Weathering The Storm

by AttitudeEraChick

Meet Shannon Storm, an original character determined to be WWE bound. Beginning at the end of 2015, you'll witness former gimmicks, ventures wrestling on the independent scene, friendship, arrival on NXT, romance and more. Strongly motivated by the release of a popular star from the roster, will Shannon weather the storm? Past and present stars will appear. Written out of kayfabe.

37. Chapter Thirty Seven: Don't Settle

Author's Notes for May 14th, 2017:

A belated wish of peaceful rest goes out to Matt Anoa'i who was known to many wrestling fans under the ring name "Rosey." Anoa'i in addition to Roman Reigns (Joe Anoa'i), was also related to Eddie Fatu, who was well known as "Umaga." For any younger fans who may be reading this and would like to be debriefed, or for older fans that would appreciate the recollection, in 2002 Anoa'i was paired with Fatu in the WWE. This was during the inaugral year of the brand split. Fatu was known as "Jamal" at the time in a heel duo introduced by Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff called "Three Minute Warning." Fatu was released shortly after Three Minute Warning's run began, so Anoi'a was paired with Gregory "Hurricane Helms," as his "Superhero In Training."

Eventually Fatu was hired back by the WWE, repackaged, renamed, and pushed as the savage heel "Umaga." This lead to the release of Anoa'i. Sadly both members of Three Minute Warning have now passed away. According to reports Anoa'i, who was already a pretty large man, picked up more weight, allegedly weighing 450 lbs at the time of his death. It was also reported he suffered from congestive heart failure, as well as A-fib, which is a condition people who have an irregular heartbeat tend to suffer from.

To Guest who reviewed Chapter 35: You would be correct that in the real world, Twitter only allows 140 characters for users to send out tweets. But given that I didn't specify beforehand whether or not there was a character count number for Twitter set in this AU, by default, I'm presuming readers would either assume one of two things: First, the character allowance for Twitter has been increased. Or Secondly, for longer tweets, readers are aware the sender had to reply multiple times in order to answer whatever they did respond to thoroughly.

Thank you for pointing that out, and my mistake for not giving anyone else who that may have bothered proper clarity on which of the above mentioned options was the case. I have since revised that portion of the chapter with a line explaining what occurred, which was a continued reply.

To Guest who reviewed Chapter 36: I respect your view to question the plausibility in Shannon's endorsement. It's important to note that the particular scene from this chapter established The Rock acting on his promise to put a good word in for Shannon, so UA gets in touch with her. I did not reveal the precise monetary figure in Chapter 36 of how much Shannon's deal is worth. I solely showed UA's explanation in the interest and pursuit of her joining the team, as well as the UA CEO express the need for details to be sorted out. So you may be prematurely overestimating how massive the deal is at the moment.

Additionally, in terms of Shannon being "a nobody," this is when the AU once again comes into play. As portrayed in the very beginning of the story, Ronda Rousey is Shannon's foil. Their journey to getting into the WWE and what occured while there are not the same; and we've seen Shannon allude to the differences in earlier chapters. The work Shannon puts in and will continue to is unmatched by her foil.

You haven't heard a lot of buzzing from Shannon about Ronda in several chapters, and that is intentional. While Shannon was irritated by the way things occurred with Ronda in the WWE, at the same time, she was focused on the road ahead: pursuing her own dream to someday get to the WWE. Now that Shannon's there, as she alluded to in podcasts, she's still making goals of things she'd like to participate in, and things she'd like the company to pursue at large.

The two ladies will cross paths regarding this issue, and its subsequent tension, in person before the story concludes.

Also To Guest: I don't force or pressure readers into reviewing. Nor do I pressure readers into reading the chapters briskly. I am a fan of lengthy chapters, and enjoy providing events in detail both in and out of the ring for a well-rounded experience. For that reason, it's reasonable that everyone reading along is not yet at the same point in the story, or may even need a few days to split time reading the chapters. That's completely fine. People shouldn't feel coerced to skim or skip over parts because of the length. Take as much time as you need. If the story itself is no longer of interest to you, I take no offense to it. Others are still reading. Drama will find its way back into the story for sure. I ask for your patience. If you can't hold on until it escalates again, I understand.

---

October 12th, 2017

The Airing of NXT TV

"Glorious!

No I won't give in, I won't give in!

'Til I'm victorious!

And I will defend. I will defend!

And I'll do what I must!

Oh, so glorious!

Until the end, until the end!"

Ring announcer Eden Stiles introduced Bobby Roode to the audience, and he entered the arena in a Navy Blue windowpane suit with a Dolphin Grey shirt. His shoes were also Navy Blue. The tie, which was stripped had a blend of blue and grey in its color scheme. Rick Rude would probably call him ravishing as he came down to the ring with a prideful walk.

Roode cut a promo talking down on the NXT Heavyweight Title division.

"I'm sorry," said Bobby Roode as he began his promo with a look of dejection in his face. "I am truly sorry for you fans because for a long time at NXT, you people have been missing out. Left and right, right and left, up, down, and all around, champion after champion has been so sub-par-"

"He's kidding right?" asked NXT Commentator Tom Phillips. "We've had great NXT Champions. Neville, Rollins, Owens, just to name a few."

"Was the 'glorious one' finished speaking?" Asked fellow NXT Commentator Corey Graves. "Didn't think so."

Bobby Roode's face went from somber and melancholy to focused and serious, as he unbuttoned his suit jacket.

"In order for the championship to become reinvigorated with glory," He continued before exhaling a breath of gratification. "It needs to be held by a person who has the 'It Factor.' And I am just the man for the job."

A small grin from the right side of Bobby Roode's mouth emerged.

"Thanks to me, the NXT Heavyweight Championship will be free of demons," He said smugly referring to his win over Finn Bálor at last week's Takeover: Fight! "And in due time, it will also be free of someone who lacks style," He followed up, alluding to the current champion.

He was booed after that statement, and minutes later Shinsuke Nakamura appeared on the stage, then made his entrance, in typical Shinsuke-animated fashion.

"It factor," said Shinsuke, who didn't bother asking for a microphone because he placed his mouth in front of Roode's. Then he paused.

"Versus Strong Style!" Shinsuke exclaimed, and the crowd roared as he raised his championship high, reminding everyone he was still in possession of what Roode felt he was destined to acquire.

The producers milked the crowd for roughly a minute before "The Destroyer" played.

"And business is about to pick up because Samoa Joe has entered the building!" Yelled Phillips.

"Jim Ross called Tom," said Graves. "He wants his lines back."

Samoa Joe was dressed in his ring gear as he made his way down the entrance ramp and into the ring. Samoa Joe lowered his hand to Roode, wanting him to give him the microphone. Roode teased not offering the microphone to Joe, not appreciating the interruption. But he ultimately relinquished it to Joe.

"No disrespect," Joe began, pointing his left index finger at Bobby Roode while his right hand clenched the microphone. "But you need to back off!"

Samoa Joe then turned to Shinsuke Nakamura and glared it him. "Because this right here..." He waved his hand in between the gap of space between himself and Shinsuke. "It ain't over!"

General Manager William Regal entered the arena. "I don't fancy you lads disrupting my show. Nor does the NXT Universe."

"It's real simple Regal," Samoa Joe insisted. "Give me Nakamura, or give me my title!"

"I am the law and the land of this here brand Sir," Regal quickly responded back. "Bobby Roode won a number one contender's match to become the next challenger to the champion. You lost your championship match last week."

Cheers erupted from the audience, and Samoa Joe had a scowl on his face.

"If you three plan on remaining employed, you ought to exit the ring immediately, while I contemplate the ramifications of the NXT Heavyweight Championship picture," Regal said before walking away.

"Well it seems like NXT is off to an interesting start," began Graves. "I mean, I thought it was rather easy knowing who was next in line for the biggest prize in our brand given the fallout from Takeover. But I guess it's 'to be determined.' "

A commercial for WWE Network original series "Ride Along" aired. Following this, the show returned to in-ring action as TJ Perkins defeated NXT Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann with a kneebar in a non-title match.

Following this match, there was a video package that aired a three-minute montage highlighting the results of the bouts from Takeover: Fight!

---

Shannon made her way to the ring, but was dressed in her gear, not plain clothes. The gear she wore tonight had a black-on-white color-scheme. The fans recalled that Eden Stiles never announced Shannon for an official match. They were curious as to why she was suited up if no match for her was on tonight's marquee. She gestured for a microphone, and Eden handed one to her through the middle ropes.

Shannon raised the microphone to her face, but stared at the crowd a moment or two.

"I have something to say."

The crowd booed.

"Maybe you didn't hear me, but I said, I have something to say," said Shannon, growing frustrated. "I expect you to show the proper respect, not just because I've earned it; but because I demand it!"

They quieted down.

"Ahem," said Shannon, pretending she had to clear her throat.

"I've paid my dues, time after time. I've done my sentence, but committed no crimes!" Shannon started singing intently, and tapped the opposite hand not holding the microphone gently against her hip to the rhythm of the song. She was doing this acapella, so created her own rhythmic pace.

"Is she serious? Is she really doing what I think she's doing?" Phillips whined.

"Shut up! I'm enjoying this," said Graves, with a smile.

"And bad mistakes, I've made a few. I've done my share. Got kicked in this pretty face," Shannon continued to sing, pointing to herself as she cleverly revised Queen's lyrics a little. She had experience improvising lyrics with Bayley on karaoke ventures. So that part wasn't challenging.

