03-26-2023, 12:20 AM
03-27-2023, 09:43 AM
OOC: 1 of 2 for Kim
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March 21st, 2023
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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Retribution is now in the rear view mirror and all of the frustration, the angst, and the stress that Kimberly Williams put herself through ever since losing the Underground Championship at Body, Heart, and Soul has hopefully been put in the past as well. The Woman Scorned may be among the most unique of individuals, and she may appear to be very different from the rest of her famous wrestling family, but one thing she and her mother Angelica Jones have in common is a desire for perfection; a desire for success. If she commits to something she wants to put her everything into it. And for the first few weeks since Body, Heart, and Soul she believed that she had failed the Underground Division. After a brutal Underground war with Alexis Quinne at Retribution, Kimberly is no longer concerned that she has failed in her quest to carry the Underground Division on her back. Now Kimberly can focus on her Trios Cash In, which is the very epitome of chaos.
The Woman Scorned has decided to use her Trios Contract to put every championship in SCW on the line in one single match. But unlike previous wrestlers, such as Jake Starr and Greg Cherry who used it to give themselves opportunities at every title, Kim is giving everyone on the SCW roster who wants a shot at every title to join in the chaotic fun. That’s right; everyone against everyone for every championship is the essential point of this upcoming challenge on Breakdown. But for Kimberly Williams, her goal is singular; she wants to regain the Underground Championship. Kim doesn’t want the World Title, US title, Adrenaline Title, Tag Titles, or Television Title. Kim wants the Underground Championship back in her possession. Her goal with this Trios Cash In is to become Underground Champion again and rock the landscape of SCW to its very core.
Breakdown, though, is about a week and a half away and there’s still plenty of time for the Queen of Chaos to prepare to put her plans into motion. Right now Kim wants to take time to focus on something equally as important, if not more important, than any of her professional wrestling career goals. The Woman Scorned wants to spend time with her family.
Family has become increasingly more important to the deranged ginger. When Kim was locked up in a mental ward several years ago, it was her family, specifically her identical twin sister Marie Jones, who reached out when no one else would and offer to help her through the difficult times and challenges. It was Marie who was willing to give her a chance and accept her with open arms, despite the crimes she had committed. Every single time since then when Kimberly stumbled along her path towards growth, maturity, and redemption, it was family who took the time to pick her up, dust her off, and help her back onto the right path. After losing three times at Rise To Greatness and being on the brink of quitting SCW, it was Kim’s mother, Angelica Jones, who reached out and offered to help her out as her manager. After losing the Underground Title at Body, Heart, and Soul, once again it was her mother, Angelica Jones, who talked Kim down from the brink. Her family has always had her back. Kim is proud to be a part of a family that helps one another out in difficult situations; so Kim is happily willing to oblige when asked to help out her family, even if the task is a small one.
In this instance, Kimberly Williams is at her sister Marie’s home in Boston, Massachusetts awaiting the arrival of her nephew, Sean Connor Jones, from school. Sean is in grade school and will start high school very soon. Ordinarily Marie would be here when he was dropped off by the bus but she is busy with another appointment. Marie, like Kim, is still an active professional wrestler with her own public appearances she needs to make. Kimberly is more than happy to sit here and be with Sean until Marie returns. It gives Kimberly an opportunity to bond with her nephew. The Woman Scorned currently finds herself lying on the comfortable cream colored leather sofa in her sister’s luxurious living room. She is wearing torn denim jeans and a black “Queens of Chaos” t-shirt. She has no shoes on her feet, her flip flops are lying on the floor.
Williams hears the front door opening. Her face lights up with excitement as she realizes that Sean must have arrived. Kimberly truly enjoys spending time with her nephew. If you didn’t know better, you might think that Kim herself would want to be a mother someday. But Kimberly knows that she would not make a good mother. At least, she doesn’t believe she would make a good mother. She just isn’t sure that she has it in her to be a disciplinarian. Kim is an agent of chaos, not an agent of law and order. Kim would much rather be the fun aunt than a strict disciplinarian. The Woman Scorned swings her legs over the side of the sofa and then stands up, turning around just in time to see her nephew Sean entering the room. He is wearing denim jeans, black sneakers, and a long sleeve black sweater. He appears to be rather dejected, he looks sad and upset about something. Kim doesn’t notice it right away. She is too happy right now to notice anything.
“How’s my favorite nephew?” Kim asks happily. “Ok, only nephew, but still, how was school?”
“I don’t wanna talk about it.” Sean says quietly. Kim tilts her head to one side and studies him carefully. Then she approaches and embraces him in a tight hug.
“Oh what’s wrong? Did you get in trouble for maiming another student? That happened to me all the time.” Kim pauses for a moment and then shrugs her shoulders. “Ok, that’s a lie, I never went to school. But still, if I had, that would have happened to me all the time.”
“Uh, no, that’s not exactly it, Aunt Kim.” Sean says as he trudges slowly and depressingly past his aunt and sits down on the sofa. Kim watches him and begins to finally notice that something is amiss. The Queen of the Death Match walks over to the sofa and sits down next to her nephew.
“Alright, kiddo, tell me what’s wrong?”
“I don’t wanna talk about it.”
“Did someone upset you?” Kim asks.
“Well, kinda.” Sean admits. “My school’s principal.”
“Do I need to maim your principal?”
“What? No…” Sean shakes his head vehemently. Kim sighs out of relief.
“Oh that’s good. I’m pretty sure maiming your school principal would not look good on your permanent record. So what did he do to you?”
“It’s not anything that he did, Aunt Kim. It’s what he’s going to do.” Sean sighs, this is clearly difficult for him. Kimberly listens intently. “He wants to speak to my mom.”
“Your mom?” Kim asks curiously. Sean confirms with a nod of his head. “What’s wrong, kiddo? Why would he want to speak to your mom?”
“I think I’m in trouble.” Sean states. Kim again studies her nephew closely.
“Ok, Sean, seriously here now, you didn’t actually maim anyone did you?”
“What? No!” Sean shakes his head. Kim again nods her head out of relief.
“Oh good! I mean, you have my blood flowing through your veins, kiddo, so you can’t be too careful about that kinda thing!” Kim smirks knowingly. “Soooooo what is it that you did that warrants a one on one with your mom?”
“I dunno.” Sean shrugs his shoulders. But that doesn’t convince Kimberly. She may be tad eccentric, some might even call her insane, but she is also very smart. She can tell when someone is lying. Her nephew is definitely lying right now.
“Be honest with me, kiddo. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what you did.”
“Honestly, I don’t know.” Sean shrugs his shoulders. “I mean, maybe I let me grades drop a little bit…” his voice trails off after this admission.
“Bad grades?”
“Yes, bad grades.” Sean nods his head. “But that’s it. Honest!”
“So your school principal is all worked up because you have a few bad grades, is that it?” Kim asks curiously. Sean nods his head. Kim still isn’t sure she buys the story entirely. But Sean has never lied to her before. And she has no reason to doubt him now. Still, something feels off about this. “Why would he get upset about some kid’s bad grades? You’re not failing anything, are you?”
“No, definitely not!” Sean denies that vehemently. “My grades have just slipped lately.”
“And now he wants to talk to about your grades?”
“Yeah.” Sean sighs and shakes his head. “Mom is gonna freak out. You know how she is.”
“That’s true.” Kim nods her head. “Your mom is a little uptight about those kinda things.”
“Uptight? She freaks out over the smallest things. You get it, don’t you Aunt Kim? That’s why I need your help!” Sean’s voice sounds like he is pleading at this point. Kim’s curiosity is peaked. What is Sean getting at here?
“What do you want me to do about this, kiddo?” Kim asks. “This is between you and your mom. You just need to tell her about this when she gets back and…”
“No!” Sean shakes his head. “She doesn’t have to know anything.” He points at Kim. “You can go see my principal instead.”
“No, Sean, absolutely not.” Kim shakes her head. “Your principal wants to see your mom, not your aunt.”
“But you can pretend to be mom.” Sean grins. “You’ve done it before and you do it brilliantly!”
“Oh I get it, you want me to pull the wool over the eyes of your school AND your mother all to save your behind?” Kim shakes her head. “Absolutely not, kiddo. Sorry.”
“Oh c’mon, Aunt Kim!” Sean is begging now. “You know how mom overreacts! You know how uptight she is! This just a case of some bad grades, that’s all. Do you really think I deserve to have the hammer dropped on me for a few bad grades?”
“But you made this mistake. You need to fix it.”
“And I will.” Sean insists. “I promise I will straighten up and bring my grades back up. Just help get the principal off my back and avoid having to tell my mom?”
The Woman Scorned knows deep down that she should just let Marie handle this, seeing as Marie is Sean’s mother. But Sean is begging, and Kim does want to be the cool aunt so badly. Finally Kim relents and nods her head.
“Alright, kiddo, I’ll help you out…”
“Yes!”
“But…you cannot tell your mother I did this, ever, and you have to bring your grades up. This is your one opportunity, kiddo. I won’t help you like this again, are we clear?”
“Clear!” Sean embraces Kim a tight hug. “I love you, Aunt Kim!”
“I love you too, kiddo.”
A part of Kimberly realizes that what she is about to do is probably wrong. She should let Marie handle this. But that part of Kimberly is drowned out by the part of Kimberly that simply enjoys the love and adoration she is receiving from her nephew. What could it hurt to help him this one time out of this one problem? It isn’t like Kim has never stood in for Marie before. This should be a rather simple matter.
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March 22nd, 2023
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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Yesterday Kim had allowed her nephew Sean to talk her into deceiving Marie Jones, Kim’s identical twin sister and Sean’s mother. Pretending to be Marie is something that Kimberly has done frequently. She filled in for Marie during Marie’s run in UWA when Marie was, at the time, one half of the UWA World Tag Team Champions and Marie did not want to be tag champion. Kim filled in for Marie when Marie’s abusive ex-boyfriend came back seeking one more chance to make things right with Marie. Kim went out on a date with the abusive ex in order to determine if he had changed. When Marie had gotten herself involved in a cult, Kimberly infiltrated the cult by pretending to be Marie in order to rescue her sister from danger. Kim had once kidnapped Marie and took her place in all facets of her life; she literally became Marie in every sense of the word, and she did so for a solid month. It is this act that got Kim put in a mental ward for a brief period of time. To this day, whenever Kim and Marie work together as a tag team, they use the ‘twin magic’ strategy, switching places with one another to fool the enemy. Taking Marie’s place is something not foreign to The Woman Scorned.
Still, despite all of this, there is a nagging part of her mind that says that this one time, this one instance where Kimberly is taking the place of her sister Marie in order to save her nephew’s ass from a meeting with the school principal, this might be taking it a bit too far. Sean may be Kim’s nephew, but he is Marie’s son. Kimberly has no right to parent Sean, because she is not his mother. Marie has every right to know what is going on in her son’s life. Yet Kim cannot help herself. Sean loves his Aunt Kim and Kim loves being the cool Aunt. Kim isn’t the only one having second thoughts as she walks the halls of this school building after hours. Sean himself appears to be nervous as well as he walks side by side next to his Aunt Kimberly.
“I don’t feel so good about this, Aunt Kim.” Sean says in a hushed whisper.
“Me either.”
“Think we should just go back and tell mom?”
“What? No. No way I’m telling your mom now. Besides,” Kim points down at her feet “I didn’t wear freaking six inch heels for no reason!”
Part of being Marie means playing the part in every aspect. Kim may look like her sister but the way they act and dress is completely different. Marie is very conservative and super feminine in her attire whereas Kim prefers a casual look. Therefore, in order to trick anyone into believing she is Marie, Kim has to look the part. This evening for this meeting with the school principal, Kimberly is wearing a black pencil skirt with a hemline that stops just below the knee, black patent leather high heeled pumps, black sheer stockings, and a red silk blouse.
“No one told you to wear those shoes.” Sean points out.
“You’re right, but I HAD to wear the shoes. Its all part of the act. Your mother can’t wear any shoes with less than a three inch heel. That’s just who she is. Your mom also has a tendency to be a bit of a prude. So I have to not only look that part but act that part too. So tuck your shirt tail in, young man. Try to look decent.”
“Huh?”
“You heard me, kiddo.” Kim says with a playful wink. Sean sighs and then proceeds to tuck his shirt in. They continue to walk the halls and then Kim looks down at Sean. “So, where is this principal’s office?”
“Just up ahead.”
“And what’s their name?”
“Rogers. Edward Rogers.”
“Has your mom had to meet this clown before?”
“Yes. A few times.”
“Gotcha.”
Kimberly and Sean eventually find their way to the principal’s office. The door is marked “Principal Rogers” on the front. Kimberly looks down at Sean who still appears to be very nervous. He is still second guessing himself. Kimberly is second guessing the ethics of this whole thing but she doesn’t second guess her ability to fool this principal. She can make anyone believe that she is Marie.
“Let’s do this.” Kim knocks on the door and waits on an answer.
“Come in.” Come a deep male voice from inside. Kim opens the door and steps inside, followed by her nephew Sean. She immediately spots a middle aged balding man in a navy blue suit sitting at a large brown oak desk.
“Principal Rogers!” Kim gushes. “Nice to see you again!”
“Nice seeing you again, Ms. Jones.” He motions to the two empty chairs near the desk. “Please, have a seat.”
Williams sits down in one of the chairs and Sean sits down in the other. Sean clearly is nervous. Kim can’t imagine why but ignores it. She has a job to do.
“Do you know why we are here, Ms. Jones?”
“Sean here tells me he’s been having some bad grades lately.” Kim answers. She shoots a nasty look at Sean. “Trust me, that’s NOT my son. That’s NOT my Sean. I know he can do better than the grades exhibit and I assure you that he will bring his grades back up, Mr. Rogers.” Kim looks back at Sean. “Right, Sean?”
“Right, uh…right mom.”
“That’s good to hear.” Principal Rogers says with a nod of his head. “Unfortunately his poor grades are but a mere consequence of the bad behavior he has been exhibiting and the real reason we are here this evening.”
“What?” Kim is genuinely taken aback. She sensed that there might have been more to this whole story than Sean let on but she ignored her gut. Now the principal has seemingly confirmed it.
“Mom, I can explain…” Sean begins but Kim shakes her head.
“Hush, Sean. The principal and I were talking.” There is a hint of coldness in Kim’s voice. She doesn’t like having her trust betrayed, even when it is by her nephew. She looks back at the principal. “You were saying, Principal Rogers?”
“Yes, well, your son has been caught skipping school. In fact, if he doesn’t start making up some of his work and some of the time he missed, then he is in danger of failing.”
“Are you serious?!” Kim is growing angry. The principal nods his head.
“Quite serious, Ms. Jones. Now there are ways for Sean to make this up and get himself out of danger of failing and to raise his grades. However he will have to stay over after school quite a bit, perhaps attend some Saturday school.”
“I can’t go to school on Saturdays!” Sean exclaims.
“You will do what I say!” Kim says sternly. Sean grows quiet and sighs.
“Yes, mom.”
“He has a lot of missing work due to the days he skipped, Ms. Jones.” The principal explains. “It is possible for him to make it up without attending extra school, but it will be challenging. If you need any help with this, just let myself or his teacher know and we will be glad to assist. Sean used to be one the brightest young students here. It is a shame to see what has happened lately with him.”
“Yes, it is a shame.” Kim glares at Sean once more. Then she looks back at the school principal. “Thank you, Mr. Rogers.”
“Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to come see me again, Ms. Jones.” Williams and Sean stand up. Kim shakes the principal’s hand and then she and Sean turn and exit the principal’s office. For the first little bit as they walk the halls the pair remain quiet, in silence. Sean realizes that Kim is angry with him. He is afraid to say anything but knows he needs to at least thank his aunt for doing this.
“Thank you for doing this, Aunt Kim.”
“Don’t thank me, kiddo.” Kim says sternly. “Because I’m going to tell your mom.”
“What?!” Sean exclaims. “You can’t! I thought we promised not to tell her?!”
“You lied to me, Sean.” Kim states. “You told me this was just about some bad grades and had it just been about bad grades then yeah, I would have had no issues keeping your secret. But you KNEW this was about more than just bad grades. This was about you skipping school. Then you dragged me into this, manipulating me into helping you fool the school.” Kim shakes her head. “I’m telling your mom.”
“You can’t!” Sean says in a pleading tone. “Please don’t!”
“Skipping school is a big deal, kiddo.” Kim shakes her head. “I’m sorry but you left me with no choice.”
“Of course you have a choice. You act like you have a moral high ground but look at what you’ve done in the past, Aunt Kim! You kidnapped mom once and you act like…” Sean’s voice trails off when he notices the tears beginning to form in Kim’s eyes. He suddenly realizes that he legitimately hurt his aunt’s feelings. “...I, I’m sorry Aunt Kim. I forgot…I wasn’t thinking…”
“I’m sorry too, kiddo.” Kim states quietly. “I really am.”
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March 21st, 2023
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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Retribution is now in the rear view mirror and all of the frustration, the angst, and the stress that Kimberly Williams put herself through ever since losing the Underground Championship at Body, Heart, and Soul has hopefully been put in the past as well. The Woman Scorned may be among the most unique of individuals, and she may appear to be very different from the rest of her famous wrestling family, but one thing she and her mother Angelica Jones have in common is a desire for perfection; a desire for success. If she commits to something she wants to put her everything into it. And for the first few weeks since Body, Heart, and Soul she believed that she had failed the Underground Division. After a brutal Underground war with Alexis Quinne at Retribution, Kimberly is no longer concerned that she has failed in her quest to carry the Underground Division on her back. Now Kimberly can focus on her Trios Cash In, which is the very epitome of chaos.
The Woman Scorned has decided to use her Trios Contract to put every championship in SCW on the line in one single match. But unlike previous wrestlers, such as Jake Starr and Greg Cherry who used it to give themselves opportunities at every title, Kim is giving everyone on the SCW roster who wants a shot at every title to join in the chaotic fun. That’s right; everyone against everyone for every championship is the essential point of this upcoming challenge on Breakdown. But for Kimberly Williams, her goal is singular; she wants to regain the Underground Championship. Kim doesn’t want the World Title, US title, Adrenaline Title, Tag Titles, or Television Title. Kim wants the Underground Championship back in her possession. Her goal with this Trios Cash In is to become Underground Champion again and rock the landscape of SCW to its very core.
Breakdown, though, is about a week and a half away and there’s still plenty of time for the Queen of Chaos to prepare to put her plans into motion. Right now Kim wants to take time to focus on something equally as important, if not more important, than any of her professional wrestling career goals. The Woman Scorned wants to spend time with her family.
Family has become increasingly more important to the deranged ginger. When Kim was locked up in a mental ward several years ago, it was her family, specifically her identical twin sister Marie Jones, who reached out when no one else would and offer to help her through the difficult times and challenges. It was Marie who was willing to give her a chance and accept her with open arms, despite the crimes she had committed. Every single time since then when Kimberly stumbled along her path towards growth, maturity, and redemption, it was family who took the time to pick her up, dust her off, and help her back onto the right path. After losing three times at Rise To Greatness and being on the brink of quitting SCW, it was Kim’s mother, Angelica Jones, who reached out and offered to help her out as her manager. After losing the Underground Title at Body, Heart, and Soul, once again it was her mother, Angelica Jones, who talked Kim down from the brink. Her family has always had her back. Kim is proud to be a part of a family that helps one another out in difficult situations; so Kim is happily willing to oblige when asked to help out her family, even if the task is a small one.
In this instance, Kimberly Williams is at her sister Marie’s home in Boston, Massachusetts awaiting the arrival of her nephew, Sean Connor Jones, from school. Sean is in grade school and will start high school very soon. Ordinarily Marie would be here when he was dropped off by the bus but she is busy with another appointment. Marie, like Kim, is still an active professional wrestler with her own public appearances she needs to make. Kimberly is more than happy to sit here and be with Sean until Marie returns. It gives Kimberly an opportunity to bond with her nephew. The Woman Scorned currently finds herself lying on the comfortable cream colored leather sofa in her sister’s luxurious living room. She is wearing torn denim jeans and a black “Queens of Chaos” t-shirt. She has no shoes on her feet, her flip flops are lying on the floor.
Williams hears the front door opening. Her face lights up with excitement as she realizes that Sean must have arrived. Kimberly truly enjoys spending time with her nephew. If you didn’t know better, you might think that Kim herself would want to be a mother someday. But Kimberly knows that she would not make a good mother. At least, she doesn’t believe she would make a good mother. She just isn’t sure that she has it in her to be a disciplinarian. Kim is an agent of chaos, not an agent of law and order. Kim would much rather be the fun aunt than a strict disciplinarian. The Woman Scorned swings her legs over the side of the sofa and then stands up, turning around just in time to see her nephew Sean entering the room. He is wearing denim jeans, black sneakers, and a long sleeve black sweater. He appears to be rather dejected, he looks sad and upset about something. Kim doesn’t notice it right away. She is too happy right now to notice anything.
“How’s my favorite nephew?” Kim asks happily. “Ok, only nephew, but still, how was school?”
“I don’t wanna talk about it.” Sean says quietly. Kim tilts her head to one side and studies him carefully. Then she approaches and embraces him in a tight hug.
“Oh what’s wrong? Did you get in trouble for maiming another student? That happened to me all the time.” Kim pauses for a moment and then shrugs her shoulders. “Ok, that’s a lie, I never went to school. But still, if I had, that would have happened to me all the time.”
“Uh, no, that’s not exactly it, Aunt Kim.” Sean says as he trudges slowly and depressingly past his aunt and sits down on the sofa. Kim watches him and begins to finally notice that something is amiss. The Queen of the Death Match walks over to the sofa and sits down next to her nephew.
“Alright, kiddo, tell me what’s wrong?”
“I don’t wanna talk about it.”
“Did someone upset you?” Kim asks.
“Well, kinda.” Sean admits. “My school’s principal.”
“Do I need to maim your principal?”
“What? No…” Sean shakes his head vehemently. Kim sighs out of relief.
“Oh that’s good. I’m pretty sure maiming your school principal would not look good on your permanent record. So what did he do to you?”
“It’s not anything that he did, Aunt Kim. It’s what he’s going to do.” Sean sighs, this is clearly difficult for him. Kimberly listens intently. “He wants to speak to my mom.”
“Your mom?” Kim asks curiously. Sean confirms with a nod of his head. “What’s wrong, kiddo? Why would he want to speak to your mom?”
“I think I’m in trouble.” Sean states. Kim again studies her nephew closely.
“Ok, Sean, seriously here now, you didn’t actually maim anyone did you?”
“What? No!” Sean shakes his head. Kim again nods her head out of relief.
“Oh good! I mean, you have my blood flowing through your veins, kiddo, so you can’t be too careful about that kinda thing!” Kim smirks knowingly. “Soooooo what is it that you did that warrants a one on one with your mom?”
“I dunno.” Sean shrugs his shoulders. But that doesn’t convince Kimberly. She may be tad eccentric, some might even call her insane, but she is also very smart. She can tell when someone is lying. Her nephew is definitely lying right now.
“Be honest with me, kiddo. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what you did.”
“Honestly, I don’t know.” Sean shrugs his shoulders. “I mean, maybe I let me grades drop a little bit…” his voice trails off after this admission.
“Bad grades?”
“Yes, bad grades.” Sean nods his head. “But that’s it. Honest!”
“So your school principal is all worked up because you have a few bad grades, is that it?” Kim asks curiously. Sean nods his head. Kim still isn’t sure she buys the story entirely. But Sean has never lied to her before. And she has no reason to doubt him now. Still, something feels off about this. “Why would he get upset about some kid’s bad grades? You’re not failing anything, are you?”
“No, definitely not!” Sean denies that vehemently. “My grades have just slipped lately.”
“And now he wants to talk to about your grades?”
“Yeah.” Sean sighs and shakes his head. “Mom is gonna freak out. You know how she is.”
“That’s true.” Kim nods her head. “Your mom is a little uptight about those kinda things.”
“Uptight? She freaks out over the smallest things. You get it, don’t you Aunt Kim? That’s why I need your help!” Sean’s voice sounds like he is pleading at this point. Kim’s curiosity is peaked. What is Sean getting at here?
“What do you want me to do about this, kiddo?” Kim asks. “This is between you and your mom. You just need to tell her about this when she gets back and…”
“No!” Sean shakes his head. “She doesn’t have to know anything.” He points at Kim. “You can go see my principal instead.”
“No, Sean, absolutely not.” Kim shakes her head. “Your principal wants to see your mom, not your aunt.”
“But you can pretend to be mom.” Sean grins. “You’ve done it before and you do it brilliantly!”
“Oh I get it, you want me to pull the wool over the eyes of your school AND your mother all to save your behind?” Kim shakes her head. “Absolutely not, kiddo. Sorry.”
“Oh c’mon, Aunt Kim!” Sean is begging now. “You know how mom overreacts! You know how uptight she is! This just a case of some bad grades, that’s all. Do you really think I deserve to have the hammer dropped on me for a few bad grades?”
“But you made this mistake. You need to fix it.”
“And I will.” Sean insists. “I promise I will straighten up and bring my grades back up. Just help get the principal off my back and avoid having to tell my mom?”
The Woman Scorned knows deep down that she should just let Marie handle this, seeing as Marie is Sean’s mother. But Sean is begging, and Kim does want to be the cool aunt so badly. Finally Kim relents and nods her head.
“Alright, kiddo, I’ll help you out…”
“Yes!”
“But…you cannot tell your mother I did this, ever, and you have to bring your grades up. This is your one opportunity, kiddo. I won’t help you like this again, are we clear?”
“Clear!” Sean embraces Kim a tight hug. “I love you, Aunt Kim!”
“I love you too, kiddo.”
A part of Kimberly realizes that what she is about to do is probably wrong. She should let Marie handle this. But that part of Kimberly is drowned out by the part of Kimberly that simply enjoys the love and adoration she is receiving from her nephew. What could it hurt to help him this one time out of this one problem? It isn’t like Kim has never stood in for Marie before. This should be a rather simple matter.
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March 22nd, 2023
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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Yesterday Kim had allowed her nephew Sean to talk her into deceiving Marie Jones, Kim’s identical twin sister and Sean’s mother. Pretending to be Marie is something that Kimberly has done frequently. She filled in for Marie during Marie’s run in UWA when Marie was, at the time, one half of the UWA World Tag Team Champions and Marie did not want to be tag champion. Kim filled in for Marie when Marie’s abusive ex-boyfriend came back seeking one more chance to make things right with Marie. Kim went out on a date with the abusive ex in order to determine if he had changed. When Marie had gotten herself involved in a cult, Kimberly infiltrated the cult by pretending to be Marie in order to rescue her sister from danger. Kim had once kidnapped Marie and took her place in all facets of her life; she literally became Marie in every sense of the word, and she did so for a solid month. It is this act that got Kim put in a mental ward for a brief period of time. To this day, whenever Kim and Marie work together as a tag team, they use the ‘twin magic’ strategy, switching places with one another to fool the enemy. Taking Marie’s place is something not foreign to The Woman Scorned.
Still, despite all of this, there is a nagging part of her mind that says that this one time, this one instance where Kimberly is taking the place of her sister Marie in order to save her nephew’s ass from a meeting with the school principal, this might be taking it a bit too far. Sean may be Kim’s nephew, but he is Marie’s son. Kimberly has no right to parent Sean, because she is not his mother. Marie has every right to know what is going on in her son’s life. Yet Kim cannot help herself. Sean loves his Aunt Kim and Kim loves being the cool Aunt. Kim isn’t the only one having second thoughts as she walks the halls of this school building after hours. Sean himself appears to be nervous as well as he walks side by side next to his Aunt Kimberly.
“I don’t feel so good about this, Aunt Kim.” Sean says in a hushed whisper.
“Me either.”
“Think we should just go back and tell mom?”
“What? No. No way I’m telling your mom now. Besides,” Kim points down at her feet “I didn’t wear freaking six inch heels for no reason!”
Part of being Marie means playing the part in every aspect. Kim may look like her sister but the way they act and dress is completely different. Marie is very conservative and super feminine in her attire whereas Kim prefers a casual look. Therefore, in order to trick anyone into believing she is Marie, Kim has to look the part. This evening for this meeting with the school principal, Kimberly is wearing a black pencil skirt with a hemline that stops just below the knee, black patent leather high heeled pumps, black sheer stockings, and a red silk blouse.
“No one told you to wear those shoes.” Sean points out.
“You’re right, but I HAD to wear the shoes. Its all part of the act. Your mother can’t wear any shoes with less than a three inch heel. That’s just who she is. Your mom also has a tendency to be a bit of a prude. So I have to not only look that part but act that part too. So tuck your shirt tail in, young man. Try to look decent.”
“Huh?”
“You heard me, kiddo.” Kim says with a playful wink. Sean sighs and then proceeds to tuck his shirt in. They continue to walk the halls and then Kim looks down at Sean. “So, where is this principal’s office?”
“Just up ahead.”
“And what’s their name?”
“Rogers. Edward Rogers.”
“Has your mom had to meet this clown before?”
“Yes. A few times.”
“Gotcha.”
Kimberly and Sean eventually find their way to the principal’s office. The door is marked “Principal Rogers” on the front. Kimberly looks down at Sean who still appears to be very nervous. He is still second guessing himself. Kimberly is second guessing the ethics of this whole thing but she doesn’t second guess her ability to fool this principal. She can make anyone believe that she is Marie.
“Let’s do this.” Kim knocks on the door and waits on an answer.
“Come in.” Come a deep male voice from inside. Kim opens the door and steps inside, followed by her nephew Sean. She immediately spots a middle aged balding man in a navy blue suit sitting at a large brown oak desk.
“Principal Rogers!” Kim gushes. “Nice to see you again!”
“Nice seeing you again, Ms. Jones.” He motions to the two empty chairs near the desk. “Please, have a seat.”
Williams sits down in one of the chairs and Sean sits down in the other. Sean clearly is nervous. Kim can’t imagine why but ignores it. She has a job to do.
“Do you know why we are here, Ms. Jones?”
“Sean here tells me he’s been having some bad grades lately.” Kim answers. She shoots a nasty look at Sean. “Trust me, that’s NOT my son. That’s NOT my Sean. I know he can do better than the grades exhibit and I assure you that he will bring his grades back up, Mr. Rogers.” Kim looks back at Sean. “Right, Sean?”
“Right, uh…right mom.”
“That’s good to hear.” Principal Rogers says with a nod of his head. “Unfortunately his poor grades are but a mere consequence of the bad behavior he has been exhibiting and the real reason we are here this evening.”
“What?” Kim is genuinely taken aback. She sensed that there might have been more to this whole story than Sean let on but she ignored her gut. Now the principal has seemingly confirmed it.
“Mom, I can explain…” Sean begins but Kim shakes her head.
“Hush, Sean. The principal and I were talking.” There is a hint of coldness in Kim’s voice. She doesn’t like having her trust betrayed, even when it is by her nephew. She looks back at the principal. “You were saying, Principal Rogers?”
“Yes, well, your son has been caught skipping school. In fact, if he doesn’t start making up some of his work and some of the time he missed, then he is in danger of failing.”
“Are you serious?!” Kim is growing angry. The principal nods his head.
“Quite serious, Ms. Jones. Now there are ways for Sean to make this up and get himself out of danger of failing and to raise his grades. However he will have to stay over after school quite a bit, perhaps attend some Saturday school.”
“I can’t go to school on Saturdays!” Sean exclaims.
“You will do what I say!” Kim says sternly. Sean grows quiet and sighs.
“Yes, mom.”
“He has a lot of missing work due to the days he skipped, Ms. Jones.” The principal explains. “It is possible for him to make it up without attending extra school, but it will be challenging. If you need any help with this, just let myself or his teacher know and we will be glad to assist. Sean used to be one the brightest young students here. It is a shame to see what has happened lately with him.”
“Yes, it is a shame.” Kim glares at Sean once more. Then she looks back at the school principal. “Thank you, Mr. Rogers.”
“Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to come see me again, Ms. Jones.” Williams and Sean stand up. Kim shakes the principal’s hand and then she and Sean turn and exit the principal’s office. For the first little bit as they walk the halls the pair remain quiet, in silence. Sean realizes that Kim is angry with him. He is afraid to say anything but knows he needs to at least thank his aunt for doing this.
“Thank you for doing this, Aunt Kim.”
“Don’t thank me, kiddo.” Kim says sternly. “Because I’m going to tell your mom.”
“What?!” Sean exclaims. “You can’t! I thought we promised not to tell her?!”
“You lied to me, Sean.” Kim states. “You told me this was just about some bad grades and had it just been about bad grades then yeah, I would have had no issues keeping your secret. But you KNEW this was about more than just bad grades. This was about you skipping school. Then you dragged me into this, manipulating me into helping you fool the school.” Kim shakes her head. “I’m telling your mom.”
