The One & Nicole Kinneck vs. The House of Frost

[SnowQueenSCW]

The Witches of Alden

”Sapphire”

Tony’s Di Napoli
New York City, New York
February 1st, 2023
8:43pm

They were back at Tony’s, once again Selena, herself, being the one who insisted. Ever since the new year, with things in SCW getting more and more hectic (something that had repeatedly been on her mind) and with her presence in the wrestling world growing with the supershows across the world with companies like XWF and TIA requesting her – and her desire to promote SCW on a greater worldwide scale – the Snow Queen had desperately wanted to maintain some semblance of a private-life. That is to say, she wanted to keep things as they were meant to be to her.

That she was a wife and mother first and a wrestler second. Deanna’s injury had made that difficult, as her beloved redhead had been hellbent on focusing on her recovery in order to return to the ring as quickly in the new year as possible, partially out of living up to her previous year as “Rookie of the Year” and partially out of spite towards The One.

That was another reason Selena had insisted on these ‘date nights’ every few weeks. From simple things like walks through the parks of New York and Manhattan while enjoying the street-vendor foods to larger-scale dates like this, the platinum-blonde had insisted on some kind of moment of ‘escape’ for the two of them. A night every week or two where they could just be themselves, a married couple enjoying each other’s company.

Still, work always found a way to be strung into the conversation and neither was foolish enough to think that wouldn’t happen on these dates. Sure, there were their children, their school, PA meetings, neighbourhood events/people, but it inevitably circled back around to SCW and wrestling in some way.

And gazing at her wife, Selena knew it would inevitably happen again tonight. Still, she said nothing as she watched Deanna sitting across the square table from her, the younger woman stabbing at her steak and baby potatoes with her fork but not eating, a look of quiet sadness flashing across the redhead’s features.

For a moment, Selena’s eyes scanned the quiet dining room. Tony’s was a simple Italian dining-restaurant and had been their first true date and a place where the two of them were now regulars. It was one of the “Frost’s date locations” to the point where most of the staff, from maitre d to the full-time servers to even the kitchen staff knew them. Knew that such appearances were special, or ‘da-ate night!!’ – Selena couldn’t do the accent the host would always do whenever he saw them. She spied the stone arches above her and Deanna and she heard the soft music that played on the corner where live-entertainment was sometimes a thing. Eventually, her sapphire eyes settled back on her wife, who was rolling a baby potato back and forth on her plate with her fork.

“Thinking of starting a new career as a soccer player?” Selena asked with a tilt of her head, not truly surprised when Deanna gave no sign of hearing her as she continued to roll her potato in an almost hypnotizing fashion. “Deanna?” Again, no response.

With a quiet sigh and an idea forming in her head, Selena bit her lower lip before quietly moving herself out of her chair, stopping only to check that her wife hadn’t noticed her movements. She hadn’t. Carefully, despite it being rude thing to do in a restaurant (and one she strongly discouraged her children to ever do), the Snow Queen pried out a single ice-cube from her empty glass of water before sneaking around the table one step at a time. Smiling mischievously as she weighed the frozen water in her head, the former world champion stood behind her wife for a few seconds, watching the redhead continue her fork-potato game of to and fro! She eyed Deanna’s hair, curled and free flowing like an auburn waterfall. This was going to be the tricky part, she knew, as she gently reached out to move the waves of hair just enough to expose the back of Deanna’s neck – again, the seated woman too occupied in her thoughts to notice anything…

Until the shard of ice was pressed into her skin!

The reaction took only a second, but Selena saw her wife suddenly tense up, her head snap up and just as she was about to gasp, the platinum-blonde swooped in, covering her wife’s mouth with her own, her hand cupping the back of Deanna’s neck, thus continuing to press the ice-cube into the soft skin of her beloved. The sound she heard from her wife, which echoed into her own mouth and throat, was a mixture of a sigh and a whine, Deanna’s body still tense before she suddenly went slack as the kiss continued, as if she was just losing herself to the mix of sensations the older woman was employing.

Eventually, the need for air became too great and Selena slowly slipped her head away from Deanna’s, waiting for the redhead’s eyes to flutter open and gaze into hers. “Hi.” Selena smiled. “Something on your mind?”

It took a moment before Deanna’s hand flew up to swat at the one Selena had on her neck. “Mean.” She remarked, reaching with her free hand to grab the napkin on her side of the table to wipe at the melted water on her skin.