This was one of the NXT writers, Ryan Katz' idea. Shannon did quite a lot of serious promos. To Ryan, if she switched her style up a bit-trying something different just for one night-she could get heat there as well. He and few of his fellow writers figured the audience would expect several minutes of stern prose. But if Shannon busted out a satiric performance instead, it would be another proverbial "screw you" to the fans. Because not only did she stump them by doing something they didn't expect; she did something that they found annoying, and didn't want to see.

Shannon was a bit apprehensive about it, not sure if singing to the crowd would get the reaction the staff wanted. The writers once again reinforced the idea of NXT being developmental, and insisted she do it. They even gave her the liberty of choosing which song she'd sing. At least that part was a compromise since there wasn't a way out of them putting her performance in the script for this segment.

"But I've come through! On and on, and on and on, and on!"

She paused before she delivered the next line, and it proved worth the wait.

"I'm still the champion, my friends!"

Graves nodded, and continued to smile as Shannon went on.

"And you'll keep on fighting. But I'll always win!"

Shannon again revised the lyrics as she pointed a finger out to Bayley's superfan Izzy, per usual, in the front row of the audience during shows at NXT's "home" venue of Full Sail University.

She removed the title from her waist, and draped it across her shoulder. Then Shannon walked to a set of ropes, and leaned over them. She raised the opposite arm high and began rotating it, encouraging the crowd to participate in a wave. The only person in the Full Sail Arena who did was Corey Graves. The moment made for a hilarious visual as Shannon was belting it out over a sea of boos.

"I'm still the champion. I'm still the champion! Screw all you losers,"

Shannon still with her hand high in the air from doing the wave, curled her fingers so only the middle was visible.

"Cause I'm still the champion..." Shannon paused, then turned her attention to the large NXT logo at the beginning of the stage and pointed at it. "Of this brand!"

She dropped the microphone, exited the ring, and walked over to Graves and Phillips to join them on commentary for the next match.

Shannon shook Graves' hand as she sat down, and adjusted her headset.

"How are you Corey?" Asked Shannon. "Good to see you as always."

"I'm well Shannon, thank you. That was an incredible performance," said Graves. "Another one bites the dust," He added, and Shannon grinned, absolutely loving the chemistry they shared in the broadcast with the Queen references.

"Well I was feeling quite festive today. Regal tried to outsmart me but he failed, just like his career as a singles star. I beat Nia Jax, and I am still the champion," Shannon replied with a smile. "Another one bit the dust indeed, my friend."

"Oh so you're going to pretend like I don't exist as you continue your variety hour?" Asked Phillips. "First it was singing. Now it's comedy."

"Yes, ignoring you is exactly what I plan on doing," remarked Shannon.

"You wouldn't understand the 'brotherly love' Tom," replied Graves, referencing the nickname of the city of Philadelphia. "It's a Pennsylvania thing."

"What? You're from Pittsburgh, not Philly," Phillips said. "And second, she's not from Pennsylvania at all! She's from Maryland!"

"Shut up you dork," said Corey in irritation. "She went to college in PA, so that's good enough for me."

"So did I!" Phillips yelled at the two individuals he shared the broadcast desk with. "I went to Penn State!"

Shannon and Graves ignored Phillips as the participants were introduced.

The next match saw Nia Jax versus a returning Becky Lynch to NXT television. In real-life Nia Jax wasn't around because she got her surgery for the deviated septum she told Shannon about the day of their Takeover match. She would be away for a few weeks. But this episode was taped before she went to the hospital.

When exactly tapings were recorded for NXT varied. Sometimes they were done a few hours before a Takeover, and that's how local fans were spoiled with how the Takeover outcomes were going to be, given what they saw there. Sometimes they were taped a few days after a Takeover. In months that had no upcoming Takeovers, several were taped in a row early in the week.

"Why are you in your gear Shannon, if you're joining us on commentary?" asked Phillips about three minutes into Becky and Nia's match getting underway.

"Because I like to be prepared Tom," Shannon answered. "You know, like 'weathering a storm.' That is my thing after all. When you're the champion, people will chase you from all angles."

"I thought you and Corey said you were ignoring me on commentary?" Phillips wondered. "Change of tune?"

"Well sometimes Thomas, you're so damn irritating, that it's hard not to respond to set you straight," Graves snapped at Phillips while turning his face to him. "Apparently, Shannon not only is a woman of preparation, but a problem solver! Becky executed a textbook Jawbreaker on Nia Jax, and it looked like a piece of 'The Lasskicker's' wrist hit the face of Nia in the process."

"How charitable am I?" Shannon asked rhetorically pointing to the ring while looking at the action taking place in it. "I solved the problem of Becky being in danger of a loss by softening up Nia Jax. You see that tape across her nose that she's rubbing as Becky got a piece of it? I made that happen!"

"Lynch is more than capable of obtaining victories on her own, Shannon," Phillips said before a smile slowly emerged on his face. "In fact, one of the last ones I remember, was a pinfall victory over you!"

"I also remember Becky Lynch being an absolute 'choke artist,' and failing to get a victory over Shannon when it mattered most," Graves defended Shannon, and pointed at the NXT Women's Championship. "Becky doesn't own this because she didn't beat Shannon for it."

Becky attempted an armbar on Nia, but she powered out and Irish Whipped Becky into a set of turnbuckles. The momentum however caused Becky to charge back rapidly on the rebound. She clotheslined Nia. It took three attempts to get Nia down.

"We're not done!" Becky screamed, looking in Shannon's direction as she raised her body from the ring canvas, resting on one knee. "We'll never be done!"

"We are done!" Shannon yelled over her headset, but stared at Becky while doing so. "You know what you are Lynch? You aren't an obstacle of mine. You are a pimple that needs to be burst. As you dry up like the puss from the core of it, you'll become a footnote in the epicness of my career."

Becky Lynch exited the ring with Nia down, and approached Shannon. The referee began a count on her.

"That is mine!" She screamed.

"Why are you coming over here?" Shannon questioned Becky before turning her body behind the announcing desk. "Security! Security, you need to do your job. Help the ref maintain order. She's not supposed to be near me."

"Lynch, you need to return your focus to Nia Jax!" Yelled Graves. "This isn't Ireland. It's the United States of America. The first amendment grants Shannon the ability to freely express herself. You can't barge over here because you got hot, or disliked the metaphor she chose for you."

The count was at four.

"That's right!" Shannon yelled. "I can say what I want as long as I am not inciting violence."

Becky swung a hand at Shannon, who ducked the attempt of a left hook.

"Get your ass back in the ring!" Shannon shouted. "It's not my fault if I retaliate if any part of her body makes contact with mine. That would be self-defense. I want that on the record."

"Correct, it would be," Graves agreed. "Under that same amendment...Becky get back! You have the right to assemble Shannon. And you've chosen to assemble right here on commentary to enjoy the match in person."

The count was at seven when Becky turned around to re-enter the ring. She bumped into a furious Nia Jax, who left the ring during Becky and Shannon's exchange of words. This restarted the count.

"Uh-oh, lookout!" Phillips screamed. "Nia with a hold of Becky...Samoan Drop to the out-no! Becky wiggles out of Nia's effort, and pushes her into the ring post! Listen to that thud!"

Nia sold getting hit in the nose there, and Becky slid back in the ring.

"Waaaaaa!" Emanated from the crowd as Blue Pants raced down the ramp, and began to attack Nia, who was reeling from colliding with the ring post. This caused Shannon to lose her headset, enter the ring, and go after Becky.

"Chaos both in and outside of the ring!" Shouted Graves. "And the referee has no other choice, but to call for the bell.

Seconds later, General Manager William Regal emerged for a second time.

"Bloody hell!" He screamed walking on the stage in the arena. "I am a very busy man. I am trying to sort through the Tag Team Title picture with pressing concerns from 'American Alpha.' There's matters to address with the NXT Heavyweight Championship. I certainly do not have time for you scoundrels to frolic freely with your panties in a wad. Therefore this contest will be a women's tag team match with the team of NXT Women's Champion Shannon Storm and Blue Pants versus Nia Jax and the 'Lasskicker' Becky Lynch!"

The crowd roared. It wasn't just an opportunity to poke fun of former main roster General Manager Theodore Long, who was infamous for turning brawls into tag matches. This tag match was unique.

Paul treated the fans a few months ago with an intergender tag match with Bobby Roode, Samoa Joe, and Shannon, against Shinsuke Nakamura, Finn Bálor, and Becky Lynch, where opposite sexes were allowed to get physical with one another. Most recently at Takeover: Fight!, he gave fans a rare championship contest with two female heels. Now, he was giving them a women's tag team match where it was a face and heel member on each team. The last time we saw at least one face-heel team, it was Shannon and Becky who were partners at the Attitude Era Invitational. Fans got two face-heel teams tonight. And Shannon and Becky were on opposite sides this time around.

"No need to powder your noses lovelies," Regal continued. "The match starts now. Ring the bell!"

Shannon worked well with Blue Pants. There was no bad blood between the two ladies despite Blue Pants concussing Shannon back in February on powerbomb spot when Shannon landed on the back of her head. That was a house show a long time ago, and no one did anything wrong. It just happened. They moved on.

The match went thirteen minutes, and Blue Pants was about to go down for the three-count when Becky drilled her with an Exploder Suplex.

