WWE: Shiniest Style Part 2 (CANCELLED)

Affirming Supremacy

(October 22, 2020)

The first thing Xander and Steffanie did in the morning was to have breakfast and announce their engagement to the others...on video chat.

"What?! Since when?! How?!" Austin and Britt started firing questions (and congratulations) left and right and so were Johnny, Candice, the BRE, Luis, and Ashley.

"Guys, one at a time!" Xander chuckled.

"Did you propose right after we shot the Phasmophobia video?" Cheree asked as everyone else quieted down.

"He did before we went to bed last night." Steffanie explained. "It was WAY after we shot that video."

"Dang. How long did you have the ring with you anyway?" Austin asked his friend.

"Um...I only got the ring...on the same day in the morning...while I was getting groceries."

Steffanie's eyes widened as she turned to Xander, who looked sheepish, as everyone in the chat laughed.

"I have this weird mental image of you proposing in the store the instant you bought the ring." Jessamyn cackled.

(October 28, 2020)

On screen...

Compared to the past few weeks, the crowd was clearly more mixed with their reception of REBIRTH as Axel Trese, Kushida, and Alex Shelley made their way down the ramp, their championships on hand.

"That vicious attack on Pat McAfee and Pete Dunne has made REBIRTH the talk of the NXT universe." Vic explained. "Now, I hope they have an explanation for such violence."

"What else did you expect?" Wade scoffed. "Pete Dunne may be good, but he should NOT have said what he said to and about Trese. It's just retribution."

"Still, it feels just wrong."

They ignored the mixed cheers and boos as Axel grabbed a microphone. When the crowd quieted down, he began to speak.

"What else did you expect? I gave Pete Dunne enough time to learn from mistakes, to douse a fire he never should have ignited. Instead, he poured the gasoline on it. I will admit, I was going to let the whole thing slide until they compared me to HIM." Axel snarled with hate. "They compared me to Adam Cole, and let me make this one thing clear: I am NOT Adam Cole because on two separate occasions, that man has proven himself to be the inferior human being. And I will admit this: Dunne was right about the 'sidekick' thing. That's who I was my entire career, I played second fiddle to Cole, I played second fiddle to many others. Now? They're the ones suffering in my shadow while I REVEL IN THEIR LIMELIGHT! HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THE ONE IN THE BACKSEAT, HUH?! FEELS BAD? WELL TOO BAD!"

Axel paused for a brief moment before continuing.

"I don't need to be reminded about the past or be told to 'return to your roots' because there are roots to the past that deserve to be plucked off the ground to dry out and, in and out of the ring, I did just that many times over! And as I did so, I clawed, scratched, kicked, snapped, reinvented my way to the top! Now, look at me, at us. We are the dominant group, the ones standing at the top of the ladder, the ones everyone looks up to. And that's no fantasy, it's reality. Whether you like it or not, I am the Strong Style Emperor, the Paragon of NXT, while REBIRTH is the great empire whose word is the only law. This is how it is now, this is NXT reborn and none of you can do a damn thing about it."