Supreme Championship Wrestling

Selena Frost vs. Cid Turner
SCW World Championship

2 RP Limit

Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET Saturday, June 12, 2021

OOC: In two parts due to length
 
 
 
 
 
Hochwildschutzpark Hunsrück,
Hochwildschutzpark 1, 55494 Rheinböllen, Germany
June 5th, 2021
1:29pm
 
Selena winced a little as she took another step along the trail, feeling the change in surface from concrete to dirt as the paths diverged and changed. She did her best to conceal her discomfort – it wasn’t extreme or anything, just a little muscle soreness…
 
Okay, maybe quite a bit muscle soreness… she mentally chastised herself.
 
She knew that it was her own fault. She hadn’t hurt herself at work or at the hands of some cheap jerk like Asher Hayes or Holly Adams this time, though those two had certainly gotten their fair share of shots in – Cid, too, actually. Her current discomfort were her own choices and issues, meaning she could only blame herself.
 
The Snow Queen silently shook her head at that. Three episodes of Breakdown had gone by since she had been named the number contender for the World title. Three television weeks, as it were… and every, single week, she had ended up on the receiving end of A/C Blondetourage Unit’s tricks and attacks. Whether it was getting beaten down with a fake championship belt, having her wife being attacked, coming up short in an impromptu tag match, or being beaten down with the real championship belt (which actually, if Selena’s memory was accurate, hurt a bit more than the fake one Asher and Holly had pelted her with), she had failed to gain any foothold against Asher, Holly, or more importantly, Cid. Failed to make any headway in her claim as a threat for the world title – and she was supposed to be the number one contender!
 
She found herself contemplating further as she sat on a nearby bench, feeling her legs almost sing with relief as her weight was supported on the thick, sturdy lumber. Before her eyes, she saw the hills and trees and forest and fences that made up the area, hectares of land with far away fences… She gave a mild scan of her surroundings as she took a deep breath, letting the cool wind fill her lungs (something she was grateful for in the warm spring).
 
Her reality had been so set – Asher had been right last week. She had failed over and over again. The truth, to her, was that she had been obsessed the last few weeks. She had been handed the world title, no different than Cid had by winning the Tag League and using that to piggyback off Asher Hayes’ title shot for the world title at Retribution.
 
It had been her goal to go after the world title with her wife, Deanna, by her side, that was true. But the plan was for her to earn her way through the ranks and conquer the division as she had in 2016 when she had defeated the likes of Christy Matthews, Ravyn Taylor, Kennedy Street and Kelcey Wallace before finally winning the World title against Alexis Quinne. She had wanted to do what Syren seemed to be too afraid to do with all her ‘special contracts’ she had thrown around SCW for months. But, much like those contracts, Mr. D. had stepped in and thrown all those plans away, naming her the number one contender after defeating Syren at “Careful What You Wish For”.
 
Not that Selena wasn’t proud of that match. She was. In all her years of being in SCW, she had, really, only faced Syren twice in one-on-one action. Once was a house show that involved the first Best of the Best Tournament Seattle finals, which she lost, and the other was an episode of Breakdown the year after, where she won, but only because of the chaos at ringside that had lead to confusion and Selena, somehow, coming out on top.
 
Their match a month or so ago had been validation for Selena. Not that she deserved to get a world title shot from it, but it was proof that she was on the right track for it. With Deanna by her side, encouraging her and keeping things as fair as possible, Selena had been able to beat Syren – the supposed ‘best’ of all SCW. The ‘standard bearer’ as Syren liked to call herself.
 
The win wasn’t supposed to have such big world title conditions - that wasn’t what Selena had been fighting for then. She had wanted to show Syren and the world – the platinum-blonde sighed as she thought about this – that everything about SCW wasn’t bad…
 
She hated thinking about that, but it was true.
 
The place she loved – the business she loved – the SCW Universe had started expecting certain outcomes. It had devolved from “Being the best with the skill and passion” to “having people at ringside who get involved and hand you victory”. She had lost track at how many matches, how many people, relied on that tactic. All of Infamous, for sure, the A/C Blondetourage Unit, whatever Minerva and her group were calling themselves- to the point where it seemed like ‘tainted victories’ had become the norm in SCW.
 
All Selena had wanted to do was be someone that didn’t need that. To show that SCW could still be about Supreme Championship Wrestling – about being the best wrestler in the world, the thing that so many people ‘promised to be’ and most of them inevitably fell on those cheap tactics to ‘prove it’. The calibre that had made SCW famous and running strong for nearly two decades… she wanted to show that it was still alive! That’s what her match with Syren had been about… hope.
 
The young woman almost cried at that one thought and the word attached at the end of it. Hope… How long had it been since she had seen that in SCW? Hope in the eyes of the SCW Universe. Hope in the fans for something special. For matches that didn’t break down into chaos or cheap tricks or blind beatdowns or ambushes?
 
Quietly, the number one contender rested her elbows over her knees, her sapphire eyes taking in the bright yellow shirt she and the multi-colored, floral leggings she wore as she did so. When David Helms had won the championship last Rise to Greatness, that was the last time she had seen that hope. For about two months, it had seemed to come back. But then David had gotten injured and things were back to the supposed ‘standard’.
 
Back to managers nailing champions with titles to cost them said titles.
Back to groups coming out to the ring and using their numbers to win.
Back to lies and drama that did nothing to discredit SCW and all it was…
For a moment, Selena’s mind raced. Had Syren been right all along? Was she simply fooling herself? What if – rather than trying to change all of SCW – Selena was simply always going to be the minority of it? One of the few people that DIDN’T rely on cheap shots and tricks and using drama to get ahead. One of the few people in the federation that WANTED to earn every opportunity, victory, or title cleanly? Because if Owen Cruze, a young boy that had shocked the world and been so honorable like his father… if he had given up and simply accepted the ‘standard’ Syren preached after only a couple of years here… if David Helms, the shining beacon of hope had given it everything he had, only to become more and more worn out after one year…and then was allowed to happen to him at the hands of Kandis…
 
Am I fooling myself? After all this years..
 
Her eyes scanned around the area again, but she knew it was hopeless. She didn’t have a gym to run off to this time around. There was nothing she could safely use to drown out the voice in her head that had grown louder with each week she had failed against Cid, Asher and Holly…
 
That was the failure that was haunting her. She had wanted to prove her worth as the number one contender. Prove that she was ready to fight for the World title. The boss, Mr. D., may have shot her through the ranks with that win over Syren, but Selena had wanted nothing more than to prove she could handle it – and she hadn’t. Every step, she had been outsmarted or outwrestled or just beaten down. To the point where neither Holly, Asher, and, if last week had been any indication, Cid were taking her seriously beyond their moronic one-line jokes.
 
Krrrrtttt….
 
The sound caused Selena’s head to lift a little, immediately meeting the dark orbs of the creature that was a solid ten feet away from her. She took in its dark fur, matted with tufts of gray and white as well, and its tiny paws and bushy, medium-length tail. For a moment, she was stunned to see a raccoon here in Germany, but quickly, her rationale mind kicked in. She had seen such creatures before in her years spent here. It wasn’t new. Just her brain forgetting and jumping back to ‘living in the U.S’ as it were.
 
“Hi…” she whispered, waving at the creature slowly, trying not to frighten it away. The raccoon did not move, keeping its eyes fixated on Selena. “Taking some time to think?” she offered, not really expecting an answer or response. “Yeah, me too…”
 
“Work’s been a pain.” She continued. “I thought I could do the right thing for someone, help him out and all that because I thought he meant well, and it all just blew up in my face.” She sighed. There was no other way to put it. She had stormed into Cid’s changeroom to show him the ugly truth: How Asher Hayes was using him to make up for his own failure to capture the World title. How Asher was disrespecting the title that so many people had fought their own careers for…
 
But, as seemed to be the norm as of late, Holly and Asher had been a step ahead and Cid? He had simply refused to listen to reason. Nothing she had said had gotten through to him – and she had suffered ANOTHER title belt to the face for her efforts.
 
“Now?” She released another sigh of breath, her eyes back on the furry fellow, who was playing with his paws. “No, I don’t know if I’m ready. I don’t know if I can do this. Hell, what if I can’t? Is this all the push I get if I fail? And if I do, do I just get tossed back to square one and ignored by them for another four years, regardless of who I beat?”
 
The furry creature gave no sense of understanding or comfort of advice, merely scurrying away at top speeds as it heard a ‘bark’ from nearby. “Good talk.” Selena called out just as the large furball of white was on her, resting its large head in her lap, clearly desiring attention from her in that moment.
 
“Hi, Obi.” Selena smiled sadly, reaching up to scratch between the pure-white Siberian husky’s ears, earning his contentment. “Did you have to interrupt my conversation with Mr. Raccoon over there?”
 
Her pet dog, Oberon, merely gave a slight, high-pitched hum of unawares.

“What?” Selena asked. “Haven’t you watched any Disney movies? Aurora talked to animals, Belle talked to enchanted objects, Snow White spoke with animals, Tarzan spoke with apes – I could go on, you know, but I just realized how much like my co-workers I sound, talking about that...”
 
Oberon gave a whine as Selena switched from scratching his ears to rubbing his neck with her hand.

“Oh ouch.” She laughed a little. “Language, Obi… the kids are here, you know.”
 
After a few more pets, Oberon scampered off, Selena noticing the leash that was still fastened around his neck. The implication coming to her, she turned her head to see the redhead smiling at her, arms crossed gently, the plastic handle of the leash in one hand. She had chosen more earthly colors for her attire compared to Selena, wearing an earth-green shirt and brown pants with no design. Her red hair was in a sort of mermaid-style braid – a pang of jealousy hit Selena as she wished she could still get her hair to do that again.
 
“How much of me talking to myself did you hear?” Selena asked, pushing herself to her feet with a quiet wince, her leg muscles still sore even with her rest.
“Well, I didn’t hear you talking to the racoon.” Deanna shrugged. “But Obi must have…”
“Yeah.” Selena gazed past the redhead, watching their dog run to and fro on the pathways, his leash keeping him from any of the parts separating the walkers from the enclosures.
 
“Sorry.” Selena added, taking the few steps necessary to join her wife. “I just needed a minute to rest my legs.”
 
The amused expression on Deanna’s face faded to one of concern. “Were you working out this morning?” she asked.
 
“Y-yeah…” Selena stammered, looking away with an expression of guilt. “Just a light run and a bit of kicking the bag-“
 
“Selena…” the younger Frost wife sighed. “Don’t you think I know what that means?” Emerald eyes glared right through the deflection Selena’s words had tried to create. “’A light run’ for you is an hour – like six or seven miles. And ‘a bit of kicking the bag’ is you blasting it as hard as you can for almost as long –“ her eyes drifted down the leggings Selena wore. “Until it hurts…” her voice dropped to a quieter tone at that last part.
 
“Yeah…but, I mean-“ her small pale hands found the hem of her yellow shirt, tugging it down as if she could cover her entire legs with so little fabric. Last thing she wanted was for Deanna to see the bruises she had on her shins and feet from so many kicks…
 
“Selena…” Deanna’s free hand was out, wrapping its fingers around Selena’s hand. “Do you think I didn’t hear you leave our room last night to workout as well?”
 
Selena’s eyes went wide, her mouth hanging open a little. “I…but you didn’t wake up or-“
“I did.” Deanna smiled a tired smile. “I definitely know the difference between sleeping without you and sleeping with you- whether I’m in your arms or you’re in mine.” She whispered the last part, moving her hand up to cup her wife’s cheek. “I couldn’t sleep till you got back… three hours later.”
 
“I’m…I’m sorry…” Selena tried, the guilt clear in her expression. “I just…” she looked around, seeing the many people walking the same pathways (either coming or going) as them but not really paying the couple any mind – they were just customers/visitors like the rest of them. People enjoying the day at the site. The platinum-blonde released a sigh. “I’ve had a lot on my mind.”
 
“I know.” Deanna smiled. “And I haven’t really been helping in that field.”
“Don’t go there.” Selena warned.
Deanna shrugged. “Least I can say I have the worst record in SCW history, right?”
 
“Debatable.” Selena stated. “At worst, you might tie some people.” The off-handed joke was quickly followed by her tone being serious again. “I haven’t thought about that because I don’t blame you.”
 
The redhead gave a shrug. “But isn’t this what you expect from me?” she asked. “We’re together.” She stated, lowering her hand from Selena’s cheek back to grasping her hand. “I’m supposed to get you to the World title, aren’t I?”
 
Exhaling through her nose, Selena shook her head. “Yeah, over time…” her voice trailed off, her eyes lowered to her held hand as she gave a sigh. “This whole thing has put so much pressure on both of us.” She stated. “I can’t stop thinking of the last few weeks now and how we’ve been played every single time. Outsmarted, outwrestled, flat out beaten down… and I’ve been thinking… maybe we aren’t ready for this. Maybe it was too much, too soon?”
 
Part of her was expecting a vehement denial of such a statement. A refusal of the notion’s very existence. But when Deanna gave a quiet sigh of her own and nodded her head, that part of Selena died instantly.
 
“I know how you feel.” The younger woman spoke quietly slowly. “But that’s why we needed this.” She prompted. “We need to reset. Clearly something isn’t clicking and we’re missing something in all of this. So…” Lifting Selena’s hand, Deanna’s soft lips brushed against the skin, kissing the knuckles ever so sweetly. “No more work, today. Just enjoy the time together with me and with our children and-“
 
“Mom! Mommy!”
“Speaking of which!” Deanna laughed out.
 
The voice turned out to be just a ways down the path from them – still within sight of the Frost wives, gaining both women’s attention, and a few from the passerby gallery. The yeller wore a bright red ‘Spider-Man’ t-shirt, making him easy to spot. Beside him, keeping an eye on him, were two people. First was an older woman who stuck with a light-pink long-sleeve and black pants, contrasting her white and gray hair, pushing a now empty, sturdy baby stroller, and the other was the nine year old wearing a dark purple t-shirt and sky-blue gloves the nearly reached her elbows. In the latter’s hands, the two-year old girl waved and pointed to the object of the young, shouting boy’s jubilations. “Mom! Mommy! Come see this!” the boy exclaimed.
 
Their troubles temporarily forgotten in favour of taking Deanna’s advice, the two women, with dog, keeping the other’s hand held, made the necessary steps to join the rest of their family: Their daughters, Elsianna and Amiliah, Gerda, their dear friend practically grandmother to the children, and their son, David, whose excitement was not uncommon at this point.
 
