Dexter Grant vs. Kimberly Williams

[The Matt]

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December 14th, 2024
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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Fatal Fortunes has come and gone and it helped put Kimberly Williams back on what she feels is her true and proper path. The Fatal Fortunes wheel decided that The Woman Scorned would face off against Scott Reed in a Last Person Standing Match. The Queen of the Death Match threw everything she had at Reed. It wasn’t just a matter of pride, a matter of proving that she is still the Queen of the Death Match, the Queen of the Underground, it was a matter of getting her win back against Reed. Reed had beaten her awhile back one on one but Fatal Fortunes has now allowed her to make things right. She got her win back, she put herself back onto her winning ways, and more importantly she has reminded SCW just how dangerous she can be in a situation where there are few rules. She reminded SCW that with or without the championship she is still the woman to beat in the Underground. This is important for The Woman Scorned because she is laser focused on regaining the SCW Underground Championship. Unfortunately, this laser focus may be detrimental going forward as The Woman Scorned is now scheduled to face Dexter Grant. Grant has made waves since arriving in SCW, beating some top names including Rayne Young and Kim’s identical twin sister Marie Jones. Grant has also earned a shot at the SCW Adrenaline Championship. He is no slouch despite his unusual nature. Kim isn’t one to judge about being unusual. She wrote the book on being unusual. But a match against Dexter isn’t exactly what she wants. She wants to continue to work towards earning an Underground Title Match. She wants to reclaim her throne. This match against Dexter Grant isn’t even Underground Rules. It is a standard match. Kim is furious and frustrated about this booking but she is not going to display it publicly and more importantly she will not simply walk away from the match because she views it as unimportant. Kim’s mother and backstage advocate Angelica Jones has her on a tight leash.

Kimberly has certainly bonded with her mother since the two started working together in SCW. They have grown much closer than they used to be. Still, despite all of this, Kim has always felt as if she did not truly belong to the Jones Wrestling Family. Despite having Jones blood running through her veins, Kim always felt like an outcast. In an attempt to try and figure out where she fit in with the Jones family, The Woman Scorned has been busy digging up the dirt on the one member of her family that she still knows next to nothing about: her late grandfather, Bart Jones. That research took her all the way to Europe, specifically Poland, where she learned Bart died and was cremated only to have his remains brought back to America by none other than the black sheep of the family, Anastasia Ivanova. Now the finish line in her quest for understanding, her journey to find knowledge, and Kim is determined to find out exactly what her aunt knows and, more importantly, why she has the remains of Bart Jones and has been keeping it away from the rest of the family.

Currently the home of Anastasia Ivanova is enveloped in darkness, save for the faint orange glow of a streetlamp filtering through the heavy, floral-patterned curtains. The space is compact but cozy, with a sense of age and use evident in every detail. Against one wall stands a well-worn, overstuffed couch, its fabric faded and frayed at the edges. A knit throw blanket is draped casually over one armrest, and a small pillow leans against the opposite side. A low coffee table sits in front of the couch, cluttered with items: an old paperback book with its pages dog-eared, a half-empty coffee mug, and a few crumpled receipts. To the side, an armchair with sagging cushions rests near a tall, narrow bookshelf filled with mismatched volumes and a few framed photographs. The frames glint faintly in the dim light, their images obscured. A dusty floor lamp stands beside the chair, its shade slightly askew, though its bulb remains off. The room smells faintly of wood polish and the lingering aroma of a home-cooked meal, with a touch of dampness from the evening’s cool air. Along the mantle of a modest brick fireplace, family photos are lined up alongside a few holiday cards and a small clock with a faintly ticking hand.

The living room door slowly creaks open. A figure enters and a silhouette of a hand reaches over to switch on the lights. This is Anastasia Ivanova and she is wearing a bold red outfit that stands out vividly. Her top is a fitted, semi-sheer red camisole with thin spaghetti straps. The fabric appears to have a textured or lace-like detail, emphasizing a chic and daring look. She pairs the top with matching red pants that are high-waisted and feature a sporty vibe. The pants have a stripe down the sides with text or a pattern, adding a modern, athleisure element to the ensemble. For footwear, she opts for white pointed shoes with red lace-up details that complement the outfit’s color scheme while providing a striking contrast. Ivanova steps further into the room, approaching the comfy couch. Before she can sit down, however, an arm is wrapped around her and a knife is pressed against her throat. Standing behind her, with a crazed look on her face and wielding a deadly weapon that could end Ivanova at a moment’s notice, is Kimberly Williams.

“Good evening Aunt Ana!” She kisses her on the cheek. “Did you miss your favorite niece?”

“A knife, really Kim?” Ivanova giggles excitedly. “Do no threaten me with a good time.”

“Slitting your throat is fun to you?” Kim asks curiously. “I could slice your gut wide open like a fishy!”

“Even better!”

