Glory Braddock vs. Amelia Blythe

[Konrad Raab]

SCW Television Championship

2 RP Limit for singles

3500 word max per RP

Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET FRIDAY, February 24, 2023 *NOTE DEADLINE – Show will also take place Friday night and we will return to our usual schedule with some minor adjustments next week!*

[Braddock]

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February 11th, 2023
Miami, Florida
Off Camera
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Nearly one week has passed since SCW Body, Heart, and Soul pay per view event took place. Glory Braddock took part in the historic twelve person tag that night and while the match did not turn out as she had hoped, with a victory, at least The British Bombshell can hold her head high knowing that she played her part, she pulled her weight, and most importantly she took another giant step forward in winning back the trust and adulation of her fans. Braddock had burned many bridges during some of the darkest times of her life. No one knew what was going on with The British Bombshell, all anyone knew was that she wasn’t acting like herself. In the words of Glory’s own cousin Angelica Jones, Glory had been acting like an arrogant, overbearing bitch. What no one knew, no one outside of her close circle of friends and loved ones, was how difficult it was for Glory Braddock to deal with the sudden death of her mother, Maria Kurinsky. Her relationship with her mother, or lack thereof, was one that created great tension and stress for Glory. She allowed the grief and the stress of losing her mother to get to her and it changed Braddock, not for the better.

The pain and grief of losing her beloved mother has not ended. It may never end. But Glory realizes that she cannot allow the grief to change her. She cannot allow the pain and emotional heartache to turn her into something she is not. She must try to find her way back to who she once was. She must rediscover the real Glory Braddock. The problem is that she has been on this downward spiral for so long that she isn’t even certain herself of who or what the real Glory Braddock actually is. But that is a problem for another time. Now that Body, Heart, and Soul has come to an end Glory knows that she must refocus on another task, one that is very important for her professional career.

Braddock has set a goal for herself to become Supreme Champion in SCW. Being Supreme Champion means you have won the World, United States, Adrenaline, Tag Team, and the Television Title or Underground Title. Glory has won all but two; she just needs a world tag title reign and then either a Television or Tag Team title reign to complete her Supreme Championship status. One of those two could be earned on the next Breakdown from Glendale, Arizona when she challenges new Television Champion Amelia Blythe for the title. This will be The British Bombshell’s first ever opportunity at the Television Title and she wants to make the most of it.

She currently finds herself in the living room of her modern, luxurious home in Miami, Florida. Braddock sits on her cream colored plush leather sofa watching the news on her large flat screen television. Glory is wearing a baby pink boho ruffle hem shirred square neck long flounce sleeve dress with a high waist and an a-line skirt that stops just at the knee. She has silver heeled strappy sandals on her feet. She has an empty glass of wine in her hand and a bell rests on the sofa next to her. Glory goes to take a sip of her wine but notices immediately that she has drunk it all. She sighs and then picks up the bell and rings it.

“Jacob!” Glory calls out. She patiently waits. A few moments later and the ‘Jacob’ in question emerges. It is Jacob Samson, her sister’s ex-boyfriend. Samson has been on Glory’s enemy list for quite some time. He was once a major drug user and got Glory’s sister Julia hooked on them when they were dating. Julia’s drug use nearly ruined not only the family reputation but Julia’s own life as well. Glory had never forgotten nor forgiven Jacob for the part he played in getting her sister hooked on drugs. So when she found this opportunity to make him pay, to get revenge, she took it.

Samson eventually got clean but his criminal record kept him from ever being hired. He knew that if he did not get a steady job doing something he would fall back into his old habits. He also didn’t have any money to pay for a place to live. Glory provided all of that; a steady job and a place to live. But the condition was that he would work for her as her butler. Such menial work, such humiliating and humbling work, is the perfect revenge for what Jacob did to Glory’s sister.

“Ahem…” Glory clears her throat and holds out her empty glass. Nothing else needs to be said. Jacob nods his head and approaches Braddock. He takes the glass out of her hands.

“I will be right back, Ms. Braddock.”

“Thank you, Jacob.”

He steps away and exits the room. Braddock knows how this must look. She is being waited on hand and foot by Jacob Samson and she is making him do so out of spite. It may not look good on her but Glory believes that she is justified. Jacob did hurt her sister, after all. Julia may be willing to forgive and forget her past with Jacob but Glory isn’t. He needs to be taught a lesson. A smile forms on her face when she hears his heavy footsteps entering the living room. She turns in time to watch him approach with a full glass of wine. She takes it out of his hands and takes a sip, sighing with relief.

“Ah, this is good. Thank you, Jacob.”

“My pleasure, Ms. Braddock.” Glory is about to wave him away, to tell him to leave, but then she hears her doorbell ringing. Her immediate thought is that it is her husband Kurt returning from his daily workout. But this would be too early. He spends nearly all day at the gym. She isn’t expecting anyone else today. Who is here visiting her this morning?

“Jacob. Go answer the door, please.”

“As you wish, Ms. Braddock.”

Jacob bows, turns around, and exits the room. Meanwhile Braddock sits back and relaxes as she considers who it could be at the door, here to visit her. She tries to listen in as she hears the door open. She can hear Jacob’s stunned and shocked voice talking quickly. He sounds very anxious. The other voice is a female. Braddock cannot make out what either is saying but the female she can tell is upset. Glory waits a little longer and then she hears Jacob entering. Braddock turns around to see who it is that has come over for a visit.

“Ms. Braddock, may I present…Charlotte Samson.”

“Charlotte?” Glory arches her brow out of curiosity. “Your sister?”

“Uh, yes, Ms. Braddock.” Jacob is clearly nervous about all of this. Glory sighs and waves for him to leave.

