OOC: David Striker and Chris Dumont appear with permission. Good luck to everyone in this incredible match!
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2025 was not off to a great start for The Light In The Darkness.
After managing to end 2024 retaining their World Tag Team Championships and surviving the target that the Fall of Man had seemingly put on their backs, Amelia Nevado and La Pequeña Luz now found themselves starting this new year off behind the proverbial 8-ball, no thanks to the violent faction. James and Waylon, who had been seeking to rip the Tag Titles from their hands, now each held a singles victory over one-half of the couple, with James having overcome Luz in Philadelphia and Waylon surviving Amelia's shot at his 'undefeated' record in Glendale.
That said, the couple were finding the losses as bitter pills to swallow... not because they'd lost, because they knew full well they could pick themselves back up and learn from their setbacks to step things up even more for next time, but because of the tactics being used by a team that was supposed to have their backs and, thus far, felt like they were simply conducting their own business on their own terms... and hurting Luz and Amelia in the process.
Truth be told, The Light In The Darkness had nothing but respect for David Striker and Chris Dumont, just as they honestly held respect for everyone in SCW when it came to a discussion purely about skills. After all, no one was in SCW by accident, and if you were here then that meant you were considered among the best of the best. What Luz and Amelia could disagree with the Dangerous Minds on, however, were tactics. They had known David and Chris to present themselves as the kind of team that would immediately throw themselves into a fight to right anything they believed was an injustice, and while it was a noble and commendable effort, the reason the couple had frequently disagreed with such an approach and even often intervened to try and restore order was because it ultimately solved nothing in their minds.
Pick a fight with someone when they're least expecting it, and it only leads to more fighting. Beat them in the ring, and at the very least you have a claim to being the better athlete... at least, until your paths cross again.
It was one of the extremely few things Amelia had picked up from her parents that she actually agreed with, and knowing that Luz operated under a similar mindset helped put her at ease whenever she thought about that fact. Love them or hate them, both women were hardwired to be honest, legitimate contenders at their very cores, and it was why they operated the way they did while still showing a raw passion for this industry that very few could match. It wasn't like they believed David and Chris didn't have that same passion, because a lot of the fights they picked were clearly driven by their passion for this sport and what they wanted out of it, but at some point, the two sides had to find some common ground to unite them if they were going to be joining forces in this fight. If they couldn't get on the same page completely, then the Tactical Warfare Match at Dogfight in Düsseldorf was going to be a long and disastrous night for all of them.
That was why the couple were currently walking along the streets of the city, eyes peeled for the specific gym they'd been told to meet at. They had managed to get in touch with David and worked something out to train together once everyone had arrived in town, making it clear that they needed to talk things out and get on the same page if they were going to do this. Amelia and especially Luz were optimistic about making it all work out... after all, they had managed to cooperate with Twisted & Sadistic last year against the Dangerous Minds along with the Cowgirls From Hell when they were on a collision course for the World Tag Team Titles, and Luz was nothing if not understanding and willing to open doors and find common ground. It was how she'd snuck into Amelia's heart, after all, and despite her cautious optimism, Amelia always loved that about her wife.
The brief reminder that she could call Luz
her wife still made her feel giddy even months removed from their wedding, and despite everything seemingly falling apart around her, it was one of the few things she knew she could always still cling to no matter what happened.
“OK, it shouldn't be too much longer until we hit the gym,” she said with a smile. “And at least this walk served as a great warm-up for whatever we get into with these guys.”
“Hard to believe it's been... what? A few years since we last explored Düsseldorf?” Luz asked, her optimism infectious even through her voice. “Feels like we still know this city like the backs of our hands.”
“Well, that's what happens when you visit here so often while touring through Europe as a wrestler,” Amelia playfully reminded Luz, who knew full well they had wrestled beyond just the borders of the UK when they were on Amelia's end of the world long before they came to SCW.
“I know,” Luz giggled. “I just missed being able to tour through places like this with you when we weren't wrestling. Plus, the memory is a nice distraction from the past few weeks...”
“Hey,” Amelia immediately chimed in when she heard Luz's tone dip, stopping the both of them before gently taking Luz's chin in her fingers. “I get it, I really do. The Fall of Man have had the upper hand for a bit longer than we'd have liked and they're going to have the advantage for Tactical Warfare, and as much as we're trying not to blame David and Chris for that... well, they did get a bit overzealous.”
“I feel like I could've beaten James had they not ignited all that chaos outside the ring,” Luz mumbled, turning her gaze from Amelia towards the pavement. “Yeah, they had numbers, but I know you're more than capable of handling yourself no matter what they thought they could try. And then last Breakdown...”
Amelia sighed at the reminder. “I mean, it kind of worked out since it meant Waylon and I could have a proper one-on-one, and while he did win, he'd be a fool to deny how close I came to submitting him. But I understand... you were barred from ringside because of something we weren't even involved in.”
“I know we have a common enemy here,” Luz admitted, “but you know this fight is ultimately going to continue on from here with us standing alone against them.”
“Except we're never alone, no matter what William might believe,” Amelia smiled as she gave Luz a gentle peck on the lips. “Besides... even if we lose battles, we can still win the war. We've done it before and we can do it again.”
Luz grinned and nodded, though deep down, she knew Amelia wasn't just referring to their wrestling exploits. As they resumed their trek to the gym, the thought festered in the backs of their minds. There was some obvious concern over the fate of Jacob Harrison, as there had been no further contact or games on The Empire's end since deciding to use their recent matches as 'tests' with what they could only presume was Jacob's survival as the reward. For right now, though, they needed to push forward, knowing that they could deal with that whenever Caleb and his goons decided to resurface once more. Despite everything that man had taken from them over the years, even long before they knew of the hand he had in trying to mold them into who he wanted them to be today, they had bested him once before and put him behind bars, and they would find a way to do so again, no matter what he threw at them.
