The Fall of Man vs. Light in the Darkness

[Konrad Raab]

Giovanni Aries & James Evans vs. La Pequena Luz & Amelia Nevado

4 RP Limit for tag

Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET Saturday, March 15, 2025

[James Evans]

OOC: FINALLY

To The Mind, Open Wide: Chapter Five

[Giovanni Aries]

A Feast of the Mind | A joint rp

[Wisteria Waltz]

People get desperate when they're backed into a corner.

It was a belief that held a lot of truth to it, and one that many often overlook when it feels like they've had the upper hand for a while. Dominance breeds arrogance, after all, and the more it feels like you're a force that just can't be stopped, the more likely you are to believe that's the case until someone brings you back to reality.

Many would say that this is the fate that has befallen The Light in the Darkness, given how much success they've found ever since coming back to SCW. Luz and Amelia would argue otherwise, never truly believing themselves to be a dominant force and knowing full well they've tasted defeat plenty of times over the course of not just their SCW runs, but their entire careers. Nobody's perfect, after all, and nothing lasts forever. Perhaps it could be argued that the couple had never truly been tested like they are now, but Luz and Amelia have always assumed the best out of their opponents and expected the most difficult of fights every single time, always striving to push themselves to greater and greater heights and carve out their own legacies. If they were to be considered one of the greatest tag teams in SCW history, then they wanted to rightfully earn that mantle.

That was what made the ordeals they'd been facing over the past few months with the Fall of Man so frustrating. The talent of each and every individual under the banner of William Heaven couldn't be denied, and the couple would and have openly admitted as such even despite the hostilities. And yet, they didn't care for wanting to prove anything. They simply assumed they already were the single most destructive force that SCW, that they deserved to have the world handed to them on a silver platter just because they said so. Maybe James had some right to such a claim, given the long career he'd already had with the company that was surely Hall of Fame worthy once he finally hung up his boots, but the way he acted like he was right to be frustrated just because every result wasn't in his favor and believing the world owed him its heart to rip out and crush beneath his boot honestly felt more like it spat in the face of the career he'd had up to this point.

Ultimately, there was no denying that for the better part of the past several months, James, Waylon, and now Giovanni had the upper hand over the couple for the most part. The fight Luz and Amelia had been putting up the whole way couldn't be denied, nor could the fact that they had wins to their name over the group in some fashion, but Lord knows that hasn't stopped William from preaching on as though the Fall of Man were already World Tag Team Champions and there had never been any sort of challenge from Luz or Amelia. He was a man who clearly subscribed to the belief that history was written by the winners, perhaps a little too much for his own good.

The thing is... Amelia Nevado and La Pequeña Luz knew they'd been backed into a corner, they knew the Fall of Man had been dominating them for quite some time, and they knew there was a very real chance that Retribution, a pay-per-view that had a notoriously bad track record at, could be the end of their current run at the top of the tag team mountain.

There was no choice but to fight like hell and show the Fall of Man that, despite everything, they were the ones who had enough to deliver the final shot and walk away from this war as its winners.

With that in mind, one would think Luz and Amelia would have thrown themselves deep into training, pushing themselves to the brink and beyond to be ready to throw everything they had at James and Giovanni come Sunday night, but that's not the case... at least, as of this moment. That's not to say they hadn't been training hard and really picked things up once the last Breakdown was in the books and they'd arrived in San Antonio, but if the couple had their way and completely lost themselves to being ready for this fight, the odds were very likely they'd push too hard and either hurt or exhaust themselves and make all of it for nothing once the bell rang at the Alamodome. This was something their entire found family knew all too well, and that's why their friends had intervened and insisted they take a break.

As much as they often struggled with admitting it out loud, Luz and Amelia were thankful to have people looking out for them and making sure they didn't destroy themselves all over a single match. As badly as they wanted to win and be the ones to put the final nail in the coffin on this war with William Heaven's group, they knew they still had long careers ahead of them, not to mention long lives beyond the wrestling business. There was no sense in tearing themselves apart and practically handing themselves to the Fall of Man on a silver platter believing they were ready to fight when it very much wasn't the case.

“Thanks for stepping in, guys,” Luz spoke aloud as she and Amelia were led away from the gym by Ivy, Gage, Henry and Valentina.

“It's the least we could do to make sure you guys didn't go off the deep end again,” Ivy sheepishly admitted, scratching her cheek a bit in nervousness before Amelia's genuine smile eased her worries.

“We know things have been very rough lately, and I know I'm definitely putting that mildly,” Gage added, “but even I know that taking breaks and not pushing yourselves too hard is healthy. And I'm not even a wrestler like all of you are!”

