A Sibling Rivalry

*I am not affiliated with World Wrestling Entertainment or NXT 2.0. This story is fiction, and did not happen.*

*So...Obviously, this is a wrestling fanfic, but this is not a Chapter of BCW. It does not take place in the BCW "Universe," so to speak. I dunno...I confuse myself too sometimes.*

It had been eleven days since Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade were at the Performance Center, at the same time. Eleven days since, once best friends, Cora turned on Roxanne. The absolute roller coaster--from winning the NXT Women's Tag Team Titles with Cora one week, to having an NXT Women's Championship match the following week, to being attacked by her own partner before *and* during the match--devastated Roxanne.

While she was still hurting emotionally, and mentally, eleven days later she was in the Trainer's Room, proving she at least had no physical pain. Roxanne and the Medical Trainer walk out and tell, coach Matt Bloom she's officially clear. Exactly what Roxanne wanted to hear.

"I'm happy for you, but, we gotta make one more stop before you get back down to the rings and get back into the swing of things." Coach Bloom says. They walk down one of the hallways lined with posters of past WWE and NXT Premium Live Events, and Takeovers. Roxanne is a bit nervous as four other officials are walking behind them.

Always an optimist, Roxanne's first thought was when she was going to get another shot at Mandy Rose's NXT Women's Championship, given that Cora screwed her out of the last one. She was hoping that was the reason she was being called into one of the offices in the building. Surely she couldn't be in trouble for anything. Bloom walked her to a closed door and opened it.

In the room, sat the person Roxanne was looking forward to seeing, and dreading seeing at the same time. She balled her fist as there sat Cora Jade, the woman just a year her senior, who shattered a skateboard across her back after costing her the title. Neither were the type to do it, but, both did wonder if they'd start throwing hands on sight the next time they saw each other..

That next time was now, but the officials walk in and make a barrier between Roxanne and Cora. There's an empty chair next to Cora that's clearly meant for her, and another chair facing them. "There'll be no fighting in this room." Coach Bloom says.

"Roxanne, if you could sit please." Coach Sara Amato says. Roxanne listens, but has a sour look on face, staring coldly at Cora, who's staring right back. Cora looks like she had anticipated Roxanne coming in.

"Ladies, you know the company has a lot of faith in both of you, and see a lot of potential in you both." Coach Robbie Brookside says in his British accent. "So we wanted to address this issue before it becomes a larger, more dangerous implosion." Roxanne didn't even know if she even wanted to talk this out. She wanted to talk it out even less so now that she was cleared to face Cora in the ring. But, if this was what they wanted, she'll go along with it.

"Yeah, after everything between Cole and O'Reilly, you know, borderline life-threatening attacks on the other, we want to get ahead of something like this now." Bloom says. Roxanne and Cora both nod.

Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade were once like sisters, that's how close their bond had gotten, up to winning the NXT Women's Tag Team Championships. Now, they was so much anger between the two towards the other, that people needed to intervene. Roxanne was furious with Cora, but both of them were a tad spooked by how the coaches sounded. That the higher-ups would think the situation would escalate, to the point where one tries to do something as dangerous as run the other off the road, or run into the other's ambulance to try to continue fighting the other.

"Here's what's gonna happen." Bloom began. "In a few seconds, someone else is gonna walk in here. We thought they were the perfect mediator for you two, and we flew them out here. So I hope you two don't waste their time. When they enter, we'll all leave, but we'll be right outside in case things get out of hand."

"It won't get out of hand though." Coach Amato said, "That's why we're trusting you two, and our special guest, to have you three in the room alone."

There were a few moments of silence as they waited. The silence just amplified and built up Roxanne's anger. Cora sat there with more of a cold look on her face. In her mind, she had no intentions of apologizing today.

Finally, there was a knock on the door. One of the officials opened it, and in the doorway, someone who had known both girls longer than anyone else in the building. Someone who meant a lot to both Cora and Roxanne... A.J. Lee, the retired, multi-time Women's Champion was here, in the P.C. to both of their surprise.

A.J. Lee was one of Cora's biggest inspirations. She was one of Roxanne's biggest inspirations. All three, represented the perfect counter to the typical "Diva" archetype that the WWE Women's Division was once flooded with. Cora and Roxanne were smaller, scrappier, feisty, A.J. was someone girls like them could relate to. Cora dressed similarly to A.J. There were hundreds of Mandy Roses for every one A.J. Lee, Roxanne Perez, or Cora Jade, trying to make it in the WWE.