Actually, to be honest, it had been David’s idea for them to come to this place – the wildlife park, whose name Selena did not even want to try and pronounce as it had more letters in its first name then she did in her entire name! The young David loved this place ever since Selena had found it and taken the children and Gerda last year. Why not? It was a fifteen-minute drive from the castle and it was affordable and a fun, little outing…
 
Anyway, it had been David’s idea to go this time, quite possibly the last time, before they all moved back home to Manhattan. Mom hasn’t seen it yet! he had declared, referring to Deanna, and he had a point. Aside from small outings in Oberwesel, Deanna had been too busy packing and travelling with Selena to really enjoy anything of the town or the ones surrounding it. And while this, normally, hadn’t bothered Deanna, the events of Breakdown, and the subsequent ones ever since her wife had been named the number one contender, had played on her mind as much as it had Selena, prompting for an immediate ‘distraction’ of sorts.
 
With her free hand, Selena adjusted the large, brimmed purple hat that covered her head as the two women finally caught up to the rest of the Frost family. “Find something, David?”

“He says he saw a wolf.” Gerda pointed out, smiling at the family members. “But I think you frightened him away.”
“No!” David exclaimed, pointing out based the enclosure barriers to the fields that made up the ‘animal zones’ of the park. “Wolves don’t get scared! He’s just getting his buddies beyond that hill! I saw him go there.”
 
The group watched the hill for a moment, everyone remaining silent, even a few other visitors of the park joining them to see what the focus was about. But as the minutes ticked away, there was no sign of the wolf David claimed to see.
 
“I saw him!” David urged. “You saw him too, Elsa!”
“I caught a glimpse of him.” Elsianna nodded as she cradled the young Amiliah in her arms, the two-year old nodding her head.
“Go bye-bye!” Ami replied, pointing towards the hill, prompting a smile from Selena, who took the child’s little hand with her fingers.
 
“Yes, it did, Ami. The wolf ‘went bye-bye’ but he’ll be back at some point.” She turned her head to David. “You know, son…” she smiled. “I use to live in a place where I would see wolves every day. I even had one as a pet.”
 
The boy’s eyes went wide, his mouth hanging open, almost as if her mother had told her that she was secretly a superhero. “You had a wolf pet?” he asked with a mixture of disbelief and child-like awe!
 
“Yep.” Selena grinned, freeing her hand from Amiliah to ruffle the boys shaggy, white-brown hair. “She actually lived in the woods like the ones here do. She’d visit me and I’d feed her and everything. Whenever I went on hikes, she’d sometimes find me-“
 
“CAN I HAVE A WOLF PET?!” The request from the wide-eyed boy was almost pleading, causing Selena to almost regret her sharing of her past with him. But really, what did she expect? Casting her eyes up, she could see, behind David, Deanna with her arms crossed, quietly laughing up a storm.
 
“Don’t look at me!” She spoke in between laughs. “You got yourself into this mess, wolf-tamer!”
 
Her mouth still open, Selena returned her attention to her earnest son, who had not moved from his stare-down plea. “David…” she was interrupted by the white fluff ball that was suddenly between her and David, demanding attention from the boy, whom he almost matched in height, with soft, high-pitched whines.
 
“Obi!” Selena exclaimed. “You have Oberon, David. He’s part wolf, you know?”
“He is?” David looked at the Siberian husky.
“He is?” Deanna asked, though in a far more amusing and less believing manner.
“Actually, yes.” Selena answered with a smile, giving a look to both David and Deanna. “Dorian told me when he sold him to me. He’s one quarter wolf.”
“What’s that mean?” the boy asked as he petted the dog’s muzzle, Oberon’s tail swishing left to right excitedly and receiving his desired attention. The big suck… Selena thought with an amused smile.
 
“Well…” Selena started, able to look at David’s face straight on from her kneeled position. “Do you know how I’m your mother?”
“Yeah.”
“And do you get that, like you, I had a mother?”
“Okay?” David asked, unsure of where his mother was going with this.
“Well, guess what? Like us, Oberon had a mother. And that dog had a mother. And if we go far enough back like that, we’ll find out that one of Oberon’s great-grandmothers was actually a true, full-blooded wolf like the one you saw. So… like how you’re a Frost from your family, Obi here is part wolf from his.”
 
Now, the four-year old may not have understood every word Selena had said in that explanation, but hearing the last phrase ‘part wolf’ from his mother, the boy’s eyes grew large, turning his attention to the white husky. “You’re a wolf, Obi?!” he asked, almost in disbelief.
 
The wolf merely looked at him and opening his mouth to pant a little, as if to say ‘Sure. Why not?’. Apparently, that’s how David took it as he grinned widely. “I own a wolf! I own a wolf!” he cried out, taking the leash from Deanna. His excitement caught Oberon, who barked happily as he moved around David, though Selena was sure he had no idea what was going on to prompt his master’s excitement.
 
“Easy, son.” Selena prompted with a slightly firmer tone. “Remember, we’re not at the castle. You need to behave yourself.”
 
Quickly, the boy was quiet, nodding his head. “Yes, mother.” He stated before lifting his head up. Again, however, his eyes went wide. “Ben!” he called out, recognizing the boy that stood just a ways further down the path. Hearing his name, the lad, maybe a head taller than David, turned around and jilted his head at him in some kind of upward nod. He was standing with a couple, whom Selena surmised were the boy’s parents. David, meanwhile, keeping his hand on Oberon’s leash, had rushed over to him, Selena just able to make out David’s words of “Guess what? Obi’s a wolf!”
 
Turning her hatted head, Selena pushed herself to her feet, her legs whining all the way back up to full height, to stand beside Deanna once more.
 
“I’m guessing one of his friends at school?” the redhead asked, turning to cast a gaze at the trio of new people.
“I guess.” Selena shrugged. “He doesn’t bring any of them to the castle, and I don’t recognize the parents-“
 
She stopped as her eyes settled on the aforementioned adults. While the other adults/visitors of the large wildlife park had barely paid any mind to the Frost family other than simple greetings and other pleasantries as they passed by, the parents of Ben – well… there was no way that the angry stares the two sent Selena and Deanna’s way could be misconstrued as ‘pleasant’. To Selena, they appeared to want to say something about David being near their son, but were choosing to hold their tongues for now.
 
“What the hell are those looks about?” Deanna asked, leaning closer to whisper the words to her wife.
“No idea.” Selena whispered back. “Maybe they have a problem with lesbians.” She simply shrugged – it was a reasonable thought and something both she and Deanna were used to. “Long as they don’t upset David, I don’t really care.”
 
“Yeah…” Deanna nodded. “Still…that’s an awful lot of stink-eye.” She added, forcing herself to look away and ignore the staring adults.
 
“Everyone is different.” Selena stated as the remainder of their group moved on. It had seemed that David had taken the lead for them, as it were, as he followed Ben and Ben’s parents, with Oberon in tow, the boy and dog running back and forth every once in awhile between the Frosts and Ben’s family to share what he saw in the other exhibits ahead.
 
As for Selena, the next two hours of walking were slightly harsher on her than she cared to admit. From the hills to different parts of the park enclosure, to sometimes running to keep David in her sights as he hung out with Ben, if the Snow Queen did not regret the extra workout to try and ignore the thoughts brewing in her head regarding SCW, she was certainly regretting it now.
 
“Ahhh…” she half-laughed, half-groaned as she sat in Amiliah’s large baby stroller, being pushed down the pathway by a very competent Deanna. “Thanks, pet.” Selena teased, sticking her tongue out a little at the cute redhead. “I feel like-“ she caught herself but Deanna was quicker.
“Like royalty, Snow Queen?” It was Deanna’s turn to stick her tongue out at Selena as she pushed the large stroller.
 
“Strolled into that one, didn’t I?”
“BOO!” Deanna threw back before ducking down under her Selena’s purple hat to kiss her wife’s cheek. “Serves you right, though.” She taunted with a whisper.
 
To that, Selena could only nod her head as her ‘carriage’ continued to move along the pathway, the sound of the hard tires rolling on the concrete of the walkway filling the Snow Queen’s ears.
 
She knew Deanna was right. She knew throwing herself into more training and working out simply to drown her doubts wasn’t going to get her anywhere. But still, it didn’t make sense to the platinum-blonde! Not just her earlier doubts about the standard of SCW and her place within it, but also just how bad the last few weeks had been!
 
What the hell were they doing wrong?! The tactics Asher, Holly, and even Cid had employed were not new! Hell if Selena closed her eyes, she could imagine Syren and Infamous performing such tactics, or even Bree – she stopped herself from going there – the less she thought of that woman, the less she had to concern herself with this supposed turnaround that Bree was doing that Selena didn’t believe for a second.
 
But still, Selena knew that book of ambushes, twisted narratives, cheats and even more ambushes – even without Deanna with her – she knew how to deal with it mostly. She had done so for years! People like Christy or Syren with Infamous, Xander with Artemis, Giovanni with his Wonderland cronies, Kennedy with Dylan Howell, and so on and so on – Hell, their high numbers of existence was what was making her question her ‘direction’ in SCW in the first place! She should have known the kind of tricks and stunts A/C and Holly would pull, especially when they weren’t even in the same league as masterminds like CHBK and Ravyn Taylor…
 
Yet, she had failed three times over.
 
What is wrong with me? She asked, her eyes gazing down at the ground to watch the panels of sidewalk ‘roll’ past her. It was the only possible explanation she could give herself. Something was throwing her off. Something was distracting her and she wasn’t able, in that moment, to pinpoint what.
 
But she was able to pinpoint the yells that suddenly filled her ears, her eyes darting towards the source of the sound to see Ben grappling with her son, David, throwing him to the ground, the boy tumbling a few rolls over. Oberon, meanwhile, seeing his master (one of them) was in danger, was already growling and jumping, trying to do something!
 
David is hurt…
Ben is hurting my son…
Oberon might attack…
The people might hurt them both…
 
In the span of a second, these and so many thoughts whizzed through Selena’s head, prompting the Snow Queen to practically launch herself out of the stroller, her hat immediately flying off her head as she sprinted down the pathway towards her son. David, meanwhile, had pulled himself to his feet and suddenly had thrown a punch – a fucking punch! – within the blink of an eye! The taller boy, Ben’s, head snapped to the side and he almost fell to the ground.
 
It was enough for Ben’s father, cursing in German (Selena didn’t have to be fluent to know what yelling was – the tone was universal). The larger man, a good six inches taller than Selena, quickly grabbed Ben, pushing him out of the way towards the boy’s mother before reaching out and grabbing David by his small arm, the Snow Queen able to see the absolute terror in David’s face.

“GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY SON!” Selena yelled as fiercely as she could, throwing all of her ‘Snow Queen persona’ forward to try and intimidate the larger man. Whether he was intimidated or just surprised by the loud yell so close by, the man backed away from David, allowing Selena to slide in-between them, gather the little boy up, and back several feet away from the parent as Deanna caught up with her, having only been a few feet behind Selena. She took David from Selena, holding the boy as Selena checked him over. He had a few marks on him (though he merely looked like he may have just fallen off his bike or something) and he was crying a little, but other than that, there wasn’t anything too worrisome. – Selena breathed a sigh of relief.
 
“David.” She spoke curtly, her tone in full ‘mother-authority’ mode. “You tell me what happened this instant!”
 
The boy looked up at his mother, trying to talk amidst the slight crying. “He started it!” he exclaimed. “He said Oberon was a stupid dog and that his was better!”
“That isn’t a reason to punch him!” Deanna chimed in.
“He started it!” David tried, pointing towards the trio of people that were also involved in this. “He shoved me and threw me to the ground-“
 
“SIE! HALLO!” came the booming voice behind them, the two Frost women turning quickly to see the large man who had grabbed David stomping up to them, an absolute rage in his eyes. “Was zur Hölle denkst du, hat dein Kind gemacht?!”
 
“I…I’m sorry…” Deanna tried gently, trying to calm the gentleman. “We can’t – please speak English if you can.”
 
“Wer zum Teufel glaubst du, dass du dein Kind meinen Sohn angreifen lässt?!” The man continued to yell, waving his hands in front of the Frost women – his tone obviously condescending.
 
“HEY!” Selena’s voice rose up again. “We don’t speak German, sir. Kein Deutsch sprechen!” she added, using one of the few phrases she knew – a literal ‘No speak German’. “English, please.”
 
Rather than adhere, the man merely continued to curse and swear at the two women, neither having a clue what he was saying. Each time one of them calmly tried to speak, with such promises as they would discipline David, apologies for the boy’s part, etc, they were met with nothing but more the same strings of curses. Casting one last look at each other, the two women merely shrugged and began walking away. This, however, only seemed to infuriate the man, as Selena suddenly felt herself being yanked back around by the shoulder, once more staring down the man she only knew as ‘Ben’s father’.
 
“Geh nicht von mir weg, Schlampe! Ich spreche mit dir!”
 
“HEY!”
 
The voice didn’t come from Selena or Deanna or even David – to the shock of all them, it came from someone nearby, as Elsianna gently handed the small Amiliah to Gerda, the almost ten-year-old marching right up to the large man. Sensing the absence of her older sister, Amiliah’s cries began to develop, Gerda trying to calm the two-year old, as Elsianna stopped in front of the brute.
 
“Nennen Sie meine Mutter nicht so! Sie verstehen mich?!” she barked back – as much as a nine year old could to an adult.
 
“Halte dich da raus, Göre!” the man’s tone seemed to alter to a warning, but the smaller child refused to step down.
 
“Nein, werde ich nicht! Ihr Sohn Ben ist ein Tyrann! Ich habe ihn in der Schule gesehen, wie er sich mit anderen streitet! Er bekam, was er verdiente! Also lass meine Familie in Ruhe!”
 
The father’s eyes narrowed before turning his head towards Selena and Deanna, the latter still holding David firmly in her arms. Holy hell… Selena thought, quite sure her wife was thinking the same thing. Our nine-year old baby knows German…
 
“Lässt du dein Kind für dich reden, Deiche?” The father barked at the Frost wives, regaining their attention. “Deine Gefängnishurenfrau wäre besser als diese Göre!!”
 
“English!” barked Selena.
“Selena…” Deanna stopped her, using her free hand to grasp her hand. “He just called us, ‘dykes’... and me…” Deanna stopped shaking her head. While the first insult didn’t seem to get her, there was something else said that seemed to shake her.
 
