The One & Nicole Kinneck vs. The House of Frost

[SnowQueenSCW]

The Witches of Alden

”Emerald”

Tony’s Di Napoli
New York City, New York
February 1st, 2023
8:54pm


Deanna kept staring at her steak, mashed potatoes and baby potato entrée, as if the gravy and baby potato she was playing with with her fork held the answers to the thoughts going on inside her head. She barely heard the noise of the other customers as she glumly played with her food – partially chastising herself for it after telling her children over and over not to at the dinner table. She wasn’t even worried about the gravy potentially getting on her emerald-gown. Her eyes cast down to spy the material that covered her skin elegantly. She loved wearing this dress – well, dresses in general, because she liked how attractive they made her feel, especially with how Selena always looked at her.

Selena…

This was supposed to be their ‘date night’ and here she was, unable to get out of her funk. For a moment, the young redhead gazed from out of her peripheral vision to catch the white of Selena’s gown. She had loved how Selena was dressed tonight – having eyed her as Selena had driven them here in the AXTGRIFF, the vehicle Selena had won in the World Series of Wrestling last year. The white gown with her hair having a bit of volume and wave to it as it flowed freely like her own, but less curly. Still, despite knowing all of this, the younger Frost just couldn’t get out of her thoughts on SCW and Breakdown.

She had lost… again. As far as ‘records’ were for 2023, she didn’t really feel like she was living up to her name as ‘Rookie of the Year’, having won one match thanks to interference by too many people to count and then losing to Owen Cruze, but that was only half of the equation.

What occupied her thoughts more than anything was her own confusion. Breakdown was supposed to have been a match to test her skill. A chance for her to have the match of, perhaps, her career against the current world champion. If ever there was a time to show the world what she was capable of outside of being “Selena’s wife”, to show The One exactly what she was in for when Deanna FINALLY got in the ring with her, that match had been it!

Instead, Kimberly had made the match into an absolute joke! A farce of what skill was and just using weapons and getting in as many shots as possible! If the chair hadn’t been in the ring, Owen would have had nothing to distract the redhead in order to land that heart punch of his! Maybe she still wouldn’t have won but at least she could have lived with that!  Losing to a more talented person on skill and ability alone. Instead, she felt the same feeling of loss when she had missed her chance to face Owen in the chamber when Allocco had pinned her and again when Hairless Penguin had been chosen for the End of the Year title shot over her. That feeling of having an opportunity ripped from her hands.

But what bothered her about that most of all was who was responsible – and no, it wasn’t entirely Kimberly this time.

Deeper, Deanna went with her thoughts, unable to feel the sensation of her hair being tucked back from a pale hand. Why had he interfered? Why had he changed things like that and ultimately ruined- HOLY CATS! her brain screamed as her neck suddenly felt like it was being frozen! She felt the piece of ice press into her skin but as she snapped her head up to gasp, her fork dropping onto her plate with a light clang, but her sounds were suddenly swallowed whole by the mouth covering hers!

The wash of emotions: shock, surprise, cold, stunned, all leading to realization, comfort, a familiar softness even if the cold in her neck lingered as the ice was held there. The redhead was suddenly awash with these emotions as she felt her wife kiss her deeply, Deanna’s own arms eventually simply going slack from the pure barrage of sensations.

Eventually, she felt the platinum-blonde lean her own head away from Deanna’s, allowing some sense of sanity return to the younger woman. Opening her eyes in a bit of a flutter, Deanna spotted the sapphire-eyed beauty gazing at her patiently, a playful smile on her face. Gods… she’s beautiful… Deanna thought, a hand reaching up to pet the wrist of the hand that was grasping her neck with one finger, the ice still melting slowly down her neck.

“Hi.” Selena smiled. “Something on your mind?”

It took a moment before Deanna’s senses fully returned, and the redhead’s hand flew up fully to swat at the one Selena had on her neck. “Mean.” She remarked, though she could not stop the smile that was playing on her own lips from her wife’s playfulness. Reaching with her free hand to grab the napkin on her side of the table, Deanna quickly wiped at the wet skin at the nape of her neck. Part of her, she felt, deserved this little playful trickery at the behest of her wife. She HAD been ignoring the Snow Queen with being lost in her thoughts and all.

“I know.” She heard Selena reply, her tone apologetic to the redhead’s ears as her wife returned to her seat. “But I tried getting your attention. Pretty sure you drowned your potatoes.”

“I what?” Deanna asked in curiosity before casting her eyes down, seeing the little, round potatoes drowning in the gravy that had covered some of her mashed potatoes. When had that happened? She hadn’t even realized she had been doing that for that long. Had she been so lost in her thoughts – well, obviously she had if Selena had managed to get out of her chair RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER, sneak around her and ice her as she had done. “Oh…yeah.” Deanna sighed, feeling the tinge of embarrassment blossom physically with the modest blush in her cheeks, reaching up to scratch the top of her head and cover some of her shame.

