It is around 8 am on Saturday 1st December 2018, and Lowri Moss is stood in her hotel bathroom in Cardiff, with her hands on the rim of the sink, looking at herself in the mirror. For someone who has had barely five hours sleep, on the back of consuming a not inconsiderable amount of alcohol, Lowri does not look too bad, and although she feels a bit worse for wear, thankfully for her, she is not hungover.

Last night had definitely been a good one. It had included a stop off at Caroline Street - referred to colloquially by locals as Chippy Lane, due to the number of fast food restaurants along the street - before finishing up at Live Lounge, therefore fulfilling the two requirements for any good night out in Cardiff. Together with her boyfriend, Neal Durden, Lowri had left Live Lounge shortly after 2 am. She would have liked to have remained there until it closed, at 4 am, but she also wanted to get back to their hotel, to attempt to get some semblance of a good night’s sleep, especially knowing that they would have to check out by 11 o’clock.

Lowri runs a tap and splashes some water on her face. After drying herself with a towel, and then pouring herself a glass of water, Lowri switches off the bathroom light, as she makes her way back towards the bed. She sits down gently on her side of the bed, being careful to avoid disturbing Neal, who is still asleep. She then gulps down some water, before placing the glass on a nightstand beside the bed.

Last night had actually been a good one for Lowri before the first drop of alcohol had even passed her lips. In fact, it had been better than simply good - it had been one of the best nights of her life so far. And part of the reason for that can be seen on the nightstand, next to the glass of water. Ten or so hours ago, Lowri had been in the main event of a show in the Welsh capital, at the Motorpoint Arena, not all that far from where she is now. And in that main event, in front of a sold-out crowd that included plenty of her family and her friends, she had won the HKW North American Championship.

The memories of the show are of course still fresh in Lowri’s mind, and as she looks proudly at the championship belt, with a broad smile on her face, the happiness that she feels is enough to dull any headache. It is a title that she had been chasing for nearly six months. Her first shot at it, back in June, had ended in defeat, with Lowri’s cause not having being helped by a longtime rival of hers sticking their nose in where it did not belong. The following month she was part of a fatal five-way for the title, and although it did change hands on that occasion, it was not Lowri that left with the belt, as she instead found herself in the position of being unable to break up the pin in time, while someone else won the match and the championship. Two months later, she had another opportunity to win the title, this time in a four-way elimination match, and after Lowri had eliminated two of her three opponents, it came down to her and the defending champion. However, just when it appeared that she was set to win, Lowri was struck in the face with a baseball bat by the former champion, costing her the match, and once more dashing her hopes of claiming the title.

In retrospect, perhaps it was fate that she had been forced to wait until last night to become the North American Champion. Winning the title would have been a memorable moment for Lowri wherever it had occurred, but for her to win it in her native land, in front of her family and her friends, that had made it extra special. And as she lies back down next to Neal to try to get some more sleep, still with a smile on her face and still staring at the championship belt, there is no doubt in Lowri’s mind that what happened last night is something that will stay with her for the rest of her life.

---

A few hours later, and Lowri is now sat in a cafe, somewhere else in Cardiff city centre, gorging herself on a fried breakfast. Having checked out of the hotel, she has a trolley case with her, which is next to the table, but her other half is conspicuous by his absence. However, Lowri is not sat alone for much longer, as she is approached by a man who was a recent inductee into the SCW Hall of Fame: Simon Jones. He smiles pleasantly at Lowri, as he greets her.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> Good morning, champ.

She responds in kind with a smile of her own.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Good morning. How are you?

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> I’m alright, thanks.

He pulls out a chair, taking a seat opposite Lowri.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> How are you feeling after last night? Where did you go to celebrate?

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> I’m not hungover, if that’s what you’re getting at.

Lowri takes a sip from a cup of coffee, as Simon gives her a wry smile, not entirely convinced by her statement.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> We only went to a couple of places: Tiny Rebel first, then Live Lounge.

Simon chuckles.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> Of course.

Although originally from Birmingham, having been a resident of Cardiff for a number of years now, he too has spent many a Friday or Saturday night in Live Lounge.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> And what time did you stay out until?

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Just after two.

While Lowri cuts off a piece of egg white, Simon scans the cafe, as he looks expectantly for someone, but is unable to spot them.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> Neal not with you?

Lowri swallows the egg white, before replying.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> No, he has gone to see his family. I offered to go with him, but he told me it was something he wanted to do on his own. Hence why I’m here, instead.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> Didn’t he see them last night - weren’t they there at the show?

Lowri shakes her head.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> His parents aren’t exactly supportive of his chosen career. They’ve never been to a show to see him wrestle live, so it isn’t exactly surprising that they wouldn’t go to a show to watch his girlfriend wrestle.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> Fair enough.

As Lowri cuts off part of a sausage, a waitress appears at the table, looking in Simon’s direction.

Waitress: Can I get you anything?

He looks up at the waitress.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> Could I just have a cup of tea, please?

Waitress: Sure.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> Thanks.

The waitress walks off to prepare a cup of tea for Simon, and Lowri finishes ingesting the piece of sausage, just in time for him to ask her another question.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> So, has it sunk in yet? What you accomplished last night, I mean.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Yeah, actually, I think it has.

Lowri’s face bears that same broad smile from earlier, as she again recalls the previous night’s events.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> You looked a bit shocked when the referee handed you the belt.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Well, I think that was it sinking it - you know, the realisation of what I had just done. I had been chasing that championship for however many months, and I finally got to get my hands on it - it was finally mine.

The waitress reappears, carrying a mug.

Waitress: Here you are.

She places the cup of tea on the table, together with a milk jigger, a sugar sachet, and a plastic stirrer.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> Thank you.

Waitress: You’re welcome.

She then goes to tend to other customers, and Simon carries on his and Lowri’s conversation, as he pours the milk into his tea.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> Where does winning the North American title rank amongst everything that you’ve achieved this year?

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> It’s definitely near the top.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> How does it compare to winning the World Cup?

Lowri puts down her cutlery, and while she takes a second or two to consider his question, Simon pours the sugar into his drink, before then stirring it.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> I don’t know. Those are probably the top two.

As Lowri pauses to think about it further, Simon has a sip of his tea.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> The World Cup was really special, but last night might’ve topped it. Anyone who knows me knows how proud I am to represent Wales, and winning the World Cup for my country was the pinnacle of that, but… the finals of the World Cup were in Puerto Rico, which is a beautiful place and all, but…

Simon interjects.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> But it’s not your homeland?

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Right.

They each consume some of their respective hot drinks, before Lowri continues.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Winning the World Cup was one thing, but winning a title here in Cardiff, in front of my family, my friends, and all of those fans, that was something else. And the noise after I won - that was breathtaking.

Simon nods his head in agreement.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> Yeah, I think it must’ve been one of the loudest reactions I’ve heard from any crowd in all of the years that I’ve been involved in wrestling.

Lowri raises an eyebrow.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Was it louder than any reaction you ever received?

Now Simon is the one who pauses for thought. He then gives another nod.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> I would probably say so.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Did you ever get to wrestle in Birmingham during your career?

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> Yes, once, seventeen years ago. It was early on in my career, one of my very first matches, when not many people would’ve been familiar with me, so the reception I got was nothing like the one you received last night. In fact, if I hadn’t been announced as being from Birmingham, I probably would’ve gotten little more than a golf clap from the crowd.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> I seem to remember you getting a pretty good welcome when you were the guest ring announcer for the main event of that one show.

“That one show” being Inception, back in January of 2015.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> I did, but it still wasn’t anywhere near the level of the reaction that you got.

Lowri picks her knife and fork back up, and as she eats another piece of sausage, Simon drinks some more of his tea.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> I bet your parents were so proud of you last night.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Yeah, they…

She suddenly stops in mid-sentence.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Did you see me going around ringside after the match?

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> When you were slapping hands with all the fans in the front row, and taking pictures with anyone who wanted a selfie with you? Yeah, I saw that. I didn’t have anywhere that I needed to be in a hurry, so I stayed until you disappeared backstage, savouring the moment.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Did you see me when I was crying then?

Simon shakes his head.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> No. Why? What happened?

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Nothing bad.

It is Lowri’s turn to let out a chuckle.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> As I went around ringside, eventually I made it to where my family was, and the last two people that I saw were my parents. My Dad was first, and he gave me a big hug, congratulated me on my win and told me he was proud of me. And then I came to my Mam. And she was in tears. And seeing her crying set me off as well.

Lowri pauses to take a breath.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> We hugged, crying over one another, and through the tears, she told me how proud she was of me.

She takes another breath, trying to prevent herself from getting over emotional right there in the cafe.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> It’s the first time they’ve gotten to see me win something live, rather than watching it from a distance, and it meant so much to me to have them there last night. My relationship with my parents is pretty much the antithesis of Neal’s relationship with his parents. They’ve always been so supportive of me, and I wouldn’t be where I am without them.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> I know what you mean. My parents were the same, even if at first they weren’t too impressed when I decided to try my hand at wrestling.

As Lowri drinks most of what remains of her cup of coffee, Simon thinks about something that brings a smirk to his face - which does not go unnoticed by Lowri.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> What are you smirking at?

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> I was just thinking about a conversation I had with you in June or July of last year, when you were still yet to win the first title of your career, and you had just suffered some more disappointment, in your attempts to end that wait.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> That would’ve been after that seven person ladder match I was in, the one that ended with me being knocked off the ladder and crashing through two tables - a loss that probably hurt me even more emotionally than it did physically.

There is a slight sigh from Lowri, after recalling what is not a particularly pleasant memory for her.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> Right. I had told you previously that you’re a more talented wrestler than I was, but by that stage, with the state of mind that you were in, I think you were finding it harder and harder to believe. I think I also told you that you were too talented a wrestler to have to wait too much longer to win the first championship of your career, and well… look at you now! In the past ten months you’ve won, what - half a dozen titles, plus two tournaments?

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Three tournaments.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> I stand corrected.

Simon smiles wryly.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> Seriously though, Lowri, there can’t be many people in this sport who are having a better year than you. And at the rate you’re going, it won’t be too long before you eclipse what I achieved during my career.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Maybe I will in terms of total number of titles won, but as far as world titles are concerned, you’ll still have me beat for a while yet.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> In the immediate future, perhaps, but I’m sure that in the years to come, there’ll be plenty of world titles with your name on them.

Lowri shrugs nonchalantly, not wanting to take anything for granted.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> You’re gifted, Lowri. You’re already a remarkable wrestler, and you’re only going to get better.

Now she grins at the praise from Simon.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Thanks, Simon.

<FONT COLOR="#664300">Simon:</FONT> I mean it. I’m really pleased for you, no one can honestly say that you haven’t earned all of this success you’ve had, and I’m glad that I was able to be there last night to see your latest big win up close.

The two exchange smiles, before Simon drinks some more of his tea, and Lowri eats some more of the little that is left of her breakfast, following which, their conversation then moves on to other, non-wrestling matters.

---

A camera finds Lowri inside the living room of the apartment in Orlando that she shares with Neal Durden. Dressed in a pair of jeans and a replica Wales rugby union jersey, she is sat on a sofa, leaning towards the camera, and she starts by offering her usual greeting.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Hey, what’s occurring?

With a smile on her face, she then sits up straight.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> After shows in Dublin, Belfast and Edinburgh, it’s now only a matter of days until SCW’s tour of the British Isles stops off in Cardiff, which means that’s it’s also now only a matter of days until I’m going to be competing inside the six-sided ring, for the first time in fifteen months. And in the main event, no less.

Her smile widens slightly, as she continues.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Yes, that announcement at the end of last Sunday’s show caught me by surprise a bit. I’ll admit I had hoped that my match would be in a prominent position on the card, but I would’ve settled for being in the opening match of the night, if it meant me getting to be wrestle on a show in my home country. I certainly didn’t expect to be in the main event though, seeing as I’m not even a full-time member of the SCW roster, so now not only do I need to thank Mark Ward and Christian Underwood for inviting me to be part of the show, I also need to thank them for giving me the honour of headlining it.

She does something resembling a bow, in an attempt to show her gratitude to the two SCW owners.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> I’m sure they’re both aware that there’ll be a number of people in the crowd on Sunday who aren’t hardcore SCW fans, some of whom might simply be there to watch yours truly, and I guess that would’ve been a factor in their decision. It takes two people to make a match though - well, a minimum of two - and the fact that my opponent on Sunday is an SCW Hall of Famer probably also contributed to Mr Ward and Mr Underwood deciding to have the match be the show’s main event, so perhaps I should be thanking Mercedes as well.

A smirk crosses her face.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> When I was originally offered the chance to be involved in this Sunday’s show, I had no idea who my opponent would be, whether someone would be selected for me, or whether I would be asked to handpick who I wanted to face. For all I knew, the plan could’ve just been to find a rookie from somewhere local to be my opponent, with the expectation that I would make short work of them, and while that would’ve been better than nothing, it might not have been the most competitive or most entertaining of matches for the fans. I’m more than satisfied with the way that things have worked out though.

She nods, before quickly continuing.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Mercedes Vargas is a more than ideal opponent for me to be facing in this match. With the exception of Jessie Salco, and possibly Amy Santino, I don’t think there’s anyone who has been a member of the SCW roster longer than Mercedes has, so I think it’s fitting that she’s the one I’ll be in the six-sided ring with on Sunday, in Cardiff. Mercedes has been part of SCW for so long that when she first arrived, I hadn’t even started university yet, let alone started training to be a wrestler; when she had her first match in an SCW ring, it would be another three and a quarter years before I would have my first match in any ring. I think she has been wrestling for about four times as long as I have, but it’s not uncommon for me to be in the ring with opponents who are more experienced than I am, some of them considerably more experienced, and despite that, more often than not, I’m the one who gets their hand raised in victory at the end of the match; I’m planning on having that be one of the final sights people see during Climax Control, this Sunday.

Lowri lifts up one of her arms, as if to give a preview of that.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Not only is Mercedes one of the longest serving members of the SCW roster, I believe I’m right in saying that she’s also the most decorated wrestler in SCW history. Now, obviously the more time someone spends in a promotion, the more chances they’re going to have to become a champion, but not everyone is able to take advantage of those opportunities when they come their way - I think there’s probably a greater chance of me becoming the World Bombshell Champion than there is of Jessie Salco ever winning that title. Mercedes though… she has made the most of a large percentage of the opportunities that she has had, which has resulted in her holding more gold than anyone else in SCW’s history, and ultimately, it’s what got her an induction into the Hall of Fame.

She then runs a hand through her hair.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> As I mentioned two weeks ago during Climax Control, the last time I was in the six-sided ring, I had a chance of my own to become a champion in SCW. It wasn’t to be though, as Mackenzie Page and Charlotte Elliot defeated me and Natalie McKinley, to leave Full Circle with the bombshell tag titles still in their possession. At the time of that match, I had yet to win a championship in any promotion, and while I would’ve liked to have won those tag titles, I wasn’t too disappointed afterwards following the loss, mainly because I believed that Full Circle would be SCW’s last ever show, so if Natalie and I had won the titles, we never would’ve gotten to defend them anyway.

She gives an indifferent shrug, before moving on.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Of course, rather than shutting down operations permanently, SCW merely lay dormant for a few months, and while I’ve only made a handful of appearances in SCW in the past, I’m pleased that Full Circle turned out to just be the start of a short hiatus and that it wasn’t actually SCW’s final show. Everyone that’s part of SCW now will have their own reasons for being glad that its doors were reopened - in my case, it’s that if SCW had remained closed, I wouldn’t have this rare opportunity on Sunday evening to wrestle in my home country. This match with Mercedes is going to bring my number of matches in the six-sided ring to a total of five, and although this one is going to be especially noteworthy, for obvious reasons, it still probably won’t outrank my first ever match in SCW in terms of significance.

There is a shake of the head from Lowri.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> When I set foot inside an SCW ring for the first time, two and a half years ago, I was a virtual unknown. I only had a couple of matches under my belt, and it was my first time wrestling in the US, but more importantly, it was my first ever singles match. You see, for the first four months of my career, I wrestled almost exclusively in tag team matches - and I was on the winning side in nearly all of them. However, that match in Arizona - my debut in SCW - it showed that I could be successful on my own, as well as part of a tag team. It might not have been pretty at times - as was always likely to be the case, given that my opponent that night was Twisted Sister - but I was able to get the job done, and that was all that really mattered; not only did I win my first match in SCW, I also won my first match as a singles wrestler.

Lowri takes a breath.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Looking back to that match, it’s kind of amazing to see my development as a wrestler since then. Last Sunday, Mercedes tried to claim that beating me will be the easiest win of her SCW career, and while I don’t think she genuinely believes that, if we had been opponents two and a half years ago, her statement might actually have been true. Now though, I’m going to confidently say that Mercedes is going to be in one of the toughest one-on-one matches that she has had in a long time. For the people who only watch SCW, and who haven’t seen me perform elsewhere, I’m looking forward to showing them how much I’ve improved since my only singles previous match in SCW. Comparing me now to the me of two and a half years ago is like night and day, I’ve come on leaps and bounds since then - as Mercedes will soon find out, to her cost.

Following the briefest of pauses, she continues.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Even in the fifteen months since Full Circle, I’ve made big strides. Five weeks after Natalie and I failed to become tag champs, I finally won the first title of my career, and since then I’ve gone on to win several more. I may not yet have accumulated quite as many accolades as Mercedes has, but the past year or so has exceeded all my expectations, as I’ve managed to win multiple titles and multiple tournaments, both on my own and as part of a team. And now, as my reputation continues to grow, I’m returning home, to main event a show in Cardiff; from an unknown in my first SCW match, to a main eventer this time round - I certainly have come a long way.

Lowri leans forward again.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> A few minutes ago, I said that this match on Sunday is a rare opportunity for me to wrestle in my home country, and it really is, as it’s going to be only my fourth time wrestling in Wales. Furthermore, it’s going to be only my second time wrestling in Cardiff, a city where I spent five years of my life. I’m originally from Llanelli, which is about fifty miles to the west of the Welsh capital, but Cardiff is my second home; it’s where I went to university, it’s where I trained to wrestle, and it’s where I lived until just a year ago, when I relocated to the US to further my career. I’ve also attended numerous shows in Cardiff in the past, including being in the crowd the last time that SCW was in the UK, four and a bit years ago. That night, I watched as Natalie had a victorious homecoming; this Sunday, I’ll be the one filling that role.

She gazes down towards the floor momentarily. She then looks back up at the camera, and continues.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> I don’t remember much about that match Natalie had, when she teamed with Simon Jones, against Jessie Salco and Steve Ramone, but as someone who had ambitions of becoming a wrestler, it was somewhat inspiring for me to see two British wrestlers - and in particular, a female Welsh wrestler - being featured in the penultimate match on a show staged by a pretty sizeable American promotion. Since then - since my own career in wrestling has begun - I have of course gotten to know Natalie, but I’ve also gotten to know Simon as well. Come to think of it, it’s kind of ironic that Mercedes, of all people, would often refer to Simon as being Natalie’s mentor. In truth, I think he has been more of a mentor to me than he ever was to Natalie. Since the first time I met him, he has always been there whenever I needed him, to lend and support and advice. He’ll be there on Sunday too, and I know that he has a lot of respect and admiration for Mercedes, with the two of them having debuted in SCW at around the same time, but I also know that he’s going to be arriving at the Motorpoint Arena wanting to see me win, and I have no intention of disappointing him, nor any of the thousands of others who’ll be there to cheer me on in the main event of Climax Control.

