Asher Hayes vs. La Pequena Luz

[Konrad Raab]

SCW Interim United States Championship

2 RP Limit for singles

No Word Limit

Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET Saturday, February 22, 2025 (Show takes place on Saturday)

[Asher_Hayes]

Addicted to Disaster: Chapter Two

[Wisteria Waltz]

Growing up, La Pequeña Luz learned a lot from her father.

Obviously, the legendary luchador that was El Espíritu Angélico had taught her how to wrestle, not to mention instilled in her the core values of the sacred lucha libre code. Beyond that, however, he had taught her the value of honor and hard work, urging her to be a respected competitor who truly earned everything she would someday have to her name. It was one thing to call yourself a champion, but it was another entirely to know that you truly deserved to be one. It was why Luz put her all into every single match, fighting with everything she had to give and even digging deep to find strength she didn't even know she had to try and earn her victories, because at least then she knew that even if she failed, she had tried her best and could learn from her mistakes to bounce back even stronger and sharper for next time.

Once, Luz had actually asked her father why he preferred to wrestle that way. There had been no malice behind the question, just genuine curiosity from a young girl who was only just starting to understand both the wrestling business and the world around her, someone who had not only seen her father wrestle with all his heart and soul, but also seen those that had been deemed 'the bad guys' taking what looked like an easier path to achieve the same results. Her father's answer stuck with her all these years, striking a chord with the young luchadora that rang deep in her very soul:

“Mija, it isn't just about winning and losing. If it were that simple, then most people out there would probably try to take the easy way out. I've worked hard for most of my life to get to where I am, and there's a certain satisfaction that only comes when you achieve something knowing that you put in the time and effort to get there. True, there are others who have lied, cheated and stolen to get the same results, but it's not just yourself you have to answer to at the end of the day... it's the people around you. Lucha libre is revered because the people who watch are just as much a part of the story as the men and women in that ring. To them, we are heroes and villains, larger than life figures they get the chance to interact with on a daily basis. But even beyond our borders, there are those who immerse themselves in this culture too deeply and treat the characters we portray as reality. If they see you just randomly beating people up and playing dirty all to become a champion, they might believe that's the kind of person you truly are outside the ring as well. An honest path can take a person a long way both in wrestling and in life. A dishonest one? That's a path only walked by people who either think they can handle being seen as a monster... or hate themselves enough they believe they've become that monster.”

It wouldn't be until many years later, when Luz began her own wrestling journey, that she would see firsthand exactly what her father had meant by that, and it was Amelia who had proven her father's words true. Once Luz actually got to see beyond Amelia's frigid exterior of perfection, she was horrified to find a girl who absolutely hated herself because she had no control over her life and had been molded in an image she despised. Amelia had still been a hard worker in those days, but not by choice. She lied to herself, convinced that living up to her family's 'perfect image' was all there was for her, and she would do anything to keep that mask from slipping and being forced to confront just how broken she truly was. Maybe the situation wasn't as simple as her father had explained it, but the core of his message rang true in what she saw of the woman who would one day become her wife.

Just as it rang true now from what she was dealing with from people all around her.

Tonight hadn't been the first time Luz had competed in the hallowed halls of Madison Square Garden, and she doubted it would be the last time her or Amelia ever got that opportunity. She certainly hadn't been expecting to compete, however, and especially under the circumstances that had been placed before her. Dogfight in Düsseldorf had not been a pleasant night despite her and Amelia's best efforts, and the victory by the Fall of Man in Tactical Warfare had left a bitter taste in their mouths. Despite that, they had been fully ready to hear William Heaven out on his terms, letting him have his moment to gloat because they knew his ego was going to cost him. After all, by dictating his terms, William believed he and his group still had the upper hand, but all he was doing was giving The Light In The Darkness a chance to prepare themselves for what he laid before them. If anything, Luz and Amelia had proven they were at their most dangerous when they had time to focus and prepare themselves, especially when they could learn from their mistakes and push themselves even further to earn a different result the next time.

While the challenge to them of defending their World Tag Team Titles at Retribution hadn't come as a surprise, what had thrown them off a bit was the call for an immediate defense of Luz's interim U.S. Title later that night, against a man who clearly should not have been in the ring at all.

That wasn't to say she didn't consider Billy a worthy challenger, far from it. As... 'unique' as Billy was from having to watch Amelia try to deal with him as a Trios partner, she knew better than to underestimate any opponent. The problem lie in the fact that Billy was honestly in no shape to be competing after Düsseldorf. She had seen what David and Chris had done to him, particularly in their frustration over the loss, so she knew that, at least on some level, him wearing a neck brace and looking to be in pain had been legitimate. It presented one of two scenarios in Luz's mind: either the Fall of Man was attempting to lure Luz into a false sense of security and scam her out of her title, or they sought to mock the integrity that her father had instilled in her long before she first donned her mask.

