Sabotage and Subterfuge

"Step one," Carly had said, "Is psychological warfare."

"That's just a fancy way of saying you're not gonna let us beat him up tonight," Dean had replied, crossing his arms.

"Think about it like this," Roman had interrupted, "We want him to suffer, right? What better what to start than to let him kill himself with anticipation?"

Dean had seen the sense in the plan, and that's how the Shield and Carly ended up scattered throughout the arena, waiting. Seth was walking down to the ring for a match with Rob Van Dam. Carly stood backstage, listening for the bell to ring. Then, it'd be showtime.

xXx

"And we have Rob Van Dam squaring off against Seth Rollins, who is at the center of one of the most controversial situations in the WWE in recent memory"

"Controversial? What are you even talking about? Seth Rollins created the Shield, and he had every right to destroy it."

"Seth Rollins says he created the Shield. I think Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns might disagree."

"Well, why are you disagreeing, Michael? Who was it that named him the Architect of the Shield? Oh, that's right, it was you, mister voice-of-the-WWE."

"By which I meant that, of the members of the Shield, he specialized in strategy. I never said that he literally designed the Shield as a group. Why is that so hard for you to understand, John?"

"Hold on, you two. Look!"

"What in the world?"

"Uh, ladies and gentlemen, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns have made their way to ringside."

"Oh, Seth Rollins does not look happy about this."

"What are these two doing out here?"

"Why don't you ask them, John?"

"You ask them! You're supposed to be a reporter. Do your job, Michael."

"What is-? What's he doing?"

"Roman Reigns is leaning up against our table right now. Roman, what's, uh… what's going on? He says they're just watching. Alright then."

"Look who else is here."

"Of course. Whenever there's trouble, she's never far behind."

xXx

Carly meandered out onto the stage and plunked herself down, cross-legged, at the top of the ramp. She could see that Roman was leaning against the announcers' table, and Dean was perched on the barricade that surrounded the timekeeper's area. In the ring, Rob Van Dam looked on in amusement as Seth tried to get the officials to throw Dean and Roman out.

Of course, since Dean and Roman hadn't done anything to interfere with the match, there wasn't really anything the referee could do. Or rather, the referee wasn't inclined to do anything yet. Carly got the feeling that this might be another person who was subtly joining the revolution.

Even from this distance, Carly could tell that Dean was nonchalantly kicking his heels against the barricade, staring up at Seth with a blankly innocent expression, and that the slow smile forming on Roman's face meant that he was loving every second of Seth's growing agitation. Seth glanced over his shoulder towards the ramp. When he saw Carly sitting there, his expression of borderline panic settled into one of grim hatred.

"Oh, don't mind me," Carly called, gesturing for him to carry on.

Seth glared at her. To his credit, RVD hadn't taken advantage of Seth's distraction, and was patiently waiting for him to turn his attention back to the match. Seth pointed and Carly, and then back at Dean and Roman, shouting something Carly assumed was a warning. Finally, the match began.

Looking at it objectively, Carly had to admit that it was a great fight. RVD and Seth were both high-flyers. It was like watching dueling ninjas. Many of the moves didn't connect simply because the other man could see it coming. They attacked each other in short bursts, fell back, circled, sized each other up, recalculated their strategies. But eventually they both decided that playtime was over and went at it in earnest.

The fight became quite brutal after that. RVD gave his young opponent a run for his money. Still, Seth was wily. He made sure that, when the fight spilled outside the ring, it did so on the side where Dean and Roman weren't. On and on the match went in an impressive display of aerial one-upmanship.

As RVD stood on the apron, about climb up on the ropes, Seth reached over and slammed his head into the steel post, sending RVD tumbling to the ground before the announcers' table. Seth looked like he was about to follow, but then caught himself. He once again pointed warningly at Dean and Roman, and ordered the referee to start the ten-count. True to their word, the Shield did not interfere. This was no small feat. What with Seth mockingly counting along with the referee, even Carly wanted to run in there and punch his stupid, smug face.

Carly groaned inwardly as Rob Van Dam was counted out. Fantastic. Yes, she'd known that there was a good chance that psyching Seth out wouldn't be enough to make him lose, and that that wasn't the goal in the first place, but still. Seth paused only long enough for the ref to raise his hand in victory before slipping out of the ring. He shot a glance back towards Dean and Roman.

But to Seth's confusion, they ignored him entirely, instead going to check on RVD. Still looking over his shoulder at them, Seth started up the ramp. He froze when he turned back to see Carly, and his triumphant arrogance faltered. Carly smiled. Good. So he was at least a little afraid of her. Carly held his gaze for a second before stepping off to the left side of the stage, leaving Seth free to walk backstage unhindered.

The chorus of booing that Seth's win had inspired quickly turned to cheers as the Shield stepped into the ring, microphones in hand. Carly made her way to ringside. She climbed onto the apron, leaning over the ropes to enjoy the show as they began to speak.