“Breakdown?”

The question came from across the table, Selena patiently watching her and, seemingly, not really needing an answer from her tone. Again, that familiar feeling of guilt came back to Deanna, as the redhead lowered her arm down to her lap, giving a slight shrug as she kept her eyes away from her wife.

“We’re not really supposed to talk about work.” She reminded, shrugging again.

“And yet we inevitably do.” Selena replied knowingly, causing Deanna to gaze back up to the patient smile on her wife’s face. “Come on, Deanna.” The taller Frost tried, reaching out to take her hand, only for Deanna to pull away on instinct, emerald eyes narrowing at Selena.

I’m not falling for that again!

“Are you holding another ice-cube?” Deanna accused, keeping her distance from her wife’s offered hand. It was enough to earn a light chuckle from Selena before the older woman opened her offered hand. It was empty.

Okay… With a huff, Deanna nodded her head. “Fine.” She remarked, reaching out and placing her hand inside of Selena’s, immediately feeling the warmth of it as it closed around hers, always comforting.

“What’s going on?” Selena asked. “Is it because you lost?”

Oh gods… if only! Deanna thought. She wished it was so simple. Losing sucked, especially when your partner was doing so well on her own. In that regard, it felt like Deanna was falling behind in her part in being an ‘equal partner’ to her wife when she was either losing or winning due to interference while her wife was cleaning house against champions and number one contenders. But oh, simply being grumpy over losing would have been SO much preferred over what she was feeling and mulling over in her head these days. “Not exactly.” Was all she was able to say at first, her reply coming out more as a sigh/whimper than anything else. “I mean, yeah, it sucked. I really wanted to beat him… just to say I was good enough to do it.”

Still, it took a moment for Deanna to get to the heart of the matter, lifting her head to gaze at Selena again. “Why did he do it?”

“Who?” Selena inquired, Deanna seeing the confusion in her wife’s eyes. “Owen? Throwing the chair? I mean… it was a strategy. Or maybe it was desperation? Maybe to get an opening – I really don’t-“

“No. Not him.” Deanna shook her head, dismissing the world champion’s part in her thoughts for now. What had Owen done but his very best to survive and stay in some form of momentum – which he desperately needed with his world title defense on the horizon. No, it wasn’t about Owen at all.

“D..” Deanna answered in a near-whisper to the point she wondered if Selena had even heard her, which caused her to speak up a little. “I mean… I’ve been thinking about this since it happened. All that talk about stopping meddling and people just getting involved, and then he allows that to happen. It just doesn’t make sense.”

“Deanna…” Selena tried. “Losses happen and-“

“I don’t care that I lost, okay?” Deanna replied without thinking, feeling the irritation and even a spike of anger inside her. “I accepted the new terms and came up short. Fine! I have a long way to go, I’m the ‘weak-link’ of the House of Frost, I’m the one falling behind – I get it.”

“I never-“

“Selena, come on.” Deanna sighed, really not wanting to be coddled right now as she pulled her hand away from Selena’s. “You beat the Adrenaline champion, one of the considered contenders for both the United States and World title and the next guy in line with Adam. Tell me your stock didn’t take a much-needed rise in the ‘singles’ department from that.”

Before her eyes, Selena immediately clamed up, unable to deny anything Deanna had just said, because it would be a bold-face lie, which only caused Deanna to sigh knowingly at that. “It’s all I’m going to hear this week. ‘Damaged goods’…” she used her fingers for air-quotes. “Bullseye on the arm, I’ve been around enough to know that much about how things are going to go. But fine, we have you, we’re going to get through this best we can and do all we can to retain the titles. I’m not worried about that.”

“You’re not?”

“No!” Deanna glared at her wife, somewhat surprised the veteran hadn’t figured this out. “I have you. I’m not scared of anything when we’re wrestling together. Even in the chamber, when you were outside it, I wasn’t really ‘scared scared’, you know? Nervous, sure, but with you- and when we’re tagging together-“ it was hard to keep her thoughts straight when so many were racing through her head. She wanted to talk about D.. She wanted to talk about her faith in Selena and in them as a tag-team. She wanted to express her frustrations at her shortcomings as a singles wrestler. She wanted to- her mind stopped as she felt Selena’s hand on hers again, giving it a light squeeze as the Snow Queen sat near her.

“Why did Mr. D. allow Kim to do that? Why couldn’t he have just let the match be a normal match and let me see if I was good enough to beat Owen on my own? It just feels so… like he doesn’t believe in me or he doesn’t care about my career or growth or he just wanted to push Kim and Owen and… I don’t know… it just feels so opposite of what he promised. “It felt like…” she felt her voice drop to a whisper as she turned her head away, pulling her hand away from Selena while the other hand grasped her fork to poke at one of the gravy-covered baby potatoes. “Like with Adam Allocco and those ‘5 moves of doom’. Like I didn’t matter and was just the stepping stone. Like D. didn’t really care about me or what the match meant to me.”