“Leave us, Jacob.”

“As you wish, Ms. Braddock.” He bows and then makes a hasty exit to another part of the house. Glory imagines that this visit is not going to be a pleasant one. The look on the face of the brunette Charlotte standing before her in silver dress pants, a matching silver top, and black high heeled pumps, is not a pleasant face. If looks could kill, Glory would fall over dead. Braddock, though, forces a polite smiles and motions for Charlotte to sit down.

“Please, come and sit.”

“What the hell have you done?!” Charlotte says angrily as she marches into the living room and gets up in Glory’s face. Braddock sighs and continues with her attempt to be polite.

“How long has it been since we have seen one another, Charlotte? It has to have been several years at least.”

“Shut up, Glory.”

“I think the last time we spoke was…actually, it was the day before I made my own wrestling debut. So back in 2008?”

“Shut up, Glory!” Charlotte repeats angrily. “Stop the small talk! I think you know damn well what I want!”

“I imagine so.” Glory motions once more for her to sit. “Please sit.”

There is a cold stare from Charlotte. Braddock continues to motion to the sofa, indicating that she wants her to sit. After a few tense moments eventually Charlotte does comply and sits down on the sofa. Braddock follow suit and sits down on the sofa next to her. Despite the tension and awkwardness of this situation, Glory still maintains her composure and the polite smile she has been sporting this entire time.

“I take it you are not in favor of your brother working for me.”

“You are practically blackmailing him!” Charlotte shouts angrily.

“He told me he needed work. He told me he needed a place to stay.”

“What he needs is a good, steady job to help him stay out of trouble. He only just recently got off drugs. He is clean, yes, but he hasn’t been clean long. He knows that he could easily get back in trouble with the law if left to his own devices.”

“So I gave him a job. I helped him. You’re welcome.” Glory states coldly. Charlotte shakes her head.

“No, you took advantage of him. You didn’t give him a good steady job. You made him your butler. He would not have taken that job willingly. He’s only doing it because no one else anywhere else will hire him. He’s only doing it because YOU are his only hope. And you know you are his only hope so you decided to use his situation to exact your petty revenge.”

“Petty revenge?” Glory asks with a low chuckle in her voice. Charlotte nods her head.

“Yes, petty! You want to serve you hand and foot as punishment for what he did to me and your sister! He’s paid for his crimes, Glory! Just let him go!”

“You sit there and you call me petty? I am surprised, honestly. I would think you would support what I’m doing. What he did was far from petty. He got you and MY SISTER hooked on drugs.” She points an accusatory finger at her. “All three of you were very bad off. You were strongly hooked to the crap. Your addiction was so bad that you and Julia were willing to let Jacob pimp you out in exchange for drugs for all three of you. Have you forgotten about that, Charlotte?”

“No.” She shakes her head.

“Well did you know how my sister got clean? She convinced someone to pay for her rehabilitation. To pay for the rehab she worked for that person hand and foot. So yes, I think it is fair that I make him suffer the way my sister suffered.”

“Look, I know all too well about how my brother abused me and Julia.” She begins slowly and quietly now, her voice toning down sharply from earlier when she was so angry. “But do not lecture me on payback when you weren’t even there. You were not a victim, me and Julia were the victims. But Julia and I have forgiven him. We have moved on. And Jacob has been trying so very hard to turn over a new leaf. He worked his bloody ass off to clean himself up. Don’t you think he deserves a second chance?”

“A second chance?” Glory asks incredulously. “Someone likes Jacob doesn’t DESERVE another chance!”

“You don’t think my brother deserves a second chance?” Charlotte folds her arms over her chest. She stares at Glory with a judging glare on her face. “That is funny, that is REAL funny coming from you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“How many times have you needed forgiveness? You and Julia have been friends of my family for a long time now. I have followed both of your wrestling careers closely. How many times have you betrayed the trust of the people just for your own selfish greed?”

“That’s…uh…” Glory’s voice trails off. She honestly wasn’t expecting Charlotte to bring this up.

“That’s different? Is that what you were going to say? Well you accused my brother of ruining your sister’s reputation but you ruined Julia’s reputation yourself in order to maintain power within your company. Sure, your sister has since forgiven you but you needed that forgiveness. You needed that second chance.”

“I, uh…” Glory is still speechless. Charlotte shakes her head in disgust.

“You have needed so many second chances. Third chances. Fourth chances. It isn’t funny how many chances you have needed, Glory. My brother messed up big time, that’s true, but he is trying. He wants to make an honest living. He just needs a second chance. You could help him but instead you want to punish him.” Charlotte points an accusatory finger at Glory. “That makes you a hypocrite. You ask for a second chance for yourself but you refuse to give one to my brother.”

Charlotte stares deep into Glory’s eyes. She is waiting to see what The British Bombshell will say next. But Glory just remains speechless. Eventually Charlotte just sighs and shakes her head. “I’m wasting my time.” She stands up and turns to walk away.

“Charlotte, wait!” Glory stands up and approaches Charlotte. She steps in front of her to stop her from leaving. Charlotte sighs again.

“What is it?”

“Look. You have to try and see things from my perspective. What you and Julia and Jacob were doing, all of the drugs and the crimes to get the drugs, the prostitution, all of it was kept a secret from me. Julia knew she needed help but she wouldn’t say anything to me or anyone else in our family out of fear of how we would react. What really hurt was that she didn’t trust us to be there for her. And really, at the end of the day, I wasn’t there for her. I should have been there, I should have seen the signs and reached out to find out what was wrong but I was too busy selfishly focusing on myself and advancing my own career. I wasn’t there for her when I should have been. So I felt if I couldn’t help her back then, maybe I could get revenge on her behalf.”