“I know.” Smiled Selena knowingly as she took her seat on the other side of the table. “But I tried getting your attention.” She sighed, watching her wife continuing to dab her own neck with the napkin. “Pretty sure you drowned your potatoes.”

“I what?” Deanna asked before casting her eyes down, seeing the little, round potatoes drowning in the gravy that had covered some of her mashed potatoes. “Oh…yeah.” She sighed, reaching up to scratch the top of her head.

“Breakdown?” Selena asked without really needing an answer. She knew it was about that. Since her match with Owen Cruze, Deanna had been rather morose… No, it was not just that. She had been upset, but it didn’t seem stemmed on the actual loss, per say. But Deanna had remained quiet for the last few days since. It was partly why Selena had insisted on a ‘date-night’ tonight – with the Pay-Per-View just a few days away.

They needed to get their heads clear of all of this. Yes, Deanna knew The One in terms of fighting and such, and Selena knew some elements of Nicole Kinneck and her ‘alters’ in that regard, but together? As a tag-team? It was a relative unknown, even a dangerous one. And with Deanna being so – was mopey the right word? No… sullen? Selena wasn’t sure – but the Snow Queen had been worried enough to try and snap her wife out of it. Training hadn’t worked, neither had approaching her about it at home – Deanna simply replying she as ‘fine’, which, if the potatoes were any indication, she wasn’t. So, Selena was trying for date-night to bring some of these issues out.

“We’re not really supposed to talk about work.” Deanna recalled, shrugging her bare shoulders, which moved the emerald-dress wrapped around her small frame from the bust down. It was a nice contrast to the stark white Selena wore, the Snow Queen having let her thick hair down and leaned more into her paler features to look like some ‘enchantress of snow’.

“And yet we inevitably do.” Selena smiled knowingly. “Come on, Deanna.” She tried, reaching out to take her hand, only for Deanna to pull away, emerald eyes narrowing at Selena.

“Are you holding another ice-cube?” she accused, earning a light chuckle from Selena before the older woman opened her offered hand, revealing it to be empty. With a huff, Deanna nodded her head. “Fine.” She added before reaching out to place her hand in Selena’s.

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

“Not exactly.” Deanna finally sighed. “I mean, yeah, it sucked. I really wanted to beat him… just to say I was good enough to do it.”

Selena kept her mouth shut. She knew she couldn’t tell Deanna how close the match had looked to her, or how there were moments where she was sure Deanna was getting the win. Anything like that would have just come off as pitying or patronizing. A wife coddling her partner to make her feel better. Instead, she waited for Deanna to continue.

The redhead shook her head for a moment before lifting her eyes up to Selena. “Why did he do it?”

“Who?” Selena asked immediately, racking her brain for understanding. “Owen? Throwing the chair? I mean… it was a strategy. Or maybe it was desperation? Maybe to get an opening – I really don’t-“

“No. Not him.” Deanna shook her head. “D.…”

The name sort of caught Selena off guard, but Deanna was already pressing on.

“I mean… I’ve been thinking about this since it happened. All that talk about stopping meddling and people just getting involved, and then he allows that to happen. It just doesn’t make sense.”

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

Emerald eyes shot up to meet Selena’s in what the Snow Queen could only describe as a simmering rage. “I don’t care that I lost, okay?” Deanna tried. “I accepted the new terms and came up short. Fine! I have a long way to go, I’m the ‘weak-link’ of the House of Frost, I’m the one falling behind – I get it.”

“I never-“

“Selena, come on.” Deanna sighed. “You beat the Adrenaline champion, one of the considered contenders for both the United States and World title and the next guy in line with Adam. Tell me your stock didn’t take a much-needed rise in the ‘singles’ department from that.”

With Deanna’s eyes narrowing at her, Selena couldn’t deny the truth. Not only had the Snow Queen won her last singles match, but she had pinned Adam Allocco to do it, which, she had to admit, was beyond satisfying after the months he had used her to boost his own ego. Now, she had one on him for every time he yelled “I beat Selena Frost” – a win she could take delight in and let last Rise to Greatness go.

“It’s all I’m going to hear this week. ‘Damaged goods’…” Deanna used her fingers for the air-quotes. “Bullseye on the arm, I’ve been around enough to know that much about how things are going to go. But fine, we have you, we’re going to get through this best we can and do all we can to retain the titles. I’m not worried about that.”

