Monday morning came around far too quickly. Seth kept replaying the night before in his head. The play-fights, the laughs, the sneaking looks he kept taking. He felt lighter, despite knowing it was Raw that night. It was the closest to happy he had felt in many months and he was determined to keep that feeling, lock it away for when he would need it after the show.
His body was aching but his mind was sprinting away, figuring out a various complications that could happen during the night. When would Dean make an appearance? When would Kane make an appearance? What were The Authority going to do? There were so many variables, too many calculations. It was all down to chance - there was no way to construct a plan with so many wildcards. For now, he had to make tonight his focus, no Paige distractions. He jumped on the spot, shaking out all his limbs. He grabbed his bags and headed to the arena for the nights show.

—-

The arena was buzzed with excitement, it always was after a big PPV event. There were people running around everywhere, yet no meeting call for Seth - maybe that was his punishment, a freeze out. How very grade school, Seth thought. He put on his ring gear and one of his own brand t-shirts over the top, he didn't count on Triple H or Stephanie being quiet tonight so he wanted to be prepared. He hadn't in fact, seen anyone from last night, no Dean, no Kane - he felt like he was being Punk'd.

He did some stretches in the locker room - keeping an eye on the action through the night. It made him uneasy, not knowing, not having a full proof plan ready and waiting. Throwing some punches in the air a shadow in his periphery cause him to jump backwards - fists forward. A small chuckle caused him to shake it off and crack a smile. Roman Reigns stood tall, their first encounter since his actions at Summerslam.

"So, are you gonna explain or..?" Seth just stared, he didn't know how to put it into words, well, words that made sense anyway. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying and failing miserably at forming coherent sentences. A cough behind him made him jump again, except this time he did not land with a fighting pose - even though this scenario was more likely to call for it.

The Lunatic Fringe.

His eyes bore into Seth's own. As if trying to reach into the depths of his mind, to where the answers lay. It was a confusing situation for each of them. Seth - The Architect, whose best laid plans has been waylaid. Roman - in a room with his brothers for the first time since the betrayal. Dean - the confused and contempt swimming in his eyes, wanting desperately to find some answers but not wanting them either - for then his reasons for wanting to beat Seth senseless may be lost.

The silence hung in the air, it surrounded them like a smog, Seth was finding it hard to breathe. His eyes grew wider, unsure of what to do next. They were awaiting a explanation he didn't know how to give. He ran a hand through his dual-tone locks - the blonde falling into his eyes.

"Look, guys…" He started. "I, I wish I could explain myself. But look, I, I never wanted this to happen… Don't give me that look Dean!" He said exasperatedly. "I honestly didn't want it end up like this. Dean, man, I know. I know you won't believe me. But it's the truth. You were, shit, a sacrifice I guess, no matter how I word it, it sounds awful, it sounds like I'm the biggest ass on the planet. And I am! There's no doubt about it. And it blew up… it blew up in my fucking face! And I sure as hell would not blame you for having a beer and celebrating that fact! Just know that in all of this, I never once wanted it to go this far." Seth panted. His entire field of thought laid out for these two men, his two brothers to see. He couldn't stop once he'd started and it was too late to regret it now. He looked at their faces, both looked in a state of shock, confusion and well - rage, if you looked specifically at Dean. Seth understood, he was mildly surprised that Dean was still here, or that he hadn't started beating him to a pulp.

"Look Seth, both you and Dean know that I am the middle ground, fucking hell, I'll quote Twilight and say I'm Switzerland if you will stop staring each other down." His voice hardened at the end. Seth took a step back, he hadn't realised they were doing that. He paced from one end of the room to the other, shaking his limbs out, basically bouncing on his toes.

"I.. No.. Fuck it." Dean left the room.

—-

The show was coming to an end, Seth's mind was frazzled. He wished he'd gone after Dean, like some stupid romance movie - you always go after them! He laughed.

"You gonna share the joke, Cruella?" Seth smiled - the sharp English accent bringing him back to the now. He turned and glanced at the beauty before him, the title held proudly on her shoulder, a fire burning in her eyes. It was infectious, he could feel it growing within him, the need to fight. The need to live. The need to not be held back anymore. The need to join her screaming from the rooftops that 'this is my house!'.

"Sorry, inside joke. No outsiders." She grabbed at her heart.

