Kimberly Williams Trios Cash-In RP Thread

[Lt. Erect]

-----> Click Me! <-----

[Braddock]

OOC: Religious Wright rp
=================

Strobe lights are going off to an extreme extent; the flashing yellows, blues, greens, and orange all over is enough to send someone into an epileptic seizure. Throughout the mayhem and chaos of the flashing lights one can barely make out a stage where we see a large grotesquely obese man in overalls, a denim shirt, and a beard so long that it would make the guys from Duck Dynasty jealous. This fat bearded man is playing a song a guitar and singing the lyrics to “I’ll Fly Away” by Alan Jackson…a low tempoed song that certainly does not fit the excitement and extravaganza effect created by the flashing strobe lights.

“I'll fly away, oh, Glory”
“I'll fly away”
“When I die, Hallelujah, by and by”
“I'll fly away”

Before he can go any further we see another figure in what appears to be a dark hooded cloak storming the stage. It is difficult to make out much about this figure due to the hood and the lights. We can tell that this is a male based on the low masculine voice when he begins shouting.

“No! No! No! Stop!” He starts waving his hands “Stop! Stop the lights and stop the music!”

The flashing strobe lights cease. So does the music. The bearded guitar player looks on with confusion at the man who we can now see is John Wright, also known as Religious Wright of The Sword of Joshua Full Gospel Pentecostal Temple of Joy Holiness by way of Mt. Judea, Arknasas

“Uh, what’s wrong, Religious Wright?”

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?! Brother Adam, WHAT IS WRONG is the choice of music you are playing! What did we talk at the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee meeting?”

“The affair you’re having with your hot secretary with big boobies?”

“No! Well, yeah, we did because DAMN she’s hot…but that wasn’t the primary topic now was it? We spoke about connecting to the youth of today. See, Brother Adam, the youth of today is interested in rock and roll! Pop! Taylor Swift! Bad Bunny! Ozzy Osmond!”

“It’s Ozzy Osbourne and he was around in the 1970s.”

“Do NOT contradict me, Brother Adam! You DO know the only reason you still have a job here at The Sword of Joshua Full Gospel Pentecostal Temple of Joy Holiness by way of Mt. Judea, Arknasas is because of MY good hearted generosity, right?”

Brother Adam tilts his head to one side and scratches his chin. “Is it because I caught you cheating on your wife with your hot secretary with big boobies who happens to be my sister?”

“Yes…I mean NO!” Wright shakes his head vehemently. “Now Brother Adam, I know you are not the smartest bulb in the bunch, but with the power of THA LAWD I know you can do this job as PRAISE BAND LEADER to the absolute best of your ability…which, unfortunately, the best of your ability is not very good…” he shrugs his shoulders “...but it’s good enough for my purposes! Now as I said, we need to connect to the youth of today! Do you think grown men and women actually watch devil programming like SCW Breakdown?”

“Yeah.”

“I doubt it! Tha LAWD tells me they don’t!” Wright exclaims. “Now play that song again only spice it up for the youth of today! Do you know what I mean?”

“I think so…”

“Then hit it, Brother Adam! Play for the JOY OF THE LAWD!”

Brother Adam begins strumming his guitar and playing a slightly different version of I’ll Fly Away by Alan Jackson…

“I'll fly away, oh, Glory! FUCK YEAH!”
“I'll fly away…FUCK YEAH!”
“When I die, FUCK YEAH! Hallelujah, by and by, FUCK YEAH!”
“I'll fly away…FUCK YEAH!”

Religious Wright is seen head banging as if he is at a rock concert right now. “Rock on, Brother Adam! Rock on for the GLORY OF THE LAWD!” He turns towards the camera. “Now look at me you fallen heathen within the confines of Satanic Championship Wrestling! Too often you have been ruled by the iron fisted evil powers of witches like Selena Frost and mythological snow creatures like Amy Chastain…”

“Uh, Religious Wright…”

“What the fuck is it, Brother Adam? Can’t you see that I am TRYING to save some souls?”

“Yeah, it’s just that Selena is the mythical snow person. Amy is the witch.”

“That’s what I said!” Religious Wright insists. “Now where was I? Oh yeah…now that unsaved whore of babylon Kimberly Williams has decreed that every single championship in Satanic Championship Wrestling shall be on the line in one night of brutal brutality in the barbaric barbarity of Underground Rules! First of all, do you know who lives in the Underground? THE DEVIL! Second, who in their right mind would let unsaved heathens decide matches? THE DEVIL! But Tha LAWD has decreed that I shall take advantage of THE DEVIL’S evil decree! I shall enter this violently violent violence and liberate EACH AND EVERY CHAMPIONSHIP from the claws of SATAN AND HIS MINIONS!”

“SATAN CRUZE SHALL NO LONGER BE WORLD CHAMPION!”

“BEELZEBUB HUDSON SHALL NO LONGER BE CHAMPION OF AMERICA!”

“LUCIFER LANCASTER SHALL NO LONGER BE ADRENALINE CHAMPION!”

“Bree…” Brother Adam pipes in. This interruption annoys Religious Wright who shoots him an annoyed gaze.

“WHAT?!”

“Bree Lancaster is the SCW Adrenaline Champion.”

“Who?!”

“Look.” Brother Adam shows Religious Wright a picture of Bree from the SCW Website on his phone. Religious Wright’s eyes grow wide.

“Is she single, Brother Adam?”

“No.”

“Fuck!” Wright stomps his foot angrily. “Well I will liberate her title! I will do it in the name of the LAWD! I will not let The Whore of Babolyn Kimberly Williams stop me! I will not let JEZEBEL BRADDOCK STOP ME! Satanic Championship Wrestling shall come crumbling down tonight, BROTHER ADAM!”

The strobe lights begin flashing again and Brother Adam resumes his playing…

“I'll fly away, oh, Glory! FUCK YEAH!”
“I'll fly away…FUCK YEAH!”
“When I die, FUCK YEAH! Hallelujah, by and by, FUCK YEAH!”
“I'll fly away…FUCK YEAH!”

[SnowQueenSCW]

OOC: Selena’s second roleplay. Plays off her first. Promo takes place day of Breakdown. Good luck everyone!

DISCLAIMER: The following is a work of fiction and not to be confused as complete or accurate representation of any beliefs, religions, etc. Please refer to research/articles by experts for that.

The Witches of Alden

”Misfortune”

The Edison Ballroom
New York, New York
March 26th, 2023
5:19pm

Everything that washed over her made Selena feel small and inferior. Weak and overwhelmed. The loud music of beautiful orchestra as the band played with passion, filling the large space with its Victorian music – music that held both beauty and, she could hear, a darker tone. A twinge of something out of place (almost haunting). Its loudness filled her ears, almost to the point of painful with some notes with their volume and pitch. Every few moments, the music would overwhelm her, causing the Snow Queen to raise her head to the ceiling, where she would see the ceiling – so far away from her – decorated with the fine crystals of chandeliers and complex designs. It reminded her of the crystal caves in Nome she had once known as her home, but far more complex than most areas of nature could create – almost disgustingly so. These ‘ice designs’ were man-made, as if to mock what nature could do. She could only last a few seconds looking up until her eyes hurt from it, causing her to drop her head down in time to see the flurry colors spin and turn around and in front of her from where she stood!

Every shade, every pigment, every color and frill. Silk, lace, chiffon, long-gowns, shorter ones, hair up, hair down, it was an assault of colors on her eyes that was felt more like viewing inside a kaleidoscope than seeing the actual world.

She tried to breath, but her nose burned with the scent of strong alcohol as it passed around her, servers in suits with trays almost floating around the dozens and dozens of people. She could also, if she moved close enough to the tables, smell the displays of food there – the decadence of such delicacies on the fullest display as broadly and loudly as everything else in this room. She smelled sweet things, savoury things, spicy things, she smelled foreign foods and even familiar foods belonging to her home here in New York (albeit far more ‘refined’ if that made sense).

Gods, how much she hated it all.

The revulsion swam inside her as she stood in the ballroom, staying closer to the outside of the dance floor, her eyes, whenever they could handle the cavalcade of sights and colors, scanning as much as she could. This was not a ballroom party designed to entertain or invoke joy or, but status and power. It was to display superiority of the host. The opulence was meant to remind, not entertain. It was meant to instill a feeling of powerlessness.

Especially for her – especially to remind her of where she stood in all this.

She had never been to The Edison Ballroom before, though she had definitely heard of it and even walked past it throughout her time in Manhattan and New York City. What use did she have for a ballroom? Yes, she loved dancing – especially with her wife, Deanna – and there was something regal and royal about Victorian-style balls like this that she enjoyed (having attended more than one in her travels with said redhead), but to rent a place like this? To spent tens of thousands? Maybe hundreds of thousands?

That was the growing thought that nagged in the Snow Queen’s mind, causing her anxiety and fear to grow – though she refused to display it or let it cripple her. Raphael Alden, the host, there was no way a place like this was ‘free’ so quickly as the few weeks he had to plan this. How much had he paid to ‘acquire its services’ for today? How much had he bribed or spent to ensure this place for whatever he had in mind?

And what was in mind? Selena thought as she eyed her surroundings once more. All around her, various people in their dresses and suits were either enjoying drinks, food, or dancing on the dance floor in the center of the large ballroom. Even if they weren’t all wearing masks, Selena doubted she knew anyone that stood before her, unless her mother came into her line of sight. Quickly, as she thought about her, the platinum-blonde scanned all of the room she could see. It did not take long for her to spy the woman she was looking for, the pink chiffon that wrapped up and around the shoulder of the woman along with the Swarovsky Crystals of different colors (contrasting the dark purple of the dress) made her mother stand out to anyone specifically looking for such a sequence. Even masked, her mother was not difficult to find for the former world champion, and seeing her standing in a corner of the room, merely smiling and nodding her head at the people that passed her by, gave a bit of relief to Selena, allowing her to continue her walking around the room, trying her best to continue her assessment, which was growing more and more similar to certain negative emotions she did not wish to feel.

While she had made her mother dress in a flashier gown, the Snow Queen had chosen the opposite, wearing a dark-blue A-line Scoop Sweep Train Chiffon Lace Evening Dress With Sequins around the bodice and shoulders of the train. She had managed to get a matching mask that covered part of her face like any normal masquerade mask would, but she kept her hair in its usual iconic braid, one of the few things that was giving her comfort in all of this.

Were all of these people Aldens? Were all of them here to see her mother? Or had they just come because Raphael had invited them and it was a ‘status-thing’?

She knew so little about this family, and it bothered her more than she wished to admit as she watched everyone dancing around her, their voices of merriment and conversation adding to the waltz-music being played. She heard snippets, words of praise and others of rumors. They sounded normal… like a big family reunion but what kind of family? She didn’t know and it unnerved her. Never, even in the audience of the Frost/Frostmere clan, had she encountered so many members at once. There must have been dozens, maybe even fifty or more, she had lost count. And while, perhaps under far more pleasant circumstances, she would have been delighted at the sight of so many of her mother’s family and relatives, now it only added to that being of smallness, meekness… of powerlessness.

Just like in SCW.

The thought came unwanted and without hesitation or permission, forcing her to slam her eyes shut as emotions were triggered inside her. Why had she lost her temper like that in her promo? She had yelled and cursed more than she had in her entire career! She had swore at the man she had respected for so many years in O. D.. She had cursed out the Board of Directors! And worse of all, she had thrown a tantrum the likes of which she had never done on any show or promo in her life! It was as if she had forfeited whatever mental edge she could have had with her credentials, accolades, and history with hardcore matches like the chamber, unsanctioned, last-person standing matches, etc.

Now the world knew that Selena was thrown off her game – that she was angry and rattled and shaken! Her, ‘The Face of SCW’, was already losing in the mental-games department heading towards the most fucked-up match she had EVER been apart of.

It would only be a few days from now and not only would she no longer be the SCW world tag-team champion with her wife, but she wasn’t sure either of them would still be a champion in SCW at all. Kimberly Williams had played – she hated to admit – a hand with her Trios that had trapped every champion and enemy of hers. It was cowardly, it was pathetic, it was playing dirty, but dammit, she had played it so smartly. With all the ‘rules that don’t apply’ to her, there as no way Kimberly was not going to get what she wanted: to once again be the Underground Champion and screw over everyone that had beat her or put her in her place, from Owen to the Frosts.

It was more than doubting their abilities as a team. It was more than just the odds of ‘surviving a clusterfuck’ of a match, which was already getting the attention of old foes like Ace Marshall to come back out of the woodwork (if Retribution was any indication), it was, easily, a nigh statistical-impossibility for them. One Selena couldn’t help running through her mind over and over again.

To retain. To simply stay the tag-team champions… not only did they both have to agree to lose the match, but they would have to do so in a way that put them back to back in points! As in, in the sea of superstars that had already been invited and those that had ‘made their presence felt’ on social media in their desire to join the match (open invitational as well), the House of Frost not only needed to have the proper points high enough (but not too high) to keep the tag-titles, but BOTH of them could not be more than one point apart from each other!

It was impossible! If Selena was too high, she’d become the Adrenaline Champion. Too low and she’d be the Television Champion. Same with Deanna! And on top of that, to even attempt would be to try to lose… on purpose!

She had never done that in her entire life, even in her darker days in Nome, Alaska, as she had tried to drink her nights away, the idea of oblivion her constant goal. Still, never, even then, had she let herself choose defeat. Not there or SCW! She had withstood so much pain and injuries but still overcoming so much just because she refused to do anything but try to win. To try and defeat whatever opposition was in her way.

But now? If she did… if she tried to be herself, be the woman she believed herself to be, she would be hurting The House of Frost – and the woman that meant EVERYTHING to her.

Once more, that familiar rage filled her, causing her to release a soft growl that, thankfully, was swallowed up by the cacophony of noise that the ballroom created as she mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, swore at Kimberly, the Board of Directors… and even O. D. once more. She was no closer to understanding why he had agreed to this. Why he had trapped such good people like Owen and Bree – trapped her, the woman that had fought for his company, for his daughter, for his creation, year after year, never taking a break, never leaving SCW’s side, never straying from what SCW was supposed to mean.

Would he have allowed this if I was Kelcey? she thought bitterly. Or even Regan? Or Ow- she stopped as she thought of the world champion. Gods, she felt for the kid. He was doing so well, achieving so much – a momentum that had rivaled hers a year ago during the ‘Reign of Integrity’. And while she had been waiting for the day to face him in the ring again… not like this. She thought.

Like her, Owen was trapped too. He couldn’t win the match AND keep both titles. The ‘rules’, if they could be called that, made that literally impossible. He could only keep one title. And while rematches were guaranteed for all current champions entering into this match – Selena wondered how a loss here would hurt the boy’s momentum…

“Taking it all in?”

The voice came from behind her, causing Selena to turn on the spot slowly, following the direction of the uncomfortably close, accented voice as it whispered over her shoulder. She was quick to see the black-suited man standing before her, a broad smile over his features. His mask was a simple black one that ran across his eyes – eyes that were running up and down her form, studying her.

“You do make quite the fashionable woman.” He offered politely, the compliment genuine but unaffecting Selena’s raw, emotional state.

“You look like the racoon that frequents my house and eats my trash.” Selena shot back, her jaw clenching a little – clearly knowing who she was addressing.

Ignoring her jab, Raphael smoothly removed his mask, continuing to offer a smile to the wrestler. “How are you enjoying the venue, Selena?” he asked, again with that genuine tone. “No, really. I truly want to know.”

Gently, he offered his arm to her, causing the Snow Queen’s eyes to shoot down to it, almost in disbelief. However, if she had learned anything from being in this place, it was that she could only rebel so much when she had no winning hand or ‘secret weapon’ of her own (minus the gun she felt concealed in her at the center of her corset, deep enough to be hidden - and no hand but her own would dare go). Exhaling a little louder, she took the offered arm with her hands, letting Raphael accompany her walk throughout the ballroom, the man offering smiles and kind words to those that passed him (now that he was recognizable without a mask on).

“It’s a bit much.” Selena stated simply, her eyes scanning the room. “Or a lot much.” She corrected bluntly. “You ever hear of ‘overcompensating’?”

“Yes.” Raphael answered. “When my father left with nothing, I had to crawl and claw my way back up to providence. It took years.” He explained, a hint of hurt in his voice. “And I had to humble myself, let myself be kicked around and treated like dirt – like I didn’t matter no matter how hard I tried. I had to be reminded day after day that those I worked for, those I respected, didn’t respect me or even care about me. I had to endure it for so long… so that when I was above them all? I’d never look back. I’d never stop enjoying the fruits of my labour.”

Despite herself, Selena felt her throat silently gulp at the brief insight into Raphael’s life, hating how she found some relatability to it. Except she wasn’t powerful enough to do what he had done. She was still struggling. It didn’t matter how good she was or how loved she was within the company or how respected she was with the fans. She was still small and powerless compared to the board, to O., and to people coming and going with their ‘offers’ to acquire the company.

