and walked up the stairs together. No one said a word until they were in their private locker room. Roman and Dean quickly went to the showers, so that Seth and Gretchen could get a moment alone.

"Remember when I said no one was coming for you?" He gently grabbed her head and stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. "No one was coming because we were already there."

She grabbed his vest and pulled him down for a kiss.

"Does that mean you'll go out with me?" He chuckled.
"Just don't kidnap me again," she said.
"No promises," he smirked.