Being in Düsseldorf did present one issue they were fully aware of, and part of them was half-expecting The Empire to be unable to resist the temptation. Despite the fact that the wrestling stable-turned-religious doomsday cult had been branded internationally as a terrorist organization, technically being in Germany meant they didn't quite have the same security they'd become accustomed to knowing was watching their backs. True, their found family had accompanied them and were keeping there eyes peeled, but neither the FBI nor the NCA had any proper legal jurisdiction outside of the U.S. or the UK so Avery, Darius and Evie had skipped out on the trip in favor of focusing their efforts on trying to find and save Jacob before anything happened to him.
Despite how vulnerable they should feel walking by themselves out in the open with at least one of their friends or family members watching their backs, they knew The Empire wouldn't be bold enough to try anything in broad daylight with tons of witnesses all around them. At this point, it was just another thing to add to the list of problems beyond the ring they were trying to persevere through. Considering that list also included a recently-elected U.S. President who would gladly try to find any excuse to be rid of them despite having legally recognized citizenship and marriage status, not to mention the fires that had been destroying California over the past number of weeks that, last they heard, had somehow seen their adopted home of Anaheim mostly spared, but they were better safe than sorry and hopeful they would still have a home to return to when all was set and done.
None of that was to say The Empire wasn't still a threat, but regardless of how many problems Luz and Amelia were staring down both inside the ring and out, they were going to fight and overcome it all to still make the most of their first full proper year of being married.
It wasn't much longer before the couple were stepping into the gym, a place that was familiar to them as they'd frequented this particular gym a few times over the years during past visits to Düsseldorf. After stepping into the locker room to change and make sure their bags were safe and secure, they were ready to get to work. As they stepped back out into the gym proper, it didn't take them long to find the Dangerous Minds, who were busy working over a heavy bag on the far side away from the other gym-goers who were present today. Well, to be more specific, David was holding the bag steady while Chris was unloading on it like a man possessed, and it wasn't hard to guess that Chris was imagining anybody from the Fall of Man in place of the bag. Chris's furious barrage was finished with a Tiger Knee that really rocked the bag and forced David to firmly plant his feet to keep from losing his grip from the impact.
“Nice combo,” Luz admitted out loud. Unfortunately, the compliment seemed to startle Chris, who immediately swung around with a roundhouse kick. Luz ducked it, but it didn't matter as Amelia grabbed his foot before it even got to her and looked like she was on the verge of taking him down with a dragon screw out of pure instinct, but Luz quickly patted Amelia's thigh to drag her out of her focused instincts as she let go of Chris's foot.
“Sorry,” Amelia sheepishly told them. “We didn't mean to startle you, and what just happened was some old reflexes I've been trying to break.”
“No, I'm the one who's sorry,” Chris immediately apologized. “I'm usually not this angry, but... damn the Fall of Man.”
“At least you're trying to work out all your anger on this bag,” he noted. “Though, save some for the actual match, man.”
Chris looks away in response, taking a few deep breaths to try and calm himself. Him being angry, even if it was justified towards the Fall of Man, would do no one any favors right now, especially after Luz and Amelia made ti clear they were hoping to get on the same page as them.
“Is... he going to be alright?” Luz asked.
“He will be once we get into that cage,” David clarified. “He really wants his hands on those bastards, and I'm sure we all feel the same way. It's just a shame we can't get old Heaven Senior in there as well so Chris can cave his skull in after everything he's had to say.”
“We were... actually hoping to talk about all of that before we got started,” Amelia admitted. “Believe us when we say we want to take down the Fall of Man as badly as you two do. They've attacked us, they've tried to injure us, they've questioned everything we've busted our butts to accomplish since we first came to SCW...”
“They haven't even had a single proper tag team match yet and think they can bully us into giving them a shot,” Luz added.
“A shot that rightfully belongs to us,” David cut in before they could keep going.
“Yeah!” Chris added. “No offense ladies, but we've got first crack at those belts once we put all this bullshit to bed.”
Luz and Amelia exchanged glances, engaging in one of their famous silent conversations. They certainly couldn't deny that the Dangerous Minds had proven they deserved a title shot against them, and they had at least done more to actually earn one than James and Waylon had, but they swore they remembered CHBK saying something about Chris's solo run in the Chamber constituting that opportunity. Still, it was a thought they weren't going to put a voice to, especially since a title shot might be the least they owed David and Chris if they were willing to get on the same page for this.
“We can talk with CHBK about finally making that happen once we get through Tactical Warfare,” Amelia settled on responding with.
“Right now, we wanted to talk about the past few weeks,” Luz continued.
“Yeah, because those jackasses think they can just say and do whatever they want and not face the repercussions,” Chris firmly stated, sounding like he was ready to start throwing down right there and then. David, however, seemed to pick up on some differing feelings from Luz and Amelia about the wavelength his partner was on, leading to him putting a hand on Chris's shoulder to try and get him to calm down and focus for a few minutes.
“Well,” David started, “we're here, you're here... let's talk.”
Luz took a deep breath in response before she began. “OK, so... no offense to you guys, and we really don't want you to take this the wrong way, but... these past few weeks haven't exactly gone too well for either of us, and it's because we've got different approaches that seem to be clashing with one another.”
“Well, our approach would certainly send a message if Heaven Senior wasn't too much of a coward to pick fights only when it's most convenient for him,” Chris spat. “Don't start a fight you aren't looking to finish whenever and wherever.”
