Dangerous Prey

"Oh-my-god-Seth-what-are-you-doing-no!" Carly shouted in one breath.

She had seen Seth forced into a corner and nearly torn to pieces by the sadistic men of Evolution for what felt like hours before he could tag out. She had seen Triple H sidestep a spear and let Roman run himself full force into the steel steps. She had seen Dean so dazed from a beating that he couldn't even land a punch. But nothing had made her heart stop in legitimate terror like this had.

The match had broken down into a brawl. Roman and Batista, the legal men, were laid out in the ring. Dean charged across the tops of the announcers' tables to save Seth from Triple H and Randy Orton, but both Dean and Seth were driven into the crowd, beaten left, right, and center, upstairs and down. All hell had broken loose. Dean was shoved down a flight of steps, and Orton and Triple H were moving in for the kill when, out of nowhere, Seth flung himself off a balcony on top of all three men.

Carly pressed her hand tightly over her mouth to keep from screaming inarticulately. What in the actual hell was he thinking? Seth was flat on his face where he'd landed. Dean was sprawled out on his back, also not moving. Trips and Orton, well, they deserved the pain they appeared to be experiencing.

Back in the ring, Batista hit Roman with a spinebuster. Carly was nearly flying apart in panic over the fate of Seth and Dean as well as the outcome of the match. Somehow - God only knows how - Roman rallied, fighting out of Batista's grasp and landing a Superman punch. Roman threw himself into the corner, waiting, firing himself up for one final spear.

Carly hurt her own shoulder with how enthusiastically she punched the air when the spear connected. She didn't care. She was too busy jumping up and down and screaming like a fool because Roman had just clinched the win for the Shield. Everyone backstage and out of the Authority's sight was cheering wildly along with her. Evolution, legend in its own day, had fallen.

Carly pulled herself away from the emphatic hugging and celebrating that was going on to look back at the monitor. She didn't know how Roman had summoned up the strength to do so, but he had run up through the audience to his brothers. He was carrying Dean across his shoulders, and helping Seth to his feet with his free hand. Of course he was. The sight warmed Carly's heart. Come hell or high water, Roman's first thought was always for his brothers. They paused at the doors, Seth and Dean barely able to stand, to hold out their fists together in victory.

The boys were checked out by the medics and hurried off to the press conference before Carly could get to them, so she meandered around near the locker rooms waiting for them. She hadn't seen hide nor hair of Evolution. They were likely somewhat incensed at the moment, so that was probably for the best. The Shield had proven what they'd set out to prove: they were the better men.

Carly walked in figure-eights with impatient, bouncing steps, unable to keep still. She wanted to see them. Those insane, ridiculous boys had nearly killed themselves for each other tonight. Seth in particular. Just the thought of what he'd done made Carly's stomach drop all over again.

"Hey, princess!" Dean called, "Aren't you even gonna congratulate us?"

Carly looked up to see the Shield walking down the hallway towards her. They looked tired and sore, but every bit as smugly triumphant as she'd expected them to be. Carly ran to them, skidding to halt when her common sense caught up and reminded her that forceful hugs were probably the last thing they needed.

"Congratulations!" said Carly, gingerly hugging Dean, and then Roman, "You guys were amazing out there. I've said it before and I'll say it again: long live the Hounds of Justice."

She was extra careful when she hugged Seth. He'd apparently hurt himself in that maniac swan-dive, and now his elbow was wrapped up.

"Come on," said Roman, putting an arm around Carly's shoulders, "Let's get out of here and celebrate."

"I think I saw a bar near the hotel," Dean suggested.

"Within walking distance?" asked Seth.

"Yeah, looked like it," said Dean.

"Awesome. Nobody has to be the designated driver," said Seth, high-fiving Dean.

xXx

Carly was more than happy to just sit and listen. The boys were starting into their third round of beers, while she (the lightweight) was still sipping away at her first brandy old-fashioned.

"I don't like beer," she'd said, to the boys' disbelief, "I know. I'm a disgrace to my Midwestern upbringing."

All exhaustion forgotten, the Shield was loudly and enthusiastically recapping the match. They were congratulating each other on the crazy, phenomenal stunts they pulled, and laughing over how the mighty had fallen. But Carly found her high spirits slipping away as the night wore on. Yes, the Shield had defeated Evolution in one hell of a showdown. Now what?

