05-02-2023, 04:07 AM
05-02-2023, 11:00 AM
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April 28th, 2023
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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Playing the Wild Card was meant to be a quiet night for the reigning SCW Underground Champion Kimberly Williams. The demented ginger was not scheduled to compete but she showed up nonetheless for fan encounters, autograph signings, and to just be “moral support” backstage for her fellow SCW superstars who were putting on a show for the evening. Yes, it was supposed to be a quiet, uneventful night for The Woman Scorned. But nothing ever really goes as planned when Kimberly Williams is concerned. First, her good friend Datura was attacked backstage, presumably by Kandis, which prompted Williams to strike back on Datura’s behalf. Then immediately after that fight was broken up, Kim was slammed hard onto steel at the hands of a vengeful and angry Xander Valentine. The Queens of Chaos member is used to having a target on her back. She has been a champion for the better part of the last two years, people targeting her for her gold is something she is used to. Kim’s own chaotic behaviors can tend to rub people the wrong way and make enemies, so she is used to inadvertently pissing people off and making enemies, enemies that want her head on a pike. Xander Valentine is different in that he seems to think Kim should be punished for being Adam Allocco’s friend. Which is unusual because never once considered herself to be Adam Allocco’s friend. Nevertheless, she finds herself to be Xander’s latest target due to this belief.
Xander Valentine, Kandis, and anyone else whom she may or may not have pissed off will have to take a backseat. Kimberly has her first defense of her newly won SCW Underground Championship coming up on a special May 6th edition of Breakdown against La Pequena Luz. Luz is one half of Light in the Darkness and one of the individuals who would have placed seventh and potentially have become Underground Champion as a result of Kimberly’s chaotic Trios Cash In were it not for the special stipulation surrounding the Underground Title itself, where Kim only had to get just one fall in order to win back the championship. Light in the Darkness, among others, have been questioning Kimberly’s ethics on the matter ever since. But being the Underground Champion means a great deal to The Woman Scorned and she does not want to have her ethics or her courage questioned. She has no problem proving to Luz and anyone else that she is a fighting champion, a worthy champion, and she will prove it on Breakdown.
“I’m gonna eat thunder and crap lightning!” Kimberly shouts excitedly as she does some juking and jiving, dancing around a heavy bag in the private gym of her mother, Angelica Jones. The Woman Scorned stops to throw a few right and left jabs at the bag. She is wearing black workout shorts, a white “Queens of Chaos” t-shirt, and sneakers. Sitting off in a distance, watching from afar, are her identical twin sister Marie Jones and their mother Angelica Jones. Marie is wearing denim jeans, black boots, and a floral print red blouse. The Matriarch of the Jones family, their mother, is wearing a black pencil skirt, black high heeled pumps, a red blouse, and a black leather jacket.
“Actually, I’m pretty sure the quote is eating lightning and crap thunder.” Marie points out. Kim shrugs her shoulders before throwing some kicks at the heavy bag.
“Who cares? Not me! Because I have the eye of the tiger, baby! The thrill of the fight! I was knocked down but I’m gonna pull myself back up and kick some ass! La Peguina LuzWasley questioned my guts! I cannot let that stand! I’m The Italian Stallion!”
“You’re not Italian.” Marie sighs. “And its La Pequena, not Penguin.”
“What?” Kimberly stops her kickboxing routine and turns to face her sister and mother. “I thought I was defending my title against my penguin Wasley?”
“You’re defending against one half of Light In The Darkness.”
“Damn it.” Kim says out of frustration. “That changes my entire game plan. I’ll have to send those Polar Bears and Orcas back to the zoo. They are predators and would have easily taken out La Penguina Luz.”
“Kim, you really should try to…” before Marie can finish her thought the ringing of a phone interrupts her; it happens to be her cell phone. Marie takes out her phone from her pants pocket and answers it. She walks off to get some privacy while on the phone. With Marie gone Angelica approaches Kim with a smile on her face.
“You know, Kim, I’m proud of you.”
“No!” Kim shakes her head. “Call me a Bum!”
“First of all, you have been watching too much Syvester Stallone movies. Second, I AM proud of you…”
“No!” Kim again shakes her head. “I am proud of you…you BUM!”
“Fine.” Angelica rolls her eyes. “I’m proud of you, you bum.”
“Yay!” Kim claps her hands happily. “I try my best!”
“I really am proud of you. Light In The Darkness have a legitimate claim against your Underground Championship. If you want to truly legitimize your reign and silence the critics and doubters, taking this fight, defending your title against Luz is a good first step towards achieving that goal.”
“Don’t worry. Just like Rambo says…mission accomplished!”
“At least you moved on from Rocky.” Angelica chuckles. “But don’t count your victory before it happens. Do NOT sleep on Luz. Luz may be primarily a tag team wrestler with Amelia Blythe, but the two of them have proven to be very good wrestlers. They beat two of the greatest ever in SCW in the form of Simon Lyman and Amy Chastain at Playing the Wildcard. Luz definitely has the potential to beat you.”
“I know that, mom! But as you should know, wrestling isn’t just a physical sport, it is a mental one as well. Luz had better not look at me as just a joke or a comedy act. I may have fun out there but I take death matches very seriously. If Luz wants to prove that she was the rightful Underground Champion then she will have to survive the hell I plan to put her through.” Kim winks knowingly as she thinks about the deranged, sadistic things that she has in store for Luz on Breakdown when the Underground Championship is on the line. Angelica herself even shudders to think about what Kim will do in this first defense of her newly won title. She went through hell and put all of SCW through hell just to regain the title. What would she do in order to keep it?
“That’s fine. You focus on La Pequena Luz. I’ll focus on Xander Valentine.”
“Oh, you mean groucho?” Kim folds her arms over her chest. “What’s his problem anyway? He hates Adam CoCo so much that he’s gonna take his anger out on anyone who happens to have had a passing conversation with the prick? It’s not fair!”
“I know, believe me. I’ll do what I can but I can’t promise to keep him away from you for good. Hopefully I can keep Xander out of your hair if nothing else then at least for Breakdown. You and Luz deserve to have a fair one on one match for the Underground Title without Xander sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong. If I have to, I’ll get physical.”
“Oh really?” Kim smirks. Her eyes grow wide. “My mother who wants me to behave is going to misbehave herself?”
“Only if Xander decides to get involved in your affairs. If he is willing to listen to reason and stay out of your business then I don’t have to do anything but I’m not gonna just sit by and watch while he keeps interfering in your matches simply because he’s freaking delusional.”
“That’s sweet mother dear, but I got this.” Kim smiles nastily. “I don’t become Queen of the Death Match because I’m a pushover.”
“No way, Kim.” Angelica shakes her head. “You need to keep your head in the game. You need to be laser focused on La Pequena Luz and defending your title. You cannot keep looking over your shoulder to see if Xander decides to strike. I am a good negotiator, maybe I’ll talk him down. If not, I’m still The Dragon.” Angelica smirks. “I’ll keep him away from you.”
Kim opens her mouth to respond but before she can get any words out, her twin sister Marie returns. She puts up her cell phone and based on the distressed look on her face, the conversation she just had was not a very good one. Angelica notices it and immediately questions her daughter.
“What’s wrong, Marie?”
“That was Principal Rogers calling from Sean’s school.”
“Did my sweet innocent nephew get into trouble again?” Kim asks. She is genuinely curious and concerned about her nephew Sean Connor Jones. Sean recently got into trouble for skipping school and his grades suffered as a result. Sean tried to hide it from his mother and aunt but to no avail. Kim found out and she told Marie. Sean had always been such a good kid, a well behaved child; this recent behavior was so strange that the family had hoped that this was just an anomaly. Kim had hoped that Sean had begun to straighten up and turn over a new leaf. Unfortunately it appears that the bad behavior has continued.
“Yes.” Marie sighs and nods her head.
“What happened?” Angelica asks curiously. “Is he still skipping school?”
“I wish it were as simple as that.” Marie answers with a sigh. “This time he got into a fight.”
“Oh really?” Kim’s interest is peaked. “Did he win?”
“Please take this seriously, Kim!” Marie exclaims with frustration in her voice.
“Sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood.” Kim smiles sheepishly. Marie rolls her eyes.
“It’s ok, Kim. It’s just that it’s so frustrating. Sean is not making this easy right now. I have to go pick him up from school and somehow make time to meet with his principal about him…again. But I have so many upcoming prior engagements that I’m not sure when I can make time to deal with this.”
“I’ll go talk to the principal if you need me to.” Angelica offers. Marie shakes her head.
“No, mom. You’re busy wrestling, you’re busy managing Kim’s career, you have too much on your plate right now. I may just ask Jessica…” Marie is referring to Jessica Lasiewicz, her and Kim’s half-sister; but she is interrupted when Kim chimes in.
“Don’t ask Jess! Let me go!”
“You?” Marie is uncertain of that idea. She recalls the last time Kim tried to deal with her son Sean. When Sean was just skipping school, he talked Kim into going to meet with Principal Rogers while pretending to be Marie. “I’m still not sure I can trust you after the last time.”
“I know I messed up, sis. But please let me do this to make it up to you. I promise to go as myself, I won’t try to deceive the principal or anything.”
“I guess I could but why is it so important to you that you go?”
“I dunno…” Kim shrugs her shoulders “...I just see a lot of myself in that kid. You know? He has a wild heart but a good heart. And I know how my life turned out. I don’t want to see that kid make the same mistakes I made and if I can help in any way, then I will.”
“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Marie asks with an arched brow. Kim nods her head.
“Yes!”
“Alright. You can arrange a meeting with his principal. But like you said, go as yourself. Don’t pretend to be me again.”
“Sir, yes SIR!” Kim playfully salutes as if she were a soldier saluting her superior officer. Marie rolls her eyes.
“In fact, why don’t you go pick up Sean from school?’
“Right now?” Kim asks curiously. Marie nods her head. “But what about training?”
“There’ll be plenty more time for training, Kim.” Angelica says with a wink. “Go talk to your nephew.”
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April 28th, 2023
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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Being the SCW Underground Champion is very important to Kimberly Williams. That is why she is willing to put her body through so much excruciating pain and sacrifice so much in order to keep that championship in her possession and that is why she is willing to do anything on Breakdown in order to successfully defend her title against La Pequena Luz on Breakdown. Still, if there is one thing that she values more than her Underground Championship it would have to be family. Family is something that all too often people overlook or take for granted. The Woman Scorned grew up without a real family. She grew up without anyone to really care for her or to accept her. When she finally was reunited with her real family and when that family eventually grew to love and accept her, Kim swore that nothing would ever come before her family. She swore that she would always be fiercely loyal to her family. Being a part of this family, the Jones family, has been a wonderful experience. Having sisters who care about her and a mother who is willing to defend her has been an incredibly humbling experience. It has changed Kim for the better. She was once a monster but now she is a human being.
While the experience of being part of a family has been incredible, starting a family of her own has been something The Woman Scorned has always shied away from. Kim just doesn’t think that someone as broken and twisted as herself should be a mother. Yet, when it comes to her nephew, her twin sister’s son Sean, Kim finds that there is an unexplainable closeness there. She finds herself drawn to him, as if she wants to help. She cannot help herself. She has to get involved and do what she can to teach him right from wrong the best way she knows how. Of course when she learned that Sean was in trouble at school, that he had gotten into a fight, Kim would drop everything that she was doing and go to see him, go find out what is wrong.
Kim is pulling up to the school her nephew Sean attends. She is driving her sister Marie’s crimson red Ford Fusion. The school is nearly empty except for a few kids, a few teachers, and one lonely dejected looking child on the sidewalk, looking as if he is waiting on his execution. This can only be Sean Jones, Kim’s nephew. As she gets closer she recognizes her nephew and pulls the vehicle up to the sidewalk next to him. She puts in park and unlocks the doors and waits for him to approach. Sean slowly walks over and opens the passenger side door. He nervously gets inside and looks over at Kim.
“Mom?”
“Don’t insult me like that.” Kim says with a grin. “I’m her evil clone.”
“Oh, its you Aunt Kim.” Sean suddenly and quickly cheers up upon realizing that it was Kim, not his mother, who showed up to pick him up from school. “I was worried mom had found out.”
“Sorry, but she already knows all about it, kiddo.” Kim winks. “How do you think I knew to come get ya?”
“Oh…” Sean’s smile quickly fades as he realizes that he is still in trouble. Kim puts the car into gear and begins to drive off. Sean remains silent for the next few minutes. Kim also remains in awkward silence, as she too is unsure of what to say. Eventually she breaks the ice.
“So I heard you got into a fight.”
“I don’t really wanna talk about it.”
“Was barbed wire involved? Or staple guns?”
“What?” Sean asks. He shakes his head. “No!”
“Good. Because that crap hurts.”
“Then why do you do it?”
“Hey! I’m the interrogator here, not you. I ask the questions. So tell me, kiddo, why did you get into a fight?”
“I told you, Aunt Kim, I really don’t want to talk about it.”
“Oh is that how it’s gonna be? Well maybe I need to play good cop bad cop? Maybe I should leave and go get a cup of coffee while some tough guy with a Napoleon complex comes and bullies a confession out of ya?”
“Huh?” Sean is genuinely confused about what Kim just said. Kim chuckles.
“I heard that on a movie somewhere. Look, I don’t know why you got into a fight. And maybe I shouldn’t ask? I mean, disciplining you is your mother’s job. But I will say that sometimes you do need to fight. Sometimes you need to stick up for yourself or for people you care about. My friend Datura was attacked and I defended her. Ol’ groucho Xander attacked me, I defended myself…ok, so I didn’t really defend myself that well, but still! My point is, if you’re sticking up for yourself, or if you’re sticking up for someone else who cannot fight for themselves, that’s fine. Is that what you were doing, kiddo?”
“Uh, well, not exactly.” Sean says uneasily.
“What WERE you doing”
“I was more of the instigator.”
“Oh instigator! Nice word usage, kiddo! Wait! I mean, NO! Being the instigator is NOT a good thing! Why did you start a fight?”
“I already told you that I didn’t want to talk about it.” Sean says as he slumps down in the passenger’s seat, pouting. Kim smirks knowingly. She has him right where she wants him.
“Y’know, kiddo, you shoulda stuck with the Fifth Amendment before you started running your mouth.”
“Fifth Amendment?”
“You’ll learn about Pleading the Fifth in Civis, kiddo.” Kim points out. “Now you already said too much. So you may as well tell me everything.”
“Fine.” Sean sighs out of frustration. “I made these new friends. This kid was picking on my new friends. So I was defending them just like you said.”
“That’s funny.” Kim starts laughing. Sean looks over at his aunt.
“Why are you laughing at me, Aunt Kim?”
“Because you’re such a bad liar.” Kim says. “Stick with me and I’ll teach you how to lie properly.”
“I’m not lying.”
“Sure you are.” Kim points out. “I mean, didn’t you just admit to starting the fight? You even used that fancy word ‘instigator’ that impressed me so much!”
“Well…” Sean’s voice trails off “...alright fine. My friends put me up to it. They wanted me to prove myself to them.”
“So you were fighting to impress your new pals?” Kim shakes her head. “Fighting just for the sake of fighting is not a good idea, kiddo, especially not just to impress your friends.”
“But you do it all the time, Aunt Kim!” Sean points out. “You fight to impress the fans at your wrestling shows!”
“That’s different. What I do is my job. I make a living putting my body on the line for bloodthirsty fans.” Kim laughs. “Now if you actually start bringing in a paycheck for starting fights then you have a case. Until then what you just did today and what I do are completely different things, kiddo. I can justify what I do because it is my job, my career, my passion. You cannot justify what you did today.”
“I’m sorry.” Sean says quietly.
“Don’t apologize to me, kiddo. Your mom is the one who is really disappointed with you. Your mom is the one who is gonna come down real hard on you. I mean, you were skipping school, now you’re getting into fights…” Kim sighs as tears begin to form; she fights them back in an attempt to remain strong for her nephew “...you sound like me.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Sean asks. “You’re so cool, Aunt Kim.”
“It’s nice to have a fan.” Kim chuckles. “But really, my life has not been the greatest. Some of the stuff that I endured was out of my control, other things that happened was a direct consequence of mistakes I made. I really want better for you, kiddo…and I think your mom does, too.”
“Mom needs to lighten up.” Sean whines. “She’s no fun and she doesn’t even care.”
“She does care.”
“No she doesn’t.” Sean points out. “She’s hardly there for me. Its almost always grandma or great aunt Kayla picking me up or dropping me off. Or you or aunt Jessie spending time with me. She’s not there that often. She’s always doing so many other things. She’s never got enough time with me.”
“She’s doing the best she can, kiddo. She’s not perfect. God knows I’m not perfect.”
“But you’re awesome. You’re fun.” Sean grins. “I would love to be like you when I grow up, Aunt Kim.”
“No, you don’t.” Kim shakes her head. “Trust me, kiddo, there are a lot better role models out there than me.”
Sean can sense the distress in his aunt’s voice and doesn’t say anything else. Kim also remains silent for the remainder of the car ride. In the awkward silence Kim thinks to herself about Sean, about how she most definitely wants better for her nephew, how she wants him to overcome and be better than her and her sister’s infamous background, the Williams family background which is fraught with death and despair. Kimberly knows that Sean is capable of so much more. She worries that he is walking down a dark path. Hopefully she and her sister can put him back on the right track.
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April 28th, 2023
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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Playing the Wild Card was meant to be a quiet night for the reigning SCW Underground Champion Kimberly Williams. The demented ginger was not scheduled to compete but she showed up nonetheless for fan encounters, autograph signings, and to just be “moral support” backstage for her fellow SCW superstars who were putting on a show for the evening. Yes, it was supposed to be a quiet, uneventful night for The Woman Scorned. But nothing ever really goes as planned when Kimberly Williams is concerned. First, her good friend Datura was attacked backstage, presumably by Kandis, which prompted Williams to strike back on Datura’s behalf. Then immediately after that fight was broken up, Kim was slammed hard onto steel at the hands of a vengeful and angry Xander Valentine. The Queens of Chaos member is used to having a target on her back. She has been a champion for the better part of the last two years, people targeting her for her gold is something she is used to. Kim’s own chaotic behaviors can tend to rub people the wrong way and make enemies, so she is used to inadvertently pissing people off and making enemies, enemies that want her head on a pike. Xander Valentine is different in that he seems to think Kim should be punished for being Adam Allocco’s friend. Which is unusual because never once considered herself to be Adam Allocco’s friend. Nevertheless, she finds herself to be Xander’s latest target due to this belief.
Xander Valentine, Kandis, and anyone else whom she may or may not have pissed off will have to take a backseat. Kimberly has her first defense of her newly won SCW Underground Championship coming up on a special May 6th edition of Breakdown against La Pequena Luz. Luz is one half of Light in the Darkness and one of the individuals who would have placed seventh and potentially have become Underground Champion as a result of Kimberly’s chaotic Trios Cash In were it not for the special stipulation surrounding the Underground Title itself, where Kim only had to get just one fall in order to win back the championship. Light in the Darkness, among others, have been questioning Kimberly’s ethics on the matter ever since. But being the Underground Champion means a great deal to The Woman Scorned and she does not want to have her ethics or her courage questioned. She has no problem proving to Luz and anyone else that she is a fighting champion, a worthy champion, and she will prove it on Breakdown.
“I’m gonna eat thunder and crap lightning!” Kimberly shouts excitedly as she does some juking and jiving, dancing around a heavy bag in the private gym of her mother, Angelica Jones. The Woman Scorned stops to throw a few right and left jabs at the bag. She is wearing black workout shorts, a white “Queens of Chaos” t-shirt, and sneakers. Sitting off in a distance, watching from afar, are her identical twin sister Marie Jones and their mother Angelica Jones. Marie is wearing denim jeans, black boots, and a floral print red blouse. The Matriarch of the Jones family, their mother, is wearing a black pencil skirt, black high heeled pumps, a red blouse, and a black leather jacket.
“Actually, I’m pretty sure the quote is eating lightning and crap thunder.” Marie points out. Kim shrugs her shoulders before throwing some kicks at the heavy bag.
“Who cares? Not me! Because I have the eye of the tiger, baby! The thrill of the fight! I was knocked down but I’m gonna pull myself back up and kick some ass! La Peguina LuzWasley questioned my guts! I cannot let that stand! I’m The Italian Stallion!”
“You’re not Italian.” Marie sighs. “And its La Pequena, not Penguin.”
“What?” Kimberly stops her kickboxing routine and turns to face her sister and mother. “I thought I was defending my title against my penguin Wasley?”
“You’re defending against one half of Light In The Darkness.”
“Damn it.” Kim says out of frustration. “That changes my entire game plan. I’ll have to send those Polar Bears and Orcas back to the zoo. They are predators and would have easily taken out La Penguina Luz.”
“Kim, you really should try to…” before Marie can finish her thought the ringing of a phone interrupts her; it happens to be her cell phone. Marie takes out her phone from her pants pocket and answers it. She walks off to get some privacy while on the phone. With Marie gone Angelica approaches Kim with a smile on her face.
“You know, Kim, I’m proud of you.”
“No!” Kim shakes her head. “Call me a Bum!”
“First of all, you have been watching too much Syvester Stallone movies. Second, I AM proud of you…”
“No!” Kim again shakes her head. “I am proud of you…you BUM!”
“Fine.” Angelica rolls her eyes. “I’m proud of you, you bum.”
“Yay!” Kim claps her hands happily. “I try my best!”
“I really am proud of you. Light In The Darkness have a legitimate claim against your Underground Championship. If you want to truly legitimize your reign and silence the critics and doubters, taking this fight, defending your title against Luz is a good first step towards achieving that goal.”
“Don’t worry. Just like Rambo says…mission accomplished!”
“At least you moved on from Rocky.” Angelica chuckles. “But don’t count your victory before it happens. Do NOT sleep on Luz. Luz may be primarily a tag team wrestler with Amelia Blythe, but the two of them have proven to be very good wrestlers. They beat two of the greatest ever in SCW in the form of Simon Lyman and Amy Chastain at Playing the Wildcard. Luz definitely has the potential to beat you.”
“I know that, mom! But as you should know, wrestling isn’t just a physical sport, it is a mental one as well. Luz had better not look at me as just a joke or a comedy act. I may have fun out there but I take death matches very seriously. If Luz wants to prove that she was the rightful Underground Champion then she will have to survive the hell I plan to put her through.” Kim winks knowingly as she thinks about the deranged, sadistic things that she has in store for Luz on Breakdown when the Underground Championship is on the line. Angelica herself even shudders to think about what Kim will do in this first defense of her newly won title. She went through hell and put all of SCW through hell just to regain the title. What would she do in order to keep it?
“That’s fine. You focus on La Pequena Luz. I’ll focus on Xander Valentine.”
“Oh, you mean groucho?” Kim folds her arms over her chest. “What’s his problem anyway? He hates Adam CoCo so much that he’s gonna take his anger out on anyone who happens to have had a passing conversation with the prick? It’s not fair!”
“I know, believe me. I’ll do what I can but I can’t promise to keep him away from you for good. Hopefully I can keep Xander out of your hair if nothing else then at least for Breakdown. You and Luz deserve to have a fair one on one match for the Underground Title without Xander sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong. If I have to, I’ll get physical.”
