Dark Fantasy vs. Light in the Darkness vs. Twisted & Sadistic

[supremecw]

Dark Fantasy (Syren & Ravyn Taylor) vs. Light in the Darkness (Amelia Blythe & La Pequena Luz) vs. Twisted & Sadistic (Brittany Lohan & Glory Braddock)
SCW World Tag Team Championship

Retribution 2024

4 RP Limit
Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET SUNDAY, March 3, 2024

[Braddock]

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February 22nd, 2024
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Off Camera
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Chaos ensued at the end of Breakdown, thanks in large part to the actions of the reigning SCW World Tag Team Champions Twisted & Sadistic. Things between the champions and Dark Fantasy have become heated ever since early January when Syren and Ravyn beat Glory Braddock and Brittany Lohan to earn the first tag title match against then champions Light in the Darkness at Body, Heart, & Soul. Glory Braddock is typically the level headed member of Twisted & Sadistic but she let her partner, Brittany Lohan, take the lead in the events that followed, which ultimately escalated things even more. They involved themselves in the tag title match at Body, Heart, & Soul, costing Dark Fantasy the match. Glory and Lohan would get to face the champions next, and they managed to defeat Light in the Darkness to win the gold. Glory Braddock was ecstatic, she finally finished her journey. She became a Supreme Champion in SCW. But she would not get to celebrate, because Ravyn and Syren decided to interrupt the proceedings and attack them. Still, Braddock would let Lohan take the lead, and they attempted to do some major damage to Syren, spiking her on her head with Hell on Earth. They followed up with a similar attack to Ravyn but it got interrupted with involvement from La Pequina Luz of Light in the Darkness. Now it seems as if the stage has been set to put an end to this feud once and for all. Twisted & Sadistic will defend the SCW World Tag Team Championship against Dark Fantasy and Light in the Darkness at Retribution.

The British Bombshell sits backstage at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada shortly after Breakdown has come to a conclusion; she sits on a packing crate currently alone. She is wearing tight denim jeans, black boots, a royal purple t-shirt, and a black leather jacket. Her long blonde hair flows unrestrained to past the shoulders. Seated next to her is her SCW World Tag Team Championship which she gazes at closely and intensely. This is the title, the last piece of her Supreme Championship puzzle. Many in her situation might call it in at this stage of the game. They might be content with having earned the top prize in Supreme Championship Wrestling. But Glory Braddock is the ultimate competitor. She is never content and always wants to seek out new challenges. Fighting and defeating not just one but two rival teams, one of whom is arguably one of the best teams in SCW history, is quite the challenge for The British Bombshell. And Glory Braddock, along with Brittany Lohan, they have prided themselves on being quite the tag team duo as well. Both of them want their reign as champions to be remembered as something historic, not just a throwaway in Glory’s quest for Supreme Championship status. They won the gold, now comes the time to defend it. The chaos that Twisted & Sadistic have created over the past few weeks is just a sample of the lengths they are willing to go in order to hold onto the tag team titles.

Braddock’s thoughts are suddenly interrupted when she feels a hand on her shoulders. The British Bombshell looks up, startled, only to sigh and smiles politely as she sees her tag team partner and friend, Brittany Lohan, standing there before her. The War Machine has a fat more intense look on her face, yet still inquisitive as she gazes right through The British Bombshell into her soul.

“You good?”

“Me?” Glory nods her head. “Yeah, I’m good.”

“Are you sure? You didn’t look good out there moments ago. It was like you were second guessing the plan.”

Lohan is referring to their sneak attack on Ravyn, the plan was to spike her on the floor with Hell on Earth. Considering the notorious history Ravyn has had in SCW, Braddock cannot help but agree with Lohan to some degree that both members of Dark Fantasy deserve a lot of the punishment and consequences they receive. Still, even if they deserve it, Glory Braddock has a problem intentionally injuring someone. Braddock knows well and good how her own father’s career came to an end due to his opponent intentionally injuring him. Even at her worst Glory Braddock has been hesitant to go to those lengths, to injure the opposition.

“Yeah, that was on me, mate. I hesitated.” She sighs. “It didn’t help matters that Luz got involved.”

“We’ll make Luz and Blythe pay just like we’ll make Dark Fantasy pay.” Lohan smirks. “We’re gonna clean up the tag team division by ridding it of Syren and Ravyn, we’ll finish the job with Light in the Darkness. We’re going to silence any and all doubters at Retribution. Right?”

“Damn right.” Braddock smirks as she shakes Lohan’s hand.

“So is everything good?” Lohan points to herself and then at Glory. “Are we good?”

“Yeah. Of course we’re good.” Braddock pats her tag team title belt. “We scratched and clawed to win these, I’m not ready for this to end so soon. Britt, we may not always see eye to eye when it comes to the approach and strategy, but when we are on the same page, we are unstoppable. That’s why I am willing to work with you and do whatever it takes to leave Retribution still with the tag gold in our possession.”

“Right, speaking of being on the same page…” Lohan’s voice trails off. Glory can tell whatever she is about to say is bothering The War Machine and has been bothering for quite some time. “...we really need to talk about Aphrodite Noel.”

“Mother…” Glory sighs, she had a feeling that this might come up “...I know you and Mother don’t get along, but…”

“She cramps our style.” Brittany insists. “She thinks she can manage our team. Hell, she doesn’t just want to manage our team, she wants to be its leader. But Glory, you and I have been dominant together long before Aphrodite ever came along. Twisted & Sadistic became a thing long before she came into your life. Why is it that she needs to be involved now?”

“You’re right, Twisted & Sadistic became a thing a long time ago. But in fairness, we were hitting roadblock after roadblock, obstacle after obstacle, before Mother intervened. Then we got the title shot. Then we became SCW World Tag Team Champions.”

“You’re suggesting it was her guidance?” Lohan asks incredulously.

“I’m not suggesting or implying anything. Just stating facts.”

“Look,” Brittany begins slowly “I am certainly not one to judge anyone else’s lifestyle. But if this is to continue, if she is to continue being a part of this, a part of Twisted & Sadistic, even if it is in a backstage managerial role, I need to understand what you see in her. I need to understand this relationship you two have.” She shakes her head. “Because the Glory Braddock I first met wouldn’t just blindly do whatever Aphrodite told her to do.”

“Really?” Glory smirks. “You should be grateful, then, because I didn’t want to spike Syren. I didn’t want to attempt to break her neck. That was your idea and initially I was going to refuse. Mother told me that I should listen to you. She also wanted me to follow through with the planned attack on Ravyn. “ She shrugs. “But I hesitated, so again that’s on me.”

“Is that so?” Lohan asks. She seems genuinely surprised. Glory nods her head.

“To you and to others, when you look at her, you see a monster, a manipulative con artist. When I look at her I see a woman who helped my sister Julia through rehab and break a drug addiction that would have ended her career and maybe even her life. I see a woman who came to my aid when my company was fraught with infighting, hostile takeover attempts from multiple parties who saw in me a green rookie when it comes to business, an easy target to destroy. She helped me navigate the rough waters, she gave me the tools necessary to take firm control over my company and the ability to beat back any challenger to my power. All she wanted in return was a family.”

“So you and your sister willingly became her children? Like some cult?” Lohan asks.

“You may view it like that but it isn’t that nefarious.” Glory shakes her head. A few tears form in Glory’s eyes. “I may have the appearance of someone who has had the most luxurious of upbringings. I certainly never lacked for material possessions, that’s for sure. But mentally and emotionally my life was not that easy. When my mum and dad got divorced, my dad got full custody of me and Julia. And mum never even put forth much of a fight. She just let him have us and then left to settle in America. I rarely saw her after that. I pretty much had no mother for a significant portion of my life. Then Aphrodite came along, she helped me and my sister in significant ways. She wanted a daughter…I wanted a mother…we were a perfect match.”

Brittany Lohan shakes her head. She didn’t fully understand the scope of this relationship until now. “And you’re sure we can trust her?”

“Of course. Since she became our advisor, manager, whatever you want to call it, we became SCW World Tag Team Champions. It’s been working good, I think. Besides, if I were you, I wouldn’t complain.” Glory smirks and points at The War Machine. “Her approach resembles your approach more so than it does mine. If you want my advice, I would sit down and talk to her. You’ll find that…at least when it comes to the approach Twisted & Sadistic take…you and my Mother have much more in common than you think.”

Talking to Aphrodite Noel, the woman Glory acknowledges as her mother, is something Brittany Lohan doesn’t particularly like to do. But if this is going to be a permanent fixture of Twisted & Sadistic then perhaps it may become a necessary evil. Before Lohan can respond an unexpected guest steps into view. It is a gentleman about Glory’s age with curly black hair and a goatee. Brittany glares at him, somewhat annoyed that he would interrupt their private conversation.

“I apologize for interrupting…but…”

“Who are you and what do you want?” Lohan sneers.

“Whoa, hold up you two.” Glory hops down from the packing crate. She gets in between the two. She looks at Brittany. “Put the old War Machine in park if you don’t mind? I’d rather you not break my daughter’s father’s face.”

“Your…what…?” Brittany slowly comes to realize what Glory is saying. Braddock nods her head.

“Yes. Brittany, you know my daughter Melinda? Well this is her father, Thomas Gage. Thomas, this is my friend and tag team partner Brittany Lohan.”

“It’s a pleasure.” Thomas says, extending a hand, hoping to cool off the tensions from earlier. Lohan takes his hand and then smirks.

“So you’re the baby daddy?”

“Yes, I suppose I am.” Thomas remarks stoically. Glory snickers.

“I suppose you and Glory want to catch up. So I’ll be on my way.” Lohan points at Glory. “Think about what I said.”

“I will. You think about what I said. Fair enough?”

“Deal.”

With that, Brittany Lohan walks away. Thomas Gage and Glory Braddock watch on in silence until she is completely out of sight. Thomas then turns back to face Glory and sighs deeply, shaking his head.

“Your friend is quite a charming lady.”

“Is that sarcasm I detect?”

“How did you guess, Gloria?”

“Because I know you all too well. Just like I knew if I asked you to make the trip to Vancouver from Jolly Old England you would do so in a heartbeat, simply because I asked.”

“You providing a ticket certainly helped.” Thomas says with a warm smile.