“About that...” Amelia sighed. “It's not that we don't understand your approach, and you're certainly justified in wanting to go after the Fall of Man. The problem is that your approach has been undercutting ours and, we're hoping unintentionally, costing us over the past few Breakdowns.”
“We've kind of been upfront about our preference for resolving wrestling issues in a wrestling ring above all else, where the end result truly matters,” Luz added. “It's kind of why we kept trying to break things up every time something spiraled out of control so there'd be no excuses once things got to the ring... like around Taking Hold of the Flame last year. It's just been hard to do that with the Fall of Man when you guys have seemingly jumped into battle without a second thought.”
“Again, we want to stress that we completely understand why you guys do it, and we're not holding that against you, especially since we're not responsible for your actions,” Amelia quickly tacked on, holding up her hands to show there was no ill-intent behind their words. “It's just been frustrating on our end because your approach distracted Luz and cost her against James, and then it got her banned from ringside when I faced Waylon when she and I didn't even get involved in the fight that caused it. We just wanted you to understand how your approach has been hurting us, and we want to be on the same page so we can watch each other's backs once we're all in that cage.”
David and Chris just stared at the couple for a moment, almost sizing them up as they contemplated their words. They exchanged glances with one another before Chris went to reply, but David held up a hand and clearly mouthed “I got this” to him, which caused him to just roll his eyes and shrug.
“Look,” David chimed in when he picked up on their confusion. “You're right that we're really passionate about this business... hell, when we both first came to SCW we were hoping to be more like you actually, Amelia, just putting on technical wrestling showcases we'd rather be known for. We weren't expecting the constant big brawls backstage of some of the old school wrestling days, but we rolled with it since that's the way things seemed to be, and admittedly we might've gotten carried away with it.”
“We actually don't like this reputation of being brawlers who want to pick a fight at a moment's notice, honestly,” Chris added. “I mean, just ask the Maidens, who learned the hard way last show that we can get the job done in the ring when it counts and not let our emotions get in the way.”
“It's a matter of perception,” David continued. “We want people to make assumptions about us, we want them to underestimate us and think we're just 'mindless thugs' or whatever other asinine thing Heaven Senior wants to spew about us. It's what worked for our respective fathers in this business, and it's what's going to throw off the Fall of Man once they understand what we're capable of when we're not playing around.”
“So...” Luz carefully said, “this is all kind of like a game to the two of you?”
“In a sense,” Chris shrugged. “But hey, even we get bored of playing it sometimes, as the Maidens found out the hard way. Maybe that's a secret we shouldn't be filling you guys in on, but truth be told? We know firsthand you two don't buy into that game and treat every opponent seriously, which is why we don't mind filling you in.”
“No sense in disguising our tricks to someone who wasn't falling for them anyway,” David laughed. “Besides, from one team of second generation talents to another, we respect you both too much to even try and change your minds hoping to throw you off when we inevitably get our crack at your titles. That said, we are sorry for not bringing you into the loop sooner and accidentally screwing you both over these past few weeks.”
Luz and Amelia both nod, still trying to wrap their heads around this revelation from the two men who were going to be their partners inside the double cage of Tactical Warfare. Admittedly, it was brilliant... maybe a bit deceitful, but if it worked for them, then who were they to argue? Luz managed to find her smile again fairly quickly as she extended her hand, and Amelia followed suit as all four of them exchanged handshakes.
“It's all good,” Luz finally said. “Ames and I know how to learn from our own mistakes and bounce back quickly, and the important thing is our two teams being on the same page for this pay-per-view.”
“Although,” Amelia noted. “As proud as we are of the whole 'second generation talents' thing, to a degree, we'd still prefer to build our own legacies and make our own marks in this business beyond those who came before us.”
“Now that's something I think we can all agree on,” David laughed.
What followed from there was a very productive training session as both teams worked out their strategy for Tactical Warfare and worked to help patch up any holes in one another's games, confirming that they all had rather deep and extensive capabilities because of that one fact they all had in common, despite Amelia's disdain for the family she came from and Luz's preference for respecting what her father had done in the business but wanting to walk a path that was all her own. Being able to work something out and understand the Dangerous Minds a little better was certainly a positive that was going to help a lot heading into Dogfight in Düsseldorf. Whether or not it would become another lasting connection Luz and Amelia had beyond the ropes was something that only time could tell, but they were certainly feeling a lot better about their chances of pulling this off and making one thing clear above all else to the Fall of Man:
No matter how hard you tried, you could never fully snuff out The Light In The Darkness.
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The Rheinturm, or the Rhine Tower in English, is the tallest building in all of Düsseldorf, standing at almost 800 feet tall. Built to be a telecommunications tower carrying aerials for radio and TV transmissions, the concrete tower also houses a revolving restaurant and an observation deck that allows for a breathtaking view of the surrounding metropolis, a view that extends as far as the Cologne Cathedral. Despite the absolutely incredible view, however, the two women we're here to see are all business.
Amelia Nevado and La Pequeña Luz stand out on the observation deck, unfazed by just how high up they are above the whole city. If anything, being this high up almost seems to enhance the feeling of being here with them as they stand before us, their respective World Tag Team Title belts resting over their shoulders as Luz's interim U.S. Title belt is around her waist. They both know that those titles aren't on the line for the impending Dogfight in Düsseldorf pay-per-view, but deep down, they both know those belts are at the heart of the fight they find themselves in. Taking a deep breath, their hands thread together as their focused gaze locks in on us, with Amelia taking the lead.