“There’s always someone bigger…” She whispered. “Someone better… someone more powerful.” She couldn’t hide the dark edge that clipped around her voice.

“I don’t believe that.” Raphael remarked as he gently guided Selena to the dance floor. Without hesitation, he gently moved the Snow Queen’s hands and arms into the proper position as the other dancers, Selena offering no resistance and stepping perfectly (as her stepmother, Anastasia, had ingrained in her memory since her youth) into the dance with the others around her. “I believe…” Raphael continued as he lead the platinum-blonde expertly, “Look at the human race. We are at the top of the food chain. World leaders? Nations with the greatest technology? Even your precious SCW has it’s ‘top of the ladder’, does it not?”

Selena looked away for a moment. Yes, technically. There WAS a ‘top’ for people like her in SCW. The world championship. Whoever held it, she knew this from experience, was considered at the apex for all wrestlers. But really?

“If that power existed for someone like me.” She turned her head back to Raphael. “Then you would not have me here tonight. Or my mother.” She stated. “There is always someone more powerful out there. Someone with more money. More resources.”

“And if there isn’t?” Raphael asked, his eyes illuminating with the notion. “If there is nothing that is higher than you? Not in money or power or resources? If nothing is beyond your reach? What then?”

Selena gave a thought to the question for a moment, though this time she refused to look away from the host. “I guess…” she breathed. “That would make you ‘God’.” She saw the smile widen on Raphael’s face, though she gave a knowing one of her own. “That was what you wanted me to say, wasn’t it?”

“You don’t think that’s achievable?” Raphael asked, taking a moment to eye the ballroom he had acquired. “After all, what is a King to a God?”

Sapphire eyes narrowed at the man, Selena’s hand tightening its grip until she felt the bones in Raphael’s hand pressing together. “What is a god to a non-believer?” she asked staring at him darkly.

Despite the discomfort he must have been feeling in the athlete’s strong grip, the older man gave no sign of it. “Shall we ask your boss? Or do you still believe in him?”

Her jaw clenched as she continued to step in time with the dance, too afraid to give any answer to those questions – mostly because she didn’t have one. Not one that she believed anyway.

Did she still believe in D.?
Did she even want to now? After everything he had done? Disrespecting Deanna, hiding things from the SCW Universe, even considering Jenni Anderson as a offer? And now this cash-in?

“Where is your mother?” Raphael asked, seeming to take pity on the Snow Queen in this interrogation and changing the subject.

“Nearby.” Selena answered. “As promised.” She added bitterly. “So get your shots in now because after this? We’re done. I don’t want to see you or any of the Aldens again. Do you understand me?”

“Perfectly.” Smiled Raphael, slowly releasing Selena as the current song slowed to a stop. “I look forward to doing just that.” He gave that smug grin before giving a slight bow and walking away.

I would remove that hand if I were you…

That same dismissal! That same feeling of ‘not mattering’ or ‘being unworthy’ of answer! D. had given her that same treatment! To her and her wife!

Selena felt the familiar snap in her and her head jerked around left and right, eyes scanning for something – anything to -

Quickly, she reached out towards a passing waiter, grabbing a flute of champagne and plucking it off the table. The waiter paid her the barest of minds as he walked past her. But as for Selena, she had barely pulled the glass off when a hand gripped the glass-holding hand, squeezing tightly before wrestling the flute of her Selena’s grasp, placing it back on the table.

“I don’t think so.” Came the cold, barely-concealed-angry, voice in a rough whisper before the hand tightened more around Selena’s, causing the Snow Queen to wince a little, the platinum-blonde too surprised to immediately respond.

“What are you- ah!” she gasped as she was jerked further onto the dancefloor, all but pulled back into that familiar waltz position, though far rougher than Raphael had done. Finally, she was able to take in her ‘abductor’… and feeling the immediate shock through her system as she beheld fire-red hair and emerald-green eyes.

“If you tell me that you were about to drink that wine, which I could smell the booze from over there, by the way-“ the redhead growled. “I am leaving you.”

“Deanna?” Selena asked in genuine surprise. “What are you?”
“Doing?” Deanna’s jaw clenched, anger emanating off her in waves. “I could ask you the same question, Selena.” She hissed.

Guilt? Shame? Even a little intimidation – Selena felt the full gambit as she was roughly lead through another dance.

“I wasn’t going to drink it.” Selena tried to explain. “I swear, darling.”

“Don’t you darling me!” Deanna hissed quietly as she spun Selena with no care.
“I promise!” Selena begged. “I wouldn’t – I was going to splash it into Raphael’s smug face!”

“And why the hell are you here with him in the first place?!” she leaned in, pressing her face close to Selena’s. “Without me?”

“I…” Selena bit her lower lip, her mind flashing back to the fight they had had that night Selena had come home last week after convincing her mother to reunite with the Aldens and gone shopping for their gowns and masks. She remembered her wife staying up, waiting for her in family room. She remembered that look – so similar to the look of anger in her wife’s emerald eyes now. She remembered the words spoken… and how things had been left between the two of them and the awkwardness that had followed for the past week. “How did you even find this place?”

“Really?” Despite the black ombre feather mask she wore, Deanna’s eyebrow could be seen lifting for a second in disbelief. “You’re going to try and put the focus on me? Okay.” She squeezed Selena’s hand tighter. “I unlocked your phone, checked your message with Allejandra and then followed you here. It wasn’t hard to figure out. I’ve known all week.”

“You…” Selena’s eyes widened in shock under her mask, the hurt clear in her voice. “You invaded my privacy?”
“Oh, you do NOT get to play the victim card on me, Selena Frost.” Deanna hissed back. “Not after you lied and hid things from me… again!”

“I had to.” Selena answered back, her hurt emotions leading to a more familiar emotion – anger. Fighting back, Selena gripped the hand Deanna was leading her with, tightening her own hold and turning their entwined hands into a test-of-strength, and inadvertently creating a support system for the other to lean and move. As the music picked up, Selena twisted and turned in a stationary figure-eight in front of Deanna, her legs lifting high to accentuate the movement, though her eyes never strayed from the redhead. “I had enough to worry about keeping an eye on mother without having to worry about getting her AND you out.”

“And what makes you think I would need help getting out?” Deanna challenged back, pulling Selena’s hand up to spin her on the spot, the Snow Queen’s dress billowing with the gorgeous twirl before Deanna pulled her back close.

“Oh!” Selena laughed. “Like how you got out of that Texas Cloverhold last week?”

Seeing emerald eyes widen before narrowing at Selena’s words – the Snow Queen instantly regreted what she had said.

“No.” Deanna whispered back harshly. “Like how I saved your ass when Blythe almost choked you out.”

Both women glared at each other through their masks. They had BOTH worked together and saved each other at Retribution! It was beyond clear of that! But that wasn’t going to win their respective case.

“Well, fat lot of good that does now.” Selena finally spoke. “Cause by next week, we won’t even BE champions anymore.”

“And that’s my fault?” Deanna asked before stepping back, dragging Selena across the dance floor as the Snow Queen extended her leg, wrapping the other around Deanna’s waist to assist in the move. “You’re the one that can’t accept ‘losing’.”

“Oh! And you’re not salivating at the chance to become a singles champion after being snubbed over for Cassie Wolfe and Konrad Raab last pay-per-view and even Hairless Penguin last year?!”

Again, Deanna’s jaw clenched at the stalemate between the two, the redhead pulling Selena back up to her feet. Logically, the two hated each and every word they were speaking – the problem was they were too mad at everything: SCW, the Aldens and each other to acknowledge such a thing as logic.

“Then I guess it’s every Frost for herself.” Deanna hissed back. “Maybe I’ll win the world title then.”

“Oh yeah…” Selena laughed. “Cause last time you fought Owen, it worked SO well.”
“I don’t see you beating-“
“Allocco, Bree, and Glory in a fatal-fourway.” Selena launched back before Deanna could finish. “You?”

A harsh laugh escaped Deanna, the two still trying to keep their voices low to avoid unwanted attention. “Oh, you know what, Selena?” her muscles tensed. “Maybe I’ll just pin the ‘great’ Selena Frost!”

Selena suddenly sauntered closer, leaning into Deanna to press her chest against the black-suited woman. “This isn’t our bedroom, Deanna.” She shot back smugly. “I’m not just going to LET you pin me.” Closer, she leaned in until her voice was ghosting over Deanna’s earlobe. “Maybe I will after Breakdown. After I kick your tight, little ass!” the slight growl in her voice was part anger, part smugness and part something else neither woman could identify in the moment. “I’ll need something to do to celebrate-“

Her voice dropped as she felt Deanna’s whole body grow still, the look of anger, frustration, and whatever else morphing into genuine shock as the redhead’s emerald eyes dropped down to Selena’s chest pressed up against hers. “Are…” her voice trailed off, her steps faltering for the first time in this dance to place a hand to Selena’s chest. “Did you bring a gun?”

Immediately, Selena’s eyes widened, the Snow Queen instantly taking a step away and gaining some distance between the two wives, each woman staring at the other.

“Selena!” Deanna gasped quietly, rushing over to her side, immediately looking around the dance floor. Aside from the few glances that came their way from onlookers regarding their dance, no one gave them much thought. “What the hell?” Deanna asked.

“It’s not-“ Selena tried. “It’s just a precaution.” She explained. “And why I didn’t want you here with me.”
“That’s not a fair-“

Deanna barely had the chance to get the words out to return to the argument before she was interrupted by the purple and pink dressed Alejandra stopping in front of them, just a few feet from the center of the dance floor.

“Selena, I-“ her eyes widened as she saw, through her pink-and-purple mask. “Deanna? What are you doing here?”
“Being nosey.” Selena sighed. “I should have realized.” She refocused on her mother. “Mother, I told you to stay on the sidelines.”
“Raphael came to me.” She admitted. “I…I didn’t want to deal with him. He said we were free to go.”

“He did?” Selena asked. “But he hasn’t done anything yet. Has anyone talked to you?”
“Not beyond a mere hello or a question.” Alejandra answered honestly. “I don’t think they’ve figured out who I am.”

“So, why the hell would he-“ Selena’s voice trailed off as the idea came to her a split second after Deanna, the Frost wives speaking at the same time.

“Unless to get us together on the dancefloor-“

The music suddenly stopped, as did all the dancing from the people surrounding them.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” came the loud, accented voice as Raphael Alden stood on the balcony overlooking the entire lower floor, no more than twenty, maybe thirty feet above but enough to remind Selena of her conversation with the man regarding ‘god’. Not even subtle. her mind growled as she stared up at the man.

“It is my pleasure to not only end one of the greatest scandals involving our great charter, but to bring it to its full conclusion!” Scanning down, Raphael spotted Selena, Deanna and Alejandra standing on the dancefloor, his genuine, gentlemanly smile slowly morphing – becoming more wolf-like. “After forty years of hiding… I give to you…” he gestured towards the trio. “Alejandra Grimalkin Alden!”

Immediately, anyone nearby the three women backed away as the group stared at them. With a sigh, Alejandra reached up to remove her mask, revealing her entire face to them. A shock resonated throughout the ballroom, causing Selena to shift closer to her wife and mother, her hand slowly reaching up towards her concealed gun. Please, Odin… she prayed. Don’t make me use this…

“Heads of the Alden…” Raphael spoke out. “Are you all accounted for?”

Immediately, six or seven various people removed their masks and stepped forward. They were all of various age, gender and race but all shared the same expression, glaring at Alejandra. “We are.” One of them, a tall, tanned one spoke.

“Then, at long last…” Raphael smiled at the trapped trio. “Let us commence the trial of Alejandra Alden!”

_______________________________________________________________

The camera opens up to a sight that was similar to that of SCW’s last show, the flagship-pay-per-view that was Retribution: an empty arena filled with décor and a wrestling ring. However, this is not the AT&T Stadium of Dallas, Texas, nor is this Retribution or some pay-per-view replay. Rather, this is the Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, the site for tonight’s episode of SCW Breakdown. A night where, perhaps for the first time ever, there will be only one match. A match that will put every single title on the line in a point-system in an attempt to ‘shuffle’ the champions and their divisions. The cash-in of Kimberly Williams’ Trios contract is responsible for this night and left SCW and the SCW Universe in a state of varied opinions. While some fans have praised Kimberly’s ‘creativeness’, others have called her out on her ‘beyond obvious’ attempts to simply ‘steal back the Underground title with her ‘clauses that favor only her’. While some have expressed excitement over SCW being shuffled and changed in such a random, unknown way, others have voiced displeasure at SCW, essentially, ‘forcing champions to lose their titles and/or their momentum’ and the ‘blantant disrespect to every division/championship except the world title’. Such varied opinions echo through the halls of SCW, in the minds of fan and superstar alike.

The only constant amidst all this is the empty ring under the arctic blue and white lights; and as the camera moves into the space, the singular woman can be seen standing inside it, hands on the ropes as she overlooks the empty arena, her sapphire eyes focusing on the glowing graphic of ‘SCW’ that hangs high as if in identification. For several seconds, the platinum-blonde eyes the glowing letters high above her, unable to tear her gaze away; unable to stop a few tears forming from within her eyes, though she doesn’t let them fall.

With a shaky breath, Selena Frost reaches up to wipe at her eyes with the back of her hand, her head staying lowered as she leans her forehead against the rope, the black of her leather jacket, pants, boots and shirt a contrast to the white of the ring and her hair.

This ring used to be my sanctuary. she whispers to no one in the arena and everyone that is listening in. My home…

When I didn’t have a home. When the lands where I was born and raised were nothing more than a cold hell. When there were days that I didn’t want to wake-up the next morning. When I didn’t believe in anything other than the demons I let control my soul… this place let me in. This place – SCW – and every member of it… became a part of my life. A grumpy father, a crazed uncle, a passionate sister-in-arms, a mentoring aunt, estranged black-sheep cousins, everyone in the SCW Universe became a part of a family to me…

And… she releases a shaky breath. No matter how much it hurt to be a wrestler. No matter how much it hurt to do the right thing and fight for things that, maybe, nobody else wanted to or couldn’t fight for like integrity and raising the standard beyond tainted finishes and controversy – this place was still here to welcome me back in. To let me feel hurt but still remind me that it was all for a reason. To give me purpose when I had spent so much of my life not having any.

Lifting her head, she eyes the SCW graphic once more. I always would say to every person that thought they were ‘bigger’ than SCW or thought they could control SCW that SCW would always be here. That SCW was bigger than any of us. That SCW could endure everything and would continue to be a symbol of supreme championship wrestling… It was… it was the greatest honor of my career to constantly be defending that belief as ‘The Face of SCW’…

Her voice trails off slowly and, for a moment, there is only silence. But that was why I… I won’t mince words… I lost it during my last Royal Letter. Because I don’t feel THAT SCW here now. I don’t feel the same SCW that I felt when Deanna and I fought Amelia and Luz at Retribution. I don’t see that same SCW that I saw in the eyes of Bree Lancaster or Chance Owens – looking for their opportunities and fighting for everything they believe in. I don’t see that same SCW that Owen Cruze displayed when he held that world championship proudly above his head. Or that Glory Braddock fought tooth and nail to redeem herself for. she shakes her head at the graphic. Like I said, I don’t know what this is, but what this is tonight? What is being allowed to happen here tonight by management? This isn’t integrity and it isn’t SCW!

Turning in the ring, Selena slowly paces it. It’s easy to ignore that for people coming out of the woodwork like Ace Marshall – a man that hasn’t given a crap about SCW for months and only comes back and tries when it amuses him to do so – when it’s easy for him. Another ‘asshole’ like Adam Allocco that thinks the world revolves around him and he’s ‘god’s gift’ or something. And it’s easy to ignore it all for someone that just wants the big carrot at the end of it, like Syren, still desperate to have her ‘moment’ with D. wrapping the world title around her waist as she FINALLY breaks the record for most world title reigns in SCW history – because she hasn’t had more than enough chances to do that in the last two or so years, right? Didn’t she just lose to The One and Xander Valentine in her last pair of matches? “Best Wrestler in the World” – or was that Glory Braddock? They both seemed to want that name though they did little to prove it here. A few seconds as the world champion and the most failed attempts at regaining the world championship – but this time is different! Who cares if SCW is crumbling around us, right?!

Again, there is a growl under Selena’s voice as she paces in the ring. See… so many of you – probably all of you except Owen Cruze and I, you just see potential ‘upgrade’ to becoming World champion. Who wouldn’t take this chance like YUYO or Xander or whoever else shows up? Someone with nothing to lose, who can turn around all those losses with one title-steal here tonight. And let’s not kid ourselves here, guys, aside from the world title – the other 'new champions' will have stolen the titles. How else to you describe Kimberly’s ‘safeguards’? “Love for the company and SCW Universe”?

Selena scoffs at that. You know what ‘loving this place’ truly is, guys? It’s not running off when you’re bored when some fake wedding didn’t work or because you lost the big match and ‘don’t got it anymore’. It’s not attacking people out of jealousy because ‘it should have been me’ and then saying you’re a ‘standard of wrestling’ in SCW. It's not bailing on matches or threatening to not show up on shows because you're not getting the championship shot you want.

