Chapters won't keep coming out quite this fast. I just wanted to get the ball rolling.
THE ONE MAN ARMY
4#
"I Swear, It Wasn't My Idea"
"Relationships in wrestling... I mean, the romantic kind. They can be very good, there's a few examples where it worked out perfectly. On the other hand... Those examples are few and far between. It's just hard to make it last. For a number of reasons. It can be distracting, it can lead to mistakes, it can lead to disaster. But, at the end of the day... Can you just turn off your feelings?"
Perfect timing.
Nevan walked into the arena, feeling a little like eggshells were beneath his feet. The day before, he received a phone call from WWE. They informed him he would be involved on Raw again, but in the form of a mixed tag match. Which would be really cool, no problem at all, only if his partner wasn't... Sasha Banks. You remember, right? Last week... Their talk... The whole admitting feelings for each other but also agreeing a full-on relationship was in neither of their best interests? Yeah...
Nevan had rounded a corner, finding - much to his dismay - The Boss glaring at him, not even in her gear yet, "I need to know the truth, Nevan."
"I didn't ask them," he went on the defensive, "I swear, it wasn't my idea. I know you're mad. I know it probably looks like..."
"Hey," she softened her expression, "It's fine. Whatever. I just want to know that it's not one of your little games to try and get me to fall for you."
"I respect your decision," he assured her, "You don't want to be more than friends. I admit... In NXT I wasn't too great on accepting that. But, trust me, I'm okay with it now. Them teaming us up for tonight is just... A coincidence."
"Okay, I believe you," she accepted his answer, "Sorry, I shouldn't have assumed."
"It's not a problem," he just wanted the air to be clear and things to be okay between the two of them.
"Anyways," thank coogily that was over, "Any ideas for our match tonight? Ya know... If they decide to let us come up with a few instead of just Chris and Charlotte?"
Nevan laughed, "True."
:::MONDAY NIGHT RAW:::
"So, who are you the boss of, huh? Are you the boss of me? Are you the boss of her? If you're the boss of these buffoons in the audience, that isn't saying too much now is it?"
Charlotte had come out to the ring, demanding that Sasha Banks meet her right then and there and give her her champion's rematch. Without delay, Sasha's music hit the speakers and there she was, proudly draping the Women's Championship over her shoulder, making sure Charlotte couldn't look at her without also looking at the gold. In the midst of their verbal sparring, Y2J took it upon himself to interfere. Which lead to the boss question, which then lead to this...
'I need a rival, I need a rival, I found my soul, let's set it on fire.'
Chris Jericho's face instantly twisted into a scowl, seeing Nevan Flaherty come down to the ring, equipped with a microphone. Nevan quickly spoke up, "This may only be my 3rd week here, but something is really starting to become crystal clear, Sasha."
"What's that, Nev?" they seemed to have a bit of chemistry.
"The only time Chris Jericho is happy is when he's making other people unhappy," Nevan replied.
"Yeah," Sasha agreed, staring right at the former women's champion, "I actually know someone just like that."
"You know what, Sasha," Charlotte's turn to scowl, "You're right. I am happy when I make other people unhappy. And you'll find that out first hand when I take back my Women's Championship," then she turned her attention towards Nevan, "And you? Who are you, again? Oh, that's right, you're the little boy who has been flat on his back to close out the last two Monday Night Raw's. Congratulations!"
Jericho laughed, "Nice!"
"Which may be why you and Sasha seem to be friends," Charlotte continued, "Last I knew, she was really good at being on her back."
"You..." Sasha was ready to brawl right then and there.
"You see?" Jericho stepped in, "This is what's wrong with this New Era. You have stupid idiots like Sasha Banks, like Nevan Flaherty, who have absolutely no respect. They want to come in here, they want to take over, but they don't want to earn it."
"Listen to him," Nevan nudged Sasha, "Listen to Gramps over here. He seems to forget... I beat him two weeks ago. And it might be the first time, but it sure as hell won't be the last."
Jericho was beyond angry, "You are quickly becoming the absolute Bane of My Existence. Now, you listen you little rodent and listen well. You did not beat me. You cannot beat me. You will never beat me. Do you understand what I am saying to you right now? I am Chris Jericho, I am the very best at what it is that I do. And what it is that I do is expose frauds like yourself. Just like Charlotte here will eventually expose Sasha Banks for the fraud she is."
"All right," Nevan stepped up, "Okay. You say I can't beat you. I'm pretty sure that I can. Talking isn't going to give us an answer, so how about we fight!?"
"Is Nevan challenging Chris Jericho to match? I like it, maybe we'll... Oh..." Byron was interrupted by the sounds of a car crash and the appearance of RAW General Manager, Mick Foley, "... Here we go, guys."
