Talk Is Jericho
As Jericho's jingle plays before the podcast begins, Lexa bops her head along to the beat, overwhelmed and nervous in the presence of a legend. At the moment, she hates Clarke for putting her on the spot, yet at the same time, couldn't love her more. After all, this was her chance to redeem herself in not only her idol's view, but the entire company.
Lexa didn't come here to make RAW or Smackdown Live the "Lexa Show", as her dissenters were now dubbing it. She came to fulfill a lifelong dream, as well as bring change to the company, one it so desperately needed, even after the immense strides it had made in such a short time.
Introducing himself, Chris Jericho beams about a lovely Friday, and his lovely guest, the fresh face of the WWE, the Universal Champion, The WWE's current Enigma, is she friend, is she a foe? He remembered her from NXT, but in a different light, as many of the WWE Universe also did. Jericho highlighted that he would ask the tough questions, and address the question many people wanted answered, if nepotism was alive and well (while personally rejecting this idea himself), or if backstage politics played a role. Regardless, he himself wanted to hear it from The Woman, and the new Face that Runs the Place, RAW's WWE Universal Champion, Lexa!
"Wow, that was a lot of names you ticked off there," Lexa joked, after hearing Jericho's clip, grateful that a radio podcast prevented the broadcast of her blushing profusely at his praise.
"You've done so much in so little time, the fans demanded this. And when I say demanded, I mean just shy of banging on my door demanded. You broke down the door when you made your main roster debut, and from everyone that's worked with you, all I've heard is, that I haven't seen anything yet. The fans weren't just satisfied with that, they wanted to figure out this enigma, of who is Lexa, and to be honest, so did I. We know that you've been crowned Superstar of the Year, and had incredible, amazing matches with fine storytelling. I think a lot of your fan base, they already knew, you had something, but I guess none of us expected what has played out this past month. With all of this hype surrounding you, to obtain such a high position in such a short amount of time, you have to be something special, and I think many people are intrigued by this, and a little rattled as well. Lexa is here, ladies and gentleman, and hopefully here to answer some of the burning questions. They wanna know you, the WWE Champ, formerly a bright star on NXT, certainly a shoe-in for the main roster when you were there, but I have to ask, where did this all come from?"
Another reason Lexa was grateful for the lack of cameras? Clarke's presence, as she felt a reassuring squeeze of her hand, and a reminder, that this was just a chat, not a promo. She could have a conversation with the larger than life Ayatolla of Rock and Rolla.
"Oh wow, uh, where do I start?" Lexa started, before adding, in a low voice, "No pressure," to kid along with the fans, earning herself a chuckle from Jericho.
"No pressure, I promise Vince won't come over and yell at you," he reassured her, segueing her into one of her talking points.
"That's good to know, he's been yelling at me since I got here," she deadpanned, taking a sip of water to clear her throat while Jericho made a face, impressed at her brazen attitude.
"Wo-ho, I can see why he likes you so much!"
"No really, I think he hates me. I feel like the only reason I'm here is because Hunter has my contract locked up somewhere in the Disney Vault-"
"The Disney Vault!" he snorted, almost on cue with Clarke. Comfortable enough to continue with jokes, Lexa settled in, with a bit more confidence than before.
"Yeah, I'm very superstitious, and recently I've been told, that I spend too much time looking into conspiracy theories. So, yeah, I think the vault's real, yeah," Lexa finished, with a smirk directed at her girlfriend.
"So, if you ever wanted to watch The Lion King…?" he goaded, confusing the young Champion, before she caught on to his running joke.
"Oh, for sure, I'd break into it. I mean, it'd be a long time since I last broke into something, but I'd hope these kind of skills are like riding a bike, and not competing for an Olympic event."
Clarke pouted, recalling this event in harsher light than the WWE Champion probably remembered. Countering this with an apologetic look, Lexa whispered something apologetic in her ear, juggling between this, and listening to Jericho's response.
"Rough childhood?"
"Abandoned at birth, typical orphan story, until I turned eight," she answered succinctly.
"What happened at eight?"
"I got into a fight, and lost to this bully named Luna. It was the worst night of my life."