Loving this place is about being here when it’s NOT easy. When it’s NOT at the height of your momentum. When you’ve been knocked to the ground so hard and so often that you question whether you should get back up – and you get up because you love this place and all it means to you!

It's not trying your hardest only when there’s a title on the line, but trying your hardest every match and every night and show!

She stops for a moment, her pale hands clenching into fists. It’s what I believe in. It’s what I am. It’s what I do. It’s WHO I am.

But like looking at that graphic and not knowing what this place is… I looked at myself in the mirror after that announcement for this match… and I don’t know what to do.

Because I am not Syren or Ace Marshall or YUYO or Kimberly Williams or Konrad or Evans or Nicole or the other dozen or so names that were invited by name on that list. I am not someone that has everything to gain and nothing to lose. I am one of the few that is defending a championship.

And unlike the singles champion, that isn’t just me keeping a belt. That’s a title I share with my wife. My Deanna… she gives a shake of her head. And you see where I am going with this, because what that means is more than just the improbability of ‘scoring close to Deanna’ in this match in order to retain. No, that’s not what I’m talking about. If THAT was all that was against us, Deanna and I would find a way. I know we would. She and I have gone through so much worse and arrived out of it stronger than ever.

No, that’s not what I am talking about. I’m talking about how, in order to retain the tag-team titles that we spent months trying to rebuild, months trying to win and bring integrity to, The House of Frost has to score close… and then purposely lose so we end up in the right ‘place’ in terms of points…

Reaching a side of the ring, Selena leans against the ropes again. Purposely lose… she repeats, letting the words sink in a little more. That’s almost a bigger slap in the face than O. D.’s cold-shoulder to me a few weeks ago. Because I’ve been doing this for nearly a decade and never, not once, was I encouraged to ‘lose on purpose’ to keep what I got! To keep a title that I earned. Know why? Cause that’s not how we do things in the SCW I know and love!

We train, we study, we work hard every day to be the best and to beat the best challengers the world has ever seen. THAT is how you retain championships! THAT is how you stay at the top of your game and top of the division you represent!

But now… SCW wants me to lose in order to stay the world tag-team champion with my wife…

She takes a moment to process that. Because what kind of partner – what kind of wife am I -if I don’t? If I don’t do everything in my power to keep us as the world tag-team champions so new teams like Bree and Datura keep coming into the division and teams like Light in the Darkness come back to SCW for 5-star matches like what we gave at Retribution? What kind of champion would I be if I didn’t do all I could to stay the champion… by losing this match…

She takes a deep breath, looking down at her hands. See, this is much harder than your decision, Owen. Casting away the Underground championship? You’ve probably already made peace with that, comforted that an automatic rematch is in your future in case you want it back. You’re the guy doing what I wish I could do – simply defend the title that means most to you. You’re the one champion here that CAN scoff at this like you did at Retribution when it was announced because this changes nothing for you. You fight to be the best, you fight to retain, you fight to stay the SCW World champion.

Selena smiles bitterly. This is a walk-in-the-park, a typical day in the office for you, Owen! Me? I either have to end a dream in The House of Frost being tag-team champions and, thus, hurt my wife… or I have to sell out every belief in this place and in myself that I have. I either have to surrender the tag-titles that my wife and I have worn with pride… or I have to ‘give-up’.

She shakes her head.

I’ve taken monitors to the head and never gave up.
I’ve been whipped by barbed-wire cat-o’-nine-tails and never gave up.
I got my foot crushed by a crate, I’ve been thrown off scaffolds, I’ve been cut open, rammed into cages, into pods, had concussion after concussion and never, while I still had breath in my body have EVER given up. Not on SCW and not on my myself!

But, if I don’t give up… my family loses…

She gives a huff. And yeah, maybe this is just something I can’t win. Maybe this is something like when I lost the world title last Rise to Greatness, where I step back and let SCW do its thing – have faith that SCW can do better and come out of this okay…

But like I said, Owen, I don’t know if THAT SCW exists right now. With this place being up for sale, with matches like ‘slumber parties’ and this clusterfuck, with the BOSS altering matches to suit his needs like he did to my wife's match with you? I don’t know if that SCW exists and if SCW can survive this!

And on a personal note, Owen, I’m sick and tired of waiting for you and the others to get it right.

She stares at the camera, sapphire eyes narrowing. For eight long months, I spent each day bringing the standard of the world championship up from the crap it was at. For eight months, I fought everyone that was put in my way, winning by skill and faith in myself and what the standard in SCW could actually be. Then, when I DO step away so guys like you can have a chance? It all falls apart. The man that beat me? Couldn’t live up to my standard for two weeks, losing it the first chance he had! The guy after him? Tried to hold the title hostage against superstars! And then you? You lost it after your first title defense! Yeah, funny how that isn’t brought up? How YOU, Owen, let Lexy literally steal the title right from under you.

And see… that was something that stuck with me, because I thought we were done with this kind of ‘Giovanni Aries kind of crap’ when I booted The Brand out of SCW for good and reduced Holly Adams to little more than a five second teaser video every few weeks – you’re welcome for that, by the way.

A small smile comes to the Snow Queen. But I leave well enough alone? And it all happens again. It all is happening again – and it’s worse than ever before. Because now? It’s not just the standard of the world title being lowered, it’s the integrity of every single division! It’s SCW in its entirety being dragged down! And instead of doing anything about it, you’re chasing Adam Allocco and smashing his head with the world title. You’re watching old security footage of the past while I’m the one trying to get to the bottom of all of this that’s happening to OUR SCW right now! I’m the one busting my ass trying to protect SCW when it should be YOUR job, Owen Cruze!

Her voice echoes with the accusation.

And that was why I was so angry in my Royal Letter, Owen. Because the second I heard those rules regarding this match, I knew exactly what I was going to do – what I had to do. The answer was beyond simple because, at the end of the day, I’d rather be titleless than live a damn lie. I rather earn my championship success than have it be a damn door-prize. I’d rather earn my wins than have them handed to me. I’d rather be a nobody with my morals and beliefs than a somebody with none of them.

And here? It’s even more simple. Because this is not something that I want to do, Owen. I don’t want to end your story, cliché and overused as it’s been (Allocco’s been telling a similar story of ‘last swan song’ or whatever for months now). This isn’t something that I want to do. This is something that I need to do. That I HAVE to do.

Because you? You’re just looking down - at the world belt around your waist. Me? I’m the one looking ahead. I’m the one that can’t recognize the SCW graphic and what it stands for anymore. I’m the one that’s seeing the keys changing owners and I don’t like it. I don’t trust it. I’m the one that is seeing SCW losing itself and its integrity and I’m seeing that I have NO choice in this matter! I have to do something! I NEED to do something!

Because it’s not just O.’s company. It’s not just the Board’s company. It’s THEIR company! she gestures to the empty seats surrounding the ring. It’s my wife’s company. It’s MY company. It’s my children’s company! And for nearly a decade, I stood proud showing them that if you work hard and believe in yourself and never sell out your morals and beliefs, you can accomplish anything! I was proud to teach that lesson to the SCW Universe, the children of SCW, and MY children as their mother…

And I won’t make myself a liar just to keep a title reign alive for my house.

She gives a sigh. Come this Breakdown, the House of Frost will no longer be the SCW world tag-team champions… the words settle for a moment before she speaks again.

But… she exhales. Come this Breakdown, the House of Frost WILL have, once again, the SCW World Championship!

Because that is my ONLY option, Owen! It’s the only thing I can do in this fight! Fight to win! Like I always have! Like I always will! Fight with all my integrity, fight to be the best, fight to win and represent what SCW means to me: Integrity! It’s the simplest realization I had! Tonight, I sacrifice my tag-team reign with my wife for the sake of my beliefs and my integrity and what those titles – including the ones you hold – truly mean to me. Tonight, I show up here and I do what I do better than everyone else and check the records if you don’t believe me because I have not been pinned or submitted since July, kid!

She pauses for a moment for a strong exhale. I win! And I win! And I win! And tonight, with no other choice? I win and I become the SCW World champion for the fifth time!

Do you get it now, Owen? Are you able to look around and see me doing the job that should have been yours since December? Or are you still only concerned with your ‘story’? Because that’s not what you’re fighting for tonight. Maybe against all the others like Josh Hudson and Allocco, if he shows up, yeah, that could be a good motivation, but with me? You aren’t fighting a ‘feel good moment’ like Allocco did at RTG last year. You aren’t fighting for some ‘truth’ and vengeance for Alistaire. You and I are fighting for everything in SCW! The past, the present and, most important of all, the very future of this company!

Sapphire eyes narrow at the camera. Remember that night on Breakdown back in January? I stood in your way and told you to fix the shit that was surrounding SCW and the world title? I looked in your eyes that night, Owen, and I saw a man – a boy – that wasn’t capable of doing it. A boy that didn’t want to do it. A boy  that just wanted to tell his story and be world champion. Didn’t think about the company. The legacy of that title. He just wanted to be the champion.

I have given you months to fix that and you have failed, Owen. You have buried that title in controversy, underground matches, stealings and now this. So now? I’m done waiting. I’m out of time. I’m out of patience. And I am not going to sit around and wait for this kind of match to be chosen again, where every other division suffers for it! Where the integrity of SCW is further dragged down the drain and slapped across the face. No! Tonight, Owen, I’m going to walk up to you, risking everything I have in SCW, and I’m going to tell you one last time to ‘fix this crap’ before I show you how it’s done… even if I’ve got to rip your banged up knee right off the leg to do it!

Standing in the middle of the ring, Selena stands defiantly. Because I tried doing it O.’s way and the way for everyone else. Tonight? Like I did a year ago… I am going to do it MY way and become the SCW World champion for a fifth time! And when I do, I will bring the standard back up to where it belongs…

Where the Board…Kimberly… and even the great O. D. cannot possibly touch it!

Selena holds her hands out in a flourish. Believe it, kid. Because this is MY home! And it’s not going anywhere!

The camera slowly fades on the Snow Queen before going entirely to black.

[Magical Cosmic Princess YUYO]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x7iY...sp=sharing

[Huddie]

OOC: Fuck you all...

A History of Violence: Book II: The Mission, Chapter Six

[TheOne]

{NUMBERS: Chapter 2}

Hailey was there... The Oracle's brother was there... They were there, arguably for the same reason I was, and I had to stand there and make a decision.  Do I believe them or not?  I had to decide, within a fraction of a second, it seemed to me, whether or not these two were there in my best interest, or were two of the greatest masterminds in stealing The Oracle from under my protection that ever existed.

It was something that even after reaching out to my "contact," I still had my doubts on.

And why wouldn't I?  Why wouldn't I doubt the TWO PEOPLE who's relationship to The Oracle, and her safety, outside of my own, coalesced within the home of Hailey's parents, with her brother present, and just coincidentally running away just in time to not be snatched up as well?  And why wouldn't they want him?  He was the guardian.  He was the person who allowed her to leave her dormitory with my predecessor, and ultimately myself.  He was as much a part of this as we were, and he knew it.  He was just the ultimate prisoner.  He was the one who had no options but to obey.

So in the case of Hailey's family "guarding" The Oracle, why wouldn't his role be the same?

They show up... He delivers the goods... He vanishes back into the darkness...

With Hailey, why wouldn't she want to do something to make her life easier?  For a few years, her and her family were living a life of shit, being forced to do everything, effectively, under disguise, and hopefully without being seen by anyone who would recognize them.  All because Hailey crossed the douchebag who was before me, and she felt she could take before either of us were ready.

I know she wants her redemption... But in who's eyes?  Is it truly in the eyes of The One, and wanting to seek redemption in the eyes of The Oracle, and receive her blessing, or is it redemption in the eyes of her parents?  Does she want to redeem her loss, redeem her failure to them, because she feels like it is the one way she can reinsert herself into the family with the greatest impact.

These are my thoughts...

These are what worry me...

These are, I will admit, why I wasted no time in imparting them in the grander plan because should they feel the need to have nefarious tendencies, I was aware, and prepared.  But if they were honest, I was giving them the opportunity of a lifetime to save themselves and their families from future destruction...

Well, Hailey's family... The Prophets were going to be fucked at my regard either way...

So after their return, things were quiet for a short period.  The three of us laid low, finding refuge in small towns outside of The Compound's reach, and away from anywhere where we would be seen as anything more but deviants looking for cheap lodging for the night for whatever actions we saw fit, and the motel management didn't ever hear about.  And we used that to our benefit as much as possible.  We didn't have many clothes at the time, so a lot of people saw us as miscreants and we just cared about the fact we had legit cash on hand, and weren't going to make them ask any questions.  

After a period of time of waiting, there was a lot of uneasiness among us all.  I was waiting on what was next, Hailey wanted to prove herself, and The Oracle's brother wanted his sister returned to his safe guardianship.  I understood all of this and accepted the reality that I was going to have to be the one to shoulder the blame of all of the successes and failures that we may have.  It's why when the time came to bring all parties together, I knew there was potential for hostility, questions, and even more fear of those who have surrounded me.

Off of a sideroad of a highway, in a rural part of the Midwest, between the county line where The Compound's reach ends and Hailey's family's house is, a car is parked off in the woods, obstructed from view.  The location was picked as a spot where, "unless you know where it is, you wouldn't dare go there," type of location.  The trio of Hailey, The One and the brother of The Oracle all stand around their vehicle that they have been basically living in.  The brother is pacing, obviously uncomfortable with the situation, while Hailey is nervously standing, leaning on the car, still unsure of everything, and The One is vaping, while sitting on the hood.  The brother's nerves finally get the best of him, and he wants answers.

Brother of The Oracle: Ok... Seriously... Why are we here, and what is going on?

The One: Like I said, this is part of the next phase of the plan...

The One doesn't even look in his direction when she replies, and continues vaping, obviously the most calm and collected of the bunch.  What the others don't know is The One is hoping the elevated levels of THC in her vape keep her anxiety regarding the situation as low as it can be.

Brother of The Oracle: Seriously?  Why all of the vagueness?  Why can't you ever just give a straight answer?!

Hailey steps over to the brother.

Hailey: Calm down, man.  I get it.  I'm sure we all have nerves, and I know I'm curious as well.  But the fact is, this woman hasn't ever come up short with us when having a plan, and she's going to do what's in your sister's best interest.

Brother of The Oracle: Does she have a plan?  Really?

Hailey: I believe her...

Brother of The Oracle: Believe all you want, do you even know if she has one?  Or is she just having us sit in the middle of the woods, waiting for some freak to jump out and slaughter us all?

Hailey: I believe she has plan... I know she does...

Brother of The Oracle: Then tell me about it.  Tell me what you know.  Tell me so I can "believe" like you do...

Hailey: I... I don't...

Brother of The Oracle: You don't know anything, that's my point!

Hailey: I know this... She got you out and free, didn't she?  Didn't she get the ACTUAL biggest prisoner off that premises and KEEP him off?

Brother of The Oracle: I... She...

Hailey: Exactly... Just relax a little... Like I said I'm sure we are all a little nervous...

The One, hearing all of this remains stoic.  She knows Hailey is right and knows that everyone is facing much of the same emotional struggles inside.  Hailey's response to The Oracle's brother, however, seems to calm his bellicose response for the moment, and the three go back to simply sitting around in the silence of nature.

After several more minutes, the silence is broken by the sound and lights of another vehicle making its way up the pathway.  The brother is immediately spooked, going back to his thoughts of having someone out to get them in the woods, and Hailey immediately begins to share the same sentiment.  Both look over at The One, who slowly stands up from the hood, and turns and walks in the direction of the vehicle coming their way.  It is a reaction that tells Hailey and the brother that this is something The One was expecting.

As the car reaches theirs, it leaves it's headlights on, illuminating everyone with its high beams.  While squinting, all can see the driver's door open and a figure step out, having the build of a man.  The One, however, stands there, staring the man and the headlights down, as the man's silhouette eventually can be seen somewhat blocking one of the lights, but no facial features are yet discernible.

The One: Are the headlights really fucking necessary?

Man: Says the woman with the most questionable background here, and two, questionable, companions I know nothing about...

Hailey: Questionable?  Really?

The man can be seen turning and looking at Hailey, and simply nodding.

Man: Especially you, if I'm being honest...

Hailey: Why me?  Who the hell are you?  You don't know anything about me!

Man: That girl was abducted from your family's house, wasn't she?

Now Hailey is immediately confused.  How would this stranger know anything about that situation?  This immediately charges Hailey up and she begins to make a beeline around the car to confront the guy.

Hailey: Who in the FUCK do you think you are, huh?!

Before she can make it to the man, The One simply extends one arm to her side and stops Hailey from advancing any further.

The One: Calm down, Hailey.  This is our ticket back in, and ultimately to freedom.  I'll handle it, I promise...

