Really quick, I made a mistake. I briefly have Michael Cole in the last chapter mention Sasha Banks and Paige versus Dana Brooke and Charlotte. I was going to swap Bayley for Paige but forgot. So, I went back and edited that. Minor detail, I know, but there ya go.
THE ONE MAN ARMY
"I know there's a certain amount of luck that comes with getting a push. It's not always about talent, it's not always about personal ability. Sometimes, it's who you know or who your family members are. I mean... Sure, sometimes it is about talent, but we all know that isn't always the case. Sometimes it's just about being in the right spot at the right time. If I joined NXT a year earlier or later, I very well could have been buried. I wouldn't have made Raw when I did. But, I came in at The Draft, at the birth of the Universal Championship. Timing? Luck? Talent? Being in good company with the right people? Who knows for sure. Alls I know is... I'm going to make the best of the opportunity I have in my hands. I'm going to prove to you all... I deserve to be here."
3#
"Talk Is Cheap"
"What the hell, man!?"
Having just walked into the building, Nevan heard the unmistakable voice of a certain someone he met in England once upon a time. He smiled, and for a moment, looked up and spoke a silent prayer before turning around to find Anti-Turn-Total Diva... Paige. She sounded pissed, but the grin on her face told the tale of a friend happy to finally see another friend.
"How friggin' long has it been!?" she ran up and gave him a big hug, "Oh my god, I can't believe we stuck to the pact! This is crazy. I wish I could have gotten here sooner."
Long story short... Nevan and Paige met in England when they appeared on the same card one night. They hit it off beautifully, which was ironic in of itself as Paige was louder and outgoing while Nevan was a bit more reserved. They became nearly inseparable... To the point that each were in relationships that came to an end because their other halves, as it were, became jealous. But... The pact... You see - and yes, this did involve a little bit of drinking - when they both knew they were soon headed for WWE, they agreed to stop talking all together and reunite once they both appeared on Raw or Smackdown. As crazy as it sounds... It's the truth.
"I heard about the neck," he inspected hers, as if he knew a damn thing about it, "How are you doing?"
"Delighted to say..." she wiggled her head around, "I'm back to one-hundred percent Paige!"
"Awesome," he laughed, "Are you wrestling?"
"Meh," she shrugged, "Mini rivalry with Dana until Sasha and Charlotte cool down," she noticed the twinkle in his eye at the mention of The Boss, "Oooohh... Mr. Flaherty, do I detect a hint of... Oh, I don't know... Lovey dovey pukey yucky from you?"
He laughed, he couldn't help it, Paige just had a way of doing that to him, "You. Are. Crazy."
She narrowed her eyes, "Tell me something I don't know, man. Anyway... I know you tried to be with Sasha in NXT. I heard about it from her and Flair."
"Ancient history, right?" he replied, "She didn't want a relationship. To be honest... I don't even know if I'm capable of having a healthy relationship right now."
"Right, well... Head up, yeah?" she patted him on the back as they walked, "I'll have a chat with the girl for ya."
Oh god... "Paige..."
:::MONDAY NIGHT RAW:::
"Last week was supposed to be a landmark moment in Monday Night Raw's great history. It was supposed to be the very first step of the New Era. A step that would bring more and lead us to another historic moment at Summerslam. The debut of the WWE Universal Championship, competed for by Seth Rollins and... Well... We never got that far, did we?"
To open the live broadcast, The Monday Night Raw Co-General Managers, Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley were already standing inside the squared circle. Last week they had it planned perfectly; Kick off the next Raw with the contract signing for the first-ever WWE Universal Championship Match. But... No. Not exactly. You see, due to the actions of Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins, there was no contract signing this week because there was no winner last week. The match was thrown out when those three knuckleheads decided to attack Nevan Flaherty and Finn Balor.
"In the interest of resolving this issue as quickly as possible," Stephanie spoke, "Mick and I would like to ask all parties involved to come out here so we can talk face to face," they waited, but none came, the McMahon in Stephanie starting to flare slightly, "Let me rephrase that; Mick and I are demanding that all parties involved in last week's debacle come out here. Immediately."
Momentarily, they came. Seth Rollins was first, naturally. Finn Balor after him, Nevan right behind. Then came Kevin Owens and Y2J, scarf included. Once they were all inside the ring, the tension was as thick as it gets. You could sense it... You could feel it. To make sure their point - and only theirs - got across, Mick and Stephanie didn't allow the Superstars to have microphones. The last thing they needed was an overblown argument breaking out over the decision that had been made.
