==========
March 6th, 2021
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
==========
March Madness has descended upon the world. For most of the sports world this is a reference to the college basketball season as it slowly approaches the NCAA Tournament. For Jessica Lasiewicz this time of year has been one of utter madness for numerous other reasons.
The Archangel is an active professional wrestler; very active. In the Millennium Wrestling Alliance she competes alongside her best friend Summer Collins as part of the tag team known as Fabulous where they are the reigning MWE World Tag Team Champions and have currently been fending off foes targeting them for their gold at every turn. Nothing new there for any champion.
In Global Championship Wrestling, Jessica is again teaming with Summer Collins and there they are the GCW Global Tag Team Champions. Recently they have come upon the radar of The Sovereign duo of Chantelle Chambers and Aubrianna Powers. The latter of the two has been in cahoots with none other Lasiewicz family “sometimes friend/sometimes enemy” Leviticus. Now Jessica finds herself preparing for a match where she will be fighting Powers in a church. Yes, a church. This is indeed March Madness.
Perhaps Supreme Championship Wrestling is where the madness is at its peak. Jessica finds herself teaming with her deranged half-sister, “The Woman Scorned” Kimberly Williams. Kimberly and Jessica have the same mother, Angelica Jones, but different fathers. Jessica was loved by both of her parents but Kimberly never was raised by either of her parents. Kimberly ended up turning into a deranged wreck. For the longest time Jessica would refuse to trust her eccentric half-sibling. This experiment, this team known as Vengeance, is their attempt to bond and form a relationship that for a long time never existed. They have had some success as a team, and despite losing to the Cookie and Jordan on the most recent edition of Breakdown, Jessica has to admit that the experiment has shown signs of success. In fact, Lasiewicz and Williams have a chance to shock the world and earn a tag team title opportunity at SCW Retribution if they can get past The Golden Boys, Doom & Groove, and Light in the Darkness. Can it be done? Jessica knows that anything is possible. Especially considering the roll she is on. She holds championships in two companies and is one win away from getting an opportunity at a tag title in a third.
Still, despite these many professional successes that are mounting up, The Archangel is bothered by a far more troubling personal matter, one that she had hoped was long since dead but has once more reared its ugly head; a certain Romanian woman known as Sorinah Floreschu.
Sorinah first appeared in Jessica’s life early on in her professional wrestling career. Neil Newman and Kyle Butler, who were enemies of Jessica and Summer at the time, were trying to run their careers into the ground. But Sorinah got involved and helped pull Jessica and Summer from the ashes. She would disappear for a few years until reappearing and once again involved herself in Jessica’s life, this time as her manager. Their business arrangement would end in a terrible, public breakup between the two and again Sorinah would disappear.
Now a couple years later Sorinah has returned. Once again Sorinah is trying to infiltrate Jessica’s life. She has already been talking not only to Summer Collins but Kimberly Williams. The surprise for Jessica was her connection to Kimberly. At first Jessica thought it was just a game Sorinah was playing but as it turns out Sorinah is more closely connected to Kimberly than she first thought. Sorinah is the older sister of Emma Storm, the woman who raised Kimberly Williams from birth to the age of eighteen, the woman who made Kimberly into the unhinged psychopath that she is.
Does Jessica trust Sorinah? Not one bit. But much to Jessica’s surprise, Kimberly does seem to trust this Romanian woman. Kimberly wants Jessica to give her a chance. The Archangel isn’t sure exactly what she will do when she does finally confront Sorinah again, but one thing she does know is that she wants more information. She wants to know what is going on and what Sorinah’s agenda really is.
The Archangel had hoped to make plans and had even contacted a close associate of the Lasiewicz family to try and look into this matter on her behalf. Unfortunately the individual was supposed to be here over an hour ago and Jessica assumes that he is not going to show up. Plus in less than thirty minutes another form of madness will be taking in the Lasiewicz household; NCAA March Madness.
Jessica’s all time favorite team, The Duke Blue Devils, are playing tonight. Jessica received a business degree from Duke and for a brief time was a cheerleader for the school. She is a very loyal Blue Devil. And tonight’s game isn’t any ordinary game. Tonight is a game against the school’s arch rival, The University of North Carolina Tar Heels.