Hailey looks at The One questioning everything.  But her faith in her friend does allow her to take a couple steps back behind The One.  The One, then, turns her attention back to the man.

The One: Again... Are the headlights really, fucking, necessary?

Man: Let me ask you... Are they?

The One: Since the get-go I have been completely transparent about all of this and held up my end of all of our agreements.  You can see around us that it's just us, and they're who I told you they were on the phone.  So I would say you're as OK to reveal yourself as you can be...

The man pauses.

Man: Alright...

The man walks over to his vehicle and opens the drivers door, leans in and turns the headlights off, but leaves on his running lights so they have some illumination, but aren't blinded.  As everyone's eyes adjust, the man's identity becomes clear, as in front of them stands the federal agent who had infiltrated The Compound.  He is not recognized by anyone but The One, and Hailey wastes no time trying to get answers of her own.

Hailey: Hey... Who is this guy?

The One: Remember the federal agent who was running recon on The Compound, that I had to go shut down?  The one who was able to sneak in undetected while that dickbag predecessor of mine was still in charge?  Yeah, that's this guy...

Both Hailey and the brother immediately take a step back and their eyes widen.

Brother of The Oracle: WOAH WOAH WOAH!  You're telling me we're working with a guy you told us was trying get info on my sister?  And after what you did, you don't think he's got the handcuffs ready for all three of us after this is all over?

The agent raises his hands up trying to gesture for the brother to calm down.

Agent O'Connell: Let me formally introduce myself.  My name is Agent O'Connell.  I am a member of the FBI's SVU team, and my initial mission was to find out the truth about this mysterious "Oracle" who had been bringing a lot of luck to these people in this establishment.  We had gotten wind that it may be a child, so they had me go undercover, and find out... The truth is I uncovered a lot more than I expected.  The two of you, y'all are the least of my concerns.  The One here, she's the one who'd be the most likely to come with me once all of this is over.

The One turns around and faces her compatriots.

The One: He's right.  I have more at risk because of my behavior.  You two aren't in any danger.  I am assured of that.  When I found out the truth about The Oracle myself, all of the data I got from him, plus all of the data I had of my own, I backed up onto a USB drive, and saved it knowing one day it would be what ultimately saved The Oracle more than I could.  When they recaptured her, I knew I had to make my final move to reach out to those with more power than the three of us...

Hailey immediately pushes The One. ::>

[b]Hailey: So you are working with "the man" now?  I thought we stood for everything that went against the system?

The One: Hailey we stand for our word.  My word was to protect The Oracle at all costs, and also keep her brother, and now you, safe.  When she was taken again, I realized we needed help.  So I did what I did at risk of myself being taken along with The Prophets and whomever else they are after.

[/b]
Hailey is not pleased.


[b]Hailey: Aren't you a fucking hero...

[/b]
Agent O'Connell chimes in.


[b]Agent O'Connell: Hailey, if I may interject, she actually is doing something pretty ballsy.  She's put her entire life at risk for three people to be safe.  It was part of the agreement she and I entered into.  You, The Oracle and her brother are completely immune to anything.  Once The Oracle is recovered, by whatever means possible, she will be debriefed and released into the custody of her brother.  Once we ensure she is healthy and we get information from her, which her brother will be allowed to be present for, she will be allowed to be freed to her brother.

Brother of The Oracle: I'll have my sister back?

Agent O'Connell: Yessir.  The One ensured that agreement was in place once we saw what information she provided, and saw how serious of a situation this was, we realized we had something.  And I won't lie... She saved my job as well, so I owe it to her to ensure the one thing she wanted, being the safety and immunity of the three of you, I was willing to guarantee her that.  I wouldn't guarantee her safety and immunity in the matter, but I would the three of you...

[/b]
The brother walks up to The One.


[b]Brother of The Oracle: You really did that for all of us?

The One: I told you I would keep my word to you and your sister.  And Hailey...

[/b]
Hailey cuts her off.


[b]Hailey: Just... Don't... Not right now... I really don't know how I feel about this...

[/b]
Hailey then walks up to Agent O'Connell and gets in his face.


[b]Hailey: ... And I REALLY don't know what I feel about you.  People like you always turn on people like me.  People like you always lie to people like me.  So WHY should I believe you?  Why should I trust in a fucking cop?  All of you are corrupt.  All of you are in cahoots.  You protect one another over the real victims like, honestly, ALL OF US, including The Oracle...

[/b]
Agent O'Connell slowly and secretly hands out a folded piece of paper toward Hailey.  Hailey looks down and grabs it reluctantly.  The agent then whispers to her.


[b]Agent O'Connell: I think this will answer all of your doubt...

[/b]
Hailey slowly and quietly unfolds the paper, and The One looks confused, not being able to see exactly what is happening.  Hailey reads the note, folds it back up and puts it in her pocket.  She quickly turns and walks to the side and goes around to the back of their car and leans on the trunk, no longer facing anyone.


[b]The One: What's that about?

Agent O'Connell: Trust the process...

The One: What about being transparent with me?

Agent O'Connell: Again... Trust the process...

[/b]
Hailey can be heard sniffling, as if tears are potentially flowing.  She decides to walk off out of earshot but still in the vicinity of everyone, and pulls her cell phone out.  She re-reads the document, and after reading it again, she slowly begins to dial her phone.  As the phone rings, Hailey hears the sound of her mother's voice pick up on the other end and say, "Hello?"


[b]Hailey: Mom... We need to talk...


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


{PROMO}

[/b]
Sitting in a dimly lit room, The One sits, head covered with a towel, apparently not even changed after her match from Retribution.  It is unclear if she sits in the arena after it has closed, or if she is simply in some darkened area where she has put a chair to isolate herself and reflect.

I'm going to be honest... I don't know what happened out there at Retribution... Well let me take a step back and clarify... I don't know what happened in my match, at Retribution, but I know one thing is for sure, Pro, she got what she deserved, and got her Retribution.  She went out there and she gave that shucking and jiving panda bear everything they could have wanted, and she made sure she was the one walking away with that now in her rearview mirror.

Me... Like I said... I don't quite know...

The reality is, I felt like I did the best I could, and I gave it my all.  I feel like I was on pace to do what I planned on doing, and next thing I know, I make a mistake, get caught, and am double-pinned only to see someone else walk out with the SOUL of this company, and a chance to beat up the Frosts, as icing on the cake.

So fuck me... I'm not happy...

Did you hear me Bree?

The One lifts her head, and the towel falls back behind her neck.

I'm not happy...

I'm not, "not happy," because YOU won.  I'm simply not happy because I didn't.  It sounds cynical, based on my track record of saying wins and losses don't matter, but this was one of those I felt I WANTED... I felt that taste in my mouth of an opportunity to, not just have some piece of metal over my shoulder, but to finally begin changing things.  I wanted to be that catalyst to transition Supreme Championship Wrestling to its next level, but no... One of the "elder statesmen" had to pull the rug out from under me...

I don't disrespect it...

I don't call BS or make excuses...

You used your veteran nature to do what you needed to, when you needed to, and for that, I will say I respect that...

But respect and happiness aren't something that coincide, and in fact, are mutually exclusive.  That's why I can be unhappy, but respect what you did.  That's why I can sit here and not say I deserve what you have.  That's why I am not going to be one of those people who everyone can simply point at and mock as a sore loser, because I'm not.  I take my losses.  I accept them.  I learn from them.  I RELISH those opportunities because it inevitably makes me more dangerous the next time around.  So while I am angered... While I am disappointed... I am not going to dred on it and let it define me.

And I damn sure am not going to let it distract me...

Why?

Because come Breakdown, we have the most "what the fuck" match I have ever been in, in my short career.

The One rubs the back of her neck and stretches it to one side, feeling the effects of the match at the pay-per view.

Now, what is this match?  What is this Trios cash-in of hers?

It's a culmination of something I saw coming all along... Ever since we teamed up to win these contracts.  I saw past her desire to win, and prove herself as someone to be taken seriously, and saw the greed that truly lay beneath the surface.  She may think she fooled everyone, but she didn't fool me.  You see, everyone, Kimberly Williams is a lot deeper of a person than she lets on.  She has a side of herself that she convinces others is who she is, when in fact is callous... She is calculated... She is very convincing.  She is always planning ahead, and by making people think the Trios was just about proving herself, she really wanted something that would give her what it is she TRULY craves...

Power...

And this match, it proves it.

Looking back at SCW, and the Trios cash-ins, this idea of every title being on the line has seemingly become the "status quo" of what people want.  Initially it was people putting themselves in the main event of Rise to Greatness, but it has turned into the match where everyone calls on the chance to see every belt be defended, and each time it's had to one-up the previous version.  Think about it... Firstly, it was the greed of Greg Cherry just wanting to win all of the titles for himself.  Then it turned to Jake Starr, and instead of doing it the same way, he decided to bring the Chamber into play, and put life and limb on the line for the same ultimate goal, but still one-upping the one before him.  And now you have all of the titles on the line, again, but not all for one person.  Instead, it's champions, contenders, and a collection of other individuals all in an Underground Rules clusterfuck, effectively in an ironman match for the entire duration of Breakdown... Then it's best score gets the best belt, second place gets the "second best title," and so on and so on...

And with that amount of calamity and clusterfuckery, the potential for the world to be turned upside down in the eyes of the fans of Supreme Championship Wrestling, is greater than ever.  And the potential for The One to do something shocking and achieving something far greater than she's ever been expected to do, is very, very, real.  It could mean more than anything I've had put in my path to this moment.  I mean, yeah I have a Trios contract all my own and I could make up whatever I wanted, but having someone like Kimberly pick me as someone else to be in a match of this magnitude brings who I am to a whole other level.  I mean, she potentially gifted me everything I've ever come for in SCW.  She's potentially given The One the keys to the kingdom, and the ability to show the world that things have officially changed.

And that's where I plan on ending up... On someone else's dime!

The One smirks.

Now I'll admit part of this whole thing I believe is out of respect.  I believe Kimberly saw my contribution and willingness to keep my word in the tournament, and is putting me in this match, and Adam as well actually, as a gift of respect.  And yeah, I'm thankful, to a degree, but yet I could become, not just one of, but THE MOST, sought after individual in SCW.  I could not just become A CHAMPION, but I could become THE CHAMPION.

Yes, folks, The One could be your NEW WORLD CHMAPION, and it be because someone else gifted it to me on a silver platter...

But in a more realistic scenario, I could be a champion, in some variety, and I could do that by simply doing what I do best, and that is culling the herd of the weaklings.  Let's be real... Every clusterfuck like this will, inevitably, have weak links.  There will be people who, as this is an open invitational, will just decide they want to run their asses into the match, and then realize it was the dumbest idea of their entire career.  And that is where I will focus.  Why?  Because in something this chaotic, it's where the sharks will be swimming, and feasting on the prey.  Now after the easy prey, what is left?  Again, people will bring their personal issues into this and there will be personal battles happening, where it'll create situations where someone like me can jump in, again, and put more tallies next to my name.  Now if there are those who who have issues with me, I accept that, and they can come at me.

I don't back down from anyone, period...

But I am walking into this match focusing on who shows weakness, who I can exploit, and I'm just being honest.  I'm not going to pretend like there is some secret plan.  I'm going to just go out there and focus on the one thing that isn't involving the stapling of asses... And that's winning!

And it's honestly as simple as that... This is an opportunity for me to achieve everything in one night.  I have nothing to lose, everything to gain, and only one person to thank, and that's Kimberly.  All of the champions, all of the people who may randomly show up and hopefully win a title to catapult them back into the limelight, those who are desperate to "climb the ladder," they're the ones with everything to lose.  Hell Kimberly, too, has everything to lose because she made this up.  I am that outlier in this match with everything to gain, everything to prove, and the one who knows what kind of tricks to pull.

Again, let's be real about who I am... What happened when I first came into SCW?  What mind games did I play?  How did I get into the heads of others?  I did things nobody else had ever done.  I made it clear I was something different and someone special in the present and in the future of this business all because of the psychological games I was playing.  I then proceeded to continue to manipulate Beard, getting in his head, inducing pain in all of those he considered close to him.  I knew what buttons to push from day one, and in a match where anything goes, where all hell can and will break loose, and in a situation where I have already admitted I don't belong, I will lean on what I know, and what has worked in the past.  I will lean on the idea of getting inside people's heads.  I won't pretend like Underground Rules favor me, but I can tell you that I can do one thing, and do it well...

I can get inside people's heads...

So I plan on getting everyone's head in this match.  I plan on messing with people's perceptions, and having the mindfuckery put me at a level which is above and beyond those others in this match.  But to circle back... There's still Kimberly... She's a walking mindfuck in this company.  And even though I've torn down that wall and told you all who she is, she still knows how to do it well.  So I know that I want to, at the least, out fuck her mind.  I want to walk away knowing that she took this Christmas gift to herself, when she wakes up that morning and runs to look under the metaphorical tree for this gift from Santa himself, she opens it and realizes that it is filled with one thing, and one thing only...

Disappointment...

When it comes to an opportunity like this, I want this moment, for everyone, to be that pizza party you had a child, when you had that kid show up you didn't invite, who didn't bring a gift, and steals every other kid's tokens to play the games because he got wind of it.  I want everyone to walk away wishing they could have gotten a mediocre gift, then felt like they were used as fodder.  Why?  Because I want to achieve my dreams.  I want to be greedy for once, and this IS a chance for me to be that greedy person.  I don't have to worry about my role here because Kimberly GAVE ME this FREE TICKET, effectively a second Golden Ticket, to have to use for my own gain.

So yeah... The One is going to let herself be greedy...

So I plan on that person who uses the others for my own gain.  I plan on being the kid who shows up to play everyone else's games and tell them how much fun I had.  I plan on being the person who reaps the rewards of what has been laid at my feet and I know I will not be alone in that mentality.  Greed has its place in life, and for The One, this is it.  I don't have to make a point.  I don't have to make this a giant philosophical match like the Adrenaline Championship.  I simply get to go out there and try and steal wins where I can, and see if I can walk away with a championship around my waist.

Will it work?

Will I succeed?

There are no guarantees when it comes to that, unfortunately.

But what is a guarantee is you die, you pay your taxes, and your life will forever be haunted by THE ONE!

The One looks above her head at the light illuminating her, and takes the towel from her neck, whipping it upwards, and bursting the bulb, resorting in the scene going into total darkness.

[Owen]

+++ 27th March 2023 – New York +++

Shaun being in New York had made for a happy coincidence. He was in the city putting together the final pieces of the premier of Battlefield Earth 2, and thankfully once that was all done, he still had a little bit of time before he had to fly back to Los Angeles. What Owen wanted to discuss, only Jennifer was already aware of. And although she had her misgivings, she certainly understood and supported where Owen was coming from. Owen only thought it right that Shaun was next to know, and thus now served as the perfect opportunity. So, sat in a café in New York, just a couple of blocks from the School, they had both ordered their drinks, a flat white for Shaun and a cappuccino for Owen, and were enjoying each other’s company, this get together something that didn’t happen as often as both wished it should.

Shaun: So, you got your head around everything now. Can’t be easy with this whole Trios stipulation hanging over you.

Owen nods his head, he’s gone over that stipulation many times, and always arrived at one conclusion.

Owen: When Kim said she was going to ‘shake things up’ a little, she certainly wasn’t joking.

Shaun: How do you feel? I mean you could lose both titles and end up with none.

Owen: Well, there is the failsafe of the rematch clause so there is that. But yeah, gotta admit, seeing a title reign end this way is going to sting a little, then again, I’m kinda used to that.

It was a reference to the Elimination Chamber at Under Attack, his first ever where he had lost his first World Champion after being too immature to handle it. Something he had since exorcised last year.

Owen: I mean, the best situation would be I win the match, and reclaim the World Championship, but if I don’t it could mean me defending a title should I win one, and then a rematch for the two I lost… all on one night.

Shaun: You did say you wanted to be a fighting champion.

Owen: I know right, but this is ridiculous.

Shaun: All you can do Owen is do the best you can this Breakdown and see how the cards fall. Pointless worrying about it now, the best thing you can do is go all out for the victory.

Owen: Just like everyone else will be you mean?

Shaun: True, but you have something they don’t

Owen: And what’s that?

Shaun: You are the current SCW Champion and wildly regarded as one of the most talented wrestlers in the world right now. You heard Josh Hudson, that’s the only reason he wants to face you again, to prove that he is better. Look at it a different way… if you DO lose the World and Underground Championships, but claim a different title on Breakdown, then by the time the next PPV rolls around, you could be a THREE-time champion, and I’m not even sure that’s ever been done. You’ve said yourself, one of your greatest attributes right now is to keep going under extreme circumstances. Well Owen, they don’t get any more extreme than this.

Owen: Very true… I guess if I come through this it will only serve to solidify my legacy, right?

Shaun: Exactly… don’t worry about shit that ain’t happened yet. There will be plenty of time to put things right.

Owen: That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.

Shaun: Oh?

