The Light In The Darkness - Fatal Fortunes RP Thread

[Wisteria Waltz]

OOC: Just as a heads up for full clarification, I deciding I'm doing only joint efforts for Luz and Amelia this year, similar to last year. Honestly, everything story-wise just feels like it works better if I go this route, so I'd rather roll with it this way and if things play out that they face one another and it results in a tie because of this, then I'm willing to roll with it. Who knows? Maybe we'd get some neat angle stuff out of it if that happens.
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The month of November so far hadn't quite been the wedded bliss La Pequeña Luz and Amelia Nevado would've hoped for.

At least it gave them a good excuse to hold off on taking their official honeymoon trip for the time being.

They had known that holding their wedding in Tulancingo on Día de Muertos and then being in Detroit two nights later to compete in a Chamber Match was going to be a grueling endeavor. That challenge being amplified by having to start the Chamber only made every ache and pain that shot through their bodies when it was all set and done more noticeable, but The Light In The Darkness had been upfront time and time again that they would step up and take on any challenge if it meant proving that they belonged here. That was why they had successfully contained the chaos unfolding all around them and risen above it, running the table and walking out of Under Attack with their World Tag Title reign intact, officially making this their longest run with the titles to date.

Unfortunately, instead of Breakdown being a night of celebration, what fans witnessed in San Francisco was arguably one of the most painful nights the couple had endured yet since coming back to SCW.

It had started off... alright enough, in hindsight. Luz unfortunately had a feeling that it was coming, but officially being named the interim United States Champion still left a sour taste in her mouth. She had technically earned it when she became number one contender back at Apocalypse, so it wasn't as though she was just being handed the title with no rhyme or reason. Still, she knew Deanna would bounce back and return stronger than ever, and she had no problem standing in as the champion until that time came for her to rightfully earn the honor, even if it meant a second year in a row of being triple booked for Fatal Fortunes.

Luz wanted to feel bad for the extra opportunities she was getting out of this, but Amelia had been quick to remind her about the Trios contract she was in possession of, meaning she could simply open any door she wanted if it came down to it. Plus, there was always the chance Amelia's non-title booking could end up granting her a singles title opportunity of her own to even the field.

Of course, everything had gone downhill when the Fall of Man decided to make their presence felt. True, Luz and Amelia had done a celebratory waltz down to the ring when Alex had invited them out for the announcement, but both women were masters of hiding any problems that were bothering them, for better or worse. The reality was that they were both still a bit banged up from going bell-to-bell inside the Chamber, so despite the fight they had put up in the moment, Amelia being dropped on her head with a piledriver while Luz was powerbombed off the top rope and across the barricade had really done a number on them.

All so James Evans and Waylon Creek could send a message at their expense while propping themselves up as the saviors SCW needed right now.

It was almost frightening how much they portrayed themselves in the same manner as Caleb White with what they'd done.

One benefit to the recent Breakdown being in San Francisco was that it was a relatively short flight back to their home in Anaheim, allowing the newly wedded couple the chance to recover in the safety of a space they were more than comfortable in. This, combined with the fact that their found family had been busting their behinds to care for the two of them after the brutal beatdown, had left Amelia and Luz with plenty of time to properly think about something they knew they'd been intentionally ignoring since their wedding night. The Chamber had been a perfect distraction, as had embracing the fact that they were finally married, but they knew they couldn't just ignore it forever in hopes that doing so would suddenly make it disappear.

If it were that simple, then Caleb and his cult would have never been a problem in the first place.

Deep down, they knew the possibility always existed that Caleb might find a way out of prison. The man was a manipulative schemer on a level that rivaled some of the worst people in human history, and just like them, he had a devoted following that were passionate enough that the law paled in comparison to their cause. Perhaps it was only a matter of time before he escaped and resumed his delusional attempts at some sort of 'global cleansing' or whatever disgusting term he wanted to label his plans with, but every effort had been made to prevent this from happening in the first place. The FBI and the NCA couldn't be blamed for doing their best... after all, how were they supposed to know that some of their most devoted agents with years of service to their name were part of Caleb's true inner circle and would betray their jobs and their countries if he asked it of them?