“Oh really?” Kim smirks. Her eyes grow wide. “My mother who wants me to behave is going to misbehave herself?”
“Only if Xander decides to get involved in your affairs. If he is willing to listen to reason and stay out of your business then I don’t have to do anything but I’m not gonna just sit by and watch while he keeps interfering in your matches simply because he’s freaking delusional.”
“That’s sweet mother dear, but I got this.” Kim smiles nastily. “I don’t become Queen of the Death Match because I’m a pushover.”
“No way, Kim.” Angelica shakes her head. “You need to keep your head in the game. You need to be laser focused on La Pequena Luz and defending your title. You cannot keep looking over your shoulder to see if Xander decides to strike. I am a good negotiator, maybe I’ll talk him down. If not, I’m still The Dragon.” Angelica smirks. “I’ll keep him away from you.”
Kim opens her mouth to respond but before she can get any words out, her twin sister Marie returns. She puts up her cell phone and based on the distressed look on her face, the conversation she just had was not a very good one. Angelica notices it and immediately questions her daughter.
“What’s wrong, Marie?”
“That was Principal Rogers calling from Sean’s school.”
“Did my sweet innocent nephew get into trouble again?” Kim asks. She is genuinely curious and concerned about her nephew Sean Connor Jones. Sean recently got into trouble for skipping school and his grades suffered as a result. Sean tried to hide it from his mother and aunt but to no avail. Kim found out and she told Marie. Sean had always been such a good kid, a well behaved child; this recent behavior was so strange that the family had hoped that this was just an anomaly. Kim had hoped that Sean had begun to straighten up and turn over a new leaf. Unfortunately it appears that the bad behavior has continued.
“Yes.” Marie sighs and nods her head.
“What happened?” Angelica asks curiously. “Is he still skipping school?”
“I wish it were as simple as that.” Marie answers with a sigh. “This time he got into a fight.”
“Oh really?” Kim’s interest is peaked. “Did he win?”
“Please take this seriously, Kim!” Marie exclaims with frustration in her voice.
“Sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood.” Kim smiles sheepishly. Marie rolls her eyes.
“It’s ok, Kim. It’s just that it’s so frustrating. Sean is not making this easy right now. I have to go pick him up from school and somehow make time to meet with his principal about him…again. But I have so many upcoming prior engagements that I’m not sure when I can make time to deal with this.”
“I’ll go talk to the principal if you need me to.” Angelica offers. Marie shakes her head.
“No, mom. You’re busy wrestling, you’re busy managing Kim’s career, you have too much on your plate right now. I may just ask Jessica…” Marie is referring to Jessica Lasiewicz, her and Kim’s half-sister; but she is interrupted when Kim chimes in.
“Don’t ask Jess! Let me go!”
“You?” Marie is uncertain of that idea. She recalls the last time Kim tried to deal with her son Sean. When Sean was just skipping school, he talked Kim into going to meet with Principal Rogers while pretending to be Marie. “I’m still not sure I can trust you after the last time.”
“I know I messed up, sis. But please let me do this to make it up to you. I promise to go as myself, I won’t try to deceive the principal or anything.”
“I guess I could but why is it so important to you that you go?”
“I dunno…” Kim shrugs her shoulders “...I just see a lot of myself in that kid. You know? He has a wild heart but a good heart. And I know how my life turned out. I don’t want to see that kid make the same mistakes I made and if I can help in any way, then I will.”
“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Marie asks with an arched brow. Kim nods her head.
“Yes!”
“Alright. You can arrange a meeting with his principal. But like you said, go as yourself. Don’t pretend to be me again.”
“Sir, yes SIR!” Kim playfully salutes as if she were a soldier saluting her superior officer. Marie rolls her eyes.
“In fact, why don’t you go pick up Sean from school?’
“Right now?” Kim asks curiously. Marie nods her head. “But what about training?”
“There’ll be plenty more time for training, Kim.” Angelica says with a wink. “Go talk to your nephew.”
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April 28th, 2023
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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Being the SCW Underground Champion is very important to Kimberly Williams. That is why she is willing to put her body through so much excruciating pain and sacrifice so much in order to keep that championship in her possession and that is why she is willing to do anything on Breakdown in order to successfully defend her title against La Pequena Luz on Breakdown. Still, if there is one thing that she values more than her Underground Championship it would have to be family. Family is something that all too often people overlook or take for granted. The Woman Scorned grew up without a real family. She grew up without anyone to really care for her or to accept her. When she finally was reunited with her real family and when that family eventually grew to love and accept her, Kim swore that nothing would ever come before her family. She swore that she would always be fiercely loyal to her family. Being a part of this family, the Jones family, has been a wonderful experience. Having sisters who care about her and a mother who is willing to defend her has been an incredibly humbling experience. It has changed Kim for the better. She was once a monster but now she is a human being.
While the experience of being part of a family has been incredible, starting a family of her own has been something The Woman Scorned has always shied away from. Kim just doesn’t think that someone as broken and twisted as herself should be a mother. Yet, when it comes to her nephew, her twin sister’s son Sean, Kim finds that there is an unexplainable closeness there. She finds herself drawn to him, as if she wants to help. She cannot help herself. She has to get involved and do what she can to teach him right from wrong the best way she knows how. Of course when she learned that Sean was in trouble at school, that he had gotten into a fight, Kim would drop everything that she was doing and go to see him, go find out what is wrong.
Kim is pulling up to the school her nephew Sean attends. She is driving her sister Marie’s crimson red Ford Fusion. The school is nearly empty except for a few kids, a few teachers, and one lonely dejected looking child on the sidewalk, looking as if he is waiting on his execution. This can only be Sean Jones, Kim’s nephew. As she gets closer she recognizes her nephew and pulls the vehicle up to the sidewalk next to him. She puts in park and unlocks the doors and waits for him to approach. Sean slowly walks over and opens the passenger side door. He nervously gets inside and looks over at Kim.
“Mom?”
“Don’t insult me like that.” Kim says with a grin. “I’m her evil clone.”
“Oh, its you Aunt Kim.” Sean suddenly and quickly cheers up upon realizing that it was Kim, not his mother, who showed up to pick him up from school. “I was worried mom had found out.”
“Sorry, but she already knows all about it, kiddo.” Kim winks. “How do you think I knew to come get ya?”
“Oh…” Sean’s smile quickly fades as he realizes that he is still in trouble. Kim puts the car into gear and begins to drive off. Sean remains silent for the next few minutes. Kim also remains in awkward silence, as she too is unsure of what to say. Eventually she breaks the ice.
“So I heard you got into a fight.”
“I don’t really wanna talk about it.”
“Was barbed wire involved? Or staple guns?”
“What?” Sean asks. He shakes his head. “No!”
“Good. Because that crap hurts.”
“Then why do you do it?”
“Hey! I’m the interrogator here, not you. I ask the questions. So tell me, kiddo, why did you get into a fight?”
“I told you, Aunt Kim, I really don’t want to talk about it.”
“Oh is that how it’s gonna be? Well maybe I need to play good cop bad cop? Maybe I should leave and go get a cup of coffee while some tough guy with a Napoleon complex comes and bullies a confession out of ya?”
“Huh?” Sean is genuinely confused about what Kim just said. Kim chuckles.
“I heard that on a movie somewhere. Look, I don’t know why you got into a fight. And maybe I shouldn’t ask? I mean, disciplining you is your mother’s job. But I will say that sometimes you do need to fight. Sometimes you need to stick up for yourself or for people you care about. My friend Datura was attacked and I defended her. Ol’ groucho Xander attacked me, I defended myself…ok, so I didn’t really defend myself that well, but still! My point is, if you’re sticking up for yourself, or if you’re sticking up for someone else who cannot fight for themselves, that’s fine. Is that what you were doing, kiddo?”
“Uh, well, not exactly.” Sean says uneasily.
“What WERE you doing”
“I was more of the instigator.”
“Oh instigator! Nice word usage, kiddo! Wait! I mean, NO! Being the instigator is NOT a good thing! Why did you start a fight?”
“I already told you that I didn’t want to talk about it.” Sean says as he slumps down in the passenger’s seat, pouting. Kim smirks knowingly. She has him right where she wants him.
“Y’know, kiddo, you shoulda stuck with the Fifth Amendment before you started running your mouth.”
“Fifth Amendment?”
“You’ll learn about Pleading the Fifth in Civis, kiddo.” Kim points out. “Now you already said too much. So you may as well tell me everything.”
“Fine.” Sean sighs out of frustration. “I made these new friends. This kid was picking on my new friends. So I was defending them just like you said.”
“That’s funny.” Kim starts laughing. Sean looks over at his aunt.
“Why are you laughing at me, Aunt Kim?”
“Because you’re such a bad liar.” Kim says. “Stick with me and I’ll teach you how to lie properly.”
“I’m not lying.”
“Sure you are.” Kim points out. “I mean, didn’t you just admit to starting the fight? You even used that fancy word ‘instigator’ that impressed me so much!”
“Well…” Sean’s voice trails off “...alright fine. My friends put me up to it. They wanted me to prove myself to them.”
“So you were fighting to impress your new pals?” Kim shakes her head. “Fighting just for the sake of fighting is not a good idea, kiddo, especially not just to impress your friends.”
“But you do it all the time, Aunt Kim!” Sean points out. “You fight to impress the fans at your wrestling shows!”
“That’s different. What I do is my job. I make a living putting my body on the line for bloodthirsty fans.” Kim laughs. “Now if you actually start bringing in a paycheck for starting fights then you have a case. Until then what you just did today and what I do are completely different things, kiddo. I can justify what I do because it is my job, my career, my passion. You cannot justify what you did today.”
“I’m sorry.” Sean says quietly.
“Don’t apologize to me, kiddo. Your mom is the one who is really disappointed with you. Your mom is the one who is gonna come down real hard on you. I mean, you were skipping school, now you’re getting into fights…” Kim sighs as tears begin to form; she fights them back in an attempt to remain strong for her nephew “...you sound like me.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Sean asks. “You’re so cool, Aunt Kim.”
“It’s nice to have a fan.” Kim chuckles. “But really, my life has not been the greatest. Some of the stuff that I endured was out of my control, other things that happened was a direct consequence of mistakes I made. I really want better for you, kiddo…and I think your mom does, too.”
“Mom needs to lighten up.” Sean whines. “She’s no fun and she doesn’t even care.”
“She does care.”
“No she doesn’t.” Sean points out. “She’s hardly there for me. Its almost always grandma or great aunt Kayla picking me up or dropping me off. Or you or aunt Jessie spending time with me. She’s not there that often. She’s always doing so many other things. She’s never got enough time with me.”
“She’s doing the best she can, kiddo. She’s not perfect. God knows I’m not perfect.”
“But you’re awesome. You’re fun.” Sean grins. “I would love to be like you when I grow up, Aunt Kim.”
“No, you don’t.” Kim shakes her head. “Trust me, kiddo, there are a lot better role models out there than me.”
Sean can sense the distress in his aunt’s voice and doesn’t say anything else. Kim also remains silent for the remainder of the car ride. In the awkward silence Kim thinks to herself about Sean, about how she most definitely wants better for her nephew, how she wants him to overcome and be better than her and her sister’s infamous background, the Williams family background which is fraught with death and despair. Kimberly knows that Sean is capable of so much more. She worries that he is walking down a dark path. Hopefully she and her sister can put him back on the right track.
05-04-2023, 10:01 PM
When Luz and Amelia arrived in Kansas City for Playing the Wildcard, they had a lot weighing on their minds.
If nothing else, though, the couple had become masters of compartmentalizing when they had to narrow down their focus, for better or worse.
Thankfully, it seemed to work out this time around. The Light In The Darkness had walked into the Hy-Vee Arena nervous but as prepared as they thought they could possibly be, considering they were facing a daunting but unknown challenge in the tandem of Amy Chastaine and Simon Lyman—two true SCW legends, but two competitors still fresh off of returning from retirement. The couple had to admit that they certainly needed to adjust their tactics on the fly a few times in the face of some new tricks from Simon and a more grounded style from Amy they honestly should have expected given her knee issues that ended up retiring her in the first place, which had been the downside of basing most of their preparation on footage of their old matches from years ago. They would ultimately score the huge victory, but not without a hell of a fight in the process that showed them firsthand why the two were considered legends in the first place.
With the pay-per-view in the rear-view mirror now, they could only hope that they had proven to be a sufficient test for the two of them, especially Amy both in terms of the stability of her knee and her confidence at being back in the ring again.
With a bit of a break until the next Breakdown, the focus now shifted over to the branching paths laid out before them in terms of what to do about the issues that threatened to consume and corrupt their careers. It was becoming more and more apparent that if left alone for long enough, The Empire were experts at taking control of the narrative and twisting it into whatever way benefited them the most, which is how things had gotten to this point in the first place. The problem was that Luz and Amelia were at a disadvantage in trying to actually address everything because The Empire seemed to have all the information they needed between the investigator they'd hired as well as Amelia's parents being part of the group themselves, while the two of them had a few pieces to the puzzle but nothing that could allow them to actually start putting anything together.
After exploring their options and talking things over with their friends, they'd ultimately decided the best place to start might be enlisting the help of Ryan Lumis, the private investigator who had exacerbated this mess in the first place. Once he'd learned the full scope of what he'd done, he felt it was only fair to offer pro bono work to the girls in order to make amends and try to clean up his track record, giving them the chance to turn the tables and use one of The Empire's secret weapons against them. When Amelia had called him last, he was in the middle of finishing up another job but offered to meet them in Kansas City after the pay-per-view to discuss the details and figure out the best place to start looking.
It was the easiest and safest option available to them right now, but also the one that would require the most time to produce results. That combined with Ryan's immediate availability made it the perfect starting point to their counterattack.
“I really hope we're not going to regret this,” Amelia mumbled as she and Luz made the walk from their hotel to the diner they'd agreed to meet Ryan at.
“Same,” Luz agreed with a nod of her head. “Ivy and Gage have a point, though. We really don't have much to work with to even begin understanding why Caleb's doing all of this in the first place, while he's got enough on me to seemingly produce a perfect copycat to use for his own purposes. And let's not forget that your mom now knows that you and Ivy have reconnected among other things she should just keep her nose out of.”
“I think that's the part that both confuses and concerns me the most,” Amelia admitted. “She made me cut ties with Ivy when I was a kid with all those threats, and yet we're rebuilding that bridge and she hasn't done anything with that knowledge yet.”
“Maybe she can't do anything with it?” Luz pondered out loud. “Hear me out: considering you're an adult, she has no legal power over you anymore even if she constantly thinks otherwise. Plus, she really has no influence or even citizenship here in the U.S. to use to her advantage like she does in England, whereas Ivy's been a legal U.S. citizen for longer than even the both of us have. Add in the fact that Ivy's seemingly built up a good amount of influence in her own right with all the people your mom would need to target, and I get the feeling the best she can do right now is try to hold this over your head to get you to make that mistake all over again.”
It was an optimistic theory at best, even if she had a few facts to support it, but it was something Luz knew she needed to say right now to get a solid foothold on her girlfriend's train of thought. The amount of mental power that Aleister and Ophelia Blythe still held over Amelia despite all the steps she's taken to break free from them truly sickened her. Barring maybe Caleb White, she could think of no two individuals who angered her more because of the sheer amount of inhumane acts they would resort to just to have everything their way at the end of the day. Her own parents raised her to always try and find the good in others and be the bigger person, but even in the few interactions she'd had with them Luz could say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there wasn't even a microscopic shred of good or decency to be found in Amelia's parents, and it baffled her to this day how such human beings could actually exist in this world. Even some of her worst bullies growing up weren't truly bad people and had changed their tunes once they grew up and got a big dose of reality.
“Knowing my mom, she definitely has some sort of scheme in the works,” Amelia finally said after thinking over Luz's theory, snapping the luchadora out of her thoughts. “You might be onto something though... and... even if we should still keep our eyes peeled, I appreciate the optimism Lulu. I still don't understand how you seem to have that in spades even with everything you went through growing up.”
“I have my parents to thank for that,” Luz said, her voice getting noticeably quieter. “They always taught me to give people a chance and that hatred is just a tool some people use when they're desperate to try and bring others down to their level, especially my dad. Both in and out of the ring there was a lot he had to face and so many people trying to break him down, but he stood strong against it all and never wavered in being himself... even up until the very end. It... it was inspiring, and only strengthened how much I wanted to be as strong as he was when I grew up.”
Amelia draped an arm over Luz's shoulder and pulled her into a side hug, silently thanking the heavens above that she was at such a comfortable level with her girlfriend that she could pull this off naturally. The last thing she wanted was for anyone who happened to pass them on the street to start questioning if Luz was alright, especially since her father was still a subject that rattled her all these years later. They kept walking as Amelia took the lead, letting Luz slowly but surely recompose herself in her girlfriend's embrace. When Luz leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, that was her sign that she was feeling better, though she still held her close as they kept walking.
“You alright, querida?” Amelia softly asked.
“A little...” Luz admitted.
“Luz... I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again now: you are so incredibly strong, maybe more than you realize,” Amelia began. “Considering how I was when we first met, you could have easily just left me be after you became the first loss I'd ever had in a wrestling ring. You could have let me wallow in my shattered self-confidence and let me go back to my parents and whatever punishment awaited me for failing because you had no reason to reach out. And yet, you did anyway... you reached out, you gave me a chance when no one else did, you were patient with me as I slowly but surely put myself back together after everything they'd done to me, you even stood by my side and helped me fight to ensure I'd finally be free of their influence once and for all, even when it wasn't your fight! I wish I was half as strong as you are, La Pequeña Luz, but I know that with your help I'll get there someday.”
Luz was in awe of the words that she was hearing. She knew full well how much she'd gone out of her way to help Amelia when she really didn't have to and she'd been told this countless times before, but something about hearing it now really seemed to pull her back from the brink of believing that her best efforts to try and invoke some sort of positive change in this world were all for naught. True, maybe it wasn't a foolproof effort, but sometimes one small act of kindness truly did go a long way and she just needed to stay strong and keep looking on the bright side no matter how dark things got.
The couple couldn't help but share a kiss before they realized they'd arrived at the diner. They took a moment to make sure they were ready before heading inside, where thankfully it didn't look like the place was too busy at the moment. When they talked to the hostess and told her they were here for a meeting, she informed them that no one by the name of Ryan Lumis had arrived yet but she'd happily seat them and direct him to their table once he arrived. Once they were at their booth, they opted to sit beside one another so Ryan would feel comfortable talking with them face-to-face as they started to decide what they wanted to order while they waited.
They had been so caught up in their little moment that they never realize someone had spotted them outside and seemed to recognize them, nor that said person had decided to grab a bite to eat in this same diner as they bided their time. They sat close enough to hear the girls if need be, but not close enough that it felt suspicious considering they'd walked in shortly after the girls.
As the girls settled on what to eat and informed the waitress they were waiting on one more to join them before they were ready to order, they both got a notification on their phones. Expecting it to either be a message from Ryan to let them know he was on his way or maybe something from one of their friends, they were a little surprised to find that it came from SCW management. They were further taken aback by what it contained: news regarding Owen Cruze and confirming that since he'd forfeited his Underground Title rematch and chose not to renew his contract in spite of the double title win last night, the both of them were now staring down huge opportunities. Amelia was one of the names entered into a tournament to crown a new United States Champion with her first round match being on the May 11th Breakdown in Salt Lake City. Luz, on the other hand, found that her point regarding the standings of Kim's Trios cash-in weeks ago had been acknowledged because she was going to go one-on-one with Kim herself for the Underground Title on the very next show.
“Well, that's certainly not what I expected coming out of last night's show...” Amelia said, still stunned at what she was looking at. She turned to look at Luz, who definitely looked like her brain had blue screened at what she was seeing. “Luz?”
“They actually booked it...” Luz mumbled. “I know I had a rightful claim to it based on the standings to that match, but part of me never thought I would actually be given the title shot. I didn't think Kim would even acknowledge what I said, especially after what she pulled last night on Kandis and then earning Xander's wrath...”
“You do have a rightful claim to that title, sweetheart,” Amelia told her. “As does The One technically, but I may be seeing her in the U.S. Title tournament at some point instead.”
“I know, but...” Luz paused as she seemed to struggle with her thoughts for a moment, but Amelia patiently waited. “I'm not an Underground Rules kind of wrestler Ames, neither of us are... yeah, we technically were in that kind of match because of Kim's chaos in the first place after Retribution, but we just stuck to the ring and did our best to keep things clean and competitive the whole way. We scored five falls collectively by not playing her game the way she wanted us to. I don't think I can really get away with that this time around, not when I can already bet she's deciding what 'toys' she wants to stash under the ring before the show even starts. I don't-”
“Hey,” Amelia gently cut Luz off before she could spiral any further. “What did we just talk about before we came in here?”
Luz just blinked for a moment, knowing what the answer was but not fully realizing what it had to do with this situation. “How I'm stronger than I think I am?”
“Exactly,” Amelia told her firmly. “You need to stop forgetting that, honey. What is La Pequeña Luz without her unshakable optimism? You earned this opportunity fair and square because you did, in fact, outscore Kim in that match and it's not right that she got to walk away a champion and you didn't. Yeah, this is going to be a bit outside your comfort zone, but we've competed in matches lacking in rules before and come away with a couple of scars and some wounds that needed stitches but it didn't change the fact that we still walked away, sometimes with our hands being raised in victory. You can do this, Lulu.”
“But... what if this match... changes me?” Luz shuddered a bit at the thought. “What if, win or lose, I don't return to you the same woman? What if I become Underground Champion and the whole experience makes me into some sort of monster?”
“That's not going to happen,” Amelia told her. “And do you know why?” She paused as Luz thought it over for a moment before shaking her head. “It's because of what I said: you're stronger than you think you are. Yeah, Kim will probably try to make a bloodbath out of this, but I know you're capable of taking anything she has to throw at you and then some. Everything you've been through in your life, both before and after wrestling... things that have hurt you far worse than whatever Kim thinks she can throw at you... you've risen above all of it every single time to be that beacon who saved me and gave me hope that I could live a life of my own choosing. And if you do feel yourself start to slip, then you know I'll be more than happy to return the favor and be your light that keeps you shining as brightly as I know you can.”
Luz's jaw dropped at how much Amelia's words sounded like a statement of fact, almost as if the idea of losing herself in the excessive violence that tended to be a hallmark of the Underground Championship and being irrevocably changed was a challenge she was willing to face head-on, just as this match in and of itself was that kind of challenge for Luz. Yes, it was definitely outside of her comfort zone, but it was still an opportunity she earned and a chance to see what she could do with the 'rules' of a generally ruleless environment. After all, what good would it do her if she expected to compete only in matches without any sort of gimmicks or stipulations throughout her SCW career?
“You know what? You're right Ames!” Luz exclaimed. “Yeah, this will probably require some getting used to, but I almost forgot that Deanna Frost beat Kim to reign as Underground Champion for a time, and she never became consumed by the idea of bloodshed and ultraviolence. She simply worked with what was available to her and beat Kim at her own game, just like I know I can!”
“That's the spirit!” Amelia praised her girlfriend.