She shakes her head again.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> When I laid out the challenge to Mercedes last Sunday, for this match, she alluded to what happened when Ella Singleton challenged her to a match. And I know that after Mercedes beat her last month at Blaze Of Glory, Ella Singleton packed her bags and ran off to SCU. But here’s the thing, Mercedes. With all due respect to Ella Singleton, she’s no Lowri Moss. When she was in the ring with you, she was out of her depth; I won’t be. I’m well aware of who I’m going to facing on Sunday, and I know that I’m more than capable of getting the better of you. If you want to underestimate me though, Mercedes, go ahead and do so. That’s your mistake. Because this match isn’t going to be easy for either of us. I’m prepared the challenge that you’re going to present, but I’m confident that I can outwrestle you. Me beating you on Sunday isn’t going to be a surprise like when Venezuela defeated your beloved Argentina a few weeks ago. It’ll be more like, say, any of my country’s recent matches in the Six Nations - a hard-fought contest, with the Welsh coming out on top.

She pats the badge on her rugby jersey.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> The last time I wrestled an Argentine, it was in the final of a global tournament - and I won. The last time I wrestled in Cardiff, I was in the main event of a show at the Motorpoint Arena, challenging for a championship - and I won that match too. Now I’m set to wrestle another Argentine in the main event of another show at the Motorpoint Arena, and while there’s no trophy or no title at stake this time, that doesn’t in any way lessen my desire to win. Nor does the fact that I’m not a full-time member of the SCW roster. Mercedes, you said that I “don’t even go here,” and you’re right, I don’t. After this Sunday, I won’t then be in Manchester next week, and I won’t be in London at the start of next month, either. However, the reason my appearances in SCW are few and far between isn’t because I don’t belong here - it’s because of my commitments elsewhere. This Sunday, Mercedes, you’re going to find out how good I really am; you’re going to find out that not only am I as good as I say I am, I’m as good as everyone else - fans, pundits, and my peers - say I am. I expect you plan to put my name on your checklist, but trust me, Mercedes, you won’t be getting to cross it off. Only one of us is going to be victorious on Sunday, and the fire from this dragon is going to make your best-laid plans go up in smoke.

Lowri snaps open a pinched hand, and silently mouths, “Poof.”

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> You know, Mercedes… I never denied being selfish. Maybe it is selfish of me to come in and take up a spot on the show that could’ve gone to someone who’s an SCW regular. In which case, I guess it’ll be even more self-indulgent of me when on Sunday, rather than allowing SCW’s most decorated wrestler to pick up a win in the main event, I instead go on and beat her. If that makes me selfish, then I don’t mind one bit.

She then gets up from the sofa.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> I’ve wrestled in big stadiums like Safeco Field in Seattle and Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, but as amazing as it is being in venues like those, getting to wrestle in the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, in front of a few thousand of my compatriots, is something special for me. I know that most of the pressure is going to be on me this weekend - I was the one who asked for this match, and I’m going to be wrestling in front of an expectant home crowd. However, I wouldn’t have been able to have the success that I’ve had so far in my career if I couldn’t cope with pressure, and on Sunday, I’ll rise to the occasion once again. You aren’t just going to be up against me, Mercedes - you’ll be up against an entire arena, and with support like that, I can’t possibly lose.

She utters something in Welsh.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Cartref melys cartref.

Before reverting to English.

<FONT COLOR="#00b052">Lowri:</FONT> Home sweet home indeed, Mercedes.

And as Lowri looks towards the camera confidently, with a smirk on her face, the scene fades to black.

 The scene opens inside the kitchen of the house in Cardiff that is owned by the parents of Natalie McKinley, in the late afternoon/early evening of Tuesday 3rd January, back at the beginning of this year. Anna McKinley - Natalie's mother - is sat at a table in the centre of the kitchen, reading a book; she is wearing a pair of rust coloured paper-bag trousers, and a red and white hooped t-shirt.

The sound of a door opening and closing is soon heard, and seconds later into the kitchen walks Natalie, who is dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a zipped-up black coat. Natalie has not seen either of her parents since last July, having been away from the UK since prior to Summer XXXTreme IV; she greets her mother matter-of-factly.

Natalie: ‘Hello, Mam.’

Anna looks up from her book to acknowledge her daughter. She replies in a similarly unemotional manner.

Anna: ‘Hello, Natalie.’

Natalie takes a seat at the table, opposite to Anna, and smiles at her mother. There is no warmth to the smile though, she is just trying to be civil. By the same token, to say that Anna is happy to see her daughter would be stretching the truth. She puts her book down, before questioning Natalie.

Anna: ‘What brings you back here - did your girlfriend break up with you?’

Natalie sneers at her mother.

Natalie: ‘Edie wasn’t my girlfriend, Mam, she was…’

Natalie’s response to Anna’s question trails off. After a brief pause, she then continues.

Natalie: ‘If you must know, things didn’t work out between us - at least, not as Edie would’ve liked. I explored my curiosity, and I came to the conclusion that I would rather just be friends with Edie, nothing more.’

Anna: ‘So you’re not gay then?’

Natalie lets out an exasperated sigh.

Natalie: ‘No, Mam, I’m not gay. Would it really matter if I was, though?’

Anna: ‘I suppose not.’

There is an awkward silence, before Anna returns to her original question.

Anna: ‘So why are you back here, then?’

Anna narrows her eyes at Natalie.

Anna: ‘You haven’t been gambling again, have you? Have you run out of money, is that it?’

Attempting to avoid letting that question irritate her too much, Natalie takes a breath.

Natalie: ‘I can assure you that I have not been gambling at all. It has been over eighteen months since I last placed a bet on anything, and I am not going to fall off the wagon.’

Anna: ‘Well, good. I can’t begin to tell you how much shame and embarrassment I felt at having an addict for a daughter.’

While Natalie is not surprised that her mother would have the gall to say that to her face, it is still unpleasant for her to hear, and she takes another breath, as she tries to quell her annoyance.

Natalie: ‘However much you were ashamed of me, Mam, it was nothing compared to how ashamed I was of myself, for allowing my gambling habits to spiral out of control.’

A momentary silence follows. Natalie had expected her mother to make another snide comment, but with nothing forthcoming from Anna, she instead speaks again.

Natalie: ‘To answer your original question, Mam, the reason why I’ve come home is simply that I was homesick. Living in a small town in North Dakota was nice for a while, but I’ll always be a big city girl at heart, and after what happened with Edie, once things between us ended, there wasn’t really any reason for me to stay there, so I decided it was time for me to come home.’

Anna: ‘Until it’s time for you to go off chasing something else that won’t pan out, no doubt.’

Natalie looks off to the side, away from her mother. She says something in a quieter tone of voice, but it is still loud enough for Anna to be able to hear it.

Natalie: ‘Here we go again.’

Anna: ‘What are you talking about?’

Natalie turns her head to again look directly at Anna, as she responds to her mother.

Natalie: ‘Whenever I do anything, you always find something to be critical of.’

Anna: ‘When have I ever been critical of something you’ve done?’

Natalie looks at her mother as if she has just grown another head.

Natalie: ‘Are you serious?’

After waiting a few seconds for a reply from Anna that does not come, Natalie begins to give some examples of life choices of hers that her mother has objected to.

Natalie: ‘When I started lifting weights, and gaining muscle, you thought it wasn’t very ladylike.’

Anna: ‘Those muscles of yours aren’t very feminine, are they?’

That alone should be sufficient to prove Natalie’s point, but she carries on.

Natalie: ‘When I decided that I wanted to be a personal trainer, you were against that because you thought it wasn’t a respectable profession.’

Anna: ‘And it isn’t - it’s not like being, say, a doctor, or a teacher.’

Natalie: ‘But when I then decided to pursue a career as a professional wrestler, you were even less in favour of that.’

Anna: ‘Being a personal trainer at least offered you some job security.’

Natalie shakes her head in disbelief.

Natalie: ‘You’ve never approved of any of my boyfriends. And yet when Jack broke up with me, you actually seemed to empathise with him.’

Anna: ‘I wasn’t surprised he broke up with you - it was your own fault. Who could blame him for not wanting to be in a relationship with an addict?’

Natalie: ‘Nothing I’ve done has ever been acceptable in your eyes, and I know that’s not going to change. I could make a full-time return to wrestling, become a top champion in the sport, and you would still find something to pick fault with.’

There is a groan of despair from Natalie.

Natalie: ‘You know what, Mam? I’m done trying to please you. You’re just not worth the effort any more.’

Anna: ‘How can you talk to me like that? After everything that I’ve done for you.’

Near to being incensed, Natalie’s eyes widen.

Natalie: ‘After everything you’ve done for me? What, you mean, yell at me for twenty-four years?’

Another awkward silence follows, which is broken by Anna.

Anna: ‘Do you really think I’ve been yelling at you for twenty-four years?’

Natalie: ‘I don’t know. You were probably okay with me when I was a baby, I just can’t remember.’

Thinking that she has now gone beyond the point of no return, Natalie decides to tell her mother how she really feels about her.

Natalie: ‘There was a time when I hoped that one day, I may be able to have a positive relationship with you, but I’ve long since accepted that that’s a lost cause. I know you don’t like me, Mam - you might not admit it, but it’s obvious from the way that you treat me. I’m okay with that though, because the feeling’s mutual. I won’t go so far as to say that I hate you - that’s a bit too strong - but I do strongly dislike you.’

Anna stands up, and Natalie does likewise. She is curious to see what her mother is going to do next, but when Anna slaps her, it still takes Natalie by surprise.

Anna: ‘Get out.’

Anna gestures for Natalie to leave, pointing towards the entrance to the kitchen.

Natalie: ‘Gladly.’

Natalie hurriedly exits the room, as she makes her way out of her parents’ house. She stops outside the front door, touches her cheek, and wipes a tear from her eye, before pulling out her mobile phone. The scene then switches to show Natalie - still dressed in the same clothes as earlier - sat at a table in a pub somewhere in her hometown. She is soon joined by Lowri Moss, who appears carrying two pints of lager. Lowri - who is wearing a pair of navy blue jeans and a black hoodie - places one of the drinks down on the table, in front of Natalie.

Natalie: ‘Thanks.’

Lowri: ‘You’re welcome.’

Lowri then sits down, opposite Natalie, and the two of them each take a sip of their respective drinks.

Natalie: ‘I’m sorry for bothering you, Lowri, I just didn’t know who else to call; I could’ve called Simon, but I didn’t want to trouble him.’

Lowri: ‘You thought you would trouble me instead then?’

Lowri lets out a laugh, trying to put Natalie at ease.

Lowri: ‘It’s alright, Nat, you haven’t interrupted anything important, only a night in front of the telly.’

Natalie smiles meekly at Lowri.

Lowri: ‘So when did you get back from the US?’

Natalie: ‘A few hours ago. I got a train from the airport to Cardiff, and then after I arrived at Central, I headed straight home, to see my parents...well, it was my Dad that I wanted to see, but he wasn’t there, just my Mam.’

Natalie takes another sip of her lager.

Lowri: ‘And so what happened, if you don’t mind me asking?’

Natalie: ‘It’s fine, Lowri - I’ll tell you.’

She sighs, before continuing.

Natalie: ‘I attempted to have a conversation with her, but she was as hostile towards me as ever. She brought up my gambling addiction, as well as other things, and I quickly remembered one of the reasons why I moved away from home - as if I needed reminding.’

Lowri drinks some of her pint.

Natalie: ‘Anyway, I decided I wasn’t going to put up with her talking to me that way any more, and so I had it out with her. I told her in no uncertain terms how I feel about her, then she slapped me, and told me to leave.’

Lowri: ‘I can’t imagine what it must be like to have such a prickly relationship with one of your parents - both my Mam and my Dad have never being anything other than loving and supportive towards me.’

Natalie: ‘My Dad loves me wholeheartedly, and he’ll do anything he can to help and support me, always has done. But as for my Mam, if I never see her again, it’ll be too soon.’

Lowri: ‘What happened that made things the way they are between you and your Mam?’

Natalie: ‘My Dad told me some time ago that when he and my Mam decided to try for a baby, she wanted to have a boy, and so when she instead ended up having a girl, she was disappointed, to say the least.’

Lowri: ‘You’re an only child, aren’t you?’

Natalie nods.

Lowri: ‘Your parents didn’t try again then? For a son, I mean.’

Natalie: ‘No. Even before she was pregnant with me, my Mam had already decided that she only wanted to have one child, and giving birth to a girl rather than a boy didn’t change that.’

There is another slight sigh from Natalie.

Natalie: ‘I don’t know for sure, but I think that’s the reason why my Mam acts the way that she does towards me: she resents me because I’m not the son that she wanted.’

Lowri glances lazily around the pub, before looking back to Natalie.

Lowri: ‘So what are you going to do? Where are you going to go?’

Natalie: ‘I don’t know. I suppose tomorrow I’ll look for somewhere to rent. And I’ll have to go to my parents’ house at some point, as all of my belongings are there, apart from what I’ve got with me now; in my rush to leave, I even forgot to take the case that I had with me, so the only clothes I have at the moment are the ones that I’m wearing. I just hope I don’t run into my Mam while I’m there.’

Lowri: ‘What about tonight - where are you going to stay?’

Natalie: ‘I guess I’ll stay in a hotel, or a bed and breakfast.’

Lowri: ‘You can crash at mine, if you want - if you don’t mind having to sleep on the sofa, that is.’

Natalie: ‘Are you sure? Will your housemates be okay with that?’

Lowri: ‘If it’s only going to be for a night or two, it’ll be fine - although any longer than that, and they might try to add you to the council tax bill.’

Natalie and Lowri share a laugh at the latter’s quip. Lowri then asks another question.

Lowri: ‘Which gym was it that you used to work at?’

Natalie: ‘Pure Gym, by the stadium.’

Lowri: ‘Are you going to go back to working there?’

Natalie shrugs.

Natalie: ‘I hadn’t really given it any thought, but yeah, probably - either there or at another gym, somewhere else in the city. I could become a freelance personal trainer, but it would take me a while to build up a clientele, and if I’m going to be renting a flat on my own, then I’m going to need a guaranteed source of income.’

Lowri: ‘You could always get back in the ring, whether that’s in SCW or elsewhere.’

Natalie dismisses the suggestion with a shake of her head.

Lowri: ‘Why not? Don’t you want to?’

Natalie consumes some more of her drink, before giving an answer.

Natalie: ‘I think my time as an active wrestler may be over. I’ve only been in two matches in the past five or six months, the most recent of which was almost two months ago now, and honestly, Lowri, I don’t miss it at all. I remember how happy I was when I signed my first contract with SCW, but in the two and a half years since then, my enthusiasm for wrestling has gradually melted away, to the point where now, it wouldn’t bother me if I never set foot inside a ring again.’

Lowri: ‘Fair enough, if that’s how you feel.’

A wry smile crosses Lowri’s face.

Lowri: ‘I guess this means then that Mark Ward should probably forget about there being any possibility of having me and you in the Bombshell division as a full-time tag team.’

Natalie: ‘Yes, he probably should. I’m not saying for definite that I’m never going to wrestle again, but at present, I don’t foresee myself being back inside a ring any time soon.’

Lowri: ‘Well, as much as I enjoyed getting to team with you at High Stakes, and as much as I would like it to be a more regular occurrence, I’m not going to pester you about something that you don’t want to do.’

Natalie: ‘Thanks for your understanding, Lowri.’

Lowri: ‘No problem.’

Natalie smiles at Lowri - a proper smile this time.

Natalie: ‘For two wrestlers that had never teamed together before, we didn’t do too badly, did we?’

Lowri: ‘No, we certainly did not.’

And as the conversation between the two goes on, with them moving onto discussing their match at High Stakes VI against the Justice League - amongst other things - the scene fades to black.

---

The scene opens inside Jubilee Roasting Co, a cafe in Aurora, Colorado, at around lunchtime on Wednesday 29th November. To the back of the cafe is a roomy warehouse creative space, which is where - stood in amongst the artists' studios, and holding a mug of coffee in her right hand - Natalie McKinley is seen; she is wearing a pair of black leggings, and one of Lowri Moss’ “BSS” t-shirts - available from Irish Whip Clothing - which she has cut the sleeves off.

Natalie directs a half-smile towards the camera. She then starts to talk.

Natalie: 'Hello, Sin City Wrestling. It has been a while, hasn’t it? Actually, it has been so long since I was last on your screens, that there are probably some people watching this who don’t even know who I am. Over twelve months have passed since High Stakes VI, when I last set foot inside the six-sided ring, but in four days’ time I’m returning to SCW, to reclaim my crown as “the most physically powerful specimen in the Bombshell division,” if only for one night. And just like at High Stakes last year, this Sunday I’ll be competing in a tag team match, with my compatriot Lowri Moss as my partner, this time against the FoShan Bombshells, Song and Orchid.’

Natalie takes a seat on a nearby chair.

Natalie: ‘I’m aware that some of you might be wondering where I’ve been for the past year, so before I discuss this Sunday’s match, please allow me to explain what I’ve been up to since my last appearance in SCW.’

She takes a gulp of coffee, before placing her mug on an adjacent table.

Natalie: ‘After High Stakes VI, my life was lacking purpose and direction. I stayed in the US, but for a while I pretty much shunned civilisation, choosing to live in a remote part of the country; I even started going to the gym less and less, resulting in some lost gains. Come the start of this year though, I decided to go back home to the UK. I dragged myself out of the doldrums, got my arse in the gym, went back to working as a personal trainer, and managed to be happy again. Oh, and I cut my hair.’

Natalie grips her bangs between her thumb and index finger.

Natalie: ‘For a number of months following that, I didn’t get up to anything particularly interesting. Sure, I attended Climax Control in mid-April, together with Lowri, and Song laid down a challenge to us for a match, but apart from that, nothing much happened in the first seven or so months of this year - nothing newsworthy, at least. However, in early August, I was contacted by someone who was interested in having me play for his lingerie football team. At first, I dismissed the idea - I had never played American football, and I barely knew anything about the sport - but after several other teams showed an interest in me, I opted to give it a try, and so I joined the Denver Divas. It has been three months now, and while I’m still learning, things are going reasonably well: we’ve won eight matches out of nine so far this season, and last Friday, in our latest game, I caught two touchdown passes, as well as getting two sacks. Not too bad, right?’

As Natalie smiles contentedly, the scene switches to inside a hotel room, somewhere in Portland, Oregon, on the morning of Friday 1st December. Sat on the edge of the bed, dressed in a pair of pale blue jeans and a Denver Divas t-shirt - also available from Irish Whip Clothing - is Lowri Moss.

Lowri smiles warmly at the camera, as she speaks.

Lowri: ‘What’s occurring, Sin City Wrestling? It has taken a bit longer than I would’ve liked, but on Sunday evening, you’ll get to see me inside an SCW ring once again. This match between me and Natalie and the team of Song and Orchid is at least half a dozen months in the making, and with Natalie having taken her sweet time to be satisifed that she was in the right condition to get back in the ring, I had begun to think - as I bet Song had too - that it might never happen. Eventually though, last month, Natalie came to the decision that she was ready to return to the ring, and so now, in two days’ time, finally - thankfully - I’ll get to compete alongside her for a second time; these two girls from South Wales, against the two bombshells from southeastern China - after waiting so long for it to happen, hopefully this match won’t turn out to be a disappointment for the fans.’

Lowri leans forward slightly, gripping the bed with her hands.

