The Princess Cruise had fallen into a rhythm all its own it wasn't like the Frantic pace of an airport or the constant motion of the city and gentle posted the engines beneath the deck the distant cry of seagulls, the sound of waves breaking against the ships hull, it all blended into something peaceful that many saw has an escape, but for Victoria Lyons it was a Queendom.

The sunlight painted the ocean in different shades of sapphire as Victoria stepped onto an upper observation deck wearing a pair of oversized sunglasses on her head and a flowing white sundress with gold accents.

She walked slowly toward the railing as the ocean breeze pushed gently against her dress and she looked at the endless blue stretching towards the horizon. Darian appeared beside her in his own loose-fitting shirt, shorts and flip flops

“It never gets old.” she said “This is my third cruise and it's still amazing but somehow this feels like the best one.”

“How's that?” he asked.

“The first year I came in as the Bombshell Roulette Champion.” she said “I was just in the beginning of my SCW career. But when I was on this cruise, my crown got stolen, I got seasick, and a seagull crapped on my face.”

“I remember you telling me about that.” Darian nodded, “Eddie ended up finding your crown and returning it to you.”

“And I slammed the door in his face without so much as a thank you.” she said, shaking her head as if disappointed in herself.

She sighed and let her eyes drift out across the open water.

“I did defend my championship that night though.” she said “However the next year I wasn't so lucky. That's when Harper Mason beat me for the Bombshell Roulette Championship. I came into the cruise on the second year still a champion but walked away with nothing.”

She went quiet again for a moment, Darian didn't rush to fill the silence. He had learned enough to know that when Victoria went quiet she wasn't dwelling on failure, she was measuring the distance she had traveled to get where she was.

“But they say the third time's the charm.” she said “And this third cruise really feels like it. I'm coming in as the headliner, the main event, and the World Bombshell Champion, and that's exactly how I intend to leave.”

She looked at Darian with a smile.

“Plus I have my amazing husband with me.” she said

Darian smiled back at her and the two shared a romantic kiss, they stood there for a moment as Victoria rested her head lightly against Darian's shoulder.

“You know..” she said "I didn't really appreciate any of this the first time. I spent so much time worrying about losing my championship and trying to prove I belonged, worried about what everybody thought of me. I never really took time to enjoy the cruise.”

She looked out at the horizon again.

“Now it feels different.” she said “I've stopped trying to convince everyone I belong, because I already know I do.”

“There she is.“ Darian said “The confident version.”

“Was there ever another?” Victoria grinned

“Course not.” he said.

“Back then I was too busy thinking about everything else.” she said “The title, the pressure, who was watching, what everyone was saying and if I was good enough for all of it, and I was missing the point.,”

She glanced across the water.

“I was on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean." she said “I didn't appreciate the view. I was just too worried about somebody taking what I had. Now that I'm taking the time to just enjoy it all feels so much better.”

“Boat mushin?” said Darian

Victoria laughed.

“Well, mushin did help me defeat Mercedes in Japan.” she said “So sure why not? Boat mushin, I like that.”

“I thought you might.” Darian smiled.

“You know what Mushin actually gave me?” Victoria said

“What?” Darian asked.

“Perspective.” she said “In Japan everything slowed down. I realized I spent so much of my career trying to force things, wanting every championship immediately and every person to admit I was the best.”

She paused.

“I wanted to silence every critic.” she said “But mushin taught me that you don't force confidence, you become it. I realized that if I constantly worry about proving I belong, then maybe somewhere deep down I don't believe I belong.”

She lets her words hang in the air, not dramatic, just honest.

“But now.” she said “I believe, and it's not just words saying that.  I honestly truly believe, so I don't need Mercedes Vargas to believe I belong,  I already know I do.”

She casually adjusted the sunglasses on top of her head as the two strolled down the observation deck together, it seemed like another breathtaking view opened every few feet, they stopped again closer to the stern of the ship, one of Victoria's favorite spots.

She watched the white foam turn beneath the massive vessel stretching on for miles before gradually disappearing into the calm blue water again.

“You know I always thought this looked beautiful.” she said.

“The wake?” Darian asked

“Yes.” Victoria replied “It reminds me of life. It only exists because we're moving forward, and if the ship stops it disappears. It's a reminder to me that people spend too much time staring behind themselves thinking about the things they wish they could change.”

She pauses.

“I used to regret losing the Roulette Championship.” she said “But I don't anymore, because if Harper Mason never beats me, maybe I never stand here as World Champion and the headline act of Summer Xxxtreme.”

She pauses again, she really did like looking out at the wake.

“If Mercedes never pushes me.” she said “Maybe I never learn patience, if I don't listen to people telling me that I'm spoiled, entitled and arrogant then maybe I never become stubborn enough to prove them wrong.”

“You've always been stubborn.” said Darian.

“Careful..” she smirked at him.

She let the wind drift over her face for a few seconds before she spoke again, her tone growing quieter and more reflective.

“You're not wrong though.” she said “It's just who I am. But stubborn doesn't mean I refuse to listen, and arrogant doesn't mean I refuse to learn. That's not what it is not with me, it just means I remember every time somebody counted me out and every time somebody decided what I was supposed to be before I did.”

Her eyes sharpened but her expression didn't change.

“Mercedes Vargas doesn't annoy me because she's dangerous.” Victoria said “I know she's dangerous. She annoys me because she will not stop trying to make the world match the version of reality she prefers. She lost to me at Into The Void. I beat her for the vacant World Bombshell Championship.  That happened, that was not some dream or technicality or a fluke. I won.”

She exhales, the sea air caresses her lips.

“This time she's going to have no excuses.” Victoria said “I'm going to beat her for two out of three falls and then maybe finally she will be forced to accept her place beneath me. She will be forced to acknowledge me as Queen and accept the fact that the business has moved past Mercedes Vargas, and that right now this is the time of Victoria Lyons.”

She smiled at Darian and they just stood there holding each other looking out across the horizon. By the time Summer Xxxtreme arrived, Mercedes Vargas was not going to find a woman pretending to belong. She was going to fight a champion who already knew she did.

__________

The cameras open, finding Victoria lounging outside the observation deck of her suite, championship draped across her abdomen, sunglasses atop her head, swirling a glass of wine in her hand, keeping her eyes on the camera. Darian lays next to her on a lounge chair with sunglasses on, looking to be at least half asleep beneath them.

“You really are getting delusional in your old age aren't you Mercedes?” Victoria said “You continue to act like you get to say that you're better than me but the truth is until you're able to at least beat me that's not a claim you can make the correct verbiage you're looking for is, you are more experienced than me.”

She sips her wine.

“But in all your years of experience it seems you never learned humility.” she said “You never learned respect. Maybe it took some time for me to learn how to properly respect people, and maybe I had to learn some humility myself. Maybe I'm still learning. But I do know that when I look back on my career I'm not going to become like you.”

She paused.

“A miserable delusional old hag.” she said “Someone so desperate to hold on to what they once were that they just can't admit that time has caught up to them and they just don't have it like they used to.”

She grinned.

“So I guess I'm going to have to make you believe.” she said “I'm going to have to take this match and force it through your thick skull that you cannot beat me. You will finally get it into your head that until you somehow do manage to beat me, you don't get to claim that you're better than me. It really is that simple.”

She motions around at the fancy observation deck around her.

“Do you know why I get this suite?” she said “It's because I beat you. You could be sitting right here in this very chair had you walked out champion at Into The Void but you didn't.”

She motions at the championship she has draped across her.

“You know who can claim to be my better?” she said “Bella Madison, Alexandra Calaway, Harper Mason, Frankie Holliday.  At least they can stake claim to having victories over the queen. I'm not here as the Internet champion because of Alexandra Calaway.  You are not here as Internet champion because of me. you are not here as World Bombshell Champion because of me.”

She took another sip of wine.

“So on what planet do you get to stake claim to being better than me?” she said “We've faced off more than once. In singles and multi women competition and with all your experience you just can't seem to defeat Victoria Lyons.”

She lets her word hang in the air for a moment as she swirls her wine glass.

“See Mercedes you keep talking about history like it should win wrestling matches.” she said “It doesn't. The second that bell rings history disappears and it's just two women standing in a ring one was beating the other and one who hasn't.”

She taps her championship and a sly smirk appears on her face.

“You really have had a career most people would dream of.” she said “You've won championships and beat incredible opponents on your way to building a legacy and nobody can take that from you, but here's the problem.”

She paused.

“You keep acting like your past is supposed to intimidate my present.” she said “It doesn't. I didn't wrestle the Mercedes Vargas from ten years ago at Into The Void. I wrestled Mercedes Vargas now and I beat her. No matter how many accomplishments you list the SCW world bombshell still belongs to me.”

Next to her Darian gave a lazy thumbs up to the camera, Victoria shook her head and smile.

“Don't worry about him.” she said “My husband had too many Margaritas earlier."

“Why is the sun so bright..” Darian moaned.

“Stop being a baby.” she said “I told you that fifth Margarita was a bad idea. I'm trying to talk to Mercedes here.”

“Carry on.” Darian said lazily.

“Where was I?...." she said “Oh yes, Mercedes. You keep trying to act like this is your redemption story or some sort of comeback for you. But you don't need to redeem yourself, you need to accept yourself. You need to accept that someone younger, hungrier and better prepared came along and that someone beat you.”

She keeps her voice firm and confident.

“You act like there's some lesson I still have yet to learn.” she said “That no matter how decorated you are, I can still beat you and the only person refusing to learn is you.”

She sips more wine.

“I think when you look at this championship.” she said “It's a reminder of your failure,  and you look at me as a reminder every morning since Into The Void that you just couldn't get the job done.”

“You don't hate me.” she said, "You hate what I represent. The next generation,  that I'm the woman standing where you expected it to be standing. Now,that only makes you human. But refusing to accept the truth is what's making you look foolish.”

She swirls her glass.

“You've talked about this match, telling everyone how it's going to end.” she said “But I've already seen how it ends because I'm living the ending.”

She taps her championship.

“This isn't confidence or wishful thinking “ she said. "It's evidence. The reason I can sit out here and speak so calmly is because I don't have to imagine what beating Mercedes Vargas feels like I already know.”

“That's a good one babe.” Darian mumbled.

“I thought so too.“ Victoria grinned.

She lifted the wine glass again taking another longer sip this time.

“See if you think this is going to be some attempt to humble me.” she said “You're running a little too late on that because I've been humbled in the past. Harper Mason humbled me. Alexandra Calaway humbled me. Do you know what happened afterward?”

She taps her championship again.

“This happened.” she said. “So don't confuse my confidence for arrogance. I know exactly what can happen inside that ring, but I also know exactly what has happened. I've beaten you, and you've never beaten me. Again those are just the simple facts."

“Facts speak pretty loudly.” Darian commented.

“See, even Mr. Five Margaritas knows.” she smirked.

“It was four.” Darian protested.

“It was definitely five.” Victoria corrected him

Darian paused and counted his fingers.

“Oh yeah.” he said “I guess it was.”

Victoria shook her head with a genuine smile.

“That's my husband.” she said.

An amused smile grew on her face for a moment before it faded back to the usual composed confidence.

“Now here's the part where I thank you.” she said. “I thank you because you reminded me that champions can't live in the past. I could have spent this entire time talking about everything I accomplished in this company, every milestone and every opponent I've beaten but then I'd be making the same mistakes as you.”

She took another sip from her glass.

“The difference between us. “ [/color]she said “Is that my greatest accomplishment isn't something I did ten years ago, it's what I'm carrying right now. It's evolution.”

She paused shortly.

“Every version of Victoria Lyons has been better than the one before her.” she said “The Bombshell Roulette champion was better than the girl who first walked into SCW. The champion that lost to Harper Mason became better than the woman that won that championship. The Victoria who lost the Internet Championship to Alexandra Calaway became better than the woman who won it. Now the woman who sits here as the World Bombshell Champion is better than all of them.”

She sips more wine.

“That's called growth.” she said “I'm not going to pretend my failures didn't happen. I look at every single one of them in the eye and become someone they can't happen to again. I became the World Bombshell Champion because I stopped expecting perfection and I started expecting Improvement. That's why you're chasing me instead of the other way around. I kept evolving and you kept reminiscing.”

She grins.

“I represent where this division is going.” she continued “You represent where it's been, and there's nothing wrong with where it's been. There's women before me that built this division and you were one of them, but eventually every generation has to hand the ball to the next one.”

She pauses for another beat and sip of wine.

“The difference is I'm not asking for it, I already took it.” she said patting the center plate of her championship “If you want it so bad then come and take it. You keep talking like you're owed something but nobody owes you anything. Not another championship, or another moment at the top.  We earn those. I earned mine and if you want this championship you're going to have to earn it from me."

“She's got a point.” Darian chimed in, still never moving from his lounged half passed out position.

“Of course I do.” said Victoria “Mercedes can ignore the truth all she wants but when this cruise is over and we dock back at Port, I will still be the World Bombshell Champion. Mercedes will just have to continue to keep wondering why Victoria Lyons is her Kryptonite and why she can't figure out how to beat me and why her best days are behind her.”

She shrugs casually.

“I wonder what you're going to do after..” Victoria said “When I walk out as champion and beat you once again, what are you going to have to say? I know if you beat me I'll give you your credit but I'll also come for my rematch. That much is certain. But if you don't win, I'm very curious what excuses are you going to make this time?”

“I'm sure she'll find one.” said Darian.

“She absolutely will.” agreed Victoria “But that's all they're going to be, excuses. She'll continue to ignore the fact that she lost but that's going to be her problem because everyone else is going to look at her as the past and they're going to look at me as the future because I will still be your World Bombshell Champion.”

“Long live the queen.” Darian muttered.

“Enjoy the cruise while you can.” said Victoria “Just know there's not going to be a happy ending for you. The odds are definitely in my favor.”

She raises the glass to the camera with a slight nod as everything fades to black.

The afternoon sun filtered through the windows of Victoria and Darian's North Carolina home as she stood carefully adjusting a framed photograph on their mantelpiece, one of the photographs of their wedding day.

Darian sat on the couch and watched has his wife waged war against the picture frame moving in slightly to the left and pausing then back to the right again, still not satisfied.

“You're overthinking it..” he said.

“I am not.” she said, glancing over her shoulder at him.

“You've adjusted that photograph six times.” he said.

“Five.” she replied.

“Six.” he shot back

She rolled her eyes on him and turned back toward the wall adjusting it ever so slightly to the left once more before stepping back with a smile.

“See.” she said “Perfect.”

“It's crooked.” said Darian.

“It is not.” she said looking back at him, once more.

She stared at him for a moment and then realized he was messing with her when that Cheshire Cat grin grew on his face.

“Dork.” she said.

“Takes one to know one.” he said.

Victoria shook her head as a smile formed at the corner of her mouth. She looked back at the photograph again everything had happened so fast she had the wedding, the championship, the media, the travel, her life had become a blur and right now she finally felt like she had a moment to just breathe and be home.

Her eyes wandered to the surrounding photographs sharing the mantelpiece with her wedding photo, one from when she first captured the Bombshell Roulette Championship, her mixed tag championship win, her internet championship victory, her Queen for a Day win, all of her proudest career moments and right there next to them was of course her World Bombshell Championship win.

