“We have no choice. So we fight -- and we win. There are no other options”
- Captain America (Avengers Vol 3 #46)
Hello SCW,
I have to say that right now, I stand before you with one of the cloudiest views I’ve ever had. I’m angry at myself for the past two months where I haven’t been successful, and then seeing my wife work so hard only to come up short is now just extremely frustrating. I should be standing here, at least having beaten Kate Steele, and this is going to annoy me to no end. I should be standing here at the Queen for a day, trying to have given the wrestlers here a card that they can be excited and proud of. Instead, I stand before you with nothing. None of that came to pass.
And no, it’s not sour grapes, it’s a simple statement of fact. It is the reality now.
And to top things off, I’m on the clock. Apparently. Amber Ryan at some point, is going to finally decide she wants to fight me, but she wants to play games first. You guys all know me, and you all know that I really don’t care for games when it comes to wrestling. In the ring, you fight. You win, you lose, it’s how it goes around here. But Amber wants to play this game, making me wait, fighting her on her terms, on her time and how she wants to do it. At this point, I am resigned to this. I don’t really have much of a choice, but to play, because as much as Amber is going to mess around, she wants the fight as much as I do. So, I’m enduring this game because at the end, I want to show Amber that despite what she thinks, and despite all the games she’s going to play, I’m going to still beat her at her own game.
And while all this is going on, while the world have gone topsy-turvy and everyone is just losing their minds, now I have to go into this tag team match that Crystal has decided to make. Under the guise of oh, “we have never teamed before ever.” And “it’s a dream of mine to be teaming with you.” This is all well and good, but it’s completely under false pretenses and Crystal knows that. I can handle the fact that Crystal could have done x or y and it wouldn’t have been popular. I can deal with the idea that Crystal could have booked herself into A bombshell’s championship match and didn’t. I can respect that, because it was the obvious choice. But this match, this match coming up is a tag team match, and the winning team gets a championship match at a later date. And really, that’s what this is about. If Crystal was just honest and said that from the get-go instead of buttering me up like we’re doing the reason of tagging with me for the first time. Because if it was just that, then this stipulation wouldn’t exist. I am happy and excited to team with Crystal at any time, it’s not like I absolutely despise her as a person, but it’s right there, blatantly in my face as the true reason this match is the way it is.
But, I’d be a fool to look a gift horse in the mouth on this opportunity.
Having a potential Bombshell’s championship match in my back pocket for some time in the next six months is very appealing. For a long time, I have advocated that championship matches need to be earned and not given out randomly. I have preached this to my wife, and yes, we have both seen championship matches just booked without the challenger having earned them, and in my case, I was part of that system. I don’t begrudge anyone for taking a championship match when offered. It’s the system that doesn’t help anything. And this is, an opportunity to earn that championship match in the future, so, despite the way it’s happening, the object is still the same: Win, and then life just gets a little less cloudy. And really, I could use it, just as much as the next person. So yes, this is an opportunity after a couple of lousy months, to get back on track. Regardless of the match I would have wanted and not having two people with championship matches in their possession at any time, this is just what the cards are. So there’s no point in trying to see the logic, we’re just going to have to make it work.
Fine then, game on.
{The scene opens with Roxi sitting down, watching television and the mood is generally upbeat. Nate plays with his tablet while Elizabeth watches, and Keira is in another room, putting together her birthday Gundam toys. Roxi just lays back on the couch watching the news.}
News Reporter – Our top story tonight is the apprehension of Amelia Lambert. A woman who once kidnapped several high ranking officials and movie producers as revenge for her failed acting career. Lambert was arrested today after surrendering to police after being caught attempting to steal over $5,000 dollars in merchandise. Lambert made no attempt to resist and waited to be arrested. It is likely she will be committed to Shady Acres to undergo psychiatric treatment.
{Amelia’s mugshot shows up on screen, the insane smile etched painfully across her face. Roxi sits up and her eyes narrow.}
Elizabeth – Well, that’s good, isn’t it?
Roxi – I don’t know.
Elizabeth – That awful woman invaded this house.
Roxi – I know that, Mother.
{Keira hears the discussion and enters the room.}
Keira – Who? What happened?
Roxi – Amelia.
{Keira’s anger swells as she almost starts to twitch.}
Keira – Where?
Roxi – She’s been arrested.
Keira – She’s lucky.
Roxi – Keira…
Keira – Don’t. Don’t you dare tell me to calm down. Not after what happened!
Roxi – She’s in jail now, most likely a mental institution.
Keira – Then she’ll be easier to find, and keep tabs on if she ever decides to escape.