They both started wrestling training at an early age. That early head-start helped them get here, to WWE's NXT, at the age of just 21. A.J. took notice of both women, seeing the drive in them. Roxanne carried so much hype that she was nicknamed "The Prodigy," and may not be in that room if it wasn't for A.J.. Cora, grew up in A.J.'s husband's hometown of Chicago. All of that, brings her here...

A.J. walked in, Sara and Matt shook her hand, then she looked over at Cora and Roxanne. She obviously wished she was seeing them under different circumstances, but, she appreciated the officials asking her to come down.

The veteran walked in between the two chairs the younger women were sat in. Once she did, she looked back at the small crowd. The officials all looked at Cora and Roxanne, and nodded. "A.J.," Sara began, "We're all gonna be right outside, if anything happens." Sara was really hoping the two wouldn't come to blows with only a retired wrestler, one roughly the same small size as the teammates, to break it up if they did.

"Thanks Sara." A.J. said.

"No, thank you." Sara said. "Girls," She then looked down at Cora and Roxanne, "Please." Trying one more time to affirm that everyone wanted them to save their actual fighting for the ring.

When the door closed, A.J. was left alone with Cora and Roxanne. All three had different degrees of scowl on their faces. Everyone, even A.J., knew that repairing the recently fractured friendship was a tall order, so even if A.J. couldn't do that, she wanted to at least prevent 15 years of the two being at each other's throats.

There are pictures of A.J. with each of them when they were as young as 12 years old. Almost half their lifetimes ago, and they both started training to become wrestlers at a super-young age. So A.J. liked to jokingly call herself Cora and Roxanne's 'mother.' Maybe because of that, the first thing A.J. said to either girl, was when she looked straight into Cora's eyes and sternly said, "Well, obviously I'm really disappointed in you." Cliché, yes, but plus, it was true right now.

"Well." Cora just shrugged. "I'm not sorry."

"How can you call *me* the selfish one?!" Roxanne finally said to Cora. "What you did to me two weeks ago was the most selfish things I've ever seen."

"Okay. Well, then you challenging Mandy a week after we won the titles was the most selfish thing *I've* seen so..." Again Cora shrugged her shoulders.

A.J. just crossed her arms, shook her head and sighed.

"Look, A.J.," Cora said, "I'm sorry to tell you this, but you came all the way here, to not be able to change anything.. Maybe you and I can head downstairs, and step into one of the rings with me, so your trip won't be a complete waste of time."

"Yeah. That's not happening. You know I watch all your matches, so that won't be necessary." A.J. said. "And why? Why do you want to get in the ring with little ol' me, huh? I haven't been inside a ring in seven years. Do you just want to beat up everyone who's been close to you?" A.J. knew she would have to be tough to get through to Cora.

"No. Just. Hey.. I'm still the Cora that looked up to you, and still do, just..." Cora trailed off.

"I don't think this is the time to convince us that any shred of the old Cora is in there." Roxanne said. Cora just looked back at the other girl with a stern look. Inside, Roxanne was on high alert for Cora coming at her and attacking her again.

There was silence for a few seconds, then Cora shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. "People change...You know that." She knew she didn't have to tell A.J., who was ten years older that, but clearly wasn't very enthused about this mediation.

"Throwing away a genuine friendship, when those are so hard to come by, isn't how you change for the better." A.J. said. Cora snickered since, she had both figuratively and literally thrown away her friendship, when she left her Tag Team Championship in the trash on live television.

A.J. could see that Roxanne was following her words, but knowing it was a lost cause. "Take Kaitlyn and me. I may never have won the Women's Championship if I didn't have anyone who was similar to me personality-wise, had different obstacles to overcome, CHANGE how women are viewed--"

"And you did.. The exact same thing.. TO HER." Cora interrupted, angrily.

A.J. knew Cora was going to say that, and yet, still didn't really have a response. She tried to think of a good one on the plane ride from Chicago. "That... Was after we had accomplished so much. We had already elevated each other, built each other up, and then pushed the other, and ourselves even higher."

"And then she slapped the shit out of you." Cora said, still heated. Then she turned to Roxanne. "And I still have one for you."

Roxanne had a tough face on as well, she didn't move, but she'd be ready if Cora tried anything. Cora just smirked.