It was the championship she had fought so hard to win, the one she finally captured by defeating Mercedes Vargas. Darian noticed which picture she was looking at.

“Been a pretty good few weeks.” he said.

“Yeah.” she smiled “It has.”

She took a seat and curled up on the couch next to her husband. She rested against him as she looked across the mantlepiece again. Every photograph told a story, every championship represented a chapter of her career, and there in the middle of it all was her with Darian in the happiest moment of her life.

The World Bombshell Championship photograph proved that she had done it and she had climbed the mountaintop and become one of the very best. But now that she was on top there were already people trying to push her off it. Frankie Holliday tried, but was sent tumbling back down the mountain once again. Now Mercedes Vargas was coming with yet another shot but this time Victoria wasn't fighting for a vacant championship she was fighting to defend her championship, and she was fighting to defend her husband's honor.

“What's going on in that head of yours?” she heard Darian ask.

“Just thinking.” she replied

“Dangerous..” he grinned.

“Shut up.” she replied.

“No can do.” he grinned “We're married now.  I'm contractually obligated to annoy you.”

Victoria let out an honest laugh before her gaze drifted toward her World Bombshell Championship photograph again. It represented the realization she had finally reached the top,  but when she looked at the picture it wasn't the championship she remembered or the celebration after the match. It was what happened afterward.

Mercedes standing over Darian after a cheap shot, a low blow with that smug look on her face. Almost on cue her phone buzzed on the coffee table.

It was another article, more predictions about Summer Xxxtreme, more debates on whether Mercedes would reclaim the championship. Victoria locked the screen and tossed the phone back on the table.

“All those so-called journalists will get their answer when I beat Mercedes once again.” Victoria said “For now perhaps it's time to make an example out of my opponent this week and send a very clear message to Mercedes.”

“Seleana..” he nodded.

“Yes Seleana.” she said “She'll be looking to gain momentum before her own match on the Princess Cruise but it won't come at my expense. She has to realize exactly who she's going into the ring with, and Mercedes needs to watch closely because I'm coming for her blood after what she did to you.”

Darian remained silent.

“All you wanted to do was support me in my proudest moment, and she put her hands on you.” she said “I'm going to make damn sure there's no debate about who's better between Victoria Lyons and Mercedes Vargas at Summer Xxxtreme.”

“What about Climax Control?” Darian asked.

“Seleana is just a warmup.” she said “A poor lamb being sent to the slaughter. I told the entire division that now that I'm the World Bombshell Champion, it's time to restore order. While Seleana wasn't someone I currently look at as a problem that needs to be fixed, she finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Sucks to be her.” said Darian.

“At least she gets the opportunity to understand something.” Victoria said “She gets the opportunity to get a taste of what it's like to stand against the queen and how dangerous I can be when I have problems in my queendom. She'll learn real quick that she does not want to become one of those problems and then she can go about her business with the rest of her ridiculous family.”

“And then at Summer Xxxtreme you take away any excuses Mercedes may have left when it comes to the two of you.“ said Darian.

“Exactly Dare Bear.” she said “Exactly.”

Her eyes drifted onto the World bombshell Championship photo once more. The championship was hers and she had no intention of letting anyone take it. Frankie couldn't do it, Mercedes would fail once again,  and Seleana was simply going to be a casualty of war.

___________

The cameras spring to life opening on Victoria Lyons standing proudly with her World by Bombshell Championship on her shoulder and her husband Darian Lyons proudly beside her.

“Seleana, I'm going to be perfectly honest with you.” she said “You are not ready.”

“Not ready.”  Darian repeated.

“Do you even understand who you're in the ring with?" she said "I'm not just  the Bombshell World Champion. I am a record breaker, and a future Hall of Famer.”

She pauses.

“And you…” she said “You're someone who can't seem to get it done on your own, loss after loss after loss. Now, I'm to expect you're ready to face someone of my caliber?”

She shakes her head.

“I'm sorry but I just don't see it.” she continued "You aren't even  the best member of your own family, that honor probably belongs to Crystal.”

She pauses again.

“Now you get to step into what is probably the most important match of your career at this point.“ she said “A chance to stand toe to toe with the very best that Sin City wrestling has to offer. A chance to stand across from the Bombshell World Champion. A chance to be in the ring with me,  The Head Lyoness the Queen Victoria Lyons.”

She casually runs her fingers across her championship.

“I'm sure you're thinking that this is your opportunity.” she said “Your chance to shock the world because if you can somehow beat Victoria Lyons, then suddenly everything changes, and honestly you would be right.

“But there's one problem…” Darian said.

“You have to actually beat me.” she said “And that's where your little fantasy falls apart.”

She shrugs.

“You just have to understand there are levels to this.” she said “And you're looking at the woman sitting on the highest level this company has to offer. Understand that this is your one shot, you're one opportunity to shock the world.”

She pauses again.

“But you're really going to have to dig down deep.” she said "If you do manage to shock the world then yes, you truly earned it.”

“But it will be a cold day in Hell before that happens.” Darian chimed in.

“Precisely.” said Victoria “I am and always have been on a level that you just can't reach. You can scrape, you can scratch, and you can crawl all you want but at the end of the day I will put you down and I will make an example out of you, because for me that's all this match really is.”

“A message.” said Darian

“A message to Mercedes Vargas.” she said.  “I'm going to use you like a lamb to the slaughter, to show Mercedes exactly what she's getting at Summer Xxxtreme. You are going to end up nothing more than a casualty of war, a victim who found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time and suffered greatly for it.”

She shrugs casually.

“It's not your fault.”[/color] she said “But it's the nature of the business, there's winners and there's losers. When you look at our records, I look like the winner and you look like the loser. Maybe you'll get yourself together one day and make it to my level but that day is not now and it won't be at Climax Control. I am on the top of my game right now.  I have beaten everybody there is to beat in this company, gand I refuse to lose to somebody who has trouble even getting a victory of her own.”

She exhales.

“Call it whatever you want.” she said “Say I'm overlooking you but the numbers don't lie. My career continues to move upward and yours remains as stagnant as ever. You should really even consider yourself lucky to be here because you get a chance to face the very best. The problem is I don't think you're going to deliver. In fact I know you're not going to deliver because I'm going to leave you flat on your back and remind the world why I am the woman that stands on top of the Bombshell division.”

She speaks with a firm confidence

“It's really a great view from up here.” she smirked “Something I doubt you'll ever see, something Mercedes can try to keep reaching for. Someday, someone will come along and knock me off my mountain, but it's not going to be you and it's not going to be Mercedes Vargas.”

She casually adjusts the championship on her shoulder.

“Not a chance.” Darian agreed.

“I didn't become world champion because somebody handed me anything.” she said “I became the world champion because every time somebody put an obstacle in front of me I knocked it down. Every person who thought they were going to stop me, learned the same lesson, that Victoria Lyons does not stay down or roll over for anybody.”

She keeps eyes locked until the camera.

“So you can have your what ifs.” she said “You can have your what if Seleana shocks the world, and what if the champion fails because the truth is nobody ever talks about the most likely outcome and that's wine where I beat you and walk out the same way I walked in.”

She pauses.

“You're not facing somebody chasing greatness and trying to make history.” Victoria said ‘You are facing history itself, because now I am the standard. I am the measuring stick, and I am the woman every Bombshell in Sin City wrestling is judged against. Until someone can take this championship from me I will continue to be the standard.”

She pauses again.

“Bring me everything you've got Seleana,  because when that bell rings you're going to need every single bit of it and probably a little bit more.” she said “I'm not going to play nice with you Selena, I need to assert my dominance and you're not going to stop me from doing it.”

She adjusts her championship once more.

“You're walking into this match with hope.”[/color] she said "I walk into this match knowing. The difference is hope doesn't carry championships, and hope doesn't build legacies, results do. Results put your name in the history books and my entire career has been built on results.”

She exhales.

“That's why my name will be in the annals of Sin City wrestling history forever.” she said “Because I get results, and I don't need hope to do it. I'm Victoria Lyons and I am the absolute best.”

She pauses again.

“When somebody thought that they were better than me,  I proved them wrong.” she said “Each and every one of them, so forgive me if I'm not going to lose sleep over someone whose biggest accomplishment recently is getting booked against me.”

‘Oof.” said Darian

“It's just the truth, Dare Bear.” she said “When I look at Seleana I don't see a future world champion, I see someone stuck forever chasing. Someone trying to live up to her own family name without the ability to achieve what someone like Crystal has.”

She holds her championship to the camera.

“I don't chase.” she said “I achieve. This championship is proof. This is something you will never achieve, so take a good look Selena cuz this is the closest you're ever going to get. When you step into that ring with me on Climax Control,  you're going going to find out exactly why. When I expose the cold hard truth that you just aren't good enough to stand across the ring from me.”

She smirks.

“When the bell rings only one thing matters,  and that's whether or not you can beat the woman standing across from you, and you can't." she said "Because you're facing me at the worst possible time. I have everything I've ever wanted, a world championship, a husband and a future.  So if you think I'm going to be merciful or take it easy on you, then I'm afraid I've got some bad news.I will make causes an example out of you, and when I do beat you I will go on to beat Mercedes Vargas, and you you'll go back to doing the same thing you always do…”

She pauses.

“Trying.” she continued.

She looks at her championship.

“I don't try.” she said “I already am. So enjoy this moment, enjoy being in the spotlight and enjoy having your name attached to mine for a week. Then after I beat you you can tell all your friends that you got to get in the ring with the world champion, and maybe you can tell Mercedes Vargas exactly what a mistake she made, because the queen is coming and she's coming to RESTORE ORDER.”

She keeps her eyes locked on the camera confidently, her championship shining brightly as everything fades out to black.

The hotel room was dimly lit by the soft glow of the city filtering through the curtains. Darian lay sound asleep next to her as Victoria sat rested against the headboard,  phone in hand, her face illuminated by the screen.

The notifications  played for about half a second before she tapped the phone and the call connected.

Eddie Lyons appeared on screen sunlight behind him from a window, somewhere back in Vegas.

“Hey.” he said

“Hey yourself.” she replied.

“It must be getting late over there..” he said “What is it? About midnight?”

“There about.” she replied.

“So how's the tour?” he said “Are you ready for your big match?”

“The tour has thrown a lot of twists and turns my way.” she said “But yeah, I'm ready and focused on becoming the Bombshell World Champion.”

“Yeah, you look it.” Eddie replied

“I am.” she reaffirmed.

“Good." he said “I'd be worried if you weren't.”

“You know that's not me.” she said.

“I know..” he said “And you don't need me to hype you up. You already did everything you needed to get there, but I'll tell you this. Don't go out there trying to prove Mercedes wrong.”

Victoria tilted her head.

“Go out there being you.” he said “Same thing you've been doing this whole time. You change that now, that's when things go sideways.”

Victoria leaned back slightly against the headboard.

“I'm not changing..” she said.

“Of course not.” Eddie replied “Just making sure you hear it out loud. You've always had this way of doing things your way and not anybody else's.”

“That's what seems to bother her the most.” she said.

“People don't like what they can't control.” Eddie shrugged.

“I've heard everything she's had to say.” Victoria continued “Every excuse or reason why I supposedly don't deserve this. But it doesn't matter, she can say whatever she wants. At the end of the day she's still the one that's got to stand across from me.”

“Exactly.” said Eddie. “When that bell rings all talking is out the window, from both of you.”

“Don't worry.” she said “When that bell rings, I'll be done talking.”

“I figured that too.” Eddie said.

She watched his gaze shift slightly off camera before looking back.

“One moment..” he said.

Eddie turned the phone slightly, adjusting it until baby Jordan came into view sitting in the middle of the floor, Victoria's expression softened almost immediately.

“Omigosh.” she said “She's getting so big.”

“Too big.” said Eddie has he sat on the bed and propped the phone up.

“Hi sweetheart.” Victoria said with a smile.

Jordan blinked twice at the screen and then reached forward with a smile.

“...Vivi” babbled Jordan reaching toward the screen.

“She thinks she can grab you through the screen.”  Eddie chuckled “She's been grabbing everything lately. She's been trying to form words too. I'm Dada and Sabrina is Ma’.”

“Vivi..” Jordan repeated reaching for the screen again.

“I think she's trying to say Vicky..” Eddie noted “She always says that when we watch the show, and you come on screen.”

“Vivi..” Victoria with a genuine warm smile.

Jordan giggled.

“You've been watching me sweetheart?” Victoria said.

Jordan responded with a string of nonsense syllables, bouncing where she sat on the bed. Victoria just watched for a moment taking it all in. The way Jordan reached forward at the screen like she could reach her, the way her tiny little face lit up over something so simple  it made her feel grounded. It was the kind of grounded that centered her, and reminded her what mattered.

She didn't even realize she was smiling until her cheeks started to ache. It wasn't the kind of smile she put on for the cameras or even for Darian when he said something ridiculous. This one was unguarded, the kind that slipped out when something reached past all of her armor without her even noticing it.

Jordan continued bouncing slightly where she sat.  Eddie watched her carefully to make sure she didn't topple over but didn't interrupt the moment.

“I miss you sweetheart.” said Victoria, "Are you minding your mom and dad?”

“Dada!” Jordan replied looking up at Eddie.

“She's smart.” Victoria noted.

“Yeah she suddenly started to pick up on faces real quick.” Eddie said.

Jordan reached forward again wobbling slightly before Eddie grabbed hold of her.

“Careful.” he said.

“She's fearless.” Victoria said "It runs in the family.”

“You can say that again.” Eddie agreed.

Jordan suddenly plopped onto her side but immediately rolled back up, almost as if she was training for something. Eddie reached and steadied her with one hand.

Victoria just watched it all unfold. There was something that centered her about it in a different way than the garden. The garden was stillness and peace. This was chaos, but it was the type of chaos that felt inviting.

“Wait till she starts walking.” Victoria said

“Don't remind me.” Eddie said.

"I'm glad to see you're doing well too." Victoria said "How's the leg?"

“Rehabs going well.” Eddie said “I'm working hard to get back into that ring as soon as possible, but don't worry about me you focus on home that world championship.”

“I will.” Victoria said.

“I know you will.” said Eddie.

“Vivi!” Jordan babbled.

“I think Jordan agrees too.” said Eddie.

“Vivi.Vivi.Vivi.” Jordan continued to repeat the word.

"Looks like I have a new nickname." Victoria said.

“Hey, it's better than some of the nicknames I've heard them call you in the back.”  Eddie grinned

Victoria laughed.

“Yeah yeah..” she said “I'm sure I've heard them all too, but after Into The Void they will all be forced to call me one thing.”

“World Champion?” replied Eddie.

“World champion.” Victoria reaffirmed with a nod.

“VIVI.VIVI.VIVI.VIVI.” Jordan started fussing and getting a little louder.

“Okay.. I think someone needs a nap.” Eddie said, lifting Jordan up into his arms.

Jordan immediately protested when she was lifted,  kicking her legs like she was being robbed.

“VIVI.VIVI.VIVI.VIVI.VIVI.” she continued fussing and twisting in Eddie's arms, trying to reach out to the phone.

