Hello again, everyone! I figured I should write these fantasy-booking-style fanfics much more differently that I write my other fics.
So, this timeline will start on the December 21, 2016 episode of NXT, which was taped after the NXT Asia/Australia tour finished. This episode will be slightly modified for purposes of this story, of course. Enjoy!
WWE SIGNATURE INTRO
Previously on NXT: Samoa Joe recaptured the NXT Championship in Toronto after an earth-shattering Muscle Butter to the former champion, The King of Strong Style Shinsuke Nakamura. Two weeks later, during NXT's tour of Asia Pacific and Australia, Nakamura used his rematch clause to regain the NXT Title from Joe in Osaka, Japan, where Nakamura was heavily favored in his home country. The tour ended in Melbourne with a Steel Cage match for the NXT Championship, which Nakamura retained against Samoa Joe, who desperately made this rematch request immediately after the show closed in Osaka. Now, more desperate than ever, Samoa Joe begins this episode of NXT alone in the ring with a mic.
Joe looked around the ring at the Full Sail crowd. He could care less about the "Joe" chants that resonated through the college campus's live venue. He set out to make a point. Only this time, he had more dangerous intentions if he wasn't granted his eternal wish.
"I've tried and I've tried to make sure that what was rightfully mine remained physically mine," Joe proclaimed, addressing the NXT Universe. "I've realized it's not enough," he paused, "which is why I won't stop until the NXT Championship belt is back on my shoulder. And William Regal knows this very well. And I know very well that there are other people, other Superstars already in line for said title shot. Well, let me remind everyone that I've been first in line since the day I got here. So, nobody is getting that shot until I can be referred to once again as NXT Champion." Joe then slowly lowered his mic to some quiet boos. Then, out came General Manager William Regal to the stage, mic in hand, causing a sudden eruption of cheers. He waited a few seconds, stern look on his face, for the cheers to die down.
TOM PHILLIPS: Well, here's the General Manager William Regal, who, from the looks of things, has had enough of Samoa Joe.
COREY GRAVES: If Regal doesn't do the right thing, then he's gonna have a lot more coming to him from Samoa Joe.
"You are a desperate man, Joe," Regal answered. "I don't believe you remember what my job is about. See, I'm the General Manager, which means I don't just make matches; I make the rules. I make sure this show is as compelling as possible. And Joe, with your constant requests, it seems you want me to just give these people the same crap every week all because you want the NXT Championship!" Regal paused to the raucous cheers of the Full Sail Live crowd, who acknowledged the fact that the same shit over and over again is…well…shit (Hear that, Raw?). "I've given you as many opportunities as possible Joe, but the sad fact is that you just haven't—"
"Just grant me my NXT Title rematch, dammit!" Joe interrupted, voice raised as he stomped his way to the ropes, looking Regal dead in the eyes. Before Regal could continue, Joe spoke again. "And before you say anything…know that if I don't get what I want, then I'm gonna have to do something you sure as hell don't want me doing. And no, it's not gonna involve me injuring the champion or anyone else on this roster for that matter…it's gonna be you, that gets hurt, Regal. So do the right thing." At hearing this, Regal kept a stern face, possibly slightly more stern now, then spoke.
"You can't possibly believe that I fear you, Joe," he asserted. "As a matter of fact, I've already come to a decision before this show even started. For tonight, I have already sanctioned a Fatal 4-Way Elimination match as the main event. The winner will face Shinsuke Nakamura for the NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio. The competitors involved are," he paused to let the fans really anticipate who was going to take part in this high-stakes 4-way bout, "Bobby Roode," he paused again to the mostly positive reaction from the crowd, then continued, "Roderick Strong," he paused again to cheers, "Andrade Cien Almas," he took another long pause, hearing some boos. This pause was a bit longer, though, as he took time to look Joe in the eyes to announce the final participant…"and the Perfect Ten, Tye Dillinger." Full Sail Live immediately erupted into cheers, which soon died down to make way for the iconic "Ten" chant.
PHILLIPS: Wow, Fatal 4-Way #1 Contender's match to face NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura in San Antonio, and Samoa Joe is not even involved!
GRAVES: Ooohh, look at. Samoa Joe is far from happy that he's not in the main event. I told you! I told you he was going to do something to the General Manager. Regal has no idea the pain that's coming for him!
"Like you said, Joe," Regal began, "there are others waiting in line for this shot. They've waited long enough." Joe was now furious at the fact that he's not even getting anymore #1 Contender shots. Now his mind was set solely on vindication.
"You refuse to listen," Joe retorted. "You refuse to see the reality of the NXT Title picture because you have made yourself—hey, hey, DON'T YOU WALK AWAY FROM ME, REGAL! DON'T YOU WALK A—" dropping his mic, he stopped to exit the ring and chase Regal, who had already made his way backstage.
PHILLIPS: Oh, wait a minute, oh my God. Samoa Joe is looking to hurt the General Manager now!
