[Mark Ward]

 Post all roleplays for this match here.
One RP per week

Good luck!

[Mikah]

 
<div style="width: 695px; margin: auto;">
<text align=right> <p align=”Right”> "PANIC BUTTON.."
LOCATION: SEATTLE, WASHINGTON → NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK.
DAYS UNTIL HIGH STAKES VII:14
EXCITEMENT LEVEL: LOW
SCENE i
REC•

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2017
8:45 am

Her hotel room was elegant enough that she should have felt okay with being in Seattle but she felt nothing of the sort.  She could feel the walls closing in on her as she sat on the bed, her knees pulled to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs and staring straight ahead.  She needed to get her things together so she could leave, but she felt paralyzed.  She had spent too much time in the city and it had all caught up to her.

FLASHBACK TO MIKAH’S TEEN YEARS

The house was gloomy, Mikah’s parents were sitting at the kitchen table, talking in low voices about what their daughter, Mikah had brought to their attention.  They didn’t know how to address this or even take care of the issue.  They hadn’t even known it was going on and now that they knew, they weren’t sure what to do.

σσMIKAH’S DAD  â€œDo you think it’s true?”

♦♦MIKAH’S MOM  â€œI don’t know.  Do you think she’d come to us with a lie?”

Their voices were hushed and they hadn’t known that Mikah was leaning against the wall right outside of the kitchen, listening to their every word.  She wiped at her voice, being as quiet as she could be as she listened in on their conversation.

σσMIKAH’S DAD  â€œI don’t know.  You and I both know that we’re not very present in Mikah’s life, something we’ve tried to fix since she was ten years old but she won’t let us help her.”

♦♦MIKAH’S MOM  â€œI know and it doesn’t seem like she’d be the type to make up something so extreme like this.  Do you really think that my brother could be capable of this?”

Mikah wrapped her arms around her torso.  She was only thirteen years old, she shouldn’t have had to deal with this as long as she had.  She shouldn’t have had to learn how to deal with what her Uncle Nick had been doing to her for that long.  She shouldn’t have had to of told them about it.  Shouldn’t they have seen how uncomfortable she felt being around him?

σσMIKAH’S DAD  â€œI don’t know.  Do you think that Nick would do such a thing?”

Her father had lowered his voice and Mikah’s heart thumped loudly against her chest as she leaned harder against the wall.  She felt that her world was about to cave in and that her mother wasn’t going to be on her side.  She knew that she had been a difficult child growing up but she didn’t think that she deserved this treatment.  Shouldn’t her mother just jump up to be on her side?  She didn’t understand.

♦♦MIKAH’S MOM  â€œI don’t know but do you think that maybe this is why Mikah’s acted so differently toward us?  I mean, more different than normal?”

σσMIKAH’S DAD  â€œShe has been different.   More secluded than normal at home.  I see how she is when I drop her off at school and it’s like there’s a switch in her brain that she can turn it off and on at any given moment.  I don’t think we have any choice but to believe her…”

A few more tears slipped down her cheeks and she hastily wiped them away, finally feeling some relief that her parents were going to believe her and support her.  It was what she had wanted when she had told them about the things her Uncle had either made her do or did to her.

♦♦MIKAH’S MOM  â€œWhere do we go from here?”

She didn’t bother hanging around to see where her mother was going to go with that statement.  She didn’t want to be caught eavesdropping so she went up to her room, ready to try to sleep for the night.

END OF FLASHBACK

Mikah sighs as she finally climbs off of the bed and walks into the bathroom to finish getting ready.  She couldn’t live in her psyche for the rest of the day; she had things to do.  She walks into the bathroom and turns the water to the sink on and splashes some of the cool water on her face before grabbing one of the hand towels and wipes it off.

;;MIKAH     “It will all be okay..”

She then grabs her make up bag, looking to fix the make up she had taken off earlier.  It odesn’t take her long before she’s ready to pack up her things and get out of  Seattle.  She was thankful that Drake had agreed to meet her at the Seattle airport so that they could both fly to New York City together.  It was Mikah’s idea to spend the week in New York City and promote High Stakes VII from there.  Her assistant Ruby, who participated more in the background now, had already set up two things for her to do and she couldn’t wait to get them done.

;;MIKAH     “Ready or not...here I come Drake.”

She grabs her two suitcases and wheels them out of the hotel room, her purse over her shoulder and her duffel bag on top of her large suitcase.  She listens as the door shuts behind her, officially locking her out of the room that she had spent three nights in.  She takes a deep breath before walking down the hallway, pulling both suitcases behind her and then pushing the down button to get on the elevator.  She hears the small ding before stepping into the elevator, the past three days’ events beginning to replay in her mind.

FLASHBACK TO EARLIER THAT WEEK

Mikah’s sister, MiKayla and MiKayla’s son, Maddox were staying in an apartment complex that her parents were helping with the payment of until MiKayla was well enough to get a job herself.  She had begged Mikah to come visit her and Maddox with the urgency of her having to tell her something important.  Mikah hadn’t wanted to come to Seattle, but the guilt that she still felt from MiKayla’s accident was still there, eating at her whenever she thought about it, so she caved and agreed to go to Seattle to see her sister and nephew.

So she had came to MiKayla’s place the minute she arrived in Seattle, not bothering with even attempting to go see her parents.  She knew that wouldn’t work for her and she wouldn’t handle it well.  So there she sat on MiKayla’s couch, holding a sleeping Maddox as MiKayla looked at her with tender eyes.

φφMIKAYLA  â€œDid you stop and see Mom and Dad, Mikah?”

Mikah gave MiKayla a look and rolled her eyes before shaking her head no.  She knew that MiKayla knew that she wouldn’t have visited her parents no matter what the cost was.

;;MIKAH     “I think you know that answer, Kayla.”

Her fraternal twin sister sighed heavily and ran a hand through her dark brown hair and watched as Mikah snuggled Maddox closer to her.  Their relationship had improved in the last year and both of them were glad to have repaired the broken relationship.

φφMIKAYLA  â€œYou can’t avoid them forever, Mikah…”

;;MIKAH     “I can avoid them for as long as I’d like, Kayla.”

Mikah looks down at the baby who was sound asleep in her arms.  It was crazy that he was going to be a year old in a little less than a month.  She kisses the top of his head before looking over at her sister.

φφMIKAYLA  â€œMikah, they’re our parents.  They’re always going to be a part of who you are.”

;;MIKAH     “That doesn’t mean that I have to let them into my life, Kayla.  I’m perfectly okay with being practically an adult orphan.”

MiKayla sighed and looked at her son, who was sound asleep in his aunt’s arms.

φφMIKAYLA  â€œIt’s been eighteen years, Mikah.  Can’t you forgive them for letting it happen?”

;;MIKAH     “Seriously, Kayla?!  You really think it was acceptable of them to brush it under the rug until I went to the cops at thirteen fucking years old?  I was scared to death about going to the cops about what our supposed Uncle was doing to me!  They had said that they were going to support me; I heard them say it.  But then she had to go to her brother to talk to him about it and it...didn’t make things any better.”

Mikah took a deep breath, not wanting to really get into it but it appeared that MiKayla wanted to talk about it.  It made Mikah feel uncomfortable, talking about her past so openly with her sister.  MiKayla didn’t have a clue what had gone at at the time, only that their Uncle Nick was going to jail for a very long time.  And it was what changed Mikah’s path from a decent girl to a full fledged mean but popular girl.

φφMIKAYLA  â€œI just don’t understand, Mikah.  Nobody explained to me what was going on and you still won’t talk about it.  Mom won’t either but she knows that’s what put a wall between you.  That’s why she allows Dad to continue to give you money.”

Mikah looks down at Maddox, avoiding MiKayla’s eyes for a moment.  She looks over the sleeping baby’s facial features and smiles before looking over at her sister.

;;MIKAH     “He was…..”

She bit down on her bottom lip, unsure if she could say it out loud.  It was something that she didn’t even think about or talk about to this day.  None of her exes knew about it nor did her husband, she kept it locked away because she had gotten justice for what had happened to her because the state apparently took it very seriously at the time.

;;MIKAH     “Doing things to me….”

She moved her eyes back down to the baby’s sweet face.  There was something about voicing it out loud that made things too real and too fresh even though it had been eighteen years.

φφMIKAYLA  â€œNobody ever told me.  Or Mitchell. I don’t think…”

Mikah cut her off.

;;MIKAH     “Mitch knows and he knew.  I told him back then first before telling our parents.  He wanted to kill Uncle Nick.”

She’d always had a little better relationship with Mitchell than she did with MiKayla.  She wasn’t sure why but there was more of a connection there.

φφMIKAYLA  â€œBut why didn’t you tell me?”

She wasn’t sure what to say to her because she didn’t know why she didn’t tell her back then.  She still felt back then that their parents had wished that Kayla had been one child instead of the set of twins they were awarded.

;;MIKAH     “I felt that you wouldn’t have been on my side.  And I thought that our parents liked you more than they did me.  And then when they--mainly our mother sided with our Uncle, I was sure that you were going to be on the same side as she was.  It was all part of the reason that I had been so horrible to you in high school.  I know that you didn’t deserve it but that didn’t seem to stop me from being so horrible to you.  I was so….I needed therapy and I didn’t get it.”

She offers a small smile to Kayla, hoping that it explained some of her bad behavior.

φφMIKAYLA  â€œOh.”

Mikah watched her sister’s face and watched the realization hit her face.  Mikah hadn’t known that Kayla didn’t  really know anything about what their Uncle had done to her.  She had thought that once he went to jail, their mother would have explained things to MiKayla but apparently, their mother continued to push it under the rug.

;;MIKAH     “I really thought that our mother would have explained things to you.  I hadn’t even bothered to tell you because I was sure that she would have.  But I see that I am wrong now and I apologize.  I should have told you but I was thirteen and I wanted that part of my life to be over...so I moved on, as quickly as possible.”

φφMIKAYLA  â€œIt’s not your fault, Mikah.  What our Uncle did to you was horrible and I am sorry that he put you through that.  I wish that I could have done something for you now that I know.  It would have made our high school years so much more tolerable.  But that’s what I wanted to talk to you about tonight.  Our Uncle…”

Mikah looked over at her sister, freezing in her spot for a moment.  She hadn’t thought about him at all in the past eighteen years.  She was surprised at how easily she was able to move on and how easily she was able to compartmentalize that part of her life.  But now it was as fresh as the day it happened.

;;MIKAH     “What about him?  He’s in prison.”

She noticed the look of discomfort that had passed over MiKayla’s face.  She was not sure what her sister was going to say.

φφMIKAYLA  â€œAbout that...I’m sorry, I didn’t know that he had sexually assaulted you but he’s out of prison.  He got out two weeks ago and I thought...you would have wanted to know because I always had the impression that you liked him because you had been so happy to see him when we visited.  But I know that it was a show because you were scared to show your true feelings.  Oh my God, Mikah I’m so sorry.”

;;MIKAH     “Why are you apologizing?  It’s not like you invited him over.”

The look that crossed MiKayla’s face told Mikah that something was up.

φφMIKAYLA  â€œNo, I didn’t invite him over but I was going to try to convince you to go see him with me and Maddox.  And I am sorry, I am not even going to ask you to do that.”

She just looks at Kayla, her mind going numb.  She wasn’t sure how she was going to process this news.  She knew that he wasn’t going to die in prison, but she had only hoped that she wouldn’t have to deal with him when he got out of prison.

;;MIKAH     “Oh...I need to go.  I can’t...I can’t be here right now, Kayla.  Take him…”

She had gotten up and pushed Maddox into his mother’s arms.  She didn’t even allow MiKayla to respond as she hurried out of her sister’s new apartment.  She was on auto pilot as she left the complex.

END OF FLASHBACK

She takes a deep breath as she steps into the lobby of the hotel.  It had been a roller coaster of emotions for her.  She had to face the fact that her Uncle Nick was around in Seattle somewhere, free as can be.  She knew that he was a registered sex offender and that he would always be on that list but that didn’t help ease her mind.  What if he did it to another girl?  It was now going to be present in her mind.

She pulls her suitcases behind her, leaving the hotel and stepping out into the damp air of Seattle.  She really did hate it there and couldn’t wait to get out of the city.  She hails a cab, not even bothering to wait for an Uber.  The cab driver gets out and puts her things in the trunk before she rattles off that she wants to go to the airport.  Drake was already there, waiting for her and she was about to have another anxiety attack.  But she was determined to hold it in until she saw her husband.

It didn’t take the cab driver very long to get to the airport and she couldn’t wait to push the door open and get out of the back of the cab.   She scans the crowd as the driver gets her suitcases and duffel bag out.  She hands him a fifty dollar bill and tells him to keep the change as she looks for her husband.  She smiles as she spots him and she grabs her suitcases and tugs them through the crowd to get to him.  She stops in front of him and lets go of her suitcases and hugs him, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck before kissing him on his lips.  There was something about her husband’s lips that calmed her down instantaneously.

;;MIKAH     “I missed you so much.”

She kisses him again before hugging him, burying her face in the crook of his neck.  He hugs her back, holding her body close to his.

::DRAKE     “I missed you too.  Are you okay?”

He could sense that something was wrong with her but he didn’t want to be that pushy husband that made his wife tell him something she wasn’t ready to share.  She just shakes her head no as they stay in the embrace for a moment or so.

;;MIKAH     “No but I don’t want to talk about it right now.  Okay?”

Drake nods his head, understanding his wife’s need for a little time to process her thoughts before sharing them with him.  He doesn’t think twice about it but continues to hold her, not letting go until after she does.

;;MIKAH     “Are you ready to go to New York City, Drake?”

She was smiling now and even though she was, Drake could see that there was something that was bugging her in the back of her mind.  But he once again doesn’t push her to explain things to her and smiles right back at her.

::DRAKE     “Of course I am.  Are you ready to see Elvis Duran and the rest of his morning show crew?”

Mikah grins and shrugs her shoulders.

;;MIKAH     “Whether I’m ready or not, it’s going to happen.”

She grabs his hand, interlocking her fingers with his as he helps her with her suitcases and duffel bag.  He had already gotten his suitcase checked and was waiting for her at the gates.  He helps her with the self tagging of the luggage before taking it to the lady to get checked.  She offers them a polite smile before grabbing her carry-on duffel bag and then Drake’s hand.

;;MIKAH     “I’m so ready to see my New York house.”

He chuckles before leaning over and kissing his wife’s cheek, shaking his head at her love for the Big Apple.  He leads them through the airport and toward the TSA so they can wait for their departure from the rainy city.  She was starting to feel a little better but it was still on her mind.  The thought of her Uncle being free wasn’t ever going to leave her mind and she was scared that he’d find her and make her pay.  But she was going to try not to focus on that for the time being because she was with her husband and all was well.

<text align=right><p align=”Right”> "ELVIS DURAN MORNING SHOW."
LOCATION: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK.
DAYS UNTIL HIGH STAKES VII:12
EXCITEMENT LEVEL: LOW
SCENE ii
REC•

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2017
7:30 a.m

Mikah was sitting in a desk chair and was trying her best not to twist in the chair as she listened to the people around her speak.  She was tired but she was doing her best to stay awake and be half way pleasant.  She had forgotten to tell Ruby that she wanted to do the morning show later in the week because she wanted the chance to sleep in to catch up on the sleep she hadn’t gotten earlier in the week.  But here she was, forced to be pleasant to people she’d only met once before in her life.

♂♂ELVIS DURAN  â€œWe have a real treat for the listeners out there today, which is why Coaster Boy Josh over there is about peeing his pants out of excitement..  Because we have the SCW Bombshell, Mikah with us today!  Hello, Mikah!”

She smiles as pleasantly as she can at Elvis.

;;MIKAH     “Good morning, Elvis and everybody else.  Sorry if I seem a bit...tired.  I flew from Seattle to New York City yesterday afternoon.  So I’m a bit jetlagged.”

There were a few murmurs but only smiles and nods of understanding.

÷÷DANIELLE MONARO  â€œMan, that’s a long flight.  Basically across the country.  I don’t know how you’re even awake.”

;;MIKAH     “Lots of coffee.”

They all share a laugh before Elvis directs the attention to Coaster Boy Josh.

♂♂ELVIS DURAN  â€œOkay, so let’s direct our attention over to Coaster Boy Josh, because if we don’t he’s problem going to pee his pants.  It’s been the day he’s been looking forward to since we informed him that you’d be on the show.  Josh, clearly you have something you want to say?”

Mikah looks over at Josh, who did look almost too excited to be talking to her.  This would be the third time she’s conversed with him.

â•šâ•šCOASTER BOY JOSH  â€œHow do you not have more to say to her, Elvis?!  She’s the only person on the SCW roster that actually deserves to hold the Bombshell Championship!  You’re sitting in front of one of the best technical female wrestlers in the business today and you’re sitting there like it’s nothing!”

♂♂ELVIS DURAN  â€œI’m not sitting here like it’s nothing!  I know how great she is!  I’ve watched some of her stuff!”

Mikah chuckles.

;;MIKAH     “Thanks, I think?”

♂♂ELVIS DURAN  â€œHe goes a little crazy when we have wrestlers in the room.  I apologize for him.”

Mikah just chuckles and shrugs her slender shoulders.

;;MIKAH     “It’s fine, I get it.”

â•šâ•šCOASTER BOY JOSH  â€œSeriously, Elvis.  You should have her on the show more often.”

Mikah watches as Elvis just rolls his eyes at Josh.

♂♂ELVIS DURAN  â€œAre you going to actually talk to her or complain about how I don’t give her enough attention?  And please do come by more often, Mikah.  We do love when you come on.”

;;MIKAH     “I will try.”

She shakes her head, chuckling to herself.