"For the win!" Yelled Phillips. "1...2...aah, and Shannon Storm with the interference, prevents the three count."

Referee Eddie Orengo argued with a Shannon about illegally breaking the count, and Shannon being Shannon, retaliated.

"What is she doing?" Questioned Phillips as he watched in awe Shannon grab Orengo's package. "I don't believe this woman!"

"Are you really all that surprised?" Asked Graves with a laugh. "You do recall the 'gift' Shannon gave referee Drake Wuertz last month when he didn't count the three for her during the championship match against Becky, right?"

Graves was recounting the moment when a frustrated Shannon delivered Weather The Storm to Becky, however didn't receive the pinfall win. It wasn't because Becky kicked out. It was because Becky's boot caught Wuertz in the midst of Shannon delivering the move. So he took the bump, and was unconscious, unable to count. After smacking him around unsuccessfully waking him up, she decided to plant her crotch over his head, and mock a display of oral sex.

"To your point Corey, Shannon's no stranger to lewd activity, but I figured she learned her lesson after Regal fined her for what she did with Drake Wuertz," He replied. "I guess not…"

Eddie Orengo, with a quick glance down of disbelief to see what physically he knew she had her hand on, glared at Shannon. He raised his right hand hand up, and curled all his fingers except the index one. He was about to signal for the ringing of the bell, calling for a disqualification. But Orengo couldn't. The attempt was circumvented.

"Oh no!" Phillips yelled as Shannon grabbed that right hand of Orengo, and pulled it aggressively down with the opposite hand, not already holding his genitals. She raised him to her shoulders. "No, she wouldn't!"

"She will!" Graves shouted. " 'Weather The Storm' on NXT Official Eddie Orengo!"

The crowd booed at the act. Shannon looked at the fallen Orengo, her partner Blue Pants, then her opponents Becky Lynch, and Nia Jax. She shrugged her shoulders at them. She climbed through the ropes, hopped off the apron, and grabbed her championship.

"Fuck this match," She muttered to the camera, which followed her ascend up the ramp, and proceed through the curtain.

There was a method to her madness. Shannon did what she needed to do to prevent her team from losing the match. That was one thing. No, she didn't have to grab Orengo's junk. But hey, he was arguing with an angry heel. Because she decided to grab his junk, she was now putting herself in the predicament of getting her team disqualified. That was another problem she had to figure out how to maneuver around. So before Orengo had the opportunity to disqualify Shannon, handing her and Blue Pants the loss, she gave him her finisher. That meant the match ended officially in a no-contest.

In character, it wouldn't matter. Oh well. She had her title, and that was the only thing of importance to her. In real life, she was happy Orengo was such a good sport. Not in every single case, but quite a bit of referees in NXT were wrestlers previously. Some made the transition because for whatever reason performing as a wrestler just wasn't working out. There were others who had experience in the ring taking bumps as part of wrestling school, but knew in the early stages of their training being a referee was what they always wanted to do long-term.

Orengo and Wuertz were former wrestlers. After a few years in developmental when things weren't panning out the way they hoped for in terms of card placement, they were approached by Paul to stay in the company, but in a new role: as referees. Shannon worked on that finish with Orengo together. Personally, she really would have loved to perform her finisher maneuver on him; but professionally, would be satisfied to settle: just tease it, and let him go.

Orengo didn't like that idea. "If you're going to do it, go all the way with it," He told her. He reminded Shannon about a match he saw her in against Roderick Strong. It was a match when he was the recipient of a WTS. Shannon had no idea Orengo was watching the competition in Ring of Honor. Apparently he was. That was the last time she lifted a male performer on a televised program. She hadn't done it recently. Orengo volunteered himself. Additionally, Orengo also suggested the idea of her grabbing his manhood, setting it up. He thought the crowd would react to it well. It would be a "wow moment," and feed her more heat.

Shannon was a little stunned at first with those pitches from Orengo. But in the grand scheme of things, for the purposes of entertainment, quickly understood it, presented the idea to NXT Creative, and they were on board. Paul didn't lie to her in that first meeting all those months ago after all. He brought in his diverse team responsible for various things, telling Shannon everyone contributes to an extent. Apparently, it wasn't a crock of shit, she realized.

The previous match was an impromptu tag-team match. Tonight's main event was a tag-team match already scheduled. A promotional package recapping the Dusty Classic Invitational aired, and concluded with highlights from the tournament final from Takeover: Fight!

Moments later Team DIY: Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano entered the ring to take on the Dusty Classic winners: Apollo Crews and Cedric Alexander. Although Crews and Alexander were a team thrown together, they were likable babyfaces individually. Team DIY were a solid team for two years, but they too, were fan-favorites amongst the crowd. The collision was meant to be a fun match-up. And it was, until the end, fifteen minutes later.

"And the Dusty Classic winners pick up the win," Said Phillips. "Nice show of sportsmanship as Crews and Alexander exchange handshakes with DIY, before leaving the ring. They're not rubbing it in."

When Alexander's music ended and he joined Crews through the curtain, the main camera returned to the center of the ring. Gargano leaned over a set of ropes, while Ciampa was in the center, with his hands on his hips in disappointment.

"Hey!" Ciampa yelled towards Gargano, who turned around. "What's going on? What was that about?"

"You win some, you lose some man," Gargano said in response to his partner as he left his position on the ropes, and walked over to Ciampa.

Ciampa pushed Gargano, shoving him on his ass as he fell on the mat.

"I'm sorry," Said Ciampa apologetically, rubbing his beard, looking down at his partner, who was looking up at him.

"Perhaps cooler heads have prevailed," Began Phillips. "Sometimes people get hot-headed-"

Gargano pushed his left hand down firmly on the ring canvas, and began to press himself up. But he never had the chance.

"For not doing this sooner!" Shouted Ciampa, who quickly pulled his right knee pad down, and raced toward a defenseless Gargano, driving the knee strike to his face.

The crowd erupted in boos.

"What on earth is Tomasso Ciampa doing?" Asked Phillips wildly as the assault on Gargano continued.

"Turning the page," Said Graves smugly. "Just about every time DIY losses a match, it's Gargano, not Ciampa, taking the fall."

Ciampa delivered Project Ciampa, his double knee powerbomb to Gargano.

"I am not the weak link!" He screamed at Gargano as he slid out the ring, watching his fallen partner. "I was never the weak link!"

A little over a month ago, Paul was skeptical on what to do with the two men. Were they capable of joining the main roster? Yes. But was he ready to send them there? Not quite. Having depth on both rosters was important to him.

So a decision was made to have the talents remain on the NXT brand. As a team, he wasn't sure if there was anything else for them to give. They had great matches with The Revival, and American Alpha. They were doing their part on the house show circuit working with the Authors of Pain. However, he could pull the trigger on the men for runs as single Superstars. To do so, he needed to split them up.

He wanted Gargano as a singles to enter the cruiserweight division of competition on the brand. He wanted Ciampa to pick up his original weight on the independent scene of 230 pounds to compete in the heavyweight division. Neither man would be pushed directly in the title picture of the respective weight classes they would join right away. The plan was to simply cement their participation in them, and work their way up.

With Paul being a notorious heel for much of his career, and Ciampa being a fellow New England alum trained by the late WWE Hall of Famer Walter "Killer" Kowalski like himself, Paul took pride in booking Ciampa to turn heel and break up DIY. A turn was a great way to end television as fans were left anticipating more. They wanted answers. Was this Ciampa just having a violent outburst, a one-off letting out frustration? Or was Team Do-It-Yourself, really no-more?

"Gargano has been decimated by his partner," Said Phillips with sadness.

"Former Tom, former partner," Phillips corrected him. "For all intents and purposes 'Team D-I-Y' is H-I-S-T-O-R-Y. Thank you for watching NXT everyone. We hope you join us next week."

---

October 13th, 2017

Hotel Zed Victoria

Victoria, British-Columbia, Canada

Mid-morning

Shannon was in Hotel Zed. It was an eclectic pick near the center of the city, with various bars, restaurants, and shopping areas nearby. Free WiFi, free parking, free local shuttle service, and a hot tub were some of the amenities. There was even a "Zedinator" water slide attached to the indoor pool. Once you got past the very, very, bright colored rooms-which was done to attract the attention of children-it could be enjoyable. And for $70 bucks a night, Shannon wasn't going to complain.

She called her boyfriend. He answered on the second ring.

"Hey babe," He said. "Good morning, afternoon, or evening depending on where you are in the world."

"Morning," Shannon answered. "Where are you right now? Do you have a few minutes to talk?"

"Presently, I am on the road in Missouri," He replied, looking at a few members of talent in neighboring cars nearby on the road. "Specifically, I am about to hit an exit in a little town maybe thirty miles or so outside Kansas City because I need to stop for gas. I'm not running on empty, but it'd be stupid not to fill her up when I'm near a station."

"Good boy," Shannon said humorously. "Safety first."

"Glad you approve," He said through a chuckle. "Anyways, yes I can talk. What's up?"

"NXT's starting the Canadian tour this week," She began. "And I'm in BC as we speak."

"Oh yeah?" He questioned with a raised eye and steering wheel in hand. "Where in BC? My neck of the woods?"

"Nope, not Penticton," She responded, shaking her head since they were not in Tyler's hometown. "Victoria. We're working the University Centre Farquhar Auditorium tonight. Have you ever been?"