Shaun takes a sip of his coffee, never taking his eyes off of his nephew who takes a drink from his own cup.

Shaun: OK then shoot… what’s on your mind?

Owen pauses for a brief moment to gather his thoughts, before he then starts to speak.

Owen: Do you know what one of my most vivid memories is of my childhood.

Shaun shakes his head; he literally didn’t have a clue.

Owen: I got lots and lots of amazing memories, and honestly, I feel so lucky to have lived the life I have, but the one thing I always come back to is Dad hardly ever being around. Things weren’t like they are, and companies didn’t look after the talent in the way they do now, so Dad was always on the road, whether it be the house shows, or the marquee events, it always seemed like it was just Mom, Ruby and me. Don’t get me wrong, I loved having a famous Father, even if it did get me a few beatings, but we never really did the usual stuff like kicking a ball around or playing computer games. That always seemed to be you when you came into our life.

Shaun: I’m not sure your Dad knew how to kick a ball

Owen: Yeah, I know, but you know what I mean don’t you?

Shaun: Yeah, I do… I thought about it a lot when Dorothea was born.

Owen: Precisely, I don’t want my kid growing up in that same way, whereby I never go to nursery to pick them up, or I’m not around if they are in the school production. I don’t want to be that Father who makes excuses, and leaves all that kind of stuff up to Jennifer. I want to visible, I want to be a huge part of their life and when they need me, I don’t want to have to make time for them. I should be there, naturally. For Jennifer as well. There’s so many things about him I admire, so many attributes I wish I had, but that one… treated the business with more importance than anything else, I’m not going to make that mistake. I WON’T make that mistake.

Shaun could see the emotion in his eyes, and hear it in his voice. Owen had obviously given this a lot of thought, and Shaun felt quite honored that he was having this discussion with him.

Shaun: So, what are you saying? I mean, you’ve got wrestling, you’ve got Next Level New York, the new place in Miami. How are you going to juggle all of that while still being there?

Owen: I’m not going to.

Shaun: What do you mean?

Owen: I’m not going to juggle it all… I’m going to let things go.

He nods his head, certain he is doing the right thing.

Owen: I’m going to quit wrestling.

Shaun cannot help but feel taken aback. Owen had worked so hard to get back to where he was, it seemed unthinkable that he could let it all go, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t willing to listen.

Shaun: You’re serious?

Owen: Deadly. I’ve already handed over ‘Next Level New York’ to Finch, and he’s going to be working with my Mom and handling things on that score. The new place in Miami is just down the road, I’ll only be a couple of minutes from work, and heck, I’m the boss. If I need to I’ll bring them with me. It’s wrestling that takes up all my time, whether that’s media work, or competing, it seems like a never ending cycle. My contract is up for renewal soon, and when they want to get me round a table, I’m only going to sign a short term deal if I am still champion. If I’m not, then I’ll walk away.

Shaun: After everything, you could do that? At twenty-three years old?

Owen smiles, he’d thought about this a lot.

Owen: I only came back Shaun, because of the way it all ended. I didn’t want people to remember me like that, and now they won’t. The people have given me my redemption. I never thought for one second that I’d become World Champion again, so the only thing left to achieve is Supreme Champion, and honestly, I can live without that. Plus, my age is a bonus. Say the kid starts going to school and I’m sat twiddling my thumbs most of the time because the businesses are running themselves, in five or six years I could return, and I’d still only be twenty-nine. It’s doesn’t have to be over for good… just for right now.

Shaun: And Jennifer is OK with this?

Owen: Actually, no she wasn’t. She tried to persuade me to change my mind and said she could ‘cope’ but she shouldn’t have to. Mom had to, and she sacrificed so much of her life to bring me up.

Shaun: But you’re only doing the same, sacrificing your career.

Owen: No, I’m sacrificing ‘a’ career, I’ll still be a part of the business I love, in fact I’ll be even more involved in shaping its future with the talent like Reed James that I’ll be bringing through. I know what you are thinking Shaun, and if it was the other way around, I’d probably be thinking this too. But I’m clear in my mind, and I’m satisfied with what I have achieved. If I lose the World title and then don’t get it back, then I’m done. And I’m happy with that. The Last Hurrah if you will.

Shaun looks at Owen and can see very little doubt in his mind. He was about to give up wrestling, and he seemed at peace with that, so who was Shaun to argue. Shaun had promised Owen that he would be allowed to make his own decisions, and right now, this was one decision that Owen knew was the right one, and that was good enough for Shaun.

Shaun: You really are OK with this aren’t you?

Owen: Shaun, I’ll fight tooth and nail to keep those titles, truly I will. But once those reigns are conclusively over, then I’ll be perfectly fine for these last sixteen months to be my last as a wrestler. If I never return, so be it.

Shaun: Alright then…

Shaun holds up his coffee, and the two of them clink the mugs together.

Shaun: To the future

Owen: To the future.

They both take another sip of their drinks, Shaun giving Owen a wink of approval, a symbol that everything was going to be OK.

Owen: Can I be cheeky and just ask one more favor?

Shaun: You got it Kid.

Owen: It’s a big one… everything we’ve just spoken of could rest on it

Shaun: Now you have got me intrigued.

Owen leans forwards and starts to speak quieter, his words inaudible… as the scene fades.

+++ 28th March 2023 – New York +++

Owen looks up at the clock once again, which seems to be ticking along ominously slow, though of course it isn’t. Truth was, Owen wished that time went by in a flash, because then all of this would be over, one way or another. The door opens, and Owen immediately looks over, swallowing hard as Eric walks through the door with his two associates. He wears the smug grin of someone who firmly believes he has won and has gotten everything that he wanted. Again. He walks over and offers his hand which Owen doesn’t take. Owen does get to his feet however, standing from the weight bench.

Eric: Good evening, Owen, and what a fine evening it is.

Owen: Depends on your point of view.

Eric nods towards one of his associates, who pulls something from out of his pocket, passing it to his boss. Eric unfurls it, and hands it to Owen, Owen glancing down at the papers and realizing that this was an official contract.

Eric: You’ll find that everything is in order… at the price that we agreed. All you have to do is sign and the money will be in your account within the hour.

Owen: That simple huh? And then what?

Eric: You’ll be a very wealthy man.

Eric had no idea that this had never been about the money. Not at any point was it even a part of the discussion from his point of view.

Owen: That’s not what I mean. Who’s to say that once I sign this, that will be the end of it.

Eric: You have my word, and anyway, you have nothing more that I need.

Owen: So, I have your assurances that if I sign this contract, you will leave me, and my family and friends alone.

Eric: You may not like me Owen, but believe it or not, I am an honorable man. Once this is over, I doubt you will ever see me again. And I assure you, this place will thrive with the resources I have at my disposal. Think about your residents Owen… I’m giving them a future.

Owen turns and places the contract on the weight bench, it landing closed. Eric’s eyes flicker just a little, for the first time showing a little emotion. Owen feels his heart almost pumping from his chest, and the adrenaline surging through his body as he takes out his mobile phone and opens his file manager.

Eric: What’s going on Owen? I hope you’re not going to be a problem.

Owen: No problem, Eric. Just an unfortunate accident.

Eric: I’m a very busy man Owen, please just sign the contract.

Owen: You know what… NO.

Eric’s eyes widen, and one of the associates takes a step forwards, planning to make Owen pay for his disrespect. Eric though places a hand on the man’s chest, and shakes his head, the man backing off a couple of steps.

Eric: I’m not someone who you should be playing games with Owen.

Owen: No games Eric… just listen.

Owen presses the play button on his phone, the recording starting to play.

“And if you don’t sell to me Owen, then I will have to revert to Plan B. Because Owen, I would hate for someone you love ending up like Mr. Norton. You’d be surprised how easy it is to make something look like an overdose these days, especially one of the poor unfortunates who reside on New York’s streets.” Eric’s eyes widen, as he recognizes his own voice.

Eric: You recorded me?

Owen holds up his hand at the conversation continues.

“You killed Tyler?” Owen smiles, knowing exactly what came next.

“Don’t tell me that the thought didn’t cross your mind, Owen. Tyler was a nobody, an afterthought, hence why the law’s investigation was, inadequate at best. But to you, Tyler was the perfect example to show you what could happen should you choose to cross me. Yes, Owen… I killed Tyler, and if you don’t give me what I want, he most certainly won’t be the last. And next time, it will be someone a LOT closer to you”

“OK, you win.”

“Excuse me, I’m not sure I heard you correctly.”

“I’ll sell… I’ll accept your offer.”

“I have your word? And your acceptance of what happens should you renege on this deal?”

There was a momentary pause, Owen remembering it well as the point he had to shake Eric’s hand to at least give him time.

“Excellent, I knew you would see sense. I would instruct my lawyers to draw up the documentation. It should be with you in the next couple of days.”

Owen stops the recording, Eric looking on in total disbelief.

Eric: How dare you?

Owen: Like I said, it was a total accident. I just happened to be recording myself at the time.

Eric: And you expect me to believe that?

Owen: Honestly bro, I don’t care either way. See, this is how it is going to go. You ARE going to leave me alone, and there won’t be any repercussions. You do that, I don’t release this recording to the cops and you’ll go down for murder.

Eric: That’s your plan, to threaten me?

Owen: Pretty much

Eric: Well, let me tell you how it’s really going to go. I’m going to take that phone and smash it to pieces. Then, my associates here are going to do the same to your knees, so that you never wrestle again. THEN Owen, I’m going to take this place from you anyway, and you won’t receive a single cent.

Owen: Thought as much

Eric motions to his guys, who start to walk forwards, Owen however holding up a hand, which just for a second causes them to hesitate.

Owen: That’s exactly what I thought you’d say… so I brought a little insurance, just in case.

From the office, unseen to Eric and the two guys prior, steps six men. As they get closer, we see that it is Shaun, Chris Clay, Jason King, Jacob Laymon, Dante and Reed James, all either friends of his Father, or indeed Shaun. They walk up behind Owen, the two guys looking at Eric, who recognizes that they are outnumbered.

Owen: Because, as it happens, I’m not an honorable man in this case, and I’d already released the recording to the cops.

Even as he says the words, outside in the street is filled with the flickering blue lights of Police officers arriving on the scene.

Owen: I knew that someone like you would never be able to walk away, knowing that you were beaten.

Eric: Are you stupid Owen… the Police Chief just like everyone else in in my back pocket, I’ll be out within the hour, and then you’d better watch your back.

Owen: Oh, haven’t you heard, the chief got ‘released’ from his duties this morning. Seems someone anonymously handed in a dossier containing over a hundred instances of corruption and payments to turn a blind eye to people just like you. Seems that it may have spread to the justice system as well

Chris Clay grins, that was his handiwork. The door opens, and several officers swarm inside, Eric Morris for possibly the first time in his life stunned into silence, as an officer reads him his rights.

Eric: You won’t get away with this Owen… mark my words, I’ll find you.

The officer leads him away, Owen shouting after him.

Owen: Nice doing business with you Eric.

He’s led out the door which slams shut, Shaun stepping forwards and placing a hand on his shoulder.

Shaun: That took guts kid, I’m proud of you.

Owen: Thank you guys. Seriously how will I ever pay you back?

Jacob Laymon: You don’t have to Owen; consider it a debt we owed your Father.

Jason King: He helped us all at one point or another.

Reed James: I owe you everything Owen… I’ll always have your back. Whatever you need.

Owen nods his head, overcome with the moment. This really seemed like a moment when all had come full circle, everything his father had ever done coming to its conclusion right here, right now. The most apt of finales. No matter what came next, he knew that he could with clarity. A recognition of what was important, and if he was to lose the World Championship in the coming days, so be it. He was ready. He was ready, because he knew that no matter what happened, he would be alright. And that was all Orlando Cruze would have ever wanted.

+++ 29th March 2023 – Edmonton +++

Owen sits on a stool, his foot lifting and placed on the rest. Around him, there is nothing else, purposely done so that the camera focused on only him. He shifts in his seat, trying not to show the twinge in his knee that was still there, but not quite a substantial. With a nod towards the camera, he starts to speak.

“Scratch number three… “

Owen affords himself a smile, a smile that shows his pride at three title defenses.

“I guess I should thank you Adam, for giving me the opportunity to once again wrestle you under the highest of stakes. As I told you prior, taking on someone regarded as one of the greatest technical wrestlers was quite the incentive. I knew, after beating Penguin and Kim, this was potentially the most challenging defense of them all. Add to that the obvious animosity that we have for each other, there was never a question of whether we would blow the roof off or not. It was always going to happen. And so, it did, and Adam, once again you came unstuck. Finally, you HAVE to admit, you were beaten by the better man. Because there was no fluke to this, no coming in last in a Chamber to furnish you with excuses. I took you on, pound for pound, and it was I who crossed the finish line. Yeah, you got your shots in. Yes, my knee isn’t going to be at one hundred percent when I walk into Breakdown this week. But unlike you, I’m not going to try and make excuses. You won’t admit the truth, of course you won’t. We’ve been through this song and dance now way too many times for anything to ever be different between us. And yet, even now. Having been beaten and your Trios Contract going to waste, you’ve been given YET ANOTHER shot at the biggest prize of all. Thanks to Kim, you come into this Breakdown having weakened me, and I’m sure you will try and pass it off as some elaborate plan. Because no matter how you look at it Adam, there is no one that has been screwed over by the upcoming festivities than I have. I could have taken it as a personal shot from Kim, knowing how she has been obsessed with this opportunity ever since I took the Underground title from her. But you know what, there is only one thing that her ‘spite’ has achieved. It has only served to make me fight even harder than I ever have before. Because although I know full well, leaving Breakdown with the World title is now determined by how many pinfalls a person can get, and it’s no longer all about the talent of the individual. Although I know that no matter what happens, I cannot leave Breakdown with both reigns intact. Although I am fully aware that should I lose both titles and claim say, the Tag Team Championship, I will have to undertake two rematches and one title defense in ONE night, I sure as hell ain’t going to go down without a fight. Nineteen years old Owen would have buckled under the pressure like he did at Under Attack. Owen Circa 2023 has already shown that he is made of MUCH sterner stuff.

See, what I understand, whereas I can assure you that there will be many who don’t. I know that this is one heck of an opportunity for perhaps ninety percent of this roster who don’t consider themselves even close to the World Championship picture. Of course, there will be those that don’t aim that high, but I believe it’s a given that most want to one day be World Champion, so that will surely be the target for most. You’re going to have your strategists, who will look to seek out the weaker talent to pick up the pinfalls as quickly as they can. You’re going to have the egotists, who will see a pinfall over the current champions as a statement, not matter where they may finish. You’re going to see those who will embrace the warfare, in much the same way as Taking Hold of the Flame, a chance to take out as many as possible. Ultimately, EVERYONE will want to leave that evening with a title, a title that before Kimberley’s cash-in, they probably didn’t believe possible.

And that’s the thing, isn’t it?

Kim can pass it off as wanting to ‘shake it up’ as much as she likes. She can try and tie this all up in a little bow and claim this is anything but her selfishness getting the better of her. The FACT of the matter is this is a shot at EVERY current champion in this company who are currently held in higher esteem that she is. What she has done is make it so that the Champions in this company, people who have fought hard for their place, are the ones who have everything to lose, even with a rematch clause that when it takes place is almost as ridiculous as the stipulation itself. What you did Kim, is show that with a Trios Contract, that was achieved with you nothing more than a bit part player, you can undermine those that truly understand what Supreme Championship Wrestling is all about.

You may well think this is genius, I’m certain that you had a good laugh when the board accepted your request, which let’s face it they had no choice. Me, I just hope that you don’t get what you want from this, even though you have stacked the Underground title in your favor, funny that. I’m just happy that the whole world has finally seen that you are nothing more than an humorous distraction, that can’t even stand atop your own domain, and bring home a World Championship when fighting under your rules. You may well win that Underground Title, you’ll look like quite the idiot if you don’t to be honest, considering you’ve made it almost impossible for you to NOT succeed. But rest assured, you won’t be keeping it."

Owen shifts his leg again, stretching it out so that it now rests firmly on the floor.

“Because if the worst does happen, and I’m addressing anyone who can be bothered to listen right now. Anyone who knows that this means to me. If I do lose the World Championship, and the Underground Championship, and worse still, I don’t claim any of the other prizes on offer, or even worse still, end up being tag team Champion with Josh Hudson. You’re looking at one of the very few people on this roster who CAN wrestle three high profile matches in one night and believe that he can come away with victories in all of them. That’s not me getting above my level, that’s not me guaranteeing that by the time the next PPV comes around, everything will be right in the world. That’s me saying that no matter the circumstances, I believe that I can always find a way. That hasn’t happened by accident, it has come about by confidence. It’s come about by beating two names who will go down in history as legendary figures, to first win the title in the first place, and then go on to defend it for the third time. I’m not stupid, by the time May comes around, I may not have a single belt in my possession bar the one that holds up my jeans. But you can rest assured that I will bust a gut to ensure that doesn’t happen. Because if you haven’t figured it out by now, that is who I am.”