Anastasia Ivanova, Angelica Jones’s half-sister and thus Kimberly’s aunt, might be crazier and more eccentric than Kimberly herself, if that is even possible. The combination of these two individuals makes it hard to imagine just what will happen. Kim tightens her grip on Anastasia.

“Careful. My arm might slip and you’ll go meet God. If you do, put in a good word for me, why don’t ya?” She smirks. “I haven’t exactly been a good little girl.”

“Of course, my dear niece.” Anastasia snickers. “But then again, I sincerely doubt you will actually do anything.”

“You question my tendency for violence?”

“Not at all. I just suspect that you want something from me and you know that you will not get it if I am dead.” She snickers again. “So ahead, sweet niece. Kill me. I’m sure your mother will be so pleased.”

The Woman Scored hates being questioned. She hates being doubted. But she realizes that she is facing someone who is actually crazier than her. Reluctantly, Kimberly pulls the knife away and then shoves Anastasia down onto the couch. Williams tosses the knife away and then mounts Ivanova, holding her down to further interrogate her.

“You know, I really should kill you…” she gets up close to yell into her ear “...I should kill you for keeping a man’s death, his location secret, from his family! I should kill you because you have had his remains all along while your own sister…MY MOTHER…suffered because she didn’t know of his fate!”

“Oh that…” Ivanova sighs, she is still unphased by Kimberly’s intensity and her threats of physical violence “...how did you figure it out?”

“I’ve been to Poland.” Kim points out. “Julian told me.”

“Oh Julian.” Ivanova laughs. “He’s such a snitch…”

“He is a Chatty Cathy.”

“Well I have my reasons for keeping MY father’s remains to myself and hidden from my sisters and the rest of the family. And if you were to hear the entire story, the bits that your mother refuses to tell you, then you might understand.”

Kimberly thinks about what Anastasia just said. She doesn’t trust her, not for a second, but at the same time she does want answers. Williams reluctantly gets up off of Anastasia and sits down next to her on the couch. Anastasia sits up and composes herself. She looks over at Kim and smirks devilishly.

“It is good that you got off of me, my sweet niece. I do love you dearly but I am quite certain that incest is illegal and if anyone had seen us in such a compromising position tongues would wag.”

“You have one twisted mind.” Kim says pointedly. Then she laughs. “I like you!”

“Thank you.”

“Now can we pretend to be civilized people?” Kim asks. “I mean, I love a good fight to the death as much as the next psychopath, but I do want some answers and I can’t get them from a corpse.”

“You would be surprised at how much you can learn from a corpse, my niece. But yes, I agree, being civil is the right move. Shall I get up and get you a drink? Some wine perhaps?”

“So you can spike it?” Kim smirks and shakes her head. “No, you’re not gonna use my own tricks against me.” She folds her arms over her chest. “You said I don’t know the entire story. Well I’m here and I am willing to hear the rest of the story. So talk…or fight me, one or the other.”

“Fighting does sound appealing but fine, we shall talk.” Ivanova sighs. “First tell me, what story did Julian tell you? What did you learn while you were in Poland?”

“I just know that Bart was furious when some idiots from Russia murdered his wife. He went over to Europe to get revenge. But he never got his revenge and came back. But years later he was abducted and taken back overseas. They tried to smuggle him into Russia but for whatever reason they couldn’t get him in. He died in Poland.” Kim points an accusatory finger at Anastasia. “And somehow you came into possession of his ashes after he was cremated and you never did tell the rest of us!”

“You talk like you care.” She giggles. “Yet you won’t even call him grandfather. He’s just Bart to you.”

“I don’t even know anything about him.”

“Then shut up and listen, my stubborn little niece.” Anastasia commands with a playful wink. “You act as if you have no connections to your grandfather whatsoever. But consider this…he worked for the CIA, he lied to his superiors in the federal government to convince them to let him go overseas on the promise of catching a suspected terrorist when in reality he was there on a mission of bloody vengeance. Sound like someone you know?” Ivanova asks with an arched brow. Kim snickers.

“Yeah! Me!”

“See? You and your grandfather have more in common than you think. But there’s more…you and I might not be that close but I have followed you and your path quite closely, Kimberly. You might have a tendency to solve your problems through violence and chaos, but your endgame is always pure. Your intentions are always noble. Bart Jones…MY FATHER…during his mission of vengeance met a young woman who had been forced into sex slavery. Organized crime is an awful thing, is it not?”

“Yeah….” Kim says, he voice trailing off.

“Bart took time away from tracking down his wife’s killer in order to rescue that woman. Over time the two developed a close relationship. When he learned that she was pregnant with his daughter, he felt obligated to take care of the child he had fathered.”

“And that’s you…?” Kim points at Anastasia. She nods her head.

“Tah-dah! That’s me!” She grins. “And arguably I am the reason he never did finish his mission of vengeance. He was too busy taking care of me.

“Whoa, whoa, hold up there…” Kim shakes her head furiously, a look of disbelief washes over her “...why am I just now hearing about this?”

