Stepping over a line….
Her head started to bob up and down. Her raycons fitting snug in her ear as her workout mix started. Switching between late 90’s and early 2000’s rock hits and some modern day rap it kept Alicia moving. Her arms moved up and down as she worked with the heavy ropes, the loud smacking sounds of the thick ends crashing against the mats over and over again. The sweat poured from her body as she reached her target time slamming them body down hard. Alicia felt good. Better than she had in months, all the ring rust from her forced time off had gone.
Her body was stronger, her cardio back to where it needed to be. Alicia Lukas was back to the shape she was when she ruled the SCW bombshells division like a queen. A small smile came across her face as she moved over to a treadmill setting the speed and timer.
She had been focused since she walked into the gym this morning, moving through her warm up, rolling on the mats with the other girls, through the weight room, taking a break to have a protein shake and a meal prep with broccoli, tuna and rice. Alicia was making all the right decisions. And she could feel it. She watched tape on Seleana and Jake despite the fact she knew she only had to worry about Seleana and she knew her well. Very well.
Alicia was in shape, confident and happy. She was mentally prepared even if it was going to be her final run at the title.
Blast from the past winner, a great title to add to an already hall of fame worthy career.
That was it, the double edged sword. Alicia had accomplished so much. It had given her confidence and a means to provide for her kids. But here she was, less than three years into an SCW career and she was already ready to go into their hall of fame. A career that saw many long time fans and commentators of this company hold her in high esteem. They said she was as good if not better than the Roxi Johnsons and Mikahs of the company. Something she had proved time and time again.
But, with that success came the fear and risk of complacency. Comfort was the enemy of progress. You become comfortable and the need to move forward seems to become less of a need, less of a want, it becomes something extra. Something of a luxury. Too much effort in some cases. Alicia needed to get out of her comfort zone, and for the longest time, the Blast from the past was the most awkward, uncomfortable thing you could do. Signed up to a single elimination tournament against returning stars and current ones, put with a partner who you may not have met before or who you don’t even like.
But this time, Alicia had an advantage, she was teaming up with a former world champion, a man who had been able to beat both Alex and Austin. Senor Vinnie, it was a great chance.
Two former world champions, two hungry former champions. On the same page and ready to rock and roll.
Alicia stopped her run, the treadmill turning off as she stepped down and grabbed a towel. Her mind was going over everything, from what Vinnie would have to do, all the way through her own side of the match. Going against Seleana again. Something that Alicia was used to. Her mind flashing back to her early title reign and her feud against the entire Rose/Zdunich family. Matches against Seleana, Crystal, Brittany. Even the extended family in Kate. Alicia had faced and beaten them all. But the one she had trouble with and the one she had respect for, the most dangerous one. Was Seleana Zdunich.
Alicia was so deep in thought, the music blaring in her ears, she didn’t even hear Austin walk up behind her. But she felt his presence as he stood behind her. Alicia turned and jumped swallowing hard before turning the music off and taking her earbuds out. She smiled trying to act natural as her heart felt like it was about to burst from her chest. ”Austin, hey!, whats up?” She smiled warmly, swallowing hard again and breathing deep and fast since he surprised her, Austin snarled, his large arms folding over his cheat.
He stood tall over her, Alicia starting to think back to her past, her ex, the father of her children, the other abusive relationships that had come and gone. Chris Cane, Travis Blake, Kaden Kessler. All of them made her feel fear and anxiety. This was a familiar feeling Alicia hated. Her heart not slowing down as Austin puffed his chest out looking even bigger than usual. ”So, want to explain to me why you’re here? Turncoat.” His words stung, her mind was clouded in confusion as she tried to take a step back, Austin matching her to keep the distance the same.
Alicia shook her head, looking around for help. But, there was no one. ”Turncoat W-what are you talking about Aus? I’m wolfslair through and through. She smiled warmly again, adding in a little chuckle.
Austin stepped forward closing the distance even more as his eyes flamed with anger, his teeth grinding together, his arm still strapped up by the black brace. Alicia tried to take a step back but she was against a wall, she turned her head as her breathing became fractured and each exhale was like needles making their way passed her throat. ”You seem so happy to be teaming up with Vinnie. So, so happy. Despite what he did to us..” Austin paused, he tilted his head and lowered his stance near Alicia who bit her lip.