Roxi – I don’t know, this… this seems to be too good to be true. Nothing is ever just done by accident with her.
Keira – She’s going to pay for even touching Nate.
Roxi – Right now she’s not a concern. It’s good that she’s at least somewhere where they can keep track of her.
Keira – She’s safe from me. For now.
News Reporter – In other news another bizarre disappearance as family of former resident Sydney Dunbar reported her missing from her northern Georgia home. Dunbar was last seen last Thursday after leaving the local gym. Dunbar was the captain of the Robinson high school gymnastics team from 2000-2004. If anyone has any information on her whereabouts, they are encouraged to contact law enforcement.
{The news makes Roxi turn her head and look at the screen. She looks around and the look of shock crosses her face.}
Roxi – Syd?
Keira – Wait, you know her too?
Roxi – I was on the gymnastics team. I was friends with Syd.
Elizabeth – Terrible what’s happening to these people. Good kids.
Roxi – That’s two in the past three weeks. Both from here.
Keira – What about the other guy?
Roxi – Bobby? No word. Police are still looking into that.
Keira – There’s… something off about these. People just don’t disappear.
Roxi – Well no, but… those two people don’t really have anything in common. Bobby didn’t go to Robinson. At least, I don’t think he did. And Syd moved away after high school.
Keira – It just, it feels wrong. Like this is being done on purpose.
Roxi – Sadly, people go missing all the time. There’s hundreds, if not thousands of these cases all the time.
{Keira nods, but then turns to Roxi, snapping her fingers and pointing at her.}
Keira – What if… YOU are the connection?
Roxi – Me?
Keira – Think about it, Bobby has a crush on you in elementary school, Syd is your friend… someone may be targeting you.
Roxi – That’s a bit far-fetched. Syd, maybe, I could understand, but I haven’t talked to Bobby since… the end of elementary school. I doubt he would even remember me.
Keira – So far, that’s the only link I can think of.
Roxi – I don’t know. Maybe these two are fine and they’ll be back to normal. Maybe it’s a mental illness. I don’t know, there’s a lot of things here that it could be. I wouldn’t think there’s any connection.
Keira – Aside from you.
Roxi – Yes, I know… well…knew both of them. But a lot of people know both of them. I don’t know if that’s anything at all. Syd’s been gone for years, and Bobby’s been working around here for years as far as I know.
Keira – And… if I’m right… Guess who just got herself arrested to throw herself off the trail?
Roxi – You don’t think…
{Keira backs into the next room she was in, and then motions for Roxi to join her. Roxi follows her into the next room.}
Keira – Just humor me on this. I think it’s time to pay Amelia a visit.
Roxi – She’s in jail.
Keira – Trust me, the moment she’s out, or moved… I’m going to go there and we’re going to have a nice, long chat.
Roxi – Don’t do that. Why stir her up?
Keira – I have other questions for her as well. I mean, what did she get arrested for?
Roxi – Basically shoplifting.
{Keira growls.}
Keira – Another attempt to hide her plan.
Roxi – Wait what?
Keira – We still don’t know who stole the money from the bank.
Roxi – And you think Amelia did?
Keira – She’s a lunatic, Roxi. She’d steal money just to burn it or something. None of that money is in circulation. You think it’s just collecting dust somewhere? A person as crazy as Amelia would take everything she could get her hands on just to screw with people. AND she would just to screw with US! Think about it.
Roxi – That’s a lot to throw at her.
Keira – And it all makes sense. We need to talk to her.
Roxi – *sigh* Alright… We’ll have to wait until they move her.
Keira – Once they do, we’re going to get to the bottom of both things at the same time.
Roxi – That is… if she’s guilty.
Keira – She’s guilty of a lot of things Roxi. And she should be punished for them.
Roxi – …. I know.
So, I’m here again, standing across from Alicia Lukas, and my blood doesn’t boil quite as much, but it still boils. I am actually getting a little something in this match that I wanted, and that was to ensure that any path Alicia wants to take to get back to the bombshell’s championship goes through me. And this is, exactly that, at least on paper. Now there could be some other stuff that happens where Alicia avoids me and gets a championship match, but I made it a point to say it last time and I will again. Anytime Alicia wants to get back into a bombshell’s championship match, I want to be there. I want her to have to beat me in order to do it. Nothing more, nothing less.
