Home
The conflict was raging. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach, through her heart and into her head. Every single second was a question, and there was no answer. Alicia took a deep breath and placed her last shirt in her large black duffle bag. The same bag that for the last three years she had lived out of. It was now October 2015. Alicia Lukas was 23 years old. And this was the point of no return. Her eyes moved across the bed to the letter she had received. A summons for court proceedings. She had to get home…
Home…
It was a foreign word to her now. What did it mean? Home used to be a five bedroom house in the outer suburbs of Atlanta. Home used to be her grandparents plantation an hour south. Home used to be safe. But there was a moment, a moment when Alicia turned 16 where home becamer a word of fear. Because in the home she had, the home she shared, there was a monster. A monster who wore a smile. A monster who held a chain, connected to an invisible leash around Alicia’s neck. And if she had an independent thought, if she even took one step out of line….
The chain was pulled, the leash cut off the air. And Alicia was in the dark, ready to be punished. It seemed like a different life. Like it was all from a different person. Three years ago, Alicia made the decision to leave her two sons, Ryan aged 2 and Rory only 9 months old with their father, while she ran away in the night. Tired of the abuse. The mental and physical pressure her ex had put on her.
It all came to a head in their home, and on a night where Alicia was supposed to be happy, surrounded by HIS family, by HIS friends. When she stood in the bathroom and held a razor, ready to take it all away and end it in a show of frustration, anger, fear, loathing and blood. But again, that was a lifetime ago. A scared little girl barely out of her teens taking all the money she had saved, and buying her way to freedom. And this was her plan, following in her fathers footsteps. Become the one thing her mother hated.Alicia could have become a dancer, a stripper, a hooker…...but a wrestler?
Her mother sent her message after message, letters, emails, texts. All begging her to come home. And when Alicia did to visit, it was a disaster.
Her ex tried to take it all away, all the confidence she had built, her life. His veiled threats. But now, with the letters she had received from family court in Atlanta Georgia, well, those threats were no longer so veiled. Three years ago, she arrived in Japan a scared little girl, full of fear, pain and anxiety. That was Violet Maxwell, that was a prissy little blonde former beauty queen. The woman leaving and going back. That was Alicia Lukas. A woman who for the last three years lived her dream and took every bump, punch, kick and dislocation with a grin. A girl who a week into her time here shaved her head as a statement.
Her long blonde hair had grown back now, her body that used to be thin and trim was now curvy, strong and build. But for all the forward progress her body made, it was her mind that had become something special. She was stronger mentally. She knew what she had to do. She knew where she had to go. Her passport sat on the bed next to her bag, her entire life now ready to be taken back to the United States.
She had work, she had a job. She had booked a few matches for Legacy Wrestling, the development brand of Honor Wrestling. Alicia was going to be a star, Alicia was going to take the world by the scruff of the next and become a star. But first...she had to see her mother again…
A few days later.
It was so warm. Even if it was the beginning of fall the heat in Georgia was still there and it was something Alicia hadn’t missed about her home state. Her eyes were covered by a pair of black rimmed aviators, her hair was tied back away from her face and she had purposely not worn make up. Or a dress. No, Alicia Lukas was storming into her mother and step fathers ten bedroom three story superhome in a pair of torn up blue daisy dukes and an old Black Sabbath shirt she had picked up from goodwill with a pair of faded but functional converse.
She stepped up through the front gates, across the path and up towards the house. The main house. The guest house sitting to her right as the landscape crew stared in disbelief. Alicia didn’t recognise any of them, and they didn’t recognise her. She approached the door, and it hit her. She moved her eyes along the old white paint, redone and retouched. The stained glass ornamental windows.
Her stomach turned.
She hated this. All of it.
Her mind flashed back to being a teenager. This is where she had met Ronnie. Her ex. Or rather Ronald Herman Merrywether the third. His father owned half of Atlanta. The half Ted Turner didn’t own. And Alicia was basically given to Ronnie in this house. An arranged relationship. Her mother “doing her a favor”.
Her teeth ground down against each other as she took na deep breath.
Bzzzz Bzzzz
She waited by the small intercom near the old wooden door, a voice came on the other end. Another unknown. ”May we help you?”
Alicia took a long deep breath, the small camera above the alert button glaring at her. She could feel it, like a pair of eyes judging her. ”I’m here to see Barbara Maxw-....sorry Barbara De Montfort” Her stomach moved again, she still wasn’t used to her mothers married name. Despite the fact they had been married for over a decade. She just hated it.
”And whom may I say is calling?”