Lowri: ‘The last time that Natalie was inside the six-sided ring was also of course when I made the second of my two appearances - so far - in SCW. But while she has spent much of the time since High Stakes VI last year trying to work out...what she wants to do with her life, I guess...I’ve had no such issues. When I first appeared in front of an SCW camera, last October, I said that I had dreamt of being a professional wrestler for about as long as I could remember. Back then though, I was very much in the early stages of my career, with just a handful of matches under my belt. I would spend my weekdays working in a bank in Cardiff, counting down the days until the weekends, when I would get the chance to wrestle, usually somewhere in London.’

There is a pause, as Lowri reflects on how far she has come in the past year.

Lowri: ‘Things have changed significantly for me since then, however. At the beginning of this year, I signed a contract with a promotion based on the East Coast of the US, which allowed me to be able to give up my day job, and wrestle full-time; finally, I was a fully fledged professional wrestler.’

Lowri smiles again, more broadly this time.

Lowri: ‘Some of you might wonder, if I was going to join the roster of a promotion here in the US, why wasn’t SCW that promotion. Well, after High Stakes VI, Mark Ward was prepared to offer me a contract - he even tweeted as such. However, he didn’t just want me - he wanted me and Natalie. After our performance - and win - against the Justice League at High Stakes, Mark Ward wanted the two of us to be a regular team in SCW, to help strengthen the tag division. Natalie rejected the offer out of hand though, as she had no interest in signing a new contract with SCW, and with her out of the picture, Mr Ward wasn’t willing to offer me a contract to be a singles competitor - hardly surprising given that at that point in time, I had only competed in one singles match in my career.’

The scene switches back to the cafe, and to Natalie.

Natalie: ‘I know there are people who sneer at lingerie football, who question its legitimacy as a sport. In fact, up until a few months ago, I might even have been one of those people; I’m definitely not now though. Playing in the LFL has filled a void in my life that had been there for…’

Natalie shrugs, before continuing.

Natalie: ‘I’m not even sure how long it had been there. To put it bluntly, being a player in the LFL has given me something to do with my days other than just going to the gym - although I still spend plenty of time there, of course.’

She smirks at the camera again.

Natalie: ‘I suppose though, that might beg the question, why couldn’t wrestling fill that void?’

There is a slight sigh from Natalie.

Natalie: ‘Like Lowri, I’m a lifelong fan of wrestling, but whereas she had wanted to be a professional wrestler pretty much her entire life, with me, it was a much more recent thing. I mean, when I signed my first contract with SCW, over three years ago now, I had already been working as a personal trainer for around a year, since graduating from university; for Lowri, wrestling is her true love, but as far as I’m concerned, my passion is fitness. Perhaps it’s no surprise then that my fondness for wrestling isn’t what it used to be. But that’s no one’s doing other than my own. Part of the reason it has taken so long for this match with Song and Orchid to actually happen is that wrestling doesn’t excite me as much as it used to. However, regardless of how I feel about wrestling these days, I can promise that I’m still going to give the match this Sunday my all - I’m not going to show up to Climax Control with any intention of losing. And besides, I don’t want to let Lowri down.’

The scene switches back to Lowri, in her hotel room.

Lowri: ‘Natalie probably won’t thank me for saying it - and although I know she’ll get to see this, I‘m going to say it anyway - but I think perhaps the main reason why she lost her love for wrestling, is that she came to the realisation that she was going to struggle to emulate the success that Simon Jones had in SCW. Whenever anyone referred to Natalie as Simon’s protégé, she always argued otherwise - and having spoken to Simon, I know he didn’t think it was a correct description either - but given the role that he played in helping her get a spot in SCW in the first place, I can understand why people would call her that. Regardless of whether or not she really was his protégé, I know that Natalie wanted to be successful in SCW, for herself and as a way of repaying Simon for the faith that he had shown in her when he had gone to bat for her. Natalie was always going to have a hard time trying to replicate the success that Simon achieved in SCW - I’m sure there’s a spot waiting for him in the Hall of Fame…’

Lowri winks at the camera.

Lowri: ‘But that was difficult for her to accept. She wanted to be a multi-time world champion, like he had been, and when she gradually came to see that she might not be able to reach those same heights, that was when her motivation for a career in wrestling began to fade away.’

She looks down at the floor.

Lowri: ‘Still, at least she held the roulette title for eight weeks in SCW; that’s eight more weeks than some of us have been a champion for.’

The scene switches back to Natalie once more, sat in the cafe.

Natalie: ‘Lowri set herself a target of winning a title in her rookie year; it’s now fifteen months since she made her pro debut, and she’s still waiting for that first title. The fact that I won the roulette title about six months into my career doesn’t particularly help matters either. I’ve told her that she’s much more talented than I am, and that she’s going to go on to achieve far greater things than I have, but at times, as the wait for her first title goes on, she has a hard time believing that.’

There is another shrug from Natalie.

Natalie: ‘I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before Lowri becomes a champion, but while she awaits that elusive first title, she continues to gain experience, competing full-time in two promotions, and making guest appearances in others - the latest of course being the one this coming Sunday. This match against Song and Orchid isn’t going to have any implications as far as titles are concerned, but it’s my first match in over a year, and that makes it important in its own right. I don’t know when - or even if - I’ll set foot inside a ring again after Sunday, so I want to make sure that my last match - for however long - doesn’t end in a loss. Plus, I want to pay a part in helping Lowri to have a positive final month in her first full year in wrestling.’

She picks up her mug of coffee.

Natalie: ‘Song, Orchid; you wanted this match. Well, be careful what you wish for. Because Nat...will tear you apart...again.’

As Natalie takes a drink, the scene returns to Lowri’s hotel room, with her now sat up straight, looking at the camera again.

Lowri: ‘I love wrestling.’

A smile crosses her face.

Lowri: ‘I know that isn’t a statement that’s going to come as a surprise to anyone, but it still bears saying. I love wrestling, and I love to wrestle. I would wrestle every day if I could. I wrestle regularly in Europe and in the US, and I happily accept opportunities to make guest appearances elsewhere when such offers are made to me. Last Saturday, I wrestled in Mississippi; on Tuesday, I was in Spain; last night, I had a match here in Oregon, and later tonight I’ll be in at least one match, possibly as many as three!’

Her smile widens into a grin.

Lowri: ‘While I’m sure Song and Orchid were pleased when Natalie finally gave the go ahead for this match to happen, I can guarantee they wouldn’t have been as happy with the news as I was. To some people, this might just seem like any other tag team match, but for me, it’s another chance for me to do what I love to do. So on Sunday, Natalie and I are going to rock up to San Jose, for Climax Control; we’re going to step in the ring with Song and Orchid; I’m going to throw some kicks at them, whereas Natalie will probably just throw them. And all being well, once it’s all over, the duo that will be left standing will be the two dragons...with all due respect to Trinity Jones.’

Lowri places her hands on the bed, by her sides.

Lowri: ‘No offence intended, hon, but Natalie and I are Welsh, after all. Nice name though. Jones, I mean.’

She winks again, before pushing herself off the bed, onto her feet.

Lowri: ‘It’s about time I got to display my brand of British strong style inside the six-sided ring again. And now, I only have two more days left to wait.’

Lowri takes a breath. She then utters a three word motto, in Welsh.

Lowri: ‘Trên. Ymladd. Ennill.’

Following the briefest of pauses, she repeats her motto, this time in English.

Lowri: ‘Train. Fight. Win.’

And as Lowri stares at the camera, with a smile on her face, the scene then fades to black.

 The scene opens inside the sports bar on the Sun Princess cruise ship on the morning of Monday 1st August - the morning after Summer XXXTreme IV. The bar itself is not yet open, but despite that, one of the nearby tables is already occupied: sat opposite one another, keeping clear of the hustle and bustle of the breakfast dining currently taking place on the two decks immediately below, are Natalie McKinley and Simon Jones.

Natalie is dressed in a pair of light blue jeans and a yellow sleeveless t-shirt, while Simon is wearing navy blue jeans and a red t-shirt. The two have only been there a short time, and as Natalie adjusts an ice pack that is attached to her left shoulder, Simon asks her a question.

Simon: 'How's your arm this morning?'

Just twelve or so hours earlier, in their contest for the SCW Bombshell Roulette Championship, Kate Steele had forced Natalie to tap out, using her Shipwrecked (seated Fujiwara Armbar) submission hold.

Natalie: 'It doesn't hurt quite as much as it did last night, but it's still very sore.'

Instinctively, Natalie touches her left arm.

Simon: 'I assume you're not going to let that stop you from working out, though.'

Natalie: 'Of course not.'

Natalie smiles.

Natalie: 'I'm going to wait until we're back on dry land though, to do my work out today, so that I can use a proper gym, rather than the poor excuse for a fitness center that there is on this ship, with its limited equipment.'

Natalie glances around the room, before returning her attention to Simon.

Natalie: 'Is it okay for you to be seen with me in public?'

That question causes Simon to frown.

Simon: 'What are you talking about?'

He then gazes around the room as well, before looking back to Natalie.

Simon: 'There's no-one here apart from us, anyway.'

Natalie: 'Maybe not at present, but what if someone - say Mikah, for example - was to happen upon us? She might call you Mr. McKinley again!'

Simon smirks, having been reminded of something that Mikah had teased him about the night before.

Simon: 'Mikah can say whatever she wants about the friendship that you and I have, it doesn't bother me - does it bother you?'

Natalie gently shakes her head.

Natalie: 'Not really.'

Simon: 'Good. Mikah will say anything to try to get a rise out of me, but she doesn't do it to be spiteful, she just does it to amuse herself - at least, I hope that's why she does it.'

There is a brief silence, before Simon speaks again.

Simon: 'Following on from the chat we had after your match last night, have you thought about what you're going to do next? Besides get back in the gym, I mean.'

Natalie laughs softly at Simon's remark. She then gives him an answer.

Natalie: 'I've been thinking about disappearing off into the wilderness.'

Simon: 'Does "the wilderness" mean North Dakota?'

Natalie: 'It might.'

Simon smirks again.

Simon: 'So you will be commuting each week from North Dakota to wherever SCW is staging a show that Sunday, then?'

Natalie: 'Not in the immediate future.'

Simon frowns.

Simon: 'What do you mean?'

Natalie: 'I want to take some time off, although it won't be as long as any of the hiatuses that you had from wrestling during your career - my break will be measured in weeks, not years.'

Simon: 'Have you spoken to any of the powers that be about this?'

Natalie: 'Yes, I have; unsurprisingly, Christian didn't try to dissuade me from taking time off from SCW.'

Natalie tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Natalie: 'Taking a few weeks off will give me time to rest up, as well as allow me more time to ponder my future - including whether my future lies in SCW, or somewhere else.'

Simon: 'You're considering quitting SCW - is this because you lost last night?'

Natalie gives a non-committal shrug.

Natalie: 'I'm not going to deny my mindset would be different if I was now the new Bombshell Roulette Champion, but mainly the reason why I'm considering my future - and whether that is going to be in SCW, or elsewhere - is because of how things have changed in the past few months, since someone...'

Natalie points at Simon.

Natalie: '...convinced me to agree to be Melody's tag team partner.'

She then lets out a sigh.

Natalie: 'When I accepted Kate Steele's challenge for a match at Summer XXXTreme, I wasn't interested in taking the roulette title from her, I just wanted to beat her. Fighting her has though ended up making me now want to be a champion again - like we talked about last night. However, after my loss to Kate, I don't think there's much prospect of me winning me a championship in SCW any time soon.'

Simon: 'What happened to taking J2H's advice of just keep ripping people apart?'

Natalie replies to Simon's question without hesitation.

Natalie: 'He didn't specify that I had to do that in SCW.'

Simon nods, begrudgingly accepting Natalie's statement.

Simon: 'No, I suppose he didn't.'

Another brief silence follows, until Natalie speaks again.

Natalie: 'With Kate's reign as the Bombshell Roulette Champion set to continue for who knows how long, I can't see myself being given another shot at her title for a while. And obviously, if I can't win the roulette title, then I'm not about to be given a shot at the bombshell world title - although I'm not sure that I would want to challenge Crystal for her title anyway. Similarly, I have no desire to challenge Melody for the internet title - as I've stated a number of times in recent weeks - and as I'm sure she is going to hold on to that title for a long time, that leaves me without a partner to try to win the tag titles.'

There is another sigh from Natalie.

Natalie: 'So yeah, like I said, I don't think I'll be winning a championship in SCW any time soon.'

Simon takes a moment to think over everything Natalie has just said, before responding.

Simon: 'You may be right; it's certainly hard to pick fault with what you said.'

Natalie: 'Does that mean you think it might be best for me to consider a future in wrestling away from SCW, then?'

Now it is Simon's turn to let out a sigh.

Simon: 'I'm not going to tell you to leave SCW, but if you think that's what would be best for you, I'm not going to try to convince you to stay, either.'

Natalie replies in a surprised tone.

Natalie: 'Really? I was expecting you to give me a list of reasons why I should stay in SCW.'

Simon: 'Not this time, Natalie.'

Natalie: 'Oh, okay.'

As Natalie falls silent, Simon can tell that she is still surprised by his current demeanour.

Simon: 'Like I said, Natalie, it's hard to argue with your reasoning, so if you want to be challenging for a title in the near future, perhaps you should explore options outside of SCW.'

Natalie this about this for a couple of seconds, before replying.

Natalie: 'Well, okay. Nothing's for definite yet - this could all end up with me being back inside the six-sided ring in a month or so - but it's something for me to think about in the coming weeks, while I'm resting up.'

Simon: 'You should take as much as time you need - make sure that the decision you make is the right one for you.'

Natalie nods.

Natalie: 'I will do, Simon; thanks.'

She then smiles at Simon.

Simon: 'You're welcome.'

Simon smiles back. Natalie readjusts the ice pack on her shoulder, and as their conversation continues, we leave things there, to switch to the present day, where Natalie is now seen sat on a chair in a nondescript room; she is wearing a pair of dark grey GymShark leggings and a black zip up hoodie.

Natalie covers her mouth, as she coughs. She then looks to the camera, and speaks.

Natalie: 'In two days' time, I will be setting foot inside the six-sided ring for the first time since Summer XXXTreme IV, for a match against Twisted Sister. This match - my first one in twelve weeks - promises to be an unusual but interesting one, and one in which I'm not willing to accept anything other than a win.'

Natalie smiles confidently for a moment, but she then sighs.

Natalie: 'Before I go any further, I want to let you know that this video of me talking about my forthcoming match will probably be much shorter than normal. The reason for that, is that I'm currently suffering from a cold, and I don't think that talking for a long period would do my sore throat much good.'

As if on cue, Natalie coughs again.

Natalie: 'I believe Simon is suffering from a cold as well at the moment - how's that for a coincidence?'

She winks at the camera.

Natalie: 'So, anyway, my match with Twisted Sister - and yes, this is a match that I specifically asked for, in response to what Twisted Sister did following her match twelve days ago, against Lowri Moss.'

Natalie runs a hand through her hair.

Natalie: 'About a month and a half ago, I sent a tweet in which I said that I though SCW could do with more Welsh wrestlers on their roster. However, I didn't genuinely believe that I would see another Welsh wrestler in the six-sided ring, especially not that soon, so I was pleasantly surprised by the appearance that Lowri Moss made in SCW. Now, I've seen Lowri referred to as being my friend, which is stretching the truth a bit - we have exchanged pleasantries over Twitter, but that's about it; I think describing us as acquaintances would be more accurate than saying that we are friends.'

Natalie smiles pleasantly at the camera.

Natalie: 'Friends or not though, after watching the attack on Lowri by Twisted Sister that followed the end of their match, I couldn't just sit idly by - that's when I decided it was time for me to set foot in the ring with one of SCW's most...let's say, unique, characters. The joy of seeing my compatriot win her match was short-lived, through no fault of her own, and while I doubt that a psychopath like Twisted Sister fears retribution, or that she even understands the concept of it, that's what I'm going to be seeking this weekend.'

Natalie covers her mouth, as she coughs again.

Natalie: 'Since arriving in SCW, Twisted Sister has left some sort of a mark on each of her opponents. I'm not like any of her previous opponents, though - none of them have my unmitigated power, and on Sunday evening Twisted Sister will feel the full force of it.'

Natalie clenches - and then unclenches - her hands.

Natalie: 'Jessie Salco, Veronica Taylor, Amy Marshall, and Roxi Johnson: just a few of the women that Twister Sister has been inside the six-sided ring with. I've been in the ring with each of those four as well - and furthermore, I've defeated each of them; they were all overcome by strength, and this Sunday, things will be no different for Twisted Sister.'

Natalie coughs once more.

Natalie: 'Fuck.'

She then lets out another sigh.

Natalie: 'I'm going to wrap this up, and save you all from having to continue watching me cough every couple of minutes.'

Natalie gets up from her chair.

Natalie: 'I've heard it said that, "You can't fight crazy," but I'm not about to let that stop me. On Sunday evening, in my first match in almost three months, I will willingly get in the ring with Twister Sister, to deliver my own brand of punishment. Some people may think that I'm the crazy one, for wanting this match, but I'm not worried about what Twister Sister might try to do to me. Besides, unlike her, I don't need a chainsaw to tear someone apart.'

Natalie grins.

Natalie: 'Nat will tear you apart again.'

She stands smiling at the camera, but within a matter of seconds, another cough comes.

Natalie: 'Oh, for fu...'

And on that note, the scene abruptly goes to black.

 OOC: This RP is set on June 30th of this year, and follows on from the events of two previous RPs, which can be read here and here.

---

Inside the terminal of Grand Forks International Airport in Grand Forks, North Dakota, Edie Frederik is seen awaiting the arrival of someone. She did not have to wait for much longer, as the person that she was expecting soon appeared - that being Natalie McKinley, whose face lit up upon spotting Edie. Pulling a trolley case behind her, Natalie then quickly walked over to where her friend was stood, and used her free hand to greet Edie with a hug.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “It’s so good to see you again. Thank you so much for coming to pick me up.”

Edie shrugged hugging back, greeting her warmly.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “You did call me the ambassador of North Dakota, or something like that, right? Didn’t want the trek from here to Pembina to be boring. I know these old roads like the back of my hand. How have you been? You look like you’re taking good care of yourself.”

Breaking off the hug, Natalie took a step back from Edie, and looked her up and down.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “As do you. And I’m good, thanks. Japan was great. The weather there was similar to how it is here - much more agreeable than the heat in Vegas.”

Natalie smiled despite herself, as she realised what she had just said.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “Listen to me, talking about the weather like a stereotypical Brit.”

She then laughed softly at herself.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “How are things with you, Edie?”

Edie laughed along, brushing her hair from her face.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “I’m doing okay, I guess. My brother’s been depressed more lately so I’ve really been focusing on him. I did talk him into going to a local facility during the day where he can socialize with other disabled people. I think it’s important for him to know he’s not alone. And they can speak more on it than I can. Even though I love him I don’t know what it’s really like to be disabled. My knee injury doesn’t count. That was just a setback.”

She waved her hand in the air.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “Listen at me, once I get started on him I never stop. And since you mentioned it, people around here remark on the weather all the time. Mostly the old farmers over breakfast at McDonald’s. Maybe I should take you over there, you’d fit right in!”

Edie stuck out her tongue, giving Natalie a bit of a ribbing.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “Not because of the ‘old’ part, I hope.”

Natalie laughed at Edie’s quip.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “I don’t mind hearing you talk about your brother, you know. It’s nice to hear how much you care about him, Edie. I know his situation isn’t easy for either of you.”

Edie nodded, pausing in thought briefly, then shifted gears.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “Shall we head to the car? Do I need to grab anything? Tell me about Japan, how was it?”

Edie was talking rapidly to change the subject, and getting rather flustered. She stopped.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “I’m sorry…I missed you. I’m usually a lady of few words and here I am babbling away.”