"Schoolyard bullies?" His surprise didn't go unnoticed; Lexa followed his every mannerism, from him leaning in to engage more, and thoughtfully rubbing his chin.
"Schoolyard bullies," Lexa concurred. "It was a rough time. Trish and Lita were retiring, people were starting to hate John Cena, and here I was, getting my butt handed to me by this- nerd. I had to do something. I mean, you know how the schoolyard rep goes, I had to defend my honor."
"I'm guessing it was Smackdown Live, after school addition? You get into a scuffle behind the bleachers? Maybe hit a move off one of them?" he played along, in anticipation for her feel-good ending to her story.
"I wish I could say that," she answered, sucking her teeth. "Actually, she beat me up plenty of times, I got my ass handed to me more than once. What got me, was this one time, someone stood up for me."
"Someone stood up for you?"
"Yeah, this girl stepped in front of me, grappled the girl, and did an arm drag takedown, like it was nothing. Like she was just riding a bike. I was so just, in awe of what she did, and stupefied, all I could think was, 'wow, I wish I knew how to do that!'"
"Wait, so this girl just comes up to defend your honor, takes down your arch nemesis rival school bully, and that, that wasn't the end of it, right? She did let you know who she was, right?"
"She absolutely did," Lexa proudly beamed, her smile stretched ear-to-ear like a Cheshire Cat at the memory.
"And who was it?" Jericho excitedly asked.
"You won't believe me if I tell you," Lexa admitted, that warm feeling in her gut warning her, she was straying into dangerous territory. She let caution to the wind, however, because this wasn't scripted, this was about her life, her real one, that included the woman sitting next to her.
"C'mon, you know we need to tell Vince to sign that prodigy! This woman might still be out there in this world, watching out for bullies she can execute an armbar on."
"Hold number 12, Armbar!" Lexa exclaimed, a throwback to one of Jericho's old WCW promos.
"Oh my gosh, how old were you when I said that?" Chris lit up, impressed with her knowledge, considering how old the reference was.
"I just turned one…?" she hesitantly admitted.
"Oh, wow. That didn't make me feel old at all," he quipped, smiling to let her know he wasn't fazed in the least.
"I'm sorry. I don't want to make you feel patronized by saying you were one of my inspirations to become a WWE Superstar, but I would be lying if I didn't say that. And, to answer your previous question, that girl who defended me is already in the WWE. So, dreams do come true."
"Really?"
It wasn't mocking, so Lexa, with a look to Clarke for affirmation, turned back, and answered.
"Yeah. You were one of my favorites, I loved to cheer you, but I loved booing you as well!"
"And the schoolyard hero?"
"She's currently the RAW WWE Women's Champion."
"No way, Clarke Griffin-! Ladies and gentleman, I know you can't see this, but Clarke is actually here with us today in the studio, because, well, she's awesome and she's always welcome here. Clarke, would you like to give your take of events on how this all unfolded? Were you, would you say, the slingshot in this David vs. Goliath story?" he goaded, encouraging her to speak, or in the least, greet the many listeners tuning in.
"I'd like to forget that ever happened," Clarke remarked, finding it was now her turn to flush a shade of red. "My mom grounded me for the longest time after that incident, because Luna's mother told me I almost broke her arm."
"So then, as the prodigy Zen master that you were, you took your collective knowledge, and bestowed it onto Lexa, I presume then?"
This was the Jericho gimmick, and Clarke navigated it warily, amused by his antics, but also eager to portray Lexa, along with herself in a good light.
"We trained together. Initially, I was learning something that I loved, I couldn't tell you why, but the ring felt like home to me, and soon, it became Lexa's home. Because of her upbringing, and her struggles, she didn't exactly have the opportunities I did, so when my parents gave the green light for her to train with me, it became her livelihood, and purpose. I think that's still the person the fans see on WWE RAW, and Smackdown Live, a raw fighter, someone real."
"The two of you seem to know each other well," Jericho noted, careful to tread on any lines. He didn't know much, but he knew this was a pro wrestling podcast, not a gossip blog. Speculation like that had no place in this interview.
Plus, the two were entertaining, and likable, something he could see rubbing off on WWE's stubborn former CEO, Vince McMahon.
