Raw: October 10, 2011

I grab a slice of a pizza. "How many of us are there?"

Eve looks around. "Seven."

I sigh. "This isn't going to work very well. We can only put on like three matches maximum if everyone wrestles only once."

"We don't even have referees." Ted comments.

"We'll figure something out." John says. "They can be three really long matches."

"Cena," I look at John. "I know you're very optimistic, but this will only maybe just maybe work tonight. We can't keep this up."

"Well, he can make some sort of deal. The rest of the roster is out in the parking lot. Get some of them to come perform."

"They already made it clear that they want Triple H to step down. You heard Otunga on SmackDown. They're ready to walk out on live events, SmackDowns, and pay per views if Triple H doesn't step down. We may not be able to even film for SmackDown tomorrow."

"If things don't change, we'll end up jobless." Randy comments.

"I traveled from Ireland to the United States to wrestle for the WWE. This can't be the end of things." Sheamus says.

"You're right. Something has to change." Punk replies.

John Laurinaitis walks into where we're eating in what should be Catering. The seven of us watch him.

He approaches us. "Cool. Pizza."

I close the pizza box that is open. "Not for you."

"Why not?"

"Randy and I bought this pizza to feed the wrestlers that are still willing to compete tonight. Last I checked, that's not you."

"And like normal, you're an obnoxious bitch."

Randy stands up. "You wanna repeat that?"

"Remember your role, Orton. Both of you. I could take that all away."

I grab Randy's arm to stop from him saying anything else. John Laurinaitis walks out of the room.

"Asshole." I mutter. "Sit back down, Randy."

Randy sits back down. "I'm going to beat that man to a pulp one day."

Punk nods. "Let me know when you're planning that. I'll join you."

"Feel free to. It'll be an open invite."

Sheamus looks at me. "Has Triple H tried to get a hold of you?"

I shake my head. "No. Listen, all I know is he is supposed to be here tonight. I'm sure he has some sort of plan. I don't know what that is. I'll stand by and support Triple H, but I think whatever happens tonight, he'll still end up having to step down. We're backed into a corner. There's not much of a choice. The show must go on. As Randy already knows, I did sign paperwork a few weeks ago to allow Triple H's authoritative power to go to me instead of John Laurinaitis if something were to happen. John Laurinaitis doesn't know about that. The only person who could veto that decision is Vince McMahon himself."

"You could lose your match at Vengeance." Ted comments.

"Ted, I understand your concerns, but if Triple H doesn't step down, there may not be a Vengeance for anyone to wrestle at. If that's the case, I need to step up or John Laurinaitis will be running things. I won't let that happen. I wanted at least one more match before I went off to try for a baby because I'm unhappy with how my match at Hell in a Cell ended, but sometimes, people have to make sacrifices for the greater good. This looks like it's mine. I'm ready to make it if it means that John Laurinaitis doesn't get what he wants."

My phone goes off with a noise signaling a text. Everyone pauses and looks at me.

Paul: I saw your tour bus is here. Meet me in my office.

Me: Okay.

I stand up. "He's here. He wants to see me in his office. Enjoy the pizza, guys. I'll come back later."

I walk into the office. "Hey. Glad you got here."

Triple H nods. "Glad you made it too. Sit."

I sit down. "What now?"

"How many are actually in the building and not in the parking lot?"

"Seven, counting me, as far as I know. John Laurinaitis is here too, of course."

"You don't seem happy."

"I don't like him."

"Today, you seem extra unhappy."

"Well…" I sigh. "Randy and I bought pizza mainly for the seven of us that are here to work. Laurinaitis came around and saw it. Decided to try to get some. I didn't let him and told him it was for those of us that were here to wrestle. Which was mainly the case, but I probably would've shared with other people here in the arena. Anyway, he called me an obnoxious bitch."

Triple H raises an eyebrow. "Right in front of Randy?"

"Trust me, Randy got real close to kicking his ass. I didn't let him though. I can't have that compromising anything."

"That's good."

"I do think he threatened me and Randy."

"What did he say?"

"Remember your role, Orton. Both of you. I could take that all away."

"That does sound like a threat."

"That's what I thought."

"So…what's the plan?"

"I'm not backing down. I refuse to quit."

"What about what David Otunga said?"

"They'll come back once they're realizing they're not getting paid."

"This isn't going to end well."

"I'll take care of it."

"But this'll probably end up with you losing your job. We're backed into a corner. We've got to do something, and it has to be tonight."

"I'm not quitting. I'm not giving John Laurinaitis what he wants."

"I understand where you're coming from, but do we get a choice? This is basically an ultimatum."

"I can't let you take the position yet. Once they realize that you're on this side, they'll oppose you too."