"You want to talk about bringing each other to great heights? Roxanne and I got to higher heights than you and Kaitlyn did." Cora continued.

"Yes, and then you pushed me off that height IMMEDIATELY." Roxanne spat back. "Come on, Kaitlyn and A.J. would've won the Women's Tag Titles if they were around when they were. And they should've been around."

"Alright, you can stop kissing her ass now." Cora responded. Then looked at A.J., "You two would've had to win them off the Bella Twins first."

A.J. was ready to "disown" Cora right there for that comment. "You two are both right, but there's no way in hell that I would've turned my back on her, or her on me, ONE WEEK after we won them." She argued.

"There's also 'no way in hell' you're gonna repair our friendship." Roxanne said and crossed her arms. She tried to take a more rebellious tone to show Cora she wasn't "kissing her ass."

"Yup. THAT, we agree on." Cora said looking at A.J.. Then she turned back to Roxanne, "'Cause I'm not sorry, and I'll never apologize." Cora started to lean forward in her chair, and A.J. tried to lean forward in hers, but Cora wasn't gonna jump at Roxanne.

Roxanne stayed calm, or, as calm as she could be. A.J. shook her head, this wasn't going anywhere. "Those titles are partly why I came all the way down here. You two had opportunities I wasn't awarded, and after trying to guide you girls..." She trailed off. She felt like she had failed as their "wrestling mother."

"Look A.J." Cora began, "We know, you see yourself in us. We're the smaller, skinnier, more normal-looking, girls who don't look the part of WWE Female Superstars, or, what they were ten years ago. And I love you for all you did to steer the powers that be in that direction, but.. you still have to let me be me." A.J. nodded. She had to concede that Cora had a point.

"And you know I want you to be the first Cora Jade, and you to be the next Roxanne Perez, I don't want people saying this girl or that girl is the next A.J." A.J. said.

"Okay. Then let us both go on our ways..." Cora said.

"Yeah." Roxanne said, "especially now that it looks like those "ways" are through each other." Roxanne turned back to Cora and scowled.

"And," Cora began, "After I take her out of NXT, you can take her back under your wing, she'll still need it."

"What?" A.J. asked.

"After I beat her, she's gonna be so lost, she'll need to come crying back to you for more advice, and more help." Cora said, looking back at Roxanne as she spoke. "And go ahead and coddle her, it seems like you care more about her success than mine."

"Oh my Go--Come on." A.J. said. Just because she was like a mother to them, didn't mean they had to get into a childish favoritism game. "That's not how it is. Even if nothing changes, you can still call me to talk about anything at all, just like Roxanne. I'm all ears for both of you."

"But you'll want Roxanne to succeed more than me." Cora said, "She looks more like you than me." ...Cora stopped talking when she heard, and caught her own words. She could feel both pair of eyes on her, as surprised as she was.

Roxanne turned her head and was surprised. A.J. leaned forward and said, "What the fuck does that mean?"

Cora wasn't thinking when she said her last comment. Even she didn't get why she said it.. If she needed to, Cora would've sworn on everything that she didn't mean it because they were both Latin-American, if that's how it sounded. It was honestly, not why Cora said it, truly not on her brain at all, but, as she was just trying to explain that it wasn't.. She was obviously scrambling with her words..

"Hold up. I didn't mean it like that." Cora said, appreciating that they gave her a couple seconds to slow down her words. "I meant, similar in the way that.. Look, we may be your 'kids,' but to a lot of people, Roxanne looks like A KID. And I don't mean Axiom."

"Hold up, Axiom is A-Kid?!" Roxanne asked.

"Yes! Keep that in here!" Cora yelled, frustrated that Roxanne's discovery derailed her train of thought.

"FUCK." Cora tried to pick up where she was cut off. "Okay, not kids. We both look like we could still be in high school. I know that. We've joked about that. Others have joked about that. But I was.."

..She had been addressing both of them, but before her next words, turned her head, towards A.J. "...She comes out, intimidates no one with how small she is. Looking cute, smiling, and doe-eyed.....I bet there's fans out there that think, 'She looks so young, I wonder if she's a virgin,' Just like you were at this poin--"

...

...

A.J. got to Roxanne before Roxanne got to Cora. Roxanne definitely had an arm extended, but couldn't get a slap or punch in. If Cora was wearing her hat forwards, she could've flipped it off her head, but that would've been the extent of any contact. A.J. pulled Roxanne's arms away, holding them back from Cora. Cora stood up too, and she could've easily retaliated, but didn't.