â•šâ•šCOASTER BOY JOSH  â€œOf course, Elvis.  I’m not rude like you!  Anyways, how is it being over in Australia for SCW’s current tour?”

Mikah makes a face.  If anybody knew her, they knew that she didn’t like going out of her comfort zone to compete elsewhere.

;;MIKAH     “The fans seem to be more passionate about us over there.  But the plane ride is obnoxiously long and I hate it.  The boss actually--well, one of the bosses suggested that I just stay over there there entire tour but that wasn’t going to happen.  I have a twelve year old daughter and I just don’t want to be there twenty-four seven.  My life is here in the United States and I have a life outside of SCW.  I’m not Jessie Salco, who has no life outside of SCW.”

Josh makes a noise like he almost choked on his coffee and Mikah just shrugs her shoulders.

ΣΣBETHANY WATSON  â€œWow.  Since I knew that you were coming on the show, I did some looking into SCW--more than I did last time and how many chances is that woman going to get at the Bombshell Championship?”

;;MIKAH     “She must give good blowjobs to get unlimited chances.”

The whole studio burst into either laughter or ‘oooh’s at the insinuation Mikah had made.  She doesn’t seem bothered by her comment.

;;MIKAH     “Let’s be realistic about it, shall we?  If you’re not Jessie Salco or Mercedes Vargas, you only get one shot at the championship once a year.  Twice, if you’re lucky otherwise we just go on a rotating schedule because we’re not giving Hot Stuff Mark Ward a blowjob under his desk.  And I’m married so I’m not going to be doing that to get a shot at it.  But I earned my shot, something I am proud to say because I went through a number one contender’s match to get this shot.  And I’m not going to blow it.  I guarantee if I win that Mark Ward is going to blow a gasket.  I swear he has done the best he could at keeping me away from it.”

She shakes her head before looking around the room.

;;MIKAH     “I’m not sure what I could compare it to that would resonate with you guys but the Bombshell Championship is the highest championship a woman in SCW can get.  I still hold the record for holding it the longest while I’m sure Mercedes Vargas has the record of dropping it after a month or so after she gets it.  It should be what she’s known for.  Instead, she’s the resident historian that looks like a horse.”

â•šâ•šCOASTER BOY JOSH  â€œMan you do not like her.”

Mikah gives Josh a look.

;;MIKAH     “And that’s putting it nicely.”

She gives Josh a smirk and rolls her eyes.

â•šâ•šCOASTER BOY JOSH  â€œWhat’s your issue with Mercedes?  Other than the fact that she gets a lot of chances at the Bombshell Championship.”

Mikah takes a deep breath.

;;MIKAH     “Other than the fact that she has done NOTHING to warrant a shot at the championship?  She thinks that she knows everything and that the words that come out of her mouth should be lived by.  I do not know why anybody would say that she’s the only one to come out of that Mean Girl group that’s worth anything.  If it was up to me, she’d be cleaning out the locker rooms at the end of the show because she’s so useless.  While she can win championships, she cannot hold onto them.  And that’s pitiful.”

â•šâ•šCOASTER BOY JOSH  â€œTell us how you really feel.”

He was chuckling himself and Mikah just smirks herself.

;;MIKAH     “Oh that is me being as nice as I possibly can when it comes to Miss Vargas.”

↕↕GREG T  â€œI have a question and I’ll probably sound stupid..”

He was cut off in the middle of his sentence by Elvis.

♂♂ELVIS DURAN  â€œThat would make this morning like any other morning, Greg T.  So go on.”

The studio laughs and Greg T just shakes his head as Mikah sits there, waiting for his question.

↕↕GREG T  â€œWhen you’re competing, do you ever feel weird about the moves you are doing to your opponent?  Because let me tell you, I’ve watched some of your matches and some of the moves you do, you’re right in your opponent’s business.”

♂♂ELVIS DURAN  â€œThat is such a stupid question, Greg T.  A question I am sure she’s been asked a million times.”

;;MIKAH     “It’s fine.”

She was trying her best not to chuckle at Greg T’s expense.

;;MIKAH     “I’ve been doing this for ten years.  My finisher has been the same for almost all ten of those years so it’s not a big deal to me.  You do what you have to do to get the win.  Anybody that has a bubble, should not be in professional wrestling.  Because you learn real quick that people are going to be in your space.”

She felt that that was an honest question and a decent one to ask and she hadn’t minded answering it.

☺☺FROGGY  â€œHere’s another question, you’re clearly very beautiful…”

♂♂ELVIS DURAN  â€œYes, Froggy let’s comment on her looks.  I’m sure your wife would like that.”

Mikah sits there a bit awkwardly.

☺☺FROGGY  â€œOh come on!  Everybody in here can see it!  Straight Nate, you agree right?  She’s very beautiful!”

≈≈STRAIGHT NATE  â€œYes, she’s very beautiful.  Now get to the point.”

Straight Nate shook his head and Mikah still just sits there, the silence being aired over the radio.

☺☺FROGGY  â€œRight.  Do you ever feel that maybe you’re sexualized too much in the business?  Do you have to wear the attire that you do?”

She shakes her head no.

;;MIKAH     “No, I don’t feel that way at all.  And no, I get to pick my attire out all on my own.  And yes, my wrestling attire is very skimpy but it’s easier to move in less clothes so, I keep my attire skimpy.  And who doesn’t like showing a little skin if they look like me?”

She raises her eyebrows with a confident look in her eyes.

ΦΦSKEERY JONES  â€œLet’s steer the conversation away from your looks.  In your time at SCW, who has been your hardest opponent to face in the wrestling ring?”

Mikah frowns, trying to think about who’s she’s faced before.

;;MIKAH     “Um...that’s hard.  Everybody that’s there, I’ve beaten or haven’t faced.  But the hardest would have to be Melody Grace, I think.  And not because I like her because sometimes I think I do and sometimes I think I don’t.  But she is a tough competitor in the ring.”

ΣΣBETHANY WATSON  â€œWho’s your least favorite to step into the ring with?”

Mikah stops to think for a moment.”

;;MIKAH     “Definitely Polly Playtime.  She’s just...I just don’t like going against her.  I do not find her that good of a competitor and stepping into the ring with her gives me anxiety.”

She shudders at the thought of stepping into the ring with Polly once more.

;;MIKAH     “Although, the high flyers are a group all their own that you have to watch out for.  I tend to stick as close to the ground as possible.  Safer, and less injury prone there.”

â•šâ•šCOASTER BOY JOSH  â€œHave you ever been injured?”

Mikah frowns for a moment, pressing her lips together for a few moments.  She couldn’t remember ever having an injury from wrestling.

;;MIKAH     “Not from competing.  Obviously not counting concussions or stitches that I’ve had to have but nothing that sidelined me for a lengthy amount of time.”

÷÷DANIELLE MONARO  â€œHow do you handle being away from your home as much as you are?  Don’t you get homesick?”

She shrugs her shoulders and leans back in the chair, careful not to do it so much that she falls backwards.

;;MIKAH     “Obviously it sucks but I’m actually not away from my home that often.  On a regular show that is in the United States, I usually do not leave my home in Oak Brook, Illinois until Friday morning and return either early Monday morning or late Sunday night.  So I don’t spend too much time away from home and when there’s a tour, I usually make my husband go with me.”

↕↕GREG T  â€œYour husband is Drake Green!  The movie star!”

Mikah looks over at Greg and slowly nods her head, agreeing with what he was saying.

;;MIKAH     “Yes, my husband is Drake Green.  Him and I have been married for over a year now and still going strong.”

♂♂ELVIS DURAN  â€œHow many times do you hear that question?  Because I’m guessing you hear it a lot and it has to be annoying.”

Mikah once again shrugs her shoulders.  It was a question she was used to.

;;MIKAH     “It’s alright.  I’m used to hearing it and it actually doesn’t get that annoying because he’s Drake Green.  He’s amazing.  And it’s only fitting that his wife is amazing too.”

She still held the confident look in her eyes, the one that never seemed to leave her pretty face.

≈≈STRAIGHT NATE  â€œHow does your husband feel about you going for the Bombshell Championship?”

Mikah glances over at Nate and shrugs her shoulders.

;;MIKAH     “He’s supportive, like usual.  He wants me to do what makes me happy and when I’m not doing him, this makes me happy.  Being at the top of the food chain makes me happy.”

â•šâ•šCOASTER BOY JOSH  â€œBut it has to drag on him, since he’s no longer apart of the active community, right?  His wife is still one of the best Bombshells that SCW has had and she’s paying more attention to the company than him.  How does he deal with that?”

A look passes through Mikah’s eyes as she looks at Josh before looking over at Elvis and then back to Josh.

;;MIKAH     “Trust me, my marriage with Drake is not lacking in any department.  And I don’t feel like going into detail.”

Josh raises his hands up in the air and Mikah smiles before moving to sit criss cross style in her chair.

â•šâ•šCOASTER BOY JOSH  â€œThat’s fair.  High Stakes VII is in twelve days and other than your match, what other match are you looking forward to watching?”

;;MIKAH     “You know, most people would expect me to say Dmitri versus Calvin Harris but that’s not the match I’m looking forward to watching.  Other people would also expect me to say Griffin Hawkins versus James Tuscini but nope.  It’s most definitely Kristopher Ryans versus Tommy Crimson.  And yes, while some will claim that I’m biased because of my friendship with Kristopher, it’s not entirely the reason why I’m excited to see it.  Kris is the only credible champion in the company right now.  He’s the one person that’s held their belt for the longest.  And he’s entertaining to watch, so there’s that.”

She takes a deep breath.

;;MIKAH     “There is a lot going on on this card.  More than I even want to talk about and some matches that don’t make any sense to me at all.  But whatever.  And everybody knows that my match should be the true main event of the night because anything that involves me is worth watching.”

ΣΣBETHANY WATSON  â€œWow, confident.  But they do say that confidence is sexy and well, clearly something is working for you.”

Mikah chuckles and shrugs her slender shoulders.

ΦΦFROGGY  â€œWhen will you go back to Australia?”

;;MIKAH     “Saturday.  I am not really looking forward to being there for over a week but there are things that need to be done for the show.  And since I am going for the Bombshell Championship, there are things that I have to do to make sure that Mercedes knows that she will not be returning to the United States in twelve days with the Bombshell Championship in her carry on.”

Mikah twists side to side in her chair, looking at the people around her for a moment or so.  She wasn’t as comfortable around these people as she was around Jimmy Fallon but she didn’t mind being there.

â•šâ•šCOASTER BOY JOSH  â€œYou’ve answered who’s the hardest opponent to compete against and the opponent you cringe when facing, but what about an opponent that you actually like facing?”

She pouts her lips together and moves them to the side thinking for a moment.

;;MIKAH     “I don’t know if I have a favorite opponent in SCW.  Sam Marlowe is really good to get along with.  Melody Grace is also easy to get along with, even though she’s the hardest competitor.”

She knew that her and Melody Grace didn’t always see eye to eye or get along that well on any given day but she did feel that Melody was one of the best she’d stepped into the ring with.

â•šâ•šCOASTER BOY  â€œAlso, the Hall of Fame happens at High Stakes VII, right?  And there are three inductees this year, correct?”

Mikah nods her head.

;;MIKAH     “Yes.  The Hall of Fame will happen at High Stakes VII.  Last year we saw Goth, Roxi Johnson, Sean Jackson, and my husband, Drake Green get inducted into the Sin City Wrestling Hall of Fame.  This year, in twelve short days we will see Bruce Evans, Odette Stevens, and clearly the biggest draw that SCW has ever seen, Despayre get inducted into the Hall of Fame.  I cannot wait to see Despy get inducted into the Hall of Fame.  I do not know anybody that is more deserving than him.  Another thing that happens is the awards, which are overlooked because it is the Hall of Fame show, but nonetheless, it will be an exciting show.”

â•šâ•šCOASTER BOY JOSH  â€œIf I could afford an airplane ticket to Australia and a ticket to High Stakes VII, I would be there in a heartbeat, however I can’t so I will be watching it on the television and cheering for you to win.”

Mikah smiles at him, wrinkling her nose at the thought of him cheering.

;;MIKAH     “Thanks.  Let’s hope that I don’t get bitten by a snake or attacked by a spider before that day comes.”

Everybody laughs and she just shrugs her shoulders.

♂♂ELVIS DURAN  â€œMikah, thank you for coming in today!  And for all the listeners, tune in next Sunday to Sin City Wrestling to watch the beautiful and talented Mikah compete for SCW’s prize!”

They clap for Mikah and Mikah smiles at them as they go to commercial.  She takes the headphones off before adjusting her top and standing up, stretching.  She thanks them for having her before leaving, ready to go to her New York City home and collapse in bed next to her sleeping husband to get some more sleep in before they spend some time in the city.

<text align=right> <p align=”Right”> "PANIC BUTTON.."
LOCATION:NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK.
DAYS UNTIL HIGH STAKES VII:10
EXCITEMENT LEVEL: LOW
SCENE iii
REC•

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2017
3:45 pm

Mikah collapses on the mat of the wrestling ring, gasping for breath as she stares up at the ceiling.  She was sporting her ring attire or at leat the one she doesn’t usually wear for shows.  THe shorts were silver and sequined and didn’t fit her as snug as the ones she wore before.  Instead of using the sequined black bra, she chose a Victoria’s Secret sports bra instead and had left the vest off.  She looks down at her wrestling boots before closing her eyes.  She wanted desperately to take a nap. But she knew that Ally wouldn’t let her.

♣♣ALLY  â€œCome on, Mikah.  Get up.”

Mikah glances up to look at her friend, who had gotten her into the business and she shakes her head no before laying her head back down on the mat, ready to give in.

♣♣ALLY  â€œIt is not that bad!”

Mikah props herself up on her elbows and raises her eyebrows at Ally.

;;MIKAH     “Really!?  I don’t see you doing as much of the work as I am!  And you’ve been retired for almost ten years!”

Her blonde friend chuckles before offering a hand to Mikah to help her up.

♣♣ALLY  â€œThat’s why I’m the one offering to help you with getting into shape for your upcoming match with Mercedes.”

Mikah scoffs and rolls her eyes at Ally.  She adjusts her sports bra before looking around.  The building was completely empty and she was okay with that.  This is where she was trained and it had been a long hard process in learning the basics before mastering the moves she did today.

;;MIKAH     “I don’t know why you just didn’t wait until I came back to Australia.  What’s Liam doing with Lilly and Axl?”

Ally shrugs her shoulders.

♣♣ALLY  â€œBeing their Dad?  And they’re fine, they love Australia and both are in school now, so it’s easier to leave without being sad about missing a milestone in their lives.  I am actually contemplating on having another child with Liam.”

Mikah raises an eyebrow at Ally.

;;MIKAH     “I thought you were done after Lilly?  Wasn’t she a handful?”

♣♣ALLY  â€œAnd then some but both of them are so cute.  Haven’t you thought about starting a family with Drake?  I know that you have Leighton, but don’t you want a baby that is all you and Drake?”

Mikah shrugs her shoulders and kicks at the mat with the toe of her boot.  She had been thinking about it because it was something she wanted.  But something always stopped her from going through with it.  She wasn’t sure if it was the love she had for the business or if she was scared that she’d lose a piece of Christian Othniel.”

;;MIKAH     “Sure I’ve thought about it; don’t all married couples think about repopulating the Earth?”

Ally could see the different look that Mikah held in her eyes and she offers her a small smile.  She couldn’t read what it was that Mikah was thinking but she knew something was up.

♣♣ALLY  â€œYes but there’s something bothering you, Mikah.  I know you better than you think I do.  What’s up?”

She lets out a sigh and moves to lean against the ropes.

;;MIKAH     “I just...sometimes I think about Christian.”

Ally doesn’t say anything, looking at Mikah and wanting her to go on.  Mikah doesn’t say anything for a while, letting herself get wrapped up in her own head for a minute.

♣♣ALLY  â€œWhat about Christian?”

Mikah visibly takes a deep breath as she looks over at Ally.

;;MIKAH     “Leighton was the last kid I had.  The last baby I had, that I carried to term.  His baby and there’s a small piece of me that wants her to be the only baby I had because it was his.  I know it’s silly and stupid but there’s just a small part of me that was all Christian’s.”

Ally gives her a empathetic look before leaning against the other set of ropes across from Mikah.

♣♣ALLY  â€œYou can’t just not start a family with Drake because you want Christian to have that piece of you, Miks.  You’ll always have a piece of him with you when you have Leighton around.  She’s his daughter and he lives on through her.  But you can’t stop living just because he did.”

;;MIKAH     “I know.  That’s why I know it’s silly to think like that but I can’t help it.”

Mikah pushes herself off of the ropes and stretches a bit before looking around.

♣♣ALLY  â€œTrust me, it will be okay.  Where is Drake today?”

;;MIKAH     “I think he went to some Sports bar to watch something on the TV.  I don’t know because I was pouting that he wouldn’t come train with us.  But he said that he was retired and didn’t need to train for anything.  It didn’t help that I told him I wasn’t going to have sex with him afterwards because I had plans.”

Mikah once again shrugs her shoulders.  She didn’t care if it hadn’t been what Drake wanted; she had to prepare a little for her match.

♣♣ALLY  â€œThat’s a lot of information that I did not need to know about.”

Mikah just shuckles and shrugs her shoulders a little at Ally.

;;MIKAH     “You asked, remember?”

♣♣ALLY  â€œTrue, well...I’m going to say that this training session is done and we can shower.  I’ll meet up with you next week when you’re in Australia.  Also, I’m in New York City for a work trip.”

Mikah laughs before shaking her head as they both get out of the ring and head to the locker rooms.

;;MIKAH     “I don’t know if I would have wanted to be in a wrestling ring if I was supposed to be in New York City for a business thing.””#

♣♣ALLY  â€œI also wanted to prove that I could still take you.”