Roman had said they weren't worried about the consequences of their victory. Which was all well and good, Carly supposed, since she knew the Shield was more than a match for Evolution. Still, there was no knowing how long this would go on. Like it or not (she didn't), Triple H legitimately held all the power in this company. He had the ability to make their lives hell, and Carly knew he was going to do so and enjoy it. That twisted megalomaniac wasn't going to stop until he'd completely broken Dean and Seth and Roman. Figuratively or literally, it didn't matter to Triple H. There had to be some way to stop him once and for all. Carly just couldn't think how.

She didn't realize how lost in thought she'd been until she suddenly noticed Seth standing next to her.

"Carly, dance with me!" he said.

"Go ask Roman. He's prettier," Carly deflected. Dancing really wasn't her thing.

"True," said Seth, taking her hands and pulling her off her seat, "But I wanna dance with you."

"But your arm is hurt," said Carly.

"Then be gentle with me," Seth said with a jokingly suggestive smirk.

"Seth!" Carly exclaimed. She tried to glare at him, but had a hard time smothering a smile.

"Sorry, sorry," Seth laughed, "I'll be good. I promise."

"You're a little drunk, aren't you?" said Carly, raising an eyebrow.

"Quite probably. Oh, come on, already," Seth wheedled, "Please? One dance isn't gonna hurt me. It's a slow song, anyway."

It was. A song by Lorde, Carly was fairly certain it was called "Team." She let Seth pull her over to the corner of the bar that was free from tables and was being used as a dance floor. Carly didn't really dislike dancing, so much as she just didn't dance very often and wasn't very good at it. But if Seth wanted to that badly, she didn't mind. Seth put his arms around her waist, and Carly put hers around his neck, keeping close so they could still talk over the music as they swayed together.

"So I take it 'reckless abandon' is your middle name," said Carly.

"Pretty neat strategy, huh?" Seth said proudly.

"You could get yourself killed with a strategy like that," said Carly.

She was very aware that she was repeating herself. Seth leaned back a little so he could look Carly in the eyes.

"Aww, Carly," he said with a roguish smile, "Were you worried about me?"

"Of course I worry about you, Seth," said Carly, a little nettled just remembering it, "Running around jumping off balconies and getting yourself hit with sledgehammers."

"You didn't think I was gonna stand there and let them annihilate Dean, did you?" Seth sighed and leaned closer again, looking over Carly's head as he spoke, "I know the impression I give off sometimes. I'm the practical, calculating one. People think I'm a cold fish, but… Dean and Roman, they're the best friends I ever had, y'know? And I wouldn't hesitate to do anything for them, no matter how crazy it looks. They mean everything to me."

Carly watched Seth's face. Maybe the alcohol had loosened his tongue a bit, but she didn't doubt his sincerity for a second. There was a sort of open earnestness in his eyes whenever he talked about Dean and Roman. Cold? Hardly. Beneath that strategic mind, Seth Rollins had a warm heart. Only reckless love for a brother would possess a pragmatic man to leap before looking. Only honest compassion would make that man invite a stranger who had been an enemy to call his family her own.

Seth had been silent for a moment. He suddenly seemed to notice that Carly was staring at him, and glanced back down at her.

"What?" he said.

Carly smiled. "You're an exceptional creature, Seth Rollins."

He laughed, looking away modestly. Soon, the music faded out. Roman appeared next to them as Avicii's "Hey Brother" began to play.

"Mind if I cut in?" he asked.

"Go ahead," said Seth, stepping back, "Thanks, Carly."

Seth made his way back to the table where Dean was still sitting.

"Unless you wanted to sit down," Roman said politely.

"Very gentlemanly of you, Roman, but I'm fine," said Carly, "I wasn't in a fight tonight. If you guys want to dance, it's the least I can do for the conquering heroes."

Roman laughed. He took Carly's right hand and put his other hand on her back, pulling her into a relaxed version of a closed ballroom dance position. Carly rested her free hand on his shoulder.

"Can we even slow dance to this song?" she said as they tried to fall into the rhythm of it.

"We'll make it work," Roman grinned.

And they did, moving together a little faster than the last song had allowed. Carly laughed at herself for doubting him. Injuries and insurmountable odds were no obstacle to Roman. Why should an in-between tempo be any different?

Roman seemed content to dance without conversation, and that was fine with Carly. There was no such thing as an uncomfortable silence with Roman Reigns. His mere presence was a more eloquent form of communication than most people could accomplish with words. For the moment, he was a soldier on leave, enjoying the company of friends and the brief respite from battle.