"No, I haven't," He answered. "When I was in NXT and we hit Victoria, we worked in the Royal Theatre. It's very renaissance-esque from an aesthetics standpoint, with great artwork and acoustics."

"Well I hear the place I'll be is the first surround hall built in Canada, with the goal of providing 'clear sightlines, and fine acoustics to all seats'," Shannon replied as she reached for a pamphlet. "At least that's what the brochure says I'm reading from right now. Supposedly, it 'offers creative lighting opportunities too.' "

"Maybe it does," He started, slowing the car down, so he could turn into his exit. "But like I said, I've never been to that location."

"Didn't you say you were off on the 15th?" Shannon asked while angling the phone between her chin and shoulder as she packed a duffel bag.

"I am," He replied. "Why?"

"I checked my schedule, and I finish the first leg of the Canadian tour on the 14th, and there's a free day on the 15th, before NXT begins the second leg in Canada on the 16th," Shannon explicated. "Do you want to spend some time together, even if it's like for a couple of hours at some point?"

"Yeah, totally, that sounds good," Tyler said. "Kansas City today. St. Louis tomorrow. Where do you want to meet up?"

Shannon checked her netbook, and opened up Google Maps. She was trying to find a central point where it wouldn't be too much of an inconvenience for either of them to travel to before their respective returns on the road with their rosters.

"Umm," She said, still scanning the map, and thinking things through. "Let's see... St. Louis, Missouri to Denver, Colorado would be 851.4 miles for you. It would be 2,334 miles for me to leave Victoria, and meet you there."

"Keep looking," He requested. "I'm listening."

"Option two could be Rapid City, South Dakota," Shannon replied. "It's 953.2 miles for you to get there from St. Louis. And...2,054.2 for me from Victoria."

"Damn," He mumbled through the phone. But she heard him.

"You don't like that one either?" Shannon asked before giving him a chance to reply. "Okay, I'll try again. How about Cheyenne, Wyoming? It'll take you 882.1 miles to get there from St. Louis, and 1,371 for me from BC. You'd be in the 800s, and I've finally cracked under 2,000. Umm…"

For the next thirty seconds no one spoke audible words. All Tyler could hear was Shannon's frantic clicking and typing of keys, splurged in with a few "Um's," and "Ahh's."

"Um...it looks like Wyoming might be one of the best case scenarios for this spur-of-the moment thing," She said. "You want to look up flight info for us since I did the work narrowing down cities? Let me take one final crack at it to see if there's anything better. Um…"

"You know what baby?" Tyler asked rhetorically. "I get where you're coming from, trying to compromise, and cut costs if we commute the least amount of miles. But it's annoying hearing you sound like a humming tuner in my ear."

Tyler made it to the gas station, and parked his car in front a pump. He unplugged his phone from the internal port in the car, and held it to his ear as he exited the car.

"Shut up!" Shannon yelled playfully. "I'm trying to figure something out. You said you had time to talk."

"I know, I know," He laughed through his response. "But doing that is also making the situation unnecessarily complicated. Look, where will you be on the 15th?"

"Toronto," she answered.

"Perfect," Tyler said. "I'll make both of our lives easier by just coming to you."

"Are you sure?" Shannon asked, when pulling the zipper of her bag to fasten it. "It doesn't seem fair. I thought having middle ground on a potential geographical location would be better."

"Trust me, it's fair," He defended passionately while setting the nuzzle in his rental car to fill his tank. "No complications. No headaches. No stress. That sounds like a win in my book. It's settled. I will see you in Toronto in a couple of days, and will let you know when I'm there."

"Okay then, see you soon," Shannon said.

"Bye Mark," He said. "Have fun in BC."

They ended the call. Shannon grabbed her keys, pulled the duffel bag over her shoulder between her breasts, and exited her hotel.

---

Thirty Minutes Later

Anytime Fitness

Victoria, BC, Canada

Shannon drove to Anytime Fitness, and just as the title suggested, it was a gym opened twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. After parking her car, she popped in the earbuds connected to the music on her phone. Then she headed over to the building. But she was stopped abruptly.

"What the-?" She mumbled as felt her left arm being pulled while her right arm was inches away from making contact with the door handle. Shannon removed her earbuds from her ears, and let the neckband they were connected to rest against her neck. Then she turned around.

"If I was your boyfriend, I'd never let you go," Said a young man with a pistachio nut skin tone. He looked to be about 5'11, and 200 pounds. "I can take you places you ain't never been befo'..."

Shannon remembered reading in one of Chris Jericho's books him telling stories about lurking around hotels in Canada to meet WWE Hall of Famer Koko B. Ware and other legendary wrestlers in their prime when he was a kid. After getting over kayfabe, he mustered up enough courage to ask the wrestlers for tips on how to gain size because he too, wanted to become one of them.

So it wasn't that the idea of someone creeping up on her, or one of her wrestling peers was new. This would be her now, second experience. The first was when she slept with the teen Jason Johnson from Indiana. That was something she should have never done, and it nearly bit her in the ass when he traveled down to Florida to see her. Shannon was incredibly frightened, and had a pretty heavy emotional moment with Tyler that day.

Eventually the problem was resolved, and she never saw Jason again. Shannon didn't know what happened to make him vanish. She figured maybe the boy smartened up, and realized pressing the issue further with legal matters, would only cause problems for the both of them: for Shannon, prison time and a member of the sexual offender registry list upon her release from prison. And for Jason, likely public scrutiny from the media for rest of his life.

Shannon was not aware Tyler confronted the jerk, albeit peacefully at first. She also was not informed that he beat his ass for escalating things, and not being reasonable during their verbiage. Bottomline? Tyler handled her problem. He didn't feel Shannon needed the details. It would only make her worry more, and her WWE career was on the cusp of taking off. Jason Johnson was not going to stop that. Tyler would be damned to let him to.

---

A couple of minutes prior, just a few blocks away

"Dude, dude, dude, dude, dude, there she is! There she is!" Yelled Marc McAfee, a Caucasian teen with blonde hair to his shoulders, and earth-green eyes. He was clenching a tablet under his right arm pit, and a folded tripod stand under his left arm pit.

"Yo, make your move Jay!" Shouted Sean Carter, an African-Canadian, who slapped the back of his friend who made Shannon his target. His charcoal-colored hair, which matched his eyes in shade, was in a Flat Top design. His hair was cut on the top and sides with emphasis on flatness to give it a square appearance.

"You've got this Jay," Said Daivari Mahal, an Indian-Canadian, who was walking with the boys of the same age. The chestnut-haired teen with matching eyes, wrapped the straps of his acoustic guitar across his shoulder between his chest. Daivari's hair was cut in a Faux Hawk style. Similar to a Mohawk, the tapered haircut had the hair styled to a point in the center, without shaving the sides.

"Alright Marc, Sean, D, I'm heading over," Said Jared Hernandez, a Mexican-Canadian with charcoal-colored hair and Maplewood-colored eyes. Jared had a Caesar haircut, which was a semi-short style popularized by Julius Caesar. It was layered with one-to-three inches of hair on top, and brushed forward with short bangs to the front.

"Remember guys, on my cue," He warned.

"Don't worry man," Sean started. "Us three have got it all under control. Do your thing."

Jared slapped hands with each of his friends before walking briskly over to the inattentive Shannon.

Jared Hernandez or "Jay" as he preferred to be called by his friends, was a fifteen year old highschooler. He cut school with a few of his buddies in hopes of finding a few NXT Superstars before a live event that was supposed to take place this evening. His pals would be cool seeing any of the Superstars throughout the afternoon or evening, but there was a strong emphasis on going a little beyond just meeting a certain female talent. A few weeks ago, the boys mapped out some gyms in town that were in close proximity to the venue Shannon and the rest of the NXT roster would be performing in.

They scoped out a few, and ran into some stars this morning. It was 12:15 PM, and they were on their fourth spot. They spotted Shannon at Anytime Fitness.

---

Back to present

"I got money on my hands that I'd really like to blow," Jared continued, reaching inside the left pocket of his letterman jacket, and pulled out a Canadian dollar, handing it to Shannon. She accepted it, reached inside her fitted UA turtleneck, and dropped it in her bra underneath.

Oh God, he's young. This is taking me back to JJ. I'm not doing kids anymore. I swear.

"Swag, swag, on you, chillin' by the fire while we eatin' fondue," He continued to recite the first verse of lyrics of Justin Bieber's popular tune "Boyfriend" from 2012.

"How do you think it's going?" Asked Marc who opened up his tripod, and extended its legs firmly on the ground of the spot the teens decided was a good viewing distance. Then he placed his tablet on the deck of the tripod, and positioned it to an angle he liked.

"Considering she hasn't slapped his ass," Began Daivari who opened up his guitar case, in search of his pick. "I'd say so far, so good."

"Hahaha," Sean laughed. "Yeah, we can take that as a win for now. Let's hope he can make it all the way through."

"I don't know about me, but I know about you," Said Jared, pointing at her. "So say 'hello' to falsetto in three, two, swag!"

He's a cutie though. No little fuzz of a stache like JJ. He's got a soul patch on the chin.

Jared raised his right hand high above his head, and snapped his fingers. That was his signal to his friends.

Noticing Shannon hadn't quite removed the fingertips of her hands from the door of Anytime Fitness, Jared finally began to sing, not recite, Bieber's lyrics, starting with the pre-chorus.

