The atmosphere backstage was as electric as it was out by the ring. People were congratulating me and patting me on the back as if they were seeing me as a true talent for the first time. My classmates all gave me their best and told me to watch out for them in the future. Honestly, all of my classmates were as talented, if not more talented than I was. I knew I'd be seeing them wherever I ended up.

As I walked to my locker room, I realized that my belt was missing an essential piece to its character. There was a place that was set right at the bottom for a nameplate indicating who the champion was. I had a feeling it was in Tommy's office, so instead of changing out of my attire, I went straight to the office to complete the night.

The door was open but the room was full of people. Tommy was there as well as Adam, Rhyno and Sandman. Paul Heyman, Vince McMahon and Triple H were all standing and Stephanie and Linda were sitting down as they discussed the night with some coffee. It was loud and I felt bad for eavesdropping, but when your name is brought up on more than one occasion, you kind of just freeze and are thirsty to know more.

"So, tell us how things work here, Tom." Vince said.

"Well, I write nothing. No one here writes anything for anyone but themselves. Storylines are set up by the people involved and if someone wants in, they adjust. The outcomes of matches depend on how long a person can last in the ring. I've had matches go on for over an hour at a time and that's because the two involved were so determined, neither wanted to give up. The match standards resemble ECW's when I first started in the business. I can tell you now, the women here are as tough, and some are tougher than the men. It's all about resilience and a person's willpower in the ring." He explained. That basically summed up the House of Hardcore in a nutshell.

"So was Autumn winning the title a part of the storyline she set up?" Triple H asked. The room went silent. I could picture everyone in the room that knew me looking from one person to another, looking for the right things to say.

"No." Adam finally said. "Autumn has been working her ass off for the time she's been here and some of those moves, she never even showed us. She came here with no prior talent but is as passionate as I was when I went to the WWE." He explained. Leave it to Adam to always have my back. If Tommy was like a father to me here, Adam was my brother.

"How is she on the microphone?" I heard Triple H ask. Stephanie and Linda were mumbling about his question in their seats.

"Well…" Adam began, but I felt that I'd heard enough.

"It shouldn't matter how I am on the microphone. This isn't a talking game. It's an 'I kick your ass and take what's mine' game." I said as I walked past everyone in the office and placed my title on Tommy's desk.

I needed to keep my 'tough girl' exterior, which wouldn't be so difficult minus the fact that Adam was giving me the proud look a big brother would give his baby sister on the day of her wedding. It didn't make me sick since I hate affection; it instead made me more confident to know that he was on my side with this.

"Excuse me? It used to be like that, sweetheart, but it's not now. Wrestli-" Triple H began but I cut him off.

"It's a passion. I'm not here for a paycheck. I'm here because wrestling is something I've been passionate about since I'm a little kid, but it was something that everyone thought I wouldn't be able to do." I said before nodding my head, smirking as I looked up at the thirteen time world champion and a man I idolized as a child. "I'm going to take notes out of yours and Adam's books. You once said that being in this business is all about climbing a ladder to grab that brass ring that you're thirsty for. Adam has said that being in this business is about being an opportunist and doing things when people least expected them. Now I have been eavesdropping for about ten minutes and I'm already annoyed. By the way, sorry for that." I said, turning to Tommy. Turning my attention back to Triple H, I continued. "Adam's right about me. He's been here with me every baby step of the way. Tonight, I took a chance and I executed those moves with no practice. I've been watching people hit them every Monday, Thursday and Friday night since I'm two. So if you're asking if I'm good on a microphone, well then sweetheart, I think you need to check your priorities about wrestling and get back in the ring and out of the suit." I said, folding my arms.

Stephanie got up off her seat and stood right in front of me. She was in a pantsuit and heels, but she didn't need those to tower over me. Her hand remained sturdy on her hips and she had the same look on her face that she always had before she bitch slapped someone right across the face. I thought she was going to hit me, but I didn't expect anything she said next.

"I like her."

"Steph, what are you doing?" Triple H asked.

"I like her! She reminds me of me, and if you're asking if she's good on a microphone, well… I love you babe, but she just schooled you like no tomorrow. She could be a grade A bitch and I think I know of a person who's dealt with a lot of bitches and bastards in his day." She said, turning her head to Paul.

He looked up at her and then at me before walking over to where I was. My look was still the same and I was a bit calmer in knowing that Paul Heyman would do absolutely nothing to me. His eyes roamed and he nodded, looking at Stephanie and then at me.

"How old are you, Autumn?" He asked.

"I just turned twenty-one." I said as I looked up at him. He nodded again.

"I can work with this. I know exactly who I can pair her off with. They will be like a dynamic duo." He said as he looked at Stephanie.

My eyes widened and my head turned to Adam who caught on quickly. I was already a part of a duo, and if I was going anywhere, my partner and best friend was coming with me. I didn't care what I needed to do to get her a match.

"Autumn's already in a dynamic duo… her partner Ember Lee got injured about four weeks ago and wasn't cleared to compete tonight. She's just as great as Autumn is if you'd let her tag along for the ride. You can trust my judgment." Adam said, vouching for Ember and myself.

"Alright. I'll look at your partner. Regardless, you two will be starting out in developmental. It's where everyone makes their start, but you will be working on the main roster as well. I have plans." Paul said and I could tell he was piecing something together in his head.

As he and Stephanie talked over the plans, Triple H sat down and Vince stood up, buttoning his suit jacket. The room quickly went silent and he looked down at me, nodding his head as if he was agreeing with everything Paul and Stephanie were going with.

"I'm putting input. I'm still the CEO of my company and it's my job to make the proper business decisions. Autumn and her friend, Ember, will be signed to developmental contracts to the WWE. I will look through Paul's plans, and I will decide how those go. The only thing I ask is that we get a replica of the title belt. I want to sell her as a heel and a champion. The Diva's division in the WWE is dying, and I need the game stepped up." He said. I raised my eyebrow and shook my head.

"I'm not fighting women. I just won this." I said, pointing to my title belt. "If you think I'm going to be downgraded to that pink and purple mess of a belt, you must be joking. I love risking myself every night to fight men, and I will continue to do so. I can be 'sold' just the same, and so can my friend because like Adam said… she's my duo." I said.

Vince thought it over for a few moments. I couldn't tell if he liked my confidence or if he absolutely hated me because I was basically calling the shots, but it didn't take me long to realize that I had the bull by the horns. They wanted me in the company. They knew that I probably was like a select few people who was as stubborn as an ox and would not budge unless certain things were met in any form of contract, vocal or written.

"Think about it Vince. Think how much more of a female fan base you would have if a woman was at the top of the food chain, fighting men. With all of the domestic issues in the world today, maybe that's what people need to see. A woman who won't take anyone's shit and will fight back for something she believes in, especially when that woman is extremely opinionated and has a mind of her own…" I suggested as I looked up at Vince. He looked at Paul and Paul nodded.

"You were going to put her with Punk, weren't you?" He asked. Paul nodded again.

"You think you can handle working a microphone with CM Punk?" Vince asked as he looked back at me.

I laughed and nodded my head, taking my title from Tommy who had just gotten finished fastening my new nameplate onto my House of Hardcore Championship.

"Who do you think taught me everything I know?" I said with a smirk as I walked past Vince and left the office.