Like it or not, Caleb and The Empire were once again a problem hanging over their heads like the proverbial Sword of Damocles, and they were left to wonder if he would truly not hold back this time if he felt Luz and Amelia were that big of a threat to his 'divine destiny' or if his threats were a cover hiding his original desire to recruit them to his cause by any means necessary.

At least for now, Caleb seemed content with leaving them be after crashing their reception via hologram to reveal his escape, though it was more likely he and his 'true elite' were laying low knowing full well that law enforcement were hunting them. Regardless, it bought Luz and Amelia enough time to pull themselves back together, knowing that Fatal Fortunes was on the horizon and being champions meant defending everything they had fought tooth and nail for against the unknown while also embracing whatever opportunities they happened to spin so they could make the most of them. They had found an incredible amount of success during last year's trials, with Luz going three-for-three while Amelia's only stumble was hardly her fault given the unintentional issues within the Frost family that had created a rather awkward and unintended handicap match. If anything, they felt they had all the incentive in the world to try for an absolute clean sweep this year.

The thought of standing tall and continuing their incredible momentum despite what James and Waylon had done, proving to not only the Fall of Man but also to Caleb and his Empire that destroying them was easier said than done... that alone was a powerful statement that they knew would resonate throughout SCW and remind their unwanted enemy of exactly what he was up against.

If there was any downside to Fatal Fortunes this year, aside from knowing they'd have to run their respective randomized gauntlets at less than 100%, it was the fact that the first Breakdown of the event would fall on Thanksgiving Day. Thankfully, this was only a minor issue to the found family surrounding Luz and Amelia, and the decision was quickly made to celebrate it early before the couple would fly out to Denver and see what fate had in store for them this year. They were a little frustrated, however, given that despite this being their home and them technically being the hosts to everybody, every effort had been made to keep them out of cooking or setting everything up, with Camila calling her job as a doctor into play and all but demanding that the two of them rest and stay off their feet so their bodies could heal as much as possible.

“This sucks,” Luz bluntly said as she and Amelia were cuddled up on the couch, at least taking advantage of the forced recovery period to study their Chamber Match so they could keep refining their game.

“I know it's not the most ideal situation...” Amelia replied, sighing as she tried to restrain her frustration better than Luz was doing.

“Ames, they're treating us like we're made of glass!” Luz exclaimed, flailing her arms to punctuate her statement before hissing as a fresh jolt of pain shot through her back.

“How do you think I feel?” Amelia couldn't help but let out a pained laugh. “I may not be a Blythe anymore, but every instinct of that old mindset is screaming at me because I'm not using this time to train. Thanks, mom and dad...”

“Amelia, you were dropped on your head,” Luz pointed out. “A neck injury is what derailed you back during our first attempt.”

“And your spine was nearly snapped in half across the barricade,” Amelia responded, the two of them trading frustrated looks before mutually sighing in defeat. “OK, I think we can at least agree that we're both pretty bad at knowing when we need to stop pushing ourselves and just take a step back.”

“I wanted to think we'd learned our lesson after our little meltdown months ago when the Stewards beat us,” Luz shook her head in almost disbelief. “God, we're terrible at absorbing any important lessons that aren't about bettering ourselves in the ring.”

“You know,” Amelia began to note as she held Luz closer, trying her best not to aggravate her neck or Luz's back, “they do love and care for us. Yeah, maybe they're going a bit overboard with it, but when's the last time we gave them a reason not to get overly concerned about us? Besides... it's been a while since we've come out of a show looking as bad as we did just a few days ago.”

