Exhale. Lift. Breathe in. Lower. Exhale. Lift. Breathe in. Lower.

Those were the only thoughts in Roman's mind as he lay on his back, looking up at a barbell with 350 pounds worth of weights attached to it, a far cry from his max, but in the absence of a spotter it would have to do. Roman was shirtless and in a pair of basketball shorts and some trusty workout shoes. His arms had a thin sheen of sweat, giving some shine to the Samoan warrior armor tattoo that started on his right wrist and covered his entire shoulder and pectoral area. His breathing was even and controlled as he went through his repetition. The gym at the Sprint Center in Kansas City wasn't the most accommodating workout area that he had ever been in, as far as arenas go. A few benches like the one he was on, a smattering of cardio machines, and a dumbbell station. He would just have to consider himself fortunate that it wasn't leg day. Reigns didn't look up from his weights as the door to the gym creaked open and another person entered. His eyes were on the barbell. The man who entered made himself known quickly enough.

Paul Heyman: So, how's my favorite member of the A'noai clan today?

Roman Reigns: Yeah, right. We both know you like my daughter more than you like me.

Paul Heyman: She's a real oytzer, that's for sure. And if it weren't for the fact that you give me a reason to be on TV, then you might be right. Once she starts wrestling in 15 years, I'll be happy to manage her and then she'll be my favorite. Until then, you'll have to do.

Roman smirked and shook his head as he did another repetition.

Paul Heyman: So, we're in a good spot tonight. Second from the top, just before the main event. I don't have any confirmation on the finish, but either way this is going to be a good stepping off point.

Roman Reigns: You think? Against Jimmy Havoc?

Paul Heyman: Hey, say what you want about the guy, but he's a bit of an internet darling right now, and you know as well as I do that Wes has his finger on the pulse of that world a lot better than Vince ever did.

Roman scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Roman Reigns: That's not saying much, but I agree.

Paul Heyman: Jimmy Havoc is the real deal right now. He's this year's Brian Kendrick. It's a good idea to hitch your wagon onto that one, because he's going nowhere but up.

Roman nodded silently. He fully extended his arms, and placed the barbell onto the rack above his head. He sat up, grabbed a towel that was close by and dabbed himself dry.

Roman Reigns: Well, we both know me and the Internet don't exactly get along.

Paul Heyman: And you don't need to. For every indie guy with a cult following, there needs to be a guy like you who caters to the mainstream. The business isn't all about one or the other, it's a balance, something Vince never understood. Wes gets it, and he needs guys like you to be the yin to Havoc's yang.

Roman Reigns: You think he'd be interested in doing a big thing instead of just this match?

Paul Heyman: Let's get through this match tonight, and then we'll start talking about a program if it works. Need to see what your chemistry is like first.

Roman Reigns: If you were a betting man, what would you put on me going over tonight?

Paul Heyman: I'm being completely honest here Joe - it's hard to tell. There's a couple ways it could go. They're pretty high on Jimmy at the moment. That could mean that they want to extend his run with the Intercontinental title. Or that means that they may wish to free him from it so he can pursue higher accolades.

Roman smirked as he stood up and walked over to his duffle bag and grabbed an EBWF skull t-shirt, putting it on.

Roman Reigns: Come on, Paul. I'm smart enough to know when you know more than you're allowed to say. You don't have to pretend like you're in the dark like the rest of us, I won't push you to spill anything that you can't. You know I really want to win this match, but I would never put you in that spot.

Paul Heyman: I appreciate that, though I can mostly tell you that with a clean conscience because I'm part of the meetings for pitching the ideas and executing the show. I don't always know ahead of time who's going over, and this is one time where I'm delighted to say that I don't actually know.

Paul and Roman looked over at the door as it opened again. This time a camera rolled into the gym on a stand with wheels, being pushed by EBWF's senior cameraman Drew™. Drew tipped his baseball cap in Paul's direction.

Drew: I'm ready when y'all are.

Roman sat down, straddling the weight bench. He exchanged glances with Paul and nodded.

Roman Reigns: Ready as I'll ever be to do this.

Drew: Who should I start with?

Roman raised his hand slightly, indicating that the camera should be on him first. Drew obliged, grabbing a handle on the wheeled tripod and turning the camera to face Reigns. Drew gave a silent countdown with his fingers, pointing at Roman when he got to one. Roman's expression changed to all business the moment the red light appeared.

Roman Reigns: The Intercontinental Championship.

Roman clasped his hands together and rubbed them in anticipation.

Roman Reings: Most of the greatest wrestlers this business have ever seen started on that path by running with the IC title. Just look at the number of former World Champions also had a run or two with it. Tonight is Survivor Series, and I am one Spear away from finding the start of my golden path. Many look at the Intercontinental Championship at the next step towards greatness, but I'm going to be honest with you. This step has felt more like jumping a chasm. It's been a bumpy road to earning this opportunity, but despite what all of the haters want to say, I'm finally on my way. A great man once said that "jealousy is the tribute mediocrity pays to genius." That's a great quote, because I look at all the people in my life that say I shouldn't have the spot that I have, or say I haven't paid my dues, or tell me I'm not good enough to be here, and all I hear is the sound of jealousy. Tonight, I get the chance to make those people are really angry, because I've got a shot at the Intercontinental Championship, currently held by one Jimmy Havoc. A man who told me that came into the business with a silver spoon in my mouth because I'm a Samoan. I got a lot to say about that, but it's been said that I should let Paul Heyman talk more, so I'm gonna give him the floor.

