[Christian Underwood]

Post all roleplays for this match here.
Limits: 1 roleplay per week, per character, 10,000 limit.

Good luck!

[Alicia Lukas]

Session Four, Part 1: When it broke.

There comes a moment, where everything has just piled on to a point where the pressure breaks you. It doesn’t matter how strong you are mentally or physically. Everyone, and I mean everyone has a breaking point. The point in your life where everything is lost, everything is overbearing and there is no light at the end of the tunnel. When it happens all it takes is a little push in either direction. One way or the other. To end it all, to stop the pain forever in a moment of selfish relief. Or to soldier on, to scratch, claw and fight for a better life.

Then there’s the third option.

You don’t end it, you don’t fight. You run. You just look in one direction, and no matter what you have left behind you do not under any fucking circumstances look back. That’s how Alicia felt one night years ago. This one is hard for her to get through. And no matter the support from her sons, her husband, her teammates or her doctor, this was going to take her back to a place where she almost took herself out of the game. A night where she was moments before checking out permanently.

”Just breath deep and slow. Close your eyes and try to remember why you felt that way. And how you beat it.” Dr Whitlows voice was calm, soothing but also authoritative. It wasn’t so much of a request, more of an order. She wanted a breakthrough, to know why Alicia ran, why she almost ended it.

It was their engagement dinner. They had been forced to make it official. Even after Ronnie had gotten Alicia pregnant twice they still hadn’t made it official as Mr Andrews was unsure, due to Alicia’s family having a low standing in society now. Rory and Ryan were still babies. Both under two years old. Alicia could feel the way everyone looked at her. As if she was so lucky that Ronnie had chosen her, that she was low scum, a teenage mother that had hit the jackpot. Even her friends, girls she had grown up with, gone to high school with and spent hours and hours talking to felt that way. Her own mother sneered and let the comments stand. Every slight, every cruel joke. They hung in the air and Alicia just had to eat it.

Then there was Ronnie himself. Sitting there next to Alicia, smiling and joking, being so charming and looking innocent. Like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth.

Alicia knew the truth. She knew the kind of man he was and this sickened her. Her stomach churned, she stared down at her plate, still full of food, she wasn’t hungry, a fact many sitting at the table had already commented on, one woman spitting that Alicia must be “watching her weight”. It got under her skin, she felt judged and like people were looking down on her. Ronnie looked sideways, his gaze moved from Alicias plate up to her face, she tried to hide the frustration and sadness. Ronnie then leaned over and whispered so no one else could hear. ”Could you smile? You are embarrassing me.” She knew what that meant.

A chill went up her spine. Her hand moved up taking the fork in her hand as she popped a piece of steak in her mouth. Ronnies hand drifted down and grabbed her leg, his thumb and fingers squeezing her this hard just above her knee. She winced but knew enough to try and hide it. ”This is a big night, you should be happy, not ungrateful, you bitch. Now smile while they’re all watching.” She turned to him, her cheeks moved up, the smile was fake but as she added a small chuckle people turned away, including her mother. Alicia swallowed hard and looked down and away. Ronnie sneered and shook his head squeezing harder.

There was a crying sound from the other room. Rory was awake and needed feeding. Alicia sighed heavily as she stood up. Ronnie pulled her back down for a moment and kissed her on the cheek. ”I will see to him…” Ronnie nodded slowly and Alicia moved through the dining room and into the study where the boys were put as they slept. Alicia moved to her bag and grabbed a bottle. Ryan, o0only seven months old, slept in a small crib as Rory who was almost two, sat up, his eyes red as tears moved down his face. ”I know kiddo.” She smiled and pulled Rory up and onto her lap leaning the bottle in his mouth.

Alicia was startled as Ronnie stepped in, his head tilting to the side as he closed the door behind him. ”What is taking so long? My aunt is out there and wants to see you.” He sneered and growled putting his arms on his hips. ”Your attitude has been atrocious. You should be glad, I wanted you. My father said I should have chosen someone closer to my fucking breeding.” She swallowed and finished giving Rory his bottle, he was back asleep, Alicia moved and set him back down before turning back and going to walk past Ronnie. His hand shot sideways, hitting her in the lower stomach. Alicia doubled over and coughed. ”Take a moment, fix yourself up and adjust your attitude, get out there and stop being a fucking bitch.”

As he left, her hands shook. Her body ached and she almost dropped to her knees as tears formed in her eyes smudging her make up. She couldn’t take it anymore, the pain, the humiliation. It was enough. She looked behind her at her sons, both of them sleeping soundly. They’d be better off without her. Ronnie treated them like little princes. She looked over at the bathroom to the side moving towards it. Her hand reaching down to grab her make up bag on the way. She closed the door behind her and looked up at the mirror, she hated what she saw.

Her eyes closed, her body shook and she had to use all her willpower not to burst into tears. But there just wasn’t enough.

She sat down on the toilet seat, her head in her hands as she whimpered and felt the heat in her face. She wanted to scream, she wanted to hit the wall. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t bring herself to allow Ronnie that victory. Her eyes moved to the side and she saw it siting on the bench. Ronnie’s fathers straight razor. Before she knew it the razor was in her hand. She opened nit and looked over the blade. He kept it so sharp and made sure it was in the shape he needed it for. She looked in the mirror, she turned on the faucet as hot water poured and steam rose up. Her hand trembled as she looked down at her wrist.

”I can’t imagine getting to that point.”

Dr Whitlow sighed heavily, her hand moving up to wipe a tear away. Alicia stared at the ceiling in her familiar position. Her hands clasped over her stomach as she swallowed and looked over. She simply shrugged and let out a deep breath. Dr Whitlow sat back and moved the pen around in her hand before writing something down. ”I felt like I had nothing. My boys would be better off without me, my mother could just write me off. My brother and sister didn’t matter. It was selfish and a cowardly thing to think of.” Alicia spit it like venom, still wallowing in self hatred over the actions from a decade ago.

It was all fresh in her mind. Dr Whitlow shook her head and leans forward. ”Take a break. We have more time but, I think you need it.” She was right, Alicia needed to breathe, to remember where she was and who she was. To readjust. She sat up and gave a small nod before moving over to grab some water. Soon she would have to ngo back in, and that would be an even harder trip down memory lane.

Bitch, I’m already a queen

”Can I stop pretending now?”

Alicia fuckin Lukas. Her long blond hair flowing down the side of her face, her makeup done with cherry red lips, eyeliner that made her bright blue eyes pop and the black war strip under her eye. .She shook her head and sneered, already in a bad mood it seems.

”Can I stop sitting here and pretending I’m not still the best professional wrestler on this planet today?. Thats what I feel like I’ve been doing. Since the start of the year, since I lost the SCW bombshells title to Keira Fisher-Johnson I have had this personality crisis. Some have said I seem erratic. Not focused. And honestly they’re right. I am at my best when I have a goal in mind. When I know what I want and I chase it. Like a relentless pitbull. So, I need to get back to that. And what better way than to win the Queen for a day ladder match and gain the power to change my own destiny. Cause, honestly, I’ll tell you all right now what I’ll do. Whoever comes out of Into the void as champion, well, I’ll be coming for them. I’ll book myself in a title match so fast it’ll make y’alls heads spin.”

“I’m not even sorry. And that is the right of the match winner. You become queen for a day you can do what you want. Hell if I want to book Crystal in a ten on one handicap match I can, if I want to put Roxi Johnson back in the ring with her wife again, guess what?, I can.”

“I love this concept and it’s the first time I have been able to go for it. And goddamn am I hungry?”

“Before I get into who is in the match, let me just go over a few things here. I have been very vocal in my opinions when it comes to overuse of terms and how some people are undeserving of hero worship. I feel sorry for Bella Madison, unable to be cleared for this match, when she needs a win like this to really boost her career and what she is capable of. But deep down I know she wanted it. The same cannot be said of Keira Fisher-Johnson. And, you all want to know why my opinion changed of her? It’s not just what happened with the title, it’s aos because of her attitude when it comes to things like this. See, she has been announced for opportunities over and over again. Handed them as a matter of fact. And here she gets another on a silver platter. Only to be “pulled” from the match.”

“Presumably because she’d rather spend her time tweeting about donuts and pretending she’s training. The truth is people like Keira Fisher-Johnson don’t belong in matches like this or in the ring with me. They’re pretend wrestlers, pretend warriors and should have never been allowed to get their hands on a world title. In one moment, one flukish moment she took that title from me and instead of getting it right back I decided to try and have some humility...and because of that the Bombshells title was made to look like a joke…”

She growls and shakes her head before getting to her feet and pacing, the anger in her veins rising up and causing her to step harder on the floor.

”So, now we have talked about those who have fallen on hard luck and those who didn’t deserve it in the first place lets get to the opponents in it and my ”competition”. Now, there’s no secret matches like this can be an absolute clusterfuck. It’s also no secret that in matches like this I have an up and down relationship. I can dominate, destroy half the field or everyone involved only to be piped at the finish line by some lucky fucker with a horse shoe up her cooch and a four leaf clover up her ass.”

“One on one I am damn near unbeatable. And that is what I have to keep in mind. See Seleana, Zuri, they are just two of the women who have found out what it’s like to face someone like me. Maki did too, shit Mercedes and Char have also fallen to me.”

“So that is what I’m fighting for in this.”

“I win the Queen for a day, I climb the ladder and get the win, well I can book myself against whoever I want for whatever I want. One on one, no one else. Just me and whoever I set my sights on. I can call my shot and do anything I want. No one can stop me, no one can say no and all you can all do is watch and whine your little hearts out, since most of you are nothing but a pack of whiny entitled bitches who don’t know the meaning of earning anything.”

Alicia pauses for a moment and scoffs folding her arms over her chest.

”Take all my opponents in this match for example. Courtney Pierce is an expert at running her mouth on twitter, acting like she’s a star and she has the right to run down everyone in the Bombshells division. Including Salco, who beat her. In fact little miss Pierce hasn’t been going to well has she? In between long periods of inactivity she lost to Salco and Kwan but then somehow, someway got herself a title opportunity at Climax control 300 all because of an opportunity she won from a blast from the past tournament years ago.”

“Are you kidding me Courtney? First off, you don’t have the right to run anyone down in this division when you’re struggling to remain relevant and need to call on things from 2018 to make sure anyone remembers you. Since that Blast from the past win you haven’t done a goddamn thing Court, and you failed, hard, against Amber Ryan in trying to get your hands on the bombshells title.”

“You know the bombshells title right?”

“The one I have held three times since 2019?. The title that I held longer than anyone in a single reign, the title that I didn’t let Crystal, her daughter or her wife get their hands on from my second reign onwards?. That one? The title you have never held?. In fact, you haven’t held any title in Sin City Wrestling. You come from that overrated rat pack of mediocrity Jet City. Meanwhile I come from Wolfslair. The team of champions. And not just in Sin city. See, while Austin, Alex, Johanna and myself have dominated this company we have champions everywhere. You Jet city scrubs are just faded memories and empty promises. I can’t let you get queen of the day, imagine the mediocre bullshit you’d book…”

She makes a face, holding her stomach as if she’s about to throw up.

”Thing is while I don’t get why Coyrtney is here or even Char I completely understand Mercedes. See, like me Mercedes Vargas has a certain amount of equity built up in this company. Her name is synonymous with the initials SCW and when people will name their top Bombshells Mercedes will bounce around that conversation. Much like myself. But, unlike Mercedes who had a few good years and has been riding that wave ever since I haven’t stopped being exceptional. I came into SCW as one of the best and still, here today over two years since I walked into the company I’m still here. I haven’t fallen off, I haven’t become like you. See, I still win, I still go into every match I have as the betting favorite.”

“Meanwhile, you, well, you go into matches, lose and then make excuses. You even said once that you didn’t care if you lose because you’re still Mercedes Vargas. You’ll still get opportunities and this match, well this match proves you right doesn’t it Mercy?”

“See, the last two supercards, I beat you, then Maki. And I have continued my winning ways all the way up to Into the void and this match. Meanwhile, you lost to me, you were able to beat Violet Amelia Holt at Blaze of glory, cause, that sure as shit is difficult. Well, not for me, seems to be for you since you beat her but then lost the roulette qualifier to her. Then you got beaten by Krystal Wolfe so literally, the only reason Mercedes Vargas is in a match of this magnitude in 2021 is because of shit she did in 2012…..and that’s sad as fuck….”

