The Enigma's Revenge/Revenge against Enigma?

[supremecw]

Deanna Frost vs. Konrad Raab vs. Dakon Theron vs. Ludvig Eriksson vs. The Enigma vs. Kimberly Williams
Underground Rules

2 RP limit per person (no word limits)
Individuals in other matches (e.g. THOTF) can use their roleplays for both matches

Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET Saturday, June 1, 2024

[The Matt]

1 of 2
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May 16th, 2024
Los Angeles, California
Off Camera
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In Los Angeles, California, Kimberly Williams was determined to put on a wrestling clinic for all of the fans in attendance and remind SCW management and anyone else who would dare to challenge her that The Woman Scorned is more than just a one trick pony. She wanted to prove that she is more than just a Death Match Queen, she can mat wrestle with the best of them. While she definitely put Scott Reed through the ringer, he caught her by surprise and got an upset victory over the SCW Underground Champion. It was a minor setback, but Kimberly is not deterred. She still wants to prove to the SCW fans and the roster that she is capable of more than just ruling the Underground, she is capable of winning any and all of SCW’s brass rings. Why does Kimberly suddenly have an interest in expanding her horizons beyond the Underground? Simple; this is Rise To Greatness season, Taking Hold of the Flame is coming up and this is the one singular opportunity Kimberly has to make a statement. Kimberly Williams also realizes that of her family members, she is the only one not to win a recognized World Championship. Her sister Marie has achieved that feat, their mother, Angelica, has achieved that feat. But none of them have become SCW World Champion. Kimberly recognizes what it would mean to achieve that feat, to win the SCW World Championship. Winning the Taking Hold of the Flame battle royal would put her into the main event of Rise To Greatness and it would give her a shot at the World Title. She knows that she can pull it off. Last year she started the battle royal and went until the very end before being eliminated. She was the iron woman that night. This year she needs to take that one final step; she needs to win it all.

The Woman Scorned has not forgotten her other commitment; namely to the Underground division. Kimberly is a five time and reigning SCW Underground Champion and she will be leading the charge at Taking Hold of the Flame in what is being billed as a revenge against The Enigma, an outright Underground war featuring all three members of The European Fiery Nation, The Enigma, and the unlikely addition of the SCW United States Champion Deanna Frost. Kim and Deanna are no strangers to one another. Kim and her sister Marie feuded with The House of Frost years ago. Kim and Deanna headlined the main event of the Rise To Greatness Pre Show for the SCW Underground Title. The following month Kim and Deanna were part of a massive five way war for the Underground Title. In that long drawn out brutal rivalry, Kim grew to respect Deanna Frost and the principles that she fights for; they may disagree on tactics, they may disagree on philosophy, but Kim respects Deanna’s fighting spirit. The fact that Deanna now wants to take the fight to The Enigma on behalf of Jessica Winters, a woman Enigma has corrupted, poisoned, also impresses Kimberly Williams. Deanna did not have to step up to defend Jessica. She could have stayed in her lane, safe, as United States Champion, but instead she wanted to fight for her friend. It is something to be respected and Kim is willing to fight by her side at Taking Hold of the Flame.

Much like the Taking Hold of the Flame battle royal itself will be an exercise in chaos, this Underground war against The Enigma will also be ruled the order of chaos. Even though Kim respects Deanna, and despite Kim’s own respect for Konrad Raab, this is being booked as everyone for themselves. And while no championships are on the line, Kimberly also must recognize and prepare for what might be looked at as a potential number one contender’s match. Kim already lost to Scott Reed, albeit in a standard match. This is an Underground Match. Imagine if Konrad or Deanna were to score the pinfall victory to get revenge over The Enigma, or imagine if Enigma were to win; the winner, if that person is not Kimberly, could become the next challenger to her Underground Title. Kimberly, despite her desire to help Deanna, must also think about her own title and her own reign as Underground Queen. Furthermore she must ask herself a very serious question; will there be enough of Kimberly left after the Underground war to even compete in the Taking Hold of the Flame battle royal? Is Kim stretching herself too thin? Is this event going to be the one that finally breaks The Woman Scorned?

Kimberly doesn’t just have Taking Hold of the Flame weighing heavily on her mind. There is yet another deeply personal issue weighing heavily on her mind and that is the issue of her daughter, Lilith. Lilith has been a secret that Kimberly has shockingly been able to keep for over eighteen years. Kimberly gave birth to the girl when Kim was still blindly obeying the whims of Emma Floreschu like a brainwashed slave. After Kim’s time in the mental institution, she and her friend, Larry Dempsey, found the girl and kept her safe from Emma. As time went on and Kimberly would further her wrestling career, Larry would take on greater and greater responsibility in raising the child. But in recent months Larry has been insistent on Kimberly taking more of the responsibility onto her own shoulders. His argument is a plain and simple one; Kimberly is the mother, she should raise her own child. But Kimberly isn’t sure she is up for being a mother. She isn’t sure she is fit to be a mother. What she knows that she cannot do is keep this a secret any longer. She has to tell her family. Her family has been there for her in the past, they have helped her in the past, so if anyone could give her proper advice on how to proceed, it is her family. But they must know, they must find out about Lilith.

The Woman Scorned is walking the backstage area of the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. She has yet to change out of her ring gear after her match against Scott Reed. Kim was beaten but she isn’t ashamed. She went out there and did what she set out to do; she reminded everyone what she was capable of. Now she is going to continue to do that as she heads into Taking Hold of the Flame in hopes of winning that battle royal and earning that coveted shot at the SCW World Championship. Before she can focus on that, she has personal matters to take care of, that is why is searching for her mother and part time manager, Angelica Jones.

“Mom! Mommy-o?!” Williams asks, waiting on a response. She shrugs her shoulders. “Hmmm, I wonder is he just left me behind?” She picks up her penguin, Wasley, and puts him up close to her face. “Where do you think she is, Wasley? Huh?”

“I’m right here, Kim.” That’s the voice of Angelica Jones. Kim turns around and grins from ear to ear upon seeing her mother standing there. Marie Jones, who isn’t competing tonight, is also there standing to Angelica’s right.

“Sorry about your loss, Kim.” Marie says. Kim just shrugs her shoulders.

“Eh, he beat me. No biggie.” Kim shrugs her shoulders. She walks over and wraps an arm around Marie’s shoulder. “Unlike some people, I’m not gonna throw a tantrum and leave because I got beat.”

“Kim!” Angelica says in a scolding tone. Marie just chuckles and shakes her head.

“It’s ok, mom. I probably had that one coming. But I assure you that I am NOT that person anymore.” Marie pats Kim on the back. “And I’m glad your success hasn’t turned you into that kind of person.”

“What are you still doing here?” Kim asks. Marie smirks.

“Like I said, I’m not that kind of person anymore. I am committed to SCW and I plan to show up each and every night whether I am booked or not.”

“I just hope you’re committed.” Angelica says as she turns her attention to Kim. “You lost to Reed tonight but Taking Hold of the Flame is coming up and you are going to facing The Enigma. And if you survive that…”

“If I survive?” Kim scoffs. “More like if HE survives.” Kim winks.

“Whatever. Point is, after that you have Taking Hold of the Flame itself.” Angelica looks genuinely concerned. “Are you sure you can do double duty?”

“Do I look like someone who is concerned about double duty?” Kim asks with a knowing grin.

“I’m just saying, no one would blame you for skipping out on the battle royal this year.”

“No way, mom.” Kim shakes her head. “I came so damn close last year. This year is my year! I can feel it!”

“It might be my year.” Marie says with a wink.

“Really?” Kim laughs. “Good! I love a good sibling rivalry!”

“I don’t.” Angelica says with a sigh. “Why don’t you two just set any thoughts of the Flame to the side for now? You two might not even see each other in the battle royal.”

“But if we do!” Kim declares excitedly. “May the best twin win!”

“My thoughts exactly.” Marie says with a nod of her head. Kim and Marie share a hug. Angelica smiles proudly from afar.

“That sounds better.” Angelica says. “Now why don’t you go get changed out of your ring gear and join me and your sister? We can go find a nice, comfortable place to watch the rest of Breakdown and…”

“Uh, yeah sounds good, but…” Kim interrupts her mother, she sighs “...and we can do that. But I have a bit of a confession to make.”

“Confession?” Angelica asks with an arched brow. “Is everything ok?”

“Mostly.” Kim says with a sheepish grin. “It’s just that, uh, I haven’t been completely honest with you guys.”

“What did you do?” Angelica asks in a scolding, parental tone. Kim shrugs her shoulders and feigns innocence.

“Nothing you or Marie haven’t done!”

“Be serious.” Marie states. “If you’re in trouble we want to help.”

“Fine.” Kim rolls her eyes. “But I’m not in trouble. It’s just that I…uh…I have been visiting a friend in Baltimore regularly.”

“We already know about your friend.” Marie states. “You told us, remember?”

“I told you about Larry but I didn’t tell you everything about our relationship.” Kim begins. “See, he has been doing me a really big favor over the past sixteen or so years. I mean a massive favor.”

“What kind of favor?” Angelica asks.

“He’s been…” Kim sighs “...he’s been taking care of my daughter.”

“Your…” Angelica blinks her eyes several times, almost as if she doesn’t believe she is awake “...your what?”

“My daughter.” Kim states frankly. “Y’know, like Marie and I are your daughters.”

“I know wha…” Angelica sighs and shakes her head “...how is it that you have a daughter? I don’t understand!”

“Well, you see, when a boy loves a girl, the boy sticks his…”

“Kim!” Angelica exclaims. Kim shakes her head.

“Ok, ok, I’ll be serious!” Kim sighs. “It was back when I was still with Emma. She wanted me to give her a child and, well, that’s how Lilith came to be.”

“Ok, ok, slow down,” Angelica shakes her head “so Emma used you to give her a child? Her name is Lilith. But…why? What purpose did it serve?”

“I still don’t know what she wanted out of it. Did she just want a family? A cult? I have no clue.” Kim sighs. “I never gave her the chance because once I got out of the insane asylum you know what I did to her…” her voice trails off. Angelica sighs and nods her head.

“Yeah, I know.” The words do not need to be said. Angelica knows that Kim is capable of murder. “Where is Lilith now?”

“She’s with Larry. I asked him to take care of her because, honestly,” she shrugs her shoulders “I really did not think I was fit for parenting. Hell, I didn’t want to be pregnant, Emma wanted me to be pregnant. I’m sorry I kept this a secret from you guys for so long. I’ve been living in denial for a long time. I didn’t want to think she existed. I wanted to pretend none of it happened. I had hoped Larry could just take care of her and that would be that.”

“What changed?” Marie asks, chiming in. Kim shakes her head.

“I don’t know. Part of me, really, doesn’t want anything to change. But Larry has been encouraging me, almost forcing me, to take on more of the responsibility of taking care of Lilith and I gotta admit…” Kim smiles “...the more time I spend with her, the more I like it…being a mom, that is.”

“Well this responsibility wasn’t something you asked for, Emma forced it on you. So I don’t blame you for not wanting any part of this,” Angelica begins “but you need to make up your mind. You need to decide what you want to do about this.”

“I know.” Kim says quietly.

“Lilith didn’t ask for this, either.” Angelica points out. “She deserves a good life and good parents. If that is you, then fine. Take the responsibility. If it is someone else…your friend Larry or whoever…then fine. But Lilith deserves a stable life with a good parent.”

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May 21st, 2024
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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It has been several days since Breakdown, since Kimberly Williams finally spilled the news about her secret daughter to her mother Angelica Jones and twin sister Marie Jones. Kim had some hope that maybe telling them would provide a solution to her problem. Deep down inside she knew it would not be that simple. Lilith is a problem that she has been putting off for a very long time and it will not be a problem easily solved. Then again, Lilith is not a problem. She is a person. Like Angelica said, she deserves to be in a functional, stable, good home. Lilith did not ask to be born just as Kim did not ask to be a mother. Whatever the solution is, it has to be fair to both. All Kimberly knows is that, for whatever reason, Larry does not seem to want to continue to raise her. He does not want the indefinite responsibility of raising Lilith. Kim will have to determine a solution sooner or later. Until then, Kim Williams is happy to spend some quality time with her daughter. Perhaps spending some time with Lilith will help Kim determine of being a mother, raising this girl, is the future that she wants?

The Woman Scorned sits next to her good friend from the mental asylum, Larry Dempsey on a raggedy beat up red sofa. Lilith sits cross legged on the floor playing with Kimberly’s pet hamster, Caligula. The wallpaper peels and fades into a dull, yellowish hue, hanging limply in spots where the glue has long given up. The wooden floorboards creak with every slight movement, a testament to years of neglect and heavy footsteps. The living room itself is a testament to hardship. A single bare bulb dangles from the ceiling, casting a dim, flickering light that does little to chase away the shadows. The furniture is mismatched and marred by time: an old coffee table with chipped edges, the flat screen television is the only somewhat new item in this entire beat up home; and it is set perched precariously on a makeshift stand. There is a bookshelf that leans dangerously to one side, its shelves sparsely populated with dust-covered books and knick-knacks. The windows are covered with threadbare curtains that do little to block the draft, and a cold wind seeps through the gaps, causing the fabric to flutter like ghostly hands.

“I am quite proud of you, Kimberly.” Larry says warmly. Kim just rolls her eyes. She has heard this song and dance before. “The time you are taking to spend with your daughter, finally after all of these years, it is beautiful.”

“Yeah, I know, I’m a real saint.” Kim responds sarcastically.