“What?” Selena asked, stealing a glance towards Deanna.
“That...Nothing…” Deanna shook her head.
“Not nothing.” Selena barked. “What did he say about you?”
 
For a moment, Deanna glanced at Selena before sighing. “It’s something I heard a lot in Frankfurt. Deiche was ‘dykes’ and… Gefängnishurenfrau…”
“What does it mean?” Selena asked, her tone dropping into the frigid zone as she witnessed her wife’s discomfort grow.
“Roughly translated?” Deanna tried, wincing a little.
“In English, Deanna.” Warned Selena.
“Prison-whore.”
 
“Oh hell no.” The angry mutter came under Selena’s breath as she marched the few steps to stand beside her oldest daughter, her eyes now locked on the taller brute before her.
 
“Elsianna.” Selena ordered in a cold calm. “Translate this for me, please: Tell him that if he doesn’t back off from my daughter… I will kick his damn head off.” She threw in a sharp smile at him for good measure.
 
Out of the corner of her eyes, the Snow Queen saw her eldest’s eyes go wide. “Uh…mother…am I allowed…”
“This time, you can say ‘damn’.” Selena added, never breaking her gaze.
Immediately, Elsianna launched into translation. “Meine Mutter sagte, wenn du nicht von mir wegkommst, wird sie dir den verdammten Kopf abschlagen.”
 
The man gave no reply, merely turning his attention from Selena to Elsianna and then back onto Selena, his shoulders, arms and fists tightening as if he was ready to swing a punch of his own. Immediately, Selena pushed her daughter behind her, standing as a guard between the child and the larger being.
 
“Excuse me!”. Thankfully, this next interjection was in English, Selena turning her head to see the uniformed security and staff making their way over to them, the platinum-blonde at this point, noticing the small crowd of people that their commotion had gathered. Immediately, the father backed off a few steps as the guards reached them. The security started with him, speaking in German before turning their attention to Selena.
 
“Sorry, but before you start.” She quickly spoke, her nerves still raw, but her tone back to normal. “Can either of you speak English for me, please?”
“Of course we can.” Said the shorter of the two guards, a young man appearing in his 20s with reddish-copper hair and a solid build. “This man said your son punched his son.”
 
“Yes.” Selena sighed. “Apparently there was some kind of argument and his son, Ben, my son and him are students at the same school - he threw my son to the ground. My son got up and punched him in the face. That’s what I saw.”
 
“That true?” The officer asked the father, who shook his head.
“No. She’s lying.”
“Wait!” Selena barked. “You could speak English the whole time?”
 
The man ignored her, causing the Snow Queen to roll her eyes and bite her lower tip. “Oh you are a real…” she stopped herself, recalling her daughter being behind her. The father, meanwhile, once more spoke in German to the officers. While he did, however, Elsianna’s voice suddenly rang out.
 
“Er packte meinen kleinen Bruder!”
 
The two guards turned to look at Elsianna, surprise on their faces.
“Elsa, what did you tell them?” Selena asked.


“I told them that he grabbed David.” Her adrenaline was clearly gone, the young girl was back to being her quiet self, though clearly as shocked as someone her age would be in this predicament. Her statement seemed to launch a whole new slew of questions from the guards, for they spoke faster and with far more tones than previously. Selena supposed he was the bigger issue in regards to appearances. He was the tall broad person cursing up a storm in front of a smaller woman and her daughter, after all.
 
Slowly, she ushered Elsianna back to the group, Deanna taking the young girl’s hand as soon as she was in reach. “Can we go?” she asked.
“I’m not sure.” Selena sighed. “How is David?”
“I’m fine.” David tried, but earned a cold glare from Selena for his efforts.
“You are in trouble, mister.” Selena warned.
“Wha- why?!” David looked shocked. “He started it-“
“David!” Deanna warned, her tone as harsh and cold as her wife’s. “We will discuss this when we get back to the castle.”
 
“Which I recommend that happening now.” The voice came from the young security guard as he approached them. “I’m afraid management staff has asked us to escort you from the wildlife park for the day.”
 
“Ye-yes.” Selena nodded. “Of course, sir. Are there… any issues from him?” she pointed to the father who was still eyeing her.” Seeing her do so, however, he threw out one last string of words, unintelligible to the platinum-blonde.
 
“Raus aus Oberwesel! Wir wollen deinen perversen Dreck nicht! Noch besser –“ he stopped, standing taller than the security guard that was watching him and trying, in vain, to stop his tirade. “Geh zurück ins Gefängnis, wo ihr beide hingehört! Dann wird alles richtig gemacht!”
 
“Please, just go.” The security guard prompted, almost pleading, to which the Frost family didn’t need to be told twice. The group was soon moving back the path they had walked towards the park exit.
 
“Unpleasant.” Deanna shook her head. “He just ruined out reservation with the otters and their trainer.”
“Yeah.” Selena sighed, rubbing her head. “David?” she turned her attention back to her son. “Did you know he was a bully like Elsianna did?”
“No.” David shook his head. “He’s in a grade higher than me and usually we didn’t… I just wanted to show him how cool Oberon is.”
 
For a moment, as Selena and Deanna shared a glance, the pair contemplated how to deal with their son’s actions. The last thing they wanted was to see him throw a tantrum on the way out – perhaps on the way back to the castle…
 
For the Snow Queen, she simply gestured with her head to Deanna. Her wife could deal with the punishment on this, Selena would stand by her on whatever she chose. For her, though, the wrestler turned her head to notice her oldest daughter a little behind the others, though not enough to annoy the security guard following them to ensure their departure. Carefully, the pain in her legs ignored long ago thanks to this little fiasco, Selena drifted back to allow Elsianna to walk with her.
 
“What is it, snowflake?” Selena asked as she caught Elsianna looking back.
The young girl’s head snapped back to regard her mother. “Sorry, mother.” She stated. “I didn’t mean to fall behind.” She paused her speaking for a moment. “And I’m sorry I yelled at that man and lost my temper…”
 
The older woman gave a nod. “Elsianna…” she started. “I want you to know that I’m very proud of you.” She tried. “For standing up for your family like that.”
“You are?!” the young girl looked up at her mother in surprise, no doubt expecting a punishment as David was set to receive. “I was afraid you’d get angry at me…”
 
“I…” Selena thought about it for a moment. “I want you to be careful. You’re at the age to know that you need to choose your battles carefully. But that said.” She knew she was going to confuse her daughter in saying this, but Selena knew she had to. “You can’t…” she tried to find the words. “I don’t want you going through life feeling like you have to turn a blind eye to someone in trouble or someone doing bad things.”
 
The child, clearly, didn’t quite understand, but she nodded her head anyways, which was enough for the platinum-blonde for now. “…. And your German is amazing!” she quickly changed subjects. “I hope you’ll keep studying it when we get back to Manhattan.” Selena added with a smile as she patted her daughter’s shoulder.
 
The child gave a nod. “I…I can’t wait for that.” She simply said.
“Your mother and I feel the same way.” Selena started. “But…why is that? Are you homesick?”
 
To her surprise, the girl shyly shook her head before answering Selena. “I’m just… all these people calling you and mom names and saying things like that…”
 
Selena’s eyes widened a little bit, her step slowing minutely. “You understood even those big German words?”
Deanna nodded her head. “People in my classes and the older ones know about you – some know about mom. So… they said stuff like that…” she gestured with her head back towards where they had come from.
 
“I… I see.” Selena sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I didn’t know that.”
“I try to ignore it.” Elsianna admitted. “Because it’s not true.”
“Of course it’s not true.” Selena prompted. “None of it is. Some people are just very…” she stopped herself. She didn’t have to finish that thought. The gloves on Elsianna’s hands were proof enough at the cruelty of some people – especially those that thought themselves untouchable or superior to others.
 
“Elsianna…” Selena tried, casting a glance behind her. “What was the last thing that man said before we walked away?”
“Uh…” the white-haired girl tried to recall. “He said that we don’t belong in Oberwesel and we should all go back to prison. Then things will finally be made right…”
 
Then things will finally be made right…
Then things will finally be made right…
Then things will finally be made right…
 
The phrase echoed in Selena’s mind, dragging with it the memory she had shut away as best she could for close to two months. Her head snapped back towards where the confrontation had been, but the man was long gone, as was any trace of what had transpired. And yet, those words echoed in her brain.
 
The same words she had heard before from that damn phone call. The same words from the person responsible for all that she and her family had suffered through for nearly two years. The same words that had also swore that things were not over – that once Selena was, once again, in her happiest place… everything would be taken from her.
 
Her children.
Her wife.
Her career.
Her life.
 
Gone as soon as she was ‘at her happiest’…
 
I want you to be happy. I want you to go and become World Champion like you said. Hell, go and headline Rise to Greatness. Go and move back to your ‘forever house’. I want you to reach a point of normalcy and genuine happiness with Deanna… Then… then… I’ll be there to take it all away.
 
…
 
She said nothing after that. Nothing when the family had returned to the car. Nothing when Deanna had given out David’s punishment – something about writing lines on paper many times to learn his lesson. Nothing when Deanna had asked her what was wrong and nothing at dinner when they had returned to the castle.
 
She couldn’t say anything, because she couldn’t think of anything… All that went through her mind were those promises… promises that damned her to be the failure Cid, Asher, and Holly were painting her as….
 
Instead of words, she simply kissed her wife before excusing herself from dinner, leaving the dining room to change and do the only thing she could now…

Drown her thoughts in the gym…

The camera opens up the interior of an arena space but not a massive one that such a segment usually warrants. There are no thousands of chairs in this space or grand technical majesty such as ramps and titantrons. No, all that is in this small space is a wrestling ring with some lights from above shining down on it. And yet, standing in the ring is the same woman we’ve come to expect with these segments.

The Snow Queen Selena Frost.

Dressed in black track pants and a gray t-shirt, the young woman leans on the ropes, her arms on them and her eyes on her audience watching from around the world.

I know these segments aren’t usually held until I’m in the city of the next event. she offers an apologetic smile. Normally, I’d be doing this in St. Louis inside the Enterprise Center, the place for this year’s Taking Hold of the Flame, with blue and white lights shining down in front of an empty arena – able to collect my thoughts in the silence…

Slowly, she shakes her head. But, as most of you know, this is far from an ordinary event for me. For the first time in my career, as far as I can recall, I will NOT be participating in the Taking Hold of the Flame Battle Royale this year…

That’s the first thing that makes this “Frozen Central” different from the others. The other reason, the big reason, is why I am not going to be in the royale this year. It’s because, after four years of waiting and grinding my way through the ranks of SCW, I finally have an opportunity to, once again, call myself the number one contender and fight one-on-one for the SCW World championship.

The statement, judging from Selena’s tone of voice, holds a lot of weight to her, not that that isn’t much of a surprise given the fact it involves the SCW World Title.

It’s…it’s almost unreal. So unreal.

That’s what this whole thing feels like to me. For four years, the only way I got close to the world title was by one of my peers using their Trios to place me in some kind of cluster of a match. For four years, I wondered what more I could do to get back to the place I was knocked down from – to get back to being a contender for the World title instead of a charity case for Trios winners. To get another crack at the World title on my own. And as the years passed me by and other people were chosen, I started thinking maybe it just wasn’t in the cards. So, from fighting Infamous and defeating Syren to getting to this moment, I almost have had to take it week by week as things came at me. And given the last few weeks I’ve had, maybe that was a mistake. Because the current champion is certainly unreal in his own right.

Giving a shake of her head, Selena refocuses on the camera. Right. No distractions. No long-winded speeches about everyone other than my opponent. No, Cid, this is about you and me. That’s what Mr. D. has made this about. Your ‘friends’ are barred from ringside. You will be on your own against me.

The Snow Queen suddenly stops for a moment, as if interrupted by an errant thought, one that causes her to quietly chuckle.

It’s funny because, as I’m standing here, thinking about that and everything else, I can’t help but wonder if even talking to you now will make any difference. I mean, you clearly are content with letting Asher and Holly control what you see and hear. So, will my words even make it to you, Cid? Will they even be my words? Or will they be some warped version that Asher and Holly make through Photoshop or Audacity or MovieMaker and you just believe whatever they give you without using common sense?

A pale hand runs through Selena’s platinum-blonde hair as she shrugs. Who knows? Maybe you will actually take me seriously enough to listen to me on your own. her tone grows colder. Or maybe you will just check my accolades and run through my match history or whatever clips Asher and Holly grant you.

I mean, Cid – you said it yourself – this is the most important match so far right? Sure as hell is one of the most important matches of my career! So much is on the line! And no one cares about being the SCW World Champion more than Cid Turner, right?

But if that’s so, Cid, if you care so much about that title… why are you not even trying against me?

“Selena is jealous! Selena is a fraud! Selena doesn’t care! Selena is a sham! Snow jokes! Fake hair! Incest jokes!”

Is that the best you have, Cid? Seriously? Insults that were old in 2015 when Thomas Watson and Autumn Valentine were using them?! Selena shakes her head, clearly disappointed.

I don’t know why I expected more from you in terms of your views towards to me, considering I saw your television set – which might explain things…

Do you even know why I am here and not in the arena, Cid? Why I am doing this segment first instead of last like ‘the same old. Same old’ Selena? Because this match – this WORLD title match, with implications towards Rise to Greatness! – is NOT just ‘the same old’. Everything is different now! So much more is on the line and I NEED to do something different, be something different in order to have a chance against you!

Because that’s how good I know you are, Cid. And if anyone is going to understand you at this point? It’s me.

Slowly, turns back to walk along the ring, wide lights keeping her illuminated.

You say that all of this has been because of friendship? You talk about someone saving you and how everything you do is for them? That no one will understand it, Cid.

I do.

For all of last year, I LIVED by that concept. You mentioned it, after all, we were BOTH in the Tag League, remember? But it seems that you are the one that forgot about it – or at least the parts that didn’t concern you.

Remember who were the champions in the beginning of that tournament? Frozen Hell? Ring a bell? Remember how Regan and I got those titles and defended them round after round until we lost them? And then kept fighting despite the odds being stacked against us? for a moment, Selena looks down at her hands, rubbing them together.

For a year, I did all I could for my sister, Regan – for her dream. Because she deserved that dream. To become a Supreme Champion, a defending tag-champion, and to have, what could be, one of her greatest RTG moments in her career – just as it was one of mine. Selena smiled at the memory.

