Round and round the same sound spinning
It's a poison killing me slowly
Dance little puppet don't say nothing at all
In a suit and tie there sitting
with a smile thinking you know what fuels this
You ain’t lived a life to make that judgement at all
Scene One-Never Give up…
Off Camera
7 Years Ago
Kyoto, Japan
Her mop of blond hair whipped to the side as they all laughed. Not one of them looked to even offer a moment or look of sympathy or empathy. She dropped to her knees, her blood trickled from her mouth and rolled down her soft pink lips to the floor hitting the back of her hand. She took in deep breath after deep breath. Her chest rising and falling. Her bright blue eyes looked up through the veil of hair that had come to rest in front of her pale face. She looked around, their eyes burned a hole in her. The Japanese students, both men, and women snickered, as did the other gaijin. Including Sean Demont, a man who has been her friend, a man who had been her only friend. But now even he laughed as Alicia stayed on the mat.
Five months training in the dojo has passed. Alicia had learned many things. Striking, submission wrestling, some throws, and suplexes. But despite her effort, despite her heart, she was not taken seriously. She had become one of the best there, not just out of the foreigners, not just out of the woman. Out of the whole class. She had become better than some students who had been there for years. She knew it and it made her blood boil. Alicia pulled herself to her feet and slowly wiped the blood from her lip. An elbow hard caught her flush on the chin. A loud shot that sent shockwaves through the small hall. She should have seen it coming. She scolded herself in her own mind as she stepped back in line with the others. Her head down as her mind flashed through everything that happened.
The attempted single leg, the sweep attempt, they spun and then. That was it. He was too fast. Sensei Takamura got her flush. Others tried but it was all a blur as they trained and moved. Alicia just went over and over where she went wrong. Over and over her footwork, her movements. She was at a wrong angle, she was too slow and not strong enough.
Her eyes burned with tears as her lips pursed together, her heart beat so hard and fast she could hear it inside her own head. She could feel it, her skin burning, her hands shaking. She had to hide it. The anger, the frustration, the pure emotion. All of it had to be pushed deep down and suppressed before ”Anata, soko ni, on'nanoko” Shit. Takamura-san stepped out of line right in front of Alicia, he tilted his head studying her before smirking. He turned and dismissed the others, they filed away and Alicia looked down waiting for it. He came face to face with her and slowly motioned his hand for her to sit. She lowered herself to her knees as he did to in front of her.
”I am going to say this as simply and clearly as I can. So I will use English for your benefit.” Her heart sank. The instructors would only use English at a time when they felt disappointed and that Japanese was too noble of a language to be used in the situation. Alicia had picked up enough to understand what would be said to her. Not quite enough to fully respond. But this seemed dire as she looked ahead into her teacher's eyes. ”Give up…” ”WHAT?” Her protest came out louder than she had intended. Sensei Takamura’s eyebrow raised as he scoffed as if Alicia just proved his point. His hands clasped together in front of his body as he shook his head.
”You do not belong here. You are too emotionally weak.” ”No, I can hold it together I can keep it do-” His hand rose up and he shook his head. Sensei Takamura was in his mid-thirties and had a successful career before starting his work here. Now he would occasionally wrestle and enjoyed it. He had shaggy black hair, a small beard, and a handsome face. His eyes showed compassion and understanding but he was strict. Because he had to be. When he spoke it was deep and with authority and respect. ”That is just it Violet. You hold back. Push it down. Instead of use it. Because deep down. You are scared. And I have no time for fear in my class. I can’t kick you out as you have not broken a rule. But I am urging you. Go home, little girl.”
He stood up as Alicia simply stayed silent. Her hands stayed on her knees as he turned and walked off the training mats and past the small ring. She sat there for what seemed like an eternity, his voice replaying in her head. Over and over. Was he right?. The sun had gone down and it was now night. Alicia pulled herself up and her legs burned, she had been there for so long. Her heart beat faster and faster as she moved into the locker rooms, she stared at herself in the mirror, studying her red eyes from crying, her flushed cheeks, her youthful face.
She sneered and reached down in her bag pulling out a pair of scissors she used to cut the tape for her wrists, she grabbed chunks of her long blond hair and started cutting. It fell to the floor in the heap as she moved her hands faster and harder until she stopped, her hands were still and the scissors slowly got lowered to a bench. She looked back up, her hair was cropped short, she snarled and shook her head. ”Little girl?...”
Promo: If you’re not first, you’re last
On Camera
New York, New York
Present Day
It had been a while. The summer tour was now over, the sun the surf, it was a recent memory that would now fade away. Alicia had never been one to stay in the sunshine. Preferring instead to get back in the gym, to get back to work, and now after the usual time off following High Stakes IX she was even more focused and ready. A small smile comes across her face as she breathes deep and tilts her head to the side.