“It is true.” Larry nods his head. “You are doing what needs to be done for her benefit and for yours.”

“I get how this is for HER benefit,” Kim says, motioning to Lilith who strokes the hamster across the room “but how is this for MY benefit?”

“You do not have a guilty conscience.”

“I have murdered three people and I kidnapped my sister.” Kim points out. “Do not accuse me of worrying about a guilty conscience.”

“If you did not worry yourself about your conscience then why would you be spending time with your daughter?”

“Because it is the right thing to do.” Kim points out. “I may be a psychopath but I do know right from wrong and, believe it or not, I am trying to do what’s right.” Kim sighs. “Hell, I should be preparing for Taking Hold of the Flame. I am double booked for that night but instead I’m here with…” she looks at Lilith who smiles and waves at Kim, this immediately disarms Kim’s anger and Kim waves back “...with my little girl.”

“See?” Larry points out. “You enjoy this.”

“This is difficult, Larry. Trying to transition from being a crazy barely stable lunatic to being a mother isn’t easy.” She sighs and nods her head. “But I cannot deny it. I do enjoy being with her.”

“And she seems to enjoy spending time with you.” Larry says.

“Yeah, maybe.” Kim shrugs her shoulders. “We watched television, played video games, and she seems to enjoy Caligula’s company.”

“You do not give yourself enough credit, my friend.” Larry says. “Lilith here is proof positive that you are a good mother. Perhaps you should consider having her move on with you on a more permanent basis?”

“Permanent?” Kim furrows her brow. “Uh, I dunno about that, Lawrence of Arabia. I mean, we suddenly jump from visits every month or so to suddenly she lives with me full time? Plus you gotta consider my wrestling schedule. Hell, just SCW alone I’m traveling the world. We were in Australia and Japan recently, Canada this week, and we’ll be in Europe for Taking Hold of the Flame. I would either have to drag her along or find someone else to watch her so I’d STILL be absent.”

“But Kimberly…”

“I’m not saying no.” Kim says. “I’m just saying maybe we should take it slowly, huh? Maybe take a more gradual approach to her moving in with me permanently. I thought about this for a long time after I told my mom about her…”

“You told your mother?” Larry asks. “How did she take it?”

“Surprisingly well. But she brought up a valid point. Lilith didn’t ask for this, neither did I, but we need to be fair to Lilith and having her move in with me when I’m constantly on the move isn’t fair to her. Someone else should be able to be there for her when I am not around.” Kim points at Larry. “So I was thinking you could fill that role on the days I’m on the road.”

“Honestly, my dear, that isn’t a good idea.”

“Why not?” Kim asks curiously. “It isn’t like it would be any different from what we’re currently doing. Y’know?”

“I know it seems good but…” he sighs and shakes his head “...just trust me, it is not a good idea.”

Larry does not sound normal. This does not seem like the Larry Dempsey Kim knows. He seems very suspicious, very fishy. Kim studies him carefully.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong, Kimberly. I just do not believe I can take care of the girl anymore.”

“So you want to pawn her back off onto me because you don’t think you can do it anymore?” Kim asks. “I think I deserve to know why?”

“I would rather not talk about it right now.” Larry insists. “Let’s just focus on the well being of the girl, shall we? We can agree that her well being is paramount.”

Kimberly knows that Larry is giving her the runaround. She knows he is trying desperately to dodge the real issue at hand. But perhaps now is not the time to confront him, at least not yet. Kim sighs and nods her head.

“Fair enough. If you won’t watch her, and I CANNOT watch her, I think I know someone who can.”

“Who?”

“My boyfriend.” Kim points out. “Tommy.”

“Tommy?” Larry asks suspiciously. “The one you never introduced me to?”

“The one and the same. He is trustworthy and responsible.” She winks. “Believe me.”

“I wish I could…”

“You’re not jealous, are you?” Kim asks with a jovial smirk on her face. Larry shakes his head emphatically.

“No! Of course not!” He insists. “Our relationship is one based on friendship, you know this!”

“I know. You just seem a little…” Kim pats him on the back “...off. Are you sure there isn’t anything you aren’t telling me?”

“No, absolutely not. I just want what’s best for the girl. That’s all. And I have not met this…Tommy…”

“Well it’s either him or you.” Kim fires back. Larry sighs and nods his head, relenting.

“Very well. I suppose your boyfriend Tommy can watch the girl for now.”

One problem has been solved, at least temporarily. Kim can hopefully get her boyfriend, Tommy Wasley, to look after her daughter on the days that she is on the road. Lilith will be well taken care of. Yet even with this problem taken care of, there is now a new problem rising. Something is clearly wrong with Larry Dempsey. He has been awful quick to get Lilith away from him. He wasn’t willing to take her back at all. Kim senses that something is wrong. She just cannot put her finger on it.

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May 23rd, 2024
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Off Camera
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Backstage at Breakdown, near the ready area, Kimberly Williams finds herself excited. A big, ear to ear grin is on her face. She just watched the “main event” of Breakdown. Despite what Selena Frost may say, the main event was Marie Jones against Gavin Taylor and Kim’s twin sister, Gavin, just defeated The All Star to earn herself a shot at the SCW Adrenaline Championship. What this means is that both members of Twin Magic now will be pulling double duty at Taking Hold of the Flame. Marie has her title match, Kimberly has her Underground Match, and both will be in the Taking Hold of the Flame battle royal. Things have just gotten a lot more interesting for these twin sisters. Marie Jones returned after a lengthy absence to rejoin Kim. Twin Magic has been reunited and they are on the verge of what could be a historic night for the pair. The Woman Scorned, for her part, is excited about what Taking Hold of the Flame might bring. As soon as Marie Jones steps back through the curtain she is embraced in a tight hug by her twin sister Kimberly.

“You did it! Go Phoenix Go! Wooooo!”

“Oww, please don’t put so much pressure on sweetie.” Marie says. Immediately Kim lets go. “Sorry, but I just got finished fighting Gavin. I’m still a little sore.”

“Sorry! I don’t know my own strength!” Kim smirks. “But isn’t this great? Twin Magic back together and taking SCW by storm! We’re gonna be all over Taking Hold of the Flame! Me and DeeDee are going to war in the Underground against The Enigmatic Enigma and the European Firing Squad! You now have a shot at the Adrenaline Title! And maybe ONE OF US will win the battle royal and get that World Title shot!”

“Yeah, maybe.” Marie shrugs her shoulders. She follows Kim off to the side where they find a packing crate to sit down on. Marie points a finger at Kim. “But what about you? Are you ready for Taking Hold of the Flame?”

“Me? Of course!” Kim snickers. “Underground is MY world and Enigma is gonna learn that first hand! And maybe I’ll remind Oktoberfest in the process…”

“Kim…”

“...and yeah, I’m pulling double duty, but so what? Surviving an Underground Match AND winning Taking Hold of the Flame? All in one night? Not THAT would be impressive! And I plan to pull it off!”

“Kim!” Marie raises her voice to get her sister’s attention.

“What? You don’t think I can do it?”

“No, it’s not that.” Marie shakes her head. “I mean, are you ready up here.” She taps Kim on the head.

“Am I ever ready up there?” Kim snickers. Marie sighs.

“That’s still not what I mean.” Marie frowns. “What about Lilith?”

“Oh…” Kim’s voice trails off, she sighs and shrugs her shoulders “...oh, Lilith is fine. Ultimately I came to the conclusion that with me being on the road so often, it just wouldn’t work for me to take care of Lilith full time. But Tommy is no longer wrestling. He can watch after her while I’m on the road and when I’m NOT on the road I can stay with her and Tommy and that just makes more sense to me.”

“That sounds good. It sounds like you have that part of your life figured out.”

“Yeah, maybe, but I still have on thing that bothers me.”

“What is it?” Marie asks. “Is Lilith not on board with this plan?”

“Oh Lilith is fine.” Kim states. “The problem is Larry. He seemed a little too eager to dump Lilith. And that made absolutely no sense to me because he adores Lilith. He always wanted what was best for her. Hell, it should have been more of a red flag…”

“What?”

“The fact that he kept badgering me and bugging me to take over as Lilith’s primary caregiver. Seriously, I may be her biological mother but you know as well as I do, and Larry knows it even better, that I am NOT the best person to raise a child on her own. And he also knows that I am on the road frequently. If he wanted the best for Lilith, giving her entirely over to me with no one else to watch over her, no one else to help, it just makes no sense.”

“You know, I am not normally one to buy into conspiracy theories, so I really would like to think that there is a logical reason behind this…” Marie begins.

“I know. The logical reason is that he is secretly a lizard person.” Kim states. Marie rolls her eyes.

“I’m being serious. I hope there is a logical reason because, well,” she sighs “you make some valid points.”

“I do?!” Kim smirks. “I mean, of course I do!”

“So what do you think is wrong with Larry?”

“I have no clue.” Kim shrugs her shoulders. “But I intend to find out.”

[Braddock]

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May 27th, 2024
Baltimore, Maryland
Off Camera
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In less than a week Kimberly Williams knows that she will be in for a war like no other and it all goes down in London, England. For starters, she will be fighting alongside her on again off again enemy turned friend, the SCW United States Champion Deanna Frost in a brutal Underground Match along with the likes of Konrad Raab and his European Fiery Nation partners, and last but certainly not least, the epicenter of the whole rivalry itself; the mysterious and imposing Enigma. The Woman Scorned is certainly not intimidated by The Enigma or his mind games and she loves a good Underground war. Still, the match itself presents many complications. She wants get her own pound of flesh against The Enigma for her own reasons, namely due to his recent attack against her after Taking the Leap. She also does legitimately want to help Deanna, who seems to want Enigma’s head on a platter for what he did to Jessica Winters. But can Kimberly accomplish all of this and win the Underground Match? Her Underground Title may not be on the line but Kim recognizes how important wins and losses are in SCW. A loss here to anyone else in the match would mean her title could be in jeopardy in the future. Another complication of this match is the fact that it takes place at the Taking Hold of the Flame event and The Woman Scorned plans to compete in the battle royal itself. Kimberly, with all of her expertise in death matches, knows that she will be severely weakened and will not go into the battle royal at one hundred percent. Kimberly could hold back during the Underground Match, save her strength for the battle royal, but that would risk losing the Underground war and risk looking weak and vulnerable. Besides, Kimberly has never and will never hold back. She will never give less than one hundred percent. This will be no exception. She will do her best even if it means potentially risking her Taking Hold of the Flame battle royal prospects. Taking Hold of the Flame is very important to Kim. Last year she started the match and went bell to bell, lasting over an hour and nearly winning. It proved to the entire world just how good of a competitor she was. Kim would love to win the whole thing this year and go on to main event Rise To Greatness. She would love to finally achieve the one thing she has never done but the rest of her family has; win a World Championship.

If this night, if Taking Hold of the Flame is so important to the reigning SCW Underground Champion, then why is she sneaking around in Baltimore, Maryland in the middle of the night when she could be out preparing, training, and working out for what will no doubt be one of the biggest challenges of her professional career? Williams certainly prides herself on her wrestling career, but she also values certain people above herself and her own selfish designs. Her family, for one; she would do anything to help her family. It is a principle that was drilled into her. But she is equally as loyal to one of her closest friends, a friend she met while locked up in a mental institution; a man named Larry Dempsey. The Woman Scorned and Larry Dempsey had built a strong friendship, helping one another overcome their own darkness and depression while locked up. When they got released, they vowed to help each other out. Larry has helped Kimberly in one big way; namely helping to watch over Kim’s daughter, Lilith. Yet now, all of a sudden, Larry seems insistent on getting Lilith as far away from him as possible. Kim certainly can find other people to help her watch over her daughter for her while she is on the road wrestling. Her boyfriend, Tommy Wasley, is free and available. She has numerous family willing to help now that they are in on the secret. But Larry was way too eager to get rid of Lilith. In fact, he seemed somewhat desperate to get rid of her. It certainly raised a few red flags for The Woman Scorned. She feels something is wrong and she wants to find out.

In a quiet, middle-class neighborhood in Baltimore, Maryland, a one-story home stands under the soft glow of a bright moon high overhead in the night sky as well as streetlights hanging overhead. The house features a brick exterior that reflects the traditional charm of the area. The driveway, to the right of the house, is smooth and clean, leading to a single-car garage. A well-maintained sedan is parked in the driveway, its silhouette barely visible under the streetlight’s faint illumination. The garage door is closed, but a small motion-sensor light above it flickers on as a feminine figure steps out of the shadows. It is none other than Kimberly Williams herself. She is wearing black denim jeans, black boots, and a plain black t-shirt. Her all black attire is meant to disguise herself within the darkness. Williams smirks as she t ip toes up the driveway and to the front door, which is painted a deep, inviting blue and adorned with a simple brass knocker. Flanking the door, two large windows are covered with blinds, drawn shut for privacy. The soft hum of crickets fills the air, mingling with the distant sound of a car passing by occasionally on the main road. She looks once at the doorknob and then shakes her head.

“No way…going in through the front door is definitely NOT my style…” with that, Williams steps away from the front door and makes her way around the back. There she finds a fenced in yard. The Woman Scorned easily climbs up and over the fence. In the back yard she finds a small patio set, with cushioned chairs and a table that sits quietly on the concrete slab. She makes her way over to a window and peers inside. The room is dimly lit by only one lamp. She also finds by messing with the window for a little bit that this window is not very secure. Kim easily pushes it open and smirks victoriously. “Now this! This is my style!” Williams quickly slithers in through this window as sneakily and stealthily as a serpent. She lands with a soft but not very loud thud on the floor. She remains there for a few moments still, hoping that she didn’t make too much noise or alert anyone who might be here to her presence. Once she is satisfied that she is safe she stands back up and takes appraisal of the situation; she is in what appears to be a guest bedroom.