“Come off it, Tommy.” Glory says with a grin. “You would have swam the freaking Atlantic ocean if you had to.”

“It’s true.” Thomas brushes his hand through Glory’s long blonde hair. “I worshiped you when we were mere children, I worship the ground you walk on today. I would do anything for you and our little princess.”

“I know and that’s why I needed to see you. You said you would do anything for me or for Melinda if we needed help. Is that offer still on the table?”

“Absolutely.” Gage insists. “The safety and well being of the two most important women in my life is the utmost concern to me. Just tell me what you need and it shall be done.”

“It might be difficult but I’m sure you can handle it. Melody, Francis, and I went out clubbing a couple of months back.”

“How intriguing.” Thomas smiles warmly. “I recall how you three were inseparable once. It is nice to see that the three of you are still friends.”

“Yeah, well, it was supposed to be a nice, friendly reunion of childhood best friends, but it turned into something awful, something that still to this day could threaten one or more of us.” As soon as Glory finishes with this grim statement, Thomas Gage’s smile turns into a frown.

“What went wrong?”

“There was a car bomb.”

“Is everyone ok?”

“Luckily the car bomb went off when no one was in the car or nearby. Francis’s car was totalled, obviously, but other than that no damage. What worries me is that someone may be targeting one or more of us. Even the police suspect foul play, but the police have so far come up empty in the search for who did this. And if this was intentional, if one of us was targeted, then will they stop or will they keep trying? And more importantly if they keep trying, will our friends and family get caught in the crossfire?”

“Melinda.”

“Precisely.” Glory nods her head. “Maybe this person is after Melody? Or Francis? But if they are after me, what if our daughter Melinda gets caught in the crossfire? Or what if they target her just to get to me?” Glory is clearly broken up and emotional over this. Thomas hugs her tightly. “I am just so worried, Thomas, and I hate to involve you in this, but…”

“Say no more.” He remarks. “I have many connections, both savory and unsavory. I will see what I can learn about this assassination attempt and then provide the safety and security necessary for you and our daughter.” They break the embrace. Glory wipes the tears from her eyes.

“Thank you, Thomas. I knew I could count on you.”

“Of course, Gloria.” He takes Glory’s right hand and kisses it. “I still love you, Gloria, you and our daughter both mean the world to me. I will do anything to protect you.”

“Thank you again, Thomas. Thank you.” Glory nods her head. “Contact me once you learn something.”

“I shall.” Thomas bows before turning and making a slow exit. Glory Braddock smiles, feeling a little of that weight lift off of her shoulders knowing that she has someone investigating that car bomb incident. She can focus on the one thing ahead of her; defending the SCW World Tag Team Titles at Retribution. Hopefully she and Brittany will still be on the same page. Braddock picks up her tag title belt, hoists it over her shoulder, and starts to walk away. But then she spots something, or rather someone, out of the corner of her eye. She turns to look and spots Brittany Lohan standing there with a bit of a smirk on her face.

“I will do anything to protect you.” Brittany says, mimicking what Thomas just said. Glory rolls her eyes.

“How much of that did you hear?”

“Enough. Does your husband know that your baby daddy worships the ground you walk on, as he put it?”

“Yes.”

“And Kurt is ok with it?”

“Probably not.” Glory chuckles. “But he tolerates it because he trusts me and he knows I am not interested in renewing any romantic relationship with Thomas. I just keep Thomas around because Melinda deserves to have her father in her life.”

“Also having a guy like Thomas willing to be at your beck and call to do anything you want doesn’t hurt either.”

“Maybe…” Glory smirks knowingly “...I do admit, it is convenient having someone like him around with as much connections as he has willing to help out when necessary.”

“I just have one question.” Lohan points at Glory. “Is that how it is with you and Aphrodite?”

“What do you mean?”

“If she asks you to jump, are you going to ask how high? You just blindly do what she says.”

“You’re reading it wrong, mate.” Glory shakes her head. “It’s all about trust. Thomas trusts me enough that I wouldn’t abuse him. Just like I trust Mother enough that she wouldn’t take advantage of me.”

“I won’t deny that I don’t trust her…yet.” Lohan places a hand on Glory’s shoulder. “But I do trust you. And if you think I should give her a chance, fine, I’ll give her a chance.”

“That’s all I ask.”

“And at Retribution, we put the light out of the darkness, we crush Ravyn and Syren, and we retain the tag team titles.” Lohan smirks. Glory nods her head.

“Damn right.”

[Braddock]

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February 29th, 2024
Miami, Florida
Off Camera
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It’s Thursday and soon “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock will be making the trip to Glendale, Arizona for Retribution. It will be the night of her and Brittany Lohan’s first defense as the new SCW World Tag Team Champions and a more difficult challenge couldn’t have been scripted anywhere else. In a triple threat affair, Braddock and Lohan defend against not only Dark Fantasy but also Light in the Darkness. The obvious tension here seemingly revolves around the brewing feud between the champions and Dark Fantasy. Lohan has led the charge in the attacks against Syren and Ravyn, revenge against them ruining their moment, their night of celebration when Twisted & Sadistic finally won the tag team titles and Glory Braddock finally achieved Supreme Champion status. While Braddock has typically been reluctant to be the vigilante, to take the law into her own hands, she has followed her hot heated partner’s lead in this one, which has led to numerous encounters between the four of them. Adding more tension to this situation is the fact that the former champions, Amelia Blythe and La Pequina Luz, have been caught in the crossfire. What we have now is a situation where Syren and Ravyn believe that they have not had a fair rematch for the tag titles, Luz and Blythe as the immediate former champions perhaps are owed a rematch, and then you have Braddock and Lohan, who really just want to put this entire situation behind them and move on with their title reign. Retribution is where they hope to put an end to this once and for all. In one night, in one swift motion, Twisted & Sadistic could wipe the slate clean and rid themselves of Dark Fantasy and Light in the Darkness. That task is certainly easier said than done. Even though Twisted & Sadistic just beat Light in the Darkness for the belts, they recall all too well how Luz and Blythe hold a triple threat victory over them. And while Braddock and Lohan personally do not think very highly of Syren and Ravyn, their history as a tag team in SCW is quite legendary. Twisted & Sadistic have had their fair share of success since reuniting in SCW. They have beaten just about every tag team to have been placed in front of them. Yet doubt still lingers as to whether they can be the single most dominant team in the company. Retribution is the chance to put those doubts to rest and cement their legacy as one of the all time great tag teams in SCW.

Currently the opulent living room area of The British Bombshell is occupied by none other than her tag team partner, Brittany Lohan. The War Machine is in her workout gear and sits with her feet propped up on the coffee table. Tape of their most recent match against Dark Fantasy is currently being played in the background. Lohan’s eyes tell the story of a woman who is annoyed with having to rewatch this match again, knowing how it ends. This is Glory Braddock’s idea. Watching tape of your opponents, especially if you have tape of them facing you, is great strategy. Glory believes that they can not only look for weaknesses in Syren and Ravyn, but they can also look for weaknesses in their own game, mistakes they may have made, and hopefully correct them. And as The War Machine glares at the television set, Glory Braddock herself eventually steps into the living room, carrying two bottles of water. Braddock is wearing purple workout shorts, white sneakers, and a purple t-shirt.

“Here you go…” Braddock grins as she tosses Lohan a bottled water. She easily catches it, takes one look, and then looks back up at Glory.

“Water?”

“Did you really expect a beer BEFORE the physical workout begins?” Glory asks with a grin as she walks over and sits down on the sofa next to Lohan.

“It’d be nice to get a little buzzed if I have to watch us lose to Dark Fantasy.” She remarks, motioning to the television.

“It is very important to watch tape. As much as we dislike them and as much as we may hate to admit it, they own a victory over us. We need to make sure that we correct any mistakes we may have made that night, and perhaps even find any weaknesses in their game.”

“If watching tape is important, why don’t we watch all the tape of us beating Luz and Blythe? We’ve beaten them plenty of times. There should be plenty of tapes.”

“Oh there is.” Glory winks. “But don’t you think that this is a little bit more important than that? With all due respect to Luz and Amelia, Syren and Ravyn are our biggest threats at Retribution. We haven’t beaten them…yet…and they are willing to do absolutely anything to win. We don’t have to worry about any trickery or shenanigans from Light in the Darkness.”

“Oh and we’re supposed to believe Syren is turning over a new leaf.” The sarcasm in Brittany’s voice is very apparent. Glory rolls her eyes.

“Yeah, right. I don’t believe it for one second. Syren and Ravyn have a reputation and I cannot ever bring myself to trust either of them. That’s why they are our number one priority when it comes to the tape.”

“Fine.” Brittany shrugs her shoulders. “But after we get done watching this crap we get to go to that nice fancy private gym of yours?”

“Kurt’s private gym, yes.” Glory nods her head. “It’s downstairs in the basement.”

“Very nice. I always knew you were wealthy, I just didn’t realize you flaunted it.”

“I wouldn’t quite call it flaunting.” Glory states. “I mean, Kurt may be retired but he wants to keep in shape if he ever decides to wrestle again. Besides, I’m still active, it’s a nice thing to have.”

“Yes but this house, it’s incredible. Much too extravagant for the Glory Braddock I first met.” Lohan smirks. “Is this Aphrodite’s influence?”

“You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” Glory shakes her head. “I dad always had money. He was always wealthy. He just never splurged like most wealthy individuals did, but I always had been wealthy even before I made more money by running dad’s wrestling school and running my own company. The idea of splurging on myself, well, yeah, that comes from Mother.”

“Thought so.” Lohan chuckles. “Is she why you left England to live in Miami?”

“Yes.” Glory nods her head. “I wanted to be close to Mother.”

“Of course you did.” Brittany says with more sarcasm in her voice. “I will never understand that relationship, Glory, but whatever makes you happy. Besides…” she sighs “...you’re right, Aphrodite hasn’t led us astray…yet.”

“And she won’t.” Glory points out. Just then their discussion is interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing which echoes throughout the house. Braddock sighs and shouts to her husband.

“Kurt! Would you answer the door please! Britt and I are a little busy right now!” She waits until she hears footsteps racing down the stairs. Glory grins as she looks at Brittany.

“You have him trained well.”

“Thanks.”

