Frost vs. Turner vs. Valentine vs. Aries

[supremecw]

Selena Frost vs. Cid Turner s. Xander Valentine vs. Giovanni Aries
SCW World Championship

2 RP Limit per character (No word limits)
Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET Saturday, July 26, 2025

[Xander Valentine]

1 of 2 | Encore, Chapter 34: Ghosts in the Mirror

[Cid]

the .pdf has returned

[Xander Valentine]

2 of 2 || Encore, Chapter 35: The Black Parade

[SnowQueenSCW]

OOC: Events occur as indicated. Royal Letter occurs shortly after the events here and is private and sent only to recipient (not publicly aired). Posted in two parts due to length.

Villain of the Year

”When You Look From High Above…”

Eyrie Tower
New York City, New York
July 29th, 2025
5:45am (approx. 15 mins till sunrise)

“Not much longer now…” Selena breathed against the night as it continued to fade away, the day growing closer and closer to beginning. She would face it – the coming dawn – and the sun would hit her first, then her castle and everything behind her.

That will be when I do it. she reminded herself, turning her head as she stood against the rails of the balcony. Her eyes spotted the balcony table there, the heavy cast iron still covered in shadow, unaffected by the light that had yet to come from the sun. On it, however, Selena spied the gold there, the metal acting as a paper weight to hold down the note she had written so it wouldn't blow away and be lost.

She wanted to wait. Wait till that piece of gold would be alight with the new dawn. So she could see it shine once more – so that that could be the last thing she saw before she acted. She breathed a sigh as she returned her focus to the slowly waking city below her.

“No one’s coming.” She whispered with a knowing smile. “Watch me…” she whispered/half-sung, watching all the world below her. “I’m a bird… A little snowbird…” She held her arms out to her sides like wings.

“Watch me fly…
Watch me fly…
Watch me fly…”

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

Nome, Alaska
November 2nd, 1995
3:43pm

“Can’t catch me, grandma!” the five-year old ran for all she was worth, laughing as her feet propelled her across the ground, a mixture of green grass and snow meeting her small boots with each step. Her arms were outstretched as if she was pretending to be a plane, gliding on the familiar, cold winds of Nome. Her hair, a lovely blonde that bordered on white (a trait in her family, she had been told) like wisps trailing a bit behind her. “Watch me! I’m a bird! A little snowbird! Watch me fly! Watch me fly!” she pursed her lips and blew, imitating the sound of wind that was billowing under her 'wings' and all around her.

“Slow down, child.” The older, more tired, but no less mirthful voice trailed after her, filling the girl’s ears and causing her to laugh to the skies.

“No no! Fast! I go fast! Fast I fly!” she kept saying, kept repeating as she ran in no particular direction or destination. You didn’t need a place to ‘go to’ when you could ‘fly anywhere’. You never had to fear falling or fear the ground or fear what stood on it – waiting for you with its laughter and finger-pointing and ‘Look! It’s the crazy miner’s daughter! Pretending she’s a bird!’ – none of that existed in the skies. Just the clouds that could be your friends and the other birds that could sing with you and fly with you.

She wanted that so badly – if her and her daddy could fly away… And Grandma, too! she thought, throwing a look back in time to see the elder woman running after her, the wind moving her long, dark-blue skirt that had snowflakes decorating it. Grandma had promised to make one for her soon enough – maybe for Christmas or her upcoming birthday! – she had promised.

It excited Selena. She loved that hip skirt – her grandmother had called it a ‘sarong’... which sounds like ‘sah’ and ‘wrong’ put beside each other. It looks SA-RIGHT! Selena had said with a smile when she had first seen it, earning a laugh and, thus, the promise of her own one day.

“Slow down, dear.” Irena Frost called out to her grandchild, the laughter still in her voice. “I’m not as young as you are. Not as fast.”

Deciding to give her a break, Selena slowed her random running to a stop, stopping by a large tree – Grandma had called it a ‘willow’ or ‘weeping willow’ tree, though it didn’t look at all sad to Selena – and leaning against the trunk. “You’re slow, grandma!”

“Oh…” Irena wheezed a little, reaching her granddaughter and bracing herself with her hand against the trunk near her. “I know, dear. I know. But…” she breathed a long inhale of cold air, Nome’s chill filling her lungs and, seemingly, calming and revitalizing her. “Back in the day… I was quite the runner.”

“Back in the day?” Selena asked. “As in yesterday?” she shook her head. “Nope, you were slow last week too!”

The older woman – who truly had hair as white as snow – gave a knowing shake of her head before reaching towards her neck to pull at the gold chain around the pale, wrinkled skin there. Carefully, she removed the whole necklace before kneeling down to be at Selena’s level of height. Before the child’s sapphire eyes, her grandma pried open the heart-shaped locket to reveal a pair of pictures. Both were black and white but one was that of a woman in a white dress (at least it looked white in black-and-white) and the other was a man in ‘gray’ suit.

“Way back when. When I was closer to your age – plus or minus a decade or two.” She mused, holding the picture before the young girl. “See how thin I was?”

“That’s you?” Selena asked, studying the picture before studying her grandma’s face. “You don’t look the same.”
Again, Irena laughed. “That’s what sixty years will do to you.” She stated before turning her gaze back towards the picture. “I use to run around all the time… like you.” She smiled at Selena. “I was quite fast.”

Selena, however, was too entrance in studying the picture. The woman in the picture certainly looked pretty with the white veil on her head and the flowers in her hands. “Who’s that?” she asked, pointing to the other picture beside it.

“That was your grandfather.” Irena answered, her smile growing a little sad, though that was unobserved by the five-year-old beside her. “Your father’s father.” She further explained. “My husband. You don’t remember him, do you?”

Selena shook her head honestly, which did not seem to affect Irena. “Well, that’s what he looked like. Handsome, right?”

The child gave a shrug. “I guess. Where is he now?”
“Ah…” came the inevitable sigh from the pictures’ owner. “I’m afraid he passed away not long after you were born.”
“He was here in Nome?”
“Oh, yes.” Irena nodded, thankful for the quick change via question. “He was one of the first people to hold you after you were born. You should have seen him smiling. Oh!” she gestured to the material of her sarong. “He bought me the materials so I could make this.”

Selena eyed the long cloth. “I love when you wear that, grandma.” She admitted.
“I know…and…” she eyed with a knowing smile. “I happen to know someone’s birthday is coming up. Who knows?”

She gave a shrug, ignoring the pleading look from Selena’s face to say more. Instead, she merely kept her eyes on the locket as Selena, eventually, turned her attention back to it.

“Why are you both dressed so funny?” the platinum-blonde asked. “Are you going to church?”
“Well… in a way.” Came the knowing smile. “Do you know what a ‘wedding’ is?”

Selena nodded. “The prince always marries the princess in the movies.” She stated matter-of-factly.
“Well, that’s what your grandpa and I are doing in these pictures. Getting married.”
“Oh!” Selena nodded. “He was a prince?”

What could Irena do but smile again, a mixture of sadness, happiness, and love. “He was to me.” She answered in a whisper, gazing longingly at the locket-picture before closing it and placing it back in its place around her neck. “Someday, you’ll find a prince of your own and-“

She stopped as she turned her head, surprised to see no sign of her grandchild. “Selena?” she pushed herself up, walking around the large willow’s trunk, but catching her no sight of her, her surprise turning instantly to alarm. “Selena?” she called out again, a bit louder and more worried. “Sel-“

“Back to flying!” Selena called out, her voice coming from not around the tree, but above! Instinctively looking up, Irena spotted the small girl already up several branches and out-of-reach. “Going to fly to the top of that tree! Maybe build a nest like a bird!”

“Selena!” Irena called out. “Come down from there!” she ordered as gently as she could, the concern rich in her voice.
“Nah! Nah!” Selena called back as she continued her climb. “Can’t catch me!” she threw towards the ground, resuming her earlier game that the ‘rest by the tree’ had paused. “Going to live with the clouds!”

“Selena!” Irena called out but it was no use! The child would not be stopped. She continued to climb higher, using her arms and legs to pull herself up branch after branch, growing smaller and smaller as she weaved around the smaller branches and ‘weeping’ parts of the willow’s leaves and stems. Still, Irena continued to call out the child’s name until she heard a loud SNAP of a branch and the rustling of leaves, following by a loud scream!

Above her, she saw a small black mass in the branches, no longer crawling higher or moving. “GRANDMA!” came a crying voice from above. “HELP! I CAN’T GET DOWN!” the words were mixed and broken with cries and sobs as Irena looked from below.

“Oh gods…” she whispered, looking around. The two of them were far from the bustling sections of population! This was a basic walking trail off the beaten path than most traffic. She could see anyone nearby or travelling close. Who knew when someone would?!

“I…” she breathed, before taking a solid deep breath. “Hold on, child, okay? I’m coming to get you!”

Bracing herself with a solid breath, the woman placed her withered hands on the trunk and slowly tried to pull herself up, using her closest foot to further propel her. It felt so strange, climbing a tree, but… part of it felt familiar. Like she had climbed things like ladders and beams when she was a child living with her parents on that farm in Poland… before THEY came… Quickly, she shook her head to dispel such thoughts. She needed to focus. She pushed herself further, grabbing another branch and pulling herself up, her whole body shaking under the strain. Still, she did not stop. It didn’t matter how slow she was going! She kept going up, spurned on by her granddaughter’s cries. Every few branches, she would throw a remark to the child. Either that she ‘was coming’ or ‘don’t be scared’ or to ‘keep her eyes closed’. Something to sooth the poor girl as Irena climbed onward and upwards…

Selena, meanwhile, had long since shut her eyes tight, hanging onto the trunk of the willow for dear life. She didn’t want to let go! She didn’t want to fall! She wanted to fly! That’s all she wanted! She didn’t want to fall!!

The sobs continued to wrack her frame, threatening to loosen her grip on the tree-trunk. How long she held onto it, she wasn’t sure. She couldn’t see the sun anymore because her eyes were closed. She could barely feel the wind because she was too scared to feel anything other than fear.

“Selena…” still, she heard her voice, though just barely. “Selena!” the voice came again, this time she heard it. “Open your eyes, dear.” To which she shook her head quickly, too scared to. “Please, sweetheart.” She knew the voice – it was her grandmother. The recognition was enough for her to try. Slowly, she cracked open one eye… and there she was – her grandmother! Just a little ways below her, no more than a few feet. She could reach out and touch her if she wasn’t so scared to.

“Gr-Grandma…” The five-year-old cried. “I’m stuck!”
“No, you’re not, my dear.” Irena, winded, managed to get out. “You’re not stuck. I’m going to get you down, okay?”

Slowly, Irena reached out a hand to the trembling child. “Reach for my hand.”

Seeing it, Selena quickly shook her head. “I can’t.”
“Yes, you can!” Irena urged. “You can! Just reach out and take my hand and I’ll guide you down!”
“I’ll fall!”
“You won’t fall, dear!” the elder woman promised. “You’ll be just fine.”
“I won’t wanna fall!” Selena cried in response. “I wanted to fly!”
“You’ll fly someday, my love.” Irena smiled nervously, beyond scared for where they were but her desire to save her grandchild outweighing it. “I promise!”

“Promise?” Selena heard her, her cries softening to sniffles.
“Above the clouds!” Irena nodded. “And you’ll see so many wondrous things!”
“Will you and daddy go with me?”
“Of course we will!” Assured the woman, keeping her wrinkled hand out towards the child. “Everywhere you go, we’ll be there!” she reached a little further. “Take my hand and I’ll ‘fly’ you down right now.”

Her gentle smile, her kind eyes – Selena knew that look… knew her grandmother couldn’t possibly be lying. She could fly! She’d teach Selena how! And then her, and daddy, and grandma would fly away from this place to other exciting places! Where there were castles and princes and princesses! Grandma promised it! So it has to be true… I have to… have to believe it…

Slowly, Selena reached her hand out towards her grandmother, biting her lower lip to fight back the tears and fear she felt clutching her. Closer and closer, millimeter by millimeter, she inched her way towards Irena’s hand.

A little closer…
Closer to her hand…
Closer to flying…
Closer to this all being over…
Closer to being free…

SNAP!

It all happened in slow motion…

First, the sound filled Selena’s ears.
Then, she saw her grandmother suddenly move away… down… the hand that had been offered to her was now growing more and more distant as Selena watched her grandmother.

Her grandma was falling – no! That couldn’t be it! She was flying! She just had forgotten to grab Selena! Slowly, Irena went further and further down, her eyes and face (a serene smile) never leaving Selena’s as she went further down the willow, through branches and leaves until… until…

Until she was gone. Selena could no longer see her through the thick foliage.

“Grandma?” Selena called out to the leaves and twigs and branches, her voice barely a whisper, unable to see past the curtains of leaves to the ground below. “Grandma!” She called out again, louder. “You forget to take me too!” she whispered once more. “You forgot to take me with you!” her volume switched as she yelled out again, her voice fluctuating between her frightened whispers and screaming in complete lack of control. “GRANDMA!” her voice roared out of the tree. “Come back! You left me behind! You promised we’d fly together! You promised to fly me down! GRANDMA!!!”

How long she remained there, screaming one minute, crying another, and whimpering another still, she was not sure. She was too scared to look down again. She could barely look ahead, out of the leaves and branches of the willow towards the horizon. She could hear the birds chirping as if nothing was wrong – of course not. They could fly, little snowbirds. But they wouldn’t help her. Would anyone?

Grandma will… she kept telling herself. She just flew away to get some help!

Keeping her gaze away from the ground below (focusing on the sky and sun), Selena could imagine the other kids now. If they saw her like this. How they would laugh and point and say she belonged up there. She deserved to stay ‘stuck up there’. ‘Crazy miner’s daughter thinks she’s a bird or a squirrel!’ Some of them would probably throw rocks and pinecones at her for fun – like they had when she had been playing during recess earlier this week… just because she was… she was…

She actually didn’t know why they did it to her, other than they saw it as fun. Sniffling a little, Selena tried to release one hand from the bearhug she had around the trunk of the tree to wipe her nose but her arms didn’t seem to want to obey her – her body still too scared to let go or climb down. Clumsily, she leaned her head down as best she could, wiping her nose on the shoulder sleeve of her coat. Perhaps staying up here wasn’t such a bad idea. At least no one could make fun of her or her papa. No one could call her crazy or ugly or stupid or de…de… what was that other word? Demented? Was that it?

The child sniffled again, using her other shoulder sleeve to awkwardly rub the tears out of her eyes. What had she done that was so wrong that had made all of Nome hate her? What had her papa done? He was a good man! She knew that much! And all she wanted was to be like him – to be… what had he said?

“Be honest. Be happy. Be kind.” She whispered to herself. That was all she wanted. To be like her father. To believe in something with all her heart and do good for people – for everyone! How could people hate that? It didn’t make sense to her. It seemed… wrong. The poor child wasn’t sure how long she dwelled on that thought, yet as the sun’s light began to turn amber, orange, and gold as it descended and the skies darken to bring in the night, her fear was reignited.

I’m going to be late for supper… Mom is going to kill me!

The child visibly gulped at the yelling and…hitting… that she was certain was headed her way. Her mother was so strict and so… she made papa and her so sad some days. Why couldn’t she ever be happy? Selena couldn’t recall a moment where her mother truly smiled. Smiled like she did when making a snowman or running the field or the way papa did when he had given the little golden nugget to Selena.

The young girl suddenly felt her hand on her collar, feeling the hard-stone pendant under her shirt. How had she moved her hand? When had she been able-

Her ears were suddenly filled with the sound of sirens and red and blue lights danced around the tree, barely reaching the top from where they were on the ground. A moment passed and she could hear voices! Different kinds of them! She opened her mouth to speak but suddenly stopped herself. What if it was the people that hated her? What if it was the people that would have loved to throw things at her – or make her fall?

“Hello?!” came the voice but it was instantly cut off.
“Out of the way!” came the gruff, authoritative tone. “Kid?! You up there?!”

She recognized the voice immediately. “Uncle Liam?” she didn’t, however, recognize her own voice. It was hoarse and raspy, having screamed and yelled for help for so many hours.

“It’s me, kid!” Liam called out in relief.
“I’m stuck!” Selena yelled out. “I can’t get down!”

It was all that needed to be said as the people below set to work – doing what, she was not sure, but she heard commands and movement. It continued for some time until she heard, above it all, someone moving closer to her, climbing the tree up to her. Despite the dark, the figure was illuminated by the colorful ground lights. He wore an officer’s uniform and had a kind smile.

“Hello, Selena.” He offered. “Your uncle sent me up to get you.” He spoke slowly, carefully reaching out a hand as he drew closer to Selena. “Can you take my hand?”

Most of Selena’s body still couldn’t move, no matter how hard she tried or how close the officer was now to her. But the hand that HAD moved – the one holding her golden nugget…

She felt that hand reach out and take the forearm of the climber, who carefully, with said hand and arm, guided Selena to climb over onto his back, the child’s arms wrapped tight around the man’s neck for safety (though not enough to choke him).