It all came flooding back, and for a moment Alicia Lukas, world champion and tough as nails professional wrestler suddenly felt like Violet Maxwell. 18 year old teenage mother forced into an abusive relationship. Tears welled up in her eyes as she shook her head. ”Aus I...look this is just business. Vinnie and I are going to win the Blast from...it’s just business Aus” She stuttered, she was thinking of excuses, something, anything to appease him and stop this.
Suddenly Austin's good arm shot up, his large frying pan sized hand slammed against the wall with an open palm that made a loud smacking sound next to Alicia’s head. She jumped again and looked away, Austin's voice was menacing and almost a whisper. ”Working with the enemy is paramount to treason Lukas. Vinnie is the enemy. He took two, TWO of my titles, he cheated to beat Alex, YOUR MENTOR. And you don’t care.” He shakes his head and sneers again, Alicia started to hyperventilate.
Her chest heaved, she felt claustrophobic and panicked. She started to shake and tried to push past him, But Austin turned and grabbed her wrist hard. ”Aus...let me go…” He was too strong, his shoulder turning as he yanked her back in front of him.
Austin growled and shook his head. ”Look at you. Weak. You are everything wrong with wolfslair. You and Alex. So willing to forgive and forget. Under my leadership?...that would never happen.” He squashed her wrist hard, her skin bruising as she looked down at it and back up at him, her eyes pleading for him to let go.
”Austin…”
A forceful voice broke the silence, Alicia looked around the hulking mass of humanity in front of her and was relieved to see Alex. His arms folded over his chest, his hair tied back. Hiding blind fury behind his eyes as he stepped forward. ”Let her go.” Austin held on for a moment in an act of defiance, but as Alex lowered his head Austin released his grip allowing Alicia to pull away and move around him. ”Go on Ali, Austin and I need to have a talk.” He didn’t even look at her, his eyes stayed transfixed on Austin, she wanted to stay, she wanted to help Alex. She was worried about his safety, Austin had changed, he had snapped. And there was no stopping him now. Alicia gathered up her gear and went to get out of there, stopping for a moment next to Alex, but out of the corner of her eye she saw it, Alex shook his head. He wanted her gone, and safe.
She hurried away from them, moving through the gym, not even making eye contact with anyone else still left there at the end of the day. She got to her car fumbling the keys and sitting in the drivers seat before letting out a deep breath, her hands still shaking, and tears streaming down her face….
The first hurdle.
”I told you all, that I would do whatever it took to keep my momentum going. I told you all that I wouldn’t do anything that Mercedes herself wouldn’t do. And going into that match at Inception, well I knew what I would be prepared to do.”
Alicia looked up, her eyes sparkled under the bright yellow light above, her lips turning up into a small sneer with cherry red lipstick applied.
”The blast from the past was on the horizon, and I’ve said all this before but bare with me. For a while I wasn’t going to compete in it. I was going to sit back and let it pass me by because deep down I wanted to go back to the beginning, to work my way up, through everyone that are looked at as the easiest matches. Like the Jesse Salco’s and the Bea Barnharts. But when Christian and Mark wouldn’t leave me alone I started to look at it differently. I started to see that being in the Blast from the past is kind of like starting from the bottom. It’s a tournament and you could be eliminated at any time.”
She gives a small shrug, the sleeve on her black and red hoodie pulls up, her black and blue wrist is seen for a split second, her smile fades and she adjusts her clothes before clearing her throat and continuing.
”They convinced me, they showed me that the tournament was my chance to do what I wanted and it was also another feather in my cap. Admittedly my cap is starting to look like a peacocks ass. But nevertheless, they were right.This is a huge opportunity. And, I lucked out honestly. I got a former world champion as my partner. And what more could I ask for? I know for a fact that I will look across the ring and see someone who will hold up their end of the bargain week in and week out. For as long as he and I are in this I know he will do all he can to win. And he has the pedigree to do it to. He’s a former SCW Internet champion and SCW world champion. And who did he beat for those championships? Austin James Mercer. So that right there should tell you how good Vinnie is…”
Alicia smiles again, but her hand reaches over and touches her wrist, she loses focus, she swallows hard and her hand shakes before she adjusts again and continues trying to get back into her groove.