“Ok, Lawrence of Arabia, let’s see what you are up to…” Kim steps to the shut door and quietly, slowly, opens it. She listens out for signs of anyone. Content that she is still undiscovered she exits the guest bedroom and begins to walk down the hallway. The Woman Scorned finds one door already opened; she peers inside and sees that it is just the bathroom. She walks on down the hall further and notices a room with the door shut but something about this door peaks her interest. The door itself is rigged with a smile wire. It isn’t a trap or a makeshift alarm to warn anyone. It just provides an extra bit of annoying obstacle to entering the room itself. Almost as if locking the door wasn’t enough. They wanted an extra layer of protection for, or from, whatever is behind this door. Kim just shrugs her shoulder and easily takes the wire rig down and then turns the door knob to see if it is unlocked. Not to her surprise she finds that it is indeed locked. If they took the time to rig the door with an extra, albeit not very good, security, they’d certainly lock the door as well. But Kim never found a security system she could not overcome. She takes out a paper clip and puts it in the lock. She easily manages to unlock the door and push it open.

Williams immediately steps into a dimly lit room. The air feels heavy, imbued with a musty scent mixed with faint traces of incense and old wood. The other odd thing she notices about this particular room is that every available surface is crammed with religious artifacts from a multitude of faiths, creating a jarring and chaotic ambiance. Directly in front of her she finds a large, antique crucifix that hangs on the wall, its wooden surface weathered and cracked, with a lifelike depiction of Jesus, his eyes seemingly following her every move. Beneath it, an altar is cluttered with candles in various stages of melting, their flickering flames casting eerie shadows that dance around the room. To the left, a series of shelves house an array of statues and icons. There is a serene Buddha figure, carved from jade, its calm presence contrasting sharply with the unsettling surroundings. Next to it, a sinister-looking figure of Kali, the Hindu goddess of destruction, with her fierce expression and necklace of skulls, seems almost ready to step off her pedestal. Interspersed among these are smaller items: a menorah with unlit candles, an Islamic prayer rug hanging from a hook, and a Native American dreamcatcher swaying slightly as if touched by an unseen hand.

The far wall is dominated by a large, intricately framed mirror, its glass tarnished and speckled with age. Around the mirror, an array of talismans and amulets dangle, including an ankh, a pentagram, and several evil eye charms, their glassy surfaces reflecting the candlelight in disconcerting ways. In front of the mirror, an old, weathered Bible lies open on a stand, its pages yellowed and edges frayed, as if it has been left open for centuries. A low table in the center of the room holds a mix of objects from various religious rituals: a smudging bowl with remnants of sage, a small brass bell, a string of Catholic rosary beads, and an ornate incense burner emitting tendrils of sweet, heavy smoke that clings to her clothes. The smell is overpowering, a blend of sandalwood, frankincense, and something else Kim can't quite place—something slightly metallic and unsettling. The only window in the room is covered with thick, dark curtains, allowing just a sliver of moonlight to seep through, casting a pale, ghostly glow over a corner of the room. There, an assortment of sacred texts from different religions are stacked haphazardly: the Torah, the Quran, the Bhagavad Gita, and others, their spines cracked and well-worn, as if they have been perused by countless hands over the years.

“Well, well, Lawrence of Arabia, you have been a very busy boy! But what have you been busy doing?” Kim asks out loud.

“What are you doing here?!” This loud booming voice is one of anger but not unfamiliar to Kim. It was unexpected and startles Kim a little. She jumps around to see her friend, Larry Dempsey, standing there behind her.

“I’m breaking and entering. What does it look like I’m doing?” Kim says jovially. But Larry is having none of her jokes tonight.

“You are breaking my privacy.”

“Duh! That’s why it is called breaking and entering, cause things are broken.”

“This is NOT a joke!” Larry shouts as he approaches Kim menacingly, he attempts to back Kim against the wall but she does not budge. She is not afraid of him, even though he does seem to be enraged right now. “This is MY home! You do NOT break into my home!” He sighs and shakes his head. “I had this discussion with your daughter. I shouldn’t have to have this same discussion with her mother!”

“Oh don’t be mad, Lawrence of Arabia.” Kim winks playfully. “I mean, do you really expect anything less from me? Besides, I tried to do this the ‘normal way’...” she makes the quotation marks with her fingers when she says normal way “...I tried calling you, texting you, and you were even skipping out on our regularly scheduled Waffle House meet-ups. You NEVER miss those, Larry.”

“And that gives you justification to break into my home?!”

“It does when you go radio silent.” Kim states emphatically. “Larry, after we got out of the loony bin, we swore we would look out for each other. We swore that we would watch each other’s back and make sure we stayed honest and that we stayed on the straight and narrow.” She points a finger at Larry. “When Marie and I walked out on SCW years ago, it was YOU who convinced me to go back. You told me what I did was wrong and that I needed to live up to my commitments. You convinced me pay the fine for walking out and then stick with SCW. I am grateful for you watching my back and keeping me honest. Now I am doing the same because I know that something isn’t right. I know that you are hiding something from me.” She shakes her head. “I just don’t know what it is.”

What leads you to that nonsensical conclusion?” Larry demands angrily.

“Well like I said, you went radio silent on me. You have been ignoring all of my attempts to contact you, which is why I had to take THESE drastic measures. But there is also the little fact of my daughter Lilith.” Kim states. “You seemed very eager, if not desperate, to get rid of her and to get rid of her as soon as possible. You seemed desperate to pass her off onto someone else as soon as possible. And that just isn’t like you because I know you adore that girl. You are afraid of something, Larry. I can sense it. And quite frankly, after discovering this particular room,” she looks around at all of the religious items “I am beginning to get a little unnerved myself. I mean, what are you trying to do? Conjure every religion’s devil figure that there is?” She smirks. “I wouldn’t advise it, personally. The last devil I summoned cheated me out of five dollars.”

“The devil is already here.” Larry says with a low, quiet, very serious tone.


“What’s wrong, Larry?” Kim asks again. “C’mon, you can tell me.”

“You cannot help me.” He shakes his head. “Believe me, it is best if you just leave now.”

“Nope.” Kim shakes her head and then folds her arms over her chest. “No can do! I’m staying right here until you tell me what’s wrong and why you have a shrine to every god or goddess known to man in this house!”

“Please, Kimberly. Please just leave. It is for your own good.”

“I wrestle around in barbed wire, thumb tacks, and broken glass for fun. I strapped an explosive to my knee and rammed it into someone’s face just to win a match. Does that really sound like someone who looks out for their own good?” Kim asks playfully. But Larry is serious. He gets down on his knees. He is now literally begging her.

“I plead with you, Kimberly! Please leave!” Seeing Larry beg like this is unnerving even for someone as demented as Kim. The Woman Scorned bends down on her knees, getting eye level with Larry. She also takes on a more serious tone as she realizes just how desperate her friend seems to be.

“What’s wrong, Larry? Why won’t you let me help you?” Kim stares into Larry’s pleading eyes. He still wishes she would leave but it is becoming apparent that she will not. He sighs and shakes his head.

“Ok, you win. I will tell you everything…just not tonight…”

“When?” Kim asks. “You skipped out on our last meeting, you never returned my calls or texts…”

“And I do apologize. I have just been afraid. But I promise you that I will attend our next meeting and I will tell you everything. Just please, for tonight, please leave.”

“Well alright,” Kim stands up “I am going to hold you to that. You better attend our next meeting.”

“Tomorrow.” Larry says. “I will be there tomorrow at our usual spot.”

“The Waffle House?”

“The Waffle House.” Larry confirms with a nod of his head.

==========
May 28th, 2024
Baltimore, Maryland
Off Camera
==========

Kimberly and Larry’s relationship may have formed under unusual circumstances but it has always remained a strong bond. Whenever one of them was in trouble, the other has always been there to help out. On more than one occasion Larry has helped Kimberly and vice versa. And they always meet up at this one particular Waffle House in Baltimore, Maryland to catch up, to discuss what they have been through, what they have going on in their lives, and more importantly if they are in any trouble and if they can help each other. Larry Dempsey has always been the prompt one; he is always on time or early and Kimberly is almost always late. Once again Kimberly Williams is late; however, unlike all previous meetings, Larry was not there. Kim was late and yet still was the first to arrive. In fact, twenty four hours after she broke into Larry’s home and confronted him about what has been going on, what has troubled him lately, twenty four hours after that Kim sits here in this booth at the Waffle House still waiting on Larry to arrive. Kimberly is wearing torn blue jeans, flip flops, and a black Queens of Chaos logo t-shirt. Her long red hair hangs straight and unrestrained to past the shoulders. A cup of coffee, black, sits in front of her. She is beginning to think that Larry is standing her up, that once again he is avoiding her. Maybe he just lied about showing up and that he plans to skip town hoping to avoid ever having to deal with Kimberly again. It wouldn’t be the first time Kim has bothered someone to the point that she ran them off. But Larry is different. They were close. He wouldn’t run away like this. Plus he seems to be in genuine trouble. Kim just wishes he would let her help him. But maybe he is just late? Maybe he will show up? Kimberly just has to give him a chance.

Suddenly The Woman Scorned hears the familiar bell indicating that someone has just opened the door. She looks up and she sees her good friend Larry Dempsey entering the Waffle House. He certainly looks worse for the wear, as if he hasn’t slept in ages. He is wearing jeans, brown boots, a plaid shirt, and a brown leather jacket. He has a glazed over look on his face as he drags himself across the restaurant and over towards Kimberly. He sits down at the booth. Kim smirks and taps her watch.

“You’re late.”

“I know and I apologize, my friend.”

“You don’t get it. You’re not just late. See, I was late too and yet I was still first one here, which means you are REALLY late.” She shakes her head. “What gives, Larry? Something is definitely wrong here and you promised you would tell me.” Just as Kim finishes her statement, the waitress walks by and places a cup of coffee in front of Larry. He nods in thanks as she walks away.

“You ordered my coffee for me?”

“You’re welcome.” Kim winks.

“Thank you, my friend. And you are right, something is wrong. I cannot tell you in any other way except to say that I fear that I am going mad.”

“We’re all a little mad here!” Kim says with a grin that would match the same Cheshire cat that she quotes from Alice in Wonderland.

“Please, Kimberly! I am being serious!”

“So am I! But what kind of mad do ya mean? I mean, in less than a week I’m gonna throw down with this freak in a mask because I’m mad at him. DeeDee is mad at him. Oktoberfest is mad at him. In fact, everyone is mad at a him…”

“Kim!”

“Sorry!” Kim says, smiling sheepishly.

“I do not mean mad as in anger. I mean that I believe that I am going crazy. I think I may be losing my mind. Every single step I took forward in curing my mental ailments, it seems that all of that progress is being lost each and every day.”

“Wait a sec,” Kim begins “I thought you had that under control?”

“I did.” He nods his head. “Those voices in my head, they were no longer there. My doctor chalked it up to my medicine but as a…precaution…I had a priest perform a minor rite of exorcism. You could call it a placebo effect. If it tricked my mind into believing it was working, then good.” He sighs. “But unfortunately the Bishop of the diocese has commanded this priest to no longer work with me.”

“Ok, so what?” Kim shrugs her shoulders. “You don’t believe in the supernatural anyway. At least I didn’t think you did. That creepy room I saw last night makes me think otherwise…”

“I didn’t!” He exclaims. “But now I…” his voice trails off “...I just don’t know what to think! My logical mind knows better, but ever since the priest stopped working with me, the voices began to return.”

“Maybe the medicine just isn’t working anymore?” Kim suggests. “Maybe you need to tell your doctor that…”

“No!” He exclaims. “I cannot go to my doctor!”

“Why not?” Kim asks. “Oh wait, I get it…you’re afraid of possibly going back…of being committed again, aren’t you?”

“I cannot risk telling my doctor about my problem.” Larry says quietly. “I do not want to go back. I must find another way to fight this.”

“That’s why you have that creepy room!” It’s as if a lightbulb went off over Kim’s head. “The exorcism shtick with the priest is gone, so you’re trying to find anything and everything possible to take its place. You’re trying to recreate the placebo effect.”

“Precisely.” Larry nods his head.

“Is it working?”

“Not yet.” He shakes his head. “Although I am learning quite a bit about other religions…”

“See, there is a bright side!” Kim smirks. “But seriously, though, Larry, you need to get psychological help. And that’s me talking.”

“I told you that I do not wish to risk going back to a mental hospital.” He points a finger at Kim. “Would you take that same risk? Would YOU risk being locked up again behind those walls?”

Kim remains quiet. She knows that Larry is right, she, too, fears being locked up again. She herself has used unique, unorthodox means to fight her own craziness. She does believe Larry needs professional help but she also sees the desperation in his eyes. She sees the fear in his eyes. She will not force him to get help. But she will do what she can.

“I will help you, Larry. Whatever you need, I will help.”

“Thank you, my friend.” He says quietly. “Thank you.”

==========
June 1st, 2024
London, England
On Camera
==========

We open outside at night on the streets of London, England. The opening chords of “Werewolves of London” by Warren Zevon begins to play. After a few seconds of this familiar tune playing in the background we see a figure entering the scene from the right. As the figure turns around to face the camera we can see that this is none other than “The Woman Scorned” and Queens of Chaos representative Kimberly Williams wearing a wolf onesie. She has her SCW Underground Championship, HKW Bloodlust Championship, and ZION Hardcore Championship title belts wrapped around her waist and she is carrying her beloved friend, the plushy penguin Wasley, in her right hand. “Werewolves of London” remains playing in the background but the volume lowers significantly, because the SCW Underground Champion is about to speak.