“You still pick up a lot of things as a commentator though, Gage,” Amelia pointed out to him, which he couldn't help but nod in agreement with.

“Speaking from experience,” Henry chimed in, “I know how hard it is to break yourself out of that need to keep pushing and prove yourself even when you don't have to. I'm glad to see you guys are realizing that.”

“As if you're not still working on trying to break that habit yourself,” Luz prodded, gently elbowing him in the side. Her grin faded into a smaller smile, though. “Seriously, though, thank you for the pep talk you gave Ames and I over these past few weeks. Yeah, it wasn't what we wanted to hear, but it's something we definitely needed to hear.”

Henry nodded, grateful that he'd managed to get through to them. Granted, he's risked Amelia snapping his fingers with how blunt he'd been about the point he needed to make, and Luz had to briefly be restrained by her wife to hear him out before his words sank in, but he hadn't been wrong. Luz in particular had been proud of the two stints she had as a double champion thus far in SCW and the challenge that came with it, but this match with the Fall of Man demanded nothing less than her and Amelia's undivided focus if they were to answer the group's destructive attempts and mind games with the kind of furious fight matched only by a pair of wild animals. The interim U.S. Title had unfortunately been a distraction in that regard... one Luz was no less proud of what she'd achieved while holding it, but she knew opportunities to regain it would come, let alone any other opportunities for her and Amelia that they could earn down the line. After all, Amelia still had her Trios contract, and Luz technically had a rematch she could invoke if she wished.

First thing's first, though, and that's finishing this fight the Fall of Man insisted on picking with them.

That said, they knew there was some twisted irony in Henry's rousing pep talk to the couple that went unspoken among the entire group, but it was present in the back of all their minds for sure. As much as he told them to put their full focus towards this upcoming match and not worry about anything else, it was impossible to forget that The Empire was still a very real threat lurking around, waiting for the right opportunity to make their next move. They had gone disturbingly quiet again for the most part after the debacle that saw Jacob Harrison's life come to an end, perhaps banking on the dominoes to fall in their favor with how they were hoping the incident had been presented in the news, but perhaps the behavior of the U.S. President was too erratic for even that cult to try and manipulate, as while some of his disgusting decisions fell in line with the 'good word' preached by Caleb White to all his white-cloaked followers, any possibility of war being declared was in regards to anywhere but the direction Caleb may have wanted it to go.

Not that it made things any less stressful trying to navigate their day-to-day lives, but they could cling to the slim hope that even a religious madman like Caleb had his plans set back because an even greater madman wasn't playing along like the puppet Caleb likely hoped he'd be.

Still, the group of friends carried on as they wandered through the streets of San Antonio looking for something to do, determined to make the next few hours at the very least as fun and relaxing as possible so Amelia and Luz could resume their training with far healthier mindsets. Anything pertaining to The Empire was currently the worry of Darius, Evie, and Avery, who had managed to be welcomed into the NCA with open arms despite not being a British citizen as a show of good faith both in regards to their asinine termination from the FBI and because the NCA was still very much treating Caleb's religious cult like the significant threat it truly was. That wasn't to say Luz and Amelia weren't worried since they were still at the heart of this whole problem if Caleb had his way, but the past few weeks had really shown them the value of trusting in the found family they'd gathered around them to share the burden whenever necessary so they could do their best to focus on what was important to them: wrestling their hearts out.

“I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving!” Valentina laughed. “Maybe we can go to that revolving restaurant at the Tower of the Americas for lunch?”

“I don't see why not,” Amelia shrugged. “Especially since it would give us a nice view of the Alamodome to remind ourselves of what awaits us this Sunday night.”

“Wasn't the whole point of dragging you guys out of the gym to stop worrying about that?” Valentina groaned.

“Just because we're trying not to destroy ourselves preparing too hard for this match doesn't mean we have to forget it's coming up, hermana,” Luz chuckled as she playfully shoved Valentina's shoulder, betting a shove in return from her adopted sister.

“Some food will definitely do you two some good,” Gage nodded sagely. “The fact that you both get so absorbed in working out that you forget to even eat is... honestly really scary.”

“No kidding,” Ivy agreed. “I'm actually kind of glad I realized that early-on when I was still powerlifting before I did any serious damage. Henry was right, though... it's hard to break a bad habit when it becomes so ingrained into you.”

Amelia glanced over and met Ivy's gaze as she said that, the silent conversation between them speaking volumes. It had been years since they'd made amends and rebuilt their friendship into what it is today, but neither one of them forgot about the emotional scars they both carried over how the bridge between them had been burnt to oblivion back when they were kids. The sad truth was that a lot of who they were now had been shaped by the harsh way things had ended between them, all because of something absolutely stupid and the unbelievable tactics Amelia's parents would stoop to all just to control their youngest daughter.