Ally gives Mikah a small push and Mikah rolls her eyes at the taller woman.

;;MIKAH     “Yeah right.  I didn’t even try to beat you because I didn’t want to hurt you.  I know you’ve been out of practice for a while.  And it would have been horrible of me to injure you when you’re here on business.  And volunteered to help me out.”

Ally laughs to herself as they both walk into the locker room.  Mikah was still surprised that she got along with Ally as much as she did.  Ally had a good relationship with everybody in her family and everybody she came in contact with in the wrestling business.  It was how she had met her current husband and Mikah admired that Ally and Liam could make it work.

♣♣ALLY  â€œYeah, yeah.  Next time you better try harder because I’m not sure that you could take me.”

;;MIKAH     “Oh, don’t worry.  I’ll bring it.”

The girls grab their towels and hair shampoo and conditioner before heading to different showers to clean up.  Mikah focuses on her task at hand, letting herself once again get lost in her thoughts about her career and her relationship with Drake.  She did want to start a family with him but she didn’t want to put her career on hold just yet.  Especially since she had just got the chance to take the Bombshell Championship back.

Roughly thirty minutes later, both girls were walking out of the locker room, dressed and ready to leave.  Mikah was sporting a pair of skinny jeans tucked into a pair of brown riding boots and a turquoise, white, and grey striped long sleeved shirt.  Her damp hair was down and not styled.

;;MIKAH     “Thanks for agreeing to meet up with me here.  I do not know what I would have done if you had said no or hadn’t reached out to me.  Probably gained weight instead.”

♣♣ALLY  â€œYou?  Gain weight?  I would like to see that happen.  You’re pretty skinny for being as tall as you are.”

Mikah rolls her eyes, expecting that sort of thing from Ally.  Ally was a friend to her and more like a big sister as well.  She had always advised her to get the help she needed and sometimes, Mikah listened to her better than she listened to her therapist.

;;MIKAH     “You’re one to talk!  You’re like a string bean and you have two kids!”

♣♣ALLY  â€œWhat can I say?  Liam is a sex fiend.”

Mikah makes a face as Ally winks at her as they both walk out of the gym and out into the slightly cool fall air of New York City.

;;MIKAH     “But seriously, Ally.  Thank you for meeting with me today.  And trust me, I’ll be making you meet up with me sometime next week.”

[Mikah]

 
<div style="width: 695px; margin: auto;">
♣♣ALLY  â€œIt’s literally no problem at all, Miks.  And you better.  Bring Drake out to the house and meet the kids.  He’ll love it.”

Mikah laughs and shrugs her shoulders, thinking about it.  The two women hug before going in separate directions.  Mikah glances behind her as Ally heads for her hotel to finish packing up to go back to Australia and Mikah heads in the direction of the bar that Drake was at.  She smiles to herself as she makes the ten minute walk to Pat’s Sports Bar.  She takes a deep breath before pulling the door open and walking inside to look for her husband, who was problem drunker than what she wanted to deal with.

She pushes her way through the crowd to find her husband sitting at the bar, his usual drink in front of him.  She closes her eyes before walking over to him and sliding in between him and the guy next to you.

;;MIKAH     “Hey handsome, do you mind if I take you home with me?”

::DRAKE     “I’m married, sweetheart. Better find some--oh, hey babe.”

She had giggled when he had started to defend himself to her and she leans in and kisses his cheek, showing him affection in front of the people in the bar.  He returns the kiss by kissing her lips and pulling her onto his lap in one swift motion so she didn’t have to stand.  She moves so that she is straddling his lap, her back leaned against the bar as she faces him.

;;MIKAH     “How’s the drink?”

::DRAKE     “Wet.  How was training?”

Mikah smirks before looking at him, a twinkle in her eyes.

;;MIKAH     “Wet.”

Drake chuckles, his hand rubbing the small patch of skin that had started to show when she straddled him.  She watches as he leans forward and grabs his glass to finish off the alcohol that was left in the glass before settling it back down.

::DRAKE     “You got wet during training?”

;;MIKAH     “All sweaty.  But I’m all fresh and clean now.”

He smiles at her before leaning in and pecking her lips with a quick kiss.

::DRAKE     “Maybe we should go home and we can make you all sweaty and dirty again.  But in a completely different way.”

He winks at her as he grabs his billfold and throws a twenty dollar bill and ten dollar bill on the bar top before he helps her down and stands up.

;;MIKAH     “Maybe I can’t wait that long.”

She runs the tip of her tongue over her bottom lip, giving him what he called her “sex eyes”.  He raises an eyebrow at her.

::DRAKE     “What do you propose we do about that, then?”

He held a smirk on his handsome face and she glances around before grabbing his hand to pull him to the bathrooms that weren’t being guarded by anybody.

;;MIKAH     “I think these will work…”

::DRAKE     “Naughty.  I love you.”

Mikah giggles before pulling him into the women’s bathroom and shutting and locking the door behind him.  She smiles and winks at him.

;;MIKAH     “I love you too.”

<text align=right><p align=”Right”> "NO COMPARISON."
LOCATION: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK.
DAYS UNTIL HIGH STAKES VII:9
EXCITEMENT LEVEL: MEDIUM
SCENE iv
REC•

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2017
12:3 p.m

The setting is a classroom that looks to take place in a high school due to the style of desks that were in the room.  There was a white board at the front of the room and a teacher desk off to the left side of the upper corner of the room.  The camera man had set up in the back of the room so that the heads of the “students” could be seen.  Mikah waits for her cue before walking into the room, dressed in a short black skirt and a button up white shirt.  Her blonde locks were pulled back in a sleek bun that was closer to the back of her head and not the top.  On her feet are black stiletto heeled pumps, perfecting the stereotypical teacher look.

;;MIKAH     “Welcome back to History of SCW 101, class.”

She sets her bag down behind the desk before grabbing a blue marker to write on the board.

;;MIKAH     “I am going to tell you now that I will not be answering questions that you will just be listening today.  This is to prepare you to listen to Mercedes Vargas’ upcoming promo that will be posted within the next twenty four hours or so.”

She writes Mercedes’ first and last name on the bold and underlines it.

;;MIKAH     “We are going to talk about the resident SCW historian, Mercedes Vargas today.  We are going to talk about her past and what her present currently is.   We will also be talking about her future.”

She writes the words ‘past, present, and future’ on the board before turning to face her group of “students”.

;;MIKAH     “Mercedes’ first match in SCW was against some woman named Faith and her first match ever took place on Climax Control on June 2, 2013.  She won her debut match that night.  A night that I’m sure she remembers very well since she has the memory of an elephant.”

Mikah adjusts her top a bit as she walks back and forth in front of the class.

;;MIKAH     “She didn’t have a match on the following Climax Control nor did she make an appearance on that show.  She did however have a match at Into the Void II.  She competed in a Fatal Four way first blood match.  Her opponents were Joanne Canelli, Ambrosia Grey,and Laura Jackson.”

She clears her throat as she stops moving to look at the camera.

;;MIKAH     “She won her first match at  Supercard too.  She won by splitting Ambrosia Grey’s lip open and that’s how the first blood appearance happened in that match.  However, her next match that took place on July 7, 2013 was a mixed tag team match where she teamed up with Kain and took on Necra and Max Burke.  And poor Mercedes suffered her first loss in the company.”

Mikah pouts her bottom lip out for show.

;;MIKAH     “I could go on and on and talk about every match that Mercedes Vargas competed in because it’s easy to talk about how she had been semi-successful in this company.  Or according to some people, she’s been very successful in the company.  I do not think that she has been very successful at all; I think she’s been very lucky.”

She stops moving again, looking at the camera once more.

;;MIKAH     “But luck can only go so far, you know.  And if we’re going to be talking about Mercedes Vargas’ history, let’s talk about her recent history…”

She walks over to her bag and pulls out a folded piece of notebook paper.  She carefully unfolds it and smiles.

;;MIKAH     “Sorry, there are just some things that I have to write down because we all can’t be historians like Mercedes.”

She winks at the camera.

;;MIKAH     “In May of 2016, she defeated Samantha Marlowe for the Bombshell Championship, officially becoming the Bombshell Champion.  She then lost that championship to Samantha Marlowe on June 6, 2016.  There was only twenty-one days where she was the reigning Bombshell Champion in that cycle.  Which isn’t really impressive if you ask me.  Not when I myself held the Bombshell Championship for 266 days.”

A confident smirk comes over her face and she simply just smirks again before looking at her paper again.  Before writing the number twenty-one on the board and then the number 266 to the right of the number twenty-one.

;;MIKAH     “If you ask me a 266 day championship reign seems a lot more important than a measly twenty-one day reign.  But apparently, I don’t get to make those judgement calls.”

She rolls her eyes in annoyance before looking at her paper once more.

;;MIKAH     “Let’s move on to her most recent Bombshell Internet Championship run back in 2016.”

She once again clears her throat before looking at her paper.

;;MIKAH     “She won the Bombshell Internet Championship on February 14, 2016 from Alexis Edwards and then lost it on April 10, 2016 to the pathetic imbecile that is Jessie Salco.  That in itself is laughable.  Which adds up to fifty-six days.”

She laughs a bit before controlling herself and straightening up.

;;MIKAH     “Now let’s compare her Bombshell Internet Championship reign to mine, shall we?”

She raises an eyebrow before looking down.

;;MIKAH     “I won the Bombshell Internet Championship from Petty Polly on March 19, 2017 and lost it to Devona on September 3, 2017.  That is a grand total of…”

She acts as if she is calculating it in her head, even though it was already written on her paper.

;;MIKAH     “168 days.  I was the Bombshell Internet Championship for 168 days.  And while Mercedes may be a Grand Slam Champion, I can at least hold onto any championship I get for a lengthy amount of time.  I don’t believe in playing hot potato with the championships.  Not my cup of tea nor is it my style.”

She moves over to the white board and writes the number fifty-six underneath the number twenty-one then writes 168 underneath 266.

;;MIKAH     “Seems a bit daunting, right? So while Mercedes can claim that she’s more successful when it comes to SCW, I beg to differ.  Those numbers right there prove that I am a better competitor than Mercedes Vargas.  Also, I could be a Grand Slam champion if I wanted to.  All I need is a run with the tag team belts and I’d be there too.  But it’s not going to happen because I hate tag team wrestling.”

She makes a sour face before moving over to the teacher’s desk and hopping up to sit on top of it, crossing one leg slowly over the other, almost giving the camera glimpse of her panties.

;;MIKAH     “You see Mercedes, when it comes to you and I, it just doesn’t match up.  You don’t compare to me.  You may have a lot of numbers after your name and you may have been here longer than I have but when it comes to holding championships and actually being successful?”

She tilts her head to the side with a smirk.

;;MIKAH     “There’s no comparison.”

She didn’t care if it was too arrogant to say.

;;MIKAH     “While you’re clearly more focused with promoting the company and making sure everything about the show’s history and every other person in the company’s history is correct, I’ve been making sure that I’m better in that ring.  Because that’s what matters Mercedes.”

She reaches back and pulls the bobby pin out of her hair and shakes her hair out as it falls down around her shoulders and frames her face a little bit.

;;MIKAH     “I’m more focused on beating you in nine days at High Stakes VII.  I don’t have time to play the History teacher anymore because I’m going to leave that up to you.  That’s your job and you clearly like it better than you do competing or staying focused on what you’re actually supposed to be doing.”

She rolls her eyes in disgust.

;;MIKAH     “But you’ve never done what was best for your career, have you?”

She looks at the camera again.

;;MIKAH     “You were in the Mean Girls group not just once but twice.  That was like career suicide the second time because it was just a flop because Celeste North is not a leader because nobody in the women’s locker room or management offices took her seriously.  But people seem to take you seriously and I am not sure why that is.”

She taps her index finger to her lips a few times, thinking about it.

;;MIKAH     “Is it because you’ve been in SCW for a little over four years?”

She taps her index finger to her lips a few more times.

;;MIKAH     “Is it because you promote the fuck out of SCW like it’s your job?  But of course, not when you have to promote that other company you’re signed to, right?”

She raises her eyebrows and sort of tilts the top of her head at the camera with a smirk on her face.

;;MIKAH     “You see, while people were stating that you were the only one out of the Mean Girls clique that was worth anything, I disagreed.  I still disagree to this day.  Now while, I do think that you love SCW, I just don’t believe that you’re any better than the scum that you grouped up with.”

She presses her lips together in a thin line with her eyebrows raised.

;;MIKAH     “Now go ahead and mention how I don’t seem to respect anybody or whatever it is that you drone on and on about because nobody cares.  You’ve done nothing to earn my respect.  Hell, you didn’t even earn your shot for that championship belt but yet, here you are as the Bombshell Champion.  Tell me your ways because clearly you’re doing something right as many shots you get at all the championships.”

She holds her hands out to her sides with the palms up.

;;MIKAH     “Am I not promoting the shows enough?  Am I not appearing on television enough?  What is it?  Because I’m pretty damned sure that my 168 day reign as the Bombshell Internet Champion should’ve earned me something better than a mother fucking number one contender’s match.  But why should I complain about that?”

Another arrogant smirk comes across her face as she looks directly at the camera once more.

;;MIKAH     “I am the only one out of the two of us, Mercedes that has earned the right to compete for that Bombshell Championship.”

She runs her tongue over her teeth for a moment.  She stops talking for a minute or two as she thinks about the possibility of the championship returning to the United States with her carry-on.”

;;MIKAH     “Are you ready for your carry-on to be considerably lighter, Mercedes?  I mean, you’ll be leaving Australia empty handed and with a pout upon your face but at least you won’t have to lug the championship around with you.”

She winks at the camera once more.

;;MIKAH     “I’m sure you’ll say your normal stuff that you always do and how we don’t like or respect one another and blah blah blah.”

She covers her mouth as she fakes a yawn.

;;MIKAH     “And by the time you’re done talking, people will be asleep and waiting for me make you tap out.  You want to say that you bring integrity to every championship that you hold but what integrity do you bring to the championship when you drop it anywhere from twenty days or sixty days later?”

Mikah raises an eyebrow.

;;MIKAH     “I find you very hoity-toity.  I picture you walking down the hallways with your nose stuck in the air because you truly believe that you’re better than everybody else.  And why do you believe that, Mercedes?  Because you can bring up historical dates of the company at the drop of a hat?”

She raises an eyebrow.

;;MIKAH     “Or perhaps your tenure here in SCW seems to make you think that you hold some sort of authority around here?  I’m not quite sure but I will enjoy wiping that ugly look off of your ugly, horse-like face.”

She giggles a bit.

;;MIKAH     “Go ahead and bring my marriage to Drake Green into question.  Or my friendship with Kristopher Ryans up.  I don’t care because what I do in my time off is none of your concern nor is it SCW’s concern.  But you can bet that when I win that championship from you, it’s going to be a new era.  And once again the reign of Mikah will begin again.  And it’s going to start right back up where I had left off in February of 2016.  Of course, minus the alcohol because I haven’t been drunk in months.”

She smirks a bit.

;;MIKAH     “But I’m sure that you’ll be exactly like everybody else; assuming that I’m lying about not drinking before a show or during a show because that is who you are.  You are just like all those other two-faced bitches that reside in the locker room today.  You all chased out the only other Bombshell that was worth a damn in this joint.  Besides me, of course.”

Mikah was of course talking about her good friend, Chelsea Payne.

;;MIKAH     “I’m going to be a little presumptuous for a moment.  When I win, there will be no more of this hot potato bullshit that has been going on with the Bombshell Championship.  Because it is going to be exactly like the time I held it before but I’m going to be the one to break my own record because nobody else can.  I’m going to prove that it can be done and I’m going to set an even bigger record at that.  You want me to prove that I’m the Bombshell to beat, I’m going to do just that.”

She pushes her hair out of her face.

;;MIKAH     “There will be no more wishy-washy Mikah.  I will be the best damned Bombshell Champion there is and I will make sure that people know exactly who I am and why I’m going to be the Bombshell to beat.  Hell, I’m already the measuring stick whether all the Bombshells want to admit it or not.”

She smirks at the camera.

;;MIKAH     “My plan is to be at every single Climax Control if I win the championship.  And whether I’m booked or not, my fans will be hearing from me.  Mark Ward and Christian Underwood will have to deal with me sticking my nose in their business to make sure that things will be done the right fucking way and not just the way they want them to be done because they don’t want to deal with number one contender matches.”

She hesitates for a moment.

;;MIKAH     “In fact, I think it should be mandatory and I am going to work at making that the rule once I become the Bombshell Champion.  No more handing out championship shots to people like Petty Polly or Jessie Salco or even you, Mercedes Vargas because that is not fair.”

She glances at her nails before looking at the camera once more, smirking.

;;MIKAH     “And while I know life’s not fair, it’s about time to make it a little more fair.”

She slides down off of the desk, fixing her skirt.

;;MIKAH     “And I’m going to start by taking my Bombshell Championship back.  The era of Mikah will begin in nine days time.  I only hope that you’re ready Mercedes and the rest of the company because it’s about time that I become unbeatable once more.”

She hesitates for a second.

;;MIKAH     “But you wouldn’t know what beating me feels like, would you Mercedes?”

She chuckles to herself and shakes her head.

;;MIKAH     “That’s because you fail at life and you’re not as good as you’d like to think you are.  Or you’d like people to think you.  But I am that damned good and I’m going to prove it to you at High Stakes VII.  And you’ll have nothing left but your pride to take home.  Granted, your pride will be a bit wounded and your ego a bit bruised, but at least you can rely on your history facts to keep you alive.”

She winks at the camera as she turns to face the white board, staring at the numbers before glancing over her shoulder.

;;MIKAH     “When our match is over Mercedes and I take my championship back, you can write the number thirty-five underneath that silly twenty-one because that is going to be the amount of days you’d held the Bombshell Championship.”