“It's okay baby..” Victoria said “You need your rest. I'll see you soon sweetheart.”

“VIIIIIVIIII.” The fussing started to get worse.

“I'll see you soon Vicks.” said Eddie good luck in your match.

“Take care Eddie.” she said.

After a moment the call ended and she sat there in the quiet contemplating to herself. The phone rested loosely in her hand and everything inside the room felt a little different.

Beside her Darian shifted slightly in his sleep completely unaware of the world around him.

“World Champion.” Eddie's voice echoed in her memory.

And then another voice

“Vivi.”

She I thought her mouth tighten a little and set the phone down on the nightstand For leaning back against the headboard once again looking up at the ceiling as she let her mind drift.

“World champion…” she murmured under her breath to herself.

It felt like it was something waiting for her. All she had to do was claim it. The Mad Queen no longer felt like someone she had to summon. She felt like someone that was waiting patiently for her return. She wasn't going to become someone new at Into the Void, she was going to stop holding back who had been there the entire time.

_________

She couldn't sleep. There was just too much on her mind. She had managed a few hours since the phone call but now found herself wandering the quiet hallway outside the hotel room.

It wasn't silent, hotels never really were. But in this moment it was as silent as a place like this could get. Back in her hotel room Darian slept on steady and unaware.

Out here everything felt different, she moved slowly down the quarter letting her thoughts drift without trying to control them. The call still lingered within her, Eddie's voice, Jordan's laughter. That tiny voice repeating Vivi like it was one of the most important words in the world to her.

For a moment, she let herself stay there in that feeling just  and grounded.

Her steps slowed as she passed a mirror hanging on the wall, she caught her reflection out the corner of her eye, not stopping at first but then something made her turn back.

She stepped in front of it, a soft light from above falling across her face showing her exactly as she was in the moment.

Tired but focused.

Her eyes traced her own reflection like she was seeing herself from the outside for the first time. Not the version people talked about, and not the version Mercedes built in her head, just her. She tilted her head slightly as if she were waiting for some doubt to take shape, it didn't. instead a calmness settled in the kind that didn't need to prove anything.

“You've done everything you need to do.” she said.

That was the truth of it all, she didn't have to prove to anybody else that she had earned her spot here.

“Mercedes will deal with the part of me she keeps pretending doesn't exist.” she murmured.

Jordan's voice flickered through her mind again.

“Vivi…”

A thick smile grew on her lips, a genuine that didn't break, but reinforced her focus.

“That's why I win.” she said quietly.

She let the words settle, hanging in the quiet between her and the reflection. Not searching, just confirming what was already there.

“World champion.” she said to herself

It didn't feel like she was saying it to convince herself. It felt like she was acknowledging something. Something in her. Not angry, but sharpened. Something more defined and dangerous.

She stayed there studying the woman staring back at her,  not for flaws, but for alignment. It was all there, the calm, the edge  and the certainty none of them were fighting each other anymore.

“I'm not chasing it anymore..” she murmured “I'm walking into it.”

The past two years had been her climb. She had won championships of her own, had wars of her own and now standing here, the final piece of the puzzle didn't feel far away at all, it felt inevitable.

She gave her reflection one last look letting it linger for a moment.

“I'll see you out there.” she said softly.

She wasn't talking to herself, she was talking to the moment that waited ahead of her. She turned back down the hallway toward her hotel room. When she pushed open the door, the room welcomed her back that same way she left it. Dimly lit with Darian still sound asleep, untouched by everything that had shifted inside of her.

She stepped inside and let the door gently click shut behind her.

She stood there and let her eyes settle on Darian for a moment. The calm rise and fall of his breathing, taking in the normalcy of it all.

Stepped over to the bed there was no urgency just intention she sat down and laid in the bed gently careful not to wake Darian. The mattress dipped slightly under her weight, Darian barely stirred.


“You can sleep through anything, Dare Bear.” she said with a soft smile.

She kissed him softly on the forehead, he still didn't wake.

She sat there in the quiet for a moment, her eyes drifting to the nightstand where her phone still sat, now dark and silent. No Eddie, no Jordan, no Vivi, and yet at the same time all of it was still there.

She really did have everything she needed. All that was left was to go out there and get it.

“You don't have to believe in me.” she said like Mercedes could hear her, “Because I do.”

With one final relaxed sigh,  she rests her head into her pillow, closes their eyes and is finally able to drift away into a calm complete sleep.

_________

A throne sits amid the darkness as the cameras come to life, it's not a glamorous throne. It's completely burned and most of it has been turned to ash. Just enough left for Victoria Lyons to be seated, with Darian standing right beside her.

She laughs, it goes throughout the shadows wickedly.

“Is this who you want Mercedes?” she said “You want to invoke the ire of the Mad Queen? You want to continue to act like I've done nothing to earn this?”

“Just a few wins and a draw?” said Darian.

“Is that what you call it?” said Victoria “You think I can't carry the weight of what I'm asking for? Did you forget that I carried an entire division on my back for a year? A division that's now falling into shambles without me?”

Her wicked laugh echoes throughout the shadows again.

“You want to talk facts Mercedes?” she continued “The fact that you never beat me hangs heavy over your head. I didn't draw in that number one contender's match with you. You drew in that number one contender's match with me, because whenever a championship has been on the line, when everything has really been on the line, I've always had your number.”

“That's just the truth and we're not going to pretend otherwise.” Darian grinned.

“The smartest you said was I'm a woman you need to solve.“ said Victoria “Because you even with all your accolades haven't been able to solve me yet. I'm not going to act like I haven't tasted defeat before, but it hasn't come at the hands of you. You talk like you don't rest on your own legacy but the truth is you do.”

The laughter echoes again.

“You bring up your 15-year career about as much as I bring up my record-breaking Roulette Championship reign.” [/color]she said “It's okay, you're supposed to be proud of your accomplishments and you have many of them.  But I'm not going to allow you to act like my accomplishments don't mean anything. I'm just collecting moments, is that what you call it? Well then I'm coming to collect another moment and it's the one that's going to put me on the very top.”

A knowing grin creeps across her face.

“But it's not just a moment.” she continued “It's a shift.”

The ash beneath the throne stirred around her feet almost as if responding to her.

“You're looking at this match as if it's just another chapter in your story.” she said “Just another name to add to your legacy, another championship to add to your scroll of accomplishments.”

“That's your mistake.” Darian said

“I'm not next in line.” she said “I'm the end of the line. You've spent fifteen years carving your name into this business and you should be proud of that. But it's time for something new and I'm not going to knock on the door, I'm kicking it open. “

The laughter echoes through the shadows again.

“I don't need you to validate me Mercedes.” she said “The people that matter know that I'm ready. The people that matter know. You said it yourself, history is not the same thing as destiny. Your past accomplishments don't make you the Bombshell World Champion  anymore than mine do me.”

She exhales heavily,  the laughter echoes hauntingly again.

“Maybe you're right.” she said “Maybe I do talk a big game but I refuse to let anybody act like I haven't earned my right to. I am one of the fastest rising stars this company has ever seen and this victory will get me so much more than just a world championship. It will etch me in history as one of the few to reach the Grand Slam and the Triple Crown.  Not to mention one of the fastest in history to do so. Is that not enough for you Mercedes? Is that not enough for you to understand that I do stand where I belong, and that that championship does belong around my waist?”

“It's your record she's taking too.” noted Darian.

“The fastest to the grand slam.” she said “I guess that I'll be taking that from you as well.  Into The Void will be a night where Victoria Lyons once again etches her name into Sin City wrestling history. I've already set records in this company. Imagine what I'll be able to say when I look back on my 15-year career.”

“More than Mercedes.” Darian taunted

“Call it what you want.” she said “But I don't think you're the Mercedes you once were. You spend most of the summer playing ping pong with Bella Madison and the Internet championship until I came along and took it. You want to talk about me not being the Victoria of 2024, I don't think you're the Mercedes that had already reached her peak long before I even walked in the door.”

The laughter echoes again.

“You need to beat me Mercedes.” she said “You need to beat me so you can continue to convince yourself that you're not in the twilight of your career. You need to be able to convince yourself that Mercedes Vargas is still the woman that she once was.”

“Is she?” Darian piqued.

“I guess that remains to be seen.” said Victoria “But that's for her to prove. What matters is I know  exactly who I am. I am Victoria Lyons. I am next in line to be the Bombshell World Champion and I am the one that's going to carry the void left behind by Kayla Richards. You think I can't handle the pressure? I am the pressure. You can say whatever you want but you've never been able to prove that you can and that's the cold hard truth of it all.  When it comes to the two of us the odds have always ever been in my favor.”

As she grins and rises from the throne, the laughter continues to echo through the shadows.

“That's the part you keep missing Mercedes.” she said taking a slow step to the camera “You think this is about pressure and whether I can handle what comes with being the Bombshell World Champion. But I've been carrying pressure since the moment I walked into this company, every time someone looked at me and decided I wasn't ready yet. I answered every single one of those doubters the same way.

“She won.” said Darian

“I won.” she reaffirmed “So I ask Mercedes, are you ready to face my hell once again this time with a vacant World Championship on the line? You don't think that I'm going to come stronger and better than before when an even bigger opportunity sits right before me? ”

The laughter echoes again lingering longer this time.

“Remember I'm the problem you need to solve.” she said “I don't need to figure out how to solve you, because I've solved you before and I'll solve you once again at Into The Void. You'll be left wondering what went wrong, while I'll be crowned the new Bombshell World Champion. At this moment it's only a matter of time.”

“Tick. tick. tick.” said Darian “That's the sound of a new era approaching.”

“My era.” Victoria said confidently.

The laughter echoes throughout the shadows surrounding her one final time as she keeps her eyes locked into the camera, full of confidence before everything fades out to black.

She could have visited the theme park and enjoyed her time here but Victoria Lyons had more important things on her mind than theme parks, the World Bombshell Championship to be specific, and so she stayed in her hotel room with her fiancee Darian.

“They just don't get it, do they Dare Bear?” said Victoria “I was maybe a little harsh in my demands but damn it, I've worked hard enough and I'm allowed to make demands. The company likes to give out handouts for hard work anyway but they couldn't throw a hand out my way? The 2025 woman of the year?”

She shakes her head with a heavy exhale, the screams from the park guests riding roller coasters carried faintly through the glass Darian looked over at her from the edge of the bed.

“You know how this company works babe…” he said.

“That's the problem..” she replied “I do know how this company works.”

She folded her arms.

“They reward someone like Crystal Zdnuich  with a championship match that she doesn't deserve.” She said “I mean at least Mercedes has some wins behind her before getting here including one over Crystal. Yet it's people like Crystal they reward and not someone who carried an entire division on their back for a year.“

She turned her gaze to glance outside the window, her own reflection staring back at her.

“I bust my ass night after night” she said “I made the Bombshell Roulette Championship mean something and what do I get for it? Nothing.”

“You got Woman of the Year.” Darian reminded her.

“A trophy….” she muttered “A plaque to hang on the wall. It's a proud accomplishment sure, But it's not a championship. Do you know what champions get Dare Bear?”

Darian shook his head.

“They get power…” she said “They get respect and control over the division. SCW says they value hard work that they value your dedication and sacrifice but when it comes time to reward it suddenly someone else needs the spotlight a little bit more.”

“So what are you going to do about it?” Darian asked.

“You already know.” she replied “I'm going to remind them who I am. I have this championship opportunity now on a technicality, but I have it and I suppose that's what matters, and I assure you I will walk out of Into The Void as the Bombshell World Champion.”

“Of course you will.” Darian agreed. “You don't go all the way to Japan to lose.”

“Exactly.” she smiled as she stared out the window.

She exhaled again listening to the sounds of the people in the theme park below.

“Listen to them.” she said “They all came here for that feeling, that rush you get on a roller coaster when your stomach drops and it feels like it's about to go off the rails.”

She paused.

“In my world that moment isn't a ride.” she said “That's the moment when someone realizes they're standing across the ring from me, and they realize that I'm one who's in control.”

She turned away from the window and looked at Darian.

“I won't let anything get in the way of my opportunity." said Victoria “The universe has a way of correcting itself and it already correctly got me my championship match now I need to finish the job and win. SCW needs a new era, and I am the one to lead it into that new era and everybody knows it even if they don't admit it to themselves.”

“ I get it.” said Darian “You win and you make yourself undeniable.”

“Oh I'm already undeniable.” said Victoria “It's only a matter of time, but I will leave Japan as the woman on top and I will show Mercedes and Crystal once again why despite all their past accomplishments I am still better than they are. I don't steal championships and claim them as my own I win them, and I'm certainly nobody's charity case that gets gifted opportunities. Nobody's ever given me anything, I earned everything myself. I may have inserted myself into the equation a few times but I still earned all my victories. If you can't handle a few surprises and adapt to new situation, then maybe you shouldn't be part of my business.”

“So you're not mad about the whole not being granted an opportunity?” asked Darian

“Oh I'm still mad.” said Victoria “But like I said I adapt to the new situation. There's no use crying over spilled milk. What's done is done. I have my opportunity and I have to take it for what it is. At the end of the day all that matters is that championship belt going around my waist.”

“It's going to look so good on you.” smiled Darian.

“I know.." nodded Victoria “Mercedes and Crystal won't know what hit them. But they will come to realize that I am the one. I am the one that will get to call herself the New Bombshell World Champion.”

“I certainly wouldn't want to be either of them right now. “ Darian grinned

"They shouldn't want to be themselves either." Victoria laughed. “This is just another match on the schedule, another opportunity for them, but for me it's a correction. For me it's proving that everything I've done since I walked into this place has led me here. A year of carrying the Roulette Championship while everyone else was chasing a moment, and now everything's finally lined up for me to ascend where I always belonged.”

“There's still Bea Barnhart you have to get through this week.” Darian reminded her.

“Please..” Victoria laughed “Be serious, it's Bea Barnhart. We all know this is nothing but a warm up. An opportunity for me to send a message not only to Mercedes and Crystal, but to the entire locker room exactly what’s to be expected. Nothing is going to take this for me I will destroy anything and anyone put in my path on the way to Japan.”

She turned back to the window again. Most of the people had come to Alton Towers for the thrills, to get that adrenaline rush from all the rides, but Victoria was already on the ride she wanted to be on, the one that was taking her directly to the Bombshell World Championship.

__________

The cameras open on Victoria in a simple room relaxed on a comfy lounge chair, a glass of red wine in her hand, nothing extravagant just a casual laid-back feel.

“Oh the situations we find ourselves in..” she said taking a sip, “I suppose you fancy yourself some sort of obstacle don't you? A roadblock on my way to becoming the bombshell world champion? The truth is you're no obstacle, you never have been. You're just the warm up, the exhibition before the big show, and you picked a really bad week to be a warm up.

She laughs.

“I'm on such an important path right now.” she said “I can't lose to someone that can't seem to win much of anything.”

She slowly swirled the red wine in the glass before taking a sip.

“And don't misunderstand me.” she continued “I'm sure in your mind you've convinced yourself that this is your moment, and if you can pull off this one big upset the world will start looking at you differently.”

She smirked slightly.