Lasiewicz sits on a simply brown sofa in her living room, which is a rather modest living space compared to the homes of her family members who prefer extravagance and elegance. The walls are a cream color and the floor is a brown hardwood floor. Jessica, who is dressed in her Duke cheerleader outfit, has her feet propped up on the coffee table. A bag of popcorn is to her right and she has the remote control sitting to her left as she watches the commentators on ESPN discuss the upcoming game.
“This is one of the biggest rivalries not just in college sports but in all of sports. Carolina and Duke. The Blue Devils and The Heels. The…”
Jessica growls angrily under her breath as she listens to the analysts. “Heels...what kind of fucking name is that?! They’re named a god damn foot. What’s threatening about a damn foot other than toe fungus or bad smells?! And if they’re the damn heels then why is their mascot a goat? A goat that wears a shirt but no damn pants!” Jessica pops some popcorn in her mouth and then shakes her head with disbelief. “The Pantless Goats. Call it like it is, you idiots. The Duke Blue Devils versus The Carolina Pantless Goats.”
“Neither team has had a good season this year but Carolina has been improving and…”
Jessica again growls angrily, not approving of the analysis from these so-called experts. “And we’ll whip their asses tonight and prove you idiots wrong!”
The Archangel throws some more popcorn into her mouth as she watches and listens to the television intently. A few moments later she is interrupted with the sound of a knocking at the door. Jessica reaches for the remote and turns the television off. She waits and listens and sure enough the knocking is heard again. She furrows her brow out of curiosity.
“Why the hell did Kyle come back?!”
Jessica automatically assumes that this must be her husband, Kyle Butler, returning home. Typically whenever Duke games are on he leaves. Jessica inherited a bad habit from her mother’s side of the family; she does not handle the defeat and failures of her favorite teams very well. Jessica has been known to accidentally break furniture when her team is losing or loses. And with Jessica already cussing like a sailor even before the game was scheduled to begin, Kyle knew that he should leave. So he has already left to train for his own wrestling matches. But why would he return so soon? Nevertheless, if this is Kyle then he must be returning for a good reason. Jessica rises off of the sofa and starts to exit the living room. She turns and walks down the hall towards the front door. Knocking is heard again and Jessica rolls her eyes out of frustration.
“I’m coming, Kyle! Geez, have some patience!”
The Archangel approaches the door and opens it. Much to her surprise she doesn’t find her husband standing there. Instead she finds the Lasiewicz family associate she has been looking for, a man who has most of the times been a friend of the family but at times has been a trouble maker. Yet he is very good at what he does. This man wearing a purple tweed blazer, matching purple pants, black shoes, and a white t-shirt underneath bows respectfully to Jessica.
“Sorry to disappoint you, Ms. Lasiewicz, but I am not Kyle Butler. I am Levi Timothy Craig, belovedly known to my legions of fans around the world as Leviticus, The Most Loved Man On The Planet, The Emperor of Entrepreneurship, Captain Capitalism, Master Media Mogul, Saint Levi, Your Righteous Savior, The Titan of Twitter, The Sultan of Social Media, The N…” Before he can finish his long ass introduction, Jessica snatches him by the throat and jerks him inside, slamming him up against a wall.
“Jesteś spóźniony. Gdzie byłeś?”
“Hey, hey, hey! I can’t help I was late babe! You know I loooooove making an entrance!”
“Zadzwoń do mnie kochanie, a wyrwę ci cholerną głowę.”
“No, no, no! Do not do that! Violence never solved anything!” Leviticus chuckles. “Well, except for slavery in America, Hitler, the threat of imperial Japan, except for all that violence never solved anything!”
The Archangel is in no mood for fun and games. She roughly throws Leviticus down onto the floor. Leviticus scrambles back to his feet and he begs off, seemingly pleading for his life. “Ok, look, I’m sorry I was late, but seriously, you can’t kick my ass right now.”
