Frozen Hell vs. Xander Valentine

[supremecw]

Frozen Hell vs. Xander Valentine
If Frozen Hell loses, they most disband following the Tag League

4 RP Limit per team

Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET Wednesday, December 30, 2020

[Xander Valentine]

1 of 2: https://scwexecutioner.wordpress.com/202...-the-scab/

[SnowQueenSCW]

OOC: 1 of 2. Hope everyone had/is having a wonderful holiday time! Enjoy!

The Dark Side of the Sun

”Holi-daze aplenty”

Frankfurt Prison III
December 25th, 2020
Frankfurt, Germany
1:02pm

The keys were beautifully pressed, the notes of music floating into the young woman’s ear as she heard the song being played. Even so, the music from the keyboard, gears within and strings paled in comparison to the voice that accompanied them.

“Through the years…” the young redhead sang as she played, her fingers lightly strumming against the ivory keys. “We all will be together, if the fates allow.” Her eyes were closed, her own being lost in the music, and for a moment, the platinum-blonde watching her wondered if she was imaging being somewhere else. Perhaps home with her, with their children, in Manhattan. Granted, they didn’t have an old piano like the prison lounge had – or rather, the prison had rented for the holidays – but Selena was dead set on changing that now! She even could imagine the spot in the family room that it would occupy beautifully.

“Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow…” the pianist/singer opened her eyes, emerald green turning slightly to scan the room briefly before falling onto Selena’s sapphire ones, a smile both bright and, the Snow Queen could tell, holding… hiding… the inescapable sadness that filled them both. “So have yourself…a merry little Christmas now…” she ended the song with a few well placed keys before the music was replaced by a medium-applause. 

Quickly, Selena hit the stop button on her phone to finish the recording before her sniffled and emotions got the better of watching her beloved play and sing. Her eyes were already a bit watery from unshed tears and she bit her lower lip as she joined in the applause of the small group.

It was hard to recall – and one could easily be deceived into thinking otherwise – that the majority of occupants were either prison guards, prisoners or visitors for prisoners. Turning her head, Selena turned off her phone and, as per her agreement with the Warden, handing it to the waiting guard. “Thank you so much.” She whispered. Understanding, the guard nodded before sliding the phone into his pocket. “I’ll be over there…” he said. “When you want it back.”

Giving a nod, Selena excused herself from the officer. It had been a rather magical moment when Deanna had told Selena about the prison’s plans for this Christmas. Usually, visitation hours were just extended for family to spend the day with inmates. But it seemed the Warden, whom Selena had only met a few times throughout the near two years of Deanna’s incarceration, had seemed to want to ‘boost morale’, as it were. He had rented a piano, decorated the visiting area into a bit of a lounge and, if prisoners had were not on the ‘troublemaker’s list’ – that being they weren’t likely to cause trouble for anyone, they were invited to attend, where there was a – Selena’s eyes scanned the long line of foldable tables lined up end to end with paper plates and utensils with sliced pieces of turkey and ham, mashed potatoes and other Christmas foods. Due to the place being, well, a prison, only the staff were providing food and all “gifts” had to be scanned and searched by said staff. 

Of course, Selena’s gift of a sweater for her beloved had gone through without any issue, one that she saw her darling adjust the hem of as she stood up from the piano, thanking her audience with a wave of her hand before shuffling across the room. The second she was within reach, Selena had her wrapped in her arms, holding her as close to her as possible.

“You enchant me.” She half-whispered, half-cried as she held Deanna tightly.
“And you me.” Deanna replied back. “Everyday.” 

Leaning her head back, Selena allowed herself enough space to maneuver her head to press her lips onto Deanna’s, sharing a soft kiss as they stood against the door. She tasted the slightest tint of gingerbread cookies, which made sense considering how many she and her beloved pet had devoured when the ‘feast’ had started for the prison celebration.

“I haven’t heard you sing in a so long.” Selena sighed after she broke the kiss. “Just one other thing I miss about you.”

Rather than reply with words, the redhead merely snuggled closer to her wife, the platinum-blonde feeling the soft fibers of the sweater her wife wore. She took a deep breath and exhaled an equally slow one, her eyes open and taking in the room. In truth, had it not been for the uniforms the inmates wore and the guards standing at all the doors, Selena could have been fooled that this was simply one of their neighbourhood Christmas parties back in Manhattan, probably with the same amount of Styrofoam being used and passed around. The smells of apple cider and hot chocolate were awfully similar.

As if reading her mind, Deanna’s whispered words drifted into the Snow Queen’s ears.

“I wish you could take me home.”

Almost immediately, the redheads stiffened upon hearing the words leave her. Her head shot up and her jaw shook as she stammered. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to say that – I mean, you know what I mean, I don’t want to sour the mood – it’s Christmas, it’s your birthday and-“

Pale fingers gently pressed against her lips to quiet her. “Deanna…” Selena whispered. “I get it. Believe me, not a day goes by that I don’t want you here with me…”

And if Selena had decided to prove it, she would have told her what happened… but then it would be her that would have soured the mood.
*****************************************************

Regan Street’s home
Santa Monica, California
December 22nd, 2020
11:54am

“It’s been a year!” Selena harped as she marched around the room, feeling the carpet beneath her feet, the wireless headphones pressed against her ears. “You’ve had a year and you’ve found nothing?!”

“No. Nothing would imply that I’ve done nothing.” The voice rang in response, filling Selena’s ears as she glared at the laptop computer screen. “But I told you it would take time!”

“Yes, time as in a few months! Not a few years!” harped the Snow Queen, running her hands along her long braid. “Talia, you’re supposed to be good at finding this out! There has to be something!”

The raven-haired woman glared back at her, brown eyes burning through the screen. “You think I want to stay in Germany, do you? Have you forgotten that I can’t go home until I get your child-fucker out of prison-“

In shock, Selena’s eyes widened before narrowing, her surprise being replaced with – clearly righteous – anger. “Watch you tongue.” She warned. “I don’t care who’s side you’re helping. Call her that again and I will be on the next plane to personally throw you out of that castle with half your face caved in!”

The bite and tone in her voice caused Talia, her former childhood best friend turned enemy turned ally (for the time being), to flinch, it clear that she was pushing the wrong button.

“Whatever.” The lawyer scoffed as she cracked her knuckles. “My point is that I want to be out of here as much as you want her out of that prison!”

“So why haven’t you found anything?” Selena asked, frustration settling on her brow. “Is this some kind of game to you?!”

Sharper: “And now this has become a game for Xander…”

“It’s not a matter of not finding anything!” Talia harped. “It’s a matter of not having enough to build a counter-case to get her out!”

Snapping back at the sound, the Snow Queen shook her head. It was beyond infuriating for Selena! Deanna was reaching a year and a half, closer to two years incarcerated, and they were no closer to getting her out than when they had started. Meanwhile, Selena had had to watch her beloved’s eyes grow with sadness as the months passed and she missed more and more of her wife and her children’s life.

David was four now and would be starting school soon. The boy was every bit like Deanna in spirit, eager and excited to see and experience everything! He was already dreaming of being an astronaut, he had often told her. Deanna would miss his first day of school and all that came with it. Hell, with Selena’s work schedule, she was scared that she would miss it, but she was determined to find a way around that. 

Elsianna, her oldest, was becoming more and more the spitting image of Selena. Her hair was just as white and she was just as quiet and regal-bearing. She still loved her books and kept her nutcracker, Sir Crackshell, in her room. But she was also far quieter and more reserved than Selena’s was. Thankfully, the child had not had to deal with any more bullied like the Stanton boy in her new school in Frankfurt. She was a model student and was quickly learning the Germanic language, far faster than Selena, who could barely conjure up a few words.

And then there was Amiliah… the child born from the event that put Deanna in prison. Even so, Selena could only feel the utmost love for her little fireball. The little one had grown so much. She had hair just like Deanna’s, as well as the gift of gab, able to talk both real words and made up ones of blabber. Selena had lost track at how many times she had seen little Ami waddling up the stairs and around the castle, Elsianna, ever the protective big-sister, right on her trail. The two sisters had continued to grow close as the months had gone by, Elsianna the ever-guardian of Amiliah. 

Deanna had missed words from the redhead like “mamma” and “si-si” which Selena figured meant ‘sister’ for Elsa. And while she put on a brave face, Selena could see the sadness in her wife’s face. The hope in her eyes fading each and every visit.

And after the events with Queenie-

Selena shook her head, returning her attention quickly back to Talia. “What about that boy we met a while back… Castle?”

“Fredric Castle.” Talia sighed. “He’s whom I’ve been looking into the most….”

The black-haired woman seemed to hesitate before looking back at Selena. “You sure you want to hear this?”
“Yes!” Selena ordered. “Give me something!”

“Fine.” Talia replied curtly. “Bartender at the place has no idea what happened, same as before. No one’s story’s changed. And with no witnesses beyond hearsay between Deanna and Fredric, there’s no disproving they had sex.”
“Deanna was drugged-“ Selena started to defend.
“Do you not understand the concept of hearsay?” spat Talia. “Point is, she had sex with a minor, that’s the only absolute truth. Amiliah is the evidence of that.”

Selena remained silent, her brain instantly punishing herself as the stray thought came into her head: If only she hadn’t been born…

What bothered her most was that the voice was that of Xander Valentine, not her. To say that the Executioner was on her mind often would have been a vast understatement. She had spent so much of her time watching segments, interviews, and matches – especially now… now that everything was on the line for her – the only thing she had left that Xander could take from her…

Sharper: “And now Xander is starting to assert himself in this match for the first time and Selena could really be in trouble here.”

Knots: “Selena will be in trouble and I hope that it is just her title that could be it trouble but you never can tell with Xander.”  

”Did you hear me?!” the voice broke through and Selena shook her head again.
“No.” she replied. “You were lagging.” She added the lie.
“I said that I was digging into Castle.”
“The boy?” Selena asked. “I thought that was a dead end.”
“It’s the only way we can go about this!” Talia defended. “We can’t take back that they had sex. We have to prove that he drugged and had sex with Deanna. That’s the only way to get her out!”

“Okay! Okay!” Selena sighed. “How?”
“That’s what I’ve been working on!” Talia stated as, before Selena’s eyes, she held up a folder full of paper. “Everything on him since he moved here five years ago with his mother. Remember when I said something didn’t add up?”