"Clarke and I have gone through the circuits together," Lexa responded, an easy and believable explanation. "Every step of our careers we've taken, we've taken them together. You've seen NXT, and WWE. Our first night, we became Champions in our main roster debuts. To me, there was no distinction, or who had the 'more prestigious' Title win. That night, we were both Champions, and it was something special."
They officially approached "the subject", the one that now made Chris uncomfortable asking, why she felt she was in the position she was placed in. Was it Titus, or did they see something no one else did?
"Speaking of that night, your debuts, that's touching on the very subject on everyone's minds, the trending topic, so to speak," he spoke, craftily wording himself to make it clear that this wasn't malicious at all. "Everyone just thought, this was very sudden. A lot of the boys, I have to be honest, felt their spot was ripped from them, by some new person, regardless of if you were man or woman. You have to understand, that these people, a lot of them are lifers. Your NXT buddies, power to them, they'll support you, because you all grow together, and you're all good sports. A win for someone in NXT is a win for everyone in NXT. The WWE, it's a lot more competitive, so when you see this environment, where there is some resentment, this is why it is there. I just wanted to ask, do you have any response to this, I guess you could say, criticism?"
Licking her lips, Lexa took the question in fully, very aware of her once in a lifetime opportunity, and the perks that came with it.
"Many people came into the company with the words I'm going to say right now, to be the very best. Without a shadow of a doubt, if Vince didn't think I was worth the trouble, he would have taken RAW off of the air on my first night and sent me packing. Honestly, I think he secretly likes the controversy, and everything my character is surrounded with. I like the many roles I have, being the Champion, getting a storyline with Miz, my father. They liked that angle, it's something very relatable."
"And your kinship with Clarke, you two sound very similar to Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. And from the sounds of it, many fans were clamoring for the two of you to face one another."
Shaking her head, Clarke disagreed.
"That's not happening. Guys, you don't want me to embarrass your WWE Universal Champion. At least let me try to get my job back, will ya?"
"Who's saying I wouldn't embarrass you?" Lexa rebutted, feigning offense. "First off, everyone and their mom knows, you're getting your job back. I've already written up a petition. Second, I know more moves than you."
"Can you execute half of them?"
"Wrestlemania 37, Clarke vs Lexa in the Main Event for the WWE Universal Championship! Book it Vince!"
"Yeah, book it Vince!" Lexa played along, before quickly reverting to herself. "No really, I love Clarke. As much as I would love to see that dream match with everyone else, I wouldn't want to fight someone I'm close to. I mean, yeah, I hate everyone else, but I don't hate Clarke," she muttered.
"Aww," Clarke gushed, batting her eyes for comedic effect, as Lexa shook her head.
"She's going to make me regret saying that."
"You can't unsay it, you're live on Talk is Jericho!" Clarke warned her, seriously.
"You two have insane chemistry in the ring. I have seen the two of you tag before in NXT, where you were both successful as a unit, and singles competitors. Is that something you're going to bring to the main roster, or now that Lexa decided to join the Dark Side, you have to scrap it?" he ribbed, playfully, with a wink to Clarke.
"Now, now, Chris, the Dark Side, well, they had cookies."
"You didn't have to eat them!" Clarke gasped, exaggeratedly.
"What happened to giving me the silent treatment? I was starting to like being in the doghouse!"
"You enjoy the silent treatment, so I decided to give you the gift of meee! Drink it in, mannn!" Clarke immaturely responded, sticking her tongue out, and blowing a raspberry at the WWE Champion.
In truth, this was probably a rocky subject, but jokes meant that they were okay, and could at least laugh about things. If they were silent, then Lexa would be in trouble.
"Oh my goodness, that was the best impression of me that I have ever heard! Clarke, I've always loved your Enzuigiri kick, that you unfortunately couldn't make your Finisher, but that just takes the cake!"
Groaning for effect, Lexa leaned into the mic. "My fave loves Clarke. I hate my life."
"It's okay Lexa, you can have Kevin Owens," Clarke reassured her.
"What, are you guys fantasy drafting your favorite Superstars?" Jericho chimed in. "Just remember, Clarke, I was the first ever Undisputed Champion in history."