“Hey guys?” Gage suddenly spoke up, drawing all eyes to him as he looked around. “Speaking of Henry... where'd he go?”

As five pairs of eyes darted all around, it became horrifying clear that Henry had seemingly disappeared at some point in the last few minutes. Considering the days of him trying to play double agent against his uncle ended around this same time last year, he had no reason to just abandon them out of the blue without at least a heads up or any sort of warning. It didn't help that it was still early enough on a weekday that most people were probably still working, so this part of the city didn't have a lot of people out and about on the streets right now that probably saw something, given that no one seemed to be reacting as though anything out of the ordinary had happened.

As worry and dread began to set in among the group, Luz saw a glint of something on the sidewalk near an alleyway. She quickly but quietly ran over towards it, realizing that it was an enamel pin of a small pack of wolves. It had been a gift Ivy had gotten him very recently, to celebrate the one year anniversary of his freedom from his uncle and The Empire... not to mention an excuse to tease her friend over the very-clearly-not-platonic feelings she knew Ivy had for the former Golden Prodigy. This wasn't a time for friendly teasing, however, and Luz knew that as she picked up the enamel pin.

“That's the-” Ivy started to say, but she cut herself off when Luz held up a finger to her lips. At this point, the others had caught up, and they nodded at Luz's signal to stay quiet as she carefully peaked around the corner.

The sight that greeted her eyes immediately had her blood boiling.

Hunter was currently being restrained by a very familiar looking behemoth of a man, his face seemingly carved from stone into a permanent scowl as he used his superior size and strength to hold Henry in a reverse bearhug with his arms pinned to his sides. While they had never gotten a name for the man, they did unfortunately know the very tiny woman pacing around in front of him, who seemed to be incredibly giddy as she spoke into her phone in a way that indicated it was on speaker.

“I'm telling you, we've got him!” Kiki gloated. “We've got the golden brat! I don't know why Caleb wants him back, but-”

“That's none of your concern, Kiki dear,” came a condescending tone through the speaker that Luz and everyone else now eavesdropping along with her were all too familiar with. “Just make sure you bring him back in one piece, and you will be handsomely rewarded.”

“Like hell I'm going back to that abusive psychopath!” Henry yelled, but anything else he wanted to add on to that statement was muffled as Kiki's towering associate placed a strong hand over his mouth to muffle him.

“Hush, brat!” Kiki sneered at Henry. “You're lucky Caleb wants you back at all. If I were in his position, I'd be preparing to-”

“I highly suggest you don't finish that sentence, Kiki,” Theresa's voice warned from the other end of the call. “As for you, Henry... your dear uncle misses you so badly. He had big plans for you, you know... it's not too late to salvage them and save your soul, just as it's not too late to still try and save all those other little sprouts you've tried to surround yourself with.”

Henry just rolled his eyes and huffed, seeing as he couldn't really respond right now with this giant of a man acting like a human straight jacket right now. From where they were tucked away around the corner, there was a very clear disgust burning through everyone's veins right now, and Luz started to move to intervene. To her surprise, however, Amelia grabbed her wrist and shook her head, the two silently conversing in a way that conveyed Amelia's plan that everyone else seemed to pick up on: let Kiki keep talking and see if her or Theresa spilled any more tea on what they were up to while they had the chance.

Luz hated waiting when she knew someone close to her was in danger, but this was why she was grateful to have Amelia in her life: to keep her from getting too reckless when a situation called for a more strategic and careful approach. There would be plenty of time for her to let Amelia guide that reckless abandon into a focused assault when they were in the ring with James and Giovanni on Sunday night.

“So, what kind of reward can I expect for my loyal efforts, Theresa?” Kiki practically giggled like a toddler on Christmas morning. “Perhaps I'll finally be welcomed into the ranks of Caleb's elite and get the respect I deserve? Or maybe he'll let me decide the next plan to finally bring those lost girls around to the glory of his plan? Come on, tell me!”

“Ugh, you really are impatient, aren't you?” Theresa replied with an obvious tone of disgust, but Kiki was too excited to pick up on it, nor did she have the benefit of being able to see Theresa's face to realize anything might be off about this whole thing. “Very well then. For your reward once you bring Henry back home, you get... to live.”