“You can’t!” Sean says in a pleading tone. “Please don’t!”
“Skipping school is a big deal, kiddo.” Kim shakes her head. “I’m sorry but you left me with no choice.”
“Of course you have a choice. You act like you have a moral high ground but look at what you’ve done in the past, Aunt Kim! You kidnapped mom once and you act like…” Sean’s voice trails off when he notices the tears beginning to form in Kim’s eyes. He suddenly realizes that he legitimately hurt his aunt’s feelings. “...I, I’m sorry Aunt Kim. I forgot…I wasn’t thinking…”
“I’m sorry too, kiddo.” Kim states quietly. “I really am.”
03-27-2023, 02:12 PM
OOC: 1 of 2 for Glory
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March 21st, 2023
Birmingham, England
Off Camera
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It is a warm, wet day in Birmingham, England, which happens to be the next stop on Glory Braddock’s return to her native land. The British Bombshell decided to come back to England in order to rediscover her roots, try to relearn where she came from and why she is the way she is today. In short, she wants to rediscover what it means to be a Braddock. Most might think that it is an easy task. Glory Braddock is wrestling royalty, especially here in Europe. The Braddock name is synonymous with greatness in England. Her father, Glenn Braddock, was a legendary amateur wrestler and professional wrestler in England and all over Europe. He made a name for himself not only as an active wrestler but also in retirement when he opened a wrestling school and started training the next generation of young wrestling talents. It must be incredible to be the daughter of someone so popular and so accomplished. Yet Glory will be the first to tell you that being a Braddock is not as simple as all of that. The pressure to perform, to live up to the high expectations of the Braddock Wrestling name, all of that can be difficult for someone like Gloria. It can also be difficult to listen to everyone sing your father’s praises when you know all of his dirty little secrets. Glory Braddock knows the man behind the myth. She knows who Glenn Braddock really was when cameras weren’t rolling. She knows his dirty laundry, his flaws. She knows that her father was not the hero the average English wrestling fan makes him out to be.
Did she let the fame and fortune, not only simply being a Braddock but also the fame she achieve on her own merit, get to her head? Did she let those dirty little secrets, the dirty laundry that she knows about her late father, fester inside her and make her a bitter, selfish individual? Both are more than likely true. Both contributed to Glory Braddock going down a dark path that led her to becoming something and someone she did not recognize. Glory Braddock’s change in attitude caused her and her daughter to grow apart, made her paranoid, and ultimately the death of her mother, Maria Kurinsky, is what finally caused Glory to recognize that she needed to make a change in her life. The British Bombshell has achieved quite a bit in her career, including seventeen world championships to her name. In Supreme Championship Wrestling alone she has held every title except the World Tag Team Titles, which puts her one championship victory away from the status of Supreme Champion. She is the current reigning SCW Television Champion and despite all of this success, despite these accomplishments, Braddock is still unhappy. She is unhappy because she has come to a point where she no longer knows what she is doing or why she is doing it. All of her active wrestling career has been about continuing the Braddock Wrestling Legacy began by her father. Therein lies the problem; she doesn’t know what that legacy means anymore.
Rediscovering her family legacy means returning to the place where it all began. It means returning to England, her native home. It also means reconnecting with her family, family she doesn’t get to speak with or bond with that often due to her own busy schedule; family such as her younger sister, Julia Braddock. It also means reconnecting with figures from her father’s past. It was one week ago that Braddock arrived back in England. In an attempt to help Glory get off to a good start in her quest of rediscovery, her sister Julia took Glory to a small pub that their father would frequent after wrestling matches. It was there at that pub that Glory met a man from their father’s past.
Blake O’Malley.
Glenn Braddock and Blake O’Malley were both wrestlers back in the day and they were very close friends. They grew apart when a difference of opinion over wrestling philosophy led Glenn to refuse to hire Blake to work at his newly founded wrestling school. Blake took offense and the two did not speak much after. Still, they used to be very close. Even Glory can remember Blake. She used to think of him as ‘Uncle Blake’ even though he wasn’t really her uncle. If anyone can help Glory remember what the Braddock legacy is all about, it would be him. Yet Blake and Glenn did not end their relationship on the right foot. Do the hard feelings still exist for Blake?
Only one way to find out.
The British Bombshell is approaching a small run down building in Birmingham. The beautiful blonde is wearing denim jeans, black boots, and a royal purple t-shirt. Her long blonde hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back. She can see a small, not very observable sign nearby that reads simply ‘Wrestling Academy’. This is Blake’s ‘school’ if you really want to call it that. When her father Glenn wouldn’t hire him to work at the Braddock Wrestling School, Blake decided to start his own. The only problem is that Blake never had the same commitment and determination that Glenn had. Blake was very lukewarm about his support for training the next generation of wrestlers and as a result his own school suffered. The only true ‘successful’ student to graduate from Blake’s school was Glory’s long time childhood best friend Matthew Taylor, and Blake made a point to train him just out of spite, because he used to be Glenn’s student. Blake’s spite towards Glenn Braddock was so high that he literally taught Matthew the exact opposite of what Glenn was teaching. He taught him this not because he agreed with the philosophy per se, but because he wanted to spite Glenn Braddock. Blake never really wanted to train the next generation, so why would he keep his gym that much up to date?
Braddock doesn’t expect to see much as she pushes the front doors open and steps inside. To her surprise she sees quite a bit of up to date, modern equipment there in the main workout area. Glory scans the area and looks at the heavy bags, the bar bells, the other weight lifting equipment, most of which are even newer than some of the stuff at Glory’s Wrestling School. Glory never modernized her school that much, but it was out of respect for her father, to maintain the traditions of how he ran things. Blake used to have run down material but it was because he just didn’t care. Now it seems as if some of that has changed.
“There you are.” Comes the recognizably gruff voice of Blake O’Malley. Braddock turns and spots the grizzled veteran standing by one of the red heavy bags. A smirk is on his face. “Yer a little late, lass. For a moment there I didn’t think you would show up.”
“Sorry about that, mate. I got to seeing some of the old neighborhood and while I was busy reminiscing I just lost track of time.”
“This neighborhood hasn’t changed much, Glory. Trust me. It’s still one of the poorer areas of Birmingham.”
“True.” Glory begins to approach Blake and as she does so she motions to some of the equipment as she passes by. “But apparently you have changed a little, haven’t you?”
“What do ya mean by that?”
“This nice new equipment of yours Blake, c’mon, that’s not you.” Glory shakes her head. “At least, it isn’t the way I remember you.”
“Fair enough, because you’re not the woman I remember you being.” Blake takes an appraisal of her, looking her up and down as she stands before him. A warmer, friendlier smile forms on his grizzled face. “Although you’re starting to look and act more like her.”
“Thanks for that, Uncle Blake.” The British Bombshell embraces Blake O’Malley in a tight hug. The hug seemingly lasts forever, it is as if old friends are reuniting after decades apart. This is almost true, as Glory only saw this man for the first time in a long time just one week ago. Eventually they break the embrace. Blake then leads Glory further into this wrestling academy. As they walk, Glory takes in the features. The inside is far more impressive and much more modern than her own school. Everything looks new. If she didn’t know any better, she would think that Blake is actually taking this whole thing seriously. They enter another room where there is a standard wrestling ring set up. A bucket of beer happens to be sitting on the ring apron.
“After school activities?” Glory asks, motioning to the bottles of beer.
“You could call it that.” Blake states. He reaches into the bucket and pulls out a bottle. He offers it to Glory. “Want one?”
“Sure.” She takes the beer and begins to sip. Blake takes one as well and sips on it.
“Look, before you ask anything, I wanna ask you something.”
“What’s that?”
“Why are you back? Why did you return to England now? You have been traveling all over the world, winning championships, building up a corporate empire. You have far exceeded anything your father could have dreamed of doing. But you’re back and I get the feeling that this isn’t about nostalgia. This isn’t some vacation. What are you doing back here, Glory? Why aren’t you back in Miami living the life of some corporate millionaire?”
“Always right to the point, aren’t you Uncle Blake?”
“Damn right.” He answers, drinking more of his beer. “I think that’s why your dad and I parted ways. I told him exactly what I thought of him. No offense, lass.”
“None taken. But you and my dad used to be very close.”
“Yeah, we used to.” He chuckles. “We had some fun times back in the day.”
“You two partied, you two had some fun times together. That’s why I wanted to stop by and talk to you today. Because face it, Blake, most of my dad’s generation, your generation, they are beginning to pass away. Recently when my mother passed away, I nearly broke…mentally and emotionally, I nearly broke. There were times when I considered committing myself to an institution, that’s how bad I was.” She drinks some of her beer.
“So you didn’t take your mum’s death that well?”
“No, I didn’t. But it was more than just losing my mom. It was the enormity of WHAT I was losing. I was losing more and more of the connections to my past. I got to thinking, who else alive is there who would be able to talk to me about my father? And I don’t mean the casual fan like the people here in England. The casual wrestling fan in England still adore him but they do not KNOW him. My mom knew him but she’s gone. My Uncle Peter Braddock knew him but he’s gone too. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that right here in England was the only place I could some connection to my father.”
“Well the obvious connection is your sister.” Blake points out. Glory nods her head.
“Yes, that’s true, but now I have you.” She sighs before taking another swig of her beer. “I was pleasantly surprised to see that at least one piece of my past was still here alive and breathing. Seeing you there last week in that pub you and dad used to visit, if nothing else, that alone made this trip back home worth it.”
“Heh, well I’m glad my drinking made you happy, lass.” Blake says with a grin.
“I remember you and my dad being the best of friends. When I began to think about becoming a wrestler, when I started my early training before dad’s school was even a concept, you were there to give me tips, pointers, and to teach me. You became my Uncle Blake. You were like family even if we weren’t related.”
“What exactly is it that you want from me, lass?” Blake asks as he puts his glass of beer down.
“Maybe it was the fame that did it? Or maybe it was the pressure of growing up as Glenn Braddock’s daughter? Or maybe, just maybe, you can blame it on me being a bloody fool. Whatever it is, I need your help. I need you to help me rediscover my roots, reconnect with my father’s memory. I need to remember what the Braddock Wrestling Legacy is all about.”
“Is that it, huh?” Blake takes a giant swig of his beer and, emptying the bottle, and then drops it back down. He points at Glory. “Compact?”
“Excuse me?”
“I assume you have a compact for your makeup..”
“Uh, yeah, sure.” Glory reaches into her pocket and produces her compact.
“Open it up and look in the mirror.” Glory isn’t sure why she is being asked to do this but she does anyway. She looks at her reflection in the mirror.
“Now what?”
“You want Glenn Braddock? You’re looking at him…or her…whatever. It makes no difference anymore, right?”
“Huh?” Glory Braddock is genuinely confused as she puts her compact away.
“Let me spell it out for ya, lass. You have become your father. You are ruthless, strict, and you take the sport so bloody seriously that you suck the fun right out of it. If ya want some evidence then just look at your run in SCW. Just like your old man nothing was ever good enough. You won a Trios Tournament and main evented Rise To Greatness, not good enough. You became Adrenaline Champion at Rise To Greatness, but that wasn’t good enough. You won a second straight Trios Tournament, STILL not good enough, so you became SCW World Champion, albeit for about ten, fifteen minutes, but you got the title. Still NOT good enough. You became United States Champion, but once again it wasn’t good enough for you. You decided that in order to prove your greatness you had to be a Supreme Champion. Now you win the Television Title and are one title away from that status but will that be enough? Will you then be content and satisfied that the SCW fans believe you are good enough?” Blake shakes his head. “Seventeen World Championships alone should have been enough but it wasn’t. That ridiculously historic undefeated streak of your dad’s wasn’t enough and look at what it cost him? It cost him his career.”
These words hit Glory like a punch to the gut. At the same time they ring oh so true. She remains silent as Blake continues to talk. “The problem isn’t that you forgot your father, it’s quite the opposite. You have become your father. And I had such high hopes for you…” his voice trails off.
“High hopes for me? What do you mean, mate?”
“When you made your debut back in 2008, I was ecstatic because I knew you were something special. But made you special was the fact that you had all of your father’s strong attributes when it came to wrestling…you had the technical and submission skill, you had the great strategic mind…but you lacked your father’s weaknesses. See, your old man took it too seriously. He did not know how to have fun. As a result, he put too much pressure and stress on himself and ultimately, it destroyed him. But you knew how to have fun. Do you even remember Glory’s Prankster Service?”
“The Prankster Service?” Glory arches her brow. “You knew about that?”
“I followed your career closely, lass. Yeah, I remember it. You played pranks on the assholes backstage. You not only tried to win your matches but you tried to have fun while doing it. But looking at you now, I can see that you lost that ability to have fun with it.” He points at her eyes. “I can see it in your eyes, Gloria. Every single time you step into the ring you aren’t having fun out there, you’re just doing a job.”
Braddock sighs deeply before swigging down the rest of her beer and placing it down next to Blake’s. The British Bombshell nods her head, admitting that everything her father’s old friend just said is true.
“I admit, I have become very focused on winning lately. Succeeding at everything I do has become of primary importance, whether it has to do with business or wrestling. I need to succeed.”
“That’s your problem. That was your father’s problem, too. You both were always about winning and not about enjoying yourselves while doing this job. Glenn was a crusty old bastard because he only cared about winning. He had to suffer a career ending back injury for him to realize how important it is to enjoy life.”
“Enjoying life, eh?”
“Yeah, that’s what you need to do more often. Enjoy life.”
“Mind if I ask you something else?”
“Shoot.”
Did you really teach my old mate Matty to be a daredevil? Did you really teach him the opposite of my dad just out of spite?”
“I never did anything out of spite…” he chuckles “...well, I admit, Matthew seeking me out because he hates Glenn was kinda sweet, but I never taught him to treat wrestling like a joke. That was Glenn’s lie. I just told Matthew to have fun with it. I never expected the idiot to take it to an extreme. What Matthew does in making wrestling into nothing more than a damn joke is just as offensive as what Glenn does by taking things so seriously.” He motions to Glory. “You used to be the perfect medium between Matthew’s silliness and Glenn’s seriousness.”
“What do I need to do to get there again?”
“You need to relearn how to compartmentalize. Be serious when you’re in the ring, try to win, kick some ass. But when you’re out of the ring, try to have fun. Try to enjoy life. THAT is the Glory Braddock I remember.” He smiles warmly. “I hope to see that Glory Braddock on tv someday.”
“Funny,” Glory says as a quiet chuckle escapes her lips “I come here and see all of this, and I see you, and it I expected one thing but I got something entirely different.”
“What did you expect to see, lass?”
“I expected to see a bitter, spiteful man who didn’t care about anything. But I see you here now in this modernized school, I see you taking time out of your schedule to speak with me, to help me with my problems, and I see how terribly wrong I was.”
“I always cared, Glory. Always have and always will. I love wrestling and that’s why I still work with students to this day, trying to help them achieve their dream of doing what me and your old man used to do. And speaking of your dad…” Blake sighs with a sense of regret in his voice “...I do have many regrets. I regret never making things right with him before he passed.”
“Me too.” Glory says, nodding her head.
“Me and your dad had a difference in wrestling philosophy, he thought it was all about winning while I tried to teach the kids how to enjoy the game; but we shouldn’t have let that stupid shit, that disagreement, ruin our friendship.” He places a hand on Glory’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re back. I hope you find whatever it is you’re looking for.”
“Yeah, me too.”
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March 22nd, 2023
Southampton, England
Off Camera
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Twenty four hours ago Glory Braddock traveled to Birmingham to have a heart to heart talk with her father’s old friend Blake O’Malley. Blake is himself a former wrestler who runs his own wrestling school and as a close personal friend of Glenn Braddock, Glory was hoping that she could learn more from Blake about what she needed to do in order to rediscover what her father’s wrestling legacy was really about. Instead all that she learned was something she had long known, something she had long disagreed with her father about, and yet something she knew deep down in her heart of hearts was a trap that she had fallen into…that Glenn Braddock was singularly focused on winning, took the business way too seriously, and Glory Braddock had essentially become the female equivalent.
Glenn Braddock went undefeated as an amateur, went undefeated as a professional wrestler, and even was training to be an Olympian before a back injury ended his illustrious career. One would think that he would have been satisfied with his success but he never was; he had to keep going, he had to do more and more. Is it any wonder that he eventually broke his back, that his career ended the way it did? Is it any surprise that the injuries he suffered throughout his long career of pushing himself came back to haunt him and one day finally became too much for his body and ultimately killed him? This is all that Glory Braddock learned from her sit down with Blake O’Malley. She learned that she had become her father and is on the fast track to potentially ending up the way he did.
Now twenty four hours after that meeting, Glory Braddock finds herself in the office at her father’s wrestling school, the Braddock Wrestling School. It is after hours, the school is empty and no one is here except for The British Bombshell. Glory can sit here in the office to think and to ponder about everything she has learned over this last day. Currently she is looking at a poster of her father on the wall. It is a poster of him when he was younger, much younger, wearing a red singlet and in one of his signature poses.
“I thought I knew who you were.” She muses out loud. “You were a hero, a wrestling legend. You were my idol, the person I wanted to become one day when I grew up.” She chuckles softly. “Funny, isn’t it? According to your best mate I DID become you and it isn’t exactly the best thing in the world. Because you took this business so bloody seriously and you drilled it into my head that I needed to take it just as seriously. You drilled into my head that winning was all that mattered. And that state of mind, that thought process, it pushed you to keep pressing on, to keep putting more pressure on yourself. And that pressure ultimately killed you.” Braddock sighs deeply out of frustration. “So is that it? Is that the Braddock Legacy?” She points a finger at the poster. “And I grew to resent you for it, didn’t I?” The British Bombshell nods her head. “Yeah, you pressured me dad. You put just as much pressure on me as you did yourself. You wanted me to be all in on wrestling, you wanted me to fulfill the lifelong dream of being the best wrestler in the world because you injured yourself and couldn’t do it anymore. You wanted to live vicariously through me, not bothering to care if it was my dream or not.” She sighs and shakes her head. “But who am I kidding? I wanted to do that for you. I wanted to be the best in the world FOR YOU, because you were my idol. I felt I owed it to you.”
Braddock is suddenly interrupted by the sound of knocking at her office door. Glory is jolted to attention and sits up. “Who the hell is it?”
“Is that any way to speak to your sister?” It’s the voice of her younger sister, Julia Braddock. Glory rolls her eyes.
“Come in.” Glory says. The door opens and Julia Braddock comes walking in.
“Kurt told me you were here.”
“He talks too much.” Glory says stoically.
“What are you doing here, Glory?” Julia asks as she sits down next to her sister.
“I just needed some time to think. I used to do my best thinking and planning right here in dad’s old office.”
“Dad barely used this office.” Julia says with a smirk. “He considered the ring his office.”
“That’s true. Still, I used to do some of my best planning and thinking right here. If I came to dad’s school, I knew I could think clearly, I knew that I could get things sorted out and be ready. But lately thinking has become more difficult for me.”
“Part of that is because you haven’t been here in so long.” Julia points out. “Randall, Mark, and the other trainers have been managing this school excellently in your absence but you, Glory, you have been gone for so long with SCW, your company, and other of your activities that you forgot all about this place, the memories it contains, the fond memories of you and our father.”
“Maybe you’re right.” Glory nods her head. “Yesterday, when I went to see Blake, he suggested to me that I had forgotten how to enjoy myself. He said that I am so bloody focused on success that I forgot how to just simply enjoy wrestling. Is that true, Jules? Am I so focused on success, on winning, on building up an empire for myself, not just as a wrestler but as a businesswoman and even a trainer, that I lost myself in all of it? I lost my identity as a Braddock in all of this?”
“Is that what Blake thinks?”
“Yeah.” Glory nods her head.
“Tell me this; do you remember the very first lesson dad taught us about wrestling?”
“No…” Glory shake sher head.
“Of course you can’t.” Julia smirks knowingly. “Your most important one, your favorite one, is the last and final lesson. A wrestler is, him or herself, the deadliest of weapons; use what you’ve learned wisely. And yeah, that’s an important lesson, but so was lesson number one.”
“Well tell me!” Glory insists. “What was lesson one because I can’t bloody remember!”
“The first lesson was never to lose sight of what is important in life and why you are doing this.” Julia points across the table at Glory. “Why are you doing this? Why are you a wrestler, Glory?”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously.”
“That’s simple. I wanted to honor dad, I wanted to honor his legacy, the legacy he left behind when he was forced to quit after the back injury forced him into retirement.”
“There’s the answer to your question, Glory.” Julia says. “Just do that. Honor dad’s legacy, honor his memory, fulfill the dreams he had wanted to fulfill, but don’t do it just because someone else wanted you to. That’s not what dad was about. He would have wanted you to be the best because you wanted to do it, because it was YOUR goal, YOUR dream, and not just because it was his. Do it for him…but it’s ok to be a little selfish and to do it for yourself, it’s ok to have a little fun.”
“It isn’t that simple.” Glory smirks. “You know that right?”
“Nothing worth having ever is.” She points to the poster on the wall, the one Glory was just talking to earlier. “That was another lesson dad taught.”
“I happen to remember that one.”
“Well if you remember it why haven’t you been practicing it?”
“Because I’m a bloody fool?” Glory asks. The sisters share a laugh.
“You said it, not me!” Julia exclaims. Glory nods her head.
“Yeah, and I’ll own it. I’ll also fix it.”
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March 21st, 2023
Birmingham, England
Off Camera
==========
It is a warm, wet day in Birmingham, England, which happens to be the next stop on Glory Braddock’s return to her native land. The British Bombshell decided to come back to England in order to rediscover her roots, try to relearn where she came from and why she is the way she is today. In short, she wants to rediscover what it means to be a Braddock. Most might think that it is an easy task. Glory Braddock is wrestling royalty, especially here in Europe. The Braddock name is synonymous with greatness in England. Her father, Glenn Braddock, was a legendary amateur wrestler and professional wrestler in England and all over Europe. He made a name for himself not only as an active wrestler but also in retirement when he opened a wrestling school and started training the next generation of young wrestling talents. It must be incredible to be the daughter of someone so popular and so accomplished. Yet Glory will be the first to tell you that being a Braddock is not as simple as all of that. The pressure to perform, to live up to the high expectations of the Braddock Wrestling name, all of that can be difficult for someone like Gloria. It can also be difficult to listen to everyone sing your father’s praises when you know all of his dirty little secrets. Glory Braddock knows the man behind the myth. She knows who Glenn Braddock really was when cameras weren’t rolling. She knows his dirty laundry, his flaws. She knows that her father was not the hero the average English wrestling fan makes him out to be.
Did she let the fame and fortune, not only simply being a Braddock but also the fame she achieve on her own merit, get to her head? Did she let those dirty little secrets, the dirty laundry that she knows about her late father, fester inside her and make her a bitter, selfish individual? Both are more than likely true. Both contributed to Glory Braddock going down a dark path that led her to becoming something and someone she did not recognize. Glory Braddock’s change in attitude caused her and her daughter to grow apart, made her paranoid, and ultimately the death of her mother, Maria Kurinsky, is what finally caused Glory to recognize that she needed to make a change in her life. The British Bombshell has achieved quite a bit in her career, including seventeen world championships to her name. In Supreme Championship Wrestling alone she has held every title except the World Tag Team Titles, which puts her one championship victory away from the status of Supreme Champion. She is the current reigning SCW Television Champion and despite all of this success, despite these accomplishments, Braddock is still unhappy. She is unhappy because she has come to a point where she no longer knows what she is doing or why she is doing it. All of her active wrestling career has been about continuing the Braddock Wrestling Legacy began by her father. Therein lies the problem; she doesn’t know what that legacy means anymore.
Rediscovering her family legacy means returning to the place where it all began. It means returning to England, her native home. It also means reconnecting with her family, family she doesn’t get to speak with or bond with that often due to her own busy schedule; family such as her younger sister, Julia Braddock. It also means reconnecting with figures from her father’s past. It was one week ago that Braddock arrived back in England. In an attempt to help Glory get off to a good start in her quest of rediscovery, her sister Julia took Glory to a small pub that their father would frequent after wrestling matches. It was there at that pub that Glory met a man from their father’s past.
Blake O’Malley.
Glenn Braddock and Blake O’Malley were both wrestlers back in the day and they were very close friends. They grew apart when a difference of opinion over wrestling philosophy led Glenn to refuse to hire Blake to work at his newly founded wrestling school. Blake took offense and the two did not speak much after. Still, they used to be very close. Even Glory can remember Blake. She used to think of him as ‘Uncle Blake’ even though he wasn’t really her uncle. If anyone can help Glory remember what the Braddock legacy is all about, it would be him. Yet Blake and Glenn did not end their relationship on the right foot. Do the hard feelings still exist for Blake?
Only one way to find out.
The British Bombshell is approaching a small run down building in Birmingham. The beautiful blonde is wearing denim jeans, black boots, and a royal purple t-shirt. Her long blonde hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back. She can see a small, not very observable sign nearby that reads simply ‘Wrestling Academy’. This is Blake’s ‘school’ if you really want to call it that. When her father Glenn wouldn’t hire him to work at the Braddock Wrestling School, Blake decided to start his own. The only problem is that Blake never had the same commitment and determination that Glenn had. Blake was very lukewarm about his support for training the next generation of wrestlers and as a result his own school suffered. The only true ‘successful’ student to graduate from Blake’s school was Glory’s long time childhood best friend Matthew Taylor, and Blake made a point to train him just out of spite, because he used to be Glenn’s student. Blake’s spite towards Glenn Braddock was so high that he literally taught Matthew the exact opposite of what Glenn was teaching. He taught him this not because he agreed with the philosophy per se, but because he wanted to spite Glenn Braddock. Blake never really wanted to train the next generation, so why would he keep his gym that much up to date?
Braddock doesn’t expect to see much as she pushes the front doors open and steps inside. To her surprise she sees quite a bit of up to date, modern equipment there in the main workout area. Glory scans the area and looks at the heavy bags, the bar bells, the other weight lifting equipment, most of which are even newer than some of the stuff at Glory’s Wrestling School. Glory never modernized her school that much, but it was out of respect for her father, to maintain the traditions of how he ran things. Blake used to have run down material but it was because he just didn’t care. Now it seems as if some of that has changed.
“There you are.” Comes the recognizably gruff voice of Blake O’Malley. Braddock turns and spots the grizzled veteran standing by one of the red heavy bags. A smirk is on his face. “Yer a little late, lass. For a moment there I didn’t think you would show up.”
“Sorry about that, mate. I got to seeing some of the old neighborhood and while I was busy reminiscing I just lost track of time.”
“This neighborhood hasn’t changed much, Glory. Trust me. It’s still one of the poorer areas of Birmingham.”
“True.” Glory begins to approach Blake and as she does so she motions to some of the equipment as she passes by. “But apparently you have changed a little, haven’t you?”
“What do ya mean by that?”
“This nice new equipment of yours Blake, c’mon, that’s not you.” Glory shakes her head. “At least, it isn’t the way I remember you.”
“Fair enough, because you’re not the woman I remember you being.” Blake takes an appraisal of her, looking her up and down as she stands before him. A warmer, friendlier smile forms on his grizzled face. “Although you’re starting to look and act more like her.”
“Thanks for that, Uncle Blake.” The British Bombshell embraces Blake O’Malley in a tight hug. The hug seemingly lasts forever, it is as if old friends are reuniting after decades apart. This is almost true, as Glory only saw this man for the first time in a long time just one week ago. Eventually they break the embrace. Blake then leads Glory further into this wrestling academy. As they walk, Glory takes in the features. The inside is far more impressive and much more modern than her own school. Everything looks new. If she didn’t know any better, she would think that Blake is actually taking this whole thing seriously. They enter another room where there is a standard wrestling ring set up. A bucket of beer happens to be sitting on the ring apron.
“After school activities?” Glory asks, motioning to the bottles of beer.
“You could call it that.” Blake states. He reaches into the bucket and pulls out a bottle. He offers it to Glory. “Want one?”
“Sure.” She takes the beer and begins to sip. Blake takes one as well and sips on it.
“Look, before you ask anything, I wanna ask you something.”
“What’s that?”
“Why are you back? Why did you return to England now? You have been traveling all over the world, winning championships, building up a corporate empire. You have far exceeded anything your father could have dreamed of doing. But you’re back and I get the feeling that this isn’t about nostalgia. This isn’t some vacation. What are you doing back here, Glory? Why aren’t you back in Miami living the life of some corporate millionaire?”
“Always right to the point, aren’t you Uncle Blake?”
“Damn right.” He answers, drinking more of his beer. “I think that’s why your dad and I parted ways. I told him exactly what I thought of him. No offense, lass.”
“None taken. But you and my dad used to be very close.”
“Yeah, we used to.” He chuckles. “We had some fun times back in the day.”
“You two partied, you two had some fun times together. That’s why I wanted to stop by and talk to you today. Because face it, Blake, most of my dad’s generation, your generation, they are beginning to pass away. Recently when my mother passed away, I nearly broke…mentally and emotionally, I nearly broke. There were times when I considered committing myself to an institution, that’s how bad I was.” She drinks some of her beer.
“So you didn’t take your mum’s death that well?”
“No, I didn’t. But it was more than just losing my mom. It was the enormity of WHAT I was losing. I was losing more and more of the connections to my past. I got to thinking, who else alive is there who would be able to talk to me about my father? And I don’t mean the casual fan like the people here in England. The casual wrestling fan in England still adore him but they do not KNOW him. My mom knew him but she’s gone. My Uncle Peter Braddock knew him but he’s gone too. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that right here in England was the only place I could some connection to my father.”
“Well the obvious connection is your sister.” Blake points out. Glory nods her head.
“Yes, that’s true, but now I have you.” She sighs before taking another swig of her beer. “I was pleasantly surprised to see that at least one piece of my past was still here alive and breathing. Seeing you there last week in that pub you and dad used to visit, if nothing else, that alone made this trip back home worth it.”
“Heh, well I’m glad my drinking made you happy, lass.” Blake says with a grin.
“I remember you and my dad being the best of friends. When I began to think about becoming a wrestler, when I started my early training before dad’s school was even a concept, you were there to give me tips, pointers, and to teach me. You became my Uncle Blake. You were like family even if we weren’t related.”
“What exactly is it that you want from me, lass?” Blake asks as he puts his glass of beer down.
“Maybe it was the fame that did it? Or maybe it was the pressure of growing up as Glenn Braddock’s daughter? Or maybe, just maybe, you can blame it on me being a bloody fool. Whatever it is, I need your help. I need you to help me rediscover my roots, reconnect with my father’s memory. I need to remember what the Braddock Wrestling Legacy is all about.”
“Is that it, huh?” Blake takes a giant swig of his beer and, emptying the bottle, and then drops it back down. He points at Glory. “Compact?”
“Excuse me?”
“I assume you have a compact for your makeup..”
“Uh, yeah, sure.” Glory reaches into her pocket and produces her compact.
“Open it up and look in the mirror.” Glory isn’t sure why she is being asked to do this but she does anyway. She looks at her reflection in the mirror.
“Now what?”
“You want Glenn Braddock? You’re looking at him…or her…whatever. It makes no difference anymore, right?”
“Huh?” Glory Braddock is genuinely confused as she puts her compact away.
“Let me spell it out for ya, lass. You have become your father. You are ruthless, strict, and you take the sport so bloody seriously that you suck the fun right out of it. If ya want some evidence then just look at your run in SCW. Just like your old man nothing was ever good enough. You won a Trios Tournament and main evented Rise To Greatness, not good enough. You became Adrenaline Champion at Rise To Greatness, but that wasn’t good enough. You won a second straight Trios Tournament, STILL not good enough, so you became SCW World Champion, albeit for about ten, fifteen minutes, but you got the title. Still NOT good enough. You became United States Champion, but once again it wasn’t good enough for you. You decided that in order to prove your greatness you had to be a Supreme Champion. Now you win the Television Title and are one title away from that status but will that be enough? Will you then be content and satisfied that the SCW fans believe you are good enough?” Blake shakes his head. “Seventeen World Championships alone should have been enough but it wasn’t. That ridiculously historic undefeated streak of your dad’s wasn’t enough and look at what it cost him? It cost him his career.”
These words hit Glory like a punch to the gut. At the same time they ring oh so true. She remains silent as Blake continues to talk. “The problem isn’t that you forgot your father, it’s quite the opposite. You have become your father. And I had such high hopes for you…” his voice trails off.
“High hopes for me? What do you mean, mate?”
