Escalation
"You sure this is gonna work?" Dean said with a skeptical raising of his eyebrows.
"Of course I'm sure," said Carly, "I took a costume tech class to fill one of my fine arts credits in college, and I learned a few tricks."
She patted the seam-ripper in her pocket. Luckily for her, it hadn't been difficult to convince the Authority's wardrobe crew to go on break for a few minutes. And even if they'd been reluctant, Carly could've easily employed what Roman had taken to calling her Viking warlord tactics (meaning a few fifty dollar bills were very persuasive).
"Besides," said Roman, "I'll be running interference for you. If something doesn't go right, you know how to get creative."
Dean grinned, rubbing his hands together. Carly was certain that if Dean would've been more than capable of humiliating Seth on his own, if it had come to that. But she was glad it hadn't. Doing this as a team was a lot more fun. Dean's smile faded a little and he bit his lip, glancing at Roman.
"You sure you're okay with letting me have all the fun this time?" Dean asked.
"'Course I am," Roman shrugged, "I'm not selfish. And I owe it to you after what we pulled on Randy last week."
He trailed off into a laugh. With Dean holding off the goon squad, Roman had ambushed Randy Orton in catering. Nobody seemed inclined to stop him from turning Orton into viper goulash. It had been quite entertaining, even if it was a beast trying to get that sticky toffee dessert stuff out of Roman's hair afterwards.
"Come on," said Carly, "It's showtime."
Seth took the stage, gloating about something or other. Carly was learning to tune him out. Everything he said just made her want to punch him more, and that couldn't be good for her blood pressure. Carly and the Shield let him talk for about a minute before Dean made his move.
Unannounced, he slipped around the curtain and appeared right behind Seth's shoulder. Seth might not have noticed Dean at all if the crowd hadn't burst out cheering. Dean held up his hands innocently as Seth jumped back.
"Don't mind me," said Dean just loudly enough to be picked up by Seth's microphone, "I just wanted to- You got something on your suit there. Just keep talking, I'll get it."
Dean reached over as if to brush something off of Seth's shoulder. Seth tried to dodge him, but Dean followed, catching hold of the suit-jacket's sleeve.
"Would you hold still?" said Dean.
"Get away from me!" Seth ordered.
Seth jerked his arm away from Dean. And when he did, the shoulder seam popped open. Seth gaped at it in shock.
"Aw, now look what you made me do," Dean reprimanded.
"What the hell is your problem?" he shouted, "This is Armani!"
"It's Armani's?" said Dean, deliberately misunderstanding, "You took some other guy's suit? Seth, that's stealing! Here, I'll give it back to him."
Dean lunged at Seth before he had a chance to react. Seth tried desperately, vainly, to fend him off.
xXx
Roman and Carly stood just behind the curtain, laughing along with the audience at the ridiculous spectacle going on right now. As expected, security appeared in short order to break up the fight. But Roman firmly blocked the way to the stage.
"I don't think so," he said calmly.
The security personnel balked and shot each other nervous glances. They had their orders, yes, but they were in no hurry to go up against Roman Reigns, of all people.
xXx
In the struggle, Seth's entire jacket had mysteriously come apart at the seams. Seth stood there, panting, glaring at Dean in outrage, while Dean stared at the fragmented jacket in apparent confusion.
"God, what is wrong with you?" Seth seethed, "You're out of your mind!"
"I don't know, man," said Dean, "You should tell this Armani guy to stop buying such cheap suits. I wonder…"
It took only the barest fraction of a second for Seth's eyes to widen in horror as his mind registered the mischievous grin on Dean's face. He tried to run, but Dean was too quick. Dean managed to get hold of one of Seth's pants pockets. Panicked, Seth clawed at Dean's fingers. Dean looked out at the audience, shrugged, and gave a sharp tug. The seams ripped open, and Dean was left holding the remains of Seth's trousers.
Seth, on the other hand, was left in nothing but a dress shirt and his boxer shorts. In the midst of the uproarious laughter, Carly could hear an excited shriek ring out from the female members of the audience that she couldn't entirely blame them for. Evil or not, she couldn't deny that Seth was an attractive guy. Well, maybe not at the moment, though. Not with his face all twisted up in embarrassment and rage like that. But it was hilarious.
Seth pushed passed Dean to run backstage, howling threats all the way. At that moment, security finally managed to break through Roman's defenses and rushed onto the stage. They gave chase as Dean bolted away and vanished into the crowd. Seth stopped short when he saw Roman and Carly standing in the hallway.
"Geez, what happened to you?" asked Roman, "You look a little chilly, there, Seth."
Seth's jaw dropped. His mouth shut, then opened, then snapped shut again, fury rendering him speechless. After a moment of wrathful spluttering, he vented his indignation in an unimpressive growl and stormed off.
"A word to the wise," said Carly, grinning up at Roman, "Never piss off a costumer."
Pleased with their success, Carly and Roman headed to the hallway near the boiler room that they'd chosen as a rendezvous spot. Ten minutes passed, then twenty, without any sign of Dean. It wasn't like him to keep them waiting, not in a situation like this.
"I don't understand," Carly said, "He should've gotten back by now."
"I know," said Roman, his brows furrowing, "Something must've gone wrong."
"Like what?" asked Carly.
"You know the Authority better than I do," said Roman, "I don't like this. Let's split up and see if we can figure out what happened."
"Right," said Carly.
They headed in opposite directions to search. Worry was settling in Carly's stomach like a brick. This had been one of her plans. If something had gone wrong, if something had happened to Dean, then it was her fault. With a shiver, Carly remembered Seth's pointed threats regarding his ability to break Dean.
So far, Carly's search was coming up empty. Nobody she asked had seen Dean after he ran off. When Carly's path took her past the offices, who should she see but Stephanie standing around looking entirely too calm for a woman whose prize investment had just been made a fool of.
Great. Just wonderful. Carly avoided making eye contact, but she could feel Stephanie's eyes following her. She just had to remain calm. She just had to keep walking and act like she wasn't concerned about anything at all.
"What's the matter, Carly?" said Stephanie, "You look like you've lost something."
Damnit.
"I'm not in the mood, Steph," Carly said.
Although… That smile on Stephanie's face. That was the expression of a woman who knows something. Carly wasn't about to let on that she was worried, though. She was just going to keep walking.
"If you're looking for your little boyfriend," Stephanie called after her, "Don't worry. He isn't going anywhere."
