David Striker vs. Kimberly Williams

[The Matt]

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April 6th, 2024
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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Kimberly Williams’s reign atop the SCW Underground division that began in October of 2021 can certainly be described as a long road through the depths of hell itself. Her reign as been nothing short of chaotic, violent, and extremely bloody. During her now five reigns as SCW Underground Champion, few have managed to match her level of violence and those who did manage to match her were unable to sustain that level of violence to the extent that The Woman Scorned has sustained it. Her reign as Queen of the Death Match has been nothing short of spectacular and very impressive indeed. But now has she finally found an heir to the Underground throne? Has Kim finally found someone who can be just as chaotic, violent, and bloodthirsty as she has been? Is David Striker finally the guy who she can count on to join her in the Underground and keep it propped up? Striker certainly earned her respect by defeating her in an Underground rules match. But Kim turned up the heat, she turned up the intensity and the violence, and managed to defeat him with the championship on the line at Retribution. Their rivalry has been as violent and chaotic as expected. The Woman Scorned could have denied Striker a rematch after defeating him at Retribution. It could have been over right then and there. But she wanted him to impress her. She had her doubts that David Striker really had the desire and determination to sustain a run in the Underground, she wanted him to prove her wrong. His suggestion for a rematch removed all doubt from the mind of The Woman Scorned. Now the rubber match is set for Taking the Leap and it shall be in a match never before seen in SCW; Long Road out of Hell. It is contested within a triple tier cage and the name itself is appropriate considering this will indeed be a long road out of hell for one of these two Underground Death Match competitors.

The Long Road out of Hell and her Underground Championship being in jeopardy are currently the farthest things from the mind of Kimberly Williams. In fact, the one thing on the mind of the eccentric ginger happens to be having some fun at the expense of some drunk and delapidated patrons of a local bar in Boston, Massachusetts. Williams sits at the bar itself wearing a black knee length leather skirt, black boots, and a black “Queens of Chaos” t-shirt. Her long red hair is left to cascade in waves down to past the shoulders. Inside the bar, the atmosphere is vibrant, with the clinking of glasses and lively chatter filling the air. The space is dimly lit, creating an inviting ambiance that draws patrons in. The air is thick with the scent of chalk and stale cigarette smoke, clinging to the worn leather seats lining the walls. Rows of well-worn pool tables stretch out across the space, each illuminated by a single overhead light, casting long shadows on the green felt surfaces. The tables are well-maintained, their surfaces smooth and the felt pristine, with colorful balls scattered across them. The sound of cue sticks striking balls mingles with the hum of conversation, creating a dynamic backdrop for an evening of entertainment and camaraderie. Behind the bar, a row of bottles glint in the low light, and a bartender expertly mixes drinks while keeping an eye on the action.

She hears the sound of bikers behind her, most likely at the one pool tables. Kim turns her head just enough to get a quick glance and it confirms her suspicion; a group of them are at a pool table. It looks like they are hustling some poor sap dumb enough to fall for their shenanigans. The Woman Scorned smirks as she turns back to the bar and quickly finishes the last of her beer. She places some cash on the bar to pay for her tab before walking gracefully over towards the pool table, joining the bikers. She finds a younger kid, probably in his teens, who looks absolutely dejected. He, no doubt, is the one being hustled by these guys. Kim takes one look at him, winks, and then turns to face the bikers.

“What are we playing here, boys?”

“Pool.” The tallest biker, with long black hair and a long black beard, says. “Nothing you know anything about.”

“I know lots of things!” Kim says cheerfully. “Like math! Did you know that the square root of pi squared is pi?” The biker rolls his eyes. “And did you know that today is International Day of Sport for Development and Peace?”

“No, can’t say that I did.” He shrugs. “Can’t say that I care, either.” His pals, the other bikers, chuckle alongside him.

“Well I admit that I don’t know everything.” Kim states. Then she runs her hand along the surface of the green billiard table. “Like this game…I mean, I kinda know the rules…sorta…but it never was my strong suit.”

“Is that so?” The biker smirks. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“Frances.” Kim replies. “I’m, uh, new in town. You seem to be a pleasant guy Mister…”

“Jack, Jack Kirby.” The biker answers. “And I’m the best pool player in this establishment.”

“Is that so?”

“It is so. In fact, I got $100 a ball saying that no one can beat me.”

“Wow, that’s a lot of money for these tiny little balls.” Kim chuckles. “Can I play you for one game?”

“Do ya really think that’s a smart idea, girl?” Jack responds. “Do you really know how to play?”

“How hard can it be?” Kim asks. “You use the stick thingy to hit the round thingies into the holes.”

The biker, the tall black haired arrogant Jack Kirby, smirks condescendingly at Kimberly, completely unaware and ambivalent to what is about to happen to him. “Well who am I to say no to a beautiful little girl like you? You’re on.”

“Great.” Kim smirks. “But first, let me break out Abigail.”

“Abigail?” Jack is curious about this. He watches as Kim walks away back towards the bar area. In short order Kim returns with a pool cue, her own pool cue, the aforementioned Abigail. The balls have been racked and prepared. Kim steps forward to break. She takes aim and with careful precision takes the first shot…which is a devastating shot, devastating to her opponent, at least, because three balls go in.