“But it doesn't..” she said “Because those moments belong to people on the rise, that are trying to build something and you're not building anything. You're just treading water and I'm not the lifeguard, I'm the shark.”

She tilted her head slightly.

“You see Bea, this week isn't about you. It was never about you. This week is about momentum.” she said “My momentum. This week is about making sure when I step into that championship match and into the void there is absolutely no doubt about who the most dangerous woman in that ring is.”

She points to herself.

“That would be me.” she said “I spent a year as the Bombshell Roulette at Champion creating my legacy. Every time that will spun and it landed on some ridiculous stipulation designed to trip me up, I adapted and I won. So when I say that you're just a warmup Bea, I'm not being cruel I'm just being honest “

She takes another casual sip of her wine.

“See, right now my focus isn't on you, not really.” she said “My focus is on what comes next, and that's walking into my CHAMPIONSHIP match and proving once and for all that the Bombshell division runs through me. That might be hard for someone like you to accept, but let's face reality you're not stepping into the ring on Climax Control with someone who's desperate for an opportunity. You're stepping in the ring with the 2025 woman of the year, and someone who's already proved she can carry an entire division on her back.”

There's a more serious look in her eyes.

“And you're stepping in there with someone who has absolutely no intention of letting a stepping stone start thinking it's the main event.” she continued “So when the bell rings Bea, do yourself a favor. Give it your best shot, swing hard and try to shock the world, because that's all you're going to be able to do is try.”

She sips more wine.

“Because when it's over..” she continued “And you're laying on the match staring up at the lights, the only thing you'll have accomplished is proving everything I said from the start. That you are never the obstacle, just the warm up.”

She smirks again.

"You see Bea, people like you always believe that if you work hard enough eventually the universe is going to reward you.” she said “And sometimes it does, but sometimes the universe sends you someone like me to remind you where you stand, and where you stand is directly in front of someone who refuses to be slowed down. I'm not fighting you because I need to win, I'm fighting you because I refuse to allow even the smallest crack in my momentum on my way to the Bombshell World Championship.”

She pauses, taking another step of her wine.

“Because when I step into that ring at Into The Void with Mercedes and Crystal.” she said, "I want the entire world to understand something. The outcome isn't a question, it's a foregone conclusion.”

She lets out a soft exhale and twirls her wine some more, studying it for a moment.

“It's funny Bea..” she continued “Everyone talks about Into The Void like anything could happen, but that's just the kind of thing people say when they hope the obvious outcome doesn't happen. Hope isn't what wins championships. Consistency does, and dominance does  and I've been proving mine ever since I stepped into this company.”

She takes another casual sip of wine.

“Mercedes has her accomplishments I'll give her that.“ she continued "She's been around long enough to build quite the resume and knows how to survive in this business but surviving isn't the same as leading.”

She pauses for a beat.

“And Crystal  has a talent of finding herself in the right place at the right time.” she said “But luck eventually runs out and hers ran out a long time ago.”

She smirks.

“And when someone's luck runs out..” she continued, "That's when someone like me shows up to finish the job, because I don't wait around and hope things go my way. I create the outcome and I leave nothing to chance.”

She takes one final sip of her wine emptying the glass.

“So Bea, when we step in that ring on Climax Control, understand you're in there with someone who's already locked on the bigger picture.” she continued “One last little tune-up before the main event, and if you think I'm being harsh then maybe you should have worked a little harder to be something more than just the warm up.”

She laughs to herself.

“But don't worry you'll get your moment Bea.” she continued "It'll just be the moment everyone watches me run right through you on my way to becoming the next SCW Bombshell World Championship, and when that happens? That's when the real era begins.”

She grins confidently at the camera one last time as everything fades out to black.

Her boots carried her down the hall of the Lyons Den with deliberate angry steps, the Bombshell Internet Championship still rested on her shoulder like it belonged there, because it did. It was that insolent cousin of hers that had soured her mood.

She looked back and she could still see him sitting on that bench he was texting somebody now, probably Cleo.

Zayvion Lyons.

There was a part of her mind that dared her to turn around and finish the argument, remind him that he has no right to speak to her like he did, but she just scoffed and continued on her way. Kids always thought they knew everything anyway.

Besides, she had more important things to worry about.
 
Alexandra Calaway.

That was the problem she needed to solve. A problem she had solved before, but also one that got more difficult every time. It was like when Darian completed one of his video games, and then tried it again on a higher difficulty. Every time she fought Alexandra the difficulty was raised.

Speaking of Darian..

“There you are babe.” she heard him say as she saw him approach. “I was looking all over for you.”

“Sorry.” she said, “Family business.”

Darian kept quiet, he knew how to read his fiancee well and she had that kind of tension on her shoulders where the smartest things to do were measure your words or keep your mouth shut.

“Zayvion…” she continued. “The kid’s getting arrogant. He doesn't understand what his last name means, and he thinks that everything that built this place was just handed to us.”

Darian nodded, letting her continue.

“As if I haven't had to work hard.” she said “He doesn't understand what I have to live up to. He's just one of my uncle's bastards. There's no expectations from any of them, but me? Eddie? Vincent? There's higher expectations of us, having grown up here means we're expected to meet those expectations. We are held to a higher standard than they are.”

She started walking towards the exit with Darian following.

“Zayvion needs to understand that the name is not a burden.“ she continued, “It's a responsibility and he's ignoring that responsibility.”

They had made their way to the parking lot heading towards the car.

“But  I can't keep worrying about his insolence…” she said “I need to stay focused on Alexandra Calaway, because the second she finds me distracted she will capitalize and she will win my championship. “

She exhales softly as they stopped next to the car, Darian leaned against the hood as he continued to listen.

“She's not like the rest of them.” Victoria said “She never has been. There's just something about her…”

“Almost sounds like you like her in a way…” said Darian.

“I didn't say that.” Victoria retorted almost immediately

“Sorry…” said Darian

“It's fine.” Victoria continued “The thing about her is she's smart, and every time you beat her she learns. Now that she has victories over me, that's going to raise her confidence more and only make her tougher. This might be my toughest encounter with her yet.”

“I think the same could be said for her.” Darian noted. “You become a different animal when you're defending a championship and you need to rebound off a major loss. She needs to understand what she's really walking into.”

“And the truth is she probably does.” said Victoria. “We've faced each other enough to know exactly what each other do and are capable of. Sure each of us may have a few hidden tricks up our sleeve but for the most part we know each other very well.”

“You still hold the better record between you.” Darian reminded her “Don't forget that.”

“I haven't..” she said “But she had a lot to say 9about me calling myself a queen and our history and just how I choose to present myself.”

“You are a queen.” said Darian

“I know.” she said “And maybe I simply need to remind Alexandra Calaway exactly what that really means.”

“That sounds like my fiancee.” Darian grinned.

Victoria smiled back at him and got into the car.

“Let's go. We have a flight to catch ” she said “Also, I want to stop by Eddie's when we get to Vegas.”

“Let's roll.” said Darian.

Darian hopped in the driver's side and started the car up as they pulled out the parking lot. Victoria felt herself growing more ready and focused on her match with Alexandra. Whatever Zayvion's problem was was something she couldn't concern herself with now. She would still have to keep an eye on that kid though. Without Eddie around, and without Vincent around, she was the leader of the Lyon's Den, and she had to make sure all the cubs stayed in line.

__________

Victoria sat on the couch in Eddie's home with Darian lounging in a nearby chair. She had hoped to see the baby but Sabrina had taken the baby to an appointment and Eddie had stayed home to rest his injured ACL. 

“So you ready for your big title defense?”  Eddie asked from one of the chairs.

"I'm always ready." Victoria continued "This time though I really need to teach Alexandra Calaway a lesson.”

“Oh?” asked Eddie.

“She talked about how I believe my own hype too much.” she said “That I let the queen for a day crown get to my head."

“Well you kind of did..” Eddie reminded her.

“Did.” Victoria repeated “I haven't worn a crown since they took it from me, and maybe I like to still call myself a queen but it's more of a confidence thing. She acts like she's the only one that has people in her life keeping her grounded. Like you haven't been doing the same for me.”

“Well in her defense..” Eddie's said “You haven't shown them that side of you. The one you show when Jordan's around.”

“Well when I'm out there competing..” Victoria replied “I can't show them weakness. I need to be bold, confident and strong.”

Eddie nodded and looked at her before continuing.

“There's nothing wrong with being confident.” Eddie said “But there is a difference between confidence and arrogance, and sometimes you like to act like you're the only person in the room.”

“I don't do that.” Victoria said.

Both Eddie and Darian shot her the same look.

“Okay…maybe a little..” she admitted “But I'm just proud of my accomplishments. I'm proud of the things I won. I don't think it makes you an egomaniac because you're proud of your accomplishments. I'm not going to walk around and pretend that my accomplishments didn't happen.”

“Nobody's asking you.” Eddie said.

“That's how Calaway makes it sound though…” Victoria said “Like, just because someone acknowledges their success they're some unbearable maniac.”

“That's not what she said…” Eddie replied

“It's what she meant.” Victoria replied back.

“Is it?” asked Eddie

“Of course it is.” Victoria replied “But if my confidence bothers her, that's her problem because I worked too hard to get here to start second guessing myself. I'm just going to have to remind her why I'm so confident. Maybe it'll even get that cousin of ours to listen.”

“Zayvion?” asked Eddie “What did he do?”

“He didn't do anything…” Victoria said “And that's the problem. He won't listen to me and he continues to be defiant against the family name.”

“He's a good kid…” Eddie said “Just give him a break let him do his thing.”

“I just want him to have more respect and understand what his last name means now that he's a part of the Lyon's Den.” she said.

“He gives it his all every time…” said Eddie “He almost beat Alex Jones, he just might be bringing us another championship. I would say he's representing the Lyons Den well. Maybe you should look at the Zayvion part,  and not the Lyons part of his name.”

“But his last name is important.” Victoria insisted.

“To us." Eddie replied “But you have to remember, Zayvion, Alexander and all the rest of them, they didn't come up in it like you, me and Vincent did. So they're going to see it differently. It's just the way it is.”

“They didn't grow up in the same way…” Victoria replied “But that doesn't change what the name represents.”

“It doesn't change what it represents to us.” Eddie reaffirmed. “The three of us grew up inside this place. We had all the expectations and constant reminders of who we were supposed to be. Our fathers constantly reminding us that we carry the name but the name doesn't carry us. We had all that drilled into us from the start, Zayvion and his Lyons siblings didn't.”

“But they still have the name.” Victoria said. “I just want them to represent it properly.”

“Vincent represented it properly?” said Eddie bluntly.

That actually got her quiet for a moment. 

“Exactly.” said Eddie “Vincent grew up with the same expectations as we did, and he chose his own path just as Zayvion is.  I know you care about the Den and it's legacy, so do I. It's what we know, but you can't force someone else to feel what you feel. I know what Cleo has been putting him through, he's working his ass off, and at the end of the day hard work is what the Lyon's Den has always been about.”

Victoria sighed, maybe Eddie was right. Zayvion was starting to make waves and he was doing it rather quickly as many Lyons Den talent did. Perhaps in due time he would come around.

For the conversation got any further they heard the door open and Sabrina's voice carried through the house.

“Eddie? We're home.”

Victoria's eyes brightened and in that moment she forgot about Zayvion,  Alexandra, Vincent, even SCW, because there  one thing she wanted at that moment.”

“Joooordaaaaaan.” she squealed. “Where's my little lioness?”

She nearly tripped has she jumped from the couch to meet Sabrina at the door.

__________

The cameras open on Victoria Lyons as she stands in front of a pegboard that has the word Queens spelled out on top of it with photos posted on it of Madonna, Beyonce, Aretha Franklin, Elizabeth Taylor and Selena Quintanilla. Right in the middle alongside them is a picture of Victoria herself.

“What is a queen?” Victoria begins, "Is it a crown and a throne? I used to think so and it seems my opponent still feels that that's all I think a queen is. But in my time as a queen I've learned so much more about what being a queen really is, it's more than just a crown and a throne.”

She looks at pictures of the women on the board behind her.

“These women on this board have all been referred to as queen in some form or another.” she said “Yet only one of them is ridiculed for it. Everybody looks at me like I'm not supposed to be proud to be a strong independent woman, a real queen.”

She pauses shortly.

“You know Alexandra..” she continued “Maybe for a time I let that all go to my head. I wore the crown, I sat on a throne. I truly acted like I was royalty but now when I call myself a queen it means something so much different. It's a representation of what I've done. It represents me being a strong woman which I suppose in that regard, that would make you a queen outside of the whole Queen for a Day since as well.”

She lets those words hang for a moment.

“Look at the women on this board behind me.” she said “These are women who built legacies and commanded rooms the moment they walked into them. They worked hard and fought and clawed their way to the top of their respective industries. Some of them are no longer with us and some of them are still out there being the queens that they are.”

She paused shortly.

“They weren't giving crowns.” she continued “They earned the right for people to call them queens,  and none of them got there pretending they weren't great. None of them got there by shrinking themselves so other people would feel comfortable, and that's the part you seem to misunderstand about me Alexandra.”

She paused shortly again.

“What you see as arrogance.” she continued “I see as acknowledgment. You see a crown that went to my head and I see years of fighting to earn the right to stand here. You of all people should understand that, you fought just as hard and you've taken losses, come back stronger and proven people wrong. That's why at the end of the day, yes I do have respect for you but that doesn't mean I'm going to step aside and let you walk all over me. That doesn't mean I'm going to stop considering myself a queen so I can feel confident and proud of everything that I've done in my life.”

She shifted the championship on her shoulder.

“So yes I'm going to continue to call myself a Queen.” she said "Because that's exactly what I am. I am an inspiration so when young ladies look at me they say yaaaaas queen.”

She raises up her hand in the air and shakes it slightly.

“But what you really should be doing is thanking me.” said Victoria “Because I did something for you that you were unable to do yourself. I rid this company of my brother Vincent Lyons Jr.”

Her familiar smirk grows on her face.

“He became quite the thorn in your side didn't he? Made life living hell for you and the Kasey's?" she said “You kept coming out there and getting in between him and whatever Kasey's ass he was trying to kick that week. A valiant effort but it was never going to be enough. Someone more powerful needed to take action and that person was me. Now my brother sits in some white padded room in upstate North Carolina somewhere. He is no longer a problem for you thanks to me. You're welcome.”

She laughs to herself almost like she takes delight in the idea of her brother being committed.

“That's why you just fight battles.” she said “I'm out there ending wars. That's why I'm always one step ahead of you. You want to talk down to me because I haven't been the Bombshell World champion? Neither have you and you haven't even won the Bombshell Internet Championship that I carry on my shoulder. You won't be taking it from me on Sunday either.”

She looks down at her championship with pride in her eyes.

“The funny thing is..” she said “If you do somehow take this from me, that's not going to push me back it's going to push me up because you know damn well I'd be next in line for a bombshell World Championship opportunity. Even more beautiful is when I do become the Bombshell World champion one day, then I've done it all.  Won every championship in this company, making my win a grand slam. But it's okay, you'll catch up to me someday. I believe in you.”

She smirks again.