“I hope I'm not interrupting whatever spirited conversation is going on right now,” a voice called, and both ladies looked up to see Ryan Lumis standing by their table, looking a little nervous. They couldn't really blame him for walking on eggshells considering how they knew of him in the first place, but he seemed to relax when Luz motioned for him to take a seat across from him.
“We were just discussing our upcoming challenges in SCW,” Amelia told him.
“I'm at least glad that my actions haven't ruined wrestling for the both of you,” Ryan replied with a nod, though he did grimace a bit as his choice of words. “My apologies again for this whole mess, by the way, and hopefully I'll be able to make it up to the both of you by turning the tables on my former clients.”
“In all fairness, you were hired to do a job and didn't know what exactly you were getting into,” Luz stated. “Yeah, we're still a little upset about what you've done, but we can't keep holding it over your head when you were kept in the dark, especially when we had no idea any of this was even going to turn into what it's become. I mean, how were we supposed to know some new wrestling group out of England was going to stretch the ethics of both the business and basic human decency for Lord knows what reason?”
Ryan nodded in agreement at that before they were interrupted by the waitress to take their orders. Once that was out of the way, both sides passed the time until their food arrived going over everything that Ryan had originally gathered on Luz and Amelia in thorough detail. While Amelia already knew everything that had been gathered on her for her mother, knowing the full extent of the details helped her try to form a clearer picture in her head of what could be done with that information, especially if it tied back into this lie of her being engaged to The Empire's 'Golden Prodigy' despite clearly having a girlfriend and not hiding the fact that she was a lesbian. As for Luz, she could at least get some peace of mind knowing that Ryan hadn't been able to get any details about her real identity of Luna Nevado thanks to her strict adherence to the sacred lucha libre traditions. The fact that he only gathered everything he could find about who she was as La Pequeña Luz and what made her the luchadora she is today since donning the mask really put into perspective the holes she could exploit regarding her doppelganger if absolutely necessary.
“Alright,” Ryan said once he'd finished thoroughly going over everything he had on the couple that had been turned over to Caleb and Ophelia, just in time for their food to be served and a few bites to be had. “I guess the best place to start with what I can do for you is figuring out what you ladies are hoping to ultimately get out of all of this so I have an idea of what I'm looking for.”
Luz and Amelia exchanged glances before the latter took the initiative, being more comfortable doing so because of all the business socializing she'd been forced to do growing up.
“To be honest, our bigger concern is Caleb White,” she told the investigator. “I know my parents well enough to have a few ideas on what they're up to and how we can deal with it whenever that time comes. Caleb is an absolute enigma to the both of us, however, and we'd love to have some sort of idea as to why he's going this far to try and hijack our careers and identities in the first place, because up until all of this started I'd only heard stories of his wrestling prowess growing up and my girlfriend is completely in the dark.”
“We were given a bit of a hint by someone who told us she's working as a mole within The Empire because she and her sister have their own issues with the guy,” Luz added. “She claimed that all the answers we're looking for are buried in the past before either of us were even born. Amelia knows her dad's crossed paths with Caleb in the ring which I guess explains why they're so keen on joining forces for this endeavor, and a friend of ours who's a bit of a wrestling historian told me that my dad had a bit of a rivalry with him that he never told me about.”
“So you need answers on who this guy is and what connections he has through your families that you can't get yourself?” Ryan asked for clarification and got stereo nods in return. “Makes sense for a starting point given your issues with your parents Amelia and your father... well, I did learn of what happened to him while investigating you Luz, and I offer my sincerest condolences.”
“It's alright,” Luz tells him, though Amelia immediately picks up on how untrue that is through her tone of voice. “It's a danger of this business, unfortunately.”
“Regardless... would your mom happen to know anything about that point in your father's career?” he asked Luz.
“Me temo que no,” Luz said while shaking her head. “She didn't meet my dad until after he and Caleb's last supposed ring war, and anything he kept from me about his career was also mostly kept from her as well so she wouldn't worry... given that she and I aren't on the best of terms right now because of the business, talking to her about something for it might not go over too well either.”
“Gotcha, I'll make a note of that for when I compile the list of who I can reasonably approach for details,” Ryan nodded as he jotted down a few notes between sips of his water.
“Actually...” Luz grabbed his attention. “That wrestling historian friend of ours told me that the injury my father suffered that put him in the hospital and led him to meeting my mom in the first place had a lot of unsolved questions surrounding it. It ultimately got written off as some sort of angle by just about everybody, but if that wasn't the case my dad kept any of the actual details close to the chest. Caleb apparently decided to stop ranting and raving about their feud shortly after that and then retired not too long afterward.”
“When you put it like that, I can definitely see a connection there,” Ryan realized. “And just from my own conversations with the guy, he's a little too good for my liking when it comes to steering things in whatever direction he specifically wants them to go.” He took a moment to jot down a few more notes. “Anything else?”
“We wouldn't mind anything you can dig up on Caleb's 'Golden Prodigy' either, while you're at it,” Amelia spat in disgust, “since he's supposed to be my 'fiancé' and all.”
“Same with whoever might be under the mask of this fake La Pequeña Luz they're parading around,” Luz added. “Normally I'd refrain from asking that out of respect for what the mask means to a luchador, but the fact that someone is intentionally trying to steal my identity and use it to destroy all the work I've built up over the years has already made it clear that I have no reason to respect what she's doing.”
“I'll see what I can do, But I'll be upfront about that last request being a bit of a challenge,” Ryan admitted. “Considering Mexican culture keeps things pretty airtight when it comes to masked wrestlers and their real identities, if I couldn't get anything on you, Luz, for Caleb to use in that regard then the inverse will also likely be true.”
“Then maybe we could get you something to start with?” Luz offered. “We got a schedule of some of my copycat's upcoming bookings, and since we've got time before SCW's next Breakdown we were planning on maybe trying to confront her-”
“A bold move, kid, but one that might be a bit ill-advised.”
All eyes turned to the woman who was now approaching their table. Her tall stature and similar facial features immediately brought Lily to mind, although her eyes were an almost golden shade of brown and her long, wild orange hair flowed down her back like a waterfall. When she flashed them a grin, they could see a gold tooth in her mouth that was likely a replacement for one that had been lost at some point. She wore a red dress that looked like it had seen better days, with an owl pin adorning the chest.
“Excuse me ma'am, but we're trying to have a meeting here,” Ryan told the woman, only for her to hold a hand up to him to cut him off.
“Yeah, yeah, I've been kind of eavesdropping for the past few minutes and know what's going on,” she told them before pointing at the girls. “And I'm telling the two of you right now, from my own personal experience, that trying to pick a fight with Caleb White outside the ring without any sort of game plan is suicide.”
“And who's saying we don't have a plan?” Amelia fired back, an eyebrow raised at the audacity of this woman.
“Marilyn Clauson, that's who,” she said as she extended her hand, much to the couple's surprise. “Lily told me you bumped into her not too long ago and I happened to be in the area. Not bad ring work last night, by the way.”
Luz and Amelia hesitantly shook Marilyn's hand, clearly not expecting to bump into the sister Lily mentioned here in Kansas City. Considering they were still trying to get their bearings regarding her interrupting their meeting, however, it was no surprise that they were still a bit stunned.
“So you have some sort of connection to their situation with Mr. White and his wrestling group?” Ryan asked, maintaining his professional demeanor even as he was clearly trying to figure out where this sudden loose end tied back into things.
“Kind of on the latter, but nada on the former,” Marilyn replied. “Outside of having competed against their parents in the ring, this is my first time meeting these two, though I have heard all about them being at the center of whatever ol' Caleb's scheming now. He and the Clauson sisters kind of have our own history we're trying to exploit to figure out why he's suddenly come back from the dead or wherever he disappeared to all these years after he finally retired.”
“Any chance you'd be willing to share whatever you and your sister have gathered so far?” Ryan kept probing.
“I'd have to check with Lily first since I don't want to compromise her place as the mole in The Empire right now,” Marilyn told him before her gaze turned back to the couple. “But hey, hiring a private investigator to do some snooping around. Not a bad first step, if you ask me!”
“To be fair, he's paying us back for working for Caleb and my mom to 'snoop around' for dirt on us,” Amelia clarified.
“Yeesh!” Marilyn cringed. “Somehow I'm not surprised, as sad as that probably sounds, but you two seem to have your wits about you if you managed to catch it and shut it down.”
“More like we've got some good friends looking out for us,” Luz admitted. “But whatever this guy wants with us, we're going to figure it out and shut it down. And it starts in Mexico with whoever's masquerading as me.”
“Again, appreciate the moxie kid,” Marilyn responded, “but I'm telling you right now that trying to pick a fight with this guy and his goons outside the ring never ends well for anybody.”
“Then what am I supposed to do?” Luz stood up, letting her emotions consume her as Amelia watched with concern, ready to jump in and calm her down at any moment. “Someone's out there spitting in the face of everything I've worked so hard to build for myself, everything that papá taught me... they're disgracing everything that lucha libre stands for and making it seem like I've turned my back on all of it, and I'm just supposed to sit here and do nothing when I have a chance to get some answers for myself and maybe give us a better idea of what we're up against when Ryan here gets to work? ¡Diablos no! So with all due respect Miss Clauson, as much as your sister told us to seek you out for help... I'm afraid I'm going to have to ignore your warnings and take this chance while I have it, because I'm tired of my career being corrupted and not being able to fight back.”
Luz was breathing heavily after she let all of that out, and Amelia wasted no time in guiding her back into her seat. She gently took Luz's hand and started rubbing circles into the back of it to try and help her regain her composure. Ryan was trying his best to maintain the professional facade but Amelia's well-trained eyes could tell that he was taken aback by the outburst. Marilyn, on the other hand, just watched Luz carefully while making sure that she was impossible to read. After a moment, however, she cracked a smile before she burst out in a hearty laugh, not caring about the few patrons in this diner who seemed to already be growing annoyed or were surprised by the noise coming from their table right now.
“Luz, was it?” Marilyn finally asked, to which Luz nodded in response. “I've got to hand it to you... you're Ol' Spirit's kid, alright. I tell you, that kind of passion is going to carry you far in the business, especially since you seem like you found someone with a good head on her shoulders to keep an eye on you if things go south. Never been a fan of your parents Amelia, but you seem like you turned out alright despite their shitty attempts at 'parenting.'”
“Thank you?” Amelia responded in confusion at what exactly was happening right now.
“Well, if you two are so keen on going through with this, then let me give you a word of advice,” Marilyn continued. “Plan on bringing these friends of yours with you and have eyes in the back of your head at all times. It also doesn't hurt to take full advantage of any connections you've got down there. Trust me, it'll make what you're looking to do go a hell of a lot smoother no matter how stupid I still say it is.”
Luz and Amelia both nod, a bit surprised to find someone who cared beneath the gruff exterior that Marilyn seemed to want to present at all times. She seemed to pick up on this as a much kinder smile slowly graced her lips.
“By the way, since it sounds like the two of you have some time,” she continued, “if you want, you can swing by my wrestling school out in Bridgeport, Connecticut and I can teach you a thing or two to help you both further define yourselves. Maybe it'll give you a bit of an edge in your matches coming up.”
“You'd... help us by sharing your wrestling knowledge with us?” Luz carefully asked.
“Figured it wouldn't hurt to help little Blythe here further evolve her style and pull away from mommy and daddy just a little bit more,” Marilyn replied. “As for you, Luz... well, I think I popped into this joint just in time to overhear that you're challenging for SCW's take on a hardcore/deathmatch championship?” When Luz nodded in response, she continued. “Then you're in luck! I'm sure Lily probably mentioned that we had a bit of a sibling rivalry that spanned most of our careers in the ring, and at the core of it was a clash of styles. She likes being the prissy technician—no offense, Amelia—while I've always loved a good old fashioned anything goes brawl with weapons and blood and anything else you can throw into a blender for maximum chaos. I might be the best person who could teach you a thing or two about what you're getting into here.”
“You'd do that?” Luz asked with far more enthusiasm this time.
“Considering I wouldn't have become who I am today without some words of encouragement from your pops, this can be my way of returning the favor to him after all these years,” Marilyn grinned.
The couple had a silent conversation for a moment before they both nodded in agreement, smiling wider than they had in quite a while.
“You've got yourself a deal, Marilyn,” Amelia confirmed before she shot a guilty glance over to Ryan, who had finished his meal and was going over some notes. “And I apologize for you being forgotten about for the past several minutes, Mr. Lumis.”
“It's quite alright,” he replied with a chuckle. “I know that wrestling is at the heart of this whole matter and anything that helps you two on that front is worth focusing on. On that note... Miss Clauson, can I have some contact information to keep in touch regarding any information that could be mutually beneficial in or respective efforts?”
“Only if you knock it off with that 'Miss Clauson' crap,” Marilyn grumbled. “No offense, but I never was a fan of formalities. Heard it far too often while I was fighting cancer and I'm sick of how old it makes me feel.”
Luz and Amelia would leave the diner that day feeling cautiously optimistic about their immediate future. Title opportunities in SCW, the start of an investigation to deal with The Empire problem, the promise of training under an experienced figure who could help further expand upon their abilities and make them even more of a threat... if their impending trip down to Mexico to see what they could find for themselves about the fake Luz bore fruit, then things were truly looking up for The Light In The Darkness.
Luz could only hope that would be the case, because Lord knows she was more than ready to fight for her name and everything that it stood for, be it against someone pretending to be her or someone who likely thought she was an easy title defense just because she wasn't used to the violent world that Kim Williams resided in.
If nothing else, though, the couple had become masters of compartmentalizing when they had to narrow down their focus, for better or worse.
Thankfully, it seemed to work out this time around. The Light In The Darkness had walked into the Hy-Vee Arena nervous but as prepared as they thought they could possibly be, considering they were facing a daunting but unknown challenge in the tandem of Amy Chastaine and Simon Lyman—two true SCW legends, but two competitors still fresh off of returning from retirement. The couple had to admit that they certainly needed to adjust their tactics on the fly a few times in the face of some new tricks from Simon and a more grounded style from Amy they honestly should have expected given her knee issues that ended up retiring her in the first place, which had been the downside of basing most of their preparation on footage of their old matches from years ago. They would ultimately score the huge victory, but not without a hell of a fight in the process that showed them firsthand why the two were considered legends in the first place.
With the pay-per-view in the rear-view mirror now, they could only hope that they had proven to be a sufficient test for the two of them, especially Amy both in terms of the stability of her knee and her confidence at being back in the ring again.
With a bit of a break until the next Breakdown, the focus now shifted over to the branching paths laid out before them in terms of what to do about the issues that threatened to consume and corrupt their careers. It was becoming more and more apparent that if left alone for long enough, The Empire were experts at taking control of the narrative and twisting it into whatever way benefited them the most, which is how things had gotten to this point in the first place. The problem was that Luz and Amelia were at a disadvantage in trying to actually address everything because The Empire seemed to have all the information they needed between the investigator they'd hired as well as Amelia's parents being part of the group themselves, while the two of them had a few pieces to the puzzle but nothing that could allow them to actually start putting anything together.
After exploring their options and talking things over with their friends, they'd ultimately decided the best place to start might be enlisting the help of Ryan Lumis, the private investigator who had exacerbated this mess in the first place. Once he'd learned the full scope of what he'd done, he felt it was only fair to offer pro bono work to the girls in order to make amends and try to clean up his track record, giving them the chance to turn the tables and use one of The Empire's secret weapons against them. When Amelia had called him last, he was in the middle of finishing up another job but offered to meet them in Kansas City after the pay-per-view to discuss the details and figure out the best place to start looking.
It was the easiest and safest option available to them right now, but also the one that would require the most time to produce results. That combined with Ryan's immediate availability made it the perfect starting point to their counterattack.
“I really hope we're not going to regret this,” Amelia mumbled as she and Luz made the walk from their hotel to the diner they'd agreed to meet Ryan at.
“Same,” Luz agreed with a nod of her head. “Ivy and Gage have a point, though. We really don't have much to work with to even begin understanding why Caleb's doing all of this in the first place, while he's got enough on me to seemingly produce a perfect copycat to use for his own purposes. And let's not forget that your mom now knows that you and Ivy have reconnected among other things she should just keep her nose out of.”
“I think that's the part that both confuses and concerns me the most,” Amelia admitted. “She made me cut ties with Ivy when I was a kid with all those threats, and yet we're rebuilding that bridge and she hasn't done anything with that knowledge yet.”
“Maybe she can't do anything with it?” Luz pondered out loud. “Hear me out: considering you're an adult, she has no legal power over you anymore even if she constantly thinks otherwise. Plus, she really has no influence or even citizenship here in the U.S. to use to her advantage like she does in England, whereas Ivy's been a legal U.S. citizen for longer than even the both of us have. Add in the fact that Ivy's seemingly built up a good amount of influence in her own right with all the people your mom would need to target, and I get the feeling the best she can do right now is try to hold this over your head to get you to make that mistake all over again.”
It was an optimistic theory at best, even if she had a few facts to support it, but it was something Luz knew she needed to say right now to get a solid foothold on her girlfriend's train of thought. The amount of mental power that Aleister and Ophelia Blythe still held over Amelia despite all the steps she's taken to break free from them truly sickened her. Barring maybe Caleb White, she could think of no two individuals who angered her more because of the sheer amount of inhumane acts they would resort to just to have everything their way at the end of the day. Her own parents raised her to always try and find the good in others and be the bigger person, but even in the few interactions she'd had with them Luz could say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there wasn't even a microscopic shred of good or decency to be found in Amelia's parents, and it baffled her to this day how such human beings could actually exist in this world. Even some of her worst bullies growing up weren't truly bad people and had changed their tunes once they grew up and got a big dose of reality.
“Knowing my mom, she definitely has some sort of scheme in the works,” Amelia finally said after thinking over Luz's theory, snapping the luchadora out of her thoughts. “You might be onto something though... and... even if we should still keep our eyes peeled, I appreciate the optimism Lulu. I still don't understand how you seem to have that in spades even with everything you went through growing up.”
“I have my parents to thank for that,” Luz said, her voice getting noticeably quieter. “They always taught me to give people a chance and that hatred is just a tool some people use when they're desperate to try and bring others down to their level, especially my dad. Both in and out of the ring there was a lot he had to face and so many people trying to break him down, but he stood strong against it all and never wavered in being himself... even up until the very end. It... it was inspiring, and only strengthened how much I wanted to be as strong as he was when I grew up.”
Amelia draped an arm over Luz's shoulder and pulled her into a side hug, silently thanking the heavens above that she was at such a comfortable level with her girlfriend that she could pull this off naturally. The last thing she wanted was for anyone who happened to pass them on the street to start questioning if Luz was alright, especially since her father was still a subject that rattled her all these years later. They kept walking as Amelia took the lead, letting Luz slowly but surely recompose herself in her girlfriend's embrace. When Luz leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, that was her sign that she was feeling better, though she still held her close as they kept walking.
“You alright, querida?” Amelia softly asked.
“A little...” Luz admitted.
“Luz... I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again now: you are so incredibly strong, maybe more than you realize,” Amelia began. “Considering how I was when we first met, you could have easily just left me be after you became the first loss I'd ever had in a wrestling ring. You could have let me wallow in my shattered self-confidence and let me go back to my parents and whatever punishment awaited me for failing because you had no reason to reach out. And yet, you did anyway... you reached out, you gave me a chance when no one else did, you were patient with me as I slowly but surely put myself back together after everything they'd done to me, you even stood by my side and helped me fight to ensure I'd finally be free of their influence once and for all, even when it wasn't your fight! I wish I was half as strong as you are, La Pequeña Luz, but I know that with your help I'll get there someday.”
Luz was in awe of the words that she was hearing. She knew full well how much she'd gone out of her way to help Amelia when she really didn't have to and she'd been told this countless times before, but something about hearing it now really seemed to pull her back from the brink of believing that her best efforts to try and invoke some sort of positive change in this world were all for naught. True, maybe it wasn't a foolproof effort, but sometimes one small act of kindness truly did go a long way and she just needed to stay strong and keep looking on the bright side no matter how dark things got.
The couple couldn't help but share a kiss before they realized they'd arrived at the diner. They took a moment to make sure they were ready before heading inside, where thankfully it didn't look like the place was too busy at the moment. When they talked to the hostess and told her they were here for a meeting, she informed them that no one by the name of Ryan Lumis had arrived yet but she'd happily seat them and direct him to their table once he arrived. Once they were at their booth, they opted to sit beside one another so Ryan would feel comfortable talking with them face-to-face as they started to decide what they wanted to order while they waited.
They had been so caught up in their little moment that they never realize someone had spotted them outside and seemed to recognize them, nor that said person had decided to grab a bite to eat in this same diner as they bided their time. They sat close enough to hear the girls if need be, but not close enough that it felt suspicious considering they'd walked in shortly after the girls.
As the girls settled on what to eat and informed the waitress they were waiting on one more to join them before they were ready to order, they both got a notification on their phones. Expecting it to either be a message from Ryan to let them know he was on his way or maybe something from one of their friends, they were a little surprised to find that it came from SCW management. They were further taken aback by what it contained: news regarding Owen Cruze and confirming that since he'd forfeited his Underground Title rematch and chose not to renew his contract in spite of the double title win last night, the both of them were now staring down huge opportunities. Amelia was one of the names entered into a tournament to crown a new United States Champion with her first round match being on the May 11th Breakdown in Salt Lake City. Luz, on the other hand, found that her point regarding the standings of Kim's Trios cash-in weeks ago had been acknowledged because she was going to go one-on-one with Kim herself for the Underground Title on the very next show.
“Well, that's certainly not what I expected coming out of last night's show...” Amelia said, still stunned at what she was looking at. She turned to look at Luz, who definitely looked like her brain had blue screened at what she was seeing. “Luz?”
“They actually booked it...” Luz mumbled. “I know I had a rightful claim to it based on the standings to that match, but part of me never thought I would actually be given the title shot. I didn't think Kim would even acknowledge what I said, especially after what she pulled last night on Kandis and then earning Xander's wrath...”
“You do have a rightful claim to that title, sweetheart,” Amelia told her. “As does The One technically, but I may be seeing her in the U.S. Title tournament at some point instead.”
“I know, but...” Luz paused as she seemed to struggle with her thoughts for a moment, but Amelia patiently waited. “I'm not an Underground Rules kind of wrestler Ames, neither of us are... yeah, we technically were in that kind of match because of Kim's chaos in the first place after Retribution, but we just stuck to the ring and did our best to keep things clean and competitive the whole way. We scored five falls collectively by not playing her game the way she wanted us to. I don't think I can really get away with that this time around, not when I can already bet she's deciding what 'toys' she wants to stash under the ring before the show even starts. I don't-”
“Hey,” Amelia gently cut Luz off before she could spiral any further. “What did we just talk about before we came in here?”
Luz just blinked for a moment, knowing what the answer was but not fully realizing what it had to do with this situation. “How I'm stronger than I think I am?”
“Exactly,” Amelia told her firmly. “You need to stop forgetting that, honey. What is La Pequeña Luz without her unshakable optimism? You earned this opportunity fair and square because you did, in fact, outscore Kim in that match and it's not right that she got to walk away a champion and you didn't. Yeah, this is going to be a bit outside your comfort zone, but we've competed in matches lacking in rules before and come away with a couple of scars and some wounds that needed stitches but it didn't change the fact that we still walked away, sometimes with our hands being raised in victory. You can do this, Lulu.”