“Lucky shot!” Jack exclaims.

“Probably.” Kim shrugs as she takes aim again. “But still it’s my shot…if little old me understands the game…” Kim shoots and the cueball strikes its target, ricocheting off to hit another ball, two more balls go into holes as a result. Williams smirks. “Yeah, I’m just very lucky.”

Time seems to drag on incredibly slow for Jack Kirby and his biker buddies as they watch with a slow, sad realization that this deranged ginger has been hustling them this entire time. Kimberly cannot seem to miss a shot. Each time she shoots, she does not miss. Something always goes into the hole. By the time the game of pool has ended, Jack has never even gotten a chance to shoot. Kimberly has already emptied the table. With the table now empty, The Woman Scorned turns to face the biker, with Abigail the pool cue in hand, and she takes a bow.

“Ta-Da!” Kim exclaims. “And for my next trick, I think I will take ALL of your money!”

“Like hell you will!” Jack steps forward menacingly, looking for a fight. He clearly has no idea who he is messing with. Even with his biker buddies backing him up, Kimberly is still deadly dangerous. The Woman Scorned stands her ground as they get closer. But then they stop dead in their tracks as Kimberly gets some back up of her own. She is joined by Larry Dempsey, her mental asylum comrade from Baltimore, Maryland.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Larry responds, quietly but with a veil of a threat. Jack is now even more angry.

“It doesn’t matter! There’s still more of us than there are of you?”

“Do you wish to test that theory?” Larry asks. “My friend beat you fair and square.”

“She hustled us!”

“Just like you hustled that kid.” Kim motions to the teenager who had been playing pool, who has been watching this whole ordeal go down. “It’s ok for you to do it but not a lunatic like me?”

The bikers realize that they have been beaten. Jack lets out a low growl before reaching into his pocket and producing a wad of cash, most of which probably is the teenager’s money. He hands it to Kimberly reluctantly.

“There!” With that, Jack and his pals turn and storm away. Kimberly smiles with glee as she starts counting her winnings. After making sure everything is there and that the bikers didn’t cheat her out of anything, she walks over and hands the entire prize pot over to the teenager.

“There ya go, kid.” Kim pats him on the back. “Now don’t go getting yourself into trouble again. You won’t always have a psychopath like me to save you!”

“Uh, yes…yes ma’am…” The teenager seems to have a mixture of emotion, mixture of fear and happiness. He takes the money and quickly makes his exit before Kimberly changes her mind. Kim watches with a sense of pride on her face before rejoining her friend Larry.

“See that, Larry? I told you!”

“I always knew you were capable of doing good, Kimberly.” Larry responds. “What you did for that young man, rescuing him for the torture of those hustlers, that was extraordinary.”

“Huh?” Kim shakes her head. “No, I mean my pool game! It is second to none, baby!”

“Yes, well, there is that.”

“Come on, Lawrence of Arabia, let me buy you a drink.” The Woman Scorned skips happily back over towards the bar area with her friend Larry Dempsey following closely behind. Kim sits back down in her stool and Larry sits down next to her. Kim motions for the bartender to bring out two more beers, one for her and one for Larry. It isn’t long before both have drinks in front of them. Larry takes a sip and sighs with satisfaction.

“Thank you, Kimberly.”

“No prob. But I do have one teeny little question.”

“Yes?”

“How the hell did you manage to find me?” Kim asks with a hint of annoyance. “I’ve never been to this dump before.”

“Dump? And here I thought you preferred to live in squalor?”

“You know what I mean!” Kim exclaims. “How’d ya find me, buddy?”

“It was quite simple, honestly.” Larry sips on his beer. “I found your sister and she told me where to find you.”

“Marie snitched?” Kim shakes her head with disgust. “I’m surprised.”

“She cares about you, Kimberly.” Larry answers. “She is worried about you. As am I. That’s why she helped me.”

“No, no, that aint it.” Kim shakes her head. “I’m surprised that she told you because of the simple fact that she doesn’t trust you!” Kim snickers. “Besides, no one should be worrying themselves about me, especially not you, Lawrence of Arabia.”

“You seem awfully confident.”

“Why shouldn’t I be?” Kim says with a wide grin on her face. “Look at me! I’m on a roll! I’m winning! And I don’t mean at pool! I regained the Underground Title, I defended it successfully against Davey Boy, and now I’m about to defend it AGAIN in the most psychotic match of all time, the Highway to Hell Match…”

“I believe it is The Long Road out of Hell.”

“That too!” Kim says with eager anticipation. “Either way, me and Davey boy are going to take the chaos and violence of the Underground to a whole new level at Taking the Leap! Don’t you see the excitement on my face?!”

“Yes…” he sighs.

“So why should I be worried about anything?!” She asks. “I am the Underground Queen, baby, and I plan to stay that way!”

“Why do you do it?” Larry asks curiously.

“Do what?”

