It felt to Fiona like she was perpetually either going to or coming from a workout. In this case, Defiant Dream had just finished their morning session, training to keep themselves in the best possible shape, with a focus on conditioning to make sure they'd both have the stamina to keep themselves in grueling matches. They would hit the ring in the afternoon to work on their tag team techniques and practice different strategies. Fighting as a duo came with a different set of challenges, and as a rookie Fiona found herself unprepared for some of them. Growing pains were to be expected for a young, inexperienced pair, but Fiona was hopeful they could come out looking much more dangerous under the new NMW brand.

There was a real opportunity here for them to make a name for themselves. Not everyone was interested in pursuing the tag team titles, some feeling that it would hinder or prevent them from going for the more presigious singles gold. Not everyone could work well enough with another wrestler in an environment where individual glory was so important. Fiona doubted the likes of Raven Veyn and Isabella Cadiz would bother with tag teams, and that made it seem tantalizingly possible to get some championship gold around her waist for the first time.

Of course, there was a twin-shaped hurdle they needed to clear first. On the women's side of things, it remained to be seen what teams would form and what new talent would be signed, but the most obvious challengers to the tag titles were Abby and Aubrey, the Beatifics. Defiant Dream's old NMWW nemeses were deadly in tag competition, with unmatched teamwork that let them run circles around their opponents, and often the referee as well. If Fiona and Kendra wanted those titles, they were going to have to go through them at some point.

With September's first show looming, Fiona was unsurprised to find herself missing from the match card. An exhausting August meant she needed time to recover, and time for the audience to miss seeing her in the ring. But when both she and Kendra got the call for a meeting with Gordon, it got her hopes up that they'd be getting involved sooner rather than later. Kendra especially had been forced to wait too long, and was eager to finally get another match.

They got to Gordon's office a few minutes early, still in their workout gear having just finished up in the training center. Sitting in the waiting chairs just outside the door, Fiona anxiously tapped a finger on the wooden arm rest, at least until Gordon came ambling around the corner.

"It's good to see you again, Mr. McKinney," she greeted, getting to her feet. "How are you?"