“There is no party like a werewolf party, am I right? The thing about werwolves is the mythology is that they are so fierce and scary; the stories of these fearsome creatures transforming from normal people into ravening monsters ready to tear the flesh off of an unsuspecting victim at a moment’s notice! But what I have found is that, most of the time, these fearsome creatures are nothing but just what I said they were…myths, folklore, stories conjured up to scare children. When you tear away the fur and the fangs all you get is just some lunatic in a werewolf onesie cosplaying as a monster.” She motions to herself. “Except with me, I am cosplaying as a werewolf right now but underneath this onesie, this fur, and these fangs is a real life monster capable of some horrific shit. If you don’t believe me, just ask Oktoberfest. He and I have been to hell and back on more than one occasion. We have shed each other’s blood, enough of it to fill two or three of those blood bank buses, we have shed enough of our own blood to keep a family of four vampires alive for another three centuries. We have brutalized one another so many times and have had a great time while doing it! I don’t think I have had the pleasure to OFFICIALLY make the acquaintance of his new friends, though…” she waves playfully at the camera “...hi Dakon! Hi Ludvig! I look forward to us maiming one another at Taking Hold of the Flame!”

“If you don’t believe The European Fiery Nation when they tell you just how sick and sadistic I am, then just ask Deanna Frost. I respect the hell out of Deanna and you wanna know why? She took the absolute worst I could throw at her and not only did she survive but she beat me at my own game at Rise To Greatness. I am not ashamed to admit it. Hell, I am proud of her and she earned my respect that night. Then at Apocalypse we went through hell together in a multi-person Underground war. If you don’t believe Oktoberfest, just ask Deanna Frost. She will tell you that I am NOT exaggerating when I say that I am the Queen of the Death Match and I will equally stand up and say that Deanna belongs in the Underground anytime she wants. Anytime she wants to enter my Underground, I welcome her with open arms because she has proven her worth, just like Oktoberfest and his European buddies have proven themselves in the Underground.” She pauses and then shakes her head.

“Unfortunately not everyone has proven themselves worthy of the Underground. Not everyone is a legitimate monster like myself or Oktoberfest. There is one particular fellow who is an outlier, a fraud; he is that individual cosplaying as a monster but is really just a cute little magician wearing a mask trying to intimidate people with smoke and mirrors.” She points a finger at the camera. “Yup, I’m talking to you, Enigmatic Enigma. Your smoke and mirrors, your cryptic bullshit talk, your darkness, all of that has been done time and time again in SCW. Red Grove, Ba’al, I could go on and on. The whole monster stuff? I have seen legitimate monsters, I have fought legitimate monsters, and you, my friend, are not a legitimate monster. A real life monster would have no problem facing his enemies. You just use tricks and mind games in hopes of gaining the upper hand. A true monster doesn’t need that but you do. A true monster would face Oktoberfest and knock his damn head off but you don’t even try. In fact, all you’ve managed to do is piss off a lot of people.”

“The European Fiery Nation. Deanna Frost. Myself. We all may technically be opponents in thai match at Taking Hold of the Flame, and there can only be one winner…and trust me, as someone who takes to the Underground with a lot of pride, I will do everything in my power to ensure that I am the winner…we may disagree on who that winner will be, but the one thing we can and do agree on is that we want to kick the ever living crap out of you. I do not care how much mind games you have, how big you are, how intimidating you pretend to be, at the end of the day you have to know that your ass is in trouble. You have to know that you have finally went too far in your attacks on Oktoberfest, your attacks on me and my sister, and what you did to Jessica Winters. You have gone too far and have pissed off the wrong people and at Taking Hold of the Flame you are going to not only get exposed for the fraudulent fake magician that you are, but you are going to get an ass whipping that you will not soon forget. The veil will be lifted and they will see not a monster but a child cosplaying as a monster.”

“I should know because I know coplaying. I’ve cosplayed as a unicorn, a penguin, and now as a werewolf.” Kimberly grins from ear to ear. “I also have been cosplaying as a pony. But not just any pony, but a one trick pony. By that I mean that for the longest time I have allowed all of you to think that I am nothing more than the Queen of the Death Match. I have allowed you to believe that the one and only realm I can control is the Underground. But it is time for me to lift my own veil away and reveal the truth of what I really am capable of to the entire world, and there is no better time to do that than right here, right now, at Taking Hold of the Flame.” Kimberly holds up one finger.

“One year ago, SCW got a glimpse of what I am capable of when I started the Taking Hold of the Flame battle royal, I went bell to bell, and damn near won the whole thing. Am I capable of winning Taking Hold of the Flame? Damn right I am. Will I win Taking Hold of the Flame this year? Will I pull off what most would consider an impossible feat of competing in the Underground war against The Enigma only to return later in the night and with very little gas left in the tank STILL overcome the odds and win Taking Hold of the Flame?” Williams nods her head emphatically. “You damn right I will! People may look at this and the challenge that I face and think that the odds are too great. But when people doubt me, when people bet against me, that just motivates me to prove their asses wrong. I wasn’t supposed to even be the Underground Champion but I took it. I wasn’t supposed to main event Body, Heart, & Soul in a SCW World and Underground Title vs Title Match but I did! I wasn’t supposed to beat James Evans but I did! Every single time people doubt me, every single time people bet against me, it just proves me wrong. So please! Please bet against me! Because that just means that this year I won’t just come close to winning…it means that I WILL WIN THE WHOLE DAMN THING! It means that yet again I will prove my critics wrong!” Kimberly looks as intense as ever.

“There is another thing that motivates me this year. Everyone in my family has been a World Champion in one promotion or another except for me. But no one expects that from me. They just expect Crazy Kim to be happy and content in the Underground, they expect Crazy Kim to be happy and content with being in the death match environment. I do love the death match environment, I would give up the Underground Title without a fight, but one thing I am NOT content with is this idea, this perception, that I am not capable of being the best wrestler in the world today. I am not and never will be content with the notion that I am incapable of being a World Champion. So this year I will do one thing that no one in my family has ever done and win Taking Hold of the Flame. Then I will main event Rise To Greatness and finally, for the first time ever, win my very first World Championship. I will finally mark my name into the history books as one of the best in the world.” She points a finger at the camera.

“Selena Frost, I kind of hope you’re the champion when it all is said and done. I recognize that I played a part in creating this monster that the SCW fans and roster perceive you to be. Thus I feel obligated to do whatever I can rein your ass back in and kill that monster. If beating you and taking your World Championship is what I have to do then so be it. So if…” she shakes her head “...no, WHEN I win Taking Hold of the Flame, I do hope you are the champion. I want to take the title away from you more than anything else.” She grins knowingly. “But Xander, don’t think I forgot about you! You may be the one to slay the dragon and if that is the case then maybe I will see YOU at Rise To Greatness? If so then make no mistake about it, you cannot and will not break me. You cannot and will not make me give up or quit on my fans or on my dream. When I win Taking Hold of the Flame, if I have to go through you then I will run right through your ass and become the new SCW World Champion.”

“This year is my year, ladies and germs! I will pull off the improbable, the impossible, I will survive the Underground, I will win Taking Hold of the Flame, and yes, I will win the SCW World Championship at Rise To Greatness. Everyone will believe in Kimberly Williams, the Queen of Chaos and the Queen of the Death Match!”

[The European Fiery Nation]

Portland, Oregon. Tuesday 28th May. (Offline)

The only day the team could meet up before Sunday was today because Konrad had a double race weekend with ARCA Menards West Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series races he was doing in Portland, Oregon, before flying to England straight after the Xfinity Series race. Of course, Konrad had other plans for today regarding wrestling as well, but it was for another company and was irrelevant. Ludvig and Dakon flew to Portland today to meet up with Konrad. They decided to discuss it at a Starbucks coffee shop since the meeting was last minute, with the match announced at the last minute.

Although it was a busy coffee shop because of the race weekend coming up, it was a surprise for Dakon and Ludvig to see some NASCAR fans already, even some wearing Konrad's shirts, which Dakon and Ludvig were surprised about. Ginny, who was also there, not so much as she was used to the fan affair Konrad got in NASCAR. Because it was not the day for Konrad to interact with fans, he wore a tiger mask to avoid being discovered, which got them concerned, but they found out why, as Dakon says quietly.

Dakon Theron: "It feels so strange that you're hated in wrestling but have fans in NASCAR."

Konrad Raab: "It's just how it is."

Ginny Raab: "Let's get down to business, shall we? We all came here to discuss the match."

Konrad Raab: “Thank you Ginny. I also want to discuss what I want you boys to do throughout the week we're in Europe."

Ludvig Eriksson: "Stupid England, why did we go there instead of Germany, Norway, Turkey or Sweden? I hate England so much because they always get a wrestling audience, but our countries barely get a mention or get a god damn Breakdown show? It's such a disgrace. They are like America's ugly cousin."

With his loyalties to his country and anything related to the UK, Ireland and the US, Ludvig dislikes. Dakon nodded in agreement since he was so loyal to his European native as well. On the other hand, Konrad nods, too, because he knows things that Dakon and Ludvig don't in SCW. They all got cold coffees as it was hot in Portland, which was odd for the area they were in, except for Konrad sticking with his vegan diet for many years, drinking some water.

Ginny Raab: "Can we please discuss the plans for the match."

Konrad Raab: “Indeed. We talk about that whole thing later."

Dakon talks a bit louder than earlier.

Dakon Theron: "It's also stupid talking about the match in which Kim and Deanna are involved. Like, what the fuck has that got to do with us? I don't give a damn about them."

Konrad Raab: "Because they all got our common enemy, Enigma. I know it does suck they have to be a part of the match, and what grinds all of our gears is the fact the match is having us go against each other."

Ludvig Eriksson: "It's one thing if Dakon and I were solo wrestlers like Kemal will be: we have to accept Konrad and Kemal going against each other when he comes in, but we're not.

Dakon nods as it ruins their plans entirely. They should've had Enigma all to themselves without Kim and Deanna. Of course, Konrad is aware of it, and Dakon comes up with a plan as he tries to listen to everything said.

Dakon Theron: "Don't worry; we aren't going to win the match from you because we are a tag team, not individual wrestlers. We'll have your back always. Honestly, we won't care or bother with Kim or Deanna because they aren't tag wrestlers."

Konrad Raab: "Deanna and Selena used to be, but they've gone their separate ways. Kim has never been a tag wrestler as far as I've known her."

Ludvig Eriksson: "Although I don't appreciate Kim attacking us."

Dakon Theron: “No we don't. But at the same time, she was set up by David and Chris, who have no reason to be buddying up with half the roster with stupid Body, Heart and Soul agreeing with their methods to make wrestling to their standards like a pussy bunch of pricks they are. They are just as cowardly as Enigma and tell Ludvig and me that we are unsuccessful. Chris and David can fuck off with their bullshit quotes with them being unsuccessful, a shit team that they are as far as we're concerned who are unsuccessful themselves."

Konrad Raab: "Yeah, Aisling spoke about that before we fought for the TV title. Honestly, I didn't care to talk about it because I knew you guys could defend yourselves. To talk about the changes we have to make is stupid. Changes aren't always good for everyone, and it wouldn't be good for us because it wouldn't be who we are as a team, and we'd be just as boring and stale as the rest of the teams. It would take away everything that means in our name. They were forced to make changes from peer pressure rather than losses. David and Chris are dogshit wrestlers, too, don't worry. Just a bunch of hacks who've been lucky to get where they are."

Ludvig nodded, saying the exact same thing, and that was one thing they could agree about: They weren't going to change anytime soon. It would change who they wanted to be, and that's not what they wanted in life. Dakon had questions about Konrad's new motives, but that was for another day.

Ludvig Eriksson: "We all agree that we aren't going to beat Konrad down, but I think we can also agree that we're only going to be wrestling Enigma. That punk has shit coming to him with us cracking his god damn skull."

Dakon Theron: "I only want to get my hands on Enigma. I don't want to win the match. We will assist Konrad in getting the pinfall to win the match, and we'll both be winners. I want nothing to do with Kim or Deanna."

Konrad Raab: "You don't have to do anything with Kim and Deanna. I will easily tackle Kim and Deanna as well as Enigma. I do concern myself about them because Deanna, ironically, I've not wrestled at all that much, and I need to take that US title from her at some point. Because that US title is a disgrace, I'll change it to European Championship."

They went to toast their cups and bottles and drink to their agreement. Ginny preferred to be there without contributing because she was, in a way, quite afraid of Enigma after what happened. At the same time, she knew Dakon would protect her in every way possible, as would Ludvig and Konrad.

Dakon Theron: "God, I can't get over the fact that he attacked Ginny, can do that easily, but avoids you and us in every way possible, mostly you."

Konrad Raab: "Which I don't get honestly when you guys can wrestle him as you proved pretty well, Dakon on your own, which I watched on TV. He can go and beat Kim's sister down being a wrestler too you forgot to mention, but afraid of me and you guys, more me when I gave him that tie. It's still going to be unsettled with that."

Ludvig Eriksson: "Yeah, you two need another match against each other, which seems to be more of your goal than winning titles. I don't blame you. But the thing is, you are making changes regarding title quests because of peer pressure, too, Konrad."