Owen gets to his feet, and walks forwards, a slight limp still evident which he does his best to hide. The camera pans out a little, as he continues with the narrative.

“But that’s the thing, isn’t it? You won’t hear that kind of rhetoric from everyone. You will hear people darn near guarantee their success, in the same way as Adam did at Retribution. Every year at the Taking Hold of the Flame event, it brings out the same individuals, who claim that their victory is their ‘destiny’, it’s laughable really. Just like at Taking Hold of the Flame, this Breakdown holds no guarantees. In fact, ‘Playing the Wildcard’ will probably be the more defining night. Because THAT is when Kimberley Williams actions, and the fall out from them, will be set in stone. When the dust settles, will Kimberley Williams have found out if her selfish game gave her the satisfactory conclusion? Only then, will the outlook of SCW be known heading towards Rise to Greatness. I’ve worked too hard for this to be taken away from me on a whim. I’ve proven myself many times, and it will my pleasure to prove myself yet again. Because I don’t care who you are. I don’t care if you being here a decade, a year, or just a few months. I look over the competitors, and those that may sign up for this opportunity, and although some of the biggest names on the planet are in there, it truly doesn’t matter to me. I respect everyone and anyone who has a Supreme Championship Wrestling contract. I like to think I know what every single one of you brings to the table, current champion or not. But in a circumstance like this, it simply doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got a list of accolades as long as your arm, it had literally no bearing. Even experience, an attribute thrown at me as being lacking more times than I can remember, it means nothing here, because this match is so unique. ALL that matters, is making sure that you score more pinfalls than anyone else. The rest is as irrelevant as it is unimportant.

Owen points towards the camera, his stare as intense as it has been throughout.

“So, you… you right there believing that this is going to be your moment in the sun, rest assured that every other person in this match is thinking the exact same. If right now you are looking at me and thinking, ‘I’m going to make sure I pin that son of a bitch at some point’, you my friend are going about this all the wrong way, and ultimately, you’ll be wasting your time.

Me?

It’s quite simple. I’m going to pin or make submit, whoever, or whomever it is that gets in my way over the course of that evening. I’ll superkick, or curb stomp any unfortunate soul who thought it best that I be another ‘one’ to their total, whatever it may be at the end of the night. And make sure that it is MY score that is higher than anyone else’s. In these situations, it is easy to focus on the negatives. It’s human nature to focus on the fact that you are the one being screwed over in this story. Like I say, I could quiver at the thought of what could be coming in the fallout of what will be one of the most unique Breakdown’s in SCW’s prestigious history. And some might say I would be forgiven for thinking, what’s the point? Lose, and I get a rematch anyway, right? But there’s the thing, that ISN’T the way I think, and it never will be, not anymore. Now I have matured, this is a match I must win, the permutations of such can come after. And just imagine the furor… if the ‘whiny little kid’ stormed through a match like this with all the odds against him, and STILL remained the World Champion. I’m all about my legacy… winning and defending in a match like this will DEFINE my legacy as one of the greatest fighting champions to EVER compete. It could be one of the biggest nights of my life. THAT is the way a Champion looks at things. THAT is the way Josh, Bree, Selena, Deanna and Glory will be looking at this. It’s a huge opportunity for them, but its career defining for US. And when I come through this, just like I did with Adam, I’ll make sure to thank the person who came up with all this, you can be certain of that. Because no one will ever doubt me or say that I don’t belong WHEN I pull this off. At least not without looking like the biggest fool in our industry. And believe me, in this environment, with some of the biggest jokers on the planet, that is quite a claim.”

Owen hesitates for a second, coming towards the end of his offering. More than every before, words were going to cut it, not really. This was a week for action. The cards had been dealt, now he had to play his hand, knowing that only his best would be good enough. He did this, he would go down in history, and he knew it. It was up to him to make it happen.

“And so, I guess you’ve figured out, I’m a firm believer these days that life is what you make it, and thus, I see my career as the same. I remember being nineteen, heading into Under Attack and believing I was already beaten. What happened? I WAS beaten, and from that the spiral I lost a good portion of my career and wasted time focusing on something that I should have simply learned from. And learned from a lot earlier than I eventually did. It’s not naivety to say I can do this. I’m not being unrealistic to think that I can outdo pretty much the entire roster on one given night. It’s me, finally, recognizing just how good I am, no longer bound by the stigma of my surname, but driven to succeed by it. My quickness, my agility, and my stamina will NEVER be tested like it will at Breakdown, but you know what, I embrace that. I said this was my time, my moment, and I’m sorry, but the sands in the hourglass haven’t quite passed through.

Not yet.

I am Owen Cruze, SCW World and Underground Champion, and on Breakdown this week, only one of those statements will change…

… spoiler, I won’t be Underground Champion anymore. Unfortunately, that cannot happen. But that situation will only be temporary, and Kim, I pray that you claim your precious once more with all those odds stacked in your favor. Taking it from you once was fun. Beating you in your own domain twice… that’s no accident. People will then start to realize that thanks to YOUR actions, even with all the ability you obviously have, you should be looked upon not as a women scorned, but as a gimmick. A Social Media troll that acts like a child, kicking and screaming when they don’t get their own way. Imagine, using a Trios and it meaning nothing. Imagine, that is the fate that awaits you. I hope you enjoy the fruits of your ‘labor Kim, I really do.’”

He grins at the camera, giving it his customary wink.

“Because when I somehow pull this off, you can rest assured I will. Oh, and Selena, remember when I told you that you needed to make an enemy to exist? And you denied it with all your being? And yet here we are, you needing to make me the villain? This being MY fault?"

He shakes his head dismissively.

"No Selena, it's not my fault. And you, like the last time we faced, have once again pulled back that mask and revealed you're just as much a santinmonious prick as Adam Allocco has ever been. Craving the spotlight just as much as everyone else so that you can be the savior once more. Nah, not this time Selena.

Fuck.

That.

Noise.

I'm NOT your enemy, but keep with that narrative, and you'll be changing that scenario. And Selena, be warned. I ain't that 'kid' anymore."

Owen salutes the camera and walks off screen, as the scene slowly fades

[Syren]

My second for the match. Lots of fun. Thanks to Doug for reading it through and calming the little voice in my head a little bit. Don't know what I'd do without you.

Enjoy.



The Syren Song: Verse 361
“Step away from this path of self-destruction I’ve been walking and finally accept the help I need”

[Cassie Wolfe]

(Keira Fisher was used with her handler’s permission)

Cassie came up short in her quest for Championship Gold after outside interference led to her being rolled up but this week she was part of something much bigger, Kimberly Williams’ Trios Cash in! Every title was  at stake, all the champions and #1 Contenders from Retribution were taking part alongside Cassie and the following named wrestlers:

Kimberly Williams Konrad Raab Datura Nicole Kinneck, James Evans Chance Owens Magical Cosmic Princess YUYO, The One, Xander Valentine, Kandis and just to add more fuel to the fire? It was open invitational! Can Cassie win?

Hero Academy, Las Vegas, Nevada
Wednesday the 29th of March 2023, 17:00pm

It’s been one of those months.

If you haven’t heard of what Krystal did to me at Blaze of Glory by now? Then I kinda envy the space you’ve got under that rock! Because being attacked by your cousin because you were trying to do the right thing can seriously affect your self-confidence, who knew?

I knew for a fact that I wasn’t about to let Krystal’s actions end my career even though it was Krystal that got me behind the idea that I could make something off myself as a wrestler, but I’d be lying if I said that it was easy.

And that’s without thinking about my upcoming participation in the Kimberly Williams Cash In! I’m not even sure how I ended up in the discussion for the official competitors in the match, never mind added to the match itself, but with that many titles on the line? I couldn’t let anything get in my way.

Not even my potentially crippled self-confidence.

“Cassie, watch the footwork, it’s been off all match!” Keira called out to me as I trained with another female student, I may have graduated from the school last year but I still came here to get some reps in whenever I had some free time. “Jenny, you need to work on your arm drags, if they were any sloppier you’d risk dropping your opponent on her head.”

“Yes Keira!” The Scottish redhead called back after we broke off, she was new at the school and a nice girl so I was willing to cut her some slack, if this continued throughout her training? Yeah I wouldn’t blame Keira if she cut Jenny in that scenario. “Sorry if I screw it up that badly Cass.”

”Hey it’s fine, you’re still new.” I assured Jenny as we went for another sparring match. ”It’s not like you’re the only screw up in this match anyway!” I was trying to joke to make Jenny feel better with that comment, and whilst it did seem to do the trick with Jenny, Keira’s head snapped up when she heard that. ”Ready when……..”

“Zoey, take over from Cass, Cass? My office, now!” Keira quickly interjected and when I saw the look on Keira’s face I wasn’t about to argue with her, I helped my girlfriend into the ring and followed Keira into her office. “Cass, you know you can talk to me about anything.” Keira stated after I closed the door behind me and I walked up to her. “We’ve known each other for how long now?”

”Since last February at least.” I admitted as I let out a deep breath and Keira nodded. ”And yeah, I know, why do you ask?”

“I think you know all too well.” Keira responded as she let out a deep breath and I motioned for her to elaborate. “Your confidence was shattered by Krystal’s attack wasn’t it?”

I cast my eyes to the floor when Keira said that she was right but it wasn’t just Krystal’s attack that was affecting my confidence but her comments towards me on top of that. ”All I fucking wanted was a fair shot at Rowen, I know I was going about it the wrong way now but I didn’t see any way around it, especially with the owner’s lack of balls.” I added after I let out a deep breath and Keira said nothing, ”I thought everything had resolved itself after MPW closed but then Krystal’s attack happened, I didn’t think she’s be that bitter over the title loss over a year later.”

“I understand but for your sake? You need to move past it.” Keira sighed as she walked up to me. “I was angry at you for that saga as well but I never wanted you to go through that, if I was in attendance then Krystal never would’ve attacked Ari, you can be assured of that.” Keira added and I glanced over to the side. “What matches do you have coming up?”

”My match at the DCW debut show and that Kimberly Williams Cash In Clusterfuck in Supreme Championship Wrestling are my main ones.” I responded as I folded my arms and Keira nodded. ”But how am I supposed to win either of those matches when my confidence has been shot to hell?”

“Do you want to know how many times my confidence has been seriously affected as a wrestler?” Keira asked and I blinked a couple of times before shaking my head. “More than I care to count! But it’s how you pick yourself back up that counts the most.”

”You’re right, and I know I shouldn’t let Krystal’s comments get to me.” I responded with a sigh before glancing towards the door. ”I’m ready to head back out there when you are.”

“Jenny still needs my supervision so lead the way.” Keira responded before we left her office.

Cassie’s room, Las Vegas, Nevada
Thursday the 30th of March 2023, 11:00am

*promo time*

One big question.

”When I look at this Kimberly Williams Open Invitational Match thing, my first thought isn’t “hey what a great opportunity” my first thought is “how did I get mixed up on this?!” because holy crap, I wasn’t expecting this after I got pinned by Chance Owens at Retribution!” I admitted as I brushed some hair over my shoulder. ”It’s basically me against a bunch of other wrestlers with literally every title on the line! All the champions and #1 Contenders are in the mess too but why me?”

Honestly!

”I don’t know if you’ve noticed but 2023 hasn’t been a great year for me so far! Obviously that can change because there’s still nine months left in the year and provided I don’t get injured or pregnant, I’ll be around for those nine months like an annoying fly that you can’t get rid of!” I added as I leaned forward on my computer desk. ”Only you know, without the annoying part! But if I can get out of this match with my first title? Then that would be one hell of a way to turn my luck around but I’m facing stiff competition!”

Enemies everywhere.

”I mean, you’d hope I was considering what’s at stake!” I added before my puppy started licking my right foot and I picked her up. ”I’m not saying that my puppy is on the line but she’s basically my promo mascot at this point and there won’t be a promo starring me without her in the shot from now on! And Sandie here will see me through to my first title win in Supreme Championship Wrestling!”

It's that simple.

”Which title? Who knows but I’ll be happy with whatever one I end up with at this point!” I added as I continued to stroke my puppy. ”I may be the youngest competitor in this match by far but that’s never stopped me before and it won’t stop me for succeeding in this match! Oh sure, the old fart will try their best to keep me as far away from any titles because according to them, millennials like me only deserve participation trophies but have you seen me in the ring with those guys?”

And with that I decided to wrap things up.

”Yeah, case fucking closed am I right folks? Off course I am!” I added as I flipped some hair over my shoulder. ”Because at the end of the day, at least one new champion will be crowned and I intend to be among the new champions list! To my fans? In a world of fake queens, be a rebel princess! And to Kimberly Williams Konrad Raab Datura Nicole Kinneck, James Evans Chance Owens Magical Cosmic Princess YUYO, The One, Xander Valentine, Kandis and whoever else show up for this open invitational thing? You’ll soon learn why I’m hungry like the Wolfe!”

I left my room with Sandie as the scene fades.

[Wisteria Waltz]

OOC: OK, this might be a bit unorthodox, but this is how I'm hoping to have this go if it's alright because I just don't have the time to do two completely separate CDs so that each character can have one. The CD for this piece is something I'm hoping will be allowed to count for both Luz and Amelia. After that, they each have an individual promo that will hopefully allow for some variation in how they're scored for this insane match. This is the best compromise I could come up with to keep telling my story and being happy with what I'm doing with it while still trying to give each character a fair chance of their own in this thing. Good luck everyone! May God help us all...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CD (ideally counts for both Luz and Amelia simultaneously)

Retribution was ending, and The Light In The Darkness found themselves in their locker room without the SCW World Tag Team Championships.

It was a surreal moment in its own right for the couple. While they may have lost, it could be argued that they had nothing to be ashamed of. After all, they had just stolen the show with two of the best wrestlers in SCW today, pushing themselves far beyond their limits while pushing the Frosts to do the same. They had come dangerously close on several occasions in that match to pulling it off, and in the process, they had weathered just about every shot Selena and Deanna had thrown at them and kept getting right back up time and time again. They could only hope that performance made it loud and clear to the Face of SCW just how badly they wanted this in spite of the heated words that had been exchanged between the two sides. Equally as important to them was the fact that if anyone, wrestler or fan, didn't really know who Amelia Blythe and La Pequeña Luz were before tonight... well, they sure as hell knew now, and there was no denying that they belonged here in Supreme Championship Wrestling.

As Selena had predicted, however, the two ladies were now sitting together in their locker room, still getting their bearings after the war they had just gone through. They had already decided that they'd change and shower once they got back to the hotel because they were far too exhausted to bother with it right now, especially as bigger issues weighed on their mind. Selena's words rang clearly in their heads, reminding them of the choice that was now presented to them. They already knew the answer they were going with, because there was no way in hell they were going to take this loss so hard that running away again thinking they weren't good enough would even be an option. Not after the match they'd just put on.

The issue now was how to present it.

Selena had asked that the tandem find them on the next Breakdown and tell them, face-to-face, that they weren't going anywhere and would bounce back stronger than ever. Luz and Amelia had every intention of doing just that, and were even open to putting the ball in the Frosts' court by telling them they would refuse to challenge for the Tag Team Titles until Selena and Deanna themselves, and ONLY Selena and Deanna, told them to their faces that they believed The Light In The Darkness were now ready to succeed them as champions and they wanted a round two in order to see if that was truly the case. While the Adrenaline Title match earlier in the night had already set up an order for the next four contenders to those titles, Luz and Amelia didn't want to simply believe they could prove they were finally ready to take that next step and lead the tag division within that time span and were willing to still take a big step back to prove how serious they truly were about becoming the competitors that SCW truly needed right now.

That had been the plan at least... and then they'd gotten word early in the show about the next Breakdown being entirely dedicated to the Trios cash-in of Kimberly Williams and the absolute madness that it was going to result in. Given that they were told every champion would have to participate to defend their titles and everyone who had competed in a championship match at Retribution and walked away empty-handed were specifically named as participants for the “match,” it created a scenario where everything they had just gone through against the Frosts felt irrelevant, and that left a very sour taste in their mouths.

“I don't get it,” Luz admitted after the couple had sat together in silence for the past several minutes collecting their thoughts and resting their bodies. “I can understand wanting to spread Underground Rules through SCW since she loves that style of wrestling... I can even understand wanting to shake things up and keep all the champions on their toes. This... as far as I understand from what we were told... this just sounds like a high scale temper tantrum to make everyone suffer.”

“It wouldn't be the first time we've had to step outside our comfort zone a bit and get a little more 'hardcore' in the ring,” Amelia noted, a bit of a daze in her voice still as she leaned against Luz while still clearing the cobwebs after eating the Burnout that led to their defeat. “This whole thing though... it not only throws a wrench into what we wanted to do, but it goes against everything we stand for as far as wanting to conduct our business. We just failed to become Tag Team Champions and we certainly haven't proven ourselves worthy of challenging for any of the other titles yet, potentially aside from the TV Title since it has to have a new challenger every week. We don't deserve to be in this match, but I guess Kim wanted to make sure all her bases were covered for maximum chaos.”