“Not as sad as Char Kwan though…”

She laughs to herself and rolls her eyes.

”The last member of Gamer INC and the Trenton pussies to be floating around SCW still acting like she’s something special when she was a fucking alternate in this match. Cause if Bella wasn’t injured and Keira wasn’t such a piece of shit you’d be sitting backstage in fucking catering. But, hey you have this opportunity drop in your lap and much like Courtney you don’t really deserve it. You got beat by Jesse Salco, went to a no contest with Krystal, got humiliated by Evie before she went on on her orgasm vacation with Ben.,...”

“In fact the only bright spark in who pitiful bullshit career over the last year is your win over tweedle dumb…”

“And by that I mean Courtney Pierce, just incase you’re as slow as Char is.”

“Bottom line Kwan, you stomp around talking like you’re some kind of star and you can beat anyone when all evidence is to the contrary. You want to be someone different and prove everyone wrong then this is the perfect match to do it. Climb the ladder, take the briefcase and book yourself in a title match or something else to get your glory. Or, a better idea. And one that bis much, much more likely. The three of you can watch me climb that ladder, get the briefcase, bring it down and then kiss my ass for a title shot when I book MY show and am Queen for a day...cause the rest of you?..y’all are fools for a lifetime…”

[Char Kwan]

May 5, 2021
Walnut Creek, California
Off Camera

It was a beautiful weekend in Walnut Creek. The rain had finally stopped as Charlene Kwan was sitting on the edge of her bed after putting on her running attire. After slipping on her jogging tights, she stands up to her feet while moving towards her sock drawer. Right as she opens the drawer, the sound of knuckles knocking on her door echoes through the house. A strong sigh escapes from Char’s throat as she walks out of her bedroom not knowing who is at the door.

“Char, are you in there?” a feminie voice calls out as Char stops dead in her tracks. She glances down at her invisible watch on her left arm.

“I wasn’t expecting any visitors,” she moans to herself before stepping up to the door. She opens it slightly as the face of an old woman reflects off the glass in her front door.

“Hello dearie,” the old woman spats as Char scratches her right index finger on her head.

“Who the hell are you?” she asks out loud as the old woman seems to be taken aback by the harshness in Char’s voice.

“I’m Ms. Drysdale from across the street,” the old woman answers in a very sweet tone.

“What the fuck do you want?” the question fires out of Char’s mouth as Ms. Drysdale’s jaw just dropped open.

“Didn’t your mother ever teach you how to talk to your elders?” Ms. Drysdale asks while slapping her hands on each hip while popping one out. She was trying to look tough but Char just rolled her eyes. “That’s not very polite,” Ms. Drysdale points out.

“You either tell me what you fucking want or I’m going to slam this door in your face,” Char warns the old woman.

“My word, someone ought to teach you some manners. You don’t talk to a woman of my age like that,” Ms. Drysdale says. Char shakes her head while placing one foot in front of her door.

“Listen bitch, I don’t give two flying witches who you are or how old you fucking are. You are the one who knocked on my door and haven’t told me what you wanted. Now you either say it or you can enjoy the taste of oak as it slams in your face. Do I make myself perfectly clear?” Char tells the old woman who seems to grow in anger by the minute.

“You self entitled brats are always thinking of yourself. Did it ever occur to you that the worl…..,” Ms. Drysdale starts to say as Char slams the door right in her face. A loud hmph escapes from Ms. Drysdale as Char is just shaking her head.
“I warned the old bitch but she just wouldn’t take the corncob out of her ear long enough to listen,” Char speaks to herself while stepping back into her room. She goes back to her drawer and once again starts looking for a nice pair of running socks. As she rummages through her sock drawer, another knock comes on her door. “I swear to fucking god,” she exclaims while slamming her drawer again.

“Ms. Kwan,” the voice rings out as Char doesn’t recognize it at first. “Ms. Kwan, it would be in your best interest to open the door,” the voice continues to say as Char slowly makes her way out of her bedroom. She reaches her doorknob and turns it slightly. She pokes her head out as a blonde standing 5 foot 8 inches tall is standing on her doorstep with a briefcase in her right hand.

“Who in the hell are you?” Char asks while opening the door a little further.

The woman reaches into the pocket in her jacket and pulls out a business card. “My name isn’t important. I have been sent here on orders of your father,” the woman responds as Char looks at her.

“What does my father have to do with this?” asks Char.

“May I come in,” the woman politely asks while keeping her eyes looking directly into Char’s eyes. Against better judgment, Char opens the door and tells her to come into the room.

“If you don’t mind, then I’d like my advocate here,” she states as the woman nods her head. Char walks back into her bedroom, snatches her phone off the charging table and shoots a text to Mr. Chalmers. The woman places her briefcase onto the kitchen table and proceeds to open it up. Char watches her from the safety of her room while shaking her head.

“Who is this stupid bitch?” she asks herself while waiting for Mr. Chalmers to text her back.

Into The Void
Queen Char emerges
On Camera

When the card for Into The Void was announced, I wasn’t even thought of until Christian Underwood realized he made a mistake. He knew the queen for a day match wouldn’t be entertaining with Kiera Johnson in the ring. So he decided to swap me for her. Now, I can see everyone in this match is going to be gunning for me. How do I know? Because everyone in this match is constantly thinking that I am a massive joke.

Let’s not forget that I hold a pinfall victory over Courtney Pierce. Let’s not forget that Alicia Lukas nor Mercedes Vargas hasn’t faced me in the ring before. This is my opportunity to become the main event player that I know I can be. The groans in the locker room can be heard from every bitch who has held me down.

Let’s talk about the bitches in this match. The first bitch is the historian Mercedes Vargas. She loves telling people their wins and losses but she seems to downplay her own failures. When was the last time she won a major contest on a pay per view? When was the last time she was actually relevant? She talks a good game but when push comes to shove she drops the damn ball. I know she is the first winner of this match but since then she has failed. It’s almost like her entire career. She wins some but she loses way more. Unfortunately, her losing streak will continue.

The next bitch is Courtney Pierce. I bet you are fuming. You did have your foot on the bottom rope but the referee screwed you. My question is how do you get an opportunity like this after failing in your attempt to be a world champion. Do you think being a queen is going to be the next best thing? It has been proven that you can’t win when the pressure is high. I wonder how your knee will hold up in a match like this.

Finally, Alicia Lukas is the number one bitch I am looking to fuck the hell over. I mean just listening to her makes my skin crawl. I swear how many fucking times are we going to listen to you boast about what you did when you arrived. I remember you got handed the fucking title because you just waltzed your happy ass over here after Honor Wrestling went belly up. I don’t remember the last time you actually busted your ass. You keep saying that you're the best bombshell on the roster. If that was the case then shouldn’t you still be the world bombshell champion. Since you aren’t the champion, that means you are a lying sack of human waste. I am looking forward to slamming your face into every ladder in this match.

That’s what you bitches don’t realize. I love ladder matches. I did do some research. Mercedes Vargas hasn’t won a match at Into The Void in a long time. Courtney Pierce is making her debut. Alicia Lukas has won and lost at Into The Void. This is my debut and I plan on making it a memorable one. I plan on using the ladder as a weapon. I am going to smash, dash and bash each of you. Then I am going to scale up the ladder and take the crown.

Queen Char looks to take control of her kingdom.[/color]

[Mercedes Vargas]

Blog: Almighty Fire
semana del 9 al 16 de mayo de 2021

Over the course of my time with Sin City Wrestling, I've achieved sustained success and that can't be argued. Some people talk endlessly about being Mark Ward's favorite Bombshell or being snubbed on some stupid all-time greatest Bombshell list, but there's just no argument, no debate, and you can put to bed and put to rest any doubt that I am that damn good. I like to think I've more than proven that on Sunday nights. Now I'm doing the same on Saturday nights over in Sin City Underground. But let's get this where this needs to be. Into the Void is just around the corner and while I'm deeply honored to once again compete in the Queen for a Day ladder match, I seriously didn't think I would be in it. Not so much that I'm afraid of heights, but that in the handful of ladder matches I've competed in, I rarely win these things. And with who I'm facing this year, I'm definitely going to have my work cut out for me. You can't simply plan for a ladder match, you just can't. That probably explains why I've won just two of these matches in my nearly nine-year career in SCW.

This rivalry between Alicia and I have been competitive, that's what happens when you have two successful wrestlers in the division. It's obvious to everyone that Alicia has a massive chip on her shoulder and it shows. No longer is anyone singing her praises or saying 'Alicia is SCW!" Each day without that World Bombshell Championship, Alicia dies a little inside, she gets a little anxious, maybe a little annoyed and pissed off. But maybe, just mayaaaabe winning Queen of the Day can be Alicia golden ticket back to greatness.

Alicia has her eye on the World Bombshell Championship, but what do you think happens if she were to win Queen for a Day, books herself that World Bombshell Championship match...and loses? Not to play devil's advocate here, but what if Amber does to Alicia what she's obviously going to do Ruby Steele at the supercard? Would Alicia still grumble and gripe about another missed opportunity? Will she go back to the well and talk about how great she was? Because I can tell you right now for all the insecurities that's coming out of her pores right now, she's not fooling this Latina. I don't know how best to say this, but I don't need a title to be relevant and no matter how many reigns Alicia needs to help her on those cold nights, she isn't whole again without that championship. It's that piece to the jigsaw puzzle that you thought was missing but turns out it was hidden in the box all along.

Alicia and I have been successful in multiple companies, especially here in SCW. Only difference is, she's not quite where she wants to be. No, not to her expectations.

My expectations.

Everything about Alicia is dominant. From her presence to her in-ring ability, she's proven herself as a force to be reckoned with in the three-plus years she's been with SCW. But as great as Alicia is - and she is great, let there be no doubt - even she knows she will never hope to achieve what I've accomplished. While she's only recently become the woman everyone loves to hate, I've held that mantle for the longest time. While she's always been arrogant, rude, and too full of herself to be humble, she's met her match in that department. There was already a golden child before the ink dried on her SCW contract.

The road paved in gold that she loves to walk on, it's women like me that built the foundation. The Myra Rivers', Amber Ryan's and Andrea Hernandez's of the world didn't join SCW because of Alicia Lukas. Oh no, they came because of me and the bar that I've set in this company. A bar that Alicia thinks she's probably reached because of a nine-month reign or three world title reigns. While these feats are impressive in their own right, that last reign would have meant something, if she didn't choke against Keira Fisher-Johnson, the last person who should have any business being world champion much less having her name uttered in the same sentence.

There the one thing eating away at Alicia and that's the fear of being forgotten. When Alicia was at home nursing her injuries thanks to Bobbie last year, I don't remember a single person making a big deal over that or caring one way or the other if she was coming back. When Bobbie injured me, gave me that concussion, Christian and Mark waited with baited breath until I was medically cleared to compete. And if that isn't a stark comparison to where we are in this stage of our careers, than I don't know what is. Sooner rather than later, the only time Alicia Lukas will be seen in SCW is at catering, just like Sierra Williams was before she decided to cut her losses and leave the company. I'm sure Johanna Krieger and Apple Coren will make room for Alicia, it's the best they could do.

Char Kwan and I will be meeting in an SCW ring for the first time ever and it's about time because for a moment there  I forgot she still worked here, even after being a part of two failed stables. I guess when the mood strikes them, the owners of this company is willing enough to hand out opportunities to a lucky few and Char finally hit the lottery. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good and luck is what happens when skill meets opportunity. Char is going to need that, a little bit of luck and a whole lot of talent for the daunting task ahead because out of the four of us in this match, it's almost a given who's just another warm body called into service. If Keira didn't back out suddenly and Bella wasn't injured, chances are that Char Kwan would be sitting at home watching the supercard than being in it. I mean, she's been in just five matches this year and won a grand total of never. If she was planning of getting that first win at the supercard, she's going to have a long night.

Of course, I haven't forgotten the time Char called me out to face her once. It's not the one-on-one she was expecting, but this match will do for now. Besides, there's a little history here between us even before we both got to SCW. See, last time I saw Char Kwan it was in another time, another place, another ring. I pinned our purple-haired dynamo in a mixed tag match in Honor Wrestling four years ago and maybe she hasn't forgotten that match. If she were to win Queen for a Day, she probably would put me in some match I had no chance of winning. Petty and small-minded, sure, but that's okay. Whatever slights, perceived or otherwise, Char has against me, I'm more than welcome to meet her in the ring face-to-face so we can iron out our issues.

