Note: From this point forward, kayfabe canon is basically totally shot... but y'all knew that was coming!

Chapter 9: The Reason

I'm sorry that I hurt you.
It's something I must live with every day,
And all the pain I put you through?
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears.
That's why I need you to hear:
I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be,
A reason to start over new,
And the reason is you.
I've found a reason to show
The side of me you didn't know
A reason for all that I do,
And the reason is you.

About a week later, Adam is making his first appearance on Dynamite after his time in Atlanta. He and Max have been texting each other a little, though Adam's been careful to give Max space when he needs it, and not to push his luck. He knows that what he has regained with Max is fragile, and he knows that he has to nurture it, but not overwhelm it either.

Tonight is a big night for him – His first time face to face with the Undisputed Kingdom guys, after making his bid for Max's forgiveness. He hasn't completely ignored their texts and calls, but he's wanted to. Because tonight, he needs the whole crew there for what he has to say – though that's probably not going to go nearly as well for him as it might if he were currently operating in fighting shape instead of manager in a wheelchair shape.

But he's not going to waste anymore time. He can't. He's lost too much already.

Max has made his way back to his place in Long Island, but he's stayed in touch with the Rhodes family. In fact, Multiple times a week, Libby insists on FaceTiming Uncle Max so he can tell her a story before she goes to bed. Prior to this, Max's creative mind has mostly been used to emotionally wreck his competition, but for Libby, he's developed a pretty impressive skill of making up stories about Piper to make his favorite non-biological-niece smile. Max was never really all that into the idea of kids in the past, but since his time spent with Libby, he can't help wondering if he'd make a good Dad someday.

For right now, though, his goal is to get back to making a good wrestler someday – mentally, he has no doubt of his abilities, but healing is slow, and discouraging, and he misses being in the ring. It's the only place where things make sense to him sometimes, and even though he and Adam are working on rebuilding trust, Max still wishes he had the ability to get back in the ring and do what he does best.

But he's faithfully watched every AEW show and event since he got hurt and tonight is no exception. Adam's going to appear on the show tonight, and Max wants to see him – even though it hurts a little still. Trust is hard to regain, but love hasn't gone anywhere, and Max is just working his way through things as best he can.

By the time the Undisputed Kingdom assholes come out to cut whatever stupid promo they're on this week, Max is already comfortable and settled in his pajamas on the couch, Piper lazing at his side as he pets her gently. There aren't many things in this world Max usually does gently, but when it comes to Piper, he's gentle as a lamb. Seeing Adam come out ahead of the guys who had been the cause of so many of Max's injuries and stresses still causes him a pang of hurt, but he's keeping his head up and doing his best to stick with it. With the way Adam has been consistently communicating with him, and that's helping… still, Max hasn't been able to just forget all the time they spent together before, when Adam was planning to turn on him all along. Trust isn't earned overnight, as much as Max may wish it were that easy.

Max is a little surprised to see Adam back on crutches instead of in his wheelchair, flanked by Dumb and Dumber… And Even Dumber, and Dumbest. Just the sight of the Undisputed Kingdom makes Max's blood boil, but Piper is doing her job as the very best cat ever to walk the planet, and petting her helps lower his blood pressure just a little.

His phone buzzes in his hand and he looks down to check it. It's a text from Brandi. "We're watching Dynamite. If you need us, you know where we are."

Max's heart feels a little too full with the love that every member of the Rhodes family has shown him, and he texts back quickly, "Yeah. I know. Thank you." Then he snaps a quick photo of Piper to send with the added caption, "Please show Libby?"

"You got it," the reply comes back, and Max is still on edge, but he has to smile a little. He's not sure what he did to deserve this family that has his back after everything he did to try and ruin that, but he wouldn't change it for the world.

Max finds it a little amusing that the whole faction's gimmick is that they had to lie, cheat, and steal to take him off his throne as champion. They have nothing if not for Max being the greatness they had to destroy, and that is kind of fun in its own way. He can't imagine a faction being that excited to tell the world how it took 5 of them and outside help to take out one guy, but different strokes, he supposed.

Once the roaring of the crowd has died down, and Adam has tucked both crutches under one arm to take the mic, Max realizes his own breathing has become shallow. It's as if he's worried that to breathe too deeply would risk not hearing what Adam says, and he really really wants to hear what Adam has to say.

Adam finds himself wishing Max were here by his side – the two of them both in peak fighting shape – but he knows that this is what he has to do. He can still hear Dustin with the tough love reminding him that if he wants a chance, he has to do the right thing, even knowing it may never lead to him getting what he wants. That has weighed heavily on him since the day of that conversation, and he knows that it's true. And for Max? He will.