“When you made your debut back in 2008, I was ecstatic because I knew you were something special. But made you special was the fact that you had all of your father’s strong attributes when it came to wrestling…you had the technical and submission skill, you had the great strategic mind…but you lacked your father’s weaknesses. See, your old man took it too seriously. He did not know how to have fun. As a result, he put too much pressure and stress on himself and ultimately, it destroyed him. But you knew how to have fun. Do you even remember Glory’s Prankster Service?”
“The Prankster Service?” Glory arches her brow. “You knew about that?”
“I followed your career closely, lass. Yeah, I remember it. You played pranks on the assholes backstage. You not only tried to win your matches but you tried to have fun while doing it. But looking at you now, I can see that you lost that ability to have fun with it.” He points at her eyes. “I can see it in your eyes, Gloria. Every single time you step into the ring you aren’t having fun out there, you’re just doing a job.”
Braddock sighs deeply before swigging down the rest of her beer and placing it down next to Blake’s. The British Bombshell nods her head, admitting that everything her father’s old friend just said is true.
“I admit, I have become very focused on winning lately. Succeeding at everything I do has become of primary importance, whether it has to do with business or wrestling. I need to succeed.”
“That’s your problem. That was your father’s problem, too. You both were always about winning and not about enjoying yourselves while doing this job. Glenn was a crusty old bastard because he only cared about winning. He had to suffer a career ending back injury for him to realize how important it is to enjoy life.”
“Enjoying life, eh?”
“Yeah, that’s what you need to do more often. Enjoy life.”
“Mind if I ask you something else?”
“Shoot.”
Did you really teach my old mate Matty to be a daredevil? Did you really teach him the opposite of my dad just out of spite?”
“I never did anything out of spite…” he chuckles “...well, I admit, Matthew seeking me out because he hates Glenn was kinda sweet, but I never taught him to treat wrestling like a joke. That was Glenn’s lie. I just told Matthew to have fun with it. I never expected the idiot to take it to an extreme. What Matthew does in making wrestling into nothing more than a damn joke is just as offensive as what Glenn does by taking things so seriously.” He motions to Glory. “You used to be the perfect medium between Matthew’s silliness and Glenn’s seriousness.”
“What do I need to do to get there again?”
“You need to relearn how to compartmentalize. Be serious when you’re in the ring, try to win, kick some ass. But when you’re out of the ring, try to have fun. Try to enjoy life. THAT is the Glory Braddock I remember.” He smiles warmly. “I hope to see that Glory Braddock on tv someday.”
“Funny,” Glory says as a quiet chuckle escapes her lips “I come here and see all of this, and I see you, and it I expected one thing but I got something entirely different.”
“What did you expect to see, lass?”
“I expected to see a bitter, spiteful man who didn’t care about anything. But I see you here now in this modernized school, I see you taking time out of your schedule to speak with me, to help me with my problems, and I see how terribly wrong I was.”
“I always cared, Glory. Always have and always will. I love wrestling and that’s why I still work with students to this day, trying to help them achieve their dream of doing what me and your old man used to do. And speaking of your dad…” Blake sighs with a sense of regret in his voice “...I do have many regrets. I regret never making things right with him before he passed.”
“Me too.” Glory says, nodding her head.
“Me and your dad had a difference in wrestling philosophy, he thought it was all about winning while I tried to teach the kids how to enjoy the game; but we shouldn’t have let that stupid shit, that disagreement, ruin our friendship.” He places a hand on Glory’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re back. I hope you find whatever it is you’re looking for.”
“Yeah, me too.”
==========
March 22nd, 2023
Southampton, England
Off Camera
==========
Twenty four hours ago Glory Braddock traveled to Birmingham to have a heart to heart talk with her father’s old friend Blake O’Malley. Blake is himself a former wrestler who runs his own wrestling school and as a close personal friend of Glenn Braddock, Glory was hoping that she could learn more from Blake about what she needed to do in order to rediscover what her father’s wrestling legacy was really about. Instead all that she learned was something she had long known, something she had long disagreed with her father about, and yet something she knew deep down in her heart of hearts was a trap that she had fallen into…that Glenn Braddock was singularly focused on winning, took the business way too seriously, and Glory Braddock had essentially become the female equivalent.
Glenn Braddock went undefeated as an amateur, went undefeated as a professional wrestler, and even was training to be an Olympian before a back injury ended his illustrious career. One would think that he would have been satisfied with his success but he never was; he had to keep going, he had to do more and more. Is it any wonder that he eventually broke his back, that his career ended the way it did? Is it any surprise that the injuries he suffered throughout his long career of pushing himself came back to haunt him and one day finally became too much for his body and ultimately killed him? This is all that Glory Braddock learned from her sit down with Blake O’Malley. She learned that she had become her father and is on the fast track to potentially ending up the way he did.
Now twenty four hours after that meeting, Glory Braddock finds herself in the office at her father’s wrestling school, the Braddock Wrestling School. It is after hours, the school is empty and no one is here except for The British Bombshell. Glory can sit here in the office to think and to ponder about everything she has learned over this last day. Currently she is looking at a poster of her father on the wall. It is a poster of him when he was younger, much younger, wearing a red singlet and in one of his signature poses.
“I thought I knew who you were.” She muses out loud. “You were a hero, a wrestling legend. You were my idol, the person I wanted to become one day when I grew up.” She chuckles softly. “Funny, isn’t it? According to your best mate I DID become you and it isn’t exactly the best thing in the world. Because you took this business so bloody seriously and you drilled it into my head that I needed to take it just as seriously. You drilled into my head that winning was all that mattered. And that state of mind, that thought process, it pushed you to keep pressing on, to keep putting more pressure on yourself. And that pressure ultimately killed you.” Braddock sighs deeply out of frustration. “So is that it? Is that the Braddock Legacy?” She points a finger at the poster. “And I grew to resent you for it, didn’t I?” The British Bombshell nods her head. “Yeah, you pressured me dad. You put just as much pressure on me as you did yourself. You wanted me to be all in on wrestling, you wanted me to fulfill the lifelong dream of being the best wrestler in the world because you injured yourself and couldn’t do it anymore. You wanted to live vicariously through me, not bothering to care if it was my dream or not.” She sighs and shakes her head. “But who am I kidding? I wanted to do that for you. I wanted to be the best in the world FOR YOU, because you were my idol. I felt I owed it to you.”
Braddock is suddenly interrupted by the sound of knocking at her office door. Glory is jolted to attention and sits up. “Who the hell is it?”
“Is that any way to speak to your sister?” It’s the voice of her younger sister, Julia Braddock. Glory rolls her eyes.
“Come in.” Glory says. The door opens and Julia Braddock comes walking in.
“Kurt told me you were here.”
“He talks too much.” Glory says stoically.
“What are you doing here, Glory?” Julia asks as she sits down next to her sister.
“I just needed some time to think. I used to do my best thinking and planning right here in dad’s old office.”
“Dad barely used this office.” Julia says with a smirk. “He considered the ring his office.”
“That’s true. Still, I used to do some of my best planning and thinking right here. If I came to dad’s school, I knew I could think clearly, I knew that I could get things sorted out and be ready. But lately thinking has become more difficult for me.”
“Part of that is because you haven’t been here in so long.” Julia points out. “Randall, Mark, and the other trainers have been managing this school excellently in your absence but you, Glory, you have been gone for so long with SCW, your company, and other of your activities that you forgot all about this place, the memories it contains, the fond memories of you and our father.”
“Maybe you’re right.” Glory nods her head. “Yesterday, when I went to see Blake, he suggested to me that I had forgotten how to enjoy myself. He said that I am so bloody focused on success that I forgot how to just simply enjoy wrestling. Is that true, Jules? Am I so focused on success, on winning, on building up an empire for myself, not just as a wrestler but as a businesswoman and even a trainer, that I lost myself in all of it? I lost my identity as a Braddock in all of this?”
“Is that what Blake thinks?”
“Yeah.” Glory nods her head.
“Tell me this; do you remember the very first lesson dad taught us about wrestling?”
“No…” Glory shake sher head.
“Of course you can’t.” Julia smirks knowingly. “Your most important one, your favorite one, is the last and final lesson. A wrestler is, him or herself, the deadliest of weapons; use what you’ve learned wisely. And yeah, that’s an important lesson, but so was lesson number one.”
“Well tell me!” Glory insists. “What was lesson one because I can’t bloody remember!”
“The first lesson was never to lose sight of what is important in life and why you are doing this.” Julia points across the table at Glory. “Why are you doing this? Why are you a wrestler, Glory?”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously.”
“That’s simple. I wanted to honor dad, I wanted to honor his legacy, the legacy he left behind when he was forced to quit after the back injury forced him into retirement.”
“There’s the answer to your question, Glory.” Julia says. “Just do that. Honor dad’s legacy, honor his memory, fulfill the dreams he had wanted to fulfill, but don’t do it just because someone else wanted you to. That’s not what dad was about. He would have wanted you to be the best because you wanted to do it, because it was YOUR goal, YOUR dream, and not just because it was his. Do it for him…but it’s ok to be a little selfish and to do it for yourself, it’s ok to have a little fun.”
“It isn’t that simple.” Glory smirks. “You know that right?”
“Nothing worth having ever is.” She points to the poster on the wall, the one Glory was just talking to earlier. “That was another lesson dad taught.”
“I happen to remember that one.”
“Well if you remember it why haven’t you been practicing it?”
“Because I’m a bloody fool?” Glory asks. The sisters share a laugh.
“You said it, not me!” Julia exclaims. Glory nods her head.
“Yeah, and I’ll own it. I’ll also fix it.”
03-28-2023, 02:53 PM
OOC: Follows the PPV roleplays.
DISCLAIMER: The following is a work of fiction and not to be confused as complete or accurate representation of any beliefs, religions, etc. Please refer to research/articles by experts for that.
VanHohenheim’s House
Maplewood, New Jersey
March 20th, 2023
3:31pm
“How could you ask that of me?”
The question was one Selena had anticipated her mother asking the moment she had made the choice – or rather, when she had realized that she had no choice in the matter – to try and convince her mother in ‘reuniting’ (for lack of a better word) with the estranged Alden family.
“I don’t have a choice, mother.” Selena replied sharply, reaching up to pinch the bridge of her nose with her hand, trying to quell the headache that was threatening to overtake her focus. She had already been there an hour, arriving early in the afternoon by herself (Deanna had needed some time to think about things ‘SCW-wise’ after the bombshell that had been dropped on them) and choosing blunt honesty in her approach to her mother.
Clearly, that had not been the best choice as her mother had immediately resisted the whole argument, which had lead to a circular-argument, which they were now still remained in.
With a huff, Alejandra VanHohenheim continued her pacing around the room. She wore snug blue jeans and a sky-blue and white shirt which contrasted her dark skin but complimented the white of her hair (which still had mixes of black from a younger age). Compared to Selena, who had her hair in a tight updo and wore a black pantsuit with a silk-black shirt underneath, the mother to the Snow Queen looked far more casual than her daughter.
“I should have known it wouldn’t be so easy.” Alejandra angrily huffed under her breath. “Goddamn witches.”
“Okay!” Selena pressed, her hands clenching together. The past week or so, from meeting Raphael Alden, to his ultimatum which had ruined any hope of peace that she and the VanHohenheims could have, to the Retribution pay-per-view to the announcement of Breakdown that had, practically made the results of the pay-per-view utterly pointless, it all had put Selena more and more on edge! Perhaps that was why she snapped at her mother in that moment, like rubber-band pulled and pulled until it snaps. “I have heard that more times than I can count.” She stated coldly. “You said it back when we first met Sage and Caius, then Sage met Deanna at the market and told her the Aldens ARE witches. What the hell does that mean?” she asked. “Because I’ll be honest, mother, I’m finding it hard to believe and it sounds like utter nonsense to me!”
The older woman gave a sigh before disappearing into her room down the hall. Selena didn’t follow her - she was certain her mother would return. A few seconds passed before the platinum-blonde, once more, heard the sound of footsteps returning and Alejandra was standing before her, holding out a small black box that held a large ring. Formed within the ring was the emblem of the Aldens – clearly something given to each member.
“I’ve seen that before.” Selena remarked, easily recognizing the family crest before pulling out the necklace she wore which held her own – the arctic blue dragon that ‘protected’ the snowflake. “I prefer my own.”
“You and me both.” Alejandra remarked, her dark eyes staring at the ring in obvious disdain. “I’ve wanted to throw this out for so many years, but…” her voice trailed off.
“It’s a part of you.” Selena finished, her voice not in question but absolute certainty. “Regardless of how they hurt you, they are still part of you.”
With a nod, Alejandra joined her sitting daughter on the large couch in front of the wide window, turning the box around to show her the ring and emblem more closely. “I guess the only way to start would be the beginning.” She sighed. “You’re aware that my family were of European descent, and that, like you, I’m a mixed-race child. Same with Sage and Caius.”
“Right.” Selena nodded. “Sorry, but I lost track of what percentage of what race I am. Really didn’t matter with the whole ‘coming out’ thing I was going through at the time.”
“Understandably.” Alejandra sadly smiled, not at her daughter, but at their situation. “Well, mixed-coupling, as it were, didn’t come acceptable until mid-1900s with the Aldens. Such were the times.”
“Yeah, especially in Europe.” Selena remarked.
“Didn’t stop my ancestors.” Alejandra remarked. “But, back then, the Aldens served in numerous small towns throughout various countries. We weren’t, well ‘famous’ or ‘infamous’, per say, just known in small areas.”
“As witches?” Selena asked, raising an eyebrow, to which her mother gave a nod. “I know this is stupid to ask, but… actual witches? Like pointy hats and broomsticks?”
“Don’t be silly, Selena.” Alejandra shook her head. “Would I be riding that beat-up clunker in the driveway if I could fly a broom? I’d at least have taken THAT skill with me when I ran away from him if I could.”
“I mean… I could always buy you a new car…” Selena shrugged. “You know I…” her voice faded out abruptly as her mother shot her a glance. “Right, sorry.”
The Snow Queen and her parents had had this conversation before. As proud as they were of their daughter, the Aldens did not want any financial assistance from Selena. Not a new house or car – even though Selena could afford to get them some of the best in the world without breaking much of a sweat – or repairs on the current house or anything. ‘We like surviving on our own efforts – just as you have.’ They had said. It was a pride thing, and Selena could not begrudge them it. Not when her pride was the backbone of her views of integrity within SCW – the desire to be proud of SCW and what it stood for, which was becoming harder and harder to do as the year went by…
Alejandra gazed at the ring-box in her hands again. “The Aldens were more, I guess you would call it ‘pagans’ or ‘organic-healers’ at the time? While the Christian foundation formed and took hold, the Aldens viewed more ‘earthly’ powers and abilities. Herbals and plants for remedies, gods more related to the moon and sky than to what Catholics referred to as ‘God’. They were quite respected before the notion of witchcraft took hold. Polytheism was far more understandable before Catholicism.”
“Sure.” Selena shrugged. “It was around long before, right? Romans and Greeks and all that?”
“Very good.” Alejandra nodded, causing Selena to shrug.
“Not really.” She sighed. “I barely graduated high-school. I got most of that stuff from just reading random things throughout the years.”
“You never went to post-secondary school?” Alejandra asked, earning a laugh from Selena.
“Where, Mom?” Selena asked. “Fairbanks? Anchorage? I was already promised to the Scythes, meant to be little more than a trophy wife and part of some bargain. Why the hell would they wait three or four years for me to get ‘educated’ when all they wanted was father’s gold?” she sighed. “Besides… I didn’t see the point after I lost Elsianna and Nome hated me.”
“Selena…” Alejandra sighed, seeing her daughter rescind a little into her memories.
It was true, and Selena knew it was her own fault as much as it was those that had used and despised her like Gavin Scythe, Anastasia, Talia, and the rest of the Scythe family. After losing her child and being abandoned by her then fiancée, Ryan Scythe – may the bastard continue to rot in jail… she thought bitterly – Selena had given up on any kind of worth in her life, becoming the recluse of Nome, The ‘Snow Queen’ as it were, drinking away her problems each night and digging for her father’s gold in her off-time between looking after her ‘Snow Child’ Elsianna and working at Liam’s Bar and Grill to continue to pay for what supplies she needed to stay alive. It was a mere existence, but she had given up wanting anything else, from a higher education to a better home, to love and acceptance – she had simply given up.
It had taken a long time for her to get out of that and attempt something, which had lead to SCW, but still, she still remembered those cold nights, buzzed from the alcohol, eventually waking up on the floor in the clothes she had worn the day previous, her hair matted and unkept somedays and her simply not caring.
Quietly, she ran her hands along her braid, feeling the freshly-shampooed locks swept up in the updo. “Sometimes, I wonder what I could have been if I had just tried.” She whispered. “If I had gone to post-secondary in Nome or Anchorage. I… I always wanted to do something with art or social services, and then when I had ‘recovered’ from my… my condition… I thought about helping people with that, but by then, SCW was there and I… I was happy. At least professionally. Personally, I was a mess, but that eventually worked out.”
“But you still wonder.” Alejandra observed, causing Selena to turn her head.
“Mom…” Selena turned her gaze to her mom. “You are so much smarter than me.”
“That’s not true.” Alejandra tried but the Snow Queen stopped her.
“You were interning to be a doctor, mom.” Selena stated. “Trust me, I’m not ashamed that my mother is smarter than me. But seeing you successful with that – it made me wonder what I was capable of besides throwing my body off a cage or taking a monitor to the head.”
“There’s always still time.” Alejandra tried. “You’re only 33.”
Selena slowly shook her head. “Thanks mother, but I rather focus on my children’s future rather than my own… and I love SCW too much to change now.”
Alejandra’s expression fell a little. “Clearly.” She remarked, her eyes finding her family’s ring once more. “If even Raphael can see it…”
The remark was a whisper, but Selena was close enough to hear it. She wanted to pursue it, to return to the matter at hand, but that desire was currently contending with her need to ‘know her enemy’, in this case, Raphael. Which meant she needed to know more about the Aldens.
“So…” she tried. “The Aldens were more like pagans than ‘witches’?”
Alejandra gave a nod. “That would be the closest approximation to it.”
“How did they handle the witch trials?” Selena asked, recalling one of Elsianna’s school-reports. “Something in Europe and America – I mean, Salem, obviously.”
Alejandra raised an eyebrow to her daughter, who merely shrugged. “Television and such. I hear things.”
“Well… I can’t speak about Salem, most of our ancestors stayed in Europe. But the Eichstatt, Wurzburg, Bamburg, and North Berwick, even Salzburg and Torsaker, you would probably find some relative of ours that had been executed there.”
“That’s…that’s horrible.” Selena remarked. “All of them?”
“Sweetheart.” Alejandra remarked simply, as if she was desensitized by the knowledge (given her years of knowing it). “We’re talking about the murder of over 40,000 people. Is it so hard to believe some of our family was mixed up with it?”
“So…what happened?” Selena asked.
“Well, most of them fled time and time again. Changed their last names, scattered across the lands. It wasn’t until the late 1800s that the families were brought back together and the family was re-established. Of course, that was my father’s grandfather.”
“So, what are they now? Do they still practice?”
“Some do, I think.” Alejandra shrugged. “Some stay very true to the lifestyle – but each charter and belief system is slightly different, far as I remember. Some live in the woods, others simply wear amulets and practice certain spells.”
“Spells?” Selena asked in disbelief. “I thought you said it wasn’t like that.”
“It’s not.” Alejandra sighed. “Hold on – I think I still have it.”
The older woman retreated back into the halls, but this time, she opened up a closet to reveal an old chest at the bottom of it. Pulling it out with a bit of grunt, Alejandra opened it, unaware that Selena had followed behind her this time. Before the Snow Queen’s eyes, she saw old patches of clothes, books, some jewelry, photobooks, some gems, colored-stones and pendants. She remained quiet as her mother pulled out a dark-red cover book, one that clearly showed its age, and a smooth, black stone. Carefully, Alejandra opened it before turning around, gasping as she realized Selena was standing right in front of her.
“Oh gods!” she remarked. “We need to put a bell on your or something.” She added, making her way back into the sitting room, her eyes back on the book as she carefully flipped through the pages. “No…No… no…” she read for a few more minutes. “Ah, here we go!” she turned the page over to Selena, showing the faded writing of pen, though it was still legible.
“Good luck spell.” Selena read. “Difficulty level: Easy. Requirements: wood or stone. Time: Waxing moon or Thursday- mother what is this?”
“It’s a spell.” Alejandra explained. “A very simple one but I use to use this one all the time when I was a kid – like Elsianna’s age.”
“You cast spells?” Selena raised an eyebrow. “Real spells?”
“Well… that’s a matter of perception and beliefs.” Alejandra shrugged. “Look I just want to show you what I meant, okay?” she sighed. “Cept I haven’t done this in years… Not sure if I can do it right…”
Moving into the kitchen, Alejandra placed the book on the table, keeping it on its page. “First, cleanse your aura and aura of your workspace… hold let me think…” she closed her eyes to give herself a few minutes, as if recalling a far-away memory before moving her hands in directions and shapes that Selena could not identify. She then clapped her hands loudly together before doing a similar set of gestures around herself and Selena before opening her eyes. “I think that worked.”
“What?” Selena asked. “You waved your arms and then looked like you were trying to swat a fly.”
“You know… for someone that talks A LOT about ‘believing’, you sure as are being mouthy.” Alejandra threw at the Snow Queen. “Do you want to know or not?”
“Fine.” Selena crossed her arms, leaning against one of the door ways as she watched her mother, who resumed reading from the small book.
“Now… we sand or wash the wood or stone.” Alejandra did as she read, washing and drying the black stone with a paper towel. “Then we take a marker, guess I’ll use a white one. And what did…” her voice trailed off as she leaned over to gaze at the book page, drawing something on the stone as she whispered. “Fehu, rune of good fortune. Support me in my endeavours and bring me luck and new beginnings.”
With the task finished, Alejandra turned to Selena, holding out the stone to put in Selena’s hand. “There.” She remarked. “Now you have a good luck charm.”
“A good luck charm?” Selena looked down at the stone in her hand, turning it over to see the white half-tree symbol (that’s what it looked like. Half a tree with branches but no leaves). “You did arts and crafts, mom. Amiliah did this in school a week or two ago. She drew a castle on a white stone.”
“You asked what spells were like and I told you.” Alejandra shrugged a bit aggressively.
“Yeah, but I was expecting ‘blood of chicken, eye of newt’ or something.” Selena answered back.
“Not my fault.” Alejandra answered simply.
“So if that’s all you guys did – arts and crafts – why do you hate the fact that they are witches?”
“I don’t hate that they’re witches due to their beliefs in spells, Selena.” Alejandra explained. “I hate that how they view themselves as such a ‘private club’.” She gave a sigh. “The Aldens used to be healers and servants of people. Now? They’re some kind of elitist cult. Like the family is sacred and nobody but family members may partake or whatever.”
“Like the Frostmeres.” Selena stated, immediately earning the stunned expression of her mother.
“I’m sorry.” She quickly spoke. “I didn’t mean it like that.” She tried. “I know how much being a Frost means to you.”
“It does.” Selena admitted. “But I’d be lying if I said the clan was not without its MAJOR flaws.”
“You haven’t…heard from them, have you?”
“Not since Brachiss and DeWinter died.” Selena admitted. “Which is fine with me. Far as I am concerned, the ‘Frost clan’ is just my immediate family. Me, Deanna, our children, you and dad – maybe even Peter if he ever returns.”
“Don’t hold your breath.” Alejandra shook her head. “Unless we’re offering money, he isn’t coming around.”
“His loss.” Selena stated, eyeing the stone in her hand. “So, where’s the ‘on-switch’ for this thing?”
“On switch?” Alejandra asked with an amused smile.
“Yeah, like to ‘activate’ the good luck or something.”
The inquiry caused a laugh to escape the older woman, who shook her head before reaching out to close Selena’s hand around the stone. “Just keep it on you – in your pocket or something – when you need it.”
Despite herself, the Snow Queen could help the mental image that came to her of keeping the stone in the pocket of her wrestling attire… if only to chuck it at Kimberly Williams the first chance she got! Now THAT would be good luck! she smiled without meaning to. “So…” she gazed down at her hand. “This is what you guys did?”
“Well…” Alejandra sighed. “Some did more… some did worse… Least that’s what mother told me. I wasn’t allowed to read some of the higher-end spellbooks. They were ‘for adults’.”
“Great…” Selena sighed. “Nice to know if I don’t do this with you – they get put a hex on me or something.”
“Not going to begin to unpack that, Selena.” Alejandra sighed. “Gods, why are we even bringing this back into our family?”
“I believe I made it clear my lack of choice in the matter.” Selena remarked sharply. “Or did you miss the part where Raphael threatened to bid for SCW and, in not so many words, threatened to make my career a living hell?”
“I know!” sighed Alejandra, turning to march back into the family room. “But… did you ever think about what this could do? What this will invite?”
“No because I have no idea.” Selena stated honestly. “I sided with you because you clearly wanted nothing to do with them and, quite frankly, I didn’t want anymore of ‘family shit’ to deal with. But there’s nothing we can do, mother. They’ve got me. If Raphael is that desperate to get you to return for some kind of reunion, then what choice do we have? If I say no, he’ll just come up with another way. If I say no to that, he’ll find another way!”
“You don’t know that-“
“Do you have any FUCKING idea how much SCW is worth, mother?!” Selena spat. “I make millions a year and I can’t even come CLOSE to making a bid for it! We’re talking hundreds of millions of dollars, mom! Maybe more – maybe billions! And Raphael can make a bit on it! You don’t brag about that if you can’t back it up!” she shook her head sadly. “And a man with THAT kind of money – the kind that puts even my father’s goldmine to shame… then he won’t stop just because one plan doesn’t work.”
There was a moment of silence between the two, mother and daughter staring down each other. “Believe me.” Selena remarked. “I’ve thought about this for some time. Even if I pack up and leave SCW and go somewhere else, he’ll target that one next. He’ll just follow me to and fro until he has me where he wants me. And if that doesn’t work, he’ll find another way – a man with that kind of money? Malcolm Scythe’s only weaknesses was his limited resources and his ego. I don’t see any of that in Raphael… besides…” Selena eyed her mother. “I can’t bear the thought of leaving SCW in his hands. Not when he doesn’t give a damn about it beyond using it to get to us.”
Again, Alejandra remained silent for several minutes, choosing to cast her eyes out the window to her neighbourhood. “I could have gone my whole life without seeing them again.” She whispered. “Not seeing a single one of them ever again.” There was a slight growl in her voice before turning her head towards Selena. “You’re certain he gave his word to back off afterwards?”
“Yes.” Selena sighed. “We just give him an afternoon…” pulling out her phone, she checked over the message Caius had sent her a few days ago. “Here.” She showed the message to her mother, outlining the details Raphael had insisted.
Giving a quick scan, Alejandra scoffed at it. “Of course, he’d pick a place like that. Showcase his cash and inflate his ego.”
“I’ll be with you.” Selena insisted. “And…I’ll make sure nothing happens.”
Again, Alejandra scoffed. “You plan on packing a gun or something?” she turned and her expression morphed to shock as Selena’s serious expression didn’t. “Selena!”
“I am not walking into a hornet’s nest without a way out, mother. Father taught me that.” She replied coldly. “I may have no choice in going through with this but I get to decide HOW I go through with this.”
Reaching out, the Snow Queen took her mother’s hand in hers. “And I choose the way that keeps us safe and get you and I out of there for good. Understand?”
Despite herself, Alejandra gave a shaky sigh. “And SCW means that much to you? To go through with this?”
Despite her previous logic, Selena didn’t repeat it. Instead, she merely gave a nod of her head. In truth, even if leaving SCW DID remove Raphael’s power, she still couldn’t do it. She couldn’t imagine her life without SCW. It had been SCW that had given her the life she had, allowed her to meet her wife, have two more children, a ‘forever home’, reunite with her parents, and gods knew what else.
“What’s one more scar?” she answered. “I’ve got too many to count.” She added, her mind mentally recalling the scars on her back, the injuries to her knee, ribs and foot – everything where one of them could have ended a career – she had taken each bullet for SCW without flinching. Xander, Giovanni, Vixen, Regan, Infamous, Wonderland, Coalition, Blood Grove/New Eden, the list was a good mile long. And like her past and her ‘lack of education’, Selena was as responsible for her scars and pains as those that had dealt to her. She had chosen to take those bullets, those pains because she loved SCW and wanted to protect it – to make sure it was all it could be in case some other lost little girl found her way there, needing help and a new life…
“Fine.” Sighed Alejandra. “I’ll go.” She surrendered.
“Thank you.” Selena sighed. “I’ll be there to protect you every step of the way.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, dear.” Alejandra smiled. “You don’t know the Aldens like I do.”
“Maybe not.” Selena smiled with a tilt of her head. “But they don’t know Selena Frost like I do…”
_______________________________________________________________
The camera opens to reveal the interior of what looks to be a trophy room, the faintest sound of rainfall can be heard outside, along with the occasional clasp of thunder. Along the walls of the room hang many colorful championship belts and framed pictures, many SCW-related while some are not, belonging to such groups as IWC and the World Series of Wrestling. Larger trophies, such as The Best of the Best Tournament and Shot of Adrenaline Tournament sit on the floor near the titles, no less prestigious in their display. Slowly, as the camera rotates throughout the room, it settles on a flatscreen television hanging on the wall, the device playing a replay of SCW’s Retribution pay-per-view, specifically the tag-team title match between Light in the Darkness and The House of Frost. The volume is turned on, allowing the audience to hear the stadium crowd that night!
THIS IS AWESOME! THIS IS AWESOME! it is beyond clear as various clips of the match are played, the voice of Adam Sharper emerging from the highlight reel.
What a match! Two amazing teams, hugely gifted, but tonight, the champions retain!... They said they were going to focus on the in-ring and two of the finest teams in SCW today just put on a classic all to become World Tag Team Champions!
The footage slows on the image of Selena and Deanna Frost holding up the World tag-team titles with help from the Light in the Darkness before the camera backs up a little, revealing the woman in the trophy room, watching the footage as she sits in an armchair. She wears a black-dress and her hair is up in tight updo. One leg is crossed over the other as she continues to observe the footage of the pay-per-view, watching it change as she speaks.
A night where four women defined what integrity and tag-team wrestling should be about -what SCW should be about… the image changes to Bree Lancaster pinning The One and Aisling to retain her Adrenaline championship! A night where one champion displayed dominance in defiantly pinning two superstars at once, leaving no doubt over her place among the best of SCW.
The footage shifts to show Bree, Datura, and Chase Owens that night. Contenders were crowned. Lastly, the footage shows Owen Cruze, hurt but standing proud with the world championship. And a man found it in himself to find retribution against a liar and bastard of a man.
Despite herself, there is a momentary look of pride in the Snow Queen’s eyes, seeing such a five-star pay-per-view play out as it did weeks before.
Such passion, respect, love of the sport and for what’s right – for the integrity of SCW, people giving everything they have for the opportunity of a championship, a contendership, or simply to prove themselves or do the right thing in this federation… her voice trails off as she slowly turns in her seat to face the camera in front of her.
And in the end… it all meant absolutely nothing.
With a snap of her fingers, the television suddenly turns off, the screen growing dark and the footage of Retribution – the epitome of integrity that SCW could be – is snuffed out in a second, leaving only Selena, who’s expression has grown colder.
How fucking dare you. her voice holds a hint of a growl to it. How FUCKING dare you!
Her voice rings within the small room as more thunder is heard from outside the room/house.
Kimberly, the Board of Directors – even O. D. himself! How can all of you do this! How dare you disrespect all of that, Kimberly, how dare you, Board members, allow it, and how dare you, O. D., finalize it!
Yes, I am talking about the news that not only stole the attention of Retribution from its competitors, but essentially made EVERYTHING so many of us were fighting for moot and irrelevant! The cash-in of Kimberly’s trios contract to create a match that is to be the length of an entire show! With every title on the line!
She takes a deep breath through her nose, exhaling slowly as she tries to maintain some degree of control. And no, I could care less that every title is on the line, including the tag-team championship. Hell, for all of her talk of ‘originality’, when it comes down to it, this is nothing more than a bloated, overembellished version of Jake Starr’s cash-in years ago, when he ran the elimination chamber with every title on the line! If THAT was all that had been asked, that the House of Frost defend their tag-titles in a match where the winner would walk away the tag-champions, I’d happily accept that, as I know Deanna would. We’d be there to happily prove our place at the top of the tag-team division and as one of the best tag-teams in the world today!
But that’s not what this match is, is it, Kimberly? Directors? O.?! Oh no! Because the winner of the match doesn’t walk away with the tag-team titles… the fourth and fifth placed people will!