Luz sighed again and nodded, knowing Amelia had a point. Her thoughts couldn't help but flicker back to that fateful Retribution back in 2021 where Amelia had been helped to the back mid-match after landing awkwardly on her neck, with her following suit not too long after following the rather severe concussion she'd sustained. It was a memory that made her cringe, and rightfully so. But the more she thought about it, the more she felt like she was trying too hard to compare this to how her mom had acted when they'd had their falling out after her dad's death, trying to coddle and protect her too much out of a fear of losing her the same way they'd lost him. If that were still the case, Camila would have demanded she and Amelia both leave wrestling behind for good... the fact that she had backed down, even reluctantly, when the subject of their titles and having to forfeit them was brought up, was proof that her mom had come a long way.

“Maybe we should talk with them?” Luz suggested. “I don't want to sound ungrateful, because we didn't really have this kind of support system around us for the longest time, but maybe we can find a mutual wavelength where they're not forgetting that, for better or worse, we're sturdier than we look?”

“Well... I think we both need an excuse to stretch our legs anyway,” Amelia suggested, and Luz almost wanted to laugh in response to the audacity of just tackling this issue now and taking care of it immediately. That was usually a Luz move, and it made the luchadora giggle at just how much she had rubbed off on Amelia after all these years.

“Sure beats just having to sit around like a couch potato... although it's hard to complain when I'm cuddling up with my wife while doing so,” Luz returned fire with a cheesy grin, causing the both of them to laugh before they worked together to get to their feet. As Amelia carefully cracked her neck and Luz stretched her back with a satisfying pop, they couldn't help but briefly lose themselves in each other's eyes. It was hard to believe, but even weeks later, the fact that they were now married and could officially call each other 'my wife' still hadn't fully sunk in yet.

It all felt like a dream come true... and they would be damned if that dream was ripped away from them by anybody.

“...I just don't think it's going to work.”

Amelia and Luz exchanged curious glances at the sound of Marilyn's voice when they turned off the TV. Joining hands for silent support, they slowly moved to peek around the corner to where their dining room was, seeing a few people sitting at the table in conversation. Marilyn and Camila sat on one side while Avery, Darius and Evie sat on the other, and there was an odd tension hanging in the air. Occasionally, the caught glimpses of one of their other friends or siblings going in and out of the kitchen, probably keeping an eye on the food and hesitantly staying out of whatever this chat was about, which only made the couple more curious.

“Look, Marilyn,” Camila sternly said. “Believe me when I say that hijo de puta has caused our family far too much pain over the years, for no reason other than his own egotistical beliefs, and I want to see him six feet under. But they're still young and have so much life left ahead of them. I don't want to see them end up in a far worse state than what happened on Breakdown because of someone who may want to end far more than just their careers!”

“Which is exactly why we're looking into doing whatever we can to remove them from this situation entirely,” Darius explained. “Plain and simple, the actions of Caleb White and The Empire have started to classify them all as a religious terrorist group by virtually every government across the globe at this point. I don't care how badly he wants them involved, he's got enough to worry about that Luz and Amelia don't have to be a part of this anymore.”

“I'm telling you it's not that simple,” Marilyn said, exasperated. “Take it from someone who's been plagued by the guy for far longer than they have: like it or not, if Caleb wants them involved, he'll find a way to make it happen.”

“And we'll be ready to shut it down every single time,” Avery fired back, surprising Luz and Amelia with how stern they were being. “I'm sorry, Marilyn, but they've even admitted they never wanted this fight in the first place.”

“So you're going to just take that decision away from them?” Marilyn raised an eyebrow while crossing her arms across her chest, and Camila noticeably became uncomfortable at that realization being put on the table.

“They've got more than enough to worry about without a religious zealot being part of it,” Evie pointed out.

“And we say Caleb's just as much our problem as he is yours,” Luz cut in as she and Amelia walked into the room, drawing all five sets of eyes to them in surprise.

“Cariño... the two of you should be resting,” Camila finally said as she started to stand up, but Amelia held up a hand to stop her.