"Ouch, you wound me, Rollins. Harsh." She winked and skipped into his room. "So, I come bringing news." She stated.

"A raven in hair, a raven in nature."

"Oh, you poet." He knew she intended it as a backhand comment but he saw a small smile creep onto her features. One he couldn't help but mirror in spite of himself.

"So go on then, hit me - figuratively. I bet you could pack a punch."

"You bet your ass I could." She smirked. He breathed out, deeply. She was so damn irresistible. "We have a tag match, against your ole buddy Dean and my best pal AJ." She noticed his face drop, something had happened. "So, you're clearly pumped. What happened?" Seth gawped, he was potentially, maybe, sorta making head way with Dean. And now he was facing him tonight.

"We had a face-off? Of sorts, it was awkward and it sucked and absolutely nothing got resolved. And I told him everything, like everything, and he took off, so… I guess we'll find out tonight." He blew out a breath.

"Wow. You guys are basically a Nicholas Sparks novel, it's kinda cute, kinda weird." Seth chuckled, he couldn't disagree either, it was all so teenage. And strange.

"Well, yeah, pretty much." Paige giggled in return. Seth nearly lost it - she giggled. It was the damn cutest thing ever. He couldn't take it. "Right, time to make yourself look pretty for the fight, I'll be waiting, ready to make you look good!" She chirped as she left the room.

—-

Seth and Paige stood in the ring, awaiting the entrance of their opponents for the night. Paige was abuzz with energy, hopping from one foot to the other, a big grin plastered across her face. Seth trained his features not to reciprocate, he wasn't a smiler, not in the ring. He kept it serious, instead his mind danced to the beat of Paige's footfalls.

'Retaliation' brought the arena to life - Dean and AJ emerging, looks of fury upon both their faces. Paige's grin changed to a smirk and Seth admired the way she played to the crowd, always giving them the crazy Paige they wanted. She tapped her fingers across Seth's back, tagging herself in. He bowed his way out of the ring, literally, to a ripple of laughter from the audience.
AJ jumped in, and they began dancing in a circle, both silently daring the other to make the first move. Simultaneously they dove - grappling back and forth, throwing forearms and head-butts. AJ threw her into their corner of the ring, running in to her with a strong forearm, a grunt of pain came from Paige. A flurry of forearms ensued, before she whipped her into a clothes line and Paige slammed into the mat hard. The match continued in AJ's favour, Seth trying his best to yell motivation from outside the ring. But AJ was clearly furious about losing her title. Paige pulled a cross body out of nowhere, the slam of AJ hitting the ring echoing around the around. Both Divas lay motionless in the middle of the ring, Dean and Seth yelling at their respective partners, desperate for the tag. They both moved, slowly, painfully, crawling desperately to their partner, they both did a crawling jump and both men got the tag they had been waiting for.
Seth and Dean ran at each other, guns blazing, delivering blow after blow, forearms and head-butts, kicks and knees, flying at each other. Seth getting some uppercuts in for good measure. Seth launched Dean into the turnbuckles - running straight into him, winding the Lunatic Fringe. High knee, after high knee to the face of Ambrose. Dean struck back, elbow to the jaw of Seth, climbing to the top turnbuckle and landing a diving elbow, causing Seth to writhe in pain. Seth stood to be met by a dropkick, slamming back onto the mat. He could sense the rage flowing from Dean, like a river bursting its banks. Uncontrollable, unstoppable, unflappable. He rolled quick, sensing an elbow drop, muscle memory kicking in, he'd wrestled with Dean so many times - this one time, it saved him. He jumped to his feet to be met by the face of AJ. She smiled a sickly sweet smile, hands behind her back, expectantly waiting. Seth stole a look at Dean, conflict written all over him, a look Seth was not used to seeing on his face.
A stroke along him shoulders caused a shiver to run down his spine, the spark in the eyes was dancing, smirk prominent. Paige launched herself at AJ, no waiting, no dancing this time. She strikes as she hauls AJ into a fisherman suplex, keeping her leg hooked, vying for the pin. There was a 1 count, and a 2 count, then Dean dragged her off of AJ. He couldn't lose, not like this. Seth ran over, taking down Dean with a flurry of fists. All four going at it - hair and fists flying.