"Now, I imagine," said Dean, "That some of you might be a little disappointed that we didn't come out here tonight and make an example of a certain traitor once and for all. And I understand that. I can sympathize. Because, believe me, there's nothing I'd like better than to knock a few holes in that smug smile of his, and that's just for starters. But no. No, I think that'd be letting him off too easy. See, we're not gonna finish him off. Not just yet."

"We're gonna take that black heart of his and we're gonna carve it out," said Roman, "This is gonna be a long, drawn-out ordeal. We want him to suffer. Seth Rollins is gonna be checking his back nonstop, because he doesn't have anybody like us around anymore."

"You think Randy Orton's gonna have his back?" said Dean, raising his eyebrows. In the second that he paused, the crowd took the initiative and started a 'no' chant. Dean grinned as he continued, "You think Kane is? You think any one of the suck-ups in that goon squad of theirs would do anything to help Seth Rollins without direct orders?"

"Damn right they're not," said Roman, clapping Dean on the back, "You don't have brothers in the Authority."

"And they expect us to fall apart because we got put in one lousy handicap match against the Wyatts? Come on," Dean scoffed, "I'm not gonna hang out with my best friend anymore? I'm not gonna work with my best friend anymore? I'm not gonna fight with my best friend and partner anymore, because Triple H said so? Because that's apparently against the rules now? Well, you know me. I've never been one to play by the rules. How many miles have we traveled together?"

"Countless," said Roman

"How many cars have we crashed together?" said Dean.

Roman put a finger to his lips to shush Dean, trying to keep a straight face. Carly laughed along with the crowd. Dean was getting fired up, and there was no stopping him now. Besides, the audience loved it.

"How many late nights have we had?" Dean went on, "How many fights have we been in together? How many times have you knocked me out, put me in the hospital over something really stupid? Because when we have a problem with each other, we get it out and we say it to our faces, like men. We don't stab each other in the back."

"Now Hunter? He can take his rules and he can shove them up his ass," said Roman.

He paused only a second to let the loudest of the cheering subside. And in that moment, he glanced at Carly and smiled, and he and Dean walked over to join her. Carly was careful to keep a look of surprise from registering on her face. This wasn't part of the plan. This was improvised. But as they stood on either side of her, Carly understood. It had been a symbol of unity when the three members of the Shield stood side by side, and this was no different.

"Justice doesn't play by the Authority's rules," said Roman, putting a hand on Carly's shoulder.

"What was Triple H saying last week?" said Dean, "That the Shield is going to be no more? That we're gonna 'whimper into extinction'? Look at us! Look at us right now, right here in this ring! We're still standing. The Shield is still standing, and we aren't going anywhere."

"Believe that," Roman finished, "And believe in the Shield."

As the Shield's music came pouring through the speakers. Dean and Roman held out their fists together proudly, leveling defiant glares into the cameras. They knew the Authority was watching. That was step two: letting everyone know that the Shield intended to prove Triple H's dire predictions wrong, and that their mission had not changed. The Authority, the greatest injustice in the WWE, was going to be dealt with.

xXx

With a statement like that, the Authority had no choice but to make a rebuttal. Carly and the Shield hung around one of the backstage monitors as Seth, now dressed in a suit, made his way to the ring.

"How long are you gonna wait before you interrupt and put us out of our misery?" Dean asked.

"Not long," Carly shrugged, "But long enough to see what nonsense he's gonna spout to cover for the fact that the Shield refuses to remain destroyed."

"Inviting him to inflate the lie, huh?" said Roman.

"Exactly," said Carly.

Seth waited with insufferably complacent patience as the now familiar chanting swelled through the arena.

"The remnants of the Shield were out here earlier making some pretty big claims," said Seth, "And all of you just ate it up. For some reason, you all still believe in Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns. Well, you don't know them like I do."

"Oh, this should be good," Dean muttered.

"I know who Roman Reigns is," said Seth, "I know what Roman Reigns is. Roman Reigns is a volcano."

Roman snorted and Carly pursed her lips to keep from laughing.

"Volcano…?" Dean repeated incredulously. He wrinkled his nose and looked over at Roman, "Y'know, I'm not seeing it."

"Roman Reigns has a rage inside of him that should keep every single one of you people up at night knowing that you gotta walk the same streets as this guy," Seth continued insistently, "Roman Reigns is an angry soul."

"An angry soul?" said Roman, laughing in disbelief.

Seth was definitely grasping now. Trying to paint Dean as a legitimate madman was one thing, but trying to convince everyone that calm, heroic, taciturn Roman was something to be afraid of was another matter entirely.

"He does realize that the entire WWE Universe has witnessed the fact that you are the Shield's den mother, right?" said Carly.

"And I am the only person who knows how to control Roman Reigns," said Seth, "I am the only one who knows how to harness that anger. I am the only one who knows how to manipulate Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose."

"Here we go," Roman sighed.