“I get that. I really do.” Charlotte reaches out and places a hand on Glory’s shoulder. “But it wasn’t your fault Julia got in trouble. She made those choices herself and she had to pay the consequences of her own choices. What you are not realizing is that it is also your sister’s choice of whether or not to forgive my brother. Julia forgave him. So have I. Revenge should be ours if we wanted it, but we don’t want any revenge. We both just want Jacob to have a better quality of life.”

“Julia wants this too?” Glory asks curiously. Charlotte nods her head.

“Yeah, she does. That’s how I found out my brother was working here in Miami for you. Julia found out and she told me.”

Braddock looks down at the floor. She then looks up at the ceiling. She just wants to avert her eyes away from the cold stare of Charlotte Samson. Glory feels convicted in this very moment. She recalls a few weeks ago how angry she still was at Kelsai Adamson for what she did to torment her sister Julia in GCW. Yet Glory had to then turn around and team with Kelsai in the Twelve Person Tag at Body, Heart, and Soul. Glory was not sure she could be fair to Kelsai in that match. Kurt, Glory’s husband, had told her that if Glory is claiming that the ‘REAL’ Glory Braddock is back, that she should just do what the real Glory Braddock would do. And as angry as she may be at Jacob Samson for the part he played in trying to ruin Julia’s life, Glory knows what she must do.

“Alright…” Glory looks up into Charlotte’s eyes “...you’re right.”

“I am?” Charlotte seems somewhat surprised. Glory nods her head and then calls out to Jacob.

“Jacob! Come out, please!” Glory shouts. A few moments later and Jacob nervously emerges from the hall.

“Yes, Ms. Braddock.”

“Not Ms. Braddock. It’s Glory.” She sighs. “Look, your sister was right.”

“She is?”

“Yeah.” Braddock nods her head. “I should not have been blackmailing you. That’s not what I’m about; at least, it didn’t use to be what I’m about. Lately I’m not sure what I’m about anymore.”

Charlotte wraps an arm around Glory’s shoulder. “You are a woman who at her heart and soul does the right thing, even if the right thing is difficult.”

“Yes, you’re right.” Glory nods her head. She looks back at Jacob. “You’re not going to work for me as my butler anymore. I am going to get you a legitimate job working at my company.”

“Seriously, Ms. Br…uh, Glory?”

“I’m serious.”

“But I don’t have any real skills or any education.”

“We can work to find something you’re good at, somewhere you fit in at my company. But you will have a steady, good paying job so you can support yourself and stay out of trouble.”

“You mean it?” Jacob seems excited but a little skeptical. “You really mean it, Glory?”

“Yeah.” She motions towards the door. “No go, leave with your sister before I change my mind.” Braddock doesn’t even wait for an answer. She walks away from the sibling duo and back into the living room where she sits back down on the sofa. Glory retrieves her glass of wine and begins to sip. Braddock hears the front door open and then shut. She also hears footsteps approaching. Glory sighs deeply. “I told you to leave.”

“It’s me.” Charlotte says as she steps into Glory’s view. “What’s wrong?”

“You don’t care.”

“Try me.”

Glory sighs out of frustration. “Charlotte, I thought I had it all figured out. I thought I knew what was going wrong in my life and I swore to fix it. Body, Heart, and Soul, even though my team lost, I felt that I made such great progress with how I conducted myself in that match, with how well I worked with my teammates. And I have extended an olive branch to my daughter and her boyfriend Clyde Sutter, the jerk I can’t stand but I am giving him a chance because I love my daughter. But today…” Glory shakes her head “...today I just don’t know anymore. You convicted me, Charlotte. I was having him work for me, a mere servant, out of spite and revenge. That’s not me. At least I didn’t think it was. Now I just don’t know anymore.”

“I know you’re going through some tough times right now.”

“You don’t know the half of it.” Glory remarks.

“I have an idea. Julia told me about your mother passing away. I’m sorry.”

“That’s a different problem altogether. I’m still not sure I’ve accepted it.”

“But you will.” Charlotte insists. “You will overcome this challenge just as you have overcome all of the other challenges you have faced. You may not know who or what you are, but I know who you are. You are a good person. And you overcome obstacles, no matter how big. That’s who you are.”

[Wisteria Waltz]

What a difference a month can make.

Roughly one month ago, The Light In The Darkness had been concerned about being lost in the shuffle as chaos erupted all around them, all because they didn't see a reason to put themselves in the middle of it all just to earn the opportunities they sought.

SCW's first pay-per-view of 2023 was now in the books, and it was hard to argue that Amelia Blythe and La Pequeña Luz now had all eyes on them.

Amelia had been given the chance to quell that unrest on behalf of their team when she'd found herself challenging Polly Playtime for the Television Championship, a match that ultimately ended up being wrestled inside of a ball pit because Polly couldn't bring herself to give Amelia the straightforward wrestling match she thought would allow her to prove her critics wrong, instead preferring to focus on using the wheel she had introduced the prior week to try and add some extra entertainment value to her title defenses. As a result, Amelia was pretty sure she could now say she'd competed in an SCW first and walked away victorious, giving the couple their very first taste of SCW gold.

That had been followed up with another chance to make history as they competed in the first ever twelve-person tag match at Body, Heart & Soul, and while they had been nervous because it felt like they were on the wrong team going into that fight, they had put on the kind of performance that made it clear they refused to be overlooked without a fight. In the end, they could proudly claim they were on the winning side of another SCW first, and Luz would even go down in history as the one who scored the pinfall. Being the only two left standing to celebrate victory for their team in the wake of it all, knowing that Mr. D had personally booked that match and clearly stated that it would have implications of some sort, had given them every reason to be buzzing about what the future had in store for them now.