After what felt like several minutes, Deanna lifted her head away from her plate to gaze her emerald eyes at her wife. Selena merely sat there, nibbling at her Caesar salad.

“You don’t really have an answer, do you?” the redhead shook her head knowingly at her wife.

“I don’t.” she answered as the waiter passed, refilling her water and letting her take a sip from it. “But it could be a number of things, sweetheart. He was worried about Owen being in an underground match, and you were the former Underground champion-“

Who never got her rematch. Deanna thought bitterly.

“You were also the Rookie of the Year… “

Who can’t win a match on her own, it seems.

“It could have been practice for him to stay sharp.“

“But what about me-“ Deanna half-blurted but silenced herself as she saw Selena lift her free hand up.

“Sweetheart…” she tried. “It could also be he wanted to test your toughness after your injury or maybe he just wanted to push the main-event of the pay-per-view, like a boost in views and sales. It is a business.”

“But that’s…” Deanna tried. She wanted to say the word ‘unfair’. Was she not trying hard enough? Had she just put in the weeks of rehab and hours and hours of training to get ready in short time just to be considered ‘practice’ for Owen Cruze? Was that all she was worth in the eyes of SCW management? Like how it was when she had faced Adam Allocco? Were her efforts worth so little to everyone except Selena?

“I know it is.” She heard Selena say, the older woman able to understand what the redhead was conveying. “But… Hunny, it can’t always be fair…”

Deanna listened mostly as Selena tried to explain everything to her. They talked about the ‘fairness of SCW’, Selena’s own struggles, and to her wife’s credit, she tried to show validity in Deanna’s concerns about being ‘overlooked’ and ‘dismissed as a mere stepping-stone’. Throughout it all, Selena would occasionally take Deanna’s hand again and squeeze it in comfort. It was helpful enough that Deanna could at least eat her dinner rather than play with it, but her brain still kept tumbling things around inside her noodle, getting lost in her thoughts during the silences they shared at the table. Yes, her wife was right. Deanna knew that. She had not been prepared for a semi-Underground-match with Owen Cruze and it could have easily gone much worse for her.

What if her arm had been reinjured?
What if Owen had gone after her arm or The One/Kinneck had gotten involved?
What if things had spiralled so out-of-control like they had a few weeks ago that Body, Heart and Soul was ruined for the House of Frost?

Worse case scenario? They’d have to be stripped of the world tag-team titles due to her not being able to compete.  Another bad scenario? Fighting The One and Nicole Kinneck with a bad arm, and while Deanna had barely managed to take on Bear and Hairless Penguin with Selena by her side, she was certain, despite her limited time fighting Nicole Kinneck, that The House of Frost would not have survived a tag-match with The One if she was firing on all cylinders while Deanna was back to wrestling with a handicap.

So, there was some comfort in that, Deanna had to admit upon hearing her wife. Comfort that she should be grateful for. But again, not one of those scenarios would have been even possible if D. hadn’t altered the match in the first place! Gods, she hated having to keep returning to that fact but it was upsetting her the more and more she thought about it. Even with Selena’s explanations, the Snow Queen wasn’t even sure why things had happened as they had last Breakdown – and she knew the boss and respected him! One of the few people that had stayed around the last ten or so years that still did! Kelcey was gone, Regan was out, Owen was hit and miss in his loyalties – the only person that had never wavered in her faith in the SCW and the owner was Selena herself, and even she didn’t quite know why he had turned the match from something amazing into a gimmick on the fly!

She was ripped out of her thoughts as she felt herself being lifted out of her seat by Selena taking her hand. Without a word, her wife guided her towards the space of other customers dancing – Deanna had seen this happen a few times in the other instances they visited Tony’s. First-date people taking a chance or people just getting lost to the music and the moment. Or her… feeling a slight flutter at what she realized her wife was trying to do. Finding a spot for them before turning around swiftly, Selena’s pale hands immediately found their place as the lead, the taller Frost instantly, and gently, guiding Deanna into a simple shuffle-step. Deanna adapted her posture and stance, taking the hand that held hers while placing the other on Selena’s shoulder automatically – the common stance they took whenever they were truly dancing and not just playing within their ‘Forever Home’.

Despite her thoughts, Deanna couldn’t help the small smile that formed. Since the cast had been removed, yes, they had resumed more physical activities like training together, swimming and having sex, but dancing hadn’t really come up. For Deanna, so many other things had been on her mind – her obsession to not fall any further behind her wife as a wrestler. Of reaching a standard and ability where she was an even better defending champion. Bringing the fight to The One in their feud!