“We were actually coming to talk with you anyway,” she stated. “All of you... and it seems like we picked the perfect time to do so.”

“Look...” Darius began.

“Darius,” Luz interrupted him before he went any farther. “I'm sorry, but can we have a chance to be heard first?”

The three agents all exchanged glances while Camila looked on in concern. Marilyn seemed to be the only person in agreement with the newlyweds, motioning for them to have the floor. Luz and Amelia squeezed each other's hands for extra strength before Luz continued.

“Alright... trust me when I say that we understand why you're all so worried about us, and that goes for those we know are eavesdropping from the kitchen as well.” Luz shot a smirk at their friends and siblings all awkwardly peeking around the corner before they quickly dipped back into the kitchen. “Having people to worry about us and pick us back up when we're hurt... it's, admittedly, a positive change in our lives we're still getting used to even now. But you've all seen us, in one form or another, fight through everything that's been thrown at us, no matter who it came from or what it was. We're tougher than we look, and while we love you all and appreciate your efforts since Breakdown, we don't want to feel like we're being overprotected just because of one attack. Yeah, it sucked, but we can still walk and kick some butt.”

“We really do appreciate you all looking out for us, though... especially when we haven't always been the best at doing that for ourselves and each other,” Amelia admitted. “But Marilyn's right: if Caleb wants to fixate on us for his stupid 'holy war' then we're going to be a part of it, like it or not. It's easy to say we can be kept out of it, but look at how easily he's constantly found a way to get to us in one form or another. Having a fake Luz try to ruin her reputation in Mexico, trying to force me to marry Henry, what happened with Ryan, the attack on Marilyn's wrestling school... Caleb's brilliant, as much as I hate to admit that, but we've overcome everything he's tried so far, and we're more than prepared to keep doing so if that's what it takes.”

“You two shouldn't have to, though...” Darius pointed out.

“We're not arguing that,” Luz replied. “But whether it's Caleb outside the ring or people like James and Waylon inside of it, there's always going to be someone out there coming after us for their own reasons. We're not turning down any support, but if they want us to be at the forefront of this fight, then we can't afford to back down from it.”

“We've worked too hard and come too far to just roll over and die for anybody who thinks the life and career we've built together is just something they can easily destroy to pave the way for how they think things should be,” Amelia added as she and Luz stood tall despite the pain. “That's why we choose to fight... because if we don't, then they win, and we refuse to let anybody like them have their way because their 'biggest threat' didn't fight back when it mattered most.”

Marilyn couldn't help but clap for the couple as the agents once again exchanged looks. Camila, for her part, moved to gently pull both women into a hug.

“Lo siento,” she told them in a low tone. “I didn't want to feel like I was being overprotective again, I just... I'm worried...”

“We're worried too, Mamá,” Luz admitted. “We have a lot to be worried about, honestly...”

“But we can't give up and back down just because of that,” Amelia followed up.

“You're right,” Evie admitted, earning an annoyed look from Darius that was quickly subdued with a look of her own. “Whether we like it or not, Caleb wants you two at the heart of this nonsense. After everything I've seen the two of you overcome in this past year alone, though? Maybe we are wrong to worry too much about you... if anything, I think Caleb's the one who needs to be worried.”

“Oh, he absolutely does!” Marilyn cheered.

Darius still looked unsure, but turned his head as Avery put a hand on his shoulder. “I think their minds are made up, Darius. That said, they were the ones who ultimately took Caleb down the first time.”

“With Henry's help,” Darius noted. “Still... you've got a point. We can't let our fears and worries get the better of us, even if we have the best of intentions.” Darius turned to lock eyes with the girls again. “My sincerest apologies... everything about all of this is unfamiliar territory and trying to comfortably make a plan of attack has been difficult.”

“Believe me, we understand,” Luz told him. “And that's not just because we've got Fatal Fortunes coming up.”