“You’re not?”

“No!” Deanna glared at her wife. “I have you. I’m not scared of anything when we’re wrestling together. Even in the chamber, when you were outside it, I wasn’t really ‘scared scared’, you know? Nervous, sure, but with you- and when we’re tagging together-“ her thoughts were becoming jumbled as she tried to get her thoughts together. It was often endearing, but in this case, it was also worrying Selena, who tightened her hold on Deanna’s arm.

“But…” her eyes found Selena’s again. “Why did Mr. D. allow Kim to do that? Why couldn’t he have just let the match be a normal match and let me see if I was good enough to beat Owen? It just feels so… like he doesn’t believe in me or he doesn’t care about my career or growth or he just wanted to push Kim and Owen and… I don’t know… it just feels so opposite of what he promised.”

And Selena was ashamed that she hadn’t given such things much thought. In truth, Deanna had asked her to stay backstage for that match, but when Kim had started throwing weapons in the ring, Selena had immediately wanted to get to the ring and get involved out of fear of Deanna’s arm – only to be stopped by the SCW crew telling her that Mr. D. had allowed this alteration in the match.

But, hearing her wife now? There was a definite truth to it. What was meant to be a fulfilling match of skill and integrity had eroded to a game by Kimberly for the sake of the main-event at the Pay-Per-View. To push something that had nothing to do with the House of Frost.

“It felt like…” whispered Deanna, returning to poking one of the baby potatoes with her fork. “Like with Adam Allocco and those ‘5 moves of doom’. Like I didn’t matter and was just the stepping stone. Like D. didn’t really care about me or what the match meant to me.”

Again, hearing the words, Selena couldn’t help the spike of irritation she felt. Because part of it was true. Earlier, D. had remarked on ‘meddling having consequences’ and even giving Deanna props as ‘having potential’. So why the hell DID he alter the match and allow Kimberly to get involved? She didn’t believe the Underground Champion’s excuse for a second. ‘Preparing for Pro’? It was the weakest excuse she had ever heard, including that time David had lied about putting a hole through the basement drywall by blaming being scared by a ghost!

The tag match wasn’t underground rules. If One or Pro tried to act like Kimberly had or tried to make Owen and Deanna act, then they would be disqualified. So Kim’s ‘reasons’ for ‘preparing for Pro’ made no sense! And if Selena could see that, the Snow Queen was certain D. could too.

So why HAD he allowed it? Why had he taken away the chance for Deanna to prove herself after giving such opportunities to Owen and others?

With a shake of her head, Selena did her best to dispel such thoughts, taking a moment to take a nibble out of her Caesar salad.

“You don’t really have an answer, do you?” she heard Deanna say dejectedly, causing the Snow Queen to shake her head just in time to see a passing waiter refill her glass of water, allowing her to take a sip to clear her mouth of the salad, crotons and dressing.

“I don’t.” she answered honestly. “But it could be a number of things, sweetheart. He was worried about Owen being in an underground match, and you were the former Underground champion- You were also the Rookie of the Year… It could have been practice for him to stay sharp.“

“But what about me-“ Deanna tried but Selena held her hand up.

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

“But that’s…”

“I know it is.” Selena sighed. “But…” she tried to choose her words carefully. “Hunny, it can’t always be fair. And it can’t always be about us on the show. When I lost the world title, Allocco rode that to high-heaven and management all went with him. Remember how I was slotted for ‘third last’ in the End of the Year awards presentations, despite breaking Syren’s record? Even the Match of the Year went before me. But damn, they put Allocco right front and center. He was their ‘poster boy’ now and there was no place for me.”

“But what does-“ Selena waited till the redhead had noticed her own interjection before quietening herself.

With a sad smile, the platinum-blonde continued. “Maybe you weren’t considered in all of that. Maybe it was just ‘one of those things’ where you were overlooked. Maybe it’s something we’re missing in the mindset of Mr. D.. The point is that we won’t know, even if he tells us, we’ll analyze it and question it and whatever. It happens to everyone. I’m sure Owen would tell you how he felt overlooked when I beat him before Rise to Greatness in the build up to it. Kimberly could give you stories, I’m sure… In the end-“ again, she reached out to take Deanna’s hand into hers warmly. “Let’s just be grateful that you weren’t injured again. And let’s focus on what’s ahead of us.” She gave the hand a squeeze. “You’ll get another chance like that. I promise.”