Dancing just hadn’t fit into it and part of her was ashamed of that. Ashamed that she had not taken more time to enjoy such things, made possible by  not having your arm wrapped in an air-cast for weeks and weeks.

She almost felt a purr of contentment escape her when Selena pulled her closer, letting her rest her head over the Snow Queen’s shoulder and a bit into her neck. She loved how she felt when Selena held her like this – like she was meant to be with her with how perfect they fit together. Destiny is the perfect word for such moments…

That’s what Deanna wanted more than anything. She didn’t just want to be a tag-team champion with Selena. She wanted to be the perfect companion for the Snow Queen. The perfect companion piece. Someone that stood on her own and in her own right but complimented Selena at the same time. Someone that was part of a great picture of talent and ability and legacy – a picture that involved Selena. She wanted to be as perfect to her as she felt right then and there in her arms.

Which meant she needed to deal with The One herself. Not in a way that cost The House of Frost the tag-team titles, but this was HER battle. One had fractured her arm, not Selena’s, and ruined the match Deanna had set up during End of the Year after receiving her award. This whole thing? It had started with her and Selena, being a good wife and partner, had stood by Deanna’s side through it all, but… Deanna sighed as she felt Selena hold her… she was the one that needed to make her statement at the pay-per-view. Whether it was taking down One to allow Selena to get the pin or taking the pin herself, she needed to make it clear that this was HER battle more than Selena’s and that she, the Queen’s Guard, was going to end it on her terms this time around, not The One’s.

I just hope Selena understands…

They continued to dance, Deanna slowly losing herself to it until she felt Selena release her, pale hands moving up her frame to hold Deanna’s face.

“Alright, dear patrons of Tony’s…” came the voice of the maitre-d just as Selena was leaning in. Dammit!/i] Deanna thought. [i]I was gonna get kissed! she pouted a little as they turned their attention to the stage, Selena leaning her head against Deanna’s to maintain some level of contact. “We have a very special treat for you tonight. When I learned that he was returning to his hometown of New York, I had to get him to perform here like he used to in so many fine establishments like this one-“

“So, McDonald’s was closed?” someone yelled, Deanna wasn’t sure who, but people were laughing, so it was okay.

The large man on the platform-stage grinned. “Alright, alright. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the world-touring lounge-singer… Asmodeus!”

I’m sure I heard that name wrong. Deanna stated with a tilt of her head, trying the name on her tongue. “Did he say ‘Asmodeus’?” she asked, trying it out. “Weird name, I never-“

It was then that she suddenly felt her wife’s arms, which had moved to around her waist, suddenly grow tense. Quickly, the redhead threw her gaze back towards the woman holding her, seeing the absolute shock and despair in her wife’s sapphire eyes. “Selena?” she asked, her voice worrisome.

“Oh no…” she heard the platinum-blonde whisper as someone took the stage, a black man in a black suit. “Not him…” came the breath of Selena’s voice in a whisper as she slowly backed away from the ‘dancing area’, even turning to march back to her table with Deanna in tow.

“Whoa…hey…” Deanna tried, confusion racing through every part of her. “Selena, what’s going on?”

“Thank you, Tony.” Came the smooth, velvety voice of the man throughout the room via the sound-speakers. “For those of you that don’t know, the name is Asmodeus, and for a bit tonight, I will be your entertainer of-“ Deanna heard him suddenly stop but she didn’t really pay attention to what was behind her until she heard. “Why I recognize that hair anywhere! One of a kind! Selena Frost! Is that you?!”

She suddenly felt Selena stop, the redhead almost running into her! It was only then that Deanna cast a glance back at the man on the stage. He had strong, solid facial features, with short, black hair and a very trimmed, black heard. He was of a strong, firm built. Aesthetically, he was a very gorgeous man, Deanna might have appreciated that more than a mere glance if she wasn’t too busy wondering what the hell was happening to her wife.

Slowly, she felt Selena turn back around to face the man on the stage, who’s smile widened to- well, to Deanna, he almost looked like the Big Bad Wolf in that moment, which unnerved her.

“Well, well! Of all the restaurants in the world – you had to walk into mine… Or Tony’s I guess.” He tried, a lame paraphrasing of Casa Blanca, but the other customers seemed to like it. “Well, for the others, Sel is an old friend of mine-“

Again, she felt Selena tense up at the use of that name, but now Deanna, herself was feeling it within herself as well. Nobody calls her that but me! she felt the protective spike reach her as she stood in front of Selena, reaching down to grasp her hand tightly. As for the singer, Asmodeus, he swiftly and smoothly segued from that into a song, singing a smooth, deep jazz of a tune that captured everyone else’s attention.

Forgotten for the time, Selena quickly marched away from the space and around the room until she was back at the table. Quickly, she began rifling through her purse.

“Selena?” Deanna tried, keeping up with her. “Who is that? How do you know him?”

