Glory Braddock vs. Amelia Blythe

[Wisteria Waltz]

As nice as the break following Body, Heart & Soul was, Amelia had to admit that she was more than ready to get back in the ring.

After all, her gauntlet of defending the SCW Television Championship was waiting for her, and she was determined to make it through her first defense and see where things went from there.

She and Luz had headed out to Oklahoma City for Breakdown, spending the trip discussing where they stood now and how they were hoping to proceed. Given that she'd scored the winning fall at Body, Heart & Soul, Luz was content with the fight she'd put up to earn that fall and shifted her focus to supporting her girlfriend in her first title defense while the two of them figured out what was next, especially as Amelia hoped to continue fighting week after week to hold on to her newfound gold.

To the pair's joy, they weren't coming alone on this journey.

Ivy's schedule seemed to perfectly line up with the next leg of SCW's tour for the time being, allowing her and Gage free reign to attend the Breakdown in Oklahoma City to support Amelia in person before she had to compete again in Colorado, which would give the couple a chance to return the favor before they needed to head to Glendale for the next Breakdown and, hopefully, another TV Title defense Amelia could add to her name.

Considering the challenge that awaited her in Glory Braddock, Amelia found herself grateful that things seemed to be going her way for a change and she was hopeful that this trend could continue.

Unfortunately, she knew the phrase “all good things must come to an end” far too well by this point.

She hadn't expected it when it happened. The group of friends had just gotten checked into their hotel and she and Luz were busy getting settled in and figuring out their plan of attack when her phone started going off. When she checked it, her lips formed into a scowl upon seeing her mother's contact.

“I thought you blocked her number?” Luz asked when she peeked over and noticed the name.

“I did... the first three or four times...” Amelia muttered in response. “When it comes to trying to get her way, though, there's probably no one more stubborn than my mom. It's always a different number, so I wouldn't be surprised if she's literally getting a new one every time I block her.”

“OK, I know you came from a pretty wealthy family, but that's a whole new level of crazy even I wouldn't touch with a fifty-foot pole,” Luz admitted as they simply ignored the ringing, letting the call go to voicemail because that was much easier at this point than actually trying to get into a back-and-forth with the woman. After a minute, Amelia's phone finally went silent. “What do you think she's going to try and say this time?”

“As much as I want to just forget the voicemail she's recording...” Amelia responded as she eyed her phone warily. “If I had to guess? Probably congratulations for my title win, angry ranting about actually doing that Ball Pit Match and several minutes of trying to somehow talk me into coming back to her and dad so I can stop embarrassing the family name.”

“It's sad that she's become this predictable,” Luz chuckled as she picked out some clothes she wanted to wear for when they all went out to eat later. “You think Ivy and Gage will want to listen in?”

Amelia nodded, knowing that they hadn't yet experienced just how desperate Ophelia Blythe had become in trying to somehow salvage any of what she considered her magnum opus for the family she'd married into. She wanted to vomit at thinking of herself in that manner, but she knew that's all she was to her parents and she was getting tired of them throwing around their wealth and influence to try and get her back under their thumbs, never mind the fact that she was a legal adult who didn't need them anymore.

Amelia didn't even realize she had zoned out until she heard the door to their room open and Luz, who she hadn't heard leave, came back in with their friends following right behind her. Ivy looked like she was begging for motivation to maybe level a heavy bag later while Gage was saying something about taking bets that none of the girls seemed interested in taking him up on. The idea at least got a laugh out of her before she finally played the voicemail, her smile growing at the sound of her mother groaning in frustration that started it.

“Of course you wouldn't answer... ungrateful brat. After everything your father and I have done for you, Amelia, you still insist on this little rebellious phase. I don't know what you think you're trying to prove, but it's time to call an end to it. We have some big plans in the works dear, plans that you really should be in on because they are going to make you a household name in this business. I can promise that you won't get that embarrassing yourself by wrestling in ball pits or stomping out another Braddock who thinks imitating a legacy like ours will prove anything. Besides, you're only holding yourself back by chaining yourself to that masked misfit, let alone trying to mend a friendship with that Ivy girl that was better off staying gone. But, I suppose you did become a champion in SCW... congratulations on proving yourself the superior half of your little tag team, and I expect to not only see you retain that title on your next show, but also return my call so we can discuss this exciting opportunity you really need to be a part of. I can promise that it is very much worth your while... even that Luz girl agrees with me on that.”

As the call ended, Luz wasted no time in pulling Amelia into a hug, seeing the telltale signs of a potential spiral building. All four of them could only exchange looks of confusion, not surprised by some of Ophelia's tactics but questioning some of what she'd said.

How did she know that Amelia had started working to repair her friendship with Ivy? She wasn't even part of SCW!

Also, what did she mean about Luz 'agreeing with her' about whatever opportunity she was trying to pitch that Amelia already know she wanted no part of?