“We have a lot of history.” said Victoria “And history has a funny way of repeating itself. Which means the most likely outcome is me still walking out the Bombshell Internet Champion and what will no doubt be one of my biggest wars to date. Just remember crown or no crown you're still facing a queen. I may not be the queen of pop, or soul, or the Silver Screen, or Tejano music. I may not be a multiplatinum selling artist that inspires young girls around the world. But I am the queen of Sin City Wrestling, and at Blaze of Glory, I'm going to remind you exactly what that means.”

She grows a confident and slightly arrogant smile on her face and the camera slowly fades to black.

Victoria didn't want to be here in the halls of this mental health facility she had an important match to get ready for. A Champion versus Champion versus Alicia Lukas, but here she was having to deal with her brother's disobedience once again. She thought she had been rid of him but since her name was signing all the documents she was the one they called when he was being particularly uncooperative. An oversight she hadn't considered on her part when she signed the damn things

“What did he do?” Victoria asked a nurse behind a desk with a clipboard.

“Thank you for coming on short notice Miss Lyons.” the nurse replied “Your brother has been refusing medication, he's being verbally and physically abusive to staff, and the other day he bit another resident during recreation time.”

“Where did he bite them?” Victoria asked

“On the butt.” the nurse replied

“You've got to be kidding me..” said Victoria

“The doctor recommends upping his dosage and placing him on 24 hours solitary confinement.” the nurse explained

There was no hesitation, the pen glided across the paper as soon as it was put into Victoria's hands. It was so easy for her. Her name at the bottom of those papers meant she had all the control. Not Vincent, not their mother, it was her they called when they needed the approvals for Vincent's care.

Control. She liked that.

Would you like to see him the nurse asked

Victoria paused for a moment, thinking it over.

“He doesn't get many visitors, it might help to see a familiar face.” the nurse continued

“Fiiiiiine.” Victoria said, rolling her eyes.

“Right this way Miss Lyons.” the nurse said

She followed the nurse down the hallways looking at the same mundane beige walls along the way. The same smell of disinfectant continued to linger in the air. She hated this place, every second here was a second she wasn't preparing for Alicia Lukas.

“Always wasting my time…” she muttered under her breath, “Even here.”

“I'm sorry?” the nurse said, glancing back.

“Oh nothing.” Victoria said.

That was the talent Vincent always had. Even locked away in a place like this, he still managed to waste her time and try to pull her backwards.

Victoria continued to follow the nurse to a heavier security door and after a swipe of a card the door clicked open.

“We already had to restrain him twice today. the nurse explained “If he becomes violent, our team will step in and subdue him immediately.”

Victoria nodded.

“I'm not worried.” she told the nurse.

If anything the idea amused her. She stepped through the door and there was Vincent on the edge of his bed, restrained, controlled, and powerless. His hair was longer and his facial hair remained unkempt.  He shifted his eyes so as to not look directly at her.

“You look terrible.” she said to him.

Silence.

“They tell me you're refusing your meds.” she said “And that you bit somebody, on the ass. You really ought to behave yourself.”

More silence.

“You know, I was supposed to train today.” she said taking a step closer to him “I have a big champion versus champion match with Alicia Lukas coming up, real stakes at hand. Instead I'm here because you decided to bite somebody like some sort of feral animal.”

“You put me here.” said Vincent, his lip quivering, “You chose him over me.

“Who? Eddie?” said Victoria raising an eyebrow “Is that what you think this is really about me choosing Eddie over you?”

She laughed.

“It's so much more than that.” she said “It's about all your behavior these past few months, but it's really about when you betrayed me and said you had no sister. The moment those words left your lips I let time go by and compiled all the evidence I needed. Oh, and you made it so easy. The attempted murder of Logan Hunter, multiple assaults against the Kasey family, just to name a few. Then you laid your hands on your actual family and that just sealed the deal.”

“Like you're so much better.” Vincent replied “Multiple attacks on Harper Mason ring a bell? What about when we broke our cousin Alexander's arm just so you could send a message to Alexandra Calaway?”

Victoria rolled her eyes.

“Harper Mason was a calculated business decision against someone I was involved in a blood feud with.”  Victoria replied “And that calculated business decision led me to the Internet Championship. As for Alexander he chose his side when he went against the family and chose Alexandra Calaway over us.”

“Whatever you need to tell yourself so you can sleep at night.” replied Vincent.

“Don't try to spin this on me.” Victoria said “You're in here as a result of your own actions. Don't forget you try to attack me from behind as well. If it wasn't for my sweet Dare Bear, who knows what you would have done. Darian had to get six stitches above his eye, you know,  what were you even thinking?”

Vincent said nothing, back to the silence.

“That's what I thought. Victoria said “Your main mistake was you thought you could be in control, but you can't because I'm always one step ahead of you. Ever since day one when I came into this world before you did. I beat you to life itself, so no matter how hard you try little brother, your big sister will always be ahead of you.”

She stood up, and smirked at him giving him a mock kiss on the forehead before whispering into his ear.

“I approved them to up your dosage and put you in 24-hour solitary confinement. They're going to watch you eat, piss, shit, and play with your tiny little pecker if you choose to.” She said “Now, You're going to listen to them and behave yourself. You're going to take your medication, or else I make this worse for you. Do not waste my time by having them call me here again.”

She straightened up her posture and smiled down at Vincent who remained silent.

“Take care of yourself little brother.” she said with a mocking grin “I love you.”

She nodded to the nurse in the corner.

“That will be all thank you.” She said.

The nurse and her team open the door and led Victoria out before she left the facility she made one last request of the nurse.

“Since he's going to be in there alone…” Victoria said “Maybe every so often you could play him some music, he really likes Taylor Swift. He acts like he doesn't because of the whole male macho thing but my little brother is secretly a total Swiftie.

“Yeah that can be arranged.” said the nurse “We can probably find an hour or two a day to play him some Taylor Swift music. If you think it will help.”

“I do. Thank you so much.” Victoria smiled

“Of course you have a nice day Miss Lyons.” said the nurse

Vincent hated Taylor Swift and Victoria knew it. It was going to be hell for him, and that only helped the smile on her face grow as she exited the facility.

_________


Victoria genuinely enjoyed the coziness of Eddie's home. There was a genuine warmth that came over her when she entered, that she didn't feel anywhere else.  Her and Eddie's relationship wasn't perfect but they got along well enough mostly they just had different ideologies but she liked that Eddie didn't try to judge her or change her. He may not agree with her ideology but Eddie always let Victoria be Victoria without any judgment.

Of course there really was only one reason she even came to Eddie's house.

“Okay, where is she? Where's my absolutely adorable little princess?” said Victoria as Eddie let her and Darian into the house.

“Hello to you too.” said Eddie

“Yes, hi.” said Victoria, "Now come on, baby, where is she?”

Eddie laughed to himself and shook his head

“She's in the living room.” he said “Right this way.”

When they got to the living room Victoria's on Jordan sitting there on the floor propped up against a pillow playing with a plastic giraffe toy.

There's my little angel Victoria said scooping Jordan up without hesitation Jordan reacted with some happy baby babble, playfully grabbed at Victoria's hair.

“Ow.” said Victoria “Careful with the hair sweetie.”

In some ways she found this whole thing humorous. Here she was, a woman who could dismantle half the locker room without blinking and now she was now letting a little baby play with her hair.

“So how are things at SCW?” ask Eddie

Oh not much has changed since Victoria I've got my big match with Alicia Lukas coming up, Champion versus champion.

“Yeah. They like booking those.” said Eddie, "I'm surprised you stopped by and aren't focusing  on your training.”

“Well you have to take a day off training sometimes.” said Victoria “And visiting this little bundle  is totally worth it and not a waste of my time.

“Not a waste of your time?” said Eddie curiously “What do you mean?”

“It's not important.” said Victoria “But any chance I get to come see this little bundle is worth it, just know that.”

“All right then…” said Eddie raising an eyebrow curiously.

Victoria didn't elaborate she didn't want to keep talking and accidentally say too much instead she continued playing with Jordan who continued playfully grabbing at her hair, for and back she was greeted with a tiny hand slapping her harder in the mouth at any of her opponents ever had.

“Ow! That wasn't very nice Jordan.” She said

Jordan giggled.

“Well you're definitely a Lyons.” Victoria said, "You have some power behind that smack of yours.”

“Tell me about it.” Eddie muttered

“Oh don't you worry Jordan.” she said “Your big cousin Victoria is going to teach you how to be a proper lioness like her.”

“And that's what I'm afraid of..” Eddie muttered to himself.

“Hmmm.” said Victoria

“Nothing.” Eddie replied.

Victoria and Darian continued to play with Jordan, a side of them not many got to see a true human side that only seemed to come out when baby Jordan was near. It made her think about having her own little bundle of joy but she couldn't do that now she couldn't take the time off work for a pregnancy, unfortunately it just didn't come as easy for the ladies as it did the boys. But she really did love this tiny human, and when she threw the toy giraffe on the floor Victoria instinctively went for it.

“....Don't.” Eddie said, as if warning her.

“It's not a big deal..” said Victoria “I can pick it up for her. It's right there.”

“Yeah…but” Eddie said

Victoria didn't listen and got up and grabbed the draft toy handing it back to Jordan who immediately threw it back on the ground again.

“Silly girl.” said Victoria

She probably picked the toy up again and handed it back to Jordan who of course do it right back on the floor.

Victoria looked over to Eddie who was just watching with his arms folded with an I told you so look on his face.

They went back and forth like this multiple times with Eddie just watching an amusement before finally after the 17th time Jordan seemed to finally get bored.

“17…” said Eddie “You're lucky, usually she breaks 20.”

She's doing it on purpose said Victoria

“Yep.” said Eddie.

“I don't think I've seen you get hustled by somebody that bad before.”  Darian grinned

Victoria stuck her tongue at him.

“She's just lucky she's a cute little tyrant.” said Victoria sitting next to Jordan once again, setting the baby on her knee.

“You're good with her you know.” Eddie said “You should show this side of you more.”

“And risk the other Bombshells like Alicia thinking I've gone soft?” said Victoria “Sorry not going to happen. I do still have an image to maintain.”

“Of course.” said Eddie shaking his head “Well at least try being nice to Zayvion, he's been working hard,  he's a good kid. Just don't be too harsh on him.”

“He needs to prove he's worthy of carrying our last name.”  Victoria said

“Just give him a chance.” said Eddie.

Victoria huffed.

“We'll see.” She said.

Victorian Dairy and remain playing with the baby for the next several minutes before Victoria finally stood up holding her giving her a kiss on the forehead.

Well I guess it's about that time we should probably get going she said thanks for having us Eddie.

Think nothing of it Eddie said Jordan really likes you.

That made Victoria smile and she nodded back at Eddie and made her way to the door before he called her name once again.

“Victoria….” Eddie said.

She looked back at him.

“Baby.” He said.

“Fiiiiiine.” Victoria said, setting Jordan down next to her toys.

“Trying to steal my baby now?” said Eddie

“She shouldn't be so adorable.” Victoria shrugged.

She bid Eddie farewell once more as she and  Darian left the home. The visit was nice and cleansing for her. Now she could go back to focusing on her training and prepare for her match with Alicia Lukas.

_________

The camera is open on Victoria Lyons in a choir room standing against the wall internet Championship draped over who showed her like it weighs nothing she looks up to the camera and begins speaking


“You know the funny thing about history?.” she begins “Nobody remembers second place they remember dominance, records, and the names that lasted.  They remember me.”

She pauses

“You've done well as roulette champion but don't forget who reignited that division," she continued because when people think of that Championship, they still think of me. They still think of my record and what I did with that belt. They're looking to see if you can be as dominant a champion as I was.”

She smirks confidently.

“Now you face me in this ridiculous champion versus champion match.” she said “It's like you're supposed to be my equal.”

She almost laughs.

“Now you are a champion that's true you wear gold and you defend it without mercy “ she said “But I am a whole another animal. I'm the measuring stick they hold you to as champion now because of how good I was when I held it. “Now I intend to do the same with the internet championship.”

She keeps her look of confidence.

This match is nothing more than maintenance she said it's not some showcase for me like the powers that be wanted to be it's going to be a reminder that you do not belong in my league and that there are levels to this you don't get to use me as a stepping stone and gain momentum off of me. I'm not an obstacle you can overcome, I'm the ceiling you're going to slam into.

She laughs.

“I've even beaten you a few times in the past. she said “So when that bell rings I'm going to be looking at someone that's trying to measure herself against my shadow, and that shadow is bigger than you think. After I beat you they won't wonder if you can break my record, they'll be reminded why it still stands and you'll never come close to touching it.”

She pushes off the wall and steps closer to the camera.

“You see Alicia, This isn't personal for me. “ She said “We're both defending momentum and defending our place. But you're going to find out that I will always be your better because I'm going to elevate my internet championship the same way I elevated the roulette championship, and when I'm done they won't talk about who had it before me. They'll talk about the era that began when I took control,and you just get to be part of the transition.”

She smiles arrogantly

“I'll remind you who you're better is.” she said “Remind you that perhaps the name Alicia Lukas doesn't carry as much weight around here as you think. Because when I beat you the conversation ends everybody will know that Victoria lions is the true dominance of the bombshell division.

She pauses again.

“I'll see you out there Alicia.” she said “Where you will find out that while you are a champion, I will always be the standard.”

She gives one final confident nod at the camera and it fades to block.

It was a quiet New Year's Eve in the home of Victoria Lyons, she had just returned from a wonderful birthday dinner with Darian has she sat on the couch with a blanket draped Loosely over her shoulders the fireworks hadn't started yet but the anticipation of the new year was already humming through the glass.

She heard her phone buzz on the coffee table but she didn't look at it she already knew it was just more birthday wishes from her peers and family members. Many of which she never even  talked to during the year, but somehow every year there they were wishing her the best like they actually knew her.

She asked her slowly through her nose and looked up at the ceiling hoping it would answer questions that she hadn't figured out how to ask. Questions about who she was and what she was becoming.

It was New Year's Eve and also her birthday, It always felt so strange to her, like the universe couldn't decide if she belonged at the end or at the beginning. Vincent had been born a minute later on New Year's Day, a fresh calendar list, all she got was the final breath of the old year.

Her gaze shifted to her faint reflection in nearby window, there were no fancy lights or ring gear or championship belts draped over her shoulder, she was just a woman sitting alone with her thoughts, away from the usual noise that always drowned them out.

Harper Mason slipped into her mind uninvited, as it seemed to always do these days.

The Bombshell Roulette Championship. 

Victoria had the longest reign in the division's history until Harper came along and ended it.

 Victoria feels her jaw tighten slightly, she can still feel the shock and disbelief,  the way air left the room when it happened. Everybody looked at her to see if she would snap and turn into exactly what they thought she was. But she didn't scream, she just recalibrated.

However Harper didn't just beat her Harper took something that day she ended something historic and put a period at the end of his sentence that Victoria wasn't ready to finish writing and now here they are again ready to write another chapter.

The Bombshell Internet Championship

A different championship and a different moment but the same two women. She looked down at the faint marks still on her knuckles and flexed her hand. She had wormed her way into Harper's championship match by attacking her and now Harper felt like Victoria stole something from her.