As the tempo of the song picked up during an instrumental break, Roman pulled away and took both of Carly's hands in his. He started dancing faster and more freely, and Carly tried to follow his lead. Roman was about as good at freestyling as she was, which wasn't saying much for him, but that put Carly more at ease. Roman raised her hand and spun her around more times than she could keep her balance for. She managed to catch herself, laughing breathlessly, as he pulled her back into his arms.

"Sorry!" she said, "See, this is why I don't dance like this."

"Me either," said Roman, "Ballroom dancing is more my thing."

"Really?" Carly asked curiously.

"Sure," Roman shrugged, "I was in a ballroom dance club back in college. Ladies love a man who can waltz."

He winked at her.

"You heartbreaker," said Carly, grinning up at him.

Dean had made his way over as the song was ending, and waiting for Carly and Roman to finish dancing. As the piano intro of "All of Me" by John Legend started up, he elbowed Roman gently.

"My turn, uce," he said.

Roman laughed and stepped away, patting Dean on the back before returning to the table. Dean tilted his head at Carly with a charming smile and held out his hand to her.

"May I have this dance, princess?" he asked.

Carly put her hand in his, and he stepped closer. She gingerly put her arms around his neck and followed his lead, swaying slowly. Dean looked to have gotten the worst of tonight's match. She was trying to handle him cautiously. After a bit, he seemed to notice that she was keeping her distance.

"I'm not gonna bite you, y'know," he said drily.

"You had a ninja drop straight out of the sky on top of you tonight," said Carly, "I just don't want to hurt you."

"Like you could hurt me," Dean scoffed, "C'mere."

Dean pulled her closer so there was hardly any space between them. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she wrapped hers around his shoulders. Carly shot a glance at him, a little unsure where to look now that she was in such close proximity to her dance partner. Dean chuckled at her hesitation.

"A princess who doesn't even know how to dance," he muttered, "What next?"

Dean reached a hand up and gently pushed on the back of Carly's head, guiding her to rest it against his shoulder. He returned his hand to her waist and leaned his head against hers.

"There," he said, "That's better."

Carly relaxed into the slow rhythm of the song. This was nice, strangely enough. Dean was softly humming along with the music. Carly found herself thinking about how pleasant his voice was, in its own rough way. She wouldn't have guessed it, but Dean Ambrose was a very comfortable person. And he smelled nice, too; sort of warm and clean, like whatever soap he used, maybe? Who knew. And anyway, what an odd train of thought that was.

Carly noticed that he had stopped humming. She lifted her head to look up at him. He smiled at her, and there was a tired, contented look in his eyes that probably had something to do with the amount of alcohol he'd consumed tonight.

"You're not falling asleep on me, are you?" she asked wryly.

"No," said Dean.

"Good," said Carly teasingly, "I thought I might be boring you."

"A girl as crazy as you could never be boring, Carly," he said.

"Gee, thanks," said Carly, grimacing.

She was suddenly aware that the song had ended a few seconds ago, but Dean hadn't let go. Neither had she, for that matter. Before she could say anything, they both noticed Seth and Roman walking over to them.

"Come on," Roman said, "They're kicking us out."

"What? There's no way it's already two in the morning," said Dean.

"Let's go, boys," said Seth, throwing his arms around Dean and Roman, "To the victors goes the sleep."

Carly wasn't sure what possessed Dean to start singing "We Are the Champions" on the walk back to the hotel, but before she knew it all three of the boys were belting it out at the top of their lungs. She tried to hush them up at first, because the last thing they needed was to get the cops called on them for disturbing the peace or something. However, by the end of it, she found herself singing along with the chorus as loudly as any of them. Roman eventually managed to get everyone quieted down as they stood outside the hotel doors.

"I'll say goodnight to you guys here," said Carly.

"Aren't you coming in?" asked Roman.

"Not yet," said Carly, "It's nice out tonight, and I'm not that tired. You three should get to bed, though."

She wished each of them a good night's sleep with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Carly usually wasn't quite as physically affectionate as the boys were. But for some reason (perhaps the fact that everyone's emotional filter shuts down around 2 AM) she just really wanted to let them know how much she cared about them.

When the Shield had gone inside, Carly went and sat down on the grass median in the parking lot. She liked cities at night, especially on warm, breezy nights like this. The sounds of the distant highway were only a faint hum in the background. It was too bright to see many stars, but the golden streetlights were rather lovely shining through the branches of the maple trees.

Carly sighed and hugged her knees to her chest. Now that they boys were gone, she could focus on worrying again. Not that she wasn't happy about how well the Shield had performed tonight. It wasn't that at all. It was just…

She looked up as she heard the hotel door opening. To her surprise, Seth stepped outside. He glanced around the parking lot. When he spotted Carly, he walked over and sat down next to her.