"I'd like to be everything you want," He sang, then reached for the hand of hers that was near the door handle. "Hey girl, let me talk to you."

Two seconds later, Shannon turned her head sharply. Looking away from Jared, who was in front of her, her neck arched a block and a half away, where she saw his group of friends. Daivari started playing the acoustic guitar. Sean started beat-boxing percussion parts. And Marc was recording Jared's performance on the tablet and Shannon's reaction.

"If I was your boyfriend, I'd never let you go," Jared commenced the chorus, while his friends didn't let up with their assist. "Keep you on my arm girl. You'd never be alone."

Jared, who still had Shannon's hand from a few seconds ago, folded her arm to her elbow and linked it inside of his. She placed her palm softly against his bicep.

Adorable.

"I can be a gentleman," Sang Jared. He removed his Cobalt Blue with gold trim letterman jacket, and wrapped it around Shannon. It was October, but Shannon wasn't cold. He did that to be a charmer. "Anything you want. If I was your boyfriend, I'd never let you go. Never let you go."

When he removed the jacket and placed it on Shannon's shoulders, he revealed that he was wearing the "3G: Get over it. Get with it. Or Get out," t-shirt from WWE Shop Dot com she debuted two weeks after her Takeover: Respect victory over Bayley.

He looks like a young Tony Gonzalez. I don't know if he's into football though. Wonder what sport he lettered in.

"Tell me what you like, yeah. Tell me what you don't. I could be your Buzz Lightyear, and fly across the globe," Jared spread his arms wide like an eagle soaring after singing that line.

Buzz Lightyear? What? Oh, wait. He means Toy Story! Aww.

"I don't ever wanna' fight. Yeah, you already know. I'mma' make ya' shine bright like you're laying in the snow. Burr!"

Jared feigned being cold, stroking his forearms when he sang the above line.

Ha, did he just say 'burr?'

"Girlfriend, girlfriend. You can be my girlfriend!" He continued. "You can be my girlfriend until the wo-wo-wo-world ends!"

"Holy shit man!" Exclaimed Daivari, still playing guitar. "She's warming up to him!"

"Totally!" Marc happily agreed, as he Sean, and Daivari noticed Shannon relax her arms, staring intently at Jared, and bobbing her head in rhythm. She was seemingly enjoying this impromptu, yet appealing performance outside the gym entrance.

"Make ya' dance: Do a spin, and a twirl and-"

Jared, with confidence expanding as the seconds increased, took a chance, and reached for Shannon's wrist. He span her around a few rotations without protest. Then he grinned.

"My voice's goin' crazy on this hook, like a whirlwind, swaggy!"

She returned his smile. And it wasn't just because "Whirlwind" was the name of one of her signature maneuvers. Shannon was flattered by the young man's efforts. He wasn't like Jason, constantly hounding her with sexual innuendos or painfully-obvious flirting. This-or so it seemed-was a cheeky, unique way of interacting with a crush.

The next twenty six seconds were spent on Jared singing Shannon the pre-chorus and chorus again. Following this, Jared made another move. It started with him walking around Shannon.

"So give me a chance. You're all I need girl!" He hugged her from behind as he sang the bridge not only in the falsetto upper register, but directly against Shannon's ear. "Spend a week witcha' boy, I'll be calling you my girlfriend."

"Yo, look at him bro!" Said Sean, after taking a breath in between beat-boxing part of the tune. Daivari's guitar-playing continued to back Jared up as the song went on. "She's digging Jay!"

"If I was ya' man, I'd never leave, girl. I just wanna' love and treat you right!" Jared finished the bridge in Shannon's ear. She smirked, and swiped her left thumb against one of his cheeks.

Jared broke his embrace from Shannon, and sang the chorus for a third time, dancing circles around her. She resumed bobbing her head rhythmically to him, only this time she was applauding along too.

"Na-na-na, Na-na-na, Na-na-na, yeaaah girl!" Jared started performing the runs in the outro. He winked at her before he started. "If I was ya' boyfriend. Na-na-na, Na-na-na, Na-na-na, ey. If I was ya' boyfriend."

Down to the final seconds, Jared raised the same hand he did three minutes ago up in the air, giving his friends a clue to bring the beat-boxing and music to a close. They did, but Marc was still recording, and there was a reason why.

"So will you be my date to the prom?" Inquired Jared, whose hand after leaving the air commanding his friends, quickly descended to the dorsal pocket of his pants.

He pulled out a single red rose, and presented it to Shannon now that he revealed the true meaning behind all of this.

"Let's talk about it inside," Shannon replied after accepting the rose, smelling it, and nudging her head forward, gesturing Jared to join her.

"Thanks fellas!" Jared quickly yelled to Marc, Sean, and Daivari, who gave him a partial grin and a thumbs up. They were happy to help him out. However, they weren't sure if Shannon inviting him in was a "yes" or "no." Jared seem elated, but to them Shannon was quite vague.

---

10 Minutes Later

Shannon asked for Jared's name, and how old he was when they went inside of the fitness center. He was over the age of thirteen, so didn't require parental consent to enter the gym on his own. Shannon had to give the young man credit: he had balls. She wasn't going to fuck him like she did Jason. But he was a fan. There was no harm in kicking back with him hours before a show. So the least she could do for him going through all this trouble was inviting him inside to workout with her. He wasn't a member of this gym, so she covered his fee for the day, along with her own.

It would only be the fifth time in Shannon's career of intentionally breaking kayfabe in front of fans in public (not including the times she allowed it during house shows, Make-A-Wish, or post NXT TV tapings when the cameras were no longer running). Three involved her karaoke time with Bayley, which thankfully, wasn't a frequent occurrence-since they'd been on different brands for months now. Another time was a couple of years ago when she went to the Under Armour store at home to pick up new gear when she changed her gimmick. One of the clerks recognized Shannon from some regional independent shows, and mentioned she made his little brother cry. She gave the clerk a pair of free tickets for the next MCW show she was on the card for, following their conversation. The only other time was during a date she had with Tyler in early August of this year, when a fan made a comment about her taking a bite of Key-lime pie.

"What was that all about?" Shannon asked as she returned Jared's letterman jacket to him when they reached the destination of the gym where the machines were. He accepted it, and folded it against a bench, where Shannon placed her duffel bag.

"It was a promposal," He answered rubbing his palms together, anticipating the direction of where she wanted to begin the workout.

"A what?" Shannon quickly questioned back before eyeing a target. "Bikes."

Jared climbed on a bike next to Shannon, and they continued their conversation.

"A promposal," He repeated as he lowered his hand to the monitor attached. "What intensity level?"

"Moderate," She responded, and the two entered the appropriate keys. "And I heard you the first time. I just don't know what that is. Explain it to me."

"Okay," He said with a nod. "A promposal is this thing that guys do where they come up with a really elaborate way to ask a girl out to prom. Some dudes have girlfriends in drama club, and will have the Stage Manager announce 'a final act,' where instead of the cast coming out for a bow, out walks the guy. All sorts of things."

"That sounds like a ton of pressure," Shannon said as they began to pedal. "When I went to prom it was just a simple, 'Hey, wanna' go? Yeah, okay, cool.' So these promposals all vary?"

"Yes to both," Jared responded. "Yeah, they vary, and they're a ton of pressure. It started off being a gesture made as a way for guys to pay homage to girls. Like, we know how much of a financial investment proms can be for females. From the dress, the hair, makeup, nails, limo, yada, yada, yada. A promposal is a guy's way of showing the same way a girl can invest in the prom process, he can put forth a creative effort to propose to his prospective date. Some dudes even save money they earn from summer jobs to pay for anything specific they need to have a 'magical moment.' The ladies deserve it after all of the things they go through though."

"Oh, I see," Said Shannon, who raised a finger to her temple. She hadn't broken a sweat. She just needed to relieve it of an itch. "So there's a bit of sweetness to it? That's appealing. But it's October Jay. You have the rest of fall, all of winter, and the beginning of spring to work on this."

"Not really because I was going to ask you!" He exclaimed with a chuckle. "I mean if I asked someone at school, yeah, I'd have more time to prepare. And I guess that's when the downside of promposals kicks in. They're not officially required. But it's become a high school cultural phenomenon several years now. Every year someone tops someone. Competition tends to happen whether it's openly encouraged or not."

"How'd you even know I was here?" She wondered and turned to look at him, staring in his eyes intently.

He laughed.

"I'm serious!" She exclaimed, swatting at his leg. It didn't break his stride though because he continued pedaling. She ended up grazing his elbow, never landing on his leg. "Were you stalking me? Tell me!"

"I'll backtrack a little bit," He prefaced, holding a hand up. "Some kids ask celebrities, never thinking they budge. I think Taylor Swift went to some American fan's prom since she didn't go to her own. Some lady in the U.S. armed forces had asked Justin Timberlake to be her date to the military ball, which is different. Anyways, I was just going to ask you on Twitter."

Uh-oh. I probably would've missed it then.

"But found this way cooler instead, huh?" She asked with a wink.

"Obviously," He agreed. "Thing is though, it wasn't my idea originally. My boys dared me to do it in person, reminding me that NXT was coming to Victoria. We found out the date and venue, and I told them I'd make it happen."

"Just like that?" Shannon asked with a smirk. "Seven minute mark. Crank it to high," She added, and he complied. As she anticipated, her breathing picked up as the intensity level on their bikes changed.