Needless to say, Luz may have been leaving Madison Square Garden with the interim title she still sought to unify in a proper match against Deanna someday soon, but she didn't have to feel good about it even after finding a way to win that stuck to her guns and didn't take advantage of Billy's injury.

As she took a shower she didn't think she would need tonight in the locker room, trying her best to scrub her body clean of everything that made her skin crawl about the Fall of Man in general, she couldn't help but turn her attention to what she knew was waiting for her first. Before Retribution and a Tag Title defense she knew was going to be a challenge, she would have to defend the interim United States Title once more, but at least this time she knew in advance what she was up against and had been trying to prepare for it since Fatal Fortunes had set it in stone. Lost in the shuffle of the attacks and demands of the Fall of Man was Asher Hayes, who had made a surprise return back during those Breakdowns and won a match guaranteeing him a U.S. Title shot. She had seen Asher be 'warned' by William to stay out of their way and shrugged it off, she'd heard some of the things he'd said towards her while reminding the world that this match was going to eventually happen, she'd seen the undefeated tear he was on since coming back.

And yet, she was undeterred.

She knew it was going to be one hell of a challenge, that Asher would no doubt come at her like the Fall of Man had been doing, determined to rip that title from her by any means necessary. He'd been claiming for weeks that him doing so was inevitable and there was nothing she could do about it for one reason or another. It was clear that Asher was underestimating her, believing too much in his own superiority as he flaunted his Supreme Champion status and reminded the world that he was once World Champion and reaching that point again was also 'inevitable.' As far as Luz was concerned, he could keep talking, acting like he was the only person in all of SCW who put in any real work. She would fight back with everything she had, she would pierce his ego and know by looking into his eyes that she earned his respect, even if he would never admit to it.

Asher could keep his pessimism... if the Fall of Man hadn't broken Luz yet, despite their best efforts and beliefs otherwise, then Asher wasn't going to succeed in that regard either.

“Feel better, Luna?” Amelia asked once she emerged from the shower, clad in only a towel at the moment.

“Not by much,” Luz admitted as Amelia passed along the clothes she had arrived to the arena in tonight so she could change.

“Well, at least we're always prepared just in case something like this happens,” Amelia admitted, trying to lighten the mood. While Luz didn't feel too much better regarding the impromptu match she had just a little bit ago, she at least smiled in appreciation for her wife trying to cheer her up. It was a reminder of just how far Amelia had come from that broken girl hiding her flaws behind a mask of perfection all those years ago. “Still, I'm sorry the Fall of Man decided to pull this stunt with you tonight.”

“As much as I hate it, they technically had the right to call their shots since we lost Tactical Warfare,” Luz lamented. “And since they decided to use Billy's Trios contract to give Waylon a World Title shot...”

“...that likely leaves us with James and Gio at Retribution,” Amelia finished with a sigh. “I can't say I'm too surprised...”

“As if I didn't feel bad enough for Billy already having to wrestle him tonight when he sure as heck wasn't cleared, no matter what William's so-called doctor said,” Luz groaned as she finished getting dressed, with Amelia passing along her mask so she could continue to uphold lucha libre tradition once they left this room.

“There's also the fact that Heaven and Waylon just proved me right, which you know they'll never acknowledge,” Amelia noted. “Waylon almost lost to that Ryan woman and he's been ducking another match with her ever since, ignoring that fourway match she won and trying to act superior by attacking her tonight. He almost lost to me to decide who got the advantage for Tactical Warfare, and instead of finishing this fight he started, he's jumping ship to take advantage of someone else's efforts.”

“And we both know Xander will finally shut him up at Retribution,” Luz replied as she finished tying the strings to her mask. “We know we can beat Waylon, we've proven it before no matter what technicality he wants to hide behind. We learn from our mistakes, and we face James and Gio as better versions of ourselves that can take them down.”

“Correction: you focus on getting through Asher first,” Amelia reminded Luz, punctuating her point with a kiss on Luz's masked cheek.

“Given his attitude, you better believe that's the plan for next week,” Luz grinned.

“There she is,” Amelia chuckled. “Ahí está mi amor.”