Suddenly, the music of Motorhead came to life - The King of Kings stood at the top of the ramp - fury on his and Stephanie's faces. The four wrestlers looked the ramp, conflicted, AJ quickly rolled out, whilst Dean's head quickly whipped from Seth, to the floor, to Triple H and back again. Seth had his eyes locked on The Game. This is it, their revenge. Paige stood firm next to him, glaring just as hard back. He both admired and feared it - this was not her fight, he didn't want to get her involved. But he knew her well enough to know she wouldn't back down, it wasn't in her nature.

"Seth Rollins." Triple H growled out. "This is your last chance." Seth glanced at Dean, both men grasping what he meant at the same time. They wanted him to go for Dean now. To give him the beating he stood in the way for at Summerslam. Seth stood tall - he wouldn't do it then and he sure as hell was not going to do it now. He was done playing puppet. With one simple look, Triple H knew he was being defied. He hated it, you could tell, the hatred was practically pouring from the lines on his forehead.

"Seth. You don't want to do this." Stephanie all but purred - Seth pondered if making threats was her favourite past-time, cause it sure seemed that way. Seth slid backwards, picking up a microphone.

"Yes. Actually, Stephanie. I do." Seth punctuated his sentence with a signature smirk. Stephanie and Triple H shared a pointed look, an anger in their eyes that Seth had never seen directed at him.

"You do huh?" Stephanie mused. "Well, let's see if we can change your mind, shall we?" An entrance Seth couldn't place erupted, and four men emerged from the back. Sheamus, Rusev, Alberto Del Rio, and King Barrett. He glanced at Paige, petite Paige, whose face showed no emotion even though he knew she must be just as confused as he was.

"Let us introduce to you, The League of Nations." The four men descended toward the ring, each staring down Seth. Seth who instinctively moved in front of Paige, preparing himself for the onslaught. The each took a side of the squared circle, completely surrounding them. Seth felt Paige put her back to his, eyeing up the men on the outside of the ring.

"When they jump in, roll out." Seth whispered to the Anti-Diva. He felt her head shake.

"I'm not leaving you, Seth." He felt her hand reach down and squeeze his. The need to keep hold of that dainty hand over-whelmed Seth.

"Yes, you are." A gruff voice interrupted. Dean stood next to Paige, a look you couldn't quite place as soft, but definitely trying to be. "I've got him." Paige looked from Seth to Dean as four large shadows were cast over them. The newly founded League of Nations. Dean and Seth looked at each other, both with a slight smirk on their face, and they both launched themselves at two men. Dean going crazy on Barrett and Sheamus, whilst Seth flew at Rusev and Del Rio. Paige moved to roll out the ring, when a strong hand yanked on her hand dragging her back. An Irish accent invaded her ears.

"No love, you wait with me." Seamus drawled, wrapped to strong arms around her, laughing into her neck. Seth and Dean, were still trying to get the other three men out of the ring when another figure entered the fray, rocking straight into Rusev with a spear. Roman had come to join his brothers. Three faced three. Sheamus walking into the middle of the divide, Paige held like a shield in front of him and the rest of The League.

"You really wanna do this brother!?" Sheamus bellowed. Seth looked torn. The presence of Roman and Dean behind him giving him an energy he hadn't felt in weeks. His eyes locked on those of Paige, he sensed something there, then she winked at him. She threw her head back, a wave of black cascading over Sheamus. knocking his head back and she stomped down on his foot. The combination of shock and pain cause him to release her. She sprints behind Seth immediately, The Architect grabs her hand and squeezes, she squeezes back but this time he doesn't let go, and he doesn't feel her try to either. All seven men and one woman stared each other down once more, then an all out brawl began, fist flying, legs kicking, it was hard to tell to had the upper hand. Sheamus and Barrett had Seth in a corner, Roman and Rusev relaying fists, whilst Alberto chased Dean around the ring, the latter looking like he was enjoying himself. Sheamus and Barrett took turns kicking the mid-section of the two-toned superstar. A loud thump echoed, and Barrett fell to the ground, holding his head. Paige stood over him, belt in hand. The quick distraction was all Seth needed, he climbed to the top turnbuckle and slammed down on the Irish man, who rolled our of the ring to join his new friends. Seth, Roman and Dean stood at the ropes, daring them to come back into the ring.

"No!" A loud, exasperated scream from Stephanie. She stomped backstage, leaving an enraged Triple H at the top of the ramp.