"You should be in bed," said Carly.

"Hello to you, too," Seth retorted mildly.

"You have to work tomorrow," said Carly.

"Tomorrow night," he corrected, "I could sleep all day if I wanted to."

"True," Carly admitted reluctantly, "Dean and Roman?"

"They about passed out the second their heads hit the pillows," said Seth, "They're sleeping like the dead."

"So why aren't you?" she asked.

"I'm not tired," said Seth.

"Liar," Carly muttered.

"So what if I am?" Seth said, smirking, "I wanted to make sure you were okay. You looked kinda preoccupied."

"I am," said Carly.

She leaned her head back, squinting at the faint stars. She could only make out one constellation behind all that light pollution - Cassiopeia. Carly had grown up knowing it as "the queen's chair." Ever since she was little, she imagined what it would be like to sit on it, up there among the stars. Later she'd learned the story of how the queen was chained in the sky as punishment for her arrogance. The throne didn't seem quite as welcoming after that. But somehow, she had never quite given up the dream of taking it.

"What are you so worried about?" said Seth, his voice breaking across her thoughts, "We won."

"We won tonight," said Carly, "What happens tomorrow?"

"We keep fighting," Seth shrugged.

"Yeah, but for how long?" Carly turned to look at him, brows furrowed seriously, "Where does this story end? Like it or not, Seth, Triple H really does hold all the cards. Look at what the Authority's done to you guys. And it's not just you. They're hurting everyone in this company. You saw what happened to Daniel Bryan. They very well may have ended his career because he stood up to them. It's smaller things, too. Younger, talented wrestlers get overlooked in favor of egocentric veterans who can't stand not being the center of attention. They entire women's division gets neglected for months at a time, and who even knows why? The Authority has to be stopped."

Seth's expression grew more serious as he listened to Carly talk. He looked down at his hands, twisting blades of grass between his fingertips.

"I know," he said quietly, "I've been thinking the same things. I didn't want to bring it up, because I didn't want you or Dean or Roman to worry. But you're right. They have to be stopped."

"It's the Kobayashi Maru we're talking about here," said Carly, "It's an unwinnable situation, unless… unless we can change the rules somehow. How, though? Only something really drastic would have any chance of even affecting the Authority."

"I've thought about that, too," said Seth. His face grew grim, almost guarded-looking. Then he looked up quickly and smiled at Carly, "I'm thinking of a plan. I just haven't worked out all the details yet. It won't be easy, but I don't believe in no-win scenarios either. Don't worry, Carly. I'm going to take the Authority down if it kills me. Now, come on. We're both lying about not being tired, and the sun's gonna come up if we stay out here much longer."

"So the sun won't come up if we go inside?" Carly grinned.

"You know what I meant," said Seth, "And... promise you won't bring this stuff up around Dean and Roman? I just don't want them to worry about it until I've got it all set."

xXx

The Shield walked into the arena before the show on Monday still feeling their victory, but they were also on edge. There was no way they were going to make it through the night without some sort of obstacle thrown in their path. It was only a matter of time before they found out what.

Seth stopped in his tracks as they got through the door, patting down his pockets.

"Aww, man. I think I left my cell phone in the car," he said, "Can I have the keys, Roman?"

"Sure," said Roman, tossing them to Seth.

Carly, Dean, and Roman went to the locker rooms while Seth headed back out to the parking lot. The atmosphere was tense all around. A lot of battles had gone down the night before, and whatever way they had ended, there was somebody left unsatisfied.

Carly was still trying her best not to worry. Dean and Roman were clearly unconcerned. In fact, Dean had gotten so animated with the story he was telling Roman that he accidentally knocked a plate of food out of Carly's hands. Dean's profuse apologies where not to be believed, given how hard he was laughing. She hurried back down to catering before all the good stuff was gone.

On the way back to the locker rooms, Carly narrowly avoided having her plate flipped again by a whole mess of Rosebuds. She flattened herself against the wall as they rampaged by, watching to see what costumes they had tonight. But that was strange. In the hallway across from her, the one that lead past the offices, Carly could've sworn she saw Seth. That didn't make any sense. The offices were nowhere near the parking lot. When the Rosebuds had all passed, Seth was nowhere in sight. He was, however, already with Dean and Roman when she got back, so she must have been imagining things.

It appeared the Shield wouldn't have to wait long to learn their fate, as Triple H started out the broadcast by making an announcement.