Selena tried to recall. She had investigated the ‘victim’, Fredric Castle, once with Talia under aliases and that had been a waste of time. But beyond that?

“All I remember is you saying that the more you dug, the less sense things made.” Selena shrugged.
“Yes, exactly.” Talia sighed. “Because aside from the five years… there’s nothing.”
“Nothing?” Selena asked, raising an eyebrow. “What do you mean nothing?”

“As in nothing on anyone named ‘Fredric Castle’ or his mother ‘Louisa Castle’. No prior address, no prior reports. Not a speeding ticket – not even tax statements!”
“How did you-“
“Do not ask.” Talia crisply cut her off. “All I have been able to find if that Louisa moved here with her husband, Reinhart Castle. Three years in, they adopted a boy from somewhere in Italy. Husband dies in car accident shortly there after, and…that’s it.”
“Okay, so what? You’re saying you’ve spent over a year finding out they didn’t exist?”
“They clearly did!” Talia shook her head. “But it’s like trying to nail jello to the damn wall!”

Selena tried to think for a moment. “What about the orphanage that the boy grew up in?”
“Never heard of him. I even sent a photo. No one on the staff recognized them, though they said that their staff changes every few years so he could have just been lost in the numbers.”

“Anything on the father? Maybe some connections?”
“Nothing. The man was a ghost. He apparently worked from home as some sort of private accountant. Neighbours never saw him.”
“For three years?”
“You saw how remote the place was, Selena.” Talia shrugged. 

Another huff escaped the Snow Queen. “So where does that leave us?”
“I asked you if you really wanted to hear this. Were you expecting good news?”
“I was expecting something, Talia!” Selena all but shouted. “But you’re telling me that we have a mysterious father and the people involved didn’t exist outside of five years ago.”

The platinum-blonde turned her back to Talia, holding a hand to her face to cover her eyes. She didn’t want to see her former friend-turned enemy- turned ally due to circumstances cry or appear weak. She had survived the years of torture from her, the Scythes, and everyone else that went against her because she was strong. Because she didn’t show fear to her enemies. Because she kept fighting, regardless of how bad the odds were stacked against her.

That’s who I am… her mind repeated… I’m a Frost… I’m a Frost…

Turning back to Talia when she was sure she was far more composed, the young Frost woman took a deep breath. “So what’s next?” she asked directly.

“Well…I’ve got one potential lead to chase.” Talia sighed. “Meeting one of my contacts. Don’t get your hopes up but he might have something that could give us an idea of what else we’re dealing with.”

“Look, Talia…” Selena tried, an errant thought crossing her mind. “What if, and don’t chew me out for this – but what if we asked Malcolm for help-“

She hated asking for such a thing, the very idea of owing that worm making her skin crawl. But again, the idea of getting Deanna out of prison – the driving force of every action she had done outside of SCW for nearly two years – remained so. Still, she wasn’t expecting Talia to laugh her head off as she sat in her seat in one of the rooms of the Schonburg Castle.

“Oh that is a good one!” She laughed. “Thank you, blondie, I needed a laugh.”
The ‘blondie’, as Talia put it, remained quiet, crossing her arms over her chest and waiting for Talia to finish her little ‘display’.

“What? You’re serious?” Talia asked after settling down.
“He has resources we don’t.” Selena stated. “People we don’t.”
“And if I could do that, do you not think I would?” Talia asked with an annoyed smirk. “You seem to forget by who’s command that I am here helping you here. I didn’t come here because I wanted to. Malcolm exiled me here until I get your wife out of prison – meaning he won’t lift a finger to help us.”

“But they’re-“ Selena almost threw-up what little lunch she had that morning. “Elsianna and David are his grandchildren…”

Talia scoffed knowingly. “Bet that hurt the ego a little.”
“My ego’s been bruised enough to stand a few hits.” Selena coldly replied.
“Well, whatever, he isn’t going to help. Either I do it on my own or I stay in Germany for the rest of my life.”

“Fine.” Selena shook her head. “So what do I tell Deanna.”
“The hell do I care?” Talia laughed. “Tell her whatever you want. Lie to her for all I give a damn.”
“I don’t lie to the people I love.” Selena stated.
“Oh bullshit. I don’t even know your relationship and I know you lie. Everyone lies. Or they hide the truth, which is the same as a lie.”

Selena was about to retort but her jaw froze, her mind slamming down on the truth behind those words. Yes, she hated lying and did her best not to lie to those she loved and those that loved her, but far more than she was willing to admit, she had twisted the truth or kept things hidden from those people.

Deanna.
Regan.
Her children.
Her birthparents: Alejandra and Jonathan
Her friends: Jean and Zoe

How many times had she hidden things from them, trying to protect them or spare them pain? She was guilty beyond measure for taking such an approach and Talia could read it on the Snow Queen’s pale face.

“Thought so.” She stated smugly. “Get off your high horse, Selena. Because you ain’t a saint.”
“I never said-“
“Sure you didn’t.” Talia cut her off. “Save it for your next church confession.”

Selena rolled her eyes as she twisted her long platinum-blonde braid in her hands. “So when are you meeting this contact?”

“Tonight – in a few hours, actually.” Talia replied. “If anything comes up, I’ll let you know when you’re back here.”
“Tonight?” Selena thought for a moment. “Talia…I mean…” she wasn’t sure why this was bothering her, but Selena could not deny what she felt. 

“What?” Talia asked impatiently.

“I mean…yeah, your contact thing. But, after, I mean, you are allowed to enjoy the holidays, you know?”

A look of mild surprise came to Talia’s face. “Oh really, boss? I can? I’m allowed to enjoy the few days of merriment alone without a single member of my family giving a damn about me? Here? Alone without a soul? How kind of you! You are so generous!”

“I didn’t mean it like that!” Selena tried. “I was trying-“
“You’re trying to be your ‘good-girl’, ‘nice to everyone’ princess nonsense.” Talia spat. “But guess what? I don’t have anyone here. No family, no friends. So if I’m going to spend Christmas alone, I rather be productive about it, if you don’t mind!”

“Fine!” Selena held her hands up in mild surrender. “Do whatever you want.”
“Don’t think I won’t.” Talia stated before clicking a button that terminated the messenger video chat.

Alone in the room, Selena angrily shoved the headphones off her head and tossed them onto the couch before slamming the laptop shut. With an irritated huff, she slammed a hand into the top cushion of the nearby leather couch, the soft ‘thud’ of impact filling her ears.

Anymore kicks in the stomach, 2020? she mentally screamed, not wanting to make too much noise and upset the resident upstairs. At this point, I’m pretty much ready to take another beating before you die!

One last chop of her hand into the couch cushion and a few deep breaths slowly calmed her irritated mind, allowing her to slowly make her way back up the flight of stairs she had travelled in the first place and onto the ground floor, where her socked feet met the tiles of the floor that lead her into the kitchen. The kitchen space was a large one, not unlike her own in Manhattan, and her sapphire eyes could pick up the various colors of the room. The blues on the wall, the shiny-gray of the stainless steel appliances and utensils, the bright red and green sweater that her sister wore as she continued to set up pots and pans.

“All good?” she asked as she raised her head and noticed Selena standing there. Unlike her sister that had dressed festively, Selena had chosen a simple maroon, snug v-neck sweater that showed her curves along with her blue jeans. 

Hearing the question, the younger woman shook her head before huffing a little. “She’s chasing ghosts with no end in sight.” Came the saddened reply. “Way I feel, Deanna will never get out.”

“Don’t think like that.” Came the warm voice of Selena’s sister, Regan Street. “Worse case scenario, okay? You have to keep doing what you’re doing? You still get to see her all the time, right? And your ‘special visits’?” she moved the wooden spoon she had been holding in her hand to in-between her teeth to use air-quotes on that last part. “Time off for good behaviour, we can get that knocked down to eight or so years – you’re almost two in. That leaves six at most!”

Tilting her head to Regan, Selena could only offer her a sad smile. “I love you, Regan.” She sighed. “And I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but… what if it was six years without David?”

The kind smile Regan was offering deflated with a sigh of her own, the Hellcat knowing that remark was coming. “I know. I know.” She breathed. “I’d be in your spot too.”

“And I’d be in yours. Trying to tell you the same thing you’re telling me now.” Selena added, walking over towards the slightly taller woman. Without hesitating, the platinum-blonde wrapped her arms around the other woman, hugging her tightly. “Truly, sister, thank you.”

“Alright! Alright!” Regan griped, playfully squirming in Selena’s hug.
“No! You let me love you, mean kitty!” Selena played before blowing a raspberry kiss on Regan’s forehead.
“Oh come on! What are you – five?!” Regan whined, breaking free to rub the affected part of her face. Still, both were smiling brightly at their ‘childish’ antics. “You’re supposed to help me, remember?”
“Right, right.” Selena sighed. “Though I think you could have asked anyone and they’d be better suited for this than me.” She added, making her way around the counter, following Regan further into the kitchen area.

It had been an odd request made by the Hellcat, and had gone something like this:

Xander Valentine, Breakdown, stomping and stroking his own ego, which both members of Frozen Hell could attest, had grown beyond reason. He had goaded Selena and Regan out, Selena had called him out on his boasting, a basic “put-up or shut up” demand. But Xander had thrown a curveball, demanding that if he faced Frozen Hell in a handicap match and won, then Frozen Hell, following the Tag League, would forever disband. 

Following that, Selena and Regan had disappeared into the changeroom, where the Snow Queen had expected the Hellcat to throw a fit based upon the demands of Xander – essentially them risking their existence as a tag-team and him risking nothing in the eyes of the SCW Universe. Selena had expected screaming and cursing and throwing of items through the changeroom, maybe even Regan blaming her - rightfully so – for being so manipulated by Xander. Whatever her expectations had been, they hadn’t been…

”Do you want to come back to my place?”
“What?”
“I need help cooking stuff for Christmas. David’s busy and so are the kids and… there’s a lot.”

To say that Selena had been baffled to levels of speechlessness would not have been inaccurate. Still, she had managed to offer a weak nod of her head at the time, which was why she found herself standing in the kitchen with Regan, who handed her a bowl.