Carly stopped dead in her tracks. Her "little boyfriend"? At Payback, that's what Stephanie had called Dean. And if what had happened to him then was any indication of what might have happened to him now…
Stephanie was baiting her, and she knew it. But if Dean was in the hands of the Authority, that meant he was in trouble. Maybe he was hurt, even. And if Roman hadn't been able to find him yet, this might be Carly's only lead. Carly turned and walked slowly back to Stephanie, doing her level best to ignore her half-sister's gloating smirk.
"What are you talking about?" asked Carly.
"You're looking for Dean Ambrose, aren't you?" said Stephanie, "I can assure you that he's perfectly safe where he is, right behind a heavy door and a sturdy lock."
The blood drained from Carly's face. A locked door. They'd taken Dean and they'd locked him up. One of the few things Carly had ever known Dean to be afraid of, the thing he'd referred to as torture, and the Authority had gone and subjected him to it. Did they know what they'd done? Did they have any idea-? No, it didn't matter. What mattered was finding Dean, as soon as possible.
"You locked him up?" Carly said breathlessly.
"Of course," said Stephanie, "I mean, after the stunt he pulled? You can hardly blame us. I don't know why you look so surprised. After all the times you-"
Before Stephanie could react, Carly had grabbed her by the collar and slammed her against the wall.
"Where is he?" Carly demanded.
Stephanie's composure was shaken. Her eyes flicked nervously from Carly's face to both ends of the hallway. But there was no one around. Stephanie held up her hands.
"Now, just… just calm down," she said in a tone meant to pacify Carly, "Let's talk about this."
Carly slammed Stephanie back against the wall again, tightening her grip on her collar. Stephanie blanched and stared at her in speechless, unmasked fear. Good. Let her be afraid.
"Don't tell me to calm down!" Carly shouted, "Tell me where he is!"
"S-storage room," Stephanie stammered, "B thirty-seven. N-near the loading docks."
Carly stared hard into Stephanie's eyes for a second longer. Steph was a good deceiver, but not that good. She was honestly scared of Carly right now. Carly released her and stepped back, nearly turning to run off.
No. That was letting Stephanie get off far too easily. Carly raised her arm and backhanded Stephanie across the face.
Carly bolted down the hallway. She dodged employees left and right, nearly knocking a few to the ground. Maybe she was panicking over nothing. Maybe Roman had already rescued him. Or maybe he was hurt and alone and afraid. Carly felt sick with rage at the thought of it. And, oh God, this was all her fault, wasn't it?
"Roman!" she yelled as soon as she was close to the backstage area.
Carly spun around, looking for any sign of him. Oh, no. Maybe they'd gotten Roman, too. Carly shouted his name again only to turn and run directly into the man himself. Roman caught Carly by the arms as she frantically tried to tell him what she'd learned.
"Whoa, whoa, slow down, Carly," he said, "What happened? Did you find him?"
"The Authority took him," Carly managed, "They have him locked up."
"Locked up?" said Roman, sudden worry darkening his face, "Where?"
"Room B thirty-seven," said Carly, "Stephanie said it's by the loading docks."
"Wait a minute. Stephanie told you that? Are you sure this isn't a trap?"
"I… I don't know," said Carly, "Maybe it is. I don't know. Does it really matter?"
"No, you're right. It doesn't," Roman said firmly, "We have to get him out of there, now."
Roman took off towards the loading docks with Carly close behind. Carly hadn't even considered that it might be a trap. But she didn't care, and Roman didn't either. If the Authority had any idea what they were doing, this was crossing a line that should not be crossed. Carly and Roman would run headlong into any trap they set if it meant getting to Dean.
"There it is!" Roman called.
They skidded to a halt in front of the door marked B37. Roman pulled down hard on the door handle, even though he knew it was useless. He stepped back, sized up the door, and lowered his shoulder to ram into it, but something caught his eye. Carly turned to see Kane and Randy Orton running down the hallway towards them. Stephanie must've sent them.
"You can pick locks, right?" said Roman hurriedly, "Get him out of there. I'll hold these two off."
With a roar, Roman charged at Orton and Kane. Carly pulled out her pocket knife, trying to ignore the brawl going on not ten feet from her. She had to focus. She had to get to Dean. She fumbled with the handle, jimmying the lock until it finally gave way. The pocket knife dropped from Carly's hands as she shoved the door open.
Her gaze darted around the room before she saw him. Dean was sitting in the corner of the small, white-walled, empty room. He was curled tightly into himself, hugging his knees to his chest, his head buried in his arms. He didn't look up when the door banged against the wall. He didn't seem to notice the sounds of the fight outside. Fear shot through Carly's chest. If he was that distraught, to be completely still and unresponsive…
Carly ran to him, dropping to her knees beside him.
"Dean?" she said, "Dean, can you hear me?"
Carly gently laid a hand on Dean's arm. His skin was so cold that it was worrisome. More than that, she could feel that he was trembling. Carly said his name again, pressing her hand more firmly against his arm. Finally, Dean stirred. He lifted his head slowly. His face was deathly pale and there was a harried look in his eyes, like an animal that expected to be kicked.
With a sudden, sharp movement, Dean turned to look at Carly, as if he'd only just now realized that she was there. He stared at her for a moment, then reached over to put his hand on top of hers. His touch was hesitant at first, like he needed to convince himself that she was really there.
"Carly?" he said.
She took his face in her hands and looked him over. There wasn't any blood or bruises that she could see. Dean flinched slightly at her touch, but his eyes never left her face.
"Talk to me, Dean," said Carly, "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"
"No," Dean said dully, "Didn't hurt me. I just-"
He broke off as a shudder wracked his body. The look in his eyes went straight through Carly's heart. She kissed the side of his head softly, then pulled him into her arms and kissed him again.
"It's alright, Dean," she said, "You're alright. The door isn't locked anymore."
Dean leaned heavily against her. Carly rubbed his back and arms, trying to bring a little warmth back to him. It was freezing in this room. That would've been unpleasant enough, even if he hadn't been terrified this whole time. Poor Dean. How long had he been stuck in here? How long had they tortured him? Fury against the Authority scalded Carly's veins.
Roman appeared in the doorway. He was breathing hard, but didn't look any the worse for the fight, thank goodness. He must've driven Kane and Orton off. In an instant, Roman was kneeling next to them, and had wrapped his strong arms around Dean as well.
"We're here. We've got you, Dean," Roman said in his low, warm voice, "Just keep breathing. You're gonna be alright."
Carly started to pull away. Roman caught her arm to stop her and shook his head, motioning for her to not let go. Carly nodded and shifted position a little so she could hold Dean more comfortably.
