Toril had barely slowed her motorbike to a stop in the parking lot when someone called out to her. Removing her helmet, she saw Dusty walking towards her with a smile.
"Morning Dusty!" she smiled.
"Morning Toril! You're wanted in my office ASAP."
"By you?" she asked, puzzled.
"No, by Hunter. He's got plans for you." Dusty replied.
"And as much as I want to, I don't like the sound of that," Toril groaned.
Hunter was pacing Dusty's office. Suit and tie were abandoned today, clothes that he'd often worn back in his heyday were the outfit of choice. Jeans, trainers for the ring, and a DX t-shirt. He knew what kind of task he'd set himself, and he knew what a lot, if not all of the locker room would say. He knew there was a great chance that some people wouldn't like what was about to go down. Screw them. It's about time the world saw another Chyna, another Mae Young, another Lita even. A modern day tough as nails girl who could take on the best men in the business, Hunter told himself as he looked at Dusty's Hall of Fame picture on the wall. He heard voices, and looked around in time to see the door open and Dusty usher Toril in to the room, and closed the door. She seated herself with what Hunter could tell was a worried look on her face.
"I know you're probably wondering what Friday was about, and I know I was a bit harsh not to tell you." He said, sitting down on the edge of the desk, causing the other man to laugh and roll his eyes as Dusty got back behind the desk. Toril nodded, waiting for him to continue as he paused, unsure about how to approach the subject. "You remember Chyna, right?"
"Yes Sir, one of the people I used to look up to as a kid. She was so tough, and holding the Intercontinental title...that was awesome." Toril replied.
"How would you like to be the modern day version of her? The modern day Mae Young? The next version of Lita?"
"Me? I don't know..." Toril found herself surprised and shocked that he was asking. "Those are some big shoes to fill."
"Your True Tomboy persona is perfect, it's exactly what I want. I want to line you up to one day show every guy in the business up and take that WWE Championship, to show the world women like Mae, Lita and Chyna still exist, and you won't go down without a fight. I'll get you fighting with guys from day one, train you up to handle everything they can. One on one sessions with main roster talent when they come to the center." Hunter said, and he could see she was considering it, her face told him she was thinking it over, and so he dropped his ace card. "You'll get plenty of TV time, and soon, your persona, and I use the term loosely, really won't need much to make it work. We just need to give you some one on one time with Billy Gunn, and he'll have you ready to fight guys in no time."
TV time. The one thing she wanted above everything else. And she could have it, if she agreed. And titles! Not limited to the Diva belt, actual titles to fight for just like the guys did. Toril smiled as Hunter held out a hand to shake hers.
"I'm in. When do I start?" she said, gripping it firmly and shaking.
"Excellent. You won't regret it. And as for when do you start, how about right now. Show this old man what you've got." He said with a smile.
"Wait a sec...With you? But...you're Triple H...The Game..." Toril spluttered.
"I know. And it will prove a point. If you are tough enough to tussle with The Game before we start training you, imagine what it will be like once you get to Raw. Because I am determined you WILL get to Raw." He said. With that he stood up, walked over to the office door and opened it. "I'll meet you in the rings in 20 minutes." Toril stood, gave him a nod and left the room, her bag over her shoulder, walking towards the changing rooms.
"I am about to step in the ring with Triple H...I must, must, MUST be insane," she told herself as she changed. Toril finished tying her laces, put on deodorant, and looked herself up and down in the mirror as she stood there. She would have to do. As she was about to leave, the door came flying open and in came Paige.
"It's true isn't it? The whole complex is buzzing. You're going against Triple H?" she asked as Sasha Banks and Jojo came in too.
"How did you find out?" she asked, beginning to stretch herself and warm up.
"He told us. Said he wanted to see if it was all talk that you were nasty in the ring," Paige said.
"Great...I'm gonna get my ass handed to me on a plate, you know."
"Come on, Tor, have faith." Said Jojo. "You could give him a run for his money if you wanted."
"Maybe. I just want to see where I measure up, is all. See if I'm as good as the guys I watched growing up. And if I can even almost pinfall Triple H, that's good enough for me." She said with half a smile.
Walking to the rings, Toril felt her stomach twist and turn. The three girls walked with her chattering away, not seeming to notice their friend's silence. The fear that she wouldn't match up to Triple H's expectations ran riot as she tried, and failed, to quiet the voices telling her she would make a laughing stock of herself. As she pushed open the door to the rings, she was a little alarmed to see a lot of people waiting to see what was going on. Triple H was in the ring, and as he spotted her, smiled and backed to the other side of the ring. Toril tried to pay the people surrounding her no heed, ignored the few late comers as they slipped in the doors behind her and headed for the centre ring.