That said, Amelia knew full well that whatever possibly awaited them going into Retribution because of that win, it wasn't going to change the fact that she was the reigning TV Champion, which already came with a challenge all its own. She knew she'd be in action once the post-pay-per-view break was over, making her first defense of the title against a game opponent looking to make her run as short as possible and derail all the momentum she and Luz were trying to build for themselves.

This streak of historic wins and what it meant for their SCW careers wasn't the only positive thing that 2023 had brought the couple thus far.

During the break, Amelia couldn't help but reflect on the past several weeks and how a chance encounter with an old friend she thought she'd lost forever had been the catalyst to fixing what she considered to be her greatest mistake in life, allowing her to rebuild the bridge that she had burned with said friend for nearly two decades. She'd been haunted for years by the memory of how she lost control of her emotions and let her parents get exactly what they wanted at the expense of the one person in her life who truly cared for her before Luz, she'd justified to herself that she never deserved a second chance because nobody in their right mind would put themselves in the shoes of Ivy Plume and forgive her for the things she'd said, regardless of the reasoning behind why she'd said them.

Ivy had clearly proven how much she'd changed since those days... gone was the girl who struggled to prove she belonged and had to push herself extra hard just to keep up with her best friend. She had grown up into a much stronger woman, both physically and mentally, and while she hadn't truly forgiven Amelia for what happened on that day, she understood the situation well enough and appreciated that Amelia had found the strength to come clean about it and properly apologize at long last that she was willing to give her old friend a chance to work their way back up to being friends again. Amelia had been over the moon about being given this opportunity, especially considering it not only gave her the chance to introduce Ivy to the real her, but also allowed for Ivy to do the same in return.

It was a relationship being rebuilt on reflection and respect for who they were and where they are now, allowing time to heal their wounds and lead them down a path that would only continue to make them into who they wanted to be in this world.

Another benefit to Amelia and Ivy deciding to start their friendship anew that almost slipped through the cracks was the fact that Luz now had two new friends in both Ivy and Gage, and she had been bursting with excitement once that revelation fully sank in. Amelia knew that hidden beneath the surface was some uncertainty given Luz's track record with 'friends' growing up, but Ivy and Gage had wasted no time in proving that they were just as enamored with Luz's frenetic energy and some of the weirdness that often entailed as she was. The fact that Luz now had two more people in her life who loved her for her and not just what she represented in the ring had been an almost overwhelming thought to the poor girl, but they all made sure she knew that this was real and not some crazy dream she would eventually wake up from.

The one downside this newly formed friend group had to deal with was the inconvenience of living in different locations on top of touring schedules. The break following Body, Heart & Soul had been a welcome one for Amelia and Luz to figure out how to approach this problem on their end, which had led to the promotion they had watched Ivy wrestle for that fateful night was one that held shows every two weeks or so, allowing her the freedom to compete for other smaller promotions to build her wrestling portfolio in-between if she so chose. While working everything out, they had also learned that Ivy and Gage were currently sharing an apartment in Portland, where Gage had been born and raised and where Ivy and her dads had moved to not long after her and Amelia's falling out. While a challenge to sort out from a travel perspective from where they now resided in Anaheim, the fact that they were all along the West Coast at least had felt like a stroke of fate all its own.

That had led to the couple visiting Portland for a few days to spend time with their new friends, an endeavor that had not only shown both girls just how much they'd missed out on growing up when it came to stuff like this but also helped them all get to truly know each other much better, especially for Amelia and Ivy. The fact that they had all spent an evening having dinner with Ivy's parents had almost overwhelmed her on its own, but Mr. and Mr. Plume had been just as open as Ivy was about giving Amelia another chance and just as horrified at the self-centered cruelty her parents were capable of.

Amelia reflected fondly on that night as she finished changing for the workout she planned to put in at one of the local gyms. Given that she'd been starved of positive parental interaction her entire life and Luz hadn't had such a thing since her father's passing and her mother's shift in attitude because of it, Ivy's parents had been more than helpful when they needed a few moments to actually wrap their heads around all the friendliness and affection they'd missed out on for so long. She couldn't help but smile at all of it and especially the knowledge that Luz no longer had any excuses to beat herself up over not having anyone besides each other to stand together against the world.

Her mother would call the way they were acting childish, but Amelia proudly didn't care what she thought. Anyone who was deprived of a normal life growing up and was only just now getting to experience things that were considered normal to most people would respond the same way, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with that.

“Room for one more in your workout?”

Amelia had been so lost in her thoughts while doing a warm-up routine that was second nature to her at this point that she never noticed that she wasn't alone. Sure, there were a few people here and there working out, but Amelia admittedly wasn't expecting to actually see Ivy here.

“Ivy?” she replied in surprise. “I thought you were hanging out with Luz and Gage?”

“It was tempting, especially since Luz definitely needs more friend experiences to drown out all that bullying bullshit she endured growing up,” Ivy told her, a bit of a growl slipping in when she spoke of the bullying Luz had filled her new friends in on that left Amelia nervously gulping in understanding. “But we've still got a few days before you two need to get going for your next show, and I thought you could use some company. It's been a while since we've gotten to spend time together, just the two of us.”

“Yeah...” Amelia admitted, knowing exactly why that was the case. She took in the sight of her old friend, the tanktop and shorts that made up her workout attire putting her powerful physique on full display and reminding her loud and clear that this was not the same Ivy she'd known growing up. It made her nervous about how to proceed now that it was just the two of them spending time together, given how long it had been and how much had changed.