“Okay, Selena.” The man spoke in an assured voice. “We’re going to climb down now. Would you mind closing your eyes real tight and hanging out just as tight? I’ll let you know when it’s safe, okay?”

“O…Okay…” Selena whispered, her voice still rough but obeying the commands. She felt her world move in the ‘darkness’ but it was downward at a slow pace. The climber continued to speak to her, assuring her that everything was alright and that she was being ‘very brave’ and ‘doing great’. As (even with closed eyes) she saw the lights growing brighter, she heard the voices of people grow louder as she drew closer to them. Nevertheless, she barely had time to recognize the thud sensation of feet meeting the ground before she, once more, heard her Uncle’s voice.

“Here, give her to me.” He said, almost sounding like a plea. Gently, Selena felt herself being lifted off the back of the man and into a pair of large arms that held her like she weighed nothing. “Keep your eyes closed, sweetie.” Came the familiar voice, flooding Selena with relief. “I’m gonna get you home, okay?”

“How did you find me, Uncle Liam?” Selena asked clinging close to her uncle. “Did Grandma send for you?”

“She uh…” Liam’s voice faltered a little, but he recovered quickly. “She sure did, pumpkin.” He assured. “But let’s worry about getting you home, okay? Your dad’s been worried sick.”

Selena nodded, keeping quiet as she felt herself be placed in a car, that car starting, and moving. It wasn’t until a few minutes later that she was told she could open her eyes. Turning her head back, the girl could just make out the tree she had been stuck in and the lights dancing along its bottom, growing farther and farther from her sight.

Next time I see grandma… she promised herself. I’ll ask her to teach me to fly so I don’t get stuck ever again!

It was something the girl would never be able to learn… for she would never see her grandmother again after that day…

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

Eyrie Tower
New York City, New York
July 13th, 2025
8:51am

She could hear so many sounds below her despite being so many feet above, the platinum-blonde at her favorite spot, overlooking the city. The beeping horns from cars and, especially, buses could reach her ears if she stood out there on the balcony, thunder and rain during storms, planes that flew higher above. It was gentle noise, different than anywhere else she had lived in her life.

Manhattan – specifically Black Arrow – was a community, but still quiet, neighbourhood, and Nome was… Nome was…

Selena shook her head. She had been thinking about home more and more, replaying her past in her mind. “Grandma…” she exhaled, her latest memory filling her ‘mental senses’. She could still hear her, see her, as if she was still waiting up in that tree, waiting for her to fly back or for her uncle, or anyone, to climb up and bring her down, the idea causing a sad smile to cross her features as she looked down once more to the streets below, hands gripping the rails tightly.

“No one’s coming.” Selena whispered. It wouldn’t matter how much she screamed. How much she called out for someone. No one was going to climb up this tower, this castle, to come get her this time. Just like no one was going to stop her in SCW.

No one was strong enough.

She felt the hollowness fill her at the correlation between the two. She should have been elated over her last match. She had FINALLY been pinned. FINALLY suffered a loss in the singles category. It had taken nearly a year to see the Snow Queen’s shoulders pinned to the mat for a three count. Nearly a year of goading every challenger on – screaming at them to ‘take her out’ or ‘shut her up’ or ‘prove her wrong’ – she had demanded it in so many different ways – with so many people stupidly seeing it as her ‘burying’ talent, including Asher Hayes. She sighed at that. Gods, she was sick of hearing that stupid remark.

Can’t they see what I am trying to do?

She knew the answer despite her mind screaming the question. No. Nobody did. Nobody saw it – nobody understood what she was trying to do or be, except maybe her friends like Amelia and Luz. ‘The villain SCW needs’… But losing – that was supposed to be the change of all that! Supposed to be the beginning of people listening and understanding the message. Of stepping up and… and…

But it hadn’t. It hadn’t happened that way. Because it hadn’t been because of skill, or talent, or ability that she had been taken down. No! She couldn’t even LOSE with some semblance of integrity! No, Xander had taken THAT from her too! Him and Cid, yes, but it had been Xander that had gotten in the shot!

Trios Tournament finals– Blake Mason piledriving her
Taking Hold of the Flame – Cid sneaking up from behind to eliminate her
Breakdown – Xander Valentine sneak attack with that damn ‘Valhalla has Fallen’.

Why couldn’t they just let her lose with some fucking dignity! Couldn’t they – couldn’t HE – at least give her that! After all she had given him?! Selena wanted to scream. To drown out the noises with her own voice. A respectable end – one more thing that had been taken from her. Like her mom, like her grandma, like her father, like her daughter…

But Xander had taken that from her. Not even the most cynical of her critics – surprisingly enough, that being Adam Sharper – could deny it. The match had been referred to as ‘unfair’. ‘Not right’. And it had been a breeze to turn it around and throw shade on it as ‘The World-Ruler’. To walk away from it still seemingly untouched and unfazed. Oh, of course she had lost! It was 3-on-1! Of course she had been pinned! Xander had dragged Asher on top of her! Oh, of course! Of course! Of course!

The list was a mile long on the “yeah…but…” BS she could hear from the SCW Universe over that loss. They may have loved seeing her lose, but no one with an IQ higher than that of a pancake could call it ‘fair’ or ‘legitimate’. And that was the problem.

He ruined my defeat…

Another sigh came from her, this one hurting a bit more, because it only had driven the point further home to the Snow Queen.

Burying talent.
Hogging the spotlight.
Craving the world title.

Nobody ever talked about seeing her light up when someone like Ryan LeCavalier stepped up to her. Or when Glory Braddock came out and got in her way over the royale announcement. Or when Collen MacDonald stepped up to her in their match. Or pride for her friends, Light in the Darkness, winning the tag-team championship and becoming THE tag-team of SCW. Or Polly making a statement by sucker-punching her in the face. No… nobody saw that. Just like they didn’t see what she was TRULY saying with her words.

“Because nobody can…” Selena sighed as she gazed down to the roads of New York. “The villain has to go down…” she whispered to the winds.

But nobody could do it. If her match with Asher had proven anything, it was that nobody could take her down. Nobody could stop her, end her. They could beat her, at least some could if the conditions were right – but who could stop her?

Allocco?
Kandis?
Hudson?

Where were they? Gone or back to the mid-card, while she was still at the top of the mountain. Still in the Rise to Greatness main-event – her FIFTH in a row! The rest? They couldn’t keep up - not for long. Not one of them. Just like she had predicted each and every time she had been in this same spot. Nobody could just… stop her. And this past year? No one had even come close. What had her loss to Asher prove? That three men were needed to take her down?

“Bra-fucking-vo!” she growled quietly. She had seen Xander lose the world title to such odds. Saw Giovanni lose such matches to less odds – including to her – same with Cid. She was basically unstoppable unless a mob went after her – her three ‘defeats’ this year proof positive of that. And sure, any other superstar would be thrilled at such a place within the SCW roster…

She despised it.

In the end, she heartbreakingly admitted, “Your still that little girl screaming – begging – for someone to take you down…” She whispered to herself. For someone to reach up and not just reach the heights she was at, but bring her down from that damned tree… and nobody could. They could touch the same branch she was on… but climb up and stay with her, talk to her, then come take her down from it…

Nobody could… not Blake, not Kristen, not Syren, not Glory, not Gio, not Cid… “Not Xander.” She whispered to herself, feeling tears sting her eyes. She was alone at the top. Alone with no one able to bring her down…

One more exhale, allowing her ears to take in the noise of NYC for a moment longer before Selena turned away from it, walking across the balcony/veranda and into her penthouse-castle, where a new series of sounds filled her ears. She heard a shower running from upstairs, some noises of feet running around, a few children yells… the morning routine she had, somewhat, grown accustomed to in her castle. She was interrupted from her thoughts as Oberon, hearing a ‘new person’ enter the suite, rushed towards her, immediately seeking pets and affection, which Selena gave with half-smile, despite how it lightened her heart for a moment. “Love you too, boy.” She whispered, hearing the Samoyed pant happily at such affection. A few more belly-rubs and hugs and kisses and that was enough to satiate the boy, the dog rushing off to, once more, flop onto the hardwood floors and lay there.

Selena envied him a little. All Obi needed was love, food, and shelter. So simple. Something she could provide with ease. How long ago had she been so similar? Eleven years ago, was that it? Eleven years ago, all she had wanted was a real home – not some rundown one missing a room and a roof in Nome – real food, not what scraps she could afford on a waitress’ wages at a Bar and Grill, and real love – not the corrupt, tainted, toxic shit her stepmother, Anastasia DeCarlo, had given her or the warped, near-insane love she had given to a pile of snow in a cooler box.

Eleven years ago… SCW had given her that. And then, all she had wanted was to do right by SCW. To show up for work, do her best, train and get better. She didn’t care for fancy titles or main-event accolades or tournament-trophies – none of that. They had just come her way.

The tag-titles after being chosen by Dawn Lohan.
The Adrenaline title after beating Thomas Watson three times in a row.
The Shot of Adrenaline and Best of the Best trophies.
The world championship – her first – at the End of the Year.

It all had just… happened over time. But all she had wanted was still those three things. Do right by SCW, train and get better.

Walking down the hall between the lounge and the kitchen, Selena spotted the full-body mirror hanging on the wall, her own reflection staring back at her and, for a moment – she could almost see that girl from ten years ago – if only to see the contrast as her own reflection/reality took hold. She was thinner and leaner than she had been back then, better eating and training at her disposal. Her clothes were higher-quality, no longer rags and things from thrift stores. She was trimmer, capable of fighting with men like Xander and Vixen Cain and the Alloccos. Strong enough to knock out anyone with a single kick! Or choke them out with her whole body! But still… despite physically being at her peak…

Her eyes looked tired.
Her body didn’t stand up to its full height unless she consciously forced it.
Her hands looked more skeletal, the bones in them rather prominent against her thin skin.
Her hair – did it look whiter than before? Was it still considered ‘platinum-blonde’ or was it just ‘white’ now?

For a second, just a brief one – as if waking from a dream – Selena didn’t recognize herself, her brain giving her a shock of confusion wondering how she had come to look like that! So tired and ragged and haggard and… unhappy. But a sigh from Selena and a close of her eyes to recenter brought her back to reality before she opened those sapphire orbs and gazed at her reflection once more.

She could explain it all. Her change had been mandatory. She had to get stronger as the years went by. Because she didn’t WANT to be like those that had reached her heights and then fallen from the ‘tree’. She didn’t WANT to be like Kandis or Adam or Hudson. Someone that snuck into the main-event this time of year, stole the spotlight and the world title for a moment and then never saw it again. She didn’t want to be like them – a bright flash that never lasted. She needed to be stronger to survive. To beat people like that and Xander and the Brand and so many others, yes, but also to survive when she failed. To get back up and get back to the top time and time again. She could explain all that away! The years of training while the ‘others’ only did a few months before slacking off. The nonstop studying and work she did behind the scenes while the others slacked off during the early-mid seasons. The pain she endured while others would ‘take a break’ or claim it as ‘debilitating injuries’.

Eleven years ago, the Selena she had been wouldn’t have gotten this far. Wouldn’t have done this much. Wouldn’t have lasted or accomplished all she had. But neither would she be this tired… this unhappy… this…

She sighed again, her mind flashing back to that young girl – the one holding the world title for the first time. The one standing at the altar waiting for her love to walk down the aisle. The one that had held her daughter for the first time, and her son, and her second daughter. Those girls all had the same smile. The same look of joy, of relief, of completeness… of wholeness. The same look her grandmother had given her as she fell to the earth.

Gazing up, Selena studied her own lips and mouth, trying to smile yet only managing a slight smirk. Where had that smile gone? Where had that relief gone? Where had that joy gone? Why did she want this? Why did she have to have this all be her way? The way she had planned – waited for - for a full year? Again, a mere blimp in her mind, a moment of memory-loss that was dispelled by a simple inhale and exhale. And as she looked up at her tired eyes, the joy missing for so long now, she remembered why. And it was enough for her to turn and leave her reflection trapped in the mirror, taking more steps further down the hall into the kitchen area.

The first stop was there. The kitchen always held the biggest garbage bag, which she fished out from under the sink counter, lifting the heavy bag carefully so as not to rip it. She could feel come of the contents shift and, from one side, she saw the plastic of a container poking through one side.

Dammit… she groaned, recognizing the clear-plastic of a ‘grab n’ go’ from the grocery store. I told them about recycling…

Being as careful as possible, Selena held the bag with one hand as she moved around the house, stopping at the various rooms to pick up the smaller garbage bag there. They all would fit inside the larger kitchen one – it made it easier for the garbage shoot (less trips). First was David’s room on the second floor. She knocked three times, calling out ‘garbage collection’. It only took seconds for the door open and for David to hand the small, white bag that lined his black receptacle.

“Thanks.” She smiled at the young boy, stuffing the smaller bag into the larger, black one. “What are your plans for today?”

The second-child of the Frost family gave a shrug. “Probably just chill. It’s too hot outside.”
The remark caused Selena to laugh a little. “Yep, you’re my kid.” She shook her head. “Let me know if you want to hit the pool on the 12th floor, okay?”
“Really?” The boy’s eyes went wide.
“Sure, why not?” Selena laughed. “It’s the weekend after all. Not like I have plans.”

She really didn’t. Aside from Breakdown, she had flat-out refused any extra ‘appearances’ for SCW to promote Rise to Greatness. Why not? If Cid could skip shows for ‘holidays’ and Xander could skip Breakdown to ‘train’ and Gio was… well, Gio… why couldn’t she? Why was she the one that needed to carry the workload for the promotion of a match? Why was she the one that had to make the effort for ticket sales when “the standard” and the “Cinderella Story” – the favorite of the fans – and the damn ‘world champion’ weren’t doing shit?

Least, that’s what she had told the management. In truth, she just didn’t want to fall behind the others. Things had to end a certain way and she wasn’t going to achieve that if she slacked off on her own training. If they were training to prepare and she wasn’t because she was doing THEIR job as the fan-favourites and the world champion. She had even contemplated going back to Nome, like she had in the past for such big matches. To go hiking and camping in the cold winds and snowy mountains – to re-establish her roots and the driving force to overcome such a match that was on the horizon.

But she hadn’t gone back. She had stayed here in her castle, training diligently each day without fail and studying most nights after the children had gone to bed.

She wasn’t the same ‘Selena’ like the one that went to Nome. She was ‘the villain’ and in her ‘castle’ was where she needed to be. Staying the wildcard, staying feared – which was why Cid and Xander had jumped her in the first place rather than give Cid’s best friend Asher the chance to do something worthwhile in beating her.

Some heroes… she thought to herself, scoffing at the idea as she stopped by Amelia’s room. Giving the usual three knocks, the door opened as the seven-year-old poked her head out from the door as it was opened. “Garbage collection, fireball.” Selena stated, holding up the bag. Unlike David, however, Amelia handed her mother the whole receptacle (hers being a blue, plastic one), which Selena poured the contents into the large bag before returning it to Amelia. “Your brother wants to go swimming today. You want to?”

“In the pool?” Amelia asked, a smile growing on her face.
“Yep.” Selena nodded.
“Okay!”
“Alright.” The platinum-blonde laughed. “I’ll let you know when to get ready.”
“Okay! I wanna finish level seventy on Flippy Bird.”
“Excuse me?!” Selena asked, surprising the youngest Frost child.
“My game, mom.” Amiliah explained. “Flippy Bird.” She repeated, walking over to her phone and showing her mother her screen.

“Oh… FLIPPY bird.” Selena breathed in relief. “I thought you said ‘flip the bird’.”
“What’s that?”
“Never mind!” Selena stressed, again surprising her daughter. “Don’t do it. Play your game but don’t do THAT.”
“How do you even flip a-“

“Nope! Nope!” the former world champion urged, shaking her head. “You think Elsa’s grounding is bad? You do that and trust me… yours will be much worse. Trust me!”
“Do what?”
“Exactly!” Selena stated. “Mom’ll tell you when you’re older!” she added, walking away from the door and further down the path of the second floor.

“I just turned seven!” she heard Ami call out.
“Yep.” Selena called back. “You’re already halfway there!”

She received no other words from her daughter as she continued her ‘garbage-seeking trek’, stopping in front of her last child’s room and knocking on the door like the other ones. “Garbage collection, snowflake.” She called out. When she received no reply, Selena opted to turn the door handle with her free hand, pushing the door open to see her daughter, dressed in black like Selena was (though hers was more of a dress while Selena’s was jeans and a shirt), sitting but her computer with her headphones on. The eldest child paid Selena no mind – didn’t even seem to know she was there – as Selena walked behind her, gathered the garbage from the room’s receptacle, and emptied into her bag. As she did, however, she spied the full hamper of clothes by the corner of the room, even smelling the whiff of smoke again as she did, causing her to sigh in frustration.