Natalie smiled at Edie, and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “It’s okay, Edie. I‘ve missed you too. It’s been too long since we last saw one another in the flesh.”

Natalie looked behind herself, over her shoulder, at her trolley case.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “I’ve only got the one case with me...”

She then looked back to Edie.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “...so I should be able to manage by myself, thanks. How about you lead the way to the car? Then we can talk about whatever you feel like talking about.”

Edie rubbed her hands together and nodded. She motioned off in the opposite direction she had come in.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “Very well, this way then.”

Edie and Natalie headed away from the baggage area out past the food and shopping terminals in the airport. She held open the door for Natalie so she could clear her bag through.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “Talking on the phone or texting just isn’t the same as in person, I agree. I hope you don’t mind, I told some of the kids in town you were coming. I bet they’ll want an autograph or two. I used to be the hero around here, now they all want muscles like you!”

Edie laughed as they arrived at her silver Acura.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “Really? It still surprises me that there are people that want my autograph, or that anyone would want me to pose for a photo with them because of what I do for a living.”

Edie popped the trunk for Natalie to put her case in.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “Well, you know…for you or me doing what we do, it’s just a job. Something we love sure, the hard hours in the gym, lifting and training. But for the fans, and kids especially we’re like something beyond normal. Closest thing to real life superheroes maybe. Even though people like police, firemen, doctors, even their own parents are the real heroes. Maybe they take that for granted a little bit. But if I can make someone smile, maybe forget their problems for an evening because I’m in there fighting…it sweetens the deal, you know? And just talking about it makes me miss the ring a bit.”

She frowned slightly.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “Are you all set? Ready for the drive? You can control the radio if you like…”

A sarcastic smile crossed Natalie’s face.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “I’m not sure that I can handle such a responsibility.”

Edie started the car and pulled out of the parking spot.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “Really? Well, I think we can start you at the entry level position instead. How does monitoring the air conditioning sound?”

Natalie nodded.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “I think I can manage that.”

As suggested, Natalie checked the settings for the car’s air conditioning. She then stared out of the window, as the drive from Grand Forks to Pembina got underway.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “Do you really miss the ring, Edie? I had gotten the impression over the past few months, that you were happy enough with how you were spending your time away from wrestling.”

Edie drove on and nodded, offering a bittersweet smile.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “I guess you could say I’m torn. I think about it alot. And doing what I’ve been doing, it’s been pretty gratifying. I love my brother very much, and I’m glad to be strong for him now when he needs it most. He was strong for me when we were younger. I don’t know, I guess I’m more spurred on by the idea of family legacy in the business. All those generations, and the ones living still try and get me going. At the end of the day I have to do what I feel is best for me; not what any of my relatives would like. I don’t think I’d wrestle full time but a relaxed schedule, perhaps some spot bookings here and there I could swing.”

Edie shrugged, making a turn.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “How do you feel about your career so far? Oh, and before I forget to mention it, I seem to recall someone has a birthday coming up, don’t they?”

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “They might have.”

Natalie smiled coyly.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “But to answer your other question, I’m not really sure how I feel about my career so far. At the beginning of August, it will be two years since I competed in my first match, and the number of matches I’ve won in that time - in SCW and elsewhere - does outweigh the number that I’ve lost. Most people measure success in championships though, and I’ve only got one of those to my name - and it was a reign as champion that lasted just eight weeks.”

Natalie sighed, recalling her short-lived reign as the SCW Bombshell Roulette Champion.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “If I had to use a phrase to sum up my career so far, I would probably say, ‘could do better.’”

Edie patted her knee.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “Well, that humbleness and modesty is refreshing. I’ve always admired that about you.  But you know, there are plenty of people who’ve wrestled for two years and never won any titles. I guess we can always do better, that is very true. You’ve got nothing to be ashamed of as far as I’m concerned. Don’t ever sell yourself short. I don’t need a crystal ball to know that more titles and victories are in your future, Nat.”

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “I hope you’re right, Edie.”

Natalie smiled again at Edie.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “And if I did let what little success I’ve had go to my head, I’m sure I could rely on you to bring me back down to earth quite swiftly.”

Edie smirked and gave her a light-hearted punch to the shoulder.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “I’d do my best…I don’t know, if you were an egomaniac you might be unstoppable. Let’s not find out, shall we? Ah, we’re almost there now.”

They passed a Pembina City Limits sign.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “It looks exactly how I remember it. I mean, it’s been, what - two and a half months since I was last here? It looks like nothing whatsoever has changed in that time. I guess that’s part of why you like living here - part of its appeal.”

Edie nodded.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “I guess it’s one less thing to worry about, there’s comfort in the familiarity. I’m just a small town girl who was a hop and a skip away from being Canadian. Some people leave but most of the families have stayed here their whole lives. Some go off to college. I’ve been all over the world and it draws me back. It’s home. It’s what I know. I’ll have to return the favor and see your hometown one of these days, maybe…if you’ll have me?”

Edie looked at Natalie with a quiet smile.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “If you want to take a trip to Cardiff with me some day, Edie, I would be more than happy to show you around. It...errr…”

Natalie paused. She then smiled back at Edie.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “It would be a lot different to what you’re used to - not just the size of the city, but the culture as well, compared to here in North Dakota.”

They had come to a side road now, and she turned right onto a long driveway lined on either side by barbed wire fence. Cattle grazed in the fields. Edie waved her hand.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “Dad still leases the land out to local farmers who need the extra pasture land. He was never really a farmer at heart. When granddad got too old for it, he let the land out for others. Still it’s nice to see some cattle around.”

They pulled up by the house.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “I’m just an old hayseed farmgirl at heart, don’t ya know? And I have left this place a time or too, I’m not worried about others cultures, Nat.”

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “Yeah, I know, Edie. I mean, if Japan wasn’t too big of a culture shock for you, then South Wales definitely won’t be. And I know you say that you’re not much of a drinker, but after what I’ve seen, I think you could fit right in on a Friday or Saturday night out in Cardiff.”

Natalie winked at Edie. She then looked around at the surrounding fields and animals.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “I think I’ll always be a big city girl at heart. Living somewhere like here would certainly be a change of pace for me.”

Edie opened her door and started to get out.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “Oh come on, you’ve got a good strong back for hard farm labor, lady! And don’t remind me about the drinking, remember what happened the last time in Japan.”

Natalie retorted with a rhetorical question, as she exited the car as well.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “How could I forget?”

She then smirked, looking across at Edie.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “If it’s all the same to you, I think I’ll stick to using my back for lifting my opponents."

Edie closed her door and popped the trunk.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “Suit yourself, the farmers around here are going to miss out. Your idea is probably more lucrative anyway. And forget I mentioned Japan.”  

Edie met Natalie at the back of the car with a mischievous wink; Natalie grinned at Edie in response.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “Too late.”

She then gave Edie a playful dig in the ribs, before retrieving her case.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “So is your brother out at the moment - at that facility you mentioned?”

Edie looked at her watch.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “Yes, Billy...my brother.. He should be back in a couple hours actually. You’ll get to meet him finally. He’s in better spirits these days. And seeing you might put a smile on his face. He was something of a playboy…popular with the ladies.”

Edie laughed and shook her head, closing the trunk. She started toward the front door.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “Come on in, relax. Get you something to drink?”

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “Sure. Have you got any wine?”

Edie threw a mock glare at Natalie, who laughed softly.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “I’m kidding. Water will be perfectly fine.”

Natalie then followed Edie towards the house, pulling her case behind her; Edie opened the door and held it for Natalie, waving her in.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “It’s a bit early for wine yet. Maybe later. Water, we have plenty of. And ice…cubed or crushed! Nothing but the best for MY guests…”

Edie followed her in and closed the door.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “You’re in luck. I did a nice clean on the place yesterday, so it’s not its typical run-down state.”

She winked and elbowed Natalie gently.  

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “Just set your case over in the corner for now, we can take it upstairs later.”

While Natalie places her case out of the way, as instructed, Edie heads to the kitchen to prepare the ice waters; Natalie calls out to her.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “Would you like me to give you a hand?”

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “Oh it’s fine, really. Have a seat and get comfortable. Don’t know about you, but I’m about to kick my shoes off for a bit.”

A short time later she returned with the ice waters and handed Natalie one.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “That does remind me though, I got you a couple of things for your birthday. Here we are..”

Edie went over and pulled three packages out from behind a chair in the corner.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “It’s not much, but they say it’s the thought that counts.”

Edie handed the packages to Natalie, who then carefully open the first one, to discover a pair of leggings and a crop top.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “Workout gear? You know me so well.”

Natalie smiled at Edie. After putting her new clothes to one side, she then opened her next present: a back massager.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “This will definitely help me relieve some tension following a back session; thanks.”

Natalie placed the back massager beside her items of clothing, and then opened her final present: a pair of vinyl records.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “Oh, these are very cool; thanks, Edie.”

Natalie put the records with her presents. She then smiled warmly at Edie.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “Thank you so much, Edie. That was really thoughtful of you; you didn’t need to go to so much effort.”

Edie shrugged and fooled with a lock of hair.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “It was nothing, I like to do nice things for people I care about. It’s your birthday after all. Nobody should outgrow presents or the joy of getting them. I was at a bit of loss on what to get at first so I just bought a bunch of stuff to cover all the bases.”

Edie smiled at her.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “Plus you got to come all the way to glamorous North Dakota to get them.”

Natalie smiled wryly.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “I know you’re being sarcastic, Edie, but while North Dakota might not be as flashy as, say, Nevada or California, it does have a certain charm all of its own.”

Natalie then took a drink from her glass of water.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “There’s something I want to tell you while I’m here, before I have to leave to return to Vegas for this Sunday’s show, and, well, I know I’ve only just gotten here, but now seems like as good a time as any.”

Edie looked at her focused.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “Oh, nothing too serious I hope; everything okay?”

Natalie smiled at Edie, trying to put her at ease.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious - well, nothing bad at least.”

Still smiling, Natalie shook her head gently.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “Okay, so, as you already know, with SCW back in the States, following the tour of Japan, I’m now calling Vegas home again for the time being. But, I’ve been thinking that perhaps I should move away from Vegas...to, say, North Dakota - you know, so that I can be closer to you.”

Edie listened intently and then her mouth dropped open, a bit shocked. A bit of a smile crept at the corner of her mouth as she relaxed from her momentary stiffened posture.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “Wow… I mean, wow. You'd really want to do that? Or at least been thinking about it.  I...well obviously I'd love that, Nat. Any reason to get to see your face more often.”

She leaned forward and touched her knee.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “I guess I never have been great at voicing the thoughts that roll around in my head. But I do miss you….a lot sometimes.”

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “And I miss you as well, Edie - I especially missed seeing you when I was in Japan, however many thousands of miles away. Even Vegas is the better part of two thousand miles away from here.”

Natalie placed her hand on top of Edie’s.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “I wouldn’t necessarily have to find a place in Pembina to live, just somewhere in this neck of the woods that would enable us to see one another more regularly. And with there being direct flights from Grand Forks to Las Vegas, I wouldn’t have any difficulty commuting to SCW shows.”

Edie smiled wide, nodding.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “This is such a pleasant surprise, really. I can barely even think right now…I just…”

Edie impulsively leaned in and kissed Natalie on the lips.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “Sorry, I just got too excited.”

Natalie patted Edie’s hand affectionately, as she smiled at her.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “It’s alright, Edie, you don’t need to apologise for that - not any more.”

Edie took her hand and squeezed it, looking down and then back up to meet her eyes.

<FONT COLOR="#0084b4">Edie:</FONT> “For that, I’m grateful. For whatever this might be, and whatever the future might hold…I am glad you are my friend, Natalie. Those are few and far between in my life sometimes. You’re special to me.”

Edie and Natalie gazed into each other’s eyes.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “I’m glad to have you in my life too, Edie.”

Natalie continued to smile fondly at Edie; after a few seconds of quiet, she then spoke once more.

<FONT COLOR="#d21034">Natalie:</FONT> “In the coming days, I’ll have a look for somewhere nearby for me to rent; I’ll try to find somewhere that’s available from the beginning of August - if not sooner - and so then, in a few weeks from now, you can expect to start seeing a lot more of me.”

Edie and Natalie maintained eye contact, staring longingly at one another.

 The scene opens outside the E Center in Laughlin on the evening of Sunday 26th June, shortly after the conclusion of Climax Control. With the show over, the men and women of SCW have gradually begun to leave the venue, and as the door to the building opens, the latest person to make their exit is Natalie McKinley. Having showered and changed following her match, Natalie is now wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt; she is carrying a gym bag.

Natalie does not get far before she is approached by some fans wanting an autograph, and she is more than happy to oblige. As she goes about signing the autographs, Natalie is accosted by a man with short dark hair, who looks to be in his late twenties, and who is wearing a pair of dark grey trousers and a pale blue button-up shirt; the man speaks with an English accent.

Man: 'Excuse me - Miss McKinley?'

Natalie has a quick glance at the man, to take a look at who the person is that is addressing her.

Natalie: 'Yes? Can I help you?'

She then continues to sign autographs for the fans that have gathered outside the building.

Man: 'My name is Oliver Cooper. I work for a company that is interested in sponsoring you.'

Usually Natalie would gladly discuss the offer of an additional source of income, but right now she is tired, and can hear the bed in her hotel room calling her name. After signing the final autograph, she gives Oliver her full attention.

Natalie: 'I'm sorry, Mr Cooper...'

Smiling pleasantly, Oliver interrupts her.

Oliver: 'Please - call me Olly.'

Natalie looks at him with a polite smile of her own.

Natalie: 'Sure. Normally, Olly, I would be happy to listen to what you have to offer, but it's been a long day, and I just want to go back to my hotel and crash out.'

Oliver: 'I understand.'

Oliver reaches into the pocket of his jeans, to retrieve his wallet. He then takes a business card from his wallet, which he proffers to Natalie.

Oliver: 'Here's my card. I would still like to talk to you about this opportunity - if you're interested, maybe you could give me a call tomorrow.'

Natalie takes the card from him.

Oliver: 'Good night, Miss McKinley.'

Natalie: 'Good night.'

As Oliver turns to leave, Natalie looks at the business card that he gave her. He has not gone far when Natalie calls out to him, due to something having caught her eye.

Natalie: 'Wait!'

Oliver turns around, to look back towards Natalie.

Natalie: 'You work for GymShark?'

Oliver nods.

Oliver: 'That's right.'

Natalie hurriedly walks the short distance to where Oliver is now stood.

Natalie: 'I'm sorry if I came across as standoffish before - like I said, it's been a long day.'

Oliver smiles empathetically, trying to put her at ease.

Oliver: 'It's fine - don't worry about it.'

Natalie: 'Okay, well, I'm going to be heading back to Las Vegas tomorrow, but I would like to hear more about what it is that you're offering - perhaps we could meet up some time tomorrow morning, before I leave town.'

Oliver nods again.

Oliver: 'Yes, absolutely; what time would best suit you?'

Leaving Natalie and Oliver to arrange when and where they are going to meet, we fast forward to the following morning, and to inside a branch of Starbucks in Laughlin. Oliver - now dressed in a pair of black trousers and a red button-up shirt - is sat alone at a table, drinking from a cup of coffee.

Oliver puts his cup down on the table. He then looks up and spots Natalie, who is stood near the entrance, scanning the coffee shop for him; he calls out to her.

Oliver: 'Natalie!'

Natalie - who is now wearing a pair of light blue jeans and a yellow sleeveless t-shirt, and is carrying a white handbag - looks in the direction of Oliver's voice. A look of relief crosses her face, as she makes her way over to him.

Oliver: 'Are you okay?'

Natalie places her handbag on the table. She then takes a seat, opposite Oliver.

Natalie: 'Yeah, I'm fine, thanks. I was just beginning to think that I had gone to the wrong Starbucks, is all. That definitely wouldn't have been the way for me to make a good impression on a potential sponsor.'

Oliver smiles at Natalie.

Oliver: 'Well, you're in the right place. Can I get you a drink?'

Natalie shakes her head.

Natalie: 'No thanks.'

Oliver: 'Are you sure?'

Now she nods her head.

Natalie: 'Yeah. Thank you, though.'

Oliver: 'Alright then. Let's get down to business, shall we?'

Natalie nods again, eager to hear more details about the sponsorship proposal. Oliver has a sip of his coffee, before continuing.

Oliver: 'Okay, so, as I said to you last night, this is just supposed to be an informal chat - I'm not going to be asking you to sign a contract today, or anything like that.'

Oliver looks at Natalie with a good-natured smile; she smiles back at him.

Oliver: 'As I'm sure you know, GymShark is the leading fitness wear brand in the UK. We don't just want to stop there though - we want to be the leading fitness brand in the whole world. Apart from the UK, our products are already available elsewhere in Europe, particularly in Scandinavia, as well as here in the US, but we're always looking to broaden awareness of our brand - which is where you might come in.'

Oliver takes another quick drink of his coffee.

Oliver: 'Now, as I mentioned last night, I work in marketing for GymShark, and we are always on the lookout for ambassadors to help promote our brand - and I think that you would be a great addition to our team, as a GymShark athlete.'

Natalie: 'I'm flattered, but what makes you think that I would be a good ambassador for GymShark?'

Oliver: 'Anyone who looks at you can instantly see how dedicated you are to working hard in the gym - and that can motivate them to work hard in the gym, too; you can inspire people - other women in particular - to be their best in the gym.'

Natalie chimes in.

Natalie: 'Having been a personal trainer before I became a wrestler, I am used to encouraging people to reach their fitness goals.'

Oliver nods his head in agreement.

Oliver: 'Exactly! And if people see you wearing GymShark clothing, then that will sway them towards buying items from us for them to use in the gym, as they seek to reach those goals, rather than from some other brand.'

Natalie: 'Why me in particular though? There must be any number of people out there who would be good candidates to be ambassadors for GymShark.'

Oliver: 'Indeed there are - and we do already have a lot of GymShark athletes, both male and female. As far as the women are concerned though, the vast majority of the ones we sponsor are fitness models - as a wrestler, you would bring something different to the brand.'

Natalie then fidgets nervously, before asking a question.

Natalie: 'May I ask, how long have you been considering sponsoring me?'

Oliver: 'I first became aware of you in February last year, when I attended the episode of Climax Control that took place in Cardiff.'

Before Oliver can say any more, he is interrupted by Natalie, who now has another question for him.

Natalie: 'You're an SCW fan then?'

Oliver: 'I'm a fan of wrestling, not just SCW. Congratulations on your win last night, by the way.'

Natalie: 'Thank you.'

Oliver pauses for a sip of coffee.

Oliver: 'As well as the show in Cardiff, I also attended the Inception show in Birmingham, in January. I must admit, before Inception, I had never watched an SCW show, but some friends of mine talked me into buying a ticket to go to that show with them, and I'm glad that they did.'

Natalie: 'Yeah, it was a great show.'

Oliver nods in agreement once more.

Oliver: 'So like I said, four weeks after Inception I was in Cardiff for the show there - and that's when I saw you for the first time. I know now that you had actually been in SCW prior to then - I believe I'm right in saying that was the night you made your return to SCW.'

Natalie: 'It was the night I made my return to an SCW ring - I had re-signed with SCW the previous week.'

Oliver: 'The way you look certainly made you stand out that night - I expect that's something you're probably used to.'

Natalie does not say anything, and instead just grins in response.

Oliver: 'In comparison with the rest of the females in SCW, I think it's fair to say that you have a unique appearance, and from the moment I first saw you, I thought you would be a good fit for a GymShark athlete.'