“Hey,” Ivy called over to her as she effortlessly stacked weight plate after weight plate on the leg press machine she planned on starting with. “I know this is just as awkward for you as it is for me, given how many years we've spent with this rift between us. But if anyone can figure it out, it's us.”

A small smile graced Amelia's lips at that. “I guess you're right... I almost forgot about how good of a team we made back then. You remember that little fort we built together to try and hide from our swimming lessons at the beach?”

“I still can't believe it took that instructor months to figure it out,” Ivy couldn't resist laughing. “It wasn't even that well hidden... we had a little flag with our initials on it flying outside for God's sake!”

The tension began to lighten up between them as they dove into their respective workouts, filling the silence by reminiscing on all the good things they'd done together when they were kids, long before everything fell apart. They both agreed that they needed this, rediscovering all the positive moments they'd shared long ago to try and form a foundation they could build upon. The conversations eventually turned to how impressed they were watching one another, with Amelia's jaw dropping at how much Ivy was capable of lifting and Ivy being mesmerized by the fluid motions Amelia possessed at being able to transition between holds no matter how simple or complex they may be. Their respect for what the other was capable of only grew because of it, and while there was still a long way to go, they were making progress and that was all they could ask for.

As they continued their respective workouts, Amelia thought back to what she'd seen from Ivy on the ring on the night they agreed to start anew. There was no denying that Ivy's strength worked perfectly for her, especially compared to all the wrestling schools throughout England that focused only on the technical style above all else. Still, her experience in the business was telling her that while it suited Ivy perfectly, something felt like it was missing to make her an even greater force to be reckoned with in the business. She knew what it was, but the moment she opened her mouth she closed it immediately. With how fragile this new friendship between them felt, she didn't want to risk overstepping any boundaries by seeming like she was telling Ivy how to do this.

Thankfully, Ivy seemed to be pondering a similar conundrum and was the first to realize that if both of them kept being overly cautious then no progress would ever be made.

“Hey Amelia?” she asked, getting her friend's attention. “I was wondering if I could ask you about something... I only intend to maybe be teasing at best pending how you respond, but I don't want to feel like I'm making you uncomfortable or anything.”

“Really?” Amelia replied. “It's funny... I kind of wanted to do the same thing.”

Ivy hummed for a moment as she thought the situation over. “OK, how about you ask your thing first and then I'll ask mine. And if it's something the other isn't comfortable with answering yet, then it immediately gets dropped. Sound good?”

Amelia nodded in agreement with this as she pulled her training dummy up into a position where she had the arms trapped in a crucifix position. “I'd be lying if I said I wasn't impressed by what you've shown you can do in the ring, and the power approach definitely fits you much better than all that traditional grappling ever did. But... I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but do you think that something's... I don't know, missing in your arsenal?”

Ivy grabbed a huge dumbbell and began to do some curls with it as she thought over Amelia's words, finding it easier to sort out her thoughts while her body went on autopilot with what she considered lighter lifting. “I can see why you were nervous about asking... no, I don't feel insulted if that's what you think. I'll admit that for as easy as it feels for me, trying to simply overpower opponents does have its limitations. I've had a few matches where I've tried going for something more submission-oriented, but I always remember why I struggled so much with it when we were kids. Was this about offering to help me with that?”

“Only if you really want me to!” Amelia quickly clarified, using the position she had the dummy in to quickly apply a neck crank submission just so she could vent some potential stress energy that was building. “Luz wasn't too keen on that kind of stuff either when we first became friends, and we kind of taught each other how to better embrace both of our styles. Being able to break out something we're not normally known for has really helped us out a lot over the years-”

“Then sign me up!” Ivy cut Amelia off with a grin. “I can agree that it might help a lot to have something else in my bag of tricks to bust out when needed, and you'd probably agree that sharing your family's techniques with more people outside of it will help you see that it can be put to good use without all the pain they seem to like causing everyone.”

“The horror stories I could share about them beyond what they did to our friendship are not pretty, I can tell you that...” Amelia admitted, letting go of the dummy and letting it fall to the floor as she seemed to slip deeper into her thoughts. Ivy set her dumbbell down and moved to kneel beside her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“I know I'm not Luz, but I want you to know that your parents can kindly go fuck themselves for everything they've done to you, me, your siblings, Luz, and whoever else they've hurt. They will not tear us apart again, and if they even try then I'll show them that Ivy Plume isn't the 'weakling' they thought I was firsthand.”

Amelia's eyes widened at how sure Ivy sounded at that statement, and after a moment her mouth slowly curled into a smile as she nodded. She had promised Ivy that she wouldn't make the same mistakes she'd made last time, and if her parents ever tried to intervene in her life again... well, Ivy made it clear she could defend herself, but Amelia refused to even let it get to that point because she would prove to her old friend that she was capable of standing up to them and wouldn't stop doing so.

“Well, now that we've agreed on that...” Ivy continued, her current grin making Amelia start to sweat a little. “When are you and Luz getting married?”

“Ivy!” Amelia laughed as she lightly smacked her on the shoulder.

“What? It's a legit question!” Ivy chuckled. “You and her have been in a relationship for several years at this point and you both are clearly not only deeply in love but also very good for each other.”

“You're not wrong...” Amelia replied but trailed off, and Ivy's face fell at the realization that she might have accidentally gone too far. She opened her mouth to apologize, but Amelia held up a hand to stop her. “Believe me, I would give anything to be able to marry that woman, and I know she'd be over the moon at the idea of marrying me. It's just... we kind of want to be able to have a proper wedding, and there are so few people who'd be attending at the moment. There's my siblings... you and Gage would definitely be on the list... that's kind of it. We've got no one else. I know I want my parents as far away from it as possible because they'd object without a second thought, and Luz... she's kind of holding out hope that somehow, some way, she and her mom can work things out and repair their relationship, but that doesn't seem too likely at the moment.”