He raises the mic to his lips, and turns a little so that he can keep eyes on all four of the other guys. This isn't going to exactly be a popular announcement, and he'd prefer not to have his back turned to his soon-to-be enemies when the bomb drops. Mic raised, he still pauses before he speaks, making sure he has his thoughts together, and then…

Then he's looking into the camera directly, hoping that Max is watching – hoping that he realizes that Adam is looking into the camera only because he can't look into Max's eyes. "Over the last few weeks," he begins. "I've been telling all of you every chance I got how I'm going to lead the Undisputed Kingdom into a new era of AEW. I've been telling you how much gold we're all going to have when all is said and done, and how destroying MJF was just a start to a long, long future of dominance."

Roddy's got a smirk on his face that says he clearly has no idea what's coming and is fully prepared to hype Adam. Wardlow stands next to Roddy, and goddammit, Adam really wishes he were in peak physical condition right now, because as it stands, Wardlow could trip him and sit on him, and that would basically be the end of that. But here he stands just the same. "I'm here to tell you tonight that, if the Undisputed Kingdom wants to run the AEW? They're going to have to figure out how to do it without me. I'm out. Completely out. I've got better things to do with my time than spend it with any of you."

It's Taven's face that shows recognition first, and his smile turns to a look of accusation almost immediately. He starts storming toward Adam, who, for lack of a better option, is holding one of his crutches like a club. The beatdown he's expecting is going to hurt like a motherfucker, but he figures if he gets his ass kicked one more time, he probably deserves it anyways.

But before Taven gets close enough to touch him, Adam's blocked by the imposing form of Dustin Rhodes, arms crossed over his chest, and his red and black face paint only accentuating the threat in his eyes. "You see that line right there where you're standing?" Dustin yells at Taven. "If you step over it, it's not gonna be Cole you're dealing with. Understand?"

The teetering edge between silence and chaos is hanging in the balance, but if looks could kill, Roddy's would have Adam 8 feet under – buried the traditional six, and the other two stomped in just for spite. Dustin's a big guy, and anyone with even half an ounce of good sense would think twice before charging him – even if his backup is Adam Cole, with nothing but a crutch to defend himself.

But apparently that half ounce of good sense is lacking for Wardlow, who charges in, fully prepared to ruin Adam and Dustin if needed. Adam is bracing himself for the hit when Dustin shoves Wardlow back with all his might, causing Roddy to lose his balance when his speed-walk collides with Wardlow's backward tumble. Matt and Mike look at each other and Adam is still prepared with his fucking crutch in his hand. But in the face of this shocking turn of events, both of them stand just far enough away to spit on Adam. "You piece of shit," Taven growls.

"Takes one to know one," Adam hisses back, grateful that the fight he was expecting hasn't developed. He has no doubt that he's going to have to face them one day, but for today? This is enough. Once the remaining members of his short-lived faction go behind the curtain, ostensibly to lick their wounds, Adam turns to Dustin and thanks him. The older man gives him a smile of approval, and just as quickly as the craziest promo of Adam's life started? It has come to an end. What will come next, he's not sure. But what he is sure of? He won't turn his back on Max again. Ever.

Max's jaw is hanging open, and he doesn't know what in the hell has just happened, but he knows that Adam just dropped the mother of all bombs on his faction, without a single fuck given. He wants to call Adam right fucking now and talk to him about what he's just witnessed, but at the end of the day, he knows Adam doesn't have his phone in hand as he walks away next to Dustin Rhodes.

He feels overwhelmed… he feels confused. He feels like he's lost his damn mind, because what he has just seen can't be real. But when his cell phone rings a few minutes later, and Adam's name and photo pop up on his screen, Max wastes no time in answering. "Adam?" he says, almost as if he still doesn't quite believe what he's just seen.

"Max," Adam says softly. "I'm glad you answered."

"Glad I answered? Seriously? Did you see what the hell you just did?"

"I hope that what the hell I did was at least to start putting things back to the way they should be." Adam's voice is tired, but warm, sort of sweet in the way it is when he wakes up in the morning.

Max is quiet for just a moment, but once he's gathered his thoughts, he replies, "Yeah… I hope that's what you did, too, because it sure as hell looked like that was what you were going for."

The next moments go so quickly that Max isn't sure exactly what's happening, but as calmly as he'd been speaking to Max, Adam's voice changes in an instant. "Get the fuck out of here!" he shouts.

Max is immediately probing for more information. "Wha… wait, what? Adam?!"

What happens next, Max can't know for sure, but Adam's phone has tumbled to the floor, and the sounds of a scuffle are all he can hear. A scuffle he can only assume is between Adam and at least one of those douchebags. "Adam!" he yells into phone, and his heart sinks when he hears Roddy's voice yelling before the line goes dead.