“But... what if this match... changes me?” Luz shuddered a bit at the thought. “What if, win or lose, I don't return to you the same woman? What if I become Underground Champion and the whole experience makes me into some sort of monster?”
“That's not going to happen,” Amelia told her. “And do you know why?” She paused as Luz thought it over for a moment before shaking her head. “It's because of what I said: you're stronger than you think you are. Yeah, Kim will probably try to make a bloodbath out of this, but I know you're capable of taking anything she has to throw at you and then some. Everything you've been through in your life, both before and after wrestling... things that have hurt you far worse than whatever Kim thinks she can throw at you... you've risen above all of it every single time to be that beacon who saved me and gave me hope that I could live a life of my own choosing. And if you do feel yourself start to slip, then you know I'll be more than happy to return the favor and be your light that keeps you shining as brightly as I know you can.”
Luz's jaw dropped at how much Amelia's words sounded like a statement of fact, almost as if the idea of losing herself in the excessive violence that tended to be a hallmark of the Underground Championship and being irrevocably changed was a challenge she was willing to face head-on, just as this match in and of itself was that kind of challenge for Luz. Yes, it was definitely outside of her comfort zone, but it was still an opportunity she earned and a chance to see what she could do with the 'rules' of a generally ruleless environment. After all, what good would it do her if she expected to compete only in matches without any sort of gimmicks or stipulations throughout her SCW career?
“You know what? You're right Ames!” Luz exclaimed. “Yeah, this will probably require some getting used to, but I almost forgot that Deanna Frost beat Kim to reign as Underground Champion for a time, and she never became consumed by the idea of bloodshed and ultraviolence. She simply worked with what was available to her and beat Kim at her own game, just like I know I can!”
“That's the spirit!” Amelia praised her girlfriend.
“I hope I'm not interrupting whatever spirited conversation is going on right now,” a voice called, and both ladies looked up to see Ryan Lumis standing by their table, looking a little nervous. They couldn't really blame him for walking on eggshells considering how they knew of him in the first place, but he seemed to relax when Luz motioned for him to take a seat across from him.
“We were just discussing our upcoming challenges in SCW,” Amelia told him.
“I'm at least glad that my actions haven't ruined wrestling for the both of you,” Ryan replied with a nod, though he did grimace a bit as his choice of words. “My apologies again for this whole mess, by the way, and hopefully I'll be able to make it up to the both of you by turning the tables on my former clients.”
“In all fairness, you were hired to do a job and didn't know what exactly you were getting into,” Luz stated. “Yeah, we're still a little upset about what you've done, but we can't keep holding it over your head when you were kept in the dark, especially when we had no idea any of this was even going to turn into what it's become. I mean, how were we supposed to know some new wrestling group out of England was going to stretch the ethics of both the business and basic human decency for Lord knows what reason?”
Ryan nodded in agreement at that before they were interrupted by the waitress to take their orders. Once that was out of the way, both sides passed the time until their food arrived going over everything that Ryan had originally gathered on Luz and Amelia in thorough detail. While Amelia already knew everything that had been gathered on her for her mother, knowing the full extent of the details helped her try to form a clearer picture in her head of what could be done with that information, especially if it tied back into this lie of her being engaged to The Empire's 'Golden Prodigy' despite clearly having a girlfriend and not hiding the fact that she was a lesbian. As for Luz, she could at least get some peace of mind knowing that Ryan hadn't been able to get any details about her real identity of Luna Nevado thanks to her strict adherence to the sacred lucha libre traditions. The fact that he only gathered everything he could find about who she was as La Pequeña Luz and what made her the luchadora she is today since donning the mask really put into perspective the holes she could exploit regarding her doppelganger if absolutely necessary.
“Alright,” Ryan said once he'd finished thoroughly going over everything he had on the couple that had been turned over to Caleb and Ophelia, just in time for their food to be served and a few bites to be had. “I guess the best place to start with what I can do for you is figuring out what you ladies are hoping to ultimately get out of all of this so I have an idea of what I'm looking for.”
Luz and Amelia exchanged glances before the latter took the initiative, being more comfortable doing so because of all the business socializing she'd been forced to do growing up.
“To be honest, our bigger concern is Caleb White,” she told the investigator. “I know my parents well enough to have a few ideas on what they're up to and how we can deal with it whenever that time comes. Caleb is an absolute enigma to the both of us, however, and we'd love to have some sort of idea as to why he's going this far to try and hijack our careers and identities in the first place, because up until all of this started I'd only heard stories of his wrestling prowess growing up and my girlfriend is completely in the dark.”
“We were given a bit of a hint by someone who told us she's working as a mole within The Empire because she and her sister have their own issues with the guy,” Luz added. “She claimed that all the answers we're looking for are buried in the past before either of us were even born. Amelia knows her dad's crossed paths with Caleb in the ring which I guess explains why they're so keen on joining forces for this endeavor, and a friend of ours who's a bit of a wrestling historian told me that my dad had a bit of a rivalry with him that he never told me about.”
“So you need answers on who this guy is and what connections he has through your families that you can't get yourself?” Ryan asked for clarification and got stereo nods in return. “Makes sense for a starting point given your issues with your parents Amelia and your father... well, I did learn of what happened to him while investigating you Luz, and I offer my sincerest condolences.”
“It's alright,” Luz tells him, though Amelia immediately picks up on how untrue that is through her tone of voice. “It's a danger of this business, unfortunately.”
“Regardless... would your mom happen to know anything about that point in your father's career?” he asked Luz.
“Me temo que no,” Luz said while shaking her head. “She didn't meet my dad until after he and Caleb's last supposed ring war, and anything he kept from me about his career was also mostly kept from her as well so she wouldn't worry... given that she and I aren't on the best of terms right now because of the business, talking to her about something for it might not go over too well either.”
“Gotcha, I'll make a note of that for when I compile the list of who I can reasonably approach for details,” Ryan nodded as he jotted down a few notes between sips of his water.
“Actually...” Luz grabbed his attention. “That wrestling historian friend of ours told me that the injury my father suffered that put him in the hospital and led him to meeting my mom in the first place had a lot of unsolved questions surrounding it. It ultimately got written off as some sort of angle by just about everybody, but if that wasn't the case my dad kept any of the actual details close to the chest. Caleb apparently decided to stop ranting and raving about their feud shortly after that and then retired not too long afterward.”
“When you put it like that, I can definitely see a connection there,” Ryan realized. “And just from my own conversations with the guy, he's a little too good for my liking when it comes to steering things in whatever direction he specifically wants them to go.” He took a moment to jot down a few more notes. “Anything else?”
“We wouldn't mind anything you can dig up on Caleb's 'Golden Prodigy' either, while you're at it,” Amelia spat in disgust, “since he's supposed to be my 'fiancé' and all.”
“Same with whoever might be under the mask of this fake La Pequeña Luz they're parading around,” Luz added. “Normally I'd refrain from asking that out of respect for what the mask means to a luchador, but the fact that someone is intentionally trying to steal my identity and use it to destroy all the work I've built up over the years has already made it clear that I have no reason to respect what she's doing.”
“I'll see what I can do, But I'll be upfront about that last request being a bit of a challenge,” Ryan admitted. “Considering Mexican culture keeps things pretty airtight when it comes to masked wrestlers and their real identities, if I couldn't get anything on you, Luz, for Caleb to use in that regard then the inverse will also likely be true.”
“Then maybe we could get you something to start with?” Luz offered. “We got a schedule of some of my copycat's upcoming bookings, and since we've got time before SCW's next Breakdown we were planning on maybe trying to confront her-”
“A bold move, kid, but one that might be a bit ill-advised.”
All eyes turned to the woman who was now approaching their table. Her tall stature and similar facial features immediately brought Lily to mind, although her eyes were an almost golden shade of brown and her long, wild orange hair flowed down her back like a waterfall. When she flashed them a grin, they could see a gold tooth in her mouth that was likely a replacement for one that had been lost at some point. She wore a red dress that looked like it had seen better days, with an owl pin adorning the chest.
“Excuse me ma'am, but we're trying to have a meeting here,” Ryan told the woman, only for her to hold a hand up to him to cut him off.
“Yeah, yeah, I've been kind of eavesdropping for the past few minutes and know what's going on,” she told them before pointing at the girls. “And I'm telling the two of you right now, from my own personal experience, that trying to pick a fight with Caleb White outside the ring without any sort of game plan is suicide.”
“And who's saying we don't have a plan?” Amelia fired back, an eyebrow raised at the audacity of this woman.
“Marilyn Clauson, that's who,” she said as she extended her hand, much to the couple's surprise. “Lily told me you bumped into her not too long ago and I happened to be in the area. Not bad ring work last night, by the way.”
Luz and Amelia hesitantly shook Marilyn's hand, clearly not expecting to bump into the sister Lily mentioned here in Kansas City. Considering they were still trying to get their bearings regarding her interrupting their meeting, however, it was no surprise that they were still a bit stunned.
“So you have some sort of connection to their situation with Mr. White and his wrestling group?” Ryan asked, maintaining his professional demeanor even as he was clearly trying to figure out where this sudden loose end tied back into things.
“Kind of on the latter, but nada on the former,” Marilyn replied. “Outside of having competed against their parents in the ring, this is my first time meeting these two, though I have heard all about them being at the center of whatever ol' Caleb's scheming now. He and the Clauson sisters kind of have our own history we're trying to exploit to figure out why he's suddenly come back from the dead or wherever he disappeared to all these years after he finally retired.”
“Any chance you'd be willing to share whatever you and your sister have gathered so far?” Ryan kept probing.
“I'd have to check with Lily first since I don't want to compromise her place as the mole in The Empire right now,” Marilyn told him before her gaze turned back to the couple. “But hey, hiring a private investigator to do some snooping around. Not a bad first step, if you ask me!”
“To be fair, he's paying us back for working for Caleb and my mom to 'snoop around' for dirt on us,” Amelia clarified.
“Yeesh!” Marilyn cringed. “Somehow I'm not surprised, as sad as that probably sounds, but you two seem to have your wits about you if you managed to catch it and shut it down.”
“More like we've got some good friends looking out for us,” Luz admitted. “But whatever this guy wants with us, we're going to figure it out and shut it down. And it starts in Mexico with whoever's masquerading as me.”
“Again, appreciate the moxie kid,” Marilyn responded, “but I'm telling you right now that trying to pick a fight with this guy and his goons outside the ring never ends well for anybody.”
“Then what am I supposed to do?” Luz stood up, letting her emotions consume her as Amelia watched with concern, ready to jump in and calm her down at any moment. “Someone's out there spitting in the face of everything I've worked so hard to build for myself, everything that papá taught me... they're disgracing everything that lucha libre stands for and making it seem like I've turned my back on all of it, and I'm just supposed to sit here and do nothing when I have a chance to get some answers for myself and maybe give us a better idea of what we're up against when Ryan here gets to work? ¡Diablos no! So with all due respect Miss Clauson, as much as your sister told us to seek you out for help... I'm afraid I'm going to have to ignore your warnings and take this chance while I have it, because I'm tired of my career being corrupted and not being able to fight back.”
Luz was breathing heavily after she let all of that out, and Amelia wasted no time in guiding her back into her seat. She gently took Luz's hand and started rubbing circles into the back of it to try and help her regain her composure. Ryan was trying his best to maintain the professional facade but Amelia's well-trained eyes could tell that he was taken aback by the outburst. Marilyn, on the other hand, just watched Luz carefully while making sure that she was impossible to read. After a moment, however, she cracked a smile before she burst out in a hearty laugh, not caring about the few patrons in this diner who seemed to already be growing annoyed or were surprised by the noise coming from their table right now.
“Luz, was it?” Marilyn finally asked, to which Luz nodded in response. “I've got to hand it to you... you're Ol' Spirit's kid, alright. I tell you, that kind of passion is going to carry you far in the business, especially since you seem like you found someone with a good head on her shoulders to keep an eye on you if things go south. Never been a fan of your parents Amelia, but you seem like you turned out alright despite their shitty attempts at 'parenting.'”
“Thank you?” Amelia responded in confusion at what exactly was happening right now.
“Well, if you two are so keen on going through with this, then let me give you a word of advice,” Marilyn continued. “Plan on bringing these friends of yours with you and have eyes in the back of your head at all times. It also doesn't hurt to take full advantage of any connections you've got down there. Trust me, it'll make what you're looking to do go a hell of a lot smoother no matter how stupid I still say it is.”
Luz and Amelia both nod, a bit surprised to find someone who cared beneath the gruff exterior that Marilyn seemed to want to present at all times. She seemed to pick up on this as a much kinder smile slowly graced her lips.
“By the way, since it sounds like the two of you have some time,” she continued, “if you want, you can swing by my wrestling school out in Bridgeport, Connecticut and I can teach you a thing or two to help you both further define yourselves. Maybe it'll give you a bit of an edge in your matches coming up.”
“You'd... help us by sharing your wrestling knowledge with us?” Luz carefully asked.
“Figured it wouldn't hurt to help little Blythe here further evolve her style and pull away from mommy and daddy just a little bit more,” Marilyn replied. “As for you, Luz... well, I think I popped into this joint just in time to overhear that you're challenging for SCW's take on a hardcore/deathmatch championship?” When Luz nodded in response, she continued. “Then you're in luck! I'm sure Lily probably mentioned that we had a bit of a sibling rivalry that spanned most of our careers in the ring, and at the core of it was a clash of styles. She likes being the prissy technician—no offense, Amelia—while I've always loved a good old fashioned anything goes brawl with weapons and blood and anything else you can throw into a blender for maximum chaos. I might be the best person who could teach you a thing or two about what you're getting into here.”
“You'd do that?” Luz asked with far more enthusiasm this time.
“Considering I wouldn't have become who I am today without some words of encouragement from your pops, this can be my way of returning the favor to him after all these years,” Marilyn grinned.
The couple had a silent conversation for a moment before they both nodded in agreement, smiling wider than they had in quite a while.
“You've got yourself a deal, Marilyn,” Amelia confirmed before she shot a guilty glance over to Ryan, who had finished his meal and was going over some notes. “And I apologize for you being forgotten about for the past several minutes, Mr. Lumis.”
“It's quite alright,” he replied with a chuckle. “I know that wrestling is at the heart of this whole matter and anything that helps you two on that front is worth focusing on. On that note... Miss Clauson, can I have some contact information to keep in touch regarding any information that could be mutually beneficial in or respective efforts?”
“Only if you knock it off with that 'Miss Clauson' crap,” Marilyn grumbled. “No offense, but I never was a fan of formalities. Heard it far too often while I was fighting cancer and I'm sick of how old it makes me feel.”
Luz and Amelia would leave the diner that day feeling cautiously optimistic about their immediate future. Title opportunities in SCW, the start of an investigation to deal with The Empire problem, the promise of training under an experienced figure who could help further expand upon their abilities and make them even more of a threat... if their impending trip down to Mexico to see what they could find for themselves about the fake Luz bore fruit, then things were truly looking up for The Light In The Darkness.
Luz could only hope that would be the case, because Lord knows she was more than ready to fight for her name and everything that it stood for, be it against someone pretending to be her or someone who likely thought she was an easy title defense just because she wasn't used to the violent world that Kim Williams resided in.
05-05-2023, 05:34 AM
2 of 2
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May 1st, 2023
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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A few days ago Kimberly Williams was with her identical twin sister Marie Jones and their mother, Angelica Jones. They were helping Kim to prepare for her defense of the SCW Underground Championship against La Pequina Luz, her first defense of the championship since winning it back in the chaotic Trios Cash In back in March. Unfortunately her preparation time was cut short when they received disturbing news that Sean Jones, Marie’s son and Kim’s nephew, got into a fight at school. And this bad behavior isn’t new for the youngest member of the Jones family. It is just the most recent occurrence in a string of bad behavior that has had him in trouble with the principal of the school for quite some time. It began with skipping school, which led to bad grades, and now the youngster is getting into fights.
Family is very important, especially for the Joneses. They always stick together and help each other out. Family is even more important for Kimberly Williams. The SCW Underground Champion never had a real family growing up. She was raised separate from her real family and never had a true childhood. Even when she reunited with her biological family, the reunion with the Jones family was a difficult one at best. Therefore one can easily see that family is something that Kim does not take for granted. Another reason that this particular situation surrounding her nephew Sean is of great concern for her is the fact that she sees a lot of herself in Sean. He is wild and unpredictable, like Kim. Lately he has been getting into trouble and making mistakes, like Kim often does. It is important for Kim to make sure that Sean does not follow in her infamous footsteps. She wants to make sure he does not end up making some of the same mistakes she made. As a result, Kim has made her nephew into her own personal pet project. She has made it her priority to try and put him back on the straight and narrow. This is what brings her to Sean’s school on this Monday afternoon.
School has just let out for the day and all of the children have gone home. Even Sean has been picked up and taken home. However the principal, Principal Rogers, wanted to speak with a member of the family about Sean’s continued bad behavior. It took a great deal of convincing on her part but Kimberly managed to talk her sister Marie into letting her go and meet with the principal. Marie’s doubts are valid; the last time Sean got into trouble with the school and requested a meeting with a family member, Kim went pretending to be Marie. Kim had been told by Sean that he was only in trouble for bad grades and Kim, thinking Marie would overreact, went in Marie’s place in a misguided attempt to protect her nephew from Marie’s wrath. As it turns out, Sean had lied to Kim. Sean’s bad grades were a result of skipping classes. Kim insists that things are different this time. She insists that she will go as herself, not as Marie, and she will not try to protect her nephew.
These halls are familiar to The Woman Scorned, as she has been here before. Only this time she is dressed far more comfortably; she is wearing a purple plaid skirt, black sneakers, and a black “Queens of Chaos” t-shirt. Her long red hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back. The last time she was here she was putting on an act, pretending to be her sister. Today she is just herself, the playful chaotic Kimberly Williams. How will Principal Rogers react to this? Time will tell. Kim just hopes he doesn’t recognize that this is the same person he spoke to the last time. That would certainly be awkward.
Williams finds her way to the familiar wood door that reads “Principal Rogers” on the front. Kim starts to knock but then stops. She smiles to herself. Again a pause she finally knocks, but she knocks to the rhythm of “shave and a haircut”. After a brief wait she hears a deep male voice from inside. “Come in.” She doesn’t have to be asked twice. Kim pushes the door open and steps inside. She finds the same middle aged balding school official she remembers from her last visit. This time he is wearing a navy blue polo shirt and brown khaki pants. Roger looks up and furrows his brow curiously.
“Ms. Jones?”
“Bzzz! Wrong! And your incorrect answer cost you an opportunity at the bonus round and a chance to win a brand new Chevy Malibu!”
“Excuse me?” He asks. “I thought I was supposed to meet with a parent…or relative…of a student at my school. Are you Marie Jones?”
“Me? Don’t insult me!” Kim says playfully. “I love my sister but she has a straight up stick up her butt!”
“Sister?”
“Uh-huh,” Kim nods her head furiously “didn’t she ever tell you about her evil twin sister?”
“No…” Principal Rogers is still oh so confused.
“Well TA-DA!” She strikes a pose. “I’m the evil twin sister! Only I haven’t done any evil stuff lately. I’m going cold turkey on being bad. Do you know how tempting it is to steal candy from a baby?”
“Ms. Jones, I see you are having a good time but…”
“Williams.” Kim says, correcting him.
“Huh?”
“My name is Kimberly Williams.” She smiles politely and extends a hand. “Forgive me, I’m just full of cheer.”
“Uh-huh, of course.” The Principal gets up out of his chair and approaches Kim. He reluctantly accepts her handshake. “It’s a pleasure, my name is Principal Edward Rogers.”
“Eddie!” Kim pulls him in for a big hug. After breaking the embrace Kim smiles sheepishly at him. “Sorry, but I’m a hugger too.”
“Right, that’s fine I suppose.” Rogers tries to compose himself as he walks back towards his seat. He sits back down and motions for Kim to sit down as well. “Please, sit.” Kim considers asking if he means for her to sit on his lap, seeing as he bears a slight resemblance to Santa Claus. But she figures that might be a bad idea. She’s probably frightened the poor man enough as it is. Kim just nods her head and sits down in one of the empty chairs next to the principal’s desk.
“So who did my nephew murder?”
“Murder?” The principal seems taken aback. “No, no murders, Ms. Williams.”
“Good! I have definitely made it my goal to drill it into him that murder is wrong.”
“That’s certainly a good lesson, Ms. Williams.” He sighs. “Unfortunately your nephew has been getting into trouble lately at school.”
“Yeah. His mom told me prepped me for this meeting. I even brought notes!” She reaches into pockets built into her skirt and produces note cards. “Uh, let’s see, pound of Italian sausage, can of black beans, can of diced potatoes…” Kim tosses the note aside “...sorry, Eddie, that was my grocery list!” She looks at the next card. “Ah yes, here it is. Apparently he’s been skipping school and his grades have been suffering.”
“Yes.” Principal Rogers acknowledges by nodding his head. “The good news is that he hasn’t been skipping school anymore. But the grades haven’t exactly improved. That’s not the real problem, however.”
“Yeah, according to this next note card my nephew recently got into a fight.”
“Yes, and that is why I wanted to speak with you today.” Principal Rogers says. “Have you or his mother spoken with him since the incident on Friday?”
“Uh, yeah, totally.” Kim nods her head in confirmation. “The kiddo didn’t really want to say much about it but I did manage to get him to admit that he started the fight. He also said something about some new friends too.”
“Yes, well, I believe his new friends are a bad influence on young Mr. Jones.”
“How do you mean?” Kim’s interest has peaked now.
“Well, those kids he has begun to associate with exhibit a gang like behavior.”
“A gang?” Kim smirks. “Seriously? Aren’t kids his age too young to start a gang?”
“It may not be a gang in the traditional sense, Ms. Williams, but the behavior is certainly there. They do everything together, they hang out together…
“Just sounds like a clique to me.”
“I hope it just stays that way. But what I fear is the fact that these kids are infamous for bullying and intimidating everyone else in the school. Now young Mr. Jones has found himself wrapped up in that group. The particular student that Sean assaulted Friday has been a target of the group for a long time now. The fact that Sean, a newcomer to the group, is the one who attacked him is further evidence of my fear. I believe he was put up to it, a sort of dare if you will; do this in order to be accepted as one of us.”
“Like a gang initiation?”
“Precisely.” The principal remarks. “And this kid that your nephew got into a fight with, he has had it rough for a long time now. Depression…a bad home life…add to that the constant bullying from this group…” the principal sighs and shakes his head “...I just hate what your nephew has gotten involved with, Ms. Williams.”
“Yeah, me too…” Kim’s voice trails off. She had no idea that things were this bad for her nephew. She had worried that he was going down a dark path but this is beginning to get very serious. Kim knows that she has to do something to help her nephew get back on the right track. She will have to confront Sean about this, but first she needs to tell Marie.