"Last night," he said, "Evolution and the Shield engaged in an unforgettable war. And at the end of it, those three were extremely lucky. But the Shield should know that luck has a habit of changing. And considering the fact that, at the end of the night tonight, the three of them are going to be in six-man competition against the Wyatt family, I'd be willing to say their luck has run out."

All eyes turned to Seth. His mouth was set in a grim line. He glanced at each of them, then pushed himself away from the wall he had been leaning against.

"Dean, get us out of here," Seth ordered.

"Roger that," said Dean.

"Roman, make sure we aren't followed," Seth continued, "We need to vanish."

As Carly followed, she soon began to worry. This wasn't the Shield's usual ducking off into a dark hallway routine. Dean's path took sharp turns, doubled back on itself, and eventually had them cutting through the parking garage and slipping back in through a door that led them into a maintenance hallway.

"This is far enough," said Seth, bring them all to a halt.

"Alright, Seth," said Dean, "What's with the disappearing act?"

"I… what?" Seth blinked in confusion.

"That crazy game of follow-the-leader we just played," said Dean, "What was that all about?"

"We're gonna lay low until the match, that's all," said Seth.

"You mean we're hiding?" Dean said incredulously, "Seth, we don't back down from anybody. What's the matter with you? We just beat them yesterday, and you're running scared from-"

"I know!" shouted Seth.

He'd been on edge this whole time, but had managed to stay in control until that accusation of cowardice had gotten him to boil over. Dean and Roman glanced at each other in confusion. Neither of them was as concerned about the situation as Carly had been the night before, or as Seth was now.

"Look," he said, "You gotta understand, Dean. Triple H has the upper hand tonight. I don't know if he's just handing us over to the Wyatts so they'll do his dirty work, or if Evolution's gonna come after us themselves, or what. But I do know that they can't take us out before the match if they can't find us. We aren't running away from anybody. We're choosing our battles. You brought me on to be the practical, strategic one, right? That's what I'm doing."

"Whoa, calm down," said Dean, grabbing Seth's shoulder, "I'm not trying to start something with you. You know me, Seth. I'm a 'damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead' kind of guy. But if you think this is the best course of action, then I trust you, buddy. Alright?"

"Alright," Seth said, "Sorry, Dean."

"No worries, huh?" said Dean.

He grinned and gave Seth a quick hug around the neck, and Seth returned a smile that looked only slightly strained. Carly noticed Roman was watching Seth closely. Roman could be uncannily perceptive about people sometimes, so if he was aware that something was bothering Seth, it must be something out of the ordinary. Carly guessed that what she and Seth had talked about the night before was still preying on his mind. Whatever his endgame was, it must not be complete enough to be shared, so Carly decided not to mention it.

"You could've at least picked a hide-out with a better view," Dean said, glancing around the maze of ductwork and cleaning equipment.

"That just goes to show you have no taste," Seth said loftily, counter snark with facetious snark, "All the best secret lairs are industrial-chic."

"Industrial-chic? You just made that up," Dean scoffed.

"Oh yeah?" said Seth, "What would you know about interior decorating?"

"A lot more than you, pal. I've seen your apartment," said Dean, folding his arms.

"My apartment? Like you can talk. Did you hop in the DeLorean to pick up that wallpaper from the 80's?"

Carly and Roman glanced at each other and smiled. They both knew that the amount of sarcasm that ricocheted between those two could be used as a sort of barometer of their mood. If Dean and Seth had found something harmless to bicker about, then all was right with the world.

Carly noticed a pencil lying on the floor. She grabbed it and sat down, sketching out a tic-tac-to grid on the concrete floor. She drew an X in one of the corners, then looked up at Roman, holding out the pencil to him. He grinned and sat down beside her, and proceeded to beat her in seven games before Dean and Seth finished snarking at each other. The game switched to hangman at that point, which Carly won more often than not. Seth and Dean, annoyed with getting repeatedly executed, protested that she was making up words and forced Roman to look them up on his phone before they were convinced.

As the time for the match grew near, the Shield turned their focus to stretching out and warming up. Carly worked on erasing some of the mess they'd made. She decided to leave the phrase 'Hunter is a posturing, potato-faced ignoramus', though, and the series of games that had consisted of coming up with insults towards Brad Maddox.

"Hey, Carly?" said Seth.

Carly looked up to see the boys standing in front of her. She got to her feet, brushing the dust off her jeans.

"What's up?" she asked.

"When we go out for the match," he said, "You gotta promise that you'll find someplace safe, and then stay out of sight."