“It's been an interesting past few weeks, hasn't it? There's been a lot of talk about Luz and I, and unsurprisingly, none of it has been in a positive light. But I suppose that's to be expected when William Heaven is allowed the chance to share his opinion and act as though he knows us better than we know ourselves. I suppose we should get this out of the way now: yes, Waylon Creek did manage to defeat me on the last Breakdown, earning the advantage for his team for what awaits us all here in Düsseldorf, and I both acknowledge and respect the clean match we had. Maybe that's not what he or anyone else following William expected to hear, maybe that's just further 'proof' in their eyes that we're too weak to be where we are now... but we can't exactly help the people we choose to be, now can we? Mi Pequeña Luz and I? We're the kind of wrestlers who will acknowledge and respect what others are capable of, even if we have a problem with them, because to act like we're simply better than anyone else and put down what they're capable of is what inevitably opens the door for us to eat those words when we're eventually proven wrong by someone we horribly underestimated.
Trust me when I say I've been there before, and it leaves a bitter, unsatisfying taste in your mouth after a while of constantly sounding like a broken record because you have to convince yourself of your own superiority.”
“But what do William and his Fall of Man have to worry about on that front, right? I mean, just look at what awaits us over at the Merkur Spiel-Arena. For what Amelia and I will admit is the very first time in our careers, we find ourselves in Tactical Warfare. Two rings, a giant steel cage surrounding us, a match that can only end once all eight wrestlers are locked inside. On one side, you have a seemingly cohesive unit that is bound and determine to destroy all who stand in their way because they believe SCW as a whole needs to be destroyed and rebuilt in their image, catering only to their desires of dominance. On the other, you have the World Tag Team Champions and a potential prospective team of future challengers for these titles, far from being on the same page on paper if the last few weeks gave any indication, but united under a mutual problem with that cohesive unit that thinks they're so far beyond anybody else that any 'defeats' they suffered are clearly not their fault and therefore can't possibly count. I mean, surely that means the Fall of Man has this match on lockdown, right?
Well, as Amelia just said, we don't underestimate our opponents because we know that's an invitation to disaster. It's a shame that the Fall of Man can't show us the same courtesy because they're too busy proclaiming their superiority, overlooking the fight that awaits them because there's no way they can possibly lose.”
They squeeze one another's hands tighter as their fierce gaze continues to linger on us, the pause only to allow for a chance for their words to sink in. They both know the odds of anyone within the Fall of Man actually listening to what they have to say are slim, but they wouldn't be ready and willing to fight back despite what the group might believe if they weren't willing to respond verbally before they responded physically.
“You know, after listening to everything up to this point, I think the most fascinating discovery that Luz and I have made is the fact that, for as much as William Heaven seems to be the linchpin holding everything together, the exact endgame for all of this doesn't seem as clear as he wants to present it as. I mean, James and Waylon have made it clear they want the Tag Titles, along with James feeling entitled to Luz's interim U.S. Title despite one Asher Hayes probably having something to say about that, but Waylon seems to act like how this all came about was one big misunderstanding of their very clear attempt to put us out of commission without actually defeating us proper while James has made it clear that all of this was supposedly very intentional on his end, and all for reasons I will most certainly get to soon enough. And yet... you have Giovanni Aries, who seems to be under the impression that being champions is a bad thing and these titles need to be destroyed despite James and Waylon making it very clear they want them for the exact same reasons he's criticized us for having them at all. It truly makes us wonder... would William ever allow for them to hear what each other has to say about all of this, or is he that desperate to control every little thing until he gets what he wants at the end of the day, because from the way he's been conducting his business, you'd be forgiven for ignoring the fact that William was the one who put this whole group together to seemingly fight for reasons he's been dictating on their behalf.”
“Of course, you don't have to listen to a word we say, and you probably won't. After all, how dare we be allowed to make our own observations and draw our own conclusions based on what we see and hear? It's not like we matter in the grand scheme of things... except for the fact that we have everything the Fall of Man wants and believes we don't deserve. That's the only reason we're in their crosshairs, which actually makes them no different than anybody else who's stepped up to the plate ever since we came back and started showing how far we came from our first run here before everything was derailed by injuries. In fact, the only real difference is the fact that James and Waylon stepped right up and threw the first punch before criticizing us for actually defending ourselves. Though, I think they've made it abundantly clear that they're not like anybody else because in their own little world, we never mattered to begin with. Our fight to prove we belong here, everything we've earned no matter what we've had to overcome, it doesn't matter to them because no one else on this entire roster could possibly hold a candle to them. They're the only ones that matter, they're the ones who run the show, the rest of the world might as well be a barren wasteland where they're all that remains because they're more important... all because they say so. That, in and of itself, is the whole reason why they don't believe we could possibly pose a threat to them in Tactical Warfare... because, deep down, they refuse to admit to themselves that we can hold our own against them and have already proven it on several occasions.”
“Waylon, while I will give you all the credit in the world for the clean victory over me this past Breakdown, I know you're lying to yourself by ignoring just how close you came to finally tasting that proper defeat you claim will never happen. I could feel you beginning to fade in my submission, I know I pushed you farther than perhaps anyone else has yet, but while that might sound like I'm repeating the words of someone else you managed to overcome not that long ago, there's one difference between myself and Ryan LeCavalier... unlike her, you can't keep avoiding me while claiming you have nothing else to prove in another match against me. I have something I know you want, and you know I'm being honest when I tell you that the Amelia Nevado you faced in the ring a week and a half ago will not be the same Amelia that meets you inside this massive steel cage, just as it won't be the same Amelia who simply proved I can fight you on the violent level you claim we can't reach during Fatal Fortunes. That's the beauty of this business Waylon: I can learn from my mistakes and keep getting better, and the longer you simply accept that you being undefeated right now is gospel, the sooner you'll realize the same thing I did a long time ago: even a machine will eventually break down and need to improve.”