Dean was still out of it. His head hung down limply, and he showed no signs of wanting to move or speak anytime soon. Carly was scared. The only other time she'd seen him in this condition was the night Seth betrayed them. It was every bit as frightening now as it was then. But at least she had Roman to help this time around, and Roman seemed to know what to do. He hadn't stopped speaking, keeping up a steady stream of soothing reassurances.
A minute or so passed. Nobody came in to disturb them, which Carly was glad of. The last thing Dean needed right now was for somebody to see him like this. Eventually, Dean stirred again. When he lifted his head, Carly could see that a little of the color had come back to his face. He still looked shaken, but he was far more alert than he had been.
"Do you think you can walk?" asked Roman.
"Yeah," said Dean, nodding, "Yeah, I'm alright now. I think."
"Then let's get you outside," said Roman, "You'll feel better once you get a little air. Come on."
Roman helped Dean to stand. Dean had stopped shivering, but he still wasn't entirely steady on his feet. He politely but firmly shrugged off Carly and Roman's hands. Carly guessed that he wanted to walk out of there with whatever dignity he could, and she didn't blame him for it. Dean Ambrose did not experience fear, and he did not show weakness, not ever. Still, Roman and Carly flanked him closely as they walked, just in case.
Roman led them to the first door that would take them outside. It was a little further to the parking lot that way, but it would keep them out of sight. They walked in silence. Carly began to worry about what the fallout of this misadventure would be. She knew Roman could take care of Dean, but she was concerned about what effect this could have on Dean's already precarious emotional state, and on Roman's good judgment as far as their mission was concerned.
She cast a wary glance at Dean, and noticed that Roman was doing the same. Dean's pace had slowed. His foot caught on the pavement and he stumbled a bit. Carly could see that his face was flushed, and it glistened under the thin glaze of a cold sweat.
"Hey, Roman?" he mumbled, brows furrowed, "I'm not feeling so good."
"Hang on," said Roman, "We're almost there."
Dean nodded. But a second later, his legs gave way and he collapsed. Roman, thankfully, was quick enough to keep him from falling. Getting a firm hold around Dean's back and under his knees, Roman gathered Dean's limp body into his arms. Roman barely even broke his stride.
"Run ahead to the car," he ordered without looking at Carly, "See if you can find a bottle of water or something."
"Right," said Carly.
She dashed off. Carly was grateful that Roman was there to take charge. It was easier to follow orders than to dwell on the altogether frightening image of Dean's face going grey as he passed out like that. By the time she had rummaged around the backseat and found an unopened water bottle, Roman had reached the car. He set Dean down on the pavement beside the car, gently leaning him back against it. Carly hurried over to kneel next to them. Roman took Dean's face in his hands as he started to come around.
"Dean?" he said, "Come on, man. You with me?"
Dean exhaled heavily. His eyelids fluttered open, and he stared uncomprehendingly at Roman.
"Why am I on the ground?" he asked groggily.
For the first time, Roman cracked a smile.
"Gravity's a bitch like that," he said.
Dean nodded, not entirely convinced. Roman took the water bottle from Carly.
"Here, have a drink," he said, "No, just let me help, alright? There, that's better."
Dean wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. He blinked a few times, shifting so that he was sitting up a little straighter. A sudden look of apprehension clouded his face.
"Did I faint?" he asked, mortified.
"Kinda," Roman said hesitantly, "But don't worry. Nobody saw but me and Carly."
"Oh, thank God," said Dean.
He closed his eyes in relief and leaned his head back against the car. Carly bit back a smile, feeling like this was the wrong time to laugh, even if his priorities were a little funny. Instead, she rubbed his shoulder reassuringly.
"Carly, can you stay here and keep an eye on him?" said Roman, "I'm gonna go back and get our stuff, and hopefully not murder anybody along the way."
He made a face and pushed himself to his feet, then headed back towards the arena. Carly started to pull her hand away from Dean's arm.
"Don't-!" Dean started urgently.
His hand shot out to catch hold of Carly's wrist. Startled, Carly stared at him in silence for a moment. Dean looked away, muttering, "I wanna be sure you're still here, that's all."
"It's alright," said Carly.
Dean's fingers on her wrist were like ice. She took his cold hand between both of hers, gently trying to rub some warmth back into it. Carly couldn't quite put her finger on what, but something made Dean look fragile. And that was an adjective that should never, not ever, be applied to Dean Ambrose. The pale coldness of his skin, still glazed with sweat, was like the thinnest layer of ice on a stream. Carly didn't want to get too close, for fear of shattering something.
"Your hands are really warm," said Dean, talking aimlessly to fill the silence, "Isn't there some kind of saying about that? No, wait, that's wrong. It's about cold hands. Nevermind."
"Well, maybe the opposite is true, too," said Carly, "Warm hands, cold heart."
Dean scoffed, smiling faintly. Seeing him smile, even a little, put Carly's mind more at ease. There was so much she didn't know or understand about him. She only wanted to help, without adding to the scars he already carried. Well, after tonight, maybe it was too late for that.
"Do you think less of me now?" he asked abruptly.
"Do I… what?" said Carly, taken aback.
"Do you think less of me?" he repeated, "I mean, now that you saw me like… like that. It doesn't matter if you do. I just want to know, either way."
Dean leaned his head back and closed his eyes again. Carly was thrown off by the bluntness of the question. Could he honestly think that seeing him frightened and vulnerable would lower her opinion of him? Oh, wait. Of course he could. Dean was full of so much bravado, it was easy to forget what a house of cards his confidence was. He said it didn't matter if she thought less of him, but he spoke just a little too loudly, the careless tone in his voice a little too forced, and Carly could tell that it mattered very much.
Dean sat very still. He was waiting for an answer, but he almost seemed afraid of what it might be. Carly reached over and flicked him on the arm, hard. Dean's eyes shot open.
"Hey!" he yelped, irritated, "What was that for?"
"That's for being ridiculous," Carly said, "This is how we operate, you and me and Roman. Sometimes you're the hero, sometimes you're the one that needs rescuing. Sometimes you're the soldier, sometimes you're the medic. We're a team. We tag in and out of these roles whenever we need to. Simple as that."
Dean opened his mouth as if to reply, then looked away. Carly released his hand and started working on the other one. After a moment, she felt like she should say more. To clarify, or something. She wasn't quite sure, but she had the feeling Dean wanted reassurance from her to him specifically.
"I know promises don't mean a lot," she said, focusing on Dean's hands to avoid looking him in the eyes, "Especially not in this business, but I'm gonna make you one. And that's no matter what, you're safe with me. That's not- I mean… well, you know. I already know you, Dean. So no matter what side of yourself you show me, it's not going to change what I think of you."