"We don't know what we're walking into, and we aren't at one-hundred percent," said Roman, "And it'd be a load off our minds if we know that you're not gonna be in danger."

Carly nearly said that was ridiculous. She nearly told them that they shouldn't worry about her, but she knew they would anyway. She nearly said that it didn't matter what happened to her, but she knew how upset she was any time one of them was hurt.

Every time she needed them, the Shield wouldn't hesitate. Roman would challenge Batista. Dean would tear Randy Orton apart. Seth would risk his career. For her. Just like she would do anything for them. Just like they would do anything for each other. Carly had always seen herself as somewhat separate from the boys, because she wasn't part of the Shield. But she was starting to realize that they had never made that distinction. No, Carly wasn't a member of the Shield, but she was still family to them. And so she smothered all her protests and nodded.

"Alright," she said, "You know I don't like hiding either, but I know you're right."

The last thing she wanted to do was be a hindrance to the Shield when they were already walking into what was probably a trap. They all looked a little relieved, like they'd been expecting more of a fight. That made Carly feel both a little ashamed, and a little proud of herself for making progress in this whole 'friendship' thing.

"You don't have to look so surprised," she said, a bit self-consciously.

"Attagirl, Carly," said Dean, grinning and throwing an arm around her shoulders, "You're learning. Listening to Seth is usually the best option."

"You said usually there, when I think you meant always," said Seth, "Listening to me is always the best option."

"I'm sorry, whose idea were the turtlenecks?"

"You're never gonna let me live that down, are you? Come on, man! I had to come up with something in, like, an hour. Stupid uniforms were a week late in the mail."

With a new argument to lift their spirits, the Shield and Carly went backstage. Carly felt a little more optimistic about things to come. The Shield could bounce back from pretty much anything, and they'd always come back swinging. They'd get through this, even if tonight was gonna hurt and there was nothing she could do about it. She sent them off to make their entrance with hugs for luck.

"Stay safe," Seth called to her.

"Look after each other," she called back.

"Always do," Roman nodded, smiling.

Dean just blew her a kiss. As soon as they were out of sight, apprehension settled into Carly's stomach like a brick. But she was going to keep her promise and make herself scarce. First things first, though. Carly retrieved a kendo stick from storage, just in case.

She had to find someplace where she could hide, but it couldn't be someplace isolated. Then there'd be no help for her if she was discovered. She snuck over to the women's locker room and listened. It didn't sound like there was anyone inside. Most people didn't hang out in there, and most of the women had already gone back to their hotels anyway. Carly slipped inside and settled herself behind a bank of lockers where she couldn't be seen from the door, but where she could still keep an eye on the monitor.

The match was starting. Carly laid the kendo stick down behind her and settled in to wait for the inevitable. And boy did it happen, but not from the direction she'd expected.

She sat perfectly still when she heard somebody walk into the locker room. It was nothing to worry about. Probably just someone looking for something they'd forgotten. But then Carly heard the door shut and the click of the lock being turned.

"We know you're in here, Carly," Alicia Fox called out in a sing-song voice, "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

Carly bit her tongue to keep from swearing aloud. She didn't know how the trio of she-devils had found her, but of course they had. Once again, she was cornered with nowhere to run. But the fact that they'd locked the door was comforting, in a bizarre way. Maybe they were going to kick the living daylights out of her again, but at least the Shield wouldn't find out about it until after their match. As far as they knew, she was safe and they didn't have to worry.

Eva Marie's fire-engine red hair suddenly appeared as she leaned around the corner. Her mouth turned up in a gloating grin, but Carly stared levelly at her without reacting at all. She wasn't going to give them the satisfaction.

"Ladies," Eva Marie called, "I found her."

Alicia Fox and Rosa Mendez walked up beside her, and the three of them smiled down at Carly. She felt like a mouse surrounded by hungry cats. At this rate, she was going to forget what it was like to live without getting knocked around at least once a week.

"So you're gonna beat me up in a locker room now?" Carly said sarcastically, "What do you think this is, high school?"

"You don't have to be rude about it," said Alicia, plunking herself down on one of the benches, "We're just here to watch the match with you, that's all. Popcorn?"

She smiled and held out a nearly full container.

"No. And I hope you choke on it," Carly said disdainfully.

"Suit yourself," Alicia shrugged, taking a handful for herself.

"Not very ladylike, Carly," said Rosa, as she and Eva Marie sat down next to Alicia.

"I'll show you just how unladylike I can be if the three of you don't shut up," Carly growled.