Ivy exhaled, draping an arm over Amelia's shoulder and holding her close. “I'm sorry I brought it up... I should've guessed you two had a reason for not being married already with how perfect you seem for one another.”

“Don't worry Ivy,” Amelia reassured her. “We'll figure something out and make it happen. After all, you and Gage are in our lives now, and we'll gladly take all the help we can get. Speaking of help...”

Ivy saw where she was going with that and agreed that she was good for a few lessons now in regards to learning the art of grappling from Amelia. There was still some work to do between them, but the more they spent time together like this, the more comfortable they would become being friends again. And maybe, in time, things would feel like they were at a point where she and Luz could pop the question and begin working towards being legally bound together for the rest of their lives.

Amelia was so caught up in these thoughts and teaching Ivy that she never noticed a man who had come into the gym but clearly wasn't doing any working out. He just parked himself somewhere to give the illusion that he was mid-workout from a distance, using a bluetooth earpiece to stealthily relay what he saw as he carefully documented Amelia Blythe for purposes still unknown.

[Braddock]

==========
February 18th, 2023
Miami, Florida
Off Camera
==========

It has been one week since Glory Braddock was confronted by Charlotte Samson, the sister of Jacob Samson who had been employed as Glory’s butler for a short time. Charlotte came to Glory pleading her case, pleading for Glory to be merciful towards her brother. Braddock was hesitant about showing any form of mercy. Jacob, after all, was mostly responsible for getting himself, Charlotte, and more importantly Glory’s younger sister Julia Braddock caught up in a horrific lifestyle of drugs, human trafficking, and other petty crimes to support their drug addiction. This addiction, this drug abuse, it nearly ruined the Braddock reputation and it also nearly ruined Julia’s life. Family is and always has been very important to The British Bombshell. She does not quickly forgive and forget when you mess with her family, and even though Jacob had claimed to have turned over a new leaf and was trying to improve his life, Glory was unwilling to assist without first getting some form of revenge. Forcing Jacob to work for him, to serve her as a butler, would be the most humbling and humiliating form of punishment she could think of and Glory had every intention of milking this revenge for all it was worth.

Glory had failed to realize that she herself had needed her fair share of second chances. She had failed to recognize the many mistakes she had made in her life and how she needed, at times demanded, people to give her another chance; and almost every time she would be granted the forgiveness that she had sought after. Yet here Glory Braddock was unwilling to grant Jacob that same forgiveness she had needed on several occasions. In fact, just recently The British Bombshell had recognized how far over the edge she had gone. She had betrayed the trust of her supporters and fans in Supreme Championship Wrestling. She had played dirty backstage politics in her own company to put down a potential rebellion against her. She could blame it on the stress, grief, tension, and other problems in her personal life ranging from the death of her mother to her daughter becoming more and more distant; but the fact is that Glory’s actions and reactions were wrong. She needed to change and she thought she had made the necessary changes in her life. She thought she had rediscovered her true self. That was until Charlotte confronted her one week ago. Charlotte pointed out how Glory, supposedly a changed woman, was still blackmailing Jacob Samson out of a petty desire for revenge.

Braddock now sits on the front lawn of her modern luxurious Miami home. The British Bombshell is dressed in tight denim shorts, a pink crop top, and flip flops. Her long blonde hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back and she has sunglasses over her eyes. Glory has had some time to herself this morning to think about her current situation. Her husband, Kurt Logan, left early this morning to pick up their adopted daughter, Fiona Logan, from the airport. With Kurt gone for much of the morning Glory was left to ponder many unanswered questions. Who is she really? What kind of person is she? These questions are much larger, grander questions and she recognizes that perhaps a more pertinent question should be can she defeat Amelia Blythe for the SCW Television Championship next week on Breakdown? This is her opportunity to get one step closer to status of Supreme Champion, the one remaining goal she has in this company.

The British Bombshell is snapped out of her reverie when she sees the familiar vehicle her husband drives, a crimson red 2022 Ford Fusion hybrid, slowly coming to a stop so it can make its turn into the driveway. Glory smiles as she watches it come to a stop. Immediately the passenger side front door opens and the familiar figure of the dark haired Fiona Logan leaps out of the car and comes rushing over. Fiona is wearing torn denim jeans, black boots, and a black “Black Sabbath” t-shirt. Braddock rises up from her seated position in time to greet her adopted daughter with a warm embrace.

“Mom!”

“It’s great to see you, Fiona. Where’s Mel?”

“I think she’s with Clyde.” Fiona says, referring to Clyde Sutter, the man who is dating Glory’s oldest daughter Melinda Braddock. The British Bombshell sighs and nods her head.

“That’s ok, babe.” Kurt says as he approaches his wife and pats her on the back. “Fiona has been doing great from what she’s told me on the way home.”

“Oh yeah?” Glory asks with a renewed sense of curiosity. “How are things in St. Louis?”

“The independent scene has been awesome.” Fiona says excitedly. “You and dad were right, it really is best to get started on the independent scene rather than jump into the deep waters of a global promotion. Sure, there have been ups and downs, I won some big matches, I lost some close ones, and I even got screwed a couple of times. But overall, I have learned so fucking much!” Fiona covers her mouth when she realizes that she dropped an F-bomb. “Sorry.”

“Just don’t say it around Dawn. Alright?” Glory asks. Fiona nods her head.

“Will do.”

“Anyway, I am happy to hear that you are doing so well and you are learning so much.” Glory motions to the front door. “Now your old room is ready for you if you want to go ahead and move your stuff in.”