She groaned and her head turned suddenly. ”Alicia Lukas...her daughter.” There was a pause, a long pause. As if he had just walked away from the intercom and left her there. She bit her bottom lip, feeling the anger rise before pressing the button and blurting out. ”Tell her it’s Violet…..and that she’s being childish for not accepting Ali-” There was a buzz, the door unl;ocked and opened. Standing in front of her was a man who looked to be in his mid forties, impeccable posture, and a black suit, grey waistcoat and white gloves.
Oh christ his jacket had tails.
She raised an eyebrow and sighed stepping into the house into the main hall. A large winding staircase to her left, another to her right going to each wing. A shiver went down her spine. ”Mrs De Montfort is in the day room. I will sho-”[/’color] Alicia raised a finger and shook her head.
She brushed passed him and growled under her breath ”Yeah, thanks Jeeves I know where it is, I used to live here…”
There was a silence there, but then as Alicia moved through the door she heard it, the butlers voice, echoing through the hall ”Lovely girl...I see where her mother passed it all..” Alicia stopped dead in her tracks, she wanted to say something, but took a long deep breath moving down the hall and to the right, pushing her way into a bright room, filled with windows. A small water feather in the middle. And over in the corner sipping tea, under a ridiculously large hat, was her mother.
”VIOLET?!?!” Barbara sprung to her feet moving as fast as her legs could take her without actually running towards her. ”Dear why didn’t you tell me you were coming for a visit?” She ushered Alicia towards the table,
Alicia cleared her throat sitting down across from her mother but leaning forward, her legs spread and her arms resting on her knees, her mother glanced over and slowly swallowed her indignation. ”Well, I’m not really visiting...I’m..moving back” Barbara stopped mid sip and slowly set her tea down clearing her throat.
”Moving back? Dear, we can’t have you he-” Alicia made a face and shook her head puttying her hand up. Barbara simply reached forward swatting it away. ”I’d like to help you, but Simon and I-” Again Alicia put her hand up.
”I don’t need your help with that...I have a place to stay, I need your help with this!” Alicia pulled out the court document, her eyes almost welling up with tears as she pushed it down and cleared her throat again. ”Ronnie is trying to get full custody…” There was an awkward silence. Barbara sighed and shook her head getting to her feet, her voice was still calm. A little more stern.
”Well, what did you expect Violet? You ran off...I am not surprised.”
Alicia shook her head, the condescending tone, the puffed out shoulders, the over acting. It all came flooding back. ”He’s not just trying to get full custody...he wants to take away all visitation for you…” Barbara's head snapped around, she rushed forward taking the documents from Alicia, snatching them so fast Alicia didn’t even see her hand.
Her eyes darted from right to left, she flipped the page and her fingers clutched the paper harder before she lowered it down, and then it happened, a deep bass bellow coming from this tiny middle aged woman. ”PERCIVAL” The door opened and the well dressed man from before stepped in bowing his head. ”CALL MY LAWYERS…” Barabara stormed out handing the document to Percival, he bowed his head again and slowly looked over at Alicia.
”So...Percival huh?”
He rolled his eyes and raised an eyebrow glancing in her direction. ”Yes...Violet” Her nostrils flared and she pushed herself up from the chair stepping up next to him before giving the old man a light tap on the shoulder.
”You’re alright percy…”
Nothing earned, everything gained.
”This is a strange feeling…”
The taste of whisky hit her lips, her red lipstick leaving a small smeer on the crystal glass as she set it back down on the table. She let out a small grin as the warmth went down the back of her throat. But it wasn’t the hit of alcohol that was strange to her. No, this was of a more professional nature.
”Losing two title matches in a row, it’s weird. I mean I haven’t been losing as such, I beat Evie, I lost a tag match because of my idiot partner, I didn’t get pinned in the triple threat. In fact, lately the only loss many would say is a “true” one was when I faced Evie last and she got the one, two, three. I could take pride in that, I could spout out about how Triple Threat matches, multi person matches and random tag matches are a fallacy and a disservice to those who actually put in the work. And certainly part of that is true. But, I have always said, a loss is a loss. And these ones were no different. See, it was on me to compensate for Andreas stupidity both times, both as a partner and as someone who should never have been in the match for the Bombshells title.”
“That was on me, that was my mistake, my failures and as such I count them as losses. So yes, Alicia Lukas, former Bombshells champion, longest single reign, most defences in a single reign and someone who cast a shadow over the entire division to the point where almost everyone was calling for my head….has been on a losing streak…”
“I can hear so many of you self important idiots chuckling, many of whom are in this match. And I get it. Because those are the small victories you all need to take against me. Because one on one there are still only a handful of you who have beaten me. And even less who have done it in a legitimate way. In fact, anyone in the bombshells division, any of you, one on one are not going to have a great time with me. That goes for Amber Ryan, that goes for Roxi Johnson, that even goes for Evie Jordan, who as champion holds one of those elusive one on one victories over me.”
