I pay my dues
All for truth
Can't leave it here and leave it here
And leave it here forgotten
Silence rules
Spineless fools
You'll never learn, never learn
Never learn to break away
Scene One- Arrival.
Off Camera
Six Months Ago
Washington D.C
The cab turned the corner down their street in residential D.C. The days of Spring had wound down and the first few of Summer had given even more light and sunshine to the vibrant flowers on the trees that stood like soldiers on either side of the street. Alicia smiled as she left the back window down feeling the warm air on her face. Her long blond hair flowed down behind her as the incoming breeze caught it and threw it sideways. The smile widened as she saw their home in the distance. Her eyes moving sideways to Michael who sat next to her, his hand in hers as he smiled back. His boyish good looks and deep blue eyes making Alicia blush as they slowly came to a stop outside their two-story townhouse.
Michael paid the cab driver as Alicia stepped out throwing the strap of her bag over her shoulder. Michael dragged their suitcase onto the sidewalk as the silver and blue cab pulled away. Alicia looked up at the house with a grin. She had come to think of this as her home since moving in with Michael a few months before their wedding. Their hands linked together and it hit her. Like a wave of realisation. This was the first time that Michael and Alicia would be walking into this house as Husband and Wife. Alicia squeezed his hand. Michael just turned his head with another small smile and a chuckle.
As they moved towards it the door opened and Alicia tilted her head in surprise. Michael seemed calm and still as if he was expecting it.
Suddenly Alicia’s face lit up even more as she saw Rory and Ryan, her sons pop out and laugh. They ran down the steps towards them and both young boys ran into Alicia’s arms as she dropped down to meet them. Michael laughed and put a hand on Ryans head before winking at Rory. Standing in the doorway was Alicia’s mother Barbara and her sister Zoey. Zoey stepped out and walked down the pathway before giving Michael a welcoming hug and then one for Alicia. Zoey whispered a few things in Ali’s ear, the two sisters speaking quietly with a giggle. Zoey pulled away and went to talk to Michael as the boys circled their mother talking and asking a million questions a minute.
Alicia tried to get them to calm down but just smiled as they kept them coming rapid-fire style. She then slowly raised her hand and shook her head. Rory stopping first before covering his brother's mouth. ”I missed you both too.” She smiled warmly again and gave her boys another hug before grabbing her bags and walking with her sister and Michael towards the house, the boys running in excited. Alicia’s feet tapped against the hardwood floors. The smell and feel of the house instantly relaxing her as the single thought went through her mind.
Home.
This was her home, the place where she wasn’t Alicia Lukas, wrestling star. She wasn’t a champion, a division leader, a star in this house. She was a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister. In this house, she wasn’t even Alicia Lukas. She was Violet Maxwell. The name and identity she tried so desperately to run from 7 years ago. This was even the life her mother wanted for her. The life she was shoved into at 16. The life that, at 20 almost made her want to end it all. But it was different with Michael, he would never hurt her, abuse her, make her feel like nothing.
This life was worth her attention.
This was worth her love.
And at this time, she could do both. This was no longer a choice of this or that. Violet could have it all. She sat at the kitchen bench, Michael talking to the boys about Paris, Zoey making coffee as their mother started to beam with pride about the fun she and the boys had while Michael and Violet were away. They laughed, they smiled, they listened to each other and all feelings of anxiety were gone. This was her family. This was her past and future moving towards one another. This was different, it was real. And now it had come full circle.
But her mind drifted back to the last time she felt accepted, the last time she needed to fight and claw for what she wanted and the illusion of family had become her life. Michael, the boys, her sister, her mother. They were all there and they were all around her and happy. In the past there was a fear it would be taken away. That it was all a lie. Chris, Sean, Kaden, Travis. They had all been wrong, disloyal and abusive in their own ways. Chris with his drinking and manipulation, Sean with his guilt trips, Kaden’s indecisive womanizing. And Travis with his constant testing and anger-inducing stupidity. But it was deeper than that, Jacob Cass had destroyed her mentally, Ronnie had broken her physically and emotionally.
To Alicia, a family was pain and sadness. But this was new, this was one final thing that she never expected to have in her life.
Peace.