The obvious wildcard is Courtney Pierce. You cannot question the heart of the girl and she did give her all at the go-home show, but luck was not on her side, or maybe an angry Amber Ryan is still a vicious and very, very dangerous one. Whether it was by luck or incompetent officiating, or maybe the referee being paid off, Amber still walked out champ. For all I know we could see a rematch because we all know that no good deed goes unpunished in this company. But that's in the future.

Right now, as in the immediate future, Courtney has been fighting an uphill battle ever since she returned to SCW and that's not going to change this Sunday. Let's call it for what it is, Courtney should be in one of the least important matches of the night at the very least facing one of newest talents on the roster, but I guess this is her reward for her game effort in the main event. Could we have seen a new champion, sure. Did I think it was going to happen before the supercard, even I wouldn't bet my salary on that. If anything, Courtney should be thanking her lucky stars that she gets this opportunity because while she's proved that she still has heart and passion, it's not going to be enough to take her to the top. It wasn't enough at the go-home show and it won't be enough at Into the Void. This match is as close as she's ever going to get to another title opportunity for a long time. Who knows, maybe her future will be joining catering?

It's no secret that yours truly is back at it again to make history one more time in the fourth Queen for a Day in history. What else would you expect from a bonafide legend like myself?

Confidence isn't walking into a room thinking you're better than everyone, it's walking in not having to compare yourself to anyone else. Considering the three women I'll be facing at Into the Void, I don't have to compare myself because, quite frankly, there's just no comparison.

Sit down. Hands down. Bow down.

~~~

  

Flashback - February 2009, Miami, Florida

Un Sueño - Faded Glory

If there's one thing I've learned about travel brochures it's kind of like the notice they put on rearview mirrors: objects are closer than they appear.

Mercedes unfurls a travel brochure, looking at one picture then looks up at reality.

Everyone's idea of Miami is either based on a rap video, Miami Vice or an episode of CSI: Miami, so imagine my disappointment when the notion of the Magic City wasn't too much based on legend than reality.

Mercedes: Where's the beaches?!

I had some time on my hands and I was looking forward to mix and mingle with the celebrities who call this city home. I always wanted to go to Miami but there was always something that got in the way. Luckily, that wasn't the case this time. I was going to be partying up every weekend with Pitbull, going on a world tour with Gloria Estefan, swapping the latest gossip with Perez Hilton. But it's the week ahead of my first career pay-per-view match, I doubt any real celebrity knew me from Eve, and who knew reading a city map would be this hard?

~~~

  

>••••

L A S V E G A S • N E V A D A

Flash forward to now.

"So he tells me, "Do you know why I stopped you?" And I'm like "wouldn't you like to know?" Now it's 1:15 in the morning, it's cold as hell in Queens. I just didn't feel like opening up.

"Uh, huh."

"He says, "Do you know why I stopped you? I'll give you three guesses, and the first two don't count. So now I'm in trouble and haven't done anything yet, The female officer returns, pointing a pinpoint flashlight in my face. She asks if she can search my car, and I refused.

"Perfectly legal."

"Perfectly legal. I understood what they were doing and all but it's late and I had a flight to catch and I told them this. They wanted to know where I was going. I asked them if they were writing a book."

"Easy now, you don't want to go mouthing off with a police officer or you're just asking for trouble."

"I think they had a heart because they let me of with a ticket and a warning."

A quiet evening overlooking the Las Vegas skyline from her hotel room at The Saxon. Mercedes sits comfortably on her bed as she's was being interviewed for a podcast promoting Into the Void.

" Writing an entire book can be a challenge, especially for someone who's never done it before. Especially for the bestsellers the hardest part is getting the first page done. You undoubtedly have no shortage of interesting stories regarding your time in the sport, Mercedes. How difficult was it for you to get all antedotes for your upcoming book?"

"I'm still in the planning stages. They are so many stories to tell it's just hard to pick just one over some 12 years or so. Writing an autobiography allows me to tell my own story and attempt something I've never done before so there's that. Once my book is finish, that would be one huge goal I can cross off my checklist. Hint, hint. Nudge, nudge."

"Let's talk about Into the Void. You're in the fourth Queen for a Day ladder match and you're the only female wrestler to appear in this match more than once and have been in the most matches?"

"Hard to believe, but yeah. I've been in every match except for one, that was the second Queen for a Day in 2017."

"How do you think you'll do?"

"As better than I did last year. Christina Rose won, couldn't have happened to a nicer person. I think every year is Queen for a Day or nothing. That's the goal of every girl in this match."

"Tell me about your opponents this year."

"Well, I know none of them have been in this match before so I already have an advantage. Char Kwan has never competed at Into the Void while Courtney and Alicia has never lost. I have the most wins at this supercard. Of course, winning the first-ever Queen for a Day helps too."

"You have 90 seconds to sum up why you should win. And go."