She turns fully to face the camera.

;;MIKAH     “Before I rightfully take it away from you.”

She winks again.

;;MIKAH     “Come prepared, Mercedes.  Because I’m already prepared.”

She walks towards the door to exit the classroom before stopping and glancing over her shoulder at the camera, an arrogant look in her eyes.

;;MIKAH     “Ciao.”

[Mercedes Vargas]

 Just for a Thrill: The Thrill is Gone: It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere

ONE WEEK EARLIER

B R I S B A N E • A U S T R A L I A
♦ ♦ ♦
domingo/lunes por la mañana, 8/9 de octubre de 2017
Australian Eastern Daylight Time

Our scene slowly opens to Mercedes Vargas shown backstage pacing in her lockerroom, barely paying attention to the show playing on a monitor. A space was cleared on a display stand. It wasn’t that Mercedes was waiting for the inevitable to come than it was about catching the first flight out of Brisbane, Australia in two weeks’ time to defend the World Bombshell Championship against whoever stood tall with their hand raised. Four women wanted a shot at her gold, but one will get that opportunity. Mercedes knew a little something about that.

She looked across the room where her World Bombshell Championship draped over the bench. This is what it was all about, what it all came down to. Everybody was obsessed with how long she’s held the Bombshell Championship. Everyone has no doubt circled their calendars, and it wasn’t to remind them of the date. At High Stakes, Mercedes would have put on the performance of a lifetime to keep her reign past the expiration date many believe her reign will end and a new one begins.

The final bell sounds and Mercedes looks up at the television. The co-main event is over. The rematch with Polly Playtime wasn’t going to happen; a first-time meeting with Evie Baang was out of the question. That Jessie Salco would take the loss wasn’t all that surprising, referee miscue or no.

Mercedes watches Mikah rolling out of the ring and staring at the three opponents she had just beaten, which the camera pans back to the ring, showing Evie, Polly and Jessie looking on in disappointment, yet that wasn’t the expression shown in the lockerroom.

Mercedes looks on, slightly shaking her head while having a tight grip on her championship, holding it close. The road to redemption doesn't get much easier. Nobody said it would be that easy. Nobody said it would be this hard. But there’s always somewhere there to just standing in the way.
Mercedes will eventually have to part with her title at the start of the match…

And she’ll do everything possible to make sure she gets it back at the end.

~ ~ ~

B U E N O S A I R E S • A R G E N T I N A
♦ ♦ ♦
15:00/3 PM Argentina Time

27 YEARS EARLIER

[A young Mercedes walks up to a microphone to give a speech in honor of Mother’s Day. It’s 1990 and she’s dressed in a white lab coat – the school uniforms here in Argentina - similar to the students standing far right of her. She rocks a similar version of her haircut with a flower pinned to her hair. Young Mercedes taps on the microphone to test it, which gets a little feedback.]

“¿Um, está...está encendido?”
”Um, is this thing on?”

[Looks around behind her as a teacher nearby a piano nods back at her, young Mercedes turns back to the audience as she clears her throat and begins, now accompanied by light, background music.]

“El calor de su abrazo, el cuadro(la imagen) de su risa, la ternura de su amor. Una mamá como usted yo nunca podía sustituir. Hoy estoy de pie y el revestimiento del mundo digo, directamente del corazón, " el Día de la Madre Feliz, la Mamá.”
“The warmth of your embrace, the picture of your smile, the tenderness of your love. A mom like you I could never replace. Today I stand and facing the world I say, straight from the heart, “Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.”

[A loud “aww” befalls the audience. Mercedes’ mom, Estelle, holds a hand to her heart and is overcome with emotion. She dabs her eyes with a handkerchief then smiles.]

“Y como un presente a todo aquellos maravillosos dan a luz ahí, las palabras de amor y ningún otro!”
“And as a present to all those wonderful mothers out there, words of love and no other!”

[Estelle stops drying her tears and her smile from earlier turns into a scowl.]

"¿Qué significa usted, "las palabras de amor y ningún otro"? ¿Es esto todo?"
“What do you mean, “words of love and no other”? ¡¿Es esto todo?!"

[Estelle seems hurt, airing her disapproval. Mercedes’ explanation makes her mother even more upset than before. A low murmur starts up from the audience then gets louder. A few women get up and threaten to leave while two others stand and throw flowers at Mercedes. Her luck gets even worse when the rest of the offended women follow suit. Her mother stands there showing no compassion.]  

11 YEARS EARLIER

[Mercedes sits with her parents who are enjoying a late dinner. In Argentina, dinner is almost always late in the night. Estelle looks on at a card Mercedes hands to her. She opens it, finding a Mother’s Day card. Estelle reads it aloud.]

“The world’s a better place where we dare to love. Congratulations on your engagement….”

[Estelle reads the written part with a pained expression on her face.]

“28 years ago that led to you being my mother.”

[Estelle closes the card, looks over at Fernando,  then turns to offer a warm smile.]

“Thank you, Merce. You’re too kind.”

SIX DAYS EARLIER IN LAS VEGAS

L O S A N G E L E S • C A L I F O R N I A
♦ ♦ ♦
Domingo  por la mañana, 15 de octubre de 2017
Pacific Daylight Time

“Yes, it's a good day for singing a song. And it's a good day for moving along. Yes, it's a good day, how could anything be wrong? A good day from morning' till night.”

For what it was worth, it was a good day to have a good day for Mercedes Vargas. The new World Bombshell Champion sings along to the Peggy Lee classic that was playing from her car radio. Two weeks have gone by since Mercedes began her second reign and following the last Climax Control, her opponent was now made official. Enough time to prepare, but no less daunting. Not when your opponent happens to be the person to have held the championship the longest. It helps to keep a positive mindset when you’re about to face alternative facts, almost insurmountable odds and overwhelming adversity.

After her second exhausting half-day journey across the world in three weeks, she knew a third and fourth trip were on the horizon, making her all the more grateful she renewed her frequent-flyer miles for situations just like this. Today, however, Mercedes catches a break because she was staying stateside this weekend in Las Vegas.  Not for pleasure, but business. It's apparently quite early, given Mercedes’s lack of makeup, but that doesn’t stop her from making the commute up the 405 and up to Lancaster. It may have added an extra half-hour to her five-hour pilgrimage, but anyway to beat the rush hour was ideal.]

[[I love days like these. Sometimes I think I’m incredibly lucky, but especially on days like today. This was perfect weather. The fresh air in my face, the wind through my hair….]]

“Hey, Merce, I think you missed a turn.”

[[The backseat driver in my ears.]]

Mercedes:  Thanks, Dad. I knew I should have turned left at Albuquerque!"

[[ Mother’s Day. It’s the special day where we honor those who have either carried us into the world or played an important role in our lives while also remembering the sacrifice and love they gave us. For me, my mother hasn’t exactly grasped that Mother’s Day usually happens early every year. I’m thinking she loves being showed with gifts twice a year, but let’s not let this get in the way of a good story.]]

[[ See, where most countries celebrate Mother's Day in May or June, Argentina is one of three countries to celebrate Mother's Day in October.]]

[[My mom was busy thumbing through some magazine. I’m pretty sure she was the only person I was supposed to be taking to the airport. When I asked why my dad was here, he said he wanted to go to0. When he asked my brother, he simply wanted to gamble. When I asked myself aloud why I was here, they all answered because I’m the only one whose license wasn’t suspended.

I just hope I was going to make it before killing someone. I was already running out of places to hide bodies.]]

~ ~ ~

Blog: Almighty Fire
semana del 8 al 15 de octobre 2 0 1 7

I did what I finally set out to do.  I knew I could do it. I knew I could win the championship. Nobody believed I could get the job done. Then again, nobody thought I could do much of anything in SCW, but I keep silencing the doubters, critics and naysayers and proving people wrong. Because that’s what I do. That’s why I’m the champion of champions. But two weeks ago I found myself in a familiar position as the underdog and once again facing Polly Playtime. She’s a tricky one, believe me. But I did it and I won. I’m the new SCW World Bombshell Champion, a two-time – yes, two-time – World Bombshell Champion and nobody can take that away from me.

And you know what the best part is? No outside interference. No shenanigans or cheating. No one disguised in hoodies jumping the guardrail and sabotaging the match. No Mean Girls backing me up. They can’t sling that in my face. This was all me from bell to bell. I took my shot and made the best of the opportunity I was given. Now I can wipe the slate clean and give me the fresh start that I needed ever since Kobe, Japan and what happened 16 months ago. But you know what, it was all worth it. I was told I was never getting back my credibility after the Mean Girls split, I was told that I was a washed up has-been and a waste of space. Well, I’ve been holding this space for a while and bidding my time, waiting for someone, anyone, to move me from this space, to come push me out the door. I’ve been in Sin City Wrestling for over four years now.  I’ve seen more girls come and go from this company than a whorehouse on a typical Wednesday night.

And I’m still waiting.

I’m waiting for the night of my first defense, but does anyone else get the feeling this reward seems a little, well, hollow? You know, with the history I have at High Stakes, I’ve competed in a championship match three times. Two weeks from Sunday will be my fourth in five years. Outside of Jessie Salco and myself, no other Bombshell can say that. This year, I lost by winning. This isn’t so much about regaining my title then it is about winning the right to likely get destroyed by Mikah, right? This is about how Mikah steamrolls in my first defense and wins the Bombshell Championship and everything in the division is “back to normal.” Unfortunately for Mikah, this is the new normal and I’m not giving up the championship that I just won only to lose it to some primma donna on an  ego trip because she miss being in the spotlight.

Well, you won’t like who you’re going to be sharing it with, I promise you that. I already know what I’m in for so better settle in for what’s to come, Mikah. Go ahead and remind us how you carried this division for nine months and your condescending attitude that you have nothing to prove. Tell us ad nauseam about you’re charmed life with your husband and how none of the other girls will ever compare to you. Wax poetic on how SCW finally relented to giving out contender’s matches and take credit for Mark and Christian’s handiwork.  Like how you lost the Internet Championship, you’re willing to throw whatever excuse on the wall and see what sticks to save face, you’ll whine and bitch and moan about contenderships and having to earn a spot to challenge for titles.

Sunday isn’t an audition, it’s a reminder. You don’t have to be impressed with my accomplishments; I can sleep at night with my eyes closed and I don’t wake up every day to impress you. You may not like that I’m one of the top stars in the Bombshells Division; I’m not here to be liked or to make friends, I’m here to win. You can hate me as long as you want. I rather be hated for who I am then loved for who I’m not.  I don’t need anyone’s validation because you or anybody’s expectations will never exceed mine. Let that be a public service announcement not just to you but the entire Bombshells Division.

You may have been Bombshell Champion, but you never had the respect. Now you don’t have the title, and you still don’t have the respect. For as much hatred people had for Mean Girls and the awful things we did, we were respected because we were good in what we do - in the ring, on commentary, on the mic. That doesn’t change because of one bad spell, and it sure as hell doesn’t change who I am. I no longer have Mean Girls backing me up so you can’t use that crutch on me, not anymore. Not now, no ever. With Veronica on hiatus, I’m the last ex-member left, and I have nothing and no one holding me back. Success is relative. You’ve been successful in one company. I’ve been successful in EVERY company. But the doubters, critics and naysayers made their choice. What does that make me, a loser? I’m being doubted…disrespected…counted out. That ever happen to you? For everybody who believes that, believes this. I can never be as ready as I will be at High Stakes.

You’ve never hesitated to call my work ethic into question, dismissed and downplayed everything that I am and everything that I’ve done, and you and Kris have been badmouthing me almost weekly. At least the Mean Girls reunion, your title reign and your matches share one thing in common – they all lasted longer than your little show, and your time in Danger Zone, J2Hism  and Black Sheep for that matter. For someone you find irrelevant, I’ve gotten under your skin to the point where you outright admitted that you hated me the most out of all the Mean Girls, and that’s saying something considering who I used to tag with. Delia, Liz and Veronica take the cake when it comes to notoriety.

There’s fire in my eyes, passion in my heart, and poison in my words and, to borrow a video game phrase, “it’s super effective!” Like me or hate me, Mikah, not only can I talk the talk, I can back it up. That’s why I have the most wins of any Bombshell on the current roster, that’s why I’m a nine-time champion in this company, that’s why I’m a Grand Slam Champion, and that’s why three weeks ago I reclaimed my glory and am now the current and two-time World Bombshell Champion.

With that being said, allow me to offer you some unsolicited advice. Don’t spend the night before our match second guessing yourself whether you should show up to Australia, make sure you bring that passport and get plenty of rest because you’ll need it. Bring your husband because I want him to watch the humiliation you’re about to get on the world’s stage. Despayre is making the trip too, even better. And before that bell rings, don’t even think about pulling the same bullshit like you did to Devona. You’re not blowing off another title match, even for a title that you DO want. There’s a good chance you’ll see me as an afterthought just like her, but the only thoughts on your mind after our match will be “what the hell just happened.” I’m sure the entire world will want to know too. So next time when you’re sharing late night laughs with Jimmy Fallon or chatting up with Elvis Duran or the girls on The View, please don't forget to remember  to tell them how you ended up on my checklist.

~ ~ ~

First defense, Last Breath
L O S  A N G E L E S  â™¦ C A L I F O R N I A

“What was this, three, maybe four years ago? Yeah, this was four years ago. My first championship win. Memories, like the corners of my mind…”

Mercedes Vargas sits leisurely on her living room couch in her Los Angeles residence. The Grand Slam Champion and now two-time and current World Bombshell Champion seems fixated on the laptop before her. We look at the screen along with her. It’s the third High Stakes event back in mid-October 2013 between Mercedes, Traci Patterson and then Bombshell Roulette Champion, Nessa Wall. Reliving the moments of this event prompts a small smile. Getting to hear insight from her for this SCWrestling.net feature made it all the more worthwhile. On an otherwise clear seventy-degree afternoon, the Argentine kept her hair firmly hidden under a fedora while sporting her SCW authentic “Mercedes” t-shirt and skinny jeans. As the match introductions begins, Mercedes leans forward in her chair, rubbing her hands expectantly in real time.

“And here we go…”

Traci Patterson comes out first, accompanied by her sister as they comes down the ramp and slap fans hands on their way to the ring.

“There’s Traci and Katie. It’s always a risk having your family members at ringside because you never know what’s going to happen. I’ll never forget what Twisted Sister did to Katie. Un-be-live-a-ble!”

[Indeed, 11 months after this event, Traci Patterson had a rough night, not only losing to Twisted Sister but witnessing the devious Bombshell attack Katie with her Manic Compression package piledriver finisher on the concrete floor in the opening minutes of the match. Traci’s entrance music gives way to Mercedes’ making her appearance.]

“And there’s me getting ready to make history. The crowd was pumped, I was pumped. I definitely was ready to roll and I wasn’t going to leave empty-handed. You know how some people find it weird seeing themselves on film or television? I kinda feel the same way, like you’re watching home movies or something. You get used to it after a while but, yeah, it still feels a little awkward, you know? Like here, I think we were in Trinidad that night and I’m not sure if it was the heat or I was having a bad hair day. Pretty sure I wasn’t going for the frizzy look. Now, I think we’re missing somebody, but I can’t put my finger on who that is….”

After Mercedes makes her entrance, Nessa Wall makes her appearance and the entrance ramp is doused in pyro and lights as she heads down the ramp.

“Yup, there’s she is, the champ, Nessa Wall. Little Miss Genius, that’s her. She’s a member of Mensa, or so I’ve been told, so I guess that means she’s super smart. Let’s see if our genius can outsmart her opponents tonight, shall we?”

Fending off co-challenger Traci Patterson and the Bombshell Roulette Champion Nessa Wall in a Roulette Rules Five- Count match, a stipulation that has been rarely seen within the confines of the six-sided ring, nonetheless presented its own challenges. Two extra seconds was just enough for an opponent to break up a near-fall to continue the match. As soon as the bell rang, the match saw the first instance of a teamup when Nessa already had a waistlock grip on Mercedes before Traci Patterson came in with a spinning heel kid aiding Nessa’s German suplex throw that sent Mercedes across the ring but not before Nessa’s leg drop landed across her neck. Even reliving that moment causes the now record-tying three time champion to become animated at her plight.

“Now, see, what did I ever do to deserve THAT, huh? Come on!”

[The champion, Mercedes and Traci showed off their athleticism in one sequence which started when Mercedes stuns Traci with a running knee then a dropkick sending her down on the mat before running towards the ropes and takes out her future tag team partner with a senton splash then catches Nessa with an enziguri for good measure. The sequence gets a nod of approval from, well, her own biggest fan.]

“There we go! That’s what I’m talking about.”

[A little later in the match, Traci Patterson climbs the ropes as the cheering audience now begins booing. It wasn’t long before she wiped out both Mercedes and Nessa with a corkscrew moonsault before draping herself over both opponents for a pinfall as Jacob Summers drops down for the count. Mercedes starts to worry in real time.]

“Come on, come on, not like this, not like this!”

[Mercedes got a leg up, breaking the pinfall attempt at four-and-a-half. Mercedes begins fanning herself, knowing she was this close to losing out at her third attempt at the championship. She playfully wipes a hand over her forehead.]

“That was a little too close for comfort. Too close. Ah, ah! Well, what do we have here!?”
[While Mercedes and Traci were brawling near one end of the ring, a closeup shot shows Nessa finding her feet and going near the action while wielding a pair of brass knuckles. Jacob Summers stops Nessa in her tracks, admonishing her to remove the weapon. Wall hands them over and the referee promptly tosses the weapon to the outside. Meanwhile Traci has gotten the best of Mercedes, then levels Nessa with a clothesline that turns her inside out but not before finishing her off with her Heart of Texas sitdown powerbomb. As she is coming down, her foot gets caught in the second rope and her heads collides with the canvas while landing on top of Nessa.]/i]

“Ouch! That was a rough landing there for Traci. Don’t you just hate when that happens?”