==========
May 2nd, 2023
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
==========
Twenty four hours have passed since Kimberly Williams met with her nephew Sean’s school principal Edward Rogers. Just like last time what she initially thought turned out to be much worse than expected. Kim knew that Sean was put up to instigating the fight by some new friends of his, but according to a theory posed by Principal Rogers, these kids are exhibiting gang like behavior, they are bullying and intimidating students throughout the school, and now they have brought Sean into their fold. This makes the matter even more personal for The Woman Scorned. Kim herself has a history in her long and tumultuous past of being taken advantage of by people who claimed to be her friends or supporters. Her own guardian, a woman she once thought of as a parent, Emma Floreschu, manipulated her during her entire childhood, twisting and corrupting her mind to use her against her own family. In the first couple of years in her wrestling career, on the independent circuit, she got caught up in groups and factions that wanted to take advantage of her unique fighting skills, never once offering to help her but only to use her to advance their own careers. Most recently Kim has even bore witness to her own twin sister Marie Jones being taken advantage of by Infamous in SCW. These new friends of Sean are just kids like him but still, if this kind of behavior continues, if he is allowed to continue to be manipulated, as Kim believes he is being, then his entire life could end up changing for the worse.
There isn’t much she can do now, however, except to tell Sean’s mother; to tell Kim’s identical twin sister Marie Jones. After all, Marie is the mother, not Kim, and Marie has final say in how he is raised and disciplined. Kim may not have had the perfect, ideal childhood but even she recognizes where she stands in the chain of command regarding the parenting of Sean Connor Jones. All Kim can do now is tell Marie about her visit with Principal Rogers and then wait for Marie to take it from there. After that is done, everything will be out of Kim’s hands. Still, Kim wishes she could do more. She doesn’t want to just give up on Sean especially as she truly believes that her experience, her own past, could serve as a warning for her nephew. If she could just get the chance to try and get through to him.
Currently Williams finds herself lying down on her ratty sofa in her own run down apartment in Boston, Massachusetts. The Woman Scorned is wearing torn denim jeans, she is barefoot, and she is wearing a plain black t-shirt. Her beloved hamster, Caligula, who she often talks to, sits on her lap, and the hamster cage is resting on the floor next to her. One thing that Kim does rather frequently in order to gather her thoughts is to talk to Caligula, and Caligula speaks back; at least, he does thanks to Kim providing the voice for the rodent.
So basically Kim just talks to herself.
“I don’t know what to do, Caligula.” Kim says in a sorrowful sigh. “Sean is still getting into trouble at school, only now he’s taken things up a notch. He’s starting fights.”
“So the brat is skipping school, turning in shitty grades, and getting in fights? Sounds kinda like me at Rodent School.”
“You never went to school, silly hamster.”
“Neither did you, you uneducated fuck. Still, if this brat’s actions are bothering you so much just give him a swift kick in the ass. That’ll straighten the bastard up.”
“My nephew is not a bastard!” Kim states angrily.
“Was your hot ass sister married to the baby daddy?”
“Noooo…”
“Then he’s technically a bastard.”
“Don’t you have any GOOD advice for me, Caligula?” Kim asks.
“There’s only one thing ya can do; tell that hot ass sister of yours. She’s on her way over, isn’t she?”
“Yes.” Kim nods her head.
“Good. When she gets her tell her…tell her I’m single and I want a piece of that action!”
“Caligula!” Kim scowls angrily at the hamster. “You are a HAMSTER! I know my sister very well, thank you very much, and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that she is NOT into beastiality!”
“Her loss.” Just then Kim hears the front door to her apartment begin to open. “Don’t you dare put me in that cage, woman!”
“Hush, Caligula.” Kim says as she gently picks the cage up, places the hamster inside, shuts the cage door back up, and then puts the cage with Caligula inside back down onto the floor. Kim swings her feet over into a sitting position just as she spots her sister, Marie Jones, entering the living room area.
“Hi Kim.”
“How’s it going, sis?” Kim says, waving playfully.
“I’ve been better.” Marie sighs as she walks over and sits down next to Kim on the ratty sofa. She looks down at the hamster and smiles warmly. “Cute hamster.”
“Don’t tell him that. He has a big ego.” Kim says winking at Marie.
“Right. Anyway, how was your visit with Sean’s principal?”
“Well for one he’s stuck up and boring. You would like him.”
“I love you too, Kim.” Marie says chuckling softly. “But more importantly, what did he have to say about Sean?”
“Yeah, that’s the other thing. See, Sean has been making some new friends at school. Ordinarily that’d be great! But Sean’s friends aren’t all that great. They’re the kind of kids who will say ‘hey! Go beat up that kid!’ And Sean apparently listened.”
“So Sean was put up to this by some new friends he made at school?”
“Yup.” Kim nods her head. “Sean told me that himself. The principal thinks its worse. He says these new friends of Sean are typical schoolyard bullies who try to terrorize the entire school.”
“Seriously? He’s getting in with a gang of bullies now?!” Marie sounds furious. Kim just nods her head.
“Yes…and that’s exactly the word the principal used. Trust me, sis, you really would get along with him great.”
“Try and be serious, Kim!” Marie exclaims. “Sean needs to get a good swift kick in the butt for this one.”
“That’s what Caligula suggested.”
“Huh?”
“My hamster.”
“What did…” Marie shakes her head, not wanting to go down that rabbit hole “...I’m just gonna go and have it out with Sean right now!” Marie starts to stand up but Kim grabs her by the arm and pulls her back down.
“No, wait a sec…I think I have a better idea.”
“Sean needs to be punished, Kim.” Marie states. “I know you want to protect him, I know you like him, but he needs to be punished. He’s gone too far.”
“I know and I agree.” Kim nods her head. “You can punish him all you want. I just want your permission to talk to him, to try and reach him, to reason with him.”
“First you wanted to impersonate me in front of his principal to help him, then you insisted that you go see the principal about this…” Marie shakes her head in confusion “...why is this so important to you?”
“I know this is gonna sound crazy but…” Kim sighs “...I really do care about that kid. And it isn’t just because he’s my nephew. I’m sure I’ve said it before but I see a lot of myself in that kid. And that scares me. It really does.”
“But Kim, you’re a good person.”
“I’m not a good person.” Kim shrugs her shoulders. “Maybe I’m better now than I used to be but I really am not a good person. And honestly, it wasn’t that long ago that I was a total wreck. My life was hopeless. I ended up as property of the state which pretty much considered me a lost cause. But you took the chance on me, you reached out to help me. Without you, I don’t know if I would be alive today.”
“But Sean is still young and he has the support system that you never had.” Marie shakes her head. “I really think you’re overreacting here.”
“I hope I am.” Kim sighs deeply. “But that’s why I’m so protective of him. I don’t want to see his life turn out like mine did. So please, let me talk to him.”
“Oh Kim…” Marie leans over and embraces her sister in a tight hug “...he’s your nephew. You never have to ask my permission to talk to him. But yes, you can talk to him about this if you want.”
“Thanks, Marie.” Kim says, smiling warmly. Marie may not understand it but this special to Kim. Marie did reach out in Kim’s time of need to help her several years ago when she was at her darkest point, when she had descended into madness and was locked up. Marie got her the help she needed and even lobbied for Kim to be given another chance. Kim believes she owes her very life to her twin sister. She feels that through Sean she can pay her back. She owes it to Marie to do whatever she can to help.
==========
May 4th, 2023
Boston, Massachusetts
On Camera
==========
It is dark, night time in Boston, Massachusetts and it would be practically pitch black were it not for the street lamps hanging overhead in this park. The light from the moon also helps to provide some much needed sight for this otherwise dreary setting. It is quiet, silent, and very still. The stillness is broken when we see cloaked hooded figure entering into the camera view from the left. It is a dark brown cloak, which is barely able to be seen as there is not much of a contrast between that cloak and the surrounding darkness of this park. The hooded figure steps to the center of the camera. Then the figure throws off the hood and reveals that she is none other than the reigning SCW Underground Champion Kimberly Williams. The Woman Scorned has a semi-crazed look on her face as she waves furiously at the camera.
“May The Fourth be with you!” She twirls around so that the camera can get a full shot of the entire cloak. The back of the cloak has ‘Queens of Chaos’ inscribed with the faction’s logo. She turns back to face forward and winks. “I’m sorry, was this too much? I mean, with today being Star Wars Day I just felt this was appropriate. Besides, considering who my opponent is coming up in a couple days on Breakdown, I felt that walking the path of the light side and the dark side would be a good idea. Y’know, get into the mindset of my opponent. Right, La Pequena Luz? Can I just call you Luz for short? I’d call you LPL if we were friends but I get the feeling that you don’t like me very much.” Williams shrugs her shoulders.
“I get it. I really do. I used my Trios Contract to create the ultimate chaos. Most people arrogantly talk about how something they did is the greatest thing in wrestling but there’s always someone out there who did it better. But I dare ANYONE to come up with something more chaotic than what I created on March 30th for Breakdown! Every single championship in SCW was on the line! Every single superstar on the roster who wanted an opportunity to win championship gold had their opportunity to win any and every championship in the entire company.” She points a finger at the camera. “Including you and Amelia. Both of you had the same opportunity everyone else had. Unfortunately you did not do enough. Unfortunately you left empty handed.”
In one swift motion Williams throws the cloak off. She reveals that she is wearing torn denim jeans, black boots, and a purple “Queens of Chaos” logo t-shirt underneath. She has her HKW Bloodlust Championship title belt draped over her right shoulder and the SCW Underground Championship title belt wrapped around her waist. The Woman Scorned taps her Underground Title belt. “But I walked away with this…I became a four time Underground Champion.” Kim chuckles softly. “And I guess that’s really what it boils down to, isn’t it? I had my Trios Contract and I could add any stipulations I wanted in any match I wanted. And in my chaotic creation I included the extra added stipulation that I only needed ONE fall and one fall only to regain the SCW Underground Championship. It bothers you, doesn’t it? It bothers you, Amelia, Selena, Deanna, and so many others doesn’t it?” Kim nods her head.
“It bothers me too. This Underground Championship means the world to me. Ever since October 14th of 2021 when the Underground Championship was reactivated, I have done so damn much to bolster the division, to make it mean something, to make this championship prestigious, to make it more than just ‘garbage wrestling.’” Kim chuckles softly and shakes her head. “This title is SCW’s hardcore division. This other title sitting on my shoulder, I have held it uninterrupted for nearly two years now, it represents the HKW hardcore division. I am proud of those accomplishments, Luz. But not everyone would be. There are many stuck up, snobby, holier than thou wrestlers out there who look down on hardcore wrestling and those who choose to participate in it as just ‘garbage’...garbage wrestlers and garbage wrestling. I’m sure his Holiness Jesus Evans thinks that I’m going to hell just for having these titles.” Kim again points at the camera.
“What say you, Luz? You’re about to set foot inside that world. You are about to enter the world of the Underground. Do you think its just garbage for garbage wrestlers or do you see it for what it really is? The challenge. The passion. The sacrifice that so few are willing to make not just to win but to entertain the fans who love to watch it, the fans who pay good money to see that kind of carnage. What do YOU think about the Underground division, Luz? You don’t have to answer right now. But do take a moment to think about it. I mean, I am not deaf. I am not ignorant. I listen to everything that is said to me and about me. I heard what you and Amelia had to say about my Trios Cash In and how I won the Underground Title. You pointed out, accurately enough, that had I not had that little stipulation you would have been champion. You or The One. See, The One I am fairly confident at least would respect what I have tried to do these past two years for the Underground Division. The Underground Division may not be her thing but I think she would respect what I’m trying to do, how I’m trying to make it prestigious, how I’m trying to make it respected, how I’m trying to make it into a championship people really crave, really want to chase, how I want to put it if not on the same level as the world title at least pretty damn close to it. And in the time since it was brought back, me and Deanna Frost main evented Night One of Rise To Greatness for the Underground Title. I defended the Underground Title in the main event of Body, Heart, & Soul against the World Champion. I lost both times and both of those losses stung but looking back I can say that I am damn proud of the fact that I got this championship into that spotlight.” Kim shakes her head.
“But I’m not proud of everything I have done along the way in my journey towards making this title prestigious. Because you’re right, Luz…see, I am very passionate about this championship, and I became so passionate that I was willing to do anything to get it back, including using the terms of Trios to stack the deck in my favor.” The Woman Scorned nods her head. “You and Amelia showed great skill, not just during that match but ever since your return to SCW. Your goal is the SCW World Tag Team Titles but you’ve proven that you can go it alone as singles as well. Amelia is a former Television Champion. Now you have a shot at this…my Underground Title…” Kim smirks knowingly “...and I have a shot at redemption.”
“See, I may have walked on the Dark Side just a little in order to regain this championship that is so near and dear to my heart…oops, there’s another Star Wars reference…but now that I have it, I can earn redemption by not only proving I am THE worthy title holder, but I can also continue to make it prestigious, continue to make history with it, and I’m going by being a fighting champion. And you’re the first one up.” Kim furrows her brow curiously. “Speaking of dark side, which one are you, Luz? Are The Light or The Darkness? Sorry if that’s a bad pun on your tag team name but still, the question is a good one. This isn’t your wheelhouse. Tag team wrestling is your forte, Luz. The chaos and ultra violence of the Underground is not something you’re familiar with. As a matter of fact, let me pose THIS question to you; not counting my Trios Cash In, have you competed in any Underground Division Matches? Have you been in any hardcore matches at all?” Kim pauses, as if to let the viewer and Luz herself think it over. “I would guess that number would be a rather small one.” She pats herself on the chest.
“I have been the Queen of the Death Match since 2021! Since 2021 I have been a six time Death Match Queen…former MWE Chicago Way Champion, current HKW Bloodlust Champion, four time and current SCW Underground Champion. I’m not doing this just to sound intimidating or to make myself sound better than I really am. God knows that I have flaws. God knows I have imperfections. I have not always handled myself well. But each and every single time I have been knocked down, I pick myself back up, and I keep fighting on! Barbed wire? Bring it. Thumb Tacks? Bring it. Broken Glass? Bring it. Multiple opponents, all of whom want my head on a platter? Bring! It! On! I have earned my stripes and then some. I have earned my place among the Underground legends and now I will prove that I do in fact deserve to be the SCW Underground Champion.”
“What about, Luz? It isn’t my place to say who is or is not worthy of competing in the Underground, but I do warn you that you aren’t just up against any old loose cannon. You are facing one of the most dangerous bitches to ever set foot in the Underground. Are you capable of doing what is necessary to take this championship away from me? That is not a cliche, that is a legitimate question. Are you capable of doing what is necessary to put me down for the count? See, Luz, I do not think you have ever dished out the kind of punishment, the kind of abuse, that I have taken in my career. To win this championship you are going to have to take your game to a whole new level…” she smirks knowingly “...or to a whole new low, depending upon your perspective.”
“An even better question for you…do you know what I am capable of doing in order to retain this championship?” Kim shrugs her shoulders. “There’s plenty of tape. Watch the weapons cage match against Oktoberfest. Watch that multi-person war at Apocalypse when I regained the title from Deanna Frost. Watch the bloodbath between myself and Sarah Wolf at Under Attack. I typically have a smile on my face almost all the time. Hell, I’m even smiling and cracking jokes while someone’s carving me up with barbed wire. But do not let my outward appearance fool you. I am one twisted, sadistic, bitch, and SCW has not seen everything that I am capable of just yet. So La Pequena Luz, I wish you the best of luck. I sincerely mean that.” Kim puts the hood back up over her head. “You’ll need it.”
The Woman Scorned turns and walks off into the night. The camera fades to black.
=====
==========
May 1st, 2023
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
==========
A few days ago Kimberly Williams was with her identical twin sister Marie Jones and their mother, Angelica Jones. They were helping Kim to prepare for her defense of the SCW Underground Championship against La Pequina Luz, her first defense of the championship since winning it back in the chaotic Trios Cash In back in March. Unfortunately her preparation time was cut short when they received disturbing news that Sean Jones, Marie’s son and Kim’s nephew, got into a fight at school. And this bad behavior isn’t new for the youngest member of the Jones family. It is just the most recent occurrence in a string of bad behavior that has had him in trouble with the principal of the school for quite some time. It began with skipping school, which led to bad grades, and now the youngster is getting into fights.
Family is very important, especially for the Joneses. They always stick together and help each other out. Family is even more important for Kimberly Williams. The SCW Underground Champion never had a real family growing up. She was raised separate from her real family and never had a true childhood. Even when she reunited with her biological family, the reunion with the Jones family was a difficult one at best. Therefore one can easily see that family is something that Kim does not take for granted. Another reason that this particular situation surrounding her nephew Sean is of great concern for her is the fact that she sees a lot of herself in Sean. He is wild and unpredictable, like Kim. Lately he has been getting into trouble and making mistakes, like Kim often does. It is important for Kim to make sure that Sean does not follow in her infamous footsteps. She wants to make sure he does not end up making some of the same mistakes she made. As a result, Kim has made her nephew into her own personal pet project. She has made it her priority to try and put him back on the straight and narrow. This is what brings her to Sean’s school on this Monday afternoon.
School has just let out for the day and all of the children have gone home. Even Sean has been picked up and taken home. However the principal, Principal Rogers, wanted to speak with a member of the family about Sean’s continued bad behavior. It took a great deal of convincing on her part but Kimberly managed to talk her sister Marie into letting her go and meet with the principal. Marie’s doubts are valid; the last time Sean got into trouble with the school and requested a meeting with a family member, Kim went pretending to be Marie. Kim had been told by Sean that he was only in trouble for bad grades and Kim, thinking Marie would overreact, went in Marie’s place in a misguided attempt to protect her nephew from Marie’s wrath. As it turns out, Sean had lied to Kim. Sean’s bad grades were a result of skipping classes. Kim insists that things are different this time. She insists that she will go as herself, not as Marie, and she will not try to protect her nephew.
These halls are familiar to The Woman Scorned, as she has been here before. Only this time she is dressed far more comfortably; she is wearing a purple plaid skirt, black sneakers, and a black “Queens of Chaos” t-shirt. Her long red hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back. The last time she was here she was putting on an act, pretending to be her sister. Today she is just herself, the playful chaotic Kimberly Williams. How will Principal Rogers react to this? Time will tell. Kim just hopes he doesn’t recognize that this is the same person he spoke to the last time. That would certainly be awkward.
Williams finds her way to the familiar wood door that reads “Principal Rogers” on the front. Kim starts to knock but then stops. She smiles to herself. Again a pause she finally knocks, but she knocks to the rhythm of “shave and a haircut”. After a brief wait she hears a deep male voice from inside. “Come in.” She doesn’t have to be asked twice. Kim pushes the door open and steps inside. She finds the same middle aged balding school official she remembers from her last visit. This time he is wearing a navy blue polo shirt and brown khaki pants. Roger looks up and furrows his brow curiously.
“Ms. Jones?”
“Bzzz! Wrong! And your incorrect answer cost you an opportunity at the bonus round and a chance to win a brand new Chevy Malibu!”
“Excuse me?” He asks. “I thought I was supposed to meet with a parent…or relative…of a student at my school. Are you Marie Jones?”
“Me? Don’t insult me!” Kim says playfully. “I love my sister but she has a straight up stick up her butt!”
“Sister?”
“Uh-huh,” Kim nods her head furiously “didn’t she ever tell you about her evil twin sister?”
“No…” Principal Rogers is still oh so confused.
“Well TA-DA!” She strikes a pose. “I’m the evil twin sister! Only I haven’t done any evil stuff lately. I’m going cold turkey on being bad. Do you know how tempting it is to steal candy from a baby?”
“Ms. Jones, I see you are having a good time but…”
“Williams.” Kim says, correcting him.
“Huh?”
“My name is Kimberly Williams.” She smiles politely and extends a hand. “Forgive me, I’m just full of cheer.”
“Uh-huh, of course.” The Principal gets up out of his chair and approaches Kim. He reluctantly accepts her handshake. “It’s a pleasure, my name is Principal Edward Rogers.”
“Eddie!” Kim pulls him in for a big hug. After breaking the embrace Kim smiles sheepishly at him. “Sorry, but I’m a hugger too.”
“Right, that’s fine I suppose.” Rogers tries to compose himself as he walks back towards his seat. He sits back down and motions for Kim to sit down as well. “Please, sit.” Kim considers asking if he means for her to sit on his lap, seeing as he bears a slight resemblance to Santa Claus. But she figures that might be a bad idea. She’s probably frightened the poor man enough as it is. Kim just nods her head and sits down in one of the empty chairs next to the principal’s desk.
“So who did my nephew murder?”
“Murder?” The principal seems taken aback. “No, no murders, Ms. Williams.”
“Good! I have definitely made it my goal to drill it into him that murder is wrong.”
“That’s certainly a good lesson, Ms. Williams.” He sighs. “Unfortunately your nephew has been getting into trouble lately at school.”
“Yeah. His mom told me prepped me for this meeting. I even brought notes!” She reaches into pockets built into her skirt and produces note cards. “Uh, let’s see, pound of Italian sausage, can of black beans, can of diced potatoes…” Kim tosses the note aside “...sorry, Eddie, that was my grocery list!” She looks at the next card. “Ah yes, here it is. Apparently he’s been skipping school and his grades have been suffering.”
“Yes.” Principal Rogers acknowledges by nodding his head. “The good news is that he hasn’t been skipping school anymore. But the grades haven’t exactly improved. That’s not the real problem, however.”
“Yeah, according to this next note card my nephew recently got into a fight.”
“Yes, and that is why I wanted to speak with you today.” Principal Rogers says. “Have you or his mother spoken with him since the incident on Friday?”
“Uh, yeah, totally.” Kim nods her head in confirmation. “The kiddo didn’t really want to say much about it but I did manage to get him to admit that he started the fight. He also said something about some new friends too.”
“Yes, well, I believe his new friends are a bad influence on young Mr. Jones.”
“How do you mean?” Kim’s interest has peaked now.
“Well, those kids he has begun to associate with exhibit a gang like behavior.”
“A gang?” Kim smirks. “Seriously? Aren’t kids his age too young to start a gang?”
“It may not be a gang in the traditional sense, Ms. Williams, but the behavior is certainly there. They do everything together, they hang out together…
“Just sounds like a clique to me.”
“I hope it just stays that way. But what I fear is the fact that these kids are infamous for bullying and intimidating everyone else in the school. Now young Mr. Jones has found himself wrapped up in that group. The particular student that Sean assaulted Friday has been a target of the group for a long time now. The fact that Sean, a newcomer to the group, is the one who attacked him is further evidence of my fear. I believe he was put up to it, a sort of dare if you will; do this in order to be accepted as one of us.”
“Like a gang initiation?”
“Precisely.” The principal remarks. “And this kid that your nephew got into a fight with, he has had it rough for a long time now. Depression…a bad home life…add to that the constant bullying from this group…” the principal sighs and shakes his head “...I just hate what your nephew has gotten involved with, Ms. Williams.”
“Yeah, me too…” Kim’s voice trails off. She had no idea that things were this bad for her nephew. She had worried that he was going down a dark path but this is beginning to get very serious. Kim knows that she has to do something to help her nephew get back on the right track. She will have to confront Sean about this, but first she needs to tell Marie.