“We learned a long time ago that we're stronger together, even when we're fighting alone,” Amelia nodded. “And with all of you in our lives now, we're all even stronger, and Luz and I are thankful for that.”

“Sounds like a perfect segue into a Thanksgiving feast to me!” Marilyn couldn't help but call, inciting some laughter from everyone and bringing a much lighter tone to the household.

As Luz and Amelia were allowed to carefully help set the table, they couldn't help but breathe a collective sigh of relief. They felt it wasn't the smoothest of talks, and it was clear the concern was still there all around, but at least this would be a Thanksgiving they could remember for more than just their recent marriage.

After all, there was a lot to be thankful for, and as long as The Light In The Darkness kept fighting, there would be even more to be thankful for in the years to come.

[Wisteria Waltz]

As we fade in, we're perhaps a little surprised at the setting we're in. Perhaps it's because we've grown so accustomed to basically searching for two particular women and finding them in the middle of just enjoying their day before taking time out of it to say what they need to say, but this time there's no magical feeling in the air or noteworthy surroundings that stand out to us. If anything, perhaps it's a little off-putting that all we can see is a gray stone wall and floor along with a little banner advertising the upcoming Fatal Fortunes editions of Breakdown taking place in Denver and Edmonton over the next two weeks. Seated beneath this banner, their backs up against the wall, are Amelia Nevado and La Pequeña Luz. We can see the glint from the lighting off the gold of their wedding bands as their fingers are intertwined, along with the glint of the World Tag Team Championship belts resting at their sides and the United States Championship belt resting in Luz's lap. The two women have their heads down, but after a moment, they slowly lift them to look at us, leaving us unnerved by the virtual lack of emotion that is very uncharacteristic of these two for as long as we've known them. Luz's eyes slowly drift down to the title belt resting on her lap before she sighs and kicks things off.

“You know... when Ames and I walked into Breakdown last week in San Francisco, we didn't fully know what to expect. We'd just gone through a Chamber Match at Under Attack, going bell-to-bell and fighting tooth and nail to retain our World Tag Team Titles. We gave every team in that match their chance to step up and give us their best with no excuses, they could indulge in whatever chaos they desired, and at the end of it all we managed to rise above and survive. We thought we might get some insight as to who might be the next team to step up and challenge us... truth be told, I also expected this to happen, even if I was hoping it wouldn't. Yes, I technically earned this honor when I won that triple threat match back at Apocalypse, but if I were to be here today calling myself the United States Champion, I would've preferred to do it by properly earning the belt in a hard-fought classic against Deanna. That said, I know what it means to call myself the interim champion: I am to uphold the fight this title deserves until Deanna is ready to return, and then I can get my chance to see if I'm truly good enough to rightfully call myself the champion proper. Deanna, if you're watching, I give you my word that I will fight to defend this title just as you have, respecting everything that you laid the foundation for and hoping that we'll get that chance to dance sooner rather than later.”

“One thing we certainly weren't expecting, however, was for William Heaven to decide that the established order no longer applies to him or his clients as he sent James Evans and Waylon Creek to not just attack us, but thoroughly destroy us. We were simply, in their eyes, the most noteworthy casualty of a temper tantrum over their setbacks and perceived lack of respect coming out of Under Attack. Waylon lost but continues to shield himself behind the technicality of still being unbeaten because he didn't take the direct fall—a tactic I'm all too familiar with because I've pulled that card myself at the very beginning of my career and know how hollow the justification is, and James came just short of winning his Chamber Match and got especially upset over it because it was Selena he fell short against. So what do they do? Waylon attempts to break Scott Reed's neck when he's simply a challenger for Waylon's Television Title, the two of them proceed to assault two people just trying to find their footing and prove themselves, and then they take their anger out on us. And why? Because we've 'had it easy,' because we're 'selfish like Selena,' because we can't possibly be the kinds of champions SCW needs like James and Waylon can.