It had been days since Breakdown – since they had agreed, signed the contract, to put their tag-team existence on the line – and not a word had been spoken about it. Not by her and not by Regan. No, in fact, the Hellcat had seemed to adopt a new personality altogether. She seemed to smile more when she saw Selena. Hugs were more often. Plans were discussed more for the tag-league, for their remaining matched with Jordan/Cookie and Dark Fantasy that would occur in the new year. 

But nothing about the End of the Year event. Nothing about Xander Valentine. Nothing about what they were risking together.

For the Snow Queen, it was worse than getting a yelling from the Hellcat. Was Regan putting on a brave face? Was she not worried about it because she had an immeasurable faith in their team? Or… maybe…

Maybe the result doesn’t matter to her… her mind bitterly mocked. Because she already has her one-on-one title match in the new year… the direction she truly wants to go…

Quickly, Selena shook her head to dispel those thoughts. She refused to allow them to stay in her mind for any longer than the microsecond to which they were formed. “So…” she settled on saying to distract herself. “What are we-“

THUD!

The loud sound of the thick recipe book landing in front of her made her jump a little on the spot. “making…” she finished after a second to slow her suddenly quick heart.

“You…” Regan began, flipping through the pages with nimble fingers before stopping on a particular page she had marked with a sticky-divider. “Are making those.” She pointed towards the picture on the one side. 

Selena’s eyes gazed over the beautiful picture. They were cookies of red swirls with white dough. “Candy cane pinwheel cookies?” she read out.

“All the stuff is on the counter.” Regan gestured with a wave of her hand, indicating the bags of items that were sitting on said counter. Selena meanwhile, was still reading the instructions. “You’re aware that I’m more likely to make these thing look like deformed, colorful hockey pucks than actual cookies, right?”

“Are you saying you can’t cook?” Regan challenged with a lifting eyebrow.
“No, it’s not…” Selena trailed off.

And she wasn’t lying. Selena did know how to cook – living alone for the years she did had forced her to come to terms with being fully independent. That included knowing your way around a kitchen and a grocery store (especially when on a minimum wage budget). And as her financial status had improved with her wrestling career, she had still maintained some level of cooking abilities, opting to cook, at times, for her wife and children back in Manhattan.

But…. Times had changed. Selena no longer lived in her Manhattan house, not without Deanna, and though she had volunteered many times at the Schonburg Castle to help cook, Gunther’s wife, Marguerite would not hear of it. As the mistress of the castle, hostess, whatever she desire to call herself, she refused to let her guests assist with the cooking. 

That just left being on the road for SCW and… Selena bit her lower lip…. Food didn’t appeal to her that way. In the past, with Deanna with her, they would explore the town, try all different cuisine, from New Orleans to Japan. At times, Deanna would surprise her wife with an amazing dinner after a wrestling show, while they were on her “Believe it!” limo bus, and Selena would do the same for Deanna. 

But without her redhead… the Snow Queen had settled on what she could grab and put in her fridge and cupboard. Yogurt, fruits, nuts, tuna, salmon, milk - stuff you just opened and ate/drank. Nothing overly complex and nothing like what was displayed before amidst the pages of this thick book Regan had.

“What are you making?” Selena asked absent-mindedly, casting her eyes away from the pages that illustrated the candy-caned monstrosity she had been challenged to make. 

“Actually, I’m working on the main dishes.” Regan huffed. “Stuffing, turkey, etc.”

Selena nodded her head. “How many people are coming over?”
“Quite a few.” Regan replied as she got to work, gathering vegetables to dice on a separate counter than Selena. When the Hellcat turned her head and noticed Selena hadn’t gotten started it, she waved her hand towards her partner encouragingly. “Get going!” she laughed. “Those cookies aren’t going to make themselves.”

Wouldn’t that be better… Selena sighed before resigning herself to her fate. Carefully, she gathered up the butter and sugar into the bowl Regan had offered her and, with Regan pointing out where the mixer was, managed to start mixing the items together, adding an egg and some flour as she did so.

“So…” Selena spoke out loudly over the whirling engine of the egg-beater. “Have you given any though to strategy?”
“Strategy?” Regan called back, just as loud.
“Yeah, you know… for the thing.” Selena slowly tried to explain. “The thing coming up?”
“Christmas?” Regan asked. “Yeah, with you helping me, thank you for that by the way-“ she added with a grin. “With you helping me, we get the food prepped as much as necessary and then I can have David help me with the-“

“I don’t mean-“ Selena sighed as she turned off the beater, making sure the bowl’s contents were mixed as the book suggested. “Great…” she muttered. “Now the hard part.”

The book demanded that she take the contents and knead them on a lightly floured surface to make dough. Using the flour to cover the large cutting board Regan offered her wasn’t the issue, but Selena had never really ‘made dough’ in her life. It was one thing to just mix and mix until cookie dough was made, but this felt like it was asking her to make bread or something equally crazy!

“Knead dough…” she read aloud quietly. “Knead…knead…”
“Means press and fold.” Regan explained, peering over Selena’s shoulder to read the page as well. “Yeah, just press and fold slowly until it’s nice and smooth.”

“Seriously.” Selena tried. “Nobody else was available? Jennifer? Mikalea? Anyone?”
“Nope.” Regan grinned before turning on her food to return to her own duties.

And Selena didn’t buy her answer for a single second. “Why do I get the feeling you’re being untruthful to me?” her eyes narrowed as she brought the ‘blended mix’ onto the cutting board, throwing it down with a soft ‘plat!’ sound. 

To answer her partner, Regan merely shrugged her shoulders, though she kept her back to the Snow Queen.

“Okay, Regan.” Selena sighed. “I know for a fact you didn’t ‘have no choice’. So can we talk about the elephant in the room?”

“Which one?” Regan asked.
“There’s more than one?” Selena asked, somewhat surprised as she began to fold and press into the dough.
“At least two.” Regan replied simply. “We still haven’t decided what to have the other ‘do’ as part of the bet.”

Not meaning to, Selena rolled her eyes. Why the hell was Regan thinking about THAT at a time like this?! The wager they had made on Halloween regarding ‘if they won the Tag League’- why was that a matter now? They were one loss/tie away from elimination and if Xander Valentine beat them in a week or so, it wouldn’t matter one way or the other!

Despite her best efforts to breath and calm herself, Selena could not help the frustration and…no, she could admit it – the anger – that was welling up in her. Again, her mind rehashed the former thought of Regan’s future in 2021. A future that involved a rematch with Xander AND a United States Title shot, an opportunity Selena had tried to support, even if it meant her being ignored for any rematch in doing so. She wanted to support her sister in every way, and taking the belt off Xander would mean a lot to Regan. So, Selena had gone alone with it.

It’s what sisters do…

But if that was the case, why did her sister not seem to care about the fact that, come 2021, they would no longer be a tag-team… or a tag-team on borrowed time?

She gripped the dough and threw it down onto the floured cutting board, her frustration pushing her actions, which were being taken out on the defenceless dough.

“You know…” Regan tilted her head a bit. “I’ve been thinking about that for abit.”
“Have you?” Selena replied through clenched teeth, fighting against the negative emotions that were swirling within her.

“Yes.” Regan replied. “What if we got tattoos?” 

Selena’s hand stopped temporarily as she heard Regan’s words. “Got what?” she was sure she misheard.
“Tattoos.” Regan shrugged. “I don’t know, it just seemed like a fun idea.”

Surprised, Selena reached up to scratch her left shoulder, unintentionally leaving a muddied, white handprint of flour where her hand had been. “Sounds rather permanent…” Selena tried. She had never really thought about the idea of having tattoos. Back in the early days of 4Saken, Dawn Lohan had opted for Selena to dye her hair a streak of black as some form of ‘solidarity’, but that had gone as well as one would expect when it came to Selena and her hair. Though this sounded more… realistic for the Snow Queen, she couldn’t imagine what else Regan was planning in her mind.

“What? Does mine say ‘Property of Regan Street’?” she asked, her attempt at humor doing little to quell the frustrations within her.
“Oh geez, I wouldn’t ask that.” Regan laughed. “Though that would be kind of funny. No, you could do whatever you wanted. Anyway, it’s just an idea.” She dismissed with a wave of her hand.

“Yeah…” Selena lifted the dough and pressed into hard again, kneading her frustrations into the mixture. “I think we should focus on whether or not we can still be in the Tag League in the new year, you know?” she tried, hinting towards what was before them. “I mean – would you even want to if we’re not a tag-team anymore officially?”

“Sure!” Regan answered without thinking. “You love winning tournaments! And I think that’s a fun way to stick it to everyone that wants to see us go down – one big ‘F you’ to the critics.”

“I don’t know, Regan.” Selena pressed, dusting her hands off and making her way over the book to get the next set of instructions, which involved a rolling pan and some plastic wrap. “Personally, and maybe I’m selfish, but I’m not looking past the End of the Year…” she stressed the last set of words.

The Hellcat said nothing, simply staying focused on her job of dicing vegetables for, Selena assumed, the stuffing. 

“You know…” Selena continued as she flattened the dough into two equal parts. “Because what’s at stake here…”

It was then that Regan, through no fault of her own, said the worst string of words the Hellcat could have chosen to stay… “Meh, I’m not worried about it.”

It was the spark that set off the fire. The straw the broke the camel’s back… the line that pushed Selena over the edge. 

“No, of course you’re not!” she said coldly before pale hands found the dough she was flattening and, with as much force as she could, threw the large piece against the wall, along with the rolling pin, the pair making the oddest crashing sound she had ever heard. It was enough to cause Regan to jump on the spot and spin around, eyes wide as she took in the scene, shock written all over her face…

And anger written all over Selena’s…
**************************************************

“You threw the dough and rolling pin?”

Deanna’s eyes were wide as she danced in Selena’s arms, the pair swinging and stepping to various Christmas tunes that were played on the piano throughout the prison, sometimes by inmates, other times by hired players the Warden had brought in, and other times still by visiting family members. The pair of them didn’t care if those playing were good or bad (and there was a range between the two labels), they had just enjoyed their Christmas (or Yuletide in Selena’s case) dancing and enjoying the food, until Selena had begun to regale her wife with that story.