Luz leaned over to softly kiss Amelia's lips, feeling the frustration melt from her body. The sour taste of what happened tonight would linger for a little while still, but Luz was doing her best to move on from it. After all, if the Fall of Man hoped to use her title defense they forced against an injured Billy tonight to prove she was either a hypocrite or not a worthy champion after all, she could easily erase all of those doubts with a win over Asher next week in Charlotte. It was part of the plan she and Amelia were trying to stick to, doing their best to avoid dwelling too much on their setbacks and spiraling because of it. Not only would it worry their loved ones after all the progress they'd been making if they relapsed again, but they knew William and his group would love to prey upon their insecurities and take any advantage they could get to keep 'proving' they were in the right this whole time.

They could gloat about the battles they'd won all they wanted, because the war was far from over.

That, however, brought Luz's mind to another war they were still tied up in, and one that had gone far too silent for her liking.

They were about three weeks removed now from Dogfight in Düsseldorf, and there had been no updates as far as they were aware regarding the status of Jacob Harrison. He'd been alright the last time they saw him, albeit bound, gagged and no doubt scared out of his mind, and he couldn't be blamed for that. After all, who knows how long he'd been in the clutches of The Empire after he'd apologized to them? Knowing that the cult was practically staking his life on their endeavors within SCW, the silence had been agonizing after they'd bought themselves and Jacob a little more time by bartering for one last chance to prove... whatever the hell Caleb and his cronies were hoping to see out of them through Tactical Warfare. It was hard to know if they succeeded or not in spite of the loss, considering Caleb seemed like the kind of egomaniac who would be fine with the idea of treating the Dangerous Minds as the scapegoats who were actually beaten on that night.

Truthfully, Luz and Amelia weren't betting on The Empire letting Jacob go even if they passed whatever test they were supposedly taking through all of this, which is why it was troubling they had no update regarding their own countermeasures they'd attempted to put in motion.

When they'd managed to talk Theresa and Adrian, along with their burly associate (who they later learned was named Mason and had originally been one of the guards responsible for watching over Caleb, which meant he was likely the one who ultimately sprung him from jail), into the extension, Amelia had slipped a tracking chip she'd swiped from her siblings onto Theresa's bracelet before passing along the information to Avery, Darius and Evie. While she and Luz were scolded for the surprisingly underhanded tactic, the agents had still accepted the information and aimed to use it to hopefully both save Jacob and take down some of The Empire's elites in the process. There was no telling what kind of blow that would deal to Caleb since he'd been practically nonexistent after crashing Luz and Amelia's wedding via hologram to announce his escape, but the hope was that losing some of his 'true elites' would set him back significantly.

Hope... a lot of the time, that felt like all Luz and Amelia truly had these days when it came to dealing with The Empire. They knew the authorities were trying their hardest to keep them out of this mess as much as possible, no matter how determined Caleb was to put them right in the middle of it, but they'd made it clear to Avery, Darius and Evie several times already that they were willing to fight in whatever form that took since Caleb wanted to sink his hooks into them so badly. Every time the agents had seemingly accepted this, however, they always seemed to immediately go back to being silent and trying to handle this matter without them.

It hurt how much it all reminded them of their spirals, struggling to open up to even each other and trying to hide their problems so everyone around them didn't have to be burdened. As much as it would hurt, they thought they could take the news if something had gone wrong. After all, Luz knew Caleb had been the true catalyst for the in-ring accident that claimed her father's life so long ago, and she and Amelia had unfortunately bore witness last year around this time to the death of Ryan, the private investigator who had been helping them to make amends for working against them to assist Amelia's mom. As much as all of it hurt, they were aware of the risks that might come as a result of this struggle.

The one thing they knew for sure was that, no matter what happened, no one was ever going to change them. Not the Fall of Man. Not The Empire.

“There you two are!”

As Luz and Amelia stepped out into the cold February night, they were surprised to find Avery waiting for them outside of Madison Square Garden. As far as they could tell, Avery looked to be dressed casually, but if they were in attendance to watch the show then it made sense so as not to draw any attention to themselves. After all, nothing sticks out like a sore thumb and risks causing some sort of panic like the sight of an FBI agent in full gear out in public.

“Avery?” Amelia asked. “What are you doing here?”

“I was waiting for you,” they said, shrugging their shoulders like it was no big deal. Amelia and Luz, however, could pick up on some subtle hints in their voice that there was more to it than that. “Marilyn wanted me to accompany you guys back to the hotel.”

