Dark Fantasy vs. Light in the Darkness vs. Twisted & Sadistic

[Braddock]

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February 22nd, 2024
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Off Camera
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Chaos ensued at the end of Breakdown, thanks in large part to the actions of the reigning SCW World Tag Team Champions Twisted & Sadistic. Things between the champions and Dark Fantasy have become heated ever since early January when Syren and Ravyn beat Glory Braddock and Brittany Lohan to earn the first tag title match against then champions Light in the Darkness at Body, Heart, & Soul. Glory Braddock is typically the level headed member of Twisted & Sadistic but she let her partner, Brittany Lohan, take the lead in the events that followed, which ultimately escalated things even more. They involved themselves in the tag title match at Body, Heart, & Soul, costing Dark Fantasy the match. Glory and Lohan would get to face the champions next, and they managed to defeat Light in the Darkness to win the gold. Glory Braddock was ecstatic, she finally finished her journey. She became a Supreme Champion in SCW. But she would not get to celebrate, because Ravyn and Syren decided to interrupt the proceedings and attack them. Still, Braddock would let Lohan take the lead, and they attempted to do some major damage to Syren, spiking her on her head with Hell on Earth. They followed up with a similar attack to Ravyn but it got interrupted with involvement from La Pequina Luz of Light in the Darkness. Now it seems as if the stage has been set to put an end to this feud once and for all. Twisted & Sadistic will defend the SCW World Tag Team Championship against Dark Fantasy and Light in the Darkness at Retribution.

The British Bombshell sits backstage at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada shortly after Breakdown has come to a conclusion; she sits on a packing crate currently alone. She is wearing tight denim jeans, black boots, a royal purple t-shirt, and a black leather jacket. Her long blonde hair flows unrestrained to past the shoulders. Seated next to her is her SCW World Tag Team Championship which she gazes at closely and intensely. This is the title, the last piece of her Supreme Championship puzzle. Many in her situation might call it in at this stage of the game. They might be content with having earned the top prize in Supreme Championship Wrestling. But Glory Braddock is the ultimate competitor. She is never content and always wants to seek out new challenges. Fighting and defeating not just one but two rival teams, one of whom is arguably one of the best teams in SCW history, is quite the challenge for The British Bombshell. And Glory Braddock, along with Brittany Lohan, they have prided themselves on being quite the tag team duo as well. Both of them want their reign as champions to be remembered as something historic, not just a throwaway in Glory’s quest for Supreme Championship status. They won the gold, now comes the time to defend it. The chaos that Twisted & Sadistic have created over the past few weeks is just a sample of the lengths they are willing to go in order to hold onto the tag team titles.

Braddock’s thoughts are suddenly interrupted when she feels a hand on her shoulders. The British Bombshell looks up, startled, only to sigh and smiles politely as she sees her tag team partner and friend, Brittany Lohan, standing there before her. The War Machine has a fat more intense look on her face, yet still inquisitive as she gazes right through The British Bombshell into her soul.

“You good?”

“Me?” Glory nods her head. “Yeah, I’m good.”

“Are you sure? You didn’t look good out there moments ago. It was like you were second guessing the plan.”

Lohan is referring to their sneak attack on Ravyn, the plan was to spike her on the floor with Hell on Earth. Considering the notorious history Ravyn has had in SCW, Braddock cannot help but agree with Lohan to some degree that both members of Dark Fantasy deserve a lot of the punishment and consequences they receive. Still, even if they deserve it, Glory Braddock has a problem intentionally injuring someone. Braddock knows well and good how her own father’s career came to an end due to his opponent intentionally injuring him. Even at her worst Glory Braddock has been hesitant to go to those lengths, to injure the opposition.

“Yeah, that was on me, mate. I hesitated.” She sighs. “It didn’t help matters that Luz got involved.”

“We’ll make Luz and Blythe pay just like we’ll make Dark Fantasy pay.” Lohan smirks. “We’re gonna clean up the tag team division by ridding it of Syren and Ravyn, we’ll finish the job with Light in the Darkness. We’re going to silence any and all doubters at Retribution. Right?”

“Damn right.” Braddock smirks as she shakes Lohan’s hand.

“So is everything good?” Lohan points to herself and then at Glory. “Are we good?”

“Yeah. Of course we’re good.” Braddock pats her tag team title belt. “We scratched and clawed to win these, I’m not ready for this to end so soon. Britt, we may not always see eye to eye when it comes to the approach and strategy, but when we are on the same page, we are unstoppable. That’s why I am willing to work with you and do whatever it takes to leave Retribution still with the tag gold in our possession.”

“Right, speaking of being on the same page…” Lohan’s voice trails off. Glory can tell whatever she is about to say is bothering The War Machine and has been bothering for quite some time. “...we really need to talk about Aphrodite Noel.”