“It…wasn’t my proudest moment.” Selena admitted. “I was just so frustrated with her. She was acting so nonchalant – like it didn’t matter if Frozen Hell survived or not. I mean…”
“Do you really believe she would feel that way?” Deanna semi-glared at her wife. “After everything you two have been through? That she would just toss you aside?”

“Well, I don’t think that now…” Selena tried. “But at the time, I was frustrated and stressed and just…”
“Scared?” Deanna tried, earning a quiet nod from her wife.
“Completely.” Selena admitted.
“So…what happened?” the redhead slowly offered. “I mean, after you super-flattened the dough?”

“I…” Selena began but stopped when she spotted one of the guards coming towards her, the same one she had handed her cellphone to after she had recorded Deanna’s performance of “Have yourself a merry little Christmas” (in accordance with the party rules of ‘zero electronics’ – the warden had kindly allowed Selena to record Deanna’s performance, under guard supervision naturally). 

“Mrs. Frost.” He stated.
“What is it?” Selena asked, her movement stopped as she tentatively observed the guard.
“We have a phone call for you.”

Selena’s eyes widened. “Phone call? Who knows I’m here?” She asked, alarm filling her.
Deanna, surprisingly, was the more level-headed one. “Go.” She ordered to her wife. “I’ll wait here.” 

Giving her beloved a nod, Selena was quick to follow the guard into another room, where a phone was resting on the table, away from the receiver, which was further away. Her mind was racing. Was it someone at the Schonburg Castle? Was it Regan? Who would call her on Christmas day?

Her hand shaking a little, she picked up the phone and pressed it to her ear. “Hello? Selena Frost here.”

“Mrs. Frost.” The voice was thickly, Germanic accent, making it a little difficult for Selena to understand. The words that spewed out first were in german, causing Selena to stop the conversations. “Excuse me… Excuse me…” she tried. “I do not speak German very well. Can you please speak English?”

“Yes, I can.” Came the thick, feminine voice. “This is the Loreley-Klinken Standort St. Goar.”
“Okay…what is that?”
“Hospitalgasse.”
“Wait… a hospital?” Selena asked, her eyes widening in further alarm.
“Da. Correct.” The woman on the other line replied. “You are….” She seemed to need to think of the words to say. “Emergency contact for one Talia Scythe.” 

“Talia?!” Selena blurted in disbelief. “Wha- what happened to her?”
“She’s here with us. There was a car accident…”

The rest was a blur to the Snow Queen, as she mentally cursed the year, and herself, for one more 


______________________________________

The Royal Letter

The camera fades in to reveal Selena Frost sitting on a leather couch, which contrasts with the light blue shirt and white pants she wears. Her eyes are locked on the camera in front of her, staring through the lens to the people she is sure will be watching.

The End. she whispers softly, letting those words rise and fall into silence before continuing.

I know, sounds morbid, doesn’t it? And certainly not fitting, at first glance, with the season. But how many of us are chomping at the bit? Waiting for 2020 to simply end? 

And for me – all I’ve wanted this entire year was to team up with my sister, work together in the tag-division, yes, but also do our jobs in entertaining all of you, the SCW Universe, through this trying time.  

With her leg crossed over the other at the knee, Selena takes a moment to fix a stray, platinum-blonde lock of hair, tucking it behind her ear. And yet…according to one man. One single man. That shouldn’t even be a right for Regan and I, the right to be able to compete as a tag-team within SCW.

Her jaw clenches and her gaze grows colder. Harsher.

Are you happy now, Xander? Huh? Now that you have what you wanted? Is that enough to get you to come crawling out of your hole to actually back up all you’ve been bragging about for months? ‘Unstoppable’? ‘Unbeatable’? ‘Feared’? ‘Dominant’? 

Funny, about that. If you were so ‘dominant’ as you’d like to claim, you wouldn’t care if Regan and I existed as a tag-team, would you? You’d just beat us and let us exist… if it was so easy.

See, Xander, you showed so much more than just a ‘crafty mind’ last Breakdown when you made that ultimatum against us at the End of the Year. You exposed so much more of yourself than you may have wanted to, didn’t you? Perhaps you’re not even aware of it.

That despite how much you have laughed in our faces, laughed at me, mocked our words, our thoughts, despite how much you may have ‘risen to a new level’… some things still haven’t changed, have they?  

Shifting her weight and leg, Selena places the resting foot on the ground to lean forward, closer to the camera, her elbows on her knees.

Let me take you back, Xander. Back to how this all began over a year and a half ago. You came after Regan and I. We didn’t come after you. You came after us. Why? Because you couldn’t stand that two women were seen as two of the most dominant people within SCW, a concept you once held, what? Fifteen or so years ago? she shrugs.

And the thing is, Xander, you could have easily just challenged one of us, or both of us. Fought us to prove yourself again. Prove that you were still that person – that Executioner. We wouldn ‘t have blamed you. Hell, we would have respected you for it – true respect. Not the kind you’ve tossed around and turned on and off at your convenience… Sapphire eyes narrow.

But you didn’t, did you? You didn’t just challenge us. You attacked and injured Mr. D.. You took a sledgehammer to my bus. You sought to endanger my wife! My children!

A growl escapes deep within the pale throat of the Snow Queen, her expression a scowl at the memory.

Remember, Xander? You were the one that made it personal. You were the one that had to go too far. You were the one that turned our match at Rise to Greatness into something ugly. And then, when you lost? 

You made it personal again.

You attacked women, mothers… you attacked men, fathers… you attacked children. 

And after that? When you wanted that “legitimate match”? What happened?

You went to my house. You went to the home were I raised my babies. Were I built a life with the woman that I love more than anything on this Earth!

As she reminisces, it is clear the memories are only angering the young woman more and more, her posture becoming more rigid and her tone edgier.  

And it still wasn’t enough to do what you vowed. To finish me off. To end me. 

Fast forward to 2020 and Xander Valentine finally has his ‘mojo’ back! He’s The Executioner again. You even manage to beat me and take the United States title from me. I’ll give you the credit you deserve in that. Bravo. 

But again, Xander that wasn’t good enough for you, was it? You decided to relabel me – or try to. “The Shadow of SCW”, right? After my seven consistent years in this business – a career that that can’t hope to match in consistent longevity and accomplishments, you were trying to make the world think I was running on empty. That I was slowing down. That I wasn’t the woman that knocked you out faster than any superstar in the history of SCW. That stood all you took and kept going in a Last Person Standing Match… you tried to make me something ‘less’. Something ‘forgettable’.

Selena shakes her head as she bites her lower lip, casting her gaze to the side for a moment, as if to collect her thoughts once more.

Yeah, Xander, you went for my ego. Way to go. Not exactly hard. I’ve got one. Regan’s got one. That’s why we’re chomping at the bit to rip a piece of your hide off. Because, as wrestlers? We are sick of your crap. “Dominance this” and “Dominance that”. It’s all crap! 

The Snow Queen takes a few breaths and a moment to let things settle, her voice much calmer.

Xander, you beat me once. You beat Regan once. Do you have any idea where that places you in the long list of wrestlers? Hell, I got beat by Ikario Yoshiada once. 

I’ve been beaten before, Xander. More times than I can count. Regan has been beaten before. I imagine she’d say the same thing. But unlike you, we didn’t blame innocent people for it. We used it to motivate us. We used it to become stronger. Ask Datura. Ask Bree Lancaster. Ask Christy Matthews. Ask Syren. 

But for you: you say what you do – what you’ve done - it’s dominance. That it’s dominance what you did to Konrad Raab, simply because he saved me from your interference in a match you had no reason to involve yourself in in the first place! You claim that it was dominance what you did to Dylan Howell, who merely stood up for his sister and friend. And you say it was ‘dominance’ what you did to Peyton…

A laugh escapes the pale lips of the “Face of SCW”.

Was that what it was, Xander? You clutching your ribs? Limping to the back? Was that ‘dominance’? Or was that you getting that ‘lucky’ break after Peyton was ready to put you away? I’ll say you were the better wrestler that night, just like you were against me a few months ago. But ‘dominance’?

Selena slowly shakes her head, her expression unmoving. Her lips a firm line.

I got sick of hearing that word like it was a punchline from you. Like you were trying to convince us all – make us forget what we saw with our own two eyes! So last Breakdown, I did what you should have done over a year ago. I said ‘prove it!’. I didn’t go after your family. I didn’t go after your sidekick, Artemis. I looked you in the eye and dared you to prove it.

But again, just like always, you made it personal.

You wanted Regan and I to put our tag-team existence on the line against you. To wager our future in SCW as a tag-team. To remove Frozen Hell from SCW permanently.

The young woman sits back against the couch, jerking her head a little to crack her neck a bit. For a moment, she gazes away. 

Because that’s what it’s always been about to you, hasn’t it, Xander? All this time. Regan and I. This force that you cannot stand standing above you. Standing above your wrath. Above your abilities. A force that you tried to endear yourself to by becoming Regan’s partner earlier this year. Again, trying to split us up. 

You said it was ‘jealousy’. Jealousy that Regan chose me. That what Regan and I have is what something you’ve never had. But if that’s all it was, you wouldn’t need Frozen Hell gone from SCW, would you? No, Xander… you fear us.

You, the Executioner, fear what Regan and I can do together. Because alone, Xander – between you and me – there was only one time that true dominance was shown! And you know it!

The screen suddenly shifts to a quick clip of Selena nailing Xander Valentine with her “Defying Gravity” kick at Rise to Greatness a year and a half ago, knocking the Executioner out to a stunned crowd. The voice of Adam Sharper and Jonathan Knots can be heard as part of the clip.

“Oh my God! My God! Selena hit the Defying Gravity!”
“Xander is down! He’s down!”

The shot slowly fades back to the present, to Selena sitting on the couch, her eyes on the camera in front of her.

You were right, Xander. her voice is as calm as a whisper. I am ‘The Shadow’. The Shadow you’ve been trying to escape from for nearly two years. The shadow that has been the definition of ‘dominance’ that you could never achieve – have NEVER achieved.

And then you have Regan. The woman you NEEDED Tommy Valentine’s help with to put away. The woman that you couldn’t beat on your own – that you FAILED to beat on your own.
Selena’s words of “couldn’t” and “failed” almost echo a little as she finishes her sentence, grim reminders of the failings of Xander Valentine.