“Is everyone alright?” Luz asked, a twinge of nervousness in her tone. Seeing as how the couple hadn't been scheduled to compete tonight and were originally only present to hear William dictate his terms from Tactical Warfare, the rest of their found family had stayed behind to watch the show from the comfort and warmth of the hotel they were all staying at. She hoped they weren't too disappointed with missing the sight of Luz in action after all in the world's most famous arena, all things considered, but it was hard to keep the fear that something had gone down while they were tied up with tonight's Breakdown for longer than they'd initially planned out of her thoughts.

“Everything's fine,” Avery reassured her, although she and Amelia could still pick up on a strange tone hidden in the agent's words. “Well, fine as in everyone's safe and sound, at least. A few of them, namely Gage and your mother, are a little miffed about missing you in action tonight, but... 'card subject to change,' as the old saying goes.”

“Believe me, tonight's one of those nights where I kind of wished that wasn't the case, but what can you do?” Luz shrugged, trying to play off her lingering frustration over what had happened tonight.

“So why...?” Amelia started to ask.

“Truth be told, I was in the area anyway and figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to catch the show, even if that match hadn't happened,” Avery explained. “I kind of wanted to keep an eye out in case anyone from The Empire was lingering around looking to try anything. I wouldn't think they'd make such a bold move here of all places, but...”

“It hasn't stopped some of them before,” Amelia growled in agreement, remembering some of the past incidents with the group that had taken place in spaces like this, out in the open parking lot of an arena just after a show. The memory of her father actually stooping so low as to pull a gun on everyone in one such instance still haunted her to this day, and Luz almost immediately knew that memory was on her beloved's mind as she quickly squeezed her hand for support.

“Exactly,” Avery solemnly nodded. “Plus... I needed to talk with the two of you about something really important. It's... something only Darius, Evie, and Marilyn currently know, but I'd rather discuss it once we're back at the hotel so everyone can be in the loop.”

“Is it about Jacob?” Luz asked, her anxiety over the situation spiking as Avery's face became harder to read.

“It's...” Avery sighed, cutting themselves off as they seemed to struggle with finding the best way to phrase whatever they wanted to say.

“Oh, Avery, you don't have to keep playing pretend like this. You're just embarrassing yourself at this point.”

Avery had just opened their mouth to tell the couple it would be better to wait until they got back to the hotel, but they had been cut off by a voice that none of them wanted to hear. Amelia almost immediately grit her teeth, whirling around in a fury to lock eyes with her mother. Seeing Ophelia and Aleister Blythe standing side-by-side just a few feet away from them instead of rotting in a jail cell where they'd proven a thousand times over by now they rightfully belonged made Luz want to vomit, but she immediately stepped up right alongside her wife to confront the duo who were technically her in-laws... not that she ever considered them as such when their own children wanted nothing to do with them anymore.

“Speaking of embarrassments,” Ophelia continued on, unfazed by the determined front Luz and Amelia were putting up, “how does it feel, Amelia, to know how far you've fallen?”

“You two were the ones doing time, so you tell me,” Amelia snapped back, causing her mother to scoff.

“An unfortunate flaw of the legal system that has thankfully been rectified,” Ophelia dismissed.

“I'd hardly classify 'escaping from prison' with any of those terms, especially since you're going right back to where you belong,” Avery warned as they stepped forward.

“I don't believe you have that authority anymore, now do you?” Aleister grinned, making Luz's skin crawl. She rarely saw the Blythe patriarch express any positive emotions so openly, that was something that Ophelia usually did enough of for the both of them. It wasn't as disturbing as any time she'd seen the same look on Caleb's face, but that didn't make her feel any better about it.

“And what would you know about authority?” Luz challenged. “You still answer to a certified lunatic, and any time you thought you had power it came back to bite you both in the butt.”

Luz expected Amelia's parents to get annoyed at her response. Neither one of them liked when their so-called 'authority' was challenged, especially with how openly they despised Luz for 'corrupting' their daughter because of how painfully racist and homophobic they were, believing they were supposed to be well above her just because of their disgusting biases.

What she hadn't expected, nor anyone else it seemed, was for Ophelia to openly laugh like Luz had just told the funniest joke known to mankind.

“Oh, I see he hasn't told you yet,” she chuckled.

“They,” Avery immediately corrected, a dangerous edge to their voice.

Ophelia simply rolled her eyes in response. “And that's exactly the nonsense that got you booted from the FBI, now isn't it?”

Avery growled but didn't make any move to claim otherwise, which immediately raised a ton of red flags to Luz and Amelia.

“You're lying,” Amelia spat.

“She isn't,” Aleister stated matter-of-factly. “I know you two like living in your little bubble where your disgusting fantasies make a mockery of the sanctity of marriage every day, but it's time for you to learn just how harsh and unforgiving reality truly is.”