Her battles were my battles. Her problems were mine. And vice versa. We faces unstoppable legends together, monsters, everyone…

To this day, there is little I wouldn’t do for Regan, my sister… The Snow Queen turns her gaze back to the camera.

But, apparently, that’s not worth mentioning in your little world, is it, Cid? No, you just see that the last night of the tournament, I teamed with Glory Braddock instead, so I must have been using Regan, right?

Sapphire eyes narrow.

Tell me, Cid., where were you when I was in tears in the damn hospital, scared out of my mind for my sister’s future, not just as a wrestler, but as a mother and a wife and a person?! Where were you, Cid, when Regan held my hand and told me the words I have continued to live by to this day?! “Keep fighting”. Where were you, Cid, when I promised to do so and, thus, found myself a partner to finish what she and I started? Where were you, Cid?!

Let me guess. Locked in your changeroom, fiddling with the dials of your television set?

See, Cid, Regan and I proved our sisterhood and love for one another through years of overcoming obstacles, even when those obstacles were one another. We both have bled, scarred, and shortened our careers to get to where we are as sisters!

You?

You haven’t dealt with one true hardship since the A/C Unit began. You haven’t been knocked to the ground, denied your goals and dreams and told you will never achieve them. You haven’t stood there while your friend contemplated their future in this business. You’ve never had to be there to pull them from the brink, just as they have done for you.

No, what you’ve had is a wave of good fortune. Sienna Swann being taken out of the tournament gave you the keys to the finals, Regan taken out gave you the Psychonaughts, whom Regan and I beat, I’ll remind you, and we all know how you got that World title, Cid… so it’s easy for you to declare how ‘strong’ and ‘rewarding’ your friendship is with Asher and Holly when you’ve never had to deal with true hardships. It’s easy for you to sit on your erected pillar, looking down at all of us because we struggle, therefore, we must be weaker than you, right? We suffer, therefore, we must not be as ‘great’ as you and Asher, right?

The difference between you and me, Cid? Selena tilts her head. Is I know Regan will still love me if I can’t be the World Champion when all of this is over…

Can you say the same thing about you and Asher?

The Snow Queen takes a deep breath. You know what else I know, Cid? I also know a thing or two about the self-doubt you talk about every time you’re in ‘Turner-Time’ mode or in front of a camera. How you often like to start your promos with that. You talk about not wanting the World title this time around or about not deserving the World Title. Your ‘on and off’ self-deprecation is clear here, Cid… and I get it.

Stopping her pace, Selena stands to the side near one of the turnbuckles, her closest hand grasping a ring-rope. I really get it, Cid. Because five years ago, when my time first came – the end of 2016 – I thought the same thing. I didn’t think I was worthy of being the world champion either. I didn’t think I could handle it. And unlike you, this was after I won two tournaments and beat everyone there was to beat on the roster…

It’s not a BS thing to say, Cid. Because you know as well as I do that the World Champion has to do more than just ‘win matches’. The World Champion has the whole company on their back. They represent the company. They promote the company. They carry the ideals and the standards of SCW… or they should… Selena bites her lower lip at the slight edge in her voice at that last part.

I didn’t feel I was ready for that. And I was scared, I mean. I was so scared to take that on. But, like you, I won the title and I ‘worked with it’. I did all I could to measure up to what that title represents. And I tried to do, just what you have said you wish to do, take on the best and beat the best, right? That’s what you told Bree, right? That you wanted to take on the best and beat them? That’s what I have tried to do – and even when I failed, even when I was maybe too young to be the world champion… I kept trying…

Turning a little, Selena places her other hand on the rope, giving it a good tug with both hands. Between the ropes, Cid, you’ve been on fire. You have! I mean, that title match aside at Retribution, you’ve turned back Datura, Bree Lancaster, and you beat Derek Adonis just last week!

She gives a weaker tug on the ropes. Between these ropes – I don’t care if some call it luck or some call it skill. I don’t care what you call it, Cid, you’ve done well here. From the tag league to now, you have every right to be proud in your skill set as a wrestler. And I have every right to say you are dangerous in this ring and a threat to what I hope to achieve.

The Face of SCW shakes her head. It’s why I did what I did last week, Cid. It’s why I came to you. To show you what’s been going on behind your back. To show you what ‘you being World Champion’ really means to Asher. What your ‘friendship’ really means to Asher. I thought… she sighs.

I thought that if I could just show you – show you what’s happening to this business you claim to care about. Show you how you’re being manipulated and overshadowed… we could get back to what this should be about – what this should ONLY be about... SCW and the SCW World title. a sad, knowing smile crosses Selena’s features.

And then you hit me in the head with the title belt…

Her jaw clenches as she pushes herself away from the ropes, moving back towards the middle of the ring.

You can claim otherwise, Cid! Lie to me like you seem to do so easily to yourself and every person that calls you out on this crap. Twist it around like you have everything else. But we both saw Asher coming at me with that belt, ready to hit me like he told you to do the week before, and like he and Holly did to me the week before that. You know that what I did was simply defend myself against him. But you chose to ignore that. Slowly, Selena lifts her hand up to rub her head.

And I gotta tell you, Cid, when I got hit in the head with that belt for the third time in as many weeks… In that moment, Cid, when you were cursing at me for kicking Asher? I saw it. I saw the man you truly are. Cause it’s the same look I’ve seen on the face of Syren before she sold out for the umpteenth time! The same expression I have seen on the faces of Infamous and countless others like them. The Snow Queen tilts her head a little, eyes still on the camera.

I saw that look of obsession, of fear, of desperation. I saw how you were just looking for an excuse, any excuse, to take the shortcut and use that belt on me. And when you had one, you didn’t hesitate, did you?

Because deep down, just like them, Cid – all this? she gestures towards the camera, referring to Cid Turner. This humble guy? This guy that seems to be a nice guy just being manipulated and who doesn’t know better? she shakes her head. I don’t believe in that person anymore.

I don’t believe you’re that guy, Cid… And it’s because of a simple lesson my father gave me. It’s an old saying. “None are as blind as those that refuse to see. The most deluded people are those who choose to ignore what they already know”. Now, apparently that’s from the Bible and anyone who knows me knows my issues with religion, in general, but the lesson and message are still very true to this day – and, more than that, that is why I don’t believe in your ‘ignorant innocence’, Cid, even as you parade in front of a camera – nice job by the way… was I not worth the set of ‘Turner-Time’ with you, Jason, Holly and the mannequins? Are you that over-confident in your passion and so sure of mine? After the last three weeks, and all I saw, I can’t say I’m surprised by that.

But last week, Cid, I gave you the opportunity to do the right thing. I gave you the opportunity to see. You had a chance to see the reality of what you were doing in SCW – what your friends were doing to SCW… and you refused to see it. You refused to listen to the truth. And the truth is, Cid, it’s because you don’t want to.

And you’re not some new person in the picture, Cid. You’re not some person that’s never been at the top of the mountain. You’re Cid Turner! You were “THE KING OF THE WORLD”. Like you said, you’ve actually headlined Rise to Greatness! You know what it means to be World Champion. You KNOW how a World Champion should be. In other words, you ‘choose to ignore what you already know’.

Selena crosses her arms.

You ignore what Asher is doing to that title you keep losing track of.
You ignore what Holly is doing in your name.
You ignore it every step of the way, just as long as they stay your friends, and, most importantly, you can keep that title that you ‘love more than anyone else’.

With a click of her tongue, she looks away with a shake of her head. You know, it was a good con, Cid. Had me fooled. Had most of us fooled. Everyone was treating you with kid gloves. I mean, they wanted to beat you, sure, when you had the world title, but I saw how, outside the ring, in promos, everyone was trying to get you to understand. Get you to come out and see the light. Get you to actually be the World Champion of SCW that the SCW Universe deserves!

And at the same time, everyone was blaming Asher and calling him the fake world champion and all that. I was one of them. Guilty as charged, Cid. I won’t mince words, I think Asher walking around with a clear replica is a farce and a disgrace to this company. Hard not to see that, yet, once again, you manage to. The point is that I don’t see Asher as a world champion. Just a man as desperate as they come to have something he failed to earn. Selena turns her head back to the camera.

But, getting back to you, Cid, last week, I realized that I think we got it all wrong. Because as big of a delusional liar and a fake as he is – you’re just as big a liar and a fake as him, aren’t you?

See, Asher pretends to be the World Champion. You? You pretend to care about being the World champion.

It’s like I said before, Cid, the World Champion is meant to use that belt, not just to simply better their career or accolades or whatever, but to represent the company. To represent the ideals that the words ‘Supreme Championship Wrestling’ stand for. To carry themselves with integrity and honor both inside and outside the ring in the name of this company and as the example of the best there is in professional wrestling – to be, as I have fought for, a measuring stick for the standard of all other wrestlers to aspire to. You have done none of that. Her eyes narrow, arms crossed.

And maybe that’s because you didn’t earn it, Cid, so you don’t really appreciate it. Maybe, because you didn’t have to struggle in the last year to get where you are, you can be so condescending to me and everyone else who’s had to struggle, I’m not sure. Or maybe it’s because you’re just too afraid to do the work that comes with the title – the job you KNOW how to do - so you hand it off to Asher so you can sit in your changeroom, suck your thumb and clutch that belt whenever Asher allows you to for as long as you can. she shrugs.

Regardless of the reason, Cid, you stay in your little bubble while your ‘friends’ belittle and look down on someone like me and you just join in when you’re allowed because it’s easy. And that’s something that just frustrates me, Cid. You look me and say ‘I don’t need to listen to her.’, ‘I don’t need to respect her or take her seriously.’. You look at me and think all you gotta do is sit in front of a camera and repeat whatever Holly and Asher said – and you’re too stupid to ask why.

Why, Cid? You disrespect me because why? Because I honored my sister’s wishes and all we fought for for a year? Because I didn’t get a rematch for the United States title and had to move on, which, apparently proves that I didn’t give a damn about it?

Let me give you a refresher, Cid. Rather than cash in my Trios contract at Rise to Greatness, I used it to get a shot at the United States title. I fought like hell against Bree Lancaster in a roofed cage match, surviving it just to become the U.S. champion. I defended that title every time I had a singles match, turning it into a championship match! I defended it in a damn scaffold match and got tossed twenty or so feet off a platform for that title. I won a damn tournament just to get it back and call myself the champion once more and then, when I had no reason to, I defended it in a tag-team match at Rise to Greatness just to ensure it got the prestige it deserved on such a big night, while you were holding onto Asher’s hand and getting your ass kicked by Dark Fantasy!

With a huff, Selena uncrossed her arms, giving her head a jerk before returning her gaze on the camera.

You? Won the world tag-team titles and you treated them as a consolation prize under your ‘co-world titles’ and then tossed those tag titles away at the very next pay-per-view to The Golden Boys, and you followed that up declaring how it was ‘A/C Unit’s destiny to hold the world title together, so screw that tag division’. The Snow Queen shakes her head.

You’re in a glass house throwing stones, Cid, and you don’t even know it. And you don’t have the first damn clue about me, how hard I’ve worked for this company or for everything I’ve earned because I’ve believed in every element of it. Every division I’ve been part of. Every title I’ve won to get to this point.

Selena shakes her head. But that’s what I do, Cid, when I get knocked down or when I meet opponents like you. I keep fighting. I keep going until I can’t anymore – and the reason even people that hate me like Bree and Xander take me seriously and respect me is because, despite all those dumb insults and jokes… I rise above all of it, I keep fighting, and I win.

So follow that trend, Cid! Insult my marriage, mock my abilities in the ring like you have… When it comes time to put up or shut up, as fake or whatever as you think I am, you three are the ones that couldn’t seem to give me one decent match since this whole thing began, could you?

Three times you guys could have just shut me up by beating me clean. Asher couldn’t do it. Holly couldn’t do it. They both needed you interfering, Cid, just to pin my wife, a non-wrestler.

Selena takes a slow breath, as if to slow and calm herself. Yet, I’m supposed to look at you and say “that’s the world champion”? “That’s who I should aspire to be”? After all I’ve been through to get here?

The platinum-blonde gives a quick circle pace around the ring before turning back to glare at the camera. Let me give you one last quote from my father, Cidnay. I’ll be honest, he also took this one from someone. Edward Burke. Because you were right, Cid, when you said that I would see you as ‘evil’. Because I do. You are evil to me.

The quote is “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”.

You understand, Cid? You can claim you are a good man. You can claim you’re a decent, honourable man all you want and that you care about the SCW World title and SCW. Bottom line, you did nothing while they attacked my wife. You did nothing while they dressed you, the world champion, in a jester costume with bells and had you dance around stage. You did nothing while they threw streamers at Bree Lancaster. You did nothing while they beat me down with that fake title, just because I wrestled a match against Asher and he couldn’t beat me. You did nothing as they dragged the world title, and all it means, through the mud. You did nothing while others tried to help you and this company, telling you this is wrong. You have done nothing for this company that made you a Hall of Famer.

And when I gave you your chance to do the right thing – you did nothing.

Selena takes a deep breath, standing in the middle of the ring. So if you do nothing while SCW, the place you claim to care about – while the world title you claim to care about more than anyone else – is disrespected, while innocent people are hurt at the hands of your associates, then that makes you evil, Cid Turner.

I will not be so inclined to do nothing. I REFUSE to simply ‘do nothing’ as you have done!

I am going to keep fighting. I am going to go to Taking Hold of the Flame and I am going to end the fascade – no, not of this Co-World Champion crap you’ve created for your own insecure egos. No, I will end the fascade that is Cidnay Turner. I will end the fascade of the man that has done nothing but lie, hide, and make excuses of how he has failed as a World Champion. I will end the fascade of the man that speaks of struggle here yet hasn’t struggled a second since he came back! I will end the fascade of Cidnay Turner and I will become the one, and only, SCW World Champion!

Believe it, Cid! Cause if you don’t… then you’ll be too busy with your head up Asher’s ass to see it coming...

The camera fades on Selena as she stands in the ring before it all goes to black.

OOC: In two parts due to length
 




Schonburg Castle
Oberwessel, Germany
June 5th, 2021
7:02pm

Smack. Smack. Smack.

The uneven sound of strikes were the only sound, with the exception of a grunt or gasp that would escape the lips of the striker. 

Smack. Smack. Smack.