Her pale jaw clenches, the muscles working under the tension of the Snow Queen, her next series of words almost spoken through clenched teeth.
That’s right, True Believers. Where the winner of this ‘score-keeping’ match will, rightfully, become the SCW World champion, every other title will be decided by who comes in second all the way down to last place. For a moment, Selena’s eyes flutter over to the titles hanging on the wall – the World title, the United States title, the Tag-team titles, the Adrenaline title, and the Television title.
Which means… her sapphire eyes flitter back over to the turned-off screen, as if she can still see the highlights of her war with Light in the Darkness with her wife, Deanna, and the many other moments of Retribution that, could have, made her so proud to be part of SCW.
Everything Luz, Amelia, Deanna and I fought for…
Everything we put out bodies through to give an incredible match…
The pain we endured for what we believed in, just like Bree did, and Datura did, and Owen did, and Chance did…
And all along… we were fighting for fucking consolation prizes…
A moment of silence passes as Selena’s last words hang in the air until, suddenly, the platinum-blonde pushes herself out of her chair, even tipping it over in the process, causing it to fall on the floor. The camera follows her as she paces around the room, surrounded by the accolades/accomplishments she had received in her near-decade in SCW and elsewhere.
Is that what you’re trying to tell the world, directors? O.?! That your WORLD tag-team championship isn’t even worth a silver or a bronze medal? That it’s a swell consolation prize to a fourth or fifth place person under most of the singles titles? Is THAT what Light in the Darkness faced their demons and came back for? Is that what White Knight and Valeria risked their careers and their lives for at the End of the Year?! For a damn participation prize or the opportunity of a lifetime?! Is that what Bree Lancaster and Datura dream of? A door-prize? Is that what Deanna and I worked like hell to get our hands on? The near bottom of championship-level? Is that what ‘world tag-team titles’ mean to all of you?!
Is that what the Adrenaline title means?
What the United States title means? Booby prizes?!
AHHHHH!
A scream escapes Selena as she turns around, her hands fisting into her hair. The turn is enough for the audience to see the bare back that the dress exposes of the Snow Queen, and the web of scars that line her skin. She turns back to the camera, sapphire eyes almost pleading.
How could you allow this, O.? How could you so blatantly disrespect the other championships like that?! Where we have to – literally! – lose in order to win or retain?! How is THAT integrity?! How is that proving that we are ‘the best’ of those divisions?! How is that… How is that Supreme Championship Wrestling?! How is that… How is that…
Despite herself, unshed tears can be seen forming in Selena’s eyes, which she angrily swipes at with the back of her hand as she turns away.
After… she sniffles a little. After everything so many of us gave for those titles. My wife… my sister for her ‘Rise to Greatness moment’… Matches of the year for titles like the United States title. Whole tournaments to determine the Adrenaline Champion – SOA, anyone? Titles that people like Glory hunger for in their quest for the status of ‘Supreme Champion’… and you do this?
You tell us that they aren’t worth more than ‘prizes for the losers’? Worth less than the leather and metal that comprise them. How, O.… How can you…
Slowly, her voice trailing off, Selena manages to find her way back into her chair, leaning forward and onto her knees.
And for what? What is all of this for? So Kimberly Williams can be Underground champion again?! Lifting her head up, Selena’s sapphire eyes darken as she stares into the camera.
You brat. she growls. You damn coward! I knew your words of ‘taking the division seriously’ were utter crap the minute I heard them! I knew that you were just the same coward that threatened to bail on Double Jeopardy and then bailed on a tag-match with The House of Frost shortly thereafter. Because if you really gave a damn, it be you in there with all of us. It be you fighting for those 2-3 hours…
But no, you can win by getting one fall and then high-tailing it out of the arena. Rules put in place for you alone that make it nigh-impossible for you to leave without the Underground title, certainly impossible for the RIGHTFUL champion Owen Cruze to remain the champion if he wishes to keep the World title…
You drag the title you claim to ‘care about’ through the damn mud just so you can have it. Simply because you weren’t good enough to keep it. Sapphire eyes narrow. And the ironic thing of it all? Even as low as you’ve brought it, Kimberly, the Underground title will STILL be too good for you! Because what you have done is not chaos. It’s cowardice! It’s disrespect! It’s you NOT taking what those titles mean seriously! What people like ME and Light in the Darkness and Deanna and so many others gave up and risked just to get a chance at those titles – the tournaments we won, the injuries we endured, the careers we risked… and careers some of us lost…
Her voice trails off for a moment, eyes casting another glance towards the championships on the wall.
People have RISKED their lives for these titles! She gestures to her collection. People have busted their ass week in and week out just for a chance to EARN titles like these. I spent FOUR YEARS trying to bring myself to a level so that I could compete for the SCW World title! I spent months and months training with my wife to get us to a level where we could beat the, supposedly, unbeatable Farmstead Friends and EVERY tag-team that came our way!
But you? You want to take a shortcut. You want to steal back a title, then run out like a cowardly, little bitch! And you whine on Twitter with your gifs and emojis, ‘I’m not coming! I’m not showing up! I’m not going to wrestle unless they give me what I want! I want! I want! I want!” I want you to shut the hell up! Selena’s voice echoes in the room, louder than the thunder.
You know why no one respects you, Kimberly? Why no one thinks you’re anything more than a bratty, little cretin that’s maybe good for a comedy sketch on Breakdown? It’s because while the rest of us are working each day to be better, you’re looking for handouts, for shortcuts, for ways to screw over as many people as you can because, deep down, you’re not good enough to truly beat people like me. Like Deanna. Like Light in the Darkness. Like Owen Cruze, right? You had your chance to do it and you failed!
You try to be relevant and you fail!
You try and be chaotic and you fail!
You even bring your mother back to change things up… and you FAIL!
She slowly breathes. And maybe you steal the title this Breakdown, Kimberly, but you’ll ultimately fail again. You’ll ultimately be beaten by someone that doesn’t see a seventh-place prize. Someone that holds value for that title, which you clearly don’t.
Selena seems to think about it for a second. Or any of you for that matter, Board of Directors. O. D.. You clearly don’t hold any value for your titles or your superstars beyond what’s been made apparent. Because if you can willingly demand your performers to wrestle for 2-3 hours for wooden spoons and chump status… if you can willingly say that the WORLD tag-team titles are the fourth and fifth most important titles in SCW today. If you can willingly show that every title other than the world title is simply consolation prizes, O. D.…
Then maybe I was wrong… Maybe a new owner of SCW wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
She pushes herself to her feet, standing in front of the camera.
Because I didn’t endure falling off a scaffold for a second-place award. I didn’t win tournaments for door-prizes. I didn’t survive roofed-cages for ‘charity awards’. I didn’t suffer concussions, buckled ribs, my wife didn’t suffer a broken arm, and I didn’t risk my hair for fucking ‘participation prizes’! And if you believe that Deanna and I ever would allow what we have done, what we and so many others have worked for to be treated as such? For our legacy to be so tarnished because you’re making it impossible for the House of Frost to retain without ‘losing’?
She looks away again, once more the anger spiking at the impossibility of ‘retaining’ without ‘losing’ in this upcoming match – a contradiction to everything the Snow Queen believes in.
You want to force my hand, Kimberly? Board of Directors? O.?
A pale hand launches out to grab the camera, taking it up to allow the Snow Queen to glare into the lens.
Consider it forced! Because this is NOT integrity! This is NOT SCW! This is NOT what I believe in!! This is… This is…
With an angry yell, the camera is hurled into the wall where the sound of it crashing is hurt. The image is distorted and cracked as it falls to the ground, revealing the door as Selena Frost marches out of it, pulling her hair free to allow it to fall into the iconic braid behind her before slamming the door behind her as the shot then slowly goes to black.
DISCLAIMER: The following is a work of fiction and not to be confused as complete or accurate representation of any beliefs, religions, etc. Please refer to research/articles by experts for that.
The Witches of Alden
”Fortune”
VanHohenheim’s House
Maplewood, New Jersey
March 20th, 2023
3:31pm
“How could you ask that of me?”
The question was one Selena had anticipated her mother asking the moment she had made the choice – or rather, when she had realized that she had no choice in the matter – to try and convince her mother in ‘reuniting’ (for lack of a better word) with the estranged Alden family.
“I don’t have a choice, mother.” Selena replied sharply, reaching up to pinch the bridge of her nose with her hand, trying to quell the headache that was threatening to overtake her focus. She had already been there an hour, arriving early in the afternoon by herself (Deanna had needed some time to think about things ‘SCW-wise’ after the bombshell that had been dropped on them) and choosing blunt honesty in her approach to her mother.
Clearly, that had not been the best choice as her mother had immediately resisted the whole argument, which had lead to a circular-argument, which they were now still remained in.
With a huff, Alejandra VanHohenheim continued her pacing around the room. She wore snug blue jeans and a sky-blue and white shirt which contrasted her dark skin but complimented the white of her hair (which still had mixes of black from a younger age). Compared to Selena, who had her hair in a tight updo and wore a black pantsuit with a silk-black shirt underneath, the mother to the Snow Queen looked far more casual than her daughter.
“I should have known it wouldn’t be so easy.” Alejandra angrily huffed under her breath. “Goddamn witches.”
“Okay!” Selena pressed, her hands clenching together. The past week or so, from meeting Raphael Alden, to his ultimatum which had ruined any hope of peace that she and the VanHohenheims could have, to the Retribution pay-per-view to the announcement of Breakdown that had, practically made the results of the pay-per-view utterly pointless, it all had put Selena more and more on edge! Perhaps that was why she snapped at her mother in that moment, like rubber-band pulled and pulled until it snaps. “I have heard that more times than I can count.” She stated coldly. “You said it back when we first met Sage and Caius, then Sage met Deanna at the market and told her the Aldens ARE witches. What the hell does that mean?” she asked. “Because I’ll be honest, mother, I’m finding it hard to believe and it sounds like utter nonsense to me!”
The older woman gave a sigh before disappearing into her room down the hall. Selena didn’t follow her - she was certain her mother would return. A few seconds passed before the platinum-blonde, once more, heard the sound of footsteps returning and Alejandra was standing before her, holding out a small black box that held a large ring. Formed within the ring was the emblem of the Aldens – clearly something given to each member.
“I’ve seen that before.” Selena remarked, easily recognizing the family crest before pulling out the necklace she wore which held her own – the arctic blue dragon that ‘protected’ the snowflake. “I prefer my own.”
“You and me both.” Alejandra remarked, her dark eyes staring at the ring in obvious disdain. “I’ve wanted to throw this out for so many years, but…” her voice trailed off.
“It’s a part of you.” Selena finished, her voice not in question but absolute certainty. “Regardless of how they hurt you, they are still part of you.”
With a nod, Alejandra joined her sitting daughter on the large couch in front of the wide window, turning the box around to show her the ring and emblem more closely. “I guess the only way to start would be the beginning.” She sighed. “You’re aware that my family were of European descent, and that, like you, I’m a mixed-race child. Same with Sage and Caius.”
“Right.” Selena nodded. “Sorry, but I lost track of what percentage of what race I am. Really didn’t matter with the whole ‘coming out’ thing I was going through at the time.”
“Understandably.” Alejandra sadly smiled, not at her daughter, but at their situation. “Well, mixed-coupling, as it were, didn’t come acceptable until mid-1900s with the Aldens. Such were the times.”
“Yeah, especially in Europe.” Selena remarked.
“Didn’t stop my ancestors.” Alejandra remarked. “But, back then, the Aldens served in numerous small towns throughout various countries. We weren’t, well ‘famous’ or ‘infamous’, per say, just known in small areas.”
“As witches?” Selena asked, raising an eyebrow, to which her mother gave a nod. “I know this is stupid to ask, but… actual witches? Like pointy hats and broomsticks?”
“Don’t be silly, Selena.” Alejandra shook her head. “Would I be riding that beat-up clunker in the driveway if I could fly a broom? I’d at least have taken THAT skill with me when I ran away from him if I could.”
“I mean… I could always buy you a new car…” Selena shrugged. “You know I…” her voice faded out abruptly as her mother shot her a glance. “Right, sorry.”
The Snow Queen and her parents had had this conversation before. As proud as they were of their daughter, the Aldens did not want any financial assistance from Selena. Not a new house or car – even though Selena could afford to get them some of the best in the world without breaking much of a sweat – or repairs on the current house or anything. ‘We like surviving on our own efforts – just as you have.’ They had said. It was a pride thing, and Selena could not begrudge them it. Not when her pride was the backbone of her views of integrity within SCW – the desire to be proud of SCW and what it stood for, which was becoming harder and harder to do as the year went by…
Alejandra gazed at the ring-box in her hands again. “The Aldens were more, I guess you would call it ‘pagans’ or ‘organic-healers’ at the time? While the Christian foundation formed and took hold, the Aldens viewed more ‘earthly’ powers and abilities. Herbals and plants for remedies, gods more related to the moon and sky than to what Catholics referred to as ‘God’. They were quite respected before the notion of witchcraft took hold. Polytheism was far more understandable before Catholicism.”
“Sure.” Selena shrugged. “It was around long before, right? Romans and Greeks and all that?”
“Very good.” Alejandra nodded, causing Selena to shrug.
“Not really.” She sighed. “I barely graduated high-school. I got most of that stuff from just reading random things throughout the years.”
“You never went to post-secondary school?” Alejandra asked, earning a laugh from Selena.
“Where, Mom?” Selena asked. “Fairbanks? Anchorage? I was already promised to the Scythes, meant to be little more than a trophy wife and part of some bargain. Why the hell would they wait three or four years for me to get ‘educated’ when all they wanted was father’s gold?” she sighed. “Besides… I didn’t see the point after I lost Elsianna and Nome hated me.”
“Selena…” Alejandra sighed, seeing her daughter rescind a little into her memories.
It was true, and Selena knew it was her own fault as much as it was those that had used and despised her like Gavin Scythe, Anastasia, Talia, and the rest of the Scythe family. After losing her child and being abandoned by her then fiancée, Ryan Scythe – may the bastard continue to rot in jail… she thought bitterly – Selena had given up on any kind of worth in her life, becoming the recluse of Nome, The ‘Snow Queen’ as it were, drinking away her problems each night and digging for her father’s gold in her off-time between looking after her ‘Snow Child’ Elsianna and working at Liam’s Bar and Grill to continue to pay for what supplies she needed to stay alive. It was a mere existence, but she had given up wanting anything else, from a higher education to a better home, to love and acceptance – she had simply given up.
It had taken a long time for her to get out of that and attempt something, which had lead to SCW, but still, she still remembered those cold nights, buzzed from the alcohol, eventually waking up on the floor in the clothes she had worn the day previous, her hair matted and unkept somedays and her simply not caring.
Quietly, she ran her hands along her braid, feeling the freshly-shampooed locks swept up in the updo. “Sometimes, I wonder what I could have been if I had just tried.” She whispered. “If I had gone to post-secondary in Nome or Anchorage. I… I always wanted to do something with art or social services, and then when I had ‘recovered’ from my… my condition… I thought about helping people with that, but by then, SCW was there and I… I was happy. At least professionally. Personally, I was a mess, but that eventually worked out.”
“But you still wonder.” Alejandra observed, causing Selena to turn her head.
“Mom…” Selena turned her gaze to her mom. “You are so much smarter than me.”
“That’s not true.” Alejandra tried but the Snow Queen stopped her.
“You were interning to be a doctor, mom.” Selena stated. “Trust me, I’m not ashamed that my mother is smarter than me. But seeing you successful with that – it made me wonder what I was capable of besides throwing my body off a cage or taking a monitor to the head.”
“There’s always still time.” Alejandra tried. “You’re only 33.”
Selena slowly shook her head. “Thanks mother, but I rather focus on my children’s future rather than my own… and I love SCW too much to change now.”
Alejandra’s expression fell a little. “Clearly.” She remarked, her eyes finding her family’s ring once more. “If even Raphael can see it…”
The remark was a whisper, but Selena was close enough to hear it. She wanted to pursue it, to return to the matter at hand, but that desire was currently contending with her need to ‘know her enemy’, in this case, Raphael. Which meant she needed to know more about the Aldens.
“So…” she tried. “The Aldens were more like pagans than ‘witches’?”
Alejandra gave a nod. “That would be the closest approximation to it.”
“How did they handle the witch trials?” Selena asked, recalling one of Elsianna’s school-reports. “Something in Europe and America – I mean, Salem, obviously.”
Alejandra raised an eyebrow to her daughter, who merely shrugged. “Television and such. I hear things.”
“Well… I can’t speak about Salem, most of our ancestors stayed in Europe. But the Eichstatt, Wurzburg, Bamburg, and North Berwick, even Salzburg and Torsaker, you would probably find some relative of ours that had been executed there.”
“That’s…that’s horrible.” Selena remarked. “All of them?”
“Sweetheart.” Alejandra remarked simply, as if she was desensitized by the knowledge (given her years of knowing it). “We’re talking about the murder of over 40,000 people. Is it so hard to believe some of our family was mixed up with it?”
“So…what happened?” Selena asked.
“Well, most of them fled time and time again. Changed their last names, scattered across the lands. It wasn’t until the late 1800s that the families were brought back together and the family was re-established. Of course, that was my father’s grandfather.”
“So, what are they now? Do they still practice?”
“Some do, I think.” Alejandra shrugged. “Some stay very true to the lifestyle – but each charter and belief system is slightly different, far as I remember. Some live in the woods, others simply wear amulets and practice certain spells.”
“Spells?” Selena asked in disbelief. “I thought you said it wasn’t like that.”
“It’s not.” Alejandra sighed. “Hold on – I think I still have it.”
The older woman retreated back into the halls, but this time, she opened up a closet to reveal an old chest at the bottom of it. Pulling it out with a bit of grunt, Alejandra opened it, unaware that Selena had followed behind her this time. Before the Snow Queen’s eyes, she saw old patches of clothes, books, some jewelry, photobooks, some gems, colored-stones and pendants. She remained quiet as her mother pulled out a dark-red cover book, one that clearly showed its age, and a smooth, black stone. Carefully, Alejandra opened it before turning around, gasping as she realized Selena was standing right in front of her.
“Oh gods!” she remarked. “We need to put a bell on your or something.” She added, making her way back into the sitting room, her eyes back on the book as she carefully flipped through the pages. “No…No… no…” she read for a few more minutes. “Ah, here we go!” she turned the page over to Selena, showing the faded writing of pen, though it was still legible.
“Good luck spell.” Selena read. “Difficulty level: Easy. Requirements: wood or stone. Time: Waxing moon or Thursday- mother what is this?”
“It’s a spell.” Alejandra explained. “A very simple one but I use to use this one all the time when I was a kid – like Elsianna’s age.”
“You cast spells?” Selena raised an eyebrow. “Real spells?”
“Well… that’s a matter of perception and beliefs.” Alejandra shrugged. “Look I just want to show you what I meant, okay?” she sighed. “Cept I haven’t done this in years… Not sure if I can do it right…”
Moving into the kitchen, Alejandra placed the book on the table, keeping it on its page. “First, cleanse your aura and aura of your workspace… hold let me think…” she closed her eyes to give herself a few minutes, as if recalling a far-away memory before moving her hands in directions and shapes that Selena could not identify. She then clapped her hands loudly together before doing a similar set of gestures around herself and Selena before opening her eyes. “I think that worked.”
“What?” Selena asked. “You waved your arms and then looked like you were trying to swat a fly.”
“You know… for someone that talks A LOT about ‘believing’, you sure as are being mouthy.” Alejandra threw at the Snow Queen. “Do you want to know or not?”
“Fine.” Selena crossed her arms, leaning against one of the door ways as she watched her mother, who resumed reading from the small book.
“Now… we sand or wash the wood or stone.” Alejandra did as she read, washing and drying the black stone with a paper towel. “Then we take a marker, guess I’ll use a white one. And what did…” her voice trailed off as she leaned over to gaze at the book page, drawing something on the stone as she whispered. “Fehu, rune of good fortune. Support me in my endeavours and bring me luck and new beginnings.”
With the task finished, Alejandra turned to Selena, holding out the stone to put in Selena’s hand. “There.” She remarked. “Now you have a good luck charm.”
“A good luck charm?” Selena looked down at the stone in her hand, turning it over to see the white half-tree symbol (that’s what it looked like. Half a tree with branches but no leaves). “You did arts and crafts, mom. Amiliah did this in school a week or two ago. She drew a castle on a white stone.”
“You asked what spells were like and I told you.” Alejandra shrugged a bit aggressively.
“Yeah, but I was expecting ‘blood of chicken, eye of newt’ or something.” Selena answered back.
“Not my fault.” Alejandra answered simply.
“So if that’s all you guys did – arts and crafts – why do you hate the fact that they are witches?”
“I don’t hate that they’re witches due to their beliefs in spells, Selena.” Alejandra explained. “I hate that how they view themselves as such a ‘private club’.” She gave a sigh. “The Aldens used to be healers and servants of people. Now? They’re some kind of elitist cult. Like the family is sacred and nobody but family members may partake or whatever.”
“Like the Frostmeres.” Selena stated, immediately earning the stunned expression of her mother.
“I’m sorry.” She quickly spoke. “I didn’t mean it like that.” She tried. “I know how much being a Frost means to you.”
“It does.” Selena admitted. “But I’d be lying if I said the clan was not without its MAJOR flaws.”
“You haven’t…heard from them, have you?”
“Not since Brachiss and DeWinter died.” Selena admitted. “Which is fine with me. Far as I am concerned, the ‘Frost clan’ is just my immediate family. Me, Deanna, our children, you and dad – maybe even Peter if he ever returns.”
“Don’t hold your breath.” Alejandra shook her head. “Unless we’re offering money, he isn’t coming around.”
“His loss.” Selena stated, eyeing the stone in her hand. “So, where’s the ‘on-switch’ for this thing?”
“On switch?” Alejandra asked with an amused smile.
“Yeah, like to ‘activate’ the good luck or something.”
The inquiry caused a laugh to escape the older woman, who shook her head before reaching out to close Selena’s hand around the stone. “Just keep it on you – in your pocket or something – when you need it.”
Despite herself, the Snow Queen could help the mental image that came to her of keeping the stone in the pocket of her wrestling attire… if only to chuck it at Kimberly Williams the first chance she got! Now THAT would be good luck! she smiled without meaning to. “So…” she gazed down at her hand. “This is what you guys did?”
“Well…” Alejandra sighed. “Some did more… some did worse… Least that’s what mother told me. I wasn’t allowed to read some of the higher-end spellbooks. They were ‘for adults’.”
“Great…” Selena sighed. “Nice to know if I don’t do this with you – they get put a hex on me or something.”
“Not going to begin to unpack that, Selena.” Alejandra sighed. “Gods, why are we even bringing this back into our family?”
“I believe I made it clear my lack of choice in the matter.” Selena remarked sharply. “Or did you miss the part where Raphael threatened to bid for SCW and, in not so many words, threatened to make my career a living hell?”
“I know!” sighed Alejandra, turning to march back into the family room. “But… did you ever think about what this could do? What this will invite?”
“No because I have no idea.” Selena stated honestly. “I sided with you because you clearly wanted nothing to do with them and, quite frankly, I didn’t want anymore of ‘family shit’ to deal with. But there’s nothing we can do, mother. They’ve got me. If Raphael is that desperate to get you to return for some kind of reunion, then what choice do we have? If I say no, he’ll just come up with another way. If I say no to that, he’ll find another way!”
“You don’t know that-“
“Do you have any FUCKING idea how much SCW is worth, mother?!” Selena spat. “I make millions a year and I can’t even come CLOSE to making a bid for it! We’re talking hundreds of millions of dollars, mom! Maybe more – maybe billions! And Raphael can make a bit on it! You don’t brag about that if you can’t back it up!” she shook her head sadly. “And a man with THAT kind of money – the kind that puts even my father’s goldmine to shame… then he won’t stop just because one plan doesn’t work.”
There was a moment of silence between the two, mother and daughter staring down each other. “Believe me.” Selena remarked. “I’ve thought about this for some time. Even if I pack up and leave SCW and go somewhere else, he’ll target that one next. He’ll just follow me to and fro until he has me where he wants me. And if that doesn’t work, he’ll find another way – a man with that kind of money? Malcolm Scythe’s only weaknesses was his limited resources and his ego. I don’t see any of that in Raphael… besides…” Selena eyed her mother. “I can’t bear the thought of leaving SCW in his hands. Not when he doesn’t give a damn about it beyond using it to get to us.”
Again, Alejandra remained silent for several minutes, choosing to cast her eyes out the window to her neighbourhood. “I could have gone my whole life without seeing them again.” She whispered. “Not seeing a single one of them ever again.” There was a slight growl in her voice before turning her head towards Selena. “You’re certain he gave his word to back off afterwards?”
“Yes.” Selena sighed. “We just give him an afternoon…” pulling out her phone, she checked over the message Caius had sent her a few days ago. “Here.” She showed the message to her mother, outlining the details Raphael had insisted.
Giving a quick scan, Alejandra scoffed at it. “Of course, he’d pick a place like that. Showcase his cash and inflate his ego.”
“I’ll be with you.” Selena insisted. “And…I’ll make sure nothing happens.”
Again, Alejandra scoffed. “You plan on packing a gun or something?” she turned and her expression morphed to shock as Selena’s serious expression didn’t. “Selena!”
“I am not walking into a hornet’s nest without a way out, mother. Father taught me that.” She replied coldly. “I may have no choice in going through with this but I get to decide HOW I go through with this.”
Reaching out, the Snow Queen took her mother’s hand in hers. “And I choose the way that keeps us safe and get you and I out of there for good. Understand?”
Despite herself, Alejandra gave a shaky sigh. “And SCW means that much to you? To go through with this?”
Despite her previous logic, Selena didn’t repeat it. Instead, she merely gave a nod of her head. In truth, even if leaving SCW DID remove Raphael’s power, she still couldn’t do it. She couldn’t imagine her life without SCW. It had been SCW that had given her the life she had, allowed her to meet her wife, have two more children, a ‘forever home’, reunite with her parents, and gods knew what else.
“What’s one more scar?” she answered. “I’ve got too many to count.” She added, her mind mentally recalling the scars on her back, the injuries to her knee, ribs and foot – everything where one of them could have ended a career – she had taken each bullet for SCW without flinching. Xander, Giovanni, Vixen, Regan, Infamous, Wonderland, Coalition, Blood Grove/New Eden, the list was a good mile long. And like her past and her ‘lack of education’, Selena was as responsible for her scars and pains as those that had dealt to her. She had chosen to take those bullets, those pains because she loved SCW and wanted to protect it – to make sure it was all it could be in case some other lost little girl found her way there, needing help and a new life…
“Fine.” Sighed Alejandra. “I’ll go.” She surrendered.
“Thank you.” Selena sighed. “I’ll be there to protect you every step of the way.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, dear.” Alejandra smiled. “You don’t know the Aldens like I do.”
“Maybe not.” Selena smiled with a tilt of her head. “But they don’t know Selena Frost like I do…”
_______________________________________________________________
The Royal Letter
The camera opens to reveal the interior of what looks to be a trophy room, the faintest sound of rainfall can be heard outside, along with the occasional clasp of thunder. Along the walls of the room hang many colorful championship belts and framed pictures, many SCW-related while some are not, belonging to such groups as IWC and the World Series of Wrestling. Larger trophies, such as The Best of the Best Tournament and Shot of Adrenaline Tournament sit on the floor near the titles, no less prestigious in their display. Slowly, as the camera rotates throughout the room, it settles on a flatscreen television hanging on the wall, the device playing a replay of SCW’s Retribution pay-per-view, specifically the tag-team title match between Light in the Darkness and The House of Frost. The volume is turned on, allowing the audience to hear the stadium crowd that night!
THIS IS AWESOME! THIS IS AWESOME! it is beyond clear as various clips of the match are played, the voice of Adam Sharper emerging from the highlight reel.
What a match! Two amazing teams, hugely gifted, but tonight, the champions retain!... They said they were going to focus on the in-ring and two of the finest teams in SCW today just put on a classic all to become World Tag Team Champions!
The footage slows on the image of Selena and Deanna Frost holding up the World tag-team titles with help from the Light in the Darkness before the camera backs up a little, revealing the woman in the trophy room, watching the footage as she sits in an armchair. She wears a black-dress and her hair is up in tight updo. One leg is crossed over the other as she continues to observe the footage of the pay-per-view, watching it change as she speaks.
A night where four women defined what integrity and tag-team wrestling should be about -what SCW should be about… the image changes to Bree Lancaster pinning The One and Aisling to retain her Adrenaline championship! A night where one champion displayed dominance in defiantly pinning two superstars at once, leaving no doubt over her place among the best of SCW.
The footage shifts to show Bree, Datura, and Chase Owens that night. Contenders were crowned. Lastly, the footage shows Owen Cruze, hurt but standing proud with the world championship. And a man found it in himself to find retribution against a liar and bastard of a man.
Despite herself, there is a momentary look of pride in the Snow Queen’s eyes, seeing such a five-star pay-per-view play out as it did weeks before.
Such passion, respect, love of the sport and for what’s right – for the integrity of SCW, people giving everything they have for the opportunity of a championship, a contendership, or simply to prove themselves or do the right thing in this federation… her voice trails off as she slowly turns in her seat to face the camera in front of her.
And in the end… it all meant absolutely nothing.
With a snap of her fingers, the television suddenly turns off, the screen growing dark and the footage of Retribution – the epitome of integrity that SCW could be – is snuffed out in a second, leaving only Selena, who’s expression has grown colder.
How fucking dare you. her voice holds a hint of a growl to it. How FUCKING dare you!
Her voice rings within the small room as more thunder is heard from outside the room/house.
Kimberly, the Board of Directors – even O. D. himself! How can all of you do this! How dare you disrespect all of that, Kimberly, how dare you, Board members, allow it, and how dare you, O. D., finalize it!
Yes, I am talking about the news that not only stole the attention of Retribution from its competitors, but essentially made EVERYTHING so many of us were fighting for moot and irrelevant! The cash-in of Kimberly’s trios contract to create a match that is to be the length of an entire show! With every title on the line!
She takes a deep breath through her nose, exhaling slowly as she tries to maintain some degree of control. And no, I could care less that every title is on the line, including the tag-team championship. Hell, for all of her talk of ‘originality’, when it comes down to it, this is nothing more than a bloated, overembellished version of Jake Starr’s cash-in years ago, when he ran the elimination chamber with every title on the line! If THAT was all that had been asked, that the House of Frost defend their tag-titles in a match where the winner would walk away the tag-champions, I’d happily accept that, as I know Deanna would. We’d be there to happily prove our place at the top of the tag-team division and as one of the best tag-teams in the world today!
But that’s not what this match is, is it, Kimberly? Directors? O.?! Oh no! Because the winner of the match doesn’t walk away with the tag-team titles… the fourth and fifth placed people will!
Her pale jaw clenches, the muscles working under the tension of the Snow Queen, her next series of words almost spoken through clenched teeth.
That’s right, True Believers. Where the winner of this ‘score-keeping’ match will, rightfully, become the SCW World champion, every other title will be decided by who comes in second all the way down to last place. For a moment, Selena’s eyes flutter over to the titles hanging on the wall – the World title, the United States title, the Tag-team titles, the Adrenaline title, and the Television title.
Which means… her sapphire eyes flitter back over to the turned-off screen, as if she can still see the highlights of her war with Light in the Darkness with her wife, Deanna, and the many other moments of Retribution that, could have, made her so proud to be part of SCW.
Everything Luz, Amelia, Deanna and I fought for…
Everything we put out bodies through to give an incredible match…
The pain we endured for what we believed in, just like Bree did, and Datura did, and Owen did, and Chance did…
And all along… we were fighting for fucking consolation prizes…
A moment of silence passes as Selena’s last words hang in the air until, suddenly, the platinum-blonde pushes herself out of her chair, even tipping it over in the process, causing it to fall on the floor. The camera follows her as she paces around the room, surrounded by the accolades/accomplishments she had received in her near-decade in SCW and elsewhere.
Is that what you’re trying to tell the world, directors? O.?! That your WORLD tag-team championship isn’t even worth a silver or a bronze medal? That it’s a swell consolation prize to a fourth or fifth place person under most of the singles titles? Is THAT what Light in the Darkness faced their demons and came back for? Is that what White Knight and Valeria risked their careers and their lives for at the End of the Year?! For a damn participation prize or the opportunity of a lifetime?! Is that what Bree Lancaster and Datura dream of? A door-prize? Is that what Deanna and I worked like hell to get our hands on? The near bottom of championship-level? Is that what ‘world tag-team titles’ mean to all of you?!
Is that what the Adrenaline title means?
What the United States title means? Booby prizes?!
AHHHHH!