And put us together? Frozen Hell? That terrifies you, Xander. That terrifies you because it’s something you’ve NEVER encountered before. Because I possess the weapons that can knock you out for good. Regan possesses the will that you can’t extinguish. 

In short, Frozen Hell is the dominant force you envy – you fear – because you can’t be what we are. And you never will be! Never.

Again, the last word seems to echo a little within the room, but Selena presses on. Xander… all you did with your ‘stipulation’ was remove any choice we have left. See, now, it’s not enough to simply beat you. It’s not enough to simply have you slink off and say “it took two! It took two!”

No. As I said, Xander Valentine, this is the end. Truly the end. The end of the year and the end of your so-called ‘dominance’. Sapphire eyes narrow.

Because Regan and I are going to dominate you, Xander. We are going to beat you inside the ring, outside it and everywhere else we can until you cannot stand. We are going to throw every single move, attack, weapon we have at you until you cannot get back up. We are going to manhandle you and show you what true ‘dominance’ is!

Selena smiles a little at the thought.

You were right, Xander. This stopped being a ‘wrestling match’ long ago. This is now what is necessary to end this for me. A fight. A fight to do the one thing you can’t stand, but no one is better at doing than Regan and I…

Because in the end, Xander Valentine, Frozen Hell will humble you. We will stand above you as you lie on the mat, unable to move a single muscle. Unable to hurt another innocent person, feeling more pain than you have ever felt in your miserable career. Only with one last image burned into your mind…

Selena slowly pushes herself off the couch and onto her feet, the camera following her as she stands.

The lights behind us, casting our shadows over your beaten…
Broken…
Defeated…
Dominated body.

The end, Xander… and whatever’s left? Will be burned by the Hellcat…

Believe it, you bastard.

The camera stays on the Snow Queen as she stands there, the lights in the room shining brighter behind her, creating a shadowy silhouette before the light encompasses it all and the scene fades to black.

[SnowQueenSCW]

OOC: Last roleplay of 2020 for me! WOOOO! Hope everyone enjoys it and all the other rps and has a great New Year’s!

The Dark Side of the Sun

”Should Old Acquaintance be Forgot?”

Frankfurt Prison III
December 25th, 2020
Frankfurt, Germany
1:42pm

“Let me see if I get this straight.” The voice drawled on in Selena’s ear through the receiver in her cellphone as she sat on the flight of stairs just outside of the prison lounge where the Christmas party of the Frankfurt Prison III was still taking place. The Warden, upon the Snow Queen explaining the phone-call she had received from the hospital in Oberwesel, had graciously allowed her to use her cellphone to contact the proper family, who currently was not too pleased at all. “You woke me up at…” there was a pause in the weary man’s voice, as if he was checking the nearest clock or display of time. “Damn near four a.m-“

“Yes-“ Selena tried but was interjected immediately.
“Just to tell me that Talia has been in a car accident?”
“Just?” Selena could not believe the, seemingly, unfazed tone she was hearing. “Malcolm, she has three crushed ribs and almost got her lung punctured. Not to mention the bruising and-“

“I appreciate the update.” The mayor of Nome stated dryly. “But I fail to see the need to contact me about it now?”
“Wh-“ Selena stammered in disbelief. “Because she’s your daughter-in-law! You need to contact Ryan and I tell him his wife-“
“Oh I’m sure he’ll be as annoyed as I am that you are disturbing us on Christmas morning. I hate to break it to you, child, but I do have obligations that I’m trying to rest up for.”
“What the hell is the matter with you?” Selena asked incredulously. “Get Ryan, get on a plane, and get your asses over here! She needs her family!”

There was a pause on the other line, during which Selena’s hand flew up to rub at her uncovered temple in aggravation. Though she despised any kind of contact with Malcolm Scythe, she had not hesitated to dial his number into the phone once she had gotten the call about Talia’s hospital residence.

“Suppose I wanted to, Mrs. Frost.” Came the cold, commanding voice of Malcolm Scythe. “Disregarding the fact that Talia is exiled to Germany – and has been for close to two years, of which she has made no progress – All airports in Nome are currently closed for Christmas. Private charters need to be booked in advance and I do not have the desire to call my staff and secure one simply because my disappointment of a step-daughter ran a red light!”

His words stunned the Snow Queen, her mouth hanging open, shaking ever so slightly as she tried to formulate any kind of verbal response to that. It was beyond cruel what the man was saying! Even for someone like Talia!

“Frankly, my dear…” Malcolm prattled on. “I am beginning to doubt my investment in her all these years as being worthwhile. There has to come a time when a man has to cut his losses. I am sure you can understand that rather well.”

“This isn’t about gains and losses, Malcolm.” Selena hissed. “She’s your family. She’s worked her ass off to figure out a way to get Deanna out and to come home.”
“No hard enough, it would seem.”
“Oh, you could do better, Malcolm? Is that what you’re saying?” Selena shot back. “You’re such a big shot in rinky, dink Nome? You can get my wife out of here?!”

“No.” Malcolm replied simply. “And I wouldn’t have promised you I could either. I don’t make promises based on empty lies. That was Talia’s mistake.”

Selena’s lips formed a firm line as she inhaled and exhaled harshly through her nose. There was, indeed, some truth to Malcolm’s words. It had been Talia’s obsession with Selena, her desire for revenge for a childhood mistake, that had caused Talia to gamble everything on only partial information. Make no mistake, the person at fault for Talia being exiled to Frankfurt and Oberwesel was Talia, herself.

“To hell with that, Malcolm.” Selena stated. “This isn’t about her exile. This is about being a decent human being and-“
“Good-bye, Mrs. Frost.” Malcolm replied coldly. “Give my regards to my grandchildren.”

The line went died with sickening soft click. With an angry growl, Selena punched in the number again. “You damned son of a-“ only to be met with an instant “the number you have dialed is currently unreachable” auto-message, which caused another angry yell to come from the woman as she smacked her phone against her closest leg at the knee, her free hand backhand-punching the nearby stone wall, which was cold and hard to the touch.

She simply stayed like that for several minutes, inhaling and exhaling slowly. She had, in her frustration, undone her hair from its braid during the long phone call with Malcolm, allowing her to angrily run her hand through her scalp as she scratched the surface.

Why are there so many people in my life whose soul purpose, it seems, is to piss me of? she asked herself, only for her mind, as if answering itself, to instantly fire back. Way. The Hell. Do You. Care?

That question did seem to catch Selena off for a moment, her eyes lifting a little to stare down the short flight of stairs that she occupied. Why did she care? Talia had been her enemy for nearly twenty damned years! She had made the platinum-blonde’s life a living hell – from their school days in Nome, to aiding Malcolm Scythe in kidnapping Selena’s children, to that whole fiasco in Nome that had been them competing in the revived “Snow Queen Pageant”. Talia had been nothing but trouble and had wasted Selena’s time and given false hope to her and her children into getting Deanna out of prison.

Maybe it was fate? Maybe Talia getting into a car accident was fate, like Selena, having enough of the bullshit from the Scythe family. Maybe-

The Snow Queen stopped that trail of thoughts immediately, not by choice, but because a second thought rammed in front of it, taking up the priority.

Because what? the voice (still hers, but stronger, kinder). Because she hasn’t suffered enough already? She’s trapped here. She has to not only watch you raise children, which she doesn’t have, but also watches as you travel the world – literally!

What followed next – perhaps triggered by her mind’s use of those specific words – was a memory, played out behind Selena’s eyes. There, she saw her and Talia, as children, running around in one of the many snowy fields of Nome, Alaska, throwing snowballs at each other and building snowmen. Laughing and hugging, making snow angels… why was she thinking about this now?

”Hey Selena!” the young girl spoke as she fit the smallest size ball of snow onto the top of the ‘Snowman’ pile they had made.
“What?” Selena saw her younger ‘self’ answer as she patted the surface of the middle ball – the ‘torso of the snowman’.
“You ever think of leaving here?”
“Here?” the young girl asked. “Like…Nome?”
“Sure!” Talia answered! “Like… see the world! I heard-“ she leaned excitedly against the snowman, carefully not to knock it over. “There are some places that are so warm that it NEVER snows there.”
“Never?!” the child’s eyes were wide at that, sapphire eyes in wonder at such an idea. “Where would that be?”
“Don’t know. Cali-“ Talia tried to pronounce the word properly. “Califlower? That’s not it. But my dad said there are several places!”
“No way.” Selena shook her head. “I don’t believe it.”

“Why not?” laughed Talia. “If there are placed that get snow non-stop, like here, can’t there be places that don’t?”
“I guess.” The platinum-blonde child shrugged her shoulders. “But, I… I don’t think I could leave here.” She admitted. “It’s…”
“Scary?” teased her friend, sticking her tongue out playfully.
“N-no!” young-Selena stammered defensively. “It’s just… Papa and you… I don’t want to leave either of you.”
“What about your mother?” Talia asked, earning a grumble from the young girl, forcing the dark-haired child to quickly change tactics. “Tell you what!” she decided. “When we’re old enough, and your dad is cool is with it, we’ll travel together and see these ‘snow-less’ places.”

The girl held out her fist in front of Selena, grinning a rather silly grin, filled with teeth. Pursing her lips to the side, the pale-skinned child thought about it for a second before punching the fist with her own.
“Deal.” She agreed before joining Talia in laughing together as they got back to work on their latest snowman.

Slowly, Selena blinked away the memory, watching the images in her mind fade and be replaced with the stairway and cold-colored walls of the prison. She could, once again, hear the sound of people loudly celebrating the holiday in the next room, the piano playing more merry songs of Christmas.

Slowly, the platinum-blonde pulled herself to her feet. She felt the soft fabric of her long skirt flow down, rubbing against her legging-covered legs. Her clothes, a shoulderless, long-sleeved top that hugged her torso, were a beautiful cascade of colors. Starting at a darkish, blue and, as it flowed down, becoming different streaks of colors: from the dark blue, to the soft gray, to the light sky-blue, and, finally, the royal purple she was so fond of. Her sleeves followed a similar pattern, as did the long skirt, though it opted for only using the sky-blue and the royal purple.