Scene Two-Give up…
Off Camera
6 Years Ago
Kyoto, Japan
Her mop of blond hair whipped to the side as they all laughed. Not one of them looked to even offer a moment or look of sympathy or empathy. She dropped to her knees, her blood trickled from her mouth and rolled down her soft pink lips to the floor hitting the back of her hand. She took in deep breath after deep breath. Her chest rising and falling. Her bright blue eyes looked up through the veil of hair that had come to rest in front of her pale face. She looked around, their eyes burned a hole in her. The Japanese students, both men, and women snickered, as did the other gaijin. Including Sean Demont, a man who has been her friend, a man who had been her only friend. But now even he laughed as Alicia stayed on the mat.
Five months training in the dojo has passed. Alicia had learned many things. Striking, submission wrestling, some throws, and suplexes. But despite her effort, despite her heart, she was not taken seriously. She had become one of the best there, not just out of the foreigners, not just out of the woman. Out of the whole class. She had become better than some students who had been there years. She knew it and it made her blood boil. Alicia pulled herself to her feet and slowly wiped the blood from her lip. An elbow hard caught her flush on the chin. A loud shot that sent shockwaves through the small hall. She should have seen it coming. She scolded herself in her own mind as she stepped back in line with the others. Her head down as her mind flashed through everything that happened.
The attempted single leg, the sweep attempt, they spun and then. That was it. He was too fast. Sensei Takamura got her flush. Others tried but it was all a blur as they trained and moved. Alicia just went over and over where she went wrong. Over and over her footwork, her movements. She was at a wrong angle, she was too slow and not strong enough.
Her eyes burned with tears as her lips pursed together, her heart beat so hard and fast she could hear it inside her own head. She could feel it, her skin burning, her hands shaking. She had to hide it. The anger, the frustration, the pure emotion. All of it had to be pushed deep down and suppressed before ”Anata, soko ni, on'nanoko”. Shit. Takamura-san stepped out of line right in front of Alivia, he tilted his head studying her before smirking. He turned and dismissed the others, they filed away and Alicia looked down waiting for it. He came face to face with her and slowly motioned his hand for her to sit. She lowered herself to her knees as he did to in front of her.
”I am going to say this as simply and clearly as I can. So I will use English for your benefit.” Her heart sank. The instructors would only use English at a time when they felt disappointed and that Japanese was too noble of a language to be used in the situation. Alicia had picked up enough to understand what would be said to her. Not quite enough to fully respond. But this seemed dire as she looked ahead into her teacher's eyes. ”Give up…””WHAT?” Her protest came out louder than she had intended. Sensei Takamura’s eyebrow raised as he scoffed as if Alicia just proved his point. His hands clasped together in front of his body as he shook his head.
”You do not belong here. You are too emotionally weak.””No, I can hold it together I can keep it do- His hand rose up and he shook his head. Sensei Takamura was in his mid-thirties and had a successful career before starting his work here. Now he would occasionally wrestle and enjoyed it. He had shaggy black hair, a small beard, and a handsome face. His eyes showed compassion and understanding but he was strict. Because he had to be. When he spoke it was deep and with authority and respect. ”That is just it Violet. You hold back. Push it down. Instead of use it. Because deep down. You are scared. And I have no time for fear in my class. I can’t kick you out as you have not broken a rule. But I am urging you. Go home, little girl.”
He stood up as Alicia simply stayed silent. Her hands stayed on her knees as he turned and walked off the training mats and past the small ring. She sat there for what seemed like an eternity, his voice replaying in her head. Over and over. Was he right?. The sun had gone down and it was now night. Alicia pulled herself up and her legs burned, she had been there for so long. Her heart beat faster and faster as she moved into the lockerooms, she stared at herself in the mirror, studying her red eyes from crying, her flushed cheeks, her youthful face.
She sneered and reached down in her bag pulling out a pair of scissors she used to cut the tape for her wrists, she grabbed chunks of her long blond hair and started cutting. It fell to the floor in the heap as she moved her hands faster and harder until she stopped, her hands were still and the scissors slowly got lowered to a bench. She looked back up, her hair was cropped short, she snarled and shook her head. ”Little girl?...”
Scene Three-A rivalry
On Camera
Present Day
Washington D.C
”Rivalries. They come and go in this business but sometimes you come across a special one that really gets you excited every single time you’re in a match with that person or a spectator looking from the outside in. Some people might say that what happened at the SCW Supercard “High Stakes 8” was the start of a rivalry. See in that match I did what I always do. I won. It’s something I’ve done so much it just comes naturally to me. And some of you that don’t win over 90 percent of your matches as I do may sit back and think that you want that. But I can tell you all right now. There is a certain pressure that rises up when you are the favorite to win almost every match you step in.”