”What a night.”
A few simple words, said with her usual southern accent and a touch of arrogance and a strong cadance. Her hand drifts up to move a few strands of bright blonde hair away from her face sliding it behind her ear.
”High Stakes 9. Biggest show of the year. And just when you think I can’t get any more insufferably awesome, I sweep awards, I register even more “firsts” and I again make sure SCW knows who the real champion is. See, Vinnie might be the “World heavyweight champion”, but the only person who is THE champion in this company, is me. See Mercedes Vargas can stomp around and call herself the “champion of champions” and try and make it seem like she is still relevant. Along with Roxi Johnson and that smiling little mask she wears to make you all believe she’s a respectable person instead of the sneaky backstabbing bitch I know she is, see they are shadows and echoes of a past that refuses to die.”
“A past that kicks and screams and tries to beg and plead for peoples attention. Now, it’s perfectly alright to look at the past and the names that once rules this division and respect them and applaud their accomplishments but believing they are still anywhere near MY level, well that’s just foolish.”
“Before I get into the physical accomplishments achieved at High Stakes let me just recap all this so you all understand the gravity of the situation. Woman of the year, Match of the year, Feud of the year. All awards that my contemporaries have won in the past between them at some point. But Wrestler of the year?. I am the first woman to hold that award. Crystal, Mercedes, Roxi, Keira, Jesse...none of them have held it, none of them won it. Not even fucking Mikah,,,”
“It was me, I did it. I won it…”
“And alot of those names I mentioned, they’re hall of famers. But none of them, NONE OF THEM have had a run like I have in the last year in this company and the last five years since I returned to the US from Japan.”
Alicia scoffs and pushes up off the chair she was sitting on, her hair is back in a long braid that slides around her shoulder and down her chest. She stands with her hands wrapped in her custom black and pink hand wraps, a pair of black and pink Tapout work shorts and a pink workout top rounds out the attire.
”Truth is, and I’m sure so many of you are going to get angry with these words but you can’t disagree, I am already worthy of being put in the SCW hall of fame. After a year and a half. No one has done what I have. No one has been able to beat the names I have, to be the champion I have and I have the record to prove it. See, with my win over Seleana I have now had eight successful title defences. Two more than Mikah in her single run yet I did it in less time. So, not only am I the most dominant, I’m also the most fighting champion this division and the company has ever had.”
“Seleana got into the ring with me and she put it all on the line and there were a few times I honestly thought she could of had me, but when push came to shove I was the one who walked away with my hand raised and the Bombshells title over my shoulder. And the thing is, I told Sel the truth of what was about to happen. I didn’t lie to her, I didn’t mislead her. I looked Sel dead in her eye and I told her that she had talent but against me that meant nothing. I told herr she was in her wife’s shadow and she was also in mine. Much like the rest of the roster. And honestly...after that match...who can disagree?”
“That’s the problem though, there will always be detractors, liars, arrogant ones who look at me and wonder...is Alicia Lukas really that damn good?”
“Well, most who have been in the ring with me, even those who hate me will nod and smile through gritted teeth and sing my praises because they have experiences what it’s like to face me one on one in that goddamn ring. I can look at anyone in this company or any other company and tell them, without question that I am the best wrestler in the world. Not the best women’s wrestler...just wrestler. And as I said...just who can disagree huh?”
Another arrogant smirk crosses her pink lips, she rolls her shoulders as she steps across the gym, the wolfslair gym in NYC. But it’s empty. No Alex, No Austin, No Johanna Krieger or Aiden Reynolds or any of the other stars. Alicia is alone, the sun just barely peaking up to turn the early morning sky a mix of pink and purple.
”Now, I could say that I’m getting bored. Being at the top. But the truth is I am more motivated than I have ever been. With my win over Seleana it seems as if I have finally exorcised the demons of the Zdunich and Williams family. Crystal, Brittany and Seleana have all been beaten and laid at my feet. I beat Roxi Johnson, I beat Amy Santino and now it’s time for some fresh challengers, fresh names to come after me and the bombshells title. See it was only a month or so ago that I was wondering who would be next. But then a slew of new names cropped up.”
“Keira Johnson has made it known that she wants to come after me and earn a shot and try and do what her wife failed to. It’s just a pity she thinks beating that moronic mouthpiece Kate Steele grants her an opportunity, but sorry Keira, beating Kate Steele means about as much as beating Twisted Sister. But still, we throw Keira’s name in the hat, along with Bobbi Dahl, along with Bella Madison, hell I’d even revisit a match with Mercedes Vargas is she could find the balls she seems to have lost after I last beat her….”