Carly glanced over at Dean. He was absently drumming his fingers against his collarbone. Not good. That was his tell when he was trying to suppress something. Carly linked her arm through his. The sudden contact startled him momentarily, but he gave her a quick smile before returning his gaze to the monitor. Carly noticed, with some relief, that his hands were still now.

"Oh, Dean Ambrose," Seth chuckled, "Without me controlling Dean Ambrose, he's a babbling buffoon."

"Nice alliteration," Roman said wryly.

"He went to college, y'know," said Dean.

Good. Sarcasm was good. That meant Dean wasn't taking Seth's words to heart. At least, it meant he was trying not to.

"He's a lunatic," said Seth, "He's out of his mind. He's bound to end up in a straightjacket or in some insane asylum somewhere. I am the only one who can control Roman and Dean. I controlled them when, for two years, I was the leader of the greatest group in the history of the WWE, the Shield. And two weeks ago, I showed why I am still in control."

Carly turned away from the monitor as they replayed the footage of Seth's betrayal. She still didn't like watching it. And from the crowd's reaction, neither did they.

"That's my cue," she said, "See you on the other side."

Carly retrieved a microphone and got into position backstage just as the recap ended. Seth was laughing again, and it was time to wipe the smile off that face.

"You know, I never get tired of seeing that," said Seth.

Carly gave the signal, and her music cut off any further gloating. She stepped onto the stage, pausing at the top of the ramp. But Seth raised his microphone before she got a chance to speak.

"Carly," he said, somehow managing to layer that one word with impressive amounts condescension and disdain, "I was just about to get to you."

"I thought as much," said Carly, "Which is why I came out here. I wanted to see if you were capable of slandering me to my face."

"Slander," Seth repeated, "What an accusation. I would never speak anything but the truth of an old friend like you."

"Oh, this I am dying to hear," Carly said drily, "Fire away."

"I created the Shield, and I created you, too," said Seth, "Without me, you would've stayed some pencil-pusher doing Brad Maddox's paperwork. You never would've been associated with the greatest faction in WWE history. I taught you everything you know."

Carly raised her eyebrows and started slowly down the ramp. Ah, the time-honored strategy of weaving in a bit of truth to strengthen the lie. Seth wasn't wrong in saying that he was the reason she broke away from the Authority in the first place. But the rest of it? Be serious.

"That's quite a claim," said Carly, "Do you really think that if you tell a lie often enough, you'll somehow make it true?"

"Your capacity for blind heroics is only surpassed by your capacity for denial," said Seth.

"I had another reason for coming out here," said Carly, stopping at ringside, "I know you, Seth. From the moment I stepped onto that stage, you've been analyzing the situation. Now tell me, in your great strategic opinion, how much of a threat am I right now?"

"A threat?" Seth laughed, "Oh, that is adorable. The likelihood that I'll be struck by lightning before finishing this sentence is a more realistic threat then you are."

"Well then," said Carly, "May I approach, O Seth, chiefest and greatest of calamities?"

She bowed mockingly and smirked at him. Seth exhaled heavily. His lips twitched as though he was about to sneer, but settled instead into a faint smile.

"I'm not afraid of you, Carly," he said.

Carly paused for a moment, her gaze locked with his. He hadn't exactly said no. Well, close enough was good enough in this situation. She climbed the steps and stepped through the ropes. Seth turned away slightly, taking a few casual steps further from her. Interesting. He was making a show of looking unconcerned, but Carly knew better. He was wary of her.

"You know," said Carly, tilting her head at him, "I'm not sure about the cut of that suit. Are you sure the slim fit is the best option for your build?"

"I don't have time to play games with you," Seth said shortly.

"That's fine," said Carly, "I don't want to play. I just want to tell you a story. Do you mind if I sit down?"

Seth stared at her blankly for a second before answering.

"By all means," he said, "Go ahead."

"Thank you," said Carly, "You can sit down, too, if you like."

"I'm good, thanks," Seth said flatly.

Carly shrugged and climbed up the ropes, perching on the top turnbuckle. It was such a blatantly calculated move, the significance of it could hardly be lost on someone like Seth. He was a high-flyer. The top rope was his territory, and she was deliberately placing herself there. Also, placing herself above Seth would force him to look up to speak to her. Altitude equaled authority, after all. However, Seth was aware of how limited her move-set was. There was legitimately no advantage she had on the top rope when it came to attacking. In fact, she was actually more vulnerable up there. Carly was putting herself in a position of power without making herself a threat. Seth would recognize that. She almost thought she saw a flicker of curiosity cross his face before it was quickly smoothed blank again.

"Once upon a – oh, I should probably mention," she said, "This is a fairytale."

"Oh God…" Seth muttered, closing his eyes.