She felt guilty. The house fire had started on the side of the house that the children’s room had been on, and while the majority of the rooms had not been full damaged (the walls taking the brunt of it), Elsianna’s clothes still smelled of some traces of smoke. Selena had tried countless times over the weeks to wash it out with scented fresheners, deodorizers, even scrubbing the clothes clean in the tub with powerful soaps meant to neutralize odors. The smell of smoke persisted. It had frustrated her so much that the Snow Queen had offered – partially as an extending an olive branch to her daughter with the grounding as well – to throw out the clothes and take her shopping for new ones. But with the aforementioned grounding still in play, Elsianna had refused and Deanna had flat-out forbade Selena from simply “going out and buying new clothes for her”.

She’ll come around… Deanna had said. And that will be the chance to mend the bridge…

A month or so later… they were STILL dealing with clothes that smelled of smoke. The Snow Queen sighed. “I really wish you’d let me take you shopping for new clothes, snowflake.” She said, turning her head back to the back of her daughter’s head. “This can’t be healthy with all they’re saying of second-hand smoke and whatever.”

Again, no reaction, which caused Selena to stop her actions and peer over her daughter’s shoulder. The computer screen before her was some kind of Wikipedia article on…

Selena raised an eyebrow, awareness capturing her in a split second. “Hey.” She poked Elsianna’s shoulder with her finger a bit sharply, causing the girl to turn her head.

“What?” Elsianna asked, removing her headphones. “I’m just reading an article.” She stated.
“An article, huh?” Selena leaned over. “Flooding in Texas?” Selena asked, reading the title again.

“I wanna start some kind of charity for them. Maybe ask people for donations.” The girl explained with a shrug. “Maybe go back home and go door to door or something.”

For Selena, she only was half-listening, though she understood what was being said. Instead, she was scanning the bottom taskbar or Elsianna’s computer, eyes taking in the different browsers and tabs. “Hmmm, well that is definitely a worthwhile endeavour, sweetheart.” She replied. “Maybe the family can do something after Rise to Greatness. You know mom will have a lot of free time in August before the new season…” she didn’t finish her sentence as she spied the tab on the far right. In flash, Selena pulled the headphones off Elsianna’s head-

“HEY!” Elsianna cried out, trying to stop her mother, but failing, allowing Selena to press the large bud to her ear, just in time to hear.

“I can still hear her, Elsa…” come from it.

“And now I can hear you.” Selena said flatly, instantly recognizing the voice and staring straight into the screen. She was deliberate to move her hand over to the mouse and trace the cursor over the tab she had spotted, revealing the Zoom call function. A quick click of the button and the wrestler was suddenly staring at the shocked expression of the young girl on the other side of the video call. “Hey, Asuna.” Selena addressed flatly. “Your parents know you’re doing this?”

“I… that is…” the girl stammered. “Y-yes, Mrs. Frost?”
“Oh good.” Selena nodded. “Then there shouldn’t be a problem when I call them and let them know.”

The line immediately went dead, the video call being terminated and disappearing from the screen shortly thereafter. That done, the platinum-blonde slowly leaned back and away from the computer and her eldest daughter.

She said nothing at first, merely sighing, as she watched Elsianna’s jaw clench, fits tightening, but nothing being said.

“I’ll be talking to mom about this.” Selena stated as she turned back to get her garbage bag, hearing no words from Elsianna. “Your brother and sister want to go swimming in the pool down below. Make sure you’re ready to go.”

“I don’t want to go swimming.” Elsa replied simply.
“That’s nice. You’re still going.”
“Why?” the young girl asked in frustration, causing the older woman to turn back to her.

“Because clearly I can’t trust you when you’re by yourself!” she snapped back. “Not if you’re STILL sneaking behind our backs like this!”

It was enough to stun the girl into silence and enough for Selena to turn and exit the room. “I better not see you talking to her when I leave.” She threatened as she moved out of the room and up the stairs to the third floor, reaching the biggest guest bedroom and entering it without her usual three knocks. She could hear the shower running still, as it had since before she had returned from the veranda.

“Deanna!” Selena called out, moving throughout the room to reach the private bathroom it held and standing in the doorway. “Deanna!” she called out again, this time getting a response as the shower curtain was pulled back a little to allow the called-for woman to poke her wet head from it.

“What?” she asked surprised but still smiling. “Change your mind about joining me? The offer still-“
“I just caught Elsianna video chatting with Asuna.” Selena stated, ignoring her ex-wife repeating of the offer she had made earlier this morning before Selena had gone out on the balcony.

The news, hearing it, cause Deanna to sigh sadly. “Selena…” she tried. “She’s been good for weeks now.”
“Except she hasn’t!” Selena countered. “How long has this been going on? How long as she deliberately defied us like this? No contact means no contact!”

“I wasn’t in favor of that and you know it.” Deanna reminded. “Yes, no more dates for awhile, but zero contact? Selena, that was just asking for trouble.”

The platinum-blonde stood there, slightly taken aback. “You can’t be okay with this.”
“No…” Deanna shook her head. “That she’s hiding things and lying to us? No, I’m not okay with that. But I’m also not okay with cutting her off cold-turkey for so long.” She added. “It’s been about a month.”

Selena’s only response could be a huff of frustration.

“What is even the goal here, Selena?” Deanna asked, reaching behind her to turn the water off. “Is it for our daughter to be miserable?”

“No.” Selena shook her head. “I was in favor of her dating Asuna, remember? But… she needs to learn to obey her parents and not hide things. What am I supposed to do? Let her get away with it?”

“No.” Deanna shook her head. “But we need to talk to her. We need to figure this out.” She urged. “Otherwise she’s going to just keep trying to hide things, not to get what she wants, but because she’s scared of you.”

“Scared of me?” Selena almost recoiled at the idea. “I’ve had her since she was five! There’s no reason for her to be scared of me.”

“No?” Deanna tilted her head. “She knows what you’re capable of. She’s watched SCW. And in one month, you yelled at her and grounded her like I’ve never seen before. Remember? Did you yell at her now too?”

“I…Yes, but…”

“She’s going to be afraid of you if you keep this up.” Deanna sighed. “She’s going to resent you if you don’t try and actually listen to her.”

“And she’ll walk all over me if I just let her do whatever she wants.”
"Do you want her to see you like you saw Anastasia?"

The comment stopped Selena in her tracks cold, the shock radiating off her in waves. With a sad sigh, Deanna shook her head at her ex-wife. “I'm sorry I had to go there." she apologized. "But there has to be a middle-ground here. A compromise.” The redhead urged. “Why don’t…” she paused, biting her lower lip. “Why don’t we invite the Grays to David’s birthday party?” came the offer. “Let Asuna and Elsa catch up and enjoy the party. Then, afterwards, we talk with them and Dorian and Sybil and we figure out a better plan to patch things up?”

“That sounds so…” Selena sighed, looking around, catching her reflection again, this time in the bathroom mirror – the same but now holding a large garbage bag. Selena the garbagewoman… she mused. Maybe she’s happy… “That sounds almost too compromising, pet…” she stated, inadvertently using then nickname for Deanna that she hadn’t used in so long. It wasn’t until she saw Deanna smiling brightly at her that she even realized she had said it.

“Selena, think about it.” The redhead explained. “We let them meet up and enjoy the party, let them get their thoughts and feelings out, then we can establish something we all can agree on. Everyone wins.”

The former world champion gave a sigh as she gave the idea some thought. She didn’t want to reward bad behaviour. It was like Cid bringing weed into SCW. Management didn’t want that shit and neither did she in her company or her family. Still, there was some validity to Deanna’s idea. She was tired of fighting with her daughter. She wanted things… like they were. Where her daughter looked up to her and respected her and was honest with her. Was that such a bad thing to want? Was that so impossible?

“Selena?” the inquiry broke her concentration for the moment, Selena turning her gaze back to Deanna. “Your bag is ripping a bit.”

In alarm, Selena’s eyes flew down to see that plastic of the container poking more out of the big bag.

“Ah, shit!” she cried out, immediately on the move, as she held the bag with both hands now. “I told those kids about containers with sharp edges!”

Her movement was a mixture of grace and speed, though it looked utterly ridiculous, as she moved down the stairs, both flights, and back onto the main floor of the suite, down the hall, past Oberon, and to the elevator. The garbage chute was one floor down on the other high-end rooms, meaning she had to wait for the elevator to come up to her floor. It didn’t take too long, thankfully, and the young woman was heading down to the proper floor in seconds. Once there, she popped out of the opened door and moved down the hall and turn until she spied the metal handle leading into the wall and the chute.

As she reached out, however, to pull the handle open, her other arm lifting the bag up for the up-and-over drop, she miscalculated the distance, the metal of the hatch catching the bag just right to split it open and-

“FUCK!” Selena cried out as the contents of the bag fell… and fell… and fell… until they hit the floor. David’s bag, Amiliah’s basket contents, and Elsianna’s few things that had been tossed. For a moment, Selena just stood there, letting the frustration wash over her as she stared at the ceiling, the only sound her inhaling and exhaling. Slowly, she took the remains of the bag and tossed it into the chute, watching it fall, fall, fall – until it was out of sight. How far down it fell, she wasn’t sure. Was there a secondary ‘chute landing’ this high up to avoid terminal velocity or something? She didn’t know, nor did she really care. She just liked the idea that the trash was falling all the way down to the ground floor. Unstopped, unfettered.

She began picking up the pieces of trash and tossing them down the chute next, not really caring about the “Please put all trash into a bag before sending down chute” sign that was nearby. She did not have the energy to deal with that – a rule everyone else had broken, she was sure.

SCW was the same. The only person that seemed to still care about the damn rules was her and look where things had gotten. She sighed in frustration, but let the thought pass for now as her eyes scanned the floor for any remaining items. Of course the plastic container that had started this whole mess was there and she was eager to grab it and shove it down the chute…

But as she did, however, the container revealed something, no longer covered by said container. To Selena’s confusion, she tilted her head as she eyed the item, disposing of the container as planned before slowly reaching out and picking up the small box.

Carefully, she turned it in her hands, studying the label and rereading the words printed on it over and over again. Because it didn’t make sense why something like this would be here, in her trash. Nobody else had access to her suite. And nobody had access to her trash!

Which meant one of two things… either someone had manifested the cigarette box in her trash…

“Or someone brought it into my home…”

_______________________________________________________________

[SnowQueenSCW]

The Royal Letter

The camera opens up to what appears to be a room with a single, red cushioned chair. Behind it are wooden walls, what appears to be some kind of warehouse or old studio. The simple design does its intended purpose, which is to draw focus to the centerpiece that is the chair. A moment passes until the sound of steps are heard, growing louder until a figure steps into frame. She wears a black pantsuit with her platinum-blonde hair tied in its iconic braid. Gracefully, she takes a seat in the chair, ensuring she is comfortable. Taking another moment, this time to inhale/exhale, she glares into the camera in silence…

Xander… she breathes, speaking the name of her target. Again… I have to come to you, don’t I? Slowly, Selena Frost shakes her head. Again, I have to be the one to make the effort because you’re just not willing to. No, you rather just hit the ‘best hits’ in your work – be it your wrestling in the ring or your promos – and call it a day, aren’t you? That’s the ‘best’ we can expect from you these days, isn’t it?

“I’m the standard bearer.”
“I’m going to destroy!”
“Nobody in this ring can stop me!”
“Everyone is just an obstacle in my way…”

The last one seems to stop Selena for a moment, the Snow Queen gazing away for a moment, as if to contemplate the idea, even wincing a little, insulted. Everyone, huh, Xander? EVERYONE is JUST an obstacle in your way? I can expect that kind of mentality towards Cid Turner. I can expect that kind of thought towards and from Aries. But you’re expecting me to believe that you stalked me backstage for months, demanding me to ‘cash in’ my contract on you, kept talking about me for months and months, hell – you sold out every promise you ever made and made yourself the biggest hypocrite in SCW… and you expect me to believe that it was just all for an obstacle? Selena tilts her head incredulously. That it?

Yeah, I don’t buy that. But let’s be honest, old man, even if you DO believe that – is that so much of a surprise? I mean, you’ve underestimated me since day one, haven’t you? Ever since this all began between you and me years ago. And despite all the times I’ve embarrassed you, knocked you out, sent you packing and all that, the fact that, at least publicly, that’s not changed for you – I mean, you’re just proving how stupid you are, Xander. How many times do I have to leave you in the ring, shocked and defeated? How many times do I have to get the better of you till you stop being too stupid to see the truth? Another six or seven years? Selena shakes her head. I don’t have that time and neither do you. That’s why I have to do this and talk to you. I gotta be the one to set Xander straight again.

Crossing her arms across her chest, Selena sits back against her chair, one leg lifting to cross over the other. Because all of this? All that’s happened? All that’s GOING to happen this coming weekend? It’s your fault, Xander. It’s all on you. No no! Don’t point at Cid! Don’t point at Gio and say it’s him or “The Fall of Man”. Don’t say it’s them ‘hoarding the title’ or me ‘trying to steal spotlight’.

Accept responsibility. Sapphire eyes narrow. That’s what ‘the standard bearer’ does, Xander. That’s what the captain of the ship does! Accept responsibility for where the ship goes. So ACCEPT it! Accept that this? All of this that's happened? It’s all your fault.

Because all you had to do was stay the course, Xander! All you had to do was be the world champion going into RTG. You want to say it’s ‘too hard’? I’ve done it FOUR TIMES. Four times I won the title, held it, and went into Rise to Greatness to defend it – so what’s your excuse?! Does that make me better than you? Oh please refute that so I can see your ego come close to bursting! Because how could I do something four times that you couldn’t even do despite me paving the way for you and staying out of your way?!

I mean... you really don’t have any real excuse in that matter, do you? Sure, you dropped the ball when you lost the title to James Evans, but then, ace in the hole, you had a chance to make it all right again! To fix things and reestablish your course. Challenge James Evans to a world title match and keep it one-on-one!

Giving a knowing chuckle, Selena snaps her fingers. Oh wait… you didn’t do that, did you? Oh no! You couldn’t do that, could you? You had to stack the deck so high against yourself! You had to be the ‘big hero’! To let your ego call the shots! That the same ego that made you think you could beat me and take me out of SCW for good so many times? That the same ego that said you’d take my head off or take my face off or turn me into a ‘shadow of SCW’ or… oh I don’t know… same ego that thought you could beat Frozen Hell in a damned handicap match?

Another shrug comes from the World-Ruler. See where I am getting the idea that you’re a dumbass, Xander? Because if you weren’t, you would have learned your lessons from the past! You would have learned from those humiliations and made the smart choice – the fair choice for yourself and for these people, the people you ‘claim’ to care about. But nope! Xander and his ego! “I’LL TAKE ON ALL OF FALL OF MAN BY MYSELF! I CAN DO IT!” Another laugh comes from the former world champion, the history known from such a choice made by the Executioner.

The reason I bring this up is because at this time of year – Rise to Greatness - you’re probably drowning in all of the noise of those people that cheer you. Of those people supposedly believing in you. But I am the voice of reality, Xander. And the reality is that, because of your choices … you lost. You dropped the ball again. But this time, YOUR choices got in MY way!

You honestly think that I’d have let Cid get the drop on me in the royale if you had succeeded? You honestly think that he would have beat me and eliminated me if I hadn’t been focused on you? Check the tape, Xander!

There you were, hanging by a thread – by your fingertips on the ropes – about to be eliminated by me when Cid saved you! Yeah! You heard me right. Cid SAVED you from me! Sort of like how Blake Mason saved you during the Trios Finals last year, didn’t he? You saw it! Saw how my team dominated yours the whole match – even Sharper and Knots admitted it. You saw it happening while you stayed in the ring. The man that hated when Simon Lyman and Amy Chastaine got involved in his business, when Kandis got involved in his business – talks a big game about wanting to ‘do it on his own’ – but didn’t bat an eyelash when he stood to benefit from that interference, did you?! Didn’t mind when Mason was piledriving me or Cid – NOT YOU – eliminated me from the royale, did you?

Clenching her jaw, Selena moves her leg back and leans forward, glaring daggers of ice at the camera. That’s why I called you the biggest hypocrite, Xander. Because you told everyone last time we fought for the world title that I was ‘saved’! Told everyone for months that Kandis ‘saved me’ from you! And that you would have destroyed me otherwise. But look at yourself! You’re the one that’s been needing saving when dealing with me! You’re the one that’s needed help when dealing with me! How’d you get me during my match with Asher, Xander? Huh?

Oh yeah! Interference AGAIN! Loved that one, by the way! You LITERALLY interfered in my match, while my back was turned, and stuck your nose in MY business - made the match a 3-on-1 handicap against me! But please, Xander! Keep talking about how you want people to ‘stay out of your business’! Go tell Simon and Amy how people shouldn’t ‘interfere in matches’ and let 'dominance' shine!