Carly made a face and kept her eyes down. She'd botched that explanation like a pro. That's what she got for trying to be nice. Why wasn't Roman back yet? He'd been gone a long time. Hopefully he hadn't gotten into any trouble.
"Carly," said Dean.
"Hmm?" Carly said.
She didn't look up. She told herself it was so Dean wouldn't be embarrassed, but she knew that was a lie. Dean reached over, taking both of her hands in his. His hands were still a little cold, but they weren't nearly as icy as they had been. Dean shifted suddenly to press a kiss on Carly's cheek. He lingered a little longer than usually, a little longer than necessary, before leaning away again.
"Just… thanks," he said quietly.
Before Carly could reply, she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. She and Dean looked up to see Roman walking over, lugging all of their gear.
"Did you kill anybody?" asked Carly.
"No," said Roman, grinning wryly, "Not sure how I feel about that either. Come on, let's get out of here."
xXx
"You don't have to sleep, Dean," Roman said patiently, "Would you at least lay down, though? It'd make me feel better."
"Ugh, alright," Dean muttered, "But you two have to come sit over here, then. No leaving me out of the conversation, got it?"
"Thank you," said Roman.
He patted Dean's chest as Dean reluctantly laid back on the pillows, and Carly sat down on the other side of the bed. They'd hit up a drive-through on the way back to the hotel for a sort of late supper. Dean, though more or less recovered, was clearly drained by this evening's fiasco. And he was making up for the indignity of being put in such a vulnerable state by being especially grouchy now. Carly and Roman couldn't really fault him for it, though.
Roman had left his hand resting on Dean's chest. If it had been anyone else, under any other circumstances, Dean would've resented the lingering contact. But Carly knew, and Roman did, too, that Dean was grateful for the reassurance, bravado notwithstanding.
"Carly, I've been meaning to ask," said Roman, "How did you get Stephanie to tell you where Dean was?"
"Well," Carly laughed sheepishly, "I ran into her in the hallway, and she was being all smug and evasive about it, so I sorta lost my patience. She was a little more willing to talk when I grabbed her by the collar and slammed her against the wall."
"You intimidated her into talking?" said Dean, grinning, "Stephanie McMahon, the unassailable queen of kings, cracked by her black sheep little sister. I would've paid to see that."
"Oh," Carly said as sudden recollection struck her, "Oh, no…"
"What, 'oh no'?" asked Roman.
"I forgot about it 'til now," said Carly, "I may have, uh… backhanded her across the face."
There was a second of silence. Then, Roman snorted, trying his hardest to not to laugh. Dean, on the other hand, cracked up with no attempt at restraint.
"Sorry, Carly," said Roman, "It's not funny. It's just… it's a beautiful mental image."
Carly unsuccessfully tried to bite back a smile. It was kinda funny, in the same way a cartoon mouse poking a cartoon lion in the eyes Three Stooges style would be funny. But Carly knew the repercussions would be no laughing matter. Nobody, not even someone with Mr. McMahon's protection, laid hands on the queen and got away with it.
"I'm gonna pay for it next week, I know it," Carly groaned, "But I'm not gonna lie, it felt good."
"I'll bet it did," said Roman, "What do you think they'll do? Put you in a match?"
"Maybe," said Carly, "I'm not too worried about it. It's just going to be an inconvenience, more than anything."
Being put in a match would probably be the mildest punishment she could hope for. Carly had been getting creative in her sabotage, and the Authority likely wasn't to be outdone. Carly didn't regret what she'd done, though. Stephanie deserved it. Even if she didn't know just how cruel she'd been in this particular instance, she deserved it.
Guilt started to needle at Carly again as she looked down at Dean. It'd been her fault. All of it. She shouldn't have let him be left alone. It was dangerous. She knew that, and she'd messed it all up. Some strategist she was. Carly gently stroked Dean's hair back from his forehead. She didn't want to bring it up again, not when Dean was starting to recover, but she couldn't just leave it hanging over her head like this.
"Dean, I'm sorry," she said, not quite looking him in the eyes, "It was my plan, so I feel kinda responsible for what happened, and I'm sorry."
Dean scoffed, shifting his head to look straight up at her, and Carly forced herself to meet his gaze.
"Don't be stupid," he said, "You're not responsible for the Authority being a giant buzzkill. We got the little two-toned sellout but good, and that's all that matters. Alright?"
"Alright," said Carly.
"Good," said Dean.
He craned his neck a little so his head nudged her hand, which she had let fall motionless on the pillow when he started talking, then looked back at her.
"Well, don't stop," he said, "I had a rough night, y'know."
Carly exhaled sharply, rolling her eyes. But she obligingly resumed stroking Dean's hair. He settled his head more comfortably into the pillow and closed his eyes, a self-satisfied smile on his lips. Carly couldn't even bring herself to be annoyed with him, even though he was taking advantage of the situation.
"Once an alley-cat, always an alley-cat," she said.
"Hmm, you love me anyway," Dean mumbled.
After a few minutes, Dean sighed heavily and his head had lolled a bit to one side. Carly looked questioningly at Roman.
"Yeah, he's asleep," said Roman, "About time, too. Here, give me a hand. When I pick him up, you pull the covers aside, alright?"
Working together, Carly and Roman had Dean settled and tucked in in no time. Thankfully, Dean slept like a rock. He definitely needed the rest. Carly gave the quilt one final tug to adjust it, then went to sit by Roman on the other bed.
"Well," said Carly, "That was unfortunate. And a little frightening."
"That it was," said Roman, "Thanks for all your help with him. You kept your head pretty well."
"Couldn't have done it without you," said Carly, smiling at him. Then her expression turned serious again, "From the way you handled the situation, I'm guessing this isn't the first time this has happened?"
"No, it wasn't," Roman said wryly, "The first time was at some sketchy motel in the middle of nowhere, Nebraska. Our car broke down, so me and Dean and Seth had to stay overnight while it got fixed. Once we checked into the motel, me and Seth walked over to the mechanic's to get the details, and Dean stayed in the room. Now, when I say it was sketchy, I mean like you think you just walked into a horror movie kind of sketchy. The bathroom door had this, like, skeleton key chained in the outside of the lock. Dean must've been fiddling with it and locked it by accident, 'cause he went in there to take a shower and then he couldn't get out. Of course he didn't have his cell phone on him, so he couldn't call for help. It was over an hour before me and Seth got back, and by the time we got the door open, Dean was pretty much catatonic. It was… it was terrifying."
"But he was okay, right?" said Carly.