Some sounds were louder, some were softer. Some were duller and some were sharper. 

It was all barely audible in Selena’s ears, the sound of her blood pounding in her eardrums drowning it as she continued to push herself harder. She felt her bruises under her leggings cry in protest, warning signs that they would only grow and further mar her skin if she continued.

She drowned their cries as she did the sound of strikes. She struck harder, her groans and shouts heavier in the night air.

The castle grounds did not possess a built-in gym of sorts – “Why would it?” Gunther had asked long ago when Selena had first inquired. That said, it did possess a shed! And it was from that shed that Selena have stored some exercise equipment over the years to keep her constant training whenever she travelled.

Of course the last few weeks, aside from jogging along the castle grounds and throughout Oberwesel, the equipment that had been used the most currently stood where Selena had dragged it out and set it up. The standing kick back of red and black was one of the larger pieces that occupied the shed, complete with a base weight that allowed to stay in place regardless of how hard Selena kicked…

The Snow Queen kicked harder, her breath hitching as it exhaled into the night sky.

I want you to be happy. I want you to go and become World Champion like you said. Hell, go and headline Rise to Greatness. Go and move back to your ‘forever house’. I want you to reach a point of normalcy and genuine happiness with Deanna… Then… then… I’ll be there to take it all away.

It wouldn’t stop. The voice – distorted by same kind of machine when Selena had heard it in that blasted phone call – was burned into her ears and her brain, both of which, unlike her strikes and breathing, did not require ‘sound’ to be ‘heard’.

I want you to be happy. 
Become World Champion… 
Headline Rise to Greatness… 
Move back to your ‘forever house’… 
Then… I’ll be there to take it all away.

“No…” Selena growled under her breath as she continued her variety of kicks against the bag – every kick she knew: roundhouse, crescent, shoot, her patented superkick, jumping roundhouse… faster and faster she went, feeling her heart protesting as it beat faster and faster, desperately trying to keep up with her frenzy of movements. Still, the voice in her head persisted.

Be happy. 
World Champion… 
Rise to Greatness… 
‘Forever house’… 
Take it all away…

The words were now a damn premonition in her mind – a step by step prediction spelling out another doom that promised to consume her and her family. 

Why? Her mind rallied. Why did they need another person trying to destroy their lives?! What was so special about her/the Frost family…

I’m just a stupid girl from Nome… she kicked the bag again! Champion
Just some nobody that became a wrestler! She ignored the pain of another, kick her bruises continuing to respond. Greatness…
Just a crazy miner’s daughter! her mind screamed! Forever…away…

“Mommy…”

She had heard her ‘name’ in the same instant she heard her voice screaming ‘NO!’, her frame having spun around in its own warped sense of reality and hatred and frustration – the cauldron of emotions spewing out of her, like boiling water, at the slightest provocation. And burning the poor child that stood just a few steps away in the doorway of the castle in his Marvel superhero pyjamas.

How long the two of them – mother and son – stood like that, wasn’t clear. For the Snow Queen, reality seemed to take its time returning her to the present – pulling her awareness along until finally connecting with her frustrated, tired brain.

But realization soon hit her as she finally recognized the four-year old boy stand before her, the piece of paper and pen clutched in his hands, his small eyes wide at the sight of his mother…

The sight of her…

The castle had no mirrors outside – “Why would it?” – so the Snow Queen had no idea what her son was seeing. Still, she could feel the tension in her body, feel how wide her eyes were, how clenched her jaw was. And what she could see was the look of shock and panic in poor David’s face.

Before she could squeak out a syllable, the boy had dropped the single piece of lined paper and pen he had been carrying, running back into the house as fast as he could, as if he had seen a real ghost that the castle ‘legends’ (that being Gunther) spoke about.

“No- David!” Selena tried, calling out. She barely had taken a step when she stumbled, her sore muscles making good on their promises for Selena’s piss-poor behaviour. She felt them shake and ache, their own brand of cursing her name in their own language. Still, she pushed forward, stumbling her way towards where her son had gone. 

Except the poor boy was long gone.

Resting her elbow against the cold stone of the castle wall along the doorway, she forced herself to take a few more breaths to try and calm her still rapidly-beating heart. She had not wanted anyone from her family to see her like this. Usually, she had worked out with her equipment (on weather-permittable days) in the garden expanse, the large area filled with the variety of flowers Gunther took care of perfect for focus and meditation. However, the last few days – ever since Breakdown, when she could no longer distract herself or ‘put off’ thinking about the World title match at Taking Hold of the Flame - her World Title Match at Taking Hold of the Flame – she had hidden herself into one of the castle’s alcoves closer to the sections of the castle containing rooms that were currently not in use due to the pandemic.

Away from the others – so they couldn’t see this kind of ‘ugly’ training. Because that’s exactly what it was. It wasn’t focused, planned, or designed to make Selena better in her abilities like her usual training. No, she had realized after returning her from last Breakdown, that she currently couldn’t train like that. This ‘training’ was brutal, angry, uncontrolled, meant to hurt her, distract her, drown out her thoughts because all she could think about was the fucking hell she had been placed in.

To lose was to fail Deanna, SCW, and go back to square one, back to the sidelines for who knows how many years. But to win was to invite possible doom back into their lives…

Despite herself, the Snow Queen turned to lean her back against the cold stone, feeling the cold of it, combined with the cold of her sweat press into her skin and clothes, allowing her to feel the chill in her spine as she slumped to the ground, sitting on the steps her son had occupied a moment ago. 

Why couldn’t this be some kind of prank by Holly or Asher?! She had thought multiple times in the last few days. They were certainly petty, desperate, and delusional enough! 

For Asher, the man was pretending he was Co-World Champion, which was a can of worms Selena had spoken about to death in the past (and would again, if her first draft of her first promo was to be followed when she filmed it in a couple of days). The bastard hadn’t even been able to give her a solid match a few weeks ago, opting to lose by disqualification so he could ‘keep his title’ in his own mind. 

Holly wasn’t any battle, running around, refusing to fight Selena in the ring and settling for a countout draw rather than anything else. Hell, she was desperate enough to run around the ring and attack Deanna! This could have easily fit the bill for her – Cid Turner as World Champion was the meal ticket both Asher and Holly… and to deny how dangerous Selena was in the ring after the number of people she had defeated in her career was just stupid. Of course, the platinum-blonde had contemplated the possibility of all of this being some kind of mental game by those two to save their ‘golden goose’, perhaps copying from the playbook of CHBK or Ravyn Taylor.

But no one had cared about Selena’s private life at the time of that call. No one cared about Selena in SCW at the time of that call. She wasn’t number one contender then. Datura was. Hell, if it wasn’t for Mr. D., she wouldn’t even have been number one contender if he hadn’t taken her win and rewarded it as he had. Syren would have just joined the list of other legends and icons that Selena had beaten in an impressive match: names like Xander Valentine, Kelcey Wallace, Ravyn Taylor, Kennedy Street, Bree Lancaster, etc. 

Plus, Selena knew that she couldn’t fool herself. She knew the threats were legit. 

Be happy. 
World Champion… 
Rise to Greatness… 
‘Forever house’… 
Take it all away…

There was no mistaking that feeling she felt hearing those words, the caller – the supposed maestro to everything she, Deanna and their family had suffered for nearly two years – mockingly encouraging Selena to do exactly what she dreamed…

Taking a shaky breath and exhaling it into the night air, Selena turned her head to see the piece of paper David had dropped, the flimsy article pressing against the wall near her, thanks to the breeze that ran through the castle. Gingerly, after wiping her hands on her leggings as best she could, Selena reach over to take the paper into her hands, turning it over so she could read it under the ‘porchlight’ bolted into the castle wall above her head.

“I will not resort to violence to solve my problems.” She read aloud, sapphire eyes scanning across the top line of the paper. The line was written out, scribbled a little. And it repeated itself down the entire page and the other side of it, Selena checked.

She shook her head, a tired smile gracing her features. This had been David’s punishment, it seemed. She had left the matter in the hands of Deanna after the events of the wildlife park earlier today. What was supposed to be a pleasant ‘distraction’ to help the Frost wives regain their focus after a third week in a row of being one upped by the A/C Blondetourage Unit had devolved into their second-born getting into a fight with a classmate, over what Selena still wasn’t sure. Her son had claimed it was regarding their dog, Oberon, and the story Selena had told about his ‘lupine ancestry’, which the Snow Queen now regretted.

She gazed at the paper again, almost amazed at the simplicity of this punishment. No grounding or yelling or something extreme to deal with their child. Just a piece of paper, a pen, and a tedious task to solve what had been a frustrating problem/situation. It was almost… unreal.

“My mom use to have me do that…”

The voice caused Selena to jolt a little in surprise, the platinum-blonde being ripped out of her thoughts by the sudden intrusion. Almost dropping the paper from her hand, her head jerked upward towards the voice, releasing a sigh of relief at the sight before her.

Standing on the other side of the doorway wall was Deanna, looking down at Selena – her expression a mixture of sadness, concern, and tiredness. She wore a dark green night gown and her hair, her red mane was a red waterfall falling down against her back. Tucking her nightgown behind her rear and legs, she moved to sit on the steps beside Selena, reaching to take the paper from the older woman’s hands.

“When she died…” Deanna continued her story. “My sister took over the practice. Didn’t matter how bad it was. If you broke something, you wrote it out. If you lied, you wrote it out.” She turned the paper over in her hands. “I can’t tell you how many times I got writer’s cramp.” She half-laughed.

“Is David, okay?” she asked, knowing why and how Deanna had found her.
The redhead nodded. “He came running to me-“ Deanna stopped herself, lifting her eyes up to gaze across the space, spotting the standing kick-bag to the side. “He was a little spooked. He actually thought that you were mad at him.”

Selena groaned, pressing her palm into her eye socket and cheekbone.

“Selena…” Deanna offered, keeping the proof of their son’s punishment in her farther hand so she could use her closer one to take Selena’s into hers.

Feeling her wife’s touch, Selena removed her hand from her face, taking a short breath. “I’m scared.” She admitted. “I got so into my head – I still am.”

The redhead nodded. “Today didn’t help, did it?”

“Gods, Deanna.” Selena laughed bitterly. “I know you tried – we tried – but all day it just kept coming at me. Everything that’s happened, everything we worked for… so close-“ she turned her head, sapphire eyeing emerald. “We’re one week away.” She smiled sadly. “One week away from…from…”

She couldn’t say it. She couldn’t put it into words – that would make it far too real – and she knew if she did that. If she voiced it now, she would just be setting herself up for failure because… she couldn’t allow herself to be that happy.

Be happy… That was the cue that the maestro was waiting for. Selena’s ultimate happiness. And Selena couldn’t give it to them – she couldn’t let it play that way and have Deanna taken from her again… So, she closed her mouth slowly, her words failing her.

With a tilt of her red-haired head, Deanna regarded her wife for a moment, before turning and spotting the pen David had dropped along with the paper. Reaching over to her side, she picked up the plastic-encased utensil, turning it over in her hand before handing it to Selena. “Write it out.” She ordered.

Selena’s sapphire eyes stared at the pen for a moment before shifting over to regard Deanna with a raised eyebrow, an expression that clearly read ‘Are you serious?’. Deanna’s answer was merely to move her hand up and down, once more offering the pen to her wife. 

With a slow sigh, Selena plucked the pen out of Deanna’s hand, the other taking the paper from the redhead as well. She took in the paper, grateful when she immediately noticed how David, with his writing/punishment, had stayed within the margins of the lined paper, leaving a good section near the stop of the page untouched by words and promises of “I will not”. 

Shifting her position, the Snow Queen turned towards the closest side of the doorway, pressing the paper against the flat stone and the pen the pen against the paper. She could feel the course texture of the wall under the flimsy page as she slowly wrote done a single sentence, her cursive writing far more elegant than her son’s printing – though she only had to write what she wanted once… not dozens of times like David had to.

When finished, she quickly lowered her hands and turned her frame back to sit flush against the stone wall, her eyes on the cobblestone walkway that lined so much of the castle grounds. Without looking up, she thrust the paper out to Deanna, the redhead gently taking it in her hand as Selena’s free hand nervously twirled the pen she still held.

Deanna’s voice soon filled her ears as the redhead read. “I dream I’m kneeling in the ring next weekend, weary and worn out from a great match. I hear the bell ring and my name is announced as the winner and the new World Champion…” she cast her eyes up. “So far so good.” She teased Selena before continuing. “Then, I look up and it’s my wife, not the official, that’s handing me the world title. We’re both so happy… everything is so perfect…”

That was all that Selena had written down. Quietly, Deanna read it again. And again. She read it five more times, the words resonating in her head, the emotion behind them shaking her to her core.

“This is what you want?” she asked, a slight shake in her voice.

Selena could only nod, her eyes still locked on the cobblestone, both hands not fidgeting with the pen. “That was the image that’s been in my head ever since…” her breath hitched. “Ever since I saw you on the bus the night before Retribution…” It was Selena’s turn to have her voice hitch in her throat. “You standing there, telling me you were never going to leave my side. That we would be together for everything… I…” she sighed. “I didn’t care how long it took, it’s all been to get to that point.” Without looking, she reached over with the pen in her hand to ‘stab’ the spot on the paper her ‘wish/statement’ had been written down.

“But why can’t you say it?” Deanna asked. “Do you not believe you can do it?” 

Selena shook her head. It wasn’t that at all. Was she nervous about Cid Turner? Yes. The bastard was the most unpredictable opponent she had ever considered. By all logic, Datura should have beaten him at “Careful What You Wish For”. By even more logic, Bree Lancaster, a harder-working, more independent woman, and far hungrier for the World title kind of superstar should have beaten… and yet, they hadn’t. They had been denied. Whether it was luck, divine intervention, or Cid just hiding his skill with a kind of ‘possum strategy’, Selena wasn’t sure. 

But did that mean she couldn’t beat him? No, she was different than Datura or Bree. She hadn’t been gone for months and had no expectations like Datura. She hadn’t become complacent due to world title matches over and over again like Bree had. Cid was… he was something (Selena wasn’t sure what) but ‘unbeatable’ wasn’t one of them. She was certain she could find a way to overcome him, especially if Holly and Asher were barred from ringside and the Golden Boys would be too distracted with Lexy’s Angels to be much help. The playing field seemed even, increasing her chance for – for the first time in dealing with the A/C Blondetourage Unit – a fair match!