If there’s one type of person who I really can’t stand, it’s a person with a superiority complex. A person who needs to talk down to people, and act like they are just better. Because it’s very easy to be that person when you are on top. I mean, remember when none of us were supposed “fuck with Alicia Lukas” when she was Bombshell’s champion? How everyone needed to just step their games up because she was on another level? Well, we all did, and Alicia got injured. But continued to be that person. A person who still thinks subtweeting is just so cool and needs to do it to feel like they belong to the cool group. You know, a little back and forth between J2H and myself and hey… look who’s got a subtweet going, a week later, still trying to capitalize on something a week old. But, I’m being vague here, let’s just cut to the point.
I already told Alicia I have eyes and ears everywhere. I see or hear about subtweets and backhanded compliments, so continuing to make them only makes Alicia look petty. But then again, she is one of the pettiest people I think I’ve ever met. I do enjoy when somebody has to make a big deal out of a hashtag I use. Remember it’s a stupid hashtag and I do it all the time and it just clutters people’s timelines and it just makes people mad and then they feel the need to make a comment about it and try and draw attention to it to try and… I guess shame me for doing it. I’ve made it clear many times it’s just a friendly gesture for people who may not ever get one. #WCW may not mean a lot to some people, I get that. And people have asked to not be on the list and that’s all well and good. I don’t have a problem with that. But for some people, it does mean a lot. For some people, it makes their day, and you know what, that’s all it’s been about for me. To make someone else smile or at least know that someone cares. Because too many times, places can be cold and uncaring, especially social media. All I’m trying to do is be the “hero” people accuse me of being, but then scold me for calling them out when they do something bad. I only know one way, and that’s to be honest. Maybe it’s to a fault, but I will never not be honest.
And really that’s what Alicia hated every single time we’ve faced each other. That I will hold her as accountable as anyone else. That I can point the finger at her much like she does anyone else. She’s not above reproach. She hates it, because it makes her feel inadequate. I know she likes to act like she never was about that, but she and I know different. So when I see the subtweets I know are directed at me, when I see the language used and the context and how it’s meant for me but doesn’t want to address me personally, it’s going to be called out. I thought that perhaps at some point we were going to get passed this, but apparently not. So, that’s fine. It is what it is. We’ll just continue with this, so… let’s get to it.
There is no one, more obsessed with becoming Bombshell’s champion than Alicia, and hey, she has the records, good for her. Mercedes Vargas has all kinds of records, but the only one tooting that horn is Mercedes. But the difference is Mercedes has been able to get by without the title reigns and without constantly trying to win a championship. Alicia simply cannot be without the championship because she needs it.
It’s very rare to see someone with both an inferiority AND superiority complex, but Alicia had them both nailed. I mean, she’s got it down pat.
The constant need to have a championship, otherwise she feels inadequate, and then winning a championship and acting like you’re the hottest thing since an egg-white omelet. I can’t imagine the roller coaster ride that is Alicia Lukas’s humility. All the ups and downs, all the bloviating to try and really push the idea that you are the best, and then you reach the top of the mountain and what happens? Then all of a sudden everyone else sucks and you’re the big dog and nobody can touch you. And then… you lose, and you’re at the lowest of lows. The sky is falling, the world is ending. Woe is to Alicia Lukas and her struggle to simply be, simply because she’s not the champion. Again, there’s more life than this, and Alicia actually has that. A family, a… clothing line maybe? A hobby, an interest I think. But no, there is only the bombshell’s championship and anything less is failure.
Well, cool. Okay then. So we have this match now, and this match is another catch to remind Alicia that the road back to the Bombshell’s championship is about to be a very long, and very painful one. I got the chance right now to set Alicia back, again.
I did it twice before. But neither have been especially satisfying. I took the championship from Alicia. I ended her reign as champion, but sadly, I have to beat 4 other women in the same match. But, I won. And as much as it just eats me up inside that Bobbie Dahl had to ruin it for everyone, I spoiled the big return of Alicia. I asked to do it, and I did it. I can’t really count it as beating Alicia either time, so that continue to be a driving force for me right now. I need to beat Alicia Lukas at everything right now. I don’t want her to have an OUNCE of momentum. None. Zero. And the moment she builds up any, I want to bring it right back down. Because I want her full realize that I am better than she is. It’s a point that must be driven home over and over. And This Sunday, regardless of circumstances, I’m going to do it again.
Mama’s home?
Mama’s going to find out that we changed the locks while she was gone. And she’s not getting the key to that door for a long, long time.