"Lexa doesn't let me forget."
"And you will never… eveeeerrrr! Be the same, again!" Lexa screeched, in her best mock impression of Jericho, garnering herself some golf claps.
"Okay Vince, you win, I don't care if Lexa is the WWE Champion for the next decade, she's good in my book. Any Jerichoholic can tear it up out there."
"It's funny, because I'm not anything like what Vince sees in a Champion," Lexa confessed, clearing her throat to elaborate more on the subject. "Much like when you started, he's pretty much gone toe to toe with me on everything I wanted to do. Any plans I make, he's a critic. I mean, he's the boss, so yeah, he's gonna get a voice, but he totally thought this would tank. He still, as we speak right now, is probably somewhere in Stanford, CT, talking to himself like, 'I can't wait until Lexa isn't Champion anymore. She's so annoying!' And I swear, I don't try to be," she chuckled.
Amused by this, Clarke cut in, to take her defense, and set the record straight.
"No, you just try to take what is there, and make the best of it. I can't even joke about it, because it's so true, there's so many restrictions on her-"
Perturbed by this, Jericho prompted Clarke to explain further. The pieces slowly forming, Jericho could sense a small pattern building as Lexa and Clarke melded their stories together. If this was typical Vince, holding back a Superstar from their greatest potential, and portraying it as him being the victim, his previous opinion of the Champion were extremely misguided, to say the least.
"Wait, so he books you to win the WWE Universal Championship, something that in this industry, no one has ever done, and at the same time he doesn't want her to hold the title? I mean, of course I don't want to earn you any backlash by spoiling anything, but this sounds like- almost, it's as if you're a paper Champion, to put a check in the box. This isn't the case, is it?"
"I can't say who's going to win, or what's going to happen at Backlash, or even Hell In a Cell, heck, not even this Monday, but I hope it isn't the case. There are some interesting things in the works with my character, as well as Clarke's, that I think work better if I am Champion. I think we bring value to the company, because we truly love it, and if we didn't, or they didn't believe we did, then we wouldn't be in the positions we're in," Lexa clarified.
"Mmm," Clarke agreed. "Like, next week. We have, a match idea, you know, if Vince decides to rehire me at any point. Myself and Lexa against Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. That's happening."
"Wait, that's happening?" Jericho questioned, nearly flabbergasted. "Wha- what inspired that? I mean, because all due respect ladies, with the storytelling, and the storylines, that deviates from what I felt I've been seeing. I mean, last week, the Lexa/Ontari match felt like a one-off in itself."
"That should have never happened," the brunette blurted out, stopping herself short of burying the demoted Superstar. "She really went after me in that match, so I had to improvise, and in the middle, I had to switch everything up, because she was just, she was just being entirely uncooperative."
"Yeah, those were real shots in there," Clarke confirmed for Jericho, who she observed lifting his head at the story, the wheels racing in his mind. "And near the end of it, she was actually thinking of using my Finisher, for some reason, to slight Lexa. I mean, I didn't care, but she probably would've fell on her head. I wouldn't have wanted that."
"That would really suck," Lexa lied through her teeth, earning a chuckle from Chris.
"You're kindof mean," he added, despite continuing to laugh.
"She busted my lip, I could've been a hell of a lot meaner," Lexa answered ruefully, Clarke nudging her to be a little kinder to the podcast host, and living legend.
"True."
"And I agreed to a match, that was Clarke's idea, to face Kevin and Sami. So, maybe she's mean, and I'm merely misunderstood."
Taking the comment to further the question he had about this match, Jericho deferred to Clarke for an answer.
"Well, then seeing as this was your idea, can you shed some light on this phenomena, and maybe some of Lexa's story? I mean, why fight with the boys? I feel as if this is a regression of sorts, it could possibly backfire and send a negative message, but it sounds like Kevin and Sami, they're cool guys, they'll support you. Why is this match necessary in your mind? I think the WWE Universe finds you two to be talented athletes, it'd be foolish to say otherwise. Yet, I have to say, personally, I wouldn't want to be put in a position where I'd have to fight either of you. Do you, do you see where I'm going with this?"