Natalie shifts restlessly in her chair.

Oliver: 'What's wrong?'

Natalie does not want to pry too much, but she is unable to help herself.

Natalie: 'It's...'

Natalie sits still, and composes herself.

Natalie: 'Okay, it's probably none of my business, but I was just wondering, if you first became aware of me last February, then...'

Oliver interrupts Natalie, finishing her question for her.

Oliver: 'Then why have we - and by "we" I mean GymShark - waited until now to get in contact with you?'

Natalie: 'Yes.'

Oliver laughs quietly at Natalie.

Oliver: 'It's okay, Natalie - I don't mind explaining what happened.'

Oliver takes a breath, before continuing.

Oliver: 'Originally, we were going to contact you twelve months ago, to gauge your interest in being ambassador for GymShark. It was around that time though that you dislocated your shoulder, and so we thought it would be better if we waited until after your injury had healed. But then the incident at Summer XXXTreme occurred, and with the talk of you having a gambling problem, the people whose opinions matter more than mine went cool on the idea of sponsoring you - they weren't sure that they wanted to have you representing the brand.'

Natalie: 'In the spirit of full disclosure, it wasn't just talk.'

Natalie leans towards Oliver, and speaks in a hushed tone.

Natalie: 'I did have a gambling problem - or rather, I do have a gambling problem; I'm not sure if my addiction will ever truly be cured, but I've learned to manage it successfully - it has been over a year since I last gambled on anything.'

Oliver: 'That's good to know.'

Oliver smiles sympathetically; as Natalie sits up straight again, he continues.

Oliver: 'Because the talk of your gambling problem has since subsided, and because you've kept your nose clean since you re-appeared in SCW earlier this year, I've been able to talk round the people that control the purse strings, and have gotten them to agree again to offer to sponsor you.'

Natalie's face breaks into a wide, grateful smile.

Natalie: 'Thank you.'

Oliver: 'You're very welcome.'

Oliver has another sip of his coffee.

Oliver: 'So what I need to know is, are you interested in being a GymShark athlete?'

Natalie: 'Definitely - especially after all of the effort that you have gone to.'

Oliver: 'Don't mention it.'

Natalie smiles wryly.

Natalie: 'It might not surprise you to hear that my wardrobe contains a large number of items from GymShark. In fact, before I came here, I did consider putting on a pair of leggings rather than jeans, but then I opted against it, as I didn't want to look like a try-hard.'

Oliver laughs.

Oliver: 'I can assure you, that wouldn't have done you any harm. Anyway, I'm glad to hear that you're interested. Do you have anything that you would like to ask?'

Natalie: 'If I do become a GymShark athlete, what would be required of me?'

Oliver: 'Well, I don't want to go into too much detail now - as I said, this is just supposed to be an informal chat - but essentially you would need to help increase the brand's exposure. For example, I know wrestlers usually record videos to hype their upcoming matches, so whenever you do one of those, we would expect you to wear our clothing.'

Natalie nods her head, as she takes in what Oliver is saying.

Oliver: 'Also, I know that you are on Twitter, so we would expect you to tweet the occasional photo of you wearing our clothing.'

Natalie: 'Okay. I think I could manage that.'

Oliver: 'You may also be required to attend an expo from time to time, for a meet and greet, but we wouldn't schedule you for anything that would interfere with your wrestling career. Do you have any other questions?'

Natalie: 'There is one other thing that I've been wondering. If you work for GymShark, I assume you must live somewhere in the UK.'

Oliver nods.

Oliver: 'Yes; I live on the outskirts of Birmingham.'

Natalie: 'So have you come all this way, just to talk to me about becoming a GymShark athlete?'

Oliver laughs at Natalie's question.

Oliver: 'If I said yes, would you be impressed?'

Natalie gives a nonchalant shrug.

Natalie: 'Possibly.'

Oliver laughs again.

Oliver: 'No, the truth is, I'm currently out here on holiday with some friends. We've been staying in Vegas mainly, but we decided to make the trip to Laughlin, so that we could attend Climax Control last night. Then, following the show, while my friends went off to get drunk, I hung around outside the venue, hoping that I would get the chance to speak to you. And well, you know the rest.'

Natalie: 'What do your friends think of you doing work when you're supposed to be on holiday?'

Oliver: 'They think I'm an idiot.'

The two then share a laugh.

Natalie: 'What would have happened if you hadn't gotten to speak to me last night?'

Oliver: 'I would have tried to contact you through SCW.'

Natalie: 'Oh, okay.'

As Oliver drinks some more of what remains of his coffee, Natalie asks him another question.

Natalie: 'Are you going to be at Lake Tahoe next Sunday, to see my match with Christina Bentley?'

Oliver: 'Unfortunately not - we're flying home later this week, and then I'll be back in the office on Monday. I'll be cheering you on from afar though - I'm sure you'll win.'

Natalie smiles, hoping that Oliver's prediction proves to be accurate.

Natalie: 'Thanks.'

Oliver: 'You're welcome. Any more questions?'

Natalie: 'None that I can think of.'

Oliver has a quick look at his watch, to check the time.

Oliver: 'In which case, I think the only thing there is left that we need to discuss, is how much GymShark will pay you to be one of our athletes.'

And as the topic of conversation for Natalie and Oliver moves on to remuneration, we leave them there and come forward to the present day, as the scene switches to show Natalie near the confluence of the Red River of the North and the Pembina River, in Pembina, North Dakota. Now wearing a a pair of navy blue GymShark leggings and a black strapless top, Natalie is stood facing the camera, with the waterways in the background.

Natalie takes a couple of steps forward, to stand under a nearby tree, out of the sunshine, in the shade. She then looks at the camera, with a big grin on her face, and begins to speak.

Natalie: 'I can't put into words quite how happy I am right now. For the majority of you watching this, I know that this won't mean anything to you, but I've just watched my home nation of Wales - a country with a smaller population than Los Angeles - reach the semi-finals of the European Championships for the first time: it's something that I never would have thought I would see - now I'm hoping there's even more to come!'

Natalie's grin shows no signs of disappearing just yet.

Natalie: 'For now though, I need to put all thoughts of Wednesday's semi-final against Portugal to one side, and concentrate on my own match this Sunday, against Christina Bentley. Because I know that if I don't, then in all likelihood Christina will take full advantage of my mind being elsewhere, and I will end up losing to her - and I definitely don't want that to happen.'

Natalie turns away from the camera, and looks towards the Red River.

Natalie: 'Come on, Natalie - focus!'

She then takes a deep breath, before turning back to face the camera.

Natalie: 'I'm somewhat nervous about this match with Christina Bentley - certainly more nervous than I usually am ahead of a match. That's not because I'm fearful of being in the ring with Christina - although that's not to say that I'm underestimating her either - it's simply because I don't know that much about her. As part of my preparations for my matches, I like to study my opponents - that's something I picked up from spending time around veterans such as Simon Jones. However, while there are a fair few past matches of mine that Christina can watch - should she wish to do so - with Christina having made her debut as recently as two weeks ago, there is only one match of hers available for me to try to analyse.'

There is a brief pause, before Natalie continues.

Natalie: 'I have studied the match that Christina had with Amy-Jayne, and I have attempted to learn as much about her from that as I possibly can, but it's still not much for me to go on - Christina will definitely have the element of surprise on her side in our match. All hope is not lost though, as I have been in this situation on at least one previous occasion.'

Natalie thinks back to August 2014.

Natalie: 'Two years ago, when I made my debut in SCW, my opponent was a masked wrestler called La Paloma, who I knew almost nothing about. However, despite knowing very little about her, I was still able to win that match, and so on Sunday, when I again find myself in the ring with Christina Bentley - another opponent that I don't know much about - I'm confident that I will again be able to be victorious.'

Natalie then taps her chin.

Natalie: 'Whatever happened to La Paloma?'

It is a rhetorical question - "La Paloma" was of course Crystal Millar (née Hilton).

Natalie: 'One thing I do know about Christina Bentley, is that she has a strong relationship with her mother. To some people, Lacey Bentley might seem like a pushy parent - or at worst, an overbearing one - but I envy the relationship that Christina has with her mother. It would probably be an understatement to say that my relationship with my mother isn't great - nothing I ever do is good enough for her. I mean, I could win the World Bombshell Championship, and I can guarantee that she would still find something to pick fault with.'

Natalie lets out a sigh.

Natalie: 'Christina doesn't seem to suffer from a similar lack of support from her mother though, so she will be able to rely upon Lacey to provide her with some constructive feedback following our match - I'm hoping that Lacey will have the task of telling Christina where she went wrong, while I'm left to savour a win.'

Natalie runs a hand through her hair.

Natalie: 'It hasn't escaped my attention that Veronica Taylor has taken an instant disliking to Christina Bentley. I guess that shouldn't come as too much of a shock, as it is probably possible to count on one hand the number of people that Veronica doesn't consider to be a "basic." When the time comes for the two of you to meet in a match, Christina, I expect you will win - Veronica might be one of SCW's most successful tag team wrestlers, but she has never quite been able to translate that into success in singles competition. That match is for another time though - Summer XXXTreme, perhaps? This Sunday you're going to be in the ring with someone that has had success as a singles competitor - you'll get to experience first-hand why I have been a champion in the past in SCW, and by chalking up a win against you, I will continue to show that I have what it takes to be a champion in SCW again.'

Natalie puts her hands on her hips.

Natalie: 'Just while I'm on the subject of being a champion in SCW, Melody stated last week that if I ever want a shot at her title, I just have to ask, and she will make it happen; I think I've said this before, and I'm going to reiterate it now: I have no interest at all in challenging Melody for her bombshell internet title. I'm also aware that Kate Steele had something to say to me last week, and I am going to respond to what she said, but I will save that for Sunday.'

Natalie gazes down at the ground for a moment; she then looks back up at the camera, and continues.

Natalie: 'Back to the matter of my upcoming match. This weekend's Climax Control will see me compete inside the six-sided ring for the second Sunday in a row. I can't remember having ever competed on consecutive episodes of Climax Control before during my time in SCW, but after my victory against Lucy Seraphina in my last match, I'm now aiming for a second win in the space of eight days.'

Natalie smiles again.

Natalie: 'I've heard that my win against Lucy Seraphina was the first time she has been pinned in a singles match in SCW. That's not something I'm going to be adding to my Twitter bio just yet, but it got me thinking back on my time in SCW so far, and as I far as I can recall, I have only ever been pinned once in a match in the six-sided ring; will Christina Bentley be the second SCW Bombshell to pin me?'

There is a slight shrug from Natalie.

Natalie: 'Not if I have anything to say about it. I've won my last five matches - four in SCW, and one elsewhere - but never before in my career have I won six matches in a row; Christina Bentley is all that stands between me and making some personal history, and I'm sorry, Christina, but I can't allow you to win this one - I'm not going to be stopped just yet.'

Natalie takes her hands off her hips.

Natalie: 'I began this video by talking about Wales, so I might as well finish it by talking about Wales. Prior to her debut against Amy-Jayne, Christina Bentley revealed that she had been counting sheep, so as to help her get to sleep. Well, Christina, on Sunday, you're going to be in the ring with a sheep shagger, and when the match is over, you will have been shorn of any chance you had of defeating me.'

Frowning, Natalie looks away from the camera.

Natalie: 'Is that a bit of a stretch - using "shorn" in that way? Maybe I should just keep it simple.'

She then looks back to the camera, with a smile.

Natalie: 'On Sunday, Christina, Nat will tear you apart; see you at Climax Control.'

And as Natalie continues to smile confidently at the camera, the scene fades to black.

 The scene opens inside a staff room in one of the many night spots in Las Vegas, on the evening of Tuesday 19th January. Dressed all in black, and sat reading a copy of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, while waiting for his shift as a bouncer to begin, is a long-time friend of Simon Jones, Jason O'Neil.

As Jason continues to read his newspaper, another [male] member of the club's staff enters the room, and calls out to him from the doorway.

Man: 'Jason, you're needed out front.'

Jason's eyes do not leave the newspaper, as he replies in his distinctive Irish accent.

Jason: 'My shift doesn't start for another quarter of an hour yet.'

Man: 'I know that, but there's a woman out front, who's refusing to leave until she gets to speak to you.'

Saying nothing, Jason just carries on reading his newspaper.

Man: 'She says her name is Natalie - does that name mean anything to you?'

This causes Jason to look up from the newspaper; Jason asks the man to repeat himself, to make sure that he did not mishear him the first time.

Jason: 'What did you say her name was?'

Man: 'Natalie.'

Jason folds up his newspaper, and tosses it onto an adjacent table, before getting up from his seat.

Jason: 'Fine; I'll go and take care of this.'

Jason then makes his way from the staff room, towards the club's exit. Stepping out into the dim light of the winter evening, Jason exchanges pleasantries with the pair of bouncers that are currently working the club's doors. A queue of people can be seen, waiting to enter the club, but stood off to one side, wearing a pair of pale blue jeans and a white sleeveless t-shirt, is the "Natalie" in question: Natalie McKinley.

Jason gestures to Natalie for her to follow him, which she does; Jason leads Natalie to a spot nearby, but far enough away from anyone else for them to be able to talk out of earshot.

Jason: 'Why did you come here, Natalie?'

Natalie: 'I assume you watched Climax Control this past Sunday, and the Sunday before, so I'm assuming that you were already aware I was back in Vegas, prior to me even showing up here.'

Jason nods.

Natalie: 'With you being aware that I was back in Vegas, I knew that - sooner or later - you would come looking for me, and so that's why I came here: to get this confrontation done and out of the way.'

Jason: 'Well, that's one assumption you got wrong: I actually wasn't going to go looking for you - not that you would have been hard to find.'

A look of surprise crosses Natalie's face.

Natalie: 'What? Really? Even after what I did at Summer XXXTreme?'

Jason: 'It's because of what you did at Summer XXXTreme that I was going to leave you alone.'

With confusion having been added to her surprise, Natalie frowns.

Natalie: 'I don't understand - I thought you would have wanted to have words with me about that incident; I still remember being on that ship, and having you banging on the door of my cabin immediately after the show was over - I thought you were furious with me for costing Simon his chance to regain the world heavyweight title.'

Jason: 'You're right: I was furious with you. But after Simon asked me to leave it to him to speak to you alone about what had happened, and after he then forgave you, I decided to wash my hands of you - I wanted nothing more to do with you.'

Natalie: 'Oh.'

After only mustering a one word response, Natalie looks down at the floor.

Jason: 'Why did you come here to see me, rather than my apartment? You know where I live, Natalie - you've been there a number of times before.'

Natalie lifts her head, to look back up at Jason.

Natalie: 'I thought that it would probably be safer for me to talk to you in a public place - I was worried about what you might do to me if I was to talk to you in private.'

Jason smirks.

Jason: 'You needn't have worried - I might have raised my voice, but I would never raise my hand to a woman. Besides, if you had turned up at my apartment, I probably would have refused to let you in anyway, and would have just talked to you over the intercom.'

Natalie smiles meekly at Jason.

Natalie: 'When did you last speak to Simon?'

Jason: 'Just over twenty-four hours ago - he phoned me yesterday afternoon from the airport, while he was waiting for his flight back to the UK.'

Natalie: 'I'm guessing, then, that he told you about the chat he had with me yesterday morning.'

Jason nods his head.

Jason: 'Indeed he did - he told me all about what you said to him.'

Natalie: 'I regret that the tone of the conversation I had with Simon turned sour, and that it ended the way it did, but I don't regret what I said to Simon - some of those things just needed to be said.'

Jason: 'Believe it or not, I actually agree with some of the things that Simon told me you said to him - in particular, your comment about Simon wanting everyone to like him; during my career, I didn't care whether anyone liked me - the fans, or the other wrestlers - and that didn't do me any harm.'

Natalie: 'And neither do I - if I cared what other people think about me, I wouldn't have associated myself with Celeste and Crystal.'

Jason puts his hands on his hips.

Jason: 'For what it's worth, Natalie, I think you're doing the right thing, by targeting Mikah.'

Natalie: 'You do?'

Jason nods his head again.

Jason: 'Yes, I do. Now that you have managed to get your suspension lifted - thanks to Despayre - I'm sure that you want to get yourself noticed, and what better way for you to do that than by targeting the leading bombshell in SCW? Plus, I know that you have ambitions of one day being the World Bombshell Champion.'

Natalie: 'I do indeed, and it would be nice to once again have a title - any title - around my waist. I'm not thinking about winning titles at the moment, though, as for now my priority is simply to take care of the biggest problem with the bombshell division - namely, Mikah.'

Jason takes his hands of his hips, and rolls up his left sleeve, to look at his watch. He then looks back to Natalie.

Jason: 'Well, Natalie, while I would love to stay here and talk to you all evening...'

Jason's statement is laced with sarcasm - something that does not go unnoticed by Natalie.

Jason: '...but my shift is due to start in a few minutes.'

Jason begins to walk in the direction of the entrance of the club, but after only a couple of steps, he looks back towards Natalie.

Jason: 'Don't come here looking for me again, Natalie - if I want to talk to you, I'll come and find you.'

Not wanting to push her luck, Natalie does not say anything, opting instead to just nod.

Jason: 'Also, I would warn you to be careful around Celeste and Crystal, but in truth, it's probably them that should be wary of you, isn't it, Natalie? I mean, after what you did to Simon at Summer XXXTreme, I wouldn't envy anyone that winds up having you as their tag team partner.'

Without saying any more, Jason heads off to begin his work for the evening, leaving Natalie to digest his remark, and as she stands staring off into the distance, the scene fades to black.

---

The scene opens inside a gym in Tokyo, on the morning of Sunday 29th May. In amongst all of the free weights, weight machines, and various other exercise machines, Natalie McKinley can be seen stood by a bench; Natalie - who is wearing a pair of black shorts and a white crop top - is stood at the rack end of the bench, in a spotting stance. The person that she is spotting for, as he performs a bench press, is Ethan Moore - the Englishman that she befriended earlier in the month at the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art; Ethan is wearing a pair of white shorts and a blue t-shirt.

With her hands underneath the bar, although not so close as to be touching it, Natalie guides the direction of the bar, as Ethan does a couple of reps. After Ethan completes another rep, Natalie can tell that he is beginning to toil, and so she shouts out some words of encouragement.

Natalie: 'Come on, Ethan - one more!'

Ethan lowers the bar towards his chest once more; following a brief pause, he then breathes out, as he pushes the bar upwards. Once Ethan finishes the rep, Natalie grips the bar, aiding in placing it back in the rack. Ethan takes a deep breath, before getting up from the bench; he looks in the direction of Natalie, who moves from behind the rack, and takes a step towards him.

Ethan: 'Thanks again, Natalie. I'm sure I would be struggling to lift quite that much if I didn't have you here to help me.'

Natalie smiles at Ethan.

Natalie: 'That's what I'm here for, Ethan.'

Ethan: 'Your help is invaluable to me. I really appreciate you sticking around to assist me, after finishing your own workout.'

Natalie: 'I'm happy to help - I used to do this for a living, remember? As I've told you before, I take pleasure in supporting people to reach their fitness goals.'

Ethan: 'I know that, but you've got an important match coming up, don't you? I would understand if you wanted to spend your time doing whatever you need to do to prepare for that match, rather than helping me.'

Natalie shakes her head.

Natalie: 'Don't be silly, Ethan. Me being here, helping you, isn't going to have a negative effect on the chances of me and Melody winning our match next Sunday. Besides, there's a limit to how much time I can spend each day studying our opponents before I start to get bored.'

There is a wry smile from Ethan.