Slowly, Selena saw the focus in Deanna’s eyes go fuzzy, the younger Frost, seemingly, retreating into her own thoughts. Without distracting her wife, Selena gently released the woman’s smaller hand (at least with Selena’s fingers being longer and thinner) and returned to nibbling on her salad.

She truly did feel for her wife. If it had been her, she would have understood now. SCW needed viewers and the main-event needed to be pushed. Was it fair what O. had done? No. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Deanna had trained and worked her ass off to be ready for a singles match and D. had, essentially, screwed that over for her. But what was done was done and the reasons could very well have made sense to the SCW owner, but they couldn’t focus on that now. She was certain that her wife, even if Deanna couldn’t see it, would get another chance to prove herself as an independent woman.

Maybe I should talk to Tim about putting her on some of the supercards… the Snow Queen considered. Get her more experience and exposure – not to mention she wouldn’t have to worry about being compared to me as much as in SCW. That part was enticing. Aside from the World Series of Wrestling, she was rather ‘new’ in the grander world of wrestling, having only competed in now defunct federations outside of SCW like IWC and ULW for a time. Still, where such growth had happened organically, Selena couldn’t deny that such a thing for her wife felt more ‘forced’ than anything. No, Deanna just wanted to be more respected and stand on her own in SCW, not anywhere else yet.

With a sigh, Selena continued nibbling at her salad with sips of water in-between. This is not how I wanted tonight to go… she quietly thought to herself. She had wanted to have a good night with her wife, get her in a good mood with a good dinner, maybe some late-night lovemaking to finish it off to aid in that mood, so they could head into the pay-per-view and steal the show. That was Selena’s desire.

With her win over Adam Allocco, Bree Lancaster, and Glory Braddock – not to mention pinning Allocco in the process of it all – and the House of Frost getting billed as the second main-event of the pay-per-view under only the world title in the listing, she had truly felt that the shadow of her RTG loss was behind her. She had effectively reminded everyone that she was still a force to be reckoned with after months of being barely mentioned for it by SCW management and she had proven, even at his ‘best’, if he could call it that, she was skilled enough to beat Adam Allocco. Now? She wanted to concentrate on The One and Nicole Kinneck… and whatever alter the woman brought to the table.

For herself? Selena was semi-alright with the options. She had handled Nicole, Ducky, and Pro before and, while skilled and dangerous, there was a sense of competition there that she felt she could handle – whether it was Kinneck’s latest ‘craze’ of biting and scratching or Pro’s typical style of harsh moves and damage. Even Luna, though Selena quietly prayed that that alter stayed locked away for good in Nicole’s mind as Selena wasn’t sure she could still find a taser under the ring if she showed up again.

Because she had no desire for Luna to emerge and target Deanna. If she had learned anything from the last few months of being tossed this way and that between other people’s feuds like Ravyn/Nicole and Deanna/One, it was that Luna was someone that not even The One could deal with it. Talk about biting the hand that feeds… Selena sighed quietly, casting a quick glance to her still-pondering wife, who at least was eating a bit of her lovely dinner. If Luna showed up, the match would be over in disqualification, controversy, or worse within seconds and that was something The Snow Queen wanted to avoid.

She wanted to highlight the tag-division and continue on her mission of raising the bar throughout SCW. Why not? After 20 years, didn’t SCW deserve that kind of reputation? To be known for integrity rather than gimmicks and controversy?

Again, such thoughts slowly drifted back to Mr. D. and last Breakdown, moreso thanks to Deanna’s questions, but the platinum-blonde mentally slammed the breaks on that before it got too far. What mattered this weekend was The House of Frost retaining the tag-titles. What mattered now, however, was them enjoying their night and getting on a good page together.

Boldened by that, Selena pushed herself out of her chair, her eyes finding the source of the music that had been playing the soft jazz music of piano, bass, and saxophone since before they had arrived. The small platform of performers were busy playing, all smiles as some of the restaurant’s customers were already dancing on the spot in the small space with their partners. Taking Deanna’s hand gently, Selena carefully guided her wife to stand, regaining the redhead’s attention. Without a word of explanation, the older woman pulled Deanna to the space of other dancers, finding a spot for them before turning around swiftly, her pale hands immediately finding their place on Deanna’s waist and in her hand for the Snow Queen to lean. Still silent, Selena began guiding Deanna into a slow ballroom step – simple and on-the-spot, basically rocking back and forth. Easily, Deanna adapted her posture and stance, taking the hand that held hers while placing the other on Selena’s shoulder.