Ginny Raab: "That's not true. There's a reason for this, and I won't discuss it due to a promise Konrad, and I made, although some guy at the locker room will be with us, but don't worry; it has nothing to do with you two and won't comment or say a thing in front of you guys."

Konrad completely forgot about Ross being the case of him coming to all of his matches, and being in the same locker room as Ludvig and Dakon would raise questions. Konrad knew he had to sort that out later to get him to avoid entering the same locker room as Dakon and Ludvig, mainly to stand outside of it.

However, Ginny covered everything as Konrad nodded, despite still being pissed off about the whole thing being set up by SCW staff. He slaps himself in the face. But little can be said about it, the better. It was crowded, and you could smell coffee beans more, with people demanding coffee despite it being hot outside.

Konrad Raab: "Yeah, we as a team that ironically we've done little of together focus is to beat the living shit out of Enigma. I have no idea why; if he's a so-called monster, he won't tackle or beat the shit out of me like I expected him to do. I had respect for him because he was doing shit that was different from everyone else, and I legit thought I could face the danger of him being a dangerous wrestler, which he is in regards to his mind. Still, his psychical methods aren't at all like a monster."

Dakon Theron: "Beating people that can't defend themselves like Ginny aren't to be respected."

Konrad Raab: “I said had Dakon. It was only after that I lost respect for him. I thought Enigma was better than being a coward."

Ludvig Eriksson: "You thought wrong, sadly. Don't worry; we will tackle Enigma with you, beat the loving shit out of him, making him bleed, making him choke as you will, too, along with Kim and Deanna to it. If any of us are left to pin him, Kim or Deanna, we will pick you up and pin either one of them to get the win because you winning this match is all it needs."

Ginny Raab: "Well planned and thought of, Ludvig. Konrad needs to win more than you guys do, and the fact is that when Konrad wins, you both will win. All you three have to do is fuck up Enigma, well Konrad, of course, has to fuck up Kim and Deanna also. The thing we got to discuss is the video stuff."

Another idea for the meet-up was the video. Konrad had discussed it in detail on social media on efedder, but it also needed to be said in public. The tiger mask put people off from interacting with Konrad, which wasn't the right day for that, considering he had to do autographs and photo sessions with the fans on race days on Friday and Saturday anyway.

Konrad Raab: "Oh, I will do the video with them, we've already discussed that. I hate talking to the camera, and I prefer to write. But when it's a team thing, I can accept that. Kim and Deanna need to be mentioned, and I know Dakon and Ludvig won't do so for valid reasons."

Dakon Theron: "It's true; Konrad and I have discussed this on efedder.net, and we're doing it today since it's the only day we can with his busy schedule."

Konrad Raab: "I want you guys to go to my wrestling school in Germany and teach some students after today until Sunday since the wrestling venue is in England. My twin brother will be there. I know he's texted the pair of you the address, location and how to get there, and it's a good thing you met him while I was away and taught you boys tricks or two. I only knew because he told me in a phone call the other day while I discussed this with him a few weeks ago."

Ludvig Eriksson: "He and his tag partner Samuel inspire us. He told us how he and Samuel won the hardcore tag titles. That's the goal we want to achieve at SCW; none of these regular tag match bullshit rules. We would turn them into hardcore tag team titles when we win the belts."

Dakon Theron: "It's true, and I've watched their matches, and I was like, damn, that's the team me and Ludvig inspired to be, and I think part of you, Konrad wants to capture that glory they had again."

One thing you can't deny The European Fiery Nation was they weren't just a regular tag team that wanted to win matches and wanted to win only tag titles; they wanted underground rules tag matches all the time, and so far, they were getting just that in the majority of their matches. Ginny got Dakon and Ludvig cold coffee, and Konrad got a cold water bottle while they finished their drinks.

Konrad Raab: "Indeed, and it pisses me off that Body, Heart, and Soul want you guys to be exactly like them and every other tag team in the division, stale and boring. They also want you to get out of the underground tag mindset and be a regular tag and solos competitor's. There's no identity for any of the teams anymore; they are all the same. That's why we're different and have more of an identity than the rest of those boring and basic bitches."

Ludvig Eriksson: "That's why it's offensive that we go to these English-speaking countries to wrestle and neglect the rest of Europe."

Konrad Raab: "They haven't been to Sweden or Turkey, but they've been to Norway and Germany in the past. It's been at least four years since they've been there, and it bothers me badly. But the focus is on Enigma."

Of course, Konrad had to switch the topic back to Enigma as it was the reason for the discussion here, although he had to wear a tiger mask to hide his face from being spotted. Dakon clicks his fingers, thinking yes, he can't forget about Enigma, but says something about it.

Dakon Theron: "Who we all will beat to the next century, make him taste his blood and make sure he doesn't stand up after the ass-kicking we'll do to him. The advantage is going to us already."

Konrad Raab: "Especially when Kim is more focused on the rumble, and Deanna is more focused on keeping her US title and potentially being in the rumble, too. While you guys are focused on getting tag titles, this match isn't a barrier preventing you both from achieving that goal. It's pretty much our advantage when Enigma is our only focus. Well, racing for me too, but wrestling-wise, it's my only focus, winning and beating Enigma and moving on."

Ludvig Eriksson: "We'll win as a team with you being the victor, showing the rest of the tag division what Dakon and I are made of along with you since you are our team leader. You show Enigma we aren't playing for his foolish tricks."

Konrad Raab: "Especially how fire is a part of my life now, and it will always be like that with burns I will forever treasure. He has no mist marks he'll treasure; then again, mist marks can easily be rubbed off, compared to burns that will attach to me forever. That's the reality of scars: mine are real, and his mist slimes can wash off and have no purpose other than to trick people into using tricks like that and playing with people's minds instead of using the physical warfare we're known for."

Dakon listens to his teammates and pretty much agrees their goal is to fuck up Enigma only, and Konrad does the business with Kim and Deanna, who they've not spoken about. They weren't their goal, except for Konrad's, who had experience of wrestling both. Ginny was sitting quietly and drinking her cold coffee, as were the boys, and Konrad was drinking his water as the Starbucks coffee bar went quiet.

Dakon Theron: "While getting payback for what Enigma did to Ginny, it is still not over and done with, despite that underground rules match we had. I want to make sure I make him cough for doing what he did to Ginny and make him squeeze every life he's had in his life."

Konrad Raab: "Well, I think it's time we put this video together. Ginny, got anywhere we can do that since you live here?"

Ginny Raab: "I got just the thing I know that was empty a couple of days ago due to a lack of payment. I was given a key to the place before they thought about selling it to other people. Do your video there. I'll wait at my home for Dakon and Ludvig. Pick me up when you're ready to head to Germany. Here's the key and paper showing where the address is."

Ginny gave Konrad a key and paper of the address as they stood up and finished the last drop of their iced coffees, which was a good thing Ginny knew the tips and tricks of living in Portland, knowing it would be a year ago on Friday they would meet up for the first time in years. Ginny returned to her home while the boys figured out the address they needed to get there. Konrad requested an Uber from his phone with the location, and they went straight there with all the video equipment they had brought to do the video on the same day.

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

Team work prevails all with Konrad getting the win without us wrestling against each other and Konrad bullshit with focus being on Enigma with Konrad's focus on Enigma, Kim and Deanna youtube.com shoot in Portland, Oregon on Tuesday evening. (Online)

Dakon Theron: “So here we all are, including Konrad talking about this match as a team, get it everyone, as a team, not as individual wrestlers that everyone wants me and Ludvig to be. We know if we hit each other, it would affect this team and the future of European talent we all got lined up to make this team grow which we aren't going to risk at any point. I know Konrad the leader should've started the video, but that point had to be clear from me and if we get the chance to pin Enigma, we get Konrad to do so.”

Ludvig Eriksson: “Before you lot go ahead and wonder, why aren't we talking about Kim and Deanna especially Kim who attacked us before? Well because Kim was set up by a bunch of untalented wrestlers named David and Chris telling her to attack us because they were too scared to attack us alone like a bunch of cowards they are just like Enigma. David and Chris are a bunch of hasbins. Besides, we aren't individual wrestlers that want anything to do with Kim or Deanna”

Konrad Raab: “Instead, Kim and Deanna will only deal with me and I will only be speaking about you both along with adding onto Enigma business. The fact Dakon and Ludvig have forgiven you for attacking them Kim is a shock quite honestly. The fact is you don't understand that they are an Underground Tag team and it's a surprise somewhat you don't approve of them, considering you wished you had the idea in the first place. I wonder why you didn't think to bring an underground hardcore team of your own. But I leave things there with you for now because honestly out of you, Deanna and Enigma in the match, apart from my team, you're the only one outside of the team that isn't my enemy”

Dakon Theron: “While I'm disgusted more with Enigma being a little bitch, attacking Ginny for no fucking reason. Seriously, just because she's at ringside with us, doesn't mean she gets attacked. Even Kandis of all people didn't do that shit. She attacked the pair of us as you should've done Enigma you piece of shit. We had an underground match, but I didn't want to win because it wouldn't have done anything for me.”

Ludvig Eriksson: “We haven't much of an encounter Enigma, but you crossed the damn line when you attacked Ginny, especially to Konrad and Dakon who are their family members like I treat her like a family member too.”

Konrad Raab: “Unlike those two, I respected you as a wrestler because I thought honestly, you had something going for you that I liked compared to the stale and boring roster, how different you were. But you piss that all away when you attacked Ginny over what? Some fucking mist play? Over so you try to play mind games? Mind games that are so stupid that you have to attack Ginny who has done and said nothing wrong. You're one of the biggest bitches I've had to face in my time as a wrestler.”

Dakon Theron: “It's also disgusting how we're forced to be wrestling in America's ugly cousin country, England. Yes, England is a lot like USA, having tons of wrestling fans and get all wrestling shows along with tons of wrestling schools and wrestling companies. Where the fuck are SCW Breakdown or PPV shows in Germany, Norway, Sweden and Turkey? Where are the other European countries? Are other European countries irrelevant for wrestling venues or something?”

Ludvig Eriksson: “Makes me sick, it really does that we have to wrestle in United States ugly cousin country. We'd rather that SCW would be more accommodating to other European countries than just performing in United Kingdom all the time.”

Konrad Raab: “Kim and Deanna, I won't hesitate to tackle you both as well because I won't be wrestling Dakon and Ludvig at any point, but I will stop you both from getting that win and if Dakon and Ludvig fight you, it's only because you both will stop me from winning against Enigma since the match is more in our advantage than anyone else. Besides, it's not like you both wanted to face Enigma yourselves like I did. I viewed Enigma as a threat because of him being the most dangerous wrestler in SCW, but psychically, he's not even close to that because you keep running from facing me using your cheap mist tricks.”

Dakon Theron: “Even the mist tricks like your attack on Ginny makes you pathetic. I can put green slime on my body and I can wash it off. Same with mist that always comes off and will never be able to treasure for the rest of your life like Konrad's burns that he had since he was a child because his dad was a piece of shit to him, burning his face with a cooker at ten years old. There's no good reason for you at all to use mist and magic tricks.”

Ludvig Eriksson: “There's no reason. Granted Konrad praised you for standing out and I get that because everyone seems pretty dull and boring with being friendly to wrestlers without personality, but your darkness stories makes zero sense.”

Konrad Raab: “I on the other hand would've won the belt from you if I could've gone to Australia to wrestle you instead of racing like I had to that week and be the reason why I won't be in England until Sunday morning, possibly evening. Dakon wanted to beat your ass so badly. He wanted to make you choke on your own blood. Not that I'd go that far personally, but beating you blooded and broken is exactly what me and the team will do to you.”

Dakon Theron: “We only want to make you feel pain and bleed everywhere across your body and I do want to choke the life out of you still. Konrad knows he's not done with you and nor am I quite frankly. Ludvig hasn't even had the chance to get his hands on you yet, but he wants to bloody you badly and he along with me will do it in style. I didn't steal your TV title, why would I want to steal the piece of shit title from you when I would've ended up giving it to Konrad anyway? I cost you a chance to retain the TV title by attacking you from behind and you got mad about it, there's a difference.”

Ludvig Eriksson: “Enigma, we will bring all the Underground wrestling style as a team along with Konrad to smash your stupid head in. Heck because Konrad feels you crossed an even bigger line, I won't be surprised if he'll attempt to burn you which is way more affective than blinding someone with a mist. You don't know anything about burns so the whole ashes of your life stuff was a lie.”

Konrad Raab: “Because you were never burned in your entire life Enigma and know nothing about being burned like me. Ludvig is right, not only we will bash your brains with a steel chair, but I will attempt to burn you because you deserve it. Kim and Deanna will only suffer from the hands of me when I want to become champion again, wouldn't mind being Underground champion again as for me, that was the best title I've ever become champion in and had great battles with Kim, but I especially want that disgraceful US title you hold Deanna since I've not held the title yet and it won't even be called US title. I'd rename it as European championship.”

Dakon Theron: “We're going to do shit as a team and make sure Konrad will come out the winner because when he wins, me and Ludvig will win also. There's no me and Ludvig beating the shit out of Konrad, there's no reason for us to do that when he's the reason European Wrestling industry is growing because of the wrestling school he opened which me and Ludvig will be training some of the students in Germany from Thursday to Saturday night.”

Ludvig Eriksson: “While we can't wait for that, we can't wait more to put Enigma through tables again, can't wait to make him choke with biker chain and making sure Enigma has a concussion for making this personal for all of us. I talk the least, but I prefer to get my hands dirty than talk.”