Traci isn’t moving at all as Jacob checks on her then motioning for the paramedics but not before getting in position to count an apparent pinfall, which Nessa kicks out at two, saving the match and her title hopes. Unfortunately, hope would be fleeting this night. Before she knew it, Mercedes was back in the ring, making a beeline towards her.

“Here I come, I made it! I was quick like a cat, Nessa didn’t even see me.”

A confused Nessa didn’t have time to piece together the scene around her as she was met with a boot to the gut, racked over Mercedes’ shoulders and then dropped on her head for the Black Rose Overdrive, prompting Mercedes to jump out of her seat pointing at the television in jubilation.

“Thanks for coming, Nessa!”

Mercedes mockingly waves at the television then counts along with television. 1…2…3…4..5!]

“And there you have it. Done did the whole damn thing. On my own, by myself, me, myself, and I. This is what makes great TV. End of the day, one of us was left standing. Sorry for Traci there, but when opportunity knocks, you take it. And looks like poor Nessa was too smart for her own good there, wasn’t she? And neeeeeeew Bombshell Roulette Champion!”

Mercedes clasp her hands together and shakes them side to side, then takes a sip of her ice coffee from Starbucks.

“I forget just how good Nessa Wall was but this match definitely brings me back. Shame that she left the company after this. We had a little chat the other day on Twitter and she started talking smack about an upcoming match I’m having this weekend, and I brought up this match. She claims she forgot. She seems way too young for early onset dementia.”

Mercedes binge watches her victory the following year, defeating Zuri Chastain in a hellacious Three Stages of Hell match that gave her fourth defense in what was a historic third reign. She was really interested in her first loss at the event, more than two years ago. Just like in her first battle, the 2015 match was also a triple threat and another championship match – the World Bombshell Championship.

***

L O S  A N G E L E S ♦ C A L I F O R N I A

“Sometimes, I don’t even want to drive through here. Most of the time, I take an alternate route.”

[The Galen Center, the home floor of USC Trojans basketball and volleyball. Mercedes is seen in her car. Her hair is up in a ponytail and face covered by large, dark sunglasses. One might be under the impression that Mercedes is taking in a sporting event today, but the venue won’t be open again until mid-November when the season starts. Mercedes turns into Figueroa Street, the arena is just ahead to her left past West Jefferson Boulevard. She looks up at the arena as she pulls up to the curb. Last year, Galen Center was where High Stakes was held. Kate Steele retained the Bombshell Roulette Championship by handing Evie Baang her first loss in SCW, Despayre turned away Travis Nathaniel Andrews to hold on to the Internet Championship, J2H was still SCW World Heavyweight Champion, and Mercedes lost at this event for the second straight year. Back-to-back losses, both were tough pills to swallow. But ask her about which was her least favorite defeat and it’s almost a no-brainer.]

“If I had to pick my least favorite match I had at High Stakes, last year against Melody was tough but the 2015 event definitely is right up there. Here I am with a chance to win the title I lost after three weeks and I ended up taking the loss. Like Crystal, Mikah isn’t going to let me live this down, and I don’t expect her to. She’s going to do just about anything to rub that defeat and others in my face and psyche me out ahead of our title match, but trust me when I tell you this, I’m going to be ready for all her tricks.”

“Mikah’s going to kick my ass? Fantastic. I’m going to kick her ass. She’s going to kill me? I hope she carries that out and is ready to get hauled off to jail that night because the only way she gets my title is by taking it from my cold, dead hands. Those fans had better brace themselves for a shock when Justin announces my name and me walking out of Melbourne “and still.”

“Bad enough that when you look up superficial in the dictionary, you’ll find a picture of Mikah right there – who can forget about the flirting she did, even with married men like Simon Jones or J2H, even Ryan Keys, even using Mark Ward to get favors - but she’s so grumpy all the time – and it’s somewhat fitting Hot Stuff christened her #Moaning Mikah – that she puts Alexis Edwards to shame, and they used to be friends! This is a girl with very few genuine friends. I mean, SCW practically had to beg the other Bombshells to congratulate her on Twitter for her winning the Internet Championship.”

[Mercedes wasn’t done yet criticizing her number one challenger, putting a nice bow on her match.]

“Fuck Mikah, fuck her sense of entitlement and holier-than-thou attitude and fuck her delusions of grandeur. I’m not coming into High Stakes to lose three years in a row and she’s not leaving High Stakes undefeated three years in a row. First defense, last breath, come hell or high water, I will be World Bombshell Champion at the end of the night.”

***Fade***

~ ~ ~

It Isn’t, It Wasn’t, It Ain’t Never Gonna Be
Present Day
L O S  A N G E L E S  â™¦ C A L I F O R N I A

[REC•]

[The SCW World Bombshell Championship is displayed on a white breakfast table as the camera pans over it, pausing on the nameplate which bears the holder of the title. The camera slowly pans to Mercedes Vargas, donned in cropped figure-hugging jeans and a bright white tank top.]

“So, this is what everyone's after...”

Mercedes merely shakes her head with a silent laugh, though she’s hardly able to maintain her gaze on the camera, slightly looking down at the ground for a few moments. She looks up again, now nonchalantly nodding her head.]

“It’s been a little over two weeks since I beat Polly Playtime for this championship and even though Simon Jones and Crystal Millar were the only ones to congratulate me on my win, that told me everything I needed to know. Like I said, I don’t need the congratulations from anybody, especially from the Bombshells Division. Because this is what everyone’s after.”

[Mercedes reaches for her championship within arm’s length and brings it into the shot, holding it close, tracing her fingers across the center plating of her newly won title. She checks her reflection through it and starts grooming herself before placing the title over her shoulder. She turns to the camera and maintains her tone as she continues.]

“High Stakes is technically less than two weeks away and the co-main event will feature yours truly defending the richest prize in the women’s division. And I get it, I seriously get it, everyone feels that it’s going to be the end of the line for me at the supercard. They feel that two weeks from Sunday is where my luck runs out, and that my reign is coming to an end because Mikah is going to bring me down and, at least according to her, remind me just who the fuckn I am and aren’t and when she gets it back is when I go back to the back of the line and that the division is going to change.”

[Mercedes strongly shakes her head.]

“No, Mikah, it really isn’t. In fact, it will be more of the same. If memory serves me, when you were champion…”

[Mercedes begins counting on her fingers as she speaks.]

“You were driven around in your little limo, came and went whenever you pleased, berated Rocky Mountains and Pussy Willow, attacked PW unprovoked - which should have seen you fined, suspended, or both - bitched about every city on the world tour, blamed Christian Underwood for matches you didn’t like, tried to get one match expunged from your record when you tapped out like a little bitch, got drunk before shows whether booked or not including getting completely wasted in front of practically everyone on the damn roster, and trashed the division to your little heart’s content.”

[Mercedes mouths 'wow" while shaking her head, then smiles, seemingly impressed with these highlights of Mikah's only title reign.]

“Oh, for those halcyon days.”

Mercedes pauses before adding.

“But we also had some great moments during your awesome reign too. Like that one time Roxi Johnson beat you twice in one night.”

Mercedes makes a pouting expressing as she laces her hands together and rests her chin on top.

“Your title reign isn’t something that should be looked up to and admired, it’s should be looked down on and winced at because for better or worse, Mikah, your reign, the eight months of it, is a cautionary tale when people climb to success too early. There's no such thing as bad publicity, but I guess SCW will take ratings anyway they get them. And yet the more things change…”

She considers the question a moment before stifling a laugh.

“You claim that your heart wasn’t set on keeping the Internet Championship but you’re inclined to do so because it’s your job. Well, you walked out of a championship match. Well, okay, maybe you say differently. It was a brisk walk. No, no. A casual stroll works too. No, I know what it is, I know what it is…”

As she says this, Mercedes snaps her fingers trying find the ideal scenario before pointing at the camera.

“A nice lazy strut.”

Mercedes demonstrates with a overdramatic walk that is one part strut, one part smooth, and one part arrogance behind it. She does turns about face and does it a second time before dropping the act altogether. She maintains her sharp demeanor.

“You claim that you’re not here in SCW to whine, bitch, and moan about competing yet I can count on my fingers and toes the countless times you’ve done that incessantly on camera and on social media to Hot Stuff and Christian on why x isn’t worthy of getting a match or what someone has done to even face you in a match.

“See, Mikah, Polly Playtime isn’t the only girl who likes to play. You outshine her; dare I say it, you’re a natural. This game that you’ve been playing is sad, pathetic, and, quite honestly, predictable. You’ve been playing everyone for a fool, but maybe it hasn’t caught on yet that we’re already wise to your act. Hot Stuff and Christian know you like a book, but I don’t even need that book to know how this story is going to end.”

[Mercedes pauses as she sweeps back her hair from her face.]

“For the past three years, you and I have had our issues and you have taken great care to spin this to fit your little narrative but I want to set the record straight so that every fan, Bombshell and SCW at large are aware of where this has come to. This isn’t about Mikah hates Mercedes and Mercedes hates Mikah, this is Mikah hates Mercedes and Mercedes couldn’t care less about Mikah, or to that end, her jealousy – and it doesn’t take a genius to figure that out. Anyone who’s ever hated somebody before knows how that feels. So I wasn’t fazed when you practically wanted me left for dead in our last one-on-one.

“Know what else? I don’t need to self-promote either. SCW knows what I’ve done, the Bombshells Division knows what I’ve done, you know what I’ve done and while you can downplay that to your little ¬heart’s content, my legacy will never be tarnished. That seems like it should never have to be said, but it doesn’t make it any less true.”

[Mercedes shrugs her shoulders.]

“This “I don’t care,” schtick you used to lay on us from last year and reverted back to recently? I wasn’t buying it, not even for a second. Ojos reales cuenta mentires reales. Real eyes realize real lies. I knew you had designs about getting back into the world title picture, knew it from day one. Knew it since you went on those cute little rants on the shows, knew it since the subtle and thinly-veiled subtweeting spree – which you accused me of doing that very same thing -  knew it since I offered to give up my title shot. That was me testing you, and you passed.

“You miss it, don’t you? You miss being the queen bee of the division and everyone hating you just for the simple fact nobody was going to knock you off the mountain. Eventually, Samantha Marlowe did. It’s clearly obvious that you haven’t fully got over what happened last year. The scars are still there, even though you won’t admit it. When you turn the blame from yourself and place it on others, you’re running from responsibility, sweetheart. It takes people like the fans and, well, me to subtly remind you that you’re wrong. It’s the message, not the messenger.

“But do I have a little message for you ahead of our match. It’s a little bit of good news, bad news. The good news is that you eliminated three contenders from getting their shot at this title. While Jessie Salco may have a lot of mouth, and a lot of spunk, she lost her footing on the slippery slope of contending for the Bombshell Championship because she simply isn’t good enough, Evie Baang wasn’t all there, and Polly Playtime was a transitional champion just waiting to make the seamless transition to, well, a better champion. The bad news?”

[Mercedes raises an eyebrow as she takes her championship and holds it by the strap at camera level.]

“You aren’t getting this back.”

[Mercedes continues.]

“The past five months saw you exceed expectations with the Bombshell Internet Championship, but that wasn’t enough for you. Give an inch, you take a mile. And now because a rookie pushed you to the limit the first time, outwrestled you, outsmarted you and, well, beat you in round two for said title in embarrassing fashion, and that you used every excuse in your rolodex to save face from getting your ass kicked a third time you want to claim my title? Fuck that.

“See, in your little world, championships are worthless/unimportant/not cared about either when you’re not holding it or you get bored defending it. If you’re going to trade in titles for free booze, what’s to stop you from taking the Bombshell Title and, oh, I don’t know, tossing in the trash on live television after a few months? After that stunt you pulled with Devona, Hot Stuff never should have let you in that contender’s match in the first place, I don’t care how much you used to be drinking buddies. You will never ever get your filthy paws on this championship again as long as I’m breathing, and I mean that with so much emphasis.”

Mercedes pauses to catch her breath, with those last three words spoken slowly and meaning every word.

“You tout your victories over me, but how often we forget what lead to them. No one interferes in your matches but I don’t remember the production crew ever playing someone else’s entrance music during a match. And you sure don’t seem to have a problem interfering or just plain showing up in mine. Wait, don’t tell me. You got lost on the way to catering, right? Yeah, okay.”

[She scoffs and rolls her eyes, clearly irritated by the countless instances where people got involved in her affairs, Mikah was just one of many.]

“While you can make fun of Polly losing to me, I wouldn’t be laughing just yet because you’re well on your way to joining her among the ranks of the thirty-some odd people I’ve beaten in this company.  So, Mikah Mikenzie Mikacek, step up, step down or step aside. I’ll be waiting for you at High Stakes, and then should you show up two weeks after that, I’ll be waiting to hear what new excuse you’re going to have after I beat you: You woke up late, you missed your flight, you got injured, you passed out from oxygen deprivation, you took up the bottle again, you’re threatening to quit for the umpteenth time, you’re handing in your two weeks’ notice...”

[Mercedes trails off, then holds up her hands in reservation.]

“Hey, I’m just saving everyone else the time, money and the headache of hearing another Mikah loss.”

Mercedes turns to her right and the camera pans with her. Next to Mercedes is a gigantic roulette wheel similar to the one featured in Roulette Rules matches in SCW. The category of various matches and stipulations have been swapped out for scenarios from legitimate to the highly illogical and everything in between.

“I get it, I’m a marked woman. The lockerroom isn’t so divided anymore and everyone’s been giving me strange looks over the past few weeks. It comes with the territory. Everyone wants at me, everyone wants their shot and everyone is gunning for me. Mikah, you held this title once. You want it so bad? Come get it. You aren’t gonna get that far. You're after something that don't belong to you. Well, girlfriend, I've got news for you.”

Mercedes pauses for dramatic effect as she places her championship over her shoulder and gives a death stare at the camera.

“It isn't, it wasn't, it ain't never gonna be.”

***Fade***

[Mikah]

 
<div style="width: 695px; margin: auto;">
<text align=right> <p align=”Right”> "LIFE’S A ZOO."
LOCATION: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA.
DAYS UNTIL HIGH STAKES VII:6
EXCITEMENT LEVEL: LOW
SCENE i
REC•

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017
8:45 am

She was a bad mom or according to the other parents that sent their kids to the same school that Mikah had chosen for Leighton back in Oak Brook.  She had heard the gossip around when she had picked Leighton up from her friend’s house late Friday night.  She hadn’t expected to hear such backlash from one of Leighton’s friend’s mother.  But yet, she had.  The mother had chastised her about how irresponsible it was to take Leighton out of school for a week to take her to Australia with her and Drake.  That Leighton should be in school because that’s where a child should be. It didn’t help that Mikah had simply said:

”My daughter is at the top of her class; she can afford to take a week off.  Unlike your daughter.

She had reacted on impulse, without thinking about the consequences her words had on Leighton at the school.  She had told Drake about what had happened and he had chuckled and shook his head at her antics.  She didn’t understand how people could be so nosy.   What right did they have to tell her what she could and couldn’t do with her daughter?  There was no rule that they couldn’t take a family vacation when she felt the need to.  She was Leighton’s mother and could make whatever choice she wanted for her daughter. And her daughter had been overjoyed about going to Australia for ten days or so.

What that mom hadn’t known was that Mikah had been prepared for this and had made sure that Leighton was up to date on her current homework and had gotten the homework done from the week she was going to miss when being in Australia.

≤≥LEIGHTON  â€œMom!  Are you ready?!”

She blinks a few times as she looks at her reflection before smiling as she puts the lid back on eyeliner.  She runs her middle finger along the edge of her bottom lip, wiping any smudged lipstick off of her skin as her twelve year old daughter comes bounding into the bathroom in the hotel suite she’d booked for them.

≤≥LEIGHTON  â€œMom!  Drake and I are ready to go...are you?!”

Mikah turns her attention to Leighton and nods her head, smiling at the twelve year old.  She looked so much like Christian, it was insane.  Mikah had to stop herself from even going there; not wanting to ruin the day with her roller coaster of emotions.

;;MIKAH     “Of course.  Just had to finish up.”

She watches as Leighton turns around, heading to the door of the hotel room to leave.  Mikah takes a deep breath as she grabs her purse and cell phone before following behind the young girl.  Sometimes, it amazed her to think that she had  been blessed with such a well rounded child.  She had been certain that she would have gotten a difficult child but instead, she got a sweet hearted little girl that was growing up to be a kind young lady.  She must have more of Christian’s DNA in her than mine.  The thought had come out of nowhere but it brought a smile to her face as she thinks about it and decides that it must be true.  She hadn’t been a well rounded child or even a nice girl.  But then again, when you go through what she went through, there hadn’t been any other way that she could have dealt with what happened to her other than the way that she had.

::DRAKE    â€œReady to see an Australian zoo, babe?”

Her husband’s voice brings her out of her thoughts and she nods her head, a pretty smile on her face.  She wondered if he ever wanted the people she worked with to see this side of her; the true side that she didn’t dare let too many people see.  Drake, Leighton, and Kris were the only three people alive that got to see her vulnerable side.  She had thought about opening up and letting people in but she couldn’t, it was too risky.

;;MIKAH     “Yes, of course.  Maybe we can take an otter home.”

She winks at her daughter as Drake rolls his eyes at his wife’s need to tease him with the thought of owning their own zoo.  He personally thought that four dogs were too much but Mikah had insisted that four wasn’t nearly enough but he hadn’t allowed her to get another puppy.  Maverick, Luna, Hannah, and Dexter were enough.  He didn’t want to tell her but he knew that she loved Maverick and Dexter the most as they got the most attention. Luna and Hannah were more Leighton’s dogs and Drake had noticed how well the young girl was with them.  He, however, was put in charge of Maverick and Dexter when he was home and his wife wasn’t.  He did it because he loved his wife and knew that she’d be devastated if anything had happened to them.

