The Enigma vs. Deanna Frost

[SnowQueenSCW]

The camera opens to… complete darkness for a few seconds. No ‘SCW graphic’. No ‘warning of material’ and ‘Viewer discretion’ advisement. No, it is just a black screen… until a single light turns on. An old, dusty lamp, shining its yellowish spotlight downward from where it hangs high above, revealing a single wooden chair, occupied by a woman. Nothing else is seen outside of this light. Not the details of the area, nor any sounds outside. The only sound is the faint buzzing of the lightbulb above.

The woman, dressed in simple black track pants and a matching t-shirt, has her red hair tied up in a tight ponytail. The light above plays its shadows over her features as she moves her head and glares into the camera.

So… Deanna Frost’s voice, despite its lower volume, echoes a little throughout the space. Where do I start…

She lets the sentence linger in the ‘void’ of darkness for a few seconds before tilting her head.

How about with relief. How about with ease? How about with purpose?

Does that surprise you, Enigma? Were you expecting me to be cowering in fear? Running away? Begging for mercy?

She takes another moment to let her questions settle. Well, maybe I was scared for a time, Enigma. Because after I beat you on the preshow in St. Louis, I thought it was over. I thought that being better than you, defeating you cleanly, would be enough for you to release your hold on Jessica Winters and understand that SCW – the world that I love and the people I adore – were stronger than you gave us credit for.

And… and that was my fault. I gave YOU too much credit.

Her jaw clenches angrily. Because I dropped my guard, and I let you get to me. After I pinned you and beat you, I thought that was it. I thought Jessica was freed as she stood by me. I thought things would finally go back to normal. That my dear friend had been saved and avenged… but you? You always had a backup plan, didn’t you? Always had a go-to if your ‘great sacrifice ritual’ failed!

The redhead scoffs. I should have seen that coming… what else is there to expect from a damn cockroach! she glares at the camera, a cold fury emanating from her. That’s what I see you as now, Enigma. You scurry around in the shadows, whispering your little cadence like it’s going out of style. You strike. And then you cower back into the dark as soon as the lights go on. And no matter how much you’re beaten or squashed, you keep coming back.

Deanna shakes her head. But you see, I’m relieved by that… Because after Rise to Greatness, and then Breakdown – where you set those explosives off… I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t know where else to go to get you. SCW won’t have you. CHBK, our boss, heh… she chuckles sadly.  You think THIS is part of his plan? You think he is part of this?

Enigma, do you not get cable or satellite or services like Netflix or Internet in your little hole in the ground? She shakes her head slowly. CHBK has NOTHING to do with this! Look around!

She gestures to the cone of light surrounding her and the darkness surrounding that. There’s no SCW staff here. There’s no SCW ring. There’s no one here… but me.

You think you’ve gotten to CHBK and SCW? another small laugh escapes her. Enigma… they’ve washed their hands of you! They’ve ignored you! They don’t care what you are doing or what you are up to! That’s your ‘power’ in SCW! A firework prank here and there but what else? No more smoke. No more possessed people. The only reason you are even relevant now… is because of me! Because I’ve been hunting you down! If I had done nothing and moved on? No one would care about you!

She growls a little, her anger easily showing. But I couldn’t move on. I couldn’t just ‘let things be’. Because, yes, you nailed it. Because you still have a hold on Jessica. You still can control her like a pawn.

Because you could NEVER convince me – not you, not CHBK, not Lucas Knight, not even the SCW Universe – you could NEVER convince me that Jessica Winters chose to attack me of her own volition. That she willingly chose to light the ring on fire and chose to endanger not just her life but my own for your sick vendetta! You… you don’t know the first thing about her!

You don’t know what her favorite color is.
You don’t know what she likes in her coffee.
You don’t know what season she likes best.
You don’t know what her dreams are.

You know NOTHING of what’s in her heart, you bastard! So don’t you stand there in your fancy home and act like some prophetic god declaring this and that about me and about her! Don’t you fucking dare!

Her voice echoes more as her shouts finish, only for her to start up again.
But your words – the same prophetic crap I’ve heard from you before – WERE a relief to me, Enigma. A relief because, for weeks you were silent. For weeks, I didn’t know if things were happening. I lost sleep to nightmares. My head reeled with anxiety and fear, spiralling more and more as I racked it trying to get SOMETHING from you! A confirmation… An acceptance… anything!

And then you gave it to me… A long exhale escapes her. And just like that… everything was worth it. The sleepless nights, the nightmares of fire and burning. All of it….

Because now? I know you’re coming, Enigma… A smile breaks across her features. I know you’re on your way here. To this place… a place I don’t think you realize ANYTHING about… See this? she twirls her finger around the lit space, indicating the entire area, including the darkness.

You think this is CHBK’s doing. You think this is his plan to ‘protect’ me? And you think I see myself as ‘the victim’ here…

Oh, Enigma… she tilts her head, a playful smile dancing across her face. Who do you think picked the venue? Who do you think set this whole thing up? Who do you think is here waiting for you?

She turns her head around this way and that. Just me… this is all my doing. There’s no ‘lifted suspension’ after this for you. There’s no ‘return’ after this for you. There’s not even an official status of ‘SCW United States Champion’ even if you manage to beat me. Didn’t you hear the boss, Enigma?

You win… he just replaces me. The Red-Manned Lioness chuckles, actually amused. Your darkness? Your ‘powers’? Can easily ruin my life. Can easily do some damage to me here tonight… but SCW will simply keep turning. Keep going. Without you… without me. As if nothing happened.

And you’ll have NOTHING to show for it.