“Why the hell not?!” Jessica demands angrily, this time returning to her English language. Levi smirks and then motions to Jessica herself.
“If I am going to get my ass kicked, at least don’t kick my ass when you’re dressed as a cheerleader. C’mon now!”
Lasiewicz glares daggers right through Levi’s chest and into his heart. The Polish native angrily points a finger as she gets up into his face. “You are lucky I don’t beat the living hell out of you right now after you decided to do work against me for Powers!”
“I am Captain Capitalism, bab...I mean Jess.” He winks playfully. “I can be bought and what can I say? She paid well.”
“Does she have anything else planned?”
“Depending upon the price I might tell. But the price has to be right. I am Levi Timothy Craig and I can be bought! Unlike the win your Blue Devil’s CANNOT buy tonight!”
Jessica throws a right hand, knocking Captain Capitalism to the floor. Lasiewicz just stands there, staring a hole right through him as he pushes himself back up to his feet. He chuckles, shaking his head. “That one got a rise out of you. Hate the truth that your Dookies suck this year, eh?”
“It’s a bad year. We’ll bounce back.”
“Maybe, maybe not, but that won’t make this beating you’re gonna get tonight any better.”
“Are you trying to antagonize me you dumb son of a bitch?”
“Uh...yes, of course!”
Lasiewicz rolls her eyes. “You’re just lucky you are a friend of the family, even if you are a hired gun who can be bought by the highest bidder. Now come on, follow me, lets do business.”
Jessica marches back to the living room and Leviticus follows her. She sits down back on the sofa. Leviticus, upon seeing the popcorn, immediately snatches it and starts eating it. “Awesome! You brought me a snack!”
“That’s my snack!”
“Not anymore!”
“Whatever.” Lasiewicz sighs. “Just sit the fuck down and listen.”
“Sure, no problemo.” The self-proclaimed Most Loved Man on the Planet sits down and continues to eat the popcorn he just stole. “But can I ask you something? Obviously I get on your nerves. And you already know that I will do anything for a buck, that I’m not exactly entirely loyal to your family. Why would you even want to do business with me?”
“My cousin, Anastasia, she is very busy right now and I would not think of saddling with one of my problems on top of her own. And then there’s Kamijo but he’s…” Jessica sighs deeply, remembering his untimely passing. Levi for a brief moment drops his eccentric attitude and shows a more human side.
“Yeah, I heard about that. Condolences.”
“Thanks. But I don’t need sympathy right now, I just need your help with a rather pressing matter.”
“And that would be what?”
“A woman named Sorinah Floreschu.”
“Is she single and hot?”
“Why the hell does that matter?!” Jessica exclaims.
“Just in case I get the urge to cheat on my wife while doing this job for you.”
Lasiewicz rolls her eyes. “I am fairly certain she is too old for you, Levi.”
“No way! I love a good cougar. Meow!” Suddenly Leviticus gets slapped by Jessica.
“Focus. Now then, her name is Sorinah Floreschu. She used to manage me a couple of brief times in my career but never very long. Our last tenure together ended on some rather poor terms. But now she is back and insists she wants to make up for her past mistakes.”
“Is that what she told you?”
“I haven’t spoken to her at length. Hell, I’ve barely seen her. I’m trying to avoid her because I don’t trust her. But she has spoken to Summer [Collins] and my sister Kimberly [Williams] and both seem to have bought whatever it is she’s selling.”
“Ah, I see…” Levi smirks knowingly “...you’re thinking about this seriously now, aren’t you? Because your best buddy and your sister are buying into this, you think that maybe there’s something to it.”
“Right, but you know as well as I do that I have my own trust issues. I don’t care if Summer and Kimberly trust her, I still don’t. I will meet with her, but I want to find out what game she’s playing. I want to know her real agenda.”
“And you want me to find out what the agenda is?”
“Exactly. Can you do it?”
“I think so.” He nods his head. “But what if I find out that there is no hidden agenda?”
“Then she’ll have earned my trust and I will eat my words.”
“Fair enough. I’ll get right on it then.” Leviticus rises to his feet and extends a hand to Jessica. She reluctantly accepts the handshake.