A scream escapes Selena as she turns around, her hands fisting into her hair. The turn is enough for the audience to see the bare back that the dress exposes of the Snow Queen, and the web of scars that line her skin. She turns back to the camera, sapphire eyes almost pleading.
How could you allow this, O.? How could you so blatantly disrespect the other championships like that?! Where we have to – literally! – lose in order to win or retain?! How is THAT integrity?! How is that proving that we are ‘the best’ of those divisions?! How is that… How is that Supreme Championship Wrestling?! How is that… How is that…
Despite herself, unshed tears can be seen forming in Selena’s eyes, which she angrily swipes at with the back of her hand as she turns away.
After… she sniffles a little. After everything so many of us gave for those titles. My wife… my sister for her ‘Rise to Greatness moment’… Matches of the year for titles like the United States title. Whole tournaments to determine the Adrenaline Champion – SOA, anyone? Titles that people like Glory hunger for in their quest for the status of ‘Supreme Champion’… and you do this?
You tell us that they aren’t worth more than ‘prizes for the losers’? Worth less than the leather and metal that comprise them. How, O.… How can you…
Slowly, her voice trailing off, Selena manages to find her way back into her chair, leaning forward and onto her knees.
And for what? What is all of this for? So Kimberly Williams can be Underground champion again?! Lifting her head up, Selena’s sapphire eyes darken as she stares into the camera.
You brat. she growls. You damn coward! I knew your words of ‘taking the division seriously’ were utter crap the minute I heard them! I knew that you were just the same coward that threatened to bail on Double Jeopardy and then bailed on a tag-match with The House of Frost shortly thereafter. Because if you really gave a damn, it be you in there with all of us. It be you fighting for those 2-3 hours…
But no, you can win by getting one fall and then high-tailing it out of the arena. Rules put in place for you alone that make it nigh-impossible for you to leave without the Underground title, certainly impossible for the RIGHTFUL champion Owen Cruze to remain the champion if he wishes to keep the World title…
You drag the title you claim to ‘care about’ through the damn mud just so you can have it. Simply because you weren’t good enough to keep it. Sapphire eyes narrow. And the ironic thing of it all? Even as low as you’ve brought it, Kimberly, the Underground title will STILL be too good for you! Because what you have done is not chaos. It’s cowardice! It’s disrespect! It’s you NOT taking what those titles mean seriously! What people like ME and Light in the Darkness and Deanna and so many others gave up and risked just to get a chance at those titles – the tournaments we won, the injuries we endured, the careers we risked… and careers some of us lost…
Her voice trails off for a moment, eyes casting another glance towards the championships on the wall.
People have RISKED their lives for these titles! She gestures to her collection. People have busted their ass week in and week out just for a chance to EARN titles like these. I spent FOUR YEARS trying to bring myself to a level so that I could compete for the SCW World title! I spent months and months training with my wife to get us to a level where we could beat the, supposedly, unbeatable Farmstead Friends and EVERY tag-team that came our way!
But you? You want to take a shortcut. You want to steal back a title, then run out like a cowardly, little bitch! And you whine on Twitter with your gifs and emojis, ‘I’m not coming! I’m not showing up! I’m not going to wrestle unless they give me what I want! I want! I want! I want!” I want you to shut the hell up! Selena’s voice echoes in the room, louder than the thunder.
You know why no one respects you, Kimberly? Why no one thinks you’re anything more than a bratty, little cretin that’s maybe good for a comedy sketch on Breakdown? It’s because while the rest of us are working each day to be better, you’re looking for handouts, for shortcuts, for ways to screw over as many people as you can because, deep down, you’re not good enough to truly beat people like me. Like Deanna. Like Light in the Darkness. Like Owen Cruze, right? You had your chance to do it and you failed!
You try to be relevant and you fail!
You try and be chaotic and you fail!
You even bring your mother back to change things up… and you FAIL!
She slowly breathes. And maybe you steal the title this Breakdown, Kimberly, but you’ll ultimately fail again. You’ll ultimately be beaten by someone that doesn’t see a seventh-place prize. Someone that holds value for that title, which you clearly don’t.
Selena seems to think about it for a second. Or any of you for that matter, Board of Directors. O. D.. You clearly don’t hold any value for your titles or your superstars beyond what’s been made apparent. Because if you can willingly demand your performers to wrestle for 2-3 hours for wooden spoons and chump status… if you can willingly say that the WORLD tag-team titles are the fourth and fifth most important titles in SCW today. If you can willingly show that every title other than the world title is simply consolation prizes, O. D.…
Then maybe I was wrong… Maybe a new owner of SCW wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
She pushes herself to her feet, standing in front of the camera.
Because I didn’t endure falling off a scaffold for a second-place award. I didn’t win tournaments for door-prizes. I didn’t survive roofed-cages for ‘charity awards’. I didn’t suffer concussions, buckled ribs, my wife didn’t suffer a broken arm, and I didn’t risk my hair for fucking ‘participation prizes’! And if you believe that Deanna and I ever would allow what we have done, what we and so many others have worked for to be treated as such? For our legacy to be so tarnished because you’re making it impossible for the House of Frost to retain without ‘losing’?
She looks away again, once more the anger spiking at the impossibility of ‘retaining’ without ‘losing’ in this upcoming match – a contradiction to everything the Snow Queen believes in.
You want to force my hand, Kimberly? Board of Directors? O.?
A pale hand launches out to grab the camera, taking it up to allow the Snow Queen to glare into the lens.
Consider it forced! Because this is NOT integrity! This is NOT SCW! This is NOT what I believe in!! This is… This is…
With an angry yell, the camera is hurled into the wall where the sound of it crashing is hurt. The image is distorted and cracked as it falls to the ground, revealing the door as Selena Frost marches out of it, pulling her hair free to allow it to fall into the iconic braid behind her before slamming the door behind her as the shot then slowly goes to black.
03-29-2023, 07:53 AM
OOC: The CD picks up from the last few rps, with flashbacks to Hudson's time in the military, to more present day. The sections in bold/italics are his inner thoughts and not promo. Good luck to all.
A History of Violence: Book II: The Mission, Chapter Five
A History of Violence: Book II: The Mission, Chapter Five
03-29-2023, 11:12 AM
OOC: 2 of 2 for Kim
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March 25th, 2023
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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Breakdown is less than a week away and the anxious anticipation towards Kimberly Williams and her chaotic Trios Cash In is building to a fever pitch. Every single champion has been put on notice. Every single championship is being defended in one single, barbaric, underground rules match that will last the duration of Breakdown. The champions of Supreme Championship Wrestling are anxious, nervous, and some angry, about this cash in. Why wouldn’t they? Their titles are in serious jeopardy. Despite what some may think, this isn’t a match booked out of spite. Kimberly hasn’t done this to hurt anyone. This is her gift of entertainment to the fans, her Kimmymaniacs who love the chaos of Underground Rules, and it is a gift to her fellow wrestlers on the SCW roster, because anyone and everyone who is an active wrestler can enter the match and challenge for a title. Obviously the Trios Contract holder herself, Kimberly Williams, will be participating in the match; but her goal is singularly focused on winning the Underground Championship back. It is the one championship that means more to her than any other championship in all of professional wrestling. Kimberly hasn’t been quite the same since losing the Underground Title to Owen Cruze back at Body, Heart, and Soul.
Yet on this Saturday before Breakdown, before the Trios Cash In and her big chance to regain the Underground Championship, The Woman Scorned seems a little distracted. Early in the week Kimberly found out that her nephew, Sean Connor Jones, was in trouble at school. According to Sean, his grades had dropped and the school principal wanted to speak with his mother. Kim, being the identical twin sister of Sean’s mother Marie Jones, knew that his mother would overreact. And in a perhaps misguided attempt to be the “cool aunt” decided to impersonate Marie and have that meeting with the school principal while Marie was away on other business. Playing the part of Marie Jones was easy enough for Kimberly. She has had to do it on more than one occasion. She expected this meeting would go smoothly, she would get Sean out of trouble not only with the school but with his mother, and Sean could then straighten himself up on his own. But The Woman Scorned was blindsided when she learned that Sean was lying to her the entire time. The school principal wasn’t all that concerned about the grades as they were about Sean skipping school.
Kimberly was played for a fool by her nephew and she fell for it. Now she has to face the music and confront her sister, Sean’s mother Marie. Marie obviously cannot be too happy with what Kim did in her attempt to parent Sean. But Kim had the best of intentions. She meant well. She only wanted to help and yet again her good intentions only seemed to create even more trouble. Times like this make Kimberly wonder if she should even try to help anyone?
And so Kim now finds herself walking up to the front door of her sister’s home in Boston, Massachusetts. The eccentric ginger is dressed in torn denim jeans, a plain black t-shirt, and flip flops. Her long red hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back. She approaches the front door and sighs before ringing the doorbell. Kim can only wait in nervous anticipation, preparing to be fussed out by her sister at any moment. Eventually she hears the door knob turning. The door swings open and it’s almost like looking in a mirror; she sees her twin sister Marie Jones standing there just inside, wearing a black knee length pencil skirt, black flats, and a red silk blouse. Williams sheepishly smiles and waves.
“Hi, sis! What’s up?” Kim waits on a response but doesn’t get anything. Instead Marie just sighs as she steps to the side to allow room for her sister to step inside. Kim shrugs her shoulders and then steps across the threshold. Her sister remains silent but does motion for her to follow her through the home and into the living room. “So, uh, you cleaned up!” Kim says quickly attempting to start some small talk. The attempt fails miserably as Marie remains silent. Kim sighs as she sits down on the comfortable cream colored sofa. “Uh, what about those Pats? Think we’ll make the playoffs next season?” This attempt at small talk again fails. Marie ignores her twin, walking past her out of the living room and into the kitchen. Kim rolls her eyes. “Come on, Marie! I already apologized a dozen times! Or was it two dozen? I don’t remember!” Kim whines. A few moments later of waiting and Marie returns to the living room. Only she is carrying two glasses of red wine with her. She hands one to her sister Kim before sitting down next to her on the sofa.
“I thought we could use a drink.” Marie states.
“Oh I get it…” Kim grins “...you’re gonna poison me!”
“No, that’s your thing. Not mine.” Marie takes a sip of her wine. “I just figured that we could use a drink to ease the tension considering what happened.”
“Now don’t go overreacting, Marie. This isn’t the end of the world. And I know that for certain because I asked my hamster Caligula and he told me the end of the world isn’t until at least another two or three years from now.”
“Kim!” Marie raises her voice, which startles and silences her sister. “Try and take this seriously, because what you did was very serious!”
“I know, I know…” Kim nods her head and composes herself. She realizes her attempt to lighten the mood in this tense situation is not working at all, so she quickly takes a more serious tone. “...where is Sean, anyway?”
“Sean is upstairs in his room and you can go see him eventually but first we need to talk about what you did.” Marie says, pointing at Kim. “You went into an official school meeting with the principal, pretending to be me, pretending to be Sean’s mother…do you realize the kind of trouble you could have gotten yourself into? Or Sean? Hell, even me?!”
“In fairness I have done far worse than that and got away with it.” Kim says, grinning sheepishly. “Uh, you didn’t tell the school that was me, did you?”
“No, I kept your secret.” Marie answers, rolling her eyes.
“Thanks. And look, I really am sorry for going in there and taking advantage of you, pretending to be you, trying to help Sean hide what he did from you. I just wanted to be the cool aunt, y’know?”
“I know, I get it.” Marie nods her head. “You meant well, you wanted to help Sean. But you DO realize that he manipulated you, right? He took advantage of you because he knows that you want to be the fun aunt.”
“It pissed me off.” Kim remarks. “He lied to me! He blatantly lied to me, telling me it was just bad grades and nothing more. He conveniently left out the part about skipping school! Believe me, sis, had I known he was outright skipping classes then I would not have helped him. I would have left him at your mercy.”
“Even if it was just about grades, Kim, you shouldn’t have left me out of the loop.” Marie says scoldingly. “He’s your nephew and if you ever need to speak to the school on my behalf that’s fine, but ultimately parenting him is my job. You cannot keep his bad behavior away from me and that’s exactly what you were trying to do.”
“I know, and I’m sorry…” Kim sighs deeply “...but…” her voice begins to crack. Something begins building, some emotions and deep seeded feelings. Marie can tell something is off with her twin sister and tilts her head to one side, studying her closely.
“What’s wrong?”
“Just some stuff he said to me, that’s all.” Kim shakes her head. “It wasn’t important.”
“What did he say?” Marie asks, now her curiosity is peaked. “If he said anything to you offensive then that’s not right. You may share the bulk of the guilt for helping him but he needs to respect you.”
“Don’t go and punish him, Marie.” Kim says pleadingly. “I mean, what he said wasn’t wrong. It’s just…” her voice trails off again. Marie takes Kim by the hands and squeezes tightly.
“What is it?”
“He just…” Kim sighs “...I was scolding him for lying to me, for deceiving me, for skipping school, letting his grades drop, and then he went and reminded me of how I have no room to talk because of the awful things I did in the past, specifically how I kidnapped you…how I…” tears form in Kim’s eyes, tears of regret as she recalls the crime she once committed against her own sister. Marie embraces Kim a tight hug.
“Look, calm down. It’s ok.” Marie pats her on the back as they hug. “Sean is just a typical teenager. He spoke without thinking and he didn’t mean it.” After breaking the embrace Marie leans over and snatches a tissue from a box and hands it to Kim. “Trust me, Sean adores you. He may be mad right now, but he loves his Aunt Kim.”
“Are you sure?” Kim asks with a small hint of a smile. “He seemed pretty mad.”
“Trust me. He loves you.” Marie motions towards the hall. “Now go talk to him. I think a nice chat will help both of you right now.”
Kimberly nods her head. She hugs Marie one more time before rising up off of the sofa. Then The Woman Scorned makes her way through the living room and out into the hall. Kim turns towards the staircase and ascends the stairs. Ordinarily the opportunity to visit with her nephew is a great thing but right now she is concerned. She can’t help but think about what mood her nephew will be in. Will he still be angry with Kim? It was Kim who did tell his mother about what he did, it is Kim’s fault he is in trouble right now; technically it is his own fault he is in trouble, he is the one who skipped class, but Sean will no doubt blame the ‘snitch’ who turned him in. The Woman Scorned reaches the top of the stairs and immediately heads towards her nephew’s room. The door is already slightly ajar. She pushes it the rest of the way open and steps inside. She sees her nephew lying on his bed reading a Spider-Man comic book.
“Hi there, kiddo.” Kim says. “Can I come in?”
“Sure.” Sean says, laying the comic down on his nightstand. Kim walks over and sits down on the edge of the bed next to Sean.
“I heard that your mom finally dropped the hammer on you.”
“Yeah, she grounded me.” Sean says, nodding his head.
“Well I hate it, kiddo, but hopefully it will teach you a lesson. What you did wasn’t any good. You skipped classes, and that led to your grades suffering. You can’t let stuff like that happen.”
“It didn’t have to happen, y’know?” Sean says, staring accusingly at his aunt Kim. “Why did you have to tell mom?”
“We already went over this, kiddo. You skipped school. I can’t keep that kind of thing from your mom.”
“But you KNEW she would overreact! She overreacts about everything! She takes everything way too seriously! She isn’t cool like you…” Sean sighs and shakes his head “...well, cool like you used to be.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kim asks. “I am cool.”
“I thought you were cool but if you were cool then why did you tell mom?”
“Sean, I do want to be the fun aunt, the cool aunt. But more importantly than being fun and cool is being an aunt who cares about you, kiddo. I don’t want to see you waste your life away.”
“Wasting my life?” Sean chuckles. “You got to be kidding, right Aunt Kim?”
“I’m not kidding.” Kim shakes her head. “Your mom grounded you for skipping school. But I never went to school. I never got to attend school at all, I never even graduated high school because I was raised by someone who never really gave a damn about me.”
“Wait, I thought grandma…”
“Your mom had your grandmother to raise her, but I didn’t.” Kim shakes her head. “The woman who raised me didn’t care enough about me to make sure I was raised properly, that I had the proper education. I never got to have recess like you do, I never got to make friends at school the way you do. I never got to learn from a normal teacher who cares about me. You have so many advantages that I never got.” Kim wipes a tear from her eye. “I wish I had a normal childhood like you have but I never got any of that.”
“I never knew that.” Sean says quietly. “I’m sorry Aunt Kim.”
“It’s ok, kiddo. I don’t like talking about it that much so I never told you. Point is, because there was no one there to teach me right from wrong I ended up doing some awful things that got me into big trouble; yes, including when I snapped and kidnapped your mom.”
“Yeah, about that.” Sean sighs. “I’m sorry for bringing that up, Aunt Kim. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“It’s ok, kiddo. I know you didn’t mean it. But what I need to get across to you is that because I didn’t have anyone who cared enough about me to raise me properly, I ended up making awful, terrible mistakes that landed me in trouble with the law. Had it not been for your mother, I might have been locked away forever, I might not have gotten the chance to spend time with my favorite nephew.” Kim smiles warmly.
“But I only skipped a few classes.” Sean says, shrugging his shoulders. “That’s it.”
“I know that’s all you did. But that’s how it starts, y’know? It starts with small, seemingly insignificant things like that; but then it only grows from there. Once you are willing to do that, you are willing to start doing something worse, and worse, and worse still. Your mom cares about you, I care about you, and we’re just trying to keep you from going down that wrong path.”
“I get it, Aunt Kim.” Sean nods his head. “You can trust me, I won’t make those mistakes.”
“I hope so, kiddo.” Kim embraces Sean in a tight hug. “I sincerely do.”
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March 30th, 2023
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
On Camera
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What happens when you give a deranged lunatic a blank check to do whatever the hell she wants? This is the question that has been on the minds of the entire SCW roster ever since the self-proclaimed Queen of the Death Match herself, Kimberly Williams, won a Trios Contract, earning herself the right to book any match she saw fit. Pure and utter chaos is what will rule the day on this coming Breakdown and nothing will ever be the same; at least, that’s the plan. It is a bright sunny morning in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The camera feed opens out on a hotel room balcony overlooking the Edmonton skyline. It isn’t long before the woman responsible for the oncoming chaos enters the scene; Kimberly Williams. The eccentric Kim is dressed in a plaid pink knee length skirt, boots, a matching plaid pink jacket with “Queens of Chaos” written on the back in black lettering, and a purple plaid shirt underneath. Kim spins around to face the camera. A look of confidence is on her face.
“Good morning, Canada!” Kimberly exclaims loudly. She waves her hand towards the camera, motioning towards the cameraman to get closer to the railing of the balcony. “C’mere and look!” She guides the camera over to the edge to take a look, a crowd of people have gathered below, the vast majority of whom are SCW fans, Kimberly Williams fans! “Hi there, Kimmymaniacs!” The people below cheer loudly. Kim then steps back in front of the camera. She winks. “You can tell that the Canadian Branch of the Kimmymaniacs are excited about the beautiful, glorious chaos that will reign supreme this evening on Breakdown! These great fans are looking forward to the great entertainment that my Trios Cash In is about to produce! And if you want unique, if you want creative, you got just that with MY cash in! I mean how many times must we see someone use their Trios Contract to give themselves a world title match, am I right?” The camera looks back down at the camera and the fans boo. Kim guides the camera back up to look at herself and she is grinning from ear to ear.
“See what I mean? They get it and that’s why I love them! They understand me and they get me! I bet they also understand why I did what I did with my Trios Contract…” her voice trails off, then a low and soft laugh escapes her lips “...it really is funny how everyone in SCW is in panic mode and has been in panic mode ever since I announced my intentions for the Trios Cash In. But none of it was unexpected. Stuck up status quo holier than thou bitches like Juneau McFrosty of course will think the worst of me. Of course they will make ridiculous accusations like how I am doing this out of spite because I lost the Underground Title or because I hate SCW and want to burn it to the ground.” Williams shakes her head.
“How wrong you are! I don’t want to burn SCW to the ground. I love SCW! I love it just as much as my Kimmymaniacs love it, am I right people?!” The fans can be heard cheering from down below. Kim smirks as she nods her head. “I love this company. SCW took a risk on the strange, black sheep of the Jones family who just wanted to prove herself, who just wanted to prove that she belonged in this business, that she had it what it took be one of the best wrestlers in the world today. And I took that opportunity, that chance SCW gave me and I ran with it. I took the ball given to me and I became a World Tag Team Champion, Television Champion, a United States Champion, and recently a Trios Tournament winner. Then SCW helped me find my niche, something I enjoyed doing not out of a sick twisted pleasure I get from the pure barbarity of it all, but because of how much it entertains the fans…SCW introduced me to the Underground Division.” Kim laughs softly. “Why would I want to destroy an institution that has given me so damn much? Why would I want to burn down SCW, a promotion that has helped me more than any other promotion?” She leans over and taps the camera, as if tapping the viewer on the head.
“Think about it for a moment! Use your heads for something other than a target for a steel chair! I don’t hate SCW! I love it! I admit I may have an unorthodox way of showing my love, but I do love it! And I love my fans even more than that. So any notion of this cash in being about destruction or disrespecting SCW is nonsense. But I DO want to burn something down…” she smirks devilishly “...I want to burn down the status quo. People within the status quo of Supreme Championship Wrestling fear change. They fear things being different and that’s precisely what my Trios Cash In is all about.”
“Think for a moment about the championship scenarios in Supreme Championship Wrestling. Just think about it…who are the ones almost always in contention? You see people like Syren, Selena Frost, Josh Hudson, Owen Cruze, Adam Allocco, Glory Braddock, and the list goes on and on…those names are always the lucky ones pushed into the spotlight, pushed into the main event marquee. Those are the ones whose names are always in the bright light. Lately my name has been right up there too. But it wasn’t easy for me, because I had to fight and claw and pay the price to make it happen for me. I am no longer pretending to be an outside looking in because I did finally break through. I broke through at Body, Heart, and Soul when I got to be in the main event, and even though I lost I helped catapult the Underground Championship onto near equal status with the SCW World Championship. It took damn near two years to accomplish that but I did it through my own blood, sweat, and tears!” Kimberly sighs and shakes her head.
“Others won’t be as lucky. Do you think someone as unique and adorable as Princess Yuyo will be gifted opportunities like that? Or what about Cassie Wolf? What about my friend Oktoberfest? People may not like her and I admit that she’s not very pleasant to be around, but hell, what about Kandis? Some of these people may be going about things the wrong way…looking at you, Kandis and Oktoberfest…but they all have legitimate gripes when it comes to being overlooked here in SCW. This is what my Trios Cash In is all about…it is about fairness, equality, and giving each and every person in this company the same opportunities I was given, only I am giving these opportunities to everyone in one swift stroke in one big grandiose night of chaos! And more importantly it will be an even playing field.” Kimberly nods her head. “That’s right, it will be fair. If those people who have been on top for so damn long, the McFrosty’s the Syren’s the Braddock’s, and so on, if they are good enough to get the job done and win the championships then so be it. Fair play to them. They will have earned it. But everyone else on this roster will have the same opportunity to earn it and if they are good enough to fight through one long grueling night of Underground violence and endure it all to become a champion, then they will not only earned it but will have proven to the world that they belong at the top of marquee along with the other top stars.” Another devilish grin forms on the face of The Woman Scorned.
“Now what would having a Trios Contract be without being at least a little selfish with it? Yes, I stacked the deck in my favor in hopes of winning back my Underground Championship. That championship means more to me than anything else in this company and trust me, I have done damn near everything else. People like Glory Braddock talk about becoming Supreme and I have no doubts in my mind that she is hoping to place fourth or fifth so that she become one half of the tag team champions and finally achieve Supreme Status. And I am pretty close to Supreme status myself. All I need is the World Title and Adrenaline Title and I would be a Supreme Champion. If I was the selfish bitch then wouldn’t it make sense for me to stack the deck in my favor to become World Champion? Or at least Adrenaline Champion? Something to get yours truly one step closer towards that golden goose, that status that so many people think means so damn much!” Kim taps herself on the head.
“You are so damned closed minded that you cannot even attempt to comprehend what I am trying to do. Many of you are so comfortable in your own little worlds with your own preconceived notions that you refuse to open up your mind to try and understand what I am trying to do. I love SCW. I would do anything for SCW. And I love the great fans of SCW who have supported me every day of my career with this company. I also love the Underground Division. I am passionate about the Underground Division and what it means, what it represents. I will enter this chaos and do whatever it takes to once again become Underground Champion, to once again carry the flag of the Underground proudly, but now to do more, now to prove that I am the VERY BEST EVER to compete in the Underground Division!” A fierce intensity spreads across Kimberly’s face. “The Underground has been carried by many infamous names. You have had your Nicole Kinnick’s and your Rachel Foxx’s but now you have Kimberly Williams who is the Queen of the Underground, the Queen of the Death Match, and a Queen of chaos! When people speak of the SCW Underground Division I want people to remember the name Kimberly Williams more than any other name!”
“Is that selfish? Sure. But like I said, what’s the purpose of having a Trios Contract if you can’t be a little selfish with it? This Underground Championship is my legacy here in SCW. If you can’t see that, if you can’t understand why this championship is important to me, then I’m sorry. If you think I’m being a coward, or if I’m being spiteful…well, you’re wrong, but you’re not the people I give a damn about anyway…” she once again guides the camera towards the edge of the balcony and focuses it on the fans below who let out another loud roaring ovation, then Kim guides the camera back to focusing on her own lovely face “...THOSE are the only people whose opinions matter and they have never once let me down, they have never once backed down from their support of me, and I will continue to fight for them. They want the Underground Division to mean something…am I right?” Another loud cheer can be heard. Kim nods her head.
“And I am going to make damn sure that it means something! I helped bring it back alongside greats like Jordan Majors. I continued to put it on the map by defending it against Oktoberfest, Deanna, Sarah Wolf, and others. I put the Underground Title in the main event of a pay per view for the first time in a very long time, if not the first time ever. Now I put the Underground stamp permanently upon every other division and upon this company. Every single championship in this company will be defended within the confines of Underground Rules. Once again I will have made history within the Underground. And when the final bell sounds, when the night of chaos has ended, the ring announcer will say…and NEW SCW Underground Champion, Kimberly Williams!”
The Woman Scorned shakes her head. “This isn’t about stealing. It isn’t about desperation. This has been the plan since day one when The One, Adam, and I first learned we are going to be a team in the Trios Tournament. This was how I had planned to use my Contract even before I knew I would win it. So anyone who thinks this is cowardice or desperation on my part then fuck you!” She flips the double bird at the camera. “You don’t know me! You don’t know what Kimberly Williams is all about! I am passionate about this business! I love this business! And yes, I especially love the Underground! That’s what this match is all about…it is about putting the Underground front and center and giving everyone an opportunity, especially those who do not always get an opportunity! It is about leveling the playing field…” she pats herself on the chest “...but for me, personally, it is about regaining the Underground Championship, and it is about me showing the entire world, and any unbelievers, just how passionate Kimberly Williams truly is for this division.” A soft laugh escapes her lips.
“Underground isn’t for everyone, I understand that. So there’s no disrespect from me towards anyone who chooses not to participate in this. However, I greatly respect anyone and everyone who decides to throw their hat in the ring for this chaos, for this insanity that is about to ensue tonight, including those who ignorantly run their damn mouths about shit they do not understand and who are too damn lazy to try and understand. I respect everyone who participates in this match, but all respect aside, I will do whatever it takes to walk away with the Underground Championship and I will continue on until I know that this match, my Trios Cash In, was not done in vain, I will continue to fight until I know that this Trios Cash In will live on in the annals of SCW history as one of the greatest and most entertaining of all time.”
“You wanted to know why? That’s why. The talking is over. The next time you see me, playtime begins.” She waves at the camera as she skips away. The camera fades to black.
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March 25th, 2023
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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Breakdown is less than a week away and the anxious anticipation towards Kimberly Williams and her chaotic Trios Cash In is building to a fever pitch. Every single champion has been put on notice. Every single championship is being defended in one single, barbaric, underground rules match that will last the duration of Breakdown. The champions of Supreme Championship Wrestling are anxious, nervous, and some angry, about this cash in. Why wouldn’t they? Their titles are in serious jeopardy. Despite what some may think, this isn’t a match booked out of spite. Kimberly hasn’t done this to hurt anyone. This is her gift of entertainment to the fans, her Kimmymaniacs who love the chaos of Underground Rules, and it is a gift to her fellow wrestlers on the SCW roster, because anyone and everyone who is an active wrestler can enter the match and challenge for a title. Obviously the Trios Contract holder herself, Kimberly Williams, will be participating in the match; but her goal is singularly focused on winning the Underground Championship back. It is the one championship that means more to her than any other championship in all of professional wrestling. Kimberly hasn’t been quite the same since losing the Underground Title to Owen Cruze back at Body, Heart, and Soul.
Yet on this Saturday before Breakdown, before the Trios Cash In and her big chance to regain the Underground Championship, The Woman Scorned seems a little distracted. Early in the week Kimberly found out that her nephew, Sean Connor Jones, was in trouble at school. According to Sean, his grades had dropped and the school principal wanted to speak with his mother. Kim, being the identical twin sister of Sean’s mother Marie Jones, knew that his mother would overreact. And in a perhaps misguided attempt to be the “cool aunt” decided to impersonate Marie and have that meeting with the school principal while Marie was away on other business. Playing the part of Marie Jones was easy enough for Kimberly. She has had to do it on more than one occasion. She expected this meeting would go smoothly, she would get Sean out of trouble not only with the school but with his mother, and Sean could then straighten himself up on his own. But The Woman Scorned was blindsided when she learned that Sean was lying to her the entire time. The school principal wasn’t all that concerned about the grades as they were about Sean skipping school.
Kimberly was played for a fool by her nephew and she fell for it. Now she has to face the music and confront her sister, Sean’s mother Marie. Marie obviously cannot be too happy with what Kim did in her attempt to parent Sean. But Kim had the best of intentions. She meant well. She only wanted to help and yet again her good intentions only seemed to create even more trouble. Times like this make Kimberly wonder if she should even try to help anyone?
And so Kim now finds herself walking up to the front door of her sister’s home in Boston, Massachusetts. The eccentric ginger is dressed in torn denim jeans, a plain black t-shirt, and flip flops. Her long red hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back. She approaches the front door and sighs before ringing the doorbell. Kim can only wait in nervous anticipation, preparing to be fussed out by her sister at any moment. Eventually she hears the door knob turning. The door swings open and it’s almost like looking in a mirror; she sees her twin sister Marie Jones standing there just inside, wearing a black knee length pencil skirt, black flats, and a red silk blouse. Williams sheepishly smiles and waves.
“Hi, sis! What’s up?” Kim waits on a response but doesn’t get anything. Instead Marie just sighs as she steps to the side to allow room for her sister to step inside. Kim shrugs her shoulders and then steps across the threshold. Her sister remains silent but does motion for her to follow her through the home and into the living room. “So, uh, you cleaned up!” Kim says quickly attempting to start some small talk. The attempt fails miserably as Marie remains silent. Kim sighs as she sits down on the comfortable cream colored sofa. “Uh, what about those Pats? Think we’ll make the playoffs next season?” This attempt at small talk again fails. Marie ignores her twin, walking past her out of the living room and into the kitchen. Kim rolls her eyes. “Come on, Marie! I already apologized a dozen times! Or was it two dozen? I don’t remember!” Kim whines. A few moments later of waiting and Marie returns to the living room. Only she is carrying two glasses of red wine with her. She hands one to her sister Kim before sitting down next to her on the sofa.
“I thought we could use a drink.” Marie states.
“Oh I get it…” Kim grins “...you’re gonna poison me!”
“No, that’s your thing. Not mine.” Marie takes a sip of her wine. “I just figured that we could use a drink to ease the tension considering what happened.”
“Now don’t go overreacting, Marie. This isn’t the end of the world. And I know that for certain because I asked my hamster Caligula and he told me the end of the world isn’t until at least another two or three years from now.”
“Kim!” Marie raises her voice, which startles and silences her sister. “Try and take this seriously, because what you did was very serious!”
“I know, I know…” Kim nods her head and composes herself. She realizes her attempt to lighten the mood in this tense situation is not working at all, so she quickly takes a more serious tone. “...where is Sean, anyway?”
“Sean is upstairs in his room and you can go see him eventually but first we need to talk about what you did.” Marie says, pointing at Kim. “You went into an official school meeting with the principal, pretending to be me, pretending to be Sean’s mother…do you realize the kind of trouble you could have gotten yourself into? Or Sean? Hell, even me?!”
“In fairness I have done far worse than that and got away with it.” Kim says, grinning sheepishly. “Uh, you didn’t tell the school that was me, did you?”
“No, I kept your secret.” Marie answers, rolling her eyes.