“Hell, even if we had won tonight, this mess would kind of prove Selena's point about us not being ready to lead the tag division yet, though in a way I doubt even she would've agreed with,” Luz said with a hint of frustration. “Imagine us actually winning tonight and becoming champions, only to immediately lose the titles in our first defense roughly a week later unless we somehow try to manipulate the setup to guarantee we finish in the exact spots we'd need to guarantee we'd retain both title belts. That might be one of the most bullshit things I've ever heard of, and I had to go out of my way to ensure my own boss would let me have a fair match against you so we could have a proper one-on-one match all those years ago.”

“I don't even want to think about having to do that, or the idea of manipulating anything period,” Amelia groaned. “That's the kind of shit my parents would gladly take advantage of. The idea that we'd have to do that if we wanted to make sure we walked out of this being Tag Champions together, assuming we even wanted to go for those belts specifically when we both know what we really need to do after tonight... I can't hold my tongue on this Luz, I fucking hate this whole setup and how much it sounds like a stunt my parents would pull just to try and either spite me or set me up for their idea of 'greatness' while trying to cut you out of the picture entirely.”

“If we're being honest and not holding anything back?” Luz replied. “I fucking hate everything about this too, especially how it invalidated everything we just put ourselves through out there to make the statement we needed to make tonight, win or lose.”

The two of them fell back into silence as they let this moment wash over them. While swearing was nothing new to either one of them, dropping F-bombs was something Luz preferred to keep to a minimum because even she had to admit it just sounded wrong in her voice. Whenever she felt it was necessary to drop one despite that, you knew it was a situation where it was truly appropriate and it certainly added more weight to this situation.

Considering both women, Amelia especially once she'd broken free of her parents' control, had built their entire careers out of wanting to truly earn everything they fought for, everything about this match spat in the face of who they were and what they were trying to achieve.

The fact that this did feel like one of those gambits that lined up perfectly with any of the desperate ploys Aleister and Ophelia Blythe had utilized over the years to get their youngest daughter “back in line” only reminded them of the other problem at hand. While there was a certain catharsis to knowing Ophelia had just lost her private investigator and would be getting no further insight into Amelia's life outside the ring going forward, there was still a great deal of concern for what she planned to do with the information she had been given.

That wasn't even touching on whatever role she and her husband may or may not have had to play in putting Luz on the radar of this Caleb White guy that he hired that same investigator to dig as deeply as he could into her and now it was somehow being used to create some sort of illusion of her that was deceiving whoever Caleb was willing to direct it towards.

While the couple weren't sure if they were going to take Ryan Lumis up on an offer he'd given to work for them in any capacity pro bono to undo the damage he'd done through all of this, they were at least grateful that Ivy and Gage didn't even hesitate in offering to see what they could dig up about everything to set the record straight. It was their way of trying to put them at ease and keep their focus on the opportunity they'd had tonight, and it only proved just how badly Luz and Amelia needed friends like that in their lives. The difference between that and how they'd managed to fare before when it was mostly just the two of them against the world was night and day, and having people on their side was going to make a world of difference in trying to share the truth of whatever the hell was going on here.

“...do you think they've reached out?” Amelia suddenly asked.

“Hm?” was Luz's response, though the timid tone Amelia had used was not lost on her.

“My parents...” Amelia hesitantly clarified. “Since it's no secret that SCW is for sale and Mr. D seems to not be limiting himself to anyone who's had prior involvement with the company, I wouldn't put it past them to put in a bid. They'd be petty enough to do it to try and force me back into their mold, my mom is a master at knowing exactly what to say to convince anyone to believe her words, my dad knows this business better than most out there and can use that to better their chances, and then the obvious one... you know what kind of money I came from Luz, and what I managed to take with me when I thought I'd finally cut them off for good was just barely enough to get us set up in a nice place together and ensure we wouldn't be in trouble while we got ourselves established a bit more. That barely made a dent in their bank accounts and they'd still have money to spare if they managed to get Mr. D to sell it to them.”

“It'll be a cold day in Hell before I let that happen,” Luz immediately responded, her stern tone leaving no room for argument. “I don't know if your parents have reached out yet as potential buyers, but if they have then they're buying this company  over my dead body and I will make sure Mr. D knows that loud and clear.”

“You mean WE will make sure of that,” Amelia clarified, her voice still a little shaky considering she'd just started spiraling a bit but she was doing her best to latch onto Luz's determination to pull herself back from the brink. “As much as I loved that old promotion in England, I hated how much influence my parents had on it that they could abuse as they saw fit because it's where my father established his legacy. I refuse to go through that again, especially here.”

Luz nodded and planted a gentle kiss on Amelia's forehead to help ground her even more. “Same goes for that Caleb guy. I don't know what his deal is or what kind of game he thinks he's playing, but he seems to have a good amount of money to throw around as well and I just know that an SCW under his vision, based on what we've learned so far, would be an SCW that's going to drive everyone away and kill this company.”

Amelia nodded in response to that as she and Luz agreed that they needed some rest after the battle they'd had tonight. To some degree they had an idea of how they wanted to proceed but needed to sort out the extra hurdles that Kim's Trios cash-in had created for them now. Plus, as tempting as it was to see if they could find the Frosts before they left so they wouldn't need to wait until the next Breakdown and figure out how to follow through on their word, they had a feeling what they needed to say wouldn't come off as genuine considering emotions were still running a little high after all four of them had given everything they had tonight and then some. Allowing time to pass would only confirm just how serious they were about how they wanted to move forward after this major setback.

Luz sent a text to Gage that she and Amelia were heading back to the hotel, and he quickly responded back that he and Ivy would meet them there since they knew the couple had to be exhausted beyond belief and likely wanted to just crash as soon as they got back. After making sure their stuff was packed up, the two girls helped each other through the backstage area and out to the parking lot. To anyone who watched them pass, the effects of the war they'd been through were easy to see, considering Amelia was still on jelly legs after the Burnout and Luz had taken an immense amount of punishment for a significant portion of the match. It definitely took them a lot longer than they would have liked to get to their rental car and load it up, but it would all be worth it once they got some much-needed rest and could start reevaluating with clearer heads.

“Well, that didn't pan out well for you two, did it?”

Luz almost wanted to groan at the sound of the familiar voice, but she bit her lip as she and Amelia turned to see the same guy who had approached them in the parking lot not that long ago and tried to hit on Amelia. To say that they were not in the mood to deal with this tonight was an understatement, but this guy seemed to carry an extra swagger tonight that was only ticking them off more.

“I thought we made it pretty clear to you already that Luz is my girlfriend and I'm not interested in you even if that wasn't the case,” Amelia growled as she leaned against the side of the car.

“Look, I understand that you're just confused-” he started to say, but Luz was having none of it tonight.

“We don't care what Amelia's parents have told you dude,” she spat. “She's not interested and never will be, and I don't have a whole lot of patience to spare right now for your homophobic bullshit. Do us both a favor and kindly go bother someone else before we ask for security to deal with you.”

“Security?” the man scoffed. “Of course you wouldn't be able to deal with me yourself. This is why Amelia needs a strong, handsome man-”

“Does the fact that we just went through a grueling war out in that ring not register to you?” Amelia jumped in. “Or anything we told you the last time we saw you, for that matter? I know my mom's desperate to put me back on some sort of leash, but this is pathetic even for her.”

“If you want to do anything for us,” Luz followed, “then maybe you can fill in a few blanks about this interaction you said you had with me weeks ago, because I sure as hell don't remember and I'm being extremely nice when I say you're probably being used and have a chance right now to do something nice for a change and then walk away.”

“I don't get you two,” the guy responded. “Calling me names when it's painfully clear you both want me. I mean, you-” he pointed to Luz, “-seemed receptive to the flirting I did with you last night and you-” he pointed to Amelia, “-clearly need someone like me to save you.”

The guy kept going on like this, but Luz and Amelia just tuned him out as they felt like vomiting at the sound of every word that left his mouth. Given that their bodies were screaming at them to just lay down and rest already, they opted to start getting in the car and leave this guy behind. He was insufferable the first time around and somehow it had only gotten worse having to meet him again. No amount of having to put up with this guy in any capacity was worth the potential answers he could give them.

Unfortunately, he snapped out of his ego stroking speech long enough to realize they were about to ditch him, and he desperately reached out to grab Amelia by the wrist. Luz saw this and immediately began to move back around the car before he really crossed some lines, but someone seemed to beat her to the punch as before he could get a hold of her, the guy found himself jerked back into a position that was all too familiar to Amelia.

“So, what are your intentions with our baby sister?”

“And we're not interested in how much you think you're God's gift to life or anything our mom told you to say.”

“Or anything that leaves your mouth, for that matter.”

Amelia's jaw dropped as the guy struggled to get out of the standing position for the Blight Choke, the only thing saving him from being a goner right now being that he hadn't been pulled to the pavement for it to be fully locked in. Still, the guy didn't seem to acknowledge any of their words until Amelia fully clued him in on who had stepped in.

“Ed! Em!”

“Hey sis,” Emily Blythe cheerfully replied as she stepped out from behind the grapple that was going on, moving to join Luz in checking on Amelia.

“Sorry if we interrupted,” Edward Blythe added as he started dragging the guy away while maintaining the half nelson. “But we saw our dear baby sister in trouble and just had to jump in. Jokes aside, you two don't deserve to be harassed by this slimeball after putting on one of the best tag matches we've ever seen.”

“Seriously,” Emily said as she turned to glare at the aforementioned slimeball. “It's painfully clear our mom's got an awful eye for potential suitors if she thought this guy had any sense of integrity. You must feel real tough taking advantage of two world-class athletes when they've got no gas in the tank, huh pal?”

“I was just-” the guy started to plead before attempting to throw his head back, but Edward saw it coming from a mile away and let the guy go so he could duck the shot. He quickly grabbed his wrist however and pulled him in as his twin ran up from behind, leading to the two dropping the guy on the concrete with a flapjack/leaping reverse STO combination they called the Double Vision. The guy was left to groan as he tried to get up, only to collapse back to the pavement as the twins helped each other up and stretched themselves out a bit.

“Wasn't expecting to actually do that outside of wrestling, but the guy had it coming,” Edward admitted with a bit of a groan as he cracked his back.

“Mom sure knows how to pick them,” Emily added with a roll of her eyes before she returned her attention to Amelia and Luz. “You alright?”

“We're fine,” Amelia replied as she took a few deep breaths, immediately holding Luz close as both of them took a second to calm down after what had just happened. “What... what are you two doing here? And why haven't I been able to get a hold of you for the past month or so?”

“You can blame dad for that one,” Emily admitted, not even bothering to hide her frustration. “The night that new Empire stable debuted, some of its members attacked us backstage and dragged us off. Dad convinced everyone it was all part of the show to sell the idea that we were being 'abducted to be convinced to join them' but in reality we were pretty much put under house arrest with him, mom, and a bunch of those goons making sure we couldn't leave the house or have any way to contact anybody.”

“And here we were thinking your parents couldn't find new lows to sink to,” Luz sighed. “Between that and the private investigator that was spying on Ames, they might as well have burrowed beneath the surface of the Earth and become mole-people by now.”

“Oh, we heard all about that bullshit while we were... well, screw my usual desire to joke about it, they basically kidnapped us and sold it well enough that even law enforcement refused to believe us when we told them,” Edward growled. “That only pissed us off more that they've gotten this desperate to drag us back to repair the family image that literally only they care about.”

“Any idea what they're planning to use that dirt on me for?” Amelia had to ask. “Also, how did you guys actually get away?”

“An oversight on mom and dad's part,” Edward revealed. “When The Empire recently invaded that one promotion in Mexico that Luz originally came up in, that crazy old dude leading them called for every wrestler to go to make a more convincing show of force. Mom's the only one that didn't go because someone had to stay behind with us, and two beats one every single time.”

“As for the dirt,” Emily continued, “she and dad are apparently planning to use it as fodder for The Empire's proverbial ace, some guy they refer to as 'The Golden Prodigy' that no one knows much about aside from the fact that he's apparently Caleb's nephew. Apparently the plan is that once they've got enough of a stranglehold on the British scene and a good foothold in Mexico, they're going to have him lead an invasion into SCW specifically to drag your career and life through the mud until you're so broken you'll think coming back to them is the only option you have to salvage anything.”

It might have been the fact that she was still exhausted and a little out of it from the Tag Title match, but Amelia could only blink as she tried to process this plan because, honestly, it didn't sound like the kind of thorough plan that her parents would normally concoct. This 'Golden Prodigy' attempting to make any sort of impact in SCW to try and destroy her would already be met with resistance not only from Luz, but also a sizable chunk of the roster she knew were going to immediately want the guy's head taken off just from what they knew of The Empire's end goal for professional wrestling. Plus, who was to say he would immediately be able to start gunning for her pending wherever she and Luz were in their SCW careers by that point? Not to mention that he would inevitably have to prove himself against her in the ring when push came to shove.

The thought of Kim Williams turning the guy into a human pincushion for daring to take her precious hardcore wrestling away from her elicited a small chuckle from her that got everyone else raising an eyebrow, though that would probably be the only time she'd think of Kim in a positive light for the foreseeable future.

“That sounds... like a pretty terrible plan, not going to lie,” Luz stated what Amelia was thinking.

“Yeah... mom and dad actually didn't come up with that one,” Edward admitted. “They're on board and doing their part only because all of their efforts to get Amelia back have clearly failed thus far, so they're putting their faith in Caleb's nephew for this 'brilliant' idea.”

“The only reason we're concerned that it might actually work, stupid as it sounds, is because of whatever the hell Caleb himself is managing to pull off on the side,” Emily added.

“Does that have anything to do with people telling me I've shown up in places I clearly haven't?” Luz asked.

The twins exchanged looks, clearly showing concern before Emily nods and Edward pulls out his phone.

“We stole them back before we fled from the mansion, in case you're curious,” he said before either Luz or Amelia could address the fact that he had it after they'd said they were taken from them.

“Good thing we did,” Emily added, “because you have to see this to believe it Luz.”

After a moment, Edward seemed to find what he was looking for before turning his phone around and playing a video for the couple to see. It was a match from the company in Mexico where Luz's father had become a household name and she had started building her own legacy. While she didn't recognize one of the competitors in the match, the other caused her to do a double take. Even Amelia's eyes went wide as they saw a luchadora foregoing the typical aerial style that was synonymous with lucha libre in favor of a more grounded and technical style that displayed a lot of moves and holds that were staples of the Blythe family.

The wrestling attire, all the way up to the mask design, was perfectly identical to Luz, save for the white and gold design that seemed to be the overall style of members of The Empire from what they'd heard.

The luchadora's appearance beyond the gear was so much of a mirror image that she could easily pass as a long lost identical twin Luz never knew about.

Worst of all... this woman was actually competing under the name of La Pequeña Luz.

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Luz Promo

As our scene opens up, the first thing we notice is one of those mannequin heads that are used to display any sort of headwear. This one is wearing a white and silver luchador mask that covers the entire head and only leaves holes for the eyes and mouth, and the sides of the mask bear the design of angelic wings cradling the head. Closer inspection of the mask reveals a few inconsistencies that make it clear that this mask is a replica of someone's actual mask, but that's for the best given who this design is synonymous with. Someone who knows the significance of this mask all too well is La Pequeña Luz, who slowly steps out of the darkness and into the spotlight that shines down upon the table this mask rests upon. She puts her palms on the table and looks down at it, memories flickering through her mind as she speaks.

“At Retribution, a little fact about me was mentioned for the first time on-air... a fact that may not mean a whole lot to many of you, but to Mexican culture and especially to me, it's a fact that means everything. One of the moves I performed in that match was originally a finishing move of the late great El Espíritu Angélico... the man that I was proud to call mi papá growing up. In lucha libre, these masks we wear are more than just gimmicks. We become the characters we portray, and both inside and outside of that ring we are revered throughout the country as real-life heroes and villains, always becoming far more than just wrestlers. And El Espíritu Angélico? He ranks among one of the greatest heroes to ever grace the squared circle.

My father was a man who always went out of his way to do the right thing, building himself into a reliable force you could always count on to defend the honor of himself, his family, his country, the companies he devoted his career to... you name it, it meant something to him and he never backed down from a challenge to defend it because to him, doing so was just as disgraceful as losing his mask. He was a man who literally gave his life for this business... and more importantly to me, he's the man who not only brought me into this world, but encouraged me to embrace the lessons he had to share with the wrestling business, allowing me to both follow in his footsteps but also forge my own path and build my own legacy.

That's why what Selena Frost had to say going into our Tag Title match at Retribution stung, because... truth be told, she wasn't wrong. When Amelia and I got put on the shelf two years ago, we took that so personally that it rattled our confidence. We thought it would be best to step away from SCW and rebuild instead of coming back as soon as we'd recovered to try again. I did it to support my partner and to get my own head screwed back on straight, but the fact of the matter is that I ran away when things got too tough... something my father never did. That said, I am not my father, nor will I ever be. But I can use what he taught me growing up to make sure that I become the luchadora that I want to be, and it's about time I started taking one of his greatest lessons more to heart.