==========
May 2nd, 2023
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
==========
Twenty four hours have passed since Kimberly Williams met with her nephew Sean’s school principal Edward Rogers. Just like last time what she initially thought turned out to be much worse than expected. Kim knew that Sean was put up to instigating the fight by some new friends of his, but according to a theory posed by Principal Rogers, these kids are exhibiting gang like behavior, they are bullying and intimidating students throughout the school, and now they have brought Sean into their fold. This makes the matter even more personal for The Woman Scorned. Kim herself has a history in her long and tumultuous past of being taken advantage of by people who claimed to be her friends or supporters. Her own guardian, a woman she once thought of as a parent, Emma Floreschu, manipulated her during her entire childhood, twisting and corrupting her mind to use her against her own family. In the first couple of years in her wrestling career, on the independent circuit, she got caught up in groups and factions that wanted to take advantage of her unique fighting skills, never once offering to help her but only to use her to advance their own careers. Most recently Kim has even bore witness to her own twin sister Marie Jones being taken advantage of by Infamous in SCW. These new friends of Sean are just kids like him but still, if this kind of behavior continues, if he is allowed to continue to be manipulated, as Kim believes he is being, then his entire life could end up changing for the worse.
There isn’t much she can do now, however, except to tell Sean’s mother; to tell Kim’s identical twin sister Marie Jones. After all, Marie is the mother, not Kim, and Marie has final say in how he is raised and disciplined. Kim may not have had the perfect, ideal childhood but even she recognizes where she stands in the chain of command regarding the parenting of Sean Connor Jones. All Kim can do now is tell Marie about her visit with Principal Rogers and then wait for Marie to take it from there. After that is done, everything will be out of Kim’s hands. Still, Kim wishes she could do more. She doesn’t want to just give up on Sean especially as she truly believes that her experience, her own past, could serve as a warning for her nephew. If she could just get the chance to try and get through to him.
Currently Williams finds herself lying down on her ratty sofa in her own run down apartment in Boston, Massachusetts. The Woman Scorned is wearing torn denim jeans, she is barefoot, and she is wearing a plain black t-shirt. Her beloved hamster, Caligula, who she often talks to, sits on her lap, and the hamster cage is resting on the floor next to her. One thing that Kim does rather frequently in order to gather her thoughts is to talk to Caligula, and Caligula speaks back; at least, he does thanks to Kim providing the voice for the rodent.
So basically Kim just talks to herself.
“I don’t know what to do, Caligula.” Kim says in a sorrowful sigh. “Sean is still getting into trouble at school, only now he’s taken things up a notch. He’s starting fights.”
“So the brat is skipping school, turning in shitty grades, and getting in fights? Sounds kinda like me at Rodent School.”
“You never went to school, silly hamster.”
“Neither did you, you uneducated fuck. Still, if this brat’s actions are bothering you so much just give him a swift kick in the ass. That’ll straighten the bastard up.”
“My nephew is not a bastard!” Kim states angrily.
“Was your hot ass sister married to the baby daddy?”
“Noooo…”
“Then he’s technically a bastard.”
“Don’t you have any GOOD advice for me, Caligula?” Kim asks.
“There’s only one thing ya can do; tell that hot ass sister of yours. She’s on her way over, isn’t she?”
“Yes.” Kim nods her head.
“Good. When she gets her tell her…tell her I’m single and I want a piece of that action!”
“Caligula!” Kim scowls angrily at the hamster. “You are a HAMSTER! I know my sister very well, thank you very much, and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that she is NOT into beastiality!”
“Her loss.” Just then Kim hears the front door to her apartment begin to open. “Don’t you dare put me in that cage, woman!”
“Hush, Caligula.” Kim says as she gently picks the cage up, places the hamster inside, shuts the cage door back up, and then puts the cage with Caligula inside back down onto the floor. Kim swings her feet over into a sitting position just as she spots her sister, Marie Jones, entering the living room area.
“Hi Kim.”
“How’s it going, sis?” Kim says, waving playfully.
“I’ve been better.” Marie sighs as she walks over and sits down next to Kim on the ratty sofa. She looks down at the hamster and smiles warmly. “Cute hamster.”
“Don’t tell him that. He has a big ego.” Kim says winking at Marie.
“Right. Anyway, how was your visit with Sean’s principal?”
“Well for one he’s stuck up and boring. You would like him.”
“I love you too, Kim.” Marie says chuckling softly. “But more importantly, what did he have to say about Sean?”
“Yeah, that’s the other thing. See, Sean has been making some new friends at school. Ordinarily that’d be great! But Sean’s friends aren’t all that great. They’re the kind of kids who will say ‘hey! Go beat up that kid!’ And Sean apparently listened.”
“So Sean was put up to this by some new friends he made at school?”
“Yup.” Kim nods her head. “Sean told me that himself. The principal thinks its worse. He says these new friends of Sean are typical schoolyard bullies who try to terrorize the entire school.”
“Seriously? He’s getting in with a gang of bullies now?!” Marie sounds furious. Kim just nods her head.
“Yes…and that’s exactly the word the principal used. Trust me, sis, you really would get along with him great.”
“Try and be serious, Kim!” Marie exclaims. “Sean needs to get a good swift kick in the butt for this one.”
“That’s what Caligula suggested.”
“Huh?”
“My hamster.”
“What did…” Marie shakes her head, not wanting to go down that rabbit hole “...I’m just gonna go and have it out with Sean right now!” Marie starts to stand up but Kim grabs her by the arm and pulls her back down.
“No, wait a sec…I think I have a better idea.”
“Sean needs to be punished, Kim.” Marie states. “I know you want to protect him, I know you like him, but he needs to be punished. He’s gone too far.”
“I know and I agree.” Kim nods her head. “You can punish him all you want. I just want your permission to talk to him, to try and reach him, to reason with him.”
“First you wanted to impersonate me in front of his principal to help him, then you insisted that you go see the principal about this…” Marie shakes her head in confusion “...why is this so important to you?”
“I know this is gonna sound crazy but…” Kim sighs “...I really do care about that kid. And it isn’t just because he’s my nephew. I’m sure I’ve said it before but I see a lot of myself in that kid. And that scares me. It really does.”
“But Kim, you’re a good person.”
“I’m not a good person.” Kim shrugs her shoulders. “Maybe I’m better now than I used to be but I really am not a good person. And honestly, it wasn’t that long ago that I was a total wreck. My life was hopeless. I ended up as property of the state which pretty much considered me a lost cause. But you took the chance on me, you reached out to help me. Without you, I don’t know if I would be alive today.”
“But Sean is still young and he has the support system that you never had.” Marie shakes her head. “I really think you’re overreacting here.”
“I hope I am.” Kim sighs deeply. “But that’s why I’m so protective of him. I don’t want to see his life turn out like mine did. So please, let me talk to him.”
“Oh Kim…” Marie leans over and embraces her sister in a tight hug “...he’s your nephew. You never have to ask my permission to talk to him. But yes, you can talk to him about this if you want.”
“Thanks, Marie.” Kim says, smiling warmly. Marie may not understand it but this special to Kim. Marie did reach out in Kim’s time of need to help her several years ago when she was at her darkest point, when she had descended into madness and was locked up. Marie got her the help she needed and even lobbied for Kim to be given another chance. Kim believes she owes her very life to her twin sister. She feels that through Sean she can pay her back. She owes it to Marie to do whatever she can to help.
==========
May 4th, 2023
Boston, Massachusetts
On Camera
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It is dark, night time in Boston, Massachusetts and it would be practically pitch black were it not for the street lamps hanging overhead in this park. The light from the moon also helps to provide some much needed sight for this otherwise dreary setting. It is quiet, silent, and very still. The stillness is broken when we see cloaked hooded figure entering into the camera view from the left. It is a dark brown cloak, which is barely able to be seen as there is not much of a contrast between that cloak and the surrounding darkness of this park. The hooded figure steps to the center of the camera. Then the figure throws off the hood and reveals that she is none other than the reigning SCW Underground Champion Kimberly Williams. The Woman Scorned has a semi-crazed look on her face as she waves furiously at the camera.
“May The Fourth be with you!” She twirls around so that the camera can get a full shot of the entire cloak. The back of the cloak has ‘Queens of Chaos’ inscribed with the faction’s logo. She turns back to face forward and winks. “I’m sorry, was this too much? I mean, with today being Star Wars Day I just felt this was appropriate. Besides, considering who my opponent is coming up in a couple days on Breakdown, I felt that walking the path of the light side and the dark side would be a good idea. Y’know, get into the mindset of my opponent. Right, La Pequena Luz? Can I just call you Luz for short? I’d call you LPL if we were friends but I get the feeling that you don’t like me very much.” Williams shrugs her shoulders.
“I get it. I really do. I used my Trios Contract to create the ultimate chaos. Most people arrogantly talk about how something they did is the greatest thing in wrestling but there’s always someone out there who did it better. But I dare ANYONE to come up with something more chaotic than what I created on March 30th for Breakdown! Every single championship in SCW was on the line! Every single superstar on the roster who wanted an opportunity to win championship gold had their opportunity to win any and every championship in the entire company.” She points a finger at the camera. “Including you and Amelia. Both of you had the same opportunity everyone else had. Unfortunately you did not do enough. Unfortunately you left empty handed.”
In one swift motion Williams throws the cloak off. She reveals that she is wearing torn denim jeans, black boots, and a purple “Queens of Chaos” logo t-shirt underneath. She has her HKW Bloodlust Championship title belt draped over her right shoulder and the SCW Underground Championship title belt wrapped around her waist. The Woman Scorned taps her Underground Title belt. “But I walked away with this…I became a four time Underground Champion.” Kim chuckles softly. “And I guess that’s really what it boils down to, isn’t it? I had my Trios Contract and I could add any stipulations I wanted in any match I wanted. And in my chaotic creation I included the extra added stipulation that I only needed ONE fall and one fall only to regain the SCW Underground Championship. It bothers you, doesn’t it? It bothers you, Amelia, Selena, Deanna, and so many others doesn’t it?” Kim nods her head.
“It bothers me too. This Underground Championship means the world to me. Ever since October 14th of 2021 when the Underground Championship was reactivated, I have done so damn much to bolster the division, to make it mean something, to make this championship prestigious, to make it more than just ‘garbage wrestling.’” Kim chuckles softly and shakes her head. “This title is SCW’s hardcore division. This other title sitting on my shoulder, I have held it uninterrupted for nearly two years now, it represents the HKW hardcore division. I am proud of those accomplishments, Luz. But not everyone would be. There are many stuck up, snobby, holier than thou wrestlers out there who look down on hardcore wrestling and those who choose to participate in it as just ‘garbage’...garbage wrestlers and garbage wrestling. I’m sure his Holiness Jesus Evans thinks that I’m going to hell just for having these titles.” Kim again points at the camera.
“What say you, Luz? You’re about to set foot inside that world. You are about to enter the world of the Underground. Do you think its just garbage for garbage wrestlers or do you see it for what it really is? The challenge. The passion. The sacrifice that so few are willing to make not just to win but to entertain the fans who love to watch it, the fans who pay good money to see that kind of carnage. What do YOU think about the Underground division, Luz? You don’t have to answer right now. But do take a moment to think about it. I mean, I am not deaf. I am not ignorant. I listen to everything that is said to me and about me. I heard what you and Amelia had to say about my Trios Cash In and how I won the Underground Title. You pointed out, accurately enough, that had I not had that little stipulation you would have been champion. You or The One. See, The One I am fairly confident at least would respect what I have tried to do these past two years for the Underground Division. The Underground Division may not be her thing but I think she would respect what I’m trying to do, how I’m trying to make it prestigious, how I’m trying to make it respected, how I’m trying to make it into a championship people really crave, really want to chase, how I want to put it if not on the same level as the world title at least pretty damn close to it. And in the time since it was brought back, me and Deanna Frost main evented Night One of Rise To Greatness for the Underground Title. I defended the Underground Title in the main event of Body, Heart, & Soul against the World Champion. I lost both times and both of those losses stung but looking back I can say that I am damn proud of the fact that I got this championship into that spotlight.” Kim shakes her head.
“But I’m not proud of everything I have done along the way in my journey towards making this title prestigious. Because you’re right, Luz…see, I am very passionate about this championship, and I became so passionate that I was willing to do anything to get it back, including using the terms of Trios to stack the deck in my favor.” The Woman Scorned nods her head. “You and Amelia showed great skill, not just during that match but ever since your return to SCW. Your goal is the SCW World Tag Team Titles but you’ve proven that you can go it alone as singles as well. Amelia is a former Television Champion. Now you have a shot at this…my Underground Title…” Kim smirks knowingly “...and I have a shot at redemption.”
“See, I may have walked on the Dark Side just a little in order to regain this championship that is so near and dear to my heart…oops, there’s another Star Wars reference…but now that I have it, I can earn redemption by not only proving I am THE worthy title holder, but I can also continue to make it prestigious, continue to make history with it, and I’m going by being a fighting champion. And you’re the first one up.” Kim furrows her brow curiously. “Speaking of dark side, which one are you, Luz? Are The Light or The Darkness? Sorry if that’s a bad pun on your tag team name but still, the question is a good one. This isn’t your wheelhouse. Tag team wrestling is your forte, Luz. The chaos and ultra violence of the Underground is not something you’re familiar with. As a matter of fact, let me pose THIS question to you; not counting my Trios Cash In, have you competed in any Underground Division Matches? Have you been in any hardcore matches at all?” Kim pauses, as if to let the viewer and Luz herself think it over. “I would guess that number would be a rather small one.” She pats herself on the chest.
“I have been the Queen of the Death Match since 2021! Since 2021 I have been a six time Death Match Queen…former MWE Chicago Way Champion, current HKW Bloodlust Champion, four time and current SCW Underground Champion. I’m not doing this just to sound intimidating or to make myself sound better than I really am. God knows that I have flaws. God knows I have imperfections. I have not always handled myself well. But each and every single time I have been knocked down, I pick myself back up, and I keep fighting on! Barbed wire? Bring it. Thumb Tacks? Bring it. Broken Glass? Bring it. Multiple opponents, all of whom want my head on a platter? Bring! It! On! I have earned my stripes and then some. I have earned my place among the Underground legends and now I will prove that I do in fact deserve to be the SCW Underground Champion.”
“What about, Luz? It isn’t my place to say who is or is not worthy of competing in the Underground, but I do warn you that you aren’t just up against any old loose cannon. You are facing one of the most dangerous bitches to ever set foot in the Underground. Are you capable of doing what is necessary to take this championship away from me? That is not a cliche, that is a legitimate question. Are you capable of doing what is necessary to put me down for the count? See, Luz, I do not think you have ever dished out the kind of punishment, the kind of abuse, that I have taken in my career. To win this championship you are going to have to take your game to a whole new level…” she smirks knowingly “...or to a whole new low, depending upon your perspective.”
“An even better question for you…do you know what I am capable of doing in order to retain this championship?” Kim shrugs her shoulders. “There’s plenty of tape. Watch the weapons cage match against Oktoberfest. Watch that multi-person war at Apocalypse when I regained the title from Deanna Frost. Watch the bloodbath between myself and Sarah Wolf at Under Attack. I typically have a smile on my face almost all the time. Hell, I’m even smiling and cracking jokes while someone’s carving me up with barbed wire. But do not let my outward appearance fool you. I am one twisted, sadistic, bitch, and SCW has not seen everything that I am capable of just yet. So La Pequena Luz, I wish you the best of luck. I sincerely mean that.” Kim puts the hood back up over her head. “You’ll need it.”
The Woman Scorned turns and walks off into the night. The camera fades to black.
05-05-2023, 11:26 PM
Maybe this wasn't the wisest idea, but Luz had always been one for tackling her problems head-on.
At least over the years she'd gotten better about opening up about said problems and accepting help in facing them as opposed to trying to handle it all on her own.
With a little over a week until SCW returned to action with their first Breakdown since Playing the Wildcard, Luz and Amelia had forged a plan they were confident would yield some sort of result they could use in their fight against The Empire. With both girls having agreed to eventually meet Marilyn at her wrestling school in Bridgeport, especially with Luz looking to get any help she could get in preparing for an Underground Title match, whatever they could share with both her and Ryan in this fight could go a long way in figuring out what exactly their endgame really was with all of this.
What they knew for sure is that with Gage finally getting a passport in preparation for this endeavor, their little group would be at full strength to follow Marilyn's warning about a direct confrontation with Caleb's group. Add in the fact that Luz had made a few calls ahead of time to some of her father's old friends that were still in the business and she had contact established in case things started going bad. Her old boss down in Mexico already had hints that something was amiss about the whole situation so having him see this situation with his own eyes would go a long way to hopefully forcing this false Luz to stop masquerading as her.
Perhaps the biggest surprise that had worked its way into her planning was a call from her mother. While there was some clear tension between them, it was honestly one of the better conversations they'd had with one another in a very long time. To Luz's surprise, Camila acknowledged that they needed to have a proper conversation with one another, although she preferred for it to be in person which Luz felt was appropriate for a long overdue talk of that magnitude. For right now, they were at least on the same page that answers were needed about this wannabe Luz running around with The Empire, and since Camila always had an in backstage at shows both due to her being the wife of the late El Espíritu Angélico and being a doctor in case anything truly serious happened, she was more than happy to offer an extra pair of eyes for the plan.
The group had flown down to Monterrey, Mexico and gotten settled in early enough to rest off the jet lag and make sure they were at full strength for what was to come, with Luz taking an extra precaution of wearing a much different mask than her usual style to not cause any confusion that might tip anybody off through social media before they could pull this off. Once they were rested up and the night of the show had arrived, they headed over to the arena where they were given tickets that had been reserved for them by some of Luz's old trainers. They weren't the greatest seats, but they were perfect for allowing the group to watch the show and even get an in-person look at not only 'evil Luz' as Gage and Edward had taken to calling her, but also anyone else from The Empire who happened to be competing as well without being spotted. Being right next to an exit made it convenient for them to be able to quickly duck out as well if the opportunity arose to pull off their true objective tonight: try to get the imposter alone and corner them to get some answers.
If they were lucky, then maybe they could talk this woman into dropping the whole charade of pretending to be someone she sure as hell wasn't, but Luz wasn't going to set her hopes too high.
Amelia couldn't help but roll her eyes the first time someone from The Empire made their entrance as the show got underway, mumbling something about not being surprised that Caleb would decide to go with a classic orchestral piece for his little group. Her father had been the whole reason Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata was their 'family theme' and while she still used part of it, Luz could tell she was overjoyed anytime the song faded into the one she'd chosen for herself. She hoped that someday her girlfriend would drop the classical intro piece entirely, but Amelia still felt like she needed to permanently sever ties with the Blythe name before she felt comfortable with letting go of something that, for better or worse, was familiar territory for her.
Dvořák's infamous “Symphony No. 9 - Allegro Con Fuoco” at least felt fitting for a stable who preached the idea of 'purifying' the wrestling business and returning it to the pure grappling splendor that it once was but spreading that concept worldwide, but it quickly wore out its welcome and became something to joke about during lulls in the action.
The joking stopped when the song hit one more time for a very specific match and they all got their first in-person look at The Empire's version of La Pequeña Luz. Even from a distance, she truly did almost look like a perfect clone of the real Luz, right down to the same attire and mask and even a copy of the entrance robe she wore that Amelia had gifted to her. Like in any of the footage they had seen up to this point, the attire was in the signature white and gold of The Empire as opposed to Luz's tendency to shuffle her color scheme around to “keep things fresh and colorful” as she once put it. One thing that stood out right away, however, was how reserved she looked as she made her way to the ring, almost matching the movements Amelia made back before Luz managed to break down her walls, and that didn't sit well with the real deal at all.
“There's no energy in her entrance,” Luz growled under her breath. “How could anyone ever mistake her for me? Yeah, she looks almost identical, but anyone who knows even a little bit about me knows that I'm always bouncy and energetic during my entrance because I'm too excited for the match ahead to just sit still.”
“It's what makes you who you are Luz, and you know I love you for it,” Amelia told her and punctuated it with a kiss on the cheek. “Still, the idea of trying to pass this off even as a 'perfect version' of you and erasing your neurodivergent traits as part of that disgusts me.”
“Either that's a suggestion from mom or dad or the first real proof that Caleb's just as bad as they are,” Emily noted.
“If Caleb's just as bad, if not worse, on his wrestlers, then that implies some other practices that would make me feel a lot sorrier for this girl than I currently do,” Ivy chimed in, leaving Luz to briefly ponder that thought and how that would change her entire approach if there was even the tiniest sliver of truth to that.
She quickly slammed her train of thought back on the tracks when the bell rang and they all watched as “Luz” squared off with someone Luz remembered crossing paths with frequently in her early years in the business, although it was clear the other competitor was not prepared at all for the drastic difference in style. Unlike the real Luz and her tendency to “leap before she looked” a lot of the time, the faker had no problems with slowing things down heavily and spending as long as possible just tediously grinding down her opponent, something the real Luz had the ability to do but felt better mixing it with her more comfortable aerial offense to keep her opponents guessing.
“That's our parents' influence for sure,” Edward pointed out. “Or if not them, then Caleb's doing for sure because there's a few techniques even I don't recognize.”
“I at least adapted to my own technique that felt more natural,” Amelia replied, smiling at the memory of how her parents had surprisingly not minded when she displayed a lot more fluid transitions between holds once she finally debuted, though that smile faded once she realized they probably never remarked on it because it brought her the only thing that ever mattered in their eyes: success.
Luz could only cringe at the hatred the fans around them were showering “her” with as the match went on.
Eventually, the match ended when the copycat managed to catch her opponent in a crossface chickenwing and ultimately made them tap out, scoring a rather decisive victory in the process. As the music hit and her hand was raised in victory, Luz took a careful look down at her doppelganger and was surprised to find no trace of happiness from winning a match, even if it was being suppressed to maintain whatever air of 'professionalism' The Empire was trying to present to everyone. It almost felt more like the jeering fans around her was really getting to her but she was trying her best to hide it. Considering Luz had gone through that song and dance before, both from the bullies that tormented her growing up and some of the early days of her career where she was being crushed under the idea of failing to live up to her father's legacy in their eyes, she could see it clear as day and it definitely threw her off upon seeing it, to the point that she barely even acknowledged that the show was already continuing on to the next match.
“Luz? You alright?” Amelia asked her as the next match got underway.
“I'm not sure...” Luz admitted. “Maybe I was just seeing things, but-”
Luz cut herself off when her phone vibrated with a text message, and as she checked it she quickly signaled to the others that their chance had come. The fake Luz had apparently been sent out to the parking lot to grab something and no one had accompanied her, the reason why being something to do with avoiding Camila but there wasn't anything certain there according to the message. Still, they had their chance, and the group quickly and discreetly ducked out of the crowd and made their way out top the parking lot, though Luz got a bit of a head start on them the rest were trying to catch up.
She couldn't help it... she was bound and determined to get some answers tonight and she wasn't letting this opportunity slip through her fingers.
Once they were outside, the group carefully looked around, trying to spot any sign of the copycat luchadora. It took them a minute, but Gage managed to spot the white and gold mask and pointed it out to everyone. As quietly as they could manage, which became a chore for Luz as she had to restrain herself for the sake of not blowing this vital opportunity, the group managed to get close enough to hide behind a huge RV that was parked out there to spy on “Luz” as she rummaged around in one of several large white vans that had The Empire's logo on the sides.
