Hey there, everyone! So, it has been a long time since I've uploaded a WWE fanfic, let alone any fanfic. Truthfully, I've deleted a lot of my old WWE fanfics because it was so badly written and created that frankly, I'm quite ashamed of it. But this story is much better than my old stuff (at least in my opinion), and I'm proud that I decided to take a chance by getting back into WWE fanfiction. Needless to say, I'm excited and nervous to see how people react.
Just to give some context: this story begins in late August 2010, when NXT was a competition show instead of the developmental territory it's known as today. There's some slight AU (challenges may not be the right weeks, for example), but I did try to stay faithful to the season in question. If you have any questions regarding the universe, please shoot me a message and I'll try my best to answer.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to WWE.
Without further delay, please read & enjoy! :D
Olivia Parker's feet tapped the floor and her hands shook as she sat in FCW's makeshift office, waiting for Stephanie McMahon to show up. This was highly unusual— one of WWE's top executives visiting developmental to speak with a member of its talent. From the email she'd received days prior to the meeting, there was no telling as why it was even happening in the first place.
Am I being fired? Wait, that's silly— if they wanted to fire me, they would've done it at the drop of a hat, Olivia thought as she exhaled loudly. Perhaps I'm being moved to the main roster now! But I've only been in FCW for almost a year…why would they want me to go up so soon? Christ, I wish Stephanie was here so I can finally know what the hell's going on.
As if on cue, Stephanie promptly entered the office with a calm grin on her face. Olivia stood up and shook her head.
"Hi, Olivia."
"Hello, Mrs. McMahon. Or do you prefer Stephanie?"
"Stephanie's fine, thank you. How are you?"
"Fine, thanks, and yourself?"
"Good. Did anyone tell you why I wanted to speak to you?"
Olivia shook her head, causing Stephanie to frown in response. "Nothing?"
"The email I got was quite vague," Olivia revealed. "I just know that you wanted to see me, and that's it."
"So, you must be anxious to hear what's going on," Stephanie remarked.
"You could say that," Olivia replied with a nervous laugh.
"Well then, I'll just cut to the chase— you may have heard about one of our newer shows, NXT. It's about to enter its third season next month, and it's going to feature Divas instead of Superstars. We've decided to include seven Divas to compete on the show, and you've been selected as one such Diva. I wanted to tell you the news myself, which is why I came down to FCW to speak to you."
Olivia blinked hard and took a moment to take in the news. "Seriously? I mean…don't get me wrong, I'm grateful that I was picked, but…I haven't been here for that long. May I ask why you picked me?"
"Your past experience prior to WWE was a huge part in the decision," Stephanie explained. "I know you've been wrestling long before you signed to WWE, so you already have the skills to prove yourself. I've personally watched many of your matches, and you're quite good. I think you'll fit in quite well in NXT."
"Oh my God…thank you, Stephanie!" Olivia exclaimed. "Er, sorry for being loud."
Stephanie's laugh was a kind one. "It's alright. So, we're gonna have you film your introduction to the show next week, and then everything will be announced later on this month. Oh, and you'll hopefully find out who your Pro is soon. We're still working that last part out."
"That's fine. Thank you again for choosing me, Stephanie. I sincerely appreciate it."
"You're welcome, Olivia. I have a feeling you're gonna do well out there."
Olivia couldn't help but snicker. "No pressure."
Again, Stephanie laughed. "Yeah, no pressure at all."
True to what Stephanie had said, Olivia was in front of a camera the following week to film her introduction for NXT. She adjusted her white floral halter top and cleared her throat well. A hairdresser touched up her deep red hair, noting that it fell right on her shoulders,
"A lot of Divas don't have hair as short as yours," she remarked. "This is cute."
"Oh, thank you," Olivia replied.
Once the hairdresser left, a producer directed Olivia to the camera. "Just introduce yourself, and then talk about two different things— your childhood, past wrestling experience outside FCW, how you'd describe yourself— whatever you want. After that, finish by saying something about you plan on winning NXT."
"Sounds good. I'm ready when you are."