Glory and Brittany turn their attention back towards the television set, and the replay of the last Twisted & Sadistic versus Dark Fantasy match. It is nearing the closing moments which annoys Brittany as she has to watch her and Glory lose. She looks over at Glory.

“So after this can we watch ourselves kick Luz and Amelia’s asses a few dozen times?”

“No, after this we’re going to spar.”

“Excellent.” Brittany cracks her knuckles. “I’ll try not to knock your head off.”

Glory Braddock chuckles as she opens her mouth to respond but before any words can get out she is interrupted by the sound of her husband, Kurt’s, voice. “Glory!”

“What is it?”

“I think you need to come to the door.”

“Why?” Glory sounds a little annoyed. “I told you, I’m busy.”

“Melinda’s father is here.”

Braddock’s eyes go wide. She has a good idea what he is here for. She sent him on a mission a few days ago to look into the car bombing that targeted her…or her friends Melody and Francis. Has he found something already? Glory hears Brittany snicker and she turns to look at The War Machine.

“So the baby daddy is here, eh?”

“Yeah, real funny.” Glory smirks. “Why don’t you go on down to the gym while I take care of this?”

“Sure.”

Glory watches as Brittany Lohan gets up from the sofa and walks away. Once she has made her exit, Braddock rises up off of the sofa and walks over towards the hall and to the front door. Immediately Glory is met by her husband Kurt, standing side by side with her ex-boyfriend and father of her oldest daughter, Thomas Gage.

“I thought he was here to see Melinda.” Kurt begins. “But he insisted he needs to speak with you.”

“Yes, it is urgent.” Thomas says, with a nod of his head.

“I have an idea what he wants to talk about, Kurt, and it is important. So if you don’t mind giving us some privacy?”

“Sure.” Kurt nods his head. “If you need me I will be in the other room.” Kurt kisses his wife on the lips before turning to walk away.

“Wait…” Thomas calls out. Kurt stops and turns around. “...you need to hear this as well. It pertains to you as well.”

This was not the news that The British Bombshell had expected. The car bomb was targeting her or Melody or their friend Francis. But then again, if Glory was indeed the target, could they have chosen to go after Kurt as well to get at Glory? It certainly makes sense. Is that what Thomas learned? Is that why Kurt needs to be here? Kurt walks back over and joins Glory by her side.

“So what’s wrong?” Needless to say, both Kurt and Glory look more than a little surprised, Kurt more so simply because he had no idea about any of this. Glory knew Thomas eventually would be coming by with information. She just didn’t expect it this soon.

“Have you told him anything?” Thomas asks Glory, who responds by shaking her head.

“No.”

“Told me what?”

“Kurt…” Glory begins “...as you know, Thomas is very wealthy and very influential. He has a lot of connections. I asked him to use his connections to see if he could find out anything at all about the car bomb.”

“Seriously?” Kurt seems somewhat annoyed. “I thought we were going to let the police handle it?”

“Face it, Kurt, the police have no idea who was behind it and I cannot risk your life or our children’s lives.”

“If there was even a slim possibility of Melinda becoming a target simply due to her association with Gloria, well, I had to act.” Thomas points out. Kurt still doesn’t seem very thrilled but accepts it.

“Fine. Well, you must have found out SOMETHING because here you are. What did you find?”

“First of all, I went to the local news sources to read about the incident. Immediately I knew without even having to speak to the authorities that whoever planted the bomb was a rank amateur.”

“How do you know that?” Glory asks curiously.

“The simple fact that it failed and failed as miserably as it did.” Thomas points out. “It went off way too early and thus did not harm anyone.”

“Ok, so we’re not necessarily dealing with a professional. That’s good.” Glory nods her head. “What else did you learn?”

“I spoke to some of my…less than savory sources.”

“Organized crime.” Kurt states stoically. Thomas nods his head in confirmation.

“Yes. I may not involve myself with criminal enterprise but it does pay to be on their good side. They can provide good information, in this case, the identity of who was behind this as well as their motive.”

“So you’re saying I’m being targeted by organized crime?!” Glory exclaims. “I thought I was through with that?!”

“I already said you were being targeted by an amateur.” Thomas points out calmly. “That eliminates the possibility of organized crime. The only involvement of organized crime was the fact that they provided the necessary tools to the individual responsible. Also you were not the target, Gloria.” He points at Kurt. “He was.”

“Me?!” Kurt exclaims. Thomas nods his head.

“Yes, you were the target…well, I suppose Gloria was the target in the sense that they wanted to send a message to Kurt by harming his wife.”

This was certainly not the information Glory expected to hear. Considering her company, Melody’s powerful and influential businesses, and Francis Taylor’s businesses, she expected certainly one of them would have been the target. Instead none of them were. This was just a way to get at Kurt. This was meant to send a message to Kurt. The British Bombshell looks at her husband and she can immediately tell that he isn’t taking this news very well.

“Who was it?” He asks quietly. Glory can tell that he is trying to contain his temper.

“Andrew Meadows.” Thomas states. “I did not find much information about him but I assumed you already knew him.”

“I have never heard that name before.” Glory says. She looks up at Kurt. “Who is he, Kurt?”

“Look, Glory, my past isn’t all that great.” He sighs as he struggles to control his emotions. You and I met when my life was finally looking good. But long before I met you I was an alcoholic and a drug addict. Andrew was my best friend and he, too, was an addict.”

“Oh my…” Glory’s voice trails off. She has never heard this story about her husband before.

“One night Andrew and I thought we were going to pick up some drugs from a dealer. But it was all a ruse, a trap set by the police. We tried to get away. Andrew did get away but I got caught.”

“Did you turn on Andrew?” Glory asks. “Is that why he’s mad?”

“No, in fact, I refused to give up Andrew’s name. At least, that night I refused. I took the fall for it.” He sighs. “But over time as I got caught again and again, eventually I grew to become a police informant. I helped police crack several cases by snitching on people. One of those busts was Andrew.” He sighs and shakes his head. “He’s obviously still mad that I helped put him away.”

Kurt turns to walk away. Glory can sense a hint of shame from her husband, shame that his former life has come back to haunt him and this new family he has built with Glory Braddock. She wants to go after him and comfort him. Glory turns towards Thomas and hugs him.

“Thank you, Thomas. Thank you for everything.”

“Anything, my beloved. Now go tend to your husband. I promise you that this information will make it into the hands of the authorities and Mr. Meadows will be put away before he can try to strike you or your family again.”

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March 2nd, 2024
Glendale, Arizona
On Camera
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The sun hangs low in the sky which creates a golden hue over the city of Glendale, Arizona. In the distance the silhouette of the State Farm Stadium rises up like a behemoth, its sleek lines cutting through the horizon. There is a gentle breeze rustling through the trees that line the streets and walkways in front of the stadium. A few moments later and we see the lovely figure of “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock stepping into the scene from the right. The reigning SCW World Tag Team Champion is wearing a white silk blouse underneath a royal purple woman’s suit jacket that fits perfectly, accentuating her frame and a skirt that falls just above her knees. Braddock is perched atop a matching shade of purple high heels that adds a stylish flair to the outfit. Her long blonde hair is left to hang straight and unrestrained to past the shoulders. She has her World Tag Team Title belt draped over her right shoulder.

“So the journey that began over a year ago has brought us to this city…Glendale, Arizona…and this building, the State Farm Stadium…where The War Machine and The British Bombshell fight to keep this journey alive and well.” Braddock smirks knowingly. “What? Did you think it was over? Did you really believe that just because Britt and I won these SCW World Tag Team Titles, the final piece of my Supreme Championship puzzle, that we’d just call it a night?” Braddock shakes her head.

“Yes, we brought Twisted & Sadistic back together as a unit in order to win the tag titles and complete my Supreme Championship. That was the purpose and yes, we accomplished that goal. But you forgot why I set my sights on Supreme Championship status in the first place. I did it because it was a challenge. I am the type of competitor that thrives on challenges, I am the type of competitor that needs to be challenged by new and more difficult tests in order to keep going. I came to SCW wanting to become a World Champion. It took over four years to reach that goal. There were tears, there was frustration, and I got knocked on my ass many times but I never gave up. I kept going until I accomplished that goal. The next goal would be to become Supreme Champion. By that time all I needed was the Television and the Tag Titles. It took me one year…one year of more frustration, more tears, and more agony…but damn it I got the job done. Now that I accomplished that goal, I needed to find a new goal, a new challenge to meet. That’s what a real competitor does. A real competitor keeps raising the bar, a real competitors keeps working to improve themselves by taking on more difficult challenges. And the next big challenge facing me…well, not just me, but both me AND Brittany Lohan…well it was easy to find. The challenge, quite honestly, was right there in front of us.” Braddock pats the tag team championship belt that rests over her shoulder.

“Our challenge now is to defend these titles. Remember when we first reunited, when we first brought Twisted & Sadistic to SCW, we knew we were among the best tag teams in professional wrestling. Our history speaks for itself. But we were not going to rest on the laurels of our past in other promotions. We were going to prove ourselves to be the best and most dominant tag team in Supreme Championship Wrestling. In the process we ran through every single tag team in this company, and we beat them all. Well, all but one, and we’ll get to you in a moment, Dark Fantasy. You name them, we beat them, and while the road was long and at times frustrating, the end result was exactly what we knew it would be. The War Machine and The British Bombshell are now the SCW World Tag Team Champions. We now possess the title belts that recognize us as the current best there is in the company today.”

“Our journey to become the BEST tag team in SCW only began just a few months ago, and even though we are the reigning champions, I know and Britt knows that the journey to accomplish that feat is far from over. Winning the titles is one thing, keeping them is a completely different story altogether. It takes true greatness to keep a tight grip onto a tag team division as hotly competitive as the one in SCW. Just ask La Pequina Luz and Amelia Blythe.” Braddock nods her head. “I will give you your flowers because you damn sure have earned my respect over the many times we have done battle. We beat you in the gauntlet, you turned around bested us in the triple threat that also included Statera, but then in the lone singles tag team match we had, just Twisted & Sadistic against Light in the Darkness, it was me and The War Machine announced as the victors and as THE NEW SCW World Tag Team Champions.”