Kiki stopped her pacing, nearly dropping her phone at the words that had just met her ears. Her eyes had gone as wide as saucers, even glancing away from the phone to look at her partner as if to confirm he'd heard the same thing she did. He didn't seem to have any noticeable reaction to this news, potentially because maybe this 'reward' had nothing to do with him, but Henry's glare softened just a bit as how painfully clear it was now that this little gremlin, for as much of a pain as she'd been as far as he and Lily had shared with everyone else every now and then, was just as much a pawn who had no place in The Empire's endgame. Unlike any of the others who vehemently worshiped Caleb like he was the second coming of Jesus Christ regardless of whether or not they actually fit who he thought 'deserved' the paradise he constantly promised, Kiki had just had it spelled out to her clear as day.

“W-What...?” she mumbled. “B-But I don't understand. I was one of Caleb's very first followers, I've been loyal to his cause for years! He gave my life purpose, he gave me hope! Surely...”

“I wish I could say I'm sorry, sprout.” Theresa's amused smirk could practically be heard in her voice. “But while your dedication has never been called into question, we need you to remain dedicated until Caleb is able to bring about the unity he has promised us all. You know that Caleb doesn't abide repeated failures, especially when it hinders his plans.”

“But... but I did exactly as he asked of me last year!” Kiki yelled, growing more frustrated as her tiny hand threatened to crush her phone. “I can't be blamed for doing exactly as Caleb asked of me when those two refused to hear him out! I've given practically my entire life to him! I've abandoned my own family just to see this through, to see the world that he's promised us all!”

“And your loyalty is appreciated, Kiki,” was Theresa's only reply before she hung up on her, which only upset Kiki more as she bit her lips to muffle the frustrated scream she let out in response.

“Are you alright?” the mountain of a man asked, finally breaking the silence that he'd seemingly held for as long as anyone else seemed to have known.

“Do I look alright, Roark!?” Kiki shrieked up at him. “I have been nothing but loyal since the beginning, I've wanted nothing but a bit of power and respect... that's why I joined The Empire in the first place!” She turned her glare down towards Henry, who simply met it with his own. “This is all your fault, you golden brat! If you hadn't decided to betray your uncle and his good intentions, I wouldn't have been blamed for him having to rot in a prison cell for most of last year, for the failure to save those two girls and bring them into our glory!”

“I think we're doing just fine without Caleb or his Empire, gracias,” Luz couldn't keep from saying as she stepped into view, Amelia having let go of her arm and nodded that now was their moment. Her wife stood by her side, and Ivy, Gage and Valentina flanked them, effectively forming a human wall that blocked the only way in or out of this alley.

“...maybe we should've left and then called in...” the huge man, now identified as Roark, mumbled under his breath.

“Quiet, Roark!” Kiki snapped at him. “Your butt isn't on the line here!”

“And yours doesn't have to be either,” Luz cut in, which seemed to catch everybody off guard. Amelia was the one who recovered from the shock the quickest, picking up on what Luz was going to try.

“Luz,” Valentina hissed, also picking up on the strategy. “What are you doing?”

Luz just gave Valentina a knowing look that seemed to speak volumes to her adopted sister before turning her attention back to Kiki. “Look... I don't know what, if anything, you might've done to my sister or Henry when they were still blindly following Caleb, and Amelia and I have every reason to want to knock some sense into you after what you pulled on us before...”

“You and her are the whole reason The Empire hasn't achieved paradise yet!” Kiki spat. “All because Caleb feels he absolutely has to have you by any means necessary to make it happen!”

“It's hardly our fault that we're not going to let him manipulate us into being anything but who we want to be,” Amelia replied.

“And you don't have to buy into his little ponzi scheme anymore, either!” Luz added. “Look, that witch Theresa made it pretty clear how valuable you truly are to them, and you're better than that! You said so yourself! Caleb's just been telling you what you want to hear so you blindly follow him to the ends of the Earth until he has no use for you anymore. You can just... stop playing along. Like Henry did. Like Valentina did. Look at how much better they've turned out for their decisions!”

Kiki opened her mouth to respond, but snapped it shut as Luz's words seemed to really sink in. She looked up at Roark, who now looked like he might be feeling remorse, though it was really hard to tell with him. What was clear, however, was that Theresa's declaration that being allowed to live was her reward for finishing whatever task she'd been sent here to do was really eating away at the tiny woman, and now that the truth of just how 'valuable' she was to the cult she'd thrown herself into with open arms was revealed, she was being given a way out that she might've believed she didn't have before.