{It’s a few days later and Roxi and Keira, dressed in costume, appear at Shady Acres Mental Hospital. The Security guard greets them and eventually walks them down a long hallway, around a corner and there is a lone door with a guard outside. The door reads
#78-A-1976
Lambert, A
Roxi and Keira nod, and then the first security guard stands outside the door with the original guard. Roxi and Keira enter, finding Amelia in a straight-jacket sitting at a table, a wide grin across her face as she sees the two heroes enter.}
Amelia – *Gasp* You made it! I was beginning to think you forgot about me!
Keira – Can I…
Roxi – We’re here to ask you some questions.
Amelia – Are we playing 20 questions? I used to have one of those games that guessed what it was and it was so good. It was always right! Say… you both look good. I know it’s been a while since I’ve seen you so, I just thought I’d tell you. You been working out?
Roxi – What do you know about the locals who went missing?
Amelia – People go missing all the time R- errr… LB.
{Amelia winks.}
Amelia – Don’t worry, you’re secret is safe with me. Anyway, If you think I kidnapped them or something, then, I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed. I know, I know, I’ve kidnapped in the past. But, this time, totally not me!
Keira – Why should we believe a work you say?
Amelia – Oh calm down, Blondie. You’re always so quick to be angry and jealous and hostile.
Keira – You are about 3 seconds away from eating your food through a straw the rest of your life.
Amelia – Ohh… tough girl. Look, I didn’t kidnap anyone. You see how I’m in here?
Roxi – There happened beforehand.
Amelia – And nothing’s been done, right?
Roxi – Right.
Amelia – You know me better than that ladies. If I was kidnapping people, I would do it in style.
{Roxi and Keira look at each other and have to nod in agreement.}
Roxi – Bank robberies a couple of months ago. You wouldn’t know anything about that either, would you?
Amelia – Oh come now R- LB. You think I’m just about robbing banks?
Keira – You got arrested for trying to rob a lot of merchandise.
Amelia – Ha. I did, didn’t I? Well… color me embarrassed.
Roxi – Not in the mood for games, Amelia.
Amelia – You two are just barking up the wrong tree. Now… you’re just harassing me and I don’t think I’m comfortable with this anymore.
Roxi – We don’t have time for this. If you stole the money, they just tell us why.
Amelia – I didn’t steal any money, or rob any banks. You really think that I would cause trouble for you, and not make it 100% clear that it WAS ME? If I did it, you would be the first to know. It’s… a respect thing, you know? Honor amongst hero and villain?
Roxi – We’re done here.
{Roxi and Keira turn to leave, knocking on the door.}
Amelia – By the way, please tell Nater-Potater that Amy misses him.
{Keira hears the words and slowly turns, nothing but anger and rage on her face. She charges, tosses the table over and tosses Amelia against the wall. Amelia bounces hard and Keira catches her, and begins strangling Amelia.}
Keira – You ever utter another word about my son, and I will make you wish you were never born.
Amelia – Oh… *Ack* Feisty *cough* You gonna do it? You can do it now….*ack*
Roxi – Enough!
{The guards break into the room, and forcibly restrain Keira, preventing her from attacking further. She keeps her hands reached out to try and get a Amelia, but she is pulled away. Amelia gasps her air on the ground while Roxi kneels down beside her.}
Roxi – Next time… I won’t stop her.
Amelia – Hahahahaha. Come back soon, honey! I’ll be here waiting!
{Roxi exits as the guards hold Keira until she calms down. Roxi and Keira are escorted out of the area, and eventually out of the building. Keira paces outside, furious.}
Keira – Why did you have to yell?
Roxi – Because it wasn’t right.
Keira – I’m going to kill her, Roxi. I’m going to end her miserable life.
Roxi – No, you’re not. You know that’s not the way.
Keira – She put her hands, on my son.
Roxi – I know that, and it’s not okay. She deserves to be punished, but that’s all she’s wanted. Because the moment you do something like that… the moment will be her win, not yours.
{Keira continues to pace until she files straight up into the air, a loud yell as Keira released a ton of anger. Roxi eventually flies up to meet her.}
Roxi – Feel better?
Keira – No. I won’t until that is taken care of. And to make matters worse, she didn’t give us anything!
Roxi – She did in her own way. She didn’t kidnap anybody, and she didn’t steal the money.
Keira – You believe her?
Roxi – Yes. She would make noise to tell me, or you, or both of us. That’s how she works.
Keira – Then… we’re back to square one…
Roxi – I have a feeling that sooner or later, whatever’s behind this stuff, will make it’s presence known.
Keira – Maybe Warren knows something!
Roxi – Maybe. But for now… we have to continue to press forward.
{Keira finally relents.}
Keira – Hopefully in the ring is more successful than this little journey.
Roxi - I hope so too.