With a sad, slightly bitter laugh, Selena looks away to shake her head for a moment before returning her gaze back to the camera. You just keep disappointing me, Xander. Because it wasn’t supposed to be this way. It was supposed to be Selena Frost vs. Xander Valentine for the world title at Rise to Greatness. The two most dominant superstars in SCW this year fighting for the greatest prize in the game. The two most unstoppable forces in SCW this year killing each other for the world title! But when push came to shove? Xander Valentine sold out! Sold out his promises, his beliefs, hell, even his damned integrity. Took the handout. Took the protection. Took the shortcut. Took the ‘Plan B’ he had because he FAILED all of you!

Your ’hero’, ladies and gentlemen. Believe it! she gestures towards the camera with a pale hand. After a moment, she settles back into her chair, her hand lowering back to rest on her leg.

So where does that leave us, Xander? You and me? Hmmm? Because I’ve let you have your time in the sun. I’ve let you have your little ‘run’ with my world title. I stayed away and bided my time with MY contract, while you used yours like an idiot the second you lost the SCW championship. Just to keep score here, old man, that puts you in the same ‘intelligence’ as Josh Hudson, cause he did the same thing earlier this year, remember?! His ‘called shot’ got him nowhere too, which means you’re as dumb as he is! Cause look where he is now! He’s back to being a manager cause he couldn’t even last a year at the world title level – at MY level – by the way: called it! She smiles knowingly.

But I let you have your fun, Xander. I even pushed you to be the ‘hero’ for SCW! But instead of getting better, Xander, I’ve watched you only get weaker. I’ve watched you lose yourself, your toughness, your aura, your intimidation, I’ve watched it all go away until now? All I see is a man too scared to do what is necessary to keep his word. A man too scared to fail and too stupid to realize how weak he truly is!

You are living in a FANTASY, Xander! Don’t worry, so’s Cid and Gio, but you?! It’s been going on for MONTHS! This fantasy where you’re still that unstoppable behemoth from 2005! The man that tore the roster apart! The man with the undefeated streak! You’re STILL the Executioner in your dumbass mind, and you’re not! And you’re too stupid to realize it. Just like you’re too stupid to realize what you truly are now.

Her next words are colder, dissecting. You’re the guy that declares himself ‘the standard bearer’, right?
You’re the guy that tells all of SCW that you’re going to ‘fight for them and for the world title’, right?
You’re the guy that’s saying he’ll ‘save SCW from Giovanni Aries and the Fall of Man’, right?

You’re the guy… that’s trying to be who I was.

There is a brief flash in the screen before black-and-white footage is shown: various clips of Selena Frost, years back, fighting the likes of Monarchy, New Eden/Coalition, as well as meeting fans and celebrating with them, the present-day Selena’s voice heard throughout.

That’s what you’ve always wanted, wasn’t it, Xander? Ever since the beginning back in 2019? When you came out and accused me of trying to take ‘your spot’. When all along… you just wanted mine. You just wanted to be what you saw I had the ability to become.

And every year that’s passed? You’ve wanted it. And you first tried to stop me from getting to my full potential, then you tried to take me out of SCW for good, then you tried to break my spirit. Now? Now you’re just repeating the words I said back then and making the same promises I made against the likes of The Brand and The Coalition and Infamous. You’re just the guy that’s trying to be ‘The Next Selena Frost’, aren’t you? Because you can’t really be The Executioner now, can you? Can’t really be the guy that’s ‘unstoppable’ when you can’t win a chamber match or a royale on your own, can you?

Instead of bothered by the idea, Selena merely shrugs her shoulders. But you see… that suits me just fine. Because if you’re going to be what I was? Well, then that makes my job all the easier, Xander. Because I KNOW that Selena Frost. I know how to kill THAT Selena Frost. I was the one that did it the first time!

Wasn’t you or Cid and Giovanni when they did the whole ‘Brand’ thing. It was me. I KILLED that Selena Frost… which means I know how to kill you, Xander.

A cold, wicked grin breaks across the Snow Queen’s face. Yes, I am going there, Valentine! Because I am SICK of it! I am sick of hearing you say the same shit in every promo year after year! ‘I’m going to kill Selena!’, ‘I’m going to take her head off and put it on a pike!’, ‘I’m going to rip her face off!’, ‘I’m going to make her The Shadow of SCW’-

I am sick of it, Xander! she leans forward, gesturing between herself and the camera.

This! You and me! It needs to end! No more promises! No more fake-outs! I don’t care if there IS a peanut gallery of two in Cid and Giovanni! I DON’T CARE! I am sick of hearing you promise something and failing to deliver time and time again!

So if you’re the old me? Then I’m going to be the old you… which means I’ll be the one holding the gun to your forehead!

Her angry expression grows calm, but cold, matching her glare, which seems far more menacing than her anger a moment ago as she sits back in her chair. Listen to me very carefully, Xander Valentine. Because the old Selena would never say this to anyone…

This Sunday, I am going to end you. I am going to finish you. I am going to kill what you are. You want me to spell it out for you? I am going to KILL the career of Xander F’N Valentine!

There is a brief moment of silence as Selena’s words, and their implications, become clear. You have no idea what you have done signing that contract and holds harmless agreement… because now? Now, I can make sure that you can NEVER wrestle again! I will make it so that you can’t do anything with your children except watch them from your wheelchair!

Do you get it, old man?! I’m not just threatening your present, dumbass! I am threatening your very future! I am threatening to do what you have sworn to do to me time and time again and failed to do each and every time!

Closing her eyes for a moment, Selena allows a slow inhale and exhale before opening her eyes again. And it’s all because I hate you, Xander. I hate you just like I hate all of them. The SCW Universe. You want to know why I bided my time and waited till now? You spent so much time these months demanding to know ‘when’, your stupid-self didn’t bother asking ‘why’. Why was I doing all of this in the first place when I could have pulled a you/Hudson and just got my title shot, got back my title, immediately and called it a day?

Her jaw clenches at the idea. Because that wasn’t good enough this time around! Not with some cheap imitation of who I used to be running around and the SCW Universe eating it up! Nowhere NEAR good enough for me!

Because not only did you have my words in your mouth, not only were you protected by CHBK on a regular basis, handed opportunity after opportunity while I was given nothing despite being more dominant than you were, but you also had their – the SCW Universe’s – belief and love…

You… the man that smashed O. D.’s head into a car mirror.
You… the man that stalked my house and harassed my children.
You… who ASSAULTED SCW fans on purpose!
You… who took my sister from me…

The cold glare returns, striking the viewer hard. The number of people you’ve hurt – the lives you’ve RUINED – the damage you have done to SCW – to me!

And then what? You promise them the Wild, Wild West, and you can’t deliver! You’re just the loser to the Fall of Man! You fail them time and time again! And in spite of it all, all your failures and wrongdoings… THEY forgave you! Just like they forgave Cid all he’s done! They forgave you and embraced you and said ‘Be our hero!’.

Her voice trails off for a moment before she shrugs her shoulders. And what about me? she tilts her head, yet her voice carries a hint of hurt. I disagreed… once… on a call. On some stupid thing with a Trios Contract years ago. I didn’t attack the boss! I didn’t ruin someone’s life! I didn’t injure someone and take away their career! I didn’t betray anyone or hurt children or went after their families! I didn’t lie or cheat or ANYTHING! ! I just disagreed with one assessment of the titles of SCW.

What was the result? the hurt disappears, replaced by the cold hatred she’s held. What was my punishment for not agreeing this one time?! Their unending hatred! Their demands to see me leave SCW! Their deafening boos as I – for a simple OPINION – became the most hated person in SCW!

And, despite it… I kept trying to do what was needed and what was right!

With a bitter laugh, Selena falls back into her seat. They wanted me out of SCW? I left.
They begged me to come back? I came back.
They begged for integrity in the world title matches? I forced it to happen for them!
They wanted dominance? I gave them the longest world title reign in SCW history!

Slowly, Selena shakes her head. And it wasn’t enough! They still booed me. They still hated me!

When I fought in the chamber and won it to bring some validity to this ‘Wild, Wild West’ BS? They booed me.
When I fought for my wife- she winces, catching herself. For Deanna! They booed me.
When I fought for my child – my daughter that Mason harassed and targeted?! her jaw clenches. They still booed me!
When I put my rematch contract on the line against Kristen Scott - risking it all! They still booed me.
When I bloodied the despicable Blake Mason. They still booed me!

I gave them EVERYTHING! I sacrificed EVERYTHING for them! While you played hotfoot with Konrad Raab, shook hands with Josh Hudson, and made excuses with your failures! I pushed the Wild West forward! I MADE it something valid in SCW! Even if it cost me EVERYTHING I hold dear in my life! My marriage! My home! My kids! Turning away, Selena forces herself to calm before returning her eyes back to the camera. And they still hated me… while they forgave you each and every night…

A bitter chuckle is heard. Giovanni was right. SCW is ugly. The SCW Universe is ugly… but simply playing keep-away with a title wasn’t going to show them that. Nor would some rip-off of ‘Past Selena Frost’.

But this Sunday? a slow, cold smirk crosses the Snow Queen’s features. I will show them everything, Xander. See, not only will I kill off the ‘wannabe’? I’m going to kill it all. I’m going to kill off the Wild, Wild West. I’m going to kill off the ‘experiment’ that Hudson brought in last year that he couldn’t even see through. I’m going to reveal how ugly you and SCW truly are under this ‘current direction’!

And when all of that is done and ended? I will readjust SCW into the direction it SHOULD be going. The direction you weren’t good enough or ‘heroic’ enough to make happen. The direction it NEEDS to go!

Keeping her smirk, the platinum-blonde tilts her head. Unless, of course… you can stop me.

The smirk becomes a sinister grin. What do you say, Xander? You finally going to make good on your promises? Or is this going to be another empty promo of yours that amounts to absolutely nothing? Because I did not wait a year to break MY word! I didn’t wait a year to make all of this right to fail! I didn’t wait a year to miss MY killshot!

So this Sunday, Xander? You’re going to have to have your head on a swivel. Cause it won’t be just Cid and Gio looking to take you down and out. It won’t just be an ‘obstacle’ looking to ‘get in your way’.

It will be the REAL Selena Frost! The woman that’s outlasted, surpassed, and wrecked you time and time again. The woman that holds the tools to kill what you have pretended to be for too long, ‘hero’!

And you, Xander, you will have a choice to make. And in the simplest terms, that choice will be: Kill or be killed.

Sitting back in her chair, the cold calm returns to Selena’s voice. Because one way or another, old man – I swear to you – ‘Selena Frost’ is not going to make it out of Rise to Greatness alive!

The deadly glare persists as the smile widens knowingly. Believe it! is all she says before the camera slowly fades to black.

[Cid]

PERHAPS MY FINAL .PDF

[SnowQueenSCW]

OOC: Occurs following Deanna's roleplay and concludes the 'Villain of the Year' Arc. Thank you everyone that has been so amazing and supportive throughout this story. Posted in two parts due to length.

Villain of the Year

”A Villain’s Last Belief”

Eyrie Tower
New York City, New York
July 20, 2025
3:34pm

Selena lazily opened the door and stumbled into her bedroom, her eyes heavy (even rolling up towards her brain) as she dragged her feet across the floor. The noise that followed her, the third or fourth iteration of ‘Happy Birthday’ being sung as someone, another invitee, filled her ears until the door had closed behind her quietly.

She had stood at the edge of the chaos since one pm, the last two-and-a-half hours being filled smiling and greeting people she hadn’t really seen much of for the past year. People from the Black Arrow neighbourhood, friends of David’s, some school mates she had only heard of, thus being unable to identify them until the parents of said children inevitably came over to introduce themselves.

She was the host of the party after. And here I am sneaking away from my responsibilities. she thought, slightly ashamed of herself. When had her social battery become so old that she couldn’t handle a small party like this? True, her castle-penthouse was filled with people in every room, which were filled with banners and balloons with different franchises from Star Wars to Marvel, and true, the penthouse literally had tremors running through the floor at times with so many feet of children running across it, but even full, the space were only a few dozen people at best!

She was Selena Frost! The woman that could captivate an arena filled with thousands of people into hating and booing her by simply appearing. A woman that could not only stand the pressure and demands of the Rise to Greatness main-event, but would be doing it a week from today for the fifth year in a row!

Yet a penthouse full of people had drained her social battery – had exhausted her – to the point where she knew that if she showed up to Houston like this? Xander would toss her around like a beanbag and leave her lying on the apron, completing an embarrassing performance at the Show of Shows for the Snow Queen.

Passing by the large mirror as she walked across the master bedroom, Selena spied her own reflection staring back at her. To match the balloons, she had worn a dark green shirt and dark purple pants, the color scheme she had chosen for herself while she had been buying the balloons for David’s birthday party, which now hung lazily across the various ceilings of her suite – which she knew she’d probably be spending the whole week cleaning up in-between training, studying, and shooting her promo for Rise to Greatness. On the plus side, she had gotten many comments on her choice of attire, being compared to ‘The Joker’ character from Batman.

Though I was going for She-Hulk… she thought glumly as she eyed herself for one more second. Her platinum-blonde braid had held its shape for the majority of the last few hours, but she could see a few strands coming lose from the constant movement she had done throughout that time. Next to that hair, her eyes looked so tired, even from her hazy vision – all of which prompted her to turn away from the mirror, walk the last few steps towards the large bedroom and collapse onto it, not caring that her socks were still on, and releasing a long sigh as the soft mattress and pillow accepted her.

For a few precious minutes, maybe it was longer, there was little to no sound – muffled tones of speech and movement at best that seemed so far away. For Selena, she thanked whatever god had given her the idea of tapering off the hall that led, specifically, to this bedchamber, a simple ‘Do not cross’ yellow tape tied across the path near the stairs. She did not want to feel so drained and tired to the point where she had to slip away, using her mastery of her own abode to do so without detection, but after so many hours, the smile felt forced, the words sounded rehearsed.

She just needed to slip away for a bit. A few quiet moments where there was only the sound of her heartbeat, the AC pumping cold air into the penthouse (and especially this room for her), and the occasional faint echo of sound from the children below that managed to reach this far into the penthouse.

My own fault… she drowsily thought. Just had to run that 10k this morning…

She groaned a little at that memory. She knew she was pushing it doing two workouts each day – adding the extra workout since, well… since she had been embarrassed not once but twice by Cid Turner and, especially, Xander Valentine. First, both men had caught her Glass Shard kick when she had tried to make a statement early on in the match build episodes of Breakdown, but then, to have them run and get the drop on her, Xander more than Cid. She had managed to fight off Cid, thankfully, - that man had already embarrassed her enough with eliminating her from the royale – but Xander had caught her and dragged Asher Hayes over top of her, meaning the smug bastard was going to ride that little accomplishment for gods knew how long!

In short, until last Breakdown, despite spending a year holding all the cards, biding her time, and making SCW question her every move, Selena had to admit… she had been throwing garbage out there in SCW since Taking Hold of the Flame. Had she become lazy? Complacent? Was it some deep anger and hatred that she held towards Cid and, especially, Xander that was making her predictable? Regardless, she had pivoted on her plans and prep, switching gears and upping her workout regime to prepare. And to be the only person out of the three challengers – her, Xander, and Cid – that had dropped the world champion, the ‘puppeteer’ as he had referred to himself, Giovanni Aries, to the ground. Not just shoved him or struck him, but had knocked him out. Even now, that memory – standing over top of the smug bastard, William Heaven in shock and – yes, Selena had recognized that look – fear, Xander and Cid on the ground, taken down, and she the only person left standing – it all brought a quiet smile to her face.

Who cares if they get a hundred shots on me… she thought to herself. Long as the one I get in is the KILLSHOT.

That was what the three men – boys – didn’t get. Xander was all ‘smash everything until nothing was left’, which was why he had needed help time and time again to beat a precision-artist like her, Cid didn’t have the spine or brainpower to plan and bide his time, opting to just stumble his way through everything and favoring luck and circumstances over ruthlessness and dominance, and Gio? Selena chuckled at that. The ‘Master of Puppets’ had literally fallen into the world championship but dumb luck – happenstance. Because of friggin’ gravity! – and was pretending like it was some ‘great plan’. He knew how to get the drop on someone, but if history with the madman was any indication, the man didn’t know how to put someone away from good! He and The Fall of Man had failed with Xander, not once, but twice, nothing to say about his failure to try and eliminate Selena from SCW years ago…

None of them knew how to do what Selena did. How to wait. How to be patient. How to bide their time and wait for that killshot. It was the only advantage Selena had over them. By far, she was the weakest competitor in terms of sheer strength and Xander could easily give her a run for her money in terms of endurance and toughness. But her speed and strikes? Choosing the time for that shot? That would be her ace in the hole. Still, that had meant needing to focus on bridging the gap between them in regards to her glaring weaknesses…

Which is why, boom badda boom, mommy is tired! she thought, though a groan came out from deep within her throat – her attempt at speaking her thought, supposedly. She could feel the desire to fade away grow stronger – not the usual one, it wasn’t time for that – but the one for sleep. To just drift away for a few minutes and…

The knock on the door, gentle but sharp, ruined any further continuation of such an idea, Selena turned her head towards the door and one eye craning to open just in time to see it open in front of her as she lay on the bed.  A head of vivid red hair peeked through, instantly recognizable to the Snow Queen, even in her tired state.