They said nothing. They didn’t have to. There was something just…warm and nice whenever they danced together, forced to focus on one another but also wanting to? Did that make sense? And they also felt like they fit perfectly together. It was a closeness that, along with their moments of tenderness and lovemaking, the outside world could just melt away for a short time – something Selena was banking on. She wanted to free her wife of the burdens of SCW and see the excitement of it!

They were the defending world tag-team champions! In the throngs of their first reign together! Yes, focusing on singles victories and titles was also important and she hoped Deanna would have more while Selena, herself, continued to overlook and ‘set a standard’ to the World title and its contenders. But there was so much they could do with the tag-team title division! Already, the division was filling back up with new teams like Light in the Darkness and Bree Lancaster and Datura. Part of Selena, the part that felt like she was living the dream with tag-teaming with her wife, which she knew Deanna shared in that delight, wanted to up the bar a little.

Being the second main-event of the pay-per-view was a great start, but when was the last time that the tag-titles had been at the main-event level? The last card on a pay-per-view over the world title? Was it when A/C Unit had won it? Perhaps, but that was more out of the world title being in the picture as well. On that note, when was the last time the tag-titles had been defended in something classic and iconic like a cage or a ladder match! Selena almost hummed at the thought. Nearly ten years in SCW and she had never been in a ladder match! Cages and chambers? She was sure she held a record in the number of those she had fought! Scaffold? Check! Submission? Check! Ironwoman? Check, but she was aching for another of those. Last-Person Standing? Check. Of all the still-relevant matches that existed, the ladder was the only one that escaped her, but there were so many possibilities to bring the tag-titles to new heights, LITERALLY. Had they even been defended in a scaffold match before? What about the Elimination Chamber? The possibilities were endless and it excited her – partially on doing something new but also in keeping the other world title (the world championship) on notice. Cause of the World tag-team titles were operating at a standard and even overtaking the World title in main-events, what did that say?

And I can do that with the woman I love more than anything… she turned her sapphire-gaze down in time to see Deanna gazing at her. With a smile, Selena twirled the woman slowly, waiting for the redhead to twirl back into her waiting arms. She could feel the warmth of her wife’s body through the emerald-green dress Deanna wore and the white gown Selena had on, not to mention the soft curves and points of the redhead’s body.

Slowly, she let the thoughts of SCW fade from her mind, focusing on that feeling of closeness as Deanna rested her head against Selena’s shoulder and neck, letting the taller Frost guide them. How long they danced like that, Selena wasn’t sure. She sort of lost track of the time as they swayed this way and that. She wasn’t even sure if the music had stopped and changed songs – was that an ending with the notes going ‘dut dut dut’ before immediately continuing? Did that count as ‘one song’? She wasn’t really sure. It didn’t fully matter to the Snow Queen. All that mattered was the woman in her arms.

How Selena wished she could give her ‘the world’ in SCW. Let her face whoever she wanted, fight however she wanted. Gods, if she could, Selena knew she wouldn’t hesitate to put Deanna on a pedestal and make her world champion. What an accomplishment that would be! To be in SCW with Deanna being the world champion in her own right - Suo Jure… Selena thought quietly – except Deanna would never want that. It was partially what had made her so attractive to Selena when they had first met. The two were alike in so many regards and different in others but what they always agreed on was the notion of ‘success being earned, not given’. Working for achievements rather than whining for them. And Deanna had earned every success she had had.

She had amazed Selena with her skills to become Selena’s manager.
She had pushed her way for years to be trained and toughened up to become a wrestler.
She had shocked the world and earned every championship, even being the one getting the pin in some of their tag matches, like the last one they had with the Farmstead Friends.

Whatever was going to happen, Selena knew, Deanna was going to do all she could to earn things her way.

Gently, Selena release her wife from her hands, sliding them up in time to catch Deanna’s lifting face. She held the soft cheeks of her wife, taking only a moment to gaze into her eyes before moving in to kiss her-

“Alright, dear patrons of Tony’s…” came the voice from the raised-platform of a ‘stage’ where the musicians were playing, effectively ripping the Frost wives back to reality before the kiss could commence. Smiling amused but also a little disappointed, Selena turned her head, keeping her face in contact with Deanna’s at least as the two gazed to the stage. The large, suited matre-d greeted everyone with a smile. “We have a very special treat for you tonight. When I learned that he was returning to his hometown of New York, I had to get him to perform here like he used to in so many fine establishments like this one-“

A good-natured patron yelled. “So, McDonald’s was closed?”