"First and foremost," Foley started, standing on the stage, "Chris, I have to admit, great use of the phrase... Bane Of My Existence. Although, what I'm about to tell you may make Nevan a bit banier, if that's even a word. Girls, ol' Holy Foley - cheap plug, people - isn't leaving you out, so don't worry. Right here and right now, let's get a referee down there because it's going to be Chris Jericho and Charlotte versus Nevan Flaherty and Sasha Banks!"
"An impromptu mixed tag? We gotta take a break, fans, don't go anywhere."
:::After The Break:::
Nevan and Sasha were ready to go, standing in the ring, nearly salivating at the prospect of getting their hands on their respective enemies. Charlotte and Jericho, on the other hand, were a bit less receptive to the idea. This wasn't the match Charlotte wanted, she wanted a one on one singles match for the Championship, and Y2J flat out wanted as little to do with Flaherty as was humanly possible. The two of them knew, though, if they didn't go through with this, it would only end up making them look very bad. With that in mind, they finally agreed to start the match.
To start off, it would be Charlotte and Sasha. Collar and elbow tie-up to get things going, Charlotte gaining the upper hand and pushing Sasha down. Fired up, Sasha dove at Charlotte, backing her into a corner, taking a number of swings, only for Charlotte to cover up and move herself between the 2nd and 3rd ropes. The referee backed Sasha off and Charlotte took advantage, slugging Sasha just as the referee moved out of the way. Once again, Sasha responded in kind but Charlotte was quick to back away for safety. Hands on her hips, Sasha was disgusted, just shaking her head. Y2J called Charlotte over to the corner and whispered something in her ear. The Female Flair nodded and then approached Sasha, putting her arm up. Was she intending for a test of strength?
This may very well have been the oldest trick in the book and Sasha knew it. But Charlotte wasn't budging so what choice did she have? Sasha slowly raised her arm to match Charlotte's, but that's when the former champ went for a kick. Sasha caught the boot, Charlotte acted with a roundhouse, Sasha ducked and Charlotte landed flat on her face! Quick Bank Stateme... Charlotte scrambled out of harm's way, slithering under the bottom rope to the outside to compose herself. No, no, no! The Boss wasn't letting her off the hook that easy... SUICIDE DIVE THROUGH THE ROPES, RIGHT ON TARGET! Sasha practically landed on her feet, stretching her arms out, the WWE Universe cheering her on.
Jericho protested, shouting at the referee, "She can't do that! Are you gonna let her do that? Are you out of your mind?"
"She's the Boss, Chris, she can do whatever she wants."
"Oh, Saxton, have some dignity."
In charge, the Boss rolled Flair back into the ring, ready to keep the hurt going. But, it was Charlotte crawling to the corner and tagging in Y2J. Taking his sweet time, Jericho stepped through the ropes, waltzing his way toward Sasha, waving goodbye. Part of her wanted to stay in there. Forget that, ALL of her wanted to. But, the referee wouldn't let her, so she gave in, tagging Nevan into the match. Now, the moment of truth, Chris Jericho and Nevan Flaherty face to face. The crowd liked it, they were into it. To be honest, a bit more Jericho fans than Flaherty ones, but it fed Nevan's adrenaline all the same. Then Jericho slapped the Rookie, leaving a stinging red mark in its wake.
"What are you gonna do about it?" Y2J asked, "Huh? What are you gonna do about it?"
Nevan swung for the fences, connecting with right after right, backing Jericho into the ropes. Whip to the opposite side, dropkick connecting beautifully. Once back up, another one. Y2J rolled to the outside, Nevan followed without the slightest hesitation. He chased Jericho around the ring, never realizing until he collided with Charlotte's boot, that he fell right into Y2J's trap. He might as well have run into a wrecking ball, because that's what it felt like. Charlotte dropped to the floor, standing Nevan up then swinging him back against the ring apron, even unleashing a couple chops after the fact. All the while, Jericho moved into the ring, broke the count, and taunted Sasha with a wave, prompting her to enter the ring and be restrained by the referee.
The crafty veteran had it planned perfectly. The referee distracted, Jericho joined Charlotte outside and they double-teamed Nevan. They whipped him into the stairs, then Jericho whipped Nevan right into a spear from Charlotte! Clutching at his stomach, Nevan was gasping for air as Y2J rolled him back into the ring. Jericho let the rookie stand before dropping him down again with a Double-Underhook Backbreaker! Vintage Jericho. He kicked Flaherty while the rookie tried to get back up. When the kicks didn't keep him down, Jericho popped him with a finely placed elbow, stumbling Nevan back into a corner. Then came a set of chops, but on the last one, Nevan blocked it and hit a few chops of his own, pushing Chris to the center of the ring. Then a whip, but Jericho reversed and hit a power-slam on the way back, using Nevan's own momentum against him, 1... 2.. Not quite yet!