Let THAT sink in while you’re on your way here, Enigma. For all your ‘power’, SCW remains unaffected. All your ‘tricks’, SCW remains standing. And after this? SCW and Apocalypse will continue on…

Deanna reflects on this for a second. That’s almost humbling and beautiful, isn’t it? That the federation will be okay regardless? It’s sort of… again, relieving, to me. Guess that IS because of CHBK… I think I understand him a little better now… she snaps back to attention. Point is, Enigma… this has NOTHING to do with SCW. This is just between you and me.

A fight. A battle for survival. You won’t find a ring here. You won’t find entrance music or anything of the sorts. You’re coming in for a fight that you’ve never had before. You’re coming in for a war that has no rules. I WANTED it that way!

Because I realized it, Enigma. The reason you’ve had one up on me this whole time. Why, even in beating you in the ring, you could still get the last laugh and get one up on me time and time again. It’s because you don’t care about playing by the rules. You don’t care about the wins or losses. Your desire is simply destruction. Nothing more. Nothing is off limits in that regard. Not a person’s freedom, their hopes and dreams, their very soul… Nothing is ‘too far’ for you…

So… if you’re not going to play by the rules… then… emerald-eyes narrow. Then I’m going to play by yours.

Slowly, Deanna eyes the light and all the darkness surrounding her. I’m not the victim here, Enigma. Not anymore. And you’re not the predator heading my way to ‘destroy me’ just to get to CHBK. CHBK is too good, too strong, and too much of an incredible leader of SCW to care about one single person. With the lives of so many on his shoulders – he will cast me away soon as he has to.

I want him to. Because I rather burn in the fires of my own choices, alone, then take SCW down with me. NEVER would I want the latter to happen because of me.

No, Enigma. I am not the victim and you are not the predator, like I said. You are walking into MY ground. Into MY trap. And I… I am the one that is waiting for you. Because how this ends? Oh, it isn’t through a simple three-count. She shakes her head. Not with a simple tap-out. Not even a simple ‘knock-out’.

No, Enigma… This doesn’t end until I get what I want. Her eyes narrow a little again. Even if the cameras go off. Even if the world is no longer watching. Even if we run out of ‘air-time’, this does not stop until you release Jessica FOREVER! I do not stop until you release her for good! I do not stop until you say it, do it, and swear on all you are – on your very dark and twisted soul – that she is forever free of you!

Reaching behind her, the redhead slowly pulls something out of her pocket… a metal lighter. Turning it around in her hand, she slowly flicks it, creating a singular flame that dances before her features. The flame does nothing to the shadows already surrounding Deanna.

You said that I would be losing ‘everything’ by wanting this, Enigma. she chuckles. Yet, as with everything, you fail to see what is really here. I have NOTHING left to lose. My body? My mind? She grins tiredly. There’s not much left of either these days. A title that I can barely hang onto thanks to you? Reed… Jones… Luz… I respect them so much! They will become a champion far better than me! They will take the division to new heights – heights I could never achieve! And I can smile at my year-plus reign… knowing I didn’t regret a single step. That everything lead to something I will never forget and forever cherish. My family… will be fine. She smiles to herself. They always will be – that’s why you’ve been unable to destroy me despite your vows, Enigma. We Frosts are survivors. Always have been…

So, you see, Enigma? There’s very little of me you can take… but you… She grins, flicking the lighter off and closing the lid before putting it back into her pocket. You DO have something to lose, don’t you. That thing you’re bringing as a ‘party favor’. What was it you called it? Her expression darken. ’The Heart of Veil’?

The thing that is ‘more powerful’ than you? The thing that you seem to covet with such reverence. Something YOU actually care about. And you plan to unleash it on SCW?

Sticking her lower lip out a little, Deanna contemplates. So, what if I take it and smash it over your head? Or throw it to the ground and watch it break into a hundred or so pieces? Or utterly destroy it? Her glare returns back to The Enigma, her voice slowing a little. What if I took something that YOU love, Enigma, and I destroyed it? Or tortured it? Or warped it into something you couldn’t recognize? How would that be?

Would you understand what you put ME through? What you put Jessica through? Would you comprehend the justice behind it all? Would you be the one begging me to stop? Would you be the one begging for mercy? Would you be the one suffering for once?! Would nightmares fill your head?!! Would it be YOUR life that starts to unravel with such a loss?!! Would it be YOU that deteriorated as the days and weeks and months went by?!!! WOULD IT?!!!

Her voice echoes through the dark space, her face a mixture of pain, anger and barely held-together patience, like the lioness hungry for its food.

You can bring your ‘heart’, Enigma. I have mine! She places a hand over her chest. Unlike yours, mine beats every second for those that I love. It’s a heart that you can’t hold in your hand! It’s a heart you’ve never been able to conquer and will NEVER be able to conquer! It’s one that continues to beat with love for my friend, Jessica. That will do ANYTHING to free her from you forever. It’s a heart that will SHATTER you and your little reliquary!

And when I’m done… her eyes grow cold once more. When I am finished with you and after I’ve made you free Jessica from your grasp? After I’ve broken your heart – I am going to show the truth about you and your ‘powers’, Enigma. Because, like the rest of SCW… I am going to leave you here… in the dark. I will take Jessica back to SCW! And… like the rest of the SCW Universe… I’ll simply forget that you exist!

She leans forward in her chair, eyes glaring into the camera. And without me to speak your name, Enigma. Who will you have left to even hear you? Even want you? Or even believe you?

No one… she shakes her head. Not a single soul… Nothing but the sound of silence… as everything about you just burns out...

Checkmate, you son of a bitch. Slowly, the red-haired woman sits back in her chair, waiting patiently. I’ll be waiting…

The camera shot slowly fades on her before going back to black.