"They thought I would chicken out, but I told them I was game, provided they helped put things together," He explained. "It was my idea to sing to you. I wanted my friends to help out with music, and record it as proof to relive the tale if we did pull it off. We agreed to ditch school, and search gyms all around the city to track you down. We ran into Dillinger and Roode earlier this morning at a different spot. They were real friendly. Nice dudes. By that point, we knew we were pretty warm, so just kept riding around looking at more gyms."

"Excellent teamwork on your part," Shannon replied with a smile. "You guys found me. It worked out well."

"Well, I don't know for sure," He said before exhaling. "You haven't given me an answer."

"We're finished here," Said Shannon as she leaned toward her monitor, and ended the session on the bike. "10 minutes is more than enough for a warmup. Cardio's not my thing. We just needed to get our blood flowing a bit to prepare for what we're about to put our muscles through."

Shannon and Jared slowed down their pedaling before finally suspending it altogether. They got off the bikes.

"And I'm still thinking about it," Shannon added in response to his pending inquiry.

---

1 Hour and 15 Minutes Later

Following their workout and cool-down, Jared and Shannon took a seat on a vacant patron bench. They were sweaty, with towels hung around their necks. A minute prior Shannon went to the vending machine and bought herself a Kiwi-Watermelon flavored Propel water. It was bottled water, but with electrolytes and essentials vitamins added. It also had zero grams of sugar. She asked what Jared wanted, and he told her he liked the Glacier Frost flavor of Gatorade. Shannon made the purchase for him. Then she decided to buy three more, so Jared could give one to his friends once they left the gym.

"Why that song?" Shannon asked as their bodies recovered.

"Player move," Jared replied swiping his left shoulder with his right hand.

"Are you on your school's show choir or Glee Club?" She asked, with genuine curiosity.

"Psst, no way!" He shouted after a snort. "The letterman jacket was no prop. I'm a jock! Varsity Basketball. That wouldn't be cool with the boys."

"A bunch of football boys were in Glee Club in that one show-" Jared cut Shannon off before she could finish.

"That's TV," He retorted. "This is real high school."

"You have a nice voice though," Shannon said as she placed a hand on his left knee. "You'll pull chicks the more you use it, believe me."

Jared shrugged his shoulders unconvinced.

"It pulled you," He ultimately replied. Shannon blushed.

"So are you looking forward to prom?" Shannon asked, grabbing a piece of her towel, and dabbing the corner of it around her eye. There was a specific gland of perspiration meticulously on a side of her face, dropping painstakingly down from her eyelid. She didn't want it to enter her pupil. That would be a painful, burning sensation. "It's junior prom for you. They'll be another one you'll have a year later. But still, prom is prom, right?."

"Yeah, I'm pretty stoked because it's on my birthday weekend," He nodded through his response, before folding his arms backward behind his head.

"I don't believe you," Shannon said, before taking a gulp of her water. Jared got up, and walked over to his jacket. Then he came back to her.

"See?" He asked convincingly, extending his identification card at her after retrieving it from his wallet, which was inside his jacket pocket. Then he showed her a PDF from his phone on the date set for his school's junior prom. The dates were back to back.

"My bad," Shannon apologized after examining the evidence exonerating Jared from her accusation of him lying about the his birthday and prom having simultaneous occurrences. He waved her off. It was okay. He was a stranger. She had every right to doubt him or blow him off.

"That's why I'm glad my friends and I found you. We didn't know the next time NXT would be in Victoria, or British Columbia at large. Once everyone was on board looking for you, it became that much more important to me," He explained. "In the off-chance we spotted you, I could be potentially looking at a dual present. Prom with you, then celebrating my sweet sixteen the day after."

"Well in that case, how can I say no?" Shannon asked, then finished off her bottle of water.

"Wait, really?" He questioned dumbfoundedly, sprouting up from the bench.

"Jay, I planned on saying 'yes' the entire time," Shannon responded with a smirk. "I'm a heel. We work our shit. Take our time and decimate. Even if your birthday wasn't the next day, I'd go."

"Oh, this is awesome!" Jared shouted. Without thinking, Jared leaned over and hugged Shannon, picking her up from the bench as he did so.

Shannon did not like being greeted by someone sweaty, or even her sweaty body colliding with others, with the exception of sex or if she was in a match with someone. She and Tyler got into it about that all the time. When he'd intentionally rub on and press against her right after matches before cleaning up, he found it cute. Shannon found it disgusting. However, Jared was a fan, who other than today, prom, and tonight's show, Shannon would likely never see again. So she allowed it.

"Jay, Jay, Jay put me down, please," She begged.

"Right, right," He said, and lowered her.

Ten minutes later Jared came out, and greeted his friends.

"Jay man, what the hell dude?" Asked Marc, who disassembled the equipment once Shannon and Jared entered the building.

"Yeah bro, it's been over an hour!" Daivari yelled as he clamped his guitar case shut. "What were you doing in there…" A devilish grin emerged as a mischievous thought came to mind. "That we weren't inside to film? Dammit!"

"So what's up?" Asked Sean, throwing his arms around Daivari and Marc. "What'd she say?"

"It's a 'no' fellas," Jared said with a dejected voice. "She let me workout with her purely out of sympathy for me being a desperate dork. She said I was lucky I caught her on a good day, and didn't get smacked for barging in on her like that. She thinks I'm a young, immature, creepy bastard."

"Fuck man, I'm sorry," Sean apologized, and pulled him in for a hug.

"I guess Shannon's a bitch on NXT and in real life," said Marc. "Wasn't like you were trying to be a goon or a knucklehead."

"Not a total bitch," Jared defended. "She did buy us some Gatorades. Here you go."

"You just wanted to live out a small dream," Daivari said after popping the cap of the bottle Jared handed him. "Gosh, some celebs can be so anal. To hell with her!"

"Whatever dudes, it's alright," Jared said, shaking his head. "I'm over it. Sean, grab my jacket. I'm hot as hell after that workout."

Sean grabbed his jacket nonchalantly before taking a double glance at it, seeing marks on the back.

"Yo, be careful where you place your clothes man," Sean said. "I don't know what you did in the gym to get crap on-oh snap!"

Sean spat the mouthful of Gatorade to an adjacent side of the curb the boys were walking along. This caused Daivari and Marc to stop dead in their tracks. With one hand holding Jared's jacket, and the other cupping his mouth, Jared cracked a smile as Sean read the words beholding his eyes.

Before Shannon hit the showers, and Jared left Anytime Fitness to greet his friends, she autographed the sleeves of his jacket. Plus, there was a special message on the back of it:

Yes Jay, if I can fit it into my schedule and the WWE will allow it, let's Weather The Prom in the Spring of 2018. #WTP It's a date! -SS

Jared's friends pushed and shoved him a few minutes for pulling their leg as they fell for his sadness. Eventually though, they celebrated with one another, and posted a picture of the jacket on Twitter, tagging Shannon and the Twitter account of his high school in the tweet.

---

October 14th, 2017

Roy Thomson Hall

Toronto, Ontario Canada

Tonight's house show for the NXT brand was in the Roy Thomson Hall. Host to many concerts, lectures, conferences, and live performances, the 2,630 capacity venue had a spectacular architectural design, spacious stage and seating area. The doors to enter and exit the hall lead to balconies and mezzanines. But it was designed in such a way that dispersed crowds efficiently, getting everyone to and from their seats in a comfortable fashion.

With a circular, cozy layout, the sound of the acoustics in the building was rich and clear. The speakers were well placed, and people had few problems hearing or seeing the main attraction, regardless of what type of event was being held.

Ring announcer Eden Stiles welcomed everyone in attendance, and made introductory remarks for the opening contest.

A loud air-horn played, then music to a familiar Hip-Hop tune.

"It may not mean nothing to y'all.

But understand nothing was done for me.

So I don't plan on stopping at all.

I want this shit forever, man!"

Fans were confused. They heard Eden announce that the opening contest would be a women's division match set for one fall. Yet, actor-turned-rapper Aubrey "Drake" Graham's music was playing.

Perhaps the audio engineers in production botched a spot. Either that, or perhaps Drake could be stopping by for a performance. Fans knew the former Degrassi teen drama star was a native of the city. He was also an avid Toronto Raptors fan. He could be seen in the Air Canada Centre watching games from the floor seats, particularly during the NBA Playoffs. It wouldn't exactly be out of the ordinary for him to show up where something popular and positive was happening in his hometown.

"Last name: Ever.

First name: Greatest.

Like a sprained ankle, boy:

I ain't nothin' to play with!"

I mean, I did work a house show in September against Asuka with a bad ankle, but that's besides the point. I love this song.

Shannon being Shannon, was trolling, choosing not to enter the arena with her usual entrance music. When Shannon walked out on the stage, she received a heel's welcome of boos. Just like Takeover: Respect, Shannon was no rookie with taking "cheap heat" to the next level. She loved elevating that ability, and inciting the crowd while doing so. The crowd wasn't just pissed because they were denied of their beloved Drake. They weren't just pissed because she entered the arena using the Hip Hop Superstar's music instead of her own. They were also pissed because of special piece of clothing she was wearing.

Sometimes at house shows, the WWE would produce special merchandise for Superstars on a limited release that wouldn't be available for purchase at other arenas. One example of this was the red and black hockey jersey of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson from 2001. The jersey had a red Brahma Bull in the center with the horizontal line of the letter T used as an elevated eyebrow on the bull's face which had "The Rock" printed on it. "People's Champ" was on the back side.