Maybe she had, and maybe the way she went about it wasn't fair. But to Victoria the ends always justified the means. She had found a way to make herself a champion again and it worked, Harper was just going to have to deal with it and understand that life didn't always play fair.

Luna Palsino flashed through her mind next.  She didn't hesitate to answer Eddie's call, and stepped in when Luna tried to involve herself in his match. But why had she really done it?

If she was being perfectly honest it was because it made her feel important and it made her feel needed. Eddie needed her help, he had come to her. But at the same time she knew it was the right thing to do. She knew something would have to be done about Luna in that situation and both Eddie and Carter were too honorable to lay their hands on a lady.

But then there was Harper, the contract, and the name signed in blood. She hadn't planned it that way.  It had come from somewhere instinctive. When she signed that contract in Harper's blood there had been that flicker of a moment where she felt powerful, and then another flicker where she had felt hollow.

The hollow feeling lingered longer than she had wanted it to, sitting in her chest like a low ache not sharp enough to hurt or loud enough to demand attention just present and persistent.

She leaned back into the couch listening to a clock tick it's way toward midnight and a new year she wasn't quite sure she was ready for. Familiar footsteps padded softly somewhere behind her,  she didn't look, she knew those steps and waited for the familiar weight to settle on the couch beside her, as she nestled closer to Darian. She could still smell the faint remnants of the Italian restaurant he had taken her to for dinner.

“You're thinking loudly.” she heard him say.

“Runs in the family.” she shrugged.

“Care to share any of it?” he asked

She exhaled slightly, curling her fingers.

“I keep replaying it, all of it.” she said “Harper. Luna. Eddie. The contract signed in blood. Me.”

Darian raised an eyebrow.

“They villainize me for my assault on Harper, but they cheer for me taking out Luna.” she said “Am I supposed to be good? Am I supposed to be bad? I don't even know anymore.”

“When have you ever cared about any of that?” Darian asked.

“I've been asking myself the same thing.” she said

“You're allowed to change…”  Darian said “You know that right?”

“I know.” she said shifting slightly “I've felt it ever since Harper took the Roulette Championship from me. I kept telling myself that records are meant to be broken and if it wasn't her it would have been someone else but that reign was proof that everything I sacrificed meant something, that it all had a purpose, and when it ended I felt the universe asking me who I was without it “

Darian listened.

“I still don't have a clean answer to that.” she said "But I do have the Bombshell Internet Championship, and it feels different. Like this one isn't about proving I can last, this one is about proving I can adapt.”

“Adaptation will keep you alive in this business.” Darian said with a knowing nod.

“Exactly..” Victoria said “I don't want to go backward and chase the ghost of that reign forever, but I also don't want to pretend it didn't matter.”

“Then don't pretend.” Darian replied “Let it matter, just don't let it own you.”

“Easy to say..” Victoria scoffed.

“And hard to do.“ he agreed “But when have you ever shied away from hard?”

She let that sink in for a few moments, searching herself again, flashes of Harper's blood, reminders of how heavy the pen felt in her hand.

“It was a statement you know..” she said “When I signed that contract in Harper's blood, a reminder to everybody that I'm not somebody who waits for permission or does things the right way.”

“There she is..” Darian grinned.

“Most would say that doesn't make me good.” she said “But I don't necessarily think I'm bad either.”

“You never really were one for labels.” Darian said “You just have to be Victoria, and maybe they'll like what you do, and maybe they won't but you're going to do what's best for Victoria Lyons.”

Victoria listened.

“And right now what Victoria needs to do is tell Harper Mason that she's not sorry.“ Darian said “She took the opportunity because she could and if Harper wants to call her a thief, this is her opportunity to try and take it back.”

“My thoughts exactly.” Victoria said with a dangerous smile. "This year I'm not chasing who I was, I'm becoming who I need to be.”

The sound of the clock continued ticking closer to midnight.

Ten

Nine

Eight

She thought about her Bombshell Internet Championship, where the Bombshell Roulette Championship had represented validation,  this one represented evolution.

Seven

Six

Five

Whatever came in the new year and whatever consequences followed her choices she had come to peace with one truth.

Four

Three

Two.

She wasn't here to be good, and she wasn't here to be bad. She was here to be undeniable, and Harper Mason would be the first to be reminded of that in 2026.

One.

It was time for another undeniable year for Victoria Lyons.

“Happy New Year Dare Bear." she said, locking in a New Year's kiss with her fiance.

__________

The cameras snap to life to find Victoria Lyons standing alone in the center of the frame, the Bombshell Internet Championship resting on her shoulder like it's an extension of her body.

The room is simple with concrete walls, some exposed beams and a few overhead lights. She looks directly into the lens with a warm and knowing smile.

“I spent my holiday season in peace, with my fiancé.” she began calmly, “No crowd, no rivals, no opinions screaming at me from every direction telling me who I'm supposed to be, and do you know what I realized?

She paused and took a calculated step forward.

“I realized how loud everybody gets when they think they figured someone out.” she continued. "They cheer for me when I put down Luna Pasilno, stopping her from interfering in Eddie and Carter's match. That was okay with everyone because I was helping the right people fight the right fight.”

She paused, taking another slow step forward.

“But I take out Harper Mason, sign my name in her blood, and suddenly everybody's uncomfortable.” She said with a shrug “Funny how morality works like that. What I find truly funny about it is, had you chosen to sign your name in my blood, they would have loved you for it. They would have chanted your name and tweeted about how badass Harper Mason is.”

She shakes her head and rolls her eyes slightly.

“But because it was me…” she continued “Because I didn't play the part you were comfortable assigning me,  suddenly it's a problem.”

She takes another slow step forward.

“Harper, I want you to listen to me very carefully.” she said her tone growing sharp, “This isn't jealousy, or me spiraling because you took something from me once, this is clarity.”

She tilts her head slightly keeping her eyes on the camera.

“You ended my Roulette Championship reign.” she said “The longest one the division has ever seen, and I'm not going to rewrite history or pretend it didn't matter, because it did matter.”

She pauses shortly.

“It mattered because that reign wasn't just wins and defenses.” she continued “It was proof, proof that every sacrifice I made and every night I chose this over comfort, it all meant something. When you took it from me, the world went quiet waiting to see if I would crack and become exactly what they already decided I was.”

She grinned.

“But I didn't.” she said “I recalibrated, figured out what I needed to do to become a champion again and I did it.  Unfortunately it had to come at your expense, and you can call that stealing all you want, but the truth is I never stole anything. You still had your opportunity, I just changed the variables and you were unable to adapt.”

She taps her Internet Championship.

“If me turning your singles opportunity into a triple threat really threw you off your game that much.” Victoria continued “Maybe you don't deserve to be a champion, because a champion, a real champion stays ready for anything and a real Champion is always able to recalibrate.”

She knowingly adjusted her championship, running her fingers across the plate letting them linger there a little longer than necessary.

“You see Harper, champions don't live in perfect conditions.” she continued “They don't get straight roads and clear skies, they get chaos and they get moments where the script gets torn up right in front of them.  It is in those moments you can either evolve or make excuses.”

Her expression sharpens.

“You want to frame this like I robbed you of something sacred.” she said “Like I corrupted some pure opportunity that was meant to be yours. But that opportunity was never guaranteed, it was conditional and I changed the conditions. That's what you call intelligence.”

She nods slightly.

“That championship reign you ended..” she continued “Everyone will remember the length and the records I set, but what they won't remember are the nights after where my body didn't want to move and the days where the pressure sat so heavy on my chest that breathing felt like work. That reign taught me endurance, but losing it taught me honesty.”

She took another step closer to the camera.

“It taught me that I had wrapped too much of myself around being the example.” she said “I focused too much on making myself the measuring stick, and when you took it from me I realized how dangerous that was.  I realized the moment you define yourself by one thing, you make it easy for the world to decide who you are when that thing is gone.”

She straightens up her posture.

“So I refuse to let the world define me by what I lost.” she said “And that's what scares you the most Harper, not the blood or the contract, the fact that I'm no longer tethered to anybody's expectations. I don't need to be the longest reigning anymore. Do I want to be, and am I going to try to be? Absolutely. But I don't —--need—--- to be.  I'm not going to be the example of how to do things the right way, I'm going to do things my way because what I need to do is win.”

She pauses.

"You know the difference between the two versions of me?" she continued "The woman you beat, and the one you're going to be standing across from now? The first one wanted to be respected and she got that, but this one? This one wants to be undeniable. So you can call what I did to get into your championship match, theft, or crossing a line, you can call it striving for attention, phrase it however you want. I choose to call it clarity.”

She takes another calculated step forward.

“Clarity.” she repeated “The kind that strips away excuses and doesn't ask for permission. Because once you see things clearly Harper,  you stop lying to yourself and you stop pretending this business it's about fairness, or momentum or who deserves what on paper you stop pretending that championships are won by morality plays and good intentions.”

She lifts the Bombshell internet Championship off her shoulder and holds it in front of her.

“This isn't mine because I was patient.” She continued “It's mine because I was decisive, I didn't wait for an invitation, I didn't hope an opportunity would come back around and offer me a reward. I found an opening and I forced the issue.”

She rests the title back in place on her shoulder.

“That's the part that makes people uncomfortable.” Victoria continued “The forcing of the issue, because it reminds them that the difference between —-almost—-- a champion, and a champion is usually someone willing to do what others hesitate to. I didn't wake up one morning and decide to be controversial, I woke up and decided I wasn't going to be passive because passivity is how legacies fade.”

She pauses shortly.

“Some may call me ruthless, and that's fine.” she said “That word exists for a reason, but don't confuse ruthlessness with recklessness. I didn't act without thought, I acted with intention and the intention was this.”

She taps her championship.

“You ended one reign Harper.” Victoria said “But you didn't take my understanding of this business. The woman you beat needed validation and she needed her reign to speak for her, but the woman sitting here now? She IS—--- the justification, and somewhere deep down that scares you because you can't outweigh me anymore, and you can't outlast me hoping I break under the weight of expectation. This championship doesn't weigh me down, it sharpens me. So go ahead and walk into this match telling yourself that you're owed something, and you'll be reclaiming what was stolen because when that bell rings you're not really fighting for justice, you're fighting to prove you can take it from me and that's going to be a much harder fight.”

She adjusts the championship once more.

“So bring all that anger.” she said “Bring every excuse and grievance, whatever you tell yourself to sleep at night because I'm done explaining myself. One thing is for sure Harper, when this is over there won't be any confusion.”

She lets those words hang for a moment.

“When that bell rings it won't be about who people like more.” she continued “Or who the crowd decides fits the role they're most comfortable cheering for, it's about who's prepared to walk in and live with the consequences and I assure you that I already am. You may have beat the version of me that needed to prove she belonged, but now you're about to face the version that knows she does. I will do whatever it takes to leave that ring with this championship on my shoulder.”

She pauses.

“So prepare however you need to.“ she said “But understand this, when you step in the ring with me you're fighting for survival because this year I'm not looking to be remembered fondly, I'm looking to be remembered clearly. I will walk out still the Bombshell Internet Champion and you will still continue running circles chasing championships trying to do things the right way.”

She laughs to herself.

“It must be so exhausting.” she said “Running in circles, convincing yourself that if you do everything the right way the universe will reward you. The hope that if you're patient enough it'll all work out. But the truth is, it won't because this business doesn't reward virtue. It rewards resolve and right now mine is absolute.”

She pauses again.

“So keep chasing permission Harper.” she said “Keep waiting for the perfect moment that tells you it's finally your time, because when you step in the ring with me you will find out what happens when someone stops waiting all together. I promise you, you won't be facing a woman haunted by what she lost, you'll be facing someone who already let go of it and learned how dangerous she can be without it. If you really think I took something from you, that I took this championship from you, than this is your opportunity to make it right, so come take it if you can, but when I walk out still Bombshell Internet Champion you better take a good hard look at yourself and realize what you need to do, what you —-really—- need to do if you want to be a champion around here, because once again I know I'm willing to do whatever it takes.”

She winks at the camera with a knowing grin as everything fades to black.

It was getting dark by the time Victoria and Darian pulled into the diner, Victoria looked at the place with a frown, it looked dingy and cheap but it was going to have to do.[/i]

“Charming.” she said to Darian but it wasn't a compliment.

"It's this, gas station sandwiches, or the drive-thru.” Darian said “You've got to pick your poison.”

Victoria gave an annoyed exhale.

“Fine.” she said “But if they hand me a menu filthy enough to attract flies we're leaving.”

The door chime gave a ring as they stepped inside, it looked to be a fairly quiet night. An old man eating a slice of pie at the counter, a pair of teenagers on a date, and a small handful of families filled the seats.

“Welcome in.” the waitress said with a friendly smile “Feel free to find a seat.”

They found a booth near the back window, the same booth that unbeknownst to them had hosted some familiar faces earlier that day.

The waitress came to their table with a smile and a coffee pot.

“Coffee?” she asked.

“Yes.” Victoria said “But we want it fresh, not whatever's been sitting in the pot for the last 3 hours.”

The waitress, whose name tag read Mindy gave a faint knowing smile.

“....Of course.” she said “I'll be right back with your menus and some fresh coffee.”

“Good.” said Victoria “And if it's not fresh, I send it back.”

“..Of course.” fake smiled Mindy.

As Mindy disappeared Darian looked at Victoria with a grin.

“You really know how to charm people don't you?” he said

“What?” said Victoria “Is a fresh cup of coffee too much to ask? Besides, you find me pretty charming.”

“Touche.” smiled Darian.

Mindy returned moments later with two menus and fresh hot coffee.

“Here's your coffee.” she said “And I'll be back to take your order whenever you're ready.”

“Very good.” said Victoria dismissively.

There was a moment of hesitation and then Mindy spoke again.

“Please forgive me for asking.” she said “But you look familiar have we met?”

“No.” said Victoria annoyed “If we had you wouldn't need to ask.”

“Right.. sorry..” Mindy said “It's just your eyes, they're…. familiar. Anyway, take a look over the menu and I'll be back shortly to see if you're ready.”

Mindy turned and left to help with some of the other customers.

“That was weird.” said Darian

“Well we are in Tucson.” said Victoria. "It's not like we're dealing with any scholars out here.”

“Maybe she watches SCW.” Darian suggested.

“If she watched SCW, I would be more than just familiar to her.” Victoria said “She probably just saw a flyer or billboard with me on it or something.”

“Yeah, probably.” Darian agreed.

Mindy returned to the table side a few moments later.

“You folks ready?” she asked.

“Yes." said Victoria “I'll have the classic burger, I want it cooked medium, no onions. I want the lettuce and tomato on the side. They come on the burger, I send it back.”

“Of course ma'am..” said Mindy biting her lip “And for you sir?”

“The gentlemen will have the grilled chicken sandwich.” Victoria said “And we both want fries, and we want them hot and fresh. They come cold, we send them back.”

“Coming right up ma'am.” said Mindy through her fake smile.

As Mindy walked away toward the kitchen, watch Victoria take a sip of the coffee.

"So what's the verdict on the coffee?" Darian asked.

“It's… passable.” Victoria said “But I can't expect too much out of Tucson.”