"Once upon a time," Carly continued, "There were three knights. And these three knights, like most young men in old stories, went out into the world to seek their fortune. They were very different from each other – in looks, in skills, and in personality – but they grew to love each other like brothers. When they stood together, they could bring an empire to its knees. It became the quest of these knights to bring down the evil king they had once served. They fought long, and they fought valiantly, and they achieved victories the likes of which no one had ever seen. And slowly, the evil king's empire began to crumble. It appeared that the knights were nearing their ultimate victory. Then, disaster struck. One of the men may have looked like a knight and acted the part to perfection, but he was no knight. He was monster, heartless and empty inside, who fed himself on the love and trust the other knights gave him. One day, this monster betrayed his brothers and left them for dead."

"How very nice-" Seth started to say.

"I wasn't finished," Carly cut him off, "The evil king thought he had won. He had another monster to do his bidding, and he was convinced that the two remaining knights were powerless without him. But they were wrong. The-"

"What," Seth said through gritted teeth, "Are you blathering about?"

He had turned to face Carly directly, glaring up at her. Carly sighed wistfully.

"If you have to ask," she said, "There's really no point in explaining it to you. And really, I was just making sure they had enough time to get behind you."

Seth blinked. His face went blank in confusion for a split second. Carly only caught a glimpse of his horrified expression as he whirled around. While she was holding Seth's attention, Dean and Roman had slipped through the audience unnoticed, and now they were charging right at him.

Carly quickly slipped out of the ring to avoid the ensuing brawl. She watched as the Shield got in a good offensive before the officials came running out to break up the fight. They'd sprung they trap perfectly. As much as Carly was enjoying the moment, the victory wasn't quite satisfying to her. These tricks only worked once, after all. She'd have to be thinking up new ones constantly, not to mention trying to find some way to get Dean and Roman into those ladder matches. She was starting to regret promising to make that happen. It was turning out to be much more easily said than done, and Carly had the sinking feeling that she was going to end up disappointing them both.

xXx

It had almost become tradition now: when in doubt, find a stick. The members of the Authority's goon squad were not friends, so when Carly saw them flocking up during the Smackdown broadcast, she knew it meant trouble. Dean had already had his match tonight. Roman's was still to come, after the current match between Randy Orton and Chris Jericho. Carly was willing to bet anything that the Authority had an unpleasant surprise planned for Roman.

She hurriedly informed the Shield of the situation before running off to the loading docks. Carly dropped to her knees next to the first storage crate she saw, hastily flipping it open. It wasn't kendo sticks. Not even close. Just dusty, rarely used miscellany. And why on earth was there a straightjacket in there?

Carly froze when she heard someone clear their throat. She looked up to see Seth and Kane standing over her. Oh boy… Not good.

"If you wouldn't mind coming with us, Carly," said Kane.

Carly gulped. Even when Kane was a corporate stooge instead of a pyromaniac demon, he was still more than sufficiently intimidating. He was one of the few people who could make Roman Reigns look small by comparison. Walking next to him, Carly felt absolutely miniscule.

Carly didn't say a word as Seth and Kane ushered her into the COO's office, where a smugly smiling Triple H was waiting. She groaned inwardly. The Authority was most annoying when they were happy. Kane shut the door and stood in front of it. Alright, so no escape route. Apparently she'd done something to merit their full attention.

"Well, looks like you were right, Seth," said Triple H.

"I know her better than she knows herself," Seth grinned, "At the first sign of trouble, she'll run off and try to be a hero. She's so predictable."

So that's why the goon squad was gathering so conspicuously. This was a trap. And it'd been Seth's idea, too. The last thing Carly needed was to hear that creep gloating. She glanced pointedly at Triple H.

"Look, torture me if you're going to," she said flatly, "But making me listen to him talk has to be in violation of the Geneva Convention."

"Cute," said Triple H, "But that's not why you're here."

"Oh?" said Carly.

She had a feeling she knew exactly what this was about. However, she wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of bringing it up on her own.

"I have a very simple question for you," said Triple H, slowly stepping closer to her, "And I would very much appreciate a straight answer. What are you up to?"

Not good enough. Time for some deliberate misunderstanding.

"Really? That's your big question?" said Carly, "You know exactly what I'm up to. As the Shield's manager, it's my job to further their careers by ensuring them title opportunities. Which, if you weren't quite so biased, you'd have to admit they've more than earned. And considering how popular they are with the fans, there's really no reason for you not to grant them opportunities – fair opportunities – to qualify for those ladder matches. But you haven't-"

"Enough!" Triple H interrupted Carly's rambling, "I know you like to think that I'm some greedy, corrupt corporate monster, but I'm not. And I'm not here to listen to your sales pitch. The fact is that there have been some strange things going on lately."

There it was. Starting the week after Seth's betrayal, some subtle yet distinctly suspicious things had been happening. For some reason, there'd been a lot of technical difficulties plaguing the Authority and their allies: microphones wouldn't seem to work on the first try, the sound quality would be shoddy, music and pyro was delayed a few seconds so things seemed out of sync. In interviews, much of the roster had been inexplicably finding opportunities to use the phrase "believe that." And perhaps the most blatant example occurred earlier that night, when Naomi, Natalya, and Emma defeated Paige, Alicia Fox, and Eva Marie in a six-man tag-team match. For a few seconds, the three victorious women held out their fists together over the fallen Paige in a clear homage to the Shield.