::DRAKE    â€œNow for the taxi ride.”

Mikah offers him a smile, sliding her hand into his as they walk down the hallway, hearing their door lock behind them as it shuts.

;;MIKAH     “I wonder how many of my co-workers we will see at the zoo.”

::DRAKE    â€œHopefully none of them.”

Mikah gives Drake a look.  She understood what he meant to a point; he wasn’t employed by SCW and he wasn’t wanting to have anything to do with the company.  She secretly suspected that it had to do more with the fact that he thought it would suck him back in and he was enjoying being retired.  She didn’t blame him; she often thought about what it would feel like to be done competing but she couldn’t ever pull the plug.  She knew that she would miss it too much.

;;MIKAH     “It’s a big zoo; even if people from SCW are there, what’s the chance that we’ll actually see them?”

She smiles at him before leaning over and kissing his cheek softly, her lips lingering against his skin.  Leighton just rolls her eyes as she presses the down button to the elevator.  She was at that age where seeing her mother and her step-father show affection was either gross or annoying.  Sometimes both.

≤≥LEIGHTON  â€œCould you two like not do that in public?”

Mikah frowns at Leighton before leaning up and kissing Drake full on the mouth.  She wasn’t going to let her daughter tell her that she couldn’t kiss her husband in public.  She had to have rules and Leighton knew the rules.

;;MIKAH     “Leighton Emily, your mother has shown this sort of affection to Drake since I started dating him.  And I’ve kissed you in public before.”

Leighton just sighs and shrugs her shoulders.

≤≥LEIGHTON  â€œElla’s parents don’t show nearly as much affection as you and Drake do.  Isn’t that more normal?”

Mikah frowns at Leighton and sighs before running a hand through her blonde hair, that was pulled back into a messy bun on top of her head.  She hadn’t realized that Leighton had spent a lot of time at Ella’s house that she was starting to recognize the different dynamics between Ella’s parents and Leighton’s parents.

;;MIKAH     “Well, each couple is different, Leigh.  You know that.  Maybe Ella’s parents don’t like to show that sort of stuff in front of their kids, I however believe differently.  I think that you should see how much love I have for Drake and how much love Drake has for me so that when you get older, you know exactly what to look for in a relationship.”

They step into the elevator and Mikah can see her explanation resonate with Leighton.  She smiles before pulling Leighton in and hugging her, kissing the top of her head.  She wanted Leighton to have a completely normal life but how could Leighton’s life be so normal when her mother was a wrestler?  And decently known, if not well known?  It usually plagued her mind, wandering in and out of her brain as if it was that easy to explain.

≤≥LEIGHTON  â€œOh.  I guess I have never thought about it like that.”

It was a blanket statement and Mikah smiles at her daughter before smiling up at her husband.  She was starting not to care if she wasn’t as successful in SCW as long as she had her parenting with Leighton right.  She didn’t want Leighton to hate her, not like how she hated her own parents for not backing her up and supporting her when she needed it the most.

She had used excuses for them before.  Telling people lies or different forms of the truth so she didn’t have to speak about her past trauma.  She didn’t want people to look at her with sad eyes and she knew that if she told them the truth, that’s exactly what she did.  So she kept her history with her parents locked in a box in her mind, a box that was only to be opened if she wanted to talk about it.  She couldn’t bring herself to talk about it with Drake, not yet anyways.

AN HOUR LATER

They had only been at the Melbourne zoo for about twenty-five minutes.  Mikah hadn’t realized that traffic would have been so bad and the lines.  She expected the crowd but she had expected them to move faster than what they had.

;;MIKAH     “Where to first?”

She turns her attention to Drake and Leighton as they stood in the front part of the zoo, looking around as if there was too many things to look at.  But Mikah felt the same awe that her daughter was feeling; she’d never been to an Australian zoo before and she wanted to see everything.

≤≥LEIGHTON  â€œI don’t know.  Did you grab a map, Mom?”

Mikah blows a breath of air out slowly before grabbing the map that had been folded down to the size of a pamphlet.  She hands it over to Leighton, knowing that her daughter should be the one to pick first.  AFter all, Mikah had pulled her out of school to bring her along so they could share the experience of being down under.

She looks to Drake, admiring the way he looks as they just stand there, sticking out like sore thumbs in a way that only a tourist could.  She knew the week was going to be a whirlwind of activities and preparations for High Stakes VII.  She had promised Ally that she’d meet up with her and her husband for a double date of sorts, letting Leighton babysit Axl and Lilly.  It was still foreign to her that her daughter was old enough to babysit for a couple of hours at a time.

≤≥LEIGHTON  â€œLet’s go see….”

Her daughter stops in mid sentence, her blue eyes wandering over the map.

≤≥LEIGHTON  â€œThe kangaroos.  I have only seen wallabies and I really want to see the Kangaroos.”

She nods her head, listening to her daughter but she was also looking around, trying to see everything she could.  She couldn’t believe that she had complained about having to come here for the tour; the place was clearly beautiful.  But she hated long flights but now she realized that the almost twenty four hour flight was worth it.

;;MIKAH     “Then let’s go see the Kangaroos, then.”

She wanted to make this experience for Leighton as wonderful as it could be.  She had never realized just how many things that Leighton got to do that other kids weren’t as fortunate as her.  She got to go to a lot of different places and had had a passport at the young age of two.  Mikah didn’t know of any other two year olds that had had their own passport and was sure that Leighton was the only one.

They head off in the direction of where the kangaroos were kept in the zoo.  Mikah smiles as she sees some people point at her and her husband, noting in her mind that they must have been SCW fans.  She got a little recognition when she was at airports but not too much that it became a problem, so she was okay with giving them a smile and a little wave as they walked.

≤≥LEIGHTON  â€œDo you think we’d ever see a kangaroo out in the wild, Mom?”

Mikah looks at her daughter, watching the look of amazement flash over her daughter’s face as they watch the kangaroos hop around.  They were a lot more active than what Mikah had expected them to be and she too held a look of amazement on her face.

;;MIKAH     “I don’t know.  I plan on staying within city limits, babe.  But maybe if we do a safari tour thing?  I don’t know if that would be considered in the wild but it would count as something, right?”

She watches her daughter shrug and continue to watch the kangaroos.  She was amazed that the animals shared an exhibit with the emus and wallabies.  She leans against the fence, watching the animals as her daughter seems to take it all in.  She smiles at the adoration that was written on her daughter’s beautiful face.  She knew that Leighton had loved animals and she took good care of Hannah and Luna.  Mikah knew that she would take care of Dexter if she had to but Maverick was a little much.  He was a little too big for Leighton and Mikah had been the one to train him.

≤≥LEIGHTON  â€œLet’s go see the birds next.  They’re just over there to the left.”

Leighton pointed in the directions of the birds and Mikah smiles and lets the twelve year old lead the way.  She turns her attention to Drake for a moment before sliding her hand into his and squeezing it before flashing him a smile.

;;MIKAH     “C’mon babe.”

Drake just shakes his head with a smile.  He didn’t understand the fascination that Mikah had with Zoos and animals. She was the one who had wanted Maverick and even though she still claimed that Maverick was his dog, he knew that Maverick was her dog.  Maverick listened to him but the dog listened to Mikah even better.

::DRAKE    â€œI’m coming. I don’t see what the big deal is about zoos…”

;;MIKAH     “Well, since you don’t seem to think it’s safe to own a tiger or acceptable to own a penguin, we have to visit Zoos so I can see them.”

She grins at him as the follow close behind Leighton.  The bird exhibit doesn’t take too long and Mikah could sense that her daughter was disappointed.  It hadn’t been too exciting and she knew that Leighton was expecting more from the exhibit than what she got.

≤≥LEIGHTON  â€œThe wombats and tasmanian devils are off to the right.”

Mikah was perfectly okay with Leighton dictating what they do because it was one less thing that she had to put thought into.  Her mind was still focused on her match with Mercedes, trying to find the best thing to do and the right things to say.

::DRAKE    â€œYou mean like the cartoon character?”

Drake’s eyebrows were raised and Mikah knew he was teasing Leighton but Leighton gives him an exasperated look.

≤≥LEIGHTON  â€œNo.  They’re the real animals, not the looney tune character.”

Drake chuckles and winks at Mikah as they walk down the sidewalk, Leighton still leading the way.  Mikah relaxes a bit as they walk down to the exhibit in which the tasmanian devils were kept.  Mikah hadn’t ever seen one before so she was curious as to what they really looked like.  She leans against the fence and watches the animals before looking at Leighton as she seems to take in the animals as well.  Mikah often wondered what her daughter was going to grow up to be.

They continue along, only stopping long the path to see a few more animals.  Mikah stops with a grin on her face as she sees Despayre and his father Synn in front of the tiger cage.  Mikah watches as the young man tries to pry the bars apart to get into the cage and Synn was just letting him.  Drake shakes his head and mumbles about finding the bathrooms so he didn’t have to deal with the younger male.

Mikah doesn’t seem to care as Drake stalks off to the bathroom and Mikah walks over to Despayre and taps him lightly on the shoulder. She gives Synn a small smile and watches as Despy turns around, wide-eyed in shock before a grin spreads across his face.

â™ â™ DESPAYRE  â€œMIKAH!”

To say that he was excited to see the blonde Bombshell was an understatement and his excitement shows as he wraps himself around her in a hug.  She was starting to get used to his hugs and hugs him back as Leighton looks at the tigers, watching her mother interact with her friend.

;;MIKAH     “Hey, Despy.  Out shopping for another pet for Gabriel’s kid?”

Synn gives the blonde bombshell a look and Mikah just smiles innocently at the man but she can see the gears turning in Despy’s eyes.  She knew she had planted a seed inside of his head and she knew that it would be difficult to talk him down.

â™ â™ DESPAYRE  â€œTHAT is a GREAT idea!”

Mikah smiles at him and gives him another hug before kissing the young man’s cheek again.  His eyes widen in terror a bit.

;;MIKAH     “I hope I’ll get to see you on Sunday, Despy.  I’m so happy that you’re getting inducted into the Hall of Fame.”

She couldn’t help herself but hug him again.  She hadn’t even realized just how much time she had spent with Despy until he wasn’t there all the time to spend some time with.  She smiles as he beams proudly before he grabs Angel, who was perched on the railing, ‘watching’ the tigers.

â™ â™ DESPAYRE  â€œAngel says only the best of the best get inducted into the Hall of Fame.  He also said that you’d be there one day too!”

;;MIKAH     “It might be possible.”

She offers him a smile and looks over at Synn, who was being as patient as he normally is and Mikah turns to see Drake looking at some animal, not intending on coming over to them.  Mikah squeezes Despy once more into a hug before releasing him.

;;MIKAH     “It was great seeing you, Despy!  I have to go entertain my husband now but I will see you on Sunday!”

She decides not to torture him with another kiss on the cheek before waving as she walks back over to Drake and hugs him around his middle.  She buries her face in the spot where his collarbone meets his neck and breathes in the scent of him.

::DRAKE    â€œWhat are you doing?”

He was a bit confused by his wife’s current actions but he didn’t dare pull away from her because she wouldn’t like that.  So, instead he wraps his arms around her waist and hugs her to him.

;;MIKAH     “Just hugging you and smelling you.”

::DRAKE    â€œBecause that’s not weird at all.”

Mikah sticks her tongue out at him in a childish manner before leaning up and kissing him full on the mouth.  It still felt like the very first time they had kissed; the electricity in the air seemed to run through their veins and she enjoyed the feeling every time their lips touched.

;;MIKAH     “Let’s go eat.  I want a pretzel with cheese or something.”

He nods his head, letting her take his hand and then lead him in the direction of Leighton.  It didn’t take them long to find a little place to get something to eat.

<text align=right><p align=”Right”> "Q&A WITH MIKAH.."
LOCATION: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA.
DAYS UNTIL HIGH STAKES VII:3
EXCITEMENT LEVEL: LOW
SCENE ii
REC•

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017
ANYTIME.

Question: How long have you been employed by Sin City Wrestling?

MIKAH: Let’s see….I signed my first contract on November 14, 2014.  So in a few weeks, that would make three years in the company, going on four.

Question: How far do you think you’ve came in SCW since your first match against Cynthia Warren?

MIKAH: Well, since my first match on that very first Climax Control that I appeared on, I would personally say that I have came a long way.  I know I took a break from February 2015 that lasted until April of 2015 and I know that some people hadn’t expected me to return to SCW’s active competitors list but I did.  And it seemed to sky rocket my career.  I won the Bombshell Championship only a few short weeks after my return and then I held the championship for nine months, so I would say that I’m in a good place.  Some people clearly won’t see it that way because of my current track record.  They would rather say that I lack the passion or commitment to the company because of my marriage or whatever excuse they want.  But they can’t deny that I’m the one Bombshell in the company that is credited with the accolade of hard to beat.

Question: How many matches have you had in SCW?

MIKAH: I actually did the math on this the other day because I was curious.  I’m no Mercedes Vargas and I may be wrong, but I calculated that I’ve had fifty-one matches in SCW.  Sixteen of them were on Supercards and the remaining thirty-five happened on Climax Control.  It’s not a lot and I can’t exactly remember my win and loss record but for while, people had been sure that I couldn’t be beat at a SuperCard.  But yet, I have been several times.

Question: What’s more fun to compete at: a Supercard or Climax Control?

MIKAH: That question is kind of a double edged sword.  The Supercards are supposed to be where the big guns are pulled out.  But sometimes, Climax Control can be a lot of fun, depending on the people that are around and willing to be sociable.  I personally have more fun at SuperCards because a lot of people return to them to watch or entertain themselves backstage.  But Climax Control can also have a few tricks too.  It just depends on the booking.

Question: High Stakes is a repeat show that they do every year.  What does your match record look like for this particular show?

MIKAH: This upcoming Sunday’s edition of High Stakes VII will only be my third High Stakes show appearance and I’m hoping I can keep up with tradition.  I’ve won every match I’ve been booked in at High Stakes and I plan on making sure that the record continues.

Question: You have two finishers listed on your SCW profile that you do, which one of them is your favorite?  And why?

MIKAH:Easy question.  Cupid’s Chokehold.  I love the way the move is done and having somebody admit defeat rather than pinning them one, two, three on the mat.  I, personally think it says so much more about you as a competitor if you can get your opponent to tap out, rather than just pin them.  That’s the easy thing to do, right?  Pin them?  People like to think I like to go the easy way but I don’t.

Question: You have had some questionable wins, why do you think that is?

MIKAH: The age old question.  I have had some wins where it’s been a little iffy about why I won.  Where people have interfered or the one time I used brass knuckles.  I cannot control when people interfere in my matches because first of all, the only person I like that is currently on the roster is not a female and won’t interfere in my matches.  So, if somebody is interfering in my match, they most likely have an issue with my opponent, not me.  And as for using the brass knuckles on Polly the Parasite, I felt like she deserved the blow to the head.  That girl is as annoying as she appears to be.

Question: You and Mercedes have a history of matches.  But she’s never beaten you before, do you think that will help you in your match on Sunday?

MIKAH: She hasn’t beaten me to this day, that is correct.  And I’m not going to say that that is going to be the thing that is going to help me.  I’d like to think it’s my talent that is going to get me the win that I so rightfully deserve.  After all, Mercedes can’t hold a belt longer than fifty-six days.

Question: Mercedes Vargas was apart of the Mean Girls on two separate occasions. Who is your favorite Mean Girl and who is your least favorite Mean Girl?

MIKAH: There were definitely two different groups; one group was lead by Delia Darling and one was lead by Celeste North.  And only the one that was lead by Delia was successful at any given moment.  However, nobody has a favorite Mean Girl.  That would be equivalent to picking out which knife you’d like to be stabbed with.   It’s not a fun thing to do but if you’re holding a gun to my head and I have to choose, I would say that Delia Darling is my favorite of the group.  I know a lot of people make a lot of comparisons about the two of us, but she’s the only one that held any notoriety to her character.  And my least favorite Mean Girl?  Hmm.  It is most definitely Mercedes Vargas.  Most people would be shocked to hear that because they would expect you to say that Veronica Taylor or Liz Smalls but that is not the case.  Liz had been a horrible person, don’t get me wrong but she’s changed her ways or so I think, nobody’s actually heard from her lately.  Now, Veronica is just stupid and vapid and has no meat to her personality so there’s not much to dislike there.  People expect her to be the way she is  because of how she portrays herself.  Mercedes on the other hand.  She’s a big disappointment to the fans and to the SCW universe.  She might not see it that way but how couldn’t you?  She doesn’t hold a championship for very long and would rather be promoting the shit out of the upcoming shows rather than focusing on her opponent, which is bullshit.  If SCW wanted a spokesperson, they could hire one and she could focus on wrestling.  But she doesn’t.  I’ve said I hate her but what she doesn’t understand is that I hate 97% of the SCW roster, so it’s not much surprise that I hate her too.  Do I hate her the most on the roster?  No, of course not.

Question: Do you think the Mean Girls are over?

MIKAH: Is anything ever really over?  I don’t know but I doubt it.  They’ll pop back up again because they find it fun to try to find the relevancy that they claim I’m always looking for.

Question: If you win on Sunday, what is your plan for the Bombshell division?

MIKAH: I don’t know if I have a plan, really.  I know that I’m going to be damned sure that I’m at every Climax Control to promote the division.  I know that.  As for a plan, we’ll wait and see because I’m all about changing things up.  The last time that I was the Bombshell Champion, I had the entire Bombshell roster threatening to go on strike because they couldn’t beat me.

