Braddock and Darko team together for the second time to face a first time team. Datura seems to be firmly in with the Haus of Nirvana, at least buying into what GiGi Aries is selling. But will that translate to tag team success. And for Glory and Darko, was their first week more luck or something else? Is this the birth of a new tag team? Certainly not what both had in mind a few weeks ago.
4 RP Limit for tag
3500 word max per RP
Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET Thursday, July 14, 2022 (NOTICE DEADLINE)
1 of 2
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July 9th, 2022
London, England
Off Camera
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It is always the darkest just before dawn. That’s what they say, anyway. When it comes to Glory Braddock, things are beginning to grow darker lately, figuratively speaking at least, and this has definitely not gone unnoticed by The British Bombshell. SCW Rise To Greatness is coming up and she desperately wanted to carve out a path for herself heading into the big event. Her first opportunity was at Taking Hold of the Flame, win that and earn a World Title Match. Her next opportunity was to defeat Owen Lee and earn a United States Title Match. Unfortunately Glory failed both times. As it stands, The British Bombshell really has no path to Rise To Greatness. She has no idea what her match will be or if she will even have a match. The closest thing she has had to any path was her recent tag team with Danny Darko; but as much as she may respect Darko, tag teaming with him is not what she wants to do heading into the biggest event in SCW. If she were to tag team, it would be with Amelia Stone. But Amelia has been on the shelf as of late. What started as a budding partnership between the two is now threatened.
Her personal life is growing dark as well. Braddock had tried very hard to create a stable situation within her company, Glorious Golden Enterprise; Aurora Alan is the current CEO and runs the company with the help of company president Francis Taylor. This way Glory Braddock would have no reason to step back into the corporate life, a life that she believes brought out the worst of her personality. Now forces from within that old corporate life now threaten to pull her back inside. That is, if she believes what she is being told.
Jamie Ryan, the young and apparently very ambitious niece of corporate board member Floyd Ryan, has informed Braddock that the board of directors views her as weak. The Board of Directors, specifically the faction that still favors the corporate founders, The Alan Family, feels emboldened with a member of the Alan family now running the company in Glory’s stead and that they are actively working to try and bring about a permanent end to Glory’s run within the company. The logical part of her mind tells her that none of this is true; Aurora Alan is a trustworthy honest individual, unlike the other members of her family. And even if any of this story was true, even if Glory were to lose her company forever, would that be a really big deal, especially considering the fact that she doesn’t really want to return to the corporate life?
Still, there is a small part of her that misses the power. There is also a small part of her that still believes that she is best suited to run the company. It is that part of her mind that kept Glory from selling a majority of her stock in the company to Aurora Alan. Braddock made Aurora a minority shareholder so that Glory could maintain controlling authority if she ever decided she wanted to jump back into the corporate world. She never wanted to permanently close that door. Now she is being tempted to fling that door wide open and step back into the role she had run away from.
It is indeed growing dark all around The British Bombshell, and there seems to be no end to the darkness. At least not yet. Instead of being given a clear path to Rise To Greatness, she is once again teaming with Danny Darko. And there seems to be no clear solution to her problem with her company. She is too afraid to risk ignoring it and yet she is also too afraid to get involved. She has no idea what to do. Therefore, Glory has chosen to take her mind off of her mounting problems by focusing on one of the few bright spots remaining in her life; her daughter, Melinda Braddock.
Young Melinda has had quite the impressive career as a professional wrestler. She decided to follow in the path of her grandfather, Glory’s father Glenn Braddock, and start her career in the European independent circuits. Melinda has wrestled all over Europe for well over a year, mounting quite an impressive undefeated streak. Considering her own active schedule a wrestler, Glory has been unable to actually watch her daughter compete as much as she would like. But she has decided to make a special trip to London to watch her daughter compete.
The British Bombshell finds herself waiting backstage at a small venue in London, England hosting the wrestling card her daughter Melinda is wrestling on. The beautiful blonde is dressed in plain denim jeans, white sneakers, and a plain purple t-shirt. Her long blonde hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back. She checks her watch, that rests on her wrist. Melinda is late, which is unusual for her typically punctual daughter.