After all, what's the point of having something to fight for if you have second thoughts about actually being able to put up that fight?”

Luz takes a deep breath before her gaze turns up to the camera, a fire burning in her eyes that holds more power than her usual cheerfulness ever could.

“Selena, Deanna, I want to hope you're listening right now. At Retribution, the two of you were the better team, I will not deny that. You were right... we weren't ready to take that next step yet. I know you challenged us to find you on this upcoming Breakdown and tell you, to your faces, that we're not going anywhere this time, to make it loud and clear that you knocked us all the way back to the bottom of the mountain and want to see how we respond. I don't think any of us expected the mess we all find ourselves in because of a certain someone, but I will say it now as I'm sure Amelia will as well once she speaks her piece, but we are also more than willing to meet you two before Breakdown to say this to your faces like we promised since the show itself probably won't give us that chance now. I swear, on my mask and all the honor that it represents to lucha libre and to myself, that The Light In The Darkness isn't going anywhere. We're here to stay, we're going to fight back from our loss to the two of you, and we'll even put the decision in your hands.

We know the Adrenaline Title match at Retribution set the order for the foreseeable future when it comes to Tag Title challengers, but that's not enough... even if the two of you are no longer champions, we want you to tell us when you think we're ready to carry that division on our backs. We want to prove ourselves to the Face of SCW, whatever it takes, that you believe we're ready to take that next step. We want to be able to meet the two of you in that ring again knowing that you are our final test to prove that you think we're ready and we truly are ready! I don't want to be here to simply collect championship gold, I want it to mean something when I get to hold it over my head and challenge myself to defend it against anyone who steps up and answer the call. And if a new owner comes along and has a problem with any of that? Then we'll just have to fight even harder to prove to everyone that we are what we say we are... The Light In The Darkness... that hope that SCW will have someone who's willing to step up and fight for it when push comes to shove.”

Luz lets her fiery gaze linger on us for a few moments before she pulls back from leaning on the table, running a hand along her mask as she lets out the kind of awkward chuckle that's trying to hide her frustration.

“All of that was our plan heading into Breakdown, anyway...

Regardless of whether we were booked to compete or not, we had planned on doing as Selena asked to take the first step in moving beyond Retribution and pushing to improve ourselves for the night where our two teams meet again and we prove how far we've come by topping our first battle. We were more than happy to put in the work to prove that someday we'll be ready to truly call ourselves champions, whether that be as a tag team or individually. But Kim Williams, desperate to make her mark trying to shake things up, has taken that away from us. Yes, a huge opportunity is right in front of both Amelia and myself with the chaos that Kim has unleashed... the problem is that it's not an opportunity we can rightfully say we deserve to have and spits in the face of the work we have put in up to this point.

This madness that Kim used her Trios contract for... it was revealed early enough that I knew going into the Tag Title match, Amelia knew, Selena and Deanna knew. Regardless of who won our battle that night, all four of us would immediately be caught in this crossfire. If we had defied Selena's prediction and won those titles, we would have been virtually guaranteed to prove that we weren't ready for what came next right because how, as a champion, do you prepare for a situation you can't possibly control to make sure you walk out having successfully defended your title? World Championship aside, that task is virtually impossible, especially so regarding the Tag Titles because she went and made sure each belt is being 'defended' separately. Last I checked, some team randomly thrown together with barely any chemistry wasn't why those titles exist in the first place, but that's exactly what we're probably going to get once this thing is all set and done.

With all of that said, it would have been easy for Ames and I to go out and simply throw that Tag Title match at Retribution. I mean, it would keep all four people in match healthy for this thing, and we'd both basically be getting another shot kind of anyway, so why not? But we didn't do that... even knowing what awaited us, win or lose, The Light In The Darkness still walked out to that ring and gave the House of Frost everything that we had, and they responded in kind. Dare I say, the four of us stole that whole show and proved exactly what tag team wrestling is all about! What wrestling, period, is all about! And yeah, it sucked that we didn't win on that night, but we still pushed ourselves well beyond our limits anyway because if the Frosts wanted us to prove ourselves, then we all know that actions speak far more than words ever could! The words we have to say to Selena and Deanna now are merely the exclamation point on our actions from Retribution, and regardless of how much we all took out of each other, I can guarantee that none of us regret the match we created and it won't stop any of us from walking into Breakdown and doing whatever we feel needs to be done.”

Luz slowly turns the mannequin head to virtually lock eyes with the front of the mask, almost as if she's gazing into the eyes of her father for guidance.

“Like I said at the start of this, mi papá was someone who never backed down from a challenge, and if I'm going to be made a part of this, then I'm not going to back down either. I want to make something clear right now... to me, this match isn't about ignoring the lessons of my loss from Retribution because there's championship gold in front of me all of a sudden. If I end up with one of those titles at the end of this thing, regardless of the circumstances, then I will tell its former holder right now that you'd better be ready for a fight to take that title back because that belt deserves nothing less, and I plan on embracing that moment to be a worthy champion to not only keep inspiring myself, but also Amelia and those fans and anyone else who wants to come and do battle. But this isn't about taking advantage of a championship opportunity I honestly don't deserve at this very moment... if anything, I embrace this challenge as a chance to see how well I fare against the very best that SCW has to throw against me, regardless of whether or not I score enough falls to walk out a champion as much as those titles deserve better, to see if I can put myself on people's radars and most importantly prove that I am not going to back down again in the face of a setback. That's not what my father did, and that's not what he would have wanted to see from his little light...

That said, don't think you're getting off easy for all of this Kim. Yeah, you may have designed this match to easily reclaim a title that you claim means everything to you, but I'm not blind to how easily your whims change just so you can say you got your way at the end of the day. After all, how can we forget the 'predecessor' to your unhealthy obsession with being Underground Champion in the form of the 'Lizard Championship'? I sure didn't forget when it cracked off my skull to the point that it concussed me and created this whole domino effect that's led me to where I am now, even if you weren't the one who pulled that trigger. I'm not afraid of this being 'your world' Kim, nor am I afraid of having to play by Underground Rules if it means getting a little payback for creating the tool that Adam Allocco used all that time ago to put me on the shelf. Maybe it'll help humble you a little bit so you can understand exactly the kind of mess you've created for everyone involved in this match just so you could leave your mark and claim you challenged the status quo.

I didn't need this match if I wanted to try and become SCW World Champion someday... all I need to do is keep pushing myself and I will earn that opportunity on nothing more than my own merits and the blood, sweat and tears that I left on that canvas to get there.

To everyone else in this match, including mi novia, I want you all to give me a challenge. I want you all to make me work for any and every fall that I have to earn over the course of this entire show. I want to prove that if I'm walking out of this Breakdown as a champion in any capacity, that I'm doing so with the foundation I need to build my own reign and treat that belt with the respect that it deserves, especially in the wake of all of this. I challenge any of you to try and snuff out La Pequeña Luz... because I'll only come out of this stronger when all is set and done.”

With that, Luz pulls the replica of her father's mask off the mannequin head and plants a gentle kiss on it, saying something in Spanish that we don't quite make out as she starts walking backwards until she has disappeared back into the darkness, ready to emerge again come Breakdown and prove that she belongs here in SCW the right way this time... by not backing down from this challenge.

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Amelia Promo

Our scene opens up in what looks like a wrestling ring set up in someone's home gym, one that clearly shows the wear and tear of the devoted training needed to be in the business today. Sitting cross-legged in that ring, almost in a state of meditation, is Amelia Blythe. All the battle wounds from the incredible tag team war between The Light In The Darkness and the House of Frost are on full display as she takes a moment to run a hand along her jaw, the very area that got jacked by Deanna's Burnout to end that battle. A few deep breaths later, and Amelia is opening her eyes and putting her full focus on us, the determination in her gaze palpable.

“What does wrestling mean to me? If you had asked me that question when I set foot in a ring for the very first time, the answer I'd have given would absolutely rub a lot of people the wrong way. I would have claimed that I was here to be a champion, to outwrestle everyone put in front of me and prove the dominance of my family name because that is the only path that was ever made available to me in my life. It didn't matter if I ever wanted to wrestle at all or not, because my sole purpose for being born was to be the next link in the chain that was my family's legacy. At least, that's what I was made to believe growing up.

But now? If you were to ask me that question, I would answer that wrestling means a chance to write my own story, free of the expectations put upon me for my entire life. I would say that every failure is an opportunity to learn and improve so that I can treat this business with the respect it deserves, and not just through what I can do in that ring. It's not a perfect process... you don't go through everything that I endured at the hands of my own parents trying to turn a human being into an almost literal wrestling machine without having a few mental scars that come back to haunt you every now and then.

It's those very scars that put me in a bad state of mind when I was injured almost two years ago, fearing that I might never get to step into the ring again and had failed to find my own way in this sport so that I could properly appreciate everything that goes into making wrestling what it is today. I let all of it get to me, as did Luz, and instead of coming back to SCW as soon as we were medically cleared, we thought the smarter move would be to take some time away to rebuild ourselves so we could come back stronger than ever. In hindsight, it was just a fancy way of saying we ran away while trying to justify that it wasn't exactly what Selena Frost was truly correct about all along. For as much as our two sides respect one another, she and Deanna didn't mince words in addressing us leading up to Retribution... and it was the wake-up call that Luz and I truly needed.”

Amelia slowly stands up and takes a moment to stretch out, the sound of joints popping echoing throughout the room as she releases whatever tension had built up in her body from meditating prior to this.

“I'm sure a lot of what I have to say right now will mirror that of my girlfriend, but that's what happens when we decide that a situation like the one that awaits us on Breakdown is best tackled individually. One thing we can both agree on, however, is that Kim Williams has thrown a major wrench into what we had hoped to do on this show. Selena and Deanna beat us fair and square at Retribution after all four of us gave everything that we had and then some... after what Selena, in particular, had to say, Luz and I did a lot of thinking and felt that we were finally ready to address her and Deanna, to their faces as they requested, and tell them that Retribution 2023 will not be the last that they, or SCW, have seen of The Light In The Darkness. They want us to prove that SCW can rely on us, especially in these times where the future of the company is uncertain as Mr. D looks around for a new owner to run the ship. We had planned on doing just that, but with the entire show now tied up with a mess I'll address shortly... I don't know if we'll get the chance to see them before the show begins or if it'll have to wait until the next Breakdown, but I'll say it now anyways.

Luz and I aren't going anywhere. Not this time. We lost... we gave the fight of our lives against the Frosts and it wasn't enough, and we're OK with that. If we let it get to us and walked away again, then what was the point of even coming back to try again in the first place? That match we wrestled out there in front of a record-setting crowd is proof, even in defeat, that we belong in SCW, and the longer we keep pushing ourselves here, the better we'll get so that we can be at that level that people like Selena and Deanna believe we can reach. Retribution wasn't our time, and we've made peace with that. As for when our time will be? Maybe you two can answer that question. Hell, we want you two to be the ones to answer that question! Not Mr. D, not the board, not whoever the new owner may end up being, but you! We pushed ourselves beyond our limits at Retribution and I can only hope that was proof of how much being here means to us and how much it would mean to be a team that you can be proud of being your successors someday in carrying the tag team division and inspiring others to come together and keep the fires of tag team wrestling burning bright for years to come.

You're the Face of SCW Selena... set the bar for us so we can clear it and prove to you and Deanna just how much this means to us and how hard we're willing to fight to be that hope that SCW needs to survive these turbulent times. Tell us when you think we're ready for that final exam to prove that our time has finally come, and Luz and I swear on our careers to the both of you that when that date arrives, what we did at Retribution will be a warm-up by comparison.”

Amelia gives a genuine smile to the camera, making it clear how much she wants to be able to tell the Frosts that face-to-face and plans to do so when the opportunity arises, just as she and Luz promised. That smile fades, however, when her thoughts turn toward the reason why she can't just have that the way she and Luz would have wanted to have it come Breakdown.

“Of course, Breakdown currently provides a problem, because Kim Williams thinks that by using her Trios contract to incite mass chaos is the perfect way to shake things up. She made sure to specifically note that all champions heading into Retribution along with everyone who challenged for a title on that pay-per-view card were listed to cover her bases, effectively rendering half of that card moot. Not that it stopped her from trying to interject herself into the main event to get her Underground Title back early despite virtually guaranteeing that she'll walk out of Breakdown with that title back in her possession.

You want to talk about that title being your legacy Kim? As someone who was supposed to be the latest in a legacy regarding my family name, I can confidently stand here and call bullshit on your take of what it means to create a legacy for yourself. I rejected the family legacy that was toxic to me in favor of creating one of my own, getting help from people who truly care about me and want to push me to be my very best without being afraid of failure. If I do fail, then it's an opportunity to learn and grow so I can get better for my next match and keep improving from there. The TV Title reign I had, short as it was, is something I earned, and I want that to be the case for every opportunity I have for the rest of my career. I want to earn it with my bare hands in that ring, giving everything that I have and more for this company and this sport, so when I do become a champion again I can wear that title with pride and know that if I challenge anyone in the locker room to give me their best shot, they'll step up and give it to me because that's what this company needs.

Having a meltdown because you didn't immediately get a rematch when you lost that title because Owen Cruze had the World Title and his next challenger for that to prioritize? Picking a fight with Alexis Quinne because she challenged Owen for that title? The aforementioned incident where you tried to hijack the Retribution main event to force a title defense despite Owen having another title he was about to defend? If that's the legacy you want to leave behind regarding the Underground Title, then you have no right to complain when people call you out on your inability to move on.

Funny how you claim that this is about giving opportunities to people who might never get them, and yet the one title that's an exception to that claim is the one that only you can win by scoring a single fall in this match. What if other people in this match wanted to try going for the Underground Title too? As far as I'm concerned, trying to 'shake things up' has only painted a target on your back because you decided to make this easy on yourself instead of admitting that maybe the Underground division could use some fresh faces hunting for that gold. Hell, you made the point that this entire thing is meant to put the Undergound on full display by forcing everyone to fight under its rules, and yet the very title that symbolizes all of that is the only one you're willing to play gatekeeper over. What happens when you lose that title again Kim? With no Trios contract to fall back on and having to work all the way back up to challenge for that title again, would you actually do it and watch the division get some new life breathed into it?”

Amelia shakes her head, knowing that Kim would never accept that route as long as she believed that she, and she alone, could create a legacy with the Underground Title, effectively becoming the very thing she was trying to eliminate with this very concept in the first place.

“I'll admit, this isn't what I wanted to do come Breakdown. That has nothing to do with the fact that this whole thing is Underground Rules because despite my style and background, I have no qualms about getting involved in an environment like this if necessary and I'll find a way to hold my own. But Luz and I both agree that this match goes against what we wanted to prove, especially after Retribution. Here we are, technically with another shot at the Tag Team Titles even though we gave it our all to claim them at Retribution and that wasn't our night to reach the mountaintop. What right do we have to immediately get another shot at those belts, and how would it be fair that even if we had won Luz and I would've been staring down another short reign because... let's be honest guys, how do you expect anyone to be able to actually control the scoring of this match to get the title they want, World or otherwise?

If there is any silver lining to technically being named for this match, it's the fact that I can at least take this opportunity to prove myself against the very best on the SCW roster.

As much as this situation isn't what any of us would have wanted, if I'm going to be dragged into this then I refuse to back down and let people like Kim win because this is the game they want to play. That's not what SCW needs from The Light In The Darkness right now, and as much as I will openly admit that I don't feel I deserve any title at this moment after Luz and I just had a title shot, if I happen to walk out with a title then I will proudly defend it against its former champion to prove that I am ready to move on from my TV Title reign and be the champion I know I can be. But what I want the most out of this match is to once again give it my all against everyone, including my girlfriend because we respect the integrity of this business to the point that if we need to combat one another then we will hold nothing back, to see where I currently stand and what I need to work on so that I can reach the level I need to be at to be the wrestler I want to be. I know Luz is approaching this match the same way, and whether that means we keep working on ourselves as a tag team or we focus on our singles careers, we will prove that our place on the SCW roster is one we earned and we will keep proving we belong here no matter what challenges are thrown our way. So please... challenge me, keep pushing me harder than I've ever been pushed before, because the wrestler I become in the wake of that will proudly do her part in leading SCW into its future, no matter what that may be, because without those kinds of wrestlers... what will SCW have left when all is set and done?”

Amelia proceeds to crack her knuckles before she steps out of the training ring and heads out of the shot, ready to get back to work to prove both to SCW and to herself what kind of wrestler she wants to be, knowing that she will get there the right way as long as she keeps pushing herself and learning from her mistakes. If Luz can do it, then so can she, and that is the only way the both of them can truly become exactly what they say they are... The Light In The Darkness.