“It's funny that Amelia refers to you as a machine, Waylon, because while even I'll admit you operate like a well-oiled one, you're acting as though we're inferior just because we have no problem showing how passionate we are about what this business means to us. Let me ask you an honest question, Waylon: that long and impressive reign you had as Television Champion... did that actually mean anything to you? Would being World Tag Team Champions alongside James actually mean anything to you? Surely if you went through all the trouble of not only proving you're good enough to be on the SCW roster but fighting hard each and every week to maintain that undefeated record of yours, then you must be passionate about the wrestling business as well. People show their passion in different ways, but the way we choose to show ours doesn't make us weak. If anything, it makes us stronger than you are because we can at least be honest with ourselves. Yeah, maybe William thinks he can play puppet master with them... he wouldn't be the first and he won't be the last, but if he was actually succeeding at that, then wouldn't we be less willing to fight you instead of stepping right back up to prove what we both already know, and that's the fact that you can be beaten, Waylon?”
“But then again, perhaps we could be lying about any of that? I mean, that's what Giovanni would probably want you to believe, with all his talk of us being 'led astray' by lies. Of course, the last time we crossed paths with this man was at Rise to Greatness a few years ago, when he was preaching about nirvana and selling himself as some sort of spiritual guide on behalf of Holly Adams. What happened to that, Giovanni? You claim you've seen the truth and to bring it to light, you have to stomp us out... I hate to break it to you, but there's more than one truth that can be accepted in this world, the the deeper you choose to go down your rabbit hole, the more you're led astray by a man who is just using you to become the very thing you claim you're trying to destroy. But don't take my word for it... just listen to how badly your cohorts in the Fall of Man want these titles to prove their dominance over everyone else, the very reason you deem us evil.”
“When you really think about it, what does that make your entire fight, Giovanni? You claim we need to be destroyed because how dare we try to validate our efforts when your entire crusade against this so-called 'Lizard Kingdom' hinges on people validating your fight and believing in you to be the one who can tear it all down. Wouldn't beheading this so-called 'Lizard King' you seem to see CHBK as serve as a trophy not unlike these titles we proudly hold, something to prove that your efforts yielded results and you proved what you wanted to prove? Sorry if I seem to be throwing some paradoxes int your logic, I'm just trying to understand what you believe you can accomplish here alongside a group of individuals who have made it perfectly clear they're exactly what you claim we are. Of course, if you can't understand something, then it must be destroyed, right? I've heard that one way too often throughout my life, and I'm sorry to say that Ames and I aren't going to just roll over and die all because we're human, flaws and all, and that's apparently a problem to you and your 'friends' in the Fall of Man.”
Luz turns to look at Amelia, who has started to show some concern now. It's not hard for her to figure out why that might be, and she leans over and pecks Amelia on the cheek, almost as a way of asking if it's alright if she takes the lead on this next one. Amelia smiles and nods, grateful that Luz is willing to give her a bit more time to gather her thoughts on a certain somebody.
“So, James, would you like to tell me how I'm still standing? Last I checked, you powerbombed me across a barricade, and that's not even getting into every other effort you've made to beat me down over the past month or so... and yet, here I am. Over the two weeks that followed your fateful powerbomb, I managed to wrestle not one, not two, but three matches across Fatal Fortunes and managed to win every single one of them. One-on-one with you, I gave you more of a fight than you would ever care to admit, but to you I know that doesn't matter. After all, you won... never mind the fact that you needed a distraction to do it. But I find it funny that after all this time, you're still trying to pretend that you're not a hypocrite. All that time spent taking potshots at me once upon a time because how dare I prove myself to not be what you thought I was by accepting an opportunity at the Underground Championship, and yet here we are now with you constantly trying to end my career. Except there's a very clear problem that you're trying to ignore James, and it's the fact that I just won't stay down like you want me to. Like Amelia told Waylon earlier... yeah, you beat me. But deep down, you know full well that I'm very much capable of beating you, and for as much as you can bury it beneath your beliefs of superiority... well, you wouldn't be where you are now if you didn't learn from your mistakes, now would you, James? So why can't I learn from mine so that I can get that win back as soon as this very pay-per-view?”
“James... for the longest time, you've clearly been holding this grudge against me. You've been blaming me for making you who you are now, claiming I'm responsible for what you became when you tried to pull the whole thing with the House of James, that everything you're doing now is all my fault. It all ties back to an honest-to-God accident that's as much a part of this business as everything else... an accident that I tore myself up over for weeks afterwards. I truly wanted the honest match you were looking for on that night, and yet you claim I went out of my way to intentionally injure you. Let me ask you, honestly and sincerely James... will putting me on the shelf and paying me back for that accident in a more intentional way truly make you feel better? Or is that what you cling to because you know that as soon as you actually get what you claim to want, you lose the justification to convince everyone else, including yourself, that everything you're doing is anybody's fault but your own. You can keep trying to gaslight me and everyone else all you want, but let me remind you of something: like you, I was severely injured too, back when Luz and I first showed up in SCW so many years ago, back during the days following you reigning as World Champion. I was broken, but I rebuilt myself, as did Luz when she was also injured. We came back stronger than ever, and look at where we are now. Maybe putting us out of commission will give you that temporary satisfaction to justify it all... but it won't keep us down, nor will it prevent our paths from crossing again in that ring if that's how things fall into place. What happens then, James?”