"I had nothing to do with any of that," said Carly, shaking her head.

It was true, actually. None of these things had happened on her orders. She hadn't been told about them at all. The revolution may have started with her and the Shield, but it was growing beyond her influence.

"Now, why don't I believe you?" said Triple H.

"Deep-seated trust issues?" Carly answered innocently.

Triple H chuckled unamusedly and folded his arms. Seth moved to stand beside him, so they were both staring down at Carly. She got that unfortunately familiar feeling of being a mouse surrounded by cats.

"I've had some interesting conversations about you with Seth here," said Triple H, "And he seems to think that there's nothing I could offer you that would motivate your cooperation."

"He'd be correct, for once in his miserable existence," said Carly.

"That's why he came up with a better idea," said Triple H.

He looked over at Seth with the beaming smile of a proud father. It was incredibly nauseating.

"You're a woman of honor, more or less," said Seth, "I know you wouldn't deliberately do anything that would put your friends in harm's way."

Not good. Carly didn't like where this was headed, but she kept silent.

"No," Seth went on, a thin smile on his lips, "You wouldn't like it if anything were to happen to, say, Roman Reigns. That'd be a terrible way to repay that hair-triggered halfwit who never hesitates to play hero on your account, wouldn't it, Carly?"

It was getting very difficult to keep her composure. If they did anything to hurt Roman, Carly would make them suffer. Seth knew that.

"But maybe that's not enough," said Seth, "We both know that Roman has the tendency to Superman his way out of danger. So maybe you'd be a little more cooperative if the one in the crosshairs was Dean Ambrose."

Carly knew that's where this conversation was headed. Still, the compounded idea of first Roman and then Dean being in danger was making her nervous. In spite of herself, Carly's gaze flicked away from Seth's face for the briefest second. He noticed. Of course he did. Very little escaped that wretch's observation. Carly cursed inwardly as Seth's Cheshire-cat smile grew.

"Looks like I struck a nerve," said Seth, "Just think about it, Carly. You can't deny that I know exactly what makes Dean Ambrose tick. And with the Authority's resources at my disposal, it would be the easiest thing in the world to break him."

Carly's tensed and shallow breathing was making her lightheaded. She had given up all pretence at the point. She glared at Seth with unmasked hatred, her hands shaking. And he just kept smiling.

"So easy," he repeated, "It wouldn't take much to push him over the edge. That damaged, unstable, soon to be committed, pathetic-"

Seth caught Carly's wrist as she tried to slap him across the face. For a moment they stood there, staring into each other's eyes, barely blinking. Seth was just toying with her. Carly knew that. For all the disgust in his voice, the look in his eyes was still utterly empty. Carly could see now that his heart wasn't in it. He didn't have a heart to begin with.

"Don't ever touch me," Carly said through gritted teeth.

She wrenched her hand away from Seth's the instant his grasp loosened. Triple H was watching them both, clearly pleased with how well Seth's strategy seemed to be working. Carly had had enough. It was time to bring this little charade to a close.

"It's a shame, really," she said, focusing her gaze on Seth, "We had a good thing going on. We were kinda like the A-Team, and you were our Hannibal Smith. No matter how crazy they were, your plans always came together. But you of all people should remember, I was Face. I was the one you called on when you needed somebody to run a scam. And I was good at it. So let me ask you all just one thing: if the three of you are here interrogating me, then who's keeping an eye on Randy Orton?"

By the time Carly finished speaking, the entire atmosphere of the room had shifted. Her tone was bright and nonchalant, and the Authority could only stare, blank and dumfounded, unable to process that they'd been had. Carly turned to her former friend with a sly, condescending smile.

"Oh, Seth…" she said, "Are you ever not going to fall for that?"

"Go. Go!" Triple H ordered.

Kane and Seth scrambled to obey. Carly couldn't help but laugh as they bolted towards the ring. Seth knew that Carly instinctively ran for her preferred equalizer at the first sign of danger. But Carly knew that Seth knew, and so she'd one-upped him. It was easy enough to let herself get captured, and to use that as a diversion, buying Dean and Roman time to demolish Randy Orton after his match. Triple H pressed his hand against his mouth, barely suppressing his fury. Carly grinned. With him looking all rage-red like that, she couldn't resist one final dig.

"Well," she said, "I guess you could say that I… played the Game?"

If looks could kill, Carly would've been struck dead on the spot.

"Get out of my office," Triple H growled, "Get out!"

Carly made a hasty retreat before Triple H could change his mind.

Tonight brought more singles matches for Dean and Roman, and still no hint of loophole on those ladder matches. The Authority wasn't winning. Carly had to keep telling herself that. But things weren't nearly as cut-and-dried as they had been before. Maybe that was because Seth had been in charge of strategy before.