“Mother…” Glory sighs, she had a feeling that this might come up “...I know you and Mother don’t get along, but…”

“She cramps our style.” Brittany insists. “She thinks she can manage our team. Hell, she doesn’t just want to manage our team, she wants to be its leader. But Glory, you and I have been dominant together long before Aphrodite ever came along. Twisted & Sadistic became a thing long before she came into your life. Why is it that she needs to be involved now?”

“You’re right, Twisted & Sadistic became a thing a long time ago. But in fairness, we were hitting roadblock after roadblock, obstacle after obstacle, before Mother intervened. Then we got the title shot. Then we became SCW World Tag Team Champions.”

“You’re suggesting it was her guidance?” Lohan asks incredulously.

“I’m not suggesting or implying anything. Just stating facts.”

“Look,” Brittany begins slowly “I am certainly not one to judge anyone else’s lifestyle. But if this is to continue, if she is to continue being a part of this, a part of Twisted & Sadistic, even if it is in a backstage managerial role, I need to understand what you see in her. I need to understand this relationship you two have.” She shakes her head. “Because the Glory Braddock I first met wouldn’t just blindly do whatever Aphrodite told her to do.”

“Really?” Glory smirks. “You should be grateful, then, because I didn’t want to spike Syren. I didn’t want to attempt to break her neck. That was your idea and initially I was going to refuse. Mother told me that I should listen to you. She also wanted me to follow through with the planned attack on Ravyn. “ She shrugs. “But I hesitated, so again that’s on me.”

“Is that so?” Lohan asks. She seems genuinely surprised. Glory nods her head.

“To you and to others, when you look at her, you see a monster, a manipulative con artist. When I look at her I see a woman who helped my sister Julia through rehab and break a drug addiction that would have ended her career and maybe even her life. I see a woman who came to my aid when my company was fraught with infighting, hostile takeover attempts from multiple parties who saw in me a green rookie when it comes to business, an easy target to destroy. She helped me navigate the rough waters, she gave me the tools necessary to take firm control over my company and the ability to beat back any challenger to my power. All she wanted in return was a family.”

“So you and your sister willingly became her children? Like some cult?” Lohan asks.

“You may view it like that but it isn’t that nefarious.” Glory shakes her head. A few tears form in Glory’s eyes. “I may have the appearance of someone who has had the most luxurious of upbringings. I certainly never lacked for material possessions, that’s for sure. But mentally and emotionally my life was not that easy. When my mum and dad got divorced, my dad got full custody of me and Julia. And mum never even put forth much of a fight. She just let him have us and then left to settle in America. I rarely saw her after that. I pretty much had no mother for a significant portion of my life. Then Aphrodite came along, she helped me and my sister in significant ways. She wanted a daughter…I wanted a mother…we were a perfect match.”

Brittany Lohan shakes her head. She didn’t fully understand the scope of this relationship until now. “And you’re sure we can trust her?”

“Of course. Since she became our advisor, manager, whatever you want to call it, we became SCW World Tag Team Champions. It’s been working good, I think. Besides, if I were you, I wouldn’t complain.” Glory smirks and points at The War Machine. “Her approach resembles your approach more so than it does mine. If you want my advice, I would sit down and talk to her. You’ll find that…at least when it comes to the approach Twisted & Sadistic take…you and my Mother have much more in common than you think.”

Talking to Aphrodite Noel, the woman Glory acknowledges as her mother, is something Brittany Lohan doesn’t particularly like to do. But if this is going to be a permanent fixture of Twisted & Sadistic then perhaps it may become a necessary evil. Before Lohan can respond an unexpected guest steps into view. It is a gentleman about Glory’s age with curly black hair and a goatee. Brittany glares at him, somewhat annoyed that he would interrupt their private conversation.

“I apologize for interrupting…but…”

“Who are you and what do you want?” Lohan sneers.

“Whoa, hold up you two.” Glory hops down from the packing crate. She gets in between the two. She looks at Brittany. “Put the old War Machine in park if you don’t mind? I’d rather you not break my daughter’s father’s face.”

“Your…what…?” Brittany slowly comes to realize what Glory is saying. Braddock nods her head.

“Yes. Brittany, you know my daughter Melinda? Well this is her father, Thomas Gage. Thomas, this is my friend and tag team partner Brittany Lohan.”

“It’s a pleasure.” Thomas says, extending a hand, hoping to cool off the tensions from earlier. Lohan takes his hand and then smirks.

“So you’re the baby daddy?”

“Yes, I suppose I am.” Thomas remarks stoically. Glory snickers.

“I suppose you and Glory want to catch up. So I’ll be on my way.” Lohan points at Glory. “Think about what I said.”

“I will. You think about what I said. Fair enough?”

“Deal.”

With that, Brittany Lohan walks away. Thomas Gage and Glory Braddock watch on in silence until she is completely out of sight. Thomas then turns back to face Glory and sighs deeply, shaking his head.