Another example of this was a collection of John Cena shirts from 2012. Finally embracing the polarizing reaction the fifteen time World Champion received from fans, the WWE produced a tee shirt that emphasized that point. "Let's go Cena? Cena sucks!" was printed on the front side. On the reverse was a cartoon image of Cena doing his signature hand gesture above his face, with the image crossed out, like the "Right To Censor" heel stable during the Attitude Era. Cena's mantra was that people could not see him. The implication of the shirt was that instead of people not being able to see him, fans were very much sick and tired of seeing him.

At this particular house show, Shannon was not wearing her typical, bedazzled UA hoodie. She was sporting an exclusive shirt for fans in attendance for this live event. She wore a white V-neck cut shirt with one of the biggest symbols important to the country in the center: a Maple Leaf. However, instead of it being colored in a deep, fiery red, like Canada's flag, the Maple Leaf was filled in with the stars and stripes pattern of the United States' flag.

Her boos increased when they saw this. But the volume went up even further when some fans in the crowd noticed the text in red below the Maple Leaf: "Canada's Favorite American." Boy, did they crap on her for that.

"Give it time Toronto, give it time!" Shannon shouted at the crowd. "You'll love me in a sec!"

When Shannon made it to the middle portion of the ramp, she held up the index finger of her right hand, and slowly turned around. She stood there with her back to them for fifteen seconds, so they could get a good look at the reverse side. The shirt read: "...Except in Montréal or Calgary!"

She received a big pop for that. And she milked in that rare, babyface reaction. She was not in WWE Hall of Famer Bret "The Hitman" Hart territory today, and happily embraced it with the smarky crowd.

"I told you Toronto!" She yelled back after turning around and continuing to walk down the ramp.

"...Everyone that doubted me is asking for forgiveness.

If you ain't been a part of it, at least you to witness! bitches!"

Once Shannon entered the ring, she started to do her bow and diamond pose, but stopped. Nothing was wrong. She didn't suddenly forget to do it, or abruptly become ill. She spotted someone in the crowd wearing a Kenny Omega "Goodbye and Goodnight" shirt from New Japan Pro Wrestling. She rolled out of the ring, and greeted the fan in the front row.

---

Flashback: Two Weeks Ago, October 1st, 2017

Korakuen Hall in Tokoyo, Japan

New Japan Pro Wrestling

Road to Destruction Pay-Per-View

The World Championship for the NJPW promotion was vacated two months ago by Tomohiro Ishii. Various wrestlers in New Japan Pro Wrestling over the course of several weeks, were competing in a tournament, which would eventually crown a champion.

The final four participants in the tournament who were vying to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship were babyfaces. Earlier in the night in first semi-finals match, Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated NJPW Intercontinental Champion Kazuchika Okada to advance in the finals. In the other semi-finals match, Kenny Omega defeated Hirooki Goto to advance in the finals. This set up the tournament final which would see Hiroshi Tanahashi versus Kenny Omega. That match was currently in progress.

Both men were down after a lengthy exchange of defensive counters. While they were down, a visitor approached the arena to spectate.

"What's he doing down here?" asked New Japan Pro Wrestling Commentator for North American audiences on AXS TV, and WWE Hall of Famer, Jim Ross. "Takahashi was eliminated long ago in the quarterfinals by Katsuyori Shibata."

"The Tokyo Pimp" Yujiro Takahashi did not physically attack anyone, but his presence was strong enough of an impact to get Tanahashi to roll out the ring, and yell for him to leave. But he did not.

"Watch out, watch out!" Yelled fellow New Japan Pro Wrestling Commentator for North American audiences, and former UFC Champion, Josh Barnett. "Tanahashi took his eye off the ball...Senton by Kenny Omega!"

"And here comes Okada!" Ross shouted as the crowd screamed wildly. "He's coming to restore order and give Takahashi second thoughts before he taints the finals of this tournament. We want a new champion without any funny business."

"We're kinda back at square one JR," said Barnett. "Omega looks like he's trying to recuperate from the war he's been having with Tanahashi. Meanwhile Tanahashi is laid out on the mats reeling from Omega's Senton to buy time."

"Well thank goodness for referee Kenta Sato for adhering to Tanahashi's request, and seeing that Takahashi is out of here," Began Ross with bitterness in his voice. "Who I have no doubt in my mind was plotting to start trouble."

"Takahashi?" Questioned Barnett smugly. "Why are you all on his back? Okada's still out here! What about him?"

"Oh for goodness sakes, Josh!" Ross explained. "You saw Takahashi prance down the ramp, and circle around the ring up to no good. Okada came down to even the odds."

Okada assisted Tanahashi up, presumably to lead him to the ring. Well, that was until he quickly grabbed Tanahashi, and delivered his finishing maneuver, Rainmaker. It was a pull-back clothesline. The crowd gasped.

"You were saying Jim Ross?" Barnett responded arrogantly, while Ross shook his head in disbelief.

"I don't believe it," Ross remarked with hysteria. "I don't understand...Okada tosses Tanahashi back in...Omega's recovered and turns, looking for Tanahashi. Omega sees a groggy Tanahashi back in the ring...and Sato didn't see the preemptive strike from Okada...he was focused on getting Takahashi outta' here…"

"Omega gets Tanahashi up, One Winged Angel!" Barnett yelled as Omega landed his one-handed Electric Chair Driver finishing maneuver.

"No, not this way!" Ross shouted. "1..2..3. We have a new champion, albeit under questionable circumstances."

Kenny Omega captured the IWJP Championship. "Devil's Sky," the entrance music for Omega, did not commence following his victory, however. Referee Kenta Sato presented the title to him anyway, and raised his hand. Fans in Korakuen Hall gasped for a second time momentarily.

"Bu, bu, bu, bu, Bullet Club!

Fo...fo...fo..fo..for life!"

A run of guitar riffs started playing, followed by snare drums and cymbals.

"I shot a human.

Shot him with my gun.

I killed a human.

I think I'm on the run.

I shot a human..."

Outwalked members of the Bullet Club: Cody Hall, the "Guerillas of Destiny": Toma Tanga and Tonga Loa, "Bad Luck" Fale, "Hangman" Adam Paige, The Young Bucks: Matt and Nick Jackson, and Adam Cole. "The Tokyo Pimp," Yujiro Takahashi returned to the arena with the group as well.

Cole, and The Young Bucks were wearing their "Elite Club" shirts while the other members were wearing their standard black Bullet Club shirts. These shirts had the BC initials on the right sleeve, with two crossing rifles on the front side, accompanied by the image of a skull and the Bullet Club name. Adam Cole, who was the frontman of the faction, lead the way down the ramp with a grimace on his face as he carried Kenny Omega's signature broom. Omega's gimmick was that he was "The Cleaner."

"I guess Cole is upset that Kyle O'Reily is still the World Champion in Ring Of Honor, and none of his 'Bullet Club' boys made it to the finals, including himself in order to become IWGP champion in New Japan," Said Ross.

"Cole doesn't give a damn about any of the competitors in that ring, and looks like he wants to give them a piece of his mind," Said Barnett.

Omega clenched his title with a very worried look on his face. In his eyes, he became the IWGP World Champion cleanly, with his One-Winged Angel finisher. He didn't ask for Okada's interference. Nor did he even know why he was ringside to attack Tanahashi in the first place. Because he didn't even see it happen.

Whatever Okada's reason for being at ringside was though, it had to be suspended for now. There was only one Kenny Omega, but eight Bullet Club members entered the ring. Omega was as valliant as any other babyface. But he didn't have magical powers to stop what he felt would soon be an ambush on himself.

"Oh, Tanahashi's up again," Ross said in excitement, hopeful that despite his loss to Omega, would gather his bearings, and put his disappointment aside to aide Omega in a forthcoming attack. The same for Okada. "Tanahashi's side by side next to Omega...showing some solidarity here...Okada's gotta' think big picture here. You lost to Tanahashi, so drop it. It's 3 on 8 here...oh, what the hell is this?"

Adam Cole tucked the broom between his right arm pit, securely enough to motion his hands. He pointed figurative guns at both Omega and Tanahashi, ordering the Young Bucks to attack. However, Matt and Nick Jackson only hit one target.

"Tanahashi's down! Dual superkicks to Hiroshi Tanahashi!" Yelled Barnett. "And Omega can't believe it! He's totally alone now as Cole looks on at him, and Okada to my surprise, has made no effort to race to Omega's aide inside."

The crowd booed.

"Hey, nice job buddy," Said Nick Jackson to Kazuchika Okada, who was still outside. Jackson pulled a shirt from his back pocket, then tossed it over the ropes and out of the ring to Okada.

"Oh no!" Ross screamed. "You're not telling me...he sold his soul to the blue-eyed devil Adam Cole? Has 'The Rainmaker' done the unthinkable? Has he joined The Bullet Club?"

Yes he did. The man didn't come to the ring to help Tanahashi and Omega. He was there to turn heel. The crowd booed even louder as Okada-the biggest babyface in the promotion since Nakamura's departure for the WWE-put the shirt on, and slid into the ring hugging the other members, beginning with Takahashi. Omega's mouth was wide open, and he rubbed his goatee in disbelief. Sweat fell intricately from his fingertips as it left his face.