Konrad Raab: “They are spot on with Enigma being their only focus. Kim, I get that he hurt your sister and I get that he hurt Jessica and I did the same too, Deanna but because she was siding with Enigma or so I thought, but you aren't even related to or friends with Jessica so don't know why you want to defend her honour when you're married to Selena when last I checked, Enigma has done nothing towards your wife. If he can't attack me, he won't with Selena either. You have no business being in this match quite frankly like who cares if Jessica got attacked? I don't think your wife would approve defending for SCW now, would she?”

Dakon Theron: “We aren't afraid of you for a single bit because you're nothing to be afraid of. If anything, I see you're more afraid of Konrad and even me and Dakon than we are with you. See, every attack me and Ludvig have ever done have been on wrestlers that can attack back, not god damn managers who can't beat you with their fists because they aren't trained to be professional wrestlers. We will use every weapon the ring provides the team and use every single one of them to crush the shit out of you.”

Konrad Raab: “That goes for Kim and Deanna as well as Kim knows I do everything to make her cut up as she will with me. I've not personally experienced wrestling Deanna in an underground rules match before so don't know what to expect from her, but I know what to expect from you Enigma and your violent game was piss poor to say the least.”

There was a pause as Dakon and Ludvig said everything they wanted to say, but Konrad wasn't done as you could see the abandoned dark home Ginny sent them to do the video and that was all you could see with only a light and sitting on a wooden floor. Konrad then goes to end the video.

Konrad Raab: “Let me finish up that The European Fiery Nation will walk in and out of the ring, not only as a team, but me winning this match because when I win, Dakon and Ludvig will win too and there's no downside to this and we sorry to have disappointed you stupid wrestling fans to expect Dakon, Ludvig and myself to trash and fight each other, but we won't because The European Fiery Nation are a team and aim to win and beat Enigma as a team and beating Kim and Deanna for my own individual glory. See you bitches on Sunday night because you all are fucked from me, Dakon and Ludvig.”

[The Enigma]

Book of Shadows

The Battle Within Part II

As Elias stirred from his uneasy slumber, the faint light of dawn trickling into his room, a heavy fog of confusion enveloped his mind. The events of the previous night remained shrouded in mystery, obscured by a haze of uncertainty and dread. His thoughts felt disjointed, fragmented, as if something vital had been torn away from his memory.

Yet, amidst the disarray, a sinister presence lingered—an echo of Enigma’s ominous words reverberating in the recesses of his consciousness. “You may think you’ve escaped me, Elias Veil,” the voice whispered like a chilling breeze, “but know this: I am always watching, always waiting.”

The hairs on the back of Elias’s neck prickled with apprehension as the weight of Enigma’s threat settled over him like a suffocating blanket. Though he had not emerged victorious in their internal struggle, he sensed that Enigma’s hold over his mind had not yet reached its full strength. It was a precarious balance, teetering on the edge of oblivion, and Elias knew that he could ill afford to let his guard down.

As Elias cautiously emerged from the confines of his room, his senses were assaulted by the disorienting chaos that had engulfed his once tranquil home. Everywhere he turned, the aftermath of the night’s turmoil lay strewn about in a twisted tapestry of destruction.

Furniture lay overturned, shattered remnants of glass littered the floor, and the air was thick with the acrid stench of smoke. The walls seemed to bear silent witness to the violence that had transpired within their midst, their surfaces marred by scorch marks and splatters of darkened crimson.

With each step he took, Elias felt a knot of unease tighten in the pit of his stomach, a gnawing sense of dread that threatened to consume him whole. He had no memory of the events that had unfolded the night before, but the evidence of their aftermath was impossible to ignore.

As he moved through the wreckage of his home, Elias’s heart hammered in his chest, his mind racing with unanswered questions and half-formed fears. What had transpired in the darkness of the night? And more importantly, what lurked beneath the surface, waiting to be unleashed once more?

With each passing moment, Elias’s unease grew, gnawing at the edges of his consciousness like a persistent shadow. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something had happened during the night—something dark and inexplicable that he couldn’t remember.

As he surveyed the chaos that surrounded him, Elias’s mind raced, searching for any clue that might shed light on the events that had transpired. But the wreckage offered no answers, only silent echoes of the violence that had unfolded in its midst.

Fear coiled in the pit of his stomach, tightening its grip with each passing second. What if whatever had happened the night before was a harbinger of something far more sinister lurking within him? What if the darkness he had fought so hard to keep at bay had finally broken free, leaving destruction in its wake?

With a heavy heart and a mind fraught with uncertainty, Elias knew that he had to uncover the truth, no matter the cost. For the safety of his loved ones and the fate of Thornbrooke itself hung in the balance, and only by confronting the darkness head-on could he hope to find the answers he so desperately sought.

A shiver ran down Elias’s spine as the realization struck him like a thunderbolt—his mother was nowhere to be found. Panic surged within him, coursing through his veins like a poison as he frantically searched every corner of the house, calling out her name into the eerie silence that enveloped him.

But his cries were met with only the hollow echo of his own voice, rebounding off the walls of the empty rooms. Where could she have gone? What could have driven her from the safety of their home in the dead of night?

Dread weighed heavy on Elias’s shoulders as he considered the possibilities, each one more terrifying than the last. Had the chaos of the night somehow ensnared his mother, leading her into the clutches of some unknown horror lurking in the darkness?

With a sinking heart and a sense of foreboding that threatened to consume him whole, Elias knew that he had to find his mother, no matter the dangers that awaited him beyond the safety of their home. For she was the only family he had left, the only tether to the light in a world overrun by shadows.

A shiver ran down Elias’s spine as the realization struck him like a thunderbolt—his mother was nowhere to be found. Panic surged within him, coursing through his veins like a poison as he frantically searched every corner of the house, calling out her name into the eerie silence that enveloped him.

But his cries were met with only the hollow echo of his own voice, rebounding off the walls of the empty rooms. Where could she have gone? What could have driven her from the safety of their home in the dead of night?

Dread weighed heavy on Elias’s shoulders as he considered the possibilities, each one more terrifying than the last. Had the chaos of the night somehow ensnared his mother, leading her into the clutches of some unknown horror lurking in the darkness?

With a sinking heart and a sense of foreboding that threatened to consume him whole, Elias knew that he had to find his mother, no matter the dangers that awaited him beyond the safety of their home. For she was the only family he had left, the only tether to the light in a world overrun by shadows.

Elias’s heart pounded in his chest as he dashed through the tangled undergrowth of Thornbrooke, his breath ragged with exertion. Each step he took brought him closer to Old Man Hawthorne’s secluded cabin, the only beacon of hope in the encroaching darkness that threatened to consume him.

As he burst through the threshold of the cabin, Elias found himself face to face with the enigmatic figure of Old Man Hawthorne, his weathered features carved deep with lines of age and wisdom. “Hawthorne,” Elias gasped, his voice trembling with urgency, “I need your help. My mother… she’s gone. I don’t know where she is, but I fear the worst.”

Hawthorne regarded Elias with a solemn expression, his piercing gaze seeming to penetrate to the very core of his being. “The darkness claims what it will,” he intoned cryptically, “but fear not, Elias Veil. Together, we shall uncover the truth of what has transpired this night.”

With a sense of determination burning in his eyes, Elias nodded in silent agreement, steeling himself for the trials that lay ahead. For in the heart of Thornbrooke’s deepest shadows, the fate of his mother—and perhaps even his own soul—hung in the balance, awaiting the light of truth to banish the darkness once and for all.

As Elias and Hawthorne ventured deeper into the heart of Thornbrooke’s darkened woods, their senses heightened with each step, the air thick with the tang of ancient magic and foreboding. Guided by Hawthorne’s unwavering resolve, they pressed on, their footsteps echoing like a solemn dirge in the stillness of the night.

At last, they reached a clearing bathed in the sickly glow of moonlight, where Elias’s worst fears were realized. His mother, bound and gagged, knelt before an altar of twisted roots and gnarled branches, her eyes wide with terror as she struggled against her restraints.

With a surge of fury coursing through his veins, Elias rushed forward, his voice a defiant cry against the encroaching darkness. “Mother!” he called out, his words ringing clear through the oppressive silence of the forest. “Hold on, I’m coming for you!”

But before he could reach her, Hawthorne’s firm hand stayed his advance, his voice a low growl of warning. “Patience, Elias,” he cautioned, his gaze fixed on the scene before them. “There is more at play here than meets the eye. We must tread carefully if we are to unravel the secrets of this cursed place.”

With a reluctant nod, Elias swallowed his anger and followed Hawthorne’s lead, their every movement calculated and precise as they approached the altar. As they drew nearer, the air grew heavy with the weight of ancient power, the very essence of Thornbrooke’s dark legacy pulsing like a malevolent heartbeat in the air.

And as they stood before the altar, Elias felt a surge of defiance rise within him, a fierce determination to break free from the chains of fate and reclaim his mother from the clutches of the darkness that threatened to consume her. With Hawthorne at his side, he vowed to face whatever horrors awaited them head-on, ready to confront the darkest depths of Thornbrooke’s secrets and emerge victorious against all odds.

As Elias approached his mother, confusion and concern etched deeply into his features. “Mother,” he uttered softly, his voice a mix of worry and apprehension, “what happened? Why are you… like this?”

His mother’s eyes, filled with fear and desperation, met his gaze. “Elias,” she whispered, her voice quivering with emotion, “it was Hawthorne. He… he’s the one who did this to me.”

A surge of shock and anger coursed through Elias, his mind struggling to comprehend her words. “Hawthorne?” he repeated, disbelief coloring his tone. “But why would he…?”

His mother nodded weakly, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I don’t know, Elias,” she confessed, her voice barely audible. “But we have to stop him before it’s too late.”

With his mother’s revelation echoing in his mind, Elias felt a newfound determination rising within him. It was time to confront Hawthorne and put an end to his twisted machinations once and for all.

As Elias stood before Hawthorne, his eyes blazing with determination, he demanded answers. “Why, Hawthorne?” he demanded, his voice trembling with a mixture of anger and confusion. “Why would you do this to her?”

Hawthorne met Elias’s gaze with a steely resolve, his expression unreadable. “Elias, you must understand,” he began, his voice calm and measured. “The darkness within you is a force to be reckoned with. Embracing it is the only way to save your mother.”

Elias shook his head in disbelief, refusing to accept Hawthorne’s twisted logic. “No,” he countered, his voice tinged with defiance. “I won’t give in to the darkness. Not now, not ever.”

But Hawthorne’s resolve remained unyielding, his gaze unwavering. “You have no choice, Elias,” he declared, his tone ominously final. “The darkness will consume you, whether you like it or not. It’s only a matter of time.”

As Elias struggled to free his mother from the chains that bound her, Hawthorne’s words echoed ominously in his mind. “It’s only a matter of time, Elias,” he taunted, his voice a chilling reminder of the darkness that threatened to consume them all.

His mother’s desperate pleas added to the turmoil raging within Elias’s heart. “Just give in, Elias,” she implored, her voice strained with exhaustion and fear. “It’s the only way to save me.”

But Elias refused to heed their words, his determination unyielding. With a final surge of strength, he wrenched the chains apart, freeing his mother from her captivity. “I won’t let the darkness win,” he declared, his voice resolute.

Yet, as he gazed into his mother’s eyes, he saw the flicker of doubt that lingered there, a silent plea for him to reconsider. And in that moment, Elias knew that the battle was far from over—that the darkness within him would continue to claw at his soul until he made his final choice.

With a surge of anger and determination, Elias stepped away from Hawthorne and his mother, his mind swirling with conflicting emotions. The weight of the decision that lay before him pressed down upon his shoulders like a crushing burden, threatening to overwhelm him.

As he paced back and forth, the walls of the dilapidated cabin seemed to close in around him, suffocating him with their oppressive presence. He knew that time was running out, that he could not delay his choice any longer. But the consequences of giving in to the darkness were too dire to contemplate.

Yet, with each passing moment, the voice of Enigma grew louder in his mind, its insidious whispers gnawing at his resolve. It promised power, control, and the salvation of his mother—but at what cost?

Elias clenched his fists, his knuckles white with tension, as he grappled with the decision that loomed before him. In his heart, he knew that there could be no turning back once he made his choice. And as the final moments ticked away, he braced himself for the inevitable confrontation that awaited him.

With a heavy heart and a sense of resignation, Elias finally walked back toward the tumult within his own mind, his steps weighed down by the burden of his decision. As he approached the looming presence that was Enigma, the darkness within him seemed to grow denser, suffocating his thoughts and clouding his judgment.

With each step, Elias could feel the insidious influence of Enigma spreading through his consciousness like a malignant tumor, corrupting his thoughts and warping his perceptions. It was a chilling sensation, as he relinquished control to the malevolent force that now held dominion over his very being.

As Enigma’s presence swelled within him, Elias felt a surge of power coursing through his veins, his senses heightened to a razor-sharp edge. It was both exhilarating and terrifying, as he surrendered himself to the abyss that awaited him, knowing that there could be no turning back.

With a final, anguished cry, Elias succumbed to the darkness, his humanity slipping away as he embraced the malevolent entity that now ruled his mind. And as the last vestiges of his former self faded into oblivion, Enigma emerged victorious, his reign of terror unchallenged and unyielding within the depths of Elias’ fractured psyche.

Enigma’s emergence was swift and merciless, his shadowy form materializing in the midst of the chaos with an air of sinister finality. As Elias’ mother lay bound before him, her eyes wide with fear and confusion, Enigma regarded her with a cold, calculating gaze.