“You know, we could have just ordered room service at the hotel.” said Darian

Victoria shook her head.

“Not in this city.” said Victoria “I looked at our hotel's idea of room service, and I wouldn't even feed any of that to a stray dog. This is the best we're going to get, unfortunately.”

“I guess it's a good thing we stopped here then.” Darian chuckled.

“Yeah.. good… if you can call it that.” Victoria said.

They continued their chatter until Mindy returned and set two plates down in front of them.

“Medium burger no onions, lettuce and tomato on the side.” she said “And the grilled chicken sandwich for the gentleman.”

Victoria poked at her food like a science experiment lifting a fry between two of her fingers investigated it closely before dropping it back on the plate.

“Garson..” she said, snapping her fingers to get Mindy’s attention just has she turned to leave.

“...Something wrong ma'am?” Mindy asked.

“These fries are not fresh.” she said “Take it to whoever's back there, and tell them I said fresh, Not the fries that were cooked during lunch rush. His too.”

“I don't know mine are pretty good..” Darian said munching on a fry.

“And that's why you need me, Dare Bear.” Victoria said “You deserve better. You don't need to accept this. Now run along Mindy and fix it.”

“....Of course.” Mindy said with a thin tone gathering the plates and returning back to the kitchen.

“You're enjoying this aren't you?” Darian said.

“I just expect competency.". Victoria smirked “Besides I'm helping her improve.”

“Oh yeah, I'm sure she'll thank you later.” Darian grinned.

Mindy returned moments later with tired eyes and fresh plates sat down in front of them.

“There you go, fresh fries from the fryer.” she said, still faking a smile “I do apologize it's been a long day.”

“Been workin’ the diner all day?” huh said Darian

“Just about.” Mindy replied “Been here since brunch.”

“Well, if you're workin’ the diner all day..” Darian grinned, “Maybe your parents should have should have named you Gina.”

Genuine laughter left Victoria's lips and she nearly choked on her coffee.

“Oh that's a good one Dare Bear.” she said “You get it right Mindy? Like the Bon Jovi song.”

“Yeah..I got it.” Mindy muttered “I do hope everything is to your satisfaction now.”

Victoria inspected her fries once more.

“Not great..” she said “But better. They'll have to do.”

Mindy just gave a nod and turned and walked away.

“You know that waitress has a bad attitude.” said Victoria “She's lucky I'm such a nice person, but she should probably work on that.”

“The nerve of some people.” smirked Darian.

“Seriously.” said “I just hope this place doesn't give me food poisoning before my match with Mercedes and Harper.”

“Like a little thing like food poisoning would stop you anyway.” said Darian

“Very true." Victoria smiled back at him “Mercedes thinks because she's been around forever she's untouchable and Harper's still playing dress up acting like she deserves to be in the ring with the grown women. It's time to remind them who the queen is around here.”

“Then I guess Tucson better brace itself.” Darian chuckled.

“It's not ready.” Victoria said between bites of her burger, “But nobody ever really is.”

The two continued to finish their meal and when it was done, left just enough money to cover the bill.

“See you later Gina.” Victoria said with a grin at Mindy as they made their exit. The door made the same tired jingle it did when they arrived.

“Come on, let's get to the hotel.” Victoria said as her and Darian hopped into their vehicle and continued along down the highway. Mediocre dinner aside her eyes were focused on the real prize and that was the Bombshell Internet Championship.

__________

An endless highway stretched before them, a light glow from the dashboard painted Victoria's face as Darian drove with one hand on the wheel. She stared at the window at the endless scenery passing her by letting herself get lost in her thoughts.

The Bombshell Internet Championship.

It rested in her mind more and more as the days grew closer, a match that was about the championship as much as it was about validation. Proof that she was more than just her run as Bombshell Roulette Champion champion. It was proof that Victoria Lyons still had more to do and more records to break.

She wanted that championship, but it was more than that. It was about control and defining herself as the queen of another division. It was about reminding everyone that Victoria Lyons belonged on top.

She looked over at Darien who had his eyes fixated on the road and wondered how this whole thing had even happened. However it had, she knew her feelings were real and perhaps she even loved him.

The thought of her brother crept in like a ghost. She hadn't spoken to Vincent in weeks, not since he tried to recruit her into doing his dirty work against Alexandra Calaway. They were supposed to be unstoppable together, but their twin egos proved to be too much to handle each other.

She was actually getting along better with Eddie these days. Her cousin that she had once been a tag team champion alongside.  The relationship wasn't perfect but they always had some sort of mutual understanding. She even got to meet baby Jordan a few times…. with supervision.

But that was more than Vincent. Eddie had made it known that Vincent wasn't allowed around his daughter. Vincent had a long way to go with making things right with Eddie.

As for her, she wondered if her own wound with Vincent would heal. Or if he ever thought about her. Whatever was going on in the storm of his mind these days, did he still remember the days when it was just the two of them?

“Penny for your thoughts?” Darian's voice came through.

“Hmmm?” said Victoria, breaking from her little daydream.

“You've been staring out that window for a while.” Darian said

“Oh ...." said Victoria “Yeah…. just thinking about the match”

“Figured as much.” said Darian “You've got your battle mode eyes on.”

“Do I now?” said Victoria

“Yep.” said Darian “I bet you've already imagined three different ways to finish off Mercedes and Harper.”

“Four actually.” grinned Victoria.  “But it's more than that, it's about everything that comes with winning the championship. The statement that Victoria Lyons belongs on top. Because it seems like people are starting to forget that.”

“You want to remind them.” said Darian

“Yes.” she said “And maybe remind myself. I know I've had my ups and downs lately but it ends here. I can't be the Victoria that lost the High Stakes tournament to Bella Madison, I need to be the Victoria that beat Kayla Richards in the High Stakes tournament.”

“Ups and downs or not Vic.” Darian said “I think underestimating you at any time would be a mistake.”

“Exactly.” said Victoria “That's what I love about you Dare Bear, you get it. Harper and Mercedes think I'm not as good as I once was, they're about to find out how wrong they are. I'm ready for this I'm ready to once again be a champion and have another record-breaking reign.”

“Imagine." he said “The longest reigning Bombshell Roulette Champion of all time, and the longest reigning Bombshell Internet Champion of all time, you'd be undeniable.”

“Oh I already am.” she said “I just need to make them all see it.”

“You will.” Darian reassured her.

She smiled at him, her Dare Bear. Always so supportive. He was right though it was time for Victoria Lyons to be a champion again. It was time for her to take the Bombshell Internet Championship from Mercedes Vargas and dominate another division. It was time to show Harper Mason that lightning does not strike twice, and it was time to show the entire SCW fanbase that Victoria Lyons was still the queen.  She leaned back in her seat, looking back at the window, keeping her mind focused on gaining her next crown.

__________

Static, and then the camera flickers to life on Victoria sitting in front of a vanity looking at her reflection in the glass. She avoids looking at the camera lens only looking at herself as she begins speaking.

“They say mirrors don't lie.” Victoria said “But that's not the truth. Mirrors show us what we want to see, a familiar polished reflection.”

She pauses still not looking at the camera.

“Harper Mason, you sit there in front of the camera and do your little vlogs.” said Victoria “You have that same mirror mentality  talking about curses and bad luck. But the truth is you're not under a curse Harper, it's just your pattern.”

She turns in her seat, finally facing the camera.

“All I heard from you were excuses.” said Victoria “Blaming everybody else for your own failures because you can't accept that you simply aren't good enough to hang at the top. You call me the queen of choking? Sweetheart, you're confusing choking with pressure. You know what that is right? You've been under it before. You call it a curse and I call it your ceiling.”

She looks back at the mirror smiling at herself.

“You think I attacked you out of fear?” said Victoria “I only came to restore order, and take what's right. I didn't take your spotlight. I am the spotlight. You're just the light that flickers out when the pressure hits too hard. You're sole victory over me is your defining moment, and you couldn't even make that last. Think about it, nobody cares that you won the roulette championship,  they care because of who you beat to become the Roulette clChampion. Alexandra Calaway is one of the top Bombshells in that locker room, but nobody talks about me starting my reign by defeating her. But with you all they talk about is how you ended the reign of Victoria Lyons. That's because when I took the championship I made it and myself great. It wasn't just about who I beat.”

She pauses for a moment.

“Hypocrite.” she said “That's what you called me right? Hey, maybe I've stumbled a bit since losing my sweet Rue, but you don't understand that the fall isn't the end, it's a recalibration. My dominance is about longevity, because I'm not looking to just create moments I'm looking to create a legacy.”

She exhales.

“But you're just someone addicted to moments.” said Victoria “The flash of victor,y and a feeling of validation that disappears as fast as it came. I'm addicted to evolution Harper. I come and tear down what isn't working and rebuild it stronger. You can cling to your one victory over me like a little life raft, because you know that's the only thing that keeps your name from fading into obscurity. I'm chasing greatness, you're the one chasing validation.”

She leans back slightly in her chair keeping her callous expression on the camera.

“The truth is you need me to stay relevant.” said Victoria “But I can be relevant on my own. My name carries its own gravity, because Victoria Lyons commands attention. You've just been comfortable living in my shadow.”

She laughs to herself.

“You can call me whenever you want Harper.” Victoria said “You can call me whatever helps you sleep at night, but when we get into that ring at High Stakes, you'll remember why you couldn't be a champion for long. That same pressure will close in and the weight of that expectation will break you apart. People like Mercedes and myself feed off that. That's why we're seen as actual dominant champions. That's why Mercedes has a legacy and that's why I'm creating mine.”

A smirk curls on her lips.

“I'm sorry I had to make you the afterthought.” said Victoria “But one of the big girls had to give Mercedes a real challenge. Someone had to step up and that's exactly what I did. If you don't like it, then you need to put your big girl pants on and do something about it.”

She stops to catch some air.

“Of course that brings me to you Mercedes.” Victoria continued “You sit there under your city lights telling everyone how untouchable you are talking about the inevitability of your dominance, and honestly I get it. That confidence is necessary in this business, and you need that sort of attitude to survive. It's what makes women like you, and women like me predators, and women like Harper Mason the prey. Because you know as well as I do, that that's all Harper Mason is in this match you and I are the predators Mercedes."

She laughs slightly to herself.

“I'll give you your credit Mercedes.” Victoria said “You make dominance look like art, and that's something you've mastered over your career. But you seem to have forgotten some things while you sit there in your silk robe, letting the sun shine on your championship with just the right hint of light.”

She exhales softly.

“You've been around so long you forgot about what hunger is like, and you assume that because someone hasn't been sitting in first class for over a decade they aren't equipped for the air.” Victoria said “You painted Harper Mason as a tourist in your city gasping for breath at the summit where the view is reserved. But high altitude doesn't define who can fly, and you will find out that Victoria Lyons is capable of flying higher than anybody.”

She pauses.

“You love to talk about legacy.” Victoria said “About history recording you, like your past performance guarantees your future dominance. What happens when someone new comes along and doesn't observe the sunset from your rooftop but decides to build a bigger house that outshines it?”

She keeps her eyes glinting on the camera.

“You think I'm still workshopping my persona halfway through the year?” Victoria said “Mercedes…. I've always been the queen I don't need a crown or a throne to be that. I just need to be the strong independent woman that Victoria Lyons has always been.  Queen is a mindset, that's something a strong independent woman like you should understand. It's what helps me build confidence in myself. What are you if not the Argentine Assassin? What is Harper Mason if not the Slaytanic Avenger?”

She raises an eyebrow.

“You like to lecture me about accountability.” said Victoria “About dropping the baggage that was my brother. Make me sound like a fragile woman clinging to excuses but I'm not fragile and I'm not clinging to anything. Every obstacle you point to, every revelation you try to weaponize against me, I use it as fuel against you and that's what makes me dangerous.”

You can almost see a fire growing in her eyes at this point.

“Legacy isn't about pretty optic sunsets or fancy robes.” said Victoria “Legacy is the impact you leave behind when someone else tests your supposed perfection and doesn't flinch, even when you assume control is absolute. You want me to prove myself on your terms, but I don't bend to anybody not even you Mercedes. But you will bend to me and you and Harper both will be forced to call me the new Bombshell Internet Champion when High Stakes comes to an end.”

She smiles that ever confident smile.

“So sit on your rooftop and count your victories Mercedes.” Victoria said “Tell everyone about the inevitability of your reign, tell Harper to quiver about altitude sickness, tell me I'm digging myself into a pit, because when that bell rings you will realize the reality of the chaos that I truly am in reality is unavoidable.”

She turns and looks back at herself in the vanity.

“I promise you both, when the bell tolls on Sunday,” Victoria said “The Bombshell Internet Championship will have a new name.  Not Mercedes Vargas, and not Harper Mason but Victoria Lyons, and that Mercedes will be the view from the top you didn't see coming.”

She looks to herself in the mirror with confidence and a smile in the scene slowly fades out to black.

The fireplace warmed the living room as it cast an amber glow across the face of Victoria Lyons as she sat in her favorite lounge chair with her favorite glass of red.  Darian Price lay on a nearby sofa, the look of a job well done on his face, holding his preferred glass of rum and coke to himself.

“I have to say Dare Bear.“ Victoria said with that unmistakable smirk on her lips “That first round went exactly the way we planned it. I mean can you believe it? I defeated Kayla Richards, she is no longer part of the high stakes tournament.”

“I'd say it went even better than we hoped.” Darian chuckled

Victoria smiled through a sip of wine, her eyes lighting up.

“It was the look on her face when I struck her with the lion's paw.” said Victoria “She thought she was so untouchable, and I left her flat on the mat.”

“Nobody even saw it coming.” Darian grinned,  “and the next thing they knew your hand was raised.”

“And that's all that matters.” Victoria said “Kayla Richards is one of the best to ever step foot in this company, everybody knows that and now everybody knows that I beat her. The how of it doesn't matter. What's done is done.”

She casually takes another sip of her wine

“Now my High Stakes Tour of SCWs best continues.“ said Victoria “Last time was Kayla Richards, this time it's Bella Madison. Next time it'll either be Crystal Caldwell, or Alexandra Calaway. If it's Calaway what a wonderful High Stakes journey I will have indeed.  Sort of a tour of my greatest hits. I cap off the tournament with a victory over Calaway and I'll have the momentum I need to go in against Frankie Holliday.”

“And if Calaway doesn't win her match?” piqued Darian

“Then I beat Crystal Caldwell instead.” said Victoria, “It may not be as poetic of a story, but the end result will be the same when I have that Bombshell World Championship raised over my head.”

“With a journey like that nobody will be able to deny you when you win that championship.” Darian said.

“Exactly.” said Victoria, “And you dare bear, I can't forget that you executed your part perfectly, the timing and everything was professional work.”

“Just trying to help my queen.” he grinned taking a sip of his drink

“Don't undersell yourself.” she said “You're part of this now too, and you've done very well.”

She smiled at him, she really did like this boy. Aside from all the consort business, and SCW she found a certain charm about him

“So what's the plan for Bella Madison?” Darian asked.

Victoria leaned back in her chair and swirled some of the wine in her glass.