They shrugged unconcernedly, but were silent. Carly turned her attention back to the monitor. Seth, injured arm and all, had been making headway against the Wyatts until he was shoved off the top rope and went crashing to the ground beside the announcers' table. Carly was careful to keep her face blank. She wasn't about to let these three see just how worried she was.

Dean and Roman were getting concerned now, as Seth was getting thoroughly dismantled. He still had enough life in him to kick out, though, and where there's life, there's hope.

Oh wait, nevermind. A brawl had broken out ringside after Dean leapt in to save Seth and keep the match going. Dean was in trouble, Roman might be unconscious, and Seth was fading fast. On top of that, Carly's trio of tormentors seemed to be enjoying themselves, curse them. Carly tried to focus on breathing, on staying calm.

Oh, thank God. Roman was still in this. Seth managed to make the tag to him, and he came in swinging. Roman made short work of the entire creepy bunch. When he was ambushed after signaling for a Superman punch, Dean and Seth sent Harper and Rowan crashing over the announcers' table. If Roman could just manage to end this, maybe there was still a chance to walk away from this night without any trouble.

This was it. All three of them were in the ring now, setting up for a triple-powerbomb. And then Carly's hope was dashed to pieces.

Evolution. Of course.

But as they came down to the ring, the Shield was equal to the challenge. Somehow, they rallied. Dean and Seth took out Harper, Rowan, Orton, and Batista with one hell of a suicide dive while Roman hit Trips with a Superman punch.

And it was all too good to last. Bray Wyatt, that cockroach, hit Roman out of nowhere. Sister Abigail, one-two-three, and it was over. Only, it wasn't really over.

It was the most sickening sense of déjà-vu Carly had ever experienced. She sat in silence as despair and rage froze and scorched her every time she exhaled, inhaled. She'd seen this all before. The Shield, all but helpless, was being torn to pieces. Dean crashed into the steel steps. Seth was DDT'd from the top rope. Roman fought his way out of a Pedigree only to be hit with an RKO and then Pedigree'd, regardless.

The Shield was crumpled wreckage in the ring. Evolution had proved its point. Surely now they would swagger off to their shiny cars in triumph.

No. No, they wouldn't.

Struck dumb in disbelief, Carly watched as Triple H and Orton hauled Roman to his knees. There was no way. They weren't doing this. They couldn't be. Batista roared in a mocking imitation of Roman and then-

Carly closed her eyes until she heard Roman's body crashing down into the mat. She couldn't stand to watch Evolution – those cowardly, sadistic thugs – do that to him. Her pulse pounded in her ears as she watched them stand over him, in a cruel parody of the Shield. There was blood on Roman's mouth.

Rage won out in Carly's mind. And those three women beside her – those hell-hated harpies – had the gall to laugh.

"Well, that was fun," said Alicia, "Same time next week, girls?"

"But first," said Eva Marie, "Let's not forget to give Carly something to remember us by."

The other two started to reply, but now it was there turn to be frozen in confusion as Carly began to laugh. The harsh, mirthless sound of it grew louder as Carly's hand closed the hilt of the kendo stick and she slowly got to her feet. It was payback time.

"Ladies," said Carly, fixing them with a paralyzing glare, "You picked the wrong day to mess with me."

They shrieked, stumbling over each other in panic as they tried to stay out of range. Carly charged at them and swung the kendo stick. She only managed to clip their shoulders once or twice. They fled blindly, and found themselves cornered in the showers.

Carly paused. Much as she wanted to take out her aggression on these convenient targets, and much as they probably deserved it, she had better places to be. Namely, with the Shield.

"If you ever lay a hand on me again," said Carly, pointing the kendo stick at them threateningly, "If you even come near me, I may forget to be nice."

Carly hit the button on the wall that switched on all the showers, and contented herself with listening to their shrieks of dismay. Revenge could wait. The boys were more important to her by far. She unlocked the door and stepped into the hallway, trying to remember where the trainers' room was in this arena. Suddenly, an arm locked around her neck in a sleeper hold.

"You know what they say," Paige's voice remarked, "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."

"You have to be joking," Carly choked as she struggled to free herself.

There was no way she was going to get knocked out in the hallway. But try as she might, Carly couldn't loosen Paige's hold. Pressure was building up in her skull. Her vision was getting fuzzy. Her head felt like it was about to explode.

Suddenly, Paige released her and Carly dropped to the floor. She dimly heard Paige screech and somebody else shouting. Her vision cleared just in time to see Naomi kick Paige in the face. Stunned, Paige stumbled against the wall before staggering off.