”It, it must be hard. For the other teams. Looking at Vinnie and I together and realising just what they’re up against. A former three time bombshells champion, a record holder, a woman who redefined what it was to be a bombshell, the first woman to be the wrestler of the year…..something people seem to forget…..And someone who has beaten everyone in this company. And Vinnie, a man mountain who will do all he can to win. This is what you all have to face and overcome. Thing is, I’m not saying it’s going to be easy for us. There’s so many great names and combinations in the Blast from the past and the first combination, the ones that are unlucky enough to have to face us. Well, there’s no shortage of talent…”
“Jake Sullivan and Seleana Zdunich. Two people who, much like myself and Vinnie have been to the top of the mountain. Hell, Seleana BEAT me for the title. But, Jake, I can call you Jake right? I don’t have to call you Rage?. Jake is a former three time world champion, A guy who not only managed to be a world champion in Sin City Wrestling formative years but was also able ti win it towards the middle of the company. A guy who was the company’s fourth world champion and beat Nick Jones for it. And honestly, if that was the end of the story it would be impressive enough but the fact he was able to win it again, twice more in fact a few years later by beating Jake Green then Jerimiah Hardin too? I mean, damn Jake...way to make a girl feel all tingly…”
“But, with that being said there’s a problem…”
“See, you came from a time when the competition in SCW was nowhere near what it is today. I mean, lets be honest here, for every J2H running around being an incredible champion you had a Calvin Harris. And then, you up and left. And since you’ve been gone Jake, a new breed of wrestler has become relevant. Now we have people like Kris Ryans, Fenris, Austin, Vinnie, Ben Jordan. We have men in this company who would have dominated the competition. And now here you are, returning for what? Is it a paycheck? Cause that won’t fly. Is it pride? Cause that, well that I could respect and understand.”
“There’s just one problem Jake...you have to get past Vinnie. And his one title reign after he beat Austin, well it was almost longer than all three of yours combined. Vinnie is going to get in the ring with you and show you what you have been missing. Now, I don’t know you, I don’t.”
“I know of you, I have seen tape of you and I respect you for being a former world champion, but the sad fact is, aside from the fact you haven’t been in this company in years and you have not been able to really see the competition and how it’s grown, you had three chances to be a world champion that meant something and every single time you failed. I won the SCW bombshells title, I lost it to your partner, but in a quiet moment between you two, ask her what happened two weeks later. Ask her what I did to her and the run I went on. A run that, well, if we took all three of your reigns and put them together….and then doubled them...still wouldn’t reach that one of mine…”
Her nose turns up as she waves her hand in an overly dismissive manner before continuing.
”But, on the other side of the team we have a woman who I am quite well acquainted with. See, Seleana is someone I know is dangerous and anyone going into a match with her thinking she’s a pushover, well they’ll get surprised and shocked. Seleana is, and this is just my opinion, one of the most underrated professional wrestlers on the planet. Kind of ironic actually, one of the most underrated is married to THE most overrated. Y’all should do an odd couple sitcom, it’d be hilarious. But, with that being said. My point about you still stands Seleana.”
“See, we are way past the hows and why’s of you beating me. Now, in the record book, all that matters is that it says Seleana Zdunich beat Alicia Lukas for the SCW Bombshells championship. You are one of the very very few people min the wrestling world who can say that Sel. Your wife can’t say it, but you can. And after that you were able to win the roulette title and go on a respectable run. It’s just unfortunate that you haven’t been able to get back to that Bombshells title.”
“And even more unfortunate that you have had to run into me.”
“See, if I had stayed out of this tournament Sel, you might be good enough to overcome Jake’s shortcomings and you two might be able to get on a roll and win this. But, since I’m here, since I signed up and I got partnered with Vinnie, well, it will be very, very hard for you to win this. No matter how good you are.”
She can’t help but smile and fold her arms over her chest with an arrogant shine back in her eyes.
”And I get it, Sel you look at this as your gateway back into title contention, cause since you lost to me, since you lost the Roulette title you’ve struggled. And I know what it’s like to struggle Seleana and I know how much it hurts and how frustrating it can be. Only one of us can go through Seleana, and as much as I like you, and deep down, I do like you, I can’t let it be you. This tournament is going to be long and grueling. Vinnie and I have a chance to win it and I am not going to fall at the first hurdle. Bring everything you have Seleana, you and Jake will go at it with me and Vinnie and one team will go through while the other will have to watch from the sidelines….and it sure as shit won’t be the Mariachi Wolves.