Even so, Selena couldn’t speak her deepest wish, even if she was so damn close she could practically touch it! She couldn’t allow herself to hope and make it real – because if she did make it real…

She shut her eyes and shook her head again, driving that hope out of her brain. She had no idea what she was going to do. She didn’t want to drop the match to Cid. She didn’t want to hand him an easy ticket to Rise to Greatness. She sure as hell didn’t want to simply be a statistic for Cid to brag about and put down in his, Holly, and Asher’s little tirades. 

She wanted to be World Champion.
She wanted to be World Champion with Deanna by her side…

The two sat like that for several minutes, neither speaking. The sound of the wind and, occasionally the sound of the wildlife that prowled and lived on the outskirts of the Oberwessel town could be heard in the distance. Selena didn’t know what her wife was thinking. Hell, she wasn’t sure she knew what she, herself, was thinking, her brain constantly going back between fighting to beat Cid or fighting and letting Cid beat her to prevent the potential ‘doom’ that had been promised to her. Out of the corner of her eyes, she studied her redhead’s posture and expression, Deanna resting her hands on her knees and her chin on her hands.

What is she thinking? Selena wondered. Is she annoyed that I can’t speak my dream because she wants it to? Does she feel left out because I can’t share? Or does she suspect something’s wrong and is frustrated because I’m too scared to tell her?

The nature of these questions continued to assail Selena’s mind as she remained silent, watching as Deanna’s eyes shifted from the paper to the stones on the ground for another few minutes. And just as Selena was prepared to break the silence, the sudden clapping of Deanna’s hands jolted her in surprise.

“Right!” declared Deanna jumping to her feet, immediately wobbling. “Oh no. Bad idea. Bad idea.” She declared in slight alarm. “Got up to fast – leg and feet are asleep! Oh geez!” She stumbled, trying to keep her balance.

With a push against the wall, Selena sprung up and caught her wife in her arms, whether Deanna truly needed it or not. The taller Frost held her beloved wife there, almost in a soft embrace. Except Selena was soon joining her wife in complaints.

“Yep…both of us stupid.” She muttered. “Got up too fast, too. Legs are still sore…Ow.” She griped.
“Didn’t you learn from me.” Deanna asked, leaning against her wife to try and shake her own legs ‘awake’.
“I thought you were going to fall.” Selena replied, shaking her own free leg to try and ease the dull aches.
“And what?” Deanna laughed. “Scrape my knee?”
“Scrapped knees are no laughing matter.” The platinum-blonde pressed, teasingly. “They can lead to infections, which can lead to amputation of the limb. Then how you gonna help me be World Champion, huh? You gonna hobble to and from the ring?”

“Oh, you were looking out for my leg’s well-being?” Deanna asked.
“Precisely.” 

The two had managed to steady themselves, Deanna’s legs no longer asleep and the aches in Selena’s legs having dulled once more. Turning her head, Deanna stood up on her tiptoes to press her lips to Selena’s cheek softly. “My hero.” She whispered, smiling against the pale skin of Selena’s face.

“Not really.” Selena whispered, choosing to turn her head and nuzzle against the expecting redhead. “I just have a fondness for those legs…” 
“I like yours too.” Deanna whispered. “Especially wrapped around me.”
“That’s what I was going to say!” Selena laughed.

The two women laughed together before sharing a loving gaze, followed by an equally loving kiss. For Selena, she clung to Deanna far longer than was necessary, the need for her wife’s touch was desperate yet not in a sexual way. For a brief moment, she could feel the fears and doubts leaving her mind – no that wasn’t the right word – retreating to the back of her mind.

It was a temporary respite at best, yet the platinum-blonde desperately held it for as long as she could. But, air soon became necessary, forcing her to relinquish her hold on her beautiful wife, or at least break the kiss. Her arms remained wrapped around the, now, rather flush Deanna. “Wow…” Deanna smiled, opening her eyes. “Needed that?”

“More than you know.” Selena admitted. “Was there a reason you got up so fast?”
“Yes!” Deanna suddenly exclaimed, as if in sudden remembrance. “We need to go pack.”

“Why?” Selena asked. “The pay-per-view’s still over a week away. There’s no houseshows or Breakdown now – did I forget something?”

“No…” the younger Frost shook her head. “It’s not that… I just think we need to go somewhere to help you clear your head.”

Selena’s eyes widened. A place where Selena could clear her head… Immediately, her mind ran back towards the cold and harsh winds of the far north. The place she had gone to prepare herself for the war that had been the Roofed Cage Match against Bree Lancaster for the United States title…

“Nome?” she asked, her eyes wide. “You want to go to Nome…”

The redhead bit her lower lip nervously before shrugging her shoulders. “Close…” she replied. “You got three letters right…”

She was out of Selena’s arms before the Snow Queen could press further, rushing back into the castle to pack her bags. Nothing more was said on the matter for the rest of the night before the Frost wives went to bed and nothing was revealed to Selena the next morning when they had breakfast, said their goodbyes to the family, made their way to the private plane and began the flight.

Not that they didn’t speak or anything. The journey was filled with conversations of strategy – Selena, secretly, entertaining Deanna’s notions of how Selena could beat Cid, now that the odds were even. They spoke about who they thought was going to win the battle royale – Selena was quite certain that it would be Syren. The woman, when properly motivated (like a loss to a certain Snow Queen) was easily capable of incredible things. Deanna was certain that it would be a dark horse entrant like Owen Cruze. They spoke about how things would go if Selena were World Champion and faced one of them (again, Selena simply entertaining Deanna’s notions – still unable to tell her how impossible such an idea was becoming).

However, when the two woman felt the plane shift and turn, beginning their descent, Selena was certainly caught off-guard, checking the time on her watch. “That’s weird.” She stated. “Even with time zone changes, we’re still hours from reaching Nome. Why are landing?”

Oh the guilty expression the wrestler saw on her wife’s face then! How she practically devoured her lower lip with an overbite, finding fascination in the carpeted floor of the plan.

“De?” Selena asked. “Where did you tell them to take us?”
“Well…”

Selena didn’t wait for answer, choosing to move to the nearest window of the plane, opening the blind to glance out the glass to the ground below… where she immediately saw the tall, green woman standing like a beacon of hope and strength.

Selena turned back to Deanna, who’s overbite had turned into a full-fledged grin.

“Home?” Selena asked. “You brought us back to Manhattan?”
“I told you you got three letters right.” Deanna replied simply.

Selena was dumbstruck in the best way. The idea of returning to Manhattan, to their forever home, had always crossed her mind – been the plan – but originally, they had decided to wait till the end of their children’s school year. 

“Clearly the castle and the towns weren’t helping you.” Deanna explained. “I thought…I thought we’d go someplace that had helped you before…”
“What do you mean?” Selena asked.

“Well…okay, so this is the most important match and whatever for us, right?” Deanna asked, her hands moving to further explain her point.
“Sure.” Selena nodded. “Definitely.”

“Right…so…do you remember what happened when we first got our ‘forever’ house?” she asked.

It took Selena a moment to consider her wife’s question, rolling it around in her head. “Well… I bought as a birthday gift for you, didn’t I? You were pregnant with David, right?”
“Right.”
“Right. So that would make it 2016… mid-2016-“

Selena stopped, her eyes wide before turning her gaze back to her wife. “How could I have forgotten?” she asked, almost amused.

The redhead nodded. “Soon as we had our home – our future set together… you won the Best of the Best Tournament…” she smiled.

That moment, that definitive moment… it had been what changed Selena’s career forever, just as the house they were going to had changed their lives forever. Winning that tournament – being only one of two to do so – had established Selena as something more than a gimmick, more than a ‘fake gold whore’ – it threw every overused insult and cliché back in the faces of those that spewed.

She was a wrestler! More than that, she had proven she was a great wrestler! And while she was still not ready, in her mind at the time, to be World Champion, she was on her way to being more than what others declared for her.

Deanna’s incarceration had changed her outlook of their home, however. She hadn’t stepped foot in it more than once since the redhead’s arrest, the memories too painful for Selena to take – the notion of what was stolen from her, the years stolen from both of them and their children…

Selena gave her head a shake, smiling and growing more excited as the plane landed at the Manhattan heliport. A quick Uber and twenty minutes later, the women could see their house as they approached the gate, their hands clenching the other’s. 

Unpacking from the vehicle and entering the code to open the metal-guarding, Selena retook Deanna’s hand, excitedly pulling her closer to the house. “I hope Kai hasn’t had an issue keeping it clean.” She said. “I don’t need anymore surprises today…”

“Well, shit!” 

The voice came loud and proud as Selena and Deanna reached the driveway, causing the Snow Queen to freeze in place, her brain unable to register what she had just heard. Slowly, her head turned in disbelief, her eyes widening at the woman standing in front of her house.

“No more surprises, huh?” the brunette laughed, crossing her arms over her chest. “So, should I just leave then? Last thing I want is to give the next World Champion a heart attack.”

Selena was too dumbstruck to see her wife smiling knowingly as she stood behind the platinum-blonde, her idea having worked better than she had hoped. As for Selena, she could only shake her head and blink several times, trying to convince herself she wasn’t seeing things.

“S…sister?” she asked, her eyes taking in the former World Champion.

“You were expecting Glory Braddock? You whore.” Regan Street laughed. “Now put your bags down and give me a damn hug!”

********************************************************************

Nearly One Year Ago…

Rise to Greatness XVII
U.S Bank Stadium
Minneapolis, MN
July 26, 2020

Selena carefully used her towel, which was a little damp from already drying herself, to wipe the condensation that had fogged up the mirror. Ordinarily, she hated hot showers, the heat of the water often making her feel drowsy and sluggish, where cold, even freezing water (uncomfortable to others) perked her right up.

However, the sore woman had chosen hot water for the purpose of relaxing her muscles. She wasn’t sure if it had been the Samoan drop of the Starbreaker that Tommy Valentine and Kandis had landed on her or some other power move she just couldn’t recall, but she had certainly felt the aches and pains from the match they had finished not more than an hour/hour and a half ago. 

Seeing her reflection in the mirror, the Snow Queen couldn’t stop the smile that crossed her face. Now, she was not admiring her body – there were so many more women in SCW far better ‘endowed’ then here. But she was smiling at the person that greeted her in the mirror.

Because this woman was a tag-team champion. This woman was a dual-champion. This woman was… Selena smiled to herself… best friends with the newest “Supreme Champion” of SCW.

It was over. After seven long months of shortcomings and attacks, of being stalked and abused by tag-teams and enemies across the roster, Frozen Hell – the team of Regan Street and Selena Frost – were the new SCW World Tag-Team champions! The ‘sisters’ had achieved the goal, the dream, of Regan’s.

There was no denying the joy, the pride and, good Odin, the relief Selena felt in her heart. The match had been one of the most high-staked matches in her career, and that was including the two times she had put her hair on the line at Rise to Greatness…

At the memory, Selena quickly grasped her still damp hair, searching for a hairband to tie up the long, thick strands of platinum-blonde. She didn’t really have the time to tie it into her iconic braid. After all, Rise to Greatness was still going on! 

Regan had been kind enough to keep an eye on the television, allowing Selena to slip into the bathroom of the Helms/Street/Frost locker room to shower. Quickly finishing off her drying as much as possible, the new champion grabbed the clothes on the counter, dressing just as fast. She slipped into her underwear, followed by black leggings and her snowflake sarong, the matching t-shirt following. 

All taken care, Selena was out of the washroom, her eyes scanning the room frantically until settling on the television at one of the end room. Her sister and tag-partner (and fellow Supreme Champion… she reminded herself with delight) said on the couch, leaning forward, her eyes glued to the television. Near her, on the table, were the two tag-team titles they had just won and Selena’s United States Championship, which she had retained as well.

But, of course, the night of worries were not over just yet, especially for Regan. Turning her head, Selena spied the television screen as it displayed what the world saw – Rise to Greatness XVII still very much underway.

“Hey!” Selena smiled, gently nudging Regan’s shoulder with the back of her hand, gaining the Hellcat’s attention. “Scoot over.” She gently ordered, sitting beside her sister on the couch as Regan moved from the center. “He come out, yet?”

“Not yet.” Regan shook her head, allowing Selena to see the worry in her eyes. “They’re just doing the preview package again.”

Turning her head, Selena was just in time to see the footage of Bree Lancaster nailing David Helms with the Classifier, and while this was followed by footage of David Helms returning the favor by hitting Bree with his move “The Wake Up Call”, it was the former that had caused both members of Frozen Hell to flinch. Selena, especially, knew how dangerous the current World Champion was with that spear.

“He’ll be fine.” She whispered, reaching out to take Regan’s hand with hers. The Hellcat turned her head to regard her sister.
“Is it…” she seemed to consider her words, almost ashamed of them, which was odd for someone as proud (rightfully so) and confident as Regan. “Is it wrong that I won’t be happy unless we have it all?”

“What do you mean?” Selena asked, unsure of her words.

“I mean… I know we’re the tag champions…” Selena felt Regan squeeze her hand. “And you retained your other title-“
“And you’re the supreme champion, too! Don’t forget that.”
“Right, but… am I selfish for wanting David to be World Champion too?”

The question caused Selena to laugh without meaning to. 

“Oh, Regan.” She sighed, holding a hand up to calm her sister’s surprise. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m not laughing at you, dear. It might be a little selfish, but it’s not wrong at all. Wanting ‘it all’ or ‘the trifecta’ or whatever people call it… everyone is like that.”

“Really?” Regan asked. “I don’t want to sound ungrateful-“
“Sister.” Selena pressed. “There’s no reason to be ashamed that you want someone you care for to be the World champion. I want David to win too.”
“Yeah, but you also hate Bree.”
“So I’m validly motivated to cheer louder than you.” Selena countered.
“Oh! You are NOT going to cheer louder or better than me, horse-hair!”
“Oh watch me, Hellkitten!” Selena countered-

BANG!

The familiar sound of David Helms’ beginning entrance played, causing both women to jump to their feet, already screaming their cheers and support for the Taking Hold of the Flame royale winner. Of course, Selena got up to fast and ended up tumbling back onto the couch, having to try and again to get to her feet.

After David had made his entrance, the two women had then had a jeering contest to see who could ‘boo’ Bree Lancaster more (Selena was sure she won that with the “get ready to ‘let him win’, bitch!’ line).