“That's rich coming from you,” Amelia fired back. “If you want to talk reality, how about the fact that you, dad, should have been in jail several times over not just for all the abuse you put your own children through for years, but for the fact that you openly threatened to murder one of our best friends in broad daylight?”

“Yet here you are, with you trying to avoid karma by claiming divine intervention or whatever other nonsense sandwich Caleb's been serving you,” Luz added with a cheeky grin. “Pot, meet kettle.”

“I wouldn't be smiling if I were you, brat,” Ophelia spat, finally showing the familiar temper Luz and Amelia had come to know from the woman. “Or have you been burying your heads in the sand trying to ignore any news about this so-called 'great nation'?”

Luz and Amelia huffed in stereo. They were no strangers to all the news regarding the current President of the United States and every vile, disgusting thing he had to say or do to try and 'make America great again,' but they actually had been trying to tune it all out and just focus on the issues that were directly in front of them.

“What, are you going to claim I should be deported despite Ames and I both having valid, authorized citizenship for years at this point?” Luz challenged.

“Perhaps the person you should actually be questioning is the former FBI agent standing right beside you,” Aleister replied.

Luz and Amelia both glanced over at Avery briefly before the latter responded. “You know, that's a lame effort even from you, dad.”

“I'm afraid he's right.”

The couple's heads whipped to look at Avery in shock, finding them tightly clenching their fists as their arms trembled, their eyes hidden behind the glare reflecting off their glasses from the lights of the city around them. Even still, they could see the very clear pain in Avery's every move.

“Avery...?” Luz carefully asked.

“I'm sorry,” was Avery's reply. “That was part of what I wanted to talk with everyone about once we got back to the hotel... but I guess it's not an exaggeration that everyone in The Empire is such a control freak that you won't even let me break the news on my terms.”

Avery lifted their head, glaring daggers straight through Aleister and Ophelia, who barely flinched. If anything, they were waiting with bated breath to hear them give the explanation they'd been intending to do anyway, just not here and not like this. With a frustrated sigh, Avery turned to look at the stunned Luz and Amelia, regret and remorse etched into every line on their face, but they kept the Blythe parents in the corner of their vision as a precaution.

“When the President made all his drastic changes to 'drain the swamp' or whatever he likes calling it, he flaunted his authority to try and make some radical changes to the FBI. I was terminated because I refused to bend to his asinine demands of identifying as anything but what feels right to me, no matter what he says. Even if that wasn't the case, however... he's been trying to force an end to everything we've been working on so all our efforts and resources can go towards hunting down and arresting everyone he believes is an enemy of his, however he defines that.”

“Which means,” Ophelia smirked, “that as far as the U.S. government is concerned, The Empire is no longer classified as a 'religious terrorist' organization and the FBI is no longer a concern of ours. Glad to see at least somebody in this country realizes how uncouth and incorrect that description truly is.”

“Except you're not off the hook in the rest of the world,” Amelia pointed out.

“Right, the rest of the world...” Aleister mused. “Tell me... how exactly did that work out in Germany? Or did Avery conveniently forget to tell you about that as well?”

“¡Suficiente!” Luz shouted, moving to stand in front of both Amelia and Avery almost like a human shield. “I don't care what game you two think you're playing, because it's not going to work! Everything The Empire has thrown at us, we've overcome. Everything you've both tried to break us down, we've rebuilt ourselves stronger than ever. Despite what you think, Amelia is the best version of herself now and she reached this point in spite of you, not because of you. I think everything I've accomplished speaks for itself, despite how little you think of me just because of my heritage. And if you think you accomplished anything tonight with this little bombshell, then why doesn't it change the fact that Avery is still a far better person than the two of you could ever hope to be and will still fight to defend what they believe in, especially since Caleb's little Empire is ultimately going to fall if he keeps trying to wage this war with us. We know we can stop him... we've done it before, and we'll do it again!”

Luz was breathing heavily after her huge declaration, but she was done letting Amelia's parents think they had the upper hand in this situation at all. She was sick enough of it regarding William Heaven and the Fall of Man, she was sick of people like Asher Hayes looking down on her for some inane reason, and she'd had enough of every vile, disgusting word that left the mouths of Aleister, Ophelia, Caleb, or anyone in The Empire for that matter.

Amelia was giving Luz a look that made it clear she was so in love with her wife that her heart felt like it would explode, the speech helping to remind her of everything that help her break the shackles that bound her to her parents and everything wrong with the Blythe name for far too long. As she took Luz's hand and stood defiantly by her side, Avery also joined them, placing a calming hand on Luz's shoulder and smiling down at her before turning to stare a hole straight through their unwelcome guests.