“Bella Madison's an interesting one…” Victoria said “She'll catch you if you're not careful. That's what happened last time. I took her too lightly in that triple threat with Calaway and it cost me in the end.”

“But remember she technically didn't beat you in that match.” Darian reminded her.

“That may be true.” said Victoria “But I still lost that match, and that means I can't just brush off Bella Madison. She's disciplined, and if you make the slightest mistake she'll strike with venom, and she will get you.”

“Then don't make any mistakes.“ said Darian.

“That's the plan.” Victoria said “Because she's getting a version of me that's completely dialed in, the one that just took out Kayla Richards.”

She casually took another sip of her wine.

“I want her to be at her best too.” said Victoria “Because when I win the whole thing people will remember who I beat to get there. No easy path or excuses, I'm beating names that matter. Kayla Richards, Bella Madison, whomever I get next, that's what's going to make my journey real.”

“And I'll be there with you the whole way.” Darian said slyly “To make sure everything goes…..fairly.”

“Fair enough for me to win.”  Victoria grinned.

They sat there in silence just for a moment letting the warmth creep across their faces.

“I can feel the shift already Dare Bear.” she said “I've got my rhythm back. I may have slipped into a bit of a rut and some may have doubted I could step up to the next level after losing the roulette championship but this is the tournament where I prove them wrong.”

“And Harper cracked under the pressure because she couldn't fill your shoes.” said Darian.

“Perhaps, but Harper Mason is no longer my problem. She made her own fate.” said Victoria “I need to focus on my future and  my journey back to becoming a champion.”

“And we still have Plan B.” Darian reminded her. “The Bombshell Internet Championship.”

“Yes “ said Victoria "And plan B will come into effect if we need it. Need to keep focus on what's ahead of me and that's Bella Madison. I know how good Bella is, but I know I'm better, and with you by my side I can be unstoppable.”

“Bella won't even see it coming.” said Darian

“Just like Kayla.” Victoria smirked.

The two sat together enjoying each other's company among their drinks and the warmth of the fireplace, but inside Victoria's determination to win was burning hotter than the fire itself. The fire crackled and somewhere inside Victoria, so did destiny.

__________

It was a quiet night outside a rare sort of silence as Victoria sat alone on the hotel balcony overlooking the street of Santa Clara beneath her, back inside the hotel room Darian had already fallen fast asleep. And this moment it was just her and the rhythm of her own thoughts.

She sat back and to her chair and thought about the word queen and how so long ago it meant something different for her. At one point it was about the crown and feeling above everybody else and untouchable. Now she felt like a queen in a different way, it wasn't about the crown, but about the presence she carried herself with. It was her confidence. She was a strong independent woman who no longer demanded people's attention,  she earned it.

They may not have liked her methods or even her at times but they had grown to respect her and everybody knew that, like her or not she deserved all of it.

She smiled to herself faintly, the word independent resting on her mind. She didn't need anyone to define her anymore, not even her family and yet there was Darian.

Her sweet Dare Bear.

It all happened so fast with him, a spark of chemistry had turned into something more. She didn't see him as just a pawn in her game. But she didn't quite see him as her equal either, not in the way she fought to get where she was. But he was loyal and stayed beside her. Perhaps he could be a little too eager at times,  but his heart was always in the right place and that mattered more to her than she ever expected it to.

She found herself caring for him like truly caring for him and affection and warmth that was more than just some convenience.  Wherever she landed,  whatever was on her mind he always looked at her like she was everything that mattered in the world and she loved that about him.

Some people might look at the two of them and see their relationship as strange, but this wasn't some ancient world. It was a modern age and love looked different in it. Who was anybody else to judge them?

It's not like they needed their approval anyway.

As she looked toward the skyline she thought about Vincent, her twin.  Her chest tightened as his name crossed her mind.  Be worried about him she may never say it out loud but he had always been a piece of her story and now he all but vanished from it. There was a time when she would have gone looking for him but she couldn't do that anymore because she finally understood that Vincent had to find his own way back and she had her own path to walk.

Then her mind shifted to Eddie, her cousin her equal and her frustration. She didn't believe it herself, but she was quietly rooting for him. She wanted him to win his own High Stakes tournament, maybe if only for the idea that a Lyons could take both of the tournaments on each side of the line  but somehow she knew it was deeper than that. She truly wanted to see him get the moment he had earned. She wanted all of his hard work to pay off for him.

Weird, she thought, shaking her head.

She couldn't be distracted by the boys in her life, not when she had Bella Madison waiting in the wings. She wouldn't underestimate Bella this time she couldn't make the same mistake twice. The finals of the high-stakes tournament were just around the corner and she knew she would do whatever she needed to do to get there.

She was feeling grounded for the first time in a long while she didn't need a crown to feel like royalty anymore. She didn't need validation, because she was the validation. Yet there was still a burning hot ambition and purpose in the side of her.

Bella would get the best version of her, the one who really discovered her rhythm and turned her insecurity into steel, she would find that she was still a queen and when the bell rang she would remind Bella Madison and everyone else exactly what that meant.

__________


The cameras open on Victoria Lyons standing near the edge of a terrace overlooking the city of Santa Clara, Darian Price leans against a stone railing nearby just enough to make his presence felt.

“So we're at the High Stakes semi-finals.” said Victoria “And I've drawn Bella Madison. I was talking with Darian the other day about how poetic it is, I beat Kayla Richards, now it's going to be Bella Madison, and the potential of it being Alexandra Calaway in the finals. It's like I'm on my greatest hits tour. Being forced to overcome my greatest opponents before I get my opportunity against Frankie Holliday.”

A faint smile grows on her face.

“And I'll give you your credit Bella, you got one over on me in that triple threat.” Victoria continued “You came with the fire and heart you always come with, and you came out with the victory. But let's not act like that night rewrites history. Let's not pretend you defeating Alexandra Calaway means you have my number, because you never have. When it's been you and I I come out on top every time and that's not arrogance that's just truth.”

She shrugs and smirks at the camera.

“When this tournament started I vowed not just to win but to set the tone." Victoria said “And that's exactly what I did when I beat Kayla Richards. The woman everybody expected to steamroll the whole thing and win her championship back. Instead she ran straight into my fist, and realized how serious I'm taking this.”

“And Kayla was just the beginning.” Darian quipped

“Exactly.” said Victoria “Because I'm out to remind people why my name strikes fear into people's hearts. Why when you see my name across from yours, you're forced to step up your game because you know if you don't I'll sink my claws in and absolutely bury you.”

She pauses shortly.

“The truth is, you could be Bombshell World Champion right now.“ said Victoria “But you squandered your opportunity against Kayla Richards. Just like you'll squatter your opportunity against Frankie Holliday should you manage to win this tournament. It's my turn for a shot at the Bombshell World Championship, not you, not Kayla Richards, not Alexandra Calaway, not even Crystal Caldwell. They won't admit it but it's what everybody wants right now. They want me in a match for the Bombshell World Championship.”

“They want the queen.” Darian chimed in.

“When I win this tournament I won't squander anything.” said Victoria “I will take the world Bombshell Championship from Frankie Holiday and the era of Victoria Lyons, the era everyone's been waiting for will begin.”

She smirks.

“When that bell rings Bella.  I'm controlling the pace.” She said. “I need to become a champion again, and if I have to put you in the dirt to do it I will. I won't be playing any hot potato with the championship like you and Mercedes Vargas did either. I will be a proper champion just like I was as Roulette champion, before Harper Mason won it from me and then crumbled under the pressure.”

She laughs.

“Your journey ends here Bella Madison.” said Victoria “We've done this before and you know I'm your better so bring all the fight you can, bring everything you can, because at the end of the day, you're going to need it. You're going to need the people to see that you at least brought a fight,  and you will, but my fight is going to be stronger. I am ready to be Bombshell World Champion and I'm ready to begin shattering records once again.”

She nods to the camera keeping her stare confident and intimidating as everything fades to black.

If it wasn't for the giant margaritas, Victoria would have left this bar a long time ago the music was annoying and there was nobody interesting in sight but the giant margaritas were to die for.

She sat sipping on her margarita, watching the dancers, that stupid Will Smith song playing for what felt like the millionth time. It was like she got it, they were in Miami, did they need to play the stupid song all the time?

She scoffed, deciding perhaps she should just leave, Margaritas aside the place was a bit of a dump.

And then the song changed and something shifted in her she knew it the moment the note started this was that song the one that just compelled her to dance every time she didn't know why and she didn't even really like the song but for whatever reason she couldn't help it.

‘Oh you can dance, you can jive’
 ‘Having the time of your life’
‘Oh see that girl, watch that scene’
‘Diggin’ the dancin’ queen.’

She was pulled the dance floor by some otherworldly force and she began to move, like really move. She felt like Olivia Newton-John in Saturday Night Fever.

And then she saw him, that handsome husky boy in the corner, he didn't have the washboard abs of the boring pretty boys and she liked it that way there was something mysterious about him.

She had to have him.

She swayed her hips with the rhythm of the music making away across the dance floor locking on him like a predator, sliding right into his orbit.

‘You coming to look for a king’
‘anybody could be that guy’
‘night is young and the music's high’

“You dance?” she asked although it wasn't really a question, but a command.

He didn't seem too sure at first but then their eyes met, and a sly grin appeared on his face as he set his glass down and allowed himself to be pulled onto the dance floor.

‘You are the dancing queen’
‘young and sweet only seventeen’
‘Dancing Queen’
‘Feel The Beat from the tambourine’
‘You can dance’
 ‘you can jive’
‘having the time of your life’
‘see that girl, watch that scene’
‘digging the dancing queen’

They were moving together and unison swaying together and feeling the music wrap around them.

“You've got rhythm mystery boy.“ she said with a smile.

“You kind of dragged it out of me.” smiled back.

“Something tells me you liked being dragged.” She said.

“Maybe a little.” he grinned

The crowd blurred around them and in this moment it was just her and this mysterious boy she had dragged onto the floor and he didn't even realize her claws were already sinking in.

"You got a name mystery boy?" she asked.

“Darian.” he replied.

“Victoria.”  she replied back. “And tonight Darian, you belong to me.”

He smiled back at her with a nod and they continued their dance as the sounds of ABBA came to an end.

‘You are the dancing queen.. ‘

And in that moment she was a dancing queen and she knew that she had found maybe not yet her king, but her new possession.

‘...diggin the dancing queen’

__________

With a tight grasp on Darian's wrist, she pulled him off the dance floor and didn't let go till they reached the bar where she sat him down, her nails scratching him just enough to let him know who was in control.

“Two margaritas.” she told the bartender.

"So do you always just drag strangers onto the dance floor?" he asked.

“Only the ones that look interesting.” she said “And you look far more interesting than all these soy boy beta cucks.”

The drinks arrived and they took them into a corner booth away from the noise.

“So what's your story Darian” she asked.

“Trouble.” he grinned

“I like trouble.” she grinned back.

“Drifter..” he said "Originally born and raised in Daytona. I spent most of my adult life drifting about here and there with no real place to call home. Trouble tends to follow me wherever I go.”

“And tonight you let trouble buy you a drink.” she grinned

They both shared a genuine laugh together.

“Well careful trouble tends to like me.” he grinned back.

“Maybe it already does”, she said, raising an eyebrow.

For a moment they just let their eyes meet, sipping their drinks.

“So does trouble have her own story?” he asked.

“Well I was born into a family where everyone wants to be the center of the universe.” she said "I learned at a young age that you need to shine brighter than the rest so you don't get swallowed whole, so I do my best to shine and make no apologies for it.”

“Sounds exhausting.” he said.

“It's the life I live as a pro wrestler.” she said “Some people out there like me, most of them hate me but they never ignore me.”

“Professional wrestler.” he said intrigued “That's why you walk like you own the room.”

“Well you don't seem intimidated.” she said.

“Should I be?” he said, his lips curving into a smile.

“Maybe a little.” she grinned.

With a smile he raised his glass and they clinked them together.

“To trouble.” he said.

“To trouble.” she replied with a smile.

She had already slid out the booth by the time their glasses had emptied, extending her hand toward him with an expectant look in her eyes.

“You're not disappearing back into the corner mystery boy.” she said.

“Hadn't planned on it.” he replied.

“Good because you're coming with me.” she said, “Tonight you're really getting into trouble.”

And with that Darian let himself be led out by the temptress. Claimed and conquered, but he didn't mind it one bit, and Victoria was happy to have herself a new toy to play with.

__________

The cameras open on the sands of South Miami Beach as Victoria steps in the frame, we can hear the sound of sand crunching beneath her boots as her gaze locks into the camera the night circling around her.

“How are we doing Candy?” she began “Has it begun to sink in? Have your voices told you of the horrors that are coming your way? Because this isn't just some match where you can come in and flash your smile and throw your glitter and walk away.”

She laughs.

“It's not going to work like that sweetheart.” She said “This isn't about being charming and flashy, it's about dominance and control and leaving a mark that lasts after the bell rings and the lights go out. Every grain of sand on this beach is a battlefield and the battlefield is where I thrive.”

Her voice beams with confidence and power.

"Even with me being off my game I'm still one of the most feared Bombshells on this roster." Victoria said "Certainly more fear than you Candy.  Every move I make is calculated and precise and you're going to find out the hard way that stepping in the ring with Victoria Lyons is no walk in the park, but by then it will be too late.”

She lets her gaze harden on the camera.

"You see Candy I didn't become the longest reigning Bombshell Roulette Champion of all time by letting others dictate the pace or letting someone else take control.” she said "I claim control, and I show no mercy and I will give no second chances. All you will have left is the reality of my rule and your place beneath it.”

She laughs.

“I don't just fight to win. I fight to control.” said Victoria, “You're stepping into the ring with a queen and I'm going to bury you under my rule.”

She pauses.

“You want to see control?” she said “You want to see what obedience looks like?”

She motions to someone off camera as a husky male with shaggy hair and a beard drags his legs behind him as he crawls up to her Neil's beside her and caresses her legs and abdomen looking up with a smile.

“This is Darian.” she said “You can consider him Vincent's replacement of sorts, but unlike my insolent brother,  this one is obedient, this one actually listens and this one knows his place beneath his Queen, isn't that right pet?.”

“Yes my queen.” Darian says.

“Very good.” said Victoria “You see this is obedience, this is loyalty, and where you see your queen you will see her pet in her corner.  My sweet Darian who can satisfy me in ways my brother is unable to, nor should he unless you're some sick freak from Alabama or something.”

Darian and Victoria both laugh.

“My pet isn't here to seek any glory for himself.” she said “He is here to support and serve his queen.  Most importantly he does what I say. “

She clears her throat.

“Bark like a dog.” she said.

On cue Darian barked.

“Now do a cat.” she said.

Darian meowed.

“Stand up.” she said.

Darian rose to his feet

“Now Vogue.” she said.

Darian did a Vogue dance that would rival even Madonna's.

“Return.” she said.

Quickly he was back kneeling by her side caressing her abdomen.

“That is what you call power Candy.” Victoria said “Something you will never obtain. I am going to bury you in sand candy and you're only hope is that you resurrect into something better.”

She pauses to nod to the camera and begins walking off toward the left side.

“Follow.” she said

Darian obediently followed her off camera as everything faded to black.