“Thank you, Levi.”
“No prob, your family has always paid well. Plus I am scared to fucking death of your father. I still proudly display the William F. Beauregard the 3rd Award for Most Likely To Get His Ass Kicked By Andreas Lasiewicz on the mantle above my fireplace.”
“I’m sure you do.” Jessica says, rolling her eyes.
“Oh and Jess?”
“Yes?”
“Go Heels.”
Lasiewicz punches Leviticus in the face with a firm right hand that knocks him to the floor. Leviticus cackles like a hyena as he scrambles back to his feet. He waves his goodbye as he furiously walks away. Jessica sighs out of frustration as she turns back to the television and resumes watching ESPN.
==========
On Camera
==========
Do you know what all great tag teams have in common? Experience? Yes. Chemistry? Yes. But there’s something else that one needs before any of that other stuff can develop; trust. You must be able to trust your tag team partner with your well being, dare I say with your very life.
I started my own wrestling career as a singles wrestler but lately I’ve become a bit of a tag team expert whether I like it or not, and that’s rather shocking to those who know me because those who know me best know I have serious trust issues. Most of my family I can trust but outside of my biological family there’s only two people I trust enough to team with.
Kyle Butler, my husband. And Summer Collins, my best friend.
Yet here I am in SCW teaming with my half sister, Kimberly Williams. She’s eccentric. Some may say she’s psychotic. And despite her being family, there’s no secret that I once had some trust issues with Kimberly. You think she’s dangerous now? She used to be far deadlier than this and I could not trust her. I just couldn’t. But she was still family, and I would never abandon family. So we decided to work out our issues, we used this team, Vengeance, as an a way to build that trust.
Now I would trust Kimberly with my life. And we now stand a chance to be rewarded with a tag team title opportunity. But we have to earn it by making it past three other talented and deserving teams.
Golden Boys, do you really have the same kind of trust me and Kim have? I don’t see how you can possibly have any sort of trust at all, because I think we all know Adam Allocco would betray his partner at the drop of a hat if it benefits him. Bison may not know this but I do, so allow me to educate you; a Team has to put the TEAM ahead of individual priorities. And Adam Allocco only cares about HIS priorities, not those of The Golden Boys.
I know that Doom & Groove have everything necessary to make it to the top of the tag team division here in SCW. The trust, chemistry, and experience already led them to success in the tag team tournament. But now that you are in SCW proper you find that things are much more challenging than you may have expected. There are individuals here who are ruthless, cutthroat, and will screw over their own family to get ahead.
Still talking about Allocco I suppose.
Light in the Darkness is new to the tag team scene. But they’ve given me no reason to doubt their desire or willingness or ability to get the job done.
As far as Vengeance goes, Kimberly and I have the trust needed to go to war. We have the chemistry and ability to take on anyone in this division and we know that together we can become SCW World Tag Team Champions. We just need one chance.
And there’s no way in hell we’re gonna let anyone stop us. So please, stand in our way at Retribution. It just may be the last thing you ever do.
Dobranoc...
==========
March 9th, 2021
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
==========
Trust is important for any relationship to flourish, whether it is a friendship, marriage, even a business-oriented partnership. There must be some amount of trust between the parties involved in order for any success to be gained. “The Archangel” Jessica Lasiewicz knows this to be true, and yet in a rather strange circumstance, some may even call it hypocritical, she has always had trust issues. The Polish native blames it on other friends, family, and partners betraying her in the past. When one is betrayed, when that trust is lost, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to ever win back that trust.
Few are ever given the opportunity to win back Jessica’s trust once that trust is lost. Once it is lost it is typically gone forever. The few who are privileged enough to get a second chance are family members. One thing drilled into the head of Jessica Lasiewicz from birth is the importance of family and of supporting your family. So when “The Woman Scorned” Kimberly Williams stepped up to the plate requesting the opportunity to team up with The Archangel, despite all of her misgivings Jessica agreed.