“Didn’t mean to intrude,” Deanna stated knowingly, stepping into the room despite her statement.

Still, Selena merely closed her eyes and gave a knowing smile. “I figured it’d be you.” Slowly, she stretched her arms and legs out, hearing the pop in her shoulders and one in her left hip. “Most of the kids and adults wouldn’t disrespect the ‘do not cross’ warning tape.” She added with a tease, her eyes closed as she spoke through her stretch.

Deanna smiled, soft but sure. “Ten minutes without seeing you and I get an ache. Old habits.”

Selena’s eyes opened at such a brazen statement. Not that brazen statements were not common for the redhead – and for her for that matter (given their line of work), but such a statement about them? Their feelings towards one another? It was certainly unexpected. Slowly, the former world champion sat up, brushing a hand through one of the stray locks of hair, moving it out of her eyes. “You always were good at finding me.” She opted to say, honest but also a little guarded.

“I had to be.” Deanna shrugged as she moved closer to the bed, first closing the door behind her. “You’re good at disappearing.”

“Yeah…” Selena sighed. “But getting me to stay away? That’s a lot more difficult.” She countered.

Giving an understanding chuckle, Deanna nodded her head. The silence that followed their exchange wasn’t tense or even awkward – even Selena could tell that in her tired state, to which she was grateful for. It was one of those silences that came, not from a fight or awkwardness, but from organically reaching that point in the conversation. Of knowing one another’s patterns of speech and way of thinking and that just lent itself to such moments.

Quietly reaching the bed, Deanna observed the older, resting Frost before slowly sitting beside her. Unlike Selena, Deanna had chosen a red t-shirt with blue jeans, her color scheme based on the birthday boy’s favorite superhero – Spider-Man.

“You look exhausted,” she finally said, half-teasing, though Selena could easily hear the note of concern buried within it.

“I am exhausted,” Selena replied, flopping back on the bed. “Amiliah’s party last month exhausted me.” She gave a sigh, casting her gaze back at the ceiling. “You know how I am with parties and people.” She confessed.
“I do.” Deanna nodded, speaking without thinking. “My little lone wolf.”

Hearing that remark, Selena, once more, cracked open an eye to observe the woman. Seeing her like that, smiling and comfortable, she could almost forget about the issue of the cigarettes that she been trying to ‘catch’ Deanna on for the past week. She had watched her ex-wife constantly the last seven days and, yet, there was nothing! Deanna never went out for a smoke. Never seemed to be craving them. Never smelled of the damn thing. And, for a short time – like a few hours – Selena had begun to suspect that it was all just ‘something else’. Maybe it was the cleaning team or another staff member. Maybe it was carried by a bird and dropped in the trash bin – okay THAT was a stretch. But just as she was ready to dismiss…

She had found a used cigarette on her balcony three days ago.

Just like that, her witch-hunt was resumed… and yielding similar results on the redhead! Do I gotta stick my damn tongue down her throat to see if I taste ash or something? The platinum-blonde quickly dismissed the thought. They had already gotten too close to call back in the Sage Warehouse. She had no desire to further muddy the waters when things were set they way they were.

Deciding to let the matter go in her mind, Selena simply sighed before shaking her head. “I love him, and I love that he’s happy, but I’m pretty sure if one more person tries to talk to me about school districts or fall camps, I swear to Odin that I’m going to fake a stomach bug and move back to Oberwessel.”

Deanna chuckled a little, holding the knuckles of her hand close to her lips to cover the laugh, though it still was pleasant sounding to Selena. “You did good, you know.” She offered. “For both of them.”

Taking a breath in and out, Selena’s eyes opened to scan the dark-colored walls of the ceiling again. “They’re seven and nine.” she exhaled again. “When did that happen, De? It’s like I blinked, and suddenly I can’t lift Ami up as easily anymore and David-“ she huffed. “Now he’s up to my shoulder and talking about video games and wanting to be a professional soccer player.”

“And tomorrow he’ll be asking to borrow the car.” Deanna laughed, looking around the room. “Probably will ask for The Batmobile for his sweet-sixteenth.” She playfully stuck her tongue out at Selena, who merely rolled her eyes.

Selena groaned. “Oh gods.” She shook her head. “I do not want to see that day.” She added, more absent-mindedly than anything. Not that I plan to.

“How are the girls?” she settled on asking, gently shifting the subject, her voice softening on the names. It wasn’t that she had avoided her daughters the whole day, they just hadn’t bumped into them once the guests arrived, Amiliah being a little whirlwind around the place and Elsianna… Selena sighed… Elsianna wanting nothing to do with her.

Nodding in understanding, Deanna reached out a hand, rubbing the nearby leg of the Snow Queen in comfort. “You’ll be surprised at Elsianna. She’s wearing a dress.”

Selena’s eyes shifted, confusion laced in her sapphire orbs. “So?” she asked with a shrug. “What’s surprising about that?”

Deanna smiled knowingly, her tongue sticking out between her teeth. “A brightly colored one.”

It was enough for Selena to shoot upright, back to a sitting position, though her body protested under the sudden shift. “No.” she stated in disbelief, earning a laugh from Deanna.

“I know!” The redhead remarked joyously. “She said, and I quote, ‘It’s time to be brave and wear a colorful dress. Cause this isn’t a funeral.’”

Selena smiled, still shocked, but also amused. “Well, I have to see that before the day is over.” She gave a sigh. Though she highly doubted the ‘change in wardrobe’ absolved things between her and her eldest daughter. But hopefully, that would be solved soon. “Are the Grays here, yet?”

Deanna shook her head. “But they really want to talk to us as well.”
“Oh? Why?”
“They didn’t say. Just that they’d be here today and that they wanted to talk to us.”

“Oookay…” Selena breathed before closing her eyes for a moment. So much for a power nap. Wonder if there’s any more Monsters in the fridge. “Hope everything is alright.” She turned her gaze back onto the redhead sitting beside her. “What about Ami?”

The mood shifted back to the mirth it had held a moment ago as Deanna laughed again. “Oh yeah! I was getting to that. So she saw Elsianna’s dress and- BAM!” she flashed her hands and arms, imitating some kind of explosion gesture. “Spent the last hour trying to convince me that I should let her dye her hair the same color as Elsa’s dress.”

“Which is?” the platinum-blonde raised an eyebrow, earning a grin from Deanna.
“Purple.”
“Oh gods!” Selena shook her head. “She wants to dye her beautiful red hair – YOUR beautiful red hair – purple?!”
“Seems that way.” Deanna shrugged, clearly amused by this event.
“Did you cave?” Selena winced.

“Why do you think I cave?” Deanna asked in surprise.
“Cause you’re the ‘good parent’. I’m that ‘bad parent’.”
“You’re not a bad parent.” Deanna corrected, causing Selena to hold up her hand quickly.
“No, not what I meant… Like ‘god cop/bad cop’ kind of thing. You’re the ‘good cop’.”
“I’m not the ‘good cop’.”

“Oh sure you are!” Selena laughed, giving the redhead a playful, little shove. “Elsianna’s fighting with me. Ami loves Elsa, so she’s not my biggest fan right now, and David hasn’t really trusted me since I disciplined him over that near expulsion last year.” She gave a sad shrug, looking away from Deanna. “Plus… you’re the one that was at home the most-“
“Except when I wasn’t.”

“Yeah but… they knew that wasn’t your fault.” Selena tried. “They knew you had to be away for their safety and your health. And that whole time I just… I just felt like the ‘visiting mom’, you know? The substitute.” Slowly, she gazed down at her hands, her words playing around in her ears. “Which kinda sucked.”

This particular silence, unlike the last, was not as pleasant. It was laced with discomfort, regret, and so much more things that needed to be addressed – though it was not the time for it.

With a sigh, Deanna shook her head understandingly. “Well, I held the line – just to be clear.”
“Meaning?” the former world champion asked.
“Meaning we’re going to buy purple clip-ins for Ami after this weekend.”

“Oh come on!” Selena laughed without meaning to. “She’s going to wear them for a week and then get bored of them!”
“I know! But it was either that or another hour of ‘I want purple hair!’.” Deanna adjusted her voice, upping the pitch to sound like her youngest child. “You try dealing with that for hours.”

Selena laughed again, softer this time. “That girl’s going to be a force.”
“She already is.” Deanna paused. “Like her mother.”

Selena was about to ask which mother Deanna meant, but as she turned her head to inquire, she saw beautiful emerald orbs staring back at her, answering the Snow Queen’s question without it needing to be asked. The silence settled again, but it was more intimate this time – undeniably so. Similar to that afternoon in the warehouse. Deanna picked at the edge of the duvet, her fingers moving slowly over the stitching.

“I miss this.” she said, finally.

Selena didn’t respond at first, once more her logic overruling her heart with ease. Less than seven days from RTG and everything changing the way it needed to be. Did she miss talking to Deanna like this? Of course she did. Of course she wanted more. Of course, of course, of course. But this was not how things were. She had known this from the moment she had made the decision to come back to SCW – standing in her parents’ sitting room in New Jersey, looking out the large expanse window… even then she knew the endgame that was headed her way. Knew it when nobody, not even Deanna, could see it.

The die’s was cast… Selena thought to herself. I’m just the only one that knows what side it will land on…

“Me too,” she quietly admitted, barely audible.

“I know we had our reasons,” Deanna said, carefully. “Real ones. But sometimes I wonder… If we mistook the places we were pushed to for incompatibility.”

Selena turned to look at her. “Sometimes I talk to you in my head.” She admitted quietly. “I used to see these ghosts of people – like Elsianna as a snow child?”

Deanna nodded slowly. “I remember.”  

“I’d imagine Adrian when he was seemingly in love with me. My father when he disappeared. Malcolm when he died. Dawn when she broke up with me. It was like someone would appear in my mind just in time to be the voice of reason in my life. And then…” she eyed Deanna. “Then came you. And whenever I wasn’t with you, I’d imagine how you’d answer me when I’m working through something. Work, the kids, when I’ve had a bad day. Or when I remember that time we got lost in Florida the first time we tried to get to Disney World with the kids and ended up on that beach.”

Emerald eyes lit up. “The one with the driftwood shaped like a horse?”
Selena nodded. “You said it was a sign. I said you were sleep-deprived.”

“I was both.” The two shared a laugh at the memory. Deanna had wanted to keep the driftwood and take it back to Manhattan with them, an impossible task with the trunk full of suitcases and the car full of children. “I wanted to keep the horse.”

“If we had taken my limo bus, you would have been able to.” Selena teased, the two falling back into silence for a moment, though not as long as the others.

“I was scared,” Selena admitted. A confession was always needed and allowed – now was as good a time as any for a partial one. “Back then. After Elsianna was born and taken from me. I think I thought… if I could just control everything, every aspect - then I’d be safe. Then after you came into my life, somewhere along the way, that came back. We just lost more and more of ourselves – people we loved, our lives, somewhere along the way, I fell back into it until…” she sighed. “Until I couldn’t get out. Till now, I can’t get out. And I really have no other choice but to see it through.”

“With Rise to Greatness and your contract?” Deanna asked, earning a nod from Selena.
“With everything.” The Snow Queen added.

The redhead seemed to take this in rather well, though she was silent for a moment before replying. “I should’ve fought harder,” Deanna said. “For you, specifically. For us. But I thought stepping back was giving you space, not making you feel alone.”

“You never made me feel alone.” Selena corrected. “Losing you did.”

Deanna reached out, tentative, hesitantly – afraid of being rejected again… her fingers brushing Selena’s hand. Selena didn’t pull away. Instead, her fingers closed gently around Deanna’s, a pale hand holding the other.

“I’ve missed this too,” Selena allowed herself to admit aloud – a little more confessing. “The way you calm a room. The way you know when to come find me.”
“I’ll always come find you,” Deanna whispered.

They stayed like that for a long moment, hands lightly clasped. The Snow Queen could feel the joyful emotions rolling off Deanna in waves. Not any assumptions between them or regarding them, but to have this… this moment… was clearly what she had wanted for so long.

For Selena… it was both beautiful in its shortness… and heartbreaking in its uselessness. For it changed nothing.

“Come back down with me?” Deanna asked. “It’s David’s day.”
“Yeah.” Selena sighed, pushing herself off the bed to stretch her limbs once more. “But I am going to need a cold as hell bath after this.”
“I’ll make sure you have the time to have it.” The redhead promised, giving Selena’s hand a squeeze before releasing it and heading to the door. “Now come on.” She semi-ordered. “We both have to be ‘good parents’.”

“Just a second…” Selena stopped her ex-wife, regaining her hand to the surprise of the redhead. “I’ve confessed a few things to you.” She spoke slowly. “And I don’t want you to feel you can’t. So…” she took a deep breath, bracing herself for the conversation to take a rough turn. “I know, Deanna.” She admitted. “I know.”

“You know?” Deanna asked. “You know what?”

“I know about it.” Selena sighed. “And I’m… I’m okay with it. We both have suffered addiction – I’m still…” she gave slow exhale. “I’d be a hypocrite if I judged you on it while I was taking NX.”

For a moment, Selena saw Deanna’s eyes widen in alarm, her mouth hanging a little and trembling. “How…how did you know? How did you find out?”

“I found one.” Selena answered. “Last week while I was taking the trash.”
“You were snooping around my drawers?” the redhead asked in alarm. “Why would you do that?”

“Wait…what?” Selena asked. “No, I wasn’t snooping around your drawers. I found it in the trash!”
“The trash?!” Deanna asked, the shock rolling off her in waves. “What the hell was it doing there?”
“I don’t know.” Selena answered incredulously. “That’s where trash goes.”
“Did you put it there?”
“No. You did.”
“Why would I put it there?!” Deanna asked, the confusion mounting between them. “I would never.”
“Why not?” Selena asked, her confusion matching the redhead’s. “That’s where it belongs!”

“Why would…” Deanna shook her head. “Selena what are you talking about?!”

With a huff, Selena turned on her foot, marching across the master bedroom to where the nightstand stood near the bed. Pulling open the drawer, the platinum-blonde withdrew the item in question. “This.” She held the empty box of cigarettes she had found last week so Deanna could see it, though she moved back to where she had stood near the redhead. “I found it in the trash.”

Eyeing the box for a moment, Deanna’s expression didn’t change. For her part, Selena expected the woman’s expression to change to recognition or shame/guilt. Something. Not to grow more confused as she turned her gaze back to the taller Selena.

“Cigarettes?” Deanna asked. “When did you start smoking?”
“I didn’t start smoking, Deanna.” Selena stated. “These are yours.”

Again, Deanna’s eyes fell to the blue and white box of Parliament smokes, tilting her head to the left before lifting it back up. “No, they’re not.” She answered simply.

“Come on.” Selena sighed. “There’s no need to hide it, De. I just wanted to talk to you about it so we can discuss how to deal with it and the kids-“

“Selena.” Deanna pressed, staring right into Selena’s sapphire eyes. “I swear to you. Those aren’t mine. I don’t smoke.”

It was enough to crack Selena’s certainty harder than a punch from Xander F’N Valentine, causing the Snow Queen to back a few steps away from the redhead, which lead to her pacing around the room.

“Well… that doesn’t make sense!” She tried. “We’re the only ones allowed up here – aside from Gerda and she doesn’t. I mean, if it’s not yours and it’s not mine, then one of our underage children have a serious problem.” She tried, opting to try a joke at the end. “You swear it’s not yours?”

“Over and over again, I’ll say it.” Deanna shrugged. “I have no idea how it could get up here. Cleaning staff, maybe?”
“I thought of that.” Selena admitted to herself. “But then I found a used one on the balcony… though that could have been staff as well…”

She sighed to herself. Had she been fixated on solving a problem for some semblance of control? For some semblance of purpose outside of SCW and reacquiring the world title? To hide her nerves at the prospect of failing her one shot to end things on her terms with the RTG main-event? Failing her year-long plan?

“I’m…” she exhaled. “I’m sorry. I guess I made an assumption.”

To her surprise, she felt a warm hand take hers again, looking up slightly to see the patient, smiling face of her ex-wife. “I’d have done the same thing.” She offered. “And apology accepted.” She added. “Now, we need to get back to the party.”

She didn’t wait to get a reply from Selena this time, perhaps to avoid another potential ‘detour’. She needn’t of worried, however, for the platinum-blonde kept her mouth shut as she was pulled out of the bedroom, over the ‘Do Not Cross’ tape that they both leapt over with a laugh, down the stairs and back onto the ‘party floor’.

Within minutes, the pair were mingling with parents and children once more, checking on food and running the same series of tasks Selena had had to duck away from earlier. It was no less tiring, but it was a little easier for the Snow Queen after her ‘break’ with Deanna. Yet as she refilled the ‘chip bowl’ for the third time today, this time with Doritos, she spied the flash of purple out of the corner of her eye. Twisting herself around, the Snow Queen to spy, for a second, Elsianna walking across the room and entering another, disappearing from sight.