“Because my sisters…your dear mother and your aunt Kayla…they never treated me like family. They treated me like a second class citizen. They hated their father for cheating on their mother.”

“But she was dead…” Kim shakes her head “...he wasn’t cheating on her.”

“Tell them that.” She shrugs her shoulders. “In their mind he cheated on the memory of their beloved mother. But your grandfather, my father, he always treated me like his daughter. He always took time to visit me…up until the day he disappeared, until he was murdered. If you want to know about your grandfather, sweet niece, ask me. Do not ask your mother.”

The Woman Scorned stares coldly at Anastasia. She finds it hard to believe what she has just heard. Yet some of her story rings of truth. Angelica and Kayla both have had hard feelings towards their father in the past. Plus it seems as though Anastasia might really know more about him than they do. Kimberly is desperate to learn as much as she can about Bart Jones, desperate to find out where she fits into the Jones family. She quickly nods her head.

“Fine. So tell me everything about Bart…I mean…about my grandfather.”

“That’s better.” She pats Kim on the back. “Your grandfather was one of the best spies the CIA ever had. He was very inventive and unique in his technique of blending in and gaining information.” She touches Kim on the nose. “Much like you…Kimlock Holmes.” A grin forms on Kim’s face. She can feel the pride swelling up within her. “He always preferred a simplistic lifestyle. Bart looked so out of place compared to the extravagant luxurious looks of his other children, almost like a bum.”

“Like me!” Kim exclaims cheerfully.

“Oh and that nickname of your mother’s, The Dragon?” Anastasia shakes her head. “It did not just magically come from her. It was a nickname that Bart’s colleagues gave him during his days working with the CIA. He was infamous for taking on gangsters and crimelords.”

“Seriously?” Kim seems genuinely surprised. She almost doesn’t believe her but she has no reason to doubt. Anastasia nods her head.

“I am serious. Your grandfather was the original Dragon. Your mother was only the second. And perhaps, if I may suggest, you could be the third Dragon?” Ivanova winks. “I think you have more than earned the nickname.”

“Maybe…” Kim pauses, studying her aunt carefully “...but you know, while all of this sounds cool and all, how do I know you’re telling me the truth? I mean, you and mom aren’t exactly BFFs now are ya?”

“Fair point and if you would permit me to get up without you assaulting me, I would gladly go and provide proof that what I say is the truth.”

Kimberly reluctantly nods her head. Anastasia smirks as she rises up off of the couch and slowly walks away and out of the living room. Kim waits patiently for her aunt’s return. She realizes that letting her out of her sight might have been a mistake. Ana is just as crazy as Kim. But she is family and she can only hope that she will not take advantage of family. Eventually she hears Anastasia returning. She sees her approaching with a book in hand. Kimberly stands up as Ivanova hands her the book.

“This, sweet niece, is your grandfather’s journal, documenting all of his many adventures in the CIA, including every detail of his excursion in Europe after the murder of his wife. Read it and you will find the answers you seek in his own words.”

“Thanks…” Kim looks down at the journal, a book that may contain the words, the essence, the very soul of her grandfather, and a potential link to her own past and identity as a Jones. She then looks back up at Anastasia “...and what about his remains?”

“Right here.” She holds up a locket. Kim only just now noticed Anastasia was wearing it. “I always carry him with me.”

“Why did you keep it a secret from my mother?”

“Why did your mother always treat me like an outcast?” Anastasia asks. “Your mother preaches on the importance of family but just because we have different mothers she thinks we belong to different families. Is that fair, my sweet niece?” She grins knowingly. “You, of all people, should know quite well about what it is like to be treated like a second class citizen.”

Kimberly nods her head. She does indeed know the feeling. Her mother, Angelica, her ant, Kayla, and her half-sister Jessica all at one time refused to have anything to do with her due to the crimes she once committed and the time she spent in an insane asylum. It took Kim’s twin sister, Marie Jones, to convince them to give her a chance and to accept her into the family. They are treating Anastasia just like they treated Kim.

“Yeah, I do know the feeling.” She shakes her head. “And it isn’t right. For what it’s worth, I’ll talk to my mom. You deserve better.”

“Thank you. And let your mother know that she can come see our father anytime she wishes.”

Kimberly hugs Anastasia. This certainly is quite the turnaround from how the visit started. It began with Kim threatening to kill her. Now they are hugging. But neither woman is exactly normal or sane. Still, they have a right to belong. They both belong in the Jones family. But for the longest time Kim has never truly felt as if she really did belong. She never knew her place in the family. But now after hearing these stories about Bart Jones, she feels a little closer. Bart Jones, as it turns out, was much like Kimberly Williams. Both were inquisitive, both were inventive and creative, and both sought after justice in their own unique ways that did not always conform to societal norms. Now maybe this journal will provide the remaining answers she needs. Hopefully this will provide Kim the answers she seeks. After all, she still remains laser focused on the Underground Title. She also has Dexter Grant to deal with on Breakdown. She cannot allow herself to be distracted.