“Your friend is quite a charming lady.”

“Is that sarcasm I detect?”

“How did you guess, Gloria?”

“Because I know you all too well. Just like I knew if I asked you to make the trip to Vancouver from Jolly Old England you would do so in a heartbeat, simply because I asked.”

“You providing a ticket certainly helped.” Thomas says with a warm smile.

“Come off it, Tommy.” Glory says with a grin. “You would have swam the freaking Atlantic ocean if you had to.”

“It’s true.” Thomas brushes his hand through Glory’s long blonde hair. “I worshiped you when we were mere children, I worship the ground you walk on today. I would do anything for you and our little princess.”

“I know and that’s why I needed to see you. You said you would do anything for me or for Melinda if we needed help. Is that offer still on the table?”

“Absolutely.” Gage insists. “The safety and well being of the two most important women in my life is the utmost concern to me. Just tell me what you need and it shall be done.”

“It might be difficult but I’m sure you can handle it. Melody, Francis, and I went out clubbing a couple of months back.”

“How intriguing.” Thomas smiles warmly. “I recall how you three were inseparable once. It is nice to see that the three of you are still friends.”

“Yeah, well, it was supposed to be a nice, friendly reunion of childhood best friends, but it turned into something awful, something that still to this day could threaten one or more of us.” As soon as Glory finishes with this grim statement, Thomas Gage’s smile turns into a frown.

“What went wrong?”

“There was a car bomb.”

“Is everyone ok?”

“Luckily the car bomb went off when no one was in the car or nearby. Francis’s car was totalled, obviously, but other than that no damage. What worries me is that someone may be targeting one or more of us. Even the police suspect foul play, but the police have so far come up empty in the search for who did this. And if this was intentional, if one of us was targeted, then will they stop or will they keep trying? And more importantly if they keep trying, will our friends and family get caught in the crossfire?”

“Melinda.”

“Precisely.” Glory nods her head. “Maybe this person is after Melody? Or Francis? But if they are after me, what if our daughter Melinda gets caught in the crossfire? Or what if they target her just to get to me?” Glory is clearly broken up and emotional over this. Thomas hugs her tightly. “I am just so worried, Thomas, and I hate to involve you in this, but…”

“Say no more.” He remarks. “I have many connections, both savory and unsavory. I will see what I can learn about this assassination attempt and then provide the safety and security necessary for you and our daughter.” They break the embrace. Glory wipes the tears from her eyes.

“Thank you, Thomas. I knew I could count on you.”

“Of course, Gloria.” He takes Glory’s right hand and kisses it. “I still love you, Gloria, you and our daughter both mean the world to me. I will do anything to protect you.”

“Thank you again, Thomas. Thank you.” Glory nods her head. “Contact me once you learn something.”

“I shall.” Thomas bows before turning and making a slow exit. Glory Braddock smiles, feeling a little of that weight lift off of her shoulders knowing that she has someone investigating that car bomb incident. She can focus on the one thing ahead of her; defending the SCW World Tag Team Titles at Retribution. Hopefully she and Brittany will still be on the same page. Braddock picks up her tag title belt, hoists it over her shoulder, and starts to walk away. But then she spots something, or rather someone, out of the corner of her eye. She turns to look and spots Brittany Lohan standing there with a bit of a smirk on her face.

“I will do anything to protect you.” Brittany says, mimicking what Thomas just said. Glory rolls her eyes.

“How much of that did you hear?”

“Enough. Does your husband know that your baby daddy worships the ground you walk on, as he put it?”

“Yes.”

“And Kurt is ok with it?”

“Probably not.” Glory chuckles. “But he tolerates it because he trusts me and he knows I am not interested in renewing any romantic relationship with Thomas. I just keep Thomas around because Melinda deserves to have her father in her life.”

“Also having a guy like Thomas willing to be at your beck and call to do anything you want doesn’t hurt either.”

“Maybe…” Glory smirks knowingly “...I do admit, it is convenient having someone like him around with as much connections as he has willing to help out when necessary.”

“I just have one question.” Lohan points at Glory. “Is that how it is with you and Aphrodite?”

“What do you mean?”

“If she asks you to jump, are you going to ask how high? You just blindly do what she says.”

“You’re reading it wrong, mate.” Glory shakes her head. “It’s all about trust. Thomas trusts me enough that I wouldn’t abuse him. Just like I trust Mother enough that she wouldn’t take advantage of me.”

“I won’t deny that I don’t trust her…yet.” Lohan places a hand on Glory’s shoulder. “But I do trust you. And if you think I should give her a chance, fine, I’ll give her a chance.”

“That’s all I ask.”

“And at Retribution, we put the light out of the darkness, we crush Ravyn and Syren, and we retain the tag team titles.” Lohan smirks. Glory nods her head.

“Damn right.”