It needled Carly, just how little she was able to accomplish so far. Dean and Roman inexplicably continued to have faith in her. Carly wasn't so sure. Doubt, more than the usual amount, was growing in her mind. Maybe Seth was right. Maybe she wasn't capable of doing this on her own. Maybe he'd just been letting her think that she was helping out as a strategist, and really everything had been his doing.

Carly couldn't blame Dean for having such a hard time shrugging off Seth's barbs and ridicule. It was easy to see that Seth was lying about him and Roman. It was getting harder to convince herself that Seth was lying about her, too.

xXx

"So close," said Dean, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

"You got to knock him around a little bit, at least," said Carly.

"Yeah, before he lit out of there like the freakin' roadrunner," Dean grumbled, "How did he get to be so fast?"

"All cowards are quick," Roman shrugged.

They'd ambushed Seth after his match against Kofi Kingston (which Seth had won, unfortunately). Seth made an escape before they were able to do much damage, more's the pity. Still, they couldn't afford to get into too much of a scuffle tonight. Roman still had a match against Kane coming up. Carly and Dean had been banned from ringside, of course, so Roman soon left on his own to get into position.

"How goes the scheming?" asked Dean.

"Not as well as I'd like," Carly answered hesitantly.

The truth was that it still wasn't going at all. The Authority really did not want the Shield anywhere near those ladder matches. All Carly's petitions for qualifying matches had been denied or ignored outright. Also, she got the feeling that maybe the fact that they'd been making nuisances of themselves may not be helping.

"S'alright," said Dean, "We'll make it happen somehow. If all else fails, we could just show up at that pay-per-view, grab the belts and the briefcase and run."

"That's one option," Carly laughed.

It seemed that Dean and Roman were adapting to this new mission far more quickly than Carly was. But that was good. As long as their resilience held up, there was hope.

Suddenly, Dean's head snapped up, and his expression turned grim. He jerked his chin in the direction of the hallway behind Carly.

"Trouble," he said.

No kidding, trouble. A contingent of the Authority's goons were marching down the hall towards them.

"Carly, get out of here," said Dean, not taking his eyes off the advancing horde.

"Uh… not really an option," said Carly.

Dean glanced back to see what she was looking at. Blocking them in from the other side were Carly's old friends, the goon squad's female division. Dean hummed angrily. In the face of a fight, he was, of course, having trouble not just rushing into the fray. But he held his ground and moved into a defensive posture, sticking close to Carly.

This was bad. Carly didn't like it when the Authority got the jump on her, especially when it involved taking a beating.

"Try and fight our way out?" she asked quietly.

"Might as well," Dean shrugged.

Needing no second bidding to be on the offensive, Dean flung himself at the attackers. Carly charged the women, making a point to catch Paige with a kick to the ribs. The brawl was a short one. For some reason, it looked like the goon squad had orders to detain Dean and Carly, not beat them up. Carly, much to her chagrin, was captured easily. The men had a little more trouble with Dean. He was fighting like a demon, and since they were unable to pin him down, they did the next best thing and lifted him bodily, carrying him along.

Carly struggled against Alicia Fox's hammerlock as much as she could. She knew there really wasn't any way she was getting out of it. It was a matter of principle at this point. She and Dean were dragged backstage, but they stopped just behind the curtain. Carly's mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation. What was going on? What was the Authority planning on doing with them? And what was going to happen to Roman?

She couldn't see Dean from where she was standing, but she could hear him struggling still. She hadn't had the breath or presence of mind to speak since the scuffle had started. But she was worried now, and there was no way in hell she was going to let these goons know that.

"Hanging in there, Dean?" she called.

"Oh, it's great," he replied, "It's like having a hammock made of jackasses."

Dean's laugh abruptly turned into a groan, and Carly surmised that at least one of the goons decided not to let him get away with the insult. Alicia Fox wrenched Carly's arm further, cutting off any further remarks.

"No talking," Paige ordered.

So much for bravado. At least now she knew Dean was okay, for the time being. Carly turned her attention to the monitor. Kane was already waiting in the ring. Roman was making his entrance when out of nowhere, Seth and Randy Orton appeared in the crowd, flanking him on either side. Carly's stomach dropped. This was bad. This was extraordinarily bad.

Roman was caught completely off-guard. He made a valiant effort to fight back, but it was too late. They had the drop on him. Seth and Orton kept up their assault and drove Roman over the barricade. They threw him into the ring where Kane was waiting to deliver a chokeslam.

Carly tried to pull herself free, but to no avail. This was sickening to watch. Worst of all was the fact that there was nothing they could do to help him. But Carly was still confused. If all the Authority wanted was a clear shot at beating the hell out of Roman, why would they bring Dean and Carly backstage like this? What were they waiting for?