Ethan: 'Well, if I'm helping you to stave off boredom, then I guess that means I'm doing you a favour.'

Natalie chuckles.

Natalie: 'Yes - something like that.'

Natalie bends down and picks a bottle of water up off the floor, from next to the bench; she hands the bottle to Ethan.

Ethan: 'Thanks.'

Natalie: 'You're welcome.'

Ethan then gulps down some water.

Ethan: 'You know, speaking of wrestling, I listened to that podcast yesterday afternoon - the one about SCW that you mentioned to me.'

Natalie: 'You mean The Hotwire?'

Ethan nods.

Ethan: 'That's the one.'

Natalie: 'What did you think of it?'

Ethan: 'I thought it followed a good format; I'm sure it's something that fans of SCW enjoy listening to each week.'

Natalie: 'Not just the fans - most of the wrestlers, too.'

Ethan takes another drink of water, before then asking Natalie a question about The Hotwire.

Ethan: 'Does the host of the show usually swear that much?'

Natalie laughs at Ethan's question.

Natalie: 'Actually, if anything, I think Tommy Knocks normally swears more often than he did on Friday's show.'

Ethan raises an eyebrow.

Ethan: 'Really?'

Natalie nods her head.

Natalie: 'Yep. But then, with there not being an SCW show this weekend, Friday's episode of The Hotwire was a shorter one, so Tommy had less time than he would usually to utter expletives.'

Ethan: 'Profanity aside, he had some unfavourable things to say about you.'

Aware of the "things" that Ethan is referring to, Natalie's smile leaves her face.

Ethan: 'And I think something was said about something that happened at an event last year...errr...Summer Extravaganza, I think it was.'

Natalie cannot help but laugh at Ethan getting the name of SCW's annual summer supercard wrong.

Natalie: 'It was Summer XXXTreme.'

Ethan: 'Errr...yeah - that too.'

Natalie chuckles again.

Natalie: 'It could've been worse: you could've called it Summerfest - or something like that.'

Ethan smiles awkwardly, as he hesitates, before asking a delicate question.

Ethan: 'Natalie, may I ask what it was that you did at that event last summer? I know it's probably none of my business, so if you don't want to tell me, I understand.'

There is a small sigh from Natalie.

Natalie: 'No, Ethan, it's okay - I'll tell you.'

Natalie quickly glances around the gym, before looking back to Ethan.

Natalie: 'You remember I told you about my gambling addiction...'

Ethan nods.

Natalie: '...well, without going into too much detail, my addiction got out of control, and I ended up owing a lot of money to some very fearsome men. And so to pay off my debt to them, they wanted me to fix an SCW World Heavyweight Championship match.'

Ethan: 'I'm guessing that Summer XXXTreme was the event where that match took place.'

Now Natalie nods.

Natalie: 'Correct.'

Natalie lets out another, longer, sigh.

Natalie: 'I had to do it - if I didn't, I would've ended up in a wheelchair. The worst part about it though - and the reason why Tommy Knocks called me "a snake" - is that me having to fix that match meant me having to cost a friend of mine the chance to win the world heavyweight title.'

Ethan: 'It sounds like you didn't have much of a choice. What an undesirable situation to find yourself in.'

Natalie: 'That's putting it mildly.'

Natalie sighs again.

Natalie: 'It's a situation that I put myself in though, because of the bad choices that I had made prior to then - I have no-one to blame other than myself.'

Ethan: 'So this friend of yours...'

Natalie interrupts Ethan, to put a name to the "friend" in question.

Natalie: 'Simon - that's his name.'

Ethan: 'So, are Simon and you still friends now?'

Natalie: 'Yes - thankfully.'

A gentle smile creeps onto Natalie's face.

Natalie: 'After I explained to him what I had gotten myself into, he forgave me. Some other people - other friends of Simon's - haven't forgiven me, and I haven't forgiven myself, but he has; he could've made history that night - he could've become the first man ever to win the SCW World Heavyweight Championship three times, but I took that away from him, and yet, despite that, he still forgave me.'

Natalie again casts her eyes around the gym, before looking back to Ethan.

Natalie: 'I want to win next Sunday, of course I do, but after what happened last year at Summer XXXTreme, I also want to show that I can be trusted - I want to show that Melody can trust me to be a tag team partner she can depend upon.'

Ethan: 'Well, you sound genuine to me. And having heard you sing the praises of Melody, I find it hard to believe that you would do anything to hurt her - physically or otherwise.'

Natalie's smile widens.

Natalie: 'I'm confident that Melody and I will be able to win the match, but it isn't going to be easy - Amy and Jessie will be tricky opponents, as I know from past experience.'

Ethan: 'They've been opponents of yours before, then?'

Natalie: 'I've been in multiple matches against each of them, although only once previously have I competed against the two of them in a tag team match.'

Ethan: 'And how did you fare in that match?'

Natalie shrugs, feeling indifferent about the outcome of that match twelve months ago.

Natalie: 'My team lost. But with all due respect to Traci Patterson, I will have a better partner next Sunday, and so hopefully it will be a case of different partner, different result.'

Ethan: 'Obviously I'm no wrestling expert, but with how good a wrestler you make Melody sound, and after having seen how strong you are, I reckon this match will go a different way.'

Natalie: 'Believe it or not, I'm not actually at my strongest at the moment.'

Ethan almost scoffs at that statement.

Ethan: 'After some of the displays of strength that I have seen from you in this place, I do find that hard to believe.'

Natalie: 'It's true: no-one seems to have noticed - or if anyone has noticed, they haven't said anything about it - but in the past eighteen months or so, I have lost a lot of muscle mass.'

Ethan frowns.

Ethan: 'Why - did you want to be leaner?'

Natalie shakes her head.

Natalie: 'It hasn't happened by choice - it has been due to injuries that I have suffered to my shoulders, back, and hamstrings, which have forced me to spend time doing rehab, and so I haven't being able to train as heavy or as hard as I want to.'

Ethan: 'Have you had to take time off from wrestling because of those injuries?'

Natalie: 'When I dislocated my shoulder...'

Natalie taps her left shoulder.

Natalie: '...that sidelined me for a few months, but as for the other injuries that I have picked up, I have been able to continue to wrestle in spite of them - it's not uncommon for wrestlers to have to work through some niggling injury.'

Natalie crosses her arms.

Natalie: 'I'm still being billed at the same weight that I was at eighteen months ago, and I will get back to that weight, no matter how long it takes.'

Ethan: 'I don't doubt that at all - I've only known you a few weeks, Natalie, but the determination you have to accomplish the goals you set yourself is evident; I wouldn't want to be one of your opponents.'

Natalie's smile broadens into a grin.

Natalie: 'Thanks, Ethan.'

Ethan: 'No problem, Natalie.'

Natalie: 'And anyway, while I may not currently be at my strongest, I'm still stronger than any of the other women in SCW.'

Ethan nods.

Ethan: 'I'm sure you are.'

Natalie unfolds her arms.

Natalie: 'Right, I think we have stood around talking for long enough - can you handle any more exercise, or have you had enough for today?'

Ethan: 'Apart from walking, no; I think my tank is empty - I had better call it a day.'

Natalie: 'Okay - that's fine.'

Natalie motions towards the changing rooms, and she and Ethan then begin to walk in that direction.

Ethan: 'Before I forget, I brought something with me to give to you.'

Natalie looks at Ethan with curiosity etched on her face.

Natalie: 'You got me a present?'

Ethan: 'Let's call it a token of appreciation.'

Natalie: 'Are you going to tell me what it is, or do I have to wait to find out?'

Ethan: 'No, I'll tell you: I got a Japan shirt with Shinji Okazaki's name on it for you.'

Surprised, Natalie suddenly stops walking, which causes Ethan to do likewise.

Ethan: 'Is something wrong?'

Natalie: 'No, nothing's wrong, it's just...we joked about you getting a shirt with Okazaki on it for me to wear, but I didn't expect that you would actually do it.'

Ethan: 'Well, I did. So will you wear it?'

Natalie: 'Of course I will.'

Natalie smiles at Ethan.

Natalie: 'Thanks, Ethan.'

Ethan smiles back at her.

Ethan: 'You're welcome, Natalie.'

Natalie and Ethan then resume their walk towards the changing rooms, and as they do so, the scene fades to black.

---

The scene opens inside Korakuen Hall in Tokyo on the afternoon of Friday 3rd June. Sat alone in the front row of the bleacher seating, wearing a pair of denim shorts and a red sleeveless t-shirt, is Natalie McKinley.

Natalie is sat with her head bowed; she raises her head, looks to the camera, and begins to speak.

Natalie: 'In two days' time, I and the rest of the men and women of Sin City Wrestling will be at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, just a few miles away from where I am now; having spent the past half a dozen weeks visiting different cities around the country, the Riot In the Rising Sun tour concludes this Sunday, when the capital city of Japan plays host to Into The Void V. My involvement in the show will be as part of a tag team match, in which Melody Grace and I will clash with the Metal and Punk Connection duo of Amy Marshall and Jessie Salco - it's a match that is important for a number of reasons, and one that I dare not lose.'

Natalie smiles optimistically.

Natalie: 'This match at Into The Void will be the first one I have competed in at an SCW supercard since I was in a match at Mayhem in Morocco, which took place thirteen months ago today; thirteen months is a long time to wait, and the path I have followed in that time has been an arduous one, but if I can get the result that I want on Sunday, then it will have been worth it. I'm the only one that truly knows the full extent of what I have been through in the past year, and when you add in Melody's recent trials and tribulations, this match against the Metal and Punk Connection is the chance for the two of us to get our just deserts - it's our time to shine, and neither Amy or Jessie will be able to stop us from having our moment in the spotlight on Sunday evening.'

Natalie shakes her head.

Natalie: 'At the end of April, ahead of my one-on-one match against Amy Marshall, I said that if it hadn't been for Melody wanting me to be her tag team partner, I would by then probably have already asked to be released from my SCW contract. And so here we are now, around two and a half months since Melody started badgering me about teaming with her, she and I are actually going to be partners in a match - which I guess is another step towards us being a proper tag team. If our team is to have any sort of longevity, we need to get off to a good start, by winning our first match together - and I am confident that at Into The Void, against Amy and Jessie Salco, we will do just that.'

Natalie leans back against her seat.

Natalie: 'As well as Melody wanting me to be her partner, there's something else that contributed towards me deciding to stick around SCW, which is pertinent to this forthcoming match:'

Natalie raises her arms, stretching them wide open.

Natalie: 'Japan.'

She then lowers her arms, and sits up straight.

Natalie: 'Eight weeks ago, as I was leaning towards agreeing to be Melody's tag team partner, the announcement at Blaze Of Glory that SCW would be embarking upon a tour of Japan was one of the things that helped me to finally make up my mind.'

Natalie runs her hand through her hair.

Natalie: 'As some of you may be aware, last October, while I was still suspended from SCW, I joined the roster of an all-female wrestling promotion based here in Tokyo, called Seishin. "Seishin" is a Japanese word that roughly translates to "spirit" - and I certainly have plenty of fighting spirit, as Amy and Jessie will experience this Sunday.'

Natalie quickly glances behind her, over her shoulder, before looking back towards the camera.

Natalie: 'In July last year, SCW visited Japan - Osaka, to be precise - during the world tour. Disappointingly for me, I was forced to miss that show, as at the time I was still recovering from a dislocated left shoulder, and so a few months later, when I had the chance to join Seishin, I didn't hesitate to take up the opportunity. I didn't join a Japanese promotion just to make up for having missed out on that episode of Climax Control though - I did it because I knew that I would get to experience different styles of wrestling than I was used to, and that I would get to train with different people; I'm always striving to better myself, and I believed that spending time in Japan would be beneficial to my development. I believe that what I've done since returning to the six-sided ring - including defeating Roxi Johnson and Alexis Edwards - has shown that my time in Japan was well-spent, and at Into The Void, I intend to continue to show how I have improved, by getting the better of both Amy Marshall and Jessie Salco.'

Natalie gets up from her seat.

Natalie: 'The reason I was keen to come back to Japan with SCW is that, having already seen some of this extraordinary country, I wanted to see more of it. When I was working for Seishin, I would usually fly out to Japan a day or so prior to the shows - which were staged every other week - and I would then fly home shortly after the shows were over. During this tour though, I have chosen instead to stay in Japan, so that I could immerse myself in this land and its culture - it's a choice that I'm glad I made, as I have thoroughly enjoyed the experiences that I've had in the past half a dozen weeks, both away from the ring as well as inside it. In fact, while most people will be quick to return home following Into The Void, I'm going to remain here for another week - I just need to make sure that come next week, I'll be able to bask in the glow of victory.'

Natalie glances around Korakuen Hall, before looking back to the camera.

Natalie: 'This building was home to most of the shows that were staged by Seishin, and while it did make for a great setting, it is only a fifth of the size of the venue for Into The Void; it will be great to see the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium packed with SCW fans, and what will be one of the biggest crowds that I have gotten to appear in front of. Now Melody and I just need to make sure that we end the tour of Japan on a high, by beating Amy Marshall and Jessie Salco - which is what I fully expect to happen.'

Natalie nods her head confidently.

Natalie: 'Barely a month has passed since Amy Marshall and I were opponents in a one-on-one match, in what was the first time in several months that either of us had competed in the six-sided ring. When I won that match, people considered it to be an upset - and given what Amy has accomplished in SCW, I completely understand why people would look at it that way. However, after overcoming another former World Bombshell Champion in my following match, I think it's safe to say that this Sunday, when I plan to again be getting my hand raised, no-one will consider this victory to be an upset - the only thing that "upset" will be used to described is the emotions of the Metal and Punk Connection, as the two of them try to come to terms with their loss.'

Natalie smirks.

Natalie: 'Amy, prior to our one-on-one match, you called me fraud, which I find amusing - especially as your tag team partner is arguably the biggest fraud in SCW; I'll get to her very shortly, though - for now, Amy, my focus is on you.'

Natalie points to her eyes, and then to the camera.

Natalie: 'Last month, Amy, I know you wanted to be responsible for turning my return to the six-sided ring into a nightmare, but try as you might, you failed. And I'm sure that this Sunday, you want to try to do what you couldn't manage last time round, but I can promise you that you will fail again. You did at least beat Veronica Taylor in your last match, but now you're back to being in the ring with me, and this time I'll have Melody with me. In our last meeting, Amy, the best woman won; this time, the best women will win - and that's not going to be you and Jessie.'

Natalie takes a couple of steps forwards.

Natalie: 'A few weeks ago, in an incident backstage, I gave Amy a fat lip - well, I did vow to Melody that I would smash Amy right in the face. Now though, the half of the Metal and Punk Connection that I would like to punch in the mouth is Jessie Salco.'

Natalie throws a punch towards the camera.

Natalie: 'Jessie, on multiple occasions recently, you have made accusations that I use performance enhancing drugs; your accusations have centred around one substance in particular. I could tell you - in some detail - why you're wrong, Jessie, but I'm not going to bother, as I'm sure that anything I was to say to you on the subject would probably just go in one ear and out the other. Instead, I'm just going to give you a warning: by repeating these false allegations, all you're doing, Jessie, is making things worse for yourself. I outweigh you by nearly thirty pounds, Jessie - and you know full well that isn't thirty pounds of fat; now ask yourself, do you really want to make me angry?'

Natalie pauses briefly, as if allowing time for a response; she then continues.

Natalie: 'Now, I'm not about to turn green - or grey, or red, or whatever colour the Hulk is these days. And besides, I already have sufficient power with which to throw you around the ring, Jessie - just ask Amy. However, as you continue to spout your nonsense, you continue to dig your own grave - and on Sunday, you're going to have to lie in it; that much I know for sure - I just hope that you're also going to have to let go of your most prized possession.'

Natalie looks down at the floor for a moment, before looking back up at the camera, and continuing.

Natalie: 'There's one thing I haven't yet mentioned about this match at Into The Void, which is of course that the Bombshell Internet Championship is going to be up for grabs. Now, before I go any further, a certain someone has asked me to point out that this match won't actually be the first time in SCW history that a singles title has been at stake in a tag team match: two years ago, at Blaze Of Glory III, the heavyweight title was successfully defended in the final of the Blast from the Past tournament. Compared with that match, I think Sunday's match is going to follow a very different pattern: on that occasion, the champion didn't want to retain his title by default, he wanted to retain it by being the one to earn the win for his team - which is exactly what happened. Jessie, on the other hand, is so desperate to remain a champion, that I wouldn't put it past her to spend the entirety of the match on the ring apron, and leave it to Amy to do all the work - the only way that Jessie is going to keep hold of her title is if Amy is the one involved in the fall, because there is no way that either Melody or I are going to be pinned.'

The camera follows Natalie, as she takes a few more steps forwards; a wrestling ring comes into view, although it is traditional four-sided ring, rather than the six-sided ring that is favoured by SCW.

Natalie: 'Sunday will be the fourth time I have competed in a match at an SCW supercard, and somewhat remarkably, it will be the fourth time I have competed for a title at a supercard - I guess I must be doing something right. Unlike the three previous matches though, I don't really care whether or not I walk away with the title this time, just as long as Jessie doesn't walk away with it either. Because as far as I see it, this match isn't really about me; it isn't about Amy Marshall; it's barely even about Jessie Salco - it's about Melody finally getting what should have been hers several weeks ago: the SCW Bombshell Internet Championship.'

Natalie moves nearer to the ring, but then turns away from it, to again face the camera.

Natalie: 'The only thing I want to gain from this match, is to set about rebuilding the reputation that I damaged with my actions last August, at Summer XXXTreme III, and show that Melody isn't a fool for thinking that she can trust me.'

Natalie crosses her arms.

Natalie: 'Amy and Jessie, on the one previous occasion that I was in a tag team match against the two of you, the match came to a premature end, thanks to the actions of an overzealous Keira Fisher. However, unless there's a repeat of that interference on Sunday, this time, you won't escape defeat; I've beaten you both before, and on Sunday, with Melody by my side, I'll beat you both again - and hopefully, the bombshell internet title will end up around the waist of the person to whom it really belongs.'

Natalie grins.

Natalie: 'Melody - and I - will tear you apart again.'

And as Natalie stands, smiling, and looking confidently towards the camera, the scene fades to black.

 The scene opens inside the main concourse of Cardiff Central railway station, on the afternoon of Tuesday 12th April. Sat at a table by a branch of Upper Crust, looking at something on his mobile phone while awaiting the arrival of someone, is the recently retired Simon Jones; he is wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a black coat.

As Simon swipes the screen of the phone with his thumb, scrolling through whatever it is that he is reading, the person that he is waiting for arrives: wearing a pair of pale blue jeans and a red jacket, and pulling a purple trolley case behind her, is Natalie McKinley. Having been alerted to Natalie's presence by the sound of the plastic wheels of her case rolling on the concourse's tiled floor, Simon puts his phone away.

Simon: 'Alright, Natalie?'

Natalie places her case next to Simon's table, and then sits down opposite him.

Natalie: 'Yeah, I'm alright. How are you?'

Simon: 'I'm good, thanks.'

Natalie: 'You look like retirement is treating you well.'

Simon laughs off talk of him being retired.

Simon: 'I'm only retired from wrestling, Natalie; I'm not well off enough that I won't ever have to work again - I'll soon have to get another job doing something else.'

Natalie: 'Well, until then, you should make the most of your free time.'

Simon: 'I am, trust me. I've been spending plenty of time with my family, plus I've been going to watch the Blues play, as well as watching SCW and other wrestling promotions; well done on your win on Sunday, by the way.'

There is an appreciative smile from Natalie.

Natalie: 'Thanks.'