“Elsa!” Selena called out, rushing out of the kitchen area and back into the larger room that housed more parents and children, all of them seemingly enjoying whatever task or game they were involved in. The platinum-blonde moved past all of them as she entered the larger room, trying to keep her eyes on her daughter, using the purple of her new dress as a guide. The only thing that distracted her was the flash of red hair as Deanna entered the room, reaching Elsianna first. For a moment, the two seemed to talk – though they were too far away for Selena to pick up anything. Silently, she hoped that Deanna could hold her daughter’s attention long enough for her to reach them – a hope that was dashed as she drew only forty or so feet away, seeing Elsianna walk away from her mother, travelling to another room on the first floor of the penthouse.

“Dammit…” Selena sighed, reaching Deanna, who was, momentarily, surprised at Selena’s sudden appearance. “I wanted to talk to her.”

“Okay…” the redhead shrugged. “So go talk to her.” She added with a laugh before seeing the determined expression on her ex-wife’s face. “What about?”

“I wanted to tell her about the Grays arriving soon and letting her talk to Asuna.” Selena sighed. “Trying to mend fences here, Deanna.”

“Well…” immediately, Deanna sidestepped out of the room, returning less than half a minute later with something in her hands. “Give her this to start!”

Instinctively taking whatever was offered from the redhead’s hands, it wasn’t until Selena held it in her own pale ones that she recognized the toy. “Sir Crackshell!” she remarked with a grin. “How did you?”

“Sage’s the other day.” Deanna explained. “Sorry, I forgot to mention it.” She added before scooting the platinum-blonde away. “Now get going! Before you lose her again!”

Despite the desire to give her thanks, Selena could only nod before resuming the chase for her daughter, moving into the next room where several of the party-goers were settled. Amid the balloons hanging up and the numerous people running around or talking, the platinum-blonde could see no sign of the young girl.

“Dammit…” she whispered under her breath, not wanting her cursing to be overheard by any children. Carefully, the platinum-blonde scanned the room as she walked through it, eyes peeled for blonde hair and a purple dress – those were the two things she was sure of – and still, she saw nothing. Even asking several party-goers in the room yielded no positive direction. Still, she refused to give up her search.

Things needed to be settled between her and her daughter. Had she made mistakes? Yes – she was twelve. She was going to. But in so many ways, Selena realized as she searched her crowded home, she had been wrong to.

She had overreacted to Elsianna sneaking out and lying. Everything that had occurred afterwards had been a result of that overreaction – Much like the mess in SCW – focus! her mind recoiled, forcing her to stay locked on the task at hand. Onward she moved, her expertise of the suite allowing her to duck and weave around people, even whole clumps of them, by choosing an alternate path or hallway.

Though she thought, as she ascended the stairs up to the second floor, that she must have been drawing closer to her daughter’s whereabouts, after searching the third or fourth room of that floor with no luck, that hope had begun to dim until frustration was starting to take hold – more so at her inability to find her as opposed to her daughter herself. Still, she kept searching and asking.

It’s a finite space! her mind screamed after another ten minutes of looking. How hard can it be to find one kid?! Her train of thought stopped abruptly as she spotted another ‘Do Not Cross’ line, much like the one that cutoff access to her master bedroom on the third floor. This one, however, served as a ‘barrier’ to the section of the castle that housed the children’s bedrooms, for the same reason as Selena’s.

But where else would Elsianna go if she’s not at the party? Selena thought. Hadn’t The Snow Queen, herself, slipped away, yearning for a break from the large, socially-draining crowd? If only to recover for a moment? She really is my daughter… the young woman sighed, bending down to duck under the tape and slip down the hall, turning along its natural direction. She ignored the first door and the second, those being David and Amiliah’s room, stopping only until she reached the third door at the end of the hall – the one she knew lead to Elsa’s bedroom. Gazing down, she spotted a little light spilling under the door from inside, causing a smile to cross her features.

“Called it.” She whispered to herself, though she knew she really didn’t have anything to be proud of considering this was the last place she was looking.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Selena reached a pale hand out towards the doorknob, ready to turn it and enter unnoticed – when a flash of memory of the last time she had tried that jolted her brain, halting her hand’s journey. Closing her eyes for a second and taking a slow breath to calm and center herself, the platinum-blonde shifted the direction of her hand, moving away from the doorknob and towards the center of the door itself, enough so she could close her hands a bit and rap three times. Immediately, she heard movement from further within the room, thus confirming her suspicions as to whether the room was occupied. Again, she patiently knocked, but this time opted to call out for her daughter.

“Elsa?” she tried, doing her best to adopt the gentle, kind voice like Deanna always had. “Can I talk to you for a minute, please?”

No answer came, and for a split-second, she wondered if her daughter was sneaking a conversation with Asuna again, but quickly dismissed the notion. The Grays would be here soon with Asuna in tow. Maybe that’s why she was downstairs! Asuna told her and Elsa was looking for her! Selena tried to reason. That’s possible!

Another attempt to knock and a calling of Elsianna’s name, imploring a conversation, yielded no response, which sadly left Selena with one single option. With a sigh, she reached her hand back towards the doorknob, taking the metal into her palm and twisting it open. With a slow push, she quietly entered into the bedroom.

“I’m sorry.” She began quickly. “But this is important, Elsa. I really need to talk to you and-“

The room was empty. “Oh…” Selena’s voice trailed off in surprise as she looked around. That didn’t make sense. She had definitely heard noises from inside the room! Her first thought was to turn her head and gaze at the desk where Elsianna’s terminal was… no one was sitting there. The second guess was to check further in-

Her movement stopped after two steps as her eyes spied the flash of purple out of the corner of her eye, her head jerking towards it thesecond her brain had registered it. The first thing she notices was the glass in front of the clothing – the balcony! With the exception of Amiliah’s room, all the bedrooms within the suite had a balcony, though none as lovely as the one by the lounge – the one that Selena often frequented. Her favorite spot. – She was on the move before the thought was finished, taking the necessary steps across the floor and opening the door without thinking, her words a rush in her need.

“Elsianna, can I just talk to you, please?”

She stopped as she saw her daughter’s head jerk around in shock for a split second before suddenly turning her back towards her mother, keeping herself facing the end of the balcony and New York City below.

“Sorry...” Selena tried lamely, her handsd fidgeting nervously. Amazng, she could talk anyone in SCW under the table, and that included mouthpieces like Giovanni and onoxious blowhards like Xander and Cid. But with her twelve-year-old daughter? She was at a loss. She could not think of the right words to say, other than to apologize and explain. “I tried knocking…” Rephrase: Apologize and POORLY explain. “I shouldn’t have just entered but this is important…”

In response, Elsianna said nothing, simply keeping her back towards her mother, further adding to the ache in Selena’s chest.

“You…” Selena looked around, feeling the cool breeze of the high altitude. “You look nice.” She finally offered. “Mom said you wanted to try and be brave with a different color than black.”

Again, no response from her daughter.

“I’m…. all I can say is I’m sorry.” She stated, the nutcracker fidgeting in her hands. “I’m sorry that I have been so harsh on you. I’ve….” She sighed. “I’ve been unfair. I get that. About you and Asuna. It’s just…” she breathed, her eyes fluttering down to the painted ones of Sir Crackshell staring back at her. “It’s just that I keep thinking you of my little girl…” she shrugged. “My snowflake. And you always will be – but…” she hated to admit this part. “You’re also growing up. And you’re going to do things that I won’t agree with. Things that I’m GOING to have to punish you for. That’s just my job as a mother. But… I think I was just trying this time to keep you as ‘my little girl’ when I should have talked to you about it. When I should have let you talk to me and feel heard.”

Still, despite this confession of feelings, the young girl’s back remained facing Selena. Perhaps she won’t be able torgive me… she thought, her heart sinking with the thought. She didn’t want Elsianna to hate her like Selena had hated Anastasia DeCarlo. It didn’t matter how much time was left. She couldn’t live with herself if her daughter…

Another sigh and another glance at the toy in her hands, the symbol of her daughter’s childhood. She needed to let it all go. Her need to control everything. Her fear of losing everything. It simply…

It doesn’t matter anymore…

“Mom and I have invited the Grays over…” she offered, taking a slow step towards her daughter. “Including Asuna.” She saw Elsa stiffen a little, clearing hearing what was said. “They should be here soon.” The Snow Queen added as she took another step forward. “So… if you want to spend some time with her… well, you can.”

There was a pause, silence standing between them as Selena slowly closed the gap between her and Elsianna with each slow step. “After that, mom and I will talk with Asuna’s parents…. And the two of you… and maybe…” she tried. “Maybe we can figure something better out for you and Asuna – as a couple, I mean….”

It was her best shot, stammering and stuttering as she had been, but it was all she could. Still, Elsainna wouldn’t budge. Wouldn’t turn around or say a word beyond what Selena had noticed at the mention of Asuna. If that was all the Snow Queen was going to get, then that would have to be enough. With a nod of her head, she leaned forward, placing Sir Crackshell on the ledge beside her daughter, closer to the inside part so that he wouldn’t be knocked over and onto the streets far below.

That’s not for him… Selena mentally affirmed as she confirmed. “You know I love you more than anything.” She whispered to the girl beside her below slowly leaning back and away from the girl, fully intending to turn around and leave her daughter to her own thoughts and feelings…


Until the smell hit her nostrils — sharp and familiar.

Smoke.

Selena stopped in an instant, her stomach knotting. That acrid smell. Her years of serving drinks and food at her Uncle Liam’s Bar and Grill – a scent that stained and polluted the front door, typing her stomach into knots every time she had entered and left that place – the lowest point in her life. Alone, unloved, vilified and hated simply because she was ‘A Frost’.

Simply because she was her.

Despite this, she took another sniff, more deliberate as she stood there, ripping herself from the mental flashback the initial smell had caused her. There was no mistaking it now that she stood so close to it.

But what it meant… what that smell inferred… She felt her eyes sting with alarm, pain, fear – the mirade of emotions barely contained as she spoke. “Turn around Elsianna.” She ordered gently. “I’m not asking.”

A moment passed, but slowly, as if realizing the trouble she’s be in if she didn’t, the girl slowly turned around. In honestly, she looked wonderful. The dress matched her features nicely, her hair was done in waves like Deanna’s and she had just enough makeup (Selena guessed because of Deanna) to highlight her natural features, as well as her evolving ones like her cheeks. But her expression? The fear on her face and within her blue eyes – eyes she had gotten from Selena.

“Why…” Selena’s throat hitched. “Why am I smelling smoke?”

Biting her lower lip, Elsianna could only shrug her shoulders, sparking a frustrating ire within Selena but one that was quelled by the Snow Queen in a second due to her own fear and concern. Even so, despite her desire to deny it all, the woman’s mind (far more evolved than a mere twelve-year old. A mind that had given Vixen Cain and Ravyn Taylor a run for their money. A woman that had manipulated her way into the main-event of Rise to Greatness without needing a Trios contract or a THOTF royale ticket) could not stop connecting the dots as more and more made sense – despite how much she hated it.

“So…” she breathed. “It wasn’t smoke from the fire that stained your clothes, was it?”. She was met with silence. “It wasn’t old smoke that I kept smiling on your clothes, was it?”

Silence.

“And I’m guessing…” she reached into her pocket, pulling out the box of Parliament cigarettes. “This is yours?”

It all made sense. Who else but Deanna and Selena had access to their trash can but the children? The two mothers had just ruled them out as a possibility – opting for custodians and birds dropping it from the sky over the idea that their little angels could do such a thing.

Missing the most obvious possibility because of love…

The two girls stood there – mother and daughter – neither saying a word. Yet, in that time, Elsianna had, somehow, taken hold of Sir Crackshell, holding the nutcracker nervously between her and Selena like some kijnd of guard or shield.

“Tell me why, Elsianna.” Selena begged, her voice cracking a little as it whispered. “How could you do this?”

She was expecting silence. For the same ‘deer in the headlights’ she had seen in the last few moments from her daughter. But the girl took a deep breath before lifting her head, her eyes meeting Selena’s with a cold glare.

“Why not?” came the question, Elsa’s lip curled, not in cruelty, but in pain.

Before more could be said, the sound of a door flying open was heard. “Selena!” The Snow Queen immediately recognized the voice of Deanna.

“Out here.” She called out. It only took a few moments for the sound of steps to be heard, Selena moving just to the side so the redhead could open the door and join them. And she wasn’t alone, for standing with her with Dorian and Sybil and Asuna Gray. “Dorian and Sybil…” she stopped what seemed to be the beginning of a revelation before seeing the sight before her. The stance of the eldest Frost child. The broken, barely held together, expression of the woman Deanna loved.

“Something has happened.” She slowly spoke.
“So I’ve learned.” Selena spoke slowly. “You can smell our daughter if you need any proof.”

Instead of doing that, Deanna walked towards Selena, standing in front of her Selena and holding something out in her hands, causing Selena to look down to see the twin cigarette box to the one she was holding. The same brand.

“Dorian and Sybil found this in Asuna’s room the other day.” Deanna whispered. “They came here to talk to us about it.”

Nodding her head knowingly, Selena held up her hand, showing the box she held high enough for the Grays to see. “Found in our trash.” She stated before her eyes focused on Asuna, then at Elsianna, the two daughters trapped by the wall of parents by the door. “I think you two need to explain yourselvevs.”

“I agree.” Dorian Gray stated sternly, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re older, Asuna. You should know better.”
“Don’t excuse Elsianna, Dorian.” Selena stated. “She’s smart enough to know too.”
“Can we just let them explain?” Sybil held her hands up, trying to get some calm within the group.
“I agree.” Deanna nodded, turning her attention. “Girls, please…”

Immediately, Asuna was on the move, the auburn-haired girl moving to stand beside Elsianna. “It was my fault.” She stated simply. “All my fault.”

“Yours?” Selena asked, raising an eyebrow and not believing a word.

“It just…” Asuna continued anyway. “It just sort of happened. We… we got caught up with it and…”

“Asuna, stop.” Came the suddenly strong and cold voice of Elsianna, surprising everyone as she glared at Selena. “It’s your fault, Selena.”

The platinum-blonde’s eyes went wide, though she was not sure which part of that last sentence shocked her more. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me!” Elsianna threw back, the anger starting to show in her tone and the way her hands tightened around Sir Crackshell. “You banned us from seeing each other! Even at school! The teachers told us what you did!”

“What did I do?” Selena asked, causing the young girl to scoff.
“You told them to keep Asuna and I apart until you said so! Of course they would listen to the ‘great Selena Frost’!”

“Selena?” Deanna asked in confusion, causing Selena to turn her head to the surprised look of the redhead, causing her to sigh.

“It was something Dorian and I thought of. But I didn’t tell them to keep the two of them separated. I simply told them what was happening and that we were trying to put some distance between them for a time. It wasn’t an embargo or anything.”

“Well, that’s not how they took it!” Elsianna shot back. “We couldn’t have recess together. We couldn’t have lunch together! We couldn’t walk to school together or anything!”

The words settled for a second before Asuna took over, her voice much calmer than Elsianna’s. “We were desperate to see one another… so we started sneaking away to other parts of the school. And… we found a place just around it… large dumpster bin on the corner away from the school.” She turned sad eyes towards her parents. “Smokers gathered there.” She explained. “And at first, we were disgusted and ran right back to the school. But as the week passed and we kept meeting there – the only place we could meet…” her voice trailed off. “It just… happened.” She repeated.

There was a pause between the parties, the explanation settling on all of them, if only for a few precious moments.

“I fail to see how this is Selena’s fault.” Dorian stated. “Sounds like you two just decided you know better than your parents. Asuna, I can’t believe you. Do you realize how disappointed your mother and I are in you?! You know what these things do?”

“Don’t yell at her!” Elsianna fired back, immediately standing in front of, and protectively, of Asuna. “It’s Selena’s fault we had to go there!”

Again, shock rammed through Selena’s frame. “You can’t blame me for your choices, Elsianna.” She stated defensively.

“Yes, I can!” came the inevitable yell from the girl, like a dam breaking as she glared fire towards the Snow Queen. “Everyone already thinks I’m a freak! The daughter of The Snow Queen!”

Reaching up with her free, gloved hand, Elsianna wiped at her eyes. “Do you have any idea what hell I go through because of you?! Because you’re you?” without a second thought, she ripped off the glove with her teeth, revealing the scarred flesh underneath. “This happened because of you! Because I tried to be like you and do the right thing and just because Aaron wanted to burn ‘the Snow Child’. I’m the girl who gets shoved in the hallway because her mom is the most hated woman on TV! The girl that gets stuffed in lockers because they’re my ‘refrigerator’! And that’s all just from you being you! Imagine what they did when they learned Asuna and I were together!!!”

Selena’s eyes went wide at the sudden realization, prompting Elsianna to continue at the sight of her mother’s dawning realization. “You outed us, mother! Asuna and I both! You outed us as lesbians! What do you think they all did when they learned that?! You think it got easier?!” Elsianna sniffled, her emotions running rampant. “The Lesi-Princess! That’s my new nickname thanks to you!!”