A laugh came from the group, even from the speaker. “Alright, alright. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the world-touring lounge-singer… Asmodeus!”

There was a polite applause from the crowd, some a little louder as they clearly recognized the name. Still, Deanna merely cocked her head to the side.

“Did he say ‘Asmodeus’? Weird name, I never-“ she stopped as she suddenly felt the arms around her become tense. Quickly, the redhead threw her gaze back towards the woman holding her. “Selena?”

“Oh no…” Selena whispered as a new person, a singer, took the stage, his dark-skin and even darker suit a contrast to the white walls of the restaurant. “Not him…” came the breath of Selena’s voice in a whisper as she slowly backed away from the ‘dancing area’, even turning to march back to her table with Deanna in tow.

“Thank you, Tony.” Came the smooth, velvety voice of the man throughout the room. “For those of you that don’t know, the name is Asmodeus, and for a bit tonight, I will be your entertainer of-“ he suddenly stopped as if spotting something in the crowd. “Why I recognize that hair anywhere! One of a kind! Selena Frost! Is that you?!”

_______________________________________________________________

The Royal Letter

The camera opens up to reveal a familiar looking office with a large bookshelf behind it – the office belonging to Selena Frost, the Snow Queen and ‘Face of SCW’. Her hair is in its iconic braid and she is wearing a sleek black pant suit as she sits in a dark-green faux leather wingback chair, one leg elegantly crossed over the other.

Dear True Believers of the SCW Universe… she starts, her pale hands resting in her lap.

Fame, notoriety, ‘celebrity-status’, being ‘known’… it isn’t an easy thing. I know, some of you will laugh at that and talk about the ‘money’ and ‘status’ and, yeah, that is wonderful, and I’m beyond blessed to have such a life that I have thanks to SCW and years of working my ass off- but what I mean is that, in this business of wrestling, actually I think in any business, to be of any kind of status means two things… she holds up two fingers.

First, looking ahead to the next big thing for you. For me? Outside of being the World Tag-Team champion and raising the division out of the jokes and controversy it was swimming in thanks to Lexy Chapel, it’s also keeping the standard of World titles, cause there are two of them in SCW, held high. Holding that level accountable. And I believed I proved that in my last match to the point where if I hear Adam Allocco say he’s the “only choice” for a contender for the world title, I might just laugh right in his face. Cause if that was so, why would he need to use his Trios to get his rematch? Why would Kandis and Glory be spoken of in the same breath as his name? Why, if he was so amazing, would he need to try and take down Syren outside the ring or outside a match to ‘hedge his bet’? Why, if he was so amazing, could I beat him in the ring?

Point is, looking forward, whether it is what I do as the World tag-team champion or what I do as a singles superstar, I will continue to raise the bar for world titles in SCW!

That said, the Snow Queen leans a little more back into her chair. But, I did say there were two things to being of any kind of ‘fame’ or ‘level’ or ‘success’ in SCW. And while the first is ‘looking forward’, the ‘second’ is – you guessed it – looking back.

Cause it doesn’t matter who you are, where you work, what you do. If you rise up through the ranks and achieve success? There’s always someone behind you wanting that success. Wanting what you’ve got. Wanting to be what or where you are. It could be that new-hire that wants to be a manager. That term that wants your spot as ‘permanent fulltime’ and all the benefits that go with it. That substitute teacher wanting your spot for tenure and security!

People covet other people’s success. They want it and while some will work harder and better to get it, otherwise will do whatever they need to to get it. Take a look at the history of any title in SCW and you will see what I mean.

She takes a slow breath. And, for me? I personally took that as a challenge. If the person was working hard, I had to work harder to stay at the level that I was setting. If someone was a cheater and a coward, I had to work harder and be smarter in order to keep integrity in SCW. I had to keep reinventing my strategies and styles to try and stay ahead of those behind me and adapt to those ahead of me…

I suppose you could consider this the ‘thrill’ of the competition, and I would agree to an extent.