For a moment, the Queen’s Guard wasn’t sure her wife had heard her, but as Selena pulled out the wallet from her purse, she managed to speak.

“From my past.” She sighed. “Just before I met you.”

“From-“ Deanna’s voice trailed off for a moment, literally a dozen or more possibilities running through her head. What did that mean? Did they know each other from Nome? SCW? Wrestling? Where they l…lovers? Despite their marriage, Deanna knew about Selena’s previous affairs with the opposite gender. Yes, she considered herself a lesbian now, but there were always exceptions in Selena’s world. Had this Asmodeus been an exception in the earlier years of Selena’s life?

“What-“ she stammered a little, trying her best not to show her unease. “What kind of past are we-“

“Dammit.” Selena growled before clipping her purse shut, effectively silencing the readhead. “I don’t have enough bills to pay for the meal tonight.”
“So?” Deanna shrugged. “I’ll pay with my card.”
“You didn’t bring any bills either?”
“No.” Deanna shook her head. “I only have a few for emergencies and not enough for a full meal like this – why?”

“Because I want to leave.” Selena stressed. “But now we have to wait for the waiter with the debit machine.” She looked around nervously, running a hand through her long hair, trying to get the attention of one of the staff to assist them, but they all were busy serving their respective tables to notice her.

“Selena…” Deanna tried, reaching out to take her wife’s outstretched hand into her own, gaining her wife’s attention. “What is going on? Who is that guy? Part of your past before me?”

Deanna heard the applause from the other room, but mostly tried to ignore it, trying instead to calm her wife’s fidgeting. Carefully, she ushered Selena back to her seat, handing her the platinum-blonde’s glass of water, which had, again, been refilled at some point during their dancing.

“Calm down, Selena, please.” She urged. “You’re going to have a panic attack.” She watched Selena drink the cold water, which seemed to calm her nerves. “Whatever or whoever this guy is, he can’t be as bad as Killjoy, right?” she tried.

“Oh gods no.” Selena shook her head. “No, there is nothing illegal about-“

“There you are!” Came the deep voice from the archway that lead to the ‘stage’, and before the two Frosts stood the black-suited man, with that wolfish smile on his face. “Selena Frost.” He added with calm recognition as he moved closer.

“Oz.” Selena steadied herself with a calming breath. “Been a while.”

“How long? I’ve lost track.” Asmodeus replied with a smile before his eyes settled on Deanna, specifically her auburn hair. “And who is this red candy apple?” he offered a hand to Deanna, who hesitantly took it. “Asmodeus. Singer.”

“Deanna Frost.” Deanna answered back. “Wrestler.”

“Frost?” Asmodeus eyes widened, shifting over to Selena. “Selena, you didn’t tell me you had a sister…”

“She doesn’t.” Deanna answered sharply.
“I don’t.” Selena stated at the same time as the redhead. “Asmodeus. My wife, Deanna.”

“Wait… was that the same girl that you-“
“Yes.” Selena answered quickly, causing a stunned grin, filled with white teeth, to form from the singer.
“Well, I’ll be!” he remarked.

“I’m sorry.” Deanna stressed, removing her hand from Asmodeus’ firm grip. He was suave and a bit intimidating, but she had faced monsters and giants inside the ring! She had dealt with people like Kimberly Williams in her own game of Underground for Odin’s sake! So, she stood her ground, doing what she felt to be her duty. Guard the queen… “But you’re clearly making my wife uncomfortable, so would you mind returning to your show or at least, for my sake, telling me how you two-“

“Uncomfortable?” the smile left the man’s face in a split-second as he turned his head to Selena. “Is that true, Selena?”

The Snow Queen merely shrugged. “You might as well tell her how we know each other, Oz.”

For a moment, the singer gazed at the two wives in a bit of surprise before giving a shrug and pulling up one of the empty seats to sit down.

“Well, to put it simply… when Selena first came to New York as part of her job with SCW, she was struggling to find a place and a proper agent. Someone to properly represent her. At the time, I was working as a multi-facet proprietor. Lining up talent with representators and such.”

“What does that mean?” Deanna asked.

“It means he worked both agencies and strip-clubs.” Selena stated flatly, effectively cutting through the embellishments and ‘double-speak’ Asmodeus was clearly employing. “And the only reason he noticed me was because he saw me walking on the street and wanted me in the latter.”

Deanna’s head jerked towards him, stunned not even the right word to express her shock. “You wanted her to be a stripper?”

Asmodeus shrugged. “At the time, a lot of people would have paid top dollar for a lap dance from ‘Elsa’.” Deanna saw her wife shudder at the thought. “And a lot more for more, to be blunt. But once she told me that she was trying to be a wrestler and already had a job in the works with that company- what was it called?“ he snapped his fingers, trying to remember.

“SCW.” Selena stated.