“Thanks. And look, I really am sorry for going in there and taking advantage of you, pretending to be you, trying to help Sean hide what he did from you. I just wanted to be the cool aunt, y’know?”
“I know, I get it.” Marie nods her head. “You meant well, you wanted to help Sean. But you DO realize that he manipulated you, right? He took advantage of you because he knows that you want to be the fun aunt.”
“It pissed me off.” Kim remarks. “He lied to me! He blatantly lied to me, telling me it was just bad grades and nothing more. He conveniently left out the part about skipping school! Believe me, sis, had I known he was outright skipping classes then I would not have helped him. I would have left him at your mercy.”
“Even if it was just about grades, Kim, you shouldn’t have left me out of the loop.” Marie says scoldingly. “He’s your nephew and if you ever need to speak to the school on my behalf that’s fine, but ultimately parenting him is my job. You cannot keep his bad behavior away from me and that’s exactly what you were trying to do.”
“I know, and I’m sorry…” Kim sighs deeply “...but…” her voice begins to crack. Something begins building, some emotions and deep seeded feelings. Marie can tell something is off with her twin sister and tilts her head to one side, studying her closely.
“What’s wrong?”
“Just some stuff he said to me, that’s all.” Kim shakes her head. “It wasn’t important.”
“What did he say?” Marie asks, now her curiosity is peaked. “If he said anything to you offensive then that’s not right. You may share the bulk of the guilt for helping him but he needs to respect you.”
“Don’t go and punish him, Marie.” Kim says pleadingly. “I mean, what he said wasn’t wrong. It’s just…” her voice trails off again. Marie takes Kim by the hands and squeezes tightly.
“What is it?”
“He just…” Kim sighs “...I was scolding him for lying to me, for deceiving me, for skipping school, letting his grades drop, and then he went and reminded me of how I have no room to talk because of the awful things I did in the past, specifically how I kidnapped you…how I…” tears form in Kim’s eyes, tears of regret as she recalls the crime she once committed against her own sister. Marie embraces Kim a tight hug.
“Look, calm down. It’s ok.” Marie pats her on the back as they hug. “Sean is just a typical teenager. He spoke without thinking and he didn’t mean it.” After breaking the embrace Marie leans over and snatches a tissue from a box and hands it to Kim. “Trust me, Sean adores you. He may be mad right now, but he loves his Aunt Kim.”
“Are you sure?” Kim asks with a small hint of a smile. “He seemed pretty mad.”
“Trust me. He loves you.” Marie motions towards the hall. “Now go talk to him. I think a nice chat will help both of you right now.”
Kimberly nods her head. She hugs Marie one more time before rising up off of the sofa. Then The Woman Scorned makes her way through the living room and out into the hall. Kim turns towards the staircase and ascends the stairs. Ordinarily the opportunity to visit with her nephew is a great thing but right now she is concerned. She can’t help but think about what mood her nephew will be in. Will he still be angry with Kim? It was Kim who did tell his mother about what he did, it is Kim’s fault he is in trouble right now; technically it is his own fault he is in trouble, he is the one who skipped class, but Sean will no doubt blame the ‘snitch’ who turned him in. The Woman Scorned reaches the top of the stairs and immediately heads towards her nephew’s room. The door is already slightly ajar. She pushes it the rest of the way open and steps inside. She sees her nephew lying on his bed reading a Spider-Man comic book.
“Hi there, kiddo.” Kim says. “Can I come in?”
“Sure.” Sean says, laying the comic down on his nightstand. Kim walks over and sits down on the edge of the bed next to Sean.
“I heard that your mom finally dropped the hammer on you.”
“Yeah, she grounded me.” Sean says, nodding his head.
“Well I hate it, kiddo, but hopefully it will teach you a lesson. What you did wasn’t any good. You skipped classes, and that led to your grades suffering. You can’t let stuff like that happen.”
“It didn’t have to happen, y’know?” Sean says, staring accusingly at his aunt Kim. “Why did you have to tell mom?”
“We already went over this, kiddo. You skipped school. I can’t keep that kind of thing from your mom.”
“But you KNEW she would overreact! She overreacts about everything! She takes everything way too seriously! She isn’t cool like you…” Sean sighs and shakes his head “...well, cool like you used to be.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kim asks. “I am cool.”
“I thought you were cool but if you were cool then why did you tell mom?”
“Sean, I do want to be the fun aunt, the cool aunt. But more importantly than being fun and cool is being an aunt who cares about you, kiddo. I don’t want to see you waste your life away.”
“Wasting my life?” Sean chuckles. “You got to be kidding, right Aunt Kim?”
“I’m not kidding.” Kim shakes her head. “Your mom grounded you for skipping school. But I never went to school. I never got to attend school at all, I never even graduated high school because I was raised by someone who never really gave a damn about me.”
“Wait, I thought grandma…”
“Your mom had your grandmother to raise her, but I didn’t.” Kim shakes her head. “The woman who raised me didn’t care enough about me to make sure I was raised properly, that I had the proper education. I never got to have recess like you do, I never got to make friends at school the way you do. I never got to learn from a normal teacher who cares about me. You have so many advantages that I never got.” Kim wipes a tear from her eye. “I wish I had a normal childhood like you have but I never got any of that.”
“I never knew that.” Sean says quietly. “I’m sorry Aunt Kim.”
“It’s ok, kiddo. I don’t like talking about it that much so I never told you. Point is, because there was no one there to teach me right from wrong I ended up doing some awful things that got me into big trouble; yes, including when I snapped and kidnapped your mom.”
“Yeah, about that.” Sean sighs. “I’m sorry for bringing that up, Aunt Kim. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“It’s ok, kiddo. I know you didn’t mean it. But what I need to get across to you is that because I didn’t have anyone who cared enough about me to raise me properly, I ended up making awful, terrible mistakes that landed me in trouble with the law. Had it not been for your mother, I might have been locked away forever, I might not have gotten the chance to spend time with my favorite nephew.” Kim smiles warmly.
“But I only skipped a few classes.” Sean says, shrugging his shoulders. “That’s it.”
“I know that’s all you did. But that’s how it starts, y’know? It starts with small, seemingly insignificant things like that; but then it only grows from there. Once you are willing to do that, you are willing to start doing something worse, and worse, and worse still. Your mom cares about you, I care about you, and we’re just trying to keep you from going down that wrong path.”
“I get it, Aunt Kim.” Sean nods his head. “You can trust me, I won’t make those mistakes.”
“I hope so, kiddo.” Kim embraces Sean in a tight hug. “I sincerely do.”
==========
March 30th, 2023
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
On Camera
==========
What happens when you give a deranged lunatic a blank check to do whatever the hell she wants? This is the question that has been on the minds of the entire SCW roster ever since the self-proclaimed Queen of the Death Match herself, Kimberly Williams, won a Trios Contract, earning herself the right to book any match she saw fit. Pure and utter chaos is what will rule the day on this coming Breakdown and nothing will ever be the same; at least, that’s the plan. It is a bright sunny morning in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The camera feed opens out on a hotel room balcony overlooking the Edmonton skyline. It isn’t long before the woman responsible for the oncoming chaos enters the scene; Kimberly Williams. The eccentric Kim is dressed in a plaid pink knee length skirt, boots, a matching plaid pink jacket with “Queens of Chaos” written on the back in black lettering, and a purple plaid shirt underneath. Kim spins around to face the camera. A look of confidence is on her face.
“Good morning, Canada!” Kimberly exclaims loudly. She waves her hand towards the camera, motioning towards the cameraman to get closer to the railing of the balcony. “C’mere and look!” She guides the camera over to the edge to take a look, a crowd of people have gathered below, the vast majority of whom are SCW fans, Kimberly Williams fans! “Hi there, Kimmymaniacs!” The people below cheer loudly. Kim then steps back in front of the camera. She winks. “You can tell that the Canadian Branch of the Kimmymaniacs are excited about the beautiful, glorious chaos that will reign supreme this evening on Breakdown! These great fans are looking forward to the great entertainment that my Trios Cash In is about to produce! And if you want unique, if you want creative, you got just that with MY cash in! I mean how many times must we see someone use their Trios Contract to give themselves a world title match, am I right?” The camera looks back down at the camera and the fans boo. Kim guides the camera back up to look at herself and she is grinning from ear to ear.
“See what I mean? They get it and that’s why I love them! They understand me and they get me! I bet they also understand why I did what I did with my Trios Contract…” her voice trails off, then a low and soft laugh escapes her lips “...it really is funny how everyone in SCW is in panic mode and has been in panic mode ever since I announced my intentions for the Trios Cash In. But none of it was unexpected. Stuck up status quo holier than thou bitches like Juneau McFrosty of course will think the worst of me. Of course they will make ridiculous accusations like how I am doing this out of spite because I lost the Underground Title or because I hate SCW and want to burn it to the ground.” Williams shakes her head.
“How wrong you are! I don’t want to burn SCW to the ground. I love SCW! I love it just as much as my Kimmymaniacs love it, am I right people?!” The fans can be heard cheering from down below. Kim smirks as she nods her head. “I love this company. SCW took a risk on the strange, black sheep of the Jones family who just wanted to prove herself, who just wanted to prove that she belonged in this business, that she had it what it took be one of the best wrestlers in the world today. And I took that opportunity, that chance SCW gave me and I ran with it. I took the ball given to me and I became a World Tag Team Champion, Television Champion, a United States Champion, and recently a Trios Tournament winner. Then SCW helped me find my niche, something I enjoyed doing not out of a sick twisted pleasure I get from the pure barbarity of it all, but because of how much it entertains the fans…SCW introduced me to the Underground Division.” Kim laughs softly. “Why would I want to destroy an institution that has given me so damn much? Why would I want to burn down SCW, a promotion that has helped me more than any other promotion?” She leans over and taps the camera, as if tapping the viewer on the head.
“Think about it for a moment! Use your heads for something other than a target for a steel chair! I don’t hate SCW! I love it! I admit I may have an unorthodox way of showing my love, but I do love it! And I love my fans even more than that. So any notion of this cash in being about destruction or disrespecting SCW is nonsense. But I DO want to burn something down…” she smirks devilishly “...I want to burn down the status quo. People within the status quo of Supreme Championship Wrestling fear change. They fear things being different and that’s precisely what my Trios Cash In is all about.”
“Think for a moment about the championship scenarios in Supreme Championship Wrestling. Just think about it…who are the ones almost always in contention? You see people like Syren, Selena Frost, Josh Hudson, Owen Cruze, Adam Allocco, Glory Braddock, and the list goes on and on…those names are always the lucky ones pushed into the spotlight, pushed into the main event marquee. Those are the ones whose names are always in the bright light. Lately my name has been right up there too. But it wasn’t easy for me, because I had to fight and claw and pay the price to make it happen for me. I am no longer pretending to be an outside looking in because I did finally break through. I broke through at Body, Heart, and Soul when I got to be in the main event, and even though I lost I helped catapult the Underground Championship onto near equal status with the SCW World Championship. It took damn near two years to accomplish that but I did it through my own blood, sweat, and tears!” Kimberly sighs and shakes her head.
“Others won’t be as lucky. Do you think someone as unique and adorable as Princess Yuyo will be gifted opportunities like that? Or what about Cassie Wolf? What about my friend Oktoberfest? People may not like her and I admit that she’s not very pleasant to be around, but hell, what about Kandis? Some of these people may be going about things the wrong way…looking at you, Kandis and Oktoberfest…but they all have legitimate gripes when it comes to being overlooked here in SCW. This is what my Trios Cash In is all about…it is about fairness, equality, and giving each and every person in this company the same opportunities I was given, only I am giving these opportunities to everyone in one swift stroke in one big grandiose night of chaos! And more importantly it will be an even playing field.” Kimberly nods her head. “That’s right, it will be fair. If those people who have been on top for so damn long, the McFrosty’s the Syren’s the Braddock’s, and so on, if they are good enough to get the job done and win the championships then so be it. Fair play to them. They will have earned it. But everyone else on this roster will have the same opportunity to earn it and if they are good enough to fight through one long grueling night of Underground violence and endure it all to become a champion, then they will not only earned it but will have proven to the world that they belong at the top of marquee along with the other top stars.” Another devilish grin forms on the face of The Woman Scorned.
“Now what would having a Trios Contract be without being at least a little selfish with it? Yes, I stacked the deck in my favor in hopes of winning back my Underground Championship. That championship means more to me than anything else in this company and trust me, I have done damn near everything else. People like Glory Braddock talk about becoming Supreme and I have no doubts in my mind that she is hoping to place fourth or fifth so that she become one half of the tag team champions and finally achieve Supreme Status. And I am pretty close to Supreme status myself. All I need is the World Title and Adrenaline Title and I would be a Supreme Champion. If I was the selfish bitch then wouldn’t it make sense for me to stack the deck in my favor to become World Champion? Or at least Adrenaline Champion? Something to get yours truly one step closer towards that golden goose, that status that so many people think means so damn much!” Kim taps herself on the head.
“You are so damned closed minded that you cannot even attempt to comprehend what I am trying to do. Many of you are so comfortable in your own little worlds with your own preconceived notions that you refuse to open up your mind to try and understand what I am trying to do. I love SCW. I would do anything for SCW. And I love the great fans of SCW who have supported me every day of my career with this company. I also love the Underground Division. I am passionate about the Underground Division and what it means, what it represents. I will enter this chaos and do whatever it takes to once again become Underground Champion, to once again carry the flag of the Underground proudly, but now to do more, now to prove that I am the VERY BEST EVER to compete in the Underground Division!” A fierce intensity spreads across Kimberly’s face. “The Underground has been carried by many infamous names. You have had your Nicole Kinnick’s and your Rachel Foxx’s but now you have Kimberly Williams who is the Queen of the Underground, the Queen of the Death Match, and a Queen of chaos! When people speak of the SCW Underground Division I want people to remember the name Kimberly Williams more than any other name!”
“Is that selfish? Sure. But like I said, what’s the purpose of having a Trios Contract if you can’t be a little selfish with it? This Underground Championship is my legacy here in SCW. If you can’t see that, if you can’t understand why this championship is important to me, then I’m sorry. If you think I’m being a coward, or if I’m being spiteful…well, you’re wrong, but you’re not the people I give a damn about anyway…” she once again guides the camera towards the edge of the balcony and focuses it on the fans below who let out another loud roaring ovation, then Kim guides the camera back to focusing on her own lovely face “...THOSE are the only people whose opinions matter and they have never once let me down, they have never once backed down from their support of me, and I will continue to fight for them. They want the Underground Division to mean something…am I right?” Another loud cheer can be heard. Kim nods her head.
“And I am going to make damn sure that it means something! I helped bring it back alongside greats like Jordan Majors. I continued to put it on the map by defending it against Oktoberfest, Deanna, Sarah Wolf, and others. I put the Underground Title in the main event of a pay per view for the first time in a very long time, if not the first time ever. Now I put the Underground stamp permanently upon every other division and upon this company. Every single championship in this company will be defended within the confines of Underground Rules. Once again I will have made history within the Underground. And when the final bell sounds, when the night of chaos has ended, the ring announcer will say…and NEW SCW Underground Champion, Kimberly Williams!”
The Woman Scorned shakes her head. “This isn’t about stealing. It isn’t about desperation. This has been the plan since day one when The One, Adam, and I first learned we are going to be a team in the Trios Tournament. This was how I had planned to use my Contract even before I knew I would win it. So anyone who thinks this is cowardice or desperation on my part then fuck you!” She flips the double bird at the camera. “You don’t know me! You don’t know what Kimberly Williams is all about! I am passionate about this business! I love this business! And yes, I especially love the Underground! That’s what this match is all about…it is about putting the Underground front and center and giving everyone an opportunity, especially those who do not always get an opportunity! It is about leveling the playing field…” she pats herself on the chest “...but for me, personally, it is about regaining the Underground Championship, and it is about me showing the entire world, and any unbelievers, just how passionate Kimberly Williams truly is for this division.” A soft laugh escapes her lips.
“Underground isn’t for everyone, I understand that. So there’s no disrespect from me towards anyone who chooses not to participate in this. However, I greatly respect anyone and everyone who decides to throw their hat in the ring for this chaos, for this insanity that is about to ensue tonight, including those who ignorantly run their damn mouths about shit they do not understand and who are too damn lazy to try and understand. I respect everyone who participates in this match, but all respect aside, I will do whatever it takes to walk away with the Underground Championship and I will continue on until I know that this match, my Trios Cash In, was not done in vain, I will continue to fight until I know that this Trios Cash In will live on in the annals of SCW history as one of the greatest and most entertaining of all time.”
“You wanted to know why? That’s why. The talking is over. The next time you see me, playtime begins.” She waves at the camera as she skips away. The camera fades to black.
03-29-2023, 12:23 PM
+++ 21st March 2023 – Miami +++
Retribution couldn’t have gone any better. Another title defense in the bag, Adam Allocco once again put in his place, and another opportunity upcoming for him to prove himself. Yes, the whole stipulation Kimberly Williams had put in place would make it tough. Yes, Adam Allocco had done damage to his leg, that he hoped would heal quicky and in time for Breakdown. But anything worth doing couldn’t ever be easy, and if he did come through this unscathed, even though he couldn’t retain both titles, and would definitely need at least one rematch clause activated, it would make this title reign even more memorable. And ultimately that was what it was all about. On the plane home, he had been jubilant, whilst at the same time he was worried. He’d gotten to the house, and Jennifer hadn’t immediately told him what was going on, and instead had seemed to be ignoring the conversation. She seemed to be stalling, wanting to talk about anything but what she had to tell him, whereas all Owen wanted to do was know. After Jennifer has suggested taking the Dog for a walk along the beach, Owen still wasn’t any the wiser. But seeing as whatever it was, was making Jennifer more than a little edgy, Owen didn’t want to push, and was happy to engage in small talk, at least for now. He picks up the ball and throws it, the dog eager to please immediately running after it. Jennifer opens her mouth to say something, but seems to stop herself, Owen instead making the conversation less awkward than it could be.
Owen: Can’t believe it’s not even three months now.
Jennifer: Huh?
Owen: Till we get married…
He laughs
Owen: Don’t tell me you didn’t realize. It is all you have spoken about since Christmas.
Jennifer: Yeah, I know… sorry, was just enjoying the walk, making sure Buddy doesn’t go in the sea.
Buddy was the name of their dog, who if you took your eye off him for a second would be in the water and wouldn’t come out until inevitably it would be Owen who would have to fetch him.
Owen: So, is there anything I need to do?
Jennifer: No, I don’t think so. Anything that I can do is done. Mom has been a massive help.
Owen: Through gritted teeth I’m sure
Owen gives Jennifer a grin to ensure she knew he was only joking.
Jennifer: No, she’s been brilliant. I think just like everyone else, she has seen that you are a much different man now. Same with Dad, they just want me to be happy, and they can both see that I am, and that’s good enough for them. They still think we are too young, but they were always going to think that… I think anyone would.
Owen: Yeah, you’re right.
Jennifer: But they are on board Owen, I promise. You have nothing to worry about.
For just a moment, Jennifer has seemed normal, that whatever was on her mind had disappeared if just for a few seconds. Buddy arrives back with the ball, and drops it at Owen’s feet, barking at him to throw it again. They arrive at a wall, and Owen motions for Jennifer to take a seat, knowing that whatever she had to say, she was having difficulty getting the words out, and would need some help.
Owen: What’s going on Jen?
Jennifer: What do you mean?
Owen: Look, we both know that since I’ve been home you’ve been on edge. I’m also pretty certain that whatever it is you have to tell me, it’s what is causing you to be in this weird mood.
Jennifer: I’m not in a weird mood.
Owen: You are… there’s something wrong. Something you are struggling to tell me. Can you remember when we agreed that we would tell each other everything?
Jennifer: Yeah?
Owen: Well, it wasn’t just me who made that promise was it?
Jennifer: No, I guess not.
Owen: So tell me… whatever it is, it can’t be that bad.
Jennifer: Well, that depends on your point of view
Owen: So… have you changed your mind? Do you want to postpone the wedding until we are older? Do you want to cancel the whole thing?
Although he didn’t mean it, Jennifer could sense the annoyance in Owen’s voice, and was more than aware that he wasn’t going to let this go. And why should he? Part of her wished she hadn’t said anything over the phone, then she could have done this all in her own time. Now more and more it seemed like that time had to be now, and even Buddy barking at Owen’s feet with the ball wasn’t going to change that.
Owen: Jen, I don’t know what I’ve done, but we can sort it… together. That’s what we do right?
Jennifer: Yeah, you’re right.
Owen: So just tell me, and then we can set about sorting it. And I can stop worrying about it.
Jennifer motions for him to sit next to him, Buddy having given up and decided to lie down at their feet, at least for now. Jennifer takes a hold of Owen’s hand which fills him with even more dread as to what was to come.
Jennifer: Owen, I don’t want you to freak out OK?
A million and one thing go through Owen’s mind, was she ill? Had she found someone else?
Owen: OK… I can’t promise that, but OK, I’ll try.
Jennifer: I’m pregnant…
For a moment time seems to stop, Owen knowing what he had heard, but still not quite computing it.
Owen: Sorry, but I’m sure you just said you were pregnant.
Jennifer: Yeah, that’s right… about eight weeks pregnant in fact.
Owen goes silent, well aware that Jennifer is looking at him, trying to gauge what he was thinking, which was a fool’s errand because he didn’t know what he was thinking… not yet anyway. This however only serves to make Jennifer more nervous, his probable reaction being the primary reason why she hadn’t said anything yet. After giving him what seemed like a lifetime and him not saying anything, just sitting there and staring at her, she is the one to speak again, her voice seemingly breaking him from a trance.
Jennifer: Owen… say something. Please.
Owen squeezes her hand tight, and a grin forms over his face, although tears form in his eyes.
Owen: Jen… that is the best news ever.
Jennifer: It is? People think we are too young to get married, how do you think they are going to react to us bringing a baby into the world?
Owen: AJ did it… and he wasn’t much older.
Jennifer: I know… but this is different, I’m there daughter.
Owen: Yeah, and someone who has her head screwed on much tighter than AJ ever will.
Jennifer: Well, that’s true. So, you’re happy?
Owen: I’m ecstatic babe, this is the best news ever. I’m shitting it, of course I am. But a baby… that’s huge. When did you start to suspect something? Are you certain?
Jennifer: Well, I’m taken three tests… so yeah, pretty certain. And I thought something was up when we were on the boat the other day and I started to feel a bit sick.
Owen: Morning sickness?
Jennifer: I guess so.
Owen throws his arms around her, Buddy jumping to his feet wondering what was going on, and the two of them embrace for what seems like an eternity. When they part, Owen is still wearing that same grin, Cheshire cat like. Though the enormity of the situation has started to sink in that he was going to be a Dad.
Owen: Shit… when you told me you had to speak to me, there were so many thing that ran through my mind, but this…
Jennifer: I can imagine. It’s a lot to get your head round.
Owen: It is. It’s going to change so much, change priorities.
Jennifer: It doesn’t have to, people have babies every single day. They just adapt.
Owen: Yeah, that is what we are going to have to do. We’ll have to adapt, but we’ll be ok won’t we?
Jennifer: Yeah, I think we will… I mean, it’s not like we’re not financially secure. It does mean one thing though, and you’re not going to like it.
Owen: Oh?
Jennifer: I do want to postpone the wedding Owen. I’m sorry, but I’ve dreamed of this moment since I was a little girl, and by the time it comes around I will be five months pregnant. I don’t want to be waddling up the aisle.
Owen stifles a laugh, that image getting the better of him, and surprising himself with his maturity, he actually agrees.
Owen: Yeah, I get that… we can put it off for a year, I’m sure people will understand. And the kid will be at our wedding, how cool will that be?
Jennifer: Kid?
Owen laughs, Jennifer biting as expected
Owen: Yeah, we’ll I got called it and still do, so I sure as hell ain’t passing up on the opportunity. And anyway he…
Jennifer: He… so we are having a boy then?
Owen: Yep… and you know what Jen, he ain’t being pushed into wrestling like the rest of the Cruzes’ were. He’ll make his own decisions, and find his own way in life. I’m not going to make the mistakes my Dad did… and Shaun to some extent.
Jennifer: That’s good to hear… but I’ve got a feeling it will be a girl.
Owen: The statement still stands. If I am the last Cruze that ever competes in the ring, then so be it. I don’t care what they do, as long as they can be happy. I’m going to make sure that they understand happiness comes before everything, and they can be whoever they want to be, without being dragged down by the name.
Jennifer: I guess all we gotta do now then is tell our folks
Owen: Mom will be over the moon, I know she will.
Jennifer: You’re lucky
Owen: Once Regan and Dave see how we are going about it, postponing the wedding and such, they will see that we have our heads screwed on right. It will be OK.
Jennifer: I hope so… but with regards to everyone else, let’s keep it a secret for now.
Owen: Not superstitious are you?
Jennifer: No, but I’d rather wait until we and our folks have got their heads around it, before we making it breaking news.
Owen: That’s fair… Shaun’s OK though right? I’d hate to keep him in the dark over something has big as this.
Jennifer nods, understanding how important Shaun was to him.
Owen: Wow, we are going to have a baby.
He pats the wall, buddy jumping up onto it, and Owen ruffling his fur.
Owen: You hear that Bud… you’re going to have a new best friend.
Jennifer: Hope he isn’t jealous
Owen: He’ll be fine, we’ll make sure of it. We’re really going to do this aren’t we?
Jennifer: Well, Durrr.
Owen: I can’t wait Jen… truly.
They embrace again, this time Owen giving her a kiss on the cheek.
Owen: We’ll be the best parents, you’ll see.
And Jennifer believed him, because he had that sense of positivity. A belief that now, he could do literally anything. Including taking on the responsibility of bringing up a child. The greatest responsibility of all.
+++ 24th March 2023 – Los Angeles +++
Owen had wanted to make sure that when Jennifer told her parents, he was there for her, no matter their reaction. Initially, it had been as expected, Jennifer throwing her life away, and the two of them being too young for this responsibility. But as Jennifer had explained, and Owen had said his piece, by the time he had left, they were once again fawning over her like a princess, and almost all animosity had waned. His first port of call was to Shaun, a flying visit just to give him the news as he was literally about to fly out to New York for a business meeting. After having a good chat with Angyalka, he had then walked the short distance to his Mother, her reaction just as predictable as Jennifer’s parents.
Kloe: OH MY!!!!!
Kloe throws her arms around her son, squeezing him as tightly as she possibly can.
Owen: OK Mom, loosen up a little…
She let’s go of him, holding him by the shoulders instead.
Owen: Jesus Christ Mom, I’ve felt less pressure from a 400 pound Bear Hug than that
Kloe: I’m sorry, this is just soooo exciting. And you’re both happy I take it?
Owen: Yeah, stupidly happy. I know some people will say that I’m too young…
Kloe: I was only 24 when I had you Owen, it wasn’t that much different.
Owen: Yeah, exactly… I don’t want to be some old geezer stumbling around when they want to play ball or something. It’s not how old you are, it’s what you’ve got up here.
He points to his temple to visualize his point.
Owen: Eighteen months ago, I wouldn’t have even entertained the thought of having responsibility for someone other than myself. Now though I am more than ready. I mean, it does mean we have to postpone the wedding for a little while, Jen doesn’t want to look huge on the wedding photos apparently…
Kloe laughs, but understood perfectly.
Owen: But I feel like we are ready for this… I really do.
Kloe finally let’s go of his shoulders, but she cannot remove the smile from her face, though it does eventually when a thought enters her head.
Kloe: I wish your Dad was around to see this. Can you imagine?
Owen: Would be one of the most spoiled kids in the world… mind you, probably will be anyway.
Kloe: He was brilliant with you and Ruby, and always dreamed of you both having children. Oh, does Ruby know?
Owen: Not yet, I wanted to make sure you knew first… I’m going to give her a call later on tonight when she’s out of University.
Kloe: She’ll be over the moon… this is the best news it really is. And just the tonic I needed.
Owen senses something, and immediately asks the question.
Owen: Why… is something wrong?
Kloe: It’s nothing Owen, I’m just being silly really.
Owen: What’s going on Mom?
Kloe takes a seat on the sofa, Owen sitting down next to her.
Kloe: I’m just feeling a little sorry for myself recently.
Owen: What do you mean?
Kloe: Well, you are off doing your own thing. You were going to get married, and now even though you’re not, you are having a baby. Ruby is off at University, and has new friends and is making new experiences. Even Taylor who I used to see quite regularly seems to be building a new life. I guess… I feel lonely with none of you around.
Owen: I’m sorry, I didn’t realize.
Kloe immediately shakes her head.
Kloe: Don’t be sorry Owen, you all have your own lives, and you don’t have to worry about me I promise. I guess now, looking back… I miss Orlando more than ever.
Even though his parents had divorced and both had move onto other relationships, the love they had for each other had never wavered. In fact, before Orlando’s death, it wouldn’t have surprised Owen if they had gotten back together.
Owen: I feel guilty now, because you came here for me.
Kloe: Yeah, I did… but it wasn’t all about that Owen. I needed a new start, somewhere where I didn’t have all the memories constantly following me around.
Owen: I get that, that’s why I moved to Miami.
Kloe: I just, I just don’t think that Los Angeles is the right place for me anymore. Like I said, I don’t know… I’ll be fine, don’t let me bring down your fantastic news.
Owen could see that the situation was troubling her, and immediately he only saw one possible solution.
Owen: Look Mom, you’re rattling around in this huge house and it’s getting to you. If there is nothing to keep you here, why don’t you just go home?
Kloe: What do you mean?
Owen: For as long as I can remember, you were always doing something. Whether it was looking after us kids, or Dad, and then once we were grown, running business, you always kept your mind active. I know that your illness means you can’t take on too much responsibility, but what if I had an option that at least allowed you to keep you busy.
Kloe: What do you mean?
Owen: Well, I’m just tying up some loose ends in New York.
That was the understatement of the century when it came to Eric Morris, but there was a plan in place for that.
Owen: But with all of this news, and my new school going ahead in Miami, I’m not going to be able to keep an eye on New York. Finch is good and all… but with Chloe having left, he will need some help.
Kloe: So what you saying?
Owen: All your friends are in New York. Pixie is there, I’m she’d love to have you back in the City. Why don’t you help Finch run ‘Next Level’ in New York? Honestly, you’d be doing me a favor… while at the same time doing some good.
Kloe: Like an Assistant Manager or something?
Owen: Exactly… and I know Finch would benefit from your experience. Finch would replace me and make all the big decisions regarding the place, you’d help him, without having to take on all the stresses. Mom, you wouldn’t have time to be lonely… and you would be back home.
Kloe: Yeah, but back amongst all those memories.
Owen nods his head agreeably.
Owen: You would yes. But it’s those memories that keep you going. It might sound cliché, but that’s how I filled the gap Dad left… with all the memories both good and bad. Look at it this way Mom, you’re stagnating here… moving back to New York, in the same way I moved to Miami could give you your life back. And a purpose that it’s obvious you are looking for. Not only that, you’d be closer to Ruby’s university and only a few hours flight from Miami. Its win / win.
Kloe stares straight ahead, obviously giving Owen’s comments some serious thought. She was stagnating, but apart from that she felt stronger physically than she had done in years. Maybe it was time to go back and face those memories head on, and once again build a life for herself that was separate from her children. The more she thought about it, the more she understand that Owen was right.
Kloe: But what about selling this place… moving is always a nightmare.
Owen: I’ll help you… and I’ll get my realtor on it straight away.
Kloe: It will have to be close to the School… do you call it a school or a shelter?
Owen: Both actually… and that won’t be a problem, it’s not like money is a problem for you.
Kloe: And you’re sure about this? Finch won’t have a problem with it will he?
Owen: He’ll be fine Mom, and like I said, Finch sometimes needs to be reined in, you’d be perfect and doing ME the favor. Plus, Jacob Laymon is working there now…
Kloe: Owen…
She gives him that dismissive look she had always given him when he was in trouble, as he mentioned one of Kloe’s old flames.
Owen: Sorry, couldn’t resist. But it’s someone else you know right?
Kloe: I guess so.
Owen: Then what do you think, you going to leave LA behind and help me out?
Owen sticks out his bottom lip, putting his hands together.
Kloe: OK, OK… I’ll do it. It’s a good idea.
Owen: Of course it is, it’s my idea.
Kloe: Wow, I’m really doing this
Owen: Yes, and look how excited you are as well.
It was true, she was excited, but although she didn’t know it, all of this came with a proviso. Owen knew that at the moment he was over-promising, because before Kloe went anywhere near the school, Owen needed to sort out his ‘Eric’ problem first. Although he had a plan and hoped that the recording would be the factor that got rid of Eric for good, Owen couldn’t be too sure it was going to work. If it didn’t then all of this would need to be rethought… but thankfully, time was on his side. And it was a risk he needed to take.