I took a piledriver, making it clear that Waylon knows full well that a neck injury is what sidelined me during our first attempted run here. Luz was powerbombed off the top rope and across the barricade. The Fall of Man made it abundantly clear that they're willing to destroy us just because we don't fit their self-centered, hypocritical vision of what an SCW champion should be. But there's just one problem with their efforts from last week...”

It's at this point that Amelia and Luz grab their title belts and slowly pull themselves to their feet. It's clear that there's still some discomfort and they're trying their best to hide it, but thanks to the little bit of support they're giving one another, they're now standing tall and proud, stepping away from the wall and draping their titles over their shoulders like the proud champions they are.

“We're still standing.

Yeah, maybe James and Waylon don't think that's particularly impressive, and we're not bothering to hide the fact that we're still feeling the effects of what they did, but it's not going to stop us from walking into the next two Breakdowns and doing what we do best: wrestling. Think about it: in their attempt to send a message and make a statement, the Fall of Man fired their best shots at us, hoping it would snuff us out and open the door for them to just be handed everything they're demanding because it fits their narrative much easier. After all, according to them, Amelia and I haven't been worthwhile champions. We haven't worked our butts off to earn every single accolade we've accumulated since coming back to SCW, despite acknowledging our defeats and shortcomings and working to bounce back when it does happen. We haven't done anything to elevate the SCW roster, despite the footage being there of every single team we've ever crossed paths with stepping up their game and giving us the fight of their lives when that's all we've ever asked of anyone, with or without the titles on the line. They claim we've had it easy and want to keep taking the easy route, despite us constantly finding ways to challenge ourselves so we can keep getting better, all just to prove that we belong here.”

“The truth of the matter is, James and Waylon are no different than so many other people we've dealt with in our lives who don't care about how hard we've had to fight to build ourselves up into who we are today. Everything we've earned is irrelevant to them because they have this need to dictate who we are and then cram us into that box because to them, it's easier than admitting when they're wrong or accepting their faults. Perhaps they were hoping that we wouldn't be able to make it to Fatal Fortunes, that it would cause us to have to surrender our titles without actually being beaten for them. Unfortunately for the two of you and anyone who might've actually believed in the nonsense you've been spewing since, it's going to take a lot more than what you did last week to put Luz and I down for good. Believe what you want, but the reality is that we're fighters. We've been fighting for our entire lives to be able to get to this point, to define ourselves and who we want to be, and to help elevate the entire wrestling business to greater heights through nothing more than our hard work and dedication. And if you think that's not enough because you two and William Heaven clearly think you know better than everybody else... well, you've already thrown down the gauntlet. We don't care that the two of you technically haven't wrestled as a tag team in any official capacity yet, and we doubt CHBK will deny us the chance to pay you back in proper fashion and definitively prove that if going through the two of you is doing things 'the hard way,' then we're not afraid to step up to the plate and earn a win over the two of you.

That also holds true for anybody on this roster who wants a piece of us for whatever reason, which brings us to Fatal Fortunes.”

Both women pause to briefly look back at the banner behind them, the sight slowly bringing back those familiar smiles we're used to seeing from the newly-wedded couple. They gently squeeze each other's hands as they turn their full attention back to us.

“It's funny to think that the Fall of Man want to criticize us for doing things 'the easy way' when there's nothing easy about what awaits us over the course of the next two weeks. Last year during Fatal Fortunes, not only did Amelia and I each have to wrestle twice, one non-title booking and one to defend our World Tag Team Titles, but I also had a third booking because I was the Television Champion at the time and had to defend that title as well. Trade out the TV Title for the interim U.S. Title this year, and it's the exact same gauntlet that awaits us. And yet, no matter who is drawn to challenge us or what kind of match it is, Ames and I welcome this challenge because it means whoever stands across the ring from us has the chance to step up and give us everything they've got to make the most of it, even if they never believed they would get that opportunity to do so. We're not holding back either, because the least these titles and all of our opponents deserve is a match worthy of being remembered as a hard-fought affair worthy of a championship being on the line, and if we happen to fall, then whoever we face can walk away saying they truly earned that win.”