The producer nodded, and then motioned to the cameraman. "Alright, let's do this. We're ready in five, four, three, two…"
…
"My name is Olivia, and I'm from Long Beach, California.
I know we're called Rookies, but I've been in sports entertainment for just over 10 years now. I started when I was 18, working across North America and Mexico for various promotions. I've held many titles, and have had the opportunity to work with many amazing performers. I think that sets me apart from the others— that I have more in-ring experience than the rest of them.
The main word I'd use to describe myself would be fearless, for sure. I'm not a big person at all— I'm only five foot three— so I'm used to being towered over by many others. But I refuse to let anyone intimidate me; I don't care who it is or how big they are. I'll always stand my ground until the bitter end. I'm not afraid to stand up for myself, or for others.
I know I can win NXT because I have the skills to beat each of my competitors in and out of the ring. I also want this far more than any of them— it's taken me 10 years to get here, and I'm not about to stop anytime soon. I'm going to win NXT, and become the newest WWE Diva."
…
"And CUT! That was perfect," the producer called out. "Thank you, Olivia."
"No problem," she replied. "Am I filming shots of me in the ring now?"
"Once you change into your ring gear, we'll start doing that."
Olivia nodded. "I'll be as quick as I can."
She left the room to change out of shirt, jeans, and heels for her ring gear. Her fellow competitors had already filmed their interviews and shots, so Olivia knew how they'd looked. The main thing she'd noticed from their in-ring shots was how they'd been wearing regular clothes, rather than proper ring gear like she'd been wearing for a while now. She hesitated, but slipped on some old ring gear anyways. It was a jet black halter jumpsuit that cut off mid-thigh, exposing her legs while concealing her stomach and chest completely; there weren't any slits or mesh panels to show off cleavage or any other skin. She polished off the look with her favourite wrestling boots— black leather with white laces.
Once Olivia returned from getting changed, her hair and makeup were briefly touched up so that she looked refreshed. She then headed into an adjacent set that had a ring set up for her to pose in. She did just that, though she felt slightly ridiculous throughout. She bounced off the ropes and posed on top of a turnbuckle, all while maintaining a phony smile on her face. After a half hour or so of filming, the producer yelled cut, meaning that she was done for the day.
"This'll be aired on the second season finale of NXT, which is in a couple of weeks," the producer explained.
"Sounds good," Olivia replied. "Do you happen to know when I'll learn who my Pro is?"
"Probably at the same time that yours and the other women's intros air. They're still trying to figure out who wants to do it and who to pair them with."
"I'll be sure to remember to watch the finale then. Thanks for the heads up."
Sure enough, Olivia managed to be at home in her San Diego apartment to watch the season finale of NXT. Her intro was the last to be shown, intercut with the in-ring segments she'd also filmed that day. She found herself staring away from the TV as it played— it felt awkward to watch herself talk about her career, even if it was to hype up the upcoming season of NXT.
Mine seems so boring compared to the other girls, Olivia thought. Her competitors had told stories of their past entertainment jobs, their personalities, or how they were big fans of WWE prior to joining NXT. They all seemed perky and more interesting than her, making her nervous to compete.
As her interview wrapped up, she looked back at the TV to see her picture alongside her pros— Dolph Ziggler.
"That's an interesting choice," she mused out loud. She didn't have any particular Superstar or Diva she wanted as her Pro, but Dolph Ziggler was a surprising pick. She didn't mind that it was a man instead of a woman— she'd trained under a couple other men before, and had learned lots in the process. But his in-ring persona clashed with hers, as well as his wrestling style. It seemed like the most unlikely of pairings in her eyes.
I can make this work, Olivia thought as the season finale carried on. Although I'm more worried that we'll even get along as people. I know Dolph Ziggler's just a character, but let's hope that he's not really like that in real life.
That's the prologue! I hope you guys enjoyed it (:
As for when the next chapter will be uploaded...I don't know when exactly it'll go up. Having said that, I'm aiming to upload one new chapter a week. But I won't commit to a specific day of the week because that'll just stress me the hell out. I hope that makes sense.
If you liked the beginning, please don't hesitate to give it some love & let me know what you think!
- Elizabeth