Selena had no words to say to such an outpouring of rage and resentment. The same could be said for Deanna, Dorian, and Sybil – all the adults were at a loss from this. For the Snow Queen, however, it was twofold, because there was no mistaking the target of Elsianna’s anger and blame.

“I…” Selena tried to find the right words. “I never intended to ‘out’ you or Asuna, Elsianna. I even asked the teachers to be discreet when they offered to watch you two.”

“As if that absolves you!” Elsianna laughed.
“It doesn’t!” Selena threw back. “But there’s a difference between what was done and what was intended! And don’t act like you are innocent in all this, young lady!” she could feel her own anger building. “You were the one that snuck out and disobeyed us. Asuna, too!”

“Which you just admitted the punishment for that was too extreme!” Elsa countered.

“Yes it was!” Selena admitted. “I still say that, but it doesn’t erase what you both did. How you broke our trust, Elsa!”
“Oh boo-hoo!” the child laughed bitterly in defiance. “Like you haven’t broken the trust of anyone? When’s the last time we even visited Uncle David and Aunt Regan? How about Uncle Jean and Aunt Zelda? Or Aunt Jessica?” blue eyes flew over to the redhead standing next to Selena. “Or how about you two?!”

The remark caused Selena’s jaw to clench, the Snow Queen doing everything she could not to verbally rip the child apart as she had countless adults in her career.

“Elsianna…” Deanna warned, holding up a hand. “Tempers are flaring right now and there is a lot to take in. We’re all feeling things – let’s not say something we’re going to regret.”

“Oh my god, mom!” Elsa looked at Deanna in disbelief. “How can you stand there and defend her?! After everything she’s done?! To me, to you! How can you just be okay with it?!” she shook her head. “You two come and go, you try to get back together, then you can’t, then you try again, then you can’t – and you don’t give a damn what that does to David, Ami, and me!”

“That’s not true!” Deanna denied. “We are ALWAYS thinking of you and your brother and sister.”

“Really?” Again, Elsianna eyed Selena once more. “Did you think about us when you decided to become the bad guy?”

Selena, who had remained silent during this exchange, simply crossed her hands over her chest. “It wasn’t a choice.”

“Of course it was!” Elsianna laughed. “Because that’s when things got worse for me! Because now everyone hated you.”

“It’s true.” Asuna added. “I tried to keep them away from Elsianna, but I…”
“You can’t guard her 24/7.” Sybil remarked of her daughter. “Especially when we are keeping you two apart.” She nodded her head in understanding, as did Dorian.

Selena, meanwhile, was still reeling. “What… what do you want me to do?” she tried. “Apologize for being me? For doing what I felt was best?” she eyed Elsianna. “I didn’t ask to be the villain out there, Elsa. You don’t get that. That’s who they saw me as. No matter what I said, no matter how much I kept trying to fight for integrity. For fairness. For good things at work… they still hated me. Can you imagine what that’s like?”

“Yes!” Elsianna laughed. “I live it every day!”

“Do you?!” Selena tilted her head. “Because from what I see, you still have both your parents.”

“Selena!” Deanna tried, but the Snow Queen was too far long. The World-Ruler was talking.

“You still have two parents that love you and would die for you! You also don’t have to worry about anything! Money, clothes, a place to live, food to eat. You don’t have to worry about whether or not you can survive the next day because you only live in half a house. Or how you’re going to raise a child that nobody believes exists! You don’t have to worry about if the next paycheck is coming in or not or if you’re taking scraps from customer’s plates or your boss takes pity on you and lets you eat there for free cause you can’t afford enough food for the week or a new stove to cook that food!”

Elsianna’s eyes went wide, as did Asuna’s, as did Deanna’s…

“And for what? What did I do, Elsa? Since you have all the answers for a twelve-year-old, you tell me! What did I do to deserve that? I was the daughter of a gold-miner my town thought was crazy. Your grandfather-“

“Grandfather-“ Elsianna tried, earning a smug tilt of the head from Selena.

“Oh that’s right. You don’t know this story!” Selena laughed. “Well, before your father was Jonathan VanHohenheim, he was Donovan Frost, a man that believed that there was gold in some cheap old mine! No one believed him but he never gave up on his beliefs. And because of that, he got a nickname. ‘The Crazy Miner’, which made me – that’s right – ‘The Crazy Miner’s Daughter’. A name that never left me! A name that made them bully, abuse, and ruin my life! And guess what? My father was right all along! The biggest twist in the story! All those years of abuse and being locked in basements, stuff dumped me – all their hatred based on their disbelief of my father… and he was RIGHT all along!”

Cold eyes glared at Elsianna, Selena Frost unable to control the words she spoke. “You want to know why I’m the villain, Elsianna? The ‘bad guy’ over there? Because those idiots can’t see the truth just like Nome couldn’t see what my father knew! And they hate that I see it! They hate that I can’t be shaken into changing! So they hate me! They joke! They abuse me! They cheer when I get beaten up! When I work so hard to get to the heights I’ve gotten, they cheer to see me get knocked down! They cheer when my family is targeted. When my wife, the woman I love more than anything in this whole damn world – is hurt and targeted!” she was too enraged to notice the slip. “And what? Things will ‘get better’ if I just ‘get along with them’? If I just laugh with them because they are laughing at me?! No! I did not suffer all I have to simply smile and say ‘keep doing it’! I didn’t give up all I have to be their joke! Not again! So, yes, I am sorry that all that has found its way to you, but that is the price you pay for all the money you have and all the opportunities and privileges you get that someone like me NEVER got! So don’t stand there and look down on me, child! Because you ‘being outed’ and a little ‘roughed up’? Pales in comparison to the scars I have – the SHIT your mother and I have gone through!”

“SELENA!”

The sound of Deanna’s voice, so close to hers, shattered through the rage and red, shocking Selena’s vision back to clear and her mind to snap out of it, as if waking from a haze. It took a second for everything to catch up to her, the last few seconds playing over in her mind – causing her sapphire eyes to widen in realization. “Elsa…” she tried, her voice cracking. “I…”

“I hate you.”

The words were deafening despite their low volume, the whisper like a killshot that shattered Selena’s heart. In that moment, she could not remember a pain like this since Deanna giving her those divorce papers. She just stood there, dumbfounded, too stunned to even speak.

“Elsa…” Deanna pressed, rushing to her daughter’s side. “Don’t say things like that. You don’t mean-“ only to be pushed away by the child.

“Don’t touch me!” Elsianna threw back, though her eyes flew back to the platinum-blonde. “I do! I hate you! I wish you had left me in that fire! No! I wish you had left me at that orphanage! I wish you had never found me! I wish I was never a Frost! I wish I never knew you!”

She was gone before Selena realized she had moved, pushing past the parents with Asuna following her, desperately calling her name. The only way Selena knew where she went was (she realized) because… because she was chasing after her daughter!

“Elsa! Wait! Please!” She called out, able to catch up to the dressed girl, stopping her near the top of the stairs that led to the ground floor, grabbing her shoulders and stopping the girl in her tracks. “I’m sorry!” she pleaded. “I didn’t mean any of that! I’m sorry for what I did! I’m sorry for what I put you and Asuna through. I never meant to! I just wanted you two to be safe, okay?” she felt her daughter struggle. “Please, Elsianna, just listen to me.”

“No, I won’t!” The child shook her head, holding up Sir Crackshell like a shield. “I won’t listen to you! I want to go home! I want to go back to our home in Black Arrow.”

“You can’t right now.” Selena tried. “It’s being repaired. But I promise you it will be the way it was soon, okay? Then you can go back! I promise.”

“You promised we’d be a family forever!” Elsa shot back. “You promised that you’d never leave! You promised that you’d never give in and be the villain!” she struggled in her mother’s arms, teary eyes finding Selena’s. “All I ever wanted to be was like you! I trained so hard to be ready to wrestle like you! Because you were…” she cried a little. “You were my hero…” She bit her lower lip hard, slamming her eyes shut. “How can I believe in you now when you’re like this?”

“I…” Selena tried but she had no answer. “I don’t know.” She smiled sadly. “Maybe you can’t believe in me ever again.” She shrugged. “Maybe that won’t matter soon. You’ll see other heroes. You’ll be inspired by other people… better people than me. That’s what happens in life. And you’ll find other ways to be a hero.”

Elsianna shook her head. “Heroes don’t lie or break their partner’s heart. Heroes don’t act selfishly or burn their house down.”

“What are you talking about?” Selena asked in confusion. “I didn’t burn the house-“

The words died on her lips as realization hit her. Why the fire had started on the side of the children’s room, why the firefighters’ had labelled it some ‘accident’ or some ‘idiot with matches’, why Elsianna had been in the family room rather than her bedroom when it had started late that night, and why she had said “I’m sorry” over and over again to her mother when Selena had found her and tried to get her out of the burning building.

You play with fire… and you get burned…

“You…” her voice trailed off as she eyed her trembling daughter. “You were the one that set fire to the house.”

Slowly, shame rolling off her in waves, Elsianna lifted her head at her mother. “I didn’t mean to…” she whispered. “I saw you and mom sleeping in bed – but I didn’t want to have hope again that you were back together. I just needed and outlet and I…” she tried to free herself from Selena’s grasp. “I’m just like you.” She desperately cried in defeat. “I got what I wanted! I’m a hopeless addict! I’m a villain! I’m unforgivable!”

“You’re none of those things, Elsa!” Selena implored, matching her daughter's desperation. “You’re just hurting but it’s not too late! You can be whatever you want! And you’re not alone! You have all of us, we’ll help-“

“I don’t want your help!”

The rest happened so fast and yet so slowly, as Elsa spoke those words, using her anger to give a solid push towards Selena, trying to free herself from her mother’s grasp. But as she did, her balance was thrown off the one leg, causing her to twist and turn on the spot on her other leg.

For Selena, her hand was placed on Elsianna’s hand for second before it was suddenly… moving away – growing more and more distant by the second as her daughter – her snowflake – fell… no… flew down the stairs, Selena barely able to hear the scream from the girl as she flew back, or the scream from Deanna as the redhead finally appeared behind the platinum-blonde.

Her eyes just remained on Elsianna as the girl bounced off the stairs once, twice, before crashing down onto the wooden floor, Sir Crackshell following her until he, too, lay there, his ‘jaw’ dislodged and lying on the floor beside the two of them as well. Both bodies, daughter and soldier were still as several of the party-goers suddenly gathered around them. Selena barely heard any of their voices…

She was too busy trying to figure who it was that was screaming her daughter’s name so loudly…

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

Eyrie Tower
New York City, New York
July 29th, 2025
5:59am (approx. 1 min till sunrise)

“Deanna…”

Selena gazed at the sight of the redhead in shock, her ex-wife still covered by the shadow of night as the sun began to rise, her pale hand tightening around the balcony guardrail that stood between them. “What are you… how did you?”

“I said I’d always come find you!” the redhead’s eyes bore into Selena, watching her as the platinum-blonde stood on the other side of the guardrail. “Don’t do this, please!”

“I have to.” Selena replied sadly. “This was always how it was going to end.”

“WHY?!” Deanna cried. “After everything we’ve been through! Everything we’ve survived together! Why does it have to be this way?!”

“Because Elsa was right, Deanna.” Selena sad smile emerged, wishing with every fiber of her being that it all could have been different. “I am the villain.” She sighed. “The greatest, most hated, villain in SCW. And…” she turned her head towards the city below. “This is the only belief I have left.”

She gave a sigh, bringing her head up towards the horizon, seeing the sun lifting and the rays racing towards her castle-tower. She had forsaken so much of her own beliefs to become the villain. Adopted so many practices to control, manipulate and, subtly, push SCW’s roster into hating her. All so that someone could come along and take her down.

Nobody had. Nobody could.

And, no matter the story… she thought. Wild, Wild West, Cinderella Story, End of the World – the villain has to fall.

It was the only belief that had survived since that fated day Deanna has begged her to return to SCW a year and a half. The one belief she had accepted when she had become The Blue-Eyed Devil – The World-Ruler…

And it would be the last belief she held onto in the end.

“Maybe…” Selena smiled sadly, keeping her eyes on the sun. “Maybe I love you… and maybe I always will.”

She felt it then, the sun’s rays hitting her full force. With a turn of her head, she took one last look at what was behind her.

The gold shining on the table.
The pieces of a broken nutcracker beside it.
And the beautiful emerald eyes of her beloved redhead.

“I’m a bird…” she whisper-sung, turning gaze towards the sun and holding her free arm out like a wing. “A little snowbird… watch me fly… watch me fly…”

Then she finally let go of her hand…

[SnowQueenSCW]

The camera opens to the interior of the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, the site of the greatest SCW show of the year: Rise to Greatness. As the last hours tick away before the start of the show, the arena is decorated to the gills with massive posters and graphics and large screens and banners. Of course, the ring itself is already set up, but unlike other past segments of ‘Frozen Central’, this ring has something extra within it – that being a tall, metallic ladder set in the middle, reaching up towards the heavens. And as the camera switches to another shot, one inside the ring, it circles around the metal construct, taking in the rungs that make up the steps and how the arctic blue and white lights bounce off the metal surface.

As the camera comes around, finishing its journey, it catches the sight of a woman leaning against it, her arms crossed and her eyes are closed. She wears a purple shirt that leaves her shoulders and up bare, allowing the viewer to see the gold nugget necklace around her neck, and a dark blue sarong with snowflakes embroidered on it to contrast her black pants. Her platinum-blonde hair, the only light color except for her skin, is wrapped in it iconic braid as the Snow Queen – the World-Ruler and The Face of SCW – lifts her head and opens her eyes.

So… she slowly asks, a knowing smile on her features. Houston, Texas, SCW Universe… the entire world…

Do you believe?

The smile stays on the face of Selena Frost as she pushes herself off the ladder, taking her time to stroll around it. Pretty amazing, isn’t it? How things developed? I have to wonder though… she ponders for a moment. How does it feel to be so powerless?

And I don’t mean just the three men that I am going to have to share the main-event with, but I mean all the men, women, children, everyone in the SCW Universe. How does it feel to be proven wrong so badly?

What did I say, hmmm? When this whole thing began last year, what was my guarantee to you? That not only would your ‘new hero’ Josh Hudson not last here, not only would the Wild, Wild West utterly fail here, but I would be back here, in the main-event of Rise to Greatness again, despite losing to that lucky bastard.

And despite your ‘best efforts’ and you all begging for someone to stop me from getting there… well, let’s check the scorecard shall we? she holds up her fingers to check. Josh Hudson unable to stay in the world title picture? Check. Wild, Wild West failed? Check. Me in the main-event of Rise to Greatness again? Check check check.

She grins wickedly. At some point, SCW Universe, this just starts getting sad. The fact that you keep rooting for anyone against me and denying what I say despite the truth behind it? At some point, you just look like fools.

I mean, take this ladder for instance!

She gestures towards the large metal contraption near her. Now, we all know why this is here. The main-event has dictated it to be. But its purpose? How it got here? Oh, well that is where it gets interesting.

She shakes her head knowingly. You see, Giovanni Aries will have you believe that he has manipulated all of us into agreeing to this match being a ladder match. He believes that he has been the ‘master puppeteer’ while the rest of us? His mere puppets to dance to his tune.

Cid Turner… well, he’s obsessed with this being ‘his night’, ‘his destiny’. That it’s fate! That the ladder has been placed there by destiny! And why? Because the last time this title was contested in so massive a match as this – a fatal fourway ladder match at Rise to Greatness’ main-event – he was in it and won it! HAPPENSTANCE, OH! It’s RTG 2006 all over again!

And Xander Valentine? Well, he’ll tell you that a ladder is just a ladder is a ladder – and that’s an obstacle in his way! He’ll tell you he doesn’t need a ladder! That he’ll use the ladder as a weapon and power his way to the top! Maybe even fly up like some dark angel because he’s the ‘Savior of SCW’! Screw that! He’ll carry all three of us – his opponents – on his shoulders while going up and taking the world title… just because he’s THAT powerful! He’s THAT unstoppable! He’s THAT much better than everyone and everything… including some stupid ladder!

And then you have me… Selena eyes the ladder out of the corner of her eye. And I believe the ladder is here because… she turns to the camera, a deadpan expression on her face. Because I put it there before the cameras started rolling.

She smirks mockingly at the audience. Yeah, that’s the difference, SCW, always has been. I tell the truth, even when you don’t want to hear it. I tell it like it is. I don’t twist the narrative and ‘omit certain facts’ so that I look good. I don’t have to. Because I’m already THAT good, or do we need to check the scorecard again?

But you guys – the SCW fans – you’ve been lied to from the beginning! You’ve got one guy claiming he’s the ‘destruction of SCW’, another guy claiming to be the ‘savior’ of it, and another guy claiming to be the ‘Cinderella story’ of it…

But what are they really? What are these men really? And for that matter, who am I? Who is Selena Frost, really?