"Jericho is making Flaherty look like a fool in there," Graves commented.
Side headlock on the canvas, looking to simply wear the young man down. Sasha pounded the top turnbuckle, stomped her boot, tried to get the crowd behind them, anything to help will Nevan out of the rut he was in. In moments, he started stirring. He reached out in vain toward Sasha, he sat upright then slowly to a knee, Jericho trying to really wrench in the hold. It wasn't working, Nevan made it up to both feet, elbowing Jericho in the gut until the hold was finally broken. Nevan locked his arms around Jericho's waist, but Y2J kept his feet firmly planted, blocking the German Suplex attempt before countering it beautifully with a running bulldog!
"Nevan!" Sasha yelled, "Come on, Nevan!"
Lionsault from Jeri... Flaherty rolled out of the way, Y2J hitting nothing but the mat. This was Nevan's chance to tag. If he didn't make the most of it, there was a fair chance that Jericho would soon get a pinfall. Sasha encouraging him the whole way. Nevan crawled, Jericho sat up. Nevan used the ropes to pick himself up and dive for Sasha... TO MAKE THE TAG! Sasha stormed the ring, Charlotte doing the same and the two women locked horns with a flurry of rights and lefts. Jericho was still in there, though. He snuck up behind Sasha and pulled her down to the canvas. It wasn't much, but it was enough of a distraction for Charlotte to do Natural Selection, hooking the leg, already feeling victorious, 1... 2... Sasha kicked out!
Charlotte knew she had to act fast to maintain her newfound advantage. She lined Sasha up for a Spear. But, Sasha side-stepped out of the way and Charlotte ended up eating turnbuckles. The Boss had the opening for the Backstabber/Bank Statement combo, but as she went for the Backstabber, Y2J helped Charlotte stay up so Banks got nothing but air and the back of her skull smacking the canvas. Then came The Walls of Jericho on Sasha Banks! The crowd began booing loudly, Charlotte laughing and taunting Sasha. Though, Sasha wouldn't tap, she refused to submit! And her valiant effort was rewarded as Nevan re-entered the ring, breaking up the submission and tangling with Jericho in a full-on brawl, the two of them falling through the ropes to the outside.
With Sasha in pain, Charlotte seized the opportunity in a big way, twisting Sasha's legs in the patented Figure Eight Lock! Sasha screamed in pain but, again, refused to tap out. Nevan and Jericho continued the fight, now spilling into the crowd, drifting further and further away from the ringside area. Meanwhile, in the ring, Sasha inched ever so closer to the ropes, her fingers and arm could not have been stretched farther, but it was just too far out of reach. Damn it, she had to live to fight another day. Therefore... Her hand went do... NEVAN RETURNED! He reached for Sasha's hands and pulled them to the ring ropes, effectively breaking the hold, helping her to escape. But no... No way... Not that easy! Charlotte outright defied the referee's orders and warning...
"I'm never letting go!" a rage burned inside the former champion.
Nevan was about to get in there and break it up himself, but was stopped by Jericho pulling him back out and swinging him into the steel steps once again. At this point, the referee had no other option but call for the bell as well as EMT's. All the while, Chris Jericho applauded Charlotte's vicious streak as she full-out refused to break the submission, risking severe injury to Sasha.
"This is so un-called for," Cole pointed out, "Sasha could have severe injuries because of this assault by Charlotte!"
Eventually, Charlotte broke the hold. She and Chris raised their arms in victory, though the official decision was...
"Your winners... By way of Disqualification... Women's Champion Sasha Banks and Nevan Flaherty!"
Nevan sure didn't feel like a winner, as he gingerly rolled into the ring and knelt beside Sasha who was still in agony, being attended to by EMT's. He glared at Jericho and Charlotte as they headed up the ramp, proud as they could possibly be. No... Nevan couldn't let this go by the wayside... He had to be heard. He limped over to the side of the ring and asked for a microphone, ringside personnel wasting no time in granting his request...
"Jericho," Nevan called out, the anger visible on his face, "This isn't over. Hey!" Y2J was ignoring him, he and Charlotte pretending they heard nothing, "Hey, stupid idiots!" the crowd collectively oh'd while the two finally turned back around, "Summerslam is two weeks away. And I just had a hell of an idea. You and me."
"No, wait," even though she was in as much pain as she was, Sasha pulled herself up, stepping light, "Let's make it a full-on rematch. Nevan and I versus you two idiots."