"Yeah, you better run," Naomi shouted after her.

Carly leaned against the wall, holding her head in her hands. It felt like someone was pounding on her skull like it was an anvil. Naomi knelt down next to her.

"You okay?" she asked.

"I will be, probably," Carly mumbled.

"Getting put in a sleeper choke sucks," said Naomi, rubbing Carly's back sympathetically, "You'll be alright in a minute. I know you probably would've liked to kick Paige in the face yourself, but-"

"Oh, no, by all means, thank you for saving me," Carly smiled faintly, "I'll get her some other time, when I'm actually conscious."

"If you're looking for the Shield," said Naomi, "They just got taken back to the trainers' room."

"Which way is it?" asked Carly.

"Here," said Naomi, as she helped Carly to stand, "I can show you."

"I'd appreciate it," Carly said gratefully.

She leaned on Naomi's arm as they walked. She was still a little dizzy, and her head hadn't quite stopped pounding yet. Just one Monday night without being kidnapped or beaten up. Was that too much to ask? Clearly it was, in this company.

"I can take it from here," she said, when they neared the trainers' room, "Thank you again, Naomi."

"Not a problem," Naomi smiled, "See you around, Carly."

Carly paused a moment to straighten herself out. She didn't want to walk in there looking like she'd been attacked. If she had to tell them the story at all, she'd tell them about it later.

"Seriously, Roman, will you just take it easy? We're okay," Seth's voice spilled into the hallway.

"When I get my hands on those three, I'm gonna kill them for what they-" Roman's voice broke off as he cried out in pain.

"See, that's why you gotta hold still. Now would you calm down and shut up already?" The irritated tone of Dean's scolding was a clear sign that he was honestly concerned about Roman.

"Nobody's heard from Carly?" Roman asked more quietly.

"We told her to hide," Seth replied, "If we haven't heard anything about her, it probably means she's fine."

Inside the trainers' room, Roman was laying on the table, with Seth sitting nearby and Dean standing beside him, all three being patched up by the medics. Thank God they seemed to be no worse hurt than she'd seen them before, small comfort though that was. Dean, who was looking towards the door, spotted Carly first.

"See, boys?" said Dean, "Here she is now."

It was a weight off Carly's mind to see them conscious and talking, when she'd last seen them motionless on the floor, Roman in particular. He had so much fight in him, it was especially hard to see him beaten and bloodied like that. He turned his head to look at Carly, seeming relieved to see her in one piece. She leaned down quickly to kiss his forehead before stepping out of the medics' way.

"Carly," said Seth, "You are a sight for sore eyes. And sore everything else."

He grinned ruefully at her, wincing as the medic wrapped up his arm. Seth was such an exuberant puppy in personality, and he always looked the part after matches with how fluffy his hair ended up. It made Carly's blood boil to think that the men of Evolution were monstrous enough to enjoy causing him pain.

"You poor guys have been through hell," said Carly, gently putting a hand on Seth's shoulder and kissing him on the cheek.

"We're getting pretty familiar with the territory," said Dean.

As the medic tightened the bandages on his ribs, Dean gasped sharply. But he was quick to compose himself. He took a deep breath as he sat down and laughed through gritted teeth, then noticed the worried look on Carly's face.

"Don't you worry about me, darling," he said, winking at her with a roguish smile, "I'll be fireproof one of these days."

Carly laughed in spite of herself. Typical Dean Ambrose. Few things were weighty enough to keep his spirits down for long. She truly believed he'd be wisecracking with his final breath. Carly gingerly wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss against the side of his head.

"Well, I guess I wouldn't object to you worrying a little," he said.

"Good," said Carly, "Because I was going to anyway."

"You saw?" asked Seth as he got to his feet, cautiously testing out his injured arm.

"I saw," Carly grimaced, "All of it."

"Well, it's not like we weren't expecting this," Seth sighed.

"I hope they know this means war," said Dean, the fire coming back into his eyes.

"They know," Roman said grimly, "And this time we're gonna make sure to put them out of business permanently."

"We'll worry about that later," said Seth, "Carly, looks like you managed to stay safe?"

"More or less," said Carly. She was hesitant to explain the whole thing, but their questioning looks demanded some sort of answer, "Everything was fine in the end. I made sure my troubles had troubles with me. Come on, let's get you guys home so you can rest. We'll talk strategy in the morning."

"That's my line," Seth muttered.

(Note: Thank you to the people who left reviews! You're all awesome.)