"If there's anyone who should be Queen for a Day, they don't need to have a match, the Queen is alread here. Courtney, Alicia, and Char Kwan will give it their all, but this is a match I can't lose. It's meant to be and it will be. That's just the way it is. Long before they knew and long after they'll remember."

~~~

  

L A S V E G A S • N E V A D A

REC•]

Mercedes doesn't even acknowledge the camera as we see her leaning against her Porsche 911 cabriolet. It's a beautiful night here in Las Vegas as the last sunlight of the day sets over the Las Vegas Strip. Wearing tight jeans, an authentic Mercedes t-shirt   and hidden under a Las Vegas Raiders baseball cap, the SCW Hall of Famer seems to be in a good mood after recent events and despite her loss a number of weeks ago.

"You know, I can't believe that Summer is almost here and we're halfway through 2021. I seem to remember I had a pretty rough start this year, and while I was still going through the motions of last year, today I can smile because I've had few things to smile about. Last year was my worst year since I joined the roster, I had a concussion that made me miss a month full of matches, did not win a championship for the first time ever, and yet I still competed in 20 matches, not to mention breaking other records and milestones. This year started the same before I turned the corner. If this is what "worst" is going to look like then that's not a bad tradeoff."

Mercedes turns to the World Nightmare Championship draped over her shoulder, than back to the camera.

"Sure, winning the World Nightmare Championship is great and all, beating two former champions in my first two defenses is great, but I could be doing so much more. I should be winning so much more. Krystal Wolfe did what she had to to beat me in my recent match. Trust me when I tell you no one is more disappointed then myself. You know what? Hats off to Krystal. She was the better woman that night, definitely the smarter one too. Now Krystal can tell her small circle of friends that she beat an SCW Hall of Famer, but whether our little Aussie native take advantage of it in her title match is another story. Conventional wisdom says no and the wrestling gods are probably laughing right now, but I'd be very shocked if she were to walk out of Into the Void with the Bombshell Roulette Championship.

As for me, I'll chalk up this loss and focus on bigger and better challenges to look forward to. And what's next is Courtney, Alicia, and Char next Sunday. I just want to know something. Do you know what you're getting, chickadees?"

Mercedes points at herself.

"This is consistent Mercedes right here. 50 pay-per-view matches in a row. No one has ever done it, before or since. There's a reason why I am the pay-per-view ironwoman in the women's division. No, not just the division...the entire company.. Win, lose, or draw, no matter where I am on the card, whether I hold the top championship or not, the name of Mercedes Vargas is still a big deal in Sin City Wrestling. You may not like it, but you better respect it.

"One week from Sunday is the Queen for a Day match and I don't think, I KNOW I'm the biggest threat in this match. I know it, the SCW universe knows it, the owners knows it, and most importantly you all know it. Now I realize I'm facing Courtney and Char for the first time and while Alicia knows what I'm all about, neither of you have been in the ring with me. But that's ok too because watching tape and stepping in the ring with someone are two different things. I can watch your past matches all day, but that won't help either of us win next Sunday.

"And Alicia? You want to talk about how you're already a queen? Sweetheart, you're not even on the throne and there's someone else wearing the crown now. If I were you, I wouldn't worry about the next time the World Bombshell Championship is around your waist, I'd worry about what you're going to have to go through to get it.

At Into the Void, I like to think that history is on my side. You can't have the Queen for a Day match without the first-ever winner. I made my SCW pay-per-view debut at Into the Void. I have the most overall and consecutive appearances at Into the Void. I ended Sam Marlowe's historic Bombshell Roulette Championship reign at Into the Void. Proud of it, not ashamed to say it."

Her whole face expands into a beaming grin.

"¿Sabes que más? Fui el primera vez cuatro veces campeón de la ruleta bombazo SCW en Into the Void."
"Know what else? I was the first-ever fo-fo-fo-four time Bombshell Roulette Champion at Into the Void."

Mercedes raises an index finger in a wait-a-minute gesture.

"I ruined Seleana's SCW pay-per-view debut at Into the Void. I have never been pinned or submitted at Into the Void. I have more wins than Courtney, Alicia, and Char COMBINED at Into the Void. As a matter of fact, I have more wins than any Bombshell or Superstar who has ever competed at Into the Void."

She holds up five fingers.

"So, I think this goes to show that I'm at my best at this supercard, don't you think? See, Alicia isn't the only favorite here, I'm just as much a threat as she is, if not more. And maybe I should feel bad about possibly walking out of this match as a two-time Queen for a Day winner, but you know something, I don't feel bad because I'm that damn good, and I won't apologize for that.

"But where are my manners? Next Sunday isn't about me, oh no, it's about all of you in this match. Here's your chance to cement your place in history, and all you have to do is climb that ladder,and the briefcase, and the contract inside, is yours. Sounds simple, right?"

Mercedes pauses, shaking her index finger at the camera.

"Not so simple. The Queen for a Day runs through me, chickadees. I made history at Into the Void before. I say why not do it again this year? So then, the question isn't who's going to let me..."

She shoved her hair back away from her face.

"it's who's going to stop me."

She spreads her arms wide, a clear invitation and challenge.

"Estar preparado para lo peor, esperar lo mejor."
"Prepare for the worst, hope for the best."

She smiles, but the expression fades as she narrows her eyes and a serious tone sets into her voice.

"Y que la suerte está siempre en su favor."
"And may the odds be ever in your favor."

***Fade***

[Roux]

==========================================================


Composure
Jet City South - San Diego
15 MAY 2021
OFF-Camera



I had pretty much been laying low all week. I wasn’t just going to take the time off though. Kris had understood. I had a key to the gym anyways. It was best to keep myself out of sight. Everyone had pulled together to make sure that I was ready to take on Amber. Ruby put her own preparation aside to work as my stand-in for the Bombshell Champion. Mikah had shown up to make sure I didn’t embarrass anyone. For fuck’s sake, I had both halves of Jet City working together for the first time in years… but I came up short. It doesn’t matter if it was a referee error instead of actually losing the match. All that matters is that Amber walked away with the Bombshell Champion, and I let all of Jet City down by not being able to beat her. That wasn’t the kind of visual that Ruby needed while she was preparing for her own chance. Plus, selfishly, I didn’t want to deal with the people. That was why I planned a getaway for just me, Ruby and the dogs in the middle of the week. That was why I was working out at night. I had failed, and I didn’t need to put that on display for everyone.

It was my own fault anyways. Mark and Christian dangled that shortcut to the top in front of my nose and I went for it immediately. I should have known better. I was just starting to get things back together, and now I had to contend with another setback that would have everyone writing me off. Everyone probably expected me to come through the gym irate. They have seen it before. Hell, they had seen it as recently as my losing streak earlier in the year. I was trying to move past that though. I couldn’t allow myself to forget that I had been really enjoying the way that life was going headed into Climax Control 300. I had to keep reminding myself of the good things. I wasn’t hurt. Nobody thought that I went and embarrassed myself in the main event. It wasn’t really a step backwards. It just wasn’t a triumphant leap forward either. That was something that I could live with. That was salvageable. I could still keep building on the foundation that I had laid already. There was still a way forward, even if it wasn’t the one that I wanted. The Bombshell Championship would have to wait a little longer. It had already been three years though, so it’s not like I shouldn’t be used to it by now.

Granted, that path could start to shorten back up following Into the Void. Amber and Ruby might be the ones headlining instead of me, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t make an impact. I had Queen for a Day to prepare for, and had never even used a ladder in a match, let alone been involved in a match totally revolving around the concept of climbing one. It would be a new experience. Plus, even though they weren’t on top anymore, Alicia and Mercedes are incredibly dangerous in the ring. Char Kwan had even beaten me once already. I couldn’t spend my time dwelling on what could have happened differently at Climax Control. It was in the past. It existed as a memory, and nothing more. I needed to let it go, and start paying attention to the next opportunity in front of me. In order to do that though, I needed to stop avoiding the one place full of people that could help me.

Kris: The main eventer returns…. Well, as far as daylight hours go...

I think that he was just poking at me to see if I was still mad enough to explode on everyone. Luckily for him, I had gotten most of that out of my system on Sunday night. There had been the heated back-and-forth with Amber that helped to blow off some of the steam, and then there had been screaming, arguing, and tears back at home. I no longer felt the need to subject the world to that though. Everyone in this gym had their own shit to deal with. Broadcasting mine wasn’t going to do anyone any good. I needed to be better than that if I wanted to keep progressing.

Court: I was bitter for a while, but I’m over that now. Thanks for letting me use the place after dark. I didn’t want my game to go to shit….

It didn’t look like he was buying it at all, so I just stopped talking. There was no reason to continue to dig myself into a ditch if he was just going to kick me while I was down anyways.

Kris: You also didn’t want to be a distraction… or whatever excuse you were going to give. I get it. It’s fine. Losses are hard to process. Especially the big ones.

I shouldn’t have been surprised. This is the guy that I had bounced out of the company after both of his big championship losses. First when Fenris had beaten him to retain the championship, and then earlier this year after Jack took it back from him. Maybe a lot more of his behavior was rubbing off on me than I was willing to give him credit for.

Court: It was the first of many big ones, and we can’t win all of them like you do...

The words actually made him laugh, which I also hadn’t been expecting. I really only came along after Kris was already picking up steam in Sin City. I had missed the early years, and sometimes forgot how hard they were for him.

Kris: I have had a few really good years there, but my record isn’t really impressive. I have lost many more than you have, and I am still one of the best that the company has ever seen. Trust me. Just keep working at it. You’ll get there.

I hadn’t come for the words of encouragement, but they were nice. It’s possible it was just his way to make up for how hard they had pushed me last week. Or perhaps I was impressive enough in defeat to earn a little of his respect back. It was nice that he had been helping me on my way back to the ring, but it had always kind of felt like charity. He felt badly about the way that he treated me years ago when I was just starting to break into the business. He was the reason that I got hurt the first time. He sent me down a bad path, but at least had realized the error of his ways. His help felt like his way of trying to atone for that. Something about this was different though. It didn’t feel like pity. For once, maybe he actually believed in me.

Court: I shouldn’t be looking for an easy way to the top. Sure, I earned that chance a few years ago, but I’m not that same person. It took me a while to start piecing it all together again. I kind of feel like I was trying to take the training wheels off too early. If I’m going to go anywhere, I need to put the actual effort into doing it the right way. I don’t want to get to the top and realize that I don’t like the person I had to become to get there...

It was another thing that it felt like he understood. He nodded, silently at first. Both times he won the SCW World Heavyweight Champion, he took it away from someone that he didn't feel deserved to carry it. Both times he was just trying to do something better for Sin City as a whole. If anyone could get what I was trying to say before that last match, it was him.

Kris: ...you want to beat Amber, not become Amber.

He hit the nail right on the head.

Court: Or you… at your worst. Or even Mikah. People might not like me, but I do. I want to be able to say that whenever I become Bombshell Champion. If I can look at myself in a mirror and not hate who I am as a champion, then I deserve to make it to the top. Anything less would feel like I was cheating myself out of my dream. I don’t want to be the reason that I fuck it up. I have to get out of my own way.

I was hoping that he would pick up on the sentiment. That was a big part of the wall that the entire gang helped me break through last week. It had nearly been enough to take me to the very top of the Bombshell roster. If I tried to thank him for it directly, he would just brush me off. It had to be slightly more subtle.

Kris: Now that sounds like something I said...

He smiled, and I gave him a nonchalant shrug to allow him to change the conversation.

Court: Well, for once, you weren’t wrong.

He was probably right more often than I was willing to give him credit for. There was no guessing how much better off I would be if I had started listening earlier. However, there is probably an equally decent chance that had I given him the chance years ago, he would have run me into the ground for his own entertainment. I like to think that we have both grown as people.

Kris: I’m glad you listened. You keep that up, and you’ll be able to cash in your Queen for a Day opportunity to do whatever you want.

Whatever I wanted… That was something that I was going to have to figure out. Luckily, even if I won, I had a couple of weeks to really think that over. I wasn’t going to let another opportunity go to waste.

Court: I have to win the thing first, and I’ve never been in this kind of match before.

I may not have sounded particularly confident, but he immediately started radiating it. Kris was a record breaking Roulette Champion, and no stranger to the crazy stipulations of Sin City. Avoiding both him and the rest of Jet City this week was basically shooting myself in the foot. I was hoping that I hadn’t lost too much time.

Kris: I already have a plan. I was just waiting for you to be ready.

That made one of us. I couldn’t help but feel relieved.

Court: Whatever you have, I’m game. I came close last week. I don’t want to be saying that again after this one.

That was all that he needed to hear. It was nice to have things go so smoothly for once. No yelling. No arguing. Just progress and a plan. I could get used to this.



==========================================================



>I would make a good Queen...

The video feed comes to life on a shot of Courtney Pierce sitting atop a throne inside the Jet City South ring. Just behind her is the silhouette of a ladder set up in the darkness. Court is wearing the same attire that she would be wearing in the ring at Into the Void, but with some notable upgrades. The purple top and shorts sparkle in the bright white light from over her head, but they are hardly what fans find their attention drawn to. The crown on top of her head dips slightly on her left side and is at least a size too big. The gaudy gold scepter in her right hand seems a little over the top, but it adds to the aesthetic. Only the single spotlight illuminates the area, and all of the gems in the crown shine under it while the rest of the gym around her disappears in the darkness. The 2018 Blast from the Past winner gives a subtle queen-like wave to the camera with a smirk on her face.

Seems like a whole lot of waving at people that want to line up to cheer for you. You get to live in a nice house. People take care of you for your whole life. You get to live to be ancient and it’s basically impossible for anyone to say anything bad about you without being shamed… All in all it doesn’t sound like such a bad gig.

Court shrugs her shoulders and rises from the throne, standing in the center of the ring. She points the cartoonishly gold scepter around the six-sided ring.

Although there is a little more to being the Queen for a Day inside the ring. I mean, it’s not the cushy lifetime appointment that a real royal gets. Instead, I get complete control of an episode of Climax Control if I win. For one day, not only do I get to decide my own fate, but the fate of all of my peers. People are always quick to think about the opportunities that they could give themselves in these situations, but I think about how my decisions can impact the entire roster. Jack Washington thought about it selfishly and the whole thing that he got out of being King for a Day was an added loss to his record. On the other hand, Crystal booked a card full of opportunities for everyone, and Kris Ryans turned one of them into a World Heavyweight Championship reign. That’s the kind of impact that I would want to have if I got to book an entire show. It is a chance to shake up the entire roster. That kind of power, even if just for a day, would have been enough to have my attention all by itself.

She turns from the camera to look past the throne to the ladder behind it. On cue, the spotlight tracks backwards in order to illuminate the ladder.

A ladder and three very capable women stand between me and that power at Into the Void. We’re all vying for the same opportunity, but how we would use that power remains to be seen. I’m not even sure that all of my opponents have even thought about what’s really at stake. Even if they have, I’m not sure that all of these women could even understand what hangs in the balance. How could they? I mean, someone like Char Kwan specifically for instance. She’s been in this company for a couple of years now and has won like two matches. I know that I shouldn’t gloat too hard considering one of those wins were at my expense, but it’s still pretty pathetic. I would have thought someone with the skill set that she has would be able to ascend through the ranks easily. Instead, when she shows up she does a lot of talking without any kind of real follow-through. She’s an afterthought. You should all really think about it. How often have we even seen her this year? I honestly forgot that she was still a bombshell until I saw her name on the card….

Court twirls the scepter in her hand as she talks, and pays more attention to it than the camera. She was only half-joking and made no attempt to hide her condescension.

...that doesn’t seem like someone that could legitimately call themselves a queen. Someone that can’t even win a match can’t be responsible for an entire roster… not even for a night. That doesn’t mean that she’s without purpose in this match though. She might not be capable of seizing the opportunity available in this one, but she offers me something that being Queen doesn’t. I get the chance to avenge my loss on the way to becoming Queen, and I honestly can’t tell you which part of that I will enjoy more. A few weeks ago, I said that I wanted to run through all of the bombshells that I dropped matches to during my losing streak. I said that I wanted a chance to get it right this time around. I want to move forward in this company, and that starts by beating all of the women that have gotten the better of me. Mark and Christian gave me that opportunity here as a little side gift I guess. I got to check Bella off of my list already. Char Kwan will be next. I guess that’s fitting considering that when she showed up a few weeks ago my name was one of the first out of her mouth. She won’t have to wait long to get me in the ring, and I can put her behind me sooner rather than later.

She gets bored with the scepter and tosses it back over her shoulder. It clears the ladder and lands somewhere on the floor out of view of the camera.

....and speaking of moving past someone, Sin City should have left behind Mercedes Vargas a long time ago. She’s still kicking around trying to tell people that she’s unstoppable. She’s still bragging about accomplishments so old that nobody remembers them anymore. She’s still telling everyone that disagrees with her that they are just jealous of all of her success. The problem is, that’s not it. At least not anymore. Maybe it used to be at some point, but those days are so long gone that it is hard to remember a time when Mercedes was at the forefront of the bombshell roster. To call her a legend is unfair as well. At least when Mikah shows up there is some kind of buzz, even if most of it is negative. Mercedes no longer creates that kind of excitement. She’s just… here… and has been… for as long as anyone can remember. She’s like a more successful Jessie Salco, but these days they’re pretty much on the same level.

She carefully removes the crown from her head with both hands in an attempt to not mess up her hair in the process. Once she gets a good look at it up close, it’s not as nice as it first appeared to be.

...but that’s not to say that she’s not good. She is. The dust-covered record books of Sin City lay out the facts pretty substantially. She’s a Grand Slam Champion. She’s a hall of famer. She was part of one of the biggest groups in the history of this company and has managed to keep her job for years despite being stuck in neutral for as long as I have been around. She hasn’t been the Bombshell champion since before I even broke onto the scene in 2018. She had a forgettable Roulette Championship reign not too long ago, and got carried in the early days of the Mixed Tag division. Other than that, there aren’t many people on either side of the roster that can think back to a time that she was unstoppable. In fact, she has been very stoppable for most of the last three years. She’ll be quick to shoot down any newcomer trying to make a name for themselves in this company by listing off her achievements, but over the last few years, she has about as much to show for herself as Char Kwan. There may have been a time in this company where Mercedes Vargas could have been looked at as a Queen, but those days have passed. It’s time for the new royalty of this company to stand up and take power, and I intend to do just that.

Court drops the crown to the mat, and then kicks it so that it slides out of the ring.

...which I guess just leaves one more right? I mean since others were pulled out of this match for one reason or another. I definitely saved the best for last, in all aspects. Alicia Lukas is the one person that I am worried about in this match. She is the one person that could serve as a potential roadblock for me on my way to accomplishing the things that I want to in this company. Is everyone ready for a little honesty? She is everything that Mercedes Vargas claims to be. She is everything that I doubt Char Kwan will be able to accomplish in this business. She is the star that I wish I already was. She’s a three time Bombshell Champion, and that is just one championship in a long list. Sin City is just one company on an all-star resume. Alicia Lukas is the star that made people care about all of those others in Wolfslair. She’s already a queen.

Court holds her arms out to her sides and shrugs towards the camera.

...as we can all see, I’m not. Not really. Not right now. It was nice to pretend for a minute, but I’m not there. I won one match back at Into the Void a few years ago, and that is about as far as I have gotten in my career. I had an awesome match with Amber where she couldn’t put me down legitimately… but I didn’t win. I was trained by the two most successful individuals in this company’s history… but they’re not here anymore. I have all of the potential in the world on paper. I may even be the next big star in Sin City… but I’m not there yet. I haven’t turned any of that potential into anything… yet. Alicia has, and unlike Mercedes, her days of competing at the top are far from behind her. We are right in the middle of it. We are seeing her at the top of her game, just like Amber, and just like Myra Rivers for that matter. I feel like it hasn’t been that long since we saw Alicia with the Bombshell Championship around her waist, and I’m not sure that there would be anyone willing to take a bet that it won’t eventually be there again.

I guess all of that is supposed to be intimidating. I guess none of that is supposed to make me feel more excited to get into the ring with her. I mean, there is no way around it. Alicia is great. What I seem to be missing is the reason that I should be afraid of her. Her resume makes her one of the few people that I have always wanted to step into the ring with. I got into this business to compete against the best. Otherwise what does it matter if I win every single match out there? If I do nothing but beat up on people that aren’t going anywhere, what is my career actually worth? In order for anything that I do to be worth anything, I am going to have to step into the ring with the best of the best and somehow still come out on top. Alicia Lukas is one of the few people that I know will force me to be at the very top of my game at all times. She is absolutely one of the most dangerous people in the ring. She is a threat at all times, and can never be counted out of any situation. Not only does she have the experience in big matches like these, but she has won them time and time again. There’s no room for error. There is no time to make mistakes. This entire match can be over in an instant. The smallest distraction could cost any of the four of us everything.

As she went she sounded more and more excited about the opportunity ahead of her.

This is everything that I wanted for the entire time that I was injured. This was the type of opportunity that I dreamed about, and living in silent terror that I would never get here. This is what I fought for. This is what I am built for. Everyone tries to talk to me like I am a child or something. Everyone thinks that I should be intimidated, or afraid to step in the ring with people that could take me to my limit, and further. Honestly, that is what I am hoping for each and every night out. I am hoping that the people that I respect as icons in this business live up to their reputation when we are in the ring together. I hope that people that I count out come back to prove me wrong. I want to experience all of it, and I want to get better every single time that I step into the ring. I want to be someone that can say with a straight face that I am unstoppable. I want to be the measuring stick that people want to test themselves against. There is only one way to get there though, and it is rising to the occasion in matches like these. Everyone had to start somewhere, so why not right here, and right now?

I already shocked the entire world once at Into the Void. I already stepped up and did the thing that everyone said that I couldn’t do, and I did it at this event. I have history here, and I believe that I can make history here again. Char Kwan, Mercedes Vargas, and Alicia are going to go out of their way to stop me, and I want their best. When I become Queen for a Day, I’m not leaving any doubt who deserved the opportunity. This is the beginning of something. I can feel it.

[Char Kwan]

Hotel Room
Las Vegas, Nevada
Off Camera

It’s been a couple of days since Charlene Kwan had come to Las Vegas, Nevada for Into The Void. Her manager Mr. Chalmers had been very busy handling all of the media and press conferences. Char is lying on the bed as her phone rings.

“Hello”, she says after just swiping left on her phone.

“I see you love to run away,” a voice comes over the phone.

“Jackson?” Char questions while sitting up on the bed. A small band of sweat forms along her neck.

“Did you think I would forget about how you treated my wife?” he asks her.

Char just rolls her eyes while shaking her head. “She fucking deserved it,” Char responds with a smile on her face.

“You are playing a dangerous game Char,” Jackson warns her as Char pretends to be scared.

“I’m not scared of you. Hell, I’m not scared of anyone,” Char fires back as she hops up off the bed. The sound of heavy breathing comes over the phone.

“I thought we were friends,” Jackson says.

Char laughs into the phone. “We were friends Jack until you decided to retire. When I needed you most, you fucking left me high and dry,” she admits with a small tear in her eye.

“You knew I couldn’t continue wrestling. Felicia was starting to work and I wanted to be home more. Plus, I knew you could have been a star. It’s just you have to believe it,” he tells her as Char shakes her head.

“I know for a fact that I am a star. I’ve always been a star,” Char yells before ending the phone call. She throws her phone onto her bed and runs her fingers through her hair. “I’ll show him. I’ll show all of them,” she tells herself while flopping down onto the bed and closing her eyes.

Like Clockwork

In just a few days, I will be stepping inside the ring with three women who are so full of themselves that it’s not funny. All three of them continue to see me as the one who doesn’t belong. I find it funny that all three of you are overlooking me. All you guys can notice is the losses on my record. I mean Mercedes Vargas has a lot of room to talk. How many times has she lost this year? How many chances has she had to reclaim her glory only to fail? How many times is Alicia Lukas going to be handed opportunities? Why is Courtney Pierce in this match?

You see, I am in this match because Kiera Johnson didn’t want to compete and Bella Madison got blindsided by a ghost. The fact that I haven’t won a match makes me the most dangerous person in this match. Why? Because I have nothing to lose in this match. I mean, I’m already considered a loser because everyone is so fixated on wins and losses.

Not one person is fixated on actual talent. I know that I am more talented than Alicia Lukas. I mean what does she have besides a big ass and a cocky attitude. Have you actually watched any of her matches? I mean talk about snooze fest. Yes, I’m sure Alicia is going to say that I am jealous of her. I mean that’s all she fucking says every time her mouth is opened. What do I have to be jealous of? You got handed every fucking title shot since you waltzed your ass into the company. Every time you lose the belt, you quickly put yourself back into the picture. Talk about spotlight hog. Now, you want to call yourself a fucking queen. I swear to fucking god. The only way you could ever be a fucking queen is if you by luck won this match.

Speaking of this match, Mercedes Vargas won the very first one but since then she has failed to win it. I wonder why that is Mercedes. Is it because you are no longer the best damn bombshell on the roster? Is it because you oversell your “skills?” I mean look at what you have done recently. I mean what you haven’t done recently. You have only won one match on a supercard. Since then, you have failed to win a match. I mean you lost to Violet Holt then to Krystal Wolfe. I have to say, that’s pathetic. You have the nerve to say that I am just a warm body in this match.

Christian Underwood could have picked anyone on the roster to take Kiera’s place but who did he select ME. He could have picked Christina Rose. He could have picked Selena. He could have picked Azurine. He picked me. He picked The Japanese Siren. I didn’t ask to be in the match. I am not going to pass it by either. I know that I can win this match. My speed and agility is above all of you.

Courtney Pierce wants to avenge her loss to me. How cute! Listen sweetheart, you have no room to talk about being a failure. How many matches did you lose when you returned? What have you done that was significant enough to be in this match? I mean you squandered your lone title opportunity. It’s like I said, when it comes to high pressure situations, you fail. I don’t see that changing in this match.

This is my opportunity to show the world that I am just as good. All of you want to make yourselves champions. Who says I want to do that? I mean no one knows what is inside my head but I do know I have boots that will strike all three of your heads. You bitches have no idea what I am capable of in that ring and I promise you.

You soon will know that I am dead serious. You just don’t know it yet.

[Mercedes Vargas]

Blog: Almighty Fire
semana del 16 al 23 de mayo de 2021

Sin City Wrestling is stacked with a lot of talented wrestlers, and there naturally isn’t room at the top of the card for everyone so it's common to see people on the sidelines just waiting in the wings for their chance at glory. Only the best of the best are chosen for the Queen for a Day match, but the only one to be selected twice.

I've won a lot of matches, beat a lot of opponents. This Sunday at Into the Void, I'm on the verge of history. If the stars align, if I end up taking down the briefcase in the Queen for a Day match, than I become the first-ever two-time winner and only the second wrestler ever to reach 70 victories in Sin City Wrestling. Surprisingly, I've been part of Sin City Wrestling for eight years.

Competition brings pressure. No weekend or match is ever the same twice and each year seem to bring more pressure for me. That I've gone this far and survived for this long is only a testament to one universal truth. Pressure burst pipes or they can make diamonds. And you're looking at the brightest, most valuable, and unbreakable diamond in this match.

The Queen for a Day match is a match where possibilities are endless, opportunities are plenty and the only thing is for sure is that nothing is for sure. Time seems to slow down when making history. Christina Rose did it, Alice Knight did it. But I did it first. This year, I will have a challenge ahead of me in this year's Queen for a Day ladder match and while some may question my place in this match, I can live with it.  Courtney, Alicia, and Char have everything to prove, I have nothing to prove and nothing to lose. Win or lose, my legacy is secured, it will never be tarnished. When you reach a certain level of success in any field, there will be critics. Most people want to see you successful. Just not more successful than them. That's just life.

Courtney is the dark horse in this match. But just because she's a former Blast From the Past winner, doesn't means she's clearly ready for the next level. Alicia is a favorite to win, but she was also the favorite to retain the Bombshell Championship against Seleana and Keira, and we all know what happened in both of those cases. Char can talk the talk - oh can she talk! - but she can't walk the walk. Sunday, all she has to do is climb. Maybe we'll watch her climb that ladder. Or maybe she will be back to where she's most comfortable, and that's sitting on the absolute lowest rung of the ladder here in SCW.

I know how to win like few others can, and there's a reason why I have the most wins ever on pay-per-view. At Into the Void, I'll be at my best under the bright lights of Vegas to make sure I leave with the coveted contract.

And if you don't believe me?

Just watch me.