“I think it's time for the two of you to leave,” Avery stated with a tranquil fury. “Even if I'm not an FBI agent anymore, I can still place a call to the police because I know for a fact you're violating court orders from the UK regarding being anywhere near your daughter on the off chance you ever got out of prison. I'm sure that will be a fun story to tell your 'savior' when he wonders why you didn't return to lick his boots some more.”

Aleister and Ophelia exchanged glances, almost as though they were going to challenge Avery's threat and stick around to see if anything would come of it, but Aleister motioned his head away from the trio and it became clear that whatever purpose they thought they were here for was either finished or not going anywhere. Ophelia's sneer made it obvious she disagreed, but ultimately the two of them decided to walk away while they were being given the chance to do so. They didn't get too far before Ophelia stopped and turned to face them one last time, clearly desperate to get the last word.

“Perhaps you two should be mindful of where you put your trust,” she huffed. “Sooner or later, you'll come to terms with just how misplaced it's been this whole time.”

Running on adrenaline after her outburst, Luz couldn't resist responding by sticking her tongue out. Maybe it was a little childish, but the look on Ophelia's face before she stormed off to catch up with her husband was worth it. She, Amelia, and Avery all watched carefully, making sure this was truly the end of this encounter, before the former two breathed a sigh of relief.

“Oh Lord, I hate them so much,” Luz admitted.

“Tell me about it,” Amelia agreed. “I had to suffer being raised by them for the first nineteen years or so of my life.”

After they all caught their collective breath and calmed down following the tense encounter, Avery turned to face the couple, regret obvious in their features.

“Amelia, Luz, I'm sorry,” they stated. “I hadn't meant to hide that from you... truth be told, I was still coming to terms with the whole mess myself, which is how Marilyn found out when she overheard me venting to Darius and Evie about it. They're seeing what they can do to maybe get me into the NCA so I can continue to work this case and bring this cult to justice, but I'm afraid there's little I can do anymore to help you out at least on American soil.”

“We understand,” Amelia told them. “Like you said, you wanted to do this on your own terms and my parents thought they could be clever and take that away from you.”

“Truth be told, we were getting a little sick of the secrecy,” Luz sheepishly admitted, “but you had your reasons and were going to fill us in before... all that happened.”

“Well... as much as I hate to be the bearer of bad news, there's a little more to this I need to break,” Avery sighed, clearly not having a good time anymore, and Luz and Amelia couldn't blame them. The couple motioned for Avery to follow them to their car so they could at least start making their way back to the hotel, because it was clear a lot was going to need to be discussed tonight before anyone went to bed.

“We can wait until we get back to-” Amelia started to say once everyone was settled into the car and she was about to start driving, but Avery held up their hand from the back seat.

“Perhaps it's best if the two of you hear this now,” they said slowly and carefully. “The others will still be filled in, but... there was a bit of a problem with the plan.”

“What do you mean?” Luz asked, concern already commanding her voice.

“Well...” Avery hesitated for a moment before deciding to just rip the band-aid off. “Since neither the FBI nor the NCA could get clearance to operate in Germany on such short notice, despite the circumstances, we had to trust their people in the Bundeskriminalamt to save Jacob and hopefully arrest the Empire members that were in Düsseldorf. Unfortunately, the confrontation had some casualties. None of their elites were among them... but I'm afraid Jacob was. According to reports, someone within The Empire managed to redirect a shot from an agent and hit Jacob just as they freed him from his restraints. I'm sorry...”

Avery bowed their head, knowing that Luz and Amelia were not going to take that news well, and the atmosphere inside the car made that immediately obvious. Luz, especially, looked like she was about to have a meltdown. Sure, Jacob had been annoying and an absolute creep, and she hated all the lines he was constantly willing to cross just to stand out as a 'journalist' online, but despite how much of a pest he had been, he didn't deserve to lose his life over it, especially after The Empire had manipulated him into targeting the couple in the first place over some bogus scoop.

Worse yet, if what Avery had shared about the reports were true, it painted a picture that could easily be spun as Germany's version of the FBI killing an American citizen “for no reason.” It was painfully clear the intent behind how this had played out was to start trying to plant the seeds and take advantage of global tensions, especially given America's current President, to ignite a potential war, perhaps even the “holy war” Caleb was looking for.

Luz was briefly pulled from her thoughts by the feeling of Amelia's hand resting on her thigh, the two women locking eyes and knowing they were both disturbed by this news.