Amelia couldn't help but note how similar Caleb's tactics were to William Heaven, considering how often he spoke on behalf of everyone in the Fall of Man and fed them whatever he thought they needed to hear to fully buy into whatever he was selling. Whatever they truly wanted was irrelevant, but William would promise to fulfill those desires with his own little twist on them so long as it kept everyone in line doing what he wanted of them. That tactic alone was likely the reason why Caleb had the following that he did, preying on people like Kiki who might have felt desperate until being given an offer that sounded too good to be true, blindly following the pied piper who had them under their spell until they and they alone got the end result they were truly aiming for.

“It doesn't have to be this way, Kiki,” Luz pressed as she took a few cautious steps forward, extending her hand. “We can help you... your life shouldn't be a reward for success, we can all vouch for knowing that feeling. And you said it yourself: we've been a thorn in Caleb's side to the point where he's practically refusing to give you whatever he promised all because he needs us to submit to him first.”

“He's a con artist, and not the only one we're dealing with right now,” Amelia added as she stepped up beside her wife. “You don't have to buy into his lies anymore...”

Kiki just stared at Luz's outstretched hand, deep in thought about what she and Amelia had to say. She turned and glanced up at Henry, whose glare had softened even further, showing that he understood the position she was in and was living proof that it didn't have to be this way. She turned again and looked past Luz and Amelia, locking eyes with Valentina, who was very clearly keeping her guard up, and Kiki couldn't blame her. She'd had a hand in trying to forcibly mold Valentina into pretending to be Luz to ruin her reputation, but even now, it was clear how much the woman had thrived by not only being able to be herself again instead of someone else, but also by being surrounded by people who truly cared about her.

“...heh... he really is a con artist, isn't he?” Kiki sniffed, fighting to hold back tears. “I heard one of his street sermons when he sought to expand The Empire beyond a mere wrestling stable into something akin to its own religious movement. Everything he promised... it sounded too good to be true, but the thought of power... of respect... I never had any of that growing up, and I wanted it so badly...”

She paused to sigh in frustration once more before looking up at Luz and Amelia.

“If I walk away from this... Caleb's probably going to send people after me,” she noted. “Anything to tie up loose ends and rid himself of potential issues that could get in the way.”

“We're used to dealing with that from him,” Amelia pointed out. “And yet, anything he's tried hasn't stopped us yet. Heck, he tried to make our wedding day all about his big escape from prison, but it hasn't convinced us to reconsider tying the knot nor scared us into just letting him win.”

“If he wants us that badly, he's going to have to earn it,” Luz added with her signature grin. “And we don't plan on going down without a fight, no matter how much he tries to back us into a corner and make us feel like we don't stand a chance. He learned the hard way once why that was a bad idea, and he can be our guest if he wants to make that same mistake twice.”

“You make it sound so simple...” Kiki muttered to herself as she reached for Luz's outstretched hand. As she did, however, Amelia noticed Kiki's other hand reaching into her pocket and pulling something out... something that gleamed a bit in the sunlight.

“Luz!” Amelia screamed as she grabbed her wife and jerked the both of them backward, just in time for Kiki to pull her hand away and attempt to stab Luz's arm with what looked like a syringe. Thankfully, Amelia's keen eye and quick reflexes caused her to miss, and Luz just stared at Kiki in disbelief.

“What the heck!?” she demanded. “We're trying to help you!”

“Help me?” Kiki repeated before laughing to herself, unnerving Luz and Amelia as the woman sounded more and more unhinged the longer she laughed. “Oh, you'll help me, alright. Why didn't I think of this sooner? If I come back to Caleb not just with the golden brat, but the two of you as well, surely he'll see my true worth and give me a proper reward!”

“Your delusional if you believe that,” Henry stated, his mouth no longer covered as Roark seemed to loosen his grip, although not enough to truly let the former Golden Prodigy completely free. “And that's how my uncle wins.”

“Enough! Roark, shut him up, then help me subdue these two and take care of their little friends!” Kiki demanded as she prepared to rush Luz and Amelia, syringe at the ready. She only took a few steps and watched as they braced themselves before she stopped and glanced back, realizing that Roark hadn't moved a muscle. He stared down at her before shaking his head, which only infuriated the tiny woman even more.

Grumbling about having to do everything herself, she turned around, only for Amelia to grab her hand and bend her fingers back, causing her to cry out in pain and drop the syringe. Luz kicked it off to the side, not wanting to know what was in it but easily assuming nothing good. Kiki tried to kick Amelia off, but she just sidestepped the kick and twisted Kiki into a position where she could use the smaller woman's momentum to lift her off the ground, leading to her and Luz delivering a variation of the Wisteria Waltz that drove Kiki into the concrete. It wasn't a pleasant landing for anyone, but the only harm it did to Kiki was seemingly knocking her out cold, which was the intent.