~~~

  

Flashback - January 2012, Queens, New York

Un Sueño - Faded Glory

Walking alongside Roosevelt Avenue in the Jackson Heights section of Queens, Mercedes Vargas spots a typical kosher hot dog stand and walks over, finding it unattended at the moment.

Mercedes: Um, hello? Hello?

A voice from behind startles her, even though she immediately recognized its owner. She turns around as the vendor stares back at her, a copy of the New York Times firm in his grasp. Mercedes stands with her arms akimbo while shaking her head.

Mercedes: You have to stop doing that, Hans. You nearly scared the hell out of me.

Hans the Hotdog Vendor: Maybe I should do that more often. Here's today's paper by the way. I think you'll find the crosswords a little challenging this time.

Mercedes: I hope so.

Hanns the Hotdog Vendor: Usual?

Mercedes: Usual.

The vendor goes behind the cart as he prepares a chili dog as Mercedes reads the front page.

Mercedes: So, how’s business?

Hans the Hotdog Vendor: The usual. Same people seem to come often, even the inspectors. So where you've been, Mercedes? It's like you're a stranger these days.

Mercedes: The life of a wrestler is never done, Hans. I think I know practically every hotel chain in America. I'm lucky I still have a place to live, but as long as I have the paper, I think I'll manage.

She opens her paper to the entertainment page.

Hans the Hotdog Vendor: How did your match go at uh, what was it again?

Mercedes: A New Dawn, and I was supposed to have a title match that night, but that didn't happen.

Hans gestures with one of the tongs in the direction of the paper.

Hans the Hotdog Vendor: How anyone could do a crossword puzzle in pen is beyond me.

Mercedes: I'm a woman of many talents. Plus I have a lot of downtime.

Hans the Hotdog Vendor: I'm doing this six years now. When I have downtime, I start remembering I had to sacrifice to get this place running. It got tough in the beginning.

His cellphone rings to the tune of a Latin pop song popular in the turn of the decade. He raises his index finger in a wait-a-minute gesture.

Hans the Hotdog Vendor: I gotta take this.

Hans takes out his cell, waits for the caller.

Hans the Hotdog Vendor: Yeah? Central Park Precinct. What do you want? Two complaints against the cart, for what? Noise? Alright, alright. I'm working on it."

Hans sighs.

Hans the Hotdog Vendor: It never ends.

Mercedes: Don't you get vacations?

Hans the Hotdog Vendor: Vacations, I don't do any of that. Retirement never entered my mind. I got 20 more years of this and then I'm going to realize my dreams. I'm going to California and pan for gold.

Hans hands Mercedes her chillidog in a food paper tray.

Mercedes: Let me ask you something. A hotdog is great,but is it a sandwich or a taco?

Hans the Hotdog Vendor: What? Of course a hotdog isn't a taco, they're not even related. Do you see any tortillas and meat filling around here? That's like saying a steak is a salad, or a enchilada is sushi, or the Dahlia Lama or the Pope is just a guy. Anything between bread is a sandwich, as long as it's not more bread.

Mercedes: But starch on the bottom and two opposing sides is a taco. Plus the bun of a hotdog isn't even separated.

Hans the Hotdog Vendor: Doesn't matter. Even if you take out the hotdog and eat just the bun, it's still a hotdog. 