“Waiting on someone?” Comes a voice that Glory instantly recognizes to be her daughter’s. She looks up and approaching is definitely her daughter, but there is certainly something obviously different about her. Her facial features belong to Melinda, the build is Melinda’s, but the hair is different. Melinda’s dirty blonde hair has now been dyed orange. She is dressed in all black wrestling gear. She smirks and gives a twirl as she approaches her mother. “So what do you think?”
“You mean your hair?”
“Of course.” Melinda says with a chuckle. “I mean, the gear is the pretty much the same.”
“Kinda the same. Well, same ‘style’ at least. Didn’t you wear more colorful attire?”
“Yeah but I decided to try different things and maybe establish an image. That’s part of why I went with the different hair. Image is everything, mom. You should know that as well as I do, that’s why you call yourself The Best in the World.”
“I USED to call myself that.” Glory shakes her head. “I haven’t used that arrogant, overbearing name in a long time.”
“British Bombshell then.” Melinda shrugs her shoulders. “Still, you have a moniker, you have an image, and that’s important.” She runs her hand through her orange locks. “So again, what do you think?”
“It’s certainly an image.” Glory chuckles softly. “I’m not sure your father would approve.”
“Which one?” The younger Braddock says with a look of mischief etched across her face, referencing how she has two fathers; a biological father, Thomas Gauge, and a step-father, Glory’s current husband Kurt Logan. Any other parent may be offended at a smart ass remark like that one but not Glory. She recalls how she, at Melinda’s age, was that kind of a smart ass.
“I don’t think either one would approve, to be honest, though Kurt would probably be more accepting than Thomas.”
“Are you accepting of it?”
“Do you even have to ask?” Glory asks as she approaches Melinda and embraces her in a tight hug. “I don’t care if you’re bald. You’re my daughter and I love you. That’s all that matters.”
“Love you too, mom.” Melinda says beaming from ear to ear. “I am sooooo stoked you’re here, by the by. I’m kinda surprised you made the trip, actually. Don’t you have all kinds of other stuff you’re dealing with? Matches and…”
“Nothing important.” Glory says, cutting her off quickly. “Definitely nothing more important than you.” The truth is, Glory wants to escape the SCW schedule. She wants to forget about her own troubles finding a path to Rise To Greatness, one that she feels she is worthy of. Teaming with Danny Darko isn’t exactly her idea of a good time. Braddock places a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “I hate that I missed out on so many of your matches. I want to make up for that. I would like for us to spend more time together once your match is over.”
“That’s cool but hey, mom, you don’t have to worry about anything. I’ve had Aunt Julia here with me. And besides, I’ve been busy wrestling just about every week or so.”
“Just like your grandfather.” Glory says with a knowing grin. Melinda nods her head.
“I remember you told me grandpa was always super busy. I’ve kept super busy too. And just like grandpa I have yet to lose in the indies.”
“Just don’t push yourself, ok?” The mother states with a note of concern in her voice. “You ALSO should recall how your grandfather’s career came to an end.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Melinda rolls her eyes “you lectured me about it before.”
“I’m not kidding.” Glory states more strictly. “He pushed himself so hard, with no real care for his own well-being, that he ended up breaking his back before he could ever sign with a major promotion.”
“That won’t happen to me, mom.”
“You sound awfully confident.” Glory’s voice is taking on more of a lecture now. “Borderline cocky if you ask me.”
“How does that song go?”
“What song?” Glory asks curiously.
“You say I’m cocky.” Melinda winks. “It aint bragging, mother fucker, if you back it up.”
“Language!”
“Oh please.” Melinda rolls her eyes. “Like you’re some girl scout.”
“Fine…” Glory sighs and forces a smile on her face “...I’m sorry, but you know I worry about you. Besides, I didn’t think you liked Kid Rock?”
“There’s a lot you don’t know, mom.”
“I know and that’s why I want to spend time with you today and the next few days.” Braddock hugs Melinda again. “You and I used to be so close. Almost like best friends rather than mother and daughter. Why can’t we just be like that again?”