“That alone means just as much as the championship itself..”
Alicia chuckled to herself, her hands around the glass again as she finished it off and slowly got to her feet moving around her kitchen, the walls were a beautiful flat white time, the bench was a black stone, polished to shine. Just her kitchen showed success, let alone the rest of her home. SCW and other companies had treated Alicia right. But now it wasn’t about personal gain and provision…
”Evie though has proved herself to be a worthy champion, not just in beating me, but also by fighting for it. Like me she is willing to put her championship on the line week in and week out and that inspires me. It shows that at least one of you was listening to me. It shows that there is at least one other bombshell on this roster who has no fear. And after my loss I was ready to step back and bow out. I was ready to let others compete for the opportunity and I was going to work my way back up. I said it publicly and those were my intentions.”
“So, when this battle royal was announced, I was choosing to step back not because I was scared or because I didn’t want it. It was because in my heart and soul I believe I didn’t deserve it. I believed I shouldn’t even utter my name. I watched others put their hands up, Sierra and Johanna and get ignored. I watched as Maki gleefully realised she could be involved. And I watched others seemingly ignore it completely because they were scared. But me? I did it out of honor. And in the end SCW just put me in anyway…”
“And some people complained. Some people claimed bias and claimed that management had my back…”
“They went against my wishes and you think that is having my back?. SCW management put me in this battle royal for one reason. Because without me, it wouldn’t matter. Because while I am a star, a prize in and of myself. RThe rest of you are just names on a fucking whiteboard. Talented names, but just names. Ones that do not carry as much weight as mine. So, in summary, I always want opportunities but I didn’t feel as if nI deserved it, but, I’m not about to lay down for any of you. If you are able to toss me out of the ring, if you are able to win the match it will be because you earned it...meaning I too would have earned my way to another shot at Evie….and yes I say Evie because there’s no way in hell Violet Amelia Holt is going to beat her…”
She pauses again and can’t help but laugh moving across the kitchen to turn and sit up onto the counter, her eyes a piercing blue with the usual fire behind them and a confident look, bordering on cocky across her face.
”Violet Holt is one of those women who is just “there”. She got a shot because she spouted off at the mouth that she could beat Evie and Evie wants to shut her up. It’s a good of a reason as any. But there’s a few women in this match that are very similar to Violet. Bea Barnhart, Jesse Salco and Keira Fisher-Johnson being the three that come to mind. Last week we saw Bea run her mouth about the stupidest of things. Then again, the mail order bride of a bat slob like Bill isn’t going to be a goddamn member of MENSA is she?. What have you accomplished here Bea? Aside from being the most arrogant person to never hold the Bombshells title?”
“I can’t let someone like you win this match Bea, you would waste the opportunity, squander it and then cry about it. And never take responsibility for your actions or failures. Then again that can be said about the other two I lumped you in with. In fact, I really should have a nice sit down talk with Jesse Salco, her experience would be invaluable right now. See, I’m going through a three match losing streak, Jesse could teach me how to handle that being the biggest loser in the entire goddamn company….”
“I've seen John Blade do better…”
“But week after week Jesse you do the same damn thing. You proclaim how you’re going to win the damn championship and be a great champion and how it’s your dream and your gt9oal yet when this match was announced you were suddenly silent. Where did your voice go Jesse? Was it stolen by the same conspiracy people that seem to stop you from winning a match? Shit, at least Keira wins occasionally…..and this is hard. See, I like you Keira. I do. You’ve always been nice to me even when I was bad mouthing and tearing apart your beanhead has-been wife.”
“And I won’t go into just how stupidly corny and cliche your relationship is cause it’s honestly none of my business if Roxi cucks you on twitter every Wednesday. So instead I’ll just focus on your in ring career. Or rather, lack there of. See, in your original run you had a bombshell tag title run, you had a roulette title run. You were looked at as a competitor, as a woman who could possibly be the champion. Roxi was the champion, Roxi came back and won the title again but you, well you have done nothing but struggle and take up a spot on the roster. Motherhood made you soft, being with Roxi has made you soft…”
Alicia paused again, her eyes moving over to a picture on the counter, herself, Michael and her boys, she smiled wide and stretched her neck. Being a wife and mother seemed to have the opposite effect on Alicia.