"Eventually," said Roman, "We ended up calling an ambulance, 'cause we couldn't bring him out of it and we didn't know what else to do. He was royally pissed off at us when he woke up in the hospital, I guess because he was embarrassed about it. Wouldn't speak to us for the rest of the day. But we got him to talk at least enough that he told us not to freak out if it happened again, and he'd be fine once he got some air."
"Do you know why he…?" said Carly, "I mean, if it's none of my business-"
"He never said," Roman shrugged, then his voice hardened, "What I want to know is whether or not Seth is responsible for this."
Carly had some strange, reflexive urge to say that it couldn't have been Seth's idea, but she knew better. Seth was more than capable of that sort of cold-blooded torture. It just sickened her to think that anyone, especially someone who had once been her friend, could be that monstrous. Roman's jaw had tensed up, his knuckles whitening as he clenched his hands into fists. He wasn't one to easily forgive someone who hurt the people he cared about. Carly found that she couldn't for the life of her think of anything to say. Instead, she reached over to rub his back.
Roman sighed and let his hands open, massaging them absently. Carly continued running her hand across his broad shoulders, and she felt him relax a little at the reassuring touch. They were silent for a moment. Roman kept a protective watch over Dean as he slept, his gaze hardly leaving Dean's face.
"Doesn't matter if it was his idea or not," said Roman quietly, "He let it happen either way, and I'm gonna make sure he pays for it."
xXx
"What was that all about?" said Dean, wrinkling his nose in confusion.
As they walked through the parking garage, Carly and Roman turned to see what he was looking at. A completely drenched Dolph Ziggler stood next to two laughing women who had apparently just upended a bucket of water over his head while a third woman recorded it on a cell phone.
"Ice bucket challenge," said Roman.
"Supposed to raise money and awareness for ALS research, I think," said Carly.
"By dumping a bucket of water on yourself?" Dean said skeptically, "Sounds kinda stupid."
"Hey, it's for a good cause," said Roman.
"Hasn't anybody challenged you two yet?" asked Carly, "I'm surprised. I mean, there are more than a few fangirls who'd kill to see you good-looking boys get soaked."
Roman rolled his eyes good-naturedly at her teasing tone, but Dean sidled up to Carly and put his arm around her shoulders with a devilish grin.
"Did I just hear you call me good-looking?" he said.
"I take it back," Carly said.
Dean just laughed. Carly was glad to see him in good spirits. He seemed to have completely bounced back from that most recent misadventure. He didn't want to talk about it, so Carly and Roman didn't bring it up in hopes that it hadn't done any lasting damage. There was, however, the lingering question in their minds as to the degree of Seth's involvement. Because if he was willing to sink that low, then Carly and the Shield would have to be much more careful from here on out.
Carly leaned against the wall near the locker rooms while she waited for Dean and Roman to change. The simplest solutions were usually the best, and the least prone to failure. That's why they'd agreed on the more straightforward strategy of having Dean and Roman just beat the hell out of Seth after his match tonight. They both had singles matches earlier on, and hopefully nothing would go awry for those. But that would leave them in the clear to get another brief episode of vengeance. Who knows? Maybe they could just gradually annoy the Authority into giving them spots in the ladder matches.
"Excuse me, Miss Caden?"
Carly had been so lost in thought that she hadn't even noticed the group of security personnel approaching her. She pushed herself away from the wall, looking at them warily. She recognized the senior employee of the bunch, the one who had spoken, as a man named David.
"You need to come with us," David said.
"Why's that?" said Carly.
She didn't have a guess as to what was going to happen next, but she knew the reason. The only time the Authority got actual security involved is when they wanted to throw their weight around and make an example of somebody. And since Carly had backhanded the taste out of Stephanie's mouth earlier that week, she was very aware that the hammer was about to come down on her. Hard.
"I can't say," said David, "Please, I'm going to have to ask you to come quietly. I'm just following orders, Miss Caden. Believe that."
That specific choice of words and the apologetic expression on David's face were enough to convince Carly that he was sympathetic to her cause, and therefore not somebody she should punch in the face. Not even if he was doing the Authority's dirty work. Carly could understand that. Open rebellion wasn't for everybody. Still, she didn't like the idea of just giving herself up. But the Shield hadn't returned yet, and there was nobody else in the hallway, so there really wasn't anything she could do.
Carly nodded and fell into step with the security, letting them surround her as David led the way. This was bad. She just didn't know how bad. Her only hope was that, whatever the punishment was, it would fall on her shoulders alone, and not the Shield's.
Unsurprisingly, Carly was taken to the COO's office. David knocked on the door and, at Triple H's order, ushered Carly inside. None of the security personnel came into the office, but Carly didn't hear them walk away, either. Interesting.
Carly let her gaze slowly travel over the assembled members of the Authority. Everyone was there except Paige, because she had a match early on in the broadcast. Carly knew the smug looks on their faces all too well. They had plans for her again, and it was not going to be a pleasant experience. She locked eyes with Stephanie for a moment, exchanging an icy smile with her half-sister. Carly never liked when the Authority had the drop on her. Of course, it wouldn't do to let them see that. And since none of them seemed inclined to speak, she might as well get the ball rolling.
"Nice suit, Rollins," she said, not bothering to disguise the malice in her voice, "Is it new?"
Seth's arrogant expression hardened into a glare. Apparently the bruises they'd dealt to his ego hadn't healed yet. Carly knew she was a bad person for it, but she couldn't help but smile.
"Really, Carly," said Triple H, "I don't know how you manage to feel proud of yourself when all you do is pull that kind of stupid, childish prank."
"Stupid? Childish?" Carly said with mock indignation, "I'll have you know it takes a lot of skills to weaken a seam just enough that it'll hold under normal wear but pop open when it gets pulled on."
"But you're here for a different reason," said Triple H, "Care to take a guess why?"
"I'll do one better," said Carly, "I'll give you a reenactment."
Carly swiftly raised her hand and took a step towards Stephanie, causing Stephanie to flinch back and everyone else to start forward defensively. So Stephanie really was afraid of her, huh? That also was interesting. Carly laughed, lowering her hand.
"Gotcha," she said.
"This is no laughing matter," Triple H said sternly.
"Regardless of whatever delusions of grandeur are going on in your head, Carly," said Stephanie, "I'm still your boss. You attacked me, and you're going to face the consequences."
Stephanie paused for a moment. Carly stared at her, unimpressed.
"Alright," said Carly.
"Alright?" Stephanie repeated.
"Is there an echo in here?" said Carly, "I'm not trying to deny my actions, and I'm sure as hell not going to apologize for them. There's nowhere for me to run, and therefore: alright."