“Yeah. I’ll get right on that!” Fiona quickly rushes on past Glory and Kurt and enter the home. Glory chuckles when she hears the front door slam shut. She looks at Kurt and smirks. “Kids. So much damn energy.”

“She’s a lot like you. You know?” Kurt points out. “Strong willed. Just wants to have fun. At least, that’s how you used to be.”

“Yes, I know.” Glory sighs deeply as she sits back down. Kurt finds another chair and sits down next to his wife, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “I miss those days. I miss the days when I just wrestled because I enjoyed it, because I was passionate about it and not because I had to have another notch in my belt or another trophy for my mantle. There are days I envy Fiona. She is doing this for the right reasons.”

“It isn’t too late for you, Glory.”

“I know that.” She nods her head. “And believe me, I am trying very hard. Some days are just more difficult than others.”

“Are you still having trouble getting over your mom’s passing?” Kurt asks. Glory nods her head.

“That is part of it. But after talking to Angelica [Jones], I realize that the pain will never fully go away. It is a matter of coping with the pain and trying to move on. I am doing better about coping.”

“That’s good.” He kisses her on the cheek. “You had me worried, Glory. Heck, you didn’t just have me worried. So many of your friends and family were worried about you. All of us, we could tell that you had changed and not necessarily for the better.”

“And you were right. Every single one of you. You were all right. Do you want to say “I told you so”, Kurt?” Glory smirks. Kurt shakes his head.

“You know, as much as I would enjoy telling you that I told you so…” he shakes his head again “...I won’t do that to you.”

“Thank you for sparing me the humiliation.” She sighs deeply. “But yes, I had lost my way. I got myself involved with Floyd Ryan and his criminal enterprise, I let my fans and supporters in SCW down, I turned on a country that had been so good to me. I burned so many bridges, Kurt. How can I fix things? How can I repair those broken relationships?”

“You have nothing to worry about, babe.” He insists. “Wrestling fans are very forgiving.”

“I know.” The blonde nods her head. “That’s one reason I love this job. The fans are the best fans in the world and you’re right, they are forgiving. But earning their forgiveness is the easy part. I need to be able to forgive myself and that is NOT going to be easy.” Tears begin to form in Glory’s eyes. Kurt squeezes her tightly close to his chest to comfort her.

“We all make mistakes.”

“I thought that I had turned a corner. I thought that I had made some inroads and progress. I was ready to forgive myself. But then last week happened.”

“You mean Charlotte?” Kurt asks, referring to the Jacob Samson situation which he only learned after the incident. Glory nods her head in confirmation. “But you did the right thing.”

“Yes, I did the right thing. I stopped humiliating him, I got him a good legitimate job at my company, I did the right thing but only after I was confronted by Charlotte. Had she not told me off I would have been that same petty vengeful bitch to this day.” Glory runs her hands through her hair out of frustration. “I realized then that this journey to forgiving myself would not be easy. But I know that in order to forgive myself I need to first remind myself who I am. I don’t want to believe that I am a petty, spiteful, power hungry bitch, but over the past few months that is the only person I have been.”

“Well I will tell you that are NOT that kind of person.” Kurt insists. “A petty, spiteful, power hungry bitch would not have adopted Fiona. She would not have went to such great lengths to rescue her from a dangerous foster home situation, to rescue her from a dangerous alcoholic foster father, and she definitely would not have devoted so much time and resources to helping her achieve her dream of becoming a wrestler like her idol…” Kurt winks “...you remember who her idol was, right?”

“Yeah. It was me.”

“And you still ARE her idol, but even more so now because of what you have done for her. Fiona is living breathing proof that you are not the awful person you think you are.”

“I think you’re right.” Glory nods her head. “But still, I need to rediscover all of that, I need to remind myself of all that, and I need to do it myself.”

“What do you have in mind?” Kurt asks with an arched brow. Glory shrugs her shoulders.

“I don’t know.” She sighs. Kurt leans over and kisses her on the cheek.

“Well whatever you decide, I know you will be great. I know you will be fine and you do NOT have to do it alone. I will be there for you.”

“Thanks, Kurt.”

==========
February 23rd, 2023
Oklahoma City, OK
On Camera
==========

The sun is shining brightly on this hot, humid day in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. We see an overhead shot of the magnificent site of the Paycom Center. Just then we cut to a ground level shot and the Paycom Center is off in the distance, in the background. It isn’t long after that the camera spots “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock entering the view from the right. Braddock is wearing denim jeans, white sneakers, and a plain purple t-shirt. Her long blonde hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back. A pair of sunglasses cover her eyes.

“What you just saw was a taste of history, specifically the history of sports in Oklahoma City. Whether you are talking about hockey, the Big 12 Basketball Tournament or the Thunder in the NBA, so much sporting history has gone down in this building behind me. So much sporting history is contained in this building. Even more history will be made not long now in this building behind me when Supreme Championship Wrestling comes rolling into town for Breakdown to make some history of their own.” A low, soft chuckle escapes her lips. “History. That is one of many things I forgot the past few months. I forgot about the past and when you do not learn from the past you are doomed to repeat the past. So it is no wonder that I ended up making some mistakes and forgetting who the hell I am.” Braddock shakes her head.

“That has come to an end. I know who the hell I am. I am Glory Braddock and I am passionate about this sport. I am passionate every single damn time I set foot inside of a wrestling ring because to me, wrestling is sacred. Wrestling is about combat and competition between two warriors trying to see who is the best. That’s what any sport is and should be about. Talk to any of the sports teams that have competed in the arena behind me, those players will tell you that what we do is about the spirit of competition. It is also about proving people wrong when they tell you that you cannot win.” The British Bombshell holds up four fingers.