"Not necessarily. I'm not just an authority figure to them. I'm one of them. Plus, I think they know where my allegiance lies. I'm not out in the parking lot right now. I'm here. The show has to go on. I love my job. I'm not going to participate in a walk out. Even if this walk out was against John Laurinaitis, I'd stay because our job is to entertain the fans. That's what I want to do, but it won't be able to continue if things don't change. I'll stand by your side, but I'm letting you know my thoughts on this. I'm starting to think that you don't think I can do it."

"I think you can do it. I just don't want you to have to make these sacrifices."

"I'm willing to make them. That's my decision to make."

"I don't think it's time for that yet."

"Let me know when you're opening the show. I want to be out there for that."

I'm waiting around playing games on my phone. The show is supposed to start right now, and I haven't seen Triple H. I hear the crowd start to cheer.

Triple H walks by with cameras on him. "Come on, Marissa."

I put my phone in my pocket and followed him through the backstage area. We made it to guerilla and walked out towards the ring.

It's time to play the game

Time to play the game

Hahahahahaha…

Triple H headed towards the ring with me following behind him. We both entered the ring, and Triple H grabbed a microphone.

"I stood in this ring a week ago, bewildered." Triple H says. "Saw something that I never thought that I would ever see. Fifty-five, some Superstars, a few camera guys, some techs, all of the referees, all of the announcers, and they all walked out. I've never thought I'd see it but they walked out of Monday Night Raw. The thing is they didn't walk out on me. They walked out on all of you. And those Superstars now stand outside in the parking lot, holding some kind of solidarity rally. Apparently the WWE and Raw has gotten too tough for them. It's hard here and they just can't do it anymore. So they're all standing outside and from what I understand, they all have their gear. They all have their wrestling gear, but not one of them is going to step in this building to perform for you. Unless I step down. If I am no longer running Monday Night Raw, then they will all come back. So what should I do? Should I walk away? Should I quit? I don't know. Maybe I should. Maybe I should go, you know. But here's the problem I have with it because I've just never been a quitter. It's just not in me. I can't do it. I will not quit. I will not be intimidated. I will not be coerced. I will not be blackmailed. And I will not quit! So what that means is all you guys in the parking lot, you can pucker up real nice and kiss me where my cheeks meet. Because this is the way it goes, I don't care if I gotta take off this suit, strip down to my tidy whities, get a broomstick in this ring. I'll wrestle a broomstick for two hours. Hell, I've wrestled a lot of the guys in that parking lot. The broomstick would give me a better match than most of them. Come hell or high water, I am giving you Monday Night Raw. I am giving you a show tonight."

Your time is up, my time is now

You can't see me, my time is now

It's the franchise, boy I'm shinin now

You can't see me, my time is now!..

John heads to the ring and grabs a microphone on his way in.

"There was a reason I wasn't involved with the group's decision last week on Monday Night Raw." John says. "It's the same reason I haven't addressed the press or the tens of millions of people on social media who want to know whereI stand on this issue. Confidence or no confidence. And there's been a lot of people that said that fifty-five person walk out would've been a lot stronger if one more person was added to that list. And ever since the second Hell in a Cell ended and I was brutally attacked and ever since the second I pulled up this morning each of one of those fifty-five personnel, from Superstars to cameramen to audio guys, have contacted me personally and asked me to join them. You never even sent me so much as a text message asking me to stay. They want me out in that parking lot because they think their boss is so focused on himself. Doesn't see what's going on around him. They believe their boss is egomaniacal, self-centered, and power hungry. Those are good points. But a lot of those gentlemen and ladies out in that parking lot, you're their first boss. I've been here for a while, so I ran down a list of my bosses. I've worked for Vince McMahon and Eric Bischoff. Those are two of the most humble guys on the planet. I've worked for Vickie Guerrero. I've worked fifty-six celebrity general managers, ranging from Shaquille O'Neill to Al Sharpton. I've been told what to do by an anonymous computer who was the general manager of Raw. And I even managed to make it through the Mike Adamle era. That was an unsafe workplace. You know. You were there. So I'm not out here tonight to say you're my best friend. I'm gonna tell you that you're my boss. I'm staying. And I'm staying because I love Raw. I don't care who's in charge. I'm staying because I love the unsafe workplace. It is the chaos that makes us all tune in every week. I'm staying because the word loyalty on my sleeve isn't a word. It is a principle. And my loyalty does not lie in a parking lot, it doesn't lie behind a suit and tie, it lies with your living room, it lies with each and every one of you right here whether you love it hate me, hell or high water, John Cena stays on Monday Night Raw!"

Its a shame that lost their head
A careless man who could wind up dead
You wear your sin like it's some kind of prize
Too many lies, too many lies…

I look at John as Sheamus makes his way towards the ring. "That was very well said."

