SCW World Championship Tournament Finals - Frost vs Allocco

[supremecw]

SCW World Championship Tournament Finals

2 RP Limit
Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET Saturday, June 3, 2023

[SnowQueenSCW]

OOC: The following roleplay immediately plays off the Frosts’ roleplays of the previous Breakdown (the semifinals of the tournament). It is highly recommended that those roleplays are read before proceeding with this roleplay.

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. Furthermore, this roleplay will involve the use of drugs. Illicit use is not encouraged or condoned by the writer. In short: this is a piece of FICTION.

The Witches of Alden

”Trip”

Forest Hills Neighbourhood
Queens, New York
May 15th, 2023
8:55pm

Selena felt the muscles in her abdomen burn as they constricted on her, the Snow Queen barely able to keep her focus enough to aim her face into the blue bin as she vomited into it. She kept her eyes tightly closed as the burning moved into her throat, feeling her eyes push out stray tears from the intensity of pains she was feeling. She tried to focus. Tried to calm her mind. She felt the small, warm hand on her skin, right where her neck met her shoulder blades – Deanna, her wife, silent but doing all she could to help.

Both women had been warned about this initial effect of the ayahuasca – the plant that had been suggested to them by the therapist Dresdin Flynn of the Alden chapter. The old man, kind as he was, had read Selena like a damn book - Not a hard thing to do these days… Selena thought bitterly. Everyone in SCW seems to be able to do it now a days. Ace, Kandis, Adam, Ravyn….

It had been her mind being in such a state of anxiety, pain and ever on the verge of breaking (as Deanna had worded it a few times) that Dresdin had suggested the unconventional method that the witches of Alden had employed in the past. A spiritual journey of some kind – was that the right naming of it? Selena wasn’t sure because, as she retched into the bin, she was certain she preferred the words ‘drug trip’. Least they were honest.

I’m going to go on a fucking drug trip. She clung to that honesty. The bitterness of it. It was comforting in a weird way. The honesty. The coldness of it. It reminded her of the cold winters in her home in Nome. You didn’t just say ‘it’s chilly’, ‘it’s a little nippy’, ‘it’s coat-wearing-weather’ there. It was laughable how many people she saw here in Manhattan and around the world say such things as they lived in the temperate zones.

Nome was so cold, ‘delicate language’ like that wasn’t a thing. It was ‘fucking cold!’ or ‘Jesus Christ, it’s freezing!’, or her personal favorite one that Deanna said ‘Holy cats! It’s cold!’. She focused on that, the memory of her wife losing all ‘polite language’ and ‘renames’ because Nome was THAT cold.

For its part, it was where Selena had acquired her blunt honesty. She spoke her mind, always had. Even when she wasn’t popular for it. Even now, SCW and the SCW Universe were turning on her. And why? Because she had been honest to herself and spoken her mind over a ‘chaos match’ that placed a 1st place to last place value on the titles of SCW. Because she felt that each title had its own value that shouldn’t be measured by numbers like that. Yes, the world title was the biggest title in SCW – of course it was – but what made the United States title ‘bigger or better’ than the ‘tag-team titles’? Weren’t there Hall of Famers and icons like Ravyn and Amy Chastaine and Simon Lyman contending for them? Wasn’t Syren, the most decorated SCW superstar of all time, the Adrenaline champion? Glory Braddock had been in the United States Championship tournament as well!

She had spoken her mind on that, her dislike of it and Kim Williams’ cheap ploy to become Underground champion, which was cheap! It was beyond obvious, and for her honesty, SCW had begun turning on the Snow Queen. It had started as some rumblings, but the more Selena stuck to her guns and her belief in the truth, the more people seemed to be turning against her. Hell, some had cheered when the five-on-two assault at Playing the Wildcard had occurred! What had been a united stand between ‘Face of SCW’ and the ‘SCW Universe’ over the integrity of titles and SCW’s place in the world of professional wrestling had, now, become splintered and divided. And with O. D. selling SCW ever on the horizon, and Owen Cruze leaving to pursue fatherhood and a private life… Selena just couldn’t stop speaking her mind on what was right and what was honest. It was all like the cold winds of her home…

Gods, she missed it right now…

Feeling her body’s convulsions again, the platinum-blonde braced herself as another wave of nausea hit her, her body retching once more into the bin. She mentally clamped down on those thoughts, as if to pull her focus away and deeper into her mind to ignore the pain.

Owen… why the fuck did Owen have to leave?!

Yes, she wasn’t the biggest fan of how he had handled things at the start of his reign as world champion, but he was a good man! She knew he was going to be an amazing father – she believed that with all her heart. And he didn’t like her on a personal level, there were some issues between the two of them on stuff she had said, stuff he had done, but you’d have to be blind and dumb to not understand the journey the young man had made to ‘set things right’ in his own career. To leave SCW on his terms. He had regained his honor and his pride and his integrity… and for that, Selena envied him.

She felt that while Owen had his integrity again, she was losing hers and SCW? The world title? The one she had spent years trying to get back and months holding to try and regain the integrity of? It could all easily be gone in a matter of weeks.

Why did you have to leave?

Who was left to fight for the world title and its integrity? Who was left to fight for the morals? Owen was gone. Syren had been eliminated by a, surprise surprise, cheating Adam Allocco. She was set to face Ace Marshall – the coward that hid behind not one but, at least, two people when dealing with her and that left Kandis or Adam Allocco if she were to get past Ace.

There was no one left in the tournament that cared about integrity or pride in the world title… except her. There was no one that cared about the world title being represented as it should be – with supreme championship wrestling… except her.

She felt her hands tighten around the blue bin. Her vomiting, having run out of stomach contents to retch, had settled on slight convulsions of dry heaving.

“This…sucks.” She managed to gasp out as she leaned her head against the rim of the blue plastic, not caring if it gave her a temporary ‘mark’ on her forehead. “I probably just threw up whatever it is that I was supposed to take.”

She heard a sigh come from beside her but she still didn’t open her eyes.

“Dresdin said this would happen.” Came the quiet, concerned voice. “Some sort of ‘cleansing’ process.”

“Yeah.” Selena sighed. “The NX was easier to take.”

Now THAT was something she hadn’t thought of in so long. The drug that had begun her addiction to drugs in the first place. A pain-blocker that had worked so well and given her so much focus. It wasn’t a performance enhancing drug, least not how Paracelsus or Dr. Perry, or even her stepmother, had described it. It had been meant to simply dull pain and make it more manageable.

Gods, if I had that… Selena’s mind wandered in its pained state. Not even Xander Valentine would be able to stop me. Certainly not Adam Allocco or Kandis- she slammed the brakes on that thought. NX had nearly cost her her family. Had nearly made Deanna into an addict. It was worse than her addiction to alcohol had been! Yes, there were benefits, but the costs had been far too great! What was the point in being ‘stronger’ or ‘better’ if it was because of a pill? Where was the integrity if she was taking drugs to reach that ‘standard’.

Though the burning persisted inside her, Selena slowly sat back against the wall, her eyes still closed, her stomach seeming to calm itself little by little. A few moments passed and she was able to open her eyes. The first thing she spotted was the gorgeous red hair of her wife, followed by those perfect emerald eyes. They were part of the quiet, yet concerned, face Selena saw in Deanna.

“Hey.” Selena whispered with a tired smile. “Hasn’t kicked in yet, I think.”

“Maybe it won’t.” there was a hopeful lift in her wife’s voice that Selena could not miss but said nothing on it. She didn’t want to fight when she could possibly be slipping into the effects of some psychedelic trip. “You okay?”

“I am right now.” Selena sighed again, resting her head up against the cold stone of the wall. Nearby, the black skull helmet of Killjoy – the ‘object of anxiety’ that Dresdin had suggested Selena choose to focus on – nearby. “Keep talking to me till I slip under.” Selena quietly begged her wife.

“Okay… what about?” Deanna shrugged. “I don’t want to stress you out.”
“We can talk about work?”
“I said I DIDN’T want to stress you out.” Deanna pressed. “Dresdin said that stress may lead you to experience a ‘bad trip’.
“It’s okay.” Selena sighed. “I don’t want to talk about work that way.” Again, the Snow Queen exhaled. Her breath more of a whisper, though still audible. “What do you think about quitting?”

There was nothing. A silence that permeated throughout the room. The only sound was the slight sloshing of water from the sealed pool near them and the thunderstorm that had grown into the rager it was outside.

Several seconds passed, then maybe a minute – maybe two – enough time that the platinum-blonde wondered if her wife had heard her. Cracking one sapphire eye open, Selena pointed her gaze in the direction of the voice she had heard, seeing the shocked expression on her wife.

“You’re serious?” Deanna asked, earning a tired nod from Selena.

“Yeah.” Selena answered. “Deanna…” she breathed. “I’m still sane enough to know that THIS is an absurd idea.” She gestured with her hand towards the setup around them – skull-helmet, teapcup that had been filled with a hallucinogenic drug, isolated in their pool/gym room for safety purposes as they tried to invoke some kind of ‘spiritual enlightenment’. “And… I don’t like what these past few months have been turning me into.” Again, she breathed, closing her eyes again. “I never would have hurt David six months ago. Not in a million years. I’m a hothead sometimes but…”

“I get it.” Deanna interjected, reaching out to take her wife’s pale hands. “You need to stay calm, Selena. Don’t think about this if it overworks you.”

“It’s not.” Selena breathed. “I’m actually calmer about this. We could leave it behind. Let the fans have their ‘chaos’ or whatever. If they don’t want integrity-“

“What about those that do?”

“They can find somewhere else to look like XWF, TIA, UWWF, I’m sure they know other places. But…” Selena sighed. “If SCW doesn’t want to learn its lesson from The Beauty Network and The Brand?” she shrugged. “Why kill ourselves and risk our family – risk who I am – to get them to realize the truth?”

“That sounds like quitting to me.” Deanna slowly spoke, earning an understanding shake of the head from Selena.

“It’s not quitting, Deanna.” Selena whispered, her eyes opening to gaze at the ceiling. “It’s knowing that what I believe in… what I fight for? Maybe it’s not there anymore. Maybe O.… maybe he was right.”

The poor old man, Selena’s mind conjured up his face into the wooden panels of the roof’s interior. He had never yelled at her, regardless of how many times she had spat at him through the year with notes of ‘cheating’ and ‘unfairness’ and ‘tainted matches’ and whatever. Gods… she must have sounded like a spoiled little brat because ‘no one was playing by the rules anymore’.

And – it was laughable to Selena how she was just realizing this now, slumped up against the wall – that, like her father, Dracheywch had never yelled at her. Never put her in her place as an ‘employer’ could do. Never spoken down to her like ‘a boss’ could do. In that way, he was also like her Uncle Liam, the owner of the Bar and Grill she had worked for as a waitress in her ‘darker years of youth’. Liam had always been kind to Selena, even when he didn’t need to be or when she fucked up – and boy did she fucked up…

“One night…” Selena whispered, never realizing that she was speaking her thoughts on and off. “We had this BIG order from a basketball team party or something. I mean, they ordered EVERYTHING on the menu! Gavin was on the team and so was his friends. I mean, the coach and school had gone to Anchorage and won some kind of championship so they were celebrating like hometown heroes. Well, I happen to be the one on shift – I come out with this big, honkin’ plate with smaller plates of food. I mean nachos, burgers, steaks, ribs, wings – they had ordered everything on the menu and reserved the whole Bar and Grill that night.

Anyway, I go up there and I’m struggling under the weight. What does Gavin have his friend do? Slap me right on my ass.” Selena chuckled at that. “Dared him ten bucks to do it. I don’t even hesitate. I drop the whole large plate on the guy’s head and knock him out just from gravity. The coach is on me in seconds, yelling and screaming about me, my father, all of it. Gavin’s two seconds away from punching me in the face. Next thing you know, Liam’s throwing his apron down, marching over to the coach and puts him in a headlock. He drags him outside and throws him into a snowbank. Doesn’t even ask him what happened.”