“The good old days?” Melinda pulls away from the embrace. “The good old days weren’t as good as you think. And I’m serious, you REALLY don’t know me. I don’t mean to sound harsh or anything mom. I mean, I get you have a busy schedule and all, so I’m not blaming you…” she sighs “...but you have basically left me alone to my own devices. You could have called, you could have reached out more, but you didn’t.”
“I know and I’m sorry.” Glory feels guilt washing over her. “I should have been there for you more, but I wanted you to do this on your own. I didn’t want to risk doing to you what my own father did to me. You know? Plus you had Julia over here to watch you and take care of you.”
“Yeah, I get ya. Unfortunately Aunt Julia is just as busy as you at times. She doesn’t even know some of what has changed with me.”
The British Bombshell studies her daughter closely. She can tell based on her tone of voice and the look on her face that she is hiding something. Glory isn’t sure what, but she does know that Melinda is hiding something from her. She decides to dig deeper for more information.
“What kind of changes are you talking about?”
“Look, forget I said anything.” Melinda says as she shakes her head. She forces a smile on her face and begins walking down the halls of the backstage area. “Come on, mom! Keep up! Let’s get you seated!”
“Come back here, Mel!” Glory rushes to keep up.
“You’re going to love these seats I got you!” Melinda exclaims. “They are front row! You will get a good view of me beating someone up!”
“Melinda, stop!” Glory states defiantly. Melinda does eventually stop and motions for her mom to follow her. Unfortunately for Melinda that isn’t working. Glory has her arms folder over her chest and based on the look on her face it doesn’t appear as if The British Bombshell is ready to take any more of her crap. Melinda sighs as she approaches her mother.
“What is it, mom?”
“You’re hiding something.”
“No I’m not.”
“You are.” Glory insists. “You have a tell when you are lying. And you are lying. You are keeping something from me.”
“Hell…” Melinda’s voice trails off. She is visibly frustrated that her mom won’t drop it. “...look, you want this to be a good time, right? Can’t we just drop this? Can’t we just talk about it later? Because if we talk about this now you won’t enjoy yourself today…or the rest of your trip for that matter.”
“When you put it that way…” Glory nods her head “...I DEFINITELY want to know. So tell me now. What are you hiding?”
“You asked for it.” Melinda sighs. “Look, I’m dating Clyde again.”
“Wait, what?!” Braddock’s eyes grow wide with surprise. “You better mean Clyde Eldon Jr!”
“Not that dork!” Melinda exclaims. “Clyde Sutter.”
“Bloody hell…” Glory’s voice trails off as she begins pacing the floor. She starts repeating ‘bloody hell’ over and over while rubbing her temples, as if she is beginning to get a headache. Melinda rolls her eyes out of frustration.
“See? I knew you would overreact!”
“Overreact?!” Glory stops pacing and gets up in her daughter’s face. “You think I’m overreacting?!”
“Yes, you are overreacting.”
“Melinda Alexis Braddock, let me remind you just who Clyde Sutter is, ok? He is the man who was abusive towards you. He beat you. He raped you. He…”
“Quit with that rape talk, mom!” The daughter exclaims. “That’s bullshit and you know it!”
“It isn’t! You said…”
“I said he hit me, yes, but I never said he raped me. Every single sexual act we did…and we did a lot…”
“MELINDA!”
“Oh shut the fuck up, mom. Like you weren’t a sexual deviant in your day? I mean, I am living proof of it, right? I’m the bastard child you had when you were sixteen and still in school. So you have no no damn room to talk because I just did the same shit you did.” She smirks. “The only difference is that Clyde and I used protection.”
That last line put Glory over the edge. She slaps her daughter across the face. Melinda rubs her cheek but, surprisingly, just laughs it off. “Mom, you just simply don’t like him. Plain and simple. Sure, he hit me once. That was when we split. Because no man I date will put his hands on me like that. But he has changed. He got help and you have to know it. You see it every time you turn on the tv and watch him. He’s more controlled than ever and he doesn’t even have a manager to reel him in. But you refuse to believe that he has changed because you don’t like him. That’s why you want to desperately hang onto that sexual assault bullshit, because you just don’t like him and it fits into your narrative that he’s a monster.” She shakes her head. “I hate to crush your narrative, mom, but he didn’t sexually assault me. Everything we did was consensual and you know why I consented? Because he was nice. He was polite. He was GREAT in bed.”