"Sure you want to do this?" asked Toril as she got in the ring, and the two began circling each other. Her friends in the audience began to chant and cheer for her.
"Very sure. After all, I need to know if you got what it takes," He said with a smile, and Toril knew what he was doing. He was goading her in to attacking, and she wasn't going to fall for this one.
"Come at me old timer, let's see if you still got it," Toril said, goading him right back. The smile on his face said he too knew what she was doing, and the pair went for each other, locking up in the middle of the ring.
The match was more about Triple H finding her weak spots and her best moves than an actual match, and Toril found herself being allowed to push harder and harder as they fought, even though Hunter could easily pin her. He allowed her a few near falls at least, before Triple H put Toril in a pin. The audience erupted in cheers as Toril was helped up, a smile on her face as Dusty announced Triple H the winner.
"So, how did I measure up?" She asked, wiping her forehead free of sweat.
"You did great. There's work to be done sure, but you know that. But you almost had me a few times." Hunter replied, as people began to disperse again. Three familiar figures however came up to the ring, and climbed in.
"Hey guys, glad you could make it." Hunter said in greeting to the three.
"Hi Hunter," said the first. "Didn't think you tussled with the Diva's."
"Not normally, Dean, no. She's a little different, however. Nice work today Tor. Tomorrow you and Billy will start in the rings. Hit the showers." He smiled.
"Yes Sir." Toril said, climbing out of the ring, and heading past the three men.
"Different huh?" asked one with blonde and brown hair as Toril passed.
"On a whole other level. Roman stop staring, we've got a storyline to discuss," Triple H added as Toril reached the doors. She turned back, Roman was still watching and she winked at him, jolting him out of his reverie, before heading to the showers with a smirk.
As she sat home that night, watching an old Wrestlemania match on TV, she wondered if Hunter had plans for The Shield to cause her hassle on the main roster. Yeah right, said her mind, as she thought back to how they had first met.
Three years earlier, before the performance center was even conceived, the men who would become The Shield were at FCW, the proving ground back then for new talent. Toril was there too. She'd just won a shot at getting a place at the training grounds, and was on a tour with a group of six other girls. Toril was bored shitless. These girls were completely different to her. They talked about makeup and getting tans…Toril wanted to talk about the Moto GP race, the new signing to Tama Drums, and her new high score on Call of Duty.
"So, girls, this is where you train. There's no separate gym hours here, so any work out you do, you do in front of all of us," Said Dusty, gesturing to the gym. A few of the girls scowled or looked disgusted. Toril smiled. Guys in the gym meant picking up tricks to be a tougher opponent. This pleased her, a lot. She heard the three guys closest talking as Dusty answered the questions the group had.
"Look, new blood," said Dean, looking over. "Wait, is that a guy back there?"
"You mean in the t-shirts and jeans?" asked Roman. Seth too looked over, as Toril brushed hair from her face. "No, that's a girl alright. A proper tomboy too, by the look of it."
"Ah, she just wants to be another Lita. Another Trish." Said Seth, before going back to his weights. "Another wrestler wannabe."
"I think she heard you, Seth." Said Roman, as Toril scowled at him. As the group exited, she called him a wanker with a hand gesture.
Toril never struck up a friendship with the group, and was excluded often from the group's training sessions as a result, painfully obvious to everyone. Not that she cared. She spent her free time in the gym, hoping against hope to see a WWE main roster star there, and maybe learn some tips and tricks. She'd gotten this far, there was no way she was going home. As the week wore on, little did she know it, but the wrestlers already at FCW were taking note of the outsider, watching her from afar. They liked this girl who was full of attitude, who would rather spend the night playing Call of Duty and going to rock concerts than going to a beauty parlour after work and getting her tan topped up.
A week later, it was Toril who had defied all odds, ignored the girls and was still there. A week became two, two weeks became three, and she was still there, taking a beating and giving one out. The soon to be Shield saw her often, although they never spoke. All that was about to change.
Toril had walked in to the gym, gotten to the weights bench and was happily working out, headphones in as she did so. She was just getting in to her stride when someone walked up to her and stood expectantly in front of her. Toril pulled out a headphone before speaking, continuing with the dumbbell in her hand as she did so.
"Can I help you?" She asked, evenly. She was un-aware the whole gym was watching.
"Yes. I want to use the weights bench. Now." Said the owner of the boots. She looked up to see Damien Sandow stood in front of her.
"Get in line. I was here first, you can wait." She replied.
"I don't think you understand. I use what I want, when I want..."
"Except when I am using it." Toril replied, putting down the weight in her hand and pulling out the headphone left in her ear. She stood up, looking him dead in the eye as she spoke. " You don't boss me around, Sandow. Ever."