>••••

L A S V E G A S • N E V A D A

Flash forward to now.

"So what ended up as a five minute conversation ended up with 10 minutes arguing about whether a hotdog was really a sandwich."

"What happened with the inspector call that day?"

"From what I remember, there were two inspectors who showed up, asked him a few questions, then took him away in handcuffs."

The Saxon Hotel reflects the last sunlight of the day along the Las Vegas Strip. Mercedes is seen on a video call as part of an podcast promoting Into the Void. Like most of the world at large, she's wearing a facemask.

"His last words were "I'll be out in 36 hours." And just as I was about to take a bite of my hot dog, one of the officers ripped that away from me, and ate it right in front of my face. I was pissed off at that. I would have been hauled off to jail too because I was this close to knocking that guy's lights out.

"Into the Void X this weekend. Big match ahead for you. You've won the Queen for a Day before but that was a battle royal, this is your third try in the ladder match format. Ladder matches haven't been your strong suit."

"Ladder matches like battle royals, aren't easy to win. It takes a degree of luck and talent, especially with the more people involved. The way I see it, I'm being disrespected by my opponents, to what I've brought to this company — I've given years of my life to this company, to this business. I worked for it. I earned it. I deserve it. Respect.

"There's a lot of truth in that old saying, `Empty vessels make the most noise', and Char Kwan is a perfect example of that. She can use the underdog card all she wants but it still isn't going to save her from being winless this year. Of all the people in Black Sheep, Courtney is the only one who can't seem to get out of her own way, so I'm a little surprised why they haven't dropped her like a bad habit. She's giving the group a bad name. I don't even have to talk about Alicia. She know that I'm the last person who's going to kowtow to her greatness. The simple fact is, she's just a small insert in the SCW record books. I'm on the cover.