“I do NOT want to hear about that anymore! Do you know what your father would think?”
“Thomas? He KNOWS and he’s ok with it. And you know what? I think Kurt would probably be open minded about Clyde and willing to give him a chance. Kurt has always been more open minded than you.”
“You are too young to know any better.” Glory states coldly. “I have made those kind of mistakes and I am trying to protect you. You know damn well why I kicked him out of my wrestling school. He was too violent and intentionally tried to injure other students and the trainers. And even if I were to believe you that he has changed, that doesn’t mean he is any less of a bad influence. Even sociopaths can control their anger.”
“So he’s a bad influence, huh?”
“Exactly.”
“That’s rich.” Melinda chuckles softly. “Coming from you, that’s rich.”
“What does that mean?!”
“You think Sutter is the reason for all of this? My language, my new look, my personality? Newsflash, mom; Sutter is busy touring with MWE and GCW. I’ve been here in Europe. We have had a long distance relationship and have only physically been with one another for a few fleeting times these past few months. Sutter has nothing to do with this…this is just who I am now, influenced by wrestling the rough and tough European circuits, without my mother there to guide me.” She points a finger at Glory. “But you? You let your former mentor influence you. Hell, you let Aphrodite turn you into a completely different person and that person did things far worse than say a few naughty words. You were just a little better than a crime kingpin.”
“Melinda, I…” Glory shakes her head “...I’m sorry.”
“Look, I’m sorry too.” She sighs. “I probably shouldn’t have said some of those things. But it’s like I said, we shouldn’t have talked about this, either.” She starts to walk off. “Now come on, I’ll show you to your seat.”
2 of 2
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July 10th, 2022
London, England
Off Camera
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It has been twenty four hours since the nasty argument between mother and daughter, between Glory Braddock and Melinda Braddock. The whole bitter war of words boiled over when Melinda declared that she and her ex-boyfriend, Clyde Sutter, had reconciled and that they were dating again. Needless to say, The British Bombshell did not take the news of their renewed romantic relationship very well. After all, Glory knows for a fact that in a fit of rage he hit her daughter and she is also convinced that he sexually assaulted her as well, despite Melinda’s insistence that no such incident ever happened. Even if you disregard the anger issues surrounding Sutter and even if you ignore the possibility that he is a sexual predator, the fact remains that Clyde is a very bad influence. Braddock can see that bad influence written all over her daughter. Melinda is not the same polite young lady she once was. She is cocky and arrogant, she is very rough. Her entire image and personality has changed.
It is Sunday afternoon the day after the incident. Glory had made this trip to her native homeland of London, England so that she could watch her daughter wrestle. It is something she has not been able to do nearly enough of due to her own busy schedule as an active wrestler. She had hoped that this would be an opportunity for the two of them to bond. She had hoped to spend some significant time with Melinda. But now, after yesterday’s incident, Glory feels as if she is losing Melinda. She feels as if the once close relationship she had with her oldest daughter is slipping through her fingers.
It is for this reason that Glory Braddock appears downtrodden and depressed as she sits in the opulent living room of the old Braddock family homestead. The beautiful blonde plans to leave today, to make a trip to Charlotte. But right now she is slumped over on a plush luxurious leather sofa, cream colored. She is wearing jean shorts, flip flops, and a purple t-shirt. Her long blonde hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back. Her face is buried in her hands and she is lost in her thoughts, completely oblivious of everything going on around her.
“Wake up!” The familiar voice of her sister startles Glory back to reality. She looks up to see her younger sister, Julia Braddock, approaching with two drinks. One is clear and the other is a definite red color which she guesses is wine. Glory sighs and motions to the glass with the clear liquid.
“Vodka, I assume?”