“Of course, there's still one more person we need to talk about... and honestly? I feel sorry for you, Billy. Not in the sense that we see you as any sort of joke, far from it. Lest you forget, there was a small period of time where I also trained with you during yours and Amelia's Trios run, not to mention I saw the same things she saw, brief as they may have been. Sure, the less said about your conduct, the better at this point, especially since I haven't forgotten the fact that you tried to get me to take my top off in the middle of a match all because you did it first... or the fact that you hit me in the back with a steel chair because your father probably told you to. That's what I feel sorry about, Billy... the fact that you mean so little to your dad that he actually wanted to have you replaced in this match because he's worried you would mess this all up for him. He doesn't care for you, and yet, you're still doing whatever he tells you to instead of trying to prove you can be your own man and make your own decisions.”
“Take it from someone who you know was also in that same boat once upon a time, Billy: it's not worth it. If William Heaven actually loved you like you want him to, then he would've shown it by now. And yet, your father is acting like the Trios contract you earned belongs to him to decide what to do with. I asked you once upon a time what you would do if you won that contract, and despite how... iffy I was about your answers, they were still yours. Now, can you honestly tell me your father would let you make that decision as opposed to, say, just deciding to give James or Waylon a World Title match with the deck stacked in their favor? I don't want to stand here and hold you accountable for the sins of your father, Billy, but I'm also a competitor and neither Luz or I are going to be walked all over by your cohorts. I will give you the same fight I will give them because that's who I am, who we are, but if you truly don't want to do this even if your father asks you to... you don't have to let him keep using and abusing you just to get his way. Something to think about before that cage lowers.”
“Make no mistake: we know the fight we're getting into here in Düsseldorf, and we're not afraid. The Fall of Man can throw everything they have at us, because no matter the end result, we're still going to walk out of this match with our heads held high, ready for the next challenge regardless of whether it's from them or someone else. Keep telling yourselves that we can't handle the very clear bullseye you've painted on our backs, because the fact that we haven't given up yet proves that we not only understand the challenge, but we're going to keep surviving no matter what happens.”
“Every drop of blood, sweat and tears we've left in rings all over the world has made us who we are today, and if that's not enough to convince the Fall of Man that they aren't as infallible as they think they are, then that's fine. Everyone will lose a battle every now and then, and Luz and I know full well we won't reign as champions forever, but if you guys want to take these from us so badly? Then you're going to have to go through the Dangerous Minds, who will finally have the playground they want to pay you back for everything you've done to them. And equally as important, you're going to have to go through us, and if you think that just because you've picked up some victories over us recently means you've already won the war... then maybe you should stop thinking too far ahead before everything comes crumbling down around you.”
With one last determined look, Luz and Amelia took their leave, their message delivered. We're left with one last, breathtaking sight of the entire city of Düsseldorf from high above, reminding us of how hard both women had fought to get to this point and how much harder they would fight to prove they still deserved to be here, no matter what anyone else thought they could throw at them.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With their message recorded, Luz and Amelia began to head down the Rheinturm, ready to go try to relax for the rest of the day and mentally prepare themselves for the war ahead. Despite the certainty of the words they had just spoken in front of a camera, they knew this war was going to be anything but easy. They were determined, however... no matter what the Fall of Man did to them, they could pick themselves back up and rebuild, pushing themselves even farther and fighting as hard as they could to keep proving that they belonged here, that they were worthy of being considered in the conversation when people talked about the best wrestlers SCW had to offer.
All they ever wanted was to forge their own legacies in the business, and battles like Tactical Warfare were ultimately going to go a long way in defining said legacies.
“You think any of what we had to say will resonate with those guys?” Luz couldn't help but ask as she and Amelia began their walk.
“I doubt it,” Amelia sighed. “I think it's painfully clear the Fall of Man will only listen to William Heaven and their own egos. Heck, we could give them the best match they've ever had in their entire careers, and I guarantee the first thing they'd have to say about it was that it didn't live up to their impossible expectations.”
“Is it sad that the vibes they've been giving off lately remind me too much of your parents?” Luz lamented with obvious concern for her wife.
“Considering that William Heaven might as well be a somewhat younger clone of Caleb White at this point,” Amelia threw out, “I'd say that's a sad but true line of thinking.”
Luz just shook her head as she playfully shoved Amelia, who returned the favor as the two of them walked along Media Harbour. Admittedly, the shift was a much-needed moment of levity that helped remind that no matter what the Fall of Man or The Empire tried, they would ultimately endure and survive, knowing that they would keep pushing forward until both wars were won. At the very least, the one with the Fall of Man within SCW still held some semblance of professionalism as the titles The Light In The Darkness held were the ultimate endgame, regardless of the conflicting viewpoints of the group's members about how things got to this point and what comes next regardless of the result at Dogfight in Düsseldorf.
After all, as Caleb had learned the hard way when his overconfidence and obsession with control got the better of him last year, everybody was beatable, something Luz and Amelia had never claimed to be but something they were more than happy to prove was the case against anybody else who came after them in one form or another.
“Well! Aren't you two a sight for sore eyes!”
Luz and Amelia skidded to a halt at the annoyingly familiar voice, with Amelia in particular cringing at having to hear it again. Despite that, their guards immediately went up as they followed the sound of the voice to a boat that was docked in the harbour very close to where they were currently standing, with a ramp even placed out to allow for anyone to come and go from the boat as they pleased. They made a mental note at what felt like an obvious invitation as they focused mostly on the overly dramatic speaker standing at the edge of the boat, grinning down at them like a shark who'd just found it's prey. To say that the couple were loathe to see Adrian Verner, the Blythe family's slimeball of a lawyer and recently confirmed member of The Empire's “true elite,” again would be an understatement, but they stopped themselves from poking fun at Adrian's antics and just verbally putting him in his place right here and now.