Question: They claim it was because you were creating an unsafe working environment with the drinking.  Is that true?

MIKAH: Of course not.  There were some shows that I did drink at but it was never a show where I had been booked in a match to compete.  They liked to use that as an excuse to give them a justification for their petty, childish tantrum.  If you look back, you can tell when I was drinking at a show and when I wasn’t.  And when I was, I didn’t have a match or I had an early match and chose to drink after the match was done.  Not before.

Question: Do you think that people will threaten to go on strike again if you win on Sunday?

MIKAH: No, I don’t think so.  I think they will say things that I won’t hold onto the championship for very long because of whatever reason they can come up with.  Whether it be my marriage to Drake Green or my child.  They will never be happy with me being in SCW; it is just something I have come to accept since being apart of the company.

Question: What happens if you lose?

MIKAH: Well, it’s a good thing that I don’t plan on losing.  However, if I do lose, I’m going to be taking a long look at whether I want to resign my contract next month or if I want to take a year off to start a family with Drake.

Question: How do you think Mercedes Vargas is preparing herself for Sunday?

MIKAH: Well, she’s probably walking along some beach talking about the next tour that we don’t have clue about.  I don’t know how she prepares for any match, honestly.  She thinks I hate her, and while I do hate her, I don’t give enough hate to look into what she does with her time.  Hopefully, she’s doing something worthwhile because walking along a beach and promoting the shit out of a SCW tour isn’t going to get her a win.

Question: What do you think about all of her accomplishments that she has in SCW?

MIKAH: You mean that ridiculous check list that she has?  I don’t care about that and I definitely don’t care about her being a Grand Slam champion or whatever record she holds.  I hold the record for holding the Bombshell Championship the longest; that’s more impressive than her being a grand slam champion.  And like I’ve stated before, I could be a Grand Slam Champion if I wanted to because tag team wrestling is easy.   However, I hate female tag team wrestling.  Relying on a partner is not my thing and I prefer to get things done on my own.

Question: If there was a way that you could become a Grand Slam champion and only hold the tag team championships for a week, who would you want to do that with?

MIKAH: Uh...nobody.  There is not one Bombshell on the current roster that I would even think about teaming with.  I would have teamed with Chelsea Payne-Quik but she’s gone.  So there’s nobody that I’d even consider.  But that’s not the point, I do not want to be a Grand Slam Champion.  It’s not my cup of tea; I’d much rather say that I hold the record for holding the championship the longest.

Question: Like you’ve stated, you are currently the Bombshell that holds the record for holding the Bombshell Championship the longest, if there is one Bombshell that you think could break it, who would that be?

MIKAH: Honestly?  Nobody on the current roster.  I had thought that either Melody Grace or Evie Baang were going to be the ones to break the record but their championship reigns lasted a whole hot minute.  So, I don’t think that there is anybody on the current roster that could break the record.  I, however do plan on breaking the record and setting a new record.  Also, I plan on beating Mercedes Vargas’ record with how many matches in a row that she won.

Question: How many matches is that?

MIKAH: If I cared, I would tell you.  I’m just going to go back to winning matches like I had before.  I’m not going to worry about whether or not I’ve matched up to her record yet but that’s another plan.  I’m tired of her trying to shove it in my face.  When she could hold a singles championship for longer than fifty-six days, then maybe I’ll let her talk about it.

Question: There are a lot of matches on the card.  Other than your own, who’s are you looking forward to?

MIKAH: Kristopher Ryans versus Tommy Crimson.  I know it’s not one of the high profile matches on the card because it’s the Roulette Championship but Kristopher has revitalized that championship since he won it.  And let’s face it, he’s the only credible champion on the roster at this moment.

Question: How is your friendship with Kristopher Ryans doing?

MIKAH: We are not here to discuss my friendship with Kristopher.  We are here to talk about High Stakes VII and my match with Mercedes and of course, me.

Question: Right.  You walked out on your match with Devona for the Bombshell Internet Championship.  Do you think that will affect your match with Mercedes?

MIKAH: Of course not.  Why would a match that I didn’t want to be a part of have anything to do with my match on Sunday?  I’m not just going to walk out on a match that I earned the right to compete in; the match that I fought to get.  So, I do not see how me walking out on Devona is going to affect my match at all.

Question: Can you tell us why you walked out of that match against Devona?

MIKAH: Of course.  The rematch against Devona was something that I didn’t want.  I never asked to have a rematch for the Bombshell Internet Championship and I didn’t want to dwell on the past.  Some people have questioned me about it and I chose not to answer them.  It’s not that I think that championship is beneath me, I’m just done with that championship.  I held it, it’s time to move on to the bigger picture and reclaim the throne as the Queen of the Bombshell Division.

Question: You don’t seem to think Mercedes Vargas is a big threat, why is that?

MIKAH: It’s not that I don’t think she’s a threat, I just know that I can beat her because I’ve done it before.  I know she’s a hell of an athlete in the ring because I’ve been inside the ring with her and know what she’s like.  Respect can take you a long way but I do not think that Mercedes has done anything to deserve my respect.  She has not shown me any respect, so therefore I will not show her any respect back.  It’s a two-way street and she’s treating it like a one-way street.

Question: Mercedes Vargas has been in SCW for a long time.  Do you think her lengthy career within SCW has a lot to do with how many shots she gets at the championship?

MIKAH: I think they give her a lot of chances at the Bombshell Championship because they want to keep her around.  She is a walking history book and I think the bosses like that to be around.  Or I just think they get bored of having non-title matches and decide to put one randomly on the show and if they already have try-hard Jessie booked, they go for Mercedes being booked in the Bombshell Championship match.  Jessie and Mercedes are their one trick pony or so it appears.

Question: I’m gonna steer you away from Mercedes Vargas for a moment.  What has been your favorite match while being employed in SCW?

MIKAH: Hmm.  That question always seems to baffle me and I think I say different answers everytime.  I personally liked the mixed tag team match I had with Kris against Polly the Parasite and whoever her partner was at the time.  Even if Polly the Parasite had to try to be like me at the end of the match.  It’s shocking that I picked that for my favorite since it is a tag team match but it was just so much fun to compete in that match.  It was the first time that a tag team wrestling match didn’t bore me.

Question: What has been your least favorite match while being apart of SCW?

MIKAH: Definitely any match with Amanda Cortez in it.  She was not fun to work with at all.  She almost got to the point where she was whiny after she lost.

Question: You commented a while back on the love for triple threat matches that the boss seem to have but you have been in a lot of them.  Why do you think they book a lot of triple threat matches?

MIKAH: Again, I think the bosses get bored with the usual one-on-one matches that they start adding a third person in just to mix it up.  I am pretty good at triple threat matches and I don’t remember the last time that I lost a triple threat match.  But you’d have to ask Mercedes about that for sure; I don’t keep those figures in my head.

Question: Sunday is fast approaching and your match with Mercedes is the second to last match on the card.  Is there something that you wish that you could change about the match?

MIKAH: Only that it’s not the main event.  Because who wants to see Calvin Harris over myself?  I really don’t think anybody does but apparently, booking a Bombshell Championship match in the main event isn’t something that they want to do again. Or at least at a Super Card.

Question: How are you preparing for your match against Mercedes?

MIKAH: Like any other match.  I’ve been in the gym several times and I’m almost tired of training but things have to be done to make sure that I’m in the best shape of my life on Sunday.  I want Mercedes to think that I am taking this seriously, because I am.  I may not have taken Devona seriously, but I will be taking Mercedes seriously.

Question: How would a fan go about getting tickets to the events?

MIKAH: Go to the ticket box office, of course.  There’s also online sales that go on and the list goes on.  I’m sure there are scalpers out there too but that’s a little risky and I don’t feel comfortable with telling people to do just that.  Do come to the show though!  It’s going to be amazing.

Question: Is there anything else you’d like to say before this is done?

MIKAH: Sunday is in a few short days and soon, the whole SCW world is going to be flipped upside down.  I don’t know what will happen in the Main Event, but I do know that there is going to be a match between Mercedes and I and a change is going to be made.  One way or another.  Mercedes can continue to talk about how she doesn’t think I’m going to be taking this match seriously, but it’s already been taken seriously.  She doesn’t think she’s facing the old Mikah, the Mikah that nobody could beat but that’s the Mikah she’s going to get.  Because I’m not going to back down without  her taking me seriously.

Question: Thank you for answering these questions today.

MIKAH: You’re welcome.

<text align=right><p align=”Right”> "ONE LAST TIME."
LOCATION: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA.
DAYS UNTIL HIGH STAKES VII:2
EXCITEMENT LEVEL: LOW
SCENE iii
REC•

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017
11:30 P.M.

The scene opens up to show a shot of the Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne.  It was already all set up for Sunday’s High Stakes VII but it was empty.  There wasn’t anybody in sight and it was quiet, an eerie quiet at that.  The cameraman moves to show the blonde Bombshell sitting in one of the seats closer to the top than the front row.  Mikah is sporting a simple pair of black yoga leggings and one of Simon Jones’ SCW t-shirts.  She of course had modified it to fit her better but nonetheless, it was what she was wearing.

;;MIKAH     “Two days and this arena will be packed with people.”

She holds up two fingers and wiggles them a bit for show.

;;MIKAH     “Two days and we will know by this time who the Bombshell Champion is going to be.”

She stops talking, the silence once again filling up the room around her and she leans back in her seat and looks around.  She presses her lips together before looking up at the ceiling of the arena.

;;MIKAH     “And all Mercedes can whine about is how only two people congratulated her when she won the Bombshell Championship from Polly the parasite.”

Mikah makes a face that appears that she’s disgusted.

;;MIKAH     “If you don’t need the congratulations from anybody, Mercedes, than why the fuck did you think you had to bring it up?  If you crave the attention and the praise from people, you’re in the wrong profession.  I don’t give a fuck if nobody congratulates me because that’s not what I’m about.  You want to complain that nobody gave you the recognition you think you deserve, go ahead.  I don’t care because you don’t deserve that recognition.  You won the championship off of Polly the Parasite, which is the easiest thing to do and you’re sitting there acting like it’s some big feat.”

Mikah rolls her eyes in sheer annoyance.

;;MIKAH     “You say that you know how I was when I was the Bombshell Champion.  You make the assumptions that everybody else made but you’re wrong.  You think that I drank every Climax Control that I attended and was drunk when in competition, but you’re wrong.  You want to make assumptions?  Go ahead because at the end of the day, I’m still going to be better than you and you’re still going to act like a hoity-toity little cunt that thinks she deserves everything she’s gotten in her career.  You DIDN’T deserve to be placed in that match against Polly the parasite in the first place.  You hadn’t earned because guess what?!  You’ve never earned shit in the last fucking year, so my apologies if I don’t reach out to congratulate you on a win you didn’t deserve.”

She sighs before closing her eyes for a moment or so.

;;MIKAH     “And by the way, you stupid bitch, that match was expunged from my record.  I didn’t try to get it expunged, I did get it expunged.  Maybe you should learn your facts before you go spouting off at the mouth.”

She doesn’t say anything for a while, looking around the arena taking it in.  She keeps quiet, just looking around and then looking at the camera.

;;MIKAH     “You like to talk about my championship reign like it was the poison of the company.  You like to state how it should be looked down upon but look at yourself, Mercedes.  You are not better than anybody in this company and you should realize just who the fuck you are.  You make people want to quit the company because your voice is the bane of their existence.  And you want to talk about SCW’s ratings?”

She chuckles a bit.

;;MIKAH     “You don’t add anything to the ratings because nobody gives a fuck about you.  Since when have you done anything that’s worth watching?  Because it’s sure as hell not something to do with the Mean Girls because while you thought you were relevant and important, people groaned every time you came on their screen and wished that you had found another place to compete.  Oh wait…”

She smirks but doesn’t comment on it.

;;MIKAH     “You can diss my Internet Championship reign all you want because it doesn’t bother me.  I was done with that championship in May but I just didn’t feel like letting anybody take it from me.  Especially not a tramp like you or Parasitic Polly.  I get to be the one who decides when my championship reigns are over, not you or those two that run this company.  And I was done with the Internet Championship in September.  I wanted nothing more to do with it, so why would I compete in a match where I could get that championship back?  Are you just trying to get me to go for that gold because you know that you can’t beat me?”

Mikah raises her eyebrows, a smirk playing on her pretty face.

;;MIKAH     “You can go ahead and call me lazy all you want because that will help me in the long run.  You won’t expect to see the Mikah that you’re going to get on Sunday.  You keep a blind eye because it will only screw you over in the end and I’ll be the one leaving with that belt.”

She winks at the camera.

;;MIKAH     “You can downplay my accomplishments here in SCW all you want but that’s not going to change the fact that I am still better than you.  Our past history says that it’s true.”

She smirks to herself.

;;MIKAH     “Now while we’re talking about my championship reign...do you remember Climax Control episode 131?”

She raises her eyebrows, her lips pursed together.

[Mikah]

 
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;;MIKAH     “You had stated and I quote that I was a worthy champion.  So which is it, tramp?  Am I worthy champion or am I absolutely worthless?  Because it can’t be both ways, you can’t have it both ways because you’re a walking contradiction.  But that doesn’t surprise me, nobody takes what you say seriously.”

The shrug rolls off her shoulders easily.

;;MIKAH     “Like I said earlier this week in my Q and A, you’re not special because I hate you.  I hate everybody on the roster minus two people.  So don’t go thinking you’re special because I outright said I hate you.  I hate everybody because nobody in this company is worth giving a shit about besides the two people I excluded.  You want to say that you don’t care about me?  That’s fine because you won’t be caring when I walk out of this arena with that championship you’ve been holding.  You want to not care about me, go right ahead.  It won’t help you in the long run, I can guarantee you that.”

She shrugs again.

;;MIKAH     “You think that I’m jealous of you?  Why would I be jealous of you?  You look like a horse and you suck at maintaining championship reigns.  If you ask me, it should be you that is jealous of me.  I am the only that holds championships for longer than fifty-six days.  You are so pathetic it’s almost funny.  It’s funny the way you try to make yourself seem better than me and maybe on paper, your accomplishments might look better than mine but you put us in the ring, and it will tell you who’s better than who.”

She smirks as she crosses one leg over the other and leans forward a little bit.

;;MIKAH     “You are nothing special, Mercedes.  You aren’t worth being jealous of because being a Grand Slam champion isn’t something I aspire to be in this company.  I already set the record I wanted to set and you can guarantee that I’m going to be the one to break it, not you or your horseface.”

She frowns and pauses.

;;MIKAH     “Actually, that’s an insult to the horses; they look better than you.”

She shrugs again before sitting up straight.

;;MIKAH     “Yeah, your legacy will live on even after you leave SCW or retire or whatever it is that you plan on doing but that doesn’t mean that it’s anything special.  You say that you don’t have to self-promote, but it seems like you do a lot of that as it is.  You’re nothing but a liar and people can see right through your shit.”

She bites her bottom lip, chewing on it a little bit before leaning forward, placing her elbows on her knees then her chin in her hands.

;;MIKAH     “You want to talk about my ‘I-don’t-care’ thing that I went through.  Let’s talk about it.  Why should I care about SCW when it clearly doesn’t care about me?  And while that might sound selfish, I’m not about to put 150% of myself into a company that only gives 25% back.  I’ve worked in shittier places that treated me better than that.  I worked in a company where female wrestling wasn’t allowed and I was treated better than that.  So, I actually didn’t care if I won or lost last year because it wasn’t important.  Just like you’re not important, Mercedes.  You claim that you can see through me and that I did want back into the title picture.  Maybe a part of me did want back into the Bombshell Championship scene but not for the reason you think.”

She pauses to take a deep breath.

;;MIKAH     “I’m tired of seeing the Bombshell Championship go through so many hands and being passed around like it’s a mother fucking baby at a wedding or a party.  I’m tired of people like you and Jessie Salco getting handed shot after shot at that championship because you’re probably spending your nights on your knees.  Because there are other Bombshells in this company that deserved that shot more than you and especially more than Jessie.  I hate that J2H got to hold his championship for a year because he was untouchable but I’m not jealous.  I only wished that somebody had really tried to break my record but nobody even really came close.  Do you think I expect you to come close?  Not at all, give it fifty-six days and you’ll drop it.  Even if I don’t win.”

Another smirk slides onto her face.

;;MIKAH     “Let’s talk about Sam Marlowe beating me back in February of 2016, almost two years ago.  You want to say that I’m not over and that it’s eating at me and what not.  I have no ill feelings toward Sam Marlowe.  She was the better Bombshell on that night.  And I can admit that, whether you believe it or not.  However, I am not bitter about it at all.”

She sighs and runs her fingers through her hair.

;;MIKAH     “I’m not bitter about anything other than the fact that you think you’re some prize to SCW.  I’ve seen a million people like you in other companies and they all got their nose out of joint when I proved that I was better than them.  You won’t admit that I’m better than you even though I’ve beaten you every single fucking time that we’ve stepped foot in that ring.  You also want to claim that I’ve had help with beating you but yet, none of the people that interfered in our matches had anything to do with me.  I hadn’t pissed them off in some way so that fault lands on you.  Maybe if you weren’t such a horrible human being, people would stop interfering in your matches against me.  Maybe try not being a stuck up fucking bitch, and act like you’re a normal human being.”

She rolls her eyes in disgust.

;;MIKAH     “You seem to like to talk about my loss to Devona.  Sour grapes much, Mercedes?”

Another smirk fires off across the blonde bombshell’s face.

;;MIKAH     “Are you jealous that she’s only had two matches with me and won in her second match against me?  Something you still can’t do three years after I signed my contract?”

She raises her eyebrows.