Selena’s voice suddenly became low and gravelly, with a horrible Italian accent added to it. “’Nobody disrespects my niece, got it?!’ He threw so much money out of his pocket – I think it must have been two thousands dollars – at the coach and kicked everyone else out except me. Didn’t ask me about it.” She sniffled. “Didn’t punish me. He just took me home, same as always, as if nothing had happened.” Another sniffle. “And I left him in Nome the first chance I had.”

“I’m sure he understands.” Deanna whispered, squeezing her hand affectionately. “You couldn’t survive there. It was driving you mad.”

“You think O. will understand if I quit?” she tilted her head, her eyes stinging with a few tears. “Before Rise to Greatness, I mean?”

“You’re not going to quit.” Deanna sighed, her own sad smile forming. “You’re about to become world champion.”

Selena laughed at that. “I’m facing a man that sent a horde after us and then either a woman that has attacked me backstage multiple times – including ramming my head against a set of steel stairs and giving me a concussion – who I’ve NEVER beaten one-on-one, mind you… or a man that beat me at the top of my game and STILL needed to cheat to get past Syren.” Selena shook her head. “It’s more likely that I’ll be too distracted by something, or Ravyn will get involved again – or maybe that new guy Ace hangs around with – and even then…”

She stopped herself. She didn’t want to think about the finals. She didn’t want to think about facing either Kandis or Allocco. Sure, she had beaten both of them in the ring before, but her big win against Kandis had been a tag match with her sister, Regan, and Allocco had only occurred because of unwanted interference from Syren, so she couldn’t even brag about that.

In truth, she had no strategy for either of them, especially Allocco. The man just irritated her with his sexist remarks, obnoxiousness and, gods, the BS and lies he spewed.

“Stop.” Deanna warned. “I can see your facing flinching with those thoughts.”
“I know.” Sighed Selena, expelling her mind as the burning in her stomach and throat became more and more of a dull ache. “Calm.” Her voice was a little raspy from the stomach-acid, but she was too weary to really do anything about it, and she sure as hell was not going to ask for water just to have more in her stomach to upchuck.

Still, she wondered. Could she leave now? When she was so close to becoming World Champion again? What if she COULD beat – no, she KNEW she could beat Ace Marshall and Kandis and Adam Allocco. That wasn’t the issue. The issue was whether or not it would be fair and filled with integrity. Her match with Josh Hudson had been, that was for sure, but… her tag match with Ace Marshall? And then her past with Kandis? And Allocco cheating against Syren?

See, THAT was what it was coming down to, which was the basis of Selena’s issues. It wasn’t about whether or not she was ‘good enough to win’ but ‘whether or not her opponent was going to cheat to get past her’. The fact that THAT had become the mentality, not just for her matches but for so many of them throughout SCW – THAT was what hurt her. THAT was what was dragging her further and further into a place and mindset that she didn’t want to go. She wanted to just work hard and enjoy being a wrestler. She wanted to just be challenged in skill and resilience, not have to worry about being jumped from behind or someone messing with her wife backstage, or hitting her with a weapon, or summoning a stable of people to get past her! THAT was what was making her contemplate leaving. That SCW seemed okay with all of that.

But what O., the man that had become, without her realizing it till now, a sort of father and uncle mix to her – would he forgive her if she just walked away like Owen did? Who would be left to fight for the integrity? Who would rise up to take on the likes of Adam, Kandis, Ace, Ravyn-

Who the hell cares? He’s abandoning SCW too!

The voice she heard wasn’t her own and her eyes flew open as she heard it. Before her, Deanna was sitting there, simply looking at her.

“Did you hear that?” Selena asked, earning a confused look from her wife.
“Heard what? You breathing? The thunder outside?”

With a hand, Deanna gestured to the window nearby them. Slowly, taking in everything of her surroundings, the platinum-blonde saw nothing amiss within the pool/gym house. Nothing seemed ‘off’. The walls were the same, the basic décor was the same, even the windows were fine, just wet on the outside from the blood raining from the storm.

…

Selena’s eyes widened as she spied the rainfall, now a deep crimson red as it covered the glass, as if the very sky – the heavens – were bleeding to death.

“Okay…” she breathed at her hokey over-art. “I think it’s hitting me now.” She gasped as she leaned back against the wall once more. She heard Deanna call out her name before the sound seemed to grow more and more distant, fading into a little buzz. Opening her eyes to see, her sapphire-orbs widened as she saw a few drops of blood on the forehead of her beloved wife. Casting her gaze up, the Snow Queen saw the leak in the roof dripping down on them. Red, crimson, blood-drops were raining onto the Queen’s Guard and Deanna seemed completely oblivious.

Selena tried to open her mouth to speak, but found no sound was coming out. Nor could she move anymore, beyond her head to look in various directions, yet she could not will herself to close her eyes or look away, instead watching as, more and more, her wife was covered with blood, Deanna’s emerald-green nightgown now stained red. Even her hair seemed more red, and wetter, obviously, as she seemed to speak, though it was only static in Selena’s ears.

The leak in the roof seemed to shift – or was it growing wider? – the steady stream of blood-rain moving with it: towards Selena – until it stopped at the object in front of her.

Killjoy’s helmet.

Slowly, the black skull sat there as, like with Deanna, it, too, was rained upon; the blood dripping over it until it was covered in red. But it did not stop there. Slowly, the sockets began to glow a dim light from within, like pupils of yellow, capturing Selena’s attention and state of panic. Before her, the blood wrapped around the skull, twisting and morphing over the ‘bones’ of the design until it was muscles… and then skin and hair… and eyes and lips… until the skull – now a face – was staring at her with its withered expression and sad eyes.

”You’re not the Selena Frost I hired. That anyone hired.”

She said nothing to the disappointed expression of O. D., the head simply gazing at her.

”Did you hear the fans…? They clearly disagree!”

The face of her boss seemed to unhinge at the jaw, the face distorting and warping as if transforming before her eyes into the annoying smirk of Ace Marshall.

”I BELIEVE! ACE FROST AND SELENA FROST! I BELIEVE!”

Selena felt her jaw clench with hatred as she heard those words – her words – being mocked with that voice – that tone. A pretender, a LIAR! No different than-

Immediately, as if sensing her thoughts, the face contorted and shifted again, this time to a face she actually hated more than Ace Marshall. The smirking, smug, arrogant face of-

”So… are you saying you don’t believe?” it – he – smirked at Selena. ”I just beat Selena GOD DAMN Frost!”

Those words. Those were the words that caused Selena’s eyes to finally shut, the tears now falling down her face. THAT night – the first Breakdown in over eight months where she wasn’t the SCW world champion. She hadn’t realized it at the time, but that was where it had all started. Everything had begun falling apart.

For her.
For the integrity of SCW.
For everything she had built for the world title.

That night: many fans chanting “No, we don’t.” to Adam’s baiting over her catchphrase. Mocking her and all she had achieved, which would only be added upon as the months progressed, including the End of the Year – as if none of it mattered. As if those eight months did nothing for SCW and the name of it and the world title – when it had been her and that integrity that had made people take notice of SCW in the World Series of Wrestling!

She felt her hand reach up to swipe at the tears, though she wasn’t at all surprised when the tears were actually blood as well. It seemed to be the theme, and, instead of panic, she merely sat there, watching the ‘head’ before her shift and transform.

However, when she stared into eyes nearly identical to her own and a face that could easily pass as her twin… that hand clenched into a fist.

So… do you see now? Do you understand?

“No.” Selena spoke, though she wasn’t sure if anyone heard her.

”Oh really? Think about it! This began with Adam Allocco. He turned the fans against you. And then they turned further against you with Kimberly Williams. And now? Who sings “We Believe!” anymore? Who shouts their faith in integrity anymore? Who believes in it? Ace? Kandis? Ravyn? Killjoy’s face smirked at Selena. Allocco?

“They still do…”

”Weaker and weaker it becomes.” mocked Killjoy. Every week, you slip further and further. Every week, you lose more and more of your composure. Closer to the end. Closer to snapping.

“I’m not going to snap!”

”You already have!” laughed the head before Selena. ”Pathetically blamed a technical error as a ‘conspiracy to screw the Frosts over’! You hit David. You’re one bad day away from quitting even before the tournament is over because you KNOW – you KNOW – you’re going to get screwed out of it at best and beaten cleanly like at Rise to Greatness at worst – and no one will care about you. No one will believe in you. No one will follow integrity. It will all be forgotten!”

Angrily, Selena slammed her head against the wall. She didn’t want this anymore. This wasn’t helping. She was drowning, as if the blood rain was swallowing her and drowning her lungs. She felt powerless. Every week was a failure. Every week, she failed to change anything. To make anyone see reason. To make O. understand. To fix things in SCW. Every week, she was pushed further and further away.

And why?
Why?
WHY?!

“BECAUSE THEY WON’T PLAY BY MY RULES!” she suddenly screamed, the answer shocking her, and causing her eyes to fly open. She was suddenly at the bottom of a pool of blood – the entire gym/pool room flooded to the rooftop. The crimson tide all around her, the surface several feet above. Everything was a murky red and black. Yet, she didn’t feel like she was drowning or in need of air. Rather, she just looked around, her answer resonating in her mind.

All she wanted was a fair fight. All she ever wanted was a fair fight. Because then things like skill and ability and heart could be tested. What good was winning if you needed 5 people to do it? What good was winning if you needed to cheat? That wasn’t an accomplishment! It was just…just…

”Everyone knew the rules. The board signed off on it…”
“Everyone knew the rules…”
“Everyone knew the rules…”

The voice – the one that had been warning her for months of every kind of danger. Every kind of change that was happening and she either hadn’t listened or was too stupid to truly understand what D. had been doing. He had been warning her, trying to protect her, and even Deanna…

She looked around at the thought. There was no Deanna now, so she settled on the skull/head that had been tormenting her, expecting to see her boss’ head again….

And in the blood-red depths… she stared into her own eyes.

”So…they’re not playing by your rules, are they?” Before her, Selena saw her own face twist into a horrifying snarl of an expression. ”Then maybe it’s time you played by THEIRS.” her own voice came from the head before the head came flying at her, it’s mouth hung inhumanly low as if to devour the Snow Queen – devour itself! On instinct, Selena’s eyes slammed shut, expecting a nightmare like those she had in the snowy fields, where she would be torn apart, shot down, and then… oblivion…

But that didn’t happen this time. Nothing did. Slowly, she opened her eyes… she was in an arena, though she wasn’t sure which one. There were no pay-per-view signs or graphics; only the usual SCW-style ones. But she wasn’t in the ring, like she usually was.

No… she was on the other side of the barricade, in the audience, looking into the ring… Where she saw the platinum-blonde standing there. What shocked her was that, around the woman were bodies of wrestlers.

Ace Marshall, outside the ring – was being carried off in a stretcher! Was he okay?! How did- Selena remembered- the Snow Queen had smashed his head open from behind with a chair as he had come down to the ring and then, to ‘hedge her bet’, she had stomped his head against the turnbuckle-post from the outside with The Glass Shard.

Closer to the ring lay Kandis, struggling to regain consciousness – how had… Selena’s eyes widened. The Snow Queen had ordered Deanna to take out Kandis, the redhead having done so by using The Consortium. That left the Snow Queen in the ring, walking around the downed Adam Allocco… gods that had been horrific!

”Oh Adam…” The woman mocked before Selena as she paced around the downed King of Hard Style. ”What happened to all that confidence? Did Xander take it when he exposed you as a fraud?”