“You are but a pawn in this game,” he declared, his voice dripping with malice as he loomed over her. “Your son has made his choice, and now you must pay the price for his weakness.”

With a flick of his wrist, Enigma unleashed a wave of darkness that engulfed Elias’ mother, her form disappearing into the abyss with a haunting scream that echoed through the desolate landscape. And as the shadows closed in around her, Enigma turned away without a second glance, leaving behind nothing but silence and despair in his wake.
Enigma’s gaze narrowed as Hawthorne approached, his presence a stark reminder of the tangled web of manipulation that had ensnared Elias. With a menacing growl, Enigma raised a hand, ready to strike down the old man where he stood.

But Hawthorne’s words gave him pause, a flicker of recognition flashing behind Enigma’s mask of darkness. “You may have convinced him,” Hawthorne admitted with a grim smile, “but it was I who laid the groundwork, sowed the seeds of doubt in his mind.”

Enigma hesitated, torn between his desire for vengeance and the realization that Hawthorne’s role in Elias’ downfall was undeniable. With a frustrated snarl, he lowered his hand, allowing Hawthorne to live for now.

“You may have won this round, old man,” Enigma conceded, his voice laced with barely contained fury, “but mark my words, your time will come.” And with that ominous warning, Enigma disappeared into the shadows, leaving Hawthorne to contemplate the dark path he had set into motion.


As Hawthorne’s triumphant smirk faded, replaced by a look of shock and fear, Enigma’s eyes flashed with a malevolent gleam. With a swift and merciless motion, Enigma unleashed a wave of darkness, engulfing Hawthorne in its shadowy embrace.

The old man’s screams echoed through the desolate landscape, a chilling symphony of agony and despair as the darkness consumed him. Enigma watched with cold detachment as Hawthorne writhed and struggled, his once defiant spirit broken beneath the weight of his own treachery.

And then, just as swiftly as it had begun, the darkness receded, leaving behind only the charred remains of Hawthorne’s former existence. Enigma stood amidst the smoldering ruins, his gaze cold and unyielding as he surveyed the aftermath of his wrath.

With a final, contemptuous glance at Hawthorne’s lifeless form, Enigma disappeared into the shadows once more, his thirst for vengeance unquenched and his hunger for power undiminished. As the echoes of Hawthorne’s demise faded into the darkness, a sense of foreboding hung heavy in the air, a harbinger of the chaos and destruction yet to come.

As Enigma’s form dissipated into the darkness, a chilling whisper echoed through Elias’ mind, his words laced with an ominous warning. “Remember this moment, Elias Veil,” Enigma’s voice reverberated with a haunting clarity, cutting through the silence like a knife. “You have chosen the path of darkness, and there is no turning back.”
With those final words lingering in the air like a lingering specter, Elias stood amidst the desolation, grappling with the weight of his decision. The echoes of Enigma’s warning seemed to reverberate through the depths of his soul, a constant reminder of the perilous path he had chosen to tread.

And as he surveyed the wreckage of his former life, Elias knew that the battle for his soul was far from over. With each passing moment, the darkness within him grew stronger, its insidious influence spreading like a cancer through his mind and spirit.

But amidst the chaos and despair, a flicker of hope remained—a tiny ember of humanity that refused to be extinguished by the encroaching shadows. With a determined resolve burning in his heart, Elias vowed to reclaim his destiny and vanquish the darkness that threatened to consume him.

For in the crucible of his own inner turmoil, Elias Veil would forge a new path forward—one defined not by the darkness that had ensnared him, but by the light of his own unwavering spirit. And though the road ahead would be fraught with peril, he faced it with courage and conviction, ready to confront whatever challenges may come with the unyielding strength of his resolve.

“As we stand on the precipice of destiny,” the Enigma’s voice reverberated with an otherworldly resonance, “know that our path is fraught with peril, but it is also paved with the promise of glory. Tonight, we shall rise from the ashes of obscurity and claim our rightful place as masters of this world.”

His words hung in the air like a dark incantation, weaving a spell of unyielding determination that bound his followers to him with unbreakable chains of loyalty. Each syllable dripped with the allure of power, enticing them to embrace the darkness that lurked within their souls.

“And to those who would dare to oppose us,” the Enigma’s eyes glinted with a feral intensity, “know that your resistance is futile. In the end, all will bow before the might of the Enigma, for we are the harbingers of a new era—an era where chaos reigns supreme.”

His followers murmured their agreement, their voices blending into a discordant chorus of fervent devotion. With a final nod, the Enigma signaled for them to depart, their mission clear and their resolve unwavering.

Amidst the dense shroud of the Thornbrooke woods, where the twisted branches of ancient trees cast eerie shadows upon the forest floor, the Enigma stood as a brooding figure among his devoted followers. Their faces obscured by the veil of darkness, they awaited his command with unwavering loyalty, their allegiance pledged to the darkness that dwelled within their leader.

In the dim glow of flickering torches, the Enigma's form seemed to merge with the shadows, his presence a chilling specter of malevolence that permeated the air. With a steely gaze that betrayed no hint of mercy, he surveyed the scene before him, his mind consumed by thoughts of the impending battle that awaited him at SCW Taking Hold of the Flame.

The Underground rules match loomed large on the horizon, promising a savage contest where brutality knew no bounds. Against five other competitors, each hungry for victory in their own right, the Enigma embraced the darkness that churned within him, drawing strength from the twisted depths of his own soul.

As the whispers of his followers echoed through the forest, their fervent devotion a testament to the power he wielded, the Enigma prepared to unleash his fury upon his opponents with a relentless intensity. For in the heart of the darkness, he found solace, and in the chaos of battle, he found purpose. And as the flames of destiny flickered in the night, the Enigma stood ready to claim his rightful place as the master of the shadows, ready to reign supreme once more.

"Tonight, as we stand on the cusp of chaos, know this," the Enigma's voice pierced the silence like a dagger, each word dripping with venomous intent. "The flames of destiny shall consume all who dare to oppose us. SCW Taking Hold of the Flame will bear witness to our ascension, our dominance, our reign of terror."

His eyes, twin orbs of malevolent fire, burned with an intensity that belied the darkness that cloaked him. "For too long, we have lurked in the shadows, biding our time, awaiting the perfect moment to strike. But tonight, the time for patience has passed. Tonight, we shall emerge from the depths of the abyss, ready to unleash our fury upon the unsuspecting masses."

With a gesture, he beckoned forth the darkness that dwelled within him, embracing its chilling embrace with a fervor that bordered on madness. "Let them tremble in fear at the mere mention of our name," he declared, his voice rising to a crescendo of malevolent triumph. "For we are the harbingers of destruction, the architects of chaos, the masters of the void."

As the echoes of his words echoed into the night sky, a palpable sense of dread hung in the air, a prelude to the storm of devastation that was soon to come. And as the Enigma prepared to descend upon SCW like a vengeful deity, his followers stood at the ready, their loyalty unwavering in the face of the impending carnage. For in the heart of the darkness, they found purpose, and in the chaos of battle, they found glory.

"The flames of our fury will consume all who dare to stand in our way!" Enigma's voice reverberated through the forest, carrying with it a promise of relentless destruction. "SCW will be our crucible, and we shall emerge from its ashes as the undisputed masters of chaos!"

His followers, shrouded in darkness and bound by their allegiance to him, nodded in fervent agreement, their eyes gleaming with a fanatical zeal. "No corner of the world shall be spared from our wrath," Enigma proclaimed, his words a chilling decree of doom. "For we are the architects of annihilation, the reapers of souls, and tonight, SCW will bear witness to our glorious ascension!"

With a sinister grin, he raised his hands to the heavens, a gesture of defiance against the forces that sought to oppose him. "Let the flames of our fury burn bright," he declared, his voice rising to a crescendo of unbridled rage. "For in their searing embrace, we shall forge a new world—a world where darkness reigns supreme!"

"Beware, SCW, for the shadows are stirring," Enigma's voice echoed through the darkness, a chilling harbinger of the chaos to come. "As the flames of destiny consume all in their path, know that none shall be spared from our wrath."

His words hung heavy in the air, a grim reminder of the impending storm that loomed on the horizon. "For in the crucible of the Taking Hold of the Flame, we shall emerge victorious," Enigma declared, his tone dripping with malice. "And woe be unto those who dare to oppose us, for they shall be consumed by the inferno of our fury."

With a final, ominous warning, Enigma vanished into the shadows, leaving behind only the echo of his words to linger in the air. And as SCW braced itself for the onslaught that awaited, the darkness stirred, its hunger insatiable and its thirst for destruction unquenchable. For the Enigma had spoken, and his words carried with them the promise of chaos and upheaval.

[SnowQueenSCW]

OOC: This is a ‘middle story’ between the scenes of Selena’s second roleplay. Please read both Selena’s two PPV rps before reading this one.

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

The Witches of Alden

”Suspicions”

Manhattan School District #3
Manhattan, New York
May 30th, 2024
1:53pm

“Deanna…”

Deanna Frost managed to tear her eyes away from her eldest daughter standing at the front of the classroom, just long enough to turn her head and gaze into the eyes of her beautiful wife, Selena, the platinum-blonde offering a kind smile as she whispered, “I have to go handle one last piece of business, okay?”

Business? Her mind was still on the emotional high of pride after hearing Elsianna’s presentation on Selena, but that last word was still enough to raise a red flag of alarm within the redhead.

“It’s about the move-in. I’ll handle that and come right back, alright? To celebrate.” Selena added, as if she could read the look of confusion and concern on Deanna’s face.For a moment, emerald eyes studied the taller Frost before Deanna nodded her head, slowly letting go of her wife’s hands. “Hurry back.” She whispered, almost as a command.

“I will.” Selena promised before quietly, and before the next presenter could begin, slipping out of the classroom and into the hallway, closing the door behind her.

With the absence of Selena once more, a long, quiet sigh escaped the redhead. At the very least, her wife had made to their daughter’s final-project presentation, which was a relief considering she had nearly missed by being late in the first place with her ‘radio silence’- the mere thought of those two words caused another sigh to escape Deanna, though she covered it up with a yawn.

It wasn’t that she was sympathetic to her wife’s concern. This weekend was a big deal for the Snow Queen, Deanna knew that. The main-event for Rise to Greatness was going to be decided this weekend and it was, quite easily, ‘do-or-die’ for Selena’s goal to ‘undo the past RTG’. Deanna still didn’t quite understand it, herself, but still, if Selena retained AND headlined RTG, it further guaranteed her return to living with Deanna and their children back in their ‘Forever Home’.

The idea made Deanna’s heart flutter as she stood against the wall, barely listening to the next presenter speaking at the front of the class. After so many months, and nearly a divorce, she would have her wife back with her, things being back to normal. They would be living together again – a family – that was all the young Frost truly wanted. Even if things were a bit strained for them in SCW, their work with Dr. Glengow had proven to be so helpful! They were going on dates, resuming an intimate life and Selena seemed more and more like her old self whenever she was outside of SCW.

Except for that part where she lit up when you mentioned talking to CHBK for her.

Okay… Deanna admitted quietly to herself. That was her fault. She shouldn’t have brought it up last weekend. She had been throwing idea around because Selena had seemed so worried about her match with Xander Valentine being filled with interferences and whatnot, like the last few Breakdowns had been. Deanna had merely offered a suggestion to talk to CHBK about it, maybe get his thoughts on it, but the way Selena had lit up, even talked about ‘barring people from ringside’…

Admit it… highly sus. The thought came quickly and strongly and she tried to shake it away. She didn’t mean it that way… I think. she reasoned. But then how did she mean it then?

Once more, that sense of confusion regarding her wife bubbled in the pit of Deanna’s stomach. It had started last Breakdown during everything with Jessica Winters. Why hadn’t Deanna seen that coming, she mentally cursed herself. Maybe because she never believed things would go that far. But that far they had gone! Her match with Fall St. Patrick – or Autumn Valentine – had never happened. Hadn’t even really started. Instead, Jessica Winters, who had been missing for over a week, had appeared with Fall’s mask and tried to fight Deanna. And that had just drawn out Kimberly Williams and Konrad and his goons, the Fiery Something Something! In an instant, Deanna’s whole plan on searching for The Enigma and getting answers from him had changed on a dime to protecting the warped Jessica from Konrad and his party! Couldn’t he see that Jessica was just an innocent victim in all of this? She had never wanted to be a wrestler like he and Deanna wanted to.

It didn’t matter what she had done in the last few weeks, she was still Deanna’s friend, which meant Deanna’s new plan was to protect her. The only good thing from the whole night of having her match ‘never happen’ was that Jessica had been apprehended and was back in protected custody…

Hers.

It had taken some convincing with CHBK and Hiro Tanaka, but the United States champion had immediately offered the idea of putting Jessica somewhere that no one would know. None of the SCW staff beyond Hiro and CHBK would know and the place would be close to Deanna in order for her and Selena to keep an eye on her. Speaking of which, another thing that added to Deanna’s suspicions now was her wife’s involvement. During the discussion, Selena had come onto the scene eager to help – a far cry to the violent and angry woman that had almost kicked down Winters’ door during Breakdown - she was just worried about me. But afterwards, the Snow Queen had come in in full support of the idea. She even volunteered to use her connections and resources in NYC to find a suitable place that would be safe for Jessica – ‘her dear friend’ she had said. In the end, at the very least, CHBK trusted Deanna and signed off on it. Jessica was then transferred to the Lennox Hall Hospital, which Deanna visited as often as she could. Selena too, but the radio silence this week had made that impossible…

When we saw her in the hospital, I was clear… Deanna shook her head. Why was she still doubting Selena?! The woman had made the transfer possible with her pull with the SCW management! And besides, Deanna had already addressed the issue – though she felt guilty doing so. After the meeting, the redhead had spoke to CHBK and Hiro privately over that remark Selena had said about being clear in the hospital. Guiltily, Deanna had asked them to use the security footage they had of Winters’ visitors in Baltimore and see what Selena was talking about. Because when they had been there, Selena had done little but tell a joke. What had she been clear on?