“Yep.” She says smiling as she saunters over to the sofa; she is wearing a knee length floral print sundress and heels. She passes the vodka over to her sister. “I figured you would want something a little stronger than wine.”
“You’re right.” She says, nodding her head in appreciation as she takes the glass of vodka. She takes a sip as Julia sits down next to her.
“Are you doing ok?” She asks Glory with a hint of concern in her voice. “You look a little bothered.”
“Well…” the older Braddock chuckles softly “...I have to admit, it is tough getting used to this place.”
“What do you mean? It’s our home. It’s where we grew up.”
“Yeah, but you completely redesigned it.” She points out. “Dad is probably rolling over in his grave looking at how much you’ve done to the place.”
“He can get over it.” Julia says with a wink. “I am used to a little more upscale luxury. If I recall, you have a rather nice place back in Miami.”
“I suppose we both prefer the finer things in life. We get that from mother, don’t we?”
“Indeed.” She says nodding her head. “Where do you think I got that bottle of vodka?”
“I’m glad you got it.” Glory says as she sips on her vodka some more. “I definitely needed it today.”
“Speaking of which,” Julia sips on her wine “what’s really bothering you? I mean, lately you have been so upbeat and positive, so jovial. But now I look at you and you seem so down. You seem so depressed.”
“Well I apologize for not seeming like my normal self.” Braddock says sarcastically. “I tend to lose my sense of humor when I find out my daughter is dating a sociopath.”
“Oh right. That.” Julia says quietly. Glory takes a big swig of the vodka and sets it down.
“I don’t pretend to be a perfect parent, not by any stretch of the imagination, you know? I admit that I could have been there more for Melinda all throughout her life. But for God’s sake, I was a teenager when I got pregnant with her! The father bailed out on me! I did the best with what I could. And I’d like to think I did a fairly decent job of raising her. She may not have had a father…but she had a grandfather…she had an Aunt Julia…she had Sophie and Mark…she had so many of my friends and family around helping me out with raising her.”
“You did an awesome job raising her, Gloria.”
“If that’s true then how did this happen?” Glory asks. “How did she end up with Sutter?”
“Children don’t always end up like their parents. You and I are perfect examples of that. Dad wanted us to be just like him. He wanted us to be rough, tough, and no nonsense. But look at us….we love the finer things in life, you were and still are quite the prankster…hell, to be honest, we’ve been influenced more by our friends and mentors we have surrounded ourselves with than our own father.”
“I know.” Glory says, nodding her head.
“And you should know that it is inevitable that children will rebel. Bloody hell, Gloria, this isn’t even the first time Melinda rebelled. You banned her from becoming a wrestler. But she snuck out and trained anyway. She completed her training right under your nose. Now eventually you did give her your blessing but initially she rebelled. Is it any surprise that she would rebel against you again?”
“I’m just shocked that she managed to do this again…without me knowing…”
“Sutter you mean?”
“Yeah. That’s twice she and that twat initiated a romantic relationship without my knowledge.”
“Well it isn’t like you can be everywhere at all times.”
“No, but…” Glory pauses as she considers the situation. She studies her sister carefully and stares at her skeptically. “Did you know?”
“Know what?”
“This is your permanent residence. I allowed Melinda to wrestle on the European indie circuits knowing that she would at the very least have you as a support system. So tell me, did you know about her and Sutter?”
“Glory…” Julia sighs deeply. Glory growls under her breath.
“You DID know!”
“Not at first, no.” Julia insists, shaking her head. “In fact, I only just recently found out myself.”
“You knew and you didn’t tell me?!” Glory stands up. She begins pacing the floor. It appears as if The British Bombshell is losing control. Julia sighs and stands up as well. She gets in Glory’s path, stopping her from pacing.
“Calm the fuck down, mate!” Julia states commandingly. “This reaction is why I was reluctant to say anything to you! You’re already pissed after what happened yesterday, and you’ve had vodka in your system, you really need to just calm the hell down and sit your ass back down! Ok?!”
There is a long and tense pause as Glory and Julia stare one another down, neither one blinking or giving an inch. Finally Glory seems to break. She sighs and nods her head.