“You know all about the difficulty of defending the belts because you defended them multiple times in quite the extraordinary title run. But you ran into a brick wall called Twisted & Sadistic. As good as you were, and you were VERY good, your run was put to an end the moment you put those belts up for grabs against us. No outside interference, no other tag teams involved, just Light in the Darkness and Twisted & Sadistic and when the smoke had cleared everyone saw what happened. We respect…” Glory chuckles “...ok, I won’t speak for Britt, so I’ll just say I respect both of you. But this journey isn’t going to end now, not here, and not by your hands.” She points a finger at the camera.

“But then there’s the other duo in this equation, a pair of annoying roaches that keep popping up at the most inconvenient of times.” Glory’s smile dissipates. It becomes a nasty scowl. “Yes, that’s right, I’m talking about the pair of annoying insects known as Syren and Ravyn. The legendary Dark Fantasy.” Braddock nods her head. “I will give the devil their due, you are one of the best tag teams in SCW history. But that is where the niceties end between us. Britt and I are fierce competitors. We want to be recognized as the best and yes, we sometimes go to great lengths to prove it.” She winks. “How’s the neck, Syren? But in any event, at the end of the day, for Twisted & Sadistic it is all about competition. And that’s what this business is and should be about; competition. That’s why I respect Luz and Blythe. We may have different approaches and different viewpoints on a range of issues surrounding this sport, but we agree that this is about the spirit of competition. This is about, when there is a level playing field, finding out just who is the best.” Glory shakes her head.

“Not Syren and Ravyn. Let’s face it, Dark Fantasy never ever wants prove anything on a level playing field. They will lie, cheat, and screw over anyone and everyone they have to in order to gain an unfair advantage. And when you don’t get what you want, you throw tantrums. Me and Britt became World Tag Team Champions, we did what you failed to do on TWO occasions. We beat Light in the Darkness. So what do you do? You ruin our moment by attacking us after the match. Did you really think we were just gonna let that go? Syren was a warning. And Ravyn, you had better kiss Luz’s ass because had she not gotten involved, we would have finished the job.” She sneers. “And all of this because you two feel entitled. You wanted to cut in line ahead of us simply because you were the former tag team champions and owed a rematch. But honestly, to be perfectly frank, Dark Fantasy didn’t win the tag titles. Dark Fantasy didn’t win shit. Ravyn and ACE MARSHALL won the tag team titles when Selena Frost refused to play ball and then Syren was GIFTED the tag titles when Ace went missing.”

“Congratulations, Syren. You were HANDED a tag team title reign on a silver platter. You were GIFTED another accolade for your bloody trophy case and you didn’t have to do shit for it. But you two entitled brats felt you were owed a rematch, so you wanted to cut ahead of us in line. At least you were forced to earn it by facing Twisted & Sadistic. And to be fair, you won.” Braddock sarcastically claps her hands. “That is one reason why I am so happy Luz and Blythe wanted this particular match. That and the fact that you two manipulative bitches are recognized as one of the all time best tag teams in SCW is one reason why I am so happy this match is taking place.”

“So let me spell it out for all of you watching. Dark Fantasy is recognized as one of the great tag teams of the past, Light in the Darkness have already proven to me and many others that they are one of the greatest tag teams of the present. At Retribution in the State Farm Stadium, The War Machine and The British Bombshell will beat both of them and prove that Twisted & Sadistic is now truly the best in the world when it comes to tag team wrestling. That is our new goal, to be the best tag team in SCW today, and to do that we have to go through Dark Fantasy. We have to go through Light in the Darkness. We have to end this back and forth nonsense once and for all and achieving that goal, being the best and retaining the tag titles, if that means having to put one or more of you through HELL ON EARTH…” she snickers “...well, so be it.”

[Serenity]

Promo Time: Pound of Flesh

[Wisteria Waltz]

OOC: Just to avoid any potential confusion since I forgot to clarify this when the character was initially introduced, Avery (the FBI agent who's been helping Luz and Amelia) is nonbinary and goes by they/them pronouns, so my usage of those when referring to that character is intentional. Also, this ended up being a lot longer than I'd planned, and ideally I could've and should've split the CD in half, but time has not been my friend this week so this is how we're rolling with this. All of that said, I wish Matt, Randy and Alexis the best of luck and this whole feud has been a blast.
------------------------------

When playing the role of Rocky Balboa, Sylvester Stallone once said: “It's not about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward.”

It's safe to say that quote has become the creed by which La Pequeña Luz and Amelia Blythe lived their lives by at this point.

The past month had not gone too great for them, to put it mildly. The feeling of their win over Dark Fantasy at Body, Heart & Soul being tainted by late interference, the loss of their World Tag Team Titles to Twisted & Sadistic only for Dark Fantasy to ruin their moment, the hurricane of problems that the couple feel like they've been caught in because of all of this that not only had a hand in costing Luz her TV Title but also costing Amelia a potential win over Syren on the most recent Breakdown... every single setback has weighed heavily on the minds of Amelia and Luz going into Retribution, where they know full well they could fall short once again and have to climb the tag team ranks once more.

It's not a prospect that bothers them, to be honest... if anything, it would be a challenge they would happily welcome with open arms.

The biggest issue hadn't been the mounting losses, considering the tandem know full well how stiff the competition in SCW truly is. If that were the case, then they wouldn't have kept picking themselves back up and going right back to work to right the ship. No, the problem that had been frustrating them to no end is just how chaotic everything had gotten and how much it was throwing them off despite their best efforts to adapt to it. Simply being Tag Champions had ultimately put them right in the middle of an escalating issue that wasn't simply going to be solved in the ring between Dark Fantasy and Twisted & Sadistic, namely Brittany Lohan. The Light In The Darkness weren't going to simply be caught in the crossfire and then be ignored as though they hadn't been screwed over several times by this whole mess, though, hence the triple threat World Tag Title match at Retribution that, with any luck, would put this whole issue to bed once and for all, regardless of the outcome.

It was easier said than done, and not just because Luz and Amelia knew full well by this point how good all of their opponents truly were. Retribution itself had felt like a cursed event for the couple ever since their first run with the company, considering this had been the pay-per-view where they had both been injured during a bid to become number one contenders to that tag team gold and ultimately felt the best move was to step away from SCW until they felt they were good enough to take another shot. Their failed attempt to become champions at this show last year against the Frosts only further fueled the specter lingering over their heads about this particular show, but they knew it was just one more challenge they would have to fight to overcome.

Being where they were now was a reminder that nothing lasts forever, and it was always darkest just before the dawn.

That was why the couple had decided the best course of action in the week they had leading up to the pay-per-view was to take a detour out to Bridgeport, Connecticut and visit Marilyn's wrestling school. Obviously there were plans on getting some training in and seeing if there was anything they could add to their arsenals that might help turn the tide and give them that little extra push to show both teams that they could continue to evolve as competitors, but the couple would be lying if they said the idea of also offering a helping hand to a new generation of wrestlers looking for that opportunity to break into the sport wasn't extremely tempting. Maybe it was a bit early to be thinking that far ahead given they were both still in their mid-20s, but it was their way of also trying to reopen the discussion about other matters they'd had to put on the back burner because of the other lingering issue that rested in the back of their thoughts.

Marilyn Clauson certainly had to admit that she was surprised at the events unfolding before her very eyes, even if this had been a suggestion of hers in the first place. Seeing Luz and Amelia happily teaching an impromptu class to her students with such enthusiasm warmed her heart, especially knowing full well what both girls had endured just to reach this point in their lives. They had even gotten their friends in on things, effectively creating one of the most impressive wrestling workshops she'd ever seen. Word seemed to have also spread, because her school had also seemingly accumulated several new students in just one day, something she actually had nothing to do with despite knowing full well how to market herself and what she could teach to aspiring wrestlers.

“You know... this brings back fond memories...”

Marilyn turned her head, a bit surprised to see that Avery was standing right beside her, a smile on their face as they seemed lost in reminiscing about the past.

“Heh, I guess it does...” Marilyn grinned. “It feels like forever ago when we both first met at a big wrestling workshop and took our first steps into this sport. Kind of makes me miss the days where we got to stand atop our own little tag team mountain together.”

“I still have a photo from our first shoot as champions together framed in my office.” Avery glanced over at Marilyn, who looked surprised by that revelation. “I'm allowed to keep mementos of happier times to help me remember why I do my job, Marilyn.”

“I wasn't going to argue against that.” Marilyn held up her hands in defense as she took a step back. “I guess I was just surprised... then again, I'm surprised you actually answered me when I first called you for help for these girls and what they'd gotten dragged into, but I guess that's probably more to do with that nutjob Caleb.”

“That was why I committed to helping you, but it had nothing to do with why I was willing to hear you out in the first place,” Avery told her as they looked back to Luz and Amelia, who seemed to be giving a live demonstration now regarding some new combinations they were testing out. “It was surprising to actually hear from you again after how things ended between us, even if you weren't calling about us and what happened back then.”

“I knew if anybody could protect them in ways that I or anybody else can't, it would be you,” Marilyn replied immediately. “I know I can be stubborn and I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, but this isn't about me. Those two... they're honestly a lot like what we could've been, they've proven they're able to solve their problems in far healthier ways than I ever could, and they don't deserve to be fighting a lunatic who won't let go of some outdated belief about how everything and everyone should be. There's only so much I've been able to do in my own fight against the guy and look at how much it's cost me. They don't deserve to have to make those same senseless sacrifices, especially when all they want to do is wrestle and make a life together... like I should've wanted...”

Avery scanned Marilyn's face carefully as she finished, wanting to be absolutely sure that what they'd just heard from her was the truth. To say they were surprised that she seemed to mean every last word was an understatement, but as Marilyn turned away to look at Luz and Amelia again, they began to put the pieces together. Thinking back on how much enthusiasm Marilyn seemed to have whenever she spoke with Avery about these girls and what they were capable of, not to mention the raw desperation they recalled from that initial phone call that solidified the FBI's involvement in trying to bring down Caleb White and his Empire, it was clear that she saw these girls almost as surrogate daughters in a sense. Given how much they'd seemed to take to her as well despite meeting out of the blue on a whim, Avery was honestly impressed with what they'd seen come of it.

“Those two have really changed you, huh?” they couldn't help but say as they placed a hand on Marilyn's shoulder, causing her to simply grin in return.

“What can I say? It's hard not to like them once you actually get to know them,” she responded, her smile fading with her next words. “And everything they've both been through.”