Before the Snow Queen’s feet, Adam struggled to get up. He had already taken a shot to the head with the SCW World title twice! Still, the Snow Queen let him squirm – Selena seeing the silver and black of her outfit, which showed more of the Snow Queen’s abdominals, far more than Selena had ever shown in her past! The Snow Queen’s hair was no longer braided, but half-shaved, long on the top and right and a very short buzz on the left, almost to the skin. She looked dangerous…evil…

“Me…” Selena whispered as she watched, unable to stop anything as The Snow Queen knelt down to the bloodied Allocco, running a hand through his blood-soaked hair.

”You failed as a world champion. Failed as a wrestler… and worse of all… you failed as a father, didn’t you? Mister Allocco – ‘all for your son’ – because you took it all from him, didn’t you?” The Snow Queen ‘tsked’ several times. ”No matter how much the SCW Universe hates me, Adam… it really should be asked: how much more do you hate yourself? That all those promises, all those lies… and just like you were NEVER good enough to be a world champion like me “Mr. Zero-Title Defenses”… you’ll also never be good enough of a father for your son, will you?”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Selena screamed at the Snow Queen! This was sick! This was twisted! This was shit Vixen Cain would spew at her! Words that Ravyn would throw her way! Even Allocco in his ‘sexist’ way… None of this was her! None of this was supposed to be her! Ignoring her, the Snow Queen let Adam’s head drop down to the mat.

”Taking Hold of the Flame… I don’t face the man I did in Vegas. I face a man that won’t measure up to the world champion I am, can be and will be again. I see a man that will never measure up to the wrestler, the parent, the Face of SCW that I am! And I see a man that will never measure up to the measures I’ll employ to ensure I become the SCW world champion. Because integrity… MY integrity… will no longer be a choice.” Her voice became a growl as she stood up. ”It will be commanded! And all of you…” Selena saw her own sapphire eyes narrow at the audience, their boos only now trickling into Selena’s ears. ”Will be forced to obey. Believe it!”

She didn’t recognize the song that played, though it was familiar to her, as The Snow Queen made her way out of the ring. Walking past the bodies before her, she stopped at the pedestal that held the SCW world title, not hesitating to pluck it off and hold it over her shoulder. A few steps went by until she was standing before Selena, a smirk over her face.

”See what you could be?” The Snow Queen whispered.

“No.” growled Selena. “I don’t want this! Put that back! That isn’t yours!”

”And it will never be yours if you keep playing by YOUR rules. But by theirs…” she eyed the fallen wrestlers before taking a hand and gesturing to herself: to the trim physique, the resonating power, the air of confidence, the look of the owner of one of the most dangerous strikes in SCW history! The World champion…

Slowly, the woman held out the SCW world title towards Selena.

”Take it.” she ordered. ”I merely am leveling the playing field by playing by all of THEIR rules. How is that not fair? How is that not integrity? A fair battlefield? A fair fight? Isn’t that what you want? Isn’t that what this is meant to be about?”

Despite herself, Selena’s eyes travelled down to the SCW world title. Gods, it was beautiful… and how she missed it. Missed holding it. Missed being its champion. Missed wearing it proudly on her shoulder or around her waist. Missed being introduced as “The SCW World Champion!”. Missed defending it. Hyping matches for it. Ending shows with it on the line. Standing in the ring, doing her entrance, meeting fans, all with the SCW world title…

She felt a pale hand, hers, reach out towards it, wanting so badly to touch it.

”Level the playing field.” The Snow Queen whispered. ”Make it ‘fair’ like it deserves to be…”

For a moment, Selena could see herself in the body of the Snow Queen, the title beautiful in her hand. For a moment, she could imagine being so untouchable, with the mind and ethics of Adam and Vixen and Ace and the protection of Deanna… Fuck 234 days… she could be the world champion for years!

And all she had to do… was take the title…

”Take the title…”
“Take the title…”
“Take the title…”



Selena’s eyes flew open to the sight of the white ceiling of her bedroom, her breathing ragged and her heart racing for several seconds, forcing the young woman to breath slowly to try and force it back into its calming state. Closing her eyes to assist in this, she let the frustration and despair fill her for several breaths until she checked the clock on her nightstand.

Frost ‘Forever Home’
Manhattan, New York
May 30th, 2023
8:13am

“8:13am…” Selena sighed as she rolled back over onto her back, her gaze back on the ceiling. It had been over two weeks since she had gone through that drug-trip – STUPIDLY gone through that drug-trip – and each night had given her the same result. The same retelling of it, the images and words now a disjointed nightmare, mixing together until she wasn’t even sure that what she now remembered in her nightmares was what she actually saw in the damn trip to begin with.

“Gods…that night…” she whispered under her breath as she rolled out of bed, seeing the magenta nightgown she wore. She had missed sending the children off to school – she would have to apologize for that later, she reminded herself as she made her way into the bathroom to shower, do her hair into its braid and dress in black jeans and a maroon t-shirt (clothes Deanna had already laid out for her wife, it seemed).

Catching her finished reflection in the mirror, a sigh escaped the young woman. What she dreamt, if it had happened that way or not, she couldn’t be certain. Certain parts were correct, but so much of it could easily be part of her nightmares. But gods did she hate what had happened in realty.

She had come to outside, the storm thundering its rain all over her – clear and beautiful teardrops soaking her and Deanna. The redhead had dragged the ‘screaming and gibberish-spouting’ Selena outside to try and wake her up with fresh air or something! Sadly, according to Deanna, Selena’s screams had only continued and it was not long before they had reached a pitch and volume that the neighbours had come rushing out.

Selena winced at the memory of that. Coming out of her trip, lying in the cold dirt of the ground, and staring up at the faces of the Grays, the Cunninghams, and the Westmounts – the closest neighbours to her house.

Gods…she had been saying that a lot every time she thought of this – what the whole thing must have looked like to them. She must have looked so delusional or drugged up – she wasn’t sure how Deanna had handled it, but it had been handled, far as Selena knew. She had stayed cooped up in her house as much as possible, limiting her socializing beyond ‘SCW-things’ to nearly nothing, at least until all this blew over.

With a sigh, the platinum-blonde eyed the other side of her bedroom, where her laptop sat on the desk. She knew all of this wasn’t going to ‘blow over’ until she made a decision. With quiet movements, the Snow Queen walked over to the laptop, flipping it open and logging into it to the last screen she had had on. Giving a quick read, she released a sigh before she heard her name.

“Selena.” It was Deanna calling to her, though she sounded… a little off? With another sigh, Selena closed the laptop on the same screen before leaving the bedroom and making her way downstairs. She did not have to go far towards the voice to find her wife, dressed casually as she was, but with blue jeans and an orange and white (creamsicle-like!, Selena thought) long shirt with a belt that tied up around her waist-line. Beside Deanna was, surprisingly, their children, all looking at her with… confusion? Fear?

“What’s wrong-“ her words stopped as she beheld the other adult in the room. The woman, taller than Deanna, but not Selena, in a black pantsuit, carrying a binder with her. Her black hair contrasted her white skin, but not her suit or glasses.

“Mrs. Selena Frost.” The woman greeted. “Your wife let me in.”
“So I gathered?” Selena’s voice lifted as she descended the stairs to stand on the same floor as the others. “Mind telling me why my children are not in school?”

“Sadly, yes.” The woman answered before Deanna could. “My name is Madison Bailey. I am with Child Protective Services.” Despite her thick glasses, Selena could still see the woman’s eyes narrowing at her.

“I am here to investigate a claim of child abuse between you… and your son.”

_______________________________________________________________

The Royal Letter

The camera opens up to reveal Selena Frost, the Snow Queen and ‘Face of SCW’, sitting in a black chair. She wears a black pantsuit and her hair is tied up in its iconic braid. One leg crossed over the other shows the matching, black pumps she wears on her feet. Her expression is relaxed with an air of cold hanging as she holds her hands and speaks into the camera.

Adam Allocco and the SCW Universe,

She takes a single breath – inhaling and exhaling. Ordinarily, this is where I would talk to all of you about my current state of mind before diving into my next match and what it means to me and my opponent and all of that. Basic 101 of promoting, right?

She tilts her head as if to think about that for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. But see, things have sort of taken a shift here in SCW. A slow shift over the past several months. A shift that’s left me looking at this match and seeing that a different approach needs to be taken. Because I said, from the start, standing in the ring loud and proud that all I wanted for this tournament was for it to be ‘pure’. I wanted this tournament to honor what the SCW World championship stands for. What Owen Cruze did his best to leave it as. The best of the best fighting to be recognized as the best in SCW and the entire world.

And during the semi-finals… that didn’t happen. Hell, that’s not happened for some of the quarterfinals either, or I’d be facing Syren, wouldn’t I? But here’s the reality. I’m not mad at the official for doing his job during my match with Ace Marshall. Steve, for so many years now, has done his best to be a symbol of integrity and, truthfully? He was just doing his job. He saw someone interfering and he called for a disqualification. He followed the rules, ended the match and punished the person that violated the rules. Selena sighs a little.

And yes, it bothered me to no end, not JUST because I had Ace Marshall where I wanted him and not just because I didn’t need a disqualification to beat him, but because that Steve was put in that position in the first place. And that I, once again, was put in that position were I could barely get a move in without someone coming after me or getting in my way!

Biting her lower lip, Selena shakes her head a little before refocusing. But as it stands, I have to go through this tournament with an asterisk to my name. I can’t say I ‘won my way through the tournament’ or that I ‘beat everyone because I was better’. No. I have to say that I got to the finals because Ace got cocky, Lexy got stupid, and karma is a bitch.

But this is where I take lemons and make lemonade. Because the one thing I’m going to do is take all this and make the one thing Lexy hates more than anything! Seeing a Frost with a championship! Ask the Farmstead Friends, ask Syren, ask Ace Marshall – or didn’t he fire Lexy?

A rare smirk comes to Selena’s face at the memory before, again, she refocuses.

But seeing as how I am headed to the finals at Taking Hold of the Flame and am one win away from the World Championship, let me explain why this match is so different and so much more than just a ‘great world title match with Rise to Greatness implications’. And, surprisingly enough, it has nothing to do with Lexy Chapel or Ace Marshall and EVERYTHING to do with you, Adam Allocco.

Any trance of Selena’s smirk is long gone, her eyes adopting a colder glare. It’s been a little over a year hasn’t it, Adam? A little over a year since you came back to SCW and took it by storm. I’m not ashamed to admit that. You rode in like a hurricane, you won the Taking Hold of the Flame battle royale and then went on to win the world title by beating me at Rise to Greatness last year. You called your shot and you made it happen. I’ve got no problems in saying you deserved to be the SCW world champion that night.

Pausing a moment, Selena holds up a hand as if to silence a crowd. But do you remember… what I said?

Another pause as Selena rests her hand on her knee. Because I called my shot, too. I said that Alloccos are good at shining bright for one night and then, ultimately, crumble under the pressure and under the spotlight. That Alloccos soak up as much of it as they can – silver-tongue their way to look like gods, only to burn out like a candle glowing at both ends.

She clicks her tongue against her teeth. And while you were right about Rise to Greatness last year, Adam. I was right too.

You’ve been back here a little over a year, Adam, and made a lot of noise since.. And yet, ironically, the most amount of noise you made wasn’t some scandal or screwing over someone or that monologue at End of the Year for the half-award you won. It was the night that had your voice choked out and you were knocked to the ground.

She gives a tilt of her head. You remember that night, Adam? Such confidence! Such talk about change! About bringing ‘your own brand of integrity’ to the world title! About how holding that title would be your ‘integrity’! I mean, you had the people in the palm of your hand, Adam! Before you, the only way I got booed or yelled at was if I was wrestling in my opponent’s hometown, and even then, nowhere like that night! So many people chanting “We Believe!” and so many others shouting “No we don’t!”.