"I'm willing to lay it all on the line, to go the extra mile, seize to the spotlight. Whatever it takes to get back to being the champion I know I already am. It's up to them to stop me, and I don't think none of them can. I hope I'm wrong, and we'll find out on Sunday. The Queen for a Day match features four of the best talents SCW has to offer, but there's only one who stands above the the rest."

~~~

  

L A S V E G A S • N E V A D A

REC•]

[On an otherwise clear seventy-degree afternoon in Las Vegas, Mercedes Vargas keeps her hair firmly hidden under a fedora and hidden behind a pair of aviator shades while sporting her SCW authentic Mercedes t-shirt and skinny jeans. Behind her we see that she's standing behind a Harley-Davidson dealership on the Las Vegas Strip, a motorcycle of the famous brand is parked next to her.

"You know, over the last few years, two things usually come up when it comes to me: my tenure in Sin City Wrestling and my age. I mean, back then it used to get to me, but now I don't mind it much because it's par for the course.

*Many still find it hard to believe Serena Williams has been playing tennis professionally for 25 years, but she's has been at it longer than many of her competitors have been alive. She's going to be turning the big 4-0 in a couple of months, which is a not so subtle hint that she's past her prime as a professional athlete. And although she's been losing a lot of matches, and a lot of that can be blamed on poor luck, injury, and circumstances beyond her control, when it comes to tennis, she's still regarded as one of the greatest of all time in her sport.

"While many focus on the age of sports athletes, those who stay in shape don’t let it dictate where their careers head. Tom Brady is still winning Super Bowls past 45, and he just joined a new team. Sometimes life doesn't always end up like a fairly tale, happily ever after. Nobody believed that Michael Jordan played for the Washington Wizards or that Wayne Gretzky would play for the Rangers. And that's just pro sports.

"SCW has had a funny way of giving the legends one last magical run, even when some are past their prime. The few who are here, the grinders who's been here the better part of five years or more, are looking for that last payday, that one last accomplishment or title to add to that résumé. It used to bug me when people keep asking if I'm going to retire, being well past 40. Even though I've won at least one championship in my first seven years but none in over two years, I'm still the only wrestler who managed to actually win at least one championship in my first seven years. And who knows, I might just find back the gusto that would win me another title.

"Past my prime, maybe. Still got it? I never lost it. I'm like a fine cheese, I'm a fine streak, I'm a fine wine, I get better with age. For now, though, it looks like time may be the one opponent I'll have trouble beating this year. Well that and a crop of young talent finally catching up with me. I'm like that all-time great limping to the finish line just so I can say I did.

"Maybe a lot of people are saying me winning the Queen for a Day would be the same thing. The only thing standing between me and history is my opponents Sunday at Into the Void. Each with their own dreams and ambitions."

Mercedes removes her shades, folding them in her hands before she hangs it on the front of her shirt.

"Now, Courtney winning the Blast From the Past Tournament? Yeah, very impressive. To be fair, I guess injuring yourself on purpose to get out of your title match with Mikah, who was champ at the time, should be commended, so, yeah, congrats on that, too. But hey let's party like it's 2018 and give Courtney the title match she should have got. At least you got that at the go-home show. Let me ask you something, Court. How did that feel? How did it feel to not be wearing that title belt, hmm? How did it feel to have had your shoulders pinned to the mat for the 1,2,3? Yeah, I bet the memory is not so nice, is it? You're not even an underachiever. That would be giving you credit you don't even deserve. What your problem is you seem to fly close to the sun and then later regretting it. Sweetheart, you want to talk about me being carried in my Mixed Tag Team Championship reign. Hey, that's fine. You're entitled to your opinion, however wrong it may be. I think four out of five dentists would agree that Fenris carried YOU during the Blast From the Past Tournament, though.

All things considered, you really don’t have anything to attach to your name here, do you? But then again, this isn’t about win and losses, accolades or accomplishments or titles, this is about an assassination of character. You want to just simply disregard what I’ve done in my career as nothing, that's fine. I’ve accomplished more in eight years than anything you’ve done in your entire damn career.

"Haz lo que quieras, digas lo que digas. Que andelantas con esto? En sitio alguno. No le digo nada que usted ya no sabe."
"Do what you like, say what you like. Where does this get you? Nowhere. I'm not telling you anything you don't already know."

She speaks slowly, the tension in her voice softens, but not enough to put her at ease. Mercedes absently runs a hand through her hair.

"Char Kwan, when we step into the ring, I hope you're as good as your threats and you better bring everything you got in two days. I want it all. Every ounce of skill, determination and will you have, sweetheart, because I want to see the look on your face when you give it your all and realize not that you weren't good, but you weren't good enough.

"Alicia, it's funny how we always seem to run into each other. You've had my number the last few times, I'm not blind to that, but maybe that all changes Sunday. Maybe there isn't going to be a Queen Alicia at Into the Void.

"No, I think we're going to see the second reign of Queen Mercedes. And if you loved the beginning, you're definitely going to love the sequel. Whether I'm facing one opponent, two opponents, three opponents, you don't need to do the math to know I'm a problem. At this point in my career, I seem to make history nearly every time I step into the ring. Sunday will be no exception. The thing about history though? Like money, you can't have enough. Just like at Into the Void can't have enough of me. It's no wonder why I'll be making my ninth show in a row.

"Sunday will be a reminder to all of you of what I'm truly great at, and that’s being the Argentine Assassin, the One-Woman Dynasty, the Champion of Champions, the most decorated wrestler in SCW history, and more importantly, the Queen for a Day winner once again."

***Fade***

[Alicia Lukas]

Session Four. Part 2: The Escape Plan

”Was that also the night you left?”

”It was the night I ran…”

The tiles were freezing. The off white marble was also hard, but Alicia had just stopped caring. The water was still running, her hands trembled as heer fingertips pushed against the floor. She wanted to get up, she unwanted to run. But her body was not responding. It was as if she was frozen, a prisoner trapped in her own mine. She could feel, she could think. But she couldn’t move or respond. And she couldn’t stop herself from crying. The tears rolling down her cheeks mixed with eyeliner and makeup as they fell to the tiles.

They made different patterns, different colors. They swirled and moved. And for whatever reason Alicia's bright blue eyes focused on them. Watching the make up mixture with her tears.

The door opened, Alicia’s eyes moved to see who it was, her heart almost leaping from her chest as she saw her. Her name was Jennifer. It was Ronnie’s older sister. This was bad. Jennifer was tall, slender and beautiful. Married into a Texan oil family she was also successful.in her own right. But she had treated Alicia with a mild indignation since they met. Almost as if Alicia didn;’t belong in her world. Always very standoffish and aloof with her.

And now this woman, loyal to her brother and family, who had never shown an ounce of compassion or care for Alicia was standing in the bathroom, staring at her, crying on the floor.

Jennifer seemed frozen in the moment too. Looking down at the scene surveying it all. Her eyes moving from the sink, to the floor, looking right at Alicia and the pool of tears. Then Jennifer saw it, the straight razor. And her expression changed. Her eyes softened as she shook her head and closed the door behind her, she moved across the tiles and dropped to one knee next to Alicia reaching out to help her up. ”This isn’t the answer…” She was caring, open and almost motherly. She almost seemed to be just as upset as Alicia was. She moved her to the small chair in the corner before grabbing the razor and placing it back on the side of the sink.

She grabbed tissues, wetting them in the warm water and turning the sink off. She shook her head pulling another chair over to sit in front of Alicia, her hand reaching out as she wiped away the tears, the streaks of eyeliner that had run down Alicias’ porcelain skin. She swallowed hard and shook her head looking away, almost as if she was ashamed. ”That bastard. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Alicia looked up at her, confused. Jennifer shook her head again and it hit Alicia.

Ronnie’s mother. Her long sleeves, they slid up. Bruises.

She let out a sigh and closed her eyes. ”What have I gotten into?” Her voice was a whisper. Said just under her breath. But loud enough for Jennifer to hear, her head snapping back to Alicia looking her in the eyes with a small smile, an understanding one. She leaned forward and gave her a tight hug. Alicia couldn’t hold it in, she let out a sob and a whimper, she could feel it slipping. She was free of the prison inside her own mind but now the floodgates had opened. ”I can’t live like this.”

Jennifer closed her eyes and swallowed before nodding to herself and pulling back out of the hug. ”You don’t have to.” She got to her feet moving to the door opening it and looking through the small crack, to make sure no one was listening. She turned back and folded her arms over her chest. ”Tonight, when the guests leave and Ronnie goes to sleep, meet me downstairs. Wherever you want to go, we’ll get you there.” She smiled, Alicia gave a nod.

”But, what about my boys?”

The silence hung in the air with the question. They both stared ahead before Jennifer swallowed and looked away with a sad expression on her face. ”We can’t...we can’t get them out.” Alicia closed her eyes and shook, her heart felt like it was going to explode. Jennifer felt it to. ”Look, Ronnie will treat them like gold. He will spoil them, he will dote on them. But you need to go. If not…” She looked over at the sink, to the razor, guiding Alicias gaze there. ”You leave...and your boys still have a mother. You stay...and next time you won’t stop…”

She was right, Alicia could feel it, but that didn’t make this any easier. She gave a small nod and got to her feet. ”So, tonight then?”

”Why do you think she helped you?”

Dr Whitlow tapped her pencil against the clipboard. Alicia blinked and smiled with a shake of her head. ”She saw what years of abuse and control had done to her mother. Jennifer is a different person than the rest of her family. She sat up, pulling her knees to her chest and hugging her legs as she sat on the couch. ”She blives in Europe now. My boys love their Aunt.”

”So she is still a prominent figure in your life? Thats good, it’s good to have people like that.”

Alicia smiled and shrugged ”She was right about it all. But, I still felt like I was abandoning my sons. Without leaving, if I had stayed. I wouldn’t be here for them now. And that’s how I rationalise it.”

Dr Whitlow wrote a few things down and gave a warm smile before setting the clipboard aside. ”It’s not exactly rationalising. It’s a true enough statement. When put in a horrible position you made the right choice.” She shuffled in her chair and leaned forward. ”You walked a path, and that path has led you to a better life. You have to stop blaming yourself and remember that where you are now is only possible because of those actions and decisions….”

”Logically, I know it Doc. I do. But there’s that part of me that feels…..like a failure.”

She trails off, Dr Whitlow nods again and reaches over picking up the clipboard writing a few more things down. ”You overcame odds to be who you are. And you have opened up more than you thought possible. Go home Violet. Hug your sons, kiss your husband. And when you’re ready….” She paused and smiled. ”We can talk about the act of leaving”

”...when I ran…”

Royalty

”Into the void is going to be fun. Where I get crowned as a Queen and have alot of your futures in my hands.And if Austin wins the other match? Well, it’s going to be a very Wolfy month.”

Alicia smiles and folds her arms over her chest, that arrogant grin we have seen many times before, her pearly whites shining in contrast to her ruby red lips.

”I already told you all what I plan on doing. I already said that I win this match I am booking myself in a title match from the get go. I wanted to get that out there, even though it should be simply stating the obvious, so the champ could get ready, whoever that might be coming out of the show. But, to get that opportunity I still have to get passed three women in a match that has more to do with luck and being in the right place at the right time than skill. I mean, yeah I can throw any of them off the ladder, I can beat them down, but if I get so focused on cracking Char Kwans head open like a coconut then Mercedes could take out Court and climb the ladder before I know what is happening.”

“And that could happen, cause I really want to break Chaw Kwan in half and Mercedes is a savvy veteran who knows how to win matches like this.”

“So, I know what I have to do, I know what I need to be capable of and I am prepared to do it. But, with that being said, I do have this need inside me to break someone like Char. See, Char Kwan is one of these morons who contradicts themselves without realising why. Her IQ is a similar number to her shoe size and week in and week out whenever she graces us with her presence she outs her foot in her mouth. And the sad part is that it’s not like she isn’t talented. She’s just stupid. And yes Char, that might seem like a childish insult, but you’re a dumb bitch and I can prove it.”

“With ease..”

Alicia tilts her head and smiles before clearing her throat.

”Now, I don’t care what you’ve said about Court or Mercedes. I mean, yeah you beat Courtney, very good. And you have never faced myself or Vargas and trust me on this, I’m not Mercedes biggest fan, but she’d eat you alive. Not as bad as I would, but pretty close. You are one of these women who hates hearing me talk about my accomplishments. And it’s not because you’re “sick” of them, it’s jealousy. I have accomplished things in my career that you haven’t and never will. That is a fact. And instead of simply respecting that and telling the world that you understand being a world champion and a bombshells champion is stressful and something great that you have yet to accomplish...you instead go to discredit me.”

“And not even with actual fact6s, lies and stupidity seems to be the order of the day. Like, I got HANDED a title? Really? Beating Dani Weston is being handed something? I’m sure Dani would love to hear that. I’m sure Dani would love to see someone with fuck all talent pissing on her title reign, her own accomlishment of beating me the first time and the match we had.”

“But, not busting my ass? How about winning the title, defending the title more in a single reign than anyone else or also holding it for the longest? How about losing it in a fucking cell, coming back from an injury, getting revenge on the person who injured me only to pull, scratch and claw my way back up to that championship?. Is that busting my ass? How about then losing it and taking myself out of the picture and starting from the bottom where I have beaten Mercedes, Maki and others? Is that busting my ass you stupid, vapid, moronic vegetable?”

“I can say I’m the best based on that alone. I stood back and let someone else take leadership of the division and they failed. But, atleast they stepped up and had a shot. Instead of being the firth wheel in a group that barely did anything of not, a group that won the mixed tag titles only to disappear. But, hey that’s fine Char, you just keep being you, a lazy, self serving, arrogant bitch with zero chance of doing anything in SCW.”

Alicia puts her fingers together making a “zero” with her hand.

”Atleast Mercedes has done and seen it all. Admittedly not lately. And also, as always little miss Mercy is severely overstating herself and understating everyone else. You actually think Amber Ryan came here because of you? Mercedes. Andrea Hernandez and Myra may have come here because of you, and if they did I should actually hold it against you since both of those woman are a cancer to this company with their constant arrogance that makes mine seem, I dunno, tame. But Amber Ryan?”

“Amber has stated, many times, that Alicia Lukas versus Amber Ryan would be a dream match and it’s something she wants.”

“But, of course you won’t acknowledge it or see it because it doesn’t have anything to do with you. And if it’s not to do with you it’s not worth knowing or thinking about right? You’re the heartbeat of SCW. The woman who runs it all right? Kind of funny, if you’re the center of the SCW universe then all the titles and top matches don’t matter since you’re nowhere fucking near them. And the entire time I’ve been in SCW, you haven’t been. You’ve had a shot here and there, but as far as being a major part of the SCW bombshells division and a game changer?...”

“When Mercedes?”

“In the last three years when have you been anything more than a supporting cast in this little blockbuster of ours huh?. The Queen for a day could change that, but right now?. Right now you haven’t been. Yet you make these grandiose statements like your shit doesn’t stink, you mention me like I’m some schlub off the side of the road that just appeared here. When, and let me remind you of this since it seems to slip your mind quite a bit.”

“YOU. HAVE. NEVER. EVER. EVVVVVVEEEEERRRR. BEATEN ME.”

“But, your revisionist history and over inflated ego shields you from that. I don't have a fear of being forgotten Mercedes. I have a fear of people actually believing your lies and bullshit….so, I’m going to toss your old ass off a ladder and into retirement.”

She sneers and rolls her eyes.

”Then, there’s poor little Courtney. Being an afterthought again huh?. I get it.; It’s hard to stand out. But, you have in a way. See while Char and Mercedes went down the self aggrandising stupidity route, you actually studied and made comments that made sense. I was shocked when I watched your promo and heard coherent sentences that were logical and had facts in them. You recognise what kind of person I have and you see the star I have been and could be again. The fact I ran through this company like a hot knife through butter.”

“But, while respecting what I accomplished you didn’t back down from me nor did you ignore mistakes I’ve made. And, I can be a hypocrite. I admit it, we all can be. But where I admit it and try to better myself others, like Char and Mercedes simply hide it. And lie.”

“So thank you Courtney.”

“Thank you for being a bright spark in a world of stupidity and moronic comments. You want to face the best and in this match you get to. Admittedly it’s not one on one and if you have the guts, and it seems like you do, I’d love to give you a one on one match. I’m not saying you’d win, but I am saying you would give me your all. And that’s all, you can ever do Court. All you can do in this business is give one hundred percent of yourself and if you do that, well, you never really lose.”

“It’s something Char and Mercedes don’t understand. Mercedes lost it when her ego overtook her reason and Char? Well Char is just dumb as a bag of rocks. I’m going to wish you luck in this Court, cause you seem like the only other woman aside from me who would actually understand the gravity of the queen for a day match and the implications. But, just cause I like you, just cause I think you’re talented, doesn’t mean I won’t break you to win this….I’ll break all of you, because that's what I do….”

[Roux]

>To those this doesn't concern… and there is a surprising amount of you….

You would think that a match between four bombshells would be a clusterfuck enough. There is going to be a whole lot of talent competing to be Queen for a Day at Into the Void, and even more ego. Apparently that isn’t enough for some people though. There are those that want to make this match a lot bigger than just the four of us in the ring. It’s not though. That’s why I figured I would address all of you now, so that we can put away the things that don’t matter and focus on the things that do when the time comes. 

The first, and probably easiest, of all of these targets is Keira. She was given this opportunity, and walked away from it. I don’t know why. I don’t think that any of us do. We could make insulting guesses based on our opinions of Keira, but that is all they are… guesses. Only she knows why she won’t be in this match, and she has been silent on the matter. There isn’t a reason good enough to excuse walking out of this though. I mean, she was recently the Bombshell Champion. She’s supposed to be one of the best in this business. She knocked Alicia down a few pegs. But this opportunity wasn’t worth her time apparently. A match on one of the biggest shows of the year wasn’t good enough. I’m tired of seeing bombshells with that kind of attitude. I am tired of the people that can’t even pretend like they want to be here doing the thing that they supposedly love doing. In a way, I’m kinda glad that she decided to check out of this one before the opening bell. It opened up a spot for someone that actually gives a shit about this company. I just wish Char was even half as good as Keira can be on a good day.