Avery simply sighed and nodded in agreement, having seen the files and heard everything from Camila and Darius that they could ever know about the respective childhoods of both women and how much pride they had in just trying to be themselves through it all. They had to admit, the fact that these two were still forging ahead and having impressive careers for themselves despite everything they'd endured both growing up and at the hands of The Empire in the past year was nothing short of impressive. The fact that Caleb, in one form or another, had a hand in a good part of what had happened in Luz and Amelia's lives would have broken lesser individuals and ultimately brought them under his control. The man was far too good at playing puppet master, knowing exactly what to say or do to get into anybody's head and twist their thoughts until they were believing in the cause he wanted them to believe in.

That reminder made the fact that The Empire had been way too quiet ever since the exchange that ultimately led to the death of Ryan Lumis far more unsettling.

They were snapped out of their thoughts when they heard people shuffling about around them, realizing that the students were beginning to disperse so everyone could have a break before more teaching and training could be done. They and Marilyn took the opportunity to head over to the ring that the couple were standing in as they grabbed some water and discussed what to do next, with everyone in the found family ultimately converging on that ring.

“I have to hand it to you two,” Marilyn called to them with a proud grin, “this was a brilliant idea. I don't think I've ever seen my humble little school be this packed before!”

“The fact that we're getting a chance to actually share what we know and help future wrestlers develop is something I never thought I'd enjoy so much!” Ivy exclaimed, wearing what may have been the biggest smile anyone had seen from her in a very long time.

“Seriously,” Edward chimed in. “Great idea sis and future sis-in-law.”

“Aw, it's not THAT big of a deal,” Luz laughed.

“We just thought it'd be something nice to do to help out,” Amelia added. “Plus, it gives us a chance to keep our heads clear so we don't push ourselves too hard. That's definitely going to blow up in our face if we want to snap this losing streak we've been on lately.”

She and Luz exchanged looks that the others quickly realized was a silent conversation between them, which had them all smiling at how well the two of them had seemed to bounce back after everything. There was still a bit of concern mixed in, given that the two of them really deserved a chance to step back for a little bit to fully address everything, especially Ryan's death before their very eyes, but they had been doing a much better job of opening themselves up and talking through their feelings with those that cared about them to get the support that was keeping them going in the face of all of it.

“Fair point,” Valentina cut through the momentary silence. “Given those looks though... are you sure you and Amelia aren't thinking about something else, sis?”

Luz and Amelia both went bright red at the implication, and everyone else couldn't help but laugh as Luz started sputtering to try and respond, ultimately stammering out something in Spanish that sounded barely comprehensible even to those who understood the language.

“What's going on over here?” Lily called as she approached the group, having been busy with a phone call for the past little bit and only now joining back up with everyone.

“Nothing, Lily,” Marilyn laughed. “Just giving our little lovebirds a hard time because they might be thinking about a 'next generation' of their very own someday.”

“It's...” Amelia started to respond before pausing to look at Luz, another silent conversation happening between them to make sure it was alright as everyone else calmed down and gave them a chance. “We know it's probably way too early to even start thinking about anything like that, especially since we're still trying to figure out what to do for our wedding. But, the idea of having someone who calls us both 'mom' and being able to give them all the love and attention they deserve, the chance to help them grow into their own and figure out their life and what they want to do with it...”

“If you want my honest opinion?” Emily jumped in before Amelia could start derailing herself. “I KNOW you would make a much better mom than Ophelia, Ames. And Luz will be right there with you every step of the way, supporting you just as you'll support her on that journey if and when you decide to take it.”

Everyone else nodded, with Avery and the Clausons exchanging concerned looks over just how deep these emotional scars truly ran for Amelia after how her parents raised her. There was even concern for Luz, who had witnessed her father die right before her very eyes and ultimately fell out with her mother for several years in the aftermath of it. Perhaps the thought of looking into therapy for the two of them wouldn't be a bad idea if they could find someone up for the task... ideally someone who they could keep out of the crosshairs of The Empire, who they knew would gladly jump on the opportunity to hurt someone else if it meant prying further into these girls' lives and thoughts.

As everyone else began to reassure the young couple that they were just teasing them in good fun and knew they would make great parents someday, Lily noticed Ivy step back and not join in on this, her eyes glued to her phone as she seemed to be furiously texting someone. With an eyebrow raised, Lily couldn't help but step over to her.

“Everything alright, Ivy?” she asked, startling the girl for a moment.

“Oh, Lily, sorry...” she nervously chuckled before recomposing herself. “I'm... not sure, to be honest. I just got a text from Henry...”

Lily's attention was immediately ensnared as Ivy turned her phone so the former Empire member could see. Despite Henry's admittedly atrocious texting style that made it clear he wasn't too used to actually doing so (which wouldn't surprise her after that poor boy spent so long being molded by Caleb), the text spoke volumes. It was a warning, an insider tip that The Empire was making some sort of move right now on Marilyn's wrestling school. He wasn't sure exactly what was going down as he'd been left out of the planning, but the warning to keep their guards up was unmistakable.

“Excuse me, Miss Luz and Miss Blythe?”

Everyone turned to the sudden interruption in all the conversations to find two individuals who had broken away from the crowd of students who were still on their break to approach the ring. The one who had spoken was a rather small woman who even Luz and Amelia towered over, while the other was a monster of a man who stood tall over everyone else.

“My friend and I were wondering, if it was alright,” the woman continued, “if we could maybe have a sparring match with the two of you? We were kind of hoping to break into the business as a tag team and wanted the practice, and it would be an honor to both get that practice against the two of you and also, maybe, help you out in practicing for your own big match coming up.”

Luz and Amelia exchanged glances for a moment before nodding to one another as Luz turned to address them. “Of course! Get on in here, you two!”

The mountain of a man easily lifted his partner onto the apron so she could step into the ring before he climbed in as well, effortlessly stepping over the top rope. As the two sides began to converse, Lily narrowed her eyes from where she stood, something about this not feeling right to her. Her gaze was mostly focused on the woman, who looked and sounded familiar but was doing a very good job of disguising herself if she was. Something about her, though, was setting off alarm bells in her head, and she was desperately trying to grab hold of any memories that would confirm her suspicions.

“So,” Amelia began to ask, “what are your names?”

“Well...” The woman pointed her thumb up at the behemoth towering behind her. “His name isn't really important. As for me? You can call me... Kiki.”

As she said that, she turned and glanced over at Lily, who saw the briefest flash of a smirk before she and her partner began to pull some cloths that had been tied around their necks up over their noses. It was that reveal that caused everything to click for Lily, who went pale as she began trembling in both anger and fear at who had brazenly waltzed into her sister's wrestling school knowing full well she was outnumbered. The fact that they had only now covered their faces, though...

“Lily? Are you alright?” Ivy carefully asked.

Lily ignored her, however, suddenly realizing what was about to happen.

“Luz! Amelia! Get away from them now!”

Everyone turned to Lily, but her warning came too late. Before anyone could make any moves, the behemoth had pulled a canister out of a satchel he'd been concealing before letting it drop and roll towards the couple, where it began spewing gas everywhere. Luz and Amelia immediately began coughing and trying to cover their faces as the others began trying to pull them out of the ring, only for Kiki to drop a few more canisters that also began unloading gas, creating a thick fog around the area that forced the group to quickly back away to avoid being caught themselves.

Luz and Amelia remembered hearing screams and a lot of chaos happening around them at that point, but not only was their vision obscured they were also growing drowsy. As they dropped to their knees and held each other tightly, trying to grab hold of any sort of strength to power through this, the last thing they remembered seeing was Kiki and her titan approach them, the little gremlin grinning under her face cover.

“Pleasant dreams girls... The Empire's dreams are about to finally come true,” she confidently stated.

Anything after that became a blur as the couple finally collapsed to the canvas, unable to fight the forced sleep taking hold of them any longer.

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

A groggy haze hung over their heads, but Luz and Amelia slowly found themselves waking up after a dreamless sleep. In the time it took for them to slowly get their bearings and shake off the drowsy feeling, a few things started to become apparent to them.

They weren't in Marilyn's wrestling school anymore.

Wherever they were, it looked like some kind of warehouse.

They weren't tied up or restrained or anything like that, allowing them to freely cling to each other as they tried to figure this all out.

Perhaps worst of all... they were alone.

The last thing they remembered was preparing to have a tag team spar with this small woman named Kiki and a much larger man, happily wanting to help them prepare to break into the business as a tag team while using the chance to get some practice in themselves, especially since the silent juggernaut seemed like a fair comparison to Brittany Lohan and finding larger powerhouses to spar with so they could better prepare for whatever she could throw at them hadn't been easy to come by surprisingly. The next thing they knew, they were breathing in what they could only assume to be some sort of knockout gas as they tried to pull themselves out of the ring, only for Kiki to taunt them about...

“No...” they both uttered in horror as it began to sink in.

“Ah, good, you're both awake.”

That calm, knowing, sinister voice only made the dread worse as they swore they could feel icicles begin forming along their spines. Wide eyes turned in the direction it had emanated from, and their worst fears were confirmed. Slowly approaching them was none other than Caleb White, offering them the kindest smile he could muster which only made their skin crawl. Kiki and her behemoth followed close behind, with the latter dragging a chair with him. Once they were close enough, he unfolded the chair so Caleb could carefully take a seat.

“You two did well today,” he told them. “Now... why don't you go and make sure our little meeting doesn't have any unexpected interruptions?”

Kiki and the man nodded before taking their leave, though once she thought they were far enough away they could see Kiki starting to get all giddy and doing a little happy dance while saying something to herself. Caleb simply scoffed and shook his head.

“Poor little thing doesn't even realize how much of an abomination she truly is, and yet she devotes herself so thoroughly to my cause and tries so hard to earn my admiration,” Caleb coldly stated as he turned his attention back to the couple. “She may not know that she will be among those purged in the saving grace I will bring to all, but sometimes the best sheep in the flock are the ones who are willing to wholeheartedly sacrifice themselves for the greater good... whether they know it or not.”

Luz and Amelia simply looked at Caleb with unbridled disgust. Even if they hated Kiki for what she had just pulled and the fact that she was so thoroughly devoted to this monster, they couldn't help but feel sorry for her because of how thoroughly she was being deceived and manipulated, seen as nothing more than a useless pawn in this man's greater endgame. For him to speak so lowly of her despite that twisted devotion and the work she was putting into it... even if there was the smallest shred of hope that maybe Caleb could be redeemed somehow, that just stomped it out like someone squashing a bug beneath their heel with such excessive cruelty.