Ivy, Gage and Valentina quickly ran to the couple and helped them up, and Valentina was quick to chastise the couple.

“What the hell were you thinking, sis?” she asked Luz. “I knew that wouldn't work!”

“I wanted to give her a chance,” Luz replied, shrugging off the landing she'd taken on the concrete even if she hadn't done the proper motion for her part of the tandem move, partly because of Kiki's small stature and partly because she wasn't going to unnecessarily injure herself before a big title defense if she could help it. “I was hoping that if she understood that she was nothing but a tool for Caleb, she'd take a way out if it was offered.”

“She will... I'll make sure of it.”

Everyone snapped their heads to the voice that cut into the conversation, having almost forgotten about Kiki's behemoth of an accomplice. To their surprise, however, he was just now releasing Henry from his grasp, nodding to him as if in apology before lumbering over to where Kiki was out cold on the ground.

“The poor woman has so little self worth, and Caleb hasn't helped in fixing that,” the goliath admitted as he effortlessly scooped her up. “Honestly? I've known for a while that I was nothing more than a tool with no place in Caleb's promised paradise... I only stuck with this for so long because someone like me being ordered around by Kiki here is the most power and respect she's had in who knows how long. I felt so bad for her, and I wasn't about to abandon her to those wolves.”

“We gave her a way out, and she still chose The Empire, though...” Ivy noted.

“Because for so long, it's all she's known,” Roark sighed. “Even knowing how little her very life means to them that not being killed is her reward for a job well done, she was desperate to cling to that if it gave her any hope of feeling like she could use it to achieve what she wanted out of all of this.”

They watched as Roark started to carry Kiki away, no one making a move to stop him. Sure, together they probably could fight someone of his size if it became necessary, but it didn't seem like he was interested in keeping this fight going... or even relaying what happened back to The Empire or calling for backup or anything. He does pause neaer the entrance to the alley and turns back to look at them.

“For what it's worth,” he says, “I apologize for the role I've played in all of this, and I apologize on Kiki's behalf as well. We're going to find somewhere to hide, and in time, she'll come around and realize that what happened here today might've saved her life in the long run. Until then, though... stay safe, all of you, and good luck in your title match at Retribution. Send a message to Caleb through the pretenders who act so much like him and those he's brainwashed.”

With that, Roark takes his leave, carrying Kiki off to who knows where. Luz is tempted to ask where they're going, but in the back of her mind, she knows that it might be better for them if they don't know, and perhaps not even see them again until this 'holy war' with the cult is over and done with once and for all. Once it finally sinks in that this issue is resolved in a sense, Ivy immediately turns to Henry.

“Are you alright?” she asks while looking over him for any injuries.

“I'm fine, Ivy,” Henry chuckles. “I'm tougher than I look, you know. Plus, they were ordered not to harm me, so I think the worst I've got is a need to catch my breath... and maybe wash my mouth out a bit when we get back to the hotel.”

While Gage and Valentina wasted no time in teasing the two of them over the obvious signs they could see between Ivy and Henry, definitely taking the opportunity to lighten the mood after everything that just happened, Luz and Amelia restrained themselves from joining in. Instead, they simply held each other's hands, threading their fingers together as they looked at one another and pondered what had just happened.

They knew Roark had a point. As easy as it was for Kiki to see and understand that she was nothing but a tool to Caleb, she had blatantly ignored it if there was any hope she could still get something she ultimately wanted out of being part of The Empire. In a sense, they almost wondered if that was why men like James or especially Giovanni were so willing to follow William Heaven even if they possibly knew he might be using them, deceiving them, because right now he and the Fall of Man was their best chance at getting something for themselves. It was hard to know for sure, especially since they doubted they'd get such answers easily, but it made one thing clearer than it already was.

No matter what, Luz and Amelia were walking into Retribution knowing they had to fight for their lives with everything they had, because if the Fall of Man wanted to tear everything down even if it erased and invalidated all of their own efforts with no SCW left, then they would meet that challenge head-on without hesitation, no matter what it took, because it was the only way they knew they could potentially save two men who maybe didn't believe they needed saving from themselves and their puppet master.

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

The Alamodome, a stadium situated on the fringe of downtown San Antonio. Once upon a time, it was the home of the San Antonio Spurs before they moved to an arena that felt more 'built' for basketball. Over the years, it has also served as the home of the Alamo Bowl for college football, as well as hoping to lure in a potential NFL franchise to play in front of the 64,000 seats it has to offer for fans to watch. Come Sunday night, it will play host to SCW Retribution, a pay-per-view that, over the years, has become a bit of a bête noire to a particular tag team who will be entering this event knowing full well they're in for the biggest fight of their careers thus far.