“Last year, Luz had one regular singles match along with defending the Television Title in a match where to win you had to retrieve the belt from a forklift. I was supposed to have a tag team match that ended up turning into an unfortunate handicap match against me, and the two of us defended these Tag Titles in a Dumpster Match. That is just a taste of what Fatal Fortunes can throw at you. We could find ourselves defending these titles against two randomly paired competitors who, for all we know, could discover some untapped chemistry between them. Luz could defend the interim U.S. Title against someone who's just been hungry for that chance to have such a shot and will finally get it. Perhaps my non-title booking could see me challenging for a singles title myself to earn the right to join Luz as a double champion... of course, that also means the possibility exists that the two of us could have an opportunity we were denied back during the Trios Tournament of squaring off against one another in an SCW ring, maybe even for that interim U.S. Title. The possibilities are truly endless, but one thing is certain: despite what the Fall of Man did to us last week, we're still standing tall and we're proudly walking into both Denver and Edmonton over the next two weeks to put our best feet forward. Feel free to take advantage of the damage done to us, this is your open invitation to do so... call us crazy if you want, but we don't back down from challenges and if we have to fight through the pain and a disadvantage to keep proving that we've earned the right to belong here, then so be it.”

“That's the thing about us that doesn't seem to work with the picture so many others want to paint about The Light In The Darkness. We're only human, just like all of you and just like everyone on this roster. We make mistakes, we can be defeated, but every single time it happens we pick ourselves back up and work to improve for the next time. Yeah, maybe we do beat ourselves up about it sometimes, but it's because of how much wrestling means to us, what it represents in our journey both as individuals and as a couple. Not once, in all the time we've been on this roster, have we ever complained about anything that's happened to us, nor have we taken it out on anybody else. If that's who we were, then maybe we'd be standing here criticizing how 'unfair' the whole concept of Fatal Fortunes is instead of mentally preparing ourselves for whatever it has to throw at us. Maybe we'd be making wild claims or assumptions about ourselves to try and intimidate anyone who does end up against us. That's just it, though... we've never needed to be anything more than our authentic selves, flaws and all, and that in and of itself seems to throw people off because we're not these 'arrogant, unstoppable champions' you want to believe we are.”

“Time and time again, we've gone out of our way to make it clear that we respect what all of our opponents bring to the table, even if we have some sort of issue with you. And yes, that applies to James and Waylon as well, because to ignore how talented and dangerous they are would mean we're ignoring how big of a threat they could truly be to us. No matter who you are on this roster, no matter how you've been doing lately, it could all change at Fatal Fortunes. We acknowledge that, and that's why we're hopeful that if we're not meant to survive this ordeal with championships to our name, then whoever dethrones us has proven they are capable of picking up where we left off in elevating themselves and everyone around them to keep making SCW the elite wrestling phenomenon that it is today. We respect your efforts, no matter who you are, because the truth is that on any given night, you could do what no one thinks you're capable of. That is the kind of fight we hope to inspire, that is why we keep pushing forward, and that is why so long as The Light In The Darkness lives and breathes, we will continue to fight, not just for the future of SCW, but the future of the wrestling business as a whole.”

“To whoever we end up meeting in that ring over the next two weeks, no matter the circumstances, we wish you the best of luck.”

“And all we ask is that you give us your very best, because that's what these championships and SCW as a whole deserve.”

Luz and Amelia nod to us before nodding to one another, acknowledging that the next two weeks are not going to be an easy ride given what happened to them last week, but we know they're always up for a challenge. As we fade out, we can feel the fight that the married couple are ready and wiling to give no matter what happens, because that's always how they've conducted their business and that's all they asked of their opponents, no matter the scenario. They would bring their very best, and whatever happened from there was up to whoever was willing to fight harder for the win.