“Where is it, where is it!?” she said in a panicked tone as she frantically searched for something. What threw the group, though, was that her voice was much lower and raspier compared to any interviews or promos they'd seen from her where she sounded almost exactly like the woman she was imitating. “If I don't find that medical bag so we can avoid Dr. Nevado and keep this facade going, Hunter's going to tell Caleb and then I'll be in for it.”
This certainly hadn't been what the group was expecting to see or hear, but Luz turned her thoughts back to Ivy's earlier remarks before her doppelganger's match. By the sound of things, she might've hit the nail on the head and there might be something deeper to this whole situation than they initially thought. They wouldn't know for sure unless they got some answers though, and that's what ultimately drove Luz to vacate their hiding place and start marching toward her twin.
“Luz! What are you doing!?” Amelia hissed, but it didn't deter her girlfriend in the slightest. Luz was clearly determined to act now, and nothing was going to stop her.
“Hey!” Luz called out, startling the imposter greatly. She turned around slowly, and whatever nerves she'd been displaying before gave way to pure terror once she realized she was locking eyes with a very familiar masked face.
“You... you're the real Luz!” the copycat said in a panic. “No... no, you weren't supposed to find out about any of this!”
“Kind of hard not to when I'm hearing reports about behavior that's very much not like me,” Luz firmly told her.
“Nonononono,” the doppelganger said as she tried to back away before bumping against the van, forgetting where she was enough that she felt like she'd been cornered. “He can't know that you actually found me. This was the only way I could actually be free!”
That immediately caused alarms to start going off in Luz's head as she watched her impersonator look like they were on the verge of a panic attack. Any sense of hostility she held toward the other woman was immediately shelved as she squatted down in front of her.
“Hey, easy... I'm not going to hurt you,” she carefully said. “I just want some answers... first, though, I need you to take a deep breath for me. In for three, hold for four, out for seven, alright?” She proceeded to demonstrate the breathing technique, and the second time she did so she was joined by the other Luz. They repeated this a couple of times before Luz held out her hand and her twin took it to get back to her feet.
“You're... acting a lot nicer about this than I thought you would,” the other Luz hesitantly said.
“Don't get me wrong, I'm still upset since you're disrespecting my name and mask which is very frowned upon in lucha libre,” Luz clarified, “but I'm starting to get the feeling you're not intentionally trying to sabotage my career.”
“I... I kind of am actually...” the doppelganger admitted. “Though I'm only doing it because it's what I'm being made to do. I never actually wanted to be a wrestler, but when Caleb adopted me he told me I had a role to fill if I didn't want to end up back on the streets, and it was forgetting who I am to become everything you're supposed to be but won't become.”
“Caleb...” Luz growled, her clone flinching at the sheer venom in her voice. “OK, you need to tell me whatever you can, because maybe I can help you out of this. Maybe we can start with your name? Or at least something I can call you by aside from Luz because... well...”
“Y-You can call me-” the other Luz started to say, almost in disbelief that this was how this conversation was going.
“So, you finally caught on.”
Both Luzes quickly whipped around at the new addition to their conversation, and the fake Luz immediately began trembling in fear again in the face of the young blonde man approaching them, dressed in an elegant white and gold suit and hiding his face behind a golden mask. The mere presence of him immediately made Luz want to punch him, but she restrained herself.
“I'm almost surprised it took you this long,” he continued, almost as though he was talking down to her. “Then again, I guess flying around in SCW and contributing to the decline of wrestling has kept you pretty busy, hasn't it?”
“I'm going to guess by the dumb mask that you're the so-called Golden Prodigy?” Luz spat.
“That's correct,” he chuckled. “And to think of all you and Amelia could become if you just saw the light and joined us in purifying this sport. Consider this your chance if you want to take it... otherwise, I'll be taking that and we'll be on our way.”
As this guy motioned to Luz's copycat, the way he referred to her was quickly igniting a fire that Luz really didn't want to allow to spread. She knew he was trying to bait her, especially once he sauntered over and started reaching for the other Luz. To his surprise, however, his hand was smacked away and he stepped back as Amelia made her presence known, with the others not too far behind her.
“I think we've all heard about enough,” Amelia growled.
“Ah, there's my future wife,” the man said all too happily. “A pleasure to finally meet you in person.”
“The feeling's far from mutual, you creep,” was the reply he got. “I don't know what you think my parents have told you, but I could never be interested in someone like you and whatever wedding you were promised isn't going to happen.”
“Please, call me Henry White,” the gold-masked figure replied in a dismissive tone. “And I heard about the whole thing regarding your sexuality... don't worry, it's fixable though, and The Empire will see to that.”
Ivy and the twins had to make sure hands were on shoulders before Luz and Amelia did anything, because it was very clear they were ready to pounce on this guy for that remark. Having his face completely hidden by his mask made him impossible to read, but they could just tell he was getting a kick out of trying to rile them up. With a snap of his fingers, the Luz doppelganger fearfully pulled away from the group and slowly moved to stand by Henry's side. As she did, a small group of figures in white hooded robes began to suddenly emerge and surround them. Realizing what was happening, Luz managed to pull her phone out of her back pocket and pass it to Gage, who used the cover he had to fire off a quick text message that went unnoticed in the standoff.
“Now, while I don't know or care for you two,” Henry said as he pointed to Ivy and Gage, “and the twins over there are already lost causes that should've just kept rotting away in their old mansion if Ophelia hadn't screwed up, there is promise here. So... Luz, Amelia, this is your golden ticket to be among the true elite in the wrestling business, a chance to-”
“Save it, you scrawny little lap dog,”Amelia harshly cut him off.
“Whatever Caleb's brainwashed your whole group into doing, we're not buying into it,” Luz sternly added. “Especially not when Amelia's parents are involved and this whole thing smells more rotten than I'm sure the old man bossing you around does.”
“How childish...” Henry scoffed. “I guess I expected no less from someone disgracing this business by hiding behind a mask and refusing to keep things on the ground like a true wrestler. The fact that you're going to be fighting in that barbaric Underground Rules match on your next SCW show says everything I need to know.”
“Well isn't that the pot calling the kettle black, Mr. White,” Luz fired back. “At least you can actually see what I'm feeling through my mask, and apparently it's important enough for your boss to replicate and adopt someone just to impersonate me and do all the dirty work for him.”
Henry seemed to stall at that, almost as though something in Luz's words struck a chord with him. After a moment, whatever composure he had seemed to drop as he snapped his fingers again.
“Take them out,” he sternly ordered the Empire members surrounding the group. “Load up Luz and Amelia when you're done so Caleb can have a personal chat with them.”
“What the hell is going on out here!?”
All eyes suddenly turned in the direction of the arena, the voice belonging to one of the security guards as a whole swarm of them began to approach, followed close behind both by Luz's old boss and, to Luz's surprise, her mother. Her old boss was looking back and forth between the two Luzes standing in front of him, a lightbulb going off in his head that Henry seemed to pick up on immediately.
“Empire! We're moving out now!” he called, and the entire group quickly disengaged and began to either pile into the vans or head back toward the arena to grab their stuff. Henry himself began to throw the Luz doppelganger into the van right next to the group before slamming the door shut and moving to climb into the driver's seat, using the fact that security was starting to pull Luz and her friends away to his advantage.
Before the van roared to life and sped off, however, Luz noticed her twin mouth the name “Valentina” as they locked eyes through the window.
“Mija!” Camila called as she quickly ran to the group, specifically her daughter. “What the hell was that all about?”
“I think...” Luz started as she thought about everything that had happened in the past few minutes, almost as though she were struggling to come to terms with how much this whole situation had been turned on its head as a result of their first direct confrontation with The Empire. “I think this whole thing is a lot messier and runs a lot deeper than we may have first thought...”
We open up on a rather odd sight, at least in terms of who we're here to see. While there are definitely all the hallmarks of what looks to be a wrestling school such as rings, training mats, weights, bags and so on, there's also a ton of other miscellaneous items scattered around before our very eyes that almost makes it seem like we're in someone's garage instead. Of specific note are a ladder set up in one of the rings, a few tables that are either set up or appear to be broken that are scattered about, a few steel chairs laying around, and even what appear to be thumbtacks and shards of broken glass piled up on one of the mats. Sitting in one of these steel chairs, looking down at the pile of tacks and glass resting before her, is La Pequeña Luz. While we see her in her wrestling gear, we can also see signs of cuts and bruises along her arms that are already bandaged up, but nothing so bad that it won't heal in time for Breakdown. Way in the background we can see Amelia Blythe having a conversation with an older woman with a wild mane of fiery orange hair, perhaps the owner of whatever this place is. Luz spares a moment to glance back at them, almost as if the sight of them being present and watching her while trying to stay far enough out of the way not to interrupt gives her the motivation she needs as she takes a deep breath and turns her focus to us.
“When people think of hardcore wrestling, often times their thoughts will drift toward people who 'can't wrestle' and instead rely on weapons and excessive violence to make up for it. Admittedly, there a lot of matches that fall under these rules, or lack thereof, where things tend to escalate to a point that it becomes hard to watch, especially these days as concerns about the health and well-being of wrestlers becomes a more prominent concern. Something that a lot of people forget, however, is that there are quite a few matches that could technically be defined as 'hardcore' matches because they forego the traditional rules in exchange for something a little different to give the fans an alternative or maybe because two wrestlers need something a little extra to settle the score. Ladder matches, cage matches, tables matches... only a few examples that are frequent go-to stipulations for scenarios like that, and all matches that I have taken part in at one point or another in addition to matches that would simply fall under SCW's definition of Underground Rules. They haven't been extreme bloodbaths, aside from maybe a rough landing or good shot that split my head open real good here and there even with my mask, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm familiar with the concept of the Underground and what it entails.
In a twisted sort of way, there's a respect to be had for the various names throughout SCW's history that have primarily defined themselves in their reigns and pursuits of the Underground Championship. Names like The Real Speed, Dillusion, Rachel Foxx, Rachel Tatum Lee, Matt Auclair... just to name a few. All extremely capable wrestlers in their own right, and all wrestlers who embraced what it meant to hold that very title. The blood they spilled, the wars they had, the toughness they displayed... if that isn't worthy of respect, especially with how they probably showed those traits more than most on SCW's roster at any point in time considering what they endured night in and night out, then I don't know what is. Those are the names that people look to when they talk about some of the most violent matches in SCW history, the warriors who put that title on the map and made it into what it is today.
The thing is... they did all of that through nothing more than their wars with each other and anyone else who stepped up to challenge them. They earned the right to call themselves true Underground Champions, earning their opportunities and taking care of business in the ring under a set of rules that gave them all the freedom in the world to get creative and put on a show all their own for the fans.
That's the kind of Underground Champion that Kimberly Williams wants to be... unfortunately, I would argue that her antics as of late have done that title a disservice, and deep down, I think she knows it.”
Luz leans back in the chair and shakes her head before turning her attention back to the veritable junkyard surrounding her right now. Every item is a common piece to the Underground puzzle while also barely scratching the surface of what you can find in one of those matches, and yet Luz knows that she'll need to get well acquainted with each and every one of them in some form or another for the fight that awaits her in Omaha.
“I'm going to be upfront with you Kim... I wasn't expecting you to actually take what I said to heart. The last news I honestly expected to get coming out of Playing the Wildcard was that you were actually going to defend your Underground Title against me, and yet... here we are. When you cashed in your Trios contract and created an entire night worth of chaos hoping to shake everything up, both my girlfriend and I rightfully called you out on setting aside one very specific stipulation that made it so that you had to do the bare minimum of a single fall and you would be a champion again while everyone else was playing your game and fighting to score far more than that in hopes of winning any of the other titles on the line that night. It would be easy to sit here and say that the reason that in particular stuck out to us was because of the fact that I scored more falls than you and yet instead of holding that title as it would've been the next in the lineup technically, I left empty-handed... a fact that you did actually acknowledge, considering where we currently stand. Amelia and I made it clear both going into that night and when we talked with Selena and Deanna before finally joining the fray that we weren't expecting to actually walk away with anything on that night and our intentions were more to see where we currently stood in the grand scheme of things, so not ending that night as a champion actually didn't bother me as much as you might think.
The truth of the matter is that we had such a problem with it because we expected better of you Kim.
For someone so adamant about wearing the Underground on your sleeve and wanting to join the ranks of those well-known warriors of old that everyone always associates with that title, you didn't have any issue with spitting in the face of everything that got them there in order to add another reign to the list. When you lost that title to Owen back at Body, Heart & Soul you didn't fight your way back to another opportunity or use your Trios contract to get a rematch in whatever manner you felt perfectly embodied your vision of the Underground. No... you tried to forcefully insert yourself into his matches to get a rematch, you structured your Trios cash-in to virtually guarantee you won the title back with the bare minimum of effort and only had to stick around to try and spread further chaos, you did just about everything to prove the point that you only care about the title in terms of numbers as you chase a record, regardless of how you get there. I don't have any direct issues with you as a person Kim, or anything against the Underground and all that it stands for even if I'll admit that it's not something one would normally associate with me... I have a problem with you not caring enough about the title that you claim means everything to you that you couldn't just take things to the ring and settle them like all those who came before you. Not only did it make just about every other title in SCW feel like nothing more than a consolation prize that you still have to prove you truly deserved to have, but it made you come away from that whole thing looking like anything but a modern-day warrior willing to put her body on the line to show the world what the Underground should be all about.
The fact that you acknowledged the final scores on that night and are more than willing to give me the opportunity to settle this debate in the ring and with Underground Rules so either I can prove that I should've been champion on that night or you can prove that you do deserve to hold that title again despite how you got back to that point... I'd say that's a step in the right direction.”
Luz slowly reaches down and scoops up some of the glass and tacks in her hand before shifting it between her palms, showing some discomfort as it punctures her skin but doing her best not to show it before she lets it drop back into the pile at her feet. She then starts using her boots to spread the pile around a bit as she speaks again.
“Right now Kim, I think your biggest problem is the fact that you've developed a rather unhealthy obsession with both the Underground Title and the idea of trying to 'make it relevant' by forcing people to do this on your terms. Yeah, maybe SCW isn't full of people willing to risk life and limb fighting for it like the older days before that title was originally deactivated, but that doesn't mean people won't come for it unless you make them, nor does it mean that you and you alone have to be the one trying to get people to indulge in the kind of wrestling that you like. Look back at some of your past reigns Kim... the Underground Title got reintroduced in the first place because you and Jordan Majors were having the kind of wars that defined that title in the past. You kind of forced Deanna to enter your world by antagonizing her, but the very next pay-per-view you and her were just two of five people with intertwining reasons to just settle it in the ring doing so under those rules for that championship. You got Owen willing to turn your World Title match into a title-for-title bout under your rules. All of that accomplished everything you ever wanted and then some. And yet, after you lost to Owen, your obsession led you to have meltdowns over Owen not doing more because he also had the World Title to focus on. You tried to interject yourself into his matches, took issue with the fact that Alexis Quinne didn't 'live up to your standards' as a challenger to him... heck, your Trios cash-in may have gotten you the title back, but in all the chaos you wanted you failed to consider some of the consequences that might result from it because you were so tunnel-visioned on getting your championship back around your waist and nothing else.
Case in point: while Xander couldn't do anything about Adam's cash-in aside from giving Owen extra motivation to keep him from becoming World Champion, which you almost ruined with your Underground-obsessed interference, your cash-in essentially gave him an extra chance to try and get back to the top of the mountain and you didn't care because chaos.
On that note... Xander, I don't know if you'd even watch this, but coming from someone who has her own issues with Adam considering he and his old partner are responsible for Amelia and I being put out of commission in the first place, I ask you to please let me have a clean match—or as much of one as you can have in Underground Rules, I guess—with Kim. Let me settle things with her in the ring fair and square so I can prove to her, to the fans and management... and most importantly, to myself, that I deserve this before you go back on the warpath.”
She knows the plea is probably a futile effort and Underground Rules technically allow for outside interference, but she'd hate the idea of stepping up to the plate for this shot only for her win to feel tainted because she couldn't do it on her own. That's not the kind of wrestler she wants to be even in the Underground, and it's certainly not going to help her prove anything about what SCW means to her and how much she's willing to fight to prove she belongs here.
“All of that said though Kim... here I am, willing to enter your playground and face you of my own volition, another challenger for the Underground Title that didn't need to be forced or coerced into fighting for it. I've seen what you're capable of Kim, and I knew exactly what I was getting into when I stated the facts and saw that you'd actually heard me loud and clear. Yeah, maybe this isn't the kind of environment I'm used to fighting in where you've made it your home for years, but that's what makes this a challenge I'm willing to endure. Deanna and Owen weren't exactly known for being Underground wrestlers either, and yet they both overcame you and proved themselves worthy Underground Champions in their own right. Maybe they weren't as violent or bloodthirsty as you are, and I can't promise I'll be anything like that either, but that's not going to stop me from giving you a fight all the same Kim and taking every single shot you have to give so I can get back up and keep giving you everything that I have.
You can tout how much punishment you've taken all you want Kim, because the fact that you have lost that title several times before is proof that even you have your limits.
Don't believe I can handle that? Look back to the Tag Title match Amelia and I had back at Retribution, where I was worked over for a good chunk of the match and refused to stay down no matter how much punishment I endured from two of SCW's very best. Want a more Underground example? Check your own Trios cash-in and realize that Ravyn used a stun gun on me, something that would put most people out of commission for quite some time, and yet I fought through all the shocks and spasms running through my system for over an hour and still scored the three falls that I did. Sure, maybe that doesn't sound impressive to you given the kind of matches you've had, but it's proof that I know I can handle whatever you throw at me and will keep fighting to prove that even if I'm not 'your caliber' of an Underground wrestler, I can still earn my place among its ranks and you aren't going to be snuffing out my light that easily.
More importantly, I hope you realize that being in this match opens the door to a whole new world of possibilities for me. I've always been one to try and think outside the box and see what I can do within the rules of a given match, and Underground Rules presents me with the chance to push that imagination further than I ever have before. After all, I'm the kind of woman who's always been prone to leaping before I look... kind of how Adam put me on the shelf in the first place using the old Unsanctioned Title belt that used to belong to you, but all the signs are there to make it crystal clear Kim that if you underestimate me just because this is relatively unfamiliar territory as far as I'm concerned, then this Breakdown is going to see the end of your latest Underground Title reign.
And you know something? Maybe that's what's best for you right now Kim. A chance to let someone else take the reins while you sort out the fallout from your own chaos and prove that you can work your way back into a rematch for the title instead of just throwing a tantrum and playing games to get right back to the front of the line. Give me a chance to prove that I can be a worthy Underground Champion in my own right while you prove that for as much as that title means to you, you don't have to go it alone in trying to prove its worth. Prove that you're stronger than your obsession to hold this title Kim so that you can one day come back to it proving that you respect that title as much as you claim to, just like every single champion of the past whose company you want to be placed in.
As for me? I give you my word that even if I'm not up to your level of violence as Underground Champion, I'll still fight with everything that I have to be a worthy champion and leader of the division... and I'll do it all in my own 'Luz' way.”
Luz rises to a stand, flashing her trademark smile before she makes a point of walking right through the thumbtacks and shards of glass to reach the camera so she can stop the recording. Is it going to hurt and make her regret doing that afterward? Absolutely, but if it helps prove her point and builds her pain tolerance for whatever Kim thinks she can throw at her, then she's willing to fight through all of it to prove that she's ready to call herself a champion in SCW and lead the Underground division as a worthy champion in her own right.
At least over the years she'd gotten better about opening up about said problems and accepting help in facing them as opposed to trying to handle it all on her own.
With a little over a week until SCW returned to action with their first Breakdown since Playing the Wildcard, Luz and Amelia had forged a plan they were confident would yield some sort of result they could use in their fight against The Empire. With both girls having agreed to eventually meet Marilyn at her wrestling school in Bridgeport, especially with Luz looking to get any help she could get in preparing for an Underground Title match, whatever they could share with both her and Ryan in this fight could go a long way in figuring out what exactly their endgame really was with all of this.
What they knew for sure is that with Gage finally getting a passport in preparation for this endeavor, their little group would be at full strength to follow Marilyn's warning about a direct confrontation with Caleb's group. Add in the fact that Luz had made a few calls ahead of time to some of her father's old friends that were still in the business and she had contact established in case things started going bad. Her old boss down in Mexico already had hints that something was amiss about the whole situation so having him see this situation with his own eyes would go a long way to hopefully forcing this false Luz to stop masquerading as her.
Perhaps the biggest surprise that had worked its way into her planning was a call from her mother. While there was some clear tension between them, it was honestly one of the better conversations they'd had with one another in a very long time. To Luz's surprise, Camila acknowledged that they needed to have a proper conversation with one another, although she preferred for it to be in person which Luz felt was appropriate for a long overdue talk of that magnitude. For right now, they were at least on the same page that answers were needed about this wannabe Luz running around with The Empire, and since Camila always had an in backstage at shows both due to her being the wife of the late El Espíritu Angélico and being a doctor in case anything truly serious happened, she was more than happy to offer an extra pair of eyes for the plan.
The group had flown down to Monterrey, Mexico and gotten settled in early enough to rest off the jet lag and make sure they were at full strength for what was to come, with Luz taking an extra precaution of wearing a much different mask than her usual style to not cause any confusion that might tip anybody off through social media before they could pull this off. Once they were rested up and the night of the show had arrived, they headed over to the arena where they were given tickets that had been reserved for them by some of Luz's old trainers. They weren't the greatest seats, but they were perfect for allowing the group to watch the show and even get an in-person look at not only 'evil Luz' as Gage and Edward had taken to calling her, but also anyone else from The Empire who happened to be competing as well without being spotted. Being right next to an exit made it convenient for them to be able to quickly duck out as well if the opportunity arose to pull off their true objective tonight: try to get the imposter alone and corner them to get some answers.
If they were lucky, then maybe they could talk this woman into dropping the whole charade of pretending to be someone she sure as hell wasn't, but Luz wasn't going to set her hopes too high.
Amelia couldn't help but roll her eyes the first time someone from The Empire made their entrance as the show got underway, mumbling something about not being surprised that Caleb would decide to go with a classic orchestral piece for his little group. Her father had been the whole reason Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata was their 'family theme' and while she still used part of it, Luz could tell she was overjoyed anytime the song faded into the one she'd chosen for herself. She hoped that someday her girlfriend would drop the classical intro piece entirely, but Amelia still felt like she needed to permanently sever ties with the Blythe name before she felt comfortable with letting go of something that, for better or worse, was familiar territory for her.
Dvořák's infamous “Symphony No. 9 - Allegro Con Fuoco” at least felt fitting for a stable who preached the idea of 'purifying' the wrestling business and returning it to the pure grappling splendor that it once was but spreading that concept worldwide, but it quickly wore out its welcome and became something to joke about during lulls in the action.
The joking stopped when the song hit one more time for a very specific match and they all got their first in-person look at The Empire's version of La Pequeña Luz. Even from a distance, she truly did almost look like a perfect clone of the real Luz, right down to the same attire and mask and even a copy of the entrance robe she wore that Amelia had gifted to her. Like in any of the footage they had seen up to this point, the attire was in the signature white and gold of The Empire as opposed to Luz's tendency to shuffle her color scheme around to “keep things fresh and colorful” as she once put it. One thing that stood out right away, however, was how reserved she looked as she made her way to the ring, almost matching the movements Amelia made back before Luz managed to break down her walls, and that didn't sit well with the real deal at all.