Simon: 'I watched the show live, online.'

Natalie raises an eyebrow.

Natalie: 'I wasn't aware that the show would be streamed online.'

Simon: 'Well, it was. And it was good to see you inside a ring again - it would be even better to see you inside the six-sided ring again.'

Natalie: 'Yeah, well, whether or not that will happen is out of my hands, isn't it?'

Simon: 'That may be so, but if you do still hold out hope of wrestling in SCW again, then failing to attend their biggest show of the year might not have been your wisest decision.'

Natalie replies curtly.

Natalie: 'I doubt that anyone missed me.'

She then sighs.

Natalie: 'I was offered the chance to appear on that show in London by the promoter, and yes, it meant be not being present at Blaze Of Glory, but having gone four months without a match, I just wanted to be back inside a ring - any ring.'

Simon: 'I understand that, but I just think that you might have been better served by being at Blaze Of Glory, and displaying your commitment to SCW.'

Natalie shrugs, unconvinced. A brief lull in the conversation then follows, until Natalie speaks.

Natalie: 'I watched Blaze Of Glory yesterday afternoon, and you know, I heard the message that you had for Melody. So go on, then - try to talk me round.'

Simon smiles wryly.

Simon: 'By asking you to be her tag team partner, Melody is trying to help you find a way to get to set foot inside an SCW ring again.'

Natalie: 'I know that, but...'

Before Natalie can say any more, Simon interrupts her.

Simon: 'Then why are you reluctant to agree to be her partner?'

Natalie: 'Because Melody has a bright future ahead of her, and her being associated with me could jeopardise that - she could end up beside me, in the SCW wilderness.'

Simon scoffs at that notion.

Simon: 'I find it hard to believe that is what would happen. I mean, Melody said it herself that Mark Ward likes to punish her with matches.'

Natalie frowns.

Natalie: 'That's something that Melody tweeted - how did you see that? I thought you deactivated your Twitter account.'

Simon: 'I did - but that doesn't stop me from looking at what certain people have been tweeting about.'

Natalie: 'Have you been stalking me on Twitter?'

Simon gives a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.

Simon: 'I prefer to think of it as keeping a watchful eye on you.'

Natalie: 'Snooping, more like.'

Simon holds up both of his hands, protesting his innocence.

Natalie: 'If you saw that tweet from Melody, I'm guessing then that you must have seen all the ones she has bombarded me with, trying to persuade me to be her tag team partner.'

Simon nods his head.

Natalie: 'She's nothing if not persistent.'

Simon: 'Is her persistence wearing you down though - are you going to give in to her?'

Natalie sighs again.

Natalie: 'I don't know, Simon - I'm not sure that Melody and me forming a tag team would be a good move for either of us.'

Simon: 'Why not? And don't repeat that line about the pair of you ending up in the SCW wilderness.'

Natalie stares at Simon, saying nothing.

Simon: 'I think that the two of you would make a very good tag team. Plus, Team Hero need new opponents - who better than you and Melody?'

Simon grins mischievously.

Simon: 'In fact, I think that - given the opportunity - you and Melody could be the ones to end Team Hero's record breaking reign as the Bombshell Tag Team Champions.'

Natalie: 'It almost sounds as though you're challenging me to set my sights on the tag team titles.'

Simon: 'I don't know; maybe I am.'

Simon shrugs again.

Simon: 'It took me fourteen and a half years to become a champion in the tag team ranks - and that included me having a long wait to find a suitable partner. You, on the other hand, already have someone that wants to be your tag team partner - and Melody would be a very good partner for you - and so you could potentially win a Tag Team Championship in a fraction of the time that it took me.'

There is a pause in the conversation, as Natalie considers what Simon has just said.

Natalie: 'Supposing I was to get a shot at the tag team titles, how would you feel about me being in a match against your friend Roxi Johnson? I know that Melody wouldn't want to have to do battle with one of her best friends.'

Simon: 'I'll deal with that dilemma if and when it arises.'

Natalie: 'There you go, dodging the question yet again.'

Simon rubs his chin.

Simon: 'Alright, fine; you want an answer?'

Natalie nods.

Natalie: 'Yes - I do.'

Simon: 'Okay, I'll admit that, if you and Roxi were opponents, I would be torn. But, if I had to choose, I would want you to win.'

Natalie: 'There, that wasn't so difficult now, was it?'

Natalie smiles, satisfied with Simon's answer.

Simon: 'How long are you going to be here in Cardiff for?'

Natalie: 'Only for a couple of days, and then I'll be off to New York.'

Simon raises an eyebrow.

Simon: 'What are you going to be doing in New York?'

Natalie: 'Annie Zellor's birthday party is on Saturday evening, in Queens.'

Simon: 'I assume that Melody will be going to the party, as well.'

Natalie: 'Yes, of course - and I believe that she is going to be dragging J2H there with her.'

Simon laughs at the SCW World Heavyweight Champion's predicament.

Natalie: 'So before you ask, yes, if I see Melody at the party, I will talk to her about her wanting me to be her tag team partner.'

Simon: 'You read my mind.'

Simon smiles.

Simon: 'Even if you don't agree to be Melody's partner, will you still be making the trip to Japan, for SCW's tour there?'

Natalie: 'Absolutely - regardless of whether or not I actually get to set foot inside the ring, I will be there, at each of the shows; Christian Underwood and Amy Marshall aren't the only people connected with SCW that have an affinity for Japan.'

Natalie quickly glances around the station concourse, before looking back at Simon.

Natalie: 'Well, I can't stay here all day.'

Natalie gets up from her chair.

Simon: 'Are you going to visit your parents at some point, before you leave for New York?'

Simon then stands up as well.

Natalie: 'That's what I was planning to do next; I want to go and see my Dad.'

Natalie puts her hand on the handle of her trolley case.

Simon: 'What about your Mum?'

Natalie: 'She'll be there also, and I'm sure that there will be some tension in the air, but hopefully things won't be too awkward.'

Simon: 'You ought to make an effort to try to smooth things out with your Mum.'

Natalie looks away from Simon, and gazes down at the floor for a brief moment; she then looks back up at him.

Natalie: 'Simon, after what you've been through recently - losing your own Mam - I can understand why you would suggest that, but I think that me trying to build a positive relationship with my Mam is a lost cause.'

Natalie smiles meekly at Simon.

Simon: 'Maybe you're right.'

Simon gestures towards the exit, and as he and Natalie make their way out of the station, we fast forward to Wednesday 27th April, to now see Natalie in the kitchen of the apartment in Tokyo that she has rented for the duration of SCW's tour of Japan. Wearing a pair of dark grey shorts and a cyan crop top, Natalie is stood at the sink, pouring a glass of water.

After turning off the tap, Natalie turns to face the camera, and speaks.

Natalie: 'I had begun to think that I would never do something like this again - that I would never again record a video to talk about an upcoming match of mine in SCW. I had accepted that I was unlikely to ever set foot in the six-sided ring again, and while that disappointed me, I was okay with it - there are plenty of other wrestling promotions out there where I could ply my trade. But then all of that changed, and now, I'm just a matter of days away from what will be my first match in SCW since the end of May last year - and at this moment in time, I'm not sure that I could be any happier.'

Natalie smiles; she takes a sip of water, and then continues.

Natalie: 'Before I go any further, there is something that I want to get straight: unlike my opponent for this Sunday - Amy Marshall - my appearance on Climax Control this past weekend wasn't me making my return to SCW.'

Natalie shakes her head.

Natalie: 'While you may not have seen me at all in an SCW ring in the past few months, I have still been under contract. Since my suspension was lifted in mid-January, I have been in attendance at every show - with the exception of Blaze Of Glory - waiting to be given an opportunity to get back in the ring to compete. And now, having waited patiently for more than three months, I'll finally get that chance this Sunday, as I look to avenge Melody Grace, when I do battle with Amy Marshall; if I had known that what I needed to do to be granted a match was to come to the aid of someone in need, perhaps I would have done it much sooner.'

Natalie takes another sip from her glass of water; she then walks over to a nearby table.

Natalie: 'If it wasn't for Melody Grace, I probably would have asked to be released from my contract with SCW by now. As I just mentioned, ever since my suspension was lifted back in January, I had been waiting to get to set foot inside the six-sided ring again. There's only so long though that even the most patient of people can wait for before they get fed up, and I had reached the point where I had started to explore options elsewhere; the reason why I didn't attend Blaze Of Glory, is because I was over five thousand miles away from Phoenix that night, in London, making a guest appearance on a show staged by a fledgling promotion, competing in a match against former SCW Bombshell Katherine Kensington - a match that I'm pleased to say I won.'

Natalie puts her glass down, on the table.

Natalie: 'I had also been in discussions with another promotion, based on the opposite coast of the US from SCW, about joining their roster; I was set to appear in a gauntlet battle royal eleven days ago, which, had I won, I would have earned a shot at their top title - just like a certain Brummie did three years ago, on his debut in SCW.'

Natalie winks at the camera.

Natalie: 'But then Melody intervened.'

Natalie then takes a seat at the table; she drinks some more of her water, before continuing.

Natalie: 'About a month and a half ago, I saw Melody tweet that she was looking for a tag team partner; then, two weeks later, Melody indicated that she had a specific person in mind, when she said that, maybe I would stop playing hard to get and become her partner. I was surprised to hear Melody say that, but at the time, I didn't think anything more of it - I thought it was simply a throwaway comment; oh, how wrong I was.'

Natalie laughs to herself.

Natalie: 'If you follow both Melody and me on Twitter, you are likely to have seen that for a number of weeks, she sent me tweets on pretty much a daily basis, imploring me to become her tag team partner. At first, I dismissed the idea, but as the tweets continued, and after talking to Melody about it, as well as some mutual friends, I eventually decided to agree to be her partner - although I didn't reveal my decision to Melody until last Sunday evening, when I prevented Jessie Salco and Amy Marshall from doing any further harm to her.'

Natalie takes another drink from her glass.

Natalie: 'And so that brings me onto my match this weekend against the aforementioned Amy Marshall. This isn't quite the most high profile match I've had in SCW, but it is certainly one of the most important: around eleven months on from my last match in the six-sided ring, I'm finally going to make my return to competition in SCW, and after having had such a long wait - and especially after having been so vocal about wanting to be back inside an SCW ring - it's crucial for me that my return match doesn't end up being a damp squib; I'm determined that won't be the case, and that on Sunday night, I will be the one to get my hand raised in victory.'

Natalie nods her head.

Natalie: 'One thing that I think is for sure, is that my match against Amy Marshall will be the biggest challenge of my time in SCW - never before have I had a Grand Slam Champion for an opponent, or a Hall of Famer. But there is no challenge that I can't overcome when I put my mind to it, and this Sunday, I will get the better of Amy Marshall - my return to the six-sided ring will be a triumphant one.'

Natalie consumes some more of her water.

Natalie: 'Under any other circumstances, I would've been glad to see Amy Marshall make her return to SCW; I've previously said that I respect Amy for what she has achieved in SCW - and I still do. However, after what she did last Sunday, attacking Melody, not only do I want to beat her in our match, I also want to hurt her; Melody has told me to smash Amy "right in the face," and I've promised her that I will - and that is a promise that I aim to keep.'

Natalie nods once more.

Natalie: 'In the past twenty-four hours, I have seen Amy tweet that she was aching from having hit the gym too hard. Well, Amy, if you think you were in pain after going to the gym, just wait until you get to the arena on Sunday - once our match is over, then your body really will be aching, because I'm going to hit you harder than any workout ever could.'

Natalie smirks.

Natalie: 'I've seen it suggested that Amy and I will both be affected by ring rust, but as I mentioned a few minutes ago, while it may have the better part of a year since my last match in SCW, I was involved in a match elsewhere as recently as two and a half weeks ago, so if anyone is going to be affected by ring rust on Sunday, it won't be me - it will be Amy Marshall; that's merely another thing that is going to play into my hands - I just hope that Amy doesn't use it as an excuse, after I defeat her.'

Natalie finishes off the contents of her glass. She then gets up from her chair, and walks around the table, to stand closer to the camera.

Natalie: 'There's just four days to go until Climax Control - four days until Amy Marshall versus Natalie McKinley: The Punk Princess versus...'

Natalie's sentence trails off, as she pauses to think; a few seconds pass before she shrugs slightly, and continues.

Natalie: 'Well, I don't need a nickname - I just need these.'

Natalie flexes both of her biceps.

Natalie: 'Amy, when you look across the ring on Sunday evening, staring back at you will be the most powerful specimen in the Bombshell division. I'm going to make you regret attacking Melody; maybe I will even make you regret returning to SCW. Because, Amy, I am going to tear you apart.'

Natalie cracks her knuckles.

Natalie: 'See you at Climax Control, Amy.'

As Natalie stares towards the camera, with what can best be described as a look of confidence mixed with a glare, the scene fades to black.

 OOC: This is what I started writing last week, for Simon's match with Sean Jackson, but did not then finish before the deadline. I did not want to abandon it completely, and leave it unfinished, so here is what would have been the first scene - or part of it, at least - of the rp that never was.

---

Thursday 3rd September, 8:00 p.m.

The scene opens outside Kennet Valley Free Church in Calcot, Berkshire. Stood near to the entrance is Simon Jones, who is wearing a pair of pale blue jeans and a red t-shirt. Simon's focus is on a mobile phone, which he is clutching in his right hand.

As Simon swipes the screen of the phone with his thumb, scrolling through whatever it is that he is reading, the doors of the building open, and out walks a group of people, one by one. The identities of these people are all unknown - with the exception of one person: Natalie McKinley; Natalie - who is wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt - walks over to Simon.

Natalie: 'Have you been waiting here the whole time?'

Simon looks up from his phone, to see Natalie now stood by him; Simon puts the phone away, in the pocket of his jeans, before then responding to Natalie.

Simon: 'Not for the whole hour, no - I had a wander around, but I wanted to be back here by eight, so that I wouldn't keep you waiting.'

Natalie: 'You could've just waited in the pub for me.'

Simon: 'And how would I have killed an hour there? I can't have a drink - I'm the one who's driving.'

Simon glances towards the other people that exited the building, who are all now gradually leaving the area; he then looks back to Natalie.

Simon: 'How was it, then?'

The "it" that Simon is referring to is a Gamblers Anonymous meeting - this particular meeting was one that was more aimed towards newcomers.

Natalie: 'It was good - it was good to hear other compulsive gamblers share their experiences, as well as getting to speak to them about my problems, and have them offer advice.'

Simon: 'Well, I'm pleased to hear that coming here was worth your while.'

Natalie: 'It definitely was; it's just a start, but it's a step in the right direction for me.'

Simon nods.

Natalie: 'And now it's time for me to show you my gratitude for coming here with me, by buying you dinner, as promised.'

Simon smiles.

Simon: 'Let's go, then.'

Simon and Natalie move away from the building, and then turn right, as they head along the road outside Kennet Valley Free Church.

Natalie: 'After what I did at Summer XXXTreme, I wonder what people would think if they could see you here with me now.'

Simon: 'I told you I would see to it that you get help, and that's what I'm doing.'

Natalie: 'What does Jacqui think of you supporting me?

Simon: 'At first, I think she thought that I was mad for wanting to help you, but she has since said that she understands why I feel the need to help you.'

Natalie: 'I'm guessing that Jason has a different opinion on the matter.'

Simon: 'You're not wrong there. But you know what? I don't care what Jason, or anyone else thinks - there was no way that I was going to abandon a friend of mine in her hour of need.'

Simon and Natalie cross over an adjacent street.

Natalie: 'I expect Sean Jackson will blame me for him not regaining the heavyweight title.'

Simon: 'I'm sure he will - he'll blame you, me, Kain, Jasmine St. John, the timekeeper, and anyone else that he thinks he can apportion blame to. The reality, though, is that he didn't do enough to deserve to win the match at Summer XXXTreme.'

Natalie: 'Are you looking forward to your match with him on Sunday?'

Simon: 'Very much so.'

Simon pauses momentarily, before speaking again.

Simon: 'You know, before I left SCW last year, Sean Jackson and I were opponents twice - once in a tag team match, and once in a one-on-one match. But now, I find myself preparing for my third match since returning to SCW, and my third consecutive match against Sean Jackson - it's funny how things have worked out like this.'

Natalie: 'I remember you winning that one-on-one match - it was about a month after we first met.'

Simon: 'Yeah, well, Sean Jackson is yet to beat me - come Monday morning, hopefully that will still be the case.'

Natalie: 'I'm sure it will be - you'll be the one to get the win, and put yourself in the frame for another shot at the title.'

Simon: 'That's the aim.'

Simon casts a quick glance towards Natalie.

Simon: 'I don't suppose you've had a change of mind, about accompanying me to New Zealand for Climax Control, have you?'

Natalie shakes her head.

Natalie: 'After what Christian tweeted last week, about how I will be lucky to ever see the inside of a building that SCW appears in again, it would probably be a wasted journey, anyway.'

Natalie lets out a sigh.

Natalie: 'I've not yet heard anything officially, to say I've been suspended, or even sacked - but regardless of that, my prospects in SCW don't look too promising.'

Simon: 'Perhaps not right now, but time heals all wounds; you just need to be patient, use this time to take care of your problems away from the ring, and then, eventually, you'll be back in the six-sided ring.'

Natalie sighs again.

Natalie: 'I hope so.'

As Simon and Natalie continue their walk in the direction of a nearby pub, the scene fades to black.

 Tuesday 26th May

The scene opens outside Stratstone Aston Martin Cardiff - a car dealership located on North Road, in Cardiff, which specialises in Aston Martins.

The front door of the building opens, and out walks Natalie McKinley - she is wearing a pair of pale blue jeans, a red jacket, and is carrying a white handbag. Natalie descends the five steps outside the car dealership, down to the the pavement; she then stops, glances to her left, before reaching into her bag, and pulling out a mobile phone.

As Natalie looks at something on her phone, she is quickly approached - from her right - by Simon Jones, who is wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a royal blue Birmingham City F.C. jersey, and who is pushing a predominantly black pushchair; asleep in the pushchair, wearing a pair of pink leggings and a white tunic, is Simon's nineteen-month-old daughter, Matilda. Simon greets Natalie.

Simon: 'Good morning.'

A startled Natalie turns towards Simon.

Natalie: 'Oh...errr...Simon; hi.'

Natalie hurriedly puts her phone back in her handbag.

Natalie: 'Are you not having to work today?'

Simon: 'No, I booked the day off, so as to give myself a four-day weekend - you know, following on from the bank holiday yesterday.'

Natalie nods her head.

Simon: 'I saw you come out of there.'

Simon then casts a quick glance towards the car dealership, before looking back to Natalie.

Simon: 'What were you doing in there?'

Natalie: 'I was enquiring about buying an Aston Martin.'

Simon laughs, assuming Natalie must be joking, thinking that she could not possibly afford the price of an Aston Martin.

Simon: 'Yeah, right.'

Simon shakes his head, as he chuckles a bit more.

Simon: 'Seriously - what were you doing in there?'

Natalie: 'I am being serious - I'm looking into buying an Aston Martin.'

Realising that Natalie is telling the truth, Simon's tone of voice changes.

Simon: 'Wow; really?'

Natalie nods her head again.

Natalie: 'Yep.'

Simon: 'My dream car is an Aston Martin.'

Natalie: 'A DB9 - if I remember correctly.'

Now it is Simon's turn to nod his head.

Simon: 'You are indeed correct.'

Natalie: 'Well, after discussing the different models with one of the salesmen, I'm leaning towards buying a V8 Vantage Roadster.'

Simon: 'Nice.'