An SCW Universe once united in the belief of integrity, now divided. And I look back on this past year, you know? Before the louder jeers against the House of Frost, before me being unable to have a decent match half the time without someone getting involved, before the Kimberly ‘Chaos match’ that people seemed to ‘love’, before a damn taser was brought into my match…

I look back at the start of it… and it’s THAT night, Adam. That night that began the downfall of integrity. Because there the SCW world was! They were ready to believe in you, Adam! Hell, I believed in you! I shook your hand. I told you that you could do it. I believed in you. I said one thing: keep up at the level that you gave me in Vegas? And we’ll be fine, you and me.

Selena gives a non-aggressive shrug. Simple, right? Wasn’t asking for your firstborn or your kidney. No. All I wanted to see was that fire! That passion! That integrity! Even if it was wrapped in an ‘asshole-attitude’. Why? Because I respected that man, Adam. I respected the man that beat me on the grandest stage SCW has. I respected your battles for sobriety, I even respected your desire to reunite your son and honor his time here in SCW by doing what he did. I respected all of that. And so did the SCW Universe.

You divided SCW that night, Adam, because of one passionate night. One victory of a Cinderella story that, for once, wasn’t my own, and finally, all those people that shouted for you were behind you! They were shouting “Change! A new kind of integrity!”.

Again, the cold glare returns to Selena’s face. And we were all lied to. We were all given false promises and false claims, Adam. And I don’t mean the short title reign that you ‘just don’t want to talk about’. I’m talking about the bigger thing. The bigger thing you ‘don’t want to talk about’. I’m talking about how, the moment the world title was ripped from your fingers, suddenly, all that promise of integrity? All that promise of bringing and keeping any integrity for SCW? All of that passion and true confidence? Went out the goddamn window!

Because after the door started to open on you and we got to see the man behind the ‘image of sobriety’ that you had cultivated? What happened? What happened, Adam, as the SCW Universe began to see the truth about you and the challenges got bigger and bigger and harder and harder in the ring, Adam? What happened?

You sold out your integrity. Bit by bit. Piece by piece, little by little, all the while trying desperately to keep everyone fooled with the memory of one night of actual merit. “I BEAT SELENA FROST! REMEMBER?! I BEAT SELENA FROST!”.

Shouts of that night. Shouts of being ‘the only deserving person to be the world champion’. Claims of being the ‘rightful person to be world champion’ and ‘the only person that should get a rematch’…. For a belt you couldn’t even hold for two full episodes of Breakdown.

An amused chuckle escapes the woman at her challenger’s months-long ‘logic’. And during those rants, Adam?

You attacked Syren from behind to ‘hedge your bet’.
You hid behind security guards to protect yourself.
You handcuffed officials to yourself.
You relied on tricks like pulling the tights and exposed turnbuckles to screw people out of matches.
You intentionally disqualified yourself in your own matches.

The Snow Queen shakes her head. So, I don’t have to listen to your repetitive notion of ‘battling demons’ and ‘making the most of a career as it reaches its end’ to know when I’m being lied to, Adam. Same with these people. We listened and we learned. That’s why, whether they continue to be with me or against me. Cheer me or boo me… they’ve stopped caring about it being you that beats me. They’ve stopped believing in you at all. Know why?

She leans forward a little, her leg swinging off the other to plant on the floor. Because you don’t even believe in yourself, do you?

You’ve gone to trying to convince the SCW Universe you’re something… to just trying to convince yourself. Cause month after month, you were given opportunity after opportunity. The Elimination Chamber. The Trios Contract cash-in at Retribution. Kimberly’s “Chaos Match”, for what it was, and month after month, opportunity after opportunity, you have failed. You came up short. Not because of politics. Not because you ‘didn’t have it’ but because YOU gave up! Because you were at a level that could be surpassed! Because you were no longer ‘the only choice for the world championship’ – or even the best choice, were you?

And you knew it. Probably soon as you lost the world title to Xander, I imagine. You knew that you weren’t the best choice – just a guy that won a big match in one night in Las Vegas… like the gambler that finally gets that winning hand and goes all in…

So, you settled on the ‘easy path’. The path devoid of integrity.

Quietly smacking her knuckles inside of her palm, Selena looks away in reflection. And from that nonsense came Kimberly’s chaos. Came the return of Ace Marshall and all the crap he’s done the last few weeks. Until the SCW Universe, still divided, can’t even agree on what integrity is anymore. Can’t even agree what S-C-W means anymore.

Gazing past the camera, a shaky breath escapes the Snow Queen. And that, Adam. That is what kills me. That you brought about this change… and just like with your son, you don’t have the balls to take responsibility for it! To admit that what you did was the most damaging thing that SCW could ever have done to it! Because you’ve dragged SCW backwards! I preached integrity and hard work and 5-star, pure matches! Things that previous champions like Sienna Swann and Syren and Bree Lancaster, at the time, couldn’t do to save their lives! And now? Here we are… and the divide you created? Some of SCW believe in those methods again! That THAT is the only way to become a champion. That ambushes, cheap tricks, cheating… is the only way to be the best in SCW.

Her pale jaw clenches at the notion as she tries to calm herself, shifting topics. Last year, you preached a lot of things about me, Adam. That I was now ‘the odds on favorite’ while you were the underdog. That I was all about ‘the spotlight’ and ‘the fame’ and that integrity was just ‘a method’ or a ‘selling point’. But here we are. I’m still here. I’m still fighting for integrity. The only person that has gone back on EVERYTHING they’ve said and everything they’ve promised… has been you.

Carefully, Selena runs her braid back and over her shoulder. Through everything, Adam! All the losses I’ve suffered, the verbal tongue-lashings, the fans divided, the jeers, the title losses. The embarrassing shortcomings – having Ravyn and Ace laugh in my face as they stole the tag titles from Deanna and I – embarrassed over a meltdown I had over an entrance technical-error… whether I am liked, disliked, cheered or booed: I’m still me.

I’m not saying you’re not capable and I’m not saying you’re not skilled, Adam. But the man that I faced last year is not the man that I’ve been seeing. Is not the man that I agreed to ‘let run the show’ when he beat me for the world title. No. That man wouldn’t have needed handcuffs or pulling tights or security or an exposed turnbuckle. That man, who swore he’d keep at that same level he did last year in Vegas?

A sad expression crosses Selena’s features as she shakes her head. I don’t think that man exists now. Maybe he never did. I think that man was just an image. A lie contrived by you to hide the biggest skeleton in your closest. The secret that was proof that deep down, Adam Allocco was, is, and always will be a liar. A man that will say anything, do anything, and PRETEND to be anything to get what he wants.

And that does not define a world champion in my eyes. A world champion doesn’t have to pretend to stand for integrity. They just do it. A world champion doesn’t have to lie to get what they want. They earn it. A world champion doesn’t have to cheat or do ‘whatever it takes’ to win and keep the title because they’ll be good enough to fight their way through with all their heart and soul to do it!

Her voice holds a bit more edge on the last sentence before she settles back into her chair.

A year ago, you started a divide, Adam. You divided this amazing federation on what integrity is meant to be. What SCW is meant to be. And you got some superstars that have followed suit like Ace, Ravyn, The One… all because ‘it worked’ for you. You’ve divided us. You’ve hurt us. You’ve shamed us.

At Taking Hold of the Flame, Adam? In the very same match where it all began: Selena Frost vs. Adam Allocco for the SCW World title? I am going to unite them all again. I am going to unite SCW under the banner of integrity, hold the world title up high over my head and make it very clear the message that I should have brought back into this division long ago!

And that message is: when it comes to me as the world champion… either step up or step aside!

Her voice growls out the last message. I handed you the keys to SCW almost a year ago, Adam. Soon, I’m taking them back! Believe it!

Slowly, the camera fades on Selena before going entirely to black.

[HARDStyle]

1 of 2: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tplJ...sp=sharing

[SnowQueenSCW]

OOC: The following CD immediately plays off the last roleplay (which takes place before the last Breakdown). The promo takes place the day of Taking Hold of the Flame. Posted in two parts due to length.

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. Furthermore, this roleplay will involve topics of child abuse. This topic is not encouraged or condoned by the writer. In short: this is a piece of FICTION.

The Witches of Alden

”Break”

Forest Hills Neighbourhood
Queens, New York
May 30th, 2023
8:09am

Selena’s eyes flew open to the sight of the white ceiling of her bedroom, her breathing ragged and her heart racing for several seconds, forcing the young woman to breath slowly to try and force it back into its calming state. Closing her eyes to assist in this, she let the frustration and despair fill her for several breaths, feeling the softness of her pillow against the back of her head as she tried to slowly push the images of that nightmare back to the corners of her mind. She felt the familiar pangs of emotion grip her, her body wanting her to cry from the overhaul of emotion, but she breathed it out as best as she could.

She was tired of crying. How many nights had she done that this year? How many times had she just given in and cried herself to sleep over failing SCW, failing her wife, and/or failing her children? She had honestly lost track, just as she didn’t know how many times she had found herself in Deanna’s arms upon awakening, the redhead having held the older woman as she slept.

With a loud exhale from her nose, knowing she was never going to get back to sleep at this point, Selena turned her head to gaze at the clock on the nightstand. “8:13am…” she sighed at the time as she rolled back over onto her back, her gaze, once more, back on the ceiling.

Did she have anyone to blame for this other than herself? It had been over two weeks since she had gone through that drug-trip – STUPIDLY gone through that drug-trip – and each night had given her the same result. The same retelling of that trip, the images and words now a disjointed nightmare, mixing together until she wasn’t even sure that what she now remembered in her nightmares was what she actually saw during the damn trip to begin with. But it all HAD been her choice. Deanna had warned her against this course of action – warned her against taking the plant-hallucinogenic-tea or whatever it was. But of course, Selena hadn’t listened.

She had been desperate. She had tried every other venture possible! She had tried to convince the fans to side with her – they were still divided on how to deal with her beliefs of integrity. She had tried to get through to Mr. D. and that hadn’t worked. And more and more… she was finding herself being the one that was slipping more than anyone else...

And then… the semi-finals…

“Gods…that night…” she whispered under her breath as she rolled out of bed, seeing the magenta nightgown she wore over her lithe frame. She had missed sending the children off to school – she would have to apologize for that later, she reminded herself. “That night…” she whispered again, seeing her reflection in the mirror for a moment as she passed it. She was a little thinner than her usual weight – when was the last time she had eaten a proper meal outside of a salad or water or protein powder… gods, she had lost her appetite long ago…

Quietly, her hands found her ribs, pressing into them a little where the muscle of her abdominals were. Nights like last Breakdown were what was causing her to lose more than her appetite – she groaned at the memory. How could that night have gone so wrong? She wasn’t even surprised now. She KNEW Ace would play the same ‘trick’ he had at Playing the Wildcard – why not? It had worked last time! Overcrowd, overwhelm and steal a victory. Of course it would work – it was why he was a tag-team champion to begin with!

Except it hadn’t worked this time! It had backfired in spectacular fashion and Ace Marshall had been disqualified – karma rearing its ugly head as it eliminated Ace from the World title tournament. And had it been any other night, any other kind of match, Selena could have laughed at it all. It was great! It was funny! Ace’s own cheating ways coming back to haunt him – no! Literally bite him in the ass! Lexy’s never-ending interferences finally costing her! It WOULD have been hilarious…

The problem was? It meant that Selena hadn’t beaten Ace clean. Hadn’t shown to the world that she was still better than him as a wrestler as she had shown nearly two years ago at Rise to Greatness XVIII. And now? Selena was heading into the finals with a disqualification win – the only person in the whole tournament that had done so.

Immediately, like gasoline to a flame, the remarks came flying across social media and SCW, Selena’s ‘legitimacy’ or ‘claim’ to the finals under scrutiny by the roster and some of the SCW Universe. But why?! It wasn’t her fault that Lexy and the others got involved! It wasn’t her fault that Ace had tried to cheat again! So why was she the one being punished for it?! Why was her talent and ability being questioned when Ace was the one that couldn’t fight her without using the same ‘tactics’ every single time?! It wasn’t-

She breathed, moving her eyes away from the mirror and her horrid reflection as she made her way into the bathroom. The worst thing was that her claim to the SCW world title – even if she managed to beat Adam Allocco at Taking Hold of the Flame – being under scrutiny and tainted wasn’t even the worst part of it all! No… what had bothered her more than anything… something she couldn’t even admit to her wife… was Steve.