“There's no energy in her entrance,” Luz growled under her breath. “How could anyone ever mistake her for me? Yeah, she looks almost identical, but anyone who knows even a little bit about me knows that I'm always bouncy and energetic during my entrance because I'm too excited for the match ahead to just sit still.”
“It's what makes you who you are Luz, and you know I love you for it,” Amelia told her and punctuated it with a kiss on the cheek. “Still, the idea of trying to pass this off even as a 'perfect version' of you and erasing your neurodivergent traits as part of that disgusts me.”
“Either that's a suggestion from mom or dad or the first real proof that Caleb's just as bad as they are,” Emily noted.
“If Caleb's just as bad, if not worse, on his wrestlers, then that implies some other practices that would make me feel a lot sorrier for this girl than I currently do,” Ivy chimed in, leaving Luz to briefly ponder that thought and how that would change her entire approach if there was even the tiniest sliver of truth to that.
She quickly slammed her train of thought back on the tracks when the bell rang and they all watched as “Luz” squared off with someone Luz remembered crossing paths with frequently in her early years in the business, although it was clear the other competitor was not prepared at all for the drastic difference in style. Unlike the real Luz and her tendency to “leap before she looked” a lot of the time, the faker had no problems with slowing things down heavily and spending as long as possible just tediously grinding down her opponent, something the real Luz had the ability to do but felt better mixing it with her more comfortable aerial offense to keep her opponents guessing.
“That's our parents' influence for sure,” Edward pointed out. “Or if not them, then Caleb's doing for sure because there's a few techniques even I don't recognize.”
“I at least adapted to my own technique that felt more natural,” Amelia replied, smiling at the memory of how her parents had surprisingly not minded when she displayed a lot more fluid transitions between holds once she finally debuted, though that smile faded once she realized they probably never remarked on it because it brought her the only thing that ever mattered in their eyes: success.
Luz could only cringe at the hatred the fans around them were showering “her” with as the match went on.
Eventually, the match ended when the copycat managed to catch her opponent in a crossface chickenwing and ultimately made them tap out, scoring a rather decisive victory in the process. As the music hit and her hand was raised in victory, Luz took a careful look down at her doppelganger and was surprised to find no trace of happiness from winning a match, even if it was being suppressed to maintain whatever air of 'professionalism' The Empire was trying to present to everyone. It almost felt more like the jeering fans around her was really getting to her but she was trying her best to hide it. Considering Luz had gone through that song and dance before, both from the bullies that tormented her growing up and some of the early days of her career where she was being crushed under the idea of failing to live up to her father's legacy in their eyes, she could see it clear as day and it definitely threw her off upon seeing it, to the point that she barely even acknowledged that the show was already continuing on to the next match.
“Luz? You alright?” Amelia asked her as the next match got underway.
“I'm not sure...” Luz admitted. “Maybe I was just seeing things, but-”
Luz cut herself off when her phone vibrated with a text message, and as she checked it she quickly signaled to the others that their chance had come. The fake Luz had apparently been sent out to the parking lot to grab something and no one had accompanied her, the reason why being something to do with avoiding Camila but there wasn't anything certain there according to the message. Still, they had their chance, and the group quickly and discreetly ducked out of the crowd and made their way out top the parking lot, though Luz got a bit of a head start on them the rest were trying to catch up.
She couldn't help it... she was bound and determined to get some answers tonight and she wasn't letting this opportunity slip through her fingers.
Once they were outside, the group carefully looked around, trying to spot any sign of the copycat luchadora. It took them a minute, but Gage managed to spot the white and gold mask and pointed it out to everyone. As quietly as they could manage, which became a chore for Luz as she had to restrain herself for the sake of not blowing this vital opportunity, the group managed to get close enough to hide behind a huge RV that was parked out there to spy on “Luz” as she rummaged around in one of several large white vans that had The Empire's logo on the sides.
“Where is it, where is it!?” she said in a panicked tone as she frantically searched for something. What threw the group, though, was that her voice was much lower and raspier compared to any interviews or promos they'd seen from her where she sounded almost exactly like the woman she was imitating. “If I don't find that medical bag so we can avoid Dr. Nevado and keep this facade going, Hunter's going to tell Caleb and then I'll be in for it.”
This certainly hadn't been what the group was expecting to see or hear, but Luz turned her thoughts back to Ivy's earlier remarks before her doppelganger's match. By the sound of things, she might've hit the nail on the head and there might be something deeper to this whole situation than they initially thought. They wouldn't know for sure unless they got some answers though, and that's what ultimately drove Luz to vacate their hiding place and start marching toward her twin.
“Luz! What are you doing!?” Amelia hissed, but it didn't deter her girlfriend in the slightest. Luz was clearly determined to act now, and nothing was going to stop her.
“Hey!” Luz called out, startling the imposter greatly. She turned around slowly, and whatever nerves she'd been displaying before gave way to pure terror once she realized she was locking eyes with a very familiar masked face.
“You... you're the real Luz!” the copycat said in a panic. “No... no, you weren't supposed to find out about any of this!”
“Kind of hard not to when I'm hearing reports about behavior that's very much not like me,” Luz firmly told her.
“Nonononono,” the doppelganger said as she tried to back away before bumping against the van, forgetting where she was enough that she felt like she'd been cornered. “He can't know that you actually found me. This was the only way I could actually be free!”
That immediately caused alarms to start going off in Luz's head as she watched her impersonator look like they were on the verge of a panic attack. Any sense of hostility she held toward the other woman was immediately shelved as she squatted down in front of her.
“Hey, easy... I'm not going to hurt you,” she carefully said. “I just want some answers... first, though, I need you to take a deep breath for me. In for three, hold for four, out for seven, alright?” She proceeded to demonstrate the breathing technique, and the second time she did so she was joined by the other Luz. They repeated this a couple of times before Luz held out her hand and her twin took it to get back to her feet.
“You're... acting a lot nicer about this than I thought you would,” the other Luz hesitantly said.
“Don't get me wrong, I'm still upset since you're disrespecting my name and mask which is very frowned upon in lucha libre,” Luz clarified, “but I'm starting to get the feeling you're not intentionally trying to sabotage my career.”
“I... I kind of am actually...” the doppelganger admitted. “Though I'm only doing it because it's what I'm being made to do. I never actually wanted to be a wrestler, but when Caleb adopted me he told me I had a role to fill if I didn't want to end up back on the streets, and it was forgetting who I am to become everything you're supposed to be but won't become.”
“Caleb...” Luz growled, her clone flinching at the sheer venom in her voice. “OK, you need to tell me whatever you can, because maybe I can help you out of this. Maybe we can start with your name? Or at least something I can call you by aside from Luz because... well...”
“Y-You can call me-” the other Luz started to say, almost in disbelief that this was how this conversation was going.
“So, you finally caught on.”
Both Luzes quickly whipped around at the new addition to their conversation, and the fake Luz immediately began trembling in fear again in the face of the young blonde man approaching them, dressed in an elegant white and gold suit and hiding his face behind a golden mask. The mere presence of him immediately made Luz want to punch him, but she restrained herself.
“I'm almost surprised it took you this long,” he continued, almost as though he was talking down to her. “Then again, I guess flying around in SCW and contributing to the decline of wrestling has kept you pretty busy, hasn't it?”
“I'm going to guess by the dumb mask that you're the so-called Golden Prodigy?” Luz spat.
“That's correct,” he chuckled. “And to think of all you and Amelia could become if you just saw the light and joined us in purifying this sport. Consider this your chance if you want to take it... otherwise, I'll be taking that and we'll be on our way.”
As this guy motioned to Luz's copycat, the way he referred to her was quickly igniting a fire that Luz really didn't want to allow to spread. She knew he was trying to bait her, especially once he sauntered over and started reaching for the other Luz. To his surprise, however, his hand was smacked away and he stepped back as Amelia made her presence known, with the others not too far behind her.
“I think we've all heard about enough,” Amelia growled.
“Ah, there's my future wife,” the man said all too happily. “A pleasure to finally meet you in person.”
“The feeling's far from mutual, you creep,” was the reply he got. “I don't know what you think my parents have told you, but I could never be interested in someone like you and whatever wedding you were promised isn't going to happen.”
“Please, call me Henry White,” the gold-masked figure replied in a dismissive tone. “And I heard about the whole thing regarding your sexuality... don't worry, it's fixable though, and The Empire will see to that.”
Ivy and the twins had to make sure hands were on shoulders before Luz and Amelia did anything, because it was very clear they were ready to pounce on this guy for that remark. Having his face completely hidden by his mask made him impossible to read, but they could just tell he was getting a kick out of trying to rile them up. With a snap of his fingers, the Luz doppelganger fearfully pulled away from the group and slowly moved to stand by Henry's side. As she did, a small group of figures in white hooded robes began to suddenly emerge and surround them. Realizing what was happening, Luz managed to pull her phone out of her back pocket and pass it to Gage, who used the cover he had to fire off a quick text message that went unnoticed in the standoff.
“Now, while I don't know or care for you two,” Henry said as he pointed to Ivy and Gage, “and the twins over there are already lost causes that should've just kept rotting away in their old mansion if Ophelia hadn't screwed up, there is promise here. So... Luz, Amelia, this is your golden ticket to be among the true elite in the wrestling business, a chance to-”
“Save it, you scrawny little lap dog,”Amelia harshly cut him off.
“Whatever Caleb's brainwashed your whole group into doing, we're not buying into it,” Luz sternly added. “Especially not when Amelia's parents are involved and this whole thing smells more rotten than I'm sure the old man bossing you around does.”
“How childish...” Henry scoffed. “I guess I expected no less from someone disgracing this business by hiding behind a mask and refusing to keep things on the ground like a true wrestler. The fact that you're going to be fighting in that barbaric Underground Rules match on your next SCW show says everything I need to know.”
“Well isn't that the pot calling the kettle black, Mr. White,” Luz fired back. “At least you can actually see what I'm feeling through my mask, and apparently it's important enough for your boss to replicate and adopt someone just to impersonate me and do all the dirty work for him.”
Henry seemed to stall at that, almost as though something in Luz's words struck a chord with him. After a moment, whatever composure he had seemed to drop as he snapped his fingers again.
“Take them out,” he sternly ordered the Empire members surrounding the group. “Load up Luz and Amelia when you're done so Caleb can have a personal chat with them.”
“What the hell is going on out here!?”
All eyes suddenly turned in the direction of the arena, the voice belonging to one of the security guards as a whole swarm of them began to approach, followed close behind both by Luz's old boss and, to Luz's surprise, her mother. Her old boss was looking back and forth between the two Luzes standing in front of him, a lightbulb going off in his head that Henry seemed to pick up on immediately.
“Empire! We're moving out now!” he called, and the entire group quickly disengaged and began to either pile into the vans or head back toward the arena to grab their stuff. Henry himself began to throw the Luz doppelganger into the van right next to the group before slamming the door shut and moving to climb into the driver's seat, using the fact that security was starting to pull Luz and her friends away to his advantage.
Before the van roared to life and sped off, however, Luz noticed her twin mouth the name “Valentina” as they locked eyes through the window.
“Mija!” Camila called as she quickly ran to the group, specifically her daughter. “What the hell was that all about?”
“I think...” Luz started as she thought about everything that had happened in the past few minutes, almost as though she were struggling to come to terms with how much this whole situation had been turned on its head as a result of their first direct confrontation with The Empire. “I think this whole thing is a lot messier and runs a lot deeper than we may have first thought...”
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We open up on a rather odd sight, at least in terms of who we're here to see. While there are definitely all the hallmarks of what looks to be a wrestling school such as rings, training mats, weights, bags and so on, there's also a ton of other miscellaneous items scattered around before our very eyes that almost makes it seem like we're in someone's garage instead. Of specific note are a ladder set up in one of the rings, a few tables that are either set up or appear to be broken that are scattered about, a few steel chairs laying around, and even what appear to be thumbtacks and shards of broken glass piled up on one of the mats. Sitting in one of these steel chairs, looking down at the pile of tacks and glass resting before her, is La Pequeña Luz. While we see her in her wrestling gear, we can also see signs of cuts and bruises along her arms that are already bandaged up, but nothing so bad that it won't heal in time for Breakdown. Way in the background we can see Amelia Blythe having a conversation with an older woman with a wild mane of fiery orange hair, perhaps the owner of whatever this place is. Luz spares a moment to glance back at them, almost as if the sight of them being present and watching her while trying to stay far enough out of the way not to interrupt gives her the motivation she needs as she takes a deep breath and turns her focus to us.
“When people think of hardcore wrestling, often times their thoughts will drift toward people who 'can't wrestle' and instead rely on weapons and excessive violence to make up for it. Admittedly, there a lot of matches that fall under these rules, or lack thereof, where things tend to escalate to a point that it becomes hard to watch, especially these days as concerns about the health and well-being of wrestlers becomes a more prominent concern. Something that a lot of people forget, however, is that there are quite a few matches that could technically be defined as 'hardcore' matches because they forego the traditional rules in exchange for something a little different to give the fans an alternative or maybe because two wrestlers need something a little extra to settle the score. Ladder matches, cage matches, tables matches... only a few examples that are frequent go-to stipulations for scenarios like that, and all matches that I have taken part in at one point or another in addition to matches that would simply fall under SCW's definition of Underground Rules. They haven't been extreme bloodbaths, aside from maybe a rough landing or good shot that split my head open real good here and there even with my mask, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm familiar with the concept of the Underground and what it entails.
In a twisted sort of way, there's a respect to be had for the various names throughout SCW's history that have primarily defined themselves in their reigns and pursuits of the Underground Championship. Names like The Real Speed, Dillusion, Rachel Foxx, Rachel Tatum Lee, Matt Auclair... just to name a few. All extremely capable wrestlers in their own right, and all wrestlers who embraced what it meant to hold that very title. The blood they spilled, the wars they had, the toughness they displayed... if that isn't worthy of respect, especially with how they probably showed those traits more than most on SCW's roster at any point in time considering what they endured night in and night out, then I don't know what is. Those are the names that people look to when they talk about some of the most violent matches in SCW history, the warriors who put that title on the map and made it into what it is today.
The thing is... they did all of that through nothing more than their wars with each other and anyone else who stepped up to challenge them. They earned the right to call themselves true Underground Champions, earning their opportunities and taking care of business in the ring under a set of rules that gave them all the freedom in the world to get creative and put on a show all their own for the fans.
That's the kind of Underground Champion that Kimberly Williams wants to be... unfortunately, I would argue that her antics as of late have done that title a disservice, and deep down, I think she knows it.”
Luz leans back in the chair and shakes her head before turning her attention back to the veritable junkyard surrounding her right now. Every item is a common piece to the Underground puzzle while also barely scratching the surface of what you can find in one of those matches, and yet Luz knows that she'll need to get well acquainted with each and every one of them in some form or another for the fight that awaits her in Omaha.
“I'm going to be upfront with you Kim... I wasn't expecting you to actually take what I said to heart. The last news I honestly expected to get coming out of Playing the Wildcard was that you were actually going to defend your Underground Title against me, and yet... here we are. When you cashed in your Trios contract and created an entire night worth of chaos hoping to shake everything up, both my girlfriend and I rightfully called you out on setting aside one very specific stipulation that made it so that you had to do the bare minimum of a single fall and you would be a champion again while everyone else was playing your game and fighting to score far more than that in hopes of winning any of the other titles on the line that night. It would be easy to sit here and say that the reason that in particular stuck out to us was because of the fact that I scored more falls than you and yet instead of holding that title as it would've been the next in the lineup technically, I left empty-handed... a fact that you did actually acknowledge, considering where we currently stand. Amelia and I made it clear both going into that night and when we talked with Selena and Deanna before finally joining the fray that we weren't expecting to actually walk away with anything on that night and our intentions were more to see where we currently stood in the grand scheme of things, so not ending that night as a champion actually didn't bother me as much as you might think.
The truth of the matter is that we had such a problem with it because we expected better of you Kim.
For someone so adamant about wearing the Underground on your sleeve and wanting to join the ranks of those well-known warriors of old that everyone always associates with that title, you didn't have any issue with spitting in the face of everything that got them there in order to add another reign to the list. When you lost that title to Owen back at Body, Heart & Soul you didn't fight your way back to another opportunity or use your Trios contract to get a rematch in whatever manner you felt perfectly embodied your vision of the Underground. No... you tried to forcefully insert yourself into his matches to get a rematch, you structured your Trios cash-in to virtually guarantee you won the title back with the bare minimum of effort and only had to stick around to try and spread further chaos, you did just about everything to prove the point that you only care about the title in terms of numbers as you chase a record, regardless of how you get there. I don't have any direct issues with you as a person Kim, or anything against the Underground and all that it stands for even if I'll admit that it's not something one would normally associate with me... I have a problem with you not caring enough about the title that you claim means everything to you that you couldn't just take things to the ring and settle them like all those who came before you. Not only did it make just about every other title in SCW feel like nothing more than a consolation prize that you still have to prove you truly deserved to have, but it made you come away from that whole thing looking like anything but a modern-day warrior willing to put her body on the line to show the world what the Underground should be all about.
The fact that you acknowledged the final scores on that night and are more than willing to give me the opportunity to settle this debate in the ring and with Underground Rules so either I can prove that I should've been champion on that night or you can prove that you do deserve to hold that title again despite how you got back to that point... I'd say that's a step in the right direction.”
Luz slowly reaches down and scoops up some of the glass and tacks in her hand before shifting it between her palms, showing some discomfort as it punctures her skin but doing her best not to show it before she lets it drop back into the pile at her feet. She then starts using her boots to spread the pile around a bit as she speaks again.
“Right now Kim, I think your biggest problem is the fact that you've developed a rather unhealthy obsession with both the Underground Title and the idea of trying to 'make it relevant' by forcing people to do this on your terms. Yeah, maybe SCW isn't full of people willing to risk life and limb fighting for it like the older days before that title was originally deactivated, but that doesn't mean people won't come for it unless you make them, nor does it mean that you and you alone have to be the one trying to get people to indulge in the kind of wrestling that you like. Look back at some of your past reigns Kim... the Underground Title got reintroduced in the first place because you and Jordan Majors were having the kind of wars that defined that title in the past. You kind of forced Deanna to enter your world by antagonizing her, but the very next pay-per-view you and her were just two of five people with intertwining reasons to just settle it in the ring doing so under those rules for that championship. You got Owen willing to turn your World Title match into a title-for-title bout under your rules. All of that accomplished everything you ever wanted and then some. And yet, after you lost to Owen, your obsession led you to have meltdowns over Owen not doing more because he also had the World Title to focus on. You tried to interject yourself into his matches, took issue with the fact that Alexis Quinne didn't 'live up to your standards' as a challenger to him... heck, your Trios cash-in may have gotten you the title back, but in all the chaos you wanted you failed to consider some of the consequences that might result from it because you were so tunnel-visioned on getting your championship back around your waist and nothing else.
Case in point: while Xander couldn't do anything about Adam's cash-in aside from giving Owen extra motivation to keep him from becoming World Champion, which you almost ruined with your Underground-obsessed interference, your cash-in essentially gave him an extra chance to try and get back to the top of the mountain and you didn't care because chaos.
On that note... Xander, I don't know if you'd even watch this, but coming from someone who has her own issues with Adam considering he and his old partner are responsible for Amelia and I being put out of commission in the first place, I ask you to please let me have a clean match—or as much of one as you can have in Underground Rules, I guess—with Kim. Let me settle things with her in the ring fair and square so I can prove to her, to the fans and management... and most importantly, to myself, that I deserve this before you go back on the warpath.”
She knows the plea is probably a futile effort and Underground Rules technically allow for outside interference, but she'd hate the idea of stepping up to the plate for this shot only for her win to feel tainted because she couldn't do it on her own. That's not the kind of wrestler she wants to be even in the Underground, and it's certainly not going to help her prove anything about what SCW means to her and how much she's willing to fight to prove she belongs here.
“All of that said though Kim... here I am, willing to enter your playground and face you of my own volition, another challenger for the Underground Title that didn't need to be forced or coerced into fighting for it. I've seen what you're capable of Kim, and I knew exactly what I was getting into when I stated the facts and saw that you'd actually heard me loud and clear. Yeah, maybe this isn't the kind of environment I'm used to fighting in where you've made it your home for years, but that's what makes this a challenge I'm willing to endure. Deanna and Owen weren't exactly known for being Underground wrestlers either, and yet they both overcame you and proved themselves worthy Underground Champions in their own right. Maybe they weren't as violent or bloodthirsty as you are, and I can't promise I'll be anything like that either, but that's not going to stop me from giving you a fight all the same Kim and taking every single shot you have to give so I can get back up and keep giving you everything that I have.
You can tout how much punishment you've taken all you want Kim, because the fact that you have lost that title several times before is proof that even you have your limits.
Don't believe I can handle that? Look back to the Tag Title match Amelia and I had back at Retribution, where I was worked over for a good chunk of the match and refused to stay down no matter how much punishment I endured from two of SCW's very best. Want a more Underground example? Check your own Trios cash-in and realize that Ravyn used a stun gun on me, something that would put most people out of commission for quite some time, and yet I fought through all the shocks and spasms running through my system for over an hour and still scored the three falls that I did. Sure, maybe that doesn't sound impressive to you given the kind of matches you've had, but it's proof that I know I can handle whatever you throw at me and will keep fighting to prove that even if I'm not 'your caliber' of an Underground wrestler, I can still earn my place among its ranks and you aren't going to be snuffing out my light that easily.
More importantly, I hope you realize that being in this match opens the door to a whole new world of possibilities for me. I've always been one to try and think outside the box and see what I can do within the rules of a given match, and Underground Rules presents me with the chance to push that imagination further than I ever have before. After all, I'm the kind of woman who's always been prone to leaping before I look... kind of how Adam put me on the shelf in the first place using the old Unsanctioned Title belt that used to belong to you, but all the signs are there to make it crystal clear Kim that if you underestimate me just because this is relatively unfamiliar territory as far as I'm concerned, then this Breakdown is going to see the end of your latest Underground Title reign.
And you know something? Maybe that's what's best for you right now Kim. A chance to let someone else take the reins while you sort out the fallout from your own chaos and prove that you can work your way back into a rematch for the title instead of just throwing a tantrum and playing games to get right back to the front of the line. Give me a chance to prove that I can be a worthy Underground Champion in my own right while you prove that for as much as that title means to you, you don't have to go it alone in trying to prove its worth. Prove that you're stronger than your obsession to hold this title Kim so that you can one day come back to it proving that you respect that title as much as you claim to, just like every single champion of the past whose company you want to be placed in.
As for me? I give you my word that even if I'm not up to your level of violence as Underground Champion, I'll still fight with everything that I have to be a worthy champion and leader of the division... and I'll do it all in my own 'Luz' way.”
Luz rises to a stand, flashing her trademark smile before she makes a point of walking right through the thumbtacks and shards of glass to reach the camera so she can stop the recording. Is it going to hurt and make her regret doing that afterward? Absolutely, but if it helps prove her point and builds her pain tolerance for whatever Kim thinks she can throw at her, then she's willing to fight through all of it to prove that she's ready to call herself a champion in SCW and lead the Underground division as a worthy champion in her own right.