"Now that we're all here," Foley started, "Let me first say it wasn't until this afternoon that Stephanie and I came to our final decision. We're not stupid, we know if we settle on putting Finn Balor and Nevan Flaherty in another match, you three will just interfere again. So, that said, tonight we're going to have a match involving all of you. To be specific... A Tag-Team Match. We are going to have Finn Balor and Kevin Owens versus - Stop whining, Chris - Nevan Flaherty and Chris Jericho. The winners will face Seth Rollins in a Triple-Threat Match for the Universal Championship at Summerslam."
Stephanie finished it off, "And, Seth, before you start thinking you've got away scot-free... You are going to be the Referee for the match."
Chris couldn't help it, he had to voice his now high level of utter disgust, "No, no, no, no, no. And... Oh yes... No! I will not be a part of this travesty! I will not team with this stupid idiot! I was robbed. Kevin Owens was robbed. You want a triple-threat that will put asses in seats? You want a history making match? Forget Flaherty, forget Balor, and forget Rollins too, for that matter. Make it a Y2J versus Kevin Owens Summer Spectacular to end all Summer Spectaculars! You see, this past week, Kevin and I have become friends, we've developed a mutual respect, as well as a mutual hatred of all things Finn Balor and Nevan Flaherty."
Purely pissed off, Nevan rushed Jericho, only to be cut off by Kevin Owens. Then it was Balor attacking Owens while Y2J and Nevan locked horns. They paired off wrong... The team-mates were fighting each other rather than the other way around! Chaos ensued and Seth Rollins was laughing all the way to the bank. At this rate, the GM's were going to have no other alternative but to hand him the belt at Summerslam. He could see it now... Haha, a coronation... Crowning the very first WWE Universal Cha...
"I wouldn't be smiling, Seth," Stephanie and Mick had exited the ring, but had one more thing to say, "And, if I were the four of you... I would get my act together fast. Because if we don't have a definitive ending to the main event tonight? The search for the Universal Champion will be started over from scratch. And none of you - Seth Rollins included - will be a part of it."
Wow... That got their attention, that put a quick halt to the fighting. Finn and Nevan were friends but had no qualms with competing against each other. It seemed the same could be said for Y2J and Kevin Owens. Then there was Seth Rollins, who was now tasked with somehow controlling the chaos, trying to figure out how the hell to bottle it up and keep it contained. And, damn, if this main event went the way of the previous one... None of them would have anything to do with the history making match at Summerslam.
:::Off Camera:::
Week number two.
Funny. He had been wrestling for over ten years, but part of him felt like it just started last week. And what a week it was. Getting to wrestle in the first main event of the new era? Amazing. What an opportunity. The right people liked his performance, as well as the WWE Universe, who seemed to get behind him. Over the course of the week, his social media gathered a staggering number of new followers. He was amazed. Last week was only the beginning, though. Now, the true test. Last week, he was a buzz word, right? A new face and there's always excitement for a new wrestler on Raw or Smackdown. He needed to harness that excitement and propel himself higher and farther now.
The main event tonight would be a big step. But, before that, he was scheduled for a promo. One with the promo legend, Chris Jericho. Now, in NXT and all other promotions for that matter, Nevan was never known for his mic skills. Per his new contract as a Raw Talent, though, it was stated he would need to improve his skills in that ever-important area. Was he talented in the ring? Yes. The best talent out there? No. Was he talented on the mic in the few important promo's he did have in NXT? Ehh... It was okay enough to get by. And on Monday Night Raw, okay enough would never be good enough. And to be a true rising Superstar in the business, you could never settle on being... Okay enough.
Nevan sat alone in the backstage area, thinking about all of this. The nervousness returned. He found himself fidgeting and tapping his toes. It was times like these that were nerve-wracking. Not out there in front of the WWE Universe, not in the midst of performing... Doing what he loved so damn much. It was before and after, during the quiet moments... The quiet moments where his brain was overactive, cooking up scenarios doomed for failure. He had the chance of a lifetime here to really make his mark. His being called up from NXT to Raw right now was impeccable timing and luck. He couldn't waste this chance, he had to make the most of it.
Maybe sometimes, you just needed to close your eyes and take a deep breath. So, Nevan did just that. Eyes closed, breathing slow and even, just let the stress break away... Just let it...
"You okay, man?"
"Hmm?" Nevan opened one eye, "AH! Jeez!" startled, he fell back in his chair, none other than R-Truth not three inches away from his face, "Y-Yeah, I'm good."
"You sure about that?" Truth chuckled, lending a helping hand to get Nevan up.
Nevan shrugged, not wanting to admit his proverbial battling of his nerves, "Just... Focusing, ya know?"