"Oh yeah," Clarke nodded along, taking the question for Lexa, who got much of the heat for this, and was still trying to figure out answers along the way to this question.
"Without a doubt, I'm sure Lexa wants every person she faces to look strong, and not like, 'Oh, you just got beat up by a girl.' The whole point of this story, is to shatter that entire thought process, to make us equals. And of course, we're not here to encourage, you know, domestic violence. That's something really weird I read this morning, and I just have to say right off the bat, just, no. We took the story on, to say 'hey, we're just as good as the guys, we can hang with them'. Kevin and Sami, this match, I can just say, it's just going to be unexpected. If people have preconceptions about what's going to happen, all I can say is, they should probably see it for themselves."
"Lexa?" Jericho prompted, as Lexa let out an audible sigh.
Lexa snorted, taken aback by the call out. She didn't expect him to want anything more, and when pressed to come up, froze on the spot.
"Agh, I'm trying to think of something I can say that Clarke hasn't said already! Ah, yes! So, everything Clarke said, that is very true, I agree wholeheartedly. This didn't come from a place of negativity, or wanting to make anyone look weak. But, there's also some things going on behind the scenes, that I can't talk about. They kindof help fit all of the puzzle pieces together to form the image, but I can't say anything. And I know it sucks, and leaves the fans annoyed, because it's not really telling you anything-"
Playing Devil's Advocate, Jericho pleaded, "C'mon, you can't leave your Lexaholics in limbo like this! Give them an easter egg, a crumb or something!"
Lexa opened her mouth to speak, but thought against it, and shiftily wiggled her eyebrows instead.
"Who says I haven't done that already?"
Thoroughly amused at her and Clarke's evil grin, Chris gave them props, wagging his finger at the both of them.
"Well played, Evil One, well played…"
"No really, I have," Lexa insisted. "There's some hints here and there, but very soon, people will see it, and it's something that I'm proud to be a part of. I'm happy to say it's never been done before in the WWE, so I hope people consider this when they criticize me now, because I believe it'll all make sense in the long run."
From his frown, they could tell he wasn't entirely enthusiastic with not so much as a sound bite to go off on, as he'd have to try and find a speck in that crumb to satisfy his hunger for answers. This didn't exactly qualm his doubts about Lexa deserving to be the face of the company in such record time, despite her changing his initial view of her. She was still a kid, for all intents and purposes, being hailed as the top competitor, and representing the entire brand to fans, executives, and shareholders.
With a puppy-eyed expression that could rival Lexa's, Jericho again tried to appeal to the more talkative of the two, and the wildcard in their talk, Clarke.
"Clarke, I will punch Vincent Kennedy McMahon in the face for you, and get you reinstated, and put you in the WWE Universal Title picture if you tell me what's going on."
The room was quiet for a second, as Clarke gaped at him for a second, mulling over his ridiculous proposal.
"Wait, you can punch your own boss, and I get fired?" she replied, accosted.
In his defense, Jericho casually answered, "We taunt each other all the time, he says he's gonna kick my ass so much, it's become a term of endearment. Maybe he fired you, because he didn't know how else to tell you he was so impressed with your match."
"Fat chance," Lexa blurted out in character, pretending to sneer. Unbeknownst to the listeners, one of Jericho's crew members handed Clarke a large permanent marker, and a notebook, whispering instructions into her ear. She appeared to listen intently, before whispering back, and turning to Chris with a thumbs up
Before she could ask, Clarke let her in on what was about to happen.
"For all of the lovely listeners of this podcast, one of my audio guys just handed Clarke some paper and pen, and she's decided to write, in as little words as she can, what this storyline is. Now, I've sworn to keep this a secret, but, if it's really good, guys, you know. I will let you know, somehow, someway, I will try to telepathically send the signal to your neural synapses to indicate how awesome it is."
"… And I may or may not have promised Clarke a tour bus," he muttered, his voice dissipating into near pin drop silence. "Anywho! Do we have a deal?"
Lexa didn't have to move, but merely look to her right, as Clarke held up the notebook with the words "Clarke+Lexa= #Clexa."