The Underground division. The hardcore matches, the ultra violence. Why do you put yourself through it?” He asks. Kim shrugs her shoulders.

“I dunno. I enjoy it. Besides, the braintrust in SCW seemed to think lunatics like me are made for the Underground Division alone. Forget the fact that I am a former United States, Television, and Tag Team Champion.” She smirks. “But I made them pay! I took the Underground and I fashioned it into MY image! Now I’m fashioning Davey Boy into my image! Either he embraces the full vision of my Underground or he’ll crack under the pressure and break! I see it as a win-win scenario!” Kim leans forward and points at Larry. “You aren’t questioning my reign as Underground Queen, are you Lawrence of Arabia? Because if you are, then so help me God I will…”

“There is no need to be confrontational, my dear.” Larry backs off ever so slightly. He doesn’t intend to upset Kimberly. “I didn’t even come here with any intention to talk to you about your wrestling ventures.”

“Oh yeah?”

“To be honest, you have done quite well and are deserving of much praise. I have been quietly observing you…”

“So you’ve been stalking me.” Kim says with a childish smirk.

“Observing you.” Larry corrects her. “You helped that young man just now. You have stepped up and taken at least some responsibility for your daughter, Lilith. I have not forgotten the special trip you made to Baltimore to visit her. I am proud of you, Kimberly.”

“Yeah, yeah, save it.” Kim rolls her eyes. “Look, I saved that doofus over there because I get off on embarrassing big bad bullies like those bikers. And I visited Lilith just to shut you up and get you off my back.”

“I doubt that.” Larry shakes his head. “Even if that were the case, you have shown that you are capable of taking responsibility. Not just from your actions tonight, not just stepping up to help me with your daughter. You have stepped up to help your sister in her time of need. There is truly more to you than the deranged lunatic you wish for the entire world to see.”

“What are you getting at, Lawrence of Arabia?”

“I think that, perhaps, instead of one visit every two weeks or even one visit a week, maybe you can keep Lilith for, say, several days?” Larry’s suggestion causes Kim’s eyes to grow wide. She stares at Larry for a moment before shaking her head.

“You want me to…”

“I think you could take on much greater parenting responsibility, yes.” Larry nods his head.

“No, no way!” Kim shakes her head vehemently. “Out of the question!”

“Why not?”

“I don’t want to.”

“Why not?” Larry repeats his earlier question.

“I just don’t want to, ok?” Kim is visibly shaken by Larry’s suggestion. He can tell that he has pushed her far, perhaps a bit too far. He can tell that she is mentally and emotionally strained at this point. He reaches out and pats her on the back.

“What’s wrong, my dear?”

“It’s just that…” Kim pauses with a touch of pain in her voice “...speaking to Lilith, being around her, all of it is a constant reminder of what Emma did to me.” She shakes her head. “I don’t want to be reminder of that anymore than I already am.”

Larry is one of the few people outside of the immediate family who knows exactly who Emma was and what she did to Kimberly Williams that was so mentally and emotionally painful. Emma had Kim kidnapped at birth. Emma raised Kimberly as her own; Emma is mostly responsible for not only Kim’s extremely well developed strategic mind and incredible level of intelligence, but also for Kimberly’s psychosis and unbalanced mind. But even to those who know about Kim’s past with the enigmatic Emma, there still lies a great mystery in what specifically happened between those two. What exactly did Emma do to Kimberly Williams?

“I understand how painful it must be for you, my friend.” Larry begins slowly and quietly. “But remember what we were taught in our group counseling sessions.”

“I don’t want to be reminded of THAT either!” Kim exclaims angrily. Nevertheless, Larry proceeds.

“We were taught to confront our fears and our problems head on.”

“Is that so? Well I’ve been doing just fine by avoiding my fears and avoiding my problems.”

“Your strategy of avoiding your fears and problems may help you in the short term but they are going to hurt you in the long term, you have to know this. Plus it will inevitably do damage to your blood…to your daughter.”

“I don’t want to!” Kim exclaims as she downs the last of her beer and shakes her head. “Larry, you know me better than anyone else…hell, you are probably the only one who knows my true weaknesses…you are the only one who can truly play mind games with me. I do NOT want to go back and relive those nightmares…” she sighs “...unless…”

“Unless what?”

“Is something wrong with Lilith?”

“Well she does continue to act out.” He sighs. “I had hoped more frequent visits with you would calm her but it has not worked. I am still constantly having to protect her from getting into trouble.”

“What kind of trouble?”

“The kind that even I cannot protect her from.” Larry says with a cryptic tone in his voice. “Your daughter could end up locked away, just like you once were.”

“It’s that bad, huh?” Kim asks. Larry nods his head. “And she is going to get worse unless I get involved?”

“That’s right.”

“What do you want from me, then?”

“I need you to confront your fears. You need to deal with your past. And maybe you will find the courage to be with your daughter and give her what she truly needs.” He says grimly. “She doesn’t need a stand in disciplinarian like me, she doesn’t need a woman she barely recognizes as a mother. She needs her real mother in her life.” He places a hand on Kim’s shoulders. “The girl needs you, Kimberly.”