Why would Jessica have problems teaming with her half-sister? It ultimately boils down to the very thing that got Kimberly sent to a mental institution in the first place. Kimberly was basically brainwashed into thinking her own family had to be eliminated. Part of her deranged psychotic plan to do this was to kidnap her identical twin sister, Marie Jones, and replace her. Fortunately Jessica knew Marie well enough to see right through Kimberly’s charade. Jessica could tell that Marie was not acting herself. Jessica discovered Kimberly’s plot, rescued Marie, and set everything right. Needless to say, Lasiewicz never expected to give Kimberly a second chance. She may be family, but she had crossed the line.
But then Marie herself, the one who was victimized the most, not only forgave Kimberly but helped her. She gave her the mental help she needed and ultimately brought her back into the family fold. So despite her own trust issues when it came to Kimberly, Jessica decided to give her a second chance. And looking back, The Archangel is happy she gave her somewhat demented half-sister a second chance. Kimberly has more than earned Jessica’s trust. And had it not been for Kimberly earning Jessica’s trust, Jessica would not be here tonight.
It is dusk in the upper scale, more luxurious part of Boston, Massachusetts. Jessica Lasiewicz walks side by side with her half-sister, “The Woman Scorned” Kimberly Williams. Jessica is wearing a royal blue that stops just at the knee, a white silk blouse, and black open toed high heel pumps. Her long hair is dyed pink and has some curl to it. Kimberly by contrast is wearing a much simpler attire of torn denim jeans, flip flops, and a t-shirt which reads “I Groped Mr. D” on the front. There is light from the streetlamps but there is no sound from either sister except for the sound of their footsteps. It is an eerie feeling, not for Kimberly but for Jessica; because Jessica knows what is coming up.
The Archangel is about to have a reunion with a woman she had once swore never to see again; Sorinah Floreschu.
Sorinah was born in Romania and spent most of her childhood there until moving to the United States. That is about all Jessica knows of Sorinah’s past. Sorinah and Jessica have had two previous business relationships, both times they ended on a very sour note. Now Sorinah is once again trying to reconnect with Jessica. She has already reached out to Kimberly, offering her services to The Woman Scorned and, much to Jessica’s surprise, Kimberly accepted. Now Kim is trying to get Jessica to listen to whatever it is Sorinah has to say.
Trust...the trust Jessica has for Kimberly is the only reason she is even willing to listen to what Sorinah has to say. She trusts Kimberly but does she trust Sorinah? Not at all.
“I sure hope you know what you’re doing.” Jessica says after a long period of silence as the pair continue their walk through this upscale neighborhood in search of the home of Sorinah Floreschu. Jessica, for her part, has never been to Sorinah’s home, even when they were allies she never visited Sorinah’s home. It is rather disquieting to Jessica at how close Sorinah has been living to her. Jessica lives in Boston and so does Sorinah. They’ve been close all this time and yet Jessica never knew it.
“Oh I got no fucking clue what I’m doing.”
“Huh?!”
“C’mon, Jess, you know me! I never know what I’m doing! I just do things and hope it all works out in the end!”
Jessica sighs and shakes her head. “That’s not very reassuring.”
“Don’t worry, Jess, Sorinah won’t bite. At least I don’t think she will. She never struck me as a biter. But if she does bite you, then I will stab her…” she reaches into her pants pocket and produces a shank “...with this!”
“Seriously? A shank?”
“Why not? It wouldn’t be the first time I killed a man to protect a sister.” Kimberly winks knowingly. Jessica rolls her eyes, clearly unimpressed with her half-sister’s hijinks.
“Again, not very reassuring.”
Kimberly and Jessica continue to walk down through this neighboorhood a few more blocks in silence. Jessica isn’t quite sure where they will end up, because she has never been here before. She isn’t sure what to look for. She is literally being led by Kimberly Williams. That in and of itself shows the trust she has for The Woman Scorned. After awhile Kimberly comes to a stop and points towards a large home.
“That’s it.”
“That’s where Sorinah lives?”
“Yep.” Kimberly says, nodding her head. She turns and smiles warmly at her half-sister. “Thanks again for coming, Jess. I mean that seriously, by the way.”