"Ah, I got ya, I got ya," Truth didn't push it, "Listen, though. West Coast, man. Early night tonight. A few of us are gonna get together, you in?"
No pun intended... But truth be told, this was the first time Nevan met R-Truth. He was appreciative of the invite, but wasn't quite sure why he was being asked, "Uhh..." he didn't want to be rude or come off wrong, "Sure, why not? Who else is it?"
"Goldust," of course, "Sami, Enzo and Cass. Couple of the girls. Nothin' big, you know? Just chill. Might hit a club, shoot some pool. Grab some grub. That sort o' thing. So, you good?"
"Yeah, man," eh hell, why not, it would be good to meet a few others anyway, though he knew Sami, Enzo and Cass, "I'm in... Count me in."
:::Back On The Broadcast:::
Resident Raw Interviewer, Tom Phillips was backstage in front of the set, standing next to none other than the man himself, Nevan Flaherty, "Nevan, last week you debuted after graduating from NXT. You overcame a Fatal 4-Way to compete against Finn Balor. We all know how that ended, but what we don't know are your thoughts on it, as well as the Raw GM's decision to partner you with Chris Jericho later tonight."
"Thing is, Tom, ever since I started wrestling, way before WWE and NXT, I prided myself on being what I called a One Man Army. I believed - still do - that at the end of the day, the only person you can ever completely trust, count on 100 percent is yourself. I've accomplished what I've accomplished without a partner... Without a valet, a manager, an Authority figure watching my back, none of it. Is it the best way to go about a wrestling career? Probably not, but it's what I believe, it's what I've focused on. For example, winning that match last week."
"Okay, okay, enough," a full interruption form, Chris Jericho, "Let's get one thing clear, Junior. The only way you won that match is because you pinned a man that I put down. You remember that? Or did the Pop-Up Codebreaker - copyright, all rights reserved - dim your memory? If I didn't do what I did, you would have never won. And, let's not also forget... There's not even a snowball's chance in Hell that you were going to beat Finn Balor, either."
"What is the problem, Jericho?" Nevan took a step forward, getting in Y2J's face, "Finn and I deserved that match, we qualified for it fair and square. What I did in the Fatal 4-Way, anyone else in this locker room, in Smackdown Live's, in NXT's would have if not already had done the same. Look, is this is an age thing? Are you mad 'cause you're getting older and, quite frankly, there's a chance you might not have too many of these opportunities left in your..."
"You listen," Jericho was fuming, "Shut your mouth, and watch yourself tonight! Or else, you're going to get..."
Nevan waited... And waited... "What? Get what?"
"It!"
:::Tag Team Main Event:::
The time had come. The time to - HOPEFULLY - find out just who would participate in the first-ever WWE Universal Championship Match at Summerslam. Would there be definitive victors, though? Well, there damn well better be or all five Superstars would be one-hundred percent out of the running. Seth Rollins was visibly as nervous as could be, pacing the ring as the two teams took to their sides. Starting the match would be Finn Balor and Chris Jericho, whom refused to let Nevan start. Yet, when Finn decided to turn the tables and unexpectedly tag in Kevin Owens, it was then that Y2J tagged in Nevan... Ya know... BY SLAPPING HIM ACROSS THE FACE!
Lit up, Nevan shoved Jericho back, angrily confronting him in the ring. Owens with a school-boy, Rollins down to count, 1... 2... No, but it was nearly enough to end the thing right then and there! Kevin tackled Nevan back down, landing a barrage of punches and then kicks as Nevan tried to scramble to his feet. Kevin grabbed him, bent him over and dug his elbow into the back of his skull, not once but twice. Nevan held the back of his head, Kevin grabbing him once again and throwing him into the corner in a heap. Stomps in the corner, this was a mugging, a downright assault, the interaction with Jericho had taken Nevan way off his game and Owens was capitalizing perfectly.
"I'm already sick of you, Flaherty," Kevin shouted while continuing the beating.
It went on until Rollins finally pulled Owens off of Flaherty, Kevin none too pleased, and more than prepared to punch Seth for it, going as far as to ball a fist and rear back. Seth pointed to the timekeeper's area, obviously gesturing to the bell, alluding to a DQ, "You wanna? Go ahead, be my guest!"
Finn jumped into the ring, stepping in-between Seth and Kevin, trying to get his partner under control, "Use your brain, Owens!"
POP-UP POWER-BOMB ON BALOR, HIS OWN TEAM-MATE! Kevin stood tall, shouting as Finn weakly rolled out of the ring to the floor, "I don't need you! I can do this on my own!"