“We're not joining you,” Amelia vehemently spat, wasting no time in cutting to the heart of what she and Luz both knew they were brought here for.

“Jumping the gun a bit, aren't we Amelia?” Caleb chuckled. “Perhaps I merely wanted to speak with the both of you? Trying to meet with THE Amelia Blythe and La Pequeña Luz seems to be a challenge these days unless you're a part of their inner circle, so I apologize for the drastic lengths I needed to resort to just to have this opportunity.”

“Save the flattery,” Luz growled back. “There's only one reason you'd ever want to talk with us, and we all know you're not changing our stance or getting into our heads and turning us against the world that only YOU have a problem with, so let us go!”

Caleb simply tilted his head, that unnervingly generous smile still plastered to his lips.

“I'm sure by now you've both noticed that you're not bound in any fashion,” he stated. “I'm not holding you hostage... that would be counterintuitive to why I brought you here. It would be quite rude of me to seek a simple conversation with you and not allow you to be comfortable while we talk.”

“We're not comfortable being in your presence, period,” Luz bluntly responded as she tried standing up. She and Amelia looked around and noticed that no one looked like they were around to stop them, and Caleb himself wasn't budging from his seat. If anything, he simply crossed his legs and continued to display the patience of a saint—a thought that made them want to vomit considering they knew the man was anything but, despite his own beliefs.

Luz took Amelia's hand and helped her to her feet as well, the two of them leaning on one another as they still felt the lingering effects of the knockout gas from however long they've been out cold. Once they were steady enough and took one last look at Caleb to see if he was going to try anything, they began to walk away.

“I apologize for simply wanting to offer some help in reversing your fortunes in the ring.”

They both stopped at that, knowing full well they shouldn't turn around and engage the man after a remark like that, but the tone he said it with... they both knew that combination all too well and how difficult it was to fight the urge to respond to it at all. They gripped each other's hands tightly, a quiet gesture to draw strength from so they didn't give in, but the hesitation that stopped them in the first place was all the opening Caleb needed to continue.

“I've been watching, you know. You two work so hard out in that ring... harder than anyone in that company, to be perfectly honest. You put in so much effort to be the best Tag Team Champions you could possibly be... only for it all to be ripped away because nobody seems to respect any of that.”

Amelia bit her bottom lip, but it wasn't enough to keep her from responding. “We lost those titles fair and square to a team that was better than us on that night.”

“Were they, though?” Caleb asked. “Can Glory Braddock and Brittany Lohan truly claim they were the beter team on that night when they took advantage of the fact that they knew their actions from the pay-per-view were weighing heavily on your minds, clouding your judgment and throwing you off your game?”

“The only thing that threw us off going into that match was what YOU did to Ryan!” Luz snapped back with a raw fury that would have surprised Amelia for how out-of-character it was coming from her fiancée... if she wasn't feeling the exact same anger and hatred bubbling beneath the surface herself.

Caleb, however, was unfazed. “I did warn you girls that your actions and decisions would have consequences... I cannot be blamed for the fact that I was simply following divine orders to remove an obstacle from my Empire's path. Perhaps, had you been more willing to hear me out beforehand, he could've been saved. That, however, is on your hands... not mine.”

The madman couldn't help but smirk even wider at how much effort he could see the girls exerting to restrain themselves from trying to attack him. Whether they realized it or not, they had played right into his hands and were now his captive audience, and all he had to do was keep pushing the right buttons until everything was right where he wanted it to be.

“I'm afraid we are getting off-topic, though,” he continued, further aggravating the tandem with how easily he dismissed their truthful claims. “It doesn't change the fact that the two of you, despite trying so hard to fight against the chaos all around you, ultimately allowed it to affect you and cost you dearly. Even you have to admit that this is a trend that has continued far beyond even your accusations against me. The Television Title, the match with Syren... both losses that could have been avoided if you didn't allow yourselves to be sucked into the tornado of chaos that has made it clear none of your opponents at this upcoming show have the respect for this business that they may claim to have. At the end of the day, it is all about the gold and the glory to them... nothing else. And those fans encourage all of it, entertained by the unpredictable and the barbaric as opposed to the purity and skill that wrestling once represented.”

Luz and Amelia looked at one another, shuddering at the fact that they knew his words held some weight to them. Even disagreeing with how he was phrasing it and what they knew deep down he was fishing for by presenting it in this fashion, they unfortunately had to admit that he wasn't wrong. Whether it was his actions he was refusing to fully admit to or the hurricane that was the beef between Dark Fantasy and Twisted & Sadistic they had unfortunately gotten caught in the middle of due to their status as the now-former World Tag Team Champions, all of it had impacted their focus despite their best efforts to rise above it all, resulting in their lack of momentum heading into their toughest challenge to date.

“Why don't the two of you have a seat and we can discuss this whole situation in a civilized manner?” Caleb offered, gesturing to the admittedly out-of-place black leather couch the girls had woken up on and only now fully realized was there.

“We'll stand, thank you very much,” Luz quickly responded, squeezing Amelia's hand as she saw her love start moving to take the offered seat as if her body was on autopilot. Amelia offered a quiet thank that Luz flashed a quick smile to before they were both glaring at Caleb again.

“As you wish,” Caleb scoffed while leaning back in his chair, further irritating the girls with how dismissive and nonchalant he was being with all of this. It wasn't unlike any of their past encounters with the zealot, but all of those had come in situations where it seemed easier to ultimately get under his skin because they had him on the back foot in some fashion. Here, he was in full control and he knew it, meaning it was going to take every last ounce of willpower they possessed just to try and not lose themselves to his manipulation.

As both sides quietly stared one another down, they took the opportunity to try and piece together the scenario in their heads. All they knew was that they were in some sort of warehouse who knows where in Bridgeport, assuming they were even still in the city at this point. They had no idea how long they were out or what had happened to their loved ones after the knockout gas had been deployed. About the only other thing they knew was Caleb's implication that Empire members were keeping watch for any 'uninvited guests,' meaning that Caleb likely wasn't stopping them from trying to leave because he knew they couldn't... not without having to fight their way through a potential army first.

The realization of the full scope of how much control Caleb had here rattled them to their cores, though they did their best not to show it. At this point, their only hope seemed to be indulging him to buy enough time for help to come, especially since Avery's presence at the school meant the FBI were no doubt combing the city at this point trying to find them.

“Let's say for a moment that you're right,” Amelia tentatively restarted the conversation with all of that in mind. “What exactly would you be able to do about it? You're not part of SCW, nor is whatever part of this Empire that's still wrestling and not essentially religious terrorists at this point.”

“There's still plenty of time before Retribution for me to sort that out, especially with a good word from the both of you,” Caleb replied, the sickening sweetness in his words putting even Ophelia Blythe to shame. “Even still, I wouldn't dare to do anything that would further drag the integrity of the sport of wrestling down like those other two teams have with their constant squabbling. I would simply offer a presence in your corner to help guide you to what you desire, provide you with a safety net that would make sure everyone understands what wrestling should truly be all about and eliminate all the unnecessary chaos from the equation entirely.”

“You mean by having The Empire get involved on our behalf?” Luz accused as she shook her head in disbelief. “Doesn't that seem hypocritical to what you're trying to preach?”

“It honestly reminds me of James Evans, especially after he came back...” Amelia lamented, earning a one-armed hug from Luz to help keep her grounded and remind her that it was an accident.

“You call it hypocritical,” Caleb carefully responded, “but is it any more hypocritical than Glory Braddock claiming she respects the integrity of this sport and then refusing to condone the actions of her partner because she 'doesn't control her'? Or perhaps it would blindside you if any of them felt the need to call you both hypocrites just because of what Luz did on that previous show?”

“I was protecting Amelia so she could keep her focus on a clean match with Syren!” Luz defended herself.

“And I believe Ravyn has made similar claims regarding that woman, just as Brittany has with Glory,” Caleb pointed out. “The point is, you took their bait and you paid the price for playing their game.”

“Like with what you did to Ryan?” Amelia growled, not regretting throwing that accusation back in his face once more.

Caleb simply rolled his eyes before standing up, looking down at the girls with a cold, calculating expression despite the smile that lingered on his scarred and wrinkled features.

“You can use that against me all you want, but at the end of the day I'm simply offering to help the both of you become far more than you could ever be right now,” he explained to them. “You both fight because of your love for the sport, the respect you have for what it means to you, and the desire to share all of that with those fans. But people are fickle, and there will come a time when they will stop caring about what you have to offer them because it no longer fits with their changing perceptions of what the business should and shouldn't be about. When that time comes... what will you do when those fans turn on you because they no longer respect your passion? What will you do when your bosses no longer want you to succeed because your presence clashes with the direction they wish to go in? When you are asked to either change who you are or lose everything you've worked so hard to gain... what then?”

His words sank in as he could tell Amelia and Luz were heavily thinking it over. Truth be told, while they didn't have the full story and didn't want to feel like they were prying into matters that weren't there, what Caleb was describing sounded eerily similar to what had happened to Selena Frost recently. The decade she had spent fighting for an SCW she could be proud to wrestle in, all thrown back in her face when the fans grew tired of it and it seemed like everyone preferred to embrace the likes of Kandis, Asher Hayes, Ace Marshall and Ravyn Taylor, simply because the chaos and uncertainty they introduced was exciting and felt like the investment to make at the moment. In fact, the last time Selena had truly been praised and respected by those people had been this exact point in time last year when she and Deanna had put on a clinic with the two of them. Since then... Selena had walked away from SCW, ultimately to return having embraced all the hatred thrown at her as she fought to force the change she wanted through politicking and conniving acts rather than staying true to herself and trying to get the results she wanted through actions and skill alone.

She had given in to her inner darkness, caving under the pressure when it became too much to ignore. The temptation had been there for Luz and Amelia as well so many times over the years, but they had always managed to fight against it. And now, here was Caleb White, trying to spell it out for them in order to get his version of The Light In The Darkness... a corrupted version that was a shell of everything that name stood for and everything that made these two women who they truly were.