Keira isn’t the only one missing out; just the only one without a real reason. Bella was supposed to be stepping in the ring with us, and I would have loved to be competing against her again. We have traded a couple of wins back and forth lately, and even though this isn’t the type of match that could give us that definitive tie-breaker, it would have made it a little more fun than it is shaping up to be. Unlike Keira, Bella is someone that would have added something to this match because she wants to be fighting for opportunities like these. If I end up winning this one, I’m not going to be overlooking that when it comes to putting together my victory show.

...and speaking of that show…. The name on everyone’s lips seems to be Amber Ryan. She’s not in this match physically, but she is definitely in the heads of all of the bombshells that are. We all have our own reasons. For Alicia it seems to be about the title. For Char it is recognition. Mercedes…. Fuck knows what she actually wants out of life at this point. Amber and the Bombshell Championship feel like the real prize for the end of this match. That feels like we are all getting ahead of ourselves though. Even though everyone is making it sound like a certainty, we don’t know who the Bombshell Champion will be coming out of the supercard. We don’t know if Mark and Christian are going to book another Bombshell Championship match before the Queen for a Day show regardless of who emerges from Into the Void as champion. Amber should be the last thing that we are all dwelling on, yet she’s the topic of conversation. No more though. None of us have even won this match yet, so the champion doesn’t matter. She won’t be in the ring with us.

...but arguably there is someone that probably should be. And by that I mean Andrea Hernandez. Mark and Christian could have replaced Bella with her, instead of letting her berate Sam Marlowe about the same shit over and over again. Or better yet, just double book her into this one. The spot was open. We could have accommodated another bombshell easily. She thinks she deserves this opportunity, and can’t seem to stop talking about me. Apparently she has a problem with me being in this match. She has a problem with me getting a shot at Amber and the Bombshell Championship like I even asked for that match. Look back a couple of weeks ago. I said I didn’t think that I was going to get any opportunities like that anytime soon. I didn’t ask for the first one, and I didn’t say anything before getting this one. If she feels cast aside in this company because I arrived, then that is something to take up with the people running the place, not me. And if she has a problem with Ruby getting a shot at Amber, then she probably should have signed up for Blast from the Past.  She’s just a louder and more annoying version of Keira. Always wanting the opportunities, but not stepping up to them when she has the chance. If she has a problem with me, she can take that up with me directly after Into the Void. I have no problem stepping in the ring with her and proving her wrong about me. Now is just not that time.

All of these women have tried to pull the focus away from this match in some way. I’m done letting all of them try to be distractions. I’m done wasting any energy on them. This is between me, Char, Mercedes, and Alicia. We are the four that will be in the ring. Everyone else is just white noise in the background. They haven’t deserved to dominate the conversation this week. They didn’t deserve this much of my time now. They won’t get any more of it until the dust has settled and a Queen for a Day has been crowned.

Don’t like it?

Don’t care.


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Expect Everything
Jet City South - San Diego
20 May 2021
OFF-Camera



It has been the hardest and longest week. Fenris had pushed me harder than ever. Dani and Bobbi had even gotten in on the action this time around. And everyone at Jet City South had been on top of their game making sure that I was up to speed on everything that could happen during the Queen for a Day match. It was like a literal crash course in ladder matches and getting my ass kicked with various objects. The days of one-on-one sparring were over. Everyday has been spent fending off attacks from all sides and trying to plan for something that is utterly unplannable. I think that everyone expected me to give up halfway through the week. The fact that I was showing up everyday no matter what probably caused a handful of students to lose bets. There were bruises. There were days that I wanted to stay in bed. I didn’t though. The secret? I was enjoying every second of it. It wasn’t so much all of the help as much as it was the people that were stepping up to help. Kate, Kris, Ruby and everyone from Jet City was one thing. They were invested in me already. It was all the others that kept me going though. The fact that they cared enough to want to help, meant that I couldn’t stop. I wasn’t willing to let anyone down. I wanted to make sure that nobody’s effort would be for nothing. From the moment everyone started chipping in, it wasn’t just about me anymore. It was the effort of a collective, even if I was the only one actually stepping into the ring. There was no way that I was going to fall short this time. I couldn’t.

Kris: So are you finally ready to talk about it?

I knew what the ‘it’ was that he was talking about. The one that I said I wasn’t going to let distract me anymore. There was no point in looking backwards. The past was fixed. There was no changing it, so dwelling on it was a waste. I hadn’t let anyone see me get angry about it, and that wasn’t going to change now.

Court: There’s no point in talking about it. I didn’t win. It’s all about the next opportunity, not the last one.

I had been working on that response all week. I felt like it covered all of the necessary bases, and even practiced it enough so that it sounded almost natural. It was the right thing to say, and I was willing to fake it until it was true. The problem was, it didn’t look like he was buying it at all.

Kris: You know, I lost my first couple of championship opportunities. Both of them for the Roulette Championship. One I failed pretty hard. The other, well that was the one that James and his douchebag compatriot ruined. I walked away empty handed both times.

I guess he was trying to say that he would understand how I felt if I was actually still upset about it all. There was absolutely no way that I was going to willingly hand him that information to use against me later though. He could have his suspicions all he wanted. I wasn’t going to turn them into facts, so I needed to pick my words just as carefully as I had while constructing my first response.

Court: Well, you came back to win the Internet Championship and then basically become a hall of famer in waiting. I’m sure you’re not broken up about those first two missed opportunities anymore.

I had hoped to bait him into talking about himself, but wasn’t expecting the way that he would take it.

Kris: I’m most broken up about that run with the Internet Championship. I didn’t really give a shit about it. I didn’t keep it long. I almost wish that I would have lost that one too, and just let my first one be the Jet CIty tag team run.

The thought of being disappointed with a championship reign had never really crossed my mind. I hadn’t ever won one. As far as goals went, I had only gotten as far as trying to win one. I hadn’t put any thought into how long I would hold it, or how quickly I would lose it. It was an achievement in itself just to win one of them. I would have never thought that anyone could get to a place where they could have gone without one of those wins.

Court: Without the Internet Championship, you would have never made it to the Grand Slam.

That was what we were all supposed to be chasing, right? If there was a way to ‘win’ in this career path, that had to be it. That was the only thing that could prove that you really had been there and done it all. It was the platinum trophy. Was he really trying to convince me that he would give all that up?

Kris: I wasn’t ready for it. Go back and watch it. I didn’t really know what I was doing. I was in over my head. That was why I bailed for a while when I lost it. It was all too much too fast.

I got what he was trying to say without going as far as actually saying it. Maybe it would eventually be a relief that I hadn’t won at Climax Control 300. Maybe one day I will look back at it and it won’t suck. That history wasn’t written yet though. I wasn’t ready to accept that.

Court: Jet City was after you came back and started doing everything the right way, right?

Kris: I don’t know about the right way, but it was definitely a lot less wrong. I started paying more attention. I started trying to actually sharpen my skills. I wasn’t just out there winging it and expecting the best anymore. I got to the point where I didn’t feel like I was free falling anymore, and then everything came together real fast. That Internet Championship though… not so much.

I had seen him mention something about it on social media before, but had never realized it was such a sore spot for him. If I could avoid feeling like that about anything near the end of my career in the ring, I was all for it. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to let one bad result go. Maybe it really was for the best.

Court: I’m not even sure that I’ll book myself in a Bombshell Championship match if I win Queen for a Day. I feel like there’s a lot more that I want to accomplish before I go after that one.

He smiled, and I knew instantly that was the answer that he had been trying to lead me to all along.

Kris: It’s not really the dream to just show up and be at the top is it?

It seemed like maybe it should be. After all, that is where we all wanted to end up eventually. Why not skip all the sucky parts?

Court: I thought that it was. When Mark and Christian offered me that match I wasn’t going to turn it down. It would have been amazing to win it...

He didn’t have a problem finishing the thought for me.

Kris: ..,but not the way that you pictured it, right? You felt like when you got there you wanted it to be a culmination of everything you had been through. Not just a random opportunity….

Thinking back to both of his SCW World Heavyweight Championship wins, I can see how he built up both of them into something special. The first one was supposed to be on the very last show of Sin City ever. The one against Jack capped off the most difficult year in SCW, where everyone just needed a ‘feel good’ moment. He made his dream come true, and didn’t compromise his vision.

Court: Before it was announced, I thought that it would be a long time before I got a chance like that again. I thought I would have to do more to prove myself. I wasn’t ready to be told that I was good enough right now. I don’t want to be told that. I want to be told that things can still get better than this. I want to know that I can still improve, and have room to grow. I want to have an entire career climbing to the top...

It was strange. It was like I was discovering these feelings as the words were coming out of my mouth. I had criticized Amber Ryan for telling me to climb through the ranks just a couple of weeks ago, only to be saying that I wanted to do it now.

Kris: ...and that’s why you should really push that loss out of your head. It wasn’t your night. Good. You didn’t need it to be your night. That’s not your path. Whatever you do, that vision in your head…. Stay on that path. Nothing else will make it all feel worth it. If you don’t want to chase the Bombshell Championship after you win, then don’t. That’s the beauty of being the Queen for a Day, you can do whatever you want. Nobody else can tell you what that looks like.

He was right. I didn’t have to chase a championship that I didn’t know if I was ready to hold. I didn’t have to go after any championship at all. This didn’t have to be just another opportunity for me. It could be an opportunity to impact a lot more than just what championship was around my waist.

Court: I don’t know when I will get another opportunity like this though.

That actually made him laugh.

Kris: It has only been two weeks since you got your first big opportunity that you didn’t know was coming. Now you’re preparing for your second. When you’re good, the chances like that will always come along. If you can prove to Mark and Christian that you can make them money, they’re going to keep putting you in the championship picture. It is up to you to point them in the direction that you want to go though.

When he put it like that, it made me wonder what I was getting so ahead of myself for. I was still technically in my rookie year as far as actual matches went. There was plenty of time to check all of the things that I wanted to do off of my list. The fact that I have already gotten a shot at the top belt should be a compliment, regardless of how shitty the outcome was. In his own way, he was actually making me feel better about all of it.

Court: If I win Queen for a Day, I can just book my vision. I don’t have to direct shit...

That was the fighting spirit that he had been looking to bring out of me.

Kris: We still have a couple of days. Let’s use them to make sure you end up on top of that ladder when it matters most.



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>Aren’t the four of us something special….

The fans couldn’t even really see Court at the start of the video. The lens was focused on the back of the throne she had been sitting on last week, with only her legs visible from the left side. Just the very top of the crown on top of her head could be seen around the right side, as the sound of her laughter filled the air. The camera starts to work its way around the throne as she explains herself.

You know, last week I wasn’t feeling much like a Queen. I threw away my scepter. I kicked aside my crown. I even stayed out of the throne for most of the time. But then three of you made sure to turn things around for me real quick. There was real fire in all of your words. It really got me motivated. You’re all so sure of yourselves, and don’t hide how you really feel about anyone in this division. I’m not going to lie, some of it was pretty hard to hear. Some of those stabs found the soft tissue. I may have even had to take a walk to shake some of it off. There was something else though. It was all still so…. obvious.

The camera stops in front of the throne. Court is still laying across her throne, this time clad in her own royal mantle. It was a step up from last week, and she seemed a lot more confident than she had been the first time around.

I mean, Char couldn’t wait for even a second to bring up that she has a win over me. Alicia spent the vast majority of her time either talking about me, or making little snipes at me. Mercedes even thinks I’m the best, because she saved her thoughts about me for last. Through it all though, nothing they said was all that surprising. I didn’t hear anything that I wasn’t prepared for. It was a lot about how I don’t deserve to be here. A lot about how I’m not ready for this, or just flat out not good enough. I think that’s awfully ironic though, because I don’t feel like anything that they had to say about me was good enough. The only thing that they convinced me of is that I should be feeling a lot more Queenly than that I was last week.

She sits up in the throne slightly, and sets her sights on the camera.

I have a lot more reason to be sitting here than someone like Char Kwan. And yeah, I realize that saying that while she holds a win over me might sound arrogant, but it’s not. Just look at what we have done in this company compared side-by-side. I may have been on a wild losing streak for the end of last year and into this year, but Char Kwan has had a losing career. A win over me, someone she says is irrelevant and undeserving, is the entire bright spot on her record. That win is the only bit of traction she has ever gotten in this company. Everything else has been disappointment after disappointment. She has the audacity to say that I can’t win when the pressure is on. She’s ignoring that I have done just that at Into the Void once before. I have risen to the occasion at this very show, and won an opportunity that I doubt that she is ever going to get. I cashed that opportunity in, and I didn’t really lose. That doesn’t mean I failed. That doesn’t mean I let something slip through my fingers. I won when the pressure was on during Blast from the Past, and when I got my match, I didn’t fail. Anyone that thinks that I did needs to rewatch that match, Char included. And while she is at it, she should check out what happened last time I had a match this big on this show, because lightning can strike twice, and history often repeats itself. If she educated herself, at least she would be able to see it coming.

The look on her face showed the audience that she doubted that was going to be possible, but Court doesn’t linger on that thought any longer. There were two much more threatening bombshells in this match. One of which had at least given Court a little credit last week.

...kind of like Mercedes does. You could all see it too, right? She says that I’m the obvious wildcard in this match, and even went as far as acknowledging that my last loss was more unlucky than unskilled. She knows how much I want this, and knows exactly how good I can be when the pressure is on. She was singing my praises in between half-hearted jabs. She was saying I was good, just not good enough to measure up to who she used to be.

She made sure to emphasize the difference between that person and the woman that was more shell than bombshell these days.

That’s the hypocrisy of Mercedes Vargas. She makes bold claims like she has confidence and doesn’t have to compare herself to anyone, but that is literally all that she can do. Her only line of attack is to remind people how good she used to be a few years ago. She can only brag about how she’s been more successful in the past than most people will ever get to be. Mercedes is constantly measuring her championship reigns against others, or judging people’s records against her own. She doesn’t take into account that she’s been here, and has been given more opportunities than everyone else. On a long enough timeline, everyone will have some period of success. She has already hit hers, and it is clearly past her at this point. Some of us, myself included, just haven’t gotten there yet. Some people, like Char, won’t ever get there. Then there’s Alicia, who is arguably there right now.

It’s obvious that Alicia is the one that Court is most threatened by. She sits up in the throne, and leans forward towards the camera. Her carefree attitude is gone.

Aside from giving the bombshell championship away to someone that can’t even bother to show up to this match, she’s been dominant in this company. By her own admission, she’s been having a little bit of an identity crisis since that happened. She hasn’t been the competitor that people expect her to be lately. However, she’s incapable of realizing that maybe I was going through a little bit of the same thing until recently. We were both lagging behind what people were expecting of us. We were both losing matches that everyone thought that we should be winning. We even both got it turned around recently, and seem to be headed in the right direction. Because of that, Alicia thinks that she deserves opportunities like these, but not me. Maybe that’s because she’s already been a champion here before, but she dismisses Mercedes for relying on her record alone, so that can’t be it. She wouldn’t be that openly hypocritical would she?

Court wasn’t going to let the viewers form their own opinion. She was going to give them the answer.

Of course she would be. This is the same person that brags about Wolfslair being a force all over the world, while saying Jet City is mediocre. Everytime we have shared the ring with her crew, it is Jet City that has walked away with a win. All the success in the world doesn’t mean a damn thing if you can’t beat us, and none of you have. For all of your accomplishments, and all of your insults at our expense, none of you have been able to beat us. Do you think that this match is going to be any different, Alicia?

She pauses just long enough to make sure that the question really has time to sink in.

You say that I failed hard in my mission to take the Bombshell Championship, but we both know that’s not true. To be honest, it doesn’t even matter. I may not have had the luck to win my last match, but that’s not going to happen again. I know that you think I am the biggest threat to you in this match. It was obvious from what you put out last week. Sure, you had some shit to talk about Mercedes and Char, but I was the thread that was running throughout. It is pretty easy to tell where your focus is. And why would it be on me, if not for the fact that I am your biggest roadblock to being Queen for a Day. That’s why you singled me out the most. It’s why your goal has been to try and make me feel like I just don’t measure up to you. The fact of the matter is that I don’t have to measure up to your entire career in just one night. All I have to do is climb a ladder and be better than you once. All I have to do is take the first step. The rest will play out in time.

Court rises from the throne with a smile on her face.

Like I said, it was all so… obvious. You’re all so unapologetically stuck in your ways. What this company needs is a Queen that is going to book a show to shake everything up, and that’s exactly what I am going to do when I win this thing. The status quo around here isn’t acceptable. I’m going to change it. Mercedes, Alicia, and Char are going to help me do that by failing to stop me at Into the Void, and you’re all just along for the ride. I’ll make sure to put on a good show.

With a wink, and a queen-like wave, that feed cuts to black.