"Why don't you put your skills where your mouth is, little girl." He replied. Toril scowled at him. She hated being called a little girl.
"Name the place and time. I'll be there to kick your slimy ass all over the ring. That is, unless you're afraid of being beaten by a little girl," She said, holding out her hand.
"In the ring, tonight. 9pm. I'd say bring a second, but I don't think anyone here likes you enough to do so." He said gripping her hand harder than he needed, and shaking it, before walking away.
"Hey Sandow...better bring a hanky, you'll need it to mop up your tears after I'm done with you." She called, before going back to working out.
That night, Toril pulled up in the car park on her motorbike, ready for the fight she had gotten herself in to. She walked in to the building with her head held high, her mind set, and her stomach churning. She didn't want to do this, but she had been challenged, and Toril did NOT back down from a challenge. As she came in to the building, her heart, and her head, were in full agreement that she was about to get her ass kicked, and all because she couldn't keep her big mouth shut. She walked to the changing rooms, the corridors empty of anyone. Toril was well aware they would all be in the ring, the few lackeys Sandow had would be waiting to hurt her. Except, as she walked from the changing room to the ring, the corridors were empty. There was no one to jump her, to threaten her to stay away. Toril wondered if it was because she was a girl he thought there was no need. Toril pushed the double doors that lead to the ring wide open, drawing herself up to her full height as she came in. She held her head high, ignoring the others and their friends as they sat around in the chairs for the audience, and walked up in to the ring.
Damien stood opposite her, looking down his nose at her as he did so. Another wrestler, the soon to be Fandango, was refereeing.
"Right you two. This will be a match won only by pinfall or submission. If you are injured to the point you cannot continue, your second may continue on your behalf. Sandow, who's your second?" He asked. The man now called Curtis Axel stepped forwards.
"He is."
"Ok, Blackheart, who's yours?" A moment of panic swept through Toril. She'd not asked anyone to be her second. As she was about to state she didn't need one, the sound of footsteps on the canvas sounded behind her.
"I am." Toril turned to see Roman Reigns stand behind her. He smiled at her, Toril returned it thankfully.
"Ok you two, let's get this over with. Ring the bell." Fandango called.
The bell rang and Toril wasted no time in going for Sandow's legs, rather than locking up as he had been expecting. She swept them from under him, landing him on the floor. He rolled out of the way and scrambled to his feet, and the pair locked together. The fight was well and truly on.
Outside the ring, Roman stood watching with Seth and Dean. He couldn't do anything, couldn't interfere, and truth be told, both he and Curtis were only there for show. No one wanted to end up with a second fighting for them. But, as the fight wore on, it quickly became clear that Toril wasn't going to be such a pushover.
"She's a right little Spitfire isn't she?" asked Dean.
"Not your usual Diva, that's for certain." Seth added.
In the ring, Toril had a slight advantage. Sandow was getting frustrated and annoyed that Toril wasn't going down as quickly as he wanted her to, and this was playing in to Toril's hands. Finally, she'd had enough. She sat down, crossed her legs, tucked her head into her chest and wrapped one arm around her ankle, rolling herself in to a ball. She then extended her remaining arm between her legs and waited. Sandow looked at her, confused, and laughed, thinking her easy prey. He marched over, and grabbed her hand at which point Toril unrolled in to an arm lock, trapping him and forcing him in to the submission hold. He yelled, he pulled, he wriggled and twisted, but Toril was locked on tight and wasn't moving. Eventually, Sandow gave up, and tapped out.
"I don't fucking believe it," Dean said.
"What...the fuck...was that?" asked Seth aloud.
"I've never seen that before." Roman said as Toril stood, being hailed the winner. As she looked down on Sandow, she pulled a hanky from the pocket of her jeans, and dropped it on him as a final insult, before walking off. Roman, Seth and Dean had every intention of going after her to introduce themselves, and asking what that move was. Instead, they found themselves stopping Sandow and his friends from attacking her, people watching as a four on four tussle ensued, and Toril, with the boys, were victorious.
They beat a hasty retreat however, running until they reached the car park and Toril's bike.
"Thanks for the back up," Toril gasped. "What do I call you?"
"I'm Roman...that's Dean, and that's Seth." Panted Roman.
"Toril. AKA Spitfire," she smiled, referring to Dean's earlier remark.
"Spitfire it is." Seth laughed. "Let's get out of here."
And that was it. Although they hardly spoke, no one messed with Toril, and kept their distance at all times whenever the three boys were around. People moved up to main roster, and newcomers arrived. Then she watched as Roman, Dean and Seth left for the heights of the NXT series, and eventually main roster. All the while waiting for her chance. And now, now she finally had it.