Perhaps that's why we find them sitting in the stands, looking down at where the ring is being assembled.

The sight of La Pequeña Luz and Amelia Nevado being this intensely focused isn't out of the ordinary for us at this point. It's a look we've come to know quite often whenever they step into the ring for battle, and it's one we've seen from time to time whenever they're ready to speak their piece. Something about this particular situation, however, feels different compared to every other time we've seen this look on their faces. Maybe it's the way they're holding their respective World Tag Title belts tightly over their shoulders, maybe it's how thoroughly their fingers are laced together as they sit hand-in-hand, but it's almost unnerving to see them like this. Unnerving, but perhaps not too surprising, given what awaits them in this very arena on Sunday night. The silence lingers for only a few more minutes before Amelia finally breaks it.

“As of this moment, Luz and I have proudly called ourselves your World Tag Team Champions for over 200 days. For context, there are only six other teams in SCW history who can make that claim... and as of Retribution, we will officially be the fourth longest reigning champions in the history of this company. We could go on to take the third place spot if we can make it through this show with our title reign intact, but I'm not going to sit here and claim that will be an easy feat to achieve. Make no mistake: despite the fact that we managed to win at this event last year, Retribution has, historically, been a very bad pay-per-view for The Light In The Darkness. The very first time we had a match on this show, Luz and I were both put on the shelf because of injuries. Two years ago, our very first Retribution back in SCW, this very state saw us put on a contender for Match of the Year with Selena and Deanna Frost, but despite our best efforts, we ultimately came up short in our quest to reach the peak where we currently reside. If a certain someone is to be believed, then this year's Retribution could very well see a combination of those two setbacks in our careers, as Luz and I face a duo who have made it painfully clear they are not only looking to end our title reign, but perhaps remove us from SCW altogether once again.”

“If William Heaven is to be believed, then he commands an army of men who transcend what it means to be 'excellent' in this sport. He loves to talk about how everything he claims will happen is inevitable, immerse himself and the Fall of Man in a narrative where they always have been, and always will be, the single most dominant force that has ever graced SCW. That no one can stop them. Ames and I will sit here and be the first to admit... we know that it's inevitable that our time as World Tag Team Champions will come to an end. It's happened twice before, and William would love for it to happen again on Sunday night. The problem is, William has immersed himself so deeply in his own narrative that he's forgotten a critical rule of not only this business, but life itself:

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Now, he'll probably hear this and laugh, claiming that maybe it should apply more to us. I'm sure James would love to remind us all of how he defeated me before Dogfight in Dusseldorf, or that he could've and should've beaten Amelia way back when in that old U.S. Title tournament had it not been for a freak accident that he refuses to let go of. Maybe Giovanni will rant and rave about how he holds a win over him from a time when he wasn't the madman he is now, but instead pretended to be a spiritual advisor who sold out for someone who ultimately only cared about herself and her own image. But anyone who's actually been paying attention will know that the narrative of the Fall of Man has a few holes in it... namely the fact that we've beaten them before in one form or another. Sure, two of them involve Waylon who isn't in this match, but those 'don't count' because he didn't take the fall, nor will I expect him to count Billy's losses because he's only relevant whenever his own father needs him to be. Maybe James and Gio believe that because they aren't a part of that list at all, then their victory is assured... and they can go ahead and believe that if they wish.”

“You see, for all the dominance the Fall of Man has loved to gloat about displaying week after week, anyone who watched the recent Breakdown in Columbus will know full well how that show ended. Yeah, James won his match in the main event, but not only did Waylon find himself on the mat courtesy of Xander Valentine, but Luz and I cleared the ring of James and Gio, giving them a taste of what they can expect from us come Retribution. That Breakdown ended with the two of us having the upper hand, jeopardizing William's narrative and leaving him frantically scrambling to figure out how he gets control over the men he desperately needs to succeed on this very night for the past few months to have been worth every attack, every snide remark, every arrogant claim that the Fall of Man is everything he says it is. And sure, maybe being desperate should be a warning that James and Giovanni will be more determined than ever to destroy us, but they do so at their own risk. After all... when you back somebody into a corner, they're going to get desperate and fight with everything they have, because they have no other choice.”

“And since the Fall of Man love to think they've got us backed into a corner and are ready to go for the kill, they're going to be in for a rude awakening once they realize that us having held these titles for as long as we have so far was no fluke.”

Luz slowly stands up, fully turning her gaze towards us as Amelia gently squeezes her hand in support.