Carefully, Selena smoothed out the skirt, stretching out her left, gray-legging covered leg through the high-slit in the skirt to stretch the muscle a little as well. With a sigh, she pulled herself up the few steps, stepping back into the room by opening the door, the sounds she had hurt a moment ago now filling her ears more so – almost making it impossible not to get re-caught up in the Christmas cheer. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the guard standing to the side of the door, his head turning as he spotted Selena re-entering the room.

“Thank you.” She whispered to the man, smiling at him as she handed her cellphone back over to him, not caring that she hadn’t shut it off. The tall, broad guard gently took it without fuss, allowing Selena to turn her head in time to see the contrasting colors of gray sweater and red hair as her wife, Deanna, carefully making her way through the crowd, two plates in hand which were filled with more food. The one in her left hand was filled with some shrimp and dipping sauce, mashed potatoes, and a bit of turkey while the other – Selena had to roll her eyes at the mountain of cookies, chocolates, and other various other sweets that decorated the other plate.

Carefully, Deanna handed the plate in her left hand to Selena, who took it gracefully. “Did it go well?” she asked.
The question caused the older Frost woman to roll her eyes a little and shake her head. “Considering it was Malcolm? It went as I should have expected.” Her eyes lowered down to scan the plate in Deanna’s hands. “Trying to give yourself diabetes?”

The redhead, hearing this, turned her head back to her beloved wife, her mouth full of, what appeared to be, a large, candy-cane shaped sugar-cookie. “Mmmhmmmfffettt.” She muttered before finishing her current treat with a bit more chewing and a swallow. “Do you have any idea how long it’s been since I had THIS many sweets at once?”

“I…I cannot guess.” Selena answered delicately, not wanting to damper the good spirit in the room with a poor-timed joke. Fortunately, Deanna didn’t seem the least bit offended.
“Prison food is okay… but desserts aren’t very common. And they’re usually not very good. Not like this…” she grinned before devouring a piece of, what looked like to Selena, peanut brittle.

Carefully, perhaps not to lose any fingers, Selena took her free hand to caress her wife’s cheek, leaning down just as carefully to press a soft kiss to her wife’s sweets-devouring face. “I love you.” She whispered, only for Deanna, before pulling back, keeping her sapphire eyes on her beloved.

Still, the actions, in and of themselves, were enough to slow Deanna’s dessert-gobbling for a moment, the redhead turning to cast her emerald-gaze on her wife. It was then she spotted something.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, her eyes growing a little wider.
“Nothing.” Selena smiled, trying to assure her. “I’m just…”

She stopped as she saw Deanna’s fingers rub against each other quickly, as if trying to knock off any crumbs or dessert from her fingertips. The older woman didn’t have time to question it as that same hand reached up towards her until the thumb was rubbing itself against Selena’s left cheek.

“What is it?” Selena asked, receiving no immediate answer from Deanna, who withdrew her hand.
“Tear-trail.” Deanna replied, her recently cheerful voice now filled with concern. “Selena?”

The Snow Queen’s hand flew to her face where Deanna had recently touched it. It was a fruitless endeavour, trying to feel any semblance of remains from the supposed ‘tear’ but she had no reason to doubt her wife.

“I…” she spoke. “I don’t know.” She whispered. She hadn’t felt the tear on her face the entire time. Hadn’t felt it slide down her cheek or fall off on its way to the ground. Had it not been for Deanna, Selena would never have known of its existence. Had she been crying? When? How? By the stairs? “I didn’t realize…” she whispered, wiping the cheek aggressively before smiling at her wife. “Really, De, I’m okay.” She sighed, putting the information in the back of her hand to analyze later, probably on the car ride back to Oberwesel.

Slowly, Deanna nodded her head before turning to lean against the wall beside her wife, the two quietly picking at their plates of food, even stealing from each other every so often. “So…” the redhead settled after several minutes. “You threw the dough and the rolling pin…”

“Oh gods…” Selena laughed before biting into a shrimp. “I really shouldn’t have done that.”
“Well…you’re the one that’s dealt with her pissed off…” teased the redhead. “You tell me how well that idea went over…”
Selena only had answer to that: “About as well as I threw the damn thing.”

*****************************************************

Regan Street’s home
Santa Monica, California
December 22nd, 2020
12:24am

The two stood there in utmost silence, once in absolute shock, the other with an anger that prevented immediate words. The sound of the crashing, floured dough and rolling pin had faded and now, both women, sisters, teammates simply stared at the concoction as it lay flat on the tiled floor.

Sharper: “There, now do you feel better?”
Knots: “Not really. Now I wish Selena would stay down.”

”What the fuck, Selena?!”

The voice rang in Selena’s ears, breaking her through the voices of memory she heard, as she turned around and saw her sister-in-arms, Regan Street, standing there and holding a glass measuring bowl filled with chopped celery and onions. Her look of shock had been mixed now with another emotion: a growing sense of anger.

“I…” Selena turned back to the mess on the floor, also spotting the large white puff of powder that newly decorated part of the kitchen wall.
“If you didn’t want to make the cookies, you could have just said so!” There was no more teasing in Regan’s voice as there had been earlier.

“And if you didn’t give a shit about us losing Frozen Hell, you should have just said so!”

The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them, but Selena gave no evidence of that, standing her ground. The Hellcat’s eyes were wide as she took in Selena’s words before setting down the glass bowl. Gone moreso was the happy, joyous – one could say ‘Christmasy’ Regan Street – and in her place stood the Hellcat. “You want to have this out now?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “You want to talk about Toronto and EOY?”

“Oh! So you are aware we have to be there for that event!” Selena laughed, her hurt leading to her current attitude and mannerisms. “What a relief! For a second there, I figured I’d have to wrestle for our tag-team survival all by myself! Good to know that you’ll be there, sis. Will you also be giving enough of a damn to participate? Or should I expect you to just take your paycheck, your title shot for 2021, and head out the door? ‘Thanks for everything, Selena! Enjoy getting manhandled and mauled again!’.”

The older woman, Regan, gave no answer or sign of one aside from the slight tilt of her lower jaw. She merely watched as her sister became more and more unwound, the platinum-blonde looking around the kitchen as her shoulders began to shake.

“Do…do you even care?” she asked. “Do you even care that he could beat us?” she asked. “Do you even care that, unlike you, I don’t get another chance at him.” She half-cried as tears came to her eyes. “I don’t get another go in the new year. I don’t get a rematch for the title he took from me! I don’t get him one-on-one to regain my pride like you did with Datura! This… this is all I have left!”

Turning, Selena fell back against the counter of the ‘island’ table in the kitchen and slid down it, only a few feet away from the glob of dough she had thrown against the wall, her head dropping onto her knees. “He’s taken everything but you away from me.” She whispered. “And now, he’s so close to doing it that I… I…” she had no words to finish it as the thought assailed her.

“HOW MANY TIMES DO I NEED TO KILL YOU?!”

She slammed her eyes shut, letting the cries wrack through her body, returning to her original question on default. “Do you even care?” she whispered.

The silence that engulfed them was deafening, only to be broken by the sound of footsteps growing closer to Selena. She didn’t have to lift her head or open her eyes to figure out that Regan had lowered herself to the opposing wall in front of Selena only a few feet away. She heard the sandy-blonde-haired woman take a deep breath before her voice filled Selena’s ears.

“Of course I care.”

The voice was clear with no hesitation. “I care so damn much, Selena. You don’t think I haven’t had the time of my life wrestling with you by my side? You don’t think that I wish we could do this until we’re old and gray and everyone in SCW is so annoyed with us and our egos that they beg us to disband, or better yet, retire?”

Selena gave no answer, choosing only to hug her legs tighter to herself.

“But life…” Regan continued. “Life doesn’t always work that way. Things get in the way. The universe gets in the way. Or higher powers or whatever… and sometimes…” Selena did not see the Hellcat’s hand drift to her own side, pressing into it. “Sometimes things have to end before you want them to.”

A gulp of a cry came from Selena, hearing those words. Her head rose to finally take in Regan sitting before her. “So that’s it? You’ve resigned yourself to it being over? We can’t win?”

A sad smile came to Regan’s face. “No, Selena.” Regan shook her head. “We will win. I am beyond sure of that. But…” Regan sighed. “Whether it’s next week, or after the Tag-League, or a year from now or, God-willing, when we’re old and our hairs are white- er, whiter?” she gestured towards Selena’s platinum locks, earning a sad huff-laugh from the Snow Queen. “Frozen Hell will end someday. I’ve faced career-ending potentials so many times… and I… I’ve had to look back on my career over and over again. And I’ve always had to ask myself, ‘if it did all end today. Here and now, would I have regrets?’.”

Selena nodded. She knew what Regan was talking about. A number of times, when her sister-in-arms had been near the brink of walking away from SCW, Selena, along with Regan’s family, had pulled her back.

“With you and Frozen Hell?” Regan sighed softly. “I don’t have any.”

Selena’s mouth opened as if to speak but Regan lifted her hand in a silent request to let her speak. “I don’t have any because of you.” She stated. “You stayed with me through it all – all the ups and downs. All the drama my life brought out. My association with Tommy that made this more personal, my war with Xander that re-made you a target… you put everything about your own career on hold for me, just to help me do what I never could do in SCW – something you’ve already done.”

Selena sniffled a little, shaking her head. “Why does that surprise you?” she half-laughed, half-cried. “Of course I did. You’re…” she had to stop for a moment to calm her shakes. “You’re the most important person in SCW – one of the most important people in my life.”

Regan nodded, a soft smile, a mixture of happiness and sadness, came to her face. “We fought the world. We became tag-team champions. Win or lose in Toronto, we are GOING to win the Tag League…” she promised. “Xander cannot take any of that away. Not our journey, not our memories, not what we’ve accomplished. No one can do that.”

“But…” Selena leaned her head back against the counter, her eyes cast up to the ceiling. “I don’t want it to be over.” She honestly whispered, heartfelt as it was.
“Neither do I…” came the distant reply. “But I’m ready if it has to be.”