Something wasn't adding up... unfortunately, unless she either acquiesced to Ophelia's demand of returning her call or her mother made a move, she could only speculate on what that woman was scheming now.

As Ivy and Gage joined the couple for a group hug, Amelia let herself sink into it. She knew that once her mom got into anybody's head, especially her own, it was extremely difficult to get her to leave and she'd definitely played her cards well this time by being cryptic and revealing she knew things she shouldn't have.

With the support system she had now, though, she vowed to not only get herself refocused for the challenge that awaited her, but also to get to the bottom of this to protect herself and everyone who meant the world to her.

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One of the most beautiful sights in Oklahoma City is the Myriad Botanical Gardens, located in the perfect spot to be a short walk away from so many other great tourist destinations in the city and an ideal place to escape to when you want to use the nature around you to help sort through your thoughts. Slowly walking along one of the paths lined with flowers that leads down to the pool that runs through the middle of the gardens and underneath the Crystal Bridge is none other than Amelia Blythe, who looks calm and collected as she strolls around while letting the Television Title rest over her shoulder. Noticeable in the background, on the same path as Amelia but far enough back that it doesn't feel like they'd intrude on this, is La Pequeña Luz and another woman who looks very invested in the flowers they're passing by and seems to have Luz enraptured by whatever she's sharing with her about them. We see Amelia glance behind her to the two women with a smile before she inhales the aroma of nature and returns her attention to us.

“Sometimes, when you've got a lot on your mind, all you need is a chance to step outside and take in the beauty of nature. Trust me, it really does wonders when you need to clear your head. That was advice I was given a long time ago by an old friend who meant the world to me, and for the longest time, I'd forgotten about it because of all the things I've ended up losing over the years. Where I am now... it really makes me grateful for the people in my life who support me, from those who saw beyond my barriers and worked to bring them down to those who I've worked hard to rebuild bridges with, and that especially goes for all the fans who support me every step of the way, knowing that I'm showing them the real me and proving that I deserve their love and support every time I set foot into that ring. Without everyone, I don't know if I would be standing here holding this right now.”

Amelia looks at the title draped over her shoulder in acknowledgment, and as she looks back at us her expression noticeably becomes a little more somber.

“I've made no secret about what I went through growing up, being raised and trained by my parents to become just another link in what I consider to be the world's worst chain. To them, I was meant to be nothing more than the next chapter of the Blythe family legacy in the wrestling business. I got no say on whether I wanted to do this or how I would pull that off, and they made sure I was built to be what they considered to be the perfect wrestler... it wasn't even so I could proudly throw around my family name and say that I'm a part of it, because as far as they were concerned any talk of the family legacy specifically meant their legacy, as if they could claim that they created me and therefore deserved all the credit for anything I accomplished. That's not what it meant to be the next generation of a proud wrestling family... and for that, I envy someone like you, Glory.

Glory Braddock, a proud name from the Braddock wrestling family, and something she has no problem proclaiming whenever it suits the message she's trying to get across. She and I have quite a bit in common actually, from being born and raised in England to being trained by our fathers to be among the greatest grapplers in the sport today. I'll even admit that, like Glory until her recent change of heart, I was a bit of a bitch myself for some time while competing. That said, my attitude was due to years of being mercilessly broken down by my parents because they saw emotion as a weakness and if I showed any weakness at all then I wasn't worthy of being a Blythe... something that my girlfriend, thank heavens, proved was absolute nonsense by showing me that emotions didn't make me weak, they made me human. She was the light that saved me from the darkness, and I've never looked back. I doubt your father ever treated you that way Glory... I'm sure he trained you the right way and taught you what it truly means to be part of a family legacy. Hell, maybe he would've seen someone like me enter the wrestling scene and thought it'd be a perfect test for you to see which of our families prepared us better for a match like this. That’s the kind of parent I wish I had Glory... one whose approach actually lined up with how I want to conduct my business in the ring.”

Amelia pauses to clear her head, turning her attention briefly to the sight of a butterfly that flies in front of her face before landing on one of the flowers off to her side. The sight brings a smile to her face as something seems to flicker through her mind before she continues.

“When Luz and I were put on the shelf around this time two years ago now, we found ourselves hitting a low point. It didn't matter if Luz recovered much sooner than I did and could have come back for a singles run until I was good to go again, because the real issues were mental... yeah, together we overcame a few challenges, but considering we seemed to be unable to get the job done on the pay-per-view stage and our second attempt at it saw us both get hurt, it rattled us pretty bad. For a time, we seriously believed that maybe we weren't good enough to make something of ourselves in SCW. It took at least a year of us getting back to our roots and rebuilding our confidence to even consider the idea that maybe we just had a stroke of bad luck the first time around and we could truly make it here if we put our minds to it and pushed ourselves harder than we ever have before. Yeah, maybe this second stint got off to a bit of a rocky start, but the last two shows have gone a long way in proving exactly that. And it all started with this.”