“Let's get back to the hotel and fill in the others,” she slowly said. “We can figure out what to do next from there.”

Luz nodded as Amelia began driving back to the hotel, but it was hard not thinking about everything that had been revealed tonight. There was no telling where things were going to go from here, but Luz clung to the thought of her father's voice from up above trying to guide her, help her refocus on matters she knew she did have control over.

Defending her interim United States Championship against Asher Hayes, and then ending the Fall of Man's World Tag Title aspirations once and for all.

And she would accomplish both of those tasks her way. The right way. Just as her father had taught her to, and just as she knew she had the strength to earn that reality.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Located between two historic neighborhoods in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, there lies a place called Freedom Park. A project that started after the end of World War II dedicated to the veterans who served in that war, today the park thrives with trails, courts and fields for sports, playgrounds, and even an old steam engine one can explore. There's a lot about the park to love and enjoy, especially when the weather's on the nicer side, and that seems to explain why we find La Pequeña Luz out and about on these acres of land today. To be more specific, she's standing in front of the lake that spans across a decent chunk of the park, it's fountain proudly spitting water into the air behind her. The interim United States Title belt rests over her shoulder, but there's no sign of her World Tag Title belt this time. After all, she knows where her focus needs to be right now.

“You know, it just feels right for someone holding this title to be standing in a place called Freedom Park. The city of Charlotte brought this park to life to honor the veterans who risked their lives in World War II, fighting to preserve the freedoms that define this country. I know... unfortunately, I know, there's a lot I could say about that subject with regards to the current state of affairs, but I'm not going to waste your time talking politics. I know none of you want to hear about it, I honestly don't want to talk about it, and I know the man who I will meet over at the Spectrum Center come Breakdown this week isn't interested in any of that.

Now, that said... when I hear the word 'freedom,' I think of how I'm lucky to have the freedom to be myself. Maybe to some of you, that sounds a little ridiculous, considering I stand here wearing a mask and treating the name 'La Pequeña Luz' as though it was the name I was born with, but I'm free to do so. I'm free to embrace my culture, the lucha libre heritage that led me to the squared circle in the first place, and most importantly, I'm free to fight with everything that I have to earn each and every win I have to my name, prove that I deserve every accolade that my name ever has and ever will be attached to. Everything Amelia and I have done to elevate tag team wrestling in SCW, every effort to prove that I am worthy to hold the United States Title, interim or otherwise... none of that would be possible if I wasn't free to be the person that I am, that I strive to be.

The person that the likes of the Fall of Man want to destroy, just because they disagree with how hard I've fought to be where I am today.

The past few months have been defined by this fight. James Evans, Waylon Creek, eventually Giovanni Aries, and even Billy Heaven Jr., all following the pied piper that William Heaven has fashioned himself to be in the name of trying to burn everything around us to the ground and rebuild it in their image. Amelia and I have been attacked, we've had our careers threatened, we've fought back and proved that we're every bit the threat that all of them constantly want to dismiss because we're not allowed to have a say in how this story unfolds according to them... despite everything they've thrown at us, despite the mind games they've tried to play, I'm still standing here, proudly embracing my God-given freedom to be exactly who I want to be. I still step into that ring and bust my butt to earn everything that I'm fighting for, and nothing they or anyone else can do will take this away from me.

As mi papá once told me: 'an honest path can take a person a long way both in wrestling and in life.' Yeah, I wasn't part of the winning team in Tactical Warfare, and yeah, the Fall of Man can dictate their terms and act as though this is already going to play out exactly as they planned. And yet, despite that, I stepped into the ring last week in Madison Square Garden, despite not originally being booked to compete, and defended this title against Billy. Despite his antics and attitude, I think it was clear that whatever doctor William had 'evaluate' him might need to have their license re-examined because he was in no shape to truly compete. Maybe the plan was to try and spit in the face of everything that I stand for, to try and prove that I'm not as 'upstanding' as I try to be because I defeated someone who was in a neck brace. I still went out there and competed by way, I found a way to beat Billy without exacerbating his injuries because, quite frankly, the poor kid deserves better than how his father treats him. And if you want to buy into whatever William is selling and believe that I'm not a worthy champion, that I haven't truly earned this?

Then I hope to prove you wrong this week when I give Asher Hayes the challenge I know he craves.”