Alicia laughs to herself with her arms folded over her chest. A pink bandana tied and reversed under her long blond hair like a headband. A red Atlanta Falcons Jersey on her upper body. Showing the number and name of Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones. The bottom of the jersey sat draped over a pair of tight jeans with pink converse to round out the outfit.
”See at High Stakes I was ready to just beat the three women there, take my title and walk away without physically or emotionally beating their dumbasses too bad. See Stephanie knew she wasn’t walking away with that title. Trinity Jones didn’t even open her damn mouth but then. Then there was Brittany Williams. The answer to the question “what happens when you put an autistic raccoons brain in a thots body?”. Now, I want to make this clear since some of you are morons who have no idea how wrestling works.”
“See, you have to come into this business and pay dues. I know that Todd, Crystal and now Brittany have no idea what that means since their idea of paying dues is to just run their mouths and whine and beg until whoever is in charge just bows down and hands them what they want on a silver platter, but now, now I’m here. And if you want something?. You have to earn it. I was angry enough that Brittany was even in the match. This is a girl who isn’t even on the goddamn roster yet here she is in a title match for MY title. This showed me something. Christian and Mark only just know what they have, Up until that match they still thought that maybe I wasn’t as good as everyone said I was. That maybe, just maybe. I was “overrated”.”
“They put me in the ring against an Honor washout who already failed against me, an SCW washout who stayed silent and suddenly wasn’t “the dragon” anymore. And Brittany Williams who ISN’T EVEN ON THE GODDAMN ROSTER.”
“Now, I love a challenge. I love facing people who are as good or better than me so I can test myself and get better. But the only challenge I had in that match was not murdering a referee when the dust had settled. I had the match won, the referee assigned to the match counted the three and that other idiot counted it for Brittany. The match was done, the winner was me and Brittany can kiss my ass. See this little moron product of bad decisions and alcohol is not in my league. She didn't prove it at High Stakes and won’t prove it, EVER.”
She put emphasis on the final word and shook her head as she paced a little back and forth looking intense in front of her trophy case. The various titles and accolades she had collected through her career on full display including a new plate in front of her replica Honor Championship title that read. “Longest reigning” with a small paper not on the side that said “Suck it, Mercedes”
”So no, this is not the start of some amazing rivalry, this is not the start of a fued between myself and Brittany. She wants a shot?. She has to earn it, I know, weird concept right?. See I’m used to earning things. I earned my way up and won the WWH Bombshells title, I changed it to the women's world title and I made that thing mean something. I did the same thing with the Legacy title in Honor and now with the big belt. And trust me on this. As good as women like Amy Santino and Dani Weston are. I’m the big name, big fight, the big champion in SCW’s women’s division. And as announced. At Inception 3, I will face the SCW Bombshells champion, one on one with the winner taking both titles home, and the title of the BEST female in SCW. As it stands right now that match will be myself against Dani Weston. A dream match by any stretch of the imagination but we have four more shows until that event.”
“And, we both need to keep our titles till then.”
“I’m ready, I’m pumped and I will face anyone for the Honor championship. But before we get there. Before I defend the title or face Dani, I have to get by an old foe. I talked about rivalry’s before and this one, well this one is a rivalry. Sort of….”
“See Mercedes Vargas would have you believe this is some sort of epic war that has gone through match after match where she has come out on top the majority of the time. Hell, she said it on social media earlier this week. Our little score tally is 3 and 1. Three wins for Mercedes, one win for little ol me. You know, this is always the issue I have had with Mercy. She takes pointless statistics and half-truths and spins them in a way that makes her look dominant. She omits words or phrases to push her own narrative and career. And hey I get it, she needs to make sure she stays relevant, and this is a cheap way to do it…”
She raises an eyebrow and shrugs with a sigh.
”Let’s start with her claim at being the most dominant and best Honor champion ever. She was unpinned and unsubbed in Honor for the longest time, she did frop the unbeaten schtick but you look at her claims. I held the Legacy title over a year, had more defenses with that title than her, main evented just as many shows, and of course I NEVER LOST IT. I had to give it up. But oh, r9ght she said HONOR champion. Alright, so Alex Jones was champion with the other title the same amount of time with as many defenses and technically a better winning record just like me. But the reason Mercedes can say this and have people eat it up and still not technically be “wrong” is because with theWomen’s Honor championship, the title I currently hold, she did have the most defenses and up until last week was the longest running champion.”