Closing her eyes slowly, Selena breathed as she felt the stab of guilt wrack her frame from the memory. After she had gone after Mr. D. to, lamely, ask him to restart the match (something that the owner, unsurprisingly, cowardly refused), she had spotted Steve Hollinsworth, the official that had made the decision to disqualify Ace Marshall during her match, coming down at the end of the hall. She had called out to him, and he… he had looked at her with such horror. As if he was afraid of her. Her! The woman that had protected people like him against the likes of Giovanni Aries and, she admitted, Regan Streets during the bad months. Against people like Xander Valentine and Vixen Cain and Merrick Wiseman…

But he was afraid of her… he had held her hands up to her, stammering his apologies and why he had made the call and he was ‘just doing his job’ and ‘just following the rules’.

Selena’s eyes tightened shut further, the Snow Queen feeling her heart break a little just as it had that night at the sight of the innocent man. What had he done wrong? Nothing. He had done his job, even protected Selena after she was being ambushed… Yet, he thought she would… he thought she was going to hurt him.

Or yell at him. Or threaten him. Like you did with D.. came the mocking voice in her mind.

Quietly, her hands on the porcelain counter of her bathroom sink, the former world champion ran a pale hand through her hair. Was that how the other officials saw her too? People she trusted and respect like Aaron Demitria? Did they all see her as someone to be feared? Someone to be loathed? Someone that wouldn’t take a bullet for any of them? Was that how so many of the SCW fans saw her now? She had protected them all against Xander Valentine as best she could years ago – had they forgotten that? Or had she changed so much…

Opening her eyes, Selena saw herself again, this time in the larger mirror of her bathroom. Her hair was wild but it was her eyes that caught her attention. They were bloodshot – orbs of sapphires locked in pools of blood.

Blood… like that night.

The nightmares had continued, unfettered by the semifinals. In fact, Selena’s mindset over those events seemed to spur them on in her sleep, the woman – that woman – her… The Snow Queen… visiting her with that voice, that invitation to simply ‘take the title’ and ‘level the playing field’…

It was harder to ignore her after Breakdown. Because what if Selena had? What if she had brought Deanna with her? True, she had Luz but that had hardly been an ‘even playing field’. Luz had had to deal with Konrad and Lexy and the rest. But what if Selena had brought in Deanna? What if she had ordered Deanna to knockout Ace Marshall with The Burnout? Why not? Lexy had hit her with a clothesline, after all! So it was fair, wasn’t it?! Wasn’t it?!!

No answer came to Selena, the young woman shaking her head sadly as she pulled her nightgown off her form, tossing it back into the bedroom before closing the bathroom door behind her. Quietly, she pulled the shower lever to its coldest setting and stepped into the shower, letting herself gasp and shudder a little as the chilly waters soaked her. She stood there, letting the piercing cold numb her a little as it settled into her bones, effectively waking her up both physically and mentally.

She needed to focus. The send-home episode of Breakdown was coming up, which was bad enough – the idea of facing that vile-tongued bastard Adam Allocco again. Feeling that spike of anger, Selena clenched her jaw, a pale hand becoming a fist to slam against the shower wall.

Her last match with him, a fatal-fourway that had seen her pin and defeat him along with Bree Lancaster and Glory Braddock, hadn’t nearly been enough. By the next week, mostly everyone had forgotten about it. She was sure it wouldn’t even be mentioned. Not that she could brag about it – Allocco would just counter that it had been Syren decking him in the face that had won Selena the match and not her ‘Defying Gravity’ kick.

The platinum-blonde sighed. That was fine, she admitted. She could live with being seen as the underdog in this case – maybe the ‘unstable one’ after all the weeks she had let so much of what was happening in SCW get under her skin. But she would have to hear him again. Hear his words about ‘making the most out of his ending career’. ‘Make a legacy that his son could be proud of’. Words he had used against her over a year ago.

“Words that were utter crap!” Selena hissed in the cold. How the fuck had she bought that so long ago! It was Adam FUCKING Allocco! The man that lied to everyone! The man that had tried to use his own son for fame and attention! The man that had helped put Light in the Darkness on injury without a second thought! The man that had shown ZERO respect to Deanna with that damn ‘five moves of doom match’, squashing the inexperienced woman and killing her momentum after she had just won her first singles title – all to just get to Selena! Why the hell had she believed that Adam really cared about Alistaire or anyone for that matter? Why the hell did she ever believe that he had ANY integrity?!

It had been a secret Xander Valentine had first discovered, prompting the Executioner to go on a tear to keep Adam from acquiring the world title. Then, to further this, he had confided the truth to Owen Cruze… and now all of SCW knew. That Adam Allocco, himself, had been the reason that Alistaire could no longer wrestle. That Adam had been lying to SCW all this time…

“Gods… I wanna kill him…” the voice came out like a growl and it almost caught Selena off-guard to hear her own voice sound like that. But she could not deny it. The very thought of standing in the ring with him, listening to him try and justify all he did as some sort of “asshole behaviour”. Of mocking her and everything she had believed in – everything of hers that he had torn apart since that night in Las Vegas! – She could feel her blood boiling under her skin despite the cold water, her hand trying in vain to make it run colder but the lever was already turned all the way to the side. “Fuck…” she cursed under her breath.

She needed to control herself! If she was getting this worked up thinking about the bastard, then who knew what would happen when she was in the ring with him. Slowly, she breathed, trying to calm herself back down.

“Conceal…” she whispered, breathing under the pelting, frigid droplets. “Don’t feel…”

Her mantra was repeated over and over again until she had, temporarily, dispelled the thoughts of SCW and the finals of SCW occurring at Taking Hold of the Flame. She would train later today, as well as study whatever matches and videos she could find on Allocco. The man had managed to keep his ‘playbook’ secret when they had fought in Las Vegas. That was no longer the case after nearly a year later. Now? All his moves and ‘tricks’ were on full display like hers were! She was not going in this match again with him targeting her leg or any part of her! She would be watching for that strategy! “And if he cheats!” she reminded herself, her memory recalling how the man had torn off the turnbuckle padding to get an advantage over Syren in the quarterfinals. No, she would be ready this time because she COULD be ready this time! Provided she kept her emotions in check.

With a sigh, Selena turned off the water, stepping out to dry herself off. The cold water had, naturally, not created any steam. Hence, the mirror was unmarred as she stepped out, her wet reflection gazing back at her. For a moment, Selena simply stared at her own self. She saw the scars wrapping around her ribs, where, she knew, they formed into a ‘spider’s web’ of scar tissue at her back. For a moment, she wondered if Adam had any scars like that? She couldn’t recall a time where he had been so brutally beaten – the “King of HARDstyle” or however he worded it, preferring to flee or hide behind security than face any real danger.

Probably why he’s never flat-out fought Xander. Selena reasoned. Coward can’t seem to do anything without help.

Of course, that rationale brought with it more thoughts. Such as Adam using assistance like Ace had. Would the official allow it? She had no desire for the world title to be won through disqualification like her match with Ace had gone… but what could she do if Adam brought someone in? What could she do if she was outnumbered again? What could she do if…

Without realizing it, Selena’s eyes widened as she saw her hand suddenly in her platinum-blonde hand, the limb grabbing the hair on the side of her head and pulling it tight around her towards the back. Gazing back at the mirror, Selena saw her locks – the very thing she associated with her last name and her identity – tied back on one side against the skin while the rest remained untouched, flowing down her in a wet snowfall of sorts. She let her eyes narrow and her mouth twist a little – like she had seen in her nightmares. Then a slight lowering of the head to glare into her reflection with an upward glance…

And the Snow Queen of her nightmares stared back at her.

It made her spine go rigid, seeing the woman before her. She looked like Killjoy… but also like her… and it was her – it was her reflection! – but it wasn’t really her, was it?

“Level the playing field…” she felt herself whisper, her voice tired of just… of everything. “I just want to wrestle.” She continued. “I just want to prove that I’m the best. I just want to show that the title is about talent… not how many people you use or who the best ‘cheater’ is… I just…”

Level the playing field… The voice, this time, was in her head – the same tone that had filled her nightmares.

She continued to stare at the Snow Queen – at herself. The woman in her nightmares? Nothing seemed to faze her. She wasn’t scared of ambushers or rule-breakers. Because she would just adapt. If they cheated, then she would too. If they played fair, then so would she. If they brought friends, then she would too, until her enemies had no choice but to face her on equal footing – equal grounds - where their skills would have to better than hers if they hoped for victory.

And face it… nobody’s is…

It was… not true. Not entirely. But even Selena could not deny her rank in the ‘skills’ and ‘resilience’ department. She was the most decorated superstar in the past decade, the woman that had won more “Wrestler of the Year” awards than anyone – the only person to have won every main-kind of tournament in SCW history. She had beaten everyone, including Adam Allocco, and every one else in the tournament in some form and fashion… on a level playing field? Some could beat her once, maybe twice… but how many times had she won the war?

“Maybe that’s why they need to break the rules…” Selena muttered under her breath, casting her gaze away from her reflection and releasing her hair a little to begin to tie it up into its braid. Instead of feeling flattered by that notion, that someone like Ace Marshall or Syren had needed armies just to deal with her… Selena still felt miserable. What good was being so… well, ‘good’, if no one wanted to fight you fairly? What good was it to have worked your way to such skill if no one wanted to challenge you and test that skill anymore?

Kandis? Ace? Adam? Maybe even Syren if she was paling around with Lexy – they all would have taken a shortcut if given the chance. Anything to have a ‘win’ over ‘The Face of SCW’ rather than earning a victory…

Her hair down and her body dry, Selena applied only a basic amount of makeup and eyeliner before stepping back into her bedroom, where she spotted the black jeans, underwear, and maroon t-shirt Deanna had already laid out for her on the bed. She was quick to dress before catching her finished reflection in the mirror.

The woman that stood before her… this was her. Young – she refused to believe otherwise – and flawed, she could admit that much. But this was her. A woman that loved her family. Loved her job. Loved the company she worked for so much that she was willing to risk her own health and, at times, happiness to do right by it, even if SCW didn’t want that from her anymore. A sigh escaped the young woman at that thought.

What she dreamt, the Snow Queen standing there, unfettered by the hate of the SCW Universe… if it had happened that way or not, Selena couldn’t be certain anymore. Certain parts were correct, but so much of it could easily be part of her nightmares. But it wasn’t her – anymore than that gibbering mess that had awakened from the drug-trip screaming bloody murder to the night sky and storm.

Selena winced at the memory of that. Coming out of her trip, lying in the cold dirt of the ground, and staring up at the faces of the Grays, the Cunninghams, and the Westmounts – the closest neighbours to her house that had rushed out at the sound of her screams in her delusion. She could not imagine what the whole scene must have looked like to them. She must have looked so delusional or drugged up – she wasn’t sure how Deanna had handled it, but it had been handled, far as Selena knew.

Still, the older Frost had stayed cooped up in the house as much as possible, limiting her socializing beyond ‘SCW-things’ to nearly nothing, at least until things had cooled down or blown over.

With a sigh, the platinum-blonde eyed the other side of her bedroom, where her laptop sat on the desk. She knew all of this wasn’t going to ‘blow over’ until she made a decision. With quiet movements, the she walked over to the laptop, flipping it open and logging into it to the last screen she had had on. The Microsoft Word document she had been working on since that match with Ace Marshall. Giving a quick read, she released a sigh…

Dear True Believers of the SCW Universe… I’m sorry that this will be the last Royal Letter I write for you…

“Selena.” She heard her name being called and immediately recognized it as her wife’s voice, though it sounded… a little off? With a softer exhale, Selena closed the laptop on the same screen before leaving the bedroom and making her way downstairs.