"Cle, whaaat? - All due respect Clarke, honey, I don't think that's a word, and only stupid idiots like Miz use hashtags, sweetheart. You're much better than that, and is that?" he squinted, an unnecessary, but nonetheless funny gesture, "Is that an algebra equation? That's not fair, I don't even like Common Core!"
Lexa set her head down on Jericho's studio table, as she could have been visibly shaking with mirth, hiding her reddening face from the decorated athlete in front of her. Meanwhile, Clarke, between howling bouts of laughter, scribbled down the most watered down version of events.
Now, her notebook simply read "LGBT Storyline."
His smile dissipating, and morphing into something more serious, all Jericho could say in that moment was "Oh."
Clarke and Lexa both stiffened, unsure of what kindof assessment "oh" was supposed to be, and prepared for the worst.
In a second, his previously unreadable expression became pure shock, and marvel, as he clarified.
"Ohh…"
"Ladies and gentleman, Clarke Griffin is the new owner of a tour bus! You get a tour bus, and you get a tour bus! Everybody gets a tour bussss … if I was Oprah, but I don't have that kind of money, so please forgive me for not being a billionaire," he sing-sung, in mock expression.
"No way, are you serious?" Clarke exclaimed, more than asked, as she clasped a hand to her mouth in disbelief.
"Well, I'm not gonna give it to Lexa, Junior!" he announced in his infectiously charismatic voice, before softening his tone. "But I mean, man, that is, wow. I can see why you're having a hard time now with Vince, Lexa, sheesh!"
On cue, Lexa returned to the conversation, as she was settling back, letting Clarke and her hero have the spotlight for a moment.
"That's actually a good chunk of the reason I was hired. I know people were speculating after RAW that it was because of my dad, but Vince, he learned that at the same time everyone else did. He just knew about this storyline, and he's been going along with it. Against the grain, most of the time, but, he's- he's on board with it."
"Oh he'll be on board with it, now that I know. He has my phone number and address, if I'm not a WWE Superstar next week, you'll officially know he's not on board, I'm serious-"
He cut away to show them his phone, a steady pace of text messages and one missed call from their boss.
"We've got plenty of time for stories, do you wanna hear the time I once almost flew out to punch Vince McMahon in the face?"
As their gazes fell upon each other, they realized they gained a new ally, and support in the long-time WWE vet. In tandem, they enthusiastically and unanimously agreed to hear one of Jericho's entirely true, albeit zany, and possibly exaggerated stories. It was well worth it to receive the approval of one of the greatest of all time.
Under the table, Lexa's hand comfortably reached for Clarke's, as she laced them together. In the corner of her eye, she saw her pull out her phone, and spotted a flash of worry on the blonde's face.
Instantly, Clarke recovered, hastily sending a message, and quickly shutting her phone off, a swift signal that she probably didn't get good news.
Against her own personal rules about PDA, she ran her thumbs over Clarke's knuckles, and found the Champion to be newly distracted. As Jericho relayed his story, she watched Clarke try to engage, and immerse herself in the story to detract from whatever was going on in her headspace. It was only when Clarke squeezed her hand back, that Lexa could let this go, with the confirmation that her girlfriend was still, very much present.
But, much like Jericho, Lexa hated not knowing things. What, or maybe more specifically, who, could be bothering Clarke?
What's next!
Lexa creates a bookend feud when she faces Octavia on Monday Night RAW, for the WWE Universal Championship! Expect to see her new Finisher show up, not in this match, but her bout with The Miz!
Vince is not happy when he finds out that Bayley is set up to headline two title matches, for the WWE Women's Championship and the WWE Universal Championship. Matters aren't helped when he learns that Lexa's next feud is not with someone in the Women's Division, but a Superstar whom he believes has no business in the main event picture, Tyler Breeze.
Clexa becomes more prominent with each week, as Lexa and Clarke are pressed for time. In this time, Lexa proposes a Wrestlemania main event match, that Clarke agrees to.
Clarke vs Kevin Owens, for the Women's Championship? Sami Zayn, the number one contender for the WWE Universal Title? How in the world did this happen?!
Thanks for all of the support, and feel free to comment/review! :)