GRAVES: Oh, no. Regal, you'd better brace yourself. I don't think you're gonna like what's about to come—
Joe turned once he got to the giant LED board, but upon reaching for the curtain, he was met by a familiar figure who came out, apparently disgusted at Joe's intentions. The man walked forward a few steps, pushing Samoa Joe back, keeping him close while staring him down intently. When he fully revealed himself, the NXT Universe exploded in cheers.
GRAVES: OH MY GOD!
PHILLIPS: IT'S TRIPLE H! THE FOUNDER AND OWNER OF NXT!
GRAVES: I think Joe's bitten off a bit more than he can chew!
PHILLIPS: Samoa Joe has taken this far enough that he is now not only in trouble with William Regal, but also with Triple H!
GRAVES: I don't think you'll like Triple H when he's angry!
After a while of staring down Samoa Joe, to the Triple H chants of the NXT Universe, Triple H raised his thumb, pointing it behind him, signaling for Joe to make his way backstage. "Do not touch Regal," he mouthed, "or else." After another few seconds, Joe hastily made his way past the creator of NXT. Triple H remained on the stage for another good while, then turned back.
GRAVES: Don't touch Regal…or else.
Fade to commercial.
Quick A/N: The rest of this episode (until near the end) will be exactly like the way it was originally broadcast on the WWE Network. So I guess here are the results.
Billie Kay (w/Peyton Royce) d. Daria Berenato
The Authors of Pain d. Local competitors
Bobby Roode d. Tye Dillinger, Andrade Almas, and Roderick Strong in a Fatal 4-Way Elimination match to face NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio
Now for the modified ending:
Regal and HHH looked on from a backstage TV as Bobby Roode finally achieved the "Glorious" moment he had been waiting for since his arrival: the chance to become NXT Champion. Just then, Samoa Joe stormed the room to get into Triple H's face, angering the General Manager.
"Hey, what the hell? Back off!" Regal demanded to a stubborn Joe.
"YOU back off! I need to talk with Hunter!" Joe yelled, seemingly having finished his personal business with William Regal, who kept him constrained.
"You need to get the hell outta here!" Hunter yelled, not moving Joe one bit.
"You need to listen! Because if one won't grant what I demand, and the other is just gonna say the same thing, then I'm just gonna speak what's on my mind! You know damn well that as long as Shinsuke Nakamura is champion, then NXT is a wasteland, a dump! You know damn well that that spot at the top is mine! The problem here is that you're giving everything to everyone who doesn't deserve it! And that's what's going to set forth the downfall of you precious little NXT. Because of people like you who just give away opportunities for free! Tell you what, there's something about you that's wrong. There's something about you that's making NXT the waste that it is. So if I can't get my title shots, then you had better change. You had better do something about this mess…because you don't want to see NXT go down in flames, do you?" Joe then left the room, leaving Triple H to think. He began to think of something unprecedented, something insane, something just crazy.
"Hey." Regal said, hoping to snap Triple H out of his trance. "Hunter." Triple H blinked a few times, his attention having been caught by Regal. "What's wrong?"
"Something needs to change," he softly said to himself.
"Hunter, come on. You can't possibly believe him. His anger has gotten the best of him now."
"You know what, Regal? No matter what we do, whether we fire him or we ban him, send him out, anything, he's gonna come back. He's not gonna go away. Next thing you know, he'll be on Raw or SmackDown."
"Well, what's your point? What are you suggesting we do?" Regal waited quite a while for an answer from Triple H. Then, Hunter broke the silence.
"We take over," he answered. Regal began looking at him quizzically.
"What? What are you talking about? We're having a TakeOver in literally over a month!"
"No, we physically take over."
"Triple H, you can't get me back into—"
"We invade."
"Invade? What does any invasion have to do with Samoa Joe?"
"I'm not gonna let Samoa Joe call NXT weak. Hell, I'm gonna do everything in my power to make sure NXT doesn't burn to hell. The only way it doesn't go down…is if it becomes stronger. How do we get stronger? An invasion."
"Triple H, you're insane. You can't possibly think this is gonna work. I mean, who are we gonna invade? The main roster? Raw? SmackDown?"
"Not at all."
"Okay, where the hell are we going? Please don't tell me you want to raid someone else's promotion."
"Actually, I do. This will help NXT become stronger and better than it's ever been." Triple H paused to allow William Regal to mentally prepare for Triple H's new, potentially senseless, possibly McMahon-inspired idea.
"Get me more information on the Temple." Regal's face froze, his eyes widening.
END OF SHOW LOGO
So, the next two NXT episodes are basically just full-hour recaps of the Osaka and Melbourne house shows. Therefore, the next NXT episode wouldn't air until January 11, 2017. I'm may start modifying the matches/episodes with that one. So, the next NXT chapter will be based on the January 11 episode instead of the 12/28 and 1/4 episodes of NXT. Just telling you so you're not confused when you continue reading. I don't know how or when yet I am going to begin tying Lucha Underground into this. Hopefully by the time I finish writing the next chapter, I'll figure something out. Until then, feel free to review/comment.