Amelia shrugs the Television Title off her shoulder so she can hold it in front of herself, making sure we get a clear view of it.

“When I beat Polly on the last Breakdown to earn this title, I knew exactly what I was getting into. I wasn't too big a fan of being able to say I won this in what was probably SCW's first-ever Ball Pit Match, but I warned Polly that I was giving her nothing less than my best because that's what this championship deserves, and that hasn't changed. This title means so much more than just a place in SCW's record books... this title is living proof that I can make something of myself, that Luz can make something of herself, that we belong here and can accomplish anything as long as keep busting our asses to earn it. I know full well that I have to defend this title every single week for as long as I hold it, and I welcome that challenge to prove to whoever steps up that they had better bring their very best if they want to pry this away from me because with each and every match I will only get better. The longer I hold this title, the more I make a statement that I am, in fact, good enough to be in SCW, and the more I can inspire my partner to go on to prove the same thing just like she did when she earned the right to go down in history as the one who scored the winning fall in SCW's first ever twelve-person tag team match at Body, Heart & Soul.

I think I understand the marathon that comes with being Television Champion entails, Glory.

You, however, don't seem to understand exactly what makes The Light In The Darkness work.

Luz and I? We're far more than just a tag team. We both strove to prove our worth in this business long before we ever crossed paths, and even after we began to team together we've always supported one another and earned our own individual accolades as well. Do we wish to be Tag Team Champions someday? Absolutely, without question. The way you felt the need to challenge me on where my focus lies though... part of it makes me wonder how much you truly have changed, Glory. My focus, same as Luz's, has been on only one thing since the two of us came back: proving ourselves regardless of what that entailed. That is why I managed to beat Polly at her own game to win this title, and that is why the two of us, together, were able to hold our own at Body, Heart & Soul against a team containing not only the former Adrenaline Champion but also the current, not to mention all the titles World or otherwise that have been held by both Bree and yourself. We didn't back down from clashing with Bree and Datura, just like I didn't back down from locking up with you and showing you, even for a brief moment in that match, that I can go hold for hold with you in that ring. I will not back down from you when we face off on Breakdown either, and Luz will be supporting me regardless of what happens in our match because we support and motivate each other through thick and thin.

Yeah, we were the ones standing tall at the end of Body, Heart & Soul, but does that mean we should be next in line to challenge for tag team gold? Personally, unless the current champions believe we've earned it, I think we still need to prove we deserve that opportunity. In the meantime, I will defend this title every single week for as long as I have the fight to give for it and Luz will support me every step of the way, and that is all the inspiration she needs to perhaps pursue opportunities of her own where I'll be the one supporting her. We aren't just a tag team, Glory... we're best friends, we're girlfriends, and we will always keep pushing each other to greater heights no matter what challenge stands before us, as a team or on our own.”

Amelia rests the title back over her shoulder as she looks back, locking eyes with Luz who heard what she had to say and sincerely nods with the biggest grin you've ever seen. The other woman also gives her a thumbs up as well, the significance of which is only really known to their little group. Knowing that she's confirmed the support she has, Amelia has a little more confidence in returning her focus to what she needs to say.

“You've made no secret that you're aiming to become a Supreme Champion Glory, and my title is one you need in order to get there. That said, I know I'd be doing both of us a disservice if I just laid down and handed this belt over to you that easily. For as much as a win would mean for you in your goals, this victory means just as much to me. Not only would I be able to fight to keep this title for another week, but in the process, I'd be proving myself against an athlete of your caliber who's cut from the same cloth that I was. I'm going to lock up with a woman who’s held multiple titles in this company, including being able to call herself World Champion for a time, one-on-one and I'm going to use every last hold that I know to earn this win and keep proving to myself that I belong on the SCW roster. If my title reign is meant to end in my very first defense at your hands Glory, then I'm going to make absolutely sure that when all is set and done you know that you had to push yourself to your limits and beyond to do it... I want to walk away from that ring, win or lose, knowing that I earned the respect of Glory Braddock and made it clear that I still have more to give in this business for when our paths cross again someday.

I'll see you on Breakdown Glory, and I want you to know in advance... for as much as you need this title to be closer to Supreme Champion status, I will be the brick wall that fights to keep you from getting to that point just yet because I need to keep fighting every week, defending this title, to show SCW who Amelia Blythe is and what she's capable of.”

With a nod of her head, Amelia turns around and walks away to meet up with Luz and the other woman with them, and if Luz's reaction is anything to go by then it's clear she is definitely in agreement with Amelia's statement and looks just as motivated as the champion herself. What this might lead to is anybody's guess, but it's clear that even in a situation like one of them defending a singles title, The Light In The Darkness can be inspired to make it mean so much more to the both of them in the long run, no matter what form that takes.