John smiles. "Thank you. If things goes the way we both expect it to, just know that I'm going to have your back. I know you a lot better than most of our locker-room does. You have more integrity than most of the guys. I think you're very capable. I have your back."

"Thanks."

Sheamus enters the ring. "What's it crack, Hunter? Less than than two years ago, when you were giving a heartfelt speech about your best friend on the stage, I came out and attacked you from behind and hit you with a lead pipe. I was trying to make a name for myself by taking you out. And if anyone had a right to complain or take legal action, it'd be you. Well, you didn't do that, Fella. Did ya? You recovered, came back like a man. And I'm not ashamed to say it, you gave me the biggest arse kicking of my entire life. Now, as you and me know, today, that result would be very different. But the one thing is, Fella, I'm not ashamed to say I have a lot of respect for you for doing that. And the last couple of months, I've tried to endear to the same set of principles that you showed. I'm not going to be backstage in some parking lot shenanigans. You see I didn't travel thousands of miles, leave family, friends, everything behind me to come back and sit out there with all those losers. I came here to be part of Monday Night Raw!"

Look in my eyes, what do you see?

The cult of personality

I know your anger, I know your dreams

I've been everything you want to be…

I look at Sheamus. "I think we may have something going on. We might be alright."

Sheamus nods. "I agree."

Punk enters the ring. "I can't help but feel a little bit responsible. Well, who am I kidding, I started this whole thing. I've been at the epicenter of anything controversial ever since you took over. Actually since before that. I'm sure you remember, John Boy."

"I was there." John says.

"You were there. I'm the guy that made walking out look cool. The thing about it is I think everybody in the parking lot having a picnic completely misunderstood what I was trying to do. I didn't break my contract. I didn't break my word. My contract was expired, and I was trying to prove a point to an entire company. Not just one man. If anybody has any reason to walk out of the WWE, well, you can probably put me at the top of that list. I mean my microphone constantly cuts out. Your friend, Kevin Nash runs through…well slowly, briskly runs through the crowd and jumps me and screws me not once, but twice. Someone here doesn't want me to be the WWE Champion. The thing about it is this entire industry is based on men solving their problems in between these ropes. This is the company that gives you Hell in a Cell, this is the company that gives you Elimination Chamber. I'm not trying to sound like a broken record, but unsafe working environment? I thrive on that. Hell, this is professional wrestling. This ain't ballet. If you believe in something, you stand, and you fight. And you fight on the front line. You don't have a hippie sit-in and grill tofu dogs in the parking lot like a bunch of hippies. When I had a problem with you and your authority, I dealt with you personally. And you, you big boy scout, when I had a problem with you being the poster boy for this company, I dealt with you personally. Sheamo, I'm sure at some point you're gonna step on my toes, I'll deal with you personally. Now I know you smiley good guys look across the ring from me and I'm the last guy you expect to see here. And I'm know I'm the last guy you expect to see in the foxhole with you, but you know what, here I am. So I got a question, what do we do now?"

I look around the ring at the four men in the ring with me.

"What do we do now?" Triple H says. "That's a big question, huh. What do we do now? I say we do what we do on Monday Night Raw. We shut up and fight. How about this? As long as you guys are in agreement, Sheamus, you've got yourself a match, Fella. Right here right now, you will go one-on-one with one John Cena! And since I'm the only guy out here kind of wearing stripes, I'll referee. And, foxhole buddy, I've got a whole table over there lined up with headphones and pipebombs just waiting for ya with your name on it. And if you want, you can go over there and say anything you feel like."

"Wait, you want me to do commentary?"

"I want you to do commentary."

"Can I wear your blazer?"

"You can even wear my blazer."

"I'm in!"

"Uh…one last thing, when you get down there, I'm going to need you to do double duty. Not only are you going to do commentary. If you wouldn't mind, please ring the bell."

"Double pay?"

"Double pay. Marissa, I need you to be the ring announcer."

I roll out of the ring. "Cool."

I grab a microphone. Triple H gives me a thumbs up.

I smile. "The following contest is scheduled for one fall! Introducing first, from Dublin, Ireland, weighing in at 267 pounds, the Celtic Warrior, Sheamus!"

Sheamus taunts to the crowd.

I speak once more. "And his opponent from West Newbury, Massachusetts, weighing in at 251 pounds, John Cena!"

Punk looks at me. "How many times do I hit this bell?"

"Three."

"Okay."

Ding! Ding! Ding!

I sit down as Punk makes it to the announce table. I receive a text on my phone as Punk mentions that we're going on commercial. I check my phone.

Randy: Vince is here. I think he's heading towards the ring.

I tap Punk's shoulder and show him the text. "Look."