“Look, you have earned my trust. That’s why I came. You insisted that I give her a chance and so here I am; I am willing to hear her out. I am doing this for you because you are family and I trust you. But understand that this doesn’t change anything between me and Sorinah. I have more experience with her than you do and I do not trust her. So while you may be willing to give her a chance I cannot make that same promise. I only promise to listen to whatever she has to say. Understand?”
Williams playfully salutes as if she were a soldier and Jessica were her commanding officer. “Aye, aye, sir!”
The Archangel lets the joke slide. She motions for Kimberly to lead the way. Williams marches up towards the home of Sorinah Floreschu with Jessica following suit. The pair reach the front door and Kimberly knocks, she knocks to the tune of ‘shave and a haircut two bits’. Kimberly laughs hysterically but Jessica just rolls her eyes. The siblings are not kept waiting long. The door opens and immediately they are greeted by the sight of none other Sorinah Floreschu. The Romanian woman is wearing a tight green dress.
“Sorry!” Kimberly exclaims, leaping forward and embracing her in a tight hug. Sorinah sighs out of exasperation but accepts the hug nonetheless. Eventually the hug is broken and Sorinah nods her head.
“Ah, yes, welcome Ms. Williams…” she looks over and her smile grows bigger upon seeing Jessica Lasiewicz, the woman she has wanted to speak with for a long time “...and I see you finally brought Ms. Lasiewicz to my home.”
“I only promised her I would listen to whatever it is you had to say. Nothing more.” Jessica says stoically. Sorinah nods her head, indicating that she understands. Then Kimberly produces her shank and waves it menacingly.
“Right, and if you get out of line I promised I’d gut you !”
“Ah, yes, well hopefully it won’t come to that.”
“Silly Sorry!” Kimberly says, dropping the shank and shoving Sorinah playfully. “I would never gut you. Beat you over the head ruthlessly with Wasley maybe, but never ever gut you.”
“Let’s just hope resorting to any form of violence will be unnecessary.”
“But that’s no fun.” Kimberly says, folding her arms over her chest and pouting like an upset child.
“There will be plenty of time for ‘fun’ later. First we have business to discuss, yes?” Sorinah locks eyes with Jessica. The Archangel glares defiantly back at the Romanian woman.
“You’re right, we do have business to discuss. So let’s get this over with.”
“As you wish.” Sorinah steps aside to allow her visitors room to enter her home. Jessica and Kimberly steps inside. Sorinah shuts the door and then leads the pair down a hall and then through a door that leads to a large luxurious living room. Sorinah motions to a sofa.
“Please, make yourselves at home while I get some drinks.”
Sorinah walks away. Jessica sits down on the sofa, as does Kimberly. “This is a comfy sofa, isn’t it?”
“I suppose.” Jessica answers back.
“Yeah. I slept on it after fighting with that bear in the woods.”
“What bear?!” Jessica exclaims.
“Long story. But trust me, that is the LAST time I am ever doing hallucinogenic drugs again!”
Lasiewicz considers interrogating her half-sister further about whatever it is Kimberly is rambling about. But she doesn’t get very far before Sorinah returns with a silver tray and three glasses of wine on the tray. She holds out the tray. Kimberly snatches one, as does Jessica. Sorinah takes a glass of wine for herself and then sets the silver tray down on a nearby coffee table before sitting down on a chair near the sofa.
“Is this Welch’s grape juice?” Kimberly asks as she takes a sip. She shakes her head. “No, definitely NOT Welch’s.”
“It is my finest wine. I thought you Jones women loved your red wine.”
“You’re right, we do.” Jessica answers stoically.
“And if I am correct, it is your favorite of red wines.”
“Merlot.” Jessica says, nodding her head after taking a sip. “You remembered.”
“I remember much about you, Ms. Lasiewicz. You always were one of my favorites...as well as my biggest regrets.”
“Yeah, regrets. There is a great deal of regret that I have when it comes to meeting you in the first place and working with you. But now I’m being told by Kim here that you want to make up for the past. You want to make things right between us.” Jessica scoffs as she shakes her head. “I am going to be perfectly honest with you by saying I think you are full of shit. I do not know what your agenda is but I am sure you have one.”