Seth and Orton hauled Roman to his feet. They threw him against the ropes, and Kane kicked him in the stomach, driving him to the ground. As Roman fell, Seth and Orton seized his arms and twisted the ropes around them. Roman ended up sitting on the mat, his head slumped forward, with his arms tangled in the ropes, straining his shoulders back and immobilizing him.

"Now," Paige barked.

The goon squad hurried to obey. They quickly dragged Dean and Carly across the stage and down the ramp to ringside. The crowd, already angry about what was happening to Roman, reacted with confusion.

Orton smacked the side of Roman's head, shouting something at him. Roman looked up slowly. He pulled against the ropes, tried to stand. An expression of outrage formed on his face when he realized he was caught. Roman struggled a second longer, but froze when he noticed the commotion at ringside. He looked at Dean, then at Carly, horrified, and Carly finally understood.

Seth had known that Carly couldn't stand to watch her friends being hurt. Seth also knew that the same was true of Roman. They'd taken Dean and Carly unharmed because they were going to force Roman to watch. Kane, Seth, and Orton smiled in cruel delight at how well their trap had worked so far.

"Start with him!" Seth ordered, pointing at Dean.

"No!" Carly shouted.

Damned if she'd go down without a fight. She kicked at Alicia Fox's shins in a desperate bid to loosen her hold. No such luck. Paige just grabbed a handful of Carly's hair and forced her to her knees.

"Now you just wait your turn, Carly," Randy Orton called, laughing.

"You bastards," Roman growled as he struggled desperately to free himself, "Let them go!"

"Don't hurt yourself, Roman," said Seth.

He patronizingly ran a hand over Roman's hair. Roman jerked his head away, snarling at him. Seth just laughed, and gestured for the goons to proceed.

Titus O'Neil pinned Dean's arms back. The others took turns on him, unloading blows on his head and ribs until Dean's resistance began to flag. He slouched forward, O'Neil's hold on his arms the only thing keeping him upright.

Carly was aware of the futility of yelling at them to stop, to let him go. She didn't care. It sounded like Roman didn't either. Carly's throat tightened as she blinked back infuriated tears. She was going to make them pay, somehow.

And then everything went dark.

Some of the audience shrieked at the sudden blackout. Startled, Alicia Fox's grip loosened just enough for Carly to slip free. She scrambled to her feet. Punching someone that might have been Eva Marie, Carly dodged away before the women had a chance to collect themselves.

Sounds of various scuffles could be heard over the continued consternation of the audience. With the intent of getting to Roman, Carly started making her way towards what she thought was that side of the ring when somebody grabbed her. Carly instinctively threw an elbow, feeling a jolt run up through her aching shoulder as it connected with someone's jaw. A familiar voice let out a pained yelp.

"Ow, geez! Carly, it's me."

"Dean?" she whispered.

"Come on," he said.

Dean's hand closed on her arm, and he led her towards the ring. Her eyes were beginning to adjust to the dim light. She could just make out the silhouette of Roman, still caught up in the ropes.

"Help Roman," Carly said, "I'll be there in a second."

"Right," said Dean.

Following the lights at the announcers' table, Carly made her way to the timekeeper's area. She pushed someone out of their folding chair (apologizing profusely as she did so), folded it up, and hurried back to slip into the ring.

Kane and Orton and Seth were still there. They were completely oblivious to the confusion around them, being engaged in confusion of their own. They shouted abuse at the crew, demanding that they get the lights back on this instant. Well, that was no way to treat your fellow employees. It was about time these uncouth men learned some manners. Carly raised the chair and swung it in the direction the voices were coming from.

Judging by the pained cursing that followed, Carly had scored a direct hit on Randy Orton. Why not try her luck again? Perhaps she'd end up two for two. Carly swung the chair once more. This time it connected with a much louder clang, and the groans that followed were clearly coming from Kane.

In that instant, the lights came back on. Carly blinked against the sudden brightness. Dean and Roman were standing beside her, leaning heavily against each other. They looked rather beaten up, but not too much the worse for it, thankfully. Kane and Randy Orton were sprawled out on the ground in front of her, and Kane was clutching his head. Carly guessed that Kane had leaned down to help Orton when he'd fallen, so that second strike must've clocked him right in the head. Oops.

The goons outside the ring had completely devolved into chaos. It looked like they'd ended up attacking each other in their desperation to get their hands on Dean and Carly. Heath Slater and Rosa Mendez had taken the worst of it. Jack Swagger apologetically released an irate Paige, who he must've grabbed mistakenly thinking it was Carly. What a mess.

And of course, it seemed that Seth was the only one to escape undamaged. He was down at ringside, where Carly assumed he had fled to at the first hint of chair-shots.

"What are you idiots standing around for?" he shouted at the goons, "Help them!"

The good little lackeys hurried to obey, pulling Kane and Orton from the ring and helping them to the back as the Shield's music began to play. Seth glared up at Carly and the Shield.

"This isn't over!" he yelled, then turned to follow the others in retreat.