Settling down, the girls watched the match get under way with the introductions. Even as the bell rang and the tieups began between the two combatants, the new tag champions remained silence, there attention locked on the screen, until Bree Lancaster rolled Helms through with a schoolboy, grabbing the tights-

“NO!” Regan yelled, jumping to her feet. “She’s cheating!” she yelled in vain, the color practically draining from her face as the official counted to two, with David able to kick out just before the three. “God, I can’t watch.” She turned, marching away from the television to pace the room, her nerves getting the better of her as she marched. “Distract me.” She begged in Selena’s direction.

“Distract you?” Selena asked, pushing herself to her feet to join her sister on the other side of the room, Regan stealing glances to the television every few seconds. 

“Yeah. Anything.” Regan asked.
“Uh…” the Snow Queen’s gaze flew around the room before settling back on the shiny belts. “Looks the Golden Boys are our next opponent?” she tried.
“Nope.” Regan shook her head. “Don’t want to think about them. They tried to ruin our night.”
“Okay… uh…I’ve got Xander – actually, I don’t want to think about that.” Selena sighed. Every battle she had had with the Executioner of SCW, whether she had won or lost, had been nothing but painful. And while she would happily knock the bastard out again if given the chance, she was more concerned what facing him could do for her as a tag-team partner – especially if Xander ever succeeded in ‘taking her out’ as he had sworn to do since last year.

“Okay, how bout this.” Regan tried, stealing another glance at the screen to see her husband still fighting Bree – not seemingly needing to slow down. Her voice seemed more relaxed seeing that. “Your dream. What’s your dream.” She asked.

Without thinking, Selena’s mouth opened. “To have Deanna with me. Back in my arms…”

Unconsciously, Selena’s arms wrapped around her frame. It had been a year since her wife had been incarcerated in Frankfurt on, Selena’s was certain, trumped-up charges. And while she could not wait to return to Germany to share the glorious news with her wife about the events of tonight, Selena was more than envious of Regan, her sister having her husband, cousins, sisters, etc. with her to share in such a defining moment.

The Snow Queen would have given anything to have such a moment with her wife rather than a prison keeping them apart.

“Sorry.” The voice came from Regan. “That is not what I meant.” She offered. “I meant here, in SCW.” Turning around, the Hellcat propped herself up on one of the nearby tables, sitting so that she was the same height as Selena. “I mean… you helped me get my dream, didn’t you? Maybe now, I can help you get yours.”

A sad laugh came from Selena. “I’d rather we not discuss jailbreaking my wife out of prison.”
“SCW, Selena.” Regan repeated. “What do you want for yourself – your dream – in SCW.”

For a moment, time seems to slow for the Snow Queen, as if the question had triggered her mind to work overtime. Casting her gaze back to the screen, Selena watched as Helms spiked Bree with a vicious DDT, the fans so loud as they were on the edge of their seats. Even Selena and Regan, watching backstage, were affected by it.

It truly was the main event of Rise to Greatness.

With a sad smile, Selena turned her head back to Regan. “Nothing.” She whispered. “I’ve done everything there is to do, really. And some things no one can do. I don’t have…” she lied, and she hated that she was doing so. “I don’t have anything left on my bucket list.”

Regan gave no immediate response, but she glared at Selena, as if trying to read the platinum-blonde, however, turning her head back to the television for a moment, her focus was shifted as Bree, once again, was trying a cheating pin attempt! This time, her foot was on the rope, though, again, Helms managed to kick out.

“AH! I can’t take this anymore!” Regan shook her head, turning away and heading towards the door of the changeroom. “I’m going to wait at the gorilla…” she stated, reaching for the door and marching out.

“Hey! Wait for me!” Selena called out to the quickly retreating Regan, the platinum-blonde reaching out to gather the three titles belonging to Frozen Hell. As she awkwardly fidgeted them onto her shoulders, she turned her head towards the television as she heard Jonathan Knots screaming:

“…He’s got one leg now, and she knows it!” 

Over the announcer’s play-by-play, however, Selena could hear the fans screaming support for David, as well as chanting the company’s initials of “S-C-W”. With Regan gone, the Snow Queen allowed a small smile to grace her features. 

“Nothing on bucket list.” She repeated in a whisper only she could hear before rushing out of the changeroom to catch up with her sister. It was alright. She had helped Regan achieve her dream – Selena’s didn’t have to have hers come true…

Unlike Regan’s, hers was an unbelievable dream anyway…

***************************************************************

The Frost 'Forever' Home
Manhattan, New York 
June 9th, 2021
6:11pm
 
Selena smiled at the framed image on her wall. It held two pictures within its frame. The first one, the largest one, in fact, was of her and her sister, Regan Street, standing in the ring – the night of Rise to Greatness XVII, holding their newly won tag-team titles and Selena also holding the United States Championship.
 
The smaller picture, was the group shot that took place almost two hours later, with David Helms, the newly crowned World Champion, standing with Regan by his side, with Selena, Deliah, Lucas, Mikalea, and Jordan Majors all celebrating in the ring.
 
It was the smaller picture that caught Selena’s attention. The way that Regan and David stood in the ring, gazing lovingly at one another, both proud of the other beyond all measure. David proud of his wife for achieving her dream and Regan proud of her husband for achieving the comeback of the century! They were clearly lost in one another as they stood there and the rest celebrated, but that didn’t bother Selena. She felt the same way about Deanna…
 
The sound of steps entering the space broke her attention, causing the platinum-blonde to turn in time to see the brunette that was also in the picture appear in the medium-sized ‘trophy room’ of sorts.
 
“Looking for a confidence booster?” Regan asked, taking a moment to cross her arms and look around at the title belts and trophies in the room.
 
“Oh, don’t tell me you don’t have one.” She countered. “I was actually surprised Kai managed to clean this room too.” Selena sighed, her eyes taking in the small room hidden behind the bookshelf in her office inside her Manhattan home. “I never told him about it.”
 
Quietly, she ran her hand along the frame of the picture she had been observing.
 
“So what are you doing here?” Regan asked as she walked the room. It had been Deanna’s idea to have Regan meet them here and spend a few days with Selena, getting the young woman in the right mindspace for Taking Hold of the Flame. It had worked a bit, Selena could not deny that. When Cid had released his promo, essentially twisting and mangling the narrative to discredit Selena and, worst of all, uglify the relationship between she and Regan, it had actually been Regan who had helped Selena put it past her and film her first promo, using her gym space just further down the path from her house.
 
“I’m just clearing my head.” Selena replied as the Hellcat joined her, taking in the sight of the picture from last year’s Rise to Greatness.
 
“That was good day.” Regan replied with a smile. “Ever think it get so backass backwards and different now?”
“Not really.” Selena laughed. “I was sure we’d be able to beat Dark Fantasy tag-title record.”
“That’s a little ambitious.” The brunette laughed.
“Not like I had much going on after Xander.” Selena shrugged, until the remark caused Regan to wince.
 
“You and me both.” She replied simply.
“I’m sorry.” Selena sighed sadly. “That isn’t what I meant.”
“I know.” Her former tag-partner offered her a smile. From where she stood, Regan appeared to be well to Selena. She could go walks, talk, handle small things like cooking and such…
 
Even so, Selena knew enough that, this being the first Rise to Greatness in so long that Regan would miss, it was bothering the Hellcat. “Even so…” the young Street mused. “If that’s the last RTG I’m part off…” she reached out to run a finger along the glass. “Hell of a way to go”.
 
“Yeah.” Selena smiled. “I’d take it.” She replied without thinking.
 
“But you’re not.” Regan nudged, leaning forward to try and catch Selena’s expression. “You’re not done yet…” she added.
 
Tilting her head up a little, a sad smile crossing her features, Selena turned her gaze towards her sister. “I guess so.” She shrugged.
 
“You guess so?” Regan asked. “Okay…” she dusted off her hands. “What’s going on, Selena?”
 
Selena said nothing, not to be rude, of course, but because she didn’t know what to say the future Hall-of-Famer.
 
“You’ve been off from the second I got here.” Regan stated. “I saw it whenever we talked about this weekend, when we were filming that promo – you’ve just been… off.”
 
“I’ve been nervous.” Selena tried.
“No.” Regan shook her head. “I’ve seen you nervous. Last year before this-“ she pointed to the framed picture on the wall. “You were nervous. You were twisted your braid like you were wringing a towel.”
“Well, I don’t have my braid anymore.” Selena laughed. “Didn’t you hear Cid? I gave to SCW Merchandising to clone and sell to the fans!”
 
“Forget that hairball and his crap, Selena.” Regan ordered, reaching out with both hands to grasp the Snow Queen’s arms. “What is it? Why do you sound so… I don’t know… I can’t find the word.”
 
“Tired?” Selena tried.
“No.”
“Boring?”
“No.” Regan shook her head again, snapping her fingers as she walked around the room. “Resigned? Detached?”
 
“Defeated.” The voice came not from the Snow Queen or the Hellcat, but from the one person who knew Selena better than Regan, as Deanna quietly walked into the room. Like Selena and Regan, the redhead was dressed in comfort clothes: green shorts and a long, salmon t-shirt while Selena wore her dark blue kimono and Regan wore sweat pants and a white shirt. “I’m glad I’m not the only person that’s noticed.” The redhead added.
 
“Defeated?” Selena asked, trying to laugh the word off. “That’s not-“
“No, that’s it.” Regan replied, her arms crossed over her chest. “That’s the word. I watched you for three weeks on Breakdown, Selena. And more than anything, you wanted to end this fucking farce! Cause it’s a disgrace to people like you and me!”
 
Regan breathed. “My first World title reign lasted one day. Others were the same way. Glory Braddock? Remember the gauntlet? How much to you think they regret struggling for that title and earning it, even for brief moment?”
 
“I get that.” Selena sighed.
 
“Do you?” Regan asked. “Cause Deanna hit the nail on the head. Ever since I got here-“
“Before.” Deanna corrected. “She was like this in Germany after the last Breakdown.”
“You’re not helping.” Selena threw back at her wife.
“I disagree.” Deanna shot back.
“Regardless.” The Hellcat raised her voice, silencing both Frost women. “You have had said nothing about the match other than that promo we filmed. Deanna’s right, it’s like you already know you’re going to lose and are just putting on a show for-“
 
Regan stopped mid-sentence when she saw Selena turn her head away, her eyes on the world title replica belt that hung on her wall, representative of her two world title reigns, short as they were.
 
“No.” Regan shook her head. “Don’t tell me that’s it. Don’t tell me you declared your intention of being World Champion again, beat Syren and Infamous, and now you’re just going to fade back to the sidelines! Don’t you fucking tell me that, Selena!”
 
But the Snow Queen had made the decision. Truthfully, she was sure she made it, perhaps subconsciously, from the moment she had received that phone call. Or maybe when Mr. D. had declared her the contender. A sad smile breaking across her face, Selena turned back to regard the two women: Her wife and her sister.
 
“I can’t be the World Champion.” She shrugged. “I can’t right now.”
 
“Why the hell not?!” Regan asked in disbelief. “It’s not like this is beyond your ability! For fuck’s sake, it’s just you and Cid. No interference! No Infamous! And Cid sure as hell isn’t Xander Valentine – what the hell are you so afraid of?!”
 
Regan’s yell echoed in the small room, living a ringing sound that pierced Selena to her core, causing her body to seize and her mouth to clench. For a moment, she simply stared at Regan, then Deanna, each with their own expressions. Regan’s one of fury and frustration and Deanna’s one of confusion and hurt.
 
They both had a right to feel those things. Selena was lucky – possibly the luckiest bitch on the planet. Four times she had fought Xander Valentine and never had she been put on the shelf by him. Not once had she had a bad match that ended on a freak fall that took her out of commission. Regan? She had only had two matches with Xander. Just two and she was out indefinitely. She would miss Rise to Greatness from it… while the woman that brawled with that monster more than anyone on the roster didn’t even have a scratch now.
 
And for Deanna… Selena cast another glance at her, understanding what she, herself, was implying. It was the destruction of their goal. The one thing Selena had been secretly jealous of in regards to Regan.
 
With a sigh, the platinum-blonde reached up to grab the long braid… that was no longer there… lowering her arm in further dejection.
 
“It’s because if I beat Cid…” she spoke slowly. “If I become the World Champion… then I’ll go to Rise to Greatness.”
“No shit!” Regan remarked. “Isn’t that a good thing?”
 
“Not if someone is waiting for me to achieve that just so they can kill me or my family.”
 
The way Selena had said that, the cold ‘matter-of-fact’ nature of it succeeded in freezing Regan in her tracks, a feat in and of itself. As for Deanna, the redhead could only shake her head in confusion. “Wait… what?” she asked.
 
Biting her upper lip for a moment, whittling it with her teeth, Selena slowly walked around the room passing the titles, trophies, photos and even the whiteboard with the black marker she used to use to write ‘current work goals’.
 
“A few days after Deanna’s release… I got a phone call.” Selena started. “I have no idea who it was from, but they knew me. They said that they were responsible for everything that had happened to Deanna. Her being at that tavern in Oberwessel, meeting Castle, manipulating Castle to…” she stopped when she saw Deanna visibly flinch at the memory.
 
“Go on.” Deanna pressed, her arms wrapped tight around herself.
 
“Talia’s car accident, the invasion at the castle…” Selena continued. “Talia and I always suspected that someone was behind all of this besides Castle… they knew everything, Deanna.” The platinum-blonde’s expression morphed to near disbelief. “They knew about you, about me, about Malcolm and Talia. They knew some of the things I had said to you in that magistrate’s room in the court house! And they even knew how every lawyer from Oberwessel to Frankfurt had refused to take your case once you were convicted.”
 
Slowly, the implications in Selena’s revelations were becoming clear to Deanna. “H…how?”
 
“I don’t know.” Selena half-laughed, though it sounded more like a hysterical gasp. “But they said that they were waiting…”
 
“Waiting for what?” Regan asked, having remained silent throughout the confession.
 
“Waiting for me to ‘be at my happiest’.” Selena shrugged, the voice haunting inside her brain once more.
 
I want you to be happy.
“Be happy…” Selena repeated.
I want you to go and become World Champion like you said.
“Become World Champion…”
Hell, go and headline Rise to Greatness.
“Headline Rise to Greatness…
Go and move back to your ‘forever house’.
“Move back to your ‘forever house’.
I want you to reach a point of normalcy and genuine happiness with Deanna…
“Reach a point of genuine happiness with Deanna…”
Then…
“Then…”
I’ll be there to take it all away..
“I’ll be there to take it al away…
 
The words emptied into silence as Selena finished, gazing at Deanna longer than she did at Regan. The redhead, for all her bravery, was still clutching her arms around her frame.
 