+++ 27th March 2023 – New York +++
Although Owen was always glad to go back to ‘Next Level’ which would soon become ‘Next Level New York’, he had to admit to himself that it was with a certain sense of trepidation. He knew that the moment he sat foot in the city, Eric Morris would know that he was there and would be angling for a decision, and a signature on a contract. Owen knew he only had one shot at this, and so he taken the step and messaged Eric, telling him that he was ready to let ‘Next Level’ go. He had set forth a chain of events now that he wasn’t sure how it would end but would soon find out. Outwardly though, he had to paint a picture that everything was ok, and after going through the surprisingly good numbers for the last few months, he had sat Finch down to go through some further details. Owen could read the trepidation on Finch’s face, and moves quickly to play it down.
Owen: Don’t look so nervous dude, it’s all good.
Finch: Whenever you call me into the office my anxiety goes through the roof Owen, you know that.
Owen: Yeah, well there is no reason for that today, it’s nothing but good news.
Finch: Well, I’ll believe that when I hear it.
Owen: OK, well I won’t hang around then so that you burst a blood vessel, I’ll get right to the point.
Finch: Thanks… if I’m being fired then I want to know. Don’t take it easy on me.
Owen: You’re an idiot, you know that.
Finch: It’s been said
Owen: Look, I’m nothing but impressed with the way you run this place, it’s made my job dealing with the financials so much easier knowing that you are on top of everything else. I know it’s not been easy for you, and you’ve had to learn ‘on the job’ so to speak, but you’ve done really well.
Finch: But…
Owen: Will you stop being so paranoid?
Finch: Sorry, carry on.
Owen: Long story short, I’ve just had some news, I can’t tell you just yet, but it means that my time is going to be limited.
Finch: What news?
Owen: I can’t say
Finch: I’m your best friend Owen… course you can say.
Owen sighs, rolling his eyes.
Owen: OK, but you can’t tell a soul.
Finch crosses his heart
Owen: Jennifer and I are having a baby
Finch: FUCK RIGHT OFF!!!
It was a classic Finch reaction.
Owen: No, it’s true.
Finch: Wow, Owen Cruze a Father?? It wasn’t that long ago I didn’t think you’d ever have a girlfriend.
Owen: Yeah, cheers for that. Anyway, with all that going on, and the new school I’m going to open in Miami, the chances are I’m not going to be able to get to New York as often as I’d like.
Finch: So you’re buckling and selling to Morris? I knew it.
Owen: No, I’m not… that’s not the plan at all. I just need someone to run this place, lock stock and barrel, from the bottom up. I need someone to take responsibility for Next Level New York, whilst I do other things.
Finch: So you’re getting someone with more experience in?
Owen: Is there any confidence in yourself left in there.
Finch: Not much, gonna be honest.
Owen: Well, no… I’m not getting someone in with more experience. I want YOU to do it Finch. I want you to replace me at the helm.
Finch’s eyes widen, and he leans back in his seat.
Finch: Say that again
Owen: I want you to replace me, and take total responsibility for everything that goes on in his building Finch. I have total faith in you getting it done.
Finch: Is this a joke?
Owen: No joke Finch… so what do you say?
Finch: Err… Yes?
Owen: Excellent… now, you’ll be happy to know that you will be due a raise, I think that’s only fair. And it will mean that your days are going to get a lot longer than they currently are.
Finch: That’s fine… nothing else to do
Owen: And it also comes with a proviso… since Chloe left, you’ve taken on too much. If you are going to be running this place, it can’t be single handed, so I’m going to bring in some help, in a similar vein to what Chloe was.
Finch: Right, so do you have someone in mind?
Owen: I do… and it will be my last decision, from here on in, it’s all you.
Finch: Ok, so who is it going to be?
Owen: My Mom… she’s moving back to New York, and she wants to get her teeth back into something.
Finch: Right, so you don’t trust me.
Owen: Honestly Finch, I do. But Mom is struggling right now in Los Angeles, and she needs this. She’s not coming in to replace you, just like Chloe wasn’t.
Finch: Yeah, but Chloe wasn’t already a successful business woman was she?
Owen smiles, he totally understood Finch’s concerns, and to a point he was right, thought Owen would never admit that. There would be times when Kloe would help make a ‘better’ decision than Finch might.
Owen: No, but look at it this way. Mom knows how to make a business work, but she is only there in an advisory sense. The buck will always stop with you, and the final decision will be yours.
Finch: I have your word on that?
Owen: Definitely, we can pinky swear if you want?
Finch: Nah, we’re not twelve.
Owen: So, what do you day Finch, can you make this work?
Finch nods.
Finch: Yeah, I can work with your Mom… sure. Don’t blame me if she falls in love with me though.
Owen: Honestly bro, I don’t have to worry about that.
Finch: Have you seen me?
Owen: Yeah, but I also know that Mom and Jacob have ‘unfinished business’ if you know what I mean.
Finch: They used to do the naughty?
Owen: Yep, back then it gave me the ick, but now, they might be good for each other.
Finch: That’s a risky little game Owen.
Owen: I know, but Mom needs someone in her life. Now Ruby and I have grown up, she needs something for herself. This will be it.
Finch: Fair enough… then I’m on board bro, and thank you.
Owen: For what?
Finch: Giving me this chance, you didn’t have to after what I did.
Finch was talking about when he was Owen’s assistant, and had fleeced him out of thousands of dollars for Finn Cruze.
Owen: No, I didn’t, but I’m glad that I did. Take this place to the moon Finch, it’s all yours…
He grins
Owen: Just don’t run it into the ground OK?
Finch: I’ll do my best.
Owen: I know you will
The two fist bump, Finch shaking his head, a smirk on his face.
Finch: So, Owen Cruze a Dad huh? You sure you’re ready for this?
Owen: Not the first to say that Finch
Finch: Sorry… I bet.
Owen: I think with something like this, you can never be sure if you are ready. What I do know is that I’m going to give it my best shot. You have a kid, and it needs to be everything… over and above everything else. I’m going to have to make a lot of sacrifices.
Finch: But, I get the feeling you are ready to make them.
Owen flicks his hair from in front of his face after nodding.
Owen: I am, I get that the minute the baby is born, its stops being about me. And it’s all about Jennifer and that baby. It’s a responsibility bigger than any other.
Finch: I’m way too immature for that, but I do understand.
Owen: I think you do yourself a disservice bro… all it takes is the right one to change everything. The minute I met Jennifer, I knew she was the one for me, but I didn’t think I stood a chance. Then, I thought I was well and truly in the friend zone, and had no way of getting out. And to think… I nearly threw it all away. Finch, I’m the luckiest man alive, I really am.
Finch: Bro, you deserve it… after everything you went through, you needed a break.
Owen: Look at us being all deep and meaningful. Wouldn’t have thought the Finch circa five years ago would have been capable.
Finch: I guess we all grow up eventually huh?
Owen: That we do. But yeah, thanks for standing by me when others didn’t. You could have walked away just like they did, and that means a lot.
Finch: Enough to if you have a boy you might call it Finch?
Owen: Err… not quite that much, anyway, I’ve always thought it best suited a girl
Finch: Yeah, don’t blame you.
Owen: Maybe as a middle name, we’ll see.
Finch: You don’t have to, I was only joking. Just be there for them yeah, that’s the only thing I wished from my Father. Him not being around was the worst.
Although he didn’t realize it, that resonated with Owen, Orlando not being around as much as he would have liked when Owen was little one of his biggest regrets as a Father.
Owen: I’ll be there Finch, I won’t make the mistake that my Dad did. That’s for certain.
Finch: Cool, well if that’s it, I have a business to run.
Owen: That you do, one more thing though?
Finch: Sure
Owen: Tomorrow night, make sure you’re not around ok?
Finch: Why?
Owen: Just promise me, out the door at six?
Finch: Yeah sure, not going to tell me why?
Owen: I will, but not yet. Just trust me on this
Finch: No problem. I’ll make sure of it. After all, I’m the boss now, I can do what I want.
Owen: That you can Finch.
Finch smiles, though his eyes are full of sincerity.
Finch: I won’t let you down bro
Owen: I know you won’t, now get out of here will you?
Finch: Alight…DAD.
Finch opens the door and leaves, Owen watching him go. It was the first time he had been called that, and it wouldn’t be the last. And Owen couldn’t wait to see if it was Baby’s first word. The mere thought bringing a huge grin to his face.
Retribution couldn’t have gone any better. Another title defense in the bag, Adam Allocco once again put in his place, and another opportunity upcoming for him to prove himself. Yes, the whole stipulation Kimberly Williams had put in place would make it tough. Yes, Adam Allocco had done damage to his leg, that he hoped would heal quicky and in time for Breakdown. But anything worth doing couldn’t ever be easy, and if he did come through this unscathed, even though he couldn’t retain both titles, and would definitely need at least one rematch clause activated, it would make this title reign even more memorable. And ultimately that was what it was all about. On the plane home, he had been jubilant, whilst at the same time he was worried. He’d gotten to the house, and Jennifer hadn’t immediately told him what was going on, and instead had seemed to be ignoring the conversation. She seemed to be stalling, wanting to talk about anything but what she had to tell him, whereas all Owen wanted to do was know. After Jennifer has suggested taking the Dog for a walk along the beach, Owen still wasn’t any the wiser. But seeing as whatever it was, was making Jennifer more than a little edgy, Owen didn’t want to push, and was happy to engage in small talk, at least for now. He picks up the ball and throws it, the dog eager to please immediately running after it. Jennifer opens her mouth to say something, but seems to stop herself, Owen instead making the conversation less awkward than it could be.
Owen: Can’t believe it’s not even three months now.
Jennifer: Huh?
Owen: Till we get married…
He laughs
Owen: Don’t tell me you didn’t realize. It is all you have spoken about since Christmas.
Jennifer: Yeah, I know… sorry, was just enjoying the walk, making sure Buddy doesn’t go in the sea.
Buddy was the name of their dog, who if you took your eye off him for a second would be in the water and wouldn’t come out until inevitably it would be Owen who would have to fetch him.
Owen: So, is there anything I need to do?
Jennifer: No, I don’t think so. Anything that I can do is done. Mom has been a massive help.
Owen: Through gritted teeth I’m sure
Owen gives Jennifer a grin to ensure she knew he was only joking.
Jennifer: No, she’s been brilliant. I think just like everyone else, she has seen that you are a much different man now. Same with Dad, they just want me to be happy, and they can both see that I am, and that’s good enough for them. They still think we are too young, but they were always going to think that… I think anyone would.
Owen: Yeah, you’re right.
Jennifer: But they are on board Owen, I promise. You have nothing to worry about.
For just a moment, Jennifer has seemed normal, that whatever was on her mind had disappeared if just for a few seconds. Buddy arrives back with the ball, and drops it at Owen’s feet, barking at him to throw it again. They arrive at a wall, and Owen motions for Jennifer to take a seat, knowing that whatever she had to say, she was having difficulty getting the words out, and would need some help.
Owen: What’s going on Jen?
Jennifer: What do you mean?
Owen: Look, we both know that since I’ve been home you’ve been on edge. I’m also pretty certain that whatever it is you have to tell me, it’s what is causing you to be in this weird mood.
Jennifer: I’m not in a weird mood.
Owen: You are… there’s something wrong. Something you are struggling to tell me. Can you remember when we agreed that we would tell each other everything?
Jennifer: Yeah?
Owen: Well, it wasn’t just me who made that promise was it?
Jennifer: No, I guess not.
Owen: So tell me… whatever it is, it can’t be that bad.
Jennifer: Well, that depends on your point of view
Owen: So… have you changed your mind? Do you want to postpone the wedding until we are older? Do you want to cancel the whole thing?
Although he didn’t mean it, Jennifer could sense the annoyance in Owen’s voice, and was more than aware that he wasn’t going to let this go. And why should he? Part of her wished she hadn’t said anything over the phone, then she could have done this all in her own time. Now more and more it seemed like that time had to be now, and even Buddy barking at Owen’s feet with the ball wasn’t going to change that.
Owen: Jen, I don’t know what I’ve done, but we can sort it… together. That’s what we do right?
Jennifer: Yeah, you’re right.
Owen: So just tell me, and then we can set about sorting it. And I can stop worrying about it.
Jennifer motions for him to sit next to him, Buddy having given up and decided to lie down at their feet, at least for now. Jennifer takes a hold of Owen’s hand which fills him with even more dread as to what was to come.
Jennifer: Owen, I don’t want you to freak out OK?
A million and one thing go through Owen’s mind, was she ill? Had she found someone else?
Owen: OK… I can’t promise that, but OK, I’ll try.
Jennifer: I’m pregnant…
For a moment time seems to stop, Owen knowing what he had heard, but still not quite computing it.
Owen: Sorry, but I’m sure you just said you were pregnant.
Jennifer: Yeah, that’s right… about eight weeks pregnant in fact.
Owen goes silent, well aware that Jennifer is looking at him, trying to gauge what he was thinking, which was a fool’s errand because he didn’t know what he was thinking… not yet anyway. This however only serves to make Jennifer more nervous, his probable reaction being the primary reason why she hadn’t said anything yet. After giving him what seemed like a lifetime and him not saying anything, just sitting there and staring at her, she is the one to speak again, her voice seemingly breaking him from a trance.
Jennifer: Owen… say something. Please.
Owen squeezes her hand tight, and a grin forms over his face, although tears form in his eyes.
Owen: Jen… that is the best news ever.
Jennifer: It is? People think we are too young to get married, how do you think they are going to react to us bringing a baby into the world?
Owen: AJ did it… and he wasn’t much older.
Jennifer: I know… but this is different, I’m there daughter.
Owen: Yeah, and someone who has her head screwed on much tighter than AJ ever will.
Jennifer: Well, that’s true. So, you’re happy?
Owen: I’m ecstatic babe, this is the best news ever. I’m shitting it, of course I am. But a baby… that’s huge. When did you start to suspect something? Are you certain?
Jennifer: Well, I’m taken three tests… so yeah, pretty certain. And I thought something was up when we were on the boat the other day and I started to feel a bit sick.
Owen: Morning sickness?
Jennifer: I guess so.
Owen throws his arms around her, Buddy jumping to his feet wondering what was going on, and the two of them embrace for what seems like an eternity. When they part, Owen is still wearing that same grin, Cheshire cat like. Though the enormity of the situation has started to sink in that he was going to be a Dad.
Owen: Shit… when you told me you had to speak to me, there were so many thing that ran through my mind, but this…
Jennifer: I can imagine. It’s a lot to get your head round.
Owen: It is. It’s going to change so much, change priorities.
Jennifer: It doesn’t have to, people have babies every single day. They just adapt.
Owen: Yeah, that is what we are going to have to do. We’ll have to adapt, but we’ll be ok won’t we?
Jennifer: Yeah, I think we will… I mean, it’s not like we’re not financially secure. It does mean one thing though, and you’re not going to like it.
Owen: Oh?
Jennifer: I do want to postpone the wedding Owen. I’m sorry, but I’ve dreamed of this moment since I was a little girl, and by the time it comes around I will be five months pregnant. I don’t want to be waddling up the aisle.
Owen stifles a laugh, that image getting the better of him, and surprising himself with his maturity, he actually agrees.
Owen: Yeah, I get that… we can put it off for a year, I’m sure people will understand. And the kid will be at our wedding, how cool will that be?
Jennifer: Kid?
Owen laughs, Jennifer biting as expected
Owen: Yeah, we’ll I got called it and still do, so I sure as hell ain’t passing up on the opportunity. And anyway he…
Jennifer: He… so we are having a boy then?
Owen: Yep… and you know what Jen, he ain’t being pushed into wrestling like the rest of the Cruzes’ were. He’ll make his own decisions, and find his own way in life. I’m not going to make the mistakes my Dad did… and Shaun to some extent.
Jennifer: That’s good to hear… but I’ve got a feeling it will be a girl.
Owen: The statement still stands. If I am the last Cruze that ever competes in the ring, then so be it. I don’t care what they do, as long as they can be happy. I’m going to make sure that they understand happiness comes before everything, and they can be whoever they want to be, without being dragged down by the name.
Jennifer: I guess all we gotta do now then is tell our folks
Owen: Mom will be over the moon, I know she will.
Jennifer: You’re lucky
Owen: Once Regan and Dave see how we are going about it, postponing the wedding and such, they will see that we have our heads screwed on right. It will be OK.
Jennifer: I hope so… but with regards to everyone else, let’s keep it a secret for now.
Owen: Not superstitious are you?
Jennifer: No, but I’d rather wait until we and our folks have got their heads around it, before we making it breaking news.
Owen: That’s fair… Shaun’s OK though right? I’d hate to keep him in the dark over something has big as this.
Jennifer nods, understanding how important Shaun was to him.
Owen: Wow, we are going to have a baby.
He pats the wall, buddy jumping up onto it, and Owen ruffling his fur.
Owen: You hear that Bud… you’re going to have a new best friend.
Jennifer: Hope he isn’t jealous
Owen: He’ll be fine, we’ll make sure of it. We’re really going to do this aren’t we?
Jennifer: Well, Durrr.
Owen: I can’t wait Jen… truly.
They embrace again, this time Owen giving her a kiss on the cheek.
Owen: We’ll be the best parents, you’ll see.
And Jennifer believed him, because he had that sense of positivity. A belief that now, he could do literally anything. Including taking on the responsibility of bringing up a child. The greatest responsibility of all.
+++ 24th March 2023 – Los Angeles +++
Owen had wanted to make sure that when Jennifer told her parents, he was there for her, no matter their reaction. Initially, it had been as expected, Jennifer throwing her life away, and the two of them being too young for this responsibility. But as Jennifer had explained, and Owen had said his piece, by the time he had left, they were once again fawning over her like a princess, and almost all animosity had waned. His first port of call was to Shaun, a flying visit just to give him the news as he was literally about to fly out to New York for a business meeting. After having a good chat with Angyalka, he had then walked the short distance to his Mother, her reaction just as predictable as Jennifer’s parents.
Kloe: OH MY!!!!!
Kloe throws her arms around her son, squeezing him as tightly as she possibly can.
Owen: OK Mom, loosen up a little…
She let’s go of him, holding him by the shoulders instead.
Owen: Jesus Christ Mom, I’ve felt less pressure from a 400 pound Bear Hug than that
Kloe: I’m sorry, this is just soooo exciting. And you’re both happy I take it?
Owen: Yeah, stupidly happy. I know some people will say that I’m too young…
Kloe: I was only 24 when I had you Owen, it wasn’t that much different.
Owen: Yeah, exactly… I don’t want to be some old geezer stumbling around when they want to play ball or something. It’s not how old you are, it’s what you’ve got up here.
He points to his temple to visualize his point.
Owen: Eighteen months ago, I wouldn’t have even entertained the thought of having responsibility for someone other than myself. Now though I am more than ready. I mean, it does mean we have to postpone the wedding for a little while, Jen doesn’t want to look huge on the wedding photos apparently…
Kloe laughs, but understood perfectly.
Owen: But I feel like we are ready for this… I really do.
Kloe finally let’s go of his shoulders, but she cannot remove the smile from her face, though it does eventually when a thought enters her head.
Kloe: I wish your Dad was around to see this. Can you imagine?
Owen: Would be one of the most spoiled kids in the world… mind you, probably will be anyway.
Kloe: He was brilliant with you and Ruby, and always dreamed of you both having children. Oh, does Ruby know?
Owen: Not yet, I wanted to make sure you knew first… I’m going to give her a call later on tonight when she’s out of University.
Kloe: She’ll be over the moon… this is the best news it really is. And just the tonic I needed.
Owen senses something, and immediately asks the question.
Owen: Why… is something wrong?
Kloe: It’s nothing Owen, I’m just being silly really.
Owen: What’s going on Mom?
Kloe takes a seat on the sofa, Owen sitting down next to her.
Kloe: I’m just feeling a little sorry for myself recently.
Owen: What do you mean?
Kloe: Well, you are off doing your own thing. You were going to get married, and now even though you’re not, you are having a baby. Ruby is off at University, and has new friends and is making new experiences. Even Taylor who I used to see quite regularly seems to be building a new life. I guess… I feel lonely with none of you around.
Owen: I’m sorry, I didn’t realize.
Kloe immediately shakes her head.
Kloe: Don’t be sorry Owen, you all have your own lives, and you don’t have to worry about me I promise. I guess now, looking back… I miss Orlando more than ever.
Even though his parents had divorced and both had move onto other relationships, the love they had for each other had never wavered. In fact, before Orlando’s death, it wouldn’t have surprised Owen if they had gotten back together.
Owen: I feel guilty now, because you came here for me.
Kloe: Yeah, I did… but it wasn’t all about that Owen. I needed a new start, somewhere where I didn’t have all the memories constantly following me around.
Owen: I get that, that’s why I moved to Miami.
Kloe: I just, I just don’t think that Los Angeles is the right place for me anymore. Like I said, I don’t know… I’ll be fine, don’t let me bring down your fantastic news.
Owen could see that the situation was troubling her, and immediately he only saw one possible solution.
Owen: Look Mom, you’re rattling around in this huge house and it’s getting to you. If there is nothing to keep you here, why don’t you just go home?
Kloe: What do you mean?
Owen: For as long as I can remember, you were always doing something. Whether it was looking after us kids, or Dad, and then once we were grown, running business, you always kept your mind active. I know that your illness means you can’t take on too much responsibility, but what if I had an option that at least allowed you to keep you busy.
Kloe: What do you mean?
Owen: Well, I’m just tying up some loose ends in New York.
That was the understatement of the century when it came to Eric Morris, but there was a plan in place for that.
Owen: But with all of this news, and my new school going ahead in Miami, I’m not going to be able to keep an eye on New York. Finch is good and all… but with Chloe having left, he will need some help.
Kloe: So what you saying?
Owen: All your friends are in New York. Pixie is there, I’m she’d love to have you back in the City. Why don’t you help Finch run ‘Next Level’ in New York? Honestly, you’d be doing me a favor… while at the same time doing some good.
Kloe: Like an Assistant Manager or something?
Owen: Exactly… and I know Finch would benefit from your experience. Finch would replace me and make all the big decisions regarding the place, you’d help him, without having to take on all the stresses. Mom, you wouldn’t have time to be lonely… and you would be back home.
Kloe: Yeah, but back amongst all those memories.
Owen nods his head agreeably.
Owen: You would yes. But it’s those memories that keep you going. It might sound cliché, but that’s how I filled the gap Dad left… with all the memories both good and bad. Look at it this way Mom, you’re stagnating here… moving back to New York, in the same way I moved to Miami could give you your life back. And a purpose that it’s obvious you are looking for. Not only that, you’d be closer to Ruby’s university and only a few hours flight from Miami. Its win / win.
Kloe stares straight ahead, obviously giving Owen’s comments some serious thought. She was stagnating, but apart from that she felt stronger physically than she had done in years. Maybe it was time to go back and face those memories head on, and once again build a life for herself that was separate from her children. The more she thought about it, the more she understand that Owen was right.
Kloe: But what about selling this place… moving is always a nightmare.
Owen: I’ll help you… and I’ll get my realtor on it straight away.
Kloe: It will have to be close to the School… do you call it a school or a shelter?
Owen: Both actually… and that won’t be a problem, it’s not like money is a problem for you.
Kloe: And you’re sure about this? Finch won’t have a problem with it will he?
Owen: He’ll be fine Mom, and like I said, Finch sometimes needs to be reined in, you’d be perfect and doing ME the favor. Plus, Jacob Laymon is working there now…
Kloe: Owen…
She gives him that dismissive look she had always given him when he was in trouble, as he mentioned one of Kloe’s old flames.
Owen: Sorry, couldn’t resist. But it’s someone else you know right?
Kloe: I guess so.
Owen: Then what do you think, you going to leave LA behind and help me out?
Owen sticks out his bottom lip, putting his hands together.
Kloe: OK, OK… I’ll do it. It’s a good idea.
Owen: Of course it is, it’s my idea.
Kloe: Wow, I’m really doing this
Owen: Yes, and look how excited you are as well.
It was true, she was excited, but although she didn’t know it, all of this came with a proviso. Owen knew that at the moment he was over-promising, because before Kloe went anywhere near the school, Owen needed to sort out his ‘Eric’ problem first. Although he had a plan and hoped that the recording would be the factor that got rid of Eric for good, Owen couldn’t be too sure it was going to work. If it didn’t then all of this would need to be rethought… but thankfully, time was on his side. And it was a risk he needed to take.
+++ 27th March 2023 – New York +++
Although Owen was always glad to go back to ‘Next Level’ which would soon become ‘Next Level New York’, he had to admit to himself that it was with a certain sense of trepidation. He knew that the moment he sat foot in the city, Eric Morris would know that he was there and would be angling for a decision, and a signature on a contract. Owen knew he only had one shot at this, and so he taken the step and messaged Eric, telling him that he was ready to let ‘Next Level’ go. He had set forth a chain of events now that he wasn’t sure how it would end but would soon find out. Outwardly though, he had to paint a picture that everything was ok, and after going through the surprisingly good numbers for the last few months, he had sat Finch down to go through some further details. Owen could read the trepidation on Finch’s face, and moves quickly to play it down.
Owen: Don’t look so nervous dude, it’s all good.
Finch: Whenever you call me into the office my anxiety goes through the roof Owen, you know that.
Owen: Yeah, well there is no reason for that today, it’s nothing but good news.
Finch: Well, I’ll believe that when I hear it.
Owen: OK, well I won’t hang around then so that you burst a blood vessel, I’ll get right to the point.
Finch: Thanks… if I’m being fired then I want to know. Don’t take it easy on me.
Owen: You’re an idiot, you know that.
Finch: It’s been said
Owen: Look, I’m nothing but impressed with the way you run this place, it’s made my job dealing with the financials so much easier knowing that you are on top of everything else. I know it’s not been easy for you, and you’ve had to learn ‘on the job’ so to speak, but you’ve done really well.
Finch: But…
Owen: Will you stop being so paranoid?
Finch: Sorry, carry on.
Owen: Long story short, I’ve just had some news, I can’t tell you just yet, but it means that my time is going to be limited.
Finch: What news?
Owen: I can’t say
Finch: I’m your best friend Owen… course you can say.
Owen sighs, rolling his eyes.
Owen: OK, but you can’t tell a soul.
Finch crosses his heart
Owen: Jennifer and I are having a baby
Finch: FUCK RIGHT OFF!!!
It was a classic Finch reaction.
Owen: No, it’s true.
Finch: Wow, Owen Cruze a Father?? It wasn’t that long ago I didn’t think you’d ever have a girlfriend.
Owen: Yeah, cheers for that. Anyway, with all that going on, and the new school I’m going to open in Miami, the chances are I’m not going to be able to get to New York as often as I’d like.
Finch: So you’re buckling and selling to Morris? I knew it.
Owen: No, I’m not… that’s not the plan at all. I just need someone to run this place, lock stock and barrel, from the bottom up. I need someone to take responsibility for Next Level New York, whilst I do other things.
Finch: So you’re getting someone with more experience in?
Owen: Is there any confidence in yourself left in there.
Finch: Not much, gonna be honest.
Owen: Well, no… I’m not getting someone in with more experience. I want YOU to do it Finch. I want you to replace me at the helm.
Finch’s eyes widen, and he leans back in his seat.
Finch: Say that again
Owen: I want you to replace me, and take total responsibility for everything that goes on in his building Finch. I have total faith in you getting it done.
Finch: Is this a joke?
Owen: No joke Finch… so what do you say?
Finch: Err… Yes?
Owen: Excellent… now, you’ll be happy to know that you will be due a raise, I think that’s only fair. And it will mean that your days are going to get a lot longer than they currently are.
Finch: That’s fine… nothing else to do
Owen: And it also comes with a proviso… since Chloe left, you’ve taken on too much. If you are going to be running this place, it can’t be single handed, so I’m going to bring in some help, in a similar vein to what Chloe was.
Finch: Right, so do you have someone in mind?
Owen: I do… and it will be my last decision, from here on in, it’s all you.
Finch: Ok, so who is it going to be?
Owen: My Mom… she’s moving back to New York, and she wants to get her teeth back into something.
Finch: Right, so you don’t trust me.
Owen: Honestly Finch, I do. But Mom is struggling right now in Los Angeles, and she needs this. She’s not coming in to replace you, just like Chloe wasn’t.
Finch: Yeah, but Chloe wasn’t already a successful business woman was she?
Owen smiles, he totally understood Finch’s concerns, and to a point he was right, thought Owen would never admit that. There would be times when Kloe would help make a ‘better’ decision than Finch might.
Owen: No, but look at it this way. Mom knows how to make a business work, but she is only there in an advisory sense. The buck will always stop with you, and the final decision will be yours.
Finch: I have your word on that?
Owen: Definitely, we can pinky swear if you want?
Finch: Nah, we’re not twelve.
Owen: So, what do you day Finch, can you make this work?
Finch nods.
Finch: Yeah, I can work with your Mom… sure. Don’t blame me if she falls in love with me though.
Owen: Honestly bro, I don’t have to worry about that.
Finch: Have you seen me?
Owen: Yeah, but I also know that Mom and Jacob have ‘unfinished business’ if you know what I mean.
Finch: They used to do the naughty?
Owen: Yep, back then it gave me the ick, but now, they might be good for each other.
Finch: That’s a risky little game Owen.
Owen: I know, but Mom needs someone in her life. Now Ruby and I have grown up, she needs something for herself. This will be it.
Finch: Fair enough… then I’m on board bro, and thank you.
Owen: For what?
Finch: Giving me this chance, you didn’t have to after what I did.
Finch was talking about when he was Owen’s assistant, and had fleeced him out of thousands of dollars for Finn Cruze.
Owen: No, I didn’t, but I’m glad that I did. Take this place to the moon Finch, it’s all yours…
He grins
Owen: Just don’t run it into the ground OK?
Finch: I’ll do my best.
Owen: I know you will
The two fist bump, Finch shaking his head, a smirk on his face.
Finch: So, Owen Cruze a Dad huh? You sure you’re ready for this?
Owen: Not the first to say that Finch
Finch: Sorry… I bet.
Owen: I think with something like this, you can never be sure if you are ready. What I do know is that I’m going to give it my best shot. You have a kid, and it needs to be everything… over and above everything else. I’m going to have to make a lot of sacrifices.
Finch: But, I get the feeling you are ready to make them.
Owen flicks his hair from in front of his face after nodding.
Owen: I am, I get that the minute the baby is born, its stops being about me. And it’s all about Jennifer and that baby. It’s a responsibility bigger than any other.
Finch: I’m way too immature for that, but I do understand.
Owen: I think you do yourself a disservice bro… all it takes is the right one to change everything. The minute I met Jennifer, I knew she was the one for me, but I didn’t think I stood a chance. Then, I thought I was well and truly in the friend zone, and had no way of getting out. And to think… I nearly threw it all away. Finch, I’m the luckiest man alive, I really am.
Finch: Bro, you deserve it… after everything you went through, you needed a break.
Owen: Look at us being all deep and meaningful. Wouldn’t have thought the Finch circa five years ago would have been capable.
Finch: I guess we all grow up eventually huh?
Owen: That we do. But yeah, thanks for standing by me when others didn’t. You could have walked away just like they did, and that means a lot.
Finch: Enough to if you have a boy you might call it Finch?
Owen: Err… not quite that much, anyway, I’ve always thought it best suited a girl
Finch: Yeah, don’t blame you.
Owen: Maybe as a middle name, we’ll see.
Finch: You don’t have to, I was only joking. Just be there for them yeah, that’s the only thing I wished from my Father. Him not being around was the worst.
Although he didn’t realize it, that resonated with Owen, Orlando not being around as much as he would have liked when Owen was little one of his biggest regrets as a Father.
Owen: I’ll be there Finch, I won’t make the mistake that my Dad did. That’s for certain.
Finch: Cool, well if that’s it, I have a business to run.
Owen: That you do, one more thing though?
Finch: Sure
Owen: Tomorrow night, make sure you’re not around ok?
Finch: Why?
Owen: Just promise me, out the door at six?
Finch: Yeah sure, not going to tell me why?
Owen: I will, but not yet. Just trust me on this
Finch: No problem. I’ll make sure of it. After all, I’m the boss now, I can do what I want.
Owen: That you can Finch.
Finch smiles, though his eyes are full of sincerity.
Finch: I won’t let you down bro
Owen: I know you won’t, now get out of here will you?
Finch: Alight…DAD.