“Right.” He continued with a smile. “Anyway, I told Selena that I also worked as a proprietor of agents for athletes.”

“And I was young and needed someone who understood that jargon of contracts.” Selena explained, her eyes cast down at her hands. “I didn’t… I had never really looked at a contract before, and I just wanted money so I could live in a place and provide for-“ she caught herself before she had said the last part, though the redhead knew she was referring to her ‘snow child’ Elsianna – the snowman she had kept in a icebox for so many years.

“You were the one that introduced her to Roy Veers?” the redhead asked as the pieces clicked into place in her mind, naming Selena’s first manager before Deanna had come along, and feeling the disgust that came from a name she had not said in years.

Still, she was surprised to see the look on Asmodeus’ face. One not of smugness or machismo or whatever it was he had been showing for most of the time the Frost wives had seen him. No, Deanna recognized his look as one of shame.

“Yeah…yeah I did.” He sighed. “And it’s almost ten years too late, Selena, but I am sorry for that.”

Selena’s eyes went wide. “You are?”

“Of course I am!” he answered incredulously. “I didn’t know what he was doing – the shady shit he was doing to his clients. Cutting off their paychecks at a higher percentage to line his pockets. Overpricing. Blacklisting. I didn’t…” he sighed a little as he slowed down, perhaps in honesty to himself and those around him. “I was too busy living the good life to know and care about the individuals. I was young and I was stupid. Too stupid to care. And I’m sorry for that. I’ve had to do a lot of apologizing over the years for the people that I screwed over by employing the wrong managers.”

The three sat in silence, Selena too stunned by this confession to say anything, Deanna merely taking it in, and Asmodeus refusing to tear his gaze away from his former client.

“I…I was not expecting this.” Selena stated honestly, Deanna noticing her shoulders relaxing visibly. “I was expecting the Oz that was-“

“Snarky? Inappropriate?”

“That’s putting it mildly.” Selena stated simply, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Well…” the dark singer shrugged. “You can thank my better half-“ he stopped before his eyes wandered across the room, his expression morphing back to a wide smile. “Speaking of which…”

Selena and Deanna turned around just in time to see the tall, thin woman walk into view, the wispy white gown covering a rather thin figure and yet, she was gorgeous in her own way. She had spied Asmodeus first and was keeping her eyes on him.

“Oz…” her voice was strange, different than what Deanna expected but she kept silent. There was something enchanting about this woman. “Sorry, I’m late. The shoot ran longer than I planned. Did you get a chance to sing-“ she stopped as she turned her head towards the seated Selena, both women’s eyes widening along with their smiles.

“Stallis?” Selena asked.
“Selena?” the woman remarked in recognition.

It was all they needed to say before Selena was out of her chair, embracing the woman tightly, who held her equally as tightly to released a squeal of laughter and delight at the Snow Queen. Deanna, for her part, could only watch in surprise, casting a confused glance towards Asmodeus.

“Don’t worry.” The singer smiled. “We can explain.”

“Good.” Deanna offered quietly. “Because right now I’m more confused than anything.”
__________________________________________________

[/i]

The Guard Tower

Slowly, the camera fades into the interior of the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, the site for the first SCW pay-per-view of the new year: Body, Heart and Soul. However, unlike other segments belonging to the House of Frost involving the interior of arenas, the camera does not settle on the ring for “Frozen Central”. Instead, the shot spans upward towards the rafters that hang over the arena, to the quiet redhead sitting on the catwalk, her legs wrapped around one of the guard rails as she calmly looks down at the ring, which appears much smaller from so high up.

A pawn… the voice of Deanna Frost is soft but there is a pain to it as she eyes the arena below her. That’s what you called me, One… That all of this. Everything I’ve been through. Everything I have suffered through… all along was just a way to get to my wife, Selena…

She takes a moment to process the words that were exclaimed in The One’s promo that recently aired, her hands tightening their grip around the iron of the support-rail.

You know – as insane as this sounds – for all the crap I went through and all the pain I had to endure and how much I hated being so beaten down and in that damned cast, there was a small part of me that, crazy enough, was excited for all of this. Not for what One did to The White Knight and Valerie or to Konrad Raab or several others or even to me, but I mean… after over a year here, I was excited because I FINALLY got myself a real feud!

I know that sounds silly, guys, but really, in my year here, most my matches were thrown together, you know? Kimberly at the Pre-show of RTG, the random Television title matches, being part of Selena’s war with the Brand or Adam Allocco – I mean, aside from fighting Jenni Anderson, I never really had a feud like the many my wife had. I had always wanted one! Like the ones she had with Xander or Vixen Cain. A battle across the weeks and months – across Breakdown and pay-per-view – something that was too big for one show or one match to contain…

She gives a shrug. I mean, there’s even an award every year for it, right? ‘Feud of the Year’? And, really, all I had of anything like that last year was Jenni Anderson hiding from me over and over again. The only reason that fight extended as long as it did was because she refused to face me, you know? I never really had a ‘feud’ with someone before.