However, every so often, there comes someone that doesn’t want to simply ‘replace’ you as the status quo. Doesn’t want to simply have the success you have. Sometimes, someone comes along and wants you GONE from this business. True Believers, tell me if you heard of this. A co-worker spreading lies to try and get you fired? A rival framing you to get you demoted or kicked out? Or, in may case, a person seeking the removal of the House of Frost altogether.

Sapphire eyes narrow.

See, One, this is where I address you. Because you have made it adamantly clear for months now that that is your goal. To remove the ‘old guard’ with something ‘new’. And if this was just you wanting to make a name for yourself by beating us, I might just respect it. Why not? Owen Cruze did it in his path to becoming the world champion for the first time. The Brand tried it for months in trying to take the world title away from me. After nearly a decade here, I get it – I’m a rocket-ship to instant fame. Beat Selena and you get noticed! I could understand it if that was all this was.

But it’s not, is it? You’ve made it far more personal than that. But that’s for Deanna to discuss. I want to do what I do rather well in talks like these…

Hold my opponent to ‘the standard’.

A slight grin crosses the Snow Queen’s features.

So let’s talk, One. You say that you’re here to ‘change the landscape’ for the better, right? That you’re after ‘change’ in SCW to ‘make it better’, right? To give ‘new people’ opportunity, that right? You ask what The House of Frost has done in that regard? Accused us of doing all that we do for our ‘egos’ and whatever?

Well let me start off with that, One. I don’t need my ego inflated. Neither does Deanna. Case you forgot, The House of Frost took Rookie and Female Wrestler of the Year by vote of the fans. What did you get? I held the world title longer than any other person ever has in SCW’s near 20 years of existence. What the hell did you do? Deanna captured three titles in her first year as an SCW superstar. What the hell did you do?

So, if this was about egos, One, Deanna and I wouldn’t have been out on Breakdown and special events making open challenges to superstars and giving away title shots. No! We’d have done what you’ve done. Show up, walk out on the ramp, stare and then walk away. We’d only show up when we were paid to show up. We’d only attack our opponents from behind. We’d only compete when there was something in it for us like the Trios contracts or when we had to. If this was about ‘egos’, One, we would have protected ours by breaking your arm in return by ambushing YOU backstage in a 2-on-1 assault. And trust me, I know you’re tough, but you’re not Deanna and you’re sure as hell not me.

She paused, adjusting her braid with her hand.

But you want ‘change’ in SCW? You want things to be ‘better’ in SCW, One? You want newcomers to get opportunity…

You mean like how we tried to give two talents a tag-team title shot at End of the Year? Or how us winning the tag-team titles brought back Light in the Darkness? Or how Bree Lancaster and Datura are targeting the tag division now that we are at the top of it?

When the tag-division was seen as a joke being run by guys in costumes – talented as one of them is – Deanna and I didn’t just sit around and look at it. We didn’t just ‘promise change’ and do nothing, One. No! We went there and we shook things up! We did what no other tag-team in SCW could do. We fought the controversy. We fought the low standard and gimmicks and we became the world tag-team champions! We put the division back on notice so other teams wanted in like those I mentioned.

Selena shrugged. Hell, you want to talk about ‘giving opportunities to newcomers’, how the hell did you even get in this match, One? Aside from Trios, what kind of tag-team experience have you had in SCW? Deanna and I wrestled together on and off and then beat the former number one contenders to get our shot, but we are GIVING you a shot at the world tag-team titles!

Selena shrugs. So let me break your little mission statement down – of all your promises:

Make the division ‘better’? Check.
Bring in new talent or teams? Check.
Give opportunities to new and unknown talent? Check and check.

See, you can claim your ‘goals’ all you want, One. But, unlike you, The House of Frost have done exactly what you claim to be all about, except we are doing it while you just ‘talk’ about it week after week and then do nothing.

The Snow Queen knowingly shakes her head. It’s because you’re not really interested in making SCW better like I have been for years or how Deanna’s been risking her body and health over and over again for, are you?

No, One, that change that we were bringing in wasn’t good enough for you, was it? Giving talent opportunities wasn’t good enough for you, was it? Because, at your core, you’re no different than the dozens of people I’ve faced in SCW over the near decade. A person that promises ‘change’ or ‘betterment of SCW’, but ultimately? Is really only in it for themselves. A person that lies about change and denies its existence because it doesn’t benefit them.