“See, the lack of one word means she can skew facts and reality. But, it doesn’t stop there ladies and gentlemen. See as I mentioned before Mercedes talked about her 3 and 1 record against me. But let's look a little closer at that. Those four matches, one of them was the thirty-person Mayhem survival match. Did Mercedes win it?. Yeah, she did, great work. Did Mercedes eliminate me?, No, no she didn’t. And honestly, the only people who count battle royal wins as wins in a rivalry are overcompensating pedantic douchebags….”
“And then, there’s the DQ, technically a victory but, really? You want to count that one like you’re a fucking conquering hero?. The one real victory you have over me Mercy, the one time you can say you have beaten me and you have been the better woman was at the end of an elimination tag match. But even then, a year ago, what happened Mercedes?. Sure, the ending says you beat me but if you look closer at that match I came back from a situation where it was three on one. THREE ON FUCKING ONE. But no, you’re the better woman right?. You were this unpinned unsubbed unstoppable force in Honor, Better than anyone else.”
“Now, our most recent meeting. A match where I didn’t pin you, but I took your title. I WON THE MATCH. I stepped out of the ring with the title and you failed to stop me. So you have a handful of half-truths and fake wins while I hold a championship and have been met with more fanfare stepping into an SCW than you have in a long long time in this company. And truth be told, the one out of us that was “dominant” is me. You got three women to watch your back in GIFT. I had beaten Tatsu before and then I went about dismantling your little group.”
“You were off busy with Brooke, maybe you didn’t see it…”
Alicia scoffs and rolls her eyes. Grinding her teeth.
”I beat Stephanie, I beat Delia twice and that was after taking the title from you. Meanwhile, you went about beating up our GM. And that somehow makes you intimidating?. Thing is Mercy I do respect what you have done in Honor and SCW, I do respect what you have done in the ring and I will freely admit you are a great wrestler. Your insistence on constantly putting others down and never admitting your faults is what rubs EVERYBODY the wrong way. Sure, I’m arrogant, I’m cocky, but I can admit when I’ve been beaten. I can respect when I have been tested. Shit in LAW Crystal Hilton beat me one on one and I straight up gave her props, I still think she’s an annoying pain in the ass but she isn’t a joke and neither are you…”
“I just wish you weren’t so, insecure. At your age Mercedes, you should be a respected locker room leader. Not an arrgant self righteous egomaniac. You just lost your mixed tag titles to Sierra and Lachlan, and even your congratulations came with a backhanded compliment. There’s no weakness in admitting you were bested Mercedes. But, you don’t see that. And this being our first one on one match I have to ask, what excuse will you come up with after I win this?. I want to believe you’ll congratulate me, offer some real respect instead of the fake bullshit you normally do. After all, this is the first time you and I will be facing one on one. No Battle royal, no interference or partners, no elimination bullshit. No third person. Just you and me. We get to see who really is better and if you do happen to beat me I know it won’t be a fluke, I know it’ll be because on that night you were better.”
“I will have no trepidation in admitting it. You’re a hall of fame member in SCW, congratulations by the way. You have been at the top of SCW for five years and have broken records and set records and have been a champion over and over and over again. No one can ever take that away from you but I have to wonder, how carefully will you choose your words, Mercedes?. Will you go back over all the facts I presented and flap your gums telling me where and why I was wrong and that you’re the best and I’m nothing?. Will you lie to Mark Ward and Christian Underwood again and refer to me as a “gamble?”
“If I beat you Mercy, I just beat a Hall of fame, a former world champion who I just admitted was a great wrestler, if I lose to you, well I just lost to all of those things. But what you say about me will add to how people view you and your skewed look at reality. You talk me down and tear me down and I beat you?. Then you’ve lost to someone who you deem unworthy, and if you do beat me?. Same deal. Take a good long hard look at yourself and realise the world and universe does not revolve around Mercedes Vargas. Instead at Climax Control 222, let's tear the house down and show everyone why I am the present and future, and why you deserved your hall of fame spot….”
Oh, why can't we rise again?
When all the days go by the firelight
We'll never fade out in the night
And we are estranged but drawn to the flame
We are like fire to the rain
Isn't it strange that love is in the way?
It never goes away (never goes away)