She gives her head a shake, her red hair moving with her head. But then Under Attack happened, and I achieved something no one believed I could. I eliminated the most superstars. I lasted longer than half the combatants. I had my arm fractured and I kept going as long as I could, no matter how much pain I was in. And as the weeks passed, and my rehab began, all I wanted was to get back in that ring and wrestle again. More than that, I wanted to wrestle the person that had forced me into that cast. And yes, most of that has been for revenge and to show that I couldn’t be stopped for long even with a busted arm, but, again, a part of me was excited to have an actual feud with someone! Something that people would talk about! Something to show what I was capable of! Something that was… that was… Deanna Frost gives a sigh. Something that was mine. Not Selena’s, but mine. And while tonight is about The House of Frost standing tall against the One’s desperate antics, as well as defending the World tag-team title and growing the division – which neither One or Kinneck seem to care about beyond their own personal needs - I always believed that this was just the first step for me! That I was entering into a war against a dangerous woman in The One. A war that could not be contained by one match or one pay-per-view, and even if it could be, it would end emphatically on my terms because it was about me vs. The One…

And it wasn’t just me! Selena believed that too! She wants to see it! I know all the Gritters and True Believers want to see it! And, all this time… I thought you felt the same way, One. I thought that I was good enough to be the target of your attacks, whether it was jealousy that I eliminated you from the chamber or me being chosen as the Rookie of the Year over you, or maybe that I had a far more successful 2022 than you did, winning more titles, headlining more events, and instituting real change in SCW while you just whined and complained night after night. I thought you actually saw me for all the hard work I put in – as a challenge worthy of your time and efforts. That the reason you went to such lengths to fracture my arm was to make a statement through Deanna Frost – through me.

Biting her lower lip, Deanna’s whole body tenses up as she takes a slow breath.

But now? You’re telling me – you’re telling the world and the SCW Universe - that everything I went through: all that mentioned rehab and pain? All the heartache I felt because I couldn’t hold my kids or my wife with both arms? Trying to groom myself with one hand? All the doubt I faced and overcame regarding if I COULD come back at 100% and be better than I was before? You’re telling me that all along… it was all for nothing because I wasn’t even the real target?

Her voice shakes a little, though it is unclear if it is despair or growing anger. Her words are slow.

You’re telling me, One, that all along, the real reason you tried to end my career before my first year was even up – the real reason you broke my arm… - was just so that you could get your hands on my wife, Selena.

There is a moment of silence as Deanna looks over the expanse of the empty arena, seeing the empty chairs and ring. When all of a sudden, a piercing scream escapes her! AAAAAAAAHHHH!!! one that echoes throughout the arena like deafening thunder!

Are you kidding me, One?! Are you…are you… are you fucking kidding me?! All of that hell because you want to fight Selena over me? All you did to me, put me through, and I’m not ‘good enough’ to be more than a pawn? A ‘stepping-stone’ to get to the Snow Queen?! AHHHHHHHH!!

Another scream comes from the Queen’s Guard, this one also echoing but sounding rawer in tone. The echo slowly dies as Deanna stands to her feet, leaning over the rail.

Her voice slowly returns to it’s dead-calm tone. I am so sick of this! I am so sick of people using me just to get to my wife. I am so sick of people coming after me because they don’t have the guts to call out my wife with integrity!

You want to talk about Selena, One? I actually didn’t agree with her assessment of you. I thought you were smart and a little gutsy in messing with us – messing with me week after week – but if all you did was just done to get Selena in the ring, then I take it back! My wife was right! You are damn idiot and a coward! Because you could have just gone down to the ring and challenged her to a damn match! You could have called her out! Selena has never backed away from a challenge! That’s who she is! You’d have had your match!

Or better yet? You could have used your damned TRIOS CONTRACT to get a match with her! You still could! But instead of challenging her or saying anything, you came after me? You broke my arm… AH! The frustration of the redhead is beyond obvious, the feud she had hoped for being reduced to nothing more than the same crap she had dealt with throughout 2022.

Gods! I could have gone after the United States title or the Adrenaline title! I could have made my own challenge against someone that WANTS to feud with someone like me! But you…

Oh! And now that you laid all your cards on the table, One, I’m supposed to just take it? I’m supposed to be a ‘good little pawn’ and get swept off the board so you can dance with the greatest wrestler SCW has seen in the last decade?

Deanna clenches her jaw, the muscle visibly working under her skin as she takes a breath before speaking again. That isn’t going to happen, One. That isn’t going to happen because you made one fatal mistake in your ‘plan’ to get to Selena. You came after me. And anyone will tell you, I don’t do well with ‘following orders’ or ‘standing aside’ when there’s a fight. I get into the trenches and go all out. And you may be ‘done’ with me, One, but I sure as hell am not down with you!