The Authority looked suspicious, dissatisfied. They'd been thrown off by Carly's nonchalance. Carly knew they would be. It was a trick she'd learned as a child, when grown-ups had had the same reaction to her calm acceptance of discipline. (The only difference was she'd at least done something to deserve it then.) But in this situation, it gave her the upper hand for a few brief moments.
After a pause, Triple H nodded at Seth. The smile returned to Seth's face, and that was enough to unnerve Carly all over again. He stepped towards Carly, pulling something out of his pocket. Carly's heart sank when she saw that it was a pair of handcuffs.
"You have to be joking," she said flatly.
Seth laughed and moved behind Carly, beginning to fasten the cuffs around her wrists. Carly didn't try to get away. She knew it wouldn't be worth it. But she did ball her hands into tight fists, and jerked her wrists out of Seth's grasp just as the cuffs closed around them.
"Not at all," Triple H said while Seth worked, "You've proven time and time again that you are a dangerous, unpredictable, violent individual. This is for our protection."
"You always say the nicest things," said Carly.
As Seth walked back to stand with the Authority, Carly made a show of pulling against the handcuffs to test their strength.
"Oh, don't bother," said Seth, "There's no way you're breaking out of those."
"I'd be careful if I were you, Seth," said Randy, eyeing Carly distastefully, "That little hellcat can still bite."
"Even I'm not dumb enough to bite into something as poisonous as that creature," said Carly.
It seemed that, whatever the Authority's plans for her were, they weren't going to happen anytime soon. Carly hated waiting. She didn't want to start looking anxious and give them the satisfaction of knowing they were getting to her. So, in the spirit of being as obnoxious as humanly possible, Carly plunked herself down on the couch and stretched out, closing her eyes as if she was taking a nap. It felt like something Dean would do. The Authority proceeded to ignore her entirely as they continued their conversations, but Carly could feel them watching her to make sure she wasn't up to any tricks.
She listened to them talk, but they weren't giving out any answers. Not that she really expected them to. Making her wait for it was all part of the game, after all. Both Dean and Roman's matches went on without incident. Both were victories, too, which was good. The Authority had been entirely too quiet for the entire broadcast, and that alone would be enough to make them nervous and throw them off, but it hadn't. Carly wondered if the boys were worried about her. She'd been missing for nearly two hours now, and she didn't know if anybody had seen her get taken who might've told the Shield about it. She wasn't too worried about them, though. If nothing else, it was clear that the Authority was holding Carly and Carly alone responsible for Monday's shenanigans.
Carly started to get a bit confused as the end of the broadcast drew near. Seth should be getting ready for his match, but he hadn't so much as gotten changed yet. She couldn't imagine Sheamus being very pleased if they told him he was getting cheated out of a having a fight.
xXx
With one hand on Carly's shoulder to force her along, Seth made his way to the ring. To say that Carly resented his touch would be a massive understatement. But she opted against attempting to shrug him off. If he was going to march her out there like a captured enemy leader, she was going to maintain as much dignity as she could. She straightened up to her full height, keeping her eyes focused straight ahead, and acted as if Seth wasn't even there.
Seth paused at the steel steps, gesturing for her to go first with a mocking bow. What a creep. Carly barely acknowledged him as she walked up the steps. She was more concerned about how she was going to get through the ropes without tripping. But apparently Seth had that covered, too. He swung one leg over the second rope, pushing it down to make it easier for her to step over. And they said chivalry was dead. Carly half-considered refusing his help, but anything was better than ending up flat on her face while trying to look dignified. Anyway, he sooner she figured out what was going on, the sooner she could make her move.
Seth positioned her in the center of the ring. The audience was getting a little concerned now that they'd noticed the handcuffs. That, and the presence of a contingent of the Authority's goons at ringside, and the fact that Seth had just retrieved a microphone. Carly cursed inwardly. She was going to have a hell of a time keeping her poker face if she had to listen to him talk.
"You may have noticed," said Seth, "That we've been having a little trouble with insubordination in the WWE lately. And the Authority has allowed me to come out here and address that problem now."
God, was he annoying.
"What I have here," said Seth, gesturing at Carly, "Is an example of the problem. Carly Caden, the 'rebel princess.' The symbol of the revolution."
Seth curled a finger under Carly's chin, forcing it upwards. He smirked as he forced her to look at him. Carly didn't pull away. She was too busy convincing herself that spitting in his face wouldn't help matters, however satisfying it might be.
"And that's what she is, really. A symbol," said Seth, "Symbols are important. They inspire people. People rally around them. People can make very, very foolish choices because they believe in what that symbol stands for."
Seth finally released his hold and took a step forward to address the audience. Finally. As long as he was in front of her and not paying close attention, Carly was in the clear. Now all she had to do was keep a straight face, not make any sudden moves, and start working one of her hands free.
"But what none of you seem to understand," said Seth, "Is that this isn't a fairytale. You want a story about some insanely lucky nobody taking down a big, bad empire? Go watch Star Wars. Believe it or not, I'm not the bad guy. The Authority is not the bad guy. This is reality, and reality isn't about good and evil, heroes and villains. It's about power. The Authority has it. She doesn't."
Seth turned back to glance at Carly. She froze. She'd worked one of the cuffs halfway down to her knuckles. She was so close. She tried to maintain an expression of disdain even though her heart was pounding. Seth stared. Carly was certain he was onto her, but then he looked back at the audience.
"Look at her," said Seth, "Captured, in chains. Powerless. This is the person you all believe in? This pathetic, helpless little girl? Wonderful choice, you guys. Just fantastic. Because your icon, your figurehead? She's mine now."
The cuff was pressed painfully against her knuckles now. All it would take is one final push and then –
No. Seth turned and walked slowly towards her as he spoke. There was no way Carly could free herself and get away without getting caught if he was watching her.
"The symbol of the revolution is in my possession, because I hold the power here. Not her, and not any of you. And especially not Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns!"
Carly hastily shoved the handcuff back up to her wrist as Seth moved to circle behind her. She was pretty sure she invented a few new swearwords as she tried mask an internal screaming blue streak behind a blank expression. All that work, wasted, because this sonofabitch-! Seth stopped, placing a hand on the back of Carly's neck.
"Guess what, boys?" Seth called mockingly, "I got my hands on your precious princess, and there's nothing you can do about it. But you're more than welcome to try."
It took less than two seconds after that challenge for the Shield's music to hit. The crowd screamed as they appeared on the stage, looking righteously incensed. Oh boy… This was going to get ugly.