Carly dropped the chair. Now that the adrenaline was failing, her shoulder had really started to hurt. Dean took hold of the back of Roman's head and pressed a quick kiss to his temple, and Roman grinned at him.

"You guys okay?" asked Carly.

"Much as can be expected," said Roman.

"Eh, I've had worse," said Dean.

But Carly noticed that Roman was being careful not to move his shoulders more than necessary, and she could see some bruises beginning to form on Dean's face. Poor boys. Tonight had been murder on them. Until that convenient blackout, that is. Now that Carly thought about it, that had been weirdly fortuitous for them. Sure, it could've been happenstance, but then again…

"Come on," said Carly, "We all need a little patching up after this. Let's get out of here."

Dean and Roman needed no convincing. They headed back to the locker rooms, careful to avoid the Authority and their lackeys as much as possible. While Carly waited in the hall for the Shield to get changed, Kofi Kingston wandered over.

"Hey, Carly," he said, "You and your boys alright?"

"Yeah, thanks," said Carly.

"You know, it's the weirdest thing," Kofi said curiously, "I just happened to be passing by the tech area when that blackout happened. Really lucky for you three that somebody just happened to hit the wrong light cue at just that moment. I mean, yeah, there was a chance it could've ended badly for you, but hey. Nothing else would've given you a chance to turn things around."

There was nothing in Kofi's tone or expression that would arouse suspicion from anyone who overheard, but Carly was clearly able to read his meaning.

"I don't think luck's got anything to do with it," she said, smiling at him, "Guess I must've had a guardian angel on my side tonight."

"Guess you must've," Kofi laughed, "See you around, Carly."

Carly smiled incredulously as she watched him leave. He'd taken a gamble, but it was a smart move. Open rebellion was out of the question at this stage. But Kofi had managed a subtle bit of sabotage that bought them just enough time. Apparently the revolution was getting bolder.

xXx

"Stupid of them to all go out there at once," Roman remarked.

"Yeah, but it works out rather nicely for us," said Carly.

The entire Authority was down in the ring: Triple H, Stephanie, Kane, Randy Orton, Seth, and Paige. They were talking up the upcoming pay-per-view, naturally, and only managing to bore and annoy everyone who was listening. Carly had a theory that sooner or later, "nine ninety-nine" would have the same effect on the WWE Universe that "Niagara Falls" has in a Three Stooges routine.

"I think I can see people falling asleep," said Dean, squinting at the monitor, "Looks like that's our cue. Hit it!"

At Dean's signal, the Shield's music interrupted whatever Stephanie was talking about. Carly and Roman flanked Dean was he walked onto the stage, twirling a microphone between his hands.

"Whoa, hey. It's cool, guys. We come in peace," Dean said in response to the furious glares being shot in their direction, "I've got a question about a situation that the Authority needs to address."

"Dean," Triple H said tersely, "This is neither the time nor the place-"

"No, this'll only take a second. Promise," said Dean, "I was just wondering what you planned on doing about all the… technical difficulties that have been going on lately. Somebody could get hurt if this keeps happening."

Dean spoke earnestly, completely undeterred by the growing ire radiating from the powers-that-be. Out of the corner of her eye, Carly could see that Roman was trying very hard to keep his expression carefully blank. Thankfully, no one was close enough to see the spark in his eyes or the way the corner of his mouth kept twitching.

"Look at the set-up in here," Dean went on, "It's not safe. I mean, for instance, look up."

The Authority glanced at each other, nonplussed.

"We're not going to fall for that, Ambrose," Seth said snidely.

"I'm not kidding," Dean shook his head, "You guys should really, really look up. Right now."

"No," said Triple H warningly, "You three should really, really get out of here, right now."

"Alright, if you say so," said Dean.

Dean threw up a hand in defeat. Right on cue, the heavens opened, and gallons of green slime rained down on the entire Authority.

xXx

"Oh my God! The Authority's been slimed! We're seeing shades of D-Generation X getting turned on Triple H tonight."

"Why are you laughing? This isn't funny!"

"Come on, John, you have to admit it's a little funny."

"No I don't. This is disgraceful. It's childish. The entire leadership of this company has been completely humiliated!"

"I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that's probably exactly what the Shield was going for."

xXx

"You can't say I didn't warn you," Dean called out.

The audience screamed in delight. Roman was laughing so hard that Carly was starting to worry that he might pass out. Down in the ring, the dignity of the Authority had been completely drenched in green slime. Kane and Randy Orton tried to help Stephanie to her feet, only for them to slip and collapse in a heap of flailing limbs. Paige and Seth were both shrieking with rage. Triple H wiped the goop from his eyes and started shouting something at security.

"Time to run?" said Dean.

"Good thinking," said Carly, "Go, go, go!"

Still laughing uproariously, Carly and the Shield fled the scene. There was a lesson the Authority would've done well to take away from all this: it's always to your advantage to be friends with the crew.

(Note: Slowly but surely, we begin to make our way through the third act of this thing. Thanks so much to the lovely people who left reviews!)