Roman looked up in Paul's direction, and the camera panned right, centering in on his manager. Paul looked into the camera and gave it his textbook smug grin. He gestured outwards with his hands as he began speaking.

Paul Heyman: Ladies and gentlemen of the EBWF Universe, my name is Paul... Heyman. And I am proud to represent one of the most physically gifted, naturally athletic, and truly spectacular members of the Samoan wrestling dynasty - Roman Reigns. Like Roman, I too heard what Jimmy Havoc had to say about my client being brought into this business with a silver spoon in his mouth. I can only respond to that with uproarious laughter. My client was born into a family of some of the most jaw dropping wrestling athletes in the last century, it is true. In his blood lies the DNA of wrestling royalty, rivaled only by the Harts themselves. I would submit to you, however, that this does not give Roman Reigns an unfair advantage. In fact, I would argue the opposite. My client carries the expectations of an entire generation of Samoan wrestlers and their families. This is not a gift, it's an albatross! It is a great and wonderful burden that my client bears in order to represent his family in the world of professional wrestling. So don't attempt to intimate that my client is some spoiled shadow of his heritage, trying to make a name off his birthright alone. Roman Reigns is in a class of his own, an outstanding wrestling and one of the most dominant forces this business has ever seen.

Roman nodded as he stood up, draping a towel over his shoulder. He looked into the camera.

Roman Reigns: It seems like you've made a lot of assumptions about me, Jimmy. You seem to think I'm here trying to get people to hand things to me just because I've got more uncles and cousins in wrestling than you've got fans. You also think that I'm going to come into this match underestimating you. Well guess what Jimmy, you can rest easy. I'm not going to underestimate you. Any man who's able to make it at this level is an opponent that I'm going to take seriously. That means anyone in the EBWF. You, James Ellsworth, or Chris Jericho himself. You're all equal in my eyes. You all stand between me and my goal of becoming the man in this company. The Intercontinental Championship is my first step in that journey. I have a great amount of respect for that title, and the fact that you have it in your blood caked little hands means that I have to go through you to take it. That's something I take very seriously, and the one thing I've been focused on this entire week.

Paul Heyman: And that's the difference between my client and Jimmy Havoc. You see, Jimmy's got this mission statement. He's got something to prove because the mainstream audience looks down on an indie guy like Jimmy. He's obsessed with proving that he belongs in the conversation here at EBWF. That's a chink in his armor that he'll never be able to cover, because he'll always be looking for affirmation from his doubters. My client is here for one thing and one thing only. Roman Reigns' singular mindset is to be the best. It's to become the most decorated athlete in EBWF history. That's the driving force behind every match. Every collar and elbow tie up. Every three count. Do you know how many times my client has looked to see what the wrestling fans on the internet think about him?

Roman quietly gestured a "0" with his hands, and mouthed the word out.

Paul Heyman: Roman Reigns could not care less what the fans think about him. The only opinion that matters to Roman Reigns is Roman Reigns. So believe me when I tell you that he's unaffected by the fact that as Jimmy says, the fans hate him.

Roman Reigns: I don't have a problem with you, Jimmy. So far you've dug out a nice little spot for yourself here in the EBWF. Tag Champ, IC Champ. Nice work if you can get it. I've got respect for a guy that can earn that spot. I was perfectly happy to let you go on, talking trash from abandoned warehouses and dark alleyways. But then you had to go an invent this story that I'm a part of some establishment, trying to keep you down with my silver spoon.

Roman shook his head and an amused smirk.

Roman Reigns: I'm not here to keep you down, Jimmy. I'm not here to underestimate you or take you for granted. I don't think of myself as some higher class of wrestler. From the moment you stepped foot into this company you were a credible threat in my eyes, so you don't need to worry about me looking down on you when we step inside those ropes. When you walk up to me and stroll straight into a superman punch to the jaw, I want you to know that you're not a victim. It's not a personal attack against you. When I spear you through the ring, and take your Intercontinental Championship from you, it has nothing to do with you as a man, and everything to do with me wanting to be THE man.

Paul Heyman: Tonight, my client gets his first taste of gold in the EBWF. Jimmy Havoc, the self-proclaimed veteran, and his impressive resume of high school gymnasiums and bingo halls will not amount to anything once the referee calls for the bell at Survivor Series. All the hardcore matches, all the barbed wire, all the crazy stunts that Jimmy has wowed his fans with in the past won't help him when he stands in the ring across from a 6 foot 3 inch, 265 pound super athlete. A man who has lived, breathed, and slept wrestling for all 31 years of his life on this earth. A man who was born and raised to become one of the greats. Tonight, Roman Reigns... arrives.

Roman Reigns: Believe.... that.

Roman nodded at the camera as he grabbed his gym bag and walked off with Paul as the scene faded to black. Tonight Roman would indeed find out if he would jump the chasm, or fall to the bottom and have to climb back up again. Either way, he was ready for Survivor Series.