Seth only laughed again, pressing on Carly's neck to turn her so they were both facing the stage. Roman glanced calculatingly between Seth and Carly in the ring and the goons at the base of the ramp, but Dean's murderous gaze was fixed solely on Seth.
"Oh, bravo!" said Seth, "Nicely played. Look, Carly. The flea-bitten mutts of justice came to rescue you. Isn't that sweet? I suppose I should be impressed by your pluck, boys, but what if I don't want to give her back just yet?"
Seth stepped closer behind Carly as he spoke. He reached around so that his right arm was loosely draped across her throat and his hand was resting on her left shoulder. Not tightly enough to be a choke or even a headlock, but just enough to make it clear that he could employ either of those two moves in an instant. Seth leaned down to rest his chin on top of his hand as well.
He was so close now that Carly couldn't avoid the painfully familiar scent of whatever cologne he wore. Her mind connected that scent with the Seth she'd known before, not the traitor standing next to her now. It felt irreconcilably wrong. This person, this monster looked and sounded and even smelled like Seth, but spoke like Triple H and behaved like Randy Orton. Carly was starting to feel sick.
Roman's hand on Dean's arm may have been enough to stop Dean from charging down the ramp to tear Seth to pieces, but it didn't deaden his red-hot rage. Dean was gesturing violently at Seth and shouting something that Carly couldn't make out.
"Oh, does this bother you, Ambrose?" Seth taunted, "You always did wear your heart on your sleeve. Right next to where you keep this ace of yours, as you call her. That's a dangerous choice. Am I upsetting you? Huh? Hitting a little too close for comfort, maybe? Then come down here and shut me up, Ambrose! Come on!"
It took all of Roman's strength to hold onto Dean and push him back to the top of the ramp as he fought madly against his brother, scrambling to take Seth up on his challenge. Carly didn't have to hear it to know that Roman was doing his best to talk Dean down. Apparently Seth didn't either.
"That's right, Roman," Seth said, "You stay calm and be the voice of reason. Nevermind that you're just as upset as he is. Nevermind that you're so angry right now that you could explode and take this whole place down in the fury."
Dean stopped struggling and Roman turned over his shoulder to look at Seth. His wolf's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched in suppressed rage. Seth knew exactly what he was doing, knew exactly what to say to set Dean and Roman off. It was clear that they couldn't hold out much longer. If only Carly could put some distance between her and Seth, she could get loose and shut him up herself.
"I know you, Roman," said Seth, "She brings out the best in you, doesn't she? You like to pretend you're the hero, the knight in shining armor, whenever your little princess is in danger. Well, she's in danger now. And I know it's gonna burn you up inside to know that you stood by and did nothing to help her."
"Don't listen to him!" Carly shouted suddenly.
She'd seen the subtle shift in the Shield's posture. Roman hadn't let go of Dean, but now it looked like Dean was holding Roman back instead of the other way around. The sound of Carly's voice jolted both of them back towards reality, loosening the hold Seth's words held on them. Luckily, her outburst also had the effect of making Seth release her. He stepped forward to continue working on the Shield where Carly couldn't interrupt and interfere.
Thank God. Now all of his attention was focused on Dean and Roman. Carly hurried to force the cuff down her hand all over again.
"No, no, no. Listen to me, Roman!" said Seth, "Come on and show me what you're made of, both of you. Where's all that justice and honor you're always talking about? Get down here and show me!"
Before the Shield had a chance to react, Dolph Ziggler's music blared through the speakers. Carly couldn't tell who looked more confused by this: Dean and Roman, or Seth, or herself. What did Dolph think he was doing? Did he always have find the most volatile situations to interfere in?
Dean and Roman backed away slightly, suspicion written on their faces, as Dolph stepped around the curtain. Steely-eyed once again, he raised a microphone to his lips.
"Dean, Roman, I'm sorry. I know you probably don't want me getting involved," said Dolph, "And I'm sure I'm gonna catch a beating for what I have to say. My hand to Hunter, I'm sure I'm gonna be punished and pushed further down the totem pole. Seth, I couldn't just sit back there and listen to this. I was never a fan of the Shield, man, but I dug your vibe. You know why? Because you went against the Authority. But what you did was far worse than what the Shield's done to anybody else. You're nothing but a traitor, Seth, and you've done the worst thing you could ever do. You turned your back on your own brothers and you sold out, man."
Seth raised his chin haughtily while the crowd began chanting at him once again. And as the chant swelled, and the Shield's wariness lessened, and Carly edged closer to freedom by millimeters, Dolph went on.
"It's despicable, Seth," he said, "It's a disgrace to this whole business. Clearly, the Shield isn't gonna stand for that, and Carly isn't going to either. And so far, they've been the only ones brave enough to do anything about it. Well, not anymore. Whether you two like it or not, you've got me on your side. I stand with the Shield, and I stand with Carly Caden, and you can bet your ass I'm not the only one."
Dolph tossed the microphone aside, and the crowd began to cheer wildly. Dean and Roman watched in amazement as Kofi Kingston walked onto the stage. He was followed by the Usos, then Sheamus and Rob Van Dam, of all people. Led by Dolph, the reinforcements gathered around the Shield at the top of the ramp, grimly staring down at the goon squad and awaiting orders.
Carly had worked the cuff down to her knuckles. Her hand hurt like hell, and she wasn't entirely certain that this wouldn't break or dislocate something, but she knew all it needed was one final shove. The goons nervously glanced back at Seth.
"What are you idiots standing around for?" Seth shouted, "Get rid of them!"
There! Carly's hand slipped free. Seth's back was to her. Without a second thought, she dashed towards him, jumping onto his back.
xXx
"Sleeper hold! Carly's locked in a sleeper hold on Rollins!"
"How on earth did she get out of those handcuffs?"
xXx
"Didn't see that one coming, did you?" Carly said in Seth's ear.
A brawl had broken out at ringside as the Shield and their newfound allies clashed with the Authority's goons. But Carly didn't have time to worry about that now. She'd managed to get one over on Seth, and there's no way she was going to let that advantage slip away. Seth had been caught completely unawares. Carly had wrapped her arm around his neck and her legs around his waist before he could react. Now, if she could only hold him long enough for Dean or Roman to fight their way through.
Seth, curse him, was smart. He caught hold of the handcuffs that still dangled from Carly's wrist and used them as leverage. She was forced to loosen her grip as the metal bit into her skin, and that was all Seth needed. Carly found herself being flipped off Seth's back and onto the mat.
Dazed, Carly pushed herself to her hands and knees. She turned to see Seth rebounding off the ropes, heading towards her. Carly's heart stopped for a second, because she was more than familiar with the set-up for a curb-stomp.