Soon, she wouldn't have a chance to, as the door opened. Matt Bloom and Sara Amato helped A.J. maintain the peace, at least physically. The three of them spread out wide enough, and while they could hold the two back against each other, Roxanne was easily able to just slip out of the office, and down the hall.

A.J. followed Roxanne out while Matt, Sara, and Robbie stayed with Cora.

"What the hell did we tell you?!" Coach Bloom snapped, his booming New England accent sounding stern enough to get his point across. "We told you not to waste A.J.'s time!"

Cora remained silent. She'd had already been reprimanded too many times today, and she had just gotten to the P.C.. "What can I say? I'm sorry Roxanne and I didn't walk out of her all kumbaya, holding hands." Which wasn't what Bloom and Amato were expecting, but they definitely didn't think Cora would take it in *that* direction.

A.J. walked back downstairs looking for Roxanne, she walked into the big room with the rings, and quickly scanned and didn't see her. So she walked out the front door of the P.C., seeing if she had walked out. She walked out of the front door of the building seeing if she went outside to cool off. Obviously she didn't know what Roxanne's car looked like, so as she walked around the building, she wouldn't know if she drove off.

"Roxanne!" A.J. called once as she walked around the back door of the P.C.. Once A.J. walked halfway around the building, she realized she might not have left the P.C.. A.J. also knew how dangerous it was to just step into the P.C.'s parking lot at all, given how many attacks are made there, so when finished walking the perimeter, she went back inside.

When A.J. walked back in, she again went back to the main part of the P.C.. A.J. looked up at one of the rings, and there she was. A.J. had thought she must not have looked closely, but then realized--Roxanne had changed her clothes, so she would've been in the locker room while she was looking for her.

She saw Roxanne before Roxanne saw her. She was just.. blending in with the rest of the group, back working on drills, just like any normal day. She didn't want to waste any more time now that she was cleared.

The way she was casually talking to Sloane Jacobs on her left and Fallon Henley on her right, everyone would think she went straight to the locker room from the trainer's room. No one would've guessed she had a stop in between. A.J. was glad Roxanne could move on from that near altercation so quickly.

The whole roster was surprised to see her there. She had had nothing to do with WWE for seven years. A.J. walked towards the ring, when Roxanne saw her, she just nodded. She already knew her well, so she watched the rest of the roster introduced themselves. After everyone introduced themselves, Coach Brookside turned to A.J., pointed to the ring, and asked, "Do you want to get in there?"

**

After sitting her in the office to cool off a bit, Sara and Matt let Cora leave. Like Roxanne, she just thought it'd be best to get back to business, change into her workout clothes, and get down to the rings with everyone else.

Cora laughed a bit when she saw what she saw. After she "challenged" A.J. to get in the ring with her, she didn't think she'd be getting in there at all. But A.J. was running through a simple drill with each woman.

A.J. was demonstrating a maneuver where she'd be whipped into the corner, then, standing with her back to her opponent, would grab onto the top rope for leverage, climb on to the bottom rope, then jump up and over the oncoming attacker. After having a few different women be A.J.'s attacker, jumping over the attacker, then going for a rollup, or kick to the back, or Russian Legsweep. She was surprised with herself that she had the agility to leap over each time.

Then, she had the dozen or so trainees each try it. Each woman was on offense once, on defense next, then go back in line, and so on and so on. A.J. was impressed that most women, including Roxanne were able to get the height right away.

Cora climbed up to the ring, and stood in line to the right of the first girl who had went. Just like Cora, no one would've guess she just insulted her own hero, and Roxanne's hero. As she watched the drill, her eyes wandered over to A.J. standing in the ring at the ringpost to the left of the line across the ring each woman would make.

A.J. stayed focused on each woman, but could feel Cora's gaze on her. She looked over at her once or twice, and they made brief eye contact, Cora with a bit of that same scowl on her face from earlier. Once the next pair of women started moving, A.J. reverted her focus, and continued to offer tips, and/or praise to everyone who went.

When it was her turn, Cora stepped into the ring. Valentina Feroz was in line ahead of her, and Jade whipped Feroz into the corner, and charged, her just like everyone, and Feroz performed the dodge well, clearing Cora's head.