Stopping at the ladder, Selena eyes the bottom rung for a second before turning back to the camera.

Cause you got so many people shouting and screaming that I’m a villain. That I’m some horrid person. That I’m killing SCW – yeah, because that line hasn’t gotten old! I’ve only heard every year I’ve been here and, look that! SCW is still here! I’m still here! Not like I went away for years at a time like you three boys, am I right? But I’m supposedly this ‘evil’ that’s killing SCW? Well, I’m either as slow as a Xander and Cid Turner comeback… or I’m not really trying to kill SCW at all.

Why would I do that? Why would I want to kill SCW? SCW has given me my livelihood. SCW has given me a way to provide for my family – a way for my children to, one day, provide for THEIR children and to provide for their children’s children. SCW has given me a life that few could dream of. So why would I want to kill it? Why would I want to end it? That makes no sense. Just like it makes no sense to call me a villain. To call me a cancer or a disease to SCW.

When really… I’m just trying to do what is best for SCW and what’s best for me. Because unlike all three of you, I didn’t run away when times got tough. I didn’t run away when I lost big matches. I stayed. I stayed until the SCW Universe THOUGHT it wanted me gone, then I came back when they realized their mistake and begged me to come back, even if it was just to hate on me. And all this time, I’ve just been doing what I’ve been doing to make things right around here. Yet, every year, I’m forced to come here, explain myself time and time again, only for the latest ‘flavor’ to come into my main-event, pull off an upset, drop the ball three or four months later, and for me to come in and pick all of you up again and make things right again.

She sighs. Like I said a few weeks ago on Breakdown, it’s a sequel that I’ve just gotten sick of. Where I pull this company along, being its Face and its figurehead. Where I do all the work and all the sacrifices, only for some coaster to come in and steal my moment from me. A moment I have deserved for the last five years.

And that’s something none of you boys – Gio, Xander, and Cid – seem to understand. Maybe because it’s above your paygrade, definitely above your level and beyond your abilities. But you know why I haven’t done the ‘sequel’ thing and come out here, ranting and raving about “The Unbelievable Main-Event”? Selena looks at the camera and gives a shrug. Because it’s not ‘unbelievable’ anymore.

Selena Frost in the main-event of Rise to Greatness is NOT unbelievable anymore! No no! It’s a tradition now! It’s EXPECTED! You can’t have a main-event at RTG without Selena Frost in it, can you?! I made “the unbelievable” normal here in SCW – I made it ‘expected’.

And what have you three done? Hmm? What have you three been in all of that?

She grins knowingly. Well, let’s examine that, shall we? she takes a step on the lowest rung, pushing herself up the first step of the ladder, leaning on it with her leg and arm.

Let’s start at good ol’ main-event number 1. Now, everybody remembers their first, right? she gives a little wink. But who did I beat to get that spot? To start what would be the greatest streak of main-events in SCW history?

She waits a second but no answer comes, obviously.

Ask Cid Turner. He’ll remember. I know you do, Cid. I mean, who else made you cry in the middle of the ring, blubbering and snivelling and begging to be GIVEN back the world title? she shakes her head knowingly. I mean… there you were, a supposed host of some kind of god – how is Gleebnorb by the way? – but there you were on your hands and knees, willing to accept the world title being handed to you rather than earning it. After you had been beaten by a better superstar.

Hard to respect you after that. But then again, Cid Turner has always preferred the quick and easy path as opposed to working for it. I mean, look at his track record! The reason he even got BACK to the world title picture is because he piggybacked off of a title shot Asher Hayes was owed! He strung his wagon to another man’s hard work, stole the credit and the reward! And when the time came for him to defend the title… he just proved to be another Syren! Hiding behind his manager and his buddy and his lackies while acting like this ignorant fool the whole time.

Until he met me… the Snow Queen grins. And I took it all away. I took his world title at Taking Hold of the Flame that year and I took his main-event spot at Rise to Greatness. And, Cid, truly? It was fun. It was fun embarrassing you like that because you had spent so much time treating everyone here like we were idiots. Selling us a stupid ‘god’ story while not giving a damn about the integrity of the world title. Hell, I enjoyed beating you and taking all that from you so much…

She climbs another rung. That I did it twice! I beat you for the world title and held it all the way into my SECOND RTG main-event! World-record there! Longest reign! All from beating you, Cid! So I can understand, Cid, why you went after me this year, hoping that if you eliminated me from the royale, you wouldn’t have to deal with me. I get that, Cid. You’re a smart man. You’re a tactician! You’ve had everyone fooled so many times… hell, you’re fooling them now!

I mean, you’re selling this ‘Cinderella Story’ just like you were selling Gleebnorb four or so years ago! You’ve got them fooled! They’re buying it, Cid! Hell, Xander Valentine is buying it! He calls you the ‘wildcard’! The man that isn’t ‘afraid to die for nothing? Something like that?

From her higher perch, Selena tilts her head. But we know better, don’t we, Cid? Like I said, there’s a reason you’ve been going after me. There’s a reason you got involved with my match with Asher, and it wasn’t to save your buddy.

It’s because you’re a coward. It’s because you’re afraid. Because time and time again, Cid, while you may have beaten me once? I’m the reason your Brand was disbanded. I’m the reason your world title dreams died over and over again. I’m the person that has your number and the tools needed to take you down and you know it. And while these people and Xander are fooled by your usual glitz and glam… while they are wowed by such a ‘touching story’ of regaining old glory… I see right through it. Just like I see right through you!

Cold eyes narrow. I see that same man that’s favoring shortcuts. The same man that doesn’t want to put the work into earning the world title. I see the same man that came in, won one match and hasn’t had another damn match since and is somehow heading to the main-event of Rise to Greatness!

Cause check it, SCW Universe! I had a match! Xander Valentine had a match! Giovanni had two matches! she shrugged. What about Cid? Where was he? He was there, don’t get me wrong – aside from a holiday off – he was at every show, yet he couldn’t lace up his boots, get in the ring and prove himself like the rest of us. Had no problem getting in a couple cheap shots, had no problem trying to mellow out The Executioner with some weed to make him less of a threat, sure, but going bell to bell? He couldn’t do it… Or he wouldn’t do it!

Because then you’d all see the REAL Cid Turner. You’d see the real man he’s always been. Not a wildcard. Not a man ‘willing to die’, but quite the opposite. You’d see a man that is afraid. A man that is scared of failing. A man that is scared of looking weak and being exposed as someone that can’t go that extra mile. A man that can’t go the weeks, months, years needed to be the best in this business! Now, what you want, Cid, is what you’ve always wanted. A quick route to the top so you can be loved by the world until you drop the ball and run home again! And you call that a ‘Cinderella Story’.

But it’s no different than Josh Hudson – who did the same things last year. The exact same strategy. One win, hiding in ‘mystery entrant’ line and he got to RTG. Selena winces at that, the familiar path many have taken during her RTG main-events. It’s a Coward’s Story, Cid. But it only goes so far. It won’t get you up these rungs. It won’t get you to the top… because there’s no where to hide up here. There’s no where to disappear to when you’re up this ladder…

Taking a deep breath, Selena resets herself, grasping another rung and pulling herself up. But let’s face it, Cid, you’re not alone with selling the ‘same old story’. I mean, we’ve got the king of that up next! Because, since I brought up main-event #2, who was it that got me there? The last person I beat to secure my spot back here for my second time?

She grins knowingly. Giovanni Aries! Our world champion! standing with her feet on the rung and her back against the frame of the ladder, Selena claps her hands mockingly. Finally made it, Gio! Not here, I mean made it as the world champion! Way to go! It feels like it was yesterday when you won the royale… and then screwed the pouch by being beat by Kelcey Wallace. Not a thing to be ashamed of! Many people fell to her… well, I didn’t, but I’m an exception. She grins smugly.

But that match, Gio, between you and me – again at Taking Hold of the Flame. You were hungry! You were popular! You were driven and wild and… wow… a little crazy… she looks up from her musings to fix a cold glare at the camera. But I wonder if you remember it as easily as I do.

Because I’ve been watching you, Giovanni – I mean, the few times you decided to show your face. Hey, don’t worry, you’re a rung above Cid Turner for a reason, alright? Least you came out and wrestled. So that’s something. But I was really intrigued by this, Gio! I was intrigued when the world title LITERALLY fell into your lap… or you fell into it! I thought, this could be interesting! Let’s see where this goes! He’s finally got the world title after so many time of promising it against Kelcey, against me, and coming up dry – failing and losing clean against us – now he has it… what’s he going to do?

Slowly, Selena shakes her head. Sequelitis again! I mean come on! You didn’t even try to do anything different, Gio! You didn’t even try to be anything new! You just said the same thing you said to three years ago!

‘Lizard Kingdom must die!’
‘Possessed by greed!’
‘Keep the title away!’

I mean, that was all well and good and new and intriguing back then, Giovanni… but this is 2025! This is not the same Selena you faced three years ago! This is not the same SCW you fooled three years ago!

You think you can say the same lines, keep a title away or destroy it or whatever, threaten me with heights and get over? Get to me? she laughs. You and Cid, man… you’re both living in the past!

Cause you tried that, remember?! You tried that with the United States Championship SIX years ago! You threw me off a scaffolding when I got distracted by Xander Valentine – who HATES interferences in his matches, mind you… she looks deadpan at the camera before resuming her talk to the world champion. And then you took the title, Gio, and you broke it into pieces and threw it around to the SCW Universe. she shakes her head. How did that go, Giovanni? You remember?

Well, let’s see, kept you out of the main-event of Rise to Greatness… and last I checked, the United States Championship is set to be defended in a fatal-fourway at this event as well…

But you want all of SCW to be oh so scared that you’re going to keep a title away and throw us off a ladder that’s what? Half the height of a scaffold or something?

The Snow Queen shakes her head. That’s the problem with you, Giovanni. You never learned how to evolve with the business. You’re a one-trick, one-line pony and those lines and tricks? They got stale years ago. They got stale, which is why you needed the Fall of Man to come back, didn’t you? That’s why you needed something, just like The Brand, to keep you going. To keep you safe and looking good. Cause the second the ball was in your court? The second it was your turn to talk?

“The Lizard Kingdom Part 4: This time it’s personal!”. the platinum-blonde laughs a little at her little joke before leaning from the laugh back to her point.

But you want us all to think you’re ‘calling the shots’, ‘making us dance’, ‘the master planner’, right? Gio… you can’t intimidate a World-Ruler when you literally fell into the role of the world championship. You can’t call THAT part of your master plan because it happened like a Three Stooges act. You’re just tipping your hand, Gio. And as someone that knows your playbook, what’s there to be afraid of? You gonna call your buddies. Heaven will try and save you with the few ranks he’s got left. Obvious strategy cause that’s all you can do. Obvious – old tricks – nothing new. Nothing surprising. That’s why I knocked you out with one kick. Because I knew when to pick my spot. When to take my shot!

And with you? I’m gonna get another chance. Only a matter of when, rather than ‘if’. Your only solace will be you’ll still be a tag-team champion when this is all done. Sadly, I can’t take that from you, but I hope that will help soften the blow of me beating you again.

Gazing up at the top of the ladder, Selena takes another step up the rung… almost there.

And with that said, we fast forward to just last year… and the guy I beat to secure my FOURTH main-event at this glorious show, thus proving that Selena Frost and RTG main-event go hand-in-hand… and who do we have to thank for that?

Leaning on the side of the ladder, her feet keeping her secure, Selena tilts her head at the camera. Good ol’ Xander Valentine! The biggest liar and credit-stealer in SCW!

She laughs a little. Now, let’s give Xander some credit here. He’s done a good job with the world title when I wasn’t there in the division. He’s a solid “sub” for when I don’t want to deal with holding the world title up. Defends it regularly, takes solid punishment, dishes solid punishment, overall a solid choice. He’d be a great second-choice for winning this whole thing! No doubt about it!

But… she shrugs. Xander Valentine lies, people. I’m surprised none of you have called him out on it!

I mean, you have a man that looked into a camera and said that last we fought one-on-one, he scarred me so bad that I never recovered. she smirks to herself. Oh yeah, never recovered. That why I went undefeated and unpinned longer than he did? That why I won MY chamber match but he lost his? That why I was the wrestler of the year and he wasn’t?

See, Xander, you’re tough, you’re strong, you’re dangerous and you got some edgy words, nobody knows that more than me… but there’s not a lick of truth in any of it. You’re just trying to make excuses that you lost, that you failed. You’re just trying to spin it around that you couldn’t beat me. And since we’re all shining a spotlight here, let’s just continue this little expose!

Saying you’ve beaten me as many times as I’ve beaten you? Hmmm… last I checked… you’ve beaten me on my own once in an official SCW match, Xander. One time for the United States Championship while my back was turned to Regan. Not knocking that. You earned the United States Championship that night years ago. But that’s just one.

Me? I’ve knocked you out in record time.
I’ve knocked you down for ten seconds.
I’ve pinned you at my anniversary event.
And oh, yeah, I choked you into unconscious last year.

Four times to your one, I’ve brought you to your knees, while the only thing YOU can brag about is pinning one of my teammates while Blake Mason interfered, being bought off by your own teammate, and surviving while Cid eliminated me from the royale.

But oh! Xander math people! If Xander speaks mean enough, we ALL must believe it, am I right? Not like he’s just recycling old promos he’s thrown at me time and time again! But hey! I’m not the only one, right? This guy brags about dismantling The Fall of Man! Being responsible for their crumbling! Because he beat Waylon Creek and took out James Evans…

Except Waylon Creek is still here and James Evans was really taken out with an injury unrelated to Xander… are we all starting to see a pattern here, SCW?

Selena shakes her head. This is the true Xander Valentine, people. Here when it works. Here when it’s easy and taking credit when he can’t get the job done. Making excuses when he fails!

He’ll demand a chamber match with all of Fall of Man and when he fails? He’ll whine and praise himself about surviving a handicap match! He’ll lose to me and declare he ‘scarred me for life’. He’ll brag about beating Josh Hudson but then pin Konrad Raab in the rematch because he can’t beat him again. He’ll declare he ‘succeeds where Selena fails’… except when he loses to the man I BEAT in the chamber in James Evans – sort of missed that, didn’t you, old man? On and on it goes while he declares himself ‘untouchable’ and ‘unstoppable’ and ‘never folding! Never flinching’…

Hard not to do that when you can twist the narrative as you please, Xander. But it all can be brought down with one series of questions.

If you ARE the supposed best instead of me, as you claim, Xander, why is THIS your first Rise to Greatness main-event in over 15 years? If you ARE the best there is over me, Xander, why couldn’t you beat my record of holding the world title longer than me? Your last one didn’t even beat MY last one, let alone my longest one. If you ARE the supposed ‘Soul of SCW’ and surpassed us, Xander… why is Giovanni the defending champion and not you?

Smiling knowingly, Selena shakes her head, leaving the questions unanswered as she continues climbing up. Reaching the top of the ladder, Selena swivels around and sits at the top, overlooking the entire ring and arena. The fact of the matter, boys, is that each of you – Gio, Xander, Cid – have played the same part in MY world. That of the stepping stones. The rungs. Those I stepped on time and time again to ascend higher and higher in this business. The record before you – soon to be FIVE main-events at the show of shows, was because of me being better than each and every one of you!

And that is something that will not change tonight! Rather, I am going to step on all three of you again to climb this ladder and get what I deserve. Because, while you three seem fixed on your old gimmicks, your old lines, spinning your narratives and repeating your sequels and savouring your shortcuts, I have waited a year for this moment. I have bided my time for this chance - the chance to have the opportunity that has long been owed to me!

My Rise to Greatness moment! My moment of absolute victory and dominance! My moment to stand at the main-event that BELONGS to me with the world championship in my hands! The moment that will immortalize me and finalize my place as the greatest of all time!

Closing her eyes, Selena takes a deep breath. Because the only person that is different here is me, gentlemen. The only person not telling the same schtick is me. Because now? I’m a challenger. Now? I’m holding all the cards. And now, thanks to you taking my ‘streak’ from me against Asher – I have NOTHING left to lose. she grins wickedly.

Because when it’s all said and done… that’s the only possible conclusion. After Cid runs away again. After Giovanni quits and retreats back to his hole again. After Xander gives up for the umpteenth time… there will only be me. Just like every other time. Only one survivor. Because SCW only needs me.

Because I am true ‘inevitability’, Giovanni.
I am a true ‘Cinderella Story’ of fighting for what’s mine, Cid.
And I am truly, the Face, the Soul, and ALL of SCW, Xander…

Because SCW is MY world! she takes another deep breath. And it is in MY world where we all will fall, boys…

The only difference between us will be when I finally do? Selena holds her hand in front of the camera, clenching it into a fist. I’ll be the only one clutching the SCW world championship! Believe it!

Lowering her hand, Selena gives one last cold grin. Say goodbye to the Wild, Wild West, boys. And welcome to MY world!

The camera fades on Selena, standing above all before fading to black.