Nevan from behind, but Owens blocked the German Suplex attempt and went around for his own. No! Nevan blocked his and went around again,. Unfortunately, Jericho intervened, axehandling Nevan then hitting him with a Codebreaker! Then another Pop-Up Power-Bomb! Count it down Seth, 1... 2... 3! It would be Seth Rollins, Finn Balor and Kevin Ow... SUPERKICK ON SETH ROLLINS RIGHT AFTER THE BELL! As I was saying, it would be Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens and Finn Balor competing at Summerslam to crown the inaugural WWE Universal Champion!
"After The Draft, feeling overlooked for being picked so late, Kevin Owens made a statement. He said he was going to make them pay for underestimating his value. He said he was going to turn Monday Night Raw into The Kevin Owens Show. Well, gentlemen, he may have just done that. What a show stealing performance by Kevin Owens!" Corey Graves applauded Owens.
For the second Monday Night Raw in a row... It was Nevan Flaherty laying out flat in the center of the ring for all the Universe to see. A fact that, admittedly, pleased Jericho to no end. Especially as he was handed a microphone and stood proudly over him, shaking hands with Kevin before the man who stole the show left the ring, leaving Finn Balor and Seth Rollins both on the ringside floor, feeling the pain.
Jericho sighed, shaking his head, looking down at the object of his current frustration, "I told you, Rookie. I told you. Did I not say to watch yourself? Did I not warn you!? Well, guess what? You just found out what it is."
His music playing proudly, Jericho put on his classic pose, literally standing directly over the still out cold Nevan Flaherty. What a way to start, huh Rookie?
:::After The Show:::
Well... It wasn't exactly a club, but there was food and there was a pool table. It was the game room of the place a majority of the wrestlers were staying at in this particular city.
Truth, Goldust - sans gold, mind you - Sami, Paige, Enzo and Cass, even Dolph Ziggler from Smackdown. Not the biggest party, but it was a good get-together. Even Finn and Bayley made an appearance to mingle with the small crowd. Nevan had to admit, it was a good time had by all. It was good seeing Bayley again, as the two hit it off well in NXT. A running joke between the two being that they would have been perfect together, if only Nevan was more of a hugger. Speaking of possible romance, however, one of the girls Truth had mentioned was a particular one that Nevan had been sweet on when he first arrived in NXT.
"Sasha," he greeted, drink in hand, an Iced Tea, to be exact, "Good to see you."
"You too," she admitted, though there seemed an awkwardness in the air.
"Congratulations on being Women's Champion," he said, knowing how much it meant to her.
"Thanks," she nodded, "Congratulations to you, too."
He smiled, "Hey, I'm actually glad you're here. I mean, we haven't talked since you moved up. I uhh... I miss you."
"Nevan," she nonchalantly took his hand and they moved to a smaller, more private room. Once the door was shut behind them, Sasha spoke, something on her mind, "Listen... I've been out straight with appearances since getting the championship, I should be upstairs already sleeping. But... I wanted to come down here because I found out from Paige that you were here."
Nevan listened patiently, sensing a difficult conversation on the horizon. Not sure whether to be happy or angry with Paige at this point.
Sasha sighed, "I know you have feelings for me. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have some sort of feelings for you, too. I know this made things weird between us in NXT. It's most likely why we haven't talked since."
Nevan politely cut her off, "You don't want a relationship, I understand. I just... Regardless... I liked hanging out with you. I do miss you. A lot."
She frowned slightly, tucking a few strands of her to get them out of her face, "Which is why I wanted to talk to you. We can totally be friends. But, I need to make sure you really understand... That's all we can be, Nevan. Whether you have feelings for me or I have feelings for you, it's just... And I think you can agree... We're both at a point in our lives where we're living our dreams. We're both on the flagship show of WWE... The biggest stage there is."
Nevan sighed sadly, but he did understand, "Getting involved right now... Just isn't the best idea," he tried perking up a little, "We need to be focused. The Boss and The One Man Army."
"Right," she briefly smiled, "And hey... Thanks. I miss hanging out with you, too. I'm glad you get where I'm coming from with this."
He grinned in a goofy way, "Who wouldn't miss hanging out with the One Man Army," she rolled her eyes, "Though, now that I think about it... Does having friends mean I'm not a One Man Army?"
"Good point," she joked as they rejoined the others, "Maybe you can as long as they... I guess... Don't help you out in any way... Whoah, what's going on over there?"
"I'm scared to ask," Nevan laughed.
"THERE YOU ARE!" Bayley shouted happily, "COME ON... WE'RE GONNA DO A HUG BALL!"
"WWE: ONE MAN ARMY"
4#
"I Swear, it wasn't My Idea"