Luz pauses for a moment, reflecting on the challenge she knows is ahead of her this week. She knows that Asher hasn't been beaten yet since his return, she knows he's reached the rank of Supreme Champion, she's heard the way he views this company. All in all, it's a daunting challenge, one that could truly define her title reign, but if there's one thing Luz has never backed down from in her life, it's a challenge. No matter what's been going on outside the ring or the targets on her back from others in the locker room, she's always been ready and willing to step up to the plate and swing with everything she's got, and this match is no different.

“I'll be honest, Asher... to some degree, I don't know what to fully make of you. I've seen the man you were back when Amelia and I had our first try at SCW, back when you and Cid Turner won the World Tag League and then went on to hold the very Tag Team Titles that Amelia and I proudly wear now. I've seen the bitter, championship-hungry man you became when you were determined to hold the World Championship by any means necessary. You looked upon this roster and deemed it 'worthless' while believing you were the only truly dedicated worker around here, and that maybe this place was better off dead. Even now, you crave a challenge you feel you haven't had since you returned back at Fatal Fortunes, earning this title opportunity only for it to get lost in the shuffle because the Fall of Man just have to make everybody aware that crossing them is supposedly a death wish, even if all you've done to tick them off is simply have what they want.

Well then... allow me to be that challenge you've been looking for.

Maybe you won't believe my words. Maybe you'll believe this match is a foregone conclusion already, that I don't deserve to share that ring with you. But I want you to listen to me very carefully, Asher Hayes. I want you to understand exactly who La Pequeña Luz truly is. Every time I walk out to that ring, I give nothing less than my absolute best from bell to bell, no matter who my opponent is, not just because they deserve nothing less, but because those fans deserve nothing less. To me, they are just as much a part of this, cheering us on and spending their hard-earned money to see us do this dance, so the least we owe them is a match worthy of every single cent they gave to come and see us battle for this very title. I don't do things in half-measures, Asher... for me, it's full throttle all the way, no exceptions. I was born and raised under the mindset that if I'm not willing to fight with all my heart and soul for what I want to accomplish, then it will ultimately feel hollow when I finally get to that point.

Maybe you were at that point once before... maybe that's what drove you to care only about your 'kismet' and view this entire company with disdain once upon a time. I'm not going to claim I know why you chose to become that person, but I do know one thing Asher:

I respect you.

Maybe you find that hard to believe, but I've seen what you can do and I know you're going to throw everything you've got at me to hold this title once again. I know I'm going up against someone who's been in this game for a long time, someone who's done it all and eventually wants to reach the top of the mountain once again. But therein lies the question: just how badly do you want to get there? Just how badly do you want to call yourself United States Champion? It's an honest question Asher, because believe it or not, I have been paying attention to you even while I've been fighting against the Fall of Man. I've heard some of the things you've had to say, like how much you hate the interim label currently attached to this title and that you'd just forego a unification match and let Deanna have her title reign back when she returns so you can go right back to pursuing the World Title.

You claim you want this more than I do, but if that's the attitude you truly have towards this title just because you disagree with the asterisk currently attached to it, then maybe you need to understand just how much this championship means to me, interim or not.”

Luz shrugs the title belt off her shoulder and holds it up proudly for us to take in, almost as if she's daring Asher to come and take it from her.

“To me, this isn't just another accolade to add to a list, Asher. This is validation for all my efforts, proof that I've earned the right to stand atop the mountain and be mentioned among some of the elites on the greatest roster in the entire wrestling world, yourself included. As much as I would love to say I managed to prove I can dethrone Deanna Frost, I know I'll get my chance very soon to see whether or not I'm capable of doing that. To get there, however, I need to go through you so I can hang onto this, prove that I have what it takes to not only hang with a former World Champion but also overcome him simply because, on the night of February 22, 2025 right here in Charlotte, North Carolina, I proved myself the better wrestler, I wanted this more and I earned the right to continue calling myself the SCW United States Champion. The triple threat I won to become number one contender for this title, the gauntlet of having more Fatal Fortunes bookings than anyone else for the second year in a row... they were all part of the journey to help me evolve into who I am today, and they will forge the next step in my continued evolution as I show you exactly what I can do.

You believe I deserve better, Asher... then allow me to earn it, my way. And I have no need to forgive you for giving me what I want from you in the first place... but I hope you'll understand that I'm not ready to let go of this title just yet, and I'm ready to go to war if that's what it takes to survive your challenge.”

Luz lets her words linger in the air for a moment as she drapes the interim U.S. Title belt back over her shoulder, holding onto it with all the tightness of someone who's ready and willing to fight to keep it there even if it means pushing herself harder than she ever has before. She knows this will be her toughest test to date, but Luz is determined to take her shot and make a statement, no matter what it takes.