“It has been a little over four years since I signed with Supreme Championship Wrestling. When I thought about making my debut, when I was still negotiation my contract with officials in SCW, I had people in my ear planting doubts in my head about whether or not I could hang in SCW. Sure, Glory Braddock did well in some other promotions, but SCW is a step-up in the level of competition. Can Glory do it? Can she keep up? Even my own family, even Angelica Jones was not certain that I had it in me.” Braddock smirks. “But that kind of doubt from my own friends and loved ones just provided more of a motivation. It created a new challenge for me because now I wanted to prove them wrong. If SCW really was a step up, then I wanted to prove that i could step up my game and be just as successful there as I have been anywhere and everywhere else I have been. Now, a little more than four years later, I am a former Adrenaline, United States, and World Champion in SCW. I have won back to back Trios Tournaments. I could leave the company now and I already have a career worthy of Hall of Fame discussion.” She smirks knowingly.

“But I am NOT done yet! There is still one more challenge on the horizon and that is the Supreme Championship. This is my next challenge, not because I want to more of an ego boost but just because I want to test myself. I want to see if I can do this and continue to prove people wrong. I only need the Tag Team Titles and the Television Title. Or the Tag Titles and the Underground Title. I achieve that, and I achieve Supreme Status. That is my goal. That is the challenge I have laid down for myself. And I am really happy to see that my quest for Supreme begins with the Television Title.” Braddock points a finger at the camera.

“That brings me to you, Amelia Blythe. You have one of the things that I need. I don’t just want this because I am some gold hungry selfish hog like so many other greedy blokes in this business are. I need the SCW Television Championship. The Television Title represents far more than just a mere stepping stone, the way some look at it. Some mock it and parade it around like a joke. My own cousin, Kim, I love her to death but even she threatened to urinate on it and threatened to set it on fire. Your predecessor, Amelia, the bitch Polly, she turned it into a bloody game. She turned it into a comedy routine. I hope and pray that you will take the Television Championship seriously, Amelia. I hope and pray that you will not be like some of the former Television Champions of the past who turn this into a big game or a joke. This championship is no joke to me. It is the championship of someone with a true warrior’s heart.”

“What is it that everyone says after they win a title? They say that they want to be a fighting champion. That’s all well and good, I suppose, but when I won the United States Championship at Apocalypse, Shaun Cruze didn’t make me defend it until Under Attack. When Kim retained the Underground title at Under Attack, no one made her defend the title again until Body, Heart, & Soul.” She shakes her head. “But you don’t get that kind of convenience, Amelia. As the Television Champion you have to be ready to defend each and every week on Breakdown. You got only ONE lucky break from a title defense and that was because you happened to win the title on the Breakdown right before Body, Heart, & Soul. Now your marathon begins. Just think back to some of the record holders in the Television Title division. Kennedy Street and Autumn Valentine are two names that pop into my head as two of the all time greatest Television Champions. They were seemingly unstoppable. Can you match that kind of stamina and endurance each and every Breakdown? You must if you want to make sure your title reign isn’t a one and done. You must keep going and going like that damn energizer bunny, you have to fight each and every week against whoever is the lucky draw.” The British Bombshell motions to herself.

“I just so happen to be the lucky draw this week. And for you that is very unlucky. Sometimes you get someone very green and very new. Sometimes you get a grizzled veteran who is still very deadly. This time you get one of the very best mat technicians in the world today. This time you get The British Bombshell. And when I say that I want to be a fighting champion, damn it I MEAN IT!” She takes her sunglasses off and casts them aside. The camera catches a very good look at the intensity in her eyes. “The Television Title is the title I had hoped would come first in my quest for Supreme because the demand, the challenge, the difficulty of defending it every single Breakdown is a challenge that I crave. I want to put my body to the test in that manner. It is something I have never really had to do in my career.” She shakes her head. “I have done many incredible things in my career, I have achieved so much, but one thing I have never done is the marathon of defending a title once a week every week for as long as I can go until I am beaten. So when I talk about challenges and testing myself, winning and KEEPING the Television Title is just as tough and difficult as the challenge of getting to Supreme. And I love a good challenge.”

“But are you ready, Amelia? Are you up to the task of running this marathon against The British Bombshell?” Braddock shrugs her shoulders. “I honestly don’t know. You obviously have the talent and the potential to get through me. You proved your worth just by winning the title. As annoying as Polly Playtime is, and she is VERY bloody annoying, she is just as talented as she is annoying. Beating her is a feather in your cap and by beating you became Television Champion. But the question remains, can you keep your focus on the task at hand? For starters, you and your partners came back as a TAG TEAM to be Tag Team Champions. Light in the Darkness, right? I assume if I continue my quest for Supreme we will run into each other again in tag team competition. But tag team is your specialty. Are you going to have divided loyalties? Loyal on one hand to the Television Title and loyal on the other to the tag team division? To run this marathon successfully you need one hundred percent of your attention on the television title. Just ask Kimberly. She was working with her twin sister Marie as part of the Twin Magic duo. But Kim got lucky and ended the longest reigning TV Champion’s run, she ended Autumn’s run, and she ended up losing it on her second defense to Dawn Lohan. I don’t mean to discredit Dawn, but I would be willing to bet that if Kim didn’t have her sister Marie to worry about, that outcome and her reign as TV Champion might not have been so anticlimactic.”

“There is one more problem…ME! I am your biggest problem and your biggest threat, because I will do whatever is necessary to walk away one step closer towards the Supreme Championship.”

[Wisteria Waltz]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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