After all, he wasn't alone.
Careful scanning of the boat also revealed that Theresa Saintsbury was present, smirking down at them out of the corner of her eye as she kept most of her focus on Jacob Harrison, who was thankfully still alive but certainly looked like he'd seen better days. Jacob's arms were bound behind his back with thick rope, and they could hear the rattling of chains at his feet courtesy of another man they remembered seeing when Caleb revealed all of his “true elite” to them... a burly, hulking man who looked like he was in no mood for games and could probably sink the boat with one well-placed punch through the deck if he really wanted to.
“It's such a perfect plot twist to bump into the two of you here,” Adrian grinned, his attempt at portraying himself like some sort of thespian quickly becoming annoying.
“What do you want?” Luz growled, the smoldering embers of her anger towards the Fall of Man quickly being stoked once again.
“Oh, relax, sprouts,” Theresa waved off any hint of a threat in Luz's voice. “We can't take a little trip out here to Düsseldorf, enjoy ourselves with some wrestling? Perhaps even dispose of some trash?”
Jacob immediately grew frantic at that, but whatever he was trying to say was muffled by the cloth he was gagged with. It didn't take long for the burly man to club him across the back of the head, which appeared to knock him unconscious. That alone almost had Luz and Amelia ready to charge, but they paused at the sudden appearance of several figures dressed in the familiar white and gold robes of The Empire.
“Figures...” Amelia huffed.
“What can we say?” Adrian laughed. “We don't want the two of you doing anything...
drastic, now do we?”
“Not that it matters much, anyway,” Theresa smirked as she walked over to Jacob's unconscious form, being held up by the burly man. She grabbed his chin, her fingers tracing along his jaw in a way that might have seemed precious if it weren't for the sickening intent Luz and Amelia knew was layered within this simple act from the elderly woman. “This poor man has outlived his usefulness to us... and yet, being rid of him must come as such a relief to you two, doesn't it? I mean, he did stalk and harass the both of you for a few months, all in the name of viral fame.”
“Because
you convinced him that we were imposters that had to be exposed,” Luz pointed out.
“A compelling argument,” Adrian grinned as he brushed some dirt off of his coat, “but I'm afraid given the current situation, something like that can best be described as a 'he said, she said' situation, and those don't tend to hold up very well.”
“It sounds to me like you're both complaining about us helping you take care of a little problem,” the burly man chimed in. “That's all The Empire's been offering the two of you: help.”
“Help that they keep turning down because they have to keep up this 'strong, sinful couple' act that I know even those backstage in SCW are getting sick of,” Adrian gagged.
“You're really going to kill him?” Amelia asked, an eyebrow raised as she displayed a combative confidence that even stunned Luz for a moment. “All because he outlived whatever use you two had for him, and then you're going to paint it as an 'act of goodwill' towards us? That doesn't seem like it's setting a very good example for all of Caleb's followers if they can't keep being 'perfect' all the time.”
There was a noticeable tension that seemed to settle in among the Empire grunts that were standing around on the deck in what was supposed to be a show of force. Adrian, Theresa and the other man all exchanged glances, giving Luz the chance to pull Amelia close.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
“Something I really don't want to do,” Amelia admitted, whatever confidence she was just showing now having seemingly vanished. “I have a plan though... we just need to play along for now.”
Luz frowned, but after a moment of looking into Amelia's eyes, she sighed and nodded. She knew Amelia was trying to channel her 'inner Blythe' to somehow take control of this situation, but as much as it hurt for either one of them to think about becoming that kind of person, it was painfully clear that doing so was exactly what The Empire wanted, and if it meant not having another casualty on their hands as The Empire sought to play them like fiddles just like the Fall of Man were hoping to do, they were going to do just as the Dangerous Minds had admitted to doing to try and 'fit into' the scene SCW had portrayed to them and play along for now.
“You don't have to act as though you understand what The Empire is trying to accomplish,” Theresa sneered, watching the couple carefully. “You've made it abundantly clear you disagree with Caleb's efforts to save humanity from itself and leave behind an honest-to-God paradise for only the worthy to inherit.”
“And how many of your so-called followers truly understand the roles they play in that?”Amelia asked.
“Here's a better question: what did Jacob actually do that warrants killing him?” Luz asked, with even Amelia being shocked at the convincing tone her wife had suddenly dawned. “I'm pretty sure God would disagree with
you being the ones to decide his fate all because
you no longer see any use for him.”
“Oh hush, you brats!” Theresa snapped, which earned a surprised—and admittedly overly dramatic—gasp from Adrian. “You both had your chances to-”
“To what?” Luz quickly interjected. “You never gave us any clue as to what we were supposed to do, and as far as we're concerned, we tried our best to win those matches. Are you really going to try and hold us responsible for the life of someone else when you know as well as we do that nothing in the wrestling business is ever set in stone?”
“Well... considering the abysmal fight you showed when James and Waylon were more than happy to try and end you...” Adrian tried to argue before Amelia jumped back in.
“Again, how were we supposed to know that's what you wanted from us? And as for that 'abysmal' fight? Luz and I fought them both with everything we had, and just because we lost those matches never means we aren't capable of overcoming them. Or were you hoping that we would spit in the face of everything we stand for, not to mention that 'paradise' Caleb keeps claiming he's going to create, by trying to destroy them before they destroy us?”