{The two fly off, headed back home as the scene fades.}
I will begin this by saying I am proud of what Andrea Hernandez has accomplished. It’s awesome. She was the exact type of person I was calling for while I was champion. A person who stepped their game and raised the bar of competition across the bombshell’s division. Andrea lived up to everything that I expected and then some. I applaud her winning the bombshell’s championship and having a successful defense. She got one over on me as well. I can respect that. It’s great to see the young talented women of this division doing well.
I can even respect the newfound confidence that perhaps I inspired. I guess it was my words about being the bridesmaid and not the bride that left her with that drive, that hunger and determination to not only be at the top of her game, but to get even better and erase that stigma once and for all. Andrea Hernandez was going to prove that she was, and is, good enough to be the bride.
And you know what? She did just that. And that’s awesome.
But you know, when you erase a stigma, you can’t just go back and use it over and over again. So, perhaps now I can give Andrea some different advice since she ran the other advice into the ground. See, there’s no reason that Andrea Hernandez should ever think of herself as the underdog or the bridesmaid anymore. She did it, she won the championship against two hall of fame wrestlers, and she defended the championship twice against two credible opponents. That’s it. Stigma’s gone. Andrea Hernandez is no longer the underdog. No longer the bridesmaid. This should be what Andrea should be about now. The confidence and the expectation to walk into any match and win.
But instead, she is looking at the perception of what some people think and letting that continue to define her, when there is no reason to drag it out. My advice is stop listening and understand who you are, and who you want to be. If people want to label you as the underdog, that’s on them. But it’s a really slim pickings argument because Andrea has proven herself.
And now, she falls back on that like a crutch. And it’s not necessary at all. It’s really not necessary for Andrea to play that card, but it is… at this point, what she’s become great at. Portraying herself as an underdog. Telling people that nobody believes in her and that nobody thinks she deserves to be where she’s at and everyone doubts her.
I just can’t.
How can I possibly look at Andrea and think, yeah, total flash in the pan. She beat Crystal and I, after beating Crystal one on one. She did it AGAIN after that. She beat my wife twice, and has been a completely focused and determined wrestler, and fought like hell to keep the championship. I don’t see the bridesmaid, or an underdog. I see a champion. Well, former champion now, but the point still stands. So, if Andrea would stop relying on that to be her calling card, it would go a long way to have everyone else believe it.
Or maybe perhaps, in her own mind, Andrea still thinks that she is the underdog. Well, I am here to tell her she isn’t. And to stop thinking that way because it’s getting old. It’s like listening to a song that you really like on repeat for like 10 minutes. You listen and you sing along or you hung, and then you just listen to it over, and over and it’s eventually loses its luster and you want to find something new.
This is what we’re all experiencing right now with Andrea. And I didn’t want to be the one to have to say that, but I was the inspiration for this, so I figure that I should say something now so that we can move forward with Andrea. All I want is for her to stand up and be the champion we all just saw her to be, instead of one still looking what everyone else says and just trying to counter that. Now it’s almost like Andrea is just doing a ton of deflecting. I know, I’ve heard. Had my own history read back to me like I didn’t live through it or something.
Yes, I didn’t hold the Bombshell’s championship very long my second time. It was a bad time in my life and I have worked very hard to make up for that. I never said I was without flaws and that one still stings to this day. It doesn’t change the fact that I moved on, evolved past that. I am still waiting for Andrea to do the same. I don’t need her to Jekyll and Hyde this thing like Alicia, or Crystal. Just… evolve and stop trying to be what she thinks a champion is, and be what she knows one to be.
Having said all that, we stand across from each other on Sunday. It has long since been a match I have looked forward to. I will go ahead and say that I would have booked myself against Andrea if I had won Queen for a Day. Not even a title match, even if she had won. That’s how much I wanted to wrestle Andrea. Now, I get this chance here, and it’s unfortunate, though calculated why we are on opposite sides. And no, my history with Crystal will not prevent me from being a team player. I am more than capable of being professional and helping lead my team to the win. I don’t really know if I can stay the same between Andrea and Alicia.
Between Andrea still stuck in prove herself mode and Alicia obsession with being important…. Sounds to me like they’d both try and outdo each other to get that extra little edge.
So, just friendly advice here Andrea: I’d watch out for your partner. She already thinks she's carrying the team. I mean... I don't know about you, but I wouldn't stand for that.
Just saying.
Now, I’m coming into Sunday, ready to win and reaps the benefits, and I’ll actually be a little happier inside, knowing what it means for the future.
See you all Sunday.