Again, the wave of guilt hit the redhead. But it had been a week and nothing from either Hiro or CHBK about it. Maybe Selena had just said something and Deanan had forgotten or hadn’t heard her while she was with Jessica.

Or maybe it was something worse… like what she did with Aaron…

Again, frustrations flared up with the system of the redhead. That was the other part of the equation. What she had, inadvertently, discovered. She had been working – ‘Project Day’ – with Selena and the children, helping them with their final-projects and had gone done to Selena’s office to print off some pictures for Amiliah’s ‘neighbourhood map’. The task had been simple. Turn on the computer screen in Selena’s office, open the email Selena had just sent of the photos, and then print the damn pictures.

So why… friggin’ why!... Did I look at that video?!

She had sent the pictures to the printer and then seen the video file out of the corner of her eye, still on the taskbar. Out of curiosity, she had opened it and watched the last minute or so – maybe to get some inspiration on how to intimidate The Enigma in her promo. If there was one thing Selena was really good at in promos, it was catchy lines! Things that riled up, pissed off, or scared people. And she wanted to use some zingers on The Enigma! Anything to force him out when they and the others fought in London!

But now? She wished she hadn’t seen the damn video. Wished she hadn’t seen her wife making thinly-veiled threats to Aaron Demitria. And while the senior official was not as close to the Frost family as Jessica was, he had always been so kind to Deanna – kind and patient. Always giving her a smile when they bumped into each other at catering. Always giving his thoughts on matches. And when he officiated her matches, not as often as he did Selena but that was okay, he was always fair and truthful in his decisions. She hated having to question his integrity following Retribution and Selena’s match with Kandis, but the fact that he hadn’t held it against her and been so understanding with his answer and defense of his own integrity struck home with the redhead. And yet, on that accursed video, there was Selena telling him, basically, to get in line or there would be consequences.

She’s…she’s just under a lot of stress. Deanna tried to reason. There’s a lot riding on this weekend-

And what about that soccer game?! And DAVID! You didn’t get a chance to tell her about what happened!

Again, her mind was at war as she stood silently against the classroom wall, the other students’ voices like white-noise to her. It was another issue with Selena’s decision for ‘radio-silence’. A day after her son, David, had supposedly given his final-project, she had received a phone call from the school teacher and principal. With Selena not responding to any phone calls or messages, the younger Frost had taken it upon herself to visit the school as requested. What she had learned…

Gods… how could he think… she thought for a moment, casting a glance at Elsianna sitting at her desk, still wearing Selena’s red-leather jacket and listening to the current student presenting. The teacher and principal had wanted to talk to David’s mother – at least one of them – because David’s ‘brilliant story’? The one that had amazed both her and, more so, Selena had been stolen. Plagiarized by an AIBot. Now, admittedly, Deanna did not fully understand the whole “AI-controversy” that had risen up in the past few years, but she definitely knew what plagiarism was!

And David, for his part… admitted to the whole thing. Had even shown Deanna, the teacher and principal how he had used the very basic online website to get enough of a story cobbled together, with David changing only a few things. When pressed further, though the boy, with tears in his eyes (he was so scared) had told Deanna the truth: that he was just doing what Selena had told him.

THAT was what Deanna had needed to talk to Selena about. According to David, Selena had said something about ‘the ends justifying the means’ at David’s last soccer game - I knew that big kid didn’t trip him! she thought angrily. Selena told him to take a dive! The pep talk the platinum-blonde had had with the boy during the soccer game now made sense, and it meant that her son, much like this project… had cheated.

A sigh escaped her and, for a moment, Deanna hated herself as, for a second, she doubted whether or not the presentation her daughter had made – beautiful as it was – wasn’t AI-written as well! No, that’s not who Elsianna is! Deanna vehemently thought.

Still… for her part, she wanted this weekend to just be over. After she dealt with Enigma and got some answers from him, she’d focus on her wife and, with or without the world title in her possession, Selena definitely going to answer some questions as well!

BZZZZTTTT!!!!

She heard, rather than felt the vibration of her phone, the device going off in the jacket she held in her hand, having removed it as she had entered the classroom. Quietly looking up at the classroom, Deanna slipped out of the room much the same way she had seen Selena do it. Outside, she quickly fished out the phone, thumbing the screen to accept the call.

“Hello?” she asked, pressing the phone to her ear.

“Deanna?” she didn’t recognize the voice right away, but, thankfully, received an answer. “It’s Alex.”

“Alex?” she racked her mind as she walked down the halls, if only to curb her restlessness.

“From work.” Deanna’s eyes widened at that, the realization hitting her.

“Alex!” she exclaimed. “I’m sorry. I just didn’t recognize your voice on the phone. What’s, uh… what’s up?”

“You asked Hiro and I to do some more digging on the security footage at John Hopkins.”
“Yea-Yes.” Deanna nodded, though the tone in the SCW icon’s voice filled her stomach with dread.

“Hiro just sent you an email.” CHBK answered, his tone unchanging. “Unrelated to Jessica’s abduction but…”
“But what?”

The line went dead at that, leaving Deanna more stunned than anything – at least for a few seconds. Quickly, she had opened up her gmail account and, true to the icon’s word, there was an email from Hiro.

Quickly, or as quick as her fingers could swipe and poke, she opened up the message and clicked on the video file that was attached to it. It took a second for it to load but, once it had, the redhead instantly recognized the interior of Jessica’s room – or rather the room that had been Jessica’s – at the John Hopkins Hospital. It was an overhead shot from a corner on the wall. From the angle, Deanna could make out Jessica lying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, and Selena, her wife, sitting on the bed beside her.

She heard Selena speak first. “I’m not buying this ‘magical smoke’ nonsense…” she said, her grip tightening its hold on Jessica’s arm. “And, for all the years we’ve been friends, I will give you the benefit of the doubt that this is some sort of drug being used on you… but…” she gazed up at the dull face of Winters. “If Deanna is wrong… and I find out this is something to do with you and only you…” her voice lowered to a growl. “Then friend or no… I will make sure you NEVER leave this place.”

Deanna felt her mouth drop… and her heart sink. She heard wrong! She had to have heard wrong. Jessica was suffering – being used by Enigma to hurt people. “D…Darkness.” She stared directly into Selena’s cold, sapphire eyes.

“Darkness.” She heard Jessica whisper through the video.
“Hello, my old friend.” Selena answered back. “Glad you understand me on this. I protect what is mine.”

Deanna turned away, her eyes stinging with tears. There was no mistaking that line – that meaning. She had heard the same damn line in Selena’s video to Aaron Demitria. The threat that echoed behind it. It turned Deanna’s pain into anger, until she was all but running down the hall towards the parking lot. She had to talk to Selena! She had to get some answers at what her wife was thinking – what was possibly going through her head that would possess her to threaten Jessica like that!

With more anger than she meant, she had pushed the doors open, the afternoon sunlight spilling across her face. It was blinding for a second but only for a second, and as Deanna blinked her eyes a few times to adjust, she spotted a car speeding out of the parking lot – recognizing it immediately as the one Selena at won at the End of the Year Invitational.

“SELENA!” Deanna yelled out, already knowing she was too late as the car drove further out, turned a corner and disappeared out of sight as it travelled away.

She’s just going to handle some business… her heart desperately tried to convince her. She’s just going back to handle some business…

Looking down at her phone, however, Deanna knew she had been lied to – and that she was lying to herself. Flicking through the files, she found the video she had sent to herself as well… Selena’s Royal Letter video to Aaron Demetria. Standing there in the parking lot, she watched the whole thing, watched her wife take a syringe, take a black bag out of hiding, and she recognized the pills immediately, even as Selena took one.

“NX…” her voice cracked in shock and heartbreak, the reality, the one she had ignored all this time, hitting her like a ton of bricks, smashing her heart to pieces.

She had been so blind – so in love with the idea of getting her wife back, whether it was through pretending like Evelyn and Chica or this past weekend when they were working on their children’s projects. She had let herself believe that such ‘moments’, full of pretend and make-believe, were real.

But what she had seen in both videos… that was who Selena was. The Blue-Eyed Devil… and it was beyond clear what she was going to use that syringe for… and beyond clear what she needed to do!

Without hesitating, Deanna raced towards her own vehicle, jumping into it and pulling out of the parking lot as fast as she could.

She won’t stop as long as she thinks she’s protecting me… she felt the hot tears sting her eyes, but she wiped them away quickly, keeping her vision clear as she drove down the roads.

It was true… Selena would never stop protecting what was hers… but there was a way to stop her and save Jessica…

And only Deanna could do it.

_______________________________________________________________


So… where do we start?

No… you know what? I am not playing that question now. I’m sorry, gritters, but you saw Breakdown. You saw what happened to me and to Jessica. So, with all respect and asking for all your patience, but I’d like to take this promo in a certain direction...

ENIGMA!

I dared you to show your face last Breakdown! To come out and face me! Instead, you worked to get Jessica out of the hospital and into my match to attack me!

For what? To prove you’re a coward?! That you’re too scared to fight your own battles?! That you’re a sick, demented being that hides in smoke and manipulations? Congratulations! You proved it! Bravo!

You know what else you did, Enigma? You made this even more personal for me. You made it clear that my mission isn’t just to be there, in London this weekend, to get ‘answers’ from you. No! Instead, I get to be part of the savage beating that is headed your way! I get to play a hand in it!

So let me clear this up for how you’ve made things, because maybe you can’t see the full picture with all the smoke you surround yourself with. You’ve got Kimberly Williams, reigning Underground Champion and Queen of Chaos – most chaotic mind in SCW. You’ve got Konrad Raab – a man with… wooooo breath-taking anger issues, not to mention a terrifying looking axe. The equally angry and aggressive bashing boys of his little group, you’ve got myself – reigning United States Champion - and you… the one person that’s pissed off every single one of us.

And in case you were wondering, yes, I am directly quoting The Avengers, because, shock of the week, I actually agree with Kimberly on this one. Because if that was your plan, to piss off 5 of the hungriest superstars in SCW today… well, that is a horrid plan! Because this isn’t a six-person dance, Enigma. This isn’t some ‘see who’s better for the competition’ match that we’re all fighting one another for. There’s no medal in this. There’s no title on the line. There’s no contendership. There’s nothing for you here except to face all five of us. And because of you… all five of us are united – The… Revengers I think was the best name. Hey, from someone that has no nickname or name for this promo – it’s kind of cool to have one, even for a night.

But yeah, Revengers. What I’m calling us as well. Sort of a team-building thing Kimmy would probably love. Might need to workshop some other names if it keeps up, but I’m not really looking past this weekend. I’m not looking past you. Maybe that’s a mistake that will give me my first 2024 loss but, quite frankly, long as it isn’t to you, I’m good with that.

I want you to understand that, Enigma. Like I said, if you wanted to take me on for the United States Championship, you could have just asked. Kim knows this, Konrad knows this. I’ve waged war with both of them and you know what? I don’t like either of them some days but I know where their hearts are. Konrad may try and bash me with his axe… but hurt a non-wrestler? An innocent person? He wouldn’t. Kimberly, same thing.

There’s a line we don’t cross as wrestlers, as human beings. And you crossed it.

You made this personal for all of us. And you chose the two people that don’t give a damn about winning or losing as much as they do about making a point…

And now, you can add me to that list. Because no matter what happens, no matter who walks away with the “win” for whatever it is worth, none of us are leaving until you are taken out on a stretcher. Until you realize the truth.

You come for our families, you’ll see just how powerful we really are.

Cause that’s what this is about right? You proving your power, right? A nice Television title reign to back that up. Definitely got the whole ‘dark and spooky’ thing down. But you think you can come here, hurt our loved ones, and think we’re just going to dance to your tune? Sorry to burst your bubble, Mr. E, but I haven’t been scared into submission yet. And I don’t plan to start now. This isn’t ‘The Shadow Realm’, or “The Spirit World” or wherever you are from, sir. This is SCW. You say you ‘have all the power’? We say ‘prove it in the ring’. You mess with us? We fight it out! That’s what we do here in SCW, and that’s something you’re going to learn, the REALLY hard way!

Let me be clear about this night in London, Enigma. There is no version of this night, be it this beatdown headed your way or even the Taking Hold of the Flame royale, there is no version that exists where you come out on top. You take down one of us, the others will fight. You hypnotize one of us, the others will be on you. And then after the match, assuming you have any energy to drag yourself to the ring for the royale, who do you think is going to be there? Waiting for you?

Konrad.
Kimberly.
Me.

Me especially, Enigma. Because this night does not end until you let Jessica go. This night does not end until you release her and leave her alone. I don’t care if I have to have the worst night of my life here in London, England. I will take you down and anyone else you brainwash to fight your battles to free her.

Because tonight, I’m not the United States Champion. I’m not the one fighting to ‘win’. I’m just Deanna Frost, Jessica’s friend, fighting to protect her, and SCW, from you. And, I promise you, Enigma, after tonight – after I and The Revengers are done with you….

You’re going to wish that you had faced The United States Champion instead.

Checkmate, bitches!