"We have nothing more to prove," never short on ego, Charlotte and Jericho laughed, "We just humiliated you in front of the entire WWE Universe."
The two in the ring had to sweeten the deal, which they were more than ready to do. First they talked it over amongst themselves through whispers, then presented their idea to the WWE Universe, "I'll put my Women's Championship on the line! Nevan, what about you?"
She gave him the microphone. He seemed hesitant to speak, but soon did, "I'll leave Raw if you beat us."
Well now... That caught Jericho's attention. A chance this soon to rid Monday Night Raw of this so-called One Man Army? Oh yeah, sign him up, "You two imbeciles want to ruin your careers? Fine by me and Charlotte."
"Oh my god... Did Summerslam just heat up or what?"
"Sure did, Byron," Cole agreed, "Will it be official, though?"
"I like the courage, but I despise the timing," Graves said, "Sasha and Nevan were just schooled by the likes of Chris Jericho and Charlotte. So, what do they do? They react like two rookies would... They challenge them to a match they have no hope in winning and even stack the odds against themselves more than they already would be in a match with no title or career implications. Sasha is the future of women's wrestling, Nevan could have been Raw's future, but this is a poor mistake by the two of them. I hate to say it, but this could prove very costly for both their careers."
"Man," Byron responded, "Why don't you tell us how you really feel?"
:::Later, On The Show:::
The backstage cameras caught up with Sasha Banks and Nevan Flaherty both walking out of physician's room, the women's champion just receiving a clean bill of health in regards to her legs. And speaking of the Boss, she appeared none too pleased...
"That is not what we agreed on in the ring," she said, "Why would you throw that out there? It's way too big a risk!"
"How else was I going to get him to agree?" Nevan answered, "Sasha... I know I can beat him. I wouldn't doubt if you knew I could beat him."
"It's the WWE," Sasha said, still mad, "Anything can happen at any time. Just as easily as I won the Title... I could have never touched it. And, by the way, if I do lose this," referring to the belt, "I can just win it back. But, if you have to leave Raw... What are you going to do then?"
Nevan sighed, "If I'm going to make anything of myself here, I need to prove that I belong."
Sasha just shook her head, turning away to leave, "You don't get it."
Nevan sighed again, watching her leave.
:::After Raw:::
Nevan sat on the bed in his Hotel room, occupying himself with his phone while also half watching tonight's Monday Night Raw through the magic of DVR. Twitter was hot with WWE news. Which was always good. He flipped through the Social Media ramblings, finding a surprising number of fans calling for he and Sasha to be a couple. Rivaling the number of Seth and Sasha requests, nearly surpassing the Seth and Paige requests. Not to be outdone, there was some love for Jericho and Charlotte. Also... Seth and Finn? What? Another story for another time...
One fan took it upon herself to whip up an image that made it look like Sasha and Nevan were standing together like a couple, proclaiming... I know how soon it is, but I just couldn't help myself! WWE needs to have more romantic angles, a woman can both kick ass and fall in love. Was it wrong that Nevan immediately made that picture the background on his phone? Ehhh... Deleting. No, bring it back. Maybe just for tonight. What's the harm?
It wasn't love, but it wasn't infatuation, either. It's was something somewhere in between. All Nevan knew for sure was he felt great when Sasha was around. It seemed like she felt the same, at times. She had a point about it possibly leading to a distraction, though. Sometimes things like this worked out, sometimes not so much. They were both flying fast, though. Especially Sasha being given the Women's Championship last month. You don't want to complicate things... You don't want to... Probably don't want to obsess, either, right?
Hard not to think a lot about her, though, when you're booked into a major storyline in a Pay-Per-View match. Was it a cruel joke courtesy of Fate? Maybe it was best not to over-analyze. At the end of the day, Nevan was performing with three great wrestlers at Summerslam, just one of which happened to be one of his better if not best friends. Ehh... Come to think of it... Friends were hard to come by these days for Nevan. Truth be told, he never really had what you would call a best friend... If any real true friends at all. Sure, he had friends, a couple girlfriends along the way.
He was tight with Finn, their matches bringing them close. He and Seth hit it off the couple times they spoke before and after the shows. Bayley and her hugs. Sami was cool. Truth was crazy. New Day invited him to a taping of UpUpDownDown. And, of course, who could ever forget Paige? Maybe he had more friends than he realized. That one in particular, though... That one he kept thinking about...
His segment with Sasha, Chris and Charlotte came on. As he watched it, he changed the background on his phone, returning it to a picture of him and a couple family members.
ONE MAN ARMY
5#
"UnFiltered"