Punk looks at me. "That's not a good sign."

"Not at all."

He gets back on commentary. I watch the match nervously. John kicks out of a pin at two.

No chance of that's what you got

Up against a machine too strong

Greedy politicians buying souls from us are puppets…

"I apologize for breaking up your match. I got here as quickly as I could. Outstanding integrity from the performers, Punk as well. I'd like to have a word with my son-in-law if you don't mind. Triple H. Thank you for standing up for what you believe in as well."

John and Sheamus leave the ring and head backstage. Punk leaves the commentary table and leaves as well. I get up and start to head backstage.

"Marissa, you need to hear some of this."

I stop and enter the ring.

Vince continues. "Thanks, John, Sheamus, Punk. Thanks for showing up here tonight. Thank you for standing up for what you believe in, which is an admirable quality. Whether you're right or wrong, even those on the outside of the arena are standing up for what they believe in. People in Wall Street are standing up for what they believe in. And you're standing up for what you believe in. Let me just say that I believe in you. I believe in your management style. I've gotta tell you watching Raw from home has been a hoot. I enjoy the wild west, whatever you want to call it. You're raising hell, and I like it. Unfortunately there are those. And a lot of them are individuals on the outside of the arena. They have their sympathizers, apparently none of them here in Oklahoma City. Among those sympathizers would be the Board if Directors. I met with them late this afternoon. And their responsibility is the financial wellbeing of the WWE. Above all they are responsible for that. As a result of that, they are concerned that this walk out is going to get way out of control. They don't know where this is going, and I don't think any of know where this is going. Cancellations of live events, pay-per-view. There could be no WrestleMania if this gets out of control. There could be no Monday Night Raw if this thing really gets out of control. So they're concerned this could result in a financial catastrophe. They're not willing to take that chance. Even though it was over ruled, I feel like my duty was to come here and personally tell you that on the behalf of the Board of Directors, your services of running Monday Night Raw are no longer required. I know this won't break your heart. You didn't ask for this job. You're not going to run Monday Night Raw. I'm not going to run Monday Night Raw. No member of the McMahon family is going to run Monday Night Raw. The Board of Directors is looking for a general manager that is independent of all this. Someone who is unbiased. A permanent general manager who's ethics and morals are being reproach. But until they find that individual, they've named an Interim General Manager. I don't like this decision anymore than you two are going to like it. The Interim General Manager for Monday Night Raw is the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, John Laurinaitis."

Triple H and I exchange a look as John Laurinaitis walks out on the stage. I glare at John Laurinaitis from the ring.

I follow Vince and Triple H into Vince's office before his door can even close behind them. "Why?"

Vince sits down. "Why what?"

"You know exactly what I'm asking about. Don't act like you don't know."

"The Board of Directors think that he is the best person for the position."

"I gathered that, but why? Why is that position even needed?"

"They want him. Stop being unhappy about it."

"Fine, I'll be happy about a man who shows me no respect, that also called me an obnoxious bitch and threatened me earlier tonight, becoming Raw General Manager."

"You're being unreasonable."

"Why was the position needed? You knew about the paperwork I signed to take over if needed."

Vince sighs. "The Board of Directors think it would be a conflict of interests for you."

"I can tell that you're not being fully honest. What else, Vince?"

"They seem to think you don't have the knowledge and the maturity to handle the position."

"Why?"

"Someone went to the Board of Directors directly and brought it up to them that you were unfit for a role as an authority figure."

"Who?"

"Just calm down, Marissa. You're being unreasonable. Paul, tell her how unreasonable she's being."

Triple H looks at Vince. "Actually, Boss, I'm on her side here. She's been working with me, and she was working with Teddy Long on SmackDown. Why was she unfit? And who said that she was?"

"According to the Board of Directors, it's a conflict of interests because she still competes in the ring and manages her husband, who is an active member of the roster. They don't think she has the maturity because she hasn't been a part of the company for that long."

"I've been here for seven years." I say. "I think I've been here long enough to understand how things work. Also, it's not like I'm a champion. Yes, I have a match against Vengeance for the Divas Championship, but I was willing to sacrifice that to be an authority figure. Hell, if I don't win that match, I won't be wrestling and managing anyway. I was going to take time away from the ring to start trying for a baby with Randy. If you read that paperwork thoroughly, you would've known that. Stop dodging the question though. Who went to the Board of Directors?"

"John Laurinaitis."

"I should've known. I'm leaving after whatever match Randy has tonight. I won't be competing tonight. I'm not dealing with him. He doesn't respect me one bit and has clearly undermined me. I'm leaving after Randy's match. I'm not asking. I'm going, and I'm taking my husband with me. I'm not putting up with anything from John Laurinaitis tonight." I open the door and harshly exit Vince's office.