“I have but one agenda, Ms. Lasiewicz, and that is to right any wrongs I have committed against you. I am even attempting to right the wrongs my sister Emma committed against your family, and I am doing that by assisting Ms. Williams.”
The Archangel glares hatred towards Sorinah. “Yes, and Kimberly is the only reason I am even entertaining this nonsense in the first place. I trust Kimberly and for whatever reason that I do not understand, she seems to trust you. So I am here to listen to whatever you have to say. But before I hear your damn proposal, I think you owe it to Kim to tell her the truth about exactly how our falling out happened. Maybe then she can decide for herself if an alliance with you really is worthwhile?”
“Y’know, that’s a good idea.” Kimberly says after guzzling the last of her wine in one swift gulp. “Because, y’know, I never quite understood the beef she had with you.”
“Very well.” Floreschu sighs deeply before taking a sip of her wine. “It began early in Jessica’s wrestling career. Early on in her career she had been teaming with Summer Collins. Their natural talent, especially Jessica’s attracted me to them. But unfortunately it made them enemies of other individuals. You may recall the feud Jessica and Summer had between Neil Newman and Kyle Butler.”
“Uh-huh,” Kimberly says, nodding her head “but they’d eventually bury the hatchet, become friends, and then even got married and all ended well.”
“Yes, everything end well, but when they were enemies Neil and Kyle wanted to try and stop Jessica and Summer’s ascent to the top of professional wrestling. They beat them in a tag team match and by virtue of the stipulation of the match forced Jessica and Summer to quit wrestling and become valets. I anticipated that Jessica and Summer would not take to their new role very well and, as I expected, they rebelled. I used my connections to get hired as a Coach of sorts, to break Jessica and Summer and force them to accept their new roles as valets. But instead I used my role as their Coach to help free them of that stipulation and resume their wrestling careers.”
“You manipulated your way into our lives.” Jessica growls angrily.
“I helped you.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if you weren’t somehow behind that valet stipulation in the first place just as a way to force yourself upon us.”
“Believe what you wish but I was only wanted to help. And you and Summer didn’t want my help after it was over so I gave you the space you wanted. But I did return later on to manage your career again. Under my tutelage you became GCW International Champion.”
“Under your ‘tutelage’ I became a self-centered narcissistic monster. When I finally snapped out of whatever spell you had me under, when I saw what I had turned into, I was ashamed of myself.”
“And again I left you alone. And I am proud to see what you have done for yourself without me. MWE World Tag Team Champion, GCW Global Tag Team Champion, and now one win away from an opportunity at the SCW World Tag Team Championship if you can just pull off this win at Retribution.” Sorinah smiles warmly at Jessica. “I know I made mistakes in the past, perhaps I should have been more up front with you in the beginning? And maybe I shouldn’t have tried to force my own principles upon you? But I only wanted to help make you into the best version of yourself and looking at where you are now, that is what you have become. And you did that without my help. I am very proud of you.”
“So what is the point in all of this then?” Jessica asks curiously, as she takes another sip of her wine. “If you think I’ve arrived, if you think I am the best version of myself, then what is it do you want?”
“I meant what I said, Ms. Lasiewicz; I have made mistakes and I wish to correct those mistakes. I had only good intentions and even my sister meant well. But we both made horrible mistakes. My sister is dead and cannot do anything to make up for her mistakes with Ms. Williams, but I can do something to redeem my family name. And I can do something to redeem myself in your eyes if you will give me the chance.” Sorinah reaches over to the coffee table, moves the silver tray aside, and picks up a piece of paper. She reaches over and hands it to Jessica.
“What is this?” Lasiewicz asks as she reads the document.
“It is a peace offering. It is a deed for land, with a nice home, in your native home of Poland. It is now yours with no strings attached.”
Jessica is shocked by this. She doesn’t believe it at first and reads through the deed, trying to find something, some catch, but finds nothing. She looks up at Sorinah and her shock turns to anger. “What game are you playing?”