“I was in that position myself,” Caleb continued when the couple remained silent, “and my response was to fight this evolution with one of my own, embracing what God has given me in order to fix this broken world and all of His children who have lost their way and risk being too far gone. I am offering you the keys to His kingdom, the chance to achieve that eternal divine glory by doing the right thing and evolving the right way, taking the fight to those who will eventually stab you in the back because they no longer believe in you before they have the chance to do so.”

“Was that your justification for killing your own brother and his wife?” Luz suddenly cut in, and in that moment, the atmosphere around them noticeably changed.

“...I have no idea what you're talking about,” Caleb tried to save face, but Luz and Amelia knew they'd found an opening and were not going to let him take control of the situation again.

“Everything you just described to us,” Amelia added, “is something we've been watching happen to a woman we respected for a very long time. Selena Frost has changed from being the kind of competitor we always aspired to be into this self-professed 'devil' because somehow, someway, something about all the changes within the past year found a way to get to her and slowly broke her down brick by brick until she felt the only way to fix it was to betray herself and embrace the monster everyone made her out to be.”

“We could say the same thing happened to Simon Lyman,” Luz continued. “We don't know what happened in his personal life that made him into what he is now, but it doesn't change the fact that he refused to address it in a healthy way and instead lost sight of who he truly is, blaming all of it on everyone around him instead of taking fault for any of his own actions that may have contributed to his decline.”

“In you, we see the very worst example of what becomes of someone who loses sight of their true self and thinks the answer is throwing it all away,” Amelia pressed onward as she and Luz slowly began closing the distance. “Your issues were entirely based on the sport you loved changing in a way that you disagreed with. You could have evolved your style to better match with these changes, still able to put on incredible matches without compromising whoever you may have been once upon a time. You could have forged ahead, defiantly showing anyone who hated you for not changing that your will is stronger than theirs and you don't have to completely change to be who they want you to be or do what they want you to do.”

“You took it too far,” Luz jabbed. “Religious beliefs are no excuse to justify what you've done to people, the lives you've destroyed all just to get your way. It was never your fault in your mind, it was everyone else's and the only way to fight those changes to you was to try and declare some sort of holy war on the world for not being what YOU want it to be... not God, YOU and YOU alone. YOU killed your brother because he dared to disagree with what you became and refused to give in when you demanded he throw away what made him happy just because it wasn't what YOU wanted.”

“YOU promised my parents power and status greater than what they already had by convincing them that I should belong to you before I was even born,” Amelia fired off.

“YOU took my father's life and scarred the version of wrestling that means so much to myself and the people I grew up with because all of it flew in the face of YOUR vision of how it was all supposed to be,” Luz tacked on.

At this point, both women were now within arm's reach of Caleb, locked in a tense staredown with the zealot who sneered but stood his ground. The whole situation was akin to a powder keg just waiting to explode, but Luz and Amelia didn't care.

“I am Amelia Blythe,” Amelia stated with determination. “I am my own woman, I love who I love and my choices are mine and mine alone to make. I love the person I've become and I refuse to throw any of that away because I have already lost myself once, and I will not put myself through that again.”

“And I am La Pequeña Luz,” Luz followed up with a fiery passion. “I am my own woman, I love who I love and my choices are mine and mine alone to make. I am proud of who I am and everything I've accomplished without having to bend to the whims of others simply because they don't understand or care.”

“We are The Light In The Darkness,” Amelia kept going. “A name that means so much more than just trying to be that beacon of hope for the wrestling business.”

“And even if things change and the world turns against us, we will remain true to ourselves,” Luz finished. “Because we've survived those moments in our lives once already by not compromising our true selves, and that means there is nothing you, or anyone else, can say or do that will break us.”

Silence began to take hold once again as the tension became so thick you'd need a chainsaw to try and cut through it. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Caleb simply huffed.

“You two truly insist on being lost causes,” he spat, any sense of composure starting to disappear. “I am sorry that I could not show you the true light and save your souls... and I am sorry for this.”

In the blink of an eye, Caleb moved with a speed that was unnatural for a man his age, and Luz and Amelia could see the glint of the jagged dagger that he suddenly produced that was pointed right at Luz's heart. Amelia had moved to try and take the blow instead, only for Luz to try and protect her by refusing to budge. Ultimately, neither one of them felt the sting of the cold steel, ultimately causing them to temporarily lower their guards as they saw Caleb struggling to move the dagger any closer.

Not with Henry trying his best to tie the man up in a chickenwing crossface despite their height difference.

“Henry!?” Caleb growled as he tried to squirm free. “What are you doing!?”

“Making up for every mistake I ever made while I let you mold me into your perfect little doppelganger and erasing everything that made me the son of Paul and Martha Clauson!” Henry grunted as he fought with everything he had to keep his uncle restrained.

“You ungrateful little-” Caleb spat as he managed to slip his arm free. Luz and Amelia watched in horror as he managed to swing his arm back, the blade of the dagger cutting across Henry's face and causing him to drop to the floor. Their bodies went on autopilot, and the moment Caleb turned his attention back to them while he tried to pull himself together, the two of them threw everything they had into stereo punches that dropped the lunatic with a sickening crack that echoed throughout the warehouse.

It was shortly after Caleb had dropped that the girls heard what sounded like gunfire erupting from outside, but they did their best to ignore it as they rushed over to help Henry up, who was bleeding profusely from a deep cut across his face.

“Are you girls alright?” he asked.

“Are WE alright!?” Amelia yelled. “You're bleeding pretty bad Henry! He got you with that dagger!”

“What were you thinking!?” Luz followed up as she glanced over at Caleb, whose nose was clearly broken as he seemed to get his bearings and realized he'd lost control of the situation.

“I wasn't going to let him hurt you,” he told them with a bit of a laugh. “Everything you said to him was right... and he deserved it after everything he's done.”

“Another lost cause,” Caleb suddenly cut in as he pulled himself to his feet, clutching the dagger tightly as he glared at the defiant trio while Amelia and Luz rose to form a human wall in front of Henry. “I truly had high hopes for all three of you... and now I'll have to save this world without any of you to pass it on to.”

“Good luck trying to do anything of the sort from a prison cell,” a voice furiously called out, and in a matter of moments, Avery had appeared with their gun drawn, flanked by Darius and Evie as well as several other FBI and NCA agents. Every firearm was trained on Caleb, every possible way out he could take was blocked off, and several agents had even moved in front of the trio to make sure he didn't try to take anybody down with him. His eyes were darting around wildly in desperation, but even he began to realize the futility of his situation.

“Caleb White, you are under arrest,” Darius stated with a finality that ultimately had Caleb actually drop the dagger and raise his hands in surrender.

Everything that happened after that was a blur to the couple. They know they helped the agents get Henry out so his wound could be treated, confirmed that while the cut was bad it wasn't anywhere near fatal and would, at worst, simply be another scar he could add to the collection. Their loved ones were all relieved to see that the couple was alright and unharmed, which they honestly had to thank Henry for. At the end of the day, Luz and Amelia could walk away knowing that despite every single valid point that Caleb made, every word out of his mouth that was laced with enough truth to make them believe that his offer was the solution to all of their problems, they had stood their ground and refused to compromise what made them who they were... even if it could have very well cost them their lives.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Luz had a feeling her father was looking down on her from Heaven, proud of the little girl he'd brought into this world and the connections she'd forged that had guided her and her beloved through the darkest of moments and past the greatest of threats.

There was no guarantee that it would result in them parlaying all of this into getting their World Tag Team Titles back at Retribution, but at least for now, Luz and Amelia could take comfort in the fact that they were finally free. Caleb White had lost... and no matter what the true end result would be come the pay-per-view, The Light In The Darkness were going to walk away with their heads held high, knowing that they'd won in one form or another.

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We open up to find ourselves looking at what appears to be an entire wall of televisions, each one playing something different. As we take a closer look, a theme becomes apparent as every single match or interaction that's playing involves some combination of Twisted & Sadistic, Dark Fantasy and The Light In The Darkness. After a moment, we pull away from this video wall to find ourselves in a room that's illuminated only by the golden hue of the sunrise outside that spells the beginning of a brand new day in the city of Glendale, Arizona, the sight of the 2024 incarnation of SCW's Retribution pay-per-view. Two familiar individuals are seated before the video wall, studying every last bit of footage in great detail. Decked out in their wrestling attire, Amelia Blythe and La Pequeña Luz display a familiar focus, and yet, something about it feels more intense than we've usually seen. Maybe it's the desire to get their titles back, or maybe it's something else entirely. Whatever the reason, their focus only breaks when they stand up and push the chairs aside, turning and waiting for us to reposition ourselves so that their backs are to the wall of monitors, the footage continuing to play out as they stand there, bathed in that golden hue of dawn, looking ready for war.

“Coming into this year, The Light In The Darkness was on top of the world, there is no denying that. World Tag Team Champions, named the Tag Team of the Year for 2023, Luz had her Television Title reign she was also in the midst of... last year, we overcame a lot of hurdles just to get to that point. We had several opportunities that we'd fallen short of, we had moments where we could've made a name for ourselves slip through our fingers, we even willingly chose to isolate ourselves from any consideration to even challenge for the World Tag Team Titles again for a time, willing to put our fate in the hands of someone who we respected, someone who had personally challenged us to prove how much we truly wanted this and how hard we were willing to work to earn it.”

“Even when we finally reached the top of the mountain together, becoming the World Tag Team Champions at long last... that wasn't the end of the journey. I kept pushing myself with my Television Title reign week after week, just as we put ourselves out there for all comers to step up and give us their best shot so that we could be the kind of honest, hard-working, fighting champions that tag team wrestling deserves to have. We fought our hearts out to get to that point in only our first year back in this company... not bad for a tag team that had their confidence so rattled by serious injuries sometime before that we honestly felt the best course of action was to step away and rebuild ourselves to try again.”

“That said, we are not standing here as the World Tag Team Champions at this moment... several weeks ago, after we managed a successful defense in a rematch against Dark Fantasy, we were bested by Twisted & Sadistic. We're not ashamed to admit that they were the better team on that night, nor are we ashamed to admit that, for the most part, they've had our number any time we've crossed paths. Plain and simple, we embrace the fact that there is someone out there we just haven't really been able to beat because it gives us a goal to aim for, another reason to just keep pushing ourselves to get better with each and every match so that we can continue to elevate ourselves, chasing that challenge and leaving our own mark on the pro wrestling industry.”