Finch opens the door and leaves, Owen watching him go. It was the first time he had been called that, and it wouldn’t be the last. And Owen couldn’t wait to see if it was Baby’s first word. The mere thought bringing a huge grin to his face.
03-29-2023, 04:02 PM
OOC: 2 of 2 for Glory
===============
==========
March 23rd, 2023
Birmingham, England
Off Camera
==========
The British Bombshell has returned to her native land of England in order to rediscover her roots. Being here in England to rediscover her roots also provides the perfect excuse to prepare for one of the biggest challenges of her professional wrestling career in the form of her cousin Kimberly’s Trios Cash In on Breakdown. What exactly does Glory’s eccentric cousin have in mind for the SCW roster? Quite simply it is an Underground Rules Match of epic proportions where every single championship in SCW is on the line; and yes, that includes Braddock’s own SCW Television Championship. And the way the match has been designed, there is no way anyone will leave a double champion. Everyone involved in the match will be accumulating as many falls as humanly possible. The most falls earned by a competitor will win the world title, the second most falls the United States, all the way down with Glory Braddock’s title ranked in sixth place. Many, if not most, of the champions of SCW are not pleased with this cash in. Understandably so; their titles are in jeopardy, some just less than two weeks after successfully defending their titles at Retribution.
Glory Braddock takes a different perspective on the matter. The British Bombshell views this Trios Cash In, as chaotic as it may be, as an opportunity. She is the SCW Television Champion and she will proudly defend it anywhere at anytime and against anyone, even in a chaotic situation such as this. Braddock also could upgrade her status. She could become SCW World Champion again. Then again, she is also one championship away from Supreme Championship Status. Braddock only needs to place fourth or fifth in this chaotic match and she would end up as one half of the World Tag Team Champions and thus would have achieved Supreme Status.
So what should she do in a situation like this? Well, she is here in England where she wants to go back to her roots, return to what made her great in the first place. What she did when she lived here in the early years of her wrestling career was get tips, advice, and training from her legendary father, the great Glenn Braddock. Unfortunately he is no longer here, but his knowledge and wisdom is still here and Glory knows precisely what he would have advised her. If you can’t get the best, get the next best thing.
“What in the ever living fuck is this?!”
That is the grizzled voice of veteran former wrestler Blake O’Malley, Glenn Braddock’s old friend and a man who was like an uncle to Glory when she was growing up. Blake not only wrestled but he operates his own wrestling school. He is still a close personal friend of the family. If anyone could get her prepared for a chaotic match like the one coming up on Breakdown, it would be this man who stands in the center of the standard regulation wrestling ring in a room of his wrestling school in Birmingham, England. The British Bombshell stands nearby ready to workout in purple exercise shorts, white sneakers, and a white top. Her long blonde hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back.
“I knew you wouldn’t like it…”
“It is a slap in the face of everything that is holy!” Blake exclaims. “Whose bloody idea was this?!”
“My cousin’s.”
“What?! Your Uncle Peter had no kids…”
“No, mate, my cousin from my mom’s side of the family.”
“Oh I see.” Blake rolls his eyes. “That makes sense, actually.”
“Now you’re sounding like my dad.” Glory says with a knowing grin.
“Shut it or I won’t help ya.” He growls. “Now explain these ridiculous rules again?”
“First rule is that it’s Underground Rules, which means hardcore, which means…”
“Garbage wrestling.” Blake nods his head. “Got it.”
“Some people like that kind of wrestling.” Glory points out. “My cousin, for instance.”
“Yeah? Well I’m not particularly fond it, myself. Neither was your dad. He wouldn’t be particularly happy with you being in a match like this.”
“I don’t have much of a choice, mate, because that’s the next rule. Every championship is on the line in this match. Since I am the SCW Television Champion I have to show up ready to defend my crown whether I like the rules or not.” She sighs. “And I agree, I would rather not compete in Underground Rules. Not because of your reasons or my dad’s, but because hardcore is just not my wheelhouse. That’s why I’m here, really. I know I’m prepared for something like this. I need as much help as I can get.”
“Fair enough.” Blake nods his head. “Go on, what else do I need to know?”
“This match lasts the entire duration of the show.” Braddock sighs. “So yeah, a really long ass time.”
“So Iron Man, huh?” Blake smirks. “Now I like that. Challenges such as that, see how long you can go, how long you can endure, that is a real challenge for a real fighter.”
“I’ve wrestled for one hour three times in my career. This will no doubt be much longer than anything I have ever done. Still, wrestling for a long time is nothing new to me.”
“Excellent. You’ll be ready. Now how do you win this damn thing?” Blake asks.
“As with any Iron Man Match, it’s whoever has the most falls. But with every champion involved…”
“That means there will be far more than just two people in it.” Blake rolls his eyes again. “Damn. How the hell did you get roped into this one, lass?”
“Like I said, it wasn’t my choice.” Glory says with a grin and a shrug of her shoulders. “But I am a champion and I have to defend my title. Besides, I could upgrade. I could win the SCW World Title. I could win the Tag Titles and finally become Supreme Champion. I could accomplish a great deal here, mate. So as strange as this match is, I have to say that I am damn sure looking forward to the opportunity.” She places a hand on his chest. “I just need your help, Blake.”
“I’m not quite sure what I can do to be honest with you.” He sighs and shakes his head. “If this thing were just within the confines of a ring like this, I could help. Shit, if it were a normal bloody battle royal I could help you. But this is completely new to me.”
“I know.” Glory nods her head. “But I got to thinking, my dad would always come up with some unique, and oftentimes sadistic, ways of preparing me for my matches. Methods perfectly attune to the opponent or match type I was against.” Glory says. Blake smirks.
“Yeah, your old man was creative as fuck.”
“Exactly. So help me think, what specifically about this match is very important?”
“Other than the garbage wrestling shit?” Blake asks. “I mean, what’s there to know? Pick up a weapon and hit someone with it.”
“I know but other than that. There has to be something else about this match, some key to victory that I’m overlooking. My cousin can come up with the most ridiculous brutal match imaginable but at the end of the day it is still wrestling and basic wrestling principles still apply. How can we use that? What basic wrestling principle do I need to focus on?”
“Basic wrestling principles, eh?” Blake asks.
“Yeah.”
“Hmmm…” Blake thinks on it for a moment while Glory waits patiently. A grin forms on his face as he begins to slowly walk around the ring. Braddock notices the glimmer in his eye.
“You have an idea?”
“Maybe.” He says plainly. Braddock shrugs her shoulders and continues to wait. A few moments later she feels herself being pulled down. She is rolled over onto her shoulders and neck with Blake pinning her down.
“One…two…three!” Blake cries victoriously before getting up off of her. He stands there smiling arrogantly while Glory picks herself up and dusts herself off. She looks rather annoyed.
“What the hell was that?!”
“THAT is your key to victory, lass.” He says smugly.
“What do you…” suddenly the lightbulb goes off over her head “...oh yeah! Basic wrestling principles!”
“Quick pins.” Blake points out. “Go for the quick pins whenever and wherever you see an opportunity. You may get one or two surprise ones early on if you catch somebody off guard. Later on as the match progresses and people get fatigued, a quick roll up could easily lead to a pin in a match like this.”
“Damn right it could.” Glory nods her head in agreement. “When people are being brutalized with weapons galore in this hardcore environment, the longer this match goes the more likely a quick pin is to get the job done!”
“Like you said, no matter how violent this match becomes, it ultimately comes down to basic wrestling principles. If you get someone’s shoulders down for a three count, you get a fall. Do that as often as you can.”
“What about Shekhinah Glory?” Braddock asks. “Should I ignore my submissions?”
“Not necessarily.” He says. “While I do think focusing mostly on pins is the right strategy, I would NEVER completely take any weapon out of your arsenal. If you find the right opportunity to use it safely, then go for it. If you can choke them unconscious then God knows how many falls you could get in that scenario.”
Braddock smiles warmly. She can tell that Blake is really getting into this. In fact, she is getting into this as well. She missed this whole trainer/student relationship that she once had with her own father during the early years of her career. This is just the thing she needed to prepare herself for the coming war on Breakdown. This is also just the thing she needed to help remind herself of who she is. She is Glory Braddock, a champion of SCW, and she intends to stay that way.
==========
March 25th, 2023
London, England
On Camera
==========
The camera begins to roll. We are inside of an empty room. The room is simplistic in nature; gray, concrete floor, one small window to let some light in. There is a simple brown stool in the center of the camera’s view. The sound of clicking heels across the concrete floor can be heard. A few moments later “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock steps into view from the right. Glory is wearing a royal purple long sleeve bodycon mini dress. She is perched atop high heeled sandals. Her long blonde hair flows unrestrained to past the shoulders. Her SCW Television Championship title belt is draped over her right shoulder. The British Bombshell then sits down on the stool.
“When I won this Television Championship I told the world that I would be a fighting champion. Still, many doubted my commitment to this title. I get it, I really do. I have been making some noise lately about becoming Supreme Champion. I was just two titles away, and after winning this Television Title I then became one title away…the SCW world Tag Team Titles…I get how some might believe that I wouldn’t give this title a second thought, that I would just lose interest in it and move on to completing the job, winning the tag team championship, and be done with everything.” Braddock shakes her head. “But that’s not who I am. Maybe Colleen and her fellow Playgirls thought it was but I proved her wrong when I successfully defended this title against her on Breakdown. Perhaps Willow Aspen thought I had no commitment to this Television Title so I took her on at Retribution. I even put this title on the line against her at Retribution. And I admit, Willow, you put up a hell of a fight. You may be the new kid on the block but damn it, you have a bright future ahead of you if you keep up this pace.” Glory pats the Television Title belt that is draped over her right shoulder.
“Unfortunately you were still not good enough to take me down. And at Retribution once again I proved my commitment to this championship was solid as I successfully defended it. Willow, good job mate, but Retribution just was not your night. Now with Retribution over I will say it one more time for anyone else out there who doubts the commitment of The British Bombshell. I am the SCW Television Champion and I will defend this title with my dying breath.” A low sarcastic chuckle escapes her lips. “My dying lips…funny I use those words, because that very well could be the case in a match from the deranged mind of my own flesh and blood, from the mind of my own cousin Kimberly Williams.”
“You really did ruffle some feathers with this Trios Cash In, Kimmy. I can understand why. I mean, I wasn’t exactly thrilled with the prospect of losing this championship in this manner of match on Breakdown thanks to the rules you came up with. But the more I thought about it the more I began to see things a little more clearly. And maybe I’m being generous to you because we are family, or maybe our familial connections is why I can understand your thought process, but I have to admit that I do get it. I understand what you’re thinking here, love. Let me take you and everyone else back to the semi-finals of the Trios Tournament. It was you, Adam, and The One against myself, Hudson, and Chance. Now at least three of those six will be in this match of yours on Breakdown, a match you created by virtue of your Trios Cash In. And this match you created is giving every single non-title holder in SCW a shot at a title, and it gives every titlist an opportunity to potentially upgrade.” She casts a quick gaze at her Television Title. “I could potentially upgrade and win back the SCW World Title. It would be nice to finally have a legitimate reign as champion instead of the fifteen minutes of fame I had with that ridiculous gauntlet Ace Marshall booked. If I couldn’t upgrade to that, I could at least win one half of the tag team championships and achieve my goal of Supreme Champion in rather short order. That’s what you’ve just done with your Trios Contract. You’ve given me an opportunity I probably would not have had otherwise. And had I won a Trios Contract way back when, I know I would have selfishly used it on myself. The last two Trios Contracts I had I used selfishly on myself.” She points a finger at the camera. “But you, my dear cousin, have used this to give everyone a shot at the gold. How selfless of you.”
“Well, not entirely selfless now is it?” Glory shrugs her shoulders. “You want that Underground Championship very badly and you are trying to set yourself up to win it back. That’s fine with me, the Underground is not my wheelhouse. Hell, the Underground I dare say isn’t the wheelhouse of many in this match. But thanks to your Trios Cash In everyone must dip their toes into your world. Now I have been listening to the chatter and I hear a lot of bitching, griping, and complaining from others about what Kim did. But I’m not going to complain. I’m not going to gripe or bitch about anything, because the way I see it this is all about perspective. You can look at this as an act of disrespect, you can look at this as just an excuse for pointless barbarity and violence…” she narrows her eyes in a steely gaze at the camera “..or you can look at this as an opportunity to seize the day!”
“I am the reigning Television Champion and I want to put my mark on this title, I want to defend this title against anyone, anywhere, and anytime. Imagine the mark I would make if I survived this insanity with my title still wrapped around my waist? Imagine if I COULD do exactly what I said I would, if I did upgrade? I admit that my reign as United States Champion ended much quicker than I had hoped. I would love another crack at it. The Adrenaline Title was my first singles title in SCW, winning it again would be oh so sweet. And everyone knows about my short cup of coffee with the SCW World Title. But to win one half of the tag titles and achieve Supreme Status next week on Breakdown, that would be a career highlight for me. Before I signed a contract to wrestle with SCW, people were trying to discourage me. They told me that as good as I am, SCW’s talent is on a whole different level and that I would not be able to keep up. Now I sit here before you as Television Champion and next week I could become Supreme Champion. Imagine that? Me, Supreme Champion, and yet people thought I couldn’t keep up? I would love to shove that Supreme Title down the throats of those who questioned and discouraged me.” The British Bombshell shakes her head.
“However, winning anything in this business, regardless of whether it is a simple match a championship or a trios contract, none of it is ever easy. You can’t just be content with being good. You have to be great. You cannot be content with remaining in your comfort zone. To be great, to be the best, you will HAVE TO STEP OUTSIDE OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE!” Glory rises up off of her stool. The intensity on her face has grown. “Underground is definitely NOT my comfort zone. Everyone knows that. Put me in a technical wrestling match, a submissions match, anything like that and I can smoke anyone alive today! But Underground Rules is a place where I am weak, I am vulnerable, and I am just plain not comfortable. And I’m not the only one who isn’t comfortable in the Underground. Some have already publicly declared that they will not compete in Kimberly’s Trios Cash In due to the violence of the Underground.” Braddock shakes her head.
“Not me! I will not back down from this challenge! Selena and Deanna, I am going to see you in the Underground and I am coming for one of those belts, I am gunning for Supreme Status. Bree, we haven’t always gotten along but I respect the hell out of you. You are Adrenaline Champion though and yes, if it comes down to it, I will go after you and pin you, submit you, do whatever it takes to earn the fall and win your title if I can. Hudson…” a low smirk forms on her face “...ah yes, we’ve done this dance so many times before. By now we can read each other like a book. I look forward to seeing you there, Hudson. I look forward to renewing our rivalry. And then there’s Owen…” Braddock sighs deeply and then shakes her head “...Owen, you are the one really hurting here. You are a double champion and if I understand the rules right, you are guaranteed to lose one of those titles. On the bright side you can only focus on the one title.” She shrugs her shoulders. “That is, if you can score enough falls.”
“Owen, you have been challenged like no one else. You survived the chamber, you beat Xander, you beat Kimberly at her own game in the Underground, and you beat Adam Allocco. No matter what you may think of me, you can rest assured that I respect you for what you’ve done and I think everyone in SCW can respect what you’ve done. Unfortunately you have a Mt. Everest before you, the tallest mountain anyone could possibly imagine having to climb. You have to win this match. Anything less than first place and you lose the World Title. And look at the number of people who have already declared their intent to challenge you for the world title…”
“...Asher Hayes…”
“...Syren…”
“...Kandis…”
“...the list could go on and on. And all of them now can get one free shot at their title thanks to this cash in. The deck is stacked against you, Owen, and I know if anyone could overcome this challenge, it is you.” She shakes her head. “Unfortunately, I want this too. I want the World Title as well. Who…other than my admittedly strange cousin…wouldn’t want the World Title? And if I have the opportunity on Breakdown, then I will seize it. I will take the opportunity to become World Champion if I can.”
“And finally, to anyone else out there who currently holds no titles but wants to get their hands on a championship, your name may by Polly and you may be a Playgirl, you may be a violent twat like Konrad or you could be Datura, just looking to regain some of her glory…if you want a championship, then all I say to you is this…” Braddock takes her Television Title and raises it high over her head “...come and get it!” Glory Braddock turns and walks off screen. The camera fades to black.
===============
==========
March 23rd, 2023
Birmingham, England
Off Camera
==========
The British Bombshell has returned to her native land of England in order to rediscover her roots. Being here in England to rediscover her roots also provides the perfect excuse to prepare for one of the biggest challenges of her professional wrestling career in the form of her cousin Kimberly’s Trios Cash In on Breakdown. What exactly does Glory’s eccentric cousin have in mind for the SCW roster? Quite simply it is an Underground Rules Match of epic proportions where every single championship in SCW is on the line; and yes, that includes Braddock’s own SCW Television Championship. And the way the match has been designed, there is no way anyone will leave a double champion. Everyone involved in the match will be accumulating as many falls as humanly possible. The most falls earned by a competitor will win the world title, the second most falls the United States, all the way down with Glory Braddock’s title ranked in sixth place. Many, if not most, of the champions of SCW are not pleased with this cash in. Understandably so; their titles are in jeopardy, some just less than two weeks after successfully defending their titles at Retribution.
Glory Braddock takes a different perspective on the matter. The British Bombshell views this Trios Cash In, as chaotic as it may be, as an opportunity. She is the SCW Television Champion and she will proudly defend it anywhere at anytime and against anyone, even in a chaotic situation such as this. Braddock also could upgrade her status. She could become SCW World Champion again. Then again, she is also one championship away from Supreme Championship Status. Braddock only needs to place fourth or fifth in this chaotic match and she would end up as one half of the World Tag Team Champions and thus would have achieved Supreme Status.
So what should she do in a situation like this? Well, she is here in England where she wants to go back to her roots, return to what made her great in the first place. What she did when she lived here in the early years of her wrestling career was get tips, advice, and training from her legendary father, the great Glenn Braddock. Unfortunately he is no longer here, but his knowledge and wisdom is still here and Glory knows precisely what he would have advised her. If you can’t get the best, get the next best thing.
“What in the ever living fuck is this?!”
That is the grizzled voice of veteran former wrestler Blake O’Malley, Glenn Braddock’s old friend and a man who was like an uncle to Glory when she was growing up. Blake not only wrestled but he operates his own wrestling school. He is still a close personal friend of the family. If anyone could get her prepared for a chaotic match like the one coming up on Breakdown, it would be this man who stands in the center of the standard regulation wrestling ring in a room of his wrestling school in Birmingham, England. The British Bombshell stands nearby ready to workout in purple exercise shorts, white sneakers, and a white top. Her long blonde hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back.
“I knew you wouldn’t like it…”
“It is a slap in the face of everything that is holy!” Blake exclaims. “Whose bloody idea was this?!”
“My cousin’s.”
“What?! Your Uncle Peter had no kids…”
“No, mate, my cousin from my mom’s side of the family.”
“Oh I see.” Blake rolls his eyes. “That makes sense, actually.”
“Now you’re sounding like my dad.” Glory says with a knowing grin.
“Shut it or I won’t help ya.” He growls. “Now explain these ridiculous rules again?”
“First rule is that it’s Underground Rules, which means hardcore, which means…”
“Garbage wrestling.” Blake nods his head. “Got it.”
“Some people like that kind of wrestling.” Glory points out. “My cousin, for instance.”
“Yeah? Well I’m not particularly fond it, myself. Neither was your dad. He wouldn’t be particularly happy with you being in a match like this.”
“I don’t have much of a choice, mate, because that’s the next rule. Every championship is on the line in this match. Since I am the SCW Television Champion I have to show up ready to defend my crown whether I like the rules or not.” She sighs. “And I agree, I would rather not compete in Underground Rules. Not because of your reasons or my dad’s, but because hardcore is just not my wheelhouse. That’s why I’m here, really. I know I’m prepared for something like this. I need as much help as I can get.”
“Fair enough.” Blake nods his head. “Go on, what else do I need to know?”
“This match lasts the entire duration of the show.” Braddock sighs. “So yeah, a really long ass time.”
“So Iron Man, huh?” Blake smirks. “Now I like that. Challenges such as that, see how long you can go, how long you can endure, that is a real challenge for a real fighter.”
“I’ve wrestled for one hour three times in my career. This will no doubt be much longer than anything I have ever done. Still, wrestling for a long time is nothing new to me.”
“Excellent. You’ll be ready. Now how do you win this damn thing?” Blake asks.
“As with any Iron Man Match, it’s whoever has the most falls. But with every champion involved…”
“That means there will be far more than just two people in it.” Blake rolls his eyes again. “Damn. How the hell did you get roped into this one, lass?”
“Like I said, it wasn’t my choice.” Glory says with a grin and a shrug of her shoulders. “But I am a champion and I have to defend my title. Besides, I could upgrade. I could win the SCW World Title. I could win the Tag Titles and finally become Supreme Champion. I could accomplish a great deal here, mate. So as strange as this match is, I have to say that I am damn sure looking forward to the opportunity.” She places a hand on his chest. “I just need your help, Blake.”
“I’m not quite sure what I can do to be honest with you.” He sighs and shakes his head. “If this thing were just within the confines of a ring like this, I could help. Shit, if it were a normal bloody battle royal I could help you. But this is completely new to me.”
“I know.” Glory nods her head. “But I got to thinking, my dad would always come up with some unique, and oftentimes sadistic, ways of preparing me for my matches. Methods perfectly attune to the opponent or match type I was against.” Glory says. Blake smirks.
“Yeah, your old man was creative as fuck.”
“Exactly. So help me think, what specifically about this match is very important?”
“Other than the garbage wrestling shit?” Blake asks. “I mean, what’s there to know? Pick up a weapon and hit someone with it.”
“I know but other than that. There has to be something else about this match, some key to victory that I’m overlooking. My cousin can come up with the most ridiculous brutal match imaginable but at the end of the day it is still wrestling and basic wrestling principles still apply. How can we use that? What basic wrestling principle do I need to focus on?”
“Basic wrestling principles, eh?” Blake asks.
“Yeah.”
“Hmmm…” Blake thinks on it for a moment while Glory waits patiently. A grin forms on his face as he begins to slowly walk around the ring. Braddock notices the glimmer in his eye.
“You have an idea?”
“Maybe.” He says plainly. Braddock shrugs her shoulders and continues to wait. A few moments later she feels herself being pulled down. She is rolled over onto her shoulders and neck with Blake pinning her down.
“One…two…three!” Blake cries victoriously before getting up off of her. He stands there smiling arrogantly while Glory picks herself up and dusts herself off. She looks rather annoyed.
“What the hell was that?!”
“THAT is your key to victory, lass.” He says smugly.
“What do you…” suddenly the lightbulb goes off over her head “...oh yeah! Basic wrestling principles!”
“Quick pins.” Blake points out. “Go for the quick pins whenever and wherever you see an opportunity. You may get one or two surprise ones early on if you catch somebody off guard. Later on as the match progresses and people get fatigued, a quick roll up could easily lead to a pin in a match like this.”
“Damn right it could.” Glory nods her head in agreement. “When people are being brutalized with weapons galore in this hardcore environment, the longer this match goes the more likely a quick pin is to get the job done!”
“Like you said, no matter how violent this match becomes, it ultimately comes down to basic wrestling principles. If you get someone’s shoulders down for a three count, you get a fall. Do that as often as you can.”
“What about Shekhinah Glory?” Braddock asks. “Should I ignore my submissions?”
“Not necessarily.” He says. “While I do think focusing mostly on pins is the right strategy, I would NEVER completely take any weapon out of your arsenal. If you find the right opportunity to use it safely, then go for it. If you can choke them unconscious then God knows how many falls you could get in that scenario.”
Braddock smiles warmly. She can tell that Blake is really getting into this. In fact, she is getting into this as well. She missed this whole trainer/student relationship that she once had with her own father during the early years of her career. This is just the thing she needed to prepare herself for the coming war on Breakdown. This is also just the thing she needed to help remind herself of who she is. She is Glory Braddock, a champion of SCW, and she intends to stay that way.
==========
March 25th, 2023
London, England
On Camera
==========
The camera begins to roll. We are inside of an empty room. The room is simplistic in nature; gray, concrete floor, one small window to let some light in. There is a simple brown stool in the center of the camera’s view. The sound of clicking heels across the concrete floor can be heard. A few moments later “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock steps into view from the right. Glory is wearing a royal purple long sleeve bodycon mini dress. She is perched atop high heeled sandals. Her long blonde hair flows unrestrained to past the shoulders. Her SCW Television Championship title belt is draped over her right shoulder. The British Bombshell then sits down on the stool.
“When I won this Television Championship I told the world that I would be a fighting champion. Still, many doubted my commitment to this title. I get it, I really do. I have been making some noise lately about becoming Supreme Champion. I was just two titles away, and after winning this Television Title I then became one title away…the SCW world Tag Team Titles…I get how some might believe that I wouldn’t give this title a second thought, that I would just lose interest in it and move on to completing the job, winning the tag team championship, and be done with everything.” Braddock shakes her head. “But that’s not who I am. Maybe Colleen and her fellow Playgirls thought it was but I proved her wrong when I successfully defended this title against her on Breakdown. Perhaps Willow Aspen thought I had no commitment to this Television Title so I took her on at Retribution. I even put this title on the line against her at Retribution. And I admit, Willow, you put up a hell of a fight. You may be the new kid on the block but damn it, you have a bright future ahead of you if you keep up this pace.” Glory pats the Television Title belt that is draped over her right shoulder.
“Unfortunately you were still not good enough to take me down. And at Retribution once again I proved my commitment to this championship was solid as I successfully defended it. Willow, good job mate, but Retribution just was not your night. Now with Retribution over I will say it one more time for anyone else out there who doubts the commitment of The British Bombshell. I am the SCW Television Champion and I will defend this title with my dying breath.” A low sarcastic chuckle escapes her lips. “My dying lips…funny I use those words, because that very well could be the case in a match from the deranged mind of my own flesh and blood, from the mind of my own cousin Kimberly Williams.”
“You really did ruffle some feathers with this Trios Cash In, Kimmy. I can understand why. I mean, I wasn’t exactly thrilled with the prospect of losing this championship in this manner of match on Breakdown thanks to the rules you came up with. But the more I thought about it the more I began to see things a little more clearly. And maybe I’m being generous to you because we are family, or maybe our familial connections is why I can understand your thought process, but I have to admit that I do get it. I understand what you’re thinking here, love. Let me take you and everyone else back to the semi-finals of the Trios Tournament. It was you, Adam, and The One against myself, Hudson, and Chance. Now at least three of those six will be in this match of yours on Breakdown, a match you created by virtue of your Trios Cash In. And this match you created is giving every single non-title holder in SCW a shot at a title, and it gives every titlist an opportunity to potentially upgrade.” She casts a quick gaze at her Television Title. “I could potentially upgrade and win back the SCW World Title. It would be nice to finally have a legitimate reign as champion instead of the fifteen minutes of fame I had with that ridiculous gauntlet Ace Marshall booked. If I couldn’t upgrade to that, I could at least win one half of the tag team championships and achieve my goal of Supreme Champion in rather short order. That’s what you’ve just done with your Trios Contract. You’ve given me an opportunity I probably would not have had otherwise. And had I won a Trios Contract way back when, I know I would have selfishly used it on myself. The last two Trios Contracts I had I used selfishly on myself.” She points a finger at the camera. “But you, my dear cousin, have used this to give everyone a shot at the gold. How selfless of you.”
“Well, not entirely selfless now is it?” Glory shrugs her shoulders. “You want that Underground Championship very badly and you are trying to set yourself up to win it back. That’s fine with me, the Underground is not my wheelhouse. Hell, the Underground I dare say isn’t the wheelhouse of many in this match. But thanks to your Trios Cash In everyone must dip their toes into your world. Now I have been listening to the chatter and I hear a lot of bitching, griping, and complaining from others about what Kim did. But I’m not going to complain. I’m not going to gripe or bitch about anything, because the way I see it this is all about perspective. You can look at this as an act of disrespect, you can look at this as just an excuse for pointless barbarity and violence…” she narrows her eyes in a steely gaze at the camera “..or you can look at this as an opportunity to seize the day!”
“I am the reigning Television Champion and I want to put my mark on this title, I want to defend this title against anyone, anywhere, and anytime. Imagine the mark I would make if I survived this insanity with my title still wrapped around my waist? Imagine if I COULD do exactly what I said I would, if I did upgrade? I admit that my reign as United States Champion ended much quicker than I had hoped. I would love another crack at it. The Adrenaline Title was my first singles title in SCW, winning it again would be oh so sweet. And everyone knows about my short cup of coffee with the SCW World Title. But to win one half of the tag titles and achieve Supreme Status next week on Breakdown, that would be a career highlight for me. Before I signed a contract to wrestle with SCW, people were trying to discourage me. They told me that as good as I am, SCW’s talent is on a whole different level and that I would not be able to keep up. Now I sit here before you as Television Champion and next week I could become Supreme Champion. Imagine that? Me, Supreme Champion, and yet people thought I couldn’t keep up? I would love to shove that Supreme Title down the throats of those who questioned and discouraged me.” The British Bombshell shakes her head.
“However, winning anything in this business, regardless of whether it is a simple match a championship or a trios contract, none of it is ever easy. You can’t just be content with being good. You have to be great. You cannot be content with remaining in your comfort zone. To be great, to be the best, you will HAVE TO STEP OUTSIDE OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE!” Glory rises up off of her stool. The intensity on her face has grown. “Underground is definitely NOT my comfort zone. Everyone knows that. Put me in a technical wrestling match, a submissions match, anything like that and I can smoke anyone alive today! But Underground Rules is a place where I am weak, I am vulnerable, and I am just plain not comfortable. And I’m not the only one who isn’t comfortable in the Underground. Some have already publicly declared that they will not compete in Kimberly’s Trios Cash In due to the violence of the Underground.” Braddock shakes her head.
“Not me! I will not back down from this challenge! Selena and Deanna, I am going to see you in the Underground and I am coming for one of those belts, I am gunning for Supreme Status. Bree, we haven’t always gotten along but I respect the hell out of you. You are Adrenaline Champion though and yes, if it comes down to it, I will go after you and pin you, submit you, do whatever it takes to earn the fall and win your title if I can. Hudson…” a low smirk forms on her face “...ah yes, we’ve done this dance so many times before. By now we can read each other like a book. I look forward to seeing you there, Hudson. I look forward to renewing our rivalry. And then there’s Owen…” Braddock sighs deeply and then shakes her head “...Owen, you are the one really hurting here. You are a double champion and if I understand the rules right, you are guaranteed to lose one of those titles. On the bright side you can only focus on the one title.” She shrugs her shoulders. “That is, if you can score enough falls.”
“Owen, you have been challenged like no one else. You survived the chamber, you beat Xander, you beat Kimberly at her own game in the Underground, and you beat Adam Allocco. No matter what you may think of me, you can rest assured that I respect you for what you’ve done and I think everyone in SCW can respect what you’ve done. Unfortunately you have a Mt. Everest before you, the tallest mountain anyone could possibly imagine having to climb. You have to win this match. Anything less than first place and you lose the World Title. And look at the number of people who have already declared their intent to challenge you for the world title…”
“...Asher Hayes…”
“...Syren…”
“...Kandis…”
“...the list could go on and on. And all of them now can get one free shot at their title thanks to this cash in. The deck is stacked against you, Owen, and I know if anyone could overcome this challenge, it is you.” She shakes her head. “Unfortunately, I want this too. I want the World Title as well. Who…other than my admittedly strange cousin…wouldn’t want the World Title? And if I have the opportunity on Breakdown, then I will seize it. I will take the opportunity to become World Champion if I can.”
“And finally, to anyone else out there who currently holds no titles but wants to get their hands on a championship, your name may by Polly and you may be a Playgirl, you may be a violent twat like Konrad or you could be Datura, just looking to regain some of her glory…if you want a championship, then all I say to you is this…” Braddock takes her Television Title and raises it high over her head “...come and get it!” Glory Braddock turns and walks off screen. The camera fades to black.
03-29-2023, 06:49 PM
Well, I WAS going to post this basic story for the PPV, but when there was no match thread I assumed the match was off. My mistake, as it turns out. But c'est la vie. Instead, I reworked a lot of it to work for this instead.
Tweaked the style a little, but if you've read other RPs by me you might recognise it a little.
Also, thanks to Doug. He knows why.
Enjoy.
![[Image: syren-divider.png]](http://www.sototallyawesome.com/syren-divider.png)
The Syren Song: Verse 360
“No signs of injury”
Tweaked the style a little, but if you've read other RPs by me you might recognise it a little.
Also, thanks to Doug. He knows why.
Enjoy.
The Syren Song: Verse 360
“No signs of injury”
03-29-2023, 07:02 PM