But Seth stumbled, apparently still disoriented from the sleeper hold, and stopped just short of finishing her off. Carly seized the opportunity. She scrambled to her feet, lunging at Seth and grabbing him by the lapels. Seth tried to pry her hands off of him, shooting frantic glances past her that Carly could only assume meant that the Shield was getting closer. Just a few more seconds. She just had to hold on for a few more –
Suddenly, Seth struck out at Carly with one hand, landing a blow on the side of her neck, and everything went black.
Carly was dimly aware that she had hit the ground, and she felt the heavy footsteps of somebody running past her. When she opened her eyes, she found that she was laying on her side in the center of the ring. Damn it all to hell. Seth must've gotten away, because she could see Dean standing on the ropes, screaming for him to get his cowardly ass back here.
Carly tried to sit up only to find that she was unable to move. She was quite literally paralyzed. Panic jolted through her. No, focus. She had to force herself to calm down. Her mind was already starting to put the pieces together with vague memories of the personal defense class she'd taken back in high school. Something about pressure points? Of course Seth would know about that sort of thing. Which meant, thankfully, that this was only temporary. She just had to wait it out. Carly felt somebody else walk across the ring and a shadow fell over her.
"Give it up, Dean!" she heard Roman saying, "He's long gone."
Dean whirled around, opening his mouth to argue. Then his brows furrowed in surprised concern, like he'd only just now noticed Carly. He jumped down from the ropes.
Roman held the back of Carly's head with one hand, supporting it as he pushed down on her shoulder to roll her onto her back. She was still unable to move her arms and legs into more comfortable positions than the ones they were currently sprawled into, frustratingly. In fact, she couldn't do much more than look up at Dean and Roman, who were leaning over her.
"Carly?" Roman said worriedly, "Hey, you alright, princess?"
"Yeah," Carly said, still a little disoriented herself, "Just can't move."
"You can't move?" Roman repeated, startled, "Like, at all?"
"What the hell did he do to her?" said Dean.
Before Carly could answer, a third figure knelt beside Roman.
"What's going on?" asked Rob Van Dam, "Can I help?"
"She says she can't move," said Roman.
"Hmm," said Rob, "Carly, it looked like he hit you on the neck. Is that what happened?"
"Right," she said, "Pressure point."
Rob nodded comprehendingly, his concerned expression changing to a sympathetic smile.
"It's alright," he said, to reassure the still confused Dean and Roman, "She'll be fine. Hitting somebody on the side of the neck'll make them black out for a second, and it can cause temporary paralysis if you hit it just right."
"Well, what do we do?" said Roman.
"Probably take her back to the trainer's room and get her looked at, just to be safe," said Rob, "You can carry her, right, Roman? Good. Here, you help me get her over to the apron, Dean."
xXx
An examination by the medics confirmed that Carly was fine, but they recommended that she should rest there until she was more recovered. Now that that whole fiasco was over, Carly had time to think about what had actually just happened.
It was open rebellion. Dolph, Kofi, Jimmy and Jey, Sheamus, Rob – they went out there and straight-up declared their intention to stand against the Authority. Carly hadn't worked for the WWE for very long, but even she knew that this was something that simply did not happen. However good it was for her and the Shield, it wasn't going to end well for their newfound allies. Carly almost wished they hadn't gotten involved. Still, Dolph knew exactly what he was getting himself into. The others probably did, too. They knew there'd be consequences, and they were prepared to face them. Day after day, the Authority's stranglehold on the roster was slipping.
As for Dean and Roman, well, Carly could see that they were still somewhat rattled by Seth's words. Dean moreso than Roman. Carly was starting to get a little worried about him. She thought he was doing alright, but now she wasn't so sure. He had been managing to keep his head about the whole revenge business. But tonight? If Roman hadn't been around to hold him back, Dean would've come completely unglued. Even now, he seemed distracted.
"Feeling any better, princess?" Roman asked as he helped her to sit up.
"I'm alright," said Carly, "What about you two? Are you okay?"
"Not a scratch on us," said Roman, "Thanks to those reinforcements."
"That isn't quite what I was asking," Carly said hesitantly.
Roman grimaced and glanced away. Constant, unshakeable Roman Reigns was the last person who liked to admit that somebody had been able to get inside his head. But Carly knew that Seth had lined up his attacks like a sniper, and even Roman couldn't just brush that off.
"Little worm thinks he's a cobra just 'cause he can spit venom," said Roman, "Takes more than that to get to us. Right, Dean?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Right. I was gonna ask," said Dean, twirling the handcuffs around his finger, "How'd you manage to get out of these?"
"Small hands and skinny wrists," Carly said, "That's apparently one of the few ways to slip out of handcuffs. I taught myself that after Paige got the jump on me that one time, and I decided that I was never gonna let that happen again."
"Right, princess," Dean smiled faintly, "Never again."
xXx
Sheamus had taken exception to being cheated out of a fight, so his match against Seth had been rescheduled for Monday. Seth was being interviewed backstage by Renee beforehand. Carly and Roman watched it on one of the backstage monitors, waiting for Dean to get back from getting a snack down at catering. Seth point-blank ignored her questions about the events of Friday and instead promoted the Money in the Bank pay-per-view like a good little corporate shill.
Suddenly, Renee's eyes widened, and she dodged back out of view. Somebody from off-screen upended a five gallon pail of ice water over Seth's head. Seth stood frozen in shock for a few seconds, spluttering against the cold. As he turned to look at the culprit, the camera panned over to show… Dean?
"What?" Dean said, "It's for charity."
Dean flung the bucket at Seth's face and jumped him while he was still stunned. The cameras kept rolling as security moved in to break up the brawl, and Carly could hear the distant sounds of the crowd roaring in approval.
"I can't believe he just did that," Roman said, grinning incredulously.
"That was hilarious," Carly laughed, "Why didn't you tell me he was gonna do that?"
"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Roman.
They stared at each other for a second, their smiles faltering. It wasn't like Dean to go solo like that. He was too proud of his own ideas. He always had to tell Carly and Roman as soon as he thought something up, because he was too excited to wait. Even if that meant calling them at all hours of the night. This, though. This was strange.
"Maybe it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing," said Roman.
There was absolutely nothing spur-of-the-moment about a five gallon bucket of ice water.
"Yeah," said Carly, "Yeah, I'm sure that's what it was."
She and Roman nodded at each other, both entirely unconvinced.
"Come on," said Roman, "Let's go make sure he didn't get thrown out or something."
(Note: Thank you to the lovely people who left reviews!)