When I started this adventure nearly a decade ago, I began simply wanting to make money. Survive and thrive. I wanted to take the people that had laughed at me, mocked me, and ruined so much of my life and show them what I could do. I was… I was bitter. I was angry. I was so… lost. I didn’t really believe in myself… didn’t really believe in anything…

The platinum-blonde walked the few steps needed to reach the stairs, following the voice until she spied her beloved Deanna standing on the main-floor near the front door. The redhead was dressed with blue jeans and an orange and white long shirt with a belt that tied up around her waist-line. Beside her, surprisingly, were all three of their children, all looking at her with… confusion? Fear?

But all of you… you accepted me. You let me be part of something that was so much more than ‘a job’. You made me want to come to work every show, every night. You stood with me with your cheers of “We Believe!”. You encouraged me when I finally came out with my sexuality. You celebrated with me when I won my first titles. And when I didn’t believe in myself to be worthy of the SCW world championship, you voted for me and shared your belief with me that I WAS good enough to be world champion… YOUR SCW world champion…

“What’s wrong-“ Selena’s words stopped as she, finally, spotted the other adult in the room. A woman stood there patiently closer to the door. She was taller than Deanna, but not Selena, and wore a black pantsuit, and carrying a binder with her. Her black hair – tied in a tight bun - contrasted her white skin, but not her suit or glasses.

“Mrs. Selena Frost.” The woman greeted. “Your wife let me in.”
“So I gathered?” Selena’s voice lifted as she descended the stairs to stand on the same floor as the others. “Mind telling me why my children are not in school?”

“Sadly, yes.” The woman answered before Deanna could. “My name is Madison Bailey. I am with Child Protective Services.” Despite her thick glasses, Selena could still see the woman’s eyes narrowing at her. “I am here to investigate a claim of child abuse between you… and your son.”

Everything that has grown from that – the awards, the accolades, the Reign of Integrity - everything I have done and accomplished has only been possible because all of you never stopped believing in me and the integrity we wanted to see in SCW. I felt… I felt that we could endure anything together – that SCW could endure anything – as long as we stood united and believed in one another as we have for so many years, through thick and thin, through all the wars, scars and pains… together.

“This is…” Deanna’s voice sounded loudly. “Utterly ridiculous! My wife is an amazing mother!”

Blinking her eyes, Selena gazed around the room. She was suddenly not in the mudroom of her house, but the cinema room, waiting outside the door to her office… the past two hours flying by in a blur, her mind still reeling with the words Madison had thrown at her.

Child abuse… her?

The words sounded foreign… impossible! She would never…

And yet she had. She had struck her son, David. Had slapped his cheek to stop his immature, wildly inappropriate behaviour. Had he told someone about that? He must have since this ‘Madison-woman’ was here now – but did he realize what this meant? Did he even understand?

Despite these questions, the former world champion could not bear to look up at her son, who was sitting down the hall in the ‘play area’, Elsianna and Amiliah sitting beside him. None of them said anything. It was “appointment mode”, a little thing the Frost family had created during one of Amiliah’s first doctor’s appointments years ago. It meant that the children needed to sit still, not speak too loud, and be on their best behaviour. It was rarely used, which made it all the more important to be followed when it was employed – even Amiliah had learned that.

Deanna must have enacted it. Selena guessed, biting the nail of her thumb nervously before shifting her hands to twist at her braid harshly – feeling the pricks of pain in her scalp. They had given a tour of their home to the woman, showing how it was safe for children and now things had moved to the ‘interview’ portion. It would soon be her turn to talk to this Bailey woman. What if she said the wrong thing? What if she was deemed ‘unfit’ or guilty of abuse…

They’ll take David away from you… maybe Elsianna and Amiliah too… just like integrity was taken from you by him… Selena slammed her eyes shut against the familiar voice. She didn’t need to think about The Snow Queen right now! She had to stay calm! She needed to focus…

Maybe that’s why this letter hurts so much for me. For some time now… maybe since after Taking Hold of the Flame and into Rise to Greatness last year, I have felt myself slowly losing that connection with all of you. I found myself losing focus, distracted by your sudden jeers and mocking of my catchphrase – arguing with one another like my kids do over ‘who the best superhero is’. I did my best to stay true to my beliefs and to the goal of integrity that was ongoing despite it. But as the months passed, and I fought to keep my word to all of you, I felt us growing further and further apart… until I… I didn’t know where I stood in SCW anymore. I didn’t even know if I really belonged there anymore.

And then last Breakdown…

“Selena…” The woman jerked her head up, instantly hissing in pain as she accidentally pulled the thumbnail she had been working with her teeth up and off her digit, causing some of the skin to go with it. “Damn…” she hissed under her breath before forcing her attention back to Deanna, who stood at the doorway.

“She wants to talk to you now.” The redhead sounded despondent, her frame sagging a little, which only further unnerved Selena. Still, Selena gave a curt nod before walking the few steps necessary to reach the door. She had just passed Deanna when she felt the shorter woman’s hand on her bicep, the Snow Queen turning her gaze towards the worried emerald eyes of her wife. “Don’t…” her voice trailed off, but nearly eight years of marriage finished the sentence for Selena.

Giving a sharp nod as her answer, Selena shuffled into her office, closing the door behind her. Inside the room, Selena immediately cursed the situation in her mind.  This room was supposed to be her sanctuary. Her place of escape to be alone with her thoughts. Her place where she had written some of her best promos for SCW and the other companies she had worked for. It was in this room that she had first come up with the “Frozen Central” segment and had done so much research on her opponents.

Now? That peace was gone. Taken from her by this woman that knew nothing about her!

Last Breakdown… I don’t know if it was the last straw… but it felt so damn close. To hear you cheering on what happened to Deanna and I at the last pay-per-view, when we only wanted to give you integrity and top matches for tag division. When I only wanted the world championship to mean something more than the mundane, cheap, cheating tricks that had plagued it for years… Only to listen to you chant for Ace as he continued to try and cheat you out of a pure semifinal match to find a worthy SCW world champion…

What happened to us, SCW Universe?

“Please have a seat.” The voice snapped Selena back to present, and she almost spoke out at the suited woman as Madison was currently in ‘Selena’s chair’, the child services clerk having made herself quite comfy behind Selena’s desk in her ‘throne chair’. Biting her lower lip against her instinctual response, Selena quietly, with as much grace as she could muster, walked towards the green, faux-leather chair in front of the desk, taking a seat in front and crossing one leg over the other.

“This is all very unnerving.” She said flatly to Bailey.
“Most parents feel that way when I show up.” Madison answered.

“Are…” Selena hesitated for a moment, fear gripping her, and making her terrified to ask the question.

What happened to us, SCW Universe? We used to be united! We use to want to see 5-star matches that displayed talent – displayed Supreme Championship Wrestling! Where hard work and passion were valued and not seen as ‘boring’ or ‘not what we paid to see’. When did that change, guys? Honestly, I am desperate to know at this point. Because I don’t understand why it changed. And why I feel so alone now, fighting for something… do any of you even believe in it anymore?

“Are you going to take my children away?” she couldn’t help the shake in her voice. The thought seemed beyond impossible, and yet there Madison stood with her accusation of ‘child abuser’ on the older Frost woman.

Seeing the platinum-blonde’s discomfort, Madison gave a slow exhale. “I won’t say yes or no to that, Mrs. Frost.” She answered. “However, that is not my ACTIVE goal. All I want is to make sure that your children are in safe and nurturing environment.”

“They are.” Selena assured quickly. “We make sure they exercise, are fed good foods, we…” she stopped herself, seeing the unaffected expression on Madison’s face. How many times had this woman heard such things from other parents? “We… try.” Selena settled on saying. “Parenting isn’t easy, especially for two women in a gated community but… we try.”

“My sympathies on your struggles.” Madison answered simply as she continued to look through her binder. “But this is about David.”

“Yes.” Selena nodded, trying to clear her thoughts at the mental image of her son. “David.”

“So… did you hit your child, Mrs. Frost?”

The fact that I am even asking that question… that I even consider it… I don’t blame you for your reactions. You are the SCW Universe. You are free to choose and free to do as you wish. You have that power. You have that right. Without you, there is no us. Without you, there is no SCW. But if that is what you want – what you believe ‘SCW’ to be now… chaos matches, ambushes, 5-on-2 or 4-on-1 handicaps… if that is what you believe SCW should be…

Then, to paraphrase my boss, this is NOT the SCW hired me. This is NOT the SCW that believed in me…

“Did I… did I what?” Selena gulped, her sapphire eyes wide.

“Perhaps that was too direct.” Madison considered before pulling out a piece of paper from the binder she held. Carefully, she handed it over to Selena. “We received a phone call several days ago. Evidently, your son drew this in class. Someone spotted the drawing and we were, eventually, notified. I’m sorry for the vagueness but, confidentiality…”

Selena had stopped listening to the woman as she reached a pale hand out to take the drawing. Slowly, she turned it in her hand, allowing herself to see the bright colors of the crayons and the streaks of wax etched across the paper. She recognized her son’s hand almost immediately, having seen him draw in his coloring book for so many years.

But the image before her…

There was a small figure, like a stick figure, his head was bigger than most of his body. He had a basic ‘sad’ expression of a single line making a frown and black dots for eyes… but the dark blue of tears going down ‘his’ face were unmistakable. He was hunched over, looking away – Selena noticed a red circle on the boy’s left ‘cheek’.

Towering over him – for it took up the top and bottom of the page – was a second figure with yellow-hair and blue eyes. But this thing had a gigantic head! It almost reminded Selena of her own ‘views’ of Adam Allocco’s ego! Except this wasn’t Adam Allocco that was baring sharp, pointy ‘teeth’ at the boy and snarling at him.

No… her eyes quickly saw past the scribbles that made up the boy’s room, random shadings of green and brown and, instead, locked on towards the charcoal-black of the arrows, one that pointed towards the boy and said ‘Me’ while the other pointed towards the fanged behemoth with the word ‘Mommy’ next to it.

“I…” Selena was at a loss for words as she beheld the picture. There was no way to ‘mistake’ it. The moment, the scene – what haunted her as much, if not more, than everything in SCW right now – was on full display in this ‘art-class drawing’. “What is this?” she asked.

“You tell me.” Madison answered simply. “That is how your son sees you, it seems.” She moved closer to Selena. “Any reason why he would draw you like that?”

That is why, with a heavy heart, I say that I cannot be in an SCW that doesn’t want me there anymore. That doesn’t want integrity. I can’t. Because every show… I’ve felt it. I’ve felt myself slipping. When I lost my temper over a technical error in Deanna’s entrance. When I sucker-punched Ace Marshall during that farce of a title-ceremony. When I yelled at D. over a match where the official was just doing his job… I can feel it – myself, slowly slipping away. Slowly losing more and more of my own belief, faith… even my own integrity…

And it scares me.

Selena barely heard the last question, her eyes unable to tear away from the piece of paper. “Why…” her voice shook as the flurry of emotions hit her – shame, hurt, disgust at herself – “Why would he see me as this…this…”

”Monster?” came the voice in her mind. ”Because, deep down, you ARE one. You need to be one! Because if you don’t… then everything you love will be taken from you! SCW, the integrity, now your children… because you were too afraid...

“This…” she turned her head towards Madison, unable to stop the wild look growing in her eyes. “This isn’t me.” She explained. “I’d never…after everything I’ve been through with my stepmother – THAT woman was a child abuser, okay?! Gods, where were you guys when I was going through that?!”

“Mrs. Frost…”

“For Odin’s sake, she locked me in a tub and tried to drown me… TWICE! Once as a child and another when I was an adult! And that’s just the tip of the goddamn iceburg! And you’re here… saying… that I’m like her? Like that?! That isn’t me! That’s not who I am!!” her voice was near shouting levels at the notion. “I am not a monster!”