Adrian looked to Theresa, clearly at a loss for how to respond to this. For Theresa's part, she seemed a little shocked as well despite seemingly holding all the cards to this situation and that having been the case for about a month now. Luz and Amelia just glanced at one another, joining hands to give each other strength as the look in their eyes made it clear they were hating every bit of this, but they had to keep pushing to force some cracks to form that could help out in any way.
“Alright, you two,” the burly man suddenly called out, clearly not caring for the tension in the air and wanting to cut straight to the chase. “What would you propose, then?”
“Well, since we all know how badly Caleb would prefer us on his side then dead,” Amelia noted as calmly as she could while she and Luz slowly made their way to the ramp, “perhaps we could have one last chance to 'prove ourselves' in exchange for Jacob's survival?”
“We're sure Caleb would understand, given his whole deal with 'seeking forgiveness' through 'saving' us and everything,” Luz subtly rolled her eyes, her mask helping to keep that hidden from the Empire elites.
“Since we know Caleb's been paying attention to our SCW careers, then surely he knows all about this Tactical Warfare Match we have coming up,” Amelia noted. “A match where Luz and I will have a little more freedom to perhaps show the kind of fight Caleb is supposedly looking for out of us.”
“Are you two seriously asking for one last chance?” Adrian scoffed.
“Well, how many chances would God be willing to give for those who seek the right path?” Luz pointed out, and that got the Empire grunts murmuring once more.
“You little ladies have a point,” the burly man stated.
“They do not!” Adrian cried out.
“That's not for us to decide,” Theresa growled out. “Caleb's orders were clear, and for as much as I'd love to turn this little weed at our feet into fish food, we can't ignore the fact that they might finally be willing to reconsider their stance on our mission.”
“So... can we come aboard to make it official?” Amelia asked with a smirk that made her sick inside, hating how much of her mother shone through in that little curve of her lips.
Still, despite the clear opposition some of the Empire goons wanted to pose, Adrian reluctantly waved them off before motioning for Luz and Amelia to board their boat. As the couple did so, he and Theresa held out their hands, though Theresa was certainly eyeing them warily. For their part, Luz and Amelia didn't even flinch, clinging to the show of confidence they were displaying as they shook hands with the two figures they honestly didn't want to even touch in the first place.
“You two have one last chance to keep your word,” Theresa finally smirked once the handshakes were finished.
“And no thoughts about any sudden little plot twists!” Adrian dramatically added.
“A Blythe always keeps their word,” Amelia said almost automatically in response, which seemed to be all Adrian needed to hear to start cackling to himself.
With that, Luz and Amelia quickly left the boat after making absolutely sure Jacob was going to be unharmed as the burly man moved him below deck. As they were allowed to leave the boat behind, they both breathed heavily and couldn't even keep themselves from coughing and gagging over how the whole thing went, clearly disgusted with the image they just portrayed.
“Please tell me we're never doing that ever again,” Luz groaned once they were well out of earshot.
“I'll promise if you will,” Amelia breathed. “Oh Lord, I hated every second of that. But at least we bought ourselves a little more time.”
“Maybe, but what are we going to do?” Luz asked. “Yeah, we might have somehow fooled them for now, but what if things in this match don't play out the way we both hope they will? I think we both know that no one in the Fall of Man would probably care if we were to approach them when the cameras aren't focused on us and tell them an actual human life could be on the line.”
“Well, I did tell them that a Blythe always keeps their word... as much as I hate that old family motto,” Amelia spat as she pulled out her phone, pulling something up. “I'm technically not breaking that because my word in this case is giving the Fall of Man a fight that will break through their little facade and make them realize we're not the pushovers they think we are. But that's all the distraction we need to save Jacob.”
As Amelia showed Luz her phone, she realized the app her wife had pulled up looked like one of those programs that was meant to pinpoint where a tracking chip was located, and the realization of this caused Luz's eyes to go wide.
“You chipped them?” she couldn't resist asking. “How?”
“I slipped it onto Theresa's bracelet when I shook her hand,” Amelia revealed. “Considering how many times Ed and Em did that to me so they could 'conveniently' show up wherever I was going to annoy me growing up, I thought it wouldn't hurt to put their dumb little tactics to good use for once.”
“...OK, first off, I hope you know that's super messed up,” Luz pointed out, and Amelia could only look down and nod in agreement.
“They've long since admitted as such to me, but... well... you know our parents...” she lamented.
“I know, cariño,” Luz replied before pulling Amelia into a big hug and almost dazing her with a firm kiss on the lips. “Still, that was brilliant! And hopefully worth acting like the exact opposite of who we are just to pull this off.”
“I'll let Avery know,” Amelia said as she started working on the text message. “One way or another, we need to make this count... if nothing else, then we can work on rebuilding ourselves back up into who we truly want to be and beyond once this pay-per-view is finally in the books.”
“Amen to that,” Luz breathed a sigh of relief.
It certainly hadn't been the prettiest encounter, and both women definitely had a bad taste in their mouths after the fact, but even their found family when they heard the news seemed relieved that they were at least alright and had bought some extra time to stage a counterattack of some kind against The Empire, even if they had to become terrible versions of themselves to make it happen. They all could see how guilty Luz and Amelia felt over doing it, but with any luck, this would be the first and last time it would ever need to happen.
After all, what was the point of trying to live your best life and make the most out of your wrestling career if you weren't honest with yourself?
That seemed to be the question the Fall of Man might still need to answer instead of ignoring that it even existed at all... but The Light In The Darkness would show them, The Empire, and everyone else that there was nothing wrong with who they were or how they conducted their business.
After all... they had already accomplished so much, and they still had a long future ahead of them to build on the legacies they wanted to leave behind in this sport, no matter what happened here in Düsseldorf.
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