“Right, right…I’m sorry…” she walks back over to the sofa and sits down. Julia sits down next to her. “...sorry, Julia. I have been on edge and it isn’t just Melinda.”
“Oh yeah?”
“SCW isn’t going the way I want. I want a path to Rise To Greatness, something that I am worthy of; and I admit, I couldn’t make my own path. I couldn’t earn a world title match or a United States Title Match. Hell, it seems that everyone is getting opportunities but me. Kim has a chance to leave as a double champion. Deanna Frost, who is still a rookie, has already won one title and is going for her second title at Rise To Greatness. But me?” Glory sighs deeply. “I’m stuck in a tag team with Danny Darko.”
“Have you been successful?” Julia asks. Glory nods her head.
“Yeah…we beat Jenni Anderson and Tsunami. I thought that would be the end of it. We had a mutual enemy in those two twats, we put them down, that was that. But now we’re facing Gigi Aries and Datura. The Brand. And I just need to know why? I am a fifteen time former world champion, Julia. Is there really nothing else that Shaun Cruze can find for me to do at Rise To Greatness?”
“I can see why that would bother you.”
“But that’s not all of it…” Glory shakes her head “...I’ve been told that my company’s board of directors is plotting against me.”
“Not this again.” Julia rolls her eyes. She recalls how paranoid her sister got when she did battle in the corporate world. She thought anyone and everyone was out to get her, including the board of directors. It took psychiatric sessions to convince her that everything was fine. Julia is dreading the thought of that paranoia coming back once again.
“This is coming from a trustworthy source.” She sighs deeply. “At least I think it’s trustworthy. A member of the board told me that a small faction of the board of directors is plotting to get me thrown out for good.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes!” Glory exclaims. “Well, ok, I didn’t hear it directly from a member of the board. I heard it from his daughter, but still…”
“And you’re going to trust that person? Someone you probably haven’t even known that long, am I right?” Julia asks. Glory’s pause is indication enough that Julia is right. “That’s what I thought.”
“But they did plot against me once before. They did throw me out of power once before.”
“They have nothing to fear. You handed power and control of the company to Aurora Alan. Why would they NEED to throw you out?”
“I don’t know.” Glory says, shrugging her shoulders.
“See what I mean? You’re being paranoid. That’s all. And that coupled with your frustration in SCW and now finding out about your daughter’s relationship with Sutter, none of this can be good for your mental health and well-being.”
“Are you saying I’m crazy?” Glory asks, narrowing her eyes coldly at Julia, who just shakes her head in response.
“Not at all. You have a legitimate gripe in SCW. And you’re right, people did conspire against you before, so I suppose it is possible that it could happen again. But before you go and do anything rash you should confirm those suspicions. Talk to someone in the know.”
“Like Aurora?”
“Exactly.” Julia points out. “And as far as Sutter goes…” she sighs “...you won’t like this, but you really need to sit down and talk to him.”
“You MUST be joking!”
“I’m not joking. I spoke to Melinda myself shortly after I found out about the relationship. It seems to me like he is going to be in her life for a long time. If you don’t find a way to deal with it then you could end up pushing Melinda even further away. Is that what you want?”
==========
July 13th, 2022
Charlotte, NC
On Camera
==========
We open out on a balcony overlooking the beautiful scenery of Charlotte, North Carolina. Sitting on a chair on that balcony is none other than “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock. The beautiful blonde is dressed in a royal purple lace summer sun dress and a large hat. Sunglasses cover her eyes.
“Welcome to my residence in Charlotte, North Carolina! Didn’t know I had a residence in North Carolina, did you? I need one, because, as some of you know, I am majority owner of my own company. We dip our toes in wrestling and modeling among other things. And Charlotte happens to be the company’s home. To be honest, is there a more appropriate place than North Carolina, specifically Charlotte, for wrestling to call home? With Breakdown being LIVE from Charlotte, North Carolina, I figured why not spend some extra time in Charlotte ahead of Breakdown? Why not spend some time with some of the greatest wrestling fans in the business today?”