It scares me so much because I don’t want to become that. I don’t want to become like Ace Marshall or, gods forbid, a liar and a despicable piece of crap like Adam Allocco. I don’t want to sell out every fiber of my integrity just so we can ‘get along’ and ‘agree’ again. I don’t want to sell out my beliefs just so you cheer my name or scream “We Believe” again. I… I want you to cheer me because you believe in me. Because you’re proud of me. Because you still believe in what I do and what I can do for SCW and for all of us! So my children can continue to be proud of me…

“MRS. FROST!” Madison had risen out of her chair and, though she was shorter than Selena, with the Snow Queen sitting, still in shock, the suited woman towered over the platinum-blonde. “If you do not calm down, I will end this interview here and now.”

It wasn’t much, but it was enough to snap Selena out of her rant, the seated woman almost cowering back into her seat, her eyes fluttering back down to the drawing.

But I can’t… after nearly a year of trying… of watching SCW turn and go back – go back to the low bar so easily… and hearing all of you cheer those people on… I just, maybe this isn’t the place for me anymore. Maybe it’s just my time to stop trying when no one believes, before even I don’t believe anymore… maybe it’s time…

“Now.” Madison pressed. “This…” she reached a finger out to tap on the paper in Selena’s hands. “Is this drawing based on any kind of truth? Did you, or did you not, assault your son? Yes or no?”

Maybe it’s time to say goodbye.

“I…” Selena opened her mouth to speak, but her voice closed out. You can’t say ‘yes’! screamed the Snow Queen in her mind. She’ll take David away! Then Elsianna and Amiliah will be taken next! She’ll take them all to an orphanage! You’ll NEVER see them again! “Y…N…N…Yee…” Selena’s voice was barely a mutter of sounds as she tried to speak, her hands shaking, which only created a louder ‘flapping sound’ as the paper shook right along with her hands.

“Yes or no.” pressed Madison.

“N…” Selena felt her heart race, her anger spiking. How dare this woman come here and threaten to take her children away! How dare she try and put her through this! Gods, I should just throw her in the ring and kick her GODDAMN head off!

The door swung open, gaining both women’s attention to the small boy standing there in his favorite Spider-Man t-shirt and black shorts.

“I made it up!” he screamed. “Please don’t hurt my mom anymore! I made it up!”

The silence was deafening as the three stood there, clerk, mother and son. It hung that way for several minutes until Bailey cleared her throat. Just as quick as the hardened interviewer had appeared, it was gone, replaced with the caring clerk.

“What do you mean, David?” she asked kindly.

“I mean… I made it up.” David stated. “I drew the drawing to get even with mom.”

“Get even?” Selena asked in surprise, too stunned by everything to fully process what was happening.

“I didn’t want to make poppies for memorial day. I wanted to play Metroid. Mom wouldn’t let me and when I complained and whined, she grounded me. So… I drew the picture and handed it to my teacher to get mom in trouble. Cause then she’d get a timeout or detention or something!”

For a moment, Madison just stood there, her eyes narrowing at David, before she quietly moved towards him, kneeling down rather fluidly despite her heels. Eye to eye with the boy, the CPS clerk tilted her head.

“David…” she started. “You know you don’t have to lie to protect your mom, right? If she hurt you, you can tell me.”

Despite himself, Selena heard the boy gulp as he stood there before the woman.

“It’s never okay to strike a child, or anyone. And if your mother did it, she needs to be held accountable.”

“But…” David tried, his voice beginning to stammer. “She didn’t! I mean-“

I regret nothing. Everything I did was by my choice. I wanted to give every single one of you all I had every time I stepped through those ropes and into the ring. I have missed birthdays, first words, first steps, first scrapped knees, so many first lost tooths, and while it saddens me, I never, once, regretted being here and being an SCW superstar. But in my heart… what lies ahead of me made me realize that it was time for me to let SCW be… whatever it is you want it to be.

“Look, she didn’t do it, okay?!” David all but shouted. “I told you that. I’m sorry! I didn’t think this would happen! It was just a… a prank.”

Madison glared at the boy for an impossibly long period of time before slowly standing up to her full height, leaving the boy below her. Without a word, she slowly gathered her notes.

“Well, then…” she said once all her things were gathered. “Then I shall be on my way.”

In that moment, it didn’t matter that every fiber in Selena’s being was screaming at her that this wasn’t over. She merely felt relief as Madison took her leave. She refused to leave her seat until she heard Deanna bid the woman farewell and heard the door close from upstairs.

It was only then that the young Frost exhaled the breath she had been holding, deflating and collapsing further into her chair. Her body running through so many emotions, it almost brought her to tears, forcing her to draw a pale hand to cup over her eyes.

“Mom?” David asked, cautiously moving closer to his mother. “Does this mean I won’t be taken away?”

Hearing her son’s voice, Selena turned her head to see him standing before her, nearly at her eye-level.

“David…” she breathed, wanting to answer him but the burning question in her head persisted as she held up his drawing. “Is this how you see me?”

The young boy opened his mouth to speak as he gazed at his own drawing, but no words followed. Instead, he merely shrugged his shoulders as his eyes moved down to his feet. Not for the first time that day, Selena felt her heart break a little more.

My son thinks I’m a monster… she thought, feeling every painful emotion that came with that knowledge. “Then…” she breathed. “Why did you lie to the lady?” she slowly, feeling the burning tears in her eyes. “Why did you protect me?”

“Because mom said that they were going to take me away from you.”

The answer was so…upfront. As if it was the most obvious answer on the planet. Easier than ‘what’s 2 + 2?’. Except it wasn’t so understandable to Selena.

“Why would you want to stay with me? If I’m…” she gulped at the last two words. “A monster.”

“You’re not always a monster.” David replied. “Usually… you’re ‘mom’.”

“But…” Selena whispered under her breath. “I am a monster…” Despite herself, she felt her free hand drift up to her hair, grasping the side of it and tugging it back a little behind her head…

“David…” the voice caused Selena to drop the locks of hair she held to see Deanna standing there, gaining the boy’s attention.

“Are they going to take me away, mom?” he asked Deanna, his eyes wide.
“No.” Deanna answered. “But you understand why you can’t go around saying things like that or drawing things like that?”

“I…yeah…” David nodded. “I didn’t mean for someone to find the drawing. It must have fallen out of my binder or something.”

“Is that true?” Deanna asked, more quiet than accusatory, not wishing to scare the young boy.

“It doesn’t matter.” Came Selena’s response. “David, you…” she turned her head to him, ready to reprimand him for lying to the lady. But those words did not come out. Instead, she merely sighed. “I’m sorry.” She finally said. “I should never have hit you. I promise…” she sniffled a little, wiping at her eyes with her free hand. “I promise I will never do that again.”

The young boy looked at him for a moment before nodding his head. “I’m sorry I drew that picture.” He offered. “And for swearing. And for-“

“That’s enough, David.” Deanna tried. “We get it.”

“Okay…” he nodded his head. “Can we… can we be done with ‘Appointment protocol’?”

“Yes.” Selena answered with a snort of a laugh from the abrupt topic change. “Go tell your sisters.”

He scampered out of the room to do so, leaving the Frost wives alone in the study.

“Can you…” Selena breathed slowly. “Can you please close the door, Deanna. I’m about to cry and I don’t want them to hear me.”

Quickly, the redhead flew further into the room, closing the door behind her. It wasn’t until Selena heard the click of the latch that she let everything out. All the pain, self-hatred, fear, loathing at herself, all of it. With it came ready tears that ran down her cheeks unlike any crying she had done before. She let them fall, let them wash over her face. It was a silent cry, but the magnitude of it could not be measured in ‘volume’.

“I almost…” she breathed, her breath slowly growing into hiccups. “I almost…hic…lost our son…”

The hics of the hiccups continued as she held up the drawing towards Deanna, who slowly took it from her hand and examined it. “He thinks I’m a monster.” She whispered, her voice breaking a little at such knowledge.

Silence held itself between the two Frost women as Deanna glanced from the paper towards her wife, then back to the drawing, then back to Selena before she finally spoke.

“Then change his mind.”

Slowly, Selena heard her wife’s words, the Snow Queen looking up to gaze at her. “What?”

“You made him think you were a monster. Make him think you’re not.”

“It doesn’t…” Selena tried. “It doesn’t work that way.”

“Why not?” Deanna asked.
“Because once you lose…” she breathed, trying to stop her hiccups. “Because it’s…it’s like Santa Clause… Once you lose faith in something, you can’t just get it back.”
“I’m not asking you to make him believe in something mythical, Selena.” Deanna countered. “I’m asking you to make him see you’re a good person.”

“I don’t know how.”
“Promising not to hit him again was a good start.”
“I meant that!”
“I know.” Deanna nodded. “But then what?”

“I…” Selena shrugged, her mind too jumbled to give proper thought to an answer. “Be nice to him or something?”
“You’re his mother. Not his pal.” Deanna stated, crossing her arms over her chest. “Make him realize that there will be good days and bad days between you two, but you’ll always love him. That’s the important thing.”

“Why-“

“Because monsters don’t feel love.” Deanna stated simply. “They don’t cry like that when they’re called ‘monsters’.” She gestured towards her wife before slowly reaching to take Selena’s free hand into hers. “And monsters don’t try and learn from their mistakes… because they don’t think they ever made mistakes.”

“Well I’ve made mistakes.” Selena sighed, wiping at her eyes. “A lot of them.”

“See?” Deanna smiled, leaning to gently kiss her wife’s lips. “I’m going to call the school and let them know the kids will be back tomorrow. Maybe we can go for a picnic today or something.”

“I’d like that.” Selena offered a small smile, watching her wife go. It wasn’t until she was gone that she released a sigh of sadness before sneaking out of the office, up the stairs and back into her room unnoticed. Once there, she opened her laptop again to gaze at the letter she had been working on.

“But monsters can lie, Deanna.” She whispered. ”And that’s exactly what I almost did…”

She had almost lied to that Bailey-woman. Almost denied she had ever hit David, even though she had. She would have, she knew it deep in her soul that if David hadn’t barged in at that moment… she would have lied to keep from having her son and children taken away from her.

Level the playing field… the voice whispered in her mind.
Make it fair…
Take the title…


Once more, Selena clutched at the side of her hair, pulling it back for a brief moment as she read the last line in her letter.

So…I hope you never stop believing in SCW, because I will always believe in it. And if there’s no place for me… well, thanks for letting it be my place for nearly ten years…

“Not yet…” Selena whispered before slowly closing the laptop once more, refusing to send it. “One more try…” she whispered, taking a deep breath. “One last match…to try and fix everything…”

Decided, Selena left the room, returning to her wife’s side to prepare themselves for the planned picnic.

Sincerely,
Selena Michelle Frost
The Face of SCW…
______________________________________

[SnowQueenSCW]

The camera opens up to the America Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the final pay-per-view stop before Rise to Greatness… Taking Hold of the Flame. A night where every element of the vacant SCW world championship will be decided. From its challenger to its champion. For not only will the SCW universe witness the annual battle royale, but also the conclusion of the SCW world title tournament. Eight contenders have gone down to two – one of which will become the new SCW world champion, moving on to headline Rise to Greatness XX, the biggest anniversary of the greatest pay-per-view in all of SCW.

With stakes so high, it is no surprise to come into an empty arena, the familiar arctic blue and white lights shining down on the ring. However, unlike other segments of ‘Frozen Central’, the host – the Snow Queen of SCW – does not sit in the middle of the ring under the lights.

Rather, she is eventually spotted, wearing her blue jeans, black t-shirt and leather jacket, crouching in the corner of the ring, sitting on the low turnbuckle – the last place she was at the end of the final episode of Breakdown before the pay-per-view. More so, like that episode, her eyes are locked on the middle of the ring, seeing something that only she can see.