;;MIKAH     “I don’t know how many times that I have to say that I was done with the Bombshell Internet Championship.  When I lost it to Devona, I was done.  I didn’t invoke my rematch clause, no matter what Christian Underwood or Mark Ward says.  They booked me in that match without even bothering to ask me.  So, while you want to say I walked out on that match because I was afraid of losing to Devona again, I know that I had better things to do with my time.  Like put my focus on the Bombshell Championship.  That championship that you hold in your dirty little hands.”

She pauses again.

;;MIKAH     “A championship you seem so keen on keeping in your grasp and you have every intention of walking out of High Stakes with in your carry-on luggage.  But you seem to forget who you’re facing, Mercedes.”

Another smirk spreads across Mikah’s face.

;;MIKAH     “This isn’t the ‘I-don’t-care’ Mikah…”

She pauses and looks around.

;;MIKAH     “This is the Mikah that should have been around a lot sooner.  The Mikah that you never really faced in the ring but people like Raynin, Crystal Hilton, and Veronica Taylor got to see every time they stepped into the ring with me.  You have gotten watered down versions of myself, versions that just didn’t see the point of facing you again and again and again.  But now?  You have something you want and I’m going to take it back.”

She smiles at the camera.

;;MIKAH     “You want to keep me from winning it because you feel you have something to prove because you’ve never beaten me.  And I’m sorry to tell you but High Stakes is my playground.  I’ve yet to be beat at High Stakes and I’m not going to let some tramp like you beat me.  You don’t think that Mark Ward should have put me in that number one contender’s match, well fuck you.  He wasn’t the one who did put me in that match, Christian Underwood did.  I don’t know what year you’re fucking living in, Mercedes but it’s not 2015.  I’m not drinking and I’m definitely not friends with Hot Stuff Mark Ward.  This is 2017 and it’s time for a new era.  The era of Mikah to begin and I’ll show you and everybody else just exactly why I am the best thing there is in SCW.”

She tilts her head to the side.

;;MIKAH     “You seem to forget that when I put my mind to something, I don’t lose or give up so easily.  You were among those idiots back when I first won the championship, the idiots that said that I’d lose the championship back to Raynin when she cashed in her rematch clause.  But that didn’t happen.  Then they said that I would lose it to Amanda Cortez because surely she could beat me.  But even after that, and even after winning triple threat match after triple threat match, I wasn’t taken seriously.  Nobody really ever thought that I was a credible champion.  Because why would they?  They had people like you or Celeste North spouting off at the mouth.  People like Crystal whatever the fuck her last name is threatening to go on strike because they couldn’t beat me and wanted to chalk it up to unsafe working conditions.  All of you were so naive that I could post a picture of an alcoholic beverage that I stole off of google images to get you imbeciles to believe that I was drinking all the time.  I could make you idiots believe anything that I wanted to.  It became a little game every Sunday that I was booked to compete.  I would play, ‘how to piss off the bombshell locker room’ and every single time, it fucking worked.”

She chuckles.

;;MIKAH     “Still to this day, you and the resident idiots still believe the things I said I did back in 2015 or 2016, depending on which part of the year.  So, it’s time for you and the resident idiots to believe this:”

She clears her throat and sits straight up to look into the camera.

;;MIKAH     “Sunday is coming, there’s no stopping that.  You get two more days to spend some time with that championship belt but that is all you get.  You are going to realize that what you’ve gotten into.  You can continue to doubt me all you want, Mercedes.  Because that will just work in my favor.  You see, I know what to expect out of you Mercedes, we see it every week.  I see the way you walk to the ring with your pug nose stuck in the air and how you portray yourself to act better than what you really are.  But after Sunday, your little championship reign is going to be over just like that.”

She snaps her fingers.

;;MIKAH     “And then it’s going to be the Era of Mikah.  You want to say that I was unstoppable before?  You haven’t seen anything yet.”

She fires off another confident smirk before leaning back once more.

;;MIKAH     “I want you to get a good night’s rest, Mercedes.  Because you’re going to need it.  Sunday isn’t going to be a walk in the park but it will end in my favor.”

She smirks.

;;MIKAH     “The only reason you want that championship is to keep it from me.  But when you lose on Sunday, you will have no choice but to hand it over.  And all will be right in the SCW universe once more.  So hold your breath and hope that you can skate by in consciousness because I plan on making you tap-tap-tap like the fucking cunt you are.”

She smirks again before waving two little fingers at the camera.

;;MIKAH     “Ciao.”

[Mercedes Vargas]

 Just for a Thrill: The Thrill is Gone: It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere, the Second

Q U E E N S • N E W Y O R K
♦ ♦ ♦

27 YEARS EARLIER

«Walking past the entrance and to the mail room of her apartment buildling, Mercedes greets some of the other tenants as she walks past them. She crouches down and unlocks the hatch to her mailbox and comes away with a handful. Sorting through the mail while walking back towards the complex, Mercedes regrets letting someone rent her apartment. If they can’t do their civic duty picking up the mail, then what good were they?

Bills, junk mail, Ponzi schemes and death threats. In other words, nothing particularly interesting. Mercedes open the door to her apartment then closes the door with her back foot. Tossing her mail on the kitchen counter,  Mercedes walks over and tucks away her sofa bed then plops herself on the couch. She has a letter that had fallen out of the pile just as she is in front of her own door.

She sits up reading the contents and the more she read it, the more she became interested.

It was a letter she wrote while she was still in high school.»

≈₪≈

L O S A N G E L E S • C A L I F O R N I A
♦ ♦ ♦

5 YEARS EARLIER

«Los Angeles, California. Moving out to the West Coast would prove to be a whole new experience for Mercedes Vargas. This was as much of a culture shock to her than it was to her new neighbors. Everything was faster, grimier, sunnier. Luckily, when she needed a bailout, her cousin was there to save the day. She wasn’t really sure  what convinced Carmen  to help her out plight. Chances are that she probably felt just as bad as Mercedes did having to pay for her hotel expenses for the last few weeks after being evicted from her New York apartment. At least her super was kind enough to let her say goodbye to her neighbors before throwing her out. For now, getting used to the lingo and watching televovelas three hours early will have to do, for better or for worse.

Single? See how much she was missing. The answer, not much. Though she did develop a love/hate relationship with the LA freeways. Going to the beach? Not as much as she thought she would be. California is so great, they had about a century’s worth of songs dedicated to it. Even better, she would plan to make this fact a great conversation starter at parties. Tacos and going vegan is a way of life here. And nobody walks in LA. When one chapter closes, another one begins.

Someday, she will go against the grain and defy these commandments, but for now she’s sitting at her cousin’s home. She’s reading another letter that came in the mail. Apparently, this too was personally addressed to her, some five years ago.

She had entirely forgotten about that.»

≈₪≈

VANCOUVER • BRITISH COLOMBIA, CANADA
♦ ♦ ♦
Viernes por la noches, 26 de octubre de 2017
Pacific Daylight Time

PRESENT

«The days are getting shorter, winter is getting closer, and the last leaves are falling. Autumn started three days ago, but you don’t have to venture far to notice. Here in Vancouver, the signs are everywhere:  from the streets you walk by that form an archway of brilliant shades of yellow, orange and red to the beauty of trees and shrubbery on the short ride to the grocery store. This was a scene that only existed in movies and documentaries. An SUV zooms through McGill Street as dead leaves scatter, but she didn’t have time to take in the scenic route today. Not when there was an appointment several times zones away. Mercedes breezes through 41st Street and then along Downtown Vancouver.  Grandville Street was the city's own Times Square – active at night, sleepy by day. Everything was a blur. Endless restaurants, bars and nightclubs...Movieland Aracade…the Orphium Theatre. The only thing that separated her and making her flight was 40 minutes.

Heading onto Highway 99, she decided to make that into a challenge.

She likes challenges.»

~ ~ ~

Blog: Almighty Fire: Tempered, Not Tamed
#NP: Tempered, Not Tamed – The Delgados

semana del 22 al 29 de octobre 2 0 1 7

I started in SCW just before my mid-30s and in four years I’ve already accomplished what many in this company would be lucky to achieve over an entire career, and I’m not just talking about the Bombshells either. My cup runneth over in self-confidence and while a Hall of Fame induction won’t happen this year, that isn’t going to stop me from ending this year with the championship that has taken me a little less than  a year and a half to get back and what I’ve fought for. I’ve taken two steps back for every step forward, I had to tune out the noise of the distractors saying that my time is up and I should hang up my boots.

Well, that didn’t do much good now, did it? Here I am still winning championships, still making history in Sin City Wrestling and still proving people wrong. But you would be hard pressed to believe that my success is due to right place right time, that’s it’s due to luck. How many Bombshells do you know that have won a championship every year for five straight years in SCW? Or has never been pinned in a little over 14 months, and still holds that record after three years? Or has never taken a break since debuting? Or has the most championship reigns in company history? Pretty sure luck doesn’t describe any of those accomplishments. More often than not, most people are lucky enough to make it past four months much less four years. Most people who have logged in the same amount years I have are still looking for their first championship. You don’t stick around in SCW that long unless you’re a talented performer and someone the company finds useful, and my record as the first and so far only nine-time champ attest to both.

There’s a lot of work that goes into being a champion, and retaining a championship.  See, when I was champion the many times over here, I made sure to carry my championship everywhere. During Mikah’s reigns, the only time that SCW had a Bombshell or Internet Champion for that matter is when fans asks where they are, or if they couldn’t find them on Google Maps – same difference.

Sunday, I plan on making a difference at High Stakes because the Bombshells Division deserves so much better.



~ ~ ~

Don’t Play That Song (You Lied)
Present Day
M E L B O U R N E ♦ V I C T O R I A ♦ A U S T R A L I A

[REC•]

[Mercedes is seen chatting with the locals while at a wine festival. As if on cue, she faces the camera and we notice she’s sporting a popover tunic and black leggings. She’s also wearing horn-rimmed glasses.]

“You know, after I put on the performance of a lifetime three weeks ago to win back the World Bombshell Championship, it took time for me to get over the lack of appreciation and recognition I so rightly deserved. I got over it. Nobody cried tears of joy when I beat Polly Playtime to end her reign. You want to know why? It’s because my success isn’t a “happy surprise” or a “coincidence”, and it sure as hell isn’t by luck. It’s talent. You know, ever since I decided to rejoin the Mean Girls all those months ago, people sure got their kicks out of it, because of course they did, and I never quite got to the level that I knew I could be. Sure, things started off well. We were undefeated for a couple of weeks, we had a couple of hiccups along the way. Then summer came around and that’s when the bottom completely fell out."

[Mercedes runs a hand through her hair.]

“Yeah, we know what happened at Summer XXXtreme and the aftermath. Celeste is no longer with the company; Veronica stuck around for another eight weeks, haven’t seen her since her last match over a month ago. It was at that time, at that moment, I really began to have second thoughts. I thought to myself, is it because I’m not trying hard enough? Is it that I lost a step? Is it…Is it because of my age? But then, through all the losses and the eventual ending of the group, I could have let that define me, I could have lied down, turned over and die, throw in the towel and just ask for my release, but I didn’t. Tough times don’t last, but tough people do. And then it dawned on me. I finally realized I have one person to thank for feeling this way: it’s Mikah Green.”

[She smiles.]

“Ever since Miks realized she can’t manipulate someone like me, she’s been running around making her little jokes, going on her epic spiels, sometimes even going postal. I mean, let’s face it, just like the rest of the Black Sheep, Mikah spent every waking second with my name on her lips. Dare I say it, the girl is obsessed with me. I get that she wants to bash me for promoting the company and all, but isn’t going on some silly American talk show and talking about our match, well, I don’t know, promoting the company?”

[Mercedes folds a single arm across her chest and with the other arm forms a barrier. She rests a single finger and thumb on her chin while thinking, glancing upwards.]

“Maybe it’s because we’re all after the same things. I think we both have a lot going for us in terms of looks, in-ring ability and skills on the microphone. There’s nothing we can’t do inside the six-sided ring. I promote the company while she promotes herself. Oh, I get that she loves making herself available for the sit down interviews and late night television appearances, but was Jimmy Fallon the best she could do? What, Conan wasn’t good enough for her?”

[She shakes her head.]

“Apparently I’m not good enough for Mikah, or her friends. Chelsea Payne, one of her besties, once called me old. I think that doesn't have much of an impact considering that I’m only 15 years older than she is, and Mikah is six years younger than I am, but whatever. Let’s face it, I’m a woman in my late 30s, and I’m all woman. I’m not a little girl anymore and I’ve had my share of life lessons and I’ve learned and been burned by them. But those lessons are what made me who I am and made me how strong I am today. I didn’t get this far in the wrestling business, I didn’t get this far to win championships the many times I have in this company, by being a wallflower and I’m certainly not going to let some estupida puta cabrona walk over me.

“My ears haven’t given out on me yet and I was so looking forward to seeing her again so she can repeat what she said online straight to my face. My eyes work perfectly because in all the six months she was here, I saw right through her and call her out for what she was, a crybaby, and when she was finally given a chance to succeed she dropped the ball when she was Bombshell Roulette Champion – a one-hit wonder – as I rightly predicted. And even past my prime, I know I’m better than most of the roster and more than capable of sending her flat ass from here back to New York City. Luckily, karma paid Chels-Chels a nice little receipt at Summer XXXtreme six weeks after her little subtweet. The way I see it, she got what she deserved.”

[Mercedes sucks on and points decisively with the arm of her glasses at the camera.]

“And Mikah, you’re going to get everything coming to you. You brought this on yourself, you asked for this. No, matter of fact, you earned this. And like I said, you’re going to get everything coming to you."

[Her tone drops to a whisper, a small smile across her face.]

“Everything, except the World. Bombshell. Championship.”

[She chuckles softly, then absently folds her glasses in her hand before letting them hang from the front of her shirt.

“Age is nothing but a number, sweetie, and the only number I care about is three because in three days at High Stakes I’m going to do the one thing I have yet to do, and that’s just not to remind everybody of who I am and what I can do and all my accomplishments, it’s to remind you of who I am. I get to finally put to bed, to put to rest, any doubts and prove that I can beat you. You were a former Bombshell Internet Champion; you were a former World Bombshell Champion. The keyword here is former. You don’t matter anymore, you’re old news, you’re time has come and gone. Now you’re stepping into my ring and in less than one week, I get the chance, an opportunity, of keeping you an ex-champion, and an ex-champion you will be.

“I’m not exactly the irrelevant and easy victory you said I’d be, Mikah. It was thanks to some screw-up in the production truck why you won by the skin of your teeth last time we faced each other. It’s why you took advantage of Veronica Taylor costing me the fatal four-way that allowed you to punch your ticket to facing Raynin for the title two years ago and it’s the reason why you took advantage of a triple threat match to beat me two years ago at this event. While you can hang each of those wins over my head, I can hang the World Bombshell Championship over yours. If you think you can turn these people and try to convince them that I’m washed up or some has-been or some never was, you’re going to be in for a rude awakening.

“When it comes to title matches, I answer the bell. Why do you think I've been in over 40 championship matches in SCW or that I've lost just six main event matches in all the time I’ve been here? I react well when I'm under pressure but come Sunday the only pressure I’m going to feel is the added weight from the Bombshell Championship when it is back again around my waist.”

She makes the title belt motion at her waist.]

“Winning that championship isn’t an honor for just any woman; it’s saved for the best of the best. You think you're the best? Well, I've got 12 pounds of gold that says your dead wrong. And last I checked if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. And right now, in this moment, I’m the best. No comparison sounds about right, Mikah.”

[While talking, Mercedes uses her hands to illustrate her next points, using her left hand to talk about herself and emphasize with her right hand when talking about Mikah.]

“You have your small little niche here, I have INTERNATIONAL appeal. Where you cry about being overseas, I have traveled the world and visited countries I bet you probably can’t even pronounce, let alone find on a map, if this was geography since you want to play teacher so bad. You have your small circle, my name is known in most circles outside of Sin City Wrestling. You’ve been in this business for over a decade, I’ve accomplish more than you ever did and I haven’t even reached that milestone yet.”

[She quickly raises the index finger of her right hand then quickly lowers it.]

“I find it funny how most nights you couldn’t care less about SCW. Here you are bashing me for going to other companies when you can do the same. If you really felt unhappy about being here, I’m sure there are plenty of places that would love to have you on their roster. But who are we kidding, right? You may be blonde, but you aren’t stupid. SCW pays you very well for someone who is indecisive about whether to show up on a given show or supercard so that you don’t have to go to some place foolish enough to give in to your demands. A place where the two bosses who run a tight ship have to put up with you. You wouldn’t have found your second husband here or Despayre, Chelsea, Kris and the like, and I’m damn sure you won’t have found the success you have now elsewhere. It’s when poor little Mikah doesn’t get her way that you start throwing a temper tantrum like a spoiled two-year old. What Mikah wants, Mikah gets.

[Mercedes runs a hand through her hair. Something changes in her expression as does her mood. Her voice and words take on a serious tone.]

“See, I thought I was getting to face the great and powerful Mikah. I thought I was getting a deadly challenger, but instead I’m getting someone who hasn’t left high school mentally, despite being well past that age. I may be “ugly”, compared to others, at least in your mind, but I think we can all agree that Mikah Green is the ugliest person on the roster. Her appearance is fine; it’s her shitty attitude that needs a lot of work. Sunday is High Stakes, Mikah. Not the Miss America pageant.

"You have nothing to teach me, sweetheart, so you can save the roleplaying for your husband at home and get ready for a loss that even you won’t be able to come back from. You’re already prepared? Good. Because if you’ve taught us anything, it’s that you’re beatable.

“So I’m going to be seeing you on Sunday, if you even want to show up, because it’s about time someone tell Mikah Green that the world doesn’t revolve around her anymore. I’ll show you better than I can tell you. And if you don’t believe me…”

Mercedes toss her hair dramatically over her shoulder.

“Well you better just watch me.”

[Fade]