“There are rabid, passionate wrestling fans all over the world. You can find some of the most passionate in Japan, Mexico, hell, all over the world. But some of the most passionate wrestling fans in the world can be found in the Southeastern region of the United States. Traditions of professional wrestling can be traced back to this region. So competing right here in the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, my company’s home…arguably one of wrestling’s most important and well known homes…well, it is an honor to say the least. Wrestling right here in Charlotte brings with it a certain duty and responsibility, or maybe the better word is obligation?” Braddock nods her head.
“That’s right, obligation. I have an obligation to put forth the very best effort and the very best match I can for the great fans of SCW. They are paying to see me kick the collective asses of The Brand and I owe it to them to give them their money’s worth, and it damn sure won’t cost no six payments of thirty bucks.” Glory shakes her head. “But that’s not all, because I have an obligation to defend the tradition and integrity of this great sport.” The British Bombshell points a finger at the camera.
“I have an obligation to defend it against people like you, Gigi. Gigi, Gio, or whatever the hell you want to call yourself. You call yourself a spiritual advisor to that reality show rip off Holly Adams but all you are is a failure as a professional wrestler, a failure who can get to the big match but can never ever win it. You have had so many opportunities to become world champion and you could not get it. Now in fairness I haven’t had it that long myself, but at least I have been SCW World Champion. At least I have had it longer than you.” Braddock smirks and chuckles nastily. “Now maybe I shouldn’t mock you, GiGi? That isn’t exactly the kind of positive energy you talk about, now is it? Besides, I haven’t exactly had my fair share of good luck. I have yet to find my path to Rise To Greatness.”
“The difference between you and me is that you gave up. You gave up in your chance to become world champion, you gave up on your silly crusade against the lizard kingdom or whatever that nonsense was, you gave up on anything and everything you ever gave a damn about so that you could prop up Holly Adams.” Braddock shakes her head. “I suppose that’s what your best at, right mate? You are best at propping everyone else up. You are also real good at being a con artist. You are a damn good snake-oil salesman.” Glory cups her hand over her ear.
“Are you listening to me, Datura? I hope you are paying very close attention. You have incredible talent. You are an amazing competitor. You are a great wrestler. Now I get it, you have had opportunities to reach up and grab that brass ring but you have come up short. You have had a rough patch of losses. I have been there, mate. Hell, some would say I am there right now. I couldn’t win a third straight Trios Tournament. I couldn’t become World Champion. I couldn’t win Taking Hold of the Flame. I couldn’t earn a United States Title Match. But instead of focusing on the failures…or the negative energy as your pal likes to put it…I focused on the positives. In between those failures I beat the likes of Syren. I won two matches in one night to make the finals of a United States Title Tournament, beating Alexis Quinne along the way. And just recently on Breakdown I teamed up with some random bloke I have never ever worked with before…Danny Darko…and together we beat Jenni Anderson and her pet monster Tsunami.” Glory chuckles softly.
“Some monster…I beat the dumb bastard twice now. See, I know how good I am, I know that eventually I will overcome this rough patch and get back to where I truly belong. I just need to persevere, I need to keep fighting, but most importantly I cannot give up. Like I said, that’s the difference between me and GiGi. I don’t give up, he does.” She points a finger at the camera. “But are you really going to be a quitter, Datura?” Glory sighs and shakes her head.
“It is a damn shame if you decide to quit. And believe me, putting the fate of your wrestling career into the hands of a con artist like GiGi and a reality show blowhard like Holly, now THAT is essentially the same thing as quitting. That is essentially the same thing as saying I GIVE UP! I CANNOT DO THIS ANYMORE! I QUIT!” Braddock smirks. “So tell me, are you a quitter or are you a fighter? You’d better be a fighter because I am definitely a fighter, Darko is a fighter, and on Breakdown we will put The Brand down quite easily if we are facing a pair of quitters.” Glory shuts her eyes. “Sic Semper Tyrannis.”