The two women, sisters-in-arms, sat in silence. For Regan, her expression was a mixture of calmness, uncertainty, but also – a sense of certainty elsewhere. For Selena, her mind still raged. Still refused to offer her the same peace her partner seemed to be experiencing…

“The referee has determined that Selena Frost passed out, and cannot continue. Therefore your winner…….AND NEW SCW UNITED STATES CHAMPION, XANDER VALENTINE!!”


In her mind, that voice warped and shifted, becoming an omen – a prediction – where body she and Regan lay in the ring, Selena unable to reach her as Xander stood above them, laughing at them, holding the title she would probably never hold again as Philips announced him the winner.

“I can’t…” she whispered, shaking her head. “I’m not ready…” her voice was a little louder. “I’m…I’m afraid…” her voice returned to barely a whisper at that.

“What?” Regan asked.

“I’m afraid!” Selena cried out. “I’m afraid that we won’t be enough. I’m afraid of what he has planned! What he can do! What he… what he did to me…”

Selena shook her head. While her match with Xander a few months ago had not been one-sided, Selena had never, in her entire career, been so manhandled as Xander had done. To see her strikes bounce off him. To see him toss her around like a ragdoll…

“I’m afraid too.” The voice of the Hellcat grabbed her attention. “Watching what he did to you…” Regan’s expression changed to that of cold anger, her gaze distant, as if reliving her own horrid version of the memory. “I’m ready for whatever he does to me now and in a month. I’m not remotely scared of that.” She smiled, almost knowingly, shaking her head as well as she spoke, until her eyes settled back on Selena. “But you?” she continued. “If he hurt you – if he injured you… that’s what scares me, Selena. Scares me more than anything that jackass can do.”

Selena’s jaw clenched and she angrily wiped the tears away from her eyes as they sat there. Regan, Selena and the ball of dough beside them, which Selena turned her head to eye.

“I’m sorry about the wall.” She whispered, causing Regan to shift in her seat to eye the white mark above them and shrug.

“Dough’s probably kneaded.” She stated, reaching over and picking up the ball before tossing it to Selena.

As the Snow Queen caught it, however, the ball of dough seemed to become a semi-grenade – for flour exploded off it, raining over Selena’s face, hair and clothes, covering part of her in powder. Selena was able to close her eyes on instinct, but that didn’t stop her ears from working – from hearing the snort of laughter that came from in front of her.

Slowly, opening her eyes, Selena’s gaze lasered in on the Hellcat, who was still snort-laughing through a hand-covered mouth. Trying to quell the laughter, Regan slowly lowered her hand, cleared her throat and calmly (tried) to speak. “Your hair doesn’t look any different.” She stated.

The Flour Queen’s closed lips tilted to the side at that remark as she cradled the ball of dough into one hand, the other scrapping the ground beside her for a small ounce of powder. The Hellcat didn’t have enough time to react as Selena chucked the powder the short distance needed to nail Regan in the face with it.

Once more the two were silent, staring down one another, flour covering one more than the other, but both seemingly having the same plan. Almost at the same time, the two women shot up to their feet and ran around the island, Selena dropping the ball of dough on the counter as she did, allowing ring to reach her target first!

Thrusting her hand into the bag of flour, the taller woman threw the whole handful at Selena, who dropped behind the counter to miss most of it. Jumping back up, the platinum-blonde grabbed her own handful of flour from the bag as Regan tried to re-grab the bag and threw the handful at point blank range, nailing Regan in the face.

What followed next could only be decreased as an all out flour war as the two took turns chasing each other and throwing hands of flour, or packed ‘snowballs’ of it at eachother around the kitchen until the bag was empty!

It was only at that point, when Selena held the empty bag in her hand and Regan was on the other side of the island countertop that the two looked around the kitchen, now covered with flour, and at one another, both breathing heavy and also covered with flour.

“Bag’s empty…” Selena waved the bag at Regan before tossing it onto the counter before the two erupted into laughter. They laughed at one another, they laughed at themselves, they laughed so long and hard until they were crying from it, once more settling on the floor beside each other.

“Well…” Selena sighed, wiping some of the flour still on her face. “You waited us to be old and white.”
“Whiter.” Regan corrected as she relaxed against the wall beside her sister. “Somehow… I knew this would happen.”
“I told you I was the worst choice to help you make food.” Selena laughed. “This is way I need to stick to takeout.”

The pair shared one more laugh as Selena’s hand quietly fished its way towards the closest of Regan’s, taking it in hers and interlacing the fingers as Regan did.

“When it’s all over…” Selena asked, turning her gaze over to Regan. “One way or another… promise me we’ll be okay.”

The Hellcat smiled lovingly at that. “We’ll be okay, Selena.” She vowed. “You’ll always be my sister.”
Selena smiled back. “And you’ll always be mine…” she returned as the two sat there amidst there much-shift winter-wonderland…

******************************************************

Loreley-Kliniken Standort St. Goar
Oberwesel, Germany
December 25th, 2020
6:54pm

Talia Scythe sat against the inclined hospital bed, her eyes fixed on the television nearby as it played the Christmas special ‘A Christmas Story’ (complete with German subtitles), which she may have enjoyed if this wasn’t the third time she had had to watch the damn thing. Upon awakening the hospital, the doctors assessing that her injuries weren’t life-threatening or critical or whatever, they had still ordered her on overnight stay in the hospital. Of course, on Christmas Day, said staff of doctors and nurses were clearly cranky, which was why, when she had asked one of them to change the channel, they had scoffed, called her a ‘Scrooge’ and, otherwise, ignored her.

“Figures.” She huffed as she laid across the mattress. “Least things can’t get worse.”

“Why do people say that?” the voice surprised the lawyer, causing her to turn her head which, thanks to the painkillers pumping through her system, caused only a mild sense of discomfort. Before her eyes, standing in the doorway of the room she was staying in, stood Selena Frost. “It’s like you’re cursing yourself. Mocking the universe when, in reality, you just want it to leave you the hell alone.”

“Oh great.” Huffed the black-haired Talia, casting her gaze to the ceiling. “Here to see if I’m still alive?”

The platinum-blonde shook her head as she walked further into the room, the light from the ceiling lamps showing off the simple clothes of black pants and dark-blue sweater she wore, her hair back in its usual braid. “No.” she replied. “The receptionist that called me assured me you were still alive.”

Gracefully, Selena pulled out a nearby chair to sit beside Talia’s bed. “You alright?” she asked, earning a scoff from Talia. “Okay…” Selena sighed. “They said you had some crushed ribs and bruising…”

Again, silence met her from Talia, who kept her eyes glued to the wall.

“Alright.” Sighed the Snow Queen. “Be a Grinch.” She half-spat as she sat back in her chair for a moment. “Did you crash your car trying to run over some innocent Whos?”
“Who?” Talia asked in sudden confusion.
“Yeah.” She replied until she spotted the confused expression on Talia’s face. “The Whos – The Grinch? Whoville? Dr. Suess?”
“Oh…right.” Talia rolled her eyes before returning to her previous expression of staring a hole through the wall. “No.” thankfully, she did answer the original question.

“Guess that’s a relief.” Selena shrugged, staying quiet for a few minutes as she began watching the television.

“Why are you here?” Talia suddenly asked sharply.

The question earned a slow sigh from the hospital-guest. It was a question she had been grappling with the moment she had finished calling Malcolm back in Frankfurt. She had travelled the hour and a half back to Oberwesel thinking it, changed her clothes thinking it, gotten back into her car thinking it and, up until she had walked through the door into this room, she had been thinking the same question over and over again.

“I don’t have an answer for that.” She said. “Wish I did, cause I’ve been thinking about it all day. “I mean, if the roles were reversed-“
“Exactly.” Was all Talia would say.
“Yeah…” Selena muttered. “Exactly…”

“Thing is…” she continued. “Despite everything, I’ve hated that Malcolm forced you to stay here. And I hated the idea of you being without anyone…now, for the holidays.”

The confession was slow and Selena was sure Talia would interrupt by laughing in her face or mocking her in some way. However, the lawyer remained silent, keeping her eyes anywhere but on Selena.

“I don’t know.” Selena shrugged. “Maybe it’s because, despite her being in prison, I can see Deanna today – made me feel sorry-“
“I don’t need your pity.”
“Whatever.” Selena sighed. “Call it whatever you want. But I think it’s unfair to you.”
“Life is unfair.” Talia lifted her arm, showing the IV needle ‘plugged’ into it. “Case in point.”

The two were silent once more, the only sound coming from the television and the occasional nurse walking by. Selena continued to watch the Christmas special until the moment where Ralphie was playing with his toy-rifle in the yard, Christmas having concluded for the storied family.

“You know…” Selena tried. “As a kid, I used to think that Ralphie ‘shot his eye out’ because of the recoil from the gun. Like he wasn’t holding it right? But apparently, it was the BB ricocheting back at him…”

Silence was the response, except for the special playing.

“Just…outlooks change when you grow up, right?” she tried again and got nowhere. Releasing a sigh, Selena lowered her head a little and biting her lower lip between her teeth.

“I mean, it’s funny.” She slowly started once more. “When we were kids, you use to talk about wanting nothing but to travel the world and leave Nome. In some way, I sort of became the same way after my father disappeared. Now?” she was unable to stop the ironic chuckle that escaped her. “There are days where I miss it and have to go back to it… and you’re trying like hell just to get back there…”

She turned her head back to her childhood friend-turned enemy, and when Talia ignored her again, Selena could only shake her head sadly before pushing herself up to her feet. “We’ll figure it out, Talia. To get Deanna out and to get you home, okay? Don’t go trying to kill yourself just to try and make that happen because you think you’re alone…”

Slowly, Selena lifted her hand, revealing the small, green bag she had been holding the whole time placing it on the small table beside Talia’s bed. She saw Talia’s eyes catch the movement and, temporarily, shift to the bag before concentrating on the wall again.

“Merry Christmas.” Selena wished before walking away from Talia, heading towards the door.
“Wait.” the sudden voice caught her by surprise, though she turned around slowly to face Talia again.

Caught, and perhaps a little embarrassed, Talia’s gaze shifted between the retreating woman and upraised television, just as it was about to play “A Christmas Story” once again. “Change that channel, will ya?” she asked lamely.

She didn’t see the small smile that came to Selena’s lips as the platinum-blonde walked the few steps needed to reach up and press one of the buttons on the TV. The screen flickered as Selena went through the channels before it settled on the Hallmark Channel. “Good?” she offered Talia.