With a slow breath, the Face of SCW speaks, her eyes never leaving the spot on the mat.

”You either die a hero… or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain…”

The words echo a little in the silent arena before Selena lifts her head to gaze ahead of her, a bitter smirk playing at her lips.

Vixen Cain once told me that. I thought it was the stupidest thing I had ever heard, especially when I learned that he had stolen it from a movie. But I suppose I should have expected that from a guy dressed up like a gender-bent Cruella DeVil…

With a huff, Selena crosses her arms over her chest. I mean – it didn’t make any sense. How does one ‘live long enough to become a villain’? I didn’t get it then. As long as I fought for what was right – for what I believed in – then how could I possibly be the villain in my own story?

With a knowing shake of her head, Selena looks up at the lights above her, taking in the empty seats of the arena. And yet… here we are. Pushed to my limit. Pushed further and further each passing week, with each snap I go through taking more and more out of me. And last week, I… her eyes return back to that spot.

Last week I did something that I don’t usually do. I took a cheap shot. I launched the Glass Shard at my future opponent and knocked him out. I did something that… someone like Ace Marshall or Adam or Ravyn would do… she sighs, pushing herself up to her feet.

And for my fans that were there in Baltimore that night, I owe you all an apology. I was not – that is not someone I want to be. I don’t want to be someone that breaks like that. I don’t want to be a superstar that uses cheap shots like that to make her point. To the fans and SCW universe watching at home, I owe you that same apology. I’m sorry. she sighs, turning her head towards the camera. And to Adam Allocco… she angrily moves her tongue a little in her cheek, as if in thought before gazing back at her audience – and her opponent.

I don’t owe you a goddamn thing!

Her tone is cold and her eyes glare right through the lens.

Because do you have any idea how long I’ve been itching to do that? How long I’ve dreamed of flattening you with that kick and knocking your lying, pathetic ass out?! I’ll tell you exactly how long! Two hundred and sixty-nine days!

Selena breathes a little heavier. Two hundred and sixty-nine days, Adam. Since the night you lost the world title to Xander Valentine, since the night the truth about your lies began to be exposed, since the moment you let us all down about being a champion of integrity, since the moment I realized that you lied to me, since the night that integrity started to deteriorate in SCW again, all I have wanted was to kick your damn head off!

Closing her eyes, Selena moves around the ring, trying to collect her thoughts. And to finally do it, even if I hated myself for taking the route that I did? I won’t lie, Adam – I’m not you – it felt damn good to finally do it! It felt SO DAMN good to finally, after the months you used MY name, MY legacy to boost your own over one win – to finally shut you up mid-sentence with one kick? Gods… for the briefest of moments, it felt amazing!

Calming herself for a moment, Selena tries to reign in on the myriad of emotions running through her.
Because I hate you, Adam.

The woman pauses, as if the words are rather foreign to her, but an understanding seems to cross over her features. Hate is a strong word, Adam, but it’s the only word that comes to my mind when I think of you. A relentless, burning hatred.

Because I look at you and I not only see the man that lied to me. No, I see the man that humiliated my wife when he could have helped make her better. You humiliated my Deanna, for what? You beat a rookie, Adam, who had just begun having some success here in SCW, and for what? To get to me? To play games with me?

I look at you and I don’t just see the man that kept my name attached to his hip from 2022 to now. A man that needed me to keep himself relevant when he couldn’t hack it as the world champion.

No, Adam, I hate you because for one reason… I look at you and all I see is ugly.

Taking a deep breath, Selena runs her hand down the rope.

Because I look back on this year, Adam, at everything that has happened to this incredible federation – how it’s fallen from where it was in less than a year… I look at it all and the wheels started turning in my head. And I realized why you need my name next to yours. Why you constantly needed to keep spouting my name and your win over me more than I ever needed to flaunt my wins against you. Because it wasn’t enough for you to beat me for the title, was it? It wasn’t enough for you to have your win, your moment, at Rise to Greatness, was it, Adam?

No, you came out the first Breakdown after, thinking you could do what I do – be what I am!

Releasing a huff, Selena gives a shrug of her shoulders. When did that happen, Adam? Was it while you were in rehab? Was it when Alistaire spoke about me in his past? Was it when you would watch SCW and see me doing what you wish you could do? When was it, Adam, that it suddenly became too much and you just ‘had’ to have what I did?

Biting her lower lip, Selena’s eyes flutter closed for a moment as she shakes her head. See, it doesn’t really matter, because you realized really quick that you couldn’t just take my catchphrases and be me, could you? You couldn’t just silver-tongue your way to the legacy that’s taken me a decade of no time off to build. But you had to do something, didn’t you?! Because it ate you up inside, didn’t it? How the world had FORGOTTEN about you? Forgotten the name ‘Allocco’? It ate you up.

A knowing smirk comes to Selena’s features. That’s what all of this has really been about, hasn’t it? The past year? The fakeouts? The lies? It was never about a legacy or ‘doing right by your career’ or even doing it for Alistaire, was it?! It was all about YOU! You want to talk about pride and ego, Adam? ALL OF THIS – my SCW falling apart - has been because of your damned ego!

Her jaw clenches as she breathes a haggard breath. Because it wasn’t enough to beat me, like I said. No, you had to try and uglify everything I believed in. You uglified the world title. You tried to uglify by wife’s career. You tried to uglify my reign of integrity by scoffing at it and mocking it. You even uglified what being a parent was!

Another staggered breath. You uglified everything that I held dear in my life. Everything that gave me purpose, Adam. Because you thought you were safe from me, didn’t you? That I would just ‘disappear’ after that loss, didn’t ya? You thought I’d take my ball and go home, right? That I’d just call it a day and move on or never reach such heights again, didn’t ya? You wanted me to disappear and ‘leave things be’ as I promised in Vegas so you could say you ‘took down the Snow Queen’, right?

Except you couldn’t do that, could you? So you kept uglifying SCW! Kept bending the rules, inspiring others to do the same like your Trios partner Kimberly Williams and The One, kept lying to us all – all because you’re trying to walk in my footsteps, but you can’t fill them!

Selena shakes her head, almost with a scoff. On your ‘best day’, Adam? You couldn’t even hold the world title a couple of weeks, could you? On your best day, you couldn’t last a match with Syren without cheating, could you? On your best day, Adam, you couldn’t see my kick coming, could you? her voice growls a little louder.

But you want to claim that I am the same woman as the one you beat in Vegas? That the situation is the exact same as before? That history is the same and will be the same?

A laugh and a scoff finally escapes Selena, her hand slowly reaching upwards. Adam, NOTHING is the same as before! A year ago, you hid behind five moves of doom to keep your playbook ‘a secret’ from me. Selena snaps her fingers. That’s gone. You had the momentum of a damn tidal wave last year – THAT’S gone! You had everything to gain and NOTHING to lose. That’s gone! every time, she snaps her fingers before resting her over her chest.

And me… if I was the same, Adam… then how come you didn’t see that kick coming? How come you couldn’t stop it?

A moment of silence passes before Selena holds her hand out to the camera. It’s starting to sink in now, isn’t it, old man? You’re starting to see the cracks in your ‘theory’? In your ‘plan’, aren’t you? This isn’t some match where you can stand at a lake, posing and say how you’re ‘trying to end your career on your terms’ or brag about battling your demons anymore. This isn’t a match where you have the SCW Universe in the palm of your hand anymore.

And you don’t have a naïve woman as your opponent anymore.

A calmer breath escapes the Snow Queen. No, Adam. I have seen enough and learned enough since July to know now exactly the kind of man you are – the kind of champion you are – the kind of wrestler you are. And it’s everything that I have hated in this company for so long, especially this past season. I have watched you try and deny opportunities from others with your proclamations and cash-ins. I have watched you rob people with your cheating ways. I have watched you lie and steal and all the while, still pretending that you’re this ‘asshole, anti-authority’ when really? You’re just a bitter old man that doesn’t deserve the SCW world championship – not like your son did.

For a moment, a look of sadness washes over Selena. Your son earned that title not once, but twice in his career – and he will always have my respect for that. You? You lied, deceived and used your son’s name to get the world title. And for that, Adam, I will NEVER respect you.

Slowly, Selena reaches up with her hand, tucking her hair around the side of her headand holding her hair to the side and against her chest. Her voice drops several ‘degrees’ as she speaks. This is me, Adam, at my most dangerous. With the knowledge I have – like Owen and Xander did, and everything I’ve endured… I am not the same as before. I am at my breaking point. I am in a do-or-die situation here. Because there is no ‘second chance’ for me. There is no ‘cash-in’ that I have. No favor with the boss. No wave of momentum that I can ride. This is my shot. This is me calling my shot just like you did last year.

For a moment, Selena’s eyes flutter to the famous “Rise to Greatness XX” sign hanging high above her – a sign that the royale winner and the world champion will most assuredly point to tonight. But here? Now? Selena’s eyes seem to mist a little with unshed tears. Because the idea of you at Rise to Greatness as the world champion? The idea of you headlining the biggest anniversary of the biggest event in SCW’s history…

She slowly shakes her head, her eyes still on the sign. That isn’t the SCW that I want to be the Face of… and I’d… I’d rather leave it than see it succumb to that.

There is a gasp from behind the camera, but otherwise nothing for several seconds. Taking a slow breath and looking down at the ring that has been her home for nearly a decade, the young woman slowly speaks again. I’d rather leave this place than believe for a second that THAT is what the SCW Universe wants on such a monumental night.

Her hand tightens around her hair as she looks up, her glare colder than ever, as is her voice. It sounds almost unlike the Snow Queen the world has known for so many years. So you’d better believe this not just ‘the same’ as last year, Adam. This so much more than last year! This is more than just the world championship. This is more than just headlining Rise to Greatness! This is EVERYTHING to me! This is me putting EVERYTHING I am on the line!

You said you wanted to be The Face of SCW? Here’s your chance! Because there is no ‘try again’ for me! There is no ‘Plan B’. This is the match that will either fix this damned mess or show me a truth that I need to see if it is, indeed, true.

Her lower jaw shifts forward and back a little. So, I suggest you dig deep, you bastard. Dig deep and find that little fleck in yourself – what little truth existed that gave you the ability to put on that match with me in Vegas. Then, I suggest you take it, if you find it, and you blow it up as large as you can make it! Eat right, bang your favorite girl, I don’t care! But you had better make it bigger and better than you ever were in Las Vegas!

Because while you are fighting for yourself tonight, I am fighting for EVERYONE – including your son!
While you are fighting for the money, I am fighting for all of SCW and its integrity!
While you are fighting for my nickname, I am fighting for my entire career and my legacy!

She does not hesitate in her next words. And like it was for you the last time we fought for that title, Adam… a win will not be enough tonight for me. A world title win will not be enough for me tonight. No…

Her hand twists her iconic braid. I will become world champion tonight, not just for another Unbelievable Main Event, not just to give this season the ending it truly deserves… but more than anything, so that we all can forget about this past season.

We can forget about the world title being used to deny opportunities.
We can forget about the world title being stolen and held hostage.
We can forget about the world title needing other belts in ‘title for title’ matches just to have some prestige to it.

But most of all, Adam… when I become world champion, and when I beat you once and for all… we, the SCW universe and I, can forget about Adam fucking Allocco.

And if I can’t…

Selena suddenly stops, the words hitting her for a moment. If I can’t…

Slowly, Selena looks up, seeing the glowing SCW sign – the sign of her beloved home.

If I can’t… her words fade out of her lips as she stares at the glowing sign.

”Selena?” the voice of the cameraman calls but she doesn’t acknowledge it. She merely stares at the SCW sign for a few more seconds before shaking her head and exiting the ring.

”SELENA!” the cameraman calls out again as said camera turns at her retreating form, the woman known as “The Face of SCW” disappearing into the shadows before it all fades to black.

[HARDStyle]

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