“They knew…” Selena rationalized. “They knew I’d beat Syren. Somehow, they knew that Mr. D. would make me the number one contender for the world title. I don’t know how… but they’ve known this entire time…”
 
And it was the fact that she didn’t know that made the threat all the more real. Was there a leak in SCW? Had the person seen the envelope and its contents before D. had shown it to Selena that night on Breakdown almost a month ago?
 
“I…” Selena looked down, lifting her shoulders before dropping them. “That’s why I can’t just beat him like I want to. That’s why I can’t just become World Champion…” she fell against the wall, leaning against it, her head up at the ceiling.
 
“Like you want too…”
 
The voice came from Deanna, the trembling redhead taking a deep and slow breath.
 
“What?” Selena asked.
“Become the World Champion… like you want to.”
 
Slowly, the younger Frost reached into one of the pockets of her green shorts before pulling out a folded up piece of line paper. Taking a few steps towards Selena, she handed the paper towards her, the Snow Queen taking it with a shaky hand and unfolding it.
 
On the paper were a bunch of scribbled lines of a sentence repeated over and over again… but in the corner margin… in beautiful hand-writing…
 
I dream I’m kneeling in the ring next weekend, weary and worn out from a great match. I hear the bell ring and my name is announced as the winner and the new World Champion… Then, I look up and it’s my wife, not the official, that’s handing me the world title. We’re both so happy… everything is so perfect…
 
She lowered the paper, allowing Regan to reach for it and find the single message amongst the sea of child-scribble. Slowly, as if a light going on in the Hellcat’s mind, the brunette turned her head towards the framed picture hanging on the wall, studying it for a moment – a younger her and her husband, David Helms… Rise to Greatness Main Event… together…
 
“So…” she smiled, turning her head to regard her sister. “That was your dream, huh? All this time… all these years… you ignored it… for me.”
 
Biting her lower lip, Selena could feel the tears welling up in her eyes.
 
“You gave me not just my dream…” Regan shook her head in stunned admiration of her sister. “But yours too.”
 
Selena tried to speak, but her words were caught in her throat. She still couldn’t say it. She still couldn’t make it real…
 
Regan sighed. “Selena…” she began, reaching up and wiping the tears from Selena’s eyes. “You know… Cid was right about something.” She paused, taking a slow breath, slightly admiring Selena’s confusion. “You’re so worried about everyone else…”
 
Selena moved to open her mouth, only to close it as she suddenly felt Deanna’s hands holding hers, allowing Regan to speak.
 
“You’re worried about Deanna’s safety. You were worried about my dreams and my wishes. Hell, you were worried about Cid Turner – trying to help him just last week…” Selena almost chocked out a laugh at the absurdity of that. She HAD tried to help Cid, tried to show him how HE was the champion and not Asher… for all the good it did her.
 
“You are so consumed about what everyone else wants…” Regan stopped before gazing right into the sapphire eyes of her sister. “Sister…what do you want for yourself – your dream…”
 
Again, her breath hitched, her jaw was clenched… she felt Deanna release her hand before rushing around the former tag champions to reach the other side. Reaching to the wall, she grabbed the black sharpie marker by the white board, holding it up to Selena.
 
“Write it out.” The redhead smiled.
 
Slowly, with a trembling hand, Selena took the marker, moving over to the white board. She started out small… but as she wrote more and more, her writing grew more confident, until she stepped away, her finish displayed for her wife and sister to see.
 
Be happy…
Become World Champion…
Headline Rise to Greatness…
Move back to your ‘forever house’.
Reach a point of genuine happiness with Deanna…
 
And under it all was an “=” line, as if it was all some mathematical equation, the variables leading up only one logical conclusion… All leading up to…
 
The Unbelievable Main Event
 
“That…” whispered Selena… “That… is my dream…”
 
_______________________________________________________________
 
 
 
The camera opens up to reveal the inside of what appears to be a ‘trophy room’ of some sorts. The walls are a deep red, the carpets are a sleek black with gray and white swirled designs, but more catching to the eye are the numerous items of gold and silver.
 
On full display are countless titles, at least two large trophies, and several photos of events that occurred in an SCW ring. And sitting in a rotating chair, dressed in blue jeans and a black shirt with snowflakes dusting the left shoulder, is the owner of all these accolades… The Snow Queen and Face of SCW: Selena Frost.
 
You know, I honestly thought that I was past this. she starts, her mind seemingly in a contemplative state.
 
I mean five years ago… that’s where I was the last time I felt this way. Questioning myself about whether I could be the World Champion. Whether I could carry the company on my back and be the standard that everyone tries to either emulate or surpass.
 
Slowly, Selena drums the fingers of her right hand on the armrest.
 
Like I said, I wasn’t expecting to be thrust into this position so quickly. To go from zero to 100 in a matter of weeks. And now that it’s here, I’ll admit, I have my doubts.
 
And giving the man his due. Cid… You shook me on that.
 
When I became the number one contender for the world title a couple of weeks ago, much like with the Tag league, I’ll admit it to you, I was expecting to face Bree Lancaster for that title… she shrugs.
 
That is not a stab to you, Cid. It was because I know, from personal experience, how badly Bree wants that title. I know how much it means to her. I know how hard she fights for it, whether I agree with her ‘methods’ or not (and I don’t).
 
You? I barely knew you. We don’t run in the same circles, Cid. We didn’t cross paths, even in the Tag League, and until recently, we’ve had zero history with one another other than a VERY distant acquaintance.
 
But you shocked me – shocked the world – when you beat Bree and remained the SCW World Champion. Reaching up, the platinum-blonde scratches her jaw.
 
And for the last few weeks, I’ll give you more credit, you and your friends have presented a strong, united front. Don’t get me wrong, you’re all a bunch of scumbags, but in terms of always ‘getting the last laugh’? You’ve had me beat every single week.
 
You’ve knocked me down. Knocked down my wife. Left me lying in the ring, left me lying backstage – and all of this was… you made it clear, Cid, was to prove a single solitary point. she holds up one finger.
 
That point was that nobody in SCW cares more about that title you hold more than you do.
 
Returning her hand to the armrest, Selena releases a huff of breath.And at first, I scoffed at that. I mean, can you blame me, Cid? I mean, the World title of SCW, something that’s eluded me for four long years, falls into your lap – literally! – and then you claim that you want it more than me? How, like a light switch, you didn’t want it when you won it but now you suddenly need it more than anyone else? the Snow Queen shakes her head.
 
I wasn’t convinced, Cid. I wasn’t convinced until you beat Bree and dealt with me. Until you took that cheap shot at me, exactly as Asher and Holly did.
 
And then it made sense, Cid. Then I realized how right you were. Nobody cares about the title you hold more than you.
 
Selena gives an honest shake of her head. I don’t. Think about it… what’s a strap of leather with gold or silver plates? Something that clearly can be replicated. she gestures to the belts behind her, all replicas hanging on the wall. Something that clearly can be mocked. Something that clearly can be lost and, like Gollum and his ring, something you clearly are obsessed with?
 
You’re right, Cid. You care more about that belt than me. Because I don’t give a damn about a piece of leather and some plates. her tone grows colder.
 
What concerns me is what that title represents.
 
I am concerned about the history that title represents. I am concerned about the history of men that fought like gladiators to be named the SCW World Champion. I am concerned about the women that shattered the glass ceiling, defying social standards and expectations to call themselves the SCW World Champion. I am concerned about the near twenty-year history that that title has seen, defining SCW, it’s ideals, and it’s longevity and promising its survival and its future for the fans that deserve it!
 
With enthusiasm, Selena strongly pushes herself out of the chair and to her feet, the camera following her. That is what I care about, Cid. That is something I care about far more than you do. This business. This company. This sport. And THAT, Mr. Fallen King, is where you made the biggest mistake of your current reign as champion.
 
Giving a small grin, Selena jerks her head a little. Because it’s one thing to say your ‘passion’ is greater than mine. Hell, I’ve heard that for years from people with more to their name than you, and I’ve proven them wrong. Don’t believe me? I’ve actually beaten Dark Fantasy on more than one occasion, Cid, as well as each individual member. You want to say your passion is greater than mine, that won’t bother me. I’ll just prove you wrong and defy your world like I have with everyone else.
 
Where you messed up? Where you made a mistake? You called my passion ‘fake’. You called my passion some sort of ‘scam to sell merch’. her jaw clenches for a second.
 
Take a look behind me, Cid…
 
The camera moves past Selena to capture the décor of the room, taking closeups of every title, trophy, plaque and accolade within. You see these titles, you see these trophies and awards. They’re not like your current reign or that title Asher holds, Cid. Nobody HANDED me these. I earned each and every one of them. the camera returns back to Selena as she rubs her pale hands together slowly.
 
And what you don’t see, Cidnay, is the blood, the sweat, and the tears that has come from them and eight long years here in SCW.
 
Eight years, Cid. Eight years of being tossed off scaffolds. Eight years of having buckled ribs. Eight years of having crates dropped to crush my foot. Eight years of having my head smashed open with monitors. Eight years of being whipped with barbed-wire cat of nine tails. Eight years of roofed cages, tactical warfare, elimination chambers, last person standing, iron-woman matches…
 
And not one single day off.
 
Selena pauses to let the weight of that last statement sink in, the implication very clear. I was in crutches, told not to wrestle. I was wrestling Sienna Swann at the next show in a match of the year.
I was told to stay away from Xander Valentine. That he would destroy me and end my career. I fought him four times and even knocked him out twice!
 
I have been knocked down, cheated, insulted, broken, beaten, but never destroyed. And while everyone else has fallen to the side, left, or taken breaks, I’m the one that keeps going. I’m the one that keeps fighting, Cid – THAT is what my passion is!
 
Gracefully, Selena gestures to the camera – to the World Champion. You! You won the SCW title in 2006, held it for a few months, lost it, and one month later, the second you hit a rough patch and couldn’t get it back? You were gone before the next PPV. You ran away with your tail between your legs, disappearing for over a decade.
 
The Snow Queen gives a shrug of her shoulders. You wanted to go this route, Cid. We are going this route. Like I told you before, I took the United States title and I defended it every match I had in my first reign. I took that title and put it all on the line last year at RTG in a tag match just to ensure it was highlighted!
 
You? You defended the world title only when you were told to defend the title, all the while whining and complaining about it being a ‘conspiracy’ and ‘placed into unfavourable situations by management’. she provides air quotes for Cid’s own words.
 
Me? I come out every night to wrestle and fight. I give it everything I have. I take on challenges and even make my own! I’ve come out to this ring and I’ve challenged monsters like Xander and Giovanni Aries, legends and Hall of Famers like Syren and Kelcey Wallace - The list is a damn long one over the fights I’ve started, believe me!
 
You? You only wrestle when you’re TOLD to wrestle. You only come out of your changeroom when Asher and Holly TELL you to come out of your changeroom. You only talk when they TELL you to talk. You only wear what they TELL you to wear.
 
And you only stay in SCW as long as it’s easy for you. I stay in SCW and make the hard times LOOK easy! That’s the difference! her voice is harsh, the conviction clear in her voice.
 
You, by your own confession, Cid, are wrestling me because you HAVE to. I’m wrestling you because I WANT to! Because I WANT to wage war for that championship and EVERYTHING it stands for! I want to keep waging war for that championship against everyone else in SCW! Not because it’s a ‘conspiracy’, not because it’s ‘my job’, sure as hell isn’t for because of a paycheck, but because I love this business and I respect every part of it! THAT is my passion, Cid!
 
The Snow Queen takes a deep, but quick breath. And for so many years, I’ve watched whiners and crybabies like you call the shots. So many years, I’ve watched ingrates and entitled jackasses like you disrespect that championship by hook or by crook – so many years, like you said, I’ve let other people live their dreams before me. she slowly shakes her head, a smile growing on her face.
 
Not this weekend!
 
In 2017, Cid, I was the last person eliminated from the Taking Hold of the Flame battle royale. I was one person away from the main event at Rise to Greatness.
For three years, I was in the second last match at Rise to Greatness - The last match before ‘the main-event’.
 
Like the four years I’ve clawed for my chance at that title, Cid, for four years I’ve come closer than any other superstar at headlining Rise to Greatness! Four years, I’ve touched the tips and lived in the shadow of the main-event of Rise to Greatness, but never given the chance to have that moment! To shine as “The Face of SCW”! some of her words echo in the small room slightly, adding an emphasis to her message.
 
Now? I have a chance to do both – to achieve the dream I’ve kept to myself for so long. The “Unbelievable Main Event” with my wife, Deanna by my side…
 
And a little spoiler, Cid: I’m not going to be close this time. I’m not going to ‘just miss it’. I’m not going to allow another year to go by where I fail and watch someone else take what I want. Where I get told my passion ‘doesn’t’ exist by a disrespectful toad who wouldn’t know true passion for this business if it came right up to him kicked him in the face! there is a slight growl in her voice.
 
You said that this match will come down to one thing, Cid: Who wants it more. You were right. It’s not going to come down to skill, or luck, or even who’s got the best insults. It’s going to come down to who has more passion.
 
And after eight years here – through thick and thin, better or worse, every trial, pain, and suffering, Cid… you’re not even close to me. the young Frost shakes her head.
 
Because, after eight years, I know what it takes to truly EARN that World Championship. I know what it takes to BEAT a guy like you. I know that I have the passion to do it – to take all that you can throw at me, fight through the pain, overcome it, go on to main-event Rise to Greatness, and give the winner of the royale, not some half-title shot like you’re promising them, but an SCW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH!
 
Lowering her voice, Selena’s words are just above a whisper, yet clear as a bell. You may still leave the Enterprise Center holding a title this weekend, Cid… but I promise you this: you will not be leaving the Enterprise Center as the SCW World Champion. Believe it!
 
The Snow Queen slowly reaches for the camera before suddenly stopping herself, a slight laugh in her voice.Oh… sorry! One last thing, Cid, that you were right about...
 
About me crying? Well, after I beat you… you better believe I’m going to cry. Cry my little eyes out. she smiles sweetly. Blame my passion, you son of a bitch!
 
With a slam of her hand, the camera shot is covered and immediately goes to black.