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Setting: RAW – One Week Before Payback
Focus: The Shield is booked in a high-stakes main event. Charlotte and AJ both make bold moves toward Roman. Seth's silence becomes more dangerous. And in the shadows, Triple H watches with the patience of a serpent.
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[Opening Segment – Authority Office]
Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and Randy Orton are shown seated at a long table in their office. Batista is leaned against the wall with sunglasses on.
Stephanie: "This next match—it needs to break them."
Triple H: "Evolution vs. The Shield. All three. No backup. No rules. Just pain."
Randy Orton (smirking): "Let's see if their precious 'brotherhood' survives that."
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[Backstage – Shield Locker Room]
Dean is furious, pacing like a caged animal. Roman sits quietly, arms folded. Seth leans in the corner, headphones in, detached.
Dean (spitting): "They wanna throw us in the cage with Evolution? Fine. Let's end this."
Roman (low): "It ends one way. We walk out… or we crawl."
Seth (calm): "Or one of us doesn't walk at all."
Dean glares. Roman doesn't flinch. The tension is loud in its silence.
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[Mid-Segment – Charlotte Corners Roman]
Roman is stretching in the hallway. Charlotte walks up, eyes sharp and voice firm.
Charlotte: "They're pulling you apart."
Roman (not looking at her): "That's the point."
Charlotte: "You're better than this. You're a leader. A destroyer. You shouldn't be protecting the pack—you should be ruling the kingdom."
Roman (dryly): "Everyone wants a king until he burns down the throne."
Charlotte (moves closer): "Then let me burn with you."
Before he can respond, AJ appears—leaning on a nearby wall, arms crossed.
AJ: "Cute. But don't mistake ambition for loyalty."
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[Backstage – AJ's Confrontation]
After Charlotte leaves, AJ steps right up to Roman. Close. Controlled.
AJ: "She wants you to rule. I want you to survive."
Roman (gruff): "And what do you get out of it?"
AJ (softly): "You."
A pause.
AJ (continuing): "Don't trust Seth. His silence is a storm waiting to snap."
Roman doesn't answer. But his jaw tightens.
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[Main Event – Shield vs Evolution Announced]
Michael Cole is in the ring with a mic.
Cole: "This Sunday at Payback… it will be The Shield vs. Evolution… in an unsanctioned match. No DQ. No tags. No mercy."
JBL: "This is going to be a war."
King: "Or a funeral."
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[Final Segment – Shield vs. Wyatt Family (Preview Match)]
Surprise Main Event: The Shield is forced to face The Wyatt Family as "preparation."
Crowd erupts when the Shield makes their entrance—through the crowd, slow and unified… but uneasy.
Match Highlights:
Roman starts. Shoulder tackles Luke Harper into the barricade.
Dean dives off the top rope onto all three Wyatts at ringside.
Seth shows flashes of brilliance—but ignores tags, isolates himself, refuses to help Dean at one point.
Key Moment:
Rowan has Dean locked up—Seth walks away from the apron. Doesn't reach.
Roman sprints in—Superman Punch! SPEAR! He clears the ring. Saves Dean.
They win. But barely.
Post-Match:
Dean grabs Seth by the collar.
Dean: "You gonna tell me what the hell that was?"
Seth (cold): "Just testing how much you trust me."
Roman (quiet but final): "I don't."
He walks away, dragging Dean with him.
Seth watches them go. Alone in the ring. A flicker of something dark in his eyes.
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[Closing Scene – Triple H's Office]
Seth knocks once and walks into Triple H's office. Doesn't say a word.
Triple H smiles.
Triple H: "Ready?"
Seth (low, steady): "Almost."
Triple H: "Good. The hammer falls at Payback."
Fade to black.
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To Be Continued…