“Yeah.” Talia said dismissively, focusing on the new special on the television. Taking that as her cue to leave, Selena resumed her exit and was out of the hospital seconds later. Had she of turned back, however, she would have, eventually noticed Talia digging into the bag to try the Candy-Cane Pinwheel cookies that were inside…

______________________________________

The camera fades from the graphic to a shot of the exterior of the Scotiabank Place, a flurry of snow falling amongst the night air. The camera slowly approaches the arena before fading to an interior shot of the arena, specifically where the SCW wrestling ring is set up for tonight’s End of the Year event, the final event of 2020 for Supreme Championship Wrestling. The space is empty, common setting for this SCW promo-segment, and familiar arctic-blue and white lights cast their illumination onto the ring, where the Snow Queen stands in the middle, simply taking the scene in.  

For every beginning, there comes an end… her voice, though a whisper, is easily picked up by the camera that focuses on her. Title reigns, careers, life itself… she shrugs. Has to end eventually.

And here… it’s almost beautiful, in a sense. Because I’ve seen some amazing beginnings here.

Reaching out, a pale hand caresses the nearby rope. It was at this event that I first came to SCW…

The shot fizzles and changes to a flashback of a younger Selena seven years ago, making her way down the ring, the voice of Sharper and Knots are heard.

The Snow Queen, Selena Frost making her in-ring debut here tonight. A rookie in most cases, but knows how to handle herself.
Yeah, but can she handle herself with so many people in this ring. This isn’t just a matter of beating someone down. This is about surviving.

The flashback fades back to Selena, her eyes out towards the empty seats surrounding her. It was here at this event that I did what I never believed I could…

Again, the video changes to a more recent End of the Year event, showing Selena Frost nailing Alexis Quinne in the head with her “Defying Gravity” kick before pinning her for the three count, the official eventually handing her the SCW World Championship as Sharper is heard once more.

Selena Frost with a banner year. Shot of Adrenaline, Best of the Best, Female of the Year…and now World Champion. Selena Frost enters 2017 on top!

Selena is seen embracing her wife and children at ringside at the event before the replay fades back to present Selena standing in the ring, leaning over the ropes.

I got married this time of year. Gave birth to my first daughter this time of year. So many of my most precious memories, as a wrestler, as a person, are tied up here around this time and this event. And they all have reminded me of one thing, it’s this: No matter how strong my opponent. No matter how large an obstacle is. No matter how improbable the odds are against me, in SCW, in life, no one – except me – controls my fate. No one controls my story. My life.

Taking a deep breath and wringing the rope with her hands, Selena shakes her head, her iconic braid shifting a little against her leather jacket.

So you will forgive me, Xander Valentine, if I don’t believe the hypocritical bullshit you’re trying to spew in an attempt to do just that!

I mean, I expected you to be arrogant, Xander. Truly. Because what kind of mind, even with the stakes so against Regan and I, agrees to a handicap match against two of the most powerful women in SCW? What kind of man preaches utter domination when he can barely handle one of us at a time?

Selena scoffs. An arrogant jackass, that’s who. And I expected that, Xander. I expected you to be so when you came forward. But – to quote you – somehow, I expected more. No… I’m sorry, that’s not right. Let me rephrase:

From the supposed “honest man”? I expected at least an ounce of honesty.

Turning, the Snow Queen paces a little within the ring, the camera following her.

What was it you said, Xander? That you’re the only ‘honest’ man? That right? That, unlike Regan and I, you don’t use hyperboles and superlatives to paint yourself in a better light?

Yet you say you’re ‘cast off as a pariah’? You’re the ‘scapegoat’? You’re ‘the victim’? Selena shakes her head. Oh no, that’s not it. You’re a ‘force of nature’! You’re ‘The Executioner’, right? You’re ‘death itself’! her tone of mockery turns into something colder.

You’re the man that claimed he would ‘forever freeze me in place’, remember? You’re the man that claimed that he would wrap me in darkness to which I would never be able to emerge from. Her eyes narrowed. You tried to label me as a mere ‘shadow of SCW’.

So please, tell us more about how ‘honest’ you are! Tell us all how you don’t need such exaggerations before you blast off in the same promo about how you’re ‘The Executioner’ and we are ‘the condemned’!

The Snow Queen shrugs. Or are you just full of shit, Xander? Are you just spewing whatever poetic rhetoric you can come up with because, deep down, you’re just talking out your ass? Saying whatever you can to keep the fascade of ‘untouchable’ alive in your head?

Because while we’re on the subject of ‘honesty’ and ‘honour’, are those really the right words for you? I mean, what kind of honour is there that you can attack an old man? Or attack defenseless fans? What kind of honour do you possess that you need to go after a manager? Or better yet, how about we talk about honesty in relation to the word you threw around Regan and I: Respect.

Again, Selena raises her arms and drops them back at her sides. How bout it, Xander? Want to bring that in? You say you respect us but then do all you’ve done to this point? To me, my family, to Regan, Regan’s family?

Selena shakes her head. Honesty? Respect? Honour? Come on, Xander. Let’s REALLY be honest here. You don’t give a damn about those words. You’re just a hypocrite, lying and tossing words around to control the narrative.

Because face it, Xander, that’s ALL you’ve been trying to do from the get go! In the beginning? When you came back? The supposed man that ‘doesn’t need to remind people who he is’? That’s all this has been about to you! Trying to get your damned ‘throne’ back. Trying to get people to ‘fear’ you again like they did fifteen years ago. 

You had the chance to start anew, Xander. Be something new, but you didn’t because deep down, Xander: You WANT to be the monster. You WANT to be seen as the Boogeyman! And it pissed you off that no one saw you as that when you came back for the umpteenth time. It pissed you off that you were nothing more than a hired goon. A thug for hire!

The platinum-blonde bites her lower lip, her frustration apparent. Xander… We didn’t make you a ‘monster’. We didn’t ‘vilify’ you. You CHOSE that direction when you came back. You CHOSE that journey for your story to take. You only blame us because it gives you a sense of justification to hide behind, doesn’t it? Make it everyone else’s fault and you can’t be held accountable, right? You’re just ‘a man standing up for himself who may SNAP’, right?

Well, what about us? Selena stands in the middle of the ring. What about the people you hurt? What about the people you tried to remove from SCW? What about the people you took things from? What happens when they ‘snap’?

I’ll tell you what happens, Xander. They fight back. They attack. They throw their concerns and ‘fears’ out the damn window. They don’t give a damn about being a ‘hero’ or a ‘monster slayer’ and they just go for the source of your twisted BS. she holds up a finger, slicing it gently against her neck. The throat.

A clip of Regan Street locking Xander in a side-headlock is played in an instant over top of Selena before returning back.

The mouth.

Another clip is shown just as quickly, this of Selena, herself, nailing Xander Valentine in the head and jaw with her ‘Defying Gravity’ kick.

And they don’t stop, Xander. They don’t stop just because you try and crawl away. They don’t stop because you’ve ‘had enough’. They don’t stop, Xander, until you have paid for every slight. Every attack. Every vile thing you have done.

Selena slows, taking a deep breath or two.

For so long now, you have tried to control not only the narrative of yourself but Regan and mine as well…

You’ve tried hurting our loved ones.
You’ve tried to put us on the shelf.
You’ve tried to diminish who we are and what we have done in this company.
And you’ve tried to make us nothing more than ants under your boot. Creatures that need you to feel empowered or relevant or important.

You’re wrong, Xander.

A slow, deep breath comes from the Snow Queen as she stands defiantly in the ring.

We do not need you.

I’ve seen Regan and I do great things. On our own and together. You said it yourself – what we can do eclipses all you’ve done, even single-handedly. We’ve defied expectations that you have never had to deal with. We’ve overcome odds that you can’t even comprehend. And despite every attack from you, every trick, every nefarious act you’ve thrown at us, we’ve still managed to get back to our feet and keep wrestling!

How many times did you quit SCW when the going got tough, Xander? How many times did you run away in the last fifteen years when you weren’t instantly heralded as some ‘force of nature’?

Year after year, obstacle after obstacle, Regan and I have survived and overcome everything and everyone that sought to separate us from SCW! Not because we never wanted to ‘call it a day’. Not because we never ‘had doubts’, but because we love this place and we love the SCW Universe!

She points to the ring apron, her words echoing within the space.

So, who is truly the ‘lesser’ of us, Xander, huh? We don’t you need you, Xander! It’s YOU that needs US! It’s YOU that needs SCW!

Look at you, Xander. The only man with clauses upon clauses stitched into his contract. A leash by Sasha D.. And you obey, because without Regan and I to fight you? Without others to defy you? Without SCW to allow you to do what you love to truly do? You’re not a monster. You’re not a martyr. You’re not a pariah, like you claim. You’re not even a champion.

You’re just a bitter, disturbed man. To cowardly to be anything more. To afraid to truly be honest with himself.

The platinum-blonde’s voice is quiet as she lets her words settle.

Regan and I have defied you every step of the way. We have overcome everything you’ve thrown at us together – and tonight, we are going to defy you once more… We are going to overcome you once more!

Not just as wrestlers.
Not just as a tag-team.
Not just as sisters.
But as a family.

Reaching up, Selena tucks her braid behind her shoulder. Because whether you are a ‘monster’, a ‘pariah’, or just the cowardly man I see you as, Xander – you can’t break what she and I have. You can’t kill it. You can’t stop it. You can’t silence it. You can’t deny it…

And tonight… you won’t be able to end it either.

Tonight, Frozen Hell will decide its fate and control the narrative of its story! And that story will not end because of you, Xander. I swear it. You will not be our ending tonight… sapphire eyes narrow. You will simply be a footnote.

Believe it, Xander. And have a happy new year…

The camera fades to black on Selena, standing defiantly in the ring…

[Xander Valentine]

2 of 2: https://scwexecutioner.wordpress.com/202...d-villain/

[Regan Street]

The Views Expressed by “The Hellcat” Regan Street Are That of Her Own and Do Not Reflect Those of the Publisher. Viewer Discretion Is Advised.

BROKEN PROMISES:
CHAPTER ONE

(Click Title)