“But, the first name that gets to walk up to the plate is Andrea Hernandez. And there are so many people who are excited for this. See they want to see if little miss Hernandez can crowd the plate, choke up on the bat and swing away to hit a home run in a non title match and earn a title shot. And honestly, I see why people are so excited for this. See at Climax Control two fifty one I will go toe to toe with an undefeated newcomer, a new challenge who since coming to SCW has been on fire.”
“Now, I know Andrea has had a storied career outside of SCW. She wrestled in GCW and the recently closed OCW. I have had friends who wrestled there and there was a time when I was going to go there too but a contract never materialised. But I am still familiar with the company and I know it isn’t a joke. But, here’s the thing, Andrea, you’re not the only one with a career outside SCW. Honor., WWH, 4CW, LAW, just some of the places that I worked for and in WWH and Honor especially I was a dominant force. LAW I started to and I would have loved to have been able to do more before it closed.”
“SCW though, well it’s a different beast. You have hit the ground running and I applaud you for it. Four wins, no losses.”
Alicia claps slowly and sarcastically with a chuckle raising her eyebrows.
”Twisted Sister, Bobbie Dahl, Mercedes Vargas and Bella Madison have all fallen to you. And hey, a win is a win Andrea, hell I count wins over Kate Steele and Jesse Salco in my victories, despite the fact they don’t mean that much. But you?. You have a shot against the best of the best right now and I have to wonder, have SCW done you a disservice with this?”
“I mean, think about it. Here you are, a big..ish name from outside coming in, getting a few wins and now being thrown in the deep end against someone who in just over a year has reached and almost mythical status?. And with what? Twisted Sister is nothing, a joke who is employed due to Mark and Christian getting a chuckle out of her staying here. Bobbi Dahl is a damn talented woman but she has been on a downward spiral and you caught her at a time where she just seems..broken. The Bobbi Dahl who came back a few months ago who beat Sierra Williams would wreck your shit….”
“But who’s left huh? Vargas and Madison?.”
She scoffs and rolls her eyes and her arms folding over her chest as she leans against the far wall of the gym, her “trophy side” used to show the rest of the gym what kind of champions there were training with. Replicas of the original Legacy championship, the WWH womens world title, the Honor Legacy title and the Honor world title sit next to one of the SCW bombshells title as well as all the SCW awards and Honor awards of the last few years as well as a trophy from a japanese deathmatch tournament.
”Vargas is a shell of who she used to be, a run down old woman who likes to go out to the ring and run her mouth about the good old days, a woman who can’t seem to get over the fact Sam Marlowe is better than her, a woman who seems content with doing “this day in history” on twitter and being a big deal in a company that I walked out of, due to shady practises. And Bella Madison?, well, she seems talented, but she’s also green as goose shit. So really what qualifications do you have Andrea?. You’ve had a good start, I took notice of you and because of that Christian and Mark decided to put you in the ring with me. And really….I have everything to lose and nothing to gain.”
“I should be pissed at them….I mean, I’m not because I love to get in the ring and I love to beat the shit out of people…”
“But you have it all to gain here. Shit, you lose and you just suffered your first loss to the current champion, an award winning hall of fame bound star. You win, you get to pound your chest and say you’re the baddest and you might even jump the line and get a title shot. I win, and I just beat a talented up and comer who was quite clearly out of her depth. But I lose?.”
“I lost to someone who four wins over mediocre talent. And then I’m forced to face you again when I still have Keira and Roxi breathing down my neck. So, unfortunately for you that means the only option I have is to beat you in a way that firmly establishes the pecking order. And the thing is Andrea, I like you. I’ve seen you in the ring and yeah, you have talent and someday you would be an exceptional challenger for MY title. But just not now. Not yet. You are not ready. As talented as I am I walked into SCW with a huge chip on my shoulder and even more arrogant than I am now...the Honor champion, ready to take the SCW bombshells title when the companies merged…”
“Do you know what happened Andrea?...”
“I got beaten, Dani Weston beat my ass and I fell to earth and had to come back stronger and better. And hey, I did. I overcame that I won the SCW bombshells title and then did the same thing when Crystal Zdunich screwed me, I rose up, took the title back and from then on I have laid waste to this division and I vowed that only someone truly worthy would beat me, no shortcuts, no bullshit….you want to be the baddest bitch on the planet?, then in your home state, Climax Control 251 LIVE from the Tuscon arena you will have your chance. And all you gotta do….is beat the best…”