“The problem is... we've found ourselves in the crossfire of a war between two teams who have a lot of issues with one another, mostly stemming from a past that had been dragged back to the surface. Now, if this had stayed a civil affair regarding who challenged us when while we were still champions, then maybe we wouldn't be here right now. Perhaps we would have cleanly beaten Dark Fantasy once again only to fall to Twisted & Sadistic, and that would have been the end of it. In that scenario... as odd as this might sound to all of you considering CHBK has made it a point to honor rematches of former champions, which is partly how all of this began in the first place given that Dark Fantasy had the rights to such against us, we would have actually opted not to have ours honored. We would have taken our loss to Glory and Brittany and accepted that we need to go back to the bottom and earn our way back to the top, and maybe if they were still there by the time we reached that goal, we would have grown and evolved enough to finally be able to overcome that hurdle that kept tripping us up and take our titles back.”

“That, however, is not the scenario we're in... therein lies the problem, the whole reason we ultimately opted to ask for this in the first place.”

“And, to be perfectly honest... you, Brittany, are one of the biggest reasons why this hasn't turned out the way you wanted it to.”

The couple exchange glances as the monitors behind them suddenly shift, all of them now focusing on playing clips focused on Brittany Lohan during the past few months, namely her penchant for simply trying to break others for even the most minor of slights against her or even Glory. Luz and Amelia actually glance behind themselves at this, sighing and shaking their heads before returning their focus to us.

“We get it Brittany, we really do... you hate Ravyn Taylor with a burning passion, you want nothing more than to be the one who proudly says you ended her career, got one over on her. If that's what you desire, then as much as we disagree with the idea of resolving wrestling issues in a non-wrestling fashion, we have no right to stop you. The problem is that you think you have any right to just tell everyone in SCW that this is what you want and that's exactly how it's going to happen, or else. You, despite knowing Ravyn as well as you claim, were the one who fell for her obvious bait when you tried to boot her in the face and caught me instead before Body, Heart & Soul... even then, we didn't hold that against you because we knew that a win over Dark Fantasy would give us the chance to pay you back for that the right way.”

“Instead, you decided that you just had to send a message to Ravyn by interfering in our match and ensuring that Ames and I won... not that you cared about tainting an accomplishment of ours because it had nothing to do with what you wanted. Yet again, though, you played right into Ravyn's hand, giving her a reason to pull the stunt she and Syren did that ruined Glory's moment of achieving Supreme Champion status even at our expense. Your actions gave them an argument to stay in the title picture even when they rightfully should go to the back of the line... and what bothers us the most is the fact that you have no problem with rubbing that in our faces, thinking you have any right to tell us what we can and can't do, thinking that we're going to just stand there in the middle of this crossfire and become victims all because of your selfish desires even when, in the back of your head, you know full well that what you want can and likely will ultimately cost Glory everything you offered to come back and help her accomplish. And yet... you don't care, because in your mind, there is nothing you can't handle.”

“I hate to say it, but I honestly feel bad for Glory, I really do. Truthfully, she's just as much of a victim here, only wanting to reach the point she finally achieved weeks ago and keep pushing herself to defend those titles and be the best champion she can possibly be. And yet, because of your actions, her moment was ruined and she's found herself doing things she's clearly not comfortable with doing all because she's a good friend who's hesitant to tell you that you've crossed a line and need to stop and think for a moment. As far as the two of you are concerned, she's suffered the most through all of this... Brittany can say she's doing this because of what happened to Glory, but can we honestly say that it even would have happened in the first place if Brittany hadn't started it in the first place?”

“Make no mistake Glory... we do respect you, and we respect the fact that you knew this triple threat match at Retribution was ultimately going to be the only way this was going to have to be resolved. Instead of taking issue with it like Brittany clearly has, you've embraced the challenge you know will come with this environment and welcome it with open arms, ready to step up and try to prove yourself once again. If we had won on that fateful Breakdown and remained champions, we would have done the same, embracing the inevitability of this storm that has locked all three of our teams together to prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, who truly is the best at this moment in time. Maybe you have an issue with how we're addressing Brittany, and we understand how much you care for her... but you'll also have to forgive us if we feel that she's taking this whole thing a little too far and don't want you to crash and burn with her.”

Luz sighs, taking a moment to adjust her mask as Amelia takes a moment to quietly say something to her in Spanish. Luz responds in the same, whatever personal thought crossed her mind in that moment seeming to fade as she's alright. Amelia nods, understanding that they've both had their own issues with toxic individuals over the years and can only do so much to offer a hand if someone needs it. Almost fittingly, the monitors flip from one team embodying that aspect to another as clips of Dark Fantasy, namely Ravyn's plots and schemes over the past several months, become the main focus.

“On that same note, we're worried about you, Syren. I've been in your position once before in my life, being pushed too hard because I had to be the absolute best according to my parents just as you have to solidify your place as the absolute best according to Lexy Chapel. I respect your acceptance of her plan to try and push yourself to earn the right to challenge for the World Title again—even if I'm not fond of Lexy's rationale behind it—just as I respect the fact that you acknowledge the need to pull off ten wins in a row to even have that right and embrace it as opposed to trying to plot to find a way around it. Despite the questionable motives and tactics of those around you, you have stayed true to the competitor you want to be, just as Glory has done as well. That is not an easy thing to do these days, especially given how much SCW has changed in the past year alone, but that is proof of how strong and dedicated you truly are to this business even when, just like Glory, you arguably have nothing more you need to accomplish, and yet you still seek out opportunities because you want to.”

“That said, I'd like to apologize to you, Syren, for my involvement in everything that happened during your match with my fiancée on the last Breakdown. That brings us to arguably the biggest crux of this whole issue... Ravyn, I can understand and respect looking out for your partner and worrying for her well-being. Given how concerned you claimed to be about our relationship leading up to our first clash back at Under Attack, I would think you know full well how much Amelia and I care for one another and will always both offer support and watch each other's backs. The fact that you came out and instigated that whole mess because you were concerned about Syren while she was in the middle of a match speaks volumes about how much faith you have in her... yes, accidents can happen in the ring, we know that firsthand given that it's how our first run came to an end at this very show coming up, but we respect this sport and everything it represents far too much to ever go out of our way to intentionally hurt anyone, even if they maybe deserve it.

Go ahead and criticize what I did if you want, but consider this for a moment... you're allowed to defend Syren because of what Twisted & Sadistic did to her, and Brittany is allowed to defend Glory because of what Dark Fantasy did to her. If I'm not allowed to defend Amelia when she's threatened all because she's just trying to do her job, or vice versa, despite that... I think the hypocrisy is painfully obvious.”

“It wouldn't surprise us, though, given the whole story here, according to certain individuals, is that Dark Fantasy and Twisted & Sadistic want to kill each other for several reasons instigated by Brittany and Ravyn while Syren and Glory are kind of along for the ride... and Lulu and I, despite being caught in the crossfire and disrespected at every turn all because our place in this mess was being the initial champions both sides were gunning for, are supposed to just take the bullying and manipulation and silently accept our place as victims in this story. Unfortunately for both sides, The Light In The Darkness aren't here to just quietly accept being threatened and pushed around because of a few overly toxic individuals who want to reignite a blood feud from ages ago. That's not who we are, and that's not what we stand for.”

“Like it or not, the world doesn't just hand one person everything they want on a silver platter all because they say so. If you want something, you have to be ready to bust your behind to earn it. We understand that, Syren and Glory understand that... we thought Ravyn and Brittany would understand that, but apparently not. That is exactly why Retribution will see our three teams go at it to settle this once and for all with the World Tag Team Titles on the line. We didn't campaign or manipulate anything... CHBK made his stance on rematches clear, and if we really wanted to, we could've simply asked for this to be our proper rematch against Glory and Brittany. We could have, and honestly wanted to as stated earlier, actually forego the option altogether and fight our way back up. But neither one of those solves the problem here... that's why we stand by our decision to up the ante, using our rematch to resolve this wrestling problem in a wrestling ring, fin de la historia.”

At that, Luz and Amelia start to walk around as we pan after them, the two ultimately leaving the video wall and opting to stand in front of the window where the sunlight is pouring in, creating a breathtaking silhouette of the couple as they slowly reach out and take one another's hands.

“We are The Light In The Darkness... we both grew up in this business, but we found our own meaning in it and in each other. No matter how much things change or evolve, we will do the same. Unlike others who have lost their way, however, we will never lose sight of the people we truly want to be in this world, no matter what threats are thrown our way or how many times we get knocked down and have to pick ourselves back up.”

“A great actor, playing one of the greatest fighters in movie history, once said: 'It's not about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward.' If our light were to ever go out, that would be an admission of defeat... that's the beauty of why we forge ahead despite any setbacks or obstacles we may face. At the end of it all, if we can accomplish anything without having to compromise who we, La Pequeña Luz and Amelia Blythe, truly are, then the struggle was worth it. If we can't do that, even if the world were to turn against us, then what's the point of the fight in the first place?”

“We've both been there growing up, we've faced those hardships, and we ultimately overcame them. We drew strength from one another to find the best possible versions of ourselves, and we're not letting go of that.”

“That is why we will walk into Retribution in the State Farm Stadium right here in Glendale, knowing full well this event has not been kind to us in our last two outings, and we will walk out of this event with our heads held high even if we don't reclaim our World Tag Team Championships... because we were the ones who took the initiative here to end this once and for all.”

“And if any of you have a problem with that and feel you were entitled to us just being kicked around and thrown out of this fight without a fair chance to defend ourselves, then we'd like to remind both Dark Fantasy and Twisted & Sadistic of a phrase that Glory knows quite well.”

Amelia and Luz exchange smiles before leaning in closer for the exclamation point.

“Sic semper tyrannis.”

With that, the two of them pull back, standing defiantly against the dawn as they look to rise along with it back to the top of the mountain. Are they ready to stand there once again so soon? Do they truly deserve it? Those are questions that can only be answered in time, but the couple will happily embrace the challenge of figuring it out and conducting their business on their terms, resolving this issue the right way, because someone has to. And if fate dictates that they need to be World Tag Team Champions once more so the division doesn't fall into chaos, then they will fight with everything they have to make that scenario a reality, like only they can.