Matt Jackson took the broom from Adam Cole, then walked behind Kenny Omega. He started sweeping around Omega's feet. Cole counted to three, holding a single finger up each time the number increased. He stopped at three, and pointed to Omega. Omega repeated Cole's counting, but did not stop at three. Omega did not stop until he raised his fourth finger. All of the Bullet Club members-including the Young Bucks and Adam Cole-started smiling.

"What in the world is so damn funny?" Asked Jim Ross.

He was about to find out.

Nick Jackson, pulled another shirt, this time from his other back pocket, and tossed it at Omega. The shirt said "Elite Club." Omega put it on, and embraced the faction with his arms extended fully. Their theme music, "Shot 'Em," by Q-Brick, restarted as the show ended.

"Oh my God!" Ross yelled. "That damn snake, Adam Cole! He said all night on the Pay-Per View 'before the show was through, they would have a fourth.' Well and ladies and gentlemen, it appears, they've found their man in 'The Cleaner,' Kenny Omega. Okada and Omega have turned their backs on New Japan Pro Wrestling!"

"Cole, the Bucks, and now Omega represent 'The Elite' of The Bullet Club, J.R," Said Barnett. "Adam Cole's no fool. He is very selective about who he surrounds himself with. Kenny Omega is not merely the first, but only non-Japanese native to win the G1 Climax tournament. He's a winner! He's a star! He's a…"

"Absolute jackass for making a mockery out of us all!" Ross angrily interrupted.

"I'm not sure if Cole has amazing persuasion skills, or planned this well in advance!" Yelled Barnett in amazement. "But whatever the case, New Japan will never be the same. Bullet Club keeps growing!"

---

Back to present

Shannon had yet to work with Kenny Omega in person, but was a fan of him from afar. She even filled in for him at an independent show last winter for CZW against fellow Canadian and wife of Johnny Gargano, Candice LeRae of PWG. Omega was supposed to take on Candice who was defending the Wired Championship of CZW. But he got injured, and Shannon took the booking. It was the match where she hit the Perfect Storm on Candice through a stack of burning tables last December.

Shannon left the "Elite Club" stable when she was fired from Ring of Honor almost a year ago. Like life, professional wrestling did go on. She had no hard feelings. ROH and NJPW continued to have a strong working relationship, and Omega was the largest North American star NJPW had on their roster. It made for a great business decision. And it made for a great moment on Pay-Per-View for him to turn right after obtaining the promotion's top prize. And minutes before they had their top native babyface do the same turn during the same segment, at the same event.

Shannon pulled her "Canada's Favorite American" shirt over her head, and presented it to the fan wearing the Omega shirt. That was Shannon's symbolic way of giving rub to Cole, The Young Bucks, and Omega. This was how she cleverly illustrated her approval of Omega replacing her as the fourth member of "The Elite Club." She didn't have to tweet them kudos, nor was she going to. Shannon was fairly confident someone in the Toronto crowd had their smartphone out recording the exchange; and "the boys" would see it online fairly soon.

Shannon faced WWE Divas Champion Natalya in the opening contest. Paul pulled Natalya from tonight's main roster house schedule just for this date, sending the first female third-generation star to Canada for the bout against Shannon. A few weeks ago Shannon and Paige worked the fans into thinking they had heat, or were in the works of starting a cross-brand rivalry. They were not. They were just toying with the fans.

However, playing off that ploy, Paul decided to swerve fans who were lucky enough to be in attendance at the Roy Thomson Hall. NXT remained a popular entity in the wrestling world among die-hard fans. For lovers of quality wrestling with relatively solid booking, edginess, and raucous crowds that rivaled independent promotions, NXT was the place to be. That was the alternative to the more entertainment-based direction the main roster had transitioned into for some time. Many would argue the only significant difference between a promotion like Ring of Honor and the NXT brand was the larger budget NXT had because of the WWE giant. Pound for pound, the talent on each roster could hold their own match-wise.

Feeding off that attraction for NXT die-hards and the need to keep the fans happy with good surprises here and there, Natalya was brought on board just for this show. Fans were going to see for the first time the main roster's WWE Divas Champion squaring off against the NXT Women's Champion. The fact that Natalya was a native Canadian gave the ladies extra fuel for the crowd to be into the match.

Fate could be weird sometimes too. Back when WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross had Shannon as a guest on his podcast "The Ross Report," she mentioned one of her goals was to face Natalya in a match one day. Well, she got it. No, it wasn't on a NXT Takeover Special. No, it wasn't on a main roster Pay-Per-View. It was just in front of 2,600 people. But, the building was sold out. Both ladies had titles. And the crowd stayed with them for the entire ride. Shannon was on a high from that, and had nothing to complain about.

The fans got their money's worth as the match went twenty five minutes. Shannon put Natalya over in the end, tapping out to the Sharpshooter, made famous by her WWE Hall of Fame uncle Bret "The Hitman" Hart. Or, if you were a WCW mark, WWE Hall of Famer Sting, who had the same finisher, but just called it the "Scorpion Deathlock."

When Natalya was declared the winner by ring announcer Eden Stiles, she exited the ring, and retrieved both Shannon's and her own championship.

"Which one do you want?" Asked Natalya, and the fans popped by a moment they found rather epic. It was a clever way of Natalya illustrating that she respected Shannon's ability, and she was worthy of holding either strap.

It wasn't the first time the WWE ever booked a "Champion versus Champion" match. But, it was the first time a women's contest with dual champions from opposing brands was booked. They were thankful, and honored to be a part of history. The women received a standing ovation as they made the most of the moment they created for each other, and the fans.

Shannon selling the leg, limped, then took a stutter step or two, before placing her hands on her hips. Facing the woman that defeated her moments ago, she stared at Natalya's left hand, which held the NXT Women's Championship, then the right, which held the WWE Divas Championship.

"Both!" Shouted Shannon, who tried to blindside Natalya by making a grab for the first title she could get her hands onto to strike Natalya with it.

Natalya however, was rather elusive, and side-stepped the attempt. Shannon tried charging into her again, but became the recipient of a Backbody Drop delivered by Natalya. Natalya lowered herself to a rising Shannon, seeking to give her a Vertical Suplex. To Natalya's surprise and the audience's disapproval, Shannon pushed off, granting herself enough inches of space to gather her bearings, and get Natalya in position on her shoulders for the WTS.

Once Shannon delivered the WTS, like a true sore-loser, she grabbed both titles, and held them above her head high, while she looked down, mouthing off at an unconscious Natalya.

"Break the walls down!

Break down the walls!"

Ten seconds later, an incredible pop-not just literally from the vocal screams of the audience-but an enormous explosion of pyro for Chris Jericho, and his titan tron followed on the screen.

"For those about to rock, and what ya' want.

Baby you know you're Judas, and I'm your Priest.

Baby, what I got is not from the least.

Bring it through the stage in the rage of a beast!"

Shannon dropped the titles on both sides of Natalya, and turned around as vocals from Sevendust carried on. But so too, did the legs of Chris Jericho, who appeared on stage with a microphone. He was wearing Charcoal Black skinny jeans, a Smoke Grey vest without a shirt, and his infamous Navy Blue infinity scarf with loafers on his feet to match.

"...Awaken from a deep sleep.

You're all weak!

You're living in the agony of defeat…"

Natalya was helped to the back by extra referees as Chris made his entrance.

"Step in town, and break the walls down!

Your heartbeat is the only sound.

Step into the light, and then you'll know.

You were stopped and dropped by the Walls of Jericho!"

Once inside the ring and with the music suspended, Shannon extended her arms out for a hug. She was playing off her hope that Chris would quickly forget about the fact that she just took out a fellow Canadian. She wanted him to relish in the fact that she could be his "new best friend" since he and Kevin Owens were through. He was her first podcast interviewer after all.

Chris smiled at Shannon and proceeded to follow through with a hug. But it was a tease. Inches before they met, Chris grabbed hold of Shannon's lower half with a double leg take down, dropping the microphone while doing so. When he did, he quickly transitioned, turning Shannon onto her stomach, trapping her in the Walls of Jericho. She tapped expeditiously. With it being a house show, and trying to give the fans a great time, Chris kept the hold in for a solid two minutes. Every time Shannon tried making an effort to crawl towards the bottom ropes, he'd pull her back in the center of the ring.

Ultimately, he released the hold, and the crowd resumed cheering for him. When Shannon got up, she grabbed her championship title a second time. She couldn't hit Natalya with it, so figured in character, with a distracted Chris Jericho milking the pops from the fans, she would succeed here.

"Raaaaaah!" The crowd roared.

She was wrong. The only thing Shannon succeeded in doing was taking a Codebreaker, and as a result, like Natalya once was, laid unconscious in the center of the ring. The audience ate that shit up, and thoroughly enjoyed the moment. Chris then proceeded to humorously step over Shannon to pick the microphone back up that was dropped when he executed his submission hold on Shannon.

Chris cut a promo. He talked about how much he missed Canada, and was going to give fans "the gift of Jericho," so they ought to "drink it in maaaan." His gift was that he would be competing in the main event of the house show against NXT Heavyweight Champion, Shinsuke Nakamura.

It was a win-win for everyone involved. Paul granted Chris some live events, which he preferred nowadays to television. And the fans got to see yet another "first time ever" match, first with the women's "Champion versus Champion" bout, and later with Shinsuke and Chris facing off.