”And there is nothing wrong with that Keira. But, you need to go home, look Nate in the eye and ask yourself if all this is worth it. Cause honestly, being a mother to him is the only way you’re going to get a win in life. Just sayin...Some in this match have been able to get wins and titles lately. Kate Steele, Candy, Andrea...and some like Mercedes and Maki are veterans. Maki especially hasn’t been seen as much as others. I will say though, it’s nice seeing Candy get an opportunity like this. Candy worked so hard to make the roulette title matter and for the most part, she did. Candy is someone else that it’s impossible to dislike. Simply for her bubbly, infectious personality.”
“With that being said, whenever we’ve been in the ring together I have squashed her like a bug. Cause while Candy is a skilled wrestler and a lovely human being, she is not on my level. At all. Ever. Candy should be going for the Internet and Roulette titles, it’s her zone, maybe if she found a male partner she could go for the mixed tag titles. But Candy, sweetheart, I’m sorry...the bombshells title is just not for you...it’s for people like me…”
“And that goes for you to Kate. See, I have a newfound respect for you Steele. You won the Internet title and you went about giving it purpose. You made that championship mean something and you carried yourself as a champion. I applaud you for it and I’m happy you got to do that, but much like Candy your zone, your home is in the Roulette and nInternet title area. You once challenged me for the Bombshells title, in your home country and you gave me everything you had. And in the end I barely broke a sweat and walked out with the championship. But maybe I’m wrong about you both, maybe I’m just being selfish and you can both prove you are world champion material...but...I was right about Andrea wasn’t I?”
She winks and leans forward with a scoff.
”I gave it to you on a plate Andrea. I gave you some respect when we were forced to tag together, cause deep down I thought you had it, I thought you got it. I really did. But then as we had to try and work together I saw the truth. I saw you for what you really were. You won the Bombshells title, you had that moment in the sun and then when things got harder, which they do as a champion, you dropped the ball. And Evie picked it up. You were every bit the egotistical, shallow idiot I believed you were. And now here you are with another chance to earn your way to redemption…the only problem?”
“You have to9 get through me”
“And I am going to do all I can to dump your dumb ass over that top rope to the floor, but only after beating the hell out of you for being so stupid as to believe you actually earned anything to begin with. But you’re still only the second most delusional Latina in this match since we have been graced with the presence of the “legend” that is Mercedes Vargas. And I use legend in a very loose term, not the same way Roxi is or the one I’m becoming but I mean more the mythical legend...cause that is all you are Vargas...a goddamn myth…”
“It’s been a year since you were a champion here, and it’s been just as long since you last did anything memorable. You’ve been just floating around, no notable wins or advancement. Yet here you are in this match, seems like bias doesn’t it? I mean that’s what you accused Mark and Christian of with me. I might as well spin that around on you. You have been nothing but a name on the roster living off her former glory for the last three years since you last held the Bombshells title. Lackluster matches, two title reigns with lesser titles that ended fast with no real moments to speak of….but you want to try and come at me when I have been the best wrestler on this planet in that same amount of time?..”
“I want to dump your ass over the top rope to the floor Mercy but at the same time I don’t want you to break a hip…”
“But then again, Mercedes has been on and off at other companies taking her focus from SCW. But, you know who also goes to other companies yet can focus in SCW? Maki. Maki can. See, alot of you might not know the history between myself and Maki…”
Alicia trails off for a moment and sighs looking through to her trophy room where the WWH women's world title is sitting under the SCW and Honor ones...since it kind of sucks…
”Story time. SCW and Honor weren’t the only places I became a champion and basically cleared out a division. I did it at WWH too. In fact I renamed their title, I redefined what it was to be a champion in that company and I ruled with an iron fist. I faced Maki, we went to war and I liked her style. I could see her talent. But then things went bad and long story short, half the roster walked out on that trash company.Mercedes and Maki stayed. And honestly...Mercedes didn’t surprise me..the gloryhound…”
“But Maki staying..that surprised me..that hurt me…”
“See I thought we were friends, I thought we were cool and instead Maki turned her back on all of us and stayed. All so she co9uld win the title I made famous now that there was no real competition...and yes that means you Vargas. Maki stayed so she could finally win the title. She stayed so that she could rule the division now that I was gone. She took thge low road, the path of least resistance. But now, here you are in SCW. And part of me is happy. I was happy when you signed Maki, you and Amber Ryan inject even more legitimacy into the Bombshells division. You make it harder for me to get what I want, and I like that.”
“You could win this Maki, in fact I dare say you are my biggest threat in this match. A match I didn’t want to be in originally. Because I felt as if I didn’t deserve it. But now, after looking closely at all of you. After going through your histories, your accomplishments…I’m the only one who does deserve it...and come sunday...Alicia Lukas earns her way back to the top…”