“I am playing no games, Ms. Lasiewicz. I assure you that this is a very serious offer. I only want to make up for my crimes.”
Lasiewicz shakes her head furiously. “I don’t believe you.”
The Archangel jumps up and furiously exits the room. Kimberly sighs as she puts her wine glass down and then runs off after Jessica. Lasiewicz throws open the front door and storms back outside. Kimberly follows her outside and shuts the door behind her.
“Jess? You ok?”
“She’s got some kind of hidden agenda. I just know it.”
“I dunno. She seems genuine to me.”
“Twice she ruined my life, Kim! I know this woman better than you and I just know she is up to something!”
Kimberly frowns. She places a hand on Jessica’s shoulder. “Or maybe you just don’t want to believe that people can change.”
“That isn’t it.”
“Isn’t it? Jess, you and I both know that you have serious trust issues. Hell, you don’t even trust our own mother. You love her, you care for her, but you don’t even trust her. The bar for trust when it comes to you is set so god damn high no one can achieve it.”
“I trust you.”
“Do you? After that scene in there I’m beginning to wonder.”
“Of course I trust you. I wouldn’t have even listened to that crazy bitch had I not trusted you. I’m just surprised that you do trust her.”
“Who says I trust her?” Kimberly asks. “Just because I’m giving her a chance doesn’t mean I trust her, Jess. I know about second chances better than anyone else. I know that just because you give someone a second chance doesn’t mean you automatically trust them. I don’t trust her anymore than you do. But I am giving her a chance, if only to see if she is serious, to see if she is sincere.”
“And you think trusting...excuse me, giving her a chance, you think that’s a good move?”
“Who knows? We’ll have to wait and see. But if she betrays us.” Kimberly grins. “I will maim her.”
==========
On Camera
==========
I heard everything my sister had to say about this match. I listened to every single word she had to say about what it took to be a great tag team. And she is absolutely right when she says trust is the most important thing a team can have. And that’s what makes Vengeance such a special team. Those know who our history know that the idea of a Kimberly Williams and Jessica Lasiewicz team was almost unthinkable a year ago. But as they say, blood is thicker than water. And as Michael Corleone once said, “Fredo, you’re my brother and I love you, but never take sides against the family again.”
Oh, but then again Michael killed Fredo in the second Godfather movie. Bad example! Forget that! Or how about Roman Emperor Tiberius naming his nephew Caligula next in line to be Emperor of Rome?! Grant that was after Tiberius murdered Caligula’s brothers, mother, and sent Caligula’s sisters into exile...but hey! Forgive and forget, right? Family sticks together and what you have here in Vengeance is two of the most violent women in professional wrestling united for one cause…
...brutality!
...destruction!
...chaos!
...well, that’s three...plus Jessica probably isn’t doing this just to maim people like I am. So forget that! But there is one cause that we both do share in common and that is the desire to become SCW World Tag Team Champions. We’re not consumed and obsessed with being the best tag team ever, we’re not obsessed with having all the spotlight and glory, but damn it we are professionals, and any team worth their salt should be in this business to be the champions of the world and if you’re not then you are in the wrong damn business. And Jessica and I, we do want to prove ourselves among the best tag teams in the best tag team division in professional wrestling, and right now one of the hottest tag team divisions is the SCW tag team division.
Doom & Groove, Light in the Darkness, and The Golden Boys are all in this match gunning for the same prize Vengeance is after. That’s four teams, eight people total, all after one prize and you know what that math adds up to; total and utter chaos. And while Jessica can talk all she wants about trust, chemistry, and experience, I am going to be the one to tell you fine people how it really is; and the fact is that of the four teams in this match at Retribution there is no team better at handling chaos than “The Woman Scorned” Kimberly Williams and “The Archangel” Jessica Lasiewicz.
I mean, our theme is Crazy Train for fucks sake! Chaos is our middle name!
Actually, my name middle name is Frances and Jessica’s middle name is Corey, but you get the idea. And the idea that you all will have to deal with is that only one team in this shit show is capable of earning this tag team title opportunity and that team is none other than Vengeance.