ON CAMERA:
It wasn't the best performance of his storied career, but in his surprising return to the ring, he and his partner Glory Braddock were victorious. Truth be told, Glory did all the heavy lifting in the match and Danny Darko did his best simply not to lose. Heading into the second match of his return, he has the privilege of teaming once again with Glory Braddock. Will he be more prepared this time around, or will he be worse off for having hurt his back. Or rather, the credit for the severe back pain is due to when the beastly Tsunami drove his back into that cold, unforgiving steel. Regardless, Danny Darko was approached soon after the match by the very woman who interviewed him under far different circumstances in his debut promo…Jessica Winters. She is standing to his side and he is clutching at his back, which is covered by a giant ice pack.
Jessica Winters: I gotta ask you, Mr. Darko. How are you feeling?
Danny grimaces as he answers.
Danny Darko: Well, love, let's just say I've felt better, but I've also felt a lot worse. The adrenaline I felt as I finally entered that hallowed SCW ring gave me goosebumps. It was exhilarating to feel the energy from the crowd! That was certainly a feeling I missed in my time away. Whether the people out there are cheering or booing me, the rush you get from making that entrance is hard to replace. Once you've experienced it, you can never get it out of your mind. Having said that, however, that adrenaline boost wore off and I was left with the knowledge that I was maybe a bit surprised by the physicality. I mean, I've been at this all for roughly 20 years at this point and the past couple of years has been the longest I've been away. So now I find myself with very little time to rest up before the next show.
Jessica Winters: Oh yes, I saw that it was announced that you will once again be teaming up with Glory Braddock to face the first time pairing of GiGi and–
Danny Darko: Wait…did you just say GiGi?
Not thinking anything of it, Jessica nods.
Danny Darko: Oh, is that was Aries goes by now? Got it. You'll have to excuse me. I'm honestly not what one say is well-informed when it comes to the SCW roster. There are some names I'm familiar with, but I didn't really have some grand scheme to conquer SCW or anything of that sort. I'll figure it out as I go along. And hey, I've always felt like so long as I focus on the things within my control, things will generally work out.
Jessica nods but seems surprised, maybe?
Jessica Winters: Are you saying with all honesty that you just decided on a whim to come and re-enter the insanity that is this wonderful sport?
Danny groans a little but still musters a smile.
Danny Darko: When you put it that way, it does seem a little batty. But yeah…that's basically the gist of it. I got tired of waiting around for something to happen and decided to make something happen. I mean, what good does it do me just sitting around the house and moping about. My wife is out there somewhere and who knows? Maybe if she is out there watching, she will see me and come back into my life? Who the hell knows? Stranger things have happened. It's likely nothing more than wishful thinking, but here I am. Oh, sorry I interrupted you earlier. What were you going to ask me?
Jessica Winters: I was going to see where your mind is heading into the match against GiGi Aries and Datura.
Darko: Oh, that Haus of Nirvana or something like that? Well, I think that as long as "The British Bombshell" Glory Braddock is my partner, everything is going to work out just fine. It appears that the powers that be here in SCW are interested in seeing what the two of us can do as a team. I don't have any friends here so maybe Glory and I can become friends, if not full time tag partners. Now, I've had my fair share of bad luck over the past…well, much of my life, if I'm being frank. But I do believe I'm quite fortunate to be teaming with Glory. Whether she is happy to be my partner or not? Who can say? I just give her and you my assurance that I will give everything I have inside that ring.
Winters: Thank you very much for your time.
Danny nods and the scene fades.
OFF CAMERA:
Danny is soaking in a hot bath in his downtown Portland, OR and has got his eyes closed. After his first match in years, he's got to really be enjoying this bath more than normal. But he is not alone. Well, physically he is, but he's on a phone call with someone. He has his Galaxy Bud in his left ear as he talks.
"Yeah, I am pretty sure nobody suspects a thing. (pause) I know it's strange to think, but you haven't been around for a while, even on Twitter. I occasionally have tweeted over the years. But not a peep outta you. (pause) I don't think anybody here will even bother checking into any of it. There aren't many people still around from those days, let alone anybody that could pose a problem. (pause) I love you, too. Talk to you soon."
He touches the bud to end the call and then sinks deeper into the tub.