That’s what this is really about, isn’t it, One? It’s not about change or opportunities or bringing in new talent cause YOU have done none of that. YOU have not done a damn thing for SCW despite your promises. No, what you’ve done is lie, assault and injure innocent people. You have denied people opportunities simply because it wasn’t you getting them! You have kept ‘change’ from happening in SCW – or at least slowed it down – simply because it wasn’t about you, was it?

The stare in Selena’s eyes is ice-cold. You will only accept ‘change’, One, if it’s you at the top. If it’s you that’s the star. The center of attention… The one.

And maybe that COULD be something I respect, One, because I fit parts of that. I WANT to be the best in SCW. I want to be the best wrestler in the world. I want the House of Frost to be one of the best tag-teams SCW has ever seen. I’ve spent ten years going from a rookie with no experience, to being ‘unbelievable’. But the difference between you and me? Aside from the fact that I fought for integrity and bettering SCW along my way? And you can check if you don’t believe me: every person I faced? Every person I took on? I looked them straight in the eyes and told them “I’m going to fight you! I’m going to beat you! And I am going to be better than you!” to get to the top and make change happen! To make integrity the standard in SCW!

You?

You don’t have the guts to do that! You don’t have the guts to persevere through the chamber. You don’t have the guts to overcome the challenges. What you do, One? You try and eliminate those you can’t beat in the ring! You try and eliminate those that are in your way. You try and backdoor your way to opportunities by making this personal. You try and justify your actions against my wife and against Valeria and The White Knight by being a martyr!

Taking a slow breath, Selena tries to calm herself at the memory of One’s actions. You want to talk about change, One? How bout this for change? How about an SCW where you aren’t in it?

Sapphire eyes narrow once more as the implication is beyond clear.

How about an SCW where superstars don’t have to worry about you attacking them from behind like a damn coward or trying to break their arms or put them in hospitals because you’re bitter and jealous? How about an SCW where someone like you is exposed for the liar and fraud that you are? How about that?

Because, I gotta tell you – after spending weeks watching my wife in pain, watching her fight back tears in the hospital because she was trying to seem tough for me or because she was scared that her career would be shortened? After seeing her endure weeks of hellacious rehab? I gotta tell you, One, I’m BEYOND tempted to give THAT kind of change to SCW and TAKE YOU OUT OF IT!

The growl in Selena’s voice is heard at the end of that declaration. I am beyond tempted to lock you in the Frost Bite and break your arm and put YOU in rehab for a few months. But that’s not the kind of change I want to be responsible for in SCW. I actually want this place to keep getting better. The House of Frost wants this place to keep getting better because we LOVE this place! We are home here! SCW is our home!

A slight pause comes from The Face of SCW.

But that doesn’t mean you’re getting off Scot-free, One. See, I – we, Deanna and I? – you want change in SCW? You want to change things? Deanna and I are giving you that chance at Body, Heart and Soul, but understand something here.

Now? It’s put up or shut up. You want to change things here? You want to keep a promise? You better come in guns blazing and with everything you’ve got! Because this will not be a match that you can walk away from! This will not be a match where you march to the ramp, look at us for the umpteenth time and then high-tail it! No! You, One, with or without Nicole Kinneck working in your favor, are going to be held accountable for everything you have done! I may not try and put you out of SCW for good, but I sure as hell am going to make sure you, far more than Nicole, get a beating at the hands of me and Deanna!

Because, as I addressed your ‘core’, One, at MY core? I am still human. I am a person that loves, hates, makes mistakes, and learns from that. And at my core? There are only two things I love more than SCW and wrestling, One. My wife and my children. And there have only been a few people that have dared mess with that particular element of my life. And if you want to know what happened to them?

Ask Xander Valentine.
Ask Ravyn Taylor.
Ask Giovanni Aries, wherever he is.
Ask Vixen Cain, if you can find him.

You have entered into a realm of ‘personal’ that few have dared go with me and for good reason. Because there are consequences beyond professional that come with it. And at Body, Heart and Soul, you’re going to experience those consequences. Because I am going to make sure that you, One, regret what you did to Deanna, Valeria, and White Knight. I am going to make you regret every BS and lie you’ve spouted out of your disgusting mouth. I am going to ensure that you NEVER even THINK about doing that to my wife again.

Slowly, Selena leans forward, eyes glaring at her intended target. And I won’t ask you what the hell you’re gonna do about it, One. Because like your time here in SCW, there is absolutely nothing you will do about it! Except for one thing… and ONE thing alone…

You will believe it!

The camera slowly fades on Selena before going entirely to black.