Cause you may think you know me. You may think you know The House of Frost, but if your last promo has proven anything, it’s that you know absolutely nothing! You want to talk about ‘rising through the ranks’? Of working for opportunities? Remind me how you got this shot. Who did you beat? Not ‘beat-up’. Beat in the ring. You want to talk about Selena and I being handed opportunities? Look in the damn mirror, bitch! You were handed Television Championship title matches. You were handed a chance at the Underground title – which you lost! Hell, you were handed this match! But you want to say The House of Frost was handed opportunities?

Selena and I? We’ve had to scrape and claw our way to every single opportunity we have every had! We have had to beat each and every challenger – her more than me in nearly ten years! – Hell, if either one of us had half the opportunities some people around here had, our accolades would be so much bigger – oh wait! That’s title talk and you don’t like that because all you’ve got to brag about is less than two months with the Television title, right?

Releasing a huff, Deanna shrugs her shoulders and shakes her head. You know Selena and you know me about as well as you know Nicole. Because, again, One, you think you can control Nicole? You think you can keep ‘Pro’ in the driver’s seat? You think that you know her better than the woman that fought so many of her alters like Selena did? You think you know her better because why? You chatted her up a little over a week or two ago?

You think that Nicole cares about ‘change’ like you say you do? Nicole just wants the tag-titles to get to the Farmstead Animals. Again, she could just CHALLENGE them to a match in the ring if she wanted that, but like you, she’s going a long walk for a short drink of water. Difference is? When she does it, it’s the kind of crazy that makes sense from her! You are just an idiot!

Again, Deanna shakes her head in irritation. Yeah, One, I’m angry. I’m angry because you promised change and I thought a feud with me could either prove or disprove that. I thought it could be something no one had seen of me yet. Something special! But you’re not changing anything, are you? You’re just like every other person that’s faced me. Looking past me towards the woman I’m married to. Denying me an opportunity at a real feud because they want the spotlight of fighting “The Face of SCW”… You’re no different than Jenni Anderson, who refused to face me till Selena faced her!

Releasing a long breath, Deanna stands on the catwalk with arms out like a shield. Well, One, I say ‘so be it’. If you want Selena Frost, One, you’re going to HAVE to go through me. Yeah, you want to ‘destroy’ me? You couldn’t do it in the chamber, so I dare you to try again! Try it, One! Try and take me out of SCW permanently! I DARE YOU! I DOUBLE DARE YOU! I TRIPLE DARE YOU!

Her voice echoes a little, her pinch ringing a little in her defiance. Because if you think I am just going to stand in that ring down there while you go after my Selena, if you think I can just be knocked off the board now that you’re done with me, than you are in for a really rude awakening. Cause I’m not your ‘pawn’. I’m the pawn that got promoted by the Snow Queen and the SCW Universe from a manager into a Queen of my own. I’m the pawn that became the Queen’s Guard and if you want Selena Frost, it’s going to be over my DEAD body!

Slowly, she lowers her arms. And if I’m not going to get my feud out of you, One, then I’m at least going to pay you back for busting up my arm. Because even with a busted arm, I still beat your ass inside the chamber, didn’t I? So imagine what I’m going to do to you when I’m at 100%.

A knowing smile crosses her face, though her cold glare remains. Listen carefully, One, cause this is where I hit you with the truth. You’re an obnoxious, entitled little brat that thinks the world revolves around her, when in reality, you’re rookie, just like me but far more delusional. The reason you won’t get Selena is because you’re not GOOD ENOUGH to fight Selena Frost on your own. You’re not good enough to take her out of SCW and I’m talking from experience here. You’re no Xander Valentine and you’re no Regan Street. But you think you can do what they couldn’t do. Why? Because you cheap-shot me and broke my arm? All you did, One, was light a fire under me and now? I’m not going to stop until I burn you with it! Because I am done listening to people like you mouth of as if I am worthless beyond a stepping-stone. I am done being seen as the pawn. I am done being seen as nothing more than a way to get to Selena!

Emerald eyes cast down towards the ring. Tonight, in Nashville, One, you’re gonna find out just how little you know about the House of Frost as we dismantle you and show you what tag-team wrestling is truly about. What change in this federation is truly about! And you and me? I’m not going to stop until I’ve put you down. I’m not going to stop until I’ve given you such a beating, that you will never want to go near Selena Frost again. Not because she’s better than you, which she is, but because you know that I will be on your ass the second that you try!

Tonight, One, I stop being your pawn, and you start being my bitch! Cause I am going to beat your painted face black and blue all over Nashville!

And THAT, One, is as much the truth as death, taxes, and The One getting her stupid ass kicked by Deanna Frost!

Checkmate, you bitch!

The camera fades off of Deanna before going entirely to black.