“You know something? Yeah, it sucked losing the interim U.S. Title to Asher a few weeks ago, and yeah, I might not get to face Deanna to unify the titles whenever she's ready to return. But every cloud has a silver lining, and while I may not be able to call myself a double champion anymore, I have to ask a very serious question: what's distracting me from truly giving this match my all and giving James and Gio the fight that William has convinced them we can't give? If anything, I have even more reason than ever to fight like my life depends on it to keep the one title I do still have, the title that has meant more to me than any other throughout my entire career. Go ahead, rub it in how much you guys have seemingly had one over on us up to this point... all you've done is shown us where we can improve, given us motivation to keep pushing ourselves until we become even better than we already were. And yeah, maybe the Fall of Man is inevitability personified... but that belief also breeds complacency. After all, if James and Gio truly believe that they've already got this match won, that Amelia and I will be a walk in the park, then what happens when they push us so far that they truly see what has made us champions for this long, why we were such a big deal when SCW was scouting us in the first place, why we've scratched and clawed and earned every single accolade we've ever had to our names and every one we can still add to our resumes down the road?”

It's at this point that Amelia stands up, gently kissing Luz's masked cheek. Despite the intense focus, the two exchange smiles as Amelia lets Luz have a moment to breathe and relax, opting to take over from here as her smile fades again.

“James, Giovanni, let me ask the two of you an honest question. What is this really about? It'd be easy to say that you want to bring these titles we've proudly shed our blood, sweat and tears for to the Fall of Man as a show of dominance... but is it really that simple? Last I checked, the Giovanni Aries that returned to help you all out didn't care for titles, claiming they were the 'tools of the Lizard Kingdom' and needed to be destroyed. And yet, no titles means no proof of the dominance that William claims his group represents over all of SCW. And what about James? He's a man who certainly understands the significance of where Luz and I stand now... once upon a time, he and Angelica Jones also held these very titles together for over 200 days, so you know full well James that we didn't reach this point by accident. William claims you've been disrespected for years, yet he disrespects you by claiming that Billy's Trios contract was better used giving a World Title shot to Waylon, a man who, while dominant, has never tasted that level of competition yet, as opposed to you, a man who's been World Champion in the past and a man who has made it clear you believe you deserve to hold that title once again.”

“Believe it or not, we'll both stand here and honestly admit that you very well do have what it takes to be World Champion again, James. We've both been in the ring with you, we both know what you're capable of. Maybe you and Giovanni both believe that taking these titles from us is for the greater good of the message William wants to send throughout all of SCW... that said, we know the unfortunate reality that if someone who fancies himself a puppet master like William does offers you the world as long as you do as he says, then even if you realize you're being used, you'll continue to dance to his tune as long as you convince yourself that you can still get what he promised you out of it somehow. Maybe the plan is for James to challenge Waylon for the World Title after he wins it... although Waylon finally tasting defeat at the hands of someone who's supposed to be his ally doesn't paint a very inspiring picture for the narrative of William Heaven, now does it? Maybe Gio will be given the green light to destroy these titles and believe he's rid SCW of what he believes these represent... except, for as much stock as all of you have put into trying to bury us for how highly we value every accomplishment we've achieved since arriving to SCW, the reality is that you need these titles, that accolades of calling yourselves champions, for any of this to have made sense in the first place.”

“By all means, though... keep telling the world that our downfall is inevitable, that the Fall of Man will proceed to dominate Retribution and prove their superiority over us and everyone else. But just remember... inevitability is a term that swings both ways, and believe it or not, the defeat of the Fall of Man and the end of your perceived dominance is just as inevitable. Maybe it won't be from us come Sunday night, but that's not going to stop us from trying.”

“After all, despite how much you've beaten us down, bullied us, tried to destroy us... Ames and I are still standing. We're still fighting. And you all should know as well as anybody that for every battle you may have won over us thus far, it doesn't mean you've won the war. Sun Tzu once said, 'If you know the enemy and you know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.' James, Giovanni, you've shown us all we need to know about what the both of you bring to the table...”

“But if you think you know everything about what Luz and I are capable of...”

“Then you'll only have yourselves to blame when you have to explain to William why you aren't walking out of this arena on Sunday night as the SCW World Tag Team Champions.”

With that bold statement, both Luz and Amelia slip their title belts off their shoulders and hold them high, standing side-by-side in defiance and unity against whatever they know James and Giovanni will throw at them come Retribution. And yet, they are not afraid. If anything, they're more determined than ever to stand tall, no matter what it takes, and fight with everything they've got to prove both why they're here and how badly they want to stay right where they are, paving the way for a brighter future not just for SCW, but for professional wrestling as a whole.