An impressed Simon nods his head once more.

Simon: 'And how much is that going to set you back?'

Natalie: 'I'll have to pay a deposit of twelve grand, and thereafter, £779 per month.'

Simon replies with a smirk.

Simon: 'Where are you going to get twelve grand from - are you planning to rob a building society?'

Natalie: 'I've got money saved up - I took the advice that you gave me last year, about opening up an ISA, and I've been saving money each month since then.'

Simon: 'Yeah, but...twelve grand? I know how much you were being paid by SCW when you first started there, last year, and unless you've been given a significant pay rise since then, I find it hard to believe that you've managed to save up at least twelve grand.'

Natalie: 'I did get paid more while I held the roulette title.'

Simon: 'I know that, but still...twelve grand?'

Natalie: 'Trust me, Simon - I can afford the deposit.'

Simon holds his hands up.

Simon: 'Okay, fair enough.'

Simon then mutters something under his breath.

Simon: 'Maybe you got the money another way, by doing something that you shouldn't have.'

Natalie: 'What did you say?'

Simon: 'Oh, nothing.'

Simon waves his right hand dismissively.

Simon: 'I was just talking to myself, thinking out loud about something else.'

Natalie replies in a tone of voice that suggests she is not entirely convinced by Simon's explanation.

Natalie: 'Okay then.'

Simon changes the subject.

Simon: 'So, unless I missed it, I didn't see you make an appearance during Climax Control.'

Natalie: 'No, you didn't miss anything; I had intended to be at Climax Control, but then something happened, which prevented me from being there.'

Simon's facial expression changes to one of concern.

Simon: 'Why - what happened?'

Natalie: 'Nothing you need to worry about, just something that caused a change of plans, and resulted in me spending the weekend somewhere other than Tunisia.'

Simon: 'Alright. Are you looking forward to your match this coming Sunday, though?'

Natalie nods her head.

Natalie: 'I am; I'm looking forward to getting back in the ring, and - after my recent disappointments - trying to get my first win in seven weeks.'

Simon: 'You may no longer be the Bombshell Roulette Champion, but your reign as champion was still better than my first reign as SCW's Heavyweight Champion - you did at least manage to successfully defend the title, before you then lost it.'

Natalie: 'Yeah, I did. On the other side of the coin, though, when you finally got your return match for the heavyweight title, you regained the title, whereas in my rematch with Crystal, I failed - again.'

Natalie sighs.

Natalie: 'But as I said to you a few weeks ago, I would have liked to get a win under my belt against a different opponent first, before then attempting to regain the roulette title.'

Simon: 'Oh well, there's nothing you can do about that now. You just need to try to get back on track, with a win this Sunday, against the Metal and Punk Connection.'

Natalie: 'I know. And that's my aim. It won't be easy, though, against a team that have held the SCW tag team titles twice - although my last win did come in a tag team match, so I suppose I can have some cause for optimism.'

Simon: 'And that win was against the current champions, wasn't it?'

Natalie nods her head once more.

Natalie: 'Indeed it was. My partner on that occasion was Roxi Johnson, though, whereas on Sunday, Traci Patterson will be my partner, so...'

Natalie's sentence trails off.

Simon: 'Don't sell Traci short - she has also twice held one half of the tag team titles.'

Natalie: 'I know, I know - there are lot worse people I could have as my tag team partner.'

Natalie chuckles to herself.

Simon: 'What's tickled you?'

Natalie: 'I was just thinking about how last month, Mercedes Vargas referred to me as "the brunette version of Traci Patterson" - and now Traci and I are going to be teaming together.'

Simon: 'The pair of you are arguably the two most physically imposing bombshells on the SCW roster - I expect the powers that be have been waiting for a suitable opportunity to put you two together in a match, either as opponents or as partners.'

Natalie: 'And now that opportunity has arisen, I guess.'

Simon: 'Yup; I'm sure the two of you will make a formidable team.'

Natalie: 'Hopefully, we'll make a successful team.'

Simon glances down at the pushchair, and his daughter; he then looks back to Natalie.

Simon: 'Well, I ought to get home - Matty will be wanting her lunch, once she wakes up.'

Natalie: 'At least you haven't got very far to go.'

Simon: 'True; do you want to come in for a cup of tea, or something?'

Natalie shakes her head.

Natalie: 'No thanks.'

Simon: 'Okay, well, if I don't see you again before the weekend, good luck for your match on Sunday.'

Natalie: 'Thanks.'

As Natalie and Simon go their separate ways, the scene fades to black.

---

Friday 29th May

The scene opens to show Natalie McKinley stood next to Pompey's Pillar, in Alexandria; she is wearing a pair of denim shorts, and a red sleeveless t-shirt.

Natalie glances towards the pillar; she then looks in the direction of the camera, and begins to speak.

Natalie: 'After back-to-back losses to Crystal Hilton, this Sunday I will be trying to rediscover that winning feeling. And with Sunday's show being the final event of the African leg of the SCW World Tour, I also want to avoid departing Africa with a record of three matches, and three defeats. For that to happen, though, myself and my partner for the night - Traci Patterson - will have to get the better of the Metal and Punk Connection: Amy Marshall and Jessie Salco.'

Natalie smiles.

Natalie: 'While Traci has in the past been part of a duo that has twice held the SCW tag team titles, I doubt that many people expect me and her to be victorious, come Climax Control - not only am I the odd one out in this match, as the only participant not to have had their hands on the tag titles, but also, our opponents on Sunday are a very accomplished pair. As a team, Amy Marshall and Jessie Salco have held the SCW tag titles twice, and they have also both been champions with a different partner. In contrast, the match on Sunday evening will be only the fourth tag team match of my career so far - or to put it another way, the number of times that Amy and Jessie have each held the SCW tag team titles is equal to the number of times that I have competed in a tag team match.'

Natalie lets out a slight sigh.

Natalie: 'So yeah, like I said, I doubt that many people expect me and Traci to win on Sunday - but that won't stop me from trying. Besides, I've already been involved in a few surprise results during my time in SCW - both in my favour, and not - so hopefully my match this Sunday will produce another surprise outcome.'

Natalie takes a few steps away from Pompey's Pillar, before stopping, to speak again.

Natalie: 'Speaking of surprises, Amy Marshall certainly caused a stir with her actions five days ago. In the aftermath of last Sunday's show, Amy tweeted that it was nothing personal, it was just business, and while I don't condone what she did, I suppose I can understand why she did it.'

Natalie gazes down at the ground for a moment; she then looks back towards the camera, and continues.

Natalie: 'Regardless of how other people now feel about you, Amy, I am still looking forward to stepping into the ring with you for the first time, and having the chance to test myself against one of the only two bombshells that is an SCW Triple Crown winner - being a Triple Crown Champion is quite an achievement, and something that I would like to be able to emulate one day. For now though, I'm not thinking about winning more titles; I'm simply thinking about trying to put together another run of wins - like the one that I had prior to Mayhem In Morocco - and I aim to start it this Sunday.'

Natalie nods her head.

Natalie: 'Amy, you may have your sights set on challenging Roxi Johnson for the internet title at the supercard, but that is still another four weeks away. I, on the other hand, having been relieved of the roulette title, have not given any thought as to what might lie in store for me at the end of next month - I'm back to just taking things one match at a time, one win at a time, and then waiting to see where that leads me. So, Amy, while you may have aspirations of completing the SCW Grand Slam in the near future, my only goal right now is to win our upcoming match, this Sunday; I know that defeating you and Jessie on Sunday will stunt your momentum, ahead of a prospective match for the internet title, but as you said, Amy, it's nothing personal - it's just business.'

Natalie moves further away from Pompey's pillar, and the camera follows her, as she walks towards one of the nearby sphinxes.

Natalie: 'On the subject of Triple Crowns, come Sunday evening, Jessie Salco and I will complete our own Triple Crown, of sorts: we have already been opponents in a mixed tag team match, and a one-on-one match, and now we are scheduled to clash in a regular tag team match. And having been on the winning side in both of our previous encounters, I'm aiming to complete a hat-trick of wins against Jessie, this Sunday.'

Natalie puts her right index on her chin, as she thinks of something.

Natalie: 'A victory in a one-on-one match, a victory in a mixed tag team match, and a victory in a regular tag team match - I wonder, would that be classed as a "perfect hat-trick"?'

Natalie taps her chin, momentarily contemplating that thought, before continuing.

Natalie: 'Never mind.'

Natalie then shrugs her shoulders.

Natalie: 'Jessie, it was two months ago today that we were opponents in Bucharest - although with everything that has happened, at times it feels like more than two months have passed since then. I just mentioned what the outcomes were of each of our previous two matches, and I'm sure that on Sunday, you will want to make up for what happened in those matches. In fact, the match this Sunday will probably provide you with your best opportunity - so far - to get the better of me; I assume that you prefer having Amy Marshall as your tag team partner, rather than Steve Ramone - although after what Amy did last Sunday, perhaps your opinion of her has changed now...'

There is a very brief pause from Natalie, before she continues.

Natalie: '...or perhaps not - it's not really of my concern.'

Natalie shrugs her shoulders again.

Natalie: 'Whether or not you and Amy are singing from the same hymn sheet, my approach to Sunday's match remains the same: I'm preparing with the expectation that you and Amy will be working together like a well-oiled machine - if you turn out to be anything less than that, all that will do is increase the chances of me and Traci walking away with the win.'

Natalie looks over her shoulder, towards Pompey's Pillar; she then turns back to face the camera, and continues.

Natalie: 'Amy and Jessie, I respect what the two of you have achieved in SCW, both as a team, and separately. And I'm expecting this contest to be one of the most challenging matches that I've had during my time in SCW - but I believe that Traci and I are capable of causing an upset; we'll find out soon enough, whether or not we can do just that.'

Natalie takes a quick glance at the sphinx, before looking back to the camera.

Natalie: 'See you on Sunday, ladies.'

Natalie stares towards the camera for a few more seconds, before she then walks out of view, and as she does so, the scene fades to black.

 The scene opens inside the living room of the flat in Cardiff Bay that belongs to Jack Brown - the current boyfriend of Natalie McKinley - early in the afternoon of Sunday 26th April. Natalie and Jack are sat side-by-side on a black sofa, watching the tail end of the London Marathon; Natalie is wearing a pair of black leggings and a red tank top, whereas Jack is wearing a pair of pale blue jeans and a white t-shirt.

As amateur runners continue to complete the course - the elite runners having already finished the marathon - Jack looks away from the television momentarily, turning his attention to Natalie.

Jack: 'What is the furthest that you have ever run?'

Natalie thinks for a few seconds; she then turns to look at Jack, and replies.

Natalie: 'Off the top of my head, I suppose it would be three miles: I've taken part in the Race for Life - but only the five kilometre race, not the ten kilometre event.'

Jack: 'How long ago was that - was it last year?'

Natalie shakes her head.

Natalie: 'No, it was a couple of years ago; I think I was in Las Vegas on the day of last year's Race for Life.'

Jack: 'Vegas? I'm guessing that must have been because of SCW.'

Natalie: 'Yeah, it was: I'm sure last year's Race for Life took place on the same day as Into The Void III, which was when I signed my contract with SCW - well, my first contract with SCW...'

Natalie pauses, to let out a sigh.

Natalie: '...before I left, and subsequently returned.'

Jack: 'I don't think I've asked you this before: did you get to wrestle in Vegas? I know your first stint in SCW only lasted two months, but I remember you saying that you lived in Vegas throughout that time, so I just wondered if you appeared on any shows in the city, while you were there.'

Natalie shakes her head again.

Natalie: 'No, I didn't. I appeared on three shows: two in California, and one in Arizona, but none in Vegas - the nearest I came was Into The Void, which was staged at at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino, but I was just backstage for that show.'

Jack: 'Would you like to have the chance to wrestle in Vegas?'

Natalie: 'Absolutely. I mean, I don't mind where the shows are held, I'm just thankful to have the opportunity do this for a living, but I do think that it would be great to get appear on a show in Vegas - a show on SCW's home turf.'

Jack: 'Maybe you'll get that chance later this year - it wouldn't be much of a world tour if North America wasn't included.'

Natalie: 'Simon told me a couple of months ago that he had heard a rumour that the final leg of the tour is going to be in North America; we'll see whether that turns out to be true, I suppose.'

Natalie and Jack both look back to the television, to continue watching the marathon. Natalie leans her body into Jack's, resting her head against his shoulder; Jack puts his arm around her.

Natalie: 'So what's the furthest that you have ever run, then?

Jack shrugs his shoulders.

Jack: 'I don't know - probably not much than your three miles. I've got friends that have done the Cheltenham Half Marathon, but I've never fancied running it; there's a half marathon here in Cardiff, isn't there?'

Natalie nods her head.

Natalie: 'That's right. I know people that have taken part in it, but long-distance running is definitely not my thing - weightlifting and wrestling are more my sort of fitness activities.'

Jack: 'And there's only seven days to go until you'll be back inside the ring.'

Natalie: 'Yup; I'm looking forward to it.'

Natalie turns to look at Jack, and smiles warmly.

Natalie: 'And I'm looking forward to having you there to watch me, for the first time.'

Natalie and Jack then share a kiss.

Jack: 'After what your boss said two weeks ago, about expecting his champions to appear on his shows in some form, have you gotten into any trouble for not attending last week's show?'

Natalie: 'Nothing yet. And anyway, since my return to SCW, last week's Climax Control was the first time that I didn't make an appearance on a show - if Mark Ward is serious about penalising champions for not appearing on shows, I think there are other people that should be more worried than me.'

Jack: 'What about the show following the one next Sunday - if you don't have a match that week, will you attend the show?'

Natalie: 'I intend to be there, either way - I intend to be there to show off my title, as still the Bombshell Roulette Champion.'

Jack:  'I'm sure you'll still be the champion, three weeks from now.'

Jack grins.

Jack: 'I'm not going to Casablanca to watch you lose!'

Natalie smiles back at Jack, and as Jack pulls Natalie into a tighter embrace, we leave them to switch to inside the main hall of the Sport Wales National Centre, on the evening of Friday 1st May. The focus of the camera is on an individual sat alone, in the front row of the bleacher seating - that individual is Natalie McKinley, who is wearing a pair of black jeans, and a replica Cardiff City F.C. jersey. Natalie is sat with her head; she raises her head, looks at the camera, and begins to speak.

Natalie: 'Three months ago today, I showed up unexpectedly at Climax Control, in Belfast, and signed a contract to rejoin the roster of Sin City Wrestling. Seven days later, I made my second SCW debut, in this building, in my hometown of Cardiff. And a month after that, at Blaze Of Glory IV, I won the first title of my career: the SCW Bombshell Roulette Championship. Even now, with me preparing to defend the roulette title for a second time, a further two months later, at times it is still incredible, to think how quickly it has all happened.'

Natalie smiles.

Natalie: 'My opponent for the second defence of my title, is of course Crystal Hilton - someone who appears to think that SCW shows should be built around her, and that she should be wrestling in main events, despite the fact that during her time in SCW, she has shown little evidence to suggest that she deserves to be featured in such a high profile position. Well, Crystal, the roulette title could be your ticket to appearing in main events: just a couple of weeks ago, being the Bombshell Roulette Champion secured me a slot in the Bombshell Clash of the Champions match - the first of what I hope will be many main event appearances for me.'

Natalie turns away from the camera, as she reaches behind her chair; when Natalie turns back to face the camera, she has the SCW bombshell roulette title in her grasp.

Natalie: 'Unfortunately for you though, Crystal, this ticket is non-transferable - it's going to have to stay with me.'

Natalie places the title on her lap, and then taps it with her hand, before she continues to speak.

Natalie: 'Unlike my forthcoming opponent, I have no gripes about my spot on the card for Mayhem In Morocco. Now sure, given the choice, I would prefer to be competing in the final match of the night, rather than in the opening match, but I understand that such a privilege has to be earned.'

Natalie gazes down at the title for a moment; she then then raise her head, looking back to the camera.

Natalie: 'While I've stated recently that I want the spotlight in the bombshells' division, I'm fully aware that for me to attain that, I'm going to have to work hard to get it - and hard work isn't something that I shy away from; when I train, I work harder than anyone else, doing everything that needs to be done for me to be able to retain my title, and to ensure that limits will not catch up to me.'

Natalie takes the title from her lap, and places it over her right shoulder.

Natalie: 'Regardless of where the match I'm competing in is placed on a show, I always wants to put on the best match possible to entertain the fans, and to leave them with something memorable - this Sunday, I will leave them with memories of how I successfully defended my roulette title.'

Natalie gets up from her seat.

Natalie: 'Crystal, I stated last week that I had gotten the impression that you dislike me - which was confirmed, when you said that you "loathe" me. I don't particularly dislike you though, Crystal - although I do think that I probably preferred you when you were behind the mask, as La Paloma; that's not a comment on your appearance, I just think that La Paloma had a more likeable attitude than Crystal Hilton does. I mean, I can understand you being annoyed by someone referring to you as having been a member of the Mean Girls - any right-minded person would be annoyed by such an assertion - but you don't help yourself in that regard, with some of your behaviour: for example, calling me a "dumb cunt" - now that's an insult that could have come straight from the mouth of Amanda Cortez.'

As Natalie walks forwards, the camera zooms out. Where in February there was the six-sided ring of SCW - for an episode of Climax Control - there is now instead a netball court; Natalie stops by the side of the court.

Natalie: 'Although you have never been a member of their stable, Crystal, on Sunday evening you will have as much as success against me as three of the bona fide Mean Girls have had recently: Amanda and Veronica Taylor couldn't beat me a couple of weeks ago, at Climax Control; your friend Mercedes Vargas couldn't beat me at Blaze Of Glory, or in our match two weeks prior to that; and at Mayhem In Morocco, you won't be able to beat me either.'

Natalie walks to the centre circle.

Natalie: 'At the beginning of last August, ahead of what for both of us was our debut match in SCW, Crystal remarked that she and I have an "interconnected fate" - which is something that has proven to be correct, as Crystal has been part of a few key moments during my time in SCW: as well as being my opponent for my debut, she was also one of my opponents the first time that I had the chance to earn a shot at the title that I now hold - and this Sunday, she will be my opponent again, when for the first time, I will walk into a supercard as a defending champion. And at Mayhem In Morocco, just as in our previous two encounters, I will be the one that is triumphant - it's fate.'

Natalie quickly glances around the building, before looking back to the camera.

Natalie: 'Crystal, I heard you speak about the plans that you had for yourself, prior to our first meeting.'

Natalie sighs slightly.

Natalie: 'When we first stepped into the ring as opponents, all of those months ago, I didn't expect to defeat you - I didn't even know if I could defeat you. I was a novice - I was the underdog. I didn't view you as a stepping stone then, and I still don't now, but getting the better of you in my first two matches in SCW, did help to launch my wrestling career.'

Natalie gives a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders.

Natalie: 'I'm not quite sure what you want me to say, Crystal; I'm not going to apologise for beating you in our first match, or for doing it again two weeks later - and I also won't apologise after I beat you for a third time, this Sunday. You refer to yourself as a "victim," but you're nothing of the sort - if you want to find someone to blame for your shortcomings, then rather than focusing on me, I would suggest that you take a look in the mirror.'

Natalie smirks.

Natalie: 'I will help you though, Crystal, to get that close up that you want - I'm sure that the cameramen will get plenty of close ups of you on Sunday, to show the anguish that I inflict upon you. Because I am going to beat you again.'

Natalie nods her head, confidently.

Natalie: 'Nat will tear you apart again.'

And as Natalie stands, staring towards the camera, the scene fades to black.